A Boy and his Dragon

"Here," Tan said, he calmed the wind enough that it wasn't so harsh and aggressive. But it still kept the windmills turning. He also let streaks of lightening flash across the sky. Lighting up the entire area around them. He pointed where he saw the balloon. "Now what, Jiro?"

Jiro jumped at the sudden flash of lightning. The hairs on the back of his neck stood up. He had not been expecting Tan to do that. He turned off his flashlight and put it back into his jacket pocket. "We have to loosen it so that it can float away and be free."

"Okay," Tan said and used the wind to lift them up and fly high enough to reach it. "Want help, or can you do it?" this was Jiro's mission and he didn't want to over step too much.

"I think that I can get it," Jiro said and started to work on untangling the two strings that were attached to the balloon. The wind did not make that easy but he had patience and soon the thing was no longer knotted. He let go of the strings and the purple balloon floated away with the wind.

"Now what? Is that it?" Tan asked curiously. He felt that these were both things Drake might have been able to handle himself. Especially as they hadn't really done much. Well okay, so apparently Jiro did something weird. But he didn't get it at all.

"That's it," Jiro said. "We can go back to the house now." He hadn't taken to calling it home yet. But that would come with time. He tried a lot harder when Uncle Ray was around than when he wasn't.

Tan nodded but he was quiet. He did direct them back through the forest, he turned back into a dragon rather than a boy though. He didn't want the others to see him. He slowed when they got close. "Do you want to sneak in through your window?"

"Yes," Jiro answered. "That would be easiest." He left it open even though you weren't supposed to do that. He was not scared of what fiends might try to come in. They would sense what he was. They would leave him alone. Not that he knew all that. Just that it was okay.

Tan did that and set Jiro down on the bed gently. But he sat in the windowsill and let his boy do whatver was needed. He rested his head on the wood and just watched Jiro.

Jiro got ready for bed. Then he climbed into bed with Uma. He was tired. He just went to sleep because fuck being awake. He had been productive. Nosince it was w cuddles and sleep.

Ermes missed her boy. And she figured by now he probably missed home as well. So in the night she came to visit him. It was much easier for her. She could fly like no one's business.

Plus no one would question a dragonair and a dratini having a chat, but they would question a man and his child. The wind brought a familiar scent to Tan's nose just as he was falling asleep.

His head immediately popped up, following the direction. He was very homesick, confused and missing his family. So for a second he thought it was his nose playing tricks.

Until he saw his mother's form get closer. Then he took off to meet her before she could even land. "Mum!" He said excitedly and flew all around her, making her life difficult for sure. "I was just thinking about you. Our kind aren't psychic, but I believe it of you."

Ermes laughed. "Mothers know when they are needed by their children," she said and nuzzled him. He was making her life hard but in the moment she liked it. "I have missed you," she said. "How are you?"

"Not sure. I know I offered to do this, but it's not what I expected." Tan said, he was eighteen and not a child any longer. But he still felt like one at times. He did today. "Jiro.... He's not... Well, he's not what I expected really."

"What did you expect?" Ermes asked curiously. She guided her son down to the ground away from the house where they could have a nice cuddle while they chatted. He was so small next to her. But in just a couple of years he would grow quite a lot. She didn't want to think of it yet. She was going to miss that.

Tan would usually protest against cuddles with his mum, he was too big now. But for now he didn't. He curled up with her. "I understand the situation, but I don't know. He's just a bit younger than me and he's just a boy. A weird boy, but I'm not normal either. You know? And he decided we had to go to the forest, there was a tengu there and I'm not used to battling so I was useless and he had to revert. But he didn't remember me. Just knew who I was and it was.... It was scary."

"What was scary, dear?" Ermes asked patiently. She found with her children that it was best to let them talk things out and express exactly what bothered her before she addressed it. Though she had not expected Jiro to drag her son to a place where a tengu was. Oh goodness. She should have expected it. He was such an impulsive boy when younger.

"Jiro. The room's light seemed to be sucked out of it and he killed it like it was nothing. Is Jiro bad, mum?" He lifted his head to look at her then, just because if anyone would know it would be her. "You've known him forever. Did I make a mistake coming here?"

"I would not have let you come here if he was a bad person," Ermes said. She brought her head down to rest her horn on the tiny one that he had to help connect with him and give him that extra comfort and calm. "He is very much not a bad person. But he is a creature of darkness and they do not act the same as you and I. If he killed that creature then he had a good reason for it. Jiro does not kill without reason. His father, after all, is the Lord of the Underworld and he would be very cross if his son was sending him creatures and people without good reason."

"Okay," Tan said quietly. That made sense to him. It just had been a massive shock at the time. "I think he is being reckless and arrogant, too. I spoke to him when he reverted. He thinks he can't be killed and that putting himself in danger is fine. He's... Kind of disappointing in comparison to what you've told me."

"Who he is when he's reverted is not who he really is, so I am not surprised that he would disappoint you there," Ermes said. "Jiro reverted only possesses knowledge that he needs in any given situation. But knowledge, things we've learned, that's not what makes us a person, is it? It's our memories and our experiences. And without those, he will not truly be himself. Not until those return to him." But she didn't like the idea of him being reckless. "When I first met Jiro he was sixteen. He was very young and very eager and impulsive. The things he does do not often make sense until later. That is an unfortunate side effect of his gift. His mind is in places that we can't follow. But that doesn't mean he should be allowed to run free and do as he wishes. You can and likely will have to guide him away from doing reckless things. At this age he'll respond better to it given that you are older."

"Maybe. I don't know, I get that he wants to protect Drake, but him being dead isn't going to help, is it? He's not invincible and he can be hurt, so being so arrogant is stupid." Tan sighed, he was just worried if something happened to Jiro, then it would be on him now too. Not just him. Things were expected of him now. "I was willing to die to protect him today, mum. That's how bad it was."

"None of that now, dear," Ermes said with a shake of her head. "I do not want you to ever feel like you have to do such a thing. It isn't necessary for you to die for Jiro. If things get that bad then you need to summon me." Because she was not going to let such a thing happen. No. "I'd imagine his father would interfere at that point as well." But still.

"Well I didn't know that then, I do now." Tan sighed, but what if people couldn't get there in time? "Am I going to have to sometimes tie him down and make sure he isn't dumb? I mean really. I don't think he really likes me much. He's so spacey.
"

Ermes laughed. "Jiro is just like that. It doesn't mean he doesn't like you. Not at all. He's just in his head a lot because of his visions. And I imagine losing his human parents and brother is making that worse as well. You don't need to time him down. You just need to give him a little love. Distract him with play or activities that he's interested in. Painting is a good one," she said. She nuzzled her son again. Normally she wasn't so affectionate with him because he was far too old for such things but he needed it at the moment. "I know all the ways to distract, motivate, and nudge Jiro in the right directions. Would you like me to give you my tips and tricks?" she asked. "Well, the ones you can use..." Since the sexual ones were pretty much off.

"Yes, please. I mean I'd figure it out eventually anyway, but I'd like a little headstart on him." Tan said, it was a lot for him to take in, in any case. But Jiro being so hard of a personality, compared to Tan's relaxed and gentle nature it was so weird. "Ones I can use? You mean there are ones I can't? Like drugs and alcohol, right?"