the_muses_stage prompt set 29.2 [lyrics prompt]
Where do I go when I'm so alone? // Where do I turn when you are so close? // We try not to crash but we still collide // Tears I've cried, I'll survive // I'm alive // I'm stripped, I'm bare // I'm left here with nothing -- "Alive" - Leona Lewis
It was odd to live in such close confines with a man that had once brought her so much terror and anger. Now he was only a shell of the person she had known. When she looked at him, she didn’t seem the same malicious glint in his eyes that she was used to seeing. Now she saw someone who felt just as lost and confused as her, and it was unsettling. The last year had been focused on hating him, on getting back at him in some way, and now she had no idea what to do with him which was sad because she had helped to release him.
Barely biting back a frustrated sigh, she pushed herself off of the bed before heading towards the door. It was obvious her sudden movement had startled Sylar as he jumped where he was sitting and, seconds later, a bunch of cups were crashing to the floor. Jumping back from the shattered pieces that rolled over the floor, she couldn’t hide the frustration in her tone as she saw the wide eyed look on his face. “God, can’t you learn to control your abilities?” She snapped.
“I-I’m sorry.” He frowned as well, sliding out of the booth seat at the table as she moved to her knees. “You startled me.”
“I was just going to go outside.” She didn’t look up at him as he knelt down across from her, reaching to help her clean up.
Some of the pieces were jagged and sharper than anticipated, so it was no surprise when he suddenly dropped a piece with a hiss of pain. As he turned his hand over, they both watched the cut that spanned three fingers suddenly disappear and she looked up to watch the wonder on his features as he watched himself heal. She hated him again in that moment; she hated him for the awe and the pain.
“Clean it up.” She pushed away from him and the floor because she couldn’t breathe and because of the nauseous feeling in the pit of her stomach. Before he could call her back or ask her where she was going, she was slipping out of the trailer. As the door banged closed behind her, she ducked around the corner and sucked in a deeper breath while walking almost aimlessly.
“Claire?” At the sound of her name, she paused while glancing over at the knife thrower who sat forward with a look of concern on his face. “What’s wrong? You look like you’re going to be sick or something.”
“No, I don’t actually get sick.” She shook her head, trying to smile at Edgar even though she didn’t believe her own words.
“Good and all but you still look upset.” He was suddenly in front of her, the sudden speed at which he approached causing her to jump just a bit. “Did Sylar do something?” The swish of the blade in his hand said it for him. He would hurt Sylar if she just gave him a reason or, better yet, an excuse.
“Don’t call him Sylar.” It didn’t matter that’s how she addressed him in her mind. “That’s not the Sylar I know.” She shot a dark look over her shoulder, almost accusing the man in question even though he couldn’t see her.
It was odd though because as soon as they mentioned him, Sylar appeared. He stepped around the corner of the trailer he shared with Claire and it was clear he was looking for something or someone.
“Shit, come on.” She grabbed onto Edgar’s arm, yanking at him as she started to hurry.
“Allow me.” Edgar’s chuckle was really the only warning she had as he suddenly scooped her up into his arms and the world blurred around them. She still wasn’t used to how fast he could run but it was more than enough to get them to the edge of the Carnival before Sylar could give chase if she was the one he was looking for.
As Edgar put her down, Claire smiled faintly while brushing some hair back from her face. “Thanks.”
“No problem.” He nodded at her. “But you never answered me. Did Sylar do something to you?”
“He did a long time ago but not today.” She shook her head to reassure him that she was just fine. Turning away from him then, she looked over her surroundings while making her way towards a large boulder where she sat down slowly. Edgar was about to join her but a calling of his name gave him pause as he turned to look to where Lydia was waving at him and Claire glanced at him after looking towards the tattooed lady. “Go on, she needs you.”
“Are you sure?” He was torn with the idea of leaving.
“I’ll be fine.” She managed a brave smile before waving a hand at him. “Go on.”
He hesitated for another moment but the sound of his name being called again pulled him away and left Claire with her own company. Despite the noises on the edge of the clearing, Claire focused on the silence instead and wrapped it around her like a cloak. She only wished she could disappear from sight as well but she knew it wouldn’t be that easy.
She was a part of this place now, a part of a family that she had never had any intention of joining. At one time it had seemed like the perfect escape but now she was only all too aware of the distance between herself and the families she had been a part of till the point she had chosen to bring Sylar out which left Nathan Petrelli to fade away. Ever since that point, she hadn’t seen her dad, her mom, her brother or the Petrellis. Samuel assured her that they wouldn’t ever find her either.
Claire wished she could say that was a comfort though. The real comfort would be seeing her dad and having him tell her that everything was going to be okay. That he forgave her for the decisions she had made.
She wasn’t aware of the fact that she was crying till there was a Kleenex in front of her face. Blinking back the cloudy haze from her eyes, she looked up into the awkward features of Sylar as he continued to hold out the small piece of cloth. “Here, you have black stuff running down your face.”
“It’s my mascara.” She couldn’t even bother to snap at him as she took the Kleenex from him and used it to hide her face. When he sat down beside her, she shifted over with a little sniff and let the silence fall over them as she cleaned the mess from her cheeks.
“Are you okay?” He ventured after a moment, his hands braced against his knees as he watched her.
“I don’t know.” She swallowed thickly, daring to glance over at him.
“Claire.” He said her name softly before twisting just a bit to turn towards her slightly. “I don’t know what I did to you but I know you don’t like me.” She had a feeling he was playing down the animosity that she usually displayed towards him and it almost made her feel bad as he continued. “Whatever it was, I wish I could take it back.”
“Why?” That surprised her even if he couldn’t remember what it was.
“Then maybe you would talk to me. We’re in the same position after all.” When she arched a brow at him, he swallowed almost nervously before shrugging and glancing towards the Carnival. “I don’t remember what they want me to remember. I don’t remember my past and it’s clear that you had to leave yours behind. So we’re both here alone and we don’t have anything but what they give us.”
“We’re supposed to be a part of their family.” She pointed out but there was a twinge of doubt in her voice.
“Yes but it’s not really ours. I think you feel as lost as I feel.” He looked over at her with a small frown. As he stared at her, she watched the different emotions that played over his features till finally he settled on confusion. “I feel... I feel like I should know you though.”
When his hand came up to brush some her from her face, she froze for just a moment as her heart stopped and her blood ran cold. The way he touched her was eerily familiar but the look on his face was anything but. The confusion was there but there was a strange touch of tenderness and concern, something she had never seen from him before.
So she leaned into him as he shifted his hand from her face to wrap his arm around her shoulders so that he could pull her into his side. She shifted closer, tucking her head against his shoulder and she finally repelled her breath as he tilted his head to press his cheek against the top of her head. It was a silent show of comfort and she took it even if it came from a man who had once caused her terror.
She took it because it was there and because it was better than being alone.
[Sylar is heroslayer, he's used with love and permission. Edgar is right_handman and I can use him because he's mine.]
It was odd to live in such close confines with a man that had once brought her so much terror and anger. Now he was only a shell of the person she had known. When she looked at him, she didn’t seem the same malicious glint in his eyes that she was used to seeing. Now she saw someone who felt just as lost and confused as her, and it was unsettling. The last year had been focused on hating him, on getting back at him in some way, and now she had no idea what to do with him which was sad because she had helped to release him.
Barely biting back a frustrated sigh, she pushed herself off of the bed before heading towards the door. It was obvious her sudden movement had startled Sylar as he jumped where he was sitting and, seconds later, a bunch of cups were crashing to the floor. Jumping back from the shattered pieces that rolled over the floor, she couldn’t hide the frustration in her tone as she saw the wide eyed look on his face. “God, can’t you learn to control your abilities?” She snapped.
“I-I’m sorry.” He frowned as well, sliding out of the booth seat at the table as she moved to her knees. “You startled me.”
“I was just going to go outside.” She didn’t look up at him as he knelt down across from her, reaching to help her clean up.
Some of the pieces were jagged and sharper than anticipated, so it was no surprise when he suddenly dropped a piece with a hiss of pain. As he turned his hand over, they both watched the cut that spanned three fingers suddenly disappear and she looked up to watch the wonder on his features as he watched himself heal. She hated him again in that moment; she hated him for the awe and the pain.
“Clean it up.” She pushed away from him and the floor because she couldn’t breathe and because of the nauseous feeling in the pit of her stomach. Before he could call her back or ask her where she was going, she was slipping out of the trailer. As the door banged closed behind her, she ducked around the corner and sucked in a deeper breath while walking almost aimlessly.
“Claire?” At the sound of her name, she paused while glancing over at the knife thrower who sat forward with a look of concern on his face. “What’s wrong? You look like you’re going to be sick or something.”
“No, I don’t actually get sick.” She shook her head, trying to smile at Edgar even though she didn’t believe her own words.
“Good and all but you still look upset.” He was suddenly in front of her, the sudden speed at which he approached causing her to jump just a bit. “Did Sylar do something?” The swish of the blade in his hand said it for him. He would hurt Sylar if she just gave him a reason or, better yet, an excuse.
“Don’t call him Sylar.” It didn’t matter that’s how she addressed him in her mind. “That’s not the Sylar I know.” She shot a dark look over her shoulder, almost accusing the man in question even though he couldn’t see her.
It was odd though because as soon as they mentioned him, Sylar appeared. He stepped around the corner of the trailer he shared with Claire and it was clear he was looking for something or someone.
“Shit, come on.” She grabbed onto Edgar’s arm, yanking at him as she started to hurry.
“Allow me.” Edgar’s chuckle was really the only warning she had as he suddenly scooped her up into his arms and the world blurred around them. She still wasn’t used to how fast he could run but it was more than enough to get them to the edge of the Carnival before Sylar could give chase if she was the one he was looking for.
As Edgar put her down, Claire smiled faintly while brushing some hair back from her face. “Thanks.”
“No problem.” He nodded at her. “But you never answered me. Did Sylar do something to you?”
“He did a long time ago but not today.” She shook her head to reassure him that she was just fine. Turning away from him then, she looked over her surroundings while making her way towards a large boulder where she sat down slowly. Edgar was about to join her but a calling of his name gave him pause as he turned to look to where Lydia was waving at him and Claire glanced at him after looking towards the tattooed lady. “Go on, she needs you.”
“Are you sure?” He was torn with the idea of leaving.
“I’ll be fine.” She managed a brave smile before waving a hand at him. “Go on.”
He hesitated for another moment but the sound of his name being called again pulled him away and left Claire with her own company. Despite the noises on the edge of the clearing, Claire focused on the silence instead and wrapped it around her like a cloak. She only wished she could disappear from sight as well but she knew it wouldn’t be that easy.
She was a part of this place now, a part of a family that she had never had any intention of joining. At one time it had seemed like the perfect escape but now she was only all too aware of the distance between herself and the families she had been a part of till the point she had chosen to bring Sylar out which left Nathan Petrelli to fade away. Ever since that point, she hadn’t seen her dad, her mom, her brother or the Petrellis. Samuel assured her that they wouldn’t ever find her either.
Claire wished she could say that was a comfort though. The real comfort would be seeing her dad and having him tell her that everything was going to be okay. That he forgave her for the decisions she had made.
She wasn’t aware of the fact that she was crying till there was a Kleenex in front of her face. Blinking back the cloudy haze from her eyes, she looked up into the awkward features of Sylar as he continued to hold out the small piece of cloth. “Here, you have black stuff running down your face.”
“It’s my mascara.” She couldn’t even bother to snap at him as she took the Kleenex from him and used it to hide her face. When he sat down beside her, she shifted over with a little sniff and let the silence fall over them as she cleaned the mess from her cheeks.
“Are you okay?” He ventured after a moment, his hands braced against his knees as he watched her.
“I don’t know.” She swallowed thickly, daring to glance over at him.
“Claire.” He said her name softly before twisting just a bit to turn towards her slightly. “I don’t know what I did to you but I know you don’t like me.” She had a feeling he was playing down the animosity that she usually displayed towards him and it almost made her feel bad as he continued. “Whatever it was, I wish I could take it back.”
“Why?” That surprised her even if he couldn’t remember what it was.
“Then maybe you would talk to me. We’re in the same position after all.” When she arched a brow at him, he swallowed almost nervously before shrugging and glancing towards the Carnival. “I don’t remember what they want me to remember. I don’t remember my past and it’s clear that you had to leave yours behind. So we’re both here alone and we don’t have anything but what they give us.”
“We’re supposed to be a part of their family.” She pointed out but there was a twinge of doubt in her voice.
“Yes but it’s not really ours. I think you feel as lost as I feel.” He looked over at her with a small frown. As he stared at her, she watched the different emotions that played over his features till finally he settled on confusion. “I feel... I feel like I should know you though.”
When his hand came up to brush some her from her face, she froze for just a moment as her heart stopped and her blood ran cold. The way he touched her was eerily familiar but the look on his face was anything but. The confusion was there but there was a strange touch of tenderness and concern, something she had never seen from him before.
So she leaned into him as he shifted his hand from her face to wrap his arm around her shoulders so that he could pull her into his side. She shifted closer, tucking her head against his shoulder and she finally repelled her breath as he tilted his head to press his cheek against the top of her head. It was a silent show of comfort and she took it even if it came from a man who had once caused her terror.
She took it because it was there and because it was better than being alone.
[Sylar is heroslayer, he's used with love and permission. Edgar is right_handman and I can use him because he's mine.]