Octonauts Mini-stories

Dances

Sometimes, after the harder days are through, she will dance. 

The Game Pod is where she always does it, her feet drifting across the floor like the notes of music through the air. Her steps are light and sure, and she rarely stumbles. 

She never follows certain dances, she just makes it up as the music plays. Lifing an arm, twirling around, dipping low. She's graceful and flexible, despite what she might believe of her dancing, and every movement seems effortless. 

Sometimes, she dances to a swelling piano sonata. Others, she'll put on a catchy, upbeat pop song. Maybe she'll go for light rock one day, electronica the next. It doesn't matter; she still melds every turn, every flick of her wrist into a elegant or adorable masterpiece. 

She doesn't like to be seen. If someone ever happens to walk in while she dances, she shuts off the music quickly and stumbles through some sort of explanation, anything to keep her dignity. But the others know. Sometimes, they'll slip into the Game Pod unnoticed, if they're quiet enough, and settle down silently to watch as she leaps and spins. This is very rare, and they mostly watch from a distance, spotting her through the windows of HQ. 

They all admire her dancing, even though they're not supposed to know about it. Kwazzi will sometimes see her, and though he never stops what he's doing, which is usually telling some terrifying story that scares Peso, he watches out of the corner of his eye, his smile a little brighter than usual. Tweak will sometimes catch a flurry of movement, and glance over to the Game Pod to see if it's her friend. If not, she'll usually move on, but if it is, she'll set down whatever she's doing and watch until the performance is through. Peso is usually the one who manages to get into the Game Pod, or he sits at the table in HQ, and he'll often bring a cup of hot chocolate and just enjoy the show. Whenever the Vegimals see her, they get excited and try to copy her every move, so that they 'can be ballerinas too'. Shellington will watch them, amused, while silently talking notes in his head, in a desperate attempt to improve his coordination skills. The Captain or the Professor usually just watch her with soft smiles, simply enjoying how relaxed and carefree she seems. 

She's like a butterfly, they will say, shaking their heads fondly and wondering why on earth she would be embarrassed. 

Or a snowflake, someone will add. Maybe a flower petal, floating on the wind. 

They never say anything, lest she stop dancing ever. Such a picture of beauty that they would miss if she ever knew. 

She is wonderful even when she's not dancing, so they suppose that will have to be enough for them. And it is, of course.

They love her just the same.