Sanctuary Agency-Chapter 40: The Pawn

〘Date: 2/14 - Thursday〙

〘Time: 2:30 PM〙

〘Location: Texas, Spade District - 4th Arc〙

Jade leaned against a light pole and yawned, watching as Allie spoke with Valerie on a topic she had no interest in. Allie, however, took great interest in Valerie's offer and conversation, enjoying spending time with the Vice Mayor and her daughter.

"Ugh, can you two City Girls hurry it up over there? We got shit to do, and I'm not trying to have another bout with Lando and Free, the Doom Bros," Jade groaned softly, rolling her eyes at the shared laughs between Allie and Valerie.

Allie glanced back at Jade with a giggle, turning her attention back toward Valerie with a hum. "Sorry, we have to hurry off!~ We're on a super important mission, but we should definitely talk again!~"

"Most certainly, I enjoyed hearing your thoughts about Trinity Valley University and Royal Creek! If you have the time, please check out my online petition to help unite Royal Creek again!~" Valerie waved, holding Piper close in her arms with a cheerful smile.

Allie giggled softly as she made her way back toward Jade, holding her hands behind her back. "Sorry I took so long!~ I just had to chat with her, she's so nice!"

"You know what else would be nice? Not giving the Crooked Spades a chance to ambush us...Ugh, things would be going so much faster with my bike," Jade groaned with a brooding tone, getting off the light pole and began making her way toward Miriam's house once again.

"Lighten up, Jade!~ Things could be much worse, but we've got each other and a dream! We're gonna beat up all those Crooked Spades and save Spade District!" Allie beamed, looking at Jade with sparkling eyes of determination.

Jade couldn't help but to chuckle softly at Allie, letting out a quiet sigh and lowered her head. "Yeah, yeah...I already know, sis.."

Valerie giggled softly at the two, turning around to go speak with other 4th Arc Locals in the area. She hummed an upbeat tune as she travelled down the sidewalk, glancing around for her next client, but a hand reached out and grabbed her, pulling her into an alleyway.

Valerie squeaked in fear, shielding her baby and grunted as she was pushed against a wall. She looked up, noticing it was me in front of her, her body relaxing nearly immediately. "The Fool... you're—"

"Quiet, woman. You are a bigger danger to yourself than I am to this city. What the hell are you doing back here after what happened yesterday?" I asked, standing in front of her with my arms crossed.

Valerie unshielded Piper from me, her lips curling into a soft, bittersweet smile. She glanced down at the ground, shifting lightly with slight embarrassment. "I know it seems a bit foolish to come back here after what Bear and Escobar did..."

"A bit? It is very idiotic of you, don't undersell yourself. You've got to be one of the most crazy resilient women I know. The Spades tried to hurt you," I said, holding Valerie's chin and raising her head to make her look at me.

"The Spades spat in your face when you tried to help...why are you here again?" I asked, my tone softening into a low, conspiring tone.

"Because I won't give up on my people. No matter how much they spit and stomp on my hands when I try to feed them, I know why they do it... People think I don't know what Fredrick did four years ago. I'm not a stupid damsel like most view me," Valerie said, her tone growing more serious, her eyes locking onto mine.

"I know what he did, but I believe he was right...before he met Tomi. It should've ended when Karin betrayed Momo and proved Fredrick right. It should've ended there...he should've let Karin fix her mistakes, but he sent Tomi to keep everything down," Valerie continued, closing her eyes and letting out a soft sigh.

I listened to her side of the Spade's Demise, understanding how many pieces are all coming together. My mind began to create questions on where Tomi fit on the timeline and what exactly went wrong for the Spades after Karin's betrayal. Why did Momo have to burn it all down?

"Can I ask you something? What is your goal? Why are you parading the Spade District?" Valerie asked, opening her eyes to meet my gaze.

I let go of Valerie's chin and walked toward a wall, leaning my back against it calmly. "My plan is opposite to yours...I plan to destroy the hierarchy of the Spade District and rebuild it as its new King. Once I unite the Spades, I will unite the other Districts.."

"And soon, your husband will be my last target. His injustice against all these people... against you needs to be answered for," I finished, Maika letting out a meow of agreement and stretched along my shoulders.

"Injustice against me? But he's done nothing wrong to me," Valerie denied, raising an eyebrow with confusion.

"Nothing wrong..? And yet, he allows you to roam Royal Creek with no protection? Not even a single bodyguard to make sure you and your daughter make it home safely? Some future husband and father he is," I scoffed, pushing myself off the wall and began to walk out of the alleyway.

"Hey..! What do you mean by that? You can't just criticize him and—"

"I can't? Since when were opinions illegal? Last time I checked, only dictators makes it illegal for opinions against them to be illegal. Although, it wouldn't be too much of a stretch to call Fredrick one, taken he can't even protect his own woman," I interrupted, shaking my head and stopped at the end of the alleyway.

I glanced back at Valerie, noticing her standing in her place with a contemplating expression. "Are you coming or what..? Do you want to shift your people?"

Valerie's eyes slightly widened in shock, a smile forming on her lips as she nodded with enthusiasm. She hurried with me and left the alleyway, the two of us making our rounds around the small town within the Spade District.

Together, we made great progress, Valerie getting successful signatures for her petition to save Royal Creek, mainly due to my fear inducing presence looming behind Valerie like a reaper waiting for any reason to snatch a soul. Her list of names began to fill up quickly, each signature adding onto the count on her phone.

Desiree watched Valerie and I parade around 4th Arc, laughing softly to herself and sitting on the edge of a rooftop, swinging her legs with light enjoyment. "From Slaying the King to Swooning the Queen..~ That's my adorable little brother for you..~"

Wendy chuckled softly to herself as well, crossing her arms with a look of approval. "Reminds me of when your father was still here, having women to their knees left and right. Ryder is becoming a one of a kind like him...maybe just a bit more interesting."

"I agree..~ I could watch his villain side all day," Desiree giggled to herself, letting out a dreamy sigh and watched Valerie and I walk into a restaurant together. "Oop— not Ry taking her on a date already."

"St. Kieran, he moves really fast..! C'mon, we can't miss this," Wendy said, leaping off the roof quickly and held her hat on her head.

Desiree followed behind, leaping off the rooftop and landing onto her feet. Both Wendy and Desiree ran across the street, making their way into the restaurant as well to keep watch of me and Valerie.

Valerie and I got seated at a isolated, cozy table near the corner of the restaurant, a waitress grabbing a booster seat and rolled it over to us for Piper. Once we got settled and looked over the menu, the waitress took our orders and walked if to give the ticket to kitchen.

"Y'know, you should really take off that mask. You have to be hot under there," Valerie said, tilting her head slightly and studying the features on my mask.

"My identity stays hidden. Under no circumstances can I ever reveal myself to the public, not yet anyway," I answered back, leaning back against my seat with my arms crossed.

Valerie giggled softly at my cold demeanor, turning over to Piper and gently rubbing her hair with a maternal touch. "Alright, I guess I'll just ask another time."

"I've got a question for you... Why do you bring your daughter everywhere? Spade District should be the last place you bring your child," I questioned, watching Valerie tend to Piper carefully.

Valerie hummed softly at my question, glancing at me with a warm smile. "Well, to be honest, I don't trust Fredrick with my baby alone. He's a busy man and he won't remember to properly take care of Piper."

"But, I don't mind it at all. I love bringing Piper with me everywhere I go, she remembers all of this...the good, the bad...my memories are hers as well. That's also why I'm fighting so hard...I want her to grow up in a time where she is free from danger. I show her my lows and my highs," Valerie finished, smiling at Piper as she curiously stared at me.

I stared at Piper as well, shooting her a light glare but this made Piper giggle and babble, squealing as she reached out for me. Maika hissed at Piper, not taking a liking to any person smaller than a toddler.

"Oh my, you have such a feisty cat," Valerie snickered and covered her mouth, her shoulders moving as she tried to hide her laughter.

"She's usually not like this to anyone, I guess she doesn't like babies?" I asked, chuckling softly at Maika and lightly flicked her snout to make her calm down.

Valerie looked over at Piper, seeing that she had begun to take a liking to me, seemingly remembering who I was as well. Valerie gently rolled the booster seat next to me, giving me a welcoming grin.

"Go ahead, she wants you to pick her up," Valerie suggested, giving me full permission to hold her child in my own arms.

Carefully and hesitantly, due to Maika's dislike for babies, I began to reach for the seat and gently held Piper in my hands. I picked her up front the seat and gently sat her on my lap, looking down at her with a curious gaze.

Holding Piper made her extremely happy, her body falling upon me dramatically seeking the familiar comfort that once brought her true peace. I picked up on her signals, awakening a tiny portion of Tengoku's Energy and allowing it to flow around Piper.

Valerie smiled at Piper's hums and sweet giggles, her heart growing heavier with a mix of happiness and slight guilt, but she pushed aside her guilt in the sight of Piper genuinely smiling and laughing at me, reaching up to try to grab Maika's tail.

'I've never seen her so happy, let alone remember someone so easily. I have a feeling I know it's him... I know it's you...Ryder, but how..?' Valerie thought to herself, watching Maika taunt Piper by lowering and raising her tail.

〔Valerie has begun to fall for you...〕

〔Valerie's Attraction for you rose to 40%!〕

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Our food soon arrived, the waitress placing our drinks and plates on the table in front of us, giving us a courteous smile. Valerie and I began to enjoy our meal together, making small talk and getting to know her on a more deeper level.

Desiree and Wendy watched the two of us from a nearby table, gossiping with one another and watching me spend time with Piper, despite trying to stay mysterious and silent. They could see the conflicting light in Valerie's eyes, knowing she was grateful and hurting at the same time.

Valerie set down her fork and sighed happily, patting her stomach and giggling softly. "My, it's been so long since I've had such a great meal...Thank you for this."

"It's nothing..." I said dully, looking down at Piper resting peacefully in my lap, my heart beating harder againsty chest.

'Do I really want to erase her and Piper as well..? Is it worth it..? To make that sacrifice..?' I thought to myself, glancing back up at Valerie and let out a soft sigh.

Valerie could see my conflicted gaze behind my mask, her lips tugging into a knowing smile. "Hey...I know how you feel right now. I feel the same...you're supposed to be my enemy. After all, you are planning to take down Royal Creek.."

"But...do you want to burn it all to the ground? Even me? Do you see it in your heart to cause Requiem?" Valerie asked, her lavender eyes meeting mines with a mix of curiosity and intimacy.

"What do you know about Requiem?" I asked, my tone tinged with intrigue of Valerie's hidden knowledge.

"I'm not new to the evolution of this world, Joker..~ I know when someone is on the path of causing Requiem. To reset everything to zero...but are you willing to go that far?" Valerie asked, leaning closer on the table, wanting to pry in my mind.

I stared at Valerie for a moment longer, my golden eyes glowing behind my mask with silent curiosity. "Why are you so concerned about me bringing this city to zero? You don't even sound bothered by the idea.."

Valerie began to feel my curiosity radiating from my body, her gaze subtly flicking down to my lips then back to my eyes. "Because...maybe it's the only way I can actually help my people. Everyone who's tried to challenge my fiancee has only gone after the throne. No one has tried to destroy it to build a new one."

"I'm just curious about how far you're willing to go...does it stop at Fredrick or are you willing to erase it all?" She asked once more, leaning against the table even more.

I watched as she leaned closer, my heart beating harder once again and my breathing slightly deepening. I couldn't quite tell what it was, but her lavender eyes were hypnotic, unwilling to let me look away from her.

"Are you afraid that I will soon kill you as well..?" I asked softly, holding Piper with a protective clutch.

"Maybe...I am a mother before I am a Vice Mayor. And as a mother, I can tell when my daughter has imprinted upon someone. That's why I ask...will you cause Requiem?" Valerie asked, her gaze shifting down to Piper in my lap.

I glanced down at Piper as well, my hand instinctively placed atop of her head. I thought about my answer for a moment, my gaze lingering upon Piper. "No.."

〔Valerie has fallen for you...〕

〔Valerie's Attraction for you rose to 80%!〕

Valerie's happiness surged to the survive, leaning back in her seat with relief and gratitude. She hugged herself with a hum, mentally cheering that her dream could live on.

"Okay!~ Now, I'm rejuvenated and I'm ready to go back out there! Are you ready?" Valerie asked, her eyes shimmering with determination.

Maika and I glanced at each other from Valerie's sudden burst in energy. I let out a soft chuckle, standing up with Piper in my arms and gave Valerie a nod. With that, the two of us got up and began to leave the restaurant after paying for the meal.

Wendy and Desiree shot up from their seats as well, leaving behind money for their meal and rushed behind the two of us. They began following the two of us down the street once more, keeping tabs on both of us to make sure Valerie left Spade District unscathed.

Valerie watched as Maika trotted ahead of us, walking side by side with me, a pure smile on her face. "Maika is so cute..~ Where did you get her? I've always wanted a pet, but Fredrick won't allow it."

"I found Maika on the side of the street, begging for a home," I lied, chuckling softly at Maika then grunted softly as Maika kicked a snowball in a my face with her hind leg.

Valerie covered her mouth, having a fit of giggles and grabbed her handkerchief and wiping the residue of snow from my mask and face. "I guess that was a lie from her response~"

"Yeah, I got her at an animal shelter. She was a pretty penny too, but she's easy to take care of. Though, she doesn't really like anyone other than me and her mother," I said, adjusting my mask once Valerie finished cleaning my face.

"So that's why she hissed at Piper earlier. A territorial cat, that's so cute! I just love cats so much! There's so many kitties around my house and I just want to adopt all of them!" Valerie beamed with joy at the thought of adopting a cat for herself and Piper.

I glanced at Valerie with a smile, using my Heart Scanner on her for a moment to see the difference in her feeling from yesterday. Her Essence was a bright pink hue, flowing with energy and excitement like a flame that couldn't sit still.

〔Valerie's Mood: Exhilarated〕

〔Bond with Valerie: 30%〕

〔Attraction Meter: 80%〕

〔Vitals: Perfect〕

'Exhilarated..? That's the second highest mood one can reach. Am I really making her that happy?' I thought to Phroa, glancing at her holographic interface for confirmation.

〔Phroa: The system never lies, Master!~ She feels 100% safe and sound with you mainly because you never turned off Tengoku's Energy, but it might be best to keep it on!〕

I nodded at Phroa, turning my attention back to Valerie and continued small talk with her. As we traversed around the small town, Valerie's petition had become completely filled with signatures, her daily goal finally reached for the first time in years as a Vice Mayor.

〘Date: 2/14 - Thursday〙

〘Time: 4:00 PM〙

〘Location: Texas, Spade District - 4th Arc〙

Valerie and I strolled around a local park together, enjoying the renewed scenery and slowly growing more comfortable with each other's company. After a bit of walking, Valerie decided to take a break, suggesting to sit down at a nearby picnic table.

Valerie let out a soft sigh of comfort, gently setting Piper on her lap and looked out at the beautiful array of flowers ahead. "Y'know...it's nice to take a moment to appreciate the little things in life. Like this...seeing happy faces and blooming sceneries. It's beautiful in the Heart District, but...there's just something about the Spades that I personally love..."

"Like what?" I asked, looking over at Valerie and rested my arm against the table and my cheek against my palm.

"It just...feels like home. A real family. No one is more united and broken than the Spades. Amelia's history began here, Momo's legacy bled here, and everyone united under the purpose of stopping Fredrick...but," Valerie began, taking a pause and looked down at Piper.

"It just wasn't enough...I feel really bad about everything, and I agreed with the notion of change and growth. I still do, but over the last four years after the first civil war... Nothing has changed. The Spades are still broken, the unity Fredrick promised isn't truly there...and I..." Valerie continued, her voice silently breaking as her tough exterior began to finally break.

I stared at Valerie, watching as she quietly began breaking down, her tears gently falling upon Piper. Piper looked up at her mother, reaching up to her and placing her hand gently upon her chin.

"It's so hard trying to keep a stupid smile on my face all the time..! I love Fredrick, but he's making me lose my mind and I'm just so over it with him tearing down the name of The Spades every chance he gets..! And he just...I know he doesn't actually value me," Valerie vented, letting out a shaky breath and raking her fingers through her hair.

"Then why do you stay with him? Why stay with someone you know your heart doesn't want?" I asked, my voice laced with a mix of curiosity and a small planted seed in her mind.

Valerie looked at me, meeting my gaze with her tear streaked face and softly sniffled. She let out a soft chuckle, wiping her face and sighing heavily. "Sometimes I ask myself the same thing. Maybe it's because of my duties as Vice Mayor..? Maybe it's because he's the father of Piper..? I'll never know why I do.."

"Truly, I love Fredrick...or maybe I love with the idea of who he talked himself to be. Maybe I just love with the mask he wears, but...there's a difference between loving someone, and being in love with someone. And truthfully, I'm not in love with Fredrick...quite the opposite," Valerie admitted, her gaze lingering on mine for a moment longer with a combination of longing and a quiet plea.

I leaned back in my seat and looked out into the distance, adjusting my mask then began to slowly take it off, closing my eyes. "Y'know, Valerie...there's just something about you that I can't put my finger on.."

Valerie's eyes widened in silent surprise, her lips twitching into a knowing smile. "So it was you...I knew your fighting styles were similar. But, what do you mean?"

"How did someone as beautiful, charming, and intelligent as you get roped into Fredrick's bullshit?" I asked, looking over at her, my eyes glimmering with golden brilliance.

Valerie locked eyes with me intimately, a bittersweet smile playing on her face. "I don't know...but all I know is I have to move forward. Not for myself...but for Piper and the rest of Royal Creek.."

"I agree...and that's why I want you to remember my face. Not just in this moment, but remember me from now onto forever. Allow me to take you on a real date...allow me to take you home. Allow me to give you what I know your soul is actually craving," I said, gently reaching over to take Valerie's hand in mine.

〔Valerie's walls are slowly crumbling...〕

Valerie didn't try to pull away, her body stiffening with pleasure from the sensation of my hand on hers. She looked at our hands, letting out a soft exhale. "I don't know, Ryder...it feels wrong. I mean, going on a date with you would be cheating and although I don't love him cheating is wrong..."

〔Option 1: Respond with Dominance - Ambition/Empathy EXP +700〕

〔Option 2: Reply with Gentle Coercion - Empathy/Charisma EXP +700〕

〔Option 3: Give Up〕

I saw Phroa's Guidance shimmering in my peripheral vision, but I didn't need the guidance to know how I was planning to reply to her. I looked at her hands, scanning her ring fingers and looked back into her eyes. "I don't see a ring, so you're practically unclaimed. If you were truly engaged, you wouldn't even have given me the time."

〔Ambition/Empathy EXP +700〕

Valerie rolled her eyes at me, blushing at my smooth, dominating tone and scoffing softly at me. "I don't need a ring to prove that I'm engaged...but since you talk tough, we can see if you can handle all of me.."

"And after I see how you are with me, we can go for a round two with having Piper around. Sounds fair?" Valerie asked, her stomach coiling with a mix of guilt yet excitement, her body barely able to sit still.

"I suppose that's fair...but we are playing by my rules. We had dinner already, so all there's for us to do is just go out. And once you have Piper with a trusted guardian, don't plan to go home for a while," I said, my eyes glancing down at her lips for a moment.

"Oh don't worry, I don't... For now, I'll be headed back to the Heart District to drop off Piper. Expect to pick me up at the Spade Gates around five or six..~ I'll dress lightly for you as well," Valerie hummed softly, taking out her phone to call her ride back to the Heart District.

My entire body shivered with excitement with her promise of dressing lightly, multiple lascivious thoughts forming in my mind. I gulped lightly, my eyes trailing around Valerie. 'Maybe I bit off more than I could chew...I don't think I can handle all that at my age..'

〔Phroa: 25 years old, a total MILF, beauty incarnate, a prime City Girl at heart to? Oh my Gaia, Master! You scored TOO BIG! We can't reel this one in, we need a Super Rod!〕

"What's the matter..?~ All bark and no bite all of a sudden? Mmm, maybe Fredrick was right about you..~" Valerie teased, tilting her head slightly with subtle seduction.

I scoffed at Valerie, eyeing her up and down with a sassy expression, similar to a cat's judgemental gaze. "Oh, so you like to play dangerous huh? Alright, keep that same energy for tonight."

"Oh, I will..~" Valerie hummed softly, standing up with Piper closely in her arms. She gave me a seductive finger wave, Piper waving at me cutely as well as they began headed toward their ride back to their home.

I waved back at them, humming softly and putting my mask back on before any of the locals could see my face. With my plans set and stone, I began making my way to rendezvous with Desiree and Wendy.

〔Art of Love - The Unknowing Queen〕

〔Main Objective Updated: Please Valerie.〕

〔Task: Raise Valerie's Affection Percentage to 50% and Bond Percentage to 50%.〕

〔Reward: Credi +20000, Art of Love EXP +3500〕