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!.
The one problematic thing about having people over meant that you had to be on your A game for cleaning all day - something Leon didn't understand since the only person coming over was Weston. It's not like he was bringing a date. He had tried to use this logic with Cassie, meaning that they could spend more time lounging throughout the day and perhaps some other activities before truly having to get ready. Somehow though, he had lost the logic warfare. Given that his girlfriend's brother had a proficiency in hosting though, with the winery and all, Leon supposed there must be some unspoken pressure about this night tucked away. So he helped her clean what felt like all day which surprisingly, took a long time for a flat.
As the morning sun turned to high noon and then moved towards dusk, brown eyes always flickered to his watch to make sure they too were running on schedule towards the deadline. Probably had something to do with his German upbringing - timeliness was important to Leon. It was also the reason why he always felt so angry at the airports - because the planes never seemed to arrive or depart on time - which could throw a wrench into everything. Thankfully though, unlike the airports, he and Cassie were still on schedule with a fucking sparkling apartment flat now.
Feeling accomplished, Leon left the living room now and headed into the kitchen now to be with Cassie, trying to figure out how to best help. Or at least, allow her to boss him around since he wasn't exactly sure on what he should be doing in the kitchen. Attempting to be useful, he opened up the fridge, also to snag himself a beer, and found himself staring at a rather large bowl of greenery. Leon couldn't help but to frown when he saw it: salad. Brown eyes looked over towards his girlfriend and said jokingly, "Lebkuchen, why is your horses' food in the fridge?" and then, just like that, he heard the familiar ring of the doorbell, "Do you want me to get that?"
I'm addicted to the thrill, It's a dangerous love affair
Cassandra knew Leon didn't really want to clean, but they had invited Wes over for dinner. She tried her best to keep the place clean, but with herself and Rocket living there - it was an awful lot to clean up. The main problem was that most of her place was white, which meant every little mark showed.
Even with their team effort, it took them longer than she anticipated. The place was sparkly white again and all the cleaning supplies were away in their respected cupboards. The blonde let out a sigh, having the sudden feeling she needed a nap - though Wes would be arriving shortly. She fixed her sweater and headed off to the kitchen. "I made salad for us, it's not for my three I promise." Though there were always apples and carrots in the fridge her horses, it was something she could have as a snack as well if she felt hungry after work.
"Yes, you go get the door and I'll start getting dinner cooked." She took the salad out of the fridge and set it on a counter before rolling up her sleeves. The steaks had been marinating in the fridge since the night before, knowing it was something the three of them would enjoy. As she watched Leon walk over and open the door, she turned towards the door and smiled. "Hi Wes, so glad you could make it. Make yourself at home!" Rocket got up from his bed and bounded over to the front door, sitting patiently by Leon's side, wondering who was at the door.
It had been a moment when Leon had been in town. Wes hadn’t seen in what felt like ages. Probably not that long, obviously – but it was nice to see him. So when Cassie had told him he was here, a family dinner of sorts was planned. It was the perfect amount of people, three. Granted, if his brother and his parents were to be there – that was fine as well. He could handle his own family. If Leon’s teammates and his family were there, Wes would’ve declined on the spot.
He didn’t quite know what to contribute, other than wine, of course. That was a given knowing his winery. But Wes thought he should’ve made something else as well. His brother suggested a charcuterie board, something they always had for guests in the dining section of the Winery. Better than nothing.
After what felt like hours of deciding, Wes created a charcuterie board and two bottles of wine. A Sauvignon Blanc and a Zinfandel. He carefully had the items in his car as he traveled to his sister’s apartment.
Weston pressed the buzz button and was shortly in before making his way to the flat. He pressed the doorbell they had on the outside before stepping back. It didn’t take long before the door was opened and there stood Leon. “Hello!” Wes replied. “I brought things!” He stepped inside, nearly tripping over Rocket who had probably come bolting from the secret smell of cheddar. “Where would you like this?” he asked, holding up the insulated bag of nibbles and wine.
As Cassie appeared, the man could not help but to notice that his girlfriend looked just a smidgen tired and his joke appeared lost on her as well. Leon knew better than to push it, "The size of it fooled me." He said with a grin now as he shut the refrigerator door, but not without grabbing a bottle of beer. Before Leon could get any further in their conversation though, the door drank, and Cassie quickly requested for him to go get the door, "Alright. Anything for you. Let me know if you need help with the meats though or anything." Not that he was the best of cooks, but he did like to try and be helpful rather than just stand around.
Placing his beer down on the kitchen counter, Leon headed for the door now, and caught the sight of a golden blur out of the corner of his eye. Rocket appeared to be intrigued by the idea that they had a visitor - meaning that as soon as he opened the door, poor Wes would have quite the greeting to deal with. He opened the door now to see none other than Weston McLellan, which of course, was expected. Before Leon could say anything though, the other man spoke, "Hello! I brought things!” Brown eyes fell to the industrial insulated bag before returning to his face, "Great! Here, come in. I am sure Rocket would like to inspect you." Leon knew better than to get in between a visitor and the golden retriever for the first thirty seconds.
And sure enough, the dog came scampering over with all the high energy. Leon watched the scene unfold and nearly cringed as Rocket nearly took out Weston. Thankfully, Weston's job as a mail carrier seemed to do the trick in keeping him well balanced around dogs, "Here. I'll take that for you," Leon said now, "And I'll spear you the hug. Glad you could come though. Always nice seeing you. Cassie's in the kitchen if you want to hang out in there while we pull out your goodies safely away from the dog here." And with that, he led the way now, figuring once he could safely place the bag in the kitchen would he offer to take Weston's winter coat, "Cassie! I found your brother. Rocket nearly took him out since he brought us some goods."
I'm addicted to the thrill, It's a dangerous love affair
"We can eat it tomorrow too, I never know how hungry you two are." It was something she learned from her Grandmother, cooking or bringing way too much food to various events. She hated nothing more than to have her guests leave hungry. Cassie rolled up her sleeves and picked up a few potatoes from the small pantry, carrying them over to the sink. The woman noticed the flash of golden fur run towards the front door, she would have yelled at the dog - except she knew he knew better than to tackle Wes. "Heads up, furry friend incoming."
She turned the tap on and rinsed the potatoes under the water. "Wes, you know you didn't have to bring anything....does it need to go in the fridge or should I put it out on the table to snack on?" Cassie could see the insulated bag from the corner of her eye. She had enough food for the three of them, though they were always taught to bring something with them while visiting. "I do hope Rocket didn't take anyone out." The older Golden retriever followed shortly after, heading off to his dog bed in the living room.
"Any one of you want to start with beverages? What would everyone like to drink? I pretty much have everything." She turned the tap off and carried the wet potatoes over to a plate. Cassie patted her hands dry with a nearby kitchen towel - using a nearby paper towel to pat the potatoes dry. "How is work going, Wes? Winery busy for Valentine's Day?"
“You can put it out. It’s a charcuterie board. There’s wine, too,” Wes said, taking a seat in the kitchen. His hands were folded neatly in his lap. Posture straight. It didn’t take long for his thumbs to twitch. Not out of nervousness, but an inability to kind of sit still. Thankfully, Rocket placed his head on Wes’ lap, prompting the man to give his dog nephew a scratch.
“Water with lemon, please. Yes, work is busy. A lot of date nights there. We got the Edison lights out and the igloo tents. Something new.” His hand kept scratching Rocket’s head, as his eyes remained staring a bit into the distance. Cassie and Leon were used to it, his long-lost stare.
Thanks to the golden retriever, Leon and Wes didn't remain in the living room very long as they made it back into the kitchen to be reunited with Cassie who looked to be finishing up with the main side dishes. Once he knew that her brother was comfortably situated, he went to work with unwrapping the charcuterie board which looked beautiful as always, if one could use that to describe food. Naturally, it did not take long before the man was pilfering from the board - Wes always seemed to have the finest meats and cheeses, although he expected nothing less from a winery owner, "Cassie, where's the wine bottle opener again? I swear that thing migrates itself." While Leon had never been much of a wine drinker, he was more of a beer person himself, it was hard to deny himself some of Wes's wine.
Brown eyes surveilled the kitchen once more, making sure that Rocket was out of the way. Like always, the golden retriever was basking in the presence of Wes and thankfully, would be preoccupied for the rest of the evening until their guest left, "Nah, we survived the furry torpedo. Although I think you and I will be days old chopped liver now with Wes here as far as Rocket is concerned." He listened to the brother and sister converse about the winery and valentine's day, something about fancy new lights and igloo tents before the other man got a distant look in his eyes, staring of into the distance. Leon had grown accustomed to this over the years of knowing Cassie's brother, sometimes it would still catch him off guard though, "We're lucky to have you then on this busy night."
Leon planned on giving his girlfriend a busy night as well, but after her brother left. He took to nursing some of the cheese and meats again, realizing he should probably still make himself useful in this situation. How though, he wasn't sure. Leon learned from a young age with his mother that he didn't fuck around or get in the way when a woman was in the kitchen, "Lebkuchen, do you need me to do anything? If nothing else but to give you a sampling of this fine charcuterie board?"
I'm addicted to the thrill, It's a dangerous love affair
After the potatoes were dry, she began peeling them with the peeler she found in the drawer nearby over the sink. 'Still, thank you. If one of you could carry it to the dinning table and the other start setting the table that would be great. I really just have to cook the potatoes and the steaks. Then we can eat." Thankfully, she usually didn't have an appetizer - knowing that it was the most likely the item that Wes brought with him.
"It's in the drawer by the sink. It always lives there, not like it has feet or anything." She laughed, stopping to get Wes a drink. After a few moments, she pulled down a glass, got water from the sink and put a few lemon slices from the fridge. Cassie carried the glass and set it on the side table next to Wes and Rocket. "Oh that sounds romantic! You'll have to let me know how the event went. Was it hard for you to put up the igloos?" She asked, walking back to the kitchen - going back to peeling the potatoes. "Next time, we will have to pull Tyson away too though." Her other brother was busy running the winery. She couldn't imagine how busy it would be on a night like tonight.
"No thanks. It's still too early to make the salad. Though maybe fill the glass pitcher of water for the table. I'm sure we won't all just want to drink wine all not." She'd help finish the bottle but then switch to water as the night went on - being drunk wasn't really her thing.
“It was hard one of the days, but that was because of some crazy wind that came through. But they were a hit. I did have a few people ask if they could have their cross-country skiing or some snow shoe walking tours come through. I haven’t thought about it too much yet, but that could bring in some more money in the off-season. We get a good amount of snow.” He gave Rocket a few more scratches before standing up and stretching. The golden was a bit offended before he went off to get a few laps of water.
Wes looked over the board he bought and grabbed a slice of prosciutto and a grape, meticulously wrapping the meat around the grape. “Any major traveling plan for the upcoming year?” Wes asked, popping the grape into his mouth.
Cassie's comments about how the corkscrew didn't have feet and remained in the same place made him shoot her a playful but aggravated look, "I don't know...sometimes I think the Borrowers take stuff." Granted, the subjects of that childhood fairytale never took anything so big that it would be noticed by humans in the household which they were living, but Leon was still allowed to have his suspicions. As serious and practical as the man was, he decided he was secretly allowed to humor himself some more fantastical things in life. But sure enough, he found the wine bottle opener exactly where Cassie said it would be, and went to work.
Pouring three glasses of wine, he listened to Cassie wistfully comment to Wes on how romantic his winery event sounded. At least his back had been turned to him, mainly because it had made him frown to himself. Had he been a slacker? Was he getting lax in his nine years of dating the girl of his dreams and forgetting to be romantic? Shaking the thought off, he turned around and delivered the respective glasses to their drinker's stations, "I bet you could bring back the igloos. I've seen bars in Central Europe with those out all winter long." Since apparently, they too, thought it was romantic, "That way you can keep it in business during off season too. I bet those cross country skiers wouldn't mind some wine after romping around in the snow." Especially if it was mulled, but perhaps that was Leon's German thinking talking.
Leon figured he better get to setting the table like Cassie had asked earlier and at least claim that he did something helpful for the evening. Wes interjected into this thoughts though with a question, "Nothing on the horizon. Team's near the top for our division so I have a feeling coaches will be pushing us during these next few months." And maybe even get a cup out of it, but Leon didn't feel like jinxing himself quite yet, "I want to drag Cassie to Newfoundland though just because," he said with a smile now, "I better go set the table though. You're free to help me if you want Wes or stay with Cassie. No hurt feelings either way." And with that, Leon headed into the dinning room to make certain it was set for the oncoming onslaught of food.
I'm addicted to the thrill, It's a dangerous love affair
Cassandra laughed and shook her head, counting the potatoes she had already peeled, making sure there were extra in case Leon or Wes were extra hungry. "Really? You'll have to tell me what those are later." She knew from her German classes in High School that Germany was very much into Fairy Tales - and creepy ones at that. Once all the potatoes were peeled, she pulled out her air fryer tray, spraying it with avocado oil before setting it beside her.
"I think I'd rather have wind be a problem than rain. This place gets too much of it anyway, don't you think?" When it turned Winter, it took Cassie awhile to realize she wouldn't be getting any snow like they did back home. It was something difficult for her to get used to. "That would be a great idea. I'd assume those would happen during the day, so maybe offer some sort of snack special?" She assumed only crazy people would do something outside in the dark, unless the trail was lit with lights. Cassie chopped the potatoes and put them on the tray, sprinkling some spice mix she found in the cupboard on top. She lightly drizzled some canola oil on top and mixed them with her hands. She continued prepping dinner as she heard Leon talk before chiming in herself. "School is still going until June unfortunately. Might go visit Mom and Dad though. Depends how the team does, no pressure!" She often made it to at least a playoff game or two in Edmonton, which meant she had time to visit her family.
"What about you, Wes? Any fun wine tours coming up?" Cassie put the air fryer tray in the air fryer and started it. She washed her hands before she got started on heating a frying pan for the steaks.
Wes shrugged. “No matter the weather, people still like their wine.” He gave small nods here and there, taking his time with the multiple conversations happening. He thanked Leon for the beverage and took a sip as he took a piece of cheese off the board. This time, paired with a walnut and dried apricot.
“I'm sure traveling anywhere will be nice,” he stated. “Nothing too crazy, as far as I know. Pruning season will come upon us soon, as well as some controller burns to prepare for some soil health.” Wes popped his creation into mouth before secretly give Rocket a nibble of cheddar.
“I can help. I know Cassie can sometimes be my way or the highway in the kitchen.” He didn't allow his sister any kind of jab back and went to fold napkins. It wasn't anything duper fancy, but a simple bishop hat. Made things more interesting.
Leon chortled a little when his girlfriend made a statement about the rain, "Eh, well, it is England. Isn't rain what they are known for?" He certainly felt like that was the joke throughout all of Europe unless living in Canada for so long had made him forgetful. As for designing fun string lights around the winery, his girlfriend made some solid atmospheric ideas, but as Wes pointed out, some people just want their wine - which, Leon couldn't blame the population for that sentiment.
"Running a winery sounds likes a lot of work and personal, Wes," Leon commented now, probably stating the obvious, "Honestly, I'm impressed you do it. But I do hope you can still work out some fun." He, himself, knew he was incredibly lucky, like Wes, to be able to do something that he loved for a living, but damn, he'd be lying if he said he never wanted a break from it all to be lazy, if only for a week. When Cassie chimed in about school and then the team, Leon heaved a sigh, but had a smile on his face, "Yeah yeah. No pressure indeed. We'll see what happens. You can still come for that first month of summer before I come here."
Leon went to setting the table now, trying to remember where all of the various forks and spoons with. But he seemed to be doing okay, at least he could remember the knives always had to point towards the plate 'to avoid cutting' supposedly. The man wondered who had been dumb enough to pull that off to make it a rule, "Those napkins are looking good," he commented now before he could hear and even smell the sizzling oil of a fry pan, "Are we going to be smelling steak soon?" Leon called to Cassie now, his mouth already watering at the thought.
I'm addicted to the thrill, It's a dangerous love affair
Cassie poured a bit of oil into the frying pan as the steak wedges were in the air fryer, prepping the steaks with her secret homemade steak seasoning before putting them in the frying pan. “True, but in my opinion it’s so much nicer to enjoy a glass of wine on a nice sunny day.” The weather really didn’t put a damper on her mood - she was far too happy most of the time anyway. As the steaks were sizzling away, she replied to Leon. “Yeah but since we aren’t technically UK citizens yet, its our job to complain. Right, Wes?”
She flipped the steaks as soon as they were ready, using the tongs nearby. “It’s really nice after a long school year. Please promise me you’ll go somewhere too.” Her brothers deserved to go on a vacation somewhere - running the winery didn’t really mean they had a break, but there must be someone who could cover it for them while they went away. “Is that something you do every year then? Or do you get the soil tested?” The timer dinged for both the steak and the fries, Cassie quickly pulling the pan off of the burner to let the steaks rest while she dealt with the fries. “I’m just saying, it’s always an exciting atmosphere.” There was a huge difference between the arena in Prince Albert compared to the one in Edmonton - both had passionate fans but 18,000 plus people would always be more intense.
“Hey, please tell me if I’m being rude. I just want to make sure everything is done at the same time in terms of dinner.” She did enjoy being in the kitchen and cooking for other people, but she did often get told off for being too pushy. “Okay, dinner is ready. We can start with the salad course while the steaks rest.” The blonde closed the air fryer to keep the potatoes warm, picking up the wooden salad bowl with serving utensils shortly after. She carried the bowl over to the dining room table, setting the bowl in the center. “Alright you two, lets dig in.”
