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 Mech suit's got Cat Ears

But wait, there's more..."

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

***

I had class again the next day, but I couldn't remember 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 some 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 same time, 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 came 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 moment someone with a gun walked into the room.

There were some 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 some 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 wargame.

The professor had us play some combat game in teams of two versus two. It was something like one of those real-time strategy games, but super simplified. A top-down view of coloured circles moving on a simple geometric 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 something like this was a good way to show things to people that had no experience with games like it. Which... I was kind of included in. I knew about RTS games from cultural osmosis, but it wasn't my kind of thing.

It was pretty fun, despite the teacher trying to hammer 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 seemed like she'd decided to make use of the time where I was busy with class to spread her evil tentacles around.

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

"I've got some time 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 some 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 time 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 some 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 home, with just a quick fly past a fly-through at some fast food place for some 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 home.

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 message 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 methods. 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 some things in common, then. "You can tell Shy's AI to tell her that she's more than welcome. 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 some point) and popped the tab. I was nearing the end of the can some 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 cameras pointed to it, but we did have turrets, and those did have cameras.

Shy nodded to me, 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 met my eye. "Hello."

"Hey," I said. "So, bored at home?" 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 something 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 met 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 mean... she might cook you something if she thinks you look too thin."

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

Neat. Time to do the rounds, then.

***

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