Back In The Clouds

by Imaginos1892

Keiichi Morisato was an unlucky guy. He seemed to work twice as hard to get half as much as everybody else. He always thought there had to be something wrong, but could never have imagined the cause until he had a vision of meeting a goddess in the sky. Then she told him it wasn't a vision, and she would grant him one wish. What could he wish for, that might improve his luck?

3. Help Wanted

Help Wanted

Belldandy became aware of an intensely irritating buzzing noise which seemed to bore right into her ears, followed shortly by a groan and grumbles.

"Uzza…wugga…uhwaah…"

She opened her eyes. Where am I? She lay on a thick pad, entangled in a large piece of cloth. Her surroundings were unfamiliar — angular, drab, somehow coarse. There were rustling and dragging sounds. The buzzing stopped, the grumbles ended in a grunt.

Memories returned, piece by piece. The Goddess Relief Office. A call from the mortal realm. Meeting with Keiichi Morisato on the Astral Plane. His more-or-less accidental wish, approved against all expectations, leading to an extended assignment here in Japan. Day Two was just beginning.

Is this what waking up is like, for mortals? Will every day be like this?

She also had vague recollections of being wrapped up in webs by a gigantic spider. Could that have been a dream?

All these sensations were new to her. As Keiichi Morisato had rather grumpily suggested last night, she had no memory of falling asleep. The noises she heard came from Keiichi, fumbling and grumbling, shutting off the horrid buzzing of…an alarm clock, that's what it was. A device for waking mortals up.

Somehow during the night the sheet and blanket had gotten themselves wrapped around and partly underneath her so that her weight pinned them in place. By the time she struggled free, Keiichi had gotten to his feet. He turned and tilted his head left, then right, with cracking noises.

Good heavens, is that what mortals do when they wake up? It sounds painful. She suddenly felt an overwhelming urge to take a very deep breath…

Keiichi worked the stiffness out of his neck and glanced across the room just as Belldandy yawned hugely and stretched like a cat. He froze, unable to look away. She was substantially taller than Megumi, and…bigger, here and there. His sister's nightgown didn't quite reach her knees and was pulled tight in some fascinating places.

She finished, and smiled. "Good morning, Keiichi-san," she said, bright and cheerful.

He recovered, partially. "Uhhh, good morning, Belldandy." He took a step back. "I, uh, I'll, go, heat up breakfast." He left the room, sliding the door shut behind him.

While Keiichi prepared their breakfast, Belldandy went into the bathroom, returned to the bedroom, and emerged wearing her goddess robes just as he finished setting out two bowls of udon. They sat down to eat.

"Is it okay? Not too hot?" he inquired after a few bites.

She smiled. "It's fine."

"Um, good."

They finished breakfast, Keiichi cleaned up, then changed into his work clothes — blue jeans, boots, T-shirt and a leather jacket. He returned from the bedroom carrying two motorcycle helmets, stopped and regarded Belldandy with concern. "Are those the only clothes you've got?"

She looked down at her robes. "Yes."

"I…see." He seemed inclined to say more, but didn't.

She understood what he wasn't saying. "I don't exactly blend in here, do I?"

"Not so much. I've got a few things that might fit you, but they're, um…"

"Men's clothes, and a little small for me. Not really appropriate."

He nodded, glum.

"I see I will need to acquire the proper clothing for your world." She examined herself again. "But we don't have time, just now. Let me see what I can do."

She closed her eyes and half-chanted, half-sang in her mysterious language. Her newly mortal voice was very much like her voice as a goddess; uplifting, enchanting, downright inspirational. Keiichi felt like he could listen to her sing forever.

Blue markings appeared on her cheeks and forehead, light gathered around her body and clad her in celestial glory. When the light and markings faded away her robes had been replaced by a white short-sleeved V-neck blouse with intricate blue patterns embroidered around the collar and down the front, a blue knee-length skirt, and blue shoes with moderate heels.

She opened her eyes, swayed slightly and steadied herself with a hand on the wall. "Oh, my."

"Are you okay?" Keiichi asked, concerned.

"I'll be fine in a minute," she assured him.

"What happened?"

"I seem to be very low on magic." She straightened up, pushed her hair back and ran her fingers over her left earring. "I think some adjustments are in order."

He noticed that her earrings did not match. A single crystal pendant hung from her right ear. Her left ear sported an ornate adornment of gold and jewels consisting of several intricate segments interconnected by tiny chains, with two small rings hanging from the bottom.

"Adjustments? To…your earrings?"

She tapped her left earring. "This is no mere decoration. It's a sophisticated magical device which seals away all but a miniscule fraction of my power. It's intended to protect the mortal realm from excess magic, but if a simple garment transformation takes this much out of me, I have to consider it just a mite too restrictive."

"O…kay," he said uncertainly.

She dismissed the matter. "For now, though, these clothes should be better suited to your world."

"Oh, yeah. They're fine. You look really nice."

She smiled. "Thank you, Keiichi-san."

He set down the helmets. "It's chilly outside. You'll need a coat."

He spent a minute in the bedroom, returned and handed her a bright blue coat made from some slick, unnatural material, with a round symbol and the word YAMAHA printed in white on the left side.

"The company gave it to us as a promotional item, Chihiro-san gave it to me. I hope it fits."

She tried the coat on and it fit well enough.

Keiichi handed her a helmet. "Let's get going."

This was the first time she'd been outside of Keiichi's apartment since arriving here. She gazed curiously around the neighborhood while he locked the door, then followed him down two sets of stairs to the back yard. Behind the building they lived in was a sort of long shed, its walls and roof made of ridged metal sheets. He unlocked a gate leading to an alley, followed her through, closed and locked it again.

A row of large doors lined this side of the shed. Keiichi unlocked one and pulled it up overhead. Inside the dark narrow room sat a blue, black and silver machine she recognized after a pause for thought as a motorcycle. To her extended senses it felt old, but carefully maintained. A large bulbous shape was attached to the left side.

"Want some help with your helmet?" he offered.

"Yes, please. I've never worn one before."

They got it settled on her head and the strap buckled. With a little help she got into a seat inside the vaguely egg-shaped 'sidecar'. He started the engine, carefully pulled out into the alley, shut and locked the door, got back on the machine and looked down at her.

"Okay, let's go. Ready?"

She nodded, just a bit nervous. She had never traveled in such a fashion before, or imagined anything like it. The engine got louder, and the vehicle accelerated down the alley.

Soon they slowed down, turned onto a bigger street and rode faster. The roads were filled with other vehicles, most of them larger than the motorcycle. They towered over her in the sidecar, lofty and intimidating. She felt small and vulnerable as the motorcycle slowed down, sped up, stopped, turned and moved through the traffic.

Keiichi appeared completely calm and at ease, just focused on the task of riding. He glanced and smiled at her once in a while, when he could spare the attention. She tried to keep up a brave expression.

After about half an hour he pulled into a driveway beside a large metal box painted light blue. Near the left end a sidewalk and two steps led up to a metal and glass door set into the side. A sign read 'Whirlwind' in both kanji and English, over a sort of swirling tapered shape. He parked behind the box and shut off the engine, hopped off the machine and helped her out of the sidecar.

She looked around the small lot as they walked toward the box, carrying their helmets. "This is where you work, Keiichi-san?"

"Yeah, this is Whirlwind." He stopped near the end and pulled out some keys. "Go on around to the front door and I'll open it."

He turned a key in a large lock, freeing two metal handles. He lifted the right-hand one and used it to turn a tall locking bar. He swung the right half of the end open and picked his way into the building. A minute later she saw him moving around inside. He unlocked the front door and pushed it open. "Come on in."

The interior walls and ceiling were metal, too, and a thick rubbery mat covered the floor. They stood in a cramped space enclosed by a chest-high counter, with a small round table and three chairs to her right. A workbench and two tall cabinets stood against the far wall. The space between them and the right end was packed with motorcycles. Behind the counter a compact office area contained a desk and two filing cabinets.

"This is a strange little building," she observed, taking it all in.

"It's not really a building, it's a twelve-meter cargo container. Chihiro-san looked into building on the lot, and found out this was about a tenth the cost. Maybe someday she can afford to put up a real building."

"Oh." She looked around. "What should I do?"

"Just have a seat. I've got to move all these bikes outside to give me room to work. Chihiro-san should be here soon, and we can talk about the job. Here, I'll stash your helmet in the back."

She handed it to him. He raised a section of the counter and swung the partition underneath open, like a small door. When closed again, they were barely noticeable. He set the helmets on a shelf, threaded his way through the motorcycles, pushed the other door open with a metallic groan, and wheeled the first bike out.

He was parking the fourth bike when the phone rang, making her jump a little in surprise. She heard Keiichi's distant complaint, "Of course it had to ring right now!" and two heavy steps, then he stopped.

"Belldandy? I know we haven't hired you, but could you please answer that? I'm too far away."

"All right." She stood up, stretched across the counter, picked up the handset and held it to her ear. "Good morning, this is Whirlwind. How can I help you?" She sounded pleasant and professional.

She listened for a few seconds. "I'm sorry, the owner is not here."

"Hello?" She waited a little longer, then set the phone back in its place. "That's strange. She just hung up."

Keiichi was back for the next bike. "Salescritter," he said with disgust.

She returned to her seat. "Salescritter?"

"Somebody trying to sell us something we don't need. I'm glad they hung up."

"Oh."

"We get those calls all day long. Hey, thanks a lot for getting that. Chihiro-san wants the phone answered on the second ring, so we don't keep our customers waiting. No way I could have got to it in time."

"You're welcome. Is that what I'd be doing, if I get the job?"

"Yeah, that's a big part of it. You just saw how hard it is for me to do everything all on my own."

He resumed clearing the work space. Naturally, he was outside parking another motorcycle when the phone rang again.

"I've got it!" Belldandy called out, then answered it. "Good morning, this is Whirlwind—"

"I don't know. Just a minute." She held the phone away and called again. "Keiichi-san! A customer wants to know if his motorcycle will be ready today!"

He was already back inside. "Here, let me talk to him."

She handed him the phone and he held it up to his ear. "Hi, this is—"

He stopped and listened. "Almost finished. Should be ready for pickup by ten."

"Right, I'll take care of that, too."

"Good-bye." He hung up the phone and smiled at her. "Thanks again."

"Is it always like this?"

He shrugged. "Not always. Sometimes it doesn't ring for hours. Sometimes I get a call on the other line when I'm already talking to somebody. And it always seems to ring when I'm right in the middle of something tricky, like rebuilding a set of carburetors."

"Would you like me to go on answering the phone?"

"It wouldn't really be fair. Especially if you don't get the job."

"I don't mind. Besides, I'm not doing anything else."

"Well, then…sure. Thank you. That would help a lot."

Keiichi rolled the last bikes out to the parking lot, then resumed work on one that was raised up on a stand, with some parts taken off. He was putting it back together.

Belldandy watched him work. "Is that for the customer who called?"

"Yup. Valve adjustment, tune-up and carb sync. I found an oil leak, too, so I had to replace an O-ring."

She sighed. "I don't really know what most of that means."

"Don't feel bad. It's taken me a long time, and I'm still learning. That's part of why I wanted to work here, in spite of the pay. In a big shop, I'd just be doing the same— uh, crap jobs, over and over. Here, I get to work on everything."

A minute later the phone rang again. She picked it up. "Good morning, this is Whirlwind. How can I help you?" She listened, then said, "Hello? Is anyone there?"

Another pause. "This is Whirl—" She stopped, then called to Keiichi, "He won't stop talking. Can't he hear me?"

He made a rude noise. "It's a recording. Just hang up."

She did. "What was that?"

He finished tightening a bolt and moved to the next one. "It's a machine that calls every phone number and plays a recorded message if somebody answers. It's another way of trying to sell us stuff we don't want."

Belldandy gave the telephone a disapproving look. "Is that as inconvenient as it sounds?"

"It's a pain in the—!" He barely cut himself off before cussing in front of a goddess. He started over. "Most of the calls we get are from some sort of salescritter, wasting our time. We can't just ignore the phone, though, because any call could be a customer and we don't know who it is unless we answer."

She watched as he continued reassembling the motorcycle, impressed with how he always seemed to know exactly what to do next.

Keiichi glanced her way. "I hope you get the job. I'll try to help."

She smiled. "If there is any chance at all, I will. The System Force will ensure it."

He stopped, confused. "System Force?"

"It's…kind of hard to explain in mortal terms. When Yggdrasil executed your wish, the System Force was invoked. From now on it will enforce the terms of your wish. Under its influence, circumstances will tend to resolve in ways that keep us together."

"More of those quantum probabilities?"

She nodded. "Close enough. The System Force is imperceptibly subtle for the most part, but it is also ubiquitous and inexorable. Events in accordance with your wish will be made practically inevitable, while anything that interferes with it would be rendered nearly impossible."

"What if somebody tried to break us up?" That had happened to him, a couple of times.

"They would be fighting the System Force. Not a wise choice. I would not care to oppose it, even with all of my powers unsealed. Anyone trying to split us apart would find their efforts twisted awry in the most improbable of ways."

He hoped she was right. He finished installing the last parts, fetched a long flat device from where it hung on the wall, re-hung it from an overhead hook, and connected clear tubes dangling from it to the motorcycle.

This piqued her curiosity. "What are you doing now?"

"Syncing the carbs— I mean, synchronizing the carburetors, so each cylinder gets the same amount of air and fuel. If they're not synced, the engine runs rough because some cylinders fire harder than others."

He finished, checked over his work, turned a key and pushed a button. The engine cranked for a few seconds, then started. She listened with her extended senses and he was right; parts of the engine were working harder than the rest. He picked up a screwdriver and started carefully turning something while he watched the hanging device.

"I'm adjusting the linkage screws for equal vacuum on each intake. It'll run a lot better when I'm done."

He tinkered with the carburetors, reached up and twisted one handgrip, making the engine run faster for a few seconds, then tinkered some more, back and forth, several times. Finally, he was satisfied. He disconnected the tubes and returned the device to its place on the wall. He turned the grip again, running the engine at various speeds, listening critically.

The machine sounded…confident, to her. Ready to challenge the world, and win.

Keiichi shut the engine off, pulled out the key, pushed a pedal with one foot and steadied the bike while the stand lowered it to the floor with a low hiss. He backed it off, wheeled it outside, brought in another motorcycle and rolled it onto the stand. He pumped a different pedal, slowly raising the stand to a convenient height.

The phone rang twice more while he worked on this bike, with 'salescritters' on the other end both times. The second one tried persistently to keep Belldandy talking, taking advantage of her reluctance to be impolite.

"Just hang up on 'em," Keiichi advised. "They're the ones being rude, wasting your time and tying up our phone. It's for talking to customers, not salescritters."

He went back to work. The sun shining in through the glass door soon raised the temperature until she found the thick blue coat uncomfortably warm and took it off. She looked around the shop again, taking in details.

The front door opened. A pretty young woman with short dark brown hair walked in, wearing a black leather jacket and carrying a motorcycle helmet. Keiichi got up from his work.

"Morning, Chihiro-san. I just finished Mizaki-san's bike. He called a while ago, said he's going to pick it up today."

He walked to the counter, reached to open it, then looked at his hands, smeared with black grime, and refrained from touching anything. "This is Belldandy. She's here to apply for the office assistant job. Belldandy, this is Chihiro-san, the boss."

Chihiro held out her hand. "Welcome to Whirlwind, Belldandy-san. You think you'd like to work here?"

Belldandy recognized a common mortal greeting ritual, the handshake. Chihiro's was firm but not overpowering. She got a good feeling about Keiichi's boss.

"Yes, Chihiro-san. If you hire me."

"Did Morisato explain our situation? Our cash flow is a little, ahh, restricted at present. We have to limit our spending."

She grinned. "He told me the pay sucks. He also said we can survive on it."

"We?"

"I live with Keiichi-san."

Chihiro's eyes practically lit up. "Oooh, tell me more."

"There's not much more to tell. I just arrived in Japan, and Keiichi-san generously offered me a place to stay. That will cost him a lot of money, so, I decided to look for a job. He suggested this one."

Eager to change the subject, Keiichi said, "I asked her to answer the phone a few times, and she did great. She just needs to be a bit less polite to the salescritters."

Chihiro regarded her appraisingly. "Okay, you can answer the phone. Do you have any experience using a computer?"

Belldandy's reply was confident. "Yes, in my last job I used computers extensively. I might be unfamiliar with the details of your system, but I'm sure I can pick them up in a few days."

"What happened with your last job? Did you quit, were you fired?" Chihiro asked, a trifle suspicious.

"Nothing like that. I just had to move to Japan on very short notice. Everyone was kind of taken by surprise. You might say I'm on an extended leave of absence."

"How extended? Are they expecting you to return soon?"

Belldandy shook her head. "Not for several years, at least. I will be…occupied here, for the foreseeable future."

"What is it? Some sort of family trouble?" she inquired, concerned.

"Not exactly. It's…a private matter. Nothing that would interfere with this job."

Her answers were indirect, and more suggestive than substantive. Keiichi gained some appreciation for the nuances of her position. She had to avoid mentioning magic, or wishes, the true reason for her presence in Japan, or any details of her previous job at the Goddess Relief Office — all without telling any lies.

"Do you have any questions for me?"

Belldandy shook her head. "Mm-mm. Keiichi-san explained the job to me yesterday. I'm sure I can handle it."

"I see. Well, Morisato wasn't kidding when he said the pay sucks. It's only three hundred and fifty yen an hour. We open at eight, and close at five, Monday through Saturday. You get a half hour for lunch and two fifteen-minute breaks, unpaid, so, eight hours pay per day. Still want the job?"

She looked thoughtful for a few seconds, then said, "Yes, Chihiro-san. Those terms sound acceptable."

"I have a lot to do, so, much of the time you and Morisato will be the only ones here. He can help a little, but you'll have to figure out most of the job on your own. Let's give it a couple of weeks and see how you're doing then."

"That sounds fair."

Chihiro held her hand out again. "Then I believe we have a deal."

Belldandy shook it. "Yes, Chihiro-san."

She opened the little door. "Come on back and I'll help you get started. We'll have to rearrange the office some, but that can wait. You can use my chair for now."

"Chihiro-san?" When Keiichi had her attention he continued, "Could you pay us every day, just for this week? I'm looking at some extra expenses and I'm going to be broke in a day or two."

"Oh? Hmmm…" She thought about it. "I can manage that, but it might not be the full day's pay, especially for today and tomorrow."

"That's fine. A few thousand a day should get us through the week. I think we'll be okay after we get paid Friday. Thanks."

He returned to the motorcycle. Chihiro moved a few things around, started the computer and had Belldandy sit at the desk.

While they waited for it to boot, she said, "Your blouse is lovely. Where did you get it?"

Belldandy smiled bashfully. "Thank you. I…didn't buy it in Japan."

Chihiro ran a finger over the collar. "What kind of embroidery is that?"

"It's a Celtic knot pattern. It's popular in northwestern Europe."

"I've never seen anything like it." The computer put up a login dialog. Chihiro leaned over Belldandy, entered her password, then started another program. "I'm going to set up your user account. Give me just a minute here…"

"…right, pick a password. Make sure it's something you can remember. Enter it there…and again on the next line…now click OK."

"Now, that's your home directory. The main company data is stored under this shared directory. Don't make any changes there. Copy documents to your home directory and work on the copies. I'll check them over and update the central repository myself."

"All right."

Chihiro straightened up and stretched. "Uhhh. Now, employment forms…" She pulled a file drawer partway open and dug sheets of paper out of several folders.

With a little help from Chihiro, Belldandy filled out the forms. Her new boss checked them one last time, then stuck them in a different file drawer. The office area was quite small. There wasn't room to open any of the drawers all the way without clonking herself in the hip or Belldandy in the head. Chihiro hardly seemed to notice.

They spent about half an hour going over more details of Belldandy's new job, then Chihiro told her, "I have to leave now. If you have any questions, ask Morisato, or wait until I get back." She smiled. "I think you're going to do fine."

Belldandy smiled back. "Thank you, Chihiro-san. I'll do my best."

A minute after she walked out the door they heard a motorcycle engine start, and roar away.

Belldandy split her time between answering the phone and looking through the computer's contents until a man walked into the shop.

She looked up with a smile. "Good morning, welcome to Whirlwind."

He returned it. "Wow, hello, Sunshine. Haven't seen you before, I'd remember. I'm Jiro, what's your name?"

"Belldandy. I just started working here today. What can I do for you?"

Before he could answer, Keiichi approached the counter. "Your bike's ready, Mizaki-san. Give us just a minute."

He guided Belldandy through printing out a receipt and processing Jiro's credit card, then handed over the paperwork and key. "There you go, all set."

Belldandy sent him off with another smile. "Have a good day. Come back again."

"Oh, I will, be sure of it."

About an hour later, Keiichi wiped his hands and headed for the end doors. "I'm taking a bathroom break, and then I'm going to get lunch. What would you like?"

Not knowing what was available, she had no idea what to ask for. "Oh, anything. I'll leave it up to you. But, where is the bathroom?"

"We go to the mobile-phone store across the parking lot. Chihiro-san looked into putting in a bathroom, but the permits and the plumbing and construction would have cost two million yen. She couldn't afford it. So, we got them to let us use their bathrooms. Partly by promising to buy all our phones from them."

A thought occurred to him. "We should probably get you a phone. Not this week, though. Or next week, either. Maybe the week after, if we've got the money by then. Anyway, back in a few."

Fifteen minutes later he returned and set the table with some containers he'd brought and plates taken from a cabinet. "Lunch time!"

They sat down. Keiichi opened the containers, releasing steam and appetizing smells.

She looked over the selection. "This looks good. Where did you get it?"

He handed her a pair of chopsticks. "A place about a block from here. I usually get lunch there."

"Oh. Well, thank you."

"It's yakisoba. Dig in, I got plenty. Anything we don't finish, we'll take home."

The food occupied their attention for some time. The phone rang once; another salescritter interrupted their lunch briefly. As they were finishing up she said, "I want to get our lunch tomorrow."

"You do? Umm…sure. I'll go with you and show you where it is."

A tiny kitchen was tucked into a blind corner between the reception area and the office. A jug of water and a metal bowl stood in for a sink, sitting on top of a small refrigerator. Keiichi consolidated their leftovers in two containers and stashed them in the refrigerator, washed the dishes and dumped the bowl outside the front door. He avoided bumping his head on the microwave oven with barely a thought.

The afternoon went much like the morning. Keiichi worked on motorcycles while Belldandy figured out the computer, answered the phone and waited on their four walk-in customers. Two of them tried to flirt with her, which she pretended not to notice.

Chihiro returned just after four-thirty. Keiichi delivered a quick progress report, cleaned up the workshop and rolled the motorcycles back inside. Belldandy had some questions about paperwork and the computer. At five o'clock Keiichi turned off the workshop lights.

Chihiro pulled an envelope out of her jacket and held it out to Belldandy. "I've got four thousand yen for you today."

She stood up and took it. "Thank you, Chihiro-san,"

Keiichi was relieved. "Yeah, thanks, that'll help a lot. Now we can pick up food for a few days."

Chihiro seated herself at the computer. "Right, then, I'll see you two tomorrow."

"See you tomorrow," they both echoed.

Keiichi picked up their helmets, took the leftovers out of the refrigerator and held the front door for Belldandy.

She followed him down the sidewalk. "Isn't she going home?"

"Probably in an hour or two. There's a lot left to do after we close."

When they got to Keiichi's motorcycle, he put the leftovers in a storage compartment she hadn't known was behind the sidecar seat. They took their places, he started the engine and rode away.

Fifteen minutes later, he turned off the road and parked in front of a store. "We need to do some shopping. We don't have enough money to get clothes for you, so today we're just going to pick up some food."

Belldandy had never seen anything like a mortal 'grocery store' before. All around her new sights, sounds and smells drew her attention in a dozen different directions. She followed Keiichi as he took packages off shelves and put them in a sort of wheeled metal basket he pushed around the store.

Finally he reached for a large box, then stopped and shook his head. "I think that's all for today."

They got into a line of people near the front of the store. Keiichi explained, "This is the checkout. They add up everything we bought, and we pay for it."

Soon it was their turn. Belldandy watched a woman pass their packages across a glass panel with a red light under it. Numbers appeared on a computer display, changing with each one. Keiichi put them in a handful of 'shopping bags' he'd brought in.

The total took all the money Chihiro had handed her, plus some more from Keiichi's wallet. He scowled at what remained, then put it away and they carried the bags outside. The storage compartment wouldn't hold them all, so she wound up stuffing one bag under her legs and holding two more on her lap. Fortunately, the trip to Keiichi's apartment was short.

He helped her get out of the sidecar, opened the big door and pushed the motorcycle inside. They gathered up the grocery bags and he locked the door. In the back yard, instead of taking the stairs he headed for the far end of the building. "I need to see the manager about you moving in."

He stopped in front of a door and rang the bell. After a minute, an older woman opened the door. "Oh, Morisato-san. What is it?"

"Um, hi. Uh, this is Belldandy. Belldandy, this is Sunada-san, the manager."

Belldandy smiled and nodded. "Good evening, Sunada-san."

The manager squinted up at her. "Evening."

Keiichi stumbled on, awkwardly. "So, uh, Belldandy, well, I mean, she's moving into my apartment. I need the, uh, the rental form. To fill out."

Her eyes seemed to brighten. "You know about the six thousand yen surcharge for double occupancy, do you not?"

"Yeah, I know," he said with resignation.

She thought for a few seconds. "Today's the eleventh, so we'll make it four thousand for the rest of this month."

Keiichi got out his wallet and fished out some money. "Okay. Here's five hundred now. I should have another five hundred Wednesday, and the rest Friday."

She took the money with a little smile. "Good. Wait just a minute, I'll get the rental agreement."

She closed the door. Keiichi gave his much thinner wallet a gloomy look and put it away. The door opened again and Sunada-san held out a long sheet of paper. "Fill this out, both of you sign it, and bring it back. Welcome to the building, Belldandy-san."

Belldandy smiled again. "Thank you, Sunada-san."

"Well, good day." She closed the door.

Now they climbed the stairs to their apartment. Keiichi juggled grocery bags and the rental form, pulled keys out of his pocket, unlocked the door, opened it, and froze.

Sitting in the middle of the room was an ordinary-looking brown cardboard box about half a meter square by a third of a meter high.

He stepped inside, regarding the mystery package with suspicion. "What's that? How'd it get here?"

Belldandy squeezed past him, set down her grocery bags, knelt beside it and read some runes written on the top. "It says, 'To Belldandy, from Urd'. She's my sister. My older sister. Let's see what she sent me."

The box was sealed with a wide strip of brown tape. She picked at it, but it was stuck tight. Keiichi finished locking the door, got a multitool out of his pocket, opened a knife blade and cut through the tape. He put it away as she unfolded the flaps to reveal the box's contents.

A plain white envelope some twelve centimeters square lay on top of… Keiichi gulped in shock. He wasn't accustomed to seeing such salacious lingerie outside the pages of certain magazines. Quite without permission, his fevered imagination conjured up a vision of Belldandy wearing…

No! Stop that! It's, it's — sacrilege, that's what it is! She's a goddess!

He felt his face grow hot, looked away hastily and fought to dismiss the alluring, but problematic image. "Sorry, I- I didn't know, I, I wasn't trying to…"

Belldandy didn't seem to be embarrassed or offended; she just smiled fondly. "Don't worry about it. Urd is…Urd. This is just the sort of thing I'd expect from her. I hope that's not all she sent, though."

She picked up the envelope and turned it over, finding that the back side was also blank. A flap closed one edge, held down by a paper tab. Inside the envelope was an unmarked silver disk with a hole in the center.

She held it up. "Do you know what this is?"

"It looks like a CD. Or a DVD." He accepted the disk, handling it carefully by the edges. "I guess, we should play it?"

At her nod, he took it across the room, switched on his TV and disk player, set it in the drawer, pushed CLOSE and waited. A purple title screen with two rows of white runes appeared, faded to black, then to a new scene.

A ravishingly beautiful woman with bronze skin, long silver hair and purple eyes lounged on an ornate couch upholstered in what looked like red silk, barely wearing a purple dress that showed off waaay too much of her bountiful endowments for Keiichi's peace of mind. The front was open all the way down to her waist! The skirt was split clear up to her hips on both sides! She wasn't wearing anything under it! Had Belldandy's sister sent her a hentai video? Why? Didn't she know he'd be here, and see it too? And why did the model have blue triangles on her cheeks and forehead, reminiscent of Belldandy's goddess markings?

He waited nervously for the action to start, but…it didn't. The image seemed to be frozen, or paused.

"Urd?" Belldandy said, uncertain.

Nothing happened at first, but then the woman blinked and smiled. "Bell-chan! How you doin'?"

She returned the smile. "Still getting used to, well, everything. There's a lot I don't know about this realm. A lot we never took the trouble to know. Maybe we should have."

Keiichi was speechless. He'd expected a recorded message, or a video, but did that disk somehow turn his TV into a two-way communicator instead? Belldandy seemed to accept without question that it had.

He was more shocked when Urd's purple eyes shifted so her gaze seemed to bore straight into him. "That's your mortal? Not much to look at."

"His name is Keiichi Morisato." Belldandy sounded just a tad miffed at her sister's dismissive tone. "Keiichi-san, this is my big sister Urd."

"Ummm…pleased to meet you, Urd-sama," he said nervously.

"Yeah, likewise. Come on over here and let me have a look at you."

He hesitated, moved closer to the TV, she cast an appraising eye over him, her hand reached out—

—emerged from the screen and pinched his cheek! He jumped back with a frantic squawk.

The hand pulled back and she laughed, low and sensuous. "Relax, I don't bite." She licked her lips suggestively. "Unless you're into that…"

"NO!" he squawked again, still disturbed.

Urd shook her head and turned to her sister. "He seems mighty uptight. You sure you want to go through with this?"

This time Belldandy's response was severe, and icy. "I granted Keiichi-san's wish, and it has been validated and approved. I am bound by my vows as a Goddess First Class to fulfill it, and nothing less than my best will do."

Urd's tone turned conciliatory. "Okay, okay, I guess you know what you're doing. I'll butt out."

Belldandy's tone lightened, too. "I appreciate your concern, but I will be fine. We both will."

"I hope so. Better than this morning, anyway."

Keiichi blurted out, "What about this morning?" before he could stop himself. When she fixed him with a sharp look he added, "Um, Urd-sama?"

Her expression didn't soften, but she replied, "Yggdrasil flagged her use of magic in the system logs, so I investigated." To his relief, she shifted her attention back to Belldandy. "You pretty well wiped yourself out just changing clothes."

Belldandy frowned. "Yes, that was an unpleasant surprise." She tapped her left ear. "Who set this thing so low, anyway? You?"

Urd shook her head. "Not me. Freya, maybe? I could relay your complaints to her."

"Not so much complaints, as…an inquiry. Does it have to be set this low? I am a Goddess First Class, after all."

"That could be the reason. You're so used to having the most exalted level of power, you use it without thinking about it. That could cause all sorts of problems in the mortal world."

"Oh. You could be right." Then she looked troubled. "Do I really throw my magic around that casually?"

Urd turned it right back on her, with a little smile. "Do you?"

Belldandy winced. "Oooh, that was a dirty trick."

"Think it over carefully, Little Sister," she replied, unrepentant.

"Oh, I will." Belldandy's attention returned to the box.

Urd grinned. "In the meantime, I thought you could use some clothes. Enough to get you through the next few months, anyway. Consider it a Care Package."

"Thank you, Urd. This will help a lot." She did regard the box with a hint of suspicion, though.

Urd understood. "Don't worry, I based them on your style, not mine." She gave a wicked chuckle. "Mostly."

Keiichi struggled to maintain his composure as Belldandy dug into the box, taking things out and setting them aside, starting with lingerie. Urd must have placed those on top to protect such delicate articles from damage. Probably. Maybe. Her ribald sense of humor was notorious, though. Embarrassing her sister just for giggles was a definite possibility, and scandalizing the mortal an incidental bonus. She found the lower layers to be less risqué, but all of it was more fancy and lacy than she would have chosen for herself.

She reached the end of the undies, pulled out a white dress with blue trim and held it up. "Oh, my. This looks almost like the raiment of a Valkyrie."

"Thought you might like that."

"I do. Thank you again."

"Well, what are Big Sisters for?"

"Causing trouble?" Belldandy teased her, holding up a light blue blouse.

"Hey, now, that was a long time ago," Urd protested.

"And you haven't caused any trouble lately?"

"Weeelll…hardly any." They both laughed.

Keiichi picked up two grocery bags. "I need to put these away, and start supper."

"Oh, that's right. I'll be with you in a minute." Belldandy explained to Urd, "I'm learning all sorts of new things about mortal life, things we never considered. Like going shopping on the way home from work. I got a job today, at the same place as Keiichi-san. The owner is a good person, and she's struggling hard to make her dream come true. I can help her, and Keiichi-san, just by doing an ordinary mortal job. I think it will be quite satisfying, and it gives us more time together."

Urd snickered, but not unkindly. "Leave it to you to get a job on your first day in a new world." Then she turned more serious. "You really going to be okay, stuck there in the mortal realm without your powers?"

Belldandy gave her a reassuring smile. "I'm sure we'll be fine."

"As you say." She snickered again. "Skuld was all set to launch a rescue mission the minute she heard the news. Father and I had to get a little bit…stern with her."

"Oh, dear. I hope she doesn't try anything rash. Deliberate interference with a wish is a serious matter."

Urd grinned wickedly. "Don't worry, Bell, I'll keep her out of your hair if I have to knock her down and sit on her."

Belldandy giggled. "Now, now, I'm sure nothing quite so extreme will be called for."

Now she looked disappointed. "You think? Awww, I was sorta looking forward to it."

Keiichi finished what he was doing, glanced nervously at the TV and picked up two more grocery bags.

Belldandy watched him go, then returned her attention to Urd. "Oh, that's right, it's almost supper time here. I'm getting hungry again."

"You're what?"

"Hungry. If I don't eat food every few hours my insides become uncomfortable." She grimaced. "Sometimes I hear strange noises there, too."

"I know what it means, I just didn't think about it happening to you. Sounds like life in the mortal realm kind of sucks."

"It might take some getting used to, but — mortals handle it; so can I. Besides, eating food when I'm hungry feels so good."

"Is that a hint it's time for me to sign off?"

"No, no, it's wonderful talking to you…"

"But you have obligations, and you are eternally conscientious."

"Well…I'm afraid so."

Urd smiled. "I get it, Bell. You go on with your assignment. Hang on to that disk, though. You can reach me any time if you need me. You know I'm always here for you. Good night, Belldandy."

She smiled back. "Thank you again for everything, Urd. Good night."

The picture blanked out, and the disk player whirred to a stop. Belldandy got to her feet, picked up the last grocery bag and joined Keiichi at the food counter.

"Here. What can I do to help? Chop more vegetables?"

"Uh, sure. Here, you can start with these…"

Belldandy found the process of preparing food oddly satisfying, and resolved to learn all she could about it. Keiichi put the last groceries away and started his own tasks. Tonight's meal would feature rice and chicken, by the looks of it.

As the cooking progressed, she observed how the ingredients combined and interacted, how the smells changed. Keiichi showed her where the dishes and cups were stored, and she helped him set the table.

When they finished, he looked at the cooking food, then at her. "Keep an eye on supper, would you? It should be done in about half an hour. I'm going to start cleaning up my room."

Belldandy practiced using her celestial senses to monitor their supper, getting accustomed to the extra effort required by her current form. Keiichi ejected Urd's magic disk, slid it back into its envelope and shut off the TV and disk player. Then he reorganized his closet, pushing all of his clothes to the left end to make room for Belldandy's new clothes. Some of the boxes would have to be moved to the main room's closet, and he might have to finally throw a few things away.

"I think it's almost ready," she informed him as he carried a box out of his room.

He stacked it on another box, shut the closet door and checked the pots. "You're right, it is."

He served out chicken and vegetables, rice and reheated yakisoba, and they sat down to eat.

After a few bites he asked, "How is it?"

She smiled. "It's good."

They ate quietly for a few minutes, then Keiichi said, "How did your sister do that? With the TV, I mean. That was…"

Belldandy understood what he didn't know how to say. "It's her medium. She can use video screens to communicate and travel. Mirrors are my medium, although…" she ticked her fingernail against the magic seal earring, "I'm pretty sure this doesn't leave me enough magic to travel through them. I should still be able to communicate, though."

All he could say about that was, "Oh."

They finished supper, then worked together to clear the table, put away leftovers and wash the dishes. Keiichi finished moving the last boxes, dug out some clothes hangers he had stashed away, and showed Belldandy how they were used.

Then he started gathering up clothes. "I need to do laundry. I was going to do it yesterday, but…everything happened, and I didn't have time."

At her inquiring look, he elaborated. "There's a laundry room on the first floor, with washing machines and dryers. I'll show you, but, some other time. Anyway, I should be back in an hour or so."

She spent the time hanging up her new clothes. Urd had thoughtfully included a skirt and embroidered white blouse to match the ones she'd conjured up this morning, and was still wearing, which would soon dissipate back into the aether unless she spent some of her meager supply of magic sustaining them. Chihiro, at least, would notice if she never wore the blouse again. The fewer questions she raised here on the mortal plane, the better.

The last items she found in the bottom of the box were four pairs of shoes, stuffed with socks. Urd seemed to have thought of everything. The empty box transformed itself into a tall narrow dresser that fit into the decor and provided her with a welcome addition to the limited storage space available here.

Before long, she had it all arranged to her satisfaction. Keiichi would be a while longer with the laundry, so she decided to tidy up some more. She got so busy cleaning that she was taken by surprise when the door opened and he walked in.

He locked it behind him. "Done with the laundry."

Putting his own clothes away didn't take much time. Then he looked at the traces of grime still under his fingernails. "Ugh, I need a shower. Been working in grease and dirt all day."

He spent about half an hour in the bathroom. "All done," he announced upon opening the door.

"Should I take a shower, too?"

"If you want. There's no real need, though. You didn't spend the day getting all dirty and sweaty."

She decided to skip the shower, and insisted on helping him lay out the futons, also learning where and how they were stored in the process.

Keiichi looked at the futons, then at her. "I'll go…finish up out there." He retreated from the bedroom and shut the door.

Belldandy considered her four new nightgowns. Urd being Urd, none of them were what anyone would call 'modest' or 'demure'. She selected the one Keiichi would find least shocking and put it on. The others… Someday, she might find occasions to wear them. She grinned, just a bit wickedly, imagining his likely reaction.

For tonight, she got into her futon and called out, "I'm done."

A minute later he opened the door and slipped in, checking cautiously to ensure he didn't see anything he shouldn't, relieved that only her head showed. He had already changed in the main room. He turned off the light, got into his futon and set the alarm clock.

"Good night, Belldandy."

"Good night, Keiichi-san."

Getting to sleep would be much like last night, only now she knew what to expect and didn't need him to explain. She did wonder how long he would take to stop being so nervous around her. How much of that puritanical attitude was part of being mortal, and how much was unique to Keiichi? Only time would tell, she supposed…