Kari Weer's page

Awesome. Kari will definitely take advantage of the requirement to work in hospital. As she doesn't actually have a goal of working for the hospital just of working there enough to get what she needs. Prior to that day, she's going to reach out to her shady connections (Tier 2 Works the System) to get of idea of what type of security and systems she might have to deal with to access the information she wants without leaving a trail.

Night at the Estate

Two missions, Ms. Manners but we had a debreif with you after Ardeyn so only one minor step into Halloween Land since we've spoken in person. I'll make sure to report in person following California.

Moira

Happily havent pissed off anyone here enough to get stabbed yet.

At your convience, working with you is my utmost priority atm :)

When they do get together, starts with a cheeky grin. "It's only been a few days, but I hope they've been good ones professor. I hope we did break anything too important by overloading the room with the dummies."

Fenwick

I'll bring you something better than a cookie.

And Kari goes up to the restaurant where she and Aleph had dinner and asks for a desert the chef's choice (passing on how good both the oatcake and impossible pie were if Chef Alsep is in the kitchen).

Aleph

estate ramen, totally forgiven. real ramen in tokyo or ruk and we might need to hae words

nothing to worry about in the mission since all the kids made it out scotfree. admit to being a little worried about them getting into worse trouble on their own because at least one if not more have have a spark and now have an inclining of whats possible.

is that wh...

no. thats work talk. sorry

Dinner

"I'm not either," he says gently. "I hope you believe me when I say I've enjoyed this time with you, and would like to do it again sometime, then."

"Most enjoyable time I've had in a long time." Kari says honestly.

Kari asks the right but slightly unusual questions. What is the current environment and culture in the department, that type of thing.

At the end, "I'm really excited to put my education to use in the real world." A bit of a smile, "Ms. Jone, Mr. Atkins, thank you for taking the time to interview me and I hope to be working with you in the near future."

Night at the Estate

After getting some sleep post-interview, Kari will take her time to translate back to the estate.

On arrival, she's send a query through the official system if any in-person interview is needed to supplement the written report she submitted.

And the following texts - all marked non-urgent to not interrupt sleep cycles if there is such a function:

Fenwick
Congrats on the release from medical jail. Let me know if you need any food delivers now that you might not have Abby and Baruchiel at your beck and call.

Moira
Hi Professor. If you have the time today, I'd like to get in a good practice session before our next mission. I had my butt handed tome by a knife-weilding manica and I'd like to be better before the next psycho.

Alpeh
back from earth

but we're going out again tomorrow os if i miss seeing you i get you've a ton to do

Downtime Dinnertime

two faced, it sounds like the same sort of thing.

"Mean Girl is just the troupe, from that old movie in the 90s, it isn't gender specific." She laughs, "In my particular case, it was a girl in the same dorm as me." She turns introspective, "I fully admit looking back, there were red flags, but I didn't see them. It is two-faced, its drawing someone in, getting them to like you and looking like you are the positive good person, when you don't like or even dislike them." She shakes her head.

Smiles, "I was an utterly nerd when I started at the school and got razed for it. You aren't allowed the space to be an introvert in a boarding school." She shakes her head, "Just means I notice the small red flags now and avoid the people who raise them. It isn't a bad life skill."

"I can't remember the last time I really… enjoyed the food here at the Estate. There's something about having immediate access to literally any kind of food I want that takes the joy of sharing a meal out of it. Thank you for joining me." He says earnestly. "And I hope we can take a ramen journey together sometime soon, too."

Kari looks embarrassed, "I... gave up on the food system." A shrug, "I ordered a burger from a joint near the coffeehouse and..." She grins, "It's like the replicators on Star Trek. They can duplicate anything but it doesn't have the touch of food that is made by real hands, with pride and love that goes into it."

"Once I realized that, I just had the replicator give me the nutrition tablets." She catches his eyes and holds them, "If I'm not going to enjoy something, I don't see the point in faking it."

There is a pause, "I'm not good when I'm in places where I need to fake things in general."

Persuasion, Trained: 1d20 ⇒ 1
Deception, Temp trained: 1d20 ⇒ 12

You know what you said about botching the job? Kari is apparently really good at f*@%ing up.

Are those boys bullying you? :)

No bullying :). I'm just a little hypersensitive to the -are you an idiot- looks

Interview with a hospital

From information Kari would have received to prep for this call, she knows the woman is the hiring manager, and the man is just a colleague to help screen candidates

Would the information also have included their names?

so we just had a couple of quick questions for you."

Kari gives a small smile, "Of course."

Kari spends 1 Int to pull trained in deception from the Halloween recursion foci - just in case
"What would you like to know?" She isn't perfect at the art of looking directly into the camera of the computer rather than the faces on the screen, but it is clear that she is focused on the interview.

Kari gives the homeless their space and finds an unoccupied spot to relax into nature before writing a complete mission brief, ensuring to keep facts separate from supposition, which has its own section. And she files the report.

She goes for one of the hotels in Ballard, prioritizing internet connection over comfort. She takes a shower, refreshing herself a bit, then sets to work on the off chance that hiring manager will be attending from the hospital and Kari can short circuit her own plan by getting the information covertly during the interview.

She thinks this is highly unlikely, but it would be a pity to not be ready for the opportunity should it arise. She dresses frumpy geek for the interview, hair slicked into shiny braids.
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Dinnertime is Funtime

"I like to hope that, for the most part, that happens because someone is trying to be civil, or polite. Or because they don't know how to communicate effectively. That's pretty common for kids, too. Hopefully that happens less often to you now."

Kari shrugs, "There is civil conversation, yes, where people exaggerate or only focus on the better aspects." She looks down, "And then there are people who say something good, that you want to hear, without meaning it to make it sound like they want to have some kind of relationship with you while they really don't like you." She grins, "If you haven't had to deal with the mean girl syndrome, I'm happy."

Aleph gets a little more animated at this question/observation, and while still holding Kari's hand, he's bringing her a little along for the ride as he starts gesturing while he responds.

She smiles, going along willingly. She tries to not be judgy, "I'm almost positive there is a reason Ruk developed that way." She has a relieved grin though, "I'm glad I was born on Earth though and can buck the system in my own private little ways."

She almost immediately starts another question but shakes her head, with a "Too close to work talk." She just holds his hand and thinks for a bit. Then with a smile, "Is one of the factions dedicated to raising children?" The smile turns impish, "Otherwise I have a hard time seeing truly dedicated faction members not trying to sway their charges to the 'correct' faction. Or have I misunderstood something basic?"

"I won't get into details while food is sitting before us, but… I lost any sort of squeamishness about sharing food and all of that a long time ago in my line of work." He says with an almost embarrassed smile. "Eat what you'd like to first, if there's any left over, I'd love to sample it."

She grins, "My food is your food."Kari does have the odd habit of carefully tasting each component in the dish before trying them as the intended whole, clearly enjoying both the pieces and the finished work of art.

"oh wow, you really need to try these two things together, I don't even know how to describe the flavor"

She makes a similar comment at the noodle dish, but looks at the quarterish portions that she may have intentionally left uneaten, "But you might have to start from the beginning to get the same effect." And once she gets to her own fourth plate, she absolutely does a taste test of Aleph's meal, although just enough to get the flavor of each plate.

When they get to desert, Kari just pushs the Sweet Oat to the center so they can both eat it.

In a pleasant place

"Do you have any particularly fond memories from your time there?"

"Lots. Great library, an incredible amount to learn. People who were great to be around when it was just them." She laughs softly, "Just didn't like them around their real friends."

"It gave me an appreciation for choosing to be around people who wanted me to be around rather than those that say one thing while not meaning it."

I still would have stood firmly on the side of not massacring an entire planet's population. Or even just one of those population.

"Good to know." Kari says seriously although her eyes are bright. "And I can see a group wanting to claim someone so obviously special as early as possible, happens on Earth for far less altruistic reasons like profit all the time."

"How all encompassing are these factions on Ruk? I mean it sounds like if you hadn't become a part of the Estate your life would be heavily controlled by the needs and focus of the Quiet Cabal. Is that because of the importance of their task or are all the factions as consuming? Your experience seems much more than a job."

"Need more to drink?" Dia asks while Aleph takes in the food in front of both he and Kari.

Kari takes in the multi-course meal with wide eyes, leaning in to smell as Dia puts them down. "Just water for me," a grin, "I'd hate to change Chef Meric's flavors with an off choice."

After Dia delivers both meals, Kari pauses with utensil in hand. She looks at Aleph, "Do you want some of any of my dishes before I start? I know there are people who are uncomfortable with food off a plate that been eaten from."

Follow-up will be booking a place and getting a cab or Uber.

Then she replies to the recruiter for details of the interview - in person or video conferencing.

She gives Gwen a piece of paper with her number written on it, "I also know what its like to not have someone to reach out to when it feels like no one else will understand." A shrugs, "There are times when I'm in places with no cell reception, but I'll always get back to you."

A pause, "And I really do not know all of you, but..." she looks at the group and the swirling hormone mess of relationships. "if any of you need help, I'm only a text away."

A little encouragement: 1d20 ⇒ 17

"That doesn't sound so different from being conscripted to join a faction," he says, crossing his arms on the table and leaning forward slightly. "How often did you see your family while attending boarding school? I don't know much about education structure on Earth other than it exists."

"Boarding schools in general tend to exist for the higher socioeconomic side of the equation, places for your kids to learn what they need to and be tended without interfering in your life." She smiles, "Not actually the case for my parents, I got in on a scholarship which covered tuition and boarding, but money to visit Mom down in the islands or Dad whereever in the world he was, not so much." She smiles, "I flew down at Christmas and spent that time with Mom and, once they were around, my much much younger siblings. One summer I was supposed to meet Dad in France, but it fell through and I ended up using the money for my security and first month rent."

"Plus, you were introduced to the Strange what… a week or two ago?

She nods, "Feels like its been at least a month or two, but time is fluid when you don't have a set schedule."

Kari listens carefully to Aleph, smiling a little at the end, "For those of us here, I'm glad that the Estate created a means to your personal freedom." She thinks for a moment, "With the lucky privilege of being from a modern first-world country, since I know there are places on Earth that make picking a faction and living and dying for it still a luxury, does everyone on Ruk have to make their choice so early? Or were you a special case?" She shakes her head, "I mean I've seen studies on the changes in brain structure in humans when we're exposed to things our bodies and minds aren't ready for, as advanced as Ruk is technically, it seems odd that they'd possibly handicap their population."

"So uh… do you know where we are? Are we still in Gwen's house, or somewhere else?"

"It's really is like Jumanji," Kari says as she takes a deep breath, worring her bottom lip, "this is a real life simulation that is tied to the physical board game at Gwen's house, so you are both at her house and in pocket dimension elsewhere."

Since you are in the circus, you hear the WINNER, WINNER, WINNER very loudly, coming from just outside the walls of the funhouse.

A smile and a deep breath, "First things first," she holds up the TRICK she just found. "Have you already gotten your own TRICK and TREAT?"

If he has, woot. If he hasn't, Kari gives her two to him.

"You'll need those to get out of the game."

A breath out, "Okay, we've tried all the smart ways to get out of here, so now we are left with the stupid." A beat, "You know there are monsters and movie villians in this game world which is why I've avoided the screaming for help, I don't know if my team or the monsters would show up first. However, the walls do look to be made of wood and I do have a bludgeoning object. Do you want to take the risk of something bad being drawn by the loud repetive noise of trying to beat ourselves out of here?"

If Kyle is ok with it:
Spending another 3 Might for Effort
Just a stupid hole, please?: 1d20 ⇒ 6

Or Perception trained to notice the click?: 1d20 ⇒ 8

edit: If that is good enough

The funhouse door swings open, Kari flashlight in hand ready to use it, with a teenage boy behind her.

"I hope never to need that knowledge again, but it's useful, so… thanks." He says to Kari as he stares at the wall.

"You really are doing a good job at keeping an even keel, Kyle." Kari says, looking at the teen.  "Even if we don't get out of here on our own, my team will come and find us." She shrugs, "You are one of the people we are here to find.  I'm just not good at being still to be found."

Perception, Trained: 1d20 ⇒ 1

And if that doesn't work...

Luck to find something useful in my bag: 1d20 ⇒ 3

I think we are going to need to be rescued....

Kyle puts his hands up and takes a half step back. "Whoa sorry, okay. And yeah, totally makes sense."

She shakes her head, "To use on monsters, not on the teenagers we are here to rescue."

"It might just be atmosphere or something. There are a lot of weird noises in here."

"Then lucky. There is nothing wrong with being lucky." She says with a smile.

Spend 3 Might for Effort
Might: 1d20 ⇒ 5

"Life lesson. If you don't know how to pick locks and you get locked in somewhere, try to go for the pins. If you can get them out, the door can be opened backwards. Assuming you have enough force to get the pins out of a rusty metal." If she manages to pry the piece free, she uses the piece in an attempt to wedge the pins free from their holding.

"You look a little young to be on a rescue team. Uh, I don't mean that offensively. You're cute, but like, do you have a gun or a key or…?"

Kari gives him a flat look, "I'm not this young in reality, just here. I'm old and not cute." She swings the flashlight, "Terry has the gun, I have a flashlight. Which doesn't sound impressive but its one, a bludgeoning tool which is nearly always handy and two, this one can blind the monsters in the game."

"Sorry. I don't know how long it's been since I've been able to talk to someone else."

"It's ok. I think because our intent was to rescue you all we came into the game together and it was really a bad roll that got me separated from the group, each of you appeared at your own place in the game which is much harder." She gives him a reassuring, totally a 'I'm an adult and know what I'm talking about look', "You've done really well keeping yourself safe from the monsters."

Kari looks at the lock, annoyed. "Lockpicks, I'm going to start keeping lockpicks in my bag." She looks around for a piece of metal she can use as a lever to force the door open. Or thin pieces that could be used as lockpicks.

Perception, Trained: 1d20 ⇒ 7

EDIT: Are the pins for the door on the inside or outside?

.
All the Questions

Dia nods. "Got it. I'd expect the food in about forty minutes or so, so please let me know if you want anything to snack on in the meantime."

Kari waves her hand at Aleph to see if he wants to order anything, "I don't want to spoiler my appetite." She says to Dia.

"It's easy for me to say I would never ask you anything to use it against you later, or that I would intend on hurting you at all, but… that's action and trust that comes with time."

Kari shakes her head, "Intent, you aren't asking with the intent of harm. People get upset, they say things they don't mean to, that happens. Intent matters to me."

"People sometimes have a very hard time balancing the people they love with the life they're choosing."

Kari nods, "And I wasn't abandoned, I'd gotten accepted at a good school right before my parents split and they both made it so I could still do that even with their relationship falling apart."

In my mind, yes it would be. However atm it is not visible but under her shirt.

"So boarding school, controlled environment, lots of dealing with people 24-7 even if when you wanted to scream. Great training for dealing with retail customers." She says this last with a deflecting ease, because of course that's all it was.

"Before I get too into the story, do you know anything about the Quiet Cabal, or any other factions on Ruk?"

"Absolutely nothing," Kari says easily. "The sheer options of what there is available to learn makes it really easy to skim right past things that might be more useful."

"Oh s~%$!" The boy says, bolting upright to his feet from where he'd been slumped against the wall when you appeared. "Are you… are you another player?" He asks when he sees that Kari isn't actually a monster.

Kari gives the boy a look up and down checking for wounds, hands up where he can see them, holding the flashlight in a non-threatening way. She moves her free hand in a kinda-sorta wave. "In that your friend Amelia hired us to find you all and we had to play the game to do that, yes." A pause, "She didn't give us all of your names, are you Gwen Delfino or one of the other people who decided to play horror Jumanji?"

A pause, "I'm Kari." She looks around, "And we should try to find a way out of here and find the rest of my team. And your friends. My team was headed to the carnival and hopefully this fun house is in the carnival, so we can totally work on rescuing ourselves, right?"

A pause as Kari takes in the hallway then, "Can you give me a quick recap of what happened to you all when you started to play?"

Spend 1 Int to help on calming down the hopefully not nameless for long boy.
Calm down the boy and get him talking?: 1d20 ⇒ 9
Perception, trained through Investigate!: 1d20 ⇒ 15

Perception is to look around and get an idea of ways out, doors, etc.

Aleph smiles sympathetically. "There's probably one of everything here. The Estate was definitely meant to be a home away from home for Agents, providing them as cushy a life as possible, considering how dangerous their missions can be."

"I'm glad I'm not the one who has to select agents, I know far too many people who would lean into the cushy and do nothing."

specifically, we do have a chef that cooks all of this

Kari grins at this, handing Dia the menu. "In that case, I'd love the meal that chef wants to make, their special for the day." A smile, "I've always wanted to go to a place where I could say that. And you can let them know I'm not picky."

it would be a bad time for both of us.

She holds up a hand, "I swear I'll do my best to not end up in the infirmary for myself. 'Course I'll be doing my best to make sure no one on missions with me needs the infirmary."

He pulls up a picture taken from the edge of Harmonious. Towers jut upwards into the sky, a glittering buffet for the eyes of neon lights and silver and gold extravagance. Transparent glass tubes connect buildings, and Kari can just barely make out silhouettes of people walking through them. There are flying craft everywhere, and she's pretty sure she can make out people flying as well, with neon-lit wings.

She doesn't seem to mind the break at all, her eyes following the neon bright wings.

Now that I know you're interested, I know just the place to take you. If you're interested in going with me, I mean." He adds, blushing slightly.

"It's a date." She smiles, "Although we'd have to compare it to places in Earth's Japan at some point."

Do you still speak with your father?" He asks this last question with caution as well. "And I'm sure you know this, but you can tell me to buzz off if I ask something you're not wanting to answer."

"You aren't asking to find ways to hurt me later, so it's all good." Her hand moves up and touches a charm hanging under her shirt. "I haven't seen my Dad since the divorce. He'll send me packages or letter or emails every few months, but I don't actually know where he is." She smiles, the look fond if a little lost, "I think he lost the ability to be grounded when they broke up."

He smiles at her question about family. "It's a little different in Ruk than on Earth, as far as family is concerned. Children are raised communally, and maybe half of us are born in artificial wombs. I was one such baby. So… yes, I do keep in touch with the community that raised me, but it's not a close relationship. I sometimes wish I'd been born on Earth, so I could have had siblings to argue with, a dad to learn from, a mother, so I could have enjoyed a specific meal cooked just for a birthday. All of that. I had love, but it's definitely different. I was identified young as someone with a particular talent for healing, so I was conscripted around… eight or nine years old? To work for the Quiet Cabal and heal their soldiers."

Kari's hand reaches forward and touches Aleph's hand, squeezing it if he doesn't pull away. Softly, "I've had people who were surprised I've lived without family since I was eleven or so. I had it easy." Her face twists, not wanting to judge but clearly not at ease, "Conscripted doesn't give me warm and fuzzy vibes, are you ok talking about this?"

Action, Flashlight: 1d20 ⇒ 12

And if not everyone else runs... Kari doesn't. Because she's an idiot.

Edit: Not that Michael is likely a CR 4.

Edit: Because I'll probably need it.

Defense: 1d20 ⇒ 10

Initiative?: 1d20 ⇒ 7

I'll spend 3 might on a defense action for Brian, as using more body to get in the way of further attacks
Action: Brian Defense: 1d20 ⇒ 12

"Of course there is a spa too." Kari shakes her head, but it clearly isn't something she's looked into.

"Thanks, Dia. I think we might need a few minutes to look over food?" Aleph asks, turning to Kari to confirm.

She starts to nod, then stops with a smile, "Dia? Is there an actual chef who likes making food or is it where the Estate provides a finished product?"

That's a weird power dynamic I don't want to take advantage of.

Kari thinks about that and nods with a wince, "I'm glad I barged into your life in a non-standard way. Even if you end up needing to patch me up, it won't be the base of how we got to know each other."

"I'm sorry, you weren't asking for a geographical lesson. Yes, I traveled a lot on Ruk. But once I visited Earth… I realized how truly small Ruk is. Small, and with none of the charm of riverside cafes and tree lined parks."

Kari had been listening, but she laughs low, "Not a geography lesson, your home. Or at least one-upon-home. It's good to hear you haven't lost your affection for it with the whole wide 'verse to see." At some point she had brought her legs up to sit cross legged on the chair, which makes it easier for her to lean forward, engaged in the conversation, "I heard Ruk was a near perfect match for Earth in the beginning, so I'm surprised that it is smaller. I have this image of it as a mash-up of Robo-Tech and Shadowrun, but I have a feeling it won't be anything quite that I expect when I get to go there."

"I'm really hoping there is at least one techno version of the ramen shops I've read about in Earth's Tokyo."

He sips his drink. "Are you still in touch with your mom, since you came here?" He asks gently, in case the topic is a sensitive one.

Kari smiles a little with a nod. "I've left my cell active so she can reach me that way and we send emails once a month or so. It isn't that we don't love each other, because we do, her life just moved on and she has a new husband, new family. They love me too, but I'm," she pauses trying to explain the odd balance, "periphery. A reminder that Mom had another life before her current one."

Cautiously, "Do you still keep in touch with your family?"

Aleph is a Sweetie

overwhelming. I think I ended up accidentally starving myself for a few days when I first joined. I couldn't make a choice, everything sounded good, but what if I ate something and immediately saw a better option?"

Kari nods, "I had that overload when I first walked into my bathroom, just the sheer number of options that you're supposed to pick through." A little laugh, "The Estate did parse it down on request." The laugh doesn't quite hide the discomfort Kari has in recalling the memory, but it is a passing thought.

Can I get you anything to drink?"

"Thanks, Dia." Kari meets the other woman's eyes, "Carbonated water, lots of lemon, no sweetener. Thank you."

"And much better company." He ducks his head a little, then coughs, as though to move quickly past the compliment.

Kari looks back over the top of her menu, smiling at the compliment, "Lies," she says, "I'm sure you are good at finding good company, but thank you for the compliment."

"Did you travel much, before getting thrown into all of this?" He gestures at the fractal sky above them.

Kari looks up, lost for a moment in the shifting, but she shakes her head. "Flew down to visit my mom with her new family once but never had the money to travel before. Now not only the world is my oyster but all the worlds." She purses her lips, "Although the ones where most of the people don't have free agency don't actually sound that enjoyable."

She leans forward, the menu still there but forgotten, "France was after you became an Agent? Did you travel much on Ruk before?"

Spending 1 Int for a level of Effort

1d20 ⇒ 9

And Defense if it doesn't work: 1d20 ⇒ 8

A pause, "... or technically go somewhere else." She blushes, "Which would have worked but didn't occur to me until... well.. now."

She shakes her head, picks up the menu and studies it hard, because that will totally have the answers.

Not using the flashlight as a weapon, just a distraction. Spin Encouragement: Offense.

Defense, Untrained: 1d20 ⇒ 20

Edit: ... too bad that isn't an attack :)

She looks around the area for a bit and then takes the stairs back down.

Kari comes back just a little early to meet with Aleph, looking almost absolutely normal in her attire, unless someone is sensitive to little details - change in shoes, a black shirt with a relaxed neckline, hair up in a braids and pinned but not covered by a knit cap.

If she doesn't see Aleph, she checks in and asks for a table near the edge of the balcony. If she does see him, she waves with a smile.

NOT using the flashlight power. Action: Spin Encouragement: Offense.

Defense, Untrained: 1d20 ⇒ 9

['ooc]Action: Spin Encouragement: Defense[/ooc]

Initiative, Untrained: 1d20 ⇒ 17
Defense, Untrained: 1d20 ⇒ 11

'I had a third option.' A little pause, 'I'm free in a few hours.'

Overthinking things, the way she does, Kari goes up to scope out the place. Partially to make sure the fractal skies don't make her queasy, partially to see what kind of place it is.

Is the roll a skill or just a luck thing? And if it's a luck thing can I use my luck pool?

Sceams: 1d20 ⇒ 18