-Puts on clown wig- Guess who made a long ass fic of a secondary character that got dropped of a show with smol fandom years ago? :D
Eh I don't really know what to say, I started this months ago with no other goal than telling the story I had in my head and I did. It suffered pauses, turned out longer than expected, got scenes deleted to make it shorter, GOT MORE SCENES ADDED AFTER THAT THAT MADE IT RETURN TO THE INITIAL POINT. You know, writer stuff.
Idk, this is a mess lmao. I took the chance to experiment writing in present tense, AND one I liked using: writing long stories in the form of drabbles. I have the tendency to make scenes way too long sometimes so this was a good practice to quit doing that, and it was a good way to keep a story that could've been long as hell stay in a kinda OK number too. Figuring out how to write a character with few appearances was a challenge too. A nice experiment, tho I do feel the story may feel weird in some parts with so many time skips haha Uu
I didn't really thought much of a timeline for this so all I can say is that half of this fic takes place before season 1, aaand that for me Pidsley lived in the farm for...maybe a couple years? not since childhood like the rest but enough to get attached. A I said I didn't make too many references to the time here so that part you can adapt it to your own idea if you want lol
Well, first chapter everyone! : The rest of the story is done and I'm just rereading to make sure everything is goof, so the second chapter is gonna be up next week as much.
oOo
It is said cats have multiple lives. Something about them being these 'divine' creatures who humans used to worship a long time ago. With their great hunting skills, incomparable agility to do everything, and so much more, it was to expectto be seen like that. A well-deserved recognition.
But still exaggerated, to an extent. Multiple lives? False(no need to test it). Great skills and worshipping? Now that's something any cat, including himself, can confirm.
Long ago he and his siblings used to be adored by the humans that came to the flat, all petting them and squealing over and over about how small they were. The young couple that took care of them shared those thoughts too, but the place was small and it was obvious by the amount of space in the bed getting bigger with each visitor that that wasn't a permanent home.
Pidsley was the last one left until now.
He wasn't a kitten anymore, so the possibilities of charming someone into adopting him were less and less as time went on. Pidsley didn't try that hard either. Things like naps and convincing the neighbours to give him snacks were more important for him back then. The awkward smiles of the couple showing him to this red-haired man and boxes taking the place of furniture however, indicated that not caring wasn't going to be an option forever.
But Pidsley didn't have to even try to look cute before he was being hugged and surrounded by 'awws' and pats on his head— His red-haired cat charms did the trick for him apparently. From one moment to another, the couple had already said their goodbyes and Pidsley found himself lying the back seat of that blue truck, observing how the buildings of Mossinham became smaller with each driven mile.
The multiple lives part may be just an exaggeration; but as the cat glances at the going-bald head of the man driving in the front seat, his new human, Pidsley guesses he's heading to a new one now in a way.
oOo
The shouts of the man as he opens the truck door are what wake Pidsley up, who grimaces before stretching over the seat. He hopes the new place won't noisy like this.
The truck is parked, he notices, and when Pidsley peaks his head out of the open door he realizes they were there already. All the nature and quietness of it all get him to widen his eyes. A farm. With no buildings glued to each other, no concrete, no noises of constant activity around...
No dogs looking for a prey to scare, Pidsley was about to say, but a fur-standing bark sounding near him quickly removes that from the list as his first instinct is to shriek and jump back to the safe depths of the truck. He saw it out there, it was big and yellow and probably had pointy teeth that Pidsley doesn't want near him at all.
But the human doesn't care about his totally-justified fear and takes him out with a click of his tongue in a second. The man looked sure of what he was doing, as if he didn't notice he was leaving Pidsley, a cat, right in front of his species enemies.
It doesn't look that threatening up close. Teeth not that pointy, goofy blue cap and simply standing in all-four in front of him, head tilted curious. But Pidsley trusts both his instincts and the various sights of dogs barking at cats outside the flat, and they say it clear: dogs are dangerous and so he has all the right to frown and arch his back in a defensive manner.
Pidsley gives slow steps backwards as that sniffing nose comes closer, his only way to feel protected now being to be as close as possible to the man's legs. Pidsley is prepared to hiss if he has to.
But he doesn't. After finishing sniffing the dog just barks happily and sits down with his tongue out in a happy smile. Pidsley narrows his eyes, but is told by a boot lightly pushing him forward that there's no time for cat vs dog drama right now.
They are rewarded with pats on the head when they stretch paws. And seconds later the man ends pulling off a show himself at being unable to open the truck's door. Pidsley glances at the set of keys that have fallen on the floor and can't help but chuckle at seeing the dog facepalming embarrassed at what looks like an everyday thing.
In his first day there Pidsley discovers two things: It's possible for cats and dogs to get along, and his new life there may be more interesting that expected.
Also that his new human is not that smart. A huge advantage to get away with some things later.
oOo
Pidsley loves attention. He adores getting pet and receiving snacks and having anybody who crosses his way flattering him just for being naturally charming. He received tons of that back in the flat building, from the human couple, the neighbors, and any visitor that dropped by. One would expect that suddenly going to just one human around would reduce the amount of attention to a worrying degree.
Surprisingly, it didn't. At all. Pidsley isn't't far from declaring it a nuisance now.
Cats have limits. Waking him up just to show him a toy the cat isn't interested in or carrying him all the time are things that cross that limit, and even though Pidsley knows it's the excitement of having a new pet, he can't wait to be allowed to go outside to take a break from that. Just a few days more of showing he could manage alone out there and he'll finally have a non-interrumpted nap again.
But that aside, Pidsley can't complain at all. He's allowed to sleep on the sofa here(place he has declared it's his bed and no one is allowed to touch it...besides the farmer), the only danger which was the dog isn't hostile, and he's being spoiled to no end.
It's a different life for sure, but one that Pidsley has a lot to enjoy from.
oOo
There are a lot of differences between living in a town and a farm. One of the most important for Pidsley, is that now he can walk around freely.
Back in Mossinham there were structures to climb, things and creatures to avoid and it was easy to get lost in such a big place— Pidsley had opted to only hang around the neighbourhood ceilings more than once to save himself the trouble—. Here there's none of that, so once the farmer considers the cat has settled well in the house, Pidsley is happy to go explore around his new home.
His first stop is the stone wall in front of the house. Standing there he first sees a pigsty and a field with some warning about a bull, which Pidsley quickly classifies as places to avoid due to obvious reasons; a pool, meant water so another one to avoid of course...
His moving gaze stops at seeing the sheep on the enormous field. Nothing odd, if it wasn't for the fact they are not grazing but on two feet, and building machinery out of junk as if it was the most common thing in the world.
Bitzer, the sheepdog, is with them, and he must've noticed the wide-eyed staring because now he's waving. The flock of sheep mimic the action happily at noticing the new animal. All Pidsley can do in his confusion ias vaguely wave back.
Dogs walking in two and carrying checklists is one thing, not that common but possible with some training. But sheep as far as the cat knows, are not supposed to do any of what's happening in front of his eyes.
One of sheep, skinnier than the rest and the only with wool on its head, seems to notice his interest in the machinery and in a welcoming way gestures for Pidsley to join in. The image of having to lick stains of oil out of his fur later makes the cat wrinkle his nose and shake his head because uh, no, thanks.
It's another sheep, this one cross-eyed and looking more energetic than the rest, suddenly appearing at his side with all the intention of grabbing the cat to hug him and invade his personal space that the minimal politeness the rejection had goes away. This time Pidsley does hiss and retracts before quickly running off towards the other side of the wall.
Once away from the sheep he sees some shocked and even offended looks directed at him for that. Pidsley lifts his nose high in the air, huffing back before returning to his exploring task. He can't say he cares that came off as rude really— He knows cats are cute but there are limits and all he did was set them clear.
Hopefully, this was just a today issue and sheep being annoying won't be a regular thing here.
oOo
After a couple weeks there Pidsley is sure he knows the farm well. Who lives there, where everything is, when routine starts...
But he's apart from it. Every morning he sees the farmer waking up to organize things, Bitzer going to take care of various tasks and the sheep going to graze. Pidsley? He isn't woken up early, isn't given chores to do...he's just there doing as he pleases, receiving pets and snacks like a pet does.
All that would look unfair in the eyes of anybody, Bitzer specially, but not the farmer's for his obliviousness, neither Pidsley's for various reasons. All the cat sees is that he's above eveything and everyone, and he really enjoys being up there.
For that reason he doesn't take it well when Bitzer starts settling rules for him. Simple ones like 'don't get too close to the chickens because it alters them' or...he can't quite guess what that other doodle in the checklist means but it's a rule, by Bitzer, both included in the things he's above of.
Everytime he nods just so he can keep doing his thing. Pidsley doesn't listen really, doesn't have a reason to when it's obvious his own sheep don't even respect the dog.
It's not like Pidsley gets in trouble by doing so anyways. The sheep seem to be the sheepdog's priority and Pidsley's complete indifference to the rules passes unnoticed.
oOo
Pidsley has heard of how playful dogs are, some people repeat it over and over again with the unnecessary addition of saying cats will never treat you as good as a dog does. Pidsley always scoffs at the ridiculous statement because cats, unlike dogs, actually have dignity and don't even consider acting desperate just for a little attention.
But the particular dog at the other side sofa seems to agree with the dumb thing once again told on the TV, of course he does. He may walk in two and act more human than other dogs, but Bitzer's still one at the end of the day; it's obvious he receives the farmer with more energy than Pidsley without even considering he looks dumb like that.
Pidsley glances at Bitzer, tail wagging and his nose rising in pride and the cat doesn't even bother to hide his eye roll. Dogs believe way too high of themselves just for being bootlickers. Cats are better and that's a fact.
oOo
Almost every animal in the farm walks in two legs. They make it look easy, switching in mere seconds once the farmer isn't looking to start doing all kind of things Pidsley can't do in only four legs. But it's still weird, and Pidsley insist to himself he's neither interested nor wants to know how they do it despite having stared through the window more than once.
It's the idea of being able to open the fridge or carry tons of food in his front legs that convince Pidsley to put his stubborn uninterest aside to finally give it a shot. For personal reasons, not because he's interested or anything.
His first attempt ends with him face against the floor already deciding it's a lost of time anyways and he doesn't need it. The second, done just 5 minutes later, ends the same even when he tries holding onto the edge of the sofa. By the third he's able to stand alone, arms extended to keep his balance and a triumphant grin appearing on his face.
It's all glory for a second until he hears a noise.
Pidsley made sure he was alone in the house before doing this, so when turning his head he definitely didn't expect to see a sheep leaning its arms in the open window, munching a carrot probably stolen from the garden and looking curious at what the cat was doing.
The sheep, the skinny with wool on its head one again, tilts its head for a moment before realizing what Pidsley is trying to do. The cheerful bleat and thumbs up comes as mocking for the cat after the previous failed attempts and he's quick to go back on four to shut the window close with an aggressive growl.
The sheep looks more confused than offended behind the glass, but Pidsley still frowns in a way that says 'keep yourself away' before closing the curtains. The offended click of tongue coming from outside that follows remains ignored as the cat as he goes back to keep practising. The sheep appear to be noisy, this one specially, and they may receive more of that looks if they keep appearing like that around his house. They are on thin ice for now.
That aside, Pidsley is able to give more than 5 steps without falling by the end of the day. A success that receives the reward of stolen cookies from the farmer's stash.
He keeps practising whenever no one is around the house, and as days goes by, switching between walking in four or two becomes a natural thing for him.
oOo
The farm isn't the quiet life people promised in TV, after months of living there and thanks to the fuss that's always going on outside, Pidsley sure knows that well. An escapade to the forest is always good to take a break from that.
Though this life filled with tons of food and little excercise has got him to be a little rounder, he still goes out once in a while. Bitzer doesn't like it, the farmer doesn't mind as long as he comes back without mud on his paws. Pidsley already said he doesn't care about the mutt's opinion and never goes to places with mud anyways so it's fine.
He explores around, climbs, sometimes chases birds if he has the energy, but it's the very few cats from the zone who keep him away from the farm. They always seem to know which places are the best to find something to do in the middle of nowhere.
It's just a lucky coincidence that the craziest things in the farm happen while he's gone. Bitzer always has stories to tell about the incidents, and though Pidsley had been curious at first, by now he's able to identify the barks and charades as always being the same thing.
The rest of the stories Pidsley has stopped listening by now, stopped asking at already knowing the answer. The sheep. It's always them.
One day Bitzer arrives in the living room looking as tired as he does every night after a day of sheep shenanigans. Pidsley is ready to pretend he's still struggles to understand dog's language when, instead of being bombarded with a catharsis, the sheepdog out of nowhere asks him if he ever considered murder after flopping on the sofa.
For a moment Pidsley wonders if he should worry, but shrugs it off at the end. As long as he isn't involved, he really doesn't care about any of that.
oOo
Pidsley is outside when he faces a reminder that even with tasks to follow and such, Bitzer is still a dog and does what dogs do when instinct kicks in. In this case, what lead to that was a bone that the instantly went to bury in the field.
Bitzer's covered in dirt, in all four and with his tongue out showing he's as happy as ever. He notices Pidsley a few steps away and does something Pidsley can't tell why he didn't expect he'll have to face sooner or later: the dog excitedly bows, inviting him to play.
Now, Pidsley does play once in a while, the sight of a ball of yarn or red points moving in the wall just get the best of him; but besides of that he just isn't interested. The cat stares at Bitzer, three times bigger in size and covered in dirt, and he can't help but grimace as he shakes his head at imagining what those teeth would do considering how brute dogs are.
Pidlsey jumps over the fence to leave then. He notices Bitzer's disappointed look for a moment there, but when the skinny sheep appears with a stick to play fetch, the dog seems to easily forget about it(and so does Pidsley).
oOo
The house is his. The farmer's room may be out of his reach, Pidsley may have to share the living room with Bitzer sometimes, but the house is still his.
Pidsley obviously takes it personally when he discovers the sheep invade it sometimes as if it wasn't someone else's territory.
He has been suspecting that for a while now, he just never witnesses them until he saw the skinny one looking for a lost football in the hallway. Catching them in the act becomes easier when he starts being alert.
Pidsley frowns at them, hisses, even takes out his claws as a warning when they don't seem to listen, but they just dodge or distract him with a ball of yarn to keep doing their thing as if Pidsley wasn't in his right to defend his home.
The farmer's obliviousness plays against him for once when, no matter what Pidsley does or how many times he tries to make him turn around because 'They are right there!', the man just doesn't see them ever.
He claims Bitzer about it a couple of times, because it's his job to take care of the sheep and just because the dog doesn't spend that much time in the farmhouse it doesn't mean he should allow them to do what they want. All those times Bitzer either just laughed it off saying it's fine or that he'll take care of it later.
From then Pidsley decides to take matters on his own paws. Bad for them if they cry about the cat being rude with them, but Pidsley choose his territory and he's going to fight tooth and nail to defend it.
oOo
Despite all the initial problems, Pidsley still does queue for their party in the barn that one night. He's still resentful for the invasions, but it's a party and he hasn't been to one since the birthday of that cat in the neighbourhood back in Mossinham. Differences could be put aside just for tonight.
While he waits in the queue, a chat strikes with the ducks. They tell him they are also at odds with the sheep —'It's just too funny to prank them' they comment with 'quacks and charades—, but the guys are fun and their parties the best in all the farm.
On his turn Pidsley waves at Bitzer watching the door. When he notices he, unlike the pigs, is allowed to go in, Pidsley takes that as a sign that he's not in the bad side of the sheep like he thought. Maybe they understand the whole territory thing after all.
Would still be great if they respected it, but that aside, he has a good time dancing there and is lucky to not have to face the disaster that Bitzer called the 'pigs striking in and ruining everything' thing later on (who's boring for wanting to leave early now, huh sheep from the table 2?).
Pidsley's still not happy with what the sheep do, but he has to give it to the ducks, the guys make good parties.
oOo
The farmer brings him a new collar one day, after so, so long.
Pidsley goes to look at himself in the mirror once the object is placed around his neck. The collar is black, simple. Nothing fancy but it looks good.
The man laughs in a tender way at seeing the cat posing in front of the mirrors and goes to scratch the cat's head in just the perfect way. Pidsley doesn't notice he had started purring with his eyes closed until the sound of another pair of paws is heard behind.
Bitzer peeks his head behind the farmer to see what's up. The reason he's standing so close to the farmer is obvious even to the human and he gets pet on the head too. Pidsley frowns over the dog stealing the attention like they always do.
But Bitzer doesn't notice and instead smiles at him, tugging his own collar with his thumb to point it out as if saying 'same collar!'. Pidsley mimics the action while looking down at his own accessory and a soft smile forms at the corners of his mouth.
It may have taken long, but it certainly feels like an upgrade.
oOo
Something Pidsley doesn't like about the sheep, besides of always causing chaos, is how much they stick their nose into other animals' business. Even when grazing they are always observing their surroundings, and to the minimal alteration to the status quo they'll be there, staring.
So of course, they notice when Pidsley is unable to climb down the field's tree. There is an unwanted wooly public around the trunk now and Pidsley stops looking around for a way out to frown when he hears some giggling. It's more of a tender one, the kind humans direct to a puppy that just tripped, but Pidsley still takes it the wrong way and looks away with an offended 'hm!'. The leader, Shaun—the only Pidsley has bothered to learn the name of— asks between badly hidden chuckles if he needs help. Pidsley pauses for a long moment before actually considering the offer.
The reluctant 'fine' he was about to give is interrupted by the farmer arriving with the so needed help: a stair. If things kept going that well, Pidsley would still be able to walk away with his dignity somewhat intact.
But no, out of all the times, the farmer decides to be mushy now. He takes him back home by the arms, hugging him and talking to him like a baby in the most dumb way and of course, the sheep burst into stupid giggles. The only protection Pidsley has from that are the paws he uses to cover is embarrassed groan. He glares at them from behind the farmer's shoulder and at that moment he swears: he'll get them back for that.
oOo
Without even asking for it, the pigs end being a huge help on that. Pidsley is just passing by when he sees the flock running away from them, each one being chased when an object was thrown at them.
It looked too aggressive to be a game, so the best decision would be to leave before things got nasty; literally, Pidsley has seen their fights from the window more than once, and he doesn't feel like cleaning flying mud from his fur any sooner.
But the chance is just to good to lose it and Pidsley can't help but stay there next to the pool when he sees Shaun unknowingly running towards it, object they were fighting for in hand. The sheep doesn't have the chance to stop at noticing where he was heading before he trips with Pidsley's purposelly-placed leg. Soon enough, there's a 'splash' of a body falling onto the water and an object flying in the air that a pair if pink hooves catch in time.
At the sight of a glare behind wet wool, Pidsley releases a cat-like laugh at the success of his revenge. The pigs also laugh mockingly at his side. One of them lifts a hoof, which Pidsley doesn't really want to answer to(who knows where that has been), but he isn't dumb; these guys are not someone good to have against, so he smirks and high-fives it.
The mutual help is rewarded with a package of cookies from the bag the animals had been fighting that being tossed at him by a pig. While they leave, Shaun is being helped out of the water by other members of the flock. They all are glaring at him, but Pidsley only scoffs and walks away with his nose high in the air.
It was called for. They may not respect Bitzer, but Pidsley is different. Starting for the fact that he isn't afraid to put them on their place.