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!.
After some serious thought, he walked back to the light grey sweater. Since his father mainly lived in Seattle, it was something he could wear during three of the four seasons they had there. Jamie picked it up and carefully draped it over his forearm. “It seems random who pays customs or not as a receiver. I’ve tried asking how it works but no one seems to tell me.” Jamie shrugged his shoulders, it was just another thing he didn’t understand.
“What about you? Are you from a larger city or a small town like this?” He had heard a few more American accents than he was expecting in town. It seemed as if the small English town had drawn a lot of people in - for all sorts of different reasons.
Jamie drank his last few sips of coffee. There was only so long of a chat before he knew he had to get back to work. The Fire Station was like his second child and he didn’t like leaving his team alone for too long. “Same, my Mom was a professional Western rider so we had barn cats too. Nothing like this one though.” He glanced over to the cat in the tree - who seemed to be meowing now. “Aren’t you the one who has the alpaca farm? Any cats there?”
The dark-haired man set down the coffee mug and began walking over to the tree with his ladder tucked under his arm. “Cookie? Is this cat nameless? I guess if she is a barn cat its easier to keep them nameless.” He shrugged his shoulders. They tended not to stay inside the barn, which meant predators or other cats would mark them as easy targets. “Do you know any cat rescues nearby? I’m thinking about adopting one for my daughter and I.” He really wanted a dog, but working shift work and Rosa not being old enough wasn’t a good mix. Cats didn’t need to go for walks on a daily basis - if not more.
Jamie took a sip of coffee before quickly realizing that Ila had two dogs with her. When he glanced down, a smile graced his lips. “I should have known with two dogs that you’d spend a lot of time here.” Jamie made sure to look up at Ila as he spoke. Savannah came to check on Jamie, knowing he didn’t spend much time at the pet store. He politely told her he was just looking and the dark-haired woman smiled and left. “I haven’t yet. Savannah and Kasimir have told me they have a few for adoption here. That’s what I’m here to check out. What brings you three here?” He could only assume it was dog food but there were other things to buy there. Jamie glanced over at where they kept the animals that needed adoption. He had read online that it was adoption week for kittens so there were plenty for him to choose from.
“How have you been anyway? And who are these two pups?” He noticed the one with the wheelchair and wondered if it was the dog Ila had mentioned during their last hang-out.
“Yeah, I can imagine with your job you are super busy. At least you don’t have to walk a cat, right?” His mother was a pro rider, meaning she had access to a farm where their various dogs could run around and get plenty of exercise. “I’m thinking about getting a cat though, any suggestions on where to adopt one around here?” He had heard about the local pet store, though he wanted to do his research before he chose where.
Jamie nodded, his own optimism had gone downhill once his wife had died in an accident. Though being in the Navy really didn’t help either, people had been dying around him. “No, I get that. Honestly, to get through the tough calls I try my best to be optimistic, but I have seen things that make me think otherwise.” This was a trauma he didn’t want to discuss with a stranger, let alone his young daughter. When the topic moved to phone numbers, he nodded. “It’s not something I’m used to though. The first job being the Fire Chief, so I’ve always just given my personal number before this.” Jamie admitted the person who hired him had heard enough good things about him to trust him in this new role.
“I appreciate it. Maybe there is a group of single parents that meet around here?” It would be a good way to start making friends, children often enjoyed playing together anyway. Rosa was a bit too young to be of much company, but it was worth a shot. “Do you work with companies who aren’t in the UK then?” It would explain why work would be calling that early, though he also had his fair share of morning shifts. He really didn’t mind them though, as that meant he got to spend the afternoons and early evenings with Rosa. “Yeah, be careful of other men who say that. They really are often slimy.” Jamie chuckled. He didn’t like to talk badly about people who were of the same gender, but he knew there were some idiots out there. “It really is, though it has its downfalls unfortunately. Though, we are starting to get more help when it comes to the traumatic calls.” Therapy was something that was becoming more available to them, sometimes they saw things that no one would want to wish upon anyone.
Jamie nodded, thankful that Cara was also doing some teaching with her too. “That’s what I’m hoping anyway. She just seems so curious that I don’t want to take that away from her.” There was so much for the young girl to learn - both good and bad. “I do hope you take time for yourself though. Do you ride horses like I hear a lot of others do around here?”
Rosa hadn't been sleeping well the last few evenings, which meant poor Jamie was deprived of sleep. It seemed like the young girl went through phases with her sleep cycle and he was desperately hoping she would get out of it soon.
He had dropped Rosa off at the Blue Acres property for daycare with Cara, even though it was his day off. Jamie had some errands to run and Rosa really enjoyed her time there. His first stop of the day would be the pet store. He had heard about them having a few cats up for adoption that he wanted to look at.
After a quick stop at Starbucks to get himself some caffeine, he drove off towards the store. It wasn't difficult to find after putting the address into Google Maps and he arrived about ten minutes later. He parked his car and headed inside. The bell rang as he entered, smiling as he noticed that he recognized someone else in the store.
"Ila, fancy seeing you again so soon." He stopped beside her and started looking at cat toys.
“I kind of figured, but I didn’t want to assume.” Jamie laughed, not everyone enjoyed the wild patterns of the typical ugly Christmas sweater. “Ah, I think I saw a baby blue one with penguins and snowflakes when I walked in.” His father would cause chaos if his son bought him anything with any sort of pattern on it. The man wasn’t one to have fun with his wardrobe choices, running an NHL team meant looking professional. “Sounds like your dad enjoys fun things. Does your family get matching sweaters or PJs for the holidays?” It was something he wanted to start with his own daughter now that she was a bit older.
He smiled and nodded, Bryne wasn’t someone he had recognized, which was usually a good thing. It meant that the man hadn’t had a run-in with the Fire Department. “Oh good, I’m glad. My Father lives back in the States, so I’m preparing myself to pay a fortune for shipping. I really don’t know why they make things so difficult.” It was really only Christmas and when his parents had their birthdays when he had to ship stuff off to them. “I’m sure you can tell from my accent that I’m also from there. Hickstead is definitely much smaller than I am used to.”
Jamie let out a laugh, wondering if this woman was evil. "Yikes, don't remind me to cross you twice." He did know there were people who asked too much of their community though. "Do the kids live in town? I wonder why she doesn't call them for help." He was often called old fashioned by his much younger coworkers, but he heavily relied on his family when Ivy died to help look after Rosa.
He took another sip of coffee and nodded. "See, I haven't figured that out yet, though with my job I feel like it's pretty solid." It seemed like a quiet enough town - especially to raise a child. "Well, I have my leather gloves too so she shouldn't be able to scratch me." Whenever he got called to rescue a cat, he brought them with him. "Thanks for the advice, it's funny actually I'm thinking of adopting a cat myself." He had always grown up with animals, even larger ones as his mother competed in Western riding - so even larger animals were around in his childhood.
"Alright, I guess I should go save that cat. She does have a name, right?" Sometimes using the animals name seemed to help them be calm and come to the rescuer.
"Now I understand why women say men are hard to shop for. Does your dad like sweaters or are you thinking of getting him something else?" His mother constantly complained about what to get his father for different holidays. The two of them had everything they wanted, and anything they needed they had the means and money to buy.
His blue eyes glanced around at the different colours - still feeling helpless. He raised his eyebrow at the question, not expecting to get help from the stranger. "He is definitely what you'd call old school or old money. So nothing modern. Probably navy, black or grey as boring as that sounds." He placed his hand on a light grey sweater, wondering if it was something his father would wear. "I'm Jamie, by the way. And you are?" Being the Fire Chief usually meant he knew everyone in town, though Hickstead was constantly growing on him so, it was hard for him to keep up.
"Does your Dad live here in Hickstead or abroad?" The fact that he had mentioned having to pack up the gift to be mailed made it obvious to the other man, or the American accent he still had stuck to him.
Jamie smiled softly and gently took the mug of coffee from the woman. "Not everyone is so nice. Granted I see people in stressful and traumatic situations so..it's not really the best I see." He actually looked forward to these quieter calls. Rescuing a cat from a tree was calmer than climbing into a burning building to save a toddler. Saving children hit too close to home.
He took a sip of the coffee. "Thank you." It had been a late start to the morning so he had to skip his usual morning coffee. "Do you get roped in to do her dirty work often?" It wasn't something that seemed fair - though if the woman was elderly it made sense. "Have you lived in the area long? Seems like a nice enough place to live." His dark eyes glanced around, the peace and quiet of the countryside was a nice change. "Anything you can tell me about the cat before I go rescue it?" He had rescued enough cats to know what he was doing, but every cat or animal had their own quirk. His mom had taught him that at a young age when she still rode horses professionally.
"I assume people say that so people learn responsibility before the child is born? Though, from having a dog as a child I can tell you it's not the same." He shrugged his shoulders. His mother's horses didn't exactly count as his pets as his mother basically took care of them herself with the help of the barn staff. "Do you have any pets?" Jamie was in the debate to get a cat as extra company, but a decision hadn't been made yet.
He tilted his head in confusion, not taking the woman seriously. "Yikes. And why do you think everything is cynical then?" He did try to be an optimist about it, though the things he had seen both in the Navy and as a firefighter made him realize how terrible things could be. "Then it would depend. Realistically, I'm usually at the Fire Station or I'd give them my phone number. Depends on the stage of friendship though." Making friends since moving to Hickstead hadn't quite been a priority yet. "Most of my friends are back home though as I haven't been here long enough to make a new group of friends." Most of his coworkers were younger than him and they defiantly didn't want to spend time with him outside of work.
Jamie chuckled at her time comment, wishing that the arsonists or accidental fire starters waited until daytime to start their fires. "Not a early riser I take it? I'm not either, though with a baby and work, I've learned to be a light sleeper." It wasn't like Ivy was around to care for Rosa anymore anyway - so it was all up to him. "I do promise we aren't all jerks. Just depends on who you meet unfortunately." There were some people he had met that took the stereotype too seriously. His parents taught him quickly to be respectful - even if he was off representing his country somewhere else. "Everyone has their fair share though and as long as the victims get out alive, a house or building can be rebuilt." It was something he thought he would never get used to. Having to make those split second decisions wasn't for everyone.
"I do try to get her out to see things. I'm not sure how she learns best yet but experiencing things teaches a lot." He had spent too much on the flight over to the UK reading parenting books as he also wanted to learn as much as possible. "Sounds interesting actually. Lots of pressure and intense meetings? Or is it not too bad?"
"Does the cat bite or something?" It wasn't something he had thought about while carrying the ladder from the SUV. He was pretty sure he had a pair in the car though. "Just a few seconds, I'll go grab the gloves. Don't really want scratches on my hands or arms." He really didn't mind though, but he knew they would hurt like hell if he didn't.
Jamie quickly dashed back to the car, opening the back door and grabbing the pair of thick gloves he used while on call. He was thankful he had thrown his entire uniform in just in case there was a Fire he needed to attend to. "For me? You really didn't have to." He responded as he approached the woman again. "I think I will take the liquid courage before I face the furry devil." Jamie carefully threw the gloves towards the ladder, smiling as they dropped close to the bottom.
"Do you live around here? Usually when someone gets called out for a cat rescue here, it's someone older." He usually left the cat rescues to the rookies, though they were currently out washing the Fire truck.
"I did appreciate the joke." Jamie tended to scare some people off when they heard him yell out orders during a Fire. It was for the safety of everyone though - and the situations often required him to think on his feet, which left no time for nice comments. "I understand, they really do put a wrench in your plans. Don't tell Rosa though, I do love her to death." It was a bad joke for him to make considering his wife had died, but he often wondered what his life would be like if he wasn't a Father.
"Exactly and the hope is that others are more sympathetic towards people during tough times." He was a little optimistic when it came to that - though he had to be with what he saw on a daily basis. "If people need me, they tend to call 999 and get ahold of me that way." He hadn't made any friends as of yet, so there wasn't a need to give out his personal phone number just yet.
Jamie nodded, working at the Fire Station meant he had odd and long hours of work. "It's not like fires just happen during the day, though my sleep pattern wishes they would." Just like other first responders, he learned to sleep in the oddest places. It all depended on when the fire bells rang - signaling there was an emergency. "Most people take offence to the American accent, though it may be the places I've visited before." The fact that he was in the Navy didn't exactly help either - though those days were long over.
"Especially when the town relies on you to keep the town safe. No pressure there though, right?" He chuckled. Jamie wasn't one to take credit for something his firefighters had done - though if he had burn out that would be bad and not just for him. "That's fine, she gets enough activity at her daycare. They do so many things, I can barely keep track." Even though Cara had given him a calendar of what days certain things were happening - he didn't often check until the night before to make sure his daughter was dressed appropriately for the days activities.
Jamie's father was someone who had everything - quite literally. Owning a professional hockey team meant he had a lot of money to buy everything he wanted for himself. As Rosa wasn't old enough to help buy something for her grandfather, it was all left on his shoulders.
He glanced at a teal green wool sweater, wondering if it was close enough to the colors Seattle had. "Sounds like we are in the same boat. I'm trying to find something for my father, which means I'm looking for something that is easily mailed." Anything fragile would be too risky to send in the mail. He was hoping to find something and planned on sending one of the crafts Rosa had "made" in daycare for his mother.
"Who are you shopping for? Maybe we can help each other out?" He would do just about anything for some sort of inking on what to get as a gift. Jamie moved down after he wanted to look at the assortment of striped sweaters. The green and white striped one caught his eye, though it seemed a bit too loud for his father.
The cat seemed to be quite content up in the tree. He had dealt with this before, but never in the UK. As a rookie back home, it was often something he would be sent by his old Chief to do as a sort of initiation.
He set down the ladder and got it ready, setting it on the ground to make sure it was stable. "It's not a problem, it happens all the time. I swear cats really enjoy trees more than we think.'
Once the ladder clicked into place, he looked over at the woman. He hadn't seen her before. She was quite stunning, definitely compared to the old lady he had seen here before. "Before I climb up that tree, is the cat friendly? Or do I need a bribe or two?" He joked, glad he brought cat treats with him just in case.
He noticed the second cup of coffee in the woman's hand. "Two cups this morning? Someone was clearly either up late last night or up early this morning."