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!.
everything in her wanted to bite back at him for that. but as much as she wanted to chew him out for sticking his nose in, for interfering and making choices for her that she hadn't wanted made, she knew she had to pick her battles. if she wanted to get any further into finding out what had happened she'd need to bite her tongue. besides she'd have plenty of chances to do that in the future, she was sure of it. it wasn't that she didn't know he'd been trying to look out for her, it was the fact she'd been robbed of knowing what could have been. and that it hadn't been her or joel's choice. it had been dustins. that's what hurt, the what ifs. where she'd be now and if things would be any different.
whatever she was expecting the situation to be. it hadn't been that. it had never been that. she felt her skin go cold and her heart started thumping in her chest. her mouth went dry and she felt sick but she did her best to hide it. instead she let the anger that was bubbling in her veins become the thing she focused on. it drove her to step forward, to almost square up to her older brother as she shook her head slightly. her eyes angry but not really at him, at the people who were doing this to him. "then we go. we go somewhere they can't find you." in a heartbeat she'd pack up for her siblings. she liked her life here and she was just starting to find herself and who she could be with sam but her siblings, as much as they argued with each other, meant everything to her.
she shook her head again and folded her arms over her chest harshly, pressing them against her torso as she gripped her fingers into her upper arm. "then i'll just follow you. this isn't something you can do alone" she said as she stepped back, noticing hayden kiss dustin's cheek and whisper something to him before she departed the small shed and closed the door behind her. "and if they don't let you out of it .. i'll stay there. they need people to take photos in france." she took another step back from her brother. "or i'll just join the army. at least then you'll know that someone's there." she was vaguely aware that she wasn't making much sense, or doing much to hide the fear that was starting to show on her face.
she couldn't do it again. she couldn't do the waiting. she couldn't do the not knowing whether her brother was alive or dead. she'd done it before, she'd lost her parents to it. that loss had almost broken her. "i won't sit by the phone waiting to hear if you're dead dustin." she shot at him as she dug her fingers into her upper arms a little more, her knuckles going white as she tried to steel herself. "you can't ask me to be okay with losing another parent!" she'd meant to say a brother, that he couldn't ask her to be okay with losing a brother ... but they both knew he was more than that to her.
** [ hayden whispered "go easy on her" to dustin before she left ]
He watched her cautiously, trying to anticipate what kind of reaction he was going to get. Sometimes, people never realised how hard it was, being the head of a family. Not only had he just received a call from the blue threatening to upturn his life, without room to argue, when he would never had pain free mobility of his injured leg, not only was he having to get on a plane to get to France for tomorrow for a meeting he was likely to come out on the wrong end of, not only was he looking at leaving his family and loved one's behind to fight for a country that no longer looked after him, but he had to argue with his other half for it, had to argue with his sister for it. It was hard. He had to put aside his feelings, he had to be strong and to do the right thing, he had to lay down the law and pretend that it wasn't killing him to do it, or killing him to go. It might hurt for them to hear what he had to say, but sometimes he wondered if they ever considered what it was like for him to be the one saying it - actually, he didn't want them to have to think about it.
"then we go. we go somewhere they can't find you." Dustin sighed, summoning his usual cool headed, patient demeanor. "Heather, that's absurd." And she knew it, and he knew she knew it - what would they do? Go on the run with a gaggle of kids? And then the rest of them - either leave behind Holly, Jasper.. Sam? They would have to come, and then what? Ask them never to contact their families again? Living on the run was hard enough, but there was no way you could do it with a horde. And all for the sake of Dustin running from his army duties? It wasn't worth it. "then i'll just follow you. this isn't something you can do alone" He gave a small nod to Hayden as she kissed his cheek and left, catching her parting words. He had no intention of going off on Heather. She was escalating to hysterical, he just needed to get her to calm down, to know it would be fine. "and if they don't let you out of it .. i'll stay there. they need people to take photos in france. or i'll just join the army. at least then you'll know that someone's there."
Dustin stepped forward carefully, "Heather," He said gently, trying to get through her head. "i won't sit by the phone waiting to hear if you're dead dustin. you can't ask me to be okay with losing another parent!" He sighed quietly, he understood it, and he felt a wash of sadness as he stepped forward again and went to pull Heather in, wrapping his arms tightly around her, giving her no choice. "It won't happen. I won't leave you," Though he didn't clarify if he meant for the army or by getting himself killed. He didn't bother to knock aside her ideas, she'd been rambling, irrational, and he knew she wouldn't. He would strap her down before he let her follow him to that place, not that they would allow her into the compound regardless. He'd made sure she didn't do anything stupid like sign up - he'd have Avery and Kara to keep on that. Even Sam if he had to use emotional blackmail to get there. "It'll be fine. I just need to go talk to them and I'll sort this mess out." He couldn't lie and promise her he wouldn't have to return to the army, but he would promise her a thousand times over that he would be okay. He'd get himself back here if it killed him.
<3 HAYDEN MAY JAMES ONE SON | ONE UNBORN CHILD | ONE HORSE (ROULETTE)
it was like she hasn't heard him say her name and she certainly didn't notice that he'd stepped toward her until he wrapped his arms tightly around her and that's when the flood gates that she'd been trying so desperately to keep closed opened on her. she let go of her upper arms and she wrapped her arms around her older brother and she clung to him like she was afraid that he'd vanish right in front of her eyes if she let him go. she clung to him as she sobbed into his chest, her face pressed against it like she had done all those years ago when he'd come back to take her and their siblings away to safety after their parents had been killed in the fighting. she'd been so young and while kara avery had done their best to look after her, it hadn't been until dustin had gotten there that she'd felt safe.
she prided herself on being strong now, in not needing anyone and being in charge of her own destiny and not letting anyone tell her what to do but if there was something she was afraid of it was losing her family. she'd kept it together when he and avery had come home hurt from the army, been there for them, had tried to cheer them up by being the smiling little sister she thought they'd wanted. then as she'd grown up and life had happened, she'd changed. she'd found a love that no one agreed with, but she'd found a sense of stability. her family were back, apart from joe but he was safe working for the army but in helping people, away from the fighting. she'd become a teenager then, grown moody and had been trying to find herself, who she was with people telling her who she should be. she'd fought with her siblings constantly, trying to keep some measure of control in her life. then she'd lost the love she'd been counting on forever, they'd almost lost avery and holly in a car accident but through it all she'd shed as little tears as possible but now, it seemed to all be catching up with her.
her sobs had slowed somewhat when he spoke to her softly again. she was still holding onto him with something of a death grip but she'd calmed down enough that his words reached her ears and she sniffled as she nodded just slightly, her face still buried in his shirt. she didn't trust herself to speak just yet so she just stood there, not willing to let her brother go just yet but she did turn her face slightly, wiping her eyes against her shoulder roughly to try and rid the tears from her cheeks and she took in a few shuddering breaths before she gained the courage to loosen her hold on him and she dropped her hands slowly from around him and she tried to shift back from him a little. "when the fuck will they just leave you guys alone.. " she asked him but she didn't really expect him to have an answer to that. she did plan on following him to france, at least in a few days. if he didn't get this sorted out she didn't want to be left here. their family couldn't just uproot and go with him but she could. he'd told her she knew her brother knew exactly how stubborn she was.
He wasn't sure at first if he'd done the right thing, but he persevered, and as he wrapped his arms tightly around her he heard the tears begin. He felt awful for it, that tearing feeling in his heart which always tugged at him when his siblings were upset or hurt. It was a terrible feeling, to have to do this to them, but he didn't have a choice - not a logical one, anyway. He let her cling, tightening his hold a little more to make her feel secure as she pressed her face into his chest. "I'm sorry," He murmured, kissing the top of her head and gently rubbing her back. He didn't enjoy this either, he didn't want to return to the army, he loved his life here, and he loved it with his family.
Dustin didn't move, staying there with Heather in his arms for as long as it took her - once it was out, he knew she would feel better. "Nothing is going to happen. I promise." And that he would promise, he wouldn't let them take him from his family. "It's just a conversation, and then I'll be home again." He heard her sobs begin to quieten, but he still held onto her until she was ready. He had moved them from France to make his family safe, and even now he would continue with that - no matter what. Safe and happy was his ideal, but he could only do so much for them. "when the fuck will they just leave you guys alone.. "
He released her, stepping back and grasping her upper arms gently so he could hold her gaze. "I promise, it will be okay." and he meant every word, saying it with such assurance she would have to believe him. "I'll need you to hold down the fort for me here, alright? Look after Hayden and Dean for me, and make sure Avery stays in line... keep Kara on the straight and narrow." He tried to angle it that she would be his replacement, force her to take responsibility for him - he knew she would think about following and he couldn't allow her to do that.
<3 HAYDEN MAY JAMES ONE SON | ONE UNBORN CHILD | ONE HORSE (ROULETTE)
she was glad that he just held her. she couldn't form any sort of words or thoughts as she clung to him and sobbed against him. she knew she should suck it up. she didn't cry in front of her siblings. she didn't cry in front of anyone. she couldn't remember the last time she'd broken down in front of anyone. sometimes it was just too hard though, to know that she'd have to let her brothers go at any moment. they were her rocks, them and kara and she didn't know if she would ever be able to live without them. it had started when their parents had died, it had been those same siblings who had kept her alive, who had made her want to keep going and who had been there for her through everything she'd put them through for the last few years. she'd given them plenty of reason to give up on her but they hadn't and even now they were still just as there for her, no matter how she pushed the boundaries. but the fear of losing them? it was enough to break her heart.
she wasn't quiet sure she believed him. not because she thought he'd lie to her but because it was never that simple with the army. they did things that they said they wouldn't, they didn't care about the soldiers they had and they'd let two of her brothers come home hurt. she had no trust for them and no real love for them. the only attraction she did have to joining the armed services was she could finally relate to her brothers, understand them when they needed it and be there for them when they were sad. "if it's not just a conversation, i'll kill them." she said as she sniffed, using the back of her sleeve to wipe her nose off. it wasn't exactly lady like but it wasn't like she could wipe her nose on anything in the shed.
she stepped back a little as he let her go, though he didn't stop holding her. she felt his hands on her upper arms and she was glad, the contact was comforting still. she nodded slightly as she twisted the sleeve of her shirt in her fingers, still sniffing just a little. "dean i can manage." she said, the watery smile crossing onto her face. "but you know the other three won't listen." but her nephew was enough. she knew that he'd miss his dad just as much as she did and that was more important. with that she shrugged out of his hands softly and she brought her hands up to her face, doing her best to scrub the tears from her cheeks as she tried to compose herself.
He didn't try to say anything more as he wrapped her in his arms. Sometimes, Dustin thought that he was only brought into the world as a protector for his siblings. He had found his own happiness in the form of Hayden of course, and little Dean, but he was their protectors too - of all the houses in all the places, they had come to him and he just felt that what were the chances? They had needed protection, they had needed to be safe and he had been able to give that. Love had followed naturally, but sometimes, Dustin couldn't help but believe this was what he was meant to do. As if fate knew they would lose their parents, and that his siblings would need someone to look after them, to help them. It was tough and it was testing - frequently so - but so was life, and he wouldn't have it any other way. He just wanted them to be safe and happy, it was all anyone could hope for.
"if it's not just a conversation, i'll kill them." Dustin gave a small chuckle, and let out a quiet sigh into her hair and he rubbed her back gently. "I know," he didn't like it either - how could he protect his family from another country? But he could send home money, and he could make sure they didn't try to take back Avery, and he knew they were safe from the fighting here - he would never let them come back to France, not the places where the fighting took place anyway. He released her when he felt she was ready, not rushing her to be done with what she needed to get out. She had been holding that in, there was more in that sadness and anguish than just today's news and he hoped he had helped, even if she wouldn't say what else was on her mind.
He gave her a comforting smile - or one he hoped was that at least. "dean i can manage. but you know the other three won't listen." Dustin's smile softened and he shook his head. "You? Admitting defeat?" He questioned, "That doesn't sound like the Heather I know," He tried to encourage, knowing that the family were all stubborn enough but Heather did have somewhat of an extra dose. It was why she was so difficult sometimes, always challenging him with a hard set to her jaw. So like their mother's it hurt sometimes. He released her and stayed where he was as she stepped back. "Cup of coffee?" He asked, knowing she might need it.
<3 HAYDEN MAY JAMES ONE SON | ONE UNBORN CHILD | ONE HORSE (ROULETTE)
