Chapter Text
Mira and Zoey looked around the living room. They’d managed to arrive at the same time, Mira from a fashion shoot, and Zoey from a brand event. It wasn’t often the girls went out on Huntrix business on their own, but they each found their niche. With her bubbly personality and youthful presence Zoey was a social media queen – streams, AMAs, anything and everything – and brands always wanted her to promote them. Comfort and coziness in all its forms was what Zoey liked to highlight. For their international crowd, Zoey was big in the U.S. and liked to highlight up and coming female rappers.
As the visual of the band, Mira prided herself on her fashion sense, and it paid off when high fashion magazines and brands wanted a promoter. She could afford to be picky with who she collaborated with and she knew brands would compete to see which one could peak her interest. She had just come back from a photoshoot from an exclusive collaboration she had done with a small fashion house that she’d found. They were just starting out but she found their jewelry to be the right mix of punk and pop, so she’d reached out to them, a rare occurrence for her. The designer was a breath of fresh air and she’d truly enjoyed sitting with them, going over designs and concepts.
Needless to say, after a long day wrapped up in their own worlds, they did not expect to come back to a penthouse in absolute disarray and a bandmate dangling over their living room from the loft floor. Mira and Zoey acted immediately rushing over simultaneously, even crying out at the same time.
”Rumi!”
“Uh, hi guys.” Rumi wasn’t straining yet but she certainly didn’t want to jump down in her slippers. From this height, sneakers would be a must. While the honmoon generally caught them when they fell, she didn’t know if this was technically high enough for the honmoon to step in. Instead she just looked at her friends. “A little help?”
Seeing no immediate danger, and not hearing any distress or strain in Rumi’s voice, Mira had crossed her arms just below her, an amused smirk on her face. “What are you even doing? The world's most intense pull-ups?” She couldn’t wait to tease Rumi endlessly about this. It was prime teasing territory on what was essentially her big sister.
Zoey laughed, before gently smacking her. “Come on Mira, you’re tall, it’ll be like the world's most dramatic trust fall.” Zoey was using all her will power to keep her phone in her pocket. She knew this entire scenario would blow up the internet but she couldn’t do that to Rumi. Yet.
Resigned, Mira sighed and held out her arms so she could catch Rumi. Rumi swayed a bit, trying to get in position before letting go. Thankfully, Mira caught her and Rumi quickly got her feet on the ground. She was hoping she could make a quick exit before having to explain herself, but she wasn’t quite as fast as Zoey’s brain working in tandem with her mouth.
“Rumi, how'd you end up there? That ledge is so narrow!”
Rumi became a tomato, or at least, that’s what it looked like to Zoey. Her patterns glowed a subtle pink. It wasn’t the harsh red she’d seen when Rumi was in distress, rather a softer color, a more gentle shimmer. The blush on her neck and cheeks was only further highlighted by the vine like patterns. Zoey couldn’t help but smile, Oooh this has to be good.
“Well–I–That is–” Rumi stumbled for an answer. She didn’t expect she’d be caught. She had been trying to clean the place up before either of them got home and tried one last experiment just before she’d been stuck hanging on to the ledge. It was a stroke of luck, or tragedy depending on how you looked at it, that Zoey and Mira showed up just seconds later.
Mira just narrowed her eyes at Rumi, suspicious of her stammering. She didn’t think it was anything major, but considering the state of the penthouse and Rumi’s flustered look, there was a story here. “Rumi, what’s going on?”
Faced with Mira’s direct but still gentle suspicion and Zoey’s innocent curiosity, Rumi folded like a half baked cake. “I was trying to teleport.”
Anyone could’ve heard a pin drop at that moment. It was only broken by the awe in Zoey’s voice, “You can do that?”
“Well I don’t know. I did it that night…you know, of the Idol Awards?” She awkwardly scratched at the back of her neck. “So I thought I’d try.” Mira’s eyes were wide now, and Zoey’s eyebrows were practically disappearing into her bangs.
“Just to see!” Rumi added in a rush her patterns pulsing faintly in slight panic, “Not to do anything bad, just as a test you know? It could be helpful.”
Zoey burst out laughing, instantly dispelling the tension and causing Mira to let out the smile she’d been trying to keep in. She wished Rumi wouldn’t immediately jump to the idea that they'd be angry or assume the worst of her, but some habits were hard to break.
“Oh my gosh so that’s how you ended up there?!” Zoey was doubled over, tears in her eyes from laughing so hard. The laugh was infectious, causing Mira to give in and Rumi to chuckle. They weren’t angry, just amused, and while that was embarrassing it was infinitely better than the alternative.
“Rumi, I know it will take time, but don’t feel like you have to work out your demon side in private.”
Zoey nodded in agreement, “What Mira said. Rumi, we’re not scared of you.” She flopped down on the couch, perfectly comfortable. “Besides, it'd be cool to see you teleport!”
Wait what? Rumi was surprised, she didn’t think the girls would respond positively like Zoey had. Not that they had been negative since she’d revealed her patterns, but they wanted to watch her test out her demon powers? Mira was giving her a gentle smile, one she only ever gave to Rumi and Zoey. Mira sat down next to Zoey, her smile evolving into a teasing smirk at Rumi’s expense.
“Judging by how we found you, and the state of our living room,” Mira gestured to the pillows strewn about, the knocked over chairs and stools “I assume it wasn’t going well?”
Rumi plopped face down on the couch, turning her head to speak, “It’s so hard and I don’t know why!” She huffed in defeat, “it was so easy the last time I did it.”
Mira couldn’t help but laugh, “Of course it was. You were riding on emotion. Like when a mom lifts a car off her kid.”
Rumi scowled at her, “Hey! You aren’t my kids!” Zoey just giggled, patting Rumi on the shoulder, “Of course not, but maybe the trigger is that you have to need or want to go somewhere?”
Rumi rolled herself over, flopping onto her back. The theory was solid but she couldn’t keep a frustrated scowl off her face. “How am I supposed to really want to go to the kitchen?”
Mira hummed, thoughts churning as she looked between Rumi and Zoey. “Rumi, you love your guitar right?”
Rumi just looked at Mira suspiciously, seeing the smirk on her face and the glint in Zoey’s eyes as she rushed off, having already deciphered what Mira was suggesting. As she ran, she couldn’t stop her thoughts, Now where to hide it that’s big enough for a person to fit, but small enough that it wouldn’t be the first thing you see in a large room? In the living room, Mira took a second to appreciate that it was a rare time her and Zoey were on the same chaotic wavelength, before focusing back on Rumi.
She was still looking at Mira, trying to figure out what was happening. She decided to start slowly. “Yes,” Rumi sat up properly moving closer to Mira. “Why?”
Zoey came rushing back in, face flushed and out of breath. “Ok the deeds done!”
“What deed? What are you two talking about?”
Mira chuckled, “Let’s just say that Zoey has hidden your precious 1971 Martin 000-18.”
The color drained from Rumi’s face as she looked between her two best friends. Zoey looked proud of her accomplishment, Mira looked smug. Rumi instantly tried to make a run for it, trying to think of every place she should search first. She couldn’t get far as Mira latched on to her to keep her seated just before Zoey tackled her back onto the couch.
Rumi made a sound like a wet cat trying to escape the bathtub as her friends held her down. “Guys, seriously that’s my guitar!” Neither girl budged, leaving Rumi to let out a feeble cry of, “It’s vintage and this might not even work!”
“Then you’ll just have to want to really, really, be wherever it is.” Rumi could hear the mirth in Mira’s voice. Her raised eyebrow was practically imprinted in her sentence.
Rumi just harrumphed, I can just wait them out. They’ll get tired and have to get off me eventually.
As if reading her mind, Zoey relaxed on top of her, purposeful in her re-enactment of a particularly heavy weighted blanket. “You know, I could watch turtle documentaries and lay on this couch all day. Hey Mira, wanna grab me some snacks? Then I’d never have to leave.”
Figuring Zoey had Rumi secured, Mira passed her a bag of her favorite shrimp chips, and Zoey began munching. Rumi wasn't worried, until around a mouthful of her favorite snack, Zoey said “Who knows what will happen to your guitar, alone, in the dark. Maybe even somewhere damp.”
Though Rumi was 99% certain Zoey would never do such a thing to her Martin, a cold sweep of dread went down her spine, “You wouldn’t dare.”
She could feel Zoey shrug in a non-committal manner on top of her. “Who knows? I’m always acting impulsively.”
Thoroughly amused Mira laughed, but did give Zoey a look, basically asking It’s safe right? Zoey winked, which Mira knew was a signal that she was just ruffling Rumi’s feathers, trying to motivate her.
Rumi was suddenly all focus. That guitar was basically her baby. She loved that guitar, and she needed to find it. It must be scared, by itself, not in my temperature controlled room in its designated stand. Visions of the wood being slightly scratched against a floor that wasn’t carpeted. She needed to get to her guitar.
Two things happened simultaneously: Zoey unceremoniously fell off the couch as Rumi disappeared from underneath her in a wisp of red smoke, and a cacophonous series of bangs could be heard from the utility closet in the penthouse.
Mira reached the door first, opening the closet. She couldn’t keep from laughing. There was Rumi, brooms falling over her, legs askew as a mop rolled on the floor beneath her. In her arms, her precious guitar. Zoey just chuckled from the living room, “See! You can do it!”