A Delicate Hand

A Delicate Hand
Atticus /Kirby

When Kirby pays a visit to Kalmari Town, it’s like visiting his second home. He has fond memories of visiting his relatives, hanging out with his grandfather Bate, and spending countless hours with his cousins. Even as an adult, Kirby makes it a routine to visit at least twice a year just to catch up with family. Sure, he always talks to his cousins on the phone, but there’s something about visiting them that makes it all so better and memorable.

When Tulok was born, his parents stayed in Kalmari for several years to raise him until he was strong enough to ride on the Halberd to fly back to Pop Star. Kirby made the decision to halt his Kalmari visits since he needed to watch over and patrol Pop Star as his parents announced their retirement after the birth.

After four, VERY long years, Tulok is finally healthy enough to travel back home. Once hearing the news, Kirby figured it would be an excellent time to pay a very overdue visit. He knew Gooey would be able to handle the patrolling for a week or two while he was away. There was so much he wanted to do, it’s been so long since he last saw everyone. Even if it was only for a few weeks, he wanted to spend as much time with them as possible.

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“Atticus!!!!” Kirby barged through the door of his greenhouse, ready to tackle the other in surprise once he saw him! “Guess who’s-“

Kirby’s voice became muffled when Atticus placed a firm grasp on his face to keep him still. Usually when he visits Atticus, Kirby would always tackle him, and the pair would scrap, wrestle, and try to pin the other first to see who’s the strongest. They’ve done it for as long as he could remember, it was like their own little greeting tradition. He hasn’t been able to defeat his older cousin yet, but he has a feeling this year is going to be different!

Apparently not.

If anything, the fact that Atticus easily has him immobilized in the air with one hand alone made him realize how wrong he was. Atticus held Kirby with ease- not even moving an inch, nor flinching. With his other hand he held up a glass test tube, and gently swirled the blue liquid inside of it. Eventually, Atticus looked his way.

“Kirby, I’m trying to finish your brother’s medicine. If it breaks, I’ll have to start from scratch, so do you mind…?”

Atticus released his powerful grip and focused back on his work while Kirby looked up from his spot on the stone floor. “Ay, sorry, Atti. Ah, I’m guessing my parents told you I was visiting?”

“Hm,” He nodded. “They informed me you were sleeping from the long ride over, so I didn’t want to wake you. I figured I’d start on their request early. I assumed by the time you’d wake up, I’d already be finished.

“And….are you…?” He stood back up, eagerly peering over his shoulder to look at the beaker as well.

“Sorry, Kirby….” He gently set it on the table, and faced his cousin. “Ice Leos are incredibly sensitive to their surroundings than us Burning Leos. His serum has to be much stronger for Pop Star’s weather, but with each increase, the side effects grow worse. I'm trying to nullify the effects while keeping its strength, but that's proving to be a difficult task. It’s going to require a few more hours to make sure it’s suitable for Tulok."

“Hey, no sweat it. Anything for my baby bro. I’ll just see what Tula’s up to! It’s been a while since we last sparred, and-”

“Yeah, about that…” Atticus spoke as Kirby was heading out. “Since none of us knew you were visiting, she went off to South Nova to visit Rupion. I don’t know if she’ll be back anytime soon, she’s been gone for a few days and she usually stays for several weeks."

“Whaaat? Don’t tell me she’s still going out with him?” He huffed.

To this, Atticus couldn't’ help but laugh at his childish behavior. “Still mad he beat you?”

“I was in South Nova, Atti, of course he had the advantage- I was freezing my wings off for Novas sake!” He crossed his arms and looked away. “What about Cellic, is he around?”

“Yeah, he’s around, but...y’know.” His voice trailed off as he started to grind several blue leaves into a fine paste. “Shedding. Most of his spikes already fell off. He’s got himself locked away until they grow back.”

“Aww, really?” Kirby slumped back down on the floor and gave a small whine. “He won’t come out, not even to say hi?”

“You could try, but you know how embarrassed he gets when others see him like that.”

“Yeah, I know…” He sighed, and looked up again. “Are you..”

“Still working, Kirby.” He couldn’t help but laugh again. “I’ll be done in several more hours, okay?”

“Hm, okay…” With lowered wings, he let out a tired sigh; not really in the mood to do anything now. Without the company of his cousins, what was the point. The whole reason he traveled here was to thank, and hang out with them! Taking them out to eat, going shopping, maybe having a nice stroll on the beach, perhaps? He wanted to do all the things they used to do as kids, but now that seemed almost impossible.

He quietly listened to the clanking sound of glass, followed by the chopping sound of several more plants. Atticus was off to work again. He knew his cousin preferred to work in silence, so he figured it would probably be for the best if he left and didn’t bother him with needless conversation until he was done..-

“So, anything happen on Pop Star since our last phone call?” Atticus asked. His back was turned, and he was still grinding his plants, but Kirby couldn’t help but slowly crack a smile. His wings perked back up, and he gave an eager nod.

“Ah, yeah! Well, y’know. Demon Beasts, saving the world- same ol’ same ol’.” He rubbed the back of his head, a smile still on his face. “And you? It seems like you've gotten way stronger, if that was even possible. And I was confident I would’ve been able to beat you this time around.”

“Yeah, I kinda forgot to mention I’ve been training with my dad as of late. It’s been helpful when I travel to other places to gather rarer plants for my project. I got jumped by several poachers a few months back- easily escaped with just a few scratches thanks to his lessons. I guess being the son of a legendary Star Warrior finally paid off for once."

“No way, that’s awesome! Hey, what about your fire, is your mom helping you train with that?”

“Ah, no. Not really.” He said, setting his beaker down as he headed to a small flower bed to gather several petals from one of his plants. “Maybe it’s just my inner botanist speaking but I’m not the biggest fan when it comes to setting the local foliage on fire. To be honest, I only use it to light my busen burners and the occasional fireplace when the cold season arrives.”

“Same old Atti, I guess some things never change.” He chuckled, finally standing up and heading to the side of his work table to get a better look.

A variety of plants, mortars, and beakers scattered the table. Some plants were finely chopped, some were grounded into a paste, and some were reduced to a fine, concentrated liquid. He silently watched Atticus put the petals he just collected into one of the mortars and started crushing it with his stone pestle for several minutes before leaving it to rest to work on another plant nearby. It was quite fascinating watching him juggle so many tasks without breaking a sweat. He never actually saw him work with his plants before, it's truly a sight to behold seeing how dedicated he is for such a tiny vial of medicine. All of this work, just for his brother.

“Hey, Atti?” Kirby spoke.

“Hm?” The Leo replied but not looking up from his table as he was delicately pouring what he just grated into a test tube. Kirby waited until he finished before replying.

“Thanks, for everything….”

He knew no words could ever express how grateful he was for his cousin’s selfless generosity. From the various phone calls they exchanged with each other, Kirby knew Atticus would always babysit, and keep an eye on Tulok when his parents were too fatigued to do so. He’d even go the extra mile and take him to his doctor appointments if needed. Even now, he’s going out of his way to make a serum to help regulate his temperature when they travel back to Pop Star.

"You didn’t have to go out of your way to do all this, but you continued to look out for my family as well as caring for Tulok when I wasn’t around- heck, you’ve been more of a brother than I’ve been to him for the past 4 years. He's is still too young to understand, but when he gets older I’ll be sure to let him know the countless hours you’ve spent helping him."

To this, Atticus smiled in his direction for a brief moment as he went back to work. “That means a lot, Kirby, thank you. I know exactly what he’s going through, so if I promised myself if there was a way I could help, even if it’s just a tiny bit, I’d do whatever I could. You’ve been around me long enough to know what I’ve been through as a kid, I just want to help make his life a bit easier. ”

Kirby knew this. Anytime he went to visit, it wasn’t uncommon his cousin was too sick to come out, or the weather wasn’t suited for him to play. Atticus is familiar with the countless struggles and hardships his brother will face once they head back to Pop Star, and Kirby knew it was one of the few things he could never relate on personal level with Tulok. He was just glad he had a cousin who could help.

“And you really think this serum will do the trick?”

“It’ll certainly help keep his temperature steady during the warmer seasons, but he’ll likely out grow it as he gets older. Hopefully by that time he’ll become stronger where he won’t need it anymore."

“I hope you’re right, Atti. I always hated seeing you sick, I don’t think I could bear seeing my brother in the same state all the time.

"I wouldn’t be too worried. If he’s anything like his bother- and believe me, Kirby, he is, I know he'll turn out fine.” Atticus reassured. “He's already trying to spar with everyone in the house. Your mom told me all Ice Leos are like that- they have this fierce, relentless air to them. He’s going to have his ups and downs like any hybrid would, but that alone won’t stop him from choosing what he wants to be."

“Hm, yeah. Nothing certainly stopped you, so I shouldn’t be surprised my bro will turn out the same. Thanks Atti.”

“Any time.” He nodded.

As he was about to go back to work, the boys heard several knocks before the door of the greenhouse slowly opened to reveal another Leo.

“Oh, hey, Aunt P!” Kirby joyfully waved, greeting the elder. “Nice to see you again!"

“Kirby?” Petta spoke in surprise, almost spilling the cup of tea she was holding as she didn’t expect him to still be with his son. “You’re still here?"

“We were just catching up, mom. It’s fine.” Atticus reassured, giving his mom a small smile.

Petta nodded to his response, and headed to his work table to place the drink she made for him before facing Kirby. “I’m sorry, I would’ve brought you something to drink if I knew you were still here.”

To this, Kirby waved it off. “No worries, I actually didn’t think I’d be staying this long too. I ah…just wanted to thank him for helping my baby bro while I was away.”

She gave a warm smile at the other, accompanied by a small nod soon after. She then glanced at her son for a brief moment, before walking closer to his work table to oversee everything.

“Atticus, how’s the serum coming along?”

“Almost there, Mom. Just trying to nullify some of the side effects for Tulok. It’s a bit difficult since he’s allergic to several of the roots needed for this, but I’m sure I’ll be able to figure it out by the end of the day.”

“Hm, I see…” She hummed, going over to his notebook where he jots down all of his steps. She quietly looked over everything- flipping several of the pages and reading for a few more minutes before setting the book down.

“Atti, dear. How about you let me finish things here while you and Kirby catch up. I believe I know how to remedy the problem you’re having, and I’ll be sure to write them down for you so you know next time.” She smiled.

Kirby was taken aback when Atticus nodded without a second thought. He watched as Atticus gave her a small hug before he faced him so they could leave.

“Thanks, Mom, I’ll see you later tonight.”

“Of course, dear. Oh, and Kirby? Please give your parents my regards.”

“Ah, will do!” Kirby called out before Atticus closed the door. The warrior sheepishly rubbed the back of his head for a moment before catching up the his cousin who already started walking. “Hey, ah...Atti. You didn’t need to leave on my behalf. I know you’ve been working on that all day, and…I mean, not to be rude or anything, but will your mom be able to handle it?”

To this, Atticus couldn’t help but laugh. “My mom has more experience than I’ll ever have in a lifetime. You forget she’s the one who basically created this serum for hybrids like me and your brother. She already knew how to remedy the issue I was having with Tuloks’ just by looking at my notes. Your brother will be in good hands, don’t worry.”

“Y-yeah, thanks Atti.” He smiled to himself.

“So, what do you want to do now that I’m free?” Atticus turned to Kirby. “I know you probably have a huge list planned, so let’s get to it. What is it? Eating out? Shopping? Playing on the beach?”

“You know me a little too well, ya know that?” He grinned, nudging the figure and racing off to their Uncle Nonsurat’s house. “C’mon, let’s see if we can get Cellic to join us. Bet you 50 star bits I can do it.”

“Make it 100 and you’ve got a deal.” He snickered, heading off as well to finally spend time with his cousin he missed so much after 4 long years.

Artist Comment:

September 13, 2021

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OH WOW!!! Atticus is finally back!!! 8D

It was so much fun to draw and write this! I really wanted to talk a bit about the days Tulok spent in Kalmari Town. Due to his health, Tulok needed to stay in Kalmari for around 4 years after his birth. He spent most of his time in the hospital, but would occasionally stay at home under the care of his parents and Atticus!

Atticus lives in Bate’s house after he passed away, and Meta, Kes and Tulok temporarily stayed there until they moved back to Pop Star. Kirby traveled to Kalmari for a few weeks after Tulok was born, but had to head back to Pop Star as he’s the new protector since Meta and Kes retired.

OKAY! So a little more info about Atti:

Being a hybrid himself, Atticus is a pro watching over little Tulok. Atticus understands the struggles of being one, so he knows exactly what to do to coax the little Ice Cube. When he doesn’t want to take his meds, he has a solution to that. When he’s too stubborn to go to the doctor, he can easily persuade him to go. While not asthmatic like Tulok, Atticus has burned his airways many times in the past from using his fire- resulting in severe inflammation, so he knows what to do to help calm and reassure his little cousin if he’s having an attack. Also, since they both share the same wing type, he (and sometimes Arthur) would show Meta and Kes the proper way to care for his floofy wings! >v<

Meta and Kes learned quite a lot from their nephew. (And of course Arthur and Petta since they raised Atticus) They would ask a lot of questions to Atticus about being a hybrid, or certain things they should do to make Tulok’s life a bit easier. Atticus is more than happy to help them, and he spends a lot of time around them instead of traveling. ^o^

AND another thing I haven’t talked about that’s mentioned here!! Arthur finally gets his time to shine, because Atticus is now training under him!!! Since Atticus goes out to different areas to gather his plants, he gets ambushed or attacked by poachers, and demon beasts often. (You can see he has several scars, and a pretty large wound on his foot from a bear trap. He actually has a pretty bad limp because of it.) One day he asked his dad if he could train him how to properly defend himself and fight off attacks. AND OH BOY WAS ARTHUR ON CLOUD NINE!! XDD That being said, Atticus is STRONG. Even without his fire, this Leo can pack a punch. He doesn’t show it often unless he’s in danger, but when he does, he sure does! Kirby knows how powerful his cousin is, but rarely sees it.

Oooh! And another important thing! Atticus and Kirby share a strong bond as cousins. Kirby often talks to him on the phone- usually about his day, the demons he’s battling and other things when he’s unable to sleep. Kirby actually has a lot of trouble sleeping from time to time due to nightmares, so when he’s feeling trapped or anxious, he likes to call Atticus. He sometimes feel like his older cousin is the only one who really understands him. (Atticus doesn’t mind listing to him- he’s a very good listener.) I also mentioned in a previous illustration that Atticus provides Kirby with a strong sedative to help him sleep. It’s a common plant used to treat insomnia and anxiety. Brew it in a tea and it should help one rest. He provides Kirby with the dried leaves anytime he visits.

Atticus is the eldest of the cousins, so he’s looked up to by the others. A born leader, like his father….just a bit better cause Arty was a bit of a jerk in the GSA. >v<; So it’s not uncommon for him to give advice or help others.

Other small things that you may have forgotten:

Cellic sheds his spikes! It was mentioned in this illustration here! He gets a biiit embarrassed and doesn’t like to come out unless they grow back. Tula is the only one able to be around him. I have an illustration for that, but I never posted it. Maybe I will soon…? ;u;

And yes- Tula is dating someone! Rupion! This totally awesome Ice Leo here! I have soooo much written about him, but holy carp I’m juggling so much! I’m gonna have to squeeze in a few illustrations later on since he’s so much fun to draw!

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Aaah, I think that’s all I have to share for now. >v< Thanks for reading! I hope you enjoyed it!