"My Screen?"

Of course, he acted dumb, but he'd already prepared for this after Affection had shown it all to him. He'd gone out of his way to hide a few things while leaving what they'd already seen in the church.

"Right. You reach up and tap right here on your head and think about showing your Screen and then we can see it. Like this, see?" His mother demonstrated herself, but the screen flicked on and off a bit too quickly for him to actually see anything other than a lot of text. Rou wanted to ask but realized he had not been taught to really read yet anyways so it wouldn't mean much to him.

Thus he did the same in turn and…

Status Screen 1.03

Name: Rou Erial

Titles: [Miracle Child] [Affection's Pet Project]

Strength: G - 1

Agility: G - 1

Intelligence: G - 1

Constitution: G - 1

Charisma: E - 10

Magic - Power: G - 1

Magic - Control: G - 1

Magic - Capacity: G - 1

Perks

[Subject to Affection's Whims] [Healthy Body]

Status

[Healthy Body]

It would seem when displaying a Screen to someone else, the notes from the Gods that explained further were hidden and it was a much simpler display.

"Huh…" Dominic said. "His Charisma is rather high…"

"Well, he is cute. Unlike you." Shiela teased, sticking her tongue out at him.

"Well I was cute enough to get you pregnant." came his retort. And for a moment the two stared at each other before realizing Rou was staring at them as well and pretending they didn't almost run off to try their luck at a second child. As Rou'd discovered long ago, they flirted a lot. And were very active with one another physically. Seemingly a nice, solid relationship.

"Ahem, right, so… you are capable at least. Some folks are born with empty Magic values. We can use Magic though, it's like this." Shiela had been the one who was trying to talk to him at the moment. Not that Dominic couldn't but usually he left explanations of things up to her as he knew very well having a child was a dream she thought would never come true, so he was content to give her the key so-to-speak and let her drive by default.

She raised her hand and pointed at a tree quite a ways away and a puff of fire appeared on her palm and launched itself that way. Didn't make it halfway before it vanished, but still, she did it a few more times in different ways.

"There are many different kinds of magic. Not everyone can use everything even if they spend their whole life learning. But if you want to learn magic, you'll have to study." she stopped to look at Dominic, "And of course we didn't bring any books did we?"

"Well of course not, we came out here light because you wanted to raise the kid somewhere quiet. Think there's any out here?"

"Mm…" Rou was excited even if he tried not to show it, his tail flicking behind him, stubby though it was. It didn't go unnoticed by his parents, getting amusement from both of them.

"We can try the Church. Not like we don't remember how we learned but it's difficult to teach it without books…" Dominic mused at that before picking up Rou and sitting him on his shoulder and walking towards the Church while holding onto one foot. Shiela followed along, contently leaning on the fellows arm and holding his hand, playing with each others fingers, a subtle promise between them of plans to slip off somewhere away from Rou later and try for a second child.

The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.

–

"Alas, no, we do not have any magic books here. Well, unless you count ones for the Light and Healing but I doubt you want to try and subject the boy to that. Not like a kid his age is like to want to study anatomy enough to make the stuff useful, hurr hurr hurr." The elderly feline priests laugh was rather strange and amused Rou, who let his parents do the talking.

–

"Ah, sorry, we don't have any magical books stocked here either. I mean, we can try and get some next we go out for supplies but we can't very well stock just in case, yeah?" the rodent-like woman who served as the villages general needs supplier stated.

–

"No, no." That was the response they got at nearly everywhere they went, except the priest who had Light-aligned study materials, and one old lady who had an ancient, nearly decrepit tome regarding gravity magic, both of which were far out of the realm of a beginner. Not that Rou didn't have an interest regardless, and she gave it over to him to enjoy. It had belonged to her husband when he was young, not that he ever got anything out of it. And ever since he'd passed away it just sat there gathering dust and cobwebs and falling to disrepair.

Of course, along the way, he insisted they stop several times so he could look at other magical tools. As he'd come to find out through their explanations, there were many elements.

Fire.

Earth.

Water.

Wind.

Ice.

Lightning.

Light.

Dark.

As well as a more non-aligned 'Base' element referred to as non-aspected, but tried to child-proof the explanation as 'empty' crystals.

“There are also inverse-aligned crystals, though they only really occur naturally as nobody has a reason to use them or artificially create them.” Affection chimed in.

Of course, their village had the basic varieties but had no real use for Light or Dark, both because they were likely rare, and the Priest at least could use healing magic.

Apparently in this world they didn't even come from monsters, at least, not the ones most folks use. Instead they care created manually by using ambient Aether and channeling that into Mana while forming a crystal accordingly. Rather tiring work but it's something most who were familiar with magic to a basic degree could do thereabouts well enough.

"I guess I can just make a run to the capital, not like we don't need to take care of a few things anyways. Should we all go?" His fathers voice came out as they walked back to the house.

Overprotective as she was, Shiela hugged Rou a bit more as she'd been carrying him like a stuffed animal. "He's too young."

"Shiela, he's three. I know you worry about…"

"Too. Young." she restated, clinging around him before Rou said simply, "I want to go."

"No." his mom stated.

"I want to go." Rou repeated again.

"No." she once again insisted.

"Shiela, come now…" Dominic tried to barter as he saw that look in his wife's expression that very much revealed she was simply scared to let the kid out of her sight. "We can all go."

She hesitated before taking a deep breath and handing him over to his father. "You two can go. I'm sorry, I know I'm being unreasonable. I'll have to learn eventually to be apart from him for lengths of time. I can't very well be with him the rest of our lives now can I?" She tried to sound tough but the expression she had was clearly one where she very much didn't want to have to learn the exact lesson she claimed to need to learn.

"Besides, I ran off without telling my family why. I don't really want to… deal with them suddenly again. At least not at the moment. I don't know if I could deal with their response to it all without getting angry. And if grandmother tried to insist on keeping Rou with them I'd probably rip her head off."

Rou's father nodded as he eased Rou onto his own two feet and moved over to reassure his wife.

Realizing it wasn't the best time to interrupt, Rou just looked elsewhere and stared off at the forest.

'Affection, how far away is this place from other villages, or any life even?'

"Hm? Oh, very far away indeed. By this worlds standards, several thousand legs. By your worlds standards… … …poking through your memories, a few hundred miles at least. There are a couple villages in a straight line between you and the capital your parents mentioned but… it would still be a ways. Ah, look around you, you know what a foxtail plant is, yes?"

Rou seemed to be thoughtful before looking over to a patch of grass and seeing several foxtails growing in the wild.

"Yes, that one." Affection coached him. "Go grab one and offer it to your mom and tell her you'll be fine. See, the people of this world have kind of associated me with that thing. Foxtail and all. You've seen my tail far more than the world has, you know how beautiful it is. A pale imitation but still, I think she'll get the impression."

Rou understood and plucked it before walking over to offer it up to her. But before he could say anything, his parents looked like they'd seen a ghost, only to stare up at the sky, then back down at him. After having learned about his association with Affection, it had almost been forgotten until now.

"Right, Affection. …I guess he will be safe." Shiela relented despite seeming a little uncomfortable about something. "You aren't… controlling our kid or something are you, Affection?" As she asked that she looked up, then down again at Rou. Rou hesitated before sighing and saying, "Lean down mom?" She knelt a little confused before Rou reached out and smacked her on the forehead. "Sorry mom, someone said to do that, and to say, 'Don't be stupid.' "

Dominic snorted laughing, causing the stunned Shiela to stand up and punch him right in the nose, ears folded back and heated, "How dare you laugh at me, bastard!" She thought about thumping Rou's ear but clearly he was simply doing as instructed so she held off. Having a goddess chide her through her own child was terribly humiliating and she promptly ran off towards their home that wasn't far away, got into bed and covered her head with a pillow to fume in the silence.

Despite getting a bloody nose, Dominic continued to laugh, even earning an amused look from Rou though he wasn't quite happy to see his parents were… that physically inclined. But with how close they were marriage-wise and sexually perhaps they were just odd?

"Hey, Rou? Next time… ask me first. Even if someone in your head tells you to do something. Okay?"

Rou looked at his father and nodded.

"Perfect. Now.. stay still a moment." Confused, Rou stayed still only to let out a confused noise as he was picked up by the back of his outfit and his father promptly dashed across the village at an inhuman speed, seemingly using a bit of magic to do so, before stopping in front of the church and pushing it open. Seems he went to get his broken nose healed up by the priest, who simply shook his head and did as requested.

"I'm gonna take you home, go hug your mom, and if she asks I'll be back at some point tonight. She probably won't ask though as she's mad at me."

The boy nodded and was once again whisked like a grocery bag before they arrived at their little cottage. Door was opened, he was shoo'd inside and went to climb onto the bed and cuddle with his mother who gratefully accepted it.

It wasn't unusual for them to fall asleep like this and in the childs body, though he'd acclimated by this point to it, it was still impossible for him to resist. The familiar warmth and scent, the weight of the blankets and his mothers arms around him. It was doubly nostalgic from when he was young even in his past life. At least while he still got along with his mother of that life.