Keita Mori

Keita Mori is a main character in The Watchmaker of Filigree Street, and is whom the book title is about. He is a clairvoyant who can "remember the future." As the likeliness of him to experience a future event increases, the more he can experience it happening. When something becomes more unlikely to happen, he forgets it. An example of this is Mori knows how to play a particular piece of music because it is likely Thaniel goes and buys the sheet music in the future, but when Thaniel ends up not buying the sheet music, Mori forgets how to play the tune. Due to this nature of the ability, Mori keeps a diary of the potential futures he sees, and notes what actually happens.

Mori as a watchmaker has some notoriety in London. One of Thaniel's colleagues at the Home Office mentioned Mori being well known after seeing Thaniel's watch, and Frederick Spindle implied Mori does clockwork for the Royal family. Grace also owns a Mori watch given to her by her brother. It is also implied pawnbrokers around London who have received Mori watches have all gotten them stolen, making Mori's watches unable to be pawned. Mori also makes chronometers for the Navy.

Mori is a baron, as well as an illigitimate child. Lord Mori is not his blood father. This means he is a samurai but can't carry a sword. Before Lord Takahiro was titled, him and Mori got along well, but since being titled Takahiro abused Mori. Mori has stated that the maids at the castle held greater power than he did, and when Takahiro entered a room Mori has to prostrate before him.

Mori keeps his bedroom very bare and neat, with no dust even under his bed, meanwhile his workroom is chaotic with parts everywhere and clockwork inventions all about.

## Personality

Mori has stated he never lies, however there have been instances of him apparently lying. In chapter four of TWOFS, Mori says he thought the watch that saved Thaniel from the Scotland Yard bombing was stolen from him. After Thaniel learns about his ability, Mori eventually admits he left the watch for Thaniel. In chapter five, when asked by Thaniel if there is a "Mrs. Mori" in Japan, Mori denies it. Mori could have skirted around the truth, as Takiko Pepperharrow kept her last name after marrying Mori. In chapter fourteen, Mori asked Thaniel if he saw Grace at the Foreign Office ball, and Thaniel asked Mori how he knew, considering there was no mention of Grace before that point. Mori says Thaniel had told him, even though Thaniel hadn't.

Mori is morally gray. He is not above creating a set up to get rid of people, and uses his ability to frighten Ito enough to let him go to England. Much of what he does is to have the chance to meet Thaniel, even going as far to threaten the life of Ito's wife so Ito will become enraged enough to send him off.

The future plays great effect on Mori's personality, specifically his fears. He mentions having a fear of heights, and later the operetta fiasco from TWOFS ends with Mori falling off of a building.

## Appearance

Mori is Japanese, with black eyes and dyed blond hair. When he speaks in English, his accent varies. He typically has a perfect Northern English accent, but the accent fades depending on circumstances in the book. Despite his age he is very youthful looking, with him only having wrinkles when smiling or frowning. According to Thaniel, Mori looks closer to a teenager when he doesn't speak.  Towards the end of The Watchmaker of Filigree Street, Mori's dyed- blond hair has substantially faded, being closer to its original dark color. Mori smells like the lemon soap he uses.

## Relationships

### Thaniel Steepleton

Due to his ability, Mori has known about Thaniel since there was the slightest possibility he would meet him, dating back at least ten years before he moved to England, which he went to specifically to meet Thaniel. Even before he met Thaniel, he would refer to him as his "friend" in England. He dedicates a lot of his ability to make sure him and Thaniel meet properly at the right time, as well as to please him like making sure he has the opportunity to be a pianist again. Mori was crying alone after confirming Thaniel met Grace at the Foreign Office ball. When visiting the Kensington house Thaniel and Grace were to move in after getting married, he comments, "there is no piano upstairs." Despite Mori's ability, he has trouble predicting what Thaniel is going to say, as Thaniel changes his mind too often according to him.

## Trivia

* Mori is allergic to yellow liqourice allsorts, which have yet to be invented, insinuating in a possible future he eats one and consequently has an allergic reaction.
* Mori was born on June 14, 1845.

## References

1. ↑ The Watchmaker of Filigree Street: Ch. 4
2. ↑ The Watchmaker of Filigree Street: Ch. 8
3. ↑ The Watchmaker of Filigree Street: Ch. 3
4. ↑ The Watchmaker of Filigree Street: Ch. 2
5. ↑ The Watchmaker of Filigree Street: Ch. 15
6. ↑ The Watchmaker of Filigree Street: Ch. 28
7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 The Watchmaker of Filigree Street: Ch. 19
8. ↑ 8.0 8.1 The Watchmaker of Filigree Street: Ch. 21
9. ↑ The Watchmaker of Filigree Street: Ch. 22
10. ↑ The Watchmaker of Filigree Street: Ch. 30
11. ↑ The Watchmaker of Filigree Street: Ch. 27
12. ↑ The Watchmaker of Filigree Street: Ch. 10