the search for mrs lotus

[thelittlemerman]

It's after careful deliberation that Finnick decides he's going to track down the well-known Seelie fae Mrs. Lotus. He hopes he can find her along with the rest of the kidnapped fae and cut off that source of Daybreak's power before it's too late, but it's going to take some investigation...

APRIL 8//OTA

His first stop is Pins and Needles. When he first arrives he can feel the iron deadbolt on the front door, and he decides to forego trying to get in during the daylight. Instead he pops in to the nearby shops to ask about it, see if they know anything about her sudden departure. There are a few interesting pieces of information but ultimately Finnick knows he'll have to get into the shop, so he finds the nearest place to get coffee and just watches. Stays there for a few hours and then finds somewhere else to loiter around. If witches are coming and going he'll know.

When night falls, Finnick leaves temporarily to prepare himself, and when he comes back it's in the early hours of morning when even the busiest London streets have reached their quietest. He'd cut a very suspicious figure if anyone actually saw him, dressed in black and armed with a trident of all things, and even more so if they saw the way he stalks around the building trying to detect magical traps before he finally smashes a window and slips into the store. He's in there almost an hour, rummaging around and trying to sniff out any magical traces left behind by her kidnappers.

APRIL 9-11//OTA

Mrs. Lotus' friends and colleagues aren't Finnick's standard fare as far as socializing goes, but he knows his way around a conversation well enough so he starts to seek out anyone that had anything to do with her before she disappeared. A quick smile tends to get all the information he can glean from her friends, but it tends to tire him out and anyone who happened to be following him throughout this process would see him locate the nearest semi-private spot and collapse a little in exhaustion. It's usually the quiet corner of a coffee shop or an out-of-the-way park bench; ironically, pretending to be in a good mood takes the actual good mood right out of him.

APRIL 12-15//OTA

The hunt for Daisy Connell is a different sort of beast. He's not a man who knows a lot about reconnaissance, but Finnick's been a paranoid individual long enough that he knows how not to get caught by his mark. He's not likely to be distracted as he watches her movements over the course of a few days, so anyone who comes across him is likely to be met with a cold shoulder.

APRIL 17//FOR EAMES

It takes him a little while to decide to tell Eames. It's only when he's considered all his options and decided they're all very dangerous without help that he determines he should, and he's nervous that even though he has all the puzzle pieces to put together Eames won't be interested at all. The Lord of Autumn has been fighting his own battle, a different one, and even though Finnick thinks that freeing the fae would help he's not sure Eames wants to dedicate any resources to it right now.

Still, he's going to ask, and that's what brings him to Eames' door just a few days before the grand opening of Samantha's Innovation Centre. He knocks hastily and can't help but glance over his shoulder as he waits for Eames to answer the door.

[as always give me a shout if there's any questions/concerns or if you'd like a specific interaction that you don't see a prompt for above!]

Comments

11th April

[bellbound]

It's a park bench that Mogget sees the Seelie fae collapse on and that's enough to stir his curiosity. He's seen this fae before. He's a long way from Seelie territory, so what is he doing here?

"Long day?" The cat jumps up on the bench next to Finnick, tilting his head. "Now what was your name...?"

If he's exhausted enough, he'll be a prime target for Circle Daybreak but capturing fae is much easier when their names are known.

[thelittlemerman]

Finnick spares Mogget a glance and then a sneer. This is exactly what he needed today.

"Couldn't you be a little less obvious?"

[bellbound]

"I could," Mogget acknowledges, but exhausted fae might be more likely to let slip an answer they later regret. "You're taking up a perfectly good spot for the homeless. They didn't cast you out, did they?"

He looks just pissed off enough that it might be that, though Mogget supposes his own presence could incite that same reaction.

[thelittlemerman]

"No, I still belong to a court," Finnick says, with a tone in his voice like he wishes he weren't. He does like the safety of the court but sometimes he resents the feeling of obligation to serve. It's not truly an obligation, but he hates the idea that those in his court might be vulnerable, and so he fights.

[bellbound]

"So why are you here? Under orders? Or trying to get away from it all?"

Mogget's eyes are sharp and he can hear the resignation in the other fae's voice. Something is going on.

[thelittlemerman]

"I'm here because I choose to be," Finnick says. "I suspect you cannot say the same."

[bellbound]

Mogget's eyes narrow. No, he can't, and he doesn't much appreciate this Seelie reminding him of that.

"Hmm," is all he says however before settling down to groom himself, apparently ignoring Finnick altogether.

It seems he won't get answers. So he will merely sit and observe.

[thelittlemerman]

Finnick's not going to put up with that for long.

"Don't you have somewhere else your master would like you to be?" he asks, his tone a bit cruel. Maybe he's capable of feeling sympathy for Mogget and the plight of a familiar, but his primary objective is to keep the damn thing away from himself. If Mogget hates the idea of being around him he might exercise whatever little willpower he has to keep it from happening, and Finnick can be at peace without Samantha's eyes and ears wandering about.

[bellbound]

Mogget looks up from licking his shoulder. "No."

He isn't kept on the shortest of leashes, so he does have some freedom to decide how he's going to achieve his set objective for the day. And when his objective is to find fae and there's one right here, he might as well take a break right here too.

[thelittlemerman]

"Oh," Finnick says, like this is a pleasant surprise. "So you ran enough errands to exploit your own kind that she let you have a day off, did you?"

[bellbound]

The cat pauses, regarding Finnick with an even stare. "That's not what you asked."

He doesn't get days off. That would be fair and reasonable.

[thelittlemerman]

Finnick gives him a dry laugh. "I know what I asked," he says.

[bellbound]

Well, then. He'll understand Mogget's answer. The cat resumes licking his shoulder, resting on his side with his paws sprawled out. He intends to stay here as long as Finnick does.

[falsify]

Well when Eames answers the door it's with that tired expression of a man who's been spending all his time Dealing With People lately, and even the most positively disposed of extroverts would feel kind of run down from that.

That, and an exciteable dog shuffling behind Eames' legs to see who's at the door. They smell good! Are they a friend?

"Finnick," Eames looks surprised if anything, and he steps aside to let him in before he asks why he's here, "come in, come in."

[thelittlemerman]

Finnick looks a little shy about the dog, watching him carefully as he steps around Eames into his home.

"I'm sorry to bother you," he says, "I just thought we should talk as soon as possible."

[falsify]

Boxer seems fascinated by Finnick, (he always is by fae,) but makes no moves to leap at him or anything. He does look a little expectant, tail wagging as he looks up at Finnick and then to Eames as if asking for an explanation as to why this man isn't petting him. People always pet him when they come over?

Eames, on the other hand, frowns a little and closes the door. Gesturing for Finnick to follow him through to the kitchen. "What's happened?"

[thelittlemerman]

Finnick follows through, but he doesn't waste much time before he starts explaining. His tone is missing the panic that Eames might be used to; he just sounds tired and a bit anxious that he's had to come at all.

"I've been trying to track down one of the fae who was kidnapped - Mrs. Lotus, I don't know if you know her - and I've found out where she is. I suspect that the rest of the fae are there with her, and if we can get them out, the witches won't be able to use our own power against us. It's just... it's going to be very difficult to get them out."

[falsify]

Well if ever there was an ominous closing statement.

Eames frowns as he listens, he's still waiting for news on Nemed but if Finnick's found him (and more) by chance then that might be enough to make a move.

"Where are they?"

[thelittlemerman]

No point beating around the bush. "They're in the Innovation Centre. That horrid thing Samantha's building for the witches," he says. The way he says it is equal parts contempt and worry.

[falsify]

Of course they are. Of fucking course.

Eames had been leading the way to the table, but at the news he immediately doubles back on himself to go to the cupboard and take out a bottle of gin instead. Because that's the turn this day is taking.

"Any other good news?"

[thelittlemerman]

Finnick sighs, filled with regret that he had to bring this news.

"They don't know that I know," he offers, almost phrased as a question. "The witch I learned it from didn't know who or what I was. We still have some element of surprise if we want to save them."

[falsify]

Eames pulls down a glass and pours himself a drink, gesturing with the bottle in a silent question as to whether he wants any too.

"There's an opening for the centre this week," Eames says, fingers tapping on his glass as he thinks about what he's said, "I was planning to sneak in anyway, but I don't know how much I'll be able to do or see."

[thelittlemerman]

"Please," Finnick says to the offer, pulling out a chair at Eames' table and sitting down with a sigh.

"Anything will help," he says. "I only came to you because I know I can't do it on my own. Not because of..." - he gestures aimlessly and forgoes further explanation - "but I'm just not strong enough to fight that many witches on my own, and I don't have the magic to slip in undetected."

[falsify]

Well then. He pours a drink for Finnick too and brings them both to the table.

(Boxer, for his part, has a toy in his mouth that he's brought over and is standing by Finnick with a slightly expectant look on his face.)

"I'll see what I can spot," he says, "at the very least I'll have a vague idea what it's like in there."

[thelittlemerman]

Finnick looks at Boxer and goes to slowly and gently put his hand on the toy so Boxer can decide whether he's going to take it or not.

"Will you be safe?" he asks, glancing in Eames' direction as he does this. Can't have the Lord of Autumn going and risking himself too much, and if Finnick can contribute anything he'd like to know.

[falsify]

"Probably not," Eames says flippantly as he watches Boxer go still for a moment (save his tail swooshing in curiosity) and then tentatively pull on the toy. People usually go straight for it and he's not sure what this means. Does Finnick not know how to play?

Eames lifts his eyes from the dog to Finnick, a lazy shrug of his shoulder all the emotion he has in him at this moment. "I'll bring someone to watch my back. A mortal."

[thelittlemerman]

Finnick pulls on the toy. Maybe he wants to play tug-of-war? Animals are a mystery to him.

"Good," he says, making the executive decision that Eames doesn't need someone to worry over him. Especially not some Seelie Knight who can barely take care of himself. "I wish I knew what I could do."

[falsify]

Eames watches this toy situation for a moment, valiantly resisting the urge to laugh at the way Finnick pulls on the toy. Boxer at least seems to be placated by it, tugging back like he's testing Finnick's strength.

"We'll figure it out once we have a better idea of what we're dealing with," he says, looking back up at Finnick's face. He sympathises with the desire to do something right now, but it's not like he's been sitting idle for this past month.

[thelittlemerman]

Finnick pulls back on the toy, matching however hard Boxer pulls. He seems to be marginally more comfortable with the dog now that he's starting to understand the logic of his actions; he might even be starting to like him.

"Is there anything I can help with?" he asks. "I don't think I can risk getting close to that party, but..."

[falsify]

"Just... Keep yourself safe," he says, "I'm not sure there's much else anyone can do for the next week or so."

You know, except run headlong into danger and get themselves caught, and Eames thinks they'd both prefer if that didn't happen.

[thelittlemerman]

Finnick lets out a weak laugh and looks up from Boxer at Eames. "I've always hated waiting."

[falsify]

"That makes two of us," a sad statement he punctuates by topping up their drinks. "But sometimes it's the best move."

Aug 8th

[roddy_reinigen]

It's that quiet that makes Roddy feel relatively safe running around in his fuzzy form. There are times he needs to get out and let loose with all his feral rodent...scavenging. Of course, even when letting his rat instincts run wild, a man with a trident breaking into a closed shop is more than enough to draw his attention away from his current activities. Scurrying over to the window and climbing up onto the windowsill, Roddy carefully leaned over the broken glass, peering within the shop and sniffing to try and figure out what the strange fae was doing.

[thelittlemerman]

At this point Finnick is probably rummaging through desk where Mrs' Lotus' cash drawer sits, looking through notes and receipts and bills for any recurring names that might mean anything to him, trying to feel for anything with magical traces that could give him a better sense of what happened here. He's so focused and trying to pick up on a witch's scent that he doesn't notice the presence of the shapeshifter in the window.

[roddy_reinigen]

If it wasn't for the trident, Roddy would think this guy was just looking for any cash he could steal. With the trident...well, Roddy felt like that would be way too mundane for this guy. He knew this was a bad idea. This was, most likely, fae business, and any sane shapeshifter should not get tied up with fae business.

And yet, here he was, carefully climbing over the glass, gauging a safe spot to jump down, before making the leap and quietly scurrying closer.

[thelittlemerman]

The movement is what catches Finnick's attention and makes him abruptly look up from what he's doing to the direction of the broken window. His hand closes around his trident, which he had leaning against the desk, as he scans the shop.

"I can feel you," he says, hushed but full of warning all the same. "Show yourself now."

[roddy_reinigen]

Roddy let out a surprised squeak. This was definitely a bad life decision. Not wanting to anger the mystery fae any more than he probably already had, Roddy shifted back. He wanted to make it abundantly clear that he wasn't hiding, after all. And so there, on the middle of the shop floor, was Roddy, naked and curled up, trying to cover himself as much as he could with his hands.

"Uh...sorry. I can't shift with clothes."

[thelittlemerman]

Finnick wasn't expecting the shifter to show himself so quickly, and when Roddy pops up he points his trident at him. Then the shifter apologizes for being naked of all things, and Finnick rolls his eyes. He is centuries old and doesn't particularly care about some human nudity. He was raised through the renaissance for god's sake.

"Tell me why you're here," he says, his tone a mixture of threatening and annoyed.

[roddy_reinigen]

"I..." Well, this was...awkward. He didn't really have much of a reason. "Saw a guy with a trident breaking a window and wanted to see what was going one?"

Terrible reasoning, and an even worse idea, but it was the truth. He hoped that would be enough to get this guy to stop pointing a trident at him.

"I didn't really think it through."

[thelittlemerman]

"No, it appears you didn't," Finnick says, giving Roddy a look up and down before he lowers his weapon. The naked shifter doesn't really pose much of a threat like this.

"You should go. This isn't any of your business," he tells him as he looks back down at the desk he was searching before.

[roddy_reinigen]

Not wanting to argue, Roddy simply nodded before shifting back and scampering away. When he reached the glass, he moved more carefully, but then proceeded to climb up to the windowsill. He gave one final glance back before hopping out the window.