Arlo James

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

How fortunate he was his Little Bear was not any bigger, the girl very near the perfect size to remain beneath his jacket although those small, odd paws were hardly the most comfortable things he had ever had upon his chest, the sensation almost...ticklish in a fashion. The man very nearly having forgotten that sensation, although perhaps he could feel it if only because of his recent feeding and the blood that warmed his own veins. His thoughts on it hardly last particularly long, the man striding effortlessly from that apartment they had found themselves in and into the elevator- hardly willing to simply stride out the front door and into the waiting arms of hiss assailants. It would be...unfortunate to be caught now when he had done so well escaping. What he had so believed to be the basement however was evidently a garage of sorts. The residents of the buildings parking their cars beneath, row upon row of vehicles so presented to him. Grand theft auto had hardly been his plan for this evening and yet little of his evening had one to plan at all. A car hardly the worst of what he had stolen in his time, those blue eyes running smoothly across each shining surface with a clear appreciation, his gaze turned downward to his companion once more, assuring himself she was still entirely intact before requesting her choice of car for the end of this unintended adventure.

That small, neat paw lifts a moment later, blue eyes following her gesture to rest upon a sleek, black Aston Martin Vantage. It was hardly a fancy car by any stretch of the imagination, though even Arlo knew it was surely faster than anything else in this garage. How someone who lived on this side of town had a car like that he hardly knew, his own features frowning slightly in consideration before dismissing the thought. They hardly had time to assess the car, the vampire assured his compatriots would hardly be far behind, one of them sure to head down once they realised he was not about to exit the front doors. Arlo having no desire to be here when they did. Maybe he was a coward but sometimes the coward survived and tonight that was all he cared to do. One on three not odds he found favourable enough to stand his ground or defend the territory that was his own home. Such self-depreciating thoughts are cast aside once more, Arlo moving to unzip his jacket now, gently lifting the cat-creature from within, placing her atop the roof before heading around to the front of the car- lifting to bonnet with ease.

"You have a good eye, Chicka, this one has a hell of an engine."

He flashes her a toothy, almost boyish grin over that bonnet before bending back down. It was easy, if nothing else, to at least pretend he was hardly concerned about his pursuers or the state of his apartment or where the hell he was going to sleep with that sun ever close to rising. Wasn't pretending what he did best? He reaches easily for several of those wires, the vampire fiddling for a few moments before that car roared into life, the bonnet shut once more before he headed for that driver's door- one fist slammed suddenly into the door- denting it rather badly and yet hitting that lock release to jar that door into opening. Excellent. He reaches upward to lift the Little Bear once more, sliding into that driver's seat, placing her on the passenger's seat beside him- eyeing that seatbelt for a moment. Strapping her in seemed a little impractical- if nothing else. Surely those little paws could grip? Arlo shifting gears, putting the car into reverse, attempting to find the lights.

"What's going on with the inside of this car? What do all these buttons do? I- oh."

Some part of the dashboard had opened, papers spilling out onto the passenger seat and onto his companion, the man reaching for one, turning it over to reveal some sort of...mission statement. Oh fuck. Of all the cars in this garage they had taken a Hunters. Who the hell was Azrael? Well- it hardly mattered now he supposed, the man brushing those papers onto the ground before swinging the car around to face forward- those garage doors already opening, his foot finding the accelerator. The car roaring into life with far more speed then he truly anticipated- some sound beginning to beep, his features frowning slightly before something- or someone- appeared directly in front of the car and just outside those garage doors, Arlo entirely incapable of stopping. That rather sickening thud followed by a distinct â€"bump- assuring him he had both hit and run over someone, his gaze lifting briefly to peer into the rear vision mirror at the vaguely twitching vampire upon the sidewalk. That beeping cut off in the same moment.

"Huh, I guess it was a pedestrian alert alarm. Don't worry Chicka, he's dead, he can't die again. He'll be fine- just a lot angrier."

His own shoulders lift in a shrug of sorts, something very akin to a simper threatening at the corner of his lips before that car shot out and onto the road. So late it night it was veritably empty, Arlo allowing that car every bit of speed now, fingers taping against the steering wheel to that radio- the man so seemingly utterly unconcerned by any of their evening so far, gaze glancing once more to his Little Bear to assure she was alright as that city raced past them.

"I used to be the guitarist in a band once you know? We were just starting to make it too- when the vampire thing happened. They replaced me after that. Now I'm a footnote on a Wikipedia page that says I left due to 'creative differences'. I guess trying to eat your bandmates is a creative difference. I wrote nearly all the songs though, they still play them and when Rolling Stone interviewed them last year I wasn't even mentioned. Guess im not surprised."

He was, decidedly, still bitter over that. Hell, he was bitter over a lot of things even if he so rarely ever showed it. It had been years since he'd even last mentioned that band. Yet what did it matter if he told the cat? How much did it even understand? He would surely never see her again after tonight. He pulled easily into the curb, right outside the alleyway in which they'd met just hour before. Arlo reaching to scoop her up into his arms a final time for that night, crossing the street and into a park of sorts that seemed a far better place to release her then that alleyway she had run into.

"Here you go, Little Bear, right where you started tonight. I'd almost keep you if my landlord allowed pets and I didn't have a habit of ruining everything I touch- you'll be much better off without me I'm sure. Good Luck, Chicka. Thanks for the company."

He lifts her easily into the nearest tree, an apple tree by chance, one hand ruffling her ears again before he simply steps away, flashing her a single, final grin before sliding back into that car. This, in the least, he was sure he could sell. Arlo pulling easily away from the curb now. How...cold he felt without that little creature so tucked against his chest.