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!.
“And why would I tell you that? A man can’t have hobbies. It’s not an addiction. You sound like my coworkers and my stupid wife.”
“You’ll have to beat that info out of me; you freak!”
The kick landed, but it wasn't anything Jack couldn't ignore as the idiot continued to go on and on. His expression didn't change as the little man squirmed and threw a fit in his hands.
"With absolute pleasure," he barked as he drew back a fist and let the blow hit him square across the jaw, "You are a disgrace. You are filth. You are not fit to have a lady in your life, so I applaud your wife for leaving you."
Jack felt his adrenaline making his heart race and the thrill of it all brought back horrific memories of how good it felt to hurt others. He knew if he wasn't careful, he could very well end this all far too soon.
"Now," he growled, "Who are you loaned to?"
He threw another punch, this time going for the nose, not wasting time on pointless hits - he knew how to make a body sing, and his own was telling him that he was going to feel the repercussions tomorrow.
October's poplars are flaming torches lighting the way to winter.
Patrick could feel the blows on his face. Iron dripped into his mouth and down his throat. He was motionless by the second hit, almost like a rag doll now. It didn’t take a lot for someone his size to be pummeled, even by someone closer to his weight. The swelling was happening, but he could still kind of breathe. He lost now. Lost his ego. Lost everything.
Saliva and blood gurgled in his mouth, as bruising began slowly creeping on his face. He knew his nose was broken now. “E-Er-yx..” Patrick choked out. He didn’t say the last name. There were probably a lot of people with that name, right? Patrick wriggled more, attempting more movement but he hurt now. Was it all worth it?
Any further movement was broken when the front door was opened. Aofie stood there, in her bathrobe. Her hair was wet, puddling at the neckline. Her eyes examined the scene in front of her. She wanted to wince at the sight of Patrick’s bloodied face. The porch light caught some of the splatters on her house and the two men.
“Jacob,” she started. Lying wasn’t in Aoife’s blood, but she wasn’t about to drop Jack’s name out like that. “I heard some - Oh my god! Is that man, okay?” Aofie could feel her grandmother scolding her for lying. Aofie was aware of what had happened. She had seen it all. Her hand was about to pull out her cell phone to call the police, but it appeared they were already called as a cruiser had pulled to the end of her driveway.
Aofie gave a glance to Jack. It was a bit of a stern look, telling him to let her handle this – and to also let go of Patrick. Gently. In her slippers, she went out and met them – as if she was going to lead Julius and Caesar into the house. “Hello, ma’am. A neighbor called and said there was a suspicious car parked a few blocks away. They said it was one they had seen before, driving slowly – especially around this house. Have you seen anything out of the ordinary?” That sentence made Aoife’s spine shake. Was Patrick...watching her?
“Yes,” she started. “A man just showed up at my house a few minutes ago. My boyfriend, Jacob, got home and tried to help him, but he became defensive. He must’ve gotten into a gnarly fight before he stumbled up.” One of the officers looked over her shoulder to see two figures. He nodded slowly and began walking up to the porch, Aofie following, signaling the two pit bulls to come inside. Her ears could pick up the other officer calling for an ambulance.
“You were in quite the fight, mate. Jacob, I presume?” the officer nodded toward Jack. “Can you explain the events that happened when you got home? And Ma’am?” he looked at Aofie. “Do you mind waiting inside? Officer Billings will be in shortly to ask you some questions.” Aofie nodded and didn’t look at Jack. Not wanting it to be caught as suspicious.
Once the dogs were in, Aofie – kept the front door open. She was nervous, but Patrick deserved this, right? He deserved to be pummeled for scaring her. It was a good thing that she hadn’t eaten anything. It would be all over the couch now. Thankfully, it didn’t take long for Officer Billings to walk in and begin her slew of questions for Aofie.
“Jacob,” she started. Lying wasn’t in Aoife’s blood, but she wasn’t about to drop Jack’s name out like that. “I heard some - Oh my god! Is that man, okay?”
There was a split moment when Aofie spoke that almost broke him - it was not his name she used, he was happy to own up to bashing the shit out of the man but she was doing something? He just had to trust her. He let go of Patrick, letting the man drop like a sack of shit and put some distance between himself and the low-life scum that had brought on his rage.
"He could be better off," he huffed, frowning at the limp form before reaching up and pushing some of his hair back off his face.
“Hello, ma’am. A neighbor called and said there was a suspicious car parked a few blocks away. They said it was one they had seen before, driving slowly – especially around this house. Have you seen anything out of the ordinary?” “Yes,” she started. “A man just showed up at my house a few minutes ago. My boyfriend, Jacob, got home and tried to help him, but he became defensive. He must’ve gotten into a gnarly fight before he stumbled up.”
“You were in quite the fight, mate. Jacob, I presume?” the officer nodded toward Jack. “Can you explain the events that happened when you got home? And Ma’am?” he looked at Aofie. “Do you mind waiting inside? Officer Billings will be in shortly to ask you some questions.”
Jack folded his arms and nodded, watching Aofie go on inside, "Yeah - started off by going back to mine, getting the dogs, figured I would be spending the night. So I rang Aofie, asked what she wanted for dinner and picked that up too. I was coming up the steps when that lump of shit was staggering about bashing on doors screeching something. Most of it was gibberish, but there might've been something about a wife? I don't know, trying to get a straight answer was impossible. Offered to take him to the hospital when he got mighty defensive and decided to throw hands. Never a good idea against a bouncer. The dogs got defensive as well, then you two officers turned up."
He kept it simple, and mostly honest. Hopefully the neighbor hadn't been watching him when he approached.
October's poplars are flaming torches lighting the way to winter.
The questions weren’t hard, but Aofie wondered what she looked like right now. She couldn’t lie about how the man knew her, or all that. Aofie just agreed, when the officer asked if she knew him – claiming that his face was unrecognizable. Told Billings about his wife, but that was that. The officer didn’t show any kind of emotion on her face, but Aofie felt like the lump in her throat was just ever-growing. She didn’t know how people did this, being questioned in a manner like this.
Minutes ticked by on the sunburst clock, and after a brief silence – Billings held out a sheet of paper. “Thank you for the answers, Ms. Walsh.” Aofie nodded and stood up as well, reminding herself of the damp spot her hair created on the couch.
She followed the officer out, to see Patrick was already being hauled into the ambulance – and a cleanup crew for the blood working on the deck. A few neighbors were out and about – meaning something would happen tomorrow. Or the local neighborhood group newsletter on social media would be buzzing. It made her nervous, but there wasn’t anything she could do now. Aofie had given partial truth, something she would lose sleep over. But she had to keep telling herself, that he deserved it. Patrick was a monster.
“Thank you for your time, folks. I hope you have a good rest of your evening.” A quick snap of his booklet bled into the wind. “If anything else pops up, please give us a call.” A business card was handed off, and with the tip of their hats – the officers were off.
Not knowing, Aofie had blindly found Jack’s arm, her fingers death-gripping him out of nerves. Soon, the lights disappeared and Aofie released the breath that she was holding. Her head was pounding now, the smell of cleaner and the sound of brushes not helping.
“I’ll get a shower started for you. You can put your clothes in the hamper,” Aofie let out. “I’ll re-order something.” She released his arm from his death grip, but still held onto him – to help her keep her balance. Her body was numb. The adrenaline was wearing off again, and Aofie felt like she needed to be put out of her misery. “He didn’t hurt you; I hope?”
Jack answered the questions thrown at him - the lies rolling off his tongue so easily he wondered if Aofie could ever trust him if she knew that. How easily he was willing to weave a story, the power he had to make the narrative a reality. He would only need one phone call to set everything into motion, and he knew he would have to make a call anyway. There were larger chest pieces at play here.
“I’ll get a shower started for you. You can put your clothes in the hamper,” Aofie let out. “I’ll re-order something.” She released his arm from his death grip, but still held onto him – to help her keep her balance. “He didn’t hurt you; I hope?”
The grip on his arm snapped him out of his thoughts, finally seeming to notice that the officers were gone and that now he did not have to remain so rigid. He didn't look at her at first, just absorbing the words she spoke, re-grounding himself in the present. He looked at her and offered a convincing smile even though his insides were lead lined and cold.
"No, he didn't hurt me," he spoke, his tone gentle, "Come on, let's go inside." Even if he was hurt, he was sure his tattoos would blur the bruising.
He was careful,picking up his bag and guiding her back into her apartment, drawing the door closed behind them - making sure the locks sunk home. He was most definitely going to have to do something about making sure that Aofie was safe. Even just thinking that made him frown slightly - Aofie was an adult and didn't need his protection so to say, and she certainly didn't need him to hover and become a Stonehenge in her life. It wasn't practical, nor fair to do so. He could've spoken to her about it now, but he refrained. It was a lot in one night, and her thoughts were probably a tangled mess. He looked at her now, pushing down that rage and fire, instead focusing on her.
October's poplars are flaming torches lighting the way to winter.
Aofie couldn’t exactly believe his words of him being okay. But maybe it was a Jack thing. They hadn’t know each other for too long, but Aofie told herself she was a bit too old to not enjoy herself. Maybe it was her brain state, but she wondered what Jack looked like undressing. How the clothes would slide of his broad shoulders. How much ink did he have under there? Was he fully covered; did he have chest hair? Thank God for the fact her dogs kept her in check.
She could feel Jack looking at her, wondering how she looked to him. Did she read attractive? She could technically slip off the robe she was wearing and be in her birthday suit. All damp with sweat. A familiar warmth rushed over her as she went into the downstairs bathroom to set up the bathroom. There were towels already, as Aofie was always prepared to host. The hamper was empty. Her hand turned the knob to start the water, letting it warm up – before turning it to the shower setting.
After closing the door behind her, she walked back into the open space. She didn’t know why, but she just found herself wrapping her arms around Jack once more. Her cheek pressed on his chest, as her hands explored his back. Fragile fingers gently massaged, almost to give him some comfort, before she pulled away. “Take your time,” she said. “I’ll get the dogs fed. I think I’ll need to freshen up again,” Aofie added, with a soft smile. “Can I get anything else set up for you?”
