I do not own the Ah! Megami sama / Oh! My Goddess series
'Man… I really need some coffee… I couldn't get much sleep yesterday.'
For Keiichi, driving his beloved BMW was perhaps one of the most enjoyable things to do, especially outside of the city's busy streets where traffic and pedestrians demanded his full attention. The biggest benefit of his current arrangement was the beautiful mountain road he could drive through on a daily basis, something that would've irritated most others and made them complain about the long commute to work.
Even the added cost of the gas was going to get cut in half, since Urd had generously offered him to pay her share, given that she was also taking a ride on the sidecar, making it no more expensive than it would've been if they found an apartment much closer to Whirlwind.
Today was not an ordinary one though, and the goddess in question was sitting right behind him, as their other housemate was also coming with them. Sitting quietly on the sidecar, Vali was apparently in a much better state of mind than the mortal currently was and for a moment Keiichi felt tempted to ask him to drive, but quickly dismissed the thought. This was his Beemer, as he affectionately called it and he wouldn't let anyone else drive it unless it was absolutely necessary.
There had been several things on his mind that kept the young mechanic up late thinking about them, only to end up with a big headache. After things had settled down, Keiichi couldn't help but wonder about his situation and what else was going on around him. He was living with not one, but two immortals; supernatural beings that defied logic and even several laws of physics, according to humans at least. Worse, he had nobody to confide to and let them hear this remarkable story and get some advice. Even trusted friends or his sister would simply think that he was losing his mind and providing them evidence could make Urd's life on Earth more difficult.
He had to admit that she was a pretty different kind of person compared to any other woman he met so far, yet there was nothing to prepare him for the fact that she was literally out of this world. In all honesty, he wasn't even sure what to do with her anymore, as that knowledge changed so many things that making long term decisions was very hard for the otherwise shy mortal. While he didn't want to admit it, Keiichi took Urd for granted even though they've only spent a few days together. He may had avoided to give in to her teasing, but in a strange way, he took comfort knowing that she was this forward with him; especially as it implied that she accepted him for who and what he was.
Most women he knew viewed him as a man with average looks, some boring hobbies and an almost empty wallet. None of them was terribly impressed at a first glance to get to know him better and discover his good points, and the fact that he spent so much time with his club activities back in college, denied him any chances to prove them wrong. The Motor Club was so notorious due to the shenanigans of its two directors, that most other students avoided its members at any cost, fearing that they'd get involved in a prank or any other crazy scheme devised by Tamiya and Otaki.
It was actually one of the reasons why his only attempt at a relationship ended up way too early, when his girlfriend tried to distance him from that club, citing the excessive amount of time and money he poured into it. From a certain perspective, she had been correct that he wasn't obligated to pay for all the failed plans to keep their projects funded. To make matters worse, his sempai were two large, gruff and intimidating dudes who were often mistaken for thugs, despite their silly but otherwise harmless nature. Still, it was easy for her to see them in a negative light and in the end, it was a choice between the club and her.
Urd on the other hand hadn't tried to set rules, although, she wasn't exactly his girlfriend either. Actually, she no longer was his roommate, as he wished to have a room for himself. Keiichi was perfectly clear that this had nothing to do with her nature, but simply his desire to respect her privacy. After all, their original plan was to have an apartment with two bedrooms for that very reason and now that they had the entire house for themselves, each could get a room; including Vali, who was supposed to stay with them for the foreseeable future.
Actually, the blue haired god had been a source of annoyance for Keiichi, much to his own embarrassment. Despite that blunder which resulted in a rather hilarious scene, Vali had been really polite and understanding, trying to avoid from getting in anyone's way and become a liability. He had also accepted to do his share of the housework instead of acting like a freeloader, by taking care of the temple grounds while Urd and Keiichi were at work.
Still, much to Keiichi's shame, he didn't exactly seem to be happy about having that god around and the only logical explanation was something that the mortal had never experienced so far; jealousy. He had always been a bit insecure about his appearance, thinking that he looked too plain and that was shorter than average, but once Urd started to flirt around him, Keiichi felt great relief that she deemed him attractive enough to do that. In a way he had indeed taken her for granted and the Vali's presence suddenly threatened all that. The bronze skinned goddess had a stronger, more attractive male close to her and the fact that he was another immortal was one thing that Keiichi could never beat.
Immediately, old insecurities resurfaced and he was reminded of the rather catastrophic attempt to ask out one of NIT's most popular girls, even if he should've known that he had no chance at all. Sayoko Mishima wasn't just attractive and popular, she was rich, too, and for people like her, Keiichi was far from boyfriend material. Even then, his enthusiasm and naivety at that point of time pushed him to try his luck and after she more or less walked away without a second glance, Keiichi's confidence had taken a serious hit.
And if a rich woman simply dismissed him like that, the chances for an all powerful and gorgeous goddess to consider him as one worthy of her love were slim to none. Sure, she did flirt with him, but that was partially because she didn't have her memories; and even right now, Urd was unable to remember much. However, once more of her past resurfaces, Keiichi wondered how long it would take her to see Vali or any other god as a much better alternative, compared to a feeble mortal who's not even desirable by the females of his own kind.
More importantly, he came to the conclusion that he actually wasn't as indifferent as he sounded at first. While he desperately tried to explain that they were only friends and nothing else was going on between the two of them, Keiichi finally realized that he was lying to himself and probably enjoyed how close to Urd he had gotten. He may had rejected her attempts to flirt with him, worrying that accepting them so soon after they met would've made him look like a letch who only wanted to score with her, but, at the back of his mind the idea of dating her was something that sounded like a possibility; even a thing he really wished to happen. Now, all that could simply become an empty fantasy, once the goddess became more familiar with her past and less interested in the mortal world and by extension, Keiichi himself.
Pointing a finger at Vali and blaming him for this would've been something so petty that the young mechanic simply refused to do. It was totally against his character to act like that, no matter how impulsive people became when matters of the heart were concerned; often making them do things that they would've otherwise condemn. If there was one thing that did actually characterize Keiichi was his strong will and as such, he wasn't going to give up and resign without putting up a fight. Not a literal one, as it was not just impossible for him to win something like that, but also, Urd wasn't a trophy to be handed to a victor, either. He merely wanted to do his best and make sure that she didn't stop seeing him as the person she liked to tease and instead, become just another human in her eyes.
'Great… I need to keep a goddess interested in me. Sure, no pressure! I couldn't even make a mortal woman to like me and now I need to do the same with Urd… way to go, Morisato, you're way over your head with this one.'
As they approached the commercial center of the city, Keiichi tried to find a parking spot and turned to Vali. "Is this a nice place for you to start your search?"
"I believe so, Morisato-san. There are several stores around us and finding some undergarments will be relatively simple; I think," replied the blue haired god, looking around their surroundings.
"Very well. Oh, and you don't actually have to call me like that. Just Keiichi will suffice."
"If you say so, then I have no problems with that. In that case, I'll see you later." Getting off the sidecar, Vali offered Keiichi and the surprisingly quiet Urd a nod, before he headed towards one of the biggest department stores close to them.
"Okay, how about we also look for something to do as well, Urd?"
Looking at the somewhat nervous boy, the half goddess offered him a reassuring smile and tried to cheer up. She had a lot of things in her mind, but getting gloomy just wasn't her. Hoping that this was the perfect opportunity to relax and deal with her own problems, she got off the bike and wrapped her arm around Keiichi's, making the mortal blush.
"Sure thing, Keiichi! Let's find something fun to do!"
XXX
Yggdrasil Mainframe Center, Asgard
"Good Heavens this is a mess!"
Rubbing her temples the dark haired goddess leaned back in her floating chair, struggling to block off the data in front of her holo screen for a moment. When they asked her to offer some assistance to figure out one of the biggest issues in the last couple of years, Peorth was more than happy to accept. While she personally saw herself as a wish granter, the brunette was far from a stranger when it came to internal matters. After all, she did work as a system administrator from time to time and she was even re-assigned there since the current one was unavailable.
"No kidding! I have no idea what's going on! Something is causing this mess and I cannot pinpoint which damn process is causing it!
"Language, young lady!"
"Whatever!"
Narrowing her eyes at the holoscreen in front of her, the much younger goddess let out a frustrated sigh as she dismissed the data and decided to start over; again. The problem was caused by a protector that should've never caused any issues to begin with. It was such a simple program that in theory the chances of starting something like that were one in a billion at most. Even then, protectors were designed to stop certain information from being communicated to others, and that should've normally affected Urd's speech, not an almost total lockdown of her memories.
"Have you requested the hard copies of her previous license suspensions?"
"Yes, Dagaz should've gotten them by now," replied the Norn of the future as she also leaned back to her chair, finding very little to do until she got her hand on that data. That allowed her to take a better look at the grinning goddess across the room, who decided to hover towards her, "What's so funny, Peorth?"
"Oh, look at you, Skuld! You're already someone else's boss!" said the smiling goddess, as she stopped in mid air in front of the younger goddess. "At this rate, you'll be in charge of Yggdrasil in no time!"
"Hmph! You make it sound as if it's something great, while it's just a menial and boring task to everyone else. Debugging is hardly a glorious task, you know," said Skuld, raising an eyebrow.
"You've totally missed my point, though… Very few goddess as young as you are have others working for them!" insisted Peorth. "Just the fact that you got an assistant is a great accomplishment! You should be proud of it!"
"Well, if you put it like that, then I guess so," said Skuld, struggling to decide whether she wanted to feel happy for being praised or get angry due to the whole matter of her age being brought into the discussion. If there was one thing she despised above all, was for others to treat her like a child, but in the end, Skuld chose not to antagonize the first class goddess. Peorth wasn't one to mess around with, since she did had a habit of holding grudges over silly things. Not that she was a bad goddess, it just was part of her strong sense of pride; something that also influenced her rather atypical attire.
Unlike most other celestials and even demons, Peorth was walking around wearing what most woudl've called as underwear or alternatively, swimwear; certainly not casual clothes. Technically speaking it wasn't anything illegal as it did provide enough coverage to avoid any attention from the higher ups. Still, the same couldn't be said about most gods and even several goddesses who more than often paused to take a look at the wish granter's curves, perfectly presented in her sensual clothing. Even more, the various rumors about her claims of providing the best service, made a few of them speculate just what was the nature of said services, given that she rarely elaborated further.
Some of those rumors had turned into titillating stories of promiscuity and what was unofficially classified as 'happy wishes' amongst certain circles, and the prospect of Peorth participating in such acts with her clients. Technically, the content and terms of the actual contracts were available to their agencies and carefully scrutinized for any signs of unwanted behavior, although, certain wishes were vague enough that left a lot to the imagination. For instance, a human asking a wish granter to go on a date with them was a seemingly sweet thing, yet what took place during that event was a whole different story.
Still, as much as Peorth denied to disclose too many details about her contracts on grounds that she found those insinuations as totally offensive, the goddess had actually admitted that she had dated mortals on a few rare occasions, making her a hot topic of discussion. And while that earned her some baleful criticism from several celestials, Peorth remained undaunted, claiming that she wasn't going to change who she was just to fit certain stereotypes.
Of course, the goddess' obstinacy might've caused more problems and embarrassing moments to herself than those who criticized her, with gods falling off walkways while staring at her, or other silly accidents caused by her being a source of distraction.
Such was also the case of Dagaz who had just returned from the Archives, carrying a stack of folders containing all the details about Urd's past license suspensions. Actually, it wasn't the digital copy that caused the blonde god some trouble, but the physical hard-copy that made it hard to look right in front of him. For the past several months, the third class god had acted as Skuld's assistant, a job he initially was very excited about, although that was due to a misunderstanding; one he was far too embarrassed to admit.
Many decades ago, Dagaz had accidentally met the Norn of the past and almost instantly he was smitten by the gorgeous goddess and her playful attitude. Unfortunately, all hopes of asking her out were dashed by an insufferable Earth Spirit who tried to curse him for trying to even talk to her. What made such a lovely goddess tolerate that jerk of a boyfriend was beyond him, yet after she saved his skin, Dagaz was far too embarrassed to try again. Even a while later, after he learned that the moron had left her, the blonde god was too intimidated to try and approach her again; fearing that he would've appeared like some sort of a stalker. Instead, he opted to get closer to her through work and applied to become a sysop, hoping to become one of her direct subordinates.
So, when he learned that one of the Norns needed an assistant, he immediately rushed to fill in the application form. However in his excitement he hadn't fully read all the details and most importantly, which one of the Norns required some extra help. As a result, he was devastated when he found out that his new boss wasn't the buxom half goddess he so wished to impress, but her youngest sister and Norn of the future, Skuld. To make matters even worse, he was far too embarrassed to admit that it was a mistake and recall his application, especially when he found out that he was the only celestial who applied for that position. Despite how disappointed he was, Dagaz didn't want to make the young goddess feel the same from having no one willing to work for her as a debugger. True, few would like to have a boss so much younger than them and the ones closer to her age were typically restricted to some less important jobs, so, they couldn't really apply anyway.
At the very least, he hoped that the little goddess would say a few kind words about him to her eldest sister and in the long run it would be something good for him. Besides, in a strange way, it was an assignment that could allow him to show some of his skills even at a professional level, since his previous job as a librarian offered few chances to prove his worth; not with everything being almost automated. Sure, fetching things for Skuld wasn't the most prestigious of things one could do, especially when it came to ice-cream, but, there were also moments when he found a bug somewhere and received some credit for that.
'If this goes on like this, I might actually get a promotion and even a second class licence!'
Stopping in front of the Norn's hovering chair, Dagaz turned sideways, so that he could see past his stack of folders and nearly fell back when he got a glimpse of Peorth. Hovering in an accidentally provoking manner, as she leaned forward to have some chit chat with Skuld, the goddess of the roses was blissfully unaware of the god's approach and the view she giving him. From such an angle and proximity to her, Dagaz could see more that he was mentally prepared for, yet he remained silent and as soon as he realized that the two goddesses were too absorbed in some topic about what was known as manga in the mortal realm, the blonde god hesitated to announce himself.
'Oh, boy… look at that booty! I've seen her numerous times, but never like this! If only I was her assistant!'
Swallowing hard, the god was contemplating what to do in a situation like this and eventually decided that averting his gaze, before he interrupted them was the best choice. Actually he thought that turning in a way that the stack of folders obscured Peorth would eliminate any suspicions of ogling her; not that he didn't but, avoiding getting caught was critical. Yet in a moment of weakness, a particularly devious thought formed in his mind and hesitated to do what he initially had in mind. This was such a rare opportunity for him to get in a situation like this that he couldn't resist to take a photo of such a marvelous sight. It was a risky move, but the god was confident that the discussion about the plot of a manga Skuld had recently received from Belldandy who was currently at the human realm would keep them occupied for just a few more seconds.
That was all he needed to balance the stack in one hand and summon his communicator on the other, trying to get the best angle and light conditions for a photo. As he took a snapshot, Dagaz was relieved that he had set the thing to being quiet whenever he operated its camera and as such he was undetected by either of them.
'Awesome! This is the best photo I've ever taken! And it's not like I did something wrong… She was just standing there and…'
With neither of them noticing him, the blonde god was tempted to go for another one, and this time from a closer distance; despite the added risk to an already dangerous situation. With a blush forming on his face, the god could feel the mental tug of war between his conscience and a less noble part of his mind. After all, this kind of perverted behavior wasn't something expected of a god and eventually he decided against going any further; but it was far too late. In all irony, while he focused on this not so noble task, Dagaz failed to notice someone else approach him until a hand reached and grabbed his shoulder.
Letting out a rather undignified shriek that rattled the two goddess who immediately turned to see what was going on, Dagaz had inadvertently sent both his communicator and the folders in the air. As everything ended up all over the floor, the god knew that it was far too late to make any excuses and besides the one who caught him had most certainly a perfect idea of what he was doing. Worse, the white glove on his shoulder was a design used normally by the Fighting Wings and as he looked back, Dagaz's fears were confirmed when a rather stoic Valkyrie returned his gaze.
"It's rather impolite to take photos of a goddess' posterior without her permission, don't you think?"
There was no sign of anger or sarcasm in her voice, making him feel even worse about his actions, although at the same time such was to be expected of this particular Valkyrie. Lind, also known as the 'twin wings angel' was far from the average war goddess and quite possibly the worst person to catch Dagaz doing such a thing.
"P-Please… don't kill me! I'm terribly sorry! I really am!"
"Who said I'll do such a thing?" Shaking her head, while the other two goddesses watched in confusion, Lind momentarily released his shoulder and instead she grasped the back of his neck, dragging the miserable god towards the exit.
"No! I don't want to get sealed! Please! I may be a pervert but not a criminal!" pleaded the god with tears welling in his eyes.
"That's quite the statement, although, I won't seal you. And before I forgot…" turning to Peorth who had taken the liberty to check the god's discarded communicator with Skuld trying to look over her shoulder, Lind decided to remind her of one particular conversation they had quite a while ago. "See what happens when you wear such a revealing outfit? I bet that this merely one of the many gods who take photos of your six."
"My what?"
"Your six o'clock."
"Meaning?"
"Your bum," offered Skuld as she happened to be more familiar with such terminology.
"Oh, that makes sen-..." started the goddess of the roses, before she abruptly stopped and narrowed her eyes at the Valkyrie. "Thank you for the concern, but, I'm doing pretty fine! Actually, here, Dagaz! You can keep the photo!"
Walking up to the trembling god, Peorth offered him his communicator back with a big smile on her face. "Oh, and next time you don't have to be so sneaky!"
"N-Next time?..."
"Of course! If you get a nice camera, I'd love to model for you!" said the grinning goddess, as she made a pose. "I'll even wear something sexy, too!"
"Sexy?!"
While the baffled blonde celestial was struggling to imagine what could've counted as sexy to her, his Valkyrie captor was far less impressed. "Are you doing that just to antagonize me?"
"Who, me?" asked the goddess with a melodramatic expression on her face.
"Very well. I'll take my leave then."
"Wait, what did you need in the first place?" asked Skuld, as the Valkyrie was about to resume dragging Dagaz towards the exit.
"Oh, I was looking for a volunteer for an assignment. I think I got one, so, I'll take my leave."
Moments after the door closed, the two remaining goddess shared a look, wondering just what the blue haired warrior had meant with that.
XXX
Nekomi, Japan
Urd was finally in a much better mood as she and Keiichi shared a nice, hot cup of coffee. Alcohol was more up her alley, but she had to agree that since her house mate was driving, it was for the best to try something different and the young mechanic also needed the caffeine to wake him up, too.
"Mm… this is a nice blend! Perhaps we should come here more often."
"I think so. Although, I'm not the best person to judge coffee," said Keiichi as he took a sip. "Most of the time, I'm just drinking something I can find on a vending machine, which is much lower quality, anyway."
"You can always try something different, Keiichi. And speaking of that, how about we do the same today?" offered Urd, making her friend raise an eyebrow.
"Oh? Like what?"
"Hm… How about visiting the arcades?" asked Urd, pointing at the other end of the street.
"Oh course! I can show you some of my skills," said Keiichi, unaware that he was talking to someone who had a fearsome reputation as a gamer, even in Asgard.
"Then let's go!" Taking him by the arm as he barely had the time to pay the bill, Urd felt much better now that she had something to do, other than think about her past and what it all meant for her current life on the mortal realm.
"Slow down a bit, Urd!" said Keiichi as he struggled to keep up with the much more energetic goddess, although he was happy that she apparently felt a bit better now. Being gloomy just seemed wrong for the playful goddess, and Keiichi had to admit that she looked much more attractive with a smile on her face. As a matter of fact, he was so absorbed by her that he failed to notice that she had stopped and ended up bumping at her. "Is there something wrong?"
"Hey, there's an ambulance over there." Pointing across the street from them, a woman in a wedding dress was carried away on a stretcher.
"I wonder if there was an accident, or something." Approaching the scene out of sheer curiosity Keiichi's face lit up in recognition as got a better view of the woman's face. "Wait! That's Sayoko!"
"You know her?"
"It was hard not to. She was NIT's most popular student, and the fact that she's really rich made matters even better for her. There were countless of boys trying to grab her attention on a daily basis, hoping that she would notice them," explained Keiichi.
"So, in other words... a little princess." Tapping her chin, Urd had to give the woman some credit for being attractive enough, although her fortune was most certainly the biggest reason the rest of the students went after her.
"In a manner of speaking. She sure acted like a diva and enjoyed all the attention she got from others," said Keiichi with a shrug, before he added in a lower voice. "Not that she dated anyone for real. A few times she'd take a guy out for a dinner or at some classy bar, but… nothing beyond that. Still, that didn't dissuade others from trying, though."
"Including yourself?" asked Urd with a sly grin, as she offered the boy a sideways glance.
"Okay… I'll admit that at some point early on, I did try to ask her out, but…" started the dark haired mechanic, as he recalled a not so dignified moment of his life. "It was a total disaster, to be honest with you. I wore a rather tacky green suit and asked her to go on a museum with me."
"Really? That's an odd place for a date, wouldn't you think?" said Urd with a raised eyebrow. "Still, not the worst attempt. I mean… it wasn't a love hotel or dingy bar…"
"Uh… if you put it that way… I guess you're right," said Keiichi, scratching the back of his head nervously. "Although, I wonder what happened here? I doubt that she's actually gotten married. Given her personality, she would've made it a bit of local event."
"Hm… let's go and ask then," said the half goddess, pointing at the photographer's shop the rich woman was taken out from.
"Sure thing, Urd." Walking up to the young lady who was most likely the shop's assistant, Keiichi decided to try and see what he could find out about this strange situation. "Excuse me miss, but… what happened here?"
"Oh, it's terrible! One of our models felt ill and she had to be taken to the hospital for a good measure." Letting a sigh, the assistant turned towards the dark haired mechanic and his goddess friend, before it was her turn to get curious. "Do you know her, mister?"
"Um… yes, we went to NIT together. I just hope that that it's not something serious," said Keiichi, not too comfortable with the intense gaze he was receiving.
"The paramedics said that it was merely a case of food poisoning, so I doubt that it's something life threatening. Although, we're really in need for a replacement for our newest photo-shoot and we've got no one to contact right now." Studying them, and more importantly the bronze skinned beauty standing next to Keiichi the assistant's eyes lit up, realizing that she had an excellent opportunity to come up with some replacements. "If you don't mind me asking… Would you like to take her place? It's too late to find anyone else, and the magazine really needs those photos for their wedding collection."
"Eh?! W-Wedding?!..."
"That explains her getup," said Urd, who unlike Keiichi was in a far better state to offer a proper response. "I assume that we're getting paid for this?"
"Of course! And it's not going to take too long either!" said the elated assistant, as she found a replacement this soon. "At most, it'll be half an hour and then you're free to go. What do you say?"
"Sure thing!" Not waiting for the stunned Keiichi who was still having some issues with the theme, Urd tugged him along trying to get him inside the shop before he had the chance to run away. "Come on, Keiichi! It's going to be fun!"
"But…"
"Stop being so difficult and let's give it a try at least."
"Fine… Let's do it…"
XXX
Meanwhile, several blocks away a god was making his first steps in a totally unknown territory, looking around as he entered the shop's undergarment section. While the rest of the floor he was currently in had a few other men wandering around to help their wives or girlfriends pick some clothes, almost none of them followed them into this particular section. He could actually notice a few odd looks he got as he walked around, trying to find something fitting for Urd after he got her exact measurements from her sister.
While Belldandy volunteered to do this for him, sparing the war god cadet from the embarrassment of his current predicament, Vali was adamant that this was his responsibility and as such, he had to do it all by himself. A decision that he came to regret, of course, although he wasn't willing to admit that to anyone, if not to spare whatever was left of his dignity.
Even with the necessary information at hand, he was unprepared for just how many possible options he could choose from. Not only they came in all kinds of shapes and colors, but there was a distinctive difference at how much skin some covered; with several being rather modest, to the far more extreme cases that were so flimsy that the god wondered what was the purpose of wearing something that hid practically nothing at all.
Worse, Belldandy's advice was somewhat contradictory and provided little insight as to what her sister liked to wear. 'Don't pick something that's too plain, yet stray away from things that are way too extreme, or Urd will think that you consider her being totally shameless.'
Scratching his head, Vali was having some serious trouble to determine just what the goddess of the past liked to wear and where she drew the line in terms of how revealing her lingerie were. He did study her profile quite meticulously, but for more than obvious reasons, no such information could be found there; nor he tried to acquire it from her sister. It was already bad that he gotten himself such trouble, so, the last thing he needed was for the brunette goddess to think that he was probably too happy with his current assignment; using it as an excuse to acquire some spicy information or even photos of her elder sibling.
"Excuse me… May I help you?"
The sudden voice from behind him, almost made the cadet jump and shake his head not only to snap out of it, but also in shame as he wasn't paying the necessary attention to his surroundings, a habit that was becoming a problem for him. "I'm fine, really."
Smiling, the shop assistant offered him a nod to acknowledge what he said, but insisted on helping him. "If you're unsure about what you looking for, then why not try to get a general idea of what's the best style for the young lady you have in mind? Could you describe her appearance and personality?"
"Um… well she…" Making a few failed attempts to describe her, the god suddenly realized that he did have a photo from her profile and reached into his pockets to show what Urd looked like to the assistant. "Here, I've got a photo of her."
"Mm… That's a pretty attractive young lady! You must be really lucky to have such a girlfriend!"
"She… I mean… Thank you miss." Reasoning that it was probably going to make things easier if he let her think that he was looking for some lingerie for his girlfriend, Vali opted to avoid correcting her mistaken assumption and decided to just get it over with.
"Oh, you're most welcome, sir! Now, is there anything about her personality that I might find useful? For example? Is she a daring person or a more reserved one?"
"I wouldn't describe her as a reserved one for sure," said the blue haired god, missing the dirty look he received for a moment, while he was too busy trying to summarize the half goddess' personality. "She's kind of outgoing and lively, I suppose. In a way you can say that she's like a cat."
"A cat?" repeated the woman as she turned to the side and motioned for him to follow. "I've got the perfect thing for you, then! This way please!"
Nodding, the god glanced at the increasingly daring designs he passed by and in more moments, he was standing in front of a mannequin that was wearing something that would've better been described as a series of horizontal pieces of fabric with a mesh in between. "I think that this is a bit too daring…"
"Oh? Than how about this leather one? Also if you're looking for something more classic, we have this lovely purple one. I think it matches her eye color, right?"
"Actually… I agree," said Vali as he scratched his chin while studying the lacy, purple set that was on a mannequin not far from him. "I think that's more like her, to be honest with you. Does it come with everything else that's on the display?"
"Of course! The garter belt and stockings are part of the whole set. So, are you buying that?"
"Yes, I believe that this is the best option."
"Excellent! There you go, and thank you very much for choosing our store!" for your purchase said the assistant as she handed him a packaged set of the same lingerie and then retrieved a coupon for him. "Oh, and before I forgot! There's a special offer with this particular design you've picked and I think that your girlfriend will enjoy the extra gift. You can exchange this in the local marketplace, tree blocks away from here."
"Um… thank you miss…" said the baffled god as he headed to pay for his purchase.
However, as he walked further away from her, a smile formed on her lips and a six pointed star flashed on her forehead.
'Hm… not bad. I guess he's not totally hopeless like I've originally thought so. That's good... At least she's not surrounded by morons like the ones she typically tries to date. Mm… I think that it's getting really interesting.'
As the god finally left the shop, the young assistant looked around in confusion wondering what happened and how she got across the shop, but eventually decided to ignore it and go back to her work.
XXX
Fiddling with the white suit he was wearing, the mortal could feel his legs shaking slightly as his nervousness threatened to turn into sheer panic. Somehow he ended up in a situation where he and Urd were going to model as newlyweds and while it was merely an act, Keiichi couldn't stop his mind from toying with the idea.
'Stop thinking about it, you idiot! It's just a few photos for a magazine, not the real deal! I can do it!'
"Hey, check it out, Keiichi! Don't I look sexy in this?"
Posing in the strapless wedding gown that was provided to her, Urd couldn't help but act like a kid who just got a new toy. Being a bit more revealing and flashier than what one might've called as a typical design, it provided the mortal man a sight that was far too alluring to ignore. Yet, given the nature of the gown, the overall effect was much stronger than any other outfit that the goddess actually possessed, leaving her house mate stare at her in amazement.
'I can't do it!' Panicking even more, Keiichi almost thought he was going to join Sayoko in the hospital, as he felt his heart rate increase to the point that was clearly not healthy for him.
"That good, huh?" said Urd as she enjoyed the deep blush on his face. "I kind of like the design, to be honest. It's both elegant and doesn't make me look like a princess from some long forgotten era. Oh… and given its appearance, the wedding night is most certainly going to be a great success for sure!"
Nearly choking at the mental image caused by the goddess' words, Keiichi was desperately trying to find a way to change the topic, although a part of him sure didn't mind keep staring at her. "Uh… shouldn't we hurry up? I bet that the photographer might start worrying that we're getting late…"
"Okay, fine…" Letting a sigh, Urd knew that he was struggling to get out of his predicament, and in all honesty she didn't blame him. Despite being an act, the goddess also had to admit that she would've been less nervous to pose in a totally scandalous outfit than a wedding dress; especially with Keiichi next to her. Just the thoughts that popped up in her mind while doing this was more than enough to make even her feel bashful, although Urd could definitely hide it way better than her housemate did.
"Oh! I must say that you two look absolutely perfect!" Smiling brightly at them, the assistant was making the final checks on the lighting, while the photographer ensured that his camera was ready.
"Thanks! I thought the same too!" replied Urd, taking a seat on the chair, while a nervous Keiichi stood next to the bronze skinned goddess.
"Could you please try to take a few deep breaths, young man?" asked the photographer as he looked up from the camera. "You look terribly tense. Just relax your shoulders and act as if everything's okay. Don't think too much about the photo-shoot."
"Okay, I'll try," said Keiichi, even if he knew that this was hardly the actual reason behind his nervousness.
Once satisfied with the way they looked, the photographer began to take several snapshots and while it only lasted several seconds, for Keiichi that seemed as if it was entire hours. The young mechanic couldn't help but steal a few glances over at Urd and given how calm she appeared to be, it was natural for him to wonder if he was worrying over nothing. While she did say a few things in the past that indicated some interest on her part, or at least not a downright rejection; the revelation of her true nature left him wondering if she still thought the same about him. 'She doesn't seem to mind being friendly around me, but… as a potential boyfriend? Would a goddess even consider a guy like me as dating material? Come to think of it… do I really like her?'
In all honesty, Keiichi had his own reservations as well. Urd was a really nice woman and not just physically, but as far as her personality was concerned too. Sure, for such a beautiful woman she wasn't aloof or too arrogant, looking down at him for not being handsome enough or being a poor person. And given his not so great experience with dating, Keiichi worried that it was possible that her positive attitude towards him was more than enough to raise his hopes and wish to get close to her regardless of whether they were truly compatible or not.
Urd did appear to be an unlikely choice for a girlfriend at a first glance, with the goddess being way too bold for such a shy person like him. Even more, while he hesitated to ask her anything that personal, he suspected that it was unlikely for her to be totally inexperienced when it came to lovemaking and that was a thing that made him really insecure; not knowing how she might react dealing with a person as shy as him. If he was this nervous just standing next to her while she wore a wedding dress, Keiichi didn't really want to imagine how worse things could get for him if she invited him to her bed.
However, the most nerve racking thing was the uncertainty that had to do with her amnesia and the whole license suspension. There was a constant fear that he only saw part of her personality and perhaps once she fully recovered her memory, she might come to her senses and realize that a mere human wasn't fitting for her. Furthermore, if her license was to be restored, there were no guarantees that she would chose to stay on Earth for longer, or even allowed to, since Heavens apparently had some kind of bureaucracy.
The more he thought about it, the more he became convinced that there were so many ways for him to get burnt by trying to get together with her, than attempting to date a random stranger. And given his past failures, Keiichi's confidence when it came to women was fairly low; a total contrast compared to his mechanical skills.
Yet despite all that, the dark haired student felt that he shouldn't give up without putting up a fight first. He deserved a chance to prove himself to the goddess and avoid being simply dismissed as a boring motorhead with average looks and a nearly empty wallet most of the time. The only issue was how to do that, given Urd's nature as a goddess. Even if he was relatively inexperienced with women, Keiichi did know a few things that could make an average girl happy, however, an immortal on the other hand was totally different situation.
'Sure becoming her friend is a nice start and everything, but how I could get her to notice me as a man? I'm not the most handsome guy around and I'm not even sure if buying her stuff would impress a goddess. Besides, I can't say that I like that idea as it sounds like bribery, and let's not think how difficult it's going to be for someone as poor as me. I'd honestly love to ask for advice, but… relationships aren't Chihiro's strongest point and could make things awkward if she starts trying to get us together while we're at work. And I doubt that asking Megumi would provide any useful insight on how girls think. She's most likely going to end up teasing me, like she always does…'
"Excuse me, young man..."
"Huh? Yes?" shaking his head, Keiichi realized that he had spaced out during the photo-shoot.
"I said that we're almost done," said the photographer with a smile as he checked his camera. "I've got most of the shots I'll probably need for the magazine."
"Oh, that's great! Are we free to go then?" asked Keiichi, eager to get out of the somewhat awkward situation he had gotten into.
"Well, almost. I still need a photo with the kiss," said the photographer, much to the dark haired mechanic's shock. "Can you do it?"
"Uh… I… we…" Stammering as he struggled to come up with a proper response, Keiichi turned to Urd who seemed less affected than him, and actually thinking about it.
"You can only pretend you're about to kiss, if that's a problem," explained the photographer, noticing how quiet both of them had become. "Just get close enough and I'll take the photo at that moment."
"Actually, let's go for the real thing, Keiichi." Giving her house mate a look, Urd decided to take the first step and get something out of this situation, instead of wasting it with a mere act. Sure, it wasn't the ideal setting, but, she had stalled things quite a bit with her own indecisiveness and a part of her worried that missing way too many opportunities was a luxury she couldn't afford.
"Eh?!" Feeling a blush form on his face, Keiichi wasn't sure as to how to actually respond to that suggestion. On one hand, it was a fairly innocent thing, but then again it was a giant step forward for the shy mechanic. "Y-You m-mean a k-kiss?"
"Of course! What else?" said Urd with a roll of her eyes, although she did try to sound more amused by his reaction than sarcastic. "Come on, don't be this shy! It's going to be nice, I promise!"
'Should I go for it? It feels kinda easy and not particularly special, but… as far as I can tell, this could be the only chance I'm going to have. If I say no right now, I might end up regretting it for my whole life.' Calming down his nerves, Keiichi offered the bronze skinned goddess a reluctant nod, which actually surprised her in a rather pleasant manner; her eyes lighting up a bit. "Okay, Urd. I guess we can give it a try and see what happens."
"Awesome! And since you're a beginner, I'll go easy on you," said the goddess with a playful wink. "I won't use the tongue this time, but I won't make any promises for the next one…"
"Tongue?" Turning red from the mental image of such a passionate kiss, Keiichi's legs started to feel a bit wobbly. Even more, the mention of getting more in the future was something that both excited and terrified the young mortal. It was more than reassuring that she wanted to get closer to him, although the possibility of getting intimate this soon brought back all those insecurities about the goddess' expectations. 'W-What if I mess it up and she thinks I'm an idiot? I mean, it's such a simple thing that everyone should be able to do and if I fail, then… No! I really need to stop thinking like that! I've got to do it!'
"It was a joke, Keiichi. But let's leave such things for later and get it over with, shall we?" said Urd glancing at the photographer who was patiently waiting for them to make a decision. "Don't worry, I won't laugh if you do something silly. Just take a deep breath and lean towards me, Keiichi ; I'll handle the rest."
Following her advice, the young mechanic placed his hands on her bare shoulders and leaned closer; his heartbeat steadily increasing until he couldn't take it anymore and shut his eyes closed to avoid getting overwhelmed. And while it did actually provide him some relief, the sensation of Urd's lips pressing against his was more than enough to make him feel as if he was struck by lightning.
True to her word, the goddess hadn't gone too far with her kiss, although it sure wasn't a fake or clumsy one either. Urd clearly knew what she was doing and for the few long moments that it lasted, Keiichi's mind was on the verge of a meltdown. He had actually done that, back when he still had a girlfriend, yet the sensation of the goddess' lips was on a totally different level that surpassed even his wildest dreams.
"Thank you very much, that was an excellent job!"
Snapping out of it, Keiichi tried to remain calm and not pass out in a most spectacular manner in front of Urd and the photographer. He had no delusions that the silly grin on his face was absolutely ridiculous, but for once, the young mechanic didn't care and simply decided to enjoy the moment and stop worrying about everything; at least, not right now.
A few minutes later, he and Urd were back in their original attires and waited for the photographer to show them the pictures he took and much to their own surprise they did look great. They've been wondering how those would turn out, given that everything happened without any warning and neither expected to find themselves in such a situation to begin with.
"Hey, we actually look nice, Keiichi!" said the half goddess, holding one of the photos closer.
"Yeah, I wish I wasn't this stiff but other than that, I'll have to agree," said Keiichi with a nod.
"Well, you can keep a copy each, on top of your payment," said the photographer, handing them a few photos along with a small envelope with the money he promised them for the photo-shot.
Offering their thanks, the two housemates walked out of the shop but not before Urd checked their earnings and let a low whistle. "Hey!... That's not half bad, actually! Maybe we should become models!"
"I don't think he's going to hire us for more, Urd. This was kind of an emergency, not something that's going to happen every time from now on."
"Aw… It would've been nice to get paid for looking pretty," said Urd with a wink before she added. "And kissing each other, too."
Nearly choking on his own saliva, Keiichi knew that the goddess was teasing him, but at the same time, he did have some proof that she wasn't just for show. Unlike past comments, where he wondered whether she was truly serious or simply said things to get a reaction from him, Urd had actually kissed him for real; which was more than the requirements for the photo-shoot. "I… Well…"
"Calm down, I'm joking! It's not likely to get a permanent job like that, but, we can try to find what to do with this money," said Urd waiving the envelope for him to see. "How about some tools for you?"
"But… what about your share? We both got paid for the photos…"
"Yes, although I don't think I've got something I need right now," said Urd with a shrug. "You, on the other hand need some powered tools to help you during work."
"Well, that could be nice, especially to finish some things a bit sooner and with less effort. Still… I don't think that it's fair to…"
"No arguments! Let's go and get you a few things!"
"Okay, Urd… If you insist then I won't complain."
"Excellent!"
XXX
"Excuse me, sir! Would you like to buy a lottery ticket?"
Pausing for a moment, Vali turned to the man behind the nearby bench who was holding off some kind of competition. He had just visited the local marketplace to exchange the coupon he had gotten and after picking up a nice bottle of sake, and was heading back towards the spot where the others had dropped him off; until the unknown man interrupted him.
"What does that entail?"
"Oh, it's really simple! We've got a promotion for people to buy things from our marketplace, so, if you got something, you can also buy a ticket at a small fee. It's just 100 Yen! I'm talking about a real bargain!" said the man, slamming a paper fan on the bench, as he tried to attract others' attention, too. "The grand prize is a trip for four people to a local hot springs! You can bring your girlfriend and another couple with you!"
"I don't have one," said Vali with a small frown.
"In that case… you can take more friends with you!" tried the salesman, hoping that he wasn't dealing with a loner; as he didn't have the time to think of a better way to entice him. After all, most of the customers were housewives and it was very simple to use that line for them.
"I... think I can do that."
"Excellent! Would you like to buy one then?"
Thinking about it, the war god cadet reasoned that the price for the ticket was so low that buying one wasn't a problem and without hesitation, he offered the man a 100 Yen coin, getting a ticket in exchange.
"Thank you very much, sir! I hope you're the lucky winner!"
"I hope so, too."
Walking away from the stall, Vali headed back towards his original destination, missing a tiny floating demoness who poked her head from behind the stall.
'Heh… this is so simple that I'm kind of bored… Oh well, I think that's going to make Urd-chan feel a bit better! And what a scam! Keeping the winning ticket hidden in his back pocket! Let's see how he's going to like that high quality smoked slice of bacon!'
Mere minutes later, the marketplace's customers turned to see a panicked man running as if his life depended on it, with an excited crowd of dogs all happily chasing him across the street.
"Help!"
'Ha! That should teach him a lesson! Okay, I think I can go back, but first…'
XXX
Rolling around in his basket, the possessed cat did exactly the same thing that every other feline was well known for; napping. Tyr had to admit that using a lower level life form wasn't the most perfect of ideas, given the restrictions imposed by his host's nature, but on the other hand it was the best way to keep an eye out for his daughter. Actually, he never even planned for this to begin with, but once he got himself involved, Tyr felt that he owned Urd this much and tried to make sure that she was doing fine.
Content that everything was under control, the possessed cat was taking his morning nap, enjoying the soft covers of his basket or even the sensation of someone pulling his tail. And while the former was to be expected given how soft and fuzzy the blanket Urd had given him was; the latter wasn't.
'Huh? What? Who?'
Looking around as the sleepy cat tried to figure out what was going on, Tyr found absolutely nothing and considering that he was not fully awake, he simply dismissed it as part of his imagination or even a dream and tried to go back to sleep. However, as soon as he closed his eyes, the same sensation returned and this time, the possessed cat flicked his tail, only to feel something attached to it.
"Okay what's going on here?..."
"Hi, Tyr! Long time no see!" said the tiny form of the Daimakaicho, who was hanging from his tail like a decoration. "Still the heavy sleeper, huh? I had to pull your freaking tail to wake you up, you sleepyhead! Sheesh!..."
"H-H-HILD?!" Jumping up from his basket, the panicked cat nearly ran around in circles, with the baffled demoness hanging from his tail. "This is bad! This is bad!… This is…"
"Stop panicking, you silly!" shouted Hild as she tried to calm the feline down. "This isn't your real body! So, calm down!"
"Oh, that's right!" Coming to a screeching halt that sent the demoness in a collision course with the back of his head, Tyr had to take a moment to rub the sore spot, while Hild got the chance to float in front of his face.
"That's right, indeed! Now would you…" started the demoness before she abruptly stopped and let a squeal, earning a strange look from the cat. "Aw!... you're adorable! Look at those whiskers!"
"That's my name, actually…"
"And that flabby tubby!"
"Hey, I'm not fat!"
"Oh, really? And what's that, pray tell me?" said Hild, poking his belly. "It looks like you're already a nice, chubby cat! Seriously, Tyr! These animals need to exercise and what exactly are you doing aside from spying on them?"
"Uh… I…"
"You're watching TV all day while they're not home and stuff yourself with instant noodles?"
"Sort of… Kind of…"
"By the time you're gonna leave this cat alone, the poor thing will have diabetes! Not to mention that it's going to look like a furry pillow!"
"Your concern is duly noted. Now, please tell me that you're not here to simply make fun of my current… host."
"Of course not! I… think I want to keep you!" squealed Hild as she tightly hugged the cat. "My flabby, tabby kitty!"
'She's not taking anything seriously… Well… not that she ever did' Patting her tiny head with a paw, Tyr couldn't help but smile a bit as despite the whole silliness, it was nice to see Hild even under these circumstances. "You haven't changed at all, Hild. Still the troublemaker, I see."
"You too. Still the couch potato you've always been. Sheesh, I've ended up getting pregnant while trying to make you work out a bit."
"Couch… What are you talking about? I was a war god, you know! And I'm perfectly fit, thank you very much!" said the god, thankful that his host's fur, hid the blush he got from her last comment that he wisely chose to ignore.
"You were a war god; as in the past. As for being physically fit, you should thank the fact that you're a god and not a mortal. A human that spends so much time behind a desk could only end up as wide as the desk itself."
Groaning, even if it sounded a bit comical in his current form, Tyr was absolutely certain that this wasn't the heartfelt reunion with his ex wife he had always desired so much. It looked more like a discussion between an old couple, although, he couldn't dismiss the fact that Hild was a bit too happy about getting a reaction from him. He was so focused in his role as the Daitenkaicho that he often was far too serious these days; making it way too humorous for Hild to try and tease him in such a manner. "Thank you for your concern, but, I'm fine!"
"Maybe you are, although I wouldn't say the same for your poor wife!" said Hild in her typically melodramatic way.
"Huh? Ansuz? What's the matter with her? She seems perfectly fine to me."
"Men!... Ugh!..." Shaking her head in disdain, Hild decided that the subtle approach wasn't going to work with him. While he was a fairly smart god, there were certain topics that were beyond his grasp or rather… his mind failed to connect the dots. "Look… that goddess is nowhere as forward when it comes to asking for some private time and Mister 'I'm too busy now, make an appointment and I'll see if I can talk to you' is giving her too much trouble. She even called me and asked for tips… Can you believe that?"
"S-She did?!" Staring at the tiny demoness with wide eyes, the possessed cat could hardly believe what he was hearing. "And?... What did you tell her?"
"To drop that cutesy tutu of hers and go back to the more standard combat uniform she used to wear. With a backside like hers, that vacuum sealed uniform is bound to cause quite a few heads to turn and make a certain someone start pay more attention, before another god beats him to it! As far as I'm aware, the threat of cuckoldry is the best way to motivate a bored hubby and make him stay competitive."
"What… What kind of advice is this?!" At this point, the possessed cat was dangerously close to lose the first of his nine lives form either a stroke, a heart attack or… both at the same time.
"Hey… it works and besides… I'm a demoness," said Hild with a shrug. "What were you expecting me to say? To send you some flowers or even a puppy? Actually, scratch that idea… Ever since you got bitten by that one, you don't like dogs…"
"No kidding! I've nearly lost a hand… that stupid…" Shaking his head, Tyr stopped before he let her change the subject. "Never mind that! That's not the problem, here! Do you mind not giving my wife any kind of advice?"
"Aw… come on, Tyr! I was just kidding! You don't think I'd tell her something like that, right?" said Hild with a reassuring smile, patting the hyperventilating kitten on his chest. 'At least not in the exact same manner… But, let's not mention that.'
"Really?"
"Have I ever said a lie? Um… actually, never mind that…" said Hild, scratching her head nervously. "Look, it's nice to see you act more like your old, lively self instead of the tired and always serious Daitenkaicho. Geez!... you never even smile anymore!"
"And now I've got a migraine… Thanks a lot…" grumbled the cat, although after a few seconds his expression softened a bit and let a sigh. "Okay, I'll have to admit that it was a bit funny. Just don't overdo it."
"Aw... you're so sweet! Especially now that you're trying to help our daughter!" said Hild with a pleasant yet caustic manner, that made the cat's tail stand up, along with the rest of his fur.
"Oh, it's natural for me to try and make sure that, Urd…" started the god, before Hild cut his sentence short.
"Natural? Forgive me if I'm mistaken here, but… Isn't this the first time you're doing this?" said Hild with narrowed eyes, making Tyr even more nervous than he was before. "I'm fairly sure that you're more than happy to suspend poor Urd-chan's license whenever she gets into trouble, yet have you actually tried to talk to her? Ask her how she's coping with things and why she's causing problems, or what happened after yet another moron dumped her as if she was a disposable girlfriend. You know... all the boring stuff fathers do for their daughters. Well?... Any comments about that, my flabby kitty?"
"M-Meow?..."
"Don't you even dare! I haven't sent my girl to Asgard to get this kind of treatment! I demand you start working harder, you hear me? And speaking of that, you better fix her memory or I'll do it for you!"
"Ow! Not the whiskers! They're sensitive, so please let go of them!" Wincing a bit as his agitated ex released him from her iron grip, Tyr watched her stomp her tiny foot on the floor, waiting for an answer. "Look, I'm sorry that I was so focused on work and didn't pay enough attention to her. I've been too worried that pushing her too far would have the opposite results and that part of her mischievousness had to do with…"
"Me? Well, that's to be expected to a certain degree, but unlike Urd-chan, I know not to break any rules. Sure, I may love to bend them from time to time, although, that's not forbidden."
"I know… I should've done a lot more, yet… I do want to help now…" tried the possessed at with a pitiful look, making the demoness falter and let a tired sigh.
"Alright, I'll have to accept this. There's no point staying mad with you while you're actually trying… Just make sure she won't get any worse than she is right now. The poor girl can barely remember who and what she is. Actually… I'm not even sure she knows that she's a half goddess, instead of a normal one!"
"It's hard to say, Hild. Vali hadn't told her, although, I'm not sure how much she remembered about her past. I can't ask her directly either; not without revealing my true identity in the process."
"I know that…" Looking down for a bit, Hild went surprisingly quiet for several seconds, lost in her own thoughts, before she turned back to Tyr. "Say… what do you expect she's going to think about me?"
"Are you worried that she won't accept you due to your nature?"
"I can't say that the thought hadn't crossed my mind. I… want her memories to return, Tyr; all of them."
"Don't worry, we'll fix this mess, you'll see." Patting her head, the god's expression softened, as he noticed the edge in the demoness' voice. While Urd didn't talk much about her early childhood, he did recall her admitting at some point that she was happy as a little girl. Even more, some of her clothes emulated those of her mother's and in many ways she did copy some of her mannerisms too, and not everything was just genetics and unconscious influences. Part of herself was willingly acting like her mother as a means to keep those early memories alive despite her efforts to keep some distance from the demons.
Offering a nod, the tiny version of the Daimakaicho hugged the cat, much to the latter's surprise. Snuggling against his fur, Hild couldn't help but smile, before the front door opened as the rest of temple's residents returned from their excursion. Panicking both the tiny demoness and even Tyr tried to get out of sight and while the former was much more successful; the latter wasn't.
"Hi there, Whiskers! How's my little ki-..." started Urd only to pause as she found the cat stuck halfway in a jar; his hind legs and tail thrashing about as he tried to get out of his conundrum. "Seriously!... What are you doing you silly thing?"
'Strange… I should've fit inside this…' thought the possessed cat, while the goddess pulled him out of the jar. "Meow?"
"I know that you're curious, but try not to get yourself in situations like these," said Urd with a smile, much to the cat's chagrin. "Hm… now that I think of it… Is it just me or are you gaining weight?"
'Not you too!' Trying to ignore the almost inaudible snigger from Hild's hiding position in the cupboard, Tyr could only do what any normal cat in his position would; act cute and hope that his daughter forgets about it. "Meow?"
"Nice try, Whiskers but from tomorrow, you're on a diet! Plus, I need to make sure you exercise more often. Watching TV while munching on snacks isn't a healthy lifestyle for you," said Urd before she paused and looked at their old TV. "Actually… how do you even operate the darn thing? It doesn't have a remote and you shouldn't be able to reach the controls. Strange… Oh well, better see what Vali bought for me!"
XXX
"So, did you two had a great time during your date?"
Blushing as the blue haired war god cadet addressed him, Keiichi tried to come up with something while he carried his brand new power drill. Equipped with a rechargeable battery and capable of working as a screwdriver, it was one of the most practical gifts he had received during the last few years. And the fact that it was something Urd bought for him made it way better in his eyes. "Well… It wasn't exactly a date but… We visited a few shops and got this and…"
"I see. Although Urd mentioned something about a kiss," said Vali, making Keiichi blush as he tried to come up with an explanation.
However, the dark haired mechanic was spared when Urd came out of her room and as the others turned to look at her, they nearly forgot everything about their own conversation. Standing in the hallway with their jaws open wide, they saw the bronze skinned goddess wearing only the lacy lingerie set Vali had bought her; complete with the matching purple stocking and the garter belt.
"Mm… I think you've got something really nice for me, Vali!" purred Urd, while both the god in question and even Keiichi could only offer a nod as their eyes were glued at the goddess; especially given how she posed for them. "And you did buy me some sake, so that's a few extra points for you, too!"
"T-Then, I hope I'm… forgiven?" asked the war god cadet, trying to make sure that yesterday's incident was now forgotten part of the past.
"Hm… I'd say so. Still, try not to make another commotion like that, okay?"
"Of course! I never intended to repeat that particular incident."
"Good! Besides, that's not the proper way to remove a bra, anyway," said Urd, making both of her housemates start to worry, as she reached behind her back. "There's a clasp here and all you need to do is just…"
"There's no need for a demonstration!"
Rushing to stop her before she carried out with what was most likely a prank, both Vali and Keiichi ended up bumping into each other, causing the former to drop a ticket he had been carrying with him.
"Ow!"
Forgetting about her joke, Urd reached to pick it up from the floor and take a look at it. "A lottery ticket? What is it for?"
"A trip to a local hot springs for four. There are other prizes too, but that's the best of them all," said Vali with a smile, both to see that she forgot about her previous scheme to tease them, as well as the fact that she appeared to like the idea; given her big grin.
"Awesome! And the winning number will be revealed... tomorrow!" said Urd as she read some of the details at the back of the ticket. "I can't wait! A visit to the hot springs is going to be the best way to spend a weekend!"
"Uh… isn't she a bit too excited? I mean… there's no way to be sure that we'll win the big prize," whispered Keiichi to the blue haired god who also started to get a bit worried that he had inadvertently raised her hopes too much.
"Then I hope we're going to win something at least. It's going to be sad if we get nothing at all," said Vali with a frown. "However, I guess that we'll have to wait until tomorrow to find out."
"I agree. Let's just hope for the best, then."
XXX
Meanwhile, inside the goddess' room, the possessed cat along with Hild's tiny avatar were staring at the picture of Urd kissing Keiichi, she had already framed and placed it in one of the bookshelves.
"What do you think, Hild?"
"She looks really pretty… and happy too. Even if this was simply meant to be an act, I believe that she wasn't actually faking it."
"Yeah… it's hard to believe but it seems that she may be serious about this one, after all."
Offering a nod, Hild couldn't help but wonder what she would've looked like in a wedding dress, although the physical resemblance between her daughter and herself was more than enough to give her a good idea.
'Perhaps, I should stick around for a bit longer… I want to see her being this happy with my own eyes. Yes, I think that's for the best.'
AN: I would like to thank everyone that has offered their feedback and support both here and on the Goddess Relief site.
I would also like to thank for ObeliskX for the initial suggestion for a reverse harem setting that led to this story.
There are a few things that I'd like to note for this chapter.
This chapter contains an obvious reference to the anime adaptation and more specifically, the episode where Skuld was temporarily an adult. Of course in this case it's Urd the one who gets to spend time with Keiichi and while it's not exactly a romantic date, it's certainly a beginning for those two to spend more time together.
The third class god introduced was also based on an obscure reference Urd made when her former boyfriend appeared in the series. She said that a minor god once tried to flirt her and as a result, Troubadour used that curse on him. While nothing beyond that was ever mentioned, I based Dagaz (named after the rune for 'day') on that little bit of information and had to go from there.
Also, this is the last god to be added in the story as part of Urd's harem. I think that three males around her should be more than enough, as any more would make it too hard for me to give them enough time in the story to play their role as love interests for the goddess.
Hild meeting Tyr doesn't contradict any of the canon information from the manga, as he's merely possessing the cat's body. So, technically speaking, he and the demoness may be able to interact as long as their real bodies don't get too close to each other.