Chapter Text
"I'm done hiding, now I'm shining like I'm born to b-!"
Her mistake flooded the room. The music stopped. Zoey and Mira stopped. Bobby stopped. "Rumi? Are you okay? Do you need some water?" He asked.
That snapped Rumi out of it. "I'm fine. I just need 5. I'm gonna take 5?" She didn't pause to listen to the protests of the crew. She just went straight to her dressing room.
The second she got inside she ripped off the black cross and unzipped her top. Underneath was patterns- jagged, demented patterns- etching their way up her neck, therefore hurting her voice. Patterns were the markings of demons. Rumi's father was a demon, making her half demon. She didn't pause to think. She did the first thing that came to mind.
She ran.
She ran far, far away from the stage and to the top of HUNTR/X Tower. She raced up to the roof and attempted to sing. "No more hiding, I'll be shining like I'm born to be!!! 'Cause we are Hunters, voices strong, and I know I believe!" Rumi broke at the end. She collapsed to her knees at started sobbing.
"How am I supposed to fix the world- fix 𝙢𝙚- when I don't have my voice? Why now when I'm so close?" She sobbed. She gazed out into the city. "Why? 𝙒𝙃𝙔!?" The Honmoon rippled in a hot pink. The color of Gwi-Ma. She reared back, knowing what she'd done, and gasped for air. Rumi sat there for a moment, the voice of her five-year-old self echoing through her head.
"𝘞𝘦 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘏𝘶𝘯𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘴, 𝘷𝘰𝘪𝘤𝘦𝘴 𝘴𝘵𝘳𝘰𝘯𝘨..."
At that moment, there was only one person that she wanted to see. Only one person that could help her. Unfortunately, she couldn't contact him at the moment. Fortunately, the main method of communication appeared right in front of her.
Derpy rose above the Honmoon with Sussie on top of his head, wearing the tiger's hat. A soft blue glow emanated from the Honmoon, making them look more mysterious than usual.
Rumi sniffled. "Can you grab Jinu?" She asked weakly. Derpy disappeared back into the Honmoon, answering her question. More tears started to fall. Rumi was spiraling.
Less than 5 minutes later, Jinu appeared at her side. Yes, Jinu is a demon. Yes, Rumi doesn't give a single shit. And yes, they trauma bonded and are now friends. Nothing more than friends.
He was sitting in a position that was all too casual. His legs were straight out and crossed over top of one another and his arms were behind him. Rumi threw herself into him, hugging him tight and sobbing into his shoulder. He wrapped his arm around her and started to softly rub her back in hopes of calming her down.
"It's okay, Ru, I'm here..."
That didn't stop her. She kept crying. Kept sobbing.
Jinu knew a panic attack when he saw one and knew what to do. "Rumi. Listen to me. Breathe in." She took a shaky breath in, barely breathing through the tears. "Breathe out." They repeated the process until,for the most part, the tears had subsided.
"What happened?" Jinu asked.
"W-we were singing Golden. There was ten minutes to showtime. I-I tried to sing the high note but I 𝙘𝙤𝙪𝙡𝙙𝙣'𝙩, b-because my stupid patterns had made their way to my throat, and-" She was spiraling again.
"Rumi. Breathe in." She took a slow, shaky breath in. "Breathe out." A slow, shaky breath out. "You're safe now. So you're worried about your voice," He said.
Rumi nodded. "But it's more than that, Jinu. If I lose my voice or my voice fails, then the Honmoon will break, a-and everybody would lose their souls, and-"
"Breathe in." She breathed in again. "Breathe out." She breathed out again. "It's obvious that you need some time. We can talk again tomorrow night," Jinu said.
"Don't go," She whispered quietly.
"I wasn't planning on it."
They stayed like that for a while, Jinu holding Rumi while she leaned into his side. Jinu cracked jokes until Rumi was well enough to go back to Mira and Zoey. "Promise you'll be okay," Jinu said. There was concern in his voice.
"I promise nothing. But I'll try," Rumi replied.
Jinu tightened his grip. "Not gonna let you go until you promise."
She laughed slightly and hugged him. "Fine, I promise. Now can I go!?"
"Maybe."
"Jinu!"
"𝙉𝙤𝙬 you can go," He said, and Rumi immediately got up and grabbed her jacket. Jinu followed and placed an arm around her once she was about to leave. "Tomorrow. 4pm. I'll be there with Derpy to help with the interrogation."
She hugged him again. "Can't wait to make fun of you more," She said.
"Were you flirting or insulting me?" Jinu asked.
"Can it be both?" Rumi replied. She smirked. There was silence between the two. She laughed. "See you tomorrow," She said, and then walked back down the stairs.
Niether coukd wait until tomorrow.