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 had only been a week or so since he had fully returned to Hickstead, but Stephen Breckah found himself settling in despite the chaos of the Breckah Household. Sometimes it felt a little painful to live there, partly because of giving up Oxford but mostly because it reminded him of his childhood except his mom wasn't there to tame it. The impact of Tracey's death truly hit him when he moved back in with his father and brothers, the reality flooding him like a tidal wave when he witnessed the house. The regular brother squabbling was there, but his dad was checked out, Maverick seemed fine but not, and then Jace, well, Stephen wasn't really sure on how to handle Jace. Thankfully, the others seemed just fine all things considering and were making their way through school. Nobody seemed to pay him any mind when he would disappear for some peace and quiet, something that he had grown quite accommodated to in Oxford, however, Stephen had played this game before when he was younger and simply had to get reacquainted with it.
Despite being back, the young male hadn't managed to run into his elder brother, Derek, yet but he was about to change that. The past week had been a whirl wind, Stephen had arranged to get a tour of Hickstead University to get himself acquainted with the campus again and then had to go mill about at the ole movie theater to see if they had any part time openings to get some form of salary scraps for the household. That had felt weird also, but he had to shove aside those thoughts. It didn't do him well to mourn what he had lost, in fact, it didn't do his family well either. This was temporary, or so Stephen told himself. He would transfer back to Oxford eventually, or restart and get a masters there instead. Journalism wasn't dead yet either! He would have to fish around to see if the college had a student newspaper or maybe he could go into Willow City to investigate an internship at the local paper. Eh, now he was internally rambling, at least it got him through his walk since he found himself outside of Hollow Ink.
He took a deep breath, uncertain as to how Derek was going to react to him coming home. Whether he would be grateful that Stephen had arrived or consider him stupid for leaving college to come back home to potentially waste away while looking out for everyone. Maybe it would be both. Green eyes stared at the door knob, as if it were too hot to touch. Grow the fuck up, Stephen, he thought to himself, not to mention he could only imagine what he looked like to others on the other side of door and through the window glass. This skinny ass kid with a mop of a dark hair just staring at the door like it might attack him. Quickly, he grabbed the door knob and pushed open now, stepping inside the atmospherics of Hollow Ink Tattoo Parlor. At least he looked like he belonged there. His gaze adjusted to the lighting now before just announcing himself, "I'm looking for Derek Breckah." No sooner did he open his mouth did he regret his choice words, or speaking for that matter. He should have waited for the evening when his brother would have been at the club, at least then Stephen could have skirted around in the shadows like the aloof cat he was.
Derek grunted a response to his client as they made further small talk, the guy had been chatting crap the entire time and Derek's ears were just about ready to start bleeding for it. He could deal with some small talk, but generally people didn't tend to bother trying the entire time of the tattooing - it was why he put music on. People did it for a distraction, so if there was thumping heavy metal or obnoxious pop, it got people to focus on that instead and chill out. This guy was being a ridiculously massive pansy and had been whimpering away like a little bitch since the first sting of the needle. He had nothing against people that couldn't handle a tattoo, it wasn't for everyone and as long as you stayed still, he didn't care how you dealt with it. This idiot had been twitchy as well as annoying, and he was glad to see the end of the tattoo as he finished off the shading and wiped away the ink to clear the image.
"Alright, you're all set." He said, standing upright and turning off the needle. He grabbed some plastic and then almost blanched as the guy went to start touching it, "Don't be dense! It needs to be wrapped and kept dry for the next couple of days whilst it heals. Then follow the instructions from there." He said, taping on the plastic and then handing over a folded leaflet with instructions. He watched the guy head back out to the front and sighed, shaking his head as he tidied up his work station and set everything back in it's place, wiping everything down thoroughly. He liked everything to be sorted and ready for his next client, plus being neat and tidy ensured there was no chance of infections or anything of the like.
"I'm looking for Derek Breckah." He was finishing up when he heard the words through the partially opened door back to the waiting room. His ears perked up, recognising the voice and taking a moment to place it. "No way," He muttered, and he left his things where they were and headed out to the front. "You've found him," He said by way of greeting, looking over his brother in a hurried motion. Was everything okay? He hadn't seen the kid in a while and his first instinct with all his siblings was that something was wrong. Everything appeared okay at first glance, though he looked a little anxious and Derek's brow furrowed slightly, before he gave a smile and stepped forward to embrace him. "How're you doing, little bro?"
As the silence continued on, Stephen became convinced that he was hearing some crickets that lived in the tattoo parlor. In fact, he was about ready to just back out of the shop and head on his way, wondering if he had gotten his brother's schedule wrong until he appeared: "You've found him." Ladies and gentleman, Derek Breckah, the man himself. Man, was he a sight for sore eyes. A grin cracked across his lips, "Thank god. I was beginning to regret my life choices coming in here." Not that there was anything wrong with tattoos, he had one himself, he just didn't like making an idiot out of himself and not being rewarded for it. Derek looked the same as he always had, minus the perpetual frown. The young male supposed for now, he warranted a smile out of his older brother. He watched as those hazel green eyes looked him over and his eyebrows furrowed, "How're you doing, little bro?"
Before Stephen could answer, his older brother closed the space and he suddenly found himself in a bear like hug. Instead of answering the question at hand, bewildered he asked, "When did you become a hugger?" It startled Stephen, mainly because he thought they had all been raised to believe that hugging was illegal. Granted, the young male supposed they all change once they left the house for good. Plus, even though the reaction was to act like little Simba getting a bath from his mom, the hug felt good. It was hard to deny the power of a good man, even when you were a Breckah. When the contact broke, Stephen managed to find his voice again. Although, given that look Derek had been giving him, he almost dreaded telling his brother the truth. He didn't know how he would act, but the fact of the matter, Stephen felt like was doing the right thing, and the state of the hose only cemented that, "I dropped out of Oxford. I came home to help Dad. You. Maverick. Everyone really." He also realized how terrible dropping out of your top class university sounded, "I am going to continue my studies here and live at home."
The grin made Derek chuckle a little, it sounded somewhat relieved and Derek had to wonder if he had changed that much since they'd last seen each other - did he look like he'd had a face transplant for Stephen not to recognise him from the off? "Thank god. I was beginning to regret my life choices coming in here." A raise of an eyebrow at that, the brow automatically furrowing a little as was his usual expression. Even when he was friendly, it tended to happen - he had heard the term 'resting bitch face' before, his seemed to be in a state of perpetual frowny face. Not that he ever appreciated people pointing it out to him. "Because it's so bad being seen in a tattoo shop?" He was joking anyway, but he couldn't help but raze him a little. "Which design did you pick out, or have you got one to show me?" He added, as if this was the reason his brother had come; he somehow doubted it but it was amusing to call out his bluff.
"When did you become a hugger?" Derek let out a grunt for a response and released his brother, the frown returning in full force, accompanied now by a shrug. "Been a while. Don't panic, I'll hold back from doing it again." True, they were not a touchy feely kind of family, but Derek had always had a decent brotherly kinship with Stephen and he'd missed the bugger. Occasionally it was known to happen that Derek showed feelings other than grumpiness or annoyance. The big bear was a softie deep down, to those that knew him truly well. "I dropped out of Oxford. I came home to help Dad. You. Maverick. Everyone really." Well that was fast - from good to shit within three seconds. Derek should have known. Nothing decent ever lasted in their family. His frown became a scowl and he shook his head, folding his arms. "Please tell me this is a very early April fool's joke..." His voice lowered slightly, tones of frustration coming through in a slight growl. "I am going to continue my studies here and live at home." Derek shook his head in disbelief. "Did dad put you up to this? Or one of the others? This is absurd. It can't be too late to take your place back, I'll ring them myself." No way was this happening. Stephen had gotten out, he'd done well for himself. He couldn't throw it all away for this bullshit.
Stephen cocked his head at his older brother's words. Is it bad to be seen in a tattoo shop? He rolled back over his words and realized why Derek could have taken his words that way. It also occurred to him now that a family member saw him half naked, nobody knew that he had some ink, "Ah no. I got a design done in London," he said with a grin, "Granted, I don't knw how to add to it. So that's on me. But I'll have to get it figured out so I can have your work on my body as well." The young man lowered his voice now, just a little so he wouldn't insult any of Derek's coworkers, "But I mean, if you hadn't been here, I would have had to talk to strangers...and man, that is a lot of work and patience for me still." And it was the truth, talking to strangers was a chore - such as Daisy Malloy, she drove him absolutely fucking crazy with her antics, but then there had been people like Maelle and Violet who had been the opposite of hard. It made Stephen begin to wonder if he just had selective stranger danger issues.
His older brother did not seem to appreciate the hugger comment, as a grunt escaped him along with a shrug when it broke, "Been a while. Don't panic, I'll hold back from doing it again." A grin couldn't help but to pass over Stephen's features now, "It's okay. You can admit that I'm your favorite brother and that's why I get the bear hugs. I won't tell anyone else." He himself, still wasn't much of a hugger but Oxford had been eye opening to the fact that it was, surprisingly, okay for a man to discuss his feelings and be physical with something as affectionate as a hug, subjects that often seemed forbidden in a household run by Shaun Breckah. But the joking matter seemed to only last for that moment, because as soon as Stephen delivered real news - Derek went from frowning to scowling real fast.
Green eyes watched as that scowl deepened and then he did the Derek Breckah trademard arm crossing and it suddenly occurred to him that maybe informing his older brother that he dropped out of Oxford might not have been the best of ideas. It wasn't long before those opinions were voiced: "Please tell me this is a very early April fool's joke..." now Stephen felt a cringe rolling through him, "Did dad put you up to this? Or one of the others? This is absurd. It can't be too late to take your place back, I'll ring them myself." Oh god. He had to abort whatever was going on in Derek's head. Fast. Granted, he wasn't sure if anything he could say would make it better, "What? No. Dad didn't ask me. Honestly, I'm not even sure if Dad realizes I'm in the house." A sigh escaped him, going on, "I did it to help out. After seeing Dad during the funeral and Mav in the hospital. I don't know...didn't seem right to sit there over in Oxford while it's chaos here. Mav shouldn't have to be emptying his savings to support dad and the others." Grated, he was certain Derek would through out that he should be dropping out of a pristine university to come back, "Maybe we should talk about all of this somewhere else...or at least, not the lobby."
At first he could see his brother was confused, but before he could answer, Stephen seemed to work it out. "Ah no. I got a design done in London," Derek's brows lowered a little in understanding and gave a small nod. "Granted, I don't know how to add to it. So that's on me. But I'll have to get it figured out so I can have your work on my body as well." Derek chuckled at that and mulled it over. "If you had any concept at all I could probably put some ideas together. And for you, I'll even give you discount." His lips turned up at one corner. It was funny, you probably wouldn't have pegged Derek as an artist, but looks can be deceiving and he enjoyed getting into his art. Especially when he was given some free rein to really let the creativity fly. Of course it helped to know what someone might or might not like but he could work with whatever he was given.
Derek leaned in a little, conspiratorially. "But I mean, if you hadn't been here, I would have had to talk to strangers...and man, that is a lot of work and patience for me still." He gave an understanding nod and a knowing look. "Yeah, that I get." it might be a job requirement for him but he still didn't find it easy. He had a work face persona but that took effort and by the end of the day or night it became harder and harder to maintain. It was why he usually stuck to being strong and silent, less need to have to make conversation. "It's okay. You can admit that I'm your favorite brother and that's why I get the bear hugs. I won't tell anyone else." Derek rolled his eyes at the comment and fixed his brother with a look. "No doubt you've got some kind of recording device on so you could use it as blackmail material. I'm saying nothing." Not that he actually thought that but the boys had been known to roughhouse and pull tricks or pranks on each other over the years. As boys tended to do. Especially with age gaps, sometimes the younger one's annoyed the older ones a little too much.
The initial silence did not help matters as Derek began to jump from one conclusion to another in rapid succession. "What? No. Dad didn't ask me. Honestly, I'm not even sure if Dad realizes I'm in the house." Well that wasn't exactly great to hear either and if possible, his scowl darkened. Not that he should be surprised. His dad rarely knew what day of the week it was let alone what family members were home safe and who wasn't. The sigh however, did not help matters. "I did it to help out. After seeing Dad during the funeral and Mav in the hospital. I don't know...didn't seem right to sit there over in Oxford while it's chaos here. Mav shouldn't have to be emptying his savings to support dad and the others." Derek shook his head. "You don't come back when you've gotten out. It's not as if we've always all been in it together. " It wasn't meant as a dig but some family helped more than others. He didn't see why Stephen should return when he'd managed to get himself a good life going. "No he shouldn't but then why does that make you think you should throw your life away to come back and be a deadbeat? Dad surely hadn't inspired you to live his life. Go back, Stephen. You don't belong here."
At the mention of a discount, Stephen couldn't help but to laugh, "Are you saying I'm worthy of the family discount? I may just have to make an appointment then for you to add to my back." The young man felt like there was enough room there for Derek to explore without fringing on his current tattoo. What he didn't appreciate though was his older brother leaning in a bit too much, but in true little brother fashion, Stephen stubbornly stayed put. He wasn't going to let Derek get the last laugh - not for the sarcasm that came with having to talk to people at least. Granted, he supposed that more often than thought, his brooding brother felt the same way.
At least he had been quippy enough to educe a dramatic eyeroll, and Stephen could not help but to feel proud. Even a bookmark kid could get away with being annoying, "Me? Blackmail you? Never. I am not sure as to what made you think I would do that." Getting into arguments with his brothers were not his cup of tea, it was always a loosing battle to whomever was more obnoxious - however, being declared a favorite brother might be enough ammo for Stephen to consider being annoying. Perhaps that was exactly what he should have done since the conversation went from light and happy to dark real quick, although considering that the two of them were top tier Breckah brooders, maybe Stephen shouldn't have been so surprised.
"You don't come back when you've gotten out. It's not as if we've always all been in it together." He had to mull that one over, his green eyes looking to his feet now, pondering it, "I guess. But it's not like the younger ones asked for this." Like Link, Nash, and Crev. Heck, even Jace and Mav probably didn't deserve a checked out dad. Granted, maybe Stephen didn't know the full story. It wouldn't surprise him if he didn't, even when Shaun was sober, he was oddly good at dodging questions. Unlike Derek, who proved to be a fucking freight train. His gaze went up to his brother now, who looked like he was loading him with a stubborn scowl, "I'm not being a deadbeat Derek. Hickstead University is...good." Okay, so maybe that didn't really put a lot of good faith in his older brother's court, "Man. You really think I don't belong here? Doesn't seem right to just...fuck off and leave people. I dont want to be like Keith."
"Are you saying I'm worthy of the family discount? I may just have to make an appointment then for you to add to my back." He laughed at that and then shook his head with a joking look. "Oh no no no, the discount is only open until today, so last chance." Derek didn't mean it though, he'd always offer discount for his family - the family of age to get ink anyway, he wasn't one to break the law. Tattooing people you knew was always risky, they had to be 100% happy with the artwork for him to agree to it, he hated people that just said yes to everything when they didn't mean it, and he didn't like the idea of people getting something lasered off or covered, or just hating it because they weren't honest. It wasn't just about his rep but if they were his friends, he wanted them to love the work, not just feel 'meh' about it.
"Me? Blackmail you? Never. I am not sure as to what made you think I would do that." Derek hummed at that, but made no additional comment, letting it slide right past. They'd all gotten up to things they probably shouldn't have other the years, whether it was just hand to hand smacking each other about, or if it was craftier than that and involved pranks and a little bit of cheeky blackmail. They never meant it maliciously of course, they weren't that kind of family, they might be annoyed at each other or hate it each other on the odd occasion but it never lasted long, they always forgave each other in the end.
Derek watched his brother mull over his words, hoping against hope that he might actually listen for once and be selfish, do something for himself and not worry about the rest of them. "I guess. But it's not like the younger ones asked for this." Derek sighed, it was definitely too much to ask for - wasn't it. "No, no I get that, and I agree.. but I'm here for them, those who can't get out yet." He amended, considering some of them were already getting their shit together. "I'm not being a deadbeat Derek. Hickstead University is...good. Man. You really think I don't belong here? Doesn't seem right to just...fuck off and leave people. I dont want to be like Keith." Derek frowned, "Well now you're just making me sound like an asshole," Which he would gladly take if it meant his brother would have the life he actually wanted and not the one he thought he should. "But it's not as good as where you were," He still argued, a stubborn set to his jaw. "You already fucked off, so don't try and pull that sympathy line, we both know you are nothing like that crap hat of a 'brother' we both apparently have." Derek knew it sounded harsh and he didn't mean it that way, but just that Stephen had left before, he could go again.
Stephen just laughed at his brother's joke, knowing fully well that the discount certainly did not end after today, "Well, shit." He left it at that, figuring he wouldn't bother Derek about any tattoo until he had one in mind anyways, and it's not like he was looking to get new ink added right away, only if the inspiration came to him. Besides, Stephen figured that his older brother got asked for discounts all the time. His old artist back in Oxford used to bitch about how once people realized he was a tattoo artist, people would just suddenly come out of the woodwork or attract a crowd he didn't care about. Stephen wondered if the same thing often happened to Derek, granted, his brother was no push over, their childhood made certain of that.
It was almost uncomfortable how Derek's green eyes were watching him as he mulled over his thoughts, like they were back to being stupid tweens and teenagers looking to get out of trouble...or start trouble for that matter. As he delivered his answer though, Stephen knew immediately that it had been the 'wrong' one so to speak, as a mildly dramatic sigh escaped the older man. Yup. Right back to childhood, complete with a lecture that sounded like a chew out even though that was just how Derek was, complete with the RBF, "You're not an asshole." Even though Derek had just landed himself a pretty good verbal sucker punch that even made the young man cringe, "And I guess you're right. I did fuck off before for university, but...mom was alive and dad wasn't a drunk then." Felt easier to leave when his parents were managing, verses now.
God, his dad. It had looked like a sad environment when he came home, which couldn't help but to wonder how bad it actually was if Derek just wanted him to pack up, leave, and go back to Oxford to finish his schooling. Was he missing something? Did something extended beyond that of their father, "What am I missing, Derek?" Stephen dared to ask now, green eyes staring at his brother, "Is it more than Dad? Is home just really that awful now that I'm better off leaving again? Fancy schooling aside."
"Well, shit." He chuckled at that, but he would leave it with Stephen. In all honesty, Derek was often reluctant to tattoo friends and family; not because he didn't trust in himself and his artistry, but more because people's opinions changed, and attitudes. If he knew the person well, he didn't mind so much, but he knew people who had regretted their choice of tattoo or even getting one at all, and then they had a tendancy to start pointing fingers at the tattooist. Especially if they fucked up on the aftercare and itched it to death or didn't use the proper cream etc, when it didn't look as it should or didn't heal properly. He knew Stephen wouldn't be like that, so as long as he was sure on the design and happy with how the stencil looked, Derek would do it on discount - or offer discount from another of the artists here, if he preferred.
"You're not an asshole." He raised a brow at that, "come on at least give me a bit of credit - I'm somewhat of an asshole." He joked, though he couldn't deny the truth to it. He saw the cringe and instantly felt guilty - there was nothing wrong with Stephen for getting out, he never felt any bitterness toward him going to uni, only relieved that he was out and free, and making something of his life that wasn't punching the shit out of another person. "And I guess you're right. I did fuck off before for university, but...mom was alive and dad wasn't a drunk then." A touch of sadness at that, Derek's lips pressed together. "I've always been proud of you for going to uni, you were making something of yourself, doing something for you, something important." He chewed the inside of his cheek a little. "Mum wouldn't have wanted you to quit that." He said it quietly, not wanting to upset him. "Dad's issues are his own, he needs to face his own demons."
"What am I missing, Derek? Is it more than Dad? Is home just really that awful now that I'm better off leaving again? Fancy schooling aside." Derek frowned, shaking his head slightly. "Let's not get into all that now." Which meant that of course things were going on. "It's not going to change anything." He'd catch Stephen up later, when it mattered - about Jace, about Shaun, about Keith, and all the rest of it. "Fancy a welcome back drink tonight?"
He watched as Derek arched an eyebrow at him - clearly questioning his tastes, "What?" Stephen asked with a grin before his brother interjected: "Come on at least give me a bit of credit - I'm somewhat of an asshole." Okay, he actually chuckled at that one. It was a good laugh too before everything came crashing down with the harsh reality. That seemed to be a theme in their lives as of late. Derek must have felt a tad guilty over his words, since he slightly made up for it, "I've always been proud of you for going to uni, you were making something of yourself, doing something for you, something important. Mum wouldn't have wanted you to quit that." Those words really hit, hit enough where Stephen actually pulled his hat off his head and ran a hand through his dark hair, mulling it over.
"Well, I can't argue with you on that," the young man finally replied, giving a weak smile, "And you're right about Dad too. Just...just hard to see." Stephen had never been particularly close to their father growing up, but at the end of the day, Shaun was still his dad. It was hard to see him be a shell of his former self with all the angst, rage, and depression rolled up inot one. As Derek pointed out though, it wasn't up to them to fix him, and perhaps that would be the hardest thing to not do. Home life clearly hadn't been better, as his older brother brushed that under the rug for a later conversation and offered up drinks tonight instead. Probably a lot to talk about, and quite frankly, Derek probably needed to get back to work, "Yeah. Of course. Just text me the details and I'll show up. I better let you get back to work then."
