Hello! Moon here. Thank you for the reviews, favorites, follows, and to all the silent readers out there. Also another special thanks to my friend, IseulTaps. Without her, this story would just be another floating thought in the void. We do not owe One Piece. Enjoy.
Shachi and Penguin are staring at me while I busying myself with organizing my dolls in the playroom, Nii-chan went to get us snacks. "Stop staring at me." I command the two older boys while pouting.
"Law said to watch you, and what Law says goes." Penguin says shrugging his shoulders as though this statement makes sense. I'm old enough to sit in a room while keeping myself happy without the need of two boys, who are barely older than myself, to watch me.
Shachi chortles as I continue to argue with Penguin about watching me and what exactly it meant. "Guys, Law will be back soon." Shachi says trying to calm me down, which by the way isn't working.
"All boys except Nii-chan are stupid." I declare folding my arms over my chest, both boys look appalled at my statement and with my behavior. As Nii-chan comes back in with a tray he looks at the three of us questioningly. "I'm going to go read with mama." I tell him briskly. "You can play with them alone." I say getting up, smoothing my dress out I give my brother a curt nod and leave the room.
As I walk down the hall I hear my brother asking what happened and then of course his laughter. It really is a pain being the only girl my age, well there are other girls, just none that are brave enough to spend time with Nii-chan and me. "Azalea what are you doing?" My father asks as I pass by his study, I shrug my shoulders before attempting to walk on. "Azalea, you are a young lady and shall act as such." He reminds me gently with a playful smirk coming to his face.
"I decided to read with mama in the parlor, the boys were being very boyish." I decide stupid isn't a very ladylike thing to say. "Papa are all boys so..." I lead off trying to find the correct word.
"They're boys Azalea, they tend to be a bit stupid." Papa says smirking at me knowingly. "I believe your mother will be very understanding." He says nodding for me to continue on my way.
Happily walking down the corridors, stopping occasionally to look out the window at all the falling snow or to dilly-dally I do eventually make it to my mother. "Dear, I thought you were playing upstairs."
"I'm the only girl mama." I tell her bluntly, and much to her amusement she smirks. "Mama Nii-chan gets that from you." I tell her smiling widely at her semi-shocked face. "They baby me."
"Your brother does too." My mother points out smiling at me."Besides I think you should be happy that two older boys adore you." Scrunching my face up I shake my head in defiance. "I suppose you're not at that age yet." She says chuckling.
"What age?" I question her as I walk over to sit on the sofa with her. "What age are you talking about, mama?"
She simply smiles and shakes her head. "Now what would my little angel like to do?" She asks patting my dark hair down. "I'm sure there is something you'd like to do."
"I'd like to play out in the garden." I tell my mother hopefully. "I promise to behave this time." I plea.
"Trafalgar Azalea," My mother says sternly. "The last time I let you play outside alone you came home covered in mud and I got a call from Sophie's mother that you cut her hair." I turn my head away from her in an attempt to sway her, which by the way never works. "You are very much like your brother in that way, trouble." She says affectionately.
"Mama, in my defense, Sophie was making fun of Nii-chan." I tell my mother pursing my lips, "Miss Sophie had it coming." I say in a mocking tone like Nii-chan does.
"Oh ok, you have been spending too much time with your brother." She says poking my tummy playfully. "I'm sure the boys miss you, and you are not going out to play in the garden by yourself, you attract trouble just like your brother." My mother says picking up me off the sofa easily and setting me back on my feet. "As a tip my little Azalea. I'm sure if you bat your eyelashes at them, they'll listen to anything you have to say."
I nod my head, I'll be sure to try that. "Mama, how do you bat your eyelashes?" I ask her confused.
"Blink at them." My mother says smirking at me, Nii-chan really does get it from mama. "Go and play nice." She says smiling as I turn to go back upstairs. I wait until I'm out of eyesight to run up the stairs and skid to a stop just before dad's study.
"Heard you." Papa calls as I pout to myself, I scurry down the hall until I push the playroom doors open, Shachi and Penguin are listening very intently to Law, he's doing another medical lesson with them.
"Azalea welcome back." Nii-chan says as I enter, Penguin chimes in soon after with Shachi smirking at me.
Once again I was left sitting there bored and ignored. Every once in awhile they would tease me, but it's starting to get irritating. Normally I would be taking part of brother's lessons, however, Law has been bonding with those two. After deciding on what to do, I stand up as tall as I can and walk on out like I own the place. Ignoring the laughter in the background, I went to go see mum again.
"Didn't work..." I mutter to her. She giggled at me. " Ah, now why wouldn't anyone not fall for such a cute face." I stare at her unamused. "Jealous are we?"
"It's that Law and the two are always together now and I always get left behind." I confess upset that I'm losing my best friend.
"Law is just growing up. It's nice that he has boys his age around to play with." She says thoughtfully while stroking my head gently and very motherly.
"...or dissect" I hiss under my breath. Mom just shakes her head in disapproval.
"Here how about this, since the boys are doing something boyish-"
"-what about Dad" I interrupted her.
"He's not a boy, but a man" she says in a singsong voice. When mentioning mom or dad to the each other, they always end up in a lovey dovey state, which I like.
"Anyways, I could teach you how to dance. It would be a girls' day. Later we could make some cookies. What do you think?"
Dancing? Cookies I'm okay with but dancing is another thing. I never really understood why mom loves dancing so much. She would always tell us about her performances around the seas. Mom grew up on an island made for entertainment, she got the nickname 'The Dancing Bloom'. Whatever that means.
"Um..." I hesitate. It's not that I don't like dance, it's just I don't think I can be as graceful as mom.
"Why not give it a try!" Her face lit up like fireworks. I couldn't say no to her.
"Mama...I don't think my legs are suppose to bend this way." She was showing me how to do a common ballet exercise.
"You'll get use to it honey bunny." She smiles brightly at me bending in ways people should not bend. "Okay! You can relax a bit." I sigh in relief. Dancing is hard and very demanding. I'm starting to regret my decision of leaving the boys, but the cookies is what kept me motivated.
"Let me demonstrate a grand jeté. First you skip a little and leap like you're going to fly over the ocean." It was like doing the splits in mid air. My eyes were wide and amaze. "Your turn..Now put your arms up like you're going to create a rainbow. There you go! Pretend to jump over a river" I leapt but it was small, awkward, nothing like mother's.
"You did well!" I looked up at her face, proud and just overjoyed." With practice, you'll end up flying across the world. How about we freshen up and go make some cookies."
Of course I would say 'Heck yes', but I had something else in mind. "Mama, could you show me one of your dances that you do?"
"Oh? Interested my little flowe? Let me get the music going." She says smiling at me lovingly. Law definitely get his his expressions from mama.
She performs with such elegance and expression, it was really breathtaking. I finally understand why she loves dancing so much. Dancing represents freedom, kinda like pirates do.