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!.
NICKNAMES: link, wiz-kid, brain-box GENDER: male AGE: sixteen D.O.B: 31st august SEXUALITY: pansexual RELATIONSHIP STATUS: single HOMETOWN: hickstead HAIR: brunette EYES: golden brown HEIGHT: 5ft 10 PLAY-BY: dylan o'brien
PERSONALITY/LIKES/DISLIKES
Link is often described as a sarcastic individual and will often use wittiness/humour to deflect other's attention from his own emotions which he is good at hiding. He is extremely intelligent and isn't afraid to show it. He has a very curious mind and is a complete bookworm - most of his downtime is spent with his head in a book, absorbing everything like a sponge. He has an aptitude for maths with past teachers donning him a math wizard. His academic prowess has given him a slight ego which sees him gloating in front of his siblings. Taking delight in being one of the only ones to not fail a test in the family. He may not have the brawn but he has the brains. He was definitely a smart ass. Link is a pretty logical person and will most likely point out the illogical side of his family/friend's plans. He can always be counted on for his blunt rationality, particularly when it comes to warning others against their own stupidity.
It takes him a while to trust others and can be a little suspicious of people's intentions but once that trust is gained he is fiercely loyal to those he cares about and will often value his friends needs over his own. Due to his ADHD he can be very hyperactive at times which will sometimes cause him to be scatter-brained and easily distracted which usually gets him in trouble in class - although his teachers aren't as hard on him since he gets all his work done. He can be quite mischievous at times and enjoys getting up to no good with his friends and pranking/winding up his brothers. His overactive mind has caused him to be a very observant person, often catching things other people would miss. Over the past few weeks he has developed anxiety over his mother's death which can cause him to lash out at those he loves when he becomes overwhelmed. The tragedy has also made him realise how vulnerable life can be, making him more protective of his family.
LIKES: puzzles, reading, learning new things, getting up to no good, boxing, eating, horses, computers, dogs, pizza DISLIKES: being told what to do, bullies, fighting, pickles, seafood, yogurt STRENGTHS: problem-solving, can talk his way out of most things, pick-pocketing WEAKNESSES: anxiety, adhd FEARS: losing another parent SECRETS: has nightmares every night about his mother's car crash HABITS: chews his nails and picks at his fingers when he's anxious
LIFESTYLE
STATUS IN SOCIETY: lower class OCCUPATION: busboy at pizza express / student WEALTH: just getting by TATTOOS: none SCARS: none DRINK: occassionally SMOKE: hasn't tried it DRIVE: nope HOME: oldaker avenue
Link was the the straw that broke the camel's back so to speak in terms of the family having to pack up and move to the small town of Hickstead. For the past sixteen years, it's been the only place Lincoln has had to call home which gave him more of a settled childhood than his siblings. Growing up money was always tight but his parents scraped and saved when they could, making sure their growing family didn't go without. Having seven other brothers - he definitely didn't need to worry about finding someone to play with. One of his first memories is terroring his older brother Jace as a toddler. The small age gap didn't help - Jace was the only one who was a similar height which meant he was ideal to play with. Jace however didn't agree and could often be found running in the opposite direction of Link. He soon grew tired of chasing him and moved on to entertaining his younger siblings once they came along. Growing up he loved being around his other older brothers, particularly pranking them.
As a young teen, he was diagnosed with ADHD which explained a lot. He'd always been pretty impulsive, hyperactive with terrible time keeping skills. It also helped him understand why he'd always get obsessed with certain topics he found interesting, often getting lost down a rabbit hole. Since being on medication his symptoms are still there but are more manageable. During most of his school life, he was always getting into trouble, mainly for talking in class but instead of hating him, most of his teachers liked him as he could still get all of the work done to a high standard, particularly in maths - an area which he excelled in. By fifteen he'd already received top marks in his maths GCSE, something he was happy about as it meant one less exam this year.
Link loved using his brain's to wind up his brothers - mainly Jace, as his lack of understanding amused him, especially when he got frustrated - he'd always been pretty easy to wind up which made him more of a target. Another thing Link loved as he grew up was boxing with their dad. It was a right of passage into the family, daily boxing lessons to teach the kids to defend themselves - mainly from each other. Although Link doesn't like fighting and would never do it professionally, he had a nack for it - he was quick on his feet and could throw a decent punch for his frame. He mainly enjoyed going to town on the bags rather than sparring with an opponent but he'd do it occasionally at his father's insistence.
Last month, Lincoln's world came crashing down around him. The heart of the family - his mother, had died suddenly in a car accident. He'd been on the phone to her when it happened and heard everything. A memory that still haunts him months later. She'd been on her usual drive home from work and he'd rang her to see if he could skip family dinner in order to go out with friends. There had been a sharp intake of breath and then a long pause before the sound of crushing metal came. It was sickening. The line went dead and nobody picked up the phone for what seemed like hours. Link began freaking out until a paramedic finally answered to tell him his mother had been in an accident and was being rushed to hospital. That was when his first panic attack hit which made him freak out even more. One of his brothers found him in a corner, wedged behind the couch and managed to calm him down. He broke the news to his brother who then did the rounds, calling the rest of the family before dragging Link into the car to drive them both to the hospital where they were told she'd passed at the scene.
Link battled with guilt internally, thinking his phone call had distracted her - causing her to crash until the post mortem results came back - showing she'd had a heart attack causing her to crash. He was relieved but broken at the same time. The funeral was a complete blur for Link and he was zoned out for most of it. The following weeks kind of followed suit; he spent a lot of time holed up in his bedroom grieving alone. His dad had taken to drinking to numb his own pain while Jace acted like nothing had even happened. Once it became clear their dad wasn't sobering up any time soon, Link pulled himself together to help his siblings look after their younger brothers and keep the house chores in check. After a few weeks off school, he went back and smashed his exams and is now attending college.
PETS
Winnie - 1 - Pitbull Mix
16 - smart ass - hyperactive - high school - single
GENDER: female AGE: twenty two D.O.B: 10th june SEXUALITY: pansexual RELATIONSHIP STATUS: single HOMETOWN: bremen, germany HAIR: long, wavy, brunette EYES: brown HEIGHT: 5ft5 PLAY-BY: lauren sintes
PERSONALITY/LIKES/DISLIKES
Francesca is the definition of a wild child and car crash waiting to happen. She is a very charismatic, confident and sociable girl who loves to party - being known to throw the best in town. She depends way too much on drugs and alcohol, although she isn't addicted - in her opinion. She has a very rebellious nature and will almost always do the opposite of what she is told, especially if the orders have come from her parents.
She's a free spirit who can't and won't be caged. She has impulsive tendencies, often doing things without thinking or caring about the consequences - knowing perfectly well her parents wallets will always bail her out. She is very outspoken and isn't scared to voice her own opinions, often at her parents need to dictate their children's lives. When it comes to her feelings, Frankie is very private, she always has a game face on. She could be having the worst day of her life but would still plaster a smile on her face and pretend like everything is fine.
She prefers to cry behind closed doors, lashing out with a snarky comment if anybody tries to delve deeper. She has her walls up high and well and truly guarded. So much so that even her own family don't know the real her. They only know what she allows them to see. Underneath all of the partying and rebelling is a girl who just wants to be accepted by her family and not seen as the disappointment - which is something she lives up to as it's all she's ever known.
LIKES: drinking, drugs, partying, sleeping, sex, shopping, dressage, dogs, yoga, winding up her parents, reading, being in the know - knowledge is power, certain family functions DISLIKES: her parents, playing by the rules - they’re made to be broken, having her life dictated, hangovers, coming down, paparazzi, her family being disappointed in her, certain family functions, fake friends, relationships STRENGTHS: throwing a great party, working a crowd, dressage, bilingual - german & english FEARS: losing her money, followers or family SECRETS: wishes her parents/siblings wouldn't be disappointed in her
LIFESTYLE
STATUS IN SOCIETY: upper class OCCUPATION: socialite/heiress/influencer WEALTH: richie rich TATTOOS: none SCARS: no DRINK: daily SMOKE: sometimes DRIVE: yes but prefers to be chauffeured HOME: oldaker avenue
FAMILY
FATHER: Fritz Amery Wagner; 51; CEO to a Major Hotel Business MOTHER: Romy Ida Wagner; 47; Chocolatier & novice Equestrian OTHER HALF: single SIBLINGS:LEONIE VIKTORIA WAGNER , ARCHIBALD BARRON WAGNER CHILDREN: none FRIENDS:
Francesca was born on a warm summer's day in June, the oldest child to Romy and Fritz Wagner in Bremen, Germany. The Wagners had numerous reasons for living there, but foremost was the city's rising commercial and industrial commence which was good for their business. In addition, Bremen is also close to many established breeding farms for reputable horse lines given Romy Wagner's hobby activity for equestrianism - a sport she graduated managed to push two of her children successfully into. The Wagners are considered a power family in Bremen, their empire built on commence and factory workers along with their ties to the Liechtenstein family by blood and lineage. They keep their hold on Bremen by always making sure to give back to the community and they put on a show while doing it.
Fritz and Romy have three children together: Francesca, Leonie and then Archie. All of whom they have raised in their own image - their mother having a firmer hand in what their likes and interest would be. In the Wagner's eyes, their eldest turned out to be the disappointment and soon set their sights on their second daughter and Archie for grooming for their empire much to Francesca's relief.
From the day she was born, Francesca had always been a problem child. She would never settle and spent most of her time crying when in her parents arms - most likely sensing how cold they were. As a young child, as soon as she learnt the word 'no' it was her answer to a lot of things - the beginning of her rebellious streak. She spent a lot of her childhood driving the household mad with her energetic outbursts and love of causing havoc. Her younger siblings soon came along, first her sister then her brother and the focus was taken from her to mould their developing minds. The two were more content children, listening to their parents and following their lead, whilst francesca was the complete opposite. She had her own opinions and wasn't afraid to scream the place down to be heard although growing up her parents had the final say and would often force her to wear the right outfits when accompanying them to family outings/functions - almost caging her.
Due to her mother's hobby of all things equestrian, Francesca was thrust onto a horse when she was little and it was one of the only things she actually enjoyed and would willingly do with her mother. She had a natural talent for dressage, finding the discipline calming - which was needed with her whirlwind nature. She thought her mother would enjoy having found some common ground but the woman had to go and ruin it. Seeing her daughters potential, she thrust the child into competing - which she loved to begin with. Her life already revolved around important family functions, having to look or act a certain way, and now she was being forced to be criticised in the one place she felt she had sanctuary. If she didn't win, she was a disappointment. If she did win, she would be critiqued on how she could do better in the future. It was a lose, lose situation and the pressure got too much. She had a huge argument with her mother about leaving the competing scene behind and just riding for pleasure like she used to but the woman didn't want to see her potential go to waste and in spite, sold her horse without caring that in doing so would shatter her daughter's heart.
Fifteen and at the height of her emotions, Francesca finally cracked. She could no longer live up to her parents expectations and have her life dictated anymore. Her rebellious nature reared its head once more and this time it couldn't be caged. She would live up to how her parents saw her - a disappointment. She began going to parties and acting out in school, soon finding their to be no ramifications to her behaviour which only enticed her to up the ante every time to see how far she could push it. Her parents had deep pockets that donated very generously to the school which was dangerous with a girl who wanted to burn the world. She would answer back to her teachers, disrupt lessons and bring alcohol onto the premises to drink with her friends. She unfortunately never got the chance to be expelled as her parents removed her to stop any further embarrassment. She spent her last couple of years of school being home-schooled, trying to hide her away.
As soon as she hit eighteen, she had access to her trust fund and she was pleasantly surprised with the doors money could open. Of course she was used to the rich and lavish lifestyle her parents had brought her up with, but she'd never had access to an unlimited supply of money that she could use however she wanted. Now that her siblings were older and happily fulfilling their duty of being their parent's robots - being groomed to take over the family empire, she was left to her own devices and boy did she enjoy it. Francesca spent her days shopping, jet setting, living the lavish lifestyle and partying - heavily depending on alcohol & drugs,.
She made good use of her father's hotel connections, hopping from city to city spending nights in penthouses and suites whilst bringing a different suitor back to her bed every other night. Through the years she amassed a large following on social media which enabled her to make her own money by hosting parties/events and charging to be a guest appearance at any other events. Over the years she has spent a lot of time in the press (mostly bad) from being blackout drunk in clubs, being caught dancing on tables, doing drugs, etc. You name it, she's probably done it. She will always make the effort to come back home and attend important family functions/parties. Mostly to leave her parents on edge as to whether she will embarrass them or not.
Everything came to a head recently when she was at a club one night. She drank her usual drinks and consumed her favourite drugs but somebody spiked her. The night became a blur and she made a fool out of herself, wildly dancing on tables, falling over - unable to stand on her own feet and possibly flashing other partygoers. She somehow managed to make it home to where her family were hosting an important function filled aristocratic friends and important investors. She stumbled in much to her parents horror/embarrassment and collapsed in front of everyone from a suspected drug overdose. Ashamed and not wanting the family name being tainted by the media, as soon as she was out of hospital, she and her siblings were shipped over to England while their father did damage control. As soon as they got to england, her mother checked her into rehab, ignoring her protests of how she was spiked and didn't overdose on purpose but the woman wouldn't listen, giving more fuel to her anger towards her parents.
PETS
24 - wild - free spirited - socialite/influencer - single
NICKNAMES: mase, masey, loon - only wren GENDER: male AGE: twenty four D.O.B: 22nd january SEXUALITY: straight RELATIONSHIP STATUS: single HOMETOWN: bakewell HAIR: brunette EYES: brown HEIGHT: 5ft PLAY-BY: hugo philip
PERSONALITY/LIKES/DISLIKES
mason has and always will be a hard worker, his parents instilled that into all of their children and he was never one to give up easily. he loves to have fun and is a bit of an adrenaline junkie, whether thats driving fast, jumping off a cliff, climbing a mountain or throwing himself out of a plane. if it gets his heart pumping and gives him that summersault feeling in his stomach, he'll do it. his thrill seeking side can also bring out his impulsive side which can often lead him to ignoring commands in work, if there's a slight chance he can save someone, he'll do it; whether that means running into a burning building or driving like a maniac to get to a patient.
he's always been a confident guy, growing up with three older siblings and a feisty twin, he kind of had to be. he has a good sense of humour with a cheeky streak and enjoys making people laugh or smile, turning into a massive kid when he's with his niece/nephews. he's a pretty empathetic person, particularly towards his twin and likes to think they have twin-tuition, somehow always knowing when the other isn't feeling right. he cares a lot which can often make his job hard, especially when he can't save someone, which can often lead to him internally spiralling, going over and over how he could have done things differently. when it comes to friends or family, he's fiercely loyal and will protect them with is life. if you get on the wrong side of him, he'll probably let it slide, but if you do anything to the people he loves, his temper will probably flare.
LIKES: calisthenics, horse riding, tennis, camping, sky diving, rock climbing, baking, getting a tan at the beach, watersports, a beer after work, binging tv shows, his niece and nephews, fast cars DISLIKES: spicy food, cocky/ignorant people, bad tv shows, romcoms, sitting still, being rejected, being hungover, waking up early, bad coffee STRENGTHS: working/calm under pressure, good memory, intelligent WEAKNESSES: wren, his twin, crying girls FEARS: something happening to skye or his family, losing wren as a friend SECRETS: in love with his best friend, actually likes romcoms HABITS: drinking coffee
LIFESTYLE
STATUS IN SOCIETY: middle class OCCUPATION: firefighter/paramedic/part time model WEALTH: very comfortable TATTOOS: none SCARS: one on his leg from falling out of a tree as a kid DRINK: most weekends SMOKE: nope DRIVE: yeah HOME: oldaker avenue
mason was the fourth oliver born in his family, only a few minutes ahead of his twin sister skye. he had a good childhood, got along well with all of his siblings but was always extremely close with his twin. they were inseparable and did almost everything together as kids. she was his favourite person. his second favourite person was his best friend who he met on his very first day of preschool. skye had been sick but his parents had sent him in anyway, not realising how important it was for him to have his twin by his side. he'd been upset and hadn't wanted to play with anything until he saw a girl looking at firefighter uniforms in the dressing up corner. he went over and asked to play with her, not knowing she'd become his closest friend and living round the corner from each other made it easy to have sleepovers or playdates. as they got older, wren spent more time at his house and he was the shoulder she cried on when shit was hitting the fan with her parents.
as he got older, his feelings towards wren began to change, he was falling in love with her more and more every day but he couldn't risk telling her. he didn't want to lose her as a friend. so when his sister told him she was moving to hickstead and wanted him to come, he couldn't turn her down. one, because he couldn't stand to be half way across the country from him and two, because it was a needed distraction from wren. at seventeen, he said goodbye to the north west and headed south with skye. mason kept in touch with his bestie over face time, texts and would try to visit her when he could, which was often difficult as she moved around a lot. while in hickstead he attended the local college/university and did a paramedic science degree since he'd always enjoyed helping people which also drove him to become a part time firefighter at 19, still feeling drawn to it ever since his first day in nursery. as soon as he joined, he face timed wren to tell her, only for her to tell him she'd done the exact same thing. more years passed and after learning how unsettled wren was in her current location, he told her to come and try out hickstead.
PETS
Cool Under Fire - Vulcan - 12 - Thoroughbred - Gelding Tucker - 1 - Golden Retriever
24 - adrenaline junkie - compassionate - firefighter/paramedic - straight - in love with WREN LORENA FLETCHER
NICKNAMES: rip, ripple - eva/grandma, missy - daz's gang GENDER: female AGE: twenty D.O.B: 21st September SEXUALITY: bi-sexual RELATIONSHIP STATUS: single HOMETOWN: nessebar/hickstead HAIR: dark brunette EYES: brown HEIGHT: 5ft5 PLAY-BY: inanna sarkis
PERSONALITY/LIKES/DISLIKES
flirtatious, sarcastic, manipulative, bitchy, cunning, quick tempered, not very empathetic - from trauma, selfish, strategic, loves attention, easily jealous and will lash out in response
LIKES: setting fires – slight pyromaniac, flirting, drinking games – beer pong pro, boxing, handy with a knife, stealing, motorbikes, energy drinks, seeing how far she can push daz, fighting – dirty fighter, winding people up, changing her appearance for jobs DISLIKES: authority, people crying - gives her feelings she'd rather not have, being injured, being told what to do, being told no STRENGTHS: starting fires, using her assets to get information or weapons/supplies WEAKNESSES: her temper, playing with fire, eva, her grandma FEARS: dying, jail, being alone SECRETS: burnt her house down HABITS: playing with fire
LIFESTYLE
STATUS IN SOCIETY: lower class OCCUPATION: criminal WEALTH: miniscule TATTOOS: two black armbands on her right lower arm SCARS: multiple from different fights DRINK: of course SMOKE: occassionally DRIVE: hell yes HOME: abandoned warehouse
Ripley was born in nessabar bulgaria. She was the product of a brief holiday fling after her parents had met whilst her father had been travelling around Europe. Once her mother had found out she was pregnant, she told her father but he was adamant he didn't want to be involved in her life. Ripley spent the first couple years of her life loved by her mother and her grandmother - whom she was particularly close too. Around the time of her third birthday, Peter turned up out of the blue claiming he wanted to be part of their life. At first her mother was hesitant but he charmed his way back into her heart and she agreed, even deciding to move to his hometown of Hickstead. Ripley was too young to understand but she remembered being upset at having to leave her grandmother behind.
At first they settled into life in England pretty well but it eventually became clear her father wasn't the type of man who could provide for his family. After a year Peter's façade slipped and he fell off the wagon he had tried to stay on, causing him to not be able to keep a job for more than a few weeks at a time and as a result as soon as Ripley was able to start school, he 'encouraged' her mother to get a full time job in order to support them all. Over the next few years of her life, Ripley grew more and more aware of the cracks that were forming in her family. Her mother had lost the light she once had and fell into a deep depression - one she couldn't find her way out of, taking her own life when Ripley was 9. Peter fell into his own self sabotage soon after and upon seeing the state of him at the funeral, Ripley's grandmother packed up her things and took her home to Bulgaria. Back in the place she used to call home every year for the summer, Ripley slowly began to heal.
At 12 her grandmother had a health scare which left the woman struggling to look after her anymore. With no other family in the country, Ripley made the stupid decision to move back to England to take the strain off of the older woman. Once back in Hickstead, she found her father still in her childhood home - still a drunken fool with the added bonus of a gambling problem. She quickly learned to fend for herself, taking any money the man came home with before he could throw it away in order to buy groceries for the week. She began to realise why her mother had wanted to escape her life when her father started turning into a nasty drunk. Her mother had been able to hide the bruises. She learned to do the same, day after day.
After finding her feet in high school, she soon started hanging out with the rough crowd, taking any opportunity to stay out of the house, allowing herself to be influenced by others. Her once sweet personality slowly disappeared and a cold hearted bitch had taken her place; fearing she would be abandoned again, she never allowed anyone to get too close, always keeping up a wall and manipulating others into thinking they knew her well. Her nights turned into loitering, juvenile delinquency, fooling around with older boys and partying. She took a particular liking to joyriding, loving the thrill of the speed and the occasional chase from the police which led to multiple arrests when she was caught behind the wheel.
One day a new face entered the group and after an initial hazing, Ripley eventually took a liking to the girl - which was rare. Eva's impressive carjacking skills helped. She soon took Eva under her wing since she could be easily manipulated but also because the girl reminded her of her younger self. Lost. The pair went on many wild nights over the years, hijacking cars all throughout the town and nearby city, often being referred to as thelma & louise by their other friends. Ripley unfortunately found herself growing more and more fond of the blonde and her wall came down. Eva was a welcome escape from her shitty life at home, until it all went wrong.
The car they had targeted for their next heist was a trap and when Ripley saw the police chasing Eva towards their meeting point, she did what she knew best; fended for herself and ran, leaving Eva to take the fall. It was a shitty thing to do but she was scared of going to jail and had acted in the moment. She couldn't bring herself to attend the hearing and when she eventually tried to visit, Eva denied her request and she closed that chapter in her life, building her wall back up once more.
Life became even shittier at home. Sick and tired of being her father's punching bag, she finally snapped and got her revenge. While he was out drinking one night, she packed up her shit and went to town pouring and smashing bottles of his alcohol around the house, using it to light the place up. She watched the house burn before taking her chances on the streets, stumbling across an abandoned warehouse that she decided to call home for the night, unaware it was already occupied. She woke up to find Daz and his gang surrounding her. Unfazed by his threats, she requested to join his group of merry men, rising to any challenge he threw her way until she was finally accepted. Over the next few years she absorbed any and all skills they would teach her and in return used her own assets to manipulate information out of anyone susceptible.
- father is currently in jail for arson of the house she burned down due to the police thinking it was an insurance job. - her love of fire grew from that night, now constantly carries a lighter on her and will play with it whenever she feels anxious or bored.
PETS
20 - selfish - bitchy - criminal /gang member - single
NICKNAMES: romeo GENDER: male AGE: twenty one D.O.B: 1st february SEXUALITY: bi-sexual RELATIONSHIP STATUS: single HOMETOWN: coventry HAIR: brunette EYES: brown HEIGHT: 5ft 11 PLAY-BY: sergio carvajal
PERSONALITY/LIKES/DISLIKES
easygoing, persuasive, manipulative, cheeky, confident, great poker face, street smart, fun loving, sociable, easily influenced, care-free, passionate, impulsive, trust issues, lover not a fighter unless he feels threatened, feels things deeply - good and bad
LIKES: whiskey, reading, poetry, stealing, surfing, basketball, sunrises, motorbikes, lazy days, card tricks DISLIKES: police, getting caught, violence - only used as a last resort, authority, his father, coffee STRENGTHS: sleight of hand, pick-pocketing, lying, black-mailing WEAKNESSES: falls in love easily FEARS: his dad tracking him down SECRETS: sent his dad down HABITS: reading any person he meets to see how easy it would be to con them
LIFESTYLE
STATUS IN SOCIETY: lower class OCCUPATION: con-artist/thief WEALTH: getting by TATTOOS: none SCARS: a few DRINK: occassionally SMOKE: occassionally DRIVE: motorcycle HOME: london
FAMILY
FATHER: miguel isaac romero MOTHER: unknown OTHER HALF: single SIBLINGS:MONIQUE ELSIE BRADLEE - half sister CHILDREN: none FRIENDS:
Noah's first memories of his childhood were happy. He had two parents and an older sister that loved to help look after him. Although the rest are pretty hazy, he has a strong memory of his sister trying to comfort him after being stung by a wasp when he was two. They'd been playing in the yard one sunny afternoon while the adults were busy and when nobody came when he began to cry, the older toddler did her best to calm him down. Not long after that day, his sister became a ghost in his life. Shipped off to a children's home.
Before Noah had came along, his mother had been a single mother to his older sister - knocked up from a one night stand. She hadn't wanted kids in the first place, let alone a girl. The woman had it in her head that boys were the easier gender to raise but she kept the baby regardless. When his father came along a year or so later, his mother was drawn in by him and after a few months, she was pregnant again. The woman wasn't exactly over the moon but she was happy enough to have help this time around and pleased to find out she was having a boy.
His father wasn't the best man, yes he was great with his mother and good with children but he didn't make the best choice in a career. Instead of getting a real job, he turned to crime with his friends. Anything from armed robbery to home invasions. His crimes eventually caught up to him and he was arrested and sent down for five years. Hearing the news, his mother broke down at the thought of raising two children alone and began to neglect noah and his sister until their nursery intervened. Social services became involved and tried to take both children away from her but the woman fought for him and happily sent his sister away.
His mother managed another two years with him - during which she constantly struggled to manage her own emotions and often lashed out verbally when he cried or had a tantrum which led to noah becoming quite quiet and reserved. Seeing the change in his personality and appearance, the nursery once again stepped in and social services removed him from the home and placed him into a foster home at four where he became obsessed with magic - specifically card tricks. One of his foster parents was a kids entertainer who enjoyed performing card and sleight of hand tricks. Noah found the transition into a foster family quite easy and settled in quickly with the family, spending most of his time - when he wasn't at primary school - trying to learn everything his foster dad could teach him.
His life hit a curve at eight when his dad was released from prison, royally pissed to find his son in foster care and not with his mother where he had left him. He didn't bother going down the legal route, and after tracking him down, forced the boy to pack up his things and leave the place he had called home for the last four years. The shell he had started to come out of reappeared and he went back into himself. He'd only been two the last time he had seen the man. He was basically a stranger. It took him a few months but he eventually warmed up to him and the memories of the short happy childhood came flooding back.
While his dad was trying to keep his nose clean for the sake of his son with a proper job, noah continued his hobby of magic, scouring youtube and books for every tutorial possible until he mastered each trick he was learning. He made the mistake of showing his dad his talents who began using them for his own gain. He helped Noah learn how to pickpocket on him until he was competent enough to do it in the real world. His father would target specific houses while Noah was at school and get a sense of their typical routine. Once he knew when the marks would be out of the house, he had Noah pickpocket their keys then would steal what he could without drawing too much attention.
The pair continued to work together for the next couple of years until a job went wrong. Miguel got greedy and decided to rob a house that he knew had millions of pounds worth of jewellery inside but they'd have to hit it at night and a 10yr old Noah would have to help him. They managed to get inside without a fuss and everything was going fine until the homeowners - who were supposed to be out of town caught them. Noah tried to run for it when the husband tried to grab him, causing his father to attack the man. He hadn't see that side of his father before and it scared the shit out of him. Even now he could still see his father pummelling the guy with a crowbar. During the fight the wife had phones the police and upon hearing the sirens, his dad escaped whilst he refused to go with him - fear rooting him to the spot. Noah ended up ratting his father out, telling the police where they lived so they could arrest him. Miguel was sent down again, receiving a 15yr sentence and Noah was put back into the foster system.
He bounced from foster home to foster home due to acting out as he struggled managing his emotions. When he hit twelve, he ended up in a children's home after no more foster families would take him. He spent the next six years learning to survive in a place where everyone was fighting for everything. He got in with an older group of teens who brought out his confidence and ultimately helped him deal with the shit he'd been through. To make some cash, he and his new friends would spend their time after school pickpocketing locals and stealing things from supermarkets. At eighteen, he was swiftly kicked out of the home with what little money/belongings he had and the file the care system had on him. Upon reading it, he found a name and a picture of himself with a girl, his older sister. No forwarding address. Alone, with no way of finding her, he drifted through the country, hopping from town to town using his sleight of hand and card tricks to put on shows, conning bystanders whilst simultaneously pickpocketing them.
He made his way down to London, figuring unsuspecting tourists would be more of an easy target and he was right. The place was rife with gullible people and they made it too easy. When he wasn't conning tourists, he was targeting the richer areas of London, using stolen credit/debit cards to withdraw cash and take loans out, enabling him to buy swankier clothes to fit in with the wealthy, broadening his cons. He often spent time in hotel bars, watching the men that came in - particularly ones with wedding rings on. Ones who were having affairs. He'd take incriminating photos and blackmail the men for money in return for the pictures. 99% of the time they always paid.
Once he had enough spare cash, he searched the internet for a local PI who could try and help him find his sister, which led him to Hickstead.
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