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Howl knew he shouldn't have asked a pregnant woman to go to a movie with him; especially when Lance was so apparently possessive. He wasn't even a fan of the series the movie they were going to see was from; he knew very little about it, in fact, and that very little consisted of the facts; his mother had the books on her bookshelf, and his father, who had read the first two books, considered them extremely insulting due to how the author had depicted elves.

The very little more he knew about the series was that it was about a wizard who'd grown up learning about magic. Something he could relate to. Unfortunately, said teenage wizard didn't know that this was the last movie in the series; unfortunately he didn't know that in said series, magic was channeled through wands.

So he had called Kali, inviting her to come along with him, in hopes they could spend time with her uninterrupted.

"I thought it'd be a good movie for us to see," Howl said with a shrug. "It's about magic, and mom likes it, so--" well, Howl's mother liked several things the wizard himself did not. Such as the movie that claimed to be about him, when it clearly was not. "Do you want popcorn?" he asked with a smile, before moving to lean into Kali's ear.

"Don't worry. I'm not paying for any refreshments. They have a rule about not bringing anything in. They never said anything about summoning popcorn, drinks and candy. So tell me what you'd like. Here's your ticket," he added, handing her a thin piece of paper. "They won't let us in without them." He didn't seem to understand that rule at all. "Anyway, if it's as bad as some of the people said it was when they left, we can leave half way through and go get icecream or something. Miles said it's an action movie. So if you get scared or anything... We can leave, alright?"

Of course, if he became frightened, he'd make some excuse for them to leave as well.

"It's not illegal," Howl said, still whispering. "There's no law against it yet. Of course, we might be the reason they make a law against it. Licorice sounds great! Red or black? How about both? Then we can decide later." He fell silent and grinned at his friend. He had thought she would like his plan.

"Well, just in case," Howl said. "Last movie I paid attention to--well. I don't remember. Something about a wizard and his master--it was somewhat interesting, anyway. Cheesy music, though. They made it so each time said wizard kissed his girlfriend, they played the same word. I hope Harry Potter isn't like that. I mean, the fact that they brought in Merlin stuff was pretty cool and all--" Howl was one of those firm believers in the Merlin mythology. "But," he wrinkled his nose. "No cheesy music, I hope. I wonder if they use rings for this movie, too. The concept was neat... Of course, I'd never need a ring to give me my powers. Born with it."

"I'm a much nicer master than either of them," Howl informed her smugly. "They did, though. I watched it alone with Leyla, and she's not very much fun to watch movies with. You know, she's little--so she fell asleep half way through." Howl would never admit it, but he was very fond of his younger sister. At least, he might admit that she was cute when she slept.

Noticing Owen, however, Howl put an arm around Kali's waist, waved at the boy, and smirked. "Seems like he's got spies everywhere, Kali," he muttered. "Don't worry. I think Lance and I will eventually become friends... It might just take a while for him to realize the only girl I'd want to see the way he sees you is Sophie." He hesitated, and frowned slightly. "Lord of the Rings is frightening, Kali. I don't think you should be around so much excitement. You're pregnant. What if you get scared and the baby gets hurt?"

Howl frowned. Oh yes, he knew what he'd do if he saw Lance with another girl. If Lance so much as made Kali cry, he knew what he'd do, and it wouldn't be pretty. "If I saw Lance with another girl, believe me, I wouldn't waste my time thinking about it. I'd turn him into a toad. Or worse." He gently poked her belly, making sure not to hurt her. "I was hoping you, Lance and I could do something together, maybe--maybe then he'll see I'm not as bad as he thinks I am."

He couldn't help worrying--and besides that, it was a good excuse to avoid movies that frightened him, too. "Too much excitement can cause early deliveries," he informed her matter-of-factly. "I tried keeping Sophie from arguing with me before Morgan was born, but she insisted on it." He made a face. "I've never met anyone as stubborn as you redheaded women."

"If I turned him into a toad, it'd be animal abuse," Howl mused. "Maybe I could turn him into a punching bag, if he upsets you..." He followed her, still musing how exactly he'd get back at Lance for hurting Kali. "Just in case," he said with a nod. "Always good to have a back up plan." He paused, and frowned slightly. "We could go bowling," he suggested. "Or to a party. Maybe see a movie, hit the town, go to a club... But you won't be drinking anything stronger than tea," he added quickly. "I'm not about to allow you to do anything that could endanger you--or the baby."

"Probably not," the wizard agreed with a smile. "You wouldn't be half as fun without it. Could do without all the attempts on my life you've made, though..." None of them had actually been Kali's fault, but Howl still liked to tease her. "I'm fun to argue with?" he asked. "How?"

He looked around at the seats, and took Kali's hand again, steering her towards two seats close to the center of the theater. "Here," he said. "Let's sit here. Best view of the screen."