and then she'd say, 'it's okay, i got lost on the way, but i'm a supergirl and supergirls don't cry'

[lucked]

Up until now, everything's been easy. As strange as it might be for most people to imagine, Claire Bennet's leap off the Compound has been the best thing that's happened to her yet on Tabula Rasa. Maybe it isn't the healthiest- after all, where the leap from the Compound was supposed to help her shed that mask, come face to face with all that fate'

Comments

[thethirdwonder]

"You know, you really should leave flying to professionals." Cassie teased from the door with a half smile. She came late in the day, after all of Claire's close friends had had their turn. She'd hadn't talked with the other girl much but clearly that had to change if she was friends with Cissie, Kon and Sam. And now was as good as time as any.

"I mean come on. I already have to share with Superman and Superboy here on the island. Not to mention, people might start mistaking you for Wonder Girl and then where will I be?" She kidded as she walked into the room.

[lucked]

Maybe Claire didn't know Cassie all that well, but she the blonde did know was that this was exactly what the doctor prescribed. That after trying to explain countless times to people that she was fine, that she didn't want the teary-eyed hugs or the concern, because they only made the guilt curdle in her stomach, having someone who just came in with a light quip was the most comforting thing in the world. So she smiled, and maybe it was a little weak from all the exertions of the day, physical and otherwise, but it was a smile fully meant and one deeply grateful as Claire tilted her head toward the empty seat by her bed, inviting the other girl to stay a while.

The people from that world really were amazing.

"Well, you know," she said with a grin. "The ideas we get at two in the morning, I swear. I really thought that I could do it. Serves me right for watching superhero movies shortly before bed. Never again."

[thethirdwonder]

Cassie never really thought about it but Donna had told her it was part of being a Wonder. Someone had to look out for the other superheros and it was often left to Diana and her pupils. And Tim had told her it was part of what made her a good leader. That she really didn't see but she figured she'd just keep with her instincts. They rarely failed her and when they did, her friends were there to bail her out.

"When I get an idea at two in the morning, I think about cutting my hair or trying bangs. Maybe how I can beat Zuko in practice the next day. Though I could have told you that watching those Superman movies before bed would be bad news." She moved further into the room and came to sit in the chair beside her. "Now, next time, maybe we can go a Brad Pitt-athon or something?"

[lucked]

"I swear I wasn't actually pulling a Dumbo," Claire said first. She doubted that Cassie really suspected her of being quite that delusional, but honestly, the mere fact that Claire had thrown herself at all was sure to have raised red flags all over the place. Claire was surprised that no one had immediately forced her to see a counselor, no one had even brought up the subject yet. A part of her expected that it was just a matter of time. But just in case there was a chance of slipping by without raising too much notice, she smiled faintly. "I mean, I'm kind of lacking the ears, for one."

But her smile quirked more as Cassie continued to talk, glad that there were some people willing to simply offer alternatives, to let the world return to normal without too much fuss.

"A Brad Pitt-athon could be worth it, though, seriously. Although I'm not sure I appreciate Brad quite as much after defecting to Angelina Jolie," she admitted, wrinkling her nose. "That whole thing always seemed shady to me."

[thethirdwonder]

"Okay, so I have to ask. You had powers back home right? Were you trying to prove you didn't have them? Because any of us could have told you that. I mean, I miss flying more then anything but I usually go to the trampoline for that, not the roof." She was teasing but there was an underlining concern. And an offer if she wanted to talk to someone who might understand better then some. But she wasn't going to push either. If Claire wanted to take it as light teasing, Cassie was fine with that.

"Wait...Brad did what?" Sometimes coming from an earlier time had disadvantages. Like this. "She's the one with the necklace with the blood right?"

[lucked]

The question wasn't precisely abrupt, but it was blunt. Enough that Claire blinked with surprise, feeling a knot immediately working its way to her stomach, twisting uncomfortably. Had Cissie said anything? Had Kon already come to a conclusion? Claire had been careful up until that point, intensely so, but there was no doubt that there were only so many conclusions that could come from knowing that someone had taken a leap from the Compound roof. And all things considered, it was probably more generous to assume that Claire was working with the rules of her own world, rather than assuming that she was looking for a quick drop and a sudden stop

[thethirdwonder]

There were only so many conclusions, which were narrowed down for someone who used to lead a group of teenage superheros. It was that or Claire was attempting suicide and Cassie really didn't think that was the case.

"So...you were sleeping walking? Or you thought this place was a dream?" Cassie paused and thought about this for a second. Oddly enough, when put that way, she was amazed more people hadn't taken jumps off the Compound roof. She was so used to waking up in weird places that is hadn't even occurred to her. "Okay...that does make sense. It sucks you got hurt doing it though." She paused before asking, "Did you get your answer?"

"Man, I don't know if I want to go home now. How can I live in a world where Brad Pitt isn't with Jennifer Aniston? Is there anything else I need to know?" This teasing about celebrities, this was easy. Much easier then thinking about whether or not the island was a dream.

[lucked]

"Sleepwalking's the closest description I can think of," Claire said quietly, slightly lost in her own thoughts as her eyes trailed down to her lap, where her fingers worked the fabric of her sheets. "I mean, we take so much on this island as just fact, but it's so different from my previous life that sometimes it doesn't seem quite real. But this... being in the clinic, really feeling everything from that fall?"

She looked up with a slightly sheepish look, followed by a wince, almost as though to demonstrate the pain.

"I definitely got my answer. The one about how I'm supposed to live, anyway," she concluded with a nod. Pausing for a second, she then moved right on ahead with a wide smile, glad to set the topic aside. "As for hook-ups, well... I mean, until Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet hook up, I'm not really sure what else we're supposed to look for. Brangelina was the big one."

[thethirdwonder]

"I know, me and my friends are lucky in a way. Things like magical islands are par for the course us. Granted, we probably would have found our way off by now but that's just details." Cassie had often been thankful that she'd come from a more fantastic universe then others. This place was hard enough to swallow sometimes as it was, even for her. But she smiled and reached out to cover one of Claire's hands lightly. "In my experience, living is always good."

"Brangelina. Really? That's aweful! Who comes up with that stuff?" Cassie laughed and happily kept up the silly conversation. "Tell me Matt Damon hasn't done anything so silly! Or Ben Affleck!"

[lucked]

"Name smushes? I love smushing names together," Claire giggled, running her fingers through her hair and pulling off the tie, wishing that she could find some way of washing her hair, especially whenever her fingers snagged on what felt like slight flecks of matted blood. "Brangelina's no worse than, like, Bennifer. Which is totally over, and thank god, because I hated the way that J-Lo always tried to get in the way of Matt and Ben's friendship. As far as I know, Ben's with Jennifer Garner now and things are fine, and Matt and his wife are still going strong too."