*Lessons, Episode 1*
Around five o'clock PM (8 AM Greenwich mean time) one sunny afternoon, I walked
into the yard of a temple just outside Nekomi. Yes, I walked. Frankly, I didn't want
to draw much attention... yet. A young man was sweeping the path to the temple.
"Hello, Keiichi," I said in Japanese.
"Do I know you?" said Keiichi.
"No."
"How do you know my name, then?"
"Just because you don't know me doesn't mean that I don't know you. I'm here to see
Belldandy."
"What do you mean? Oh, never mind. I'll go get her."
He turned around, and started to walk towards the temple. "Wait," I said.
"Yes?"
"Don't worry about hiding her... umm... true nature. I already know."
It's too bad I don't have a photograph of his face at that moment. He was really
startled.
You see, Belldandy was his girlfriend... and a goddess. In any event, he recovered nicely
and headed in to get her. Yes, they were living together in a temple. Well, actually, he
was living in a temple with three goddesses. Hey, if that's not proof of some degree of
potential, I don't know what is... well, short of Tenchi syndrome or Moroboshi
syndrome.
Well, as I was thinking that, Belldandy stepped out. "Yes?" she said in her lovely
voice, then stopped in shock s she saw me. Keiichi (who was right behind her) said,
"You know him,
Bell-chan?"
This snapped Belldandy out of her momentary paralysis as she turned towards
Keiichi and said, "Not personally, no." Turning to me, she continued, "It's a great honor,
sir. What brings you here?" Keiichi was in shock (Even more than usual). I suppose
hearing a deity call someone you don't know "sir" might do that. After all, the only other
being he'd ever heard her address like that was Kami-sama (God, to those of you who
are totally clueless).
I chuckled, partly at the expression on Keiichi's face (It's amazing. Just when you
think he can't go any further into shock...), and partly at Belldandy's unnecessary
formality. I, of course, recovered nicely and responded, "You really don't have to be so
formal, and you *know* why I'm here." Belldandy responded with one word, "Who?"
At this point, Keiichi was really confused (What else was new?) and proceeded to
ask
Belldandy who I was. She, of course, was at a loss to explain. I, seeing a little problem,
interjected, "It might be simpler to ask *what* I am, not who."
Turning to me, he asked, "Are... you a god?"
"Nope."
"Hmm... you can't be a demon or a human, though..."
"Nope. Something else, entirely."
"You couldn't be an alien, though. You're too humanoid."
I chuckled. "You'd be surprised, but nope, I'm not an alien... exactly."
Keiichi was puzzled. "What else could you be?"
I anticipated this (of course), as well as the direction the conversation took. That was
one reason why I chose the time I did to stop by. I continued, "Well... Tamiya, Ootaki
and Megumi should be here any moment now, so I'll be going. I'll explain later." As I
'blinked' out, Belldandy heard a disembodied voice in her ear say, "Him."
Around five o'clock PM (8 AM Greenwich mean time) one sunny afternoon, I walked
into the yard of a temple just outside Nekomi. Yes, I walked. Frankly, I didn't want
to draw much attention... yet. A young man was sweeping the path to the temple.
"Hello, Keiichi," I said in Japanese.
"Do I know you?" said Keiichi.
"No."
"How do you know my name, then?"
"Just because you don't know me doesn't mean that I don't know you. I'm here to see
Belldandy."
"What do you mean? Oh, never mind. I'll go get her."
He turned around, and started to walk towards the temple. "Wait," I said.
"Yes?"
"Don't worry about hiding her... umm... true nature. I already know."
It's too bad I don't have a photograph of his face at that moment. He was really
startled.
You see, Belldandy was his girlfriend... and a goddess. In any event, he recovered nicely
and headed in to get her. Yes, they were living together in a temple. Well, actually, he
was living in a temple with three goddesses. Hey, if that's not proof of some degree of
potential, I don't know what is... well, short of Tenchi syndrome or Moroboshi
syndrome.
Well, as I was thinking that, Belldandy stepped out. "Yes?" she said in her lovely
voice, then stopped in shock s she saw me. Keiichi (who was right behind her) said,
"You know him,
Bell-chan?"
This snapped Belldandy out of her momentary paralysis as she turned towards
Keiichi and said, "Not personally, no." Turning to me, she continued, "It's a great honor,
sir. What brings you here?" Keiichi was in shock (Even more than usual). I suppose
hearing a deity call someone you don't know "sir" might do that. After all, the only other
being he'd ever heard her address like that was Kami-sama (God, to those of you who
are totally clueless).
I chuckled, partly at the expression on Keiichi's face (It's amazing. Just when you
think he can't go any further into shock...), and partly at Belldandy's unnecessary
formality. I, of course, recovered nicely and responded, "You really don't have to be so
formal, and you *know* why I'm here." Belldandy responded with one word, "Who?"
At this point, Keiichi was really confused (What else was new?) and proceeded to
ask
Belldandy who I was. She, of course, was at a loss to explain. I, seeing a little problem,
interjected, "It might be simpler to ask *what* I am, not who."
Turning to me, he asked, "Are... you a god?"
"Nope."
"Hmm... you can't be a demon or a human, though..."
"Nope. Something else, entirely."
"You couldn't be an alien, though. You're too humanoid."
I chuckled. "You'd be surprised, but nope, I'm not an alien... exactly."
Keiichi was puzzled. "What else could you be?"
I anticipated this (of course), as well as the direction the conversation took. That was
one reason why I chose the time I did to stop by. I continued, "Well... Tamiya, Ootaki
and Megumi should be here any moment now, so I'll be going. I'll explain later." As I
'blinked' out, Belldandy heard a disembodied voice in her ear say, "Him."