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!.
For someone who had as much floral print as she did, Aofie didn’t have anything that fit the theme. She hoped the candy stripe fit the bill for the Tiki night.
The evening wasn’t something Aofie found herself going to, but meeting Jack – gave her a reason to go. Not in stalking, creeper way – but it appeared the only way they could possibly meet again. They had texted a few times, but the meeting was difficult with their schedules. Summer would allow more time on her end now. She told herself that she wanted to do her usual try a drink, and that was the only reason she was going. Not to possibly see a man that hopefully wasn’t working.
Dogs fed and walked, and Aofie made her way to the pier. The lot was nearly full, and Aofie managed to find what could be the second to last open. Her wedges hit the pavement, grinding a bit on the sand and pebbles that brushed up from the wind. Making sure she had her wicker purse, Aofie locked her car and hid anything she didn’t want to be seen out of sight.
She walked up to the restaurant and her stomach churned at the sight of the inside. It was packed. A frown crossed her lips and Aofie found a tall table outside, where there were a few people set up. Torches were lit up and citronella candles graced her nostrils. It took her a hot second to comfortably get into the seat.
Her eyes looked out to the open water, something Aofie loved. A waitress handed over the drink and food menu, along with some trail mix. Aofie thanked her and picked up the special drink menu. Everything looked great, but her mind was too far elsewhere to decide.
Jack knew he owed the other security staff a favor since he had asked someone else to cover his evening shift on one of their busy nights. But it he remembered what Aofie said about the seasonal drinks, and casual passing questions with the bar staff confirmed it - so when he was told about it, Jack waited a day or two and asked for that evening off. His lifestyle and work schedule didn't help keeping in contact with Aofie the best, but he did try to be awake a little earlier in the afternoon to exchange text messages where he could. Just the thought of it made him wonder just what it was that had him holding out hope that she would turn up to tonight rather than tomorrow or the day after.
So he had begun to plan, and being told the theme he knew he was going to look very out of place in his usually dark attire. Thus a few days of trying to find a shirt that had an ok vibe that felt somewhat coastal and beach-esk and what he found was both humiliatingly bright and all too cliche. But it was one night and who was going to remember him wearing that purple Hawaiian palm-leaf printed shirt tucked into black skinny jeans? Getting ready, he felt the immediate wave of - why? But he got dressed anyway with the vaguest of hopes that his efforts were not all that in vain.
He had to park across the street due to the packed nature of the restaurant and he wrinkled his nose a little bit. Good thing he wasn't working... wait... He would have to pass the door to get in... Fuck me. He straightened up and put on his best stoic look as he joined the line to go in. Maybe working this would've been a wiser choice... But waved in, he couldn't back out of this now. So he began the casual scanning on the room, trying to see if he could spot the one person he knew outside of work who also didn't happen to be the tallest either. But finding no real signs, he reluctantly moved outside to where the outdoor settings were noticeably less packed. It was also easier to breathe and hear outside - he wasn't sharing in everyone's trade offs. He was tempted to go and light a cigarette and find a chair to sit in. He yawned, stretching slightly causing the shirt to strain for a moment before his arms lowered and turned a little bit and raised a brow.
There she was, sitting on her own at a table a short distance away. Chuckling to himself, he went over to the table and stood so that he would be in her line of sight, having seen how she jumped the first time they'd met.
She couldn’t tell if it was the smell or the voice that caught her attention first. Aofie looked up from her menu and gave a soft smile. “Ah Jack, hello. Fancy seeing you here!” Maybe it wasn’t a surprise, but he was dressed in something that didn’t look security guard-like. Who knows, he could’ve been forced to dress for the theme. The shirt wasn’t something that she would think he would ever wear, but Aofie wouldn’t say he looked terrible. The sleeves accentuated the muscles that were hidden previously. His body was a canvas.
“Are you working tonight or are you here because you are such a night owl?” she teased, almost as an invitation to join her at her table. Though, he could’ve easily been being polite and just saying hi before being whisked away by someone for fitting.
Aofie looked up from her menu and gave a soft smile. “Ah Jack, hello. Fancy seeing you here!”
He bowed to her, offering a polite smile in return, "Lovely to see you again Aofie. I must say that you look beautiful tonight."
“Are you working tonight or are you here because you are such a night owl?” she teased, almost as an invitation to join her at her table.
"Cheeky," he grinned, "I'm actually not working tonight, and being a night owl only works in my favor."
He looked down at his hands as they rested on the back of a chair, "I figured I've been a crappy friend in not being able to hang out more often, so I pulled a string or two and figured it was worth the gamble to see if you would actually come out tonight."
He looked up at her with a sincere smile, "That is, if you want to hang out tonight - I understand if you don't want to, I've sprung this on you unexpectedly, again."
He completely understood if she wanted him to go, she might've been on a date with someone and he had just barged in. He felt a slightly unfamiliar pang in his chest at the thought and brushed it aside to figure out later.
“Oh thanks. Thrifted!” Not like he would care, right? Aofie didn’t see the need to spend hundreds of pounds on clothing. Even when she did the ball, it was a rented dress that she paid to wear for one night. The option of buying later was there, but Aofie rarely ever went out and did anything like that. It could’ve worked for her brother’s wedding that was coming up – but knowing them, it was probably going to be lowkey.
“Must be odd wearing such a colorful number for someone who wears mostly black?” Maybe Jack did wear color, and she just never saw it. She was pretty sure that he was wearing black when he helped her with her car, and then when they got coffee. Not like Aofie had anything against that, there were plenty of people that did. Black on her skin made her look sickly, so she tended to look like a rainbow. Plus, it made it easier for her to be around children. Appeared a bit more friendly, especially during reading time.
“Oh, please, take a seat! It’ll make not leave within an hour,” she smiled. She wasn’t about to say that she was searching for him out. “We’re both busy bees, aren’t we? Life happens.” Aofie was shy in both aspects of communication. She felt a bit more comfortable around him now, allowing some more sentences. If her politeness didn’t lead the way, Aofie doubt she was going to be here.
“Have you looked at the menu? I’m still deciding on what drink to get.”
Jack smiled, "It looks lovely. Love a nice thrift, I've done it more than I care to admit to."
He was being sincere. Despite having the money, he saw no point in tossing it at things that were far too over priced when he could get the near same thing for ten times cheaper without the labels and bullshit.
“Must be odd wearing such a colorful number for someone who wears mostly black?”
He chuckled, "Very odd. It's usually all black or a touch of grey or white where needed."
“Oh, please, take a seat! It’ll make not leave within an hour,” she smiled. “We’re both busy bees, aren’t we? Life happens.”
Jack sat down in the chair and nodded, "We are busy. I might have to talk to Moses about altering my times at work, try to get myself into the daylight a little more instead of popping several vitamin tablets a week."
He wasn't about to admit that he was trying to find excuses to be able to talk to Aofie more, he didn't want to sound like a creep.
“Have you looked at the menu? I’m still deciding on what drink to get.”
"I haven't," he admitted, "Anything catching your eye? I'm going to avoid my usual Hennessy."
"There’s nothing wrong with thrifting. Especially when you go to the nice ones in the rich areas of town,” Aofie smiled. “A friend scored a vintage Chanel tweed set there. Crazy to think people don’t try reselling them, but I won’t complain if I find something there.” Some people found it nasty, the idea of thrifting used clothes. It wasn’t like they weren’t washed or properly cared for. There were people that rented dresses, so was there any kind of difference there?
“I guess the only issue is when you come across a warm or cold black.” It was always something Aofie noticed when she wore two black items at the same time. Even if it was a dress or shoes together. There was always a massive difference, mainly in the sunlight. “We can’t really tell when we’re under the awful fluorescent light. I keep fighting for better lighting at the library, but they are living too much in the dark academia look or morgue.” Aofie liked Harry Potter but didn’t like having to work in such low-light settings, or it is looking too sterile. The computer labs looked like a lab with how bright it was from the lighting.
“I can only imagine. I’m sure he would be willing to work with you?” She didn’t know the man personally. All Aofie knew was what people told her and the few interactions she had with him when she ever saw him. He knew how to schmooze, but that was only one aspect of someone.
“There’s nothing wrong with Hennessy, but I guess if we’re trying to fit into the tropical crowd…” Aofie rested her left cheek on her left palm. Her eyes looked at the menu again but couldn’t help peeking up above to catch more of Jack’s face. She had really taken the time to examine his features. Maybe because she didn’t want to get caught? “The Mai Tai looks good. Can never say no to rum!”
"There’s nothing wrong with thrifting. Especially when you go to the nice ones in the rich areas of town,” Aofie smiled. “A friend scored a vintage Chanel tweed set there. Crazy to think people don’t try reselling them, but I won’t complain if I find something there.”
"Exactly," he nodded.
“I guess the only issue is when you come across a warm or cold black.” It was always something Aofie noticed when she wore two black items at the same time. Even if it was a dress or shoes together. There was always a massive difference, mainly in the sunlight. “We can’t really tell when we’re under the awful fluorescent light. I keep fighting for better lighting at the library, but they are living too much in the dark academia look or morgue.”
"I've honestly never noticed that," he said, tilting his head slightly to the one said, "Must be colour blind on that front."
“I can only imagine. I’m sure he would be willing to work with you?”
"He would, I'm sure of it," he said, leaning back into the chair and getting himself comfortable, "I just need to shift it around a touch, try drag myself out of completely nocturnal terms."
“There’s nothing wrong with Hennessy, but I guess if we’re trying to fit into the tropical crowd…” Aofie rested her left cheek on her left palm. “The Mai Tai looks good. Can never say no to rum!”
"I'll try whatever you think would be nice," he chuckled, "I don't know too much about tropical drinks. If it's not some kind of Whiskey or Brandy, I will gladly admit I am lost on all else."
“Perks of working at night? Or just avoid white-haired animals.” Aofie was lucky that her dogs had medium-colored hair, though she also tended to wear brighter colors. She usually wasn’t one to worry about hair on her usually, and her dogs were trained to stay away from her formal closet. But sometimes it couldn’t be helped, meaning that a lint roller was always necessary for important things.
“I don’t think there are any bad bosses in Hickstead? Everyone is pretty...chill?” Granted, Aofie wasn’t one of those that did all the gossip in town. There wasn’t any reason for her to partake in that kind of thing. “Everyone needs a little bit of sunshine, for sure. There’s something about sitting in the park with the sun out. I must fight my dogs to come in when it’s summertime!”
She thought for a moment and then gave herself a reassuring nod. “How about I just order some and we can share?” It sounded like a recipe for disaster, but Aofie could handle her liquor. A waitress came over and smiled, asking for their order. It was evident she was eyeing Jack up and Aofie couldn’t help but feel a tinge of jealousy.
“We’ll take a Mai Tai and Hurricane, please.”
“Sure!”
When the young woman was gone, Aofie clasped her hands in her lap to help her nerves. “Other than work. Have you managed to explore a bit of Hickstead a bit more? Anything fun that’s caught your eye?”
“Perks of working at night? Or just avoid white-haired animals.”
"I think it's more perks of working nights - after a certain point people stop noticing the lint on your cuff and are more focused on the liquor."
“I don’t think there are any bad bosses in Hickstead? Everyone is pretty...chill?”
"I wouldn't know - I have Moses for a boss and he is nice all way around, so I cannot complain about him in the slightest."
“Everyone needs a little bit of sunshine, for sure. There’s something about sitting in the park with the sun out. I must fight my dogs to come in when it’s summertime!”
He tilted his head as he chuckled softly, "Honestly, I haven't missed the sun too much, but its growing on me. My dogs are the same, they have to be wrestled back into the flat."
She thought for a moment and then gave herself a reassuring nod. “How about I just order some and we can share?”
"Of course, whatever you feel."
He barely even looked at the waitress, his sight locked onto Aofie as she ordered.
“We’ll take a Mai Tai and Hurricane, please.”
“Sure!”
When the young woman was gone, Aofie clasped her hands in her lap to help her nerves. “Other than work. Have you managed to explore a bit of Hickstead a bit more? Anything fun that’s caught your eye?”
He tilted his head back slightly, "Yes and no - the most I've ventured out to the is the lounge. It was interesting, tasteful, but not something I could see myself attending with any degree of routine. Otherwise, I know a few more streets, a few more locals, that's about the lot. And what about you? Have you found anything fun that's caught your eye?"
“Oh, the lounge? That place is lovely. It’s not for everyone, but it’s great for a lighter atmosphere. I’m attending their piano bar in a few weeks. Some new and upcoming jazz pianists and then a local that is known. I haven’t really seen anything else there, but the burlesque shows I hear are fun.” Aofie wasn’t a prude or anything, but it just made her conscious. From the posters and images on their Instagram, there were a lot of fuller-figured women. While Aofie was a fit woman, she was tiny in all aspects.
“I’ve been floating around the city a bit. A lot of new bookshops and cafes have opened. Also a lot of new events. I never really plan anything really. If it looks like something I can attend for an hour or so and then disappear, I usually end up there,” she laughed. “My dogs are looking forward to the last day of the pool being open. They let local dog owners come in and have a pool day with them.”
“Oh, the lounge? That place is lovely. It’s not for everyone, but it’s great for a lighter atmosphere. I’m attending their piano bar in a few weeks. Some new and upcoming jazz pianists and then a local that is known. I haven’t really seen anything else there, but the burlesque shows I hear are fun.”
"I must agree, not for everyone. I think I was more caught up in my drink over the show that was on stage. There is talent there, just not something I can sink my teeth into."
“I’ve been floating around the city a bit. A lot of new bookshops and cafes have opened. Also a lot of new events. I never really plan anything really. If it looks like something I can attend for an hour or so and then disappear, I usually end up there,” she laughed. “My dogs are looking forward to the last day of the pool being open. They let local dog owners come in and have a pool day with them.”
Her laugh is so pretty, I could listen to it all day.
"Is that so?" he tilted his head to the side before brushing back some loose hair strands. "At least you manage an hour. I might walk for twenty minutes and then go home."
He smiled and dipped his head, "Unfortunately, my dogs aren't huge on water. Otherwise I'd take them to the event."
“Better than nothing, no?” she offered. Her eyes wanted to be glued on his hair whisps. The urge to brush one back was there. To feel it on her fingertips. The thought sent shivers over her body. Despite not being someone who sought out only physical relationships, didn’t mean Aofie avoided them. She was human and still had those urges to touch and be touched. While she had never done the full deed, per se – Aofie enjoyed the ghosting fingertips in a sensual kissing moment. She had to stop thinking about it, as she was sure her face would become a beet if she did. If anything, it just meant she would go home and read a dirty book to help…the urges.
“Do your dogs like being around other dogs?” Aofie asked before their drinks had come over. They were decently sized – glad she had someone to share them with. She gingerly opened the straw before placing it into the Mai Tai. “If they do…we could maybe go on a walk. I promised I won’t make you walk too far.” That was innocent enough. A walk was well, a walk. Unless it was some historical romance, where walks could be deemed courting, it never really led to anything.
