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Welcome to Charming, the year is now 1895. It’s time to join us and immerse yourself in scandal and drama interlaced with magic both light and dark.

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Posted by: Eavan Miller
November 25, 2018 – 2:22 AM
Forum: 1888
- Replies (11)

November 24th, 1888 - MacKay/Walsh Residence
Conall MacKay

It had been a little over two weeks since Eva had finally plucked up the nerve to talk with Fletcher about her future likelihood of having children and it had gone surprisingly well- maybe a little too well, not that she was complaining. That thought brought a little blush to her cheeks and had her biting her lip at the memory. It wasn't that she'd ever doubted him, she would never doubt him now, but she'd really wanted to gauge for herself, firsthand, just how important it was to him to eventually have children. It wasn't very upsetting for her, which was probably strange for a woman her age, already past her 'prime' for things like marriage and babies, but Eva had never truly envisioned herself a mother anyway. She had plenty of babies; bird babies, creature babies, grown man-children; she wasn't lacking in things to care for or demands on her time.

Speaking of her grown man-child, Eva had yet to talk to him about all of this, though that was more of a cowardly move on her part, as she had no idea how Conall was going to react to any of this. Her gut reaction was that it would go poorly, but she had to hold out a little hope that he would see that she was happy and that was what mattered, right? Thankfully, when she'd approached Mrs. Sweeney about making one of his favorite dishes for dinner that night, something she hadn't  had in a while herself, her housekeeper was more than happy to oblige. Hopefully it would help to soften him up a little. Eva hadn't any idea where Una or Tierney were tonight, but she was kind of thankful it would just be the two of them for dinner, far less awkward without other people listening in.

It was all laid out on the little kitchen table shortly after she'd gotten home from the zoo, exhaustion creeping into her bones, but knowing if she didn't do it tonight, it would take her a while to gather the courage again. Having been the first to enter the kitchen, she sank gratefully into her chair and poured herself a small measure of whiskey. It certainly wouldn't help with the exhaustion but it would help take the edge off. The door swung open just as she started to take a sip and she passed him a tired smile over the rim of her own glass. "Hello Da, how was your day?" Oh Merlin this was terrifying!

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Posted by: Everett Griffiths
November 24, 2018 – 4:42 PM
Forum: Questions & Suggestions
- Replies (6)

So I have a question, and wasn't quite sure where to post it but i figured this place looked like a good place.

Does the Gambling Act of 1845 also apply to the Wizarding world? Would the Ministry have passed something similar, or do they have their own version of the a gambling law? Or do they have any at all?
How normal is betting on Quidditch?

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Posted by: Everett Griffiths
November 24, 2018 – 2:14 PM
Forum: Accepted
- Replies (1)

In-Character
Full Name: Everett Griffiths
Nicknames: Griff (though using this nickname may earn you an irritated glare)
Birthdate: November, 13, 1847
Current Age: 41
Occupation: Owner of the Hog's Head / Bookie
Reputation: 4, a combination of his shady criminal past, and now being the owner of a rather disreputable pub.
Residence: Above the Hog's Head, Hogsmeade
Hogwarts House: Hufflepuff
Wand: Hawthorne, 12", dragon heartstring, supple
Blood Status: Half-blood
Social Class: Working class
Family:
Ives Griffiths - brother [1856]
Erika Griffiths - Niece [1877]
Nial Griffiths - uncle [1823 - ?]

Appearance: Everett is a rather average man, standing at 5'8" and with a wiry build. He holds himself with a casual sort of confidence, almost careless to the untrained eye, but there's always a certain underlying tension, like he's ready to spring into action at any moment. He seems to slightly favour his left leg, but doesn't walk with any obvious limp. He has a long, thin scar winding it's way down the left side of his face, bisecting his upper lip. His hands are equally scarred and calloused, speaking of hard labour and fights before he became the owner of the Hog's Head (and perhaps even after). His wand hand is his left hand.

His clothing is nothing fancy, the fabric is rough and obviously cheap, but they're clean and without tears and holes. He cares for his appearance and gravitates towards darker colours like dark blues, greens, grey and black. When working behind the bar at the Hog's Head he tends to forego the jacket, wearing a white shirt with a dark blue waistcoat, the sleeves of his shirt rolled up to his elbow to keep it from getting dirty.

History:
- 1847- Everett is born to a half-blood wizard and muggle-born witch.
- 1856 - Ives is born, and Everett becomes responsible for looking after his brother while his parents work.
- 1859 - Everett starts his first and only year at Hogwarts, the family barely able to scrape together the money for supplies. He got good grades, but even with a partial academic scholarship the family couldn't afford to another year.
- 1863 - Falls in with a bad crowd and starts working as hired muscle for a money lending business. Both to function as a bodyguard and discourage protection rackets, but also to collect money from those who owe it.
- 1867 - Is arrested for violence and extortion. He could have gotten off with a slightly lighter sentence if he'd given up the names of some of those he worked for and with, but Everett showed his Hufflepuff colours by refusing to give up the names. Loyalty has always been something he valued highly, on his more grim days he likes to dryly joke it's his one good quality. His father wanted to quit all ties with him after this, but Everett's mother and Ives vetoed that decision.
- 1870 - Released from prison and moves to what had then been the very small village of Hogsmeade and began working for his uncle Nial Griffiths at the Hog's Head. The only establishment that would hire him, and where the clientele wouldn't be put off by his past.
- 1876 - Everett becomes the new owner of the Hog's Head after his uncle suddenly disappears. Some suspicion is leveled at Everett due to his spotty past, but there was no evidence to suggest foul play, nor what had actually happened to Nial. (Everett doesn't know what happened either, despite the time and resources used to try and track down his uncle.)
- 1877 - The exodus to Hogsmeade, The Hog's Head inn houses those who need it for a "reasonable" price while houses are being built. It really was quite good for business, so Everett thought it a good year all things considered.
- 1883 - Seeing his chance to earn more money with Hogsmeade hosting the Quidditch world cup, he begins arranging bets on Quidditch matches in the Hog's Head. This continues even after the world cup is over with other quidditch matches and any other sporting or events at agreed upon odds.
- 1884 - Thanks to the fact that the Hog's Head lies far down High Street and well away from Wellingtonshire it was spared the flames, Everett is quite smug about this. He also buys Greebo, a ragged part-kneazle part-cat to keep the rat and mice population down.
- 1887- While Everett has never been particularly interested in politics he staunchly and verbally makes his displeasure known at the new discriminatory rules against those who doesn't have pure human heritage. While he doesn't get particularly involved he does allow posters and flyers protesting the ban circulate the Hog's Head. He sees it as only natural since both some of his employees and customers aren't quite human.
-1888- Ives tricks him into coming home for a visit for Erika's birthday, and a silent war is waged between him and his father as they both non-verbally tries to communicate how much they despise each other while trying not to ruin Erika's birthday.

Personality: Grumpy - Vicious - Loyal - Stubborn - Protective- Cynical

Other:
Everett is gay, and while he doesn't exactly care about his reputation he is a private man and so has kept any affairs secret.
He can seem harsh at first, but he cares for his friends and family. It's just hidden beneath layers of barbed comments and cold glares.
He has a black part-kneazle named Greebo, he keeps the Hog's Head free from rats and mice. It also menaces the local owl population and pesters regulars for food.

Sample Roleplay Post:
Everett had always hated winter, the cold it brought with it. When he'd been young, it had been because they'd never seemed to be able to keep the chill out. The way it crept in despite their best efforts. Now it was because it made old injuries ache and brought bad memories to the surface. Hastening his pace he glared at the way his breath came out in white puffs as he walked back to the Hog's Head, snow crunching underneath his feet.

Opening the door to the inn, he gave a small sigh of relief at the warmth greeting him. It was disgustingly early in the morning, too early for the Hog's Head to be open and so only blissful silence greeted him. Stamping his feet a couple of times to dislodge any snow he then stepped into the building, heading towards the back of the bar where the door to the staff room was, setting down a basket of supplies on the counter as he went past it. A ragged black part-kneazle slinked over to him, winding it's way around his ankles and giving a discontent meow. With a small huff he leaned down to give Greebo a scratch behind his ragged ears.

"I already fed you. If you want more to eat then you'll have to do what I actually got you for and hunt mice." Everett told the kneazle sternly, a smile pulling at the corners of his mouth. This earned him a sharp nip to his fingers and a displeased glare. Rolling his eyes Everett stood up, giving a small grunt at the way his right knee ached. No time to loiter, he had to stock up the bar before the regulars started banging on the door to let them in so they could start day-drinking.

Out-of-Character
Name: Freya
Age: 21
Contact: PM, discord, I can always dig up my old skype if necessary
Other Characters: No
How did you hear about us?: RPG-D

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Posted by: Eugene Scamander
November 23, 2018 – 1:34 AM
Forum: 1888
- Replies (13)

November 22nd, 1888 - HH, Creature-Induced Injuries
Tilda MacFusty

By the time Eugene had been let into the exam room, he could feel the blood soaking through his shirt into his jacket. The tattered fabric was starting to get stuck in the wounds and he was basically a mess. Fortunately the idiot keeping a very illegal tebo in his backyard was facing some hefty fines and a possibly time in Azkaban.

Unfortunately for him and his colleague, the damn warthog-like creature was rather nasty and had the wonderful ability to turn itself invisible. Eugene managed to get his coat off, careful of the pocket that contained his likely rattled niffler, though Ginger was fine, cranky, but fine. He'd already checked on her and she had been appeased with some treats and his cufflinks to add to her mounting collection. Setting his coat on a nearby chair, Eugene gingerly perched himself on the exam table and started to unbutton his shirt. He'd been on his way home, his ministry robes in his locker in the department, when he'd gotten the last minute call to assist. Boy had he regretted that one.

Peeling the bloodied shirt away from his torso, Eugene surveyed what was a really nice gash to his side. It could have been worse he supposed; he could have been gored. Of course it was accompanied by a battery of bruises and abrasions thanks to being tossed about the cellar in which the idiot in Wellingtonshire had been keeping the tebo. Hissing in pain, he let the shirt fall back into place just as he heard the door open.

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Posted by: Chester Lockhart
November 22, 2018 – 9:25 PM
Forum: Post
- Replies (1)

November 19th, 1888
Mr Bixby,

I trust my owl finds you and that my daughter is in good health. Happiness however; that is not something I might comment on.

Seeing as you elected to pull my daughter into marriage without so much as a word to myself almost a month ago, I think it is only prudent that I invite you and my daughter to dinner to discuss this situation. Rest assured, it shall be a fine evening as we have much to talk through.

Tuesday on the fourth of December no later than seven in the evening at my home is when you are both to be expected. You should know the address though I trust this time you will not bring my daughter to tears.

I expect a response punctually and pray tell, what is your favourite food? My wife has requested to know.

Further, I might request you ensure you have some dining clothes to wear. My family eats well and ought to look the part. I know that sport you play does not pay well and I trust you’ve been making sure my daughter is living to the standard to which I expect also.

With regard,
Mr Lockhart
Head of the
Department of Magical Accidents and Catastrophes

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Posted by: Mason Skeeter
November 22, 2018 – 7:23 PM
Forum: 1888
- Replies (9)

November 19th, 1888 - MoM
Maeve Connolly

It wasn't often that his mother needed his expertise on matters for work, they hardly overlapped, plants and creatures, but Mason supposed that once in a while it was nice to get out and do something related to his field that wasn't teaching. Plus he never approached the Headmaster for a leave without a legitimate excuse. Consulting on a ministry matter was probably a good enough reason. Probably.

Apparently there was a local florist, one Mason thought he might be familiar with, that wanted to crossbreed plants and animals? That was new and Mason thought, rather unorthodox if he were being honest. He'd been called to give a professional opinion on the matter, if you was even possible and how the ministry should facilitate the process. It had been interesting, to say the least, though he wasn't entirely sure of the prospects, he'd given his best professional opinion on the matter and he had spare time before heading back to the school.

On his way out of the ministry, Mason thought about stopping by Quin's for a snack or two, or even to see if his friend would take some time to grab some dinner, but he was stopped in his tracks after catching sight of a familiar head of red hair. Poor Miss Connolly seemed to be going through the ringer lately and being married to Barney couldn't have made it any easier. He thought he might not bother her, but as he looked up again, his eyes caught hers, so he passed her a sheepish smile. "Miss Connolly, a pleasure to see you again." He greeted as she shifted the book and papers in his arms from one to the other, leaving room for him to scratch the back of his head idly, a quirk when he didn't know what else to do with his hands.

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Posted by: Daily Prophet
November 22, 2018 – 5:49 PM
Forum: The Daily Prophet
- No Replies

— The —
Daily Prophet
Price One Knut
November 22nd, 1888
Mystery Cupid Still at Large
No news bad news for those impacted by enchanted love letters

The Department of Magical Law Enforcement confirms that it has no leads into who was behind the rash of amortentia-dosed love letters sent out in September. The large-scale enchantment prompted numerous hasty marriages, and the reverberations of the associated scandals can still be felt in the magical community at large.

“We are doing all in our power to see that the culprit is brought to justice,” said auror Maeve Skeeter. Mrs. Skeeter’s own marriage was brought about by the matchmaker, and sources report it is not a happy one. “Without information from the public and without an excellent break, however, it looks less and less likely that we will find success.”

Mrs. Skeeter was the first to file an official complaint on the matter, and has been on the case ever since.

“Love potions are a tricky business,” explained solicitor John Smith. “At their core, they are decidedly immoral and fall into a legal grey area. The Ministry’s Department of Magical Records was good to offer the opportunity for annulments, though without an explicit culprit, it is difficult to establish wrong-doing.”

Anyone with insight into the matter is urged to contact the Auror Office.
Archie Skeeter
Written by Kayte

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Posted by: Kieran Abernathy
November 22, 2018 – 3:31 AM
Forum: 1888
- Replies (11)

September 30th, 1888 - The Augurey Beak Cafe
This letter nonsense really had everyone all over the place. Kieran, as someone who wrote stories and so did not appear in them, was finding this all very amusing. (He probably would find it significantly less amusing if Jude got one.) As someone who was not a social and gossip reporter, he found it even more amusing, because it meant that his workload was significantly lessened as they scrambled around trying to learn things in time for copy. Hilarious.

He was reading the day's Witch Weekly, which he had actually purchased that morning, and drinking whiskey while seated at the bar. This was all to say that Kieran was in his happy place. The other good thing was, given that it was a Sunday, the bar wasn't even crowded. He couldn't have made this better if he tried. A former candidate for Minister married a female auror, the head auror had married that girl he kept cavorting around with, and he could not wait to see who else had been made a fool of. This prankster was, possibly, Kieran's new favorite person. He probably would have felt actual sympathy if the prank had impacted anyone who felt real to him. While Key ran into aurors when he was on work assignments, that did not mean that reporter-auror interactions were ever anything that even approached human. And besides that, the concept of a debutante was so far removed from his existence that he could not even picture the new Mrs. Umbridge as a real person.

Apparently the universe was conspiring to make this better for him, because who spilled through the doors of the Augurey but Eileen's friend Tala. Kieran's face lit up with mischief as soon as he saw her come through the doors; he straightened in his seat. His eyebrows shot up. He couldn't help but grin. Because in addition to being Eileen's friend, Tala had deployed quite the display with Asha the other day, or so Kieran was told. (That he had missed this was a tragedy. He had nearly fallen off of his barstool when told about it.)

Tala looked rather harried, but Kieran decided not to put too much mind to that. They weren't close enough friends for him to be that concerned about it, and the opportunity to poke fun outweighed any arguments in favor of being concerned for a friendly acquaintance. Maybe one of her plants was ill. That seemed like something that would happen to a herbologist.

"Are you looking for Mr. Bilton?" he asked. Key did not even bother to keep the snark out of his tone. Tala had lost her ability to avoid snark with her public display of affection; if Asha had been with her, Kieran would have been even more obnoxious. "Or our dear Eileen?"

Either, Kieran figured, were equally likely. Unfortunately for Tala, Eileen was stuck at work, and Asha was nowhere to be found. And so she was stuck with Kieran. He did not anticipate that she would decide to stick around for very long.

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Posted by: Dionisia Fisk
November 22, 2018 – 2:53 AM
Forum: 1888
- Replies (18)

November 14th, 1888 — Fisk Family Home, Bartonburg
The Fisk home had always been a sanctuary, a safe home of sorts. It protected her from the orphanage those many summers between school years, and in recent years had always provided a hot meal when food was scarce. She would've never imagined that the day would come when she felt fear—pure, paralyzing terror—upon walking up the steps to the front door. She soon grew grateful for the fear, as it was the only thing stopping her from bursting into tears on the trek to the parlor. She would wait for Zelda—but she had little idea what would come next.

Seconds, minutes, and half an hour passed in solitude, the only soul in sight being the maid who peeked in to ask her if she needed something to drink. Every time was a shake of her head—or a forced "no thank you", if she could manage—and it soon became apparent that Zelda would be returning home late.

It was then that the tears begin to flow, her body slouching forward until her face fell into her open palms. Should she go home? Seek out Mrs. Fisk? Nemo? There wasn't really anyone apart from Zelda she felt she could trust, especially after she'd admitted to kissing a man she liked...

Her sobs grew louder, but she quickly stopped, her gaze flickering towards the door, as footsteps approached.

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Posted by: Dionisia Fisk
November 22, 2018 – 2:04 AM
Forum: 1888
- No Replies

October 1st, 1888 — Pennyworth Boarding House

There were few things worse than a love potion, and one of them was losing her virtue to a love potion. She'd realized the seriousness of her actions even while under its effects; her lover had abandoned her before she could find out where he lived, leaving her a heartbroken—and deflowered—mess.

However, it was two morning afterward that the despair over a lost lover was replaced by the despair of a lost virtue. The longing transformed into repulsion, and the panic set in. She remembered every minute, every hour, that had taken place over her three-day high, but could not for the life of her remember why she made such brash, impulsive, irresponsible decisions! After minutes of deep breathing exercises, Dionisia concluded the only fortunate element in this piss poor situation was that there was no one to be disappointed in her. There was no family to scandalize, and few friends to embarrass. And if circumstances forced her to make sudden changes, well...

She was a muggleborn. She could survive in the muggle world as a muggle, and \with a few month's training she could serve as a muggle nurse. She would start saving, just in case, and then—

"Well, hopefully it won't come to that," she murmured, clutching the pink envelope in her hand.

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