I do not own the Ah! Megami sama / Oh! My Goddess series
Maximum Security Containment Facility, Muspelheim
Located deep inside a mountain range far from the main city of the fiery realm, the vast underground complex was originally designed to house prisoners of war. Yet unlike any other prison meant for immortals, where the inmates would sealed at all times, this facility was intended to keep them retained in cells. Although it seemed counterproductive to some, it made it a lot easier to move prisoners in and out of the facility, without the cumbersome process of sealing and then releasing them every time they were relocated or simply brought out of their cells for questioning. Additionally, it discouraged celestials from directly attacking the facility, since an all out assault could threaten the lives of those they were trying to rescue, as well as make it impossible for any of the staff members to consider exploiting their position by conveniently 'misplacing' prisoners; should they had been sealed in easy to transfer containers.
Although, after the peace treaty was established, this facility was all but abandoned, since the more traditional prisons were much better suited to house criminals for extended periods of time. Yet despite that, the considerable investment of building a structure capable of containing celestials made it clear that decommissioning it would've a huge waste of resources and for that reason, both the previous and the present ruler of Muspelheim did their best to keep this facility open, even with a skeleton crew. Some even speculated that the cells were upgraded to contain demons as well and the whole place was repurposed hold Hild's enemies, especially back when she first came to power. And while such claims were largely dismissed as mere rumors, the once deserted prison was once again buzzing with life after their regional commander had managed to take one of the rogues into custody.
In order to find more about her nature, Belldandy's demonic doppelganger was thoroughly scanned even prior to her arrival on site, and the results were both unexpected and to a certain degree… worrisome. Although it was no surprise that she turned out to be an Ironwood Dryad just like Angrboda, at least according to the testimonies of Urd and Ymir, her age was quickly dismissed by the experts as an anomaly in the data. Despite all the advanced methods they had used during her examination, Verthandi's age came up as a much larger number than anyone would've ever expected. According to those estimates, she was supposedly more than twice the known age of the whole cosmos, and even when asked, Verthandi more or less verified their findings. Still, she pleaded them to keep her actual age a secret; although whether she did that out of vanity or there was a special reason behind it, that… nobody could tell.
However, with her being a direct creation of Yggdrasil, some level of precaution was needed and for that reason, Verthandi's accommodations were almost luxurious, at least when compared to what a regular inmate would normally get. Furthermore, the only one authorized to interrogate her none other than the Daimakaicho herself, who arrived here specifically to learn more about this rogue.
"My lady!"
Stepping aside, the guards allowed Hild to enter the wing that was originally designated for significant prisoners, and also counted as the most secure area of the entire facility. Passing one heavily reinforced blast door after the other, Hild ventured deeper into complex where Verthandi's cell was located. And with someone like her they took no chances, which was probably the reason why this place was once again buzzing with life as Surt sent an entire company of his best Eldjotnar just to keep one prisoner under check.
Finally, after what felt like an eternity of getting herself scanned on each door she passed, Hild stood before Verthandi's room. However, as soon as she stepped inside and got a glimpse of her prison, the Daimakaicho simply came to a halt and stared at the brunette demoness in wonder.
"Oh, hello there, Hild-san," said Verthandi as she got up from her sofa where she enjoyed a cup of tea and approached the baffled Daimakaicho. "Would you like to have a cup of tea with me? I must admit that I'm feeling a bit lonely, so I'd definitely wouldn't mind the company."
"Wait… why are you dressed like that?" asked Hild, pointing what appeared to be a red version of Belldandy's goddess attire. "From what I've heard you're a habitual exhibitionist, so… what's up the getup?"
"You mean… this?" Pointing at her robes, Verthandi tilted her head slightly as she scratched her chin. "Well… what's the point of showing off when there's no one around to see you? And besides, I prefer picking my partners, not the other way around, so showing off to my jailer is definitely not an option; I'm easy, not desperate!"
"Right…" Taking a few steps towards the brunette demoness, Hild leaned closer to inspect Verthandi and had to admit that the resemblance between her and Belldandy was indeed hard to ignore. "So, tell me… What's your story? Why does an Ironwood Dryad looks like a goddess, even if she's configured to use demonic power?"
"Wait… you're interested in me? Not Angrboda?" asked the somewhat surprised Verthandi, who had already expected the Daimakaicho to demand some explanation about her own lookalike.
"Considering that you're the one who stands before me… I believe it's better to start with you first," said Hild, walking towards the cell's kitchenette to prepare some tea for herself. "Would you like a refill?"
"Yes please. I'd definitely love another cup right now." Taking a seat on the sofa, Verthandi's demeanor seemed a bit more serious compared to how Surt had described her, and for a moment she even looked sad.
Yet Hild wasn't here to offer anyone her sympathy, especially without knowing that they deserved it. Even the most fearsome of demons showed mercy, but before they did that, they needed to learn more about their opponents' real agenda before making any final decisions. No matter how much someone wanted to present themselves as a poor, innocent soul, no demon would take their word for granted. And in this particular case, the rogues' acts so far made it hard for anyone to consider them as harmless.
Sitting next to Verthandi, the Daimakaicho offered her a steaming cup of Darjeeling tea and remained silent of a few moments, contemplating where to start from. "When I first attempted to convert Belldandy into a demoness, I must admit that I had no idea what to expect. Still, if I had to make a guess, then you'd be the best possible candidate to fit the bill. Which… raises a couple of very important questions. Not only you resemble her physical form, but your energy pattern seems to be eerily similar from a certain perspective; given that you and Belldandy belong to different species. And while it's kind of hard for some to see past your mannerisms, a closer examination can reveal that you're even acting like her at times."
"I must admit that your analysis is spot on, Hild-san," said Verthandi as she enjoyed her tea. "I'm the closest thing to a demonic version of Belldandy you're going to get under any circumstances."
Nodding, the Daimakaicho tapped her chin as the Urd's report came to mind. Angrboda had explicitly mentioned that she had no idea of why she was created, and as such, asking the same thing to Verthandi would prove to be utterly pointless. Instead, what the brunette demoness should be aware of is her role in this whole situation. "If that's the case, then why does a demonic version of one of Asgard's role models joins a group of renegades to begin with? What were you even trying to accomplish by that whole circus?"
"In all honesty, I think that you've got a very good idea. Within Asgard there's a small, yet tenacious faction that desperately clings on their precious views of the world. The very same that pushed for measures like that Judgment Gate and still makes a lot of fuss about every little thing that brings celestials closer to other species. At some point… something is bound to happen; although the real question is which side's going to act first."
"That's something I've speculated for quite a while," admitted Hild. "However, it's not hard to guess what my personal views of that situation may be, and as such, you could be saying all those things just to gain my trust. I must remind you that I'm not such an idiot to take things at face value, and without compelling evidence to back such claims, you won't get anywhere with me. So, you better tell me more or I might as well keep you locked here for a few eons."
Letting out a sigh, Verthandi knew that despite her playful personality, Hild could be a formidable opponent when the circumstances demanded it. Furthermore, she was worried to leave Odal on his own for far too long and as such, the demoness had no other alternative but talk.
"Very well, then. I'll try to answer all your questions to the best of my ability. So… shoot."
XXX
Ithavoll, Asgard
"Calm down? My father was alive for all this time and… you want me to calm down?"
Tyr was livid. Actually, he was downright furious, but had to hold back out of respect to his stepmother who found herself in the rather rare situation of getting chewed by the Daitenkaicho. Although his elusive predecessor managed to escape from Skidbladnir before Ansuz got to him and the others, the reports filed by his daughters were fairly conclusive. The one who tried to rescue Keiichi was none other than Odin, which… raised more questions than Frigg wanted to answer.
"I must apologize for keeping you and the rest of your brothers in the dark, but you have to understand that there are certain circumstances that complicate matters," said Frigg with a tired sigh. "However, this is a conversation you need to have with Odin, I'm afraid. Even I'm not aware of some of your father's plans."
"Keeping secrets even from family?" shaking his head with a disgusted expression on his face, Tyr was about to continue with his tirade, before Thor interrupted him.
"Not so fast! Do I have to remind you how long you've denied that you were sleeping with Hild?" The thunderer had remained silent for the last couple of minutes while their stepmother provided her account of what took place during the last couple of millennia since their father's disappearance. But he wasn't going to let his brother accuse anyone for the same thing he had done in the past.
"Hold on a second!... That was different!" protested Tyr, although Thor was far from impressed.
"How so?"
"Hild's a demoness! Everyone would've assumed that I was either a traitor or simply fell victim of her allure," said Tyr in utter frustration. "So, what was I supposed to say, anyway?"
"I think that's enough." Clearing her throat to grab her stepsons' attention, Frigg decided that she had to stop them before they got into a long and ultimately pointless argument. "No matter what I say about this, your father was quite adamant that he needed to retire, so that you could step out of his shadow. And while I must admit that he may have gotten a bit too far with his methods, many of your accomplishments would've been all but impossible if Odin was still around and actively influenced your decisions. Things like… the Doublet System, for example."
No matter how he wanted to disagree, Tyr chose to still his tongue and spare Frigg the trouble of having to defend Odin's decisions, especially after she more or less admitted that the whole thing was his father's idea. Still, there was one more thing he remembered from Frigg's explanation and the Daitenkaicho wanted to find out more before they dropped the subject altogether. "Now, unless I'm mistaken… you've mentioned something about… another half brother of mine?"
"Yes, that would be quite correct," said Frigg with a slow nod. "He's called Vidar and currently the youngest amongst your siblings."
"Vidar? Wasn't he the one helping that copy of Hild to kidnap Loki?" asked Thor.
"Uh… yes, that's quite correct," said Frigg with some concern evident in her voice.
"Then… more than half of those rogues are related to us? I mean… aside Ilmr and Celestin, the rest of them are somehow connected to us," said the god of thunder as he scratched his head. "Well, if you count Loki's creations as part of our extended family, but still…"
"You forgot about their alleged ringleader," said Tyr with a raised eyebrow. "From what I've heard the one in charge of their little group was that Odal character who…" Pausing for a moment when he noticed the concerned looks around his office, Tyr began to wonder what was going on. "Alright… why are you two staring at me like that?"
"Um… I know that you've pretty busy with everything else that's going on, but you… surely must've heard!" said Thor, turning to his stepmother for support and notice that she was already heading for the door.
"I'll be back in a moment! I need to make a cup of tea!" Yet despite her claims, the elder goddess nearly flew out of there, leaving the utterly lost Daimakaicho behind.
Turning to his brother, Tyr drummed his fingers on the wooden surface of his desk before he fixed Thor a rather pointed look. "Alright… what happened this time?"
"I guess nobody dared to tell you, so, that might as well be me." Taking a deep breath, the god of thunder knew that the sooner they got this over this, the better. "Well… I suppose that congratulations are in order. You're a grandfather by the looks of it."
"What? When? WHO?" Shaking his head to clear his vision that was getting somewhat blurry, Tyr's mind kicked into gear to make sense of what he'd been told. "Wait… it's Urd, right? She got pregnant and..."
"No, not Urd…" said Thor with a shake of his head.
"Okay, she got somebody else pregnant," said Tyr, only to get the same reaction from his brother.
"Nope. Try the… middle of your daughters."
"You don't mean… Belldandy? That's great news!" said the stunned Tyr, as he slowly began to snap out of his stupor and smile from ear to ear. Although, Thor didn't seem to share the same enthusiasm.
"I said that you're already a grandfather, not about to become one. Based on the hair samples we've managed to find inside the cabin he occupied during his stay on board Skidbladnir, that Odal guy appears to be Belldandy's son. Although… we've got absolutely no idea who fathered him. All we can tell is that he must be a god, but… nothing beyond that," said Thor with a groan. "We've looked up the entire database, and even checked for a partial match, just in case we could locate one of the father's relatives; still, we got absolutely nothing."
"That's impossible! Even if his father is an unregistered god as well, it's highly unlikely that this is also the case for his entire lineage all the way to the first generation of celestials. So, there has to be a partial match somewhere!" said Tyr in disbelief. "Are you sure that you haven't missed anyone's record?"
"I'm fairly positive, and the biggest problem is the hole idea of Belldandy being a mother to begin with. She had never gone on vacations without her sisters, which eliminates the possibility that she might'd an affair behind our backs; let alone end up with a child as a result of that," said Thor with a troubled frown. "Of course we've also considered the possibility that Odal is actually Verthandi's son, although that raises all sorts of questions, since that doppelganger is not only a demoness but an Ironwood dryad as well. Even if he converted himself into a full god, there should be some leftover traces of what he used to be, or at least some characteristic anomalies into his genetic profile. Yet, so far we found nothing to support any of those theories."
"What a mess…" Pinching the bridge of his nose, the Daitenkaicho already felt the need to have a drink, but with everything else going on at the moment, this was a luxury he just couldn't afford. On one hand he had to oversee Skidbladnir's repairs which weren't too bad at all, but before they could send the ship back to Freyr, they had to make sure that they've thoroughly check for anything suspicious left behind. And if that wasn't enough, he also had to deal with the matter of Loki's replacement as the head technician of Yggdrasil. As such, the last thing he needed was to have a family crisis thrown into the mix as well. "Did you ask Belldandy about this?"
"No, of course not. With her refusing to leave Keiichi's side ever since he got back, I thought it would've been a pretty bad idea to bring the subject up," said the god of thunder with a shake of his head. "That, and her sisters are also handing around them as well, which would've made matters way worse…"
Nodding, Tyr couldn't say that he found any fault with his half brother's reasoning. No matter what, the last thing he wanted was to ruin Belldandy's happy reunion with her husband; but then he also realized that, Thor mentioned about the two other Norns. "Wait… Urd's here?"
"Yes, she said that her mother gave her special permission to stay here for a day, before she goes back to Muspelheim once more. She didn't even change into a goddess to save time from having to deal with disorientation from changing her power source," said Thor, before he remembered that there was another demoness who requested for a visitor's permit. "Oh, and Mara's with her, too."
"In that case, you'll have to excuse me," said Tyr as he got up from his chair. "I need to go and welcome my son in law, as well as my daughter for coming home. And maybe say hello to Urd's girlfriend too; given that this is her first visit here since she started dating Urd."
Chucking a bit, the god of thunder couldn't help but find the whole prospect of Tyr meeting his aspiring daughter in law to be rather amusing. "Just go easy on her, or Urd's not going to forgive you."
"Yes. yes… I know, no challenges this time."
XXX
"Keiichi? Is there something wrong? You seem pretty quiet…"
Looking over to Belldandy who remained lying next to him on their bed, Keiichi had to admit that with so many things going on in his head, he had no idea where to even start. "I'm just tired, Bell… that's all. Between the questioning by the Fighting Wing's representatives and the reunion party you threw for me and Urd, I got almost no sleep at all."
"I'm sorry, love," said Belldandy with a sigh as she leaned her head on his shoulder. "I was too happy to have you back that I've forgotten how exhausted you must've been…"
"No, that's not what I meant, Bell! I really had quite some fun, and watching Urd teasing Skuld really brought back some memories," said Keiichi with a smile, remembering the days they've spent back on Earth. "I just… need some time to recover a bit, that's all. But even having you next to me makes me feel so much better."
Giggling a bit, Belldandy's cheeks turned slightly pink as she averted her eyes from her confused husband who had no idea how he must've sounded by making such a comment. "Thank you, love. Urd gave me a few tips before we retired for the night. And I must admit that she knows her stuff a lot better than most people give her credit for."
"Eh?" It actually took Keiichi a couple of seconds to connect the dots and as soon as he did, the blushing mortal wondered whether his wife was actually the exact opposite of Verthandi or not. "I… I wasn't talking about that, but… in all honesty, I'll have to agree with you."
Tilting her head a bit as she studied her husband's reaction, Belldandy got up from the bed and began to dress herself; albeit in a manual rather than magical fashion. "We've been married for a while already, love. There's nothing wrong with us being intimate, even though I'll have to admit that I've originally found the topic to be pretty intimidating. Nowadays however… I think I've come to fully appreciate it and even look forward to learn new things we can try together."
"Uh… are you feeling okay, Bell?" asked the stunned mortal whose face was reminiscent of a ripe tomato.
"Better than ever, Keiichi. I'm just… happy to have you back, and even find ways to deepen our connection," said Belldandy with a smile as she finished dressing herself up. "That, and I wish to avoid acting like a complete prude for the rest of our married life. Although, you should already know by now that this isn't entirely true."
"Y-Yes… I do, Bell," said Keiichi with a nod, before a thought crossed his mind. 'Wait a moment… Is this a new way for expressing her jealousy? I mean… she was kind of annoyed seeing Verthandi trying to get paws on me, and even ended up flooding that ship with lemons because of it.' Despite his thoughts, Keiichi knew that asking his wife about such a topic would've been pretty inconsiderate of him, although he had to admit that he was fairly curious about the fate of the Norn's lookalike. "Um… say, Belldandy? Can I ask you something?"
"Is it about Verthandi?" Almost as if reading his mind, the brunette goddess knew that as soon as the physical part of their relationship was mentioned, that particular demoness' name would turn up. After all, she was the only other immortal who tried to get intimate with Keiichi, after Peorth's attempts back when she arrived on the temple to grant him a wish, although this time, Belldandy was far more willing to directly compete with anyone attempting to steal her husband from her.
"I was just curious as to what happened to her, that's all," said Keiichi as he nervously scratched his head. "I know that she was a bit too pushy and even blunt about her efforts to sleep with me, but I don't really think that she's a bad person."
"Me neither," said Belldandy with a sigh. "As much as it pains me to admit it, I was kind of jealous of her in a bizarre way. I know that it's impossible for you to pick her over me, but at the same time, the idea that you might've preferred a less reserved and more… carefree version of myself, worries me. Perhaps it's one of my insecurities but…"
"Now, hold on, Bell!" said Keiichi in protest. "You're one of the most determined individuals I know! So, calling yourself insecure is utterly wrong and…"
"It's merely the truth, Keiichi," finished the middle Norn for him. "Although, in all fairness we're both wrong in a way. People are fairly complicated creatures and as such their personalities have many different aspects to them; both positive and negative. And in my case, the most glaring of my flaws is how poorly I react to anyone who has a chance to get closer to you."
"That may be, but… I'm not innocent either," said Keiichi, as he tried to reassure his wife. "In the past I've been fairly indecisive at times and that must've caused you a lot of unnecessary heartache; with Peorth's wish being the crown example of that. I should've handled her in a much better fashion than I did back, and yet I simply remained passive about the whole thing."
"Well, at least you did actually turn down Verthandi's advances in a much more efficient manner," said Belldandy with a giggle as she tried to lighten up the mood. "I had a brief chance to talk to her before she was taken on board Myrkr and she actually commended of your resolution to remain faithful."
"Really? Did you found out more about her? I mean… where did she come from? And why does she look exactly like you?"
"I tried to learn more, but we barely had the time to do so and even then, I don't believe she wanted to talk much about herself. The only thing I've found out is that she's apparently some kind of Dryad, although that's not nearly as much as information as I wanted."
Offering her a slow nod, Keiichi wondered if he should bring the other thing that's been eating him since yesterday, but hesitated to do so. No matter how much he trusted Belldandy, the dark haired mortal was reluctant to poke his nose into her life; yet given how honest he was, Keiichi's expression was a dead giveaway of his feelings.
"What's troubling you, dear?" asked Belldandy with a slight frown as she worried that her husband might be still suffering from the stress of having been kidnapped.
"I… It's nothing, Bell..." lied Keiichi, although it was far too obvious for the goddess of the present to buy it, and as such she pressed on.
"Please Keiichi, talk to me. It's obvious that there's something troubling you and I can't stand watching you suffer without doing anything at all."
Taking a deep breath, Keiichi steeled his nerves as he tried to come up with a tactful way to approach the whole subject. "I was wondering… Have you met that Odal guy in the past? Maybe… when he was little, or something?"
Blinking a bit, Belldandy seemed lost as she tried her best to recall the rogue god's face from their brief encounter back when the latter stole Skidbladnir from them. "In all honesty, I think he looked pretty familiar to me, although I'm almost certain that I've never met him prior to that moment when he tried to sneak into our home. Still, he does remind me of someone..."
"Really?" asked the curious Keiichi as he couldn't help but want to find out more about the mysterious rogue who caused all this mess. "Who?"
"Actually, that would be… you, Keiichi."
An awkward silence filled the room as the stunned mortal started to wonder about all the things he had seen in Odal's room, and to a certain degree… he had to admit that those antiques were something he'd be interested at. 'Wait a sec! He even had my Beemer's keys… Don't tell me that…'
Before Keiichi had the chance to go much further with his thoughts, a startled cry coming from the living room caught both his and Belldandy's attention, and judging by the voice, it must've been Peorth.
"Oh dear… I think she said something about neesan. Should we go and take a look, Keiichi?"
Letting out a sigh, the mortal had to remind himself that not only the Norn of the past was more than happy to prank others, but as a demoness she was even more inclined to do so.
"Yes… before they blow the whole place up."
XXX
"Ha, ha… you're so hilarious…"
Crossing her arms as she stared at Urd with a haughty look on her face, Peorth could hardly contain herself from covering the laughing half goddess with roses; and particularly thorny ones, too. After all, if there was one thing that she hated the most, it was to become the latest target of a joke.
"Me? What about you?" asked Urd between giggles, while pointing at the rose goddess' current attire. "What in Niflheim's name possessed you to wear… pants? Are you feeling alright?"
"For your information they're leggings. Oh, and in case you haven't heard already, I've been appointed as Skuld's mentor. As such, I need to set up a good example for my young charge and… Urd… take that hand off my forehead, I don't have a fever." Swatting the Norn's hand, Peorth had to remind herself that in all fairness, such a reaction was to be expected. After gaining a reputation for walking around in such revealing outfits, the decision to wear leggings all of a sudden was more than enough to raise a few eyebrows, and in Urd's case… a few snide remarks too. Sure, it was a pair of black, skintight leggings made from the same material as the rest of her outfit, or… underwear according to most, so, it wasn't anything that clashed with her personal style. "Actually, I must remind you that I've worn a something extremely similar back when I was summoned to grant Keiichi's second wish. But aside from being white, there's no other difference between those leggings and what I'm wearing now."
"Huh… I must've forgotten about it," said Urd as she scratched her chin in thought, although to the onlookers, it was up to debate whether she was genuinely thinking about it or it was just an act. "I mean, back then you kept taking things off on a daily basis, until you were left in your undies. Actually, should you had taken them off any faster, it would've counted as a strip show!"
"Excuse me?!"
'And they call me a kid!... Just because they're all… grown up, doesn't make them any more mature than me.' Letting out a sigh as she shook her head, Skuld glanced over at Mara and Lind who watched the spectacle with an equally bored expression on their faces. Even Excalibur was less than impressed by the commotion and instead, chose to take a nap in his sword form over at the pedestal in the corner. However, before she could step in and diffuse the situation, Belldandy and Keiichi decided to show up.
"Is everything alright?" asked the ever diplomatic goddess of the present, while taking a look around the living room.
"Yes… it's just Urd being impressed with how tight Peorth's pants are. Something about… a camel's toe or something," said Skuld in an off handed manner, and in the process, managed to make everyone in the room to gawk at her; Excalibur included, who had to physically bend himself to 'face' her.
"Don't look at me!" said Urd in a hurry, as she noticed the pointed look she was receiving from her younger sibling. "I swear, she's putting words in my mouth! I never said something like that!"
"Me neither," added Peorth, just in case she was considered as the next likely suspect. "As a matter of fact, that was the entire reason behind my recent change of style."
"I wouldn't go that far," said Urd, making the others a bit nervous when they noticed the annoyed look on Peorth's face. "Sure, it's slightly more modest, so I'll give you that much. Still, it has the same stripperific flair to it, given how skintight your clothes are."
"Are you one to talk, though?" shot Peorth back at Urd. Pointing at the Norn's own form fitting leather pants, the brunette's lips curved into a tiny grin, knowing that this time she had her. "You're practically wearing the same thing!"
"No, not really… miss spandex. Actually, if we don't take material into account, then even Lind would've counted, given how tight her uniform is. Although… now that I think of it, she's wearing it even when off duty and I'll be darned if it's only due to habit," said Urd as she gave the war goddess a critical glance. "Hm… looks like someone wants to remind her lifelong friend that she's got a nice body too."
"Excuse me?!"
It was now Lind's turn to consider giving Urd a run for her money, and unlike Peorth, the blue haired Valkyrie was much better prepared for such an undertaking. Thankfully though, Belldandy decided that her eldest sister had enough fun for a day and stepped in to put an end to this before it truly escalated out of control.
"Now, now… let's not argue, everyone. It's such a joyous occasion to have Keiichi and even back, so, how about having a proper welcome party? I know that we had one yesterday, but we barely had enough time to make all the necessary preparations for it," said Belldandy with a bright smile, before she turned to Urd. "Oh, and speaking of preparations... Neesan, would you like to join me in the kitchen? Since you're interested in learning more about..."
"Sure! I'd love to give you a hand!" Pushing her sister towards the kitchen, Urd desperately tried to get her out of there, before Belldandy finished that sentence. If Skuld or Peorth ever heard that she had taken an interest in cooking of all things, they'd never let her live this one down, especially as payback for all her teasing.
"What was that all about?" wondered the youngest of the Norns aloud, only to get a shrug from her mentor before she headed over to where her Valkyrie friend was standing. Still, the curious goddess wanted some answers, yet a quick glance at Mara yielded no results, as the blonde demoness was apparently transfixed by what she must've thought as a decorative sword; which of course was not only a real instrument of war, but a sentient one too. 'At least if you're trying to look busy… do a better job at it, will ya?'
Meanwhile, the weapon in question stared back at Mara, despite his current lack of eyes or any other obvious optical sensors. "You know, if you keep staring at me like that, Urd's going to get jealous."
"In your dreams, toothpick boy. Besides… I thought you had the hots for a certain Valkyrie?" Glancing over her shoulder to take a peek at the goddess in question, Mara turned back to the seemingly unfazed Excalibur and grinned, exposing her sharp canines. "Or are you given up already?"
"Nah… I prefer my goals in life to be moderately challenging, otherwise there's no fun accomplishing anything," was Excalibur's slightly cheerful reply. "And speaking of challenges, I hope you've mentally prepared for yours, too."
"Huh? What are you droning about?"
"Well… you are going to meet Urd's father in person, aren't you?" It was more of a statement than a question, and just enough to make Mara pale, despite her already light complexion.
In all honesty, with everything else going on at the moment, Mara had almost forgotten that she was in Asgard; or rather… the implications of such a thing. She may had gotten it easy with Hild who was more than happy to accept her as Urd's girlfriend, but she had no idea what Tyr's reaction to such news was going to be. Now, it was highly unlikely for the celestial leader to try and separate them because of the blonde's demonic origins, yet it was entirely possible for him to take the almost stereotypical approach of the antagonistic father in law. And not to mention about the inevitable attention they'd get from others due to the mere fact that they were the first interspecies couple in the post Judgment Gate era. If nothing else, there would be a lot of interest especially from the proponents of that particular measure, who'd love to exploit every little issue in their private lives as a justification for bringing that test back.
It was actually one thing that both of them were acutely aware about but refused to discuss it, knowing that it could put a lot of stress in already shaky relationship. Urd was still trying to find a proper balance between her two natures and redefine herself in the process, while Mara was living in the uncertainty of whether she'd end up dating a goddess or a fellow demoness. Ironically enough, there was no easy way out of that conundrum, as either options would attract a lot of attention. And whether it was celestial prejudice or demonic politics they had to deal with, the only certainty was that they were in for a bumpy ride.
Regardless, doing absolutely nothing about it and allowing others to decide what they'd do with their lives was something that neither Urd nor Mara was willing to accept. They had every intention to press on with their relationship, and as such the next step in that process was to introduce herself to Tyr and hope for the best. "I suppose you're right. I've never actually met him in person before, and obviously not while dating Urd either, so… it's going to be an interesting experience."
"I… don't want to sound pessimistic, but do you have a plan B? You know… just in case…"
'I don't even have a plan A you dumb robot!... And thank you for reminding me that, too!' Despite such thoughts, Mara tried to do her best at giving him a confident smile and even a thumbs up in an effort to look cool. "Of course I do! I'm always prepared for any kind of situation!"
"Oh, that's encouraging!" said Excalibur, despite not believing a word she said. "Because according to my sensors, Tyr is about to enter this property. So, at the very least try to make a good first impre-... Hey, where do you think you're going?"
But… the blonde demoness had already bolted.
XXX
Earth
Hidden inside an old, abandoned factory in a remote area of the globe, an almost depressed god stared at the wooden crates that contained all his belongings. He and the rest of his group had arrived here only a few hours ago, after they narrowly managed to escape the combined forces of both Asgard and Niflheim. Yet for Odal that was far from a joyous occasion, given that one of them was caught in the process and their plans were now in jeopardy.
"Hey, what's up, kid?"
Looking up, the dark haired god found Loki standing next to him, and apparently nothing really fazed the god of mischief. As cheerful as ever, Loki was his total antithesis at the time being, and in all honesty, Odal was in no mood for dealing with Asgard's most notorious troublemaker. "Isn't that obvious? Just look around us and you'll get your answer."
"My, my… such a pessimistic attitude!" said Loki with a dry chuckle, before he floated to the crate opposite of him. "One would've expected a much more positive view of our situation. After all, that's to be expected from…"
"I'm not my mother, so, don't even bother with that," said the dejected rogue as he was almost ready to get up and put some distance between himself and the annoying troublemaker.
"So, that's it for you, huh? Game over?" asked Loki with a raised eyebrow and a tone so caustic that was bound to get anyone's attention. After all, that was one of the things the god of mischief was best known for; annoy the hell out of them. "Should I get you a shovel, so that you dig a hole and put your head in, just like an ostrich? I don't want to sound rude, kid, but… whether you like it or not… when you start something like this, you're committed. There are people who put their trust in you, and letting them down because something went wrong is simply unacceptable."
"What else can I really do? The idea was to amass resources so that I could infiltrate Yggdrasil's security vault and get the system's BIOS," said Odal, albeit with some hesitation. Trusting Loki of all gods was a really risky, if not downright desperate move, and something he'd never done under normal circumstances. Yet desperate situations called for desperate measures, and while he didn't ask him directly, Odal hoped that Loki might've an idea they could use.
"Hm… well… that's unlikely to happen. Even without you poking your nose around, the security around the vault would've been too much for anyone save to deal with on their own. Save for a demonic invasion, there's no way you'd ever get close enough to even see the memory crystals. And now you'd poked the hornet's nest, it's going to be an even more difficult task," said Loki while scratching his chin in thought.
"See? I told you it's…"
Without waiting the younger god to finish his sentence, Loki decided to announce his solution to the problem; no matter how unexpected it turned out to be. "You know… we could always get my copy of the BIOS. I bet that's gonna save us a lot of trouble."
"YOU HAVE A COPY OF THE BIOS?!"
"Shh! Not this loud!" Looking around, even a slightly over dramatic manner, Loki tutted the rogue war god who was still having a lot of trouble accepting that the one thing he's been after for such a long time… was in the troublemaker's possession.
"Don't give me that! Where IS it?!" shouted the desperate god, as he shook Loki by the shoulders. "I must have that program!"
"C-C-Calm down k-kid! W-We'll get it… o-one way or t-the other," said Loki, trying to sound as innocent as possible, although for everyone who know him that only mean one thing; trouble.
"Why? Where is it? Out with it!" demanded the rogue god, even though he almost dreaded the answer.
"Buried in a safe location in Asgard."
"Oh! That's… not that bad," said Odal with a hopeful smile; until he noticed that look on Loki's face.
"Yes… except a tiny detail…"
"Do I have to sit down before I hear it?" asked the worried god, who felt that he was about to embark on a wild goose chase.
"Nah! It's not that bad!" said Loki with a dismissive wave of his hand. "It's just that I decided to bury it in Baldr's property, since he's such a nice god that nobody would ever suspect for anything. And… for a long while I've almost forgotten about the stupid thing, until Tyr decided to have a family… and they needed more room for the girls… and..."
"Hold on!" Raising a hand while using the other to pinch the bridge of his nose, Odal knew that listening to Loki's idea would've caused him a headache; but at this point, there weren't really any alternatives. "Are you trying to tell me that… they build mom's place on top of it?"
"Uh… yes! I mean, what was I supposed to do? Tell them to move the house just a few meters to the side, because I had buried the most illegal thing one could possibly possess under that very spot?" said Loki in his defense. "I may act silly at times, but that's only because that's my shtick; I'm not actually an idiot, you know."
"Ugh… what a pain…" Rubbing his temples, Odal knew all too well what kind of an ordeal they were in. Asgard was most certainly on high alert, and after all that took place just barely a day ago, the Norns' house was likely monitored on a constant basis. Of course breaking into the vault would've been an even greater undertaking, so in the end… there was no other option; they had to get to Loki's copy of the BIOS and fast. Time was something they had no longer the luxury to waste, not with Thrivaldi and his bunch of loons trying to get hold of the Yggdrasil mainframe. "Alright! Go grab that shovel of yours… We're off to dig up for treasure."
"Yes! That's the spirit, kiddo!" laughed Loki, much to Odal's annoyance.
"I'm not a kiddo! Now get moving!" barked the rogue god and rushed to make his own preparations for what was likely going to be another make or break moment.
Yet as soon as the he was out of sight, Loki paused and turned to his side where Angrboda was casually leaning against a nearby crate. Given the almost unreadable expression on her face, it was really hard to tell what was going on in her mind, although the lack of any obvious sign of annoyance, was more than enough to encourage Loki into approaching her, instead of running for the hills. "I presume that you're pleased?"
"I wouldn't go that far, but… you did a decent job cheering him up; that much I'll give you."
"My pleasure!" said Loki with a wide smile on his face, despite the fact that he knew it was likely a bad idea to try his usual antics on someone as humorless as her. "I hope you're feeling better, as well. Losing an arm and then having to reattach it must've been a real inconvenience."
"Not as much as you may think," said Angrboda, flexing the aforementioned arm just to prove her point. "As you can clearly see, I'm far more resilient than most would've given me credit for. Oh, and if you really want to get laid, I'd strongly recommend you to try something other than the nice guy approach. Not only it doesn't work with me, but coming from you, it's downright creepy."
"Aw…"
Ignoring the crestfallen god, Angrboda turned around and began to walk away from him, although her lips curled up ever so slightly in a tiny smile. "I've got some business to take care of, so don't look for me if it takes me a while to return."
"Uh… you're not going to do anything rash, will you?" asked the worried Loki, since the demoness was well known for her aggressive nature and lack of subtlety.
"I know how to take care of myself," was the curt reply, before Angrboda started to walk away once more. "Now get going, before Odal ends up leaving without you."
XXX
Asgard
Flying towards her daughters' home at a fraction of her normal airspeed, Ansuz had to admit that she was in no mood for a family reunion, but at the same time, explaining her absence to the others was out of question. All that information about Odal's origins was a highly classified secret and not something she could casually discuss over a hot cup of tea. Worse, after spending a few hours searching the entire database together with Sif and Thor, Ansuz was left both frustrated and utterly spent, yet she had to put up a pleasant smile on her face and handle the whole reunion as if nothing was out of the ordinary; which… was easier said than done.
'I'm a grandmother and I don't even knew about it! Okay… I'll admit that the chances Belldandy did that behind our backs are practically nil, and there's a different explanation for the whole thing, but… I'M TOO YOUNG TO BE A GRANDMOTHER!'
Letting a frustrated sigh, Ansuz knew that the real problem lies elsewhere and her anger was mostly directed at herself. Most immortals had to deal with a middle age crisis, and although the term was probably incorrect, given the potentially unlimited lifespan of their species, anyone who lived long enough to have grandchildren inevitably became more aware of their own age. Of course, their reaction greatly varied between individuals, and while some didn't even care whether they were considered old or not, others became a tad sensitive about it. And by the looks of it, Ansuz was amongst the latter, even if she never really thought that this was going to be the case with her.
However, as she was about to land and take a break in order to sort her thoughts out, Ansuz came upon the weirdest thing she had seen in the last few aeons: her husband walking towards their daughters' house, carrying a few bags with what seemed to be supplies for a party.
'Tyr's visiting our daughters on his own accord?… Now I've seen everything!...' It was fairly rare to see her spouse leave his office for anything that wasn't related to his work, let alone something like a party with the rest of his family. 'Wait… am I actually seeing this? Is this happening for real?'
Frowning as he began to feel someone's intense gaze directed at him, the Daitenkaicho turned to look around, only to find his mystified wife staring at him as if he was the most bizarre sight to witness. "Oh, there you are, Ansuz. I've called you a couple of times but you kept kept ignoring me; so… everything's alright?"
"I… I'm having a middle age crisis…" said the teal haired goddess after several seconds of trying to find a way to dodge the topic, but eventually decided to come clean and stop avoiding the problem.
"You? Aren't you a bit young for that? Even mother who's a lot older than either of us is more or less acting like someone's younger than… I mean… she's acting like a youngster at times," said Tyr, narrowly avoiding a blunder at the very last moment. "So, what's the big deal all of a sudden? Don't tell me you're worked up about the leader of those rogues."
"That didn't surprise you?" asked Ansuz with a raised eyebrow, as both of them avoided going into any sensitive details in such a public location, where anyone could be eavesdropping them.
"Yes it did actually, but then again… with the two Ironwood Dryads copying Hild and even a demonic version of one of our daughters, I can't say that it means too much. For all we know, it could be the case of another copy or even the child of one, but in the end… what's really important is to focus on the task at hand," said Tyr, raising his shopping bags for an extra effect. "While we were far too busy to have a proper celebration when Belldandy first came back from Earth, this is a good opportunity to rectify for that; After all, it's not every day one gets married."
Ansuz simply stared at her husband for a good couple of seconds, before she put a hand on his forehead and quickly cast a diagnostic spell to make sure he was feeling fine, but found nothing out of the ordinary.
"Please… stop doing that, I'm not feeling sick."
"I'm sorry, dear… It's just that… it's been so long since you were… like this," said Ansuz as she pulled away from her husband and offered him an apologetic smile.
"Yes… I know," said Tyr with a heavy sigh. "Probably before Urd was even born. But… a lot happened as of late, and I came to realize how much time we spent in our offices. And still, nobody appreciates it; especially Thrivaldi, that son of a bitch…"
"Pff! Bwa ha ha! I can't believe you said that! And here I thought I was the only one with a potty mouth in this family!" laughed Ansuz, only for Tyr to roll his eyes at her.
"You haven't cussed for a long time, too. Especially in front of the girls… well... maybe once…"
"That was when Bell was born, and it doesn't really count," said Ansuz, narrowing her eyes at him. "And for the record, everything was just fine until you left and she decided to show up…"
"But… Ansuz… it's not Hild's fault that, Belldandy probably thought she was a better source for milk. That… or she just wanted to glomp her," said Tyr, while trying to change the subject before his wife got angry from remembering that incident. "At any rate, how about we forget everything and just have a family moment with our kids?"
"Fine, fine… I guess that's the best we can do right now," said Ansuz, before she felt an arm around her. Tyr had managed to balance all the bags on one hand and used the other to pull his wife close for a kiss. And while she was pretty surprised at first, Ansuz soon gave in and decided not to ruin the moment, given how rarely they even got to do this sort of thing anymore. "Mm… I really missed this."
"You and me both," said Tyr with a smile as he started to walk towards their daughter's home, unaware that someone was actually staring at them.
Poking his head out of a nearby manhole that was meant to access the underground water drainage system, as well as the telecommunications network infrastructure, Loki watched the couple walk away for several seconds with an approving look on his face.
'Well… I guess someone decided to get their act act together. About damn time too, I say! Although… why does everyone gets to have some fun while I'm stuck babysitting Bell's kid? Speaking of him…'
Closing the manhole, not unlike a tank's hatch, Loki dived back into the underground tunnels, and immediately began to search for Odal, but instead of him, Loki ended up finding something else; something with sharp teeth. "Ow! Let go, let go, I said!"
Jumping around on one foot with whatever that was still firmly attached onto his left boot, the god of mischief tried to refrain from blasting his attacker with a spell. Any use of magic would've sent off a series of alarms, that only remained silent thanks to Loki's knowledge of how the security systems worked and the methods one needed to use in order to slip by them. Not that it was an easy feat either, but that never stopped Loki before, and today was no exception.
"What are you doing?"
Illuminating the pained god with his flashlight, Odal decided to go back and find out what the commotion was all about; only to discover Fenrir latched on Loki's foot. "Seriously… don't you guys have anything better to do?"
"Huh?" Following his glance, the trickster god realized that it his very own creation the one who had his sharp teeth embedded into his footwear. "Fenrir?! What do you think you're doing? Actually… what are you even here to begin with?"
Letting him go, the dread wolf tried to regain his composure, especially after getting a taste of the mischief maker's boots. "Well… given that you came here to unearth something, I decided to tag along. After all, I'm an expert at digging, so we'll get whatever you're looking in no time at all!"
"Oh, really? Just because you keep stashing bones in my lawn, doesn't make you an expert digger!" said Loki as he narrowed his eyes at the canine. "And why in Asgard's name did you bite me?"
"Say what you will, but I still have more experience than you, boss!" spat Fenrir while scratching his ear with a hind leg. "And I only bit you because you stepped on my tail! You know how much I hate when people do that!"
"I didn't see you! It's pitch dark in here!"
Clearing his throat to get their attention, Odal was honestly in no mood for this king of comedy routine and as such, he had to stop them before they got too sidetracked. "Can we please get going? The longer we stay here, the greater the chances are for us to get caught, so, time is of the essence!"
"Okay, okay… I got it," muttered Fenrir before he started to head towards their destination. "Now, follow me and see how an expert handles this!"
"Uh… Fenrir?… That's the wrong way," said Loki in an offhanded manner, while pointing in the direction they were supposed to go.
"Right! I… was testing you! That's all! Off we go, then!"
XXX
During the several millennia he's been around, Tyr came to witness all sorts of incredible and outlandish spectacles imaginable. Yet there were still moments when even the celestial leader was genuinely caught off guard by the unknown that lurked just around the corner, or… in this particular case, inside the kitchen.
"Ansuz… am I seeing what I think I'm seeing?"
"If by that… you mean Belldandy and Urd cooking lunch together, then yes," was his wife's reply, albeit in a very detached manner, as she also find it hard to believe what was going on here.
Indeed, the eldest of the Norns was helping her sister make what appeared to be a pie of sorts, although it was hard to tell from a distance; and as such, the couple decided to edge closer. Taking cover behind the wooden table, the two highest ranking celestials observed Urd's rather unorthodox approach to pie making, since she more or less tried to… bludgeon the dough into submission with the rolling pin.
"Um… neesan? I don't think that's how you're supposed to do it…" said Belldandy with a slight wince as the sound of the last whack echoed across the kitchen's walls.
"Hm? Oh, I know that! I just want to prepare the dough by making it more… airy? Is that even the correct word? Oh, well… it makes it more fluffy and I feel a lot happier, so it's a win win situation for everyone involved," said Urd with such a happy smile, that actually caused her sister to pale a bit.
"I see...:" said Belldandy, swallowing nervously as she stared at her sister's cat like irises, who was likely unaware that right now it was the more violent aspect of her psyche that found cooking to be an enjoyable experience. "Actually, I can handle the apple pie on my own, so… how about helping me with the steak? I thought that a nice, juicy T-bone steak would be an interesting departure from the predominantly Japanese dishes I cooked back on Earth. Can you help me tenderize the meat?"
"Got it, Bell!" said Urd with a gleeful grin. "Just leave it to me! I'm really good at this!"
'That's what worries me…' thought the brunette goddess as she apprehensively stared at the mallet her sister was about to use to whack the steaks with. "Urd… remember that we're not making meat balls, aright? Or… replacing the kitchen counter, so… please, be gentle with it."
Unfortunately, distracting her sister in mid swing was definitely a pretty bad idea, especially when taken Urd's physical strength into account. Missing the spot she was actually aiming for, the Norn of the past hit the steak's bone, with devastating results as it exploded into tiny fragments, one of which almost hit Ansuz when it ricocheted across the kitchen. "Oops!"
'Dear Heavens! That… that sound was… was… so wrong!' The horrified Norn of the present shivered and for a moment considered to drink a whole bottle of cola, just to forget that sickening sound. "Urd! You're supposed to tenderize, not pulverize the poor steak!"
"Okay, okay… I'm sorry!" said Urd, as she quickly started to gather the bone fragments. "I can still fix it! Uncle Thor did something like that at one point, if I remember correctly. Anyway, I'll get it back the way it was, and follow your instructions from now on."
"Thank you… neesan," was all Belldandy could manage at the time, taking a deep breath as her face regained its color. "Perhaps you could help me cutting the salad instead?"
"No problem, Bell! Just leave it to me!"
Meanwhile, the celestial couple who witnessed this spectacle had already decided to slip out of there and head to meet the others, before they lost their appetite.
"Tyr?"
"Yes? What is it?"
"Should I tell Bell that I want a veggie burger for lunch?"
XXX
One of the most important lessons Mara had received as a young intern at Niflheim's contract agency was that no matter the circumstances, making a good first impression was key to success. It didn't matter if it was for the sake of sealing a contract or just taking part in a business or other social event; she had to make others think that they were dealing with the creme of the crop demonkind had to offer.
Unfortunately for Mara, what sounded so simple in theory was so difficult to pull in practice, especially for someone as accident prone as her. No matter how much planning she put behind making a good intro, Mara would end up botching something and in the process make herself look like a joke instead. At least with the average mortal, the whole situation was far more forgiving, given that most of them would go into a shocked state of disbelief whenever she showed up before them; but, with other immortals… that wasn't the case. Even worse, the ones she had to introduce herself were celestials, and Mara had no idea what kind of a response she'd get from them; Tyr in particular.
Taking a deep breath, Mara glanced down to make sure she was presentable, but knowing herself, she wanted another opinion. And while he was far from an ideal candidate for providing any kind of helpful insight for such an event, Excalibur just happened to be nearby. "Alright, toothpick boy! I want an honest opinion, and no jokes this time! How do I look like?"
Tilting his head as he inspected the blonde demoness, Excalibur just had to scratch his head, which accordingly to his observations so far was the most likely response to extreme doubt. "You look like a cosplayer… Seriously, what possessed you to dress like an Yggdrasil's sysop? Just because you're going to meet Urd's father, doesn't mean you have to wear something like that?"
"But!... What about the whole when in Rome do as the Romans do thingy?" said Mara in her defense. "Besides, it's not like I've simply copied what I've seen! I put my own personal touch too!"
"Making a red variety of the sysops' attire is hardly what I'd call original," said Excalibur as he shook his head. "After all, Urd tried that with Belldandy's robes, already. Seriously, color swaps are so overrated..."
"Wait! How do you know that?"
"She sent Skuld some photos, but that's not the point here," said Excalibur, forming a small holo display above his left palm, with the aforementioned image on it. "See? Now, how about you just put on your own clothes and go introduce yourself. It's not like they don't know who you are, anyway…"
"Well... I guess there's no other way around it." With a sigh, she simply snapped her fingers and changed into what was actually her combat uniform, but before she entered the living room, Mara came to a stop. "Wait! What if… he says no?"
"You're a demoness, so, do what you're supposed to do; flip him the bird and get on with your life! Now… move damn you!" said Excalibur as he pushed the stubborn blonde who refused to let go of the door frame. "You already ran away once, so… just… do it!"
Taking a few unstable steps as she stumbled forward, Mara was about to turn around and give the pesky synthetic a kick where it counts; hoping that such a thing would've worked with a shapeshifter anyway. However, with everyone's eyes fixed on her, Mara had no other option but to curse under her breath and after she gave Excalibur a dirty look, the blonde regained her composure and prepared for what was likely the most important introduction of her life.
Thankfully for her, aside from Tyr there was only Ansuz and Keiichi present in the living room, as the others were still busy with their daily routines, making the whole situation slightly more bearable to her by not having a huge audience to witness her mess up. Which… thankfully wasn't going to happen today, yet old habits died hard and as such, Mara couldn't help but to consider such an outcome.
"Father, I'm really pleased to meet you!" said the demoness as she offered Tyr a bow, while the Daitenkaicho simply stared at her.
"Now, that's something I don't hear every day," said Tyr with a slight grin. "Although, I've got a feeling that it's for the sake of getting my permission. And in that case, I'll have to give you a fair warning; it's not happening today."
"Not… happening?..."
Mara's sheer disappointment was so obvious that even Keiichi couldn't help but feel sorry for the poor demoness, regardless of their rather colorful history back in Nekomi, when Mara was still trying to send the three Norns back home. After all, she looked like as if someone not only kicked her dog, but also run it over with a steamroller, just to be obnoxious.
Still, Ansuz's pointed look, made Tyr quickly realize that his statement was a tad harsh, and immediately attempted to offer a clarification, before this misunderstanding reached Urd's ears; or Asgard forbid… Hild's. "Hold on a moment, I'm not done! At least with Keiichi, it was fairly simple to come up with some kind of test of courage and resolution, but… with you, it's a totally different matter!"
"OH!" said Mara, as her face suddenly lit up in excitement. "I don't care what the challenge is, bring it on!"
"The point is to win it, too," muttered Tyr, rolling his eyes. "Although, to be fair, I'm not sure even if that's necessary."
"Eh? Why?"
"Because making Urd happy is more than enough for me," said Tyr with a bright smile, especially as his wife's heel got off his little toe. "There's no need to issue you a challenge, while knowing just what an undertaking it is to date someone who's partially a goddess."
"Thank you father!" said the delighted Mara, before she suddenly realized that something just didn't make sense here. "Although… if that's true, then why won't you give me your permission?"
"I said I won't give it tonight," said Tyr, making sure to stress that particular word that made all the difference. "Besides, what were you going to do if I said yes?"
"Uh… celebrate it with Urd, I suppose," said Mara with a casual shrug, while scratching the back of her head. "Why?"
"Because, you also need to commemorate such an event with something a bit more substantial, like… offering her a gift," said Tyr as he held a finger up. "And that's the first of the things you need to do; knowing where to take her for a nice drink is another. So, do you know all the places she likes to hang out here in Asgard?"
Mara's eyes widened when she realized that she was actually unprepared to handle such an event, and some preparations were needed before she even attempted to do this for real. "Right! I got it! Although, what's a likely gift for a goddess?"
"Just get her a nice ring," said Tyr with a smile. "It's not the material value of the gift, but the thought you put behind it."
"Alright, I'll do that first thing tomorrow!" said Mara, knowing that it was unlikely to sneak out of the house today; not with the whole party Belldandy was planning for Keiichi's return. "And then, you can give me your permission?"
"Of course, there's no need to worry about that," said Tyr in a reassuring tone. "Actually, you can even go and ask Peorth about some nice places to take Urd for a date. So, don't just stand idly."
"Yes! I'll do just that!" said the excited Mara with a big smile, as she turned and prepared to run off in search of the rose goddess. "Thanks dad!"
"You're welcome," said Tyr with a chuckle, before he noticed Keiichi staring at him in wonder. "Yes, what is it?"
"Excuse me if I'm asking something obvious, but… doesn't that sound like the setting for an engagement? I mean, I'm not too familiar with celestial customs and all, but…" said Keiichi with some hesitation, only for Tyr to offer him a nod.
"You're quite correct in your assumption. And to be honest, that's what I'm going for," said the Daitenkaicho with a grin, surprising both Keiichi and Ansuz, although the latter seemed to recover almost instantly.
"My, my… that's quite sly even for you, darling," said the goddess as she raised an eyebrow at her husband. "Not that I don't approve."
"What can I say? It's about time Urd gets a more stable relationship, and in all honesty... I don't mind becoming a grandfather, either."
However, Tyr's smile soon disappeared when Ansuz's heel stomped his little toe; and with a vengeance.
'Ow! Darn it, I forgot she's still sore about the whole subject!...'
AN: I would like to thank everyone that has offered their feedback and support both here and on the Goddess Relief site.
There are a few things that I'd like to note for this chapter.
First of all, I'm sorry it took me this long to come up with an update, but in addition to my vacations throwing a bit of a monkey wrench in my schedule, I also finished one of my other series (Ah! My license suspension) and as such I wanted to give it a bit more attention before I ended it. Otherwise, I'm back in writing stories again.
Now, for this chapter the are a few things thrown in there, but the biggest one is probably Odal's heritage. Obviously he's Belldandy's son as mentioned in the chapter, but before anyone starts speculating about his origins, this isn't Back to the Future, so there won't be anyone moving back and forth time. The timeline in this story is linear and the main reason is to avoid the inevitable paradoxes, loopholes and all other problems associated with such concepts. Also note that when answering to Keiichi's question about meeting Odal in the past, Belldandy cannot lie, so, her answer is indeed valid.
Considering Yggdrasil's nature in this story, a BIOS for such a computer would be essentially governing the lowest level communication between the celestial supercomputer and the World Tree itself. As such, it's far more important than what most people have stored in their PC's motherboards, although… your PC wouldn't work without that, either.
Finally, for those who had only seen the anime, the references about Peorth's outfits only apply for the manga, where she changed her clothes even twice in the same chapter, until her look was finalized. What I'm describing is basically a color swap of what she already wore back then (on chapter 67 to be more precise), only modified to match her top.