‘The Squashbuckler Diaries’ are the daily tales of Joy Shelley’s Life in the Dream. The ‘Lost in Dreams’ books will tell the story of what happens to her at ages 6, 9, 12, 15, and so on. The diaries tell us what happens before, after, and between the books.

#390: The Mature Father, Part 1

It happened during the middle of a fight with the Blustering Pirates. 

Towards the end of a fun adventure, Dragon Father and Dragon Little caught up with the Blustering Pirates on their pirate ship. 

Dragon Father and Dragon Little landed in the middle of the pirates’ deck, taking out their captain. 

A dozen pirates began to attack. Dragon Little defended herself with a small sword in one hand and a laser pistol in the other. Dragon Father fought with a sword in each hand. 

Usually, Dragon Father would attack the pirates with might, but this time he satisfied himself by slapping defeated pirates on their bottoms with the blunt side of his sword, and yelling, “Huzzah!” each time. 

“What are you doing?” Dragon Little asked while defending herself. 

“I’m fighting pirates, what are you doing? Huzzah!” 

Dragon Little continued to fight in all earnestness while Dragon Father was just having fun showing his superior ability, but not actually defeating pirates. 

“Huzzah! Huzzah! Huzzah!!” 

“Very mature, Dad!” Dragon Little said. 

Dragon Father stopped and looked at her. Around him, two pirates simultaneously tried to hit him when he wasn’t looking, but they missed him and hit each other. “I am being very very very mature, to have you know, young lady!” 

He then leapt into action again. “Huzzah! Huzzah!” 

“Dad!” Dragon Little was exasperated with him. “Are you a real pirate or a huzzah pirate?” 

Again, Dragon Father stopped fighting and looked at her, even as the pirates around him began to hit each other by accident. 

“Young lady,” he bowed and spoke in a tone that I understood to be having fun rather than being serious. “I believe I am both!” 

Very mature, Dad!” 

Dragon Little continued to fight, but Dragon Father had stopped, his mood no longer a fun one. He stood in the middle of the deck, looking at his daughter, as she defeated the remaining pirates. 

When the adventure was done, they returned to Bonny’s Revenge and Dragon Father did not say another word until he disappeared an hour later.

—Told by The Red Dragon

#391: The Mature Father, Part 2

#389: The Two Killers, Part 4