Forging a Secret Weapon

[CaptainL]

Cynara folded her arms in her lap, turning a close eye to Mina and Clara. The white-haired girl had made a good start in getting Mina restrained, but before she could truly call herself impressed, she needed to see proof that she really knew what she was doing. It wasn't enough for her to just grapple with her opponents if she wasn't actually doing anything to hurt them. She needed to step out of her shell; to be more bold! If she trembled at the thought of actually dishing out any pain to anyone, she couldn't possibly be an effective competitor! But so far, Clara was proving to show a lot of promise. She was sure all she needed was a little push in the right direction, a little guidance, to truly bring out her killer instincts - she had shown she had the will to win in her match with Mina; she just needed to call on that now!

What Cynara certainly wasn't expecting...was for Clara to shrink away, at a loss for how to respond. The veteran's eyes narrowed and her brow furrowed in frustration. Up to this point, Clara had shown all the signs of a capable fighter - just one who needed the right guidance to mold into something more. But she wasn't going to get there if she was afraid to push her dominance once she'd attained it. In fact...if she was just going to clam up like this, that wasn't what Cynara wanted at all!

"...Clara." she began, her voice stern and commanding. Up to this point she had played along with giving Clara encouragement, but she knew that this couldn't stand. This wouldn't get her anywhere. And letting her get away with it wouldn't get her anywhere, either. "What are you doing?" She rose from her seat, closing in on Clara with a few heavy steps. "Do you think your opponents will have any mercy on you if you do that during a match? You might as well be writing your own death sentence! A real champion doesn't back away crying! You're better than that, aren't you?"

Mina had been listening to all of this - and at last, Mina realized, she had enough. She was hesitant to speak up against her mother; she knew it was her who was really in control. But she knew what couldn't stand - and just then, she stepped in between Cynara and Clara. "Mom," she said, "that's enough."

At this, Cynara raised an eyebrow - she could never have seen such a response coming. Mina had never stood against her before; she'd always known what was good for her. "Mina? What are you doing-?"

"She isn't going to win by following a script either, Mom!" Mina huffed. "Look, I know you want to make sure she can handle herself, but...if she's really going to succeed, she's going to get there through doing what she's good at. Not from you telling her what you think she'll be good at. She needs to develop a style that's right for her."

Mina bit her tongue - to speak out like this to her mother almost didn't feel right. It flew in the face of everything she knew. Her mother had taught her everything she knew. Her mother had shaped her into the champion she was today. And yet...she knew it needed to be done. Cynara took a pause, staring back at Mina with wide eyes. And Mina glanced back over her shoulder at Clara, checking for how the white-haired girl might respond.

[FreshBritishSalmon]

Clara stayed hunched down while Cynara gave her the tongue lashings that she had always been given from bystanders when she was on the streets. Countless time had she been physically and verbally abused and scolded for various things, and what Cynara did was no different. If she had the ability, she would have attacked Cynara there and then. But she refrained from doing so, and it was a good job too.

Before she changed her mind, Clara noticed that Mina had stepped in, but not to join the attacks on Clara, but to stand up for her instead. This was a first for the white haired girl, and she looked up at Mina in awe, watching her go against her own mother. As the conversation continued, Clara got to her feet slowly and stood up, before walking alongside Cynara, with a slight amount of scorn in her eyes.

"I am not here to be shouted at. I am here to learn. If you aren't going to help, leave us be" Clara said with an irritated look, the first time Clara had been visibly angered in a long while. She then walked away from the mother and daughter, hoping that Mina would be able to see off her controlling mother.

[CaptainL]

This was certainly a first - and when Cynara saw it, it caught her completely off guard. Not only was Mina standing in defiance of her orders - which in and of itself was unusual, given how willing she was to execute the former champion's will - the confrontation also seemed to bring out something in Clara herself. When she was forced to stand up for herself, she could find the fire within her after all. As submissive and meek as she seemed otherwise, it seemed like she did, in fact, have her limits - and that Cynara, perhaps, had found them.

For a moment she stood there, looking on at Clara with a blank, wide-eyed stare. For a moment, even Cynara's cold, calculating composure had been broken. But as she stopped for a few seconds to ponder what it was she'd seen, the smile began to return to her face, ever so slightly. In a roundabout way, she had accomplished what she'd come here for. She had brought some aggression out of Clara, and that alone, no doubt, was a step toward shaping her into a better fighter. In any case, she was eager to see where it might take her. Maybe she didn't even need to stick her nose into Clara's business. But she needed to see what this side of Clara could do for her!

Clearing her throat, Cynara folded her arms and took one step back. "Ah...forgive me," she muttered. "Yes, it would appear I got a little ahead of myself, didn't I? I'm so sorry about that. Tell you what...why don't I let the two of you handle the rest of this sparring session on your own? No interference, just go at your own pace, and act natural." She stepped back to her bench and sat down. "Deal?"

Mina looked back over her shoulder at Clara. She huffed under her breath, still a little concerned for the white-haired girl - but she wanted to see how she'd respond now. And, for her own reasons, so did her mother.

[FreshBritishSalmon]

It was not often that Clara snapped, she fairly often endured everything that was coming to her, then swallowed it and carried on with her life. But she was thinking to herself, if she couldnt stand up for herself, what chance does she have in LAW? If people were going to bully her, they would have to know now that Clara is not the same timid homeless girl she once was. She was tough, and it took until now for her to realise that.

Upon finishing her session, Clara walked right up to Cynara, being the most intimidating she had ever looked in front of Cynara. To the untrained eye, it looked like Clara was going to clobber her. But she simply glared at her, before pointing to the door. "I do not wish to be whipped into shape like a slave or a horse. I wish to be trained by someone who cares. Mina cares. Now leave, and do not return. Mina will do a far better job of training me that you ever will." Clara hissed, before walking away from Mina, feeling suddenly powwrful and like a huge pressure had been lifted from her shoulders.

And with that, she hoped that Cynara would take the hint, and that Mina would be much more supportive of Clara than her mother was.

[CaptainL]

Cynara had certainly been surprised to see Clara this willing to stand up for herself. She'd grown used to the Clara she thought she knew - shy, meek, malleable, and willing to do whatever she needed of her. She knew of the ferocity she was capable of unleashing in a match; she'd seen that for herself against Mina - but she never thought that she would be able to call upon it here. But what she especially didn't anticipate was that Clara would ever berate her. After all she'd done for her? After she'd provided so much for her? Cynara had come to understand that Clara was a made woman - that she would be loyal for life. But she had underestimated just how assertive she could be. In fact, she was willing to stand up to even the legendary Cynara Morgan herself - where any other woman would have balked at the very idea!

When Cynara heard what was coming out of Clara's mouth, her eyes went wide, and her mouth fell open in a gape. For a few seconds she stood there, not saying a word. Then, her eyelid began to twitch, and her body stiffened, her hands curling into fists. Cynara was somebody. She had clawed her way up from the mundane and the forgettable to enjoy the high life. She was a champion and a millionaire and a face that sold magazines from coast to coast. Now, she had finally come close to reclaiming her past glories - she was in the public eye again - and she had vowed she would never be a nobody ever again. And the person Cynara had become would never tolerate this sort of disrespect.

"I...beg your pardon," Cynara growled. "Who do you think you are, little girl, to be talking that way to me? Without me, you would still be out on the street! You'd be nothing!" She shoved herself back up to her full height, glowering down at Clara from above. "Do you understand that?!"

Mina was listening to all of this, and she did so with a wince. After how close she had grown to Clara, in the last few minutes alone, she couldn't stand to hear her spoken of this way. But at the same time, she was worried if Clara's tongue had just gotten her in over her head. If her mother got this worked up, nothing good could come of it. At last, she realized, she had to do something about it. Before Cynara could so much as open her mouth another time, Mina cut in. "MOM! Calm down-!"

In that instant, Cynara fell silent. She froze, turning to look back at her daughter.

"You don't need...to get this worked up about it," Mina continued. "If Clara wants to learn from me, she'll learn from me. If that's what she's going to be comfortable with, that just is what it is. I don't want it to be a fight. Trust me...I'll handle this."

Cynara's gaze lingered on Mina a little longer. Then, though, she shrugged her shoulders and crossed her arms. Even she could realize that losing her temper wouldn't do anything for her plans. Certainly not if Clara was threatening to walk out. "...Very well," she said, before she stopped and cleared her throat. "I apologize for the outburst, Clara. I'm going to let Mina take things from here, if you so choose. But I do reserve the right to be your manager." With that, Cynara stepped back to the doorway. And, after a long pause, Mina looked back at Clara with a sigh once the coast was clear.

"...Anyway. Where were we?"

[FreshBritishSalmon]

Despite spending quite a few years out on the streets, Clara was anything but afraid. When threatened enough, she would bite back, and that was sonething Cynara nearly felt first hand. If Mina had not intervened, Clara could easily have gotten into a full on brawl with Cynara. Thankfully though, Mina had enough wits to realise this and defused the situation before it got out of hand. As Cynara left the room and declared that she was still her manager, Clara just let out an annoyed grunt. She knew that was the truth, but now she wondered what Cynara had in her mind. To say she was suspicious was an understatement.

Once Cynara had left though, she took a deep breath, and the proverbial storm cloud above her head dissipated. She felt much more at ease with just Mina in the room with her. Perhaps it was their similar age, or they just had some form of hidden connection neither of them knew about yet. Either way, Clara trusted her.

"To be honest, I am not sure. It wasnt working, that's for sure. I dont know if your mother knows me as well as she thinks she does. You have faced me first hand and know where I am strong or weak. Or at least, you should have an idea. I am more than happy to do some more sparring, if you need it, and if not, then you could show me some moves or things that would work for me" Clara said, dusting herself off and making her way back to the mat.

[CaptainL]

In Clara, Cynara thought she had a perfect opportunity. The girl didn't have anything else - she was desperate, surely, for some form of attachment; of support. If she could provide that support, she knew Clara would be made for life, and she could mold her into whatever she needed her to be. But no matter how conniving the veteran's plan was, it seemed as though she had underestimated Clara just as much as everyone back in her apartment had in that first match. She had a far stronger will than she let on, and she wasn't so content to be used as a tool. Still, Cynara wasn't about to let an opportunity like this slip through her fingers. Clara had potential - potential that could well lift her out of irrelevance and obscurity. She might be a little more difficult to work with than anticipated, but she was sure she could work with that. She always had.

When she stepped out of the room to leave things to the two girls, that left Clara and Mina alone. And as soon as the door closed, Mina let out a long sigh that she had been holding in for some time. She didn't know what to think of this either - and she lingered on that thought as she turned to face the white-haired girl. Cynara was her own mother. She had supported her all her life in everything she did - she couldn't just turn around on her. And yet, something about how she was treating Clara didn't feel right. Even if Clara had been her opponent, she didn't seem to hold anything against Mina - if anything, she just wanted to get closer to her. She had a good heart. Couldn't her mother see that?

"...Look, I'm sorry," Mina muttered. "My mom...well, she is how she is. The first thing you need to know about her is, she always needs to stay in control. But I think that if I just try to look like I'm calling the shots on her behalf...we can make this work." She bit her lip, thinking about the consequences if Clara was more open about her resistance. Cynara surely wouldn't hesitate to throw her back out on the street if she became too much of a nuisance.

For now, though, it was just the two of them - and that meant they could focus on their training without Cynara's meddling. Clearing her throat, Mina sank into a stance and raised her hands. "I did notice you burned out pretty quickly in our match. I think we can work on your endurance. Try and attack me while I focus on dodging and parrying. See if you can conserve your energy."

[FreshBritishSalmon]

Clara's sudden outburst certainly seemed to give Cynara a few thoughts on how to talk to the white haired girl, but Mina successfully diffused the situation, and now everything was calm. Now that the manager was gone, Clara felt a lot more at ease, even having a bit of a smile crack on her face. She wasnt particularly proud of having to resort to shouting, but she had been thriugh the wringer already and her blood had boiled to the point that Cynara's antics made her explode.

Clara could tell that Mina had a lot on her mind, and the two were likely going to have a lengthy chat in the future, but now was not the time for a full conversation, though Clara did have to explain one thing to her partner. She listemed to what Mina had to say and her heart sank a little. She still wanted help if she wanted to progress in LAW, but if Cynara was going to try and sabotage or dictate her journey in her vision, then the two would likely get into a rocky relationship. Certainly moreso than her relationship with Mina, which she felt was strengthening with each passing moment.

"Well, I am OK to co-operate with what she wants as long as she doesnt try to control me. I have had to deal with thugs and criminals for as long as I can remember, and it gives me PTSD just thinking about it. I would have thought your motger would notice that. I am sure she is a great manager and a great mother too, but I am not willing to be a puppet. Besides, as I said, you know my skills far more than she does. She can handle the managerial stuff, I think." Clara said openly, smiling as Mina got into a battle stance once more, before explaining their next move.

"Understandable." Was all that Clara said, sending a few punches and kicks at Mina, before trying to grapple Mina to the ground, with Mina aiming to prevent the white haired girl from doing so.

[CaptainL]

Looking at Clara, Mina couldn't help but see something of a kindred spirit in her - when that switch seemed to flip in her, and she went from being quiet, placid, and well-mannered to lashing out with rage, that was something Mina recognized. It was something she had done in their match, of course, and it had shown everyone attending that she was no one to be underestimated. But Mina herself knew what it was like. Her upbringing among the wealthy and powerful had taught her that she was to repress her emotions and to remain stoic and collected, lest she embarrass her family name. When she fought, she finally had an outlet for that emotion - she could let it take hold of her and drive her. Was Clara dealing with that, too?

Either way, Mina also knew that her mother was no one they wanted to get on the wrong side of. For as strong as Clara could be, she was vulnerable, too, and that was a fact that Cynara was surely aware of - and a fact that she wouldn't be afraid to exploit if it became necessary. Even now, as Clara discussed her past, it made Mina stiffen a little, biting at the inside of her cheek. Clara, surely, deserved better than this. Couldn't her mother see that there was more to her than a potential weapon?

Stepping forward, Mina set a hand gently down on Clara's shoulder. Her voice grew soft. "I'm sorry. I'm not going to pry about that, though. That's in the past, and we won't let it bother us now..." She would make sure of that, at least, whether her mother did or not. "Just let me handle her. She'll trust me, and I can make sure she stays out of our business. Just...don't tell anyone about this. This is our secret."

With that, though, Mina hopped back and assumed a stance - against Clara, it was better that she stay prepared! The white-haired girl swiftly moved in closer, but Mina was able to dodge around her blows. Clara might have been a hard hitter, but her form was still undeveloped and predictable. Hopefully, she'd be able to learn that as well. "First off," Mina said, "you don't want to be so obvious when you're throwing a punch of a kick. The shots you don't land will just waste your energy..." Then, when Clara moved in to try and take Mina down, the blonde would bring her hands up to shove back at her shoulders, attempting to deflect the forward momentum of her advance.

[FreshBritishSalmon]

The more time Clara spent with Mina, the more open she felt she could be towards her. It was surprising to her that, merely a week ago, the two of them weren't aware of each others existence and now Clara felt that Mina was trustworthy enough to tell her about her dismal past. This was further bolstered by Mina's admission of not wanting to know more about it. To Clara, Mina was becoming more and more like a friend with each passing moment.

Clara looked up to Mina as she spoke and smiled warmly. She knew Mina had a reputation to withhold and Clara, for one, was not going to let it be tarnished. If anything, Clara was loyal to people who were on her side, and Mina clearly was. "Do not worry, I will keep our secret. Nobody will catch wind if this, I assure you" She said, before darting back to her original combat stance with Mina, begore haning her punches and kicks evaded easily and her lunge was stopped with relative comfort. Clara grunted and clenched her teeth as Mina held her back, but Clara was not done. She quickly sent a sudden knee to Mina's belly, listening to Mina's advice not to telegraph her attacks, and trying to catch her off guard.