[PRP] Streets Slicked with Rain (Philip + Kwelin)

[Yamashii]

raindrops keep falling on my head

 

[Yamashii]

The weather report had mentioned clouds but nothing about rain. Kwelin glared up at the dark sky from under his umbrella, mentally sending his annoyance out to the incompetent weather reporter who was probably lounging in their apartment, cozy and warm. It was a good thing the blueblood was always prepared but there were others not as careful. Kwelin watched them run and duck from cover to cover to minimize the effects of the downpour. He could feel Pawpa's warmth against his chest, snuggled inside his jacket to stay dry.

'It's a good thing I brought my briefcase for my books.' He was returning home from a visit to one of the many libraries in NHC. It was somewhat of a pain to have gone to one of the locations farther from his hive but it was the only place that had the book he needed checked in. The blueblood was in the poorer side of town and it showed in the quality of the buildings. He felt sorry for the trolls who lived here who were sure to have leaky roofs and damp mildewy flats. He crossed a few streets, glancing at his watch every so often. Kwelin wanted to be sure to catch the next train back to his side of the city otherwise he'd have to wait another hour.

Was it his imagination or was that a groan coming from behind the dumpster in the alleyway he'd just passed? It would slow him down to investigate but... it was also his duty to help lowbloods. Especially injured ones. He stepped into the alleyway. A crumpled body lay on the ground, nursing some bad bruises.

"Can you stand?" Kwelin shifted the umbrella to shelter the other boy from the rain. It was hardly important compared to the brownblood's injuries but somehow it felt like the respectful thing to do.

Doutei

 

[Doutei]

"Nghh." Lying in the trash, Philip winced at the sound of the blood pounding that overwhelmed him. His body ached from the beating he'd just received for owing beetles and not being able to pay up. He knew he had to pay up soon but his limited income was already allocated elsewhere. What was he going to do? The sound of footsteps returned and Philip smiled at his misfortune only to see an unfamiliar face.

"Even angels use umbrellas, huh?" The orange blood mumbled, mostly to himself as he shifted to try and stand. His legs protested but he powered through the pain, not wanting to give the newcomer any reason to think it better to leave him for dead.

"Looks like it. Walking is another story." The detective admitted sheepishly. He wasn't sure of the blue blood's intentions but recognized he was in more pain than usual. His typical walk it off treatment wasn't going to work this time.

Yamashii

 

[Yamashii]

Was he trying to be cool or something? Kwelin raised an eyebrow at the lame line but reached out to help steady the other boy by wrapping an arm around his shoulders. Pawpa squirmed inside as Philip struggled to walk and pressed against Kwelin's side. The lusus was too warm to poke his head outside of the jacket though and opted to rest again. His child would let him know if he was in any danger.

"I'll help you walk. You look pretty injured." The blueblood looked concerned but also hesitant. He wanted to get the lowblood to safety but he also ought to nurse the wounds. But he didn't want to stay in this neighborhood with its reputation. He was still a child and wouldn't be able to protect the both of them in case another attacker appeared. And he didn't see the orangeblood's lusus around. They set off down the street in a wobbling fashion.

"Just focus on staying upright. I'll steer us. I know a place we can go." He was careful not to reveal that the place belonged to him lest it scare the lowblood off. That seemed to happen from time to time, lowbloods too terrified to accept that much help from a highblood.

"We're taking the train. I'll pay, you just rest." He commanded in a tone that was not going to negotiate. Kwelin believed it to be the morally correct thing to do in this situation. "There's a flat we can patch you up in. Where all did they strike you?"

Doutei

 

[Doutei]

"I can't pay you back." Philip warned, not wanting the blueblood to make any assumptions and get mad later. He noted the other boy didn't seem to care, which was odd but he wasn't in any position to question him right now.

"I managed to protect my head with my arms a little, but they got me real good everywhere else." His chest and back had taken a good beating when they'd pushed him down and started kicking. Philip's legs had gotten hit in the chaos too, mostly when he tried to move or protect himself.

"A basic first aid kit should be enough." He added, figuring his savior was trying to assess what supplies he would need to fix him up. Leaning against him, the orange blood winced with every step and tried to focus on his breathing to get through this. He just had to reach the train for now. Then he could sit down and figure out where this guy was taking him.

Yamashii

 

[Yamashii]

"You don't need to pay me back. It's fine." Kwelin responded abruptly, almost sharply. He didn't want the other troll to think he was trying to get something from them. After the words left his mouth though, he realized they sounded aggressive and fell quiet. Why was it so hard to communicate without stomping on others?

"There should be a kit at the place. It's well stocked for emergencies." He could see the train station up ahead. "I'm glad you were able to protect your head. I wouldn't know how to treat head wounds." The blueblood confessed and glanced over his travel companion's injuries again. The blood had shocked him initially but it looked like somehow the orangeblood had escaped without permanent damage. His lusus must've put up a good fight.

"Who did this to you? Did you know them?" If they had enough information, maybe he could help put together a case. Kwelin was far too young to have any qualifications to go to court but he enjoyed the idea of going through the process anyways.

Doutei

 

[Doutei]

"I know who sent them." Philip admitted, letting Kwelin handle buying the tickets once they reached the station. He trailed off in an attempt to not have to explain the situation, figuring the highblood wouldn't actually care to know the details. While not all of them were self conceited and preferred to talk about themselves, it was a good tactic to pull on most. To his surprise Kwelin didn't attempt to fill the silence and glanced over at him expectantly as they headed to the platform.

"I owe this guy some money." The orangeblood sighed. He figuerd it would disappoint the other troll but hoped the offer to help treat his wounds would still stand. Out of habit he offered Kwelin a seat once the train doors opened before looking sheepish at the face the blueblood gave him.

"I plan to pay him back soon, I just don't have the dough right now." Philip further explained, so as to not look like a mooch. He knew he shouldn't care what this troll thought of him but because he was trying to be nice to him... Philip didn't want to give off a bad impression. Now that he was seated, he could breathe and look the guy over. He looked to be a serious one with that stern expression and focused eyes.

"But enough about that. I don't even know your name. Who are you?" Philip asked, gaze meeting his.

Yamashii

 

[Yamashii]

"I'm Kwelin Tourny. I'm studying to be a lawyer," the blueblood explained, "if you'd like legal advice I can give you some but it'd be after we treat your wounds." Kwelin felt it was unlikely for a lowblood to seek compensation for an a** kicking from loan sharks anyways. The system was not great for orange or redbloods.

"We're going to my hive. You're welcome to stay the day while you rest." He would keep a close eye on Philip in case the other boy was a thief but Kwelin wasn't going to throw him out without reason. It was his duty to shelter someone like this. Even if he suspected Philip was hiding information from him about this loan arrangement.

"... why do you hide your blood color?" He couldn't avoid the mystery any longer. He had noticed the boy's hemo anon clothing and wondered if there was a reason behind it. Lowbloods hiding their color out of shame was certainly a possibility but it seemed more likely for those living in Civisect or on the outskirts of the Four Fronds.

Doutei

 

[Doutei]

"A lawyer? Wow!" Philip whistled in amazement. The blueblood's stiff formal demeanor made a lot more sense now. The offer to help did as well. Kwelin didn't seem as aggressive as other ambulance chasers but he'd probably been keeping an eye out for any cases he could get.

"That's really kind of you." The orangeblood blinked in surprise at the offer or rather understated demand for him to stay the day. Philip wasn't sure if it was a good idea but didn't think he'd be very mobile today anyway so he might as well do it.

"Ah, this is for my job. I'm a detective! It's to blend in. And if I need to, I can just slip on a colored tie or pocket square." Philip explained with a smile, obviously feeling proud of his system. He didn't expect praise for it but hoped the other boy would appreciate the thought he'd put in.

"Here's my card! Can I have your's?" He offered eagerly. Philip had planned to seek out a lawyer someday to be able to refer interested clients to but he hadn't expected to find one so fast like this! It must have been fate.

Yamashii

 

[Yamashii]

Kwelin pulled out a card to exchange with Philip's. It would be a while before he had a real legal office and team but he was hoping to work towards it someday.

"A detective. You must spend a lot of time like this then." The blueblood frowned, looking over the injuries again. Most trolls did not take kindly to being investigated or stalked. Pawpa adjusted himself inside Kwelin's jacket to get more comfortable. A tiny nose peeked out between the buttons. The train was thankfully too noisy to hear his snoring over.

"Does your lusus approve of all this? It's dangerous work. And going hemo anon can get yourself targeted by aggressive highbloods."

Doutei

 

[Doutei]

"It's part of the job." Philip looked sheepish. He wasn't really proud of the a** kickings he got but they were just something he dealt with. Occasionally he won! It was almost always better to lose, though, he'd learned. If he won they tended to want revenge.

"It's my dream so he just tries to make sure I don't die." The detective replied. He saw a flicker of 'then what happened tonight?' in the blueblood's eyes and laughed.

"He was just waiting for them to leave. Though he can't easily help me up. Buster, say hello." The orangeblood cocked his head ever so slightly to tilt his hat. A small white spot produced a tiny leg, raised to wave hi.

Yamashii

 

[Yamashii]

"Charmed to meet you, Buster." Kwelin nodded back to the fly perched on Philip's hat. What a small lusus he was. No wonder the other boy got pummeled so often. It was dangerous for a fly to take on five or six thugs. The train fell into a quiet and comfortable silence as it sped along the tracks. It has been a long time since he'd taken a ride with another troll. Somehow it was both pleasant and awkward at the same time.

"We're getting off at Onion Street and Glorida Way. Can you stand? It's coming up." Kwelin rose first, turning to offer his hand if needed. He could see his new companion was fading from pain and exhaustion but he had to make it just a little further.

"You can rest your weight on me if you need." He didn't like the idea of getting Philip's blood streaked across him again but if it was necessary he would do so. He was doing his duty to his fellow citizen.

Doutei

 

[Doutei]

"Oof!" Philip grabbed ahold of Kwelin as he tried to stand. He could do it but it was really better to use the blueblood's support. Awkwardly he tried wrapping an arm around him to hang on but it felt a little painful to reach so far. Fine he'd link arms then, the orangeblood decided without bothering to ask. Kwelin seemed to be trying so hard to help him that it'd probably offend the boy now.

"Wow, nice neighborhood!" Once they were off the train he looked around. It still had the distinct look of New Hemisect but with a cleaner sidewalk. There were even some small trees down the street! It was a far cry from where they'd just been.

"You'll have to give me a tour later!" He grinned, struggling to hide his breath. Exhaustion was starting to set in, despite his curiosity. He hoped wherever this troll lived had an elevator.

Yamashii

 

[Yamashii]

The elevator ride up was quiet and peaceful. Faint music played as Philip leaned against Kwelin. The blueblood held him up, awkwardly silent and unsure how to continue the small talk. He had never been good at socialization. It was weird to think of giving the orangeblood a tour while he was bleeding and beaten like this. It was obvious that Philip was just trying to keep his mind positive but the idea was still strange to Kwelin until the other boy had recovered.

"We'll do that later. For now you're going to rest." Kwelin fished his keys out of his pocket and unlocked his front door. Pawpa noodled out of his jacket upon the familiar sound and gave Philip a curious sniff. He wasn't sure what to make of the orangeblood and opted to put it off until later. The weasel wandered off to find something to eat, deeming Philip a non-threat.

"I've got a kit here. Hold still, I'll be quick. Then you sleep." The blueblood was not particularly good at first aid but he figured he wouldn't be able to do anything that would make stuff worse. He disinfected what he could and bandaged the parts that needed protection. Most of the wounds had clotted enough that Philip wasn't bleeding all over his stuff.

"You can stay in this room. I'll wake you after the sun sets." Kwelin tapped one of the door frames. He was still unsure what he was doing, this was kind of a big risk to take letting a stranger into his home. But somehow it had felt like the right thing to do.

He said his first goodnight to Philip.

Doutei

fin