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 was time to seek comfort in an old friend. the rest of the house was dark as heidi sat in the kitchen, digging a spoon into a half eaten container of triple chunk chocolate icecream. everyone had long gone to bed but after a few hours awake, unable to think of anything but her run in with jason a few days ago she had given up on trying to sleep. it didn't help that his child was also currently doing everything it could to keep her awake. so she'd done the only thing she could. she scraped the spoon absently around the edge of the container as she thought about how long they'd been staying here. she would be forever grateful to quinn and arrow. they'd taken her in when she'd needed some space from jace. when she'd turned up on their doorstep in tears and furious at the man she loved because he'd held something so big back from her. there had been no question about it.
demeter kept asking her when they were going home though and it was breaking her heart that she had to keep telling her that she didn't know. she wouldn't lie to her and say soon because she didn't know but she knew it was hard on her daughter, being away from her favourite person so much. she took another bite of the ice cream as she sat there, just thinking about where the heck they were going to go from here. the problem was she and jace were as stubborn as each other and while he had more of a temper she wasn't one to bend either. she wasn't in the wrong here, he was. she didn't need his forgiveness because she hadn't done anything wrong. but that didn't stop her from sitting there and wanting to much to just drive over to their apartment and beg him for it.
TWENTY SEVEN | OWNS THE GARAGE | JASON EDWARD THORNTON DEMETER THORNTON | 7 JACOB THORNTON | 0
Quinn heard the top stair creak and she shifted in bed, unable to get comfortable. She had never been a great sleeper before but since having Hallie, she slept even less. She wasn't sure if it was a motherly thing, always on the listen out for a whimper or cry of a child, or the hint of worry or danger. It was bloody annoying is what it was. Especially whilst Arrow slept sounded beside her, the soft snore of his breath in her ear. She sighed quietly and rolled onto her side for a moment, her eyes glazing over him in the gloom, and despite herself she smiled gently. He always looked so peaceful - and so innocent - when he slept. She reached out the touch his cheek in the softest caress, not wanting to wake him, as she slipped out of bed and donned her dressing gown, creeping downstairs.
"Couldn't sleep?" She asked quietly as she spied Heidi in the kitchen, delving into ice cream like a lost treasure. She didn't blame her, she hated arguing with people, especially Arrow, but she went the other way and tended to lose all her appetite when it happened. "You know, I keep the really good stuff hidden away," She smiled, reaching into the fridge and rummaging around for a few minutes before she was able to get to the best bits, revealing some Ben and Jerries, still unopened, triumphantly. "Here we go - I have Cookie dough, and Pish food?" She offered, going into the cutlery drawer to grab herself a spoon and sitting next to her, putting the tubs on the counter. "Can't have you eating alone."
she almost jumped out of her skin when quinn walked down the stairs into the kitchen. she'd been so lost in her thoughts she hadn't heard the footsteps and she smiled slightly when she collected herself. "how can you tell." she joked as she dug her spoon back into the ice cream and pulled out another scoop. "i'll replace this." she said as she looked at exactly how much she'd eaten from the container but it still didn't feel like it was enough. she looked up when quinn talked about the good stuff and she couldn't help but smile a little more. she always had something hidden from dem and jason at the apartment but sometimes dem could outsmart her and find the goodies. she almost cried when quinn pulled her two favourite things out of the freezer. ben and jerry. "oh you meant the really good stuff." she set aside the half eaten container she was already holding and grabbed the pish food ice cream and opened it. she did make a big mental note that she'd need to organize something for quinn for letting her stay here. arrow too but quinn mostly because while arrow had been happy to have her here, she could tell he was firmly in jason's corner. but she couldn't fault him that.
"baby wants both?" she said almost sheepishly as she looked across at quinn with a smile. she wasn't controlled by her cravings but tonight she was more than happy to eat whatever she felt like. she ran her spoon over the top of the ice cream and she smiled as quinn said she couldn't have her eating alone. "now i know where zeke gets it from." she said as she ate the ice cream off the spoon. "i don't think i've met a boy that would willingly offer to share his room with a girl at that age. let alone sleep on the floor for her." she said with a smile as she glanced towards the roof where the kids would be deep in sleep and dreaming of things far away from reality.
TWENTY SEVEN | OWNS THE GARAGE | JASON EDWARD THORNTON DEMETER THORNTON | 7 JACOB THORNTON | 0
"Sorry," She apologised with a sheepish smile as she saw Heidi jump, she hadn't meant to scare her but clearly the woman had been in her own thoughts; wallowing. "how can you tell." Quinn gave her a sympathetic smile, "Honestly, if this hadn't happened to me before there wouldn't have been ice cream in the freezer." She teased. So the circumstances hadn't been the same, they couldn't be, but the rest of it was similar - arguing with your other half, not just small one's but colossal arguments where people were hurt and needed space. Quinn remembered how she had felt when she'd woken up married to Arrow - and he hadn't wanted it. "i'll replace this." Quinn frowned and shook her head, waving it off, "don't be silly, that's just the cheap stuff for the kids." Which sounded harsh but when they ate it so frequently as they did, it was better to save the pennies. Besides, kids didn't appreciate the expense - only what flavour it was.
She wiggled the new ice creams at her and smiled. "oh you meant the really good stuff." With a nod, she slid the other flavour over to herself and dug in. She could quite happily dig into this at any time of the day or night. "baby wants both?" Quinn smiled as she spooned ice cream into her waiting mouth, "have at it," She said after a moment, making an appreciative noise at the cookie dough sweetness. "now i know where zeke gets it from." Quinn raised an eyebrow with a curious noise, wondering what she meant. "i don't think i've met a boy that would willingly offer to share his room with a girl at that age. let alone sleep on the floor for her." Quinn's expression softened, as it always did when she thought of the kids. Zeke may not have been hers by blood but she never thought of him as anything less - he was her son. "He's a wonderful boy, such a sweetheart," Her smile widened, "Would you believe, he takes after Arrow for that." Her hard edged husband, who had a heart of gold and was sweet beneath the surface.
she had to admit she had ice cream stashed at home for when she was in these situations there. there was always a pint of choc mint in the back of the freezer for this very reason. it was kept secret from jason because there was an empty old vegetable bag wrapped around it to keep it hidden so it was always there if she needed it. with jason and dem in the house she needed to get creative when it came to keeping the foods she wanted to herself hidden. "great minds think alike." she said with a smile as she set the lid back on the kids ice cream so they would have the leftovers for tomorrow if they wanted them.
the second she tasted the ben and jerry's she could have moaned in pleasure but she stopped herself and just took a second bite, savouring it as it hit the spot she needed hitting. this she would replace for quinn before they went back home. she didn't want to think about where she'd need to go if her and jase couldn't work this issue out. she knew they loved each other but there were some things love couldn't overcome. but that was a bridge she would cross if she had to, it wasn't one she was going to plan for just in case. she didn't even want to put that out into the universe.
"he really is." she hoped it wouldn't change as the boy grew up. the world needed more sweethearts in it. the men like jason and arrow were just as good, but they weren't exactly what one could call a sweetheart, a soft touch or gentle. "i wouldn't have believed it if i didn't know him." she said with a smile as she took another spoon of the cream into her mouth, feeling the baby shift slightly and wondering if it liked it as much as she did. "has he talked to jason?" she asked as casually as she could, trying to work out if quinn had any inside knowledge on her partner.
TWENTY SEVEN | OWNS THE GARAGE | JASON EDWARD THORNTON DEMETER THORNTON | 7 JACOB THORNTON | 0
"great minds think alike." Quinn chuckled and gave a nod, digging into some more of her guilty pleasure Ben and Jerry's whilst she gave her friend time to let it out. Sometimes you just needed to wait and let someone mull something over and then talk out loud to a friend. She laughed at the moan her friend gave but she appreciated it - you had to enjoy the proper stuff or you shouldn't be eating it. She kept digging away at the ice cream, watching the pot begin to empty reluctantly and knowing that if she kept going too much longer the whole thing would be empty - and she'd likely be the sad sap with indigestion from it.
"he really is." She smiled and nodded in agreement, glad that others could see it in him. Zeke was such a sweetheart, despite the things that he had been through - which was quite a lot for such a young lad. The issues with his mother, and Daz's impact in his earlier years. But he had a wonderful father, Arrow was fantastic with him, and his had good family around him too. "i wouldn't have believed it if i didn't know him." Quinn chuckled and gave her ice cream a rest for a moment. It was hard to see even with those who hung around him, he didn't often show it, but she'd seen it plenty; he was a good man. "has he talked to jason?" A slight smile, Quinn glanced at her from the corner of her eye. "He had a man to man chat with him, yeah.." The same way they had had a girlie chat. "He's wallowing." She said, hoping it would make her feel better.
she didn't know how their kids could be as well adjusted as they seemed to be. the world around them wasn't what she'd call a good one and the situations they'd been through were enough to break hearts but still they pressed on, the smiles on their little faces enough to make heidi want to fight the world to keep it on dem's face. she knew she'd been the cause of the stress and worry dem had been feeling over the last few days and the thought made her sick to her stomach but it had been what had needed to happen, at least she thought so. it had been better to bring her here, to somewhere she knew was happy, where she was loved and she wouldn't have to listen to hours of her parents screaming at each other, fighting because they were both too stubborn to give in, the words turning toxic because it was easier than forgiving each other in the heat of the moment. she wouldn't apologize of trying to shelter her from that, but she couldn't exactly explain it to her either.
she kept her gaze on the ice cream in her hand as quinn answered her, the slight shake in her hand hidden by the fact she dug the spoon she was holding down into the ice cream container once more, though she was slowly losing the will to eat her weight in the icy cold food. "why do i picture grunting and wooden clubs." she said as she tried to joke about it but there was a hint of sadness to her voice. and then quinn said he was wallowing. that should have filled her with joy, that he was missing her, happy that he was suffering without her the same way she was suffering without him there. but it didn't. it just made her feel more guilty because she was the reason. "i should be happy about that but.." she said with a small sigh as she set the ice cream down on the counter.
TWENTY SEVEN | OWNS THE GARAGE | JASON EDWARD THORNTON DEMETER THORNTON | 7 JACOB THORNTON | 0
She was quiet for a moment as she let her friend muse over what she'd said, giving her quiet and peace as she returned to the ice cream, savouring the sweetness. She would suffer for it tomorrow that was sure - she knew she would when her stomach ached. She couldn't quite enjoy sweet things to way she used to these days - age was a factor, even if she wasn't that old, but some of her taste had changed since having Hallie. It was odd how much your body changed as a woman going through pregnancy - men definitely got off lightly, that was for sure. She understood how it felt, to be at odds with your other half. God knew her and Arrow had had some cracking arguments over the years, some grounded on better reasons than others. But they always found a way back to each other, a way to get things on track again and she had no doubt the same would be for Heidi and Jason - they just needed some time.
"why do i picture grunting and wooden clubs." She chuckled at that, trying to encourage the joke. "Because that's normally very accurate?" She offered, having seen the boys talk first hand and how much there did seem to be grunting involved and lot's of nods and shrugs - non verbal communication kind of stuff. "i should be happy about that but.." Quinn leant back against the chair and smiled softly. "But you're not." She said gently. "I get it, you love him, you don't want him to be hurt either." She mused other another spoonful of ice cream. "He's being stubborn, but I know he misses you too. And he'll want to fix this - he loves you."
she really did get caveman vibes when she pictured men having heart to hearts. just like men probably pictured pillow fights and the likes while women had their girls nights. it was funny the assumptions they all made about the opposite sex, even when sometimes they knew better. "although i think jase and arrow deserve more credit than caveman .. maybe stone age?" she said with a slight smile as she stuck her spoon into the ice cream and she pushed it away lightly, having eaten her full of the stuff, even though it seemed impossible. ice cream was one of things that most people could eat regardless. she sighed a little as she rested her elbows on the bench and she leaned her chin onto her hands, mulling over what quinn had just said. she did still love him and she missed him like nothing she'd ever missed before. "yeah but i don't understand why. i can think of a million ways i'd love to see him suffer but .. like you said, i don't want him hurting."
he was being stubborn but in his defense, so was she. she could have made the first move, she should have made the first move but she was holding out. the longer she stayed with quinn and arrow the less sense it made to stay there but there was something in her that refused to let her be the first to cave, at least not just yet. "i know he does but he didn't trust me enough with this." she said as she chewed her lip gently. "or that's what it feels like. what did he think, i'd leave him because he has a past? or a child from before we met?" she shifted slightly and couldn't hide the grimace as she felt the baby kick. "i swear this kid knows when i'm made at their dad and it's never my side they take." she said as she shifted a hand to rub the spot lightly.
TWENTY SEVEN | OWNS THE GARAGE | JASON EDWARD THORNTON DEMETER THORNTON | 7 JACOB THORNTON | 0
"although i think jase and arrow deserve more credit than caveman .. maybe stone age?" Quinn considered it for a moment, picturing the men in her head having a conversation with two clubs in their hands and a cave about their heads - responding in monosyllabic grunts instead of works. "Yeah I guess they can have a little more credit...perhaps full sentences instead of just one word answers?" she joked and let out a quiet laugh. She took another mournful of ice cream and sucked on it slowly as she let Heidi open up, she was getting full herself anyway and would need to slow down to avoid horrible indigestion. She knew well enough by now that a lot of people just needed someone to talk at, to listen to them, to be there to sound things out or bounce words off of. "yeah but i don't understand why. i can think of a million ways i'd love to see him suffer but .. like you said, i don't want him hurting." Quinn pursed her lips for a moment in thought before treading carefully on her answer. She knew all the lads in their group carried past trauma and it was tough to navigate at the best of times. "Well you said this all links to his past...how much of it has he shared with you? Perhaps it comes from shame a little bit or it's just one of those boxes in someone's mind they don't like to open up?" she didn't want to put her foot in anything or go into how things had been for her and Arrow in their difficult days but hopefully it might help bring some understanding or clarify to things.
"i know he does but he didn't trust me enough with this. or that's what it feels like. what did he think, i'd leave him because he has a past? or a child from before we met?" Quinn gave a sad smile and a small half shrug as she put down her spoon, giving up on the ice cream as her stomach began to protest. "Maybe it's himself he doesn't trust? Or he's worried it'll all fall apart. Our boys aren't used to stability after all. We have to keep proving it to them again and again. But I get what you mean." She agreed, not wanting Heidi to think she was disagreeing with her very valid feelings. "i swear this kid knows when i'm made at their dad and it's never my side they take." Quinn chuckled a little and smiled again. Sometimes she really missed being pregnant, it had been such a miracle for her. "Kids always know when you're fighting, be glad this one can't give verbal opinions just yet."
