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It was once again time for Alicia’s report to Beacon. And yet again, the conference room was full of various members of both the local branch as well as Ascendancy when she stepped into the room. However, unlike last time, the discussion in the room was civil. Fan-Fan had transformed her metallic hand into an impromptu 3d-map of what seemed like a building, with Elora explaining to Hudie and Suki about some new method of surveillance or deterrence. Similar discussions rang in other corners of the table, but one end was unusually quiet: it was where Rachel was listening to the Cardinal’s report.

“-deployed tomorrow, while the Swedish and Finnish chapters have agreed to lend emergency squads to arrive in two days.”
“Do we need an interpreter for them?” Rachel asked, and glanced to look at Alicia. She silently gestured for her to take a seat next to her.
“No. All members can speak English fluently,” Isthar answered, and also noticed as Alicia approached them.
“Very good. Send Emma and Lotta thanks on my behalf.” Rachel turned to Alicia afterwards, her fingers clasped as her hands rested on the table before her.
“Paladin Seraph, I believe you attended the meeting Lightning had arranged for the locals as a representative of Beacon at Penrose Park.”
Ishtar faintly smiled. “Could you please report on what happened there? Did you come to some kind of agreement?”

Stepping into the room, Alicia looked around at the various conversations that were ongoing when she arrived. It seemed that they were working hard to prepare for what was to come. Moving past them, she made her way over to Rachel so they could discuss what had happened at the meeting.

[color=aba000]“Of a sorts,”[/color] she replied as she came to a stop next to Rachel and Ishtar. [color=aba000]“We did learn how Wonderland plans to invade so hopefully we can pre-empt them. We’re going to do some scouting and see how many magical girls we’ll have for the operation before settling on the specifics of the plan.”[/color]

A pause, then she moved on to the trickier part of the meeting. [color=aba000]“There were also a couple of complications. Firstly, one of the local shop owners, Brittany, was seemingly abducted by Wonderland along with another local magical boy. So we’re going to need to rescue them while stopping the invasion.”[/color] Her face then twisted into a frown. [color=aba000]“The Ebon Mint also claimed that they could support our efforts, and wanted to negotiate a deal for the ownership of physical territory in Penrose.”[/color]

She relayed what had been agreed upon with regards to the Mint negotiations at the meeting. She had a feeling that this would go over [i]’well’[/i].

Rachel furrowed her eyebrows at the mention of Ebon Mint. However, she opened her mouth only to close it afterwards. Isthar nodded, looking concerned. Finally, the Inquisitor spoke.
“It seems the Mint has changed their ways, if they are willing to compromise to the degree you have mentioned.”
“I suppose they feel threatened by Wonderland,” Isthar chimed in.
“So they are picking the lesser of two evils.”
“Not so bad for them with the claimed territory. Still, if even Penny agreed to this…I suppose we will only have to see if Mint’s intelligence will hold true. Or anything else they claim.”
Isthar sighed. “In any case, we should prioritize these eggs. We can’t allow them to be deployed in Penrose.”

[color=aba000]“Maybe. The Mint’s whole thing is making deals. When’s the last time you saw them not twist one to their advantage?”[/color] While Alicia preferred to think the better of people, after all that had happened there was no reason to give the Mint the benefit of the doubt. The only question was how long it would take. 

After a moment she echoed Ishtar’s sigh. [color=aba000]“But yes, we’re going to need to decide who we’re sending and if we’re going to have any contingency plans just in case.”[/color] 

“I have a couple of suggestions,” Rachel spoke up, and laid out various documents and maps on the conference room table.
“First off, a division of defense and offense. I considered the possibility of a surprise assault once we had made our move, and thus secured some insurance in advance. It was difficult, but I have successfully called for emergency reinforcements from other chapters in Beacon. Combined with the local members, this will be about a force with a strength of 50 or so in total. Paladin Seraph, as you know the strategic layout of Penrose the best due to your experience, you will be the one to decide on their deployment.”

Isthar spoke up. “I suggest either splitting them into smaller units at regular intervals That way we can ensure the chain of command is sustained.”

“As for the strike into Wonderland, I suggest bringing in select Ascendancy agents, including…” Rachel grit her teeth, and took a deep breath.
“...Myself. The rest would provide leadership support for the defenders. Are there objections, Pala-ngrh…Alicia?”
Ishtar blinked in surprise. “Oh, you wish to cooperate with this plan in person, Inquisitor?”
“Well, this is a special case, and…It is far too important of an operation for me not to lend my expertise. Not that I don’t trust the capabilities of our local chapter champion here.”

Alicia nodded along as Rachel laid out their preparations so far. [color=aba000]“I’ll look into it,”[/color] she agreed as she was placed in charge of deployments. It was a large task, but she appreciated the trust. After all, Rachel had been here long enough to get an understanding of the city layout herself. They didn’t explicitly need her knowledge for this sort of thing.

She lifted an eyebrow as Rachel voiced her intention to take to the field of battle in Wonderland personally. [color=aba000]“Of course. Hopefully this goes a bit better than my last big plan.”[/color] Not that the attack on Mariette's base had ended ‘badly’, per say, but it hadn’t been a conclusion she was satisfied with.

“Good,” Rachel answered succinctly, though Alicia could tell she was hiding her awkwardness. “I’ve considered bringing Fan-Fan, Tsuki and Hudie along for the strike.”
Isthar put a finger to her chin. “Does that sound good to you, Alicia? Or do you think we should send other people in?”

Humming in thought, Alicia considered the dangerous situation they were going into. [color=aba000]“I wonder if we should bring Violette, if she’s feeling up for it. Who knows what Wonderland will have waiting for us on their home turf.”[/color]

“Yes, we can bring her in as well,” Rachel responded, and gave a little smile. “We can keep her as a direct intelligence relay to Elora, who will be staying back.” 
When Isthar stifled a giggle afterwards, the smile was quickly replaced with a frown.

“What is so funny, Cardinal?” She asked with a flash of her glasses, and Isthar rolled her eyes.
“Oh, I was just amused by how you have lightened up since we’ve begun operating in this city.”
Rachel adjusted her glasses. “Well, we won’t have much time for frivolities. We got work to do.”
Isthar nodded. “Yes, we need to prepare for the arrival of the new additions to our ranks.”
“Anyway, that should cover our deployment plans for now. Anything else we need to discuss, Paladin Seraph?”

[color=aba000]“I think that’s all for now,”[/color] Alicia said with a shake of her head. [color=aba000]“We’ll probably need to figure out how we get Wonderland to back off for good at some point, but I suppose that can wait until after we’ve given a brake check to their invasion plan.”[/color]

Ishtar nodded with a kind smile. “Very good. I think that wraps up this meeting then, girls.”
“Make sure to prepare yourselves mentally,” Rachel added as she picked up the documents on the table. “And that also means…Taking regular breaks.” The rest of Beacon attending the meeting gave her a surprised look. Rachel scoffed. “Yes, you heard me. You need to be mentally prepared by resting properly. In fact, I’ll demonstrate!” She reared back a fist, aimed at Alicia, and…held a coupon out as she averted her eyes. “...Would you like to have a cup of coffee with me, Alicia? I have this special offer at the Pit Stop, so…” It was clear she wasn’t used to this kind of social interaction.

Like the others, Alicia was not expecting Rachel’s sudden pivot in topic. All of which seemed to be a cover for her to invite her co-worker out for some off-the-clock recreation time. Well, the execution left something to be desired but she wasn’t about to reject such a positive step forward. Though something about the restaurant did nibble at the back of her mind… 

[color=aba000]“Sure, I’d be happy to,”[/color] she agreed with a nod, letting Rachel hold on to the coupon for now. It would be helpful to get to know Rachel a bit better, and to see what she was like when she was off the clock. 

“Thank you. So, let’s depart immediately. Tsuki, please file these,” Rachel said, and walked out of the room, handing the documents to Tsuki on her way.
Isthar sighed. “She’s trying too hard…” Alicia could hear her mutter amidst the noise of the meeting room clearing.

Glancing over, Alicia shot Ishtar a sympathetic look. Still, trying too hard was better than no effort at all. They were taking baby steps, that was all. Then she followed after Rachel, not wanting to end up too far behind.

Afterwards, having transformed back into her civilian form, Rachel led Alicia to the Pit Stop, where she took a table by the window, and soon brought two cups of hot coffee: one for her, and one for Alicia.
“Here you go. If you want to add cream or sugar I can fetch some for you.”

Sitting at the window table, Alicia took the coffee with a receptive smile. [color=aba000]“Some cream would be nice,”[/color] she replied to Rachel’s offer. She would wait until the girl had returned before striking up conversation. [color=aba000]“So, is this where you usually hang out when you’re not on the clock?”[/color]

Rachel didn’t answer at first when she went to retrieve the pitcher, and afterwards sat down rigidly.
“It’s understandable you’d think that, but the truth is…It’s not.” She poured some cream into her cup, and handed it over to Alicia. “I haven’t made much of a habit simply doing nothing-I mean, engaging in casual conversation. I’ve always put my work before everything else, but I realize I also need to engage more with my co-workers.” She took a sip of her coffee.
“So, Alicia, how are you doing?” She asked, sounding a bit tense.

Adding some cream to her coffee, Alicia stirred it a bit before taking a sip. Not bad, though not the best she’d ever had. Rachel’s comment was the exact opposite of surprising really. She did give off that impression of only focusing on her job. 

[color=aba000]“I’m doing alright,”[/color] she replied. [color=aba000]“Obviously things are pretty hectic with all of the Wonderland stuff, but overall I would say things are looking up. I can’t see any more trouble in the short term, unless another out-of-context baddie arrives. How about you?”[/color]

Rachel took another sip before answering. “Stressed out, as you can imagine. I figured it would be another clean sweep, just a couple of months and we'd be done. But Penrose has surpassed all my expectations. However, that also had me realize that I’m going to burn out if I keep up the pace I’ve had. Maybe I could think of something to take my mind off of things. Like a hobby. Do you have any hobbies?”

Alicia took a sip of her coffee to hold back a chuckle. Yeah, that sounded about right for Rachel. She wasn’t all that deep a person. [color=aba000]“I’d comment on that but I don’t want to jinx us,”[/color] she replied. With how their luck was, it was a legitimate concern.

[color=aba000]“Well, it’s not really a hobby but I do like helping around the community center. You know, helping other girls with their training and keeping up on their schoolwork. Stuff like that. Otherwise, I like doing pencil art, listening to music, and playing video games. Normal young adult stuff, I guess.”[/color]

“Yes, for a given value of normal,” Rachel answered, and sighed as she leaned on her arm. “Still, I didn’t think you’d be interested in pencil art. How long have you been practicing?”

Another sip led before the answer. [color=aba000]“A couple years now?”[/color] Alicia offered with a hum. [color=aba000]“I took an art class back in college, and it was one of the things I enjoyed doing. I didn’t really stick with art when I was in school, but it was a nice thing to keep around in my free time.”[/color]

“I see,” Rachel answered, contemplating Alicia’s words. “You know, maybe I could start doing some art as well. Maybe not drawing or painting, but sculpting could be enjoyable.”

Alicia nodded in agreement. [color=aba000]“Sure. Try things out, see what you like. And don’t be afraid to do things you aren’t sure you’ll like. You never know what will catch your interest.”[/color]

Rachel gave a slight smile at Alicia’s encouraging words. “You’re right, Alicia. I will give it a try.”
For a while after, the two continued conversing on casual topics, until it was time for Rachel to leave.
“Thank you for sharing this coffee with me, Alicia,” she said as she stood up from the table. “I hope we will get to do this sometime again.”

Finishing off the last of her coffee, Alicia rose to her feet as well. [color=aba000]“Of course, I’d be happy to,”[/color] she assured Rachel. She was never going to object to spending time with a fellow Beacon sister. For now though, it was time for them to go their separate ways. They both had a lot to do.