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[Carmella DuCharme]

Carmella DuCharme

July 16th, 2012

She sat at a park bench waiting for the lady of the hour to show up. She had called Ashley and told her to meet her in the park. Magnus was planing something and it was best to start keeping her enemies closer. The more control she got over Ashley the better, SCIU was counting on her and they had done so well to keep Ashley a big secret from everyone especially Nikola Tesla that moron who use to work for them. Reading over her book on the human mind Carmella acted as though she wasn't paying attention to anyone but she was just the opposite. Carmella knew everything going on around her. The distant sounds of children playing on the playground. It made her wonder if this was the playground Ashley would have been taken to as a child. What memories would it bring up?

A dog and his master ran by playing fetch and running through the open grassy portions of the park. Two joggers crossed her path chatting about the elections in America and health care reform. Politics, what an unsightly conversation. It made her stomach turn. A younger woman came strolling by pushing a baby carriage and cooing to the small child inside, this place was brimming with children. Carmella couldn't stand children even if she donated a great amount of charity to orphanage's a year. It was all about playing it off that she was an angel. Hiding behind her mask she could go about her life however she saw fit.

Another pair of footsteps came into her attention. From the weight and stride Carmella knew just who it was and without looking up from her book smiled. "Hello Ashley, so happy you could make it." Her eyes shifted from the pages and gazed up at the young blonde first then glanced around them to make sure no one of any importance would see her. "How have you been feeling today?" Typical of her, she always had to ask about your feelings then know what you were thinking. Even off the clock she was working but when it came to Ashley she was dedicated in 'helping' her through these hard times. "Sleeping any better?"

[Ashley Magnus]

July, 16th 2012


If anyone asked Ashley where she would have been ten years from her high school graduation, she would have simply said; working for her mother helping around her house, but the reality of it was more horrific then even Ashley thought. Although she worked for her mother for some time, the risks outweighed the benefits, Ashley had known that, but she never thought that she would be apart from her mother for three or so years after an incident that could have very well brought them back together as a family; as mother and daughter, but no. To her she was dead and for now Ashley was advised to allow it to stay that way.

It was to soon, Ashley was still getting used to all these changes within herself, she couldn't burden her mother with the sad sappy story. Ashley walked into the park with the knowledge of what had happened here so many years ago, she broke her arm here; got stuck in a tree here trying to save a cat, needless to say; the cat got down without any harm, Ashley was stuck in it for a few hours, to afraid to climb back down. She was young and slightly naive then. Ashley shook the thoughts from her mind and decided to simply sit down next to the woman whom had spoken to her. "Of coarse I could make it, I'm off today; remember" She sighed heavily

How was she feeling? She felt like she had been ran over by a truck a few thousand times and still lived to talk about it, thats how she was feeling. "Just Peachy" She replied with a heavy sigh, she wasn't going to let this woman in so easily, even if she knew her more then others. "Yeah a little" She looked at Carmella then looked away.

[Carmella DuCharme]

"Ah yes that's right." It still amused her that Ashley had to work a normal job. How shameful it must be. Ashley had started out as the princess in her big home with her mothers money. Ashley was allowed the best schools, given the best upbringing Helen could offer, and was more than a little spoiled since when she wanted something she assumed much like her the parents would get it for her. Though Carmella assumed as well Ashley had to earn many things as well. Respect was never one of them. Helen was hardly a friend when meeting strangers, polite obviously but far from friendly. Carmella had seen her in person once when she was giving a lecture and luckily had gotten in. Of course abnormals were never once mentioned but the woman spoke beautiful Italian.

"How is work going for you?" Carmella smiled again knowing despite Ashley saying everything was peachy that was far from true. No matter what she would continue to 'help' Ashley as long as she could. Keep her away from Magnus and the Sanctuary. "Well that's good to hear. I hope you continue to do so well Ashley it's good to see you standing on your own. You're not just surviving anymore." She was so afraid to have Ashley bring up Magnus. Ask her is she should go see her mother, even walk by the Sanctuary. How would Magnus respond to that? If someone saw her, if she knew they were keeping them apart. Carmella imagined Magnus would destroy SCIU for the sake of her daughter, destroy Carmella if she had to.

Crossing her legs she leaned a little closer to Ashley as if telling her a secret then pointed towards the playground. "When I was a little girl in France my sister and I would play tag on playgrounds all the time. We were inseparable." That much had been true. Carmella and Delphine were attached to the hip. She had been the only friend Carmella ever needed in her life, and then like that she was gone. Gone in the fires of hell which had swallowed her whole life, her family. "Any more thoughts of your mother?" It had to be asked eventually. She would go crazy never knowing. For all she knew Ashley had already gone to see Helen and was back to get revenge on Carmella for all the lies.

Still keeping calm the French woman rested back into the park bench and watched the children run about happily. She didn't view them as children or things of affection but rather animals she studied. Understand the primal state of the human race and you will better understand the adults. "It's been beautiful out all day. I was happy I chose the park on this day. I had been meaning to go for a walk anyways." Keeping the subject constantly changing kept Ashley from asking important questions. It must be so hard being dead to the world, dead even to your own mother, to your old friends, an outsider from your once familiar world. Ashley didn't belong to the Sanctuary anymore, she was the property of whatever freelance group wanted to destroy the Sanctuary at any given time. Once the property of the Cabal and now a puppet to SCIU.

[Ashley Magnus]

The job she had was not easy, she had to deal with men flirting, drunk men flirting and bar fights; it was entertaining to a point, but there was days that Ashley would love to none other then put a fist in the face of a man who dared to come onto her. Although at that point she knew that she would lose her job and be piss butt poor for the longest time until she found another so she refrained from allowing certain things to get to her. Including people that would try and use her for their own personal gain like the Cabal had tried to do, although it had worked for a short time, she was not going to allow anything like that to happen again, for the more obvious reasons.

Ashley looked to the playground once Carmella pointed to it and smiled watching the kids play, Ashley was never blessed with any blood siblings growing up; although her and Henry had been raised as siblings they never were really brother and sister, but they were like it and thats what mattered. The more she thought about it the more she actually missed Henry and everyone else in the Sanctuary including her mother and even William. "I think about her every day" Ashley replied looking at Carmella. "I want to return, but I have been gone so long, I doubt she will even believe that I am me" She looked away for a moment.

Ashley hated when subjects kept changing, she wasn't stupid, but she would just play along. Ashley was a Magnus, she wasn't dumb, and she certainly didn't like being played like a fiddle. "It has, gives me a breath of fresh air since well yeah" She didn't want to go into details about anything other then that she was through with being so forthcoming.

[Carmella DuCharme]

"That is a problem...isn't it Ashley. I think what you need to do is move on. You have already been doing so well for yourself. I know you can continue to make it on your own. Wouldn't she be proud of you?" No, in truth Helen Magnus might be up in tower right now wishing Ashley was there, wishing her daughter was alive. That woman would have given anything to have Ashley back but after almost three years there was little hope she ever would. The more time that passed the better and maybe one day when Ashley did come back she would be correct. Magnus would not trust it was really Ashley. She would assume it was a trick, those were the days when they would send Ashley back home. Perhaps the two could just kill each other.

"Regardless Ashley, had she really cared so much to find you don't you think she would have looked harder? Don't you think she would have found you? What kind of mother just lets her daughter vanish from her life like that? Perhaps some day you will be able to forgive her for forgetting. Until then you can show them by living without them." One day she would turn the young Magnus against her mother. Magnus was a stubborn woman and so was her daughter. She found that by studying Ashley she learned more and more about Helen. Even if Ashley never did go after her mother they would have enough in formation to do it themselves.

Carmella stood up a little hoovering around the park bench a moment and turning back to Ashley like she was getting bored with this stationary environment. "Lets go for a walk, we both agree it's a nice day and you know they say exercise makes you feel better. I had a teacher from India once who even insisted on combining yoga, Chi Gaun, and therapy. It was a little more than brilliant on his part but I never took the risk myself. What say you, would the risk be worth it?" Helen practiced Chi Gaun, she knew from watching old footage of her fighting techniques. They steadiness of hands and her constant calm composure gave away that Helen was a woman who invested her time in meditation and settling her mind. Besides the teacher from India was the one who asked Helen Magnus to give the lecture at her school.

Walking away from the bench a little she waited for Ashley to follow, lets see if there was anything tender to reveal. Perhaps Helen had tried to train her own daughter in that steady focus the woman was famed for. "Do you know any Chi Gaun Ashley? That slow meditative form of martial arts. A play with personal energy if I remember correctly. It's rather meditative. I know a lot of advanced martial artists practice it. More so keepers of peace train with it. it's dance without war but a war in a dance. Rather pretty to watch but when combined with Wu Shu deadly." Some fo the forms of martial arts Helen also practiced. There were more than a few people picking apart her fighting styles at SCIU. Know your enemy they say.

[Ashley Magnus]

Ashley would one day defy Carmella and one day she would simply leave this woman to the wolves, Ashley was never the type to do that, but something was very wrong here, everything this woman said, it was making her think, but not in a very good way to say the least. Carmella was right though, not only would her mother be proud, but so would everyone else because she was finally able to make it on her won without her mothers money or without her mother being there to help her along the way, it had never been easy to begin with, but it was even harder now and Ashley was very proud of herself that she was standing on her own two feet.

It was true though, Carmella knew how to make her think, if her mother had really cared for her maybe she would have looked harder, but what if Helen hadn't known where to look? Her mom wouldn't simply abandon her, Would she? There she went thinking again her greatest downfall now a days. Ashley supposed it was all true, but would be in denial for some time over it like any person should be when they didn't want to believe the obvious. Ashley sighed and nodded and stood without hesitation, she needed to stretch her legs anyway and she wasn't about to sit on her bum all day doing absolutely nothing but talking to someone who was trying to well be there for her.

"I think so, you would technically be able to be in a pretzel and kick butt at the same time" She pointed out. Ashley couldn't help but smile to herself, she still had her mojo, and to say the least now that she had it back she was only going to get better with her sarcastic come backs. "Unfortunately, I don't" She replied with a frown as she walked.

[Carmella DuCharme]

"Hmmm, you should join me in my Chi Gaun class Ash. It would be so nice for you and maybe you might meet a few people, gather up a few friends. Hanging around all those people at work can't be all that entertaining. You know, I wonder if a friend of mine still needs that secretary. No I wouldn't put you in that situation, desk jobs are the worst in the world." She tried to continue with the small talk breaking down Ashley's walls and switching the ficus a little more off of her. If Ashley felt it was always about her it started feeling like she was being interrogated. Carmella knew the feeling, all too well in fact. Whenever they interrogated her at SCIU she wanted to rise up and slap someone. Scream in their face and tell them to get the hell away from her. Really she had no true loyalty to SCIU, the only thing she cared about was getting back at Helen Magnus for destroying the only man she had loved. Magnus could sit in her little tower with her butler and team but when the quen bee was lured away from the hive then all the kings horses and all the kings men couldn't save her anymore.

"You know in college I use to have a desk job. Biggest mistake of my life. All I did all day long was sit around and answer phones. Most of the time the people on the other line have nothing pleasant to say and my boss made me pay for his mistresses parking." Her French accent made her words curl in that elegant way. Those had been the days, Carmella though wealthy simply took up jobs for the experience. She didn't want to be another spoiled rich brat who had her life handed to her from birth. Still having her old employers hit on her was less than necessary. She could have lived happily without the sexual harassment.

Passing one of those hot dog stands they always had in the parks she sneered. Not that she was new age or a health fanatic but she was French and the French had a pride for their food. Here in Old City standards were dropped greatly and humans were feed those...leftover bits called hot dogs. "I use to come here camping, well not here but in the campground. My boyfriend at the time use to take me out on the lake on his little boat and we would go fishing. He wasn't much of a cook but he tried to prepair the fish every time." For a moment she seemed a little lost in her memories. Those days were long gone and thinking of them only ever made her angry anymore but still, there was peace in the past. Before she felt alone once again. "And picnics. He loved being outside, he would find excuses to bring me here. We all lose the people we love Ashley, it's a sad fact of life and broken hearts...it's a cruel world but we must to what we do in order to survive it. It gets better, trust me."

[Ashley Magnus]

Ashley was heavily guarded, not many people had the opportunity to see what they wanted to with Ashley seeing as she knew better then to trust anyone, there was people out there that wanted to hurt her, wanted to hurt her mother and even though her mother had failed to look for her more thoroughly she would not just simply up and abandon her because of it. She was raised with respect and she respected her mom more then any other person on this green earth, she was not going to become the reason for her death. Not like her mother would go down without a fight anyway, her mother wasn't stupid and she would never underestimate her mother, because her mother was that good at what she did and she hoped that the people that wanted to see her dead would underestimate her and get burned to a crisp.

"Maybe I will, one day. I work double shifts; the day shift at the restaurant and the night shift at the bar" She explained. "My mom has a semi-desk job and from what I used to see when she was in her office working was complete boredom, not on her part she seemed to like it, but it was boring watching her and I always thought it would be boring doing the same thing she was doing" She reminisced. It was hard not to talk or think of her mom on days like this, her mom would know just what to do in situations like these. Other then the obvious storytelling all Ashley wanted to do was get to a point and teleport away, she really needed to gather her barrings again, and had lost some of her mojo, although she was getting it back, she still felt..lost.

Ashley simply listened to what Carmella was saying not interrupting her in the slightest as she spoke. This Job didn't come with the promise of immortality or protection of those she held close, it was a fact well known that things happened for a reason, didn't mean Ashley was dealing with it as easily as she had before. Ashley had always handled death better then her mother, but this time around, how could she handle it? The loss of a love was a wound that would never heal.

[Carmella DuCharme]

Ashley brought up Magnus again and it made her divert her eyes a second. She guessed as much, with everything Helen was in charge of she had to do a lot of paperwork. Along with that someone or something had to be funding it/ They always questioned where Helen was getting all this money from. Lately it seemed she was a little stressed on keeping up with all her establishments. Helen had sold off almost every Sanctuary but the London and Old City Sanctuaries. This also left her to think, where were all the abnormals from those other Sanctuaries going? Did London and Old City have enough room for all of them? Or were they returning to Hollow Earth? There had to be answers for all this but she wasn't certain Ashley would know the answers for them. She hadn't been around the Sanctuary for a long time. If they wanted to know what Helen was doing they had to get William on their side and soon enough she was confident they would.

"I remember my father had a job much like that as well. As a child I sat in his office watching him cross t's and dot i's. I asked him why he never played outside and he just told me because adults were not allowed to play outside. It's not that he wasn't allowed he just didn't have time for it. Not like my mother who spent a lot of her time in her gardens." Carmella's old home had been massive, a little like the Sanctuary in fact. Large rose gardens and beautiful exotic trees like palm. The part of France she came from never had winters though they were a car drive away from snowy peeks. They lived on the ocean overlooking valley's of blue. A virtual paradise on earth. How could something like that ever go up into smoke? Not even Ashley knew what it was like to lose everything. She thought she had but there was hope. She had her home and her mother so close and yet so far but they were there. She wouldn't understand pain until she lost everything she loved.

"I admire you for being able to work at a bar. A bunch of drunks around me. I would get so tired of it rather quickly. I never was a fan for large quantities of alcohol. Drinking seemed so pointless to me." Now she sounded a little like Nikola. Before he was fired from SCIU Carmella had run into him a few times and held a quick conversation with him. He was the sort who always had to take emotional fluff and turn it into something logical. God she loved people like that, it was such a shame he was loyal to Helen Magnus. At least she knew how to get to him and his work helped out SCIU greatly. "I knew someone who drank far too much but he always worked up an excuse to why he did it. Misery breeds alcoholism. I digress though, I'm sure working at the restaurant is far nicer in the long run."

[Ashley Magnus]

Ashley knew that she was upsetting or at least annoying Carmella at least with her constantly bringing up her mother, but if someone could not simply take Ashley constantly talking to them about her mother then why associate with her? Ashley found the memories easy to come across, she missed her mother more then anyone could comprehend and the memories of her mother and the time they spent together was the only things that Ashley had left until she got the courage to go see her mother at the Sanctuary which she was planning on doing eventually, even if she had to go behind peoples backs to do it. Even now, Ashley was extremely loyal to her mother and nothing and no one would change that. Ashley would love to see others try though, but they would surely fail. Dana had, any others after her would surely do the same.

"My mom had little time for those things as well, sometimes though she would; the occasional walk, sometimes painting.." She shrugged. "As I got older it was the shooting range, and even that was rare" She added. The little memories was what kept her alive, kept her breathing, because without her memories she had nothing and if she had nothing she would have no reason to continue breathing. Ashley was always the one that dealt with death better, especially better then her mother, but she had to face death alone now, the maze of life just seemed to be constantly throwing curve-balls at her and she wasn't ready to deal with it all on her own, she had a taste of pure independence and she didn't really like it much. What was going on an adventure without your own mom?

"Drunks get cut off at a certain limit, and if anyone tries to make a pass at me, I do have permission to punch them or call for the bouncers to throw them out" She simply stated. Ashley didn't understand why people drank, sometimes it was socially sometimes for drinking down sorrows, to much though; sometimes it was to much to simply just fathom why a person drank. "Both have very good pay, I do get tips at both, so at least I get to afford nice things" She was proud of herself far more then she thought she would be.

[Carmella DuCharme]

Typical Ashley brought up Helen again and from the sound of it her earliest assessment of Magnus was very accurate. She was a workaholic, not the best sort of person for a parent figure. She had a lot of patients with parents who worked too much. The son who's father was never home, the daughter who's mother never went to her swim meets. Even young patients who were still living with the parent who never saw them. One thing was always consistent though, the children were never close to that parent and they were always angry at them. However in Ashley's case she admired her mother, loved her mother, those two had such a close bond. Carmella assumed it was because once Ashley was old enough they always seemed to do missions together. Helen was a workaholic but she included her daughter in her work to be a good parent. It was interesting getting these small glimpses into Helen's head.

"Luckily they do. I haven't been to a bar for a while but i remember the scene well. More so I remember dance clubs, another scene I don't care to revisit."

Carmella had never been much of a party girl. When she was a teenager she hadn't even liked being around children her age. Reaching some old Asian man with his odd violin Carmella stopped to watch him a minute. He played a song and sang along to a recording trying his best to have someone drop a coin in his hat. She watched closely until someone walking past dropped a coin into his hat and he gave them a small smile. "He's here almost every day playing music from his native home." The old Asian was one of her informants. He was not so normal, not what he appeared to be. Carmella knew him for being an abnormal hunter is China. Once he had hunted them for sport and now he tracked them to survive and help pay for his son's medical bills. How perfectly the pawns fell into place with SCIU.

"I wish my job tipped as well but I can't complain. Mother issues pay for a beach home in California. You know one day if you get a whole weekend off you should go there. I wouldn't mind, I can trust you with the keys. Just no big parties."

[Ashley Magnus]

There was so much to think about as she reminisced on the memories she had held so dearly to her for the last three years, the last thing she wanted was to continue to share them with Carmella, she didn't fully trust the woman, the french accent, the behavior it just was really off to Ashley and she wasn't going to say anything about it at least not yet of coarse, she didn't want to let the woman know of how she was feeling. Carmella was poking and prodding it was like she was trying to be a female version of Zimmerman, he came to her like this when she found out her father was John Druitt so she knew all the games and all the things that people would say to get her to talk

She was sure that Carmella had enough anyway of her constantly talking about her mother, it was the way she reminisced about her life at the Sanctuary and kept her mother close in a way. Ashley continued to walk with Carmella and she listened to the violinist. She as well tipped him with some spare change she had in her pockets. She listened to what Carmella said and knew that she couldn't simply intrude, she was perfectly fine with being here in Old City, it was where she grew up and where she was raised and she would rather be here then anywhere else to stay. "I will respectively decline that, I like it here in Old City, its where I was born and raised, there is always parks and beaches to keep me calm and sane"

It was true, Ashley liked it here and she wouldn't have it any other way.