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!.
Theia had had some odd requests from friends over the years. It was a given considering the type of friends she had - Shiloh, Mal, Deimos, Dani, Alisha.. all of them got up to weird shit at times, and with Shiloh as the Queen Bee of the university she often rocked the odd requests; almost like demands at times, in all honesty. But - most of the time - Theia was glad to do them, on the occasion they were questionable, her heels would dig in until the time of a valid reason. This was different though; this was Joe, and she was coming to learn that there wasn't much she would deny Joe. If anything, she'd found it to be herself that had encouraged him, or pushed the boundaries. She had always been a firecracker growing up, she'd been the death of her parents and her difficulty to sit still or pay attention, or listen to authority over the years had had negative impacts on their relationship, the way her parents had reacted to her behaviour had really finished off any chance of a positive one.
With all the shit that had happened since she'd come to this town, her personality had shifted somewhat. She was known as the grumpy one, the mopey one, the depressive one - pessimistic, likely to sleep in and miss most of the day, to throw a book at someone for trying to drag her out of her slump. Days of it could sometimes become weeks when it was bad, but eventually she would resurface and come back out to play. Sometimes, she would remember how she used to be - always on the go, always up to something, always the first to say yes. She didn't think she'd ever be like that again but... Deimos caught her smiling the other day and teased her mercilessly for the rest of the day. Maybe, just maybe.... Joe was a little bit good for her somehow. She was wary of men, any men outside their circle of crazy, because she had been burned so many times, but even with her walls up, Joe seemed to be there chiseling away at them - without even knowing. Or so she thought.
Now, she was walking down the path toward Joe's family home. She hadn't been here before and she wasn't nervous but she was..cautious. She didn't need anyone passing judgement or assumptions on this. It was at the back of her mind, very slightly, that she would likely be hanging out in Joe's room. He had spent plenty of time in hers, but that was in her control, in her safe space. Men had fooled her before... but this was Joe. He wasn't that like. She shook it off, mentally rolling her eyes at herself- Jesus she was being morbid. She knocked on the door loudly, knowing if she didn't Joe would bitch about his hearing again. In her hand she clutched the only sign that showed she cared - a couple of folded up print outs of constellations. She was shit at DIY, she tended to be clumsy, tended to break instead of fix, but she had said she would help, and she'd even thought that maybe she could make it prettier but putting on his ceiling an actual copy of the night sky out his window. She sighed and pulled her phone out of her pocket, bringing up Joe's number in her WhatsApp she started a voice recording, "Joe, get your deaf ass down here and let me in, I don't like the sun, it burns." releasing her finger to ping the message over to him.
Joe was glad for the quiet that befell the house with all his siblings gone. It made doing little things, like changing up his room, a hell of a lot easier than if they were present. The odds of his siblings trying to help or knocking on the door when he was in the middle of something was already high as it stood. At least, that was how it felt. He'd put in his hearing aids almost reluctantly once the house was clear of people, taking time to adjust to the noises of the house and just how loud it actually was, and ventured to put on some music to try help fill the void. It was only just on, just enough that if he stopped he could hear it.
The knock on the door made him jump slightly even though he knew that the only person he was expecting was Theia, and started to head to his door when his phone dinged. It was another new piece that entered his life; he had refused to use his phone at all before meeting Theia, and now it was more attached to him. He found it helpful at night when he couldn't sleep, to be able to text her and just share banter that stayed silent between them. He found it worked for him, not that he admitted it to anyone else. He picked it up and played back the message.
"Joe, get your deaf ass down here and let me in, I don't like the sun, it burns."
He snorted, smiling, as he pocketed the device and began to make his way down the stairs. Going down the stairs was getting a little bit easier, provided he held onto the railing and concentrated on his movement. It was getting up them that was still a challenge. But he didn't dwell on that, he had a way around it and he made it work, demoralizing as it might've been to do. Moving to the front door, he opened it with a slight smirk.
"Surprised you haven't turned to ash on the front step yet," he said, stepping aside to let her into the house.
She heard the noise of someone headed for the door, the day was so quiet it wasn't difficult to pick up the thudding of footsteps - uneven one's at that, which meant it had to be Joe. She didn't know if any of his family would be in or not, and she half hoped they weren't so she didn't have to play the awkward friend and see the disapproving glances. She was not the kind of friend most family wanted for their impression young siblings or children. Not that she minded whether they liked her or not, it had no impact on her friendships. She looked back to the door as it opened, raising a brow at the smirk already on Joe's face.
"Surprised you haven't turned to ash on the front step yet," Theia tucked her red hair behind her ears and following him inside, into the relief of the cool. "It was getting close, I was just starting to smoke. I don't think you'll be signing up to the Paralympics for speed any time soon," She smirked and patted Joe's arm in a consolatory manner before she moved further into the hallway, looking around curiously as she slipped off her shoes and kicked them into a pile out the way. "Nice place," She said as she peered down toward what she could see was a kitchen, and a lounge behind them. She glanced to the stairs, figuring that his bedroom was likely on the second floor, despite his issue with getting there. "You should probably know, I'm shit at DIY, but I'm being nice and helping anyway." She warned; she was more likely to make a mess, and she could just be moral support or supervisor, but she often found she got bored of watching and wanted to try and do it herself. That was usually when it went wrong.
"It was getting close, I was just starting to smoke. I don't think you'll be signing up to the Paralympics for speed any time soon," She smirked.
"Nice place," She said, "You should probably know, I'm shit at DIY, but I'm being nice and helping anyway."
Joe shook his head as he stepped aside and let her in, "Aw, and here I was thinking I was fast like Usain Bolt."
He smiled briefly before looking around, "My oldest brother got this place set up. We all live here, kids and all. Crowded sometimes, noisy almost always. I'm just the resident free loader."
At her warning, he shrugged, "Not looking for the queen of DIY, I just need some help where I can't get to. Namely changing a lightbulb. Old one's gotten dim, so time for a new one. Then onto the rest I guess. Rooms are up stairs."
He walked past her with a little more limp than usual towards the stairs. He rested his hand on the railing for a moment, taking a deep breath before beginning up the stairs. He was getting better at going up the stairs without tripping, it was going back down that was scariest, but all the same, he didn't enjoy the task at hand. Muttering under his breath, he began upwards, counting each step in a jarring tune until he reached the top floor. He paused and looked around before shaking his head and made his way over to his room, pushing the door open.
Inside was barren, devoid of almost anything that could've said the room belonged to someone, save the lone dog collar and decently sized framed photo sat behind it. He'd sat it up when he'd woken that morning, forgetting that Theia was coming around for a time, forgetting that he would have to come back up before night fall. His bed was neatly made, the blinds up, window open, not a single thing out of place.
"Aw, and here I was thinking I was fast like Usain Bolt." She grinned at that and shook her head, "Even with two full functioning legs I don't think you'd even get close." If he did then he had definitely gone into the wrong profession and should have been out running the tracks making the money. "My oldest brother got this place set up. We all live here, kids and all. Crowded sometimes, noisy almost always. I'm just the resident free loader." Theia gave a slight snort at that, "Sounds just like the dorms," She heard plenty of crying and throwing up in the hallways outside her's and Shi's room, it was often crowded unless you knew the time of day to venture out - which she did - and it was regularly noisy, though with Shi having as much influence as she did she frequently called the shots on people turning their shit down. It was nice of his brother to set them up though, he seemed to have a decent enough family.
"Not looking for the queen of DIY, I just need some help where I can't get to. Namely changing a lightbulb. Old one's gotten dim, so time for a new one. Then onto the rest I guess. Rooms are up stairs." She pursed her lips and nodded, "That I'm pretty sure I can do, though I hate to remind you I'm not actually taller than you," She made a point of looking up at him; she might need a lift to reach the bulb. Glancing at the stairs as he walked past her, she caught the extra emphasis on his limp. "Are you trying to gain extra sympathy so I'll piggy back you up or have you hurt yourself?" She asked, the question borne of some concern for him, considering how little care he sometimes took of himself. "I'm just going to invade your kitchen for a drink," She added, seeing the way he hesitated at the bottom of the stairs and figuring he didn't need her breathing down his neck behind her, watching his steps.
It only took her a minute to find the kitchen, and then the fridge, happy to delve in of her own accord and rooting out two cans of cold coke. Full sugar too, none of that diet crap. She took a second to have a nose, but didn't find much of interest, and by the time she headed back to the stairs, Joe was pretty much at the top. She zipped up after him, reappearing at his side as he lead the way to his room. Theia blinked but made no other show of emotion as she looked at the bareness of the walls, and then she couldn't help herself. "Do you live here or do you just rent the room?" She snorted. Whilst she wasn't much for personal effects and sentimentality she did have stuff, and she did post up pictures. This room didn't feel lived in, or even really slept in, it felt cold and empty. She frowned - they were going to have to change that. Everybody needed a space to be their own.
"What's this?" She asked, breezing straight past him as if she were invited and over to the only interesting thing in the room, going to pick up the dog collar first to check the tag - she was gentle with it, careful as she set it back down and then picked up the photo instead, staring intently at the faces as she looked for Joe's in amongst the others - so young, far too young. "Are these your friends?" She asked, looking back over her shoulder to Joe to check he hadn't keeled over.
She pursed her lips and nodded, "That I'm pretty sure I can do, though I hate to remind you I'm not actually taller than you," She made a point of looking up at him. "Are you trying to gain extra sympathy so I'll piggy back you up or have you hurt yourself?" She asked, the question borne of some concern for him, considering how little care he sometimes took of himself. "I'm just going to invade your kitchen for a drink," She added.
"I'm not that tall Theia, I can give you a boost if needed," he said calmly, shrugging off her concerns, "I'm hurting today, that's why I'm limping a little more today. Fucked up at rehab, nothing new. It'll pass in a few days."
He wasn't lying entirely to her about it; he had done it at rehab, and it had been his fault trying to do something that he was told not to. He kept pushing the boundaries, told he couldn't or wasn't allowed to do things and taking it to another level to prove that he could regardless of if it screwed him up for a little bit, it always felt worth it.
"Do you live here or do you just rent the room?" She snorted.
"I've only recently started coming up into my room," he shrugged as he opened his wardrobe to get out the light he'd stashed in it, "Besides, its not like I spend much time up here anyway. Don't really want anything out and about."
"What's this?" She asked, "Are these your friends?" She asked, looking back over her shoulder to Joe to check he hadn't keeled over.
Joe looked over his shoulder at her, fingers briefly drumming on the shelf he was holding before giving a faint nod. He closed up the doors with the small box in his hand and looked at the image in her hands.
"Were. They were my friends, my brothers, my family," he said quietly, gently pointing himself out knelt by the back dog with a bright smile and classes on, "I was their leader even though I was the youngest of them. We kept each other in line, they gave me alternatives when I thought there was only one course of action," he the pointed out each man one by one, "David and Martin Bell - brothers, twenty-nine and thirty; David was going to be a father, Martin was going to marry his sweet heart back home after the tour. Jordan Lacey, thirty-two, sharp shooter and father of two little girls. Mathew Davis, twenty-eight, the biggest fool and the best friend anyone could've had. Liam Geen, twenty-nine, only son that was going to go home and look after his ill mother after his tour. Connor Hill, twenty-seven, gunner and always wanted to know when he was going to get a lick of rum and were all the ladies were at. And then my dog, Maddox. Only five years old, explosive detection dog for the only explosives defuser on the team."
He shook his head, clearing his throat, "We managed to convince our commander to take the photo for us right before we went out on patrol that day, this was a few days before everything ... turned to shit. I remember that day really well; one of the smoothest patrols we'd had in weeks. There was no need to draw and fire, no need for us to spy or be wary, we just did our rounds laughing, joking, promising to be the multiple best men at Martin's wedding... But can't do any of that now; had to box them all up and send them home. Couldn't face anyone about it; figured they'd all be pissed off that I survived and their partners, sons.. gone."
He cleared his throat again and turned away, forcing himself to straighten up and steel his thoughts, "Lay the photo down when you're done looking at it."
His tone wasn't unkind or snappy, it was pained if anything.
"I'm not that tall Theia, I can give you a boost if needed," She raised a brow, "Offering to lift me, are we? It's a fireman's lift or nothing," She joked, flicking her hair over he shoulder in the kind of way Shiloh would do. It wasn't really her thing though. "I'm hurting today, that's why I'm limping a little more today. Fucked up at rehab, nothing new. It'll pass in a few days." A slight creased touched the middle of her brows, the only show of concern she'd allow - couldn't look to be too caring otherwise people would think she had feelings and all of that. "Seems kinda counter-productive to fuck up in rehab you moron," She rolled her eyes, but she was being honest; if he fucked it up too badly it'd just make things harder in the long run - or at least that was how she saw it.
At first she wondered if she'd finally offended him, but he seemed to shrug off her comment as he went to fetch the light. "I've only recently started coming up into my room," Okay that was a fair point but still, she frowned a little, "But you still had stuff to put in it, no?" She asked, wondering where the rest of it was. Everyone had stuff, even if it was shoved under the bed or in a garage or loft. "Besides, its not like I spend much time up here anyway. Don't really want anything out and about." That was another valid point considering how often she now saw him out and about, and this was the first time she'd actually come to his house. "It's not even that you have to display your life but.. this just seems so empty, or have you stuffed all your shoes and handbags under the bed?" She teased, lightening the mood somewhat before it could drag them down. Funny how with her friends she was the negative one, the gloomy one, quick to bring down the tone - and yet with Joe, she was always quick with a joke or a comment to change that around.
Theia's eyes shifted to his fingers as they drummed, her brain nudging her to the fact that it was a habit she'd noticed he often did in certain times of stress. Was she stressing him out by asking? Or was it just an uncomfortable question. The drumming wasn't fast like she'd known him to do. Not yet anyway. Then he nodded and her attention went back to the picture, standing still as he pointed everyone out one by one. "Were. They were my friends, my brothers, my family, I was their leader even though I was the youngest of them. We kept each other in line, they gave me alternatives when I thought there was only one course of action, David and Martin Bell - brothers, twenty-nine and thirty; David was going to be a father, Martin was going to marry his sweet heart back home after the tour. Jordan Lacey, thirty-two, sharp shooter and father of two little girls. Mathew Davis, twenty-eight, the biggest fool and the best friend anyone could've had. Liam Geen, twenty-nine, only son that was going to go home and look after his ill mother after his tour. Connor Hill, twenty-seven, gunner and always wanted to know when he was going to get a lick of rum and were all the ladies were at. And then my dog, Maddox. Only five years old, explosive detection dog for the only explosives defuser on the team."
Were. She was smart enough to hear that word at least. "We managed to convince our commander to take the photo for us right before we went out on patrol that day, this was a few days before everything ... turned to shit. I remember that day really well; one of the smoothest patrols we'd had in weeks. There was no need to draw and fire, no need for us to spy or be wary, we just did our rounds laughing, joking, promising to be the multiple best men at Martin's wedding... But can't do any of that now; had to box them all up and send them home. Couldn't face anyone about it; figured they'd all be pissed off that I survived and their partners, sons.. gone." She knew there was nothing she could say, this kind of thing ran deeper than 'sorry', but instead she reached for his hand. His hand with the glove. And clasped it, gently giving him a squeeze that she hoped conveyed at least something of comfort. She was terrible at this, she knew it, but she also knew you couldn't just say sorry and tell him to get over it. "War is mindless killing. Nobody wins on either side. Not really." She knew that might be the wrong way to say it, sometimes they had to fight for the good - fight against terrorism and that she understood. But usually the people out there actually getting shot at were just kids, civilians with normal lives waiting for them back home that they rarely got to see again. "Perhaps there was a reason you were saved, a higher purpose." She shrugged, even if she didn't believe in the big G herself.
He cleared his throat again and turned away, forcing himself to straighten up and steel his thoughts, "Lay the photo down when you're done looking at it." She pressed her lips together for a minute but set the picture back as it was upright, challenging him slightly. "What happens if I don't?" Her words weren't unkind, softer than usual but as if the comment was passing. "They shouldn't be hidden away." She could understand why he didn't want to see it, but he was going to have to face this as some point, and he clearly wanted the photo there - the only picture and only piece of sentimentality alongside the collar in his whole room- he was going to have to look at it again someday.
"Offering to lift me, are we? It's a fireman's lift or nothing," She joked, flicking her hair over her shoulder.
"I can manage that easy," he said casually, "I'm upper body strong."
"Seems kinda counter-productive to fuck up in rehab you moron," She rolled her eyes, but she was being honest.
He shrugged at that, "Maybe you should come along and see what they put me through. Telling me I can't do things; tends to piss me off more than if they said nothing about it."
"But you still had stuff to put in it, no?" She asked, wondering where the rest of it was. "It's not even that you have to display your life but.. this just seems so empty, or have you stuffed all your shoes and handbags under the bed?"
He gestured to his wardrobe, "Everything I own, save a handful of things, lives inside there or in my trunk at the end of my bed."
He couldn't help the reflexive flinch that came when she held onto his hand. Looking down at her hand holding his, he stared at it for a moment, trying to work out what to do with that. Slowly he willed himself to squeeze her hand back as best he could - it was faint, but the gesture was there.
"War is mindless killing. Nobody wins on either side. Not really."
"Perhaps there was a reason you were saved, a higher purpose." She shrugged.
"The only reason why I was saved was because another squad risked their lives to save me," he said, frowning, "I used to think that God existed in some capacity, but after a while, I discovered that he is a farce. I stopped believing, I was prepared to lay down and die."
"What happens if I don't?" Her words weren't unkind, softer than usual but as if the comment was passing. "They shouldn't be hidden away."
He rolled his shoulders and neck, the motion causing several unhealthy sounding cracks, "Because Theia, I'm here. While ever I am awake in this room, it's their turn to rest. Their duty is over until I go to sleep, if I can. Otherwise, at night, I will sit and talk to them - don't want them to be tired when I call it quits for the night. That and I don't want the sunlight to bleach the image - it's all I have."
He felt stupid saying it as he moved over and gently laid the photo down. He felt incredibly foolish and selfish saying what he said, but it was somehow more comforting to think that way. It gave the image more meaning to him. Clinging to ghosts, you idiot.
"I can manage that easy, I'm upper body strong." She couldn't help but appraise his upper body as he said it - hell, he'd been the one to draw attention. She didn't really look at Joe in that way. Oh she was aware that he was handsome, a good looking lad, but with her lack of interest in the opposite sex and her disinterest, often fear in being touched by them, she just didn't think that way. Still, even she could admit that he was built well. "Must be all that garlic bread you eat," She commented with a cheeky grin. "Maybe you should come along and see what they put me through. Telling me I can't do things; tends to piss me off more than if they said nothing about it." She felt a trace of surprise at the offer, unsure if he would actually want her there or not - but the offer sounded genuine. "I'll come along," She shrugged, "Tell you you're doing it all wrong," She teased, though she had no qualms with being moral support.
Her head turned to the wardrobe, "Everything I own, save a handful of things, lives inside there or in my trunk at the end of my bed." It wasn't much of a life, but then she guessed he'd probably been used to living out of a rucksack given his life so far. "At least there's less to dust I suppose," With how much crap Shiloh had it made the room they shared a bitch to keep clean sometimes. She felt the faint returning squeeze and the corners of her lips tilted up a little; at least he hadn't tried to shake her off. "The only reason why I was saved was because another squad risked their lives to save me, I used to think that God existed in some capacity, but after a while, I discovered that he is a farce. I stopped believing, I was prepared to lay down and die." She knew he meant it too, he didn't seem to have much self preservation these days, not that she could say that wasn't how he'd always been. "Well I'm glad they saved you." She shrugged unapologetically, whether he thought it was a waste or not she didn't care, she thought he was worth the price they may have paid. She didn't comment on God. She'd been there, a couple of times. Once when she thought she might die, and she'd pleaded for her life, and other times, when she had tried to throw her life away, and been saved regardless.
"Because Theia, I'm here. While ever I am awake in this room, it's their turn to rest. Their duty is over until I go to sleep, if I can. Otherwise, at night, I will sit and talk to them - don't want them to be tired when I call it quits for the night. That and I don't want the sunlight to bleach the image - it's all I have." She looked at him for a long minute, deliberating whether to push on that or to leave it, words hovering on the tip of her tongue. She had crossed the line with him several times, and sometimes she toed it, but she knew when she could and when she couldn't. "You feel that someone needs to be watching over, all the time?" She guessed; she could understand it, even if she had never known the same feelings as he did. "We can make copies of the picture though, if you wanted spares just in case," She added, not wanting him to think she was about to get all pitying on him. She hated it when people did that the her, it made her feel small and itchy. Like people that hovered over you.
She moved away from the photo, instead deciding to be nosy as she popped the top of her coke can and took a swig, peering into his wardrobe at his accumulation of stuff. "Okay so we're just screwing in this lightbulb? Or is there more DIY stuff you had in mind?" She asked, drawing his attention away from the photo and that conversation.
"Must be all that garlic bread you eat," She commented with a cheeky grin.
"Damn, my secrets out."
"I'll come along," She shrugged, "Tell you you're doing it all wrong," She teased.
"Of course, I wouldn't have it any other way."
"At least there's less to dust I suppose."
"That's one way of looking at it I guess."
"Well I'm glad they saved you." She shrugged unapologetically.
"You feel that someone needs to be watching over, all the time?" She guessed; she could understand it, even if she had never known the same feelings as he did. "We can make copies of the picture though, if you wanted spares just in case," She added.
"I just feel a sense of responsibility to watch over them despite the fact they are dead. It doesn't comfort me in the slightest," he looked at her and nodded, "I'd like that."
"Okay so we're just screwing in this lightbulb? Or is there more DIY stuff you had in mind?" She asked, drawing his attention away from the photo and that conversation.
"The light and then it can't hurt to try bring the night sky in," he shrugged, looking around, "Room hasn't changed since I was like, twelve. It needs changing in some manner."
His guitar was tucked away in the wardrobe, alongside stacks of old comic books, rolled up posters, old canvases and other junk boxes that had his youth packed away. There was years of his life in that one little space filled with awards and the odd sports ribbon.
"Damn, my secrets out." Theia smiled slightly and shrugged, miming zipping her lips, "Secret's safe with me," she promised, and though it was a light hearted joke, she meant it for real. Everything they talked about was between them, she didn't tell her friends, she didn't tell her co-workers; she'd always been private anyway, but what her and Joe had was just for them, she didn't want to bring others into it. "Of course, I wouldn't have it any other way." Theia chuckled and tucked her fiery hair between her ears, she wouldn't really be that mean... well, maybe - it depended on how he was. She was getting good at reading him and of knowing what buttons to press, and when not to even touch any.
"That's one way of looking at it I guess." She snorted and gave a nod, it was, and she wasn't usually one to be positive either but she couldn't look at the bare pit of the room and not say something encouraging about it. He probably had more damn stuff at hers; things he had left there by accident when he slept over. She'd already stolen one of his hoodies - whether he knew that or not she had no idea. "I just feel a sense of responsibility to watch over them despite the fact they are dead. It doesn't comfort me in the slightest," Theia mulled it over, cocking her head to take in his words. "You know they might be watching over you, right?" She wasn't sure what she thought about the 'after' part but if there was any chance of it, no doubt they were there with Joe every step of the way. "I'd like that." She nodded, "Easy enough, bring it with you when you come bother me at work tomorrow, we can get it copied when I finish my shift." She would never suggest she take it - she wouldn't lose it, but she just couldn't fathom the responsibility in case something happened to it; his only photo of them.
"The light and then it can't hurt to try bring the night sky in, Room hasn't changed since I was like, twelve. It needs changing in some manner." Theia nodded, tapping a finger to her chin thoughtfully, "Okay we can do that," She had the print outs after all, but she hadn't known if he wanted something else doing whilst they were on a fix it binge. "I am really artistic, so your ceiling is going to look like something Brian Cox would be proud of," She smirked - not true, but she was going to do her damn best. She pulled the rolls of paper from her back pocket and unrolled them - the constellations - showing them to Joe. "See, I came prepared." But she put them down temporarily in favour of going through his wardrobe. She raised a brow at the guitar that stood out most of all, and then her lips quirked up at the comic books, and posters. Then she saw the canvus' and couldn't help but dig them out. "You're creative.." She murmured, things she didn't know about him yet. "Maybe you should be the one painting the ceiling." She admitted - though she felt her renditions would be better. Her gaze drifted to the guitar. "You can play?"
"Theia the Secret Keeper," he chuckled, "I like that."
"You know they might be watching over you, right?"
At that he shrugged, "Maybe, I'm just hoping they are watching over their families more."
She nodded, "Easy enough, bring it with you when you come bother me at work tomorrow, we can get it copied when I finish my shift."
"I'll do my best to remember it," he nodded, "I'll make sure it's covered up."
Theia nodded, tapping a finger to her chin thoughtfully, "Okay we can do that."
"I am really artistic, so your ceiling is going to look like something Brian Cox would be proud of," She smirked. "See, I came prepared."
"I am sure it will. I won't lie, but I kind of had to rope Luc into helping me get the pain and sneak it in," he said, scratching the back of his head, "I might've lied and said I had permission to do it. But who is to know, no one else gets to come in here anyway. I'll get Luc to help me with painting the walls later in the week."
He just wanted things to change, for the room to be darker at night so it didn't look so much like a stark hospital room. He was even considering changing out his bed in favor of a low cot and a a new chair.
"You're creative.." She murmured, things she didn't know about him yet. "Maybe you should be the one painting the ceiling."
Her gaze drifted to the guitar. "You can play?"
"Not that creative," he said, glancing over before tilting his head, "Yeah, I played a lot before I joined the amry, sung a lot too. Haven't though to pull it out to play though. Maybe I'll try and tune it up and get back to it. Thank god I learnt to play with both hands."
"Theia the Secret Keeper, I like that." She grinned slightly and shot him a secretive look, "I like it too." She wiggled her eyebrows slightly, "You can tell me anything, I'll lock it up tight with all the rest of my secrets and take them to my grave," She swore, thinking of her little pile of carefully kept secrets she choked down on a daily basis - about herself, about her friends. What was another couple more? She saw his shrug and she glanced at him, giving him space at the delicate subject. "Maybe, I'm just hoping they are watching over their families more." Theia's answering smile was gentle - it was a smile she reserved only for Joe, her friends would never believe it. "They will be." She agreed, if that was how the world worked, no doubt they were busy.
"I'll do my best to remember it, I'll make sure it's covered up." Theia nodded, she knew a copy place down the road from her that she could get him a discount on; maybe even free at the guy regularly ate at the pizza place and she gave him a discount. "I'll text you a reminder," She waved it off; it would be good for him to have copies - it was important to him. "I am sure it will. I won't lie, but I kind of had to rope Luc into helping me get the pain and sneak it in, I might've lied and said I had permission to do it. But who is to know, no one else gets to come in here anyway. I'll get Luc to help me with painting the walls later in the week." Theia grinned, glancing over her shoulder at him as she picked out his sheet music, carefully leafing through it - as if she could read it. "Who needs permission? It's your room, you can do what you want with it," She shrugged, "Paint the whole thing in rainbow and stick a Jacuzzi in it, who's going to stop you?" She doubted his siblings wold, especially given the circumstances - they crept around him like they were walking on eggshells.
She replaced the sheet paper back when it had sat, gazing curiously at the guitar. "Not that creative, Yeah, I played a lot before I joined the amry, sung a lot too. Haven't though to pull it out to play though. Maybe I'll try and tune it up and get back to it. Thank god I learnt to play with both hands." Theia couldn't imagine Joe singing; he had a nice speaking voice but she'd never known he was interested in music. She gently stroked a hand down the neck of the guitar, careful not to disturb it. "Why not?" She asked when he said he hadn't played for a while. "Will you play for me?" She asked, curious to see him play and hear his voice.
"Who needs permission? It's your room, you can do what you want with it," She shrugged, "Paint the whole thing in rainbow and stick a Jacuzzi in it, who's going to stop you?"
He shrugged, "It's only polite I guess, since I haven't lived in this room for a while."
"Why not?" She asked when he said he hadn't played for a while. "Will you play for me?"
"I got busy," he said, shrugging it off like it was nothing, "Couldn't take it with me, so I had to leave it. Some of the other guys on base had one stashed away, I played once before deployment and all these years later, I just haven't bothered. I can when I've refreshed my abilities, maybe next time you come around I'll be able to play a few tunes for you, ok?"
He offered her another rare, fleeting smile, "I promise."
"It's only polite I guess, since I haven't lived in this room for a while." Theia shrugged, "I suppose, but polite has it's time and place." She could be an ass when she wanted, and her friends frequently were impolite, rude and similar, but she understood why some people thought to check with others and the like before changing things. Theia had been on her own for long enough that she didn't care for permission - it was bullshit anyway in her opinion.
"I got busy, Couldn't take it with me, so I had to leave it. Some of the other guys on base had one stashed away, I played once before deployment and all these years later, I just haven't bothered. I can when I've refreshed my abilities, maybe next time you come around I'll be able to play a few tunes for you, ok?" She gave a nod, turning back to face him and giving him a smile in return. "I promise." Theia nodded, "Okay, it's a deal. I will think up which songs I'd like to request of you," Her smile widened to a grin as she moved away and back across the room. "Alright, let's DIY this shit," She said, rolling up the sleeves of her jumper.
