tim gueguen
2nd December 2003, 05:00 AM
Bar Tales: Goodbye
By tim gueguen
Based on characters and situations from the series Oh My Goddess, created by
Kosuke Fujishima. This story is intended for non-commercial entertainment
purposes, with no intent to violate commercial copyright for personal gain.
-----------------------------------------
The Iron Horse Tavern was a small Tokyo bar. Like many small Japanese bars
it was a quiet place mainly catering to customers who wanted a good
conversation over a nice drink. The only thing that really distinguished it
from numerous similar establishments was one of the regulars.
One didn't just randomly walk into a place like the Iron Horse. Japanese
bars of that sort were more like private members' clubs than anything else,
and you usually had to be introduced by another regular to be accepted as
one yourself. Strangely, no one could remember exactly who had done that
for her. This was especially odd given that she wasn't Japanese. There was
no mistaking that the strikingly beautiful woman with the white hair and
bronze skin was a foreigner, and hence wasn't the kind of patron such a
place would normally attract, or in many cases accept. Yet somehow the
young woman known as Urd had become a regular.
Those who knew what Urd actually was might have speculated that she had used
supernatural means to pull it off. But anyone who asked the Goddess of the
Past as much would have gotten nothing but an enigmatic smile for their
trouble.
Urd often sat at the bar proper and talked with Toshiro Nakamura, the
bartender and owner of the Iron Horse. So she was one of the first
customers to hear the news.
"You're selling the Iron Horse and quitting?" asked Urd, her surprise
obvious.
"That's right. The sale will go through by the end of the month."
"Why?"
Toshiro put down a glass he had just finished drying. "Take a look at me
Urd. How do I look?"
Urd studied him for a moment. Middle age had been kind to him. He still
had most of his hair, and it had only grayed a bit at the temples. He
looked trim and healthy, the result, Urd knew from past conversations, of a
lot of jogging and a lifelong passion for tennis. "You look fine to me."
"Exactly!" he replied with a grin. "I'm 56 years old, and I'm as healthy as
an ox. And that's why its time to quit." He poured Urd a shot of whiskey
and placed it in front of her. "I'm not getting any younger Urd."
"You're not exactly ancient," noted Urd.
"True. But the years go by before you know it. So, I've decided now is the
time to start my retirement, while I can enjoy it." He poured another shot
of whiskey. "Especially since I can afford to. Business has been damn good
the last few years, especially since you showed up."
Urd sat up a little straighter. "So, you're saying my wonderous beauty has
been bringing them in?"
Toshiro laughed. "That's one of the things I like about you Urd. You've
got a very healthy ego, and you're not afraid of showing it. Of course
being a foreigner means you can get away with it easier than a Japanese
woman could."
Urd smiled, tossing her long hair back. "Well you know what they say in
English. If you've got it, flaunt it." Urd's expression became more
wistful as she looked around the room. "I'm really gonna miss this place."
"Hey, I said I'm selling it, not that its closing," he countered. "My
nephew Tetsuo is going to buy it."
"Well, that's good news." Tetsuo had filled in as bartender a few times
before, and Urd knew he liked the place as much as the customers did. "I'd
hate to have to break in a new crew," she said.
Toshiro smirked and raised an eyebrow. "Ah, what are you worried about?
You'd have them eating out of your hand in no time."
Urd laughed and picked up the shot glass of whiskey in front of her. "Well,
I guess a toast is in order. To your retirement. May it be everything you
want it be."
Toshiro picked up the other shot glass. "Thank you very kindly Miss Urd.
Cheers!"
"Cheers!" echoed Urd as they tapped their glasses together.
--------------------------------
Urd's expression was a thoughtful one as she walked back towards the temple
where she lived with her sisters, the goddesses Belldandy and Skuld, and
Belldandy's human boyfriend Keiichi Morisato. She found herself thinking
about the differences in the way time passed for humans and for those who
were part of the godly realm.
Time of course did pass for a goddess like Urd. The years went by and the
Universe changed, as did Urd and many of her fellows. But for those of the
heavens the passage of the years was something that was often ignored.
After all they had a largely unlimited amount of time in which to complete
their plans and fulfill their goals. The changes they did experience were
slow and usually only positive. What was a century or two when you had
untold more available, and your abilities would remain at their peak
indefinitely?
That wasn't the case for humans. Sooner or later they realised their time
on Earth was finite, and that certain things were only possible for them for
a certain length of time. They might ignore the changes the years brought
for a short time, but sooner or later they would be reminded by the world
around them, be it the changing of the seasons, the birth of a child, or
their own physical changes.
This was something Urd herself noticed more and more. Even though she had
only known him for a few short years she had noticed how Keiichi had
changed, maturing both physically and emotionally. She'd seen the same
thing happen with other humans that she knew, like Keiichi's sister Megumi.
Even Tamiya and Otaki, who seemed at first glance to be exactly the same
clueless goofballs as when she met them, had changed in subtle ways.
Urd smiled as she walked up the temple steps. Perhaps learning to
appreciate such things was why she was allowed to remain on Earth. Having a
better understanding of what life was like for humans might help bridge the
gap that existed between the earthly and the divine, and help her to do her
job better. Even if it weren't the reason, learning things like this would
be both of personal value and look good on her record.
"And my record can do with all the help it can get," she muttered as she
walked into the temple.
------------------------------------------
Despite the title this is the first in an irregular series of stories based
around Urd's involvement with the Iron Horse Tavern. This and other
fanfiction stories I've written can be found at
www.fanfiction.net/~timgueguen
By tim gueguen
Based on characters and situations from the series Oh My Goddess, created by
Kosuke Fujishima. This story is intended for non-commercial entertainment
purposes, with no intent to violate commercial copyright for personal gain.
-----------------------------------------
The Iron Horse Tavern was a small Tokyo bar. Like many small Japanese bars
it was a quiet place mainly catering to customers who wanted a good
conversation over a nice drink. The only thing that really distinguished it
from numerous similar establishments was one of the regulars.
One didn't just randomly walk into a place like the Iron Horse. Japanese
bars of that sort were more like private members' clubs than anything else,
and you usually had to be introduced by another regular to be accepted as
one yourself. Strangely, no one could remember exactly who had done that
for her. This was especially odd given that she wasn't Japanese. There was
no mistaking that the strikingly beautiful woman with the white hair and
bronze skin was a foreigner, and hence wasn't the kind of patron such a
place would normally attract, or in many cases accept. Yet somehow the
young woman known as Urd had become a regular.
Those who knew what Urd actually was might have speculated that she had used
supernatural means to pull it off. But anyone who asked the Goddess of the
Past as much would have gotten nothing but an enigmatic smile for their
trouble.
Urd often sat at the bar proper and talked with Toshiro Nakamura, the
bartender and owner of the Iron Horse. So she was one of the first
customers to hear the news.
"You're selling the Iron Horse and quitting?" asked Urd, her surprise
obvious.
"That's right. The sale will go through by the end of the month."
"Why?"
Toshiro put down a glass he had just finished drying. "Take a look at me
Urd. How do I look?"
Urd studied him for a moment. Middle age had been kind to him. He still
had most of his hair, and it had only grayed a bit at the temples. He
looked trim and healthy, the result, Urd knew from past conversations, of a
lot of jogging and a lifelong passion for tennis. "You look fine to me."
"Exactly!" he replied with a grin. "I'm 56 years old, and I'm as healthy as
an ox. And that's why its time to quit." He poured Urd a shot of whiskey
and placed it in front of her. "I'm not getting any younger Urd."
"You're not exactly ancient," noted Urd.
"True. But the years go by before you know it. So, I've decided now is the
time to start my retirement, while I can enjoy it." He poured another shot
of whiskey. "Especially since I can afford to. Business has been damn good
the last few years, especially since you showed up."
Urd sat up a little straighter. "So, you're saying my wonderous beauty has
been bringing them in?"
Toshiro laughed. "That's one of the things I like about you Urd. You've
got a very healthy ego, and you're not afraid of showing it. Of course
being a foreigner means you can get away with it easier than a Japanese
woman could."
Urd smiled, tossing her long hair back. "Well you know what they say in
English. If you've got it, flaunt it." Urd's expression became more
wistful as she looked around the room. "I'm really gonna miss this place."
"Hey, I said I'm selling it, not that its closing," he countered. "My
nephew Tetsuo is going to buy it."
"Well, that's good news." Tetsuo had filled in as bartender a few times
before, and Urd knew he liked the place as much as the customers did. "I'd
hate to have to break in a new crew," she said.
Toshiro smirked and raised an eyebrow. "Ah, what are you worried about?
You'd have them eating out of your hand in no time."
Urd laughed and picked up the shot glass of whiskey in front of her. "Well,
I guess a toast is in order. To your retirement. May it be everything you
want it be."
Toshiro picked up the other shot glass. "Thank you very kindly Miss Urd.
Cheers!"
"Cheers!" echoed Urd as they tapped their glasses together.
--------------------------------
Urd's expression was a thoughtful one as she walked back towards the temple
where she lived with her sisters, the goddesses Belldandy and Skuld, and
Belldandy's human boyfriend Keiichi Morisato. She found herself thinking
about the differences in the way time passed for humans and for those who
were part of the godly realm.
Time of course did pass for a goddess like Urd. The years went by and the
Universe changed, as did Urd and many of her fellows. But for those of the
heavens the passage of the years was something that was often ignored.
After all they had a largely unlimited amount of time in which to complete
their plans and fulfill their goals. The changes they did experience were
slow and usually only positive. What was a century or two when you had
untold more available, and your abilities would remain at their peak
indefinitely?
That wasn't the case for humans. Sooner or later they realised their time
on Earth was finite, and that certain things were only possible for them for
a certain length of time. They might ignore the changes the years brought
for a short time, but sooner or later they would be reminded by the world
around them, be it the changing of the seasons, the birth of a child, or
their own physical changes.
This was something Urd herself noticed more and more. Even though she had
only known him for a few short years she had noticed how Keiichi had
changed, maturing both physically and emotionally. She'd seen the same
thing happen with other humans that she knew, like Keiichi's sister Megumi.
Even Tamiya and Otaki, who seemed at first glance to be exactly the same
clueless goofballs as when she met them, had changed in subtle ways.
Urd smiled as she walked up the temple steps. Perhaps learning to
appreciate such things was why she was allowed to remain on Earth. Having a
better understanding of what life was like for humans might help bridge the
gap that existed between the earthly and the divine, and help her to do her
job better. Even if it weren't the reason, learning things like this would
be both of personal value and look good on her record.
"And my record can do with all the help it can get," she muttered as she
walked into the temple.
------------------------------------------
Despite the title this is the first in an irregular series of stories based
around Urd's involvement with the Iron Horse Tavern. This and other
fanfiction stories I've written can be found at
www.fanfiction.net/~timgueguen