Stray Cat Strut Chapter Forty-Eight – La Blue Lucy

Chapter Forty-Eight - La Blue Lucy

"--But my combat drones are purring as they patrol your floor...

Each Missile-Launcher's Whisker-Triggered

That's what they're for

And every ch suit's got Cat Ears

But wait, there's more..."

--Lyrics to ow-aggeddon, by Kuroi, 2057

***

I had class again the next day, but I couldn't rember what it was until we landed. Pol Sci. Again. I was thoroughly bored with the class before it even started, but Lucy had a growing girl-crush on Professor Roswell, and I was always there to support Lucy.

The old bat did have so weird charisma to her. She clearly didn't have a solitary fuck to give about the students or whether or not they could keep up, but at the sa ti, she loved her subject and was the sort of weirdo that didn't mind yapping on for hours on end about their special interest.

I stifled a few yawns throughout, but the lesson was still kind of interesting, it's just that I cared so little about the subject that it was hard to keep up.

Lucy followed along, though, and even asked a few questions that didn't set Roswell off on rants.

There were, apparently, two schools of thought with it ca to political science. How things were according to the books (which is usually how they were in reality for like, a majority of people) and then the truth.

I didn't need an expensive course to be told that politics ran and hid under the bed the mont soone with a gun walked into the room.

There were so attempts, apparently throughout human history, to formalize and create rules around violence, but the people who were really bothered by that were also the sorts of people who couldn't take a punch to the jaw.

"So, you think she's hot?" I asked as I leaned to the side.

Lucy smiled. I think she wanted to giggle, but also didn't want the teacher's attention. She leaned in a little closer as well. "Yeah. She's got that hot teacher with a crop style going on."

"Mhm," I agreed. "And you wouldn't mind if she used it on you?"

"Cat, we both know that I'm the one that does the cropping," Lucy said.

I cleared my throat and sat back up while trying not to let my face look too warm. I did pay so more attention to the class after that. Professor Roswell answered one of Lucy's questions about gangs and interference in the political system from small grass-roots organizations by going on a long rant that only ended three minutes after the bell rang.

I ran off to Professor Roger's class right after. We had a lesson when I arrived that was entirely classwork and theory, no physical exercise. It was, however, split up by a warga.

The professor had us play so combat ga in teams of two versus two. It was sothing like one of those real-ti strategy gas, but super simplified. A top-down view of coloured circles moving on a simple geotric battlefield with controls so easy a toddler could figure them out.

Not quite checkers level simple, but not too far from it. Still, I got the idea he was trying to convey, and I figured sothing like this was a good way to show things to people that had no experience with gas like it. Which... I was kind of included in. I knew about RTS gas from cultural osmosis, but it wasn't my kind of thing.

It was pretty fun, despite the teacher trying to hamr in the lessons we were supposed to be learning. I did like the more hands-on-ish aspect of it. It at least made class slip by faster.

When I was out, I found Lucy--and about twenty hangers-on--waiting in the corridors just outside. It seed like she'd decided to make use of the ti where I was busy with class to spread her evil tentacles around.

We said hi, did so PDA that was probably against so rules, then started back towards the Bastion. "What're you up to next?" Lucy asked.

"I've got so ti to spare, I was thinking maybe I'd go and check up on Tankette," I said. "I have no idea what she's up to, but the others have found ways to get into so trouble so maybe she needs help? Or maybe she's minding her own and doesn't need it at all, but still..."

"Aren't you going to check up on Princess and Knight too?" Lucy asked.

"Yeah, sure," I replied.

Lucy bumped her shoulder against mine. "Are you avoiding doing that because you're secretly nervous about Princess and her weird obsession with you?"

"No," I said. I might have said it too quickly, though, because Lucy had one of those clever grins on. "Don't look into it too hard. I'll visit her tomorrow. Or the day after if I'm busy. Or this weekend, if there's ti for it."

"You're cute," Lucy said.

"Oh, shut up," I grumbled. I wasn't afraid of Princess. I could fold that girl with one punch, and she wasn't scary besides. Just... very, very awkward to talk to.

We got aboard, but not before Lucy said so parting words to a few people in her gaggle of followers. I think she'd waited until we were near the Bastion so that it would feel cooler for them. There were certainly a lot of pictures going on. Lucy had a way to make people feel cool and good about themselves.

It wasn't too long before we took off, then it was a mostly-straight flight ho, with just a quick fly past a fly-through at so fast food place for so grub on the way. The Bastion was wide enough that we had to open the side gate to grab our order, but it worked out, and we had fries to snack on as we drove the rest of the way ho.

The kids were happy to have our leftovers too.

I was surprised to see no Nya, however. I checked our bedroom and bathroom, just in case, but there was no trace of her, and the kittens said that they hadn't seen her since yesterday.

I figured there was probably nothing to worry about. She was a big catgirl, she could take care of herself. And maybe if I was lucky she had gone back to Japan or whatever.

I was just debating if I should head out to see Tankette or if I should just... flop onto the couch and take a midday nap when Myalis spoke up.

Catherine, I've received a ssage from Latyns, Vanguard Shy's AI companion.

"Oh?" I asked. I made a detour, away from the living room and the big, comfy (but noisy) couch, and to the kitchen. "Is she in trouble?"

No, it doesn't seem like it. She's obliquely attempting to ask if you would be willing to entertain her for the evening.

"She asked that?" I asked.

Not in so many words. I'm conveying the intent. Latyns is very... oblique when he communicates.

"Don't you guys have a standard language for comms?" I asked.

We have several. He insists on using one of the more archaic and less efficient thods. Though it does lend his communication a certain level of discretion and privacy. I'm far more fond of simply saying what I have to say.

Huh. Maybe Myalis and I had so things in common, then. "You can tell Shy's AI to tell her that she's more than welco. And let them know that Nya's not here, so she doesn't have to worry about getting catwoman hair all over her clothes."

Because your cat features are purely cybernetic.

I shook my head, grabbed a can from the fridge (which we needed to clean out at so point) and popped the tab. I was nearing the end of the can so five minutes later when Shy showed up. The elevator doors swung open, and she just... kind of stood there, looking about as awkward as usual.

"Hey," I said as I went over to her. The elevator was down one of the wider corridors to one side. We didn't have caras pointed to it, but we did have turrets, and those did have caras.

Shy nodded to , then licked her lips.

"Greetings, Samurai Stray Cat. Lady shy wishes to thank you for the warm--"

"L-Latyns, it's fine," Shy said. She looked up and t my eye. "Hello."

"Hey," I said. "So, bored at ho?" She was dressed in Samurai casuals. Which is to say, really nice, top-end clothes, but not like... armour. It was still obviously Protector made. There was sothing about the quality that made it stand out.

"A little," she said. "Are you busy? Doing... anything?"

"Well, I was thinking about it. Have you t Tankette yet? No? Hey, I bet you'd get along with her."

"Is that a prank?"

"No," I said. "Genuinely. Big momma-bear vibes from her. She's super chill. I an... she might cook you sothing if she thinks you look too thin."

Shy blinked, then touched her abdon. "Okay?"

Neat. Ti to do the rounds, then.

***

LIVE SCS FANMUSIC ALBUM!

RIGHT NOW!

View: syoutube/watch?v=hNmv7zhnW4s

Co listen!