closed starter feat. @mavisvaduva location: the grotto time: 1am
chess had purred too close to the sun. meowed into the stratosphere. he had become a shop cat.
it wasn't like it was a bad gig. if anything, it was a blessing in disguise when curly came in with what she described as "the fluffiest cat bed she could find". chess had been thankful to have a secure place to stay at night, so long as he got there before the new one closed the doors. wandering the streets at night, even in his cat suit, got old when it was every night. he didn’t hate the pate either, though he wished they would skip the tuna flavor.
artificial tuna was atrocious.
the cat had learned that once a certain bookseller started to pack his things, there was about one clock turn until the grotto locked up for the night. right on cue, chess ran back to home base, tail swishing, and didn't stop until he had landed directly in front of the door. entering the caravan, the cat first made sure that the missing girl was not somehow missing a second time - check. they jumped on the counter, tail wagging as they settled down between her and the cash register.
and then they purred. obviously, this was the most important step in gaining her trust.