Dahlia and Talia's Territory

[Doodle]

Originally Posted by Lonestar23

Coming here was always nice, especially since it meant that Max got to see Dahlia. Over time, he had grown really fond of the sweet she cat. She was his best friend, after all. The only disadvantage to coming was, surprisingly, her sister. Max didn’t dislike Talia, necessarily, but the brown feline scared him. Walking through the territory, the young tom was on guard, just waiting to be spooked - or perhaps left alone - by the other she cat. His fluffy black and white fur was uncomfortably warm in the sunshine, so he was sticking to the wooded areas for the moment being. It was probably a mistake, but Max was too uncomfortable in the heat to care much. ”Dahlia? Are you there?” His voice shook a little - Max was the definition of a “scaredy-cat,” no matter how much he tried to deny it, and he hated being jump-scared. He had a weird relationship with Talia - she was the type of she cat he would trust to save his life, or with a secret, but not the type that he would turn his back on for more than a few seconds. Dahlia, on the other hand, he trusted completely… no matter what the circumstance was. He pretty much worshipped her, and would have done whatever she asked - she was like a goddess for him. With all of that, it was no surprise that Max had an undeniably huge crush on the pretty white feline, but - and here was the problem - he was too awkward to say or do anything about it.

---

At this point, Holden knew Talia’s territory better than his own. He was always coming here, regardless of the fact that she probably would get tired of him at some point, and most of the time he would hang out for the whole day. There’d been a few select occasions when he and Talia had stayed up in a tree or something all night, but it had been some time since they’d done that. Holden wouldn’t push and force her to do something she was uncomfortable with… he respected her too much for that. Heading through the woods, his sleek brown fur dappled with bits of sunlight coming through the trees, Holden stopped every once in a while to glance up into the higher branches. It would be no surprise if his best friend was hidden somewhere up there, which was why he was taking the time to check. Catching sight of another pelt, this one black and white, Holden smirked a little bit. He wasn’t sure if Talia knew just exactly how frightened Max was of her, but it was funny to watch at times, anyways. Heading over in the other tom’s direction, the brown feline stopped when he caught sight of another cat, this one sitting up in a tree. Going around the other side, Holden headed up the tree, practically bounding over towards the branch Talia was sitting on… and nearly missing it in the process. ”Hiding, Tal?” He asked in a low whisper, putting his muzzle near her ear. Holden tended to be pretty bold in physical acts - he never meant to make anyone feel uncomfortable, but he was more confident in his movements and didn’t seem to have much of an aversion to physical contact. ”She’s over here, Max! You’re good!” He called to the smaller tom, who jumped, glanced up in alarm, and headed over in their direction with a determined expression on his face.

@Doodle

It hadn't been the first time Talia snooped like this. The brown feline always found it hilarious, watching her sister's best friend walk through the territory like this. She wasn't a fool; she knew she had Max scared of her. To her, it made his visits to Dahlia extremely funny. From her spot on the branch, she was too focused on Max to notice her own best friend arriving. The molly sucked in a breath as Holden leaped to her branch, half expecting the tom to fall. When he didn't, and when he got close, she let out a soft purr. "Oh, you know me, Holden. I'm just enjoying the show." She grinned, waving her tail down towards Max. When he called down to the frightened tom, she was slightly disappointed- there went her plans of hopping down and scaring him. Either way, she had something she had to say before Max disappeared, though it seemed he was already headed over. Dahlia's expecting you," she called down to the other feline. "She's over at the river," Talia turned to Holden, making a show of rolling her eyes as she added, under her breath so as to not upset Max below, "as always." Talia, having her own fear of the water, never stepped paw into the river. In fact, most of the time she refused to leave the den when it was storming. Her own sister spending so much time in the river- whose currents seemed too strong for the brown cat's liking- put her on edge. If Dahlia were to need her sister's help, if she were to start drowning, Talia would be useless. She didn't want to watch her sister go down, unable to help. But Dahlia wouldn't ever listen to Talia, no matter how many times she voiced her fears.

Talia, herself, much preferred the trees. Sure, they may hold a fox or a badger, but all the spotted feline had to do was climb up a tree and she'd be safe. Up in the branches, she felt the safest she'd ever been since leaving twolegplace. Talia herself could have stayed living with humans and been perfectly content, but there was no way she was letting Dahlia go out here on her own. Even if Talia didn't help out too much, and even if Dahlia proved herself more than capable of surviving on her own, she liked to think that Dahlia was better off for her coming, if only for emotional reasons. It did the two wonders, knowing they'd be able to depend on one another out here. Still, there were days where Talia wished she hadn't left, where she'd wish she'd be able to do whatever she pleased without worry of food or predators. Meeting Holden and spending her days with the brown tom made it worth it, though. Chances were, if she'd stayed behind she'd never had met her best friend. Talia had a hard time imaging life without her best friend; it seemed impossible to think about. These two cats in her life were the only things tying her to life in the wild. If it hadn't been for her sister and her best friend, Talia would still be back in twolegplace. The molly glanced over at the brown tom, nudging him with her shoulder. "You must've missed me a lot if you're already back," she teased with a purr. "Can't get enough of me, huh?"

[lone]

Originally Posted by Doodle

It hadn't been the first time Talia snooped like this. The brown feline always found it hilarious, watching her sister's best friend walk through the territory like this. She wasn't a fool; she knew she had Max scared of her. To her, it made his visits to Dahlia extremely funny. From her spot on the branch, she was too focused on Max to notice her own best friend arriving. The molly sucked in a breath as Holden leaped to her branch, half expecting the tom to fall. When he didn't, and when he got close, she let out a soft purr. "Oh, you know me, Holden. I'm just enjoying the show." She grinned, waving her tail down towards Max. When he called down to the frightened tom, she was slightly disappointed- there went her plans of hopping down and scaring him. Either way, she had something she had to say before Max disappeared, though it seemed he was already headed over. Dahlia's expecting you," she called down to the other feline. "She's over at the river," Talia turned to Holden, making a show of rolling her eyes as she added, under her breath so as to not upset Max below, "as always." Talia, having her own fear of the water, never stepped paw into the river. In fact, most of the time she refused to leave the den when it was storming. Her own sister spending so much time in the river- whose currents seemed too strong for the brown cat's liking- put her on edge. If Dahlia were to need her sister's help, if she were to start drowning, Talia would be useless. She didn't want to watch her sister go down, unable to help. But Dahlia wouldn't ever listen to Talia, no matter how many times she voiced her fears.

Talia, herself, much preferred the trees. Sure, they may hold a fox or a badger, but all the spotted feline had to do was climb up a tree and she'd be safe. Up in the branches, she felt the safest she'd ever been since leaving twolegplace. Talia herself could have stayed living with humans and been perfectly content, but there was no way she was letting Dahlia go out here on her own. Even if Talia didn't help out too much, and even if Dahlia proved herself more than capable of surviving on her own, she liked to think that Dahlia was better off for her coming, if only for emotional reasons. It did the two wonders, knowing they'd be able to depend on one another out here. Still, there were days where Talia wished she hadn't left, where she'd wish she'd be able to do whatever she pleased without worry of food or predators. Meeting Holden and spending her days with the brown tom made it worth it, though. Chances were, if she'd stayed behind she'd never had met her best friend. Talia had a hard time imaging life without her best friend; it seemed impossible to think about. These two cats in her life were the only things tying her to life in the wild. If it hadn't been for her sister and her best friend, Talia would still be back in twolegplace. The molly glanced over at the brown tom, nudging him with her shoulder. "You must've missed me a lot if you're already back," she teased with a purr. "Can't get enough of me, huh?"

Swallowing a shudder, and knowing how close he had come to being scared by Talia, Max put on a friendly smile as he glanced up at the darker she cat and her companion. She and Holden were nearly inseparable - every time he came here, it felt like he saw the two of them together. ”Okay, thanks!” Max grinned up at them, before heading on his way towards the river. At least he wouldn’t be spooked there - Dahlia was much better about that kind of thing, and he would never be scared of her. She was upbeat and light and airy, like Max… more his type, so to speak. Heading towards the river, there was the lightest skip in his step, thinking about what he and Dahlia could do that day. Obviously they would go swimming (Max didn’t have the best pelt for that, but he was happy to oblige anyways) and maybe hunting, and they could talk… there wouldn’t be a lot to catch up on, but that didn’t matter! To Max, every conversation with Dahlia was treasured time. And there she was, just like Talia had told him… near the river. Max had always thought she was a pretty cat, and there was no denying that he had some sort of attraction to her - but it was always easy to push down. She deserved to be wooed by someone who was better than he was… who didn’t jump at their own shadow, and who could give her the compliments that she deserved, and who could protect her. They were just friends… it was all they could be. ”Talia told me you would be here! I’m glad she didn’t steer me wrong!” He mewed cheerfully, bounding towards his friend with an energetic smile on his maw.

----

If he could have, Holden would have raised an eyebrow at Talia’s comment. ”Actually, I think it’s you who can’t get enough of me. You didn’t kick me out that first day, and ya don’t kick me out now.” He meant it to be teasing, but it was true - they’d been pretty young when they had met, and Holden had stumbled upon this territory. To him, it was golden… though if he was remembering correctly, Talia had been less than thrilled to find him here. That had been back during his awkward stage, when he hadn’t lost all of his kit-fluff and his muscles were still developing… his body had seemed too plump for his limbs to carry, and his emotions were all over the place. Holden wondered just what had made him change from an awkward stranger into who he was today. It was partly Tal’s fault, he supposed… things would’ve been much different without her. ”And anyways, I have to come everyday. Who else is going to stop you from picking on poor, defenseless Max?” He asked, making himself comfortable near Talia. Holden’s eyes twinkled with laughter, a smirk making its way onto his maw, despite the fact that he was trying to be innocent. It wasn’t a good look for him - it might’ve worked for the little black and white tom, but Holden was much different. He and Max weren’t really friends, but they’d come up with a sort of unspoken agreement - Max liked Dahlia, Holden liked Talia, and neither one would try to “steal” the other away. Not that anyone could “steal” Talia if they wanted to. She’s nobody’s property. And besides, Max was far from the darker she cat’s type… he hoped.

[Doodle]

Originally Posted by Lonestar23

Swallowing a shudder, and knowing how close he had come to being scared by Talia, Max put on a friendly smile as he glanced up at the darker she cat and her companion. She and Holden were nearly inseparable - every time he came here, it felt like he saw the two of them together. ”Okay, thanks!” Max grinned up at them, before heading on his way towards the river. At least he wouldn’t be spooked there - Dahlia was much better about that kind of thing, and he would never be scared of her. She was upbeat and light and airy, like Max… more his type, so to speak. Heading towards the river, there was the lightest skip in his step, thinking about what he and Dahlia could do that day. Obviously they would go swimming (Max didn’t have the best pelt for that, but he was happy to oblige anyways) and maybe hunting, and they could talk… there wouldn’t be a lot to catch up on, but that didn’t matter! To Max, every conversation with Dahlia was treasured time. And there she was, just like Talia had told him… near the river. Max had always thought she was a pretty cat, and there was no denying that he had some sort of attraction to her - but it was always easy to push down. She deserved to be wooed by someone who was better than he was… who didn’t jump at their own shadow, and who could give her the compliments that she deserved, and who could protect her. They were just friends… it was all they could be. ”Talia told me you would be here! I’m glad she didn’t steer me wrong!” He mewed cheerfully, bounding towards his friend with an energetic smile on his maw.

----

If he could have, Holden would have raised an eyebrow at Talia’s comment. ”Actually, I think it’s you who can’t get enough of me. You didn’t kick me out that first day, and ya don’t kick me out now.” He meant it to be teasing, but it was true - they’d been pretty young when they had met, and Holden had stumbled upon this territory. To him, it was golden… though if he was remembering correctly, Talia had been less than thrilled to find him here. That had been back during his awkward stage, when he hadn’t lost all of his kit-fluff and his muscles were still developing… his body had seemed too plump for his limbs to carry, and his emotions were all over the place. Holden wondered just what had made him change from an awkward stranger into who he was today. It was partly Tal’s fault, he supposed… things would’ve been much different without her. ”And anyways, I have to come everyday. Who else is going to stop you from picking on poor, defenseless Max?” He asked, making himself comfortable near Talia. Holden’s eyes twinkled with laughter, a smirk making its way onto his maw, despite the fact that he was trying to be innocent. It wasn’t a good look for him - it might’ve worked for the little black and white tom, but Holden was much different. He and Max weren’t really friends, but they’d come up with a sort of unspoken agreement - Max liked Dahlia, Holden liked Talia, and neither one would try to “steal” the other away. Not that anyone could “steal” Talia if they wanted to. She’s nobody’s property. And besides, Max was far from the darker she cat’s type… he hoped.

Dahlia had been crouched at the water's edge, waiting for just the right moment to arise before she made an attempt at catching a meal. There were plenty of shadows that had flitted past her, possible fish to catch, however she'd passed them all by for the hopes of something bigger. Max was sure to come along today, after all, and she wanted to be prepared for him. A nice meal to greet her best friend with. In her mind, there wasn't a shadow of a doubt that he wouldn't show up- after all, the tom had never broken a promise to her before. Distracted, she almost missed the large shape flitting her way. Perking up, she waited almost until the last minute before swooping her paw out. A silver shape flew from the water, landing on the grass behind her. As it did, a voice surprised her. Glancing up, the molly purred at the sight of her best friend. "Max!" Dahlia exclaimed gleefully, her voice dangerously near a squeal. She payed no mind to his remark about her sister- Dahlia was hardly aware of the tension between her best friend and sister. Suddenly remembering her prey, she glanced down at the wriggling thing and gave it a quick nip behind the gills to still it forever. Picking up their meal, she trotted over to the tom and dropped it at his paws. "It's so nice to see you," she purred, pressing her nose to his ear in greeting. "Hope you're hungry- this is for us!"

----

"I think you know me too well," Talia spoke humorously. Holden had correctly called her out on her bluff- she really couldn't get enough of the tom. Time seemed to breeze by when spent with him, and each day the molly hoped to see him, even if she'd just seen him the day before. "And hey, I may not have kicked you out that first day, but with all your kit fluff I sure thought about it!" She bumped his shoulder with her own in a teasing manner. It was a lie, what she'd said, but she'd let Holden figure that out on his own. She hadn't been that old herself when they first met, and it hadn't been long since she and Dahlia had left twolegplace. In fact, they'd only been in their territory for a few days when Holden showed up. Back then, Talia was still sporting some kit fluff of her own and she hadn't yet grown into her long legs. Needless to say, both of them still had some ways to go before they transformed into the cats they were today, and they'd helped each other during that change. Surely she wouldn't be the molly she was today had she not met Holden, nor he the tom he was today if he hadn't met her.

A laugh bubbled out from her at her best friend's teasing, and she gave a helpless shrug. "Hey, I have to entertain myself somehow when you're not around. Poor Max is just too enjoyable of a show for me to resist." She had perhaps not phrased her sentences in the best way, making it seem like Max was irresistible to the molly, but Talia didn't give it a second thought. In her mind, no way would anyone think she had a thing for the tom afraid of his own shadow. She herself didn't get what Dahlia saw in him, thinking he was too much of a scaredy cat to keep up with the outgoing molly. To Talia, her sister seemed not to be afraid of anything. But she didn't voice her thoughts out to Dahlia, as she knew somehow Max still made her happy. But while she wouldn't voice her opinion of Max to Dahlia, Talia was sure Holden at least knew what she thought about him, not sparing it a moment's thought that her best friend may be worried about her falling for the other tom. To her, it was almost painfully obvious that she had a giant crush on Holden. She thought everyone in the world must know it... except for Holden himself. Glancing at the tom, Talia wasn't sure if this was a blessing or a curse. She honestly didn't know how her friend would take the news of her crush, if he would be ecstatic or weirded out. Why was it that she was so good at reading everyone except for her best friend?

[lone]

Originally Posted by Doodle

Dahlia had been crouched at the water's edge, waiting for just the right moment to arise before she made an attempt at catching a meal. There were plenty of shadows that had flitted past her, possible fish to catch, however she'd passed them all by for the hopes of something bigger. Max was sure to come along today, after all, and she wanted to be prepared for him. A nice meal to greet her best friend with. In her mind, there wasn't a shadow of a doubt that he wouldn't show up- after all, the tom had never broken a promise to her before. Distracted, she almost missed the large shape flitting her way. Perking up, she waited almost until the last minute before swooping her paw out. A silver shape flew from the water, landing on the grass behind her. As it did, a voice surprised her. Glancing up, the molly purred at the sight of her best friend. "Max!" Dahlia exclaimed gleefully, her voice dangerously near a squeal. She payed no mind to his remark about her sister- Dahlia was hardly aware of the tension between her best friend and sister. Suddenly remembering her prey, she glanced down at the wriggling thing and gave it a quick nip behind the gills to still it forever. Picking up their meal, she trotted over to the tom and dropped it at his paws. "It's so nice to see you," she purred, pressing her nose to his ear in greeting. "Hope you're hungry- this is for us!"

----

"I think you know me too well," Talia spoke humorously. Holden had correctly called her out on her bluff- she really couldn't get enough of the tom. Time seemed to breeze by when spent with him, and each day the molly hoped to see him, even if she'd just seen him the day before. "And hey, I may not have kicked you out that first day, but with all your kit fluff I sure thought about it!" She bumped his shoulder with her own in a teasing manner. It was a lie, what she'd said, but she'd let Holden figure that out on his own. She hadn't been that old herself when they first met, and it hadn't been long since she and Dahlia had left twolegplace. In fact, they'd only been in their territory for a few days when Holden showed up. Back then, Talia was still sporting some kit fluff of her own and she hadn't yet grown into her long legs. Needless to say, both of them still had some ways to go before they transformed into the cats they were today, and they'd helped each other during that change. Surely she wouldn't be the molly she was today had she not met Holden, nor he the tom he was today if he hadn't met her.

A laugh bubbled out from her at her best friend's teasing, and she gave a helpless shrug. "Hey, I have to entertain myself somehow when you're not around. Poor Max is just too enjoyable of a show for me to resist." She had perhaps not phrased her sentences in the best way, making it seem like Max was irresistible to the molly, but Talia didn't give it a second thought. In her mind, no way would anyone think she had a thing for the tom afraid of his own shadow. She herself didn't get what Dahlia saw in him, thinking he was too much of a scaredy cat to keep up with the outgoing molly. To Talia, her sister seemed not to be afraid of anything. But she didn't voice her thoughts out to Dahlia, as she knew somehow Max still made her happy. But while she wouldn't voice her opinion of Max to Dahlia, Talia was sure Holden at least knew what she thought about him, not sparing it a moment's thought that her best friend may be worried about her falling for the other tom. To her, it was almost painfully obvious that she had a giant crush on Holden. She thought everyone in the world must know it... except for Holden himself. Glancing at the tom, Talia wasn't sure if this was a blessing or a curse. She honestly didn't know how her friend would take the news of her crush, if he would be ecstatic or weirded out. Why was it that she was so good at reading everyone except for her best friend?

The small tom’s pelt warmed, and he smiled at Dahlia in a friendly manner as he glanced down at the fish. She was so good at that kind of thing… the she cat had never failed to impress him with the skills she had. Max didn’t mind the water, but with his fluffier pelt, it was harder to swim - sometimes it could bog him down more than he wanted it to, and it always stayed damp for hours (once, when he’d been in the water far too long, it had been days), not to mention that it was cold and miserable during those times. ”Nice catch, it looks really good… you’re so good at this stuff, Dahlia!” Max smiled, looking down at the fish again. He wasn’t an especially skilled hunter… strangely enough, he was better at fighting. When it came down to it, the little tom packed a powerful punch, and he could take down enemies that were bigger than he was at times. Holden lived pretty close by to Max’s territory, but the little tom had never needed help - at times, he had gone over to spend a day or so with the other tom if he was especially lonely, but the two rarely interacted out of the times they saw each other with the sisters. They might have been friendly, but Max didn’t actually see himself as Holden’s friend. After all, there was quite a bit of history there. And he wondered if the other tom could steal Dahlia away from him. Holden was bigger, stronger, and probably smarter than he was… Max knew he wouldn’t stand a chance if the other feline got his sights on the pretty she cat. However, he seemed pretty taken with Talia. Thank goodness for that.

--

”Lies! You were not considering it! And as I remember, you had some kit-fluff of your own, didn’t you?” Holden declared, his eyes flashing in a teasing manner as he nudged the she cat back, a happy smile on his features. He loved spending time with Talia. She was one special she cat, in his opinion. It was nice to get to do something like this, and even though he saw her practically every day, it was almost never enough for Holden. He was careful to keep his distance at times, not wanting to overstay his welcome… but since Talia never kicked him out, Holden was pretty sure that he couldn’t do that. ”Besides, I was a dashing young tom. All the she cats thought my kit-fluff was absolutely adorable.” He paused for a moment before continuing.

”Granted, they thought I was still a kit… but still!” The last word was stressed as the tom smirked at Talia again. He liked messing with her sometimes, but their serious conversations were just as good. It was nice, having a friend that he could do both with… Holden couldn’t remember the last time he had met a she cat he’d felt like it was okay to have a serious and a joking conversation with. Outside of Talia, Dahlia, and Max, he didn’t really know anyone else. There was the occasional loner who would stray through his territory, and he would allow them to… but other then that, interactions with any other cats were few and far between. Not that Holden minded that much, he liked hanging out with Talia too much to care that any other friends were probably driven away.

”You’d better be careful with that. If you’re enjoying yourself too much, Max is gonna start trying to befriend you, and then where will I be?” The tom asked, his eyes wide with mock worry. There was a whisper of truth in his concern, however. He’d often wondered if Max and Talia didn’t secretly have some kind of affection for each other. After all, all the teasing and everything… was that just friendly, like Holden was fairly sure it was with him, or was it something else? He knew Talia flirted with other cats sometimes. He just had never pictured Max as one of her flirts… the poor little tom wouldn’t know what to do with himself, especially since he had such a major crush on Dahlia. Holden himself wouldn’t be that surprised, but he would probably be hurt. After all, he was used to Talia telling him things… it would feel weird if she didn’t mention this to him.

[Doodle]

Originally Posted by Lonestar23

The small tom’s pelt warmed, and he smiled at Dahlia in a friendly manner as he glanced down at the fish. She was so good at that kind of thing… the she cat had never failed to impress him with the skills she had. Max didn’t mind the water, but with his fluffier pelt, it was harder to swim - sometimes it could bog him down more than he wanted it to, and it always stayed damp for hours (once, when he’d been in the water far too long, it had been days), not to mention that it was cold and miserable during those times. ”Nice catch, it looks really good… you’re so good at this stuff, Dahlia!” Max smiled, looking down at the fish again. He wasn’t an especially skilled hunter… strangely enough, he was better at fighting. When it came down to it, the little tom packed a powerful punch, and he could take down enemies that were bigger than he was at times. Holden lived pretty close by to Max’s territory, but the little tom had never needed help - at times, he had gone over to spend a day or so with the other tom if he was especially lonely, but the two rarely interacted out of the times they saw each other with the sisters. They might have been friendly, but Max didn’t actually see himself as Holden’s friend. After all, there was quite a bit of history there. And he wondered if the other tom could steal Dahlia away from him. Holden was bigger, stronger, and probably smarter than he was… Max knew he wouldn’t stand a chance if the other feline got his sights on the pretty she cat. However, he seemed pretty taken with Talia. Thank goodness for that.

--

”Lies! You were not considering it! And as I remember, you had some kit-fluff of your own, didn’t you?” Holden declared, his eyes flashing in a teasing manner as he nudged the she cat back, a happy smile on his features. He loved spending time with Talia. She was one special she cat, in his opinion. It was nice to get to do something like this, and even though he saw her practically every day, it was almost never enough for Holden. He was careful to keep his distance at times, not wanting to overstay his welcome… but since Talia never kicked him out, Holden was pretty sure that he couldn’t do that. ”Besides, I was a dashing young tom. All the she cats thought my kit-fluff was absolutely adorable.” He paused for a moment before continuing.

”Granted, they thought I was still a kit… but still!” The last word was stressed as the tom smirked at Talia again. He liked messing with her sometimes, but their serious conversations were just as good. It was nice, having a friend that he could do both with… Holden couldn’t remember the last time he had met a she cat he’d felt like it was okay to have a serious and a joking conversation with. Outside of Talia, Dahlia, and Max, he didn’t really know anyone else. There was the occasional loner who would stray through his territory, and he would allow them to… but other then that, interactions with any other cats were few and far between. Not that Holden minded that much, he liked hanging out with Talia too much to care that any other friends were probably driven away.

”You’d better be careful with that. If you’re enjoying yourself too much, Max is gonna start trying to befriend you, and then where will I be?” The tom asked, his eyes wide with mock worry. There was a whisper of truth in his concern, however. He’d often wondered if Max and Talia didn’t secretly have some kind of affection for each other. After all, all the teasing and everything… was that just friendly, like Holden was fairly sure it was with him, or was it something else? He knew Talia flirted with other cats sometimes. He just had never pictured Max as one of her flirts… the poor little tom wouldn’t know what to do with himself, especially since he had such a major crush on Dahlia. Holden himself wouldn’t be that surprised, but he would probably be hurt. After all, he was used to Talia telling him things… it would feel weird if she didn’t mention this to him.

At Max's praise, the molly practically glowed. Dahlia loved that he thought that about her- it made her think that maybe, just maybe, one day he'd look at her talent in awe and think 'this cat... I could love this cat.' Of course, she was happy he was her best friend, but lately Dahlia had been wanting more. She'd realized the fluttering in her belly whenever he came by wasn't just out of a friendly, platonic fondness that best friends shared, but something more. Some days, she just wanted to tell Max that she liked him. Others, though, she feared that he wouldn't ever return her affection and that telling him would just ruin the relationship they already have. She didn't want to risk loosing her best friend, so each time Dahlia had the urge to blurt her feelings out to the tom, she kept that in mind and successfully kept her maw shut. She'd had a few close calls so far, but none she couldn't cover up.

Suddenly, the molly realized that in getting caught up in her thoughts, she hadn't pulled back from touching her nose to Max's ear. Sheepishly, she backed up. "Got lost in my thoughts again," she explained with an embarrassed laugh. Pelt hot, she pressed the fish over to the tom. "Here, have the first bite! Let me know if it's good or not." She sat down expectantly, a small, pleasant smile on her maw as she waited, hoping to see his face light up in delight when he took a bite. The molly didn't mind doing all the work around here for her sister and herself, as the satisfaction of watching others enjoy the meals she brought home made it more than worth it for herself. Dahlia simply loved making others happy- seeing their faces light up caused her to feel the same way. Perhaps that was why she was so perky and happy all the time; her enthusiasm spreading to others may give the molly some sort of self-satisfaction. She blinked, giving her head a slight shake. Goodness, what was coming over her today? She had to stop getting lost in her thoughts- after all, Max was here to keep her occupied today! She didn't have to keep herself entertained, like she would whenever her best friend wasn't over. The smile on her face grew. Max was here; Today would be a good day.

--

When her best friend called her bluff, Talia couldn't help the burst of laughter that escaped her. Besides her sister, Holden had to be the only cat to make her genuinely laugh. For everyone else, it was simply a show to make them like her, to make them think she was this amazing molly that Talia knew she was not. Still, it was nice to think some cats though she was more than she really was. It made her feel as if she could be the cat they though she was. But here, with Holden, it was okay to be the cat she really was, and that was an incredible feeling. Talia gave a mock gasp, feigning shock. "Kit fluff? Me? Never! I was born beautiful," she joked, green eyes sparkling with amusement.

Talia's whiskers twitched as she shook her head at Holden's next comment. "Still?" She echoed. "If it were me, I wouldn't want to be looked at as a kit... nice to know you enjoy being looked down on, though, little one," she cooed, as if talking to a kit. It was nice joking around with Holden, especially because she didn't feel as if anything she said would be taken to heart. He could jokingly insult her as well and she wouldn't take it personally. When she was with her best friend, she was able to laugh and joke about herself without feeling so self conscious. She wasn't even able to do such a thing with Dahlia.

Snorting, she gave Holden an incredulous look. "Max? Are you sure we're talking about the same cat? Last I checked, he was walking through here absolutely terrified of me." The idea of Max trying to befriend Talia was laughable to the molly. He was much better suited for Dahlia- Talia secretly thought the two would make a good couple, though she didn't push it. She nudged the tom's shoulder. "And you know I'd never leave you behind," she purred, momentarily tangling their tails before allowing her own to droop once more. "Max is fun to tease and scare, but besides that his only use to me is keeping Dahlia entertained." Without Max to keep her sister busy, Talia would probably have to be the one spending the day at the river's edge and fishing. She almost shuddered at the thought; Talia was not a water cat whatsoever. "Let's just say I'd like to keep both of you toms around here, though not for the same reasons." Her eyes flashed flirtatiously at Holden; she couldn't help herself. Talia was simply a flirty cat and no tom, even her best friend, was safe from her antics. Besides, it was funny to get a reaction out of Holden. And... well, not that she'd ever admit it, but she had a huge crush on her best friend. If her flirting was the closest she'd get to passing the friend zone with the tom, then she'd take it.

[lone]

Originally Posted by Doodle

At Max's praise, the molly practically glowed. Dahlia loved that he thought that about her- it made her think that maybe, just maybe, one day he'd look at her talent in awe and think 'this cat... I could love this cat.' Of course, she was happy he was her best friend, but lately Dahlia had been wanting more. She'd realized the fluttering in her belly whenever he came by wasn't just out of a friendly, platonic fondness that best friends shared, but something more. Some days, she just wanted to tell Max that she liked him. Others, though, she feared that he wouldn't ever return her affection and that telling him would just ruin the relationship they already have. She didn't want to risk loosing her best friend, so each time Dahlia had the urge to blurt her feelings out to the tom, she kept that in mind and successfully kept her maw shut. She'd had a few close calls so far, but none she couldn't cover up.

Suddenly, the molly realized that in getting caught up in her thoughts, she hadn't pulled back from touching her nose to Max's ear. Sheepishly, she backed up. "Got lost in my thoughts again," she explained with an embarrassed laugh. Pelt hot, she pressed the fish over to the tom. "Here, have the first bite! Let me know if it's good or not." She sat down expectantly, a small, pleasant smile on her maw as she waited, hoping to see his face light up in delight when he took a bite. The molly didn't mind doing all the work around here for her sister and herself, as the satisfaction of watching others enjoy the meals she brought home made it more than worth it for herself. Dahlia simply loved making others happy- seeing their faces light up caused her to feel the same way. Perhaps that was why she was so perky and happy all the time; her enthusiasm spreading to others may give the molly some sort of self-satisfaction. She blinked, giving her head a slight shake. Goodness, what was coming over her today? She had to stop getting lost in her thoughts- after all, Max was here to keep her occupied today! She didn't have to keep herself entertained, like she would whenever her best friend wasn't over. The smile on her face grew. Max was here; Today would be a good day.

--

When her best friend called her bluff, Talia couldn't help the burst of laughter that escaped her. Besides her sister, Holden had to be the only cat to make her genuinely laugh. For everyone else, it was simply a show to make them like her, to make them think she was this amazing molly that Talia knew she was not. Still, it was nice to think some cats though she was more than she really was. It made her feel as if she could be the cat they though she was. But here, with Holden, it was okay to be the cat she really was, and that was an incredible feeling. Talia gave a mock gasp, feigning shock. "Kit fluff? Me? Never! I was born beautiful," she joked, green eyes sparkling with amusement.

Talia's whiskers twitched as she shook her head at Holden's next comment. "Still?" She echoed. "If it were me, I wouldn't want to be looked at as a kit... nice to know you enjoy being looked down on, though, little one," she cooed, as if talking to a kit. It was nice joking around with Holden, especially because she didn't feel as if anything she said would be taken to heart. He could jokingly insult her as well and she wouldn't take it personally. When she was with her best friend, she was able to laugh and joke about herself without feeling so self conscious. She wasn't even able to do such a thing with Dahlia.

Snorting, she gave Holden an incredulous look. "Max? Are you sure we're talking about the same cat? Last I checked, he was walking through here absolutely terrified of me." The idea of Max trying to befriend Talia was laughable to the molly. He was much better suited for Dahlia- Talia secretly thought the two would make a good couple, though she didn't push it. She nudged the tom's shoulder. "And you know I'd never leave you behind," she purred, momentarily tangling their tails before allowing her own to droop once more. "Max is fun to tease and scare, but besides that his only use to me is keeping Dahlia entertained." Without Max to keep her sister busy, Talia would probably have to be the one spending the day at the river's edge and fishing. She almost shuddered at the thought; Talia was not a water cat whatsoever. "Let's just say I'd like to keep both of you toms around here, though not for the same reasons." Her eyes flashed flirtatiously at Holden; she couldn't help herself. Talia was simply a flirty cat and no tom, even her best friend, was safe from her antics. Besides, it was funny to get a reaction out of Holden. And... well, not that she'd ever admit it, but she had a huge crush on her best friend. If her flirting was the closest she'd get to passing the friend zone with the tom, then she'd take it.

The little tom held back a mew of delight at the contact with Dahlia - she wasn’t, by any means, shy about touching him, but contact with her was always appreciated by Max. He really liked the pretty feline, and while he was too shy to do anything about it, at least for these moments, he could act like everything was fine and the good news was, Max had gotten pretty good at acting like everything was “fine.” He’d had a huge crush on Dahlia for moons, longer than he could remember… he knew it had been after he’d first met the pretty she cat, they had both been young then, but every time he thought about a memory of Dahlia… all he got was a warm feeling inside, spreading over him, sometimes uncomfortably hot.

”Oh it’s not a problem, I mean I do that all the time…” Max’s voice trailed off as he realized how hastily he had begun to reassure her, and he gave a sheepish laugh, looking down at his paws. The first few minutes, until he could push his crush on her aside, were always awkward. The cheerful smile never faded from his maw, however, and he looked up in surprise as she pushed the fish over towards him. ”First bite, really? You caught it, shouldn’t you-” Max quickly cut himself off. It was a nasty habit, but he tended to do this almost every time. He didn’t like taking the first bite, because it felt awkward when it wasn’t good and he felt bad for taking someone else’s food. Dahlia had caught it for both of them though, and the last thing in the world Max would want to do was hurt her feelings. So, as quickly as he could, he corrected himself with another bright smile and a semi-cheerful laugh. ”Sorry! Sorry, I didn’t… I mean, thank you, Dahlia.”

Still feeling a little warm from his rudeness earlier, Max took a small bite of the fish. It tasted amazing - Dahlia was such a skilled huntress, and he never ceased to be amazed by her skills. ”It’s really good,” He mumbled around the bite, before swallowing it and smiling at Dahlia once more. Today was going to be a perfect day. Not only because he got to spend time with his best friend, but because everything about it just seemed… right.

--

Well, I don’t doubt it. Holden almost remarked to her comment about being “born beautiful”, but he second-guessed himself last minute and ended up just giving an amused snort. Talia was very pretty - she had been a little awkward as well when they had first met, but it hadn’t taken her long to grow out of her “awkward phase.” It was no wonder that Holden would sneak glances at her when she wasn’t looking, careful to remain under the radar so that she wouldn’t suspect anything. He was taking his time, naturally… sure, he wasn’t that shy about telling her, but it was best to leave things the way that they were, at least for a little while. He would have loved her to notice him, but he wasn’t completely sure if she thought of him in that way or not. Talia would flirt with almost everyone, and Holden was pretty sure he wasn’t any different from them. He did have one advantage, however… he was her best friend. Maybe that would mean something later on. ”Yeah,” He laughed a little with a shrug. It was silly to think that Max could take Talia away from him, but Holden’s fears - however irrational - were all very real to him.

In his mind, there was no end to the things that could end his friendship with Talia. Revealing his feelings was one of them, and there were so many other toms who would (no doubt) like to spend more time with her, and Holden wasn’t able to keep her under his wing forever… he was worried that eventually, their friendship would fall apart and he would be alone again. Oh sure, he could spend time with Dahlia and Max, but it wasn’t going to be the same.

They didn’t have Talia’s sense of humor, or her confidence, or her beauty… to Holden, no one could ever compare to the pretty brown feline. Eventually he would have to move on, but for now? He was stuck on Talia… pretty hard, too. ”Of course you wouldn’t. You could never survive without your old friend,” Holden purred, a smile on his face as his tail entwined with Talia’s. Her flirtatious actions almost made him fall out of the tree - he was used to this type of thing, but every time, it almost turned him into a babbling mess. ”Hitting on me? You of all cats should know that’s a horrible idea… sweetie.” He added on the last word a little later, sarcastically, his own eyes flashing with mischief. He would never try to flirt with Talia. He knew it was a bad idea, and he knew that the most it would get him was possibly a flirty-relationship. He wanted a real one… if anything.