Okay so I'm obsessed with Polylight right??? And I know most people just ship Miyeong with Celine and Rumi's dad separately...
But I've been seeing a lot of people posting about Rumi's dad just being a male version of Celine(mostly to fuel the Miyeong and Celine ship, which I am still heavily aboard) and... I kinda wanna ship them now??? I mean we've basically each made an oc out of Thirdlight to fuel Polylight so why not Rumi's dad...
This is more of an au that I've come up with instead of what I think happened so hear me out...
Basic timeline of events:
• Established(kinda) Polylight
• Miyeong and Demon dad(need a name for him) meet, he doesn't tell her he's a demon
• Miyeong introduces Demon dad to Celine and Third
• Time skip of idek how long, they find out he's a demon; They've all bonded by now to some degree so no one tries to kill him
• Baby Rumi arrives, Miyeong dies in child birth
• Baby Rumi shows signs of being one of the next hunters
• Gwi-ma finds out and sends demons to retrieve the baby and kill the rest of the hunters while they're vulnerable; Third dies in altercation; Celine, Demon dad, and Rumi live
• Celine and Demon dad raise Rumi together for a while
• The guilt of Miyeong and Third's death eventually gets to Demon dad and Gwi-ma gets a hold of him again
In this AU Celine and Demon dad(I'm just gonna call him DD for short bc omg) are very similar in personality. They are both more introverted compared to Miyeong and Third who are more extroverted. They are both hard working and stern but also appreciate the peace of nature and garden work, among other shared interests.
I'm also headcanoning him as being older than Jinu(partly bc the thought of Rumi's father being younger than her situationship is just...ew...to me yk???) Like significantly older because I'm thinking that the older a demon is the more Gwi-ma just doesn't pay attention to them because he has so many demons at his disposal and doesn't really care for the older ones when they're of no use to him anymore. I'm establishing this because I wanna give Rumi's dad enough autonomy to be able to be with the SLS long enough out of his own free will to bond.
Polylight was already established in the sense that they know that they are soulmates as they are linked through the Honmoon. They were meant to be, that is fact to them, end of story. But of course society sucks so they have to keep it on the down low, and they also have a bit of internalized homophobia because of it so they have a bit of an open relationship going on because of the fact that they never officially labeled what they are outside of "we are meant to stand together". That's why when Miyeong introduces DD to them they don't feel betrayed or anything, they know Miyeong is still theirs, he's just a part of it now too. Miyeong also made it very clear to DD that her girls were a package deal if he wanted to be with her and DD was totally chill with it.
Celine and Third actually helped Miyeong and DD a lot whenever they would have little moments together since dating was a big "no no" for idols. DD even helped the three of them anything they would go sneaking around. This dynamic of sneaking shenanigans ended up making all four of them bond even more forming a really weird found family.
When they found out he was a demon, they all had different levels of shock. Miyeong was heartbroken at first because she thought he was using her. Third was furious because he lied to them, even when they started to actually care about one another. Celine was livid because he actually started to care for someone other than her girls and started to trust him only to find out it was a lie. DD accepted their accusations without protest because he knows that he was horrible for lying(he has horrible self-esteem). He tells them that he no longer hears Gwi-ma anymore after being a part of their little family. That they each helped set him free a little at a time and he's no longer on Gwi-ma's leash thanks to them, but he understands that he shouldn't have lied.
After everyone calmed down and he swore that he meant no harm, the SLS have a talk between the three of them and eventually agree that he could've donw something to bring them down by mow if it was really a ploy and that they have too much history now to just let it go. They don't necessarily forgive him immediately, but they give him a chance to earn their trust back. And he does for the most part. Miyeong and Third basically forgive him fully after a while and so does Celine even if she'll never admit it out loud. Celine is still gaurded and protective of her girls around him but its not really too different from her normal attitude in general so he just learns to live with it. He does fully believe that she hates him though and doesn't blame her(self-esteem??? What self-esteem???).
After Miyeong and Third pass away and Celine and DD are left to raise Rumi, things are even more tense. Celine knows that what happened isn't really his fault, but it's just so easy to be angry at him. Especially when the alternative is blaming herself for not protecting them. She was their leader, their soulmate, she should've done better. She will do better for Rumi.
DD isn't doing much better. He fully believes that what happened was his fault and that he should've been the one to die. That Rumi deserves her mother's instead of being raised by a heartless, lying demon(Miyeong had been so excited for the baby, said that Celine and Third would be just as much her mothers and she would be, and DD had wholeheartedly agreed; they built a nursery together, they wrote personal lullabies for her, they bought the cutest little clothes they could find; before she was even born Rumi was spoiled rotten by her four parents) The shame of losing Miyeong and Third eventually get to him and Gwi-ma slowly starts creeping in again.
And this is where I sprinkle in some Avengers level threat Celine. Necessity truly is the mother of innovation because the moment Celine realised she had to protect Rumi she started doing all sorts of shit with the Honmoon to be an effective hunter by herself. She started summoning different weapons during hunts, used it as a shield when needed, but one of the most imoressive things she discovered was just how powerful her voice could be. Almost like a soren song she could use her voice to influence others and fight off Gwi-ma's voice by being louder than he was. How did she discover this? By doing it to DD.
The only reason DD didn't give in to Gwi-ma sooner is because Celine learned how to be louder than him. Whenever Celine saw DD slipping she would snap him out of it. Not lovingly and gently like Miyeong once did, or by trying to distract him with something else like Third. No, she would be loud and forceful, yet encouraging all at once. "You told Miyeong you wanted to be better. You can't do that if your dead." "But he's so loud" "Don't listen to him, listen to me." Eventually she did this so often that all she would have to say is that the voices in his head were just noise and he would be grounded again.
DD has stated multiple times to Celine that it would just be easier and safer if she would just kill him and be done with it. Celine refuses. She says that he made his choices and that he needs to stay alive and own up to the consequences.
She doesn't tell him that she just can't kill him. Her friend. Her family... Her... she doesn't even know what anymore... so much has happened between them that she doesn't want to acknowledge but can't let go of.
So they raise Rumi together for a while. Celine preps as much as she can for when Rumi is old enough to start training. DD tries not to think about how he's condemned his own little girl to be a demon like him(for as much as i see fanfics saying Rumi would have accepted her demon side a lot more if her dad was around, and while i agree, lets be real being a demon is literal hell as we see in the movie and no parent would want that for their child, especially when their not even sure how it would affect their child if they were only half) They both handle demon attacks when possible, mostly Celine going out since, while DD can fight other demons, he cant close tears.
Eventually Celine and DD grow closer(forced proximity/shared trauma combo). Celine is...kind of glad she doesn't have to worry about DD. He is just as stubborn as she is and as much as he brings himself down, he is a strong fighter. Celine was never the closest to him, not to say she doesn't care, but she never had to feel responsible for him the way she did with her girls. She was their leader, their rock, the shoulder they would lean on. She had to protect them and she failed. With DD she doesn't feel that pressure. In him she finds an equal(even if she'd sooner die than admit it). Someone who will just as stubbornly fight to stay alive to atone for his mistakes, no matter how much easier it would be to die(are we seeing the similarities I made between him and Celine's we see in fanfics yet)
DD admires Celine's strength so much. Takes comfort in the fact that Rumi would be just fine with her if something ever happened to him. Takes comfort in the fact that out of all three of the SLS, Celine is the only one who would be willing to do what it takes to protect her, even if it meant raising her weapon against him, which is a reassurance he never knew he needed until he held his daughter in his arms for the first time. With Miyeong, DD felt at peace, like he wasn't a bad person and could be good again despite his past mistakes. With Third, he never had to think about his past, she always lived in the present and brought him with her. He could be wa regular man again with her. With Celine... Celine sees the worst parts of him first, and still thinks he has a chance to do better. Celine does not let him escape his reality and forces him to face his actions, but not in the guilt-tripping, torturous ways that Gwi-ma does, but in a way that makes him believe, truly believe, that he can do better. That even after whatever sins lead him to Gwi-ma to begin with, he can still do better.
They never officially acknowledge or name this new tension between them. Anytime they work in the garden together and accidentally reach for the same tool, whenever they tuck Rumi into bed together and just sit and watch her in silence for a moment, whenever they help patch each other up after particularly tough hunts. Little Rumi knows there's something going on there. She knows about Miyeong and Third and grows up considering them equally her mothers too. Celine still doesn't let Rumi call her Eomma in this au, still doesn't want to risk replacing Miyeong without her to give her opinion(even if Miyeong was the most excited for the four of them to all become parents). DD encourages Rumi to see Celine as her mother too, even if Celine won't let her call her that so Celine is still her mother in Rumi's mind.("Well if I can't call her Eomma, I'll just call her Maman" -little Rumi probably; French-Korean Celine Foreva; in Rumi's head Miyeong is Eomma, Third is Mama(she saw her two puff buns once and thought they looked like her teddy bears ears and went, yup thats my mama bear), Celine is Maman, and DD is Appa; Celine is the only one she adresses by name since Celine asked her to but she knows in her mind that she is her Maman)
It all comes crashing down one day, though. One day, when Rumi is about 7 or 8, Gwi-ma's voice is just too loud for DD. Maybe DD and Celine got into a fight that triggered it, maybe it was something to do with Rumi, maybe all that festering guilt finally came to a head, but something happened and DD couldn't stop himself. Gwi-ma took over and made him attack Celine and try to kill her and Rumi. Rumi is hidden away somewhere in the hanok. Celine tries her hardest to snap him out of it, but its no use. They end up at the tree. DD begs Celine to end him, that he is too dangerous now to Rumi and Celine herself, that he can't lose what family he has left. Celine still refuses, "What right do you have asking me to protect your family while asking me to kill part of my own in the same breath?". Celine knows what she has to do, but she just can't. DD makes a decision. He lunges at Celine and attacks her, this time of his own accord. Celine acts quickly, still trying to dodge and not hurt him. They argue the entire time.
Eventually, Celine's instincts give in. She stabs him right through his center. She is shell socked for a few seconds, before they both fall to their knees as she apologizes and says she didn't mean it. DD just smiles as a he slowly fades away. Before he goes he reassures Celine that it's alright. "This was my choice. Please, don't feel guilty for protecting our family."
He takes her hand that has holding the sword that stabbed him. She hadn't let go of the hilt. She didn't pull out the sword. If she pulled out the sword he would bleed out. He's not a demon. He's not like them. He's just a man who wanted to protect his family. So many things run through her mind.
He takes her hand and kisses it. He looks her in the eye and thanks her for all she's done. Says that he believes she'll be alright, she was always the strongest of them, and that he's only sorry he couldn't be stronger to stay by her side so she wouldn't be alone. Finally, he fades away. Celine is left kneeling alone in the dirt, crying. One of her swords, the one that killed him, stained red by her guilt over what she's done. Menawhile, little Rumi stands hidden in the foliage. Worried for her parents, she had silently followed them, only to witness her appa's final moments. The moment that cemented in little Rumi's mind that demons could not change, that she only had a chance because she was half. Because if her appa couldn't do it, hwo could she. Celine never finds out that Rumi was there that night. Rumi never tells her. They both never speak of it again.
Phew that was way longer than I planned. Anyway you knwo the drill by now... might post more, might not...lemme know what you think or if you have questions. I wrote all of this in one go, so if you see any mistakes *flashbang* no you didn't
Edit: I realized I never really specified the relationship between Demon Dad and Third and honestly, I'm still debating myself whether or not I want them to be platonic or romantic so thats TBD for now.
I also wanted to mention that another reason Demon Dad and Celine are hesitant to acknowledge the tension between them and the inevitable bond they form because of their situation is because they both feel like it would be betraying Miyeong and replacing her with each other. Which is just not true. They love each other(even if they'll never admit it) for different reasons than they love Miyeong, but they love both of the others just the same. If Miyeong we're still alive, they would have just formed an even larger polycule inevitably anyway. Miyeong would have been their number one shipper really.
