Aka Amy

After another round of knocking Tess sighed, "I don't think they're going to give up."

"Who'd even be at our door at this time of the morning?" I grumbled.

We hadn't buzzed anyone into the building so it was either one of our neighbours, or someone who snuck in somehow.

It was just past eight in the morning and today was a holiday, and the start of our four-day long weekend. Me and Tess had important plans which involved sleeping in late then fooling around till one of us wanted coffee or needed to use the washroom.

When the fourth round of knocking began, I got the feeling my girlfriend was right. They weren't going to give up and leave.

I finally dragged myself out of Theresa's arms then got up out of our nice warm bed. I pulled on a nightshirt and stepped into a pair of fuzzy slippers as I grumbled "If it's someone selling something I'm going to smite them."

"No you won't," she said in a firm, serious tone. "And you know I don't like you joking about that."

I sighed, "I'm sorry Tess."

Yet another round of knocking started up before I was tempted back into bed to apologize with kisses.

"Fine!" I grumbled again. "Not making jokes about smiting people but I'm sure thinking it loudly."

I trudged out of the bedroom, across the living-room and up to the door. I undid the security chain and the deadbolt, then finally swung the door open and in a grumpy voice I half-demanded, "Yes?"

Standing outside our apartment was an immaculately-dressed young man. He was in a sharp-looking suit, with shiny black shoes and dark grey pants with perfect creases ironed into the legs. His dark blue suit-jacket was buttoned up over a pale pink shirt, and his tie was a dark grey pattern with a few tasteful splashes of red and gold. His face was smooth-shaved and his short sandy-blonde hair was perfectly trimmed and combed.

He looked for all the world like he was here to sell bibles or collect money for some religious mission or something. Except I knew he wasn't going to do either of those things, because I actually knew who he was.

Before I could react he bowed his head and shoulders, then he stayed bowed and started talking to my fuzzy slippers.

"Good morning. I apologize for the untimely hour of my visit but I have been sent to deliver a message. My-"

"Mike?!" I interrupted him. "What the hell are you doing here at eight in the morning? On a holiday?! Actually what the hell are you doing here at all? How'd you find me?"

As far as I could remember I never gave my former roommate my new address when I moved out. And while we were sort of friends at the time, I didn't really keep up with him after I left. I hadn't even thought about him in months.

Obviously he'd changed a lot though. In the two years we shared an apartment I never saw him wear a suit or a tie, and he always had some stubble on his face. He was a typical young twenty-something dude. He sure never struck me as the kind of guy to go door to door in a suit and tie trying to convert heathens.

He straightened up and stared at me wide-eyed. He looked as surprised to see me as I was to see him.

"Dude! What are you-" He cut himself off and shook his head. "Sorry. Amy, what are you doing here?"

I frowned at him, "I live here. What's your excuse?"

He stared at me for a few more seconds, then reached into his jacket pocket and pulled out his phone. He scowled at the screen as he tapped and swiped, then looked up at the number on my door and back at his phone again.

"Ok," he finally said. "So uh, can I come in? I probably should have led with that, I'm not really supposed to do the whole speech thing where other people might hear it."

I ran a hand through my hair and sighed, "It's really not a great time Mike. I was kind of in the middle of something?"

He nodded, "I'm sure you were but uh... I'd be more comfortable discussing this in private."

"Fine," I stepped back and motioned him in, then closed the door behind him. "Ok we're in private, so what the hell are you doing here? At this hour. On a holiday."

Mike grimaced, "I'm working right? I'm here to deliver a message."

A very skeptical look settled on my face as I stared at him. "I thought you were a courier. I expected your work outfit to be a brown button-down shirt and trousers, not that get-up."

"Not a courier," he corrected me. "I'm a messenger. The uniform varies but this sort of outfit works best nowadays. And my boss sent me here to deliver a message. It's the right address, I just wasn't expecting to find you here."

He glanced at his phone screen again then lowered his voice to a whisper and asked, "You're a messenger too right? And you live here with your boss? Are you sleeping with her?"

I groaned, "Mike I have no idea what you're talking about. I live here with my girlfriend. You met her briefly last summer. I'm not a courier, I'm not working at all these days. I go to college, today's a holiday and I wanted to spend it with my aforementioned girlfriend. Please quit with the riddles and just get to the point? Or get out, I'm not picky."

He was giving me a funny look, then he glanced at his phone again. "Hang on. You're Amethyst? Like you're actually Amethyst? That's your actual name?"

I was starting to lose my patience with him, and former-roommate or not thoughts of smiting were starting to creep back into my mind.

"Yes Mike," I replied in a tone that I hoped would convey my rapidly dwindling patience. "I'm Amethyst. I'm pretty sure I told you that last summer too? I just go by Amy because it's easier and friendlier."

His eyes widened and he straightened up then bowed his head and started talking to my feet again.

"Good morning. I apologize for the untimely hour of my visit but I have been sent to deliver a message. My Divine Master wishes to welcome you to the mortal plane and extends His greetings and an invitation to meet for refreshments and friendly conversation at a neutral location of your choosing."

When he finished he remained bowed, still looking down at my fuzzy slippers.

I stared at the top of his head for another ten or fifteen seconds then finally asked, "Mike? What the hell was all that about? No wait. I don't care any more. Next time just send me a text ok? Same number as before. Now please go away. I have a warm bed and a beautiful girlfriend waiting for me."

He straightened up and frowned at me, "Um... I'm supposed to get a response before I leave. Like a yes or no? Yes would be better though. If you say no He'll just keep sending me back to ask again."

"Would you spell it out for me then?" I asked. "I'm too tired for riddles and games ok? I'm going to put on the coffee because I doubt I'm going to get any more sleep after this."

I didn't wait for an answer, I turned and headed over to the kitchen and started on the coffee. When I glanced back at Mike I saw he was frowning and he looked as confused as I felt, except without the sleepiness.

He finally responded, "Ok, um. It's been a while since I had to be so blunt about stuff on the job. I'm an angel, my boss is a God. He says there's a 'Goddess Amethyst' living at this address. According to Him, the Goddess who lives here is a new visitor to the mortal realm and He wants to be friends. So He wants to meet her for drinks on neutral ground. And He sent me to deliver the message."

I found myself staring at him again. On the one hand I was very slightly freaking out about the fact that my ex-roommate Mike seemed to know I was a reincarnated goddess. On the other hand I had a hard time believing the guy I shared an apartment with for two years was actually an angel working for some god. And on the third hand, the realization that there were other gods and goddesses around hit me a little harder than it should have, all things considered.

Not that I thought I was unique or anything. I had access to the knowledge and memories of the original Amethyst. But I wasn't really her. I was Amy Price, the human trans woman who happened to inherit Amethyst's name and power and stuff, after she died and was reincarnated as me.

And I didn't actually spend a lot of time thinking about that. I played around with the magic and stuff, I was teaching Tess to be a witch like Amethyst taught my girlfriend's ancestors. But mostly I was just trying to live my life as a normal human college student.

Now that I was confronted with this stuff I quickly thought back through those other memories. I learned there were hundreds of other gods and goddesses. Maybe even thousands. I probably wouldn't have to worry about meeting them though, most never showed up on the mortal realm. They tended to be hands-off, or busy doing their own thing elsewhere.

That still left a handful who might get involved with human affairs or turn up on the mortal realm. Perhaps a couple dozen in total I might have to contend with.

"So all that time you and I were roommates," I asked slowly. "All that time, you were really an angel? Working for some god?"

Mike nodded "Yeah. I told you I was a messenger right? And all that time you were really a Goddess?"

"No," I shook my head. "I mean, ok yes, but I didn't know it at the time. I didn't find out till last summer. Did you know what I was while I lived with you?"

He grimaced, "Nope. Obviously I knew you were trans, and I could feel a bit of divine energy around you? But I had no idea you were a Goddess. Honestly, I thought you were another angel like me and the guys? I thought your boss locked you into that male mortal shell for a while, as punishment for some screw-up or something? And when you changed overnight, I figured that was your boss ending the punishment. When you packed up and moved out I assumed it was because you were going back to work as an angel again."

"I'm going to need to sit down," I muttered to myself. Then I looked up at Mike again and demanded "Wait. You and the guys? You mean those jerks you used to hang out with?"

"Chuck and Josh, yeah." Mike nodded. "On the job they're Chernovid and Iosumiel. And I'm Maikel."

The coffee maker was doing its thing and I poured myself a cup, then asked "So you three all work for this god of yours?"

"Nah," he shook his head. "We all work for different Gods."

I had a sip of my coffee then finally asked, "Speaking of, what did you say your boss's name was?"

Mike shook his head, "I didn't. I'm not allowed to say it."

I rolled my eyes, "Yet you can say my name. Can you write it out? Show me the name on your phone? I want to know who's asking to meet me before I give you an answer."

"Hey cutie what's going on?" Tess asked as she emerged from the bedroom.

Fortunately she heard me and Mike talking so she knew to put on her track pants and a t-shirt before joining us. Without waiting for an answer or introductions she went straight to the coffee machine and fixed herself a cup.

"Mike, this is my girlfriend Theresa, you met her briefly last summer." I said as I did the introductions. "And Theresa, this is my ex-roommate Mike, who's apparently an angel. He works for some other god who wants to meet me for drinks."

Mike bowed to my girlfriend, and Tess did a double-take then ended up staring at him.

"An angel?" she asked incredulously. "Like halo, wings, all that stuff?"

My ex-roomie grimaced, "That was big a few hundred years ago, I don't really do it nowadays."

She stared at him a few more seconds then finally just said "Huh" and finished fixing her coffee.