Drageria

Ch. 26: Intermission with dad

Namiel sat in her room in the castle. It was another long day of training and other such things her title entailed. It was tiring and busy, but very rewarding. She had just gotten undressed into a bathrobe and had just removed the last of her makeup. She sat on a stool in front of a large vanity mirror, shelves on both sides, and the desk in front filled to the brim with all different kinds of makeup and other beauty supplies.

She was always careful and organized about everything in her daily routine, even in her makeup setup. She knew where everything was from the brand to the color. Nothing was ever lost or out of place cause she knew exactly where it should be. People might call her fussy, but it's how she works best, and her ways haven't failed her yet.

She went to pull out her new lip balm and just as she was rubbing the stick on her lips, she noticed that not only was it used, but practically gone. She looked into the tube and disgruntled said, "Drat! I swore this was a brand new tube."

"That would be my fault.", a voice said to her. Turning around she saw the Dark God himself manifest in her room. She sighs exasperated and apologetically tells her in a cutesy and coy manner, while twiddling his fingers,v"You know how Landon gets when he wines. I meant to change it out, but you know I'm a busy man."

"Daddy!", she squealed while jumping into his arms.

Tachibana laughs heartily at the affection and asks, "How's my little girl doing?"

"Even better now that you're here!", she exclaimed while hugging him tighter, before pulling away and suspiciously asking, "And what do you mean by Ladon?"

Tachibana blew out a raspberry while telling her, "He was all fussy because his lips hurt after eating something spicy and then dried up. So I used your lip balm to make him stop his insistent winning."

Namiel gave him a disapproving expression and told him off with a light scolding, "You gotta stop giving in to his demands. He knows how to use it against you."

Tachibana gives a defeated sigh while saying with a sweat drop, "I know, I know. But he is my baby boy.", he then perks up as both hear heavy breathing and says, "Speaking of your siblings."

At that moment, one of the six dragons peruses right in her room. None other than Quetzalcoatl lets herself in and sniffs about like she owns the place. Due to being around Ladon's size, she was easily able to enter with no consequence to the door. She looked around, not even acknowledging Namiel, and immediately went over to her makeup display.

The dragon looked over the wide selection, Namiel giving her a death glare to make sure she didn't mess up anything. To which she set her sights on one of the other tubs of lip balm.

Before she could snap it up, Namiel intervened and pushed the dragon's head out of the way while telling her firmly, "Oh geez, Quetzy. You can't use lip balm, you don't even have lips.", To the surprise of no one, Quetzalcoatlus took offense to that and squawked in anger! Namiel rolled her eyes at the dragon's reaction and slapped her face she conceited, "Oh fine, fine."

She then took out the largest mascara wand and used it to flutter up the avian dragon's eyelashes. Quetzalcoatl showed pleasure in this as she fluttered her lashes while admiring herself in the mirror.

Namiel sighs while putting away the tube and saying, "I swear you're just as bad as Tanit."

"So. Who shouldn't be giving into incessant demands?", Tachibana vexed her.

"Oh shut up.", Namiel says back while sticking out her tongue and making the man laugh.

After he stopped she walked over to the vanity mirror and said, "Speaking of beauty hygiene.", Namiel raises an eyebrow at this, wondering where he was going with it. He then pulled a bush and spray bottle while asking, "Would you let your old man brush your hair?"

"Of course daddy. And you are not old.", she told happily while passing him by, patting his shoulder while sitting down and following up with, "You're really really really really old!"

Tachibana made a fake injury display, hand over the heart as he said, "You cut me so deep!"

The two of them then sat in comfortable silence, enjoying each other's company. The only sounds coming from the strokes of the brush through Namiel's hair, the spritz of the spray bottle, and Quetzalcoatlus breathing softly as she napped beside them.

After the silence, rhythmic and soothing motions of Tachibana's brushing became too silent, the Dark God spoke and said, "It's been a while since I've gotten to see or talked to you as of late. You haven't even shown up to dinner in weeks."

Namiel sighs, putting on her cutesy attitude while pouting, "I know, it's dreadful, just dreadful! But I've been so busy lately, and even more so with the recruits."

"Speaking of which, how goes that?", Tachibana inquires.

"Very well all things considered. Several people have dropped out because of my…..training.", Namiel answered with a sadly dejected tone.

Tachibana playful pinches her cheek and tells her, "Don't be saddened by that, I told you to not hold back. We need the best, and you make em best.", as he returns to brushing, he inquiries, "Speaking of such, I heard you had a bit of trouble with one of them."

Namiel's eyes glitter at this as she perks up and says, "Oh! You mean the green one! The one you brought to live with his sister and us! The one you've been taking a liking to."

Tachibana stops brushing and narrowing his eyes he asked "What are you implying?"

"Why not just ask to adopt him already.", Namiel says bluntly yet teasingly.

Tachibana sighs sadly at this, and replies, "We're practically strangers. I'm pretty sure I'd scare him off."

"I heard about that.", Namiel remarks about how Izuku saw his "other side".

"I still feel horrible about it.", Tachibana sighs at the memory.

"You remember when I found out?", Namiel inquisitively asks him.

Tachibana shudders and says back, "Don't remind me. It was even worse for you!"

"Exactly! And here we are now.", she tells him with gusto, making him feel a bit better.

He sighs again and tells her, "All I'm saying is that it just needs time.", before they trail off into silence, Tachibana inquires, "So…..about Izuku?"

Namiel raises an eyebrow before the recollection kicks in and she states, "Oh right! He's been improving phenomenally! He just needed a bit of emotional intervention and he took off like a rocket."

Tachibana smiles at this and replies, "That's good to hear. I was worried he might quit."

"Did you think that?", Namiel asks back.

"I did.", he admits with a bit of self-shame before saying, "But I wouldn't have held it against him. With his sharp mind, he could've had over several dozen other jobs in the kingdom lined up for him.", he looks off to the side, stopping his motions altogether before asking with worry, "Do you think he'll graduate?"

Namiel smiled reassuringly at him from over her shoulder and says, "I have no doubt he will."

"Good.", Tachibana says, his expression not matching his words.

Namiel then faced forward, eyes closed as she waited for him to finish up, but it never did. She looked back and saw her father staring off into space with a look on his face that she knew far too well. Standing there, items in their hands, just jittering like some form of muscle memory trying to take action in the absence of intent, Namiel knew this as well. He was deep in his emotional thoughts, and she knew better than to leave him like that. It could take hours for him to come back.

So she snapped him out of it herself, saying, "Daddy.", Tachibana broke out of his mind and looked at her, where she asked, "What are you thinking about?"

Tachibana gave a sideways smile and said, "You always were good at reading me. Well…..lots of things. It's not easy being a leader, let alone a pillar for an entire ever-growing country.", he says stressed.

"You sure you want to go through with the 'end test'?", she asks him, knowing what he thinking about, amongst other things.

Tachibana nods and tells her, "I do. It's the ultimate task. If they can pass that, they can handle anything.", Tachibana then combs out the last bits of liquid from her hair and puts the items back in their spots while saying, "Well I think I'm all done here. Come on Quetzy, it's time for bed.", he says to the dragon, patting her awake while helping her out of the room. Just before closing the large door, he says over his shoulder, "Goodnight my princess."

Just before he closes the door, Namiel calls out, "Daddy."

The door opens again, and peeking his head in he asked, "Yes?"

Namiel, sprung up from her seat and looking serious, calms herself down and tells him kindly, "Don't push yourself. We're all here for you….we love you."

Tachibana smiles warmly at her words and says back, "I love you too. Sleep well."