"Okay!" Asher says happily his tail speeding up a bit. He really wanted to go to the zoo now. He didn't want to wait until he was able to sneak out of his home. He didn't know how long that would be. "What's a bicycle" Asher said as he lifted his head a bit to look at Shouki. He felt like he was learning all kinds of new things. He liked learning these things and he hoped this bicycle thing would be as neat as the zoo was. "Why would it make it shorter? " Asher said tilting his head. He wanted to know how this bicycle worked in making things faster. He was anxious to learn more about this thing. He wanted to try it as well.

Shouki giggles a bit at Asher's reaction. He's never seen anyone this excited about the zoo. He likes it. But that stops as Asher asks that question. "You. Do not. Know. What a bicycle is?"Shouki's mind can't wrap around this idea right now. "You don't know what a bicycle is?" Shouki is having a problem understanding this. "It's a thing....with two wheels....and you move pedals to make it go forward....it's faster than walking..." Shouki is still amazed that Asher doesn't know what a bike is. "You...seriously......don't know what a bicycle is?" That hurts his brain thinking about it. How can he not know what a bike is? Does his mother shove him underneath a rock or something? "Your mother keeps you inside too much then."

Asher's eye widened for a bit then something snapped. He had seen something like that before. "Ah! I know, people ride those things at the market!" Asher said as he understood what Shouki was talking about. He hadn't known the name of the thing they rode. He always asked what they were and why people rode them. His mom just shook her head at him when he asked. Though she had explained to him her dislike for them. "Mom said I was in an accident with one of those." Asher sat up and lifted his shirt to point to a scare on his chest. It was a pretty big one that reached across about half his chest. "See! Mom says I fell while going down a hill. She said I bleeding badly and had stitches in my chest for a while." Asher said as he looked at his scar and then to Shouki. He didn't really know if that was true he didn't remember it all that well, but he did remember a blur of images. He had a bit of memory problems since then at least he thinks because he can't remember much past then. It probably didn't help that he was stuck in the house and didn't see much either. "I don't remember it well though."

"Yeah, some with baskets and stuff attached to it." So they can bring whatever they buy home, easily. Shouki's eyes widen a bit at the scar. "If that's really from a bicycle..." He's never seen anything that bad from riding one....but it could be possible. Just because he hasn't seen it before doesn't mean it can't happen. "We will need to get you a helmet and those knee and elbow pads and stuff to keep you safe then." His ears are flattened back and twitching. "I don't really see how that happened on a bike....I don't see how it could cut you like that." He tilts his head a bit trying to figure out a way for it to do that. "Well....I guess it is a good thing you don't....can't remember it?" He whimper/whines softly. It's because that kind of wound just makes him worry. What if something like that happens again?

Asher looked down at Shouki and tilted his head. Why couldn't a bicycle do that to him? He didn't understand though it was had to he didn't remember enough to know if it was really a bicycle or not. He just remember people yelling at each other and asking him if he was okay. He also remembered his mother's voice freaking out about something, but other than that he didn't know what really happened. Just what he was told happened. All her had to say it was real was the scar from it. "A helmet and knee and elbow pads? Awe, why I'll look stupid." Asher said pouting a bit. He didn't want to wear all that stuff because of one accident that happened a few years ago. "I promise I'll be careful." Asher said letting go of his shirt to let it drop back down. He was kind of pawing at Shouki's chest with wide eyes. He stops when he hears Shouki whimper and he reaches up to Shouki's face and uses his hands to form a smile on Shouki's face. "It's okay, it happened a while ago. I'm okay, now so don't be sad." Asher says with a little smile.

Shouki just can't imagine how a bicycle wreck would cause stitches in the chest. Arms and legs? Face? Sure, but chest? He doesn't see how it could happen, but apparently it can. He doesn't see why she would lie about that. There's no point he can is in it. "Looking stupid is better than being badly hurt or anything. Better safe than sorry." He squirms a bit at the pawing, blushing lightly. As Asher makes him form a smile, he sticks out his tongue and licks Asher. It's a random urge he had and he listen to it. "Yeah....but injuries can affect you past when they healed..." Like some people...would've never gotten back on a bike if they had the choice. And there's other things that can go down thanks to wrecks and other events. "Yeah....but what if it happens again? And we're not near somewhere to get help?" It's unlikely, the zoo isn't THAT far away, but Shouki worries apparently. He has no idea why he's worrying like this, but he is.

"Yeah, but I'm older now I can handle it." Asher said puffing out his chest a bit. He didn't want Shouki to treat him kind of like his mother did. He knew that Shouki wouldn't be as bad, but Asher didn't want to be treated like a little kid because of something that happened a long time ago, while not too long ago. "I'm fine I promise." Asher said to Shouki laughing a bit when he licks his hand. He patted Shouki on the cheek as he laughed a bit. "I'll be careful, though I don't even think I remember how to ride a bicycle." Asher said the last part slowly as he thought about it. He hadn't ridden one for so long that it would make sense. "What if I can't ride a bicycle?" Asher looked down at Shouki with wide eyes. He felt like he would mess everything up because of this.

Shouki chuckles a bit at Asher puffing up. He just finds it amusing. He just wants to protect Asher....not keep him in the house all the time. He wants him to be safe when going out to some extent at least. "Riding a bike....I think it's one of those things you never forget how...though I could be wrong on that one." He kind of nuzzles Asher a bit. "And if you can forget how....you can ride in a basket or something if I can get one. I'll....drive it...so no worries if we do that." He smiles at Asher. "It'll work out in the end. And there's no point about worrying about the bike thing...I haven't saved enough money for the zoo yet. So there is no reason to worry about the bike thing yet. We'll get to that once I have enough money."

Asher tilts his head again and looks at Shouki. "Is it really?" He asks about the riding the bike thing. That made him feel better maybe he could ride a bike then. His tail wags at that thought and he smiles. "I'll try to get money too!" He says happily. "I don't get money often, but I'll try." His dad gave him some every once in a while, but he never knew when that would be. His father had been gone recently since his mother wasn't going to work. "Then we will go to the zoo!" He said and his tail speed up a bit. He really wanted to go.

"Asher dinners ready!" Asher whipped his head around to look towards the house. He looked back down at Shouki and leaned down to hug him. "I have to go now." He didn't want his mother to come looking for him and find Shouki here. "I hope I get to see you soon." He got up to leave, but then stopped to lean back down and gave Shouki a kiss on the cheek. He waved and ran off to the house.

"Yeah....at least that's what people say...but I rarely get to ride a bike." If ever that is. Shouki smiles at him. "You're so cute." He lets the slip by accident and blushes lightly. "Well, if you can't....I'll be the back up." That was his plan anyway-to pay for Asher. His smiles just gets bigger at Asher's happiness and excitement.

Shouki kind of squeaks, his ears going back as he hears her voice. He just jugs back, wishing Asher didn't have to go yet. It's not long enough for him. "Yeah....I wish you didn't though..." He says softly, but Asher's got to go. He squeaks yet again at the kiss, blushing, but before Asher can run off, Shouki pulls him back down and kisses him lightly. "See you soon." Then he lets Asher run off and starts doing the military crawl back the way he came.

Asher ran back to his house, but he was blushing a bit from Shouki's kiss. When he got back inside his mother had asked if something had happened to him because his face was red. He shook his head and ate dinner with her because his father hadn't come home that night. It seemed like he hadn't been coming home lately, but Asher knew he was busy. Asher asked his mother about the scar on his chest, but she just told him the same story and asked why he wanted to know. He told her it was nothing that he was curious. She didn't ask him anything else about it, which surprised Asher. Though he didn't know there was another story behind it that his mother wouldn't tell him. She didn't plan on telling him either.

The next few weeks were composed of his mother and himself going on a trip to visit his grandparents and other relatives. It surprised him that she was taking him anywhere, but in those few weeks he learned more about his family. His mother finally showed him her own fox ears and tail. Then he learned a little more from his grandparents, but not much. They seemed to be about the only ones that his mother trusted. Though his grandmother let something slipped that was a secret from Asher that his mother kept. She said something about Asher living through something. Asher had caught it when no one had thought he was listening or even near the room. Apparently, something impaled him in the chest that they thought he wouldn't live through. He didn't hear what it was in time and now he was curious as to what it could have been and how it happened.

Shouki chuckles a bit while he crawls away. He saw that blush. He just heads back to the market, to sell a bit more and buy/trade for a sandwich. Sales lately have been getting better so hopefully.....soon enough he'll have the money for the zoo....and maybe to trade for a used bike or something. He hopes so because walking that far would suck....if Asher could make it that far. He's not sure if he can.

Over the next few weeks, Shouki is saving up money...getting by on as little of food as possibly....without starving himself that is. He can't go if he's too weak. Every couple of days he goes by Asher's hoping he'll be home or something, but every time he is disappointed. He tries to keep himself hidden every time in case someone might be home, be it his mother or father.

Asher tried to ask his mother about what his grandmother said, but told him that he must have imagined it or something. Asher knew what he heard and he didn't imagine it. They both came home the next week, but when they got home they had a little surprise. His father's things were gone and there was a note that was left. Asher had gotten to it before his mother and when he read it he dropped it on the ground. His father had left because of him. he even referred to him as the demon child. Asher didn't understand he knew that his father knew about his mother, but why was it different for him. When his mother found him standing there with the note on the ground she ran to him and picked up the note before hugging him. Asher pushed her away and demanded to know why. His mother was shocked, but she reluctantly told him. It explained his scar as well.

A few years back Asher had actually had his fox ears and tail, but it had happened while his mother was out. His father had been expecting the child to be normal and not inherit any of his mother traits. While he was okay with his mother being a Kitsune he wasn't okay with his child being one. His father had a rage fit and while in it had stabbed Asher in the chest with something. His mother said she never figured out what it was, but after that Asher tail and ears didn't come back. She said she didn't understand why and that she was sorry. She was crying now and Asher just stood there in silence. He didn't know what else to do. His own father hated him and his mother didn't trust him with anything. Asher ran out of the house and into the yard were he fell. His mother didn't chase him and he was glad that she didn't.

The day that they came back just happens to be a day that Shouki comes by in hopes that Asher might be back. At this point, he would take his chances with Asher's mother to see him. He happens to be crawling up when he sees Asher run and fall. Shouki just runs over to him and pulls Asher over to him. He whines loudly. "Are you alright?" His ears are back/drooping in worry. He just has a feeling something bad happened though he has no clue why. "I'm sorry." He doesn't know what happened, but he still feels bad that whatever it is happened since it obviously bothers Asher. He's still whining, but softly. "I'm sorry. Be alright." He's kind of panicking internally about Asher here. He usually seems more...level-headed? calm? Something like that? "What happened?"

Asher looked over at Shouki and just stared up at him for a minute before looking away. "My left because of what I am and my mother told me the truth about my scar." Asher rolled over on his side not wanting Shouki to look at him. He didn't feel happy at all. Really at this point he didn't feel anything. He didn't know what to feel in this situation. His mother had finally told him something about his life and he didn't know how to handle it. His own father didn't want him and he left Asher there. He was is son and he didn't want him. It hurt him worse to know that his father had hurt him in the past and his mother had stayed with him like nothing happened. He didn't understand why she would do something like that. She protected him from everything else, but his own father, who apparently had hurt him more than anyone. It didn't make sense to him at all. "I'm fine." Asher said as he curled up into a ball. He felt fine he really did, but he knew that was wrong. He shouldn't have felt fine about something like this.

Shouki keeps whining, his ears and tail twitching, before he kind of wraps himself around Asher. It's all he really know how to do when it comes to comforting someone. "I'm sorry. But....you still have your mother? And she loves you?" Shouki would've liked to had parents while he was growing up, but he was left to his on devices. Luckily those devices were good enough for him to survive. "She's still kind of crazy and all....but she does love you." Even Shouki realizes this....even though she shows it in a weird/wrong way. "You don't seem fine to me..." He says softly. "People who are fine don't curl up into balls." He can't help but worry about Asher. "I'm sorry." He can't help but repeat himself. It hurts him to see Asher like this. "I wish I could help you."

Asher just stayed there not really moving. He felt a bit numb and just wanted to stay there and forget about things. "I'm fine." Asher said dully. He felt fine, so he must have been fine. "Loves me, but she stayed with the man that tried to kill me." Asher said wiggled a bit to get away from Shouki, but gave up when he couldn't. "I don't understand it." Asher said as he reached up to rub his head. He couldn't understand it no matter how hard he tried. He couldn't understand why she would want to stay with him. "There's nothing you could do..." Asher said in a sad tone. There wasn't anything he could do.

"No you're not." Shouki whines again. "You sure don't seem fine." He's still letting out a whine. He can't stop himself at this point. He tightens his curl around Asher as he tries to squirm away. "...love makes you do stupid things....like keep a man around that is an utter asshole..." He seems unsure of what he just said. "Love can make you blind....or make you to where you refuse to accept the truth." That part he is more sure about, but hopes he never gets to the point where he's that blind to what's going down. "And....maybe....she just doesn't want to be alone?" He's not positive on that since Asher's mother confuses him. "Well....there's one thing....but you said you didn't want to leave before..." He's offering for Asher to move in with him....though his place sucks balls compared to where Asher lives.

Asher turned a bit to look at Shouki. His mother had just lost her husband and now...Shouki wanted him to leave her. It seemed like an open option to him, but he could decided. He didn't trust her very well anymore. Not after what he had just been told. He couldn't just forgive her for something like that. He didn't even know if that was the biggest secret she had kept from him because he knew there must have been more than that. "I-...I-...." Asher tried to say he wanted to leave, but he couldn't bring himself to say it. He was frighten of what would happen to him without his mother around for him. He knew Shouki would try to take care of him, but it still wasn't the same. He always didn't want his mother to be alone, but he thought maybe if he left his father would come back to his mother. He must have been the problem. "I want to leave." Asher said and only now were there tears in his eyes. He was finally breaking down from everything that had happened to him. "I don't want to be a burden here anymore." Asher said softly.

Shouki is just giving him this sad look. He doesn't know what it's like for one of your parents to try and kill you. That's why he's offering....and if Asher decided that he wanted to go back and leave Shouki...he'd let him. "....it's okay if you want to stay here....I'm just giving you an option..." He's not going to take his offer away to go stay with him. "Though..you may not like it as much as here." His ears flatten back a bit and twitch. Shouki holds him tightly as he sees the tears coming. "You shouldn't be a burden to your parents." But Shouki was one to them. He was the freak essentially. since he didn't get his ears early enough for them. "Um....do you want to tell your mom bye? Or get some of your things?" He assumes Asher would want to take something with him....even if it's only clothes. "I wish it could be better..." He wishes he could change things for Asher.

"I never liked it here." Asher said flatly as he looked at Shouki. It was somewhat true. He really always knew that he didn't like in the house. It was a cage and not a home for the most part. There were only times when he thought it was a home, but those images had been shattered when he learned the truth today. He no longer thought this was his home in any form. He was just a animal that was kept there. "I don't need anything." Asher said thought he knew he probably did. He just didn't want to go back not now. He knew it was childish and it would hurt his mother deeply, but that didn't matter to him at the moment. He just wanted to get away "If I go back she won't let me leave." He had made up his mind now and he wasn't going back now. If he wanted to come back later he might, but he didn't want to now.

"I'm sorry." Shouki whines softly. He does not know how to deal with this really. He just wants to help and protect Asher as much as possible from too much pain. "You...you sure?" He's watching Asher. "Well...if you do want to come back sometime....to get your stuff or whatever....I'll come with you if you want..." He's hugging on Asher because that's all he can think of to do right now. He isn't sure what to do. "Do you want to go now?....or stay here for a bit?" He doesn't want to like force Asher to leave, but the longer they stay, the more likely his mother will stop them if Asher really wants to leave. "My family left me for the opposite reason." Opposite from why Asher's dad....did what he did. The thought makes him angry, but he's trying to hide it at least.

"You don't have anything to be sorry about." Asher said as he looked at Shouki. He didn't want to hear him whine over him so he reached out and placed his hand on his cheek. "I'm okay, Shouki." He said though he knew it was kind of a lie. He knew he was going to have to leave sometime though he didn't try to think about it often. "I'm sure." He said nodding to him with a little smile though some may not even call it a smile because it was so weak. "We should go now..." Asher said with a glance back towards the house. He knew if he wanted to get away it was better to do it now before his mother came out to fine him. Asher looked back back at Shouki and leaned in to press his forehead against his. "I'm sorry..." He says because it was the only thing that felt right to him.

"I'm still sorry....you shouldn't have to go through this..." Shouki's ears are twitching anxiously. "...I don't think you're okay....but I'll go with it..." He's leaning into Asher's touch. He tries to smile back at Asher, but fails mostly. He's thinking about what happened to Asher....and what happened to him is playing in the background. "Okay then..." Shouki sighs softly. "It isn't your fault that his happened. This is their problem, not yours." He hugs Asher tightly before taking his hand and tugging him in the direction of their? home. "It's this way." After a bit, they get to his shack. Shouki's seen worse, but most of those houses were abandoned, condemned, or both.

Asher followed after Shouki though when they arrived to his shack Asher was tired. His eyes felt heavy and he didn't really care what it looked like. He just wanted to lay down and rest. He wanted to almost forget about what he had learned that day, but he knew he couldn't forget anytime soon. "Shouki, I'm tired." He said as he looked over at Shouki. He blinked a bit to keep himself from closing his eyes completely. He sat down, but he was slouched down a bit because he was too tired to sit up straight. "Can I sleep?"