Arlo James

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

This was just...so not the night he'd intended. Why was it always him? Why did this shit always happen to him? Even when he tried to stay out of it. His efforts to collapse to the ground we're decent enough. His mind having registered that realisation that Cadance was, well, sort of helping him. It was her fault he was in this mess to begin with- that much he was certain of and yet he'd lived in this world damn long enough to know when someone was being forced to do something. Maybe it was blackmail of some kind. Someone had something on Cadance- enough to force her into...doing what exactly? Knocking him out? He didn't owe anyone money- not anymore. What was this even about? Arlo, in the very least, managed to close his eyes despite that desire to try and see exactly who was coming towards him. The scent of vampires was nearly overwhelming and yet none of them smelled familiar at all. What had he done to piss this lot off? Who were they? Arlo managed to crack one eye open ever so slightly to glance at that approaching group. Shit. There was a lot of them. Okay. This was alright. Stay calm. Stay calm. Arlo was quick to close his eyes again, the Crusnik doing his best to simply...listen to what was going on around him. Those names were equally unfamiliar and yet each of those vampires had a distinct scent.- one his Crusnik senses were entirely able to tell apart. Arlo fixating on trying to work out exactly where each vampire was. One smelled like alcohol, one smelled like cats, one smelled like cigarette smoke, one smelled of...people in general and the last one smelled like.....was that gunsmoke? What were they, the mafia? Jesus.

The one who stood the furthest away, the gunsmoke scent, seemed to be the one in charge. If they were a coven then none of those other vampires seemed even remotely willing to challenge their leader who lingered further back. Arlo was aware of Cadence too, her beating heart seemed to get louder and more panicked at the mention of muzzles and fang removal. Well damn. These guys weren't playing around. They knew....what he was then. How fortunate Arlo felt in that moment not to have a heart beat to give him away and yet he was damn near sure he was starting to sweat. He could feel it. Sweat was going to give him away. Could he teleport now? Just up and disappear? He could easily make it to one of the rooftops before teleporting again and again. They'd lose the trail quick enough but...what about Cadance? He couldn't leave her behind. Maybe once....a long time ago- he could have. Maybe once he would have only cared about himself but Cadence was clearly a victim here too. Hell, he hardly had to be a rocket scientist to work that one out. He'd heard of vampires keeping WerePets before- he just hadn't exactly believed it until one of them had tried it with his own Abby. Was that what this was? Was Cadance their....pet? If he could get close enough to her he could just take her with him and...release her back into the bush or something? For a moment Arlo found himself near distracted by the notion of whether or not you could just release WereCreatures back into the wild like that- only for screaming and the scent of blood to suddenly fill the air.

Arlo dared to sneak another glance toward his attackers. One of those vampires and ripped the fangs out of the fucking head of one of his coven members. Fucking hell! Arlo's jaw tightened near instinctively. As if biting down harder might somehow prevent them getting anywhere near his fangs. He needed those. He wasn't going to be able to do anything if they pulled his fangs out of his head. Jesus he hadn't even thought that was possible. That sweat, he was certain, was all but running from him now as those pillars were handed to another vampire. Arlo was forced to close his eyes once more, the Crusnik straining to hear over the wailing and crying of the one who'd had his fangs ripped out. This vampire seemed more intent on doing what he was asked. Arlo could smell that hand coming closer and closer. His own eyes flickered open in near the same moment as he lunged forward, his fangs biting directly into the hand of the vampire who'd been reaching for him. That reaction was near as instinctive as it was defensive. Arlo hardly chose to linger to see the effects of that venom, the Crusnik quickly gathering that affinity for teleportation only to disappear from the scene entirely- the man reappearing on the roof of one of the houses above.

His own breath was coming near hurriedly. That anxiety gripped at his chest as he stumbled further back and into the shadows. The vampire he'd bitten below was screaming as if he feared he'd actually die- his coven leader, or whoever Gunsmoke was, seemed content to assure him he would, in fact, die- only for that venom to take hold completely and render the man unconscious. That guy was....kinda a dick. Arlo's head shook ever so slightly, the Crusnik entirely ready to teleport himself clear of this entire scenario and yet...Cadence was still down there. Would they know she'd helped him? Would they take it out on her? Did they plan to just kill her here and now? He couldn't just...leave her. Not when she'd helped him. One hand reached up to run through Arlo's hair in clear anxiety. Maybe he was A Crusnik but he hated fighting vampires. Hell, he rarely fought them at all. Why fight when you could run away? Still, other then Gunsmoke they seemed afraid of him. Panicked. He could get behind them easy enough. None of them seemed like old vampires, his venom should knock them out right? And give Cadance a chance to get away too.

The vampire with the injured fang seemed an easy enough target. He wasn't even looking. Arlo moved to creep along the top of that roof only for that affinity to grasp him once more. It was easy then, to appear behind Kit, Arlo's fangs quick to bite into him before teleporting back to safety. Alright two down, three to go. Arlo lingered within those shadows before the movement of Ian and Chase caught his attention- they were running. Thank god. It was so much easier when they ran. That teleportation seized him again, Arlo equally quick to dispatch those two vampires before returning to the shadows of the rooftop. One left, just one left. Damn if his heart could beat it would have been as loud as Cadance's was. Arlo's tongue brushed over his fangs, licking at the blood that stained his lips. Maybe he was a little hungry. Maybe he could feed off one of them when they were all unconscious- they wouldn't mind right? He just needed to get that last guy. The one who seemed...calm. Gunsmoke was quick to round on Cadance, strolling towards her as if his coven didn't lie unconscious around him. This guy didn't seem...scared like the others. Cadence did though. Even despite the way she seemed to steel herself. Hmmm. She was...brave. Even with that fear all but leaking off her she seemed determined to face that vampire. Hell, he had to give her points for that.

Arlo's blue gaze lingered on that scene below as Gunsoke rolled a plank of wood about within his hands. Was he seriously going to hit Cadence with that? He seemed distracted enough, talking to the WerePanther. Maybe Aro could get behind him now. His own instincts, however, seemed almost determined to make him flee. Every part of him all but screamed to run from this one. This one was different to the others. Arlo seemed to hesitate for those few seconds longer. The Crusnik debating his life choices in that moment before that teleportation seized him a final time, Arlo no sooner having appeared behind Gunsmoke then the other vampire moved with a speed unlike Arlo had ever truly faced before. That wooden plank collided solidly with him- Arlo sent flying backward and into the nearest wall as he struggled to catch his breath. Alright. That hurt. That hurt a lot. His hand scrabbled at the wall in an effort to pull himself upright again and yet his vision was almost swimming. The other vampire was coming towards him. Calling him by name. How the hell did who know his name?

"What do you....even want, bud? I haven't...done anything to you. I don't even know you."

Those words were almost broken as Arlo's head shook. The Crusnik desperately tried to clear his vision as he steeled himself for a second blow. He'd never been good at this fighting thing and yet he was going to have to try. His arm still felt numb. The one Cadance had injected. His efforts to pull himself back onto his feet made all the more futile by that limb. Gunsmoke, for his part, merely snorted. Arlo could see his teeth. Christ he had a lot of teeth. This was going to hurt so much more than that wooden plank and- Cadane's words suddenly seemed to shout from behind. Those words aimed entirely at her...Master? Arlo was hardly sure of the word. Her goading however seemed to have a near instantaneous effect as Gunsoke whirled in place to face her- a snarl spat from his lips. Cadence kept going. Gunsoke was the coward, she insisted. Christ, did she have a death wish? This guy was like a volcano about to explode. She should have run while he had the chance- not try and distract the vampire and- oh- she was distracting him. I ain't no fuckin' coward. If day too damn stupid ta gat bitten by dat idjit den dat ain't my problem. Yar got somethin' else yar wanna say 'Arley?

Gunsoke's hand lifted, Arlo entirely aware of just what that man intended to do, Arley...if that was her real name- was about to be backhanded into next week. He'd near kill her if he struck her that hard. Arlo's gaze shifted to Gunsoke's neck and yet....that would be predictable wouldn't it? He just needed somewhere his teeth could breech. Arlo's feet shifted beneath him, pressing against the wal before abruptly pushing himself forward. His lips parted- his fangs burying into the back of Gunsmoke's right leg. That was unexpected right? The vampire seemed to whirl like a fucking bullet train as Arlo was rendered air bourne a second time, that kick, in the least, putting some distance between him and the now thoroughly enraged vampire as Arlo scrambled to his feet once more. Gunsmoke was a blur of speed- and outrage. Arlo's efforts to dodge that next attack saw the Crusnik very near throw himself out of the way- the concrete left split from the force of Gunsmoke's strike in the very place he'd been laying. Shit. He was coming again. Arlo's efforts to didge that other vampire very quickly became a near blur of speed. Chunks on concrete and brick where scent flying as Gunsmoke's strikes took out half those damn buildings.

"What the fuck is with this guy!? How fucking strong is he? He's supposed to be unconscious!"

Those words were a veritable shout toward Cadance as Arlo teleported clear of that fourth strike. The Crusnik, this time, reappearing beside the raven haired woman. His own breath was coming in near pants now. He couldn't keep this up for much longer. This vampire was...so much faster, so much stronger. This was it. This was the end. He was going to die here in this alleyway with a strange woman with two names and some guy who spoke like he'd stepped out of a John Wayne film. Another sudden burst of speed sent Gunsmoke towards them again. Arlo, this time, very near braced for that impact- only for the vampire to breeze right past them. It took several long moments for the Crusnik to realise that the final blow had never come. Huh? Arlo moved to glance further down that alleyway then. Their attacker, finally, having succumbed to that venom. That cowboy vampire sat on the alleyway floor, his back agianst the wall, those leftovers from the restaurant beside him as he moved to nearly lazily push that takeaway fork through one of the meals- searching for the bits he seemed to desire most before lifting them to his lips with clear satisfaction.

"Are you kidding me? He can eat the food?"

The very stress of his near death, it seemed, was inclined to present itself as disdain over the fact the cowboy was clearly capable of digesting that human food. Arlo,for several moments, was merely content to stare before his gaze shifted back to, was it Arley?

"If a vampire is really strong or old, my venom won't knock them out, it just gets them high. I promise he can't actually hurt you now. He's way too high for that. Apparently your guy's hungry when he's high- thats kinda unusual but he can't use his powers or anything when he's like this either."

Arlo's hand reached upward to rub at the sore spot on his head. At least he wasn't bleeding. His blue gaze shifted away from the now contended cowboy only to glance back to the young woman.

"Arley, is it? We probably shouldn't hang around. I can teleport you to the outskirts of town if you want? If you travel during the day you can probably get a long way from here and your....er...whatever he is to you. I don't know what the deal is here but I can kinda tell this whole plot to abduct me or whatever it was wasn't your idea. This vampire tried to make my girlfriend into her pet once so I kinda get it. It was a whole thing."

A simper of sorts managed to tug at Arlo's lip. The Crusnik, despite it all, still distinctly determined to help the young woman before him. Her gaze, however, seemed focused upon that cowboy still.

"I mean.....if you want to stay you can. This is probably a really good time to get him to release you if you need. He won't admit any secrets to you or anything but I promise, when they are high like this, they will tell you just about anything. It makes them really happy. I still think you should let me take you away from here though. Just saying."