PAFP The Farm Backwritten Something new, something quiet ~ Hollow [INTRO]

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Threads taking place at the farm of Horseplace. This is specifically for Barncats.
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Hollow

longing for more
WindClan
15
1
Freshkill
145
Pronouns
She/Her
Profile
TAGS
Rank
Barncat
Played by
Lassie
95471418_KhYc9wZXg29Shox.png

Hollow, -- 33 Moons / Barn Cat
Black spotted ghost tabby with bright amber eyes.
She is friendly, yet quiet, and always willing to help.
Tagging @Merry
! THIS THREAD TAKES PLACE 6 MOONS AGO ! Hollow is 27 moons old. Hollow is transfem, your cat is free to make assumptions based on what they see first, she will correct them.

It was a dreary, cloudy day with fog that seemed to suck the colour out of everything in the world. An occasionally light rain sprinkled throughout the morning and afternoon, leaving everything wet and worse for wear. Any smart, decent cat would be curled up in a two-leg nest, comfy in a bed or curled up in a lap being pet. The cat struggling through some tall, moist grass did not have this privilege any longer. She shook off her raggedy, thin pelt once she was through, and stares into the distance ahead of her.

Nothing but running hills and treelines scattered with occational buildings.

She sighed to herself, and shivered, hunger panging in her stomach. Her frame was thin, and she hadn't eaten well in... a very long time. Moons had passed since she found herself left on the curbside, her two-leg's car speeding away too fast to catch. The warmth of home had left her. No longer would she be able to curl up at her two-leg's feet while they slept, warm and comfortable on top of the blankets. No more food given to her every day once she meowed enough to remind them that it was time to feel her. No more sniffing at her two-leg's pants when they returned home, entranced by the weird smells of the outside world. She only had a glipse of it all then, a grandose idea, even. If only she knew how horrible it truly was.

But knowing wouldn't have changed anything.

The sun peeked through the smoggy clouds, briefly blinding her before disappearing again. Another shiver wracked her body, before she turned and looked around, trying to find a place to stop and rest. She had been wandering aimlessly for who knows how long, no place to tie her down. A small pine that's branches reached low to the ground enticed her, and she stumbled over to it, before heaving herself down onto the suprisingly dry pine needles and earth underneath. She was tired. Maybe if she rests her eyes for a while, the clouds will be gone when she wakes up and she can get some sun.

She curled up and dipped her head down, closing her eyes and settling down for a nap.


 
—————————————— Dreaming along in a pace you'll understand. ✦


Though the day was drawing to a close, the sun tucked behind the clouds, daylight soon to be vanishing into the night. It wasn't too late for a good hunt; the barn had been cleared of mice for the day, and Merry was restless, longing to release more pent-up energy. It was exhausting, looping between dosing all day and feeling like he could run laps around the barn for hours on end, so he may as well put it to use, grabbing a snack or two for the kittens in the barn. Stalking through the grass, his fur growing wet as it picked up the drizzle through the day, he listened silently for any movement, any sign of some poor unsuspecting rodent or rabbit ripe for the picking.

Though the grass was quiet while the rain trickled down, the air was still; it gave him nothing to work with. Lifting his head above the grass to scout and sniff out what was about, an unfamiliar scent peeked through the rain. Focusing on that, taking a deep breath and pivoting his head around, he noticed a partition in the grass, like something was disturbing it. Merry's ears pinned back; either it was a rabbit who had spotted him first or - by the smell of it - some stranger had wandered to the barnyard. He took a breath, easing himself as he watched the patch; there was no movement; even a stalking cat would rustle the grass slightly, steadying his paws. We're they asleep.... Or?....

A pit formed in Merry's stomach, fear lost to the wind as he padded towards the patch, sniffing more, it was definitely a cat and as he approached closer a dark furred lump, skinny and barely moving came into view. "Shit.." He padded forward, sniffing again; seeing her still breathing soothed the fear in his chest slightly, but still, he gently nudged her shoulder with her nose. "Ma'am? Are ya' okay?" He looked around, heart pounding; he wasn't sure who, if anyone, was about to help. He could at least bring her to the barn, she could get help there for sure.

  • Merry
    ✦—Barncat | 24 Moons
    ✦—He/Him
    ✦—"SPEECH", 'THOUGHTS', ATTACK
    ✦—A skinny, tortoiseshell cat with bright green eyes and pelt speckled with hay.
    #9D6E46
 
Last edited:
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Hollow, -- 33 Moons / Barn Cat
Black spotted ghost tabby with bright amber eyes.
She is friendly, yet quiet, and always willing to help.
Tagging @Merry

Yanked out of her slumber, Hollow flinched and scrambled off the ground, staring at the strange cat- mind racing to figure out if they were hostile or not. Did she accidentally wander into some stray's territory on accident? She had been exhausted when she finally settled down to rest, it wasn't impossible for her to miss the scent of another cat who claimed this land as their own. Her back arched as she prepared for a fight, just in case. She had learned very early on that many cats weren't open to giving any hint of generosity, and she understood why. Food was scarce, if you were to keep yourself and your family fed you had to defend your own territory.

"What do you want!?" she tried to snarl, but it was a pitiful attempt at trying to be intimidating. Her voice was far too soft to scare anyone. "Let me through your territory and you won't ever see me again, I promise!"

 
—————————————— Dreaming along in a pace you'll understand. ✦


Merry's eyes widened at the sudden jolt from the cat, much more lively than he expected as she curled into an attempt at something aggressive, staring down the smaller tom as though her voice betrayed any strength she might have. He breathed slowly, relaxing himself from his instinctual tensed stance. She was scared, but it was okay. "Miss yer okay, don't worry." For a moment his eyes scanned the molly, fur sodden from rain and made her emaciated frame more than evident, his face fell.

"I want to help ya." Merry purred; he motioned up behind him, where the shadow of a barnyard wasn't too far off. It would be a difficult walk for the stranger, but he'd try and help her. "See up there? Live there with my barn folks. Ya' can come stay in the barn 'nd rest up, better than out here in the cold... There's plenty 'f mice 'nd I come out here to catch extra for the folk who can't hunt." He hoped the insinuation was clear enough; some cat's pride wouldn't let them accept direct offers to live off of the barn; he never seemed to trust the barncat's kindness. Merry considered back to when he was left out here, scared and much smaller, but even then, he didn't trust any other cat but his sibling. But Goldy extended that kindness to him, so Merry knew to do the same for folks down on their luck passing through the yard.

  • ooc - tagging @Hollow !!
  • Merry
    ✦—Barncat | 24 Moons
    ✦—He/Him
    ✦—"SPEECH", 'THOUGHTS', ATTACK
    ✦—A skinny, tortoiseshell cat with bright green eyes and pelt speckled with hay.
    #9D6E46
 
95471418_KhYc9wZXg29Shox.png

Hollow, -- 33 Moons / Barn Cat
Black spotted ghost tabby with bright amber eyes.
She is friendly, yet quiet, and always willing to help.
@Merry

She looked at him warily, then glanced at the very distant barnyard, before looking back at the cat. She felt herself relax a little- but only just barely. She was nervous, skittish and ready to run if this went south. The idea of an entire group of cats just living together in peace sounded too good to be true, too much like a two-leg home ideal rather than a bunch of strays. She had never seen many strays get along, for as many moons as she had spent wandering. If they did, they kept to small groups that were never welcoming to newcomers. It seemed far too good to be true.

Her stomach growled, and she felt the pangs of hunger.

She was desperate. She had spent so long all alone, struggling for food and learning how to hunt based only on instinct... if they were welcoming... it would be stupid not to pass this opportunity up. No matter how dangerous it might be.

Hesitantly, very hesitantly, she quietly asked, "...How many of you are there?" Hollow needed to know how many cats she might be facing, what chances she had to escape if this was all some kind of trap.

 
—————————————— Dreaming along in a pace you'll understand. ✦


Seeing the molly relax slightly put Merry at ease, a sigh of relief escaping his lips as he smiled gently. "There's plenty 'f us up at the barn, some of us 're mousers for the twoleg folks, some are cats who 're down on their luck 'nd got left here." He lowered his head as he padded towards the other cat, a symbol of well intent. Merry didn't like the feeling of vulnerability like this, but he needed her to trust he was well-intentioned. "It's a lil bit 'f a walk, but I'll make sure ya' get there safe ma'am."

For a moment, he sniffed the air, his face crinkling a little, realising the scent of rain was in the air. Not how it clung to the grass, no, the scent of another bout of rain rolling in. "Rains gonna be comin' in soon again." He hummed. They'd probably both get soaked if they didn't start moving soon, and this poor stranger didn't need to be caught in the rain; she'd surely get sick. "If we get movin' now we won't get caught in it 'm pretty certain."

  • ooc - tagging @Hollow !!
  • Merry
    ✦—Barncat | 24 Moons
    ✦—He/Him
    ✦—"SPEECH", 'THOUGHTS', ATTACK
    ✦—A skinny, tortoiseshell cat with bright green eyes and pelt speckled with hay.
    #9D6E46
 
95471418_KhYc9wZXg29Shox.png

Hollow, -- 33 Moons / Barn Cat
Black spotted ghost tabby with bright amber eyes.
She is friendly, yet quiet, and always willing to help.
[Tagging @Merry]

Hollow's bright amber eyes stared down at the stranger for a long, long tense moment. You could almost see the fear in them as she thought about her choices, before she blinked, and finally relaxed a bit. Though she still looked a little wary, she lowered her head a little and her ears came up from their pinned position, flicking around a little to get a better bearing on her surroundings after she had been so jarringly awoken.

Hollow swallowed a bit nervously, before quietly meowing a small "...okay."

Looking away for only a brief moment, she found herself dreading another journey. Her legs were sore from her endless wandering as she tried to find any kind of food, pawpads aching as she got ready to walk again, limping only slightly. She kept her head and tail low, trying to look as unintimidating as possible now that she knew this stranger probably won't get aggressive. They might even offer her a mouse, or anything to soothe her pained stomach. She hopes so.

Hollow wanted to ask his name, but she didn't quite want to push anything yet.

 
—————————————— Dreaming along in a pace you'll understand. ✦


Merry couldn't help but release a bated breath he didn't realise he was holding as the stranger agreed to join him. He didn't have the heart to let someone so frail stay out in the rain; she'd struggle to survive the night. He waited patiently as she stood up to follow him. Though Merry made sure to match her pace, walking at her side, she was uneasy on her feet, and he was nervous that if she collapsed, he wouldn't be able to help her back up. At that moment, he wished he'd asked someone to join him in the hunt. He preferred to work alone, but Goldy's wisdom was always right. Instead, he focused on leading...

Immediately, Merry felt embarrassment slap him in the face. "Oh"- Uh. 'm terribly sorry ma'am, I never asked yer name...." The little squeak in his voice betrayed his state; while he always tried to be polite and hospitable, he'd always managed to forget small things- or, well... A cat's name is a rather important thing... He shook his head, instead smiling sheepishly. "'nd I never introduced myself either, name's Merry.". Frankly, the tom was mortified, but he hoped that with the stranger being so tired, she wouldn't care all too much...

He couldn't help but notice, though, as they walked, just how she struggled to keep up even with the slow pace he took. Every step seemed to cause her agony, and her frame wasn't something a cat was meant to look like. He breathed as if to speak but hesitated for a moment. "I... uh... Ya' don't gotta answer me this part, but what are ya' doin' out here? Never seen ya' round these parts 'nd... Well beg my pardon I don't think anyone would wanna travel this part 'f the season....".

  • ooc - tagging @Hollow !!
  • Merry
    ✦—Barncat | 24 Moons
    ✦—He/Him
    ✦—"SPEECH", 'THOUGHTS', ATTACK
    ✦—A skinny, tortoiseshell cat with bright green eyes and pelt speckled with hay.
    #9D6E46
 
95471418_KhYc9wZXg29Shox.png

Hollow, -- 33 Moons / Barn Cat
Black spotted ghost tabby with bright amber eyes.
She is friendly, yet quiet, and always willing to help.
Tagging @Merry

Hollow's head dipped a little more as she looked away, ears lowering a little at the pang she felt in her heart. She took a moment to respond as they slowly walked, overcome with the memories of her two-legs- her family. Her home. She would never be back there, or see them again. She tried to not thing about it often, but it always overtook her no matter what she did. The loss of it all was awful, monumental at first when she was sat on the pavement they had left her on. Like the world had fallen out under her paws. In recent times, she was more worried about food and finding a safe place to stay. The pain dulled over time, and most of the time when she thought about them she couldn't help but feel anything but... hollow.

She let out a long, exhausted sigh.

"...Hollow." There was a pause, before she clarified. "My name... you can call me, uh, Hollow." Her mind went to her old name, given to her by her two-legs. She knew that if she heard it she wouldn't be able to handle it. She never wanted to hear it again, yet she longed to be back at home, her two-legs calling her name for feeding time or to come play with them. She missed it, even if she knew she would never use it again.

Merry's last question went unanswered, Hollow so far into her head that she had completely forgotten about it.

 
—————————————— Dreaming along in a pace you'll understand. ✦


He noticed the poor molly's expression fall; if she could have, she probably would have folded back into herself. She didn't look him in the eyes, but Merry could see the pain in her heart. He struggled to decide what to say if anything at all. There were some moments of silence as they walked side by side, Merry cringing at his question that was so clearly foolish, prying into something that wasn't his business. Guilt gnawed at his chest as he glanced back up at the molly before words failed as that knot in his chest grew. They walked there together in silence. Merry is hoping some of the other barn cats can help.

It didn't take long to reach the barn, though it felt like an eternity, twilight blanketing the place in shades of oranges and yellows. If it weren't for the dire straits they were in, he would take a moment to admire it all. Instead, with Hollow still at his side, he called out to the barn. "Any y'all folks still awake? I need some help down here!" He hollered into the open barn, looking to Hollow apologetically for the sudden loudness, but he needed folks to come to lend a paw; he wouldn't be able to help her alone after all.

  • Merry
    ✦—Barncat | 24 Moons
    ✦—He/Him
    ✦—"SPEECH", 'THOUGHTS', ATTACK
    ✦—A skinny, tortoiseshell cat with bright green eyes and pelt speckled with hay.
    #9D6E46
 
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