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 smiled and looked up at the clear sky. He managed to grab the sunset with his last batch of dogs in the evening. They were all home, tired after dinner. Thinking of dinner, Tanner could hear his stomach gurgle. It wasn’t too late, and he was close to the club. He didn’t often show up there as early as he was today, but he was beaten after both jobs.
The club was empty except for a few people having a drink or eating dinner with friends or family. He opted to take a seat at the bar top and settled in. Eyes glanced at the menu but didn’t see anything that specified what he wanted. Tanner signaled a staff – and gave them a soft smile. “Hi, I was wondering if you had a separate non-alcoholic beverage menu, or can any of the beverages be made without alcohol?”
Tristian was ready for another busy night of work. Ever since he came back from his accident, he was taking it slow - preferring to be put on the opening shifts until he was ready.
He clocked in and started making small talk with some regulars - surprised he remembered what they tended to drink. Tristian could see from the corner of his eye that someone new joined his area of the bar. After setting down a pint of beer in front of a customer, he walked over to the new arrival.
"Hey, welcome. You can find the non - alcoholic drinks on the back of the menu here. Though most of the ones with alcohol can be made without." He picked up a menu and flipped it over, placing it in front of the customer. "If there's something you like the taste of, I can help come up with something similar." It was his job after all, and mixing drinks to see what tasted good together was something the bartenders often did during their breaks.
"I don't think I've seen you around before. I'm Tristan." He tried his best to remember people's faces, but his new patrons was one he hadn't seen before.
The danger of adventure is worth a thousand days of ease and comfort. ― Paulo Coelho
Tanner made an O shape. Was he that tired and blind? Then again, he rarely attended this place super early in the day. He was always here at midnight and on, partying away. “Thanks!” he smiled, looking at the options. There had been a lot of new things it looked like. Compliments to the owner, that’s for sure.
“It is nearing the fall time, so probably something autumnal.” His eyes landed on the Apple Mule. It had vodka in it, but Tanner could see it tasting good. “Your ginger beer is just kind of like a super strong ginger ale?” He had heard of ginger beer, and it sounded good. Tanner liked the kick of spicy ginger. “Hmm? Oh! Well, I don’t tend to come during the super early hours of the club,” he laughed. “I’m more of a nighttime goer. But it looks like people are still in the early hours of the night?” While not as busy, there were still people here – enjoying themselves.
Tristan made sure the customer had his menu before taking a few steps to fill a refill before returning. He caught the man with a shocked expression and smiled. “Don’t feel bad. Not many people know the non-alcoholic drinks are on the back.” Tristan picked up a coaster and set it on the bar counter.
“The Fall menu just started a week or two ago, so there are some great choices.” It was yet another thing he had to relearn after the accident - but his coworkers were very helpful. “Ginger Beer is definitely a stronger ginger ale. Think about normal ginger ale with a bit of beer flavor.” Ginger ale wasn’t brewed - which made it sweeter than the beer variety.
He nodded. It made sense why he hadn’t seen the younger man around the bar before - only recently started working again. The doctors had suggested that he work the day shifts as it was a bit quieter and allowed him to focus on relearning. “That makes sense. I got switched to days recently, which I don’t mind.” It gave him more time to spend with his wife which was always welcomed. “Though I’m going to admit that I can be terrible with names, so I apologize if you knew my name already.” It was part of their training to introduce themselves while behind the bar. “Are you originally from around her?”
“It is quite busy today. I’m thinking people are catching up with coworkers during their break.” It’s not like there was a soccer game on or anything. That tended to bring more people in during the day on the weekends.
“Can I get you a glass of water or something to eat while you decide?”
The danger of adventure is worth a thousand days of ease and comfort. ― Paulo Coelho
“I grew up here actually! Been here my whole life.” Even though there were small-town vibes – Tanner didn’t seem to know a lot of people as much as others. He knew a bit of the people that came into his mom’s shop and the people he walked dogs for. But he really didn’t know a lot of people his age that much. Once people learned he didn’t drink or do drugs, they left him throughout the years.
He nodded. Tanner never understood lunch meetings or interviews. His mom had said it was about seeing how the person treated those around them. Like kindness to the wait staff and all that. Tanner never experienced one, but he thought it was an odd way to interview someone. But he understood a bit, as it was important to have kindness. It was free, after all. “No worries, mate. My name is Tanner,” the young man smiled.
“I think I’ll go with a virgin apple mule.” It was probably a bit sweeter than he needed, but it just sounded so good. It was the best drink to welcome fall. He would have to tell his mom about the drink, but she didn’t frequent places like this, and he didn’t blame her.
“Oh! Do you like it here? I’ve been here for a few years myself now and it definitely feels like home.” He did miss the California sun and the beaches, but he could always go visit his relatives if he got homesick. Tristan found that even though he had been there for what seemed like forever, he was still constantly meeting new people. “I feel like I meet someone new every day though, especially working here.”
It was the perk of working behind the bar, he could meet new people and learn a little bit about them as he served them their drinks. “Nice to meet you, Tanner.” He would have to do his best to remember the patron’s name, but it seemed to be unique enough. “What do you like to do in town?” Most people seemed to ride horses, but there seemed to be more and more people that didn't.
Tristan pulled out his shaker and started mixing the drink up. “That’s a great choice. I know a lot of the older teens like ordering it.” It made them seem cool and more adult. “Did you want apple or apple cider?” There were two different kinds, one was more bitter than the other.
The danger of adventure is worth a thousand days of ease and comfort. ― Paulo Coelho
“I do,” Tanner smiled. “I like it. Small town but the big city feels if that makes sense?” With the college campus being near and the horse competitions, there always seemed to be something happening around the town. He never felt bored, though he could see why some people his age could feel that way. But everything was within reaching distance, so it didn’t feel lackluster.
“With the tourist season, I’m sure you all are quite busy?” Thankfully, the pet shop had managed to not attract too many people. Though, there was the occasional – forgot to pack enough food for my furry companion on vacation.
“Work, mainly,” he laughed. “No, I do animal photography a lot. So walking, exploring. Trying to soak in the outdoors before I’m forced back in!” The winter usually didn’t stop him, either – but it meant less good photo time. The darkness in the am and the early pm made him miss great shots.
“Cider please, since I know it’ll be a bit sweet already. Food wise? Hmm…what do you think I should get? Anything you think would pair with it?”
"Yes, that's why I like living here too. I'm originally from California so it was a bit of a shock when I first moved here." It was hard for his family to adjust - used to having beaches and palm trees year round. Most of the complaints came from his younger siblings however - especially when it came to the rainier months.
Tristan nodded, tourist season was fast approaching which meant work was about to get busier with the Holidays coming up. "Don't remind me, I feel like the summer rush just ended." It was a welcomed calmness that came to the lounge in between Summer and Christmas break, but it always seemed to fly by.
"Ah, don't work too hard. Burnout is a real thing." Tristian often wondered if that was why he got into the car accident - which made him quickly realize not to take life for granted. "This is the perfect town for you if you love animals. Anywhere in particular you like to take photos?"
As soon as he got the answer, he got to work on finishing the drink. "No problem, well the Nacho platter is often quite popular...or the new mozzarella sticks with red pepper jelly." Tristian was lucky enough to have the opportunity to taste test all the new appies before they were made available to the public - so he knew what tasted good.
The danger of adventure is worth a thousand days of ease and comfort. ― Paulo Coelho
“Honestly, anywhere. I know people like fields and parks. But there are some nice areas around the town too. Sometimes people like it for business, too. I’ve done a few things for vets and stuff. Same with the resources. Helps get funding and awareness.” At least, that’s what it felt like. Tanner always had a fun time, no matter what it was. Sure, there were some tough customers, but it was hard to be mad at animals that couldn’t keep still for a bit.
Tanner thought about the options given to him. The nachos sounded good but didn’t really fit the vibe he was going for. A bit heavier than he probably needed. Knowing his mom, she had probably started something in the crockpot. The spice of the jam sounded good, to offset the sweetness of the cider. “I’ll go with mozz sticks! Those don’t sound too heavy.”
Tristian nodded. Nature photography was slowly becoming more and more popular. "Have you gone to any of the local stables and photographed horses?" It was bound to happen in a town like Hickstead. "Do you have a website or something where you sell your photos?" If he did, there was a corkboard where people put up their business cards for others to take.
"Great choice. It's one of the perks of working here. The owner lets us taste test the new menu items before they come on the menu." He turned to the kitchen and put in the order of mozza sticks in. Once the drink was finished, he set it in front of him. "Do you have anything else other than photography? Ride horses like everyone else around here?" Tristian picked up a microfiber cloth and wiped down the area he used to mix up the drink.
Tristan saw one of his other customers had an empty glass, heading over to check on them. He small talked with them while filling their beer glasses before wiping that area of the bar and heading back to where Tanner was.
The danger of adventure is worth a thousand days of ease and comfort. ― Paulo Coelho
“I do, yeah!” Business cards were something his papa told him he needed. Maybe it was because there were a few stacks in the back, making it easy for Tanner to get a decent idea. His stuff was a bit cleaner, compared to the old-fashioned version of his gramps. Tanner would never say that out loud of course.
ands rummaged for his wallet and when he found it, he opened it and pulled out a card. It was sleek, matte white with gold-pressed lettering on his logo. On the back were his name, email, and website. Tanner placed it on the bar top.
He shook his head at the horse comment. “No, I don’t ride. Take a lot of pictures of horses and their riders, though. I figure I’m a minority.” He was sure ninety-five percent of horse people filled the town. The city, maybe not so much – but there were still plenty of horse people. “I walk dogs, volunteer occasionally, and work at the local pet store.”
"Thanks, I'll have to check it out. I don't have any recent photos of myself and my two horses. Maybe my wife would like a few with hers as well." It would be a nice present for an upcoming holiday. The past few months had been difficult for the couple - after the accident all the focus was on him and his recovery - which he hated. "Do you come to both barns?" He smiled - maybe the young man had a preference, though since the barn fires the rivalry seemed to die down. It was all hands on deck he had heard - though he was still in the hospital when it happened.
Tristan set down his towel and picked up the card, glancing at it before putting it in his pants pocket. "Wow, who made these for you?" Because he worked at the bar, there was no need for a business card - people knew how to find him if they wanted a drink. "There seem to be more and more people here who don't ride, you'd be surprised." It seemed like a lot of new people to town all came to the Nightclub for a bite to eat or a drink - and to see what the night life in Hickstead was like. "Have you thought about photographing the competitions? People always want the action shots." Tristan himself was itching to get back in the show ring - his two horses were back in shape and so was he.
"Animals seem to be a theme with you. Have you always liked them?"
The danger of adventure is worth a thousand days of ease and comfort. ― Paulo Coelho
“My friend’s mom owns her own graphics studio in the city. I offered to pay, but since I walk her dogs – she sees it as an equal trade.” Tanner didn’t, but he wasn’t going to argue it. He knew they were the lux version and cost a good penny. Tanner learned long ago that it wasn’t worth saying no to the parents of his friends who wanted to give him food and such.
Tanner shook his head. “Nah, I haven’t. I think there’s a good amount of people that do that already. I could, if someone asked me to – for their specific competitor, but no one has approached me yet.” His mozz sticks came out and Tanner thanked the person who brought them out. He gingerly touched one, feeling that it was still piping hot, and let it cool off for a minute.
Tristian heard the bell ring behind him, signaling that the food was ready for a different customer. He quickly turned and delivered it to the person at the bar. "Oh that's a nice change off. If I ran my own business I'd ask you for her number. He was sure Moses had his own already - there wasn't anything to offer there.
"I'll have to get ahold of you come next show season. I'm coming back from an injury and am hoping to compete again here soon." The two mares were itching to get into the jumping ring again - he didn't know how they understood that they didn't have their regular rider for months. "If you advertise it at the barns, I'm sure someone will take you up on it." There were enough riders around to make a profit of it, though the competition days were very long.
"I agree, do you have any animals at home?" He already mentioned his two horses - though they didn't live in his backyard. The two of them hadn't even talked about getting a cat or dog in their house yet.
The danger of adventure is worth a thousand days of ease and comfort. ― Paulo Coelho
“I have a dog, but that’s it. I’ve considered a cat, too – but I think one animal is enough for me. I already get to be around a lot of them. Plus, I’m busy enough that having more would be unfair.” Thankfully, Binky was around the hardware store then she was stuck at home. She had become a small but mighty mascot of Scott’s. Tanner honestly wondered if she was his dog anymore. But she was getting a lot of socializing and attention, which she loved. It often made sure she was tuckered out at the end of the day. Despite what everyone thought, Binky was another small sliver of happiness to everyone. Well, maybe not his uncle.
