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!.
Ama was happy that her Sunday had been very chill so far. The kids were off with Uncle Ky at the playground a block down. Christian had an emergency fix at the marina – leaving Ama to spend some alone time to finish a few house things. Laundry, like always had piled up – but she had made a good dent into it. All that was left were linens and towels.
After folding a mountain of clothing, Ama flopped onto the couch and stretched out her legs. Since Christian wasn’t around, Ama found herself wrapped up in looking at some rings. She and Christian had been together for a long time, and while there were talks of them and their future – things never seemed to line up. They could be considered married with them being together for eight years now. Now that things were settled and slowed down, Ama was ready. She just didn’t quite know how to bring it up.
Distracted by looking at the pretty pieces, she didn’t hear the front door.
Christian hated being dragged to the Marnina on his day off, but the Boss needed him. One of the Coast guard boats needed repairs and they needed to be done quickly.
It had taken longer than he thought as he kept finding more and more problems with the engine. After a few hours of work, he was finally done. Not long after receiving payment and a thousand thanks from the guards, he was on his way home again.
Thoughts of asking Ama to marry him had crossed his mind for about a year now but things kept coming up. He wanted to find the right time, but it never came. It wasn't long before he found himself at home again, opening the front door with his keys before sliding off his shoes.
Usually, Ama could hear him come through the front door but when he didn't get a greeting, he tilted his head. "Honey? I'm home!" he called as he walked further into the house.
It didn't take him long to figure out that she was sitting on their couch in the living room. "There you are..." his voice was soft as he sat down beside her. "What are you looking at?" He couldn't see the screen from where he was sitting.
The sound of Christian’s voice startled her. Was she that invested in what she was looking at? “Oh, hey, sorry!” she smiled, putting her phone down on the coffee table. Ama adjusted herself so she was in a sitting position. She gave Christian a small kiss on the cheek before she leaned back again.
When she was asked what she was looking at, she couldn’t help but turn a bit pink. “Engagement rings.” It was out now, right? Surely, he was thinking of the same thing. Or was she wrong? They had their routine now Not wanting those words to be the last thing in the air, she smiled again. “How was work love? I hope they gave you a good bonus for the last-minute call-in!”
Christian could tell that he startled her. "Don't apologize, clearly I interrupted something." It wasn't like he gave her a call when he left the marina. He was more focused on getting home and enjoying the rest of the day off with his family.
He sat down on the couch next to her and gave her a gentle forehead kiss. Christian tilted his head as he noticed a blush come to her cheeks. When his partner admitted what she was looking at he was a bit surprised. "For yourself? Or helping someone propose?" He was sure she was looking for herself - but it was something he needed to hear - just in case.
"I'll have to see about that one, but I know I'll at least get the couple hours pay. It was one of the coast guard's boats that needed fixing, and they almost needed a wholenew engine." It was annoying, but they needed all hands-on deck as the boat couldn't be out of commission for long.
“Yes, to both,” she smiled. “I think it’s about time, don’t you think? You know, make things official as the kids say?” There was of course the financial aspect of it but that wasn’t necessarily an issue. While the two had been together for felt like a decade, Ama liked the idea of being married.
While most people knew that she was taken, there was something about being fully off the market. They were raising three kids and had a house full of their family. The two had been together through a lot, and maybe it was time to celebrate that. She also felt ready to retry for another pregnancy. While the first didn’t go as planned, Ama felt ready to try again. But the marriage idea seemed more important to bring up.
“Yikes, that sounds…costly. Well, at least you finished at a decent time though! Are you hungry?”
"Oh so no pressure on my end then." Christian laughed. He was at the point where he felt he was already married to Ama since they had been together for what seemed like forever now. "I have been thinking about proposing to you lately, though now it seems as if the surprise I had planned is ruined." He kept his signature smile on - it was clearly on her mind the past little bit. Though he never knew if that had to do with her being in the bridal business or not. 'What were you thinking of for a ring style?"
He knew Ama came from money, but he had an idea that she didn't want some big flashy ring. Christian didn't understand why some women wanted a big ring anyway, it seemed too attention seeking to him.
"Yeah, I'm glad it wasn't my boat. Though I think the worst part was the fact that they kept pressuring us to finish quickly so they could get back out on the water..." It was almost like he was back in the Navy with someone breathing down his neck to get his work done. Usually, it wouldn't be a problem as he knew what he was doing - but there seemed to be more and more wrong the more the inspection went on. "Actually, yes. I'm starving. I didn't take my lunch break because I wanted to get their boat back up and running. Have you eaten this afternoon?"
“At least we’re on the same page! And you still can surprise for when and how you propose to me,” Ama responded. She knew it would be a massive thing, as neither liked the extravagant proposal ideas. If anything, Ama trusted him to know her taste. Despite her flashy appearance, it didn’t mean Ama liked all that attention. She was just doing her rich person duties, and then it was into PJs at home – playing with the kids. “Nothing yellow gold, that’s for sure. Silver or White Gold, and nothing substantial. I don’t need to be looking like a billboard for a thief 101 class.” Ama hadn’t experienced anything being pickpocketed off of her, but she knew of plenty of other people that did.
Ama picked up her phone to check the time and put it back down after she got her answer. She stood up and stretched her arms and back. It had been a minute since she had stood up and it felt good. “Thankfully your boss has a quick tongue. I appreciate that he doesn’t force y’all to do anything faster.” Safety was indeed a top priority, something Ama would happily fight over if something happened.
“Looks like I need to whip up a decent meal then, eh?” she smiled patting his shoulder. “You unwind, and I’ll get something started. I have pot roasts already simmering in the crock pot for dinner.”
Christian smiled and nodded, he could have that as a surprise though he was a bit disappointed the whole thing wouldn't be a surprise to her. "That's true, I promise not to embarrass you. Not something I'd want to put you through." He was confident enough in himself not to be nervous, but there was a slight chance of it happening. Chris knew he would want to have her family members and his own involved in the proposal - or at least the planning portion of it.
"Alright, I'll see what I can do. I didn't think you wanted anything flashy. Though any preference on what cut and color for the stone or are you leaving it to me?" He had recently seen an advertisement for a local jeweler. It was someone he wanted to talk to about rings, potentially seeing if he could create something unique for the woman he loved. "Are you saying you know of people who have had their engagement rings stolen?" Having something stolen wasn't something he had experienced yet, though there were stories he heard during his days in the Navy.
Christian took off his long sleeve shirt, walking over to the stairs leading up to their room. "We are thankful for him too. I understand that if there was to be an emergency that they would need their boat back, but having an engine that actually works is more important." The client seemed frustrated as they couldn't do their job without it, but thankfully the boss was able to get them to understand the work that needed to be put into the repairs.
"Are you sure you don't need help? You know I dislike feeling useless. It smells delicious by the way." He could smell the beef and herbs braising away in the kitchen.
“Not anyone in our immediate circle, thankfully. But a few clients and or friends of clients. I’m not against people having massive rings, but it just feels like a waste.” Despite the generational wealth, Ama still didn’t like advertising the amount she had in her everyday life. Sure, she had a nice house – but it wasn’t an Italian villa.
She gave a soft look before placing a kiss on his rough cheek. “How about you relax a bit, then help with the laundry?” It wasn’t taking a lot of work for her not to burst into happiness. Maybe she thought the conversation would’ve happened in a better way, but it was also something that the conversation was so casual. Knowing that the children and the household were out until dinner, meant some time to themselves in a way that any parent would need.
Ama gave Christian a spicier kiss on the lips, signaling a future activity was soon to happen. She stood up and headed to the kitchen before he could protest. In a way, they were similar in the sense that they both always needed something to do. But household work was different than duties at their respective jobs.
Christian nodded, everyone had their own taste. He knew Ama well enough to know this, but an engagement ring was something a woman wore daily. "Oh, so you are saying that all our friends are married except us? Yikes, I never thought we'd be the last ones." He gave her a grin. The two of them had too much going on to get married - and in his eyes they practically were. Three kids and living together was all that he needed, though having a wedding made it official.
He stretched himself out on the couch, enjoying finally being able to sit down after being on his feet all morning. "Have you found a ring that you like the look of then?" Christian smiled softly after the first kiss, the second spicier one catching him off guard, though he kissed back. Once she let go, he blinked - needing a moment to regain his thought process. "Wait, I'll come help now." He got up from the couch and followed her. Housework still needed to be done - he knew he could be lazy later.
Once he caught up with her, he stood in the kitchen - waiting to see how he could help or just keep her company. "Clearly you've thought about this more than I have. Is there any proposal you don't want?"
She wasn’t expecting Christian to follow her in, but maybe it was her fault for that. A serious adult conversation was happening. “Well, I haven’t really narrowed down anything ring-wise. More of what I don’t want, if that makes sense?” she answered, opening the dishwasher to unload it. “No yellow gold, and not a super thick band. Or anything with a lot of flash.” Like everything else, it was easier to say what she didn’t like. It helped with a few things, but Ama knew she often had to further explain something.
When Christian asked her about, what she wanted for her proposal, Ama stood there a moment. “Not in public,” Ama started, grabbing a few dishes from the bottom rack of the dishwasher. “Anything involving family is a plus,” she smiled. She didn’t know if she would be ruining any kind of surprise. Ama didn’t know what and when it would happen, so that was a plus, right? “I don’t want it to be a stressful planning process.”
The kitchen wasn’t exactly somewhere he spent most of his time, but he thought it was rude if he didn’t. Marriage was a serious topic after all - he now was starting to get the idea that Ama thought so too. “Yes, I can understand that. You could start by telling me what styles you don’t want. So that I have an idea.” Christian liked to think he knew Ama very well by now, but people could constantly change their minds.
He walked over to the dishwasher and started helping, starting on the silverware so he could be out of Ama’s way. He organized the cutlery and nodded, listening to Ama’s answer. “You’re more of a silver band girl then?” He was completely clueless when it came to fashion, often finding himself relying on Ama to help him pick what to wear. It didn’t take him long to put the silverware away and begin helping with the pasta bowls.
When Ama mentioned family, an idea came to his head. He could get her family to help him plan the proposal - maybe even at the upcoming family picnic. It all depended on how quickly he could get the ring. “You’d want the triplets involved? Or just the adult family?” He wanted most of it to be a surprise for her - though realistically she didn’t know when or with what he was going to propose.
Ama was fully aware; that this kind of conversation may have been deemed out of place for most. But it was an important part of the idea of moving forward, at least, in her eyes. Even if they didn’t talk about it, Ama knew Christian would easily talk to his siblings to help us out with some options. Nat was a young woman who would gladly help with research. However, since Ama and Christian were on the same page – it was easier to just talk about it—less chance of being disappointed.
“Yes, silver please – and I don’t want a diamond centerpiece, if that makes sense.” She finished the last part of the dishes on the bottom before closing it and opening the top. “I would want everyone of all ages! Family is important to us, and I don’t want them to feel left out. Granted, I’m sure they would weasel themselves in somehow,” she laughed – putting some glasses away. “I think getting them involved would make it more fun, don’t you think?’
Christian started to feel relief about the conversation. As he had surprised his last fiancee, only to find out she cheated on him - it was nice to hear that they were both on the same page. It did put a damper on it being an actual surprise though.
"I feel like I need engagement rings for dummies. Can you explain to me what a diamond centerpiece is?" His understanding was that every ring had a stone in the center - though he knew he could very well be wrong. It wasn't his area of expertise after all. "You mean the kids or our adult family members?" It was all starting to come together - Christian would only have to think of how to get their kids involved. He moved around the kitchen, helping to unload the dishwasher.
With a few glasses in his hand, he put them in the correct cupboard - making sure they were completely dry before doing so. "Did you have a picture of your dream proposal in mind? Something outside maybe?" The more he knew about what she wanted - the better he could plan their engagement. He would honestly be happy with anything, though for both of them something low key was the most comfortable.
