#bergen_county

"You TOLD me to go to California" May says meeting her friend's eyes "You and Lupe said it would be great for me. That I'd be a great writer. You made me BELIEVE..."

"You are a great writer." Firmly, adamantly.

"If you read my notes you'd find out my peers at cali didn't think so. GOD, so many of them were like sons or daughters of hollywood types. Nepobabies everywhere..." Then she shakes her head, almost violently "No no, it's okay. IT worked out. I'm taking accounting now. IT's all good. Solid work that. Neveer not in demand."

Lupe comes onto the scene, looking a bit winded. Did she run the last mile here?

Sylvi sees Lupe arrive and goes to meet her. "Hey!"

"What do nepobabies know? They just think being edgy and jaded is cool."

"Being jaded usually just means you're miserable."

Lupe says "Hey.. shit. I'm late" She whispers to Sylvi "How they doing? "

"Sam just got here. May was pretty damn cold at first, but looks like they're talking, at least. May smiled."

"How're you doing?"

May says "it's fine, Sam I...like I said, I'm not even taking those courses anymore. Major is accounting now. Not jaded, just ...real"

Lupe answers Sylvi "Me? I feel like a bitch. I'm not allowed to tell one of my best friends what I've been doing or even who I am. No wonder May thinks we ghosted her"

Jaw jut.

Sylvi frowns. "I know what you mean. Kind of. I mean...May never wrote me, so...." She shrugs. "But not-telling is part of our lives."

"That's a waste. You're too gifted to throw away your talent like that."

"And I know I fucked up because I shouldn't have been... stupid, and scared, and immature about your letters."

"Sam, you did read my letters... so you know why I'm better now. The meds keep me from, well, being so flightly... and they really help the nightamres. I haven't had an idea for a story in weeks" As if that was a source of comfort?

Scowl.

"Yeah, Dayana fucked you up. I read that."

Lupe nods to Sylvi , May hasn't seen her yet "I think I'll let Sam handle this. She ... she was not in a good place" Stil lwhispering

"I failed you."

"Oh Dayana had some amazing ideas" May assures "I.. failed now that's just .. you're under no obligation... "

"No!"

"No, stop it."

"Stop talking yourself down and making yourself SMALL!"

"Neither of them were," Sylvi agrees with Lupe. "But you should definitely make sure you talk to..." She looks over as Sam raises her voice.

"Be MAD at me, I deserve it! But don't do this!"

Sylvi glances around to see if others are looking at them.

For a moment May looks.. ANGRY, of all things, eyes narrow and flash, jaw sets, then she says "No.. no.. my therapist and I talkedd about this... I've a hyperactivre imagination and I have overly high expectations. Sam, I'm sorry you're feeling this guilt, but you're the one who chose to cut me off and if that was what was best for you, it was right you do so"

JImmy is watching with intensity. Others are looking a bit akward

"It wasn't best for me. I was miserable and lonely."

"Fuck your therapist."

"Um..." Sylvi beckons Lupe to come with her, and she beckons others to join them as she moves the party further out onto the dock.

Giving Sam and May a little more space.

"I.. it's time for my pills, yes" May reaches into her fanny pack

"No!"

"You afraid of being mad? Being mad is real. You have every right to be mad. You have every right to hate me."

"But you have to feel that, not... not squash who you are with pills."

Lupe plays along for now, her keen garou senses however re listening as best she can

"Now, Sam" May says in an all too logical voice, "Don't you think it's possible you're experiencing transference. Your biological mother had chemical dependency, so now you're acting like ALL medications are bad. " She pulls the pills out "These are quite legal, procscribed doses. They keep my mind stable, particularly at night. That's a good thing"

"Somebody gimmix those?" Sylvi mutters to the fae in the group.

Jimmy doesn't hesittate "By the love we had, the times we shareed, your drugs are bad. they'll not be spared"

He says this softly but those around him hear it

But the glamour futzs. Could it be that the once greatest dreamer is now too banal to affect the package in her hand?

Eyes wide. "Okayyy...plan B." Sylvi mutters, then she calls out, "Oh, I forgot drinks, I'll be right back!" And Cheerleader Sylvi runs back to where the food is, 'accidentally' jostling May (hopefully the arm that holds the pills). "Whoops!"

Sam wraps her arms tightly around herself, eyes squeezing shut.

"Hey" May says as the pills are knocked...

(Manipulation plus Subterfuge from Sylvi)

/roll 5