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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.

Where will you fall?

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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.
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Wild West
#1
I've been living my life on the edge
Slip and fall if I take one more step
There's safety in numbers, I guess
But I'm going rogue in the wild, wild west


January 4th, 1889 — A Shady Magical Beast Shop, Knockturn Alley
Things had rather taken an unexpected and highly unwelcome turn. Life as Mrs. Tiberius Lestrange was hardly the mundane, dull affair she had expected but for all the abnormal stuff that had befallen her since her wedding, waking up in a cage was definitely a new one. Perhaps it was a sign that she ought to have returned to a more civilized way of life instead of roaming around as a lynx most of the time, avoiding life and the husband she couldn't think of without a bad taste in her mouth.

Having neglected to register her animagus form she knew she couldn't afford to reveal herself and this irritating little fact had lead to her subsequent capture and apparent imprisonment. For the sake of her pride she had at least been ambushed by a wizard, but the problem remained: how could she escape without making the sort of headline she'd never live down should she somehow manage to live through it.

Her first plan had consisted of waiting until no one was looking, turning back, and magicking herself out of the cage and disapparating before anyone could see or stop her. The plan immediately hit a stumbling block when she realized that she couldn't seem to turn back, apparently the confines of the cage went beyond metal bars. Plan B was to wait for someone to let her out, surely they couldn't expect her to live indefinitely in such cramped confines? She wasn't sure how much time had already elapsed since her initial capture and the present seeing as she'd been unconscious long enough to be relocated but she was beyond fed up already.

After what felt like hours of waiting for any kind of opportunity, the sound of a bell tinkling jolted her out of her stupor and she suddenly realized she must be in a public establishment of some kind, probably a shop. From her vantage point she could just about make out someone's feet, if she could just draw their attention she might able to get that opportunity to escape. To her delight the feet seemed to be heading in her direction. Tig thrust a paw through the bars and made what she hoped were some compelling lynx noises, pawing at the person's leg insistently.
""





#2
Shawn was surprised to say that business seemed to be looking up and rather quickly. They'd known that the endgame was to open up a shop at the shipyard in London but it had taken so long to get through negotiations that he'd never really thought they'd see the day. But just after the first of the year, he'd gotten the keys in hand and had started literally setting up shop. And though they were only four days into the new year, they were already looking to be rather prosperous. Of course, that family business already carried some weight with it's name. He just hadn't expect those in London to embrace it in the way they had.

With the shop situated as best as he could get it for the time being, he'd headed off to Knockturn Alley to deliver some items to a client. The museum had been taken care of already and he wasn't expecting to have any other pickups that day so he thought he'd take his time with his delivery.

With a box in hand, fairly certain whatever it was inside it that it wasn't quite legal, he entered the magical beast shop he'd been looking for. The bell indicated he was there but he got a hand motion from the clerk signaling that he'd be with him in a moment. In the meantime, Shawn thought to peruse about. He wasn't exactly one for pets, really, so he had no true interest in actually purchasing anything but it was always interesting to see what was actually out there. His gaze fell to some strange bird on a perch but as he drew closer to it, he felt something begin to paw at his pant leg.

A quick glance down and he saw it was a strange cat batting at his leg. With a raised brow, he couldn't help but to look closer especially as it made whatever noises it was making. They sounded oddly familiar and he wasn't entirely sure that what was in the cage was actually an animal of magical bearing. If he knew any better, he'd say it was actually a bobcat from America, something he was quite used to seeing. "Long trip across the ocean for ya then?" he asked, lips pulling into a bit of a smirk as he settled the box on one hip and knelt down slightly to get a better look at the feline.


#3
Tig faltered in her actions at the stranger's words. She might not have lent them such credence had they not been spoken in a foreign accent. How long had she been unconscious? Was this America? How was she still alive, surely the vow wouldn't discriminate in killing her if she'd been removed from the country against her will or knowledge? She had to tell Tiberius, she had to get out and tell him somehow as soon as possible, before she dropped dead. No one would ever know what happened to her if she died here. Fuck.

Determined not to let her internal panic become and external panic quite yet, she stared at the man and hurriedly tried to formulate a plan to save her life. If she could just get out of the cage she could find a way out, and if she really had to, she could turn back but that was a last resort. Maybe if she tried to endear herself to him, play on his sympathies, he'd want to take her away from whatever American shithole she'd been dragged to.

Tig made a gentle mewing noise and proffered her front paw in a considerably less aggressive manner. Hopefully it was a gesture that said 'take me home', or more accurately, 'give me an opportunity to get the hell out of here before I actually die'.





#4
A brow was raised as Shawn continued to regard the strange feline. He was fairly certain it was very much a wild creature yet it seemed to be showing a considerable amount of calm as its batting at his leg seemed to simply be trying to get his attention. "Poor things like you certainly don't belong in a cage," he said to it, not even sure why he was talking to it. It wasn't like it could actually respond to him after all.

But then the clerk was calling to him and he was standing up once again. He made his way to the counter then, to see about getting his errand taken care of. The box was handed over and idle chitchat was made as Shawn referenced the feline in the cage. It sounded as if it were some strange stray that had been picked up and thought to be sold to someone that might appreciate it for its pelt. That didn't sit well with Shawn even if he had grown up in an area that killing animals for their furs was really quite common. But after a little more discussion, Shawn decided it would make a good addition to the new shop. Anything along the water was often infested with nasty rodents. A feline around could help keep them away.

With a deal made, Shawn made his way back to the cage and hoisted it up by the handle atop it to bring the feline at eye level. He made a point of keeping it far enough away so that if it should get angered he wouldn't lose and eye to a rather sharp claw. "Looks like you're coming with me," he said with a slight smile, "The shop could use a cat of your size to keep any rodents away." And with that said, shaking his head as he realized he was still talking to an animal, he left the shop and headed back to his own so that it could get used to its new home.

It didn't take him long to get there and once within the shop near the shipyard, he set the cage with the feline down on one of the many crates toward the back. He undid the lock on the cage then and opened it up so that the feline could get out. "Welcome to your new home," he said before chuckling to himself. As if it actually cared to be welcomed to such a place.


#5
Had she been less desperate for freedom, she might have taken the opportunity to be disgusted at the idea of being sold to someone like a pair of shoes - but all she could think of was getting out and circumventing her imminent death by contacting Tiberius somehow. It'd be even better if she could go home immediately but she'd never apparated so far before and wasn't sure how to go about acquiring a transatlantic portkey.

It seemed as though a deal had been struck and Tig had great difficulty reining in her agitation. Any minute now, any minute, and she'd get her chance. She hoped her grimace was readable as a lynx because she sure as hell didn't appreciate being his designated pest control. A cat of her size, indeed! She wasn't a house cat, she was majestic and wild and she could eat a normal cat for breakfast. Not that she did, but if she wanted to she could!

It turned out being carried in the cage was nauseating and so she had to shut her eyes to endure the travel. This guy wasn't an American muggle was he? While it might make her escape a little easier it did nothing for her pride to be - at this moment at least - some muggle's rat catcher.

Finally, the movement stopped and the irritating maybe-muggle announced the end of the sickening journey. Uneasy on her paws, Tig hissed and slowly emerged from the cage. Where was the nearest exit? She spotted a door and fixed her gaze on it, but a part of her - despite her perceived looming peril - wanted to teach the man a lesson for being so presumptuous. Running off would probably suffice though, surely? He'd be out of whatever insultingly small sum he'd parted with to cart her off, after all. No, she didn't know how much time she had left and savaging this man wasn't more important than her life.

Tig suddenly made a run for the door, clawing and yowling angrily at it in an effort to escape. Logically that wasn't going to work but maybe this man was enough of an idiot to open it for her.





#6
Shawn supposed he should have expected something like that. The cat clearly wasn't meant to be caged but he hadn't expected such ferocity from it. It hadn't shown any inclination that way prior, after all. But it was angry and hissing and also making a beeline for the door. He watched it from where he stood, now leaning against the counter, and raised a brow in confusion. Surely it didn't think it was going to be able to open the door, did it? It was large but hardly large enough to reach the handle and the door swung inside, not out so it wasn't even as if it could push its way through it.

He simply ended up shaking his head though as he moved to sit at a stool behind the counter and pulled some ledgers out to set to getting more paperwork filled out with all that had been done that day. He could surely ignore a strange feline and its yowls for the time being.


#7
Of course the door wasn't opening, to continue to beat at it would be futile but the panic was finally rising to the surface. She needed to find, well she didn't know what she needed to find a letter would be far too slow, but damn it she needed Tiberius. She hated him for it too. It was his fault this was a serious life and death situation, all his fault! Even worse, he probably wouldn't give a damn if and when he eventually found out she was dead! God if she could get her hands on him she'd wreak such a vengeance upon him.

But that wasn't possible, he was thousands of miles away and she was - from what she could smell through the door - in some filthy harbor trapped in her animagus form because... If she was in America though, would the consequences even be the same if she showed herself as an animagus? He might be a muggle but she could try a memory charm on him - likely do it wrong because she had no practice with such things but as long as he was left in no fit state to be reiterating what he'd witnessed that's all that mattered - and scarper before she could be found. What if he was a wizard though? He didn't look like much of a duelist. What was the likelihood of them ever crossing paths again? Probably minute considering she was likely to drop dead at any second.

Tig looked back at the man and bristled with renewed rage. His willful determination to ignore her despite the fuss she was making reminded her distinctly of Tiberius and she saw red. She snarled and ran back towards him, launching herself into the air for a good pounce, claws out and ready to stick the landing.





#8
The silence of paws no longer batting at the door in a futile attempt to get it opened was what caused Shawn to look up from the ledger. It was, perhaps, a good thing otherwise he'd have gotten a face full of claws. He didn't get away unscathed, however, as he just barely got the ledger he was holding up in time to prevent the feline from getting right into his face but his hands ended up getting quite the scratch wounds as a result.

"Bloody fucking hell!" he spat out after having batted the cat away with the ledger. Dropping it to the counter, he glared at the backs of his hands to see blood welling up from the cuts. "You're a fucking menace," he said, yelling at the cat once again as if it was going to understand what it was he was saying.


#9
She was filled with a deep sense of satisfaction even though she hadn't been able to give the man's face a good clawing. Tig landed on the floor with surprising grace and hissed at him. Perhaps if she bit him he'd let her go? At what point would he consider her not worth the risk of keeping around. If only he had children, surely he'd be chasing her out if she maimed one of his offspring?

She hopped onto the counter and decided to start destroying things. Her large fluffy paws batting at anything and everything in an effort to knock them off or rip things. She tried to make eye contact with him as she did this, just daring him to try and stop her.





#10
This cat that Shawn had gotten was quickly becoming far more of a nuisance than he had thought would be possible. Apparently maiming his hands and going for his face hadn't been enough but now it was determined to wreak havoc on everything he had. With a snarl of his own, he pushed up from his chair. He didn't have time for this and he wasn't about to try and tame the damned thing. If it really was from America then it could try it's own luck out on the streets of London.

He moved to the door, hoping to get there before it could do too much damage, and promptly opened it wide. "If you want out, get the bloody hell out!" he all but yelled to the creature, hoping it would indeed flee.


#11
Tig stopped what she was doing as he started heading for the door. As gleeful as she was to be offered her freedom, she was also mildly disappointed that he had put up so poor of a fight, but mostly she was just dismayed that she didn't get a chance to bite him. She wasn't going to hesitate once that door was open though, saving her life was far more important than trying out her claws and teeth on a human properly. Tiberius might have been an utter disappointment in some ways but at least she could rely on him to fight back.

As soon as the door was open, she sprang from the desk and bolted out into the street which she still thought was somewhere in America.






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