a kiss could be deadly (caspian)

[katlynn astrid stark]

It had rained the night before and the sweet smell of grass and after rain filled Katlynn's senses as she opened her windows to embrace the new day. She had actually slept the night before with no nightmares, she figured it had something to do with going to her very first riding therapy. It was now early on Tuesday, she had a couple of hours before her appointment but she knew that she was too excited to go back to sleep. She moved about her room in a small flurry to prepare herself for her lesson. Her father hadn't fought her or her doctor on this, he also agreed that it would be a good idea. He had bought her a new riding habit that she now stood in, in front of the mirror she tossed her curly pony tail over her shoulder. She admired the blonde locks and for a brief moment wondered what the beautiful chocolate brown would look like with a little bit of purple. But just as quickly as the thought had come it was gone, her father would never like something that was so out of the ordinary. But then again, Katlynn was anything but ordinary.

Katlynn picked up her iPhone off of her dresser and called the Equine Therapy Stable to confirm her appointment with her instructor Caspian Braeburn. She had met him on an internet chat room of all things, and she was actually excited to see him in person for she had not spoken to him since that day. It would seem that they just weren't on at the same time. She had hoped to hear from him again but it had been a fruitless effort. Once her appointment was confirmed Katlynn left her room and made her way down to the kitchen. Griffin had a plate of powdered egg whites and rye toast set out for her at the staff table. Katlynn had gotten into the habit of eating with the staff due to the fact that she hated eating alone. Her father was most likely already at the office with a mountain of paperwork to look over. She understood the stress it must put on him to be so busy but he did his job quite well. And she did her's but not bothering him with meaningless questions, like "What's for dinner?".

Katlynn thanked Griffin before she sat down in between Molly and Madeline. "Why Miss Kat you are simply glowing today, something you would like to tell us?" Molly commented as she looked at her twin sister with a grin. The smallest hint of a blush formed on Katlynn's naturally tan cheeks. "Oh goodness its that boy you where talking to!" Madeline gushed as she shared a knowing smirk with her sister. "I have no idea what you too are talking about, I just had a very good night sleep." Katlynn squeaked in embarrassment as she started to eat her breakfast, as per usual it was quite good. Molly and Madeline made no more comments about her mystery boy, and Katlynn was starting to regret telling her Maids, they where quite gossipy with the other staff members and she hoped that it did not get back to her father. He would probably put and end to all of it before it had even begun. "I'm nervous Moll, I've never been asked to do an outdoor activity like this before. Sure I've played tennis with Paisley but that was indoors and a doctor was standing by to make sure my lungs could handle it." Kat muttered as she chewed on her lower lip, her most used quirk as she always seemed to be doing it.

However Molly did not get to answer as she was ushered off to work by Olga, the Steward of her home. "Lady Katlynn the limousine is ready for you." The older woman said in a very brisk and harsh tone. Though Katlynn smiled at her anyways, Olga and Paisley had been part of her family for as long as she could remember. Both of them had had some part in her upbringing. Kat nodded as she picked up her helmet and made her way through the kitchen to the main hall and out the massive double doors. The sleek black limousine was waiting for her Freddrick was standing by her door and it was open for her. Katlynn gave a long sigh as she looked at the gaudy vehicle, she reminded herself to tell her father she didn't mind Freddrick being her Chauffeur but she was not going to continue to go everywhere in a limo. The drive to the Stable was a quiet one, and she watched the scenery with some interest though it was easy to tell that her mind was on the events of today that had not yet transpired. It was then she could see the stables and the surprised look on the face of a couple of the instructors. As the limo pulled to a stop in front of the stable she nibbled on her lower lip as Freddrick got out and opened her door.

Ever so slowly Kat stuck her long legs out of the car. Her legs where encased in a butter colored material that clung to every curve of her legs and rear. She then stood up to face the small amount of staff members that she could see. "I'm Katlynn Stark, I know i'm a bit early." Kat said with a slightly sheepish smile, as if she was apologizing for being only twenty minutes early. Her eye was caught by a handsome blonde man, her eyes where drawn to him but she managed to pull her eyes away for a brief moment to offer them all a gentle smile.  The kindness reached her eyes and seemed to project out towards them, she had to admit that she was still nervous about what was going to happen today but she was hopeful.  Hopeful that she really had made a new friend, and that maybe, just maybe she could feel like a normal human being today.


Tag: CASPIAN GHOST HORSE BRAEBURN
Notes:  First Kat post
Words: 1016
Muse:  Selena Gomez

[CASPIAN GHOST HORSE BRAEBURN]

My eyes open to see nothing but the neon-like red light from my alarm clock. (Five minutes before the alarm again. Dammit.) I raise a hand and swipe it down my face, rubbing out the sleep and any crust that had formed by my eyes. A low grumble escapes me and it's almost like a summoning for Maddie: immediately I hear her claws click on the awful wood floor and I feel her hot breath against my face, quickly followed by her wet tongue. I scrunch up and grin. "Maddie--Maddie!" I exclaim, unable to suppress even a light chuckle. "Okay, I'm up, I'm up."

My hand smacks the clock to prevent the alarm from going off in a minute. I reluctantly move the blanket off and shiver in the cold, which is a very harsh reminder that I need to let the landlord know the heater requires fixing. I get up and quickly make my way to the bathroom with Maddie at my heels. After a quick shower and other necessities, I go into the kitchen and pull out the box of leftover pizza from the barren fridge. Maddie's ears perk up and she begins her little prancing, tail swooping around in circles, eyes large and watching my every move as I take a slice out. Out of pure habit I peel off the pepperoni pieces and toss them to her; she catches them each with the precision of far too much practice. I alternate taking a bite and tearing bits off to toss to her. It's not enough to fill her up so I pick up her food bowl and pour in kibble, shredding the crust and sprinkling it on the top. Maddie does her little dance again in anticipation and then dives in just as I set it down.

A glance out the window tells me that the sun isn't going to come up for a while. I'm not opposed to getting up early considering that I enjoy my job, but after a while you do start dreaming about sleeping in. I pull my drawer open and step into a pair of (holey) jeans and a white shirt, slipping on a flannel button up that has a few more rips in it than I'd like to admit. Since the air will be cool I keep the sleeves down; Maddie trots back over to signal that she's ready to begin the day. However, I'm still not entirely awake. "Will you drive for me?" She tilts her head as I look down at her. A grin crosses my face at her silence. "I'll take that as a no."

The drive from the ratty part of Seattle to the outskirts is uneventful, although I do notice that one of my headlights is beginning to dim, unfortunately. The old truck rattles to a stop in the parking lot. I open the door and Maddie bolts out over my lap, leaping down and making a beeline for the stable. I follow at a much slower rate, locking up the truck (but what would anyone want to steal from it?) and heading in.

I'm greeted with the sweet smell of hay and sawdust. The barn's owner is already sorting out feed buckets so I go over to help. I've been here so long that I'm able to differentiate the unlabeled buckets just by bite marks alone. Once every bucket is filled, I help carry them out to the stalls, battling the eager horses to set the handles on the hooks. Then I settle into my normal routine of mucking and oiling tack.

The sun just begins to peek over the horizon when I sit down in the tack room. I cast a longing look out the dust-covered window and emit a quiet sigh. It's supposed to be a lovely day and our first client is coming in the morning, so it won't be too long before I'm out an about. I open the bottle of leather cleaner and pluck a bridle (Breezy's, if you want to be specific) off the wall and begin lathering it. I met today's client on an online chatroom a few days ago and so, I'll admit it, I'm pretty excited to see who it is. I don't quite remember what her issues were and why she was asked to seek out therapeutic riding but that would be worked out later. Almost immediately I had booked Breezy for today's lesson, considering she's the sweetest and most bombproof mare I've ever met in my entire life. Old, too, but still has patience unlike anyone I've ever met, horse or person. I've literally just finished when the manager's voice rings out: "Caspian! She's here."

I set the bridle back up on the rack and go out to the driveway. Maddie's already barking and acting like an escort, running ahead of the car--no, limo. (A limo? Damn, that makes my truck look like a heap of scrap metal.) I let out a quick whistle and Maddie changes her course and lopes over to me. I pet her a few times before looking back up to see a dark-haired girl step out of the back, decked in more riding gear than I've owned in my entire life. It's a helluva first impression that quickly is uprooted when I see the sheepish smile on her face and meet her gaze. It's not the look of a snobbish rich kid that I had suddenly expected; from what she told me online she was just a very sheltered sweet girl, so perhaps she doesn't resemble the filthy rich and spoiled people in this equestrian world. She introduces herself and apologizes for being late which brings a smile to my face.

"Don't you worry 'bout bein' early, Miss Kat," I say before my manager also extends a greeting. I offer her a hand. "Pleasure to meet y' in person this time." Hoping she gets the implied message of who I am, I turn and wave her to follow me back into the barn while Maddie bounds around her, sniffing at all the wisps of new scents. I lead her into the tack room that also doubled as an office of sorts, pulling out a binder from the cabinet and selecting a few papers. "First thing's first: liability waiver. In case somethin' like a hurricane or the apocalypse happens and results in your death, you won't sue us. Though at that point I'm sure we'll all be dead." Perhaps it was an ill attempt at humor considering she's never ridden a horse before but, hey, I'm trying. I take the waiver and slide it across the table to her and set a pen down next to it. "The only thing," I start quieter and in a more serious tone, "that we'll need to know is what in particular you want us t' help you with. Psychological, physical-" I make a circling gesture in the air to signify the etc "-or anythin' else."

[katlynn astrid stark]

The sun was slightly hidden by the clouds at this moment and Katlynn truly took in the beauty of the place, as if she had stepped into a new life and out of her old one. She wondered what kind of things were going to transpire today, she had been willing to bet that this was a bad idea for her health due to the amount of dust that horses can kick up. As Kat began to approach the two men whom had come to greet her she gave them both kind smiles after I apologized for being early. When the handsome blonde man began to speak her eyes where instantly drawn to them, the elegant chocolate brown of her eyes nearly melted into a pool of liquid gold as a glimmer of admiration crossed her features. Katlynn happily accepted his hand without hesitation and shook it. "The pleasure is all mine Caspian." She said as she slowly released his hand as if some part of her actually didn't want to let go. The smallest hint of a blush rose in her cheeks just as Caspian turned to wave her into the barn. 

Katlynn's attention was then drawn to the dog whom she could see was female. Kat had never actually had a pet herself but found the animal quite charming and lovable. She offered the dog her hand to sniff before a light scratch behind the ears. Katlynn then followed Caspian into the barn, the sounds of the horses and the smell of sweet hay caught her attention though she tried for cautious breaths to make sure that she would not have an attack, at least not right away. Kat couldn't help but smile when Caspian joked about the apocalypse, she didn't want to think about her death right now. This was about the impending doom hanging over her head. Katlynn lightly read over the waiver, having some experience in paperwork due to her father. She then signed her name in a beautiful old English cursive. "There is no other paperwork you need filled out?" She shrugged lightly and then sighed. "I admit that my emotional state is anything but solid but I wouldn't say I’m depressed. My doctor has suggested some outdoor activities in order to strengthen my lungs and increase my happiness without putting myself at much risk. Horseback riding was the first thing that he thought of. I do have a doctor’s note if that helps." Kat said slightly embarrassed as she searched her pockets before she produced the piece of paper and handed it over with the waiver.

For some unknown reason Katlynn Stark could not take her eyes away from Caspian, she saw the same loneliness in his eyes as she knew was in hers. Something about him called to her and she simply wanted to hug him. Not to mention she felt so tiny compared to him, as if she was a tiny young girl and he a Greek Adonis. His handsome features where something she had only seen on commercials, and in her dreams. "I would really like to thank you for being on the chat room the other day, I wouldn't have known the first place to look for a stable other than google." Katlynn said at her own attempt of humor. She then nibbled lightly on her lower lip as color once more rose to her cheeks and she added. "I looked for you again yesterday but I didn't see you." Even shy and embarrassed she still couldn’t take her eyes off of this man and it was slightly starting to scare her how quickly she had been drawn to this man. It was truly odd for that had never happened before, then again her connection with men had mostly been doctors and store clerks and her family household. Was it normal to start falling for the first sweet handsome guy you meet? She doubted it.

    Tag: CASPIAN GHOST HORSE BRAEBURN 

    Words: 659 

    Notes: I’m so sorry that it took me so long! And it’s crap. 

    Muse: Enter Sandman - Metallica