The Aftermath, and a Decision

[CaptainL]

Mina didn't have much say in the matter. Cynara had more or less volunteered her to be Clara's training partner - and when she heard her mother's proposal, all she met it with was a blank stare and a "Huh..?" But they'd already gone over the plan. Their goal was to bring Clara closer into their reach, utilizing her potential, and taking advantage of her naivte to shape her into a deadly weapon - one trained right on anyone they needed to get out of the way to establish the dominance of the Morgan Dynasty. Clara was promising, but her skills needed to be refined. And if Mina was out to serve her mother's best interest, she'd do whatever she needed to bring Clara up to speed.

"Oh, don't be silly, Mina," Cynara continued. "You see how excited she is. We already know she has the makings of a good wrestler in her..." She turned to Clara with a smile, making sure the white-haired girl knew she was flattering her. "And I feel like you'd be the perfect person to help bring it out. After all, she can only learn from the best."

"I mean...I guess." Mina crossed her arms, murmuring to herself. But the decision was out of her hands. There was no question with the Morgan Dynasty that Cynara was in charge, and what she said went.

"Good, good. Then we start tomorrow." When Cynara looked back at Clara, she could only smile even wider when she saw the excitement on the girl's face at the thought of training with her daughter. She might have been thinking of Clara as a pawn, but...there was something endearing about her that she couldn't deny. And when she mentioned never sleeping in a bed before, the former champion blinked a couple of times, and the look of concern that crossed her face was a genuine one. She might've been a schemer, but she was still a mother, and she couldn't possibly imagine how someone as old as Clara could've gone so long without a proper bed, or what their life had to be like.

"I'm...I'm sorry..?" she began, only to stop and clear her throat a moment later - it was better not to pry too deeply into such things. Not when she was still getting on Clara's good side, and not when she didn't want to disturb Clara's happiness - for her own sake as much for as her ulterior motives. But if Clara had agreed to everything thus far, Cynara had no doubt that everything would fall into her plan just perfectly.

"Ah, never mind...well then!" She brushed her hand through Clara's hair one more time. "You should probably get to bed right away. After all, we have a big day ahead of us, and you need the rest..."

[FreshBritishSalmon]

Clara could see that Mina wasn't exactly eager to be her training partner, but the blonde was basically strong armed into being the white haired girls partner. She looked at Mina with a curious look, before looking away, then back to Cynara. Her mind wandered as she thought about how tough the training would be. She knew how strong Mina was, and how much she would have to do to be able to be worthy of being called a surrogate daughter of Cynara.

Cynara's comment was stunning g to Clara. She still didn't think she was that good and, though Mina was not fully convinced, Cynara seemed set on her thoughts that Clara was a force to be reckoned with. But she was indeed excited. To be able to go toe to toe with some of the best fighters that LAW has to offer. Though, she would need to get ready for it.

"Yeah. I have no idea about what happened before either. What was that thing that people get when they forget their past?" Clara said, lost in thought as she couldn't remember what amnesia was. She thought for a moment, but couldn't find what it was, so she hoped someone could jog her memory. When she was told to go to bed so she could prepare for her training, she nodded, getting her jacket off and leaving her in her rather skimpy lingerie once again, before putting her jacket into a nearby wash basket, before slowly heading upstairs, looking for the bed that she was due to sleep in. Once she finds it, she hops in, settling down in a bed that felt like heaven compared to the cardboard that she used to sleep on. Soon enough, she fell into a deep sleep, excited for the next morning.

[CaptainL]

The night was dragging on, and everyone was starting to get tired - even when Cynara was as excited as she was to have a promising new secret weapon in her arsenal, she couldn't deny that she was starting to feel the night creeping in herself. She yawned just a little, holding her hand to her mouth, though even that wasn't enough to disturb her tall, straight stance or her commanding presence. Mina walked off to her own room, and now that Cynara had made the arrangements, it was time for Clara to settle in, too.

She looked back with a smirk when she saw the proud smile on Clara's face, and she nodded her head to seal the deal. That told her she had nothing to fear when it came to Clara's loyalty. The flattery was working, and Clara was perfectly convinced that she could reach the greatness Cynara and her daughter had. It'd just need a little bit of work - but then, Cynara was willing to put in the work. It was worth it. It wasn't every day one came across someone who not only had the makings of a promising fighter, but also proved just impressionable enough to push in the right direction with the right guidance. She just needed to show Clara some kindness, to provide what she needed, and the white-haired girl would do whatever she said.

When Clara mentioned not knowing her past, it gave Cynara a moment's pause. Suddenly, everything made sense - how she didn't know about any family, or what it was like to sleep in a bed. She couldn't remember anything - that was how she could've survived this long without having any memory of a home. "Amnesia, my dear. You're thinking of amnesia," she explained. But while that might have answered some of her questions about just where Clara had come from, and why she was the way she was, it just raised other thoughts in her head. What had made Clara this way? When Cynara had first met the white-haired girl, she had seen her as little more than a blank slate; a canvas she could mold into the instrument of her will. But perhaps there was something more at stake, and perhaps those mysteries ran deeper. It made her ask herself a thing or two...but then, those were questions for another day.

When Clara found the bedroom, she would find it a large and luxurious space. The carpet was soft beneath the soles of Clara's feet, the bed was large and well-stuffed, with plenty of room for the two of them, and the walls were hung with picture frames - some of them holding photos of Cynara's finest moments from her own matches. The veteran had already settled under the covers, but when Clara entered at her side, she looked back at her over her shoulder with a smile. "Good night, dear," she said. Tomorrow, the real work could begin.

Continued here