-The Roles we Take-
(Bate / Kesuk / Kirby)
Kes quietly gave a few shy knocks on Bate’s door in hopes the warrior on the other side would respond to them. She perked up when she heard the sound of a chair being scrapped on the old wooden floor, followed my muffled footsteps getting closer and closer. Once he opened the door, the Leo apologized for bothering him during the late evening.
“It’s quite fine.” Bate waved it off, giving a small smile. “Is there something you needed?”
“Hm.” She gave a nod and tried not to show any weariness in her voice when she asked. “Do you…think it would be possible if I could have a word with you to talk about something important?”
As much as she was uncertain about asking him, she felt he would be the only one who could really understand how she was feeling right now.
“Yes, of course you may.” He nodded, stepping out and leading her to the living room to talk. He wasn’t quite sure what was on her mind, but he was always willing to lend an ear and listen. Once taking a seat across from her, the warrior patiently waited for her to speak. He noticed she seemed quite nervous, so he hoped it wasn’t anything too severe.
“I, ummm…..I’m sorry…I, ahhh…don’t really know how to say this without it sounding kinda weird.” She adverted her gaze as she stumbled with her words.
“There’s nothing to be worried about.” He reassured and decided to take a guess at what it was. “Is it about Meta?”
He saw her tense up from the mention of him.
“Y-yeah…N-no! I, ah..kinda…I think.” She covered her face with her hands in embarrassment and tried to find the right words for it.
Bate blinked in surprise from how flustered she was getting, and although he had a hunch what it could be…..he wasn’t sure if it was right. He knew Meta well, so it didn’t seem possible what he was thinking could be true. Then again, she was his childhood friend growing up. They recently moved in together on Pop Star to take care, and raise Kirby. She’s special to him, and he is special to her. So would it really be out of the ordinary to assume what he was thinking?
Giving a small cough to clear his throat, he decided to ask.
“Are you…..ummm…..well, what I mean to say is….” Bate tried to pick his words carefully so he wouldn’t upset her. “You’re not…expecting, are you?”
From the horrified expression on her face once he said that, he could clearly say without a doubt he was wrong.
“Or maybe not.” The elder quickly apologized from the statement, and shyly rubbed the back of his head. “I..I’m sorry. You seemed nervous when I mentioned him, and-.”
“P-please, it’s fine.” she waved her hands, giving a faint laugh. "I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to give off that impression. My question is just a bit weird, so I wasn’t sure how to word it correctly.”
“Maybe you should just say it so I don’t have to keep guessing…” He weakly smiled.
“Y-yeah, I think you’re right.” She returned the smile, albeit a bit awkward than his. It didn’t last long, however, as a frown soon took its place when she spoke.
“I just….well, you and Meta. You took him under your wing when he was just a child. He lived with you, and you trained and raised him like he was your son.”
“Well, that’s because he is my son.” Bate softly chuckled to himself.
“But….he still calls you Teacher. May I ask why?”
“He and Arthur still refer to me as their teacher because I was their teacher at one point in time. But I understand what you mean. We share a rather…complicated history. I don’t wish to bore you with my rambles, however, so if you wish to leave-
“N-no!” She shook her head, motioning to keep talking. “I’m very interested to know. It’ll hopefully answer my question if you tell your story. So please…if you will…”
“Hm.” He gave a small nod and slightly leaned back on his chair to settle in as he told his story. “I met Meta during a rather dark period in my life. I lost my family several years prior to his arrival. My Wife, my two children, and a student whom I eventually adopted. Losing him...was my breaking point.”
“O-oh…I…I’m sorry.” She slightly frowned, not expecting to hear that from the warrior. “I…I didn’t know. Meta never told me about your past. If I knew, I wouldn’t have asked.”
“I have come to peace with it. Please, there's no need to apologize.” He reassured, and continued. “But back when the five arrived, I was still recovering from it. As much as I wanted to take them in, the fear of losing someone was far too great for me at the time. So I sent them to live with another while I tried to finish my recovery. I would still visit quite often, Meta…in a way, gave me a reason to move forward in my life. I wanted to be there for him, and I wanted to take him in once I knew I was finally ready. It took many years, but once he turned 10, I finally brought myself to admit that maybe…I could be a father figure to the boy, and raise him as my own.”
Bate smiled from the memories of raising the child throughout the years. Although he was much older, Meta couldn’t help but bring out the younger, more playful side of him. Sure, he was still a grump from time to time, but certain things like going out for ice cream, or playing on the beach would be something he would have never done before.
“He still calls me Teacher since that’s what I referred myself as when we met, but our bond is that of a family. I will continue to raise him as my own, and protect him like son, because I’ve come to the realization that he and Arthur are my sons. It just took a bit of time for me to finally put my past aside and move forward.
“I see…” Kes softly mumbled to herself. “Ummm…so…has he ever call you, well…Dad before?”
“It’s, ah, very rare when he does. He’s so used to calling me Teacher, there’s really no need to correct him for something so petty.”
“But when he does….” Kes paused for a moment. “Do you…feel different?”
“Different?” He repeated.
“I.….I can’t explain the feeling but…..” She lowered her shoulders and gave a small sigh. “I…I think the same thing’s happening with me and Kirby."
“Ah, I see. So that is what’s troubling you.” Bate nodded, pushing himself up a bit to listen closely.
“It happened when he wandered too close to a small stream near our home. He slipped and fell in, and while Meta was able to fetch him out not even a second later, he, umm….” Pausing for a moment, the Leo gave a lengthy sigh and quietly spoke the rest. “Well, I guess the fall must’ve scared Kirby. So when they were heading back to the house, the only thing I could hear when they entered is Kirby cying out for me. Or...'Mom", as he put it. I…don’t know what to make of it, truthfully."
“Seeing as he’s still quite young, I’m sure he sees you and Meta as his parental figures. It’s quite common, I had Meta do the same when he was an infant. But I understand why you must be troubled by it. You do not see yourself as his mother."
"Y-yes." She nodded. "Don't get me wrong, I do enjoy having Kirby around, but watching over him and Meta was the assignment I was given by your Guardian. I took it as an important mission to help protect the last Star Warrior, but after all that's happened with the three of us, sometimes I wonder if what she assigned me was even a mission at all."
"Atka does have a habit of doing that. She must have saw something special in you that she was unable to see in the others." He softly chuckled to himself and faced the Leo. "So tell me, are you still treating this as an assignment?"
"I'm asking myself the same question..."She frowned, unsure of her feelings towards them now. "That's why I wanted to talk to you. Since you and Meta share the same bond Kirby and I are starting to have. Any advice will help at this point."
“It’s quite fine.” Bate waved it off, giving a small smile. “Is there something you needed?”
“Hm.” She gave a nod and tried not to show any weariness in her voice when she asked. “Do you…think it would be possible if I could have a word with you to talk about something important?”
As much as she was uncertain about asking him, she felt he would be the only one who could really understand how she was feeling right now.
“Yes, of course you may.” He nodded, stepping out and leading her to the living room to talk. He wasn’t quite sure what was on her mind, but he was always willing to lend an ear and listen. Once taking a seat across from her, the warrior patiently waited for her to speak. He noticed she seemed quite nervous, so he hoped it wasn’t anything too severe.
“I, ummm…..I’m sorry…I, ahhh…don’t really know how to say this without it sounding kinda weird.” She adverted her gaze as she stumbled with her words.
“There’s nothing to be worried about.” He reassured and decided to take a guess at what it was. “Is it about Meta?”
He saw her tense up from the mention of him.
“Y-yeah…N-no! I, ah..kinda…I think.” She covered her face with her hands in embarrassment and tried to find the right words for it.
Bate blinked in surprise from how flustered she was getting, and although he had a hunch what it could be…..he wasn’t sure if it was right. He knew Meta well, so it didn’t seem possible what he was thinking could be true. Then again, she was his childhood friend growing up. They recently moved in together on Pop Star to take care, and raise Kirby. She’s special to him, and he is special to her. So would it really be out of the ordinary to assume what he was thinking?
Giving a small cough to clear his throat, he decided to ask.
“Are you…..ummm…..well, what I mean to say is….” Bate tried to pick his words carefully so he wouldn’t upset her. “You’re not…expecting, are you?”
From the horrified expression on her face once he said that, he could clearly say without a doubt he was wrong.
“Or maybe not.” The elder quickly apologized from the statement, and shyly rubbed the back of his head. “I..I’m sorry. You seemed nervous when I mentioned him, and-.”
“P-please, it’s fine.” she waved her hands, giving a faint laugh. "I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to give off that impression. My question is just a bit weird, so I wasn’t sure how to word it correctly.”
“Maybe you should just say it so I don’t have to keep guessing…” He weakly smiled.
“Y-yeah, I think you’re right.” She returned the smile, albeit a bit awkward than his. It didn’t last long, however, as a frown soon took its place when she spoke.
“I just….well, you and Meta. You took him under your wing when he was just a child. He lived with you, and you trained and raised him like he was your son.”
“Well, that’s because he is my son.” Bate softly chuckled to himself.
“But….he still calls you Teacher. May I ask why?”
“He and Arthur still refer to me as their teacher because I was their teacher at one point in time. But I understand what you mean. We share a rather…complicated history. I don’t wish to bore you with my rambles, however, so if you wish to leave-
“N-no!” She shook her head, motioning to keep talking. “I’m very interested to know. It’ll hopefully answer my question if you tell your story. So please…if you will…”
“Hm.” He gave a small nod and slightly leaned back on his chair to settle in as he told his story. “I met Meta during a rather dark period in my life. I lost my family several years prior to his arrival. My Wife, my two children, and a student whom I eventually adopted. Losing him...was my breaking point.”
“O-oh…I…I’m sorry.” She slightly frowned, not expecting to hear that from the warrior. “I…I didn’t know. Meta never told me about your past. If I knew, I wouldn’t have asked.”
“I have come to peace with it. Please, there's no need to apologize.” He reassured, and continued. “But back when the five arrived, I was still recovering from it. As much as I wanted to take them in, the fear of losing someone was far too great for me at the time. So I sent them to live with another while I tried to finish my recovery. I would still visit quite often, Meta…in a way, gave me a reason to move forward in my life. I wanted to be there for him, and I wanted to take him in once I knew I was finally ready. It took many years, but once he turned 10, I finally brought myself to admit that maybe…I could be a father figure to the boy, and raise him as my own.”
Bate smiled from the memories of raising the child throughout the years. Although he was much older, Meta couldn’t help but bring out the younger, more playful side of him. Sure, he was still a grump from time to time, but certain things like going out for ice cream, or playing on the beach would be something he would have never done before.
“He still calls me Teacher since that’s what I referred myself as when we met, but our bond is that of a family. I will continue to raise him as my own, and protect him like son, because I’ve come to the realization that he and Arthur are my sons. It just took a bit of time for me to finally put my past aside and move forward.
“I see…” Kes softly mumbled to herself. “Ummm…so…has he ever call you, well…Dad before?”
“It’s, ah, very rare when he does. He’s so used to calling me Teacher, there’s really no need to correct him for something so petty.”
“But when he does….” Kes paused for a moment. “Do you…feel different?”
“Different?” He repeated.
“I.….I can’t explain the feeling but…..” She lowered her shoulders and gave a small sigh. “I…I think the same thing’s happening with me and Kirby."
“Ah, I see. So that is what’s troubling you.” Bate nodded, pushing himself up a bit to listen closely.
“It happened when he wandered too close to a small stream near our home. He slipped and fell in, and while Meta was able to fetch him out not even a second later, he, umm….” Pausing for a moment, the Leo gave a lengthy sigh and quietly spoke the rest. “Well, I guess the fall must’ve scared Kirby. So when they were heading back to the house, the only thing I could hear when they entered is Kirby cying out for me. Or...'Mom", as he put it. I…don’t know what to make of it, truthfully."
“Seeing as he’s still quite young, I’m sure he sees you and Meta as his parental figures. It’s quite common, I had Meta do the same when he was an infant. But I understand why you must be troubled by it. You do not see yourself as his mother."
"Y-yes." She nodded. "Don't get me wrong, I do enjoy having Kirby around, but watching over him and Meta was the assignment I was given by your Guardian. I took it as an important mission to help protect the last Star Warrior, but after all that's happened with the three of us, sometimes I wonder if what she assigned me was even a mission at all."
"Atka does have a habit of doing that. She must have saw something special in you that she was unable to see in the others." He softly chuckled to himself and faced the Leo. "So tell me, are you still treating this as an assignment?"
"I'm asking myself the same question..."She frowned, unsure of her feelings towards them now. "That's why I wanted to talk to you. Since you and Meta share the same bond Kirby and I are starting to have. Any advice will help at this point."
-End Drabble-
Artist Comment:
Date: N/A
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Date: N/A
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Species © Nintendo/ HAL Laboratory
Interpreted characters created from said species © Rhylem
Interpreted characters created from said species © Rhylem
