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!.
Paige had stepped off the tarmac of her flight home, letting out a sigh. While she loved being away, being back in Hickstead was a breath of fresh air. Paige turned on her phone again as she walked towards the main building of the airport. It had seemed that she had missed a few texts, the most important one being a group chat between herself, Christian and his siblings. She raised her eyebrow at the mention of meeting to discuss planning a secret proposal - and it seemed they were meeting today.
Paige checked the time on the corner of her phone, seeing she had time to meet them at the Pastry shop. With a quick text saying she would join them, she rolled her suitcase towards the exit, finding the nearest washroom to change out of her flight attendant uniform and into something more comfortable. She packed the uniform into her black suitcase and headed towards where her car was parked. It was a quick drive as it was still early enough during the day for there to be rush hour.
Once she arrived, she realized she was the first to arrive. Paige rolled her carryon towards one of the larger tables in the cafe portion, sitting down at the end of the table - keeping her suitcase under the table as she waited for the rest of them to arrive.
Who was happier for this to happen? For sure, Natalie. Ky was happy of course, but there was something about engagements and women. It was obviously a big deal for both people. Kyler was stuck at work for a bit, so Natalie was waiting until her brother was ready to go. “You owe me a good beverage,” she teased. Kyler rolled his eyes and snorted.
“What are you, Kenzie?”
It was Natalie’s turn to roll her eyes. The siblings jokingly punched each other – before getting into Ky’s car. From the text, it looked like Paige was going to be there as well. She was the cousin on Ama’s side, who knew Ama as well as the others. Natalie and she were the same age, but as the women – that weren’t parental, Christian probably found their opinion important as well. Ky was there for moral support, most likely.
The two made it to Parker’s. It was silent, so there was a low chance of people overhearing. Natalie questioned why it was so public. Wasn’t it supposed to be private? They found Paige, obviously who got off work as well. Natalie made her way over and grinned. “Ky’s buying, what do you want cuz?”
Kyler smiled and waved, knowing fully well to not argue at this moment. He already knew what Nat wanted. “I hope your flight wasn’t too bad?” he asked, noticing her carry-on.
Christian was nervous proposing to Ama. He had the feeling that because she ran the bridal store, there was more pressure on him to make it perfect. He also felt bad that she was already eager to get married. As he didn't know where to start with planning the proposal, he thought his siblings and Paige would be the best people to go to for support and help.
He made sure Ama was busy and the triplets were off with the grandparents before he got himself ready. The Pastry shop was relatively quiet this time of the day which is why he suggested it to the family. Christian got into the car and drove off. Within half an hour, he pulled into the parking lot - seeing the cars of his family members already in the lot as he made his way inside.
With a quick peek inside the building, he saw his cousin and two siblings by a table already. A smile crossed his face as he approached them. "Hello, always nice to see you three." He caught the end of their conversation and shook his head, causing his hair to swing back and forth. "Don't worry Ky, you aren't paying. It's my turn. What would everyone like before we start chatting?"
Paige scrolled through her phone as she waited for her family to arrive. She needed a moment to come down after a few days abroad. Even after a few years of flying, the jet lag was real. She was looking forward to a caffeine kick to help bring her back to the right time zone. It wasn't a long wait before she heard a familiar voice, lifting her head and setting her phone on the table in front of her. She smiled at Nat and Ky, glad they were able to make it. "Are you sure? I can get it too." Paige got up from her chair and waved at her cousins.
"Slightly stressful. Had to call a doctor once we landed to get someone medical attention but other than that everyone made it to their destinations safely." She sighed, glad that her shift was over. Whenever someone needed medical attention, it added more to her work load. As Christian joined them, Paige smiled to her older cousin. "Christian, always nice to see you." She greeted, stepping aside to let him be able to see Ky ant Nat. "Alright, if you insist. I'll have a hazelnut cold brew and a chocolate cookie, please." It was awkward when everyone offered to pay, but Christian was usually good about it if he had invited the family. "What would you two like? And how have you been?"
Ky just decided to not argue any further than what they had started. But knowing Nat, it would be his turn the next time. She had made it clear since he was making quite a bit of money now. He hadn’t gotten a promotion or anything, but Nat saw museum work as posh and rich – despite they all lived a bit in luxury. More than most.
“A caramel macchiato with oat, cold. And three croissants!” Ky looked at his sister with a quirked eyebrow and she shrugged. “Older bro is paying so…”
Ky just smiled and shook his head, before saying, “Hot latte with Oat. I’ll get some communal donuts.” There it was, the middle brother – trying to make things a bit more even. Plus, he was sure there would be a need for a stressful nibbling.
“That’s wild! What happened, I hope the person is okay?” Nat said, eyebrows lifting. “But at least it wasn’t in the air.”
Ky slipped to the till before Christian, said hello to Daisy. He paid for a dozen donuts, her pick – knowing fully well she would choose some good things. He put his wallet back into his pocket and sat down, knowing fully well – them all hovering looked intimidating to a few people. Nat followed and slumped into the chair. Once everything sounded like it had been ordered and settled, Ky looked at his brother. "So what exactly do you have planned already?" he asked.
She listened as the two cousins gave Christian their order. It was always interesting to hear what everyone's coffee order was - glad that someone else was making the coffee for her instead of herself. Though making the coffee on an airplane was much simpler, there was no room to make fancy lattes. "This sounds like a lot of snacks! We can split them up between the four of us if we don't eat them all." Though after having to stay late and write a report of the injury, she needed all the sugar she could get to make it back home into her bed.
"Everyone is fine thankfully. A passenger had a heart attack after we landed. The doctor on board was able to get him stable and they left for the hospital before I clocked out. I had to stay later and write a report on it though. The paramedics said they'd call my boss on any updates." It was something that happened more often than people thought, though their flight attendant training taught them what to do.
Paige wasn't picky about doughnuts, wondering what different kinds would be brought to the table. She didn't come to the Pastry shop often, but she would have to add it to her list of local haunts - depending on how good the coffee and pastries were. "Have you at least gotten the ring?" It was the most important part of the proposal after all.
Christian shook his head at Paige's question. He was the one that invited them and therefore it was his turn to pay for their coffees and treats. Chris made his way to the counter, hoping he remembered everyone's drink order. He chatted happily to Daisy as he placed their order after Ky had stepped aside.
As the coffees were finished, he brought them over two at a time - placing them in the middle of the table so everyone could grab their respected drinks. He went back and got the croissants, catching bits and pieces of Paige's story about work, nodding when necessary. He placed the croissants on the table as well as four plates and sat back down. "Don't you just love the extra paperwork?" The question of if everyone was alright had already been answered, which would have been his first question. It was part of his fatherly instincts.
"Alright, dig in everyone. Hope everything is to your liking." He moved his Matcha latte towards his edge of the table, taking a sip before he answered the questions directed to him. "I don't have much planned. The ring is almost done, I spoke to a local jeweler so it's being custom made. I feel like I need to step up my game because it's the industry she works in. Any thoughts and ideas on how to start?"
“She doesn’t want anything elaborate or compare anything that she’s already seen.” Ky said. “I think something simple. She’s expecting it, right?” Granted, he didn’t know if that was correct or not, but with how long they had been together, the rest of the families were kind of annoyed with how long it was taking. Not a rush really, but they were ready for it to happen. The two were raising three kids together and taking care of each other’s families already.
“What does the ring look like?” Nat asked. “Nothing too big, right?” Despite what everyone thought of Ama, the woman wasn’t one to be flashy in her personal life. She loved her sweats and the non-pressure look of home life.
“I guess…what did you have in mind? Tell us what you were thinking first,” Ky interjected. “Then we can help brainstorm more. “
Paige picked up a plate as well as a croissant, breaking it in half and letting the crumbs flake on the plate in front of her, trying not to make a huge mess. "There's always paperwork to do as a flight attendant, it just depends on what happened on shift." She shrugged her shoulders, thankful she hadn't had someone die on an airplane yet, nothing could prepare anyone for that though.
She nodded at the questions, having those floating around in the back of her mind as well. "Is that new jeweler making it? I heard a few people on flights talking about him. They say he does a great job." Perks of being a flight attendant - she got to hear more gossip than anyone ever thought - just like a fly on the wall. "And please let me know how I can help. I'm sure we can make the proposal simple and beautiful." She hadn't been part of a proposal before, though she was sure it was something they all could handle together.
Christian shook his head, he knew that Ama didn't want anything super fancy - though he wanted it to be special. "It's nothing flashy I promise. Here I have a picture of what I've discussed with the jeweler." He shifted around in his chair and pulled out his iPhone from his back pocket. With a few taps on the screen with his finger, he had the picture on the screen and set it in the middle of the table. "She knows it's happening. I caught her looking at rings not that long ago. You three know I can't keep a secret." And they were already on the topic so it made sense.
He looked over to Paige and smiled sympathetically. "Glad it wasn't too much then today." Christian quickly picked up a doughnut and placed it on the napkin in front of him. "I feel like something at home would be nice. Maybe get the kids involved somehow? I don't think going out to a fancy restaurant would be her thing." He hadn't really thought about it yet - though he had to trust himself. He knew Ama just as well as her family did at this point.
“Wow, that is a gorgeous ring,” Ky commented, snatching the phone before his sister. “I’ve never seen that stone before, so I think that fits! A bit of a statement but not a look at me kind of thing.” Natalie, getting impatient grabbed it from her brother.
“Damn, how much did that cost?” she jokingly asked. “And did she? Well, at least you two were on the same page for that.” Nat added, handing the phone to Paige.
“We have the family picnic coming up. How about then? I mean, it’s with the immediate family. Could have the kids make a sign?” Kyler offered. He didn’t know if there would be too many people or not, but it seemed promising. Everyone would be there, and it was a family event.
Paige smiled and patiently waited for her turn to look at the engagement ring. She liked to think she knew Ama well enough to tell what style she enjoyed, but fashion wasn’t really her thing. After Christian reached for a doughnut, she chose one with red sprinkles for herself - taking a bite before setting it down on the small plate in front of her.
“Oh wow, that is exactly the ring I see Ama wearing.” The brunette grinned, wiping her hands on a nearby napkin before picking up the phone herself. She zoomed into the stone in the center of the ring. “Yeah, I haven’t seen that one before. If you wanted a unique ring, you chose the right thing.” Paige set the phone gently on the table and pushed it back towards where Christian was sitting.
She took another sip of her drink and nodded at Christian’s question about paperwork. “Actually, it’s not too bad. I know other people don’t enjoy it but I’m weird.” Paige shrugged her shoulders - it meant she could have a quiet moment to herself after a stressful flight before she headed on the drive home. She set her drink down and tilted her head. “We do? I don’t think I got the invite yet. However, it would be a great opportunity. Everyone will most likely be there! Then you won’t have to tell everyone separately.” If he wanted it to be a big event it would be a great choice.
Christian patiently waited for his family members to look at the picture. “That’s exactly what I was going for. Something unique but not too flashy.” He also was happy he remembered that she didn’t want yellow gold. Gideon was very helpful when it came to his appointment. Christian felt terrible about how many rings he made him pull out of the drawer for him to look at.
“Not three months of pay let me tell you.” Christian laughed, he remembered the so-called tradition but really thought it was silly. To him it shouldn’t really matter what the ring cost - it was really just something that solidified the relationship between two people. “It was just odd that she was looking at rings. I thought I could really surprise her but now she knows its coming.” He thankfully avoided the awkward conversation. With people having varying opinions on marriage, he wanted to make sure that Ama wanted a wedding to begin with.
“Wait, I haven’t heard about this family picnic either. That would be a great idea. We could have it by the pond? Maybe one of you knows a photographer to capture the moment?” As the Spring time was approaching, it would make for beautiful photos with everything starting to be in bloom. “She did also mention she wanted to have the proposal around family and not in a public place." At least he could have some sort of surprise. Ama wouldn't know when or where it was happening. "Remind me, when is the picnic?"
