The Club, a MGLN Alternate Universe
Three: One Night
Hayate Yagami smiled as the brown haired woman weaved between the tables, smiling hello and nodding to familiar faces. While not packed the club was full of happy, chatting women, as well as the occasional pair making out in the private booths. As she reached the bar she turned, smiling to everyone as she declared. "Welcome, ladies, to the Club!"
"Oh god, she's not going to do this again...," Signum muttered, the pink haired woman flushing as the muscular woman crossed her her arms over her chest. A very impressive chest it was, too, fitting her almost amazonian looks.
"I am your host, Hayate," she ignored Signum;s comment as she said breezily, "and now presenting the girls of the club!"
On cue the young woman lined up, smiling meekly, though a few had a dangerous twinkle in their eyes. "This is Shamal, thought everyone calls her Rosie," Hayate gestured to the busty blonde, "because she blushes so sweetly."
"They do NOT," Shamal muttered as she gave her boss a deadly look, but she smiled winningly at the crowd. She was softer than Signum, almost a motherly figure, but still very sexy with her full, rounded curves.
"And Signum!" Hayate gestured to the pink haired woman tending to the bar as she asked, "You like Signum?" As the crowd murmured their interest she smirked as she informed them, "Well too bad, so does Shamal."
Everyone laughed at that.
"And this is Vita," Hayate smiled at the smaller redhead, who was dressed in a red and black gothic lolita style. The dress made her look young but not TOO young, if you know what I mean. Cheerfully Hayate noted, "I like to order Vita on the side." Turning to Vita she jokingly ordered, "On your side, Vita! On your side!"
There was a chuckle at that too, grins appearing on a few faces.
"Teana is a foreigner to our country," Hayate gestured to the strawberry blonde Teana, "but don't worry." She wiggled her eyebrows up and down, "She is a very cunning linguist."
Chortles burst out from the crowd as the slim, athletic woman blushed. Dressed in shorts and a t-shirt she reminded one of a track star, full of youth and life. She was also a orphan and another one of Hayate's 'adoptees,' young woman she helped out with a job and a place to stay.
"And Rein here is the baby of the group," Hayate said as the silver-blue haired twenty year old gave her a dirty look. "She's like a daughter to me," she noted conversationally, "so I spank her when she's bad." Hayate winked, "And she's VERY bad..."
There was another laugh and Rein blushed.
"And each and every one," Hayate paused, "is a virgin." Everyone have her disbelieving looks as Hayate bowed, "Don't believe me? Try them out yourselves." As everyone laughed she finished, "Have a good night, all."
"Boss, you were SO ripping off Cabaret," Teana chided, smiling at her with amusement as Signum poured them each a drink.
"So?" Hayate shrugged, not even denying it. "What did you think of your introduction?" she asked her, winking slyly.
"Cunning Linguist?" Teana looked amused, "Gee, thanks. Now everyone will think I specialize in oral sex."
Hayate smirked, "I haven't heard Subaru complain."
"Hayate!" Teana blushed.
Signum reached over and calmly tapped Hayate on the head, hard. "That was pushing it, Miss," she told her firmly.
Hayate winced, rubbing her head. "Sorry, Teana," she said meekly. A bit hesitantly she said, "You mean you and she haven't...?"
"No," Teana admitted as she watched the crowds, her gaze warm and inviting.
"But why...?" Signum broke one of her own rules and asked, though normally the reserved woman wouldn't push like that.
Teana shrugged a bit, a hint of pain in her eyes as she said, "Subaru isn't entirely comfortable with having sex with me, considering what I do here."
Hayate frowned, going from slightly goofy club owner to concerned mother figure in a second or two. "That's not fair to you," she noted seriously, "she should know you don't go any farther than a drink or dance with customers."
"I know, but...," Teana shrugged, "emotions aren't reasonable."
"I could talk to her," Signum offered calmly.
"Oh, god no," Teana blurted. At Signum's wounded look she explained, "Signum, I love you dearly but you can be really intimidating when you want to be. I don't want you making poor Subaru piss herself, or something."
"She's not that bad," Hayate lied loyaly.
Signum had to laugh as she admitted, "Teana has a point." With a smile that was surprisingly gentle she told the younger woman, "If there's anything I can do, let me know."
"I will," Teana promised.
Moving off slightly Hayate scanned the crowd, the young woman taking in the familiar faces. Just then the chime by the door rand, and she frowned as a tall, older woman walked in, looking around her curiously.
Signum frowned, studying the woman covertly. "Should I throw her out?" she asked quietly, "She's not a regular."
"Let's see what she does," Hayate said thoughtfully.
The tall blue green haired woman didn't seem to be excessively bothered by all the women, advancing through the nightclub calmly. She also exuded a calm sort of serenity, while a slight smile teased at her lips. Surprisingly she seemed to be looking for Hayate, making her way towards her as soon as she saw her.
"I don't like this," Signum frowned.
"Stay in shouting distance," Hayate ordered as she waited for the woman to arrive.
The woman looked down at her curiously as she asked, "Miss Hayate Yagami?"
"Yes," Hayate smiled as pleasantly as she could, "and you are?"
She smiled as she pushed her hair back from her face, "My name is Lindy Harloun, I believe you know my daughter."
"Your daughter...?" Hayate suddenly found herself thinking of farmer's daughters and shotgun weddings. "I don't recognize the name."
A shadow seemed to pass over the older woman's face and she sighed softly. "We have different last names," she said quietly, "her name is Fate."
Hayate's eyes widened slightly. She hadn't gotten ALL of Fate's story out of her, but in talking to the woman she had gotten the important bits out. Fate had suffered serious abuse at the hands of her biological mother, and had been rescured and later adopted by a caring police officer.
"Ms. Harloun," Hayate respectfully offered her hand, "it's a honor to meet you."
"Lindy, please," she shook the hand as she said quietly, "could we talk privately?"
"Certainly," Hayate agreed as she walked with Lindy to a booth she knew hadn't been used tonight and had been recently cleaned.
Lindy slid into the seat, sighing a little as she sat back. "I'm sorry to drop in on you like this," she said, "I wouldn't normally do so."
Remembering the other woman was a police officer Hayate asked a bit warily, "This isn't a official visit, is it?"
"No," Lindy shook her head, "it's purely a personal matter."
One of the things that Hayate valued was the privacy of her clients, but she also felt a surge of compassion for the older woman. "What can I do for you?" she asked, giving her a opening.
"To be completely honest, I'm not sure," Lindy admitted wryly. She signaled to one of the waitresses and ordered a scotch, then paid for Hayate's drink too. She raised her eyebrows a bit at the price, then took a sip of her drink. Setting the cup down she looked at Hayate and asked, "Has Fate told you about her past?"
"Some,' Hayate conceded, "she mentioned she was abused."
"Yes," Lindy nodded. She fumbled with the drink, "The abuse was bad, but worse was that her mother was very loving before she went mad." Lindy drank, "So to some extent she expects a mother figure to love her then hurt her."
Hayate winced, not having quite connected the dots that far. "She keeps a distance with you?" she asked gently.
"Hmm," Lindy nodded morosely, "we exchange letters and talk on the phone, mostly. I love her like my own blood, but... she flinches when I hug her."
"I'm sorry," Hayate reached out, squeezing Lindy's hand.
Lindy smiled back, her smile a little crooked. "She mentioned this place in a letter, talked about meeting you and a woman named Nanoha," she told her.
Hayate smiled back even as she prayed Fate hadn't gone into too much detail about their first meeting. "I don't know what I should tell you," she admitted, "I don't want to violate Fate's trust."
"I understand," Lindy nodded a bit sadly.
"But I think Fate is happy," Hayate offered, "she's made friends here."
Lindy sat back, sighing in what was clearly relief. "I hoped so," she said quietly, "but I wasn't sure... thank you, Hayate."
"Thank Nanoha," Hayate suggested with a smile, "I think she's been the one to bring Fate the most out of her shell."
Lindy smiled suddenly, "She certainly gets mentioned often enough in Fate's letters" She leaned forward intimately as she asked, "Do you think that they're...?"
Hayate winked, "Oh, I think they're getting there. But I shouldn't tell tales..."
"Spoil sport," Lindy pouted, finishing off her drink.
"Sorry," Hayate shrugged apologetically.
"Heh," Lindy smiled, "for how overpriced the drink was, I ought to at least get a secret or two." She sighed seeing Hayate wouldn't budge, "All right, can I at least get a dance?"
Lindy got up and offered Hayate her hand as Hayate asked, "Is this a good idea, considering you're a police officer?"
"I won't tell and I trust you to be quiet,'" Lindy said as she pulled Hayate to her feet,
"Fair enough," Hayate agreed, settling into her arms.
To be continued...
Note: I know I am BLATANTLY ripping off Cabaret in the introduction. Don't comment on that, because I will ignore you anyway. Or something. Heh!
This interpretation of Lindy and Fate's relationship is my own and in no way is canon, however I think it makes some sense. In the anime canon Fate has memories of Prescia being a super loving mom, then she goes cold and abusive and that, IMHO, would leave scars in how she relates to Lindy.