Arlo James

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

He was fairly sure Sebastian was judging that small apartment. Fairly sure. Then again he supposed he didn't blame the other vampire in the slightest. Arlo judged it himself- frequently- and yet he'd spent years now living in whatever sort of veritable dive he could afford. This place was still relatively intact in most aspects- that alone made it better than the last, the edition of hot running water for the shower another bonus the young vampire considered a luxury. The man entirely oblivious other true extent of the wealth and privilege from which Sebastian came and continued to live in within his lavish mansion. Arlo instead merely scowling slightly at having boxes shoved into his arms with the command to carry them, the vampire doing so all the same before threatening to charge Sebastian for the space that instrument was sure to take up as he laid those things down beside that bran spanking new keyboard the Englishman was unpacking. His attention was drawn briefly away from that instrument by the easy shrug of his friends shoulders and that offhanded comment that he could do with the furniture, Arlo's lips quirking to the side, the man unable to deny that touch of humour even he found within those teasing words. Seb wasn't exactly wrong after all.

"Oh ha ha. Don't damage those boxes though I can probably use them, you know, for chairs."

He was only half-joking, in the least he could probably use them for drawers. The vampire hardly seeing the need to let Sebastian know exactly how little money he was surviving on right now. Not when Mr Big Spender was busy setting up that Yamaha keyboard. Damn but that was nice! Arlo's love of instruments readily seeing his attention swayed as Sebastian proposed that deal of sorts he'd come to discuss tonight. That singular mention of the Englishman's blood readily saw Arlo's head jerk sideways, betraying just how captivating that singular offer was. If anything might eclipse his interest in those instruments it was that offer of blood. Sebastian's blood specifically. It was perfect. That heated red liquid by far the most delicious Arlo had ever had, the scent of it had been cloying the room since Sebastian had entered and yet until now Arlo had done a decidedly good job of at least pretending he hadn't been tasting Sebastian's scent since the second he'd walked in. Then again, maybe Sebastian had already known. They were both predators. Like it or not it's what predators did. Food was never far from their thoughts. Arlo wholly oblivious to the pleasure Sebastian took in being reminded of just how delectable he was.

Arlo shifted easily closer to the Englishman now, pretending for all the world as if it was the keyboard he was interested in, all the while using that instrument as an excuse to linger in the other mans proximity and enjoy the scent of him all the more. Arlo attempting to decide when he thought Sebastian had fed last. It was a talent largely unique to himself, one that came from his own vampiric diet. Arlo long ago having learned to tell which vampires were well fed and which were not and yet Sebastian smelled so decidedly good it was difficult for him to tell at all. God, he'd have almost agreed just for a mouthful of that blood. He was entirely that much of a slave to his hunger and yet he could at least pretend he wasn't. The offer of that keyboard wholly unexpected and yet it could pay his rent for more than a month if he pawned it like Seb said. Then again, maybe he'd keep it. It was a nice machine. Arlo commented idly on its new looking appearance as Sebastian simply nodded, confirming he'd just bought the damn thing on the way over! Hell, imagine having that sort of cash to just throw around on a whim? Some guys had all the luck. The vampire stating he could hardly have brought his grand to him. Arlo feeling both his eyes lift slightly upward.

"You could have just asked me to come to your place you know, bud."

Still, Arlo was hardly going to look a gift horse in the mouth. If Sebastian wanted to buy him things who was he to tell him no? That simper tugged at his lips at the thought of that machine that might yet be his before asking after that apparent catch. Arlo hardly having expected he might so run that risk of loving Sebastian when he played. The very idea of it seeing his lip curl. Was that blood really worth being, well, kinda gay for an evening? That groan forced itself from his lips as one hand ran through his hair, Arlo almost reluctantly agreeing to those terms if only because that blood was worth it. Even if he refused to admit it out loud. Sebastian confirming he himself had fed just tonight, his veins sure to be filled with that liquid. Arlo's eyes rolling teasingly at that smirk on Sebastian's face at this apparent victory in convincing him to help.

"Good. It'll taste all the better then."

He offered simply, heading over to that kitchen to snatch his own pad of paper and pencil from atop it. Arlo collapsed onto the couch then, positioning himself so he could see Sebastian all the same before asking how far the man had gotten, one arm lifting lazily to catch the notebook the other vampire tossed at him before beginning to copy those notes down and asking just what this song was about. Sebastian's soft mention that it was a love song for his boyfriend readily prompted that soft snort of amusement from Arlo's own lips, Sebastian rounding on him almost immediately as he held his hands out in that universal gesture of innocence.

"Wasn't gunna. Besides, you aren't wrong. I wrote one song, once, for a girl. We'd been going out quite a while and she....er....dumped me when the vampire thing happened. Found out she'd been sleeping with my drummer for a few months on the side anyway."

His own shoulders shrugged as if it hardly mattered anymore and hell, maybe it didn't. That was years ago now and he was damn well better off without a girl like that and yet that, perhaps, answered Sebastian own unspoken question as to whether or not Arlo had ever been in love. Truly in love. Never. Arlo brushed those disparaging thoughts aside readily as Sebastian began to play those scales, testing out that keyboards tuning as he finished recording those notes and rested the book on his chest. His fingers twirled that pencil around absentmindedly as Sebastian explained what he had so far, Arlo considering it purely from a musical basis rather than an emotive one in that moment, the man frowning slightly.

"In other words you want to use me as a guinea pig? It's cool, I'm sure I can handle it. Let's hear it what you've got so far then, it looks good on paper in the least but you never really know until you hear it."

He was, perhaps, a little overly blasé about just how potent Sebastian's power might prove to be, Arlo entirely assured a piece of music couldn't truly have that great an effect over him no matter how grand. Those feelings of true love were foreign to him all the same. His gaze ran almost critically over those notes, searching for any imperfections in them, any place they could be improved as he waited for Sebastian to start. His own blue gaze glanced briefly upward as the other vampire played those first few notes, Arlo frowning in concentration now. It was a pleasant rhythm, one that sounded just as Sebastian said. Light, almost anxious, nervous and yet not unpleasant rather it was....anticipation. Arlo smiling lightly, the man unaware of the gesture to some extent. Seb was actually, well, good at this. Arlo shifted slightly in his seat as those notes came to an end, the man momentarily considering if he should have worn a nicer shirt. Did Seb even like this shirt? Arlo scowling slightly at the thought. What the fuck did it matter if he did? The man shaking his head now as if to clear it. Right, music, notes, back to work. The man scribbling a few notes onto his notepad.

"I like that, it's good, your better at this than I anticipated, I'll give you that. The offer to start a band still stands, bud. We could be great, just saying. For now though maybe consider keeping that same sound going for just a little longer and slowly start adding a few richer notes, you know, to capture those fleeting moments you get when they say or do something that makes you start to realize that maybe this is something more, maybe you want it to be and maybe you should have worn a nicer shirt."