Bodega Cat (System Apocalypse, Deck Builder, Litrpg)

"All right, so tell me what you learned," Bagel said, looking at the beaming Khaleesi.

"When I rushed in there, they all looked at me as if I was a teenager, but then, when I put the thing on the board and the guild clear verified it, there were several people that wanted to inspect it immediately."

Khalessi played out the part of an adventurer, waddling over-why did they all waddle-and then inspecting the part of the counter where the muffins and cookies stood proudly.

"Little girl, are you allowed to post such a bounty?" She said, imitating an ancient human.

Khalessi took two steps and puffed up her chest, taking a power pose. "Yes, I am!"

She mimed putting a poster up on a wall.

Bagel was pleased by this. She had been branching out to the guild dropping in there.

"Mr. Bagel, can I be honest?"

"If I say no, will that stop anything you are about to say?"

"No. But you know what? This is boring. I've been on deck builder academy all day and... I just want to do something. I want to help."

Bagel peered into her eyes. "You are helping. It's just that there isn't much to do unless you're piloting a drone or something."

The humans had given him several ideas. Foremost of which was to not think only with cards in mind. He was already trying to figure out how to get plans for Ashley to copy.

There wasn't much to it, really. If she had the plans, her forge card could copy them.

"If we can get a drone out here, I would be so down to pilot one."

You could tell by the look in her eyes that she was serious about it.

For the first time in his life, Bagel felt nervous.

"You do that," he said.

She smiled and ran to the office in the back.

---

It was adorable that she was setting this all up. Khalessi had been in and out of the back room all day with ridiculous drawings and designs.

Most of the designs looked like fancy robots with bows on them.

Because drones must look cute was her reasoning. Bagel understood that.

But it wasn't like she could just make a drone off her designs.

The issues were mounting. He wasn't going to be able to fix her issues.

Bagel had sent her brother out on what the humans called a recon trip. He needed information. He needed to see if any other stores were still open.

Raul had been circling the area seeing if any other stores are open. Thankfully the Amish Market was still open as well as the Chinese restaurant next door.

Further out, the prognosis was not good.

At least half the businesses looked closed down for good.

It would be great if they reopened. Chances were that they would not, especially for places like the small office supply store.

Anyone with a mantle card that allowed them to own or operate a place was probably already using it.

Raul opened the door holding several packages. Khaleesi stepped by him to open the door and then took a package of two off her hands. Behind him, a gentrifier crab which had to be Ashley's alone, was guarding the store.

Of course, they had to send it to the Adventurers Guild, since it was loaded up with more goods than they could even stock. It only made sense that he would get stuff for the bodega and the guild.

"What do you have there?" He said, knowing that role would just tell him as soon as he was settled. Nothing smelled bad. How far afield had Raul gone for this batch of items?

"Honestly, the mostly cleaning supplies," Raul said. "I've also got some litter here for you and spices that we don't normally carry and stuff for the Guild of course."

"Naturally."

It was one thing for them to give him things that he didn't need. It was another thing for them to give him things that he couldn't get and that was what he was really trying to get. If you can get things that made people, feel at home then he would profit from the exchange, and they would all be richer for having that option.

They didn't need endless amounts of blue ox what they did need a lot of things that made them feel normal for once the human that it felt like they were with their back against the wall was something to be feared as everything else

If you come across this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.

But this thing he was going to be doing something about as soon as he could.

The cleaning supplies were good and that was part of what he needed but it was going to be a little bit more before they had enough for what all the humans decided that they not wanted. It wasn't like he was a convenience store.

He did stock some deodorant and some shampoo, or he had until this and now all the sudden he couldn't keep it on the shelves.

"Is there a reason why humans decide they must be so clean all the time? Is that a thing? Because it's ridiculous how much soap we run out of."

"I know you don't have to take showers, but maybe you should bagel."

Raul gave him a fair amount of side eye.

That was not happening. The look that he gave Raul made it certain that he understood that it was not happening. It sounded like humans really wanted to be clean and would go great to great lengths to take daily showers or something like that.

"Just because I don't take a shower everyday doesn't mean that I'm less of an awakened being."

Raul gave him the look of somebody who did not believe anything he was saying but was going to humor him anyway. "I guess it doesn't matter for you because well everything going on right now, but I don't feel human if I don't take a shower."

"I can't fault that because you smell terrible anyway but then again everything smells terrible so it's just normal."

Khaleesi popped her head up. "I heard somebody smells terrible. Oh man Raul, you stink. You're never going to get anywhere like that."

"Thanks, sis. I am doing fine in that department. Really? Whose ass has time to date right now?"

Bagel turned to the little teenager hiding next to them. "Did you learn anything? Do I need to have a talk with your parents?"

Khaleesi scoffed. "You don't need to talk to my parents. They are just fine not knowing about my new project. And did you know that they're over 30 drone companies that were pitching the US military before the collapse? Most of them were for these small drones that would just drop small bombs or fly into the enemies and explode. But there were a few that had tiny missiles..."

"Bagel did you..." Raul looked at Bagel, looked at his sister, looked back at the cat and his entire body deflated. "Did you persuade my sister to become a drone pilot or something?"

"I merely stated that it was possible for her to help without putting herself directly in danger."

"Sis don't listen to these guys. You don't need to be always doing something. The fact that you're making sure that Mom and Dad are still safe through all this is enough."

Khaleesi found the box from her brother and put it on the counter, returning to grab another box as he went on about how she had a duty to not overwork herself.

"Especially when something that can kill you spawns right outside our door... Or down the street rather. Like life is serious and you could die at any moment."

"Bro. Bro. Bro. I just want to blow shit up. Can I just blow shit up please?"

"That's all you had to say," Raul said smiling as you place the last box. Do the exact right position for them all. Tumble down at the slightest touch. It was like humans wanted against to happen on purpose. Otherwise, why the heck would they do that. He had an idea.

Raul shrugged. "Any moment now Mom and Dad are going to come through here, looking for lunch or something so I would. Could you start making some lunch for them?"

He was looking at one of bagels summons. If someone complied, the chef already ready to serve.

"You don't have to say please and thank you to these guys. You know that right?"

Bagel said.

"You know before all this happened, we used to mess up artificial intelligence results by saying please and thank you with every request to one of them? It's like the most human thing ever," Khaleesi said.

"Artificial intelligence robot please just destroy my enemies," Raul said in a robotic voice.

"Yes master," Khaleesi replied, matching his tone.

---

"Actually, it's not your job to find something to fill every minute of your day. I know it used to be like that, but could you just model the damn adventuring gear that I bought you?"

"Nobody's going to be adventuring in just lingerie."

Kat raised both of her eyebrows.

"Not with that attitude they are not. Now I spent a lot of credits and several hours of my time getting the stuff for you so that I could enjoy you wearing it for a little bit. The least you could do would be to honor my sacrifice."

"Oh, woe is me," Ashley said bringing out drinks. The cold glasses felt wonderful. The liquid within tasted great.

"I want to say you are nailing the femme right now and even though I don't really consider myself Butch I I'm all about that."

"With those muscles, you don't consider yourself. Butch?"

"Girl," Kate said. "This is all rage against the world and the man and all that stuff. Don't think for a second that I made this for anything except for that. Just so happened that you were too. Too cute to pass up and you responded to my texts and a satisfying way."

"I mean what else was I going to fucking do. What the fuck. It's the damn apocalypse."

"Perfect. I need that. There's the attitude I need. Bottle that up and let me fucking drink it."

They both took a drink of their beers. Ashley was so happy to have something cold to drink. Dad, that wasn't water that she almost chucked the whole thing and won't go.

"So, do you think you have it?" Kate asked.

I don't really have anything yet. I just look I could make a drone if I had one, but I don't have one... and making missiles? That is its own issue as well."

"Mmm. Salvage forage? Sounds great."

"I just need oh you know what I need. I just need the fucking blueprints for this thing, and I can start pumping out as many joints as I can get. The only thing that is stalling me is I need the material."

"Bagel said you could take any of the cars from the parking lot that have still been left there. Whatever idiot decided to park their shit down there..."

"Oh, that's the thing I went to the other parking lot across the street. There are still cars there that no one has touched in fucking forever. So, we could if we wanted to go for a ride. Finders' keepers, right?"

At that, Kate perked up.

"With it you want to go for a ride... Where the hell will we go?"

"I was thinking Storm King. Upstate just like a little weekend away. Type thing. I know we're not there yet, but maybe someday soon we'll be there and then maybe we can go as a couple. And you know this a cute little bridge up by Bear Mountain with little town on the river and that's the place where the Hudson isn't. So icky and gross. You could even jump in if you wanted."

Kate smiled as she started undressing.

"I think that's a great idea and I think that we should plan that out. Things have to be super stable here but hell yeah, I would expect to go on a fucking vacation with you and all this blows over."

Neither one of them needed to say it.

That they were dependent on the powers that be to provide their power. The city going was slowly turning the tide.

The NYPD would be exhausting every possible avenue. New Yorkers were doing their best to claw back the sense of safety and security that being in the city the Big Apple once had.

Or it could be that she got that sense with absolutely no basis.

"On a level of priorities though, that's very low. However, there is something else that is very high my priorities right now."

She placed a hand on Ashley's hip.

Ashley smiled. "I suppose that this is a little bit higher on your priority list. Maybe you can figure this out."