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!.
Christian nodded, everyone had their own taste. He knew Ama well enough to know this, but an engagement ring was something a woman wore daily. "Oh, so you are saying that all our friends are married except us? Yikes, I never thought we'd be the last ones." He gave her a grin. The two of them had too much going on to get married - and in his eyes they practically were. Three kids and living together was all that he needed, though having a wedding made it official.
He stretched himself out on the couch, enjoying finally being able to sit down after being on his feet all morning. "Have you found a ring that you like the look of then?" Christian smiled softly after the first kiss, the second spicier one catching him off guard, though he kissed back. Once she let go, he blinked - needing a moment to regain his thought process. "Wait, I'll come help now." He got up from the couch and followed her. Housework still needed to be done - he knew he could be lazy later.
Once he caught up with her, he stood in the kitchen - waiting to see how he could help or just keep her company. "Clearly you've thought about this more than I have. Is there any proposal you don't want?"
It was Christian's turn to take the kids to school. The morning was hectic as Juniper had spilled maple syrup on her favorite shirt. He threw it quickly in the laundry pile and, after some convincing he pulled another shirt over her head. He was late, but everyone was out the door and into the car. Ama had left for work early as wedding season was starting to be upon them.
With three screaming children in the backseat, he was ever so thankful that they were now old enough to run into the school themselves. His eyes glanced as the large school door closed behind them, leaning his head against the head rest of the car seat. School runs were typically stressful when he did them. He shook his head and drove off towards the marina - knowing that Memphis would be waiting for him.
The twenty-five minute drive dragged on. People were driving slow due to an accident on the road, which slowly made the patient man frustrated. It felt like forever before he pulled into his usual parking spot and got out of the car - heading towards the main building.
On his way there, he noticed Aria was also close by. The new trainee was a fast learner from what he saw so far, so he wondered why Memphis needed both of them. "I'm also here, sorry. School run was a bit hectic this morning but I'm ready whenever you are." He nodded to both of them, taking a moment to settle down before work would begin.
Christian shook his head, he knew that Ama didn't want anything super fancy - though he wanted it to be special. "It's nothing flashy I promise. Here I have a picture of what I've discussed with the jeweler." He shifted around in his chair and pulled out his iPhone from his back pocket. With a few taps on the screen with his finger, he had the picture on the screen and set it in the middle of the table. "She knows it's happening. I caught her looking at rings not that long ago. You three know I can't keep a secret." And they were already on the topic so it made sense.
He looked over to Paige and smiled sympathetically. "Glad it wasn't too much then today." Christian quickly picked up a doughnut and placed it on the napkin in front of him. "I feel like something at home would be nice. Maybe get the kids involved somehow? I don't think going out to a fancy restaurant would be her thing." He hadn't really thought about it yet - though he had to trust himself. He knew Ama just as well as her family did at this point.
Christian arched his eyebrow. He had learned that if someone denied something that they were lying - most of the time anyway. "Alright, alright. I'll drop it. Promise me you'll talk to someone about it though." Even if it made things worse, it often helped to talk to anyone about the person's problems. It was out in the open world after that. He often ended up talking it out with Ama, she was always a good listener - though he didn't like burdening her with all of his problems. It was part of being in a steady relationship though.
He crossed his arms, letting out a quiet sigh. His dark eyes glanced around the dock - wondering if there was something he could do to help. "Snobs are always going to be there. Unfortunately, you just have to give them the cheesy professional customer service voice. And laugh about them every once and awhile." The more and more he worked on boats, he realized people like that often treated their boats like their children - if something went wrong they were the first one they blamed. "They are looking for someone to blame most of the time. The trick is to not take it too seriously."
Christian knew it was easier said than done. Even he struggled with it - especially not bringing work home with him. "Does that help? It'll be hard at first but we are all here for you."
Christian shook his head at Paige's question. He was the one that invited them and therefore it was his turn to pay for their coffees and treats. Chris made his way to the counter, hoping he remembered everyone's drink order. He chatted happily to Daisy as he placed their order after Ky had stepped aside.
As the coffees were finished, he brought them over two at a time - placing them in the middle of the table so everyone could grab their respected drinks. He went back and got the croissants, catching bits and pieces of Paige's story about work, nodding when necessary. He placed the croissants on the table as well as four plates and sat back down. "Don't you just love the extra paperwork?" The question of if everyone was alright had already been answered, which would have been his first question. It was part of his fatherly instincts.
"Alright, dig in everyone. Hope everything is to your liking." He moved his Matcha latte towards his edge of the table, taking a sip before he answered the questions directed to him. "I don't have much planned. The ring is almost done, I spoke to a local jeweler so it's being custom made. I feel like I need to step up my game because it's the industry she works in. Any thoughts and ideas on how to start?"
Christian smiled and nodded, he could have that as a surprise though he was a bit disappointed the whole thing wouldn't be a surprise to her. "That's true, I promise not to embarrass you. Not something I'd want to put you through." He was confident enough in himself not to be nervous, but there was a slight chance of it happening. Chris knew he would want to have her family members and his own involved in the proposal - or at least the planning portion of it.
"Alright, I'll see what I can do. I didn't think you wanted anything flashy. Though any preference on what cut and color for the stone or are you leaving it to me?" He had recently seen an advertisement for a local jeweler. It was someone he wanted to talk to about rings, potentially seeing if he could create something unique for the woman he loved. "Are you saying you know of people who have had their engagement rings stolen?" Having something stolen wasn't something he had experienced yet, though there were stories he heard during his days in the Navy.
Christian took off his long sleeve shirt, walking over to the stairs leading up to their room. "We are thankful for him too. I understand that if there was to be an emergency that they would need their boat back, but having an engine that actually works is more important." The client seemed frustrated as they couldn't do their job without it, but thankfully the boss was able to get them to understand the work that needed to be put into the repairs.
"Are you sure you don't need help? You know I dislike feeling useless. It smells delicious by the way." He could smell the beef and herbs braising away in the kitchen.
Christian raised his eyebrow as he noticed the eye roll. "Call it my father instinct that I learned as soon as I became the oldest brother. Just because we work together doesn't mean I can't care about you." It was a feeling he had for everyone of his coworkers that were younger than him. Being human brought a hell of a lot of stress and emotions - and he quickly learned that stuffing them down instead of letting them out made things much worse.
He let out a sigh, wondering if this was about to turn into a counselling session - something he had only done a handful of times with various family members when they were younger. "If I've made you feel that way, I do apologize. I know we are all supposed to act tough in order to be cool or whatever, but you don't always have to be." He was terrible at it, though being in the Navy didn't exactly help. The emotional baggage needed to be hidden from plain sight - something that was devastating to his fellow comrades. "Is there something bothering you?" Christian wasn't going to leave until there was some sort of solution found, whatever work he had for the day could wait.
Christian was nervous proposing to Ama. He had the feeling that because she ran the bridal store, there was more pressure on him to make it perfect. He also felt bad that she was already eager to get married. As he didn't know where to start with planning the proposal, he thought his siblings and Paige would be the best people to go to for support and help.
He made sure Ama was busy and the triplets were off with the grandparents before he got himself ready. The Pastry shop was relatively quiet this time of the day which is why he suggested it to the family. Christian got into the car and drove off. Within half an hour, he pulled into the parking lot - seeing the cars of his family members already in the lot as he made his way inside.
With a quick peek inside the building, he saw his cousin and two siblings by a table already. A smile crossed his face as he approached them. "Hello, always nice to see you three." He caught the end of their conversation and shook his head, causing his hair to swing back and forth. "Don't worry Ky, you aren't paying. It's my turn. What would everyone like before we start chatting?"
Christian had heard there was a storm coming when he left Ama that morning. Winter was coming, which meant rainy season. He kissed his girlfriend goodbye and left for work. There were a lot of boats to work on - the most difficult on his list being one that had recently gotten into an accident. It meant Christian had to basically dismantle, order parts and rebuild the whole front end.
With the local radio station blasting away, he drove off towards the marina. About twenty minutes later, he pulled his car into his usual spot - glad that no one had ever dared to park there. It wasn't like he was rude if someone had parked in his spot, it just seemed to make the work day much better.
After locking up his car, he headed towards the main building in the marina, greeting his coworkers with a simple hello or good morning. The burly looking man picked up his tool kit from his locker and headed towards the boat that needed major repairs. He connected his phone to the small bluetooth speaker nearby, started his music and began his work.
He lifted his head from the bow of the boat as he heard his name. Christian recognized the panicked tone from Perry's voice, dropped the wrench and ran towards his younger coworker. "Coming!" He called, not bothering to zip up his jacket as he ran into the radio room. Without a greeting to Perry, Christian switched the stations on the radio to the one Cal had, raising the microphone closer to his mouth. "Cal? Come in Cal."
Crash. The sound sent a chill down his spine - it meant the weather was getting worse. "There's nothing else to do. I'll grab a boat and go get him. I don't think anyone's radio is going to work in this weather." He turned to Perry, zipping his outer layer up - preparing to go face the elements.
"Thanks, I appreciate it. I don't think she'd cut my head off but, she would be a bit mad if I didn't remember how long we've been together down to the second." He laughed, knowing Ama wouldn't care as long as he didn't say they had only been together for a few months. Christian was usually good at telling time but time had seemed to stop ever since he started dating Ama, which was a good thing.
Christian nodded, it was a huge hint. Like a sign standing right in front of him. With his previous relationship - which resulted in him proposing and her cheating on him - he was hesitant to propose again. Though he knew Ama better than that. "I think it was more than just a hint. Should have seen it a mile away." Though proposing to her at Christmas was a little too cliché. "I was hoping to surprise her though. She knows it's coming but I can always randomly choose a date right?"
As Gideon pulled out the options, he started tapping his left foot against the carpeted floor. This was the first sign of nerves that he got - it was becoming real. He glanced at all four options, all of them stunning in their own way - but only two of them spoke to him. "The triangle one and the one with the smaller stones around it. Those two would fit her taste the best."
"I'd say at least ten. Though don't tell my girlfriend if I've gotten my numbers mixed up." The triplets were seven years old already and they had been dating long before they were born. He knew that it was a weird series of events, as people typically got married before they moved in together but their relationship was different.
His mind wandered to remember what kinds of ring designs that Ama was looking at. "I did catch her looking online for ring designs recently. It's what got me thinking about actually proposing here soon..." Christian felt the pressure, which wasn't coming from Ama. The fact that she owned the bridal store, meant hers was the wedding that everyone else was looking forward to. 'I do remember her looking at a clear diamond with a triangle shape?" It was the one she showed him that stood out to him the most. He still wanted her to have something that was simple - but the triangle cut diamond did give it a bit of a different vibe to it.
"She was also looking at some rings with colored stones, though please don't ask me to name any of them." He chuckled, knowing he probably should have done his jewelry research before storming into the shop.
"I do appreciate the parenting advice. They may not be babies anymore, but I feel like I'm learning something new for each new stage of their lives." Christian couldn't imagine what they would be like once they hit their teenage years. He could remember what he was like back then - often feeling sorry for his parents for having to deal with him back then.
He took a sip of his drink before setting it back down on the table, glancing over at the triplets who were enjoying their Strawberry shortcakes. "That must be nice. Do you enjoy being at home? I'm sure the baby keeps you busy during the day though. My partner and I both work, but the triplets are all in school." It was odd to call Ama his girlfriend - especially since they felt like they were practically married. He was thinking of proposing to her soon though, recently making an appointment with the jeweler to make a custom engagement ring for her.
"Some people aren't that kind. I've had my fair share of evil glares when the kids run rampant around the grocery store.." Sometimes he had no choice but to bring the kids with him, especially if it was wedding season - which meant Ama was busier than usual at the shop.
Christian raised his eyebrow, it was nice to meet a fellow American. "Always nice to meet a fellow American, I'm from Washington. Do you miss home still sometimes?"
Christian smiled when he realized the man he was talking to was Gideon. The other man seemed a bit smaller than him and Christian hoped he didn't look intimidating. It was something he was used to by now - due to the way he looked, but unless he felt threatened there was nothing to worry about.
"Yes, that's me! Nice to meet you, Gideon. Glad that you were able to fit me in. I'm sure with the Holidays coming up you are very busy." He was going to wait until the New Year as it was a little too cliché for him to propose to Ama at Christmas - but the woman already caught on to the idea of the two of them getting married. They had been together long enough! "Of course, lead the way."
Christian nodded and followed behind the other man, making sure to enter the office and sitting down on the chair across the desk from Gideon. "I do feel like we've been dating for a long time now...we've been through quite a lot together." He usually kept his emotions to himself, but when it came to Ama that all went away.
"I'd say as for design ideas...nothing too flashy. She prefers silver in terms of metals." The fact that he was getting the ring custom made would make Ama even happier. She was far more creative than he was.
"Oh so no pressure on my end then." Christian laughed. He was at the point where he felt he was already married to Ama since they had been together for what seemed like forever now. "I have been thinking about proposing to you lately, though now it seems as if the surprise I had planned is ruined." He kept his signature smile on - it was clearly on her mind the past little bit. Though he never knew if that had to do with her being in the bridal business or not. 'What were you thinking of for a ring style?"
He knew Ama came from money, but he had an idea that she didn't want some big flashy ring. Christian didn't understand why some women wanted a big ring anyway, it seemed too attention seeking to him.
"Yeah, I'm glad it wasn't my boat. Though I think the worst part was the fact that they kept pressuring us to finish quickly so they could get back out on the water..." It was almost like he was back in the Navy with someone breathing down his neck to get his work done. Usually, it wouldn't be a problem as he knew what he was doing - but there seemed to be more and more wrong the more the inspection went on. "Actually, yes. I'm starving. I didn't take my lunch break because I wanted to get their boat back up and running. Have you eaten this afternoon?"