HuniePop: The Kitty Cat's New Master (preview)

“Nyaa~!  Those fishies look suuuper cute, Mister!”

Fishies!  Big fishies with silver scales and flappy tails, all taking their nappy times.  They must be hot, 'cause Mister is letting them rest on top’a ice cubes.  Do all fishies sleep with their eyes and mouthies open?  Momo isn’t sure, but it makes her giggle – they all look like such silly willies!  She presses her face against the glass and tries ta make that same face – big googly eyes and kissy lips. 

“Hey! Paws off the merchandise, ya dumb cat!”

Mrrow?  Mister’s carrying a broom, and he comes from behind the counter and – eep!  He swats at Momo! 

“Hey, Momo was just looking!” She tries t’explain, but Mister keeps on jabbing with his broom.

“Don’t hiss at me, ya stupid stray! Now get!”

Meanie!  Momo runs off, but she doesn’t get it.  There’s lotsa people looking at Mister’s fishies, but he doesn’t get mad at them.  He even gives some fishies away in little newspaper sleeping bags.  Why’s Mister picking on Momo?

Well, maybe Momo should visit another stall.  When Momo saw the big tents, she thought it was a circus, but this is even neater.  All sorts of Misters and Misses are settin’ up tables and showing everybody their tasty foods!  There’s so many yummy smells in the air and they make Momo’s nose tickle!  All the smells are smooshed together like a big ball of yarn an’ Momo wants t’chase ‘em around!

Ooh!  Momo’s nose finds a super-duper tasty smell!  She’s not sure yet but… hmm, just a little over this way and … Yaay!  It’s shish-kabobs!  Ooh, now Momo’s tummy is all rumbly-wumbly!  “Misses Lady Ma’am, can Momo have a kabob?  Pleeease?”

“Eww!  Get away, you filthy beast!  Shoo!  Harold, get rid of it!”

Mraaaw!  The Lady Ma’am has a helper boy and he chases Momo with a rolled up newspaper!  Nyaa! H-he just hit Momo! R-right in her private place!  Momo has to run all the way out of the tent just to get away, and whenever she passes people, they yell and shoo her like she’s a bad kitty.

There’s a car park place next door, and Momo curls up on the grass t’catch her breath.  Momo’s cheeks are hot and wet an’ - … Is she crying?  No!  N-no, Momo can’t cry!  She hasta be brave.  She hasta remember what Misato told her:

Chin up, Momo.  Not everyone can see it, but you’re a special little girl.  My special little Momo…

Oh, Misato… Momo is trying her best t’make friends, but it’s just so hard.  She thought this place would be different, but everybody keeps treating her like a regular, dumb ol’ cat.  Little girls try ta pick her up, little boys grab her tail or squirt her with water, and whenever she tries ta talk, the Misters and Misses kick at her.  It hurts, Misato.  It hurts…

“Mrrow?”

Momo looks over at the noise.  It’s a cat, a chubby-wubby tabby with orange fur and a big, frowny face.  Momo sticks out her hand, and after they’ve sniffed ‘hello’, she picks him up and nuzzles his big, fluffy face.  “Why do they think Momo an’ you are the same?” she asks.  The chubby-wubby doesn’t answer, of course.  He’s a cat.  Only kitties like Momo can talk. 

Momo digs around in her kimono an’ pulls out her little piece ‘a looking glass.  Her face looks the same as a little girl, but people all look at her like she’s a cat.  Why’re they all doin’ that?

Maybe … maybe Momo just needs to learn more about this place.  That way everybody won’t think she’s a strange kitty.  Where is she, anyway? 

Ooh!  There’s a big sign right above Momo.  What’s it say?  Momo scrunches her nose lookin’ at the letters, tryin’ t’remember Misato’s lessons.  Hmm… The first letter looks like a curled-up paw… Oh, that’s ‘G’!  The next one is a scaredy tail sticking up straight.  Um… ‘l’!  It’s ‘L’!  Smoosh ‘em together that’s ‘G-L’.  Gluh!

“Gl – Gluh … Guh-len-berr-?”

“Glenberry Farmer’s Market,” a lady-voice snaps.  Momo turns around hissing.

“Nyaa!  No helping!  Momo could’ve figured it out on her own!”

The lady starts laughing.  “Oh my god, you seriously couldn’t read that? Shit, what a dumb bitch!”

Dumb … wha?  “Hey, Momo’s not a puppy, she’s a kitty!  An’ you’re the real dummy if you can’t tell!”  Hmph!  Momo bets this lady couldn’t answer even a single kitty quiz. 

The lady says some words Momo doesn’t know, but they all sound naughty.  She’s a funny-looking lady. Momo thinks she’s a calico – her hair is black, but with blue stripes, an’ she wears a poufy blue dress that looks like present-wrapping paper.  Her smell is super weird.  She’s wearin’ lotsa the pretty-smelling flower juice ladies spray on themselves, but there’s something weird underneath.  It’s a yucky, sour smell, an’ Momo’s trying t’remember it.

“Hey!  Are you even listening to me?”  The lady stamps her foot and flips her striped hair.  Wait - striped hair!  Momo’s got it!  “Skunky!  You’re a skunk lady!” And she falls on her back, laughing.

“WHAT?” 

Ny-uh oh…  The lady’s eyes turn into fire!  Nyaa!  Now she’s stomping forward!  Momo hides her face.  “M-Momo’s sorry! Momo’s sorry she said those things!  Please don’t hit Momo!”

“Yeah, you’d like that, wouldn’t you?  Go tattle to mommy and get me picked up for assault!”

Momo just stays in her safe ball and whimpers.  The lady doesn’t answer right away and when she does she sounds surprised.  “Oh shit … you really thought I’d -?  I mean … Fuck, who hits a kid?  Shit, this is messed up…”

Momo peeks an eye open.  The funny lady’s walking back ‘n forth, and now she looks scared.  The lady sits by Momo’s side, makes her sit up.  She holds up her open hand and orders Momo.  “Listen up, kid: make a fist.  Like that, yeah.  Now punch me.”

Mrrow?  Scratching is probably better but Momo bops the lady’s hand anyway, and she makes a mean-looking smile.  “Yeah, like that.  If anyone tries to hit you, hit them back, okay? And if they’re a guy, you hit them here. See?”

“In their skirts?”

“No, dumbass, their … Okay, yeah, hit their skirt.  Just don’t take shit from nobody, you got that?”

Momo’s nose twitches.  Momo knows scratching is stronger than punching, and that boys don’t wear skirts, but the lady sounds like she wants to help Momo in her own funny way. 

That makes Momo smile.  “Thank you, skunky lady!  Momo will try her best!”

The funny lady rolls her eyes.  She seems cranky, but not at Momo.  “Honestly, why’d Tiffany want to meet up at a shithole like this?”

Wait.

“Hey, you can see Momo?”

The funny lady laughs.  “Um, duh!  Kinda hard not to see you with those shitty cat ears and tail.  You’re one of Nikki’s people right?  A furry?”

Momo wrinkles her nose.  “Momo isn’t furry, she’s fluffy!”

The funny lady shakes her head like she hasn’t had her nappy time.  “Whatever.  Later, loser.”  She flicks something from her hand into the grass.  Is it a treat?  Momo jumps after it but -

Eww!  Pee-yu, it’s one of those smoky sticks that makes Momo’s nose itch.  Blech!  “Hey lady, you forgot your –”

Oh no.  The funny lady’s gone! 

The funny lady spoke to Momo.  Not in baby-talk, but actual people talk!  She … she could see Momo!

Momo’s head spins up ‘n down.  Where’d she go?  Oh no, oh no!  Momo makes a paw and clunks herself on the head.  She’s such a dummy!

Momo has to find that lady!  She hasta find the lady who could see her!

Momo’s heart beats wonky-clonky while she runs around the market, searching for the lady’s smell.

She hasta find her.  Hasta, hasta find her!

Because … just maybe, if Momo finds her … Momo won’t hafta be a stray kitty anymore…

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Nikki and her friends will return in

TrioPop - Book III:

The Kitty Cat’s New Master