undergrounds | [OPEN] [May 8th-10th] Busy Bees and First Impressions

a. FISHING
Gipsy on the road again felt good, like she always did, with that purr and the hum of the open road. It had been five years of the road in her blood, wild and free with a mission under her belt. Mako might have been at the top of her class five years ago but the road had sharpened her to the finest of points. But for now, she was leaving that behind and relaxing a little - or trying to, at least. Fishing was one of those things that gave her a little breathing room, not to mention a good snack. She had a nice fire pit lit and crackling behind her, the warmth at her back, a rod in hand and an empty bucket for her catches.

A sound, the rustle of bushes, that preternatural prickling at the back of her neck, told her she wan't alone as she pulled a decent sized fish from the water.

" If you are looking for lunch," she said quietly as she put the fish into a bucket, "let me catch another fish and we'll see about that. Meanwhile, you may enjoy the fire."

b. COFFEE
It is difficult, sometimes, to get a cup of coffee that is truly good. Mako stood in line at Cafe Poirot debating her choices. It was like picking some sort of jewel out of a line up of the finest in the world. The cappuccino was good, the machination was fantastic, the lattes were among her favourite and-- She turned to the person behind her at a loss.

"Which do you like from the menu? I am debating on the latte but everything looks so good today."

c. GARAGE
Far more than fishing, working with mechanics of any type makes Mako feel complete. Anything with a motor, anything with gears, she knows how to put it together. It's been like this her whole life. Machines are an intrinsic part of her life, personal and professional. Setting up her garage, her workspace, makes her stay official.

She's very much the newest member of Hillingdon House, now.

Mako even has a little sign that says: Gipsy Danger's Quick Fix. Okay, so it's a borrowed garage and a borrowed workspace but it's off the road and she's had a shower - a long one. It's real enough that she hopes it'll stick. At the moment, Mako was working on restoring an old engine, which has been neatly disassembled and placed on a sheet as she went through each, cleaning them. A noise makes her look up from her work and she stops what she's doing.

"Did you have something that needs to be fixed?"

d. WANDERING HILLINGDON HOUSE
New places are often difficult to navigate and getting the lay of the land is something that Mako had learned to do before truly settling anywhere. She had been wary of it but in rather dire need as well. She moved carefully, looking for the kitchen and hopefully some tea. But mostly, she was just looking. She turned the corner and nearly bumped into someone.

"I am so sorry!" she said quietly, backing up a little. "I am Mako Mori and I am also very new to this place. Is there somewhere that I may make tea?"

e. Wildcard; pick a situation and we'll roll with it.

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Mogget doesn't have free rein to wander the city, but he has been sent out on more scouting missions as of late. The fire catches his attention first, and then the fish, and then the young woman fishing. A shapeshifter, cat if his nose isn't mistaken, although there is something odd about her...

Who cares. It's the fish he's interested in and he pauses when the girl speaks, ears pricked.

"Lunch is always welcome." 100% true. "Who are you?"

The fact that he doesn't know her is the only reason he's keeping his distance. She might turn out to be hostile, but it would be good to snatch that fish...

Edited 2017-05-09 21:09 (UTC)

"Mako Mori," she says as she hooks another fish before setting to work with a smaller knife to properly gut and clean them. The fact that she's quick about it says she's done it so often it's barely a bother. She brings her catch back to the fire and looks over her company.

"Who are you, handsome cat?" Mako smiles because cats are her favourite of animals. "And fresh or cooked? I know some cats have a preference."

Handsome cat. How flattering. And she's offering him fish without a catch, so what's the catch? He takes another step forward, one paw raised in the air, bright eyes fixed on the fish.

"Fresh," he answers. "Well met, Mako Mori. I am called Mogget and I should be pleased to share your catch, unless of course you intend to poison me. Then I shall be less pleased."

"I would never," Mako says visibly distressed at the thought. "Besides, it is rude to poison a guest." With some fancy blade work, she debones the fish and slices it up into proper sized pieces. It was a very large fish, after all. He even gets it on a plate and she spreads her coat for him to sit on. She does the same for her own, though she has a pan over the fire with which to cook her own fish, some sesame oil and salt, but no pepper.

"There," she murmurs when done with hers which she puts into a mug she might have used for tea. It can be rinsed clear so she will get her tea later. Mako leans back against one of the trees close enough to the fire and smiles. "It is a good catch and it will make your coat shine. Supposedly, it is good for mine as well."

It's rather a makeshift campsite but she is being considerate. Perhaps she is just someone who likes cats. He approaches the plate of fish, sniffing at one of the pieces with the utmost delicacy. It's with equal caution that he then bites into the piece of fish, chews, and swallows. It's delicious. And not poisoned.

He looks up at the girl leaning by the tree.

"And what does your coat look like?" he asks.

He's fairly certain she's a feline, but what kind he cannot tell.

"I do not know," Mako says honestly. He seemed to like the fish and that made her pleased to know his was a good meal. "One day I will but only if I can find a fae willing to help me."

She makes a face and eats another piece of salmon.

"So far, in five years, I have found only a few willing to give me information but not aid me in removing the charm that binds me from shifting."

In the time it takes Mako to reply, Mogget has devoured his entire fish. He takes a moment to clean his whiskers, smacks his lips in satisfaction, and then regards the girl again. Bound from shifting, is she?

"That must be a terrible curse," he observes. Meaning for her, of course. A shapeshifter that can't shift is, well, useless. Her own nature is denied to her. "What happened?"

He's curious.

"I have never known how to shift," Mako says, leaning forward to hug her knees, "so perhaps it is less of a curse and more of a predicament." She finishes her own fish, thinking on how to word her story. It is important how things are worded after all, including all the things that might be included and all the things that must be omitted for brevity's sake.

"My parents lived in a place where few shifters did, so when I was born, they asked a fae to charm me so that I could not shift. Later, when they could do so, they would move to a proper community where I would have the charm broken so that I could learn properly. It was not something I would come to know for many years. Mother did not speak of it at all, no shifter talk at all but my father, he would tell me stories. Koi fish turning into dragons, ninja who could turn into cats, and so I would learn my clan history at the side of my father as he made his swords at his forge. I loved his stories like I loved his beautiful swords."

She leans her chin against her knees, her hair swinging forward, the bright blue slices of her hair catching the light of the fire, shining as she smiles in recollection. Her father's face is not as clear but his presence is strong.

"I was ten when we were on our way to Tokyo for a vacation," Mako continues and though her voice is clear, if still heavily accented in Japanese," and we hit or were hit by something very large. As a child, I remembered little more than I had somehow fallen out of the vehicle and one of my shoes was missing, as I went for it and picked it up, my parents were no longer there, nor was the car. My godfather who, upon the death of my parents became my father, found me wandering around with my shoe in my hands, calling for my parents. And so I remained charmed but my life was strange anyway."

She lifted her head and laughed softly her fingers lifting almost elegantly as she gestured.

"I saw ghosts everywhere, some did nothing but retrace the steps they made when they were living, some talked to me, some screamed. But the one thing I loved most was the fact that I could talk to and understand cats. It made the ghosts bearable and I know the cats enjoyed my company," Mako said with a soft, happy sort of sigh. "When I was older, after I had finished my military academy training and gained a degree in robotics and mechanical engineering, I asked my father for leave so that I could research my family and find out why I was so odd. In time, I learned the truth piece by piece. Fae would give me little scraps of knowledge or deny me access but I know where I come from and what holds me back."

Mogget listens to the whole story before he makes his assessment, and it's a succinct one:

"So your parents denied you your birthright before you even had any thoughts of your own, and left no contingency in place following their deaths. Both cruel and careless. Their legacy is your misfortune." His eyes are luminous in the firelight, even brighter than Mako's hair. "When did you come to London?"

It seems likely that she knows of the city's reputation for magic and that she has come here seeking a solution to her curse. There are certainly enough fae here to go around.

"I suppose it is at that but from what I can tell, they were going to move to a shifter settlement at some point but they died before it could be done," Mako says softly. "I have been here, perhaps a week or more now and am staying at Hillingdon for the time being so that I might investigate how to end my current predicament."

Hillingdon. Hmm. The cat is quiet for a moment. Mako's predicament is one he could help with, but no help from a fae comes without a price. And because he is bound to Circle Daybreak, he must think of how he might turn this to Daybreak's advantage.

He stretches, flexing his claws before settling down. "I doubt Hillingdon can do much to help you. And the Courts are fickle. If you wish to put an end to your curse, you might do worse than to ask a witch with a fae in her service."

[OPEN] [May 8th-10th] Busy Bees and First Impressions

a, obvs

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