Claire Bennet (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
infinite1ups) wrote2020-08-31 05:25 pm
infinite1ups) wrote2020-08-31 05:25 pm
Entry tags:
Some thoughts on Claire's character.
Note: As with all of my other character notes, this is a mix of canon, headcanon, and even bits and pieces of RP from 10 years of writing Claire. Particularly with her skills, I'm more than likely going to adjust what she knows and what she's good at (within reason) depending on what I feel is appropriate for the plot at any given time. Her personality, I hope to keep relatively consistent, but please be aware that various AUs that take her away from certain events in her canon that shape her (and how I write her) will cause slight changes simply because the foundation for her character is changed in that particular instance. I will absolutely strive not to write her inconsistently on purpose.
Note, part deux: Warning for Heroes spoilers, both from the original canon and the expanded canon of the reboot, Heroes Reborn.
Here we go!
Physical skills: She is proficient with firearms, particularly handguns, and tasers. Limited experience with shotguns. Claire is adequate at hand-to hand fighting, but she could definitely use some more training, and she is likely at a disadvantage due to her short stature and petite frame. Still, she is athletically built for her size, and regeneration does lend itself to a nearly superhuman level of stamina. She has staying power in a fight. She is a fast runner, especially sprinting, but if she has to run long-distance her aforementioned stamina works to her advantage. What she lacks in physical strength, she makes up for with quickness and ingenuity. She is willing and able to find and make a weapon out of almost anything within her grasp should the need arise. If all else fails, and she cannot fight, she will resort to extreme circumstances to flee, such as jumping from roofs or other high places, or escaping through otherwise dangerous terrain (like fire, tbh). Her time spent as a cheerleader does lend itself to some strength and flexibility, though her strength fairly average. I headcanon that she was enrolled in dance and gymnastics classes before high school, because come on, that totally makes sense.
Mental skills: Claire is fairly proficient with computers, having grown up with a family computer in the house that she would have used for school projects and other research. She isn't a hacker by any means but she would have enough familiarity with technology that she could probably figure out how to at least use most computers and programs. She's well read, particularly in the areas of literature and science (mild headcanon). Her scientific pursuits aren't scholarly, though, she's more the type to casually peruse, to check out books and articles that strike her interest and later drop what she's learned into conversation. In canon she says outright that she's lousy at math (same, girl), so a scientific career is unlikely. As far as literature, she just reads because she likes to, and often chooses the classics.
By default, I fall back on writing her as having dropped out of college shortly after the events of the original series finale. I'm totally willing to do college AUs with her, though I do mostly default to her becoming something of a drifter. I'll expand more on this in another post because this is already gonna be Too Fucking Long.
Personality: Claire is eager to be of use, to be helpful. Part of this is selfish, as she likes getting approval from people she cares about. However, she genuinely wants to do some good in the world, especially since she's been born with such a one-of-a-kind ability, and she hates the idea of "wasting" it by not trying to use it to help others/the world. Regeneration is exceptionally rare, with only one other known person (Adam Monroe) having been born with that ability specifically. Everyone else who demonstrates the ability in Heroes canon gets it from someone else, primarily Claire.
(A related note: In canon, Claire's blood can, and has, been used to heal people, even bringing them back fro the dead. It's not something I use very often in RP, but it's definitely a possibility for potential plots. There isn't any explanation in canon about blood types or if she's even compatible with donating her blood to everyone, but I'm certainly willing to BS some possibilities for the sake of a good story, especially with supernatural or magical elements like vampires, magical beings, or whatever.)
She often rushes headlong into danger with little thought about consequences or collateral damage. This is something she is aware of (somewhat) and is working on (somewhat). However, when it comes down to it, she will almost always act first and think or ask questions later if she feels it is the necessary thing to do. She thrives on praise and will rise to a challenge. It annoys her when she isn't taken seriously, when her ideas and contributions aren't taken seriously. As a result, she has a tendency to lash out, either with a lightly sarcastic comment or with harsher words. If Claire is made to feel like she can’t do something, she will strive to prove those who doubt her wrong.
By default, she's generally kind and polite to everyone she meets. It's simply how she was raised. Sandra Bennet would have instilled those values in her, of being hospitable and treating others the way she wants to be treated. She does tend to get a little self-centered at times, but when she has a mind to, I think she'd definitely want to include people who are maybe left out, because she'd know what that feels like.
Politically, Claire believes in equal rights, for evolved humans and humans alike, and she would never try to place the discrimination of evolved humans in a place of higher importance than any other marginalized group. She's canonically bisexual (or possibly pansexual, but given the time Heroes aired, more likely bi) so LGBTQIA+ issues would be important to her, as well. But she can still pass in society as a "normal" (though attractive) straight, cis, white woman, and she would recognize that privilege.
On the subject of normal-- her longing for a normal life seems to wax and wane. At times (most of the time, I'd argue) she's fully at peace with who and what she is, and she embraces the strange. But during hardships she can fall back on wishing she was normal, perhaps as a means of wanting to escape, to protect herself and those around her. She becomes a target on multiple occasions due to her regeneration and it doesn't just endanger herself, but her family and friends, and other evolved humans who end up in her orbit, sometimes through no fault of their own. She's aware of the blood on her hands.
And she's aware that some of it was on purpose. Her hunger for vengeance and revenge is seemingly insatiable. The score isn't settled until she says it is, to the point where she'll actually endanger herself to obtain what she sees as justice. Whether or not her actions are actually justified is debatable, but she doesn't allow herself much time for reflection and regret if she can avoid it. She does what she feels needs to be done in the moment, damn the consequences.
Circling back to equal rights and the issue of humans clashing with evolved humans: I think it's absolutely possible for her to be steered into action against any human groups who would seek to do harm to people like her. It's been demonstrated in the way she fought back against the government when they were rounding up EVOs. Ugh. Speaking of that. The nomenclature. I headcanon that Claire would be pretty hesitant to use the term "mutants" at first, because it would feel dehumanizing and othering to her. I think eventually she'd come around to it after spending more time with folks who embrace the word, but she might still prefer to use "evolved humans" or the shortened "EVOs" herself and and respect the wishes of those who prefer to refer to themselves otherwise. Anyway, the point I was trying to make here is that characters like Magneto could potentially use her eagerness for approval and her thirst for revenge to their advantage to further their cause against humans. She would be strongly opposed to hurting any innocents, but if she's told/convinced that someone has it coming? Oof, look out.
Romance and ships: As previously mentioned, she's canonically bi, but her sexuality really isn't talked about much over the course of the show. This is understandable, as for most of the show she's not only a teenager but more importantly too fucking busy fighting for her life to really date, much less have sex. Personally, I think she got shafted as far as good love interests go. I didn't like West or Gretchen (West is meh, I hated Gretchen). Alex (water breathing boy) was very cute, and was cute with Claire. I was ready to ship it, but then it was pretty obvious that he wasn't going to be sticking around.
In season one, I adored her with Zach, even though the show hinted at him being gay (I choose to believe he was at least bi because he fucking adored Claire, don't @ me) and they were clearly never going to go that route even if he did have any interest in Claire. Zach was a means to an end for her, and I'm still mad that Heroes did that.
I'm also mad that the character Claire had the most chemistry with was Peter Petrelli, and then he ended up being her goddamn uncle. All this is probably why I fall back on Sylar/Claire being my trash OTP. I'm fully aware that it's trash. I'm fully aware that it shouldn't work. But I'm a sucker for a redemption arc, and with Claire and Sylar both being immortal, they have all the time in the world to Sort Out Their Shit. There really aren't too many characters in Heroes canon to ship her with. It'd all have to be super AU and canon-divergent, which I definitely don't mind writing. Elle is a good candidate, they're opposite sides of the same coin and they did have some chemistry, I think. The character I think would be most interesting for Claire to meet would be Adam Monroe (because duh! hot, blonde immortals for the win), though it'd have to be AU as fuck because [spoilers]. It wouldn't necessarily have to be a ship, it'd just be fun to play out however it goes. But I also do very much ship Peter/Claire and I'm tired of pretending I don't, lol. I don't mind the ship as is, or I have AU ideas so they're not related.
As far as cross-canon or other AU ships go, I think she definitely is drawn to the hero types. Anyone that reminds her of Peter Petrelli, basically. I headcanon that she also has a soft spot for nerds, after they helped vote her homecoming queen. But really I'm willing to consider most any ship if there's chemistry, because sometimes even in real life unlikely couples can happen just because two people meet and click.
Heroes Reborn: Literally the first and only time it's mentioned in canon that Claire has sex, she gets pregnant and then dies. For real. I wish I was kidding. That's it. It's not even mentioned in the show, it's in a novella type story that came out around the time that Reborn did. She meets a guy called Hammer (I know, right? What the fuck?) and they have sex, then she gets pregnant with twins and dies giving birth to them. With all of the ways in this series that people have been brought back from the dead (specifically using her blood btw) no one thought to set some magic blood aside to save her ass? No? Suffice it to say, I do not incorporate these events into my portrayal of Claire.
I apologize for this being so long-winded, and for getting off topic to venture into my own personal opinions about things regarding the canon. But, that does tend to shape how I write Claire, so it's kind of relevant. If you've read through all of this, holy shit, thank you. High five, for real. Feel free to ask any questions you may have either here in comments, or shoot me a PM. Clearly from all these paragraphs I love to talk about Claire, so I promise I won't mind. :)
Note, part deux: Warning for Heroes spoilers, both from the original canon and the expanded canon of the reboot, Heroes Reborn.
Here we go!
Physical skills: She is proficient with firearms, particularly handguns, and tasers. Limited experience with shotguns. Claire is adequate at hand-to hand fighting, but she could definitely use some more training, and she is likely at a disadvantage due to her short stature and petite frame. Still, she is athletically built for her size, and regeneration does lend itself to a nearly superhuman level of stamina. She has staying power in a fight. She is a fast runner, especially sprinting, but if she has to run long-distance her aforementioned stamina works to her advantage. What she lacks in physical strength, she makes up for with quickness and ingenuity. She is willing and able to find and make a weapon out of almost anything within her grasp should the need arise. If all else fails, and she cannot fight, she will resort to extreme circumstances to flee, such as jumping from roofs or other high places, or escaping through otherwise dangerous terrain (like fire, tbh). Her time spent as a cheerleader does lend itself to some strength and flexibility, though her strength fairly average. I headcanon that she was enrolled in dance and gymnastics classes before high school, because come on, that totally makes sense.
Mental skills: Claire is fairly proficient with computers, having grown up with a family computer in the house that she would have used for school projects and other research. She isn't a hacker by any means but she would have enough familiarity with technology that she could probably figure out how to at least use most computers and programs. She's well read, particularly in the areas of literature and science (mild headcanon). Her scientific pursuits aren't scholarly, though, she's more the type to casually peruse, to check out books and articles that strike her interest and later drop what she's learned into conversation. In canon she says outright that she's lousy at math (same, girl), so a scientific career is unlikely. As far as literature, she just reads because she likes to, and often chooses the classics.
By default, I fall back on writing her as having dropped out of college shortly after the events of the original series finale. I'm totally willing to do college AUs with her, though I do mostly default to her becoming something of a drifter. I'll expand more on this in another post because this is already gonna be Too Fucking Long.
Personality: Claire is eager to be of use, to be helpful. Part of this is selfish, as she likes getting approval from people she cares about. However, she genuinely wants to do some good in the world, especially since she's been born with such a one-of-a-kind ability, and she hates the idea of "wasting" it by not trying to use it to help others/the world. Regeneration is exceptionally rare, with only one other known person (Adam Monroe) having been born with that ability specifically. Everyone else who demonstrates the ability in Heroes canon gets it from someone else, primarily Claire.
(A related note: In canon, Claire's blood can, and has, been used to heal people, even bringing them back fro the dead. It's not something I use very often in RP, but it's definitely a possibility for potential plots. There isn't any explanation in canon about blood types or if she's even compatible with donating her blood to everyone, but I'm certainly willing to BS some possibilities for the sake of a good story, especially with supernatural or magical elements like vampires, magical beings, or whatever.)
She often rushes headlong into danger with little thought about consequences or collateral damage. This is something she is aware of (somewhat) and is working on (somewhat). However, when it comes down to it, she will almost always act first and think or ask questions later if she feels it is the necessary thing to do. She thrives on praise and will rise to a challenge. It annoys her when she isn't taken seriously, when her ideas and contributions aren't taken seriously. As a result, she has a tendency to lash out, either with a lightly sarcastic comment or with harsher words. If Claire is made to feel like she can’t do something, she will strive to prove those who doubt her wrong.
By default, she's generally kind and polite to everyone she meets. It's simply how she was raised. Sandra Bennet would have instilled those values in her, of being hospitable and treating others the way she wants to be treated. She does tend to get a little self-centered at times, but when she has a mind to, I think she'd definitely want to include people who are maybe left out, because she'd know what that feels like.
Politically, Claire believes in equal rights, for evolved humans and humans alike, and she would never try to place the discrimination of evolved humans in a place of higher importance than any other marginalized group. She's canonically bisexual (or possibly pansexual, but given the time Heroes aired, more likely bi) so LGBTQIA+ issues would be important to her, as well. But she can still pass in society as a "normal" (though attractive) straight, cis, white woman, and she would recognize that privilege.
On the subject of normal-- her longing for a normal life seems to wax and wane. At times (most of the time, I'd argue) she's fully at peace with who and what she is, and she embraces the strange. But during hardships she can fall back on wishing she was normal, perhaps as a means of wanting to escape, to protect herself and those around her. She becomes a target on multiple occasions due to her regeneration and it doesn't just endanger herself, but her family and friends, and other evolved humans who end up in her orbit, sometimes through no fault of their own. She's aware of the blood on her hands.
And she's aware that some of it was on purpose. Her hunger for vengeance and revenge is seemingly insatiable. The score isn't settled until she says it is, to the point where she'll actually endanger herself to obtain what she sees as justice. Whether or not her actions are actually justified is debatable, but she doesn't allow herself much time for reflection and regret if she can avoid it. She does what she feels needs to be done in the moment, damn the consequences.
Circling back to equal rights and the issue of humans clashing with evolved humans: I think it's absolutely possible for her to be steered into action against any human groups who would seek to do harm to people like her. It's been demonstrated in the way she fought back against the government when they were rounding up EVOs. Ugh. Speaking of that. The nomenclature. I headcanon that Claire would be pretty hesitant to use the term "mutants" at first, because it would feel dehumanizing and othering to her. I think eventually she'd come around to it after spending more time with folks who embrace the word, but she might still prefer to use "evolved humans" or the shortened "EVOs" herself and and respect the wishes of those who prefer to refer to themselves otherwise. Anyway, the point I was trying to make here is that characters like Magneto could potentially use her eagerness for approval and her thirst for revenge to their advantage to further their cause against humans. She would be strongly opposed to hurting any innocents, but if she's told/convinced that someone has it coming? Oof, look out.
Romance and ships: As previously mentioned, she's canonically bi, but her sexuality really isn't talked about much over the course of the show. This is understandable, as for most of the show she's not only a teenager but more importantly too fucking busy fighting for her life to really date, much less have sex. Personally, I think she got shafted as far as good love interests go. I didn't like West or Gretchen (West is meh, I hated Gretchen). Alex (water breathing boy) was very cute, and was cute with Claire. I was ready to ship it, but then it was pretty obvious that he wasn't going to be sticking around.
In season one, I adored her with Zach, even though the show hinted at him being gay (I choose to believe he was at least bi because he fucking adored Claire, don't @ me) and they were clearly never going to go that route even if he did have any interest in Claire. Zach was a means to an end for her, and I'm still mad that Heroes did that.
I'm also mad that the character Claire had the most chemistry with was Peter Petrelli, and then he ended up being her goddamn uncle. All this is probably why I fall back on Sylar/Claire being my trash OTP. I'm fully aware that it's trash. I'm fully aware that it shouldn't work. But I'm a sucker for a redemption arc, and with Claire and Sylar both being immortal, they have all the time in the world to Sort Out Their Shit. There really aren't too many characters in Heroes canon to ship her with. It'd all have to be super AU and canon-divergent, which I definitely don't mind writing. Elle is a good candidate, they're opposite sides of the same coin and they did have some chemistry, I think. The character I think would be most interesting for Claire to meet would be Adam Monroe (because duh! hot, blonde immortals for the win), though it'd have to be AU as fuck because [spoilers]. It wouldn't necessarily have to be a ship, it'd just be fun to play out however it goes. But I also do very much ship Peter/Claire and I'm tired of pretending I don't, lol. I don't mind the ship as is, or I have AU ideas so they're not related.
As far as cross-canon or other AU ships go, I think she definitely is drawn to the hero types. Anyone that reminds her of Peter Petrelli, basically. I headcanon that she also has a soft spot for nerds, after they helped vote her homecoming queen. But really I'm willing to consider most any ship if there's chemistry, because sometimes even in real life unlikely couples can happen just because two people meet and click.
Heroes Reborn: Literally the first and only time it's mentioned in canon that Claire has sex, she gets pregnant and then dies. For real. I wish I was kidding. That's it. It's not even mentioned in the show, it's in a novella type story that came out around the time that Reborn did. She meets a guy called Hammer (I know, right? What the fuck?) and they have sex, then she gets pregnant with twins and dies giving birth to them. With all of the ways in this series that people have been brought back from the dead (specifically using her blood btw) no one thought to set some magic blood aside to save her ass? No? Suffice it to say, I do not incorporate these events into my portrayal of Claire.
I apologize for this being so long-winded, and for getting off topic to venture into my own personal opinions about things regarding the canon. But, that does tend to shape how I write Claire, so it's kind of relevant. If you've read through all of this, holy shit, thank you. High five, for real. Feel free to ask any questions you may have either here in comments, or shoot me a PM. Clearly from all these paragraphs I love to talk about Claire, so I promise I won't mind. :)