Arlo James

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

It had been so long since he'd met anyone this, well, excitable and lively for a start. The young woman practically bouncing around him. It was cute really. Arlo near instantly reminded of her animal form and yet, he supposed, those ears atop her hoody made it only to easy to picture her in the Panda form he'd known her as for over a year now. That offer to show her good music was met with that same ready enthusiasm, Abigail proclaiming that it would surely be fun as Arlo's own lip quirked gently upward in response. She'd always been fun as a Panda. Was it possible she could be even more fun as a girl? Her ready excitement and generally, well, happy nature was nice. She was easy to talk to, at least, he wasn't failing quite as epically as he normally did when trying to talk to women while sober. She made it easier he supposed. With that smile and that sweetness- even if the realisation he'd shoved her down his shirt might haunt him forever. Really, how did you come back from that? He might never live that down. The desire to apologise to her again still lingering and yet maybe it would be better if they forgot that incident entirely right? Even if he was mostly sure neither of them would ever forget it. A part of the vampire wanting to crawl under a rock and die at the thought. He'd just have to make up for it from now on. Music at least one thing he knew how to do well.

"I'll take you to hear some good bands, I can even play some of the songs myself with this."

His hand patted that guitar she had gifted him with, Arlo still mostly sure it was an overly generous gift and yet he had the feeling attempting to give it back to her might end up upsetting her more than anything else. Besides, was it so bad that he actually wanted to keep it? He hadn't played in, well, years and yet how good it felt to have a guitar back in his hands again! Those thoughts interrupted by that query of just what she'd been planning to do if he hadn't run into her here, that bashful look on her face bringing that chuckle to his lips again before that invitation to come back to his place seemed to delight her all over again. Abigail falling quickly into step beside him, the girl practically bouncing up the sidewalk as Arlo made mention of that wedding he was pretty sure they were invited too. Mostly sure. Maybe he should ask Seb about that again. Hell, he had to tell the other vampire he'd been right about Abigail all along. After all, Seb had said it wasn't a normal Panda right? Why hadn't he believed him? Well, he sort of had. Arlo shaking his head slightly before that mention of the grocery store Abigail wanted to go to saw that look of confusion touch his features, the man hardly remembering anything about apples at all. Arlo taking several moments to connect those dots before that realisation seemed to dawn on him. Her request for what she wanted that night he found out he was rich. The grocery store. Of course.

That query as to whether or not she wanted something else came readily all the same. After all, taking her grocery shopping hardly seemed like, well, much of a reward or even something terribly fun for her. There had to be something else right? What did Panda's want? Well, really, what did women want? Arlo mostly sure that was a question he was never going to be able to answer no matter how hard he tried. Still, Abigail seemed entirely sure that grocery shopping was all she needed from him. The woman pausing a moment as if considering the idea further before suggesting that, really, the store was large and terrifying and she didn't want to go by herself. The idea of tackling it alone so apparently making her nervous, although why exactly Arlo was hardly sure. She was borderline the equivalent to a ray of sunshine, how anyone might dislike her or be unpleasant to her he hardly knew. The very idea of anyone even looking at her with anything less then good intentions almost irritating to him. Arlo hurriedly attempt to rein in those emotions. The vampire caught off guard once more by the force of them. What in the hell was going on with him tonight? The man shaking his head softly once more before focusing his attention on his companion, that lopsided grin still upon his lips as he offered next Thursday as the perfect day to go shopping- if only because the stores were open late that day, the sky dark enough for him to venture out and too- the shops likely to be less crowded in turn for Abigail's own benefit. His nodding easily in agreement, the momentary vulnerability upon the woman hardly missed, that desire to....protect her surely having been all the man truly needed to accompany her anyway. The woman turning on her toes to face him in a manner he found far to endearing for his own good.

"Sure, next Thursday, it's a date- er....or.....I mean.....I time in which we are both.....in the same place....together."

Stop talking. Arlo almost entirely sure he felt his own features grow almost warm in that moment, the man hurriedly attempting to press that conversation onward before he made any more of an ass of himself then he already had. That conversation shifting back to Sebastian and that wedding. Abigail still apparently content to refer to him as the Chocolate Man, Arlo hardly bothering to correct her any further. If she wanted to call him that so be it. Really, Arlo was mostly sure he'd like to see Sebastian's reaction to that all the same. That assurance that he'd mentioned Abigail to Sebastian readily seemed to delight the girl, that notion it was sweet of him seeing his eyes roll in an almost playful fashion and yet that grin remained fully in place all the same as she bounced back to his side in a manner that reminded him or a puppy. Arlo continuing then with the talk of that wedding he was maybe eighty percent sure they were both invited too even if Seb had been high at the time. The mention of 'king' seeming to see Abigail stop altogether, Arlo near crashing into her before those vampiric reflexes saw him hurriedly sidestep. Abigail's voice holding that clear note of disbelief as she looked at him almost dubiously now. Arlo's own look readily shifting then at the woman's query as to whether this was real or he'd just imagined it. If he had been imagining it he had a far better imagination then he'd ever given himself credit for.

"He's real I promise. I'll even introduce you to Sebastian, maybe he'll bring Dorian. I haven't met him yet either but here, look, they have Wikipedia see?"

That phone was fished readily from his pocket then, Arlo's fingers swiping across the screen as best as he was able with one hand to bring up that Wikipedia page for Dorian Valerio Aragona I that picture of Sebastian beside him proclaiming him to be nothing less then the Crown Consort, Arlo hardly sure what that meant and yet it sounded important.

"See? That the Chocolate Man, Sebastian- and that's the King he's marrying. There's like a million photos of them."

He passed that phone to Abigail then, allowing the girl to scroll through those pictures, Arlo content to attempt to wonder exactly what he was even supposed to wear to an event like that. Even his good jeans might not have been good enough. He sure as hell didn't have a shirt with actual buttons on it like the ones Seb and his Royal Highness or whatever he was called seemed to be wearing in half those pictures. Abby's sudden announcement that he probably had to wear a tuxedo saw both eyes lift upward as he took his phone back from the woman. Where the hell did you even get one of those? Did you buy them? Rent them? If he rented it was he allowed to take it overseas?

"I wonder if you can google where to get one of those- and how to put them on...."

The words were almost mused to himself, Arlo attempting to imagine himself actually trying to put one on with all those....parts that seemed to go with it before the very realisation of the sheer amount of times he'd taken his clothes off in front of poor Abby seemed to dawn on him. God. Oh God. What had she seen?! He was a terrible person! Well- he had thought she was a panda and yet still, the thought of it! Arlo daring to glance towards her then, the man attempting to offer some explanation for what she might have seen, or not seen because that room was damn cold and if she thought for even a minute that he was...well.....anything less then he should have been he was entirely sure she was wrong and....why was he still talking? Arlo hurriedly closing his jaw with an almost audible click. Was there nothing he could do right? His blue gaze glanced briefly towards her again, the girls face so entirely red it was, well, maybe a tiny bit funny. The vampire attempting to stifle that chuckle that threatened upon his lips at that long drawn out sound that seemed to emit from the woman as she struggled to find her own words. How....innocent was she exactly? Surely not.....that innocent right? Right?! That sudden announcement that she had looked at the wall managed to distract his own thoughts then, that lopsided grin beaming back onto his features, that gentle laugh escaping him all the same. Well, it was a little bit cute.

"Sure, babe. Still, I'm sorry about that all the same."

Had he even been remotely aware he would at least have had the decency to change in another room or something. It was only good manners after all. Then again, Sebastian had seen his, well, everything, the way he was going it hardly mattered who else did at this point. He paused then to open that door, holding it ajar for Abby to make her way inside before shutting it behind them. The young vampire gesturing rather proudly to that black leather couch he'd managed to add to his lounge room. Abby taking the opportunity to flop onto it rather gracefully before bouncing on it a little as if to test it out, her legs folding beneath her.

"I'll have to get a house to match it."

He uttered as he made his way to the other end of the couch, flopping down beside her (less gracefully) and resting that guitar on his lap.

"I don't need anything big or fancy or anything. Even just a nice apartment, one nicer then this in the least. One I can buy maybe so I don't have to pay rent anymore. Maybe one in a nicer part of town. Oh the bitcoins from Patrick? Yeah, I sold them once I worked out how. I still have our cactus too. I dunno what half the other stuff in that box is though."

He paused to point towards that dining room table where that unusual cactus sat. The plant looking far healthier than it had the night they had found it. It was amazing what water did. His attention shifted from that plant and back to that guitar in his hands then, the vampire working to undo that case if only to take a peek at what was inside. That curiosity having gnawed at him for the entire walk. Arlo glancing up at Abby again.

"Whaddya say we take a look at it hey? Where did you buy it from? Do you know how long it's been since I've played one of these? My dad gave me my first ever guitar when I was like four, I loved that thing, I don't talk to my old man anymore but I still love guitars. I bought my first one myself when I was about twelve. That's when I met Mason and we started our first band- we were so bad. I swear Ab's, we'd have made your ears bleed back then. We got better....."

How long had it been since he had thought of that, any of that, or any of them? That almost wishful smile still on his face as he busied himself with unwrapping that guitar.