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
There was dirt underneath her fingernails. It was hardly the issue at the moment, but it was the first thing she noticed before a mooncalf rushed at her, squealing in delight. There was another thud against the back of her knee and she found herself stuck between two of them. "Well," she mused, holding her arms aloft. "At least Penny has less of you to herd..." Her Australian Shepherd was currently doing her evening rounds and gently nipping at the heels of the small creatures to get them into their pens. It was normally rough to see in their enchanted environment, but Amelia had lightened it a bit so she could at least see whilst she fed them.
It was due to the semi-poor lighting in the exhibit that the witch didn't realize her dog wasn't with her in the pen but outside the exhibit and attempting to snuffle a small child into the pen, mistaking it for a mooncalf instead of someone's child.
Penny was currently getting frustrated with the child not wanting to get into the pen, that she let out a disgruntled yip. Amelia looked up, eyes widening at what was currently happening. "Penny!" she cried out, patting the mooncalves currently at her side in hopes they would shuffle aside.
Pretending to bond with his daughter was the worst. He had thought her infancy would be the most obnoxious age but now she was mobile, fully capable of stringing a sentence together, and worst of all she had her own thoughts and desires and she knew how to demand them. She was like a wild animal, she'd soon be schooled and trained in social etiquette but she was still learning and for now she was a very rough and imperfect attempt at a female. What was he supposed to do with that?
Foolishly he'd given her nurse a day off because he couldn't stand the woman's judging glances at him in the scarce moments when he shared a room with his own child, and he rather thought he could more than handle a day out with a little girl. It was all to satisfy his mother just enough that he didn't have to take her back. He only had to keep it up for six more years and he'd have rid of her until she graduated Hogwarts and then he could just have her married off on June 2nd.
Little had he known but his daughter had grown into something less controllable than a garbling infant and he'd actually had to make a great deal of effort to not lose the overly excited five year old. He'd sat down for one moment on a bench as it was getting dark to rest his face in his hands and regret all of his life choices, when he realized it was too quiet and upon looking up, discovered himself alone. Perhaps it was a stroke of luck, his daughter might have been eaten by some large and vicious beast and he'd never have to worry about her again. That would never do though, it would surely be picked up by the papers and what would they say of him? The second he tried to run for Minister they'd drag it up and point out how he couldn't look after a little girl let alone a country. And then there was his mother, oh Merlin she'd never forgive him! No, it wouldn't do, he'd have to find the little chit at once before she actually did get eaten or mauled, or stolen not that he could understand why anyone would ever want his daughter.
"Althea!" He rose to his feet and began investigating the immediate vicinity. "Althea, this is no time for games, come here at once or I shall have you sent to bed without dinner!" Why wasn't she stood before him already? She had the obedience of her damned mother, Merlin save him she was going to be a nuisance wasn't she. "ALTHEA!" If he ever found her.
He walked a little further and soon came upon a strange scene; there was a dog and a child who seemed to be going into a pen of ugly creatures he had a feeling might've been called mooncalves. Oh. Oh. That was his child. At least that looked like the dress he'd last seen her wearing or maybe it had been yellow... "Althea, what in Merlin's name are you doing?"
Eventually, the animals did shuffle aside, however it took longer than the witch had hoped. Long enough for a man to come forward, obvoiusly looking for the child. How Penny had mistaken a child for a mooncalf, Amelia would never know, but she hastened forward to remedy the situation. Grabbing the scruff of the dog's collar, she gave a gentle tug. "I'm so sorry!" she said, her cheeks flushing. The man looked rather agitated. "This has never happened before," she attempted to explain.
Really, it hadn't ever happened before! Penny, however, was getting more frustrated and let out another little yip. Amelia gave another tug on her collar, wondering what had gotten into the australian shepherd. She looked back up, hoping the mooncalves wouldn't attempt to escape back out of the pen. She'd had enough trouble getting them inside! The child looked unperturbed, but Amelia knew that it might be the parent she'd have to worry about instead. What she'd seen of children here told her they were quick to bounce back if they fell, ran into something or were hurt. It was the parents that seemed to over-react.
"I assume this child is yours?" she said kindly to the man before glancing behind her at the confused mooncalves. She took her wand out and made a barrier between her and the mooncalves so they wouldn't escape. "I'm dreadfully sorry, sir, I hope you weren't left worrying too much!"
Charles' attention was finally drawn away from his misplaced offspring and to the woman addressing him. Who was she? Did she work here? Regardless, she spoke too much. "That is my daughter, yes." He had hardly been worried, he certainly wouldn't have chosen such a word to describe his consternation at Althea's disappearance, although he hadn't exactly been at ease either. "I was under the impression that the creatures were supposed to be kept separate from the visitors." He was annoyed but now he wasn't sure where to place his annoyance - his daughter shouldn't have run off and so she definitely deserved his ire, but she oughtn't to have been able to end up where she had, surely? Were mooncalves even safe? They looked stupid enough to be harmless but he wasn't stupid enough to let that convince him.
Even stupid things could at times be dangerous - muggles, for example.
"Althea, come here." He gestured to the space in front of him. She didn't move.
While Amelia's default appearance (especially when working) leaned towards the sweeter side, she could feel this façade fade slightly. The way the man talked to his own daughter...she'd talked to Penny that way certainly, but really only when she was incredibly cross with the dog.
Granted, her knowledge of small children was limited seeing as she did not have any children of her own, but she was sure she wouldn't talk to them as if they were animals! Nevertheless, Amelia kept the smile on her face and watched as Penny approached the child, sniffing her. It wasn't like Penny to mistake a child for a mooncalf, but that apparently seemed to have been what occurred when Amelia wasn't looking. This was hardly a situation to call for her speaking as sternly to the dog as the man was speaking to his child, however! "Er-" she started, knowing full well telling the man his daughter had wondered close to the pen would not go over smoothly.
"I apologize again, sir," she said, furrowing her brows. "Sometimes the animals can get confused, especially if a small enough human being is their height!" She cast a friendly look at the small child called Althea. What a pretty name! "And children are often so curious about the animals here too."
Charles grunted in response, distracted by his daughter's disobedience. The girl was absolutely fine, at least he assumed as much from the look of her, she wouldn't be if she didn't do as he said however. "My daughter seems to be overly spirited today, I suppose the blame is not entirely on the creatures." He glared at his child. She was starting to make a scene now, just like her damned mother. Hopefully it was just a case of her nurse was not disciplining her sufficiently. It would not do. "Here, Althea," he repeated, more sternly this time.
He didn't like to second guess his own mother but he couldn't help but wonder if she might have been spoiling the child. Grandparents were oft to do that, it probably wasn't his mother's fault at all. Apparently the need for a new mother was as strong as ever. "Althea." The girl pouted back and stayed put. "What are these beasts anyway?" He'd never taken much on an interest in magical or non-magical animals but he supposed it was possible that whatever these ugly creatures were they might be capable of enchanting his daughter which would explain her behavior.
Well, at least that was a slight tip of the scales in her favor. Though he didn't blame the Mooncalves entirely, Amelia wasn't sure she'd like to stick around if his daughter ended up being more curious than his approval would allow for. Amelia's expression still erred on the side of apologetic concern rather than the annoyance that was building at the father's abrasiveness.
His question seemed to pose more of an inquiry as to what the animals' purpose was in distracting his child rather than unbridled curiosity that she usually received from patrons of the zoo. Nevertheless, she acquiesced: "They're called Mooncalves."
As if on cue, one of the tiny animals trilled at Penny, undoubtedly asking for more food. "Shy magical beasts, normally. However," She offered, her gaze moving between the child and the animals. "They seem to have taken a liking towards your daughter." Liking was an understatement, as one of them had just noticed the child for the first time and blinked at her with its bulging blue eyes. It chirped and started waddling curiously towards her.
He'd heard of Mooncalves before but he couldn't say he'd ever actually looked at one before. He decided he could have happily gone the rest of his life without seeing one and been all the better for it. They were repulsive and slightly unsettling. That his daughter could be so enamored by them and they by her just made his opinion of them all sink that much lower.
"I cannot imagine why," he remarked dryly. "Come along, Althea!" If he had to physically extract his reticent daughter from the cow pen he damn well would but he really didn't want to have to resort to such coarse action. "They have some sort of attraction magic, I take it?" They had better, or else Althea was going to be in a world of trouble when they returned home.
It was about this moment that Amelia's expression started to turn sour. It was one thing to bark at his own child; she couldn't exactly help that. Zoo patrons came to give their children something to be distracted by and she was more than happy to provide such an outlet. Yet here was a man doing exactly that, and getting frustrated at his daughter for indulging him in it? "Really, I'm sure she's just curious, all children are, sir!" she said, her voice still attempting to be cheerful. Despite her best efforts, she was no actress. Should she let the mooncalf approach the child to further irritate the man, or should she simply cast another charm to prevent the animal from going any further?
"They don't," she answered, knowing it wouldn't do much good to lie to the man. "However I do find that many of the children seem to be attracted to the creatures." An odd occurrence since they were normally shy ones, but it was entirely possible for the babies to have acclimated to the numerous guests the zoo received every year.
The girl wasn't moving and it was clear that this sympathizing zoo woman was the sort to think children were precious little angels because she had none and would spoil any children she may one day have with dangerous coddling. "Well her curiosity should be sated by now." He eyed his daughter sharply as he took a few steps towards her and grabbed her by the arm. "Enough is enough, Althea, you're making a scene. It's time to go home." The girl's face crumpled up as she started to wail. Thankfully her feet were still functional and he didn't have to use too much force. "Please forgive my daughter she has a most unfortunate disposition. We'll bother you no further. Good day, Miss."
With that Charles led his howling daughter from the enclosure while imagining every possible way he could rid himself of her before leaving the premises.
Amelia's eyes widened as the man grabbed his daughter to pull her away. Her expression grew darker as he turned to leave, however it grew more sympathetic for the child as she wailed in protest. The downside to being an employee here meant she was rather at mercy to the many privileged parents who decided that their time was more important than their children enjoying themselves.
She sighed, removing the charm that held the moon calves at bay and waved at the child as she disappeared with her father into the park. Merlin help whatever nanny would have to care for that child and however many emotional scars she ended up having in the future, Amelia thought as she turned back to her work.
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