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Tweak says, "I'm in love. His name is "

Claire Bennet (x_clairebear_x) wrote in colligo_threads,
@ 2009-07-22 00:38:00

Entry tags:

!@event, !closed, angela petrelli, claire winchester, gabriel 'sylar' gray, noah bennet, peter petrelli

WHO: Claire Bennet, Priestly, Angela Petrelli, Gabriel Gray, Peter Petrelli and Noah Bennet
WHAT: Ice cream for Claire's birthday!
WHEN: After dark
WHERE: Ice cream parlor
RATING: TBD
STATUS: In Progress

Spending the day at the zoo with her dad had been fun. Slightly awkward at times, but fun. The Care Bear cake had also been great and she'd even managed to set some aside to bring back for Priestly, too. She'd also gotten Noah to agree to come for ice cream with the rest of her family, so all in all she was having a pretty great birthday. Granted she was a little nervous at everyone meeting Priestly for the first time, and she was a little hurt that Nathan hadn't so much as wished her a happy birthday, but she was doing her best not to let these things weigh her down. Today was her special day, and she was going to enjoy it. Not to mention she was eighteen now and it was time she started at least trying to be mature about things.

Making her way into her apartment after saying a temporary goodbye to Noah so she could get changed and collect Priestly, Claire set the cake she'd snagged on the counter and her keys beside it. "Baby?" she called as she made her way through the living room and toward the bedroom that she now shared with the man she'd fallen in love with over the last few months of dating.

"Are you home yet? We're supposed to be meeting everybody in the courtyard in... um..." She glanced at her watch and swore softly. "Right now."

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x_clairebear_x
2009-07-22 12:52 pm UTC (link)

That had gone better than expected, Claire decided as she smiled and nodded her agreement. Of course, out of the people Priestly was set to meet tonight, Angela and Gabriel were the two who would react the least. Gabriel, because Claire knew enough about him to know that the man was an expert at seeing a person for who they truly were. Granted she'd really only seen Sylar display such a skill before, but something told her this version of Gabriel had that same knack. And as for Angela... well, if nothing else, Angela was almost always calm and cool no matter the situation. Rarely did she get frazzled and, even when she did, she had all but perfected the art of pretending that she wasn't.

Peter and her Dad, however, Claire still wasn't sure about. Peter just didn't have that same cool-as-a-cucumber exterior that Angela had turned into a fine art and her Dad was still having a tough time accepting that she wasn't the seven year old little girl that slept with an assortment of stuffed teddy bears every night.

Still, they were meeting them at the ice cream shop so that bought both her and Priestly a bit more time. Which was both a good and a bad thing since part of her really just wanted the introduction stage over with yet she was grateful for the chance for the others to get comfortable around Priestly first.

Her hand slid back into Priestly's once more and she gave him a reassuring squeeze and a sideways grin to match before flickering her attention to Angela as the group began moving toward the city streets. "Thank you," she stated, "for suggesting this. I think a chance to all meet up and take a break from the crazy might just be the best birthday present I've got yet." Then she glanced at Gabriel, a grateful smile filling her face. "And thanks for coming, too."

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tipmeordie
2009-07-22 01:12 pm UTC (link)

Oh. Well hey. That'd been almost painless. But, then again, this was the grandma and... Was Gabriel really Claire's uncle? He'd have to ask her about that one. But either way, the fact that it was kind of painless made it a little easier, and the grin on his face came a bit easier because of that fact.

"Thanks. It's good to meet you guys, too," he said honestly. But at Gabriel's comment, Priestly couldn't hold back the nervous chuckle. "Yeah. Claire's dad, uh, gotta admit. He's the one that I'm the most nervous about." And again with the honesty.

But hey, he thought he was doing pretty damn good so far. He'd kept all his curses in his head. And, well, there had been quite a few of them up there already.

"But yeah. Might as well go ahead and head out."

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reapwhatwesow
2009-07-22 01:27 pm UTC (link)

Well, perhaps looks weren't really as much on an indicator as she thought they might be. Sparing Gabriel a sideways glance, she noticed that he didn't seem to have any sort of adverse reaction, and he'd always been so much better at reading people than any of the rest of the family had been. He seemed...at ease and understanding, and that was enough to set her mind at rest. Reaching out and effortlessly hooking her arm with Gabriel's, Angela smiled far more sincerely than she'd be able to manage before. "I'm sure you won't have too much trouble with him."

The lie was effortless, simple, and one made completely through her teeth. She didn't know just how different this Bennet would be, but she was sure that if it was the one she'd known, Priestly would have been died before he had a second to realize it was even happening.

Let's just keep our fingers crossed that this Bennet is absolutely nothing like that.

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inaworldsocold
2009-07-22 01:36 pm UTC (link)

Gabriel was slightly startled with Angela took his arm, but he didn't show it, casting his gaze instead over to the couple, a slight laugh leaving his lips, "I was only joking. Don't worry. Noah can be a terror when he wants to be, but in situations like this, he's a right puppy. Nothing to upset his Clairebear," Gabriel said, grinning at Claire and winking.

It really was true as far as Gabriel's experience ran. Not that it usually worked, but Noah would try his hardest to do what had to be done while at the same time trying to dance around the issue in order to not upset Claire. The trip back to the Bennet house after Canfield killed himself was one of the most stilted he could remember. Gabriel'd just known that Noah was trying his hardest not to say what he really felt because he knew that Claire wouldn't like that he believed it was all for the best.

Turning his attention to Claire, Gabriel just smiled, a wide, sincere grin that was equal parts grateful and relieved. He liked this Claire much better. "Happy to be included."

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x_clairebear_x
2009-07-22 02:40 pm UTC (link)

Claire grinned back at Gabriel, rolling her eyes in a over exaggerated, joking manner. "He's not that much of a pushover," she groused with a smile. "If he were, I would've gotten that pony I wanted when I was little."

Realizing that her comment wasn't exactly going to help put Priestly at ease, she cast her gaze back to him as she added, "But like I keep saying. He's not going to actually try to kill you or anything." If he even showed up. Claire knew he said he'd be there, and he probably had the best of intentions of doing just that, but she'd learned over the past year or so that sometimes the best of intentions were just that - intentions. And if her Dad thought something was for the greater good, be it the world as a whole or his family specifically, he would do whatever he felt was necessary. Even if it meant missing ice cream with her on her birthday.

She hoped he'd show up, though, and not just for her own selfish reasons of wanting at least most of her family with her to celebrate turning eighteen. No, she also wanted to get him and Angela in the same room in the hopes that her grandmother would realize that this wasn't the same man she had so many issues with in her own time. It bothered Claire more than she let on that they weren't close as she was used to them being. They both needed the other as a friend. She was sure of it.

"So, did Peter say what held him up?" she asked conversationally with a glance at her grandmother. While waiting for her to answer, she glanced briefly back at Priestly and gave his hand another soft squeeze of reassurance. Relax, she mouthed, nudging him ever so slightly even as they continued walking.

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tipmeordie
2009-07-22 02:55 pm UTC (link)

Priestly started rubbing his thumb over the back of Claire's hand, and somehow that calmed him down just a little. She was right though, pointing out how much her dad wasn't a pushover, that didn't help all that much. But, he'd have to suck it up and deal with it anyway. And then she told him to relax. Uh huh. Right.

None the less, he gave her a soft smile as he nudged her back a little and continued to walk. Really, he wasn't sure of what to say, exactly, just then. And that was sort of odd for him. After all, Priestly, he was always running off at the mouth. It was just part of who he was, after all. So instead of talking when he didn't know what the fuck he'd say in the first place, he just kept in step with Claire and, once more, his free hand went up to twist at his libret piercing.

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reapwhatwesow
2009-07-30 05:11 pm UTC (link)

"Peter," Angela started before stopping, frowning slightly to herself. She could understand Peter's motivations, but she wasn't sure that the others here would. The Noah Bennet that they knew was a good man, a kind man, and apparently someone that she was very close with in their reality. The Noah Bennet that she and Peter knew was a raving psychopath who would let anything stand in his way. It was a logical precaution to take to make sure that they were dealing with the one that they thought they were. Clearing her throat, Angela started again. "Peter decided that it would be better if he escorted Bennet, and they both met us at the shop," She said, offering Claire a very light and tentative smile. "Just in case."

Just in case this Bennet did turn out to be heartless, ruthless, and as cold as the one that she and Peter were familiar with.

"I've sure they'll both be fine."

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inaworldsocold
2009-07-30 08:11 pm UTC (link)

"Of course they will," Gabriel echoed, grinning at the assembled party in a way that was oddly reassuring considering who it was coming from. "Peter knows what he's doing, and Noah's a smart guy. He'll understand the need for precautions. Better to be safe than regret it when someone stabs a knife in your back," Gabriel said with a nod before his grin widened. They weren't that far from the shop, anyways. It wasn't like they'd all be separated for long. And then, they could get down to resolving the issues that were making this so damn complicated by just getting to know each other.

That was all it took, after all.

"And a pony and being nice to your boyfriend are in two very different categories, Claire. One doesn't cost an arm and a leg," Gabriel said, punctuating the statement with a laugh as they finally were within sight of the shop. Breaking away from the small group, he stepped forward, pulling open the door and holding it for all of them to enter. "Ladies first," He said, grinning as he nodded to Angela and Claire.

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thegoodbrother
2009-08-01 06:57 pm UTC (link)

It wasn't so much that Peter didn't trust Noah Bennet...it was just that...well...Peter didn't trust Noah Bennet. Especially not around his mother. The Noah they knew was a very dangerous man, and a smart one at that. He couldn't imagine this one being any different. Which is why he was surprised when he met the man and realized that he was not only a good decade younger than the man he was accustomed too, but friendly and affable. In short, he was nothing like the Noah Bennet he knew.

Noah was fine with Peter wanting to walk with him to the ice cream parlor. He wanted a chance to get to know Claire's biological family, and the boy seemed like a good person and a capable agent. It was an unfortunate fact that the two didn't often go hand in hand. As they walked along he talked casually, looking forward to seeing his daughter again. Claude was right...he was getting attached. But, apparently he was still her father when she was eighteen, so maybe that wasn't such a bad thing.

When they got to the ice cream shop, before the others, they sat down and waited, both smiling when Claire came in. "Hey, Clairebear," Noah said with a smile, giving Claire a hug and a kiss on the cheek. He looked at the boy with her, tilting his head to the side and taking in the piercings and the blue hair. Huh...well, he trusted his daughter's judgment, and he'd learned over the years that outward appearances weren't always the best means of judging a person. "Priestly, right?" he said. "It's nice to finally meet you. It's a shame Sandra's not here to meet you, but I'm glad she's not caught up in this place." All in all, not exactly the terrifying man Angela was expecting.

Peter gave Claire a hug and told her happy birthday, giving his mother a look that conveyed his own unease at how...not evil...Noah seemed to be. What was with this place? Noah was a good guy, Nathan was a jerk, and Claire had been raised as a Bennet. "Looks like we're all here," he said.

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x_clairebear_x
2009-08-02 01:58 am UTC (link)

Claire returned the hug and kiss from her dad and smiled brightly. "Hey, Dad," she replied, stepping back to Priestly's side to offer silent support as he met her father - albeit a much younger version - for the first time. Once she was certain that Priestly wasn't going to flee in abject terror and that Noah wasn't going to say something that might make Priestly want to flee in abject terror, she turned to Peter just in time to be hugged by him.

"Thanks," she replied, also returning his hug before smiling brightly up at him. She didn't miss the look he gave Angela but she wasn't going to worry about it. Everyone was here, no one was evil or scary or being a jerk, and it was her birthday. All-in-all, things were going pretty well.

Turning back to Priestly, she gave him an encouraging smile before looking back to the rest of the group. "So... ice cream?" she exclaimed in barely concealed excitement.

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tipmeordie
2009-08-03 02:28 am UTC (link)

In all honesty, Priestly was pretty surprised at how smoothly all this was going. So far he hadn't gotten any glares or anything, and that was pretty unusual when it came to meeting the parents. At leas, it was unusual in his book.

"Yes, sir," he said once Noah addressed him, and put a soft, if still nervous, smile on his face. "It's Priestly. And it's good to finally meet you, too." And he was being honest. It was good because, unless this place went all nuts again, he would only have to meet them all just the once.

But when Claire spoke again, Priestly's smile grew more genuine. He couldn't help it though, he liked when she got all excited. "Hey, ice cream always sounds good to me."

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reapwhatwesow
2009-08-05 11:16 pm UTC (link)

That was...troubling. Angela wasn't sure exactly how to react to a Bennet that she wasn't sure was going to shoot her if she gave him any reason to feel like he needed to. Offering Peter a very light smile that echoed his unease, Angela stepped forward, wrapping him briefly in a hug as she glanced over his shoulder at Bennet, giving him a quick once over gaze.

"He's not as tense as I'm used to," Angela whispered to Peter. Granted, he didn't look completely relaxed, though. "And his eyes are..." Not as vicious? Cold? Hardened? Apathetic? "Warmer."

Glancing once more at Peter, Angela managed to pull away before turning her attention to Claire, offering her a bright grin, "You go ahead and order, dear. We'll be right behind you."

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inaworldsocold
2009-08-05 11:20 pm UTC (link)

Yup, this mood here, definitely needed to be lightened. Swinging an arm over Peter's shoulders as soon as Angela stepped away from him, "So! I think we should all get to know each other a bit considering how different things might be from place to place," He said, reaching out and nudging Noah's shoulder. "You go first, Noah, considering you two had to catch up."

Better that Noah actually make himself known at the moment than continue to be Mr. Enigma and make Angela, Peter, and Priestly nervous.

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eagleeyed
2009-08-05 11:57 pm UTC (link)

Noah laughed and shook his head. "Not much to tell, not really," he said. "I've been working for the Company since 1990, partnered with Claude. I've been raising Claire for a little over six years and Sandra and I adopted a son four years ago...Lyle." He smiled as he referenced his family. "Sandra loves having kids in the house and I'm...well...I'm learning." He shrugged. "I never planned to be a father, and I was petrified when we got Claire, but..." He looked over at where his daughter was getting ice cream with a fond smile, "I wouldn't change it. It's...difficult, finding a balance, sometimes. I hate lying to them. But it's better than the alternative." Because Thompson had made it clear what would happen if Sandra ever knew the truth.

He looked at the other three. "And you? To be honest, the only one I know at all is Angela. And I'm aware of the two of you by name, but you're both children as far as I know."

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thegoodbrother
2009-08-06 12:06 am UTC (link)

Peter hugged his mother, listening to her and nodding. "I know," he whispered. "It's really creepy...like the twilight zone or something." He released her and grinned as Gabriel threw an arm over his shoulder, nudging him in the side. "So where's my sister-in-law and nephew then?" he asked. He knew that this Claire wouldn't have had a problem with them. "Other things to do?" He listened to Noah talk and felt even stranger. Did having kids really change someone that much? It was like the were talking to a completely different person.

"Me next?" he said when Noah was done. "Uh...I've been working for the Company for a couple years now. Gabe was actually my partner at first, until we realised he had an ability. We still work together some. What else to say...uh...I have really bad luck with women. I think all three of us do, actually. I know Nate does...Gabe isn't actually too bad...he's the exception." He gave his brother a cheeky grin. "Mom hated it at first, but she's okay with it now." He smiled at his mother. "Me being an agent, that is...not me having terrible luck with women...I don't know what she thinks about that...but it's getting better here"

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