Archive of Our Own

Rumi had a love/hate relationship with her own stubbornness. Sometimes, she hated it. Other times, she was grateful for it.

Being hopelessly stubborn helped her to be firm in her decision (along with Celine’s) not to allow Huntrix to be run by greedy businessmen who only wanted to fill their pockets.

However, being hopelessly stubborn also distanced her from her bandmates by standing firm in her decision not to go to the bathhouse with them, no matter how much Mira or Zoey begged.

Today was, perhaps, one of those moments when Rumi found herself at a crossroads regarding her ability to stand firm in her decisions, however counterproductive they might sometimes be. On one hand, it made sense to distance herself from her friends when she was in such a delicate state (not only for fear of infecting them with whatever it was she had, but also because of the small, but ever-present risk that they might see something they shouldn't). On the other hand…

Damn, how Rumi wished Mira and Zoey were by her side at that very moment.

Rumi was no stranger to getting sick, but truth be told, it was infrequent. So much so that, apparently, her body would shut down almost completely even with the mildest flu.

This wasn't the flu, however. This was a product of her own stupidity and stubbornness.

Sure, the Honmoon (and her decidedly non-human heritage) helped close and heal wounds faster, but it didn't seem to help fight the danger of getting an infection. The hunters might receive  help from the supernatural barrier, but they still had to care for their wounds like any other person.

How naive of Rumi to think that things would be different for her.

Forgive her for believing that the Honmoon and her heritage would be enough to heal a small scratch she received during a hunt. Although, of course, everyone has their own definition of “small.”

Mira and Zoey thought that claw marks almost the size of a hand was the opposite of small. Rumi disagreed.

So, Rumi didn't bother to properly care for the wound; not when she had other things on her mind at the time, such as taking care of her injured companions and getting them safely to a secure place. Her mind had been focused on them and only them. Could you really blame her for making such a mistake?

No matter how much Mira begged to examine the obvious wound beneath Rumi’s hoodie that was actively staining the white cotton red, or how much Zoey pleaded with her to rest and drink some water after such a rough encounter, Rumi remained firm in her decision to not let them help her at that moment.

Her current situation was really the consequence of her own actions and her stubbornness.

There she lay, on her side in bed, suffering from a fever she was sure would have been fatal to a normal human, with uncomfortable chills running down her spine every few minutes. A weakness permeated every inch of her body, her joints aching with even the slightest movement.

If this was the punishment for her stubbornness, so be it. Rumi didn't regret one bit having risked her own health for that of her companions.

Rumi probably would have continued sinking deeper into her own misery if her phone hadn't startled her with its ringtone. A parody song about… Rumi wasn't sure, but she remembered being told it had something to do with a tabletop role-playing game Zoey liked to play back in high school.

It was a personalized ringtone Zoey had set to play for whenever she or Mira called. Of course, Rumi didn't get many calls from other people, but the joy Zoey radiated when Rumi let her play with her phone's ringtones was totally worth not mentioning that little detail.

With a languid groan, Rumi reached with some difficulty for her nightstand and picked up her phone. Mira's name appeared against a black background, and Rumi would never tell anyone how hard it was just to slide the button to answer the call.

“Hi, Rumi!” was the loud greeting she received before Rumi even had a chance to speak.

“Zoey?” Despite the weakness that coursed through her body, Rumi couldn't help but let out a small snort of laughter. “Did you steal Mira's phone?”

“Borrowing, rather,” Zoey laughed. ‘What a wonderful sound,’ Rumi thought. “How are you feeling?”

“Well… Neither better, nor worse. I think I'm still feeling about the same.”

“Oh, that’s not good… I wanted you to feel better! I had hoped you—”

“Zoey?” Another voice, this one deeper, filtered through the phone's speaker. “Is that my phone?”

“Oh, hey, Mira! Yes, sorry! It’s just that mine ran out of battery and I wanted to know how Rumi was doing.”

“Zo, it sounds like you actually stole Mira’s phone,” Rumi said, laughing.

"Borrowed!"

“Gimme that, you gremlin.” Despite sounding somewhat distant, Rumi could practically hear the underlying affection in Mira’s voice. “I can’t believe you stole my phone like that.” A giggle was heard in the background as Mira’s voice became clearer. “How are you feeling, Rumi?”

“Uh, just as bad as this morning.” Regardless of the truth in her words, the small smile that had appeared on her lips remained. “I’m not dying, but… You know. I don’t feel well. I think my fever is still just as high.”

Mira hummed thoughtfully. “I really hoped the fever would at least go down a little.”

“It’s okay, Mira, really. This isn’t my first rodeo. Besides—” 

Whatever Rumi was about to say, a loud cough cut her off. She held her phone far enough away to avoid coughing directly into the screen for several long seconds. “Sorry…” she whispered with a grimace as the coughing subsided.

“Dude, you don’t sound good,” Zoey’s worried voice came through the speaker. Even though her mind wasn’t at its best, Rumi managed to grasp the meaning of the English words Zoey had said. “Are you sure you’ll be okay on your own for a little while longer? I know we had to go out because we need to buy more food to live on, but Mira and I can come back early.”

“No, no! It’s okay, girls, really! I’ll be fine, this isn’t—”

“It’s not the first time you’ve gone through an illness alone. Yes, we know,” Mira interrupted, a mixture of affection and slight exasperation in her tone. “You don’t have to, Rumi. You know that, right?”

‘I know… I just want you guys to be here with me, but…’

“I’ll be fine,” Rumi repeated through gritted teeth. “Don’t rush for my sake. Enjoy your little bit of time alone, okay?”

“Are you—”

“Yeah, I am, really,” Rumi tried to say with all the certainty she could muster. Whether she succeeded or not, she wasn’t sure, and she didn’t want to know. “I’ll be here when you get back.”

Rumi didn't give them time to reply before ending the call. As she placed her phone back on the nightstand, she wasn't sure if the pressure in her chest was due to her illness or something else. She also wasn't sure she wanted to find out.

Where Rumi found the strength to reject her girls, she didn't know. Perhaps it was the desperation of not wanting them to see her, their leader, in such a gaunt state. Perhaps it was the underlying danger that they would discover the other kind of illness spreading throughout her body in the form of purple roots. Perhaps it was simply the habit of not having (or would it be more appropriate to use the word “wanting”?) to depend on anyone to overcome a cold, a fever, or whatever else it was that kept her in bed.

Or a fourth hidden option: maybe a combination of all the above?

Rumi didn't have much time to process those thoughts, as her body simply surrendered to the general malaise. Her eyelids closed against her will, leading her to a sleep that wasn't entirely peaceful, but which her body demanded of her anyway.

When Rumi woke up a couple of hours later, she found some pills and a glass of water waiting next to her phone, as well as a small, handwritten note in recognizable handwriting that read ‘Get better :3’.

This time, Rumi was certain of the source of the warmth that welled up in her chest. Whether or not she was willing to acknowledge it aloud was another story.

The day that changed everything happened, curiously, in the same place where it all began.

Rumi had gone to visit Celine a few days before Huntrix's official debut. It was supposed to just be a simple visit, to talk about the group's future and prepare one last time to be both idols and so much more.

Of course, neither Rumi nor Celine could have expected the new allergy that Rumi had apparently developed who-knows-when to put the younger one in bed.

Having watery eyes, a blocked nose, a headache that could very well have been a migraine, and sneezing like a truck driver every five seconds was not in Rumi's plans.

(That day, Rumi declared her eternal hatred for sneezing.)

It wasn't in Rumi's plans to have to stay in bed for at least a day in her old room at Celine's estate, but it seemed the universe had other plans for her.

The numerous notifications that bombarded her phone were a welcome distraction. Rumi wasn't surprised to find several messages from Zoey in the group chat the three of them shared.

Zoey [9:32 a.m.]
RUMIIIIIIII!!!! Celine told us you were sick?????
you need anything???
meds??
food??
water?
hugs?
puppies?
kitties?

Rumi [9:35 a.m.]
Morning? haha

Zoey [9:35 a.m.]
SHES ALIVE

Rumi [9:36 a.m.]
I’m fine, truly.
I, apparently, became suddenly allergic to something. Don’t know what, but I’ve been sneezing like it will be a crime if I stop doing it for more than 5 seconds.
But yeah, I’m alive.

Zoey [9:38 a.m.]
omg that sounds awful :((((((((((((

Mira [9:39 a.m.]
Do you need anything, Rumi?

Rumi [9:39 a.m.]
Girls, really, you don’t have to come all the way over here.

Zoey [9:41 a.m.]
THATS. NOT. WHAT. WE. FUUUUUUUUCKING. AAAAAAASKED >:ccccc
sending you kisses and hugs and everything in between
hug kiss hug kiss xoxoxoxo

Rumi [9:44 a.m.]
I’m just half-awake but that’s making me laugh a lot.

Her thumbs hovered over the screen, ready to type a reply, but what kind? She debated with herself whether it was even a good idea to encourage them to help her, but did she really need help?

Her mind, the logical part of her being, reminded her that she had survived worse on her own. There was nothing a good night's sleep and some pills couldn't fix.

Her heart, the emotional part that was often ignored or simply silenced, begged her to be brave for once, to face her (frankly unfounded) fears.

If help was being offered, wouldn't it be good to take it for once?

With a shaky breath, Rumi began to type.

Rumi [9:45 a.m.]
But in all seriousness, I think I might be out of water. And maybe meds too?
Celine had to go out to resolve an issue with the label, so she will probably take a long time.

Mira [9:46 a.m.]
No problem. We’ll load you up

Rumi [9:47 a.m.]
Thank you, girls.

Mira [9:47 a.m.]
You can thank us by reaching out when you need something, especially when you’re sick 🤨

‘Ah, busted,’ Rumi couldn’t help but think with a nervous giggle before writing her reply.

Rumi [9:48 a.m.]
No promises.

Mira [9:49 a.m.]
Rumiiiiiii…
Imagine me squinting my eyes at you

Rumi [9:51 a.m.]
Threatening.
I’ve been sick before, but this is another level.

Zoey [9:53 a.m.]
we’re about to go and get you all sorts of things!!!
you better get better
wait that sounded better in my head
maybe itll sound better in other way
k better already lost the meaning for me wth

Rumi [9:57 a.m.]
Anyway, how much do I owe you, guys?
Or will owe you.
I can foresee… you two bringing a lot of stuff.

Mira [9:59 a.m.]
Easy, let us make you a list

Rumi [9:59 a.m.]
Oh, no…

Mira [10:02 a.m.]
Ill start
You can pay us back by: 1. getting better

Zoey [10:03 a.m.]
2. REACHING OUT when you need something :)

Rumi [10:04 a.m.]
Don’t sound that mad and menacing, Zoey…

Mira [10:06 a.m.]
3. Helping me hanging shelves in Zoey’s new room in the tower

Zoey [10:07 a.m.]
THAT’S A VERY IMPORTANT THING YOU SHOULD DO YES
pwewwy pwease :3

Rumi [10:07 a.m.]
Since you asked so nicely…

Mira [10:08 a.m.]
4. Messaging us…

Zoey [10:08 a.m.]
THE HUNTRIX GIRLS >:D

Rumi [10:09 a.m.]
Are you two in the same place messaging me at the same time?

Mira [10:09 a.m.]
…when you’re sick so your friends can be there for you

Rumi [10:10 a.m.]
This sounds more like a threat than anything.

Mira [10:11 a.m.]
is it working tho?

Rumi [10:11 a.m.]
…Kind of.

Zoey [10:12 a.m.]
GOOD
now rest
we’ll be there soon
if you don’t die suddenly because your allergies or whatever you have is worse than we thought
pls dont die
we love you so much
tell here Mira
*her

Mira [10:15 a.m.]
We indeed love you so much Rumi
so yes, please don’t die
or Zoey will never shut up about it

Zoey [10:16 a.m.]
HEY!!!!!!
YOU WON’T SHUT UP EITHER
lovergirl ;P
lovsaghjdsgf

Rumi [10:18 a.m.]
Zoey…?

Mira [10:23 a.m.]
Zoeys taking a lil break
we’ll see you soon, Rumi
rest. or else

So, this is what it felt like to be threatened, huh? Was this what demons felt when she and the girls hunted them? Was this some kind of cosmic retribution?

No, Rumi thought, it was too early to think about such things. The best thing would be to find some allergy medication, nasal drops, and pray that this darn allergy would leave her alone by the end of the day (Rumi had high hopes that it would disappear soon, but she was also realistic).

Once Rumi had taken a pill that she miraculously found at the bottom of a drawer and could finally breathe through both nostrils, she crawled straight back into bed. She blamed it on exhaustion, the headache, and the general weakness that coursed through her body, but it was also, at least in part, due to Zoey and Mira's well-founded threats. Who knew what they would do if they found her anywhere in the estate except in bed.

With that last thought swimming through her mind, Rumi covered herself with a sheet and a blanket before closing her eyes and enjoying a deep sleep.

She won't know until much later, because neither Mira nor Zoey will make any comment about it until the right moment arrives.

When that time comes, she will be scared at first, then surprised, then angry, until finally, thanks to the reassurances of her friends, she will calm down enough for the three of them to have a conversation that should have taken place from the moment they met.

For now, however, Rumi will remain in blissful ignorance for some years without even knowing the shift that occurred while she lay sick in bed.

Because in the end, Mira and Zoey really did get Rumi everything she needed and more. Bags full of supplies were brought to the estate; from water, to medicine, to the snacks they knew Rumi would enjoy (and deserved).

They found Rumi resting in her bed, asleep. With small smiles on their faces, Mira left some meds on the nightstand, and Zoey made sure to leave water bottles nearby with some snacks.

Rumi must have moved at some point during her sleep, because the sheet and blanket were a bit disheveled, kicked down to her waist. Zoey noticed that Rumi seemed to be shivering slightly, probably from the cold. She told Mira, and the taller one didn't hesitate to go over to Rumi and straighten the sheet and blanket around her until they covered her up to her shoulders.

That's when Mira saw it.

There, at the base of Rumi's neck, almost hidden by the long-sleeved shirt she was wearing–

– a mark.

Not a scar, not a wound, not a mole.

A purple mark. Pointed shapes, almost as if it imitated the symbol of a lightning bolt.

Mira blinked several times, making sure she wasn't in a dream, and held her breath as she finished tucking Rumi in.

If Zoey had noticed the strange change in Mira's behavior, she didn't have time to verbalize it before she was hurriedly dragged out of the room by her companion.

It took Zoey a few minutes to pull Mira out of her shock, which provided just enough time for her friend to share what was worrying her. What Zoey didn't expect were the words that slipped out of Mira's mouth.

“Rumi is a demon.”

Which, they would later learn, was not true.

Well, technically yes. Rumi was a demon, but only partly, as Celine explained to them later that day when she returned to the estate and was ambushed by a pair of very worried hunters.

Unlike Zoey, it took Celine an embarrassing amount of time to calm the two girls down enough so they could talk coherently.

Thanks to a mixture of pleas, threats, and promises, Celine finally told Zoey and Mira everything about Rumi.

About the truth hidden behind the purple marks that ran across part of her body and that had been spreading since her birth.

About the lies that Rumi had been telling for some time (guided in part by Celine) so that the pair would not discover the patterns hidden under layers of cotton.

About… everything, really.

It wasn't an easy conversation, not at all. Zoey may have been much quieter than usual during it, and Mira may have ended up very angry with Celine, refusing to speak to her for a few days after that fateful conversation, but in the end, it was all worth it. Celine thought so too.

It was worth it if it meant seeing the girls closer than ever.

It was worth it if it meant that Zoey and Mira loved and accepted Rumi completely, with or without demonic patterns.

It was worth it if it meant knowing that those two girls would protect the closest person Celine had to a daughter.

Perhaps, in time, Celine would also learn something from all that.