[Can’t Opt Out]

⸄I am Harmony. This is Rin and Sk’lar, and you’ve already met Key.⸅

Emilia tilted her head at the girl. “You’re speaking like you did last night, not like Key.”

The girl’s nose wrinkled, her seemingly perpetual frown deepening. It made her look older than she likely was, wrinkles tugging at her eyes and mouth in a way that told of a lifetime of severity. ⸂You can understand now?⸃ she asked, switching dialects, her voice shifting from the modulated voice of the Risen Guard’s communication method to what Emilia assumed was their native tongue, a sound that vibrated into her through the aethernet.

Emilia nodded, and the girl turned a glare on her probably brother.

⸂This is your fault!⸃ she hissed at him.

Key eyed her lazily, unconcerned with the venomous tone. ⸂I suppose.⸃

Emilia and Sk’lar snorted, while Rin sagged lazily into one of the chairs. She snuggled into a ball, and a moment later, Emilia swore she was already asleep.

⸂She’s got the napping gene,” the man—Sk’lar—said, coming to sit beside her, his weight making the couch sag and Emilia was forced to adjust herself or risk toppling into him. He might have saved her last night, fought off her guard rather than let her be taken, but he still gave her a bad vibe.

She glanced at him, trying to figure out if he was serious about the girl having a napping gene or not. From what she’d seen, there was little to no technology in this world, but she’d seen so little. Who knew, the upper class—and these people were certainly upper class—could be hoarding such knowledge. Stars knew that happened in Baalphoria. For all she knew, they could possess technology for analyzing genetics. She also couldn’t completely rule out a skill that allowed them to do so. No one in her world had ever been able to code a skill capable of analyzing genes or preforming knot therapy without a machine, but you never knew.

Or, it could just be a joke she was reading too much into.

⸂Mother and father will be—⸃

⸂Mother and father will accept what has happened. There is no undoing it. There is only going forward.⸃

⸂You think too easily of them, Key,⸃ the girl growled, glaring dangers at her brother. ⸂And even if they accept this, grandmother will not! This is bad. It will not take the Risen Guard long to track us down, not when Rin and I do not return to training next week.⸃

⸂Then we have a week.⸃

The girl’s eyes rolled as she began to pace, ranting about how Key never thought things through, never thought of the consequences or how much time things took or the danger.

Emilia could relate to that. For all that she could be extremely smart, her brain thinking through every possibility before most people could think of even one or two, she was also horrible at remembering to do the thinking before the doing. See: current situation.

⸂All those years of work, shot. And not just me, but Rin! Rin had nothing to do with this, and now she’s involved.⸃ The girl ran a hand through her curls, fingers catching on the knots and whirls. She cursed—or at least, Emilia assumed that ⸂Boil it!⸃ was a curse.

⸂I don’t think the little girl cares,⸃ Sk’lar noted, popping one of the disgusting, not-blood leaking cubes into his mouth. Asshole hadn’t even bothered to ask. ⸂She hasn’t even asked about it all, and I’d take her over you any day. At least she helped last night.⸃

Key took a step back as his sister turned on the taller man, the boy quickly edging around the couch until he could pull Emilia up and away from the arguing pair. ⸂Sorry,⸃ he said, smiling apologetically. He gently nudged Rin, the girl opening startling, muddy red eyes. ⸂Can you come translate?⸃

Rin side eyed the arguing pair before letting Key haul her up, and then the world bent and broke, and they were standing on a patio, a gentle breeze blowing in from across a burnt red lake.

⸂You took us far,⸃ Rin noted, taking a seat in a large, egg-shaped chair.

⸂Harm was in a mood,⸃ he sighed, motioning for Emilia to take a seat in one of the other, identical chairs as he rang a bell. ⸂I don’t think she will be productive to the conversation.⸃

⸂True,⸃ the girl replied, legs pulling up onto the chair. She was so tiny, not quite child sized but close enough that the chair seemed to be trying to swallow her up. ⸂I don’t know as much as she does about all this.⸃

Key politely lowered himself into his own chair, sitting straight and proper while Emilia fidgeted, trying to get comfortable for what was likely to be a long chat.

⸂True…⸃ he said, smiling as a servant appeared on a path leading away from the lake. ⸂I largely need you to translate. I also think you have a right to know what is going on.⸃

Rin watched him through suspicious eyes as he ordered food from the servant, occasionally offering suggestions as to what they should get—things she’d learned in training that visitors tended to be more inclined to eat.

Emilia looked around while they ordered, taking in the new location. The landscape was similar to the last, except the lake, so it couldn’t have been too far from where they had started—although, who was to say if this world’s biomes operated the way the ones of her world did, numerous and diverse. The entire planet—assuming this world even was a normal planet to begin with!—could be a single biome, for all she knew.

The only other discernible difference was the lack of any buildings, although the servant must have come from somewhere, must be going somewhere to get food.

⸂Is something wrong?⸃

Emilia glanced back at Key, watching her with that happy expression of his once again. She opened her mouth, intending to tell him that in her world it was considered strange for a lake to not be surrounded by houses of the rich and powerful, before turning to Rin. “Do you mind translating for us? You don’t have to. We’ll figure something out, if you’d rather not.”

The other girl’s eyes widened minutely, that deep red searching for something before she said, ⸂It is fine. It is kind of you to ask; however, it is unnecessary.”

Emilia resisted the urge to frown. It was necessary. She’d been forced to be a translator so many times in her own youth, obligated and annoyed to have never actually been asked if she would. She would have done so easily, if asked. Instead, she’d always been slightly belligerent, running away from demanding adults and hiding until they gave up searching for her. She had been almost six, by the time anyone bothered to ask, her smile soft and calm and understanding in a way so few adults were.

“Where I’m from, it’s customary to directly address the person you are talking to, regardless of whether there is a translator,” she continued—she didn’t want to accidentally break some social norm!

Rin confirmed this was fine, before adding, ⸂It is my understanding that you do not wish to offend us? May I assume, then, that you would prefer to be informed if you are doing so?⸃

Emilia nodded gratefully to the girl, the two of them agreeing that Rin would tell her if she was being a rude asshat in her presence—Key as well, once Rin had caught him up on Emilia’s half of the conversation.

⸂You’re different,⸃ he noted as a different servant appeared with drinks for each of them, ⸂from the other visitors, especially ones the Risen Guard target.⸃

“So, I was specifically chosen, then?” Emilia said, taking a sip of her whitish drink as Rin translated for them while drinking her own, black tinted drink. So, people could indeed speak with their mouths full here, her guard had just refused to do so.

⸂Yes. The Risen Guard monitor visitors, picking out ones they deem dangerous and letting them loose on the world,⸃ Key explained, swirling his own drink the way people did wine in Baalphoria. ⸂Most wind up like you, running from them—causing trouble. It gives the Guard an excuse to get rid of them.⸃

By the look on Rin’s face, minute as her expressions were, she hadn’t known this, despite apparently being a Risen Guard in training.

“What were you being taught the Risen Guard did?” she asked the girl, startling her further. A fraction of a second later, her flat, bored expression returned as though nothing secret had been revealed—as though the weird, not-red coded girl hadn’t just spoken to her unexpectedly.

⸂That they protect the city and the cities within from external threats. Visitors, as well as foreign powers. They work to contain the danger posed by blood magic.⸃

⸂They don’t set up visitors to cause problems so they can murder them,⸃ went unsaid.

“Do visitors visit other, er… foreign powers, as well?” Emilia asked. She’d been curious about that. Platforms could drop heroes in any location, but they often ignored entire areas for one reason or another. Some systems even made travel to certain locations impossible, even for the most skilled heroes. Too much danger, or not enough. Things the platform maintainers didn’t want heroes to know existed, either for future raids or because something truly egregious existed in the world they had created.

Rin translated her question, her and Key glancing between each other.

“I'll take that as a mutual ‘no fucking idea.’”

⸂What does ‘fucking’ mean?⸃ Rin asked, just as Emilia was taking another sip of her drink—it was pretty good. Sweet. Her brain was already buzzing again.

She choked, waving Key off when he tried to come to her aid. “I’m fine,” she wheezed around her coughs. “Swear word. It’s a vulgar word for sex.”

⸂Aren’t all words for… that vulgar?⸃ Key asked, looking truly distressed, and Emilia had to try not to laugh. Laughing would certainly make her coughing worse.

So, it was going to be a prudish world after all, huh? That sucked. This was going to end up being her longest dry spell in a couple of decades, wasn’t it?

“Is sex taboo here?” she asked, looking between the two. Rin still looked bored, although even her pale pink cheeks had begun to redden.

⸂It is generally kept private. It is not forbidden, although neither is it encouraged. I would say it is… rare, outside of marriage.⸃

“So, do people flirt? Like, make their interest in getting together known…” Emilia trailed off, trying not to laugh as Rin outright refused to translate her words for Key. Out of all the things to talk about, this definitely wasn’t the most important. On the other hand, she had a substantial sex drive and was something of a chronic flirt. Based on their reactions—based on Rin telling her that no, people did not make such interest known… ever—she was completely fucked, while simultaneously being forced to remain completely unfucked.

That said, her guard hadn’t actually noticed her flirting, so maybe she was good? Perhaps sex was so removed from social life that no one would realize her tendency to flirt to get a rise out of someone?

One could certainly hope. Still…

“Well, I feel a bit bad now…” she sighed, frowning upwards. The clouds looked tasty, just like delicious candy. She twisted her empty cup in her hand. She wanted more of that sweet maybe-fruit.

⸂You feel bad about…?⸃ Rin asked, glancing towards Key, who looked equally concerned.

“Well, I walked by some other visitors while my guard and I were leaving. They weren’t very nice, and were implying I had sex with him to gain my freedom. I kinda… leaned into that? They probably spread the word, and now all the visitors there are most likely trying to get it on with the guards.”

Rin looked horrified. Key looked horrified that not only did Rin look horrified, but she was also refusing to translate Emilia’s long speech. It was rather funny.

“Do you think they’ll be okay?” she asked, clarifying that she meant the visitors. They'd been rude, but she didn’t want them to be tortured for getting too familiar with the guards or anything.

⸄They will likely… be fine,⸅ Rin said diplomatically, changing into the dialect of the Risen Guard, which Key could not understand.

“So, why can you understand me, and he can’t?” Emilia asked, motioning towards Key, who was looking increasingly put out at being actively excluded from the conversation. “He can’t understand when you speak to me like that, like a Risen Guard, right?”

Rin nodded, glancing towards Key. The tiniest bit of amusement shone in her eyes as she continued leaving him out of their conversation. ⸄Our hearing is naturally too strong,⸅ she explained, ignoring Key when he grumbled something about girls. He looked like he wanted to pout, but was too polite to do so. ⸄When we are born, our hearing is magically suppressed. During training with the Risen Guard, our hearing is slowly returned to us, although never fully. Very few people outside the Guard remove their suppression more than necessary.⸅

The girl’s nose scrunched in thought, the barest of frowns tugging at her full lips. ⸄I believe the magic we use to speak to visitors also translates our words? I am not fully aware of the details. However, I believe that even were Key able to hear you better, it would be unintelligible.⸅

“So… the system—your magic—translates our words?”

⸄I believe so, but most of the Guard never reaches the level where they would learn the specifics.⸅

“How far along are you?”

⸂I have finished basic training. I am not far into specialization,⸃ Rin said, switching back to the aether-powered dialect.

Key glowered at his friend—were they friends? Emilia really should ask—his fingers tapping over the arm of his chair. He didn’t seem like the type of person used to being defied. Even the night before, no one but his sister had tried very hard to disagree with him.

⸂Oh, are you going to include me again?⸃ he asked, his voice not quite spitting but close enough that someone softer might have pulled away.

Rin was not soft, simply glancing his way and continuing on, telling Emilia details about the Risen Guard that her failed babysitter had refused to speak of.