[Mercy Merchant]

When you enter the room with the others, you note that Glinda is not in the body mix, but you do hear a shower running.  Moving to the altar, you run your hands across is and consider your words with the Seductress, barely noticing when Glinda pads into the room.  She is wearing a blouse that is mostly unbuttoned and barely conceals anything below the waist.  As she walks towards you, you notice that her movements are particularly alluring and seductive, almost mesmerizing.  She comes up to you and kisses you before she speaks, her tongue seeking yours before she backs off a foot or so.  "You have been a busy girl this morning.  I am afraid that we wore Shelly and Corbin out.  What are you doing, if it is not too impertinent to ask?"

[Ennui]

I am... planning for the future.  I'm not so naive to think that allying myself with Sian will have no repercussions for me and we are playing a dangerous game.  I am preparing myself but I would know more about my allies... and my enemies.  I glance at her out of the corner of my eye.  I hope you will be more willing to discuss things sooner rather than later.  Expanding territory is a dangerous business, in the barrens dealing with the gangs is one thing.  The mafia and the Vory are the main players here, but they tend to stick to their own neighborhoods and I'm familiar with where I can expand into and where I can't.  Dealing with you and upsetting the status quo in the chinatown barrens, might bring down...what, the triads on us?  Where are you setting up shop, who are you stealing customers from.  My position for now is safe but once you build the facility, that's a game changer and I don't like playing a game I can't use the rules to my advantage.

I'm going to need power and I'm going to needs lots of it, and likely sooner than later.  I'm going to have to expand here and tie other gangs to me as well.  We are going to need muscle, guns... information.  You know any private armies for sale?

Hmm...that thing you did...  I turn to look at her.  You took something from those people.  It weakened them.  You will not use that on Shelly and Corbin, is that understood?  I don't care if it's temporary or even beneficial, but until I know exactly what it is and they understand as well, it will not be tolerated.

Friends are not a weakness,  I whisper, more to myself than anyone listening.

[Mercy Merchant]

Glinda looks at you without saying anything for a couple of minutes; long enough for you to wonder if she is going to say anything.  "Are you disappointed that I helped you with the euphoria?  I assumed that the others were already into sharing that sort of experience with you and would not mind.  The other thing, at the club, you mean?  Alright, I will agree to not use that on any of the three of you.  I do have several variations of that, most of which are painless, but all take something from others.  I can use it to redistribute what I took to others as well, so it does have a beneficial effect.  And I have never found friends to be a weakness, although I have known precious few people I would call friends."

"How fast are you planning on expanding, Lizzie?  The way she said your name sends shivers down your spine at how seductive it is, as if just saying your name means something special.  "Too fast too soon is dangerous, don't you think.  Without the infrastructure to build on, you are at risk of being unprepared for success as well as for others to try to take what you have.  I would think that a slower, better planned, approach would have a greater chance to succeed.  If you want something quick, you will need men, weapons, and money................lots of all three.  Sian and I cannot help much with any of that from where we work.  There are soldiers in the Chinatown Barrens that would be willing to work for you, perhaps even at a good cost.  But once they got out into the city, they would find out what they are really worth and their fees would increase.  Slow and steady buildup of a good war chest and planning for an expansion is better, to my way of thinking.  We can expand a bit and still remain under the notice of the big boys.  Perhaps you could refine the procedure and go to another gang and offer to distribute to them at a better rate than what they get now., then move in and take them over after you know what is going on.  I imagine that running a gang is far different from being a solo act, and that running a major syndicate is even more different.  And much more complicated.  Think on that."

"As to me on a personal level?  What do you want to know?  I might tell you."

[Ennui]

The euphoria was you then?  I thought that might be the case but I wasn't sure and I'm not concerned about them experiencing that.  I usually ask first, at least with anyone I respect.  I was referring to the club, you said you didn't know me well enough to tell me what it was before and you wouldn't tell me much about Sian except in the vaguest sense. 

That wasn't really meant for you.  My friends are...special to me and I love them dearly, but I fear for their safety, more so than my own at times, at least I've chosen to be where I am, and sometimes I feel that is a weakness.  I'm afraid I will draw them into something and I can't tell them to stay out of it because they would never consider it.  I look over at them a half smile on my face

I shake my head.  I've been scouting out neighborhoods next to us for a while now they aren't affiliated and they are cooking their own craptastic quality street meth and sitting here staring at my altar I think I may even know a way to tie them to me, I say fingers drumming across the tooled and polished surface.  Though the chances of my idea working out are rather low it could work as a long term con.

Other than that my rate of expansion will be mainly based on the profits from your endeavors since it is your area that I'm worried about drawing the wrong kind of attention to.  That notice at this juncture is basically nothing to me until you get your facility up and running, once that happens things will change very quickly.  For instance, did you know in the few hours I've been in there I've already cooked up the batch of chems for you, restocked my supplies for tonight including samples for the neighbors and have enough to get Shelly and Corbin started?  Granted I still need to do the grunt work, but with a facility and people trained to do the grunt work do you realize how much product we can make in a single day?  We aren't talking doses anymore, we aren't even talking ounces.  We are talking pounds of pharmaceutical grade drugs...daily.  That kind of production, is going to seriously piss off some people and I have no idea who I'm working with.

I need to know who you guys are and what you can bring to bear.  I understand your desire for caution.  I get it.  But I've got people on the line too and if lack of intel puts them in danger I will cut the legs out of this faster than you can blink.  Clearly you and Sian have some magic, formally educated or not it's clearly advanced.  Why don't you start by just telling me what you think you can trust me with thus far.  Maybe I'll tell you some of my secrets too.  We've got another hour before I go back in and finish up.

[Mercy Merchant]

Glinda looks at you with somber eyes then smiles.  "You have a point.  I will tell you a bit about me if you really want to know, but I need you to realize that once this is out between us it cannot go back in the box.  Are you sure it is important enough for you to know?"

[Ennui]

After all that, do you really think I'm going to back off now?  I think you might be surprised at what I can accept and what I can't.

[Mercy Merchant]

Glinda smiles, but it does not seem to be a truly happy smile.  She reaches out and puts her hands on your temples and closes her eyes.  Suddenly, your mind is filled with a series of pictures, snippets in time as it were. 

Videos pass through your mind of a young girl living in a city of block houses, the style of dress is very foreign to you, as is the architecture.  The girl is very young, perhaps six or seven, and playing on a street in front of what looks like a stone building.  An older woman comes from inside and motions for the girl to come in. 

The girl is a bit older, but somehow you know she is the same one from the street.  She is standing at a fire and looking on as the older woman stirs a large pot and adds ingredients.  The girl is sent to fetch another tray of ingredients and you can see it is filled with herbs and what appears to be meats of different kinds.  The older woman seems to be giving instructions as the girl places small amounts of some of the ingredients in the pot, causing it to bubble and steam.

The girl is now about nineteen and working in the room in front of the fire.  She is setting aside ingredients from different pots that look like clay when a shadow indicates that someone has entered the room from behind her.  She looks around and you can see a young girl of about fifteen approaching her.  The second girl closely resembles Sian in her features. 

The two girls are apparently close friends, now living in a degree of luxury far above what the older girl had been living in.  Large rooms and servants could indicate that this is a mansion of sorts, and the deference paid to the younger girl might lead you to believe that she is the mistress of the house.  At times you see two huge mastiffs at the side of the younger girl.

The two girls have become lovers, but they share more than just themselves.  A series of videos shows them cavorting with other partners, sometimes parties of naked people moving from person to person.  You still cannot identify the location but the style of dress clearly indicates that it is not Seattle. 

The older girl is sick.  She is pale and bedridden and an older man is standing at the side of the bed talking to the younger girl and shaking his head.  After he leaves, the girl sends the other servants away and crawls into the bed of the sick girl.  She kisses her on the lips, which brings a smile to the older girl's face, then buries her face in the girl's neck.  The expression on the sick girl's face goes from startled to fearful to one of peace.  When Sian lifts her head form the other girl's neck you see blood around the mouth and tears on her face.

Both girls are running through the streets of the city.  Sian points out a man slumped over in an alley and the older girl moves to it and sinks her face to the man's neck, causing him to flop about in ever decreasing movements until he stops moving at all.

The pictures stop as Glinda removes her hands from your head and steps back.  "I think that is enough to get the idea across.  More might be too much.  Frag, what I have just shared might be too much.  So, is this where you go grab a stick and try to kill me with it or is this where you say you will work with me and keep my secret?"

[Ennui]

I nod.  Yeah, I can't say I'm surprised to be honest.  I've suspected since the club.  I have questions... but not here.  Let's go into my bedroom.  I lead her into the bedroom then close and lock the door.  I take a seat on the bed and pat the spot next to me.  After she takes a seat I continue the conversation quietly.

So, vampire then?  I actually know a bit about HMHVV Corbin Shelly and I had a run in with ghouls when we were younger.  They were monsters, hunted us for months, killed friends right in front of us, held us in cages.  They would have killed us had I not Awakened when I did.  So you don't mention this to them they not see the difference.  I do not like keeping secrets from them but I will guarantee it stays between us, if I decide to tell them.

Do you have a blood lust like they did?  Do you have to kill when you feed?  Like does the blood have to be fresh or could you survive off of donated blood for instance?  Is it just you and Sian or are there other?  Well of course there are others...I mean like in your group.

Wait... sorry, I'm babbling... like I said I have questions but first let's separate fact from fiction.  This is an Awakened virus right?  We just exchanged bodily fluids, are we infected or is there more to it than that?

[Mercy Merchant]

Glinda laughs softly.  "I am pretty sure that I am not an HMHVV vampire, or if I am, it is a far different strain.  I was born in 327 A.D. in a country far from here.  I did have a blood lust when I was first reborn.  That lasted years, but over time I have grown to be able to control that.  I still need blood, but can get it from various sources.  Straight from the body is still the best and a little can go a long way, but I can also use blood from blood banks if it is not too old, and dealing with street clinics has proven to be a good source of blood.  The fresher, the better and the less I need.  I prefer to feed without killing.  I can eat normal food and can even drink some alcohol, but my real nourishment is blood."

"I cannot infect you with what I have through sex.  That seems to be a particular side effect of the current HMHVV strain.  For me to turn you, I would need to drain you of your blood and then help you with a rebirth.  It is a very painful procedure to begin with, but the ending is pure ecstasy, just before dying.  The rebirth is absolutely horrid and I have heard that most new vampires do not survive the first few days.  As for us, we try to keep our group very small.  There were two others long ago, but our male partner was killed and our younger sister left us.  There are others besides us, but I have not seen any of them for several centuries, although I have heard a rumor of one like us in Denver and another in New Orleans."

She puts a hand out and runs a finger down your side.  "You have not immediately drawn away, which is promising.  Do you have other questions?"

[Ennui]

Why would I...Clearly you do not intend to harm me or my friends.  If you meant to do that you have had a hundred better opportunities than in my lodge where I am the most dangerous. 

Your skills with magic, are they vampiric or are they learned?  Are you two part of an initiatory group for instance?  Can you explain more of what you did at the club?

I'm sure I will have more questions but I need to process this information.  Like I said, you might be surprised at what I can accept.  I am not afraid of you but I've been wary from the start, this has gone a long way to putting my mind at ease.

[Mercy Merchant]

"Part of my magic comes from being a vampire, yes, but much is just from learning the old fashioned way.  I suppose that we could be part of an initiation circle, but why, are you in need of one?"

"Hmmmm.  The club, yes.  I am still sorry that I was showing off.  I was siphoning some of the energy away from people.  This has two major effects; first, it temporarily gives me their energy, and second, it makes them easier to control, more susceptible to my suggestions.  Suggestions like "come buy drugs from this woman".  Without training, it can be a very dangerous spell, as it is possible to take more and more energy until they.........well..........until they die.

[Ennui]

If it were only about what I need, I wouldn't have taken the deal from you.  There are things I want and magic is a very large part of that.  Finding like minded sorts is always a challenge.  I figured Corbin and I could offer to teach the gangers who had the talent, but that is a pipe dream at the moment.

I won't jump into anything at this moment.  But so far you two seem to fit the criteria.  What sort of tradition do you follow?

[Mercy Merchant]

Glinda looks a bit confused.  [color-blue]"Tradition?  I am not sure that I follow you.  What do you mean by that?"

[Ennui]

[spoiler]OOC: Is this something that doesn't translate into IC information?  I've always played this as common knowledge.[/spoiler]

Like Hermeticism, Shamanism, Voodoo, Islamic, Theurgy.  What sort of symbolism do you use for your magic?

[Mercy Merchant]

Glinda still looks puzzled.  "I am afraid I still do not understand.  I am afraid that I do not use symbolism.  I just reach out and grasp the strands of magic that exist everywhere and mold them to my needs.  Here, let me show you.  Can you see the astral?  I can meet you there."  The woman looks at you and waits.