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!.
”Nah, I’d have been happy just going for drive. .I mean the company’s not that bad. .” Damon grinned lopsidedly, shooting a sideways look. "Well, if that isn't the biggest compliment I've ever had." He teased, though as he'd gotten older he'd naturally settled into her humour. When he was younger, he'd been so shy and somewhat awkward, it was why he hadn't been able to believe his luck with having Ashley. Their hiccup in the looming form of his brother had been predictable, but at the end of it all the fact that she'd come after him, had chosen him, had helped to settle things in his head. Going off to university had helped him gain confidence in who he was, and now he made the jokes, rather than being the butt of one.
He smiled as she played along with his joke. ”Why thank you kind sir.” Damon mentally cursed at himself as he saw Ash take her heels off, he should have thought of that - he hadn't brought her spare flip flops. He copied her and slipped off his smart shoes, not wanting the sand to ruin them, but he had to admit there was something nice about feeling the sand beneath his toes, still warm from the heat of the spring sun. ”Ooh all the power . .” He laughed but nodded, "that you do," He said seriously, she held all the power of his heart in her hands. ”Here?” Damon surveyed the area but it looked as good a spot as any. "Here is perfect," He agreed, and he put the bag down carefully, digging out a little blanket so they could protect their smart clothes. He spread it out before helping her sit, and then he dug out two glasses and the champagne and chocolate covered strawberries, popping the top and offering her a glass. "Cheers," His stomach somersaulted - almost time.
He smiled at the soft press of her lips to his cheek, it was always sweet moments like that that made him feel all the more love for her. She had always been affectionate but it felt that the longer they were together, the more gentle touches and sweet words were shared between them - like second nature. He made sure she had her belt buckled before he drove off, merging seamlessly into traffic and headed for the beach. Damon grinned as he glanced over a couple of times and saw how she was watching the landscape, clearly trying to work it out. "Now I feel like I've got your hopes up for something crazy," Though it was quite crazy, he didn't want her to think they were about to go jet setting or something.
He pulled up in a convenient spot at the beach carpark, it was only a short flight of steps down to the stand and as he opened the door, he smiled to feel that the wind was low, and there was still warmth in the air. "You take the lead, my lady." He indicated to the flight of steps as he quickly reached into the back to grab his nondescript bag of goodies, heading down with her and placing a hand on her back. "You can pick the spot," The beach stood empty at this time, but it looked pretty under the lighting of the night.
He knew she was curious, and that was okay. It was slightly abnormal of him to suggest they go somewhere after dinner, which made him feel a little guilty that perhaps he had let them slip into a routine. Routines were good, he liked them and all, but he knew surprises and spontaneity was always welcome in a relationship; he had never been good at the latter. ”Well that sounds exciting” He laughed and gave her a quick grin, "It's not," He promised, which was a downright lie, but he didn't want to give anything away.
He finished his drink and went to grab the bill - but was beaten to it by Ashley. He opened his mouth with a frown, this was his proposal after all, but she knew him well and he found her cutting him off. ”Don’t even start. .” Rolling his eyes he didn't bother to argue - she always won- and instead he put the rest of the bill down in cash and helped her on with her coat. ”Where too Mr Thornton?” He offered her his arm once he had pulled on his own jacket, "Your chariot awaits," He didn't want things to be too obvious; he'd been tempted to hire a horse drawn wagon as it was a little too far to walk to the beach from here, but the car would have to do. He knew the perfect place to park up where they could walk down to a quiet area - and he had been able to keep the champagne and strawberries in the car then too. He opened the passenger door for her to slide into before getting around to the drivers side and setting off.
"Ready for an afternoon of chaos?" Damon blew out a breath and glanced out the window to the front of the giant house - deceptively quiet and still - before he looked back to his fiance. Damn, he was never going to tire of calling her that. "Nope," but he grinned to contract his words. Her family were quite something, the adults were loud and seemed to have their fingers in all different kinds of pies, and there were so many of them, and the kids were nuts and often underfoot, along with the dogs. But he liked it actually. He used to be nervous about them, but he'd grown up since his awkward young adult stage, and he had come to learn how to handle Leo's dead pan jokes. Considering the family he came from, it was just an adjustment.
He climbed out of the car when she did and went to grab the bags - they hadn't brought too much, birthday presents neatly wrapped for the twins birthdays, along with a couple of home made bits for the BBQ. He was sure they likely already had plenty of food but there was enough of them that he knew it was unlikely to go to waste. Damon smiled at his son's enthusiasm and went to take Ashley's spare hand as they went for the front door. He gave his fiance's hand a gentle squeeze as they headed up to the house, letting out a small chuckle as their son zipped off ahead of them. "don't crash into anyone!""Or anything!" He added, envisioning the hyper child to headbutt straight into a door or an expensive vase.
"I guess he's excited." He smiled and nodded, shifting the bags in his other hand so he didn't drop them as they went through into the kitchen. "I'm surprised you weren't hot on heels," He joked, flashing her a quick grin and releasing her hand so he could place the presents on the impressive pile he saw in the entryway, before he followed her out to the garden not long after. His eyes flickered to the BBQ where Leo watched avidly and his lips quirked. "Did I miss the fight that determined the BBQ king today?" He joked as he headed over to Luke and Lily where the meat slowly sizzled.
He grinned as she sipped her wine, waiting for her next witty response. "I was concerned for what your suggestion might have been, I figured I should get in there first." Damon laughed and shook his head, "Of course you did," he acted as if he believed her, taking another sip of his drink and almost finishing it. ”Are you implying I have a dirty mind?” He pretended to be shocked. "I would never imply such a thing.... I know it's filthy." He teased, but there was nothing wrong with her mind - in fact he loved her for it.
He moved aside as the waitress took their plates and then he shifted forward again to glance at the menu. ”Do you want dessert or grab something on the way home?” Damon looked across to Ashley and smiled, "how about dessert to go?" He suggested, "I've got something planned on the way home," And it wasn't even dirty. His nerves resurfaced a little but he tried to ignore them; now was not the time to be worrying yet.
He hoped that perhaps later they might be able to continue this conversation in a more appropriate place, so long as the evening went well and she said yes. It had been a relatively easy decision to believe now was the time to ask her. They had settled back into Hickstead well, Josh was doing good at preschool, both him and Ash had stable jobs and were happy with their direction, it felt like the time to ask her to marry him. He'd thought about it before now but there had always been something, and he had been worried about coming back to the same town as his brother, but so far that had been no drama and he wanted to make Ashley his wife.
He grinned when she laughed. ”My mind? You’re the one who mentioned a bow tie and a G-string” it was his turn to laugh as he finished up his meal. "I was concerned for what your suggestion might have been, I figured I should get in there first." he teased, though there wasn't much he wouldn't do for Ash, he was pretty sure their love life didn't need that kind of spice just yet.
He caught the smirk and narrowed his eyes - goddamn her. She always had been good at getting under his skin; in the best possible way, of course. He shook his head in good humour at her answering grin, not needing to say a word as he knew his expressions were so clear to her - he would get her back for it later, so long as she said yes - and their toddler didn't interrupt. Damon was oblivious to the waitress's look, he only had eyes for Ashley, as he had for all their years together, and instead his mind switched to his food - one track minded as most men happened to be. He picked up his knife and fork as she answered him. ”I pictured you in an apron naked but a bow tie and g-string works too” Laughing gently, he shook his head. "I'm worried for the way your mind works," But he was teasing; as if he wouldn't request the same for her if the shoe was on the other foot.
He grinned as Ashley leaned forwards toward him, and his lips already began to pull into a smirk, feeling like the conversation was about to get dirty already. "Oh the usual. . cooking, cleaning, laundry, daily foot rubs." He laughed lightly, nodding along as if he was taking it all in. "That sounds reasonable enough so far..." He teased, he had no issues with picking up housework - he tried to when he could anyway, he'd always been a bit of a neat freak and he had to try not to get too twitchy when things were out of place.
Damon jumped slightly as he felt a foot rub against his leg, and he shot her a look, his eyebrows raising slightly. "Obviously there's a uniform when Josh isn't around. . less is more." He was pulled right in, unable to look away from her, so freaking alluring, until she broke the spell and leaned back again. He pulled himself back, letting out a small breath as the waitress took their plates away. He took another sip of his drink, and half grinned. "Why do I get the impression this uniform is going to be a bow tie and a g-string?"
He grinned when she laughed, sipping his drink. They fought in different ways, though generally they didn't fight too often. Damon was a peace maker, he might disagree at times, but he rarely lost his temper, which helped when Ashley did, as he would work to bring her back down off the edge so they could logically discuss things. He thought it was a White family trait, the hot head - he had known the White's for some time, very distantly related to them, and though Logan seemed the most mellow, the rest all seemed to have a quick switch for a temper. There was nothing wrong with it, it only became and issue when you used it to do the kind of things his brother had done with his fire.
Damon narrowed his eyes slightly, playfully, as he caught her oogle, wondering where her mind had gone exactly. He finished off his starter and neatly placed his knife and fork together, feeling more relaxed as they settled into their usual bantering. It felt as natural as breathing, to be this way with her. "I mean that can be arranged. .but there are conditions of course." He laughed lightly, his eyebrows raising. "Of course there are," He shouldn't be surprised, he took a sip again and placed his glass gently back on the table. "And what might those be?"
Damon grinned as Ashley laughed - he would never tire of hearing that sound. He loved being able to make her laugh, it was what had given him confidence when they'd first started going out, the fact that she'd found him funny. He had always been a shy and nervous teenager growing up, awkward and anxious, but he liked cracking jokes, and once he'd found out how to make her laugh it'd made him feel so much more confident in himself. ”I mean we could but I think we may get done for child abuse unfortunately” He wrinkled his nose and thought about it, as if he was seriously considering it. "I know how to talk us out of it," he winked, though he knew they probably should joke about those kinds of things.
He tucked into more of his food, pausing to take a moment to sip of his drink. He looked across to Ashley to make sure hers was as good. He wasn't above sending food back if it wasn't good enough, it was something he'd grown into in the end, not something he would have done as a teen. But when you were paying so much money for it as well, you had to get what you paid for. ”It’s great. .why don’t we come here all the time again?” He smiled, swallowing his mouthful before he spoke. "Because I'm not a top notch barrister yet?" He teased, "Though you are more than welcome to make me a kept man." Another joke, he would be far too bored as a house husband.
He smiled to see her watching him, listening. He loved that about her, that she actually wanted to hear about his day, and cared about what he said. It made him feel great to be able to come home and talk about what was going on, she was smart and she got what he was saying even without knowing all the legal jargon that he did. It worked both ways, he loved hearing about her day too. "Okay. . as long as it's not too demanding." Damon's smile widened, his eyes softening as he knew her words came from a place of care. "No, it's busy but I like keeping busy in this way," He said, he didn't feel drained, he felt invigorated, just tired sometimes.
"Imagine! She'd never want to babysit him again. .but yes it did work, he's all tired out so it should be an easy night for her." Damon laughed and gave a nod, "Okay you have a point there, maybe we should start Chloroforming him instead to make it simple?" They really needed the babysitting to go well, otherwise the two of them would never get time to themselves anymore, he'd have to start bribing people. He thanked the waitresses as their food appeared and he took a sip of his drink before digging in, smiling at the first rush of flavour. "Oh wow," He murmured. "How's yours?"
Damon slowed his pace as he reached the fairgrounds, seeing the large expanse of different stalls set up for the fundraising event - they were all sorts, from large portable bars to brightly coloured tents. He caught the scent of grilled meat and wandered over to buy a burger from a harassed looking Lexi - he caught Leo in the background flipping burgers and singing along loudly and obnoxiously to the nearby radio and guess that was the cause of her expression. Grinning in sympathy, he paid and moved along, eating as he walked so that he could check everything out. Ashley was working and unable to come with him today, but he thought he'd see if there was anything nice to pick up and take back for her - perhaps a pastry on his way out. And something for Josh, who was at a playdate today. He would be coming along shortly though with said playdate for Damon to pick up care of him, but whilst he had a rare moment alone he decided to please himself.
A yurt-style tent caught his eye and he beelined for it, finishing his burger off and wiping his fingers using the napkin provided, tossing it into a nearby bin before he ducked inside. He blinked in surprise, not having checked what the tent was - books! An avid reader, Damon was delighted and wandered in bravely a little further now that he was in his home environment, spotting the tender sitting comfortably in the quiet. "Hi," He said softly, not wanting to startle her but manners insisted he spoke a greeting.
”thanks but no thanks. .me and seafood don’t mix.” Damon grinned, he wasn't much of a fan of it either - he thought it was overpriced and overrated, there were other seafood that were better tasting. Calamari was one that he enjoyed, and he could do prawns, but generally fish wasn't a favourite of his. "I don't blame you," He grinned, trying to tell his over-active brain to shut up already and just enjoy the date. They didn't often splash out like this, he didn't want to ruin the night by feeling ill and then wish he'd enjoyed it more.
”nothing too stressful I hope? Good. . quiet morning at work then I picked Josh up early and took him to the park to burn off some energy for the sitter tonight.” He smiled and took a sip of his wine, his heart squeezing slightly at the mention of their son; he couldn't help it, he loved the boy whole-heartedly. "No it's nothing too worrying, just trying to make sure we meet all the legal deadlines to avoid any trouble" He was currently interning at a lawyer firm as he finished up his degree, but he was enjoying it - even though he felt he'd already earned several new grey hairs and age lines from the stress. "Did it work? I feel like you should have done the opposite and fed him sugar whilst we weren't there to deal with it" He joked.
ooc - actually bothered to re-read by first post and see how I planned to have him propose LOL, I'll try and remember this time! ASHLEY HARMONY WHITE
"ooh splashing out are we. .in that case i'll have the lobster." He smiled at her across the table, "If the lady wants a lobster, a lobster she shall have," and he meant it, he had been saving for a while for this night and he planned to splash the cash - he knew it didn't matter to her, the money, but he wanted this to be special. She deserved it - she deserved the world, but he'd give her what he could. He peered down at the menu, caught by the option of steak - it would probably be one of the best he'd had, especially if the price had anything to do with it.
He gave his order to the waitress along with Ashley, smiling a thanks and sipping the wine when it appeared. He took another sip - needing the liquid courage. Silly really, he shouldn't feel so nervous, they were dating and this was the way they both wanted things to go, they had been together for many years now and had a child together - but it was important and it mattered, and so he was nervous. "how was your day babe?" He smiled, glad to ease into some normal conversation, though he wasn't quite sure what to do with himself - did he ask now and risk an awkward dinner if she said no? Was it a bit random to do it now? Did he ask them to put it in her desert? That sounded awfully messy, and he wanted to wait a little, but he wasn't sure he'd be able to eat until he asked. He realised he hadn't answered her yet and he cleared his throat. "Oh it was an okay day today, a few deadlines tightening the noose but I'll manage. How was yours?"
He glanced across at her and caught her flirtatious look. ”I’m always all yours. .forever” Snorting slightly, he poked her pout gently with his index finger. ”yes lets go!” Damon laughed at her enthusiasm, and his stomach flipped over nervously as he hoped that she was just as enthusiastic about his later proposal. He was trying not to think about it at the same time as thinking about it enough to not forget anything! As Ash played DJ and tried to make his eardrums bleed, he grinned and joined in occasionally on the duets, not always very tunefully either.
Pulling into a space, he parked the car and got out, checking his pockets so he had everything and adding his keys to the mix. As she held her hand out to his, he smiled, his expression softening as he took her hand. It was small things like that that made him love her all the more. He gave his name to the waitress and waved Ash forward first when they were led to their table. He'd requested a nice table, away from too much noise if possible, settled in the corner where it would be private. He squeezed her hand as she touched his and returned the easy smile, trying not to let the nerves show on his face. ”Happy Anniversary” He nodded, "to many more," he promised, then flipped open the menu's. "The world is your oyster today, pick whatever you want," he declared, pointing out a wine to the waitress as she came over to take their drink orders.
