Dahlia and Talia's Territory

[Doodle]

Dahlia and Talia are two sisters that live in a small clearing beside a small river. The clearing is mostly flat with tall grass; it is not mowed by twolegs despite twolegplace being very close by. Sometimes a twoleg or two will come to play in the river or picnic in the clearing, but they mostly don't bother the two cats. The clearing is surrounded on three sides by trees that make up a little forest. The fourth side borders the river, with a small strip of pebbles and sand in between. The sisters made their den in the roots of a large willow tree that is right up against the river. This willow tree is is not close to the forest, and on the sides that don't touch the river it is touched by the clearing. A few wild flowers grow among the grass, making the place very beautiful.

(Please message me to ask before jumping in rather than posting to ask as I don't want to miss your question!)

[ShiningFern]

Adder crouched down by the river, lowering his head to take a drink. The long furred gray and brown tom looked around, ears perked. The small cat hoped a twoleg wasn't around, he hated it when they pet him, it made him think they were going to make him a kittypet. Ewwww, kittypets. He thought, shuddering. Balancing on his back legs, he scanned above the tall grass nearby, looking around.

[Doodle]

Originally Posted by Fern

Adder crouched down by the river, lowering his head to take a drink. The long furred gray and brown tom looked around, ears perked. The small cat hoped a twoleg wasn't around, he hated it when they pet him, it made him think they were going to make him a kittypet. Ewwww, kittypets. He thought, shuddering. Balancing on his back legs, he scanned above the tall grass nearby, looking around.

Dahlia quietly slipped out of the nest she shared with her sister, leaving the tangled branches behind as she walked out from the shelter of the willow tree. It wasn't that early, but the two sisters were a bit of late sleepers- perhaps something that carried on from their kittypet days. She let out a big yawn and stretched, enjoying the warm sun on her pelt as she did so. Straightening out, she surveyed the clearing around her. The molly's ears perked as she noticed a small cat by their river, his head just peaking over the grass. She headed off to him with a skip in her step and a smile on her maw. "Hello," she called out in a light, cheery voice when she got close enough. Goodness, this tom looked like he was still a kit! "I'm Dahlia, what brings you around here?" She reached the pebbly shore that the other cat stood on and took a seat, hoping that she came off as friendly and non-threatening. She certainly didn't want to scare the little thing off, and had no plans of being anything other than nice to the newcomer.

[ShiningFern]

Originally Posted by Doodle

Dahlia quietly slipped out of the nest she shared with her sister, leaving the tangled branches behind as she walked out from the shelter of the willow tree. It wasn't that early, but the two sisters were a bit of late sleepers- perhaps something that carried on from their kittypet days. She let out a big yawn and stretched, enjoying the warm sun on her pelt as she did so. Straightening out, she surveyed the clearing around her. The molly's ears perked as she noticed a small cat by their river, his head just peaking over the grass. She headed off to him with a skip in her step and a smile on her maw. "Hello," she called out in a light, cheery voice when she got close enough. Goodness, this tom looked like he was still a kit! "I'm Dahlia, what brings you around here?" She reached the pebbly shore that the other cat stood on and took a seat, hoping that she came off as friendly and non-threatening. She certainly didn't want to scare the little thing off, and had no plans of being anything other than nice to the newcomer.

His ear twitched as he heard a voice, it sounded like a shecat. Seeing Dahlia come into view, he smiled. "Hello! I am Adder. It got slightly hot, and I scented this river. I came over to take a drink." He mewed, voice sounding like the high pitched squeak most young cats had. He was a little nervous because he was so small compared to his new acquaintance, but she seemed friendly enough. "Also, I was avoiding a few twolegs. They are set on thinking I want to live with them." He added, taking another sip of water from the river before sitting down.

[Doodle]

Originally Posted by Fern

His ear twitched as he heard a voice, it sounded like a shecat. Seeing Dahlia come into view, he smiled. "Hello! I am Adder. It got slightly hot, and I scented this river. I came over to take a drink." He mewed, voice sounding like the high pitched squeak most young cats had. He was a little nervous because he was so small compared to his new acquaintance, but she seemed friendly enough. "Also, I was avoiding a few twolegs. They are set on thinking I want to live with them." He added, taking another sip of water from the river before sitting down.

"Oh, yes, it is quite a hot day," Dahlia answered. "We're lucky we live so close to the river- on days like this I can just hop right in for a swim to cool off." She flashed Adder a smile as she turned her head to the river, staring at the currents as the passed. A few shadows hinted at fish, and her whiskers twitched as she thought about fishing. "Though, I know swimming's not for everyone. My sister wouldn't dream of swimming; I think she'd claw me if I tried to get her in." A twinkling laugh left her mouth before she turned her head back to the young tom, raking her eyes over the clearing as he mentioned twolegs. "Well, we do get some twolegs here, but they're friendly enough. They leave behind some junk, though." She crinkled her nose as she remembered the cans a particularly rowdy bunch of twolegs left behind. It had contained food in it, but the two sisters preferred fresh prey to twoleg rubbish and left it. Soon they had all sorts of critters coming around because of the scent; it had created a mayhem for the two cats. "They normally leave us alone, but we don't attack them or anything if they try to pet us. Just don't let them pick you up and you should be fine."

[ShiningFern]

Originally Posted by Doodle

"Oh, yes, it is quite a hot day," Dahlia answered. "We're lucky we live so close to the river- on days like this I can just hop right in for a swim to cool off." She flashed Adder a smile as she turned her head to the river, staring at the currents as the passed. A few shadows hinted at fish, and her whiskers twitched as she thought about fishing. "Though, I know swimming's not for everyone. My sister wouldn't dream of swimming; I think she'd claw me if I tried to get her in." A twinkling laugh left her mouth before she turned her head back to the young tom, raking her eyes over the clearing as he mentioned twolegs. "Well, we do get some twolegs here, but they're friendly enough. They leave behind some junk, though." She crinkled her nose as she remembered the cans a particularly rowdy bunch of twolegs left behind. It had contained food in it, but the two sisters preferred fresh prey to twoleg rubbish and left it. Soon they had all sorts of critters coming around because of the scent; it had created a mayhem for the two cats. "They normally leave us alone, but we don't attack them or anything if they try to pet us. Just don't let them pick you up and you should be fine."

"I like swimming, I just don't like it when it takes forever for my fur to dry out." He mewed, looking at his long fur for a second before he heard the shecat continue on. He thought of one particular set of twolegs for a moment. About a half of a moon ago they left where they had lived with him, leaving him alone and trapped in the house for a week. He felt lucky when he was able to break out and escape, swearing to never return. "Yeah, I don't like them picking me up, that is when I get really nervous around them." He mewed, looking at the older cat. "It seems like they don't end up scaring the prey around though." He flicked his tail to the tall grass, where there was no doubt prey lived. Adder stood up, wading into the shallowest part of the river to cool off his paws, knowing that they would dry off quickly once he was done, rather than how long it would take if he went for a swim.

[Doodle]

Originally Posted by Fern

"I like swimming, I just don't like it when it takes forever for my fur to dry out." He mewed, looking at his long fur for a second before he heard the shecat continue on. He thought of one particular set of twolegs for a moment. About a half of a moon ago they left where they had lived with him, leaving him alone and trapped in the house for a week. He felt lucky when he was able to break out and escape, swearing to never return. "Yeah, I don't like them picking me up, that is when I get really nervous around them." He mewed, looking at the older cat. "It seems like they don't end up scaring the prey around though." He flicked his tail to the tall grass, where there was no doubt prey lived. Adder stood up, wading into the shallowest part of the river to cool off his paws, knowing that they would dry off quickly once he was done, rather than how long it would take if he went for a swim.

Dahlia eyed Adder's fur for a moment, before giving a nod to agree with him; she could imagine that fur thick and long like his would take ages to dry. "I'm lucky, then. My fur is short and not thick so it dries really fast. Though, I do get cold pretty quick. And in the winter it's freezing!" The spotted white she-cat glanced around at the surrounding grass along with the young cat besides her. While sitting, her head just cleared the grass; if she were to lay down in the middle of the clearing, she would be completely concealed. She knew that prey took advantage of the tall covering of grass as well, and she always had to watch her step as she could twist her paw in a rabbit hole. "No, they don't scare the prey away unless they're here. But they don't come around too often; just enough to be slightly annoying." She turned back around to watch the small cat wading into the water; he certainly looked comfortable in the liquid unlike many cats she knew. The molly rose to pad out after him. Rather than staying in the shallow area, she went on until the water almost covered her back. A fish flitted by her, using the current to move faster, and once again she was tempted to reach a paw out and snag it. "Have you ever tasted fish?" She called back curiously to her new companion.

[ShiningFern]

"I bet snow is awesome though." He mewed, having never seen a leafbare in his life. His only knowledge of it was that it was cold, it snowed, and prey was scarce, he had learned it from cats he had met while traveling. Looking to Dahlia, he grinned. "And, no. No, I have never had fish, they always swim away from me when I try to get them. Then I get soaked for no reason" He mewed, having a feeling he knew what she would say next. He was pretty sloppy at hunting, but he learned just enough by watching older cats so he could do it well enough to eat every day. He waded a bit deeper in the water to where it was below his belly, so he could get a better view of the fish that swam in the currents by the shecat.

[Doodle]

Originally Posted by Fern

"I bet snow is awesome though." He mewed, having never seen a leafbare in his life. His only knowledge of it was that it was cold, it snowed, and prey was scarce, he had learned it from cats he had met while traveling. Looking to Dahlia, he grinned. "And, no. No, I have never had fish, they always swim away from me when I try to get them. Then I get soaked for no reason" He mewed, having a feeling he knew what she would say next. He was pretty sloppy at hunting, but he learned just enough by watching older cats so he could do it well enough to eat every day. He waded a bit deeper in the water to where it was below his belly, so he could get a better view of the fish that swam in the currents by the shecat.

"Oh, it is awesome," Dahlia agreed. "And fun to play in- so long as you don't fall into a drift. Those can swallow a cat whole, and then you'll be frozen!" She opted out the downsides of winter: less prey, more hungry predators, and bigger risks of getting sick. A grin spread across the molly's face when Adder answered, and she waited while he waded a bit farther out. "Well, you're about to," she meowed in a much softer voice. She stayed still for a while, one paw raised and waiting to strike. After all had been quiet above water for a while, the fish started swimming closer to the cats. One almost swam right under her, but the molly waited until a decent sized shadow approached. With her paw in a curved position, she darted it into the water and efficiently scooped the fish out of the water. It popped out, still wriggling and Dahlia caught sight of a pink stripe down it's back- a rainbow trout. The she-cat had pulled it out with enough force that it went flying over the cats' heads, landing on the bank. The silver cat was already hopping through the water to reach the shore, where she placed a paw on the fish to keep it from wriggling away. Leaning down, she gave it a quick nip near the gills and it fell limp. The molly glanced up at her new friend and backed away, a big grin on her face. "This one's a rainbow trout, you can tell from it's pink stripe down the middle," she explained. "Take a bite! And don't mind the scales, you get used to them."

[Doodle]

boop @Fern