[ she does have to give it to him for trying so soon and when he gives her that smile, yes, claire can't help but give him a warm smile back.

her eyes seek his out and there's a soundless 'thank you' in them. ]

Not to toot my own horn, but I make a pretty mean blueberry pie.

[ she laughs quietly and there's a pause that follows before she looks down at the floor, deciding how to talk about this. ]

Before getting here, I spent a lot of time around powered people and some I got pretty close to and came to care a lot about, one in particular. He spent too much time worrying about taking care of everyone else and it ended up consuming him to the point where he ignored injury and anyone who told him to take care of himself. It became very much a case of if I wasn't with him, I was against him.

[ by the time she finishes that, Claire is looking at him again. ]

And everything I said, because I cared, was heard and considered nagging.

[ Claire's voice wavers as she shrugs, but she doesn't break. ]

And now he's dead.