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

After what essentially turned out to be more of a party than a family reunion, the tired residents of the Tariki Hongan temple decided to call it a day and go to sleep, hoping that Urd's unruly mother would behave and not try anything funny. Well, at least nothing too immoral, considering that despite been there for a couple of hours, the Daimakaicho didn't miss a chance to flirt with her daughter's housemates. And unlike Belldandy's act, there was little doubt in everyone's minds that Hild's mannerisms weren't just for show. There was a very realistic possibility that should any of them falter and give in to her advances, the bodacious demoness would introduce them to a world of pleasures to the likes of nothing they had ever experienced in their lives, and without thinking twice about it too.

It was something that even baffled Urd herself, despite how similar her mannerisms were from time to time, since the Norn of the past tried to stop herself from going too far, while Hild showed less reservations when she teased others. From Urd's perspective, her mother's actions during her visit were fairly confusing, given that it almost appeared as if the demoness was trying to piss her daughter off on purpose. Which… seemed a rather counterintuitive thing to do, unless of course there was a reasoning behind all this madness.

'Is she trying to get a reaction out of me? See which one I favored the most by making me feel jealous? That… could explain a few things to be honest and something I might've done if my sisters were in this position. Hm… I never thought it was this annoying to be on the receiving end though.'

Casting a glance over her shoulder to her mother's futon, Urd felt her hair stand up when she realized that it was empty. At some point through the night, Hild must've slipped out of her room where the half goddess insisted she should remain and on in instant, Urd's mind was nearly overwhelmed by all the potential scenarios of what might've taken place while she was asleep.

Without hesitation, she shot up from her own futon and started for the hallway, hoping that it wasn't far too late. That despite the head start she got, the Daimakaicho didn't manage to seduce everyone, and in her panic Urd had totally forgotten about her state of undress. Stepping out of her room with only a flimsy trunk top and her black and purple panties as a means to provide her some modesty, the half goddess realized that something was amiss only after she saw Keiichi while he headed to take his morning shower.

"Good mo-... Whoa! What are you wearing Urd?"

That made her pause for a moment and check herself, but even then, Urd refused to admit what the true reason behind her attire was, given that she might appear as if she was too insecure in the face of real competition. Few women here on Nekomi could match her body and this gave Urd an air of superiority, although the same couldn't be said with some immortals; her mother in particular. "Hm… I think the real question is what I'm not wearing, Keiichi. Sorry about that, but I'm in a hurry. Have you seen my mother, by the way?"

"Um… I think that she's in the kitchen?" said the mechanic as a blush formed on his cheeks. "Although I didn't get too close, since… well…"

"Out with it! What did she offer?" snapped Urd, narrowing her eyes at him suspiciously.

"Nothing! She's just wearing… even less than you right now and after yesterday's party, I'm not too comfortable to get close to her without anyone else present in the room. Just in case."

In all seriousness calling yesterday's event a party was a bit of a stretch by anyone's definition of the word. Although it did start like one, it was Urd's suggestion to have a karaoke contest that totally derailed everything. While not being an essential appliance, they actually bought a karaoke machine to provide themselves with some entertainment and this turned out to be perfect opportunity they've been waiting for to use it. In theory at least.

Because in practice, once the three male contestants had finished with their songs, Urd took over and to spice things up she also took off her top, leaving herself with her lacy purple bra, much to her father's chagrin. Perhaps that was an attempt to establish who was in charge here, however, her mother's response was both fast and utterly brutal, as she tugged her dress lower without much of a second thought. And given how that thing was one single piece of fabric, Hild was left standing there in just her underwear. Even worse, since the demoness didn't wear a bra and her panties were so minimalistic that barely provided any real coverage, things got real for sure.

And given Urd's pride, it didn't took her long to end up in a similar state of undress, despite Tyr's futile protests, as everyone else was far too stunned to offer any sort of comment. Yet despite all that, the competition went on, forcing Vali and Keiichi to a hasty retreat. Feeling that this had little to do with singing and more with undressing, the two men left the living room to avoid giving both mother and daughter any incentives to carry on with their antics. Once a fed up Tyr joined them in the kitchen, the trio set up a game of poker instead, although they soon realized that they were one man… or rather god short and almost like an angry mob, they went back and dragged a protesting Dagaz out of there.

"I… don't blame you. Things may had gotten a bit out of hand yesterday," admitted the half goddess, feeling that even that was a gross understatement. "Look, um… go take a bath and I'll deal with my mother in the meantime."

"That's not what worries me, Urd. It's the potential of her following us around and… causing a scene like that over at Whirlwind."

Scratching her chin, Urd had to admit that he had a point there. With this taking place so close to their trip at the hot springs, she felt that calling to ask Chihiro for another day off was a bit too much. "I hate to admit this but… you're right. If mom shows up there, we're going to end up in the news. Actually…"

"Yes? You've got an idea?" asked Keiichi, noticing the devious look on her face.

"Call Megumi and ask her a favor! You know… pretend that she desperately needs our help with something. Don't know what, but… anything would suffice really."

"That's good and everything, but… how am I going to explain her the situation?" protested Keiichi, knowing that she had given him an almost impossible task. "Megumi's antics may be silly at times, but she's not an idiot. There's no way I can just make her cooperate without telling her what's going on."

"Just say that we want to… go for a date," said Urd with a shrug, although judging by Keiichi's frown, it was unlikely to work.

"Now that's going to make her ask a lot more questions that we can probably provide answers for, Urd."

"Do you have any better ideas? Because if you do, then don't be shy; share them!"

Keiichi's shoulders slumped as he scratched his head, trying to come up with another alternative, but in vain. Sure, his sister owned him a few favors but asking something like that in return didn't sound right to him. In the end, as problematic Urd's idea was, Keiichi started to think that this might've been the easiest way out of their predicament.

"Okay… you win. I'll call her and ask for help. Let's hope she won't ask too many questions."

Walking up to the old school rotary phone, Keiichi dialed in his sister's number and hoped that she was still in the dorm, since it wasn't unusual for her to go for a ride with her green KSR early in the morning before her classes started; something that he also did with his Beemer too, back when he was still a student.

'Okay… here goes nothing…'

XXX

NIT's second all female dorm, Nekomi

Rolling around her western style bed, Megumi found it almost impossible to wake up after yesterday's visit to that bar. Unused to alcohol, it didn't take long before she realized that her plan was flawed from the very beginning and in all seriousness, she wasn't even sure how she got back to her room. Everything past the second cocktail was covered by a misty blanket of colors, sounds and sensations that made almost no sense to the young student and at the very least, Megumi was happy that she was drinking with a woman instead of a guy.

'Heh… this reminds me of those movies where the main characters have a couple of drinks and then end up in… bed… toge-...'

The young Morisato's thoughts came to a screeching halt when she felt a shift next to her, followed by a content sigh as a very relaxed and totally naked Hagall turned around in her sleep. This… spectacle caused Megumi to sweat bullets as she started to realize that perhaps things like that didn't just happen in movies, but in real life too. And while this wasn't a guy she slept with, the brunette didn't know whether doing that with another girl was less innocent either.

'Calm down… Calm down… Calm… How am I supposed to calm down?!'

Feeling the sudden shift next to her as Megumi backed away from the naked blonde, Hagall opened her eyes and inspected her surroundings, although with far less distress than the mortal next to her.

"Good morning. What time is it?"

Staring her with wide eyes, Megumi could hardly believe her ears at how casual Hagall sounded. Almost as if the whole situation was absolutely normal and the fact that she made no effort to hide her body, caused the student to turn into an even deeper shade of red than she already was.

"Good morning? That's all you've got to say? I mean… what's going on here?"

"Uh… isn't it obvious by looking at us?" asked Hagall, looking around for her favorite bow, and to a certain degree the rest of her clothes too. "Have you seen my…"

Reaching down to the floor, Megumi grabbed the demoness' green frilly panties and nearly tossed them to her, not wanting to hold onto them for longer than necessary. "Here!... I cannot see your bra, though…"

"I wasn't wearing one to be honest. My top has an integrated one, so I don't need anything extra," said Hagall with a perfectly calm and casual manner while putting her lingerie on. "I hope you're feeling a lot better now, though. Last night was a bit too much for you to handle."

"Too much?" Megumi's jaw nearly dropped while she peered under the covers to verify what she already knew but her mind refused to accept; she too was totally naked. "What did we do last night?!"

"Not anything as enjoyable as I'd prefer, sadly. After you tried to get me tipsy and ended up getting yourself drunk, I had to carry you back here and offer my assistance while you… paid tribute to the porcelain throne," said Hagall screwing her nose in disgust as she recalled some of the more graphic parts of what took place the last night. "Then, I had to wash our clothes and finally decided to hit the bed, long after you had fallen asleep."

"You know… somehow the idea of having sex sounds… better than that," muttered Megumi, as she too didn't find that story too appealing either.

"No kidding! You mortals and your body functions… Eww… I really hope I don't have to go through that ever again."

Mortals. That was a word she recalled from their conversation at the bar, although they never got too far and allow Megumi to learn more about the enigmatic blonde other than her name; let alone a possible connection between her and Urd. Still, even though she was a foreigner, she spoke Japanese too fluently to explain why she referred to others around her in such a bizarre manner; meaning that it wasn't just an error.

"Yeah… sorry about that, Hagall. I love to drive my bike, so I don't drink very often and… well… you saw."

Before the blonde could respond, the phone started to ring all of a sudden and given her state of undress, Megumi was reluctant to get up and answer it. Because of that, it was Hagall the one who went and picked it up, much to the caller's initial confusion.

"Hello, this is Megumi's place."

"I know, but… who are you?" asked Keiichi, before he palmed himself, remembering that his sister was living in a dorm; something he too had done in the past. "Oh, are you one of her dorm mates?"

However, the reply was far too bizarre for Keiichi's liking and raised more questions than providing any answers. "No, not really. We just slept together."

"EH?!"

"Wait! Gimme that!" Wrapping the bed covers around her, Megumi dashed for the phone and almost tripped along the way but eventually managed to wrestle the earpiece from the demoness, before this turned into a huge misunderstanding. "It's not like that, Kei-chan!'

"Uh… huh… If you say so, Megumi," was Keiichi's somewhat stunned reply, as he wasn't sure what was going on over there. "Maybe a friend staying over for the night?"

"Yeah… something like that, actually," said Megumi in the most innocent tone she could muster. "Anyways… is there something I can do for you?"

'She's totally trying to get me to hang up as soon as possible.' Feeling that this was a bit atypical of his sister, Keiichi made a mental note to find out what this was all about later, but for now his priority was to deal with Hild. "Um… I was wondering if you could cover me… I really need to do something and I'm reluctant to ask Chihiro for another day off without a reason. I mean… I do have a reason, but I don't want to get Chihiro involved and I hoped you could say that you needed… um… help?"

"Say, are you trying to tell me that I'm about to become an aunt, Kei-chan?" asked the suspicious Megumi, scratching her head.

"No! We haven't done… that!" Blushing profoundly as his brain was about to come to a halt, Keiichi struggled to come up with a response but it took him long enough that in the end Urd decided to grab the receiver from him, her patience already running thin.

"Look Megumi, we've got an opportunity for nice date," said Urd giving Keiichi a withering glare to prevent any arguments about her story. "It's an invitation for a lunch for two in some fancy restaurant, but it's for today only, so…"

"Oh, gotcha! I have to tell Chihiro that you're not available, because I need help with… assembling a new wardrobe I got."

"Thanks, you're a lifesaver Me-..." started Urd when the doorbell rang and not wanting to hang up so abruptly, the bronze skinned goddess turned to her side. "Can you see who it is, Keiichi?"

"You've got guests?" asked Megumi from the other end of the line.

"Nah… it's probably the mailman bringing us more bills to pay," laughed Urd.

"The fun part of living on your own, huh? Well, in that case, I'll have to call Chihiro do my part."

"Thanks again Megumi! You're the best!" said a smiling Urd, as she set the receiver on the old telephone. Letting out a sigh of relief now that they had the perfect excuse to stay home and make sure Hild behaved, the half goddess turned to Keiichi only to find him staring at a piece of paper in wonder. "What is it? Did they overcharge us or something?"

"No… it's… not a bill," said the astonished mechanic as he read the letter for the umpteenth time and still couldn't believe his eyes. "We're invited for lunch at a fancy hotel…"

"Eh? Come again?" asked the equally surprised Urd who knew that this couldn't be just a coincidence. Feeling that there was only one possible explanation, she looked over her shoulder and spotted her mother peeking out of the kitchen's door with a smile on face that left no doubt who was behind this. "Mom! What do you think you're doing?"

"Who, me? Oh, much at all!... Just making sure that not everything my daughter says is a lie," said Hild in a playful yet surprisingly caustic tone that made Urd back off almost immediately. "Besides… after getting into all that trouble to make sure that I wouldn't misbehave in front of your mortal friends, you might as well go ahead and enjoy your day off, right?"

"Uh…"

"I mean… it's not like I'm so silly to just walk around in a negligee or something like that!" said Hild in her typically over dramatic tone, much to her daughter's annoyance.

"I wish you wore even that much…" muttered Urd, feeling a vein pop in her forehead as she watched her mother parade around in the same lingerie she wore since she wore last night before she went to bed.

"Touche, dear. You're just jealous that mama still got it," said Hild, offering her daughter and her dark haired house mate a playful wink as the buxom demoness leaned slightly forward, causing her bountiful chest to stretch the front of her crop top to its limit, much to Keiichi's embarrassment. "See? He loves the view… Right, Keiichi-kun?"

Gritting her teeth, Urd gave the aforementioned mortal a glare that promised pain and suffering should he dared to reply, and then she turned her attention back to her mother. "You're supposed to be the one reminding me not to act like this, not the other way around, mom! What's the big deal, anyway? If you still got it, then why don't you get a boyfriend of your own, instead of tempting mine?"

"Oh, dear! I didn't know that he was your boyfriend!" said Hild with an innocent tone, despite the rather evident grin on her face, knowing that she had her daughter cornered now. "I thought that he, along with the other two were just friends... Well, in that case I believe that having lunch together will be a perfect setting for your first date."

"We're not dating! It's just that… anyone would accept a free invitation to such a classy restaurant!" protested Urd, despite the barely noticeable blush on her cheeks.

"Uh… huh… Very well, then. In that case, I won't get in your way," said Hild, giving them a wink as she turns and starts for the kitchen. "Just have fun you two!"

Narrowing her eyes at her mother, while Keiichi averted his to avoid looking at the Daimakaicho's mostly exposed bottom, Urd couldn't help but feel that something was off here.

'Hm… she gave up too easily in my opinion. She must have something in mind, but what?'

XXX

NIT's second all female dorm, Nekomi

"Well, that solved one problem..."

Convincing Chihiro actually proved to be a lot easier than Megumi initially feared. Apparently, the shrewd businesswoman had a backup plan in case she was in need for some help and reassured her that everything was fine. Although Megumi didn't think that Tamiya and Otaki counted as a passable replacement for her brother, given how difficult they were to deal with at times, it was good to know that this little scheme wouldn't affect Whirlwind for the most part.

"Now to solve the other one…"

Looking over her shoulder, the now fully clothed Megumi wondered just where this blonde got that dress from, since she certainly didn't remember her wearing this yesterday. Hagall had changed into her favorite green and black dress with the asymmetric skirt that was far shorter up front compared to the back. Still, it was a rather peculiar choice of clothing compared to what most people would actually wear and even more, she didn't recall her carry any bags with her yesterday.

"Is there something on my face?" asked Hagall, noticing Megumi's intense stare, although in reality she did have an idea of what the whole problem really was, but quickly started to form a plan to keep her around for a bit longer.

"Well… my brother is apparently going to take his housemate out for a date, so I wanted to tail them," said Megumi in an effort to get around the subject. "And that means I need to leave the dorm, so…"

"I get it… Although do you have any idea where they're going out for a date?" asked Hagall with a grin, knowing that the brunette had no way of answering that question.

"Not really, but if I hurry, I might get to the Nekomi Ridge before Keiichi does. It's not like there are too many paths he can take to get down from that mountain temple he's living in."

"It's possible, yet I hardly consider this to be a foolproof plan," said Hagall as he grin became much bigger. "I, on the other hand can tell you where exactly he's heading to, so you can get there before he does."

"Wait a moment!... How do you know that?" asked Megumi, finding it very hard to accept that this woman knew all that information for no particular reason. Even more, she found it really bizarre that Hagall wanted to help her without an obvious benefit from the whole situation; unless she missed something here.

"While you were talking to your brother, I received a text from my boss informing me that she made a reservation for two in a classy restaurant, so I assumed that this is the couple she was referring to," said Hagall, producing a mobile phone from her dress for the mortal to see. "After all, your brother's girlfriend is called Urd, right? Or am I mistaken?"

'Is she working for an intelligence agency or something? A CD promoter who owns a fancy dress and knows so much about Urd? Yeah… that's totally normal.' Despite her reservations, Megumi was certain that if nothing else, hanging around this woman could eventually provide her with some answers. "Alright, you convinced me. Let's get going then!"

"Oh, we will, but first let's get you dressed for the occasion. After all they won't let us enter if we show up in something too casual and you don't even have to worry about a thing! I'll get you something nice!" said Hagall and then started to type something on her phone, leaving a suspicious Megumi stare at her in wonder.

'This is getting stranger and stranger… It's almost like a spy novel or something. Now I'm really interested.'

XXX

Standing before the restaurant, Keiichi checked the black suit he was wearing, to make sure that it still looked good on him. After all, it's something he bought a while ago after his graduation and during the most nerve wracking period of his life when he was looking for a job and therefore wanted to give a good first impression to his potential employers. In the end it didn't prove all that useful and soon Keiichi forgot that he even owned it once he started working at Whirlwind; but it seemed to be ideal for this occasion.

Helping Urd out of the cab, since it would've been hard to ride a bike while wearing such formal attires, Keiichi had to admit that she was absolutely stunning. Her cream white strapless dress contrasted her caramel bronze skin perfectly and furthermore, her choice of jewelry just enhanced the goddess' looks even more.

"So this is the place mother picked for us? Hm… not too shabby… What do you think Keiichi?"

"Nice…" was all the mortal could say, although in reality he was actually referring to her tight fitting dress that hugged every curve of her enticing body.

"For once, I'd agree with that. So, shall we get inside and check what's on the menu?" asked Urd, making Keiichi snap out of it and right on time too, before she noticed that he was staring at her.

"Oh, sure thing, Urd! Right after you!"

XXX

"That's your boss? She looks exactly like... Urd!"

Staring at one particular individual sitting across the restaurant, Megumi who was accompanied by Hagall couldn't help but stare at what could easily pass as Urd's sister. The younger Morisato had to use an old dress of hers to even make it through the door as casual wear was frowned upon here. Yet despite that, her attire really looked as if it was brand new, most likely because she rarely if ever used the simple, black velvet gown her mother insisted to get her last year, just in case she got in a situation like this.

Although she suspected that there was some connection between Hagall and Urd, this other woman proved to be a much more likely case, since she was virtually identical to the amnesiac foreigner; leaving only one possibility. "Are those two related?"

Giggling at how obvious Megumi's question was, Hagall knew that it was probably for the best if she heard about this now, rather than later; much… much later. "That goes without saying, since the family resemblance is a bit too hard to ignore. Although, their exact connection may surprise you, given how young my lady looks like; from your perspective at least."

"My perspective?" To say that none of this made any sense to her would've been an understatement by now, given how strange the whole situation was. Instead of finding any answers, Megumi was plagued by even more questions she had before coming here and all this mystery surrounding everything around Urd made the mortal girl doubt that her story was true too. "Okay, what's going on here? I get that you want to sound so mysterious and everything, although at this point I'm kind of lost here. Call me an idiot if you want, but I sure wouldn't mind a more simple explanation."

"I can definitely offer you just that…" said Hagall with a content grin, knowing that she had both the girl's attention and some information worth haggling for. "However, information comes at a price, you know."

"Huh? You want money?" asked the curious mortal as she wasn't entirely certain what she was getting into.

"No, not money. That's pretty much useless to me. In reality, I'd like something more… tangible, like... your cooperation. Don't look at me like that, it's not anything shady, I promise," reassured Hagall noticing the rather concerned look she was getting from Megumi. "It's just that, my lady wishes for Urd to find a nice boyfriend and your brother seems to be a great candidate. So, if you help the situation by accepting Urd, despite some… shortcomings she may have, we would be very happy and probably owe you a little bit of a favor too; especially me, since I kind of got Hild-sama angry with me and I was hoping to find a way to make up for it."

"Hild-sama? Wow, what kind of businesswoman has such a title attached to her name?" asked the surprised brunette, stealing a glance at the Daimakaicho. "And by the way… Who's that blonde with her?"

"Oh, that's a god called Dagaz," said Hagall dismissively. "I bet she brought him along to avoid looking suspicious while she spies on her daughter."

"God? Daughter? I'm… not sure I'm following you," said Megumi, looking even more lost than before, given the absurdity of such claims.

"Well, that's part of the reason I didn't want to tell you everything all at once. Even in the best case scenario you wouldn't believe me, and in the worst case… I suppose I might end up scaring you. Which could potentially make Hild-sama even more upset with me, something that I'd rather not have at the time being. The real question is whether you can handle the truth or wish to live blissfully unaware of what's really going on here," said Hagall, making a dramatic pause to judge the girl's reaction.

In all honesty, Megumi was starting to worry at this point. Everything about this seemed to be so bizarre and mysterious that she wondered just what sort of weirdos did she run into, and worse… if Urd was feigning her amnesia to get rid of those lunatics. There were all kinds of crazy cults one could get involved with and the fact that her brother may have somehow got in the middle of something like that, scared her. Still, before she overreacted and jumped to early conclusions, Megumi wanted to hear the whole story. "Alright… why don't you tell me everything from the beginning?"

"I'm afraid that could take us several hours, so I'll give you the basics and then answer any questions you may have. Providing that it's not some restricted topic, of course."

XXX

Sipping from her glass, Hild enjoyed the red wine as she patiently waited for her daughter and Keiichi to finally arrive at the restaurant. At the very least, it seems that in the meantime, Hagall had managed to contact Megumi and with that done, things could become really interesting, as the brunette's involvement could either prove to be a brilliant move by her assistant or yet another blunder like the one she already pulled with Urd's license. In all honesty it was a gamble and one that could backfire quite spectacularly, but at the same time, Hild knew that as long as Keiichi's sister was left in the dark, her brother would be rather reluctant to get into a relationship with Urd, fearing the consequences of exposing Megumi to the world of the immortals. So in the end, she did authorize Hagall's actions and allowed her to go on with that idea, but not before reminding her that this would go down her personal record if it ended up backfiring.

Even more interesting though was going to be Tyr's eventual reaction once his patience runs out, as he kept spying on her and the unfortunate god who tagged along, totally unaware of the dirty look the possessed feline was giving him. Apparently the lord of the gods wasn't immune to such basic feelings like jealousy, and while it didn't surprise Hild one bit, it was kind of enjoyable to give him a little taste of what she felt ages ago. Even though she supported Ansuz as his second wife, it would've been a lie to say that she didn't envy her, and the worst part was that Tyr thought that he was in the exact same position as her. So, this was a great chance to let him see how wrong his assumptions were by reversing the roles and hopefully make him appreciate the restraint and maturity she displayed during the last few centuries, instead of taking such things for granted.

"How's the wine, dear?"

It took all her willpower not to laugh at the silly expression on the god's face the moment he heard her call him 'dear' even if it was clearly not a real proclamation of affection and simply an attempt to sound polite. Still, the young god was grinning like an idiot and scratched his head in an almost comical fashion, trying to come up with a proper response. All while the faint sound of a cat grinding his claws against the carpet could be heard not far from their table.

"Oh, it's nice and has such… umm… great… volume?" said Dagaz in a failed attempt to express what he really thought, much to Hild's amusement.

"Are you talking about the wine or my assets, dear? Don't worry, I like it when boys make compliments about my bust, so feel free to speak out your mind and if you play your cards right…" said Hild with a wicked grin, watching the blonde god swallow hard as he unwittingly glanced at her chest. "I might actually let you touch a bit."

Choking on his own saliva, Dagaz could hardly believe what he was hearing. At least, until he remembered similar offers from Urd and in all those cases it turned out to be a practical joke of sorts. "F-For… r-real? Your daughter said that a few times, but..."

"Are you implying that I, the Daimakaicho herself makes empty promises? Urd may love to tease and so do I, but unlike her, I don't want to make fun of others all the time, since it's bad for business. After all, how do you expect anyone to take you seriously if they expect you to betray them. Trust is something extremely valuable to us demons and key for every negotiation," said Hild, taking a sip from her glass. "So, my offer stands, as long as you don't make a fool of yourself… you could give me a nice pat. Or even more..."

Nodding vigorously, as he didn't trust himself to offer a verbal reply, Dagaz noticed Hild's gaze shift from him and towards the restaurant's main entrance where Urd and a rather bashful Keiichi stood in front of the maitre d, who tried to find a nice spot for them to sit. And by the looks of it, that spot happened to be the table right next to theirs.

'Oh this is going to be fun!..'

Just as the Daimakaicho predicted, Urd immediately came to a stop when she spotted just who was on the next table and following her gaze, Keiichi's face suddenly lost its color. Looking around, he was horrified to see just how many patrons were currently in the restaurant… that could easily turn into a battlefield with all those innocent souls caught in the crossfire.

"What the Hell do you think you're doing here?" asked Urd, narrowing her eyes at her grinning mother, before turning to Dagaz who just realized that he was in deep trouble. "And you! Trying your luck with my mom? Do you have no shame?"

"Aw, come on Urd-chan! Don't be so mean to mommy! I wanted to have some fun too!" said Hild, interrupting her daughter before she scared the blonde god too much. "It's been ages since I had a nice meal like this and poor Dagaz was a perfect gentleman so far. Now, stop glaring at him like that, and enjoy your launch with Keiichi-kun."

"Gr… Fine! But it I see a hand touch anything..." said the goddess, making a slicing motion across her neck while staring at Dagaz, who leaned further back on his chair. "Got me? I want both your hands on the table where I can see them, mister!"

Then as she was about to turn and head back the table, Hild decided that it was too soon to let her daughter go and let out a cheerful squeal, much to everyone's surprise. "Yay, footsies! It's been a long time since I…"

"You're going to do that, either!" barked Urd as she looked over her shoulder and glared at her mother, who by the looks of it was having a blast. Plopping on her chair in a rather unladylike fashion, the grumbling goddess picked up the menu and went through its pages, with Keiichi following her example in silence.

The young mechanic had no desire to add more fuel to the fire, by making any comments that could set her off and turn the whole building into a pile of rubble. "Hm… I think I'll try the stir fried noodles with pork. What about you, Urd?"

"Same. Although get me some good sake with it," was all Urd could offer at the time being, her brow still twitching in annoyance from having to deal with her mother. Although she was certain that she loved her, still part of her wanted to give the plotting Daimakaicho a sharp kick on her backside. 'Ugh! I can't believe the nerve of… I mean, even I am not that bad! Okay, maybe that's where I got it from, but still…'

Glancing over their table, Urd saw Hild give her a cutesy wave, causing the goddess to turn the other way, cursing under her breath as she stomped her heel on the floor. And for a moment, the goddess could've sworn that she heard a faint meow from underneath the table.

XXX

"She's a goddess?"

"Yes, think that's what I said." Looking at the incredulous mortal, Hagall knew all too well how difficult it could be to convince anyone that the story they've just heard was true. Although it was merely a very short version of what was going on, it proved to be more than what Megumi was mentally prepared for and as such, she had her reservations.

"Next thing I'll hear is that you're all aliens or something." Taking a swing from her glass of red wine, the younger Morisato wondered how this woman ever managed to come up with such an unbelievable story in the first place. It was almost something out of a novel or a manga, but certainly not what one would've expected as a proper explanation for Urd's origins and nature.

"You know… under the most literal definition of the word, we are extraterrestrials, in the sense that none of us was born on Earth," mused Hagall, but then simply shook her head, dismissing such thoughts as unimportant. "However, I don't believe that we fit the description of what most humans refer to when they use that term. Anyways, I can see the doubt in your eyes and quite honestly I'm certain that you're not going to just take my word for it and accept such incredible claims. If we were in a more private setting I could offer you a few examples of spells and otherwise impossible feats that no mortal is capable of performing. Yet, I'd rather not do something like that here, although I'm fairly certain that if you persist, your brother will eventually agree to let Urd provide you the evidence you need."

"And you, along with your boss are demonesses?" As much as she didn't want to believe her, Megumi found that the way she explained this whole situation sounded too honest to be a complete fabrication; unless she was an incredible actress or a complete lunatic. Either way, her reassurances that Keiichi and Urd could back such claims made Megumi wish to learn more, before dismissing it as a joke.

"Once again, that's correct. As you realize that simply means Urd is a half goddess and the whole thing is a bit of long story, so you'll have to excuse me if I decline to share it at the moment. That, and I'd rather not go behind Hild-sama's back discussing such topics without her knowing about it. Yet it explains why she's got such a complicated relationship with her mother, and above all… her own problems at figuring out her place in the world," explained Hagall, as she eyed towards the half goddess in question, making Megumi follow her glance. "Which is why I'm interested to have you aid Keiichi in his attempts to court her, since he's the most neutral option for courting a half goddess like her. Not that we're going to have a problem if she chooses one of the other two gods, but… I think that your brother would be an ideal candidate."

"Hm… I see." It was such a crazy story that Megumi had honestly no idea what else to say at the moment. Any real evidence would have to wait until she could talk to Keiichi and Urd, but as Hagall pointed out, this was hardly the place for a conversation like this. "Well. if she's honestly interested in my brother then I see no problem, but the whole… picking someone of the lot kind of… rubs me a bit off."

"It's merely a possibility given her current situation, not a popularity contest or something along those lines. Urd ended up living with three men and to be fair, I won't simply jump to the conclusion that she's going to date the first guy she met here on Earth for no other reason than that. But... to say that she's setting up a competition for her heart would be inaccurate too; rather, it's more likely that she's got no idea how to proceed from this point on. Based on past observations, this is the point where she grinds to a standstill and fails to choose any option or simply goes with a random one, but… I believe that with a little bit of help, she might reach a more well thought decision about her love life and that person might as well be you," explained Hagall, much to the mortal's surprise.

"Me? Why would she listen to me, instead of… her mother or even her sisters. She does have two of them, right?" asked Megumi, trying to recall what she's been told a couple of minutes ago. "Those should be the best candidates to advise her!"

Leaning back on her chair, Hagall used her lessons in diplomacy to approach the subject from just the right angle to eliminate any opposition and make the mortal see things her way. After all, for Niflheim's second in command, convincing a single woman should've been pretty trivial and in the long run, she hoped that her efforts would appease Hild, making her forget about her… blunder. "That's what you may think. Yet in a situation like this, their background might influence their choice and Urd knows about it, meaning that while she's going to listen to their opinion, it's doubtful whether she follows such counsel or not. On the other hand… you're an outsider and while you do happen to be Keiichi's sister, that could be a good thing in such a case. After all, you wouldn't want your brother to date someone not suitable for him, right?"

"Alright… you convinced me," said Megumi with a sigh as she saw that either way, talking to Urd was probably the best choice anyway. "But it's a lot to think about, so I'm not going to talk to her today; I need some time to absorb all that."

"I understand. There's no need to rush things and complicate the situation even further. However, how about we enjoy this lunch and relax a bit? It must be all too confusing for you right now," said Hagall, motioning for the waiter to approach, while Megumi offered her a nod.

"Yeah… I definitely need to drink something…"

XXX

Thankfully, no significant drama took place as the two couples enjoyed their lunch. Except for the occasional glance between mother and daughter, the two of them managed to remain civil and avoid any mishaps that would've most certainly escalated beyond their control.

To everyone present, it appeared that the Daimakaicho's behavior was playing a bit of a dangerous game, but in all seriousness, her motives couldn't be more different. Instead of a game, the demoness wanted to provide the perfect distraction for both Urd and Keiichi, denying them the opportunity to get too self conscious about this whole set up being too similar to a date. Given how shy the young mechanic was, Hild had no delusions that he needed a little bit of help to overcome his reservations and in this case, by keeping his mind preoccupied, he acted as if everything was normal and they were just having a nice lunch together.

Yet, as demoness, it was within her nature to search for all possible problems that could arise from a situation like this. Aside from Keiichi, there was also Urd's other two housemates who also seemed to be attracted by her daughter and while they were all getting along nicely, things could definitely change once Urd started to show a lot more interest towards one of them. Males were territorial by nature and as a result, once the half goddess decided to get into a relationship with one, the others could get jealous and in the long run become a source of all kind of problems, especially given how sensitive Urd was.

Despite her carefree and playful personality, the Norn of the past wasn't the kind of goddess who didn't care about those around her and if she became the source of their pain, it was unlikely to simply ignore about it. What Hild feared was that to keep everyone happy and content, Urd would end up maintaining the status quo for as long as possible, until one after the other they would get the hint and give up. Only then she might pick the last one who still persisted, but that also came with a great danger, as it was in essence a gamble. If they all waited for too long, then it was possible for all of them to get bitter and refuse to date her, thinking that she never gave them a fair chance or worse, she simply had her fun stringing them along until they reached their limits.

However, Urd wasn't the only one to blame for her apparent lack of determination. Aside from her current situation that created a lot of uncertainty about her memories and even as to how long she was going to stay on the mortal realm, Urd had a history of bad relationships that definitely left their mark in her soul. Given how many times her daughter got burnt by all kinds of idiots who either tried to have some fun and then run away or were outright morons in the first place. Especially her latest boyfriend who turned out to be a talentless hack of a musician with an ego bigger than his stupid head. Yet as much as Hild wanted to show him what she really thought about his attempts to keep Urd 'loyal' and eliminate all competition by cursing them, the Daimakaicho knew all too well that given how tense her relationship with her daughter was, such a direct intervention to her personal life would only cause more harm than good.

'At least Keiichi-kun is a lot smarter than that idiot. Sure, he may lack in terms of confidence, but… he's far from hopeless. With a little effort, I think they're going to make a nice couple. After all, Urd needs someone to keep her from doing all kinds of stupid things, yet without being a total control freak in the process.'

Pleased with her observations so far, Hild wondered about her next step. As much as she wanted to force them to tag along for a date of sorts, it was unlikely for Urd or even… Tyr to just sit there and watch her go on a date with a much younger god. Regardless of which one of them reacted first, the potential for turning the reunion with her daughter into a huge fiasco was something that the Daimakaicho wished to avoid. There was a fine line between teasing and outright infuriating someone, especially when a sensitive and rather insecure goddess like Urd was concerned.

As such, Hild wished to avoid pushing her luck too far by seemingly flirt around with Dagaz and instead turned to her daughter who was right behind her as the four of them walked out of the restaurant.

"Fancy hitting a bar, Urd-chan?"

"Huh?" It was such an unexpected request that the half goddess had to blink, before she gave her mother a puzzled look. "Didn't you have enough wine already? I don't want to carry you back home..."

"You think that your mother's a lightweight? Oh, that's so rich!" said Hild cackling like a madwoman, much to everyone's surprise. "I can outdrink you any day, little girl!"

"Is that challenge? Because if you're paying, then you've found yourself a worthy opponent," said the grinning Urd as she put a brave face on, once she actually realized her folly. This was probably where she got her taste of booze from and it was extremely unlikely for her to beat her in a drinking contest.

"Brave words, daughter… But I like your determination! Let's do it then!" said Hild, returning Urd's grin with one of her own, making both Keiichi and Dagaz share a worried expression.

"If they both get drunk…" said the blonde god, his face turning as white as paper, while the mortal mechanic could only nod.

"That's going to be a bad day; a very bad one, actually. We must get the others here before this escalates out of all control and they blow the place up or something. If Urd can make so much damage on her own, I'd hate to see what her mother is capable of."

XXX

"Mead? They even have something like that here? Okay, I'll admit that I'm impressed."

Eying at the glass with the once popular drink, Urd had to admit that this wasn't just a visit to your average bar. Instead, the one her mother picked for them was much higher class establishment and a pretty expensive one too; catering to the needs of the more demanding clientele. As a matter of fact, both of them were still wearing their dresses from before, since formal attire was needed to pass through the front door.

"Now, now… Urd-chan, you'd think that I'd take you to a cheap bar in some dark alley?" said Hild as they strode towards a table, considering that the Daimakaicho wished for some privacy and as such, avoid the barkeep from listening in to their conversation, along with any other customer. "What's next? Try to get a couple of boys for a quick foursome? I'm all in for some bonding, but… that's a bit too far, don't you think?"

"That's so obvious that I won't even bother commenting," said Urd with a snort, only to make her mother tease her as she apparently found a topic too spicy for her daughter's taste.

"Oh? Worried that mamma will get all the attention to herself?" asked Hild as she nudged Urd, only to receive a rather pointed glare.

"No… it's just plain awkward even by my standards. Although, as you said, this isn't about picking random guys," said Urd, in an effort to change the topic, before her mother had the opportunity to tease her too much. "So, why did you really bring me here, mom?"

"Honestly?" Letting out a sigh as she took a seat opposite of her daughter, Hild offered the stunned goddess one of her rare smiles. "I just wanted to talk to my little… well… not so little daughter. After all, it's been ages since we chatted over a nice drink; so much in fact that the last time we were sharing a cup of milk together."

"Was it really that long ago?" asked Urd with a raised eyebrow, while her mother ordered two martinis for them.

"I think so, although time can a very subjective concept in certain cases. I've been around for much longer than that, and yet the last few centuries felt like an eternity to me." Hild refused to go any further and instead focused on her drink that the waiter promptly served them, leaving Urd stare at her in wonder.

It wasn't pity or sadness in the half goddess' eyes, although she was far from indifferent to her mother's indirect admission of being lonely. It was undoubtedly due to the situation in regards to her ex husband and more importantly with her daughter who chose to become a goddess, so, Urd didn't even need to ask for the root of the problem. Even more, she also knew that offering her pity would only make matters worse for her mother as all demonesses were proud and especially one possessing the highest rank in her whole society. "Can I ask you one thing?"

"Hm? What is it Urd-chan?" Taking a sip from her glass, Hild noticed her daughter's hesitation as she toyed with the idea in her mind for a while before she managed to voice one of the things she had always meant to ask her.

"Why did you allow me to become a goddess?"

"Ah… that. Well… to put it simply, that was your decision little one and I merely respected that. I'm fairly sure that it wasn't exactly a conscious one and it happened without you even noticing, but as some point, your goddess side became dominant and affected you as a whole. It was true that there were possible means to increase the influence of your demonic side, and as the Daimakaicho a lot of immortals had expected me to do that, just to save face and avoid handing my only child to her father," admitted Hild between sips of her martini, using that as an excuse to put her thoughts together. "As a ruler, that could be seen as an act of submission or even as a way of getting rid of the remnants of a past relationship; yet as a mother… what would you have done in my place? Keep your daughter around by any means necessary? Force your only child to become what you wanted, and the process completely disregard her own decisions?"

There was a long pause as Hild's counter argument caught Urd by surprise, as she had never considered what she would've done in her mother's place. Most of her life, Urd had simply assumed that such a thing was impossible as she tried to avoid any relationships with demons for that very reason, practically eliminating any such possibility. Still, a tiny part of her mind knew that in all seriousness, should Urd had to chose between saving face and letting a child of hers to pick a side, she would've probably done the latter. "Was that the only way?"

"Depends… A long time ago, even having a child with a god would've been such an absurd idea, that most immortals would've simply dismissed it as a silly notion. Yet times are changing and things are not the same way as they used to be back then. Perhaps in the far future, couples like me and your father won't have to deal with such prejudice and opposition, allowing both parents to raise their kids together. Still, that won't change the past and as such, I did what had to be done; nothing more, nothing less. And by the looks of it, you too played your own role in that, so I won't blame you for anything, Urd-chan. I'm all too familiar with the problems that you would've faced if you were too happy to socialize with me, although you may have overdone it a bit there," said Hild before she smirked, much to her daughter's surprise who wasn't expecting such an expression following that statement. "You know, in way that kind of pleases me."

"Huh? Why… why would you say that?" asked the baffled Urd, failing to see how such a thing made her mother happy. If nothing else, the half goddess had expected her to admonish her or at the very least find a polite manner to show her displeasure at her daughter's rather obvious attempts to keep a distance between them.

"Because… it means that you're a lot more like me than you may think, Urd-chan. Yes, it's pretty obvious that you physically resemble me, but in reality it's far more important to me that you inherited more than just my looks. As your mother, it's comforting that you're so much like me, even if that proud and stubborn part of yourself is giving me trouble. You may think that it's a paradox, yet that's proof of your demonic side having an influence over your decisions and not being just shoved to the side by your goddess side."

"I… never thought of it like that." Blinking, Urd began to realize that in all irony, her extreme methods of maintaining her pride as a goddess might've been attested to the very thing that she was trying to keep at bay: her demonic side.

"No and neither should you. The more you try to polarize things, the worse it is for you Urd-chan. You're both a goddess and a demoness, so stop making things harder by attempting to decipher which side is responsible for every thought that pops in your mind. Of course, I won't pretend to understand how things must be for you, since I never got to deal with such issues, still, am I close?"

"Perhaps… I honestly haven't thought much about it, but… you may be right." Although there were still parts of her memory that were inaccessible, Urd could already recall more than enough to say that her mother was indeed right. She had spent far too long fighting with herself over all sorts of matters and in the end she either failed to make any decision, or simply picked one of the available options at random; with the predictable results.

"In that case, I believe that this might be a good chance to start over Urd-chan. When you lost your memories, it appears that you've stopped acting like that, and although you regained most of them, your behavior has indeed changed to a degree," said Hild, enjoying the puzzled look on her daughter's face as she certainly tried to recall what was different about the way she acted as of late. "To give you a hint Urd-chan, you're acting in a much more natural and less forced manner than before, and although your memories are slowly returning, you're still more relaxed than you used to."

"Now that you mention it… I do feel a bit more at ease, although… not nearly as much as I'd like," admitted the goddess with a frown, before her mother tutted her.

"Not so fast, Urd chan! You're forgetting that there are still a few things troubling you; like the fact that you're living away from your sisters, or even… your situation with those boys. I know that you're having a tough time deciding what to do, but the more you postpone it, the worse it's going to get."

"As if I don't know that!" said Urd with grunt, holding the now empty glass while her mother ordered another round of cocktails for them. "But, how can you choose when they're so different from each other?"

"So what?" asked Hild, smiling as the waiter brought their mojitos. "Isn't that always the case? Everyone is a bit different and has something to offer that the others don't have, so stop thinking that it's as simple as comparing to see who excels at everything."

"Thank you for stating the obvious, mom. It's not like I was checking who's got the biggest…" Stopping before she said too much and in the process give her mother something to tease her with, Urd turned to her drink, only to notice Hild's cat-like gaze. "What?"

"Stop acting innocent, Urd-chan! I know you checked them back at that onsen, you naughty thing!" laughed Hild, much to her daughter's chagrin. Waiting until she reached her glass for a sip, Hild chose that very moment to continue. "Personally I'm kind of surprised you haven't tried the hands on approach. You know… just try everyone before you pick whose wiener is the winner!"

Spitting her drink in shock and sheer embarrassment, the wide eyed goddess tried to recover and avoid spilling the rest of the cocktail on her dress. "MOM?! What do you think you're proposing?"

Instead of an answer, Hild just started to cackle like a madwoman, holding her sides as tears started to well up, blurring her vision. "Oh, I got you so bad, it's not even funny! Actually… it's HILARIOUS!"

Puffing up her crimson cheeks, the annoyed Urd was just about to cast a lightning bolt at her troublemaker of a mother, before the Daimakaicho's expression softened and there was something in her eyes that made the half goddess stop. "What is it now?"

"You know, as much as you look and act like me, there's still that part you got from him…" It was a much softer tone than what Urd was used to hear from her mother, and that actually helped her relax a bit.

"That part? You mean… falling victim to your crude jokes?"

"Well… that too, but… no. It's that softer side of his that made me fall for him in the first place," said Hild with the closest thing to a dreamy look she could afford making, before she inadvertently convinced her daughter that she was totally wasted; and on her second glass none the less. "You can stop staring at me like that, Urd-chan. We all act a bit differently when that special someone is around and… yes, I'm not the exception when it comes to such a simple truth. While I never acted like a lovestruck teenager, deep down I knew that my relationship with your father wasn't just a mere infatuation, or even a friendship with certain benefits. Which… might also prove to be the answer you're looking for in your situation, too."

"Huh? What do you mean by that?" asked the confused goddess, who suddenly realized that he mother had somehow managed to change the subject of their discussion back to her current predicament.

"Think about it for a moment. While it's true that you're getting along with all your housemates and it's safe to assume that all of them can be considered as your friends, there must be someone you feel to be closer to you. It's hard to describe with words, Urd-chan, but if you really want to solve your problem, it's best if you recall how you feel whenever you're interacting with them, but this time try to observe your own reactions. At some point, you'll find out who makes you feel special and wanted, which… is pretty much the answer you're looking for," said Hild, much to her daughter's surprise, as she had never really expected to hear something like that from a demoness, let alone the Daimakaicho herself.

It was certainly something that was more likely for Belldandy to say, and yet it didn't actually shock her. Urd knew that despite her nature and even her personality, Hild was likely to try and help her daughter when she needed it the most, and this was exactly one of those moments. "I see… It does make sense to a degree, although I'll probably have some hard thinking to do."

"I never said it was going to be easy, Urd-chan. That's not a mathematical formula or an algorithm with a somewhat predictable result. Matters of the heart will always be as troublesome as they can get, although there are also some definite upsides too. As the mortals say… no pain, no gain. Don't force yourself too much to come up with an answer either, just try to observe your own thoughts and emotions while you talk with them and soon a pattern will emerge. It's only a matter of connecting the dots from that point on." Content that she got a nod from her daughter, Hild was pleased to have an opportunity to talk to her in such a manner, especially since they haven't seen each other for quite some time. And no matter how insignificant as it may appeared to be, this was a step in the right direction, which certainly made her visit here a complete success in Hild's eyes.

"Alright, I'll give it a try and see what I can come up with," said Urd with a sigh as she sipped from her glass before she realized that there was something else she needed to say. "Also…Thanks, mom."

"Anytime, dear."

XXX

Less than an hour later, the whole group was assembled back at the temple. Keiichi and Dagaz had returned there way earlier of course, only to find the possessed feline tending his apparently trampled tail, but despite their concern, Tyr refused to disclose how that came to happen.

Instead, the celestial leader advised the two concerned men that it was unlikely for Hild to allow herself or even Urd go out of control, and while seemingly dangerous, it was probably for the best to let them have some privacy and talk to each other. It was something they both needed and poking their noses would only ruin such a rare moments, as they'd both act far more reserved if others were around them; especially Hild who had an image to maintain. Even Vali who had opted to stay behind in the temple and avoid getting involved, agreed that it was most likely for the best to let those two to mend up their relationship on their own. The war god cadet reasoned that any effort on their part, regardless of how well intended it was, would be doomed to fail as both of them were stubborn and prideful enough to let others dictate them how to act around each other.

Ever so reluctantly, the two men decided to simply stay put and as predicted by Tyr, Urd and her mother returned a while later without any further incidents. Interestingly, much of the previous strain between them was apparently gone, replaced by what seemed to be mutual respect. Even though they still teased each other, it was nowhere as aggressive as it was back during their lunch at that restaurant, and no matter how unexpected, everyone was pleased that there was some sort of progress between them.

Perhaps more than anyone else, it was Tyr who ended up trying to get that pesky spec of sand out of his eyes, or at least pretend that this was the case to avoid getting teased by his ex for being too sentimental at times. Sure, she may also noticed him tagging along, which was a totally different matter and certainly something that she was definitely going to bring up in the future, but at the very least, Tyr made an effort to avoid getting too involved and ruin their little moment. It was the first time he saw his daughter try to talk to her mother and as such, he thought that it was for the best to avoid doing anything he may have regretted later and by the looks of it, this ended up being the right choice.

"And then he said… Hey there sweetie, how about you give me your number? So, I gave him a paper and while he grinned like an idiot, he took a glance at it and found out that it was the bill for his bike. I swear he was close to crying at that point," said Urd with a giggle as she ascended the temples stairs along with her mother.

"Oh, that seems like fun! I never thought that working at a bike shop was so enjoyable!" laughed Hild as the two of them approached the main residence.

"Well… it gets even funnier when they realize that there's no mistake in the bill and that is indeed how much they need to pay!"

The assorted men, along with the possessed tabby cat could only stare at the mother and daughter duo as they cackled like this was the funniest joke in the world.

'I guess they had too many drinks for their own good,' thought Tyr in disdain, shaking his head at the seemingly inebriated duo. While not being drunk in the same fashion as mortals, both Hild and Urd acted in a lot less restrained manner than normal; which didn't mean all that much.

"Do you really have to go?" asked Urd with a somewhat sad tone, finding herself in the unexpected situation of not wanting to see her mother go; unlike her previous statements a couple of hours ago.

"You know how it is Urd-chan. I've got a realm to run, so, I cannot afford to stick around in one place for too long," said Hild with a softer expression than before, until Tyr finally decided to poke his nose into their conversation.

"Not to sound too insensitive, but… you're still going to leave that one thousandth part of yourself around, so don't act as if you're gone for good."

Staring at the possessed cat for a few seconds, Hild considered the best, or rather the worst way to respond to his otherwise correct, yet unnecessary comment; essentially revealing that she was still going to stick around in some shape or form. Turning to her daughter, the Daimakaicho offered her an evil grin as an idea struck her. "Oh, and don't forget to ask me for help if you need to organize a wedding, Urd-chan. I've got a feeling that this might turn out to be your chance to tie the knot with a lucky boy, so don't be shy to ask for mommy's help, okay?"

While she seemed lost at first, Urd caught on pretty fast after following her mother's gaze who gave Tyr a rather pointed look. "Sure thing, mom! I'm not sure if I can get Peorth down here for the stag night, meaning that I might need a dancer for that occasion! You think you can handle it?"

"Who do you think you're talking to, girl? Of course I can handle it! All I need is to practice the right moves a bit since it's been a while, but other than that… I'm gonna put one Hell of a show!" Making an eight figure with her hips, Hild enjoyed the choking sound coming from the possessed cat and she knew that it wasn't due to a hairball.

"Since when did you two start to agree at anything? Actually, forget that! Just how much did you drink anyway?" shouted Tyr, hitting an octave that caused his voice to crack, resulting in a rather hilarious meowing sound that made the rest of his audience to snigger. Unfortunately for them, since he couldn't do much about Urd, let alone Hild, the Daitenkaicho's wrath was inevitably directed to the three men standing behind him. "And you! What's so funny? Can't wait to have your future mother in law give you a show?"

That made the trio stop and realize just how annoyed the supreme lord of the celestials sounded. Wasting no time, the two gods and their mortal friend run for it, with Tyr giving chase, resulting into a rather comical scene with all four of them running around the house in circles.

"Men…" muttered Hild, shaking her head, while Urd simply giggled at the sight. "At least it's a good thing that your father hasn't lost his sense of humor."

"I don't think he's joking…" said Urd with a raised eyebrow as the group finished another lap around the house. Then all of a sudden, the sky darkened and the half goddess knew that it was about time to say goodbye to her mother. "So… you're going?"

"Yeah, I think it's time I go back to Niflheim. See you later, Urd-chan." With a smile, the Daimakaicho's form turned into a beam of crimson light that shot upwards to the Gate high above the temple.

"Later, mom." Letting a sigh, Urd couldn't help but feel a bit sentimental for a moment; a very brief on though, as a remnant of her mother's power was still present. But instead of offering comfort to the emotional goddess, it made Urd grumble and turn to her side where the source of this energy signature came from. After all, this wasn't just residual energy left behind by the Daimakaicho's immense power. It was something far more distinct and focused, so much that she even possessed a physical form. "Which part of later, you didn't get?"

"Aw… you're just embarrassed that I caught you getting all weepy!" laughed the childlike avatar of Hild. Despite having only one thousandth of her true self, this version of her mother still had more than enough to stir up a lot of trouble. "Aw!... Mama's so happy!"

"Mama's gonna get a spanking, too! Come here you little troll!" Running after her mother's avatar and joining the others in their… jogging session, albeit with the occasional bolt or two, Urd wasn't entirely sure whether to feel infuriated or perhaps relieved that she still got to have her around. Even if she really felt to give her a nasty zap, and the little scoundrel just wouldn't stay in one position for properly blast her, turning the whole temple grounds into a war zone.

Regardless of who eventually won that battle, one thing was certain: The Tariki Hongan Temple was as lively of a place as ever.

XXX

NIT's second all female dorm, Nekomi

Struggling to find something else to think about and failing miserably, Megumi couldn't forget the moment Hagall simply teleported back to her own realm, leaving behind the stunned mortal who finally had some evidence of the blonde's nature. Up to that moment, her astonishing claims felt like something out of a manga and yet, Megumi had seen that with her own eyes.

'Heck, I spent half an hour looking around that alley for any clues as to how she must've faked it. There's no mistake, that wasn't a show with lights and mirrors, it was the real deal. Immortals, huh… What have you gotten yourself into, Kei-chan?'

That was the actual question here, since Megumi had no idea what exactly to do or even say to her brother now. There were so many questions and a for a moment, the young Morisato really wished she had paid more attention to Hagall's words instead of thinking that she was a nutcase.

'This isn't helping… I need to go and ask them what's going on tomorrow. Dunno, maybe try to come up with an excuse to barge in there and make them spill the beans.'

Even though that wasn't exactly a plan, Megumi decided that one way or the other, it was better to stop worrying about it before she got sick or something. Feeling a little peckish, the young student got up from her bed to reach for her phone and order something when she noticed the CD Hagall had given her, and this time she knew that it wasn't just a promotional material as the blonde had initially claimed.

Still, she had no idea if it was just for show and had no contents or it was an actual one, perhaps even something she brought from Hell. As curiosity got the better of her, Megumi decided to check it out and placing the CD inside her portable player, she hit the play button and then waited patiently.

Weird sounds that resembled static noise mixed with garbled speech came out of the speakers and then all of a sudden the device started to shake, causing Megumi to take a few steps back.

'Whoa! Is is possessed or something?! What have I gotten myself into?!'

With a loud explosion that blasted the device to tiny pieces, a thick cloud of smoke filled the room, followed by a loud and positively malicious cackle.

"Mwa ha ha! I'm free! I'm finally FREE!"

"Another demoness?"

There was an awkward silence as the newcomer came to a stop, and turned to the baffled brunette who stared back at her in wonder. Smirking a bit, exposing her sharp canines that should've normally intimidated most mortals, the demoness' grin became even larger as she found no hint of fear in this woman's expression.

"Greetings mortal! Today's your lucky day, since I'll offer you a sign of my gratitude for setting me free by granting you a…"

That's when the door opened, interrupting the blonde's monologue, as the rest of the dorm's residents decided to check what the commotion was all about.

"Hey, Megumi are you alright? We heard a loud noise and… Oh my goodness! It's a hot guy! And look at those canines and… and the cape! It's a vampire!"

Staring at the dozen or so girls who were squealing in delight, Mara could hardly hide her shock and amazement from that development. As such, it took the demoness a while to register their words and the moment she did, a vein popped at her forehead as she snarled at them. "HEY! I'M A WOMAN, YOU DUMB KIDS!"

"Eh?" Pausing, the students took a better look at the so called demoness who pat her chest, making sure to let them see that there was definitely something under her baggy clothes; a pair of them, as a matter of fact.

"Not eh… I'm a woman and even better, I'm a DEMONESS! And to be more precise, I'm demoness first class unlimited license, Mara!"

"Aw… it's just a cosplayer from an unpopular show… Demons are so old fashioned these days..."

"Wait… what?" Watching them turn around and leave, Mara was dumbstruck, since this was the first time she got this kind of reaction. Granted, she had encountered all sorts of responses from mortals when she appeared before them, but this… this was new. "What the hell's wrong with kids these days?"

"Dunno… And to imagine that they thought I was the weird one for liking bikes so much," muttered Megumi with a shake of her head.

"No kidding! Anyways… I'm all thankful for releasing me and all that jazz, so you I can grant you a wish for free, although… this isn't exactly a formal contract, meaning that… Look, just don't go too crazy okay?" It was a bit humiliating that she had to even say something like that, but Mara had to avoid a possibly catastrophic contract mere moments after her release. Although she didn't wish to own the mortal anything, her superiors wouldn't be terribly happy if she granted a substantial wish without a decent profit and getting their attention so soon was a really bad thing for her.

"Hm… then how about you provide me a bit of a backstory for a certain goddess?" asked Megumi, sensing that this was her opportunity to find more about Urd. "From what I've heard she's the daughter of your leader, so I guess you may have heard about her and…"

"Hold on! You mean… Urd?" asked the astonished Mara, not expecting this mortal to bring up that name. "How do you even know her?"

"Well, she's kind of… living together with my brother…" said Megumi with a sheepish expression, scratching her chin nervously, while Mara simply stood there with her mouth hanging open in shock.

"What? How? When?..." It was really hard for the blonde to imagine that the otherwise proud goddess to even consider staying together with a mortal of all things. In Mara's mind, Urd would've soon lose interest in a partner so beneath her, and as a result the whole situation intrigued her. "Okay, tell you what… I'll answer your questions if you tell me more about them."

"Sounds fair. So… I guess we should start from the beginning…"

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 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.

While certain elements of this chapter weren't explained in great detail, I thought that considering Urd and Hild's actions during the party, it would've pushed the story's rating too much, should I go and provide a more detailed description. Besides, the whole point of the chapter was for the scene between Urd and Hild at the bar, where they got the chance to talk about things. Everything else was a nice bonus, but not the main event, so I didn't want to take the focus from that.

Of course Megumi's involvement in the whole situation will be important too, and that's going to play a bigger role later, but for now, she just had to learn about it. On top of that, she unwittingly released Mara who certainly seems intrigued to find out why Urd's interested in a mortal.

Speaking of Mara, her role in this story will be somewhat more similar to that she had in AMG, although with a few notable alterations. However, that's something that will become more clear from the next chapter.