The Beach WIP

The Beach
Tulok /Kirby

After the little incident with Tulok and the Dark Matter, things have been a bit more tense in the family. Not much, but the parents are more on their guard. Telling them about the incident had maybe not been the best idea if it meant they were going to watch Tulok like birds of prey, especially since the Dark Matter was puny to begin with and not much happened on Pop Star, but he got the reason.

It sure didn't make Tulok happy any though, with needing adult supervision whenever he wanted to go outside. He'd just got his freedom! Kirby could understand that!

So he comes up with a great idea. It's summer, the weather is great, not too hot or cold. Excellent for running around and exploring for a little pipsqueak like his brother. And since he had been wanting to get him to experience the beach for the first time...

Well, as good an opportunity as ever!

The grin on Kirby's face is infectious as he gets everything ready, from floaties to pool toys to water guns and anything else a kid Tulok's age might want. Gooey won't care if he takes the day off to spend with his family, will he? He'd understand, he's chill like that. Kirby hasn't spent any real time with them in who knows how long, sucked into his job that, half the time, was the most boring job on the planet. He can invite Gooey along next time to make up for it.

"I don't think it's a very good idea."

That is what his father tells him though, and that just ruins the whole mood.

"Why not? Come on, it'll be fun for the whole family! Tulok's never seen the ocean before, it'll be a fun experience!"

"It's /because/ Tulok's never seen the ocean that this is a bad idea, Kirby."

Meta watches the boy - well, man, but semantics - huff and process the words. When he had come stomping out of his room just a bit earlier, more boisterous than Meta had seen him in some years, he figured it would have been something a bit like this, and he wonders how his son, despite being a powerful Warrior, still has the common sense of an acorn sometimes. His heart is always in the right place, but his mind? Rings a bit hollow sometimes.

"Did you forget about how he feels about baths?"

"No!" He puffs up like a bird displaying their feathers. "Give me more credit than that! I've got all kinds of things for the day. It's going to be so much better than some bath. There's going to be /toys/! Come on, you know it sounds cool, and Tulok's been getting restless since you guys got all protective over him again. We should let him see the world!"

"You know he doesn't know how to swim either?"

"Already covered. I can even teach him, and I wouldn't ever let anything bad happen to him while I'm around, you know that!"

Meta resists the urge to let out a great big sigh, setting down his book long enough to pinch the ridge between his eyes. Of course Kirby had been planning for this before even asking. Meta gets the feeling he would have tried having a beach day regardless of whether the parents said no or not.

"Stop worrying so much about it." He hears Kirby from off to the side, firm but gentle, kindly. "You're going to make yourself sick with all of that worrying and then nobody will get to have fun. It's fine! Just trust me! Tulok's getting to be a big kid now and I think this would be good for him, and everyone else! Plus, you know I'm great at swimming. I'll be right by him."

Meta believes him. But.

"...I won't stop you," He says finally, calmly, slowly. "But you need to keep in mind that Tulok is a child still. He's a toddler. Toddlers aren't exactly rational or easy to please, and Tulok has always hated water."

Kirby is always working, always out of the house. He doesn't see the reality of it, the tantrums, the crying, witching hour nights that have made Kes want to break down crying and tear her hair out at the same time. Much as Tulok thought Kirby was NOVA personified, he was still very much a fiery personality when he wanted to be. And Kirby is going to be in for a terrible awakening.

"Be aware of that, alright? It's great you want to introduce him to new things. You're the best brother he could ever have. But he's not you. Don't overdo it?"

Kirby snorts and waves him off, giving Meta a grin that is all enthusiasm and no sense. "Not at all, pops! Really, don't /worry/! It'll be fun for him, and I bet fun for you and mom too!"

Meta could disagree with that, honestly, but he doesn't say anything.

Kes is harder to convince than Meta, although he hadn't really been convinced in the first place. It takes a lot of badgering, a lot of begging, reassurance, and crocodile tears Meta hasn't seen since Kirby was little before she gives the okay, although she isn't too happy about it. It's an outing. Near the water. They can all have a nice time hanging out together as a family for once at the very least, and maybe Tulok might like playing in the sand and searching for shells. That's what she thinks.

Kirby is just happy that they're /agreeing/. They're all going to have fun, and Tulok is going to experience so much! They worry too much about him. He's a tough little guy! And Kirby wouldn't just throw him to the sharks, who do they think he is? It'll all be fine. They're going to have a lot of fun tomorrow, he knows it.

So Tulok will surprised when he sees Kirby is still home the next morning, and Kirby is just as excited to see his little brother waddling out of the bathroom, cleaned up and ready to go. He's sitting at the table with a plate of pancakes in front of him and he beams when he sees his brother. "Hey, there you are! Guess what!"

"What?" Tulok doesn't know what's happening, but his brother is here and his brother is happy so that makes him happy too. He grins, a tiny little expression that makes Kirby giddy.

"We're going to go out today!"

"The park?"

"Even better! To the beach!"

Tulok's heard of the beach before. They're pretty close to it, and those sounds he hears outside are the waves. That's what they're going to see?

Kirby lights up at the expression of curiosity on Tulok's face, pulling out the big bag that had been sitting on the other side of him, just out of view behind his wings. "Look at this, I even got you some toys for the trip!" An assortment of water guns and inflatables, and Tulok immediately starts to wiggle at the sight of all of the bright colors and shapes, little wings flapping and shaking behind him. It makes Kirby ecstatic to see - what his dad been worried about?

Nothing at all!

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Okay, so maybe his dad did have a point. Much as Kirby didn't really want to admit it.

The sky is blue, the weather is great, the grass is green, the sand is soft, the water is warm, and the ocean expands off into the horizon, glittering under the rays of the sun, and Tulok /will not get in the water/.

Kirby isn't pushing him. Not a bit! The ocean is big. It's a lot to take in a once for such a tiny little guy, he gets that. But Tulok hasn't once moved since he coaxed the toddler into coming closer to the shore's edge, where the water is calmest and the riptides couldn't possibly reach.

He's got an inner tube on that seems maybe just a little big for him and floaties securely to his arms. He is armed and ready for whatever the ocean could throw at him. And he has not moved.

"Uhh, buddy? You okay there?"

Tulok's back is to Kirby, so he doesn't see the expression on the boy's voice, or the way that he chews his lip and gives a petrified, doe-eyed stare to the waves that rock and roil back and forth from the sands, just inches from touching his little feet.

Tulok has a lot of history with the water. It's too hot or too cold, and he always has to adjust how hot or cold he is which is hard and not fun. It gets everywhere and it makes him and his wings feel really heavy and he can never dry off and go play before it's bed time. He /hates/ the water, he's told his parents more than once. Haaates it.

Kirby, who has barely ever heard of his terrible bath tantrums, doesn't know this. He just sees his little brother shaking not but an inch from the water and wonders where in NOVA his earlier enthusiasm went.

"It's alright!" So he tries another tactic. Reaching over, his palm lightly skims the water, grinning at the temperature. "It feels great! Won't hurt you, see? Come on, it'll be okay!" And his wing nudges the boy's back just barely, not but a brush of feathers but enough to get Tulok to step forward from the surprise of it, his feet brushing into the foamy waves.

He stiffens. Whole body seized, he expects...something. Which doesn't happen. It's warm, but not too warm, and he's still dry. So...

"Go on...!"

Kirby nudges him gently, slowly, ushering him forward bit by bit until the water is cresting up to the floatie and Tulok is floating just ever so slightly. And Kirby couldn't be more proud of him, because despite how he's acting, he's /doing/ it! Look at how brave he is!

"K-Kirbyy..."

"It's okay! Look at you, little guy! Look at that, you're /floating/!"

Indeed he is, holding onto the floatie like it's the last thing that exists on Pop Star, and Kirby can't quite see his expression but he bets Tulok is grinning, isn't he! His legs are kicking, and he's sure Tulok will be an excellent swimmer when he gets the hang of it!

"Kiiiiirbyyy--!"

He's floating further away. It's a lot of water, endless water, and he is floating away the more he kicks and tries to move back. He doesn't see his brother just behind him, only water, lots of water, too /much/ water, and he starts to struggle harder and harder. There's nothing under his feet. He's going to sink, and his kicks start to look less like kicks and more like the flailing of a downed bird as he flaps his wings and wiggles and makes a splash that might've impressed his brother had he not looked so concerning.

"Uh, Tulok- Tulok, you're gonna--!"

The boy doesn't listen, just shoves with all of is might to get back to land, and the force of his weight makes him tilt onto the floatie, makes the tube dip into the water until the weight pushes it under.

Tulok flips face-first upside down. Rather impressively, some part of Kirby's brain notes.

Easy work to correct it, taking the tube and pulling him right back up before a second has even passed. "Oh- You okay? Did you inhale anything? Come on, talk to me little guy-"

Talking isn't exactly what Tulok does. Spluttering out salt water that has him drenched from head to toe, burning his nose and stinging his eyes, Tulok takes a minute to let out a few weak, raspy coughs before he alights with the worst fit of tears Kirby has heard in his life.

There isn't anything he can do for that. Tulok wants his mama and he wants her now, and Kirby can't do much to calm him down but obey. So he takes the boy frantically, pulls off the floaties and the inner tube and carries him right over to where his parents have set up a little picnic blanket not far off on the beach. "Hey-! Mom!!"

"Give him here."

She doesn't even ask what happened, just picks up a towel sitting close by and moves to wipe Tulok off with murmured words of comfort while Meta reaches for some fresh water to help wipe the boy off. They're a tandem effort, drying and cleaning him, getting the sting out of his eyes, and Kirby feels a weird weight in his gut as he stands to the side and watches the scene play out.

It fortunately doesn't take long to calm Tulok down. Dried, still hiccuping but no longer full-on sobbing, he's cuddled himself into his wings and buried his face into the crook of Kes' arm where she holds him close to her side.

"Tulok?" Meta only really asks for Kirby's sake, already pretty well knowing the answer. "Do you wanna go back with your brother and play?"

"No."

Kirby feels like he could shrivel up into a raisin, but he doesn't say anything. It /is/ his fault.

Water had always been fun for him. What hadn't been to like about it? A whole undersea world to explore, countless fish and creatures, friends you could make if you went far enough. It was a big part of his childhood and still a significant part of him now that he was older, and not a vacation day went by where he didn't stop by for at least a quick dip. He didn't think Tulok would hate it, at least not as much as he does now.

Now he's probably ruined it for him completely, and he has no idea how to handle the curdling in his gut that comes with the revelation. Makes him sick. Just a little.

"Kirby."

He jumps at the sensation of a soft hand cradling his cheek and blinks over at his mother who gives him a warm smile. "It's alright. This kind of thing happens and kids are hardy. He'll be just fine, just give him a minute, okay?" She glances over at Meta who's giving them both a quiet measured look. "Why don't you go get some lunch with your father? It'll give me a bit of time to deal with this little icicle here, huh?"

Kirby doesn't argue. At this rate, getting away from the situation would be a boon after everything that's happened the past fifteen minutes.

"Alright."

It's quiet on the way into town. Kirby thinking of what best to say and Meta giving him the time to gather his thoughts. Kirby's never really dealt with making mistakes before, to be honest. He had always been a good kid, and his forays into saving Pop Star had never come with rebuke. Guilt, shame, those are foreign ideas for someone so used to laughing and letting bad situations slough off of his shoulders like water.

When it hits, though, it sure hits hard.

"...I'm sorry." Kirby's voice is meek. Barely audible. Odd for someone so boisterous, and Meta thinks it ill fitting. "You were right. Tulok's a kid and. It didn't work out. Too much too soon, and I should've listened. I just--" He fights for the words. "The ocean's always been so /fun/, you know? I just wanted him to be able to experience that. I guess."

"I know." Of course he knows. Kirby's only ever had Tulok's happiness in mind. There's not a selfish bone in that boy's body. Usually. "You've got a lot of nice memories and you want Tulok to feel as happy as you do. But Tulok is still his own person. Even if he idolizes you, even if he's a toddler still figuring himself out, he's got his own preferences, and it's normal you two aren't going to have everything in common. You like water and he doesn't."

"Yeah..."

"But..." He glances off to where Kirby has his face drawn up and pinched, eyes averted in a way he's only ever seen him do as a child when he knows he's gotten into some deep trouble. It's nostalgic. "Doesn't mean you can't share your other passions with him. You two have more in common than you think! Flying, running around in the park, food.../especially/ food."

He reaches over to pat Kirby on the back, rubbing between his shoulders. "Don't beat yourself up too much. Just find something you know you two share. Kes mentioned lunch, didn't she?"

"Y-Yeah, she did..." And Meta feels something inside of him relax and unwind when he sees Kirby start to perk back up with that characteristic glint of enthusiasm in his eye. His grin isn't as big as it should be, in his opinion, but it's there and it's a start. "Thanks. Maybe I can still salvage this..." And by the way he's starting to eye the multitudes of shops, Meta gets the feeling he's going to salvage it quite well.

"Try not to overdo it. I don't want to have to deal with Tulok puking from too much food like last time?"

It's going to fall on deaf ears, he just knows it.

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"Hi guys, we're back!"

Kirby flies on overhead to the little family down below, his shadow cast like a hawk circling before he flutters down to the ground in short work. Kes is sitting on the checkered blanket still, one leg stretched out while she leans on the other, and Kirby notes with delight that Tulok is faring far better now, sitting in the sand just beside her while he busies himself with trying to make a sand castle.

"Hey, Tulok!" The boy perks up, and Kirby's grin is almost mischievous when he presents an absolute buffet of food in three or four bags that would've been too heavy for anyone else. He'd been keen on picking out only the best and what he knew were Tulok's absolute favorites - rice balls, meat strips, pork buns, sandwiches, strawberry cake to top it all off. He can only swallow back a giggle at the way Tulok looks about ready to jump out of his skin while Kes levels him with a fond but chastising look.

"Guess what I got."

It takes Kes reaching out to grab the boy to keep him from vaulting into the pile of foods in an excited frenzy, and from his side he hears Meta let out a chuckle as he finally catches up to Kirby, not having bothered with flying. "You do know how to plan a surprise, I'll give you that."

"Hey, only the best for baby brother, right?"

"Yes, quite. now come on, let's get all of this set up before Tulok throws a tantrum."

And Kirby is happy, because the rest of the day turns out far better than it had at the start. It takes some effort to keep from eating more than his share, admittedly, but watching Tulok dig in makes it all worth it. The morning had been a mess, but it seems everything's finally smoothed right over. Thank NOVA.

"This is a lot better than swimming!"

Yeah, he thinks. It sure is.

Artist Comment:

???? , 2021

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Continuation to this illustration here.

This one-shot for was commissioned by my good friend, Dogblog. (dA- Shadowrealmprincess)