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!.
Tristan had finished another shift at the Lounge. He had a bit of a rough shift and needed to clear his head before he went home. It was odd for him to drive to the beach, but it was the only place he could think of that was quiet enough. The crowd at the Lounge was quite rowdy, usually something he could handle but today, it seemed as if the University crowd wanted to cause problems.
The man quickly parked his car in the parking lot and headed out on foot. The gravel crunched underneath his feet, trying to do his best to stomp it out. His mind raced as he walked, hoping that with each step he would feel better. Up ahead he could see a fire, wondering if there was something going on. As he approached, he heard a rustling - being careful as if it was someone suspicious. When he realized it was a younger man he let out a soft sigh.
Clearly he had startled the young man as he heard him call out. "Hi there, I do apologize if I startled you. Just out for a late night walk before I go home. Mind if I join you by the fire?" He had dressed warm enough, but there seemed to be a bit of a breeze that was starting to pick up.
It must be Spring and Easter break as the Nightclub was getting to be very busy again. He was finally scheduled for an evening shift, meaning he got the brunt of the work. Tristan said goodbye to Hazel before he left the house, dreading the fact that he wouldn't be home until she was fast asleep, though it was the nature of both of their jobs.
He got into his car and drove off, wondering what chaos would happen during the shift. It was a Tuesday night, meaning it shouldn't be as chaotic as a Friday or Saturday night - though he knew anything could happen. Tristan listened to the radio as he drove towards work, focusing on the road ahead of him. It was about ten minutes later when he arrived, parking in one of the allocated spots reserved for staff. The man got out of his car and headed inside, pulling out his swipe card and clipping it to the pocket of his pants.
A few coworkers greeted him, some looking exhausted after what seemed like a morning shift some wanted to forget. He chatted with Chris about what happened, raising his eyebrow after he had heard how busy it was. The man shook his head and began working - getting his station ready. He heard someone approach his part of the bar and lifted his head from where he was polishing a wine glass. "Hi Bambi. Long time no see. You haven't been here in awhile. What brings you in tonight?" He wiped over the bar with a clean, damp microfibre cloth before setting a coaster in front of the younger teen, knowing that she would order a drink of some sort.
He knew after his accident he needed to rest, often wondering if it was a sign from a higher power that he needed to stop working so much. However, he was adult enough to know that they needed the money. “Where would you want to go if we won the money? Somewhere tropical like Mexico maybe?” The couple hadn’t gone on vacation since their honeymoon - so it was about time. Even though his entire family had moved from California, there were some rainy days in Hickstead where he missed being able to go to the beach every day.
“I was just checking. I know people change their minds about their careers. I can see how happy it makes you though. Have you and your staff started making Christmas goodies then?” He assumed that they did, but to him, all the baking smells smelled the same. It was something he looked forward to coming home after a day shift working at the Luna Lounge. He quickly dried off his hands with the tea towel hanging off of the bar on the oven before putting it back. “Molly…that name rings a bell. She rides at Blue Acres doesn’t she?” He seemed to be able to remember the younger riders, though they tended to be always around unless they had school.
Tristan noticed there wasn’t a recipe for them to follow. “What are we making today anyway? Or are you keeping it a surprise until it comes out of the oven?” He knew he was pretty much useless without a recipe, but Hazel was always good about guiding him in the right direction in terms of how he could help. “I don’t know why people are sometimes so lazy. If I don’t have anything to do, I feel like my bosses are watching me and would give me something to do. And I don’t mean something fun either.” He joked, rather doing something that needed to be done without someone asking him - he knew he wasn’t a child anymore.
“Thank you for getting one for me. Now we don’t have to deal with any food stains on our clothes.” He tried to be as careful as possible with it, but there was always going to be some sort of mess when it came to cooking or baking.
Tristan checked on Tanner's glass and made sure it was still relatively full. The bell dinged again and Tristan turned, glad that finally the mozza sticks were done. He placed the basket in front of Tanner before nodding at his comment.
"What kind of dog do you have? I was thinking about getting one but my wife and I tend to be pretty busy with our jobs." Their horses kept them busy enough outside of work, and the barn cats were there for them to spoil if they wanted. "Does your dog come with you to work then?" Part of him wished he could, but as he dealt with food and his fair share of people with allergies - it would be a nightmare for Moses and the rest of the management staff.
He moved around behind the bar, grabbing some napkins from his workspace and set it on the bar in front of Tanner. "Let me know what you think of them. The chef came up with a new batter." The cooking team was always busy coming up with something new - especially with the changing of seasons.
Ever since the accident, he had started to realize not to take anything for granted. Spending time with Hazel was something that took a while for him to remember after the fact. “Yes, though you do know the statistics on actually winning? And after doing nothing for those few months, working again feels like a miracle.” Bartending again brought a sense of normal back. He knew how serious it could have been, so he was very lucky to have recovered as well as he did. “Besides, you do love your job too don’t you?” He always wanted to make sure Hazel was happy with her life.
He rolled up his sleeves and washed his hands in the kitchen sink, ready to help and wanting them to be clean if he was going to be in charge of baking. “The bakery really means a lot to them too. It’s almost like they are our adopted family now.” Having the bakery meant a lot to him too - he was thankful for it. “Any new employees speaking of the bakery?” He had seen a few new faces behind the counter when he visited not that long ago.
“It did, though they keep us busy enough even if there aren’t customers to deal with. Always something to clean there.” Or the shipment of products that needed to be sorted and put away in their right spots. The Lounge was busy enough though, they always at least had just one customer. He smiled again at the apron, nodding as he unfolded it. “It’s great! I think you have one similar to this don’t you?” Tristan put the apron on, tying the ties in the back before looking down on it. “Thanks! You didn’t make this did you?”
Tristian heard the bell ring behind him, signaling that the food was ready for a different customer. He quickly turned and delivered it to the person at the bar. "Oh that's a nice change off. If I ran my own business I'd ask you for her number. He was sure Moses had his own already - there wasn't anything to offer there.
"I'll have to get ahold of you come next show season. I'm coming back from an injury and am hoping to compete again here soon." The two mares were itching to get into the jumping ring again - he didn't know how they understood that they didn't have their regular rider for months. "If you advertise it at the barns, I'm sure someone will take you up on it." There were enough riders around to make a profit of it, though the competition days were very long.
"I agree, do you have any animals at home?" He already mentioned his two horses - though they didn't live in his backyard. The two of them hadn't even talked about getting a cat or dog in their house yet.
Tristan tacked up the younger mare, wiping his brow after doing up her girth. The sun was keeping the barn warm - even the dark mare had her head down low, which wasn't usually like her. She had endless energy.
The man took the mare's leather halter off and slid the bit in her mouth, doing up the hunter bridle before leading the mare off towards the outdoor arena. It had seemed as if lessons were done for the day, allowing the pair to ride solo until someone else came along. He led her over to the mounting block, rolled down the stirrups and tightened the girth before getting on. With a quick nudge, the mare was walking along - acting as if walking around the arena required a lot of energy.
He sat up, pressing weight down in his heels to practice his balance. Tristan was happy that his body was back in shape - it took awhile for everything to feel right again. Even his two horses were confused the first time he got on them again. He began riding off of the wall, trying his best to keep the young mare going in a straight line down the quarter line.
"Thanks, I'll have to check it out. I don't have any recent photos of myself and my two horses. Maybe my wife would like a few with hers as well." It would be a nice present for an upcoming holiday. The past few months had been difficult for the couple - after the accident all the focus was on him and his recovery - which he hated. "Do you come to both barns?" He smiled - maybe the young man had a preference, though since the barn fires the rivalry seemed to die down. It was all hands on deck he had heard - though he was still in the hospital when it happened.
Tristan set down his towel and picked up the card, glancing at it before putting it in his pants pocket. "Wow, who made these for you?" Because he worked at the bar, there was no need for a business card - people knew how to find him if they wanted a drink. "There seem to be more and more people here who don't ride, you'd be surprised." It seemed like a lot of new people to town all came to the Nightclub for a bite to eat or a drink - and to see what the night life in Hickstead was like. "Have you thought about photographing the competitions? People always want the action shots." Tristan himself was itching to get back in the show ring - his two horses were back in shape and so was he.
"Animals seem to be a theme with you. Have you always liked them?"
Tristian nodded. Nature photography was slowly becoming more and more popular. "Have you gone to any of the local stables and photographed horses?" It was bound to happen in a town like Hickstead. "Do you have a website or something where you sell your photos?" If he did, there was a corkboard where people put up their business cards for others to take.
"Great choice. It's one of the perks of working here. The owner lets us taste test the new menu items before they come on the menu." He turned to the kitchen and put in the order of mozza sticks in. Once the drink was finished, he set it in front of him. "Do you have anything else other than photography? Ride horses like everyone else around here?" Tristian picked up a microfiber cloth and wiped down the area he used to mix up the drink.
Tristan saw one of his other customers had an empty glass, heading over to check on them. He small talked with them while filling their beer glasses before wiping that area of the bar and heading back to where Tanner was.
He had a feeling that Hazel was in the kitchen. It was usually where she was if she was awake when he came home, which wasn't always the case. Working late nights at the Lounge meant she was often asleep when he got home. "I figured that's where you'd be." He placed a kiss on the top of her head, glad that his wife felt comfortable in his arms all over again.
Tristian lowered his arms and smiled. "It always feels like the days are long when we work." People always said distance made the heart grow fonder. "I don't think your employees will leave the Bakery in a mess, it hasn't been before!" Tristan couldn't imagine what it was like leaving the bakery - he felt like it was Hazel's child sometimes, which he was proud of her for.
"The morning shift was alright. Busy though! People seemed to want to get together before the Holidays and I helped with the prep work for the rest of the day." He knew his coworkers didn't enjoy getting things ready but it was something he enjoyed. They often played music in the Lounge while they prepared, which Tristian found calming.
Tristian looked over Hazel's shoulder to see something in the corner of his eye. "You got me something? What is it?" He walked over to the edge of the counter, a smile coming to his face when he saw the apron. "My own apron? Just for me?"
"Yes, that's why I like living here too. I'm originally from California so it was a bit of a shock when I first moved here." It was hard for his family to adjust - used to having beaches and palm trees year round. Most of the complaints came from his younger siblings however - especially when it came to the rainier months.
Tristan nodded, tourist season was fast approaching which meant work was about to get busier with the Holidays coming up. "Don't remind me, I feel like the summer rush just ended." It was a welcomed calmness that came to the lounge in between Summer and Christmas break, but it always seemed to fly by.
"Ah, don't work too hard. Burnout is a real thing." Tristian often wondered if that was why he got into the car accident - which made him quickly realize not to take life for granted. "This is the perfect town for you if you love animals. Anywhere in particular you like to take photos?"
As soon as he got the answer, he got to work on finishing the drink. "No problem, well the Nacho platter is often quite popular...or the new mozzarella sticks with red pepper jelly." Tristian was lucky enough to have the opportunity to taste test all the new appies before they were made available to the public - so he knew what tasted good.
Tristian had agreed to work for a few hours in the morning. It seemed the Lounge was short staffed on that particular day, and with him feeling much better after the accident - he agreed.
The morning couldn't end fast enough, but it was busy. It seemed people wanted to meet up with friends and family during the month of December and the Lounge seemed to be the place to be.
As his time to clock out approached, he made sure his last customer had paid for their food and drinks before heading to clock out. He swiped his card and waved goodbye to his coworkers - putting his dark wool coat on before facing the cold.
He couldn't help but smile on the drive home. It was the afternoon he had planned with Hazel for a few weeks now. She was finally going to teach him how to bake. Tristian felt terrible that his wonderful wife did all the work in the kitchen, but he had always been worried he would mess it up.
After parking the car, he headed towards the front door, opening it when he realized that Hazel had beaten him home. "Honey, I'm home." He called as he took off his shoes and set them to the side. Tristan also hung up his coat in the front hall closet before going to find Hazel.
He walked into the kitchen and smiled when he saw her. Once he was close enough, he wrapped his arms around her. "How was your day?"
“Oh! Do you like it here? I’ve been here for a few years myself now and it definitely feels like home.” He did miss the California sun and the beaches, but he could always go visit his relatives if he got homesick. Tristan found that even though he had been there for what seemed like forever, he was still constantly meeting new people. “I feel like I meet someone new every day though, especially working here.”
It was the perk of working behind the bar, he could meet new people and learn a little bit about them as he served them their drinks. “Nice to meet you, Tanner.” He would have to do his best to remember the patron’s name, but it seemed to be unique enough. “What do you like to do in town?” Most people seemed to ride horses, but there seemed to be more and more people that didn't.
Tristan pulled out his shaker and started mixing the drink up. “That’s a great choice. I know a lot of the older teens like ordering it.” It made them seem cool and more adult. “Did you want apple or apple cider?” There were two different kinds, one was more bitter than the other.
Tristan made sure the customer had his menu before taking a few steps to fill a refill before returning. He caught the man with a shocked expression and smiled. “Don’t feel bad. Not many people know the non-alcoholic drinks are on the back.” Tristan picked up a coaster and set it on the bar counter.
“The Fall menu just started a week or two ago, so there are some great choices.” It was yet another thing he had to relearn after the accident - but his coworkers were very helpful. “Ginger Beer is definitely a stronger ginger ale. Think about normal ginger ale with a bit of beer flavor.” Ginger ale wasn’t brewed - which made it sweeter than the beer variety.
He nodded. It made sense why he hadn’t seen the younger man around the bar before - only recently started working again. The doctors had suggested that he work the day shifts as it was a bit quieter and allowed him to focus on relearning. “That makes sense. I got switched to days recently, which I don’t mind.” It gave him more time to spend with his wife which was always welcomed. “Though I’m going to admit that I can be terrible with names, so I apologize if you knew my name already.” It was part of their training to introduce themselves while behind the bar. “Are you originally from around her?”
“It is quite busy today. I’m thinking people are catching up with coworkers during their break.” It’s not like there was a soccer game on or anything. That tended to bring more people in during the day on the weekends.
“Can I get you a glass of water or something to eat while you decide?”