Ark 15 Episode 13: A Rooftop Meeting....and a Promotion?!

’’’Participates’’’

 * Claymore


 * Tomoko Asakura

’’’A Late Night Rendezvous’’’
Claymore stood back in observation hearing the rapid sounds of sirens blazing through out the city from one angle to another as the pulse of war made for an iconic beat in the night air. It was here on top of the building of the empire he and Keyth built together to which the older male outfitted in his usually black suit, dark blue shirt, a navy blue tie, and black gator shoes stood looking out over the city through his dark shades awaiting the arrival of his secretary with news on how their troops were doing on the take down of the Kagemaru Clan.

Tomoko Asakura knew this ritual all too well from when Claymore was Oyabun so when he called her in the middle of the night wanting an update on things so she was more than prepared, rising up out of her bed at 3am in the morning from another sleepless night without her lover to get dress and make her way over to the Imagery Corp building. Outfitted in white blouse, a pair of black slacks, black ballet flats, and her hair slightly wild from having used just her nails to comb through it shaking it loose some the Asian beauty made her way through the company parking lot towards the service elevator with just two folders in hand. One to visibly show the profits of the businesses they’d open in the past few months and how much of a hit they’re adversary had taken since then and the other a fill scale report she’d managed to steal from the Kagemaru’s own private data banks so they’d know where to strike next. Tomoko extends her left hand forward grateful to having had her sling removed two days prior at St. Augustine’s and even more so for being able to use it once again, truly being shot made her realize just how vital to have all of her limbs was as she pushes the UP button near the doors and it let out a long “ding” sound alerting her of that they would soon open. She watched the door fall open quickly stepping inside of the care turning to the right on her heels so that they could close once more and the car itself began its ascent of 22 floors before letting out another loud “ding” the doors falling back once again. Stepping out into the night air Tomoko’s long black hair is instantly caught up into in its breeze prolly making her look even more crazier than she’d previously did the young woman wagered placing on foot in front of the other in the direction of Claymore who stood with his back towards her and the smoke from the cigarette he was smoking trailing in the breeze. “Konbanwa Claymore-kaicho.” Tomoko says bowing formally to the head of the Arasumaru from the waist up lowering her head as a sign of respect then proceeding to stand up right once more using her free hand to draw back a strand of raven hair behind her left ear. “More like ohiyo-gozaimasu seeing as dawn is less than three hours away, do you have what I...” Tomoko comes closer towards with the first folder in hand and then the second one extending her right arm in his general direction waiting for him to accept them. “Asked for hai Claymore-san.”

Claymore could help but let at a chuckle shaking his head some as he turned facing his 24yrs old assistant and took both of the folders from her hand giving the second one a good skim first once he’d opened it and then closing it, “You’re getting pretty good at this Asakura.”  Before turning back the pages of what would be almost 20 page summery on their companies profits in which they own/were opened already and another 10 on the progression of the others until their absolute completions and estimated grand opening dates and then reading it. “In this business you either stay one your toes or get killed, I believed those were your words Sir?” Tomoko states patiently waiting for him to finish looking over the folder in question before adding on knowing just where he was in it. “Indeed, how’s the arm?” he asks shifting away from business for just a moment to exchange some pleasantries between himself and his secretary. “Still tender I’m afraid but functional none the less.” Tomoko tells him shifting her weight onto her left leg for a moment as to lean up against one the brick towers that was set up nearby quickly shifting the conversation back to work a matter she was more comfortable talking to her boss about rather her personal well being and life. “As predicted with the fall of the GMAF’s most of the Kagemaru’s revenue has gone all but to hell most of its fighters have made inquiries to me about becoming instructors in the night school division of Tasanagi Academy.”

He nods his head solemnly noting the change in tempo from the current conversation back to the original topic but rather questioning her reason for it Claymore continues to listen, “Oh and when does that begin?”

“Interviews between Xiao and myself for the applicants start first thing tomorrow morning, the school’s set to open in this fall, and already has over 500,000 or more tanz being filtered into it from paying guardians who wish their children to attend along side our own private benefactors. Our boys in the lab have cracked the toxins that were in Yani’s mind controlling drug and the antidote is set to be given to them via vaccine during the KPD’s annual physicals with the help of our agents at St. Augustine. Farhan-kaicho was one sick twisted fuck to say the lease.” Tomoko’s face frowns as she goes on to explain further to give the update on the D3 raid she, Akuma, and their newest recruit Haizaku did two weeks back. “Hahahaha, so was his old man or so I was told and it’s about damn time see to it that every one of them gets it and that no one up on that hill is excluded.” the older male chuckles taking another drag off his cigarette then casually discarding the smoke he inhaled to the wind his fingers turning the page over twice to skip the section the dealt with Sky Chrome Industries and Joker’s Wild Casinos, their latest two project which was set to have massive grand openings in less than 5 hours from now with the press, staff, and workers looking on to their real money maker, the Coco Bongo. “Hai Kaicho.” “And what about…”

“The Maru-Jieitais? Nia and team stand ready at your command the moment the vaccines are giving to tear their sorry asses asunder, by the time were done no one will even know the MJs ever existed.” She replied still leaning back near the brick tower her eyes casting themselves in direction of the city briefly remembering her night with Akuma up in skies smiling to herself waiting on the exact moment for the shit to really hit the fan as she turned her attention back to matter at hand, her own violet blue eyes caught sight of the charts and graphics she’d specifically created for the Congo Bongo Club’s files. Tomoko was completely unaware that over the rim of his shades that Claymore saw her love struck grin while going over the numbers that were before him. ~Now that’s just too damn obvious.~ He thought. ~And dangerous too.~ It was while he read those pages that Tomoko watch Claymore dark brown hue’s eyes come a light almost wild as he reached his left hand up slowly almost dramatically to remove the shades he wore from his naturally handsome face which was in complete and utter shock from the numbers he’d read. “Now I know there ain’t no way in fucking hell that this is right.” His usual joking demeanor getting serious for a change which told Tomoko that she too had better do the same as she stood upright once more facing him leveling her head as much as she could with his own. “You look almost as if you wanna pass the fuck out Claymore-san but no I assure you those numbers are correct. I check, double checked, and ran every number algorithm I know of and even some that are still in their infancy too. The Coco Bongo has surpassed the LaHana in every way imaginable financially, popularity with the people (residents and tourists), and on entertainment and decorum. The only reason why we haven’t be able to smash the LaHana into the ground completely is due to the Kagemaru’s drug trafficking ring which runs through it…-Tomoko explains curling her lips downward into another displeasing frown knowing full well that it was against the Arasumaru’s code to even deal with drug smuggling rings within the city. “…yet another artery we will have to some how severe if we are to successfully secure the goal.”

’’’On the Wings of a Promotion’’’
“Which brings me to my next question, have you heard from Tetsu?” Claymore knew this question would set Tomoko’s usually calm demeanor off balance a bit as he took his last drag off the cig he was smoke casually giving it a flick with his middle finger allowing it fall blantly to gravel at his feet before using the tip of his left shoe to smother it out completely. Tomoko’s face lit up like a bright ass Christmas tree at the mention of Akuma’s name as if she half way startled to even hear the chairman even bring him up before desperately trying to regain her composure before speaking “No not for several days now, I know as much as you do at the moment and that’s nothing.”

The older male took his secretary’s words to heart carefully weighing in her words as well as her reaction to the whole matter not wanting to alarm her by reveal to her the events that had transpired days before Akuma’s departure on what he believed was matters business on behalf of the clan but eventually he knew that the man hunt for the boy would most certainly begin once the Kagemaru had been dismantled for good. “Don’t worry Tomoko I believe ya and I don’t want you to think I’m against you two being together either, you’ve had a rough life kid you deserve some kind of happiness. But I do get the feeling that our drug problem will be most definitely taken care of once he does get back.” Claymore offers her his usual smile and a chuckle moving pass his lips as her lifted both of his massive hands up just to the waist before shoving them both into pants pockets watching her face turn from calm to disarrayed and then back before speaking again. “But all of this isn’t entirely the reason I asked you up here tonight.”

“It isn’t?” Tomoko couldn’t help but let her face features drop again into a sheepish like composure hoping against all that Claymore wasn’t about drill he severely about dating a subrogate or some shit along that lines it was already enough to have her mother having done so already. “Nope…as I’ve stated before I wasn’t too thrilled about Keyth bringing you on board, hell even after the club’s opening I was still a bit hazy that any of this would work but after seeing you bust your ass in here both day and night to get all the ideals you proposed made real and numbers for myself, I do believe a “seat on the board” is order.” He tells her turning his back towards her once again waiting for a moment for what he’s told her to completely sink in before saying anything else. Tomoko felt like someone had struck an iron to some ore when she heard this, “A seat on the board??!!! B-b-but Kaicho that means….”

“Effectively after the grand openings of both Sky Chrome and Joker’s Wild, you are to report to the downtown connector of D2/New Time Square to begin shaping your own dreams into a reality Boss Asakura, that’s if you accept the positon of course.” he goes on to say interrupting her at mid-sentence pulling out from his jacket a sketched he’d discovered a while back on one of his visits one in fact that was damn good in its creation and design and showing it to Tomoko who was stunned as hell that he even had it to being with cause never let many see her stuff. ~Sneaky Claymore-kaicho, real fucking sneaky~ was all Tomoko thought looking at her design being fanned about in his hand lowering her eyes a bit for a moment to think about the offer that had been just given her by the Chairman of the Clan as she lifted her left arm up first then her fight folding both underneath her ample bosom, re-opening them only after she had come to a clear and solid decision about the entire matter.

“Hai, I accept Claymore-kaicho.” She states somberly.

“Good, I’ve already talked to the investors and I’ve recruited a very unique team from the top hubs around the world all of which will meet you there as soon as the openings are over tomorrow, for now though I think its best if we both try to get some sleep even if its only for an hour so.” Claymore laughs gesturing for Tomoko to join him with his head for the walk back to the elevator so that the two could talk more about their next latest and greatest adventure to which Moko did turn to follow him same general direction. “Time waits for no man as ppl say or sleep as the case maybe.” She adds on. “So what do you plan on calling your newest addition to the Arasumaru’s Enterprise, if I may ask?” Claymore reaches into his pockets further to retrieve another cigarette and his lighter placing first the cig between his lips then bringing the lighter to its end before taking a quickly drag off of it and placing the lighter back into his pocket.

“Oh that’s easy Le Femme Elegante.” Was all she told him pressing the elevator button, watching the doors fold back as the two stepped inside.