Welcome to Charming, where swirling petticoats, the language of flowers, and old-fashioned duels are only the beginning of what is lying underneath…
After a magical attempt on her life in 1877, Queen Victoria launched a crusade against magic that, while tidied up by the Ministry of Magic, saw the Wizarding community exiled to Hogsmeade, previously little more than a crossroad near the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. In the years that have passed since, Hogsmeade has suffered plagues, fires, and Victorian hypocrisy but is still standing firm.
Thethe year is now 1894. It’s time to join us and immerse yourself in scandal and drama interlaced with magic both light and dark.
Show a pattern of selfish behaviour with your character. You should have at least three threads (ten posts, three+ yours) of your character doing cruel things. Character accounts cannot be combined.
Did You Know?
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. — Evangeline RowleinCheck Your Privilege
September 26th, 1888 - The Hebrides, Jamie's Shack
I tear my heart open, I sew myself shut
My weakness is that I care too much
And our scars remind us that the past is real
I tear my heart open just to feel
-Papa Roach
Miss Scrimgeour hadn't come by his shack since she'd all but fled that night he'd come back from the toddling island. She'd fought to get to see the pup more time than he'd initially suggested so he'd figured she still would have come by to at least see Frideswide all the while ignoring his presence. It was frustrating and a bit worrisome but it hadn't stopped him from going about his days doing what needed to be done.
He'd managed to keep up on the maintenance of the house. And, surprisingly, had done a little extra. Though, not exactly by means of cleaning. He'd had some extra time off and had spent it patching a few things up. He'd repaired the roof taking note it likely wouldn't last through the winter if he didn't, and he'd even put up a few shelves inside so that things didn't have to be cluttered quite as much as they'd been before.
He was just finishing up on the roof, getting the makeshift gutters put back into place when an all too familiar woman came into view. He watched her, looking to see if there was any hesitation in her movements to see if she'd simply leave at the sight of him or not. She didn't and kept coming.
With a small wave of a hand from atop the roof, he made his way to the edge where the ladder had been propped up and made his way down. "Wasn't sure if I'd be seeing ye again," he said simply once she'd gotten closer, eyes watching her close and trying to see just how this encounter was going to unfold.
Bella had woken up with plans to go to Jamie's shack, but, as she reminded herself, only with the intention to see Frideswide and Arwan. Nearly two weeks later, her anger towards Jamie had not yet faded—though, admittedly, she was having difficulty remembering what had angered her so much. His attitude? His words? She couldn't pinpoint it exactly, but was determined to continue holding her grudge for as long as humanly possible.
She neared Jamie's shack, the sight of the intolerable twat perched on the latter causing her chest to tighten. She should've turned on the balls of her feet and marched back towards Mac's house, but her God-forsaken legs kept moving forward. She offered an unenthusiastic wave in response, but didn't answer until she'd moved closer.
"I didn't think you'd be here. I was just—uh, coming to see Frideswide. It's been a while," she said.
— MJ is MAGICAL —
October 10, 2018 – 11:57 PM
Last modified: October 11, 2018 – 12:00 AM by James MacFusty.
She certainly didn't look pleased to see Jamie. Not that he really blamed her though he still hasn't figured out how exactly she'd pissed him off. He doubted he'd get a real answer from her anyways. Not without a fight and he didn't really want to fight.
"I know," he added simply as he wiped his hands on a rag that had been tucked in his pocket, "I figured I'd see you the next day and this last Monday whether you still hated me or not." That was what they'd decided on anyways.
"They're inside," he continued, moving aside to open the door so she could go in if she wanted, "They're mobile now. I put together a pen to keep them centralized in one area in the sitting room for now." He'd save the news that he thought Frideswide was blind until he got a better read on her temperament.
It was decidedly a good thing that Jamie seemed more amicable than usual because Bella was not, and having both of them in a poor mood was unlikely to end well. She let out a huff of air and tried her best not to look too annoyed. "I don't hate you," she insisted as she entered the shack, "but I'm not very pleased with you."
Her expression shifted to one of surprise at the sight she was greeted with. Jamie had not yet managed to destroy all the hard work she'd done—apart from the thin layer dirt that coated the wood floors. She was pleased to hear that the pups were moving around, and didn't hesitate to take off towards the sitting room. There she was greeted by yelps and wagging tails, causing her frown to turn upside down. With a girlish squeal, she bent down beside the pen and let the pups come to her... but they didn't. Not both of them. Arwan waddled towards her, while Frideswide seemed to panic at the sudden lack of warmth, letting out a high-pitched whine that made Bella's eyes go wide.
"Jamie...?" she asked, glancing over her shoulder, brows furrowed with worry.
Jamie nodded but before he had a chance to actually apologize, they were on their way into the shack and she didn't hesitate to head straight to where the pups were. He simply followed silently, duping in the doorway to lean against the jam to watch her.
Even though he was standing behind her, he could tell she'd brightened up instantly with the pups. There was an obvious softening of her demeanor but it was quickly quelled as she looked back to him with worry in her eyes and her tone.
There was a look of sorrow in his own eyes as he met her gaze. "She's ok," he started as he took a few steps in toward the room to stand next to her and rest a hand on her shoulder to give it a gentle but firm squeeze, "For the most part. I think she's blind. It's not unlike her type to have issues. She's was small and white fur usually indicates other issues. She relies on her brother quite a bit but she's starting to figure it out."
Taking his hands from her shoulder, he brought his fingers to his lips and let out two sharp and short whistles. The white pup instantly perked up its ears and barked as she turned to waddle in the direction of the whistle. "I've been working with her," he did as he turned a wide grin to Bella, "She's really smart. Picked up in it quick."
Bella's frown didn't budge as Jamie moved closer, but neither did she flinch away from his touch. There was definitely a shift in his overall demeanor from their last meeting... and all the times before that, if she was being honest... but she couldn't figure out if it was out of concern for the pups or a change of heart towards her.
It's probably the pups, she rationalized, but part of her wanted to believe that Jamie had a heart buried underneath his stone-faced facade. (And it seemed he did, because a moment later he was trying to explain the situation, his soft voice and caring, followed by a demonstration of Frideswide's intelligence. She realized it was the first time he'd spoken of her like she was wasn't a lost cause, and it caused her lips to tilt slightly upward into a half-smile.)
"In time I hope her other senses can compensate for her eyesight," she said softly, an arm outstretched to pet the white pup as it reached the front of the pen. "I've seen that in some human patients. They go blind but can hear what people in the corridors are saying." It was the easiest way for her to relate to the situation—veterinary medicine was one area of study she wasn't knowledgeable in.
"But anyways," she said, biting her lip as she glanced back towards Jamie, "Thank you."
Jamie nodded along with what she was saying. It made sense and he'd already seen differences between the pups in regards to such things. Though they were wolf pups so their sense of smell was very good, Arawn didn't seem to have quite as great of hearing as Frideswide. Or, at the very least, he didn't appreciate Jamie's sharp whistles. He often barked in response to them though his white sister always came to it.
He wasn't really expecting her thanks though and ended up shrugging as a response. "Nothing to it," he said simply, moving his hands into his pockets, "I brought them home. They're my responsibility now." His dark eyes had fallen to pups as he'd talked about them, smiling faintly as Frideswide seemed to calm instantly after coming closer and realizing she was closer to her brother and the familiar scented people. Arawn nipped playfully at the white tail swaying in front of his snout but seemed quite content with where he was and receiving the pets from Bella.
He gaze eventually fell to Bella. His smile faded just slightly, knowing what he was going to say next could go well or backfire. "Look, Bella," he said, feeling a little weird saying her name in such a way, "I'm sorry for what was said last time. I just... I know firsthand what the toddlings can do to a person without a moments notice. It's terrifying and honestly no one is ever really prepared for it. So, if you really insist on seeing Dagda again, just promise me you won't go at it alone. I could take you at times but it can't be a frequent thing." Partially because it wasn't the smartest to get too close to the dragons so early and partially because he wasn't sure if he could handle even more time spent with her. He was already starting to struggle with how he felt in regards to her, if there were true feelings anyways, and they already had planned on every Monday in regards to the pups. Much more than that and he'd likely be a goner. Either by way of the heart no one thought he had or by Mac. Maybe even both.
Bella was now firmly convinced Frideswide would survive despite Jamie's fear-mongering from weeks ago. Blind wolves were less likely to survive out in the wild, but they weren't in the wild; Frideswide could sleep in the shack and go outside with Bella or Jamie providing supervision, and it would be fine. Perfect, even.
Less perfect was Jamie's apology (which was mostly her fault, because she couldn't pinpoint the source of her anger towards him and it wasn't the conversation about Dagda), but getting an apology from him was more than she'd ever expected. Bella turned towards him, gaze softening considerably, and smiled faintly. "Jamie..." she whispered, standing from her crouched position. She placed a hand on his bicep and gave it a gentle squeeze.
"While I would love to see Dagda, I don't want you to go if you'll resent me because of it. I know how much of an... inconvenience... I can be." Which, she realized, was likely the source of her anger last time. Cleaning his shack, in her mind, was a way to redeem herself in his eyes, and she'd been beyond frustrated—crushed, even—when her efforts had caused him anger.
Truthfully, Jamie almost hated when she said is name. It made things personal, intimate. Things he was doing his damnedest to avoid and ignore. But, he couldn't keep acting the part of the prickly old bear that hated everyone. He knew that was what most thought of him or how most regarded him. Hell, it'd taken him years to build up such a reputation. But, eventually, he had to relax on that. Or at least he should.
He stiffed slightly when she squeezed his bicep but he didn't pull away. He stood silently and listened to her, finally gave a slight shrug as an initial response.
"It's not about resenting you, lass," he said, falling back into calling her something, anything, other than her name, "It's about the danger involved. I know you're just curious, interested in his welfare even, but it's still a danger. To us and to them. There's a reason there's only a few of us deal with the toddlings. Until they're old enough to understand things and be assigned their own keeper, there's never any knowing how things could go."
Pulling the free hand out of his pocket to rub at the back of the neck, he sighed lightly. "What you saw of Dagda that time could very well be an entirely different story next time," he added, looking at her with a faint look of worry and concern in his dark eyes, "As he gets older, the more protective and aggressive he'll become. And with age comes added weight. He won't be so easy to handle in the future."
Bella really listened to Jamie instead of letting his words go in one ear and out the other. Dagda was a dragon—a small dragon, but a dragon nonetheless—and she couldn't deny that fact no matter how hard she tried to argue. She didn't, however, believe that seeing a dragon was dangerous in all cases. "We could watch from afar. I'm not asking you to let me pet him. I just want to check in on him... see his growth for myself," she said sincerely, mindlessly patting his arm as she looked back down towards the pups.
"And Jamie, I just—" She stopped and turned back to face Jamie, her lips tilted down into a frown. "I wasn't angry because of Dagda. I just—I really wanted you to like my redecoration, and you... didn't."
Jamie nodded slightly, glad that she seemed to really be listening this time and even understanding what it was he was saying. "That can be arranged easily enough," he answered honestly. There was that shack he'd shown get veggie, not much more than a shed with a cot and blankets. But there was a big window, one easily able to see through. Extra charms of protection had been put in place on it so it was likely the safest place on the island.
He sighed as she continued, rubbed the back of his neck as he thought on a response. "It was just.. A shock," he said with a sigh, "When you've lived one way for so long, it's hard to adjust. But I appreciate it now. Thank you."
For all she was pleased that an agreement was reached on Dagda matters, Bella was even more pleased at the unexpected words that left Jamie's lips. She'd at most expected an acknowledgement that he'd lost his temper a bit, but this... this was better than that. He said he appreciated her work, which was enough to bring a wide, dimpled grin back to her lips. Bella threw her arms around his waist on impulse, mumbling an unintelligible "You're welcome" as she hugged his much larger frame as a way of expression her gratitude.
That was not something Jamie had expected. Not at all. And as such, he wasn't quite sure how to respond to it. He awkwardly patted her shoulders as a result. "Ermm.." he started, creamy feeling a bit awkward, "You're welcome?" Because what really was he supposed to say?
Bella pulled away a moment later, smiling sheepishly when she noticed his uncertainty. "Sorry. I sometimes get a little... excited," she admitted, trying her best to shrug it off. She turned back to the pups and patted each of them on the head. "I suppose I should get back to Immie's. I promised to help Isobel bake a cake this afternoon. I'll see you Monday, then?" she asked.
Jamie was still a bit out of sorts. At least, internally he was. He wasn't used to such things and even though she'd pulled back just moments after, the look of confusion was still there on his face. Partly because he wasn't sure what he felt when it came down to it. It was awkward but her pulling away left him feeling things he didn't want to feel either. Instead, he cleared his throat and gave a small nod. "Yeah, Monday," he said simply before she went on her way.
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