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!.
Pasha walked into the room he'd been assigned for the new mental health class that the university and college had made compulsory for students and set his brief case under the desk. He wasn't used to having to teach, but that was fine. Even in a room full of challenged, not yet fully formed adults, he was confident that he'd have some control. It couldn't be that bad, right?
Even so, he'd been warned that there were a few cases he'd have to be aware of - or at least, the personalities that were brighter than the rest. Holding that in mind, he began writing on the board and setting up the lesson in preparation for the students he was going to be dealing with.
He moved through the desks, putting down a sheet of paper on each as minor ten minute questionnaire for them. It would help him to understand what they knew, and he wasn't about to patronize these young men and women. Hell, he'd even asked for a warning note to go home to parents about this class - these were teenagers, they were bound to be vulgar and unruly at times, so he would treat like with like and he didn't want parents coming in saying their kid felt insulted because he shouted at that student to shut up.
Sometimes you had to be cruel to be kind and to get through to those that didn't want that hand to help them out of their situation, and he knew that this class was not going to help everyone completely, but that was why this was a one day a week class, with the Friday being there for students to come to him on their own time away from friends, since group sharing could lead to bullying. Either way, he was as prepared as he could be, returning to his desk up front to wait for the class to fill up.
This was absolute bollocks, and Theia was pissed. Perhaps a bit of an understatement, Theia was livid. It wasn't the same kind of anger as Shiloh - who would lash out and make sure everyone else was as fucked off as her, but it was a silently seething kind of anger. Probably a little appropriate considering they were traipsing their way to mandated group therapy. Apparently it was part of the health and social aspect of 'life at uni' - it made Theia want to gag. Probably because of their wild ways, all the drugs, sex and rock n' roll made the professors think they needed to put on a show of giving a shit. Theia had thought being at uni meant freedom of choice - like choosing not to attend. Apparently it hadn't been an option.
It wasn't even that she didn't want to talk to someone, it was the fact that the person she was talking to was the guy holding these damn sessions - and she hadn't told anyone she was in therapy. Her friends were good, they were her family and she loved them like it, but this was for her. She hadn't told anyone she was struggling. Shiloh was good at knowing without a word being said, they roomied together after all, good at knowing when to leave Theia to it and when to act - how to pull her out of it. But she hadn't told them how far down the rabbit hole she was, how in trouble she was, how it felt like she was drowning. And she didn't want them to know.
Theoretically, Pasha should make no motion as to the fact that he knew her, but people gave things away all the time. She was going to flip her shit if he gave it away. Her face was blank, if a little pale as she fell into line with her friends - Shiloh at the forefront of them all, as she always was, sashaying down the hall with her jaw set in frustration. They filed into the room together and Theia pointedly ignored the therapist, choosing to glare at the arrangements of the room. They had scrapped the rows and instead formed a semi-circle with the chairs to face the therapist and his board. Nowhere to find. Bastards. Theia had no choice but to sit next to Shiloh as she chose the central seat. She slid into the one on her right hand side, looking somewhat wistfully at the end seat she would have preferred.
Shiloh perched in the middle seat of the semi-circle of chairs, noting Theia's reluctance at her choice and rolling her eyes. She couldn't very well sit at the end, how would that make her look? She was the queen of this school, it just wouldn't do to be perched at the end like a nobody. This was something the others didn't understand, such simple things like where one sat made a statement. She put her bag carefully on the floor and then sat back, crossing her legs at the knee and surveying the new company.
"I might like therapy after all," She turned to Theia and murmured, her lips pulling into a smirk as she eyed up the guy at the front, waiting for the seats to fill. She was not keen to be here, she had been vocally angry in the way that Theia had been ostentatiously silent about it. She'd had protested loudly and dramatically about it, trying to use her 'rights' as a way to get out, but no such luck. "If we have to sit here and listen to people talk about their feelings, at least we get something pretty to look at." She didn't bother to lower her voice, her eyes appraising the good looking guy in the way she usually did when fresh meat walked into the bar. Perhaps therapy wouldn't be so bad after all. Perhaps she could do with some private lessons...
Malachai was pissed. He didn't know why the university was suddenly deciding to enforce a mental health class. He didn't need to be told strategies on how to cope with things. That's what drugs and alcohol were for. They'd helped him cope for years and he wasn't interested in trying something new. He especially wasn't going to talk about his feelings or write down ten things he was grateful for. That was bullshit. If the uni hadn't threatened to discipline students who didn't show, he would have definitely skipped the damn class. Instead, he'd treated himself to a weed infused brownie. If he had to be an unwilling member of class, he'd be doing it stoned. If this professor tried prying into his past, he'd need to be chilled the fuck out enough to answer without biting the mans head off.
He strolled into the room and scanned the faces in the seats, landing on his friends smack bang in the middle. Typical. He slid into the other seat next to shiloh and dumped his bag on the floor. "This is horseshit." He grumbled, slouching down into his seat to get comfortable. "If we have to sit here and listen to people talk about their feelings, at least we get something pretty to look at." His eyes lifted to the man at the top of the room, checking him out. Maybe the class wouldn't be so bad after all. "hopefully his voice matches his face." If he was a droner, Mal would be out for the count in minutes.
Dani walked alongside her friends through the hallway towards their new mandatory class. She wasn't particularly looking forward to it considering the amount of baggage that came with her life but she wasn't exactly pissed off like the rest of the group. She knew she needed therapy to work through some of her issues but she couldn't afford it and didn't even know where to begin. She followed after Theia, taking the seat next to her, taking an immediate dislike to the way the tables were laid out. She felt exposed. Vulnerable. A feeling she loathed. She placed her bag down beside her feet and crossed her knees before glancing at the questionnaire on the desk in front of her. Great. She folded her arms across her chest as she watched the professor wait for everyone to pile in, nodding in agreement with Shiloh as she took in the mans good looks.
18 - sarcastic - tough - street kid/stablehand/student - single
Alisha had a face like thunder as she entered the classroom. This was meant to be her free period, and she was not impressed to be told that she was either to attend this session for the forseeable future or risk disciplinary action. She'd been tempted to accept the latter, but at her clear hesitation she had been reminded of her current disciplinaries and what yet another one would meant for her record. She'd not bothered to dress pretty, chucking on her favourite joggers and a comfy hoodie that she'd stolen from Tripp, she slouched into the room and threw herself into the seat next to Mal, slumping in the chair.
"Dei isn't coming," She announced to the rest of them, knowing they would likely be on the lookout for him to save him a seat. Shiloh turned her face to Alisha and raised a curious brow. Alisha shrugged. "Don't ask me, he just said he wasn't coming and the uni could fuck itself." He was going to be in big shit but that was his choice, she couldn't afford to get kicked out. She turned her gaze to guy hovering at the front, presumably the therapist, contemplatively. "I mean, I would." She agreed, tilting her head. "Dei is missing out - someone send him a picture."
Pasha was sat back in his chair going over his notes that he'd prepared for the class as the first bodies started filing in. He spared them a glance in passing, but never gave any of them more than two seconds of eye contact. Once he felt sure that the last person had come in for the moment, he looked at those present a little more closely, ignoring their murmuring. Whatever was being discussed wasn't all that important to him and frankly, his mind shut those initial words out anyway. They were new to the class and likely had something to say about it.
"There is a sheet of paper on each of your desks," he said calmly, his voice warm - a smile hidden amongst his words, "It's a very brief questionnaire - you have the entire lesson to fill it out as we talk; please do not put your names on the papers. If you want to take notes, that is fine - I encourage it really, as the end of each month there will be a quiz on what we've discussed."
He got up from his chair, moving around to the front of it and leaned against the desk, once again studying faces, arms folded, "My name is Pasha Shaye. I don't expect much from you all - just simple respect in my classes. Fall asleep, catch up on other classes, or pay attention."
He tilted his head and briefly checked his watch, "So, now that that is out of the way, can anyone tell me what me what they believe mental health to be? No need to raise hands, speak in turn - no formalities here."
He never lingered on any faces for all that long; he recognized Theia but he basically ignored her to focus on the rabble that was around her. They all looked about as entertained and enthused as lions in a circus. He'd expected some sourness to his class, it was all part and parcel of the job.
Theia frowned as the comments came, she was in a shitty mod as it was, and the girls around her were only making it worse. Her fingers curled into fists then uncurled, feeling a battle between anxiety and frustration. "Do you have to look at everything like it's a piece of meat for you to shag?" She muttered, not caring that the people to her other side also heard; she shot them a look that had them turning quickly away again. She felt Shiloh's eyes narrow on her, but her lips simply pressed together. Alisha didn't even look her way as she sighed. "Yep." Her lips popped on 'p', then curled upward. "It's our penance for being beautiful and having our pick of anyone we want." Theia mimed being sick at that.
"There is a sheet of paper on each of your desks," Theia turned her attention back to the front, her brow furrowing again as she looked briefly to the piece of paper on the desk. "It's a very brief questionnaire - you have the entire lesson to fill it out as we talk; please do not put your names on the papers. If you want to take notes, that is fine - I encourage it really, as the end of each month there will be a quiz on what we've discussed." She pulled a face as she glanced down along the questions. She would be answering these, no way in hell. She did her therapy, in private, without everyone knowing, and like hell was she going to scribble down in front of everyone what she was thinking.
"My name is Pasha Shaye. I don't expect much from you all - just simple respect in my classes. Fall asleep, catch up on other classes, or pay attention. So, now that that is out of the way, can anyone tell me what me what they believe mental health to be? No need to raise hands, speak in turn - no formalities here." Theia didn't intend to speak, but her irritations won out as she glared up at the front. "A choice. None of us chose to be here, and I don't think we should be subjected to answering ridiculous bullshit questions about how we're feeling."
Shiloh glanced over as Mal slid into the seat on her other side. It was where Dei would have normally sat, but she'd found more and more that Mal was there at her side instead these days. She wasn't sure what to think about that, didn't have the capacity to question if it meant anything considering they were supposed be mates - but still, it was a noticeable change in her mind. "This is horseshit." She snorted; understatement. "Not up for holding hands and singing kumbaya?" She teased, "hopefully his voice matches his face." She gave a nod of agreement with that, tilting her head as she looked the guy over again. As Alisha joined them and then Dani, she raised a brow to hear Dei wasn't coming. "He's going to be in so much shit, not coming wasn't an option - I tried it." She rolled her eyes, bringing her phone out to shoot him a quick text along the times of 'get your fat ass here now'. She doubted he'd reply.
As the professor began to talk, she tilted her head again, taking in what he said and everything that wasn't said. The uni clearly thought that their students needed some kind of help, and considering all the shit they got up to, she couldn't exactly deny it. A silly little questionnaire wasn't going to fix anything though. Something was sure as shit up Theia's ass, and Shiloh rolled her eyes to her words, letting a quiet sigh pass her lips. Alright so this sucked and none of them actually wanted to talk about their feelings but they were here, it was mandatory, but whilst they were here they might as well find some entertainment out of it.
"My name is Pasha Shaye. I don't expect much from you all - just simple respect in my classes. Fall asleep, catch up on other classes, or pay attention. So, now that that is out of the way, can anyone tell me what me what they believe mental health to be? No need to raise hands, speak in turn - no formalities here." Pasha. Shiloh smirked slightly, well.. Pasha was going to really enjoy his time with the class. The lucky sod. Her eyebrow quirked at her friends words - Theia really was pissed, it took a lot to get her there too. "Well, Pasha," She practically purred his name, flipping her hair over her shoulder and leaning forward. "It's living your life as you want to, which I'm pretty sure most of us do in this room plenty." Shiloh surveyed the professor curiously. "Or is that the exact reason we're all here by force? Because we all have too much fun."
Danielle caught sight of Alisha’s as she entered the room, smirking slightly at the pissed off look on her face. Seemed to be the running theme for them all this morning. Although she wasn’t completely annoyed at being there, she was more annoyed that the uni had blackmailed them into going. She thought university was supposed to be different to school, more freedom and less authority figures. "Dei isn't coming. Don't ask me, he just said he wasn't coming and the uni could fuck itself." She frowned, letting a tut escape through her lips. ”Asshole” She grumbled.
"Do you have to look at everything like it's a piece of meat for you to shag?" Her attention turned to Theia and she rolled her eyes. ”I like to appreciate an attractive man when I see one.” She retorted, glancing back to Alisha when she chipped in until the guy at the front began speaking. Dani turned in her seat so she was facing the front, giving him the benefit of the doubt for the moment before she decided to switch off or not. Her eyes drifted back to the questionnaire, skimming over the questions, making a face at a few of them. Very personal. "A choice. None of us chose to be here, and I don't think we should be subjected to answering ridiculous bullshit questions about how we're feeling." She raised a brow as she glanced in Theia’s direction at her outburst. The red head had been pissed since the second she’d sat down. ”what’s up with you?” She muttered before looking back to Pasha. ”Mental health is a state of well-being. . it affects how we think, feel and behave.”
18 - sarcastic - tough - street kid/stablehand/student - single
Malachai watched Alisha move through the room, sliding into the seat next to him. ”Long time no see. . where’s your new cling on? Little orphan annie.” He asked with a smirk. He hadn’t seen her much since she’d started dating the Callahan kid, ditching the good times they’d shared with Dei. He’d never admit it but he had missed her company. "Not up for holding hands and singing kumbaya?" He turned his head to face Shiloh, rolling his eyes ”I’d rather walk over hot stones” He huffed. He frowned when Alisha said Deimos was taking the risk and skipping the session. If he could have, he would have.
He leant forward in his chair, resting his arms on the desk, not bothering to look at the quiz the man up front was now telling them about. Although he did appreciate the mention of being able to take a nap without consequences. Hearing Theia’s outburst, he lifted a brow and glanced at Shiloh. ”Who pissed in her cereal this morning?” He muttered. Mal stifled a yawn and looked back to the professor as he spoke again, surprising himself when he followed up on Dani and Shiloh’s answer. ”it’s our emotional, psychological and social well-being. . and my mental health is declining right now, by being here.”
”Long time no see. . where’s your new cling on? Little orphan annie.” Alisha rolled her eyes and gave Mal a sweet smile "Just because his dick is bigger than yours," She knew he'd never believe it, but she'd happily give him a little jibe back. He knew full well what Tripp's name was. She had to admit that sometimes she missed fooling around with him and Dei, it had been a while, and they'd always had a good time. But, for once she was feeling pretty settled in her relationship, her feet weren't itching, her head wasn't turning, and given hers and Tripp's interesting conversation the other day she didn't think she'd be saying 'never again' to fun with more than one. ”Asshole” She smirked at Dani and shrugged, "that's him all over, isn't it?" She had never known Dei to be anything but. "But if he's testing this out at least the rest of us will know the actual consequences." She added with a shrug; if they weren't bad she might duck out of session the next time.
Alisha sighed as she breezed over the questions presented to them on the sheet, giving little away apart from the twitch of an eyebrow. Similar to the kind of shit her court mandated therapist had asked her. It had not been a choice for her then either, and this just reminded her of all that crap. People seemed to think that if you lost enough people and lived your life outside the norm, something mus be wrong with you. She heard the others talk, but her gaze stuck to Pasha, wondering how he would handle the handful of big characters in the room. "What I find amusing is that it's always other people telling us we need therapy, and it's never something we get to figure out on our own. Who is it that gets to decide we're fucked up inside? Why don't you just go ahead and tell us the answers you want us to put down so the boxes can be ticked for HR?"
Pasha listened to the protests, having well and truly expected it. He didn't expect it to be a smooth start and he had to thank the fact that he was more patient than most people at any given point. His eyes first turned to Theia, she was the first to throw in her verdict.
"So Miss, you want to say that health of the mind is a choice? So you'd rather elect to suffer or be impacted over finding better alternatives to cope with something?" he tilted his head, "And who said I was going to ask how you were all feeling? I don't believe that I put that on the papers and I never said that this was what it was about."
His eyes turned to the next speaker, mentally shivering at her tone, "So you'd be content knowing someone who has - let's say depression - go about their lives and making choices of their own? You are here only because the campus heads would like this class to be apart of their guidelines and asked me - a professional - to fill in that position. No one is taking away fun here Miss. I'm not here to tell you that you can't do something you deem fun. That defeats my purpose."
As another piped up, he nodded, "Quite right Miss. A state of well-being, affecting how a person thinks, feels and behaves." His smile broadening a touch as the only present male student added onto, "Very much so sir." He left the comment alone.
He looked at the last speaker and raised a brow, "Who here said that what you find amusing means you need therapy? If you are so inclined and enlightened my dear to want to understand yourself, you are all the more welcome to put headphones in your ears and ignore this class. No one here is saying you are fucked up - that's your own label on something you don't like."
His smile took a slightly unpleasant twist.
"Since most here in the room are more inclined to assume, let us play a game. It's quite simple. There is only one main rule - everyone is fair game. It's called Assumptions. You'll catch on quickly enough," he shrugged and focused in, "Starting with Miss 'We Don't Get to Understand Things On Our Own'. I assume that you are a Know it All. For you, mister 'My Mental Health is Declining by Being Here', I'm going to assume that you are a Cocky Bastard. You, Miss 'We're All Here By Force', I'm assuming that you are a Bitchy Queen Bee that wants everything her own way. And Finally Miss 'Bullshit Questions' - I'm going to assume that you are Pissed at the World and Like Following in other people's shadows." His eyes went back to the one student who hadn't being overly sarcastic, "And you Miss 'Appreciating Attractive Men', I'm going to assume that you are generally a nice individual, if a little too bold."
He looked about, "Go on now, make your return assumptions about me."
”what’s up with you?” Theia's frown was practically tattooed on her face as she spared Danielle a small glance. "I don't want to be here," And she hated having to do something she didn't want to. She might let her friends reluctantly pull her out of her depressive bed to go clubbing or whatever, but that was different - they were her friends, trying to get her out and about. They were not forcing her to confront things she wasn't ready to in front of her fellow classmates. "So Miss, you want to say that health of the mind is a choice? So you'd rather elect to suffer or be impacted over finding better alternatives to cope with something? And who said I was going to ask how you were all feeling? I don't believe that I put that on the papers and I never said that this was what it was about." She rolled her eyes at his answer - oh she was so going to give him hell to pay in their next private session for this; whether he'd been asked or not she didn't care.
"It's still my choice, ours choice if we decide whether or not we want to seek out help. It is a choice - whether you do something about it or not, whether you choose to wallow or accept it or whatever. I don't appreciate having my choice taken away from me, and not even just that.. but to be threatened to attend this session. Please explain how that puts anyone in a good mindset to discuss their mental wellbeing?" She thought it was valid - and they were proving her point. Almost none of her friends were interested in taking this seriously, because they had been forced to. Threatened - blackmailed. How was that right? It was fucked up, and it wasn't going to encourage them to open up about private matters.
"Since most here in the room are more inclined to assume, let us play a game. It's quite simple. There is only one main rule - everyone is fair game. It's called Assumptions. You'll catch on quickly enough, Starting with Miss 'We Don't Get to Understand Things On Our Own'. I assume that you are a Know it All. For you, mister 'My Mental Health is Declining by Being Here', I'm going to assume that you are a Cocky Bastard. You, Miss 'We're All Here By Force', I'm assuming that you are a Bitchy Queen Bee that wants everything her own way. And Finally Miss 'Bullshit Questions' - I'm going to assume that you are Pissed at the World and Like Following in other people's shadows. And you Miss 'Appreciating Attractive Men', I'm going to assume that you are generally a nice individual, if a little too bold. Go on now, make your return assumptions about me." Theia shrugged, unaffected by the name calling, as she often was when people tried to insult her. "Why should I? You've hit the nail on head with our motley crew, perfect assumptions Mr Therapist, and I don't care to know a damn cent about you."
”I’d rather walk over hot stones” Shiloh rolled her eyes, "could be arranged," She murmured back, crossing one leg over another. Not that she blamed Mal for not being interested in joining in; she'd likely prefer to walk over hot coals herself. She looked down at the paper on her desk and snorted, pushing it away decisively. ”Who pissed in her cereal this morning?” Shi gave a small chuckle and then a languid shrug. "She was fuming when she found out this was mandatory. Never seen her so angry," And it was true, Shi had almost cracked a joke back to Mal but for once Theia's surprising temper had warrented a serious response. She rarely saw Theia angry - grumpy sure, but that was different to angry.
"So you'd be content knowing someone who has - let's say depression - go about their lives and making choices of their own? You are here only because the campus heads would like this class to be apart of their guidelines and asked me - a professional - to fill in that position. No one is taking away fun here Miss. I'm not here to tell you that you can't do something you deem fun. That defeats my purpose." Shiloh shrugged, tilting her head and licking her lips, ready for the good fight. "Yeah, I would. It's their life, they can go around fucking it up however they want." She smiled sweetly. "You're taking away my fun by taking away my afternoon. I have things I'd rather be doing."
"Since most here in the room are more inclined to assume, let us play a game. It's quite simple. There is only one main rule - everyone is fair game. It's called Assumptions. You'll catch on quickly enough, Starting with Miss 'We Don't Get to Understand Things On Our Own'. I assume that you are a Know it All. For you, mister 'My Mental Health is Declining by Being Here', I'm going to assume that you are a Cocky Bastard. You, Miss 'We're All Here By Force', I'm assuming that you are a Bitchy Queen Bee that wants everything her own way. And Finally Miss 'Bullshit Questions' - I'm going to assume that you are Pissed at the World and Like Following in other people's shadows. And you Miss 'Appreciating Attractive Men', I'm going to assume that you are generally a nice individual, if a little too bold. Go on now, make your return assumptions about me." Shiloh laughed, catching Theia's fury but letting it wash over her - she found his words amusing, rather than anger inducing. After her friend had said her little piece, Shiloh straightened, ready for centre stage. "Thank you, I can't wait to get that made into a badge. I'm glad you noticed the status without the need for my crown." She was damn right the queen bee, and she wouldn't have it any other way. "I'm going to assume you make most of you salary on women who come crying to you about their cheating husbands. And, FYI, if you slipped them a little something extra they'd probably get over it a hell of a lot quicker."
