she could be money, cars, fear of the dark, your best friends are just strangers in bars

[cheerhealer]

Who: Loki and Claire (with special guest appearance from Mr. Muggles)
When: March 14th
Where: Claire's apartment
What: It's time for a magical makeover!
Warnings: Will be updated if needed!

The morning after wasn't as bad as the first time, but it was still pretty awful. The movie and ice cream with Rochelle the previous night had been fun, it took her mind off things, but waking up to an empty (well, almost empty) apartment didn't exactly lift her spirits. The morning sirens had awakened her, though even if they hadn't, Mr. Muggles barks at the walls because of the sirens would have. Truth be told, she didn't really want to get out of bed.

It was the day of her trial - the trial she wouldn't go to - and all she could think about was revenge. Revenge against Sylar, for what he's done to her. Not just from the previous day but from the entire amount of time he had been stalking her, destroying her life one person at a time. She would make good on her vow to keep trying kill him until the day he (or she) died. She checked the time on her oven; still plenty of time before Loki would show up. The first rule of hiding yourself was disguising yourself, and a simple haircut wouldn't be able to cut it this time. A different hair color - at least for now - and staying low would keep her away from the authorities for a while. Skipping a trial (even one as minor as hers) could probably still result in the police looking for her.

She fed Mr. Muggles before putting a frozen waffle in the toaster for herself, staring blankly at the chocolate milk in front of her. Her mind was racing with endless thoughts that continued even as she ate her waffle. It was too quiet in her apartment. Mr. Muggles kept himself occupied with a chew toy on her bed, his playful growls pulling Claire out of her comatose-like thinking state.

Claire made an attempt to tidy up her living room (clothes thrown haphazardly around instead of tucked away in the drawers above her bed) before Loki showed up to pass the time.

Comments

[doeswhathewants]

It was a showing of how much he had learned about humans and their rules of courtesy that he knocked on her door rather than simply appearing on her couch in the space between a blink of her eyes. That was one of his preferred methods of travel, to be honest, always gave the other person sort of a gasping surprise. Usually, anyway. Some people had grown complacent with Loki's tricks.

So, he knocked, looking like any other thirteen year old boy with tousled hair, jeans and a Captain America sweatshirt (he sometimes still enjoyed the small ironic indulgence). Humans were difficult in that once you began to like them, once you began to care about them, they always seemed to get themselves in trouble. And were quite stubborn about getting out of it on their own.

At least Claire seemed more capable of taking care of herself than many others. Even if she as a girl.

[cheerhealer]

She hadn't been expecting a knock, really, but she wasn't surprised when she checked through the peephole. If it had been anybody else - Sylar, Peter - they would have just barged in. She smiled at him, opening the door for him to enter. Mr. Muggles, at the sound of the door opening, came bounding for the door, barking.

"Hey, Loki." She stepped aside for him to enter, moving Mr. Muggles out of the way with her foot.

[doeswhathewants]

"Claire," He said with a faint smile, reaching down to pet the dog. "Are you pleased? I knocked. I am told it is polite and I did not wish to -ah barge into a lady's...you know and perhaps catch you unawares ..." And in that weird lady butt floss thing.

Loki stepped inside and took a glance around.

[cheerhealer]

She snorted, bringing a hand up to her face. She had been hoping to forget that incident. "Thanks. I guess old dogs really can learn new tricks."

Her apartment was clean, if small. There was only one true 'room', as with most studio apartments, and she lead Loki (and the following Mr. Muggles, at Loki's heels) into the living room. The half-stairs leading up to her bed were covered by a curtain of beads. It added some flair to her apartment that made it seem little more like ... home.

Mr. Muggles ran forward, jumping up to take his usual seat on the couch. Claire had long given up trying to keep him off it. It was a cheap couch, anyway.

[doeswhathewants]

"Dog?" He huffed. "Turn that around, because I think you mean god," Loki added with a grin.

He stood near the couch, petting Mr. Muggles and leaning against the arm of the couch, "I do wonder if your regenerative powers will attempt to restore your appearance when my magic alters it, though we will not know until we try."

Loki straightened and ceased petting the dog, taking a step away from the couch, "How about a pink mohawk?"

[cheerhealer]

She raised an eyebrow, crossing her arms and leaning against the wall, inclining her head towards him. "I don't think I have the face to pull off a pink mohawk."

Not to mention the whole point of this was to blend in better, not stand out.

"I don't think it would. It doesn't do anything when I cut my hair." Dying it wouldn't be much more of a different, really.

[doeswhathewants]

"Excellent," Loki replied with a smile. Better that he not have to work around natural abilities.

Then canted his head, pursing his mouth, "But Claire, hiding in plain sight is often more effective than trying to be obscure. A pink mohawk would certainly catch the eye, but think about it? Would he think you would ever do something so bold to hide? Likely not."

[cheerhealer]

"He might. He's thought even crazier things about me back home." Like that she could ever grow to love him. Her stomach curdled at the thought; who could love a monster like him, especially after everything he'd done to her, to her family.

"But it's not to hide from Sylar."

[doeswhathewants]

He tipped his head, "Who is it to hide from-" then recalled that whole little breaking and entering fiasco that Claire was still dealing with and his eyes widened. "Oh. I see. Uh. So you do not intend to go to Court to fight it? Even try?"

That would be worrisome for her, he thought.

[cheerhealer]

Claire shook her head. "I have more important things to deal with." Like she had told Phoenix. She knew she should own up to her mistakes, see things through, and she had been planning on it.

Until Sylar attacked her. Posed a threat to the city and her friends. "I can't just let Sylar roam around the city unchecked."

She raised her hand up to her mouth, biting the inside of her lip. With Peter out of the picture for now, she felt responsible to keep track of him, make sure he doesn't kill anybody else. She felt confident in herself that she could do that; of course, she'd need help from Deadpool (whether it be increased training or a tag-along of some kind), but it was still her problem she would have to deal with.

[doeswhathewants]

"Oh Claire, you must do what you think is necessary, but this will catch up with you," Loki sighed. Then stepped back and considered, "Longer would be better, I should think? How about red. Curls!" And with a glow at the tip of his fingers, he makes a subtle gesture, graceful and slight, then the weight and feel of her hair shifts, it tingles a bit, but shouldn't hurt.

[cheerhealer]

She wouldn't have felt it even if it had. She took a handful of her now longer hair, pulling it up to examine the color. She liked it; it looked good.

"How does it look?" She was still fond of her idea to go brunette, though. But red could work too.

[doeswhathewants]

He purses his mouth and tips his head, "It makes you look older." Which, well, was practical but not really a compliment. "Perhaps brown? Or black?" Not to mention red heads tended to get in quite a bit of trouble in his world.

With a twist of fingers again, her hair loses the red and shifts to a medium brown, keeping the length and style of the curls. "This?"

[cheerhealer]

It's a strange sight, watching your hair change in your hand. Claire smiled; it looked pretty good, if she said so herself. She liked the curls. She had worn her hair that way in Odessa back when the only problem she had was figuring out which outfit to wear to school the next day.

"I think it's great, thanks. You're pretty good at this." Not that she had expected less from him, really. One could do anything with magic.

[doeswhathewants]

"I am a god," Loki replied in his best moody teenager 'no duh' tone of voice.

"As well as a shapeshifter," He pursed his mouth. "Sort of. Sometimes. It's complicated." Then shook it off, "Think you this will do the trick in evading the law? Truly, I should think they have more important things to deal with than a small breaking and entering. Especially after those vampire attacks."

[cheerhealer]

"Well- just in case. A girl's gotta be prepared for anything." She didn't want to keep talking about shape-shifters. Not after everything that had happened with Sylar and Nathan. She gave a small smile, running a hand through her new hair.

"I don't think they'll be kicking down my door any time soon, but I don't think AGI will just let it slide."

[doeswhathewants]

"They will wait until you are relaxed and have let your guard down, or you find yourself in a weak moment and then they will strike," He nodded at her assertion that AGI wouldn't let this incident slide.

Places like AGI never did, then horded mistakes and slights and waited for the right moment to make good. He had much experience in that sort of thing.

[cheerhealer]

She nodded. From what she had experienced with companies, that seemed pretty accurate. She crossed her arms, leaning against the wall.

"That's why I won't let my guard down." Sylar's attack on her had reinforced that.