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!.
She saw the raise of his brow but this was the thing with Joe, he always made her feel listened to. It wasn't that her friends didn't but there was always something going on, some kind of drama or another. Sometimes it was her shit and she knew they had her back but Joe always made it feel different. Like it was just him and her in all the world, like nothing could interrupt them. She tilted her head at his chuckle, wondering if he was laughing at what she'd said because it seemed stupid. "Me? Have a soul? Come on now." Theia relaxed a little when she realised he wasn't laughing at her. Instead she rolled her eyes and gave a grin of her own. "I know, who would have thought it." She raised a brow back at him but she had no doubt he had a beautiful soul, even if he might not see it. She'd make him see it one day.
"Thank goodness we aren't near any water, I can't drown you. Lucky." Theia snorted and gave a nod. "Will make a note never to join you on a boat. And here I was, excited to get out on the yatch." She teased. She'd never been on a boat in her life and she had no idea if she'd even like it. The idea of the open ocean appealed a little bit knowing her luck she would be sea sick from the go and ruin the whole thing. Theia watched Joe consider her question as she settled in on the sofa next to him, bringing her legs up to tuck underneath herself comfortably. She was not going to leave until she'd heard at least a little more. "I have a few, but there is at least one I'll go to above the others when I feel like getting into it. Why?" Theia found herself relaxing as he plucked the strings, not even realising she was melting into the sofa at his melody. "Play me your favourite?" She asked, a small smile teasing her lips at her request.
She took in his look and almost smirked, instead she have a slight raise of an eyebrow. The kid had some attitude, that was for sure...but you needed it in a world like this. Like was not all rainbows and sunshine as they tried to make out in primary school. Life was quite often shit and hard work. "I know, i'm not that naive. . you just never expect it to happen to someone you know." She couldn't help the slight snort she gave in response. Perhaps he was more naive than he realised. "A lot happens to people you know, they just don't go around publicising it. You'd be surprised." She had no doubt he would be shocked with the stories she could tell him about her group of friends alone, let alone everyone they knew that has been on violent relationships or mugged at knife point, or drugged or raped. The world was really not all rainbows and sunshine.
A smile from Link as she changed the topic. "Yup. .gotta love that lambrini." Theia wrinkled her nose and have a delicate shudder. "God what are schools teaching these days if not what to drink and what not to," but the slight upward tilt of her lips promised a joke. She watched his pointed look around the quiet restaurant, there was that attitude again. It amused her. "We aren't even open yet. . besides i've already done all the prep work. Theia glanced around too and gave a small shrug, "There's always something to be done, you just have to go looking." as she grabbed a glass to pour herself a cold water. She didn't mind being idle for a bit, especially if she was tired or it has been a long day but she generally preferred to be busy. It kept her mind busy to avoid wandering and it made the time go quicker.
"It's only polite I guess, since I haven't lived in this room for a while." Theia shrugged, "I suppose, but polite has it's time and place." She could be an ass when she wanted, and her friends frequently were impolite, rude and similar, but she understood why some people thought to check with others and the like before changing things. Theia had been on her own for long enough that she didn't care for permission - it was bullshit anyway in her opinion.
"I got busy, Couldn't take it with me, so I had to leave it. Some of the other guys on base had one stashed away, I played once before deployment and all these years later, I just haven't bothered. I can when I've refreshed my abilities, maybe next time you come around I'll be able to play a few tunes for you, ok?" She gave a nod, turning back to face him and giving him a smile in return. "I promise." Theia nodded, "Okay, it's a deal. I will think up which songs I'd like to request of you," Her smile widened to a grin as she moved away and back across the room. "Alright, let's DIY this shit," She said, rolling up the sleeves of her jumper.
[attr="class","theresa-googlepix-text"]Perhaps you should hire them out, make some money from the chipping?
[attr="class","theresa-googlepix-text2"]I'd rather you didn't die too so I'd say it's the smart choice. I would love for you to come over, company would make me feel better but it's probably not a good idea. I can't sleep with ear phones in. Don't worry, I won't hit my head. Might use the Chloroform instead.
[attr="class","theresa-googlepix-text"]Oh so you get the chainsaw chorus then?
[attr="class","theresa-googlepix-text2"]Dare you to call her that when she's awake.
I'm doing great. Wondering if I smack my head against the wall hard enough it might knock me out - but I'm not sure how many times it would take and if I'm dedicated enough. You?
She sighed as she saw him frown; people never liked it when they found out that a guy had the audacity to hit a woman. It was hilarious how frequently it happened - or at least it seemed to for her. She had no double standards about it being wrong, she was well aware that men were the stronger sex, as she had had proven to her time and time again. Men loved to exude their power over women, to make themselves feel better. There was a reason she pulled back from familiar touch, a reason she didn't look for one night stands anymore, a reason she lashed out if someone tried to grab her wrists. ”Wait what?” Theia rolled her eyes. "Guys hit girls all the time, Link. Sorry to bust your innocent little bubble." And worse, but he was sixteen and he didn't need to know that. At least this had just been a bit of a smack back and forth, she could handle that.
Of course, she didn't know if he'd been on drugs but nobody randomly went around acting like that for the fun of it. ”Okay, I’ll stick to getting drunk in a field.” Theia snorted at that, the cloud above her head abating just the slightest, though the rain still fell. "That's a good kid. Only the cheap stuff I hope?" and she reached out to pat him on his head with a quick smirk. "Now, shouldn't you be doing something productive?" She glanced around at the open floor pointedly despite the fact that she hadn't started on the opening just yet.
His smile managed to coax a small one out of herself, an impressive feat for a stranger when it came to Theia and her default mood. "I mean it, I think you have some untapped talents. If you wanted to hone your skills so that you could do your own repair work, I am more than happy to teach you." Her eyebrows rose in surprise at the offer and the attached compliment, having thought he was just doing the English thing and being friendly as people did. It caught her off guard and she considered things for a moment, of if he might be being serious and if she had the time to squeeze in tutelage for this kind of work alongside the two jobs and university work and her two horses. "Uh sure, I might be interested in that." She wasn't one to be too keen, not one for excitement about things in life; which sounded sad if she thought about it too hard.
Still, it would be useful to be able to fix her own leather should they start to wear - it was likely to save her pennies in the long run. "Alright then, If you wanted to look, I do have a section off to the right hand side that are repaired boots - ones that people have discarded because they were worn in the heel. I have a habit of saving what I can and selling them on for minimal. There's not a thing wrong with them, they've all been resoled and any damage lifted or fixed." Theia nodded, second hand was likely her only option with how tight her bank balance was these days. Especially if they just needed a little work to make them practically shiny new again; and it might be something she could fix. She wandered away from him to her options, taking a look at the styles and the sizes before she picked out a pair not too dissimilar from her previous one's. She picked them up and took them over to the counter. "I'm thinking these."
She was impressed she hadn't startled him, but she wondered if he had heard her come in or just somehow known she was there - he seemed to always know when she was there. Mostly because they were always together anyway, so it made no difference. Theia had no qualms with going over to throw herself into the chair next to him, making herself right at home and getting comfy as she put a piece of ham on the bread she'd taken and shove it in her mouth. "I do believe I told you about that when you found my guitar in my wardrobe." Theia rolled her eyes, remembering full well the guitar, having been waiting for a performance since she'd seen it and been told he could play. "It's not my fault if you don't remember, or if you doubt me."
"No, that's not what I meant." She shook her head, swallowing her mouthful. "I believed you when you said you could play - you know I always believe you." She waved it off, "I meant, I didn't know you could sing like that." She shrugged, "Some people say they can sing and they can't, some say they can sing and you know, they're not bad - they sing in tune. You sing like..." She hesitated, feeling a bit stupid and wrinkling her nose as she knew something corny was about to come out. Theia wasn't good with corny. "Like it comes from your soul." She said quietly. "Like.. like it was some kind of siren call. It gave me goosebumps." Her voice lowered, her mind drifting as she thought of what it reminded her of. "It was.." She drifted off, like it called to me... now she knew she was stupid and she shook her head. He laughed and she enjoyed the sound of it - so rare, but heard more than than she used to. "I picked it back up after you pulled my attention to it, and everything is for the most part falling into place." She watched him put it aside and offered him the packet of ham, silently asking if he wanted a slice. It was the kind of stuff you could eat out the packet, for her anyway. She was glad that she'd encouraged him to return to it, clearly with talent like that he shouldn't ignore it. "Do you have a favourite song?"
"Theia the Secret Keeper, I like that." She grinned slightly and shot him a secretive look, "I like it too." She wiggled her eyebrows slightly, "You can tell me anything, I'll lock it up tight with all the rest of my secrets and take them to my grave," She swore, thinking of her little pile of carefully kept secrets she choked down on a daily basis - about herself, about her friends. What was another couple more? She saw his shrug and she glanced at him, giving him space at the delicate subject. "Maybe, I'm just hoping they are watching over their families more." Theia's answering smile was gentle - it was a smile she reserved only for Joe, her friends would never believe it. "They will be." She agreed, if that was how the world worked, no doubt they were busy.
"I'll do my best to remember it, I'll make sure it's covered up." Theia nodded, she knew a copy place down the road from her that she could get him a discount on; maybe even free at the guy regularly ate at the pizza place and she gave him a discount. "I'll text you a reminder," She waved it off; it would be good for him to have copies - it was important to him. "I am sure it will. I won't lie, but I kind of had to rope Luc into helping me get the pain and sneak it in, I might've lied and said I had permission to do it. But who is to know, no one else gets to come in here anyway. I'll get Luc to help me with painting the walls later in the week." Theia grinned, glancing over her shoulder at him as she picked out his sheet music, carefully leafing through it - as if she could read it. "Who needs permission? It's your room, you can do what you want with it," She shrugged, "Paint the whole thing in rainbow and stick a Jacuzzi in it, who's going to stop you?" She doubted his siblings wold, especially given the circumstances - they crept around him like they were walking on eggshells.
She replaced the sheet paper back when it had sat, gazing curiously at the guitar. "Not that creative, Yeah, I played a lot before I joined the amry, sung a lot too. Haven't though to pull it out to play though. Maybe I'll try and tune it up and get back to it. Thank god I learnt to play with both hands." Theia couldn't imagine Joe singing; he had a nice speaking voice but she'd never known he was interested in music. She gently stroked a hand down the neck of the guitar, careful not to disturb it. "Why not?" She asked when he said he hadn't played for a while. "Will you play for me?" She asked, curious to see him play and hear his voice.
She glanced at him as she presented the boots, waiting for his verdict - likely they were dead, probably not worth the leather and time it would take to fix them up, but she just needed to hear it from someone who knew what they were doing. She didn't think she'd have made anything worse by fixing them, she'd done a pretty decent job in her opinion but quite obviously it was amateur work, not professional. She folded her arms as he picked them up to examine them, watching him turn the boot this way and that and test out her patchwork fixes.
"I can see what you mean," Well that was an understatement, but she gave a nod all the same. "I'll commend you for patching them up as much as you have - most people see a tear or scuff and decide that's the end of the shoe. From what I can see of them, sole and heel are not completely dead but they are on their way out. At this point, I would basically call them dead - they are holding together by sheer force of will.""I think your commendation is going a bit far but thanks," He was sugar coating a little but she'd take it all the same. "If I threw away everything for a scuff I wouldn't even be able to afford baked beans for dinner." She rolled her eyes - Shi would throw them but she didn't have daddy's plastic to pay for the replacement. She sighed as he announced them dead through, pulling a face. "I guessed that would be the case." Still, it was a shame and she worried about her bank account.
She was about to take them back and leave but he tilted his head, seemingly curious. "A new set would be best - repair work for them would cost a little bit more than a new pair, unless they are completely sentimental to you. Can certainly try and make it work out." She shook her head, "No, they're not sentimental, it just costs a lot more for a new pair than fixing up old one's - normally." It wasn't worth it if the price would be the same. "Thanks anyway, though."
She yawned as she stalked along the now familiar path to Joe's family home. She'd been working a lot of extra shifts recently, after the university had upped their living costs she had paled to see the bill she would need to pay next month and upped her working hours. It left her tired, extremely so, to fit the extra time in between her classes, and seeing her friends and going out drinking had taken somewhat of a back burner. The only one she'd properly seen - aside from Shi as they lived together - was Joe. He still sat through some of her shifts with her after all, and there were the nights when he came to her bed; the regular routine of putting on a film that they both fell asleep to. She had to admit she fell asleep quicker than she usually did, sometimes even before him.
It couldn't go on forever, she just needed to do a few more extra hours to get the cash together and then she'd be covered. Next month she'd have to do the same, but she'd get to that when it came. Her feet dragged a little, but she finally had an afternoon off. Sleep was calling but realistically it was too early for that. She wanted to see Joe. It wasn't even to talk, she just wanted to sit with him and she knew she would feel better, just to enjoy the peace and his company. She noticed the lack of cars in the driveway and perked up a little, at least nobody else was likely to be in - of course it meant that Joe might not be either but she knew if the door was locked she'd have to try again later.
She tried the handle, not bothering to knock. It wasn't the first time she'd let herself in, though she usually only did that when she knew the siblings weren't home. She avoided them like the plague, found it easier just to skirt by the siblings and their partners and chill with the person she was here for. She didn't do 'meet the parents' and they weren't dating - so that was as simple as she saw it. As she took a step inside she blinked in surprise. "And how can the world want me to change? They're the ones that stay the same, They can't see me but I'm still here, They can't tell me who to be. 'Cause I'm not what they see, Yeah, the world is still sleepin', While I keep on dreaming for me, And their words are just whispers, And lies that I'll never believe!"
That was Joe's voice, she'd know it anywhere. And he was singing. She knew he could play the guitar, but she'd not heard him sing before, and she raised her eyebrows to find out he was... good. Really good. His voice ran over her and she felt goosebumps rise on her arms at his words. She almost felt bad to interrupt him... almost. Her needs were greater than his - sorry Joe. She detoured to the kitchen, because she was famished and hadn't eaten yet today. Her head was starting to swim and she was saving money by eating out of the Mccarran's fridge. Grabbing a packet of ham and pulling a hunk of bread off the french loaf, she mooched through the rooms, following the sound of the siren call that was Joe and opening the door to his room. She was sure he'd probably heard her by now but in case she hadn't she announced herself by opening the door, biting off a large mouthful of the bread as she said, "You can sing, where have you been hiding that?"
"Damn, my secrets out." Theia smiled slightly and shrugged, miming zipping her lips, "Secret's safe with me," she promised, and though it was a light hearted joke, she meant it for real. Everything they talked about was between them, she didn't tell her friends, she didn't tell her co-workers; she'd always been private anyway, but what her and Joe had was just for them, she didn't want to bring others into it. "Of course, I wouldn't have it any other way." Theia chuckled and tucked her fiery hair between her ears, she wouldn't really be that mean... well, maybe - it depended on how he was. She was getting good at reading him and of knowing what buttons to press, and when not to even touch any.
"That's one way of looking at it I guess." She snorted and gave a nod, it was, and she wasn't usually one to be positive either but she couldn't look at the bare pit of the room and not say something encouraging about it. He probably had more damn stuff at hers; things he had left there by accident when he slept over. She'd already stolen one of his hoodies - whether he knew that or not she had no idea. "I just feel a sense of responsibility to watch over them despite the fact they are dead. It doesn't comfort me in the slightest," Theia mulled it over, cocking her head to take in his words. "You know they might be watching over you, right?" She wasn't sure what she thought about the 'after' part but if there was any chance of it, no doubt they were there with Joe every step of the way. "I'd like that." She nodded, "Easy enough, bring it with you when you come bother me at work tomorrow, we can get it copied when I finish my shift." She would never suggest she take it - she wouldn't lose it, but she just couldn't fathom the responsibility in case something happened to it; his only photo of them.
"The light and then it can't hurt to try bring the night sky in, Room hasn't changed since I was like, twelve. It needs changing in some manner." Theia nodded, tapping a finger to her chin thoughtfully, "Okay we can do that," She had the print outs after all, but she hadn't known if he wanted something else doing whilst they were on a fix it binge. "I am really artistic, so your ceiling is going to look like something Brian Cox would be proud of," She smirked - not true, but she was going to do her damn best. She pulled the rolls of paper from her back pocket and unrolled them - the constellations - showing them to Joe. "See, I came prepared." But she put them down temporarily in favour of going through his wardrobe. She raised a brow at the guitar that stood out most of all, and then her lips quirked up at the comic books, and posters. Then she saw the canvus' and couldn't help but dig them out. "You're creative.." She murmured, things she didn't know about him yet. "Maybe you should be the one painting the ceiling." She admitted - though she felt her renditions would be better. Her gaze drifted to the guitar. "You can play?"
"I can manage that easy, I'm upper body strong." She couldn't help but appraise his upper body as he said it - hell, he'd been the one to draw attention. She didn't really look at Joe in that way. Oh she was aware that he was handsome, a good looking lad, but with her lack of interest in the opposite sex and her disinterest, often fear in being touched by them, she just didn't think that way. Still, even she could admit that he was built well. "Must be all that garlic bread you eat," She commented with a cheeky grin. "Maybe you should come along and see what they put me through. Telling me I can't do things; tends to piss me off more than if they said nothing about it." She felt a trace of surprise at the offer, unsure if he would actually want her there or not - but the offer sounded genuine. "I'll come along," She shrugged, "Tell you you're doing it all wrong," She teased, though she had no qualms with being moral support.
Her head turned to the wardrobe, "Everything I own, save a handful of things, lives inside there or in my trunk at the end of my bed." It wasn't much of a life, but then she guessed he'd probably been used to living out of a rucksack given his life so far. "At least there's less to dust I suppose," With how much crap Shiloh had it made the room they shared a bitch to keep clean sometimes. She felt the faint returning squeeze and the corners of her lips tilted up a little; at least he hadn't tried to shake her off. "The only reason why I was saved was because another squad risked their lives to save me, I used to think that God existed in some capacity, but after a while, I discovered that he is a farce. I stopped believing, I was prepared to lay down and die." She knew he meant it too, he didn't seem to have much self preservation these days, not that she could say that wasn't how he'd always been. "Well I'm glad they saved you." She shrugged unapologetically, whether he thought it was a waste or not she didn't care, she thought he was worth the price they may have paid. She didn't comment on God. She'd been there, a couple of times. Once when she thought she might die, and she'd pleaded for her life, and other times, when she had tried to throw her life away, and been saved regardless.
"Because Theia, I'm here. While ever I am awake in this room, it's their turn to rest. Their duty is over until I go to sleep, if I can. Otherwise, at night, I will sit and talk to them - don't want them to be tired when I call it quits for the night. That and I don't want the sunlight to bleach the image - it's all I have." She looked at him for a long minute, deliberating whether to push on that or to leave it, words hovering on the tip of her tongue. She had crossed the line with him several times, and sometimes she toed it, but she knew when she could and when she couldn't. "You feel that someone needs to be watching over, all the time?" She guessed; she could understand it, even if she had never known the same feelings as he did. "We can make copies of the picture though, if you wanted spares just in case," She added, not wanting him to think she was about to get all pitying on him. She hated it when people did that the her, it made her feel small and itchy. Like people that hovered over you.
She moved away from the photo, instead deciding to be nosy as she popped the top of her coke can and took a swig, peering into his wardrobe at his accumulation of stuff. "Okay so we're just screwing in this lightbulb? Or is there more DIY stuff you had in mind?" She asked, drawing his attention away from the photo and that conversation.