The Same Old Thing. [OPEN]

[scarletcross]

Kali held a broom in her small hands, her graceful body drifting around in the moonlight. She did most of her stable chores at this time of night while the horses slept and werent so demanding. She was humming softly, the headphones to her iPod in her ears. The thin green electronic was in the back pocket of her gray skinny jeans. Her converse made no noise as they shifted with the sweeps of the broom. Her hair swept and swayed with her faint dancing. Eventually she giggled at herself, and stopped, putting the broom away.

It was so nice out tonight and she could only hope that Blake was awake. But, he wasnt though, so she just hopped over the locked door and settled herself in the hay. She wasnt worried that the large horse would trample her, Kali was nearly indestructable. Her violet eyes were wide, staring up at the wooden ceiling of the stable. No one would know that Kali was here but the horses, she was well hidden in the shadow of the stallion and the walls were much higher than her when laying down. She tried to figure out how she got to Starr's Stable and Race Track that was just outside of central park. Only rich people could afford to even look at these horses. Dispite her situation, she was thankful to be here.

[Lady Thorn]

Almost out of her mind from a need for blood, Lady Thorn was shaking as she stumbled towards the buildings in the moonlight. She no longer cared who was in them, as long as she could feed. She'd left it too long again... foolish really. In her wish to leave all humans unharmed, she'd simply put it off until her feeding would inevitably cause more harm. Silly, silly, silly. Not that she was thinking so coherently herself. Her mind was just a blur and rush of want... need... blood... hunger... want... need... blood... hunger... FEED!. It was an effort of will not to turn into the ravening beast she became when she was on the very edge.
But a scent suddenly filled her nostrils, floating over the cool of the evening breezes and the smells of the world... a smell she welcomed wholeheartedly. Horses. She could feed from them without guilt or remorse.
She stumbled onwards, purposeful now, following her nose.
It lead her to a stable, after some mishaps and falls as her balance and co-ordination wavered. Gripping at anything available to keep herself upright, she pushed her way inside, feeling the tickle of hay on her ankles and almost sneezing from the smell.
She didn't really look at the horse as she collapsed to her knees... there was a vague blur of brown and nothing more. It whinnied and made a fuss until her teeth had sunk into its flesh, and then it calmed, soothed by the euphoria inducing toxins she held there.
A few minutes passed.
She didn't drink enough to hurt the creature badly, though she felt she could have drained it had she allowed herself. But she didn't, she never would. She had too much self-control, too much guilt for that. It would have preyed on her mind for weeks and months had she done any lasting damage.
Breathing hard, she took the chance now to look around the stable properly... and it was then that she caught sight of the girl in the hay. Her hand flew to her mouth in embarrassment and her cheeks coloured slightly.
"I'm so terribly sorry," she murmured, cringing. She dearly hoped the girl wouldn't call the police on the dangerous psycho drinking horse blood.

[scarletcross]

Kali was just starting to drift off when something at the end of the stable rustled, making her jump, and her violet eyes snapping open. Someones in here... be silent.. they wont notice me... maybe they will her thoughts were cut off by a cry from one of the beautiful chestnut mares. Kali hopped up now, crouched and ready to spring. Her violet eyes were wide and frightened at the sight that was reflecting in her eyes. It was a girl, drinking fuirously from the horse. The animals thoughts were frightened, begging Kali to do something, to pry her away. But Kali was much to afraid. She knew that she could never fight anyone, she would surely lose. Though, if a problem presented itself, if she needed to fight, Kali would try her damnedest.

The female figure eventually stopped its drinking. The girl covered her mouth, clearly embarrased by being caught. Kali didnt understand this. Why was she embarrased? The poor girl must not have meant harm. Blake was stomping around, each horse pannicked by this sight. Kali uttered soft words in a smooth language and they feel silent. Violet eyes were wide and staring, her heart pumping with fright. "Who are you...? What do you want with my horses...?" it was all she could think of to say as she hopped over the door, crouched down close to the floor and ready to spring.

[Lady Thorn]

Lady Thorn frowned, listening to the language spoken to calm the horses. She'd never heard it before, and she'd heard many languages in her time. Watching the other warily, she wondered what to do. Part of her wanted to just run away and be done, but another, bigger part wanted to stay and apologise properly. She felt guilty for feeding like that... it had been awfully rude, not to mention highly embarrassing. She hated to be caught out like that, when she was at her weakest. It made her feel horribly vulnerable.
"I..." She was about to give a false name when she looked at the girl properly. She was a vampire, she thought. Something about the way she moved... the way she looked. Whatever it was, Lady Thorn was suddenly very, very certain that she was speaking to another vampiress. Probably that would mean she was safe from any legal reprisals... she didn't like dealing with the law, after all, but it might mean she was going to have to flee, despite her guilt, if the girl chose to take her issues up violently. Much though Lady Thorn was more than competent, martially, she abhorred any possibility of harm to herself. Cowardice, some called it. She preferred the term "intelligence".
"My name is Lady Thorn," she murmured, not wanting to upset the horses again. "I'm so sorry to have burst in like this but... the thirst... I was desperate. I promise you, I haven't harmed them in any way. Honest." She bit her lip, worried. She really didn't like being beaten up. "I needed blood, and I didn't want to harm any humans... I didn't want to kill anyone..."
She looked imploringly at the girl, hoping she'd understand.

[scarletcross]

Kali righted herself, her body straight now. Just to be safe, incase something would go awry, Kali flicked open the latch on Blakes stall and He shoved it open, eager to defend his friend. She held up a hand though, and the hulking horse stopped, but was clearly uphappy. His ears were back as he craned his neck, trying to get a smell of the new comer. Kali only laid a small pale hand on his graceful neck to reassue him. "As long as you've not hurt my friends..." She drifted off on the end, not being able to come up with a threat, or anything to back herself up. Kali was being extremely brave right now, but she supposed it was because the horses, her only friends, were in possible danger. "My name is... uh... Kali..." She said softly. The stallion beside her was calming slowly just as Kali was.

For a moment she tilted her head, thinking of the excuse the vampire had given her. "i do think i understand, Though i've never had human blood anyways..." Kali took a step back, hiding a little behind Blake, the horse moving his body infront of her so that only her head was visable over his back. "Please, just dont hurt my friends, thier all ive got." She said gently. Then slipped under the Stallion as his thoughs became questioning. "You're welcome to stay the night...." Kali offered, being overly kind to someone she just met.

[Lady Thorn]

The threat of any violence seemed to have passed, much to Thorn's relief. She stood a little easier, less poised for fight or flight. She hadn't even noticed how tense she'd become at the possibility of problems.
Now, she smiled, walking towards the girl... Kali... with her hand extended to shake, politely. Her manners had returned as the guilt ebbed a little.
"Kali... mmm... a demon and a goddess... a very weighty name to possess... I like it." She smiled an honest smile as she stood before the younger vampire. She was a little taller, but not so much that she would tower over the dark-haired girl. Just a smidge... and probably because of her high-heeled boots at that.
"Thank-you for your kindness, Kali. I think I shall have to stay the night. I'm exhausted." She had bags under her eyes, it was clear to see even in the dim light, and her face was an ashen grey. She hadn't fed for too long, and she had over-exerted herself fleeing from humans whom she might attack. Her night had been too long already.
But something the girl had said had hit a nerve.
"Aren't there any other people here, to care for the horses? Is it just you?" She was forced to confess a complete ignorance of the needs of horses, so she had no idea how much workforce would be needed to look after them, but even so, she'd have thought there ought to be more than just one girl. It would be a bit unfair, too, she thought, to be trapped here all alone. But then, she never considered that, unlike herself, some people weren't fond of human company. She didn't consider that Kali might be one of those people.
So she sat down in the hay, stretching and yawning broadly.
"Gods... this feels like the most comfortable place I've ever sat..." Her muscles relaxed as she did, dropping away the stretched tenseness that had harangued her for the past few days.

[scarletcross]

Kali's feet shuffled back nervously, but became pinned between Blake and Lady Thorn. She lifted her hand slowly and too Thorn's shaking gently. "My name..." Kali looked at her rather curiously, not knowing that simple little fact. She didnt know her name was that of a goddess' or of a demons. She had learned something new about herself. Kali had to look up slightly at Thorn, and she felt short again, something she hated.

She watched the woman sit, and relax quite a bit. Kali took this chance to turn Blake around and push against his large behind, since he obviously didnt want to go back. Once again, her voice was heard in a soft foregin language. The horse then huffed and moved in, and Scarlet locked the little half door behind him. "Silly horse." She smiled at him and patted his neck before hopping up and sitting on the door she had just closed. Kali's purple eyes glittered. "You're very welcome." She smiled faintly and nearly fell as the large black head of the stallion popped out to watch.

When Thorn asked if she was the only one to work here Kali tilted her head. "Yeah, im the only one..." She would never tell the woman she was a slave, but happy to be one here. "I clean stalls, tack, and horses..... feed them, groom them, saddle them when people come in and hot walk them then they come off the track. I couldnt ask for a happier job..." her voice was soft and clearly shy.

[Lady Thorn]

Watching the girl, Kali, deal with the horses left Lady Thorn a little perplexed. So odd that she should be alone here, surely? But she did seem to have a way with them. Thorn herself had never had much aptitude with animals, she'd never tried either, but she did respect it in others. She wondered how old Kali was, though it would be too rude to ask. She wondered why she was here, who employed her, why she did it, where she had come from... she wondered a lot of things, but then, she always did. Too curious by half, and then some. It had got her into trouble too much before in her lifetime. A bit of a problem that, when combined with her abject cowardice. But she managed, she muddled through.
Now she'd relaxed, she noticed how nervous Kali seemed, as well as the wonderful oddity of her violet eyes. The no-blood jitters had made her unobservant.
"Don't panic, don't worry... I'm not here to hurt the animals..." Somehow, she thought perhaps Kali's fear might be for the horses rather than herself. "You don't need to be so nervous." She laughed pleasantly. She wondered if she seemed a scary person, to have wandered in randomly needing blood. It wouldn't have surprised her, ironic though it was.
She decided to change the topic, thinking perhaps she was being a little too rude.
"So... is this where you live, too?" she asked, looking around for signs of human habitation. "I mean, do you not have a house somewhere? Sorry, dreadfully nosy me..." She grinned an amiable grin.

[scarletcross]

Kali's wide innocent eyes gittered gently, and shot wide as she nearly fell back over the door to the stall. Her hands had flown out, grabbing the wall and then the back of Blake's neck to steady herself. When she righted her being her eyes looked at the wall, a perfect indentation of her hand and fingers on it. Her mouth opened, hanging in the breeze as she stared. Kali put her hand back in the grooves, pulled back, and put it in the print again. Instantly her heart jumped to a sprint. "Ohh.... he wont like that..." She breathed, thinking of how badly her master might beat her. Kali knew that she would be atleast sore and bleeding in a few places when he was done with her. She shook her head, raven black hair shifting about.

When Lady Thorn had obviously caught on to her nervousness Kali's marble white cheeks flushed a bright pink. "oh.. No, i know your not..." She said softly. "Im..... always like this....." Kali hated to admit the fact that she was shy, and scared of everything. It wasnt her fault, she wasnt always this way. During her childhood Kali was very out going, but as soon as her friend was taken away from her, things began to go downhill. While she thought about this, Kali had fallen silent. Then she blinked, having heard the new question. "yeah, I live here... Blake's stall seconds as my bedroom. The feed storage, my kitchen. In a way... I have to eat human food to keep up apperances, but ive grown fond of it......." Kali's tone was still quiet and hushed, her eyes flicking all over. "I like it here, its far better than my past... 'homes' as you've put it. My home is in Transylvania... But as far as i know my parents want nothing to do with me. I dont even know if thier still alive." Kali shrugged gently, closing her eyes and stopping her talking.