Miya was shocked by how... enthusiastic the girl was before her. She wasn't sure if being a vampire was labeled as cool. Then again, tensions had been high between Miya and Arlo ever since the... panda accident. The woman was still attempting to come to terms with the fact that Arlo's little pet was actually a woman. It almost seemed wrong on some levels and yet, she hardly understood that protectiveness the man felt for Abby, merely because she had never experienced it first hand before. It was rather frightening to see Arlo lose his mind, to go as far as to shout at the woman. So, when Malia manages to gather that excitement, Miya can't help but allow that cringe to cross her features. It was clear the woman was still entirely upset about the situation.

She hardly wanted to talk about it, so she doesn't say anything in response, merely nods her head. She's hopeful that the girl will move on from the topic but the moment Malia started glancing around the cafe Miya sighs. She's not entirely shocked this time when Malia starts plying her with questions, Miya taking a healthy pause before she responded. "He does... but I guess he doesn't drink human blood," she says then, remembering back to that first meeting they had when Arlo told her he fed in other vampires. She's grateful for the shift in conversation, hardly wanting to talk about Arlo at all. As Miya expresses herself, she's almost relieved when Malia opens up, wanting to help in however she could.

When the waitress comes to take their order, they are quick to order drinks, Miya almost surprised at how far Malia had come since their last meeting. Giving the girl an encouraging smile, she's pleased to see that she didn't order raw meat again, that interaction had been interesting to say the least. When the waitress departs they begin their conversation, an almost arrogant smirk falling across Malia's features. Her response made sense, or as much sense as Miya could muster at the moment, the Asian woman contemplating those words. "Do you get to keep your mind when you shift? Or... do you have the mind of an animal?" She asks then, grimacing by the way her question sounded.

The girl wasn't attempting to upset Malia, she merely didn't know how to ask these questions. She wanted to understand and not lose a friend over her ignorance of the supernatural world. They hardly get any more words in before the waitress returns, placing drinks in front of both of them, Miya instantly wrapping her frozen fingers around the mug, seeking as much warmth as she could get. When the woman disappears again, Malia continues her story, explaining that she didn't know she could shift. This has Miya blinking in surprise, "How did you not know? Were your parents... shifters?" She asks, trying to find a suitable name for what they were. "How did you shift the first time?" Miya muses, still refusing to take a drink of that coffee as she inspects the girl across from her.

"Can I tell you something?" She says a bit meekly, dropping her eyes to inspect the table, "I was surprised by your shifting, yes but I've always been... frightened by animals," Miya admits, cringing by admitting that vulnerability. It was a silly fear to have, merely because she had been bitten by a dog when she was a child, her childish brain had somehow related that all animals were frightening.

Miyako Aiken