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Angela It probably WOULD be a little strange if the Hana Association elected to disband the Trideag Association simply due to the results of one mission being considered a failure. In truth, the 'failure' was a bit mixed. While Merelisa did significant damage to the Middle (and various civilians, associates, bystanders, etc. took some punishment too), she didn't succeed at hitting a second target. And while Trideag didn't capture or really stop Merelisa, Sarracenia throwing herself in the path of the laser definitely saved many a life.

Ceri had told Lilian that a Beholder (Luda) was at the battle 'Observing' and that her presence seemed to particularly incense Merelisa and she has been nervous about this meeting all day in part because of the Beholder's presence at the battle but also because, frankly, what the fuck is she supposed to be able to do about a satellite laser? She has no good answers for that and she can't imagine any local Trideag operative does.

Solace has thrown herself into training hard. She hasn't taken her 'loss' to Merelisa well. As a result Cheer has thrown HERSELF into training as well and vowing 'to bonk Merelisa on the head'. She doesn't need to know anything else. The Rats have been muted except for Pete who is just relieved that he dodged the bullet of joining a Syndicate like was his original plan. He's been insisting to his friends they made the right choice and to not fret because it'll work out. Arachne said 'good riddance' regarding the Middle and is doing great! But the other Sanction and Bombini are worried. The former Rook and Cinq Office agents have doubled their patrols around the facility, anticipating the possibility of a Middle retaliation but so far such a thing hasn't happened. Finn doesn't seem worried at all, strangely enough, and he hasn't so much as had a delay in his training. Knifty has intuited somehow the malaise affecting some of the Trideag Locals and has been bringing them potted plants in a flowering or near flowering state to Fixers that seem especially down but she doesn't mention a word about what happened.

Other than that, operations proceed as normal. There is a general faith that whatever happens, the Dame Commander will pull it through. Nobody has preemptively bounced, fled, or backstabbed.
Angela Olivier arrives punctually at the annointed time. He is a 6'1 serious looking man in his thirties. He has long black dreadlocks pulled behind him in a ponytail and the sides of his head, once shaved, have grown in some time ago resulting in a layered style. He wears a spotless white suit, jacket, and shoes with gold trimming. He is holding a long thin black lance that is strangely segmented, but the tip is pointed down and away. His expression is serious. In fact, there's kind of the vibe that he hasn't had a non-serious expression in his life and isn't even humorless to the point of comedy but rather humorless to the point of being simply humorless.

He isn't alone.

With him is a woman garbed in a black jacket, blouse, pants, and Gloves. Around her neck is a chain necklace with a ring hanging off it. Despite her dour garb, she's smiling and is looking at the apartment complexes and the park between them.

"This is as pretty as I've heard." She asides to Olivier. "Might be a nice place to raise a family in a few years."

"Shame about the Nest, Angelica."

"That's that and this is this." Angelica says. "I probably wouldn't be comfortable in a place that rich anyway."

They wait politely at the security station to be let in, making idle chitchat.

"Kid doing okay?"

"According to the Doctor, but there's still plenty of time left you know. Are YOU going to be okay without your backup?"

"...If I really need a hand, I'll ask your partner."
Kale Hearthward Kale Hearthward, at the moment, hasn't thrown himself into training so much as thrown himself into paperwork and research.

Some of it's been working on that tactical report for Merelisa, some of it's been compiling the after-action minutiae of the incident involving the same. Dossiers get pulled and updated, tactical suggestions are formulated and codified, little pieces get pushed around on a map of the City. If nothing else, it all helps Kale feel better to be doing something proactive.

This morning, he's run out of low hanging fruit for paperwork and research though, so he's on the hunt. Anyone unfortunate enough to be out in the hallways and not looking busy enough gets confronted and interrogated.

"You. How far away is your equipment. Are you deployment-ready within twenty seconds or less? Do you know the shortest path to the warpgate? Here's a map of the city, point out district 7 on it. What's the second precept?" These and other rapid-fire quiz questions are thrown at anyone who doesn't get away fast enough.
Madeleine Cadrasteia     In the bustle surrounding the appointed hour of Olivier's arrival, Madeleine makes herself remarkably useful. She leads a posse of her servants - identifiable by their maid/butler attire and lack of memorable facial features - in a sweep across the reception area and, just in case, a path to the elevator, even going so far as to shine the buttons on the lift's control panel. However, that was finished seven minutes ago, so now she finds herself with little to busy herself with but picking fuzz off the dress which has become her de facto Trideag Association formalwear. Or she *would* be doing that, if she didn't also find herself holding one of Knifty's flowerpots gently in both hands when Olivier and Angelica make their entrance.

    The servants quickly hustle into two rows flanking the doorway, creating a sort of entrance ceremony for the pair of Hana Association agents. After Olivier passes them by they file away, disappearing into the mirror-shined finish of the elevator doors across the hall. "Hi, I mean, uh, welcome to the Trideag Association. You must be the Hana representatives. I'm sure the Dame Commander will be with us shortly." An awkward pause. Madeleine glances down at the flowerpot and slowly, tentatively extends it toward the Hana agents. "Geranium?"
Ivy Carrow     "You. How far away is your equipment. Are you deployment-ready within twenty seconds or less? Do you know the shortest path to the warpgate? Here's a map of the city, point out district 7 on it. What's the second precept?"

    Nina is unfortunate enough to find herself the target of Kale's barrage of questions, nearly backing into the wall...in spite of being several inches taller than the bird. "U-um...In my room...? Um...I don't...I'm...I'm not on duty!!!"

    Most of the Warprunners remained behind, either in Castle Carrow proper or still doing their duty, with only their Captain and Vice-Captain directly attending Olivier's visit. "Half the point of a leader is to eat shit on your people's behalf," Ivy's expression remained grim--it seemed even she realized that her usual jovial tone wouldn't be appropriate today. "Shield them from what isn't their fault."

    "Which is why we have to be here to take responsibility for what happened. The good and the bad." They always did this, didn't they--picking up where the other left off.

    Not to say either of them were exactly keen to be there.

    They were dressed fully to the nines, today. Colored in browns and reds, with an aviator jacket. On one shoulder, the red, five armed spiral that was the Warprunners logo. On the other, a stylized thirteen. The association and the runners held with respect, given equal weight. One of Ivy's sleeves hung empty by her side, where her prosthetic, clawed arm should have been, and though she stood at attention it was easy to notice the gingerness with which she moved with her wounds.

    "Olivier of Hana." The Vice-Captain offered him a crisp bow. "Welcome to Trideag headquarters. You know my captain and I."

    "Wish it could be under better circumstances."
Aidan Proudpick Tridaeg missions haven't been easy for Aidan. By the time he finds out about them, he's already been deep in another project. But the lack of a upgrade in Fixer Rank doesn't seem to have him down. Having access to a gym, a washing machine, an actual shower are all nice. Now if only there weren't psychic people all around, and the vague worry that Lilian might burst through the apartment wall at any minute to have him shot.

Today, Aidan is trying to stick with making a good impression for the Association. That means pink silk shirt, black pants, a bit of mascara and eyeliner to look properly professional, and no weapons.

He makes his way out to the park, grinning to himself, as he does. He glances at Madeleine, a curious look over his face. He lifts an arm before she gets too close to Olivier, "Have you always had your own maids and butlers? That's kinda amazing!"

Kale, unfortunately, gets too close to Aidan's aggro range as he is interrogating someone else, getting Aidan to turn on him with a grin. "Uhh... three hundred feet, yes, yes, no, no. Hey, how was your vacation? Did you finally stop some paperwork and go somewhere? Where did you go?"

Olivier arrives. Aidan immediately lifts his arm towards the Hana representatives in an overhead wave, "Hello!"
Odette Raskins Since that last encounter with Merelisa, Odette has been functioning surprisingly normally. She's been working a little harder and longer at training as well, of course, but there isn't a particularly despairing reaction to anything that happened at first. 'At first' being the operative words there, of course, as her frayed nerves become much more visible once she's not exercising or working or doing anything that could distract her or keep her from having a moment's peace.

Also, anything else that might have her otherwise freaking out seems to be doubly effective compared to before. That's why she's looking rather jittery during the leadup to the meeting, pacing around meeting area for a good 30 minutes on the off-chance Olivier shows up early. It's an agonizingly long 30 minutes, too, as she keeps going over what happened in her head repeatedly the entire time and then some. Is she going to get fired? Could she have done better? Could she have saved more people? Should she have saved more people? What if Merelisa's not even that wrong? What if Merelisa's ways are closer to what her personal heroes would do than what Odette's doing right now?

She's so wrapped up in her own thoughts that she's even caught off guard when Olivier and Angelica arrive, yelping and jumping back a good half-foot or so before fumbling her way around her duffel bag into a salute. "H-h-hlello! Uh. Hello! Welcome to them Trim-Trideag! The... Trideag Association." She greets with a shaky smile and audible teeth chattering as she tries and fails to settle herself down, holding up a finger a moment later. "Er.. E-excuse me."

Stepping away briefly, the EMT takes several deep breaths to to try and steady herself, fixes her hat so it's straight on her head, then turns back around to rejoin the group around the visiting pair.

"H... Hello. S-sorry about the... Uh. Noise before." She's not shouting this time, at least, but it's kind of hard to hear her around everyone else.
Sarracenia      Sarracenia was only somewhat worried about this meeting, and most of that worry was focused on whether she would be recognized for her heroic efforts. She was told this meeting could decide the future of the organization, but to her the idea that Trideag would be disbanded over this is just ridiculous. They not only fought to protect the city, she and many of her people were injured interposing themselves between the laser and the targets. It would be incredibly bad form to disband them after such a self-sacrifice.

     Although her burns have all healed, there is still one sign of her encounter with the space laser. Namely her still very short hair. Even now it has barely grown out to neck length. She has had it carefully braided in a small braid around temple height to form a circlet of shimmering copper to go with her usual crown and headband.

     And thanks to Madeleine, Sarra has commissioned an 'official' Trideag dress. It is made of black velvet that hugs her form snuggly and is very clearly modeled after Maddie's, with the same bow, buttons, and even the red cords and flower-like decoration on the left arm. Of course, hers reaches to her ankles, and sleek black heeled boots with pointed toes and similar buttons to the dress cover her feet. Likewise her hands are covered by matching gloves.

     Seeing Knifty running around with plants makes her smile, and at some point she gives Knifty a pat on the head and tells her she is doing a good job. And since she considers herself something of a dignitary despite her reputation and her usual demeanor, Sarra intended to meet the incoming inspectors at the door.

     Until Kale reached her. She frowns as he approaches and only answers his questions with the raising of her satchel or huffs. She gets away soon enough and joins Madeleine in greeting the agents. "Greetings~" she says with a smile. "I am Princess Sarracenia Sundew, Crown Princess of the Sundew Kingdom."

     'Geranium?'

     "We grew it ourselves in our rooftop garden! I hope you will have time to see them while you are here~" The princess curtseys in a courtly manner, lifting the sides of her dress ever so slightly and crossing one leg behind the other. "And if you wish to take advantage of any of our other facilities while you are here I am sure we can accommodate you."

     Aidan and Odette earn smiles from Sarra as well, but she does not address them since there are high ranking guests in the building. That takes priority. "Is there anything we can get you? Refreshments perhaps before the meeting?"
Kale Hearthward > "U-um...In my room...? Um...I don't...I'm...I'm not on duty!!!"

Nina not being on duty doesn't deter the interrogation. "Where in your room? Is it all accessible and ready to grab or do you need to go digging? What's your combat rating if your room's inaccessible? Are you trained on the gear Trideag has in the armory?"

She frowns as he approaches and only answers his questions with the raising of her satchel or huffs.

"... Fine. Keep it on hand. Wait, are you actually part of Trideag? I thought you were just a bystander." Nobody corrected Kale when he made his report!

> "Uhh... three hundred feet, yes, yes, no, no. Hey, how was your vacation? Did you finally stop some paperwork and go somewhere? Where did you go?"

"I took a land cruise in The Line. Don't change the subject. You, in particular, should be taking things more seriously. You have a *lot* more to prove than practically anyone else here."

Oliver's arrival in the vicinity cuts further Aidan chiding short. Ceri had mentioned wanting to provide a unified front. "Expect training later," is the much-sanitized version of what he'd been about to say to Aidan.
Lilian Rook     Honestly, even if it was overwhelmingly a cluster of Multiversal Elites throwing themselves at Merelisa and getting the bad news first hand, the fact that she still has all of her local hires is a surprising change of pace for Lilian. One of those rare shocks that are pleasant to receive. The niggling doubts she has about whether they really understand what's going on have to be pushed aside for the time being, though; if she walks into a meeting with a Hana representative lingering on that, it'll show. Better that she be buoyed by what must be their absolute confidence in her, clearly.

    Of course, she puts in a little bit of effort to both look busy (easy, because she has work to do) and administratively removed from the disaster (more difficult, seeing as both she and Olivier should know that it was mostly 'her men' taking the loss).

    She has the latest batch of Grade changes and incoming work requests; priority, what the rank and file can't just handle on their own, or at least not negotiate; loaded up on her PDA, signoff forms for closure of contract heaped up in a paper copy folder under her arm that is mostly for show, and as close to business attire usual for the City that she can stomach, using the company jacket like a blazer via half-button over a light sweater (it's getting cold) and skirt length matched to the excess jacket over winter tights (but not that cold). It's all terribly administrative.

    "A few. When things are fully up and running." says Lilian, via dramatic behind-the-camera slow entry. "This is just the beginning, after all. And I doubt you particularly need to fret about getting in while the property values are still cheap."

    Lilian, who has and is enjoying this sort of ability, thanks her staff for notifying her, then 'their hard work', and has the two simply waved through. She recognizes Olivier perfectly well, and holding him up gets nothing done. "You're welcome to come see me for reasons other than work, you know." says Lilian, offering her hand first. "I've learned that if you only appear when things are difficult, people will form a negative impression of your presence."
Angela Most of the locals have easy answers to Kale's questions, though Knifty dodges him when she sees him running around and meeting others. They know where the districts are, know where their equipment is, know the shortest distance to the warpgate, and though not all of them instantly answer with the second precept, they do consistently get it right after thinking about it with varying speeds. They assume he's doing this on behalf of the Director or Vice Director and so aren't too fussed about it.

"I am the Hana representative," Olivier subtly corrects Madeleine's assumption. "My friend here is not associated with any of the Associations but she is the partner of a friend of mine." Olivier stares at the Geranium being offered to him--not long, just clearly caught off guard long enough for his associate (Angelica) to take it from her on his behalf.

"Why thank you. This'll really liven up up our apartment. Gosh, it's ''so'' pretty." She looks into Madeleine's eyes for a few moments longer than normal.

''Wish it could be under better circumstances.''

"Mm..." Olivier agrees. "But I needed to pay a visit already, what happened with the Lambent Dragon merely accelerated the timing of this visit and added more to the agenda."

"Olivier--" Ceri begins. "I know the result wasn't ideal but..."

"Relax, The Head is upset but we all expected growing pains." Olivier interrupts. Olivier looks towards the servants Madeleine brought along and adds, "I hadn't known you were well off enough to have your own Butlers. I'll have to add it to the file." He gives a small nod to Aidan but seems disinclined to interfere on the matter of vacations. Angelica is looking at Aidan like she wants to disect him and see how he works--not in a cruel way, more a fascinated way. 'Animal People' just don't exist in The City. Not yet.

When Sarracenia arrives, Olivier give her a long look over. 'Already healed up...' His expression says before his voice adds, "Sarracenia." He says neutrally and gives Angelica a preemptive look when she looks like she's about to accept the offer of refreshments. She laughs it off but apparently listens to Olivier's word on the subject.

"This is not your facility. Are you offering at the behest of the Director?" Olivier asks. "Please, ease off the formalities. I feel like I am walking into a hotel."

"Don't mind him, he's just like this." Angelica teases, which Olivier ignores.
Angela Olivier clears his throat. "I'd rather start with our original reason for coming." Olivier says. "Due to your Association's numerous successful missions, we had already decided to raise some of your Grades. We've informed Director Rook but this is the perview of the Hana Association. I'll note that 'Grade' is not the same as 'Rank' within an Association and has no bearing on that--normally I would not feel the need, but many of you are new to working in the City so I feel the clarification will help prevent some confusion within the Trideag ranks. I imagine Ceri could have handled such an explanation but I might as well."

He pauses and adds, "The Grades are as I told the Director, except for one last minute change."

Angelica summons up a small box in her hands (it just appears in a puff of darkness) and hands it off to Olivier who starts handing out the new IDs. First he gives a stack of IDs for the locals (and Elite members who haven't made it today) to Ceri but hands off the rest of the Elite IDs personally. He starts with Aidan.

"You did not burn down a suburb, the concern of which that prevented me from letting you be a Grade Eight in the first place. WE have judged you to be a Grade Eight. Do not slack off."

Then he hands Kale his. "Grade Seven. Though you were unable to stop the Lambent Dragon, you were committed to the job. Maybe next time."

He pauses as he takes a much longer look at Odette. "...It is not against the rules to work with His Syndicate." He means Berislav's. "...Please let him know his attempts to dissuade the Lambent Dragon are appreciated. But personally, I appreciate your efforts and focus in saving lives. It might not always be appreciated by The City, but ''I'' appreciate it. Grade Seven." He pats her on the shoulder once.

He hands a Grade Seven out to Madeleine too. "Grade Seven. The Middle is in crisis right now but they're bound to come after you. Watch yourself."

It seems Ivy's still set as a Grade Eight as he doesn't hand her or her team new IDs but he does say, "...Your presence here worries me, I admit, Captain. I am the sort of man who prefers stability to change. But I know better than to stand in the way of the inevitable unless I have no other choice."

And then finally he hands an ID to Sarracenia.

"...Grade Six. Just so you know, I opposed it--yes, you prevented that harbor from being annihilated, but I care more about consistency than dramatics. I hope you prove your consistency in the coming days. I still ''suggest'' you stick to Grade Seven jobs until you have a better understanding of The City, but it is up to your Association--not mine." The Grade Six is news to Lilian but apparently tanking a satellite laser and not dying had an impact.
Angela Olivier gives Lilian an apologetic look, "My apologies that my update to you was inaccurate. I was overruled but The Association ''does'' appreciate that only one blast from that satellite hit its target. In my day, few people skipped Ranks but ... hahnnn... Politics."

"Heeey... She did a good job! If she's not suited she'll go back down, you still worry too much Olivier." Angelica says.

"...I don't want to hear that from a Color." Olivier sighs. "Speaking of, Director. This is Angelica, The Black Silence. She wanted to drop by and I saw no reason to say no."

Angelica looks around for a bit before adding, "..Aww, no Meika? I guess she couldn't make it." She offers Lilian a gloved hand. "But it's nice to meet you too, Dame Commander." She leans in and murmurs, "My husband's a bit of a ~fan~... Oh he's not the sort to ''say'' but he loves the idea of The City going multiversal... Even if he's still bugging me about moving ''out'', ahah.... He's such a worrier..."

''You're welcome to come see me for reasons other than work.''

Olivier raises an eyebrow, and shakes her hand too. "...I'll keep that in mind. Maybe we can go out for drinks sometime soon, my usual drinking partner has been canceling over and over saying he wants to be a good role model for the kid." He pauses and adds, "The other reason we wanted to talk is because we want to discuss plans to prevent another orbital bombardment. That there is no plan is what makes people nervous. I'd rather the group not be looked down upon simply because of a high profile failure when day to day you seem quite effective."
Aidan Proudpick Aidan folds his arms, couching his voice low, "I am taking this seriously." An excuse bubbles up in his head about how many squirrels he was bitten by, but Aidan squashes it down quickly. The chiding hits and Aidan takes it with resolution. He snags the map from Kale, looking over it to start committing it to memory. Aidan also steps between Kale and Nina while he does this to save her any more terrorizing. He smiles up at Sarracenia, giving her a little wave. The sort of wave that you give someone when you are at assembly and everyone has to be quiet and look straight ahead, and you KNOW the teacher is looking, so it's kind of an underhand wave and a grin.

Once Olivier gets close, Aidan gets that 'I'll show you' mindset and stands up straight as Olivier comes by. Aidan doesn't get too many bad vibes off Angelica, so there's a smile on his face. "Hey there, I'm Aidan Proudpick! Miss, uh-"

When Olivier hands him an ID, he blinks, looking at it, surprised. He hadn't really been thinking about the Fixer Grades over just trying to help people in the City. "Thank you, sir! Of course not, plenty more people that need helping." Maybe now he can afford new clothes. And a new place of his own.

When Sarracenia pops up as a Grade Six, immediately upon joining, Aidan grins, and there's no way he can keep himself from giving a cheering whistle. Though whistles from someone from Windswept are rather loud. But perfectly pitched, at least. Immediately, once there is a lull where it seems like he can get away with it, he heads over to Sarracenia to look at her ID. "Grade Six already! And you saved an entire harbor!"
Sarracenia      'Wait, are you actually part of Trideag? I thought you were just a bystander.'

     Sarra's frown turns to a smirk. "And I wanted to see the look on your face when you found out I was part of Trideag."

     'This is not your facility. Are you offering at the behest of the Director?"'

     Sarra seems confused by this. "Is it not simply good hospitality to offer a visitor refreshments upon arriving?" The comparison to a hotel makes her smile gain a bit of a forced air for a moment. But, Angelica's good spirit brings it back around soon after.

     'Grade is not the same as Rank'

     Sarra was not aware of this and so looks a bit confused again.

     '...Grade Six. Just so you know, I opposed it...'

     Sarra's eyes widen as she takes the ID carefully with both hands and she stares at it a moment before her eyes practically sparkle. Even hearing that Olivier opposed it does not dampen her enthusiasm. "Do not worry, Mister Olivier! If anything I am consistent!" she says without really thinking it through first. After a moment of thought though her expression faulters, but she quickly hides it again. "Yes, very consistent!" She doesn't elaborate on the possibility that consistency is not always good. "Oh! I see! So, Grade is a measure of reliability and ability, then?"

     Aidan's whistle makes Sarra eep in surprise at the volume before laughing cheerfully at the sentiment. He congratulates her, and Sarra beams proudly and brightly. "I know~! It is good to finally receive some proper recognition~"
Odette Raskins The small talk almost makes the visit more unnerving. Sure, Odette's dreading whatever Olivier and his friend have to-oh. She's not actually here on official business. That makes things slightly less stomach-churning, but only by a little. The anxiety skyrockets further when she hears and then sees Lilian nearby, looking not unlike someone that's been caught doing something terrible instead of someone that's just ashamed over a failure the normal amount. Even Sarracenia's smile does't get one in return, although she does manage to raise a hand to her chest stiffly in an extremely awkward half-wave.

Once Olivier gets down to business, though, Odette stands rod-straight , clearly terrified of... Something. Being fired, perhaps, or disappointing everyone here. Both? Definitely both. How would she be able to explain it to anyone at home? Sure, she hasn't really told anyone about this job yet, but-

". . . we had already decided to raise some of your Grades."
Oh. He's talking about everyone else. That makes sense, since Sarracenia threw herself right in the path of that cannon, and Kale did wonders with his team's evacuation efforts. At least it sounds like Olivier's not here to fire or execute anyone, so maybe he'll forget-

"...It is not against the rules to work with His Syndicate."
Oh god they think she's working with the Syndicate. Sure, she might have extremely high sympathies for the Redshifts and their leader in particular, but she really needs to clear up this misunderstanding before word of it gets home. "Huh? Oh! Um. I'm not in the... I-I-I just work with the Company! Not the..."

She slows down, looking more and more confused by the second. "The Lambent... Who now?" The confusion works well enough to slow her expected freakout down that all of Olivier's complements even get time to sink in. She gawks up at him for several long moments before finally managing to make a noise again that's equal parts confused and pleasantly surprised. "O.. Oh! That's.. I. er. T-thank you, Mister Olivier! I-"

"Grade Seven."
This definitely wasn't what Odette was expecting, and she goes straight into another confused noise that sounds like she's starting the very start of a word and then short-circuiting before even a syllable comes out. Once again, the EMT needs a while to catch her breath before finally smacking her cheeks with her open palms, then pumping her fists at her sides. "Th.. Thank you! I-I won't let any of you down again!"

She looks like she's about to cry, but in that good way even though she's staring at the floor and biting her lips a bit. She's been acknowledged! She's not getting fired! Most importantly, she's not getting yelled at. This...

This feels good.
Madeleine Cadrasteia     Looking into Madeleine's eyes is a truly strange experience for one's depth perception. It's hard to read exactly where she's looking, but the subtlest shift of an eyebrow suggests that she's meeting Angelica's gaze with a curious look of her own. Her lips twitch as if she's preparing to speak, but no comment on the attention escapes the huntress's lips before Olivier has moved on to handing out the new ID cards. Madeleine accepts hers with a little smile and a brief handshake, but her expression levels out at Olivier's warning. "Of course. I won't underestimate their three-fold retribution... I'm used to seven times, but I know how *flexible* those rules of engagement can be when there's a personal grudge." She folds her arms, maybe a little too confidently.

    "This is Angelica, The Black Silence. She wanted to drop by and I saw no reason to say no."

    "Oh, it is a pleasure." Madeleine unfolds her arms to reach out for another shake. "If there's anything you should like to know about us..." That same twitch of an eyebrow, this time more invitation than inquiry. The only sign that Maddie is less than cool as a cucumber about the attention of a Color is her other hand absently fidgeting with her shoulder cords.
Kale Hearthward Oh, grades are being handed out.

Kale, in a rare contravention of his Trouble, keeps his hopes low. On simmer. He knows in reality he's at *least* a grade two or higher (lower), it's just a matter of getting everyone else to recognize it.

> "You did not burn down a suburb, the concern of which that prevented me from letting you be a Grade Eight in the first place. WE have judged you to be a Grade Eight. Do not slack off."

Kale eyes Aidan. He has things to say. He eventually settles on a sanitized version of those things, once again. "Congratulations, Proudpick. I expect you - everyone expects you to live up to that new rating. Don't disappoint us."

> Maybe now he can afford new clothes. And a new place of his own.

"You need more than just new clothes," adds Kale, not quite registering that this wasn't said out loud. "Get with whoever's running Procurement, you need new equipment, and I'm sure Trideag has some connections it can exercise. Precept six."

Well, Aidan's on the same grade as him. He'll just have to live with that for a while-

> "Grade Seven. Though you were unable to stop the Lambent Dragon, you were committed to the job. Maybe next time."

"- Oh?"

Grade seven. Grade seven. GRADE SEVEN.

The numbers are going up (down)! Already!

"Well, it's good to be recognized. Thank you. I'd suggest using pencil to finalize the paperwork, though, you'll be writing in a six or a five there before too much longer."

GRADE SEVEN

Kale slots in the new ID.

Odette gets her seven as well. This is fine, though Kale makes a mental note that he still needs to drag her along to training since they share a discipline. (And that his medic keeps asking if "That Odette girl is getting enough sleep".)

... Oh, she's about to cry. Oh no. Kale has to censor off his telepathy in self-defense. He'll take Odette out for ice cream later.

Ivy gets - oh, she's still at 8. Huh. Kale makes another note to brush up on his Warprunner Lore, there's something there he must have missed.

And then Sarracenia gets handed a new ID. That's not unexpected. But - grade six? Skipping over 7 entirely?

Kale queries internally how he feels about it, and comes back with a surprising answer.

Sundea did earn it with that bold decisive action.

Yeah, she's earned it.

"... Congratulations, Princess," he says, unsarcastically. "Expectations are high."

> "I'd rather the group not be looked down upon simply because of a high profile failure when day to day you seem quite effective."

"... I'm sorry?" Kale looks up from adjusting his ID in the same manner one obsessively adjusts a hanging picture. "What were-"

He cuts himself off. Precept six. Precept two. He rephrases quickly.

"Actually, what *are* your expectations? I have some thoughts of my own on how the Shaynore Incident* went, and how it could have been improved, but what would have gotten a passing grade, in your eyes?"

He refuses to let Merelisa have an awesome codename like Lambent Dragon.
Aidan Proudpick Don't disappoint us.

One of Aidan's ears twitches as he runs through the various parts of the sentence through his analyzer, sorting each bit by word choice and filing it away. Aidan waggles the ID like a finger at Kale, still smiling. But there is that seriousness in his tone that isn't usually there. Not a light challenge, not a game. Not a boast, not a shout of defiance. A purpose behind it now, an eagerness that doesn't involve receiving recognition, "I gotta take on that responsibility I said I would, don't I?" There's a grimace as Aidan stuffs the ID in his bag. There goes his mind being read. A sigh, but the grin doesn't fade. "Thanks, Kale. I appreciate it," he tips his head in a nod, "Yer working real hard to make sure everyone lives up to their best." He still likes the way the breastplate looks. But maybe better armguards. And maybe shields that aren't made of actual wood.

But again, Aidan turns towards Sarracenia, grinning, "Hey! I went up to Eight, you got in at Six, that's time for celebrating." He gives her a gentle 'pamf' on the arm with the back of his hand. "You should go do something you never treat yourself to!"
Lilian Rook     'Relax, The Head is upset but we all expected growing pains.'

    "Oh the Head can be as upset as they want, but I'm afraid they have nothing at all to complain about." says Lilian. The words aren't strictly meant for her, but they're certainly hers to overhear, even if she absorbs them while examining her nails. "You know, I was, and remain, all for this arrangement. I think it's a good change of pace for these people to have to work their way from the ground up for once. But it's a funny thing, this arrangement."

    "I'm certain the Head means to make use of powerful assets centralized under a tenuous position, evaluated lowly until they've proven their loyalty by working off an outrageous internship; cleverly, I might add, and I'd do the same in their position." Lilian says, lowering her hand and checking up on Olivier's gaze again. "But the funny thing about it is this."

    Tucking her PDA in against her forearm, Lilian shrugs exaggeratedly, with a sarcastically helpless smile, saying quote-toned, "My my, I wonder what your complaints could be? Surely you aren't intending to report that you expected a mere handful of newly minted Grade Eight and Nine Fixers to handle that?"

    The handouts are exactly what she'd expected. Lilian had thought about posting a bulletin before Olivier's arrival, but letting people get their hands on the official confirmation first before announcing it organization-wide seemed prudent. This way, she also gets to watch, scandalized, at the surprise motion of Sarracenia being promoted way ahead of everyone else in one single leap.

    'My apologies that my update to you was inaccurate. I was overruled'

    "You're joking." says Lilian, voice dropping, then coughing politely to adjust tact. "No, seriously, are you the only one with any sense at that organization?" Nope. Failure to change course. "Not to root against one of my own employees, but surely Hana isn't so soft as to hand out Purple Hearts. If willingness to throw oneself in the way of harm out of desperation were enough to earn a promotion, out of smiling goodwill for meritorious self-sacrifice, then everyone would be doing it. And I hope you don't take offense at my saying that the attitude of the various Fixer offices I've seen is that you get nothing for it; so don't."

    Actually, the more she talks, the more she drifts away from it being about Sarracenia specifically, and the more it sounds like having the rug pulled out from under her expectations of what carrot and stick the bureaucracy was going to wave around. "I'd almost think that our Association were getting another form of special treatment, if we're getting points for 'loyalty'."

    'Speaking of, Director. This is Angelica, The Black Silence.'

    §As I suspected. She's the one I heard about through Meika. It's like these people are drawn to me.§

    'But it's nice to meet you too, Dame Commander.'

    "A pleasure to meet you as well." Lilian says, taking Angelica's hand in sequence, then hesitating just a moment over how firmly to shake it. "I'd say that I've heard plenty about you, but I'd think that should go without saying." Her eyebrows climb as high as her bangs at the whispered addition. "You needn't worry; I happen to have a fiancée." she says, trying to reply without making the private words seem overly clear. "I'm happy to hear that one of you has a solid head on her shoulders. Keep a firm hold of someone who'll talk to you that way."
Ivy Carrow     Ivy's smile falls, slightly, when she's passed over. But Alex is there, to say, "but of course. We've only been one or two proper missions in the city, yes? Consistency is important in fixers."

    "Yeah." Ivy tugged at her sleeve. "Sure is."

    "...Your presence here worries me, I admit, Captain. I am the sort of man who prefers stability to change. But I know better than to stand in the way of the inevitable unless I have no other choice."

    "Little old me?" Ivy recovered her spirits quickly, offering Olivier a slash of a smile. "My runners have never been major players in that way. We're explorers above all else." Her smile is a little too impish to be convincing. "But change is just a part of life! The only people who never change are the dead." A pause. "And sometimes, not even then!"

    "We all have to accept a little change, sometimes."
Lilian Rook     Lilian smiles and nods at Olivier's offer; not insincerely; and says, warmly enough "He must be the only one in the City who has such an old-fashioned idea like that." The mention of the Hana Association's other business, however, sobers her up from pleasantries perfectly quickly. Straight away, she motions for them to follow, going to the lifts that will lead up to one of the so-far little used conference rooms.

    'That there is no plan is what makes people nervous. I'd rather the group not be looked down upon simply because of a high profile failure when day to day you seem quite effective.'

    "Trust me. I've been thinking about it plenty." Lilian sighs heatedly once the group is away from the day staff and has a measure of privacy. "I rather dislike these types of Pick Me losers crawling out of the woodwork to screw things up and get their five minutes of fame the instant anything starts to change in a way people are paying attention to." Hitting the button, Lilian goes on to sound as Evilly Corporate as she ever has. "People like that never build anything; the only thing they know how to do is destroy, and they prefer to do it wherever they think the spotlight is focused."

    "Though, if I may speak irresponsibly for a moment . . ." Then, right back out of that classical tone. Sincere again. Perhaps no less evil. "It's been a while since the last one, so I was starting to get a little stir crazy. Maybe I should even say bored?"

    Arriving at the next floor, Lilian addresses the other Elites in a flurry of little comments.

    'Grade Six already! And you saved an entire harbor!'

    "Don't be a suckup. Even if she ends up your supervisor, Sundew knows she won't keep that Grade if she gives you anything for riding her dick."

    'Oh! I see! So, Grade is a measure of reliability and ability, then?'

    "It determines the risk level of work you're allowed to take on, and the amount of responsibility expected from you. Though I can't say I approve of using unprofessional connections from outside of work to earn it."

    'he Lambent... Who now?'

    "Shaynore. I suppose it's her codename, though I wouldn't be surprised if she was designated with an official elimination priority by the Head. And while Berislav and I may not see perfectly eye to eye, we're on good terms for now."

    'Of course. I won't underestimate their three-fold retribution...'

    "Personally, I'd like to take advantage of it."

    'You need more than just new clothes'

    "First and foremost he needs new equipment after he threw it into the ocean, as if it'd make him clean."
Angela ''I'm Aidan Proudpick! Miss, uh-''

"Angelica." The Black Silence says. "Gosh, you look kind of like a living mascot..." Olivier, meanwhile, finds Aidan's vocalized determination to be reassuring but he knows better than to rely on what people say. Still, Aidan wouldn't be the first disaster who messed up and then made something of themselves and a mad scientist hasn't roboticized The City yet so there's that.

''Is it not simply good hospitality--''

"He's a bit of a stickler for protocol," Angelica speaks before Olivier gets a chance to answer. "Don't take his countenance as a slight, he's just like this."

Olivier sighs and leaves it at that. Sarracenia assures him she is consistent--and perhaps she is-- but it was still an unusual act that pushed her to Grade Six. "...Well don't make it ''consistent'' that you solve problems by tanking them with your face. It doesn't ''usually'' work." He grimaces as Sarracenia and Aidan gush over her success.

''I just work with the Company!''

"..I don't know what that is. I was speaking about Father Berislav's group." He reaches into his jacket pocket and offers her a tissue. "Ah... will this help?" He gives Madeleine a nod but Angelica has more to say.

"Your eyes kind of remind me of my Gloves, but I can just barely tell where you're looking... Did someone do that to you?" Her expression is sympathetic and her eyebrows are narrowed with concern.

Olivier doesn't stop Kale from giving Aidan a hard time. Not his place. And sometimes that's what works. It's not on him to decide whether it's appropriate or not. He is damn well aware himself that most of the Elites are more capable than the Grades he's giving out but he has his own reasons for insisting on a slow progression rather than rushing to what's ''accurate''. And that's because while many Elites are very capable, that's part of the problem. They also need know how The City works, do jobs that satisfy the people they are working for--it isn't jus about their skills and talents. Lilian may have skipped straight to Grade One but there were many reasons for that Rank in particular.

Grade also doesn't mean a pay increase. You know, unless Lilian decides to provide a pay increase. "Precept Six?" He asks.

''Though you'll be writing a six or a five there before too much longer.''

Olivier says, "We'll see." with the tone of someone who is accustomed to hearing stuff like that and has seen it explode in their face many a time.
Angela ''Actually, what *are* your expectations?''

"Good question. My expectation is that you are able to handle the level of work that any other Association can handle. The grand responsibility of Trideag is to ensure The City and the multiverse are not hostile to one another or in conflict with one another--not to the point that The City declares you all Impurities--and before anyone speaks to how well The City could handle the Multiverse in such a stae--that is not strictly relevant. I do not want The City to burn down, I do not want The City to use its ... Strange Weaponry to defend itself. I do not want another Smoke War or, Wing Forbid, another Battle for the City. Because many people would suffer and die. And many more would just suffer and suffer. Finally my expectation is that you listen to the expectations of your Director. There are fools who want you to fail, but some of those fools are the people you are here to protect because they simply do not ''know'' ny beter."

''I'm afraid they have nothing to complain about.''

"The Head would prefer there was no Multiverse." Olivier grumbles. "But if we make this work, maybe The City can become more just for everyone."

Some people exempted, though Olivier is oblivious to them.

But he gives a small nod to Lilian's point. "I cannot speak to The Head's thoughts--and I imagine their representatives have differing opinions much like with the sponsors. They rarely contact us--perhaps they even only ''acted'' upset to put pressure on ''Hana''. But one thing is for certain... They want Trideag to expand more quickly so it ''can'' be relied upon to handle threats like Lambent Dragon. Merelisa, as your people say. They don't want The City to feel like being lasered from above is something that can't be prevented." He doesn't mention that they're lucky Merelisa didn't hit The Nest but he's certainly thinking it. Then more foolish heads might have prevailed. He doesn't want to think about it.

"Personally, I expected at least one spectacular failure. That it was only a mitigated failure is above my expectations." He adds.

''Are you the only one with any sense in that organization?''

Olivier raises an eyebrow because Lilian, in theory, should be PLEASED that one of her own has already reached Grade 6. "If she had simply received injuries and failed, I would have suggested knocking her down to Grade 9. I despise self sacrifice plays when there's usually a better option... But she was successful in protecting the harbor she was assigned to protect. That ultimately was the deciding factor. Fortunately, as Angelica says--it will correct itself if it proves to be a fluke..or if all she's good for is being a punching bag."
Angela "Correct," Olivier says to Alex. "You're busy people, but you're under consideration."

''We all have to accept a little change sometimes.''

Olivier nods once. "Of course, Captain. You are highly sought after by larger authorities than I. Don't be hasty, that is my advice."

''He must be the only one in the City who has such an old-fashioned idea like that.''

"It certainly surprised all of us. But I am happy for him." He's not smiling or anything when he says that, it's the same level tone as ever, but ... It feels honest enough in his eyes.

The two follow after Lilian when they are given lead to. Angelica takes in the surroundings more than Olivier who is more direct. He takes the facility in but in the way one might while collecting data.

"I dislike them too." He says with the sigh of a beleagured bureaucrat. "They are somehow both skittish and overconfident and hungry. It is a terrible combination but this is the reality of The City. Everything is interconnected, like I told The Father, and those webs are always seeking to wrap themselves around prey--whether or not it can actually swallow it down. Such as The Middle, it seems."

''It's been a while since the last one, so I was starting to get a little stir crazy.''

"Keep talking like that and it'll be like my drinking partner never quit." He says. Is that a bit of a smile? It's gone quickly.

''Don't be a suckup.''

Olivier nods his agreement. And then nods again and--frowns at the mention of unprofessional connections from ''outside''. He has most of the footage, so he must be aware of Merelisa and Sarracenia's relationship--at least in part.

"She's the second Outsider to be labeled a Star." Olivier says. "Hope there isn't a third for a while."

''Personally I'd like to take advantage of it.''

Olivier raises his eyebrow again. "Do you intend to use The Middle as part of your plan?"

MEANWHILE

Angelica is having the time of her life. She is THRILLED when she learns that Lilian has a fiancee too. "Oh gosh...! Olivier hadn't mentioned, how dare he! To be honest, I never expected to have a partner but he asked me all of a sudden...!" She's totally bragging, a mischevious smile flickering across her lips. "Are you planning on having kids? I didn't think I would ''ever'' do that either, taking care of a brother is hard enough...!" She has the tone of someone who has never had, like, any other friends who had a ''partner'' and just wants to plug Lilian about relationship details. "How can I stop him from worrying all the time, do you know any secrets...?"

''And while Berislav and I may not see perfectly eye to eye, wer'e on good terms for now.''

Olivier sighs. "I like him. He is a good man. I hope we do not have to kill each other." Another genuine comment from Olivier.
Madeleine Cadrasteia     Angelica: "Your eyes kind of remind me of my Gloves, but I can just barely tell where you're looking... Did someone do that to you?"

    Madeleine's mouth opens a slit, then halts for a split second as she thinks about what to say before taking a half-step closer to the Black Silence to give her answer. "I was born with them, though my enemies would have preferred if I weren't. It's become a symbol, in a way, of how they could never quite get people like me to see the world through their eyes." A star falls in Madeleine's left eye, at once few millimeters from the surface and a few million miles deep. Are there little worlds around those stars? Little people with little souls, snuffed out like a candle-flame? "But now you have me wondering about your gloves. Unless they're a trade secret?" A coy little smirk.

    Lilian: "Personally, I'd like to take advantage of it."

    As she takes a seat, Madeleine seems a little surprised that Lilian cares about the vendetta at all, before remembering that Rita is involved. "You have something in mind for them?"

    Lilian: "He threw it into the ocean, as if it'd make him clean."

    The huntress shifts in her seat - anyone paying attention to her in that moment can probably tell it's a stifled squirm of discomfort.
Kale Hearthward > "First and foremost he needs new equipment after he threw it into the ocean, as if it'd make him clean."

Oh, right, this is another reason why Kale should hold back a bit. So that Lilian can be the one to do the actual dunking.

... For what it's worth, at this place and at this time, he's actually interested in trying to drag Aidan upwards.

> They also need know how The City works, do jobs that satisfy the people they are working for--it isn't just about their skills and talents.

Mind reading comes in handy for getting some more context.

Oh, though that does remind him of something he wanted to bring up. "Oliver, a question..."

"In my line of work, when I say 'clear the area there's an active threat' people usually move first and ask for details later. They very rarely, that is to say *never*, respond with 'It's too profitable for us to move our boats from this area for even an hour'."

"Is *that* how the City works? How do I work *with* it, then? Can I just..."

He waves his hand vaguely. "Start threatening Trideag-levied fines if they aren't going to move and make our jobs of protecting them harder? That's the only thing I can really think of short of *physically moving them* out of the way by force for their own good."
Lilian Rook     Finally, Lilian really has to start actually answering Olivier's question; or rather his concerns. "Speaking plainly, the Head's plan for dealing with threats of this magnitude was always very clear. The purpose of granting the Trídéag Association a Grade One and Star of the City was always, partly, to have resources that could be tapped with the maximum possible expectation." says Lilian.

    "After this, people won't accept a repeat without seeing myself or Rita in action. A brawl between a high level threat and a group of Grade Eights can unfold this way, but it's negligence if it happens a second time. The motive core of the City planned to integrate me into its system; and to allow Rita to be slightly apart; as a final answer to exactly this sort of thing. As such, I don't intend to sit around and simply commit more resources to it next time."

    'Precept Six?'

    "Believe in your potential. Accept no bargains." says Lilian.

    'and before anyone speaks to how well The City could handle the Multiverse'

    "I unfortunately understand exactly where your mind is going." she says, a hint of tiredness leaking in. "But for every four Elites who can only think about proving something, there are five who are just apathetic, two who just want to help, and one who can exercise genuine praxis. Not everyone would gladly see seven billion people burn just because the place they live in is ugly. Even if Trídéag didn't exist, some would stand against the rest."

    "In other words, some of us can fight with honour and humanity."

    'Personally, I expected at least one spectacular failure.'

    Lilian smoothly continues over her suppressed irritation. Telling herself that the Association is about far more people than just herself half-assuages the prick she feels. "While I expected a problem of this calibre would come knocking eventually, I was hoping to have more time to recruit, train, and arm a Fixer corps. Ideally, I'd have liked to commit a Grade Three fireteam with twice as much Grade Four and Five support to containing the situation and wiping the Lambent Dragon off the map; but we just don't have those resources yet. It's just bad luck that she jumped at the opportunity to be so loud and transgressive for attention so quickly."

    'Such as The Middle, it seems.'

    "Not that I have any sympathy for them. The one silver lining is that this should rather distract their vendetta obsessives for a while. If they've chosen to live by violence, they should have no complaints about dying from it."

    'Keep talking like that and it'll be like my drinking partner never quit.'

    Lilian smiles wanly. "I used to think I'd never understand that sort of person. Now I'm rather reluctantly beginning to wonder." she says, and keeps quiet on further questions of the Middle.

    'Oh gosh...! Olivier hadn't mentioned, how dare he!'

    Lilian hesitates with her hand on the doorhandle to the meeting room, blinking owlishly at Angelica in surprise. "Oh. Um. Well I'm certain he didn't think it was appropriate to idly mention that sort of thing before. And the . . . update is very recent." she replies just short of stammering. "Honestly, he must be quite special. Having the stones to suddenly propose to a Colour is simply operating on another level entirely. Even amongst Multiversals, the track record of healthy relationships is abysmal."
Lilian Rook     'Are you planning on having kids?'

    Lilian turns just a little bit pink. "Once life permits." she says. "I'm not in a rush, but I look forward to the idea." She clears her throat, and opens up the door, standing aside for the two to go through. "You're never going to stop him worrying as long as you're in this line of work, but counterintuitive as it may sound, the more time you spend around him, the less he'll fret about the time away. Being acclimated to being together, consistently, helps make the idea feel normal; not something tenuous, waiting for the other shoe to drop."

    "Going on as if 'this is forever', taking as much time as you can for ordinary, ambitious things, about the ideal life you'll live when you're retired . . . And when you don't have the time, you still need to make some for the little things. A call or a message once or twice a day, a little souvenir here or a treat there, some time around the apartment just doing nothing and being physical . . ."

    "Well."

    Lilian shakes her head, then gestures in. Business. "The first thing I believe is necessary is a high-profile victory. I'd like to secure a high-grade mission for the Association's 'clean names' to accomplish, with the accompaniment of one or two from the Lambent Dragon disaster, then a second for the rest. The public should see the Association rise to the challenge and start putting a more aggressive foot forward to reassure them. As for the matter of the satellite, it should be obvious that installing anti-orbital defenses all over the City is a ridiculously unfeasible prospect. As such, my prime consideration is resolving the threat Shaynore poses without waiting for her to show herself again."
Odette Raskins With a lot of that tension finally cast out of Odette's mind, the EMT breathes out a heavy sigh of relief and wipes her eyes off. She's grinning ear to ear even though her eyes and cheeks are red, and she doesn't do a very good job clearing any of the former off before Olivier offers her a tissue. "Thanks... Hhh. Oh. Um. The Company is-"

"I was speaking about Father Berislav's group."
Wait. He said that just a second ago. Did anyone else hear that? Has her cover been blown? Is there even a cover? Rita's in the Trideag Association, and she's a known Watch memeber, too. Maybe... It's not such a big deal?

She just needs to act natural. "O-oh. Yeah, that's.. Uhh. The... Um." She's drawing a blank on how to even remotely play that off as something benign, and the sweating anxiety starts coming back again. Blowing her nose helps a bit, at least, as does actually thinking about what Olivier said earlier again. "I-I'll let him know, yes. He came on pretty short notice, but he's..."

Wait. Does Olivier know about all that business with the Blade Lineage? If he doesn't, would it cause more problems for everyone here and in the Watch if she said anything about it now? "He's... Reliable like that! Y-you know, because he's a... Holy man."

That much is an easy enough assumption for her to veer towards, at least. The ones back home were usually good like that, even if the ones on the stations weren't.

"Shaynore. I suppose it's her codename, though I wouldn't be surprised if she was designated with an official elimination priority by the Head."

Hearing Merelisa named the Lambent Dragon, meanwhile, gets Odette pursing her lips slightly as she looks over at Lilian. "That's... O-oh. That's a pretty cool codename, isn't it? Although..." She hrms thoughtfully, glancing around for a moment before realizing none of the dragons she knows are actually here. "Oh, they're not... N-never mind. Um. Well, I just wonder if a different name might be more... Not as confusing?"

Another pause, and then she sucks in some air through her teeth. "E-elimination? Would their reaction really need to be that...?" There's another pause as Odette juggles that thought around in her mind, visibly straining a bit to reconcile several conflicting emotions at once. On one hand, it's not as though she's particularly angry with Merelisa. On the other hand, she did kill a bunch of people, evil or otherwise.

On the third hand, Lilian's just speculating, so she's probably just overthinking things. Besides, there's other things to think about, like her shiny new Grade Seven ID!

"And while Berislav and I may not see perfectly eye to eye, we're on good terms for now."
That, too, gets a relieved sigh from Odette. She doesn't comment on it out of that continued concern of blowing whatever cover she may or may not even have at this point, but it's easy for Lilian (and anyone else watching her) to see that she's not quite as tense before when his name is brought up compared to earlier.

"I do not want The City to burn down, I do not want The City to use its ... Strange Weaponry to defend itself."
"None of us d-" Wait, Merelisa did kind of blow things up a lot. "-here do. I-i think that's.. We're all in agreement there, so we'll... Y-yes, we'll be hard at work makign sure whatever those are don't have to be used!" Odette chimes in, trying to sound encouraging before realizing she has no idea what those are. "How bad are those, anyway? I-is it like detonating a..." She swallows lightly, partially from heightened anxiety over those ominously-named things and partially because she needs to at least pretend like she's more sympathetic to the Company than the Redshifts. "Giant.. Bomb?"
Sarracenia      'She looks like she's about to cry, but in that good way'

     Sarra notices Odette and the look on her face, and Sarra can't help a smile. She gives Odette a bit of a hug around the shoulders. "When have you ever let us down?" she says.

     '... Congratulations, Princess. Expectations are high.'

     Sarra's smug smirk was already on her face as she turned toward Kale, but as he actually congratulates her Sarra is left speechless with a bit of a deer-in-the-headlights look. And after a few more moments she is looking a bit misty-eyed herself. She also has received recognition now. And from someone who hates her. Is...is she actually making progress toward her ultimate goal? Is she...making a difference for real? She softly clears her throat and looks off to the side to try and hide it. "Y-yeah..." she murmurs quietly, then blinks and mmphs. "I mean...thank you, Kale. And congratulations to you as well." she says in a normal volume.

     'I'd rather the group not be looked down upon simply because of a high profile failure when day to day you seem quite effective.'

     Sarra frowns lightly at this. It isn't until Kale mentions Shaynore that Sarra realizes that Lambent Dragon is Merelisa. "Lambent Dragon...? That...sounds like an Abnormal's name." Sarra says quietly. Sarra is about to object to calling what happened a failure on their part, but Olivier elaborates when prompted by Kale. They want a plan on how to deal with Merelisa if she comes back, too. Sarra looks a bit nervous about that. Using herself as a shield probably won't work again given what Merelisa said. "Well...before the attack she and I were quite close.

     'You should go do something you never treat yourself to!'

     Sarra lets out an intrigued 'ooooh' at the idea, but then tries to think of something she never treats herself to that she would like to. "...would you...care to fight in the Shrine of Adversity?" she asks the squirrel. "No one ever wants to anymore, but I think having a proper fight with a friend in a place where you cannot seriously harm each other is wonderful!" She seems quite excited at the prospect.

     'You're joking.'

     And there it is. Sarra is not only not surprised by Lilian arguing against her promotion, she was expecting it. "Throwing myself in harm's way and -saving many people- in the process!" Sarra objects, but doesn't say anything more than that as the target of Lilian's ire does not seem to actually be Sarra.

     'Don't be a suckup. Even if she ends up your supervisor, Sundew knows she won't keep that Grade if she gives you anything for riding her dick.'

     Sarra's brain stops functioning. Being as inexperienced as she is, Lilian has just introduced an entirely new concept to Sarracenia. Her face turns the deepest shade of red it has ever been. She freezes up, getting left behind by the walking group.

     It takes her several long moments to recover, and when she finally does she lets out the highest pitched most shrill "LILIAN!!!" before following it up with, "I do not even have a...o-one of those! W-why are you always sayings such...crude things to me?!" It is probably loud enough to be heard even on other floors.

     Then, she huffily but quickly catches up to the others. "Pardon me, but what better option did we have at that time that would not have resulted in many more dead and injured people? From what I saw even Merelisa cannot stop the Firmament Driver once it has reached a certain point. I sacrificed not only my ship, my crew, and nearly myself! I also sacrificed my friendship with her! Before that happened she had been a steadfast ally to me and had performed various heroic acts! Even her attack here was motivated by a desire to free the people of this city from the terrible suffering inflicted upon them by the City's own organizations and corporations!"
Sarracenia
     "If she had but chosen a different method we likely would have been working alongside her! -My- plan for dealing with Merelisa is to change her mind about how to brighten the city, and given she did -not- incinerate me I am quite confident I can affect some sort of change." If he didn't already know, he certainly does now. Sarra is certainly not shy about it.

     Sarra frowns more at the comparison to a punching bag. She starts to say more, but ends up just huffing as she tries to think of what to actually say. Finally, she crosses her arms and says, "...I suppose this is one instance where inconsistency will benefit you. I am -rarely- just a punching bag. This was a very special circumstance. I am more than happy to punch back when the need arises and I have plenty of firepower to throw at a problem."

     Angelica and Lilian start talking about fiancees, and Sarra's frown turns to more of a pouting face as she crosses her arms in annoyance. "Thank goodness you finally asked her, Lilian. When is the wedding?"
Aidan Proudpick "...would you...care to fight in the Shrine of Adversity?"

Aidan lets out a laugh at that, "Sure thing! It's been a while since I've had a one on one with someone, that'd be great!"
"Gosh, you look kind of like a living mascot..."

Aidan's smile doesn't waver. He's used to that by now, "Oh, no. I get that a lot. Especially after that Ratatoskr thing! See, there are these things called fursuits, Meika seems to know a lot about them."

"I'd almost think that our Association were getting another form of special treatment, if we're getting points for 'loyalty'."

Earflick. Aidan's head turns slightly towards Lilian, filtering things through his head. The words from Kale as well, putting them away silently. A glance at Olivier and Angelica, adding a new lens filter. They are all things he needs to learn about to deal with the Gale Empire, and he doesn't want to miss a moment to pick up a few things based on That is then quickly followed by "Don't be a suckup." making Aidan regret turning his attention away. He sees Olivier nodding along, prompting the squirrel to fold his arms.

"I can be happy for a friend. I don't WANT special treatment. If I get special treatment, then it means I can't handle it. Or I just woulda let her knight me when she offere-" Aidan turns back to notice Sarracenia stop completely in her tracks. "It's not one of those literal phrases, Sarra, it means..." he rolls his hand, "The same thing as sucking up."
Lilian Rook     'Throwing myself in harm's way and -saving many people- in the process!'

    "I wouldn't push it if I were you." Lilian says, frostily. "Both you and I know that decision was motivated by the assumption that Shaynore wouldn't want to hurt you personally. Had anyone else there attempted the same, she'd likely have vapourized them without a second thought. I don't approve of my Fixers taking actions that set a bad example for their peers."

    'LILIAN!!!'

    Lilian looks at Sarracenia as she babbles on with the slow-dawning quiet horror of someone realizing they'd silently underestimated the weirdness of. Her tone remains immaculately neutral, however.

    "My condolences. I admire your tenacity at getting through each day with such a crippling disability." she says, utterly deadpan. "You may notice I was speaking to Proudpick, however. And I expect you to take it seriously. If you're that giddy to take on the responsibilities of Grade Six, don't allow him to cling to the hem of your skirt hoping for an easy ride."

    'When is the wedding?'

    "The spring equinox, naturally."

    'He's... Reliable like that! Y-you know, because he's a... Holy man.'

    Lilian snorts. "In spite of it, you mean. Nevertheless, I agree with Olivier. He's misstepped once or twice in my eyes, but I don't dislike him overall."

    'E-elimination? Would their reaction really need to be that...?'

    "A Fixer of the Thirteenth is a warrior and not a servant. Dispatch evil without hesitation."

    'I can be happy for a friend.'

    Distracted, Lilian forgets not to look mildly surprised. "You're still calling yourself her friend?"
Ivy Carrow     "Of course, Captain. You are highly sought after by larger authorities than I. Don't be hasty, that is my advice."

    "Are we, now. Ominous." Ivy's tone was hard to read. She offered a glance toward her Vice-Captain. "That sounds useful, but..."

    "...But dangerous." They share a long look, before turning to Olivier, levity gone. "We've done many things to keep our branch independent."

    "And we'll have to do many more." There was a grin on her face then, but it wasn't quite as...bright. "The most important thing for an explorer is learn is how to find a way back the way you came. No matter how thorny the territory."

    "We'll keep your warning in mind, Olivier." They turned back toward the fixer, clasping hands behind their back. "And we'll remember that you gave it."
Angela ''When I say clear the area there's an active threat.''

"I can only ''guess'' as to why they didn't move but I suspect they were at a concert and did not understand the gravity of the danger and did not respect your authority." He pauses when Kale suggests threatening people who fail to move with ''taxes''. "..You are not the government. You do not have the authority to level ''fines''. People are often stupid--what do you want me to tell you? Like I said, those stupid people are the people you work for. It is on you to convince them to see reason. That is why the Dame Commander is focused so much on establishing reputation, is it not? Reputation is an important resource here, Kale. In some ways more important than even ahn."

''After this, people won't accept a repeat without seeing myself or Rita in action.''

"...You understand. Perhaps I could have spared everyone a lot of trouble if I simply said ''that''. Thank you for reassuring me on that point." He nods along to Precept Six. Rules. He is an appreciator of rules. Even philsophical ones. He gets further reassurance about how people are out in the Multiverse. His posture relaxes, but it's Angelica who says, wistfully...

"It sounds like such a kind place. A paradise, almost." Angelica murmurs. "But it's kind of a relief for me. I have to admit, it's nice to see that something better can be built. Even if it's not in your own home yet."

Olivier doesn't seem to realize he pricked Lilian a little there. Angelica noticed and winces a little but adds, "Bad luck's common in the Backstreets. To be honest, I understand where she's coming from. Sometimes you have to do something ugly or you get overwhelmed by the ugliness." But despite using the 'I' there, there's a sense she's speaking on behalf of someone else. "...Not everyone gets to ''choose'' to live by violence... But well, the Middle's pretty far from those who don't get to choose."

''I used to think I'd never understand that sort of person.''

Olivier sighs as if he's had a similar journey with regards to his partner.
Angela ''Having the stones to suddenly propose to a Color. ... Even amongst Multiversals, the track record of healthy relationships is abyssmal.''

"He never treated me like a ''Color'' even once. We didn't get along at first, but we had to hunt down a Star together and--well, we grew closer over time through work. He's a good guy even if he's got a bit of a vengeful streak. You know, I bet you've noticed--lots of people here, me included, are just so used to the way things are we don't even notice how fucked up it is." She exhales. "But even if he acts otherwise, you can tell by looking at his face... He still isn't used to it."

Angelica is more interested in talking about relationships, children, and life though. One must wonder how someone called The Black Silence became a person like this. Love can do a lot to a person. A future can be a salve for many wounds. Angelica doesn't even mention how The City harmed her like The Purple suggested, or the Red Mist outright said. She must have suffered greatly like any other Color but she doesn't look it.

"You'll be a good mom," Angelica decides. "I can tell. You're smart, tough, but most importantly--it's the care you show to what you hold."

''You're never going to stop him worrying as long as you're in this line of work.''

"Well I'm not gonna be in it while I'm expecting. And I hope to retire from ''this'' line of work when we get to it. Between us, we have enough money even if we got rejected from the Nest--but we live in a nice backstreets area and it's not like anyone is gonna mess with us, even if I end up working at a grocery store." She smiles as Lilian provides further advice. "I'll have to make sure ''he'' waits on my hand and foot then~" She's in a wonderful mood. "Your fiancee's really lucky to have such a considerate partner."

''I'd like to secure a a high-grade mission--then a rescond for the rest.''

"...I know the Liu is already interested in meeting with you." Olivier says. "I'll see if the Wings are offering any jobs or something adjacent. One that isn't L Corp. Not to make the Wings happy, but because successfully completing missions from Wings tells everyone you are reliable... I will trust you with Merelisa."

There's not much else he can do.
Angela ''But now you have me wondering about your gloves.''

Angelica holds her finger to her lips at Madeleine before adding, "They draw from a specialized 'void' that lets me draw items out from it. A bit different from normal ''bags'', and I'll let you wonder a bit on just ''how'' they are different, but they're why they call me The Black Silence." She doesn't exactly seem like a craftsman though--it's entirely possible she doesn't know the full details on how they work. But surely she's not that haphazard...

''That sounds like an Abnormal's name.''

"What is an Abnormal?" Olivier asks. He doesn't know about Abnormaliies, of course. "All Stars of the City have designations like that. We know you were close. If you can convince her to leave the City alone, feel free. We won't chase her outside our borders, especially if she leaves it at one tantrum" Of course Trideag might have their own plans.

''Sarracenia melting down about not having a dick.''

Olivier siiiiighs in a way that actually gets all those extra i's inside. He is already regretting giving Sarracenia that ID but it wasn't up to him was it? No sir it wasn't. "It's a turn of phrase and nobody here cares if you have a dick or twelve." Olivier says. "And--"

Sarracenia is still going and eventually Olivier just straight up turns around and places his hand on her shoulder to stop her from moving.

"Listen to me." He says. "Maybe you didn't have a better option at the time. I know you put your friendship with her at risk. I know that you sacrificed your body and crew to accomplish what you did. That is why you are a Grade 6 right now. But the way you are acting right now? That is why I think you should've been kept at Grade 7. The world is sometimes ''unfair'', Sundew. Sometimes there is no better option and you get punished for it. Right now, we're just figuring out how to fix things for the ''future'', handle things better ''in the future''. Dwelling on what happened is what those who want all of you to ''fail'' want us to do."

He is stern, but not angry. His tone is as patient as ever. There's the sense that he's had to do this for other people before in his life, people he even cared for deeply. "Do you understand? Nod if you understand what our purpose here is today. I am ''critical'', but I strive to be a fair judge. If you dislike my evaluations, tell me now that I am wrong."

There's a sense that he thinks that'd be a bad idea. But why, well, that's a mystery.
Angela ''Thank goodness you finally asked her.''

Angelica nods as if she'd also been waiting for that somehow.

''See, there are these things called fursuits.''

"...Are you wearing a fursuit? are you like a human being under all that?" Fursuits are truly incredible, Angelica thinks, she can't even tell he isn't some kind of giant squirrel man!

''The spring equinox, naturally.''

"Eeeee..." Angelica is SO excited.

''You and I know that decision was motivated by the assumption...''

"We are aware of that reliance as well. Not that I can say understanding your opponent is a bad thing, but do not be so proud." Olivier agrees. "If you don't get all choked up on your successes, you might even keep it."

''Odette panic noises.''

Olivier is worried he's missing something terribly important with how Odette is acting. "Please calm down you aren' in trouble," He's practically begging at this point.

''Because he's a... Holy man.''

"I'd appreciate it if you discouraged him from getting any more holes," Is Olivier's dry answer. He kind of awkwardly pats Odette on the head hoping this will somehow keep her from stammering anymore. It's awkward and uncomfortable like this isn't a position he's accustomed to being in.

"...I'd rather not talk about how bad they are," He says of the Strange Weaponry so it's probably pretty bad.

''That sounds useful... But dangerous.''

"I am glad you undersand," Olivier says. "...There's no need to remember. I am mostly just doing my job here. It is my job to ensure you are not caught unprepared. ... But I do want you to succeed, personally, so I am will accept I am willing to go the extra mile here and there."
Angela ''It's become a symbol, in a way, of how they could never get people like me to see the world through heir eyes.''

Angelica's own eyes are drawn by the falling stars. "..Sounsd tough, you're a tough girl huh?" Angelica smiles again, though this time it's subtler and sadder.
Sarracenia      'It's not one of those literal phrases, Sarra, it means...The same thing as sucking up.'

     "It does not!! And even if it does it is entirely too crude of a thing to say to a princess!!" Sarra exclaims. "I am starting to think she does it on purpose!"

     'Both you and I know that decision was motivated by the assumption that Shaynore wouldn't want to hurt you personally.'

     Sarra mmphs in some annoyance. She tries for a moment to think of a counter, but ends up just huffing softly. "..." She can't tell Lilian that she is right, of course.

     'If you're that giddy to take on the responsibilities of Grade Six, don't allow him to cling to the hem of your skirt hoping for an easy ride.'

     "I do not even...!!" Sarra starts to protest, but then wonders...has she been propping Aidan up? She has helped him a few times, but...is that giving him an easy ride? "...I do not fight battles for him. I am there for support after, but I do not 'give him rides'."

     'The spring equinox, naturally.'

     Sarra blinks in surprise, the surprise at being answered honestly and without venom diffusing her effectively. "...o-oh. That...is the natural date, I suppose." she says. With that response, Sarra almost asks a follow up. She has never been to a wedding, even as a guest. Her mouth opens, but even she has some sense and shame. The sound catches in her throat before forming a word, and her mouth closes again as a bit of a sad look forms on her face. "If your simulation is any indication...it is sure to be an amazing wedding." she says, her gaze aimed at nothing in particular. If Kale was listening with his mind he would hear the 'is there any chance I could attend?' as clear as a bell.

     'Your fiancée's really lucky to have such a considerate partner.'

     Despite barely being involved in the conversation, Sarra can't help a bit of an 'mmph' at that.

     'Olivier straight up turns around and places his hand on her shoulder to stop her from moving.'

     Sarra meeps softly in surprise. Very few people touch her, much less in this sort of way. This sort of stern but caring way. Even her own father does not treat her in such a fatherly way. She ends up just stopping and listening, eyes a bit wide and that lightly astonished face returning.

     At the end, she finds herself hesitating before nodding lightly. Does she actually understand what their purpose here today is? The chances are about 50/50. "I...I will do my utmost to prove...to show that the faith that has been extended to me is not misplaced." she says, then is pretty quiet after that.

     It is only at this point that Sarra actually feels nervous. People...will actually be depending on her? Her nervousness increases. She can't stop the Merelisa's of the City or the Multiverse, though! Her hands slide to cup her own cheeks then cover her face. That really was a gambit that probably won't work again! If something like that happened again, how would she deal with it?

     Sarra's eyes flick back and forth a bit as she tries to think of what she would do, hands covering her mouth and nose. And the only answer she can come up with...

     She ends up looking at Lilian over her hands. The only answer she has right now would be relying on Lilian's or Rita's strength. She ends up looking down at nothing again. Which is the one thing she has vowed to not do. The thing that Lilian is tired of people doing.

     "...how can I get that strong...?" Sarra wonders softly aloud without realizing it.