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!.
If there was one person in the world that Yuliana that enjoyed time with was Mia Cohen. While the two women had very different personalities, they equally nerded over a good book – especially middle grade and Young Adult. Some people found it weird, but there was something about the fiction for younger people. Allowed more imagination and fun. Adult books could be too spicy and too boring.
Yuliana had called Mina that she finally, got the Nevermoor books into the shop. Why it had taken so long, she didn’t know. It was a series she had started a while back from the library and the third was due to come out soon. But they were here now, and Yuliana couldn’t help but share her excitement.
The was open, but limited people – meaning they could ogle and aww undisturbed. Plus, the café staff were used to it now. Yuliana was paying them, and handsomely too. As she waited, Yuliana prepped some tea and biscuits – the books sitting on a table. She couldn’t wait.
Mina had awoken to a rather exciting call this Tuesday morning. Her good friend, Yuliana Sali - owner of the Book Nook, called to say that she had gotten the Nevermoor in stock at her shop. That news had been enough to wake her up as fast as a jolt of caffeine. While the books were on the old news side, their third novel due out this month, they became rather scare in the library world of Hickstead, likely because everyone wanted to catch up. The news that Yuliana had them meant that she no longer had to sit on the wait list in order to acquire the books to reread them in order to prepare for the third book since her friend just made it easy.
Probably to the shock of no one, Mina called out sit this morning - childishly feigning some sort of cough and bleariness just passable to get herself by Gideon Alcott, who likely didn't believe her at all but was willing feign ignorance to cover her from his father and her real boss. The second she hung up, a loud squeal escaped her, enough that it actually ejected her Norwegian cat, Faerie, from the bed in a pile of irate golden fur, "Sorry Faerie!" She called out to the blur as it disappeared out of her room. After that, Mina promptly got ready for her day of hookie with Yuliana.
People, to include her family, always thought it was silly that she enjoyed Young Adult Novels. Just like Comics and Legos, they were professed to be the things for children, yet Mina didn't care. Being an adult utterly sucked, why did she want to be reminded of that constantly while reading boring adult fiction? She rather be whisked away to far away lands, dystopian futures, and love triangles that put her on such an edge, it made her blush more than any thoughts about the stupid boys in her actual life. Feeling content with the state of her hair and outfit for the day, Mina quickly fed Faerie and gave her fresh water, before grabbing something Americans called Pop Tarts, shoved it her mouth, and ran out the door.
She hiked from Woodbine Flats down to the Book Nook, sprinting past Alcotts as fast as her non existent ninja skills could allow it, before heading into her favorite store. The organized chaos greeted her with warmth, like an old friend and chocolate brown eyes looked around before spotting Yuliana by the cafe section. Mina threw up her hands in excitement, "Yuli!" she shrieked before running across the distance between them, "I can't believe you got them!" And there they were, sitting there on the table and it was like a light shown down on them and supposed angels were singing like in those Christmas movies. Picking the books up, Mina inhaled the new book sent before her eyes darted her friend now, "You would not believe the wait list for these at the library."
Yeah, yeah. I'm Fine. I'm just having an allergic reaction to the universe
thanks aofie!
Twenty Eight . Jewelry Designer . Hetero . It's Complicated - IVAN LEE PARK
Mina always knew how to make an entrance, something that Yuliana envied. Mina was the type of person that screamed Steven Universe and My Little Ponies as a person. Yuliana? The shadow in the corner that you thought moved on its own. But they balanced each other out, and the confusion on people’s faces when they saw the two women interact – was a treat within itself.
“Honestly, I was surprised too! Even the audiobooks had a long wait. But I was finally able to get them in hand. I already had a long list of pre-orders. But I had to make sure to save some for you and myself,” she laughed. “I’m about to start some coffee – but there’s tea and biscuits ready! You must take off the dust jacket! It made me swoon so bad!” Yuliana added, bringing over a teapot with some cups.
There was non doubt in her mind that she had earned herself some looks when she had entered the book nook and made her presence known to every man, woman, and child. Did she get some stares? Well yes, she probably did, but this is the one scenario that Mina Cohen didn't care about the looks she got or just how odd she was. This was an atmosphere that she felt utterly safe in, mostly because Yuli balanced out her antics, and it was much appreciated on her part. They probably also made quite the pair to the casual onlooker, something that didn't seem to bother either young woman.
"Yuli, I swear, you're better than a crack dealer," Mina commented now, showing her appreciation for the fact that her friend had the power to stash away a pre-order book or two, "Not that I know anything about crack dealers. I'm just assuming here." At the instruction to take off the book jacket now, she did so carefully and couldn't even contain her gasp when she saw it, "Ughs, it's even more magical than the jacket! That gold foil!" She lifted it even closer to her gaze, just so her chocolate brown eyes could inspect it in the light and how it glittered, "I swear, they should just get rid of book jackets. Let it be like the days of yore or whatever."
As the teapot appeared now, along with the tea cups, Mina tried to gracefully sit down at the chair. Although, true to her nature, it was hardly graceful since she was trying to rush and be out of the way, "Please tell me that is some white chocolate blood orange loose leaf."
Yeah, yeah. I'm Fine. I'm just having an allergic reaction to the universe
thanks aofie!
Twenty Eight . Jewelry Designer . Hetero . It's Complicated - IVAN LEE PARK
Yuliana couldn’t help but laugh. “The dust jackets protect the pretty from the dirty fingers.” As much as Yuli loved children and the rest of her patrons, it made things difficult to keep some of the books clean. Granted, maybe she was asking for it by having a café attached to the bookstore. Granted, there was a sink and hand sanitizer, and a sign. But even then, messes still happened.
“Um absolutely! You know I save the best stuff for us.” There were a few people in Yuli’s life like that. Regulars and people that she knew. Almost like a perk of being a regular and someone that spent a lot of money there. Sometimes, she lets a cookie slip. The café staff had a special list, as well.
She walked back to the café station and grabbed some treats. Once the jam cookies and coconut macaroons were in place, Yuli finally sat down. “Okay, the end of rush is finally hitting me,” Yuli laughed. She carefully picked up the teapot and poured Mina her cup first, then hers. “Do you think you’ll finish the book tonight?”
Yuli's laugh, followed up by the exclaimation of why there were indeed dust jackets in the world, "Oh right...protection." Given that Mina had always been obsessed with books and stories, perhaps she had been a weirdo as a child and always took pristine care these imagination devices. However, the young woman knew, but forgot, that not everybody was as careful as her, "I've been you've seen some stuff then, working here and in restoration." Now that the young woman had voiced her thoughts out loud to Yuli, it was impressive that the other woman hadn't died of a heart attack over the state of some of the books she must have restored in he years working.
Sad thoughts about mistreated books aside though, Mina was ecstatic to hear about the tea. Yes, the cookies were insanely delicious here as well, but the loose leaf was utterly divine. Mina truthfully never asked where her friend got her batches from, figuring that if she wanted that tea, then damnit, she would be giving her friend's business her money. Well, when Yuli wasn't treating her to it at least, "Oh Yuli, you by far, are the best human being!" She called out as her friend left to go retrieve the last of their likely delicious spread.
Mina welcomed herself to sitting down, sliding into the padded chair and her brown eyes continued to admire the gold foil, "I might have to find a special place in my bookshelf for this," she muttered to herself, "One where a light hits it just right." And then, the plate of jam cookies and coconut macaroons appeared before her, smelling fresh as always. Laughter escaped her, "End of the rush? No such thing," granted, the young woman figured that was just her state of being. Always living in some sort of hyper mode over something. She was minorly distracted by her friend pouring out the tea, and Mina fanned the fumes so it could hit her nose as she took in a deep breath of the hints of blood orange and white chocolate. Truly the best.
But not was not the time to get high off of tea fumes. She looked back to her friend now, "Oh, nothing is stopping me from slamming through this book tonight. Not friends, family, or even the cat." Okay, well, maybe the cat might interrupt her for food, "Dare I say I might even put my phone on do not disturb mode." Carefully, she swiped one of the macaroons of the plate, "I don't get how you work here. Like, actually working and not reading all the time. It's just too tempting to get lost in this place."
Yeah, yeah. I'm Fine. I'm just having an allergic reaction to the universe
thanks aofie!
Twenty Eight . Jewelry Designer . Hetero . It's Complicated - IVAN LEE PARK
“I mean..who doesn’t say, I don’t?” Yuli laughed, taking a sip of her tea before taking a cookie and gingerly dunking it. “I own it, so I can do what I want.” Okay, that was partially true. She avoided people as much as she could but did know how to run a successful business. “There are times I get distracted reading a new project. Someone brought in a beautiful version of Anne of Green Gables, and I almost forgot that it needed a new cover!”
She took a bite of her partially softened cookie. “Do not disturb, means you’re on a mission! I did that once and forgot to turn it off…I uh, definitely learned my lesson there. So it’s vibrate now.” While Yuliana didn’t use her phone for too many people in her life, having twenty missed calls from family was a bit…jarring. She got chewed out for it, mainly because Grandma Eleanor fell – and the family was trying to reach Yuli about it.
Mina could not help but to chortle a little bit at Yuli's cheeky answer: I own the place so I can do what I want and that means read. Of course! The young woman should have seen that one coming, but in her defense, she had been so caught up in the awe of being in a bookstore that she actually had forgotten that Yuli had owned the place for a split second, "Anne of Green Gables? Beautiful?" Her lips twisted, "That's so old I find that hard to believe unless its a reprint. But I'll take your word for it." Okay okay, that was rather childish of her, but Mina had never been one for the tales of old, she was far more with the tales of today - her YA novel obsession said it all though.
At least Yuli understood the need to put on the do not disturb mode for reading, "Thank you! It's exactly a mission. I'm traveling faraway realms via unicorn, dragon, pirate ship, and fairy dust. Anything else might cause me to fall off and hit my head." Okay, perhaps not like that, but it would disturb the movie she had going on in her head while her eyes lifted words off of the pages, "Although maybe I should take a page from you and just make it vibrate." Mina shoved a whole cookie into her mouth now, rather unlady like before asking her friend, "So what's new with you besides the bookshop?" Even though all of her friends appeared to be their own brand of introverted (Mina herself included in that statement), it never hurt to ask.
Yeah, yeah. I'm Fine. I'm just having an allergic reaction to the universe
thanks aofie!
Twenty Eight . Jewelry Designer . Hetero . It's Complicated - IVAN LEE PARK
Yuli shrugged. “Don’t ask me to read War and Peace. I can, and have, but if someone had a gun up at my head – I would die first,” she chuckled. “There is something about the covers of older books though. Or the design people do for them. I handed off a freshly rebound Lord of the Rings set. Hardest one yet, for me – but they turned out so beautiful.” Yuli played a lot with leather manipulation, along with burning and staining. There was a lot of tree work, with some metal plating and mini locks on the straps.
“It’s not like work has any reason to be bothering you anyway! I’m doing well. Shop has had a lot of foot traffic, something I’m not used to. I think it’s from all the social media. A lot of people want Colleen Hoover and Sarah J. Maas. I’m not one to yuck someone’s yum..but man..if it gets money in my store, and people reading – that’s all I can ask!” Yuliana tried to read a few of the new trends, but there were some she could not see herself reading to completion. The ones she did finish, there were a lot of plot holes and questionable decisions. A twenty-two-year-old neurosurgeon? Yeah, dumb.
She poured herself some more tea and grabbed another cookie. “What about you? You and Danny still on the fence about moving in together?”
"Lord of the Rings and leather? That sounds like someone's dream," Mina joked, but all laughter aside, she knew that Yuli could make any old and tattered book look beautiful again. The combination she just mentioned was sure to go hand in hand, especially if her friend put some extra flare into the leather and display pages. Mina herself wasn't much of a Tolkien officinato in book form, but she did love when it came to life on her television screen, "I'm sure you made the owner happy though even with the challenge."
When Yuli pointed out that work hasn't been bothering her at all, the young woman merely laughed. She supposed that was one of the great things about owning your own store - you could do what you want with your time so long as nobody was needing something, "Ah yeah. I'm sure those booktoks and youtube personalities can really drive some books. Granted, I think Sarah J. Maas goes beyond that." That lady had a legion as far as Mina was concerned although unlike Colleen Hoover, her books seemed to have hit a brick wall for coming to life - something Mina didn't quite understand. Who wants to watch real life when someone could be saving a kingdom?
Before her mind could wander too much down the idea of book adaptations, Yuli asked her a loaded question. Okay, perhaps it wasn't intended to be loaded, but it felt that way to Mina. Still, she smiled, "Yeah. We're in a stale mate over who's apartment would get rented out." The young woman had a lingering issue too, that was rather new, and that Danny was hopefully unaware of, "I think - since I have the cat - that he should move in with me though." Mina added though. Chocolate brown eyes stared at Yuli a moment longer before the young woman grabbed herself another madeleine, feeling the need to preoccupy herself as Ivan popped up in the back of her mind, "It's probably just as well this is taking a little while to figure out...since...I think it's a big move for both of us. A...serious...big....commitment." Oh god, why was this dawning on her now. A sigh escaped her as she unceremoniously stuffed the full cookie into her mouth now, hoping to just shut herself up, "Are you seeing anyone?" Mina asked now, hoping to change topics - a first since starting to seriously date her strapping bar tender.
Yeah, yeah. I'm Fine. I'm just having an allergic reaction to the universe
thanks aofie!
Twenty Eight . Jewelry Designer . Hetero . It's Complicated - IVAN LEE PARK
Yuli gave a small nod. It was indeed a large thing to consider, especially in a relationship. Yuli herself never reached a point where it was a discussion. She somehow was single before any of that kind of stuff was discussed. Maybe it was assigned or something. But she could at least be supportive.
“Yeah, that is a hard decision. Since you must consider the best location for work and stuff, too, yeah?” Yuli knew where Mina lived but couldn’t remember where Danny was. “But I think it’s also important to live with someone before the other big commitment.” She knew that wasn’t always the case for people, but sometimes living with someone opened you up to see other traits. How messy a person was, and other things.
Thankfully, Mina changed the subject. While Yuli wasn’t fond that the subject was her, she would allow Mina to pester her a bit. “Oh, god no!” Yuli laughed. “I’m considering it, but I don’t know. I have a dating profile up, but I think I want to delete it. There are so many weirdos out there!”
