#bergen_county

A knock on the car window

Adam jerks and the magazine goes into the air. He turns sharply and stares out the window.

Nadeen says "Zane? Adam? Why are you two parked here in the middle of nowhere?"

"Aack" Zane throws his a bit and blushes "Nadeen?"

"What are -you- doing here?!?!" Heart pounding, his voice muffled by the window.

"I live in this town too." She says with a haughty brow lift, "Are you two looking at some kind of dirty magazines?"

"NO."

"That would be silly, we have the internet" The satyr backs him up

"Yeah." He shoves his magazine at Zane to stow. "Ok, you live here but what are you doing -here-?" He rolls the window down.

"Jogging off a mad, if you must know" She says

"Yeah?" Adam cracks open the car door and eases out (so he doesn't knock it into her). This may give Zane time to really get the magazines squared away. "Who pissed you off and where's the body?" He gives her one of those grins.

She smiles at that, "it's kind of you, Adam... but no. I am irked with the Chieftain and there is little i can do about it. "

Zane says "You're mad at the Chief?" Surprised "I thought you were happy being LIasion?"

"Yeah? Well, you're not the only one that happens to. What happened?"

"I was... but there's a new hold rediscovered. One I COULD Have ruled" Her arms cross "And ruled well. But no.. apparently it MUST be a Troll lodge."

"Huh?"

He sounds almost affronted.

"oh, " Zane says "I heard about... I guess it's a heritage thing?"

"Heritage." A snort "Well, yes, that's the perfect reason to keep me holdlingless." she huffs "If she doessnt think I can or should rule I wish she'd just say so"

"Sidhe heritage is to rule, right?"

"Sidhe are dreamed to rule" She says, "No matter how in self deinal Scathatch are"

"Yeah, so...."

Zane says "I know it's seflish, but I'm glad your'e staying around"

"Still sucks if you deserve a Hold and someone gives it to someone else." Sympathetic.

"Thank you, Adam. Glad SOMEONE understands"

Zane sighs

"So what are you going to do?"

"What can I do? I agreed to be Liason. I will do it Perfectly"

"Damn straight."

"Where is this place and who got it?"

"Rome New YOrk"

"Wow, that's Up Up UP State."

"I know.. but.." A frown "I would like to have had the chance"

"Nadeen.... I've been saying the same thing for -months-." Empathetically.

"Oh Adam, then you try ot make it about you" She sighs and starts to walk off'

Zane winces

"Nadeen, that's not ... not what I meant!" Baffled.

"Just saying, I get it. I understand. At least a little. As much as I can!"

She looks back, shakes her head and keeps walking.

Adam watches her go, lost, and turns to Zane. "What?"

"Dude...she's mad..."

He looks after her, then back. "Well yeah, but why at me?"

"She can't be mad at the Chief... not and do anything, so otehrs are a target"

"But...." he glances after her again, then back. "....oh. So. She can't slam the Chief, but she can slam me, so she does to work it out?"

"Maybe she's not even aware she did it. If it helps ,she is mad at me. Hear that 'someone' understands? that was a dig on me"

"Why is she mad at you?"

"Because I didn't say the Chief is wrong" A sigh "And I'm not sure the Chief is. Trolls lost a lot of lodges"

"Everyone lost a lot of everything, I thought?"

"It's complicated, but some places were founded, built up, by trolls , from ancient times."

"Was this place one of them?"