I do not own Ah! Megami sama/Oh! My Goddess series or its characters
Compared to all the crazy things Keiichi had come to experience as of late, walking side by side with Belldandy was a much welcomed change of pace. The supernatural beauty attached to his arm was a woman that Keiichi would've never dreamed of dating in the past, and the fact that she was so openly affectionate towards him was a much appreciated bonus, even though it earned him so many envious glares from random bystanders. Although at the same time, it almost felt… good in a way. Actually, it was more than that, since for the first time, someone felt envious of him, and for a good measure too, as the faux redhead -due to Belldandy's need to conceal her real identity- latched herself on his arm in a manner that was felt as if it was straight out of the pages of some cheesy romance manga.
To put it plainly, Keiichi's left arm was squeezed into Belldandy's cleavage; and it that wasn't enough, the generous decolletage allowed so much skin contact that caused the poor mortal to blush brighter than a stop light.
Of course, the Norn's reasoning for changing her attire was to throw off anyone who might've thought that she looked familiar from somewhere, yet despite that, it was no secret that she had other motives as well. "Keiichi! What do you think about that?"
"Huh?..." Shaking his head, the clearly distracted mortal realized that he must've spaced out at some point and trying not to admit it, he immediately followed Belldandy's gaze and cheerfully told her that it was simply perfect… even before he actually got a glimpse of what the demoness was referring to. Only to find out that, Belldandy was pointing at a rather daring two piece bikini, put on display in a nearby shop. The swimsuit in question may had a deceptively nondescript design, but the skin coverage it provided was definitely below average, making Keiichi blush just at the idea of Belldandy walking around in it.
"Then how about I buy it rather quickly, and then head to the local pool? I love swimming, but never had the chance to do so, since I've arrived here," suggested the demoness of the present, totally missing Keiichi's worried look, as she kept her eyes on the shop's window display.
"Ah… yes, that would be nice," said Keiichi hesitatingly, given that despite how embarrassing it was for him to admit it, he couldn't swim for the love of his life. As a matter of fact, he was so bad, that even keeping himself from sinking like a stone was a struggle, and not to mention trying to keep up with someone who actually knew how to swim. However, the last thing Keiichi wanted right now was to sound like a joykill and deny Belldandy the chance to do something she enjoyed. Of course, it went without saying that he was bound to regret this decision, and not just that, but end up making a fool of himself right in front of his date. 'Heh… I still can't believe that I've got a date. Better not mess it up, or I might never get a second chance.'
Totally missing Keiichi's nervous expression, Belldandy almost dragged him along, and unwittingly make matters far worse for him in the process. After all, they were inside a shop that was exclusively geared towards a female clientele, and the wares put in display made her companion's face turn into a peculiar shade of red, almost resembling some lingerie they've walked past on the way to the swimsuit section. Even then, Keiichi was far from safe, as many of the designs in display were suggestive enough to excite a man's imagination, despite being worn by mannequins. Still, almost as if totally oblivious to his discomfort, Belldandy turned to the admittedly embarrassed man and offered him one of her brightest smiles. "So, what would you like me to wear, Keiichi? Personally, I prefer one piece swimsuits, but… I'd rather pick something a bit more special for our date. So… feel free to offer a suggestion, and we'll see if that looks good on me."
Nodding ever so slowly, Keiichi took a glimpse of the available bikini designs, and if he was stressed out before, he now felt like wanting to scream. Even if there were many 'normal' choices to pick from, he worried that such a thing would indirectly imply that he didn't think that Belldandy was charming enough to wear something more audacious. Yet at the same time, picking something too revealing could give her the idea that deep down, he was no better than that Aoshima creep. As such, Keiichi went for a bit of a compromise, and pointed at a lovely, white side tie bikini that provides less coverage than some other designs, and yet nowhere as much as the most provoking pieces here. "How about that one?"
"My!... What a wonderful suggestion!" beamed Belldandy, clapping her hands in sheer delight at the suggestion, yet the moment she turned back to Keiichi, the corner of her lips tugged into a cheeky grin. "That's a keeper for sure, but… I'll have to go and pick another one for later. And… now that I think of it, I won't even let you see me wearing either, until we hit the pool. Better to keep it for a surprise, right?"
"S-Sure thing, Bell-" said Keiichi, before the Norn shushed him with a hand wave, and following her look, he quickly understood why. They were surrounded by more than enough people who might recognize Belldandy if they heard her name, despite her current disguise.
"Please, don't call out my name that loudly," said Belldandy, carefully looking around them to see if anyone took notice of her presence. Finding none, however, the disguised demoness let out a sigh of relief and leaned closer to Keiichi. "Besides… it's perfectly fine calling me honey, or sweetheart if you want."
No matter how much, Keiichi tried to maintain a neutral expression at the sound of those words, it was almost impossible for the once unpopular mortal to avoid blushing like a schoolboy on their first date. Which… to a certain degree was quite fitting, given that this was actually a real date, instead of just spending some time with her, like a mere acquaintance. "That… would be really nice, actually. It… might be a bit soon, but, if you insist, I'd love to call you… um… that? Uh… I mean… Right, love?"
The Norn suppressed a giggle, as she watched Keiichi struggle with the words, trying to overcome his natural shyness in order to act the boyfriend's part. "Keiichi, as long as you don't call me baby, I'm all game. And stop being this nervous all the time. It's not like I'm going to bite your head off, you know! I'm not that cruel, even as a demoness… at least to those I like."
Fearing that he was in no state of mind to offer a proper reply -given how embarrassed he was at the moment- Keiichi watched Belldandy saunter into the changing room, and only then did he managed to regain his composure. Above all, though, Keiichi needed to form a plan to spare himself the even greater embarrassment once they reached the pool. And before long, the dark haired mortal had an idea that might as well spare him from this predicament.
XXX
A fair distance outside of Nekomi proper, two women gazed out at the sea from their vantage point at the very edge of the sheer cliffside overlooking the bay. Yet neither of them was here to enjoy the picturesque landscape, as they were plagued with more questions that anyone could provide answers for; or rather, they didn't quite like the implications behind the most plausible explanations.
Stepping forward until she almost reached the very edge of the cliff, Urd came to a stop and scanned her surroundings for the slightest of indications as to who tampered with this burial site. After all, it was still a bit too soon for human authorities to recover Aoshima's body, when in reality they had no idea where Lind dumped him. Most of the police's public announcement was the result of her request for their Intelligence Sector to clear up Keiichi's name, and not beyond that. Which, plainly put, meant that the mortals knew almost nothing about Aoshima's final resting place, although… it was more than apparent that someone did. However, it was also obvious that there was something else amiss here, although this time, finding answers was going to be much easier. "Lind… did you cast any powerful spell before leaving this place?"
Thinking back to that fateful incident, the former Valkyrie slowly shook her head, as she had no reason to even suspect that either she or the demon that accompanied her had something to do with this. "No, not really. The whole idea was to simply dump the corpse into the ocean, as if he drove off the cliff, and that didn't require any magic at all."
The casual tone of Lind's voice as she spoke of Aoshima's fate, caused Urd's hair to stand, yet the half demoness didn't dare to comment about it. After all, it was her own brilliant idea to off the pesky mortal, and one that she ended up getting some flack from her father, as well as Lind herself. "Right… Then I suppose we need to start looking for clues as to who did this. Because, someone definitely got here after you left, and stole the body from the car. And since the car is still underwater, I guess that rules out humans as the culprits."
"Which leaves us with either the gods or the demons. And with so many of the latter posted here, I suppose that rules out the gods too. I seriously doubt that Asgard would risk a confrontation over a demon collaborator, instead of us. So, that pretty much leaves only one realistic possibility… which is none of our business," concluded Lind, keeping her voice level at all times. The last thing they really needed right now was to end up getting involved in a demonic plot, and in the process lose focus on their utmost priority: to go back to Asgard.
Missing her point though, Urd let out a frustrated sigh, and stared back in the direction of the submerged car. "That's what we needed right now… I thought that I was done with those bloody rebels, but it looks like there are more of them." Even though the term rebels wasn't exactly official, it was almost ubiquitously used these days to describe anyone who basically wasn't a supporter of the former Daimakaicho, and either allied with her de facto successor, or simply wished play along until they found the perfect opportunity to steal the position from Hagall. While having a second rebellion in such a short period of time was unheard of, that also largely depended on the current Daimakaicho's power and charisma; both which Hagall severely lacked in equal measures, making her look weak to those who coveted her position. And that was something Urd didn't wish to happen, no matter what. Even though there was no love lost between her and that blasted blonde, Urd had to admit that after the mess Hagall made early on during her rise to power, she begrudgingly came to realize the error of her ways, and immediately changed her entire governing style in an attempt to follow her old mentor's footsteps. Unfortunately, if someone else in her position insisted on carrying on like that, a war was nothing less but a certainty, as the celestials would have no other way but to fight back the infernals' attempt to establish total dominion over the mortal realm.
While Urd seemed to be lost at thought, occasionally mumbling about something that Lind couldn't quite make out, the former Valkyrie felt that her associate wasn't really paying attention to a thing she said, or simply didn't care. According to the rumors she heard back in Asgard, Urd was the exchanger of goals and means, who more than often had the tendency to get caught so much in those means that nothing else would matter to her. "Urd, in case I didn't make myself clear enough, we need to focus on finding a way to get our angels back, rather than playing some pointless power game. So, I won't repeat myself; we retrieve our angels, and get out of here. Nothing more, nothing less."
"And then what?" pointedly asked Urd, refusing to back off from what she knew that could potentially escallate into a full blown argument. "Leave the demons fight an unavoidable civil war? Because there's no way Hagall will remain in power for too long, and no matter how much we want it, there's no way to ignore such a threat. After all… if demons start to die left and right… you know what's gonna happen, do you?"
"That, I do." As much as she didn't want to admit it, they've reached a standstill, and one that Lind didn't know how to get out of, given that her primary skills were mostly geared towards combat, instead of negotiations. "Still, I'm not convinced that playing along forever is the solution, either. So, to spare me from keeping up the charade like this… how about you tell me what you really got in mind? Surely you don't plan to become the next Daimakaicho, do you?"
"Actually… I do," said Urd in a moment of brutal honesty, causing her blue haired associate to curiously look at her. And knowing all too well that Lind was expecting some form of explanation, Urd took a breath and then resumed. "While it's true that getting our angels back is our number one priority, so is keeping this situation from ending up in a huge disaster. And there's no better way to do that by releasing my mother. Which…. of course means that-"
"That you need to become the Daimakaicho, first. Very well, I see no reason to oppose you, so I'll lend you a hand, instead." The moment she said that, Lind watched Urd's expression relax considerably. Gone was the tension that was more than evident moments ago, and the half demoness even reached to place a hand on her shoulder.
"Thank you, Lind. I know that this isn't enough, but… I'll try to make up to you, somehow. In the meantime though, how about we get out of here?"
"Understood."
XXX
No sooner the seemingly odd couple entered the swimming pool area, Keiichi was nearly overcome by the sheer number of envious looks aimed at him, as the incredulous crowd of onlookers couldn't believe what they were seeing. A seemingly bland, short guy with a forgettable face was being accompanied by a downright gorgeous woman, who despite her disguise to maintain her anonymity, had managed to attract a crowd. After all, it was hard for them to ignore the fiery redhead with a figure that most supermodels would kill for, although for the very same reasons, it was to ignore the guy holding her hand as they walked towards the pool.
Still, as much as Belldandy tried to ignore them, it was starting to affect Keiichi's mood, and that was more than enough to piss her off. So much so, that the vitriolic look she gave to some of them promised great pain and suffering if they didn't find something else to preoccupy themselves with, rather than gawking at her. "Pay them no mind, Keiichi. I didn't come here to flirt with random strangers, so, for me they're all but invisible. Or should I say… irrelevant? Either way, pretend that they don't exist, and let us spend some quality time together."
The dark haired mortal blinked in mixed awe and a tiny dose of fear. Well, perhaps fear wasn't quite the word he would've used to describe this emotion, but for Keiichi it was quite amazing to see how stern Belldandy could get when provoked. Even if he knew that this was partially due to her current nature as a demoness, Keiichi had to admit that he didn't terribly mind this more forceful aspect of her personality. 'It's impressive how strong willed she really is. Even after all that happened to her, she's still so assertive when she needs to.' Realizing that he was staring, Keiichi averted his gaze and searched for a quiet corner for them to sit. Although most people came here to swim, there was a row of recliners on either side of the pool, that visitors could use when they wanted to take a break and relax. "Then, how about we-" Before he could even offer his suggestion, however, Keiichi found himself falling into the pool, being shoved by a giggling Belldandy of all people.
Worse yet, it didn't take long for Keiichi's ineptitude at swimming to prevent him from keeping his head above the water, and as if that wasn't enough, he had fallen in the deep end of the pool. Yet, as his eyes opened wide from the panic of finding himself in such an unexpected situation, Keiichi saw someone slide into the water in an expertly executed dive not too far from him. Slowly the air bubbles around the lithe, and clearly feminine form, revealing none other than Belldandy who was surfacing from right underneath him, and in the process she came so close to his body that he could almost feel her skin brush against his. Under any other circumstances, even this amount of contact would've sent shivers down his spine, but at the time being it brought great relief, since the Norn wrapped her arms around him and forced the sinking Keiichi up to the surface.
Emerging from the pool with a loud splash, Belldandy arched her back to throw her hair over her shoulders, and then looked at the stunned Keiichi who was still trying to catch his breath. "Did I go too overboard, Keiichi?" asked the Norn while tightening her grip around the mortal's torso, mostly to reassure him that he was safe. "I thought it was better if we spent some time swimming together. And while it seems that you're not too comfortable being in water, the best way to overcome that fear is by facing it. Don't worry though, I won't leave your side, Keiichi, so you can relax."
"Ah… t-thank you, B-Belldandy," muttered Keiichi with some effort, as he was far too embarrassed to come up with a better response. After all, he never thought that the Norn of the present could get this forward with him, given how reserved she seemed during his past interactions with her. It almost felt as if this was a different Belldandy, although at the same time the familiar gentleness in her voice reassured him that deep down, this was the same woman he came to like.
Still, a less kind person could perceive this gesture as a cheap excuse for Belldandy to impress her date with her physique, given how intimately she held him against her. 'Holy crap… I never thought that the day would come when Belldandy pulls the marshmallow hell routine on someone! Okay, maybe it's not the full experience, as she's only hugging him tightly, rather than bury his face in her cleavage, but… Damn!' Witnessing this scene from a safe distance, to avoid detection, Mara was finding it hard to believe that this woman was the same, prudish Norn of the present she knew. Sure, she did act the same for the most part, yet there were occasions -like right now- where the Norn would display a side of her that no one had seen before. 'I wonder… was she always like that, or is it her demonic nature affecting her? Although, she seemed to act like a goddess on every other occasion, so… maybe this is indeed her own personality. After all, she never had a boyfriend before, which makes it hard to figure out if this is any different from her norm.'
The blonde's musings were interrupted when she sensed a demonic presence behind her; one that was accompanied by a series of wolf whistles that made her curious enough to turn around to find out what was going on. However, the moment she did, Mara's eyes went wide from the shock of finding her mother standing not further than a couple of meters away, and dressed in something that barely passed as a red micro bikini that complimented her auburn hair. "MO-... What are you doing here?!" asked Mara, catching herself before she shouted their relation for the mortals around them to hear. Especially given how unlikely it would've sounded for someone as 'young' as Fehu to have a daughter Mara's perceived age, despite the fact that from their perspective, they were both older than any human present, and by a huge margin too. "I thought that your job was to stay behind and take care of Urd's business? So, why are you here, and on top of that… wearing this thing?!"
"One thing at a time, dear! Let's not get too excited, alright?" said Fehu, before pulling her daughter aside, just in case Belldandy noticed them. "Now, for beginners, Urd summoned me here to discuss business, so, here I am. Of course, I had to check on you first, Ma-chan, so I told her that I was planning to take a short detour. You know… to give her some time to go through all the documents I brought back with me."
There was something definitely suspicious about the way her mother was acting, as the playfulness in her voice was a clear indication that she had something in mind. While Fehu was as mischievous as any other demoness, Mara knew her mother better than that, so she refused to buy that excuse. "Come on, stop screwing with me. What's going on here?"
Even though Fehu initially seemed quite annoyed by her daughter's response, she did eventually relax and smiled at her. It was nice to know that her impulsive child finally learned how to use her head, and analyze a situation, rather than jumping to the first thing that comes to her mind. "Well, well… looks like you've grown up a bit, Mara. Good for you." Pausing for a moment to look around them, Fehu motioned for her daughter to follow, and led her to the girls' changing rooms.
XXX
It took Keiichi a while to adjust in the weird sensation of floating in water, but the moment he stopped worrying about drowning, he began to actually enjoy the time he spent with Belldandy. Of course, it went without saying that the Norn was a much more proficient swimmer than most of the mortals present in the pool, yet even then she tried to keep up with his frustratingly slow pace. It wasn't a joke that his swimming technique was strongly reminiscent of a dog's, and even then, one that didn't know how to stay afloat, but in the end, Keiichi managed to overcome this hurdle in order to do something together with his date. 'Wow… I still can't believe I'm actually on a date. Although, what now? Shouldn't I try to take her to romantic places and such? I mean, this is a pool, so maybe I should pick a better place next? Although… were to?...'
The faux redhead paused and stared at the totally distracted Keiichi, who for the love of his life didn't see where he was going. 'He's going to hit on the edge of the pool. Are all mortal men this distracted while on a date? Somehow I don't think so, but… oh well. I need to stop him before he hits his head.' Diving underwater, Belldandy overpassed Keiichi from his right and then reemerged right in front of him, thinking that this was enough to make him notice her. "Keiichi, you're-" The Norn didn't have the chance to finish her sentence though, as Keiichi promptly run onto her, and much to her surprise, ended up in a fairly compromising position that looked almost out of a manga.
'Huh? What's that soft… pair of… of…' Keiichi's eyes went wide from the realization that he somehow found himself in Belldandy's bosom, and worse yet, his whole body went totally rigid, causing him to almost go under, before Belldandy caught him and brought him to the surface once more.
"Goodness gracious, Keiichi! Pay more attention to your surroundings! And remember to stay afloat at all times," chided Belldandy in a stern yet kind manner. Although, despite the seriousness in her voice, the Norn's cheeks turned slightly pink from the sensation of that little contact moments ago. 'It's… not bad. Kinda ticklish, and sort of embarrassing, but I won't complain. Oh, who am I kidding, that was awesome!... There, I said it.'
"S-Sorry about that, Bell- mphh?!" Finding the demoness' hand against his mouth, Keiichi realized that he had forgotten that he wasn't supposed to use her name in a public location, and slowly nodded. "Once again… I'm sorry. I guess I'm really not good at this… dating thing…"
"What makes you say that?" asked Belldandy after she looked both ways to make sure that no one overheard them. "I'm having a great time, although I have to admit that it was a bit selfish of me to suggest a place where I could have most of the fun. So, how about we now go to somewhere you might like?"
"That's fine. But… aren't you… angry?" Even though a part of him was screaming inside his head to drop this topic like a hot potato, Keiichi still found it strange that she didn't show any significantly negative reaction to his… accident. 'Is she really cool with all that, or she thinks I'm totally harmless? As in… not being able to do anything at all?' While his main interest in Belldandy wasn't of a physical nature, Keiichi didn't seem to like the idea that he was dismissed like this, especially given his own history of being ignored by the majority of women he knows.
"Not the slightest bit, Keiichi. I can tell an accident from something totally intentional, and even then, it depends on who tries it. It's only natural that I won't allow just about everyone to cop a feel, yet… I wouldn't mind it if that was you, Keiichi." Just as the words left her mouth, the Norn felt like mentally kicking herself for how awkward that must've sounded. In reality, Belldandy had no idea how to offer compliments to a boyfriend -provided that Keiichi now counted as one- as her most typical responses would've been either too friendly, just too formal. "No, wait! I didn't mean it like that! I mean… it's not that I don't like the idea of you touching me, but… it's too forward? Not for you! I mean, I'm not generally shoving my boobs at other people! That's Neesan's shtick! Wait! I'm not implying she's loose or something, but… but… I'm not good at this, am I?" admitted the frustrated Norn, as her face fell; and yet somehow her incoherent rambling somehow made Keiichi laugh. "Uh… did I say anything funny?"
"No, I guess… it makes me feel easier to know that I'm not the only one who's not sure what to do in a situation like this," nervously admitted Keiichi, feeling that it was necessary to be absolutely honest with her, than try to say something that merely sounded nice. "Dunno, in a way it makes you more… human?" wondered Keiichi aloud, until he realized that this must've sounded a bit offensive to her, and made an effort to correct himself. "Wait! What I meant to say was… more relatable, or something like that. I guess, I didn't choose the right words."
"Actually, I know what you mean, Keiichi. You may have never seen my old self, but you'd be surprised how people looked up at me as an example to follow. I know it sounds rather conceited when I put it like this, but that was more or less the case. As long as I followed our ideals to the letter, I was seen as the perfect goddess; a status few of my fellow compatriots got to enjoy. Yet, as difficult as that sounded to accomplish in the first place, once I did gain that stellar reputation, things… became all too easy from that point on. Few celestials would question my judgment, and even fewer would actually antagonize me," said Belldandy with a heavy sigh, while she helped him to get out of the pool. She wasn't exactly surprised to see him stare at her in wonder, as she didn't quite act like her usual, reserved self. However, considering that she somehow found it easier to let this out of her chest today, Belldandy carried on. "As a result of all that, I grew up with the false impression that I was always right, and that I instantly knew what to do under any circumstances, no matter how inexperienced I truly was."
"Uh… I'm sorry if I missed something obvious here, but… what does all that has with me not being good with words?" wondered Keiichi out loud, interrupting the middle Norn after he listened to her tirade for a while.
"It does, because for the most part I relied a bit too much on knowledge that wasn't mine, Keiichi." Pursing her lips in a thin line, Belldandy knew that the more she carried on with this line of thinking, the less sense she made for Keiichi, so, she tried to simplify matters to him. "Let's put it this way: If I read every book on Engineering, as well as every technical manual there is, to the point of memorizing them by heart, do you think that I'd be able to call myself a skilled mechanic?"
For a moment, Keiichi scratched his head and pondered upon the Norn's words, until he simply spoke out his mind, having no other idea as to what to say in a situation like this. "Huh… Well, the knowledge would've been rather useful to say the least, but… it's also about hands on experience."
"Exactly. And no matter how important my lessons were, they still didn't provide me with a hands on experience in life, I'm afraid. You can say that I'm nowhere as mature as others like to think, especially while I'm experiencing something totally new," said Belldandy, averting her gaze as her cheeks started to redden. "Like now, for example. I really have no idea how dates are meant to work, and I nearly drowned you because I'm daft."
"That's not true, Belldandy!" objected Keiichi a bit louder than he probably intended, causing several heads to turn in their direction, much to his own embarrassment. Taking Belldandy by the hand, he dragged her to a quiet corner where they could get some privacy, and in the meanwhile regain his composure as his impulsive moment of assertiveness left the Norn in a stunned state. "Ah… heh heh… sorry about that." Clearing his throat, Keiichi desperately tried to come up with something to say, considering that Belldandy continued to stare at him in wonder. "Look… I just think that you're being a bit too hard on yourself, Belldandy. While I haven't met your old self, I can still say that what I've already seen so far is an amazing woman that I wouldn't call daft. And it's not like anyone is perfect to begin with, Belldandy. What's important is to try your best, and from what Skuld told me, that's the case with you. Also, from what I've heard, once you gained your reputation, everyone's expectations of you were so high that few in your shoes would've been able to cope with the pressure. Just the fact that you thought it was easier proves how impressive your resolve is."
"Keiichi…" whispered Belldandy as she found herself at a loss of words from her boyfriend's attempt to cheer her up. It was true that ever since she became a demoness, there were moments that she would be in a rather disagreeable mood, and often come out somewhat cynical and pessimistic. "I guess you're right about that. Right now I'm in not shape to make objective observations, and especially not for such matters. Still, at the very least I can say that I did the right thing to try to get closer to you; that was the best decision I've made for a very long time."
"Thank you, Belldandy. That… really means a lot to me," shyly uttered the clearly embarrassed Keiichi, given how unused he was to such praise. More than anything else though, was that for the first time in his life, a woman -an a pretty attractive one at that- wished to pursue a relationship with him, instead if simply ignoring him, like most others did thus far. Although, knowing fat too well how unlikely that sounded, Keiichi really wanted to hear more before he allowed himself to become committed. Sure, he knew that Belldandy wasn't the type of person to lead him astray, and yet part of him wouldn't be reassured without some kind of plausible explanation as to why. "If you forgive me for asking, though… why me? From what I remember Skuld telling me, she's roughly nine hundred years old, and you're even older, so, how come you decided to pick this moment to find someone to date? And why me of all people?"
"The timing is indeed rather strange, but I reassure you that it doesn't have to do with me being a demoness. Even as a goddess I was rather reluctant to enter a relationship, knowing all too well that my reputation made me quite desirable. To me, love cannot be confused with physical attraction, let alone the need for social ascension, and that's why I'm so reluctant to let potential mates to get too close to me. Call me paranoid, but I wasn't willing to become anyone's trophy wife, and that's why I bid my time when it came to getting closer to others. In the end, few had the patience to court me for long enough to get my attention, and in most cases, I didn't like what I saw since those tended to be rather ambitious people with an agenda," explained Belldandy with a slight frown. She didn't feel particularly happy to sound so dismissive of others like that, although there was no reason to lie to him, just because she could right now.
The dark haired mortal offered her a slow nod, and made a mental note to ask for some details about Belldandy's social life from Skuld, or Ansuz, just in case the young Norn doesn't feel like sharing. And with that taken care of, Keiichi turned his attention back to Belldandy and reached take her hands in his, offering her a loving smile. "That really means a lot to me, Belldandy! I Still don't know what I did to deserve such a goddess, but for once I'm not going to complain. Actually..." It was scary to even consider it, yet he felt that this was most certainly the proper way of showing his gratitude, so he decided to steel himself and hope for the best, as he leaned forward and much to Belldandy's initial surprise, kissed her.
It was a rather clumsy kiss by everyone's standards, and in her mind's eye, Belldandy could imagine Urd shaking her head in an amused manner, making pointers of how a proper kiss was supposed to work, yet she personally couldn't care any less. She was more than happy to feel Keiichi's lips against hers, and even pressed herself against him as she deepened the kiss. While she knew that going all out wasn't a good idea, the Norn found it hard to resist the temptation of making the best out of this opportunity, until she remembered that humans needed oxygen and pulled back to allow Keiichi the chance to catch his breath.
"Wow…" While undeniably not the smartest or most creative thing to say in a situation like this, the overwhelmed Keiichi could only stare at Belldandy with such a stunned expression that must've been utterly ridiculous. As a matter of fact, he noticed that the Norn was trying to stifle her laughter, and for once he did his best not to get embarrassed by interacting like that with a woman. 'Actually… she's a goddess, or right now… a demoness. Either way, that's not important, although she can act like a normal girl at times.' Ever so slowly, Keiichi regained his composure and then smiled back at the bemused Norn. "I guess that's gonna sound rather tacky, but… boy, you're a great kisser!"
"You're not half bad either, if I say so myself! Actually, that was quite enjoyable, Keiichi. Maybe we should do it more often," said the faux redhead with a deceptively innocent tone, that almost sounded like a purr. 'That's how Neesan does it, right?' Drawing upon her memories of how Urd flirted around with others -even though for the sake of messing around with them- Belldandy tried her best to hide her own inexperience, and at the same time urge Keiichi to get out of his shell, too. Based on the past observations of him, she knew that he was rather awkward around girls, and especially when it came to courting them. As such, it was better to take the initiative and let him tag along for the date, providing of course that she didn't overdo it and push him too far. "Now, how about we head somewhere you'd like?"
"I'd love that, but… is it really okay?" worriedly asked Keiichi, looking at the bystanders for anyone looking at them; and more specifically, Belldandy's entourage. "You must be missing for a while now, and I don't want you to get into trouble for me."
"I think we can spend some more time together. Maybe… not as much as I'd like, but we can definitely visit one more place before I have to go back. And I know the perfect location, too!" said Belldandy with a glee, almost dropping the 'femme fatale' act, as it didn't come off nearly as natural to her as it was for Urd. Either way, she needed to make the best of her available time with Keiichi, and thus started to head towards the changing rooms.
Taking the clear hint, Keiichi offered her a nod and made a beeline for the men's changing rooms. Little did he know that he was being watched by two women who just got out of their changing room, before Belldandy run into them.
XXX
"So… let's if I got it right: You're looking for a zombie?" asked the younger of the demonic duo, as they tried to put some distance between themselves and the happy couple, but without totally losing sight of them. "As in a walking corpse kinda thingy?"
"No, not at all, Mara. What I'm talking about is a genuinely reanimated human, who for all intended purposes is alive." Making a pause to check over her shoulder in order to make sure that Belldandy and Keiichi hadn't spotted them, Fehu turned her attention back to her daughter. "It's not something we normally do, but it's entirely possible to completely restore life. And not by simply transferring one's conscience to a clone, if that's what you're thinking."
"Yeah, but even then… why? What's so important about a spoiled rich brat who couldn't keep it in his pants?" asked the blonde with a shrug, as she couldn't quite understand why her mother bother to personally come here to deal with what was merely a task for the Intelligence Sector. "Shouldn't you leave this job for someone else to handle? It's hardly important enough for you to bother wasting your time while your real task is to free-"
Just before she could finish her sentence, Fehu reached to shut her daughter's big mouth, and pulled her to an alley adjacent to the pool. "For the last time you foolish child! Don't go and blurt such things in public where anyone can hear us. Do you understand?" Her words were sharp as a blade, and more than enough to cause even someone as familiar with her to actually shiver. At which point she immediately backed off and let go of her daughter. "Ah… I'm sorry. I guess I got a bit carried away." Fehu's voice lost her confidence for a moment, as the last thing she needed was to snap at her daughter, especially since their relationship had always been rather shaky.
"And that's supposed to be news?" calmly replied Mara with a hint of sarcasm in her otherwise bemused voice. While she used to be more skittish around her mother, given the latter's success that contrasted her own tendency to screw her assignments up, Mara had a feeling that things were about to change. For once, Fehu was no longer the Daimakaicho's personal maid, and while she had no intention to attempt and make fun of her mother's predicament, this was the chance she's been waiting to prove herself. "You're always trying so hard, even while everyone else thinks that you're just fooling around. I suppose even you need to take a break at some point, mom. Actually, this is the best time to let me… Hey, hands off! I'm not feeling sick!" Swatting her mother's hand when the elder demoness tried to check her temperature, Mara was tired of being treated like an overgrown kid, and decided to do the unthinkable: order her mother around. "That's enough with this nonsense! How about you go back and relax for real, while I look around for this… zombie? Besides, those two can handle their relationship all too well without me trailing them, so I can find that Aoshima bloke?"
Although she wasn't entirely convinced, Fehu had to give her daughter some credit for trying to be assertive for a change, and decided that she deserved a chance. Even though she failed on too many occasions in the past, and even got sealed for it, there was always the chance that she'd manage to turn the tables and do the same thing she did when her paths crossed with Hild, who was the first person that believed in her. "Very well… if you insist, I won't oppose you. Just make sure to ask for help if things get too hot, okay?"
"Oh, gimme a break, mom! I'm a first class demoness, not a kid! You think that an undead human and some disembodied demon can actually make me sweat? Ha! Fat chance!" gloated Mara, tossing her hair over her shoulder in a display of sheer confidence.
"You're forgetting that they also have another first class demon with them, and hell knows who else might find it beneficial to side with them," warned Fehu, despite her daughter's bored expression or even the fact that she rolled her eyes.
"Yes, mother… Anything else?"
"One thing. If you get sealed again, I'm gonna set you free, only to kick your sorry arse! You got me, missy?"
"Yeah, yeah… I hear you! Now, excuse me, but I need to grab a shotgun for that zombie! It's hunting time!"
XXX
"Hey, take a look at that, Keiichi!"
The enthusiastic Norn almost dragged her boyfriend along the museum's corridors, as she went from one exhibit to the next. While it was an unlikely place to visit during a date, Belldandy knew that rather than trying for stereotypical options, it was better to take him to a place that they both found interesting; even if for different reasons. As a goddess, Belldandy loved to see people appreciate old things, instead of simply discarding them as useless garbage. Which was why she liked museums too, since the curators not only took good care of their exhibits, but also told people of their historical importance. However, more than that, she wanted to turn one of Keiichi's bad experiences into a positive one, since his previous -and only- attempt to take someone out for a date involved a museum.
"Don't pull so hard, Bell!" replied the somewhat overwhelmed man, as he struggled to keep up with the surprisingly energetic Norn. In all honesty, he found it extremely strange that Belldandy picked a museum of all places to go, even though he suspected that this was part of her promise to take him somewhere he'd like. Sure, he did humor her request to go to the pool, but at the very least, that sounded a much more likely choice for a dating location than… the prehistoric exhibition of Nekomi's museum. Granted, this wasn't where they started, and the first thing they visited was the automotive exhibition, with him explaining everything about the cars put in display, much to Belldandy's apparent… excitement. Even though he suspected that she was more happy to listen to his own enthusiasm about his favorite hobby, Keiichi wondered if going about like this was good or not. 'Am I so boring that Belldandy needs to resort to this? Or is it that she really doesn't mind this? She sure seems happy enough, but...' All of a sudden, Keiichi's thoughts came to a halt when he noticed Belldandy's troubled expression, and couldn't help but wonder if something was wrong. "Um… is everything alright, Bell-"
"Shh! For the last time, please refrain from calling me by name, Keiichi," said Belldandy as she effectively shushed him, just in case anyone found out about her identity. And once more, aside from the odd glance in their direction, most of the bystanders seemed to pay no mind to them, and carried on with their business. With that issue settled, Belldandy turned her attention back to Keiichi, and then pointed at the natural history exhibits. "Actually, my problem is that… they're all wrong."
Following her gaze, Keiichi stared at the various dinosaur skeletons and scratched his head in wonder. "Are you sure about that? They look okay to me."
"No, it's not the skeletons, but… the pictures next to them. That poor Tyrannosaur Rex… he's completely featherless! For someone his size and apparent age, he still should have some of the fluff the younger ones had, so to see one that's completely bare is kind of weird. Well, unless he's mangy… although, I don't think that's what's the artist's impression here." Scratching her chin in deep thought, the faux redhead failed to note the stunned look in Keiichi's face, as he turned to look at the dinosaur in question and blink.
"Featherless? They had… feathers?" wondered the mortal out loud, since this was the first time he ever heard such a thing. Truth to be told, he wasn't an expert in paleontology and only sporadically read about the latest developments in that scientific field, so he seemed rather lost for a moment. "I mean, these guys were… fluffy? For real?"
"Well… I wouldn't exactly call them fluffy, especially as they lost most of the early fluff as they grew up, but they were definitely cuter than the mean depictions in your popular media. Sure, it would've been utterly ill advised to attempt to pet them, let alone try to ride them, since they were definitely big enough to do that. Hm… alright, maybe some of the largest herbivores didn't mind it, as long and you didn't make any sudden moves, and a few carnivores might allow it under certain circumstances, but… mother actually loved to go on a ride on a T-rex's back. Kind of how humans ride horses and such animals, but with a much more aggressive and massive. And..." Without knowing, Belldandy started to babble off about all sorts of details that world class paleontologists would've killed to know, and yet she told him more than most humans knew about these extinct animals. "Oh, and before I forget, we even used to have them as the basis for stuffed animals, since they've been around for much longer than most contemporary mammals. Actually, they're still quite popular, and I used to have a few stuffed dollies of T-rex babies, since they still had most of their fluff that the older ones lost during their life. Although, now that I think of it, it's not just the cuteness factor alone why I liked them, but… they sort of reminded me of my big sister. You know, not in appearance, but personality."
"I can somehow see that," said Keiichi with a chuckle, finding the mental image of Urd as a miniature T-rex quite amusing. "Actually, I think that your younger sister isn't any less scary," he added almost without thinking, and then realized just how offensive that must've sounded. It was one thing to laugh at Belldandy's joke, and another thing to make one of his own out of Skuld's… temperate personality. "Ah, sorry about-"
"There's no need to apologize, Keiichi. I'm well aware that my little sister mostly resembles Urd in terms of her personality, and to a degree… I'm quite jealous how well those two get along with each other. Sometimes, I wonder if they'll let me interact with them like that, too," said the Norn of the present with a wistful smile, until she shook her head, realizing that she was probably babbling by this point. "Ah, I'm sorry, I guess I got carried away there. No… I think I've already been doing this for a while now. You must be thinking I'm a boring date-"
"That's not the case at all!" fiercely declared the dark haired mortal, interrupting Belldandy before she could finish her sentence. "I greatly enjoyed this date, even though it was a bit different from what I was expecting. Still, I wouldn't change a thing! Call me weird if you want, but I had a lot more fun than I would've ever expected from what most people think as normal for a date. I mean… I somehow never thought that anyone would enjoy a visit to the local museum, but you almost seemed to like it even more than I did!"
"Of course I did. I greatly appreciate when people take care of old things, and preserve their stories, rather than casting them aside. You see… that's the only proof of their existence in the first place. And no matter what, the things we goddesses meet aren't forgotten, so I greatly appreciate it when others share the same attitude," said Belldandy, only to notice Keiichi's smile growing even bigger. "Did I say something funny?"
"Not exactly, but I'm glad to hear it nonetheless. After all, you called yourself a goddess." Pointing at Belldandy's forehead marking as a way to bring her attention to it, Keiichi seemed unsure how to describe his observation, until he tried to explain it in the simplest way he could muster. "Those symbols even changed a bit when you said it, too! For a moment they were blue like Skuld's and you mo-" Before he could even finish his sentence, Keiichi found Belldandy's hands grabbing his shoulders and shake him so hard that he almost banged his head against hers.
"Wait! Are you absolutely sure? Besides, I thought I disguised them? Did the disguise break? You didn't mistake it for something else, right? This… this is major!" cried the stunned Belldandy, not believing what apparently happened, even for the briefest moment. In fact, she was so lost in her thoughts previously, that actually missed that 'flicker' of her control programs, despite how impossible it sounded to her. 'Calm down!... I'm starting to scare him. But… but… what did I think that caused it? Still, I need to go back and tell this to the others. If we could only recreate it, and see how to make it permanent, then we're saved for good!'
Keiichi was starting to see stars, when the shaking stopped and replaced by the sensation of the Norn's warm embrace. That was until he noticed that at some point during that hug, Belldandy's cosmetic charm expired, allowing her hair to revert back to their previous state. And that didn't only stop to her hair color, but also her hairdo, giving her those familiar and highly unusual antennae that easily set her apart from every other woman present. "Uh… Be-" He didn't even had the chance to complete his sentence before a bystander noticed that change too.
"Look over there! Isn't she Belldandy?"
That single observation caused an avalanche of reactions as more and more people became aware of the celebrity's presence amongst them, and the situation deteriorated rapidly. From mere bystanders, the crowd now was becoming more akin of a mob of scandalized fans, especially with Keiichi's presence so close to the pop idol.
"Uh oh!... We need to get out of here posthaste!" said Keiichi as he searched for an opening in the crowd, before they were completely surrounded. "Belldandy, over there!"
"Yes! Let's get out of here!" Grabbing Keiichi's hand, Belldandy forcefully pulled him along as she made a dash for the closest exit. And while she could hear the unmistakable sound of cell phones' cameras snapping pictures of them during their retreat, Belldandy couldn't care any less.
After all, not only she made an important step forward with Keiichi, but she also needed to tell the others about her emblems' flicker.
AN: I would like to thank everyone here and the Goddess Relief site for offering their continuing support.
First of all, since this is the first chapter of the year, I'd like to wish everyone a happy new year and may it be even better than the last one.
Also, I have a new poll in my profile, and I'd love if you took part, especially since you can pick multiple options.
Now, as far as this chapter is concerned, while Keiichi and Bell's date is somewhat strange, I think it works for the time being. After all, this is their first attempt at one, and given the circumstances, I don't think that a traditional date would've worked as well.