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 velvet curtains closed after Kennedy had finished her dance. She let out a sigh and walked to the behind stage area - her stiletto heels clicking across the floor. The brunette checked her phone and realized it was almost time for her to make her usual drug run. Kennedy snuck into her dressing room and changed not wanting anyone associated with her father to know she worked at the Lounge.
She changed into her skirt and slid the white sweater over her head, leaving her dance outfit on the chair. None of the other dancers had been back yet as she was the first to preform. Kennedy unlocked her locker and grabbed both her purse and the black duffle bag - which contained the drug of choice for tonight's clients. She looked both ways before closing the empty locker and snuck out the back door.
After checking her watch again, she knew they would be arriving soon. It wasn't odd for her to do her drug runs after she was done dancing and the back alley was the perfect backdrop for it. Once out the back door, she closed the door silently behind her and she walked off down the dark alley. She only passed two people who were kissing by the dumpster but they ignored her. Kennedy stopped and turned left into another alley which was the place of the drop. Her driver had parked close by in case things went south and she sent him a text saying she was in place. She didn't dare lean against the wall for fear of ruining her blazer.
It wasn't long before a familiar silver car pulled up with tinted windows. The driver rolled down the window and a puff of cigarette smoke was released. "Hello, Angel. I hope you have the goods?" She swung the bag around to the front and handed it to the driver through the window. "It's all right there. Counted it myself." The teen wasn't one to just sit around and talk with who she was dealing with clients. It had seemed the driver was satisfied as he handed her another black bag from the back seat.
The bags were exchanged and the car drove off, leaving the brunette to start counting the money.
It was one of those nights were things were going swimmingly. His deals were made, the profits were high and he was as calm as he could get with his latest fix. His smile was wide, almost too wide - unsettling, but he didn't care as he saw himself in the window of a side alley. It went with his whole vibe, that unsettling demonic factor - living up the expectations of the world. He was a monster and there was no light that would get through to him. At least, he didn't believe it could.
Not that he wanted saving. He knew he couldn't be. It was simple. Even still, he now had to get out of town and get back to work helping to set plans in motion for further destabilization of various gangs that were trying to move on each other and those that wanted slices of Hickstead. He was so intent on going home he almost didn't stop, but he frowned and moved back to the alley way he'd passed by and looked into it with raised brows. A pretty girl with her back to him... what was a dove doing in such a dingy area?
Slowly he made his way over, curious like a shark investigating a possible meal. He didn't know what she had, but he was curious enough that he pulled the butterfly knife from his back pocket and pressed it to her back - hard enough she could feel it, but not enough to damage her clothes.
"Don't go panicking sweet heart," he purred, "Because if you scream, I'll make sure it's the last sound you make. Now tell me Dove, what's a pretty little thing like you doing in a dark and dingy place like this? Hmm?"
The brunette was too busy counting the pounds to pay attention to her surroundings. She let out a sigh and zipped the bag back up - about to move forward when she felt something on her back and heard a stranger's voice. "Who are you calling Dove? That's not a name I respond to." She knew better than to scream, not needing to bring attention to herself for so many reasons.
"Some shady things a girl like me shouldn't be doing. Have you never seen a beautiful woman like me around these parts?" Kennedy turned around slowly and swung the bag over her shoulders, knowing it was pretty much impossible to hide the bag of money. "What do you want?" This was the first time she laid eyes on the stranger - seeing that he was covered in tattoos. It wasn't something she was used to seeing - as her father's clients tended to be old rich guys or people her age, but she didn't feel the need to be scared of the teen.
"Who are you calling Dove? That's not a name I respond to."
Ruslan's smile turned slightly more wicked, "You, whom else. Dressed all pretty in a place like this - the Dove amongst Pigeons. Or are you just some dull and unruly Pigeon that's pretending to be a Dove? Hmm? Which are you?"
Looking at her, she was most certainly pretty in her own way - not the sort he could picture himself being around all that frequently; just a little speck of curiosity really.
"Some shady things a girl like me shouldn't be doing. Have you never seen a beautiful woman like me around these parts?" Kennedy turned around slowly and swung the bag over her shoulders, knowing it was pretty much impossible to hide the bag of money. "What do you want?"
"Ah, a straight talker. Interesting," he tilted his head, as she turned around - a little bit bolder than most, "Beauty is such a rare thing, and it's only on the surface. Many claim to be beautiful, but really, right under that lovely skin is every bit as ugly as the rest. That superficial beauty can be so easily removed, marred, taken away and tarnished. It can be arranged, truly it can."
He watched her, black eyes searching her face as he played with the knife, folding and unfolding it like a toy, a nervous tick. The blade was keen, glimmering even in the dim light.
"What I want? Who knows what I want really - it changes on a whim, never certain until I want it in the moment," he smirked, "You know, I've already thought of several things I could want from this, but see - even demons cut deals and I can see just enough to know that maybe, just maybe, we can cut deals hmm? You tell me what you want Dove, the one thing you really, truly want, and just maybe this demon can deliver it to you, hmm? Wouldn't that be fun?"
He shut the knife with a rough snap and shoved it into his back pocket and produced a pack of cigarettes, "I don't know whom you are running around for Dove, but I would see to it that they understand the score in these parts. There's a percentage cut and if they aren't careful, customers will be picked off, one by one."
“Wouldn’t you like to know? I’m probably the prettiest Dove you’ve seen in awhile!” she scoffed, mockingly rolling her eyes. After taking a quick glance down the street, the teen realized that her driver had left.
She glanced back in front of her, feeling slightly nervous - hoping that the car would return to come get her. “Why waste time when you can quickly get to the point?” It was something she grew up learning - people always wanted something from you.
“Some people have learned to hide their inner ugliness though. It’s not easy but it can be done.” Most people did find her beautiful, though there were scars on her back that were often covered up. She enjoyed the look of them well enough - they were a constant reminder of where she came from. “What about ugliness? Can it be hidden?” She couldn’t see why it wouldn’t work the other way around.
Kennedy watched the knife being played with - glad that it hadn’t ended up anywhere on her. She watched the man’s face and picked up on some nervous behavior. “Making deals with the devil or any demon isn’t in my job description.” She wasn’t high up enough in her family mafia to make deals with anyone.
“What do I want? Well, there are a lot of things I want.” She had to take a moment to think of her answer. The deal of getting what she truly wanted was tempting, but her father would physically abuse her again if she did. “I can’t tell you that. It’s a secret.”
“What makes you think I’m running for someone? Is a woman not allowed to run for herself?” She was slightly offended at the thought - knowing that if something had happened her mother would be more than capable of running the business herself. “If I were running for someone, how would I know you wouldn’t just take the cut and run?”
“Wouldn’t you like to know? I’m probably the prettiest Dove you’ve seen in awhile!”
He watched her closely, ever curious, "Oh, oh no - you're not the prettiest thing I've seen. Not even remotely close to be honest."
“Why waste time when you can quickly get to the point?”
"Because I like to waste time, toy with my food as they say."
“Some people have learned to hide their inner ugliness though. It’s not easy but it can be done. What about ugliness? Can it be hidden?”
He pulled a smoke from the crumpled pack and with his other hand, lit it, "Ugliness is ugliness, beauty is subjective. Ugliness can be hidden, but it eventually seeps through. Beauty to you is different to me - yours, perfection, flawless, fancy clothes - mine, blood, dirt, smoke and tattered fabric."
He shrugged; he wasn't used to having such metaphorical talks.
“Making deals with the devil or any demon isn’t in my job description.”
He snorted, "Spare me, I see that it is. Don't lie. I witnessed what just went on Dove."
“What do I want? Well, there are a lot of things I want. I can’t tell you that. It’s a secret.”
At that he laughed, the sound almost manic, "Everyone has a price sweetheart, everyone does. Just a matter of waiting to reach out for it, but if you'd rather not on your head be it."
“What makes you think I’m running for someone? Is a woman not allowed to run for herself. If were running for someone, how would I know you wouldn’t just take the cut and run?”
He tilted his head, figuring it to be a valid question to have, "Because unlike a lot of the shits that play this game, I'm no backstabbing lying bastard. I run for many, I run solo. It depends in all reality. And to be frank, whomever you run for - I just have a feeling - is standing on a lot of toes. Territory already occupied. If you want to go on, unhindered, best make me an offer otherwise there will be people knocking."
Kennedy scoffed, she couldn't imagine who on this Earth who would be more beautiful than her. "Oh come on, you can't be serious." She flipped her hair gracefully over one shoulder. At the burlesque club, she caught enough attention to keep her happy. The brunette was learning to keep herself in tip top shape - really only because of the dancing. "Who have you seen that's more beautiful than me, tell me."
Her parents also pumped her tires. They had also often told her how beautiful she was, and she felt she had something to prove now. There was an unrelented pressure put on her from her father - the family business needed to continue. "Ew, gross. I don't want to be anyone's food. I really think I'm the wrong person." Human flesh wasn't something she ever wanted to taste and she preferred it stayed on her body. Being someone's prey was probably worse.
The woman raised her eyebrow. "Really? You don't like perfection?" It was something she thought everyone wanted. Perfection was also something that was drilled into her. She also lived up to those standards - her father had a lot of clients that she dealt with as well. "You've done worse. All I'm doing here is making money on the side." She shrugged her shoulders. The woman knew what drugs did to people and opted to sell them rather than consume them herself. "I have everything I need. All you want is money, right? You'll have to go find it somewhere else."
With a quick glance of her watch, she realized her driver would soon be worried about her. "You really think someone I work for would do that? He has his people and they already get their cut. If you want in, I'm the wrong person to talk to." She reached in the pocket of her blazer, pulling out a business card. "Talk to my boss then. He'll laugh about hiring a punk like you."
