Ships in the Night

The host turns his attention towards her, shuffling a set of cue cards in his hands, and the audience grows silent.

"Mira!" he says with a wide, unsettling smile — the one he always uses when he has some sort of dirt on celebrities — and she knows exactly where this question is headed. "You went to medical school?"

"Yes," she replies simply, arm draped on the back of the couch behind Zoey and Rumi. Mira stays relaxed, cool, nonchalant, like this is just any other question about their choreographies or their tour.

There's a few gasps from the audience, a coo here and there. A girl, probably in her late teens if her voice is anything to go by, lets out a dreamy sigh before saying "she's so cool" a little too loudly.

"Wow," the host says with fake awe, elongating the 'o' sound to make it sound really sincere. It's not, Mira can tell. She always can. "Who knew Huntr/x's very own Jeong Mira was a prodigy — ballet, medical school, and idol training. Impressive, right ladies and gentlemen?"

He looks out into the audience, giving them a wink as the light above them flashes the word 'Applause'.

"She really is," Rumi affirms confidently after the thundering sound of applause settles. "Mira has always shown that she's in a class of her own. Not to mention she's incredibly dedicated to everything she puts her mind to."

"Yeah!" Zoey chirps along, patting Mira's leg twice and letting her hand linger a little longer than is acceptable for public appearances. "It's always nice to have someone with medical knowledge around, too. Especially with how clumsy I am!"

That gets the audience to laugh and shift the attention away from Mira. Zoey's good at that — playing up the silly, clumsy act around an audience to take pressure away from Mira and Rumi when questions get too personal or hit nerves that are not meant to be seen. She excels at breaking the tension, at creating space for each of them to breathe when the walls feel like they're closing in.

More importantly — and much to Mira's delight — she's good at making hosts feel backed into a corner. Yes, Zoey is sweet to a fault, Mira loves that about her. Everyone loves that about her. But she knows how to weaponize it, too. She's well aware that no one would dare push back on the sweet maknae on national television or anywhere with an audience. So she uses it to her advantage when she feels someone has stepped too close or pushed too far.

Works like a charm, as expected. The host looks between all three of them, taking a deep breath and flipping through the cards in his hands before setting up the next question.

— ☆ —

"Medical school?" Zoey asks with amusement between gasped breaths, fingers tightening around Mira's hair.

Mira smiles, lips warm against Zoey's skin as she places a soothing kiss on the blooming hickey beneath them. "This time it's actually true."

Zoey's laugh, melodic and warm, fills the space around them. It's hypnotizing. Mira swears that it's Zoey's siren call, or at least it was for her. She would follow the sound of her laugh across the world if it meant she got to hear it every day for the rest of her life.

"Yeah?" Soft hands move to cradle Mira's face as Zoey brings her in for a kiss, sloppy and wanting. It tastes like love and devotion with a pinch of mirth. "Just like how you spent some time as a cook in a Singaporean hawker centre or how one summer you sailed across the Mediterranean or how you are the youngest wildlife photographer?"

It's Mira's turn to laugh this time, because of course Zoey has kept track of all of her bullshit answers to hosts throughout the years.

"No, this time it's actually true," she answers, meeting Zoey's eyes so that she knows that Mira is being sincere. "I graduated early and was accepted into medical school. Went to classes for about a week before Celine approached me."

"What were you going to specialize in?"

Mira hesitates for a moment, looking away from Zoey's questioning eyes. No one's ever asked her this before, not her parents or her friends, and for some reason it makes her feel vulnerable, seen.

"Pediatrics."

Zoey's thumbs caress her cheeks, the way they always do when Mira lets her in to some of her most guarded thoughts and secrets. "Of course," she says softly, placing a kiss on the bridge of Mira's nose.

"Plus," she clears her throat, searching for a way to stop her cheeks from heating further, "it pays to know anatomy."

"Yeah?" Zoey tilts her head to the side curiously, not catching on as fast as she normally does.

"You've never complained," Mira says with a lopsided smirk that earns her a lighthearted smack on the shoulder.

so mira hides in her room (which is able to block out most of the noise bc she bought sound proofing for it years ago to be able to dance as long as she wanted without her parents getting pissed) throughout the entire night, and at one point she takes a shower

zoey gets overstimulated and overwhelmed and runs upstairs, and ends up going into miras room bc its quiet, and promptly curls up in a ball in the corner

rumi spills her drink on a girl who her teammates are trying to set her up w and she flees in embarrassment after her attempts to help her clean it only make it worse, and she also runs up to miras room (and does not notice zoey somehow. but zoeys also not noticed rumi somehow)

and then mira comes out of the shower

“why the fuck are there two people in my room”

“?? two? OH”

zoey and rumi are both extremely flustered at having essentially barged into this girl naked, but they both explain why theyre there and mira gets it tbh and lets them stay, just let her get changed

(it helps that to mira, theyre extremely hot)

once shes changed she locks her bedroom door so noone else can come in and they just kinda hang out

they end up drinking some of miras stash of alcohol and talking about themselves to each other

how rumi is premed but is here on a hockey scholarship. how she actually hates the sport and thinks her teammates are okay and all but she also thinks they’re obnoxious at times. how she’s just hoping to make her mom proud, but her mom cant even really look her in the eye sometimes

how mira is a business major (not by choice). how she actually wishes she could be a dance major but her parents wont let her live at home or finance her education anymore if she doesnt conform. how she thinks her brother is an absolute tool who throws these parties just to show off their wealth

how zoey is a (very enthusiastic) marine biology major. how she got there completely on an academic scholarship and couldnt even dream of affording to go to this school, so shes always one bad grade away from losing out on her dreams. how her friends arent really her friends, theyre just the only people that seem to tolerate zoey around here but revel in making her uncomfortable

“well you have two new people who tolerate you after tonight” mira slurs out, before saying “wait, more than tolerate, i mean. you seem cool”

“god i better not fumble three girls in one night” rumi thinks except she actually says it aloud

it kind of opens up everyones eyes like “oh wait i think these two girls are extremely fucking attractive, should we? oh i guess we are” bc by the time theyre done thinking that theyre all drunkenly making out with one another

Cut to the next morning

the three of them wake up, heads pounding, two of them wondering where they are, the third wondering why her bed is so full

Eyes snapping open as they all stare at each other, naked and blushing, as they realize what has happened

Intimacy isn't always just the spicy stuff! Here's a few ways to show it through your characters in a few, simple ways...

Kissing their S/O's hand, knuckles, wrist...bonus points for eye contact!

Speaking of which...eyes. Glances across the room, prolonged eye contact, staring at each other

Tending to the other's wounds/ injuries

Knowing the other's tiny habits

Reaching out to the other when in pain, trouble, ect

Whispering jokes to each other

Carefully wiping off a stain from their clothes or face

Taking care of each other when sick or hurt

Hand over the heart/ ear over the heart just to hear it beat

Pressing their thumb over the pulse point for the same thing

Tracing scars, tattoos, birth marks, freckles

Giving the other something tiny that means a lot, a picture, a shiny rock, a flower

In fantasy settings, helping the other put on/ take off armor...trusting the other to know where daggers, knives, poisons are hidden

Telling each other secrets/ thoughts they've told nobody before

Tucking back the other's hair

Putting a piece of jewelry on the other or letting them borrow clothes

Keeping each other warm in the cold

In cases with chronic illness, letting the other care for/ know symptoms

Brushing, braiding hair, applying skincare, etc.

Nightmare comfort

Wiping away tears

Proximity- sitting near each other, sticking close, standing beside each other while doing a task such as cooking, laundry, painting...

Work Distractions…

GIF Time again! Another Caitvi one HEHEHE …

sorry if it’s a little janky, procreate was making this an evil experience :<

While filming, towards the end of the sequence, Rumi makes a really amateurish misstep, something someone of her talent and experience level doesn't normally do.

Bobby: Cut! Rumi, you ok?

Rumi: Yeah! Yeah, I'm good! Sorry!

Mira: *pats her shoulder* It's fine. Do you need a break?

Rumi: No, no, no, it's fine! Let's just reshoot!

They start the dance over and Rumi's dancing is flawless, until the very end when she trips over nothing. Bobby calls for another cut and demands someone get his girls water.

Mira: *concerned* Rumi, what's going on? Are you sure you're ok?

Rumi: I'm fine, I promise! Just give me a minute and we can start reshooting.

Bobby: Well, you were perfect up until that. I think if we use the right angles, we can just have you two go through the last bit so we don't have to reshoot everything-

Rumi: Nononononono! I don't- it's fine! I don't want it to look stilted, let's just reshoot it all!

Mira: Rumi, that's-

Then it dawns on her.

Mira: ...Rumi.

Rumi: Yeah?

Mira: Are you doing this on purpose?

Rumi: Wha-

Mira: Are you messing up on purpose cause you like me throwing you around like this?

Rumi: WHA- pfft! NO! Why would I- *sweating*

Clothes

Zoey: "Understand that we're not complaining, but you have been completely naked all weekend and we're just... wondering if you plan to put on literally anything the next time we leave the penthouse."

Touch

Mira, standing in the kitchen with Rumi wrapped completely around her like a koala: "Zoey, I'm going to need you to take her for a few hours, my back is starting to hurt. Piece of advice, use the bathroom first."

Sex

Sports doctor: "This diet and supplement regime you're asking for is the kind of thing I normally put together for world-class athletes training for endurance competitions at the very peak of human ability. Are you sure--"

okay so listen. I accidentally came up with a fic concept and now it lives rent free in my head (It’s not because the new Hades chapter is killing me and I need some fluff. Absolutely not.)

Celine, an engineer working on a top‑secret supersoldier program, ends up saving Rumi’s life by implanting military tech that absolutely should not be outside a classified lab. The same accident injures Mi‑yeong so badly she can’t work as a surgeon anymore.

So what do they do?

They quit their government jobs, disappear into Seoul, and open a tiny flower shop, all the while trying to make sense of the feelings growing between them.

In a small room designed with sweet dreams and sleeping girlfriends in mind, the sight was startling, and Rumi disliked it immensely.

At first she liked it. Pulled out of sleep slowly and groggily, her eyes fluttered open and she thought, Whoa. Aquariums are beautiful. But then a beat passed, and Rumi shifted under her blankets, and it occurred to her slowly and terribly that she was not in an aquarium. She was in bed, with her sleeping girlfriends, in a room that was supposed to be dark and was decidedly not.

From her right, Zoey shifted against Rumi’s arm and made a small, unhappy noise, burying her face unintentionally into the source of the glow—Rumi’s arm.

Rumi’s arm and the rest of her body.

Okay. That’s not good. Why the hell was she glowing? It was—she stole a glance at the clock—four in the morning and her patterns were radiating a color she had never once in her life seen before. Should she panic? She hadn’t had a nightmare, and a bad sort of glow was a violent pink color, yet her current glow was actually a pretty nice color, all blue and gold like an ocean flecked by sunlight. Pretty, sure, but it was bright, and at four in the morning? At four in the morning a bright light beaming through the room was always bad.

Maybe she should panic.

Mira groaned, and Rumi froze, her eyes darting quickly to the left side of the bed where she rested. She took in Mira’s scrunching features, bathed in golden blue, and swallowed roughly. Please don’t wake up.

She held her breath. Slowly, Mira’s face relaxed, and with a sigh she softened against Rumi’s side again. With an exhale, Rumi turned her attention back to the light-streaked ceiling.

When she’d sang the lyrics “gonna be gonna be glowing,” she’d meant it metaphorically, not… whatever this was.

Alright. Just breathe. That’s what had worked to calm her down enough to dull her patterns before, right? Breathing.

As quietly and still as she could, Rumi closed her eyes and took in a deep breath. She exhaled softly; inhaled; exhaled; inhaled. It worked to make her sleepy, and after a long, long lull of time, she exhaled once more and opened her eyes again to find it hadn’t worked to do much of anything else.

If anything, the glow had gotten worse.

“What the—?” she breathed, but snapped her mouth shut when Zoey groaned again, unlatching from Rumi’s side. Heart thrumming once more, breathing exercises all for naught, Rumi stiffened and braced herself for the inevitable annoyance.

It didn’t come. Instead, Zoey rolled onto her side and sunk into the bed, sighing softly and relaxing back into sleep.

Slowly, the heartbeat in Rumi’s ears stuttered into silence.

Great. Your glowing scared off Zoey. Frantically, right side feeling colder by the second, Rumi racked her mind for ideas. If breathing didn’t work—because of course it didn’t work, why would calming down work if you were already calm, genius?—then she needed another strategy. What was making her glow in the first place? What emotion was she feeling? Right now, other than panic, she felt…cozy. A little longing, because she wanted Zoey back, but she had Mira’s long legs entangled with her own and a very comfy blanket on top of her. So then what? The glow had gotten worse when she’d relaxed a bit. Content? Was it content-ness? Was she feeling…too content? That was possible. She didn’t typically feel this sense of serenity and belonging. It was a new, unique feeling, being wrapped in the quiet presences of her girls at night, one she was still getting used to.

That had to be it. She was too relaxed—too happy—and she needed to stress herself out so the patterns would go back to their normal state.

Does that mean my patterns’ normal state is anxious? she wondered.

It means your normal state is anxious. Now shut up and think about something terrible, she hissed back at herself.

Right. Okay. She pressed her lips together and thought hard. What’s stressing me out lately? Oh! Tomorrow she had a meeting with Celine about—ah, scratch that, actually. Bobby had insisted he attend that alone, and Rumi didn’t have to go anymore. Well, that was fine. She had more to stress out about. Like…their comeback! …Except that wasn’t for another two months. Alright, fine. How about interviews? You have none. Hiatus. The fans? Surprisingly well-behaved after a month of no content. Her patterns? Well, aside from the glowing, for once there was no problem with them. That just left room for worrying about—worrying about…about—

Her mind sputtered and clanked and fell silent. Empty. A terrible realization dawned on her.

Do I have nothing to be stressed about?

“Rumi,” Mira mumbled. “Why do you look like you’re about to shit the bed?”

Rumi’s eyes snapped open and every muscle in her body locked.

A bit louder, sounding a bit more concerned, Mira said, “…Are you about to shit the bed?”

“No!” Rumi yelped, definitely a bit louder than necessary when Zoey muttered and squirmed again. Lowering her voice, face red, she hissed at the ceiling, “No, Mira. Ew.”

The bed creaked as Mira shrugged. “Happens to the best of us.”

The sentence hit her about ten seconds after it was uttered. The humiliation was punted out of her, and in its place came bafflement, and, turning her head to look at Mira, she found herself face to face with the beautifully illuminated woman in question.

“I’m sorry?” Rumi said.

Mira’s face softened. “What’s wrong?”

“Are you implying you—?”

“What’s wrong with you?”

Rumi opened her mouth. Closed it. In the midst of acting like a startled fish in a softly glowing aquarium, remembered her current dilemma and flushed red.

“You know what the problem is,” she hissed.

“I don’t.”

“You do.”

“Fine. Tell me anyway.”

Rumi fixed her eyes firmly on the ceiling, scowl tight enough for her head to hurt. Despite her indignation, she couldn’t force anything but a mutter past her clenched teeth. “I’m glowing.”

“I can see that.”

“Exactly.”

Mira touched Rumi’s arm, fingers cold, and trailed them along her patterns. “What does blue mean?”

“I don’t know,” Rumi admitted quietly, relaxing against her touch. “Maybe…happy.”

Mira paused to caress a thicker pattern, and the room glowed a little brighter. Rumi’s face burned hotter, although from what she was suddenly finding it hard to figure out.

“Why is it bad that you’re happy?”

“It’s not. I just—it’s bad that I’m glowing. It woke you up.”

Mira laughed quietly. “Your huffing and puffing woke me up. Not the glowing.”

“My—what?”

Zoey groaned and the bed dipped. “Girls?” she slurred.

“Hi, Zo,” Mira said, as Rumi finally gave up her pride and smushed her heating face into the mattress. “How are you liking the new ambiance?”

“Pretty,” Zoey yawned, “but loud. Why’s she huffing and puffing? It woke me up.”

Mira’s cackle cut off when Rumi’s fist made contact with her shoulder. “Ow!”

“Rumi,” Zoey mumbled, dropping her chin onto Rumi’s side to peer over her at Mira. “Don’t punch Mira. It’s like a brick hitting a newborn giraffe.”

It was Rumi’s turn to laugh, then—but the sound cut off sharply as her patterns brightened and the room lit up more.

Zoey ooohed. “Whoa. What’s with the glowing?”

“She’s happy,” Mira, the traitor, said.

“No I’m not,” Rumi protested, whatever for.

“But she’s not happy about it,” Mira conceded.

Zoey squirmed in closer, trying to get a look at Rumi’s face. “Aw. Why not? It’s pretty, like an aquarium.”

Mira hummed approvingly. “It is like an aquarium.”

Slumping against the bed like a puppet with its strings cut, Rumi muttered, “I’m not an aquarium. Aquariums in bedrooms will wake people up at night.”

“Not true,” Zoey said. “Don’t you know nightlights? Nightlights help people sleep.”

“Yeah, Rumi.” Mira took her hand off of Rumi’s arm and poked her. “Don’t you know nightlights?”

Rumi swatted her away. “I know them! But—but—” She broke off with a frustrated noise, and Mira’s face softened.

“Your glowing won’t wake us up,” she promised. “Even if it did, I’d be happy to wake up to you having good dreams.” She scooted forward and wrapped an arm around Rumi’s side to pull her in closer. Snuggling into her collarbone, she mumbled against her skin, “Plus, I’m scared of the dark anyway.”

“No you’re not,” Rumi mumbled.

A pair of arms wrapped around Rumi from behind, and she felt Zoey’s warm breath against her neck as she murmured, “You don’t know that. Maybe we both are, but we were too afraid to say anything.”

“Yeah, right,” Rumi said, but her resolve was crumbling and it showed in her weakening voice. Hearing it, Mira leaned up to kiss her softly on the nose, and Rumi crossed her eyes to follow her, eyelids growing heavy.

“We don’t make fun of you for sleeping with that Teddy bear,” she yawned, “so don’t make fun of our nightlight, okay?”

“Not your nightlight,” Rumi mumbled, her eyes closing. Both of them snuggled in closer despite the massive bed and the unbearable glow of Rumi’s skin, and with a soft, unwelcome smile, the blue behind her eyelids glowed brighter.

Rumi, nervously sweating: I-I can explain...

now i imagine when theyre on tour, huntrix tends to stay in the nicest hotels possible, and that means theyre constantly seeing rich people architecture shit that makes zoey go “wtf is this”

im talking those sinks that like droop down from the ceiling or those extraordinarily over complicated showers

and she starts making a series of videos whenever theyre on the road called “Dumbass Rich People Shit” where she reviews the different features she finds ridiculous from the various hotels theyre staying in and rates them out of 10 based on how useless they are, 10 being “actually this shits kinda fire and it works just fine” and 1 being “how the fuck am i supposed to wash my hands after taking a shit”

and then at the end theres a section called “How the Pros Do It” where she shows rumi and/or mira using these various features like its nothing.

her most famous video is one where during the pros section mira is going over how one of the overcomplicated showers works and zoey off camera is like “okay but can we get a demonstration of it in action?”

and mira says “sure but only if you turn the camera off”

cut to zoey doing her outro for the video, her hair completely damp, clothes on backwards, a couple of obvious hickeys on her throat

rumi in the comments: you two are why we cant have nice things

mira: shes just mad she wasnt there to help with the demonstration