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!.
Brandon wasn't expecting New Year's Eve to be as wild of a party as it was. He packed a duffle bag, expecting to stay the night at his mother's house, in case he wanted to enjoy himself. It was always better for him to be safe, rather than sorry. He didn't realize that Eva had invited two boys over - the two boys she had mentioned the last time they had made breakfast together.
The fact that Lilith had agreed to come over had made him happy. The two of them chatted the night away, enjoying the food and drinks provided. Brandon was sad that she had to leave at midnight, though he understood she was a busy woman. It took him awhile to fall asleep, which usually wasn't the case. He was thinking about the dark haired woman, wondering how she felt about him. It was always hard to read someone's mind. This led to him sleeping in, waking up to the sound of shuffling around in the kitchen. His dark eyes blinked, adjusting to the light - despite having blackout blinds.
He stretched his arms over his head, letting out a yawn before he flipped the blanket off of him. His feet landed on the ground and he made the bed behind him, softly padding across the hardwood floor before his hand opened the door. The man made his way to the kitchen, finding his mom and sister in the kitchen. "Morning, how did everyone sleep? I'm next for a cup of coffee." He walked over to the cupboard and grabbed a mug before closing the door once he was finished.
thanks aofie!
thirty - part time firetruck mechanic & Sales Yard Stable hand - single (hetero)
AGE
30
SEXUALITY
Heterosexual
RELATIONSHIP
Single
OCCUPATION
Fire Station Mechanic and Part time Stable hand @ Sales Yard
Brandon let out a laugh at Eva's comment. "That's not really how genetics work. You get genes from your parents, not your siblings." The two siblings knew they weren't related, but adoption wasn't something he was going to discuss in front of Lilith. As far as he was concerned, he felt that he was biologically related to Eva.
The pandas seemed to be entertaining to Eva. He himself had to admit they were pretty cute. Brandon might come off as grumpy, but he did love animals. It seemed as if everyone had agreed they were hungry which shocked him. He was used to being the only one. The Pandas seemed to have quickly finished their feeding time and he turned himself and followed Lilith. "Do you know what bears the Zoo is thinking of getting as a replacement?" It was always interesting to him that animals were in rotation, almost like if it was a popularity contest.
The dark haired man shook his head when the two women were going on about pandas. "Yes, yes they are cute. I've never heard you squeal like that before. Maybe you are more girly than you think." Brandon wasn't much to crack jokes, but that was pretty close for him. He went back to focusing on finding the smoothie stand - it was something only another guy could relate to. "Lead the way! No, I'm paying. It's the least I can do after you take time out of your busy day. Which Zoo animal is your favorite?" The question was directed to both of them, giving them something else to think about as they walked along.
thanks aofie!
thirty - part time firetruck mechanic & Sales Yard Stable hand - single (hetero)
AGE
30
SEXUALITY
Heterosexual
RELATIONSHIP
Single
OCCUPATION
Fire Station Mechanic and Part time Stable hand @ Sales Yard
It seemed as if their sappy family conversation was over. Brandon knew neither of them expressed how they felt about each other, but that was as close to an I love you as he knew he would get. Part of him wondered if they were truly related as parts of their personalities matched up. “Are you sure? I don’t want to stir up any teen drama that might happen between the two of you. I feel like you’ll get along eventually.” Being a teenager was awkward and weird enough anyway - let alone needing to make friends with people who were equally as awkward.
He waved off her comment, knowing his sister should know him better by now. “No, no. It gives me something to do at the Fire Station. It keeps the firefighters off my back if they break something else. I swear they are cranky about having to use a French Press.” Realistically, Brandon was happy with just filter coffee. He was old-fashioned that way and there wasn’t any technology for him to deal with. “I’ll have to talk to Jamie about that. I don’t have proof it was B shift but I have a suspicion.” Brandon pulled out a kitchen towel and began drying the dishes - he actually enjoyed cleaning. He quickly discovered that Eva did not. His eyebrows raised as Eva actually answered him. “Ah, two boys then. When can we expect to meet them?” It wasn’t like his sister had admitted to dating or anything, but there was a thin line between being friends and being in a relationship. There was nothing wrong with having friends of the opposite gender in his eyes - he had Lilith after all. “Oh! I know Tanner’s family. You know I basically live at the hardware store after work. Does Tanner work there too?” It was a store he knew well by now, often not needing to ask for any help when he went there.
“What you think I’m a firefighter? I feel like if a woman had feelings for me she better hit me with her car first.” He shrugged his shoulders - not even knowing if anyone had those kinds of feelings for him. Everyone else he worked with seemed to feel differently after meeting Lilith, though he continued to wave it off as if she was just being friendly towards him. “Just making sure you don’t do anything illegal in terms of your romantic relationships.” Okay, that might have been a bit harsh towards someone who did go to juvie, but he hoped Eva would take it as a joke. He busied himself by putting the clean dishes away before returning to the cooking task at hand. The dark-haired man nodded, poring the zest in before giving it another quick mix. “Listen, cooking takes time. Not everything gets made in a microwave. How toasted do you want yours?” He asked, before putting the first two slices of French Toast in the frying pan.
“Why peanut butter? I honestly just put butter and maple syrup on mine.”
thanks aofie!
thirty - part time firetruck mechanic & Sales Yard Stable hand - single (hetero)
AGE
30
SEXUALITY
Heterosexual
RELATIONSHIP
Single
OCCUPATION
Fire Station Mechanic and Part time Stable hand @ Sales Yard
Brandon is someone who is stubborn and independent. He dislikes asking for help as he was raised to be independent. Other than that, he is a complete gentleman. One could use workaholic as a word to describe him, as he rarely allows himself to have a day off. Brandon is someone who is trustworthy though once people get past his rough edges.
He tends to make friends with people who he works with - though anything is possible!!
enemies
Brandon tends to stick to himself - though maybe someone gets angry that he works too much? Or an angry horse owner dumps their horse at the Sales barn?
Brandon didn’t know what kind of reaction to expect from Eva. He knew she wasn’t the showing affection and gratitude kind. The answer he got from her came as a bit of a shock to him. “Oh, thank you. I like to think I knew we’d be a good fit for you.” He didn’t want to admit how hard he had to fight after Brandon found out about Eva’s situation. He was relieved the day she moved in with them.
“I don’t think it’s a secret. You know him, if you ask I’m sure you can get his secret recipe.” Auggie was kind enough of a person to show one of the employees how to make the coffee at the Yard better. Brandon had never asked as he was usually always there when Auggie was. “Ugh, don’t get me started. I think the second shift broke it. I’ll have to look at it next time I’m working there.” Yet another thing for him to fix, as if there was nothing else for him to do. The Fire Engines kept him busy enough - though there was promise of hiring more staff to help him out.
Brandon began gathering the dirty dishes as Eva worked away. He would rinse off the dishes and put them in the dishwasher when they were done eating. “The two of you are really stubborn. Not that I think the two of you need to be besties or anything, just curious if you two had hung out or anything.” He felt like he barely knew Eva some days, though he didn’t know Izzy that well either. The other teen seemed nice enough though, only seeing her when she came by for a visit. “Who do you hang out with anyway?” He felt odd using the name, but it seemed to be what the kids were saying these days. The man now took a sip of his own coffee, trying not to spit out his coffee after the romance comment. “No, I don’t think so either. Though for me that’s the last place I want to find a partner.” He only really went out when Jamie invited him, and even then the conversation usually revolved around what needed to be done around the Station. “Yep, that sounds about right. I’ll find someone eventually. I’m not in a huge rush.” Brandon shrugged his shoulders as he set down his coffee mug.
He raised his eyebrow after Eva had mentioned who she found attractive. “Hm, interesting choices. They are all too old for you and cause chaos. Okay, maybe not Jamie but the others.” The Fire Chief had been through way too much lately to cause chaos - but the man certainly was way too old for Eva. “Huh, I didn’t think about that. I think I’ll stick to fixing things and taking care of horses for work.” He also knew there were people who made French Toast better than he did, leaving the professional cooking to his mother. “You could do it though if you wanted.” Brandon would be happy to help, though he’d leave the cooking to her. “If you don’t like it we don’t have to put it in. It just adds a different flavor than just vanilla.” Once it cooked, it wouldn’t have the bitter taste either.
“What do you usually have in French Toast then? The bread is ready to be dipped and fried now.”
thanks aofie!
thirty - part time firetruck mechanic & Sales Yard Stable hand - single (hetero)
AGE
30
SEXUALITY
Heterosexual
RELATIONSHIP
Single
OCCUPATION
Fire Station Mechanic and Part time Stable hand @ Sales Yard
Brandon heard Eva’s protest behind him, deciding to ignore it. He knew teenagers could be temperamental and she was no different. As soon as he was punched in the bicep, however, he turned his head and gave her a glare. “Really? You think you’d be nicer than that to me.” It’s not like he saved her life or anything, but he did manage to get her a new home. “I’m just making sure before I drag you into petting a tarantula or something.” They weren’t exactly his favorite either, but he’d go along with it.
“Alright, let’s go see the Pandas then. They eat bugs too right?” He knew they ate bamboo but they had to eat something else too, right? Brandon turned and followed Lilth, not knowing she could walk that quickly. He was able to keep up with her though, thankful for his jobs for keeping him in shape. “I’m hungry, I’m always hungry. It’s my treat though for both of you.” Lilith could have easily said no to the tour - she was at work after all.
Once they arrived at the panda enclosure, he smiled. The black and white bears always seemed like friendly creatures. He was slightly confused when the zoo keepers opened the door. It seemed as if they were able to get a front row seat to watching the pandas be fed. "Will the Zoo get different ones in return then? Or will the enclosure close forever after they leave?" He turned his head now to face Eva, curious as to why she chose Pandas of all animals. "Do you like Pandas even?"
thanks aofie!
thirty - part time firetruck mechanic & Sales Yard Stable hand - single (hetero)
AGE
30
SEXUALITY
Heterosexual
RELATIONSHIP
Single
OCCUPATION
Fire Station Mechanic and Part time Stable hand @ Sales Yard
"I totally believe you, I got dragged along to the parent teacher interviews and heard differently." Though this was nor the time or place to have a discussion about school. Lilith didn't exactly need to know what kind of troublemaker his sister was. Brandon felt odd by the change of Eva's attitude - wondering why she was acting different. It wasn't like he and Lilith were dating or anything. They were just friends and had recently ran into each other during the Christmas holidays. "I've told our coworkers that bug lady was a much more appropriate name. Of course, that's what I get when most of my coworkers are younger than me." They all seemed to be in University or younger, which meant immature nicknames for people and animals alike.
Brandon's dark eyes glanced between the two women as if there was some secret game going on behind the scenes. Clearly, it was going way over his head. "We did just get here actually, if you have time for a mini tour that would be great. I'd be more interested in seeing the bugs, but I'm also up for anything if Eva gets the icks from seeing too many bugs." Though as she worked at the Sales Yard, there were a fair share of bugs crawling around. It was always interesting for him to see what kinds they had at work, as often they gave signs as to what the environment around them was like.
thanks aofie!
thirty - part time firetruck mechanic & Sales Yard Stable hand - single (hetero)
AGE
30
SEXUALITY
Heterosexual
RELATIONSHIP
Single
OCCUPATION
Fire Station Mechanic and Part time Stable hand @ Sales Yard
Brandon shook his head, he didn't expect himself to be talking about emotional things this early in the morning. Though, with both of his jobs requiring him to be awake and aware early in the morning, he wasn't shocked. "I really just meant, it feels nice to know that you enjoy living here." He was more worried that the only reason that his mother had agreed to adopt a teenager was to get over the fact that his father was abusive. It was working though, Jessie was happy - working and having a new person in her life.
"I feel like he has more experience making coffee than the rest of us. I usually just take my own out of habit. Though, I've complained to Jamie about getting a better machine at the Fire Station." The fire chief took his coffee seriously as well and Brandon didn't blame him. He couldn't imagine what it was like running a fire station and raising a child on his own. "I haven't seen her in ages either. She used to hang out at the yard whenever she had the chance. What makes you think you both don't get along?" There was nothing wrong with not getting along with someone, if it wasn't a silly reason. He tended to keep to himself, so he wasn't one to talk about making friends. "I really shouldn't be surprised, though I have my surprises too." Being coworkers and being family were two different things, there were still things Eva didn't know about him.
He took a pause to take a sip of his coffee, smiling as the warm liquid touched his lips. It would take awhile before the caffeine kicked in. "I really don't need a girlfriend. And at the club is the last place I want to meet someone. I work too much to support an alcoholic and those usually end up in one night stands." There were too many weirdos out there - and no way was he going to join an online dating platform either. "Alright, which one do you find attractive?" They were all too young for him anyway. That and they were too annoying for him - usually ragging on him to fix the engines.
"Don't get me wrong, she makes a good one too. Though she has never reviled her secret ingredient." She never let him in on her secret - meaning he had to come up with his own. "Yeah, this is not how I picked up chicks or friends. It's how I fed myself during those days." He usually made enough to freeze some - throwing it in the toaster if he needed a quick breakfast. "We can throw in some orange zest and then start dipping the bread in the mixture and start cooking." Brandon turned around, setting his mug back on the counter before grabbing an orange from the fruit bowl and the zester, setting them beside where Eva was standing.
thanks aofie!
thirty - part time firetruck mechanic & Sales Yard Stable hand - single (hetero)
AGE
30
SEXUALITY
Heterosexual
RELATIONSHIP
Single
OCCUPATION
Fire Station Mechanic and Part time Stable hand @ Sales Yard
"Thanks for correcting the old man on that one. The young firefighters are always taking one and posting them on social media. Figured I better start being cool now." Brandon smiled, glad that at least the Fire Chief wasn't someone he would consider a baby. After moving around awkwardly, he finally got the polar bear and both of them in the picture, quickly clicking the button on his phone. He slid it back on his pocket and focused back on Lilith being in their presence. "Oh, I apologize. I thought you only worked at the University. When did you start working here?"
He had only met the woman once before but she seemed nice enough, which was rare as most people tended to annoy him. "I'm surprised you don't know her, Eva. But Lilith tends to bring her class during the day while you are at school. Or supposed to be." He raised his eyebrow at his sister, having only a slight idea of what went on during the day while he was at work. "I should clarify, Eva is my sister. Figured we would have some family bonding time."
Brandon glanced over at Eva, noticing there was some sort of jealous look on her face - it wasn't something he had seen the young teen show this kind of emotion before. It would be awkward if he brought it up now.
thanks aofie!
thirty - part time firetruck mechanic & Sales Yard Stable hand - single (hetero)
AGE
30
SEXUALITY
Heterosexual
RELATIONSHIP
Single
OCCUPATION
Fire Station Mechanic and Part time Stable hand @ Sales Yard
"I do hate that when it happens, though no pressure if you want to go back to bed." There were days he felt exhausted and wanted nothing more than to go back to bed, but often one of his two jobs called him. "Me? Get rid of you? I don't think so, I thought maybe you'd want to get rid of me? There were times where he questioned how Eva felt about living with them, though he thought it would be better if she lived with them and not out on the street somewhere.
He used a teaspoon and stirred the milk around in his coffee, watching it turn a lighter brown. The taste of pure, black coffee wasn't exactly his thing - it was much too strong. "You are an adult after all and I know Auggie keeps you in check. His daughter is about your age though, right?" He tried to talk to his coworkers as often as he could, though he tended to keep to himself. "See I thought it would be the other way around. I can't stand black coffee." Clearly, he didn't know his sister enough, though it was fun for him learning more and more about her.
Brandon turned and opened the drawer under the oven, pulling out two frying pans - setting them on the stovetop. "What did you have in mind? Taking your old brother out clubbing or something?" He joked, knowing that those days were over for him. Partying in his youth wasn't exactly what he had done anyway, his father's stalking it was the last thing he wanted to do. "I knew you only woke up for food. You really think you annoy me? You know who I work with at the fire station..." The young firefighters kept him and Jamie on their toes - continuing to bother him to fix the firetrucks when needed.
"No actually, this is mine. I came up with it in my college days. I made it so often that people came running from the dorms to get their slice." He was more like the dad in his friend group, always giving help but never asking for it. "I'll get you some vanilla extract and cinnamon. Then you can add a bit." Brandon turned from stove and got the two ingredients - gently placing them beside the bowl.
thanks aofie!
thirty - part time firetruck mechanic & Sales Yard Stable hand - single (hetero)
AGE
30
SEXUALITY
Heterosexual
RELATIONSHIP
Single
OCCUPATION
Fire Station Mechanic and Part time Stable hand @ Sales Yard
"You do know you can go back to bed, right?" Just because he was awake didn't mean everyone else had to be - though he didn't mind the company. "That was so sarcastic but I'll take it." At first, it took him awhile to understand the teenage slang and sarcasm. He had an idea she enjoyed his company, but it wasn't cool to admit you liked being with your older brother.
Brandon nodded, coffee was something that was readily available at the yard as the staff usually started before the sun rose. "I'll have to have a talk with Auggie about it. You are done growing so no need to worry about it stunting your growth." He didn't know if it was a myth or not, but it was the reason that Jesse stalled his coffee drinking until he was an adult. "How do you take your coffee anyway? Black?"
He pulled out a bowl from the cupboard above the fridge and brought it down carefully, setting it on the counter next to the egg carton and milk. "It's fine honestly. I go to bed too early anyway. Though it comes in handy when it is a work day." Being tired was something he was used to by now anyway, as it depended when his employers needed him to show up. "Does that happen often though? And you are just here to annoy me? I definitely thought you were here for the food." He grinned as he put a splash of milk in his mug of coffee.
"Sure, if you want. You can crack three eggs and put a splash of milk in before you whisk it."
thanks aofie!
thirty - part time firetruck mechanic & Sales Yard Stable hand - single (hetero)
AGE
30
SEXUALITY
Heterosexual
RELATIONSHIP
Single
OCCUPATION
Fire Station Mechanic and Part time Stable hand @ Sales Yard
Brandon smiled when he saw his sister. It was odd for him to have a sibling, but he was very protective of her. He had gained her trust and friendship by helping her at the Sale Yard. "Wow, not even a good morning from my own sister?" He laughed, continuing to slice the loaf of bread. Brandon would freeze whatever the two of them didn't eat after Breakfast.
"Since when do you drink coffee? Sometimes he felt he didn't know her that well, though realistically it hadn't quite been a year since she moved in with them. His dark eyes glanced over to the blonde, watching her actually make coffee. "I do have the day off, but you know me I'm always up early." It was a curse for him. No matter what time he fell asleep, he was always awake at the crack of dawn. His body clock not wanting to adjust on his days off. "And you? Don't tell me I woke you?"
He finished the bread, setting the cutting board to the side as he gathered the rest of the ingredients. "French toast sound okay for breakfast? And did you want sausages or bacon?" He moved his way over to the fridge to pull out the egg carton and the carton of milk, setting it down on the counter.
thanks aofie!
thirty - part time firetruck mechanic & Sales Yard Stable hand - single (hetero)
we are just friends, nothing more. 
