ROLL CALL!!!
YOU KNOW THE DRILL, EVERY 250 PS = 1 EXTRA CHAPTER!
I DONT HAVE A PATREON SO IF YOU WANT TO SUPPORT READ MY OTHER STORY: MY SCUMBAG SYSTEM
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"I never knew there were so many clothes in the world!" Aries voice bubbled with genuine wonder. "And they're all so soft and colorful!"
Inko walked ahead of them, occasionally glancing back with a warm smile. "We'll have to go back for shoes next weekend," she called over her shoulder. "Every young lady needs proper footwear."
"More shopping?" Aries's eyes widened. "I would be honored, Midoriya-san!"
The plan had worked even better than expected. His mother had not only accepted Aries's presence but embraced it wholeheartedly, wrapping the celestial spirit in a cocoon of maternal protection.
The quiet evening air suddenly erupted with a loud, unmistakable sound.
GRRRRRRRUMBLE!
Aries froze mid-step. Her entire body went rigid as her face flushed crimson, the color spreading across her cheeks and reaching the tips of her ears. She clutched her stomach with both hands, looking at Isaiah with wide, horrified eyes.
"I... I..." she stammered, mortification radiating from every pore.
Inko turned around, her face softening. "Oh, you poor thing! You must be starving. We've been shopping all day without a proper meal."
Isaiah barely registered his mother's words. His mind had locked onto a far more significant question: Do spirits get hungry?
『Hey, Arcan? Quick question about familiars.』
『Did you skip the terms and conditions?Of course you did. Listen up, because this is important.』
The world around him continued moving as Arcan's explanation unfolded within his consciousness.
『Familiars, unless specifically noted otherwise, conform to the rules of the realm they're summoned into. In this world, that means she gets hungry. She gets tired. She can get sick. She can bleed. She is, for all intents and purposes, physically human while she's here.』
Isaiah processed this information while mechanically nodding at something Aries was saying about never having tried vegetable curry before.
『There's more,』 Arcan continued. 『The longer she remains manifested in this realm, the more 'human' she becomes. Her emotions will deepen, her personality will solidify. Think of it as localizing to your world's parameters.』
So she's basically mortal while she's here?
『Now you're catching on,』 Arcan replied. 『If her physical form is destroyed she will be forcibly returned to the familiar space. The respawn cooldown is eight hours.』
Isaiah nearly stumbled with relief. Eight hours wasn't ideal, but it meant Aries was essentially immortal. A temporary inconvenience at worst.
『But...』 Arcan's voice grew unusually serious. 『There is a non-zero probability that the trauma of dematerialization will cause a full memory wipe. She would respawn as a blank slate. Level one loyalty, no memory of you, this world, or herself. You would have to start from scratch.』
What's the probability we're talking about?
『It scales with trauma severity,』 Arcan explained. 『Quick death? Maybe five percent. Slow, painful death? Closer to sixty. And before you ask—yes, emotional trauma counts. If you crush her spirit badly enough, that number climbs too.』
"We're home!" Inko announced, interrupting Isaiah's thoughts as they approached their apartment building.
Once inside, shopping bags were deposited in neat piles throughout the living room. Inko bustled around the kitchen while Aries stood awkwardly in the center of the room, still wearing Isaiah's oversized clothes.
"Why don't you take a nice, warm shower, dear?" Inko suggested gently. "You can try on some of your new pajamas afterward. The bathroom is down the hall, first door on the right."
"Thank you, Midoriya-san." Aries bowed deeply. "Your kindness is overwhelming."
Isaiah helped her gather toiletries and a pair of fluffy pink pajamas from their purchases. He showed her to the bathroom, briefly explaining how the shower worked.
"Just turn this knob for hot water," he demonstrated. "Don't make it too hot."
Aries nodded seriously, studying the shower controls with intense concentration. "I will do my best not to disappoint you."
The sound of running water soon filled the apartment. Isaiah wandered back toward the living room, only to pause at the kitchen entrance. Inko stood with her back to him, stirring something in a pot on the stove. Steam rose around her in gentle curls.
"Izuku." Her voice was quiet but carried clearly over the sound of the shower. "Come here."
Isaiah approached cautiously, leaning against the counter. "What's up, Mom?"
Inko didn't turn around. She continued stirring, her shoulders tense beneath her cardigan. "Is she okay?"
"Aries? Yeah, she's fine. Just excited about all the new clothes."
"Is she in some kind of danger?"
"What do you mean?"
Inko finally turned to face him, wooden spoon still in hand. Her eyes weren't angry but filled with a deep, penetrating concern that somehow felt more dangerous than rage.
"A girl who doesn't know what underwear is," Inko continued, her voice barely above a whisper. "Who stared at a simple dessert in the mall food court like it was the first sweet thing she'd ever tasted. Who looks at you like you're the only thing keeping her from falling apart." Her knuckles whitened around the wooden spoon.
"Who is she running from, Izuku?"
Isaiah saw his opening and took it.
"They don't know she's in Japan," he said quietly, letting his shoulders slump forward. "At least, I don't think so. They don't have the means to get here... I think."
"She didn't have anywhere to stay," he continued. "I've been... helping her when I could."
Inko's face paled. The spoon clattered against the side of the pot. "So that's it," she whispered, her voice choked with emotion. "The nights... when you weren't in your room when I came to check on you..."
She knew? She had known about his nighttime excursions and said nothing?
"Yeah," he admitted, dropping his gaze to the floor. "I found her cheap motels when she could afford them. Brought her food from convenience stores. I didn't know what else to do," he finished lamely.
"Why didn't you tell me?"
Isaiah shrugged one shoulder. "I didn't want to worry you. And I wasn't sure how to explain her... you know."
Inko stepped forward and wrapped her arms around him, surprising him with the ferocity of her embrace. "You brave, foolish boy," she murmured against his shoulder. "You should have told me immediately."
Over his mother's shoulder, Isaiah watched the bathroom door. The shower was still running. "So... she can stay?"
Inko pulled back, wiping at her eyes. "Of course she can stay," she said, as if the alternative was unthinkable. "This apartment isn't large, but we'll make it work. No one should be alone in a strange country, especially not someone so... vulnerable."
The shower shut off with a metallic squeak. Moments later, Aries emerged in a cloud of steam, her pink hair darkened to magenta and clinging to her neck. She wore the fluffy pajamas they'd purchased, decorated with cartoon sheep jumping over fences. The sight was almost comically on-brand.
"The water was so warm," she said, her voice filled with wonder. "And the soap smells like flowers!"
"Come sit down, dear," Inko said gently. "Dinner is almost ready. You must be hungry after such a long day."
Aries glanced at Isaiah, seeking his approval. He nodded slightly, and she beamed in response.
"Thank you, Midoriya-san. I am very hungry!" She patted her stomach with both hands. "My body made such a strange noise earlier."
Inko laughed. "That's perfectly normal, sweetheart."