private RIDERS IN THE SKY — shrike

[BUCK]

〔✦〕Most cats don't see Buck as a smart tom. Some say that all of his brains were sacrificed for his looks at birth and that he was as empty-headed as a hound dog. He undoubtedly did some stupid things sometimes, though not because of a lack of brain cells but instead due to a craving for adventure.

It had been one of those mundane mornings where the sun rose, the birds chirped, and everything seemed to move ever so slowly. No wind, no rain, no clouds plagued the sky which meant that things were rather boring today. So, Buck decided to switch things up a bit. "Whoaaa, steady now..." The brown tabby tom coos reassuringly to the splotched black and white bovine that stood chewing on some cud next to the wooden fence.

Ever so gently, yet determinedly, Buck placed both of his paws onto the beast's back before fully hopping on, steadying himself so that he could balance. Only a few moments passed and, before the tom could believe that he'd successfully mounted a cow, it began to grunt and buck its legs. The movement proved to be too powerful for Buck; he proceeded to fall onto the ground and knock his head against the fence. Ouch. "Flea-dirt! We were so close, ol' girl." The tabby exclaimed with a shake of his head as he scrambled to safety behind the barrier.

Buck shook his head, brushing some dust and dirt off his pelt before orange eyes fell upon a familiar-looking blue tabby cat. He raises his eyebrows, mrrowing in greeting, "Hey, I know you. You're a lil' far from the city, ain'tcha'?" They had an older sibling; a pretty one, if he remembered correctly. It had been moons ago now, but Buck isn't too bad with remembering faces.

i roam from town to town ( i go through life without a care ) //

• ooc. @shrike
  
• BUCK — loner, resident of horseplace ✦ penned by beatles
  ✦ cismale / he/him pronouns / 30 moons & ages every 24th
  ✦ single / bicurious & monogamous / open to romance
  ✦ peaceful and healing powerplay permitted / underline & tag account when attacking
  — medium combat difficulty / may start fights, likely will not kill
  
  ✦ "speech", thoughts, all opinions are ic
  ✦ biography — msg on discord for plots — toyhouse
  
• 
  
  

  a shorthaired brown tabby with golden eyes. a ruggedly handsome tom, sporting lean muscle and a slightly taller than average stature. there is a nick in his left ear as well as a small scratch on his right lip. he smells heavily of hay and wood chips.
  

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[shrike]

( 𓆙 ) the moth's bright, delicate wings beckon shrike. it hovers on the wind, and she abides by its unspoken request. slender paws slide carefully over the ground, lean muscles rippling beneath silken blue fur. she does this often- wandering away from the twolegplace while on the trail of some fantastical calling. today, it's a pale green moth, with spots on its wings like eyes. they stare down at the feline as she follows, communicating something deeply important. shrike just hasn't figured out what yet.

she's been away for a couple days, having left originally because she'd heard tell of a big ant colony up towards the forest. it'd kept her attention for a while, but she'd found that once she was out of the city, things got quieter and more interesting. queue the moth, queue her following, it, queue her absence from her home. now, as she glances up once more, the insect drifts higher into the cloud-free sky, blending with branches and leaves that shuffle about in a soft breeze. shrike raises their head to bid farewell to their faithful companion, ears twitching in interest as an odd sweet scent catches their attention.

moth abandoned for now, the slender feline pads through tall grasses, allowing the blades to ruffle their fur as they pass by. the sweet scent grows stronger, something musky and plant-adjacent, similar to a scent they recognize from moons ago, left on their sister's fur. faded periwinkle eyes flit about, widening as she emerges from the grasses to a vast, short-cut field, full of creatures ten times the size she is. immediate fear sparks up in her birdcage chest, heart pounding like a thousand tiny wings. it is only when she notices the dark tabby pelt of another cat that she feels slightly better about whatever monstrosity she's stumbled upon.

the amber eyed tomcat leaps off of one of the creatures, scrambling for safety beneath the fence that shrike is staring through. he brushes himself off, handsome face alighting in recognition. the blue tabby narrows their own gaze, plucking a name carefully from their memory. "buck, yes?" they ask, voice a low mixture of curiosity and odd sing-song. "i am shrike. my sister, kite, says hello." kite hadn't but shrike is certain if her sibling had been there, she would've.

"you live amongst these... creatures now. what are they?" pale eyes flit back to the black and white monsters, who seem calmer than she'd originally thought.

BLACKBIRD SINGING 𓆙 IN THE DEAD OF NIGHT

• // "#586f6b"
• 
  
  
  
• SHRIKE 𓆙 THEY / SHE, ROGUE. NPC x NPC, SIBLING TO VIXEN, VIPER, KITE, HAWK, SPIDER. 14 MOONS, PENNED BY LAVS
  
  
  
  a blue tabby with a white mask, wing-shaped patches on her back, and blue eyes. blue, with a darker blue stripe running down their back, tail and ears. their chest and paws are white, and they have a white mask around her eyes, and white wing-like patches along their back and sides. piercing dark blue eyes often give a far-away look, slightly vacant but always glimmering with thought. she has two small scars, curling pink along her neck, gifts from an enemy rogue in her youth.
  
  

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[BUCK]

〔✦〕A spirit of discovery and adventure is also what drives Buck. He had never been meant to settle down in the barn where he'd been birthed, spending the rest of his days catching mice and lazing around the manure and straw-filled structure with his kin. The countryside held a special place in Buck's heart, of course — the sunsets were a spectacular sight and the sound of crickets and distant coyote yipping was something akin to comfort for the tom. However, he knew that there was more to life than what he'd always known. He would go wherever the wind took him in search of purpose, or perhaps just excitement.

When the white-masked tabby mentions his name, he gives a nod and confirms, "That'd be me." Had it really been that long since he had visited the city? They had matured a bit since they had met, whereas he hadn't changed all too much since his young adult seasons. Admittedly Buck had forgotten the name of the city stray, though something clicks in his memory when they reintroduce themselves. Shrike, and their older sibling Kite. "Kite, right. I remember them." The rugged loner smirks, thinking back on the friendly banter that they'd shared back then even though she had jumped him at first.

Shrike's lack of familiarity with the cows is eyebrow-raising for the country-raised male, for it seems crazy to think that there are folks who have never seen one of the hooved mammals before. "You city cats really ain't seen much, have ya'?" Then again, what is there in the city besides mongrels, pigeons, and rats?

The brown tabby tom steps toward the fence again though is careful not to steal the attention of the cow. That creature was much heavier than he was; getting caught under their hooves would not be a good thing. "These are cows. They don't do much besides eat 'n make noises. Their milk is pretty delicious, though." Buck muses, referring to the times when he would sneak in and lap up some fresh product from the buckets. "I'm tryin' to get one to let me ride it." He explains to Shrike, turning his rich molten gaze to them now to gauge a reaction. He could probably guess that she thought him crazy for it.

i roam from town to town ( i go through life without a care ) //

• ooc.
• BUCK — loner, resident of horseplace ✦ penned by beatles
  ✦ cismale / he/him pronouns / 30 moons & ages every 24th
  ✦ single / bicurious & monogamous / open to romance
  ✦ peaceful and healing powerplay permitted / underline & tag account when attacking
  — medium combat difficulty / may start fights, likely will not kill
  
  ✦ "speech", thoughts, all opinions are ic
  ✦ biography — msg on discord for plots — toyhouse
  
• 
  
  

  a shorthaired brown tabby with orange eyes. a ruggedly handsome tom, sporting lean muscle and a slightly taller than average stature. there is a nick in his left ear as well as a small scratch on his right lip. he smells heavily of hay and wood chips.
  

​