There were a few different events going on at this moment that should have probably captured her full attention, but Valissa couldn't get her mind off the fact that the sun was just so bright. Her memory flashed back to those days she lived in a cell. Treated like nothing more than a helpless animal. No. Her life had been far worse, and yet, she understood. A beast should always be locked up in a cage. Fed whatever scraps the caretakers wanted to give. How could she argue when she had been kept alive? Turned into a monster, but as she's learned, there were quite a few left of those in this world, and these men in suits were interested in hearing her story.

Her voice began from her very first memory. Educating herself on the ways of multiplication by counting the stones in the walls. Wasn't a fun game, but there wasn't much of a choice. Life wasn't so precious. Kept alive. Breathing as a creature of carnage. Truly, Valissa was disgusted with herself. Always had been for the monster that she had become. Wasn't the young woman's fault, of course, but how was she to keep going on when flesh was something she needed in order to survive? But not just from any human, no. The essence of a Ghoul is what she required and look at that.

One happened to be sitting at her side. Aiding her even though he knows what she is.

Valissa had to gain some self-control, which would prove quickly to be one of the hardest tasks she ever had to accomplish. He's a kind man, as were these two newer faces. It was time for her to sit down and listen to what they had to say.

Across the park from where they had originally met up sat a few set of public tables for anyone to use at any given moment. As of right now the area was pretty secluded so they would be free to talk about whatever it is they wanted. Seemed to work out well considering the choice in the topic they'd have for today. The place she chose was at the end of a bench, and next to her sat the same Ghoul she thought of earlier; Kaneki. On the other side were the other two. The one referred to as Juuzou directly across from her. For some reason, his smile made her want to smile. She couldn't really understand why he was so happy right now, but Valissa chose not to actually voice that question. Instead, she'd prefer that they just cut to the chase.

"I'm sure you're wondering why we've called you out here." Yukinori also shared in a smile, though his was less 'in your face happy.' More of just a forced expression he's learned to master over the years. She couldn't believe that either of these humans would be particularly happy being seated by a Ghoul and an eater of such. "I'm sure you'd prefer to be doing something else on such a beautiful day, but we both appreciate you coming out here. Makes the job a lot easier."

These men shared with her a tale on the last recorded entry of someone in their company coming across a Devil. It was a few years back, and whoever raised them clearly had the same idea as the caretakers Valissa had to deal with through her life. The man had been violent. Speech impaired by muffled noises and hissing. His actions led to the slaughter of five lives. They deemed him untreatable, so they put him down the only way they knew. After that, her kind became something of a legend. Well, they already were long before, but there was a new goal set in motion – to put an end to the illegal corruption of human lives. Making Devils was never easy. It took patience and a hell of a lot of pain, but Valissa sat before them. Civil enough to carry on a conversation as if she's been around other people her whole life.

In reality, she was just scared. It wasn't until this moment that she realized her hand had been literally clutching onto Kaneki's. Nails digging beds into his skin. Not enough to draw any blood, but she assumed it was still uncomfortable. As soon as she realized this, she let go. His eyes found hers as if to suggest that 'it was okay.' Believing that she could trust Kaneki grew easier, but Valissa didn't want her hopes to get up too high. There was still so much that she did not know.

"What exactly are you asking of me? I'm not sure that I understand."

Her question was a simple one, but the answer came with a detailed plan. Literally. The elder of the bunch pulled a rather small file out of his briefcase and pushed it over the table towards her. The man's voice explained that inside that one folder was every bit of information they knew about Devils. Anything they recorded over the years had been documented in that chart – and it wasn't very full. Kind of a letdown considering that she wanted to know more as well, but she'd take what she could get.

"We'd like for you to come work for our organization," Yukinori continued. "Undercover to help up track down and flesh out those just like you. The ultimate goal is simple. We'd like you to aid us in tracking further communities that work through the process of creating Devils. From there, if we can gain control of the situation, we want to utilize that strength and help get back this city from the Ghouls that run around harming the innocent."

At least he was honest about what they planned to do. Valissa could respect that, but as far as she heard, this plan was just about breaking these other Devils out of one prison to then lock then in another life of servitude. "What happens if they refuse to help? Is freedom off the table?"

The grin on his lips faded as he continued in a grim tone. "If they're found to be disobedient, then yes. They'll be locked in a secure room while also being provided with food and other sources of nutrition. Only to be allowed out under strict observation when needed." She knew it. "We'd like to only promote loyal service. If they are anything like you, then the leash will be loosened."

"Leash?"

It was here that Valissa came to understand that even though she was free from that cell and the dark, she'd never actually be free. A bird locked in a cage. For eternity.