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 been a relatively slow day so far for Raven, though a productive week. The city had yielded her some pretty decent results, with a steady influx of newcomers and visitors, it was easy to pass through and lift a few wallets, or the occasional phone and then move on before they even noticed. They were through the city and moving on to their destination within a few days or a week and she never saw them again. Locals was a little bit different, and you had to be careful and choose your mark within the right criteria - or be more clever with your cons. So they never saw it coming. She preferred the fun and thrill of a con, the adrenaline as she had to put on the risk mask, and play the play just right - a true performance. If you were good at it, it took them time to realise what had happened, and some of them never even figured it out. It didn't always go to plan, naturally, but she was yet to get caught in this neck of the woods and she was keen to keep it that way.
Short cons were easier, they only involved a good lie and a pretty face most of the time, the men flocked to a sweet, innocent young woman crying or in need of help, and were happy to part with a few hundred pounds in cash if they thought it would get them a peak beneath the hood. Funnily enough, it never worked - Raven was not a woman who could be brought. She had taken her time this morning to look for a new mark, in the mood for a short con over a quick steal but unable to find one that would suit. She sat at one of the many coffee shops, sipping from her steaming to go cup as she surveyed the people passing by. She had foregone a wig today, preferring her natural dark hair, though she had put in some contacts, turning her eyes a muddy brown instead of the bright blue they normally were. She tried to change her appearance in some way when she was out to make her money, it made a difference. She raised the cup to her lips again and took another long sip, letting the heat of the fresh coffee warm her chilled bones.
Noah walked down the street in the direction of the town square. He was in need of a quick fix of cash so he was hoping to draw in a crowd and slip a few watches or wallets from people and take them to the pawn shop. He found a decent spot in front of a few popular shops with plenty of foot traffic and pulled out a deck of cards as he caught sight of a family heading his way. He put on his showman smile and stepped forward as they went to pass by "Pick a card, any card, bet I can tell you what it is." He said, spreading the deck out for one of the kids to take.
The youngest kid took the bait and he began to wow them with a few different tricks. As he pulled in a crowd, he put the cards away and moved his sleight of hand on to people's personal items. He would take someone's wallet, show them he had it then take their watch or bracelet whilst they were distracted. Once he'd racked up a few, he excused himself and disappeared into the crowd, occasionally bumping into people to take their purse or wallets. He did have a conscious when it came to pick-pocketing - he would never take a phone. He knew they were full of memories and he knew how he would feel himself if he lost his own - not that he had many.
It didn't take long for something else to grab her attention. Her mark wasn't being very helpful for the moment, they were in the wrong position and someone they knew had appeared and sat down with them. She couldn't make an attempt at the con with the friend there, it was too risky and Raven was nothing if not meticulous - well, not all the time, even she had her messy days, but there was some improvement from her sloppy first times. Instead, the showmanship of the stranger with his cards intrigued her instead. It wasn't often she fell into sight of another con artist - and even disguised in the way that he was, the guy was still a straight up con artist, the same that she was. The people just didn't realise it. It was a simple but effective con, and she sat and observed him for some time, sipping her coffee and deciding whether or not the join and play the game.
She was disapointed when he packed up, and she made her decision. Ditching her empty cup on her way out, she following the guy for a moment, but was quick to catch up, not wanting him to get too far ahead so it wouldn't be odd she had caught him. "Hey," Her call was soft but not angry, not wanting him to think he'd suddenly been caught out and to try and run. "I want to play your card game!" She added, trying to reach to take his arm before he could vanish. She knew from example that people of her calibre were downright slippery at best and liable to vanishing in a moment's notice. Even if you were someone that generally knew where to look. "Come on, give me a chance - I think I can beat you." She taunted, a friendly smile playing at her lips. And beat him she would. At his own damn game.
Once Noah had gotten far enough away, he glanced down into his shoulder bag to check his findings, smirking to himself when he saw the stash he’d acquired. Enough to get him by for the next few days at least. "Hey," The voice made him glance behind briefly to see who’d caught up with him. He didn’t recognise the raven haired girl so he knew he hadn’t targeted her at the show, he’d have definitely remembered. "I want to play your card game!” He smiled as he continued to walk, glancing behind at her again. ”I have somewhere to be. .another time maybe. .next show will be in a few days. .” He fobbed her off as he continued to weave his way in and out of people, putting as much distance between himself and the unsuspecting marks. "Come on, give me a chance - I think I can beat you." He looked at the girl with a smirk when she didn’t give up. ”Well we’ll see in a few days then won’t we.” He baited.
She was pretty sure she'd startled him a little, he clearly hadn't anticipated someone keeping up with him. He really did have a lot to learn. If you were quick and smart about it, it wasn't too hard to make a clean get away, but if you were facing off with someone who at least had a bit of a clue, then you had better be extra quick and extra smart. She didn't blame him for being suspicious and she gave him the moment be needed to look her over, to test if she was someone he had wronged or not. There was always that little jerk in the pit of your stomach when someone caught you red handed, she'd been there before, but each time she'd learnt from her mistakes and rarely made them twice. Making them twice was both foolish and dangerous.
She followed him, not letting him get more than a couple of paces ahead of her. Didn't want him thinking he could make a quick escape. ”I have somewhere to be. .another time maybe. .next show will be in a few days. .” Raven raised an unimpressed eyebrow, continuing to follow him all the same. "Why such a hurry?" She queried, knowing he was unlikely to answer her. She met his gaze straight on when be smirked at her. Well damn he was one cocky little shit. ”Well we’ll see in a few days then won’t we.” Raven snorted at that, using his rushing and distraction to slip a hand into his pocket, where she'd watched him stash his winnings. "I think you'll find you might need to go again a little sooner than that." Her own expression turned to a smirk, one of triumph. Poor lost boy, he had no idea who he was dealing with.
"Why such a hurry?" He cast her a side glance as he continued his walk through the high street, weaving in and out of passers by, letting his pace even out now he had put enough distance between him and his previous targets. "Nosey little thing aren't you?" He countered. He caught her snort and let his attention focus on her whilst keeping his eyes forward as he moved along the pavement. The girl had spiked his suspicion from the moment she had started to follow him. He felt the hand in his pocket and used her own momentary distraction to slip his hand into her pocket and taking something of hers. He saw the smirk and held back his own at the little triumph she probably felt after snatching the small stash of real and decoy notes he kept in his pocket. His actual stash was tucked safely in the bumbag he had strapped across his body and under the zip of his hoodie. "I think you'll find you might need to go again a little sooner than that." He shrugged and lifted a brow. "Guess we'll see won't we." He said before using a crowd of teenagers to disappear into, quickening his pace until he finally reached the spot he'd parked his motorbike. The girl was good but she was naïve to think he didn't know what he was doing, this wasn't his first rodeo.
"Nosey little thing aren't you?" So he had enough of a bite to be interesting - you generally did need a quick wit and dry sense of humour to survive on the streets but there were those that never did develop one - they often didn't last long. "What's wrong with my nose?" She turned the conversation on it's head, aiming to confuse him a little. It helped to confuse your mark with odd questions and twists to the conversation, it distracted them. She was very aware that there was nothing wrong with her nose, it was perfectly adorable.
She let the slip of his hand happen. As if she hadn't met enough people who would try to out-do her. Very boring and a little disappointing of him. Shame, he had such potential. Raven didn't keep personal effects on her, it saved for awkward moments like this when you'd have to ask for them back - or she'd have had to stop him in the first place and embarrass him. "Guess we'll see won't we." She quirked a brow and let him go this time, but made it through the crowd in a slippery manner that allowed her to see his exit and his mode of transport without much bother. "Yeah, we will." She muttered to herself, looking down as the cluster of real and fake notes in her hand and rolling her eyes.
