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!.
"And you let me in on your secret? I truly am honoured." Bruce gave her a dashing smile and bowed. "Well, Lois Lane eventually worked out who Superman was. Though, between you and me, she should have worked it out faster. I figured I'd save you the hassle and just tell you" He never worked out how a pair of glasses worked as such a great disguise. "Well that makes two of us..." He grinned. "You think about you all the time too?" He teased back, even though he knew what she was saying. However, right now, he did hope she was thinking of herself a lot.
He was more than pleased with how the cot looked, and even though it would need to be tested before an actual baby went on it, he was happy enough at this moment in time. "I think Liam was a better option out of the two," He grinned again and shrugged. "True, Liam wouldn't want to sleep in it all the time." He said with a nod. They'd had a farm cat, who didn't come anywhere near the house, until Bruce had been born, and his parents were always finding the cat curled up with him during his afternoon naps. "I never had them for Liam so I'm not particularly bothered - he survived without them. What do you think?" He mirrored her shrug. "I think they are just extra bits of fluff that aren't needed, like doilies. There may have been a time and place for them once, but I don't think they are needed now. Cots are made so that the little ones can't get their heads stuck through the rails." He looked around the room. "Right, what else is on your mental list of things that need doing?" He gave her a grin and wiggled his eyebrows.
Bruce squeezed her shoulder gently when she covered his hand with her own, he was going to be a rock and not even a storm was going to move him from where he was standing behind her chair. His years of doing natural horsemanship came in handy, as he regulated his breathing and make sure to keep himself as relaxed as possible, rolling his shoulders once to remove any stiffness as he watched and listened to everything that was going on around them.
He squeezed her shoulder gently as Flynn reacted to what was happening, though he knew to keep quiet, keep the attention away from their table. As relaxed as he may look, his mind was running at full speed as he tried to work out all the possible scenarios that could happen, and all he wanted was to get Flynn home, safely.
"Perhaps you should add it to your CV?" Bruce pulled a face. "I don't know, it's kind of like a super power gift, something that you try not to let anyone know about." He said with a twinkle in his eye, very impressed with himself that he had managed to keep a straight face the entire time. "Of course it's with me, who were you thinking about?" He widened his eyes in innocence. "You, I'm always thinking about you." He gave her an angelic smile, and his words were the truth too, as thoughts of her were constantly filling his head, wondering what she was up to, hoping that her shift wasn't too busy... sappy stuff like that.
"Thank you, that's exactly the kind of thing I was waiting for..." He beamed like a school boy who had just been praised for getting an answer correct, though he decided to hold back more compliments; like the fact that her walking past makes the sun shine and the day brighter.
He pursed his lips as he stepped back and looked at the cot with a slight frown, before stepping forward and using the tool to tighten everything so that everything was snug and the pieces were all flush. "Hmmm I feel like we should test it fully before inviting him in to wreck the place, he will be the final test for sure!" He laughed and nodded. "You have a good point." Probably not the best ide of encourage a child to jump on beds anyway. "We'll let Gizmo test it." Not. "What are your thoughts on cot bumpers?" He knew that there were so many different opinions on them, and while he though they were nothing more than colourful fluff and didn't see the point in them, he was always open to other people's opinions.
"No thank you, there are other things that are on my complete 'no' list - as small as it is." Bruce chuckled softy. "There will be no doubt that Liam will get the chance to try it when we head to the other side of the world." He offered with a shrug, he was sure that his father's routine wouldn't have changed too much.
"Trust you to be able to turn a silly joke into something romantic.""It's a gift." He offered with a shrug. "Sounds like yours might match the one I have of you already on my heart," He grinned. "I'm all for matching, as long as it's with you." He knew that when they went to New Zealand, he'd need to go and get his tribal tattoo, and wondered if he could incorporate his current life into it. A question for to ask the elders, he guessed.
"I think the compliments need to be bigger, to make sure they really outweigh all these insults." He grinned with a nod. "Note taken, only compliments from now on. You look stunning today, not that you don't any other day." Yes he knew he was laying it on thick, as he put the bolt in place and fastened it. "So am I." He smiled and bowed his head as he turned the cot so that it was upright and nodded, pleased the he hadn't confused himself and it was straight. "Do we get Liam to jump on it to make sure it's not going to fall apart as soon as we put weight in it?" He joked as he reached for the side and had a look at the instructions again to see what was needed to hold it in place.
Bruce pulled a face. "I will however draw the line at offal." He shuddered. "Dad used to have lambs fry and bacon for breakfast every other Sunday." One would think that growing up on a farm, eating animal innards would come as second nature, but he couldn't stand the smell of the stuff cooking, let alone letting it get close enough to try and eat it.
"Oh yes that sounds much more personal," He grinned and nodded, "will you tattoo my name on your arm afterwards as a declaration of your love?" He smirked and pursed his lips in thought. "I don't know about tattooing your name on my arm though. I was thinking more across my heart." He gave her a soft smile and shrugged.
"Sucking up to me now after insulting me? I'm not sure how I feel about this," He grinned and blew her a kiss. "I feel that if I compliment and insult you at the same time, the compliment will outweigh the insults, and you know that I'm always honest when I compliment you." He moved around to fix the other end onto the cot, part of him tempted to set the base on the bottom holes so that when they turned it the right way up the base would be on a slope. "exactly, and you won't get away with it - your face gives you away every time." He chuckled as he held his hand out for the next bolt. "I'm pleased that my lack of a poker-face keeps me in on the straight and narrow." And he was no intention of trying to change things, as he was happy with her knowing if he was being honest or not.
"Okay, I have to admit I have been there - telling people the same, but that was absolutely the cravings and un-pregnant me did not have the same taste buds." Bruce chuckled, he hadn't spent enough time around pregnant humans to be able to comment. "I'll try anything once, but I may have to draw the line at the one," He smiled and nodded. "Ditto." As they ate what they grew and raised at the farm, there was no excuse for being fussy. Even as an adult, he still gave things a try before rejecting them.
"glad to hear it," His eyes twinkled with mischief. "How about referring to out time together as a romp in the hay?" He couldn't help the laugh that escaped him, as that term made it seem even less personal.
"I am certainly no Mary Poppins, but thank you." He shrugged with a grin. "Nope, you're better. She was only practically perfect in every way." Yes, he'd been forced to sit through that movie way too many times during his childhood, and was horribly disappointed that he couldn't jump into a chalk drawing he had done - even more so when he got in trouble for drawing on the kitchen floor with chalk. "Suuuure you don't.." He raised his brows at her innocently as he secured the base to the end of the cot. "Would I lie to you?" He grinned as he wiggled his eyebrows. "At least not if I thought I could get away with it."
"Who's to say that's the head it's gone to." Bruce's eyebrows shot up, feigning affrontment, though he couldn't act insulted for too long, as the grin broke his serious look and he wiggled his eyebrows. "Well, call me a hopeless romantic, because I love you for it." If there were more hopeless romantics in the world, it would be a much better place... or he'd be really lonely.
"Okay ew, that's just gross." He laughed and nodded. "I tell her that all the time, but she says I can't knock it till I've tried it, and I have no intention of every trying it." He shuddered again. "maybe... those chocolate covered pretzels, please? I love salty and sweet combined." He grinned and nodded, making a mental note to grab some the next time he went shopping.
"Please don't, I very much love you just the way you are." He grinned, pleased that she liked him the way he was. "Don't worry, I have no intentions of being anyone other than me." Though there were times when he second-guessed his own choices. "I just thought you'd think of our time together as something sweeter than that.." He chuckled. "Oh, don't worry sweetheart. Our time together has been so much sweeter than that."
"good, or this would make for a very awkward afternoon." He chuckled and paused as he tried to think about the mood of the room if he wasn't happy about the pregnancy, but quickly shook his head. "It probably would." He agreed. "don't worry babe, you are perfectly average." He grinned and puffed his chest out, and then quirked a brow as he wondered if average should be taken as an insult. "And you're perfectly, perfect." He told her with a shrug.
He made sure that that the base of the cot was flush with the side that he was attaching, as the last thing he wanted was to not be able to fit the sides on. "Well, there's only one hole, that's the correct hole..." He looked at her with an innocent expression. "Of course, this one on the side of the cot. What did you think I was talking about?"
"Is that so.." Bruce quirked a brow. "I don't think it's working," The other brow raised to join the first and his lifted his hands to his head, as though checking the size. "Nope, doesn't feel over inflated. I think I'm all good." He chuckled. "Call me a hopeless romantic, but doing things for you makes me happy." He shrugged with a grin, as stupid as it sounded, it was the truth. "I don't think I want pickled onions in the fridge though, right now the thought of them makes me feel ill. It's a lose-lose situation for you, my friend." He shuddered at the mention of pickled onions. "Tiana likes eating those dipped in sherbet, and she can't blame crazy pregnancy cravings on that." He shuddered again, his oldest sister was just weird. He sighed. "I guess we will just have to battle the cravings as they hit. I shall make sure the pantry is stocked up on chocolate though, lots of bags of those treat-sized ones." A few dozen boxes of Cadbury Favourites should sort that out.
"We both know that is never going to happen - and thank God for it too." He gave a boyish grin. "I could surprise you one of these days." Though they both knew that was never going to happen too, as far as her not being able to read him that is. "What, screwing?" He gave a quick nod with a grin. "What a crass term, and here I was thinking we were making love..." His brows arched teasingly as he gestured at himself. "I'm a farmer's son. What part of me did you think wouldn't be crass?" He wigged his eyebrows. "I guess that's what got us into this in the first place." He grinned. "And I wouldn't change that for anything!" He tried his best to keep a straight face as he waited after her reaction. "Actually, that's not quite correct. Girth factors into it plenty. You'll need both to be considered... impressive." He pursed his lips and nodded. "Good to know." He said as he took the proffered items and began to put the cot together. "Can you please help balance this while I try and find the hole, you know, we have to find that right spot to put it in."
Bruce had never been so glad that he always kept a change of clothes in his car, as he could hardly go on a lunch date smelling too much like horse. After a quick change and a 'shower in a can', he was on his way to Starbucks.
Walking through the door, he spotted Flynn right away, flashed her a smile and headed toward the table. "Sorry I'm late." He said softly as he gave her a kiss. He was about to sit down when he heard the words that no one wants to hear, anywhere. "No body fucking move, Otherwise someone will get their head caved in or their throat slit. Your choice." He couldn't help one eyebrow raising, partly in question and partly in amusement. Who the hell would hold up a coffee shop? They'd be lucky if there was more than a couple of hundred in the till. Remaining where he was, he placed a protective hand on Flynn's shoulder, squeezing lightly to let her know he wasn't going anywhere. Nor did he have plans to do anything stupid.
"Good, you should always do things for you," Bruce grinned. "Everything I do is for me, I just make you think that it's for you so that to think I keep my ego in check." Yeah, he'd never been a good liar. He grabbed a bun from the box and broke a bit off to pop into his mouth. "not necessarily crazy but a bit odd. I think I'll wait and surprise you with them." His brows rose. "But, if you tell me now, I could have the cupboards stocked up, just in case..?" He was imagining late night runs to the market to pick up a jar of something that she just had to have right then and there.
"Oh we can absolutely reads minds - but it's mostly because of how easy you are to read." He chuckled and nodded, as she could indeed read him like a book. "I shall have to work on my poker face." He gave a bright grin, as they both knew that she would always know what he was thinking before he'd even finished the thought. "So the baby's going to have a rocking cot? because it'll likely have unbalanced legs." He looked at the instructions again. "Note to self, the cot needs to be plumb." It was a cot, they probably only needed the instructions to make sure they used the right bolts in the right spot. "it's fine," He raised his brows in question, making sure she had forgiven him for the very chauvinistic comment. "I'm ready to help, I'll let you do the heavy lifting, but at least I can help pass the correct bits and do some screwing." He pressed his lips together, though didn't quite hold back the laugh. "Well, I can assure you that you do the last part well." He placed the instruction sheet on the middle of the floor and began to move the cot pieces around. "Right, we need the longer screws first." He gave her a wicked grin. "And we all know that the length is what it's all about."
"I ran around with them, holding the pointy end out first," Bruce nodded with a grin. "I wouldn't expect anything else." He said with a chuckle.
"Oh, you shouldn't have.. but thank you." He bowed low as he picked up his own hot chocolate and took a sip. "I did it for me as much as for you." He confessed. "Did you have any crazy cravings last time that I should know about?" He knew that each pregnancy was different, but some cravings carried through. "Don't even..." He raised his brows in mock innocence. "I didn't say a word." He protested and then narrowed his eyes. "Maybe there is some truth in women being able to read minds. I might need to find my tin-foil hat." He gave her a cheeky grin. "A man.. using instructions? Are you feeling okay?" He scoffed. "I...I can't believe you said that!" He gasped. "I read the instructions all the time, then I put them aside and see if I can do it better.""We shall start putting it together..." He bowed again, this time in apology. "Of course my dear, it was a slip of the tongue, I meant both of us putting it together. I thought I could start while you finish emptying the box." He hadn't meant it to come out as though he was going to do it all himself.
Bruce knew that he was going a little overboard with trying to keep Flynn safe, so he kept his routine the same and went to check on his horses every morning - mostly to give her a breather and space from him.
He had stopped at the bakery on the way home and carried a box of cinnamon bun and two hot chocolates as he walked through the door. "I'm up here!" He smiled as her voice greeted him and he headed up the stairs to where he knew she would be. "I hope you used safety scissors." He teased with a grin as he gave her a kiss. "I bought sustenance...." He placed the box and drinks on the ground beside her. "Okay, I bought straight sugar, but it's the same thing." He looked at the parts of the cot that had come out of the box, and bit his lip to stop any mention of the fact she probably shouldn't be lifting those by herself. He picked up the instructions and read through it, things looked simple enough. "Shall I start putting it together?"
Bruce was both nervous and excited about the idea of Flynn and Liam going to meet his family, though mostly he was excited. He wanted to show her where he had grown up, and the woman who had dragged... brought him up. The nerves came from what personalities his siblings would show to Flynn, and would they make him regret taking her over there, rather than inviting his parents to stay here, with them. Though, them being here was a little more scarier, as at least on the farm in the Crown Range, they had acres and acres of land if they needed space.
"Alright then, I'll be sure to keep surprising you," He grinned, having no doubt that she would indeed keep surprising him. "And I'll do the same." He chuckled. "And by that, I don't mean arriving home with a baby animal." After all, that was the last surprise he had dropped on Flynn, even if it hadn't been planned.
"I guess you'd just have to be super careful?" He nodded with a chuckle. "I think getting called in the Whites' office would be similar to being called into the principal's office, and would be about just as enjoyable." He pulled a face at the thought, and he was sure that other adults probably wouldn't find it as amusing as he found the thought.
"I think you were about to kiss me," He pressed his lips together as he tipped his head to the side and studied her for a moment and nodded. "I think that sounds exactly like where we were." He said with a smile as he pulled her towards him as he sat up, meeting her half way as he kissed her, his hand sliding under her hair for his fingers to play against the back of her neck.
"I doubt that, I bet I'll love them all the more once I meet them." Bruce grinned, he hoped that her faith in his family wasn't going to be short lived when she met them, he knew that the Ropata clan could be a little in your face, and that wasn't always a good thing.
"Glad you know," He returned her grin with a wiggle of his eyebrows. He'd like to think he knew her well, but was learning new things all the time, as he'd never accuse her of being predictable. "It's always good to be thrown a curveball every now and then though." He teased. He chuckled when his words brought a new flush to her cheeks, which told him she approved of the idea. He didn't have a ring, yet, but he had been taking to his mum and she had mentioned something about a family heirloom, but wouldn't give him more than that titbit, other than it was something his kuia (grandmother) wanted for him to have, so he guessed he'd have to wait until they were all together.
"And what about your trousers? Are they velcro?" He grinned and laughed. "Could you imagine the scene I'd cause at work if the seams of my pants were held together with velcro?" He had enough problems with Libby's foal pulling at his clothes, but to lose his pants in the middle of a class, that would get people talking. Undoing his moleskins and a lift of his hips had them gone pretty quickly. "Now, where were we?" He asked with a grin.
Bruce smiled at her blush, liking how it warmed her whole face. "I really like the sound of your family, I can't wait to meet them." He couldn't help but laugh. "Wait till you meet them, your tune may change after that." Though he wasn't too worried, unless one of his siblings decided to try and be stereotypically British, because then he might have to commit murder and spend too much time digging a hole.
"Okay, you make a good point but it's not like I've never proven to you that I have dirty thoughts!" He chuckled again. "Don't worry sweetheart, I know your mind is plenty dirty." Even with Liam in the room there were enough innuendos between the two of them that Bruce knew that Flynn's mind was as far into the gutter as his own. "No, just a McDreamy and McSteamy," He laughed and nodded. Those had been the names he'd been looking for, as McStudly was the name that the young girls used for one of the stallions around the barn, so that's what had come out when he'd be trying to be funny. "Maybe I should be getting a ring for your finger so that they know you aren't single." He hated the term of a woman being taken meaning that they were in a relationship. It was such an old-fashioned term. "I'll be sure to surprise you," He grinned.
He arched his brows playfully at her eye roll. "Well... don't behave too much," He pulled a face. "You could have distracted me in better ways," He chuckled as he wiggled his eyebrows, yes, there were other ways, but now he had her mind only on him, and her own needs. "No you had it right the first time. To me." His brows rose. "You can start by removing some clothing, you're not dressed appropriately." He grinned and tugged at the shoulders of his shirt and then pouted. "And on the day I'm not wearing my Velcro shirt." He sighed as he snapped his fingers, and then sat up enough to pull the shirt over his head and pitching it across the room.
