Painful Truth|Raynham, Reave

[aivea]

Ashley and Mitte enter Reave after a few days journey. Though still given an occasional odd look, after being told that Ashley is a fellow Clear, most of the citizens of the tent city do not bother them too much. After a few moments asking around, Ashley receives his answers. Unfortunately, they were not what he wanted to hear...

"Sorry to say it, but that Judal girl didn't make it. I haven't seen even a hair of your parents, enough to tell if they made it," one of the Clears, a former neighbor of Ashley's answers. "

Ashley looks shocked for a moment before suddenly hugging Mitte with both arms and starting to cry.

"Why... did they have to die? I know they wouldn't hurt any living thing?" Ashley sobs onto Mitte's shoulder.

The one who told him the news was called away right after telling him that to help gather anything that could be useful for hunting.

[kiyukit]

Mitte wrapped his arms around Ashley and nuzzled his nose against the other's neck "It's okay Ashley, it's okay." he murmured, pulling back just enough to press feather light kisses on his cheeks and lips. "I know how much you wanted to see Judal..."

During the journey Mitte had become more aware of the world around him, and had formed a sort of peace with Yalin, though the pair still had violent and vocal arguments. He'd also had become more and more affectionate, without really knowing why. Most of his time around Ashley was now spent with a faint blush tinting his face. As they encountered more people Mitte grew timid, often hiding behind Ashley but he was as quick to smile as ever.

"Ashley? Where are we going to stay?" He asked gently, over coming the emotion that arose with his own mention of Judal's name. As of yet, most people they'd encountered had given them only the most cursory of glances, and Mitte's dress and pigtails had deflected those, but Yalin was worried and so was Mitte to some degree.

[aivea]

Ashley begins to force himself to calm down enough that Mitte wouldn't worry so much. Once he felt certain that his voice would be fairly steady the Clear decides to try to explain what to do. "I guess one of the tents. I thought they were alive and we could..." Ashley's voice trails off and he looks down sadly.

He doesn't seem to want to let go of Mitte at all, in fact he hugs the other boy slightly tighter. "Mitte, you're going to live, aren't you? I don't want to let go and lose you, too," he says, his voice becoming shaky again.

[kiyukit]

Mitte responded to Ashley's tightened grip with a happy little sigh "Of course I'm going to live! I have you to love don't I? There isn't any reason for me to go away! You'll never loose me Ashley!" The younger of the pair finished with a chipper little giggle and a kiss on Ashley's nose.

"We'll be fine. I'm sure of it!" Mitte smiled, suddenly amused by something. "They're all so silly!" he laughed, tangling one hand in his long pigtails and tilting his head to the side, attention shifted to the people around them.

[aivea]

Seeing a nice patch of unused ground and hearing Mitte say that Ashley will never lose him, the Clear perks up a little.

"Hey, Mitte. I think I see a good spot to plant flowers. Do you want to go there?" He looks around, not quite seeing what amused Mitte so he asks, "What are they doing that's so silly?"

(Feel free to make something up and I'll have an NPC act it out.)

[kiyukit]

(Maybe someone noticing Mitte isn't really a little girl 0-0 Or thinking it odd that Ashley's running around with a little girl who kisses him rather often?)

"They don't notice me! That's what's silly!" He giggled again and smiled cheerfully "Flowers?! Okay! Will we have a nice house and a kitty and doggy too?"

[aivea]

One of the Clears, a girl named Rei, walks over to them curiously, hearing Mitte call the Clears silly.

"You're the one that's silly," she says with a giggle. "You're a guy who likes to play dress up."

Ashley blinks at Rei, somewhat surprised that she noticed Mitte is male so quickly.

[kiyukit]

Mitte turned and giggled "Oh, I don't mind being silly as long as Ashley doesn't care! Who are you? I'm Mitte!" he replied, wrapping his arms about Ashley's neck and leaning against him with a happy smile.

[aivea]

"I'm Rei. Do you two like flowers? I have some flower seeds that we can share," Rei says, happily.

"Looks like you made it, too," Ashley says in a relieved tone. "Before Lacuna was destroyed, Rei lived next door to me."

[kiyukit]

"I love flowers!!!!" Mitte laughed happily giving Rei a quick hug before giving Ashley a kiss on the cheek and nuzzling his neck affectionatly.

[aivea]

Rei searches through her pockets before finding a handful of seeds which she gives to Mitte.

"Here you go! Oh, I almost forgot to finish weeding the garden I'm trying to start... I better do that now before it slips my mind again," Rei says and turns to leave. "See you later!"

She scampers back toward her nearby garden and begins pulling weeds to make room for the flowers that she plans to plant.

"Rei always was full of energy... So, what do you want to do?" Ashley says to Mitte and hugs the other boy again.

Before he can stop himself, the Clear leans in a little and gives Mitte another, though still somewhat shy kiss on the lips.

[kiyukit]

Mitte smiled happily and returned the kiss, closing his eyes and informing Yalin to shut up as he did so.

[aivea]

Ashley withdraws the moment he felt Mitte return the kiss, blushing deeply.

"Why did I do that?" he asks himself repeatedly.

[kiyukit]

"You're good at that!" Mitte giggled and then asked "Is there anyone else you want to see? My tummy's rumbling..."

[aivea]

"Huh? Oh, thanks... Maybe they have food," says Ashley, gesturing toward Reave's guards. He takes hold of Mitte's hand and asks, "Do you want to see if they do?"

(Move to the thread called "Guards" to have Mitte and Ashley meet Shula and the guards.)