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!.
GENDER: male AGE: twenty-two D.O.B: 9th November SEXUALITY: Bisexual STATUS: Single PLAY-BY: Tyler Hoechlin HEIGHT: 6ft HAIR: black EYES: blue
"WHEN THE LIGHT FADES AND THE DAWN"
TATTOOS:this on his left shoulder/arm SCARS: A couple from the odd fight DRINK: nope SMOKE: the odd one DRIVE: yes GLASSES: reading glasses HOME: Woodbain flats BORN AND RAISED: Dublin, Ireland
"BREAKS, THAT'S WHEN IT'S HARDEST TO FIX"
guarded, overly controlled with his emotions, often perceived as grumpy due to his lack of smiling and perpetual frown, bottles up his emotions, hard edged, doesn't take bullshit and is good at seeing through it with other people, calls people on their crap, over-thinker at times, good at juggling things in life, will take on too much and over-burden himself, protective, loyal, would do anything for his family even whilst resenting them for what he might have to do, looks after people if a little reluctantly, has a lot of walls up to protect himself and is quite tough to break through, can seem blunt, dry sense of humour, has a hot temper but does well to hold it in check, underneath it all however he is actually quite sweet, he's caring, he has a soft side for women and finds it hard to say no to them, is quite the romantic and likes to spoil - would do anything and give everything to the right person, generally honest, thoughtful, hard working, resilient, doesn't really like change and struggles to adapt - gets set in his ways.
LIKES: art - particularly line art/heavy detailed pencil , working with his hands , detective/crime TV shows , soft serve ice cream , running - clears his mind , cars and tinkering with them , doing romantic gestures , reading - not many people catch him with a book though , going for drives and seeing where he ends up , a good burger DISLIKES: alcohol and drugs - is t-total , boxing , drunk people , films with terrible endings , hospitals , peer pressure , technology - terrible with it , people who are up themselves , meeting new people , his brothers talking back to him/giving smart mouth responses STRENGTHS: good boxer , hiding his emotions , art - in particular tattooing , good at seeing through bullshit WEAKNESSES: always runs to his family if they call - struggles to say no to them , mumma's boy (or he was until she died) , falling in love - would give someone the world if he was in love with them , cigarettes - tried to quit once but failed FEARS: his father will drink himself to death , his brother's falling off the edge like their father , his past will stop him from being able to let his guard down around the potential love of his life , bees - allergic SECRETS: sometimes he wishes he could walk away from his family and never look back. , Dirty Dancing is one of his favourite films
"WHEN YOU'RE LONELY AND YOUR HEART"
STATUS IN SOCIETY: working class OCCUPATION: Bouncer/Tattoo artist former university student - mechanics EXPERTISE: Boxing , art - tattooing in particular , dealing with conflict WEALTH: getting by PROUDEST MOMENT: Getting into Uni, he wasn't sure if he was clever enough to achieve the grades and he finally felt like he was leading his own life by separating from his family. MOST EMBARRASSING MOMENT: His first kiss, he was young and it was some stupid game - there was an awkward clash of teeth, he didn't close his eyes, they bumped noses. It was ugly.
Born the second child in the Breckah empire, Derek didn't last very long as the youngest child; two years to be exact before he became the middle child, and then suddenly he was the second eldest - and that was where he sat. He didn't resent it, not entirely. He felt a little thrust into role of protective older sibling, of the additional caregiver, and at times he wasn't interested. There were quite a few years between him and the final youngest of his brothers, and at times it was painful, other times bearable. He watched his father break his back to pay for them all, and he always vowed from a young age that he would never put himself into such a situation - having so many mouths to feed, so many bodies to clothe, so many to keep tabs of.
His memories of Ireland were spotty at best, though most of them revolved around the absence of his father as he fought to bring home the dollar. Derek idiolised his mother. Being one of the eldest, she doted on him a little, and with his father often out of the home, and the more children that kept popping out, the more he clung to her, making sure she didn't neglect herself when it came to handling all the infants. He preferred to look after his ma, than his siblings, but reluctantly stuck his oar in to do what she needed him to do when he had to. Sorting out breakfast, moderating fights and smacking heads when someone was being an asshole. Derek adjusted when they moved to England - being only young, he hadn't had a chance to make many relations, but he hated their new home. Manchester felt cramped and dingy, Birmingham was better but as Derek grew older, not much better in his mind.
It was difficult to settle into life, the family was consistently upheaved by the arrival of another child and then another. The only time Derek felt that he spent with his father was when it came to training. At first, he didn't want to box. It was the reason his father was always gone for long periods of time, the reason he came home covered in cuts and bruises - money troubles aside, Derek didn't like it. His attitude toward it shifted somewhat as he got older, he used boxing as a way of letting out his frustrations and anger, but he never loved it. In all honesty, he hated the sport. But he persisted - for the attention of his father, for the loathing he could put into it. He hated what it did to his brothers, how, when they fought, it was brutal and often bloody thanks to the training of their father.
Another move, at 7 years old, Derek's life was ripped away from him once again, but though at first he was frustrated to have to start once again at a new school and make new friends, he preferred the space he got in Hickstead, and as he hit his teenage years he finally started to branch out away from his family. The madness at home. He often felt like he couldn't breath in the house, he felt suffocated, like a weight added to his shoulders every time he stepped in the door. He fell into a group of people that were considered outcasts at school. He didn't particularly make trouble, but they weren't the kind of people you fucked about with. He did his school work, he got the odd detention for being a shit, and he passed most of his classes. With each arrival of his siblings, he did the brotherly thing and looked out for them, using his status and his friends to warn other people off from bullying or taunting. He refused to fight all their battles, but he felt the pressure to live up to what he was meant to do as one of the eldest, to do what his father expected - what his mother asked of him; look out for his family.
The spanner in the works came in Jace. Derek tried, he did. He tried to relate to him, tried to look out for him, but the little shit just seemed to throw it back in his face. He would always start with the intention of being decent, and then Jace would just keep pushing and pushing and his patience would evaporate, he'd needle him back or rile him up and make him worse. There was something about him that Derek just couldn't get on with, and he just couldn't help himself.
Derek's life changed in an instant when his mother died. He had spent his life making sure she didn't give more than she had to the family, and in one moment she was gone forever. Even with this, his family came before him, and like the good son he was, he let it happen. He bottled up the grief, he bottled up the anger, he hung up the phone call from the hospital - his father too inconsolable to speak to - and he threw away the plate of food that sat waiting for his mother that would never come home. He kept all of it bottled up as he drove to the rest of his family. Keeping it together for them, doing everything for them. He found Link tucked into a corner and he told him it wasn't his fault, he helped his eldest brother make the arrangements for the funeral, he got his father to come home and put on a suit, he made sure everyone ate, he picked up his mother's duties for a short while, he picked up Maverick from the hospital. It was all a strange mix of going through the motions almost numb, but feeling everything simmering and boiling under the surface.
After the funeral, he moved out. He dropped out of university where he'd been training to become a mechanic, he scrapped what pittance of pennies he had together and rented out a flat in town. He needed to breath, he needed to be able to be his own person and without his mum there any longer, he felt a little lost. He picked up a job as a bouncer at the local club, along with persuading the tattoo shop in town to take him on. Art had been one of the few things that had kept his brain occupied, everything always went quiet in his head, the roaring silencing when he drew, and the same happened when he tattoo'd. He always pops in to check on his brothers periodically, but tries hard to keep a firm line between how far he'll step in these days.
PETS
Buck - Husky - 4 years
THE STORY SO FAR
credit for this application goes to xxx.alix.xxx of caution 2.0
GENDER: Lady AGE: Thirty D.O.B: 5th November SEXUALITY: Straight STATUS: Crushing PLAY-BY: Karen Gillan HEIGHT: 5ft3 HAIR: Ginger EYES: Hazel
"ROMEO, TAKE ME SOMEWHERE WE CAN BE"
TATTOOS: None SCARS: None DRINK: Socially/the odd wine SMOKE: Nope DRIVE: Yes GLASSES: Nope HOME: Woodbain Flats BORN AND RAISED: London, England
"ALONE, I'LL BE WAITING ALL THERE'S LEFT TO"
sociable, quite a social butterfly, will talk the hind-leg off a donkey, naive, oblivious at times - terrible at flirting and useless at knowing when someone else is interested, soft hearted, curious - will often accidentally overstep the mark without realising, brave, rarely says no to anything, generally happy to go along with things but will put her foot down at times, even tempered in general but if really pushed does have a flare of red-headed fire, fun loving and easy going, non-judgmental and doesn't worry about other people's opinions, carefree and likes to enjoy the little things in life, sees the good in everyone, open minded, generous.
LIKES: Jumping , Puzzle games , Crime solving and mystery TV shows and films , Cheese and Grape sticks , Reading , That after-rain smell in the summer , Her horses , Finding people's weird or wonderful secret talents DISLIKES: secrets , Lies , People taking advantage of her good nature and generosity , Reality TV shows , Books that finish on cliff hangers , Spoilers , Redhead jokes - they get old , Diet drinks - it's all about the sugar STRENGTHS: Strong rider Courageous - will give anything a go Puzzle solving - good at figuring out riddles/puzzles - a real problem solver Making her own clothes - will redesign stuff from charity WEAKNESSES: Not good at flirting or recognising when people flirt with her Will binge watch TV shows if she gets stuck into them Struggles to say no to people - bit of a people pleaser Quite self critical FEARS: Something awful happening to her horses Heights SECRETS: Thinks she may have a crush on her childhood best friend, Courtney
"DO IS RUN, YOU'LL BE THE PRINCE AND I'LL BE"
STATUS IN SOCIETY: Working Class OCCUPATION: Showjumper / Stunt and trick rider EXPERTISE: Showjumping Stunt/trick riding Liberty work Solving puzzles WEALTH: Comfortable enough PROUDEST MOMENT: Her first stunt show - she was nervous about falling off in front of everyone, or of getting something wrong but she kept to her simplest tricks and managed to make it all the way to the end to cheers of the crowd. MOST EMBARRASSING MOMENT: She once missed checking her girth before she rode as she was in a hurry, and her saddle slipped, sending her tumbling into the dirt. One of the girls ran in to check on her as she didn't get up straight away but she was fine and it was her own silly mistake!
"THE PRINCESS, IT'S A LOVE STORY, BABY"
FATHER(S): Unknown MOTHER(S): Unknown STEP-PARENT(S): Step family - Edna - 46 Bailey - 33 phryne sienna lovecraft - 25 - Doula Midwife, associate at Blackthorn Soapery and Supply Co Sybil + Adelaide - 20 OTHER HALF: Crushing on Courtney - 34 - Nanny SIBLINGS: As above CHILDREN: None
In the words of Jacqueline Wilson, Phoenix was born a dustbin baby. Parents unknown but likely either a scared teenager or homeless addicts of some description, Phoenix was left to the elements in a dustbin down the back alley of a street full of bars. It was pure chance that someone heard her wailing, cold and hunger giving energy to her little lungs as she cried for help. She was rushed to hospital; malnourished and underweight it was touch and go to begin with as to whether she would make it, but she was strong a fighter, and she pulled through. They put feelers out for her mother, someone had to be wandering the streets having just given birth, but nobody stepped forward.
In her younger years, Phoenix spent her time passed from pillar to post. Foster homes would temporarily take her in, but they never lasted long - either the family no longer had the means to support an additional mouth to feed, or they ended up moving and as she wasn't adopted, she had to return to the children's home, or it didn't work out. She was a good kid, generally put her head down and got on with things, happy to sit there and read or colour and rarely made trouble. Though she could be spirited and willful at times, people often described her as 'away with the fairies'. She got on well with one particular family, the mother being a rider who stirred Phe's interest in showjumping. She found she had a talent for it, intuitive with the horses, patient and light hearted, she worked hard and was brave enough to keep trying even after her falls.
Unfortunately for her, the family once again did not work out. They had believed the mother infertile and had been looking to adopt, but only a year after Phe had moved in, and began to settle, thinking she might finally have found her home at 12, they fell miraculously pregnant, and back Phoenix went. In the end, her life took a surprising turn with Edna. It was a whirlwind of an experience, and before Phe could even comprehend, she was suddenly inducted into a larger family of eccentric women. She didn't wish to believe at first that she finally had her family, and she kept largely to herself, out of everyone's way. As the years ticked by and she wasn't giving away again, she finally began to open up and find her feet in life. She opted to go to university to study English and Psychology, but ended up not using either as her passion for horses took her to affiliated showjumping, and then onto the higher leveled showjumping circuit. In her spare time, she picked up odd jobs and exercising other peoples horses to supplement her income, along with getting into stunt/trick riding for seasonal fun.
PETS
Summer Renaissance - Renny - nine years - 15hh - gelding - Mustang - trick riding/liberty
GENDER: Male AGE: Thirty-Six D.O.B: 3rd January SEXUALITY: Bisexual STATUS: dating PLAY-BY: Matt Bomer HEIGHT: 6ft1 HAIR: Black EYES: Blue
"GIMME SOME TIME TO THINK, FACE IN THE"
TATTOOS: None SCARS: A large scar from the top of his left ear to the corner of his left lip, a criss-cross of them on his chest and back; several on his lower right leg DRINK: Socially SMOKE: When very stressed DRIVE: Not now but has a license GLASSES: Nope HOME: Woodbain Flats BORN AND RAISED: Born London, England, moved shortly and grew up in Croydon
"MIRROR IS ALL I NEED, WAIT UNTIL THE"
Glass half full kind of person, despite the things he's been through, upbeat about life, positive outlook, will try and boost the moral of people around him, problem solver, will look for ways to fix the issue rather than ignore it, especially if it's important to someone, rational, pretty relaxed, a calming air, big believer in putting good forward and it will get paid back, level headed, thoughtful, puts others before himself, amenable, not a push over, will take a stand for his own sanity if needed, honest, owns up to his mistakes, not one to shy from taking responsibility, good at adapting to change, quick study, absorbs things like a sponge, won't settle for being unhappy, confident in himself and where he wants to be, self assured, happy in his own skin, not egotistical, forward thinking, active brain, what you see is what you get, open minded, tactful, won't beat around the bush or mince his words, lover not a fighter, romantic, bit of a sap but doesn't care, knows what he wants - won't settle for less, no particularly ambitious, softie with his friends - would go above and beyond for them, pretty stand up guy, but he'd just call himself your average Joe.
LIKES: working with his hands , bringing a garden to life , creating things , sketching , puzzles - any kind of conundrum to figure out; cross words, sudoku, manual puzzles , home made apple crumble and hot custard , trying new things; will give anything a go at least once and enjoys learning about other cultures , making people feel good about themselves , romance; sucker for a love story , water sports; struggles now but used to enjoy all manner of water related activities (surfing, swimming, scuba diving, sailing) , fishing on an early Sunday morning , a satisfied customer , bubble baths; girlie or not he finds them relaxing DISLIKES: making mistakes , cynics , being taken advantage off , people close to him shutting him out , art critics; like they could do any better , being preached to or talked down to , violence and arguments , men who disrespect women , people thinking he can't do something because of his foot , not being as balanced on his feet as he used to be , the scar on his face - piece of shrapnel from a bomb , how young the army recruits , hamsters; they freak him out a little STRENGTHS: green thumb; good at getting plants and flowers to thrive , creative with some artistic talent for sketching , problem solver; good at solving puzzles , cooks a mean roast , water sports, though this is now somewhat of a challenge , good at compartmentalising, mentally strong WEAKNESSES: his balance, somewhat off at times as he adjusts to his new foot , flying; not great with heights , nuts - allergic , running - hasn't quite got the hang of it well enough yet, don't even think about asking him to dance , sucker for romance , can't say no to a piece of chocolate cake FEARS: that he will develop Dementia like his mother , that he will never find the love of his life - thinks he's already had and lost his , losing someone to the same death as his father , that he'll never be 100% normal on his prosthetic foot SECRETS: Is still in love with Caleb
"REAPER TAKES MY LIFE NEVER GONNA GET ME"
STATUS IN SOCIETY: Working Class OCCUPATION: Landscaper/Architect EXPERTISE: Flowers and all things landscaping , sketching , making things; putting things together WEALTH: Comfortable enough PROUDEST MOMENT: Getting into the army, he wasn't sure if he'd be good enough to get in as he was a little on the older side and he didn't know if he'd pass the medical - but he was so proud of himself for getting in. MOST EMBARRASSING MOMENT: He didn't know how to shoot a gun and his first few rounds of attempts were shocking to say the least; the army lads razed the crap out of him for his aim for a while.
"OUT ALIVE, I WILL LIVE A THOUSAND LIVES"
FATHER(S): Arthur Thomas Phillips - Deceased - stabbed MOTHER(S): Lisa Madeline Phillips - 61 - former principle dancer, dementia STEP-PARENT(S): None OTHER HALF: dating Caleb Graeham Callahan - 36 - equine dentist & chiropractor SIBLINGS: Matthew Arthur Phillips - 41 - Pilot Harrison Thomas Phillips - 31 - Marine Biologist CHILDREN: None
Andrew was born to your typical homegrown English family. His parents had been happily married since their early 20's, meeting in secondary school as teenagers and falling into the kind of love that Andrew always dreamed to have. He remembered them telling him their love story many a time, and they always made it clear that things were not always easy, but that they loved each other like soul mates and vowed to always get through life together. Drew was born the second son, with Matthew 5 years his elder, and surprisingly happy to be given a baby brother to play with. For his first few years, Drew grew up in London, but when baby number three came along - another boy - his parents realised their tiny little town house was not going to be enough, and they moved instead to a quieter area on the outskirts of Croydon. It was not the most expensive place, and not the most impressive neighbourhood but it was a three bedroom house with a garden for the kids, a school round the corner, and it was still easy for their mother to commute to the centre of London where she taught at the Royal Ballet. Before the kids were born that ruined her figure - always said with great affection - she had been their principle dancer for several years. They had been keen for her to return in any capacity and whilst dancing to that level was off, teaching was within reach, and she returned after a reasonable time from each birth.
Andrew didn't mind being the middle child - he never felt that he had the middle child syndrome as others did. He got along with both his brothers, aside from the odd fight and tussle that came from growing up as lads. Despite the age gaps, they generally played together a fair bit on the weekends, though as Matthew got older, he slowly outgrew his siblings and began to branch out to older friends. Things were smooth sailing for most of his childhood years, he was a happy kid, kept himself entertained and was generally pretty easy going and compliant. It all fell apart some what when Drew hit fourteen. The neighbourhood had recently seen an increase in knife crime - petty thefts and street corner stabbings. His father had popped into the local corner shop to pick up a bottle of wine for his wife and sweets for his kid. He never made it home. Two hooded thugs threatened the cashier at knife point, just idiotic kids really, and, unable to stand by and watch, Arthur had stepped in to try and help; and consequentially was left bleeding on the tiled floor.
The criminals were caught, after a long slog to crack down on gangs and criminal activity, their father's death was brought to justice. It never really felt like it though. It didn't bring back their dad to jail the offenders for ten years - not even close. Drew withdrew on himself for a while after that. His mother was beside herself; trying to stay strong for her sons, but the love of her life was no longer by her side, and she was lost. It would always be that trigger that Drew believed was the reason for her decline. It happened slowly, and she swum in heavy grief for so long that it was hard to know when that ended, and when the Dementia took over. By the time Drew was heading for university, him and his brothers had had to organise full time care support to help her. Matthew made good money as a Pilot, but he was rarely home, and with Andrew on his way to Oxford, keen to study Architecture and Art History, neither of them wanted to leave their little brother at barely fifteen to look after their declining mother. Drew spent his free time working odd jobs to add to his older brother's income, scraping pennies together to add to the support for his mother and the bills at home to keep their younger brother beneath a roof.
Heading off to uni was somewhat of an uprooting for Drew. He worried incessantly during his first term; for his little brother at home alone, for his mother who was losing her mind, to his older brother flying across the sky every day. His roommate was the one that got him through it - Caleb - and inadvertently, he fell in love. He hadn't necessarily known he was gay, but he'd known that women weren't the only thing he was interested in. The odd experiment in college hadn't gone particularly far, but his head was turned easily by either gender - it just depended on the face and the personality to match. Caleb stirred feelings in him he wasn't 100% sure how to handle, but at the time he had felt he needed a friend more than anything, and had kept his feelings to himself - unsure if they were reciprocated and unwilling to ruin the close bond they developed. When Caleb left, he didn't know what to do with himself. He knew something was wrong, but when he tried to reach out, he got nothing back. He threw himself into his studies, putting everything into passing his exams with flying grades.
With still no word from his former roommate, Drew knew he needed to check in on him. With uni finished and no clear path to his next adventure, he swung by Caleb's. He found his best friend in one hell of a state and, guilty ridden for having left it so long to check in, he stayed to help him through his dark time. Being with him in such an intimate way stirred up old and repressed feelings, and this time when he put them out there, he found they were returned. For some time he was happy, really truly happy for the first time in a long time. He found his degrees unhelpful for work, and though he picked up odd architectural jobs here and there, they weren't consistent enough to bring in the big money. He found himself job hopping from one thing to another, unable to settle - unhappy with each occupation. He worked in art galleries for some time but found them too dry and boring, he worked for the local library but the money was too poor, he picked up construction work for a time but found the work monotonous and a lot of the lads were assholes. In the end, it was the oddest thing that the army stuck with him. It was his older brother that told him to try out for it, having heard through a friend that they were recruiting and in need. He looked into it, never having been one prone to violence, and something resonated within him to go for it.
He will never forget the fight that followed when he told Caleb he had been accepted. And he tried hard to make things work, but his heart was torn in two and when Caleb continued to push and push at his good nature, in the end he snapped; unable to take it any longer he left. He spent nine years in the army. It was an unexpected love, but the routine, the companionship, the fighting for Queen and country struck a chord in him he hadn't known existed, and he put his head down and worked hard. He was known for keeping the troupe moral up, for somehow being able to give the lads the boost they needed at the right moment to get them though the shit. He refused to be promoted, never wanting to go up the ranks to desk job - he preferred the field. It all came to a head, as it always does eventually, with a saviour mission gone wrong. One of their squadron had been reported as missing - four guys vanished from where they had been holding a small village in Iraq. It was believed they had either been captured or killed, but there was importance in holding down the village to keep the enemy from advancing on the territory lines. Upon hearing about it, Drew volunteered to lead a group to investigate and attempt an extraction if possible. He only accepted others who were happy to volunteer, with many of his squad due to retire soon, along with himself, he figured it would be good to help encourage the new troops of some good in war.
The four men had indeed been captured. Drew spent days camped out, observing every move - he found one man already dead, but the other three alive. Plan in place, they went in to take back the village and return their soldiers home. Drew went in with seven of his own squad, and came out with only two others. It was a massacre on both sides - they'd had solider's planted hidden from view, and they'd been ambushed. Drew ordered his lot to retreat, but they refused, and three were shot just on the way in. It was chaos, though somewhat organised. Drew and his best mate managed to get two of the kidnapped soliders free, the third died before they could get him out. That was when the world exploded. To this day, Drew doesn't know if it was a grenade, a bomb or that the building just gave up and collapsed. All he knew was that at some point he emerged from a cloud of dust and rubble, dragging out his best mate. Something felt off about his right leg, it didn't seem to want to co-operate properly.
When the world had settled, and his head was clearer, he was finally able to count the dead - one of which was his best mate, still in his arms from where he'd dragged them clear of the battle ground. They had managed to save two of the four kidnapped -but at what price. The loss of five lives, six to include the kidnapped solider who hadn't made it. It took Drew longer than he could have imagined to realise that the reason his right leg wouldn't work properly was that some of it had gone - his leg ended in a bloody stump at the ankle, his foot presumably somewhere beneath the rubble along with his dead conrades. He spent months in hospital, months rehabilitating and understanding how to use his new fake foot. It took longer to get over what had happened. An ache settled in his chest, reminding him every day of the death of his squad - and his best friend. He claimed his tags, putting them around his neck in his memory, unable to ever take them off. He was given honourable discharge from the army, though he didn't felt he deserved it. Nobody blamed him, not one bit, for what had happened - they had all gone in voluntarily, they had all known the stakes. The village had been taken back from the enemy, meaning they were able to advance across another two villages and claiming a large portion of the territory, and they had rescued two tortured soldiers from the enemies hands. His sergeants called it a success, but even Drew's positive attitude failed to see much light in what had happened - he had fucked up, he had led them to their death, that was all he could see.
Upon leaving the army, he returned to another plethora of jobs. He tried becoming a fisherman for a while on the suggestion of his younger brother, and he tried his hand at working on an oil rig - but he found both impossible with his struggling balance; he had improved with his foot but he was far from perfect. He went back to construction work for a while but it didn't appeal, he bounced between retail work but found it impossible to focus, his mind drifting back to his days in the army. In the end it was pure chance he found landscaping; and he thought it would be frilly flower shit until he fell into it with an old school friend. In the end, he found he enjoyed it. The manual labour was good for him but not impossible, he got to use his old architectural skills with his designs, and he found there was satisfaction in creating a beautiful landscape from nothing - bringing beauty to where there was none, or restoring some where it had been left to rot. He recently moved to Hickstead to start up his own company now that he had managed to stockpile a good collection of savings - he was close enough to visit his mum and siblings, but far enough away to have his own life.
PETS
Pup - Mutt - 8 years
THE STORY SO FAR
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credit for this application goes to xxx.alix.xxx of caution 2.0
GENDER: Dude AGE: Eighteen D.O.B: 9th May SEXUALITY: Bisexual - doesn't know it yet STATUS: Crushing PLAY-BY: Thomas Langhendries HEIGHT: 5ft11 HAIR: Dirty blonde EYES: Brown
"WE'RE BURNING THAT MIDNIGHT OIL, SO WHEN"
TATTOOS: None SCARS: None DRINK: Not really - uninterested SMOKE: Nope DRIVE: Learning GLASSES: Nope HOME: Hickstead, England BORN AND RAISED: Hickstead, England
"YOU'RE READY, TAKE OFF YOUR MASK, I NEED"
at first glance you'd think he had strict parents but the pressure he puts himself under all comes from internal, popular but doesn't care more for being it, a good egg, thoughtful and considerate, will always lend a hand to help, calm and quite centered on the outside but is actually quite a stress-head, internalises a lot and doesn't let people know when he's struggling, perfectionist but only with himself, is a worrier though doesn't show it, hard worker, pushes himself past the limit, competitive at sports, motivational with his team and will get stuck in with them, can get obsessive and hyper-focused/fixated and then struggles to come out of it, ridiculous strict and tough on himself sometimes to the point of beating himself up and punishing/restricting himself, bit of a control freak when it comes to his life and struggles to let go of it, not good at being spontaneous and though he will accept a challenge he will only go so far to prove it, patient and is good with kids; especially troubled kids.
LIKES: being prepared; not good with surprises , knowing everyone so they can feel included , studying , being on the field playing a match , winning - who doesn't, but is happy if the game was well played , helping his parents with foster kids , giving second chances , school holidays; so he had more time to study and can catch up on sleep , making people feel good about themselves , mending fences between people/setting them up , horses and riding , a good roast dinner DISLIKES: being anything less than perfect , getting a bad grade , pop up tests , people who only live to party , party games - truth or dare/spin the bottle etc , sterotypes , bullies , losing a sports game; but is generally a good sport , unsportsmanlike behaviour or sore losers/people that don't play fair , getting things wrong - will beat himself up about it , driving; finds it stressful but has passed his test , spicy food STRENGTHS: hard worker, always knuckles down and will do his best to be the best , leading people; he's a good captain and team leader , perfectionist; he'll never give less than 100% , good with troubled kids; has a way of drawing them out their shell WEAKNESSES: food - on and off has an eating disorder , control; unable to let go of it , dares - the only time he might cross a line or be anything less than perfect , overly tough on himself to the point of obsessive at times, can then miss out on things by being restrictive FEARS: failing , letting his parents or his team down , not being able to have kids like his parents struggled SECRETS: has an eating disorder
"EVERYTHING FOR THIS TO LAST, I WANT A LOVE"
STATUS IN SOCIETY: Middle Class OCCUPATION: Student - Business & Sports part time Luna Lounge busboy EXPERTISE: Sports - particularly Rugby, Football and Cricket WEALTH: Moderate PROUDEST MOMENT: It would be hard to pin down his proudest moment, he is often not proud of himself - always striving to be better. If he had to chose then probably being made Captain at his new University. MOST EMBARRASSING MOMENT: His first failing grade, it was in Science and he'd studied hard but it wasn't his strongest subject. He felt like he'd let everyone down and struggled not to get upset with himself for it.
"WHERE MY HEART CAN STAND, COME SHOW ME"
FATHER(S): Joshua William Buchanan - fifty - Head Teacher MOTHER(S): Jessica Jody Bucanan - fourty-seven - riding instructor STEP-PARENT(S): None OTHER HALF: Sort of crushing on MAVERICK THOMAS BRECKAH SIBLINGS: None CHILDREN: None
Theo's childhood is nothing to write home about. He was born to your run of the mill one mum, one dad family in a two up, two down house. He was born the only child, though his parents tried for another baby in the years following his birth, the closest they ever got was a miscarriage during the second trimester, and after that they didn't seem able to conceive at all. In the end, they looked at adopting, and then from that it rolled around to fostering. Both parents had stable jobs with stellar records, and their son was doing well, there was no reason for them not to foster. They had been lucky enough to have at least one child of their own and whilst they would love to have more via adoption they thought they liked the idea of temporarily helping, until the children could move on to their permanent homes.
It meant that Theo had a revolving door of temporary brothers and sisters growing up, but he didn't mind. It was tough at times, some kids were troubled - volatile at times, or took up much of his parents attention, so he worked hard instead to be perfect. He wanted to be the one they could rely on, they could trust and be proud of and know that he would never do anything wrong. He put a lot of pressure on himself, and in school knuckled down to get as perfect grades as he could, forgoing parties and the invites to go out, turning down the opportunities to date when he hit his teenage years. He could have gone another route and ended up as a geek or a nerd, however his love for sport and physical exercise meant that he was named Captain of a couple of the university school teams, putting him firmly into the jock group. He never cared much for being popular, and though he was happy to sit with the top lot of the school and date the head cheerleader, he didn't like bullying and made a point of standing up for the 'little people', being friends with everyone and making sure to know everyone's names.
Theo always had a clear plan of what he wanted to achieve in life. He wanted to go to uni on a sports scholarship to help take the worry of money off his parents, and he wanted to pair it with something practical for a decent job once he finished. He passed his GCSE's in the top percent of his class, and then his A Levels, and is just heading off to the local university as a Business and Sports student.
PETS
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THE STORY SO FAR
credit for this application goes to xxx.alix.xxx of caution 2.0
GENDER: Male AGE: Nineteen D.O.B: 5th September SEXUALITY: Closet Bi - believes he's straight STATUS: Crushing PLAY-BY: Xavier Serrano HEIGHT: 5ft10 HAIR: Black EYES: Brown
"I TAKE THE PUNCH, STILL STANDING, YOU AIN'T"
TATTOOS: None SCARS: Numerous from his time in the army DRINK: Yes SMOKE: Occasionally DRIVE: Yes GLASSES: Nope HOME: Hickstead, England BORN AND RAISED: Hickstead, England
"KNOCKED ME DOWN YET, COME AT ME YOU"
quite a serious kid for nineteen, see's the world in black and white and is very strict on his beliefs, stubborn, firm, will stand strong in what he thinks is right regardless of what others say, stands up for what he believes in, hard headed, can be a bit of a bully, tough, will give as good as he gets, not always good at taking a joke, not easy to sway, loyal to those he trusts, proud, a little egotistical and arrogant, can be a bit high and mighty, blunt, funny without meaning to be, sarcastic, sharp edged, quite rigid and not good at relaxing, uptight, usually on edge and ready to go at a moments notice, very observant and can be rude, impatient, has a short fuse with people and a bit of a temper, unforgiving, doesn't allow room for errors or apologies, surprisingly good instructor but hard on whoever he's teaching.
LIKES: rules and knowing where the line is , reading - mostly classics , fishing - finds it the easiest way to switch off , rugby; more playing it than watching , dogs , the army and what is stands for , being challenged; will stand forward and face it , people being upfront about what they want , sweet pancakes - quite good at making them , sitting and watching the ocean - having fish and chips is a bonus - finds water settling but doesn't like being in it , intelligent conversation , politics DISLIKES: small spaces; claustrophobic , going to the movies - makes him feel claustrophobic as above , being disobeyed , letting his father down , the fact that his brother didn't join the army , riddles/puzzles - finds them unnecessarily complicated and frustrating , girls being over the top or not behaving as they should , things he doesn't understand , doctors; thinks they err too much on the negative side , fairy tales; thinks they're bullshit , guessing games - just spit it out , open water - can't swim STRENGTHS: Tri-lingual; speaks French, German and in the process of learning some Arabic , physically and mentally very strong , good at follow orders - 'bows' to authority and not one to break rules , will work himself to the bone for the right cause WEAKNESSES: relaxing - a bit uptight and always on edge , stuck in his morals; closed minded and not good at accepting others opinions , puzzles/riddles or anything in that problem solving kind of area - doesn't have the patience for them , strict on other people the way his parents were to him FEARS: Claustrophobic , open water; can't swim , being hurt too badly to return to the army for active duty , having attraction for men SECRETS: had a crush on a guy in the army but is hugely in denial of being attracted to guys. , is not as horrible as he seems, has a soft side underneath it
"CAN'T HANDLE IT, GIVE ME BLOOD AND SWEAT,"
STATUS IN SOCIETY: Middle Class OCCUPATION: Solider on leave, police officer EXPERTISE: Hand-to-hand combat , shooting , making perfect pancakes , fishing and all things bait WEALTH: Moderate PROUDEST MOMENT: There isn't much he would attribute to being proud of, but perhaps his squad's successful venture to retrieve a few of their captured soldiers would be his best. They were successful and managed to extract all the remaining squad members that had been kidnapped. MOST EMBARRASSING MOMENT: Getting humiliated by his father who was acting as his drill sergeant for a while. He was a little behind the others but his father made sure to make one hell of an example out of him, to the point where the other recruits tried to bring it up later - and he fucked them up for it. He never fell behind again.
"I'VE GOT NO REGRETS, PUT IT TO THE LIMIT"
FATHER(S): Sol Patrick Grant - fifty-one - former soldier, drill sergeant MOTHER(S): Georgia Francis Grant - fourty-eight - French teacher STEP-PARENT(S): None OTHER HALF: Sort of crushing on Eryx Damon Grigoris Vassiades SIBLINGS: Cameron Bernard Grant - 21 - Student Mia Heather Grant - 17 - Student CHILDREN: None
Tobias was brought up in quite a strict family. His father was a military man through and through, having been a part of the army since he was old enough to enlist, his own field career was ended in his early 30's when he was shot in combat, the bullet lodging in his spine and sending him home in a wheelchair with limited functionality below the waist. He returned to the army as a drill sergeant, working new recruits to within an inch of their lives. Tobias grew up in essentially a one parent house hold; with his father living away at the place he called home, it was down to his mother at first to raise the young child. He already had an older brother, two years his senior, and when his father returned home from leave during active duty, a younger sister following on nine months later. Toby knew only of his father as the guy away at war for the first eleven years of his life. His parents married young, falling in love when his father was stationed in France. She moved home with him to England and they were married within a couple of months, with Tobias' brother on the way soon after.
His years growing up were fairly uneventful. He made friends at his local school, though spent a fair bit of time with his brother with only a couple of years between them. He enjoyed sport, and found he particularly enjoyed Rugby for the physical aspect of it, enjoying throwing people down into the dirt, and even more he enjoyed the feeling of winning. His mother was firm and relatively strict, but he felt he was fair enough. It didn't notice that much that whilst his friends were allowed much more freedom to roam, he had to knuckle down and complete his homework after school, and his weekends were filled with strictly timetabled activities. It didn't bother him, but his brother pushed back - frequently staying out past curfew and trying to stay out at his friends; his mother always went out to drag him home.
With the arrival of his sister and her aging, Tobias doted on her. At first he wasn't sure about being the middle child, but Mia soon learned how to wrap her older brothers around her little finger. When his father's field career ended and he was sent home shattered, things changed. His father was used to regimented life, it was how he grew up and it was his army world - he brought that home with him. Toby's teenage years were a tough regime. Whilst his brother suffered under the strictness, Toby thrived; he liked routine, he liked having clear boundaries and he liked feeling fit and strong. His father wanted his children to follow him to the army, particularly when he returned to help train new young recruits, and Tobias had every intention of making him proud. His brother did not. A huge argument between his father and his older brother broke out, and Cameron left the family home.
It rocked Tobias' world a little, but more so that he thought his brother was wrong. There was no reason why they shouldn't go to the army, it was what he had been conditioned to do and he saw no other future for himself. As soon as he reached the age, he signed up straight away. He loved the army, much like home he preferred the structure, he liked having rules and he bulldozed his way to the top of his troop. He made friends along the way but he didn't let them get too close, he knew that it was likely some of them wouldn't make it home, and it cruelly compartmentalised them to save himself the fear. He thought himself at the top of his game, and that nothing could touch him, often putting other people into line when they toed the edge. He found himself having the occasional wandering thought about some of his male companions, but his father had always impressed upon him finding a beautiful young woman to marry and continue the family line, and that it wasn't right to like men, so he squashed the feelings deep down, getting angry whenever they resurfaced.
At nineteen, the army forced him to take leave. He was good, but having not taken a break since he joined at sixteen they forced him to return home for a breather. Feeling lost at the time to himself, he enrolled as police officer at Hickstead to continue his plight to help his country and keep it safe.
PETS
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THE STORY SO FAR
credit for this application goes to xxx.alix.xxx of caution 2.0
GENDER: Female AGE: Twenty-Four D.O.B: 11th June SEXUALITY: Straight STATUS: dating PLAY-BY: Scarlett Leithold HEIGHT: 5ft2 HAIR: Blonde EYES: Blue
"MAKE ME FEEL THE WARMTH, MAKE ME FEEL"
TATTOOS:This on her back, This behind her left ear and her right ankle SCARS: A burn mark on her right arm DRINK: Yes SMOKE: Nope - very occasionally a social smoker DRIVE: Yes GLASSES: Nope HOME: Woodbain flats, Hickstead BORN AND RAISED: Bakewell, England
"MAKE ME FEEL THE COLD, IT'S WRITTEN IN OUR"
girl next door type, she doesn't do well at sitting still for long - often described as having ants in her pants, likes to put her everything into whatever she's doing, hard working and not afraid to get her nails dirty, enjoys proving people wrong when they make assumptions about her, upbeat and generally pretty positive, proactive and will go out of her way to fix a problem if she can, has a good sense of humour and is quite blokish about it, can take a joke and enjoys a good ribbing even at her own expense, confident, doesn't care how people see her and isn't afraid to embarrass herself or put herself out there, bit of a romantic at heart but not very good at sappy and is quite a cynic, quite grounded, can be a little bit oblivious at times, bit of a feminist - doesn't believe women need to marry and have kids to be happy, adventurous to a point but isn't stupid, likes to have a plan but enjoys being spontaneous, will stand up for herself and others but is generally a peace-maker as she is non confrontational, is tactful but surprisingly not good at subtle, suffers from foot and mouth sometimes and will just blurt out what she's thinking, bit of an open book to read but doesn't mind that, good at taking responsibility and will own up to her mistakes - holds her hands up and will apologise, bounces well off.
LIKES: Roses , her dog - Nymeria , joking around with the lads and having a banter , horses and going for long hacks , coming up with new recipes , ice cream sundaes; as a sweet tooth , keeping fit; primarily running but has a love/hate relationship with it , going on random trips - day trips or weekend visits and finding random places , jump scare movies , cooking shows and county shows where she can sample local products , watching really crappy TV shows/films and taking the piss out of them , both her jobs , music - especially live music , playing Bass DISLIKES: studying - not very academic , peanuts; allergic , gets hay fever in the spring/summer but loves flowers , arguments and confrontations , liars and cheats , watching the News - it's depressing , being fed lines by guys; she's not naive, you've got to be upfront and funny to get her attention , small and dingy kitchens - thinks they should be full of light , thunderstorms , having a bad practice day with her guitar; will get frustrated if she keeps messing up , missing a call from Mason - and on the other end, when he doesn't answer her , her hair getting too long; it irritates her , rats and rodents - they're a fear of hers , a little squeamish about blood but will suck it up STRENGTHS: Cooking and coming up with new recipes , playing Bass guitar and can sing pretty too , physically fight and strong for her size, quite a fast runner , funny; she's know for her quick wit and her ability for good banter WEAKNESSES: terrible at art, stick figures are pushing it , roses - if you owe her an apology, buy her a bunch and you'll likely be forgiven , her dog giving her the pleading look , not good at saying no, bit of a people pleaser at times FEARS: losing Mason , getting married; has a cynical view of it and worries she'd end up like her parents , rats and other little rodents SECRETS: Doesn't know if she ever wants to get married and do the kids thing.
"STORIES, IT'S WRITTEN ON THE WALLS, THIS IS"
STATUS IN SOCIETY: OCCUPATION: Chef , part time firefigher , bass guitarist EXPERTISE: Cooking, particularly putting together new flavours , fitness and weight training - has to keep fit for her fire fighting job , Bass guitar and reading sheet music WEALTH: Poor - scraping by PROUDEST MOMENT: Her first critic review - it was her first head chef job and she didn't know the person was a critic which made it all the sweeter; as it was a genuine review. She has the glowing recommendation framed in her kitchen as a reminder. MOST EMBARRASSING MOMENT: She's had a fair few over the years, but she's good at laughing them off and taking the piss out of herself. Her most recent one was tripping over her feet at the Firestation as she was running and not only did she give an almighty smack and bust her lip through her teeth but she managed to yank her trousers and flashed all the guys at the station.
"OUR CALL, WE RISE AND WE FALL."
FATHER(S): Paul Robert Fletcher - 58 - Banker MOTHER(S): Molly Prudence Rowle - 53 - Marine biologist STEP-PARENT(S): None OTHER HALF: dating - JAY XAVIER MICHAELSON - 25 - Firefighter SIBLINGS: Ivan Stephen Fletcher - 33 - Zoo Keeper in Australia CHILDREN: None
Wren was born the second child of failing marriage. Her parents had a son not long after they were married, and felt they had been too young to have a second. Ten years after their first child, Molly decided she wanted to try for a second, in the hopes of having a girl - which by chance they did. Their marriage was already slowly falling apart when they had Wren, and though they thought having another baby would fix things, if anything it made things worse. They never blamed Wren, but having to take time off from her job, Molly was frustrated and fell into PP Depression, finding it tough to once again go through the stages of screaming, crying baby on lack of sleep or support. Wren's father had to continue working to provide for the family, and Molly found it tough being at home so long with two children, despite Ivan being old enough to take care of himself.
Wren grew up a happy kid though, despite the arguments between her parents. She took to her brother, and he looked after her in kind, letting her sleep with him on the nights their parents screamed at each other so loud she couldn't cover her ears well enough to drown it out. Despite the age gap he was sweet enough to play ponies with her as a kid, and took her with him to play with his friends down the local park. He was always a kind boy, with a great love for his little sister, and she in return idolised him. It didn't take her long to make her own friends though. Her parents put her into pre-school as soon as she was old enough, which allowed her mother some time back for herself and things settled a little. They went out for more family trips together, and the arguments quietened a little. At pre-school she met what was going to become one of the most important people in her life - Mason. She was a bit of a quiet kid at first, but he drew her out of her shell, offering to play Firefighter with her when none of the other girls were interested in playing such a boyish profession - too busy with their ridiculous tea parties and playing families.
They became best friends, as inseparable as they could be at that age. They lived just around the corner from each other, and Wren started spending a lot of her time at his house. She liked that he had so many siblings, and the house always seemed a little bit mad, but in a good way. Her brother was that much older than her, that he was rarely home and she didn't like sitting at home on her own. As she headed to secondary school, there was a further upheaval in her life. It came to light that her mother had been having an affair with a co-worker, and it had been going on for quite some time. They had returned to their frequent arguing years ago, Wren would often hide out at Mason's and stay over, choosing to get out of the house rather than sit there and listen, especially once her brother moved out to go to University up in Bedfordshire, leaving her on her own with her parents. A colossal fight, the biggest she'd ever known them to have, came from this cheating revelation. Wren stayed for some time, for once scared to leave when her father started throwing plates, in case he uncharacteristically grabbed her mother.
In the end, divorce came knocking. Wren struggled, she had learned how to deal with their arguments but divorce meant something more. Her father moved out, and moved away, and they were going to have to sell the house to divide the assets; her mother couldn't afford such a large place. The worst of it was that she was seventeen at the time, and as this was happening, Mason admitted that he was leaving. She tried to stay strong, knowing that it was good for him to follow his family, but God did it hurt to see him go. She temporarily moved down to Devon with her mum, and then when Devon didn't work out, they moved to Southhampton a year later. Wren's life felt somewhat topsy-turvy for a couple of years during the moves. She found it tough being uprooted to then be uprooted only a year later, and the move to a new college interrupted her studies. She found a passion for bass guitar, throwing a lot of heart and soul into it as it was something she could take with her whereever she went, along with cooking. Once her studies were finally finished, she didn't bother with uni. Instead, she went into cooking, picking up a job at a local restaurant that was happy to take her on to learn the ropes, and she found she enjoyed it.
She experimented a lot at home, with her mum often away working she had to entertain herself if her friends were busy. She called Mason a lot, and face timed him, even sent him care packages with the attentions of her cooking that would travel well enough by post, but she did miss him. She went to visit him when she could, but between work and his studies it was tough to find the time. She made new friends at work and some from the collection of college's she studied at, but ultimately Mason was stuck at the top of her speed dial. At twenty-two she decided to pick up another job part time, she had worked her way up to sou-chef at a new restaurant along the seafront but she wanted to work toward moving out of home. She signed up to the local firefighter service as they were looking for new recruits - she'll never forget the day she face timed Mason to tell him and he suddenly told her that he had joined the firefighters in Hickstead; she wordlessly held up her ID with a laugh.
Whilst she grew to enjoy being by the sea side, she decided she didn't want to get her own place there. She didn't have enough ties, there weren't enough opportunities and she wanted some space from her mum. They rarely saw each other anyway and when they did they rarely saw eye to eye anymore. With her brother working over in Australia, Wren scraped all her hard earned pennies together and went off to Hickstead, where Mason told her there were plenty of jobs to be had.
PETS
Maxwell - German Shepherd - 5 years
THE STORY SO FAR
credit for this application goes to xxx.alix.xxx of caution 2.0
GENDER: dude AGE: seventeen D.O.B: 26th july SEXUALITY: bisexual - has no preference STATUS: single PLAY-BY: jordy baan HEIGHT: 6ft HAIR: brown EYES: blue
"LYRICS"
TATTOOS: SCARS: DRINK: SMOKE: DRIVE: GLASSES: HOME: BORN AND RAISED:
