Well, as unexpected as it is, I have decided to try and start a little project based on a suggestion I got from ObeliskX for a story that would feature a reverse harem (a female lead with other males around her; unlike the more typical harem settings where are the opposite of that).

For quite a while, I really wanted to write a story about Urd and even though she's far from absent in my other stories, none of them specifically focus on her. So, this project is very different in the aspect that it mainly centers itself around a much smaller cast of characters, compared to what I'm mostly known for writing. Also, this will be far better paced in regards to how fast things happen and hopefully will be easier to get into it because of that.

Generally speaking, this is an AU version of the AMG series, taking place after Keiichi's graduation, but, without any of the series' events taking place. No wishes, no contact with immortals, or anything of that nature.

The biggest warning however, is that this story will feature a pairing that's non canon and as such, I must advise those who cannot stand such a thing to avoid reading this story. I have nothing against Belldandy and Keiichi being together; far from it. My other stories are heavily centered around that pairing and I have no intention to change that there. This, however, is an AU story that's not going to focus on Urd's sisters and as such, I've felt that it wouldn't be a problem for Keiichi to potentially end up with another. Normally, I'd avoid including such a spoilerish comment, but, I'm fully aware that pairings are a huge matter for most fans and I don't want to upset anyone who would start reading this without that knowledge.

Finally, I'd like to note that due to the fact that I've already have two other stories that I try to update on a regular basis, this one will unfortunately see a less frequent schedule of updates. However, despite that, I intend to keep it going and I'd never abandon it without any warning. So, for those who might happen to like this, please be patient while I'm working on it.

I do not own the Ah! Megami sama / Oh! My Goddess series

"Goddess second class, first category, limited license, Urd.

Due to your reckless actions during what was supposed to be a routine maintenance of the subsystem, five servers went offline and an even more extensive repairs of the remaining ones are now needed. As a direct result of that, you're getting a fifty year license suspension and will have to remain in Midgard until your penance is over.

I have spoken."

XXX

Nekomi, Japan

"Waitress! I said that I wanted my coffee black! This has creamer in it!"

Gritting her teeth, the newest employee of one of Nekomi's busiest cafes tried to maintain her cool as she dealt with the annoying customer who had already complained about the crumbled cookies that were served along with his coffee. "Please forgive my mistake, sir. I'll get you another cup."

Retrieving the fourth wrong order for today's shift, the bronze skinned waitress was almost certain that not only those indecisive morons were doing it on purpose to get an extra order for free, but, in the end she was going to listen to that unfeeling drone who acted as the shop's manager go on and on about how she was supposed to do her job.

'Yeah right, he realized that it had creamer after he drank nearly a third of it... And he had a problem with the cookies too! That son of a...'

In all honesty, she wasn't entirely sure which was worse; the customers who kept annoying her like that or those who tried to flirt with her every time she tried to take their orders. Ever since she started working here nearly a month ago, her popularity had skyrocketed among the students of this college city, who wanted to check the exotic beauty with a body that made most models look like runts in comparison. However, that did little to amuse her as the constant attempts to get her phone number or even ask her directly for a date had started to get on her nerves, especially with that old coot of a manager admonishing her for wasting time by chatting with the customers instead of being more efficient.

Truth to be told, the platinum haired woman was utterly sick of this place and if it wasn't for the somewhat decent pay, she would've quit days ago. None of her coworkers were particularly friendly towards her, although, she suspected that it wasn't anything personal, but, their fear of getting scolded by that devil of a manager who wouldn't even let them talk to each other unless it was strictly part of their work. It was no wonder that most other waitresses quit within a couple of months and that was actually how she got her position when another girl decided that she no longer wanted to work in a place where the staff was treated like soulless machines.

'Wish I could get better job, too… Having to smile like an idiot all the time is starting to get on my nerves. And… Whoa!...'

As brief as it was, the sensation of having someone pat her bottom was more than enough to make her spin around to see who had the nerve to pull such a stunt and found a middle aged man in a boring dark gray costume who immediately pulled away from her. It wasn't just the fact that she didn't ignore it, but the sheer intensity of her stare was more than enough to make him wish he had never attempted that in the first place.

Slamming the tray she was carrying on his table with enough force to make the cups on it rattle and nearly fall over, the platinum haired woman snarled at the offending customer as she grabbed him by the front of his collar and lifted him up almost effortlessly with one hand, making both him and the others around them gawk at the sight in shock.

"Where the hell do you think you are? In a cabaret?"

Struggling to come up with a response as the buxom woman shook him like a ragdoll, the commotion she caused eventually got not only the other customers' attention, but the rest of the staff as well and more importantly, the manager.

"Miss Urd! What do you think you're doing?! You can't treat a valuable customer like that! Release him at once!"

Turning to the portly old man who was readjusting his glasses after what must've felt like a marathon for him as he rushed to save the offender instead of the victim, Urd had no desire to remain polite after everything that happened. It was ridiculous enough that he was making them work around the clock like machines, but, to try and defend a scumbag only because he was making money out of him was unforgivable. "Release him? Instead of calling the police, you want to make it seem that nothing had happened at all? What's next? Apologize to him?"

"The police? Don't be ridiculous! I don't want people think that this is an ill reputed place!" countered the manager, holding his ground, despite the stern and even scary expression on her face.

"It's all money to you, isn't it? You filthy cur?" spat Urd as she set the middle aged man down. However, before anyone could even blink she promptly smashed her forehead against the wide eyed molester, sending him sprawling on the floor.

"That's it! You're fired! Get out of here this instance and never come back!" shouted the shaking manager as he pointed towards the exit, astonished by the defiance of this woman who didn't even try to apologize for her rudeness towards him.

"Screw you! I quit!" Proudly flipping him the bird, Urd took her apron off and tossed it right on the fuming manager's face, as she marched towards the exit. "I'm not going to work for a scumbag to the likes of you!"

"You… You!... Ungrateful wench! I should sue you for assaulting my…" Stopping abruptly when he noticed a young man standing next to him, the manager tried to put an apologetic look on his face. "P-Please… don't be disturbed by this rude woman… I assure you that our shop is a ve-.."

His sentence was cut short when he failed to produce any more sound, making the portly man panic as he couldn't understand what was going on; other than something was terribly wrong here.. And while the worried manager struggled to get a grip of the situation, the man with the dark blue hair simply ignored him as he tried to track the goddess who just left the shop. Letting a sigh he headed towards the exit as well, he left the manager behind without any care for his soundless pleas for help. It was only after he too left the shop that the portly man was able to talk once again, but either way, he was totally irrelevant to him at that point; his message had come across and even if the mortal failed to learn anything, he had temporarily stopped him from making any more noise.

'The nerve of that human! Treating his workers like trash… Now where did she go?'

Scanning the streets with his blue eyes, the man disappeared into the crowd, in hopes to find the goddess.

XXX

"No… no… just no…"

Throwing the newspaper away in frustration, Urd had had it. None of the jobs she tried to get were actually remotely interesting or even capable of providing her with the much needed income to keep paying for her rent.

It was utterly confusing for her, but the bronze skinned woman had real trouble to recollect anything prior of waking up in this apartment several weeks ago with very little idea of who she was or what she doing here at all. Other than her name and the fact that she appeared to be from a foreign land, Urd no other piece of information about herself and a tiny amount of money to cover her initial expenses.

In the first couple of days, she contemplated to go to the authorities and ask for help, although, the lack of any ID or other official papers made her rather reluctant. For all practical purposes she could not prove that she was either a Japanese citizen or had the right to be there, legally at least. As such, Urd had wisely decided to keep a low profile and simply find a job to support herself.

Unfortunately, that also lead to a big problem, as she had no way to certify her level of education and create a CV for herself. As a matter of fact, while she was fairly knowledgeable about all types of medicine and even skilled with computers, lacking an official degree from any university or college it was all but impossible for her to make others accept her application for positions that required those skills. Instead, Urd was restricted to the types of jobs that didn't need any degree and within the first few days she got herself a position as a waitress; not the fanciest of things she could do, but at least, it paid the bills.

Of course, after that incident almost a week ago, there was no way she would go back and try to find another cafe or even a restaurant to work. Urd had despised the looks she was getting from all those college students and their silly efforts to court her, and those jobs also tended to provide her with little money; especially since her customers left few tips and yet an abundance of notes with their phone numbers.

'What a bunch of losers… As if I'd date them for no apparent reason. Or they just think that because I like to show a bit more skin, I'm an easy girl who drops her panties at a moment's notice. Yeah… right.'

Sadly for her, the hunt for the ideal job was becoming more like a wild goose chase, since she had not found a single decent place that would take her without any sort of degree or waiting on a ridiculously long list for an interview; only to be politely shot down. Well, there a few places where those interviewers were rather interested, however, it was her who decided that she wished to have nothing to do with them. Desperate or not, Urd had no delusions that those men wanted her not as a saleswoman, but, as a personal entertainer of sorts and that was simply out of question.

The real issue though was that she was on a deadline; one that was rapidly approaching as her budget was nearly gone and in a week's time, she'd have to pay the rent; something that she could no longer afford anymore. During such desperate times, Urd had even contemplated to work as a model, but… after being told that she had to lose some weight in order to fit the ridiculous standards of that industry, the amnesiac woman felt way more offended than frustrated. There was absolutely nothing with her figure from her perspective, although the ones she contacted probably wanted a walking skeleton, rather than a sexy, sensual lady.

'Their loss… And the nerve of that old coot… asking whether my breasts were real or not… Just because she looks like a shriveled prune doesn't mean that there aren't any naturally attractive women out there.'

There was a particular type of modeling position that she could easily score, though. However, getting a job as an adult actress was a far too undesirable for her and as a result, it became an absolutely last resort option should everything else fail and even then, Urd was rather reluctant. She was by no means a shy person and most of the outfits she wore reflected that aspect of her personality. Still, Urd also possessed a rather strong sense of pride and having to resort to something she personally considered as demeaning was so far from acceptable that she had to no desire to give it a try. In her opinion, her attractive looks were part of who she truly was, not something to be used as merchandise.

'Hm… a bike shop is in need for a saleswoman? Well… there seems to be no other requirements, so, maybe I'll go and take a look? If it's not owned by a totally perverted old man, I might give it a try. First things first, I need a hot shower and then something nice to wear for tomorrow.'

Content that she had a plan for the next day, Urd decided to make sure that she was presentable for the upcoming visit on her aspiring workplace, even if she knew little about bikes and other kinds of vehicles. Truth to be told, if she wasn't facing the possibility of getting evicted, that advertisement would've never caught her eye as a potential opportunity.

Writing down the address in a piece of paper, Urd headed for the bath, hoping that this time she was going to be a bit more lucky for a change.

XXX

'Uh… What in the name of… Is this a shop or a shipping container?'

Blinking as she stood in front of the so called 'Whirlwind,' Urd was starting to see why there were absolutely no requirements for this position. The... shop, for a lack of a better word, was just a tiny business and worse, the prospect of getting a good salary was most likely a dream by now.

Yet despite her disappointment and desire to go back to her apartment and start searching for a different job, Urd decided to knock the door. After all, time was running out and she was one day closer for having her landlord ask her for the rent.

"Welcome to Whirlwind! Is there anything I can get for you, miss?"

Staring at the brunette, Urd was rather surprised to find a woman instead of a guy in a place like this. Actually, the shop while tiny, it was in a much better state than most grease covered and dirty workplaces out there; indicating a female touch that was often missing from such kinds of businesses.

"Uh… I'm here for the saleswoman position," said the goddess with some reluctance, unsure whether she was talking at the right person or not. "My name's Urd and I was wondering if I could work here."

"Oh! I never thought we'd get someone asking for the position already! Pleased to meet you, I'm Fujimi Chihiro, the owner of this shop," said the brunette businesswoman, offering her hand to the goddess who shook it with a small smile. "And the guy working on that bike in that corner is Keiichi Morisato."

"Huh?" Following her gaze, the bronze skinned lady noticed the shop's only other worker who paused to see what was going on. "Oh, sorry, I didn't notice you."

"That's okay… I must admit that I was a bit too busy to notice you as well," said Keiichi with a chuckle as he wondered what a beautiful woman like her was doing in their shop. Clearly, given the way she was dressed, with her high heels and her tight minidress, he doubted that she was a bike enthusiast, since that attire was unsuitable for driving anything other than a car. Of course, she could always be here for the salary, although, if that was the case, he seriously didn't expect her to stay for long. There was a reason why Chihiro didn't post too much information about that position; the pay was really low and despite her claims they already had four candidates showing up, only to leave after they heard how much they were going to get paid.

Offering a friendly nod as she noticed that for once, someone looked at her eyes when talking to her, Urd turned back to Chihiro to learn more details. "So, I trust that the position is still available?"

"Yes, that's right! You'll have to take over the sales for me, which would give me the opportunity to focus more on helping Keiichi-kun over there with the actual work that needs to be done around here," said Chihiro with a smile."The hourly salary is 450 Yen, and we're open six days a week for a normal eight hour shift."

Urd had to put a considerable amount of effort to avoid wincing at the sound of that. As a matter of fact, her previous job offered her nearly twice as much, tips included. On one hand, the bronze skinned goddess liked the environment so far, since Chihiro and Keiichi appeared to be good people. However, it was going to be really painful to cover all her expenses with such a tiny amount of money and she had to make a tough decision; whether to take the job or simply walk away hoping to get a better offer somewhere else. 'I don't like the sound of that salary, but, time is running out. I only have a few more days to find a job and… Oh… let's get this over with!'

"I guess I'll be working here from now on!"

"Excellent! I hope you're going to enjoy your new job, Urd!" Smiling brightly, Chihiro was really happy that her business was finally expanding. It had been already a year since she opened her shop and while they had a decent amount of clients so far, they needed a lot more before they would be able to become truly successful.

"Yes, congratulations, Urd-san. I guess I'll be the only guy here from now on," said Keiichi jokingly, as he tried to figure out why she accepted the position. 'Maybe she's broke? It's not like I hadn't gone through those phases during the last couple of years...'

"Please… Urd-san is too formal for my liking. Just call me Urd and we'll get together just fine," said the bronze skinned goddess with a wink, making the mechanic blush as he wasn't used to get compliments from girls.

"Uh… t-thanks... Urd…" Scratching the back of his head nervously, Keiichi desperately tried to remind himself that she was merely a person he met only minutes ago, and from this point on, his coworker. It was true that most women he tried to impress, either ignored him or outright dumped him after a date or two for various reasons. Not only he was nearly broke most of the time, but, his tendency to spend countless hours for his hobbies was something that deterred even the most patient of them who wanted him to pay more attention to them, instead of wasting his free time and energy with some crazy project.

That was back when he was still a student at NIT and member of the notorious Motor Club, known for the eccentricity of its directors and all the rest of the crazy schemes they came up with. It was so bad, that the only girl who seriously considered to date him for real, asked him to chose between her and that Club, given how much time and money he devoted for what was actually a hobby in her eyes. And with his reluctance to pick either, his girlfriend had decided that enough was enough and broke up with him, leaving Keiichi rather reluctant to try again anytime soon.

"Okay! I guess it's fine to finish a bit earlier today and celebrate for our new employee!" Grinning from ear to ear, the brunette businesswoman started to prepare for Ur's welcoming party, something that the goddess wasn't really expecting at all.

'Actually… salary aside, this looks like a nice place to work.'

XXX

"Are you sure you can go home on your own?"

Chuckling, Urd turned to the dark haired mechanic who was already preparing to start his bike's engine. It was extremely rare to see one with a sidecar anymore, especially as she wasn't even sure what he needed that attachment for; being single and all. Despite that, it appeared that he took great care of his BMW, as it was nearly as if it just rolled out the assembly line despite its apparent age. On the other hand, his attempt to help her was a bit too obvious. "That's fine, Keiichi. My apartment isn't that far from here, actually. I'll be there in a couple of minutes, so, you don't have to worry about anything."

"No, I meant… You drank a whole bottle of sake and… Are you feeling okay?" asked the blushing man, suddenly realizing that she might've mistaken his offer as a cheesy way to court her.

"Oh! About that? I can drink a lot more and have no ill effects!" Urd had never considered that he probably expected her to get drunk. Although she had seen others get tipsy or even plastered with a single bottle of booze, even the strongest stuff couldn't phase her and that puzzled her. Sure, she got a buzz after a few glasses, but, it wasn't like anything she had seen from others and even more, she never got a hangover.

"Really? Sorry, since I rarely drink… you know… I'm what you might call a lightweight. Of course, that's mostly because I like to drive whenever I can and as such, I avoid alcohol. Others often teased me for following the law to the letter, but, I'd rather avoid an accident if I can do something about it," said Keiichi as he put his helmet on, before he added with a chuckle. "In that case, I guess you don't need me to take you home."

"Wait!... I never said that getting there faster is a bad thing." Feeling that the man was sincere and not just another con artist who just wanted to get into her panties, Urd decided to give it a try and socialize with him; as long as he didn't get any funny ideas. Sure, he looked cute in a way and all that, but, having to work together with him would make him a bad candidate as a temporary date. And with most of her memory inaccessible, the goddess had no idea if she wanted to have a more serious relationship right now. It was one of the most problematic parts of her current predicament, to be uncertain of who she really was and what she wanted to do with her life.

"Huh?"

Chuckling as she saw the confused look on the mechanic's face, Urd pointed at his sidecar. "I meant that I wouldn't mind taking me home a bit sooner than I'd normally get on my own. Unless it's an inconvenience…"

"No!... After all, I was the one who suggested it! Please climb on, Urd," said Keiichi with a smile as he suddenly frowned. "Um… Unfortunately, I don't have a helmet for you right now, but, I hope we won't get into trouble for that."

"Oh? So, mister Upholding Citizen is going to break the law for me? Interesting..." teased Urd as she got onto the sidecar and made herself comfortable; as much as she possibly could, given how little space there was for her.

"It's… well… I honestly forgot about that for a moment, and…" fumbled Keiichi, as he turned towards her and instantly regretted it. Given her position on the sidecar and her current attire, the dark haired man got a really nice glimpse of her cleavage; an even better one, as the strapless minidress didn't hide her flesh from anyone who looked at her from such an angle. Blushing, Keiichi was really glad that his helmet was obscuring most of his face and prevented her from seeing how red he actually got. It was embarrassing for a grown man to act like a young boy whenever he got a pretty girl next to him, and Urd was more that sexy enough to get his attention.

"That's okay. Like I said, it's not really that far from here, so, it's unlikely that we're going to get caught or something." Grinning, the bronze skinned goddess was actually enjoying this quite a bit and for a moment she wondered what her true self was like. On one hand, it was extremely entertaining for her to tease others, while on other hand, she was rather reluctant to go too far with just everyone she met. Maybe she was simply a mischievous person and not a nymphomaniac, but, without her memories, all she could do was to speculate about her past.

Although, the biggest question for the goddess was the present. As she watched her new coworker drive her home, she pondered just how far it was fair to tease him. While it was hilarious to watch his reactions, it was a bit cruel to keep going like that forever; and after a certain point, he'd begin to think that she's simply making fun of him. So, either she had to stop doing that, or, offer the boy a chance to get something more than just a glimpse of her cleavage, which brought her back to her lost memories.

'How long is that going to last, anyway? I thought that maybe I'll begin to remember things after a few days, but… there's still no change. In that case… I really don't want to wait forever to figure out what to do with my life. Sure… I might even have a family for all I know, but… How can I be sure? I can't remember a thing!... Ugh!... what a mess...'

The amnesiac goddess' thoughts were interrupted as the bike came to a stop, despite they were still not anywhere close to her apartment. Wondering if she gave him the wrong address or the young man simply heard wrong, Urd turned to him with a baffled look on her face. "Is there something wrong, Keiichi? This isn't my place, or is this where you live?"

"No… it's just that… For a moment I thought I've seen the same person twice," said the equally confused mechanic, as he tried to peek over his shoulder. "I could've sworn that there was a man over at that alley that he looked exactly the same with another one I've seen not far from Whirlwind."

"Maybe he's heading in the same direction with us?" suggested Urd as she followed his gaze, only to find nobody.

"On foot? I mean, it's not like I'm speeding, but, it's still very hard for anyone to keep up with us like that. And I'm certain that I'm not going in circles either," said Keiichi as he shook his head and started to drive towards her apartment once again. "I'm probably too tired and my eyes are playing tricks with me."

"That's probably the case. Unless, you happened to see two identical twins," said Urd with a giggle, as she relaxed and enjoyed the rest of the ride, which didn't last for more than a couple of minutes. Neither of them said much at that short period of time, not that they were in a rush. Tomorrow they'd spend a full shift in Whirlwind and there should be more than enough chances for some chit chat, which was exciting prospect for Urd.

'At least I'm no longer working for that old coot. I can interact with others, instead of acting as if I'm a freaking robot. This is going to fun!'

XXX

"So… you were both members of the Motor club?"

"Actually, Chihiro-san is the founder of the club and had already graduated by the time I was a freshman at NIT. It was my sempai who knew her and at some point she returned to Nekomi to meet them," said Keiichi as he sipped from his hot tea, during the lunch break. With their boss out of town to meet some new suppliers for bike parts, he took the liberty to provide the curious goddess with the information she wanted.

"Interesting… and you sempai? I've never heard about them," said Urd, as she tried to get more details.

"Two oversized buffs, called Tamiya and Otaki. Quite the eccentric lot, given how bizarre and silly their antics typically were; causing us quite the trouble back then," said Keiichi with a chuckle. "They're still in Nekomi and even opened a garage for making all kinds of customized bikes."

"I see. Although, I remember hearing something about a sister," said Urd with a grin, as she leaned forward, causing the man to turn red as her top struggled to contain her bust and prevent a wardrobe malfunction.

"That would be Megumi, and she still needs a year until she graduates from NIT's engineering department." Averting his gaze higher to avoid getting even more embarrassed than he currently was, Keiichi was unsure whether having her around was a good or a bad thing. It was nice to have someone other Chihiro to talk to for a change, but, with her sexy body and revealing attire, it was very hard for him to focus on his work. Worse, he was uncertain whether she was doing it on purpose or she was simply a playful character, and asking her about it was probably a bad idea.

"Girlfriends?" That was a question that surprised both Keiichi and even Urd herself, despite the fact that she was the one who said it. Most people would've found it improper to ask something like that to a person they just met a day previously. It was a subject generally reserved for conversations between close friends and even then, it was atypical for members of opposite sexes to discuss about relationships.

"Um… may I ask why?"

"I'm sorry! That was probably way too personal," said Urd with an apologetic look. "It's just that I tend to be very… let's say friendly around others and on one instance, a coworker's girlfriend got the wrong idea and nearly broke up with him. Mind telling you that we simply exchanged a few words every now and then between lunch breaks, but… she wasn't so happy about that."

"Oh… Well, you won't have such a problem with me," said Keiichi with a chuckle, trying to lighten up the mood and reassure her that he wasn't really offended by her question. "I never really had many to begin with. Most girls thought I was too dorky and short for their taste. Plus, I always had an empty wallet and spent way too much time with my hobbies and paid little attention to everything else."

"And that's a problem, because?" Blinking, Urd could see why some of those issues could be taken as serious problems, but at the same time, she couldn't understand why they avoided him in such a fashion.

"Because girls found that to be a bad thing?" In all honesty, Keiichi was at a loss as why she didn't just agree with that viewpoint. As a matter of fact, he had no idea how to explain something that was considered to be obvious for most.

"A man is a lot more than a walking wallet, Keiichi. It's a bit sad to assume that every woman out there is going to be swayed with shiny trinkets and other types of gifts," said Urd with a shake of her head. "Sure, I'm not oblivious how most others want to have a tall, handsome and rich boyfriend, but… none of the above takes his personality into consideration. To be blunt about it, physical appearance alone is good only if you're looking for sex, and money just by itself is for gold diggers who want to get it easy by dating someone with a fat wallet. Each has its appeal, but neither is the base of a relationship, if we want to honest with ourselves."

"I… won't argue with you… Still, most girls I know don't think that's the case. Like I said, I'm short and…" started Keiichi, before he was interrupted by the goddess.

"Yes, I kind of noticed that, already. So? It's not like you're ugly or something along those lines; far from it. Also, like I said, money is a strong motivation, but, it has little to do with the real you. What's left was the issue about your hobbies, which in reality has a lot to do with your personality. In that case, if the one you date cannot understand what you like, then it's probably a good hint that she may not agree with you on other subjects as well," explained Urd with a sigh. "Simply put, you're not compatible with each other."

"Huh? That's really different from what I've thought…" said the confused mechanic as he scratched his head.

"I'm sure that my viewpoints aren't extremely popular, so, I'm not surprised at all," said Urd with a casual shrug. "In the end it's a matter of priorities and what you wish to get. I'm not a prude, and while you might get the wrong idea… sex isn't such a big deal for me. At least, I don't think so; given that I remember next to nothing about my past. Anyway, the point is that I don't have issues to just have my fun without the need for a relationship; especially one that only existed for such a purpose. It probably clashes with some people's definition of ethics, however, I'd rather avoid getting involved with someone just to satisfy my basic needs."

Keiichi couldn't help but feel a bit uncomfortable with this kind of conversation, since he rarely talked about relationships with any of his friends. Bikes and other vehicles were amongst their favorite topics, aside from ways to gain money for funding their projects and keep the Motor Club going. The only person who actually brought these kind of topics up was Megumi, but, in most cases she ended up teasing her brother instead of providing some useful insight about the fair sex. As a result, Keiichi had absolutely no idea how to respond to Urd, although, his blush was already betraying his embarrassment. "Umm… that's nice and…"

Giggling as she watched him turn red, Urd decided that the poor man had more than enough already and decided to give him a break. "Sorry… That was probably a bit too forward. I don't think that you're supposed to talk about these matters with someone you only know for two days…"

"No… I guess it would've made no difference even if we knew each other for a while," said Keiichi, scratching his head. "I'm not really used to talk about that kind of stuff with others and most of my personal experiences from relationships weren't all that great, either."

"I don't blame you, to be honest. After having no luck for such a long time, most would get a bit reluctant to try again. Tell you what… if I manage to stay here for long enough, I might give you a chance to get lucky and have some," said Urd with a wink.

Unfortunately, at that very moment Keiichi was having a sip from his tea to calm his nerves and ended up choking as he nearly spit it out. Bumping his fist against his chest to send the liquid down the right pipe, the young mechanic stared at the goddess with wide eyes, as his blush intensified. "W-W-What?!..."

"Oh, come on! Don't be such a prude, Keiichi! We're not living in the middle ages or something like that. There's a thing called friends with benefits, although, I'd rather avoid that option to be honest," said Urd, who was now starting to think that she might've done a horrible mistake by making that proposition. Not only she was dealing with a shy young man who might've gotten the wrong impression about her, but, she had no idea if he was the right person to ask such a thing. What he probably needed was a nice, stable relationship and at the moment, without even knowing who she really was, Urd was unsure if she wanted to get involved with him or not; at least for more than a single night.

"I guess that's for the best. I mean… I appreciate the thought and all, but… I doubt that short guys like me are dating material for you," said Keiichi with a frown. Part of himself was arguing that wasting such an opportunity was simply stupid, as he'd never get another one from anyone as beautiful as her. Still, it was too sudden and worse, he had a feeling that his pretty coworker might've actually felt sorry for him. And no matter how tempting, that wasn't the best way to get a date; even a temporary one.

"Honestly? I don't think you're not cute enough by my standards. The real problem is that I don't remember much about myself and… That makes me a bit reluctant to start something that might end poorly when my memory returns and I suddenly realize that I'm a very different person than I currently think," admitted Urd. "Also, I don't have many friends here and I don't want to waste the chance to have one by sleeping with him. Nothing personal of course! Sometimes… even when we have good intentions, people can get really upset when you tell them that you might not be looking for a permanent relationship and… Let's just say that it doesn't end well."

"Um… Did that happen to you before?" asked Keiichi with some reluctance. He was fairly certain that this wasn't the right thing to bring up, but so far, this conversation was very different from any other he previously had and the goddess' comments had inevitable made him rather curious about her personality. Not only she looked different, but, her attitude had nothing in common with any other woman he knew and as a result, he wanted to know more about who she really was.

"Pff! Several times already, and that's during the short period of time I've been in Nekomi," said Urd with a disgusted expression. "There are all kind of morons who thought that offering me a drink means that I'm obligated to let them have their way with me; and they even had the nerve to get upset when I said no. One guy in particular even tried to drag me to a nearby love hotel after having a cup of tea with him. The nerve of that bastard!..."

"For real?! I mean… that's ridiculous!" said Keiichi as his eyes went wide. "You should've called the police!"

"No need. I tossed him to a nearby wall hard enough to knock him unconscious," said Urd with a gleam in her eyes that made Keiichi blink as he thought that he actually saw her pupils become like a cat's for a moment.

Shaking his head to dismiss the silly thought, the young mechanic made a mental note to avoid angering his new coworker, since she was apparently stronger than he would've given her credit for. "At least, he didn't got what he wanted…"

"Oh, that's for sure! And after that debacle, I've avoided talking to anyone I didn't know, let alone accept any invitations to have a drink with them. Even coworkers are a bit of a problem, since it could make things really awkward from that point on. You know… despite what I've said earlier… Hm... now that I think of it… I'm probably more picky than most 'good' girls out there. Kind of ironic, don't you think?"

"Well, I guess so!" replied Keiichi as he started to laugh. "I kind of thought that you must've a lot more… dates, based on what you just told me."

"That's for sure! I tend to scrutinize everyone I want to date to make sure that they're not going to ask too much, or they're simply idiots and in the end I typically reject most of them. Even one of my neighbors gets more action, and she's a married woman, too," said Urd with a giggle. "Although, none of that is with her husband… And she looks like the most reserved woman you'd ever meet. The little minx even blushes when I walk by, since my clothes are apparently showing off too much skin. What a paragon of morality!..."

"Eh? No way!" It felt very strange for him to talk about something that resembled those conversations girls typically had, but, in a way he enjoyed Urd's sense of humor. While attractive, she didn't have this air of superiority around her and even better, she didn't made fun of him for trying to talk to her. Of course, there were several mysteries around her, with her lost memories being the biggest by far; however, there was nothing he could do about that, other than hope that this was her real personality.

"You bet! Such an innocent looking housewife and she's cheating on her husband like she's a cat in heat," said Urd, as she finished her own tea. "Ruins my beauty sleep with her moans every time her hubby is on a business trip; which happens a lot. Anyway... I think we need to get back to work before Chihiro comes back and finds us chatting like that."

"Huh?" Checking his watch, Keiichi was shocked just how long their lunch break had lasted and decided that he had to get busy once again. "Oh wow! I guess we'll have to continue this some other time… I've got a bike that needs a new fuel line."

"No worries, Keiichi. I'll be over by the counter if you need me."

XXX

Crashing on her sofa, Urd was more than happy to watch some of her favorite soap operas after a full day's of work. There was nothing more rewarding than relaxing and having a nice drink while thinking about everything she experienced so far; a welcome change compared to the rather indifferent and boring job she used to have. Not only Chihiro and Keiichi were far more lively and… human than her past manager who only cared about the customers or rather how much more money he could make out of them, but, even their clients were far more respectful to her.

Sure, her good looks didn't go unnoticed by them, however, so far there were no attempts to shamelessly flirt or harass her in any way. And that was exactly what the goddess secretly wanted; to get them intrigued but at the same time, remember that she was also a person, not some kind of merchandise they could somehow attain.

There was only one, albeit large problem that troubled Urd and no matter how much she tried to be optimistic, it was something that couldn't be totally ignored. Doing some basic calculations, it was more than obvious that the disparity between her current and previous salary would most certainly impact her life, especially when it came to sensitive matter of her rent.

With only a couple of days until the end of the month, Urd was now sure that there was absolutely no chance for her to find the money to pay it in full. Even if she tried to persuade the landlord to allow only a partial payment, since she had lost her job during the last couple of days and had to waste time searching for another, it would've extremely difficult to pay the next month's rent; without even taking into consideration the remainder of the current month's payment.

All in all, she had found herself in a pretty difficult situation and the only logical way to solve it was either to ask Chihiro for a generous raise or find a part time job to increase her income. Unfortunately, both were pretty unlikely to happen, since she was just employed at Whirlwind and asking her boss for something like that so soon would definitely get a negative response and worse, it could simply annoy Chihiro, making her think that she got the wrong person for this job. On the other hand, while finding a part time job while feasible, it was impractical based on the sheer lack of free time.

Urd only had a single day off a week, and working after her shift was all but impossible. There were few businesses that stayed open that late, unless of course she tried some of the less reputable establishments in Nekomi. Nightclubs for example opened at a much later time than most other businesses and finding a job there would be relatively easy for her. However, that could also put her in a far worse position even compared to her past job as a waitress and she most certainly would have to stay up so late that it was going to be really hard to stay awake the next day.

'That sucks! Just as I thought my problems were over, I'm close to being back at square one… There's no way to convince Tananka-san to lower the rent and I can't find a second job. The freaking day just doesn't have more than twenty four hours! What a pain… Now I'll have to look for an apartment too. Great… just what I needed… Where am I supposed to find a place that's so cheap, I could… Wait! Keiichi's getting the same salary and he most likely had to face the same problem. I'll ask him tomorrow and see if he knows a place I could afford with that little amount of money!'

Happy that she had a plan for now, Urd decided to relax and stop worrying, hoping that, Keiichi would provide her with the invaluable information she needed. Without that, she'd be stuck with the local real estate business and possibly another long and frustrating struggle to find a new place to live.

'I bet tomorrow will be a great day.'

XXX