#bergen_county

"Did you hear from May?" Lupe inquires

Sam is... tense, shoulders drawn in, her hands picking at an invisible bit of fuzz.

"Yeah."

"May's good."

"Sam? what's the problem? I know you.. you're tense"

Shrug. "M'fine."

"Uh Huh" Dubious brow

She looks down at her feet, and pushes around dirt with the toe of her boot.

"You know my bullshit detector is off the charts right? Almost as good as that boon thing of yours"

"Fine. I miss May. I miss you. I didn't know coming here would stress you"

"How's the pack?" She blurts.

"Good... good" True "Though we had a close call, some fomori.. they nearly killed Something Sour.. he's okay now but it was, close" For a moment she looks shaken... then in a softer voice "Nearly died under my leadership"

"But didn't."

"This wasn't a heroic struggle where we knew we might die but had to hold the line, Sam. I made the wrong choice and got us into a bind we didn't have to be in. I urged them forward. If I waited fifteen minutes I would have hard two more packs backing us up" Lupe's guilt is tangible "Yeah, we didn't die, but it was so close. Even Dolly gave me a talking to."

"Little Mother Nips the Heel screwed up"

Using her own garou name

"You made a mistake. It sucks. You have to and will do better."

"I'm not sure I can get over it. I keep flashing back to the mistake. Maybe someone else should lead the Pack you know?"

"Maybe. So you can get your head straight - not because you are bad, right? But because you are dealing with things."

"I'm sorry, Dags" A sigh "You kick ass all day to day and my hello consists of 'talk to may,' and then listening to me bitch about my screw up when you got your own worries"

"Just.." She frowns. "How can I help?"

"Helps that you listened" She answer truthfully "Thanks for that"

"I just... I guess it's like you said, I need to get my head on straight, and deal with it"

"Does your pack still support you?"

"Yeah, they do.. weirdly, Sour Wind, he. he could have made a move to replace me.. and hes' a Shadow Lord. REmember I told you they were the Starscreams of the tribes? I mean, he could have brought me before the elders... instead he said 'stupid happens ' and shrugged"

"Who is your second? Um - Beta?"

"Don't really have one. We gnawers are more democratic... so it depends on what we're doing. "

"I mean, different ones are good for different mission betas?"

"Fair."

"But, like, maybe you can delegate some things right now?"

"Like... Chief is Chief, but sometimes Vali or Kerri still take the lead."

"Not sure who would be best overall beta. I mean, Don's a ragabash, everything's a joke to him. Sourwind is so cynical he turns the others off. Everyone loves LulU and she might be best but she's still ... well, you know Lulu. And Dolly is too gentle"

"Right now, I'd say Don or Dolly. Personally."

"Because right now, ya'll need to get through that bad fight."

"And you need a Beta you can turn to."

"Like... when you are trying to handle everything yourself, and you're messed up in your head..."

"Chief's got people, right?"

A hip bump "Too bad you're not a garou. You could be my Beta."

Then more seriously "Yeah, she does"

"Right?" Wistful sigh.

"I'd do it. But I'd probably be a meathead ahroun."

"Dolly's an Ahroun and she is not a meat head, and neither are you" She looks her friend over "Actually, you might be Philodox like me. Trying to keep everyone playing by the rules without being a slave to them"

"And getting a huge stress headache"

"Want to go get some pop? They have Dr. Pepper."

"Yeah..." A slight rally of a smile "I would like that"

"Dr. Pepper is a headache cure!"

"Nine out of ten awesome people agree, and we feel sorry for the 10th!"

Fist bump

The fist bump gets a little smile.

"You try those apple nutty things? Those are DANGEROUS. I could eat YOUR Weight in them"