Chapter Text
So last night…you weren't supposed to turn into a cat…
It totally came out of left field.
You had just gone to the corner store that night to get some snacks and energy drinks before you try to bang out all of the work you had been procrastinating on. Nothing was supposed to happen.
But then you noticed that this big burly dude had a whimpering preteen boy backed against the ice bag freezers and the behemoth was definitely murmuring promises of violence. The poor kid looked rightfully terrified and in need of some intervention.
"Hey sir, excuse me. Hey! HEY YOU!! YEAH THAT'S RIGHT I'M TALKING TO YOU!! Time to let the kid go. I already called the police." Damn it, you probably should have called the police…hind sight 20/20? You really started kicking yourself when this lion looking dude starts walking toward you. Great. You hoped you remembered enough karate to get through this alive. "Hey, come on now. Let's talk. What's going on huh? Will you please stay where you are. Hey stop…stop…STOP!"
He came to a stop….a couple feet in front of you. And being as he was a foot taller than you he had to stoop to look you dead in the eyes. You could feel the warmth of his breath with how close he had gotten to your face. If he turned his head even a little his beard hair/ mane? would probably tickle your nose. Either way those golden eyes that didn't seem entirely human were going to haunt you.
"Last warning." You said coldly with gritted teeth. It was a nerve wracking ten seconds, but somewhere along the lines you saw him decide to attack. So you broke his nose on your elbow. And that didn't stop him….you were so screwed. Two good hits to the head and you were on the ground. Upon realizing he was hefting you up and dragging you away toward a darker area you rallied the last of your consciousness to fight and bit his forearm as hard as possible. Even as you pierced through skin all he did was give out a sinister chuckle. What kind of heavy duty drugs with this guy on? The last thing you remember is biting as hard as you could and letting your body go limp so that you could do something with your dead weight. You remember being hit one last time. Maybe sirens.
. . .
You woke to a throbbing head ache and blearily glared at the strange metals walls. One wall had cross bars across the whole thing. Well this wasn't a hospital. It didn't help that everything felt fuzzy. Literally. You about hyperventilated when you realized your anatomy was that of a cat with a cream colored body and brown feet and tail. You sat up too quickly and nearly passed out, which would have been unfortunate given your proximity to a (thankfully clean) litter box. After a moment of steadying yourself you could hear murmurings of people outside of the room, could see other cages with other cats who were boredly doing quiet cat activities, and for the first time ever, you could smell EVERYTHING. It made you realize humans had next to no sense of smell.
You were doing your best to stay calm, but then the thought slipped into your head. Was it even anatomically possible to fit in this space if you changed back? W-would you change back?!...What on earth was happening. Was this some kind of weird dream? Did that lion dude beat you into a coma and you're just having a weird coma adventure? Had you reincarnated? Unanswered questions raced around your head. There were so many things you needed to take care of at home too. Work to do, bills to pay, social life to occasionally participate in. But the most pressing task was to get out of here and find answers.
After trying to work the gate open ended in failure, you moodily switched to observing all your fellow feline inmates, which you could now understand. For the ones that were awake it was not unlike listening to territorial toddlers that had basic conversations and lots of demands, mostly food. Others narrated what they were doing. Some kittens were having a play fight and reminiscent of anime battles they called their moves out as they attacked. That was the only case where it was cute. Being trapped in kitty jail was boring. And demeaning when you had to use the litter box. The other cats didn't think anything of it, but you knew.
Finally at long last some people entered the room. You could tell the first worked there and she was happy to see you were awake and you decided to play up the 'cat' act for now by lazily blinking at her happily. She seemed to appreciate that. She smelled like a kind hearted person.
The next was an excited little girl who cooed over each cat, favoring the ones that would interact with her. You could smell that she hadn't really learned self-control yet and was used to getting her way. It was probably too early for her to own a pet…if ever.
The other woman smelled off. She studied each cat with a look on her face that reminded you of an evil step mother from some Disney cartoon. She smelled like the appalling force that was slowly corrupting her daughter, go figure. She didn't seem to want to be there and it was likely she looked like that everywhere she went. And she certainly looked like she didn't enjoy having a child.
The little girl hopped up to your encloser and squealed about how pretty you were. You backed away into the corner and made yourself as small as possible.
"Mama! Look at this one!"
The disinterested woman came as beckoned. "Do you want this one?"
There was no way you were going to go home with this train wreck family so you let out a very hostile growl. That was enough for them to leave with an unwitting orange tabby. The nice shelter worker came to feed you and clean out the litter box probably an hour later and you meekly crept forward to let her pet you so that she knew you weren't actually a feral brat. "So you're all nice now huh? Probably a smart move with that lady. Try to be nice ok. I want to send you to a nice home and not the other thing." She told you with a sad smile. She gave you fond head scritches (which actually felt phenomenal) before closing up and finished her rounds.
So to avoid euthanasian you would have to get adopted and hope that you could escape whatever place you end up at. You weren't thrilled about the prospect of having to play 'cat', but it was probably better than kitty execution.
. . .
The next few days went by with about the same amount of excitement. You tested your new cat body as much as you could in the confines of your cage. You couldn't get your meows to sound human. You got used to the new amount of athleticism and took quite a few long naps. Your taste buds tolerated cat food, probably more than your human ones would if you had ever tried it as a human. You took inventory of your memories and those were unaffected by your head injuries. Most of all you just spent time pondering life's great mysteries. If you could put any of it on paper it wouldn't be all for not.
You contemplated often why you could smell a person's character and personality. Could cats really do that? That would explain a lot. Most of the perspective cat owners smelled like decent people though there were a handful that reeked of character flaws that would be hard to handle. It bothered you to act overly friendly with those types. But you wouldn't feel bad escaping from them so you went with it.
That was until day four when a beautiful man with an even more beautiful personality aroma walked in. Tall, dark and handsome was visiting each cage to interact with each one of your competitors. Those damn kittens had been killing it with the adoption game and there were a few really affectionate chuckle heads that were also giving you a run for your money. And you weren't the only pretty one. You sat as cutely as possible and waited for your turn with nervousness. You felt like a middle schooler with an embarrassing crush.
"Hi pretty girl." He greeted softly and petted you through the bars. You greeted him back with a small chirp and purred for good measure. He smiled and started reading through the tag next to your cage. It was the first time you heard it out loud. "Let's see. Your name is Starlight, you are a Tonkinese, roughly five years old, had your shots, spay- unknown" (that had deterred a good number of your customers). "Starlight is an affectionate and patient cat. She's cuddly and doesn't mind being picked up. She's very well-mannered and smart. She's so perceptive it's a little eerie." (Wow, eerie. Way to sell it animal shelter, thanks a lot.) "She was found in an alley after being attacked by another animal that was most likely bigger than her. She came out with only a few cuts and bruises so we know our girl has some fight in her." Despite the ups and downs of the description you felt flattered.
The considerate and vibrant smelling man went back to giving you head scritches and you tried not to stare while he made his decision. You didn't want to be eerie. It was making you hopeful that he was spending more time next to you than any of the others. That was a good sign right? Well he left the room so maybe not. Thankfully you didn't get much time to mope because he returned with nice animal shelter lady and she opened up your cage to let him hold you. You were purring automatically without having to think about playing 'cat'. Shelter lady beamed and told the wonderful smelling guy that you were a good choice.
Papers must have already been signed because the guy picked out an electric blue collar and leash (to match your eyes apparently) and you were off to the car. If you had human vocal cords you would be screaming and jumping around with joy.
FREEDOM!!!!!
Not going to lie, you felt a bit like a blushing bride when he carried you through his door. If you had to stay in this cat body at least you would have him as an owner.
And apparently five other boys who were his roommates. Hm…you weren't sure how to feel about that. The farther in the two of you went to more apparent that this was definitely a house full of messy boys.
The first two roommates were sitting on two bean bags battling it out on the play station. Not looking away they only acknowledged him with a "Hey Hakyeon."
You could tell Hakyeon was excited to introduce you because he stood in front of the tv. The two gamers exploded in protest before they zeroed in on you. "Hongbin, Hyuk, meet Starlight, our new cat."
They both stared trying to comprehend what had just come out of Hakyeon's mouth and the fact that you were there. "Wait…since when were you getting a cat?" Hyuk asked.
"Oh, come on guys. Me and Taek, well mostly me, have been telling you guys about it for a month. I said if I got the teaching job I was going to get a pet. Well voila. Isn't she cute?"
"Yeah, but-but I didn't think you were serious." Hongbin whined.
"I'm all graduated now. I don't have to worry about being swamped with homework. I actually have time to take care of a cat now. The lady at the shelter said she's super sweet and well trained so I think you guys will like her. I'm going to let her explore now." Hakyeon informed them as he set you down and took off the leash.
Hm. Explore, what should you explore first?
Hyuk grumbled "But don't you need stuff for cats, like food bowl, litter box, toys, that kind of thing?" You sniffed at Hyuk first. He smelled like a decent person, mischievous but respectful, sort of. He held out his hand and a little smile graced his face when you let him pet you. Hongbin did the same and after sniffing at him you let him pick you up so both could give you attention. Hongbin was a decent person too. Snarky but loyal was probably the best you could describe it.
The two were still heckling Hakyeon over whether or not he had everything ready (which he did) and if he had cat proofed the house, which with their mess could probably never have been made safe for a regular cat. Not that they would actually have to face those pit falls with you. Still you had to remind yourself often that they were ignorant. Bored with their banter you gently wiggled out of their grasp to go explore more of your new habitat.
The kitchen you passed when you first came in was full of hazardous piles of dishes (and these jerks had a dish washer! Your crappy apartment didn't.) At the end of the counter sat a food bowl and water bowl. You slunk under the kitchen table and chairs to get to some water before resuming your task. Looping back through the living room, where the oblivious boys were still carrying on over pet ownership responsibilities, you went down the hallway you had seen before.
The first door on the left was a bathroom that you dared not look in. It had a smell that suggested it needed a thorough cleaning. You kept moving. The second room on the left smelled like Hongbin's. It was actually very tidy for a presumably college kid if the text books were anything to go by. It made you hopeful about the cleanliness they could possibly be capable of. The next room on the left dashed your hopes. You hadn't met this person, but along with their messy room was lots of manga and anime, action figures and more text books. It was probably likely they were all college kids. The next room was a laundry room with a high stack of clothing and connected bathroom. Same smell. Uninterested in the linen closet at the end of the hall you checked out what was on the right. This room had bunkbeds and smelled like Hyuk and some other un-met person. This was probably the messiest bedroom yet. The next was another person you hadn't met and it was a little neater.
The next on the right was Hakyeon's. It was a relief to find his room. It was a little cluttered, but orderly. Overall it wasn't an eye sore. The rest of your cat stuff was there too including a little cubby cat bed thing that looked inviting. As a cat you became drowsy more frequently so you decided it wouldn’t hurt to curl up in it. As you drifted off you could see Hakyeon leaning on his door frame smiling at you fondly. That was your favorite part of the apartment.
. . .
You woke to someone trying to coax you out of your hidey-hole with tongue clicks and tentative pets. You couldn't help the big yawn as you sat up, but that seemed to make the new person's eyes light up. Definitely an animal lover. He smelled shy and silly and a bit childish. You humored him and came to him for attention and he gently picked you up. "Ok now I forgive you for going to pick out a cat without me." He told Hakyeon who was perched on his own bed.
"Woonie! If I had taken you along you would have adopted every cat there." Hakyeon protested.
"Well maybe she would like a friend." Taekwoon prodded.
"Taekwoon. There are six of us. She will have plenty of friends."
You couldn't image trying to put up with the inane chatter of a feline 'friend' after knowing what they talk about, though the thought did make you feel like you were being a bit snobby. You hoped if/when you turned back you wouldn't be able to decipher their limited subject matter. Cats were cuter that way.
Taekwoon pouted and wandered off with you still in his arms, Hakyeon trailing after you two curiously. "What do you want for dinner?" Your ride asked.
"How about chicken?" Hakyeon suggested. You meowed. You wanted chicken too. Screw cat food.
Taekwoon giggled and scratched behind your ears fondly. "No, you don't get any, silly goose."
You huffed in response and leaned away to gesture that you wanted to be put down. The two men gave you surprised mocking faces. "Well ok then." Hakyeon teasingly accepted your attitude as you walked away from the kitchen with the intent of trying out a now empty bean bag chair. That is until the front door burst open and banged against the door stop and a new person jubilantly shouted "Honey! I'm home! And I brought pizza!"
Another guy followed this one and grumbled "Geez, Jaehwan, volume please. Hi guys…oh…hey…a cat." He pointed out observantly. You stood stock still and wide eyed, temporarily frozen by startlement. These must be the final two roommates.
"Yes Wonshik, very good. You know what a cat is." Hakyeon said in mock praise before coming to pick you up. "Poor lil girl, did the big bad loud man scare you?" This was patronizing for all parties even if it was true. You tucked your head against his chest to pout.
"I take it Jin has too much left over pizza stock piled from work?" Taekwoon asked of the big bad loud man. Sounds like their friend works at a pizza place. Yay pizza!
"Pretty much, even with all his roommates too. I think they are just sick of pizza."
"More for us I guess." Taekwoon replied with a shrug as he received the box. The big bad loud man, or Jaehwan as he was properly called, immediately turned his attention to you with a squeal of "Kitty!"
Everyone groaned and collectively told him to be quiet. "Hee hee, sorry kitty." He whispered while he petted you. You didn't have to smell him to know he was energetic, but you did get a whiff of attention seeking and fun loving. Wonshik joined him. His scent indicated that he was creative and hard working. You were probably going to give Jaehwan a wide berth, but Wonshik seemed gentle enough. The two started quizzing Hakyeon over your details and how things had been going so far. The four amiably chatted about their day's and before long reheated pizza was being served up. You eyed it hungrily, but didn't want them to suspect that you would actively steal human food (which you planned to do while they were sleeping or not home). You took over an empty chair in between Hakyeon and Taekwoon to make eye contact with them to plead for a few bites. Taekwoon readily caved, but Hakyeon was too disciplined and stopped him every time. After ten minutes of this with no hope, you just decided to cat loaf on the chair and hang out. They were fun to listen to but it made you grumpy that you were stuck with being mute.
The chatter must have roused Hongbin from a nap of his own because he zombied into the kitchen and took a slice as well. Hyuk came home a couple minutes later and they were both sitting down to eat when they saw there was only one free chair. Hongbin stared down at you and after a pause and a sigh set you on the ground. "Your food is over there." He told you as if you didn't know where the cat food was. You had to remind yourself that you were in a cat body and it wasn't normal for animals to sit at the table. Not really knowing what to do with yourself now that you had been booted from the realm of conversation you meandered back to Hakyeon's room.
His bed looked like a nice place for a nap. You woke from your light snooze when Hakyeon came back. He gave you a sweet smile before making himself busy and then…oh crap…he was changing into PJ's right in front of you and he has a nice butt. Look away dummy! He clambered onto the bed with a book in hand. "Shall we read?" Uh…sure? It was a rhetorical question of course. He shifted you around so you were positioned on his chest and if you turned your head just right you could see what he was reading. It was a science fiction story and even though you were plunked into the middle of the story it was still an enjoyable read. You must have started behind him though because he was ready to turn the page before you. Not thinking about it you put your paw down and speed read to catch up. He giggled and held your paw so that you wouldn't impede his view. Turns out he was a fast reader because he smoked you again. You tried to put your paw down again, but he was playfully stern. Was this your time to show your cards? You tried it for a third time, this time pointedly looking at the novel and gave a complaining meow when he tipped you to the side. Nope, point lost on cute boy. Didn't want to read his stupid book anyway. In petty revenge you scooted just out of reach and turned your back on him. It seemed like a very cat like thing to do. You didn't stay mad for too long when he put the book aside and patted the spot next to him as an invitation to cuddle. Hakyeon was a good cuddler.
. . .