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!.
Brook walked through the high street on his way to the weekly farmer’s market. It had been a few weeks since he had last managed to get there due to work but he finally had a Thursday free and he was looking forward to picking up some fresh fruit and veg and seeing what the butcher’s had to offer. The produce from the supermarket had sufficed but nothing compared to what the market had to offer; fresh, local produce. He enjoyed being able to give back to the local farmers and liked the fact he could walk to it from his house.
His german shepherd trotted happily at his side - probably appreciating the walk without his younger more boisterous brother. Brook had opted to leave the pup at home with Blaise – still not a sentence he was used to saying – since he needed at least one hand free to carry things back. He trusted Zeus to walk freely whilst Spike was still learning. Reaching the market, he began walking the isles, searching for what he needed for the week ahead.
This had been quite the morning for Diana. Her parents had been nagging her about something - probably her lack of a house - she had managed to tune them out, Sasha was still displeased over the secondary school compared to her old one at London, and during all of that commotion of trying to get her out of the house, Diana had managed to leave her lunch behind on the counter. Rather than go back and face her parents, regardless of her age and theirs, she opted for stopping by the farmer's market to grab both lunch and groceries to kill two birds with one stone. As long as she didn't overcrowd the fridge at work - nobody would care.
Parking the car on the street, the woman soon hopped out with her reusable shopping bags and locked the car, before making her way to the farmer's market. It wasn't as grand as the ones that would magically appear in London on Saturday mornings, but it still managed to rival it with fresh produce, meats, cheeses, and best of all - bread. The other thing that Hickstead generally had going for it over London was the lack of heavy traffic and an ugly commute, something she always appreciated. Despite parking a bit of a distance away, it wasn't long before she was at the opening of the narrow, dedicated street with all of the venders.
She had enough time for thirty minutes of shopping, but Diana vowed to herself to get it done quicker. While thanks to Kendra Hawkes, she had managed to close out her burglary case, there was always work to be done and cases to be solved - even in Hickstead. Fifteen minutes later, the woman was pleased with her bounty, both for lunch and for home, she decided that it was best to head back to the car with her treasures. However, movement caught her eye and she found herself distracted by a leashless German shepherd. Blue eyes followed the dog's gaze as it looked over its shoulder for the reassurance that its owner was still around and it soon dawned on her that she recognized said owner.
Deciding to offer a way, Diana then smiled and greeted her boss, well, her second boss, "Chief! Funny to see you here on a thursday morning and not at work," nevermind that she too, was not at work.
when i walk in the room i can still make the whole place shimmer
thanks aofie!
Forty Five . Detective . Hetero . Single Mother of Azura Hope Perry
Brooke browsed the different market stalls as he walked along the first row, only pausing when he eventually reached his usual veg vender. He greeted the man with a nod before selecting a variety of fresh vegetables that would last him for the rest of the week. After paying, he took the bag from the man and continued his way through the market, stopping briefly to grab a coffee from another stall. As he rounded the corner to the next row of stalls, he took note of how busy the market had become and pulled the black leash from around his shoulders, leaning down to clip it onto Zeus’s collar; ensuring the dog wouldn’t get in people’s way as they passed by. He wasn’t in the mood for a Karen complaining about an off leash dog, not that they’d have a leg to stand on. Zues’s recall was outstanding with being an ex-police dog and retirement hadn’t changed that. "Chief! Funny to see you here on a thursday morning and not at work," His eyes found the source of the voice as he straightened up. ”Deputy Chief, and I do have days off Diana. . Occasionally.” He said, smiling slightly.
It appeared to take Brook a few moments to register that she had spoken to him. In her boss's (well, one of her boss's) defense, he was leashing up his dog now and likely distracted by the task. Diana knew that dog - certain it had visited the station a few times, and that it was very well trained. However, from an outsider's perspective, Diana could see how an off leash German Shepherd might worry people - especially given the unfortunate sigma that they carried with them. As Brook straighten up though, his eyes found hers and he promptly acknowledged her, "Deputy Chief, and I do have days off Diana. . Occasionally.” Laughter escaped her at the correction, "Deputy Chief doesn't roll off the tongue as well." In fact, it was down right awkward to say. But it just showed how different everyone was considering she got away with it in London, "Ah well, I suppose you're right about having days off. Even bosses need a break," especially when they have seemingly exhausting girlfriends, "Are you and Zeus just out for a walk or did you have a mission out here for groceries like I do?"
when i walk in the room i can still make the whole place shimmer
thanks aofie!
Forty Five . Detective . Hetero . Single Mother of Azura Hope Perry
His lips curved into one of his rare smiles when the woman laughed. "Deputy Chief doesn't roll off the tongue as well." She had a point. He hardly went by the title the town had decided to give their head officers, mostly going by detective sergeant when introducing himself to members of the public/officers in the city. ”True. . how about you just stick to Brook. . or DS Tyson when on duty.” He said, his smile slipping into a slight grin. "Ah well, I suppose you're right about having days off. Even bosses need a break," There had been a time in his career when he’d hardly had time off. He had been eager to climb the ladder as quick as he could and had only recently allowed himself the luxury of down days.
It had been easy to exclusively focus on his job in the past when he had no family or a girlfriend that had stuck around long enough. His priorities hadn’t changed drastically in the past year but taking on a puppy had allowed him to enjoy days off rather than try to put in for over time. ”That they do.” He agreed. "Are you and Zeus just out for a walk or did you have a mission out here for groceries like I do?" He nodded and gestured to the bag in his hand. ”Both. . walking Zeus while getting supplies in for the week.” Might as well kill two birds with one stone.
Perhaps it was because Diana was used to only seeing the man in the office, but this might have been the first time she had ever seen him smile. Well, perhaps he smiled that other time when Blaise Turner waltzed to the front desk looking like a fat cat that had just caught a cannery. It was certainly a relationship that she didn't understand, or perhaps the blossom of a relationship, but people had their private lives and Diana knew better than to judge. Even if one part of that book cover had a background in criminal history. The woman smiled at her boss though when he came to his own conclusion on what his name should be, "I think I can work with that, Brook."
At least he didn't seem to take offense to her joke about bosses about needing a break. If he did, Brook had taken it well in stride, "Glad you see its good to take care of your mental health like that. I knew people back in London who had a hard time with it." Even Diana herself could struggle with taking work home with her, even here in sleepy Hickstead, but she learned it did her no good - not in her failed marriage, and it certainly didn't help with her teenage daughter. She nodded as he pointed out his bag, "Same. At least, getting it in before work. I like grabbing my lunch from here," her blue eyes glanced to the large german shepherd now, "Is he fine with strangers petting him?"
What little she knew of her boss, she assumed the dog would be fine with it. But there was never any harm in asking for permission, and with dogs (even the tiniest of dogs), it was always best to ask first. Still, she held out her hand to allow Zeus to sniff and to see her not as a threat, "Besides prepping for work, you got anything else going on this weekend or with the holidays coming up?"
when i walk in the room i can still make the whole place shimmer
thanks aofie!
Forty Five . Detective . Hetero . Single Mother of Azura Hope Perry
"I think I can work with that, Brook." He smiled again. ”good.” He didn’t care for formalities with other detectives, unless he didn’t get along with them, but he liked Diana. "Glad you see its good to take care of your mental health like that. I knew people back in London who had a hard time with it." He nodded. ”Yeah I used to have a hard time with it myself back in London myself.” There was something about the smaller town that made him want to enjoy his free time, rather than throw himself into work all the time. "Same. At least, getting it in before work. I like grabbing my lunch from here, Is he fine with strangers petting him?" He glanced down at the dog sat by his side and smiled. ”Yeah go for it.” He said, running a hand over the shepherd’s head. "Besides prepping for work, you got anything else going on this weekend or with the holidays coming up?" He shook his head. ”No, I’ll probably just be grabbing a beer with friends. . are you up to much?” He asked.
Diana smiled at her boss's London comment and how it related to his home work ethic, "Ah well, I believe metropolitan work gets the best of us all as far as bringing the work home." London had never been an idiliyic life for the older woman, going from beat cop to detective, no matter what, there was always something going on. As a woman, Diana always felt like she had something to prove to the higher ups and her colleagues as well. Now here in Hickstead, it didn't feel that way at all. Yes, sometimes work still bothered her, but she was doing much better at creating the force field that kept all of her worries at work - work, and all of her worries at home - well, home.
With permission to pet Brook's dog now, Diana bent down and let his German Shepherd sniff her hand before moving to give the dog a good pet on the head followed by a scratch behind the ear, "So soft," she murmured, "Your dad takes good care of you, Zeus." With that done, she pushed herself back up to her feet now as the young man answered her question, "Ah, nothing like a good beer with some friends," Diana said with a smile now, "I feel like I may have to do that too." As for her plans, she mulled them over for a bit, "I'll probably have to take my daughter to London to spend time with her father, let her see her friends again. She hasn't exactly been pleased with our move here - which, I can understand her point of view. I just...don't think she understands my view, per say." Diana merely shrugged, "Not the end of the world though."
Blue eyes looked around the farmer's market for a moment before glancing back to Brooke now, "Which way were you two walking, Brook? I can walk with you. Don't mean to keep you hostage here to this one particular spot."
when i walk in the room i can still make the whole place shimmer
thanks aofie!
Forty Five . Detective . Hetero . Single Mother of Azura Hope Perry
