17263/Purpose Bereft of Hope

Purpose Bereft of Hope
Date of Scene:	24 February 2024
Location:	Penthouse - Kord Co
Synopsis:	Clara shows up at Ted Kord's home, looking for work. She gets the help she needs and makes fast friends with some of the robots!
Cast of Characters:	Clara Jennings, Ted Kord

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Clara Jennings has posed:
    It has been three days since Clara fled Gotham. In that time, she has made her living on the streets. Having no money, no ID, and only whatever paper she has left (or can scrounge up), she has had to get pretty creative. While she has not stolen, she has considered it. Who would miss a few dollars, anyway?

    But on the the third days, out of good options, she remembers something. And so she goes to find Mr. Kord. She looks rather like a mess at this point and it is perhaps understandable that people are reluctant to pass a message from her to a man of wealth. But Clara has something. She has her poise that belies her appearance (and current... smell. Hopefully it is enough.

Ted Kord has posed:
Ted Kord has had a number of people in his employ who worked for his father. Chief among these is Steve the doorman. A menial post? Perhaps. But Steve has a way of knowing things, of being fatherly to Ted and just being astute. Having said that it comes as no surprise he makes far more than any other doorman in the city.

Steve being on duty is the first piece of luck Clara has had. The old fellow grimaces a little, more in sympathy than disdain. In fact he pulls his phone out to call Ted. Ted doesn't turn down a call from Steve. "Okay Ms. Jennings. Mr. Kord is expecting you. Take elevator one. A bot will escort you." Sure enough a flying sort of Roomba with arms is beckoning to her.

Clara Jennings has posed:
    Clara has tried to make herself presentable, but when one is sleeping on the street, there are few opportunities to get clean. She knows nothing of shelters or charities who might have helped.

    She ends up in the elevator, guided by the robot. She looks at it curiously. "Hello. I am Clara. Do you have a name?" She is, of course, fidgeting nervously in the elevator. She really is not sure what she is doing here, other than trying to find something to do with herself. She needs a way to get food.

Ted Kord has posed:
The bot bobs in an encouraging manner. It begins paddling the air in front of it with its hands, almost as though it is playing something. It stops a moment to see if she got the reference.

The elevator reaches PH.

Clara Jennings has posed:
    Clara perks up slightly as the elevator reaches its destination. Not that she feels precisely upbeat. But that she needs to have better posture. Stand straight, chin up, look ahead. The things her governess taught her. Her governess.

    For just a moment Clara's expression nearly crumbles into tears. But this is shoved aside. There is no return now. No going back. All she has of that is this armor she wears and a note. Dadd.. no. Ted Grant's note.

    It registers dimly in Clara's mind, then. "Bongo?" The name, that is. Anyway, she must go forward, and find another Ted who may have something important for her to do.

Ted Kord has posed:
Bongo bobs happily. the reaches out a grasper to tap Clara's hand. Of course she doesn't know that's a bot's way of asking you for a status check? Bongo leaves the manipulator on Clara's hand though. Graspers grasp her hand gently.

The doors open and Ted Kord is there in casual blue wear.

"Welcome back. I didn't think you... were interested last time you were... Good God, are you all right? Come in here!" He takes the reeking girl by the arm, dead and decomposing body wash and shampoo, BO and less identifiable smells. Clothing looks like, action wear?

"Bingo, Get some tea for Ms. Jennings please. Bongo do a full scan. C'mere, Ms. Jennings. Sit down, can I get you anything?"

Clara Jennings has posed:
    Clara looks at Ted passively. "I am not badly harmed," Clara replies calmly. "There arose an... opportunity to cease my current employment with the Conservatory. A disagreement of heart and mind." She does not smile exactly, but she seems relieved, despite her obvious anguish.

    "One can honor the lost at the cost of the present, or honor the present, at the cost of the past. I... have elected to do neither. I have not the strengt, Mr. Kord. But perhaps, maybe, you have something I might do? I am rather hungry." She sighs softly and looks herself over.

    "And rather filthy, I fear. I imagine you would prefer I had found some way to appear more cleanly. It takes time to walk across the city, you see. And not everyone is kind in providing directions to a wandered like me."

Ted Kord has posed:
Ted Kord nods. Oddly, he has wound up in a similar condition but he spent three days in a workshop in his own building. He doesn't do that now. The bots won't let him. "You poor thing. Listen, go grab a shower, you know where the facilities are. Bongo, drop her stuff in the washer. Bobo... guard. Bailey, make a... " A little gaily painted bot bumps Ted, carrying a grilled cheese on a plate, with veggie chips. "Okay, that works. Guys! Put on your name tags."

Bongo for her part, takes the plate for Clara and leads her by the hand to the washroom.


Pat. Pat. Pat.


Pat. Pat. Pat? The bot somehow conveys a final quicker pat in a higher tone, like an inquiry.

Clara Jennings has posed:
    "Thank you," Clara manages softly. She barely holds back tears as she is led away. The bot is given a curious look. With the last pat, Clara nods.

    "I... will be okay, Bongo. I am sorry to worry you." Okay, now she is crying. It is okay to cry in front of a robot, right? "Sorry. Umm.. drat. I just am lost, that is all. I will find my way eventually, though. I am quite sure of it."

    Her heart is not in it, though. At least the shower gives her a chance to escape attention and to do something to restore a sense of dignity to her situation. Due to her condition, the cleaning takes longer. Only when she's washed her hair three times and her body twice is the smell of exhaust and other assorted filth gone from her.

    She will get dried and look for clothes. And likely take the food that Bailey brings her, as well.

Ted Kord has posed:
There is no food. Bongo has found clothes in Clara's size. Calculating volumes and contours is part of engineering and bots embody engineering. Of course Bongo has little need for clothing, a dust jacket for prolonged storage. So Clara was brought the minimum, shorts, a t-shirt and slippers.

Outside Ted awaits her with several bots, a platter of grilled cheese sandwiches, and a tea service.

Clara Jennings has posed:
    Clara will put these on gratefully. Explaining to the bot the purpose of underwear might be, well, rather complicated, after all. "Thank you, Bongo. These are quite comfortable."

    When she is led back to Ted, she is more her normal sense, if, admittedly, far more casually dressed than usual. "Thank you, Mr. Kord. I already feel much better." It is at this inopportune time that her stomach proclaims /it/ does not feel better. The grumble is rather surprising out of a creature this small.

    "Apologies, it seems there is one ailment that remains to be addressed," she admits with a blush.

Ted Kord has posed:
Ted Kord bites back a laugh. The bots circle Clara, lasers and other scanner busily engaged. "It's okay. She's hungry, not defective." He serves up a sandwich for her as a large bot holds a chair and another pours some tea. Lipton's by the smell. "Listen as long as we're dressed casual and breaking bread, I think it is appropriate to use first names, Clara. I'm Ted in case it slipped your mind. Oh Bailey stop! She's tired and doesn't want you playing with her hair." Bailey floats away sulkily.

Clara Jennings has posed:
    Clara smiles at the bots. "I am probably a little defective at least, but I fear it is nothing you can fix for me." She settles into a seat and accepts the tea. And the food. "Apologies, Mr... I mean, Ted." The name is hard to say. Too familiar. Different context.

    "And I do not mind if Bailey wants to inspect my hair. This is the cleanest it as been in a few days, so no better time." And it calms her down a little, too. Perhaps later.

    "I apologize for coming abruptly. I was unable to reach out through more conventional means. It is shocking how people give a homeless girl rather odd looks when she asks to borrow their phone so she can call Ted Kord. It seemed they thought that was funny."

    She may not have his card, but she memorized his number. And location, clearly.

    "There was someone else I thought to talk to, but Gotham is far away when one must walk. By my calculations, I would not have made it."

Ted Kord has posed:
Ted Kord ponders this then says to the largest 'bot, "Please get and set up a Kordless phone for Clara. Clara, I want to help you out. As far as being defective? I can't fix whatever that is. But you impress me as a person of intelligence and skill. I think if I help you to your knees you'll get to your feet on your own. I have empty quarters on the level below. I'll get you online to do some shopping. I have a number of books I need appraised that I want to buy for the Kord Co library. I quoted you a fee. I still have the contract. If you sign it we'll get you to work Monday?"

Clara Jennings has posed:
    That.. was very quick to the point. Clara lets out a sigh of relief. "Of course, Ted. I will get to work on it first thing Monday morning." Which makes her wonder. What will she do today? Maybe lay on the bed and stare at the ceiling for a while. That sounds wonderful to her at the moent.

    She eats, but is carefully avoiding rudeness. She's ravenous, though, and simple, hot food is exactly what she needs most right now. When the contract is offered, her signature is almost immediate. She reads very, very quickly. A this stage, though, what is there she won't sign? It is not as if Ted would ask her to do something horrible, anyway.

Ted Kord has posed:
Tiny robot hands start working near Clara's temples. The hair there is braided, gathered in back and then twisted into a dutch braid. Plenty of hair falls loosely. It's not hard to m aintain. Bailey holds up a mirror for Clara to see the results. Well hey, she's looked worse, a few minutes ago in fact. Ted doesn't touch the remaining sandwiches, leaving them for Clara. "Okay then. Would you rather stay on this floor or below. Staying up here, you get bot service. Probably from Bongo. She seems to like you."

Clara Jennings has posed:
    "I like Bongo, she is very kind," Clara says softly. She seems initially startled, then relieved when her hair is done for her. "They are all very sweet, honestly. And they seem calming, somehow." She focuses on Bailey, "Thank you for that. Truly. You are most accomodating."

    She is still anxious, but less so around the robots than around many people. At the table, her hands are either eating or out of view. She can fidget without bothering anyone but herself.