Just thinking about how incredibly intimate it is to touch someone’s stomach and how (generally) it’s something that people only reach for when the other person is pregnant.
And all I can think about is Rumi’s demon instincts making her more sensitive and defensive of her softer areas: neck, stomach, and the back of her legs. So much so that seamstresses and those in charge of costuming aren’t allowed to measure/touch her.
She almost bites someone once (just the☝🏾time) when she’s a kid and Celine’s got her self a new a job…
As she got older, she could do some of the measurements herself but the thought of letting a rando anywhere near the back of neck has her patterns tingling and her hairs raising. The only issue is, Celine does have an actual factual job and can’t make every measuring appointment that Rumi needs post debut.
Zoey and Mira are aware that Rumi has those danger zones that cause her to hit back hard (they were even on the tail end of her wrath once when they caught her unawares… she apologized profusely but still) and they quickly figure out why costuming is SUCH a problem. But Zoey’s got an idea (or a handful) which works.
Mira, the visual and fashion interested, who happens to know how to sew and measure because it was one of the “appropriate” hobbies of a chaebol, would take Rumi’s measurements. And Rumi tentatively agrees (internally freaking out over her patterns potentially being seen but also Celine doesn’t live in Seoul and has a company to run when she isn’t babysitting *cough* taking care of *cough* Rumi’s needs).
When no one is bit and her patterns aren’t discovered, this becomes their new normal. There are murmurings amongst some of the staff about how MUCH a diva Rumi is because she won’t even let staff touch her but it’s a hit Rumi’s reputation just has to take. It’s not like they’d go running their mouth to the press after all, that’s what NDAs were for.
Post-Canon one day Rumi lays across Zoey and Mira’s laps, belly up and waits. Mira prods her with an unimpressed finger and goes “What do you want?” all blunt and affectionate and Rumi just whines.
Zoey, who’s way touchier than the other two combined, hesitantly rests her hand on Rumi’s stomach which is immediately rewarded with a brief light show and a deep purr. Mira seeing where this is going and mostly to tease, scritches under Rumi’s neck with one hand and rubs Rumi’s stomach with the other, “Who’s a good girl?”
And Rumi practically melts (and maybe temporarily blinds Mira and Zoey both with how brightly she glows for a second). Zoey and Mira share a devious and loving look. It’s agreed, they’ll accept and cherish this cuddle fest and later tease Rumi until her patterns and her face are flushed pink. It’s a matter of principle.
