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!.
Welcome to the Hickstead Summer Fair! Enjoy fun in the sun, surrounded by good food, entertainment, and many cute animals. If there's a person dressed as a jester...I know nothing about that.
If you desire a timeline, this fair is every weekend (Fri - Sun) in June 2024.
rules
The "Welcome" thread is where folks can mingle and begin introductions. People are welcome to break into other smaller threads after intros or if there were pre-planned plots, but it is not necessary! There is not a posting order. Or even a list - as this is an open event. Pop people in and out as much as you'd like.
threads
Here are the lists of threads people can refer to. Animal, Craft, and Baked Goods competitions will have a poll to help decide the winner.
Main Ring - Experience some neat performances by locals and visiting talent! Vendors - Thirsty or Hungry? Or want to spend some coins? Look here!
Ivey hadn't found herself in Hickstead for fun and games recently. Well, she had her work with Cal and all that. But with transferring universities Ivey hadn't found too much time yet. It was June, now - and Teddy and Wynter had mentioned the Summer Fair was beginning.
She liked fairs, especially the State Fairs back home. Ivey didn't know if it was the same thing as that, but it was something to do. Cal had graciously given all the youngsters a short day to allow them to have fun. Ivey went home and changed into the dangerous sundress people warned boys about. She didn't know why that became a thing but she felt cute.
After a ride there, Ivey was greeted by the smell of deep-fried food and the heat of the crowd. Her hand got a stamp and a bright yellow band was attached, signaling to anyone that she was of drinking age.
She noticed someone with a corndog in hand, and it made her realize how hungry she was. “Woah, hey,” she smiled. “What stand did you get that at?” Ivey inquired.
Mal needed a pick me up. She had been a bit emotionally drained from work and also her love life. Stephen was becoming distant again. It was like a vicious cycle and she didn't know why.
The fair was starting now and that was the perfect distraction. Most of her friends were bust and gone for the summer but Mal wasn't against doing things on her own.
Making sure she had slathered her skin in sunscreen and had her wife brimmed hat, Mal drove to the grounds. It was already getting packed, but she was attending the first weekend as well. So it was bound to be busy.
As she was waiting to get stamped and banded, her eyes noticed a familiar face. The former boyfriend of her missing friend, Ida. “Teddy!” Mal called out. “Over here!” Maybe she wouldn't be adventuring by herself for too long today.
With finals done and out fo the way, Theodore 'Teddy' Beauchamp knew he should work on packing up his life and flying back to the United States for the summer, and yet, he found himself stalling. Honestly, he seemed to be doing that a lot since Ida Evergreen broke up with him. Perhaps the most painful part about it all was that it felt like she hadn't, but something pushed her to do so, something that she couldn't explain. And then, just like that, Ida vanished, and for the first time in his life, Teddy felt at a loss.
It was kinda weird, this constant fog that he seemed to be in. He'd perk out for art, or when his phone buzzed and it was Perry Witlock or Natalie St. Croix on the other line, but otherwise, Teddy felt like he was just going through the motions. He had never felt this way about a girl before, or maybe he just wasn't used to being the one broken up with, either way, it certainly had the young man all bent and twisted out of shape. Sometimes it felt like it was the end of the world, and then Teddy just had to remind himself that he was being dramatic.
Still, hopefully the summer fair would liven things up a bit for his brain - and it was an excuse to not pack and support his friend at the craft show. He was walking through stalls now when he heard a voice call his name. Glancing over, it took a moment to register the voice and whom it belonged to, before he spotted the red head. Teddy beamed a smile, likely impossible to tell he was still so heartbroken, "Hey Mal!" The young man broke away from the stall now, heading over to her now, "Are you stalling time like me before heading home for the summer?"
if the whole world was watching i'd still dance with you
thanks aofie!
TWENTY FIVE . FINE ARTS STUDENT . STRAIGHT . SINGLE
Naomi smiled as she wrangled the three preschoolers; her own two and Cara's daughter, as they left the horse truck and wandered through the stalls. "What's wrong, Ky?" She couldn't help but laugh as the tiny girl pouted and crossed her arms in annoyance.
"Why can't I be riding, like mama?" Kyoto sulked as she stomped her foot.
The woman shook her head in amusement. "Because your mother is giving a demonstration, and you don't do mounted archery?" She offered with a shrug, offering the girl her hand and smiling as she took it. "Why don't we go and find some sweeties?"
"Can we watch Uncle Mik when it's his turn to ride?" Sebastian asked with a hopeful grin, his eyes moving around as he tried to take in everything at once, and then sighing when his mum and the girls headed in the opposite direction to where the horses were. "Can we? Can we? Can we?"
Naomi sighed and shrugged again, she still needed to work out how Mik had gained the uncle status - not that she had an issue with it, as the man had been part of the children's life since day one. "Let's go and get something to eat first, and then we can head over to watch the horses, sine that seems to be the only thing that's worth seeing here." She rolled her eyes in amusement as she guided the three preschoolers over toward the food stalls. If nothing else, she needed a coffee, and she hoped that Cara would be alright getting ready by herself, and hopefully Mik would keep her mind off her stress.
The summer Fair was here and Dahlia was excited for it. She had set up her stand to look rustic with stained wooden A frame shelves and metal cans to hide the plastic holding vessels. Everything was set up by height, with greenery poking through all the various floral options.
As she was organizing a few of the glass jars people could use as vases, she noticed someone approaching her stand. Dahlia gave a warm smile. “Good afternoon! Let me know if you need help with anything,” Dahlia greeted.
Cara clicked her tongue as she led Winter Rose from the horse truck, talking softly as she tied the mare to the opposite side to where Mikhail had tied the Friesian gelding that he had borrowed for that day's event. She smiled as she ran her hand down the mare's neck, happy with how far the feral pony had come since she had brought her herd home.
When the news of the Summer Fair had come around, Naomi had suggested that Cara should give a demonstration of the archery she did in her training session, and the suggestion quickly turned into Cara being signed up and here she was. She had gone through her list of ponies that she could use, and while she could have brought Swallow, as the Irish Cob loved the crowd, or even Doppio, the Haflinger would had had fun with the buzzing atmosphere. However, rather than bringing a pony breed that people saw everywhere, she had decided to bring one of her Exmoors, as it would help promote the breed for being as well-rounded as they were.
Leaving the mare munching on a haynet, the young woman walked into the living area of the truck and gathered the things she needed; the target, her bow and quiver, which she clipped around her waist and headed back out to where the pony was waiting. She didn't want to leave Winnie alone for too long, as it was the first time she was away from her filly and she didn't want the mare to stress - not that Winnie showed any signs of being stressed though, as she continued munching on her hay, looking around every now and then. "I think you're going to handle today better than I am." She told the mare as she blew out a breath.
"Alright, I better let you get back to work and stop distracting you," Mina said with a laugh, her arms finally breaking from her boyfriend's neck, just as Danny Sumner managed one more kiss by the side of the Pirate's Bounty food and drink booth.
Danny merely rolled his eyes, "Fine. If you say so."
"I know so - I can feel Zola rolling her eyes at us," Mina replied, grinning before glancing over at the young woman now, "I'm sure you'll keep him in line while I go look at flower crowns, yeah?" She doubted that Zola would give her much of an answer besides a grunt. The young woman, while very nice, tended to be one of a few words and rather direct. No wonder she and Danny got a long as coworkers. Truth be told, Mina often preferred running into Zola over her older sister Grace. Her chocolate brown eyes glanced back to Danny now, offering a warm smile as always, "I'll be back in a bit." And with that, her hand broke from his as she ran off now into the crowds.
Mina had been looking forward to the summer faire - she had been excited about the booths as well as the various shows invovling the animals. It honesetly had been tempting to throw on some fairy wings and really get into it, but the young woman couldn't tell if there had been much of a theme or not despite there being jousting. Still, her flowy golden dress was certainly on point, and no doubt one of Dahlia Baker's bouquet of flowers would pull it off once Mina reshaped them into a crown for her head. She had been so deep in her thought that she hadn't been looking where she had been going, and slammed right into someone, "Oh I am so -" but before she could finish, her gaze caught sight of the tall and lanky man looking down at her now, and Mina nearly stammered, "Ivan?"
Yeah, yeah. I'm Fine. I'm just having an allergic reaction to the universe
thanks aofie!
Twenty Eight . Jewelry Designer . Hetero . It's Complicated - IVAN LEE PARK
She was pleased that Teddy walked over. Maybe they needed to have a weird trauma bonding moment, but it was a bit of an unspoken one. The two had both been surprised when Ida just flat-out disappeared. No one knew what was going on, and the two had allowed themselves to be a bit of a distraction for each other.
“I wish I could go home!” Mal laughed. “I unfortunately must work a bit at the hospital, but I have some time to see my family in a few weeks. How are you doing?” she asked, knowing his answer would be a bit of a lie. “Have you been roaming around a bit or did you just get here?”
Danny Sumner watched his girlfriend slip away, leaving him behind to work at Pirate's Bounty stand. Part of him wished Zola could handle it on her own, after all, she was 18, she could serve alcohol and food. It's not like she needed him. But he knew if he ditched her, Grace would have his skin. The man felt a bit on edge though now that Mina was slowly zig zagging through the crowds, and it felt like anything could happen. And when he thought anything, it really was just one person who was on his mind.
For a moment, green eyes thought he actually caught sight of said person. The man frowned, trying to not down right glower as he finished helping Zola with the final touches. Danny stole another look in the direction in which Mina had left, and spotted her now - her space buns and golden dress making her easy to find. And as his eyes admired her toned and exposed back, he watched her collide into someone. Typical Mina.
He was about to look away when he realized who it was though. Danny's jaw clenched, "That motherfucker..." he muttered under his breath. It occured to him that Zola was standing right beside him, quiet as a mouse as she heard him swore, "Sorry. Shouldn't swear around you," green eyes looked to her now, "You need help with anything?" But already his gaze was moving back towards the crowd, where Mina stood with Ivan Park.
The right thing and the easy thing are never the same.
She laughed at him, it was rather big and boisterous for her lithe frame, before reminding him about the hospital. Teddy lightly smacked the side of his head, as if reminding himself, "Right - the hospital. I totally forgot. But hey, that must mean that they really need you to survive." Of course though, the tables had turned very quickly to him. Brown eyes stared at Maelle, as she stared back at him, almost all knowing that he would lie, "Oh, you know, just another day in the life." Teddy replied now, flashing that distracting smile of his to side step the question about his feelings. He had gotten pretty good at it with Nat and Perry, that or they were just leaving him be.
The young man was grateful as the conversation shifted once more, to the faire, an easy enough topic, "Hmmm, not too long. I thought I was meeting my friend here, Natalie St. Croix? I'm sure you know her, but I guess...she got distracted." He glanced around once more, but naturally, the pint sized young woman was no where to be found. Nat had been doing that a lot lately, and he had a funny feeling it had something to do with a guy that he didn't quite know about, "What about you? Want to go play some games or go on a ride? Unless, you're waiting on someone." For all he knew, Maelle was waiting on Stephen Breckah.
if the whole world was watching i'd still dance with you
thanks aofie!
TWENTY FIVE . FINE ARTS STUDENT . STRAIGHT . SINGLE
ummer was here and Ivan was looking forward to the warm sun on his face. He had been busy at work, helping John and Marie prep for upcoming competitions and other things they needed help with. Summer for some was a true time of relaxation, but it meant busier times for those in the equestrian world.
He was thankful that the staff had some time off for the fair now. Ivan was hoping to buy some flowers for his mum and see what else the vendors had. There were also a few animals and competitions that made the fair fun. Fairs in England weren’t as lavish as the ones in the States. Not that there was anything wrong with them, but there was something a bit calmer.
Ivan was in line for Dahlia’s booth, trying to peer over the people to gauge what was going and what was left. As he was moving to the side for a couple and their stroller – Ivan felt another person hit him from the other side. He looked down and saw Mina. She was dressed in a gold slip dress, that complimented her olive skin and dark hair. “Well, hello Mina,” he smiled. “Are you in a rush for the flowers?” he added with a tease. “You look like a sunshine goddess today.”
Zola didn't quite know why she signed up for this. Maybe it was because she finally convinced herself that she could meet and talk to people. Normally. Plus, Danny was a good sport. He was a bartender after all, and he needed to be able to talk to and handle all kinds of personalities. Unfortunately, today he seemed distracted.
She quietly watched the interaction between Danny and his girlfriend thinking it was cute. But after a few minutes she decided to just let that moment be more private. Her hands were busy with a sudoku until she heard Danny curse under his breath. Zola looked up and quirked and eyebrow. “No,” she said flatly. “It sounds like you didn't see something you didn't like that's for sure…what, your girlfriend talking to someone you don't approve of?” Zola asked, attempting to tease.
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