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!.
Wren let out a quick breath as she stepped off the train, and then her lips stretched into a grin, taking half a second to check which direction she needed to go for the exit. She hoisted the bag higher onto her shoulder, pulled her suitcase onto its wheels and took off toward the signs for ‘way out’, following a small throng of people that had also gotten off at the Hickstead stop. It hadn’t been too long of a journey up from the coast, but long enough that she’d had time to get through a couple of chapters of her book before she’d started to feel a bit antsy, fidgeting and putting the book down to watch the passing scenery and changing the playlist on her phone as the music in her ears didn’t match her mood.
She was excited; this felt like a fresh start, even though she wasn’t exactly starting over, but moving away from your mum’s house and going it alone did have the feel of starting new. She wasn’t even that far, but it was far enough. Wren had sold almost everything she had to be able to afford a place in Hickstead. It was more expensive than she would have chosen as a place to move to alone, and it was going to be a bit tight on the purse strings; but she’d already interviewed and accepted a chef’s job at the local restaurant – which seemed upmarket and a place where she might be able to branch out and make her own mark a little on the menu – plus she’d signed up to the local fire station for additional hours and emergencies.
What she was most looking forward to though, was seeing Mason. They had gone longer than normal between visits, both of their adult lives picking up somewhat and getting inbetween trips to see each other. She’d been keeping up with their regularly scheduled – and unscheduled – phone calls and face times, but it wasn’t the same as being there with someone and she’d missed him. Even after he’d left, nobody had been able to replace his spot as her best friend. She hoped it was the same for him. Wren exited the station and walked a little way down the road to avoid blocking the doorway, and then she paused, searching the crowd of cars and people for the one meant to be picking her up.
Mason parked his grey mercedes in the pick up section of the station car park and drummed his fingers against the steering wheel to the beat of whatever song was currently playing on the radio. He was excited to see his best friend in person after a few months apart, beyond excited, hence the tapping. He needed to focus his energy into something to keep his mind entertained so he wouldn't be stood outside the train station, pacing back and forth in anticipation. He'd missed her but he needed to keep his cool.
Sighing, he glanced at the clock on the dashboard as he went to get out of the car, fed up of waiting inside. The train should have arrived by now. He leant against the car door and looked towards the station doors as people began to file out. A smile tugged at the corner of his lips as he saw a flash of familiar blonde hair walk out and his heart swelled at the sight of her. Dammit he was going to need to work on that. Grinning, he strode over and scooped her into a hug, spinning her around. "There she is"
She knew he wouldn't forget her, he wasn't like that, and she wouldn't let him forget her anyway - she had a habit of texting Mason whenever even something insignificant happened, and she'd updated him on her train journey so he didn't have to be sat waiting for her for too long. She wasn't particularly tall and she craned her neck above the crowd to try and find him. And then there he was, standing bold as brass in front of her. She couldn't help it, she beamed at him, her lips practically splitting her face to see him - not only her best friend but practically her chosen family.
Wren felt a stupid little drop of relief to see him grin wide back at her - genuine excitement to see her. They'd spoken plenty and seen each other a handful of times, but it wasn't like how they'd been growing up - always in each other's pockets. She hadn't even acknowledged it, but there was a tiny niggle of worry that he wouldn't really want her to come to Hickstead, that he would have gotten over being her friend, that he would have moved on. This sold it though - he was happy she was here, and if possible, her grin widened somehow too. "There she is""Loon!!" She let out a happy squeal and laughed loudly as he scooped her up and span her. She threw her arms around his neck and clung on tightly, squeezing him closer in joy to be there with him again before she released him once she was set back on her feet. "And here I was thinking you'd somehow managed to forget me," She teased then shook her head, "who am I kidding - there is no way you could forget me!" She grinned, stepped back to grab her bags.
His grin widened as she beamed back at him. God he’d missed that smile. Yes he’d seen it plenty of times on face time recently but it just wasn’t the same. "Loon!!" He chuckled at the nickname, hugging her close ”Lark!” He set her back down on the ground and looked at her, grin still on his face. "And here I was thinking you'd somehow managed to forget me, who am I kidding - there is no way you could forget me!" He lout out a snort and shook his head with a laugh. ”Yeah right, like you’d ever let me forget about you!” She’d text him enough times on the short train journey – he didn’t get a chance to forget about her. He ruffled her hair with a smirk. ”I’ve missed you” He said, reaching around her to grab her bags before she could. ”I’ll grab these, you go pop the boot” He said, nodding towards his car. ”How was the ride up?” He asked, glancing both ways before crossing the road.
She couldn't help but laugh when his smile widened in response to her own. Damn it she'd missed him so badly - that ridiculously happy face, where all he had to do was grin at her and any bad mood she had would melt away; and then she'd be laughing. She took a moment to breath him in, all the tension thrumming through her immediately dissipated. Why had she taken so long to do this? ”Lark!” She felt her feet returned to the earth and she steadied herself before releasing her hold around him, lips still stretched impossible wide with her ridiculous grin. ”Yeah right, like you’d ever let me forget about you!” Wren pretended to ponder that for a moment, drumming her finger tips on her lips with a thoughtful look, and then she returned to grinning. "Very true," She agreed with a nod. No chance she was letting Mason get away from her - if he even tried it she would have been over in a shot pounding on his door. Best friends did not give up that easy, no matter any distance.
She batted his hand away with a warning look, though she tended to leave her hair to it's natural order so it wasn't that much of an issue if it were ruffled; a habit from growing up with Mason and that kind of behaviour. ”I’ve missed you” And she couldn't help the softening to her smile, the way her heart gave a squeeze. She gave him a gentle nudge with an elbow, "Missed you too.. dork," She teased, but she really had. ”I’ll grab these, you go pop the boot” She didn't bother to protest, she knew him well enough that he would ignore her, so she laughed instead and headed over with him, "Gosh what great service - and with a smile and all!" Popping the boot as he'd asked, she hovered in case he wanted a hand. ”How was the ride up?” Wren gave a noncomittal shrug, "Uneventful - luckily not too long, it got boring pretty fast. But enough about that, how are you?"
A mischievous grin spread across his lips as she swatted at his hand, making him lift his other to do it again. It had been months since he'd been able to tease her in person. "Missed you too.. dork," He smiled and went to poke her ribs lightly. "You're the dork" He grinned, heading over to the car. "Gosh what great service - and with a smile and all!" He placed the bags in the back of the car and glanced at her with a smirk. "Hey, you get what you pay for, that'll be £25." He joked as he closed the boot. "Uneventful - luckily not too long, it got boring pretty fast. But enough about that, how are you?" He gave his own shrug as he got into the driver's side of the car. "Alright, bit tired since I've just come off a night shift but better now my partner in crime is here". He started the car with a grin and pulled out of the car park. "Coffee?"
She raised a hand and pointed her index finger at him in warning as she danced away from his other hand. She wasn't all that graceful and these kinds of games were likely to end badly for her - as they often did. Normally her on her ass, and him still having messed her damn hair all the same. But damn had she missed this. Facetime and calls just weren't the same as being here with him, pushing and shoving and jibbing each other. "She let out a girly squeal at the poke and then rubbed her side, even if it hadn't hurt. "You're the dork" She raised a brow and pretending to look haughtily at him, "I prefer the term, nerd actually." Though she wasn't that much of one compared to people she'd known in school.
"Hey, you get what you pay for, that'll be £25." Wren wrinkled her nose, "Hmmm, how about an IOU? Payment was definitely not on the confirmation text." She teased right back, her heart warming with their usual back and forth as they slipped into how they usually were with each other. She climbed into the passengers side, taking his lead and strapping herself in. "Alright, bit tired since I've just come off a night shift but better now my partner in crime is here". She gave a slight wince, "Ah sorry I didn't realise, you should hav said - you didn't have to come pick me up," She said honestly. It was good of him, and they were best friends but she would never taken advantage - not much anyway. It was nice to hear him say he felt better she was here- she already felt settled, and excited to start her life over here. "Coffee?" An enthusiastic nod, "Absolutely yes, I had to miss out on my usual this morning as I ran out of time." And her head was buzzing for a hit of the good stuff.
"I prefer the term, nerd actually." He snorted and lifted a brow as he looked at her questioningly. "You were not a nerd." He hadn't been one either in school but he hadn't been in the popular crowd or a troublemaker either. He and Skye had formed a friendship group along with Wren which had been nice and it gave him the opportunity to look out for them. "Hmmm, how about an IOU? Payment was definitely not on the confirmation text." He tapped his finger against the steering wheel while he pretended to think about it. "hmm. .fine but the interest gets bigger the longer you wait." He teased. "Ah sorry I didn't realise, you should have said - you didn't have to come pick me up,"
He rolled his eyes and gave her a look. "Like I was going to let you get a taxi and move in by yourself. Besides, I can sleep later." There was no way he was not going to be there to greet her. He was thrilled she'd decided to move there and he wanted to help her get settled in smoothly. "Absolutely yes, I had to miss out on my usual this morning as I ran out of time." He grinned and pulled into the starbucks on the way into town. He'd managed to down an espresso before he left work but he needed another pick me up to keep him going. "What do you want? Usual?" He asked, unsure if her usual would still be the same.
"You were not a nerd." Wren wrinkled her nose at him as she thought about it. "Okay so I wasn't a swat...but I could have been if I'd wanted to be!" also a lie. She had worked hard in school, wanting to come out work decent grades and have a chance to make something of her life, she had wanted options but she had never been naturally academic and she'd had to work for it. She'd been perfectly happy with her little bubble of Mason and his twin, and hadn't needed anything more than what she'd had. Wren settled herself into the seat as she waited for him to consider her offer. "hmm. .fine but the interest gets bigger the longer you wait." Wren laughed softly, goddamn she'd missed him being there beside her with his quick witted sense of humour. "How about you just send me the bill as the end of the week," She teased in response..
"Like I was going to let you get a taxi and move in by yourself. Besides, I can sleep later." Wren shrugged and glanced over at him. "Hey now I am a strong independent woman and I can totally do it on my own... But I still appreciate this all the same." She added with a grin before he could think she didn't want him there. Even knowing he was sleep deprived she was pleased he had come anyway. She fiddled about with the Bluetooth for a moment so she could hook up her phone to the sound system as Mason headed toward Starbucks. Her blood sang for the idea of a fresh coffee and she brought up hers and Masons joint playlist - a list of all their favourite songs or one's that had meaning to their friendship - and pressed play. "What do you want? Usual?" Wren shot Mason a wide grin. "Yep, the usual please - you know me." and he really did. .
"Okay so I wasn't a swat...but I could have been if I'd wanted to be!" He snorted and gave her a side eye as he drove. "Suree. .course you could have." He said, unconvincingly. They'd both had to spend hours upon hours studying to even get decent grades while others could just look at a book and understand instantly. Training to be a paramedic had been tough academically but he'd somehow managed to come out of the other side. "How about you just send me the bill at the end of the week," He gave her a grin. "Will do." He agreed.
"Hey now I am a strong independent woman and I can totally do it on my own... But I still appreciate this all the same." His lips pulled into a wider grin at her words. He'd have held his hands up in defence if he wasn't driving. "Oh I know you're capable of handling it by yourself but I still won't let you." He was too chivalrous for that. He drummed his fingers against the steering wheel when a familiar song from their playlist played through the speakers as he turned into the drive through. He rolled down his window to ask for their typical orders then pulled up to the next window to pay the cashier and take the drinks.
She raised an eyebrow at his look, "Hey now..." She warned, knowing exactly what that side eye was meant to mean. "Suree. .course you could have." She pressed her lips together and shot him a return look - one that was not very impressed. "Just because you haven't see me in a while, doesn't mean you get to be mean to me, maybe I should have gotten a taxi." she said with a slight pout, but her feelings were not hurt in any way - they had always been this way, jabbing at each other back and forth. She had thick skin anyway, and she knew Mason never said anything to hurt her. "Will do." She snorted and rolled her eyes, "Look forward to it," She retorted, but she couldn't quite hold back the grin either; hell, she'd missed the big oaf.
Wren glanced over at him after her words, knowing she'll have ribbed him a little with that one. "Oh I know you're capable of handling it by yourself but I still won't let you." She smiled, a genuine one at that. She didn't mind really, there had only been a handful of times over the years she had gotten frustrated by the chivalry, but most of the time if she'd gotten to that point of she'd had enough of something not working, she would willingly had it over to Mase to try instead. Occasionally, she'd stick it out, be stubborn enough to refuse his help, but in the end he'd always take over anyway instead of watching her perpetually struggle. "Yeah I know. And you know even when I say I hate it I don't mean it," She teased, waiting as he placed their orders and drove round. She scrambled a little for her phone and pulled up her pay app. "Don't you dare, the least I can do is get these," She rolled her eyes and reached across him to tap her phone to the machine.
"Hey now...Just because you haven't see me in a while, doesn't mean you get to be mean to me, maybe I should have gotten a taxi." He angled his head a little in her direction and grinned, happy they could still banter back and forth like they used to. ”I mean, there’s still time if you’d like me to pull over” he countered, knowing she’d refuse. "Yeah I know. And you know even when I say I hate it I don't mean it," He looked over at her again with a meaningful smile. ”I know and I don’t take it to heart. .anymore.” He rolled down his window and went to reach for his phone when Wren leant across to tap her own phone against the card machine. ”heyy, coffee was my idea, it was my shout.” He protested before taking them from the drive through operator and placing them in the cup holders.
She fixed him with a look he hadn't seen in person for a while, one that warned him to behave himself. ”I mean, there’s still time if you’d like me to pull over” She gave a gasp of mock horror. "You would do that to me? Toss me out onto the pavement like some common criminal?" She put a hand to her heart as if it hurt, though naturally she was joking. "I guess this is the reception you get when your friend moves away and leaves you behind..." She gave a dramatic sigh but her lips tilted into a cheeky grin, not wanting him to think she was serious in any way. Life had found a way to make things right again by bringing them back together, and all felt settled in the world again. Or at least it would once she had moved in and gotten her stuff unpacked and all that. She'd grown tired of living out of boxes, but she couldn't deny that she was used to it.
”I know and I don’t take it to heart. .anymore.”Wren laughed and gave him a fond look. "Well that's reassuring to hear." Her grin turned devilish as he protested about her paying. Wren shrugged, ”heyy, coffee was my idea, it was my shout.” "You snooze, you lose. Looks like you're getting slow in your old age, Loon." She teased, leaning back in her seat and tucking away her phone. As soon as the cup appeared, she swiped hers and took a swig, reveling in that sweet hit of hot caffeine. She let out a groan. "Oh yeah, that's the stuff."
