Welcome to Hickstead, home to both Seven Oak Stables, and Blue Acre - two rival stables. Both offer opportunities for their clients to reach the highest level of excellence. Each stable differs from the other, so choose wisely and never forget, loyalty is everything... Meanwhile as the stables battle it out, there's trouble brewing at the university. Be careful, if you don't pick a side you may get caught in the cross-fire...
This is an chilled out rpg with a super friendly and relaxed atmosphere! Remember to sign up with your characters full name in all caps and don't forget to do your claims! Thank you and Welcome, we've been established since 10th March 2009 but unfortunately have had to close guest view of our boards due to multiple sites ripping off our hard work, such a shame! Come chat to us in Discord before joining if you like!.
Cassandra had spent her Saturday cleaning her apartment as she had invited some new friends over for a wine night. Rocket, the golden retriever was trying to help but decided that sleeping in his dog bed was his best option.
She had also made some appetizers and baked goods for the three to share, making the apartment smell of food. The blonde checked her watch and made her way to the bathroom to get ready. After changing into a long sleeved floral shirt and some light wash jeans, she put on a light layer of makeup. As the timer went off, she walked over to the oven, taking out the baked brie after putting oven mitts on. She turned down the temperature to keep the cheese warm.
The food that didn't need to be kept warm was already set out on the dining room table and the wine glasses were on the table. She didn't know what the other women enjoyed, so she had a bit of everything. There was even a homemade German Chocolate cake in the fridge for dessert.
As the woman set three plates out on the table, she heard the door bell ring. Rocket opened his eyes and walked over to the door, sitting down beside Cassandra and wagged his tail. "Hey, so glad you could make it. Come on in!"
Zoe placed down a bowl of cat food next to the automatic water dispenser then gave her cat a quick scratch behind the ears. "Be good Rufio. . don't do anything your mother wouldn't" She said with a grin, knowing there probably wasn't much she wouldn't do. She grabbed the bottle of wine she'd set down beside her and stood up to leave the apartment, locking the door behind her before heading towards the stairs rather than the lift. She was only going down a couple of floors and didn't mind the short walk. It was pretty handy making friends with people who lived in the same building. It meant she could drink and walk home. No faffing about for a taxi. She usually spent most of her wine nights with Adalia - when she wasn't with the work gang but they'd both kept bumping into the same girl during their to and fro from home and she'd seemed nice, inviting them around for some food and drinks. When she reached the girl's flat number, she rang the bell on the door, a smile appearing on her face as it opened. "Hey Cassie! I know you said you had everything handled but I couldn't not bring something so I've brought some rose" She held up the bottle before moving into the flat.
Adalia was running late - typical - on the evenings she had nothing to do, she was always well ahead of time and then wasted the evening trying to get ahead with her work and editing photos with a film, but the night she had plans, her client for the afternoon had wanted just one more photo, just one more location, one more pose. Adalia was happy to snap away - the customer needed to be happy - but they had over run quite a bit, and her client hadn't exactly been all that gracious. Rushing home to her flat she was glad that she would only need to head up a floor to get to where she needed to be, jumping in then out of the shower in record time and throwing on some comfy but nice enough clothes for a friendly dinner and wine evening.
She put a brush through her hair and then slung it up into a pony tail, pulling on her favourite hoodie and grabbing the bag of snacks she'd brought on a whim yesterday - Cassie said she had it covered, but there was always room for more crisps. Trying not to rush too much she headed up to the flat just as the door was about to shut on her, "I'm here, I'm here!" She called out with a grin and picked up a half jog to get her foot in the door before they could leave her outside. "Sorry, work and all that bullshit! I brought crisps.. oh and some dip!" She added, routing around in the Tesco bag to find both still in there from her mad dash. "Where's the wine??"
“Oh the more wine the merrier!” The woman moved back and allowed Zoe to enter the flat. Rocket walked off to his bed and curled up in a ball to sleep. “Come with me and we’ll put it in the fridge to chill.” She walked over to the kitchen and heard Adalia’s voice. “Oh, don’t worry we wouldn’t start without you.”
Cassie walked over and closed the door once Adalia came in the door. “I probably have enough food to feed an army but I can divide it up between the three of us.” The woman smiled, walking back to the kitchen. She opened the fridge door and pulled out a veggie tray and set it on the counter. “Do you two want to start with white wine? Or I’ve got red as well.” She didn’t know what either of them drank - only really running into them in the elevator.
“I’ve got a baked brie in the oven to start off with and a vegetable tray with hummus to start off.” She loved being able to bake and cook for others - it was getting tiring just cooking for one person. “Please, make yourselves at home. How have your weeks been?” Cassie reached up into a cupboard and pulled out three small plates.
The brunette glanced around the apartment as she walked inside, following the blonde to the kitchen which she figured was in the same place hers was. She heard Adalia and grinned ”Late as usual herondale!” She teased as she placed the wine in the fridge. “I probably have enough food to feed an army but I can divide it up between the three of us.”” She smiled and moved aside so the woman could get into the fridge to grab the food. ”No worries, I brought my appetite.” The food looked delicious. "Where's the wine?? “Do you two want to start with white wine? Or I’ve got red as well” Zoe glanced at Adalia then back to the blonde, taking a second to decide. ”I’ll take a white please!” She didn’t mind red but she preferred white when given the option. “I’ve got a baked brie in the oven to start off with and a vegetable tray with hummus to start off. Please, make yourselves at home. How have your weeks been?” Zoe smiled at the host ”Not to bad, pretty busy actually! How’s yours been?”
”Late as usual herondale!” Adalia rolled her eyes but gave an easy grin, "Wouldn't want to let you guys down," She teased, it was a habit of hers to blow in a little behind the times but what could you do? She often got caught up editing or painting and would suddenly realise the time and have to run like the wind. “Oh, don’t worry we wouldn’t start without you.” Adalia grinned and used her toes to pull off her shoes in the door way, shuffling them to the side and making them somewhat neat. "Thank God for that," She joked, nodding as Cassie said about feeding an army. "I mean, I'm starved so I could eat for five," She shrugged. She may or may not have missed lunch but there'd be plenty for tea at least.
“Do you two want to start with white wine? Or I’ve got red as well.” At Zoe's glance, Adalia gave a non committal shrug. "I'll take either right now." She didn't have a particular favourite, it generally depended on her mood and the taste of the wine itself. ”I’ll take a white please!” She nodded in agreement. "Ditto for me too please," Moving into the kitchen to continue the conversation and collect her wine. “I’ve got a baked brie in the oven to start off with and a vegetable tray with hummus to start off. Please, make yourselves at home. How have your weeks been?” Adalia's stomach rumbled, "Urgh you're the best," she said, the scent of baking cheese already hitting her nostrils. ”Not to bad, pretty busy actually! How’s yours been?” Adalia picked up a carrot stick and dunked it in a generous helping of hummas, unable to wait. "Client's have been somewhat demanding this week but I'm so glad for this evening, I've been looking forward to it."
“Not a problem. We wouldn’t start without you.” She smiled. Cassie didn’t mind people who were only a few moments late - though she also didn’t like to be kept waiting either. The blonde kept the last minute touches to the table, bringing three wine glasses over as well. “Oh good, glad you are both hungry.” Having to cook for one person was something she didn’t think she would ever get used to.
She nodded and opened the fridge again once she was in the kitchen, pulling out the bottle of white wine. “I haven’t had a chance to try this one. One of my friends back home sent it to me.” It was from one of her boyfriend’s teammates and his family but she still considered them to be friends.
“You aren’t the first one to say that. Please, help yourselves with the food.” She had put the snacks Adalia brought into bowls and onto the table as well. “I also made a cake from scratch.” She was more than happy to bake and cook on her days off. Once she double checked everything was on the table, she sat down on one of the chairs. “Oh, being busy isn’t too terrible.” Cassie poured wine into three of the glasses. “Anyone really terrible either of you would like to gossip about?” She was someone who was always busy and there were always parents or students she could chat on about if needed.
“Work is starting to wind down for the summer so things are ramping up. Thankfully my area doesn’t have a final exam.” She wasn’t one to make her students run the beep test as punishment either - trying to make the Physical Education classes as enjoyable as possible.
"I mean, I'm starved so I could eat for five," She nodded in agreement and listened as Cassie listed off the mouth-watering food she’d made for them, already unsure of what to try first. Seeing Adalia reach for the hummus, she followed suit, grabbing a cucumber and dunking it into the dip. “I haven’t had a chance to try this one. One of my friends back home sent it to me.” She looked at the wine and read the label. She hadn’t heard of the name before but it looked good. “I also made a cake from scratch.” Zoe looked at her and lifted a brow. ”Seriously? Do you want a wife?” She joked. She wasn’t the best cook herself but she did enough to get by. She could make a mean batch of cookies which went down well with ice cream. "Client's have been somewhat demanding this week but I'm so glad for this evening, I've been looking forward to it." She smiled and rolled her eyes ”Ugh tell me about it, they’ve been so needy this week.” Zoe took the wine glass from the blonde and took a long sip. “Anyone really terrible either of you would like to gossip about?” She let out a soft laugh and shook her head ”Not that I can think of right now, what about you guys?”
“Not a problem. We wouldn’t start without you.” Adalia smiled back, but she wouldn't have minded if they did - she could easily catch up when it came to food and wine. "Oh good, glad you are both hungry.” She nodded to that - she was starving and quite happy to ea up everything they'd all brought together; it was looking to be a good night. “I haven’t had a chance to try this one. One of my friends back home sent it to me.” Adalia glanced at the label curiously, "I think it should be a good wine," She mused, not knowing much on wines but enough to know the one's she liked and didn't.
“I also made a cake from scratch.” Her eyes alighted at that, "Oh yes, cake! What kind of cake?" She had a sweet tooth and couldn't help clapping her hands together in eagerness for sugar. ”Seriously? Do you want a wife?” She pretended to look offended as she turned to Zoe, "What about me? Am I not good wife material?" She joked, though her cooking skills were not quite up to par with this. She picked up another couple of carrot sticks to adorn with hummus, munching happily away.
\Adalia took a sip of her wine as Zoe mentioned that everyone had been super needy this week, flashing her a sympathetic smile. “Anyone really terrible either of you would like to gossip about?” Adalia laughed at that and shook her head, glancing to Zoe to see if she had some awful gossip to start them off. ”Not that I can think of right now, what about you guys?” She grinned at Zoe, "And here I was thinking you'd have the best gossip," She shook her head, "I don't right now, though I do feel that some of the new liveries at Blue Acres seem to be a little up themselves, did you two get that impression?"
“Ha, you’ll have to stand in line after my boyfriend.” Cassandra laughed. She had been dating Leon for a long time now but she wasn’t going to pressure him into proposing to her. She picked up a slice of bell pepper and also dipped it into the hummus and took a bite. “I’m sure you are the perfect wife material, Adalia.”
“Let me know what you ladies think of the wine. If we like it enough I can get her to order another case.” The bottle was a late birthday present to her and she couldn’t think of a better time to test it out.
She took another bite of the pepper and smiled. “I made a German chocolate cake with buttercream icing and I used shredded coconut on top.” It was something her aunt used to make at her bakery back home and it tended to be a crowd pleaser. “Other than my students starting to get restless because school is coming to an end I have no hot gossip.” Cassie shook her head. It was the case with everyone, the feel of summer was in the air.
“Definitely. I teach Western basics at Blue Acres and I would have thought the fire would bring people together…but now I’m not so sure.”
"What about me? Am I not good wife material?" Zoe looked at the other brunette and snorted at the look of offence on her face. ”Well you keep turning me down every time I propose to you, so no.” She joked back with a grin. “Ha, you’ll have to stand in line after my boyfriend.” She laughed and snapped her fingers ”Damn. .” Marriage was at the bottom of the list of things she wanted to do in life. “I made a German chocolate cake with buttercream icing and I used shredded coconut on top.” She almost drooled at the sound of the cake the blonde had made. ”Okay, now I want desert for starters” Nothing would beat a good piece of chocolate cake with ice cream on the side.
"And here I was thinking you'd have the best gossip, I don't right now, though I do feel that some of the new liveries at Blue Acres seem to be a little up themselves, did you two get that impression?" She shrugged her shoulders with a laugh as she reached for a piece of cucumber ”The bar has been unusually ungossip worthy this week and my photography clients are mostly harmless.” With so many co-workers at the club there was usually a decent amount of drama but it had been a quiet week. ”I’ve only been there once to shoot a horse and their owner seemed lovely. .why what are these new people like?” She asked, already invested in the possibility of drama. “Definitely. I teach Western basics at Blue Acres and I would have thought the fire would bring people together…but now I’m not so sure.” She frowned slightly at the mention of the fire, having only heard bits about it through the two women and town gossip. ”I forgot about the fire. . how is it over there now?”
“Ha, you’ll have to stand in line after my boyfriend.” She laughed at that, too true, the damn man came first. Lucky man at that, she hoped he continued to treat her right - or he'd have several angry and vengeful women after him. “I’m sure you are the perfect wife material, Adalia.” She beamed at that and inclined her head in a joking thank you, only for her smile to fall as Zoe's response - ”Well you keep turning me down every time I propose to you, so no.” She looked a-gasp at the retort. "Well, you just don't have a big enough ring. I've told you before." She teased. “Let me know what you ladies think of the wine. If we like it enough I can get her to order another case.” Adalia nodded as she took another sip, "I would not say no if it was offered again," She admitted, though she wasn't exactly a wine connoisseur.
“I made a German chocolate cake with buttercream icing and I used shredded coconut on top.” Adalia's mouth started to water at the thought and she quickly shoved some more food into it instead. ”Okay, now I want desert for starters” She laughed at Zoe's comment and nodded in agreement, "Yeah me too, you can't leave us on that and not expect us to need to taste test.." She joked, settling for more savoury humus instead. “Other than my students starting to get restless because school is coming to an end I have no hot gossip.” Adalia smiled at that, "I remember that feeling myself," It was a shame when you got to adulthood and didn't get breaks like that unless they were unpaid; well as self employed anyway. “Definitely. I teach Western basics at Blue Acres and I would have thought the fire would bring people together…but now I’m not so sure.” ... "The bar has been unusually ungossip worthy this week and my photography clients are mostly harmless. I’ve only been there once to shoot a horse and their owner seemed lovely. .why what are these new people like?”
Adalia sighed and gave a slight shake of her head, "They just seem a bit..standoffish, and there's always tension. It's hard to feel very harmonious, I almost had someone bite my head off the other day because I touched their tack. I was only moving it to get to my own." She sighed and shook her head. ”I forgot about the fire. . how is it over there now?” Adalia glanced to Cassie, "I think it's doing well, everyone returned to BA pretty quickly, maybe because of the tensions?"
“Wait, did you seriously ask her to marry you?” Cassie assumed it was a joke but there were too many kinds of relationships nowadays that it would be rude if she didn’t ask. She finished off her slice of pepper in another bite. It seemed the other ladies were also enjoying themselves.
She took a sip of wine and nodded. ``I've been with him for a while now, but don’t worry, the list after him is pretty short.” The blonde joked, she had been with Leon for what seemed like forever and she couldn’t see herself with any other man or person for that matter. “Alright, I’ll take a picture of the label and ask for a few more bottles then.”
“I can bring the cake out first if we do want to start with that first. Though I did make baked brie if we wanted that next.” She was happy cooking for other people and hosting gatherings was what she enjoyed the most. “I do think most people are set on the school schedule even if you don’t have children. The summers seem to make people a bit happier.” It was something she was very used to by now - getting cabin fever after a long Winter.
She picked up a carrot and took a bite of it. “Darn, I definitely thought the bar would be full of gossip. Especially since people love to drink their faces off in the summer.” The warmer weather seemed to bring out the alcoholics in some people. “Well, some of us are lovely but there are some that just seem…grumpy? I’m not sure that’s the right word.”
“Oh, that sounds terrible. I wonder if they know about the fire than they let on?” Some people also didn’t like the idea of sharing a barn with others, but it was hard to feel sympathetic towards those people. “I seem to have more students though now that the two barns have merged. It’s nice though, being able to offer group lessons.”
“It could be? For the most part, I think all the horses and humans came out unharmed. Though I don’t know about you, Adalia but my three horses took awhile to settle down after it.”
"Well, you just don't have a big enough ring. I've told you before." She smirked and shrugged her shoulders playfully. ”Hey, I’m a bartender and self-employed, you think I can afford the stupid 3 month rule for a ring?” She grinned. “Wait, did you seriously ask her to marry you?” She let out a soft laugh and shook her head. ”Nah, I just said to marry me if we’re both still single at 40 but she said no.” She said, side eyeing Adalia jokingly. "Yeah me too, you can't leave us on that and not expect us to need to taste test.. I can bring the cake out first if we do want to start with that first. Though I did make baked brie if we wanted that next.” She glanced longingly at the food and had a mental brain freeze while she tried to decide. ”I can’t choose, I’ll eat anything next.” When it came to food, Zoe wasn’t picky and she really would eat anything. . “Darn, I definitely thought the bar would be full of gossip. Especially since people love to drink their faces off in the summer.” She smiled, shaking her head once more. ”It usually is! I’m surprised there hasn’t been any myself.” She took another sip of wine while the conversations continued. "They just seem a bit..standoffish, and there's always tension. It's hard to feel very harmonious, I almost had someone bite my head off the other day because I touched their tack. I was only moving it to get to my own." She frowned a little, her protective side naturally coming out at the sound of someone being horrible to her friend. ”I’ll come down and kick their ass if you need me to? I’ve been having boxing lessons” She grinned mischievously . She looked back to Cassie as she spoke about the fire and her brunette hair bounced slightly as she gave a nod of her head. ”well that’s a relief at least.”
”Hey, I’m a bartender and self-employed, you think I can afford the stupid 3 month rule for a ring?” Adalia chuckled and gave a sip of her wine and then a shrug, "I think you should be able to for someone like me - I'm worth every penny." She joked, though for her it wasn't about the money anyway - not that this was anything more than a joke. “Wait, did you seriously ask her to marry you?” ”Nah, I just said to marry me if we’re both still single at 40 but she said no.” Adalia laughed loudly and rolled her eyes, glancing back at Zoe from the corner of her eye. "Unfortunately, I don't have the attraction to marry a woman - I like what a man has to offer too much... well, the appendage attached to them anyway." She laughed, a cheeky grin on her face.
“I can bring the cake out first if we do want to start with that first. Though I did make baked brie if we wanted that next.” She gave a nod and an easy smile, "Mmm baked brie sounds amazing - but so does cake. Bring anything," She said with a laugh, unable to help herself - she loved food far too much. “I do think most people are set on the school schedule even if you don’t have children. The summers seem to make people a bit happier.” Adalia nodded, "Yeah that is true - plus the nice weather when you come out of the darkness of winter." She mused, having found it hard to draw enjoyment from Winter over the years.
”It usually is! I’m surprised there hasn’t been any myself.”... “Well, some of us are lovely but there are some that just seem…grumpy? I’m not sure that’s the right word.” Adalia smiled and sipped her wine for a moment, "yeah, I've seen plenty of those around - just like in every day life, you get the Karen's of the world." She rolled her eyes. ”I’ll come down and kick their ass if you need me to? I’ve been having boxing lessons” Adalia laughed and shook her head, "Honestly I think that'd be more likely to make it worse! I've got it." She promised, knowing her friend was joking all the same. “Oh, that sounds terrible. I wonder if they know about the fire than they let on? I seem to have more students though now that the two barns have merged. It’s nice though, being able to offer group lessons. It could be? For the most part, I think all the horses and humans came out unharmed. Though I don’t know about you, Adalia but my three horses took awhile to settle down after it.” ”well that’s a relief at least.” She nodded, musing over it for a moment. "Yeah, the horses were quite unsettled by it though i don't blame them - it was quite an event for them to get over."
