Arisugawa's Locket

New Years 2012

Juri Arigugawa had seen the steel skinned woman enter the bar, and immediately felt there was something... off about her. She walked awkwardly, almost as if she expected to hover. And there was a subtle sense of menace about her, though it seemed like it wasn't anything she was doing intentionally.

Most people would either try to kick the woman out of their business, or if not then avoid her. Juri was not most people, so instead she met the woman at the bar, introduced herself and then started getting the woman's story.

"So..." Juri looked at the steel skinned woman after she casually introduced herself, "you're a Dalek? I thought they were pepper pot shaped killing machines."

"It's complicated," Oswin Oswald admitted cheerfully as she sipped her drink. She still didn't know how she ended up in the middle of this busy, exciting New Years bash, and intended to find out.

"We deal with many impossible things before breakfast," Ryoko Asakura noted cheerfully from where she was sitting on a nearby barstool.

"You stole that line," Yuki Nagato noted, shyly pushing up her glasses as she sat by her girlfriend.

"Heh," Oswin murmured, amused. "Well, long story short I was a human being who was forcibly made into a Dalek. I figured out how to hack their security, and with the help of some others I escaped. After some modifications to my body, I tried to get back to Earth..."

"Must have been hard for you," Alpha said compassionately from where she was running the section of the bar. She, Mahoro and Minagi were on duty tonight, Ryouko having been called off on Jurai business with Ayeka.

Oswin shrugged slightly. "I hate to ask, but... is this Earth? I mean it's not like how I remembered it."

Juri had to admit, her bar wasn't exactly a cross-section of normal life. There was a oni in bikini

and with cute little horns up on the kareoke stage, belting out some classic rock hit. Queen Iono was occupying a corner of the dance floor with her harem, while trying to pick up random women. And getting slapped occassionally.

"It's Earth," Juri reassured her, "just a... slightly unusual part of it."

Oswin smiled back, a slightly eerie effect considering her steel face. "Well, at least the company seems good," she noted.

The cyberdoll May was mingling with the New Years Eve partiers outside, smiling and charming the young women who were waiting patiently to get in the club. The outside of the warehouses was lit up not only by their neon sign, but also by two retro street lamps the club had picked up cheap.

"Hey, May," Kallen Kozuki waved, the reddish haired young woman smiling. Beside her was her busy lover Milly Ashford, both dressed up for the night's festivities.

"Kallen, Milly," May smiled and nodded to both. Apologetically she added, "I saw Nina inside earlier. Did you plan to meet her?"

"We meant to be earlier," Milly admitted, "but I was caught up with work." Interestedly she asked, "You see Nabiki more than I do... do you think she and Nina are doing well?"

"I think so," May said honestly. "I wish Nabiki would be a bit... well, braver maybe. They've been dating for awhile, but don't seem to be moving forward much."

"That might be Nina too," Kallen had to point out. "I mean, Euphemia lead her on for YEARS... that'd make any girl gun shy."

"True," Milly admitted reluctantly. She pouted, "Too bad, really. We could get them together then send Euphie a invitation to the wedding."

Kallen looked at her girlfriend wryly, "Payback?"

"Something like that," Milly agreed willingly.

May did her best not to chuckle too. She could certainly relate, considering how she and other members of the staff had considered avenging themselves on Nabiki's ex. "Well, let's hope," she said. "You should be inside soon, so..."

"See you," Kallen waved as May moved down the line, greeting familiar faces and welcoming newcomers.

Back inside Amelia ducked into the kitchen, the gunfighter wearing clean trousers and a shirt, with a apron tossed over it. She still felt a bit uncomfortable with no gun belted to her side, but she was slowly getting used to this odd waitress life.

"Hamburgers, Sushi and something called blood pie," Amelia called, waving the order sheets as she entered the kitchen, dodging around a hurrying out Shampoo.

"Blood pie?" Ukyo echoed as she blinked in confusion, the martial artists and combat spatula wielding cook standing nearby.

"Alien food," Sasami noted cheerfully, "I'll get that. You handle the burgers and Shampoo can deal with the sushi. Works?"

"Works," Ukyo agreed.

"So," Sasami addressed Amelia as she assembled ingredients, "are you settling in okay?"

"It has been a few months," Amelia noted wryly. "But yeah, I actually think I like the work." She grinned, "And DAMN is the pay better than anything on Gunsmoke."

"You're still living there?" Ukyo asked, concerned.

"It's a dump, but it's home," Amelia shrugged. She scooped up another set of orders as she smiled, "I'd better get these out there."

"You work harder, Cowgirl lady," Shampoo noted as she wiggled by, the busty girl's breasts bouncing a bit.

Meanwhile, out at the bar things were jumping as usual. Despite the added space that expanding the Locket recently had granted, the bar was still packed with women. There was a lot of booze flowing, as well as good spirits as people excitedly talked.

Over in one corner, a woman in a veil talked to her companion. "What a strange bar," Madam Vastra noted, the green skinned dinosaur woman cautiously drinking her drink.

"I think it's quite charming, actually," Jenny Flint noted. She frowned, "I don't know how we ended up here, though... we were trying to find the tavern Clara worked in."

"I believe we have been displaced in both time and space," Vastra noted. As her lover looked at her in confusion Vastra calmly checked off the elements in the bar that clearly were not from their era. "However," she noted, "I don't get any hostile intent here."

"So this bar is like the TARDIS, then?" Jenny mused.

"Possibly, but I suspect the mechanism behind it is different," Vastra said calmly.

Midori had been shamelessly listening in, and was rather impressed at a woman deducing all that from just casual data. It was remarkable, really. She tucked her notepad in her waitress apron and approached as she asked, "Can I get you a refill?"

"Yes, please," Jenny asked brightly. "Do you have any good ale? This beer is pretty mild."

"I'll get Mahoro to open one of the older casks," Midori said as she made a note. She looked at the lizard woman, "Anything more for you, ma'am?"

"This is fine, thank you," Vastra smiled. "Could I get some segments of finely diced, fried meat? I am rather peckish."

"Will do," Midori nodded and trotted away.

Over by the entrance, Ranma Saotome blinked at the two young women who were next up in line. "You're... superheroes?" she blinked.

Spinnerette beamed, the six armed spider heroine looking around excitedly. "Yeah," she said, "is this really a lesbian bar? It's my first time!"

Her companion, Mecha Maid, sighed. "Don't mind her," she told Ranma, "she's new to all this."

"Its fine," Ranma laughed. "You may need to show IDs to get drinks, or we can just serve you non-alcoholic beverages. If it helps, our staff promises client confidentiality."

"We'll see how it goes," Spinnerette decided as she and Maid headed inside, arm in arm.

"Oh wow, this is incredible!" Erika Karisawa exclaimed as she looked around her. She pointed, "That may be the best Rei Ayanami cosplay I have ever seen! And look at that Shana over there!"

Her companion, Anri Sonohara, noted quietly, "I'm not sure that is cosplay, actually." She looked around them curiously, "How could such a strange club as this exist in Ikebukuro, and we not notice it before?"

"Maybe it's a kind of ghost club that ensnares young women and drains their souls!" Erika suggested excitedly.

"That would be SO cool," another girl noted. They turned to look at her and she smiled apologetically, "Sorry for jumpin in like that. I'm Saten, this is my girlfriend Uiharu."

"Hi," Uiharu waved, blushing a bit.

Anri smiled at her sympathetically. "Still new to all this?" she asked politely.

"We haven't been dating long," Uiharu conceded.

"You get used to it," Anri said. Dryly she added, "And having a outgoing girlfriend has it's advantages too."

Both Erica and Saten ignored that. "It's pretty crowded, do you think we'll have more luck getting a table as a group?" Erica suggested.

"Sounds like a plan," Saten agreed as the group of four forged their way through the crowd, looking for a table.

Up at the bar, there was a general sense of anticipation as the minute hand gradually neared midnight. Juri smiled as she saw her wife, Setsuna, make her way through the crowd, reaching her side. "Rough night?" Juri asked, seeing how tired she looked.

"We helped stop the Mayan apocalypse, pretty much," Setsuna admitted tiredly. She waved to Mohoro, "I could use a drink."

"Coming right up," Mahoro said cheerfully.

"Everything go okay?" Juri had to ask.

"It was fine," Setsuna reassured her, "we actually had too much help, really."

"Oh?" Juri wondered.

"The time travelling Doctor showed up," Setsuna noted, "in two different incarnations, as well as Utena, Goku and others. Our biggest problem was just avoiding getting in each other's way..."

"Heh," Juri chuckled as in the background a countdown began.

"Five... four... three... two... one! Happy New Year!"

To be continued...

Our Cast: Arisugawa Juri is from Revolutionary girl Utena, Alpha is from Yokohama Kaidashi Kikou, Sasami, Ryouko and Minagi are from Tenchi Muyo, Cyberdoll May is from Hand Maid May, Nabiki, Shampoo, Ukyo and Ranma are from Ranma ½, Amelia is from Trigun, Midori is from Mai Hime and Setsuna/Sailor Pluto is from Sailor Moon.

Characters: Oswin Oswald, Madam Vastra and Jenny Flint are all from Doctor Who. Ryoko and Yuki are from the Yuji Nagato manga. Kallen, Milly and Nina are from a alternate Code Geass. Spinnerette and Mecha Maid are from the webcomic Spinnerette. Erika and Anri are from Durarara! and Saten and Uiharu are from A Certain Scientific Railgun.

Notes: Dunno if Oswin is entirely consistent with what will be happening in the latest Dr Who season. I'm also banging around a fanfic on her, if I can figure out how to write it.