Arlo James

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

"Well thanks for saving my neck...again."

Those words were offered easily enough, that note of amusement in them all the same as Arlo slid into the back of that car, Damon handing over those keys to Isolt as he did before the pair of vampires slide into the front of the car. God he could smell that blood. That enclosed space within the car strengthening that scent until that saliva begun to pool behind his lips. Arlo swallowing heavily, the man making a distinct effort to attempt not to breath and kept that scent from his nose and yet....it was damn near heavenly. He wasn't even sure who smelled better. Damon or Isolt. Damon was older, his blood probably richer- it usually was- and yet there was a sweetness to Isolt scent all the same. Something that begged to be tasted. She'd like his bite too, they always did, that cocktail of sedatives nothing short of efficient in bringing his own kind down and yet....that singular glance from Damon readily saw Arlo look away. No matter how good that scent was he remembered that electricity of sorts well enough. His arms folded almost grumpily over his chest as he asked after those windows instead. Isolt quick to respond. That rush of air damn near merciful in that moment. Arlo, for now, still content to yield to Damon's far more dominant nature. Isolt, while far less....domineering perhaps, held that same sought of authority. Arlo unwilling to challenge either in that moment. Besides- they had helped him out- he kinda owed them both.

Isolt's sudden assurance that she hardly feared this Xavier fellow whom Arlo had irritated by feeding off of someone in his coven (or even Xavier himself, hell, Arlo had no idea which one he'd bitten) and Damon had probably only further annoyed by ripping the heads off said coven saw the younger vampire glance up. She had spine for a woman. He'd give her that much. Neither man apparently bold enough to argue with her clipped tone. Arlo willing enough to admit this entire night had largely been his fault. To an extent. Maybe. He hadn't know who Xavier was when he'd attacked the guy (or his coven member or whoever he'd bitten to send that coven after him to begin with), just as he sure as hell hadn't meant to accidentally need Damon to save his ass a second time and yet it had happened anyway. Isolt dragged into that mess in turn. Maybe it was his fault- and a little bit Damon's. His bright blue gaze was drawn towards the womans feet then at her insistence the pair of men owed her a new set of shoes- her current ones ruined by that blood. Arlo almost content to argue that that one was entirely Damon's fault. Almost. The vampire shifting slightly instead to reach into his pocket and pull out that handful of crumpled bills and several coins.

"I have....er.....like.....six dollars and thirty five cents. Is that enough for like...one shoe? I'll get one if Damon springs for the other."

How much did girly shoes even cost? Arlo oblivious to any notion that it might have been offensive to suggest Isolt's shoes were so cheap. The vampire intending that offer entirely genuinely as he sat back within his chair. Isolt was right he supposed. If Xavier was coming to find her then it might as well be on her own terms, besides, if he had to come looking for them that might just piss him off more than he already was. Arlo slid easily from that car as it pulled up outside that bar that had been his own favoured hunting ground prior to Damon's 'lessons'. The Crusnik following his companions inside then as Isolt busied herself at that bar and Damon watched on. Damon was always watching her and yet, he supposed, that was fairly normal for a vampire watching over his mate. Territorial lot they were. Still, Arlo supposed, he was hardly any better, not when Abby was around or even Sebastian. Arlo prone to that irritation at the idea that anyone else might want to so much as sniff Sebastian's blood.

He watched as the woman lined up those three glasses, two off them filled with what he could only assume was some sort of warmed, old, blood. His own features wrinkling in distaste. He disliked that regular blood at the best of times, let alone when it wasn't as fresh as it could be. Still, the other vampires seemed to enjoy it well enough. Arlo sure Isolt was about to offer him the same, the man ready to wave it away, only for the red-haired woman to lift her lips to her wrist, slicing it open to let that blood run into the glass. That rush of venom came to his lips near instantly, his gaze shifting to something predatory at the sight and smell of it. Isolt suddenly pushing it towards him as Arlo reached eagerly out to take it only for Damon to hiss furiously at him. Arlo's own response was born from little more than instinct than, that food aggression rearing its head once more as the younger vampire hissed right back. Arlo fangs bared towards him then as that hiss and crackle off his own electricity danced around him and yet.....he let go of that glass all the same. Arlo well aware of Damon's powers- and that this was very much the other vampires territory.

That sudden knock at the door was perhaps the saving grace for all of them. Arlo's head jolting upward to glance towards it. Damon seeming to have lost all interest in him in that moment as Isolt herself moved to answer that door. Arlo hardly fool enough to let himself be seen. He'd survived this long by keeping out of reach of men like Xavier. That affinity for teleportation was suddenly embraced. Arlo disappearing from his seat only to reappear down behind the bar, hidden from the view of the man in the doorway. His hand reaching up to snatch that glass of blood from it all the same just before that door was swung ajar. Arlo not about to leave that behind when Damon was otherwise distracted from trying to strangle him. Not that he blamed the other man really. It was the blood of his mate. Still- the more Arlo fed, the stronger he was. Maybe he'd need it tonight. That glass of blood was easily raised to his lips, Arlo downing that glorious drink in a mere few mouthfuls. God it was nice. His tongue brushed across his lips, licking that blood from them before running across his fangs in the same manner to catch any remaining residue. That glass stashed on one of the shelves nearby as he merely stayed crouched down, listening to that exchange.

He could hear feet, he could hear Isolt taking that Xavier fellow somewhere, a door closing before the sound of that bar cracking and Damon's glass shattering saw his head at last appear over the bar as those lights flashed on and off above him. His blue gaze turned to eye that office then (he could only assume Isolt had gone in there based on the way Damon was eyeing the door like will power alone would explode it). Had she gone in their alone with that guy? Was that really smart? Even Arlo inclined to feel some level of....protectiveness for the woman whom had protected him. Arlo stood fully upright at last then to lean back on the bar, making sure to leave at least a little space between Damon and himself. The guy seemed kinda....moody right now. Maybe he shouldn't test him. Still, even Arlo didn't truly like that idea of Isolt being in there by herself.

"Do you want to know what their saying?"

His blue gaze, brighter now from that blood, rested on the other man then. Arlo ready to teleport out of the way just in case Damon decided to shatter him like he shattered that glass. Arlo content to watch that blood drip from that already healing wound. Look at it all....being wasted like that. Still, when Damon didn't immediately try to rip his head off for talking Arlo shifted once more, holding one hand out.

"I lied to you that night we went out. I can manipulate things, lots of things, to do what I want them too. Just like I did at that bar I just....wasn't really ready to accept it yet. Whatever, it's not important now. Give me your phone and I can hack Xavier's, kinda like a pocket dial and then delete any record from his phone of the call. You'll at least be able to hear what's being said. Most of it anyway. Depends what else that guy's got shoved in his pockets to hear around."

He owed Damon right? Maybe this could...make up for it a little and make him forget Arlo had just downed a tumbler of his wife's blood....and that he'd hissed at him. He hadn't really meant to. Sure Damon freaked him out a little but he liked the guy- mostly. He took that phone only once it was offered. His fingers running across it as his own affinity extended, seizing Xavier's phone to make that silent call between the pair, assuring not even that vibrate went off in Xavier's pocket. The sound of Xavier moving about echoing through Damon's phone then as he handed it back to the man.

"If you don't want to listen then just turn it off, but don't say I didn't try to help you. Just make sure your quiet or he might hear us. In other words, stop breaking shit- and if your girl comes out here and finds out about this I'm going to deny any knowledge and run away and leave you with the whole betrayal of trust speech your going to get. Still- I don't think she should be in there alone with him either."