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!.
The danger of adventure is worth a thousand days of ease and comfort. ― Paulo Coelho
Tanner’s time at the pet store had been fun so far. He passed his trial with flying colors, or at least that’s what it seemed. Despite trying to hide the job from his mom, his pay stub had come in the mail and she had seen it when she was organizing. She took it well, happy that he was taking care of himself. Tanner didn’t know if that was a lie or not, but it was better than what he feared would happen.
Today, he was helping Savannah, the groomer that worked in the shop space. From what he knew, she also lived in the apartment above with her boyfriend. Tanner hadn’t interacted with her too much, but she was nice enough.
Needing some extra advertisement for both the shop and the groomers, Tanner had agreed to take some photos. Yesterday, he took pictures of the new adoptable pets. Today was grooming. He was excited about it, as Tanner loved photographing pets of all kids. Plus, if his work was published – that was always a nice treat for the hard work.
Making sure he had all his equipment – Tanner sat in the break room in the back, waiting for Sav to show up so they could go over their game plan.
Savannah needed to update her website as she was gaining new clients. She was glad Tanner had agreed to help her take photos of her and Candy as advertisement.
She helped her customer pay for his dog's grooming and waved goodbye as he left with his dog. She let out a sigh as it was a difficult groom - it was a poodle who had lots of mats in her fur and it was a big problem to fix.
After quickly tidying her area and the bath, she headed back into the break room. "Hey Tanner. Thanks so much for waiting for me. Sorry, that proved to be a bit of a tough groom."
The woman sat down on the chair, needing to take a breather before they began their photoshoot. "How are you enjoying working here so far?" It was nice to have a new employee around - she felt bad having Kas do everything himself.
The danger of adventure is worth a thousand days of ease and comfort. ― Paulo Coelho
“Oh, no worries at all!” Tanner smiled, adjusting his posture a bit in his chair. He often found himself correcting his posture in front of his boss and other people. Maybe they didn’t care, but his grandma was in his mind to make sure to straighten his back.
“I’m honestly looking forward to it. And I bet. All the dogs that need a de-shedding groom must be a lot during the summer.” Tanner didn’t groom, but he knew a bit about it from his friends. For those with dogs with double coats, grooming was a chore in general. But in summer, there was a de-shedding bath. Tanner could imagine a whole puppy could be made with the hair that was blasted off.
“So far, it’s been good. I haven’t had any issues so far. Though, I did get pooped one a few times from the Guinea pigs,” the young man laughed. “Did you have a busy morning?”
"I really do appreciate it." Lately a lot of her clients weren't being patient with her, so this was a breath of fresh air for her. Savannah was starting to get at the end of her nerves with some people but her day of grooming dogs was pretty much over.
She gave the blond a nod. "Everyone wants their dogs coats to be super short for the summer, even if it looks dumb. But they don't understand that it looks dumb and then they come complain to me about it." She tried her best to explain this to her clients but they wouldn't listen. "I'm glad! I've been looking forward to this ever since we made the plan."
It was always nice for her to have someone new around at work to chat with. She was sure Kas was getting annoyed with her being chatty. "Oh yuck. Unfortunately that won't be the last time it happens. Thankfully it was just a guinea pig though and not a dog or cat." That was the messy part of the job.
"Not busy per say. More having to deal with annoying customers who don't understand how grooming works." She lifted an arm and ran a hand through her long dark hair.
"And your morning? Do you have any ideas on who you would want as your models?" There were a few animals to choose from at the store. She didn't want to be biased and only have pictures of Candy up on the website.
The danger of adventure is worth a thousand days of ease and comfort. ― Paulo Coelho
The young man nodded. “Yeah, pet owners can be a bit harsh. I had someone tell me I wasn’t walking their dog correctly, which I don’t even know what that means.” Tanner could handle people, but there were times he fired clients. Some understood, but most went and tried to trash him. Thankfully, he had a good enough clientele that it didn’t matter.
“Ha-ha yeah. I’d rather be a guinea pig than a tiger or something.” The biggest poop he had to scoop on his walks was the Great Danes. They kind of rivaled the horses, but it was his job. It stank, but he often walked larger breeds in areas where he had access to the public. Tanner avoided carrying poo bags the best he could.
“It’s been fine!” Tanner stood up and stretched his arms. He thought for a moment, before picking up his camera. “Well, is there anything you want to specifically show off? Like if you did dog-safe color dye? Maybe a new cut on a Pomeranian?”
The brunette shook her head. “Ugh. I am so sorry about that. Honestly, there really is only one way to walk a dog. I could be wrong though?” Savannah was pretty diligent about getting Candy out for at least one walk a day - if not two.
“Yeah, I wouldn’t want to clean up after a Tiger either. Not really a cat person in the first place.” She didn’t mind grooming them for clients, but she couldn’t imagine having one in the house. Candy had been in her life for all of the dog’s life that she couldn’t imagine any other animal in their apartment. “Do you have any cats at home?”
Savannah followed and stood up from her chair as well. She hid a yawn by lifting her arm and yawning into her elbow. The woman had been up late the night before waiting for Duncan to come home from work, which meant she didn’t get much sleep. “Alright, let’s do the boring regular grooms first for photos and then I can pull out the fun dye colors.” Savannah had checked her calendar and seen which animals were coming in that day.
She got up and opened the door that led towards the grooming area. The first dog had already been dropped off and was laying in the kennel. “So first up we have Coca. Her owner just wants a bath and a nail trim.” The brunette opened the kennel door and gently carried the chocolate goldendoodle over to the bath.
The danger of adventure is worth a thousand days of ease and comfort. ― Paulo Coelho
“I know some people require their dogs to be walked a bit longer, which I can do. Adding a kilometer doesn’t bother me. But the other things I just don’t know what they mean!” he laughed. There was no lying that Tanner had taken a course and all that to help figure out the best way to create a pack for his walking groups. It took a bit, and heh ad learned to do trials and all that. Made it easier. So far, it had moved up to the fact he had certain packs within the same few blocks of each other – making pick-up and drop-off easy.
Tanner shook his head at the cat's question. “No, I didn’t grow up with animals in general.” He wondered what his life would be like if he did. His friends and neighbors had plenty to play with. His childhood wasn’t exactly the easiest to understand growing up, but he did now. Tempe was protecting him from herself.
He nodded and waited until the dog and Sav were in place. Once she looked like she was ready – he began shooting. The clicks of the camera go off, making sure to get the best lighting and angles.
“If they don’t tell you their needs, it’s not your fault.” No one could read minds and that’s just the way it was. “I feel like it’s something that should be discussed beforehand.” It would be common courtesy, but some people wanted to tear people apart instead of working together. She considered herself lucky. Most of her clients were great and willing to work with her in understanding what they wanted done with their animals.
She carefully placed Coco in the bath and clipped the bungee tie to her collar. Savannah picked up the shower head and turned the water on before testing the water. “Oh really? How did you get into animals then?” Most people grew up with animals in their home. Savannah’s parents always had a dog in their home, which is why she fell in love with them.
The brunette made sure the water was lukewarm and started to get the dog wet, running her hands through her fur to make sure it was thoroughly soaked. She gently placed her hand over the dog’s ears when she worked on the face. Savannah turned off the water and chose a mango scented shampoo.
The danger of adventure is worth a thousand days of ease and comfort. ― Paulo Coelho
“My friend’s mom runs an animal rescue. When my mom was working during the day, my grandparents would bring me over. I still help them from time to time. There were also a lot of neighborhood dogs.” The animals gave him solace, as Tanner would wonder when his mom would come again. Or when she would be happy. To him, she appeared to be in a good place. She made it clear it wasn’t him, or anyone else that caused her issues. But Tanner wanted to make sure his mother felt safe, too. It was one of the reasons that he never tasted alcohol, or family gatherings to be dry when she was around.
Tanner took a few more shots, and then adjusted his settings to match the movement of the water and the shaking dog. “Did you always want to be a groomer?” he asked, taking a close-up shot of Coca who was enjoying the soap massage around their face.
"That must have been so much fun though. My family has always had either a dog or a cat growing up, so it's just what I'm used to." She shrugged her shoulders, gently rubbing the first shampoo with her hands along Coco's back and stomach to begin with. "Do you do dog sitting as well as walking? I'd like to take your card if you do. Candy here sometimes gets left alone if my boyfriend is working and I'm at the barn." It was sometimes hard for the two of them to make sure one person was home with the French Bulldog.
Savannah moved up to the face, making sure to avoid the area around her eyes. There seemed to be some extra dirt in that was around her muzzle. "Pretty much! I've always wanted to do something with animals. I did want to ride professionally but, that dream is long gone." She smiled before putting another pump of shampoo on her hands and working on Coco's legs. "And you? Any ideas of what you want to do yet?"
The danger of adventure is worth a thousand days of ease and comfort. ― Paulo Coelho
“Hmm, think I’ll stay in the photography trail. I really enjoy it. It’s a fun thing. Working at the shop is great too. It helps fund the gear, same with the dog walking.” Sure, he could help at the hardware store, but that wasn’t as fun. Dealing with people in that setting was a bit more stressful. The animals were there as a buffer. Finding an excuse was harder at the hardware shop, but there were decent areas to hide. But he wasn’t there as an employee, so that helped. He would just call over Elliot or his mom.
Tanner changed the angle again, taking one more shot. But he stopped, allowing Sav to finish shampooing. He was waiting for the shot where the dog shook, which often happened when the shampoo was rinsed off. “So you horse ride, too, then?”
Savannah gave a quick nod, double checking to make sure the shampoo was worked through the dog's coat. "No worries, I understand. Photography equipment isn't cheap is it?" She was lame and just used her phone if there was something she wanted to document. "If I could have your card for dog walking though. Or is it your usual number?" Most people had two numbers for their business, though Savannah tended to use her personal cellphone for any business needs - it was easy for her to add a client in her calendar since she lived above the pet store.
"I'm glad you work here. It's nice having a chat if we are working together." She gave him a warm, genuine smile. Luckily, it seemed like everyone working at the Pet Store was friendly and always enjoyed chatting. "I do. I ride Dressage at Seven Oaks. I've got two horses, Poppy and Monte." There were so many people that rode in Hickstead so it wasn't a shock. "Do you ride?" She finished shampooing and began rinsing the dog off, watching as the suds start to go down the drain.
The danger of adventure is worth a thousand days of ease and comfort. ― Paulo Coelho
“Same number!” he smiled. “Oh, gosh no,” Tanner smiled. “I can’t afford it, and I don’t think I could bare having to run more into my mom." It was all joking, of course. Tanner loved his mom, he did – but he didn’t want to see her all the time. She worked a lot at the barns too. There were times he would go out and drop off food or visit, but Tanner thought his mom could do her job better if she didn’t have to worry about him falling off.
“Do you like it?” Tanner asked, taking a few more shots before letting Savannah finish up. And to give himself a break as well. He had a few clients that wanted to be shot with their horses. Some are artistic, and others were a bit more professional, like a portfolio piece or something.
She nodded as she ran her hands through the dog's coat. "I'll shoot you a text to schedule walks with Candy this month. Poor girl is getting tired of being stuck in the salon. With it being summer I feel like dog hair grows faster." Not that the Frenchie should be going outside when it was super hot and humid - though the morning or late evening would be perfect.
The brunette moved over and put two pumps of conditioner in her hand, working it into the pup's fur - gently giving Cocoa a massage, also trying to prevent her from shaking water all over the photography equipment. "Does your mom ride or something?" She didn't know Tanner that well yet, but she assumed the woman did something at the barn. "It's not the cheapest sport in the world, but it's something I enjoy so it's worth it." Savannah wouldn't know what she would do with out either of them - they kept her sane while Duncan was off working odd hours.
"I do, it's something that keeps me from being here too much. I have weekly lessons with both of them and am glad the coaches are flexible when I ride." She often knew her schedule beforehand - feeling bad if she had to miss a lesson if someone had a grooming emergency, though not many of those had happened.
The danger of adventure is worth a thousand days of ease and comfort. ― Paulo Coelho
“No, she mainly works there fixing whatever needs fixing. She’s more of a look at horses versus riding kind of person.” To be truthful, he was the same way. Tanner wasn’t scared of horses, but he wasn’t made of money. Even lessons could be a huge cost on a lease or lesson horse.
“That sounds fun. What kind of lessons?” From what he heard, there were a lot of classes in both English and Western. Both had different types of needs, and it was entertaining to see what both did. Tanner, if asked to explain, would be ballet versus hip hop. Both are beautiful, but not too different in certain aspects like strength and mindset.
