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Welcome to Charming, the year is now 1894. It’s time to join us and immerse yourself in scandal and drama interlaced with magic both light and dark.

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Queen Victoria was known for putting jackets and dresses on her pups, causing clothing for dogs to become so popular that fashion houses for just dog clothes started popping up all over Paris. — Fox
It would be easy to assume that Evangeline came to the Lady Morgana only to pick fights. That wasn't true at all. They also had very good biscuits.
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Marina Ramos
Threadlog
13 Posts
1 Likes
Played by MJ
Long-Suffering Chaperon
37 year old Pureblood
ft. in.
❤   Married
Profile
Full Name: Marina Gabriela Castillo Ramos née Acosta

Nickname(s): Mari, “Mrs. R”, both of those are fine; nothing gets her goat more than the simpering way Tryphena will call her “Auntie.”

Birthdate: 2nd April, 1852

Age: 37

Gender:

Occupation: Long-suffering chaperon

Blood Status: Pureblood

Residence: Elsewhere | They were living in London, only the city proved too much excitement for Salvador, so they have now moved onto his brother-in-law’s estate in Devon, though the Vanes also have a Hogsmeade residence.

Hogwarts House: n/a, attended school in Brazil

Wand: Rosewood, 14 3/4”, dragon heartstring, sturdy. (Tryphena thinks she looks ridiculous wielding a wand practically “half the size of her”. Marina will ram it somewhere if she’s not careful.)

Family:
Miguel Garcia Acosta | Father
Estela Teresa Castillo Acosta | Mother
Enrique, Guzman, Rafael and Eva | Siblings
--and families
Salvador Ramos | Husband | 1849
Antonio Miguel Ramos | Son | 1875 - 1877

Lucrecia Vane née Ramos | Sister-in-law | 1847 - 1884
Cornelius Vane | Brother-in-law | 1840
Tryphena Vane | Insufferable Charge | 1869
Appearance
At a diminutive 4’10”, Marina is shorter than average (not that she lets that stop her). In spite of that, she has a stout and sturdy frame, with an ample bosom and a surprisingly strong arm. Given her heritage and her upbringing spent in Central America, her skin is tanned; she has brown eyes and thick brown hair, and puts her hair up in a no-nonsense bun everyday. When she was younger, she used to be far more invested in taking care of her appearance - but since their social slip, she has gotten used to dismissing the thought, and begrudges vanity where she sees it. Most of the pride she might’ve had has eroded in the last few years, so she is now ruthlessly sensible and frugal when it comes to things like fashion, and will alter the same dress fifty times before she dreams of buying a new one. Tryphena has no end of things to say about how hideous she looks, but thankfully Marina’s self-worth is made of stronger stuff than anything a monstrous brat might think. It is no wonder, though, if Marina’s expressions do look a little... prickly, more often than not... but when she smiles, dazzlingly wide, she suddenly looks a great deal more like the young woman she once was.
History

1852 | Marina is born into an upper class, pureblood, landowning family of the wizarding Spanish elite in the Honduran inland. By this time, Honduras is independent, though has been under both Spanish colonial control and a British protectorate, so she is raised to be bilingual.

1858 | In the last half century, Honduras has been the site of rebellion, corruption and instability, but with the Acostas in their wealthy diplomatic magical bubble, it is a lavish, happy childhood for Marina, who is a strong force of personality amongst her siblings and is already showing signs of magic. The first instance is setting something on fire when she is angry, but she is full of passion as a child - so this is decidedly not the last.

1863 | Having also picked up Portuguese under a governess’ tuition, Marina joins her elder siblings at the wizarding school in Brazil, where students congregate from all over Central and South America. She greatly enjoys her time there, an active participant in classes but moreso in her social circles, wherein she already begins to prove herself a witty and charming girl.

1871 | Marina graduates from school an accomplished young lady, with an affinity (like most of the Brazilian pupils) for plants and potions, as well as a liking for astronomy, arithmancy and alchemy, and a secret soft spot for combative spells. Not that she is going to use any of that towards a career, don’t be ridiculous! Instead, she returns home to Honduras, where she helps her parents host parties and dinners and regale guests with stories and dances and smiles.

1873 | Although Marina has had her eye on a suitor or two in the past few years, her parents had picked out a suitable gentleman for her - and Marina decides on entirely another. Not that Spaniard Salvador Ramos is beneath her, not at all, but he’s a second son and scarcely older than her. Marina is a little shallow, though, and has a fancy for adventure, and is in love with Salvador’s charms, so eventually wears her parents down.

1874 | She and Salvador, having married, move to Europe where Salvador’s family and some of the businesses he invests in are based, spending most of their time in Spain but with stints in Portugal, Italy and Britain, depending on the seasons.

1875 | In autumn in Valencia, Marina gives birth to a son, and names him Antonio Miguel. She is entirely happy with her life.

1877 | It seems satisfaction is not to last. Antonio has suffered bouts of illness before, but he dies before he is two years old; for all his parents’ care and the help of healers, there seems to be nothing anyone can do. To compound this loss, Salvador never listens to her (or her family’s warnings from Honduras) when it comes to business, and one of his fruit companies goes bust the same year.

1880 | With most of Salvador’s remaining assets based in Britain, and his dearest sister happily married to an Englishman, they move to London for the bulk of their time. Marina cannot get to grasps with the weather or the city, and amidst all this discomfort, cannot seem to carry a pregnancy to term now that they are trying for another child.

1884 | They are settled enough by now, though they are still childless and have, for the most part, given up on that. The shine is certainly wearing off on their lifestyle: all Salvador seems to do is party and gamble with a group of rakish friends, all Marina can do is hold parties of her own to stave off the boredom, and all she and her husband do when they are together is bicker. Constantly.

And then Salvador tots up his debts, and actually decides to tell her how far they have sunk themselves - he has sunk them; no amount that she might have spent on herself compares - and the reality becomes very clear. His business interests are gone, their assets are gone, they owe a number of people, going back to Spain and to the Caribbean, and they had better hurry up and lay off some of their servants. And maybe sell the house.

1885 | But her husband has left it too late, and their pride prevents them from budgeting their lifestyle and letting everyone know how broke they are. With debts still hanging over their heads, the time comes to be tough, and, reverting to a more modest outlook, they inevitably slip down the social ladder. Marina adjusts faster than Salvador, it seems, because Salvador’s plan of action (which they follow, because when does he ever listen to her?) consists of going to his in-laws for help. His sister Lucrecia may have succumbed to the Laughing Plague last summer, but her widowed husband Cornelius Vane is a rich, rich man, and dutifully lends his aid. Or does so because he’s too stupid to say no, Marina thinks.

1887 | That said, that man and his accountants are now practically in control of their lives, to the point where they’ve moved in with him. To save face, Salvador says: better to keep their money woes as within the family as they can. This is mostly because Salvador has never wanted to stoop to having a useful job. And it’s not as though their former social circles haven’t long since noticed.

1888 | Marina has supposed she will have to get a job, then - has thought of training as a healer or some such career - but Salvador and Cornelius laugh at the idea, and Cornelius has another idea. He styles it as a family favour (never mind that the Vanes are not her blood), but she can’t very well refuse when they are so indebted to him. His only child, his angel, Miss Tryphena Vane is set to graduate in May, see, and to come out into society. And since she does not have her mother to ferry her about, won’t Marina be her make-do mother, and chaperone her for him?

1889 | It’s been a year of this now, of being Tryphena Vane’s chaperone, guardian, all-round servant. Cornelius has always doted on his daughter, but without her mother’s influence, well... Miss Vane is a spoilt brat, a monstrous girl, a pretty little she-devil. To the world she’s just like any other debutante, of course, is sweet and charming enough amongst her friends - though a little flighty, maybe - but when she is with her chaperone, she is capricious, scheming, petty and insolent. They pretend otherwise in company, of course, but the truth is Marina and Tryphena are bitter enemies. It’s a wonder they’re both still alive.

Personality
Outgoing, witty and talkative, none of these qualities are much use to her now she’s no longer the successful socialite, and only supposed to show off her ungrateful charge to society. She’s wised up since she was a girl, though, and is prepared to keep people in line. She has common-sense in abundance, though she is quite used to no one listening, and has forcibly stripped away her old flaws - vanity, extravagance, generosity - in order to make the most of things. Now she is shrewd and sparing, prudent and confident, and if she is a little bitter, who can really blame her? (She used to rather like having fun herself, but since she rarely gets the opportunity for it, she settles for breaking up fun when she sees other people having too much of it.) One thing Marina hasn’t lost entirely is her pride: she doesn’t care so much about her dignity, but she can still get passionately angry. And absolutely will, if you cross her.
Other
— Fluent in Spanish, English, Portuguese, plus some French, Latin, and Italian.
— Likes all manner of lawn games, and is a ruthless tennis/badminton/croquet player.
— Also an adept card-player. (Much better than her nitwit of a husband.)

lady is a gift
Marina Ramos's Most Liked Post: RE: Salmon Fishing In The Alley | Post Subject: Salmon Fishing In The Alley | Numbers of Likes: 1
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