[Mercy Merchant]

Glinda's face takes on a very sad look.  Her eyes seem to focus far away as she shakes her head.  "I would not think they are the same, but.............................My isla, or rather, Sian's and mine was our sister wife and the third of us.  We lived and loved a very long time ago.  She was an Egyptian beauty and our brother husband wanted her very much and turned her when she was in the flower of her youth.  We were together for centuries, happy in our immortality.  Then the Venetian Doge and several other European princes conspired to weaken Constantinople just as the hated Ottomans were making plans to besiege the city.  Still, things might have worked out, as the Sultan of the Ottomans was losing heavily in his war.  But traitors within took advantage of the weaknesses created by the Doge and opened the gates to the invaders and life changed.  Our brother husband was betrayed and killed and we three fled on foot with some jewels, vowing vengeance.  We walked across the lands to get to Venice and plotted to have the Doge and his friends pay for the loss of our beloved Constantinople and our brother husband.  In the end, we accomplished all we set out to do, but Isla had grown tired and left us shortly afterwards.  Not even the love we had thought we shared was enough to keep her.  It seems that her love was for our husband and less for Sian and me.  I know not where she went after that, perhaps to the lands of your name.  Still, I doubt that she would have been the woman your mother spoke of, but the name is odd enough to get my attention.  In any case, we loved her much more than she loved us.............and still I miss her touch and the way her eyes caught the light and reflected it back."

[Ennui]

That's terrible.  I hope she brought you more good memories than those bad ones.  You're right though, unless she could have children, which I assume you can't, there's no way she could be my ancestor.

I check the time on my com to see how much more time before we can expect the Jessie's.

[Mercy Merchant]

Glinda nods.  "Yes, it is a very sad tale.  There were many good memories, but they were mostly illusion, as she really cared for our husband and not so much for Sian and me.  And in the end, there is even some concern that he had tired of us and grown closer to Isla.  Even vampires can love and such a revelation was hard to accept or handle.  Sian and I have been together for a very long time.  We have had mortal lovers, but the sad truth is that my appearance will stay as you see it while lovers grow older and die."

Even as you check your chrono, five people approach your table.  You recognize Jess, Jessie, and Jessica, but the other two are strangers, although the family resemblance is striking.  Once at the table, Jessica motions to the strangers.  "We thought that it would be prudent to bring Jessup and Jezzabel to this meeting.  There is a sixth sibling, but he is..............detained from attending this meeting.  Is it alright if they join us?"

Both newcomers look remarkably like the other three and it might be hard to tell them apart if they wanted to pretend to be each other.

[Ennui]

Good grief, are you guys clones or something?  Of course, if we are all going to be working together it's only natural that we should meet.  I had a feeling I'd be seeing more of you.  What were the chances of me stumbling on to the only two Jessie's in the two areas I was expanding into.  I didn't think you would all be...what is it sextuplets.  I may have to tell you that joke after all.

I peer at them in astral space and assense them, nodding and smiling as they are introduced.

It's a pleasure to meet you all.  I, as I'm sure you've been told by now, go by Lizzie Borden, or just Lizzie.  If you are all as competent as your siblings are I think we will get along marvelously.

So let me tell the story, it's a little groan-worthy but it's worth a few chuckles and I must say I cannot think of a better time for it.  I used to work security for a guy in the Barrens.  He was a social worker and ran a shelter poor folks flooded that place down on their luck and he got some grant to pay the bills and his salary.  So one day this single mom and her five young kids show up, ages 4 to 10 maybe and I thought, oh goody a bunch of screaming kids are just gonna make my day.  Sure enough it doesn't take them five minutes to start acting up but before they get too loud the mom says "Lee Roy!"   Every one of those kids shut their mouths.  I almost started applauding.  I said "how did you get them all to be quiet?  You only said one of their names."  And she replies "Nah, they all Lee Roy" she saw that I was confused and pointed out they have different spellings for the girls "Leigh Roi" and she mentioned a famous boxer at the turn of the century who named all his children George.  "Well okay" I said.  "but what if you only want to call one of them?  What do you do then?"  She replies "Oh, that's easy.  I just call em by their last name."

Buh dum Tss.

I may have already assensed Jessie, but I get general mood and on the 3's and 4 their magical power in relation to me as well.
Assense x 6: 8d6t5 2 8d6t5 3 8d6t5 3 8d6t5 4 8d6t5 2 8d6t5 2

[Mercy Merchant]

Four of them chuckle at the joke.  Jezzabel leans forward and looks you in the eye.  "So what sort of security were you doing for a homeless shelter?"  Jessie gently punches her in the arm, getting a blank stare in return.  From your assensing, Jessica seems to be the only mage of them and her power is likely on a par with yours.  The general mood seems to be upbeat and interested.

[Ennui]

No, but seriously are you all twins or what?

So, what are your plans in the barrens and how can I help?

[Mercy Merchant]

Jezzabel looks at you with her almost blank stare.  "Of course we are all twins.  All twelve of us were."  She looks like she is going to say something else, but Jess puts a hand on her arm, bringing back the near blank look before turning to look at you.  "Look, we were all part of a genetic experiment to create a superior being, a sort of collective that could with everyone doing something in concert to increase the effectiveness of the group.  Something went wrong at the lab and a decision was made to cancel the program, which meant cancel us.  They came in the night and started killing us, but two of the scientists managed to help six of us escape.  The rest died.  We fled here to hide and make plans.  Our goal is to bring down the people that turned on us to try to hide what they had created."

[Ennui]

I wince.  I know that pain.  Ghouls ate my little sister.  I'm sorry for your loss.  Were you close?

I flag down a waitress Scotch, best ya got.  Bring the bottle, glasses and a bucket of ice please.  We will drink to family and to vengeance.

[Mercy Merchant]

Only Jezzabel has a blank face; the others all cloud over in various stages of anger and.............something...............else.  Jess nods and says, "Yes, we were all very close.  We were bred to almost think like each other, to anticipate each other's needs.  The immediate loss was almost unbearable as we felt the others die.  It almost prevented us from leaving as we tried to turn on the killers.  But the two scientists that were helping us kept herding us along, using our own strength against us to keep us moving away.  They got us out of the complex and into a van they stole, giving us some money and the directions to go to hide.  The last we saw of them was in the rear view mirror as we drove away."

They all go silent for a bit when you mention your sister, the silence only broken by the arrival of the bottle and glasses.

[Ennui]

I place a cube of ice in each glass and pour two fingers over them and pass them around.  I hold up my glass, to absent family and their killers ruin.

[Mercy Merchant]

In what appears to be an amazingly synchronized movement, all six siblings pick up their glasses as one and drink the whiskey down, placing the empty glasses back on the table at the same time.  Each acknowledges your toast and smiles, well all but Jezzebel, whose rather disconcerting blank stare does not seem to change much during all of this.  Jessica leans forward.  "All of this is good, but why did you want to talk to us?  What are YOUR plans?"

[Ennui]

Plans are fluid.  I have ideas and goals.  My actions are based on the best information I have at any given time and the best way to achieve those goals.  So while I have no plans per say, other than making money with you folks, my goal is to make the Barrens, or at least my part of it stable and prosperous.  Relatively speaking of course.  The gang wars, shifting territories and alliances, the general violence of every day existence needs to end.  This whole Might makes Right thing that's going on isn't in my best interest, and it certainly wasn't in the best interest of my friends when ghouls invaded our neighborhood.

Besides, a little bit of order is good for business.  I think the best way to do that at this point is a criminal empire.  It seems like you folks have a similar idea, I thought maybe we could work together.  You at least seem to have your shit together which is more than I can say for must of the bastards I've met in the barrens.  Professionalism is so hard to find these days.  So tell me...how can I help?

[Mercy Merchant]

As one, four heads turn to look at Jessica.  Jezzabel does not seem to understand that you have asked a question and continues to stare at you.  For the others, though, Jessica seems to be the primary spokesperson.  She nods at you and says, "Yesssss.  Similar goals, perhaps.  The criminal enterprises we have entered into are a good stepping stone to a greater goal than simple stability in the Barrens, though.  It would seem, however, that our short term goals align with yours and I can see that there is room for a conversation and perhaps even a working relationship, even though you are not one of us.  We already control two of the smaller gangs and are in position to shortly secure control over two more.  I am in control of a honed and experienced group of mercenaries that can provide us some security as well as some mobile force projection.  Is this of interest to you and can it help you help us?"

[Ennui]

I refill everyone's glass and continue on.  The problem with the stability in the barrens is the competition.  The Vory, Mafia, Yakuza, Triads, Seoulpa...move too fast and we risk the big boys coming into play and they will likely see us as a threat as soon as we make our presence known, unless you guys have ties to any of them.  That's a long way off though.  I don't need any mercenaries right now, but there may certainly come a day.

Which corp are you after?  You going to take down the whole thing or just the people involved?  What kind of resources do you think you will need for that?  We also discussed other more immediate concerns regarding accidental death and dismemberment insurance and promotions.

I say to Jezzabel I mean some of you mentioned killing their boss to take his place.

[Mercy Merchant]

Jezzabel opens her mouth to say something but closes it when Jessica puts a hand on her arm.  The mage looks to you and says, "Does it matter so much right now which AAA it is?  I think that we are still a bit early in the planning stages for that to be necessary.  And we agree that planning for this needs to be drawn out so that we do not move too fast and get noticed too soon.  That is why we only have three gangs, including my mercenaries, and are waiting patiently before moving on the others."