Work Text:
Jinu knows he isn't welcome here. The demons on this side of the river are the furthest thing from the bumbling newbies loitering near Gwi-Ma's site who are too afraid to move in either direction, scared of both the dark and the crackling fire that promises agony beyond all imagination. They huddle together like sheep, unless they are busy ripping each other apart for scraps of leftover souls.
These demons are neither sheep nor dogs. Jinu has no desire to learn what exactly they did to end up down here, but a single glance at the nearest fanged, muscle-bound creature tells him all he needs to know - its eyes are empty. No fear, no anger, and most importantly, no regret. Jinu suppresses a wave of jealousy that threatens to make him lash out; this could be him. This should be him. It doesn't seem fair that he has to work for what's freely given to others, less deserving than him.
The demon senses his stare. Its muzzle opens, strings of spit stretching from tooth to tooth, and it hisses. Maybe Jinu should come here more often, if his absence leads to such behaviour, if it makes these dwellers forget who they're dealing with.
He lets his fangs grow out of his mouth quickly, about the length of a hand, and growls back at the demon. The ground shakes. Somewhere across the river, someone screams just for a second, the water floods the shore. The bells hanging from every mud house play a lovely tune.
With a whimper, the demon turns around, hurrying back to whenever it came from. It might not regret selling its soul, technically free to do as it pleased without whispering voices in the back of its head, but the fear of death transcends everything. Including death, apparently.
That isn't a thought Jinu would like to indulge for longer than necessary. He didn't come here to brag or seek a fight.
The palace, if one wants to call it that, is hardly more than another mud house, though a comparatively bigger one with thicker walls and intricate shapes carved into the roof beams. It even has windows though there's really nothing to admire except the badlands.
Charming.
Jinu was raised in a household too poor to give him more than a single set of clothes: he wasn't raised to be impolite. A bit of dust trickles to the ground when he knocks at the door which promptly opens and in the next moment, there's a very sharp stick at Jinu's throat.
He considers biting it off. "Get that away from me."
The stick doesn't move.
"Get that away from him!" a voice calls from inside the palace and Abby appears from the darkness, stepping into the sparse light like some sort of - pop star. "Jinu!"
The guard demon, if that's what it's supposed to be, finally lowers the stick and slinks back into the shadows without a single word. Jinu decides not to mention how a pointy stick is hardly helpful for anything except to roast bread on it. Fire is easy to make down here.
"Abby," he greets, taking off his gat hat. "You look - well."
"I feel well," Abby grins and looks like he means it, too, all radiant smile and frankly terrible posture. "It's not that easy, keeping all those demons here in line. All politicians and CEOs and shit, they don't even feel guilt. They're just bored. Keeps me busy."
That would explain the bulging muscles on his arms. And stomach. And legs. Now that Jinu considers it, this demon is purely muscle. It's perfect.
"I gotta talk to you."
"I'm all ears!"
Persuasion would hardly be helpful here. Jinu could attempt trickery - but he's quite sick of that. Bribery should be saved for someone else considering he doesn't have much to offer. One could always issue a threat which would probably strain their relationship. Oh! He's got it. A one-on-one fight with the loser having to do whatever the winner says. Fights are well respected down here if properly announced so there is at least the shadow of a social contract...
Jinu subtly flexes his biceps to see how fucked he is.
"I'm forming a boy band to destroy the Honmoon."
"I'm in."
"I will fight you at sundown - hold up."
Abby beams at him. "What?"
"I am forming," Jinu repeats slowly, making sure his lips are visible shaping themselves around the words, "a boy band. To destroy the Honmoon."
"Well yes. You said that just now."
This is way too easy and Jinu doesn't even have it in him to be relieved. Abby's smile is wide and gullible, like a toddler who's just been promised a treat but only after the dental visit. Information which would send any toddler into a meltdown. Jinu doesn't wish to take advantage of toddlers. Even he has his limits.
"It'll be dangerous," he tries. "You've seen the demons sent to kill those hunters. They're not the same when they return, if they even return. I don't think we can avoid confrontation."
Abby waves his hand. "That's fine. I'm strong, Jinu, they won't be able to get close."
"That's not -" Jesus, this whole thing is turning out to be more complicated than expected. "At least try to be suspicious. Of me. Of my intentions."
For the first time, Abby's blinding grin disappears, leaving behind something akin to a pout. "There you go again, acting like you're the only one with intentions." He pronounces the word like it's something sour. "If I can get the chance to leave this hellhole even for a while, I'll take it."
Jinu feels like he missed a few chapters. "You will?"
"Look around." Abby gestures again, this time with purpose. His fingers look pointed and claw-like. "Who'd wanna spend more time than necessary here? I don't know your plan but if it involves singing, dancing and snacking on the souls of the innocent, I'm in."
"And the Honmoon," Jinu adds weakly but he's met with a shrug.
Ultimately, it doesn't matter how he convinces the demons he has in mind for his plan, or why they agree. As long as they'll be up there, blending in with the human world and charming those desperate to be charmed, it's fine. It's fine. Skilled as they are, the hunter girls are human and fragile. Bound by social expectations.
"Alright," Jinu says. He feels his voice brighten. "I appreciate it. Let's see how much you enjoy this vacation once we're actually up there, dancing. Korea is hot in the summer."
"So am I," Abby gives back, smile back in place. Oh he'll fit right in. "Who else are you planning to recruit?"
Jinu puts his hat back on. "You know," he says. "The usual suspects."
Abby laughs pityingly. "Good luck with that."
The river doesn't flow into a lake or sea, it transforms into a vast wetland that is impossible to cross by foot for the ground gives beneath you and you'll be swallowed up, suffocating and wet to the bone. Beyond that, the world is ruled by a fog so thick you can't see your own feet. There are demons here, somewhere, in the water, in the bog, but they are invisible and silent. Everything's silent at the end of the river.
Jinu doesn't have any problem crossing the wetlands. He can teleport, for fuck's sake. Teleporting, however, is decidedly unhelpful when there's a sinkhole every three metres, he's very close to breaking both his ankles and the only thing to listen to is his own cursing.
The thing is, he's well aware that his presence has been noticed, no matter what the situation at hand might suggest. He's a Saja on foreign Saja territory. He might as well have arrived screaming and waving a giant flag. This means someone doesn't want to see him.
Well. Two can play that game.
Jinu puts two fingers in his mouth and lets a sharp whistle penetrate the air, muted by the fog yet still audible. It fades awkwardly. The seconds that follow are fairly uncomfortable, until the air starts shimmering in blue and purple hues, and Tiger starts emerging from the damp ground like a bizarre plant growing in fast motion. Magpie sits on his head like a crown.
Jinu smiles, letting his nails grow pointy and sharp until they manage to get through Tiger's thick fur and give him a good scratch. He isn't sure how to pet a bird so he doesn't. Why is it even here.
"Tiger," he says. "Sniff him out. Lead me to him."
Tiger's giant eyes blink up at him slowly. One paw after the other, he turns around - then turns around again, until he seems to have found a trace. Jinu keeps his step light as he follows and avoids eye contact with the bird which is difficult as it has six eyes. Once, Jinu tried to use it as a carrier pigeon which failed spectacularly.
The fog becomes thicker, somehow, and wetter. More dangerous. Demons lose themselves in this damp sea, never to be seen again, but those who manage are granted a comparatively calm life. No territorial squabbles, no food envy. Just one's own misery.
The palace appears in front of him so quickly Jinu avoids breaking his nose through sheer luck. On stone nonetheless. It escapes him how anyone could've found stone in this barren fuck land, let alone build something that doesn't immediately disappear in the soil. Jinu himself starts sinking when he lingers for too long.
"Thank you," he tells Tiger. It's hard to judge whether it's the vast nothingness of all the universe's wisdom reflected in his orange eyes or just - nothingness. Tiger disappears with a purr.
This time, Jinu doesn't knock. It's unnecessary when his presence has been detected long ago. Instead, he teleports inside. He has no other choice; there's no door.
The voice greeting him sounds weary, like a wet blanket left to dry in the rain for the past three-hundred years. "Go away."
Jinu clears his throat. "I've been meaning to ask. Are you naturally elusive, does it come with the name or is it an aesthetic decision?"
Mystery is draped over his throne, both legs over the left armrest. His hair hides the entirety of his face except his fangs and everything else is covered by the shadow of his hat. Oh god, Jinu thinks, suddenly panicked. What if he's ugly. Would that impact their likeability, in turn impacting their chances of success concerning the destruction of the Honmoon? No, no, it doesn't matter. They'll be done before that happens.
"Naturally elusive," Mystery confirms, sinking deeper into his seat. "Also, you called me that. It's too late to change it now."
"You wouldn't give us your proper name. What else was I supposed to do?"
"Not talking to me at all was always an option. And names have power."
"I use my real name," Jinu argues.
Beneath the hat, beneath the fringe, a single yellow eye glows in the dark, watching him. "Look where that got you. Gwi-Ma has his fiery claws hooked into you deeper than in anyone else. What an enviable life."
Against his will, Jinu feels his fangs and claws lengthen, stretching his skin and cutting into his lips. A growl tries rising in his throat but he swallows it down. This isn't helpful in the slightest. He will not be provoked.
"Listen," he says, carefully composed. "I'm founding a boy band to steal the fans of the hunter girls, to destroy the Honmoon. Join me or I will kill you."
Mystery stretches his arms upwards. "But then I wouldn't be able to join."
"There are many fish - demons in the sea."
"Why don't you go ask the fish demons then?"
"No, I -" Jinu runs a hand over his face. "I need the strongest. Abby joined already. I don't like threatening you but I will if you leave me no other choice. I helped you become a Saja, I can take it away from you."
"No, you can't," comes that soft voice. "But don't fret, Jinu. Despite your suspicious timing and generally untrustworthy character, I offer my help freely."
"Why?" Jinu moans, overcome by a strong sense of déjà vu. "What do you get out of it?"
Mystery contemplates that question for a moment. "Exposure therapy," he eventually decides. "A chance to snatch the tastiest souls from upstairs before the lower demons get to them. A bit of fun. A destroyed Honmoon. Your continued support."
The last part is pronounced with a slight upwards tilt towards the end, the ghost of a question.
Jinu nods. "You have it."
He prepares to teleport out of this foggy cold mess that makes his joints hurt but Mystery's voice calling his name causes him to hesitate.
"In case you’ve been wondering," there's a smirk hidden in there somewhere, somewhere, "I will have you know that I am very handsome."
The demon world works on its own terms. There's no sun, at least not the one most people would imagine. No moon either, although it always seems to be nighttime with the exception of a few hours where the sky appears a few shades lighter. Jinu wants to call those hours 'daytime'. He doesn't know where the sparse light comes from, only that it's marginally stronger in the West.
Where Mystery's realm is wet and uncomfortable and generally disagreeable, the West is almost - almost! - warm. Not the threatening kind of heat emitting from purple and pink flames, but a hint of what the sun used to feel like on his skin. The ground is dry and cracked, barren like everything else and yet you can at least walk on it without fearing for your life and bones. In terms of liveability, this is the best the demon world has to offer.
Jinu knows this land like the back of his hand, and even if he didn't, he wouldn't require any help this time. The palace practically smacks him in the face, sitting proudly and somewhat impressively in the middle of the land. It even sports a tiny turret. Fancy bastard.
The gates open for him which, he cannot deny, strokes his ego massively. The feeling quickly disappears when he feels a hand on his shoulder and then another one on his chest and then another one on his fucking arm.
"Don't touch me," he hisses and the demons scatter like bugs from under a stone. One isn't fast enough. Jinu catches it by the scruff, lifts it with one arm until they're at eye level and gives it a shake. "Do your job and take me to your Saja. Now."
The demon squeaks, kicking and squirming, immediately scampering off as soon as it hits the ground. Jinu follows at his own pace. He'll be damned before he lets some lowly demon runt dictate his moves. The fact that he's already damned changes nothing.
As always, Romance is surrounded by no less than five servant demons. Two are on the ground, the other two standing next to the wooden throne, the last one on his lap. It makes Jinu's neck hot and his palms sweaty.
"Hello," he says. He sounds like a croaking toad.
"Jinu!" Romance sounds genuinely delighted to see him but then again, Romance is really good at making people feel welcome and just as good at throwing them away. "I thought I'd sensed your lovely presence. Would you like to take a seat?"
The room is devoid of any other chairs so that leaves only one possibility. "I'm good," Jinu coughs. "Not staying for long."
"That's a shame. Can I offer you anything? Soul tea? Soul coffee?" The demon on Romance's lap squirms and promptly receives an absent-minded pat. "I have to be honest with you, it all tastes like souls anyway."
"Look," Jinu says, "can we talk in private? It's important business."
"Oh! Certainly. Off you go, shoo shoo." Romance makes a bored hand motion, barely moving from where he's slouching on his throne, legs delicately crossed. "And close the door!"
Jinu watches the demons leave, taking in their facial features. Pretty things, all of them. Convincing them to join his band would be so much easier, he doesn't even care about singing talent at this point, he just wants it done. But no. He can't have his band members be afraid of him. While it would facilitate lots of things, the public might pick up on the animosity between them. No one likes a band that doesn't work together.
"You're deep in thought." Romance's smooth voice brings him back to the present. He's left his throne, now standing right in front of Jinu with his arms crossed. At some point, he must've put on his hat which shadows half his face. "I can help with that."
"You can, actually," Jinu confirms, ignoring the elated expression he gets in return. "I'm planning on destroying the Honmoon once and for all. For that purpose I'm putting together a boy band to rival Huntrix. No fans, no Honmoon."
Romance hums. "I am honoured you'd think of asking me to join."
"I'm not asking." Jinu takes a step back to get a good look at Romance's hidden face. "I'm calling in the favour you owe me."
Apart from a sweet and very calculated pout on Romance's lips, there's no visible reaction. Jinu wonders if it'll hurt the band's image to have two pink-haired members. Surely not. It's not even the same pink. One is like, hot pink, very fitting for someone who'd wither and die without attention. The other's like, love-pink. Ironically, Jinu is fairly certain Romance would also die without the appropriate amount of attention.
"Hm," Romance says, dragging the m until he's out of air. "I'm not going to argue, if that's what you were expecting. Though I can't help but wonder - does the big guy know about this?"
No.
"Yes, Gwi-Ma is informed."
Romance gives him a pitying look. "You should probably talk to him about your endeavour soon. Communication is key in every relationship."
Jinu winces. You left them. They died because of you.
"I think you're overestimating the nature of my relationship with Gwi-Ma."
"I'm not, Jinu." Romance's voice is soft and beneath that lies something genuine, long abandoned. "His voice is in my head too, you know. In all of our heads. You're not the only one suffering."
But I'm suffering the most, he wants to say but that wouldn't only sound whiny, it'd also sound weak and childish. He is, though. He's suffering the most, isn't he? No one else is prepared to go to great lengths, as he is, to get rid of the voices. That must mean something.
This is why he avoids Romance. Too many emotions. Too much thinking.
"I know that," Jinu lies and then continues lying: "I'll ask Gwi-Ma to get rid of your voices too. To erase the memories."
Romance laughs brightly. "I must politely decline. What would I hold onto, if not my memories, however painful they are?"
That, Jinu cannot answer so he changes the topic. "That was one part of the favour. The other is, you let me into your soul cellar and I choose the biggest, juiciest soul there is, and we see each other at dance practice."
Romance appears taken by surprise for the first time. "What could you possibly want such a big soul for?"
Jinu exhales slowly. "Bribery. I need it for bribery."
In the other direction of the river, the land is marked by a rock desert as far as the eye can see, and a demon eye can see pretty far. The demons here are as numerous as they are aggressive, growling and snapping their fangs at Jinu as he walks by, hands pointedly hidden in the folds of his hanbok. He couldn't be less scared. These demons wouldn't be able to hurt him if they tried. They know it, too, or they'd long have attempted to tear him apart. For his meat, sure, but also for the pulsing soul he's carrying in a bag slung around his shoulder. If presented with a choice, he thinks he'd sooner sacrifice a piece of his thigh than this soul.
The ground is uneven enough to almost cause him to stumble multiple times, with only his pride saving him. He refuses to teleport. In case someone is watching, he wants them to know he's carrying valuable loot that any normal demon would kill for. Well, they'd also kill for less, really. That's not the point.
There's a tower up ahead that looks like it's one strong breeze away from caving in like a house of cards. Seriously, Jinu could probably remove the lowest brick and watch it all crumble. That would hardly get him to where he wants to be, but it'd be somewhat amusing.
He stops at the foot of the tower, tilting his head up. "I know you're home!"
For a moment, there's absolute silence. Then a voice calls back: "Fuck off!"
Jinu has had a long day. "Don't make me come up there!"
He isn't graced with a reply this time. It takes him two seconds to teleport to the top of the tower, and the last thing he hears is the disappointed growling of the demons who'd hoped for a scrap of human soul. He almost feels bad. This rock desert must be rough to live in, mostly ignored by Gwi-Ma and, as such, having less privileges. Not every demon can visit the human world on a whim, no matter the urgency of their hunger.
Baby is sitting on his throne arms crossed, with a severity akin to the old monarchs that shaped history. The gat hat balances on his head like a crown, and Jinu distinctly remembers the exact same glare from kings who were about to execute a mother of five for stealing a wild apple.
"I already know everything," Baby tells him. His voice will never cease to surprise. "So let's make this quick. I have no interest in joining your boy band, or in your plan. It's doomed to fail and I'd rather watch from the sidelines. Also, I can't sing."
Jinu raises an eyebrow. "How do you already know everything?"
"A birdie told me." Baby points to the poorly constructed window to the left which is barely more than a hole in the rough wall. In that hole sits Magpie, blinking innocently at Jinu with all six eyes. That dirty traitor.
"That'll have consequences," Jinu informs the bird, and to Baby he says: "You don't need to sing."
"Oh! Well, that changes everything."
Maybe he'll get to eat the soul himself after all. "Really?"
"Come on, Jinu."
Baby teleports to the spot directly in front of him. He could've stood up and taken two steps forward but that would've been too easy. He apparently wants to get up in Jinu's face which is not helped by the fact that he's short. It's perfect.
"I have no idea what strings you’ve pulled to convince the others. But they have forgotten the fact that you only do things for yourself and no one else. You don't give a fuck about the Honmoon, you just want the reward that comes with it." Baby's yellow eyes glint. "And we're canon fodder."
For someone barely a hundred years old, he seems to have realised the risk pretty quickly.
"No one will die," Jinu reassures him. "The plan is foolproof."
"The plan is bullshit. All hell will break loose if a Saja dies. Who's gonna take care of the territory?"
See, Jinu isn't being told anything new here. He's well aware of everything Baby is throwing at him; moreover, he's had enough time to consider the factors at play and has come to the conclusion that it's far too late to stop now. Baby is young. He has been learning how to be an overlord by watching the others quietly, but occasionally, his inexperience results in hunger, and hunger results in greed.
Jinu removes the bag from his shoulder. "No one will die," he repeats, "and as a sign of good faith I will gift you this soul."
The soul is shining and pulsing in his hand. It must've belonged to a disgustingly good-hearted person, a firefighter maybe, or a particularly committed surgeon. How Romance got his claws on this, Jinu doesn't even want to know. He swallows down saliva.
It's working. The light reflects in Baby's eyes and it's so predictable when he surges forward in a well executed but ultimately useless attempt to snatch the soul away.
"Ah-ah," Jinu sing-songs, holding the glowy ball over his head. "Agree to the plan. The terms and conditions. Join my boy band."
"You're playing dirty," Baby states, voice shaking with suppressed want. "Fucker."
"Yeah. I could also just -" Jinu steps closer to the window, dangling the soul over the edge. From below, loud howling wails reach the top of the tower.
"No!" Baby shouts and then, in a moment of clarity, steps back and neatly folds his hands over his hanbok. His voice jumps up an octave. "Please, hyung, may I have the soul? I'm hungry."
Jinu's eyes feel moist. He did it. This is perfection.
"Fast learner," he praises and throws the soul in Baby's general direction. A noise like ripping fabric followed by shameless slurping fills the tower.
Meanwhile, Jinu takes a step back mentally and physically. He's - a genius, is what he is. He can practically feel the Honmoon crumbling already, the screams of the innocent souls, the confused yells of the hunter girls. Humans trust too quickly and too profoundly not to fall for such a scheme, always desperate for superficial connections. Jinu happens to be an expert in that.
But you're human, whispers a voice in the back of his head. It's not his own, nor is it Gwi-Ma's. It sounds young and female.
You're human, you -
You left them. Your selfishness cost them their lives.
Ah. All as usual.
"It's time for a new strategy. We fight the hunters where they least expect it. Go afer the very thing that powers the Honmoon - the fans."