Chapter Text
“Come on, demon scum,” Zoey bounces on the balls of her feet. practically vibrating as she shifts from side to side and wipes the blood from beneath her nose. Her smile is sharp. just as clear as it was an hour ago when they had started. “You call that a hit?”
It would be cute if Rumi wasn't just a little worried that this was more than a friendly spar to the maknae. Actually, she knows it isn't. They're both sweating, making the back of her shirt stick to her skin uncomftably. Zoeys knives glint in the harsh lights of the training room.
Zoey is actually trying to kill her. Rumi knows that but she still hesitates to bring her down. Zoey is just smiling so widely. It’s a little blinding. Dressed in bright yellow sweat pants and a white tank top that is just so.... American.
Rumi had been surprised when Celine introduced them. she had spent so long trapped in the false lights of the training room she had never thought she would meet anyone else besides her "auntie'. And Zoey was so bright. she had so much soul and life in her.
Rumi had thought Celine would choose dark and broody hunters. It's more her speed to pick quiet ones. ones that would lay their eyes on Rumi and immediately pull a sword to kill her. Not bubbly teenagers with wide smiles and quick questions.
Especially someone so genuinely nice. even If an undertow of hate is filtered in those eyes. she knows what Rumi is, on the surface and beneath it. she probably doesn't even need the flickering patterns across her skin to tell. she could see into her soul through her dual colored eyes and just tell that Rumi was a demon.
The clawed hands probably don't help much.
Yet, Zoey had still held out her hand for, a very American, handshake before asking her name and several other questions that one really wouldn't consider polite. including, 'are those patterns across your entire body?' and ending with 'is it true demons don't have any feelings'
Each question was asked so fast and with such little time between each one that Rumi couldn't even answer that yes, they're on her entire body, no she can't control what color they are and that its more like a mood ring, and that yeah sometimes she does have feelings.
Not that it would matter. she's a demon. feelings or no. she needed to be put down. The only reason she was here is to give Zoey and Mira some real life experience.
She had been surprised though. When Zoey had taken her hand with her own warm one and smiled at her with her happy smile. Rumi had almost felt wanted.
Now, Rumi draws her brows together and backs up on light feet, settling back into her defensive position and waiting. She waits for the smaller girl to attack first. She will, Rumi knows it, It's just a matter of patience. and Rumi has far more than the American. she can almost see the fight play out. Rumi's movements are controlled where Zoey is fire and frenzy.
Zoey could learn to be patient if she truly tried. Rumi knows it. The excitable girl had learned a lot over the years. Even if Celine isn't a very patient teacher. Rumi herself has learned to slow down a little. She had been excitable at first too. There’s not much to do in a training center but wait and think and sometimes read.
There's a lot of time to read actually. Just not many books.
Rumi likes that about Zoey though. Such a large excess of energy in such a small girl shouldn't be possible but Zoey has always bounced off the walls. Even on that first day, when Zoey was still fresh faced and just off the plane from America. Celine's hand reassuringly on her shoulder as she led her through the basics.
It will be her downfall today. Rumi has been training for far longer. she's trained far harder too.
Zoey growls, her eyes flashing to the pink haired girl in the corner who watches them with hawk-like eyes. Her Gok-do twirling restlessly in her hand. That's something Rumi should mention to. The need to please Zoey has. Rumi hasn't used that against her. She doesn't really know how she would. Though she can tell that Zoey really wants to please Mira.
She doesn't seem to notice she already has. No matter what she does.
It hasn't escaped Rumi’s attention that they're probably dating. Not that they would ever speak about it in front of her. or ever tell her. She mostly came to the conclusion from the small intimate touches and smiles they tease each other with from across the training room.
How Zoey is so eager to impress Mira, and how Mira watches Zoey a bit too closely to be platonic. A bit to possessively If Rumi is being honest.
They are like a real life fairytale. Like the one's Celine used to read to her before Rumi got to old for fairytales.
There's also the time Rumi caught them making out in the closet, surrounded by dummies and not even noticing when the demon slammed the door shut again with a pounding heart and a flushed face, her patterns blaring a bright pink.
It's not like she could say anything to anyone, anyway. The only people she ever sees are the young hunters and Celine. besides she... Rumi wouldn't reveal something like that to the older woman. No matter if she already knows or not.
Rumi reaches up to scratch at the leather framing her jaw and that’s all the opening Zoey needs. She rushes her, Shin-kal’s loose in her fists as she attempts to wrap herself around Rumi to get the jump on her.
It’s what Rumi was counting on as she ducks beneath her and spins to jab her wooden baton deep into her side. It's a solid hit. a little harder then Rumi meant with her distracted mind but it's effective all the same. Zoey wheezes and stumbles to the ground, her arms wrapped around her torso and her knives fading from existence.
Rumi hurriedly backs away from the trembling girl, her hands in the air, before Mira can perceive her as a real threat and step in. Not that Rumi could do any real bad damage with her blunt batons and her gloved hands, claws hidden from view.
Mira snarls at her all the same and kicks off the wall, pointing her Gok-do’s sharp tip at her.
“Lucky hit” Zoey wheezes, throwing a hand up to show Mira that she’s all good, just a little winded. “I'm all good.”
Rumi watches as the older girl kneels next to Zoey. her eyes glancing down as she presses her fingers to the spot Zoey is still holding tenderly. Mira hums, letting the sound touch the Hon-moon and comfort Zoey's pain. It's a small taste of a power Rumi has never seen herself.
Asking the Hon-moon to heal another.
Rumi glances away, eyeing the far wall and the sun that shines through the tall windows. The sun beam has already left the perfect spot on the training mat hours before. Rumi hadn't missed the chance to take advantage of it, laying on her back and enjoying the beam of sunlight. Letting it warm her in the cold room.
The training room has an echo that doesn't escape Mira’s quiet murmurings but Rumi tunes it out. Pacing the far end of the sparing mat.
Their tenderness with each other unnerves her a little. How quick they are to touch each other. They way they speak with each other when they think no one can hear. it sets something deep in Rumi's chest alight with what could only be hatred.
Who knew hatred could be so warm.
“How about we rip that muzzle off you and have a real fight,” Mira taunts, standing and stepping around Zoey. Sufficiently reassured that none of her ribs are damaged. The smaller girl crawls to the edge of the mat and curls up against the wall in the rescue position, still gasping for her breath.
Rumi’s hand strays up again to trace the skin beneath the leather straps of her muzzle. She tilts her head and watches as the older girl lowers into her own defensive position.
Mira leaves herself open on her left. Her arm is a little too loose where it holds the top half of her weapon. She has always depended a little too much on its reach. So rarely on the defense.
Rumi uses it to her advantage. She gets in close. Finally reacting first where she had been all patience with Zoey. Mira has nearly as much patience as she does but if it came to it Rumi could wait the taller girl out. she Watches the girl's eyes widen as she all but manifests in front of her and brings her baton down on her arm. Hard enough to bruise but not break.
Her arm lowers but not before she ducks out of the way of Rumi's thrown fist and twists around behind her to lock the shaft of the weapon against the demon's throat. An effective chokehold on a human but it just knocks against Rumi’s collar and keeps her from facing the girl fully.
Rumi struggles, her teeth baring and eyes glowing as she twists up in a painful feat of flexibility and wraps her legs around the taller girl's head.
Mira's eye's widen where they stare into Rum's and she gasps in surprise when she’s yanked to the ground. Her shoulders hit the mat hard. Her feet thudding against the ground.
Zoey squeaks, half up on her elbows and shaking with the energy it takes her not to jump into the fray. glowing knives sliding between her fingers.
Rumi yanks the weapon from Mira's grasp, Her own batons lost somewhere in the training room, as she growls and throws it against the far wall. Away from Zoey but the thud makes the smaller girl flinch all the same.
Mira ignores that, her chest heaving for breath, and tries to wrap her arms around Rumi’s neck, wincing as the demon twists around, her legs straddling her abdomen, and knocks her arms off course.
Her hands find their way around her delicate throat but she doesn't squeeze. Mira is frozen beneath her, her breath coming fast and her chest heaving as she watches Rumi with hate filled eyes.
Rumi lets her gloved fingers skate against the girl's thrumming pulse point. Watching the way red creaks up her neck and over her cheeks. Mira flinches as her hands rest more surely against her throat.
They’ve been fighting for years. Starting out with wrestling and slowly moving up to real weapons. For the hunters at least. Mira was only given breakable batons. Yet she has never seriously hurt them. Never would.
Why would she want to? Mira and Zoey are her only friends. Or as close to friends as you can get when the other two members of the trio hate your guts.
Still, they don't trust her to let them keep their lives. They probably never will. Celine no doubt told them she was an unpredictable monster. Rumi doesn't even blame them. she wouldn't trust herself.
Mira’s breathing is only just slowing down when Rumi jerks away, her hands flying to her own throat as electricity arcs down her spin. pain flares across her patterns and they glow and flicker sparking reds.
“Ghnnnnnh” she groans, falling off Mira from where she was straddling her upper abdomen. Her eyes travel up to the balcony to watch Celine hold down the button on the remote to her shock collar. Merciless with her punishment.
Zoey winces from where she’s sitting up against the mats on the far wall, her own hand held up and holding one of her knives as if she was going to throw it at Rumi to keep her from killing her friend. Girl friend? fuck buddy?
Mira sighs in relief, sitting up and rubbing her unbruised throat, quickly scrabbling away from the demon.
“Don’t worry girls, you'll get her one day” Rumi almost fools herself that it’s pride she hears in that horrible voice. Pride that Rumi is still undefeated. She knows better. Even as the collar shuts off and her spine finally flattens again against the leather mats. That tone only holds condescension for her.
“Rumi has far more training than you and nothing to do all day but practice it.” Celine descends the stairs like the fallen pop star she is, grace and elegance and her hand daintily sliding against the hand rail
Mira stands and hurriedly picks her weapon back up. Her shoulders loosen a bit when it’s back in her hands. Even with the demon flat against the floor and still scrambling at her collar as if it's still shocking her.
“Will you show us that thing she did with her legs when she totally flipped Mira on her back?” Zoey asks excitedly, using the wall to help herself to her feat. Mira flushes red and glares at the other girl.
“I’m right here” she deadpans, still refusing to turn her back on Rumi.
“It’s a more flexible style of fighting” Celine seems to think on it as she reaches the sparring mat. Her eyes on Rumi thoughtfully. “It focuses more on your body and your opponents. Using their strength to heighten yours.”
Zoey perks up excitedly, her hands clasping together in front of her as Celine crosses her arms. Rumi can almost see the stars in her eyes.
“But you don’t even have the basics down yet so I don't know why we would start working on fancy foot work” Zoey deflates and even Rumi winces at the harsh admonishment.
Mira’s eyebrows draw together and she lets her weapon disappear into an array of fading lights.
“I think Zoey could use a change of pace. Maybe she’s not getting it because the classics just aren't for her.”
Rumi’s eyes widened at that. The girls aren't much for standing up to Celine. Their idol and trainer. A mother figures for them as much as she is for Rumi. no matter how poor of one she is.
Celine clicks her tongue though. “I couldn't teach her if I wanted to. I don't know the basics of it. Rumi must have picked it up from one of her books.” she gestures to the sad pile of training manuals next to the cot in the corner.
It’s a lie. Rumi knows it. Her own mother was the master of that style and they trained side by side for decades. No doubt Celine would know how to teach it, she just doesn't trust anything connected to Rumi’s mother.
“She’d have to learn it for yourself and we both know Zoey doesn't do well with manuals”
Zoey’s drop and she takes a step behind Mira. Celine takes the opportunity to turn to the taller girl.
“Next time, don't let her get so close. Your weapon is a long range one and demons will use that to their advantage as much as it is an asset to you. They’ll get in close and turn a knife fight into a wrestle. never forget that a demon has no honor. they'll use any weakness against you.”
Mira nods, her eyes straying to Rumi, who finally sits up from the floor, fingers resting between her collar and her neck. Rumi wants to scoff. she had played perfectly fair today even though she is the one at the disadvantage.
Forced into Gloves and a muzzle. only given a wooden weapon that can barely block the strike from a blade. She should have her sword and her claws. that would be a fair fight. being able to snap her teeth and have people actually see it would be a fair fight.
"Your vocal coach is on her way, don't leave her waiting" Celine says, Sparing a glance to her watch. "Zoey, your lyrics for the upcoming single could use a little work. they don't rhyme"
"oh, I mean.. I haven't written any lyrics for the next single yet" Zoey says, a little confused as she accepts the towel Mira hands her.
"yes, you have" Celine turns to look at her with a raised eyebrow, "I took the liberty to look through your progress. while your poetry is cute it won't be strengthening the hun-moon"
Zoey’s eyes stay fixed to the floor, they're wide and a little shiny, even as Celine ushers them to wash up. Mira is almost glaring at the woman, her hand resting on Zoey's tense shoulders.
Rumi takes that as her cue to slink back to her bed and collapse into the hard mattress. Curling around the shredded blankets. she pulls their warmth over her, hiding beneath them as she watches the girls across the room. Her arm hanging off the side to pick up the first book on the stack. The very book Zoey would want if she wanted to try to learn from a manual.
Mira and Zoey huddle together as soon as Celine leaves out the double doors, the red scanner on the side letting loose a harsh buzzer as they lock back in place.
Rumi doesn't think the hunters' know she can hear them. They have no real reason to suspect she can. They haven’t ever seen Rumi anywhere else but the echoey training center. But Rumi pretends she can all the same, running her fingers over the leather of the book.
“She’s not wrong” Zoey mutters, her fingers trailing up to touch Mira’s blemishless throat. The taller girl scowls and lightly knocks her hand away.
“That doesn't give her any excuse to be an asshole. People learn differently. You do better when the teacher matches your energy. Or at least isn't a complete stickler for rules”
“Yeah well, that’s just kinda how life is.” Zoey says, rubbing at her own aching side instead.
"-and what kind of dink goes through someone's personal journals?" Mira keeps going as if she hadn't hear her, "that's a complete breach of privacy. right after condemning you for the way you learn to. I bet she just said that because she doesn't want anyone to stray from her perfect way of doing things."
“I know I'm no good at text books but I wouldn't feel right about it if I didn't at least try." Zoey's eyes glance over Rumi's stack of books. There's a lot, enough to fill up the space beneath her bed. Zoey doesn't seem to have the confidence to go over there and sort through them.
Rumi doesn't blame her. She must be quite a sight, curled up pitifully on her hard cot in the dark. Like a house cat with her nails capped in wax. Rumi’s brow twitches and if she had a tail? it would too. she glances down to the book in her hand.
Mira grumbles and follows Zoey’s gaze to Rumi’s corner. Almost building herself up to go over there and man handle Rumi into sharing her coveted manuals. Anything to make the girl next to her happy.
There’s no need. Rumi leans down slowly, trying not to spook them, and shoves her book across the hard cold stone of the floor next to the training mats. Letting her demon strength give the book enough push to skip across the floor and hit Zoey’s boot with a thud.
Both girls jump as they look down at the offending object. Mira with a raised offended eyebrow and Zoey with mild surprise. For as long as they’ve known her Rumi isn't one to interact with them outside of sparring sessions.
“Fucking rude” Mira mutters, leaning down to pick the book up and flipping it over to read the cover. Her eyebrows raised with surprise. She doesn't hesitate to hand it over to Zoey, her eyes flitting to Rumi with suspicion.
Zoey squeals and hops in place, taking the book from her and flipping through the pages, probably looking for pictures.
“Well. don’t read it all in one place” Mira deadpanns, crossing her arms and watching Zoey reach all the way to the end before she flips back the other way. Zoey grins up at her and then turns excitedly towards Rumi’s corner, seeming to forget the demon is even laying there until her eyes land on her. Her confidence dimming like a snuffed candle.
She clears her throat and hugs the book to her chest. “Uhm, thank you” she murmurs, louder than she and Mira had been talking but not by much.
Rumi responds by flipping around to face the wall and pulling her tattered blanket closer. Listening to the muffled sounds of them quickly leaving the training room with their new prize.
—---------\
Zoey leans into Mira on their way out of the training center, her eyes on the lump in the cot in the corner for as long as the closing doors will let her.
There's something about that demon that's a little too human for her to truly hate it. maybe its the one brown eye. or the way it never pushes beyond the threshold of a practice session. not once had it tried to seriously kill either her or Mira.
"do you think she gets lonely?" she asks Mira, turning to the other girl. Mira glances down at her with a raised eyebrow, her hand still resting against her own neck, as if making sure that her throat really isn't torn out.
"she's a demon of course she doesn't"
"I know that Celine says that demons don't get lonely. That they don’t have feelings but she.. she's different, somehow, from the rest, can’t you tell?"
Mira hums and raises and doubtful eyebrow. "she's probably just trying to manipulate you. appeal to your sensitive center"
"I'm not sensitive" Zoey denies, pulling away and trying to glare at the taller girl.
Mira snorts and nods very convincingly. "yeah, sure your not"
-----------/
There's no way they know she can hear them. They think she slept through the sound of the doors buzzer squealing as the doors lock back in place.
It seems quiet in the dark Training center at night. After everyone has gone home with reassurance that the doors are locked tight. it's all too loud for Rumi though. she can hear everything and anyone in the building. The humming of a cricket on the other side of the steel enforced walls. The creak of water pipes in the floor beneath her. The sound of mice skittering around and gnawing on wires.
The sound of the door clicking open slowly and two shuffling feet creeping into the room.
for hunters their footsteps are loud and obvious.
They must be here to kill her. They are not allowed in the training center after dark and wouldn't defy Celine unless they absolutely have to. They got what they wanted from her and now she has outlived her usefulness. nothing but a roach to be crushed under their feet.
They must be here to kill her. Fix the mistake Celine made nearly two decades ago and take the demon out of her half life existence.
“This is a shitty idea” Mira tries to whisper in her usual monotone voice but her nervousness shines through. So do her unconfident foot steps. "a really shitty idea"
They must be here to kill her
“Well, the book was a shitty idea and you were no better at deciphering it." Zoey hisses back. Her footsteps are far more confident than Mira’s as they near Rumi’s cot.
“There’s no way the demon is going to do anything but try to kill us” there's a muffled grunt and the sliding of a foot against concrete as Mira no doubt pulls Zoey around to look at her. “She doesnt even speak how is she going to-”
The rest of what she says is lost to Zoey’s offended gasp, “Mira” she admonishes, “making fun of someone's disability is not funny"
“I was not making fun-”
“Besides she doesn't need to say anything, I just need her to show me what to do.”
"I think she could speak if she wanted to" Mira mutters darkly.
They aren't here to kill her. It takes Rumi by surprise. They are here because- they liked what she could do? They wanted help? Or maybe they want to spar one more time to see if they can beat her.
It makes a warm glow start in her stomach and creep up into her heart. She feels what must be appreciated. It’s not everyday the two hunters your forced to fight everyday speak semi highly of you.
She jumps all the same when a hand lands on her shoulder shaking her from her reverie. Rumi turns and snarls on reflex, forcing Zoey to take a step back. her heart drops and she very nearly curses herself out. They barely reached out across the gaping bridge between them and she tries to take one of their eyes out?
Mira doesn't hesitate to pull her weapon from the hun-moon, pointing it at her. Zoey just stands wide eyes, her hand pulled against her chest. the book Rumi gave her held tightly there.
Rumi wants to say “Hey! You attacked me!” but she stays as silent as she has for the last 10 years.
Zoey smiles hesitantly, “Uhm- hi”
Her smile is shaky but Mira’s glare isn't.
Rumi frowns, her demon eye shining in the dark. Zoey shifts her bunny slippered feat and only then does Rumi realize they’re in their pajamas.
“I was just wondering- hoping really that- well you see we were reading this manual you so helpfully shoved across the floor and we didn’t really- how do I say this-”
“Will you teach us how to do the shit in that book?” Mira grinds out, flipping the point of her weapon down to lean against it.
Rump's eyes widen and she raises and eyebrow, her eyes flitting between Zoey's nervous excitement and Mira's gruff anger.