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!.
Zola didn't quite know why she signed up for this. Maybe it was because she finally convinced herself that she could meet and talk to people. Normally. Plus, Danny was a good sport. He was a bartender after all, and he needed to be able to talk to and handle all kinds of personalities. Unfortunately, today he seemed distracted.
She quietly watched the interaction between Danny and his girlfriend thinking it was cute. But after a few minutes she decided to just let that moment be more private. Her hands were busy with a sudoku until she heard Danny curse under his breath. Zola looked up and quirked and eyebrow. “No,” she said flatly. “It sounds like you didn't see something you didn't like that's for sure…what, your girlfriend talking to someone you don't approve of?” Zola asked, attempting to tease.
guess one version of a noisy neighbor is better than the other?” she offered. Zola didn’t know too much about sheep, other than they were funny little creatures that could damage you in any second. Maybe the base kept the farmers busy and occupied, but she could dwell on that later.
She continued cutting the peppers, before moving on to the Persian cucumber. Zola cut it in half and began scooping the seeds out. Her family didn’t mind them, but if she oversaw the veg – the seeds were going. “I’ve met a few people but most of them are kind of odd. Not that’s a bad thing. A lot of personalities. I guess work has made it easier for me to be around different types. But no dating or anything. I’m too tame, I’ve been told.”
n eyebrow quirked at the somewhat innocent jab of words. No wonder she hated shopping. Zola wasn’t someone who enjoyed shopping, not in the sense of what people considered shopping. She liked her bathing suits and gear for her roller skates. But anything formal was just rough. There was a whole other level of confidence needed for it.
“It’s called my work uniform,” Zola replied, matching the tone she was given. At least the girl, named Roisin, apologized. “Nice to meet you. I’m Zola. I’m shopping for a gala kind of thing. I don’t know too much about it, just the dress code.” Her hand wandered from the tulle to a satin piece next to it. The fabric was slinky in her hands, a much better feeling than the tulle.
ola let out a soft yawn that was covered by the back of her hand. She had finished a long day shift at the restaurant and was looking forward to a night in. But unfortunately, she would be dragged to an event by her family. A ball for local veterans. It was something she supported, of course, but didn't know if she could handle all the social things. Same with picking a dress.
Grace had driven her to Bel Amour to find something cocktail-length. Or tea length? Zola didn't even know anymore. Just that she had to look nice.
She stepped into the store and was instantly overwhelmed by the beauty and formality of the place. Everything was sparkling clean and well organized. There were a few people that were in the store with employees helping them.
Zola pursed her lips as she made her way to one section. A hand lifted up and she touched the tulle speckled with sparkles. Not wanting to stay too long, she looked at the person next to her. “Hey,” she started. “Do you uh…know what is considered cocktail length?”
s long as no fingers are cut off.” Zola gave a small nod to her dad before he went off and grabbed the meat marinating in the fridge. The young woman meticulously cut the vegetables, always aiming for that perfect cut. It came from watching her parents in the kitchen, but Zola wasn’t a perfectionist to the extreme that one skewed Julien cut would end her world. If anything, the number of veggies that the family enjoyed having in their salads tired her out. Not that a lot of veggies was a bad thing.
She reached for a bell pepper and began slicing the cheeks. “What base are you at now?” Zola inquired. “Are you in housing or in civilian?” There were a few bases here and there, but she hadn’t done too much digging into it. But England was an island with plenty of locations for the Navy to port it felt.
he shook her head. “No, I’m much more of a ride at your own pace with a few hills here and there. Skateparks aren’t my jam. But they are fun to hit a few things when not busy.” To be truthful, she didn’t know when it wasn’t ever busy. There were a few times people said to go early in the am, but Zola was often in bed still – with her late nights at work. Or needing to be at the bank for some shifts. Maybe she was working too much for her age, but what else could she do?
Zola mulled over his question. “I don’t know.” Maybe it came off a bit blunter, but it was true. “I moved here not too long ago, so I’m still learning myself.”
ainly from experience. I’m not an alcohol connoisseur. I found a video of a guy making mocktail versions of popular drinks. So I did some. Quentin had taken a taste, and we decided that would be something to offer. It is becoming a thing after all.” At least her siblings were willing to hear her out. Some people thought she was just there to work, but she was also there to give some kind of input. Zola was the reason that the table arrangements were changed. Made better flow for people.
Zola shrugged. “I think it’s because I don’t fit the mold of what people my age do, y’know? I would rather be out roller skating or playing sudoku. Partying and getting blacked out isn’t exactly my type of thing. I haven’t found a lot of people like me, because we’re usually all stuck inside avoiding other people.” She was at least self-aware that her people were like her. Not being out and about. It was as if there was a collected stance of only going out when needed.
She grabbed herself a new drink, feeling a bit too lazy to grab the glass of whatever she had earlier. Zola mulled over the question her uncle presented her. “Sometimes. I mean, their competitors are Moses Baker and Esther Muller. Both are older and well-respected eateries, despite their other sides. There are also Sweet Magnolia’s and various other eateries. But I think Moses and Esther will be their downfall or the people they can get advice from.” Like her siblings, she did dig deep into the eateries around the area. So far, their being a brewery has helped a lot. But in her own, secret opinion – the food didn’t feel too different. Maybe to others, there was. Maybe it was because their choices of cuts and veggies were often the leftovers. She had no reason to voice her thoughts, though. It was the public’s opinions that mattered more, anyway.
“Good to know. I’m looking forward to at least a beach day or two,” she smiled. Zola sat down at the island, only to have her father slide a cutting board in front of her and her uncle.
“If you’re going to sit and chatter, might as well make the salad,” he smiled with a teasing tone. Zola obliged and began chopping some of the cherry tomatoes.
mm? Oh, yeah.” She answered, giving him a glance – but not enough that it appeared her attention was on him. Looking in the eye or even at someone’s face wasn’t her strong suit. Despite her job being a hostess. At a restaurant.
“A few years. I like it. Not as forgiving as a skateboard.” Zola had tried to skateboard a few times, but the angle of it all was weird to her. Roller skates were just as dangerous. There was no jumping off and saving yourself. It was face forward and hope you don’t land wrong.
he weather was getting cooler, which was welcomed – but Zola wasn’t looking forward to the snow and ice that would be coming in a few months. She was convinced she would need to purchase herself one of those sun lamps. Just to add some more brightness to her room and her mood.
But, Zola was going to take a well-needed roll outside today. The park wasn’t too far from her house, so Zola walked over with rollerskates. She did a few rolls at the skatepark before it got too busy. When it did, she did a few laps around the park. When her legs were getting tired, the young woman found a bench that someone else was already on.
“I hope you don’t mind me sharing this bench with you for a moment,” Zola said, taking a seat. Her legs were stretched out, as she grabbed her water bottle – taking a chug of water. Ah, that tasted good. She probably looked like a sweaty mess.
he gave a quick nod and grabbed some lemons and limes, taking careful cuts of the gruit before putting them in a glass. She muddled them, as her siblings did at the bar. After they looked like they should, Zola grabbed the shaped ice cubes from the freezer and placed them in the glass before filling it. “Eh, it’s been a little rough. Meeting people..is hard.” While it was a blunt answer, it was the truth. She wasn’t one to hide her issues, since therapy showed her that hiding wasn’t the best thing in the world. Especially to her mental health.
“Ah yes. It’s been interesting. I think they’re expecting a much older person, but it’s fine. I do puzzles when it’s slow, or help with the budgeting,” Zola added, sliding Tre his drink. She placed the cutting board and knife in the sink to be cleaned later. “I don’t quite understand why they wanted to do a restaurant, but it seems popular enough.”
ell at least it’s a place that you have family,” Zola smiled, sounding wiser beyond her years. She didn’t know if she could handle having to move around as her uncle did. Zola was already stressed and struggled with the move to the UK. Maybe the military was for people that liked to travel a lot. Everyone always seemed to be on their toes, anyway.
“Tell me about it,” Andrew commented. “She’s 5’-11” now. Good thing we shave tall door frames. Granted, I don’t know if we could reach the pencil that high anymore,” her father joked. “But less standing around, we’re prepping dinner.”
Zola shrugged and followed her dad into the kitchen. “What can I get you to drink? How long have you been here?” Zola asked. It sounded like her uncle had just arrived. Though she didn’t blame him if he was around a bit longer, to get his bearings and all.
ola hadn’t exactly achieved too much today. The weather had gotten better so she was able to roller skate around the neighborhood a bit and help her dad plan some garden beds. She didn’t know why he needed her, as he was an engineer. Her siblings would say bonding time, but Zola still didn't know what that meant. They managed to get three in time for some downtime before dinner.
Zola managed to slip into the shower and clean off the grime of the day. She had a new sudoku puzzle that was calling her name. After getting into something comfortable, Zola headed downstairs. She poured herself some lemonade and made herself comfortable in the small bench nook near the sunroom. From there, she saw a familiar vehicle pull up. It was her Uncle, whom Zola knew was here in town but hadn’t exactly seen him too much. Not in a sit-down conversation type.
She would’ve gotten the door, but her dad beat her to it – after she heard voices carry into the room she was in. “Zola, Uncle Tre is here,” she heard her dad call out. Being polite, Zola closed her puzzle book and walked to the front door, her slippers being slightly heard on the wood floor.
“Late afternoon, uncle!” she greeted, giving him a hug. He looked…shorter. “What brings you around?” Most definitely a silly question.
full name • Zola Sanibel Constantine nicknames • Z, Sandy, Zo age • 19 birthday • June 2, 2004 occupation • Hostess and Bank teller gender • female (she/her) sexuality • Pansexual
the appearance
face claim• Sofia Wylie
identifying features• Zola is a fit looking young adult, standing at 5'-11". Her face is a bit younger, with fuller cheeks and bright eyes - making people wonder how old she truly is. Zola loves to keep a professional look, especially at work. Home and being around friends are different, but she dresses more modestly than those her age. Hair is often natural, sometimes in braids - depending on how she feels.
the personality
likes • math, skincare, the ocean, tropical fruit, warm weather, long bike rides, street smart, spicy romance books dislikes • cats (allergic), pop music, alcohol, getting sunburns, chlorinated pools, texture issues (canned vegetables, plain and cold spaghetti, boiled Brussel sprouts, calamari and octopus) strengths • strong swimmer, math, recognizing patterns, weaknesses • eye contact, being casual (always Ma'am, Miss, Mr. or Sir outside of family) dreams • to eventually attend university, become a bit more independent, finding someone that gives her the excitement she feels when reading her romance books, continue helping her siblings with their restaurant fears • her family leaving her, not being taken seriously overall personality • Zola comes across as someone that doesn't quite know how to have fun. It mainly stems from what people her age deem fun, which Zola sees as a nightmare. She prefers board games and reading, to dressing in nothing to go to a club.
She's intelligent in aspects of math and pattern recognition, something that makes her a great hostess and bank employee. Zola is able to sit patrons and work the till quickly and efficiently. She comes off as more mature than those around her, mainly due to her past.
Her let-loose personality is best seen when she is with her family. Zola is notorious for her goose-honking laugh if someone can set her off in a laughing fit. Her smile is warm, something that never leaves her face when she's having a good time with those that she likes.
the history
father • Dr. Andrew St.Germain, 56, Engineer mother • Dr. Clio Constantine, 54, Math Professor siblings • Grace -- Constantine, 27 Quentine -- Constantine, 25 important people • ATREUS KAIDAN CONSTANTINE - uncle Giorgos Constantine - uncle Vasilis Constantine, 90 - papa Helen Constantine, 89 - nana hometown • Honolulu, Hawai'i overall history • Zola was born in Hawai’i to a stationed soldier and a fling. Her mom left shortly after Zola was three, leaving her dad to take care of her on his own. Growing up, she and her father were the neighbors of the Constantine family. It made it easy, as the children grew up playing and growing up. Things only changed when Zola was showing behaviors that weren’t considered normal. She tended to wander off, not on a mission really. But just wander. Zola began rambling off numbers and things she noticed, almost in a trance.
Her father didn’t quite know how to handle, the sudden changes in his daughter. It made home life a bit tense, as he would get frustrated – not understanding how to work with his kid. Things finally broke when Zola was thirteen. Her dad upped and left like her mom. Just leaving a note that said he was a coward and hoped she would find her way. That day took her a moment to adjust and understand what was happening. You could say it didn’t hit her until Clio came over to drop off some mail that came to her mailbox.
Clio was greeted with a tidy, but eerily quiet home and Zola sitting at the table with homework. It wasn’t a hard decision to have Zola move in. Since becoming part of the Constantine family, Zola’s math abilities have grown exponentially – due to the math and engineering jobs that the parents had.
Zola, while there was plenty of love and connection, still had a hard time thinking she was wanted. She kept a professional look, keeping her distance. Like almost everyone who had parents leave, Zola had a feeling her dad would come back. She was it as a lost cause. But when a new family moved into the rented house, Zola knew it was over.
Sixteen was when she really let herself open up to Constantine. She was theirs now. Forever and ever. Sure, they had grown up next to each other – but it was different now. Like her secretly favorite movies, they were family.
At seventeen and showing no signs of going to university – her parents had brought up moving to England. Andrew’s parents had officially retired and he wanted to be closer to his English. Grace and Quentin were gung ho, as they had plans and ideas. Zola was a bit more hesitant. Everything she heard about England, especially the weather, wasn’t ideal for her. Hawai’i was warm, it was comfort but also pain.
To not rush everyone, Andrew, Grace, and Quentin flew first. They settled and found their way. At nineteen, Zola and Clio followed. It didn’t help that they had come when it was the winter of 2023, so Zola was a homebody. She stayed in, having a hard time adjusting. But when Zola began helping her siblings with their new idea – it brought her out of the woodwork.
Zola didn’t know anything about the restaurant business, or so-called being a brewmaster – but she saw the numbers. And she saw the tables. Grace decided that it was best to have Zola be a hostess. It would be a bit of a social challenge, but her older sister knew how Zola’s brain worked.
To not be stuck in her family’s hair all the time, Zola got work at a bank down the street from her sibling's business. It was also a harder adjustment, but her brain made her a fast learner and her strengths in math – made her a solid employee.
Zola is still working with her siblings, and spending time with her family. Her Uncle Tre had also come around, making the Constantine Family presence bigger in the small town.
the role player
alias • aofie age • beep bopp bloop other characters • santa's lists
