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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? Jewelry of jet was the haute jewelry of the Victorian era. — Fallin
What she got was the opposite of what she wanted, also known as the subtitle to her marriage.
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#1
July 1st, 1894 - Ministry of Magic

Who would have thought that a month after his twenty-seventh birthday that Alvin would be starting a ministry career? Surely not him. By this age he thought he would have had a budding broom business, a decent client base and a solid model or two on the market. He'd still be in the States creating brooms for Quodpot and Quidditch alike and enjoying the freedom of being a bachelor, untethered to anything of substance other than his work.

Now he was home, in his childhood bedroom, with two siblings who would never be the same, a mother who had retired from her own illustrious ministry career to care for them and the sudden looming expectations that he make something of himself so he too, was not a burden to his family. Needless to say this existential crisis was unexpected and unwelcome. He had no choice though, not really and he understood why his mother had done what she had. It was a sacrifice that had to be made and so Alvin could only do the same. He wasn't getting far in his renewed chance at brooms and after the Coming Out Ball at Hogwarts, he was starting to see that he paled in comparison to his peers in many respects. He couldn't continue to waffle between art and brooms with no clear direction or purpose. So, he had signed over the creative license to Penny for the field maple, to do with what she wanted. She could can it or continue on with it, but he regrettably, could no longer be a part. No, it was high time he grew up and found an occupation that was stable and would actually provide a steady income. Hopefully it wouldn't take him too long to build up a savings and finally put himself in a position to be able to do something worthwhile with his life.

His newly minted ministry robes felt scratchy at his neck, but nevertheless, Alvin strode into the atrium of the ministry itself with purpose this morning. He knew brooms, knew them backwards and forward, their charms, their builds and everything else he would need to know to be a success at his position. Privately, he was relieved his mother was no longer in the office he was joining, he didn't need her trying to coddle him through working in her shadow. Once he got the ins and outs of the office down, he would be fine.

If only he could find the office. After a few minutes of wandering around looking for a least a sign as to which direction to go, he stopped somebody crossing the atrium to ask. Good thing he'd come in early. "Excuse me, do you know where the Broom Regulatory Office is?" How obvious was it that it was his first day?


Open to anyone with reason to be at the Ministry bright and early on a Monday morning!


The following 1 user Likes Alvin Bixby's post:
   Sisse Thompsett

[Image: AlvinSig.png]
#2
Adam liked to think of himself as a man of many talents--albeit, as more of a jack of many trades and not so much of a renaissance man--and one of those talents was, evidently, finding lost lambs. Granted, he thought on this particular Monday morning as he strode across the Ministry's atrium, the Ministry a very large place, and it was only natural that it would be a bit confusing to visitors or new hires.

So, he might have offered a word of aid to the younger man he was coming upon now if the man himself hadn't taken the initiative. He offered a sympathetic smile. "Level Six, I believe," he said. "Here, I'm headed to the lifts myself, I'll show you the way."


#3
He'd been to the office several times before, but mostly at his mother's behest and with her guidance, so he hadn't paid strict attention. Plus with every turn it was almost impossible to keep track. "Thanks, this place is a labyrinth." Alvin admitted, with a wry smile. Merlin, this might be less embarrassing if he was some eighteen year old kid fresh out of Hogwarts, but he was far closer to thirty than twenty and he hadn't felt quite so childish in a long while.

He was going to have to pay close attention to every turn and hallway. First he had to survive the lift. "I hate those things." He admitted as he fell into step with who he supposed was a new co-worker, though which department, he had no idea. "Alvin Bixby." He added, thinking that at least if he was going to immerse himself, it wouldn't hurt to get to know people.




[Image: AlvinSig.png]
#4
"Adam McKinnon," he said. "I'm in the Beast Division office, but I've spent some time down in Games and Sports." Not working, of course, but his family had taken a particular interest in quidditch regulations over the years. "And there's a lot of overlap with quidditch interests and broom regulation, even if they're separate departments." He wondered, but obviously did not ask, if this Mr. Bixby was connected to the Miss Bixby who'd been in the news for her own flying mishaps.

"First day?" he asked conversationally, even though the answer was obvious. He was clearly wearing Ministry robes and lost. There weren't many alternatives.


#5
Alvin knew there was a lot of overlap, which was good. He'd heard his mother talk about his new office for almost his entire life. Hopefully it kept things from being broken. Harry seemed to enjoy his ministry job, so there was that at least. Wally had been doing well with it too, before last September. "My family is pretty entrenched in quidditch, I used to make brooms myself." He was going to have to explain his story a hundred times he felt like, but it was what it was at this point. "Accident," he held up his mangled left hand. "No grip, so no more broommaking and yes, now I'm here on my first day." It wasn't as hard to say as it used to be, but he still wasn't used to it.




[Image: AlvinSig.png]
#6
"My sympathies," Adam said. He couldn't imagine being so blocked from his own livelihood. "One of my brothers plays quidditch," he added, because that felt like an easier topic. "The whole family's spent at least some time on a broom, but Jack's the only one of us who decided to pursue it professionally."


#7
Alvin simply nodded. It wasn't something he wanted to go into more detail about and McKinnon probably didn't really want to know anyway. "He probably knows my brothers then, Rufus plays and Wally used to work in the department as a ref." His father was a coach too, but if it wasn't his team, then it probably didn't make much difference.

"Is there any easy way to get to these lifts? Merlin, I'm never going to remember this." Alvin sighed exasperatedly, chuckling slightly.




[Image: AlvinSig.png]
#8
"I'm sure he does," Adam said. His family's quidditch pedigree wasn't nearly so extensive, with only Jack making a career out of it, though they'd all dabbled at some point in their lives. Adam preferred the stability of a desk job, but part of him wouldn't have minded a chance to play more often, even if it was casual. "They're just up here," he said, gesturing as they rounded a corner and the lifts came into view. "Unfortunately, I think it's a matter of getting used to."


#9
"I'm going to have to draw myself a map." Which, considering his drawing skills, was probably the best choice. When he left today, without Mr. McKinnon watching him, Alvin would write down the directions and try to remember some of the landmarks to get here. Hopefully he would learn it quickly enough otherwise he was going to embarrass himself every time he pulled out a map. Maybe it was just his first-day jitters. Eventually things would settle, right?

It would settle. He was determined to make this work. Something had to give. Even if his occupation wasn't going to be something he was passionate about, he could still be damn good at it. "I'm sure it won't take too long." Maybe his mother could go over the turns with him. She clearly had to have it all memorized. Alvin noted a strange bust of a strange wizard with a memorable nose and catalogued it into his memory bank.

At least it had been a quick walk to the lifts. "I suppose that's the first leg." He chuckled.




[Image: AlvinSig.png]
#10
"You'll get the hang of it soon enough," Adam encouraged. Everyone did eventually, after all.

By luck the lift was already there when they reached it. {b]"After you,"[/b] Adam said, gesturing into the lift. "You've done the hard part now," he said with a chuckle.


#11
Pleased to hear that the ground floor to the lift was the worst part, Alvin stepped into the life and braced himself against the back wall; he sort of hated these things, they made him a little queasy, which was funny, considering he used to love to fly. It was different though, not as smooth and he wasn't in control, maybe that was the difference.

"I'll be relieved if that was the worst of it." He managed as the lift lurched into motion.




[Image: AlvinSig.png]
#12
"You'll get the hang of it," Adam reassured. "We all struggle a bit with something when we first start." Adam's own first day had been more than twenty years ago, so it was something of a distant memory, but he thought the sentiment still rang true regardless.


#13
All he could do was nod as the lift went about changing directions in what felt like haphazard and aimless movements, until it came to a stop a few moments later. That would probably take the most getting used to. Once the doors opened, Alvin realized he recognized the hallway and where the office was from there. "I can make it from here, I think." He smiled sheepishly. "Thanks again for your help." He extended a hand for a quick shake and then stepped off the lift and into the new career he hoped would help him get the rest of his life together.




[Image: AlvinSig.png]

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