Open The Farm comin' outta my cage [open/intro]

[COLD]

THE HIGHER I GET, THE LOWER I SINK,
I CAN'T DROWN MY DEMONS, THEY KNOW HOW TO SWIM​

---

OOC- Hello fellow cats of twolegplace! This is my boy, Cold, a future Windclan apprentice! He showed up in horseplace about a week ago really badly injured, and has been hiding out away from everyone else while Dandelion nurses him back to health. He's finally feeling up to exploring and getting his shit together, so feel free to come officially meet him!

---

In the week or so that Cold had been staying at the Horseplace, he'd come to a couple conclusions.

The first was that he must have succeeded in losing the rogues who'd been tailing him, because nobody had come sniffing around looking for a cat or trying to cause trouble.Secondly, the cats of horseplace were ultimately harmless. They were painfully reminiscent of his former home, a community of individuals and families that shared the space, allowed too by the twolegs because they kept the pests under control. And thirdly, he had no idea what he was going to do now that his wounds had healed enough for him to be back on his paws.

He couldn't go home– there was no home anymore. And he hated the idea of staying here, where the cats would know him as the charity case that'd stumbled in, covered in his own blood. How pathetic had he seemed to them once rumors went around about the cat Dandy was looking after? The stubborn, unfriendly one that refused to leave to go inside the barn or socialise with the other cats.

But… where was he supposed to go from here?

One step at a time. he reminded himself, trying to keep a steady head. Horseplace might not be ideal, but he knew it wasn't the worst place for him to be starting out after everything. There was food, shelter, and the cats had at least been decent enough to give him his space– save for that one idiot who'd insisted on bringing him food and talking his ear off.

Cold hated how much he'd looked forward to it each day, to the point where he'd made sure to get up with the sun that morning in order to slip away from his usual spot. If Dandy went looking for him there to deliver breakfast, he wouldn't find the yellow-eyed tabby there waiting. No, he was done with that. Needed to feel some kind of control over his own life and not like he was some fucking victim or charity case, even if a part of him was sickening grateful for the moment of reprieve. For a chance to fall apart, and than forget about it for a bit while some odd-eyed barncat droned on about how so-an-so got a pinecone stuck in their tail.

So the young, scratched up tom made his way toward the large structure the other cats called 'the barn', ready to let the past die and to focus on the future; and right now, that was familiarising himself with his new, temporary haunt.
​

---

loner/future windclan- apprentice - male - a tall, muscular dark grey tabby with yellow eyes​

 

[goldy]

☆ Goldy found this place his own permanent haunt- his paws dwelled in the hay from time to time, often finding his perch not too far from the edge of the horse's round-pen, observing the twolegs as they worked the large beasts. His eyes were half closed, this time perched on a round bale off to the side of the property when a new figure approached. Aqua eyes slid open, turning to observe Cold, the lack of his normal good-natured look on his face obvious to those that knew him.

Goldy was far from small himself, full grown and fluffy to show off for it, muscles easily hidden beneath the fur, but Cold could spell trouble if Goldy didn't know his intentions. Much like Cold knew about them already, they were open, a 'family' of sorts on the barn-land. But given the opportunity, a rogue could come in and cause havoc for them- and the twolegs they moused for.

The mouser pushes to his paws, dropping off of the round bale. "Mornin'!" He chirped out to the loner that was approaching, his tail lifting behind him and ears pushed forward. Wolf-like silhouette looked on. "Y' new 'round th' barn? What's your name, kiddo?" Goldy asked. Eyes studied the body of the tabby- he knew well enough that something troubled him, the way he held himself, the scratches winding over his body, and the look in his eyes. Aqua eyes moved back to meet yellow. Goldy was going to make sure he wasn't an issue, even if it meant killing with kindness first.

‎ ‎ ‎‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ GOD MONEYS NOT CONCERNED ABOUT ☆ THE SICK AMONG THE PURE

• "speech"
  

• 

• GOLDY he/him, mouser of the barn, thirty-one moons.
  ☆ A tall, long warm golden-brown tabby with aqua eyes. Often wearing a confident smile or chatting someone up.
  ☆ mentored by who / mentoring no one
  ☆ whichever relations / want listed
  ☆ peaceful and healing powerplay permitted / / underline and tag when attacking
  ☆ penned by dallas ↛ dallasofnines on discord, feel free to dm for plots.

 

[Flicker]

Flicker had heard word of a young newcomer, brought in wounded and exhausted. Her curiousity was clouded by concern over the rumours, but Dandelion made it clear he wouldn't have any visitors. I suppose he can't be too terribly hurt then, if he's enough strength to ask for secrecy. She allowed that logic to comfort her, and continued about her usual business. Once this stranger healed, he would either move along or introduce himself, and Flicker could ask about his health then.

And one morning, as she stretched herself awake, a tom Flicker had never seen before strode into the barn. From her perch in the rafters the calico gazed down, hazel eyes following him. that's got to be him. He walked with the confidence of good health, but his pelt was ruffled with healing scabs. Flicker considered calling out from where she was and giving him a playful start, until Goldy intercepted. He greeted the dark tom cheerfully enough, but the calico molly thought he was being a little overzealous. You'll frighten the poor thing right back to wherever he came from, she thought, not realizing a little intimidation was exactly Goldy's goal.

Slipping down from her perch, Flicker padded forward to join the welcoming committee. Already smaller than most of her barncat fellows, Flicker was somewhat dwarfed by Goldy's stature. She knew far better by now than to fear him, and she hoped her comfort around the large tom would be of some reassurance to the new face.
"Welcome in, if you are looking to stay," she meowed gently, her tone taking a softer edge to contrast Goldy's sharper cheer. "An' if you're not, welcome anyway. I'm Flicker, an' he's-" She caught herself from introducing the golden tom. She'd grown up taught it was rude to speak for others. "Well, I'm sure he'll get around to saying so himself," she chuckled.

 

[peony]

Strangers come and go; that is simply the nature of this place. Peony himself had been one, an entirely unfamiliar face to those who may have already called this home, but his decision — or rather a shared decision, between him and Petal — to stick around is what differentiates him from the strays that the wind tosses this way. Some are quick to flash a fang or two, threatening to kick over the delicate balance of this safe-haven... but it is impossible to truly shape the languid air around here into something different. The peace is here to stay.

Or Peony hopes. He deserves that much.

He watches the Horseplace's newest through icy, narrowed eyes, quick to avert his gaze if he suspects he will be caught. So far, this tom is no issue. The wounds that he had arrived with made sure of that.

"Decided to join us?"

he muses, joining the welcome wagon with a not-so enthusiastic outlook on the whole thing. It's futile to try and make a connection if one's presence is flimsy... plus, Peony would rather keep his guard up. The sun-kissed tussocks in front of the barn's entrance keep his paws warm against the cold, rooting him in place. Perhaps the building is sentient and it calls upon him to guard it from any ill-intent.

Perhaps Peony had eaten something to rile up his own imagination too much.

 

[cowboy]

(★) as one of the oldest cats in the barn, cowboy gets around to hearin' things. seein' things, too, if not through his eyes then through the eyes of one of his fellows. all this to say, the man has heard tell of a newcomer, striped and small, scampering into the barn and huddling up in a far reach corner. there'd been no safety concern to the orange tomcat, and so he hadn't pried, noting dandelion's presence every so often, and that the smell of blood seemed to fade each passing day.

today, the man lounges on a haystack just inside the barn, stretched out to his fullest length, tail and head both hanging over either side. through his upside down gaze, cowboy spots the newcomer, bloodied wounds healed, pick his way carefully across the barn floor. goldy follows suit, leaping from a rounded haystack onto the ground and trotting up to greet the striped stranger. cowboy rights himself, odd eyes watching the interaction carefully. flicker scrambles down from the hayloft to greet the child as well, peony hailing him from the barn doors.

cowboy will stand, stretching luxuriously before leaping from his perch to the stable door, then from there to the ground, and trotting over. "howdy, young one," he dips his head, halting a few paces from the boy, beside flicker. "good to see ya out 'n about. m'name's cowboy."

DEEP GREENS AND BLUES ★ ARE THE COLORS I CHOOSE

• // " #6c8886"
• 
• COWBOY ★ HE / HIM, BARNCAT. 100 MOONS, PENNED BY LAVS
  
  
  an orange tabby tom with low white and one gold eye, and one blue eye. short silky fur reminisces flame and rye, darker ginger tabby stripes slicing through the lighter tone. splashes of white are strewn across his face and body, a snowbank covering the flaming base of his coat. his eyes are odd- one crystal blue, the other sunshine golden, peering with a slightly lopsided look.

​

 

[Petalpaw]

Dearly departed - Dig to find where my heart is

The small lilac tabby leaned around his brother, his tail curled against his side where he was lounging stretched across the floor at Peony's side where he often was; if he was not there it meant that Peony had wandered away from the barn and told him to stay and he was not the type to ever argue - not that he actually could offer much of one outside stomping his paws back in an embarrassing display. Wide blue eyes gazed at Cold with some wariness, thought the adults seemed to warm up quickly he was guarded as his sibling by virtue of Peony's overprotective nature so he shrunk back at first with his head bowed and his ears pinned to his skull. It was only after Peony himself spoke did he lose the tension in his shoulders and straighten up, emboldened by the sign of safety and raising a paw in a light wave at the dark striped newcomer before gesturing to himself with his toes splayed over his throat before dropping it back down to tap against the floorboards - both a greeting and hopefully a clear indication that he'd say howdy too if he could but he'd have to leave that to the others.

Cause I'm buried beneath

All of the dirt and debris

•  
• 

  PETAL

  
  — Barncat (Future WindClan Tunneler)
  — He/Him
  "SPEECH", 'THOUGHTS', ATTACK
  — SH Lilac Tabby w/blue eyes - Is Mute.
  #AD7AA4