"It looks like the Alibi is pretty crowded tonight," Gwen
frowned as she looked over the smoky bar, wincing slightly from the
noise level.
Like in every major city, there was a bar that was mostly
frequented only by police officers. In this place, it was called the
Alibi, opened up by a retired police officer only a few days after he
left the force. The word got around, and soon the police began to come
there regularly, trading tall tales and winding down from the job.
"I kinda doubt we're going to find a table tonight," Beth
agreed.
"Oh, yeah," Jen agreed, frowning fiercely when she got jostled
by an portly older man. He just gave her a smirk, making her growl at
him softly. That got his attention, so much so that he went bone pale
and fled.
Every year, after all the status reports and personal
assessments were finished with, Gwen took her officers out for a
celebratory drink. She had done it in the regular police force, and she
kept it going in the Chasers. The plain clothes officers left their
pagers and phones on, of course, but other than that they played just a
little bit of hooky.
Kate looked at her three friends and hesitated a moment before
asking, "Did you guys have your hearts set on drinking at the Alibi
tonight?" Gwen looked over at her curiously and Kate said, "I know a
place we can get seated, I think. It's in Lowtown, though."
"I wouldn't have thought you would be one to go to a Lowtown
bar," Beth smirked up at Kate. "But they can be pretty fun, so I say
let's go," she added.
"It's a much better idea that waiting to get a seat here," Gwen
agreed.
Jen nodded her agreement, though she looked a bit sad. "Too
bad," she sounded regretful, "I was hoping to talk to my friend Terry
tonight."
They headed outside and piled into Gwen's roomy car, with Kate
sliding behind the wheel. Gwen flipped open her phone even as Kate
smoothly slipped them into traffic and asked the others, "Would you mind
if I invite a friend?" There was a general chorus of 'no problems' so
she swiftly dialed, talking softly into the phone.
"How's your friend going to find this place?" Kate asked her
while concentrating on navigating the ramps to enter Lowtown.
Gwen quickly pressed the phone to the side of Kate's face as she
cheerfully said, "With your excellent directions, of course!"
Kate felt a strong sinking feeling in her gut as she recognized
the voice of her psychiatrist, Dr. Alexis Jameson, on the other end of
the line but she started to give her the directions anyway, "It's
Lowtown, near what was the Shinjuku district, old style big neon sign in
front..."
Sitting in the back seat together Beth asked Jen curiously, "So
what do you think this Lowtown bar is going to be like?"
"With Kate, who knows," Jen whispered back to her quietly. She
smiled ruefully, "As long as the music isn't as bad as what she made me
listen to out on patrol, it'll be fine."
"Kate pulled out her 1980's collection?" Beth asked, and Jen
nodded glumly. "You have my sympathies," she smiled.
"I heard that," Kate shot back from the front seat.
Much more quietly Beth added, "If it helps any, she doesn't do
that to someone unless she actually likes them." With a wry smile she
said, "I had to go on patrol with her three times before she even really
talked to me."
"Thanks," Jen answered, sounding thoughtful. They pulled up to
the bar a few minutes later and got out, standing around a few moments
before a taxi dropped off Alexis.
The black haired psychiatrist pushed up her glasses as she
climbed out of the taxi and walked towards the group of very different
looking young women standing there waiting. Kate, thin and boyish with
her brown hair and eyes. Jen, the blonde with such striking blue eyes
and fashion model good looks. Beth, a perky little redhead with green
eyes that always shone with amusement. And finally Gwen, the intense
leader of the Chasers, a poised and capable Asian woman.
"Interesting looking place," Alexis said as she took note of the
building behind them.
"Yes, isn't it," Gwen agreed, looking the place over.
It looked like it had once been an large warehouse, before the
big construction boom had hit the city, but unlike the more decrepit
buildings all around it, it appeared to be quite well maintained. On the
front it carried a large neon sign of the type that had been popular
back at the turn of the century, one part of the sign reading,
'Arisugawa's Locket,' while just below that was an animated locket
opening up to reveal a pretty girl's face inside.
"Well, let's go in," Kate said, leading them over to the front
door and the dark haired, muscular woman standing watch there. "Hi,
Bones," she waved.
"Kate," Bones nodded slightly to her. She looked over at the
four other women and asked, "Friends of yours?"
"Yep," Kate smiled at the usually laconic woman.
"They don't look like trouble," Bones opened up the door. As
they walked by her, Bones' gaze lingered on Jen, making her blush. Bones
smiled slightly in return.
They walked together down the long hallway, emerging into a
larger room where a brown haired girl stood waiting. "Welcome to
Arisugawa's Locket," Hitomi smiled cheerfully, giving them a wave and a
half bow.
Gwen returned it almost automatically, "Thank you."
Hitomi beamed at her then she turned to Kate, "There's still
some tables open by the dance floor and also near the library." With a
slightly more wicked smile, "The upstairs rooms also haven't been fully
booked up just yet."
Beth looked at Kate curiously, "Upstairs rooms?"
Kate chuckled softly, but didn't answer. "I'll see you later,"
she waved at Hitomi as she lead the others deeper into the nightclub.
"First we'll go get some drinks," Kate said over her shoulder to the
others, "then we'll grab a table."
Jen looked around her and quickly noticed something interesting.
Quietly to Beth she commented, "There doesn't seem to be any men in
here."
Alexis overheard and smiled slightly, "I noticed." Quietly to
Gwen she asked, "I wonder how we never found out about this place
before?"
"Good question," Gwen agreed. A bit louder so she could be heard
over the crowd noise she asked Kate, "How long has this place been
around?"
"Since the turn of the century, at least," Kate answered, "but
they don't advertise the Locket much. You need to know somebody to get
in, generally. Keeps the undesirables away."
"Makes sense," Alexis agreed, observing the crowd. There were
women of all races and colors all around them, some dressed in the most
odd ways.
A black haired woman was laughing loudly, her large breasts
bouncing in a skimpy leather bikini while her red-haired companion tried
not to look too obviously. A auburn haired girl in a ruffled catsuit was
dancing with her dark-haired companion, the other girl videotaping every
moment. And two girls in skintight red and white bodysuits slinked by,
to the cheers of the crowd.
Beth smiled watching the girls go by and the little redhead
softly to the others, "I've got to get me one of those outfits."
Jen was blushing faintly, "You would."
They reached the long bar, where two women worked to serve
drinks to the crowd. They were almost identical looking, from the
catlike eyes, slim bodies, and long spiky blue hair going down their
backs. The only difference between them seemed to be the crescent shaped
scars on each of the one twin's cheeks.
"Hey, Ryouko," Kate called out to the unscarred one. She
appeared in front of Kate in a moment, setting an open bottle of beer in
front of her.
"Your regular, right?" Ryouko asked Kate. The policewoman nodded
and Ryouko turned to the others to ask them, "What can we get you?"
Gwen smiled slightly, "It's a bit stereotypical, but sake
please." As Ryouko was pouring her the first drink the scarred twin
moved up to help Jen, Beth and Alexis.
"Hi, I'm Minagi," she smiled and asked "Would you three like
some sake as well?"
"No, thank you very much," Alexis made a face at that. "Do you
have any wine coolers?" she asked her quietly.
"A whole fridge full," Minagi grinned. Alexis ordered hers and
Minagi moved over to the other two young women.
"Rum and coke, please," Beth grinned.
"Whisky," Jen said, and smiled slightly at the surprised looks
she got from the others. "What," the blonde grinned, "I can't like hard
liquor?"
"You're just full of surprises," Gwen noted with a smile.
"What's the night been like?" Kate asked Ryouko curiously.
"A pretty typical Friday night," Ryouko said with a little
smile. "Ranma and friends had a brawl again, Lina and Filla aren't
talking to each other right now, and I think Nabiki and Ayeka are
fighting again. Other than that, things have been pretty quiet," she
finished.
"If that's quiet," Beth was laughing softly, "I don't want to
see a busy night!"
"Keep coming by," Minagi grinned, "and you will." Several new
arrivals came in and the twin bartenders excused themselves to go deal
with them.
"Should we go find a table?" Jen asked the others.
"Sounds like a plan," Gwen agreed, and the five of them began to
make their way through the crowds towards the open tables.
"It really is a library," Alexis blinked as the settled down
near the bookcases. There were a few couches and comfy chairs sitting
nearby, perfect for settling down and reading in. And by the look on the
doctor's face, she was itching to do just that.
"Not just a library but real, old style printed books," Kate
smiled.
"Interesting place you've brought us to," Beth said, pointedly
not looking at the library but instead out at the dance floor where two
young women were practically making out.
"Pervert," Jen snickered.
They settled down there, but Gwen rose a second later. She
smiled at her fellow officers, "I know it's been a hectic few months, so
I just wanted to thank you all for your hard work." She grinned at
Alexis, "And thank you for trying to headshrink Kate, it can't be easy."
"Hey!" Kate protested.
"It was nothing," Alexis gave a dramatic wave, getting a laugh
from the others.
Much more seriously Gwen continued on, "I don't know what the
next few months will bring. I do know that there's no one else I'd
rather have by my side while dealing with it. Chasers," she raised up
her glass, "I salute you!"
Kate tapped her glass to Gwen's, "And a cheer to the lady who's
lead us this far!"
"To Gwen!" Jen, Beth and even Alexis chorused.
To be continued...
Author's Note: Yes, this is the very same Arisugawa's Locket as featured
in my anime x-over series of the same name. I wanted to do a 'bar' story
with the main cast, so using the Locket here seemed quite natural. Go
over and read the Locket series to find out how the series could
possibly interconnect, especial the episode called 'Slow Night.'
This does NOT mean that the Chasers ties in with any of my other fanfic
series. The Locket appearances will not happen very regularly, if at
all, from now on.
The characters from Arisugawa's Locket series: Bones the Bouncer is from
www.coolcatstudios.com. Hitomi is from Escaflowne the Movie. Lina, Naga
and Filla are from Slayers. Ryouko and Minagi are from Tenchi Muyo.
Ranma and Nabiki Tendo are from Ranma 1/2.
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