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!.
It didn't seem possible, but that smile of Hunter's (now she had a name!) seemed to grow, and still not in a terrible way. Hazel eyes just stared at him, trying hard to not admire. He was no Tanner Scott, but hey, he was cute in his own way. Maybe Eva just thought he was cute because he was cool and clearly not judging her for wanting to try something new. The teenager was never sure with skaters, the ones she knew seemed to give off an air of being too cool for anyone, or they thought she was a tramp of some sorts, "Thanks. I appreciate the judgement free zone, Hunter."
Eva did have to mull over what she wanted to do. There was more to this than she initially thought - it wasn't just about buying the board. Good thing she had saved up her cash from work then, "Probably just commuting and playing around in my neighborhood or my friend's neighborhood. I don't think I want to do any tricks or hang out at the skate park." Wow, that sounded snobby of her, "Uh, not that there's anything wrong with the skate park." Hunter did look vaguely familiar after all, she might have seen him before when just walking on by on her way to another destination, "I just like to figure stuff out on my own...not buying a board obviously, but how to use it."
God, she was really rambling now like some dumb, lovestruck tween. Sighing, she decided to move this along now, waving towards the boards once more and grinned, "Uh, please, show me some before I embarrass myself even more."
“I’m not saying that everything is survivable. Just that everything except the last thing is.” - John Green
Eva wasn't sure why the other girl thought she might be addicted to anything else other than causing trouble. It's not like she knew what Kennedy was up to outside of what she had said - this was her first time, and maybe only time, talking to her. Still, to be a bitch, Eva let the young woman stew in silent curiosity for a bit more before confirming Kennedy's original thought, "To trouble. I bet you like the rush of not getting caught." That was how the teenager herself had been for a while, or maybe she just liked the attention from a certain girl. It was hard to tell, either way, it didn't matter, the past was dead.
She rolled her hazel eyes at the label of 'goody two shoes', but honestly, it was a little on point. From what insight she had of Brandon and Jessie, they were as straight laced as they came. Eva didn't poke them too much about their past though, once she accidently stepped into something personal that caught the ire of her adoptive mother and well, she decided to not cross that line again. It did nothing to dwell her curiosity, but the teenager knew from her own personality, finding out answers just meant a waiting game, "Yeah. It's nice. I feel...safe." Maybe too safe, but she didn't feel like sharing that detail with Kennedy who seemed to be watching her like a hawk for weakness. An eyebrow arched at the next question, before Eva relented, "No...I guess I don't kiss and tell either." Although if someone tried to fuck her over, all bets were off.
This talk about her brother made her wish her food was here now, mainly so she could shove it into her face to keep herself from being snappish. Eva didn't like Brandon getting attention. It was selfish, yes, but was it so wrong to be protective of a family she had just gotten a little over six months ago? Maybe it was, "I don't know. He's talking to some lady apparently." Fucking Lilith. Eva was still annoyed how impervious that woman had been to her sass and maneuvered around her every move at the Zoo a few days ago. While they weren't dating, the teenager had felt the vibes that seem to come off of Brandon and Lilith when they were with each other, though she doubted that either adult was smart enough to realize it yet.
"I mean...she is my mom. She's not hired help," Eva replied to the idea of having someone there to cook for her - technically, Brandon did also, but she wasn't going to give Kennedy any more ideas of a desire to poach the 'old man'. As for herself, the teenager merely shrugged, "I help. I can cook for myself - but its more basic stuff verses like, fancy." Everything Jessie seemed to make looked like it belonged on the table of a restaurant. And Brandon knew how to make a mean french toast. She arched an eyebrow, "Made you come here? Were you going to skip otherwise?" Not that Eva knew how to ride a horse, she stuck to the ground at the Sale Yard, but she had seen others ride to test the new horses outa nd it certainly looked exhausting.
A ladder? Damn, how high was this girl's house? Sucks to be the guy or girl dating her. Eva wasn't going to pry any more, given that she hardly cared. But then Kennedy was poking her now again, and the teenager merely cocked her head, staring at her. After a moment, she relented, "Yeah. I guess I have experience in sneaking around. I am a teenager after all." It was more than that, but fuck if this stranger was getting her full story on day one in Pizza Palace. And as for cheat days, Eva merely shrugged, "I don't diet, so I guess I don't really believe in cheat days or restricting myself. I feel like I would just want more of something if I were cut off from it."
“I’m not saying that everything is survivable. Just that everything except the last thing is.” - John Green
It had been a while since Eva Garnet had woken up in the same clothes she had worn before - in fact, last time she did that, she had a different last time. Sunlight hit her face, causing her face to scrunch. Eva rolled over, burrying her face into what appeared to be a couch pillow, hoping it would block out the annoying rays of light. But it was too late, the damage was done, and after a night of partying, the sun (and whomever had opened up the curtains) decided that it was time for the teenager to wake up. Eva pushed herself up now, hazel eyes staring blearily around, inspecting her surrounds before realizing that she was inside Lavender Creek - her adoptive mother's bed and breakfast, "Well...at least there's no walk of shame to be had." She grumbled.
Sitting up now, Eva rubbed the sleep from her eyes and blinked rapidly, trying to adjust to the lighting of the room. There were still streamers everywhere, glitter on the floor, and no doubt tons of bottles waiting to be shoved into a bag and brought out to the bins. Hopefully Jessie didn't have any clients coming in today, because the clean up after her festive night for family and friends was going to be brutal, "But first...coffee." She untangled her limbs now and pushed herself up, stumbling from the living room and into the kitchen. As far as she could tell, the teenager was the first one up. Her brain was wracking around on the details last night, but it was clear that she possibly had one too many flutes of champagne - considering she was an adult and all.
She remembered Nash and Tanner being there, some of Jessie's friends. A frown sat on her lips - had the bug lady been there? Guess she'd find out sooner or later. Eva made her way to the coffee machine now, staring at it, and realizing that it was a little more fancier than the one at the apartment, "Shit..." no matter, she was an adult, she could figure this out. A few minutes later, the coffee machine staring whirring and the dark liquid was coming out of it now - hazel eyes entranced by its delivery so much that she hadn't realized that one of her family members had stirred awake as well and walked into the kitchen.
“I’m not saying that everything is survivable. Just that everything except the last thing is.” - John Green
The awkward seemed to get a little awkward after sharing her feelings. Eva probably should have known better since neither her nor her brother seemed to handle feelings and emotions very well - that was Jessie's job. She let it go, and just nodded her thanks - if that was even the right feeling - after Brandon's words that he thought they'd be a good fit. Clearly, both of them were ready to move on to easier topics such as Auggie's secret coffee recipe and B Shift at the Fire Department. The teenager merely shrugged, "I feel like adults are weird about their secret recipes...maybe I can ask Izzy if she'll spill her father's secrets." It was doubtful, Izzy Flores didn't strike her as such, but if Brandon wanted her to try and befriend some girls, well, that seemed like the best place to start. The idea of fixing the coffee machine seemed silly to her, "Isn't a drip machine? Can't you just replace it for like 20 £? Or better yet, make B Shift replace it since they broke it?"
Eva wasn't sure what to make of the idea that she and Izzy Flores would get along merely because the both of them were stubborn. That truthfully sounded like a recipe for disaster in any friendship when an argument came up and quite frankly, both girls were the type who were ready to argue. She thought it over as Brandon slowly made the dirty dishes disappear before her, putting an end to the idea that there was secretly a cleaning fairy around the house that ignored her bedroom, "Hmmm? Oh. Well...nobody really. I think I just made some friends though...maybe. I'm not sure. Nash Breckah from school, and then...a Tanner Scott. I think he said he's related to that family that owns the hardware store in town." And of course, neither one of them was a girl, so Eva was a little curious to see what Brandon's reaction might be.
Laughter escaped her when the older man noted that R&R was not the place for him to meet a girl, "Guess I'm not surprised. Maybe you'll meet your future love by rescuing her cat from a tree. Anyways, you can stay single as long as you want." Eva was fine that he didn't have a girlfriend nor appeared to be looking. While she never admit it, given that she had just gotten him and Jessie in her life, Eva would probably get rather jealous of any new additions to their life as a family. Yes, it wasn't fair, but given all the shit she had gone through, was it really that wrong of her to just want this family unit to herself for a little bit? Hazel eyes watched as Brandon made a face over whom she found attractive, and couldn't help but to laugh, "Yeah yeah. I'm sure they're all too old for me." Eva joked now, rolling her eyes, "Got the protective big brother act down already, I see."
She nudged the mixing bowl towards him now, "Nah, you can add your zest." As they were dumped in and then mixed together, the bread pieces came next. It was rather methodical, watching Brandon get to work before announcing that they were finally prepped and ready to go, "Not very British of me, but I like adding peanut butter to my French toast, but only after they're cooked. So you are good to go with frying them. I'm not gonna get in your way. I'm starving now."
“I’m not saying that everything is survivable. Just that everything except the last thing is.” - John Green
She didn't appreciate Brandon's comment to her nor that glare: You think you’d be nicer than that to me. Yes, she owed it to him and Jessie for giving her a new home, a loving home, something that the teenager had never experienced before. But that didn't mean he got off scott free from her attitude, "You're my older brother. You get whatever sass I have." She replied back now - she might have gone on, not caring about the audience, when Lilith Thompson threw her a surprise.
Eva had honestly been surprised when the older woman appeared to call her bluff on the pandas. She had been expecting rejection and hoping to rub it in her face, instead, Lilith was informing her that she was about to get her and Brandon some prime viewing of the adorable black and white bears and the possibility of a smoothie on top of that. Being a typical guy, her brother announced that he was hungry and was willing to treat them, "Um...yeah. I could go for a snack." Her sass already feeling depleted by this turn of events of already being one upped by this mysterious lady. With that, she followed after the two adults now as they made their way to the panda exhibit.
Sure enough, when they arrived - it was a ghost town - at least at this particular landing and it didn't go unnoticed by Eva that they were near a keeper's door. As the keepers appeared with their fruits and vegetables, it did not go unnoticed by her hazel eyes that a furry black and white head appeared out of no where, following by the rest of its body. An uncharacteristic squeal escaped the teenager now as she darted up to the barrier, watching the female panda emerge to investigate. She almost didn't hear Brandon and Lilith talking behind her before they joined, "Oh. What Brandon said...you're not getting new ones?" Guess China was a jerk, "I'm not obsessed with Pandas, but as a basic teenage girl, I cannot deny how adorable they are nor the hilarity of their YouTube videos in the snow." She eyed Lilith besides her now, and managed to say probably the nicest thing over the night so far, "Thanks."
“I’m not saying that everything is survivable. Just that everything except the last thing is.” - John Green
Eva watched the sales associate smile at her - a big, boyish charming smile - the sort of smile that could melt even the coldest of girls. Was he trying to melt her heart also? Maybe not, the young man certainly didn't put up the front that he was trying to flirt with her. Maybe he was secretly just thinking 'oh no, another noob' and hid it behind his smile. Didn't matter though, and at least she had a name to the face: Hunter. He launched into an explanation of the different types of boards, the young woman was beginning to wonder if she was somehow in over her head. After all, she mucked stalls for a living - she didn't know the first thing about skate boards.
"Ah, probably cruiser based off of what you said," she said now, "I don't think I'm looking to do tricks or hang at the skate park. Probably just something to get me too and fro - like visiting my friends over at Oldaker or to keep me out of trouble." Maybe she should also say that it's nice to meet him since he gave her a name, "Also, it's nice to meet you, Hunter. I do appreciate you walking me through all this. Hopefully you don't think I'm some poser or anything."
“I’m not saying that everything is survivable. Just that everything except the last thing is.” - John Green
Eva couldn't help but to frown - she wasn't sure if she liked where this was going. All the things that this young woman was talking about - well, they were exactly the things that Eva used to do on a daily basis. It felt like a snap shot of her life before Juvie, before meeting Jessie and Brandon. All of this was odd, given that before she had gotten caught, she probably would have eaten girls like Kennedy Pietrangleo for breakfast. "Sounds like you have an addiction problem," Eva commented now, hazel eyes watching her, gauging her, "As for my family, I think I like them a little too much to do stuff behind their back." After all, the Garnets had taken a chance on her, and Eva finally was beginning to feel like she could be unguarded around them.
Of course Kennedy wasn't 'the sort of girl who kisses and tells'. Eva didn't bother holding back her eyeroll this time, "Of course you aren't." It didn't keep her from wondering which members of the opposite sex from Hickstead hung out with the likes of the brunette across from her - it was tempting to ask, but Eva didn't want to play her cards on potential crushes yet - not when the conversation was steering towards her brother. Speaking of Brandon, "I don't know, he's like 30." Maybe she should say he has a gimp or something. Although she was distracted by Kennedy informing her that her parents didn't cook, "A personal chef?" No wonder the other girl was afraid of pizza, "Well, that sounds fancy. I'm a little confused why you're here then." Eating with pleebs like herself who earned their money from mucking horse stalls all day in sweat and dirt.
Eva wasn't sure if her adoptive mother had her and Brandon on a 'health' kick per say, she just liked to cook. But it wasn't worth getting into, "Ah, I see. News year resolutions then." The teenager arched an eyebrow when Kennedy complained about how all of her suitors couldn't come to the front door, "That's what windows and ivy vines are for," Eva replied now, "And sheer determination, of course." She was fairly certain she could speak from experience given that she had done her own fair share of sneaking into homes - and tried to get Nash out of his house that way without his older brothers or dad finding out. The water nodded and left, and once they were out of ear shot, Eva finally said, "You shock me. I was convinced you were getting a salad instead of a controversial pizza."
“I’m not saying that everything is survivable. Just that everything except the last thing is.” - John Green
Eva had been hoping that she had been wrong some how, even though she knew she wasn't. But it was only a matter of seconds before she was proven right. Hazel eyes watched as the girl before her stopped dead in her tracks, a sort of rigidness taking ahold of her body, before she slowly turned around to face her. The teenager could feel her breath hitch and stop as her eyes met Ripley's own hazel eyes. Eva had always been jealous of the other girl's eyes, mainly because they seemed to skew green whereas her own went towards brown. Her lips twisted a little bit, now that she had gotten past the shock of seeing a figurative ghost. Apparently though, Eva Garnet hadn't been the only one in shock: "Eva? When did you get out?"
A laugh escaped her - hard, cold, the kind of laugh that Eva hadn't expected she still had in herself still, "What? Didn't think you'd see me again?" she asked now, releasing her clenched fists so that she could now fold her arms over her chest, hips cocking to the side, a challenging pose. It was hard to deal with the jumble of emotions inside of her heart, they conflicted with her brain given it was full of anger. Still though, Ripley deserved an answer and not just heated talk, "I got out in January, not that you care. It's not like you visited me while I was away," Eva felt her brow furrow, "You know...I thought we were friends."
“I’m not saying that everything is survivable. Just that everything except the last thing is.” - John Green
Summertime had come and gone within the blink of an eye. Evanna 'Eva' Garnet wasn't sure how it had happened. Maybe between work at the Sale Yard and finding new friendships in Nash Breckah and Tanner Scott had done the trick, but all of the sudden, it was September and Eva had no where to be. The teenager had finally finished off Secondary and had graduated accordingly, and while Nash had made the last few months of it bearable - the whispers behind her back of why a girl of her age was still in Secondary had really started to get to her. None of it had been ideal for Eva, and she had needed a break - so much, that she put off going to Uni until the next semester.
The look of disappointment on Jessie and Brandon's faces had been...well, less than ideal. She could understand where they were coming from as adults, but she was an adult now too, couldn't she make her own decisions? As the thought crossed her mind though, Eva felt immediately guilty. A huffy sigh escaped the teenager now, as if to expel her own thoughts. Nobody was at fault - not her, not Jessie, and not Brandon. Besides, at least she wasn't bumming it around all day - she had the Sale Yard to keep her busy - those homeless horses didn't clean and feed themselves after all. But she was off schedule today, and with Tanner busy, and Nash in school, Eva had been left to her own devices.
So she hit High Street downtown with her new longboard tucked under her arms as she walked down the long stretch of shops. Eva knew pretty well that she could not skate in this area, it would get her in trouble in a matter of seconds thanks to the older folks, but cutting through High Street would eventually get her to the skate park. Plus, staring at beautiful things in the shop windows was always fun. The teenager paused outside one of the fashion shops, staring at the grunge fashion display they had. Hazel eyes looked over everything until she caught something, no someone, in the window's reflection walking by and Eva found herself quick to doubletake.
"What the-" she muttered, sharply turning to see a girl just saunter on by. While she barely caught her RBF, those curves, that fashion sense, and the pink streaks in the stupidly perfected beach wave curl, said it all. Eva knew exactly who it was. A surge of wild emotions hit her all at once, her fists clenched, as she called out, "Ripple?" Maybe she was wrong, maybe the girl who turned around wouldn't be who she thought it was and it was merely a haunting from the past, but Eva was certain, and boy, she wasn't about to burry any hatchets unless it was into Ripley Mistenya's back.
“I’m not saying that everything is survivable. Just that everything except the last thing is.” - John Green
Guess she wasn't the only one who got defensive about certain questions. Both Eva and Nash had met each other's perspective brick walls, and both were too willing to let each other in. That was fine though, it was only the first 'date', and who knew if they would hang out after this. Although in the short time of their acquaintanceship, the quippy fifteen year old had managed to win her over, and Eva Garnet decided that he may not be so bad of a friend to have in her life - that is, if he thought the same of her as well. Only time would tell, since he was never getting into her pants or touching her lips.
At least he was willing to be whisked off onto a wild adventure, which merely would be taking them upstairs and onto the roof, they just had to get there first, "Of course, here, where else would we go with our slushies?" Eva asked with a wry grin as she tugged him along before stopping dead in her tracks, pausing near a doorway as she football mom'd him in the chest with her arm and hand, making sure Nash remained right next to her and not ahead of her. Things could get tricky now, her James Bond comment said it all. Hazel eyes glanced back at Nash now, and it took everything in her power to not laugh with his next line: "I can be anyone you want me to be.” Yup. He was defilingly a theater kid. The follow up was better though: ”Our slushies will end up shaken, not stirred.”
She cracked a devilish grin, "The only way for them to be have, 007," she replied, and once again, returned her attention to their route. Peering around and looking both ways, Eva decided the coast was clear, "Come on," she whispered excitedly now, pulling him once more as they darted across the hallway and she tugged open the employees only stair well to lead them up. Thank god the teenagers that worked here where utterly lazy, since really, that door should never be open. She hiked up to the top and once more, popped the door open now and once they were out, she grabbed a small rock to place inbetween the door and its frame to ensure that they didn't get locked up here.
They were officially up on the roof now, overlooking over high street and downtown Hickstead, with the sun slowly starting to set in the west. Eva couldn't help but to smile now, staring out at what felt like her kingdom as she took a big sip of her slushie now - not even brain freeze and the chill of the February air could dampen her mood, "See what I mean Agent 007, best seats in the house." She glanced over at him curiously now, to see what Nash thought of it all before adding, "Don't be giving away my secret hangouts to anyone."
“I’m not saying that everything is survivable. Just that everything except the last thing is.” - John Green
At that big, wide smile that Lilith Thompson gave her, the teenager merely twisted her mouth a little and did her best to not narrow her eyes - it was hard not to though, because Eva was certain that she sensed a challenge. Right when she was ready to say something snarky about 'shit collector', Brandon chimed in about how he had managed to correct all of the Yard stable hands to not call Lilith as such, Eva deflated a little. Shit. Well, she couldn't exactly go in for the kill now, "Whatever." The teenager grumbled now, shoving her hands into the pocket of her baggy hoodie and kicking at the ground with her boot, scuffing the soles no doubt. It just gives them character, she thought to herself, like naming a lady 'shit collector'.
The offer for a partially private tour did perk her up though. She listened keenly to what the older woman was saying - like she wanted a tour of the bug department though. Before she could say anything, Brandon chimed in: "I'd be more interested in seeing the bugs, but I'm also up for anything if Eva gets the icks from seeing too many bugs." She was annoyed that he was willing to do whatever his new lady friend appeared to be offering, but then countered it by saying that Eva couldn't handle the bugs. Not caring that there was a witness, the teenager gave a sisterly sucker punch to Brandon's bicep and she hadn't been prepared for the solid muscle since...well, it actually hurt, "I can handle the bugs," she defended herself now, trying hard to not cringe as she pulled her fist away.
However, hazel eyes then looked to Lilith, "But then I want to see the Pandas." It was a big ask, and Eva knew it. A challenge to set the older woman up for possible failure on her offer. It was almost impossible to see the pandas as a normal person, you'd have to elbow a baby in the face in order to get a good look at them. Either way, Eva was going to win. Either she was going to get to see the pandas up close and personal, or she'd be able to wipe that stupid smile off of Lilith Thompson's face, "Surely, you can make that happen."
“I’m not saying that everything is survivable. Just that everything except the last thing is.” - John Green
Watching the older man shake his head, Eva couldn't help but to feel a little guilty for her attitude just moments earlier. He hadn't deserved that. At least she recognized it enough to say sorry before staring moodily at her coffee now. Maybe she should have kept her coffee black like her apparent soul: "I really just meant, it feels nice to know that you enjoy living here." Hazel eyes glanced up now, staring at him, before offering a slight smile, "I do. I'm lucky that you and Jessie took a chance on me. I honestly can't say that for very many adults given my...record and family history." But that was growing up after all, learning from your mistakes, and Eva had some big ones.
She couldn't argue that Auggie Flores didn't know how to make a mean batch of coffee - she wasn't even certain what witchcraft, soccerercraft, he used. Maybe it was the beans. Maybe it was the brewing. But somehow, that nobody, not even starbucks, could hold a candle to that man's coffee, "It's probably some secret of his trade," Eva commented now, cocking her head, "What happened to the coffee machine at the Fire Department?" On rare occasions, the teenager had swung by the station to deliver lunch or something from Jessie to Brandon, and from what she had seen, it had looked fine. But there was always a chance that she was mistaken - and the Fire Station held many of distractions. Her brother's inquisitive question about Auggie's daughter through her for a loop, even though it was probably his job as her older brother to ask these sort of questions, "Huh? Oh. She and I have cracked heads a few time...and she's stubborn and loudly opinionated, and I'm just...aloof...and stubborn."
It felt like a decent enough explanation. She certainly wasn't crying over in a corner of the Sale Yard wondering why Izzy Flores wasn't her bff or anything. Maybe it was from juvenile detention, maybe it was leftover animosity over Ripley Mistenya, who had been the reason why she ended up in juvie, but lately, Eva had been finding herself a guy's girl more than a girl's girl. Sounds like she wasn't the only one who needed a special sort of girl though, although Brandon's sounded like he was strictly only for the romance department. Come to think of it, Eva wasn't even sure who her older brother hung out with, "I'm sure not all girls at the clubs are alcoholics," she chortled now, taking a swig of her coffee, "But I get it. Brandon Garnet is a soul who can't be tied down, destined to walk this earth alone...along with his trusty younger sister." And then came the million dollar question - who did she find attractive, "One? Oh no, there are many. Like...Jamie, Wren, Mason, Ronan, Lucas, and maybe...maybe Cayden." And all but one punched above her age, but who says she couldn't admire?
It wasn't surprising to hear that Jessie wouldn't share her secrets with either of them, she didn't become a top rated Michelin chef by giving away her secrets. Still, it was a little disappointing to hear. But Brandon thankfully had also been a decent cook himself, so Eva knew she couldn't go wrong with whoever was cooking for her that day. "Hey, that guy who owns Justin's Peanut Butter created it in his college dorm room supposedly," she said now, "That could have been you and a french toast waffle house." With the batter done, she listened intently to her brother as he placed the orange and zester by her, "Ughs. Zesting," she muttered, but for flavor, she was willing to do the most annoying task in baking and cooking history, and with that, she went to work, "I don't think I've ever had french toast with zest before."
“I’m not saying that everything is survivable. Just that everything except the last thing is.” - John Green