some kind of disaster

Luke had a reputation for keeping scores, and this was one that was due to be settled. He'd waited, kept his end of the bargain, and now, the King family owed him his prize - their youngest child; the freshest blood. Exhaling with the thought, Luke tried to stop his mind from wandering too far into feeding, because this child wasn't meant as a meal, she was meant as a token, with Luke left to decide what he should do with the fragile human. She had been his property since the moment she came into the world, merely on loan to her sloth of a father and a wrath of a mother. Tucking a strand of hair from his face, Luke tightened his black peacoat further around his form. Knocking on the door - his gold rings clacking against the wood with an impressive sound, Luke looked to the dusk sky with boredom.

Rosie paced back and forth, looking to her parents with anger, disappointment, frustration, anything negative she could think of. They'd done the worst with the best intentions, but did they not think of the consequence? "You know I'm going to lose you both, right?" Her voice was barely above a whisper; trying to listen for any tell-tale signs of a hell hound - a beast that was to drag her parents souls' to hell. "What am I going to do? How could you both be so selfish?" Rosie couldn't help but raise her voice in frustration, a temporary hatred coursing through her veins. "Who am I going to depend on from now on?" Rosie tried to blink away her tears. "I need you both, don't you see that? Who can I talk to to reverse all of this?"

Ashton remembered the couple quite well. They were in their late twenties, and they'd come to him in their time of need, their time of desperation. They wanted a baby to call their own, sick of watching their friends turn to parents without them, and so, Ashton made a once in a lifetime deal. He would grant them a baby daughter, with the condition that, a week after her twenty first birthday, he would reap their souls and take her as his own. It was like a fairytale, but much more twisted, much more cruel. Crouching down to his hell hound, Ashton smirked. "You ready, girl?" He cooed, scratching behind her ear as he stood outside the Sparks' yard. "Go get 'em." And unclipping her collar from her leash, Ashton watched with a smirk as she ran for the door, breaking it down easily to retrieve what he was promised so long ago. Striding up the garden path, Ashton kept his hands in his pockets without a care in the world. "Surprise, Sparks!" He called as he entered the house. "I told you I'd be back!"

Nancy sat with her arms crossed stubbornly, refusing to believe any of it. Why would her parents use her as a pawn in some sort of stupid trade with a man who, they claimed, was a being from Maori culture, old as time itself. He was powerful, and he wanted her as a bride to ease the pain of immortality. "A fucking bride for some old blood sucker, really?" She hissed at her parents. She didn't understand why they would bargain their own fucking child. "I'm going to my room, I don't care when he gets here, he'll have to drag me out." Nancy warned, heading for the stairs, her footsteps heavy and angry and God, how could they do this to her? Slamming her bedroom door shut, Nancy lay on her bed, closing her eyes and exhaling heavily, her hands covering her eyes. "Dammit."

He'd looked for so long, and Harry wondered just what he'd done to displease whatever deity existed. He and Estelle were cursed for eternity, to wonder the Earth without finding solace in each others' arms, only for Harry to eventually find her, to be cruelly ripped away from his grasp once more. Running a hand through brunette curls with the thought, Harry wondered just where the next meeting space would be, under what crazy circumstance. Pushing open the door to the coffee shop, Harry offered a weak smile to the barrista, shutting the door behind him. "White coffee please, sweetheart." He called, offering a dimpled smile. Going to find a seat in the quietest corner, Harry placed his book - dog eared on the page he had last read - on the table, shrugging off his coat.

Eleanora waved to her friends as she tightened her jacket around her petite form. "Safe travels!" She called with a laugh. When her best friend had announced her engagement, the first thing that Nora's mind leapt to was the hen party, and what a party it had been. Smiling with the thought, Eleanora brought her phone to life with the quick touch of the pad of her thumb, seeing it was 2:34 AM. The walk home wouldn't be too long, and she was certain that fresh air was exactly what she needed. With her high heels clicking against the pavement, Eleanora paused when she saw a man, hunched as he pressed against the wall. "S - Sir..." Eleanora frowned. "Are you okay?"

Aelia’s parents had only just informed her of their deal with a vampire, and the news left her in shock, silent as she tried to wrap her mind around it all. How could they have done something like this? Were they really that selfish, that self-absorbed, that they would throw away their daughter’s life just to get what they wanted? It hurt, and at the same time, it made her beyond angry. But, what could she do about it? If she ran, this vampire would likely still find her. Her fists clenched tightly as she tried to think and her parents continued to speak, trying to explain everything, but she was startled by the sound of a knock at the door, and she tensed, some part of her knowing that it had to be the vampire. There was nobody else who had a reason to come here tonight, of all night. She could feel the fear coursing through her, but she tried to fight it back, tried to be brave, not wanting to give the vampire the satisfaction of scaring her, and she stood suddenly, moving past her parents, who stared at her in shock, and went to open the door.

Michael approached the house, watching it with a small smirk, because this deal was finally coming to a close. It’d been one he’d waited for for years - twenty-one years, as a matter of fact. And now it was finally paying off, he would finally be getting what he was owed: the Dawkins daughter and the souls of the Dawkins parents. They’d come to him, desperate for a child, and he’d granted their wish, and they’d agreed to his price, and now it was time for them to pay up. He was sure they would beg, plead for him to reconsider, but he would have none of that. He’d waited long enough, after all; he deserved his prize at this point. “Alright, sweetheart,” he said, patting his hellhound’s head as she snarled, growling at the house, fighting against the leash, eager to attack. “Well, if you’re so eager, who am I to hold you back?” And, with a grin, he undid her leash, watching as she darted to the door, breaking it down easily so that she could attack, and he approached the door almost cheerfully. “Time’s up, Dawkins,” he called out casually, his grin settling back into a smirk, “We have business to attend to, and our business has come to its end.”

Rosabel didn’t understand how this could be happening - why had her parents ever agreed to this? She was sure that there were other ways they could have had a child, weren’t there? And they’d waited until the last minute to tell her everything, and she found herself struggling to cope, struggling to find a way to accept this. “Why would you do something like this?” she asked suddenly, looking to them, tears in her eyes, “Why even want a child if you were just going to give your lives away and give your child away? How could you do something so stupid?!” And, almost as soon as the words left her lips, she could hear other-worldly noises, growls and snarls that were certainly from no animal she was familiar with, and she jolted to stand up when the door came crashing down. She couldn’t see anything, but she could hear the noises, and it sent a panic through her, a chill running down her spine when she heard a voice speaking. Almost desperately, she ran for the door, but not to get away, only to pause when she saw a man walking in. “Please, leave them alone,” she quickly begged.

Calum whistled a happy tune as he walked under the light of the darkening sky, a grin on his features, because it was finally time to collect the debt that the Wilde family owed him. He’d given them twenty-one years with the daughter they owed him, due to him giving them what they needed to succeed in life, and he wasn’t going to wait a second longer to collect the debt. Admittedly, he’d was eager to see how the girl had turned out, whether all of this had been worth it. He was sure it was, either way; either she would become a source of blood for him, or he would find a separate use for her. Either way, there was no going back on it now. The Wildes owed him and he was tired of waiting. Approaching the door, he lifted his hand to knock, a smirk falling onto his lips as he waited, certain that things would be interesting from here on out. Moreover, he was certain the Wildes had waited until today to tell the girl that she belonged to him - all the better for him, perhaps she would be more inclined to go with him rather than to complain if she held anger towards her parents. And even if she didn’t wish to go with him willingly, she didn’t have a choice.

Estelle breathed out quietly as she settled her gaze ahead. It was a new town, and she could only imagine why she’d felt drawn here so suddenly. She knew the most likely reason was Harry, but she didn’t dare let her hopes get up. And, even if it was Harry, she knew they wouldn’t get to share much time together before she would eventually inevitably die, again, as she always did. But, he was all she wanted in life, all she needed, and she would die as many times as it took, hopeful that maybe one day, fate would be kinder, whatever had cursed them to this existence would give them the opportunity to actually be together. She knew she could only hope, though; there was nothing that said this curse would ever come to an end. Sighing with the thought, she approached a coffee shop and made her way inside.

Louis breathed shakily, groaning in pain, his injuries almost too much to bear. It shot through him in ways that he wasn’t used to - Hell, he’d hardly ever been injured in his entire demonic life - and he hated it. He hated feeling this weak, this pathetic, but he’d gotten caught off guard, taken by surprise, and he’d barely escaped with his life. If he didn’t die now, that was. He wasn’t sure how much more he could take, whether this would be the end of his existence or not, but he wanted to keep fighting to survive, he had to keep fighting to survive, because there was no way in Hell that Louis was going down without a fight. Stumbling, he found himself against a building, and he leaned against it for support, trying to breathe through the pain, but he heard a noise, a voice, almost angelic, and he peered over with surprise, his surprise increasing when he saw the beauty. “I’m fine,” he told her eventually, though he grunted, giving a noise with the pain that shot through him with his attempt to speak, and he stumbled, falling to the ground.

Luke smiled softly as a sweet face opened the door to the King household, and he offered her a nod. "So, you must be Aelia." He tried to remain as normal as he could, but what was normal for the spider was chaos for the fly, and he was certain that the poor girl must of been terrified out of her mind, despite her very impressive front. "It's nice to meet you, sweetheart. I'm Luke... can I come in?" He looked down to his boot clad feet, and he thought of a way to lighten the mood, to confirm who he really was, hoping to make the beauty smile, even a little. He didn't want her to resent him. "You know, vampires can't cross a threshold without being invited." He peered back up at the girl with soft blue eyes, his grin wicked as he studied her, biting his lip. He couldn't stop himself; she'd grown to be such a pretty young thing, and holding the knowledge that, after tonight, she belonged to him, Luke was already thinking up a million ways of how he could get her to become putty in the palm of his hands.

Rosie gasped as the front door was broken down by a force that Rosie couldn't compete with, and letting out a scream as her father was tackled by an invisible force, Rosie knew, with a heavy heart, that it was too late to save them - Rosie supposed that they were smart, refusing to tell her until the last moment, knowing she would try to undo their damage. Hurriedly turning around to hide in the empty cupboard under the stairs, Rosie brought her knees to her chest, blinking as she heard the sound of a voice that was unfamiliar, and yet, smooth as honey and almost delighted by the mayhem he brought with his presence. With the smell of copper - blood - hanging in the air, Rosie tried not to gag, trying her hardest to drown everything out by placing her hands over her ears, praying it would be over soon.

Ashton raised his eyebrows with amusement as a young lady stepped forward defiant against him and yet, still soft, and for a moment, he had to quickly calculate in his head... twenty one years - surely this wasn't his prize? She was a proper lady now. She was beautiful, he could admit that to himself, and spending the rest of eternity with her surely did seem like a treat. "And you," Ashton grinned, dimples etching into his cheeks. "Must be Rosabel. My, how you've grown." He teased, taking her hand to spin her around as he studied her all over. She would do quite nicely. "So, tell me sweet cheeks, when did they break the news?" He nodded to Rosabel's parents, being kept away by the hellhound, ready to pounce at the click of Ashton's fingers. As he heard her begging though, Ashton tutted, almost overdramatically. "Oh, sweetheart, come on. They're the ones that made this deal, they pay that fee. Besides, what would I get out of it if I just let them go?" He frowned. "Poor Elle," he hinted to the invisible source of the growls. "Hasn't eaten in days. She's been looking forward to this."

Nancy paused as she heard a knock from the front door, and she quickly reminded herself that she was to stand defiant, against her parents and against this fool. She was nothing more than his payment, and the fact itself made her blood boil, what use did she have for a being that could get his hands on anybody he wanted? Sitting on the edge of her bed, Nancy listened carefully as she heard her parents debate amongst themselves for a moment, before going to answer the door. Her Father's voice spoke first, and admittedly, Nancy found herself curious, her anger towards the people that didn't seem to show any remorse for what they'd done pushing her towards rebellion. Carefully opening her bedroom door, Nancy tip-toed to the top of the stairs, peering down to the porch as she saw a golden skinned man, tattooed and youthful, stood in the doorway.

Harry heard the polite tinkle of the bell above the coffee shop door, and instantly, his heart jumped within his chest in a way that he was familiar with, and yet, a stranger to. Each lifetime made the feeling much stronger, almost as if it was written in his DNA - he wouldn't be surprised if, at this point, it was. Estelle was here, he just knew it, and standing to his feet, knocking the table with his knee in his excitement, Harry turned to look at the door. Muscle memory was brought to life at the sight of her, and as he walked forward, he couldn't tear his green eyes away from the woman he was destined to be with, but was destined to never have. "Estelle..." Harry breathed, stepping forward as his heartbeat increased to the point he could hear the blood rushing through his ears. "It's... it's you." Harry bit his lip, unsure if taking her into his arms there and then would be considered acceptable.

Eleanora paused as the man, clearly in pain, his side covered in blood, peered at her with wide eyes; for a moment, she was certain his eyes were black as the night surrounding them. Deciding it was a trick of the light; the neon sign of the bar casting awkward shadows, Eleanora knelt down as he fell to his knees, studying him carefully as he winced in pain, his eyes a firm blue, face almost cruelly angelic, the most beautiful thing Eleanora had witnessed in her existence. "Breathe for me, okay?" Eleanora asked, shrugging off her jacket to wrap around his middle to try and put pressure on the wound to control the bleeding, and as she called for an ambulance, she couldn't help but to cup his cheek, trying her hardest to reassure him. "You're gonna be okay." She promised.

Aelia watched Luke for a few long moments, frowning slightly, her jaw clenched because she couldn’t believe this was happening to her. “You don’t seriously expect me to invite you in, do you?” she asked almost challengingly. Like hell she was just gonna sit back and accept that this was her life now. No, if she was going to be stuck with some vampire, no matter how attractive he was, she was going to make sure to give him hell. It was the least he deserved after making such a twisted deal with her parents. “Yeah, well, Luke, I don’t return the sentiment, and don’t call me sweetheart.”

Michael hummed as he wandered around the house, enjoying the terrified and pained screams and cries of Rosie’s parents as his hellhound tore them to pieces. “Rosie,” he called easily, smirking to himself, “I do hope you don’t intend on hiding from me. It’s not a very smart move.” He continued on his way, listening intently, and he could hear breathing coming from the cupboard, finding himself walking towards it, leaning against the door so she couldn’t leave. “Fancy yourself to be like Harry Potter, hm?” It was almost amusing, and he knew he could be much crueler than this. “Come now, come on out.” He shifted, parting from the door just a bit, just to give her room so she could come out. “Though I’d advise you not to try to run, you wouldn’t get far, and that would only serve to cause problems on a day that should be merry.”

Rosabel blinked with surprise and confusion as Ashton spun her around, her brows furrowing as she watched him. “Does that really matter right now?” she asked, casting a panicked look to her parents, worried, upset that they’d put themselves in this situation, and that they’d put her in this situation. But, she looked back to Ashton, trying to keep her resolve. “So, what, they got to have a kid and you get to take me away and you get their souls? That sounds like a shitty deal, it’s just ultimately a way to go back on yours without any consequences. I mean, you give me to them, then take me away.” She arched a brow. “So the least you could do is let them live, or you and I can make a deal where you leave them alone.”

Calum smirked slightly when Nancy’s parents answered the door, and there was very little of an exchange - it wasn’t necessary. They knew who he was and they knew why he was there. More than anything, they knew what he would do if he didn’t get what he wanted. Once he was invited in by the father, he stepped in, peering around until he caught sight of the girl staring over the top of the stairs, and he arched a brow, offering an amused look as he bowed slightly. “You must be Nancy,” he greeted easily, ensuring he spoke loud enough for her to hear him from above, his gaze returning to her, taking her in. She was an excellent prize, he could admit that much, and he was proud to say this was a deal he certainly didn’t regret making. “I’m Calum. I believe you were told of me?”

Estelle stared at Harry with surprise and relief, amazed to see him there, even if she felt like he was the reason she’d come to this town in the first place. “Harry,” she murmured in greeting, but she said little else before she rushed forward, wrapping her arms around him, unable to stop herself, unable to help it, and not really caring. It felt like it’d been forever since she was last in his arms, and being away from him was always so, so painful and lonely, all she wanted was to take comfort in him again after all this time. Her eyes watered and she buried her face against him to hide it. “I missed you.”

Louis groaned in pain, unable to really wrap his head around what was happening. The pain shot through him in waves, and he knew it was because the injury had weakened him, had left him so very vulnerable, and he hated it. He was stronger than this - but any strength he had left, he could feel ebbing away, even as he listened to the woman speak, her voice melodic, soothing, addictive. He tried to focus on anything he could, on her, on her voice, on anything about her, certain she was the most beautiful thing he’d ever laid his eyes upon - and how ironic it would be that of course he would witness such beauty when he was certain he was dying. That would be just his luck in a situation like this, but he was at least soothed with the fact he got to see her at all, even if he couldn’t bring himself to speak through the pain.

Luke grinned with Aelia's defiance, admittedly finding it endearing as she spoke to him with a venom that could only match his own - she'd make a fine mate. "Would you prefer that I called you darling?" Luke asked as he arched an eyebrow, playful and yet challenging. "Or, if you'd prefer, maybe I could call you love?" His lips twitched up into a smirk then, the tip of his tongue poking out between his teeth as his dimples deepened. "Personally, I think sweetheart suits you... but seeing as you won't let me in." Luke chuckled, looking to his feet. "Maybe the welcome mat will." And looking to Aelia, Luke crossed the threshold as he offered the girl a wink, and he could admire her for what she was: gorgeous, and certainly not willing to lie down and take shit. "So, Miss King," Luke looked to Aelia then. "I trust your parents have told you everything?" Luke asked, looking to her parents then. "You have, haven't you? I'm a vampire, not a neanderthal." Luke's face scrunched up then, before turning to Aelia. "I know you don't want to hear my side of things, but please, at least try and hear me out... just this once." Luke looked to her then, trying to remain gentle. "I'll make it worth your while."

Rosie tried to quieten her breathing as she heard heavy footsteps across the room, and when the screams stopped all together, Rosie whimpered, squeezing her eyes closed and wrapping her arms around herself, praying silently that this was nothing more but a horrible dream. After a moment of silence though, Rosie opened her eyes and almost swore when she heard her name fall from his mouth, and as the door creaked, she exhaled a shaky breath, knowing he was leaning against it to block her escape route. Listening to his words, Rosie sniffled as he warned her not to run, and she knew she had to think fast. Pushing the cupboard door open, Rosie stood straight and looked to her new captor defiantly, despite her tears. "Go fuck yourself." Rosie frowned, throwing his words around her mind once more, trying to ignore how fucking handsome he was all together - thinking quickly, Rosie kicked him as hard as she could, turning on her heel to run out of the back door, soon pinned to the grass by an invisible force. "Get off me!"

Ashton listened to Rosabel's bargaining with an impressed nod, humming in agreement, but sighing, as though he was disappointed. "Darling, deals such as this one are bound by blood, and I can't break it - neither can they." Ashton explained gently; squeezing around her upperarm, almost kindly, with sympathy. "If our vow isn't fulfilled tonight, they die, and I die, and I'm too bloody old to die now, I've got forever left." Ashton teased, hoping that Rosabel understood that he was immortal, and with him, she would be too - he'd make sure of that eventually. Looking to his large hell hound, Ashton let out a whistle, telling her to get ready to claim her feast. "Come with me." Ashton wrapped an arm around Rosabel's waist, carefully guiding her outside. "I won't be making a deal with you, Rosabel, I'm sorry. You'll be coming with me, but I've brought you a few things to make your time with me more comfortable." Ashton remained calm as he took her to his car, an old Impala, cherry red and shining as though she'd just come from the production belt. Letting out another whistle, Ashton heard Elle attack, and Ashton opened the passenger door for Rosabel. "Go on, love."

Nancy raised her eyebrows as Calum bowed politely, and she offered a bow of her head, refusing to give him an inch just for him to take a mile, but as he greeted her, she couldn't help but enjoy the way his voice sounded, and she nodded, beginning to make her way downstairs, her curiosity leading her. "Yes, I'm Nancy." She studied him then, leaning against the banister - a Maori legend, old as time itself - youthful and handsome, who would of known? "Not really, Calum." Nancy shrugged lightly. "I've only just learned of you in the last hour, with all due respect." Nancy sat on the stairs then, her head in her hands, barely able to look at her parents because of the anger she felt. Taking a deep breath, Nancy stood to her feet, looking to Calum. "I'm your prize, right? Take me. I can't stand to be here with these two anymore." Nancy shot an angry look to her parents then. "Apparently, being someone's child isn't enough to preserve their love, trust and understanding. You two can go to hell."

Harry was quick to wrap his arms around Estelle, her perfume so familiar in each life time, so personal to her that it had become like a beacon to Harry. "I've missed you too, my angel." Harry murmured into Estelle's hair, grateful that at last, they'd found each other, and soon, they were destined to lose each other once more - but there was no time like the present. Burying his face into Estelle's hair, Harry rubbed gentle circles into her back, aware that people were filming them on their phones, and God, if this was a love for the ages, then Harry would ensure their love story was told for millennia more. Pressing another kiss to the top of Estelle's head, Harry sighed happily. "Come on, we have so much to catch up on. I expect you're parched." Harry smiled softly. "The coffee here is divine, and I have all day, no, I'd spend all my life here with you." And god, he meant it. Gently linking their fingers, Harry pulled away reluctantly and offered the beauty a teary smile.

Eleanora watched the beautiful man as he groaned once more, and she whimpered, dropping her phone in a panic as she pressed her hand further against his wound, her eyes becoming white as a light glowed from Louis' wound, healing him within moments, pulling him from the edge of death with powers she didn't even know she had, hidden beneath her skin, waiting for this moment to be discovered. Gasping as Eleanora came to herself, she pulled her bloodied hand away from the handsome man, looking to her hand, then to him, and back to her hand in a panic. Standing to her feet, Eleanora shakes her head. "What just happened?" She whispered.