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 quiet again for a few hours, and he knew that when everyone got home, it was going to be a chaotic mess to deal with. But he could deal with it, he had to. There was no other option in the crowded house. So he'd take the quiet moments where he could get his head together again for a little bit. And what better time than now to pull out his guitar. He'd forgotten about it, having stashed it in his wardrobe before he left for the military base. But the last few days in the quiet moments when he was sure no one was around, he got the instrument out and began to reacquaint himself with it, getting a feel back for the cords.
He sat in the living room and fixed his hearing aids in his ears so he could pick the cords more easily and settled in to play for a little while. He started off with a simple tune, singing along to Saline Solution which felt oddly accurate. He moved into an instrumental of That Impossible Last Breath and then Soldier, Poet, King, changing up the beats and singing along with a slight smile on his face. The music was coming back to him in soft waves, reminding him that he still had something to do with his time that wasn't just staring at the walls.
Oak and Ash and Thorn passed through the house softly before taking a slow turn into Broken Crown and Propaganda. He shook his head, trying to get away from the songs that spoke a little too much to him and fell back on an old Disney song from Treasure Planet. It was a favorite of his, it had stuck with him since he was a kid, and whilst he remembered the lyrics in French, he'd also learnt them in English on a whim at school out of boredom.
"And how can the world want me to change? They're the ones that stay the same, They can't see me but I'm still here, They can't tell me who to be. 'Cause I'm not what they see, Yeah, the world is still sleepin', While I keep on dreaming for me, And their words are just whispers, And lies that I'll never believe!"
She yawned as she stalked along the now familiar path to Joe's family home. She'd been working a lot of extra shifts recently, after the university had upped their living costs she had paled to see the bill she would need to pay next month and upped her working hours. It left her tired, extremely so, to fit the extra time in between her classes, and seeing her friends and going out drinking had taken somewhat of a back burner. The only one she'd properly seen - aside from Shi as they lived together - was Joe. He still sat through some of her shifts with her after all, and there were the nights when he came to her bed; the regular routine of putting on a film that they both fell asleep to. She had to admit she fell asleep quicker than she usually did, sometimes even before him.
It couldn't go on forever, she just needed to do a few more extra hours to get the cash together and then she'd be covered. Next month she'd have to do the same, but she'd get to that when it came. Her feet dragged a little, but she finally had an afternoon off. Sleep was calling but realistically it was too early for that. She wanted to see Joe. It wasn't even to talk, she just wanted to sit with him and she knew she would feel better, just to enjoy the peace and his company. She noticed the lack of cars in the driveway and perked up a little, at least nobody else was likely to be in - of course it meant that Joe might not be either but she knew if the door was locked she'd have to try again later.
She tried the handle, not bothering to knock. It wasn't the first time she'd let herself in, though she usually only did that when she knew the siblings weren't home. She avoided them like the plague, found it easier just to skirt by the siblings and their partners and chill with the person she was here for. She didn't do 'meet the parents' and they weren't dating - so that was as simple as she saw it. As she took a step inside she blinked in surprise. "And how can the world want me to change? They're the ones that stay the same, They can't see me but I'm still here, They can't tell me who to be. 'Cause I'm not what they see, Yeah, the world is still sleepin', While I keep on dreaming for me, And their words are just whispers, And lies that I'll never believe!"
That was Joe's voice, she'd know it anywhere. And he was singing. She knew he could play the guitar, but she'd not heard him sing before, and she raised her eyebrows to find out he was... good. Really good. His voice ran over her and she felt goosebumps rise on her arms at his words. She almost felt bad to interrupt him... almost. Her needs were greater than his - sorry Joe. She detoured to the kitchen, because she was famished and hadn't eaten yet today. Her head was starting to swim and she was saving money by eating out of the Mccarran's fridge. Grabbing a packet of ham and pulling a hunk of bread off the french loaf, she mooched through the rooms, following the sound of the siren call that was Joe and opening the door to his room. She was sure he'd probably heard her by now but in case she hadn't she announced herself by opening the door, biting off a large mouthful of the bread as she said, "You can sing, where have you been hiding that?"
He stopped and looked up, slightly startled before the shock melted away to a half smile, "I do believe I told you about that when you found my guitar in my wardrobe."
He shrugged, "It's not my fault if you don't remember, or if you doubt me."
He laughed gently, "I picked it back up after you pulled my attention to it, and everything is for the most part falling into place."
He set the instrument down beside him and stretched his hand slightly - he might've been getting back to it, but he had a limit and needed to take a break for a few moments.
She was impressed she hadn't startled him, but she wondered if he had heard her come in or just somehow known she was there - he seemed to always know when she was there. Mostly because they were always together anyway, so it made no difference. Theia had no qualms with going over to throw herself into the chair next to him, making herself right at home and getting comfy as she put a piece of ham on the bread she'd taken and shove it in her mouth. "I do believe I told you about that when you found my guitar in my wardrobe." Theia rolled her eyes, remembering full well the guitar, having been waiting for a performance since she'd seen it and been told he could play. "It's not my fault if you don't remember, or if you doubt me."
"No, that's not what I meant." She shook her head, swallowing her mouthful. "I believed you when you said you could play - you know I always believe you." She waved it off, "I meant, I didn't know you could sing like that." She shrugged, "Some people say they can sing and they can't, some say they can sing and you know, they're not bad - they sing in tune. You sing like..." She hesitated, feeling a bit stupid and wrinkling her nose as she knew something corny was about to come out. Theia wasn't good with corny. "Like it comes from your soul." She said quietly. "Like.. like it was some kind of siren call. It gave me goosebumps." Her voice lowered, her mind drifting as she thought of what it reminded her of. "It was.." She drifted off, like it called to me... now she knew she was stupid and she shook her head. He laughed and she enjoyed the sound of it - so rare, but heard more than than she used to. "I picked it back up after you pulled my attention to it, and everything is for the most part falling into place." She watched him put it aside and offered him the packet of ham, silently asking if he wanted a slice. It was the kind of stuff you could eat out the packet, for her anyway. She was glad that she'd encouraged him to return to it, clearly with talent like that he shouldn't ignore it. "Do you have a favourite song?"
"I believed you when you said you could play - you know I always believe you."
She waved it off, "I meant, I didn't know you could sing like that." She shrugged, "Some people say they can sing and they can't, some say they can sing and you know, they're not bad - they sing in tune. You sing like..." She hesitated, "Like it comes from your soul."
He made a noise, shaking his head, "Me? Have a soul? Come on now."
She said quietly. "Like.. like it was some kind of siren call. It gave me goosebumps."
"Thank goodness we aren't near any water, I can't drown you. Lucky." He snorted, shaking his head.
"It was.."
"Do you have a favourite song?"
He tilted his head slightly before offering a simple shrug, "I have a few, but there is at least one I'll go to above the others when I feel like getting into it. Why?"
He idly picked at the strings, playing a faint melody to fill the silence.
She saw the raise of his brow but this was the thing with Joe, he always made her feel listened to. It wasn't that her friends didn't but there was always something going on, some kind of drama or another. Sometimes it was her shit and she knew they had her back but Joe always made it feel different. Like it was just him and her in all the world, like nothing could interrupt them. She tilted her head at his chuckle, wondering if he was laughing at what she'd said because it seemed stupid. "Me? Have a soul? Come on now." Theia relaxed a little when she realised he wasn't laughing at her. Instead she rolled her eyes and gave a grin of her own. "I know, who would have thought it." She raised a brow back at him but she had no doubt he had a beautiful soul, even if he might not see it. She'd make him see it one day.
"Thank goodness we aren't near any water, I can't drown you. Lucky." Theia snorted and gave a nod. "Will make a note never to join you on a boat. And here I was, excited to get out on the yatch." She teased. She'd never been on a boat in her life and she had no idea if she'd even like it. The idea of the open ocean appealed a little bit knowing her luck she would be sea sick from the go and ruin the whole thing. Theia watched Joe consider her question as she settled in on the sofa next to him, bringing her legs up to tuck underneath herself comfortably. She was not going to leave until she'd heard at least a little more. "I have a few, but there is at least one I'll go to above the others when I feel like getting into it. Why?" Theia found herself relaxing as he plucked the strings, not even realising she was melting into the sofa at his melody. "Play me your favourite?" She asked, a small smile teasing her lips at her request.
"Will make a note never to join you on a boat. And here I was, excited to get out on the yatch."
He chuckled and shook his head, "You're safe. Water and I don't get along... I mean, we used to but I gave up being around water bodies."
He shuddered a little before looking up at her, noticing her relaxing into the chair but refused to comment on it.
"Play me your favourite?"
He tilted his head to the side and nodded, "Yeah, I can do that but.. I can do that."
He had think about it a little bit, changing up the chords to find the tempo he needed for his favorite song. It was the song that got him to love the guitar, got him to learn and it hit him in a painful spot, but he still played it - getting right into his favourite song.
"Who would think it." She raised a brow at his eye roll, wondering if she'd said the wrong thing but shrugging it off. He'd tell her or make it clear enough if she had. She had gotten good at reading his moods and the like, knowing what was likely to press his buttons or push the line, and when to pull back and let things go. "You're safe. Water and I don't get along... I mean, we used to but I gave up being around water bodies." Theia frowned slightly, glancing at him with a wary curiosity. She had a fair idea what might have set that line of thinking off, as with most of his issues, but it didn't stop her from giving him a shove either way. "What did the water do to you?" She half joked, figuring that was a safer avenue to go down.
Theia curled her legs up under her as she got settled, fully expecting him to fulfill her request. "Yeah, I can do that but.. I can do that." She tilted her head at the but, but grinned triumphantly when he agreed. "Excellent, you realised it wasn't a question." She half teased, not one to force him if he really didn't want to. There was a difference between a push and forcing. She was patient, in a way she rarely was with anyone else, just sinking into the chair and listening to himself figure out the chores and get everything together. As soon as he started, she let her head fall back against the rest, closing her eyes so she could let the music wash over her fully, embracing every sound. A faint smile appeared on her lips as the tune continued. She'd never heard anyone play guitar like he did. When he was done, she didn't open her eyes immediately, choosing a moment to stay in that peaceful place the song had put her. "That was really beautiful."
