#kitten!mina

“She really doesn’t mean any harm,” Jeongyeon said the first time it happened. She brought out a toy wand with small bunnies and carrots on the strings for Nayeon to chase instead, giving Mina some space as she retreated back towards Chae. “The only other hybrid she plays with is a puppy named Momo. She’s just excited!” 

And yet, each time Chaeyoung and Jeongyeon hung out with the kittens in tow, it always ended with Jeongyeon apologizing profusely to Chaeyoung and Mina for Nayeon’s energy. 

After two months of weekly playdates, Mina had learned to tolerate Nayeon’s bubbly personality as best she could. Chaeyoung would bring a large cardboard box for Mina to give her a bit of armor. The box was tipped on its side so that Mina could crawl into it, able to watch her surroundings while being protected from behind and above. Time after time, Mina watched Nayeon curiously from afar while she played alone. 

Mina didn’t want to admit it, but sometimes it did look fun to play with Nayeon. The older kitten had Jeongyeon wrapped around her little finger, leaving her with an impressive toy collection from her owner’s frequent spoiling. 

On one afternoon visit, Nayeon was more mellow thanks to Jeongyeon giving her a bit of catnip before Mina and Chaeyoung arrived. Coming down from her catnip high, Nayeon stretched out in a sunny patch on a rug in Jeongyeon’s apartment. Mina looked on as the other kitten showed off her long legs and pretty tail. 

“Mina,” Nayeon said, noticing the dark haired kitten watching her, “Sun’s nice and warm over here.” 

Mina perked up a bit at that, sniffing the air cautiously. Feeling more certain that Nayeon wasn’t going to make any sudden moves or pounce, she delicately stepped out of the safety of her cardboard box, leaving the Lego figures she’d been playing with behind. 

Nayeon was very sleepy in the warmth of the afternoon sun, and when she stayed still as Mina stepped closer, Mina decided it was okay to take another few steps forward and join Nayeon in the sunny patch of light. 

“Look!” Chaeyoung whispered to Jeongyeon excitedly as Mina approached the older kitten. “They’re getting closer for the first time!” 

The two peeked at their kittens for another moment before Chaeyoung and Jeongyeon went back to being engrossed in Chae’s new guitar. 

Nayeon lazily rolled onto her back and then onto her other side, giving Mina some space in the sun streaming in from one of the living room windows. 

Carefully, Mina moved onto the edge of the rug Nayeon was basking on. She “loafed” as Chaeyoung lovingly described the signature kitten hybrid pose: sitting with her knees tucked up to her chest, arms and tail wrapped around her. Mina wasn’t brave enough yet to spread out more, but Nayeon was right– the afternoon rays were warm and comfortable. She’d never been this close to Nayeon before, and as Nayeon drifted off to sleep in the sun, Mina glanced over to get a better look at her. 

Before she could process the other kitten’s appearance, her owner’s sudden, gentle touch startled her. 

“Sorry Mina,” Chae said softly, not wanting to disturb Nayeon. “We’ll be back in a few minutes. I have to get your old harness back from Jeongyeon’s trunk in the garage and then we can go, okay?”

Mina nodded, turning her chin up at an angle to let Chaeyoung gently pet her before she left.

With Nayeon’s eyes still closed, Mina finally felt brave enough to try laying on her side. She carefully adjusted herself to face Nayeon, ears up and alert just in case the older girl woke up. 

As the older kitten continued to cat nap, Mina relaxed a little more and a sudden yawn overtook her, allowing her to show off her small fangs as she settled in. She glanced at Nayeon again, who was still snoozing. She watched attentively as one of Nayeon’s ears twitched. Nayeon was…pretty, Mina realized. Her ears and tail were a little lighter than Mina’s, and her hands were much bigger than hers. She’d never noticed. 

As Mina’s gaze lingered on the other kitten’s features, she suddenly became aware that Nayeon’s eyes had cracked open. 

The two stared at each other, Nayeon’s eyes still slightly hooded from sleep as she took her time waking up. 

“I knew I felt you looking at me,” Nayeon said, a hint of a smile on her face. Mina felt heat rise to her cheeks. 

Nayeon stretched, making her claws visible for a moment as she did so. She looked back at Mina, who looked embarrassed but also anxious now that Nayeon was awake. 

“I’m not going to make you play, know you don’t want to,” the older kitten mumbled, starting to turn away from Mina. 

“…Actually, wait-” Mina’s voice surprised both of them. She hadn’t planned on asking Nayeon anything, but there was one toy of Nayeon’s that had caught her attention a while back. 

“Do you…” Mina hesitated for a moment, her voice getting softer, “Do you still have that penguin squeaky toy?” 

Nayeon’s tail flicked up, giving away how excited she was that Mina was talking to her, but she tried her best to keep her calm demeanor for the sake of the younger kitten. 

“Yeah, I think so,” Nayeon replied, getting up to go search through some of her toys. “In here!” she called after a minute. 

Mina got up and padded lightly into the room Nayeon had disappeared into. 

This must be Nayeon’s room, she thought as she stepped inside. A messy bed permeated Nayeon’s scent; it was much stronger here. It was kind of…nice, Mina realized.

She found Nayeon sitting on her floor next to a small open shelf with baskets storing some of Nayeon’s belongings.

“This?” Nayeon asked, holding a familiar black and white toy in her hand. She gave it a light squeeze. The squeak reply from the toy made Mina’s ears and tail perk up with interest. 

“You like it?” Nayeon asked with a smile, her excitement growing. 

Mina nodded, kneeling on the floor to get closer to Nayeon’s level. 

As Nayeon handed the soft, small toy to Mina and the kitten took it in her hand, the two of them erupted in sudden purring. 

But the sound of each other’s purrs scared them both, causing Nayeon to jump up onto her bed and Mina to leap back, clutching the penguin close to her chest. 

Nayeon couldn’t help it— she burst out into laughter. “Wait, was that your purr?” 

Mina, for the first time ever, cracked a shy, gummy smile at Nayeon. “Yeah,” she said sheepishly, rubbing her fingers over the penguin’s soft exterior. 

“It’s cute,” Nayeon said, beaming at her. “I’ve never heard it before.” 

Before Mina could reply, there was a gentle knock on the open bedroom door. Chaeyoung and Jeongyeon were waiting in the doorway. 

“Minari, are you ready to go? Oh– what’s that?” Chaeyoung asked. 

Jeongyeon’s eyebrows flew up, an amused smile on her face. “Wait, Nayeon is sharing? I’m not used to this.”

Nayeon huffed in response to her owner while Mina went over to show Chae. 

“It’s a penguin..!” Mina said, trying to control the excitement in her voice. 

“Mina loves penguins,” Chaeyoung explained to Jeongyeon and Nayeon. “How cute! Look at the little mint colored scarf it’s wearing.” 

“You can keep it if you want,” Nayeon piped up. She hadn’t moved from her bed. She was excited beyond belief to have finally bonded with Mina, but was wary of scaring Mina. She wrapped her arms around herself, trying to keep herself still. 

Jeongyeon almost fell over. “You’ve never liked sharing,” she said playfully, sitting on the edge of her kitten’s bed to give her ears a gentle scratch. “I’m impressed. What do you think, Mina?”

Mina nodded, suddenly shy again in front of Nayeon and Jeongyeon. She ducked behind Chaeyoung and replied with a muffled, “Thank you.” Before they left, Mina peeked out from behind Chaeyoung and smiled shyly at Nayeon. She even offered a little wave. 

For the rest of the week, Mina found herself bringing the small penguin toy with her everywhere she went. She even tried to bring it in the bath with her, but Chaeyoung suggested putting it on the edge of the tub to keep it from getting ruined. 

“You won’t want to play with it if it’s all sudsy and wet,” Chaeyoung said, and Mina reluctantly agreed, watching as her owner carefully set the little penguin down so it would sit up for her kitten. 

“You really like it, hmm?” Chae asked, and Mina nodded. “It was really nice of Nayeon to share with you.”

Mina nodded again, eyes closing when Chaeyoung started working conditioner into Mina’s long, dark hair. She purred, making her owner crack a smile. 

“You know,” Chaeyoung said, massaging Mina’s head tenderly, “Jeongyeon said Nayeon asked her if you’d be interested in coming over to play again.”

This was new. 

Mina had never been forced to go over to Jeongyeon and Nayeon’s apartment, she went because she didn’t like being alone, and because Chaeyoung and Jeongyeon wanted to hang out, but Mina had never been comfortable with other hybrids coming around frequently. 

But now, Mina could decide for herself if she really wanted to be around Nayeon. 

She thought about it as Chaeyoung carefully helped rinse her hair and tail. Chae’s tattooed fingers gently guided a brush through both before she helped Mina step out of the tub and into a warm fluffy towel.

The woman never had visits from her children and if they did, it was to demand money from her or to ask if she was on her death bed yet. So, she did what all elderly woman did. She needed a companion. Someone or something that could keep her company since her awful children didn't feel the need to visit with their children. 

A little kitten hybrid was exactly what she got. She had a friend who was a breeder and was able to get a little kitten from a young age and raised her. The kitten brought her so much joy, watching how she explored the mansion that they were now calling home. 

"Mina, you are one curious little kitten," The woman chuckled, watching her climb up on the couches with ease, her ears pointed up at attention as she perched at the top of the couch, eyes fixed out the window as she watched the birds in front of the giant window. 

The kitten grew fast, going through all of her age markers with ease over the course of two years, getting up to her own little teenager years. Except she wasn't a mean kitten. She loved her owner, loved spending time with her. But what she never expected to happen, happened. 

She was seated on the windowsill of the bay window, admiring the outside world from the comforts of inside. Her tail slowly thumping as she continued to watch the birds in the tree across the yard. Her mind was blissfully blank as she relaxed. Only for it to be disturbed by the sound of someone falling and her owner shouting. 

Mina hurried to the sound, ears turning to find her owner and saw her laying on the floor and making sounds of distress. 

"Mina... Bring me my phone..." The woman groaned, feeling pain spreading through her body. 

"O-Okay..." The kitten's ears fell flat against her head as she hurried to find her owner's phone. 

Things hadn't been the same after that. 

Neighbors came through the front door, calling out for Mina before leaving little dishes of food. The kitten hid from them, afraid of what was happening in her world now. Her owner wasn't back. Her life was being turned upside down. Everything about it was horrible. 

After a week, her owner was home, but with more people walking in and out of her home. Her safe haven... It made her nervous and anxious. And at night, it was much worse. She barely slept, watching over her owner with sadden filled eyes. She could smell it. She could feel it. 

"I'm glad I got to have you in my life little Mina," The woman whispered one night. 

The kitten stayed laying on the bed, her ears flat against her head as she watched her owner. 

"You brought so much joy to me... Thank you." 

Her hand never stopped stroking the top of her head, finding peace and comfort with the kitten on the bed. 

And like that, the kitten had lost the only human she ever knew. By late afternoon, the usual person came to the mansion and found the elderly woman and kitten still in bed. By night, Mina found herself in a cage, far from her original home. 

"Poor thing must be starving..." 

"The home nurse said that the kitten ate last night. Her owner passed this morning." 

Mina sat with her back to the front of the cage, her tail wrapped tightly around her as she silently cried. She barely got to say goodbye and now she was far from home. So far that everything was incredibly unfamiliar and horrible. She hated the sounds of other kitten hybrids meowing and yowling for attention and to be free of their cages. Hated the sounds of the muffled barking of the puppy hybrids next door. 

Three weeks she stayed in her cage, never interacting with others who gave her the time of day. In fact, they tried very hard to get her to be adopted since she was still fairly young. Only for people to ignore her since she was a black kitten hybrid. Tail and ears showing the jet black fur that puffed out. People said they didn't want bad luck in their homes. They couldn't handle more bad luck if they adopted the black cat. 

Mina started to believe that was all she did. Black cat meant bad luck. She had been brought into her old owner's home and within two years the woman passed away. She must've been bad luck. 

After another two weeks of being in the shelter with barely any stimulation to keep herself from wallowing in her self depressed state, she heard the familiar voice of the shelter worker, this time talking about the different hybrids they had within the walls. Mina slumped her shoulders, deciding to not face the front of her cage. No one wanted a black cat. She would live the rest of her life waiting for her own death so she could reunite with her owner. 

"What about this one?" 

"Oh, that's Mina. She's been here a while... She was found next to her owner after a home nurse came to check on the owner..." The shelter worker frowned. "She's been a little depressed and lots of people have passed her up since she's considered bad luck." 

"How is she bad luck? She's just a kitten hybrid who needs some love..." 

"Are you sure? She's very shy and closed off... She's barely spoken since she's come here," The worker frowned.