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!.
The man couldn't believe what was happening. No one in their right mind would go out in a storm to rescue someone, but Cal wasn't just someone to the three men. Christian owed a lot to Cal after taking him in as an employee - they were becoming more and more like family as of late. "You are a bit crazy, but he means a lot to all of us so let's go then."
He looked outside and it seemed as if the storm was starting to pass. The man walked over and put on his rain gear on, prepared to face the storm head on. "Okay but no one is going out there without the rest of the.." Before he could finish, the two of them had already left. Christian let out a sigh - so much for them all sticking together. The long haired man followed suit, closing the door behind him before starting his eight kilometer run. He was thankful he kept himself in shape, swimming for exercise for emergencies like this.
As he approached, Christian could hear that Eli had found Cal. He fixed the hood of his rain jacket as he got closer. "He's alive? Well someone must have wished for a miracle. We can carry him back together and get him safely inside. Someone can call an ambulance so he can get looked at just in case." It took him a few glances to realize Cal was in fact still breathing - the storm hadn't blown him away or worse drowned.
“Really? I think at seven years old, these three have yet to surprise me nicely. Have yours cooked for you yet?” Christian often let them help him in the kitchen - doing simple things like pouring water into a pot or measuring out ingredients for a recipe. It was quite cute watching them try and do adult tasks - though they were growing up before his eyes. “See that was a smart idea. My girlfriend’s parents are a great help. Even now when they’ve outgrown diapers. We both are busy working so they look after them when they aren’t in school.” He often felt terrible leaving them, but there was always work to be done at the Marina.
Christian nodded in understanding. “I get that. There needs to be some sort of parent and child group for everyone to make friends.” It was hard as his friends were all at different stages in life - and some of them lived back home in the USA. He tried his best to keep in touch with them - but it was difficult with the time difference. “Oh roses do smell nice. Do you have them all in one spot then?” He left the gardening to Ama and her mother - the lawn maintenance was more his thing come the Summer. “Definitely, I do feel terrible for those that can’t have children of their own but desperately want to.” Younger Christian didn’t fathom the fact that he would one day end up with triplets - and ones that weren’t biologically his either.
“Glad I’m not the only one that feels that way. Have you encountered anyone else from back home?” He hadn’t yet - being in the Navy meant he couldn’t control where he lived, meaning his friendship group was limited to those he worked on boats with. Now that he was in Hickstead, he had a few friends he made since moving there. “That’s nice to hear. Is your husband American as well?”
"And what did she order? I don't know about you but I feel like it would be a hard choice." Christian always had this problem when he was in charge of ordering sweet treats for family gatherings or birthdays - though usually he consulted Ama about it.
Molly had finished both their orders, Christian taking a sip of the chocolate coffee and picking up his pecan tart - which was served to him in a paper bag. "Yeah, I had to do school drop off. Worked a bit of overtime last night to get one of the boats done so Cal let me have a lazy morning." It was nice for them not to have a chaotic and stressful school morning. Usually, it was getting them ready for school and themselves ready for work at the same time - though they had it down to an exact science by now.
"Are you heading into work today too? Or do you have the day off?" He knew Perry worked as much as he did - they both needed a vacation of some sort. "Did you have time to sit down with your coffee? It's been awhile since we chatted outside of work."
Christian nodded, it was an expensive boat that they would be working on. He knew his boats pretty well by now - not only due to being in the Navy back home. "Alright, that should be easy enough. That's a pretty nice boat, don't see many of those on the waters." He turned over to face Aria who seemed to be wanting to get going.
"Yes, but if you go too fast you could miss something. I understand the pressure because I was new once too." Granted, it was a few years ago now but he had his Navy experience to thank for that. He chuckled softly when he heard Aria whistle, wondering if she had ever seen a boat like the one they were to be working on. "I agree. If we were all rich I don't think we'd be working. Though, I love my job. Don't get me wrong." He gave Cal a smile - truly lucky to have a wonderful boss like him. The coworkers were pretty decent too, though sometimes they annoyed him.
As they approached the boat, he had a glance at the exterior first. It was something that tended to be overlooked, though the boat seemed in excellent condition. "Yeah, let's start there. Did you want me to hold the flashlight while you have a peek at the engine?" He always carried one in his pocket at work, just in case he was needed to work somewhere dark. Christian began making his way down towards the engine.
Christian started to feel relief about the conversation. As he had surprised his last fiancee, only to find out she cheated on him - it was nice to hear that they were both on the same page. It did put a damper on it being an actual surprise though.
"I feel like I need engagement rings for dummies. Can you explain to me what a diamond centerpiece is?" His understanding was that every ring had a stone in the center - though he knew he could very well be wrong. It wasn't his area of expertise after all. "You mean the kids or our adult family members?" It was all starting to come together - Christian would only have to think of how to get their kids involved. He moved around the kitchen, helping to unload the dishwasher.
With a few glasses in his hand, he put them in the correct cupboard - making sure they were completely dry before doing so. "Did you have a picture of your dream proposal in mind? Something outside maybe?" The more he knew about what she wanted - the better he could plan their engagement. He would honestly be happy with anything, though for both of them something low key was the most comfortable.
Christian nodded, he knew that the store wouldn't have everything available to look at. "Thanks, I'll have a peek." He opened the book and was slightly overwhelmed with the tones of turquoise available. After a few moments of looking at the page, his eyes spent a bit more time on one stone option over the others. "I'll go with this one. I know she did say she didn't want anything flashy, but this is her style." He kept his finger on the one he had chosen. The blue was cooler in tone and looked nice with the crackles of silver.
As the process was explained to him, he nodded again. It seemed like the standard protocol for ordering something. "Sounds perfect. We can go with the turquoise stone with the triangle cut and silver for the ring metal. I'm fine with coming and picking it up too." A smile came to his face, realizing that he was actually going to propose to Ama. Their relationship had been a wild rollercoaster ride, but it was time for him to put a ring on it. "A month is fine, though if you need more time I'm flexible."
Christian has a no nonsense attitude towards everything. He is someone who likes to fix things himself before consulting the Internet or an expert, which often gets him in trouble. He is a loving, kind and caring father to children who are not biologically his own. Despite his no nonsense attitude, he is a complete sweetheart and will stand up for those who can't or don't have a voice.
enemies
As Christian is a bit hard headed, I'm sure he has enemies. Someone who disliked him from the Navy after what happened with his best friend maybe?
It felt odd for Christian to start work later. He planned on having a lazy morning, though it was his turn to drop the triplets off at school. It was thankfully a relatively smooth process and the three of them were happy. Ama was busy getting ready for the Winter wedding season, so Christian was on his own.
He wanted to surprise her with coffee and a pastry, though not before he had a treat himself. Christian parked his car in the parking lot of the pastry store, heading inside after he got out. After his meeting with the family about the proposal, he frequented the pastry shop more often. As soon as he entered, he couldn't believe how many people were inside. Thankfully, he had a lot of time. The staff were busy working away and it wasn't long until he made it to the front. Christian placed his own order, deciding on a mocha and a pecan tart. When he stepped aside to let the next person order, he realized it was Perry.
"Morning, fancy seeing you here. How have you been?" He saw Molly place down his order, walking over to grab his coffee as he waited for Perry to answer.
Christian patiently waited for his family members to look at the picture. “That’s exactly what I was going for. Something unique but not too flashy.” He also was happy he remembered that she didn’t want yellow gold. Gideon was very helpful when it came to his appointment. Christian felt terrible about how many rings he made him pull out of the drawer for him to look at.
“Not three months of pay let me tell you.” Christian laughed, he remembered the so-called tradition but really thought it was silly. To him it shouldn’t really matter what the ring cost - it was really just something that solidified the relationship between two people. “It was just odd that she was looking at rings. I thought I could really surprise her but now she knows its coming.” He thankfully avoided the awkward conversation. With people having varying opinions on marriage, he wanted to make sure that Ama wanted a wedding to begin with.
“Wait, I haven’t heard about this family picnic either. That would be a great idea. We could have it by the pond? Maybe one of you knows a photographer to capture the moment?” As the Spring time was approaching, it would make for beautiful photos with everything starting to be in bloom. “She did also mention she wanted to have the proposal around family and not in a public place." At least he could have some sort of surprise. Ama wouldn't know when or where it was happening. "Remind me, when is the picnic?"
“I really wish they wouldn’t. I get enough surprises at work to make me want to have a quiet home life.” Between having been in the Navy and working at the Marina fixing boats - he had enough to keep him on his toes. He did love his kids though, even if they added to the chaos. “Don’t you wish that we could clone ourselves?” It would make looking after the children easier. He was lucky that Ama’s parents were also very hands-on with them, taking care of them when neither of them was available.
Christian nodded, he was thankful that he retired from Naval duties just after they adopted the triplets. “I do know how you feel. People tend to change once they get married and have children. Do you still keep in touch with those friends?” Christian only had two friends he had known for what felt like forever. He moved to the UK and with his Navy days, he wasn’t really ever in one spot for very long. “Gardening? I definitely don’t have a green thumb. What would be your favorite thing you’ve grown?” Christian was happy fixing mechanical issues in the home. Growing a garden was something he never really learned how to do.
“True, I should start believing in karma or something. I know some people don’t like children but, they do exist.” When he was younger, he didn’t really ever see himself being a father. It was something that took awhile to be used to - the triplets weren’t his own after all so it was a different experience. “It’s an odd city. Washington feels like a big city with all the government buildings, but I enjoyed growing up and living there.” Most of the tourists that visited there wanted to see the White House, but there were several other sights to see that were often missed. “I do have to admit, it took me a moment to realize you weren’t from here. My accent won’t ever go away, though there seems to be more and more Americans around here. Don’t you think?”
"I'd rather it be me than you. Someone has to go get him." Christian was slightly shocked that Perry was acting so caring towards him. Usually, he was cold and standoffish. "I appreciate your concern, but he can't be out there alone." Christian had years of Navy experience under his belt - and unfortunately, he had to deal with his fair share of grief as well. The two of them were important to him and he would much rather sacrifice himself over the other two.
He heard a voice he didn’t recognize and turned. When Perry spoke first, he took a moment to look at the stranger, who he now knew as Eli. “Ah, Eli? I’m Christian. I don’t think it’s safe for anyone to go out on the water right now. We will just have to wait for the storm to pass and then go out and look for him.” He assumed the two of them were friends - though maybe more was going on behind the scenes. “I know he means a lot to all of us, but it would be foolish if we did.” Christian felt like such a dad at the moment, but it really wasn’t safe.
The kitchen wasn’t exactly somewhere he spent most of his time, but he thought it was rude if he didn’t. Marriage was a serious topic after all - he now was starting to get the idea that Ama thought so too. “Yes, I can understand that. You could start by telling me what styles you don’t want. So that I have an idea.” Christian liked to think he knew Ama very well by now, but people could constantly change their minds.
He walked over to the dishwasher and started helping, starting on the silverware so he could be out of Ama’s way. He organized the cutlery and nodded, listening to Ama’s answer. “You’re more of a silver band girl then?” He was completely clueless when it came to fashion, often finding himself relying on Ama to help him pick what to wear. It didn’t take him long to put the silverware away and begin helping with the pasta bowls.
When Ama mentioned family, an idea came to his head. He could get her family to help him plan the proposal - maybe even at the upcoming family picnic. It all depended on how quickly he could get the ring. “You’d want the triplets involved? Or just the adult family?” He wanted most of it to be a surprise for her - though realistically she didn’t know when or with what he was going to propose.
Christian nodded, he knew not all employers were forgiving about him being late. “Thanks, so a brand new boat huh? Any clue whose it is?” There were several wealthier people in Hickstead now so it was hard for him to tell. “Hello, Aria. Long time no see.” He smiled, Aria was someone he didn’t know too well yet but the younger woman seemed nice enough.
As their project was explained to them, he raised his eyebrow. This wasn’t something that was often asked of him to do - though he was ready for the challenge. He watched Aria as she took in what was about to happen. “It really won’t be that bad, we’ve got this.” He sounded more confident than he felt, but four eyes were better than two. “Okay, let’s go see this boat. Elodie always brings the best cookies but it’s not a race. We should get this done right the first time.” Food was always something that tempted him, but those cookies could wait until they were done.
After turning to Cal, he spoke again. “And where is this fancy new boat? I believe we are both ready to begin.” He quickly glanced at Aria, who really looked ready.
Christian should have known that there were several options when it came to choosing rings. He had bought an engagement ring before, but this time was different. It sounded cheesy, but he had a feeling Ama was the one. "Wow, I really appreciate this. I do think the turquoise stone would be more her style. Did you have a sample of it?" He didn't mind if it wasn't the exact ring, just one with the turquoise stone was perfect.
It made the ring feel more special that it would be custom made. He also knew it would be unique, also always happy to support local businesses when he could. "I do think I'll have my decision made soon. How would the process go after this?" He assumed it was a matter of ordering, paying and waiting for it to come in - but everyone had their own steps to go through. "Her ring size is 7." Christian was glad it was something he memorized - her family had told him once he knew he was ready to start ring shopping.
"It would be a little awkward if we weren't on the same page. Have you heard stories like that working here?" As Ama was in the wedding industry, he had heard about the crazy brides and their dress needs. He didn't understand why people could act like that - it was part of preparing for the happiest day of their life. "Yikes, those people exist? I like to think I'm an observant person. Granted, I know her pretty well." Not paying attention to him meant that the relationship wasn't working - or someone wasn't interested enough in their partner.
He took another glance at the rings that had stood out to him after the question was asked. "The iridescent one I like the original stones. Though for the triangle one, I'd change the color of the center stone. What would my options be for that one?" Even though Ama wanted something that wasn't flashy, he still wanted something unique. A triangle stone wasn't something he had seen before and it seemed like a ring he could see Ama wearing. "Preferably something lighter in color."