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Tweak says, "I know who you are."

ashley magnus is more badass than you (choseherside) wrote in colligo_threads,
@ 2011-05-20 22:55:00

Entry tags:

ashley magnus, helen magnus

WHO: Ashley and Helen Magnus
WHAT: Mother and daughter reunion.
WHEN: Right after this.
WHERE: Outside the Grand Library, to start
RATING: TBD
STATUS: In Progress

It was about frigging time!

That was the only thought that was going through Ashley's mind as she stared at her mother's post on the message board. Finally her mom had arrived in the city, apparently not remembering her last visit to the strange little place. Ashley felt a swell of nerves but they were drowned out by the sheer joy that washed over her as she realized her mom was actually there. Yes, things had not ended well for her back home. Yes, Ashley still felt she had a lot to make up for, a lot to set right. But none of that mattered at the moment. All that mattered was that her mom was here and finally they could be reunited like so many others got to experience here.

With a smile on her face, she surged to her feet and slipped her PDA into her pocket. A heartbeat later she was on the steps of the library, looking left and then right for any sign of her mother. Spotting her not too far up the sidewalk, Ashley typed out a quick message instructing her to turn around. Then she teleported a bit closer, so when her mom did turn around they would be less than twenty feet from each other.

There were tears in her eyes as she finally met her mother's gaze, her lower lip quivering when she stepped closer, her voice wavering as she said softly, "Hey, Mom. Miss me?" And then she was moving forward with every intention of wrapping her mother in a hug that she wasn't sure she'd ever want to end.

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disneyprincess
2011-05-21 03:13 am UTC (link)

One of the many talents Helen had gathered over the course of her life had been the ability to quickly adapt to extraordinary situations. Still, there was quite a lot to be said for how much it took to adjust to what was apparently a completely different planet that operated outside the conventional bounds of time and history when it came to the lives of people she cared about. Helen could only assume that it extended to others as well given the introduction that Kate had helpfully provided her.

Not that she had spent much time going over the information because Ashley had appeared. Well she had not appeared yet but that was unmistakably her image that had contacted her. Helen had nearly dropped the PDA that she had been given when it had happened. Nigel and James were something as well but that was her daughter. That knowledge had stuck her to the spoke, simply standing in the street as if she were some dazed simpleton.

Looking at the PDA one last time, Ashley had told her to turn around. Pocketing it as she did, Helen couldn't stop the quick catch of breath when she saw her daughter. Everything seemed to choke up because the last time she had seen her it had all been in her mind. But this, this was flesh and blood in front of her and it was her little girl. "Ashley." she managed to breath out, quickly closing the distance between them and pulling her into her arms. "Oh, Ashley."

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choseherside
2011-05-21 03:18 am UTC (link)

Although she wasn't normally one to cry very easily, Ashley couldn't seem to keep the reason for the stinging in her eyes to spill over across her cheeks as she hugged her mom tightly. Her eyes slide closed, a watery smile sliding across her face as she inhaled deeply and tried to tell herself that this was really happening.

"I have missed you so much," she murmured somewhere near her mother's ear. The calming smells that were uniquely her mom helped calm her frazzled nerves a bit and she finally pulled back just enough to smile tearfully at her.

"I am so sorry," she whispered, voice cracking. She cleared her throat, shook her head, and pulled Helen to her once more. "I am just so, so sorry..." Once again Ashley closed her eyes, this time her shoulders shaking ever so slightly as tears that were a mixture of sorrow and joy began to fall once again.

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disneyprincess
2011-05-21 03:42 am UTC (link)

As soon as she had Ashley, Helen held onto her as if for dear life. It was all just too much, too surreal to possibly be reality and yet here she was holding onto her. Her little girl was alive and crying and Helen did not even pretend that there weren't tears spilling onto her cheeks.

When she pulled back, Helen smiled back at her. Reaching up Helen wiped some of Ashley's tears away with her thumb. It was really here, every bit of her daughter alive and healthy.

Helen's arms wrapped back around her tight, cradling Ashley's head close as she pressed soft, comforting kisses to her hair. "Shh, Ashley. Don't apologize. You don't need to apologize." she hushed, closing her eyes tight. "There is never any need for you to apologize for what they did."

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choseherside
2011-05-21 03:51 am UTC (link)

She was quiet for a moment, simply basking in being in her mother's arm and knowing her mom was safe and sound and finally here. When she finally did speak, her voice was still soft and slightly thick with emotion. "Dad said he got them." There was little doubt in Ashley's mind that her father had made sure the Cabal paid for what they did, and although she knew she shouldn't really be all that thrilled at the thought, it was definitely touching in a very morbid, twisted sort of way.

Finally releasing her mom from the hug, Ashley slid her hand down Helen's arm until her fingers danced across her hand. Clasping her mom's hand within her own, she smiled brightly at her. "Nikola has been helping me with my control," she said, using her free hand to wipe her tears away. There were still a few wet streaks on her face but at least they had finally stopped falling.

"And a," she hesitated, ever so slightly. "Friend of mine has been helping, too." It was clear from the way she said 'friend' that she wasn't exactly sure if that was the right way to describe him. Then again, what she and Constantine had wasn't something they had necessarily defined. It just worked for them so they went with it. Not wanting to dwell on that for too long, Ashley attempted the same move she'd tried ever since she was little and had brought up something she didn't necessarily want to bring up.

She deflected like there was no tomorrow.

"So when are you from?" Ashley asked curiously. "I mean, what is the last thing you remember? This place is big on the hinky and the first rule you learn is to find out not where people are from but when. Trippy, huh?"

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disneyprincess
2011-05-21 04:04 am UTC (link)

There were very few situations where Helen felt that all out violence was the proper course of action. Still, they existed and she had been more than willing to look the other way while Tesla and John had dismantled the Cabal and made them pay as they saw fit. They had taken her daughter from her, there were among the few people she hoped had suffered. "He did." was all she would say to confirm what she knew had to have happened.

Unable to contain the sniffle as she tried to get control of her tears, Helen smiled at her daughter again as their hands gripped each other. "Has he?" Helen was almost surprised and it showed. Still given Nikola's interest it did not seem that odd.

Reaching up with her free hand, Helen wiped those last few streaks of tears from her daughters face. Her lips pursed for just a moment as Ashley mentioned a certain friend. It was easy enough to tell that Ashley was holding something back but right now that did not matter. "Well, I'm certainly looking forward to meeting them." she commented as neutrally as she was capable of at the moment.

It was defection but Helen would let it slide for now. Just seeing her, knowing she was happy was enough for right now. "I was heading for the surface. We'd been to a city that exists underground. It's a fascinating place, far more advanced than we are." And it was far too long since Ashley's death, Helen simply could not bring herself to say that.

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choseherside
2011-05-21 11:21 pm UTC (link)

Ashley nodded, not exactly sure when that was in relation to the others who were there but knowing it wasn't too far removed. She sometimes felt a bit out of place, not knowing what they were going through back home, not able to relate with any of it. It was definitely a reminder that life went on even after someone died, at least. However she was also glad to know that her mom was still alive, still kicking ass and taking names. And now she was here, so there wasn't any reason to dwell on the fact that they would never see each other again back home because they had plenty of time to spend together now.

"Awesome. I definitely want to hear all about it," she replied with a smile. "And maybe a run down on some of the newest residents to the SHU, while we're at it. Since it, uh, kind of showed up here the other day along with the rest of the Sanctuary." Which brought her thoughts back to Constantine and the fact that she should probably mention her... friend was staying there. Unfortunately, while Ashley knew she could discuss most anything with her mom, this wasn't a topic easily broached.

So she waited a bit longer, instead pointing in the vague direction of where their home had turned up when she had been out exploring the other day. "I could not believe my eyes when I spotted the gates," she admitted, grinning at the memory. She had felt almost like she was back home, then. Yes, it had been a bit bittersweet when she had realized her own security codes didn't work and that there was a definite surplus in abnormals since she had last counted. Seeing her room, untouched since she had last been in it, had really driven the point home. And was, once again, not important right now.

"We all moved back in the second we did a sweep and made sure it was secure. Henry said the security grid hardly took a hit considering we are talking moving this thing through time and space and reality or something. I am telling you mom, this place is like some gigantic scientific dream come true for you."

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disneyprincess
2011-05-22 04:25 am UTC (link)

"We'll go over anything you want to, Ashley." Helen assured, still marveling at the fact that she could. Her daughter was here and could help her with the Sanctuary again. Certainly their work would be different here but there were still residents to take care of, arrangements to be made so they could all be maintained. And Ashley was here to help make sure all of that got done.

Chuckling, Helen reached out and tucked a bit of hair behind Ashley's ear. It seemed like an odd sort of thing to do but she just needed keep reassuring herself that her daughter was in fact there and not about to disappear in some hallucination. "I'm looking forward to being able to further explore this place then. Might as well get work done since we're here, after all."

Squeezing Ashley's hand affectionately, Helen looked away briefly towards their surroundings. "Should we head home then?"

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choseherside
2011-05-22 05:09 am UTC (link)

Ashley nodded silently, not exactly trusting herself to speak at the moment. It was one thing to be overly emotional, even weepy, at the thought of her mom. It was another entirely, however, to be emotional and weepy over her mom actually being in the city. In her opinion, one of those ways made her very much human and the other way... a bit of a wimp, honestly.

Not that Ashley would ever say as much but, when it came to Helen, there wasn't any need for that. She didn't have to say she'd missed her mom or had felt completely lost without her influence to guide her. None of that was necessary because Helen already knew. Just like she also probably already knew that Ashley's 'friend' could much more accurately be described as a 'boyfriend' or that there was clearly something more to the man than was normal if she wasn't willing to openly discuss him without prodding. So yes, Helen probably realized that Ashley had missed her, in her own way, so she didn't bother saying as much. Instead she simply smiled and nodded at the question.

"Home it is," she replied lightly. Then she paused, hesitating for only a second before asking, "Do you want to walk and take in the sights or just get there already? I am completely easy, either way."

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