"Not with sounds, no.  More with trouble in general.  Though I suppose they could touch a fire alarm specifically.

"We do have the concept of citizen's arrest here.  If someone's obviously breaking the law, people can step in and try to stop them, or hold them until the police get there.  It's not encouraged, exactly, but it is common.  Lots of people like having an excuse to fight.  Neither of you seem the type, though bug-types are known for it because of the stereotype of rushing to peoples' defense and also the move string shot being very good at stopping people without causing damage.  It's also the sort of thing that has a lot of fiddly rules about it - which laws, how much force is allowed - which would be hard to learn in a few days from scratch.

"There's no sir-equivalent for dominants to call submissives?  'Sir' and 'Ma'am' here are more general.  We do tend to use it more for the more..." he waves his hand, trying to come up with exactly what he means.  "Dominant but not necessarily your kind of dominant?  It's more circumstantial, and similarly hard to learn from scratch.  Usually to older people, or whoever is in charge in a given moment.  Some businesses have their employees call all customers sir or ma'am.  No one will get offended by it, or by the lack of it.  Calling a tour guide only a year or two older than you sir is strangely formal, but not bad."

He's not entirely - recovered, not that he'd think of it that way, but he's less in immediate aftermath enough to try to swallow things down and get back to doing what he's supposed to be doing.

"...Is there a way we could know if someone is trying to citizen's arrest us and we - shouldn't fight them, or if they're trying to - take us back like the lab again?

...will people be - looking to me to stop a crime if they see it, do I need to-" he's not even sure what the next part of that might be. Learn the thing about string? Learn - a lot of things it sounds like, and he wouldn't want to get it wrong. Not in either direction, if people are going to expect-

"There are forms of address for submissives; where we're from people would use them if they were talking to the submissive of someone important, or a submissive who worked for the government or other authority, or in higher formality, sir." How they do authority and everything involved here, if they don't - have dominants and submissives? talk about dominants and submissives? - is one of the questions that feels most like a hole under his feet, in his not knowing. That the answer would be 'complicatedly' - makes sense, is almost expected (and it'd be more likely he'd have noticed it, if it were simple). That's - going to be hard. If the culture's at a lower stratum of etiquette here, or less strict about it, that'll help them not make really overt mistakes just talking to people, at least.

Nodnod. "Thank you, sir." (He doesn't interpret the last sentence quite how Azure probably meant it. It makes sense that other people, seeing them with Azure, might think he's their tour guide, and it's good to know how they might sound to them. And it makes sense as an example. But Azure isn't just their tour guide, and Alessa is still thinking of him accordingly, even if there's blank uncertain confusion in the pieces of how exactly that - and everything - might work here.) 

"That's another benefit to having someone local guiding you around.  Though, generally non-police will only ever start a fight if it is really obvious that someone is doing something illegal.  Like, 'breaking out of a window and running down the street with a sack of stolen stuff while the shopkeeper shouts for help' obvious.  Stepping aside and letting a robber pass isn't great, but you're legally within your rights to do it.  No one is required to put themselves in harms way for someone else, and you don't have the level of experience with fighting that most people here do, no offense."

Exactly what he is being at the moment is a bit complicated by local standards too.  That's to be expected, when they are the first non-natives in two centuries and no one's had to do this before.  His guess of what they would think of him as is more tour guide than bodyguard mostly due to guide being a more sir'd position while bodyguards are subservient, though he's functionally both.

Though, considering that, "Having to be walked around by another person is not the greatest thing, even if it is important in this circumstance.  If you'd rather have someone on the submissive side guide you, I'm sure Verity would be happy to help.  She was the one with the Suicune - the large blue quadruped.  I'm better at picking out clothes, but nothing else requires me specifically." 

"Thank you, sir."

They haven't been generally thinking of him as bodyguard - they're not the sort of people who generally get bodyguards, and he's not really been acting how they would associate with one. Though a bodyguard escorting a submissive would likely enough have some authority over them, usually in the sense of representing that of the dom who hired them. But of course the category they're thinking of him in isn't one he has as available.

...he wants that very much. (Isn't going to show how much. That would be rude, and probably suspicious). (And it's a piece of maybe a little stability in the ocean of not-knowing, hearing 'submissive-side'. He doesn't know how they organize things but that sounds like it does have more familiar in it, something they can make sense of, however differently mixed and arranged.)

But if she's the sub of someone important (or - something like that?) after all, he doesn't want to get her in trouble if and when they mess something up again. ('Subs of important people are held to high standards by doms who don't want to be embarrassed' is the more common model in his country, over 'subs of important people can get away with whatever', and his unthought expectations run accordingly). Wants to be careful of making demands of her she might not be allowed to refuse.

"If she would be we'd be very glad to meet her, sir. We - wouldn't want to ask too much of their time of anyone." That's - hopefully an alright way to say it.

(On a personal level he'd kind of like to spend more time with the hot - not dom apparently, but he'll call it close enough. Which he wouldn't put before Alessa getting to be less anxious, except that he can figure what Alessa's thinking and knows perfectly well he'll be some sort of anxious either way.

So he might be in luck, in a manner of speaking.)

He finds their manner of careful politeness charming, despite himself.  Hopefully it won't cause friction with Verity, who can be as blunt as he is.  Azure thinks they have the potential to really help each other - Verity helping them see how things function around here without being intimidating to them, and them being two of the only people who can see Verity for herself first and not just as a Legendary.  That, and possibly showing her that the limitations that the fleet puts on people for type and daemon variety aren't nearly as bad as they could be.  He's a bit disappointed that he isn't the right person to look after them, but he can see them around later.  

Azure checks his phone for the time.  "She usually sleeps in the afternoons, but there's plenty of time to go to the library before that.  I'll call her and tell her to meet us in the park, then I'll go do some things of my own and check up on the investigation into the illegal lab.  I do want to be the one to bring you to the tailor, which will be right around the time Verity'll want to go home anyway. 

"Does that sound okay to you?"  He belatedly realizes that he should probably be more careful about phrasing things in a way that comes off as a command.  If they weren't okay with something, they are less likely than fleet-born people to actually say so.  Perhaps another thing he can do with the rest of the morning is read up on anything similar to this he can find.  He can do it from his phone - libraries mostly exist for TMs and people who don't have quiet places to study at home, and any information they have is also available online.  

(A fairly minimally observant person would probably be able to notice that Kente is definitely looking forward to the tailor, and totally happy that Azure will still be the one taking them there.)

...if she's part of taking them around, might she get blamed for their lack of knowing things if they make mistakes even later when she's not present anymore? ...Which now that he's thinking about it might be true of Mareline too (...she'd specifically talked about helping them) and he hadn't been thinking - gods he's selfish as well as thoughtless-

...But if Verity was one of the people who found them she might be considered somehow involved already. And - it's really very possible that the - something-like-dom - didn't in fact want to walk around with them all day especially now that they've turned out to be more work and more trouble than he might have thought. (And - if there's going to be someone it's probably better if it's the sub of someone important than not that, not that he knows enough to really know that...)

Also none of this really matters, it's not like he's going to argue with the something-like-dom about what he is saying will happen. 

"Yes, sir. Thank you, sir." He - wishes he knew more, could assess things better and at all. Tries to think of questions he might ask. 'How strict are her something-like-doms' isn't really one. 

"Is she married, sir? Do you know her - spouse?"

He quietly notes their responses. 

People have a hard time communicating honestly with people in charge of them (or at least who they perceive as in charge) - there's too much incentive to lie or hide things to avoid getting in trouble or try to curry favor.  Verity can tell them about how they're not slaves here and certainly not his slaves, and then they'll be able to discuss things more clearly.  That, and be a source of advice that isn't so dom-shaped.

"She's not married," he confirms, then pauses.  "Also, to avoid it coming up awkwardly with her later, she also doesn't have living family.  She's... huh, how to describe it neutrally... she has a rare species of daemon, one which the local religion considers the mark of a leader.  However, she strongly doesn't get along with the concept of leading people - she's one of the most submissive person I can think of, from what you describe as the differences.  Verity-and-Araeneve take to the role about as well as you would, emotion-wise, and would much rather be treated normally."  He continues, explaining aloud his opinion on how they could help one another.  He might as well put all of his thoughts and reasonings on the table, when communication is difficult.

Meanwhile, he has the rare talent of speaking and typing at the same time and makes use of it.  

Azure --- Are you busy?  I could use some help with the aliens

Verity --- What kind of help?

Azure --- So, the alien culture doesn't have types - instead they divide people into 'dominant' or 'submissive' based on personality.  The doms are in charge, and I don't have all of the details but it sounds a lot like slavery for the subs.

Azure --- These two are subs.  I'm very 'dom-like' from their descriptions, and that's causing them to react really polite and not speak their minds.  You seem more sub-like, which might make it easier for them to talk to you.  

Verity --- That's different

Azure --- We were planning on going to the library to get them TMs in case they needed to fight.  I think you should be the one to take them, and talk sub to sub while they're waiting, or the closest thing we have to that system

Azure --- Without me, so I don't keep intimidating them by accident

Verity --- Sure.  Which library?

Azure --- Opals closest, but let's meet in the aft park of Sienna

Verity --- I don't want to go to the park

Verity --- There's too many people there

Azure --- :sigh: At the library, then, but we'll be stopping at the park anyway

Oh! So Alessa had misunderstood, and their guide hadn't meant that Verity was - positioned-something-like-a-sub. She's misdetermined. Which - is horrible, that that happened to her, is happening to her. But she could be really good for them to meet, then - if she's someone important, that could be the best they could get for someone who trouble would fall less on if he gets more things wrong. And if they can help her too -

It's his turn to look pretty obviously brightened.

(And - so they do do authority and everything involved by something about daemons (something other than type here, it sounds like?), as well as by the other things their guide had mentioned. That - really should have been a guess he'd stayed with, given everything - he'd just gotten himself directed away from it by their guide talking about them not having role classifications here, and by the types seeming to not be this after all.

And their guide had said the type associations weren't something they had to follow, but it sounds like this other daemon-connected thing is more enforced. Which makes sense, if it's supposed to be authority relevant.)

"Our condolences to her." (His emotional expression darkens briefly at the mention of no living family.) "Thank you, sir. We'd be really glad if we could also help, sir."

This is like, super not a time and place to start pointing out how submissives can and do absolutely lead people (sure, some subs don't want to do that at all, but lots of doms don't want to be managers or CEOs or officers or government representatives either, do they). It will be good for absolutely 0 of anything if he gets himself punished or slapped for insolence.

And it's obviously not the point anyway; it sure sounds like the thing the local religion is apparently trying to push on Verity is the 'you're a dom' kind.

He isn't even slightly good at trying to make his arguing sound like polite not-arguing, and that doesn't even work most of the time for people like Alessa who are good at it.

So he is not going to do that, even if he wants to.

Azure has noticed Kente's dislike of the idea, but isn't sure exactly why.  Well, this is the sort of thing that daemons are better at expressing and dealing with than their humans.  Florentho, still sitting off to the side with the other daemons, quietly asks Orange.  "Your Kente seems unhappy about meeting with Verity.  Is it just that you don't want to leave Azure, or is there something that makes you think Verity won't be helpful?"

He's almost tempted to suggest they split up into two groups at the library.  However, it is a good idea for them both to talk to Verity.  Also, they seem to be really close with each other.  

"Are you two related, by the way?  You seem close enough that you must have known each other before you were brought here, but I probably shouldn't be making assumptions."  They do look similar too, but that might just be his unfamiliarity with their species, or having less difference between individuals or something.  

The daemon does not actually have a decade and a half of conditioning on not saying things. She can tell Kente is deciding not to say something, but that would make sense if she's supposed to say it, right?

"I don't think he's unhappy about meeting Verity! Meeting Verity sounds good. Being with Azure is also good, but differently. I don't think he wants to leave Azure forever, but he said he'll be back, right?

I think he doesn't like something else your Azure said. Probably by accident."

...Had he forgotten to mention that? ...He supposes most government officials he's talked to would have already known. And it's not the worst thing to forget, if he was going to forget something. If somewhat silly-feeling.

"We're cousins, sir. We were assigned to the same household, so we grew up together too."

Expressing feelings when their human halves have too much politeness or social obligation not to is what daemons are for, whether in speech or body language.  Some philosophers claim that it's even more their purpose than the flashy Moves which keep their society running.  

"We're enjoying getting to show you around, and want to keep doing it," Florentho confirms. 

"People being uncomfortable with certain people and wanting to ask someone who's specifically more like them in a relevant way is a common feeling," he continues.  "And, it's not our biggest concern but it is one of them, but we don't want to be your only source of information because then if you decide you don't like us you might feel trapped."

He nods.  Cousins living together is common enough here, too, especially in the nicer neighborhoods.  

"Feeling up to heading towards the park now?"

"We're enjoying it too! We agree!

I don't think we're uncomfortable. Knowing someone more like us too sounds good though! But we like you!" There's something about feeling trapped but she doesn't think it's about Azure and she doesn't know-it-in-words enough for saying.

"Yes, sir. Thank you."

He definitely wants to see what a park looks like in a spaceship.

They can go.  Florentho will stay back with the other daemons and continue chatting, unless they'd prefer to be picked up by their humans again.  

Not too much farther and the hall opens into a round park, the two layers of balcony above wrapping around the walls of the cylinder to create an open space.  The canal in the middle of the hall continues through, widening into a round pool in the center with a high lifeguard's chair at one side.  One half of the circle houses two large oval-shaped arenas with sand flooring.  Each is lined in rows of benches for watchers protected by panels of transparent shielding material.  There are door-like areas in the shield for daemons to enter and leave, and raised semicircles at the ends for their humans to stand.  The other half of the park has a large brightly colored thing for children to climb on set into its own oval of deep sand, as well as a simple and uninterrupted patch of grass for running around on.  Between these attractions are some much larger trees than the small ones lining each side of the canal in the normal hall.  

The far edges to the left and right aren't thick enough to have more than another ramp to move between levels, but other than that the walls are lined with storefronts.  High above, the third floor balcony is a bit wider than the second, the extra space lined in rows of booths shared by the restaurants up there.  Down on the lower floor, the food stands are more designed for light snacks and drinks. 

It's neither crowded nor empty.  About a third of the seat space for the arenas is taken up, though both have some teenagers on the raised platforms and their daemons flinging low-powered Moves at each other in the arena.  The grass has a group of kids chasing around three balls - it's not clear whether this is a game that requires three or if they're separate groups sharing the space.  More kids climb on the equipment.  While benches are numerous and plenty throughout the entire path getting here, more of them are actually being sat on in the park.  

"Tell me if anything in the food stalls looks good," Azure says, leading them to the outer path where the food stalls are lined up.  

"We want to buy you something but don't want to be the ones to suggest what to get and interfere with an honest choice," Florentho translates aloud for the sake of clarity.  

There are a good number of options, some normal and some strange.  Popcorn, raisins, frozen fruit on a stick, pretzels, roasted pecans, soda, hard candies, cold broth, deep fried yam...  Still nothing not vegetarian, and anything with milk is rare - the shop selling frozen things does sell ice cream, but only two flavors at the bottom of a large menu of other things.  

That is a very cool park in a spaceship.

A useful translation!

He will absolutely get ice-cream once he notices its existence, partially because he likes ice-cream and partially so that he can attempt to eat it in a plausibly deniably seductive manner. (He has no idea if Azure is paying attention to this or cares about it at all, but is perfectly able to enjoy himself without that as a requirement.)

(His daemon looks with interest at the arena.)

...It's nice here. This may be a wealthier part of the - ship, and he doesn't know what other parts might be like (right along with everything else he doesn't know.) But it's nice.

He will not ask their guide for a recommendation, since he does not want to be asked. The frozen fruit looks good. Maybe some fruit he hasn't seen before.

He looks around, smiles at the happy people about their day, at the children.