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For their first time visiting Burbank ,USA as the group together, Zoey has been ecstatic about showing Mira and Rumi the hidden wonders of the Free Land. By week 2 of their vacation, Zoey has already made them visit many parts of the USA such as New York, Texas, Washington D.C. and surprisingly even Mississippi... For some reason? But they let her be... Afterall it is her time to finally shine as the bubbly member of the group she has always claimed to be.
As much as this journey has been fun so far, their sleep schedule is damned: 3AM sessions just talking and eating Takis (Rumi found Zoey's hidden stash) and pulling their first all-nighter together. They rarely got sleep, however their moods never differed. One night whilst they were visiting Zoey's parents for the weekend, Zoey had the bold idea to take them on a cute, intimate date. Nothing too much but something that they will remember... hopefully...
Pulling at Mira's arm, the maknae speaks up on her new, profound idea that is 100% original and definitely not off of a show she recently watched also including a polyamorous.
"Mira! Rumi! I have the best idea of the century!" Zoey begins, smiling at the corner of her mouth, her dimples setting deep into her cheeks. Her erratic yet cute essence lighting up the room the three girls were in,
"For sureee, Zoey. This whole trip has all been the idea of the 'century'... What makes this one stand out this time?" Mira sarcastically responds, exaggerating her words by flaring her arms up and down and up and down with her speech,
"Ugh you're such a downgrade, Mira" the maknae scoffs, dismissing the dancer's thoughts just by a wave of her hand.
Heavily offended by the harsh, stabbing words by her girlfriend, Mira's hand slaps across her chest in disbelief, the force sending a shockwave through her ribs, interrupting her breath.
“Okay Zoey, stop gatekeeping from us, what is this top secret, amazing, once in a lifetime date idea you have in stock for us?” Rumi intervenes with a playful chuckle as she lightly jabs at the rapper’s arm.
Pulling her in closer to almost touching eyes, Rumi interlocks arms with the maknae with her hand softly caressing her lower bicep. Zoey’s short breaths spread across the singer's face as she gets overwhelmed by the intense contact.
“Is everything okay… Rumi?” Zoey responds with a shifted demeanour - her voice shaky and low.
Releasing her from the tight grip and very close contact, Rumi just shrugs her shoulders nonchalantly as if she didn’t just wet Zoey’s pants with the immediate gesture.
“Okay, so I was thinking about the date…” Zoey begins, rubbing her hands together in mischief,
“Just spill the tea, Zoey” Mira retorts with love and annoyance as she jolts her neck back in exaggeration, slumping her whole back and head onto the pillow at the end of her bed - Clearly, mortally wounded by the suspense.
“Okay okay. Fine…” Zoey responds, sighing as she does so. “What about an arcade date? Does that work for my two precious girls?” Zoey adds, her voice overbearing with sass at her last remark.
Zoey waits patiently to find the reactions glisten and sparkle in her girlfriends’ eyes as their brains slowly turn their cogs to realise what the maknae just suggested.
“Wh… What’s an arcade?” Rumi questioned, her sarcasm is through the roof, clearly trying to piss off Zoey who she knows has the shortest temper out of the three.
Mira’s face remained motionless and definitely unphased by Rumi’s questionable humour. How dry can one be?
“Fine fine… that’s fine with me that you don’t care about me and that you never want to spend time with your favourite girl” Zoey pouts, her words suffocating with hyperbole. The puppy eyes she gives Rumi always work. Every. Time. She never fails and this time is no different.
“Zoey, baby… I was only joking, my love” The singer murmurs in a calm, natural voice guarded behind the will to belt a laugh at Zoey’s embellished thoughts.
“Yeah, yeah… Whatever you say” the rapper counters, as she whimpers fake cries, folding into herself.
“That was kinda like the world’s shittiest joke though… Where's the punchline?” Mira grumped with a smirk painted on her lips.
Mira snickers at herself from this ridiculous encounter between the two, clearly amused that she has no part in this battle of life and death… between an arcade date.
Folding her arms into her chest, Mira’s calming mannerisms confuse the other two, as she usually helps break up and restore these stupid little fights. However this time, amusement takes the better of her, the advantage she has to, for once, not deal with their unbelievably dumb problems clears her mind of all ways to help the two back on their feet.
“I’ll buy you more Takis if we go?”
Zoey’s eyes light up with beams of joy and hunger, all of a sudden the tension deteriorates at the crisp sound of those spicy, crunchy, tasty, mouth-drooling chips cementing itself inside of Zoey’s brain.
“I’m up I’m up, let’s go now, hurry! I need the flavour of the chips… POSTHASTE” The severe look of determination swelling on Zoey’s face to the promise of just some bag of tangy rolls of crunchy goodness is a bit concerning… even to Zoey as her face questions her small, American-diseased brain.
“Okay, c’mon Mira, we have a Zoey to feed” Rumi finally replies, rolling her eyes to meet Mira’s with a smirk-ridden face which is only full of love. Rumi pats the bed as she marks her movements to meet the maknae’s expectation. Soon followed by Mira’s reluctant, yet excited, obedience.
Zoey’s body shakes as she squeals with an overwhelmed sense of love, her feet starting to tipper-tapper on the floor as she repeatedly shifts her weight from left to right. She momentarily forgets the main reason why they even got up in the first place.
“And we need to fulfill her arcade wish too” Mira snickers to herself, talking just loud enough for the other two to hear her. Her voice is complete with not just adoration but also a slither of banter..
The maknae throws her eyes skyward at the dumbass response she is used to always hearing from their stubborn Mira. As Zoey’s pleas grew louder and more relentless, the room filled with pointless tension over a little date.
“Okay, let’s go!” Mira calmly exclaimed, darting through the front door, bolting her way to her beat down 2012, red, Honda Civic, ripping the driver’s side door open and crashing herself into her seat behind the wheel.
Mira, to be honest, was never a good driver. However, when she ever got the chance to, such as right now, she would always call shotgun to drive.
“God, Zoey… Look who wants to drive” Rumi taunts, pointing her thumb in Mira’s direction.
“We do want to get to the arcade in one piece y’know?” Zoey extends, chuckling to herself slightly as she swings open the battered, crimson door as it creaks in pain.
“Ughh, just get in the car you two…” Mira groaned into her phone, with her chest being within 3cm of the steering wheel. “I’m not that bad!” she continued.
“Sure sure… let’s go with that” Rumi added playfully, scruffing her hair ‘expecting for the worst’
“Did you install the extra seat belt for each seat” Zoey teased, pulling at her belt, locking into place,
“Do you want to go to the arcades or not, Zoey?” the dancer stabbed back, her face still just inches away from her phone screen.
“My bad” Zoey surrendered, lifting both hands above her head,
“What is this arcade even called Zoey? This rental car is ass, it better not be more than a 10 minute drive from here” Mira spits through gritted teeth, her literal spit now spread out across the surface of her screen.
“It’s called Play Games With Us” Zoey chirped in a karaoke-like voice, raising her right index finger to her ear as if she just belted a high note. (She’s tone deaf… like really tone deaf)
“You’re really starting to give yourself that one way ticket to a nice walk in the rain, Zoey. You know that?” Mira warns, her voice dipped in faux-seriousness, though the raised corner of her mouth betrays her..
“God, can we just leave… please?” Rumi finally cut in, her pleas wound with love and frustration.
“Yeah, let’s go” Mira responded, trying to drive off without pushing down the hand brake, resulting in her stalling the car. Two empty cans of coke, three empty chips wrappers and one hell of a winded Zoey flung forward to the front seat - luckily Zoey had her second seat belt on, otherwise her head would’ve gone through the window.
“Let me drive-” Rumi suggested, lifting her hand up to signal for Mira to stop
“Nope, that was not my fault, the hand break isn’t hand breaking” Mira tried to argue, her voice full of grit, her excuse crappier than a dog giving puppy eyes after breaking the TV.
After another painful 10 minutes of loving yet questionable squabble, Mira finally found out how to drive the car out of the garage and into the open, American air.
“Zoey, you promised it wouldn’t be longer than a 10 minute drive” the pink-haired woman moans, lightly flicking her head back in annoyance whilst keeping her eyes on the road.
“It isn’t more than a 10 minute drive” Zoey tried to argue back, her head pointed at her screen, not even lifting it to exchange thoughts in their conversation.
“It says it’s a 42 minute drive, Zoey… ughhh” Mira’s voice peaked with hyperbole… the drive should only take about 20 minutes.
“Then maybe drive at the speed limit rather than 20 below” Zoey scoffs, her eyes indulging at the sight of the car ceiling as she impatiently waits to arrive.
Picking up the pace, Mira's foot slams on the gas… it's almost as if she has learnt how to drive…
“That's more like it, babe, haha" Rumi suddenly entered, interrupting the silence as she tapped the back of Mira's seat with the ball of her palm.
“Haha, bitches…” the pride in Mira’s voice is through the roof, her ego has always plateaued at an all time high, “look who’s going mach 10” she continues, going 60 in an 80 zone.
“You’re still like 20 under the limit, Mir. You’re gonna get us pulled over, hurry up” Zoey pleads with her life as if going slow could somehow end her life.
“Don’t worry, babe, we are right around the corner now anyways” Mira tried reassuring - doing a miserable job but… it doesn’t hurt to try,
“We would’ve been around the corner 10 minutes ago if it wasn’t for your slow ass.” Zoey retorts in her very pleasant mannerism.
“Zoey, you’re grounded.” Mira came back with utmost nonchalance in her voice, barely a mumble as she leaned in closer to check her GPS on her phone.
She went the wrong way.
“Okay so ummm… slight problem you girls” the pink haired dancer claims, ever so slightly scratching at the hems of her loosely fit jumper.
“Miraaaa…” Rumi huffs, throwing her head back in hyperbolic annoyance.
“What do you mean ‘problem’?” Zoey responds, airquoting Mira’s stupidity.
“So you know how we were meant to be going to an arcade-” Mira tries.
“Miraaa! Oh my Godddd” Zoey grumbles through gritted teeth, cutting off the driver’s train of thought, “You will feel my wrath!” she continues through a mouthful of chips.
“Don’t worry, girls, it’s only an extra…” Mira sighs as she stares into the GPS looking at the estimated time of arrival.
“So… what is the time currently?” the dancer tries to diffuse to cover up the hefty time debt.
“12:40… why- MIRA! What time should we be arriving?” Rumi groans as she regains the cognitive function for her basic and extremely limited thoughts.
“1:02” Mira squeaks as she rummages through the numbers, fast-paced.
“Mira, move to the back, I’m driving.” Zoey demands, her voice giving Mira no time for arguments. “I can cut that down to at least 12:55.”
After 13 minutes of putting the pedal to the metal, Zoey somehow miraculously got to the arcade without getting a ticket and God she went so fast that she forgot to even put on her seatbelt.
“This is the right place, Mira…” Zoey complained, lifting up the handbrake to put the car into a complete stop, “Not that stupid shop you somehow found with the same name” she continued.
“Rumi, this deserves me to get double the promised takis by the way, nothing more, nothing less” the maknae bossed, waving her finger up and down, scolding the half-demon who was bewildered by her proclamation.
“No one said anything about me actually getting you anything, silly. It was a way for me to get you out the house, my little munchkin.” Rumi rolls her eyes playfully as if she didn’t just say the most offensive thing to the pure-not-so-pure-bread American.
“I guess I just won’t play some air-hockey with you then, no arguments. Either, you give me my Takis, or I won’t ‘Play Games With Us’” Zoey’s playful fury flustered Rumi, leaving her without a response.
Such a hard choice, either pay to feed the probably already full maknae with the smallest stomach or….
“Ughhh, fine, fine. I’ll give you your stupid takis, but I’ll tax you, I want a couple of takis as well.” Rumi spears, annoyance tracing at her lips.
“Can we get to, you know,… playing games?” Mira protrudes, breaking the monotony in the stupid argument.
Swinging her door open - clipping the very edge of the car door next to her - Mira swoops herself out of her seat, stretching as she’s fully poised.
“God we drove for almost an hour-” Mira yawns, arching her back slightly into her stretch,
“No, YOU almost made us drive for a whole hour” Zoey corrects with love and peevishness.
“Ahhh potato potahto, same difference” Mira scoffs as an attempt to excuse, waving her hand dismissively.
“Well you’re getting 10 less credits than Rumi and I for your shit driving.” Zoey retorts in her sly, yet bubbly, manner.
Interlocking arms and skipping their way forward to the front desk to collect and pay for their credits, Huntrix have officially arrived at their destination… definitely going to remember this moment in the trip. Half asleep and equally as dysfunctional.
“Hey, welcome to Play Games With Us, how may I assist you?” The worker at the till asked the three girls with a playful, yet probably dead smile from working his third 12 hour shift on the trot.
“Hey, can we get three cards with 30 credits each of them please?” Rumi asked in a soft, demanding tone with a reflecting smile,
“30 credits… 3 cards… that will be $45.99 please. Would you like to pay cash or card?” the worker, Andrew asked - already pulling out the card reader, expecting wireless transfer.
“Card please” Rumi gleamed, excited to be paying for the date for once, finally feeling seen and worth something.
“Thank you very much!” Andrew responded, never wavering his smile, “Enjoy!” he continued, waving the three girls off,
“Rumi, you didn’t have to.” Zoey hissed with a complementing, warm smile - annoyed yet thankful for her kind gesture,
“Yeah one of us could’ve paid,” Mira interrupted, holding Rumi’s shoulder softly, turning her head to face Rumi, “or at least split it, you know we don’t mind doing that, right?”
“Yeah I know, I just felt like paying for once, it feels kinda refreshing honestly- to be able to make my girls happy.” Rumi smiled, her shoulders up to her ears in excitement.
Practically clicking heels with excitement and unconditional love, Zoey led the tribe to the ultimate sequence of arcade games. Starting at air-hockey, Zoey got battered not once, not twice, but three times by Rumi.
“I thought you were American, you should be good at this” Rumi taunted, leaning more and more into the miniature rink, keeping her eyes locked on the red puck
“Ice-hockey is Canadian, Rumi. Get your facts right.” the maknae huffs back, snatching back at the puck that Rumi sent hurdling towards her at the speed of sound.
“That’s literally the same thing, Zo” the singer responded, flicking her wrist with the mallet, connecting perfectly with the puck, flying straight into Zoey’s goal.
“Even so, this is air-hockey and plus, I’m going easy on you.” the rapper tried, clearly putting in 100% effort to be destroyed by Rumi.
“God, Zoey, you’re actually dog crap. And this is Rumi’s first time, I can tell…” Mira interjects, throwing her head back in tactical laughter,
“How’d you mean?” Rumi challenges, as if she is the ‘world champ’ of air-hockey,
“Your form is… well” Mira leaves her opinion open ended for Rumi.
“My form is impeccable, no one can tell me otherwise” Rumi replies, trying to flick the hockey puck back to Zoey - she completely misses the puck and Zoey finally gains a point on her.
“Nah that’s cheating, you girls can’t distract whilst the God is playing” the singer growls, her ego through the roof.
“LET’S GO! 6-1 BABY!” Zoey thrusts fists into the air in celebration, ignoring her girlfriend’s protest.
“Yeah, 6-1… to me.” Rumi corrects, picking the red puck counter from out of the puck bin, slamming it down back onto the rink.
In a fluster of momentary concentration, Rumi would not allow herself to be cut by another point.
Flicking her mallet with utmost precision, weaving the plastic puck up and around her goal, taunting Zoey’s goal, with a simple flick of the wrist she-
“HAHA! 6-2!” Zoey bursts, jumping through her shoes, beaming with excitement as Rumi’s cockiness begins to drop her guard.
“Damn you, Zoey!” the singer responds after her quick slice of grief, “You’re getting lucky anyways” Rumi huffs, slicing her mallet through the puck again.
“Yeah right…” Zoey slyly responds, lightly squinting her eyes in focus,
“Luck.” Zoey and Mira sigh playfully in unison, making the singer crack a smile through her lips at their unexpected sync.
After another 5 minutes of back and forth banter, pissing Rumi off to her very last nerves, and honestly, Zoey absolutely obliterating the singer, the score comes to a deuce.
“6-6, match point. If Zoey wins she will be the ultimate winner of the Huntrix Olympics. Neck and neck with her, Rumi is our all star, valley champion, never missing a win. Who will win?” Mira commentates with over-exaggerated voices, trying to match those in high stake match commentary.
“Mira… hush. I’m trying to ‘lock in’ as Zoey would say” Rumi mocks, throwing air quotes around the cringe saying that Zoey would throw about randomly during the girls’ games nights.
“You can’t even lock the back door, Rumi.” Zoey chuffs, her chest rising and falling with each quick laugh.
“BEGIN” and at Mira’s signal, Rumi tactically manipulates the movement of the plastic puck, rebounding it against all the 4 back boards, somehow curling it around Zoey’s mallet.
“Don’t get too cocky, Rumi. We all know what happens to cocky people” Zoey puts out with her focused, monotonous voice, leaning 70% of her body weight over the mini rink.
“GOALLLLLL” Zoey screeches at the top of her lungs, running laps around the table, throwing L’s with her hands, very much pointed and aimed at Rumi.
“Match point and game! 7-6 to Zoey Ji-young Yoo” Mira finalises, ending the air-hockey game with universal suspense.
“You know what? I don’t fuck with cheaters. Zoey, find your own way home.” Rumi pouts, slamming her mallet into the set place for when it’s next used by another family for a mini olympics.
“Aww, someone’s getting angry, Mira.” Zoey coos with flippance, eyeing Mira with crinkled eyelids where her cheesy smile met them.
“Boo hoo, maybe she should just get good.” Mira taunts, putting her thumbs to her temples and sticking her tongue out like a 6 year old.
“Grow up, Babe.” Rumi huffs, hunching her shoulders over in defeat,
“Come on, let’s go to some other game, we have a whole arcade to explore.” Rumi follows, pulling both Zoey and Mira by the arms.
“We could compete in basketball? There are also team modes on it too,” Zoey interrupts as she is forced along but a strong Rumi,
“Makes it easier for us to kick some Rumi ass, don’t you think?” Mira continues, interlinked with Zoey’s intense train of thought,
“Yeah, yeah whatever you two, my ass will not be kicked and you girls need to prepare, I always eat in basketball. They call me Michaelle Jordan for a reason.” the singer interrupts, walking with exaggerated sways as they approach the mini basketball hoops.
“You only know that name because of me, dummy.” Zoey deadpanned, her voice thriving with pride with the correct usage of the name (despite the gender change in the name).
Mira and Zoey team up taking the ‘doubles’ choice on the basketball machine next to Rumi. Shot after shot, Zoey keeps banking swishes, not once even hitting the rim. After the end of the first round, which is 1 minute long, Rumi racks up an unbelievable 46 points; whereas, Zoey and Mira rack up 52.
“Shit, that’s tight… ready to get your ass kicked in round two?” Rumi taunts, licking her lips in cockiness…
“You’re only winning because Mira is fully ass at this. I swear she banks less than Steven fucking Hawkins” Zoey groans, her slapstick reaching unimaginable heights.
“Yeah, whatever, you’re just a salty loser. And Mira, pick up your game, Zoey is right, I think I only saw you bank one shot and that was because Zoey’s ball hit yours mid-flight redirecting its trajectory.”
Mira’s eyes are in a full squint, her cheeks glowing red from embarrassment and determination,
“Game on, Rumi.” Mira whips her hair round as she flicks her head 90°, preparing to freaking smash her face.
“Try and actually sink a shot then, yeah? I’m getting bored playing only against Zoey.” the singer fires back, her voice dripping with smug satisfaction.
Rolling her eyes to the stars, Mira’s focus shifts back to the half-daflated basketballs and the now moving hoops which only makes Mira more pissed, being more blind than a bat.
“Okay, Mira…” Zoey hisses into the dancer's ear, immediately grabbing her attention. “We need to gain another 20 or so points to get to the last round of this okay?” she continues.
Without another word, nodding her head vigorously in agreement, Mira snaps her neck taut, her eyes in a full squint… “Let’s defeat her”. Mira’s final words.
Mira focuses so hard in fact, when she tried to throw one of the balls,misjudging her throw, her thin, round, gold-plated glasses snapped off of her face, surprisingly not giving into a reaction. In fact, she gave a playful yet deadly smirk.
“Mira, your glasses, babe.” the singer helped, giving the blind dancer the help she might need to even aim the basketballs into the right hoop - let alone actually landing a swish.
Nonetheless, the dancer keeps hurdling the balls as if nothing ever happened, too overwhelmed in her concentration to divert her attention.
“It’s fine” Mira mumbled, her words slurred with huffs as she went to launch another ball… nowhere near the basket.
“Oh my God, Mira!” Rumi exclaimed with a wide grin meeting at her eyes,
“It’s nothing, Ru” Mira retorted, her eyes full with determination… In fact it wasn’t just ‘nothing’. The ball went over the miniature backboard and went past the machine, nearly clipping a kid in the ear.
“Let’s… Let’s do something else actually-” Zoey’s brows furrow in concern for the possibly knocked out child and for everyone else’s safety around Mira man-handling a basketball. “Rumi wins.” Zoey stuttered, still in the state of disbelief and surprise.
“Oh God, Mira’s glasses are still just lying on the floor…” Rumi calls out, pointing to the ground where the dancer's glasses lay. “That’s probably why you almost hit that child” she continued trying to withhold from crying-laughing. Curling her lips into her teeth and biting down, Zoey’s squint holds back a fountain of uncontrolled laughter.
“Nah, she’s just unbelievably shit at basketball.” Zoey needled, her laugh penetrating her throat, her lips daring to part to release the internal pressure of her kettle-like wheeze.
“Jeez, you two are just impossible sometimes…” Mira barked with a laugh, finally snapping out of her competitive persona to blindly crawl to find her glasses - they’re pretty much goggles with the lenses being so thick.
“Damn girl, sometimes I forget you’re, like, actually blind blind.” Rumi blurted through a laughing spell that she got from watching the ‘Fearless Mira’ crawl on her knees like a begging dog.
“Ain’t no way you just called ME ‘blind blind!’” Mira retorted, overpronouncing her words to sound menacing - she may or may not be talking to no one since her gaze is closer to the exit doors behind them than actually looking into Rumi’s eyes.
“Sure, babe” Rumi pretended to conform whilst she scrunched her nose to hold back a second wave of unfiltered laughter and loving ‘banter’.
“God, hurry up Mira!” Zoey began, grabbing the glasses to give it to the blind Mira who is still on all fours “We can do some motorbiking maybe”.
Though she could barely drive, Mira’s survival instinct - her cutthroat competitiveness - kicks in as she regains her vision, darting her eyes as if she was actually blind.
“Game on then.” Mira really thought she could make her two girls shit themselves from those three words. She was the one that was actually the most vulnerable out of the three (disregarding her vision).
“Do you even know how to rev the engine?” the maknae joked, holding the dancer’s hand tightly to make sure she can pull her in before walking into a pole 3 inches from her face.
“Of course I do.” Mira scoffed, waving her hand dismissively as if she has been motorcycling all her life.
“Okay then,” Zoey protested, folding her arms inwards in a cocky manner, truly believing that she is being bullshitted to. “Prove it. Demonstrate the movements you need to do to speed up on the bike.” The challenge seemed too tempting to just back down from, and still, she had to prove her worthiness to her girlfriends to not seem utterly stupid at any game ever.
Clasping her hand over an imaginary handlebar, jolting her wrist towards her, Mira perfectly executed the basic fundamentals to actually move on a motorbike.
Secretly recording the whole interaction and turning it into a GIF, Rumi quickly posted the altercation on her twitter - heavily out of context.
Rumi-Ru: “God, are my girls’ heads up their asses. Just witnessed Mira trying to show Zoey something that looked like her demonstrating how to hold a dihh. I’m scared for our future, didn’t take Mira as the straight type.”
[GIF attached]
Zoeyyy🐢: Yeah Mira was showing me her special abilities she uses in bed. Always knew she wasn’t innocent 😝😏.
Mira_Kang: WHAT THE FLIP RUMI! I WAS JUST SHOWING ZOEY HOW TO REV THE ENGINE ON A MOTORBIKE. And I'll have you know I’m very NOT straight, thank you very much. And guess who’s going to beat yo ass at this next arcade game. You watch!
Rumi-Ru (responding to: @Mira_Kang): I bet y’all $5 that Mira will start going the wrong way and end up doing a total of 0 laps whilst me and Zoey are on our last.
Zoeyyy🐢 (responding to @Rumi-Ru): I’ll add another $10 to the pot that Mira will lose her balance and fall off the STATIONARY motorbike by leaning too far right during a hard shoulder.
HUNTR/X_Fan: How Bobby hasn’t shut down your twitters will always be a mystery to me. Posting THIS on your main??? Wild. Absolutely wild.
“I actually hate y’all but love you too much” Mira moaned, throwing her phone back into her designer purse.
“Where did you learn that hand motion though, MIra?” Zoey interrogated, hands on hips with sarcasm radiating from her freckled face.
“I just know how to do it I guess.” Mira responded nonchalantly, mentally dismissing the awkwardness she could've gotten into if she told the truth.
“Okay, Zoey. Where are these motorcycle games?" Rumi intervened, changing the subject whilst simultaneously breaking the uneasy silence.
“They’re next to the VR near the entrance.” Zoey points eagerly to the closed off area at the open doors that are letting in the frostbitten air where rain plummets and splatters against the reinforced windows.
“Doesn’t look too bad” Rumi responds as she interlinks arms with Mira and the maknae.
“Looks like the place where I’m about to 3-0 your ass.” Mira chants through a smirk, as if she just shivered Rumi’s timbres.
“Well that’s not happening. It’s a ranking system through one match.” Zoey responds, covering for Rumi, holding back her laughter.
“Potato potahto, same thing.” the dancer tried to cover her adult naivety with a clichéd, childish scoff.
“Someone’s ego is too big for her little boots.” the singer ribbed, lightly elbowing Zoey’s side and a small grin growing on her lips.
“Whatever, Rumi. Can we just play the stupid game?” MIra contorts, flailing her arms up in mild annoyance, turning to tug Zoey at the wooly hem of her jumper.
“God Mira! Slow down,” Zoey yelped, “I almost creased my new sneakers!” her voice gargled with annoyance and unrelenting love at the back of her throat.
“You’re so annoying,” Mira groaned with a heartfelt laugh, throwing her head back and her feet still skimming the floor in her skips.
“But you still love me,” the maknae slyly stated, her eyes squinted and a devilish smirk painted on her lips.
“Of course I do,” Mira sighed. Taken aback by Zoey’s pout, the dancer strokes the maknae’s shoulder with the front of her palm. Zoey could easily feel the bulge in Mira’s many rings as she got wound into a hug.
“I knew you would crease at that,” Zoey chuffed, nuzzling her face closer into her girlfriend’s neck,”you always do.” Her minuscule voice full to the brim with confidence.
“She got you there, Mira.” Rumi cut in, laughing into the straw planted neatly into her cup of iced coffee - Zoey gave it to her once during their trip to New York and it’s now her “official favourite drink ever” as she stated once to the maknae.
“You’re just jelly that I’m getting her attention, Ru.” the dancer chuckled fondly, pulling Zoey more into the hug to further prove her point.
“Oh oh!” Zoey jumps out of the hug, pacing to the neon orange motorcycles, planted into the ground, waiting to be used by a customer, “Here they are!” the freckle-faced rapper danced and skipped her way to the one that seemed to be the most clean out of the two that were there - creasing her sneakers happily.
“I call dibs on this one!” Zoey paced her way to the one closest to the entrance door of the arcade whilst simultaneously turning around to flash a smile to the two other Huntrix members.
“Wait, Zoey…” Rumi began, chasing the maknae in a small jog, “There are only two bikes but there are three of us.” the singer pouted. Zoey just stared at her with her tongue sticking out to the side of her mouth cheekily.
Zoey pulled Rumi in tight, “Don’t worry,” kiss “we will play more than once.” kiss, “That then means,” kiss “we can all” kiss” play” kiss “each other.” kiss, “Is that alright for my princess girlfriend?” All Rumi could do was nod. Was she even able to comprehend the love she just received?
“Uhuh…” Rumi finally spoke, her eyes still staring into nothing, her mouth agape and her senses dazed.
“Aww,” the rapper cooed, “someone malfunctioned due to being kissed I can see.” She teased, lightly jabbing Rumi’s side to bring her back to Earth, blowing raspberries with every tap of her waist.
Rumi’s brain kept lagging behind from the mental reset Zoey’s kiss attack produced. As the rapper made her way to the ‘cleanest’ bike of the two, Rumi remained motionless, her cogs attempting to turn again as she mindlessly blinked, staring into nothingness.
“Rumi…” Mira tried, lightly swaying the singer left and right in an attempt to bring her soul back to Earth. “Earth to Rumi.” She tried again, her hand waving over her eyes, disrupting her lost stare into space.
“Wow, we really did lose her didn’t we?” Zoey admired, tilting her head ever so slightly with an open grin drawn at her lips
“I think so” Mira cooed, her face echoing Zoey’s as they too get lost in their train of thought as they finally caught Rumi’s brain’s late reaction to the mountain of kisses she received. Her cheeks radiated a soft rose colour as her forehead beamed hot red.
Coughing back to reality, Rumi’s shoulders jolted upwards in an attempt to regain her composure, yet her face betrays that attempt to seem nonchalant about everything that had just happened.
“Oh, uh, hey girls” the singer attempted, her voice quivered from the overwhelming sense of love she received.
“Wanna hop on the bike, Ru?” Zoey suggested, trying to alter the course of the conversation to something more lighthearted and innocent,
“Right, yeah.” Rumi’s brain finally snapped back into 2025, “The bikes.” following Zoey’s lead, Rumi aimlessly made her way to the ‘less clean bike’.
“You’re going down” Zoey taunted in a hiss, not daring to take her eyes off of her screen
“Nah, I’m going to win, don’t you worry, babe” the singer naturally responded, her voice lacking any concern or nervousness,
“Yeah? And how would you know?” the maknae slyly imputed, her right hand held tight around the right handle grip, prepared to accelerate,
“You haven’t even swiped your card yet” Rumi casually responded as she tapped her arcade card on the reader, throwing away 4 of her 30 tokens to demolish Zoey in the most American arcade game to ever exist.
Mira choked on her drink, caught off guard by Rumi’s teased nonchalance, hiding herself behind a venti cup, holding back inevitable laughter.
“Oh, right.” Zoey leant down to tap her card too, giving away her last couple tokens to a machine, “I knew that.” She blurted tried to maintain her composure and ego.
“Sure sure, Zo.” Rumi aimlessly conformed to make her Miss America stop whining.
“I did know that, I was just- testing you” Zoey tried to excuse as she whipped her hair around as if she didn't have it in two tightly wound buns.
“God, can y’all just start already? Your other girl’s patience is wearing thin” Mira groaned as she took the last sip of her now-cold cup of coffee - She doesn’t even like coffee, she’s drinking it to make Zoey feel happy on her trip.
After crashing 40 times, give or take, and struggling to stay out of very last place, Zoey is finally on her last lap, matching Rumi’s pace who is 12 places above her.
“Come on.” Zoey repeatedly mumbles to herself as her right arm fully torques to reach maximum velocity on her bike in-game.
“Come on, Zoey!” Mira rooted, thrusting her arms in the air like a child and stomping her feet in excitement.
“Oh crap-” Zoey hissed through a quick breath as she slams her character into the side railing again after misinterpreting a hard shoulder.
“Ha-ha” Rumi teased, sticking out her tongue in the process whilst still being focused on not crashing her own motorbike past the sharp turn.
None the less she still railed herself into the dirt,
“Oh for fuck’s sake!” Rumi belted, slamming her fist down onto the front padding of the bike as it began to vibrate from the fake crash.
“Ha-ha right back at you” the maknae retorts playfully, also showing her tongue.
“This. Is. Brilliant” Mira whispered to herself, biting on a random straw she had on her with a wide grin.
“Mira, I’m locked in, hush yourself please” Rumi slurred to herself loudly, making sure that the dancer got the message herself - since clearly Rumi beating Zoey’s ass in a virtual arcade game is more important than Mira’s happiness.
“You’re not locked in, Ru and that’s a fact.” Zoey claimed, squinting her eyes further into the screen where she is clearly going the wrong way on the track, “You’re not even locked, you’re unlocked” Zoey poked further, still going the wrong way on the map.
“Yeah, well I’m at least going to reach the finish line unlike someone,” Rumi fired back whilst a roguish grin grew on her lips, “and that someone definitely isn’t one of those crappy AI’s we are against.” she continued.
Mira couldn’t retain her laughter anymore and let out a stabbed, high pitched squeal, her face contorted so tight to keep composure that her glasses are a weak head throw from getting ejected off of her face. “Ain’t no way Zoey’s getting whipped by a fucking computer!” The dancer wheezed, her eyes tearing up as she squinted harder to seal her emotions, making sure that Rumi was truly ‘locked in’.
As her bike crosses the finish line, Rumi’s arms propelled up towards the ceiling, celebrating her very deserved victory - yet again against the maknae.
“RIGGED, THE STUPID GAME IS RIGGED” Zoey yelled, crashing her fists down onto the not so very comfortable padding, grazing the side of her hand in the process, “I SHOULD’VE WON” the delusional American concluded.
“Just get good, baby” Rumi replied indifferently, gently getting off the bike to get her phone out and take a photo of Zoey in last place.
Rumi-Ru: “Zoey got SHIT ON just now on the motorbikes. Maybe someone should take notes on how to ‘rev the engine’.”
[Photo Attached]
Zoeyyy🐢: SHUSH YOUR MUSH THIS SECOND! YOU GOT LUCKY, THE STUPID MOTORBIKES ARE RIGGED. I'M TELLING YOU THEY’RE RIGGED!
Rumi-Ru (Responding to @Zoeyyy🐢): Babe, it’s okay to lose sometimes and plus you’re the one who decided what bike you wanted, insisting it’s the cleaner one so it ‘must have magical superpowers’ for you to win. 🤦♀️
Mira_Kang: STOP CROSS QUOTING YOUR STUPID TWEETS! STOP WITH THE STUPID REVVING THE ENGINE THING! I WAS TRULY SHOWING HER HOW TO REV THE ENGINE!!!
Rumi-Ru (Responding to @Mira_Kang): Nah I’m still convinced you were showing Zoey how you roll with another dude in bed, baby…
Mira_Kang (Responding to @Rumi-Ru): I’M LITERALLY DATING YOU TWO, I’M LESBIAN!
Zoeyyy🐢 (Responding to @Mira_Kang): Chat is this rizz?
Rumi-Ru (Responding to @Zoeyyy🐢): Very much so, baby
Mira_Kang (Responding to @Zoeyyy🐢): NOOOO
Zoeyyy🐢 (Responding to @Mira_Kang): Chat clip that
Mira_Kang (Responding to @Zoeyyy🐢): WHO’S CHAT? WHO ARE YOU TALKING TO!?
Zoeyyy🐢 (Responding to @Mira_Kang): Chat should I convert to ragebating?
Mira_Kang (Responding to @Zoeyyy🐢): STOP TALKING TO CHAT!!!
Zoeyyy🐢 (Responding to @Mira_Kang): Chat, am I cooked?
“God, you’re impossible sometimes, Zoey!” Mira growled through gritted teeth, looking past her shoulder to Rumi who is replicating her ‘engine revving’. “You too, Rumi! Ughh!” Mira rolls her eyes trying to look angry yet intimidating, however her loving grin glowing on her face definitely tells her she should never play poker.
“Can we play something else now? I haven’t played anything for ages.” Mira pouted, crossing her arms in a not so very convincing annoyance.
“Can’t, I ran out of tokens-” Zoey responded, suddenly getting cut off by Rumi,
“Yeah, ran out of tokens by getting yo ass beat” the singer joked as she pointed her index fingers towards the maknae, getting closer to her face with each jab.
“YOU DIDN’T WIN, OH MY GOD” Zoey groaned in a high-pitched voice, comedically cracking at the end of her very affectionate and emotional speech.
“Ha! Dumbass, her voice cracked” Mira retorts with a smile and another set of index fingers flying in Zoey’s general direction whilst Rumi just snorted in response to the dancer’s stab.
“Lord have mercy on your souls for I…” the rapper started before abruptly stopping to growl to herself, stopping her from saying something that’ll cross the line.
“Can we just go to the claw machines or something?” Mira added, trying to change the subject before Zoey might actually explode.
“Fine.” The freckle-face sulked, drowning her face into the hem of the neck-hole of her jumper “But you’re paying” she concluded, holding out an arm for both Rumi and Mira, her anger and annoyance momentarily forgotten in the thought of winning herself her 14th turtle plushie.
“I’m the only one who can anyways. I actually know how to save my credits when going to the arcade” The dancer bantered, looking over her shoulder with a smile on her face to meet Zoey eye to eye.
“Shut up, that’s the only form of currency you’ve ever been able to save” The maknae shot back whilst ironically nuzzling herself closer to Mira’s shoulder - since Zoey’s height only reaches Mira’s collarbone.
“What’s that supposed to mean, baby?” Mira tries, attempting to catch Zoey in her convincing lie,
“Ask your bank account.” That simple statement raised the dancer’s eyebrow as she tilts her head in sass.
“You’re the one who spent all this money on a month’s trip around America?” Mira further interrogated, thinking she is winning the argument.
“How do you think I was able to have all this money in the first place?” The maknae stabs back as she mouths the words ‘I saved up’, looking Mira dead in the eyes in a playful grin.
“Asshole” Mira chimed to herself as she closed the distance between her and the claw machines with her arm refusing to leave Zoey’s.
“Heard that, baby.” the maknae plainly stated as she nuzzled closer into Mira’s side.
“Lord you two are adorable, it’s honestly sickening” Rumi stated, including herself in their small moment of intimacy.
“Wanna join the hug, babe?” Mira proposed with deep affection, her one free arm spreading wider, waiting for it to perfectly mould around the singer’s waist.
Without another word, Rumi rushed into her arms, her head leant against Mira’s shoulder, praying this second would repeat forever.
“Thank you, Zoey, for all of this. The date has been amazing” Rumi crooned, completely relaxed, her body indulging the cloud nine experience in Mira’s embrace.
“Yeah, thank you, baby. This does mean a lot to us. I love you so much.” the dancer expressed fondly, holding Zoey even tighter than before.
“You two are very welcome, my loves.” Zoey hummed, satisfied, her smile reaching her eyes as she closed them as she felt completely safe in the arms of the love of her life.
“And I think we should also thank Rumi for paying for the arcade date too!" Mira suggested, her eyes ricocheting the light above them, landing directly on Rumi almost heaven sent.
"Thank you so much, baby. I love you so much, you know that?” Zoey admitted, passionately touching lip to lip with Rumi in a gentle yet firm kiss.
"You're the best, you know that, you two?” Rumi beamed, her face radiating her pride and acceptance of her two lovely girls.
“But also, thank you for this trip too, Zo!” Rumi progressed as she over-stretched her arm across Mira’s frame to weakly reach Zoey’s shoulder, “It’s been beautiful as much as America is quite concerning sometimes.” the singer concluded, her arm still loosely stroking the hem of Zoey’s sleeve.
“I think our little princess maknae deserves a little treat, Rumi, don’t you think?” the red-head dancer teased as she prodded the rapper's crown in a herd of small kisses - each one holding her very love for the American.
“I think so, baby. Our cutie over here deserves a turtle plushy as small as her.” the singer calmly suggested, looking down at Zoey’s face, her freckles turning redder than the rest of her face.
Unable to contain herself, Zoey released an impeccably adorable squeal fluttering her arms winding them tighter around Mira’s thin waist. She swears she is about to combust.
“Oh my God, that was the cutest fucking thing ever, Mira” Rumi serenaded, her body too stunned to move, scared that if she did, it would ruin the moment.
“Zoey, I don’t think you realise just how cute you’re being right now.” Mira called out, her voice briefly muffled as she closed the distance between herself and Zoey’s head for yet another kiss.
“Let’s get you that plushy, yeah?” Rumi requested as she strode ahead of the other two, eager to please her girlfriend as she impatiently tapped her palm on the claw machine, trying to speed the girls up as if this was a life or death scenario.
“Are there any TMNT ones, baby?” the freckle-faced angel asked politely in a gentle voice as she increased her pace, unlacing herself from Mira’s heaven-sent entanglement.
“Sadly not, but they all look adorable still.” Rumi sighed apologetically as if it was her fault none of the claw machines had a Michelangelo or Raphael.
Zoey pouts slightly, heavily grieving the fact she can’t get her own little Mikey plushie.
“Don’t cry, baby.” Mira comforted, gently hugging the maknae’s shoulder and pulling her close to her body again, “We can still try and win you a plushie nonetheless.” the dancer reassured, her voice peaked with honesty - even though actually winning one from the claw machine is still unlikely.
“Come on, my little turtle, you have a plushy to try and win.” Rumi urged calmly, waving her arm slowly to further encourage her to get a move on.
Mira helped Zoey closer to the claw machine as her eyes overwhelm at the sight of so many plushies, so many to choose from - even though she can spot at least 5 that she already won ages ago when she was younger.
“Oo oo!” Zoey started to bounce up and down, ecstatic about the fact she can have a new plushy, “That on please, baby. I want that one. That one only and only that!” Freckle-face’s enthusiasm over an inanimate object sends Mira and Rumi into cuteness hyperdrive, clasping their hands together, barely holding on to their own hairs.
The plushy she demands for isn’t anything exciting either, it was the exact same as the other 50 or so in the machine.
“You sure, babe? It looks the exact same as all the rest” Mira tries in an attempt to calm their hyperactive Zoey.
“Yes I’m sure, Mira. I want that one!” the maknae exclaimed, her hand pounding lightly on the glass that separates her from them and her future love.
“But that one is smack dead centre, you chose like, the hardest one to get, Zo.” Rumi reasoned, her voice gentle but challenging with her voice suggesting she doesn’t want to give Zoey false hope. “Are you sure you want this one babe? I can see another really similar one in the corner there, it’ll be much easier to grab.”
“I’m not changing my mind, RuRu. Like I said I want that one and that one only, please.” Zoey’s feet stomp on the ground, fully extenuating her childlike personality behind that cutely fierce façade.
“Well I only have four dollars left in change, so you only have so many attempts, babe” Rumi lightly pouted, her eyes softening into a dramatic downwards gaze as if admitting defeat.
“Don’t worry, babe” Zoey’s ego replied, rolling her imaginary sleeves up her arm and clicking her knuckles which refuse to click. “I’m quite the expert at this” Zoey over-articulates, twisting her neck, further pretending to click her joints.
“Are you sure, freckles?” Mira teases, planting both hands on her shoulders as she stands to her side, also semi-indulged in this randomly satisfying moment, “You seem pretty uneducated for claw machine handling, I mean your posture is completely off.” She further teases, half mocking her atrocious stance.
“My posture is not that-” the maknae retorts in mock fury before realising her back is in a not very ladylike position. “Shut up.” Zoey hums to herself but loud enough for Mira to hear as she straightens herself in an attempt to make the other two forget about her posture in the blink of an eye.
“Dumbass” a quiet laugh slipped through Rumi’s chest - the kind that only comes when you forget you're being watched. God, Rumi is just so stupidly in love with her little turtle girlfriend, admiring every one of her freckles - as if they reveal a new part of herself never shown before - secrets she was never meant to know.
Lost in Zoey hypnosis, the singer began to drool. Droplets of water mixed with the potion of unconditional love secreted from her lower lip awestruck. Fuck… someone fell hard.
Her mind trips itself up on the loose wires that Zoey’s beauty had pulled out from the singer’s brain sockets. It's the only ever time she truly feels at peace - intoxicated by innocently devilish thoughts. Only Rumi could yearn for this type of love. The love that kills you slowly. Not for the knife that could bear your flesh, but the inevitable tranquillity you will get lost in - the one that makes you forget about yourself for a second (or in Rumi's case about 4 years).
“What was that, Ru?” Zoey challenges, slowly twisting her neck to turn to Rumi with her eyes in a playful squint - clearly trying to lock in.
“Nothing, I-I said I hope you get the turtle” the singer tries to put innocently, her fake smile of encouragement stripping her from that lie instantly.
“That’s what I thought.” the rapper put bluntly, averting her attention back to the claw machine, leaning her face closer to the glass as if she knows what she is doing.
“Damn girl, you’re getting closer to the goddamn machine than you have to me or Mira in the last month.” Rumi glowered, her head tilted to the side and shooting an eyebrow to the heavens in loving confusion.
“Jealousy much?” the maknae ribbed, shrugging her shoulders dismissively, still only focusing on her prized possession as she closed the distance between her eyelids even further, somehow still keeping them open enough to not just see a green blur.
“Looks like someone got their priorities straight.” Mira concluded, stating the obvious whilst simultaneously feeling the same as Rumi with the fact that Zoey’s averted fixation leaves them out of the picture momentarily.
“Aha! Gotcha, little fellah!” Zoey softly cheered, her eyes not leaving the claw as she waited for the plushy to fall down the slot… Until it doesn’t. “Damn it!” slamming her fist against the transparent panel, Zoey let out a breath she didn’t realise she was holding.
“Don’t pout, baby.”Mira comforted as her hands massaged deeper into Zoe’s shoulders, as an effort to relax her. “Let me help you, Zo.” she continued, sliding her hand down the length of her arm to meet her knuckles. Mira’s hand deliberately stroked and caressed the maknae’s miniature hands which could easily be engulfed in the dancer’s more masculine hand. This made Zoy’s spine turn inside out which to her felt oddly pleasurable. The individual nerves, sending semi-arousing sensations through her back and arms, made her shoulders roll uncontrollably.
Standing directly behind Zoey now, still grasping her hand to coordinate her movements, Mira slowly began to aid the rapper, moving her miniscule hands within her own larger, more dominant ones. God, Zoey loves this type of touch, the touch which manhandled her emotions without force.
As she panned her attention to her now very concentrated Mira, Zoey could only indulge in the warmth her eyes radiated - confident yet welcoming, stern yet full of life, the only eyes she has ever wanted to stare into more and more to distract herself from her worries - even if it’s only temporary, it still felt like heaven.
“I love you so much, MiMi, did you know that?” Zoey claimed, charmed and enchanted as she stared into Mira through the dancer’s crystal lenses.
Her eyes softened.
Mira’s softened more.
Both of the girls equally in a trance of unconditional love they claim as their own.
As the genial smirk tugged on iIra’s lips and her cheeks began to blotch with a candyfloss pink, Mira couldn’t help but worry her lower lip. “I love you too, my baby. Forever and always. You’re mine.” The words brushed against her lips as she began to squint hard, withholding a downpour of tears. Happy tears at that.
The dancer’s hands released from Zoey’s as she began to crawl them back over the maknae’s chest into a hug they could agree is only theirs to share. The grasp was possessive, tight, as Mira lowered her head into the crevasse of Zoey’s neck and shoulder, passionately kissing each freckle which protruded through her skin.
“Now let me get you that plushie, yeah?” MIra asked in a baby-like voice as she stared down the plush that Zoey nearly claimed on the first try.
“Let’s get my Shelly!” Zey chants back in a playful whisper as she leaned her head back into Mira’s chest, feeling the tactile fleece her tightly wound buns were bouncing off of.
“You’re too cute for your own good baby.” The dancer tittered as she grazed her hands across Zoey’s arm, covered in perfect freckles.
“Kiss kiss?” The maknae requested as she puckered her lips expecting a yes without argument.
“Yes please, my freckled angel” Mira beamed as she enthusiastically scrunched her lips and lowered herself into the one sensation she adores the most - Zoey’s lips, her comfort. Her second home.
“C’mon babe, we have places to be and the arcade is closing in a minute.” Rumi interjected softly but with the intent to break apart the intimacy to hurry them on.
“Ughh, fine, fine.” Zoey agrees reluctantly, opening her eyes again to meet Mira’s for one last time before she flicks her neck back round, face to face with her soon to be ‘new baby’.
Moving the claw directly above the only turtle Zoey wants out of the whole collection, Mira steadied her hand over the purple-balled joystick. Her other hand remains draped over Zoey’s, keeping her close enough to feel every tiny tremor of excitement that ran through the maknae’s fingers.
“Are you ready to hug your new pet, my love?” she whispered through loosely held lips, her breath brushing against Zoey’s ear.
“Always, honey,” Zoey murmured, her eyes glued to the glass as if the plush itself could hear her heart pounding through her softly knitted jumper.
“Operation Shelly extraction begins in three…” she announced dramatically.
“You’re not in the military, babe,” Rumi interrupted, rolling her eyes but already stifling laughter.
“Two…” Mira ignored her.
“You’re both embarrassing,” Zoey muttered, smiling so widely it gave her away, “I love it.” She concluded.
“Oddly intriguing too,” Rumi added, slowly leaning into Mira’s Navy-like concentration.
“One…” Mira finally announced, raising her hand way above the button, palm wide open and biting her bottom lip.
“Ooo!” Zoey squealed, “How exciting!” she follows as she brings both of her hands to her chin, adding to the not needed suspense.
Slamming her flat palm down, the claw descended, its metal arms stretching open before clamping shut around the little turtle’s shell. The whole arcade fell silent as the tightly clutched claw closed the distance between the chute and itself.
“She got it, she got it, she got it!” Zoey yelped like a child who just got permission to have a bite of chocolate whilst half-jumping, watching the plush wobble closer.
The machine dropped the turtle cleanly into the hollow metal square, ready to be collected by its new, bubbly owner who's just as delicate as it.
Zoey held the beloved turtle close to her chest after diving down like an olympic swimmer, flailing her arms inside the chute, blindly feeling for the plush.
“Meet Shelly, our new child-” Mira claimed before being cut off by a stubborn maknae,
“You mean MY new child, don’t you, MiMi?” she challenged, crossing her arms even tighter around the fragile baby.
“Y-yeah, sure- everyone meet Shelly! Zoey’s new child” Mira corrected before turning her head to the rapper, awaiting approval.
However Zoey is just a tad distracted. Nuzzling her face even deeper into its soft, sweet fur, she sighed contently, her shoulders droop and she takes in a bottomless breath, intaking the unmistakable scent of a new plush - this was a habit now, as she’s performed the same motion for the last 5 turtles she’s won. She is such a proud mother.
“Alright,” Rumi sighed, stretching her arms wide then above her head, clicking her joints unlike the un-clickable Zoey. “I think it’s time to head home, my loves. But first, Zoey, I need to take a picture of you with that turtle, you cute little thing!” She orders softly, pulling out her phone which has turtle stickers around it when Zoey silently raided it a couple nights ago when Rumi fell asleep first during one of their all-nighters. Rumi never removed them though. It showed Zoey was hers, and that meant more than a clean backside of a phone.
“Okay, princess. Smile for the camera!” The singer hummed with a wide smile, showing her own teeth as if she’s the one who’s going to be in the photo.
Beaming with pride, love and all of the above, Zoey’s lips parted, showing her slightly wonky teeth, but she felt proud. Her smile was genuine and she couldn’t care less how she looks right now, she has her Shelly (and her girls too, but that’s different). As the corner of her lips met her cheek bones, her eyes scrunched shut, only accentuating her excitement and pride of her little friend more.
“Cheeeeese!” she squeezed through a tight chuckle, throwing her arms out, parallel to each other, making her turtle the focus of the image - an image to be framed, put up and never taken down. For this is the Zoey they all love, even Zoey herself.
“You did such a good job, boo! I’m so proud of my snuggly girl, aren’t you too, Mir?” Rumi’s smirk radiating her declaration she passed on to Mira.
“Hell yeah, babe. I’m so proud of our cute little Zoey..” Mira responded, pinching the rapper by the cheeks, softly moving them up and down, disrupting the mesmerising patterns her freckles produced.
“Let’s go, my bubbas. The arcade shuts in five.” Rumi announced, her head held high in triumph after another successful date. The feeling in her chest seeing Zoey like this is like nothing she’s ever felt: loose, calm and so so fucking cured.
“Yeah, let's leave. Where did we park again?” Zoey questioned, looking skywards in deep thought, her hand on her chin.
“We had to park around a block away, remember, it was packed in this seemingly empty…” Rumi began but interrupted herself as she looked back at the girls seeing a faint glowing sign. “THEY DO BOWLING?”
“That’s probably why it seemed empty, babe.” Rumi sarcastically responded, seemingly pointing out the obvious as she pointed to the weakly flickering “Hollywood Bowl” sign which was apparent that it never caught the light.
“No shit.” Mira deadpanned through a true laugh, her contagious smile uplifting the contentment of the moment itself, tugging Zoey closer to her waist, Shelly loosely swaying in the American’s gentle grip.
“Yeah, try not to get any more ideas for today, okay?” Rumi said, rubbing her eyes as she tried to refocus her personal lens.
Zoey squinted back at the blinking, neon sign, her lips curling mischievously. “Okay, but next time… we are going go-karting, my loves.” She calmly remarked, hugging her turtle tighter into her chest.
“Depends how long that ‘next time’ is, Zo-”
“Tommorow.” Zoey interjected calmly, her eyes already downcast, too engulfed in her plush’s soft fur.
“Tommorow?” Mira blurted a bit louder than intended, her head jerking forward in surprise.
“Tommorow” The maknae calmly repeated, her attention still on her turtle friend. “That’s what the word ‘tomorrow’ means, baby.” She followed, now tugging at Mira instead, “Gotta get some rest for a very important day. Right Ru?” The rapper asked innocently, acting as if having someone on her side makes it any less tiring for the other two energy-phobes.
“Lord, Zoey, you and your ideas.” Mira groaned, her head falling neatly onto the rapper's head, muffling her words briefly.
“Hey, you love them,” Zoey shot back, already skipping towards the car park.
“Unfortunately, she got you there, babe.” The singer whispered into Mira’s ear through closed teeth, withdrawing from her sudden urge to laugh.
The night air hummed around them. Glowing street lights, fading cars flashing past at quarter past rush hour, the grumble beneath their feet as cars reverse out of their parking spot, crushing the already fine gravel beneath rubber - three girls, one enormous turtle (at least enormous in Zoey’s arm as its head bobbed after every skip) and a head full of plans that would never stay small - for they were the only acceptable plans they could agree on.
“Wait up Zo,” Rumi stumbled through a rushed breath as she sprinted towards the still skipping Zoey, “lord you’re fast.” She muttered to herself, almost tripping on an oddly large rock. “What about your takis?” the dancer concluded, panting and half bent over (Mira’s favourite ‘Rumi position’)
“This turtle covers that cost, baby. You can have it, my pretty girl” Zoey argued back, her pure voice, tipped with love for Rumi, held back any possible arguments. So Rumi had to take her up on that offer.
“Thanks, baby” the singer put simply, regaining most of her breath, the cold night air hitting her uncovered arms in a jolt, her body began to bubble from goose bumps.
“I call dibs on driving back!” Mira chased her way to the car as well as catching up to her last brain cell when it comes to driving.
“NO!” Zoey and Rumi shot through a snappy breath, their minds pacing back to when Mira drove them further away from the arcade instead of closing their distance.
Mira fumbled for the keys, which were nestled deep in her trouser pocket, with suspicious confidence, and Zoey barely made it to the passenger seat before she heard the medieval ignition stutter.
“You sure you know which way home is?” Rumi asked, sliding into the back seat with Zoey, Shelly and narrowed eyes. The sweet chupa chups aroma inhaling her airways in an instant and the ripped leather poking the fading spots on her leg making her move uncomfortably on the half-padded seat.
“No,” Mira admitted proudly, a fond smile tugging at the corner of her mouth, turning the key anyways.
“Oh lord, please guide your daughters back to the right home… and in one piece too.” Zoey desperately prayed as if Mira would find her way to the grand canyon before their small, rented apartment which was still probably pungent with the vivid whiff of all the takis Rumi stole from Zoey’s stash beneath her bed. “But I’m driving us to and from go-karts, no arguments please.”
Rumi snickered from the rapper's side as she attempted her seatbelt which locked into place from her rough handling of the one thing designed to keep her safe - especially if it’s Mira driving.
Mira slapped the gear stick into reverse before tugging it forward into drive with an uneven force causing the car to stall “Goddamn it." She muttered to herself before she began to drive again, lurching the car forward slowly but surely.
“Next stop,” the maknae muffled into the turtle’s head with a wide grin and squinted eyes, “Go-karts!”