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!.
It had been a bit of a morning. Cole was throwing a strop today. For whatever reason, he seemed to have woken on the wrong side of bed. He'd tipped his cereal bowl everywhere, covering his father in milk, and refused to brush his teeth, he'd cried when Eli had taken over getting him ready and tried to brush his hair and get his shoes and socks on. The shoes had been throw off multiple times. Perhaps it wasn't the day to be doing this, but they'd made plans he didn't want to cancel.
Finally, he had Cole out the door - shoes still on, dressed and somewhat moody about it. He wasn't crying anymore at least, but he had resolutely stuck his thumb in his mouth and not said another word since. This was going to make a fun trip, and as they made their way to meet Cal, Eli talked to his grandson gently, trying to encourage a shift in mood. Once they started shopping, he thought Cole might perk up a little, either that or he'd get worse.
Eli gave Cal a slightly haggard smile as they approached, a little unusually frazzled - not his usual style, and he had the patience of a saint, especially with his grandson, but days like this, Cole made life particularly hard and it was difficult to get a win. "Hey, sorry we're late," He apologised, already knowing he was behind. Cole frowned up at Cal, and then looked away in a sulking manner as Eli brought them both to a stop and hesitated before going to kiss Cal's cheek. He was still unsure about these things, and how they worked, but he was going on some instinct and a lot of guess work.
Eli felt guilty, and he hated feeling guilty. He was a responsible kind of guy who didn't drop his shit, he had things together now, he had it all under control. His son would say too much - too much control, too tight a lease, never letting himself take a break or even a second breath, but that was how Eli liked it. Things had felt a little upside down recently, with his recent feelings for Cal developing into a surprise romance that had really swept him off his feet, and then Cal being in a ship wreck and the amount of emotion that had come from it. It had taken Eli some time to process - not only that his feelings had been so strong for this man but also that fear that came with them, the fear that he had lost another loved one. He couldn't go through it again, and it had almost made him retreat, run away from it all. He'd held strong against the tide that told him to back off, to go back to being on his own, because he didn't really want that.
Those thoughts however had led him to Shaun. He hadn't been by in a week or so, hadn't checked in other than a few texts. It wasn't good enough. He knew Shaun was not in a good way, could feel it through their brief interactions, and he'd known it when he'd last seen him. He made a vow to be a better friend, grabbed a load of groceries, and got in the car. Maybe it was presumptuous, to bring food, it wasn't like he was a chef or anything but he could cook, and he'd even packed up a few boxes of pre-made dinners that Shaun could just stick in the microwave or oven. Much easier. Eli remembered how it felt, to not be hungry, to not want to eat, even when it sat there and was steaming and ready to go. It was hard to put the food in your mouth, especially when you were so full of grief it just tasted like ash. It was something though, the meals that people had brought Eli had kept him going, that and helped him feed his kid, got him eating too because if he didn't, his son would question it.
"Shaun?" He called out, parking the car and hopping out a little too quickly. Something seemed off about the figure slumped on the sofa out the front of the house, but Eli didn't want to make assumptions. He grabbed the bag of food and containers, figuring he could drop them inside at some point, but for now, he dumped them by the front door as he took a seat next to his mate. "Hey, bud..?" He didn't want to startle Shaun, and saying 'you okay' was too stupid. Something was wrong though, and he wanted to help in anyway he could.
“Ah, Eli? I’m Christian. I don’t think it’s safe for anyone to go out on the water right now. We will just have to wait for the storm to pass and then go out and look for him.” Eli shook his head, "not an option, I'm going out there now, before the storm worsens and we know nothing for days." If they waited any longer, anything could happen - it could be days or weeks until Cal... washed up. Eli swallowed. “I know he means a lot to all of us, but it would be foolish if we did.” He didn't think Christian was going to understand, perhaps he'd be on his own after all. "I know how to sail, I've got good sea legs, just let me borrow a boat." He insisted. “We could try reaching him again?” A frustrated sigh, "he's not going to answer." Either something had broken or something was wrong, trying over and over with no change to the result was dumb.
Eli was too busy trying to figure out a plan to grab a boat and do a runner when he heard Perry. “The boat is 8 kilometers away. C’mon, We can beat the tide if we run out now.” Eli was out the door before the words were even out of his mouth properly. He didn't waste time speaking - he was already dressed for the occasion and soaking wet anyway, and the rain seemed to have eased since he'd been outside in what felt like a moment ago. "Cal hold on, I'm coming." He promised - to who, he didn't know, but he put everything into that 8 kilometre run. The sand dragged at his feet, trying to hold him back, but with adrenaline on his side, he couldn't help but push on through it all. As he approached the wreckage, he tried not to look too hard at the state of it, half worried of what he'd see, he just wanted to know Cal was okay.
It was an arm he saw first, just peeking out from a large dislodged plank of wood. "Cal? Cal!" The first was a question, because he couldn't be sure his eyes weren't playing tricks, and then it was an exclamation as he realised - yes, it really was him. He went to rush forward and then paused a moment, looking at the state of the boat. "Watch it, this thing's a mess!" He called back to whoever was behind him. One wrong step and there could be another injury, or make things worse for Cal. He stepped carefully, one foot testing out the footing beneath him as he almost crawled to Cal. One he finally could touch him, he knelt at his side and put a hand to his neck. The warm beat of a pulse sent a shock of relief through Eli that nearly made him cry. "Oh thank God." His voice cracked, he couldn't do it again, he couldn't go through death again. "He's alive."
Visibility was shit. It didn't put Eli off. With his background, he was used to shit, and he'd had worse. He hadn't survived all those years in the Navy for absolutely nothing - he had firm sea legs, he'd handled boats in a crisis, ships in the thick of a horrendous storm. Granted, it had been some years, and he recoiled a little to return to those kinds of days after several years of a much more cushy life, but he knew how to handle Mother Nature. Cal was surely in some kind of trouble or needed help, what was all his years of training for if he couldn't go out there and help the man he was falling for? He shielded his eyes against the pouring rain, looking for the shop where he knew someone would at least be waiting. He couldn't just go ahead and take a boat, he had to go through some kind of procedure, he knew that. He regretted not grabbing a cap though as he ducked his head and opened the door - a background thought that perhaps someone would have a spare he could borrow.
“Oh, uhm, hello..?” Eli spared the man a glance, taking in the scope of the room and it's two occupants in a moment. Vaguely, he recognised the voice as the person he'd just spoken to. “Can we help you?” That was the aim of the game. "I need a boat. Now." He said firmly, offering no room for argument as he approached the front desk. "Doesn't matter what kind of boat, as long as it floats." He could figure it out quick enough if it wasn't one he was familiar with. “Are you Eli?!” He sighed, glancing at the window to see the storm somehow, impossibly, picking up all the more. "That would be me. How long until the boat is ready?" He prompted. Rude maybe not to mention the other man's name but he felt the urgency in his blood. Something was wrong, he could feel it, he needed to get out there now.
“The staff here will do our best to reach out to him.” Eli frowned, it sounded like some silly placating kind of waffle - the type they were trained to spit out when they didn't have an answer or were unwilling to find them. Not that he thought so badly about the stranger at the end of the line, but this was a man's life he was querying, not whether he could have a refund on a pair of worn out trainers. "You need to do better than your best," He warned carefully, his tone was even, he wasn't cross, but he didn't like the way this was heading right now. “If you could please hold, I will get someone to try and radio. And we will attempt to use the telescope to spot him. He should be visible by now.” Before he could answer, hold music filled his ear and he sighed, releasing a slight growl at the end of it.
As he waited, his eyes watched the weather, the clouds gathering thick and fast, the gloom of the sky as the sun fast began to disappear. It made him wary, and he was in land. God knew what was happening out on the ocean. The longer he waited, the more anxious he got, until he should his head and made to grab his coat. One more minute. The kid on the line had one final minute before he was hanging up and going out there himself. His gaze alternated between the clock on the wall and the outside, before he finally gave up. Hitting the end call button with another noise of frustration, Eli caught sight of the flash of lightning. "Fuck this," He muttered. He wasn't going to sit in like a worried housewife and wait for bad news. He'd handled shit weather before, he'd handled worse circumstances before. Donning his coat and grabbing his phone and keys, he scribbled a quick note to Cal just incase he returned and left - hurrying for the docks as quick as he could. Within seconds, he was almost soaked through, despite the thickness of his jacket.
Some people didn't believe in gut feelings, but Eli felt that those that didn't were people that had never had their life in their hands. There were times when you had nothing else to rely on but yourself, the people at your back, and your instincts - they were what told you if someone was round the corner, if something didn't feel right. It went right back to basics, to your human nature, when you were fighting for your life. Eli had relied on his instincts for years and they had seen him through, he trusted them now. Even when it felt like everything should be fine - like now - something itched in the back of his mind, a feeling of unease in his gut as he stared out the window, searching without thinking for something to show of Cal's return.
The ringing of the phone brought his attention elsewhere and he frowned, hesitant to pick it up at first until he thought perhaps it would be Cal ringing in himself. He answered with a quick, "hello?" but couldn't help the disappointment thrum through him when it wasn't who he'd hoped was ringing. "HI, This is Perry from the Marina. I have a message for Eli Acres from Caleb Dorsey. He had to do a supply run to Perkin. He should be back by-" Eli frowned, he had heard of Perry in passing from Cal but had yet to meet him. Eli glanced at his watch. "Roughly 13:00 hours (1 pm)." Eli's frown deepened and he glanced back to the approaching storm, the gathering of dark clouds above. "I don't like the look of the weather. It'll be worse out to sea, shouldn't he have come back by now?" He asked, concern growing. Cal was smart and knew the sea, more than Eli did, but even he knew enough about the way the world worked to know that the sea was the worst place to be when the weather turned rough. "Can you make contact with him to check on his return? Or is there any way of spotting him off shore?" He might be doing overkill, but damn if he didn't worry.
Eli stirred slightly at the kiss on his forehead but it wasn't quite enough to rouse him. He woke later, roughly by half an hour, naturally opening his eyes to the slow rise of the sun. He rarely slept in, when he did it had to be a miracle or he was exhausted; after a child and grandchild, and having been in the Navy - none of those things were inducive to sleeping in. He had to admit that he felt more rested and relaxed than he had in a long time, without even realising it. This was not the first time he'd spent an evening with Cal and then spent the night. It felt surprisingly natural to be with him, not something he had expected - in every way. His son was thrilled, he had not qualms about it being a man his father had found comfort and solace in, he was just happy his dad was happy.
He rose not long after he woke; having turned over sleepily to an empty bed, he'd been curious as to where Cal had disappeared off to so early. The clock told him it was before 7am, not as early as he often got up but not late by most people's standards. Pulling on a pair of joggers and a fresh t-shirt, he padded through the place. "Cal?" He called out as he wandered through to the kitchen. The coffee pot war barely warm, but the fact that it held some warmth gave him an indication that Cal had grabbed a mug. Guessing he must have gone out as he was unable to find a note or a text on his phone, Eli pondered what to do with his morning. He guessed he could go for a run, and ring his son to check in with him and make sure everything was okay at home - and then by that Cal might return. He could have just left, but there was a part of him that wanted to stay there until he got back, just to make sure.
It was a few hours later when he returned to the home to find it still empty. A slight frown adorned his features as he took the liberty of showering and donning clean clothes, feeling good after his run. The weather had just begun to turn as he was close to being back, and in the time between him showering and going back to the kitchen, a storm had rolled in. Eli found himself hovering in the kitchen, looking up at the moody sky through the window as he clutched a mug of coffee. It hadn't been that long since he'd seen Cal but something felt off to him about this - he had left earlier than Eli had woken, which meant it had to be a good three or four hours he'd been out without any contact. Eli checked his phone for the 100th time just in case he'd missed something, but as the last time he'd looked, radio silence.
"Of course not, I can promise you that I've gone to my doctor and he's sent me for a number of tests now in an effort to find out what they can and see if it's just something simple, or if its more than that." Eli gave a serious nod, his eyes keeping close tabs on his friend, watching his face to make sure he wasn't holding anything back - so much as he could tell. He knew Cal well, and the guy was the least likely to ask for help or to lean on anyone, even if he needed it. Eli didn't want him to go through anything alone, or to feel like he had to. "Just please tell me if you need anything, and what the Doctor says?" He asked, not wanting to push - he was an adult after all - but not wanting him to be alone through anything that might happen.
He grinned when Eli laughed, glad to hear the sound. Whether or not his friend din't think he believed it, Eli did - and the same way that his son kept pushing him to date, he was going to be that for Cal. "Don't get me wrong, a wedding is a lovely idea, but that is such a distant thing that I can't and won't get my home up for any time soon. A commitment ceremony though, I can imagine that. And of course, you'd be there - there is no life in a room without you." Eli smiled at that, "I like that - I should hope I'll be up there right at your side." He said with a nod. He glanced at the time and stretched. "I guess I should be on my way, thank you for the tea - as always."
"Men can be something else to contend with when it comes to emotions," Eli chuckled and gave a nod, he knew only too well from himself and his trouble expressing himself that it could be tough for men. They were taught at young ages that they had to be strong, stand tall, to not cry or be seen as weak - times had changed in that respect, but it still made it difficult to be able to express certain emotions. "That they can, and I'll be the first to admit I'm as bad as the rest of them," He gave a low chuckle and shook his head.
His cough concerned Eli, he wasn't a doctor or even a vet, but something didn't sit right with him. "I am fine Eli, honestly," His brow furrowed, a frown dampening his smile. He didn't see how he could be fine given the sound of that cough. "I don't believe you," After all, friends didn't take rubbish, they took the truth. "But a speech at my wedding? I think you are too hopeful. I never truly entertained the thought of a wedding, of being so fully committed to someone." A ghost of Eli's smile returned, he had great hopes for his friend that he would find the right man for him soon enough. "Okay, maybe not a wedding if you don't want to go that far but... your commitment ceremony then?" He half grinned.
"I appreciate the optimism Eli, I do," Eli wondered if he might have to try and sign his friend up for dating websites just to prove his point. Cal was a ridiculously eligible bachelor, he was good looking and kind and thoughtful and he had his life together, Eli knew that there would be someone out there for him that was good enough to earn the kind of decent man Caleb was. "I'm just being honest," he promised.
"Oh, I've been out there hoping to find someone, You don't think I spend my nights sitting here on my lonesome do you? I go out to the lounge, I spend a good deal of time there. It's a matter of connection for me, getting to know people, being friends and such - it's how I form my relationships. I don't know how many men I've spoken to at the lounge that were either looking for a night's company or anything to escape their wives." Eli grinned in response, glad to hear that he got out and about, if anything his life sounded much more exciting than Eli's did. "Aren't men such a glorious gender," He rolled his eyes, not having experienced that himself as yet but unsurprised that Caleb had; especially when you hit a certain age and men seemed to be married and just want to cheat.
Eli ran a hand through his head and came to rest his hand on the back of his neck. "In time maybe I'll find the right one, it's just a long process." He nodded in agreement, it really was. "I'll remind you of this when I'm giving you the best man speech at your wedding," He joked, and his smile hesitated at the cough. "Is everything okay?" His mind noted that it wasn't the first time Caleb had had a coughing fit since he'd come in.
His lips quirked when Caleb chuckled. "Sometimes life will put a spanner in the works. But I think this is slightly more welcome than if your car were to break down suddenly." He nodded at that and blew out a breath. "It is... somewhat of a more pleasant surprise than an unwelcome one, but it had thrown me for a loop all the same." He admitted - it was better than having his car breaking down, but that was more simple to navigate than these uncharted waters.
"Well, you would certainly know more than most," Eli laughed and rolled his eyes but there was no harm done. "Thank you," He joked back, though his joking fell a little flat at his question, seeing the heaviness settle on Cal's face. Perhaps he shouldn't have asked, but his friend deserved his own happiness. "I don't think there is a match out there for me Eli, if I am honest. Too much of a creature of habit," Eli frowned slightly, "There is of course someone for everyone!" He firmly believed that, even if it only happened once in a lifetime. "If I am so lucky to find that person, well - then fate has intended for me to be happy. Otherwise, it's very likely I'll remain single for years to come. But don't worry on it too much." Eli gave a small shake of his head, "Be positive, Cal, there is the absolute perfect person out there for you, but have you thought about going looking for them?" He asked gently, wondering if he might be more likely to find them if he looked.
"Nothing is ever set in stone, nothing is truly permanent, But you are wise to recognize that. I do wish you to find happiness my friend, I always do. Understanding can be tricky, but I can see why you want to have a better grasp on things." Eli smiled slightly and gave a small nod. "Thank you, I'm not used to not knowing. Things have always been very set, it's the way I am." He was an adaptable person, having had to be considering his earlier career with the marines, but there was a reason he liked to fix things, and after the upside down's of his life - having his son, losing his wife, he had found the older he got, the harder it was for him to get along with change.
"Then there is nothing more you can do," Eli pressed his lips together and looked back to his friend. "It will make sense to you at some point, and even if it confuses you, all will work out. Time and patience are the world's levelers." Another nod as he finished his tea with one final gulp and stood, following Caleb out to the kitchen so he could drop his own into the sink for washing. "I thought being older meant things weren't supposed to confuse you anymore. I'm meant to have all the answers - or so my son and grandson believe!" He gave a slight shake of his head. He had a lot of the answers but certainly not them all.
"And should you ever have need of more advice, or have other questions you feel you need an answer to, well, you know my door is always open to you. Always." Eli's smile was easy in response. "Thank you." He knew it was an honest sentiment too, which made it all the kinder. "You are a good friend... have you not given thought to perhaps... dating again yourself?"
He was glad Caleb didn't push him, it had been hard to come to terms with this, to know that he needed to talk to someone about what was going on. He didn't want to talk to his son, it didn't feel appropriate, and he didn't have many friends. He was struggling to make sense of things, but then perhaps he didn't need to make sense of it right now, as long as he knew in his heart what he wanted.
“It is something different to experience. It becomes a case of learning and understanding Eli. He is not a woman, and women give off very different … cues, if you will. You’ve spent a good length of time knowing and understanding women that trying to read and understand a man under this light is off putting.” Eli half laughed at that and gave a nod in agreement, "Very true - he is not like a woman, not that I am anything short of rusty when it comes to knowing when someone is flirting - gender aside." He gave a small chuckle and then sighed. "It's not like this is a set thing, it may amount to nothing but I certainly feel that there is interest from both sides, and I just wanted help to understand." Which he felt he was receiving from his friend.
“If you believe he is right for you, if he makes you happy, then talking to him about this would help too. It can make things clearer between you, but that talk doesn’t need to be today or tomorrow or by the end of the week. When you feel right about it, just discuss it. Or, look into what Demi-sexuality is - I had to look at that when I first had feelings for Andrew all those years ago. It might help to shed more light on the matter.” He half grinned and sipped at his tea, almost finishing it. "He does, this is all new still though, I don't want it to feel serious and I have mentioned to him that this is all new but I do want to see where this is going."
He hoped he wasn't sounding nuts, or like he was losing it, and as he looked at Caleb he thought maybe he understood him. "You know Eli, what you just described is not too far from my own experience," His eyebrows went up in surprise and just a little bit of hope, that he wasn't going crazy. "It's confusing and makes you question things. I did the same when I finally dated when I was younger." It was a comfort to know that he had one through something similar and he took a sip of his drink as he listened to his friend explain things.
"Despite having married to a lady as fine as your wife, life moves forward, and she still loves you in some way and would undoubtedly want to see you happy. Sometimes asking the smaller questions can help rather than simply wondering why. Ask yourself what it is you feel towards this man - is it the personality, his ability to talk and make the world melt away, or is it surface level attraction; is it how he looks, the curve of his nose, the colour of his eyes. Ask those questions instead of wondering why a man, why now - those questions can leave you muddled, conflicted, I asked myself those questions and I realized for me, it was both surface attraction, but also a deeper attraction to his personality. When it dawned on me that that was got myself to look twice at him, I asked myself one last question - did I love him? It took me years to answer that question Eli, and there is no time limit to finding those answers." He nodded slowly, withdrawing into himself a little as he mulled over the words.
"It's not something you can answer in a day, and no one can sway your decisions. And there is nothing wrong with liking a man and not having a full blown attraction to men outright - it doesn't always go that way. In the end of things, its your happiness Eli." It was true, it shouldn't matter whether it was a guy or a girl, only what he felt for them. He was quiet for a moment, the silence stretching between them as he gathered his thoughts, directing them to Cal and what he thought of the man, detangling emotions of the heart from the one's of lust and attraction. "I guess at first it was just an interesting pull, he intrigued me, he has a similar view of the world, and then I got to know him a little more and I liked his personality, and then there just became a subtle shift that I liked not only talking to him but looking at him. I liked it when we made physical contact. It feels a mixture of attraction and feelings beyond that, and if he were female I would understand it immediately, it's just very different."
"A young man with some good sense, It is not a common thing any more." Eli smiled and shook his head, "No, it's not, but it's been drilled into him from a young age." He had a good head on his shoulders regardless, but Eli had tried to bring him up with respect and manners. He would have been mortified if he had learned of his son being rude or inappropriate, but the handful of times in his life where Joe had been pulled up on anything, he'd known he was wrong or he'd had good reason for the anger.
"Oh? Though I don't know what this challenge is, it does seem to be troubling you - given that look on your face Eli. If I am able to help or otherwise giving my thoughts on it, speak freely - it goes no further than this room and you are still my friend regardless. And if you don't want to talk about it, well, you naturally don't have to say a word." He nodded, frowning into his mug as he mulled it over. He had come to Caleb as the guy would know how he felt, and he always had wise and nonjudgmental words.
"Alright you two, stop guilting me to death, "Should've put you both outside." He glanced up with a half smile as Caleb gave in and gave the dog a biscuit each. Eli watched the two munch with satisfaction, taking a sip of his tea before he found the words. "Well, I just..." He blew out a breath, struggling to know how to speak it. "I have been married, to a woman, and before her there were always women. Since she died, I have not been interested in anyone, it's not even been on my radar or my thoughts." Years had passed but he just hadn't felt any flame, until now. "But now I find my head turned for the first time in a long time, and it's a man? I don't understand, I have never felt attraction for men before, and I don't think it is men but rather just this one." He frowned, confusion written on his features.
