"Kay, you and your team have been doing amazing work lately," said Miss Planner. "You've really reached a lot of people."

Kay was an administrator for the Hands of Light, the charity run by the Chosen Ones as a branch of their recruitment division. A tall and skinny woman with brown hair, Kay was a true believer in the Chosen cause. She had spent her entire adult life working to spread the Chosen way of life to the impoverished people of Grandebelle.

"Thank you, Miss Planner!" replied Kay enthusiastically. "I'm so glad we're finally getting this new shelter. It means a whole lot to us."
"The rest of the Chosen Ones are really starting to see the value in giving back to the community, and it's all because of people like you who do such great work. I'll make sure the executives keep up their end of the bargain and give our volunteers the help they need."

Kay smiled at Miss Planner warmly. She really had a friend in high places with Miss Planner, who consistently pushed the higher-ups to give the Hands of Light their full support. The needy people of Grandebelle were well-taken care of in Miss Planner's hands.

As the two women chatted, they made their way towards a large table covered with food. A crowd of donors was eating the free lunch provided for the charity event, an all-you-could-eat smorgasbord of tiny sandwiches, chips, cookies, soda, fruit, and other light snacks. The tables were packed with donors and media personnel. The guests sat in rows facing each other, surrounded by a sea of camera lenses.

"Kay, what do you think of our plan to expand our distribution network to Challebon and Cinnaraco?"

"Challebon has a big homeless population. Not as much as Grandebelle, of course, but we do a lot of good down there. Once we get a few more shelters set up, I think the distribution end will be all set. And Cinnaraco... well, we could focus on giving support to troubled families. That would help a lot of people out. Right now, the Hands of Light don't offer anything for people like that, but if we did..."

"Oh, that's a wonderful idea, Kay! We could really change a lot of people's lives! You have a real gift for connecting with people, don't you?"

Kay blushed at Miss Planner's praise. She'd heard plenty of compliments from her boss before, but none of them felt as genuine as when Miss Planner spoke to her.

"Miss Planner, the Sages told me you were the one who brought them out to Grandebelle to speak with our clients. I'm so proud to work for a woman with your vision and determination. Everyone knows how hard you've worked to build up the main organization over the last year."
"Thanks, Kay. It's been a busy year, but I love being a manager. It's been a lot of fun watching the organization grow and evolve."

Miss Planner looked around the room at the hundreds of people. She spotted several people she recognized and waved to them. The Hands of Light were very successful at finding donors, to the point that the main branch of the Chosen Ones didn't know what to do with all the money and attention. The main branch wasn't allowed to use a single bit of the charity’s money for its own operations, so they had a tendency to leave the Hands of Light to their own devices. But Miss Planner knew exactly how to use the charity to further the goals of the larger group.

Miss Planner smiled broadly as the media snapped pictures of her. The tiny blonde tyrant was very photogenic, and the Hands of Light had learned early on that it paid off to have Miss Planner smiling for the cameras. She made sure to smile at everyone. The charity lunch ended without incident and the media left through the back of the building.

"Kay, we need to talk," said Miss Planner after they were alone. "I've been thinking a lot lately, and I want to share some ideas with you."
"Of course!" replied Kay eagerly. "Anything you say, Miss Planner. What do you need?"

Miss Planner took a deep breath and closed her eyes. Then she opened her mouth and began speaking in a quiet voice.

"Expanding our reach into Challebon and Cinnaraco is important, of course. We should try to get as much influence in those two cities as we can. But that's not the only thing I'm worried about. We need to get a contract with the Grandebelle City Council as soon as possible. I'll try to convince the higher-ups that the Hands of Light need our support in placing a winning bid for the shelter construction project."

"That's a great idea!" said Kay. “You really think the executives will agree to it?"
Miss Planner smiled at the brown-haired woman. She thought for a moment and then answered.

"I'm going to talk to as many people as I can to try and make it happen, but... let's just be honest. Our chances of success are pretty slim. It's a long shot."

Kay nodded, understanding.