Arlo James

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

It was curious, that sweet little sound that seemed to rise within the panda seated on his lap in the moments. He could feel the animal vibrate as she purred against him, as if attempting to hum in just the same way as he did. Amusement tugged at his features as he continued to play. A part of the vampire finding her efforts almost, well, adorable really. It was ridiculous he supposed, that he might find so much companionship in that little creature and yet there was an innocence of sorts to her, a sweetness he couldn't deny that was appealing in a way nothing and no one had ever really appealed to him before. Then again, he never had owned a pet before, maybe all pet owners felt like this about their animal. Somehow he doubted it all the same. His fingers continued to run over those keys in that rare moment of peace in the hurricane that was his existence, Arlo musing softly that idea that had been teasing at his mind ever since his evening with Sebastian when he'd showed the elder vampire those pictures on his phone. Sebastian had almost seemed convinced his Little Bear wasn't exactly as much an animal as she appeared, that idea she might be a Were had tugged at his mind ever since and yet surely, surely after all this time she would have told him right? Why would she keep pretending to be an animal if she wasn't? Maybe she was nervous to be a human and yet, then again, maybe she was just some sort of enchanted familiar or something just like Sebastian had said. His knowledge on witches not nearly expansive enough to know what that meant exactly. Maybe she was just a really smart panda.

That question was all but free form his lips when that door suddenly burst open, jolting his concentration and jerking that question from his thoughts. Arlo was oblivious to that state of panic he'd left his little friend in with that unspoken question, the vampire instead scowling at Tim as the man all but chewed him out. This working business wasn't exactly fun. What was his problem? He wasn't breaking any of the equipment and it wasn't like Little Bear was in the way. That door was just about slammed closed again, Arlo sighing before lifting himself to his feet, lifting that Panda to let her slink back into the safety off his hoody before scooping up the keyboard and heading out onto that main stage. The bar was all but buzzing now. Crowds and sound and laughter echoing all around him. For an opening night it wasn't doing half bad. His own attention was drawn then to that band, Arlo eyeing them with a clear intrigue, asking after just what they played before his gaze drifted across that set up. Some of those instruments weren't exactly in the best place for optimum sound, the vampire sure that bass was going to drown out the singer altogether and yet he somehow doubted his notes would be well received. Arlo slunk easily back into the crowd then, making his way to the back wall before turning around to lean against it and hear the beginning of that song. The sound that followed seeing him reach automatically for his overly-sensitive ears.

"Christ!"

The bass was far too loud, the singer left a lot to be desired and whatever sound they were trying to achieve Arlo was almost assured was designed to repel vampires, the man making his way hurriedly back to that relative quiet of that back room. He was all for supporting new bands he supposed and yet shouldn't they have been looking for the ones with actual talent? He could just about feel those drums through the floor. He'd no sooner fond that solitude then he became distinctly aware of someone else, Arlo entirely sensitive to the presence of his own kind, his gaze flicking hurriedly upward as the other vampire asked after his name. That was never a good question. No one good was ever looking for him. The fact he was being looked for at all was worrying. That use off his full name however captured far more off his attention along with that mention of solicitors. His parents were dead, they had to be, that was what this was about- although he'd never have picked his Dad to have a vampire for a solicitor before. Kinda logical profession for a vampire he supposed. Never died, long memories, families liked to keep will's in the family and all that. The mention of Patrick's name alone seeing Arlo pause entirely, so much so that the paperwork was offered to the Panda. The other vampire more than willing to take a paw-print as a signature as long as he had something, the man flipping to the next page and the next, shoving that shoe box into his hands as Little Bear eagerly pressed her paw down. A shoe box?

"Are you sure he left me a box? What's in it?"

I don't know sir, it is hardly my job to question our clients on what they leave other people. Vampires leave obscure things all the time, consider yourself lucky it's not taxidermy. Thank you, Miss and good evening to you both.

That the other vampire had spoken to his pet as if addressing a person was all but lost upon him, Arlo still staring almost dumbfounded at that worn old box within his hands, the young man sitting himself down upon an upturned crate. The box was old, faded, worn- that lid tied down with what he was almost sure was a shoe lace and yet it came away in his hands easily enough. Arlo almost dreading too look within it. He'd spent the past two years forgetting his maker. He'd taken his things from what was left of the apartment they'd once shared the night Patrick died. His Maker had never owned anything valuable enough to leave in a Will, surely.

"What on earth...."

The words were uttered almost softly as he finally lifted that lid, eyeing the contents within, his features frowning as one hand lifted to push back that hoody, allowing him to see all the better and too giving his Little Bear that chance to look in turn and the....box of crap he'd been left. His fingers delved carefully into that box, plucking out a rather small pot, turning it over then to eye that baby cactus that was looking, well, not all that healthy. Arlo scowling slightly before placing it gently on the table beside him.

"That's going to need some love and....water. Patrick, my Maker, the one who made me a vampire- he used to grow cactuses- like a lot of them. He just really loved them. I don't know why."

He uttered almost quietly, his blue gaze lingering briefly on that little plant before turning back to that box, Arlo lifting out the stub of a ticket to a show that had played nearly ten years ago at a concert hall he'd never heard off. Great. What use was that? Why couldn't Patrick have left him money? His hands plucked another piece of paper from within it then. The words 'username' and 'password' printed upon it.

"Username and password for what? What is this? His World of Warcraft account or something? Password for what Patrick?!"

An irritated snort rose from within him. Another useless piece of paper. Great. That box containing several more items he hardly understood along with something that looked like an old phone or blackberry or something that was long dead. Arlo reached to lift it out. Turning it over within his hand only to have it suddenly flair to life, the vampire dropping it out of sheer shock, letting it land back within that box. The screen flashing a series of colours only to start downloading....code? The word 'Bitcoin' flashing briefly onto the screen before disappearing again.

"Ummmm, what's a Bitcoin?"

Why he was asking a Panda he hardly knew, Arlo glancing at his pet momentarily before back to that box. He'd seen that word before, hell, he'd seen Patrick scroll through pages and pages of web code or whatever it was before too. He was always on that computer, running those blogs and fighting with people on Reddit and god knows what else he did. He was a nerd. Patrick the nerd. Arlo never having thought of him any other way. Why was this phone still scrolling, was it even connected to the internet? How was it doing that? That gasping sound escaped him suddenly, Arlo jamming that lid back down on that box with force as if it might seal the phone within it, before shoving it away from him. His voice slightly unsteady.

"That screen, that scrolling thing it was doing, computers always did that for Patrick. That was his power- he could do things with computers, I never understood it.....I...I never wanted to. This is his power....not mine....I don't want it. Shit. Can you inherit powers? Is this how that works? Oh god, I don't want it. Where did that vampire go? I-."

Those words never made it past his lips, the light above suddenly going out, from the sounds of those shouts outside those lights and the band had gone out too.

"Oh fuck. Was that me? We gotta go, Chicka."