Stray Cat Strut Chapter Seventy – Poked in the Frannie

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Stray Cat Strut (A cyberpunk system apocalypse!) - Ongoing

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Love Crafted (Interactive story about an eldritch abomination tentacle-ing things!) - Completed!

Drear's Ten-Tea-Cle Café (An insane Crossover about cute people and tentacles) - Hiatus

Cinnamon Bun (A wholeso LitRPG!) - Ongoing

The Agartha Loop (A Magical-Girl drama!) - Volu Two Complete!

Lever Action (A fantasy western with cha!) - Volu One Complete!

Heart of Dorkness (A wholeso progression fantasy) - Completed!

Dead Tired (A cody about a Lich in a Wuxia world doing Science!) - Ongoing

Sporemageddon (A fantasy story about a mushroom lover exploding the industrial revolution!) - Ongoing

Past the Redline (A girl goes too fast, then she does it again) - Completed!

Magical Girl Crystal Genocide (Magical Girls accidentally the planet, and then try to fix it) - Completed!

Magical Girl Rending Nightmare (A sequel to Crystal Genocide! Cute girls in a soviet dystopia having a picnic on the roadside) - Volu Two Completed!

Noblebright (A shipcore AI works to avenge humanity) - Completed!

The Complicated Love Life of Ivil Antagonist (The Empress of Mars finds love) - Completed!

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Queen Violence (An Assassin Reborn as a Kitten) - Completed!

No Strings Attached (An Elden Ring/Bloodborne inspired progression fantasy) - Ongoing

Save Scumming (A ti-looping system apocalypse) - Ongoing

Chapter Seventy - Poked in the Frannie

"If there is one thing you absolutely do not want to receive it is an 'as per my last' communication from a Samurai.

These are often frad politely, but they are, in every way, a final warning and a threat."

-The Gentleman's Guide: Butlering in the 21st century, 2040

***

I sat.

Delilah moved over to the very fancy coffee machine sitting on their kitchen counter and started to fiddle with it. "Want one?" she asked over her shoulder.

"Yeah, sure," I said. I wasn't gonna be one of those basic bitches that was all crazy for good coffee, but I could still appreciate it. Soda was still better, of course.

Delilah fiddled with the machine while Frannie installed herself as far down the counter from as she could be. I think my insinuations early annoyed her a little. I had to not poke so much... but it was soooo fun. Like, co on, they were a cute couple of baby lesbians, how could I not?

They were very sweet, taking their ti and everything. It was my duty as senior lesbian to tease and push their buttons... because it was funny.

"So, your ssage ntioned four corps that want to ss with the conclave?" I asked.

"That's right," Delilah said. She ca around and placed a steaming mug in front of . "All four are relatively minor, but they have links to other, more important conglorates."

"Alright. So we give them the... fuck, what was the na of that company?"

One of her eyebrows perked up. "The one we just blew up?"

"Yeah, them," I said before taking a sip. Hot!

"Rama Corp LLC," Delilah said. "And no. They're not interfering. They're asking permission to interfere, which I think is an important distinction."

"Weird," I said. "What kind of interference, then?"

"One wants to cover the event. They're an advertising company and see a lot of value in having sponsored items and ads at the event."

I blinked. "Yeah, nah, we can't have that. But I... guess that's not enough of a reason to blow them up."

"That's what I figured," Delilah said. "Two of the others are offering security services, and the last is a transportation and logistics company."

"Huh," I said, working my jaw. "Okay, we can't really accept any of that, can we? But yeah, it's mostly harmless."

"That's why I'm sending you to politely tell them that we'll handle things on our own," she said. "It's not so much that we couldn't use so of those services, it's more that we'd be tarnishing our image sowhat by giving them an inch."

"Okay. Do I have to show up in person? This feels like more of a 'strongly worded email' kind of thing."

Delilah shrugged. "I tried that. They're insistent."

"Ah," I said.

"Not rude to the point of firebombing, but enough that they didn't take the first 'no.'" She set up the coffee machine to refill a mug, probably for herself. "So now we send you in to remind them that they're vulnerable. Honestly, if you just deliver a copy of the email we sent in person, that'll probably do."

I snorted at the ntal image of a samurai walking into so CEO's office and slapping down a print of an email on their desk, then pointing at it. "Yeah, I like that," I said. "What about the rest of the list?"

"I'm assuming you're able to handle Lucy?" Delilah said.

"Barely," I replied.

She stared, then sighed. "Fair enough. I ant more her little organization. As this is growing in complexity, so is their part in all of this."

"Yeah, don't worry. Lucy's on it," I said.

"Good, good. And the dia is simple enough. There are several dia companies that want to attend the event."

"Christ, can't have that," I said.

"Don't take the lord's na in vain, please," Delilah said.

I rolled my eyes. "Yeah, yeah," I said. "Anyway. Can't have that. We're inviting gangsters and mafia-sorts. They won't like their faces on the evening news. If soone puts two and two together and discovers soone because they were at the conclave, then that'd be a big blow to our rep."

"And there was a fourth item," Delilah said, looking at expectantly.

I had to think fast to rember. "The Family? I'd think they'd know by now."

"And yet we never told them officially, did we?" she asked. It was one of those rhetorical sorts of questions.

"Fine," I said. "But that'll be the last bit I do. You've loaded my plate up for the day already."

"Very well. By the ti you're done with all of these items I'll have more for you," she said.

"Seriously?" I asked.

She stared. Then she slowly took a sip from her mug. "Ah... nice and warm. Get to work, Catherine."

God, what a bitch. "Fine," I complained before getting up. I took another swallow of her coffee, regretted the lack of sugar or cream in it, then set it down on the counter with a clink. "I'll see you around! Don't interrupt my sleep with all of this shit."

I headed out, then up so that I was back ho, then I got changed in a hurry, loading up on guns and nades and sliding into my longest, anest looking coat. It was ti to be cool and intimidating and shit, so it was full bounty-huntic chic. Emoscythe would be proud.

With that done, I slid on my boots and headed down to my bike. Soon I was racing out of our ho and into the overcast sky. "Myalis, two things. Can you point to the CEO of the nearest of those corps, and... can I have you print stuff for ?"

On a piece of paper? Certainly. It'll be one point, seeing as that's the lowest I can charge, but I'll ensure that the paper is top-quality.

"I'm sure they'll appreciate it," I said. Myalis lit up one of the skyscrapers halfway across the city on my head's up, and I leveled my bike off and gunned it that way.

When I arrived, I found a pretty plain looking skyscraper, sandwiched between a half-dozen more and with a few gabuildings nearby. I circled it, confirming that the company na on the side matched what Gomorrah had sent , then I flew into the nearest parking space and got off, bike still rumbling.

I took an elevator up to the topmost floor that the company occupied and stepped out into so high-security lobby. Ah, this was one of the smaller PMC companies, then. They had turrets on the ceiling and guys in heavy armour at the front.

They tensed up on seeing , then more when I connected to their turrets with a look and let Myalis have so fun with them. She turned them around, each one pointing at an employee. "Hello, I'm here for an appointnt with your CEO. It's to deliver sothing," I said.

This reedy little secretary sort was fetched, and he ca over, twisting his hands like he was about to tell that my grandma passed away from a complication. "Um, you're not scheduled?"

"Wild," I said. "Well, it's just to deliver sothing. One page. That's all."

"I'm not sure if--"

"If you're not sure, then maybe consider becoming sure that you don't want to stop ," I said.

Surprisingly, that worked.

I walked with a bit of a skip in my step and a sway to my hips as I crossed the floor, moving straight for the biggest, fanciest office. It had a nice view, a nice desk, and a man covered in a nice layer of sweat behind said nice desk. He had three guards in the room.

"Yo," I said. "Got a paper for... eh, whatever the fuck your na is." I raised my hand, and Myalis helpfully summoned a piece of paper into it.

Annnnd it was cut out like a large cat head, the text printed in glowy pink ink. Yeah, I should have figured that she wasn't being contrary enough.

I turned the page around, reading the text on it.

To [Write the na of the company here, Catherine],

Your interest in working with us during the Conclave is noted. We must decline, and request no further proposals. Our role there will be independent, and must remain so. This is not a judgnt of your capabilities, but rather a necessary asure to maintain clarity of purpose and the integrity of our obligations.

We trust you will understand that in matters such as these, discretion and separation serve all parties best.

You will comply in this matter. We are confident no further reminders will be necessary.

Respectfully,

The Samurai of the 2057 Conclave

"Wow, Delilah wrote this? She was feeling polite." I placed the paper in front of the man, and his reaction was everything I wanted and more. "Okay! Well, see ya! Got a few more of these to hand out, you know? Toodles!"

***

A note from RavensDagger

So, early in the year, I decided to write a TTRPG for Stray Cat Strut in 60 days, and it took 63, so I kinda failed.

Anyway, this is the Kickstarter link for its pre-order: skickstarter/projects/ravensdagger/hope-punk-a-stray-cat-strut-tabletop-roleplaying-ga

The goal is to have the Zeroth addition be free (or pay what you want) on Itch.io and DriveThruRPG. Modules--basically balanced add-on content with more Catalogues and backgrounds and so playable content--will be sold on there for a small price on the side.

I... like free? I love that the majority of my work is free. If I could, I'd make more of it free. I don't make a ton of money, not compared to a lot of the authors in my friend circles, but I make enough to afford rent and food, and that's enough for . I'd much rather make a little less and try to make you have a bit more fun.

Anyway, the kickstarter is mostly to recoup the cost of the artwork that went into the Zeroth edition of Hope//Punk. There's... a lot. So of it is super good too! I made a heap of artists friends with this project!

The Kickstart will be going live on the 15th of September. Next Monday. I hope you check it out!