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 felt like more and more days came by where Sabine Radley found herself at the Safe Haven in Oldaker and spent less of her time squatting around Hickstead and its many horse barns. The teenager didn't quite know what to think about the situation. There were too many feelings to unpack about it, but the draw of warm food, a bed, and strangely, an adult who seemed to care, had an affect on her. But Sabine herself still wasn't quite ready to admit that to Dahlia Baker or any one else, let alone herself, so she played it off as simply wanting food and a way to pass the time during the hot summer months because lets face it - horses, hay, and manure didn't smell great in the heat.
She did miss Ilya though, and annoying him, even if he wasn't ever that talkative with her. Sabine wondered about her cat vampire friend a lot, but knew better than to tell him about this place. He was significantly older than her, and despite his sickly appearance, appeared to think he was far better off on his own than with help. Yet that made her wonder if he was a ticking time bomb, not from personality but from his health. The thought made her frown, stopping her scribbling on paper with sharpies as she stared off, wondering. She was lucky she didn't have any health issues, and she was coming up on two years since running away from her father and Ireland. It was a strange feeling, right up there with her feelings about Dahlia.
"I don't need her," she said flatly to herself, uncertain of whether she believed herself or not and returned to scribbling. Sabine didn't know what she was making, something pop art with hearts and balloons - the sort of tag that would once again piss off Daz and his merry band of delinquents like no other. That was another problem she still faced, and one she wondered that she was accidently bringing to Dahlia's doorstep. Her thoughts seemed to bring the world to life though, as Sabine heard a loud creek out in the hallway on the main floor. Sabine paused, her blue green eyes snapping up to the door way, "Dahlia?" she called out, her hand swiping the butter knife from her plate that she had used earlier to be a child and cut the crusts off her peanut butter and jelly sandwich.
Sabine felt like a cat on edge, hair raised and body taught as she pushed herself up now, the chair falling back as she gripped the butter knife hard, everything her father had taught her when he thought she'd be joining his gang flushing back into her brain. She moved swiftly now to the door way, and stepped out into the main hallway to face whoever had crossed the threshold without announcing themselves.
Justin had been caught too many times hanging out at Helping Hooves - he was in desperate search of something to eat. He had met Dahlia at the soup kitchen after he admitted defeat recently. She had given him the address to the Safe Haven and told him to meet her there.
He began his walk there, wondering if it was a trap. From their first encounter, Dahlia seemed like someone who was kind, though he was always cautious meeting new people. The teen turned onto the right street, glancing at the house numbers on either side to make sure he was heading the right way. A minute or two later, he approached the house - walking up the steps and stopping in front of the house. Taking a moment to debate between knocking and trying the door. The latter was his choice and his hand turned the front door knob, realizing it was open.
Justin entered the house and took off his shoes - realizing that it seemed to be a very fancy home, matching the ones he had walked by. He heard a voice coming from another room and froze. His dark eyes shifted around debating if he should run. "Not me, I am looking for her though." He was under the impression the woman lived on her own, though clearly not. Curiosity got the best of him and he followed the hallway, raising his eyebrows at the sight of a brightly dressed teen with a butter knife in her hand. "It'll take you awhile to kill me with that. I have proof Dahlia invited me here. She didn't tell me anyone else would be here though."
ahlia had been busy, busy! Summer had brought a lot of people to the safe house, something that she was grateful for. But also saddened by. There was some slow picking up, but that was understandable. It was a new, somewhat luxurious place. Teens and kids were always the wariest, but when they felt safe enough to stay overnight – Dhalia called that a win. Or that they felt welcome to come and eat.
She had run into a new teen, Justin. Dahlia had finally seemed to convince him to get some food at the house. While the soup kitchen did its job, there was often more food at the house. Since it was mainly for kids and teens. She had to hassle a few adults away – which resulted in Dahlia almost being stabbed. But thankfully Moses was there, and her brother was quite intimidating.
Running a bit behind, especially since the bulk store was taking forever – Dahlia managed to pull up to the house in her car a bit after 1 PM. She grabbed her collapsible wagon and opened it. After she loaded the first haul, Dahlia rolled it to the front door. She opened it to see Sabine holding a butter knife and Justin standing there like a deer in headlights.
“Good afternoon, you two,” she greeted. Her tone was a bit stern, making sure that she didn’t approve of what was happening or was about to happen. “If you’re going to waste some energy on a possible…duel, you can help put these groceries and supplies away. Sabine, do you mind showing Justin where the kitchen is?” It was said in a way that the teens had no choice but to interact with each other. Plus, everyone who stayed here knew that the Baker siblings were quite serious about maintaining a healthy space.
It was a good thing that Sabine had that butter knife because it certainly was not Dahlia Baker in the hall of Safe Haven. It was a teenager. A teenage boy. Blue green eyes narrowed at the stranger now, only now as her eyes adjusted to the dim lighting of the hallway, did she realize that the person in it was not entirely a stranger. It was Justin. From the beach. And apparently, he still had his stupidly dry sense of humor: "It'll take you awhile to kill me with that. I have proof Dahlia invited me here. She didn't tell me anyone else would be here though." She gripped the butter knife a little tighter now, not because she was going to use it against him now, but mainly because he had been right - it was hardly a weapon to take someone out with. There was something more important to discuss anyways, "What do you mean 'she invited you?'"
Truth be told, Sabine Radley was feeling a little butthurt over that statement. Yeah, there were kids who lived here, who came in and out, but for some reason, the young woman thought that she was Dahlia's primary focus. But it became clear that she wasn't, if she was inviting Justin 'I can't handle talking sternly' Barron into the flux. In that moment, Sabine couldn't help but to think back on her conversation with Emma, how she would rather someone's hate than pity, that maybe she was just a project to be saved verses cared about, and right now, with Justin's arrival, maybe that was the truth. She would have to share Dahlia, and just like 'sharing' Echo at Blue Arces, Sabine didn't know quite how she felt about that. Before she could get further into interrogating Justin though with this butter knife - the woman herself appeared in the doorway.
“Good afternoon, you two,” she greeted, “If you’re going to waste some energy on a possible…duel, you can help put these groceries and supplies away. Sabine, do you mind showing Justin where the kitchen is?” The tone was unmistakable: Do not Fuck with Justin, Sabine. So the teenage merely grumbled nonsense, annoyed by this whole turn of events as she walked over to grab the bag of groceries from Dahlia, "Fine," she replied now, before nodding to Justin, "Follow me to the kitchen. I swear I won't stab you...but don't touch my peanut butter and fluff sandwich." And with that, she loudly stomped her way to the kitchen.
Justin's gaze shifted around his surroundings. He would have to duck and dive if the teen decided to go through with her threats. Know he knew what a deer in headlights felt like - helpless. "I came across the Soup Kitchen where she volunteers her time. I tried telling her I was fine, but the promise of food was something I couldn't say no to." He tried his best to at least have one meal a day - but it was becoming more and more difficult. "I didn't realize you would be here too." Justin knew Dahlia wasn't the kind of person who would leave her door unlocked.
Speaking of the older woman, Justin felt himself relax as soon as he heard her voice. The scene before her clearly made her angry, which made Sabine back off. "Perfect timing." He breathed, following Sabine into the kitchen. "I'd be grateful if you didn't kill me. Your sandwich is safe. What on Earth is Fluff anyway? Sounds gross." He wondered what the odd sounding substance tasted like - peanut butter wasn't really his thing either.
The teen turned and gave a small smile to the adult. "Are there more bags to bring in from outside? Or how can I help?"
ahlia shook her head. “No, you can follow Sabine and help her put the food away,” she responded. “That will be easier to be done with two people.” Of course, there was more, but the teens couldn’t exactly avoid each other right now – and she had her system of bringing things in. Easier to do it herself than explain.
Dahlia slipped back outside and grabbed another cart of groceries, placing them near the entrance. After a third and final load, she locked her car and made her way further into the house. She entered the kitchen to see empty plastic bags strewn on the floor. It looked like Sabine had shown Justin the easiest way to deal with bags.
“How’s it going so far?” she asked, unloading some bags onto the table. Dahlia emptied bags and placed items into the freezer, fridge, and pantry. “I see no blood, so that’s good,” Dahlia teased.
Sabine made a face as soon as Justin asked her what the heck a peanut butter and fluff sandwich was, following up with that it sounded 'gross'. Now that just annoyed her, "You're gross!" She fired back now, sticking out her tongue immaturely before stalking off to the kitchen as she heard the boy desperately ask Dahlia if she needed help with her backs. A smug look rested on Sabine's face, making her pratically skip into the kitchen now to take a dangerous bite of her sandwich as Justin finally came in with the bags - and boy - did he look forlorn to her, "Dahlia usually as the grocer pack the bags via item category, so it's simple enough unloading them - fridge, freezer, pantry."
The teenager made sure to point out each area before getting to work on the bags he brought with him, working quickly, mainly so she could grab another bite of her sandwich before Dahlia came back with more. Justin honestly looked a bit lost and confused, "You going to stay here?" She asked inquisitively, after all, it took her months to figure out that she wanted to do that. Sabine shut right up though when the woman came in: “How’s it going so far? I see no blood, so that’s good." Her tone was teasing and sickly sweet, causing the teenager to roll her blue green eyes, "We're fine, aren't we Justin?" She asked him now, before looking to Dahlia, "He and I know each other from the pier a few months back."
Justin nodded at Dahlia's words - he figured it was already done. It seemed as if he didn't have a choice as to spend more time with Sabine.
He raised his eyebrow after being called gross. "I think you and I have a very different meaning of gross. Are you going to tell me what fluff is?" In his mind it was something you would often see in the sky, most likely coming from a dandelion or something. The teen turned and picked up a bag, which seemed to be mostly items for the freezer. He began pulling things out of the bag and quickly putting it where it belonged - not wanting it to melt in the process. "This might be the most organized grocer I've ever dealt with." Granted, his own parents often went to the food bank for their food - meaning they grabbed whatever the bank had available for them. "Yeah, no blood needed. We'll get along alright." He kept his cool, focusing on putting groceries away. "I didn't think we'd run into each other again, but here we are." Justin narrowly escaped that encounter, but with Dahlia was a good buffer.
"Was it busy at the store today?" He was hoping for a change in subject as he finished up with the freezer items.
