Rethans weren’t known to be openly emotional, which was why Kuta was so surprised that they could hear crying. The crying was coming from the alley on the street below, between the block of apartments Kuta lived in and the building next door. Really, Kuta was surprised that no one else had heard the crying, but Kuta did have abnormally good hearing.
Curiosity and the desire to help quickly took over, and Kuta grabbed their keys, communicator and a blanket, leaving a single light on before making their way downstairs. Kuta lived on the top floor alongside three other apartments, but one of them was empty and the other two belonged to two happily married couples who ran some local protection Legions. That being said, the building itself was only 6 storeys tall – most Rethan apartment blocks were less than 10 storeys tall for both safety and cost reasons, since everything needed to be made bigger to accommodate for most Rethans being 2.5m tall.
Luckily, there was a lift, and Kuta took that down to the ground floor. They stepped outside and peered around the corner, following the sound of crying.
In the alley, as predicted, was a Rethan, tears pouring down their face with their head in their hands. Weirdly, Kuta recognized this person, but Kuta was certain they didn’t live in this particular block of apartments. Without hesitation, Kuta announced their presence and approached slowly, holding out the blanket.
“Hello, do you need assistance?”
The Rethan stopped crying loudly and looked up. They were wearing standard protection legion armour, silver with a red trim, but it didn’t go well with their blue and yellow plating. At a glance, Kuta nearly mistook them for one of their captains of the 11th Legion, but the yellow plating on this Rethan was much brighter and the blue slightly darker and they were far too short. They were also a soldier-caste Rethan, and as they spotted Kuta, they backed away somewhat.
“I will not hurt you. I am here to help!” Kuta smiled, but realized the fact that they had fangs may have been scaring the oddly familiar Rethan.
“I… I know you… Legion of Hidden Internal Affairs… You… you did a review on me… a few years ago… saw you again back in December… You are finally… going to take me away…”
Kuta handed the Rethan the blanket, then sighed. “No, no, I am not going to take you away. Firstly, I am no longer part of the Legion of Hidden Internal Affairs. Secondly, I am genuinely here to help. I heard you crying and wanted to make sure you are safe. Your name is Trismit, yes?”
The Rethan grunted, then fell silent, accepting the blanket and wrapping themselves up in it. Kuta took a moment to inspect the Rethan.
The truth was, Kuta knew Trismit a little too well. Before the universe had been rewritten and reborn, Trismit was Kuta’s poten-partner. They had been through hell together, and Kuta had saved Trismit from certain death, stopping them from throwing themselves off a bridge. But while Kuta had retained memories from those darker times, from the Before, Trismit had been rewritten completely. They had lived a completely different and separate life. One that had been much better than their previous existence. A life with a poten-partner closer to their age and a less intensive job. When Kuta abruptly regained their memories of the Before, they had decided to look for Trismit, but Kuta had immediately backed off and removed all traces of themselves from Trismit’s new life, not wanting to inflict them with unwanted memories of a life best forgotten. Trismit was happy. They were living for themselves. Things were good.
Although, considering how Trismit was currently, clearly something had gone horribly wrong.
“What happened, Trismit?”
“Why do you care? You are a Below Twenty vok. Cold as they come.”
Kuta frowned. “That is untrue. I could have left you in this alley on your own to cry. You are Trismit Lenian, yes? The formerly 11th Legion, now 10th Legion, cleared you and your… unusual electrical powers and deemed you safe to have a normal life. But you seemed content during your last check-in and now clearly something has happened for you to end up here.”
“Hah…” Trismit sneered. “Well, when it rains, it bloody pours… although it has not rained here since… the 4th, I believe… Still, why do you care?”
“I want to help. Despite how most folks see me, as a horrible, creepy, fanged monster, I work diligently to assist others. And right now, you are in need. So tell me, what happened, why are you out here, crying, and not at home?”
Trismit sniffed some more, trying to put a sentence together. “Well… this morning, I got my fifth strike, and I’ve been kicked out of the 270th Legion and into the Light-damned mass-filled 800th Legion until I can get a new job elsewhere. I thought… I thought Simris would be understanding, but… well… they kicked me out. They do not want a poten-partner who is in a different Legion who they no longer work beside. And they were angry that I have been upset over the last two weeks, but last week was the 10 year memorial of my parents’ deaths and it hurts, you know? So I decided to sit in this alley and sob for a bit before walking home, because I forgot my wallet and had intended to stay the night here.”
Kuta tried to think of something optimistic to say, but they were somewhat stumped. That was all pretty awful. No wonder Trismit was so upset.
“Why were you sent to the 800th Legion?” Kuta asked.
“270th Legion is space port security. I was on guard duty, covering for another captain, but I am not really suited for that sort of thing. I was tackled by a rather mean Torr and failed to stop them from entering a no-access zone. That was my fifth strike. Port security legions are strict like that.”
“Hmph, that is rather unfair!” Kuta tutted. “And your… now former poten-partner… I hate to be blunt, but maybe… maybe this is all a sign that maybe you need to forge a new path? That it is time for something new?”
Trismit sighed, then huddled up within the blanket. “Clearly. But ever since I stopped worshipping the Lady of Light, I feel like things have been going wrong.”
“A lot of Rethans feel similarly. But, admittedly, I have not been religious since I was 25, and the Lady of Light has only ever caused us grief. She is… a horrible, horrible person.”
“How would you know?”
Kuta smiled, ever so slightly. “Well, I am the General of Deitic Affairs, I keep track of these things.”
Trismit tutted and fell silent. Kuta fell silent as well, but they spent the silence inspecting Trismit. Trismit was a cute Rethan. A young Rethan too. But as far as Kuta could recall, Trismit was also very intelligent. A thought occurred to Kuta. A silly thought, but potentially a good one.
“Trismit, may I ask something?”
“Eh, sure.”
“You are good with computers, yes? Your normal job in the 270th Legion was more tech support than actual guard work, I think you mentioned on your last check-in.”
“Um, yes, yes it was. I always liked computer work. Data gathering and logging, mostly. I spend my free time being boring and mining info for a wiki.”
“I have a thought. I have a friend in a Below Twenty Legion who is looking for a fresh new IT vok. The 10th Legion is recruiting, and I can get you a referral. Of course, you would have to work your way up the ranks again, but someone with your talents will certainly have a use.”
Trismit blinked, then turned to Kuta. “You… you think?”
Kuta nodded. “Indeed. However, it will take a few days for your referral to be processed, and an interview arranged. So, in the mean time, I recommend taking those few days off to freshen yourself up, sleep in a little and treat yourself to some take-out or something. Just to get over the stress.”
“I guess. But… I still have to walk home. I live literally across town…”
Suddenly, the sky flashed, and a trickle of rain began to fall. This immediately made Trismit sob again.
“Oh for fuck’s sake… Why have things got to be like this?”
Kuta though just shrugged. “It is fine. You can spend the night with me, if you wish. Would be wrong to make you walk home in the rain, and the bus stop down the road, the next bus does not arrive for another thirty minutes.”
“You would… do that?”
“Of course!” Kuta beamed, helping Trismit to their feet, before leading them inside. “My poten-partner is not around anyway, and even if he was, I am sure he would not mind you sleeping on the sofa.”
“Huh… wait… he?”
“My poten-partner is… almost as strange as I am…” Kuta admitted. “Either way, come with me, have a nap and I will give you money for the bus fare when the weather clears up in the morning. Alright?”
Trismit sighed, then nodded. “Yes. Thank you so much.”
“No worries, dear. Just doing my best to help. Do not fret, things will get better…”