Birthday Tradition

Birthday Tradition
Sir Bate / Tula

"How about this?!!" Tula grabbed the jump rope from the toy shelf and held it up to them. "Do you think Grandpa Bate would like it?"

"Maaaaybe not a jump rope. I don't think he's even able to jump, let alone do it for fun." Falspar chuckled to himself and placed it back for her. "How about something like a mug or a nice picture frame?"

"Daaad, those gifts are boring!" Tula shook her head from his suggestions. "How about a video game or a coloring book?!!"

"Or how about this?" Pyrell spoke, holding up a pair of blue house slippers.

"Ooh, good idea Pyrell!" Falspar nodded. "I think his old pair are pretty worn. I'm sure he'll love them, right Tula?"

The little Sasuke raised a brow. Slippers? Who gifts slippers on someone's birthday ? He wasn't going to like it, he's going to hate it! There's no way anyone would want house shoes. No, his Grandfather deserves better. Her parents need to leave the gift shopping to her.

"He's gonna think we hate him if we give him that. He won't ever want to invite us again! I bet everyone else is getting him something really cool, can't we pick another gift?"

"Tula, your Grandfather won't think we hate him. Just wait until he opens it." He reassured. Tula wasn't so sure and just gave a small, sad shrug.

"Weeeell, it can't be as worse as what your Grandfather Ramset used to gift him." He said, hoping another story of his mentor will brighten her mood.

Tula slightly glanced at the Puff, her interest piqued. Falspar noticed and keeled down to whisper it to her. "Grandfather Ramset has a funny tradition of always gifting him cough syrup every birthday."

"Oh yeah, I remember that." Pyrell spoke from behind, giving an amused smirk. "What a terrible gift."

"I know, right?" He began laughing soon after.

"Cough syrup?" She tilted her head, not getting the joke when he saw her dads laughing.

It was then Falspar realized she probably wouldn't understand. Tula hasn't been around the elder much since she only arrived a few months back. They've been so busy getting her settled in, they rarely had time to get together with him. He'll have to remember to talk to her about it in the future. "It's just a playful joke he'd always play on him. Every birthday he'd find a way to sneak it in his actual gift. He's done it for so many years, it was like their own little tradition."

"Oooh, I think I get it!" She nodded, wanting to do the same if her late grandfather did it. "So can we buy him that instead?"

Falspar suddenly frowned at the thought of her actually doing it. "N-no, Tula. I don't think he'd appreciate it coming from us. It...sorta only worked with him. For now, let's keep it a secret between us, alright?"

"But-"

"Besides, he doesn't need it when we have these lovely slippers for him!" He spoke, trying to motion her away from the idea. "Now C'mon, lets go up front and get them wrapped up for tomorrow."

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Happy Birthday, Grandpa Bate!!!" Tula happily held out her gift for him!

"O-oh! Thank you Tula. I wonder what it is!" He smiled, reaching out to get it.

"I hope you like it!" She beamed. From afar, Pyrell and Falspar quietly watched.

"Hey, Pyrell, doesn't that gift look a little too small? I thought I put it in a box."

"Huh....now that you mention it....." He squinted to try to get to get a better look. "It does look rather small."

"Cough syrup, would you look at that!" Bate spoke which caused the two parents to inch back in shock. "W-what a thoughtful gift. Thank you, Tula."

"Pyrell!!" He hissed. "What happened to the house slippers we bought?"

"She must have switched them out at the last second." He softly spoke as Tula was cheering in the background.

"Daddies, look! He likes it!!" She waved at them.

"I know I was laughing about it yesterday, but now I find this situation kind of terrifying." Pyrell tried to avoid eye contact once he saw Bate glancing back at them."What did he do when Ramset gave it to him?"

"He usually just throws it back in anger once Teacher Ramset cracks a few jokes about it. Teacher Bate's used to him pulling that prank every year, but this is Tula we're talking about. What if he thinks we told her to buy it!"

"D-don't worry. We'll talk to him once Tula leaves. I'm pretty sure he already knows it's a joke so don't panic." He said as the pair headed towards them.

"See, Daddies, I told you!" Tula said as she glanced up at the elder. "They wanted to give you a pair of boring slippers but this gift is so much better!"

"Y-yes, I could see." Falspar sheepishly smiled. "Hey, how about you see what your cousin Atticus got for him? Y'know, to make sure he didn't get the same thing we did."

"Hm!" She nodded. "I'll have to help him find another gift if that happens!" She happily darted to the next room where the others were at. Once she left, Falspar quickly bowed and apologized.

"Ah, geeze, Teacher Bate, I swear to Nova it was an accident. I thought hearing about Teacher Ramset would cheer her up so I told her the story of what he used to get you. We didn't think she'd actually go through with it, and-"

"Falspar, calm down, it's fine." He spoke, not a trace of anger in his voice. In fact, it sorta sounded like he was amused from it. " I act annoyed when Ramset used to do it because he expects me to behave as such. I know Tula would never do it to hurt me, so you don't need to apologize."

"Wait, really?" He blinked in surprise. He didn't expect this scenario to be such a cake walk.

"Yes, really. Besides..." He spoke, looking at the other figure now standing behind them. "I'm not the one you need to be worried about."

"H-huh? Worried about?" Falspar mumbled before falling back in fear when something almost struck him in his face. Once recovered, he looked up and saw a very agitated Meta looming over him.

"M-Meta, what the-"

"Why is Tula shouting that Teacher liked the cough syrup you bought him? Do you honestly think that stupid joke is funny? Now Kirby's begging me to go to the store to buy him a bottle!"

"W-wait, you don't understand! It was an accid-" Falspar didn't have time to finish as Meta Knight was pulling him to the other room.

"I don't want to hear any of your excuses. Now tell everyone it was just one of your boneheaded pranks before I ban you from ever attending Teacher's birthday again!"

Bate and Pyrell silently watched as Meta proceeded to drag the poor puff to the other room.

"Ah, so...aside from that....." The Leo lightly chuckled from the situation. "Happy Birthday?"

-The End-

Artist Comment:

December 12, 2018

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Happy Birthday to my not so grump of a Puff! I think that title goes to Meta now. He doesn't seem too pleased that Falspar gifted his precious teacher medicine. (Even though it was Tula who did it!) Bate seems to love it regardless. It reminds him of the days Ramset was around. >v<;;