harley westward

No black magic can control me and no curse can let you own me

Well..... that was unexpected. Harley could barely believe her eyes as Darcy suddenly abandoned all retribution just to.... Steal the left overs. Like he was more raccoon than vein ripping, blood thirsty monster. It was like it was the only thing he could see. Well shit.. Would you look at that. Arlo's venom did work. The Crusnik stood beside her, casually like.... Harley noticed the way he almost protectively... stood in the way as if he intended to take the blow. Even despite it all. How did people like this exist? How could he be so impossibly nice when.. she appeared to be nothing more than Darcy and his goons.. Yet here Arlo was.. willing to take that blow... Acting as if he almost didn't get pummeled into concrete or all his fangs ripped out, or deceived. No one was that forgiving. Right? Harley seemed to allow that perplexing look upon her features seem like it was just about the vampire going for the food... Arlo was legitimately everything a vampire wasn't. It was a pity that this was how they met. Yet that hardly phased Arlo in the least. The pair spoke casually like friends, Harley at least offering an honest depiction of her interpretation of the vampires that held her chain. Arlo seemed confused by the term Hydra... if anyone would get it, she thought it would be him. He didn't know what a hydra was? The man had a dragon tattoo poking out of his collar and he didn't know basic mythology? After all a hydra was just a dragon with multiple heads. Maybe he watched too many superhero movies... that would explain the saviour complex.. he was a comic book fan. "Uh no, not that. You know, hydra, like.... The mythological creature.... Dragon-like.. with many heads? Cut one off and more replace it?" Damn, friend. "You know what, don't worry about it. It was just an analogy. Although, you probably wouldn't make the best partner for trivia night." That sarcasm found her once more as she idly shrugged.. willing to dismiss the comment all together. It was hardly the time for a lesson in creatures. At least with Darcy's murderous intent... deactivated, the conversational tone returned. This guy was really easy to talk to.

She nearly cringed when he used the same pronunciation as Darcy... Arley. Enough of that.. she refused to have another person call her that.. so long as she could help it. The raven-haired woman explained that her name was Harley with an H. Arlo at least seemed to notice the other vampire's lack of ability to pronounce h's. She couldn't stand it. She could handle kitty, she could handle a lot of colourful terms.. but it would seem 'Arley drove her off the wall. What was it? It really wasn't that bad was it.. yet for some reason it just seemed to crawl beneath her skin... A near dramatic sigh escaped her. "Not sure if Cadence is much better. I can assure you, I did not come up with that one either." She added with that natural sardonic tone. "Although, you got off easy. Arlo is easy to say with a mouth full of teeth and thick accent apparently." She tacked on conversationally, like he nearly just didn't get captured and defanged. That she didn't almost lure him to his almost demise.

Although, that conversation took a turn. That offer to help her escape... Harley knew how many times she thought of that very thing. How she wished it was only that simple. She remembered those warnings playing within her head French accent included. But perhaps... he was wrong. After all, there was plenty that all-knowing Frenchman didn't see. She was certain. It was like her logical mind knew better than to challenge fate itself and yet she didn't care what fate had to say. She was certain that she could make her own even despite the stacked odds against her.

Arlo seemed perplexed by her answer as if he was almost certain she would have leapt upon that opportunity. He didn't know just how bad.. her bad was. Nor did she plan on getting into those dismal woes with a stranger. She pushed down that nagging feeling that almost made her feel helpless refusing to wallow. How she refused to be melodramatic about this, here and now. Arlo would never understand. It was his other bomb that seemed to worry her far more than her inability to simply run from her problems. Darcy would remember her goading? "Well.. fuck. I'm going to hope that venom brings on a more potent form of dementia then." For her sake. Darcy seemed rather pissed too. But she wasn't exactly thinking. She was distracting... She would deal with that... another day. It wasn't until Arlo uttered that warning to be careful. Harley scoffed, running her fingers through her silken raven locks. "I think I'm a little beyond careful." It was like she couldn't help but retaliate against those that tried to oppress her. "Maybe you should heed some of that advice... Maybe no more meetings with sketchy people for a while.. Maybe send someone else." He offered, her one last tidbit about his venom. Honestly, she wished she had that shit stockpiled. It was when she finally offered that goodbye.... Why couldn't she erase that need to go with him.. to simply take him up on that offer to flee. Like she could truly stand down. See you in 50 years her parroted back.. Yeah, if she lasted that long. So much for no melodrama. She called out once more after him. "Arlo? If they still want you after this.. they wont stop. You might need to keep an eye out for any suspicious cats too.." She frowned, knowing damn well she couldn't control what happened to him anymore than she could herself.

Harley couldn't deny that Arlo walking out of this intact, felt like a win of some sort. Even if she might have only delayed the inevitable. The pair finally parted. No longer strangers.. sort of. At least that brought a hidden smile to her lips that she would have never let anyone see.. The prospect of what lay before her was far too tempting to ignore any longer. She was far from through with Darcy and if it was true...and that venom made the vampire more... pliant then she wasn't going to waste that moment. Carpe fucking diem.

Yes, she might have thrown a tiny rock at a usually murderous vampire.... It seemed like a good idea at the time to test his mood with something that would have usually sent the vampire into agro-mode. Better him getting all snarly at a rock rather than her. She did not want his gnarly high-five, please and thanks. She almost waited a second longer because she simply didn't believe that he didn't react beyond merely giving the offending rock a glance. Finding its existence pointless before returning, hunched over his pilfered food. The raven-haired woman began to edge forward, yet she watched him with caution. Even despite Arlo's convincing assurances...

Harley drew closer toward him, lowering her purple gaze to settle upon that feasting Darcy with a narrowed expression. If Arlo was lying.. She swatted the thought away, refusing to miss that rare opportunity to get some answers from the vampire who refused to give her much of everything beyond his hostility. Yet that first question was answered easily, not a hint of his usual malice. In fact, it was almost friendly. Harley seemed almost taken aback just as she was... slightly disturbed. Did Darcy just admit he liked something? Was he even capable of liking something? Never did she expect for the man's distinct like chicken! Of all things.. He claimed he was hungry all the time. Well, that explained a lot of things. "Tell me about it. I'm a nightmare when I'm hungry. Although, something tells me you weren't exactly charming in life either." She added with a conversational tone, like she wasn't talking to a man who would happily rip out her throat, drink it down and call it a snack.

How.... Comfortable the cowboy looked. It was at that moment that she realized that Darcy held a constant tension in his body, like he was a second away from demolishing anything in his way with extreme violence. That venom really worked. Well... shit. Maybe he needed to keep chicken on him and go for massages... and a daily dose of Arlo venom. Was that why they wanted the musician so badly?

Why did one vampire seemed to hate human food and the other couldn't get enough? Darcy frowned.. Oh shit. Little did she know that was probably the man's thinking face. Instead, she read it as the vampire coming back into himself. Regardless, the woman seemed to visibly relax when it appeared like Darcy wasn't about to change his mind of choice in food. She leaned casually against that wall, well with reach and yet... Darcy didn't seem to notice or care. His voice was oddly calm, which somehow made it easier to understand him through the accent uttered through his elongated piranha teeth. He poked casually at the still warm meal as if looking for his favourite parts, completely focused upon that dish that was supposed to be her lunch the next day. How strange it was to hear him talking with no hint of a threat, no attempt to get her heart racing, or get beneath her skin. The change was so abrupt... it was hard to compute that it was the same man. He offered her more than she bargained for with that response. Nathaniel never explained any of this to her, in fact, he kept her in the dark about so much as if he preferred her without knowledge of his species. While she found this topic of vampires was fascinating to hear she nearly did a double take when he mentioned something about himself and Risque.

His thick southern drawl almost sounded pleasant even though she couldn't quite convince herself that anything to do with Darcy was pleasant. He shared so little about himself... that this information no matter how small, seemed... shocking. Along with being seventy before begin able to eat. How glad she wasn't turned into a vampire. She loved food... would she have been like Darcy? Always hungry, animalistic and dangerous? Yet if he was 70 before she could stomach food... how old did that make him? He looked up to her that look was almost expectant. As if prompting her to speak more? Darcy couldn't stand a single word from her mouth and here he was... welcoming it? What mind fuckery was this? "How old does that make you now then? 100?" She guessed out loud. Immortals and their ageless beauty still fascinated her. He leaned back into the wall perfectly content and settled with his renewed love of chicken. Find a man that looks at you the way high Darcy looks at chicken.... But if... chicken and Arlo's venom was all that was needed to keep the vampire busy... Sorry chickens everywhere.. She would be ok if they took a bit of a population drop to sate the murderous cowboy.

Start with the easy questions, test the unknown waters.. and then.... Ask what? She hardly knew where she was going with this line of questioning. Or what to do with this newfound power she had suddenly found herself possessing.. Something near mischievous flit across her features, as she tipped her head as if she found the man suddenly entirely too interesting. A notion she never allowed herself to feel before. After all, better the devil you know. What she didn't expect was that sudden genuine grin to creep across his lips, the look met his mismatched eyes that made him look handsome. What the fuck. Ew. No. What she did not expect was for the vampire.... To take her words the wrong way. She could hardly help that brief look of horror, along with that desperate need to backpedal. That mention of Risque as his girlfriend was equal parts baffling. What..... the actual twilight zone. Of course, count on men to think she was hitting on him.

Harley's eyes rolled. "Where did you pull... that I was hitting on you from? No offence jaws, but you are a hard pass for me. I mean I think I would rather take my chances making out with a cactus." She nearly shuddered, how unpleasant. Yet she was certain she would come out with less bodily injuries. "Besides, I don't even do fangs." Well... she did.. but she didn't anymore. Tomato... tomatoe. "Why the hell is it when a woman actually wants to know something about a man.. they immediately think they are wanting to fuck them?" She groaned, crossing her arms as she found a little comfort in that alley. After all, he wasn't going to eat her.. harm her or... be a general dick... That and the notion he had no interest in her at all... was more relief than she could ask for.

Yet he seemed to go all.... Distant eyed as he mentioned Risque, repeating she was hot as if in a trance. As if he was picturing her at that moment. "You got it bad huh?" She inquired... broaching a topic that was entirely... dangerous to meddle in. "How does that even happen.. I mean, really. How do vampires like you even.... Tolerate one another let alone.. love." She could hardly help that sarcasm that left her lips as it trailed off to her own internal musings.. It was far easier thinking someone like Arlo was capable of love... not a man whose heart she was certain no longer existed. Yet, even high as fuck he seemed almost true-blue to his vampire lady. It was almost... kind of cute. They were a match made in hell.. Which certainly wasn't good for anyone within their radius.

How did they actually feel love? Or was it something else? Did that mean they were more human than they let on? To love was to choose your weakness. She remembered the photos in their shared bedroom... remembered so many things that made them seem like a functional couple. Nathaniel had claimed he loved her once. How she didn't believe it for a second now and yet.. here was proof... or was it just proof that something else existed?

This night was getting weirder and weirder.