"G man has cancer…" Dyon stared blankly at the wall.
Clara shook her head. "Only you would still call my dad that."
"Of course. He insisted I call him that." Dyon smiled lightly.
"You were like 5 and he was doing too much to impress you. Only a little boy that age would think G man was a cool nickname."
"And only a tomboy like you would insist on fighting me for it."
"I had no choice. I was trying to fix your stupid opinions so that you'd be better in the future. Clearly I failed."
"I just replaced the president for a lecture. I'd say my future is doing just fine, no?" Dyon smiled.
Clara's cold eyes snapped up to Dyon. "You're giving my dad a bad reputation you know. He chose you to replace him, but you ran out on your duties."
Dyon smirked. "Actually, I'd say the lecture is going pretty well right now."
Clara's brows furrowed with confusion. "What are you talking about?"
"I can clone myself." Dyon shrugged.
"No way." Clara stood abruptly, poking at Dyon's chest while holding her laptop off to the side.
Dyon chuckled. "This is the real me. I wouldn't send a clone for something so important."
"Lame." Clara sat down abruptly. "Clones would be so useful in research…"
"Hey. My pain is their pain, and vice versa. If you start using them to experiment, I'll feel double the pain."
"That's even better." Clara looked away, typing away on her laptop with speeds that were blinding to even Dyon. "That means less ethical hurdles because they're technically still you. You trade off pain for the greater good."
"Clara."
Looking up, Clara found gentle hazel-green eyes that left her in a trance. "The martial world made you more handsome. I don't say that as a compliment. Just empirically and objectively speaking. That means there are things over there that improve your body directly."
"Clara."
"That also means that I should change the scale for you. Doesn't make sense to rate you by mortal world standards. That said, you weren't exactly ugly before. But, how would I know? I saw you once from a distance when we were 16. And before that was we were 10. Thanks for that, by the way. Was really a great time."
"Clara."
"What. Can't you see I'm thinking through something?" Clara's cold eyes snapped up.
"I don't want to pretend to be the solution to all of your problems. But, in this instance. I am."
"Oh? Tell me more Mr. Two-Wives."
Dyon's lip twitched. "I have very good." Dyon coughed. "Explanations for that."
"Why would you need to explain anything to me? I'm just a childhood friend you haven't spoken to in almost a decade. My opinion is null and void."
"Alright. I admit I don't have the most mature way of handling things a lot of the time."
"You think? You were my best friend you know. When your father is a politician for life, those aren't easy to come by. If you hadn't been doing so many great things for the world, I would have hated you without looking back."
"So you don't hate me?" Dyon's eyes sparkled.
Clara looked up at Dyon. "I don't hate you. But, I have a strong dislike of you."
Dyon smiled bitterly. "You're right to. But, I'm happy you found even better replacements. Jason ran after you and Penelope was struggling with herself when you left. They clearly care for you a lot."
"Technically I'm not just friends with Jason." Clara looked down to her laptop, continuing the train of thought Dyon had interrupted. "But yes. Penelope is a good friend."
Dyon's lip twitched, his next words being caught in his throat.
"What's wrong Mr. Two-Wives?" Clara, noticing Dyon hadn't spoken in a while sent a glance upward.
"Nothing really." Dyon smiled. "I was just looking forward to taking you with me to the martial world after I cured your father. But, since you have so many ties here, I'll just cure your father then be on my way."
When Clara heard Dyon could cure her father, she froze. She knew Dyon wasn't making her decide between Jason and a healthy father. That would be disgusting and reprehensible regardless of how simple the decision would be. He clearly said that he'd cure her father either way. But, he had said it so nonchalantly… Was it really possible?
Clara scanned Dyon's features before deciding he wasn't lying. But, Clara's emotions never fluctuated too much. Even while she was telling Dyon about her father, she may have trembled, but her eyes still remained cold and calculating. That was just the type of person she was.
"My goal in going to the martial world is to find a cure. If you already have it here, what use is there in me going there? To pioneer to become your third wife? No thank you."
"I wouldn't be taking you to find a cure. I'd be taking you to cultivate." Dyon's smile brightened.
"Now you're lying. That's an impossibility. If just anyone could, more than just you would have passed. How about you go and cure my father now? I'm sure he's excited to see his favorite nephew. Think of it as a favor to him instead of me. I'm sure after calling him uncle for so many years you'd cure him regardless of my presence."
"Of course. I owe G man too much. I would have been able to tell he was sick as soon as I saw him whether he wanted to keep it a secret or not."
"Then there's nothing to discuss."
"Of course there is something to discuss. I owe you too, Clara. And I take that very seriously. But, curing your father isn't payment for what I put you through. If anything, it's a drop in the bucket because it's almost too easy for me to do."
"Easy?" Clara looked up, skeptically.
Dyon nodded, completely serious. "What I want to pay you back for is not having been the best friend I should have been. I shouldn't have messed with you. If you love Jason and don't want to separate from him, I won't make you choose. I can take him with us."
Dyon took a single knee, closing Clara's laptop.
Clara's eyes sparkled as she looked at Dyon with their eyes level. The ice in her eyes thawing.
"What do you say, Clara? Will you let me make it up to you?" Dyon smiled gently, stretching out his hand to wait for a response.
