New Target

[game_byrd]

Title: New Target
Characters: Claire Bennet, Tammy Wilcox (Jackie's mother)
Rating: PG
Warnings: None
Word count: 500
Setting: Post Brave New World
Summary: Claire comes clean about the real reason Jackie died and Tammy finds a new target.
Notes: Beta by dancingdragon3. Written for the heroes_contest prompt, "New". Follow-up to " Dearly Departed", where

Comments

[amles80]

Oh wow, Claire on a talk show! Yes, I can see it as the logical next step after the after the Ferris wheel stunt. She wants the truth to be know so of course she tries to find a way - this is probably one of the most popular talk shows, whatever it is. :) It must be very difficult for her, too, to choose her words and not say too much, to protect the Petrellis.

I'm glad to see a follow-up to the first story about Tammy. I think she must be very relieved that she can blame someone else and not Claire. The last part makes me feel like more is coming...

[game_byrd]

Yeah, I was thinking that maybe for the next contest prompt, "Demons", I'd have Tammy find and confront Sylar. Poor Sylar! I mean, if he's trying to be reformed and a good guy, how will he deal with the second of many who he has wronged? (Peter being the first.) He can't spend years with each one in solitary until they give up on their hatred. So how will he deal with that?

Suggestions welcome, by the way!

And yes, I think it would be tough for Claire to pick her words. She hasn't received the coaching and practice that most politicians and public speakers have. Even beauty pageant contestants take training on how to present themselves. She's got a lot of learning to do if she intends to be the public face of specials. Dealing with people like Tammy is just the beginning.

[amles80]

"Poor Sylar", yes, that was what I was thinking, too. True, he can't re-live his experience with Peter with anyone else. So many people have tried to get him in the past, people with abilities and without, so even when he was hunting people to take their abilities he was also being hunted. I wonder if he isn't a bit... tired? He can't undo any of the things he has done, but is there anything that he can do for Tammy? I suppose she wants revenge, but what does that mean? She can't kill him. She's not the kind of person, I think, who would be like "you killed my child so now it's my turn to kill somebody who's close to you" (would that be Peter?). Maybe she finds comfort in the idea of finding him and making him pay - but he can't ever pay, so maybe he'll keep running from her to keep the dream alive that one day she'll get him! But... that would make her life too sad, and it would be a weird thing for him to do

[means2bhuman]

Wow. I really like this. It felt longer than 500 words

[game_byrd]

The story clocks in at 496 words, so it's right there at the limit

[amles80]

The story clocks in at 496 words, so it's right there at the limit.

*lol* I'm sure that's true, but it still feels longer - not like "can this really be 500 words?", but because so many things are going on in this scene with a lot of details and even more details that aren't even written (Claire; what's going through her head as she re-tells the story we remember from S1, Tammy; her emotions, the stage, the audience, the moderator who is looking at both of them trying to think of follow-up questions to use all the emotions and all to make a good show, etc) as opposed to a drabble that's more like one person's inner thoughts about something. That's why it feels "longer". I had that thought, too... but as so often, I couldn't put it into words until someone else did it first. ;)

[game_byrd]

Ah! Yes. I've been trying to experiment lately with getting away from as much introspection and inner dialogue as I've been using for the last year or so. Obviously, I'm not ditching it entirely or going to any extreme in that direction, but it's something I'm incorporating as much as possible, asking myself every time I start to write what a character's thinking if it's really, really important to have that in there. I'm glad it's noticeable!

[dancingdragon3]

Okay, I have to be honest - Tammy kind of scares me a little. She is vengeful, obessesed, mom-on-fire. And obviously capable of carrying out a plan. I hope Claire feels really bad for calling out Sylar cause I think something bad's about to happen there...

This one shot from last month is really turning into something interesting! Can't wait for the next part.

[game_byrd]

Yay!

[game_byrd]

Yay! Thank you so much!