Arlo James

See what it's like to be a vulture's lunch

His Little Bear, he had decided, was the very sort of being that excelled in listening. It was probably because she was largely incapable of speech and yet Arlo had become used to those conversations being mostly one sided outside those chirps or purrs or growls that he was fairly sure he understood for the most part. It worked, he supposed, this curious little friendship they had- if only because he was a talkative sort of person and not really the type that actually needed feedback from the listener to keep going with his story. Confidence, in most things, had never really been a weakness for the man. Arlo content to regale her with that story of having met Sebastian and at last having managed to taste the Englishman's blood. Even the memory of it stirred his hunger now. Sebastian by far the tastiest, most alluring being he'd ever had the privilege to bite. There was just something about him. Maybe it was his DNA, his blood type, someone he was feeding off in turn- whatever it was Arlo hardly knew and yet in his entire life he'd never even smelled anyone like Sebastian before, that other man almost like his own personal brand of drug that he couldn't get enough off. He was almost forced to turn his thoughts away from the intoxicating Englishman lest he find himself hungry again, Arlo instead content to tell his pet all about what else they done for that evening, the man stumbling over those few words.

It was ridiculous, he supposed and yet for whatever reason it simply didn't feel....polite to tell his Little Bear about just what he'd done with that woman Sebastian had assisted in procuring for him. She was an animal, she surely hardly even knew exactly what he was saying and yet still- it somehow seemed disrespectful to talk about one girl to another- Panda or not. Arlo unable to shake that feeling and as such he simply moved to correct his sentence to cake. Yeah. Sebastian had helped him get cake. They'd enjoyed a lot of.....cake together. That sudden string of chirps and barks from the girl on his shoulder saw his gaze turn towards her with amusement, that chuckle on his lips at that sound. Cake was clearly a topic she felt strongly about- at least- that's what he assumed from that reaction. Really he supposed she could be saying she didn't like it, but who didn't like cake? Well- he supposed he wasn't actually all that fond of it now really. Still, that hardly seemed the point. Arlo going on to explain that veritable legend with girls that Sebastian was. After all, they'd crossed the damn street for him! Little Bear seeming to take delight in something he had said, Arlo oblivious to just how much the use of the word 'friend' seemed to delight her as she licked his cheek, his face scrunching slightly with the sensation. She never seemed to mind doing that- the vampire always worried he was cold and yet Little Bear never did seem to complain.

They rounded that street corner then. Arlo largely unfamiliar with this part of town. Just what territories were or weren't claimed unknown to him. There were risks in that. Most vampires would let someone pass through if it was clear they weren't hunting and yet.....most was hardly all. Arlo having met his fair share of those unwilling to tolerate any other vampire in their immediate vicinity. Covens often stacking out almost entire suburbs if they were large enough. He reached easily for that hood, drawing it up and over his head, Little Bear tucking herself readily inside and out of view as he made his way to that address. It was newer then he'd expected, that lack of, well, use giving at that this was likely the bar's opening night as he paused within that empty room still busily being set up. The vampire almost relieved to see his blonde acquaintance heading towards them as his blue gaze swept across that room before settling upon that stage. Was it too much to hope for that he might get to do something interesting? His hope readily beginning to die in those moments that followed him brushing off Tim's concern over the Panda, Arlo sure she wouldn't be a problem in the slightest, the idea of leaving her somewhere or worse- outside alone- hardly siting well with him. He followed the man into that storeroom then, the place positively overflowing with boxes and equipment and stage props. His vampiric strength apparently being utilised to haul things. Great. He waved the overly nervous seeming Tim off with one hand, that dude sure acting strange tonight and yet he supposed that came with opening night jitters- Arlo eyeing those box's with a great lack of enthusiasm now.

His Little Bear wandered onto his shoulders with a bark, leaping onto the nearest amp, wobbling slightly before seeming to regain her balance and glancing towards him expectantly. Arlo fitting her with a light-hearted scowl. Well- at least one of them was enthusiastic about this. A far more dramatic sigh then was surely needed fell from his lips as he moved to grasp that amp, hoisting it up, Panda and all, to move it to where it needed to go upon the opposite side of the room. Well. No one had given him exact instructions had they? It just made more sense to put the amps together and in one place. If he was going to sort this room out he might as well do it right. Boring as it was. He wandered back to that pile then, detangling what looked like a microphone stand from a box of wires and cords that were so hopelessly tangled he was fairly sure they'd never come free again. Who the hell was looking after this stuff?

"You know Chicka, you're lucky you don't have opposable thumbs or I'd make you help me do this."

That mic stand was placed to one side, Arlo seating himself on top of another box, dragging those tangled cords towards him as he made some effort to detangle one from the other, his gaze glancing upward to keep an eye on his pet lest she go and explore the room. He could hear people starting too fill up that bar now, voices and laughter echoing through those walls. Maybe someone decent would actually be playing tonight, then again, a new bar was unlikely to attract anyone that great for its first night. How the hell Tim had ever gotten a job here he hardly knew. The guy wasn't exactly a musical genius or even that good at waiting tables. Whatever. One cord was finally freed from that assortment and laid down on the floor beside him, the sudden â€"crash- of something falling over seeing the vampire glance upward, eyeing his Little Bear dubiously now. The man almost sure that hadn't fallen over alone. He rose easily from his makeshift seat then, moving to pick up that toppled base drum before his gaze fell on that keyboard beside it. A low whistle of appreciation sounding from his lips.

"I haven't seen one of these in years, come here Chicka, let me show you something."

His fingers brushed gently over those keys. God it had been so long. The keyboard wasn't even his instrument and yet it was almost begging him to touch it, Arlo flicking it on at the power before turning that volume right down. He reached easily for the Panda then, lifting her up to place her on the keyboard above the keys gesturing to one of the keys nearby.

"See this key here, when I gesture to you, press it alright? I'll teach you a song. I might be a little rusty though, forgive me it's been a few years. Ready?"

His fingers easily found just the keys he needed, Arlo content to count himself in before pressing down, letting those soft musical notes flow readily in that ever classic 'The Saints Go Marching In", the man fairly sure Sebastian would have rolled his eyes at that choice, the man nodding at the Panda then as she pressed her own key down, adding to that song before he gestured again, letting the little creature be part of that musical sound. Arlo readily humming that song now as he played, fingers flicking effortlessly across those keys, nodding to his little bear with every other note to let her press her own key. The man oblivious to how loud his playing might have been.....

"Look at that Chicka, your basically Beethoven."