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Zoey was scrolling TikTok, as she often does, when she came across a video posted for International Women's Day. The video depicts a woman picking up and carrying two women, one on each shoulder. She obviously had to show Mira and Rumi immediately.
“Guys look at this!” She flips her phone around and plays the video for them.
“Hot.” Mira nods.
“I bet I can do that.” Rumi says with an extreme amount of confidence.
Her bandmates blink at her, surprised by this claim. Not necessarily that they doubt her, just that they've never seen her lift anything like this before.
“What?! I can!”
“We believe you.” Mira deadpans, but she’s genuine.
“I’ll prove it!” She doesn’t think they believe her.
Rumi hops up from her spot on the couch and motions towards Mira, “you first, come on.”
“You're joking.”
“Nope, get up here.” Rumi doesn't waver.
“Mira! Mira! Mira!” Zoey starts to chant.
“Not you too!” Mira groans.
“So you don’t want her to pick you up?” Zoey taunts.
Mira turns red and hesitates a moment more before standing up, “Which side?”
“Yessss!” Zoey cheers, pumping her fist.
“Right side.”
Mira walks over to her, “um how do I – Woah!”
Rumi scoops her up and places her on her right shoulder with ease. Mira turns even more red.
“Me next! Me next!” Zoey bounces over to Rumi who squats and pats her left thigh indicating that Zoey should use it as a step. Zoey follows the directions and steps onto Rumi’s leg and sits onto her left shoulder. Rumi stands with surprising ease, not wobbling even slightly.
“Ooh my god,” Mira says as Rumi moves to walk around the room.
Zoey giggles with absolute delight, “omg everything is so much smaller from up here!”
Rumi does an impromptu squat and the reality of what's happening sets in for the two being carried. They both flush red and look at each other with the same thought in their heads: god this is so hot. And they laugh with each other.
Rumi, being Rumi, has to take it to the next level because she just can't help but be the best. She starts singing, (‘Queen of Hearts’ by TWICE)
“Watch me go, watch me go rule the world.
Know you never doubted, baby”
Rumi bounces around to the song as she starts to walk in a big circle around the penthouse. Mira and Zoey stop their cackling and marvel at what they are experiencing. Not only is she carrying them around like it's nothing, but she’s singing like she's not carrying anything AND walking around AND bouncing.
“I think I’m in love,” they both think. They quickly look at one another as if they could hear each other's thoughts.
“Zoey?” Mira says.
“Oh shit, I said that out loud.” She drops her head in embarrassment. Fortunately for her, Rumi does not appear to have heard her over her singing. Unfortunately for her, Mira absolutely did and will never let her forget about it.
“I'ma go run the whole universe
Baby, I was born to rule”
Zoey joins in,
“Yeah, You’re the queen, You’re the queen”
Mira joins too with some harmonizing,
“And it's all because of you
That I'm the queen of hearts”
They sing the rest of the song like that. Held high and sturdy on Rumi’s shoulders. Once they finish the song Rumi asks, “Believe me now?”
“We never doubted you,” Zoey assures her, patting her on the head.
“Are you not even tired?” Mira notices Rumi is breathing completely normally.
“Nope,” Rumi shakes her head, “this is actually a pretty good breath control exercise.”
“Why are you like this?” Mira groans.
Zoey lightly smacks her on the arm, “So does that mean you'll want to do this again?” She asks Rumi.
“Honestly… If you two are okay with it then yeah. It’s actually pretty fun.” She leans down and places their feet back onto the floor.
Zoey bounches, turning around and wrapping Rumi in a hug, still bouncing, “Yes yes yes yes yes!”
“I'm down” Mira nods. She's trying to stay calm externally, meanwhile internally she's doing exactly what Zoey is.
They do in fact work this into their regular vocal routine.