Sins, Cola and Sarsaparilla

Guests

The air in the room was sickeningly thick, as the challengers from Cola Cars sat at the table opposite the Overboss.

Behind them was their guard in the power armor, and behind her was her own guard, her husband, cigarette hanging loosely between his lips, arms folded across his chest.

Her boots were up on the table, they were white, made of shiny plastic or maybe pleather, but the bottoms were stained red with blood. She grinned, flashing straight white teeth with canines sharper than seemed necessary. She had this energy vibrating off her that was seemingly comforting and intimidating.

"So, you come to me and declare war?"
"No, we want to help you in the coming war."

She snickered playfully, and looked over her shoulder at her guard, outstretching a hand in offering to him.

The redhead across the table couldn't understand their relationship. He was stern looking, and seemed too old for her. Too scruffy. It was like seeing a Vegas woman date someone from Freeside. She watched as he took her hand and raised it to his lips, brushing it against them, the movement so small it could've been accidental.

A raider and a woman so pretty it was as if she stepped right off the pages of a pre-war magazine. Evangeline felt like it was a story right from those shitty romance novels she used to read to her mother when she was ill.

"Do you hear this nonsense, Porter? A coming war, ha! Who would bother mounting an attack against us? Against me? Against Nuka World? The only people I believe would be dense enough to try are the Minutemen and last I checked, I... She? Whatever, they're gone."

"The Brotherhood."

Gage's eye rolled to settle on the blue haired woman's face. Vanessa only laughed, flashing those shiny white teeth again.

"No, no, didn't I get rid of them too? I think the plan was to blow up the ship, no? I haven't been up that way to see the wreckage."

"You didn't do that," Gage murmured, looking back down at her, "you were determined to resolve things peaceful like. Think you made 'em leave."

Vanessa stared at him for a moment before scoffing, and rolling her eyes, "then I'm a damn idiot, don't you think?" She chuckled softly, and then levelled her steely gaze at the others across the table, she was intimidating again for a moment, before she smiled.

"Well, since you come here not meaning us any harm, I suppose I should act like a proper lady and we should start over again. My name is Vanessa," she faltered before saying a surname, "Everly. This is Gage. We run Nuka World, I am it's Overboss and you are a welcome guest here, just as the tourists are."

The woman with the blue streaked hair was the first to speak, her pride overtaking how on edge the Overboss made her feel.

"Sparrow Lusset, and this is my wife, Evangeline."

Evangeline, the redhead, nodded, leaning back in her chair, "Evangeline Lusset, or Vanderbilt, depending on who you ask. We're in charge down in New Vegas. Heard from... allies, that the Brotherhood were looking to start a big fight up here and well, they're our only remaining threat? Competition? Out West, so we figured we'd throw our hats in the mix. Is that the saying?"

"Not sure, but I think they get it, love."

Sparrow entwines her fingers with Evangeline's, their hands slide off the table and settle in her lap. They share a glance, before their attention moves back to Vanessa when she speaks.

"So you're offering me an army? And where is it?"

"Just outside the park. We set up camp in that little settlement. What was it called?"
"Bradberton."