Howl and Vate's Journal

[Thaliawen]

Chills and Thrills  

[Thaliawen]

Taken from Sammi and Reiya's journal.

In Which Howl Gains two Girlfriends at Once

Thaliawen

"Reiya, will you---"

"If you're going to ask me what I think you're going to ask, the answer is still no," Reiya said in a bored tone. She didn't need to hear the rest of the question, she had heard it several times before. "I've told you before, Howl. I don't like you like that. You're annoying." The sad thing was, Reiya wasn't trying to be mean. She was telling it like it was. Howl annoyed her, what was wrong in telling him so? "Maybe if you stop asking every girl you see out, you'll find one that you can really love," she suggested, trying to amend the damage she'd caused. She could tell by the look on Howl's face. Danger was near.

Howl pretended not to hear her, the hurt look still on his face. He walked purposefully over to Samantha, who was busily drawing a picture--that was ever so carefully carefully labeled 'To: Aaron'. She was laying on her stomach, her legs up in the air. Howl sat on the floor next to her, careful so he wouldn't be kicked. "Sammi, will you go out with me?"

Sammi looked up, putting her crayon back into it's box. "Howl, really," she started, her smile fading slightly. She too, had heard this question several times before. "You're cute, but I can't date you. You're my little cousin. Anyway; wouldn't you rather wait for someone who isn't related to you? Like Alome or Natalie? They're your age, even if you look older."

Howl gave her such an anguished look that she instantly regretted what she had said. "Look," she said gently, sitting up and putting a hand on his shoulder. "I like someone else. I'm sure you'll find someone. You like spiders, don't you? When a spider's web falls, they build it again. So you just need to keep trying, okay?"

Howl didn't look at her. He sat crosslegged on the floor, and gave a sigh. Samantha recognized the signs, unfortunately. "Hey," she said. "Just because I won't date you doesn't mean I don't like you, you know." Howl gave another sigh. Reiya looked up from the letter she was writing. Both twins knew if they didn't do something, a tantrum would be unavoidable. They exchanged looks, and nodded.

"Howl," Reiya said, glancing at her depressed cousin. "If we go out with you, you promise to leave us alone?"

Howl looked up at that. A bright smile lit his features. There was a playful twinkle in his eyes that suggested that he hadn't really been upset at all. "You'll go out with me? Really?"

Another look was exchanged between the twins. It was clear both of them were wondering what they had gotten themselves into. "But you've got to promise not to ask us again after this, okay?" Samantha reminded him.

"Promise!"

 

[Thaliawen]

In Which Howl Discovers His Ability (Or Lack There Of)

Howl was in one of those moods where everyone around him knew green slime would be appearing at any moment. The blonde boy was sitting at the end of his bed, his head resting on his hands. His elbows were using his knees for support. He looked altogether hopeless, but one had to remember that this was the boy who had caught a cold a few days before, and decided he was dying.

Still, there was something different about this tantrum. There was an air of unhappiness that hung over the young wizard. It seemed as if something was really bothering him. Typically when Howl was in such a mood, those in the household knew better than to comfort him. They knew that the more attention he recieved, the worse he would get.

Devin, naturally, was the first to approach him. The toddler had his sword out, as if to fend off any spirits Howl might summon. He had clearly seen this sort of thing before. "Howl, what'th wrong? Why you thad?"

Howl didn't look up as his younger brother sat on the bed next to him. He heaved another sigh. Devin wrapped his arms around him; despite the danger he knew he was in.

"Dun be thad, Howl," he said, giving his brother a smile. "Play with me!" Howl responded with yet another great sigh. The vain wizard laid back onto his bed, staring up at the ceiling. Devin didn't move from his spot on the bed, and instead looked down at his brother. "Howl, I not gonna athk you 'gain," he did the best imitation of his father he could manage. "What'th wrong?"

Howl opened his mouth to sigh again, but seemed to think better of it. That and his brother was aiming his wooden sword at the feature Howl valued most--his hair. "Dev, even you have something you're good at," he started. "You're good at sword fighting. Joshua can sing; Sammi controls fire, Reiya can pull pranks on the weather man..." he smiled sadly at his joke. "Everyone I know has an ability, or something they're good at... I don't." Finished with his speech, Howl gave another sigh. He was in his self pity mode, or he might have realized that he had a certain ability for magic.

"Howl, you gotth a power," Devin said seriously. "You do. Girlth." As vague as that explaination was, it made Howl sit up and stare at his younger brother for a moment. Then he sighed, and rested his chin on his palms.

"Great power," he muttered. "Chasing girls away. No wonder they won't look at me. They always reject me. I do all I can to please them, and still they don't accept my undying love. Do they doubt my loyalty? My utter and complete devotion for them must not be enough... Girls are heartless."

Devin rolled his eyes. "No, thilly. You athk the wrong girlth," he said bluntly, now taking on a tone their cousin Miles often used. "You notithe," he began, looking to his brother, "that all girlth thept family like you? And even family too--everyone liketh you! You athk the wrong girlth. Dun athk family on dateth. Dun athk Riri and Thammi. Dun athk Auntie or Mommy." He shook his head, as if Howl should have known this all along. "Alome and Natty like you," he told his brother. "I thawed them at pumpkin plathe. They like you. Athk them!"

Howl blinked, and stared at his younger brother for the second time that evening. "I make girls like me? Brilliant! Now when I learn how to use this..."

Uh-oh. Howl knowing how to control his ability wasn't a good thing, Devin decided. He hopped off of the bed, and waved to his brother. "Dun tell!" he whispered, before hurrying out of the room. Oh, if Daddy knew he'd helped Howl with his ability...

Well, he would be in trouble.  

[Thaliawen]

Taken from Sammi and Reiya's journal

In Which Howl Recieves A Book

Quote:

It had been a week since the twins had reluctantly agreed to go out with Howl. A week of their cousin coming over and bringing over-the-top gifts, calling twice a day, and leaving 'anonymous' secret-admirer notes at their front door. At first it was nice, getting jewelry and faux flowers daily; it was nice to see Howl so happy. It was nice to--no, that wasn't nice.

Both twins knew this was wrong; leading Howl on, even if they had told him before that they'd only accepted so he'd leave them alone. "We should tell him," Samantha muttered, looking over to her sister. Reiya was fingering the necklace Darcy had given her nervously. "He's probably already forgotten about the promise. You know how forgetful he can be when it comes to girls."

"I know. This has gone on for too long," Reiya agreed easily, an air of formality hanging in the air between the two girls. "We'll tell him when he comes over later."

"We can't be too hard on him," Sammi pointed out. "We don't want to hurt him too badly. He is our little cousin. He's awfully sweet--if I didn't know he didn't have a heart..." Her sister cut her off with a frown.

"Sammi, you know as well as I do that he's married. It's lucky Mom had that book, really. You know he'll feel as if he's betrayed Sophie if he falls for anyone else. Remember when he kept tantruming when he wasn't able to find her? Think of what might happen when he's older, and realizes he's tried to replace her."

"A bigger tantrum?" Sammi suggested, with a weak smile. She was remembering how bad Zee's living room had looked after the first one. She didn't think it'd ever be the same. "Poor Uncle Zee," she muttered, before glancing at her sister. "What do you suppose we do, Rei?"

Reiya wore the expression their mother did when she'd come up with a particularly good (in her opinion) plan. "I suggest we make sure he doesn't fall for anyone," she said in a hushed tone. "We can help him wait for Sophie."

"But Rei, he doesn't--"

"Remember her. I know," Reiya silenced her with a hand. "But. He won't get his heart back until he truly falls in love with someone, right? Isn't that what happened in the book? Calcifer had Sophie break the contract because she could talk things to life--"

"I didn't mean that. He can't fall in love without a heart. It said because of Howl's bargain with Calcifer, he'd never be able to truly love anyone."

"Yes he can," Reiya said, frowning at her sister. "He loved Sophie before he got his heart back. Our job is to make sure that doesn't happen again."

"But what if Sophie doesn't come here, Rei? It wouldn't be nice to let him stay unhappy all his life..."

"If she doesn't come, we'll hook him up with Natalie," Reiya said with a smirk. It looked out of place on the normally passive face.

"He and Natalie would make a good couple," Samantha said seriously, nodding at the thought. "I think we could manage that. Now that I think of it, he and Alome would make a good couple too." She was oblivious to the fact that a certain blonde wizard was standing behind her. Reiya stared.

"Or not."

"No, it's not that... Hi Howl!" A false cheeriness filled the air. How much had he heard? Did he know their plan? Did he know that they were planning on dumping him? Samantha whipped around to face their younger cousin. She had a hand behind her back, her fingers crossed.

"Hey Sammi," he said dully. Uh-oh. He'd heard something.

"Hey Howl," Sammi echoed his tone.

"You guys... What book? Dad mentioned the name Sophie too. Who is she? I feel as if I'm supposed to know her; Dad acted as if I should." The twins exchanged a look. Both were silent, until Reiya stood up and walked over to the bookshelf near the couch. She took a book with a brightly colored cover off the shelf. It was the only book on the shelf that wasn't covered with dust.

"Here," said Reiya, handing it to him. "I suppose you, more than anyone else, deserve to know your story." The book was Howl's Moving Castle.

 

[Thaliawen]

In Which Howl Reads the Book

In the land of Ingary, where such things as seven-league boots and cloaks of invisiblity really exist, it is quite a misfortune to be born the eldest of three. Everyone knows you are the ne who will fail first, and worst, if the three of you set out to seek your fortunes.

Well this was boring. Howl wasn't the oldest of three, he was one of the youngest of many. He skimmed the rest of the page and learned that Sophie Hatter (whoever she was) was the eldest of three sisters. This was no interest to him, so he skimmed all the way to page five. Ah! He'd found what he'd been looking for at last. His name.

Wizard Howl was bad enough. Though he did not seem to want to leave the hills, he was known to amuse himself by collecting young girls and sucking the souls from them. Or some people said he ate their hearts. He was an utterly cold-blooded and heartless wizard and no young girl was safe from him if he caught her on her own.

Howl frowned. He certainly wasn't cold-blooded, though heartless may have been an accurate observation. He skimmed the rest of the page, learning that Sophie Hatter's father had died. Big deal. He skimmed all the way to chapter three, honestly, this book was such a bore, and inaccurate to boot! Chapter three seemed to be mostly about Sophie and Calcifer.

"We'll think of that one. Howl's pretty useless at most things. In fact," the demon said, venomously hissing, "he's so wrapped up in himself to see beyond his nose half the time. We can decieve him, as long as you agree to stay."

Howl was hurt. He'd always thought of Calcifer as his friend--one that carried his heart, and did what he wanted, but still. A friend. And here Calcifer was, acting as if Howl was some kind of cruel master! Howl slammed the book shut. He'd read more tomorrow; he'd gotten to chapter six. Stupid book. Talking about him in that horrible, inaccurate manner.

Stupid book. Describing him as a cruel and evil person. Stupid book, making him look weak and pathetic. Describing him as someone who stole girls hearts--hey. Maybe that wasn't such a bad idea after all. He could start a rumor. He could blacken his name, and make aliases! Then girls would like him! He could pretend to be evil, and scare people away.

~To be continued when Thali's up to it~  

[Thaliawen]

In Which Howl Advances a Wind to an Honest Mind
(In which Howl realizes the truth).

"I never said my wishes were supposed to do anyone any good. In fact, I swore that they would always do as much harm as possible."

It was not the first time that familar sounding words popped into Howl's mind. It had been happening since he had finished that horrid book; he couldn't seem to get it out of his mind. Every word seemed to cling to his memory; every event held within the pages. What did it matter if the Witch of the Waste had cursed Sophie because she had thought she was Lettie? What did it matter if Calcifer seemed to be named after a falling star? What did it matter if a prince and a wizard had been taken apart and put back together to make a new body, on which the Witch had wanted to put Howl's head? What did it matter if Howl was a slither-outer?--Hey.

"He appeals to me, he shines with dishonesty."

However many lines appeared in his mind, Howl was sure he had never read them before. They had a nice sound to them; like the pleasant sound of a fire crackling, like the sound of arguing... Wait. Arguing wasn't pleasant. Howl shook his head, and sighed. He knew the first sign of insanity was talking to one's self. Maybe he was destined to be a writer. Aunt Thali had once told him that she heard her character's talking to her, at times. Maybe it was like that.

"My word, he's ugly! Chip off the old block."

Who was ugly? Who? Certainly not Howl himself? No, he knew better than that. Howl knew he was one of the best looking things to have ever happened to Gaia. He had lovely blonde hair and beautiful blue eyes, and everything about him was perfect. For a moment, the boy sat there, counting off his perfect traits. He was flawless.

"No no! I'm not going on that! Why do you think I fell off of it before? I hate heights!"

Now that Howl thought might have been him. He did hate heights. They scared him silly. And that movie that had stolen his name? Pathetic. He'd never walk on air just to take a plain looking girl to see her sister. And he certainly wouldn't have risked his life to save her life by going out into the night and flying. The wizard shuddered at the very thought. Ugh, turning into an ugly bird thing? He would have prefered battling the Witch herself, and that was saying a lot.

But how could Howl know that? How could he have known what the Howl in the book would have done?

"The only way I can do something like this is to tell myself I'm not doing it."

Howl was a coward, and if he was ever asked, he would be the first to admit it. He knew the only way he could do something brave was to trick himself into thinking he wasn't doing it. He knew he was thought of brave; and it wasn't so. He was brave, to a point. He was brave until he found someone with equal ability; then he fled.

"I think we ought to live happily ever after. It should be hair-raising."

Howl had the strangest feeling that he had said this to someone before. Who had it been? A vision of a beautiful woman appeared before his eyes. She had short silver hair, like starlight, and fawn brown eyes. "Sophie," he realized. Sophie? The Sophie from the book? The Sophie everyone seemed to be talking about whenever he was around? That meant...

Howl swore in Welsh.

"Now how'll I be able to date anyone?"  

[Thaliawen]

Great Sparks and Poppers, it's New Years!  

[Thaliawen]

The Wizard and the Imp  

[Thaliawen]

In Which a Royal Wizard Catches a Cold

"I'm dying," Howl moaned; Zee had by this point gotten used to his oldest son's whining. This was coming from a boy who'd scraped his knee and announced that he was bleeding to death; this was coming from a boy who turned the living room into an ocean of green slime everytime a haircut was mentioned. If Howl had enough strength to whine, he wasn't dying.

"You're not dying," Zee said, feeling Howl's forehead. So it wasn't an act entirely; the boy did have a fever. "It's a cold. Use your magic and cure yourself if it bothers you."

"I can't," Howl argued from his spot on the couch. He gave a cough, and a pathetic sigh. His entire expression said, 'Pity me'. "There's no cure for a cold." It had never occured to Zee that magic had to follow certain rules. "If only you knew of my suffering... You wouldn't look so amused..." The child sounded so serious, so congested that Zee frowned.

"You've only got a fever. It's nothing serious."

"I'm delirious. I'm seeing strange sights; things invisible to see."

"You're fine," Zee insisted.

Howl looked at his father sorrowfully. His eyes were red-rimmed and overbright. "What happens if I die here? Will I go back to Ingary? Will I be able to see Sophie? Will I go on--to where ever people go?"

Zee paused, he wasn't sure how to answer the boy's question. He had never actually thought of death, being an elf. "I'm not sure," he admitted, frowning slightly. Howl seemed genuinely upset, and it seemed to be more than just a cold. He knew Howl could be whiny--he would complain in paradise if it suited him; but this seemed different. "Look, Howl. It's a cold--it'll pass in a few days."

"I miss Wales," Howl complained. "I always get a cold when I go to Wales; but I haven't been there. I love Wales, but it doesn't love me. I even miss Megan. I miss Mari; she would have made a marvelous witch. I miss Neil and making him computer games no one else has. I miss the djinns. I miss Prince Justin. I miss the King. I miss being Royal Wizard and having to slither out of looking for lost princes. I miss Martha and her cakes. I miss Lettie and her lecturing. I miss my castle. I miss Michael. I miss Morgan. I miss Sophie!"

Zee paused again. So that was what this was about. "You remember then," he muttered. "Everything?"

"Not exactly," came a fizzle from over Howl's shoulder. A familar flame was hanging in the air just above the couch. "He's only finished the books. He remembers some things. Important things--"

"You're talking about me like I'm not here," Howl complained, before blowing his nose into a conjured up tissue. "You always do this."

"Not generally," the fire demon hissed. "You are rather difficult to ignore with your egotistic fickle behavior, extreme lack of money sense--"

"Do you always have to pick on me when I'm sick? Can't you see I'm dying?"

Calcifer and Zee exchanged looks, something that happened quite often. "You're not dying." Calcifer said, rolling his eyes. "Lucky for Michael he's not here with us; you'd be running him ragged having him fetch this that and the other."

"...I miss Michael. At least he cared that he had a dying wizard for a master."  

[Thaliawen]

Quote:

Howl had been spending more and more time in the library; trying daily to recover what he'd lost due to coming to Gaia. He sighed. Why was it that every time he came looking for a certain series of books, they just happened to be checked out? It wasn't fair. People didn't need the books like he did. They were his link to his past; a way for him to remember.

He missed home.Maybe if he read the books often enough, they would become a portal he could go through. He gave the fantasy book shelf one last wistful look before sitting down in a comfortable looking chair. Some of the librarians recognized his mood, and steered clear. If they had known him better, they would have recognized this as the precursor to green slime. He heaved a sigh. "I'll never find Sophie this way."

Tish had been busily going around the library for over an hour now, scooping together a mixture of books to read - both old favorites and those she hadn't read before, and finally decided it was time for a rest. She took a seet in a comfortable chair near a boy who seemed like he was about ready to explode in misery at any given moment; now what did that remind her of....?

Oh, yes, one of the books she'd gathered for re-reading! Eagerly she sorted through the book pile until she found 'Howl's Moving Castle' and its sequels, selecting the first and turning to one of her favorite chapters: the chapter where Howl threw a hissy fit with slime going everywhere. It was not only amusing but also helped her put into perspective the tantrums her cousins' children had at times, back during the days when she had been wrangled into babysitting them.

Nothing those toddlers had ever done could hold a candle to the Wizard Howl's temper tantrums!

Howl looked up when he heard someone sit down in the chair next to him. Blue eyes studied her for a moment, then he caught sight of the title. He groaned, of course the person who'd stolen his book would choose to sit by him. Oh well, at least she was pretty. He didn't mind so much if a pretty girl was reading the book he'd wanted. He'd put it on reserve next time.

He forced a bright, sunny smile. All traces of the green slime mood had disappeared. "Hello," he greeted. "Enjoying your book? Who's your favorite character?" Of course, the boy was vain enough to have assumed that it would be him. Of course it would be, his name was even on the cover.

Tish blinked - what did this boy just say? Oh, wait, he was asking about the book. "Did you want this?" She asked after a moment, blinking curiously at the odd child beside her. Why did he seem somewhat familiar....? Not that it mattered.

She shrugged and smiled back at him, "Oh, I like all of the characters, nearly -well, not all of them, but the majority. . . Calcifer's my favorite though."

The smile slid from Howl's face. Calcifer? How could she like Calcifer more than him? He was the best! What did Calcifer have that he didn't? He'd have to ask the firedemon later. "I suppose he is a good firedemon," he admited, forcing a smile. "Rather stubborn though. He never warms my baths when I ask him to. What do you think of Howl? He's my favorite character." Of course he would be.

He paused and looked at her; he was curious. He hadn't met very many humans in Gaia. "Where are you from?" he wondered aloud. "I'm from Wales myself."

Tish blinked. Once, twice, three times. Then she shrugged and smiled, chalking up this new weirdness to something she'd never properly understand and just rolled with it.

"I grew up here," she said, shrugging. "And aren't you a bit far from home, Howl-of-many-names?"

Howl stared at her for a moment. He hadn't expected her to know who he was, he thought he had played the part of an indifferent party fairly well. It must have been what he'd said about Wales that'd given him away. "How'd you know my name? I go by Howl here--use of fancier names is a quirk of mine I haven't kept up lately." That and Sophie had never approved of his changing his name everytime he met someone.

He paused, and thought about her question. His shoulders slumped, and an expression of despair marred his face. "Home..." he sighed. "Would you believe that someone magically transported me here, turned me into this, and has so far allowed me to suffer?" He looked towards Tish's pile of books. "Do you think Sophie and Morgan are alright?"

Tish smiled at Howl - a genuine one, full of compassion. "This is Gaia; considering what all's happened here I can believe just about anything," she said, handing him the books on his -well, adopted- world. "I think they're alright. . . . maybe they'll be brought here, too."

Looking at te books for a moment, she paused and then smiled. "You read these often, I assume? Would you like your own copies of them? I know a store than can sell them bound in a style you might prefer."

Howl gave Tish a smile, looking up at her. "Thank you," he said. This was unusual for the boy, usually he didn't take the time to thank anyone. "I've looked for Sophie for a long time," he said, looking down at the books in his hands. "I was hoping she and Morgan came to this world too, and I could find them. Maybe we can start over when they come... I can make a new castle with Calcifer."

His eyes widened. Why was she being so nice to him? He wasn't used to this. He was used to being ignored when he had tantrums and ignored when he was trying to get attention--okay, he was ignored quite a bit of the time. "Really?" he asked. "You'd do that for me?" He stared at her for a moment, wondering if there was some kind of catch. "I can still do magic," he offered. "Spells and such--if you need anything."

Tish smiled. "I bet you could even make a better castle," Tish said, resisting the urge to mess up the boy-wizard's hair. She had the feeling the vain man that was still inside that child's body wouldn't appreciate such a gesture too much. "It'll be a challenge though, since there's that fancy airship that flies around, and the Dernier*Cri store..."

She blinked at his offer and tilted her head. "I really don't need anything, thanks - but I'll definitely think of you if I do," Tish said, grinning cheekily this time. "After all, you are the best wizard to ask for, right?"

Howl wouldn't have liked having his hair messed up, no. "Dernier*Cry?" Howl echoed. He'd never heard of it; though he never really paid attention to Gaian stores. "Flying?" A frown crossed his face. Competition! He hated competition, despite the fact that he always won. He was simply too vain to allow competition. "My castle will be even better. Better than Melicot's place, better than anything you've ever seen," he promised.

He paused, and a genuine smile made it's way across his face. "I'm the best wizard in Ingary or anywhere else," he said matter of factly. "Even if I'm stuck like this."

"I know it will be, and I know you are," Tish said, completely sincere. "Did Calcifer come with you, or is he back with Sophie and Morgan?" she asked curiously, not wanting to bring up wounds but wanting to know nevertheless. After a moment, she smiled and got up, setting her books down.

"Well, I can check these out at another time. Shall we go to the bookstore I mentioned, Wizard Howl?"

"Calcifer's here," Howl said, slightly surprised at her question. "Well, not here here, he's not allowed in the library. He got sent out because of some rule about not burning books or something--I don't understand Gaians. I tried telling them that he wouldn't do anything--he was just looking for murder mysteries. They wouldn't listen. I think he's still outside if you want to meet him?" It was the least he could do, if she was going to help him get a copy of his books, he might as well allow Tish to meet his firedemon.

"Call me Howl," the wizard insisted. "Wizard Howl is worse than Howell. Only royalty and witches call me Wizard Howl." He paused, and winked at her. "After the bookstore, fancy a date?"

"And how do you know I'm not a witch?" Tish asked, though she winked as she said it. She was as far from a witch as any human could be! She nodded a little, somewhat absently. "Oh, the shop we'll be going to should allow Calcifer in - if not, he can hide in the fireplace they have in one corner," she said, shrugging a bit.

"And I'm afraid I don't trust you on a date without Sophie around," Tish added. "But I might exhance contact information with you - I'll be sure to keep an eye out for Sophie and Morgan- and whoever else may show up from your world." She frowned then, a disasteful thought crossing her mind. "You don't suppose whoever summoned you could summon the Witch of the Waste, do you? Even though she's technically dead? Or lubbocks?"

"I can tell," Howl told her with a smile. "I know my profession well enough to be able to tell who's got it and who hasn't." He looked slightly relieved when she said Calcifer would be welcome in the shop--he had recently started feeling rather awkward without the firedemon at his side. "I like to keep Calcifer close these days," he confided. "He's got my heart, you see." The contract had already been broken by Sophie, allowing Howl to speak of it.

A frown made it's way to Howl's face. He would have pouted if he hadn't been in public. He had been so good with the ladies in Ingary. "I would like that," he said agreeably. His frown deepened. "I don't think they could," he muttered. "No spell I know of can bring back the dead. The person who brought me here isn't as intelligent as we might have hoped--she might bring lubbocks. Gaia would be destroyed in a few days if that happened." He gave a shudder. "Let's go." He stood up, and offered her his arm. "Ready to meet your favorite character?"

"Let's hope she doesn't," Tish said with a wince, knowing that Howl was far more knowledgable about the frightening purple creatures than she was. "And I think you mean one of my favorite characters," she added, taking Howl's arm. "I do believe that Howl's risen up my favorites list to be equal with Calcifer at last."

"Don't worry. Lubbocks are solitary. If Darcy brings only one lubbock, Calcifer and I can handle it." He paused, and turned his head to look at her. He gave her a sunny smile. "Really? He's my favorite character too. I'm rather fond of him."

He led her out to the front of the library, outside where a familar flame was floating lazily. "Calcifer, look," Howl said, by way of introduction. "This is--" He paused, realizing he didn't know the woman's name.

"Not again," Calcifer said, rolling his eyes. "Howl, you wait until Sophie hears of--"

"She's not my girlfriend."

"You prefer the term cleaning lady now?"

Howl was silent.

It was only natural for Calcifer to assume such, the rational part of Tish's brain knew, only it failed to communicate such to her temperamental side, which reacted before the rest of her could stop it.

"Oi, listen here, you 'great and powerful fire demon'; or I'll whittle you down to embers and use you as my personal barbecue! I'm not dating Howl, I have a boyfriend; and now I don't think I'll buy you any of those mystery novels I was thinking about getting you, you being my favorite character and all."

She jabbed a finger in the firedemon's direction without actually touching him, and scowled. "I'm not the sort of woman to snatch another woman's husband, and neither am I going to date a child - whether he's mentally one or not is beside the point, mind you!"

Calcifer looked surprised for a moment, before a fizzling sound escaped him. The fire demon was laughing. Tish reminded him of Sophie. He was impressed. "It was only natural for me to assume so," he said. "Howl's known for taking girls' hearts and eating them. He's quite heartless, you know."

Howl sighed, looking down at his feet tragically. "I would never cheat on Sophie," he muttered. "I miss Sophie..." When Calcifer realized his mistake, it was too late. The wizard had gone over to Tish and put his arms around her waist. The fire demon knew danger was near. Either Howl would become angry later--or the boy would drown him with green slime.

"I apologize." Calcifer said, looking her up and down. "Murder mysteries?"

Tish blushed as she came down from her anger-high and realized how unreasonable she'd just been. "It's - it's alright really," she said, rather ashamed of herself now. "I know it's not that surprising, but Sophie will come soon..." When Howl hugged her, she smiled softly and hugged him back, bendding a bit so she was at child-height.

"Don't you worry, Howl. You'll get her back. You didn't go through so much trouble to get her in the first place not to get her again!"

At Calcifer' question, she smiled. "Yes, murder mysteries - I was taking Howl - and you if you'd like - to a bookstore that will let you in."

"We always expected her to come," Calcifer hissed in Tish's ear. "Howl's only just recently got his memory back though--he's not fully developed, one might say. He lost his memory sometime after he grew--you know, he came here smaller than Twinkle. Sophie would have gone mad."

Howl pulled back from Tish's hug to frown at the fire demon. "You're always talking about me as if I don't notice," he muttered.

"For five years, you never did notice. You were too busy going after girls to notice half the things under your nose."

"You really think we'll find Sophie?" Howl asked, choosing to ignore the fire demon and looking to Tish. "Will you help us?"

Tish seemed saddened by that thought, but hugged Howl in a motherly fashion. "I don't know how much help I'll be, but I promise to help you look, in any way that I can."

Howl returned the hug with a smile. In his opinion, he was an expert hugger; of course, he was an expert when it came to most things. "Thank you," he said gratefully. "No one's been able to help us so far, so we've been doing most of the searching by ourselves--when no one's watching. Let's go to that book store," he added with a smile, it seemed he was still working on his ability to slither out of awkward situations.

Tish grinned. "As you wish," she said with a flourish, leading Howl and Calcifer off through the town, round more than one corner and finally into a building that looked like it belonged more in Ingary or another fantasy world than simple Barton. The interior was bright enough to see by, but hardly as bright as it was outside, lit more by fireplace and candles than by more modern means of lighting, and the books were leather-bound or cloth-bound - there wasn't a paperback in sight.

The clerk inside smiled as Tish came in, but seemed surprised by the guests following her. "Hullo again Tish," the dark elf said, peering at the boy and.......... living flame...... with her most common shopper. Tish took no notice of the night-elf's surprise and just shrugged, grinning.

"Heya, Jadyn. Here for some special copies of a few books," Tish said, winking at the night elf, who grinned back at what was clearly an inside joke between the two of them. "Oh, gosh, I should introduce you - this is Howl and that's Calcifer, but I suppose you'd already know of them at least," she said, waving a hand in the air almost boredly.

Needless to say, Howl loved the place. It made him feel like he was back in Ingary. He glanced around, as if trying to keep the shop locked in memory. "Nice place," he observed. He paused, and looked at Jadyn. What kind of creature was she?

Calcifer wasn't so curious. "You smell of magic, did you know?" He said, looking to the night elf. "What are you?"

"Me?" Jadyn echoed, then smiled. "Well, I suppose you don't see many of my people out and about do you? I'm a dark elf," she said, pushing strands of white hair out of her dark-skinned face, golden eyes glinting behind her glasses. "We're... kind of the estranged cousins of the elves. As a whole our kinds don't get along too well, but on a more personal level we tend to get along just fine."

She paused and smiled. "Dark elves like me don't like sunlight too much, we're made for the nighttime, so our eyes are more sensitive to light - it's not too dark in her for you, is it? I know it gives some people the creeps, which is why I don't have many customers."

The dark elf was blushing shyly, though it was hard to see it against her extremely dark skintone.

Tish, meanwhile, looked on, highly amused by the attention her friend was being given. Jadyn literally lived in that bookstore, and hardly ever spoke to anyone. It was good to see her actually strikee up a conversation with people she didn't exactly know - well, firedemon she didn't exactly know.

"Our host family is dark elf," Calcifer said. "Part of it, anyway," he knew he should have counted Howl's adopted father's mate with the family. She was one of the few who appreciated him. "I think you're a different kind, though," he said, studying her for a moment. "Zee and Devin don't mind sunlight."

Howl was silent for a moment. Perhaps he was thinking that he'd never flirted with a dark elf before, or perhaps he was wondering when they'd get to the point and work on his books--one could never tell with a wizard like Howl. "I like the dark," he commented. "It reminds me of my castle. Just enough light to do spells by." He wondered if there were any spiders. He loved spiders; he had several of them at home. Pets of course.


"Oh, it's not dangerous to me or anything," Jadyn said, blinking at the comments the -apparently- wizard was making. "It just gives me a headache after a while."

Meanwhile, Tish coughed politely to get Jadyn and her guests back on track. The dark elf jumped at that and turned an apologetic glance to her friend. "Oh, right. I'm assuming... all three books, right? Special treatment?"

Tish just nodded, and the dark elf smiled. "All right then, just give me one moment!" She said, heading into the back room and coming back with stately leatherbound copies of 'Howl's Moving Castle', 'Castle in the Air', and 'House of Many Ways'. She sat them down on the counter in order from her left to her right, and touched each of them with a silver-quill pen, watching carefully to make sure that only one drop of the strange, milky-white 'ink' touched each of the covers.

Then she murmured something too quiet for human ears to hear, or ever understand. There was no flash of light or anything spectacular on the visual spectrum, but there was an obvious rise of power for just a moment, and then it was done.

"There we go," she said cheerfully, offering the books (inkdrop free) to Howl. "They're not really as specal as Tish makes them out to be. all that will really happen is that you'll be able to hear the voices of the characters when they speak."

Tish smiled at Howl and spoke up then. "I thought it might help your memory a bit more. . . and give you a chance to hear Sophie's voice until you can see her again."

Howl took the books gratefully. "You've no idea how special that makes them," he said. "Being able to hear their voices will be like--almost being home again." The books clearly meant a lot to the wizard, he hugged them to his chest. He gave Tish a smile that conveyed his thanks. "It'll be nice to hear Sophie--I rather miss arguing with her."

Calcifer floated up to Tish's ear. "Thank you," the firedemon hissed, so that a certain wizard couldn't hear. It seemed he was having an even harder time than Howl when it came to thanking someone. "I hope it does help his memory come back. It's rather tiring playing the babysitter. I used to do that with Morgan, you know. I'll say this much--Morgan's better behaved than Howl. By far," the fire demon fizzed before adding, "I really think once Sophie shows up, Howl'll be more like himself."


"Don't you worry, - either of you," Tish said, smiling at Howl and Calcifer. "I only hope they help a little bit." She paused and then turned back to Jadyn. "Oh, right, Calcifer wanted some murder mysteries... where are they located again?"

Jadyn just laughed. "You've been shopping here for years, Tish, and you still don't remember my ordering system?"

Tish stuck her tongue out at her friend. "Remember your deliberately-confusing system that makes people wander around for hours unless they ask for help? Really?"

Jadyn shook her head and ignored the brunette, turning to Calcifer instead. "Murder mysteries, right? Go down two shelves, turn left, spin counterclockwise 270 degrees, go backwards a shelf and they're the first books on your right. And Tish, stop making faces where you think I can't see them; I know the secret about your hair and I'm not afraid to tell it!"

Tish immediately stilled, an innocent look of 'who, me?' crossing her features. "I have no idea what you're talking about," she said, and grinned at Howl. "Ignore her, she's crazy from the spiders in the corner... and I do hope you find those books helpful."

Calcifer zipped in the direction the dark elf had indicated. He moved much like a dragonfly did over a pond, almost as if he was teleporting. "Found them!" came his crackle of a voice. "Someone has to get them off the shelf for me, fire demons and books don't mix." Sophie had told him this on occassion, after she'd read something to him.

Howl looked up at Tish almost suspiciously. A teasing smile made the corners of his mouth twitch. "You dye your hair, don't you?" he asked. "I like the color on you," he added chattily, "I'm rather partial to red gold myself." He paused for a moment. "Do you think Sophie's changed any? I know I did when I came--my eyes."

Jadyn nearly smacked herself in the forehead. "Oh, right, I can't believe I let that slip my mind," she said, and headed over to get books for Calcifer. "Would you like me to make where these will read themselves to you without anyone needing to touch them?"

Tish blinked and bobbed her head. "Well, it's possible - and hush about my hair, mmkay? I hate my natural color," she said, shooting the child wizard a 'don't you say a word' look. "I mean. . . you look like... well, the movie version of you. But maybe that was just you. . . it's hard to tell, really."

Calcifer glanced at Jadyn, almost surprised. "Yes please," he said. "Sophie used to read them to me."



Howl paused, and frowned. He knew the movie Tish spoke of. "Oh no..." He muttered. "I wondered why Calcifer had changed colors--he used to be blue, you know. So you mean... Sophie's going to be ugly?" By the time he'd gotten to the last word he was whining. "But that's not us--she's supposed to look like Sophie--not--" He pressed his head against the books he'd been given. "But the characters in the movie... Those weren't us. That wasn't Sophie! Sophie's supposed to yell and get angry and boss me around and tell me how horrible I am! Not just--ugh. Does that mean I'll turn into some ugly bird?"

He slumped against a bookshelf, sighing. "I see no point in living if I'm some kind of disgusting bird."

Jadyn nodded. "Alright then," she said. Her ears twitched, and she hurriedly pressed a button on the intercom beside her. "Howl, no sliming in my bookstore please. I would have to ban you from returning."

Tish didn't dare reach out to touch Howl just yet, wary of touching nasty green slime. She shook her head, smiling. "No, I don't think it means quite that," she said. "I imagine she'll at least still be the Sophie you married in personality, at the least. If nothing else, you could talk to whoever summoned you here and get them to change you and Sophie back to your real appearances?"

Howl stopped, mid spirit summoning. Shadows had begun to appear on the walls, but they quickly vanished. He didn't want to be banned from the bookshop. He rather liked it here. He looked up to Tish, misery showing in his blue eyes. "So she'll still be my Sophie..." the wizard did seem a little relieved at the thought. "But not in looks. How will I know it's her?"

Calcifer nodded at the dark elf--well, more of a bobbing up and down, since he had no head to nod. "Thank you," he fizzed.

"She'll yell at you for leaving her behind," Tish teased, patting Howl on the shoulder once she knew it was safe. "And if nothing else, I bet Calcifer could help you. Goodness knows I'm sure he wants you to have Sophie back, too."

Jadyn smiled. "Alright, Calcifer, just pick from the titles which ones you'd like for now, and I'll get them ready for you. Once that's done I'll show you how to make them read themselves."

Calcifer paused, and looked at the books the book keeper had. "I don't know," he admitted. "Any of them is fine, as long as they're not obvious. I hate it when I can solve the mystery before the end of the book."

Howl gave her a smile, surprised that Tish had guessed. "You know, I think I'd like it if she did," he said. "Do you think Morgan will be with her? ...But he's not in the movie. What'll he look like?" His smile faded and his eyes filled with concern. "Oh no..." he moaned. "They're going to make my son ugly." There went his hopes of Morgan following in his footsteps. "He'll inherit Sophie's lack of taste."

Jadyn tilted her head. "Hmm......... you like any Holmes books?"

Tish shook her head and pulled Howl into a hug to stile his moans. "No, he won't, Howl. Morgan won't be ugly, he'll look just like you left him." And there was such an air of finality in her tone that it surprised even Tish - she was totally confident of that now, somehow.

"Holmes?" Calcifer repeated with a slight frown. The name sounded vaguely familar, just vaguely. He thought that Zee might have mentioned the name. "Are those murder mysteries? Are they any good? They're not the cheesy Nancy Drew ones Howl's sister's been trying to read me, are they?" The fire demon made a face. Obviously he didn't think of much of Almira's taste in books. He thought he'd rather burn them than listen.

Howl was so surprised that he stopped whining and returned Tish's hug. "You think so?" he asked hopefully. "But... Oh no..." A look of utter despair crossed his features. "Darcy likes to give children away. She won't give Morgan to me; and if she brings Sophie, she won't let her keep him either." He sighed. "If Morgan comes, he'll be given to a new family. But he's ours. Mine and Sophie's." He paused, midthought. "I better go outside," he decided outloud. "I don't want to get banned from the shop."

"Sherlock Holmes? Well, he's considered to be as great a detective as Howl is a wizard back in Ingary," Jadyn said, smiling at Calcifer. "Though without the flamboyancy."

Tish bit her lip and nodded. "Leave the books here, then, until you've finished sliming everything. They're not cheap. you know."

Howl nodded at her despairingly, before handing her the books. He did that in such a gentle manner, it was almost like he was passing Tish a baby. "Take care of them," he muttered, before walking out the door. He sat on the stairs in front of the book shop and sighed. Why was he doing this? He felt as if there was no slime left. He simply didn't feel up to it. He used it to catch people's attention; but he was seeking attention from no one here. He sighed, and looked at his feet. What a curious, horrible feeling this was. He couldn't slime.

"Sounds interesting," Calcifer said with a nod. "Could you fix those for me?"

Tish watched Howl go outside, then hurried outside and sat on the steps beside Howl. "Here, now, Howl," she said quietly. "How about this? If this Darcy plans to give your son to a different family, then I'll try my best to get him so that at the very least you could spend as much time with him as you want." Then she carefully placed the books down and pulled the blond into a hug. "It will be alright, you'll see."

Howl looked up, blinking in surprise as Tish sat next to him. Strange, he was getting attention when he'd decided not to seek it. He sighed, before listening to what the adult had to say. It caused him to stare at her, blue eyes widening to their fullest extent. "R-really?" he stammered. Quite unlike him, Howl was generally quite talented with words; perhaps it was the fact that he wasn't fully developed--he wasn't Howl quite yet. Or perhaps it was something else; one could never tell with a wizard. "He'll be able to know me, then," he paused. "But will he know me as me, or as Twinkle?" he asked. He leaned into her hug, and a very un-Wizard-Howl sound escaped him. He was sniffling; something the full grown wizard wouldn't have been caught doing--well, maybe he would have if he knew it would benefit him.

Tish rocked Howl a little, motherly instincts goign wild at the (physical anyway) sight of a child crying. "Ssshhh..... he'll know you, I just know he will......... as for yourself or Twinkle, well, worry about that later. Shhh...."

Comforting as Tish's words were, Howl couldn't bring himself to quite believe her. "I forgot Sophie," he confessed. "I forgot her. I forgot Ingary and Morgan and--" he sighed, and allowed himself to be rocked. He didn't remember ever being held like this; not like how a mother would. He hadn't been lying when he'd told Sophie he had had a horrible childhood. It had been one of those rare times where he was honest and tried to act like he'd been lying. Sophie had fallen for it, of course.

Calcifer looked to Jadyn. "Don't worry, Howl won't use the best of his magic to destroy this shop," he told her. "So how do you get those books to read themselves?"

Tish shushed Howl again, continuing to rock him gently. "It wasn't on purpose Howl, I'm sure of that, shhh..." the brunette murmured, blue eyes absently looking out at nothing in particular. "I think it was.... to much for this body to handle, all of those memories. To protect you, your mind sealed them off until you could grow enough to remember again.... and it's still recovering from that, I think."

Howl paused, what Tish was saying made sense. Had his mind simply sealed off some of his memories? They weren't completely lost to him then. "Not on purpose..." he muttered. "I was looking for them one day, and then poof... I didn't even miss them. I didn't know I'd forgotten--" A look of guilt crossed his features. "If Sophie knew, she'd yell at me." He deserved it; he shouldn't have forgotten.

"Tell me this, Howl," Tish said quietly. "Right before you forgot, do you remember if you were very, very upset? If so, that could have been what did it."

Howl was silent for a moment. "I was upset that I couldn't find Sophie," he said, caught up in the memory. "I'd looked and looked for her, and done divining spells. She wasn't here..." He fell silent for a moment. "My Divining spells weren't working. I couldn't locate her. So... Well. You've read the chapter about my tantrums."

Tish nodded to herself, as if this confirmed some inner thought she held - which, in a way, it did. "That's probably what did it, then. I think you just were too stressed about it, too traumatized, and your brain couldn't deal with it." She paused for a moment. "You're still you, Howl, but . . . I think physically, even brain-wise, you're a child; and all of the memories of a full-grown man are a bit much for a brain that's still developing. I'm sure you'll get them back in time - and when Sophie comes, I have the feeling that will help."

Howl was only mildly offended; if he was honest with himself, he had to admit he'd guessed. "I don't know," he said, thinking this over. "I remember quite a bit--I think I'm more inbetween," he confessed. "I'm always confused. I switch between this and that--and sometimes I feel I should be back in Wales, going to school, others I feel I should look for Sophie." He sighed. "I don't know. I feel I'm more Twinkle than I am me."

"Now that's just silly, Howl," Tish said gently. "You're not Twinkle in the least. You're still very much you, you're just. . . growing back into yourself, that's all." Still hugging Howl, she smiled at the pseudo-child. "There's a question I'd like to ask you, actually - something I've always wondered: Whyever did you pick "Twinkle" as a name?"

"It's a difficult process," Howl muttered, before blinking in genuine surprise. He took on an injured expression. "I thought that would have been obvious," he said. "I'm Twinkle because I shine brighter than any star."

Tish had to turn her head to the side and resist the urge to laugh. "I should have realized that," she said. "Of course you would have used the name for that reason!"

 

[Thaliawen]

Howl was still delighted with the books the woman he'd met in the library had bought him. He had formed the habit of holding Castle in The Air open, close to his ear so he could hear Sophie describe him.

"He's the best wizard in Ingary or anywhere else. If he'd only had time, he would have defeated that Djinn. And he's sly and selfish and vain as a peacock and cowardly, and you can't pin him down to anything."

"Indeed? Strange that you should speak so proudly of such a list of vices, most loving of ladies."

"What do you mean vices? I was just describing Howl. He comes from another world entirely you know, called Wales."

Howl could hear the pride in Sophie's voice; something he seldom heard because when he was around, he tended to make her angry. To be honest, he rather enjoyed making her angry. He liked arguing with her, until it got too fair and he had to make a quick get away. Sophie was one of those women who became lovelier the angrier they were. He closed the book on his finger and opened it again. He liked hearing that one line, it was his favorite out of all three books. He didn't care what Abdullah had to say; he was the ungrateful person who'd made him grant wishes everyday. Besides, the man's flowery language annoyed him.

"He's the best wizard in Ingary or anywhere else."

Before she could continue, Howl had closed the book again. Quick as a flash, he had it open again, but he had forgotten to put his finger where the page was. Instead of Sophie's voice, he heard a very familar wailing.

"Morgan," he muttered. "I'd forgotten how loud you are. Were--you're older now, aren't you?" Of course he was, Morgan had been a toddler the last time Howl had seen him, and that had been several months ago. The wizard frowned slightly. He knew how it felt to be a parent missing out on seeing their child grow up. He was almost grateful that he lacked a heart; he didn't feel the pain he knew should have come with that thought.

He shut the book and sighed. He was supposed to be writing a thank you note to the woman who'd given him the books. He pulled out a piece of paper and a pencil from inside his desk. How was he supposed to start it? He silently hoped his writing as bad as ever, so she wouldn't actually be able to read it. He decided to make a copy of what his father had made him write to his aunt when she'd sent him school books.

Dear Tish,

Thank you for the books. They have been very useful and educational. I am enjoying them throughly.

Yours alluringly,

Howl

There, done. He was rather proud of himself. Smiling, he put the note in an envelope. He addressed it, and put a stamp on it. Finished with the task his father had given him, he turned back to his book.

"He's the best wizard in Ingary or anywhere else."  

[Thaliawen]

ORP: Happy Valentines Day

Howl's at a Valentines Day party. Good Lord Howl, flirting with all the girls?  

[Thaliawen]

Howl was literally bouncing up and down. It was true that he had recently decided to give up on looking for Sophie; but the wizard simply couldn't resist. He couldn't resist using the brand of magic he specialized in. The magic that had made him the best wizard in Ingary, as vain as he was. So there the boy was, finishing up a divining spell. A grin threatened to split his face in two. "Calcifer!" he called. "Calcifer!"

Like a dragonfly zips over a pond, the fire demon appeared. "Must you bother me everytime I find a moment to rest?" he demanded.

Howl chose to ignore the fire demon's complaint, as he always did. His smile did not fade, quite the opposite. "What I have to say is worth waking up for," he promised mysteriously. In the back ground, they could hear Zee's radio playing a song though neither of them paid it any heed. "It's something that would make it so you'd never want another log again."

Calcifer paused; the fire demon had opened his mouth to start what would have been a most excellent rant, quite possibly about how Howl exploited him more than he ever had. "What is it?" he asked, feigning indifference.

"I just finished a divining spell," Howl said with an air of someone who had just traveled around the world in less than eighty days. Calcifer rose one eyebrow like flame. So Howl had already gone back to looking for his family. He had known it was coming.

"Well?" he prompted, when Howl was silent for a moment.

"It's Sophie! I've found her! She's here!"

Calcifer looked around the room. He stared at his young wizard of a charge, and would have shook his head had he been able to. "Either I'm not looking well enough, or you've finally cracked," he said in a tone that suggested that he'd expected this to happen. There was a fine line between genius and insanity, and it looked like Howl had crossed it. "I can't say I haven't been expecting this Howl, though at least the Witch waited one hundred years before doing so."

For a moment, Howl's smile faded. "I didn't mean in this room," he said, flashing the fire demon a glare. "She's here. On Gaia," he explained. "I don't know exactly where, my spells aren't strong enough to tell," he looked slightly crestfallen at this, but quickly brightened. "But she's here, B--I keep forgetting you've changed colors," the wizard said sheepishly.

"I keep forgetting that you've become even plainer than you were," the fire demon retorted. "What's happened to you, Howl? You're nothing like the wizard you used to be." This was a commonly made observation, but one that brought Howl out of his daze completely.

He frowned, a line creasing his forehead as his brow furrowed. "I don't know," he said honestly. "I know I'm different, I can feel it. I don't feel like me. I feel I'm Twinkle and I've gone to bed without dinner."  

[Thaliawen]

"Happy Valentines, Howell," Howl muttered sourly. This was unusual; the flamboyant wizard who was known for stealing the hearts of beautiful young girls was not doing what one who knew his story would have expected. He was pacing the floor, as if deep in thought. He should have been happy, he should have been thrilled. Only a few days ago he had been reunited with Sophie.

One would have thought, knowing Howl's story, that the wizard would have been celebrating Valentines with his recently found wife. One would have thought he would be giving her a gift as flamboyant as himself. In fancy wrappings, too. Howl did not like anything to be ordinary; at least while he wasn't in Wales. Then he rather enjoyed irritating his sister by being extra ordinary.

"I don't see why you had to tell Sophie about those girls," Howl muttered, looking to the fireplace in the living room. "Now she'll yell at me every time she catches me looking at one."

"Once you get your heart back, you won't be looking at them," his fire demon reminded him; of course, it was Calcifer hiding in the blaze. "Anyway, telling her about the girls you've seen was the only way to get me out of trouble."

"And Sophie calls me a slither outer," Howl complained, raising his hands in defeat. "Now I can't possibly flirt with the girls on Valentines. She'd find out, and then she'd turn me into weed killer."

"Or throw some at you," Calcifer put in, trying to be helpful. "Or perhaps she'd go after Prince Justin in revenge; wasn't he the one who said Sophie was his true love in the movie?"

Howl was not amused. "King Justin, you mean," he reminded the fire demon. "He married princess Beatrice. I suppose you don't remember your flowery tongued friend." The wizard had never thought much of Abdullah; he had been an ungrateful person who had forced Howl to grant his wishes.

"I remember. He taught me how nice it is to be told I'm nice." There was a certain smugness to the fire demon's tone now. "I remember that he very rarely complimented you."

"Justin was never interested in Sophie that I remember," the wizard continued in his rant. "He was quite reluctant to marry. Smart man. Pity, pity." The following silence was broken by a silver haired toddler entering the room. He was holding a red paper heart.

"Happy Valentineth, Howl!" he cried. "I make thith for you!" He waved the paper heart. One of his hands was covered in drying glue and glitter. "Be my Valentine?"

There was another silence, broken only by fizzing coming from Calcifer that alerted the wizard that he was being laughed at. He decided to ignore him and nodded at his younger brother. "Sure, Devin," he said, carefully hugging the side that was not covered in glue. "I'll be your Valentine."