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!.
Amber had to admit she wasn't wholly in the mood, but she also knew that they both needed this night and that it would be good for them. With everything that had happened in the last several weeks, from Mik ending up in hospital, her ex demanding money and then their plan to hand it over to get rid of him and calling it in as stolen... her stress levels were through the roof. She was having trouble sleeping and if it weren't for Mik plying her with meals, she knew she wouldn't have been eating much either. The only thing that made it better was having Mik with her - without him she wouldn't even be getting the few hours of sleep she was getting. Curled up in his arms with her head on his chest was the only time she really felt safe.
She had taken on extra shifts, throwing herself into work to the point she knew Mik wanted to comment, but he was still hanging on being supportive. It was the only way to quieten her brain, by working extra shifts back to back. She picked up running more too, longer distances, anything to quieten the anxiety eating at her, as if she could outrun the thoughts picking at her brain. They'd talked about a date night and she'd finally relented to not working an evening - the boss had somewhat insisted it in all honesty. She'd requested they do the date night out of town, she felt fresh might be best for them both; some different scenery and different faces. Maybe it would stop her looking for Tristan's face in the crowd.
It didn't take her long to get ready, she went simple but she did make an effort, putting on a little black dress and some small heels. It helped to get dressed up, it distracted her and it put a different spin on the night, a shake up of her routine. Her mood shifted a little, and she found herself bopping a little to the songs she'd put on, her hips swaying as she put on some earrings in front of the floor length mirror in the bedroom. She was almost ready, and she glanced up from her reflection as she thought she heard Mik approach - probably to ask if she was going to be ready any time soon.
Mik was bone tired, but he knew that they both needed this night, even if he would rather just curl up on the sofa with her, order a pizza and spend the night watching a movie. However, he also knew that they couldn't become hermits while not working, and this was one way where he knew that Amber wasn't working, she could actually have a night, off her feet, where she wasn't serving someone else.
He winced as he pulled the compression tape a little too hard as he removed it to replace it with fresh stuff. He knew that he could use a premade belt thing, but he was happier with the tape, as he could play with the pressure and length of it depending on how he was feeling on the day. He puffed out a breath, making suer he wasn't holding it before the tape went on, and then pulled a grey collared t-shirt over his head and tucked it into the black jeans that he didn't wear as often as he would like, and headed into the bedroom.
He leaned against the doorframe as he happily watched Amber get ready, until the discomfort set in and he walked toward her, grabbing the black jacket from the closet door as his eyes gave her a once over. "I'm ready whenever you are." He said with a grin as he pushed his wallet into his back pocket and fastened the watch to his wrist.
She looked up as she felt someone's presence behind her - she'd always been conscious of that kind of thing, people sneaking up behind her. Not that Mik was sneaking. She just seemed to know when it was him, it was like a familiar warmth that came over her, a feeling of comfort rather hair prickling like when it was a stranger. Her eyes caught him and she couldn't help but let her lips curl up at the corners, enjoying the way he was watching her. "If you keep looking at me like that, we won't make it out the door," She warned, because she always had an appetite for enjoying Mik, but even more so when he was looking at her the way that he was. "You look very handsome by the way," she added, her eyes roving over the way his shirt fit his lithe frame.
"I'm ready whenever you are." Amber nodded, finishing up her little touches and reaching to grab her jacket she'd hung up on the wardrobe ready. "Okay, I'm ready," she promised, picking up her purse and slipping in her phone. "Do you have your keys? Or shall I take mine?" She asked, figuring it best to check before they left the apartment with no way to get in. She had done her fair share of shimmying through windows but she didn't much fancy it when they weren't living on the ground floor. Slipping her arms through her coat, she left their home and headed for the elevator, giving Mik a quick smile and going to tuck her arm through his, keeping close to him. She always liked to be close to him. "Where did you say we were going? Or are you still refusing to give up the game?" Amber teased, determined not to be a misery this evening and to get her head back in the game.
"If you keep looking at me like that, we won't make it out the door," Mik chuckled and wiggled his eyebrows. "Staying home has it's advantages." He chuckled again. "You look very handsome by the way," He preened with a grin as he brushed down his shirt. "What? This old thing? You don't think the pants make my butt look big?"
"Okay, I'm ready,"seven hours later He teasingly arched his eyebrows, making a show to be checking the time on his watch and then kissed her on the cheek to show he was just kidding around. "Do you have your keys? Or shall I take mine?" He flashed a grin. "I've got mine, all you need is you." Plus, he had no plans of needing a reason for breaking into the place, after he'd gone to so much trouble of already having the locks changed. He placed his hand over hers when she slipped her arm through his, knowing that his parents would approve of his actions. "Where did you say we were going? Or are you still refusing to give up the game?" He grinned and shrugged. "I thought I'd keep it pretty easy, we'd go somewhere that we know the food is good and the people that work there like us, so less chance of anyone spitting in our food." Yes, hinting they were going to the nightclub was dirty, but this was fun. He bowed as he opened the car door for her. "Mi'lady."
"Staying home has it's advantages." Amber gave him a look in response, somewhat sultry and suggestive, and it was very tempting to slip his jacket right back off his shoulders, but they had a date planned and reservations to get to. They'd be home again later. "What? This old thing? You don't think the pants make my butt look big?" Amber chuckled as Mik's usual sense of humour got to her - he could always make her laugh, no matter the mood. "You butt looks huge, I'm very impressed." She teased, though in all seriousness he had a fantastic butt, she should know - she'd stared at it enough.
She rolled her eyes as he pretended to check his watch, "well if you want me to look decent, you know it takes time." Knowing his response was going to be about how she didn't need any time to get ready blah blah blah... and she loved him anyway. "I've got mine, all you need is you." She nodded and kissed his cheek quickly in response, happy to be tucked into his side as they headed down to ground floor. "I thought I'd keep it pretty easy, we'd go somewhere that we know the food is good and the people that work there like us, so less chance of anyone spitting in our food." She smiled, "Guess we're going quite far then," She teased, though she was aware that Mik was both well liked and highly respected..Amber... it depended on who was at the bar.
An incline of her head in response to his words as he helped her into the car. Amber settled into the familiar seat and buckled in. "I can't lie, I'm starving." which meant her appetite was coming back and that could only be a good thing.
Mik smiled at the look she gave him, the thought of staying home was becoming more and more appealing. However, they needed this night out. "You butt looks huge, I'm very impressed." His brows flew up in panic as he looked over his shoulder and turned in a circle, trying to look at the size of his butt, ignoring that there was a full-length mirror right there.
"well if you want me to look decent, you know it takes time." He chuckled. "Maybe I should have reservations for midnight?" He quipped with a cheeky grin and then coughed. "Uh, I what I mean to say is that you look gorgeous when you wake up in the morning, and we've got all night." He blew out a breath as he pretended to wipe sweat off his brow after his good cover-up. "You look amazing, love, you always do." He liked having her tucked against his side as they were walking, and he would do what he could to keep her there. "Guess we're going quite far then," He chuckled. "Not too far." And definitely not where they worked.
"I can't lie, I'm starving." He grinned as he circled the car and slid into his seat, wincing a little when he moved too quickly, but brushed it off with another smile as he started the engine. "Then we should get going." And putting the vehicle into gear, he pulled out of his parking space.
It didn't take too long to drive to the restaurant and he smoothly swung his vehicle into one of the available parking spaces, exited and walked around to open the door for her, always the gentleman he'd been brought up to be. "May I escort you inside?" He asked, with a dashing smile, as he offered her his hand
"Maybe I should have reservations for midnight?" Amber raised an eyebrow at that, her look beginning as a warning, and then turning into something a little more sultry as she teasingly looking him up and down. "Oh, do you have pre-dinner plans? Looking to work up the appetite?" She quipped, though the more she talked about it, the more likely she was not to let him out the front door. They needed it though, to go out and have a normal evening - with no crazy ex fiances, with no threats, blackmails, or knocking out of boyfriends. Just good food, good drink and good company. Perhaps she'd even be able to persuade Mik to go find somewhere to dance, if he hadn't already made other plans post dinner. Of course, she wouldn't want to dance too closely to dinner or that might make an ugly reappearance.
When he coughed, she paused, fully statue whilst she waited for his amendment - to save his skin. "Uh, I what I mean to say is that you look gorgeous when you wake up in the morning, and we've got all night." Amber made a noise that sounded like 'mmhumphhh' and rolled her eyes, but she knew damn well that he thought the world of her. Insecurities aside, one thing she knew she didn't need to have a confidence crisis was how Mik felt about her. "You look amazing, love, you always do." Amber blew him a kiss, "thank you... and I know," She winked, though she tried not to be too cocky, there was the odd occasion she could admit that she thought she looked decent - especially when she made a real effort. The bar - less so. Hair thrown up in a pony tail and a blank tank top was as much as she could be bothered with. "Not too far." She gave him a curious look, wondering where he had booked them to go.
Amber bit the inside of her cheek as his discomfort, avoiding asking if he was okay as she knew he would only say 'fine', even if it were a lie. She made a note to keep an eye on him though, just incase he was feeling more worse for wear than he had let on. "Then we should get going." Amber gave a small laugh, "high ho silver, away - is that the line?" She asked, feeling like it was a very Mik-ish thing to say. Perhaps he was finally rubbing off on her. She messed with the aux cable, taking over the music for the drive and forcing him to listen to some of her more girlie choices before she switched tracks and made it fair - "So you don't start to complain about your ears bleeding," She promised, though that also might have been partly her terrible singing. "May I escort you inside?" Ridiculous but she still blushed, she would never be able to get used to his chivalry as he came round to offer her his hand to exit the car. She took it, careful with her heels as she stepped out and straightened, peering around to see where they were and the front of the restaurant. "I suppose you may."
He stood a little straighter as though he could almost feel her eyes as she looked at him. "Oh, do you have pre-dinner plans? Looking to work up the appetite?" He chuckled. "Well, I could make a suggestion," and that sounded so good about now, "but then my plans would turn into us ordering in, and that would defeat the purpose of going out."
While a lot of people said they hated to argue with their partners, this was one of the things he loved about Amber, the way she reacted to things he said, even when she knew he was teasing her. "thank you... and I know," He beamed as he caught the kiss in one hand and tucked it into his pocket.
"high ho silver, away - is that the line?" He sat back as he looked at her with his brows raised. "How did you know my car's name?" He asked with mock seriousness and then grinned. "Yes, that's the line." Probably one of the most iconic when it came to horse movies. While he'd never admit it, he didn't mind the music she liked to listen to, and wasn't possessive over the stereo - as he'd seen some guys get, and it was ugly - his music was no more than a background noise in the car anyway. "So you don't start to complain about your ears bleeding," He laughed. "Eh, I would have put in ear plugs if it had got that bad." He teased.
"I suppose you may." He smiled as he made sure that she had her feet under her before he closed the door and locked the car. "I hear the meals here are roarsome." He gave an impish grin as he walked her into the restaurant. "Good evening." He said as they approached the reservation desk. "I booked a table for Thanos." He'd probably be come a little too comfortable having people believe that was his surname, and squeezed Amber's hand as they followed a waitress over to a nice table for two in the corner of the room and he released her hand to hold the back of the chair for her - old habits die hard and all that - and then took his own seat. "Would you like anything to drink?"