investigate. [[tag to Kerai, Gabriel, Alice, and John. Also Harvey Dent if he'd like to meet her.]]

[5thcolumnfed]

Erica has three different stops to make today: The Ribbon, a security place, and a candy store. It sounds like the beginning of a terrible joke, but the only joke so far is that no one she’s talked to knows anything about this Belvedere character. It’s like he doesn’t exist, or he only exists when he wants to, and she can see why no one else has

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[needsthumpin]

Kerai was at the Ribbon, as usual, this time she dusting.

She and Ceridwen had hung brightly colored fabric festoons draping from ceiling to the walls in an attempt to drive away the winter grays. The effect would be lost, however, if she let them get dingy, so she was on a ladder, shaking them, and singing of course. Jude was lying near the fireplace -- what Kerai was Weaving causing him no anxiety at all.

"Little Darlin', it's been a long cold lonely winter.
Little Darlin', it seems like years since it's been here.
Here comes the sun, do do do do, Here comes the sun,
And I say, it's all right..."

[5thcolumnfed]

Erica walks into the Ribbon after lunch, a little calmer after her 'talk to a wall' conversation with Gabriel. Knowing that this is the last stop before she can go to her desk and start piecing together different things makes her feel a little better. She's heard through the grapevine that Ruby's been staying here, so mostly she hopes she doesn't have to deal with her.

The song relaxes her once it reaches her ears, and she's curious about Kerai. Clearing her throat to make her presence known, she waits to be addressed.

[needsthumpin]

"Little Darling, the smiles returning to their faces,
Little Darling, it seems like years since it's been clear..."

Jude noticed the newcomer first and let out a soft whuff, and rose to his feet to come sniff her.

Kerai kept an eye on her visitor's body language to make sure she had no problem with dogs, as she climbed down the ladder.

She blinked for a moment at the woman who looked exactly like Juliet, but not pregnant, and who didn't feel like her in the Weave, but she recalled herself.

"Good greeting, I am Kerai. How can I help you?"

[5thcolumnfed]

Erica reaches down and lets the dog sniff her hand before looking at Kerai.

"My name is Erica Evans. I'm with the police department. I was wondering if I could ask you just a few questions if you don't mind."

[needsthumpin]

Kerai was puzzled, but not anxious. She folded the ladder and put it aside, and led the way into the next room, Jude padding along.

"Of course. Would you like some tea?"

[5thcolumnfed]

"No, thank you," she says politely. "I don't want to take too much of your time. I'd actually like to ask you about someone who was at the...incident at the police station with Wesker. Jerry Belvedere?"

[needsthumpin]

"I'm not familiar with that name. Where would he have been?" She frowned, but only in thought, as she tried to remember as much as she could about that day.

[5thcolumnfed]

"He was at the riot, he and Wesker disappeared immediately after. I understand you were knocked out by Gabriel though, so it's possible you may not remember," Erica says soothingly, just remembering that fact herself.

[needsthumpin]

"Oh." She stared up, and to the left as she searched her memory.

"Wesker is the name of the one who did the experiments on people. And the other one, the one who arrived later and stood with him...that must be who you're speaking of. I know little of him, but I didn't like the way he felt."

[5thcolumnfed]

"The way he felt?" Erica asks gently, trying to help Kerai's memory along.

[needsthumpin]

Kerai wiped her hands as she tried to find words for the feeling she meant.

"I can feel people, their spirits -- their feelings, their fears and pains. But some people feel different. Chuck, for instance, because he is a prophet, I suppose. With him, I feel a like a vibration, as if one were in the room with a very large piece of machinery, one that's powered up, but not yet moving. It's a little frightening just because it's such a big machine. But it's not designed to be dangerous and it's in good repair. Now the feeling I go from the 'Belvedere' man...it was as if it were a machine in bad repair that might explode...or a machine designed to do something destructive." She shrugged. "I don't know if that makes any sense."

[5thcolumnfed]

Erica opens her mouth, then closes it as she tries to think and process.

"It makes sense. What your saying somewhat matches what other people say about his...reputation."

Reputation because so few people seem to have actually talked to him at significant length.

She's curious, wondering how she feels to the girl, but that's not what she's here for. "Do you know of anyone else who may have information on him?"

[needsthumpin]

She thought, but then shook her head.

"No. But if I feel him around, I could let you know where. For instance, if he were here in the Ribbon, though not in this room. I'd be able to feel him."

[5thcolumnfed]

"I'd appreciate that," Erica says, reaching into her jacket and pulling out a card to hand over. "You can message or call me any time."

She stands up, satisfied that the girl doesn't know anything, and she can't help it as she turns to face her again. "Every single person feels like something different?"