Here to yak about fics (hence the name) and make EYECRIMES (that's RUMI CHOMP above, my first ever eyecrime)
want something to read? yakking about fics here-
#kpdh fics â @yaketysmax on Tumblr and check #yaketysmax fanfix feast â @yaketysmax on Tumblr for giant compilations of fic recs
EYECRIMES! deranged doodles to serious artiste attempts and everything inbetween. Crocs AU? Jeju Imp? KpopDungeon Haulers? HONMOON SCIENCE BRIGADE? rummage here-
#eyecrimes for you â @yaketysmax on Tumblr
EYECRIMES! SERIOUS ARTISTE edition - drawing fics i love-
#yaketysmax draws fanfics â @yaketysmax on Tumblr
and/or follow me on ao3 where i am slowly adding my fanfic art tributes Fanfic art by yaketysmax - yaketysmax - KPop Demon Hunters (2025) [Archive of Our Own] and i also have fic collections on there!
YOU KNOW WHO IT ISSSSSSSSSSS!!!!!
SHE IS.. SHE IS....................... (whhat's her naaaaame)
soundcloud rapper, rizz haver, turtle lover, crocs wearer and seaworld hater
THE NOTORIOUS FDZ RETURNS!!!!!
inspired by @honestground's amazing fic 'Show Me (how to love you) and also the delightful Fast Car by the awesome @theallegoricalcavedweller but also none of this happens at all! its a kinda vibes based thing so go read them with no fear. the notorious fdz is a yaketyverse eyecrimes horror.
also you voted for her second single, so this is on you, probably! DR BABYGIRL, PHD, her romantic ballad towards a mysterious doctor with big sad seal eyes. with an extremely inappropriate cover art photoshoot NSFW! too powerful for tumblr. (the photo shoot files have mysteriously vanished from the server- if anyone has seen a tall pink haired individual please inform security)
if you are new to THE NOTORIOUS FDZ, hit those tags for LORE (and eyecrimes galore)
gimme your 3rd single titles in the replies! my fave one gets PRODUCER CREDIT! wow! such amaze! such totally worthless
!!! HASHTAG GENIUS @somewhatlucky!!!
imagine...
POUTINE ON THE RITZ
(Mira haaaaaaaaaates this pun she hates it she hates it she hates it. Zo laughs more and more as she says it. She is going to get a Fred Astaire outfit)
Love the concept of fishtrix but diver zoey and mermaids rumira being fascinated by her because she's is immeadiately more interested in the sea turtles swimming by than actual mermaids appearing in front of her
YOU KNOW WHO IT ISSSSSSSSSSS!!!!!
SHE IS.. SHE IS....................... (whhat's her naaaaame)
soundcloud rapper, rizz haver, turtle lover, crocs wearer and seaworld hater
THE NOTORIOUS FDZ RETURNS!!!!!
inspired by @honestground's amazing fic 'Show Me (how to love you) and also the delightful Fast Car by the awesome @theallegoricalcavedweller but also none of this happens at all! its a kinda vibes based thing so go read them with no fear. the notorious fdz is a yaketyverse eyecrimes horror.
also you voted for her second single, so this is on you, probably! DR BABYGIRL, PHD, her romantic ballad towards a mysterious doctor with big sad seal eyes. with an extremely inappropriate cover art photoshoot NSFW! too powerful for tumblr. (the photo shoot files have mysteriously vanished from the server- if anyone has seen a tall pink haired individual please inform security)
if you are new to THE NOTORIOUS FDZ, hit those tags for LORE (and eyecrimes galore)
gimme your 3rd single titles in the replies! my fave one gets PRODUCER CREDIT! wow! such amaze! such totally worthless
THE NOTORIOUS FDZ
continuing on with my deranged fanarts of great fics where the thing i have drawn doesn't happen! (see also crocs AU, eyecrimes for ink and honey) Sorry authors. I love your fics and hope you don't mind.
Today my victim is the amazing
show me (how to love you) - Chapter 1 - honestground - KPop Demon Hunters (2025) [Archive of Our Own] by @honestground
Front Desk Zoey is often written as FDZ which makes me think of a rapper everytime. from here- (i have writer's block but i think if someone were to trail their fingertips up and down my back for 3 hours it might fix me â @yaketysmax on Tumblr_ )
Her debut album is all about turtles and contains a 15 minute rant about seaworld with a drum and bass line underneath. Mira makes her a website and secretly buys 10 copies of the album in support.
Anyway read this fic it is so good. None of this happens.....
blaming @honestground for encouragement ( i don't need any for eyecrimes tbh) i yakked about this in the tags and then had to make it. Here is NOTORIOUS FDZ's website.
Mira you made me a website? wow that looks so slick! you are amazing thank you Mira! web designer and hottie???? thank you! mwah mwah can i have a sparkly background though? can i have a turtle pointer with stars? can i have that comic sans option? it is so cute!!! can there be glittery bits you are so amazing ! can i have shiny boxes too? i sold 10 copies of my album already can you believe it and people are streaming it????????
Mira is grinding her teeth. she is sweating. this site is a crime against web design and taste. it is a 2000s myspace hellscape with animated backgrounds and auto play music and then a sweary rant about seaworld and turtles and whales. she will never admit to making it. no one can ever know her shame.
She can't resist those big brown eyes and excited face though.
She goes home and makes a minimalist tasteful website just for fun to calm herself down. (She brought those 10 copies secretly. she sets up a bot to silently stream FDZ's album 24/7 to give her some numbers.)
NOTORIOUS FDZ DROPS HER DEBUT SINGLE....IS IT.....
TURTLE LYFE chill rap
F*CK YOU SEAWORLD sweary rap screeching
PINK WEB unsubtle love rap song ZO! that is NOT radio safe
Voting ended onMar 3
i really wanna do the worst single cover art you have ever seen....ooo it is gonna be so tasteless Mira will be crashing out in the bathroom about it. MIRA SHE IS USING 7 DIFFERENT FONTS! MIRA THERE IS GLITTER EVERYWHERE! MIRA NOTHING IS ALIGNED ON A GRID!
(none of this happens in honestground's fic, please do not be alarmed. do not let my eyecrimes out you off an excellent fic. the NOTORIOUS FDZ has just gotten a hold of my eyecrime braincell.)
THE NOTORIOUS FDZ! NOW SHE'S GOT A HONGLOCK! love to daw a deranged Zo.
a collection of my Zo based eyecrimes, from Front Desk Zoey (from 'Show me (how to love you) by honestground to Crocs AU Zo from 'Fast Car' by theallegoricalcavedweller. They have mutated together into deranged yaketyverse soundcloud rapper THE NOTORIOUS FDZ. She has a honglock! a hideous website and a worse debut single/album! She wears turtle crocs and all the colours. Her demented rizz is off the charts. we love her anyway.
None of these eyecrimes happen in these fics, so please read em, they are great! I just went on a little strange detour as is common in my fanart. Vibes only, no facts!
APPARENTLY IT IS ZOEY WEEK??? AND NO-ONE TOLD ME! OUTRAGE.
Âș( > Ꭰđ )Âș
this means you now must all suffer my deranged Zoey based eyecrimes, including:
-Birdtrix Zo
-Crocs Au Zo
-The saga of the Notorious FDZ -soundcloud rapper, rizz haver, seaworld hater- aka front Desk Zoey- from @honestground's incredible fic 'Show me How to love you' in which none of this happens at all and you should all go read it
-Beefcake Zo, the epic tale of a maknae with biceps of steel
-who gave Zoey a Honglock oh shit aka Celine needs a drink
APPARENTLY IT IS ZOEY WEEK??? AND NO-ONE TOLD ME! OUTRAGE.
Âș( > Ꭰđ )Âș
this means you now must all suffer my deranged Zoey based eyecrimes, including:
-Birdtrix Zo
-Crocs Au Zo
-The saga of the Notorious FDZ -soundcloud rapper, rizz haver, seaworld hater- aka front Desk Zoey- from @honestground's incredible fic 'Show me How to love you' in which none of this happens at all and you should all go read it
-Beefcake Zo, the epic tale of a maknae with biceps of steel
-who gave Zoey a Honglock oh shit aka Celine needs a drink
Currently: while Mira, Rumi, and Zoey have wandered off to have gay breakdownsâer, put Rumiâs sword away, Minji, Miyeong, and Celine are working on lunch and continuing to plan how theyâll be getting rid of the wraiths. In Seoul, a grieving Bobby meets a nurseâŠ
The cooler, dryer air inside of the hanok hits Rumi like a wave as they enter, and she has to pause to take a breath and let herself luxuriate in it.
âIt is a beautiful invention, this thermostat,â she declares, just to make Mira and Zoey smile.
And they do.
âAnd we even fixed the hole in the ozone layer,â Zoey jokes, before pausing, like sheâs realized that Rumi has entirely no idea what âozoneâ isâindicating it is likely a modern term and not just something of Korean that has escaped her. This language can be such a headache compared to Jejuan sometimes, and the wonderfully creative way that Zoey uses words is⊠not necessarily helpful, for one as slow as Rumi.
She smiles anyway, because she is certain that it would be funny, did she understand.
âWhat does that have to do with air conditioning?â Mira asks, herding them all gently forward out of the doorway, which makes Rumi feel somewhat better about her ignorance.
Half of their conversation about âcoolantsâ and âatmosphereâ goes over Rumiâs head, but she thinks that she understands the general meaning: much like the stars, this invention had not come without cost.
By the time they reach the honored shamanâs office once more, the sweat is cool and damp against Rumiâs skin, and she is left to wonder again how it is that modern clothing is meant to work. These strange, skimpy undergarments have caught almost none of it, and she is certain that a proper runthrough of her exercises would have left her soaked in sweat, to say nothing of a dayâs work. Is one meant to change clothes constantly?
She considers asking, butâ
Mostly she is just stalling.
Selfish creature that she is, she does not want to put her sword away.
It will be there again when she returns, yes, butâ
It is hard to part with, though she knows she should. Her sword, deadly and vicious, not ever to be drawn when not needed, feels so comforting in her hand. Like an anchor, a reminder that she is yet realâyet alive, in the same world that she left.
âRumi? Sorry, we were getting kind of deep into the science there.â Zoey laughs nervously, apologizing for her own existence.
Rumi shakes her head, grip tightening on the sheathed sword. âIt was no fault of yours. I am merely⊠considering.â
Mira snorts. âConsidering our atmosphere? You looked like you were really paying attention there.â
âPerhaps I was considering the beauty of your features, sweet lady,â Rumi answers, the casual deflection coming easily.
Perhaps too easily, if the startled expressions that take over not just Miraâs features but also Zoeyâs are to say anything. Rumi ought be careful, if her⊠desires⊠are so visible.
Hurriedly, she turns away, unlatching the box and putting the sheath back in it.
It closes with a decisive thunk.
And hopefully, Rumi will keep such a decisiveness in herself going forward.
The sesame oil has started sizzling, so Celine scrapes Minji-nim's pile of neatly (if... perhaps excessively finely) chopped vegetables into the pan and turns to the pantry. She pulls out a jar of kimchi and two eggs without thinking, then goes back for the rest of the carton. Six mouths to feed is nice, but it will take some adjustment.
She looks over at her designated sous chef, but Minji-nim has slumped over her arms on the table, eyes closed at last.
Celine is glad. It's meant to be part of her duties, in carrying on the great Rumi-nim's work, to give comfort to those who she helps; Rumi-nim healed hearts and spirits, as well as protecting bodies from harm. Celine has always been much better at the practical side of things. She can offer food, a safe place to go, she can repair torn stuffed animals and glue together broken heirlooms like they were never damaged, but she's never known what to say to people, when they hurt. In the face of what Minji-nim has lost, any mere words Celine could think to offer feel dismissive and trite. But a nap will do her good.
Celine turns to Miyeong-nim instead. "Can you be trusted to chop kimchi?"
"Let's find out." The reporter's eyes sparkle as she takes the jar. "You can come over here and supervise, if you're worried."
Miyeong-nim really is a flirt. Celine should probably roll her eyes, but she finds herself smiling, just a little, instead, as she turns back to the skillet. It's been a while since anyone cared to flatter her that way. And despite first impressions, she's beginning to think Miyeong-nim's good opinion is more discerning than she likes to act.
Certainly, she has decent taste in women. Celine glances over at the table again. "Will she be alright there?" she asks Miyeong-nim. "She needs sleep, but I doubt she needs back problems."
The reporter stops squinting suspiciously at the kimchi and takes a look of her own. "She'll be okay, I've caught her napping in much worse positions than that. You wouldn't think a human could bend the way a nurse can bend when the only available flat surface is the top of a mini-fridge."
Her face has gone soft and warm, and her voice is so fond that it makes the words sound like something earthshaking and precious, instead of the off-hand anecdote to a near-stranger that it is.
Well. Small talk. Celine starts pulling some fruit out of the fridge for Mira's smoothie, and asks over her shoulder, "Have you two been partners a long time, then?"
âIâwaitâhuh?â Miyeong barely manages to avoid spasming and starting to chop her own fingers instead of the kimchi. âPartners likeânot thatâMinji?â
Celine looks back at her, blushing slightly and says, voice stiff with embarrassment, âI hadnât meant to presume. I apologize.â
âNo, no, itâs justâŠâ Miyeong stares at her, attempting to come up with something, anything beyond repeating, ââŠMinji? Sheâs so⊠and IâmâŠâ
Why would someone like Minji, who is as selfless and competent and together as she could be, possibly get involved with Miyeong? (âŠBeyond getting dragged along with her in extenuating circumstances such as the ones they were under. Where it was the right thing to do.)
Celine frowns slightly. âYouâreâŠ?â
Miyeongâs face goes hot, feeling ridiculously adolescent at having Celine look at her as if sheâa more than just some worn out idiot whoâd sold her soul for consistent employment years ago.
âIâI donât even know if sheââ likes women. Miyeong takes a breath before she finishes that sentence in the stupidest way possible. âWeâd known each other through work before now. Separate works. Wherein she did not like me very much.â
Celine just looks at her for another moment, still frowning, and nods. ââŠWhat sort of stories have you working at the hospital, then?â
Miyeong cringes at the thought of explaining about Yeonggi, though she knows Celine hadnât meant it that way, and then it makes Celine wince andâ âNo, no! You didnâtâno, I was onlyâplease, Celine-nim, forgive me, thereâs just a bit of a story there, and one that involves me being a bit of an idiot.â
Matched with a smile, that, at least, finally has Celine loosening up instead of looking like she wants out of this conversation, raising an eyebrow. âReally?â
So Miyeong deftly avoids the subject of how everything with Yeonggi ended, and gets into how it startedâa tale involving missing IV bags, a caffeine allergy, and a source who exclusively spoke Spanish.
It makes Celine laugh, as she explains how sheâd tried to bribe the handsome male nurse with coffee and heâd looked at her like he wanted to die.
She skips the part where he was so enthusiastic about helping her because the new operation was cutting in on his own illegal activities. Maybe once theyâve known each other more than a week⊠and sheâs had a conversation with Celine where she doesnât have to fight the urge to melt into the ground from embarrassment.
Itâs funny, though. Sheâd never noticed that Minji was in the story so much too, exhaustedly trying to kick Miyeong out even then. âSince I still had the coffee, I tried the trick on the next nurse I saw.â
Celine, set up at her own cutting board next to Miyeong, follows her nod to Minji. âAnd I take it she refused?â
âOh, no, she took it,â Miyeong says, feeling a fond smile tug at her lips. âIt just meant that she smiled at me while directing me to the exit that day.â
Celineâs laughter feels distant, almost, as Miyeong puts down the knife.
Part of Zoey â okay, most of Zoey â wants to stay and poke around the office a little more. Not only is she curious about what a modern mudang's day-to-day equipment might look like, there could be more ancient mystical weapons stashed around here and she cannot miss that.
But as soon as Rumi puts the sword away, she turns and all but marches out, a woman on a mission. Zoey turns to Mira, a silent question, but Mira just raises her eyebrows and shrugs a little, and then gestures broadly toward the door with a tiny little bow of her head, after you.
Fortunately, from behind, Mira won't be able to see the absurd blush that overtakes Zoey's entire face over such a completely normal gesture.
When they get to the kitchen, Minji is slumped asleep on the table, and the sweet smell of sauteed veggies fills the air. Celine and Miyeong are standing very close together at the counter; over the sizzling of oil, Zoey can just hear Celine walking Miyeong patiently through every step of holding her fingers curled, rocking the knife along its curve, letting the blade do the work. From her angle at the door, Zoey can just make out the edge of Miyeong's expression, serious and focused, and the tip of one ear, a brilliant red.
"Honorable shaman," says Rumi, keeping her voice low to not wake Minji and doing something really unfair to Zoey's guts as a bonus. Both women look up, Celine like a normal person and Miyeong with a little startled jump. "Can I assist in any way?"
Celine looks around thoughtfully. "There's not much else to do until it's time to fry the eggs. You three should get something to drink, though. Especially Rumi-nim. I'm sure you're dehydrated after that swordwork."
While Rumi is thanking Celine with more of that formal, archaic graciousness that should be goofy and awkward but is actually just really sweet and hot, Zoey starts digging in the fridge, Mira right behind her. "What do we think they drank to cool off in Rumi's day?" Mira murmurs, and from right over her shoulder that is also doing something really unfair to Zoey's guts, and this is the worst day. "Just water?"
There is bottled water in the fridge, but, "All that sweat," says Zoey, very cool and very calm and totally a medical professional about it, "we should give her something with some electrolytes."
They dig out a few choices for her, bokbunja and banana milk and a bottle of Bacchus that seems like an odd thing for Celine to keep on hand, considering her vibe. Zoey's usually pretty uncomfortable about sharing her drinks, but for some reason it feels totally normal when they sit down at the table, a respectful distance from the lump of unconscious nurse, and make Rumi try all three before deciding who gets what.
Her eyes go bright and she says, "An age of wonders," again, at the banana milk, and Zoey ends up with the energy drink. Probably for the best; her ADHD makes her functionally immune to caffeine, Mira should probably be avoiding it post-surgery, and Zoey's not sure she's ready for the Rumi On Red Bull experience.
"So not to in any way imply that we should be left here, because we are absolutely not doing that," says Zoey, once they're settled, "but, what's the plan for those of us without sacred weapons? I know we're looking for the wraiths, but what should Mira and I and our home invaders do when we find them?"
Miyeong just smiles shamelessly at the dig, and Celine looks over her shoulder at Mira. "Did you learn any rituals of control or banishment, from your family?"
Mira grimaces. "I tried to know as little about it as I could. Kinda wish I'd payed more attention, now."
"Well, I can teach you all a simple exorcism. Strong rituals take time we won't have to perform and even more to learn, but wraiths are only so powerful once their summoner is gone. The right words and a little mugwort can be enough to break their control on a person, particularly if any of you happen to be decent singers. And provided you can keep your own minds barred against the pain they feed on."
There's a moment of silence, as they all simultaneously exchange glances and process the ratio of emotionally level potential exorcists to recently-traumatized wrecks in the room, and Zoey says, "I'm really good at beer pong, maybe you have some sacred weapons I could learn to throw real quick instead?"
Minji gets shaken awake to find a plate of food being placed in front of her. It smells good enough that she doesnât ask too many questions.
It takes a few minutes for the world to kick back into focus. Sheâd love to say that the vegetables suddenly taste like ash in her mouth, that everything turns blackened and sick, but⊠the world just keeps existing, same as it ever has. Thatâs the worst part.
The food tastes good. She just canât let herself enjoy it.
They talk, and plan, and somehow itâs decided that theyâll be trying to make the last ferry out and staying the night in a hotel on the mainland, so theyâll have a whole day for Rumi and Celine-nim to take on the wraiths.
At least no one has much packing to do.
âBoth of our cars only seat five,â Miyeong says, as if it wouldnât be reasonable to at least pretend she hadnât tracked them by car. âDo we want to split back according to how we came?â
âI should probably stick with you three,â Minji says, gesturing to younger groupâor, wait, Rumiâs five hundred. Ugh. âNo offense, but if anyoneâs going to be needing medical attention, itâll be one of you.â
Rumi looks mildly offended (as if the skin of her torso isnât half-shredded), while Mira nods, conceding the point, and Zoey laughs a little, awkwardly.
âYeah,â she says, âprobably. But we shouldnât have anyone riding solo, so do we want to have someone double-buckle, orâŠ?â
âCeline-nim and I can ride together,â Miyeong volunteers.
A second later, she blushes vibrantly, turning to Celine-nim. âIfâif you want, I mean! You donât have to, I didnât mean to speak for youââ
âI would be happy to,â Celine-nim says smoothly, which is nice. Miyeong deserves a winâgetting to spend a few hours in a car with a beautiful woman before they all drive to their deaths is the least that could happen for her.
And then she gets another when Rumi volunteers to take Mira and Zoey out for knife practice.
âGo on,â Minji says, nodding after the not-actually-younger trio. âI know how much you like distance weaponry.â
âIâm offended by this,â Miyeong declares, but she marches after them to go find Celine-nimâs shinkal nonethless.
Minji smiles after her. She hopes Miyeong enjoys itâproperly enjoys it, in the way that Minji wouldnât be able to right now, even when she doesnât think about Miyeong and Yeonggi soundly beating Seulgi at darts, the way she would always laugh about it.
âYou donât have to help with the dishes,â Celine says gently, but Minji shakes her head.
âItâs either do something or shut down, and Iâd rather not fall asleep again.â
The fine day has clouded over somewhat by the time everyone minus Celine and Minji has assembled in the yard, sun only intermittently peeking out from rolls of cottony clouds, but Mira honestly thinks that's for the best.
She's fairly sure Zoey would melt otherwise.
"These should suffice for a target," Rumi remarks without a hint of strain as emerges from the garden shed Celine had given them freedom to ransack, a bag of soil that had to way at least eighteen kilograms draped over each shoulder like it was nothing.
Which, considering prior feats, probably was.
Mira nods agreeably, watching Zoey gape like a landed fish in her periphery. "Yeah, I'm cool with it. Zo?"
"So cool..." Zoey breathed, jaw on the ground as Rumi thumped down a bag on a low stone wall, then propped it up with the other.
Mira chuckled to herself. Subtle Zoey was not.
But cute.
And she really didn't blame her. Rumi in action was well worth looking at; as she moves around setting up makeshift targets, standing back to gauge distance then striding forward to make adjustments, humming Celine's old-school kpop song from the record store as she does so, Mira finds herself unable to look away, thoroughly captivated.
Not that she should be, considering Rumi was as good as taken, and she refused to deny Zoey that happiness, never mind she's known her for, like, a week.
"Alright!" Miyeong- oh crap that's right she's here, pull yourself together!- claps her hands together and eagerly looks at the shin kal Zoey has (somehow) managed to hold onto even as her head visibly emptied of all thoughts save for Rumi-ones (very eagerly; should they be worried?). "How are we doing this?"
"Here," Rumi takes one of the shin kal from Zoey's unresisting grip. "I will demonstrate, then each of you can try." She motions for them to clear some space, then rolls her head from side to side, muscles snapping loose. Shifting her right foot forward she grips the knife, draws her arm back, and-
Now Mira's jaw's keeping Zoey's company. In the span of a second Rumi's released the knife and sent it singing through the air to land- thwack!- in the target, a smattering of soil crumbs tumbling dazed to the ground.
Miyeong, at least, has the presence of mind to show appreciation in a way that doesn't make her look like an idiot and applauds, the sound nudging Mira into clapping action; Zoey does one better: she actually sticks her fingers in her mouth and whistles.
Damn she's cute...
Rumi turns to them, grinning to show her pointed canines (wide enough to be unsettling, but...weirdly cute on her). "Who would like to go first?"
Before she's finished Mira's nudging Zoey forward. "You're already holding the knives," she justifies when Zoey "eeps!" and blinks back at her.
And you and Rumi are perfect for each other and just need to realize it.
"Oh yeah," Zoey says like she's forgotten, then bounds forward to join Rumi. She shakes her head, shoulders, arms, the shin kal flashing in the sun like they're giggling with anticipation. She grins fiendishly (but still adorably) at the target and, taking a knife in her hand, winds up. "Alright, time to go Rambo!"
Mira shifts her weight, watching expectantly. Wait for it...
"You want to keep your body loose," Rumi begins, laying her hands on Zoey's shoulders.
Instantly, she goes stiff as a board.
Mira smirks. There it is!
She swears Miyeong is just barely not laughing along with her as 'Rambo' turns red as a traffic signal and markedly less responsive while Rumi, oblivious as the wind to the effect she's having on her pupil, goes on adjusting Zoey's posture and positioning her fingers on the knife, languidly narrating the 'why' behind each motion.
Mira wishes that could be her. Either of them.
"Now you throw!" Rumi finishes, stepping back.
"Huh?" Zoey blinks herself back from whichever cloud she'd been perched on and looks around, taking in the position she's been moved into. "Oh!" The adorably maniacal grin comes back. "Okay wraiths, say 'hello' to my little friend!"
Her arm snapped forward, the knife sung, and- thwack!- another shower of soil from where the shin kal landed in the bag; not dead center like Rumi's, but commendably close.
Impressive. And hot.
"WHOO YEAH!" Zoey crows, pumping her fist in the air.
"Remind me to challenge you to darts after all this ends," Miyeong smiles her own congratulations as she moves to go next in line for a turn piercing the literal dirt bag.
Rumi stands there, blinking, then turns to Zoey with that same ridiculous/adorable smile. "You are a natural!"
"Eh," Zoey shrugs in a way that's both modest and self-congratulatory. "All that beer pong paid off."
Rumi sobers, nodding seriously. "I am unfamiliar, but this beer pong must be a sport that requires great skill and discipline to result in such accuracy and power."
Yup, Mira thinks as Zoey tries to figure out how to respond to that, the both of them just so happy and right together. They're perfect for each other.
She just wishes she could be, too.
When itâs her turn, she canât ignore how wrong the shin kal feels in her hands.
Mira takes her first shot and lands about five feet short of the target. Her second goes careening off to the left. Her third, at least, nicks the wall next to the bag of dirt, but her fourth goes wild again.
She doesnât get too upset about it.
âNever really been great at throwing things,â Mira admits, as the knives run out and they pause to go get them back.
âYou cannot curse yourself to failure before you begin,â Rumi says, all warmth and good intentions. âYou merely need a bit of practice.â
But Zoey sees the way Miraâs jaw tightens (and then quickly loosens again as she loses some color, clearly regretting that move) and she knows the feeling. When you really just know somethingâs fucking hard and always will be and someone oh-so-sweetly denies it, like youâre just being mean to yourself and not able to accurately assess the situation⊠it sucks.
So she bites her tongue against the âYou got this!â that she wants to chirp outâespecially when Miyeong says exactly that and Miraâs jaw does that thing againâand, instead, just watches how Mira throws.
âŠWhich is ridiculously badly. Because she just throws with her arm.
âUm,â Zoey says, carefully, âare you okay with constructive criticism or do you just want me to stand over to the side and not say anything? Because Iâm totally good with not saying anything! I promise!â
Mira huffs before she can get any further. âAdvice is fine.â
âWell, uh, Iâm sure you know what youâre doing, but⊠you kinda gotta roll with it? Like, twist your hips and put all of you into it!â She offers her goofiest smile, exaggerating the shift of her body until itâs more of a joking bounce than an actual mock-throw as she mimes it for Miraâand then having to do it for real, however awkward that is.
But Miraâs smiling, noddingâthough that might have something to do with Rumi coming over to try to help guide her through it with those calloused-but-still-so-gentle hands of hers. You know. If Zoey had to guess.
Just from the way Mira starts getting that really pretty blush, not any of her own thoughts on the matter, obviously.
At least sheâs too distracted to be paying attention to Zoey as she throws again. Her lips tilt in a tiny smile as the knife clips the edge of the bag and she turns to high five Rumi.
And then she keeps turning and offers her hand to Zoey. To high five.
Right, because they should show Rumi, that was only invented in, like, the 1950s.
So Zoey grins and slaps her palm against Miraâs, and Miraâher voice is always kinda quiet, with the wires and all, but she tilts her head back and laughs and itâs so pretty and Zoey is so, so doomed.
And then! And then!!!!
She looks at Zoey and she smiles and she says, âThanks. I always forget not to isolate everything when Iâm not dancing.â
And she just turns to high five Rumi like Zoey isnât exploding right next to her.
They wash the dishes in a silence that feels more comfortable than Minji expects. She's still tired enough that it's easy to zone out, to not really think of anything but the movement of the towel and how to stack the plates on the counter once they're dry. The loss remains, of course, a constant ache at the back of her mind, but with a task at hand, she stops getting caught by its sharpest edges.
Or maybe it's Celine-nim, who has a warm steadiness to her presence, despite her silence. There's something in the way she holds herself, the way she seems so centered and in control, as though demon apocalypses are just another day. It makes the pressure seem a little lighter, just for her standing there.
She's also very hospitable, rewarding Minji for her assistance by leading them to the sitting room and producing a bottle of soju, then pouring out two shots. "I don't often have the occasion," she says, her smile small and wry, "but if there's ever been a situation that warrants a drink..."
Minji doesn't need to be told twice. She grabs a glass, says a dry, ironic "wihayeo," and throws it back without blinking. Celine-nim shows more restraint, and simply holds hers, maybe swirling it a little, contemplatively, while Minji pours herself another.
"The 'situation'," Minji repeats, as the second shot burns down her throat. "That's one word for it. We've got the impossible ancient hero. The murder of all my friends. The kid who got kidnapped for a sacrifice. The thing where we're setting a bunch of random civilians against fantasy monsters." She waves a hand, still wrapped around the glass, at Celine-nim. "You said you were part of an order, right? Aren't there other people who are, I don't know. Trained in this kind of stuff? How is this Miyeong's job, or those poor kids?"
The shaman takes her bitterness in stride, watching her calmly like she has every right to it, but makes no apologies.
"We've been spread very thin, over the years," she answers instead, matter-of-fact, "and we were never a large order to begin with. Anyone I called for help would have to travel too far to be timely, and would have to leave their own home defenseless."
Celine-nim finally takes her shot, the long column of her throat flexing elegantly as she swallows. Minji blinks and drops her eyes, pouring herself another.
"Still," she says, filling Celine's glass again too, once she puts it down, "you have Rumi, right? Shouldn't you two just... do your thing, and the rest of us just stay out of the way?"
For a moment, Celine-nim just watches Minji, a careful regard that seems to peel right into the heart of her. Minji has seen Miyeong strip informants of their layers with a look, leaving them cut open and exposed, but this feels different, somehow; like Minji's being understood, her deepest self handled with the care of a surgeon, everything closed up properly afterward and left healthier than she started.
"... when I first met Zoey," Celine-nim says, once her keen gaze has finished its search, "I knew she and I would someday do something important together. I understand why, now. She and Mira withstood the voice of no mere wraith, but of Gwi-Ma himself, for days, and remained steadfast enough despite it to bring Rumi-nim back up from the hells."
She drinks again, and this time Minji doesn't look away.
"This battle will be a spiritual one, far more than physical, and Rumi-nim will need their strength for that." Celine's eyes hold Minji's, serious and thoughtful. "And you... It may be that you and Miyeong-nim are here because I will need yours."
Minji-nim looks at the soju bottle, and her lips twist contemplatively. ââŠDoes Zoey have a driverâs license?â
Celine smiles and shakes her head instead of answering, not knowing either way. She hopes so, at least, given how shortly post-surgery Mira had been when the two of them arrived at her office.
Minji-nim waits with that for a moment before she says, quietly, âOne of the wraiths looked like a photographer Miyeong liked. We didnât even know he was dead untilâŠâ
Until we explained what they were. Celine grimaces.
âAndâfucking Yeonggi turned up, apparentlyâdidââ Minji-nim breathes, sharply. âBecoming a wraith. Does it mean something about you?â
She wishes she could say no. Wishes she had decent words, comforting hands, anything. She tells the truth. âGwi-Ma can only take a personâs image to use as a wraith if they gave themself to him in life.â
Minji-nim covers her face with her hands for a long moment before making a sound, the kind that might be a sob and might be a laugh. âMiyeong always thought there was something about the way Yeonggi died. We all figured it was justââ
Celine thinks back to the way Miyeong-nim had been so startled by Celineâs mistake, earlier, hadnât even thought to be offended as she looked down at Minji-nim as if she were somehow worth impossibly more. And she thinks she understands a little.
âHe actually sold his soul to a demon?â Minji-nim asks, peering up at her. She doesnât wait for an answer before she laughs again. âThat son of a bitch, of course he did.â
âMany do,â Celine says. âGwi-Ma is⊠clever. And it might not have beenâŠâ
Minji-nim shakes her head again. âI donât need hope for Yeonggiâs memory.â
âBut I need you to understand,â Celine replies, thinking, terribly, of Rumi-nim on the other side of that portal, bloody and resigned and smiling as she gave herself up. She thinks ofâ âI need you to understand that it is not a weakness ofâhe will not only take what is offered. Gwi-Ma is called the Devourer for a reason. He will take anything he can touch, freely given or otherwise.â
Her hand has found its way to Minji-nimâs shoulder, somehow, as she is very close to her face.
Celine jumps back against the arm of the couch.
Minji-nimâs mouth opens.
âWe must hold onto each other,â Celine says, before she can hear some platitude. âWe must.â
ââŠI wonât let you go,â Minji-nim says, and this is perhaps the most anyone has understood Celine in years.
Miyeong hasn't had this much fun in ages. Not least because she's winning; Zoey's giving her a good fight, accurate with a great eye for distance, but Miyeong has mastered the forward spin faster than her, and is getting most of her knives in point-first while a good third of Zoey's are still bouncing blunt end off the sacks.
"Very good," is Rumi's assessment, as Zoey sinks one just a few centimeters off a bullseye and does a little whoop of glee. "You all show great promise. But in a true battle, your enemies will seldom remain still. I would like to advance to practice on moving targets, if you are amenable."
Zoey shoots a sly look at Miyeong, and then beams at Rumi, wide and innocent. "Sounds great, let's do it!"
Mira demurs, preferring to keep trying to consistently hit the stationary bags, but Miyeong rolls her shoulders competitively and agrees. Rumi has a little pile of squash that she's managed to collect from somewhere, green and round and overripe, and she lobs one slowly across the field of fire. Zoey whips a shinkal after it, a long clean release, and it sails just behind the vegetable, nearly clipping it.
Miyeong's lead might be in trouble.
One more round, and Miyeong's lead is definitely in trouble. She nicks a squash here and there, but mostly she goes wide in every direction, and Zoey, still hitting blunt-first a lot but still consistently hitting, is steadily closing the point gap. Rumi puts forward a valiant attempt to pretend she's impartial about it, but Mira makes no such pretense. She's entirely given up on her own practice to cheer Zoey on and trash-talk Miyeong, and Miyeong can't find it anything but charming. Watching the three of them fall all over each other in a fit of youthful hormones is almost more fun than the knife-throwing itself.
Though perhaps she shouldn't judge. At least they know what they're feeling. She lets her eyes flick over to the main building. Behind those walls is a woman who has somehow become the most stable presence in Miyeong's life for the better part of a decade, a reliable constant in all her rootless chaos, an irreplaceable comfort against her loneliness, and Miyeong never even noticed.
Honestly, she sort of wishes she still hadn't. It's not like there's anything to do with the information. Miyeong had her one shot, and it literally ended with a body count. Minji, who is in such terrible pain but still sent her out here to flex her projectile skills on undergrads for fun, deserves better from Miyeong than to hope to drag her down.
(Minji, who knows Miyeong is shameless enough to find that fun, is aware enough of who Miyeong is as a person that there would be no point in hope, regardless.)
The sun has not lowered greatly in the sky by the time that Minji-nim and the honored shaman come out to recall them and set them to preparations for their journey, but Rumi is proud to say that all of her pupils have improved a great deal.
Even Mira is more like to hit the target than not, and she showed much promise when they went over how to stab an attacker, despite being quite stiff during Rumiâs explanation.
âI am very proud of you,â she tells them all, the same as she tells everyone she teaches, whether they be five years old or sixty-five.
âYouâre a really good teacher,â Miyeong-nim says, warmly, and Mira and Zoey agree, and Zoey comes up to loop an arm over Rumiâs shoulder and pull her close in thanks.
And all of this is good, like the sun and the grass and the feeling of an overripe squash in her hand. Rumi holds it tight, tries to burn it into herself, because she knows from experience that weak words would not stop Gwi-Ma.
They use the washroom to quickly wipe off the worst of the sweat and, going last, Rumi has opportunity to see that Mira has, indeed, changed her clothes, which is presumably simply what is done when one sweats in this time. The amount of washing must be ridiculous, and Rumi has a million questions about how they prevent things from falling apart, butâ
For now, she just jerks her head away, flushing, because Mira has walked out wearing what cannot qualify as a full garment in this day and age.
It covers barely more than the undergarments. It doesnât even reach her knees.
It doesnât even reach halfway to her knees!
Youâve spent how much time in brothels? Rumi scolds herself, angry and embarrassed. Get a hold of yourself; her body is nothing to do with you.
(âŠIt does make her feel a bit better when Zoey sees Mira and responds with a squeak of surprise.)
"So is this how we're doing this?" Miyeong looks between the two groups of people, Minji and the girls clustered around Miyeong's car, and her and Celine next to hers.
It's a logical division. Sensible. Minji's familiar enough with Miyeong's car to drive it without being distracted searching for the turn signal, and Celine's car is, well, Celine's. Plus if Rumi or Mira needs sudden medical aid, having Minji able to provide immediate guidance without needing to be flagged down from the other car is beneficial.
And Miyeong's not heartless; she has no intention to get in the way of young love and suggest Zoey ride with her and Celine.
So this is the most logical way to split up.
If the thought of being alone with Celine for a couple of hours ties a knot in her stomach, that's just...pre-wraith-hunting nerves. Yeah.
Celine nods, the motion more elegant than it has a right to be. "I'm fine with it."
Miyeong's heart jumps. The hot gorgeous TALL shaman's fine with it! She's fine with alone time with her! She is-
Lightheaded.
Maybe she should drive her own car with the girls. They have cellphones; Minji's only a call away-
But Minji's already holding her hand out for Miyeong's keys, and they're going to miss the ferry if they're not careful.
"I can drive!" Zoey's hand shoots up in the air. "Please? Rumi hasn't seen me drive yet and I'm really good! Mira! Tell them how good I am!"
"She didn't get us towed," Mira shrugs. "I think."
Miyeong blanches, thoughts of Celine momentarily suspended by thoughts of her car in the impound lot. Or worse.
Not that Zoey didn't seem responsible, but...she'd been that age once. She'd been that eager to drive to impress a crush once. She'd turned a car into an off-roader more than once.
But Minji- thank god for Minji- pockets the keys. "I'm giving you the aux."
"A role of great importance," Rumi nods seriously, perking Zoey up from the deflated slump she'd fallen into. "And you did exemplary with it yesterday.â
Miyeong mouths a âthank youâ to Minji as the girls pile in to the car, Mira and Zoey bouncing songs that Rumi just had to hear between them like juggling balls, and watches them crunch out of the gravel drive. Sheâd have a lot to worry about in the next few hours, but at least her car wasnât one of them.
The sound of a car door opening pulls her attention back to her side.
âReady?â Celine asks, one hand gripping the open door. Thereâs an inviting little smile on her lips, and her eyes catch the sun in such a way that they sparkle, igniting something in Miyeongâs chest.
Yes, a lot to worry aboutâŠ
(she was going to say something stupid, she just knew it)
While Rumi did fine on yesterdayâs supply run, Zoey is honestly expecting a bit more of a freak out from her todayâmaybe just because she gets motion sick so easily.
But: nope. They pile in (Minji driving, Rumi and Zoey in back, and Mira sitting shotgun to have some room for her legs) and get on the road and Rumi shows absolutely no signs of discomfort.
Zoey might be a bad person for being disappointed about that.
After a while, the conversation shifts back from music to demons. Minji missed Celineâs earlier advice about mugwort, after all.
âThe first rule of wraith-hunting is,â Rumi says (and Zoeyâs brain unhelpfully fills in to have fun and be yourself and we donât talk about wraith-hunting), âthat they are hollow. There is nothing in them, and any promises they make to you are false. Do not listen. Hold on to what is solid.â
She looks at Zoey while she says it, because Zoeyâs the only one looking at her, and so Zoey is left with the intensity of Rumiâs gaze, the impossible, out-of-time person that she is, and the softness of her smile.
âYou,â she says. âMusic. The sun on the grass. Anything you have.â
And Zoeyâs brain plays it again: You. You. You. She has you.
But before she can say something stupidâsomething like I have youâMinji says, fingers tapping against the steering wheel, âCeline mentionedâshe mentioned that Gwi-Ma would⊠take people, earlier. Like⊠like they didnât have to make a deal with him or anything?â
Rumiâs expression twists with a horrible kind of hope, and she doesnât answer for a long moment before, finally, her voice thick with something Zoey canât interpret, she says, âThe knowledge that I have is different, but it has been many years.â
(Zoey thinks of the way she talked about her dad. Wonders if maybeâŠ)
(But maybe not. They havenât even known each other a week, after all.)
âNo, sheâshe wasnât clear,â Minji says. âI might have misunderstood.â
Rumi bites her lip. Hesitates, before adding, in a way thatâs clearly meant to be reassuring, âYou must fail for him to take you. But it does not mean you cannot be brought back. Fear is his hand. Do not play it.â
It wouldâve worked better if she didnât sound like she was about to cry.
Rumi and Mira pack their passports, their pants and 27 suitcases of gay tension and head off to America to find their third (no, not like that. OR IS IT??). Bickering! Arguing! Tension! Spice!
A very funny fic with great characterisation, angst sprinkles, spicy flakes and really good fight scenes too! Get on it, really underrated fic!
Stay with me baby (I know America's far) - Chapter 1 - Mizu_Misthios - KPop Demon Hunters (2025) [Archive of Our Own]
I better see you in those comment sections giving those authors props! (đ_đ) LETS SPREAD THE FANFIC LOVE
I absolutely adore this fic. It's possibly my favorite KPDH fic, definitely in my top three.
âIf you would let me speak, I would tell you.â
Mira matched her smarmy cadence, teeth flashing with each snarled syllable.
âThen talk already.â
Rumi stiffened. Well she didnât want to do it like this.
âNo.â
Miraâs eyes flashed wide with surprise.
âNo?â
âNo.â Crossing her arms, Rumi sat up with a sniff. âI donât want to anymore.â
