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!.
"Spank? Really." Blaise glanced over at Brook, catching the raise of his eyebrow and returning it with one of her own. "Oh, so you're straight laced in the bedroom too then." She commented, baiting him just a little. Something about that interested her just a little, and she tried to shut the thought down - now was not the time, and he was not the kind she should be getting in bed with either. A pretty face he might be, but if he wasn't going to put the cuffs to good use where was the point anyway. She watched him head to the boot. Surely an officer would be more prepared than the average person.
After some rooting around in the back, he produced a couple of items. Blaise locked her arms around herself, trying to capture some warmth. "Yeah, got one." She nodded, going to wrestle open a door again so they could clamber back in, taking the torch as it was offered and clicking it on so she could find her way in a little bit easier. She was even nice enough to shine the way in for Brook too once she has situated herself in as comfortable a position as possible in the back. She huffed, wringing out her hair and then trying to fix it as much as she could with her good hand so it wasn't in her face. "Here. . might help your wrist." She blinked, caught by surprise as Brook offered her the aid. She hesitated, a natural response whenever someone was offering her help - was it a trick, or was it genuine, and what would she had to give in return - but then took it. "Uh thanks.." She cleared her throat and reached for it, awkwardly trying to wrap her wrist.
She raised a brow at his side eye, challenging him to come back with something shirty in response. The snort at least made him seem amused but he was hard to judge and even harder to read. Her brow oy rose further up her forehead at the smack he gave the car. ”Fuck sake.” It was her turn to snort and she glanced at him. "What did that accomplish? It's not a woman, you can't spank it into action." she didn't have to make it sexual but she felt like making him uncomfortable. He was always too easy to wind up and this was exactly the kind of situation that would encourage him to be on edge. It wasn't just for that reason, but more the fact that this wasn't her ideal situation either. She was just more accustomed to these instances, having spent plenty of time living on the streets in all sorts of weather.
"We need to find somewhere to wait out the night, no point trying to walk in the dark and this weather is going to get worse." Talk about obvious. It was pitch black and the storm wasn't even close to relenting. Of course it couldn't have been a beautiful sunny day to crash. "Don't happen to have a torch in there or anything?" She asked, nodding to the car. It would help something but probably not enough. She was already drenched though and she knew it wouldn't be long until the cold set into her bones. ”Wait in the car or try and find somewhere?” Blaise looked back to the pile of junk and shrugged. "It may as well be a roof as it's useless as a car right now." that thing wasn't going anywhere fast but it could keep them dry. No matter the fact they'd just spent enough time trying to get out the fucking thing in the first place.
"No. I don't." His answer almost surprised her as much as it seemed to surprise him. She had expected a sarcastic response perhaps, or some kind of grumpy retort - but he seemed sincere as he said no. Good. Trust was hard earned and all that, and she didn't expect either of them to have any in each other, but it seemed somehow they did. She was going to prove that she wasn't about to abandon him for once, they were stuck in this together whether they liked it or not. She caught the smile but only rolled her eyes in response, but didn't bother to say anything further, her brain busy working out their situation. She was good at this kind of shit, not that it happened often, but she knew how to live of very little, how to get through a shit situation, how to tough it out and use what resources she had to make it through a night.
"Right of course. . don't worry, if a big bad deer comes out of the woods, I'll scare it off." She snorted at that and spared a glance to their dark surroundings. "Oh please do, Bambi is a terrifying film and I don't need to relive it." She retorted, a half assed attempted to joke as she checked out the car. She sat back on her heels for a moment as she looked at the state of the car and pursed her lips. "We're not driving anywhere in this thing are we?" Blaise was quiet for a moment, considering their options and whether she could do anything to fix things, before she pulled a face and shook her head, going to stand. "Nope. It's fucked." She sighed and ran a hand through her hair, shivering slightly as the cold and damp began to settle in her bones. "We need to find somewhere to wait out the night, no point trying to walk in the dark and this weather is going to get worse." She suggested. The car was a state but it would at least be warmer than standing outside.
"Likewise." She raised a brow but then relented and gave a slight smile - and not even a sarcastic one at that. She couldn't deny he was right. Sometimes, it was almost horrifying how similar they were. She watched him try the police radio, waiting to see if that was going to play ball. From the sound of the silence - no. "fuck sake" She sighed, "guess we're out here on our own for now." She gave a slight frown, wondering how far it would be to walk. The storm was still raging outside, and it was dark - she didn't like their chance of walking right now. She waited for him to deny it again, her eyes on his face. "I'm fine, it's just a knock." Blaise's lips pressed together but she gave a small nod, not pushing it any further. Just the way she had waved it off, she knew he would say if it got that bad - or he wouldn't and she'd catch him about to fall over.
She held his gaze when he looked at her, and then she sighed. "You really think I'm going to do a runner right now?" She wanted to make a comment about how stupid did he think she was, but knowing him, he'd come up with some smart assed answer. "I'm resourceful, but not that resourceful. Besides, I figure if something comes to eat us, it'll want you first as there's more meat on your bones." She gave him a sarcastic smile and then finally saw him climb out. It was tempting to run just as a joke, to be an asshole. But she didn't. She awkward clambered out with her good hand, taking his offer without a second thought, and then paused, taking a look at the mess of the car to see how bad it was. She frowned and wandered over to the crumpled hood, tilting her head. She was good with cars but this might be too much of a mess. "Do you think you could try and help pop it? There might be less damage than we think..." Maybe enough to drive it carefully a little further. She crouched down to look at the driver's wheel and sighed at the sight of the axel. "Actually, there's no point..."
"good. ." She didn't feel an iota of guilt for lying, she was essentially fine anyway, she could handle having a broken wrist, it wasn't life threatening and it was annoying but it would heal. She needed to figure out how they were going to get out of this. "Yeah i'm fine." She rolled her eyes. Alright, so they were both lying. She knew it came from that whole 'lone wolf' bullshit they both had going on but sometimes it was a bit stupid. As she leaned forward between the front seats she spotted the blood on his head a mile away - that wasn't nothing, head wounds could be serious. "Liar," She called him out as she looked pointedly at his head, but from this awkward angle she couldn't do much about it.
She watched him turn to face her and she took the time to look him over properly in the half light that was available. The rest of him seemed to be in one piece and it astounded her to feel relief for it. "Has your phone got any signal?" Reaching with her good arm, she pulled her phone out of her pocket and pressed the lock screen. Nothing happened. Frowning, she tried holding down the power button but to no avail. "Either the battery died or the crash killed it." Though she saw no obvious reason as to why it was dead. "You're not fine, how bad is it?" Blaise looked back to Brook, seeing his gaze on her cradled arm she moved it out of sight behind the chair again, as if that would make it go away. "It's just a break, it doesn't matter." She'd had worse anyway and she frowned. "You'll have to let me out of the back." She added pointedly - she couldn't open the doors from the outside but it was worth seeing if she could do anything to try and fix the cars; she was an expert at them after all.
”I wasn’t trying to stop them” She rolled her eyes, she figured as much or he'd be speeding off after them already. Still, it wasn't like he was Mr. Perfect, it wasn't as if he didn't speed himself. Everyone sped when they drove, unless you were old - they seemed to barely be able to get out of first gear. ”when did I say I was like lewis Hamilton? I’m a damn good driver and its part of the job requirement.” She didn't comment on that, not as in the mood for their back and forth banter as she usually was. She was aware that they took driving tests and similar, they had to be able to drive with the sirens on and all that shit. Still, she knew how to drive to escape the sirens, which in her opinion made her the better driver.
Her attention was stolen by the flash of the deer. If the roads hadn't been wet, they probably would have been fine - or maybe if he hadn't taken a second to give her that look. She braced as they skidded and then swerved, grunting at the impact of the car hitting the tree. She was thrown forward and then yanked back by the seatbelt, a loud exhale of breath forced from her as her head hit the back of the seat in front of her. She shook it off, feeling lucky that the seat was padded, but it took her a minute to consider her other injuries. ”Blaise? You okay?” She gave a nod, ignoring the way her head swum a little, it was mostly the shock of the crash. "Yeah I'm okay," reaching to unclip her belt she winced, sucking in a breath of pain. With a confused frown she looked down at her right hand and saw why - it was stuck at definitely the wrong angle and she made a noise halfway between frustrated and pained, not bothering to tell him. She clutched it close to her chest to protect it until they could fix it, and unclipped the belt with her other hand, shifting forward to peer into the front. "Are you alright?" She looked him over with a critical eye.
She snorted as he flashed his lights at someone when they overtook, "yeah cause that'll stop them," if anything they were already long gone before they even saw the lights - or weren't even noticed. If they were an idiot fast driver they wouldn't have been observant enough to see the officer they'd narrowly avoided. ”I’ve been driving since I was fifteen, I know what I’m doing.” Blaise made a point of rolling her eyes so he could see the gesture, "Doesn't matter how long you've been driving. You can still drive like a backwards moron." She raised a brow, "it doesn't automatically make you Lewis Hamilton."
”Are any cars in England built for these kinds of conditions?” She shot him a look, "I hope that was sarcastic. If not get out and we'll switch." It was the tires that made the difference, and the driver - not really the car. She was about to say something else to poke the bear when something suddenly dashed out in front of the windscreen. "Brook, look out!" Not like he might miss it but she couldn't help herself as she braced against the seat.
”I’m sure they’ll welcome you back with open arms.” She rolled her eyes in response and for once didn't talk back. She didn't see the point, and she wasn't particularly in the mood. Blaise's attention turned to the sky instead, curious to see the weather turn so bad so quickly. As the rain pelted down, thunder and lightning quickly follows and she frowned at the increase of the downpour. The wipers were struggling to keep up with the lashings, turning her head slightly to catch the news as Brook turned up the volume; a glance at his face showed a frown that meant he was at least mildly concerned.
She felt the shudder of the car and frowned slightly too, thinking back to the make and model and what she knew of it. ”Hope you’re not a nervous passenger.” Her gaze flickered back to Brook and she shifted, leaning forwards slightly. "Depends if you know what you're doing. I prefer to drive," And she was damn good at it too. She loved cars, had always loved cars, could take them apart and put them back together and knew how to drive like an absolute mad woman. Water was a dangerous game though and she frowned. "This car isn't exactly built for these kind of conditions, just take it easy. Steering'll be pretty heavy if we aqua plane," Her frown deepened, this car was solid for a police vehicle given it's weight and handling but it'd be a bitch to hang onto if they hit surface water.
She was surprised he held the door open but she slipped in without a quip - or a thanks. She wasn't going to drag her heels today but she also sure as shit wasn't going to be sweet as pie about it either. She settled in her seat and buckled up reluctantly, waiting for Brook to climb in and get them moving. He didn't take too long, but he didn't seem to be in a rush either - which surprised her. She thought he'd be keen to get all this over and done with by now.
It was a while before they spoke, the car already rolling along when she bothered to talk. She didn't mind quiet, but she was bored and tired and she wanted to distract herself. ”Willow Bridge, frequent haunt of yours?” Blaise raised an eyebrow at the snarky comment but didn't react. "It is actually, can't wait to return." She responded, though she knew there were likely some people there who would be less than pleased to see her again. Wonderful. She frowned up at the sky as the gathering swirl of black clouds finally began to open, letting loose a sudden downpour of rain. Blaise snorted at the miserable turn of the weather. "Seems about right," she muttered - it matched her mood well enough.
Blaise heard the sigh and knew Brook was not in the mood to play today. Neither was she really, if she was being honest with herself. The bone aching tiredness still left her feeling cold, and a little lacking of the amusement she normally felt with the frustrating handsome police officer. She caught the look of the assholes who had brought her in look less than impressed and she smirked but walked past without another taunt. Best not rile them further, for now at least.
”I’m taking you because I don’t trust those two to get you there in the condition you left in.” she made a small noise of agreement as she followed him, the most compliant he was likely to have seen her. "at least one of you has some semblance of a brain." she muttered, wrapping her arms around herself as they eventually stepped outside into the cool of the almost Spring air. "Which town are going to?" she asked. She had vacated a few local areas prior to settling in Hickstead, and though it had been a few years it was likely she would know an officer or two if she was unlucky. Depending on the town.
She caught the shake of his head, knowing she was just adding fuel to the fire but unable to help herself. She just couldn't let things rest - she didn't call herself a bitch for the fun of it. The issue was that she had been this person for so long now, it was hard to let go. This hard as rock exterior, the sneering and the jibes and the I don't give a shit attitude, it never used to be her - or at least, not wholly. She had always been fierce and loyal and protective, but she had been softer - once upon a time. Vaguely, she wondered if any of that was still in her, of if she would go on this way until she eventually died - probably at an early age.
She took in several deep breaths to get herself to chill out and by the time the other officer walked in to fingerprint her, she was back to her shit eating grin self. Not bothering to offer any responses to the woman, but she complied, eventually the office lapsed into silence to complete her tasks and then left her alone once again. Just in time to be replaced by her favourite one. ”I’m going to have to take you to Willow Bridge Station. .our holding cells are full.” She frowned, wondering what that meant for her - better or worse. ”let’s go. .” She cocked a brow but actually did as told and stood - there was no point arguing this, she would only make it worse and be back in the cuffs. "You're taking me?" She was surprised at that, thinking he would have rather palmed her off by now. "Can't get enough of my sharp wit and pretty face, huh?" She added, smirking and giving the assholes who had hauled her in a little wave as she walked past - what were they going to do, arrest her?
"Likewise." She shrugged, she knew she was somewhat problematic but it took an asshole to know an asshole. Silence descended after his show of anger. For once she didn't really have a witty remark. "Sorry." She gave a slight nod to show she'd take it. She didn't care if he wanted to stomp his feet, the response had been automatic, and she would rather she hadn't - but old habits died hard and all that. She watched him right back, watching her. There was nothing in her left to explode, she was done for the evening, for the day - for the week.
Blaise watched him stand. "I have no choice. .some one will be in momentarily to take your fingerprints and explain what will happen" She rolled her eyes - how wonderful. One of those hard handed morons was going to be man handling her again. Wonderful. She couldn't wait. "At least send the taller one back in, he was friendlier." She said sarcastically - he wasn't, he was the one that pushed her around, but she'd given up with it now. She waited until he left the room, before she let her shoulders slump, momentarily putting her face into her hands. She'd royally screwed this one up. She would deal with it tomorrow, or the day after, and how to get herself out of this shit but really who was she kidding? There was no coming back from her life. She let out a sigh, pulling her hands down her face and sitting back in the chair, folding her arms as she waited for someone to come in. They couldn't see her fall apart.
They were stuck at this ridiculous impasse and it was driving Blaise insane. "You're infuriating." She almost snarled, but she managed to hold back the snap and turn it into a grumble instead. It wasn't something she liked to think about or admit but they were two sides of the coin. The sooner he understood that she couldn't just trust him, the same way he just couldn't trust her, the easier it would be. When he didn't comment she knew her point had been proven and she made a face that said as much, watching him expectantly.
That's when he slammed the desk and even she flinched a little. Not that she thought he would hit her, but men had proven her wrong before. ”Dammit Blaise you’ve already been that stupid! We have enough evidence to charge you this time and you’re a flight risk so there’s a chance you may not get bail. You might be held in custody until your court date.” She stared at him, working through it and keeping her expression neutral, not letting him see the cogs turning. Well, if everything was going to come crashing down, it wasn't like she had much to lose. She didn't have her kid back, they were never going to give her her son back, what else was there. She knew her lips were turned down at the corners and she was fighting herself to hold it all in, because she couldn't let him see it. She couldn't show any weakness. "Is that so." She said slowly, letting out a soft exhale. A calmness settled over her, the anger and frustrating just... ebbed away. "Okay, so what now? Are you charging me?"
"trust you? no. I barely trust someone i'd call a friend so, definitely not." Blaise raised her eyebrows pointedly. "And you don't think that's the pot calling the kettle black?" She rolled her eyes. "You don't trust me, but I'm meant to trust you... sound's about right." Blaise sighed - they were right back where they started, constantly going around and around in circles over her life and his life and the opposite ends they sat at. "I know you don't do it for fun, i've seen the types of people that do this for fun and you aren't one of them." So had she, though there was the occasional time that had been personal - which had absolutely made it fun. Stealing from her ex, for example, had been the best thrill of her life.
"then why won't you accept my help? you want to straighten out your life for your son? how? you're in a vicious cycle. .you steal to survive, to get enough money to live but what happens when something sticks? what happens when you get sent down?" Blaise ground her teeth together, working her jaw in frustration. "I don't know," She growled through her gritted teeth, hating to admit it. She'd had a plan, years ago, but once you were in it was hard to get out. She was surviving, enough to cover the cost of a place now at least, and she was working her way - but it was precarious, and a hard way to make money; she'd started grifting recently, trying her hand in conning over pick pocketing but it was tough. "I won't get sent down, I'm not that stupid."
