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Malaya: Heeeey!
Elias: You're looking a lot less hairy today.
Malaya: Yep, very funny. You're hilarious.
Elias: Hey, you texted me and said to wait outside?
Malaya: Yeah, sorry. I just don't want my dad asking questions. He's running the shop today.
Elias: Okaaaaaay.
Malaya: Yeah, it's just I'm worried if he sees me with a boy, he'll get the wrong impression and get his hopes up that I'm actually well-adjusted enough to be dating someone.
Malaya: And if I tell him you're a werewolf, I'm worried he'll think you're going to eat my face off.
Elias: Oh, well problem solved!
Elias: We won't date because I'm gay, and I come from a very peaceful, family-oriented pack. We only rarely tear each others' faces off.
Malaya: See, he'd worry for nothing!
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Elias: So, where are we going?
Malaya: I have to meet my brother at the university. We rode in together, and I walked from there to meet you.
Elias: Yeah, but you spend all that time at work. I'd think dealing with customers is as stressful as going to school
Malaya: It's different.
Malaya: The coffee shop is my territory and I'm safe behind the counter. There and home, I feel like I've got things under control. Everywhere else... Just feels overwhelming. The university I can handle long enough to pick up my brother, though.
Elias: WOw, so you really don't go anywhere but home and work? I think I need to know more about how you were bitten because I'm missing the bigger picture here.
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Malaya: When I was 5, my parents and I went camping outside of town for a few days.
Malaya: I wandered into the woods when my parents weren't looking because I was following a squirrel.
Malaya: And I saw this gigantic black dog. I just stared at it... into its glowing eyes.
Malaya: Before I knew it, the dog ran at me and bit me on the arm.
Malaya: I started to scream... but it stared at me... and I felt like I couldn't move.
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Elliot: Malaya! Mal, where'd you go, honey?!
Maria: Malaya! Nasaan ka Malaya?!
Malaya: My parents called for me, I heard them through the trees
Maria/Elliot: Malaya!
Malaya: And it broke the wolf's spell, so I smacked it in the face.
Malaya: Then it ran off into the forest
Maria: Your arm!
Malaya: My parents found me, bleeding from the bite on my arm and crying.
Maria: We have to get her to the hospital!
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Maria: You need to make a left up here!
Elliot: Are you sure? Is that faster?
Elliot: Okay, we're here! I'll pull up and let you guys out...
Malaya: Mami! Papa!
Malaya: I showed them how my arm had healed already
Malaya: It's all better!
Malaya: The blood was still there... but the bite marks were gone.
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Elliot: We can't go in there with a kid covered in blood and say a dog bit her in the woods if there aren't any bite marks! They're going to think we're crazy!
Maria: She was bit! We saw it!
Elliot: We can't just go home can we?
Elliot: I guess... we just pack up and go home?
Maria: We can keep an eye on it in case she has some sort of reaction, then?
Maria: Does this make us terrible parents? I can't tell
Elliot: Probably not?
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Malaya: I was irritable all day... I started breaking my toys... and I wouldn't eat lunch...
Malaya: By that afternoon, I couldn't stop growling whenever I was upset.
Malaya: I started to transform when it got dark outside.
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Maria: Malaya?
Maria: AAAHH!!
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Malaya: Initially, the whole werewolf thing was really difficult for my family.
Malaya: My dad always joked that it was good that we lived in the woods...
Malaya: Otherwise the neighbors would have called the cops from all the noise I made every full moon
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Malaya: After that first night, things got a little better.
Malaya: My parents decided to home school me, to make sure I couldn't hurt any other kids.
Malaya: On full moon nights, we'd all stay inside and do things together, like reading books... playing board games...
Malaya: I'd still get furry.. But I wasn't out of control anymore.
Elias: You had a pack! Pack helps keep you grounded.
Elias: Once your wolf established that your parents were there to protect your, the wolf calmed down.
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Malaya: Then Vincent came along...
Malaya: It was pretty obvious that I didn't like him. I was jealous.
Malaya: My parents usually kept us apart when he was really little, but when he got bigger, they were less cautious.
Malaya: I got mad at him once, when he was a toddler.
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Malaya: He still has a big scar on his side where I slashed him with my claws.
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Maria: Malaya!
Elliot: Hey...
Elliot: It'll be all right, kiddo.
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Malaya: He forgave me, of course. And as he got older, we've been closer. He's really protective of me.
Malaya: Even though he can be a real asshole, sometimes.
Elias: What would you do...
Elias: ...if you didn't have to stay all closed up, worrying about hurting your family or someone else?
Malaya: Hm. I guess I'd try to be a normal person.
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Malaya: My brother should be here soon. We can give you a ride back to wherever you're staying... Or he can, I don't drive.
Elias: Thanks, but I'm fine. I haven't been to this part of town before. I figured I'd spend some time exploring.
Malaya: Sorry, I guess my story took longer than I thought. We didn't have time to talk about werewolf stuff in general.
Malaya: And um, sorry I spilled my whole life story to you.
Elias: No, that helped. Now I know more about you, so it'll be easier to figure out how to help you before we meet again..
Malaya: Hey, there's Vincent!
Elias: Wait, I thought you said he was yoour little brother.
Malaya: He is. He's only twenty.
Elias: Only twenty?
Malaya: Well how old are you?
Elias: Twenty-two
Malaya: Oh I thought you were older than me.
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Malaya: Vincent, this is Elias. Elias, this is my brother Vincent.
Vincent: Hello.
Elias: Hey.
Vincent: <Who is this guy?>
Malaya: <He's another werewolf and you're being rude>
Malaya: We'll see you later, Eli. My brother wants to get home before you claw me to death.
Elias: Sure, that's a legitimate thing to be worried about when it comes to strange werewolves.
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Vincent: Mal, you need to stay away from that guy. He's not safe.
Malaya: Why, because you say so?
Vincent: He might try and drag you away to be part of some weird werewolf harem.
Malaya: Yeah, I don't think that's a thing.
Malaya: But seeing as he's the only other werewolf I've ever met, I guess he'd be able to tell me if they have weird harems or not.
Vincent: He's dangerous.
Malaya: So am I. I need answers Vince.
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Malaya: If he turns out to be bad news, I'll deal with it somehow... But Elias is my only option at the moment.
Vincent: Let's just go home, okay?
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Marin: Hello?
Elias: Heeey, Marin! How's tricks?
Marin: Tricks are fine. Did you talk to her? Should we be concerned?
Elias: As far as I can tell, she has nothing to do with the bodies that turned up. She's got base knowledge of werewolves, and her pack is all human?
Elias: She doesn't know what she doesn't know.
Marin: Well, that's good, I guess. We can't leave her unprotected if there's some whack job on the loose, though
Elias: Yeah, I'm working on that.
Elias: Oh, and her brother is hot like burning, but in a kind of Vulcan way..
Marin: Vulcan?
Marisa: Like Mr. Spock, dear.
Marin: Oh! Okay, sure.
Elias: Ohmygod watch TV like a normal person!
Marin: I won't and you can't make me. You coming back soon?
Elias: Yeah, we've got a lot to discuss. I'm heading your way soon.