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!.
It was early in the afternoon for Enver, and the morning had been fairly productive. He'd worked on small projects, replenishing small items that were so often needed, even finished up that blasted pair of boots that had run his ragged to the very end. Those shoes, he swore, were cursed. But they were finished and he hoped that whom ever decided to buy them got a fantastic life out of them where he would never have to resole or replace anything about them. But he could only hope on that front.
From there, it had been an easy day. Handing back items sent in for repair or restoration, selling various items and was even pleased to see two of the painted skulls he had up on display sell. Which prompted him to pull out two more skulls - a steer and a white tail buck -and begin the painting process on them. And it was moments like that where he was thankful for his own preparations before hand - all those hours spent on that first base coat made the painting process so much easier.
Perched the the front desk, Enver had some soft classical music playing on the laptop behind him as he began painting, keeping half an eye on the shop itself, least anyone walk in.
Theia sighed as she looked at the sorry state of her riding boots. She couldn't afford to replace them. All her spare cash went into paying for her accommodation and such at the uni, and the rest went on the care of her horses. She didn't splash out much on herself, it was why Shiloh tried to disguise her gift giving - dresses and shirts and such that she pretended didn't fit her, given to Shiloh because she couldn't be bothered to return it... despite them being in the wrong size for Shi. But there was always a limit to what Theia would accept, and despite Shi's attempts to get her new riding stuff, Theia refused. Shiloh didn't have horses or even ride, Theia could deal with it herself.
She had tried to mend the boots over and over, and she had managed it, but there was only so many patch jobs she could do before they started to look a bit mangled. She figured they needed a professional, and she sighed, giving in and deciding that it would probably be cheaper to get them fixed than shell out on a new pair. Wandering into the shop she had heard good things about, she gave a glance around the items on display and then her attention turned to the man at the counter, a soft classic lyric floating through the air toward her. She headed straight for the counter. "Hi, do you repair riding boots?"
Enver was a little surprised at the voice and looked up to see a young lady at the counter - how he had missed her approach was beyond him. He offered a small smile and nodded.
"Yes, in deed I do repairs to boots of all kinds," he said, carefully washing his paint brush in a small container and started moving things to one side.
It took him a solid minute to make enough space to work with that wasn't cluttered by various paint pots and paper towel.
"What sort of repair are you in for today? A new heel, sole, insert? Or is it more that the stitching is starting to go?"
He wasn't in the habit of trying to force customers, letting her decide to tell him what she was after. He didn't have an issue with getting things back to usable, and he most certainly didn't look down on her either. His expression was relaxed as he tilted his head slightly and then turned to his computer, turning down the music.
She raised a brow slightly at his surprise, she'd thought he'd heard her enter the shop but he must have been too absorbed in whatever he was currently working on. His small smile sold that he was happy to take custom at this moment though and she offered a very slight one in response, as if her lips weren't quite used to the motion - unfortunately, Theia was more likely to frown than smile these days. "Yes, in deed I do repairs to boots of all kinds," That was encouraging, but he hadn't seen the sorry state of theses boots yet - with their multiple novice repairs.
"What sort of repair are you in for today? A new heel, sole, insert? Or is it more that the stitching is starting to go?" As he made some space at the counter, she reluctantly brought out the poor boots and placed them gently on the top. "Uhhh well..." She looked at them and wrinkled her nose. "They're quite a few years old now and I've tried my best to keep fixing them, but they've got quite a few holes and I think the sole is pretty dead." She frowned, picking one up so she could take another look to remind herself. "I just wanted to see if there was someone a professional could do that I couldn't before I pronounce them dead."
"Uhhh well..." She looked at them and wrinkled her nose. "They're quite a few years old now and I've tried my best to keep fixing them, but they've got quite a few holes and I think the sole is pretty dead." She frowned, picking one up so she could take another look to remind herself. "I just wanted to see if there was someone a professional could do that I couldn't before I pronounce them dead."
The second the boots were on the counter top, he could see exactly why her face scrunched up. The were very... patchwork, he couldn't deny it, but at the same time he could appreciate that the young lass had tried to repair them which was more than most of his regular customers to the shop did. He'd had one lady come in for a new pair simply because the toe had scuffed and despite offering a fix, she'd thrown them out. A waste really.
Picking up the other boot he examined the sole and heel, finding they weren't completely dead - close, but not entirely.
"I can see what you mean," he said gently, setting the boot back on the counter for a moment, "I'll commend you for patching them up as much as you have - most people see a tear or scuff and decide that's the end of the shoe. From what I can see of them, sole and heel are not completely dead but they are on their way out. At this point, I would basically call them dead - they are holding together by sheer force of will."
He tilted his head slightly to the side, "A new set would be best - repair work for them would cost a little bit more than a new pair, unless they are completely sentimental to you. Can certainly try and make it work out."
It was a challenge if any, to make something dead to new again and he was all there for it - if she wanted that.
She glanced at him as she presented the boots, waiting for his verdict - likely they were dead, probably not worth the leather and time it would take to fix them up, but she just needed to hear it from someone who knew what they were doing. She didn't think she'd have made anything worse by fixing them, she'd done a pretty decent job in her opinion but quite obviously it was amateur work, not professional. She folded her arms as he picked them up to examine them, watching him turn the boot this way and that and test out her patchwork fixes.
"I can see what you mean," Well that was an understatement, but she gave a nod all the same. "I'll commend you for patching them up as much as you have - most people see a tear or scuff and decide that's the end of the shoe. From what I can see of them, sole and heel are not completely dead but they are on their way out. At this point, I would basically call them dead - they are holding together by sheer force of will.""I think your commendation is going a bit far but thanks," He was sugar coating a little but she'd take it all the same. "If I threw away everything for a scuff I wouldn't even be able to afford baked beans for dinner." She rolled her eyes - Shi would throw them but she didn't have daddy's plastic to pay for the replacement. She sighed as he announced them dead through, pulling a face. "I guessed that would be the case." Still, it was a shame and she worried about her bank account.
She was about to take them back and leave but he tilted his head, seemingly curious. "A new set would be best - repair work for them would cost a little bit more than a new pair, unless they are completely sentimental to you. Can certainly try and make it work out." She shook her head, "No, they're not sentimental, it just costs a lot more for a new pair than fixing up old one's - normally." It wasn't worth it if the price would be the same. "Thanks anyway, though."
"I think your commendation is going a bit far but thanks," He was sugar coating a little but she'd take it all the same. "If I threw away everything for a scuff I wouldn't even be able to afford baked beans for dinner."
"I guessed that would be the case."
Enver offered her a soft smile, "I mean it, I think you have some untapped talents. If you wanted to hone your skills so that you could do your own repair work, I am more than happy to teach you."
She shook her head, "No, they're not sentimental, it just costs a lot more for a new pair than fixing up old one's - normally." It wasn't worth it if the price would be the same. "Thanks anyway, though."
"Alright then," he nodded, then made a gesture around the room, "If you wanted to look, I do have a section off to the right hand side that are repaired boots - ones that people have discarded because they were worn in the heel. I have a habit of saving what I can and selling them on for minimal. There's not a thing wrong with them, they've all been resoled and any damage lifted or fixed."
He didn't push it too far, he could understand if she didn't want something that was second hand, but he also picked up on her comments and knew it might be within her budget. He wasn't about to judge people for their price range, he was one of those people that liked to thrift and help out.
His smile managed to coax a small one out of herself, an impressive feat for a stranger when it came to Theia and her default mood. "I mean it, I think you have some untapped talents. If you wanted to hone your skills so that you could do your own repair work, I am more than happy to teach you." Her eyebrows rose in surprise at the offer and the attached compliment, having thought he was just doing the English thing and being friendly as people did. It caught her off guard and she considered things for a moment, of if he might be being serious and if she had the time to squeeze in tutelage for this kind of work alongside the two jobs and university work and her two horses. "Uh sure, I might be interested in that." She wasn't one to be too keen, not one for excitement about things in life; which sounded sad if she thought about it too hard.
Still, it would be useful to be able to fix her own leather should they start to wear - it was likely to save her pennies in the long run. "Alright then, If you wanted to look, I do have a section off to the right hand side that are repaired boots - ones that people have discarded because they were worn in the heel. I have a habit of saving what I can and selling them on for minimal. There's not a thing wrong with them, they've all been resoled and any damage lifted or fixed." Theia nodded, second hand was likely her only option with how tight her bank balance was these days. Especially if they just needed a little work to make them practically shiny new again; and it might be something she could fix. She wandered away from him to her options, taking a look at the styles and the sizes before she picked out a pair not too dissimilar from her previous one's. She picked them up and took them over to the counter. "I'm thinking these."
He nodded, "Of course, we can discuss that at any point."
He watched her walk off to look at what was on offer, not one to hover. If the young lady had questions he would happily answer them, but he was not about to turn around and force information down her throat.
"I'm thinking these."
Looking up, he nodded as she put the boots down on the bench. He reached under the counter for a vast array of items. He stuffed the boots with newspaper to make sure they kept their shape, before pulling out various polishes and conditioners. He did it for all the boots he sold, made sure they were glittering before they left, conditioned and water proofed for at least six months. He was good at his job, going from one boot to the other as he let them soak up and dry, applying the next coat of conditioner and then at last, a shine.
"Would you like a box for them, or a bag?" he asked, putting everything away.
"Of course, we can discuss that at any point." Theia nodded, considering it again for a moment, "Let me figure out my month's schedule with work and then.. I'll come back." Surprising herself by being genuinely interested. Unlike some of her friends, she wasn't one to take things on lightly either - she meant it if she said something. She liked being busy and the skill would be useful, why not learn something new that could help her in the long run. She put the information aside for a moment as she surveyed her options instead, she'd come back round to his offer another time.
She glanced at Enver as she set down her items, watching him look them over and then begin to get them ready to pack. She raised her brows at the conditioner and polishes, surprised that he was putting so much effort in. They were in excellent condition, Theia could tell that the guy cared for his work, and it was nice to see. She'd take as good a care with them as she could herself. "Would you like a box for them, or a bag?" She took a second to think which would be easier, "A bag, please." She tended to throw the boxes or they ended up cluttering up her room.
