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.
Play a character aged 35 or older for one month. Non-humans do not count. Show this by submitting two completed threads started one month (or more) apart. Threads must have at least ten posts, and at least three must be your own.
Did You Know?
It’s quite unusual for a caster's patronus to be their favourite animal, but very possible that it will take the shape of a creature they’ve never before seen or heard of. — Amy
August 19th, 1893 - Puppet Show
Open to 1-2 others!
The adjustment to two children hadn't been quite as bad as she'd anticipated, but she did feel bad that Bentley was not getting the same amount of attention that he used to. He was still so little, not even two yet and she wanted to make sure that he got some time. The puppet show put on in town seemed like a good way to get him out of the house for a little while and stretch their legs.
Elsie left Maisie with Miss Halliwell, they would be fine for a couple of hours, leaving some time for her and Bentley to walk the short distance to the High Street and toward the Hall. There was a bit of a crowd, mostly other mums or nannies with their young children. Els wasn't sure Ben would be able to sit through the whole thing, so she chose a seat near the end of a row and near the back so they could scoot out if needed. If it didn't work out, they could always head to the park.
He was currently occupied with a little wooden toy hippogriff in her lap, as she looked around the room with a smile. The show was due to start soon and she hoped he would enjoy it, but that was of course when he decided to absolutely hurl his toy out of his hand and into the seats nearby...
(Tyb would have been impressed by the throw, but she was already mortified!)
It was a good idea to take Orion around children outside of the Sanditon; it was good for his socialization. Zelda desperately wanted to be at home, but kept telling herself this so that she wouldn't give in. They'd been settled in their seats for several minutes when a child's toy bounced off of her skull.
"Ouch!" Zelda protested, looking around wildly to find the culprit.
A resounding Ouch! hit Elsie's ears and she was directed to a woman who must have been close in age to her, with a little one only a little younger than Ben. Scooping her son up around her hip, Elsie stood and made her way over to the other woman.
"I'm terribly sorry, he's got too good of an arm for not quite two." Elsie grimaced as she retrieved the toy from the floor. Perhaps Bentley would be playing chaser in the future. Elsie would prefer that, actually. "Are you alright, do you need anything?" She felt terrible that Ben had hit somebody, that toy was pretty sturdy.
Orion was giggling at her. Zelda reached up to touch her head where the toy had hit her. It felt tender, but hopefully it wouldn't bruise. She blinked at the woman in front of her. "I'm alright," she said, although she wasn't entirely sure yet. She shifted Orion onto the other side of her lap. "He should probably play Quidditch, with a throw like that."
Elsie had to chuckle at that comment. "If his father has anything to say about it, he certainly will." There was little doubt in her mind that Ben would follow in Tyb's footsteps. He was her husband's miniature in every way, except the blue eyes. If she hadn't birthed him, she would have thought somebody just duplicated Tybalt.
"I'm fairly certain there's a toy broom hiding somewhere in our house just waiting for him to be old enough to ride it." In fact she was almost sure she knew where it was hiding. When she had a quidditch player for a husband and a broommaker for a friend, what else could she expect? "Are you sure you're alright?" She wanted to double check, watching with a smile as Ben leaned over to hand his toy to the other little boy in the woman's lap.
Zelda grinned. She reached up to touch the spot where the toy had struck her. "Just a bruise, I think," she answered. Orion babbled happily and shook the other boy's toy in his hand. Zelda looked down at her toddler and then up at the other woman, bemused. "I think our boys are making friends," she said — some hope was evident in her tone.
At least Ben hadn't thrown the toy this time. "Looks like it," Elsie hummed in agreement, that smitten sort of mom-smile on her lips. Though obviously she and Tyb had always wanted multiple children, she worried what adding the baby to their family would mean for Bentley. So far things seemed to be going alright, but he'd barely been eighteen months old when Maisie was born, so hopefully he wouldn't remember much of life before having to share his parents. In the moment, he appeared, at least, not to mind sharing his toys.
"This is Bentley," she shifted him on her hip and shuffled a little closer so the boys could interact better. "I'm Elsie, maybe we could join you?" Els smiled softly, thinking they must have gone to school together if the other woman had gone to Hogwarts, but Els hadn't been very good at remembering those outside of her very small circle of friends.
"Orion, I love that." Elsie loved hearing different names that people gave their children. Bentley had been so easy to decide upon and she'd let Tyb have free reign over Maisie that when another came along she wasn't at all prepared with another name.
She settled into the bench beside Zelda easily, putting Ben between them so the boys could easily reach. Gently she ruffled his curls, thinking that he was going to need it cut sooner rather than later, if he wanted to see. Elsie pulled another toy (an erumpet this time) from her pocket, had a couple things for amusement tucked in there, so each boy had something to hold onto. Motherhood had come unexpectedly to Elsie, but somewhat easily, so she knew she needed a few tricks to keep him occupied.
"Is he your first?" Elsie always felt like conversations with other mothers always went the same, she wondered if they'd all forgotten other things to talk about, but it felt like an easy way to start.
Both boys had toys; with Orion happily occupied, Zelda felt that she was able to fully focus on the other woman. She nodded at her question.
"First and only, so far," Zelda said with a smile. While the curve of her stomach was perceptible for people who really looked, she didn't feel the need to talk about the February Baby with a near-stranger — it was still early enough that it felt like bad luck. "He just turned one a few weeks ago." It was strange to think that she had a one year old! Every day with a baby was long, but they were starting to pass quickly.
Elsie would have guessed Orion was hovering around a year, just a little bit behind Ben then. They would eventually go to Hogwarts together, most likely. It was wild to think about. "Yes, we just added a little girl, Maisie, to the family in June." In a wildly embarrassing backstory now. She would not be making any mistakes like that with the next one.
"It's strange going from one to two, especially only about eighteen months apart, but it's not too bad." Elsie had no idea when another would be added, a matter of when, not if, but she would like a little break this time. "Between them and working part time at the library, it's busy." She noted absentmindedly, but smiling fondly.
Zelda straightened, excited by the other woman's words. "Merlin!" she gushed. "I'm having a second this winter," she admitted, even though she had not told all of her friends yet. It was just such a relief to be with someone who understood, and who wasn't related to her. "Orion will be eighteen months then." (Depending, of course, on when, exactly, the baby was born.)
Elsie had two children, and she worked part-time, and her children were both small. Zelda had not been this relieved to meet someone new in ages. "Tell me everything, will you?" she said, not even caring if she came off as too excited. "I've been so worried." She was going to have to stay friends with this woman!
Elsie's smile softened. "Congratulations!" She reached out a hand to gently squeeze Zelda's. "Good help is a blessing," Elsie would certainly be much more burnt out if it wasn't for Mrs. Robinson and Miss Halliwell. "But it's really not so bad, I try to keep a pretty set schedule with naps and everything." Maisie was not as good of a sleeper as Bentley was, she preferred to be held while sleeping, whereas Bentley wanted nothing but his bed and his blanket. How different they were already.
"I try to take time for me every day. I only work a few afternoons a week at the library, but it's good for me to get out of the house." It wasn't common or particularly proper. She was sure that it was frowned upon but many, but it worked for her family and Mr. Ainsworth seemed alright with the arrangement. Tyb's promotion left them pretty comfortable and so Elsie's income was just a bonus, but she had always worked and didn't want to give it up just yet. She'd got back for more time when the littles were older.
"Merlin, I'm not even sure what else to tell you," she chuckled. "Every baby is different. I thought I had this parenting thing somewhat figured out and then Maisie is a wild card, both my children take after their father." They had to adjust sometimes, but Miss Halliwell was so very good at her job that it really helped. "I'd be happy to get together another time and discuss more," she offered as she noticed the puppet show was about to start.
Every baby was different — and that was what Zelda was afraid of. She felt as if she was barely succeeding at parenting Orion, and she was maybe only succeeding because he was a mostly-happy baby with such clear desires — she bounced him on her lap. What if the next one was harder, and what if Zelda didn't understand them, and she was a bad parent?
But that was a lot to put on a stranger, and the puppet show was about to start. Zelda brightened at Elsie's suggestion. "Let's," she said. "My last name is Darrow — so we can send letters, and plan."
![[Image: Elsie-MJSig.png]](https://i.ibb.co/zFHDHQc/Elsie-MJSig.png)
![[Image: xXXD462.png]](https://i.imgur.com/xXXD462.png)