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There's a pond! Or a little bit of sea, anyway. It's weird.

Though perhaps not as weird as the big earth bunker. Claire met the girl who made the big earth bunker. There was sarcasm, and lots of suspicious question. Claire doesn't think she's liked much in that quarter.

But now she's nowhere near the big earth bunker nor the house with Sylar-who-will-be in it, and out by the pond, sitting near the edge as she re-reads her book on Evolution.

Mr Muggles is crouching at the edge of the pond, occasionally barking at it.

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BUT THE DOG IS MAKING SCARY NOISES AT HER.

Oh, but Claire is waving.

Penance smiles and waves back.

"He's just annoying," Claire assures her, poking at Mr. Muggles to make him stop. It works.

"He won't get hurt on you, I promise."

Penance tilts her head, obviously not sure if Claire is right about this. But when the dog obeys the poke of Claire, she figures it's probably safe enough.

Climbing down without breaking the tree is complicated and difficult to explain, so the narration will have to ask that the readers just believe it can be done.

Soon enough, Penance is crouching nearby, smiling at Claire while simultaneously keeping a watchful eye on her dog.

Claire is keeping her promise by setting Mr Muggles firmly in her lap, where he protests for a minute, then settles down like a cat, chin on her knee and watching Penance.

"How are you settling in?"

Now that he isn't yapping and bouncing around, Penance finds Mr. Muggles kind of... cute. Cute enough to smile at anyway, head tilted as she inspects him.

And then Claire's talking and that reminds Penance of one of the reasons why she came over, holding out her hand - specifically, a finger.

One with an apple on it! For youuuu!

Apple!

Claire grins widely and reaches out for it, sliding it off Penance' finger with no thought for her own fingers.

"Thanks!"

Penance beams back at her. She's so proud of herself! Look how happy Claire is now! Hooray for Penance!

Who has an apple of her own on another finger, which she lifts now to munch on. And, after a moment, takes care to cut out a tiny piece and offer it to Mr Muggles.

You'llhave to forgive Claire when she intercepts the piece and gives it to Mr. Muggles herself, who yums it up along with a drop or two of Claire's blood.

"I feel like my Mom," she reflects. "She always let him eat right off her plate."

Claire misses her Mom.

Penance doesn't even look slightly upset at Claire's insistence on feeding the dog. She'd feel awful if Claire's little furry friend cut his tongue on her finger.

For all the interest that she has in food, especially in fruit, Penance is watching Claire's expression carefully, too. It's why brows draw together a little, sensing something's wrong but not quite sure what. Someone else might offer a hug or a smile - Penance just tilts her head.

But it's a very telling tilt of the head that speaks of concern and worry, really.

Claire grins quickly, dismissing it. "I just miss her. Don't you miss family?"

Sure, she does. She misses Jubilee, who was always so concerned about her, and Artie and Leech that lived with her in the Grotto. She misses Everett - namely because he was always around Jubilee - and Jono, because he spoke to her, he was the first one to approach her with something other than fear or curiosity.

She knows Angelo's here but he never did quite make it to her BFF list.

This place is all right, though. Maybe there's no one that can talk to her like Jono could, or who looks out for her like Jubilee, but there are still friends, still places she could hide. And with Claire and Lucy, there are people she isn't afraid to be close to, that she doesn't have to worry about hurting.

Also, people to share apples with.

Claire is really really bad at reading people. So she gets from that: yes, but this is OK, too.

It's thoughtfully that she takes another bite.

"I don't know if I can stay here."

Penance's apple is almost gone, a slowly shrinking core stuck to her finger, but she's watching Claire while she nibbles. Her concern is obvious, what with Claire's changing expression. It's possible that she's very worried for her new friend.

Or that she doesn't know how to interpret the expression and isn't sure how to respond.

lol, moodswings.

Claire shrugs again, just needing to talk right now.

"There's a guy here - two, actually, who look exactly like a bad guy from my world. But younger."

That's bad. Claire must be really upset about it.

It's very easy to convey worry when you watch people intently and tilt your head a lot. Plus, Claire's expression is sad and that slows down Penance's nibbling.

"I don't know," Claire says. "This place is supposed to be safer than anywhere else, and there are people here I like, a lot."

Penance is one. See, smile!

"It's just everytime I see one of them I want to throw up."

Oh, oh, Penance knows how to answer a smile!

:)!

And then the smile is gone and Penance mirrors Claire's expression, plus a little twist of her lips for concern. She hasn't met many people herself and, by chance, hasn't met either of the Gabriels either, but Toph wasn't an entirely pleasant experience herself.

Because Toph is totally comparable to a Sylar.

Actually, Claire liked Toph. She was a bit abrupt and rude, but she was refreshingly blunt and Claire can respect that.

"You probably don't want to hear this, huh?"

It was more that Toph popped out of the earth and scared the living daylights out of Penance than anything else. Her bluntness outside of her actions was never really the issue.

Penance head tilts, frowning a very little for the look on Claire's face. Mindful that her touch won't hurt Claire permanently but probably isn't very pleasant all the same, she reaches out with her hand turned inwards to pat Claire's arm with the blunt side of her fingers.

Claire smiles sadly, and touches Penance's hand less cautiously.

"I just - don't know what to do."

And it's scary.

Oh, don't be sad! Penance pouts a little back at her, worriedly. It's with all the caution Claire ignores that she curls her fingers around the blonde's hand.

It makes Claire smile a bit, and more geniuinely when she looks up at Penance.

"Thanks for listening."

Were she able to, Penance might respond with something like 'that's what friends are for' or 'I only did what you would do for me.'

As it is, a smile will have to do.

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