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 young man felt odd having a bit of money now. He had received a few things for his birthday, but the thing he was most excited about was a gift card to Parker's. It was somewhere his parents would bring treats home from when they had some extra money around.
He left Dahlia's house - walking to the pastry shop after sneaking out the front door. The older woman had offered him a place to stay - especially with the summer heat coming around the corner. It didn't take him long until he arrived, opening the front door to let himself in - keeping the door open for the person behind him. Justin widened his eyes - realizing that there were so many options on what to get.
Justin turned to see who was behind him and awkwardly ran a hand through his hair. "I know we don't know each other, but do you think you could help me? I haven't been here before and don't know what to order..." He paused, feeling bad about the lie, but it was better than having to explain his family situation.
Justin nodded at Dahlia's words - he figured it was already done. It seemed as if he didn't have a choice as to spend more time with Sabine.
He raised his eyebrow after being called gross. "I think you and I have a very different meaning of gross. Are you going to tell me what fluff is?" In his mind it was something you would often see in the sky, most likely coming from a dandelion or something. The teen turned and picked up a bag, which seemed to be mostly items for the freezer. He began pulling things out of the bag and quickly putting it where it belonged - not wanting it to melt in the process. "This might be the most organized grocer I've ever dealt with." Granted, his own parents often went to the food bank for their food - meaning they grabbed whatever the bank had available for them. "Yeah, no blood needed. We'll get along alright." He kept his cool, focusing on putting groceries away. "I didn't think we'd run into each other again, but here we are." Justin narrowly escaped that encounter, but with Dahlia was a good buffer.
"Was it busy at the store today?" He was hoping for a change in subject as he finished up with the freezer items.
Justin usually kept to himself but the food was a huge distraction. It was hard for him to come by lately, so he would take all the tips and tricks he could get. He learned enough over time that bowing down to any of the other street kids wasn’t going to get him anywhere - getting stomped all over wasn’t a pleasant experience.
“I mean clearly, you hit the jackpot. Extra food seems to be hard to come by lately.” It seemed that his usual haunts had been quickly found out by other people - which made him starve more times than not. Justin felt embarrassed when he got called out, but simply shrugged his shoulders. “Are you saying people are good at hiding their emotions around you?” It seemed as though the stranger wasn’t a street kid anyone should mess with. Maybe she was friends with Daz and his gang? He was lucky enough to avoid them for now.
The teen nodded his thanks before talking. “Don’t you get worried about someone catching you? Or are you that sneaky?” He would have to add the Pier to his usual food hunting haunts. He often wondered if he would run into his biological siblings there. The brunet gave a small smirk when the bright haired stranger scoffed back at him. “That’s an interesting parenting style coming from them. I take it you are an only child then? Nah, I wasn’t exactly socialized when I was a kid so I usually just stick to myself.” He was hoping the fellow teen wouldn't give him any pity - his parents did the best with the situation they were put in.
Justin watched the people at the skate park doing their tricks. It all looked fancy - even the young kids seemed to be having fun. "I've been here a few times to watch and it never seems busy. Must be popular around here." It was somewhere he could sit and no one would bother him - as if he was a fly on a wall. "Do you use the rollerblades to get yourself around town?" Traffic wouldn't be an issue for her if that was the case.
Justin turned to the woman as she spoke again - he swore she had been in town longer than what she had said. "Oh? Where did you come from then? I've been here for ages, but I'm finally old enough to have some real fun."
Justin's gaze shifted around his surroundings. He would have to duck and dive if the teen decided to go through with her threats. Know he knew what a deer in headlights felt like - helpless. "I came across the Soup Kitchen where she volunteers her time. I tried telling her I was fine, but the promise of food was something I couldn't say no to." He tried his best to at least have one meal a day - but it was becoming more and more difficult. "I didn't realize you would be here too." Justin knew Dahlia wasn't the kind of person who would leave her door unlocked.
Speaking of the older woman, Justin felt himself relax as soon as he heard her voice. The scene before her clearly made her angry, which made Sabine back off. "Perfect timing." He breathed, following Sabine into the kitchen. "I'd be grateful if you didn't kill me. Your sandwich is safe. What on Earth is Fluff anyway? Sounds gross." He wondered what the odd sounding substance tasted like - peanut butter wasn't really his thing either.
The teen turned and gave a small smile to the adult. "Are there more bags to bring in from outside? Or how can I help?"
Justin raised his eyebrow at the other teen. Her reaction wasn't exactly what he was expecting either. Usually, he found himself to be quiet and stay under the radar.
He used a hand to wipe away an imaginary spot of dust. "I was watching where I was going. Clearly, the food you found was too distracting." He felt a scoff come on - deciding to hide it with a cough. "I'm not afraid to use my voice. It's just a new tactic." The teen had enough of people metaphorically stomping on him. He was lucky enough to not run into anyone who wanted to fight him.
"Where did you find the food anyway?" He coolly nodded towards the basket, assuming that she didn't have a home - the Pier seemed to be one of the better places to find food. People often got distracted while eating. "You seem to stick up for yourself. Have you always been this way?"
Justin thought he must have startled her as it took the stranger a few moments to realize he was talking to her. "Do you do tricks at the skate park or something?" He knew it wasn't something he would be good at. The teen preferred to be on his own two feet - and on solid ground.
He glanced over at the skate park as he heard the faint noise of people rolling around at the skate park. Justin nodded - it seemed like something most children learned how to do from their parents. "Cool, It's something I haven't tried. What else do you do for fun around here?" Not that he had any money to do anything fun, but there was nothing wrong with having a conversation about it.
The skate park was off in the distance, which is where his focus was on now. It seemed busy enough and people were having fun. The sound of wheels rolling against the concrete could be heard faintly in the distance. He was happy the hot Summer weather was starting to fade, though that meant that he would have to start finding somewhere warmer to stay. He had heard a rumor of an abandoned house in town, which would be much better than than the old shack he was currently sleeping in.
He now noticed a woman approach him. His not so secret hiding spot had been found out. "Go for it." Justin glanced at her before noticing her shoes. "I assume by your shoes, you were roller skating? It looks fun." He never really hung out at the skate park, but it was worth asking if the woman found it enjoyable. Justin shuffled off to the side, allowing the woman to have more room. "How long have you been doing it?" The teen's dark eyes flickered, taking in his surroundings.
Justin had been caught too many times hanging out at Helping Hooves - he was in desperate search of something to eat. He had met Dahlia at the soup kitchen after he admitted defeat recently. She had given him the address to the Safe Haven and told him to meet her there.
He began his walk there, wondering if it was a trap. From their first encounter, Dahlia seemed like someone who was kind, though he was always cautious meeting new people. The teen turned onto the right street, glancing at the house numbers on either side to make sure he was heading the right way. A minute or two later, he approached the house - walking up the steps and stopping in front of the house. Taking a moment to debate between knocking and trying the door. The latter was his choice and his hand turned the front door knob, realizing it was open.
Justin entered the house and took off his shoes - realizing that it seemed to be a very fancy home, matching the ones he had walked by. He heard a voice coming from another room and froze. His dark eyes shifted around debating if he should run. "Not me, I am looking for her though." He was under the impression the woman lived on her own, though clearly not. Curiosity got the best of him and he followed the hallway, raising his eyebrows at the sight of a brightly dressed teen with a butter knife in her hand. "It'll take you awhile to kill me with that. I have proof Dahlia invited me here. She didn't tell me anyone else would be here though."
Justin was able to rummage enough change to buy himself an apple at the market and was currently munching away on it while he strolled through the park. It felt nice for a change to have food - it was hard for him to come by. He had heard news of a Soup Kitchen in town, which he would have to check out when he got really hungry. The park seemed to be quite the place though, he watched people jog with their dogs and cycle on bikes like there was no tomorrow.
He did his best to stay out of the way, scurrying across the path between people. There were kids playing in the field, wondering if his siblings ended up staying in town - or if they all got shipped off somewhere together. His brown eyes landed on a bench, heading towards it before sitting down. It always felt nice to sit down - he was used to being on the run. He gently flopped down on the bench, continuing to eat his apple - people watching as he did so, wondering what people thought about him.
August 11 2023
outfit
@tag
justin baron
Kites rise highest against the wind - not with it.
Justin woke up under the pier, finding a spot to sleep the evening before. He quickly stood up and started walking, knowing someone would notice he was sleeping there. His feet led him towards the water, his sneakers squishing against the wet sand. The beach was somewhere his parents took him when he was younger, hoping to run into them there - but he had been trying all Summer with no success.
He put his hands in his denim jacket. Despite it almost being the middle of August, the morning was still a bit chilly - though he always wore the jacket, wanting to hide the bruises no one had seen yet. He glanced ahead of him, seeing no one in front of him. Being alone didn't disturb him, he was happy being alone in his thoughts. As the morning walk continued, he moved away from the water - realizing his socks were starting to get wet due to the holes in his worn-out sneakers.
Suddenly, he felt someone or something brush against his shoulder causing him to stumble a few steps forward before regaining his balance. He tilted his head, confused that it was a woman with bright-coloured hair. He hadn't seen her around before - though he hadn't been on his own for long. "Watch it." He shocked himself with his stern tone - feeling his largest bruise on the back of his shoulder sting after being run into.
identifying features• curly dirty blond hair that's always messy, usually wears an old jean jacket which belonged to his father and he has bruises on his arms which are covered up by his jacket.
the personality
likes • being alone, flying under the radar of any authority figures, running, being around animals and a rainy day.
dislikes • confrontation, authority figures, being hungry, his father and being forced to steal.
strengths • being stealthy and fending for himself.
weaknesses • horses and food.
dreams • to be an emergency (999) operator and find his mother.
fears • dying alone - he has always had people around him until recently.
overall personality • Justin tends to keep to himself, often avoiding conversations with people all together. If a stranger were to look at him, they would think he acts like a lost puppy. He also tends to come off as shy, but once he is comfortable with a situation he becomes more chatty. If he has the opportunity, he would much rather be with animals all day rather than people - they seem to understand him better.
the history
father • Jackson Baron, 36, former IT technician/criminal
mother • Melissa Baron, 37, restaurant owner (currently in witness protection and goes under Alyssa Jenkins but Justin does not know)
siblings • All younger - Krystal, Michael, Josh, Layla and Bridget.
important people • None anymore now that he is on his own.
hometown • Hickstead, England, UK.
overall history • Justin was born into a loving home, or so he thought. His parents loved each other so much that they had five siblings after him. From a young age, Justin was always handcuffed in the basement if his parents had to leave. It was engrained into him that it was for his own protection. The same happened to his siblings as well and none of them thought anything of it.
He was a happy-go-lucky kid, not showing any signs of malnutrition or abuse. His fascination with horses began around when he started school. One of his previous teachers rode and took the on a field trip to the farm where she rode. He didn't get the chance to ride but they have always fascinated him.
When he was ten, the abuse from his father began. His younger siblings began to rebel against the fact that they weren't allowed to leave or be on their own when their parents were gone. There were several occasions where his parents had left them for three days, resulting in several of the siblings fainting. It was odd as they had never gone that long without anyone letting them out of their "prison". As the younger children rebelled, Jackson started beating them physically - Justin taking the brunt of it to protect his siblings. Bruises formed and staff/fellow students began to notice the malnourishment on all the Baron children. Teachers raised concerns and got the police to do a welfare check, which resulted in all the children being taken away and separated into different foster families.
As Justin was the oldest, he was the most difficult to place. The social worker let him live with her and her family, but it didn't feel the same for him. Justin felt uncomfortable, but knew he had to wait until he was sixteen to leave so, he suffered through the years - trying desperately to find his parents.
He quickly found out that his father was thrown in jail and his mother was on the run. He lost track of her as the trail he had been following ended up cold. Justin packed up his things and left in the middle of the night without any note for his social worker and her family. Justin now lives on the streets, staying where ever he can until he gets caught and kicked out.
the role player
alias • Gabi
age • older than Dr. Pepper.
other characters • more than a cars on a freight train...
