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!.
There was nothing she hated more than parent teacher conferences. She also hated the day after parent teacher conferences mainly because they felt like the equivalent of some sort of bad hang over. Ora Flores always had the up most patience when it came to her students, they were young and still learning life, full of wonder even. Their parents however were utterly annoying, like nails on a chalk board with their worries and demands. Those nights always put her patience to the test and it almost always came to close calls where the stability of her job was the only thing that kept her from mouthing off.
Last night, there had been three parents that had come dangerously close to setting her off over the state of their child's affairs and what they were learning and how they knew better than Ora over what they should be learning. The woman herself thought it ridiculous and felt the need to remind said parents that this was simply Pre-K, not Secondary. Naturally, it didn't go over well and the rest of her night went to shit. It was the sort of anger that Auggie didn't mess with and Izzy stayed out of her way. It was the sort of anger that lingered with her the next day and was put away for eight hours while she was with her students but came stewing back out afterwards. It was the sort of anger that no matter how much sparing or punching a bag, it never seemed to go away.
So Ora decided to do the next best thing that she could think of. She went to the beach, on a particularly cold day with a towel and sat on the sand. The woman leaned back on her hands, closing her eyes and letting the cool sea breeze hit her face and listen to the calming sounds of the crashing waves. Slowly but surely, a sense of peace started to wash over her - just like that. Cleansing her of her anger and rage. And somehow, she sensed that she was no longer alone. Dark brown eyes opened, noticing a woman walking down the beach. It took her a moment but it soon dawned on Ora that she recognized this woman, "Beth!" she called, waving her over, "Did you have a rough night of Parent Teacher conferences as well?" She couldn't even imagine what it was like to be the teacher of the kids at Secondary School.
If people were rain, I was drizzle and she was a hurricane.
When she had applied for the job at the secondary school, Beth had done so thinking that she had no hope in getting it, especially when she hadn't work for so long... well, worked in the sense of a 9-5 job. When she'd got the call to come in for an interview though, she had been secretly pleased, and then excited when she had got the job.
Working with teenagers was interesting, yes that was the best word to explain it. She had learned quickly that she wasn't only working with them, she was working with their whole family. Students mouthed off at her, and then got grumpy when she retaliated with punishment. Parents got grumpy when she sent their child home with homework that got in the way of the parents' social life. Aside from all of that, she loved her job! She loved seeing a student unlock a new part of themselves through their writing, as they worked out a new way to look at something, that no everyone had to have the same idea for them to be correct - in fact she encouraged her students to have their own opinions on what they were reading, or writing.
A walk down the beach was great for clearing one's head, there was something almost magical about it. The fact that the noises of everyday life vanished once you had stepped onto the sand, and the smell of the salty air, the sound of the surf, it all washed away the rest of the world. "Beth!" She looked over, her brow dipping as she tried to work out who had waved, but she approached the person anyway. "Did you have a rough night of Parent Teacher conferences as well?" She smiled. "They weren't as bad as they could have been." She said with a shrug. "I'm thinking next time I'll just get them all to arrive at the same time and run it like a class." Too many of the parents all the the same issues that they wanted to complain about.
Given the distance between them, it looked like it took the other woman a moment or two to recognize her. While they did not teach at the same school, Pre-K was always its own separate entity, it didn't stop Ora from getting to know the various teachers at Hickstead Secondary. Plus, with Izzy having gone there, and having to attend her own parent - teacher conferences from the other end of things, Ora had gotten to know quite a few of them simply through that. As Beth drew closer, the woman beamed her a smile a welcoming smile and laughed at her words: "They weren't as bad as they could have been. I'm thinking next time I'll just get them all to arrive at the same time and run it like a class."
That shrug said it all. It was the definition of every mood that every teacher on the planet had when it came to the dreaded conferences, "Amen to that, Sister," Ora replied now, "I may have to steal from you come spring when the next rounds start." Parents always felt like the worst part of any teaching job, that or when a student was struggling. But Ora could deal with struggling students, with parents, that wasn't always the case and it required a very fine line of being polite and potentially hostile. She waved to the empty spot on her towel, "Please sit and join me. There's plenty of room. I find that the sea breeze cools my temper," she joked now, "Plus I feel like I hardly see you any more since Izzy has graduated."
If people were rain, I was drizzle and she was a hurricane.
"Amen to that, Sister, I may have to steal from you come spring when the next rounds start." Beth laughed and nodded, though with the age that Ora taught, giving the parents a mini-class probably wasn't such a bad idea, as it would give the parents some idea of how to continue their learning at home. "Please sit and join me. There's plenty of room. I find that the sea breeze cools my temper," she joked now, "Plus I feel like I hardly see you any more since Izzy has graduated." Beth grinned again as she lowered herself onto the towel beside the other woman. "The sea breeze is great for many things, especially like blowing away the stress of the day."
She glanced out across the ocean and blew out a breath. "I sometimes wish I had signed up to work at the primary school." She said with a chuckle. "I miss children that want to learn everything, before they think they know everything." Which was her biggest issue with teens and tweens. Most of them thought that they knew enough of the world that they didn't need a teacher to tell them how to write a proper sentence and paragraph, using proper words and spelling, rather than text talk or their spelling being near enough. She knew that school standards were changing, making it easier for the kids to get a pass, when they would have failed with the same answer a year earlier, though she had her own standards, and knew that near enough on their cover letter, wouldn't get them the job they were after if another, and not even better, applicant, seemed to have a better grasp on the spelling and grammar.
"The sea breeze is great for many things, especially like blowing away the stress of the day," the woman commented, as she settled down next to Ora. A grin played across her face, "That was a clever pun, Beth. You may just have to trademark that before all the dad's ruin it with their jokes." Still, it was a fitting one that matched each woman perfectly today given their teachers grievances. The company of Beth was well welcomed to Ora. While she could vent and bitch to Auggie, and he would happily listen as any husband would do, he couldn't fully understand the full frustrations of being a teacher. Beth, on the other hand, as another woman in the 'battle trenches' so to speak, could.
Sure, they taught different age groups, but each one came with their own issues, as Beth attested now to the idea that maybe she should have joined the primary school instead, citing children who actually wanted to learn. Laughter escaped Ora, "And deal with a nuclear tantrum while trying to get them to understand to use their words? You would be a brave woman for trading that off." However, the woman knew what Beth was wistful over, "I understand though. Teenagers can be...difficult." Understatement of the year. And while Izzy had, and has continued, to be a wonderful daughter, she had not been without her moods, "Although something tells me that you're more than capable of tricking a young mind into still wanting to learn, even if they are convinced they know everything." Brown eyes stared at the crashing waves for a moment before casting her glance over to Beth now, "Is there someone in particular who was sassing off today?"
If people were rain, I was drizzle and she was a hurricane.
"That was a clever pun, Beth. You may just have to trademark that before all the dad's ruin it with their jokes." Beth grinned. "Being an English teacher comes in handy at times." She said with a shrug. "I'm often good with words, even when I'm not trying to be."
She laughed at the mention of nuclear tantrums - which even her students tended to have at times, normally when she was telling them to use their words, rather than writing in text-talk. "I understand though. Teenagers can be...difficult." She giggled. "That's one way of wording it." She'd had too many years where she hadn't worked, so finding a job had been scary, and she wondered if she had bitten off more than she could chew when she had applied for the job at the secondary school, maybe the primary would have been better, easier, but she had never been one to go for the easier option. "Is there someone in particular who was sassing off today?" She shook her head with a smile. "No more than the normal." She offered. "It's just been a long day, and the beach seemed like the best way to allow my thoughts to sift through the layers." She had always loved the beach, it was the one place where she didn't mind the wind blowing straight through her, as though it was blowing away the bad memories and watching the sunset, reminded her that it with the end of one day, the sunrise meant that it was time to turn the page of her life and start anew.
Laughter escaped Ora at the other woman's whims regarding her status as an English teacher, "I think it's good to be well off with words. You can joust verbally and be gone before people will have known that you might have insulted them." That was something that Ora herself could never get away with. She was not eloquent with words at all, and her anger and fiery nature always seemed to get the best of her that talking politely, even when insulting someone, was not an option.
It would seem that Ora was not the only one finding their conversation amusing though. The word 'difficult' to describe teenagers to Beth seemed to get to her, the woman merely smiled, "Guess I'm being polite since I have a teenage daughter." Well, Izzy was nineteen now and half of the time no longer living under their roof. But Ora supposed that didn't matter in the grand scheme of things. No matter how old Izzy got, she would always been her and Auggie's daughter until they day they died. There was no doubt that Beth felt the same way about her students, and now that she thought about it, son or nephew as well, "How is your kid anyways?" Maybe she was overstepping her boundaries, but Ora didn't know boundaries until she accidently crossed them.
At least the beach here could keep both of the woman calm. Beth certainly had a point that there was just something about the beach, "I understand. Nothing like the sound of crashing waves and cool, grainy sand in the spring time to calm the mind." Brown eyes gazed out at the water for a moment, thinking of her home country before glancing back at her friend, "I do wish the water here was a little more turquoise though." Or at least, a lighter shade of blue.
If people were rain, I was drizzle and she was a hurricane.
Beth chuckled, as it was too often that she used Shakespeare quote to insult people and it would be a while before they worked out what she had said was actually not in their favour. Of course, she left things like that for adults, as she respected her students too much to insult them - for respect worked both ways. "There again, at times it's better to just tell people what you think. Rather then wait for them to work out I've insulted them."
She guessed that difficult was a good adjective for teenagers, and she liked working with the difficult ones, rather than the ones who were happy to do as they were told and follow the status quo - Bones had been both difficult and following status quo, but that was to be expected with what had happened to him . "I'm sure your teenager would rather be called a young adult." She chuckled and shrugged. "And I don't think she would like to be compared to the students I teach." After all, the students she taught, hated to be reminded that once they were the same as the current primary students who were just learning to read and write, as they seemed to think they knew everything and had nothing new to learn. She smiled when asked about her son. "He's doing well. Wanted to paint his room, but as we're only renting, I ask permission to turn one wall into a canvas, so he was able to channel his... creativity."
She nodded as she gazed out across the ocean. "And when I'm here, everything else just vanishes." She often sat here and wondered if her daughter was sitting on a beach somewhere, also looking out at the ocean. "In New Zealand, where my brother and sister-in-law lived, the ocean was a brilliant blue, so different from what I was used to from London."
Beth's words made her chuckle: at times it's better to just tell people what you think. The woman wasn't so sure about that, at least not for herself, "Ah, I like to do that too. But I tend to find it gets me in more trouble than it's worth." Over the years, Ora had gotten better at reigning in her fiery temper between Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, rock climbing, and breathing exercises - even marrying Auggie and raising Izzy helped her out. But at the end of the day, nobody was perfect, "What's your favorite insult?" As an English teacher, Ora had no doubt that the other woman had one or two up her selves.
She supposed that Beth did have a point though about Izzy, the girl probably would prefer to be considered a young adult rather than a teenager, given that she was just shy of being one by a year. Still, Ora could not help but to sigh, "I know. But in my heart, she's always my kid. I feel like nobody warns you about that - you're always going to be protective, you're always going to be worried, no matter how independent they are." Perhaps she would have gone about things differently had she known what it would be like to become a parent, she supposed also, that her father and mother had warned her even, and she hadn't listened. It did not matter though, for Ora knew she would make the same choice again and again the moment she had met Auggie and Izzy.
Chocolate brown eyes looked back to the other woman now, who smiled when her son was brought up. She seemed to appreciate the question, and Ora felt relived by this, "Glad to hear he's doing well. That's pretty creative of you to turn the one wall into a giant canvas." It made Ora think about that chalkboard paint, "I actually don't think I realized that he was into painting. Although, I would think something like that is good for the soul." Both woman returned their gazes to the ocean now, watching quietly as they listened to each other, "It's the same in Brazil," Ora said wistfully before wryly smiling, "I have to say, I never thought of New Zealand having brilliant blue oceans. Do you visit there often?"
If people were rain, I was drizzle and she was a hurricane.
Beth grinned and shrugged. There were times when it was easier to call a spade a spade, but other times it was just easier to let the other person work it out for themselves... or at least more enjoyable to watch the wheels turn until the other worked out they had been outed. "There’s small choice in rotten apples." Her grin deepened, as it was an insult that didn't sound like an insult. Basically she was telling the other person that they were nothing special.
Beth nodded, as there was no book in the world that could actually prepare you for motherhood. Sure, the books told you everything you needed to know to be prepared, but when that tiny baby is placed in your arms, nothing is ever the same again. She looked out over the water, thinking of the hole that had been left when her daughter was taken, all the years that had been stolen from her. When she had taken in her nephew, it had helped fill that hole, but there would always be that part of her heart that she needed her daughter to fill.
She shook off her melancholy thoughts as she tuned back into what Ora was saying and grinned with a shrug. "I found the idea on Pinterest." She confessed with a laugh and shrugged again. "It helps him sort through his thoughts, especially when talking about things isn't always the easiest for him." Her smile slipped when she thought about New Zealand. "Sadly, no." She replied. "I didn't go there as often as I should have, and we haven't been back since I brought Bones back here." After losing his parents, it had seemed that the boy had no intention of going back across the pond, so they kept in contact with the remaining family there via video calls. She smiled again. "I'm happy as long as he's happy."
Brown eyes stared at Beth Bones while she delivered her choice insult to use, and it took a solid thirty seconds for the whole thing to dawn on Ora. The mischievous and deepening grin playing across the brunette's face helped Ora make the connection, "That is a good one," she said with a laugh, "Hell, even I had to think that one over and I like to think that not much gets past me." Although, clearly Beth was so academically inclined to pull that one off. That was the dangerous thing about teachers, they knew how to get away with an insult if they really wanted to, "I think mine might be 'that's an interesting perspective' or 'bless your soul' when dealing with the parents of my students." Because even nowadays, the pre-k teachers appear to be wrong about something.
There was a quiet that set over the two woman now, but not an awkward quiet that Ora tended to mind. It was the sort of quiet that signaled they both had a bond over motherhood to their respective children, and while she didn't know all of Beth's history, she still knew the woman was a strong mother to her nephew. Brown eyes cast back over to the ocean now, watching its crashing waves as it re-centered the two of them, and leaving Ora herself feel at peace.
She smiled at Beth now, mainly because the other woman's laugh could be rather infectious, "Ah pintrest. I'm not sure where any of us would be without it and it's endless creative possibilities. That's good that it helps him though. It's certainly a creative way to sort one's thoughts." Ora could certainly see how that would be handy for a teenage boy at a time in his life when everything sort of just feels jumbled together. At least, that was how Ora felt about being a teenager. It was a crazy, chaotic, yet amazing experience for herself, and while she wouldn't trade her experiences, she knew that there probably could have been better ways for her to have handled herself, "Ah, I understand. It's a big trip. I feel that way about Brazil, haven't been back in a long time." Maybe that would change though one day, "Anyways, that's a good way to see it. Hickstead isn't quite like my home country, but it's truly the people around me and their happiness that makes Hickstead feel like home."
If people were rain, I was drizzle and she was a hurricane.
Beth's smile grew as it seemed that Ora really had to think over the insult and she chuckled when the wheels in the other woman's head seemed to lock into place and she got it. "Happy to inspire." She said with a seated bow. She laughed. "Bless your soul has to be one of the best backhanded compliments to give a person. And more times than not, they think you are actually complimenting them." Those were normally the parents who thought their child could do co wrong.
She smiled and nodded in agreement about Pinterest. "I find it's great if I'm thinking of a new way to ice a cake and want to know if someone has done something similar before. Or if I need a cute design... Not that I get a lot of time to decorate cakes for the fun of it anymore. I just make sure that the biscuit tins are always full." She added with a laugh. She'd had her archery competitions to keep her busy when she was a teenager, going to school was just something she did because she had to, keeping her grades just high enough that she didn't get below the curve, but not really putting much effort into school work. Maybe she had taken to baking the way that Bones did with his art, as she didn't have time for anything else in her head while she was mixing things in a bowl.
She thought of the country where her nephew had grown up, and wondered if he wanted to return for a holiday, just to see how the place had changed. "It's not the place or bloodlines that makes a place home, but the people that you surround yourself with."
Laughter escaped Ora when her friend replied followed by a rather graceful bow for one sitting down, "Oh Beth, you're always an inspiration. You deal with teenagers on a daily basis, not just at home." The woman replied with a grin. She had been rather lucky with Izzy who hadn't had much of a rebellious streak - just a stubborn one, and most of the time that was whether or not she could go to the barn. As for bless your soul, a wide grin just stayed on her face, "Exactly. They don't know what hit them which makes it safer for me."
She wasn't sure exactly where she had been all of these years, but when Beth Bones started talking about about cakes, Ora's jaw nearly dropped, "Get out of here. I've known you how long and I didn't know you had a passion for baking, or icing cakes for that matter." Granted, its not as if there had been very many situations in the past where an ole 'i love to bake' statement could have dropped. Plus, teaching was exhausting, and then coming home to a teenager 'son' for lack of a better word, also must be exhausting. Still, it sounded like Beth was able to pull off one feat at least, "Hey, having the biscuit tin always full is a good accomplishment in itself. I feel that way about my dutch oven."
Brown eyes watched her friend now as she gazed out, mulling over her words. Once Beth spoke though, Ora couldn't help but to nod in agreement, "I agree. Although I'd be lying if I said I wouldn't want to go back to my home country, even just for a visit." She couldn't quite imagine Auggie or Izzy living there, but a visit was much different, "Think you and Bones might visit New Zealand?"
If people were rain, I was drizzle and she was a hurricane.
Beth grinned, she didn't mind being an inspiration - though it was better when the compliment came from her students. She pulled a slight face, as her teenager at home, was very grown up and lacked the immaturity of the ones in her classes.
She laughed and shrugged. "Probably because baking is something I do when I need to unwind, rather than something I tell everyone about." She shrugged again. "I don't decorate cakes so much now that I'm working, as that takes a little more brain power than baking - which I can do on autopilot." Though she guessed that the cake decorating would come in handy if she were a preschool teacher, no child would ever miss out on a birthday cake. "I love my crockpot! Makes having proper meal at the end of the day so much easier than trying to work out what I'm going to throw together when I get home after a long day." And she could make sure that Bones was eating proper meals, rather than ready-made meals from the freezer.
She gave a soft smile as she gazed out over the ocean. "I support him in any decision he makes." She said softly. "If he decides that he wants to go visit the country where he was born, I'll support that too."
