The Velvet Key

A - Gil's Bookstore, Afternoon.

[An increasingly frustrated Miki spends most of her shift stomping around and snapping at coworkers and customers. Any time she spends standing around during a lull is spent with either her arm or leg twitching in an impatient manner, as if there is something she wants to do, even though it is simply "something that isn't work". Even petting the various cats that populate the bookstore aren't enough to calm her nerves. Feel free to try to deal with her or talk to her.]

B- Gil's bookstore, Later in the Afternoon.

[Eventually, it all comes to a head when she gives a stressed scream and shout out to her fellow co-workers,]

"OK Jackasses, I'm tired of this. I'm taking the rest of the day off."

[She stomps over to the register and mashes her fist down on the keyboard, causing the tray to open up. Miki pulls out a few bills before slamming it shut and attempting to walk out the door.]

[Thanks to the, uhh, "generosity", of Gilgamesh, Miki has finally found some employment. However, sitting behind a register at a bookstore late at night, no matter how ridiculous and golden that register may be, isn't really her idea of fun. The books do nothing for her either, as books are also rather boring to her. After two dull nights and desperate for some excitement in her life, as her injuries have made constant nightly shadow hunts unwise, Miki has decided to throw herself into her second passion which has seen little use since her arrival at Prospero: getting people to visit her store.]

Video, sometime around 8PM Friday.

[Miki's phone is propped up against a pole in such a way that the viewing angle shows both her and Gil's bookstore in full behind her. Smiling, Miki begins speaking loudly and cheerfully as she makes exaggerated gestures towards the bookstore.]

Hey! Are you bored? Do you like reading books? Do you like coffee? Do you like cute things with cat ears? Well now you can have all of them at The Bookstore! Come on down to the Kitty Cafe inside and we'll make sure you'll have the best time you ever had inside a bookstore! T-this definitely means you too Lion! Nyan~

[Miki brings her arm up to her face in an imitation of the Maneki Neko pose before she runs up to the phone and shuts off the feed.]

Action - The bookstore

[The inside of Gil's bookstore is now filled with about two dozen stray cats that Miki has headed in off of the streets. Most of them lounge about in the way that cats are wont to do, with dispositions ranging from affectionate to disinterest. None of them look overly sick or diseased or infested, Miki did screen these cats personally, at least. Miki herself is running around, wearing her normal clothes and completely absent any sort of superfluous ears, handing out coffee in cardboard cups to the few bewildered customers inside. She has a few bandages on her hands and face, as well as a few minor red scratches.]

[Miki had spent a few days in the hospital recovering from the injuries that were beyond the ability of Issei's Persona to repair. Being young an healthy, and having had the worst of her injuries magicked away helped immensely in her recovery, so in two days the doctors had felt that she was able to be released. Miki hobbles out of the hospital wearing a brace on her left knee and wrist sitting down on a bench outside before making a general call to the network.

While Miki seems happy, it's not her usual manic high. Everything from her voice to her body language seems undercut with a tone of nervousness.]

Hi everyone! I'm sorry I disappeared for a few days, I didn't mean to worry anyone. I...I was wondering if anyone could come get me and walk with me back to the hotel. Umm, My leg, yeah, my leg still hurts and I don't want to fall over on the way back. I- I would really appreciate it.

[Miki ends her request with a few moments of nervous laughter.]

Text

[After a bit of fumbling Miki manages to send out a mass text to everyone in prospero, even though it's contents only really concern the Minors of our fair city.]

fyi 4 all you skoolkids im going 2 hav a fighting class aftre schol two day attendence is manditory lol so be there 2 learn 2 fight shadwos

Actions

A. At the hardware store.

[Miki is walking around with a basket full of chains and padlocks, humming contentedly to herself.]

B. Prospero High, around 1 pm.

[Miki is walking around the high school, stopping at all the doors except for the front one, and chaining them shut from the outside.]

C. Prospero High, at the end of the school day.

[Many of the doors have been chained shut, save for the front doors. Outside is a sign that says "Be Prepared! I'm grading you!" (If your character is a high schooler, when you walk out will probably be ambushed by a crazy person.)]