Arlo James

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

Relationships it seemed were, well, a sore point for Cadence. Could he really blame her? Relationships hadn't exactly been his shining star for a long time either. He barely remembered most of his one night stands and the only long time girlfriend he'd had before Abby had been sleeping with his drummer for god knew how long before he found out. Maybe Cadance just needed to meet the right person. Or cat really. Abby was with him which was proof enough that not all Weres needed t be with other Wers but maybe cats were different. Maybe cats needed other cats. They lived in packs right? Or maybe....that was wolves? Well. One of them lived in packs. His comment about her finding another cat hardly seemed to excite her. Cadence instead insisted that nearly every cat in the city was a psychopath. Arlo felt both eyes lift in surprise. We're they really that bad? Hell, who better to know then another cat. Maybe his downstairs neighbours tabby didn't run from him because he was a vampire. Maybe the cat was just a dick. That thought, somehow, was oddly more pleasing to consider than his own vampirism. Arlo momentarily allowed a simper to find his lips before Cadence suggested most vampires were psychopaths too. That simper shifted into a full blown grin as he chuckled, one hand lifted to wave off her efforts to apologise.

"I mean, it's not like you're not right, bud. Most vampires are jerks. Like I said before, they don't like me, they don't even really consider me a vampire. So I don't like them much. Although my coven leader guy is pretty nice. Everyone likes him. I think it's because he's British. Chicks dig the accent you know? Thanks for the points though."

Arlo flashed another good-natured grin towards his companion before Cadence insisted when it came to love that she was probably a unicorn. A badass unicorn. One that was going to go on grand adventures and if she met someone, great, if she didn't- so be it. She still got to be a unicorn. Arlo's head tilted ever so slightly in consideration. Wasn't she a cat? Unicorn was like....a metaphor right? Although a unicorn cat would have been pretty badass. Unicorns were white horses right? With rainbow manes. Arlo's head shook lightly.

"You know what unicorn you remind me of? You ever play that game a few years ago, Robot Unicorn Attack? They had Robot Unicorn Attack Heavy Metal too. You remind me of that one- rainbows don't really seem your style."

Nah, not for Cadence. Rainbows just didn't seem her thing. Not when darker colours seemed to suit her so well. Cadence's tease of how 'soft' he'd apparently become since meeting Abby only furthered that grin on his own features. Hell, if only she'd known him before! This...softness....this was better than who he'd been back then. A lot better. The only thing missing from what he had with Abby was, well, that more....physical intimacy. He was working on it though, slowly. He'd managed to convince her to wear a bathing suit around him so that was something right? Maybe, one day, he'd convince her she could actually get changed in front of him without having to go into the bathroom, Small steps. It was that mention of the drugs he's used to be on though that seemed to almost...sober that conversation. Cadence's insistence that it took a strong person to come out the other side of drugs prompted a curiosity to Arlo's own gaze once more. Hmm, maybe she had some experience with that too? She'd been in the music industry. She probably did. Arlo's head shook ever so slightly.

"Truth is, I had a good Maker. Not many vampires can say that. Patrick helped me with a lot of stuff. Weird dude though. He collected cactuses."

Arlo shrugged lightly, that amused simper tugging at his lips all the same before that conversation drifted with a natural ease to food and back toward himself- or at least- what he was exactly. Such a conversation was hardly new to him in any sense. The world seemed to be confused about what he was. Even he had been, for a while. Cadence though, she was easy to talk to. Hella easy. Something about her was simply just...natural. Their personalities seemed to click. If all business dinners were this nice maybe he;d go to more of them instead of sending his PR team. Her comment on his venom prompted a soft, amused snort from within.

"Oh it would be a great sleeping aid for sure, you'd be screwed if you needed to get up though. Takes ages to wear off."

How oblivious he was to the internal distress of the woman sitting opposite him! Arlo, in his usual fashion, simply content to ramble on about friends and life and everything in between. The Crusnik so eternally good natured in every sense. The very notion that Cadence was something...other than what she appeared had hardly occurred to him. Arlo instead focused far more on food and how the French were well known for lying about it. He was sure. Everything tasted like chicken, they said. Such a lie. It never did. Cadence's insistence the French just used pretty words coaxed that ready laughter from within before Arlo reached for that first Mozza stick. These were pretty good. He could live with these. That conversation shifted to Cadence and her species. Just what exactly her cat-form could do was pretty intriguing. Even if, as she hinted, there were surely downsides to that existence. The crack in the wall, as she called it. The woman insisted she had excellent night vision if nothing else. Arlo paused to swallow that bite of the Mozza stick.

"When your a cat, do you still see the world in colour or is it like all...you know....black and white or however cats see?"

There was nothing wrong with asking right? He'd always wondered. Hmm, these Mozza sticks really were good. That was when the phone rung. Jesus her ringtone was loud. That flinch to Arlo's figure was nearly imperceptible and yet his own vampiric hearing had been all but blasted by that...angry tone. What a weird sound to pick as a ringtone. Then again, maybe it was just the one she'd set for this particular person? Whoever it was she didn't seem content on answering it. The phone finally fell silent as that main meal arrived. Arlo was content to eye it almost warily. It smelled alright and yet...heavy pasta with cheese and chicken was....more then he'd tried to eat in a long time. Still, the mozza sticks had been alright. Was he ready for pasta again too? He'd seen Sebastian eat an entire three course dinner! He could manage one meal right? Seb did have more than a century on him though. Arlo reached to bring a mouthful of that food to his lips, that taste striking him potently near instantly as he all but froze. This was.....not.....good. The Crusnik near forced himself to swallow before pushing that meal away from himself. He was not ready for pasta. Cadence insisted maybe he needed another fifty years as he nodded."

"Call me again in fifty years and we'll try dinner again."

That joke fell easily from his lips, Arlo insisting Cadence eat all the same as his attention returned back to those Mozza Sticks. He was more than happy to snack on those while she ate dinner. He was used to sitting at that dinner table while Abby ate anyway. Their conversation, however, was cut off by Cadence's phone again. That same...overly loud ringtone. Whoever this was really...seemed to want her attention. Arlo's assurance she could answer it if she wanted was met with a shake of the woman's head- they could leave a voicemail, she was sure. Arlo moved to speak again only for that phone to silence hima third time. Wow. Was she sure she didn't need to take that? Arlo glanced from the phone to Cadence and back again, her insistence that Mr Fire In His Pants could meditate a bit longer- and take some anger management classes prompted Arlo's own blue gaze to lift slightly. Hmm. It was probably an ex- or the bank calling. He used to dodge calls from the bank too. Back in the day. Either way, it was her business. That newfound silence prompted Arlo to query just when she wanted him to play- along with exactly what music she wanted. After all, it was important to know the vibe of the club, what sort of music the patrons normally came for. Cadence, for her part, seemed pretty content to give him free reign of what he played. That was good. He liked that. He nodded.

"Great, I can work with that."

Cadence took another mouthful of food before suddenly remembering she had some papers for him to look at or sign within her car. That query on whether he'd mind walking with her to the car met with an easy nod.

"Oh, sure, where did you park?"

Arlo lifted his hand to summon that waitress, the young woman rushing over while Cadence searched behind her- only to startle at the young woman's sudden appearance, declaring her to be stealthy as Arlo chuckled slightly. The young waitress hurried off to place that meal in a takeout container. Cadence's phone had stopped ringing and yet, her screen was rapidly beginning to fill up with msgs. Several of them in capital letters. Arlo was careful to avert his gaze and yet it was hard to miss just how many msgs she was getting. One after the other. Jesus, whoever it was could text fast! Maybe it was a good idea he walked to her car with her. If that was an ex on her phone he was...damn pushy. The waitress returned a moment later to hand that bag to Cadence.

"Can I borrow your pen?"

The waitress was quick to offer it. Arlo reached for his un-used napkin before signing that soft white paper and passing it back to her- much to the delighted squeal of the overly excited young women watching from within the restaurant. Arlo hardly having forgotten the earlier inquiry of their first waitress for that autograph. Arlo moved to push back from the table then, the Crusnik rising to his feet before waiting for Cadence to do the same and falling into step beside her. Abby would be waiting for him, he'd be home earlier then expected. She'd like that. Arlo's blue gaze shifted to the woman beside him once more, the pair heading away from that main street and toward the more dimly lit areas.

"You know, you should probably try and park like....in more well lit areas. I mean i know you can see in the dark and all that and i'm not saying you can't take care of yourself or anything, it's just safer you know? I can even smell vampires around here. I mean, they probably just passed through but safety and all that."

Oh, the irony.