TLV: Inbox

[tinstar]

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[tinstar]

[Not really, no. Not until he was here and utterly void of belonging to anything. Here, he understands the feeling.]

That's the overwhelming group of.. three? [One of which who just up and leaves after possibly irreparably changing Malcolm's genus. He was incensed by the irresponsibility.]

Is this somethin' you're lookin' to keep secret or are you tellin' other people?

[The questions were soft - he'd entered data collection phase, gotta build a game plan as to what this will look like. He wasn't trying to barb or be an asshole.]

[abrightboy]

I hadn’t really considered… the others don’t hide it.

[tinstar]

Better not to, in my opinion. Okay. [He goes ahead and pours another drink.]

How long has it been? You slept yet?

[abrightboy]

A few days. I slept. Before… all the everything that today is. Will stays with me most nights now. Lark let him attend the change. I wanted him there. So he understands.

[tinstar]

[He nods and holds Malcolm's eyes.]

Last question I got. What happens if shit goes sideways? If you... wolf out and lose control?

[abrightboy]

It… doesn’t really work that way. You still… have consciousness. I could barely kill a moose when they took me hunting. And I didn’t really… I mean, it was kind of thrilling but I can still… taste it. [He makes a face.]

[tinstar]

.... they took you hunting.

Who else, besides Iris?

[abrightboy]

Just Iris and Lark. Shortly after I was changed.

[tinstar]

Least there's that.

Is the.. 'ceremony' somethin' I'm allowed to ask about, as an outsider?

[abrightboy]

Sure. He let Will come with me.

[tinstar]

What was it? Did he just.. scratch you or somethin'? Blood exchange? Pagan shit?

[abrightboy]

He cut both our hands and bound them together so I couldn’t let go by accident when the writhing started.

[tinstar]

The writhing.. Go on.

[abrightboy]

In pain. Because my bones were changing.

[tinstar]

So you.. turned into a wolf and that's it? And once it was over? When did you.. change back? Am I gonna havta start worryin' about full moons and shit?

[Raylan 'one more question' Givens.]

[abrightboy]

We changed back after the hunt. I can change whenever I want, basically, but it takes energy.

[tinstar]

[He nods again and stares for a long second before shaking his head slightly and taking a drink.]

The shit we have to deal with that I never thought we would..

[abrightboy]

Are you mad at me?

[tinstar]

For rubbin' in the fact that you've already graduated someone and I haven't? Yes. [He had to at least complain about it once. ]

For everythin' else - No. I still don't understand why Iris and Lark are more than Will and Neal and I but if this is the choice you're makin', then it's the choice you're makin'. [It didn't change the fact that he cared about Malcolm.]

[abrightboy]

I didn’t even really do anything for Neal; he basically graduated himself.

[He’s studying the floor intently, but his head snaps up at the next part.]

What do you mean ‘choice’? Why does this mean they’re ‘more’? Lark said I don’t have to give anyone up. Will came to the changing.

[tinstar]

[Raylan looks at him steadily, eyes soft and pained as he wrestles with how honest he should be with the New Yorker.]

You chose this for connection. You've literally changed yourself for connection, Malcolm. You tell me.

I'll be here either way. It doesn't change anything.

[abrightboy]

It doesn’t nullify other connections. [His brow creases.] Unless the other side of the connection chooses that. [He was afraid Will might be repulsed by it, but was assured otherwise. He didn’t think it would bother Raylan. His stomach is sinking.] I’m not going anywhere either.

[tinstar]

[Raylan shakes his head and sighs.]

No, it doesn't. And I'm not. [He just wasn't going to understand, but that was something he could live with.]

It's okay.

[abrightboy]

What if I’m… not okay? For a bit?

[tinstar]

Then that's okay too. You've got safe spaces. And I got a spare room if you need it.

[It didn't change the fact that he cared about Malcolm.]

We'll handle it.