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!.
when crev woke up as the sun started to shine through his window he was very glad it was the weekend. the weekend meant that he didn't have to go to school and face the teachers whose classes he was failing. they'd given him all the leeway they could and now they'd said they needed him to step up a little and try harder in their classes. he saw the mountain of work sitting on his desk, though he was pretty sure it had been his oldest brothers desk at one point and had just trickled down to him through his brothers. he kicked off his rugs and tried his best to ignore it as he pulled the sheets up to make it at least look tidy and he grabbed all the dirty clothes he could find on his floor. it didn't take him long to gather the rest of the dirty clothes in the bathrooms around the house and the next thing he knew the washing machine was going. it was still early so he didn't think any of his brothers would be up just yet and he did think he was right when he same downstairs to find it empty of people.
he saw danny curled up on the tiled floor of the kitchen and he grinned a little, getting down on all fours so he could ruffle the old dogs fur gently and tussle his ears. he took the toy the dog offered him happily and he stood up, letting danny tug him around the kitchen for a few minutes before the old dog took himself back to his bed and started chewing on the toy. "tired old boy?" he said with a affectionate smile as he went about making himself breakfast. he did think about making something for everyone but he didn't know when they'd surface from their rooms. a few months ago the house would have been buzzing with activity and noise. his mother would be cooking and his father would be sitting at the table with her, his brothers flitting in and out of the room as the food was cooked and served and there would be a huge fight over who was doing the dishes. now it was just him in the cold kitchen and he didn't know if there would ever be another one of those breakfasts again.
he stood there with the door to the fridge open for longer than he should have but it had taken him a little time to figure out what he wanted to eat, they were running low again and he'd used what money he'd had to buy groceries last week. he settled on some of the leftover shepherds pie that derek had brought over a few days ago and he grabbed some cheese and bread. when in doubt, leftover jaffles were the way to go. he set about making it, heating up the sandwich press as he buttered the bread, setting it on the press and hearing it sizzle as it cooked. it was then he heard danny scratch the back door and whine and he left what he was doing to open it so the dog could go out. as the door opened he caught sight of his father sitting on the back steps and he chewed his lip.
it had been hard for all of them since their mother had died and crev felt her loss everytime he took a breath. but he knew it must be worse for his dad. after all he'd loved her for longer than he and his brothers had been alive and that needed to count for something. crev had been trying to make it easier on him since the funeral. he'd helped his dad when he'd been too drunk to stand, cleaned up messes, thrown out empty bottles and not said anything, washed clothes, done dishes and he'd tried to keep ontop of things but with all his brothers it had felt like a never ending battle and he was losing it. so he couldn't help but feel like he was letting his dad down and also letting his mum down because he couldn't help his dad. the thought almost brought tears to his eyes but he shoved them back down as he walked back to his food and he slipped it onto a plate and cut it in half while it was piping hot.
grabbing a glass while it cooled just slightly, he poured the last of the juice from the container, noting that he should probably start at least making a list of what they needed and he threw the empty bottle in the bin before he grabbed the plate from the bench and he walked back to the back door, pushing it fully open with his foot he walked out onto the back steps and sat next to his dad. "here dad." he said with a smile as he set them down next to him. "i made you breakfast." he said as he leaned his elbows on his knee. "pot luck jaffle."
Shaun had been up before dawn - sleep was beginning to elude him more than ever, and urge to drink was still there in the back his mind but he was trying to break it off. It was like a bad friend trying to pressure him into things he otherwise would never do. The temptation was great, just a drop and it would be ok. He shook his head and lit up another cigarette from the thinning packet - another bad friend. But he knew that giving up the taste, the calming rush - if he didn't get that, he was sure he would've gone mad.
He sighed as he settled back into the chair on the back porch and stared off into the distance. More than ever he was lost, no longer certain if anything he did was right or wrong, if the boys were determined to keep hating him.
"You left me too soon Trace," he said softly, "I don't know what I'm doing - I'm not foolish enough to think I'm doing anything right... I need help sweet-heart..."
He dropped his head and pinched the bridge of his nose. He didn't need to fall apart right now. He'd gone almost a day without bursting into tears and he was determined not to let it bubble up.
"Here dad," he said with a smile as he set them down next to him. "I made you breakfast. Pot luck jaffle."
Shaun looked up, surprised to see Creven up and about already, but his smile was one of the few rare appreciative ones - genuine. He moved slightly in his chair and nodded.
"Thanks Crev," he said gently, reaching out and patting his youngest's shoulder, "I thought you might've stayed in bed a little longer. Share it with me, yeah?"
he knew that he probably hadn't been supposed to hear the words his father had spoken quietly into the empty back yard but he hadn't been able to help it. it was early and quiet so as soon as the door had been opened a crack he'd heard him. he wanted to tell his dad that he was wrong. it wasn't like there was a right way to handle having your family shatter. they were all trying their best to survive and maybe his father and siblings wouldn't see that right now but he could. he could see it in them and it hurt him that he couldn't make it better for them. that's what his mother would expect him to do. she'd tell him he needed to make them smile, to make them feel like it wasn't the end and they still had their whole lives in front of them. but he couldn't tell them that because as much as he knew that's what she'd say to him, he didn't feel it. they had to go on without the one person who could keep them all in line and there was no getting over that. he chewed his lip a little as he twisted the plate in his hand as he took a breath and crossed the porch, thinking the best thing was to just let his dad think he hadn't heard it. he hoped he was right.
he smiled as his dad patted his shoulder and he reached his hand up to rest it against his dad's arm for a second before he let it drop down beside him. he'd been born with too much energy to sleep in late, even on the weekends. as much as he loved to try and sleep in, he never really could. there was just too much fun to be had and do outside of his room, well there had been at least. "and miss the sunrise? never." he said with a grin as he settled against the leg of the chair his dad was sitting on. "i already had one, you have it all." he lied in what he hoped was an easy way. he could easily make himself something else when he went back inside but he didn't know the last time his dad had actually eaten a proper meal, so he wanted him to eat it all. he rested the side of his head against his dad's knee lightly as they sat there in the coolness, the silence of the morning and the crispness of the air. "you doing anything today?" he asked, sort of hoping shaun said he didn't so crev could spend some time with him today. but if his dad was busy or didn't want to, he wouldn't complain.
"Just like your mother," he said gently, reaching over to ruffle Creven's hair, "When she was a younger woman. We'd both get up early to watch the sun rise; we'd sit on the roof outside my window as just watch it come up. Must've gotten that from her."
"I already had one, you have it all."
Shaun raised a brow, "Compromise, go halves yeah? I'm finding Crev, that I just don't eat as much now, best not to waste it. Not like before where breakfast used to be a half dozen fried eggs and crispy bacon on warm toast."
"You doing anything today?"
Shaun shook his head, "Nothing important, just house work - not that there is much to do. What do you want to do today then, hmm?"
he smiled a little and leaned his head into his father's hand slightly as his hair was ruffled. he used to love hearing how much like his mother he was, that he was her mini in every way. now it just made him ache and start to miss her all over again. to know that he'd never see her face again but have to see it every time he looked in the mirror. "she snuck me onto our roof once or twice." he said as he thought back on the mornings he'd been up early with her, sometimes just the two of them up before the whole house. "i think i got everything from her." he said with a small smile as he thought about the few times she'd taken him up onto the roof so they could watch the sunrise together, him sitting in her lap with her arms around him, just the two of them in a world full of people. other mornings he'd helped her with breakfast and even some he'd fallen back to sleep at the kitchen table. the thought that he'd never walk down into the kitchen again to spend time with her in the morning made him swallow slightly, before he mentally shook himself so he didn't let it show. his dad didn't need to see that, to see him sad about it. his dad needed to see his smile.
"if you're still hungry after half, i'll make you another one." he said as he picked up half of the sandwich. it wasn't ideal but as long as he got his dad to eat something this morning, he'd consider it a win. he pulled at the crust of the sandwich lightly, taking it off bit by bit and eating it while he held the bulk of his sandwich. it's how he'd always eaten them, from the outside in, because the middle was the best part. his theory was he ate the worst part first and saved the best for last. "well we need food." he said with a slight grin as he looked at the filling of the sandwich, thank god for derek. "we're out of nearly everything and i don't think mavs feeling up to leaving the house today so i thought what the heck, i'd be nice and go." at least that's what he thought based on the noises he'd heard coming out of the bathroom earlier that morning, after mav had stumbled home at about 3 am and half fallen into the door, it had woken crev up. "but after that, i was going to head to the field and practice." because when he was out on the field he could leave it all at the line, he could focus on shooting goals and tune the rest of the world out.
Shaun's smile, whilst small, was genuine, "Yeah, I don't disbelieve that. Just reminds me when your mother and I were young. We'd sneak out of home and meet up, just to climb up on top of the village church and watch the sun rise. We got caught a few times by Father Eugene, but it was worth it."
"I think I got everything from her."
He nodded, "Indeed, you were the lucky one in this family, you didn't get my poison. You got all the best parts of your mother... just like Elise would've too."
He dipped his head briefly to clear his throat before taking a bite of the cooled sandwich.
"If you're still hungry after half, I'll make you another one."
He finished what he had in his mouth before replying, "I appreciate the offer, but I think this half will do."
"Well we need food. We're out of nearly everything and I don't think Mav's feeling up to leaving the house today so I thought what the heck, I'd be nice and go."
His brow creased slightly, "Well, you can scratch that plan. I've been a bum long enough, so I'll go out and do the groceries."
"But after that, I was going to head to the field and practice."
He nodded, "And how has... soft ball? been going?"
Mentally he kicked himself in the balls repeatedly. He wasn't entirely sure what his sons did, what hobbies they had and liked to do. He was such failure of a father, fucking everything up royally.
crev couldn't help but laugh a little at the thought of his parents being caught by the local catholic priest while they were on the roof of the church. though he had to admit that a catholic priest not being happy about two teenagers being in love was ironic. he had heard all the jokes before about catholics and large families. "and i'm sure mum gave him what for." he said with a grin as he thought about his strong willed mum. she'd been able to keep him and his brothers mostly in line, and he knew she'd needed to learn how to do that from somewhere, while he hadn't heard too many stories from his grandparents about what she'd been like as a kid, he figure it had had to be something she was born with.
he frowned just slightly when his dad spoke his next words. he shook his head a little and he turned to face him a little. "you're not poison dad." he said it with as much conviction as a fourteen year old could muster. he'd never believe that about his dad, regardless of what shaun and his brothers thought. the thought was enough to distract him from the other tidbit his father had dropped on him, at least for the moment. he knew he was the youngest brother, the baby of the family and the one that his parents had probably made less mistakes on, purely because they'd had so much practice by the time he'd come along, but he didn't think that made his opinions about his dad wrong.
"how about we go together?" he offered, it would be nice to spend some time with his dad outside of the house, away from what had been and focusing on something in the moment. he thought it might be good for shaun. he chuckled a little as his dad tried to guess what sport he played. any of his brothers might have cared a little more but he didn't, he'd been blessed with a brain that usually understood that there were a lot of kids in the family, his dad couldn't have known all of it. "close, you got the ball part right." he teased gently. "hockey and soccer." he corrected his dad. "we have a game next weekend, you can come if you want?" he offered before he looked back at the yard and over at danny. it was then that his father's words from earlier hit him and it was like a light went off in his head.
Shaun's smile was fragile as he remembered those days, "Not quite. In the beginning your mother was a little more quiet, a little more... softly spoken. She was always worried that Father Eugene would tell our parents, but after a little bit, she gained confidence, became... free in a sense."
Gods they had been young and stupid and so wildly, blessedly in love he'd once thought that the only thing that could stop them was the Devil himself. And even then he would've battled like he was the only man on Earth to keep her, and would dance over fired coals to spare her the pain of walking them herself. How far they'd come... How broken his heart...
"You're not poison dad."
Shaun looked at Creven and gave a wry smile only a father could give his youngest, "Oh Crev, never lose that optimism."
"How about we go together?"
"We can do that if you want to do that, though I warn you - it'll be a long and tedious venture."
"Close, you got the ball part right." He teased gently. "Hockey and Soccer. We have a game next weekend, you can come if you want?"
Shaun chuckled softly, "At least I got something right. I will definitely be going to your game. You give me the time and place and I will be there. Promise."
"Wait .. whose Elise?"
He paused, blinking - almost reeling, "Just... Just a little girl who isn't with her family any more..."
