an inescapable place

Image/AU whatever where they sort of assume Rumi's got some sort of protection to her because not only was her mother a Hunter but her father was a Demon so that must mean she has some sort of protection or power of her own.

Something Rumi herself is sure of cause Thirdlight has told her as much, she's a tiny Superhero you know? Like she has to be powerful they just don't know how yet.

As such with the confidence of a small child working on the wrong assumptions and reading too much into phrasing when she sees something going wrong she jumps in because she can protect her family when demons are attacking and they're outnumbered because she has power in her blood.

Except she doesn't. Thirdlight's injured, Rumi's injured, Celine losing her shit and fighting to the point of exhaustion is the only thing that saves all three of their lives that day.

5'2 coworker: I think they work just great!

Like for instance where I am right now we have a fire ban. You can't even mow your lawn outside of certain hours/conditions. You CANNOT light off fireworks.

Mira and Zoey finding out post new Honmoon that Celine actually favors short sleeves, tank tops and the like. It's just well for a decade itw as easier to get Rumi to put on one of Celine's cardigans than it was to get her into her own long sleeve shirts and then it was a back up just in case.

No demons, some things are bad enough.

Zoey has the chance to debut with friends she's made in Korea on her school vacations visiting her father and his side of the family, it'll be awesome like life long dream! Dude one's got rich parents who are not great parents but they think it'll be good for the image so of course they'll let her, and the other's mom (Two moms really how COOL is that? Like even if they can't really talk about it in public) RUNS the company that'll let them debut.

Except her mom won't let her. Dual citizenship, join custody across countries, it's a two yesses one no scenario and it's devastating but that's okay they can wait til she's 18 maybe? Maybe? Mom's divorced though and low paying job and the little siblings need help and support too and she's the oldest daughter of immigrant parents stacked against her but maybe she can pull it off.

Til one of her little siblings gets sick in one of those the US 'health system' will suck you dry and laugh as you beg for help kind of ways and then… then she can't go. Can't just leave them like that, there's too much expectation on her to help even if she could save up the money to go.

(Even if she knows if she asked or mentioned wanting to go her father would pay to help her in a heartbeat that'd be helping HER, not her siblings, NOT her mother, only her since she's his child and the rest aren't important to him.)

((Even if Rumi and Mira are constantly reminding her they've got a spare room waiting for her the moment she so much as suggests she wants to move in, even if they never say it in so many words. Again they'd take care of her, but what kind of person would she be if she asked them or their families to help out with younger siblings, a mother who aren't their responsibility?))

What kind of good, dutiful oldest daughter just walks away from a family that desperately needs her to fulfill their own selfish wants, right?

On tour, checking over things where they've been set up because she can't help but want to micromanage to a degree and double check what Bobby's already double checked, hearing local hired techs listening to something on their break or whatever.

A high pitched far too enthusiastic voice going on about a 'real who REALLY did it mystery for you today folks' that makes her roll her eyes (not like Mira doesn't like crime documentaries sometimes) and go to ignore it until she hears a horrible mispronunciation of her mother's name.

Rumi has been raised in the industry, it does not surprise her to a degree that every aspect of her or her mother's lives have been speculated about in some way or another, but she finds herself absolutely stunned by the cheerful voice debating if Mi Yeong was murdered, committed suicide, or 'pull an Elvis' and if it WAS murder... then oh so many people could be to blame let's look at perhaps those who seemed to benefit MOST from it.

It's not the first time Celine's been texted asking her to fire someone. It is the first time it involved Rumi ranting in the background though, and the first time Bobby's been the one to ask.

Image of Zoey's parents getting together and having her very young (Say 19-20, married idiot age), and then the difficulties of life actually sort of setting in, the divorce, betrayal, fighting etc etc and joint custody with Zoey spending her US sanctioned vacations in Korea with her dad and spending the rest of the time in the USA with her mom.

All this to say: Zoey's dad who has a job.

He's had the same job since his army days, so he jokes. He goes where he's told to go, wears what he's told to wear, looks how he's told to look, and looks nice doing it.

Or where Zoey's dad is totally a male model and has been her whole life which she can't really brag about in the US but in Korea she's probably been in at least three dozen stalker magazine or fan blogs since she was little in the 'oh my GOD look at him he's such a dedicated DAD' way that's just him walking with her in the street.

Zoey calls him in an overwhelmed/overstimulated panic after her first attempt at a photo shoot with her girls asking how he deals with the lights/heat/makeup etc. There's many tips interspersed with her step-mother's helpful 'he doesn't' comments. 'He doesn't' 'He bitches a lot' 'He's lucky he's pretty because he complains' 'We honestly have to bribe him with pokemon cards sometimes'

(Zoey's step-mom the hairstylist. She may have had to openly tell Zoey's dad she was interested and asking him on a date before he got it but he got it)

((Secondary side image: Zoey says something about her mother and her father lights up. Stepmother, holding up her hand: "Is it going to be a comment about 'my hellhound ex' or a comment about 'the woman who gave me the most beautiful and precious gift a man could ever ask for in my most amazing daughter who I love more than anything'?"

Zoey's dad making a face: "I'll tell you later."

Stepmother: "I'll react accordingly later."

Hey I lovingly punted an idea out into the universe in part because I don't have the time or willpower to finish it as a oneshot.

First out of town for a few days event when she's like 17, Celine having to stay behind for demon reasons, and Zoey realizing too late she's forgot her ADHD meds back home.

But it's fine, right? If she admits it she seems like an immature screw up so she thinks, and she's meant to be high energy on stage anyway.

She'll be perfectly fine being completely off of her meds for a few days. She can try to mask, try to just 'control herself', just work really hard to stay on track and no one will notice and she won't screw up any plans!

But divided because she's said enough things sarcastically in the most innocent way that people aren't sure if she's being serious or not.

There's a thousand things that can go any which way with that, so many things that differ between America and Korea (or France/Canada and Korea if you go that way with Celine).

Primarily though I have this image right now of Celine in America texting confused "???" tagged photos of the puzzle piece logo and requesting context for what 'autism mom' or 'autism warrior' is meant to mean.

Zoey stumbles on replies trying to word them carefully.

Zoey on the phone with her mother hearing about how toddler of the group is having testing done. The tired frustrated tone hearing that they think he might be on the spectrum.

Zoey trying to be cheerful and positive because that's who she is, always has to be stating that if he is that's okay, right? Like that's still baby bubby and they'll deal with it. It's not like they haven't before, right?

The unexpected snap back response from her mother that yes they've dealt with it but maybe she doesn't want to deal with it again. Doesn't want to deal with speech therapy and occupational therapy and safe foods and triggers, missed milestones and counselor meetings, medications, IEPs, repeated meetings with principals etc.

It's a phone call that ends quietly with half apologies about it just being 'a lot' (it being 'you', Zoey knows and internalizes the way she has for years, it's unspoken "you were a lot to deal with") and of course they'll find ways to deal with it.

Always deal with it, not embrace it, not go with the flow. 'Deal with it'.

Deal with her (and now maybe a sibling too).

There's probably a 'don't get caught doing stupid shit' clause but it's simple stuff meant to keep them safe.

Connecting to that thought is the image of them getting to see one of the first contracts Celine signed. Possibly the very first one, when she was younger than they were when they debuted.