Full Circle

Kimiko was getting exasperated. HR departments and bureaucracy and all that bullshit was really getting on her nerves.

"I really just need someone capable of reforging some gear ta suit me. They're really good though, so I can't just get some random blacksmith to do the job. I just want to know who I go to ta talk about gettin' someone that can do it for me on the lowdown."

She'd been trying to explain this for a while now, but since she couldn't just randomly show around the gear she was trying to get reforged without it getting around that she was seen holding them and potentially drawing more attention to the fact that she'd encountered Tamwyn to more and more people, she simply wasn't getting anywhere with getting put up to the people she needed to talk to.

"Well the R&D Department still has all the up and coming inventors who might want to take a look hun."

Kimiko's face twitched in annoyance.

"I can't use up and coming. I need established and good."

Doku had been relegated to ‘time off’. His latest bout of travel sickness had apparently left his Mistress concerned for his well being and so she’d sent him to go relax. That wasn’t exactly how she’d worded it mind you, she’d been a fair bit more disappointed sounding in his lack of fortitude. Every time she used Flying Thunder God with him, he’d inevitably (and rather immediately) turn a sickly green shade and need to purge himself of the days meals into the nearest semi respectable container.

Doku thought she was being dramatic, feeling a bit nauseous because of interdimensional travel wasn’t something that required taking a bunch of time off - but she was the boss and who was he to argue with her? So he’d wandered around Darhkvale for a time, taking in the sights, and generally enjoying himself. Unlike some of Kara’s employees, he wasn’t a workaholic, so it wasn’t the time off he minded. It was the implication that he somehow wasn’t good enough. That part hit him right in his perfectly sculpted pecs and there was only one way for him to fix it.

He had to find validation for his competence and sexiness elsewhere.

He was wearing his usual attire, a black silk shirt beneath a black sports coat, black slacks and rugged black combat boots. His short dark hair was messily swept off to the side, a look that seemed effortless but in reality took him well over an hour to perfect each morning. At his hip was his second favourite sword, a beautifully crafted katana. He’d made his usual rounds; he’d gone to the Nisshoku Plaza and flirted with the shop girls, then he’d gone to the beach and flirted with the sunbathers, then after he’d exhausted all other options he’d returned to Penumbra Central Station to flirt with all the pencil pushers. It was as he was walking down a hallway past the door that led to HR that he heard the thing his heart had needed all day; a damsel in distress.

Now, he wasn’t really paying attention to the source of her distress. He only knew one thing, there was a hot woman, and she needed help. In his mind he hastily tore his silk shirt off and tossed it in a nearby garbage can, leaving only his naked torso beneath an elegantly tailored wool coat. But even for him that sounded a bit much. He did unbutton the shirt a little, just enough to show off his smooth and muscular chest and leave this damsel wanting to see more. It was a classic Doku move, and one that had fairly favourable results.

Walking confidently down the hallway and towards the angelic sound of the mysterious woman’s voice. Now he hadn’t actually seen the woman he was about to rescue, but in his head she was fucking hot. So when she actually came into view, he faltered for just a moment because not only was she hot, she was downright gorgeous. Definitely a twelve at least, and while he was a ten. . . that was. . . He let the thought go, math was not his forte. Stepping around the dark haired woman, he leaned an elbow on the tall counter and looked Kimiko up and down appreciatively. Not creepily though, oh no. He made sure to linger on her eyes and not her. . . other assets. But dear lord did he want to. He could feel the excitement flowing through his veins and he would smile charmingly down at her, trying to keep his voice smooth.

“Ah’m established an good, so ifen ya want up an comin', Ah’m chur man. Doku’s thuh name, how maey Ah bay uh service mah lady?”

Kimiko wasn't wearing anything special. She had some very thin leather arm bracers on that were wrapped in bandages to hide the Lightning Flash Blade Creation seals on them, more or less giving them a more aesthetic look than anything else. A few pouches on her belt with some gear on them, and a Tanto tucked into the small of her back, but she had left most of her other gear back at the motel she was staying at, stashed under a floorboard so that if anyone tried to sneak through the room and sort through her things, they'd have to look incredibly hard to find anything worth taking.

Other than that, she wore a simple pair of dirty combat boots, some skinny shorts, a simple white t-shirt and an unzipped black hoodie with the sleeves half pushed up. It was a fairly classic look that she wore often, but she'd determined that she was safe in Darhkvale for the time being. It was a fairly good neutral zone for her to be in, and she had done enough to cover up her entering the village and having been in the Land of Wolves that she doubted anyone would even have a reason to come looking for her here.

The receptionist looked like she was about to once again give an empty answer when a voice came up, addressing Kimiko, who turned to look at the man. His accent was pretty thick, certainly unique, but she spoke informally all the time, so it wasn't as jarring to her as some other people might find it. He certainly was laying it on thick though, but she could use that.

Relieved to at least have someone try and be remotely helpful who appeared to at least project a modicum of self confidence in his own ability, Kimiko breathed out a sigh of relief.

"Oh thank the Sage, maybe you'll be just what I'm lookin' for. Blacksmithing and armor forgin', I got a sword and an armor I need ta get refitted for personal use on the downlow. How good are ya? Think you can do something that's top tier?"

Kimiko unsealed the sword Aerondite from her leather bracelets, knowing it wouldn't be as easily recognizable as the armor might be, seeing as how most people just saw a sword and thought it was pretty cool, but a certain armor style was much more recognizable. Holding the sword to Doku, Kimiko showed it off.

"Both pretty much the same quality, just not my style. I'd really 'ppreciate it."

Meanwhile, Kimiko ventured a sensory scan just to see who was in the area of note. Pulling out weapons tended to draw at least a modicum of attention, and she didn't want to get attacked by any guards or anything like that, not that she was particularly worried. She was very perceptive, and very fast naturally. People didn't tend to get the drop on her.
---

unsealed "Aerondite"

Doku heard the unmistakable sigh of relief when the mysterious hot woman saw him. He was used to hearing such sounds come from those he interacted with, but he never tired of it. Just further validation for his fragile ego magnanimous personality. He was a bit taken aback when the woman immediately assumed that he was a weaponsmith of some kind, in retrospect it was a fair assumption but one that couldn’t be further from the truth. He opened his mouth to release her of the notion that that was the sort of help he was offering when Kimiko unsealed Aerondite.

A low whistle of appreciation and surprise escaped his lips.

He’d recognize that sword anywhere. It wasn’t too long ago that he’d stood beside Tamwyn while they defended Kara from the alien beasties. He reached out one of his large hands to take the weapon, and assuming Kimiko handed it over he would test its weight and balance.

The receptionist just sat there wide eyed throughout the exchange and eventually found her voice again.

“Doku hun, maybe take the little lady to a private room? I want as few swords as possible in my office.”

The look the receptionist gave was withering, this was one of the few people that Doku had been unable to win over, and it showed. With a sheepish nod he would direct Kimiko to a private conference room off the hallway. He would move inside and wait for the hot sword woman to enter before closing the door and handing her back the sword.

“How dja git chur hands on thus wun? Yawl should bay careful wavin' thet thang around in hare, yawl know, it's kinda. . . inappropriate. Ahd hav given uh years pay tuh say thuh look on Tamwyn’s stupid face wheyun hay lost thus beauty, thuh dumb cunt. But yawl didn’t hear thet frum may.”

Leaning nonchalantly against the conference room table he would look almost pleased with himself. He was sad that Kara was sad to be sure, but he didn’t give two flying fucks about Tamwyn. Kara’s brother had always been rude to him, to the point that Doku had actually been a bit happy to hear that he’d passed. If Doku was a thinking man, he might have investigated further, or been more suspicious. But he wasn’t, so he just continued on with his earlier unspoken explanation of how he wasn’t a smith.

“Listen, Ah know Ah sayud Ah’d help yawl. An Ahl, but uh. . . Ah’m not uh weaponsmith. Although, Ah do happen tuh bay head uh security fahwar none other than Kara Darhk.” His chest would puff up with pride as he told of how important he was. He was willing to do just about anything at this point to make the pretty lady stay and not decide he wasn’t useful.

Her analytical mind and perceptive capability let her pick up fairly quickly that he recognized the sword immediately upon seeing the weapon. However, he didn't seem to be too upset by it, nor did he become suspicious, so she didn't immediately take the blade back and leave.

The woman asked them to take the sword away and Kimiko turned, raising an eyebrow before shrugging. Some people just couldn't stomach being around a weapon. It was kind of dumb, considering most shinobi and kunoichi could utilize way more dangerous ninjutsu on the fly. Somehow seeing a weapon was more intimidating though. She guessed it made some amount of sense if one didn't know anything about shinobi's skills.

Following Doku to a more private area, she was actually a little more comfortable, given that it was out of sight of others who might also recognize the blade. Taking Aerondite back as he handed it to her, Kimiko re-sealed it into the seal she'd taken it out from, sitting on the table he was leaning against.

"Someone scavenged it, I got it from the scavenger. Too good of a weapon to not grab and use myself, 'specially since I'm on my own nowadays."

Not a lie, not really the whole truth. She was the one who scavenged it, but Kimiko knew that the best lies had bits of truth sprinkled in.

Of course, Doku revealed that he couldn't help, but that he was pretty high up in the organization. Head of Security for Kara, one of the greatest crafters in the world. That was still just as good as being a crafter himself, to be fair.

"Well then, Mr. Head of Security...... think ya could help a girl out and get me an introduction? I'd be mighty greatful."

--
Sealed "Aerondite"