Arlo James

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

His features wrinkled slightly at the sensation of his Little Bear stretching upwards to lick at his cheek, that following nuzzle seeing her rougher guard hairs tickle at his face until the feeling saw him scrunch it slightly with a chuckle, affectionately rubbing his hand against the Bear once more. Maybe she liked being declared his friend. Arlo never entirely sure just how much the girl did or didn't understand, the vampire prone to merely talking all the same as if choosing to believe she understood him for the most part. That she might be anything other than an animal however, had failed to occur to him at all. The man convinced she was merely the sought of enchanted creature that seemed to run rampant in city already doused in the supernatural. Her intelligence surely the result of some witches spell or a very patient trainer. It hardly mattered to him regardless. Friends were friends. His own kind had proven to be decidedly poor in the friendship department, mortals had a habit of dying or bleeding near him, which so very rarely ended well. Maybe a pet was going to be the extent of his abilities in a social fashion and yet he hardly found he minded. Animals were, at their core, non-judgemental and there was a part of Arlo that, lately, found that a truly valuable trait. Even if he was sure she managed to look at him critically sometimes. Maybe he was reading into her affectionate gestures to much. He probably just smelled nice. Either way, someone was better than no one to show off his newest acquisition too, the vampire almost assured the look on her features was as close to shock as a panda could get. Ha. There we go. Just the reaction he wanted!

Whatever he had been about to say was cut off the moment a series of loud chirps erupted from within the girl, her ears flicking erratically about as he moved to swing a leg over the bike and rev it into life, the engine purring beneath him as his hands gripped those handlebars as lovingly as any man whom had ever loved a machine surely had. His little companions evident protests- for that is entirely what he is sure they are- were met with a role of his eyes. Chicks man. Talkative in any form. He shifted to unzip his jacket all the same, assured no harm was going to come to her nestled within there, gesturing for her to make her way down as her little claws gripped at his shirt, avoiding that injured shoulder to nestle herself against his chest with just her little red head poking out of the top to let her see where they were going. This, Arlo was sure, was a sign of her being entirely ready for the ride, the vampire pulling easily out of that garage to roll smoothly into the street, gently accelerating- at least until there was room enough to run. His driving perhaps, left much to be desired, the man narrowly avoiding several cars as he raced in and out of traffic, speeding through those lights before racing around the corners. Why waste time waiting in traffic when he could go around it? The drive hardly took long at all, not at the speed he was going, Arlo peering down several times to make sure his passenger was still very much alive, the warmth of her against his chest stirring a simper to his lips before he rolled at last into that parking spot right outside the store.

He swung off the bike a moment later, shutting down the engine and tossing the keys into his pocket, declaring that ride a success despite the glare he was affixed with. The irritable huff she offered him earned little more than a chuckle from the vampire in turn, Arlo heading for the store now with his companion still concealed within his jacket. Pets probably weren't supposed to be in stores and yet chances were no one was going to demand he took off his...oddly lumpy jacket. His hands tucked into his pockets then, the dark-haired man wandering towards the back of the store and that small yet no less colourful display of Christmas decorations. Shopping wasn't exactly his strong suit, one hand lifting to run through those black locks before peering down towards his jacket, unzipping it a little more to let his companion see that small selection.

"Well? Which ones do I want? Although I suppose there aren't many, maybe we'll just get one of everything."

He reached forward then to select several baubles in a variety of colours followed by a stylized Santa, a rabbit in a hat, a reindeer and some sort of Christmas elf. Well. His tree was going to be delightfully unique if anything. He waited then, for his companion to choose something of her own liking, Arlo watching her until she showed an interest in one decoration in particular before deciding it must be that one she liked best- adding it to his collection before making his way to the counter. The clerk eyed him with a certain degree of wariness and yet Arlo had become used to that, the vampire handing over those bills as the man placed the decorations in a paper bag and handed them back to him. It was only then that Arlo paused once more, glancing down to his stowaway.

"Look away for a minute alright?"

He waited then, for the panda to turn her head away, the clerk eyeing him darkly once more and yet it seemed he was unwilling to tell off a vampire as if he feared such a thing might result in his impending doom. Arlo taking a moment to buy just one other thing and add it to the bag before stepping out of the store to swing back onto that bike. He hardly gave the girl a chance to argue again, the bike roaring back into life to guide them home, returned to its place in the garage before Arlo made his way back up the stairs and to his apartment once more. That paper bag was placed on the table, the vampire unzipping his jacket now to let his little bear out and onto the table in turn.

"Come on, you can help me decorate. This is for you too, Chicka- Merry Christmas. Google told me you Panda's like these things, it'll be sweeter than normal but it seemed nicer than buying you a banana or something like that."

A simper found its way back onto his lips as he pulled that glace fruit from the bag, placing the little plastic box in front of the panda to let her examine those slices of fruit with their shining surfaces made so by the sweet sugar they had been glazed with. Panda's liked fruit right? Besides, it wasn't as if he had anyone else to give gifts too. Arlo hardly prone to any emotional displays, one hand simply reaching forward to ruffle her fur again before he rolled his shoulders, loosening the tight muscles there, wincing again slightly at the sting from that silver knife wound. He'd get something to eat after this. God he was hungry. For now however his attention returned to his little pet, Arlo reaching forward to open that container for her and let her taste her gift. A sudden thought of sorts, seeming to stir within his mind. A sigh softly leaving his lips.

"Hey, Chicka? You don't have anywhere else to be tonight, right? You can go if you do. You know, if you have family or something..."