SWAN LAKE || 𝙆. 𝙏𝙖𝙣𝙟𝙞𝙧𝙤 🦢 (ON HOLD)

22 | ʙʀᴏᴛʜᴇʀꜱ

Warnings: Cursing, yelling, flashback

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"Mr. Shinazugawa, why do you like these so much?" She spoke with a mouthful of ohagi, sitting beside her mentor as she kicked her legs playfully. He ignored her. Aphrodite rolled her eyes, looking down at the purple dessert.

"Back where I live, we don't have these." She spoke.

"France, right? The news of French twins spread around the corps as a rumor, didn't know if anyone was being honest or not." he took another bite of ohagi.

"Yeah, France! It's so nice there. My sister and I knew everyone. Or, everyone knew us. It's confusing. We were in ballet. Do you know what that is?" She asked him, a soft smile across her face as she looked at the scarred man.

"Where you dance and twirl? Kanroji does that sort of stuff." He sighed as if he didn't care, or it wasn't worth speaking about. His tone was airy and careless.

"Mhm! We were really good. Theaters would be booked out just to see us dance together, and crowds would gather at bakeries we'd go to. That was nice, being recognized in such a light. But it'd get tiring really quickly if we'd just want to go to the Lourve." Aphrodite sighed.

"Lourve? What kind of stupid name is that?" Sanemi scoffed.

"It's a museum! And it's not stupid, it's very lovely there." Aphrodite rolled her eyes, resting her hands behind her as she continued to speak. "And my parents were so annoying. They'd nit-pick anything I did wrong, like if I didn't raise my arm high enough or if I didn't look elegant. If I didn't spin right! If my neck wasn't straight or if I didn't have good manners. Like get off my back.. And my father would always try and be such a great father. He'd try and take us to theaters, or take us on trips." Aphrodite continued to complain thoughtlessly.

"Well at least your parents cared. God, you never shut up. You're parents are probably alive, worried sick about where their daughter is and all you can think of is to complain." Sanemi took the last ohagi, stuffing it into his mouth.

"They cared about money." Aphrodite's brows furrowed looking away. An awkward, uncomfortable silence grew.

"Aphrodite, honey, you're not standing correctly." Her mother spoke softly. Her fingers, intertwined with the strong ribbon that held together the corset around Aphrodite's chest.

"Mama, I-I'm trying my best-" Aphrodite squealed in pain, the corset creaking as it enclosed her stomach. Athena sat on the bed, concern drawn across her face.

"Mama, please be gentle with her, she fell during our practice and she really hurt herself." Athena commented quietly, watching her sister writhe in pain.

"That's on Aphrodite. She should have been practicing correctly."

Aphrodite gritted between her teeth angrily. Athena looked at her twin with pleading eyes. "You both get your dresses on, Marie will be here shortly." Their mother soon exited the room, closing the door behind her. Aphrodite sat on the bed, resting her head on Athena's shoulder, crying.

"I just want Mama to be proud and not care about my faults," She sobbed silently, Athena cupping her hand under her hand and resting her head on her sister's. "Is that too much to ask?" Aphrodite asked.

"It'll be okay, Aphro, Mama cares-" A gentle knock was heard behind the door, suddenly opening. Aphrodite swiftly wiped her cheeks, sitting up straight as she sniffled.

"Hi, Natalia." Athena smiled. The maid returned the smile shortly, standing front of the girls.

"What did your Mother do?" She sat between the girls, wrapping her arm around the both of them in a motherly way. Aphrodite burst into tears, resting her hand on the Maid's shoulder and crying onto it. Athena rested her head on her shoulder, frowning.