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!.
“Really? I think at seven years old, these three have yet to surprise me nicely. Have yours cooked for you yet?” Marnie thought on it for only a moment before pulling a slight face. "Now they're all older - aside from Kiara - they're all pretty adept at making dinner. Harper, my second youngest, cooks quite often and I have to compliment her skills. When they were younger though... I definitely had to pretend to eat a few raw dishes before they knew how to do things properly." She laughed, "They weren't allowed to use hot things without help though, so luckily not too often." She had always loved her mother's day treats even if the cakes hadn't been in the oven long enough or the eggs were still runny. Kyle had supervised and taken things in and out of the oven but he'd allowed the kids to decide how long things were in there for so they didn't feel it was taken over. “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.” Marnie smiled at that, understanding.
“I get that. There needs to be some sort of parent and child group for everyone to make friends.” Marnie's eyebrows went up and she gave a small nod. "You know, that's really not a bad idea. Maybe I could look into if there is one, or if not, how to start one..." She suggested, knowing how hard it was to have a newborn, and how alone you could feel - even with friends and family and support around you. There were still days when all you wanted to do was cry and shut yourself off from the screaming, pooping lungs in front of you. You didn't, you couldn't, but there were days... “Oh roses do smell nice. Do you have them all in one spot then?” Marnie shook her head, "I've got a large bush beneath one of the windows - it's nice in the summer with the windows open and the smell comes through, and another smaller bush further away to add another splash of colour." She'd loved gardening ever since she was a teenager weirdly, it was one of those small things that had always calmed her if she was anxious or nervous. “Definitely, I do feel terrible for those that can’t have children of their own but desperately want to.” Marnie gave a sad smile, "yeah, me too." She didn't feel there was more she needed to say on it.
“Glad I’m not the only one that feels that way. Have you encountered anyone else from back home?” Marnie shook her head, tucking an errant hair behind an ear. "No, not really. Though I guess I probably don't socialise enough to find them." She chuckled, knowing it was probably a little sad. “That’s nice to hear. Is your husband American as well?” Marnie nodded at that, "Yeah, we met each other in the US, and came over here together," He was her whole life, really, she didn't know what she'd do without him.
<3 KYLE MITCHELL O'HARA | ONE SON (JACK)| ONE ADOPTED SON (SAM) TWO DAUGHTERS (HARPER & KIARA)
“I really wish they wouldn’t. I get enough surprises at work to make me want to have a quiet home life.” Marnie laughed at that and gave an understanding nod. "Just think that for all the times it's a less than great surprise, there are other times that it's a nice one." She promised, like the times the kids suddenly try to make breakfast in bed for her, even if the kitchen downstairs looked like a bomb hit it afterwards, the thought was sweet. “Don’t you wish that we could clone ourselves?” Marnie thought about it for a moment and then conceeded with a slight shrug, "I guess so, though I have been lucky that mine weren't too close together and I didn't need too many hands at once. Sometimes a second me would have been useful though." She agreed.
“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?” Marnie wrinkled her nose. "Not as much as I'd like to, I admit. Having a family does take up a lot of time." And it made her feel bad at times, but you couldn't apologise for having your life go in one way and not another, or feel bad for loving it. “Gardening? I definitely don’t have a green thumb. What would be your favorite thing you’ve grown?” Marnie smiled at the thought of her garden and it's budding colours. "I'd have to say my roses. They can look a bit ugly when they're growing but once they're out, they're so gorgeous, and so many colours... plus they smell wonderful, and they're easy to maintain." She could talk flowers the way people could talk horses in this town.
“True, I should start believing in karma or something. I know some people don’t like children but, they do exist.” Marnie nodded, "we all have to live in the same world," She agreed, understanding that not everyone wanted kids but it didn't mean that having or not having them should give anyone more rights than the other. “It’s an odd city. Washington feels like a big city with all the government buildings, but I enjoyed growing up and living there.” Marnie grinned, "it does feel very small and close compared to America, I must admit it's odd being in a place where everyone seems to know someone in one way or another." A bit like small towns in America, but the whole country seemed to be that way in England. “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?” Marnie laughed softly and shrugged, "I've been here a long time now, and I have to admit the kids have had an influence, they've grown up English through and through, and it rubs off. It does seem to have attracted people of all countries, this little town." Spending so much time as a housewife, some days she'd spent most of her time talking to her kids than people in town, and the accent starts to rub off. Hers became more pronounced when around fellow American's.
<3 KYLE MITCHELL O'HARA | ONE SON (JACK)| ONE ADOPTED SON (SAM) TWO DAUGHTERS (HARPER & KIARA)
Marnie had to admit she was more than a little excited for this afternoon. It had been a long time coming, or so she felt, that her son might finally meet a woman he felt happy to settle with, if only for a short while. Though Marnie had fallen hard for Kyle and the two had flown off into their happily ever after quiet rapidly, she knew realistically that wasn't how the world worked, especially these days, and she was sure her eldest born had had multiple romantic encounters by now that she was unlikely to hear a word of, but she was still excited that this would be the first she were to meet. That first introduction of girlfriend and mother. She wanted it to go well, it felt important to her that it did, so that Jack would feel comfortable doing it again. As her kids got older she knew there was always going to be a new line drawn in how much involvement she would have in their lives, and she had come to terms with that as they'd grown, but if she could keep hold of their trust she wanted to as much as possible.
She had invited the two out for lunch. She could just as easily have made it but it felt like it might be less scary if they met on a neutral ground, rather than having Jade perhaps feel intimidated or like she was sitting some kind of interview at the kitchen table. Plus there were less likely going to be an influx of other family members diving in and out. She'd book a table at the local restaurant and insisted to Jack it be her treat so neither of them had to worry about money. Marnie was a little early, but she couldn't help herself, she didn't want to be late. She'd donned some jeans and a nice top but kept it casual all the same, it was just a spot of lunch. She was waved to her table of three quite quickly and she took a seat, thanking the waiter for the offered menu and placing it down in front of her closed for the time being.
"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." Marnie chuckled at that and gave a slight nod in understanding. "You'll learn something new every day with them regardless. They do like to surprise us." She had been caught out by her children many times before, sometimes they were good surprises and sometimes it wasn't quite so wonderful but you had to learn to roll with the punches, and how to be firm when you needed, when to doll out a punishment and when to concede. She had always wanted her kids to feel comfortable coming to her for anything but also to know their boundaries for being difficult. It was hard being both friend and foe.
She sipped her drink at the same time. "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." Marnie considered it for a moment then nodded. "I do most of the time, something always keeps me busy. At first it was odd, especially when I was younger and my friends went out without me a lot but I learnt to find my own passions. I have a wonderful garden now and I really enjoy digging into the soil and messing about with it. But there are always the odd days you get a little wistful for the other side of the fence." She gave a small shrug. It was only natural to think the grass was greener, but she wouldn't change her life for the world.
"Some people aren't that kind. I've had my fair share of evil glares when the kids run rampant around the grocery store.." Marnie gave a sympathetic smile and nodded again, sipping her drink. "Ah, yes unfortunately I think we've all been there. It's easy for others to look on and judge when it's not their situation. But if they have kids one day they will learn the hard way themselves and experience that judgement in turn." She gave a slight chuckle, what comes around goes around as they say. It was true that those without kids didn't know how trying it could be, and sometimes it wasn't as simple as asking a child to behave or be quiet. But she had tended to find there was always a sympathetic other who counteracted the judgment, a fellow parent usually who would offer a word on consolation or a friendly smile. "Always nice to meet a fellow American, I'm from Washington. Do you miss home still sometimes?" Marnie nodded. "Washington, that's lovely, though I can't say I ever went to be honest. Sometimes I miss it but I've been here so long now it very much feels that England is my home. Even my accent has softened some what in accident over the years." Marnie admitted, though she couldn't say it was a bad thing. American's weren't always overly welcome in Britain and she'd had her fair share of eye rolls when she opened her mouth.
<3 KYLE MITCHELL O'HARA | ONE SON (JACK)| ONE ADOPTED SON (SAM) TWO DAUGHTERS (HARPER & KIARA)
"True, I don't need to get them used to food bribes though." She smiled and gave an agreeable nod at that, "It's better if you can get away without using food, but sometimes it's the easiest solution." She agreed, and bribes in general, but sometimes it was the one way to get things to work. Marnie didn't like having to do things the easy way but as a teenage mum, she'd had to fumble her way through things a little. She would readily admit she had made some mistakes, but ultimately she'd learned from them and she felt her kids had grown into amazing people. Funny, confident, self sufficient, sweet kids. "I really hope they are comfortable enough to tell either of us to say if they weren't." She smiled and gave another nod, "I'm sure that would be the case."
"I can imagine, is she at home with the rest of the family?" Marnie nodded, "Yes she is, I'm a stay at home mum so I'm usually around but it's not too difficult to wrangle a baby sitter when we need." She hadn't had a job for a long time, and though sometimes she missed it, Kyle's career came first, and they were lucky enough that they could get by comfortably on his income, whilst she saved money at home - no need for child care or a cleaner or anything as such. She made decisions with the food shops and such which enable them to avoid over spending.
"I know but I do try and be nice to people my children try and run over." Marnie chuckled, "You can't have them on a leash all the time, people are generally quite understanding." She grinned, having endless supplies of patience for most people but most of all the kids. "Wow! That's a really long time. Where did you live before then? I've been here a few years now, just before the triplets arrived." Marnie relaxed in the chair, thinking back all those years to where she'd been born and raised until the move. "The move was the right choice in the end, though it was a little daunting to begin with - but we have a good life here. I'm from Minnesota, America. How about yourself?"
<3 KYLE MITCHELL O'HARA | ONE SON (JACK)| ONE ADOPTED SON (SAM) TWO DAUGHTERS (HARPER & KIARA)
“Thank goodness. I’ll use it against them next time.” She gave a grin at that, seeing how the triplets didn't look up curiously and thinking he may have gotten away with that trick on this occasion. “Good to know. I was maybe hoping they’d grow out of it. But they aren’t too terrible, just need some extra encouragement.” Marnie chuckled and watched the young one's for a moment, "don't we all sometimes," She said lightly, it was no harm when kids were messy really - they were what they were, and they were young and enjoying themselves. She did like them to clean up after themselves as they got older, and there had been so temper tantrums along the way, but nothing too crazy.
“I’m glad they seem to enjoy it. I think I’d be worried about how to manage giving each child enough attention. Though, I feel I have that problem now.” Marnie's smile was warm as she glanced to the young man. "I'm sure you do great, they would be quick to tell you if you didn't." Kids were good like that, and could be brutal - they didn't spare feelings and were fast to let you know if they were unhappy. So long as you were listening. “I can imagine. I’m sure your eldest will have your first grandchild before you know it. That must have been an odd feeling though.” Marnie pulled a face and shook her head, "a very odd feeling! But she is a wonderfully sweet baby," which made everything worth it for sure.
“Yes, you’d be surprised how many times I have to call them... Not a problem, it’s the least I can do after my children nearly ran you over.” She laughed and took a seat, waiting for him to return before she spoke again. "Well, no blood, no foul as they say." She chuckled - kids were kids and she always had the patience there for them. She felt a lot of people were too quick to be rude. “Have you been in Hickstead long?” Marnie nodded, "Yes, it must be.. Oh I can't tell, fifteen odd years by now? How about you?"
<3 KYLE MITCHELL O'HARA | ONE SON (JACK)| ONE ADOPTED SON (SAM) TWO DAUGHTERS (HARPER & KIARA)
“I hope my kids didn’t hear that or else I’ll have to reverse the reverse psychology.” Marnie laughed and glanced toward the kids then gave him a wink. "I think you're safe for now," considering their attention seemed to have pulled elsewhere for the moment. "Anything to get them to clean their rooms. Why does that seem to be the bane of their existence?” she gave a sympathetic laugh at that. "Unfortunately that never changes, they are either tidy or they're not I'm afraid. Though some of them improve a little work age." Sam was tidy but she understood where that came from..Harper was not too bad though has been terrible as a child, Jack was...well she couldn't say she was too impressed when she'd last seen his dorm room but for all she knew he was changed.
"I’m glad. Is it too early to tell if the older kids enjoy having a baby around yet?” Marnie hummed slightly in thought then gave a small nod and a smile. "I feel that they do, if only because we don't ask too much of them. Plus Jack and Sam used to help with Harper and so it's not much different to the with a new sister and I feel Harper is old enough now not to feel odd about mo longer being the youngest."“Glad you are able to. Ah, talking about grandchildren already? Isn’t it a bit early for that?” Marnie pulled a face and nodded. "It sure does feel like it but it does come around faster than you think. I was younger than my eldest when I fell pregnant." it felt like such a long time ago and also not at all since that scary day she'd found out. She had been ridiculously lucky with Kyle. Many others would have run. “Thanks. I know they are unique, but it makes it easier calling them in a crowd somewhere.” Marnie have a slight grin. I bet you still have to call it several times as they decide whether to listen though." she joked.
"Thank you again," She said politely as he paid for her order and she collected it at the other end once it was ready to go. “Would you like to pick somewhere to sit?” Marnie nodded, "Sure!" and she glanced around for a decent seating. She spied a corner table work plenty of room to spare for the kids and beelined for it, glancing back to make sure Christian was okay to follow with both his order and his hoard.
<3 KYLE MITCHELL O'HARA | ONE SON (JACK)| ONE ADOPTED SON (SAM) TWO DAUGHTERS (HARPER & KIARA)
Awe honey I absolutely can, even all these years later it's still an offence to rile me up and leave me hanging! 😂 I think you almost might have a riot on your hands for that money. If we're good at organising it we might even be able to have the house by this evening.
thanks aofie!
<3 KYLE MITCHELL O'HARA | ONE SON (JACK)| ONE ADOPTED SON (SAM) TWO DAUGHTERS (HARPER & KIARA)
"I really hope so. I hate hearing them cry, it just breaks my heart." She smiled in understanding, having felt the same herself with each child. It never got easier. "I'll have to try that with them. Maybe there are ones that are considered cool for kids that are a bit older. Thanks for the advice." She smiled again, "You're welcome, anything to try and get a couple of extra minutes, us parents have to stick together." and she was always happy to help others with things she had learned over the years. "I'll have to try that one on them. I assume it worked on your three?" She made a 'so so' motion and laughed, "Some of the time? It has backfired on the odd occasion but for cleaning their rooms and similar it often did the trick."
"Ah yes. The difference in sleep schedule must be rough. I'm sure it's much easier knowing the older three get along with her." Marnie nodded, "Yeah, they really are good kids, so I know they'll be help not hindrance." Not that her kids had always generally been good eggs and she was grateful for them every day. "I'm sure despite the age difference they will want to come see their little sister." She smiled and nodded, "Oh absolutely, we're quite family orientated so I have no doubt they'll still make good relationships." Her and Kyle made a point to do family game nights and to eat together, to find time for the family together - she knew it would be harder as they grew older and moved away but she aimed to keep bringing them together anyway.
She grinned as Christian, "That's many years away, just enjoy the baby phase for now. Though that must be odd to think about. Maybe she will never leave." Marnie chuckled softly, "I am definitely enjoying the baby phase, the only time this will happen again will be with grandbabies so I am making the most of it." She admitted, though she was much happier when she got a full night's sleep. She shuffled along with him in the queue. "It's helpful for sure. Though one of them is very shy and tends to keep to herself. Their names are Juniper, Aspen and Logan." Marnie smiled, "They're lovely names, I'm sure she'll come out of her shell when she's ready," Every kid was different but it was tough growing up for sure; trying to figure out who you were. "Both of those sound lovely. I think I'll go with the Mocha. The kids will probably want hot cocoa and I could convince them to share a slice of cake with me." Marnie grinned, "I'm sure it won't take much to convince them right?" She shuffled up again as they reached the front and went to place her order.
<3 KYLE MITCHELL O'HARA | ONE SON (JACK)| ONE ADOPTED SON (SAM) TWO DAUGHTERS (HARPER & KIARA)
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