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!.
Derek saw Shaun nod, half expecting a response from the words and automatically tensing - but in his father's defense nothing came; perhaps for once he had learned his lesson that making comments would end in arguments. It could be about anything too, but Derek's temper was as quick and hot as the rest of the families when it came to it, and it didn't take much to rub a nerve and spark the flames. But, he still loved his dad, even with all those complicated feelings in between. "I know." Derek glanced at him, but this time made no further comment - no need to say anything further, the message had been received. Maybe if Shaun proved to him that this wasn't all bullshit, maybe if he got his shit together and gave a crap again, he might believe it, he might relax a little. Perhaps a tiny bridge could be mended to begin to cover the chasm between them.
"Got any other plans for the rest of your day?" Derek hesitated in the doorway, watching his father go fishing for tools, wondering what he was up to now. He sighed and shrugged, "I just finished a shift so was just going to chill out for a bit until tonight's work." It was rare for Derek to have a half day off, let alone a full one, but that was his choice. He wanted to be able to afford his lot in life, he was saving hard for a house, and paying rent on the flat hurt his bank balance enough that the second job caught up with it and meant he could keep saving as he did. In all honesty he would probably have fixed himself some early dinner, had a beer and potentially even a nap so that he could get through his shift and not crash before the end of it. "And you?"
He nodded, at least Derek knew that. Shaun was at least aware enough to know that if he even tried to joke now, it would be shot down in a ball of flames. He loved his sons, all of them regardless of the grey hairs they threatened him with. But his one regret was the tension between all of them, how much he'd failed them with working.
He sighed and shrugged, "I just finished a shift so was just going to chill out for a bit until tonight's work."
"And I interrupted your down time," he said quietly - he was not mad at Derek about that, not even close, he was more annoyed with himself.
"And you?"
"Just tidying up as best I can," he said, putting various tools up on pegs, "Get dinner going, washing done, get things packed away... I only have one more thing to ask - when you get a moment, tally together the money you spent on food and the like so I can pay you back. I know money isn't everything, and it doesn't fix stuff, but I know I put all of you in a bad spot - horrible spot. It won't fix things, it won't make things better, but I want to repay you and your brothers for doing what I should've been doing."
He caught Shaun's nod, but there was nothing more to be said about it on his part. He wasn't ready to say anything further. He didn't want to start an argument about all of it, he'd come in good faith to give him a hand, and he had to admit his dad did seem sober for a change, did seem with it well enough, but one day of it didn't make up for years of alcohol abuse, of drunken yelling and clobbers around the head. His ears still rang from the memory of them.
"And I interrupted your down time," Derek gave another sigh at that and glanced at his father. "That wasn't what I was saying." And it wasn't. He hadn't meant it in that way at least. Maybe it had come out that way though. It wasn't intentional but it was hard sometimes, with their fractured relationship, for things not to come out wrong or sound like an accusation or the beginning of an argument. He wondered if it would always be that way of if one day, it would actually sound genuine.
"Just tidying up as best I can, Get dinner going, washing done, get things packed away... I only have one more thing to ask - when you get a moment, tally together the money you spent on food and the like so I can pay you back. I know money isn't everything, and it doesn't fix stuff, but I know I put all of you in a bad spot - horrible spot. It won't fix things, it won't make things better, but I want to repay you and your brothers for doing what I should've been doing." He was quiet for a moment, not wanting anything he said to come out sour or patronising. He glanced at his dad, a dad that was trying, and shook his head. "I can't do that." and he wouldn't anyway. "It's done now, I don't want the money back for it. Even if I could tally it up." it wasn't as simple as one or two shops, it would be way too complicated to go back over the last few months and work it all out. He didn't have the energy.
