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!.
She felt him shrug and she knew what his answer was going to be - not good. "On an off." She frowned slightly, her brow furrowing. "You need to rest," She said gently, he was still healing after all. "There was a lot going on in my head, so I let them fight it out. The battle was epic." She bit her lip, taking a moment to look at him. "That's my fault, I'm sorry." She took a moment to gather her own messy thoughts. "Maybe tonight we'll have pizza, movie and early night?" She suggested, and it was her way of letting him know she wasn't going to be running. She couldn't do it, she didn't want to leave him. She couldn't promise she wouldn't think about it again, but Amber didn't think she'd ever be able to go through with it unless he told her to leave.
"How about we get up, I cook us breakfast and we work out a game plan, then I'll head to the barn and you can come back to bed? I wonder if Naomi will allow me to do any heavy lifting today." She gave a nod, a game plan would help, it might make her feel better about what was going on for them. "Naomi shouldn't allow you to do any heavy lifting." She added, and though bed sounded good for her, she didn't think she'd be able to do anything other than wallow and feel restless. "I'll probably get some chores done," She said, thinking of the washing pile and such that could do with sorting. She watched him stretch and sit up, returning his kiss with a fleeting tired smile. "I still think the idea of setting him up would be the best way. What do you want for breakfast?" She gave a small nod and then went to sit up herself. "It's probably the only way, we'll just need to get this right to make sure we win." Knowing how Tristan was, it had to be a solid plan. "I don't know if I can eat right now, maybe just some toast. Coffee would be good though."
"You need to rest," Mik pulled a face. "That's my fault, I'm sorry." He raised his brows and shook his head, his endless thoughts weren't totally her fault, he knew that he could have taken care of the douche at the beginning of all this, but he hadn't. "Maybe tonight we'll have pizza, movie and early night?" He chuckled as his stomach growled at the mention of pizza. "I'll even let you pick the movie, even if you won't stay awake for the entirety of it." He teased lightly.
"Naomi shouldn't allow you to do any heavy lifting." He pouted, though not surprised that she was still looking out for him. "I'll probably get some chores done," He pulled a face, chores sounded boring. "You could come by the barn around lunchtime, we could go for a run?" He suggested, as he was slowly building his stamina back up again, and it was always more fun to go running with someone else. "It's probably the only way, we'll just need to get this right to make sure we win." He nodded as he stretched his arms above his head, getting rid of the kinks in his back, an eyebrow arching as there was an audible pop in his shoulder, though he shrugged it off. "I don't know if I can eat right now, maybe just some toast. Coffee would be good though." He grinned. "Coffee and toast it is." He said, stealing another kiss before bouncing off the bed and heading to the bathroom with his clothes for the day.
Once dressed, he made his way to the kitchen and turned the coffee machine on and grabbed the loaf of fresh bread from the pantry. "You sure I can't entice you in some scrambled eggs?" He asked as he took out plates, knives and the spreads.
She caught the eye brow raise but didn't comment when he didn't - as if they both didn't know it was true. They couldn't keep going round in circles about it though and she wasn't ready to accept anything other than this being her fault. She heard the growl of his stomach as she mentioned food and she managed a small smile from it. At least his body approved of the idea. She knew she'd likely stew on things all day but if anything was going to take her mind off things if was something like that. "I'll even let you pick the movie, even if you won't stay awake for the entirety of it." She managed another smile at that, well aware that it was a terrible habit of hers to fall asleep about ten minutes in. "I can't help it if you just lull me to sleep...and pick boring films." she teased, some of her humour returning. It wasn't true either, apart from the lulling to sleep part, cuddled into him with her head on his shoulder or chest and his arm around her she found it easy to drift off. Unless he was taunting her with her hands and then she was very much wide awake. Not recently though, she wanted him to concentrate on healing.
She raised a brow at his pouting, knowing how much he hated it but how firm she was going to stand by the doctors orders. "You could come by the barn around lunchtime, we could go for a run?" She contemplated it for a moment, and then nodded. "Okay, yeah that would be good." She agreed, at least then she might be able to run some of her thoughts out and she could keep tabs on how hard her boyfriend was pushing himself. "Coffee and toast it is." Amber nodded and gave a brief smile as she returned his kiss and watched him head to the bathroom. Whilst he got himself ready she did too. She didn't think she'd be able to stew whilst he left for the day and she pulled on some clothes - just a loose t-shirt she thought might have once been Mik's and a pair of baggy joggers. She always went comfy clothes on a bad mood day.
Amber followed her nose to the kitchen, a faint headache banging behind her eyes as she begged for caffeine. "You sure I can't entice you in some scrambled eggs?" She shook her head and slid into a chair, wanting to help but seeing that he'd already done everything that was needed. "No thanks, I don't think I can stomach anything more right now. Can I help?" She asked, knowing he was going to say no but needing to ask as she watched.
"I can't help it if you just lull me to sleep...and pick boring films." Mik gave a mock look of shock. "I pick boring films?" He gasped. "I'm sure that you do most of the movie picking." He teased back.
"Okay, yeah that would be good." He grinned. Running with company was always fun, and if he had a person to run with, he'd be less likely to push himself. He was doing his best to get his fitness levels back to where they were, but knew that pushing those limits would do the opposite.
He grinned as she came into the kitchen, brow raising at the t-shirt she was wearing. He'd be wondering what he had done with that one, thinking he'd misplaced it at work. "No thanks, I don't think I can stomach anything more right now. Can I help?" He smiled and nodded to the toaster as the toast popped up. "Can you grab that and take it to the table?" He poured the black liquid into the mugs and carried them to the table, quietly pleased that she had turned down the eggs, as then he'd have to make some for himself and he was struggling to keep things down, thus the bread and coffee rather than his normal full English breakfast before work.
He placed the mugs on the table and sat down in his seat. "Going back to our conversation last night. I still think offering him a pay off is the best way to end his reign." Well, the option of grabbing the douche and hiding him in the dungeon was still on the table too, but he'd leave that suggestion for now.
"I pick boring films? I'm sure that you do most of the movie picking." She managed another half smile at his words, "I think you're confused," but honestly he was quite right; she tried to get him to pick as often as she could but he frequently handed her back the report and refused it. She had enjoyed watching things together with him though, finding a TV show that they both equally enjoyed and settling down to catch up with it tucked into his side.
She caught the raise of his eyebrow at her attire and frowned slightly, glancing down at herself as if to already remind herself of what she'd put on. "What?" She asked, though not annoyed, just wondering what it was about her clothes he was looking at. She mooched over toward him all the same as she asked about helping. When he nodded to the toaster, she changed direction toward it instead. "Can you grab that and take it to the table?" Amber nodded and took the toast out, bringing it over to the table and popping it on to a plate all set up.
Amber hadn't yet sat before Mik spoke again. "Going back to our conversation last night. I still think offering him a pay off is the best way to end his reign." She tensed at first with his words, wondering if he was about to bring up the whole thing about her trying - and failing - to run. She wasn't ready to discuss it yet, still a turmoil of emotions. She swallowed and picked up her mug, taking a long, slow swallow of coffee as an excuse to take her time to respond. "We've been through this before though... I can't afford to pay you back, and once he's got that kind of money, he'll only come back for more..."
Mik bit back the grin when he saw that he's got Amber to smile again, the morning was starting off well. "I think you're confused," He pursed his lips together and nodded. "I get told that quite a bit these days." He said with a chuckle. "As long as I don't put my clothes on inside out, I think I'm doing well."
"What?" He chuckled as he gave her a kiss on the cheek. "You're wearing the t-shirt that I was sure I had lost at work." He said with a shrug. "It looks much better on you." Well... it would look much better on the floor, but now wasn't the time for that.
He took a slice of toast and spread it with butter before slicing it into quarters and then sliced it again as he waited. "We've been through this before though... I can't afford to pay you back, and once he's got that kind of money, he'll only come back for more..." He nodded. "If this works though, I'll get my money back, and he won't be bothering us again for a while." He pushed the plate away and pulled his mug closer. "It's money out of my trust fund, so technically it's coming from my parents, not me." He studied her for a moment. "If nothing else, I want you to be free to live your life. You shouldn't have to live it, always looking over your shoulder." And, even if that meant she wasn't here with him.
"I get told that quite a bit these days. As long as I don't put my clothes on inside out, I think I'm doing well." Amber gave another half smile at that, "You might want to check your shirt then," She said with a nod toward an imaginary label - he hadn't put it on wrong but she figured she'd mess with him a little; bring back some humour. It felt a bit flat, but she was trying at least. Her smile was a little brighter at the kiss on her cheek however, and she knew it couldn't be bad what he was about to say. "You're wearing the t-shirt that I was sure I had lost at work. It looks much better on you." Amber's eyes almost twinkled a little at that, "Oh, yeah I thought it might be yours... sorry." A tribute to how vulnerable she was still feeling - Amber did not apologise for stealing clothes, especially Mik's.
Amber took a swig of coffee, watching Mik work on his toast whilst hers cooled a little, not particularly hungry. "If this works though, I'll get my money back, and he won't be bothering us again for a while." Amber frowned, confused about his words as she finally took a bite of toast, chewing slightly. "I don't follow.." She sighed, shaking her head. "How will you get it back? He's not going to just return it - if anything once you pay him, he'll keep coming back for more.""It's money out of my trust fund, so technically it's coming from my parents, not me. If nothing else, I want you to be free to live your life. You shouldn't have to live it, always looking over your shoulder." Amber glanced at him but then looked away, down at her plate instead. "You still shouldn't be paying for my mistakes. I'll always be looking over my shoulder for something, Mik."
"You might want to check your shirt then," Mik's brow's flew up, as he was sure he'd made sure his clothes were the right way round and not inside out when he put them on and he quickly pulled up the collar, only to pout when he worked out that she had been messing with him. "I'm now worried that if I had put my top on wrong, you wouldn't say anything." He teased. "Oh, yeah I thought it might be yours... sorry." He grinned. "Don't be, it looks great on you! It would look better on the floor, but I need to head to work soon, so maybe later?" Yes, he went there.
"I don't follow.. How will you get it back? He's not going to just return it - if anything once you pay him, he'll keep coming back for more." He pushed his plate away and shrugged. "Haven't quite worked all that out yet, but I think my plan might work." He knew that there were a lot of ways that his plan could go wrong, but it could work. "You still shouldn't be paying for my mistakes. I'll always be looking over my shoulder for something, Mik." He reached over the table and took her hand, rubbing his thumb across the back of it. "I think we both have that curse. I'll watch your six if you watch mine. I still think that I need to tell people who I really am. At least the people I work with."
A ghost of a smile as she watched Mik fall for her joke, taking another large swig of her coffee, and then her smile widened as he pouted. He looked ridiculously cute when he did that and a heart string tugged. "I'm now worried that if I had put my top on wrong, you wouldn't say anything." She gave a small chuckle at that, "Of course I'd tell you... if you about to be seen with me." She teased, feeling a flicker of humour as she took a bite of toast. "Don't be, it looks great on you! It would look better on the floor, but I need to head to work soon, so maybe later?" A raise of an eyebrow, her mood was still scattered, but even then she felt a flush of heat at his question. "Yeah, I think that could be a possibility." Not something she would usually turn down with Mik, she relished the chance to be all over him - and had been very good holding off whilst he wasn't well - but the night before's antics still hung over her head.
She took a bite of her toast, chewing as she watched Mik work out his response. "Haven't quite worked all that out yet, but I think my plan might work." She tilted her head, "don't you think it's worth knowing?" She asked, in case they couldn't get it back. Then she'd owe him - whether Mik would admit it or not. She sighed as he took her hand, though the gesture of his thumb soothed her somewhat. "I think we both have that curse. I'll watch your six if you watch mine. I still think that I need to tell people who I really am. At least the people I work with." Amber chewed her lip for a moment, deliberating before answering. "That's your call, but I don't want it to be anything to do with what's happened with me." She said eventually. "I'll feel worse if you do this just because of me, that's not how it should go."
"Of course I'd tell you... if you about to be seen with me." Mik chuckled, though shot her a withering look. "So, note to self, I'll look good heading to the nightclub, but could be wearing all my clothes inside-out, and back to front, when heading to the barn" He said with a nod. He'd done that often enough before the concussion, so it was nothing new. "Yeah, I think that could be a possibility." He grinned. "I'll take that. Before or after the movie?"
"don't you think it's worth knowing?" He shrugged. "That's the things with plans though, isn't it? We don't always know if it is going to work." He blew out a breath, trying his darndest to remember the entire conversation from the night before, though parts of it slipped through his fingers like stardust. "I'm sure that we can dust enough of the money that he'll have some on him when he gets caught, and I can have someone shadowing him once you've given him the bag." He frowned and shrugged as he look a drink and pulled a face as the caffeine churned in his stomach. "That's your call, but I don't want it to be anything to do with what's happened with me." He brought her hand to his lips and kissed her knuckles. "I'll feel worse if you do this just because of me, that's not how it should go.""I want to do this, because of what's happening to us." He told her. "It's probably about time I grew up, and stopped hiding from my parents like a rebellious teenager." Before he'd bee attacked, he'd been thinking about approaching Naomi and asking if he could apply for the position as an eventing instructor.
She pretended to ignore his look as she worked on her toast, though the bread tasted somewhat like cardboard with her hollow state. "So, note to self, I'll look good heading to the nightclub, but could be wearing all my clothes inside-out, and back to front, when heading to the barn" Amber smiled, a little more genuine as she finished her coffee with a final slug. "exactly right, but maybe I'm hoping they'll send you home to me if they see you looking so out of sorts." she teased, trying to slot right back into her usual humour. She felt like she'd need to talk to him about it at some point though, about her trying to leave him, about how she did love him and that was why she'd wanted to run. It was hard to think the words let alone say them, and she couldn't promise she wouldn't be a flight risk and try again some other time.
His grin made her smile, he was too damn boyish when he did that. Looked at her like that. As if she could say no or be mad or sad when he looked at her in that way. "I'll take that. Before or after the movie?" Amber raised a brow at that. "How about some spontaneity?" She suggested. She knew it couldn't be like that all the time, as adults you had to kind of schedule things in around work and life if you wanted to make time for each other. But she liked it best when things just happened...as they often did with Mik, given that she couldn't help herself most of the time.
"That's the things with plans though, isn't it? We don't always know if it is going to work." Amber bit her lip. She would rather this one did work though, so she didn't have to worry about owing Mik thousands of pounds along with everything else he'd lost because of her. "I'm sure that we can dust enough of the money that he'll have some on him when he gets caught, and I can have someone shadowing him once you've given him the bag." She frowned slightly. "What's dusting?" She asked. "Is that like when they dye money? Like in films? Couldn't we call the police and say it's stolen if you did that?" she asked, trying to wrack her brain to work out how they did this crap in movies and TV. Such bullshit. She sighed as he kissed her knuckles, knowing something sweet was coming her way. "I want to do this, because of what's happening to us. It's probably about time I grew up, and stopped hiding from my parents like a rebellious teenager." She shook her head. "But then I've forced your hand. It shouldn't be that way. You wouldn't have been considering it if this hadn't happened. You shouldn't have this force you to change your life. It's not right."
"exactly right, but maybe I'm hoping they'll send you home to me if they see you looking so out of sorts." Mik gave a laugh and shook his head. "While that's great in theory, Naomi's more likely to slap me on the upside of my head and tell me to straighten up my clothes." Not that his boss would every assault any of her staff, but she was a mother to two teenagers.
"How about some spontaneity?" He pursed his lips, pretending to consider the idea. "Spontaneity?" He said as though he was testing the word and then shrugged with a grin. "Yeah, I think I can work with that." He probably needed a little more spontaneity in how ordered his life had become lately.
"What's dusting? Is that like when they dye money? Like in films? Couldn't we call the police and say it's stolen if you did that?" He chuckled and nodded, movies were pretty spot-on when it came to showing how things were done. "Well, technically it's in a spray can." He said with a boyish grin. "The spray is invisible to to the eye, and picked up under UV-light. I put it on all my horse gear, and my tack trunk has a sticker on it warning people that I have used the dots. Yes, I'd let the police know that it's been stolen and let them deal with the recovery." The more he tried to explain it, the more out there, and unbelievable, it sounded. "I'll bring the kit home with me today and you can have a look at what I'm hashing up while trying to explain."
"But then I've forced your hand. It shouldn't be that way. You wouldn't have been considering it if this hadn't happened. You shouldn't have this force you to change your life. It's not right." He gave a roguish grin. "Contrary to popular belief, it's been something I've been thinking about for a while." He finally released her hand as he stood up and walked over to the fridge to pour himself a glass of milk so that he could down his painkillers. "I think all of... this..." He gestured around him vaguely as he returned to the table and sat again. "Has given me the push I need." After all, all it would take is one person to recognise him as the gangly sixteen year old boy from the British team at Rio, and then everyone would know anyway. "Think of it this way, if I come clean, then it should save me from the rumours of why I've been hiding who I really am." Though sometimes the rumour-mill was fun to listen to. "The main thing that stops me though, is that you will probably get dragged into my family issues."
She managed another smile as he laughed, glancing over at him as she sat back in her chair, finishing off with her breakfast. "While that's great in theory, Naomi's more likely to slap me on the upside of my head and tell me to straighten up my clothes." Amber raised a brow, "And here I was thinking I was the only one allowed to slap you upside anything," She retorted, though she had no real aversion to his boss being involved in that way - she knew how things worked in a business, appearances were everything and you had to dress appropriately to show the right image of the place. She didn't really expect a yard to be any different, though she couldn't imagine things being like that at her cousin's.
Her eyes flickered toward him at his thoughtful look, wondering how he'd take things. She had no issue with planning things, sometimes you had to plan or factor in alone or intimate time with the other half, life got busy and you had to work to make things work. But, she did like spontaneous, a fly by the seat of your pants approach to things too. "Spontaneity?" Amber half smiled, a slightly secretive smile. "Yeah, you know that whole... grab me by the shirt in the middle of the afternoon because you just can't be without me type of thing." She joked, though there was some curious element of truth to it. "Yeah, I think I can work with that." Her smile widened a little, "I hope for your sake, you can." She was only teasing though, she would have him however she could get him.
"Well, technically it's in a spray can. The spray is invisible to to the eye, and picked up under UV-light. I put it on all my horse gear, and my tack trunk has a sticker on it warning people that I have used the dots. Yes, I'd let the police know that it's been stolen and let them deal with the recovery. I'll bring the kit home with me today and you can have a look at what I'm hashing up while trying to explain." She nodded slowly as she listened to him, she didn't care how it worked in particular, as long as it was something she supposed - she just wanted him to be able to get his money back, otherwise she'd be selling her body parts for cold hard cash. "Okay, maybe that's the way to go." It seemed relatively fool proof, or to her at least.
She didn't quite understand his grin, wondering what the joke was - she was being serious. "Contrary to popular belief, it's been something I've been thinking about for a while." Amber watched him take his meds, pleased to see he was still following guidelines in that respect at least. "I think all of... this... Has given me the push I need." She sighed, "Don't say this for my benefit," She said, still unsure if he was trying to make her feel better about things, and not wanting him to be forced into things because of her own stupid past. "Think of it this way, if I come clean, then it should save me from the rumours of why I've been hiding who I really am. The main thing that stops me though, is that you will probably get dragged into my family issues." She rolled her eyes, "As if you haven't been dragged into my issues," She said with a shake of her head. "I guess you can at least control the way the news comes out rather than a surprise.. but I still don't like it. I've turned your entire life upside down." Her lips turned down at the corners, still frustrated with the whole situation.
Mik did a mental happy dance when he saw her smile. "And here I was thinking I was the only one allowed to slap you upside anything," He chuckled. "The difference, is that I like it when you slap me."
"Yeah, you know that whole... grab me by the shirt in the middle of the afternoon because you just can't be without me type of thing." He pursed his lips, brow lifting. "Does it have to be the middle of the afternoon, or can I do that at any point?" Of course, not while they were at the club, as it wasn't that type of club - something he had to remind quite a few of the patrons while he was waiting tables. "I hope for your sake, you can." He chuckled. "I'm wondering if it would be more fun if I don't..? He teased.
"Okay, maybe that's the way to go." He nodded. Sure, there were still many ways it could go wrong, as no plan was fool-proof, but he was sure it would work to their advantage enough that it would get the douche-bag out of their hair.
"Don't say this for my benefit," He shook his head, as this had been something he'd been considering for a while, the main thing that stopped him was the fact that his parents would swoop down on Hickstead. He grinned at her eyeroll. "As if you haven't been dragged into my issues," He held up a finger. "I kind of threw myself into your issues." He gave a wolfish grin. "I guess you can at least control the way the news comes out rather than a surprise.. but I still don't like it. I've turned your entire life upside down." He chuckled as he grabbed Amber's hand and pulled her to her feet, kissing her. "I couldn't think of a better way to be living my life." He kissed her again. "I got you!"
She heard his chuckle and her smile was automatic once again, unable to help herself. He always had that ability, unless she was really really mad. "The difference, is that I like it when you slap me." Amber's eyebrows rose curiously and she gave him a pointed look. "Well, I'll make note of that then," She admitted, filing it away for future reference. Not that she had intention of slapping him around the face. Usually she would have made that comment out loud and fallen into their flirty banter she enjoyed so much, but her heart wasn't in it in that moment, and her head wasn't helping much either.
"Does it have to be the middle of the afternoon, or can I do that at any point?" She gave another smile, an eyebrow arching once again without even realising it, curious as to whether he had something in mind. "I would encourage any point, there's no specific time." She watched him for a moment, shifting a little in her chair. "I'm wondering if it would be more fun if I don't..?" Amber gave a small chuckle and a shake of her head. "I think we can find plenty of fun easily enough," She retorted, knowing damn well how much fun they could have together from previous experiences. But now was not the time, the topic was serious and they had other things to focus on for the minute. Fun could come later, when her mood hopefully improved.
She saw him shake his head, and she hoped to God he wasn't lying to her. She frowned at the raising of his finger, wondering what he was going to come out with next to try and placate her and her concern. "I kind of threw myself into your issues." She sighed but didn't make a move to argue this time, she didn't think that was true at all, she felt that she'd dragged him into it, but she was tired and feeling low, and didn't want to keep batting the 'blame' back and forth. Suddenly, she was pulled to her feet, and she let him, surprised by his sudden kiss but returning it easily enough. "I couldn't think of a better way to be living my life." Amber kissed him again, feeling some of the tension leave her with it. "I got you!" A slight smile again. "I know you do." And she did. "Alright, I'll let you do whatever you need to do." As if it was her choice anyway. "Not that I like it any better." She added with a firm look.