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Howl was walking down the streets of Barton, looking quite alone. He paused every so often, at the windows, but never for long. He seemed determined to get to where-ever he was going. The teenage wizard as headed towards a small pawn shop. He was fingering a small, velvet covered box. It wasn't the box he intended to sell, but what was inside it.

His wife had died recently, in a fire. A day before Howl had recieved that letter from Adrian, he had gone out to a jewelry store, to purchase her a ring. He had summoned a few by magic before, but this one--it was special. He'd worked for it. He'd earned it. Just like Sophie would have wanted him to do. She was gone. Gone. No matter what Calcifer said.

So there was no point in him keeping it. He continued his way down to the pawnshop, ignoring looks he received. He had once recieved stares for his brightly colored clothing; now he was getting stares because he was all in black. "Mourning," he would tell them. "I'm in mourning."

He was certainly past the tantruming stage, but seemed stuck in the miserable, wearing black stage. He nearly bumped into a pink haired girl, before taking his eyes off his boots. "I apologize, I wasn't--" he paused, and studied her through red, swollen eyes. "Tara?" he asked. He had met her once before, at the park. Howl hadn't much liked her. She reminded him of Sophie--and yet, she was the very opposite. This time, he didn't attempt to force a smile.

"What are you up to?" he asked. "Working magic for hobby, still?" He wouldn't stop long. He had to get to the pawn shop before it closed. "I'm just headed to the pawn shop. Got something to sell," he held up the velvet box for her to see. He looked away, and frowned. "I haven't seen you since we met at the park," he said. "You doing alright?"

Howl certainly wasn't. He wanted to die. He wanted to be with Sophie. ...But Morgan needed him. And Morgan would come.

"Girlfriend?" Howl repeated with a frown. He didn't have a girlfriend. He didn't remember ever mentioning one to Tara--he of course, had mentioned that Sophie had died. "No," he said, once he'd recovered. Did people really think he would have gone out and gotten a girlfriend so soon after Sophie had died? "My wife died, you see." It was difficult for him to say, even now, without his eyes filming over. "I bought this for her the day before her father sent me that letter saying she'd died," he added with a shrug. "I worked for it, and there's no one I'd rather give it to. So I'm selling it. Maybe use the money to get some flowers to put on her grave, or something. She liked flowers."

He shrugged, and studied her. "Why?" he asked. "Why'd you think I had a girlfriend?" And why would she care that he was selling it? "What kind do you think I should get?" He asked. "Lilies, or daffodils?"

Daffodils. Sophie had liked daffodils. She had once attempted to keep daffodils in June, which hadn't gone over well. Instead they had become a very powerful weedkiller. "You mean Kali?" Howl asked, still frowning. "Kali's my sister." His expression darkened at the jab. How dare she? She didn't even know him. He glared at her, wiping at his eyes.

"Shut up," he snapped. "You don't know what you're talking about. Kali and I go for ice cream, yes. We haven't gone recently, as you might have noticed, since you apparently are stalking me. She's my best friend. She's helped me keep focused on Sophie so I could finally get the courage to propose to her! Besides," he added, scowling at the pink haired girl in front of him, "for your information, Kali's getting married. To someone else."

He turned away, crossing his arms. Honestly. How could anyone be more wrong? "Don't say that," he growled. "I'm not."

"My adoptive sister!" Howl snapped. "I've got several of them!" He wasn't about to list them there and then, no. He was absolutely furious. How dare this pink haired, big breasted, small brained fool tell him what he had been doing with his life? "Kali's my sister, and I've been going to ice cream with her since I was little," he added angrily.

"I do have a heart!" He all but glared at her once more. He was surprised when she put a hand to his chest, blue eyes widening slightly. "How do you know about Calcifer?" he asked, for a brief moment, forgetting to look angry and fierce. He looked...broken. He'd been destroyed by Sophie's death, and now a stranger was accusing him of taking advantage of it? "Someone I trust gave it to me," he explained. "We thought it would help in bringing Sophie back... But she's dead. She can't come back..." He turned away again, tugging at his black hair with a hand.

"I've got to go," he muttered. "The pawn shop'll be closing soon, and I've got to buy Sophie some flowers. I don't think Adrian would bother."

Howl narrowed his eyes. "I went to her funeral," he said. "Adrian might not have liked me, but I don't think he'd lie to everyone..." He frowned in confusion. Adrian had never liked him, so... Maybe he had lied, after all? Like Calcifer had told him? Like Kali had suggested? He hadn't thought the vampire would be so cruel... "Why would she be in disguise?" he asked.

He knew why. She didn't love him anymore. That was it. She was in love with someone else, and just didn't want him to know. So she had pretended to die and disguised herself.... "But I had told her about Kali. In letters... On our dates, I told her there was someone I wanted her to meet. A friend of mine. Why would she make such a mistake? Doesn't she know I love her?" His shoulders slumped. If Sophie had made such a mistake, maybe he hadn't been clear.

"...You?" He huffed, anger rising once more. "You want me to kiss you? Never!"

No, no. Only one he ever wanted to kiss was Sophie. Not this trash.

Howl's eyes widened. They grew so large, they took up the majority of his face. Surprise and hope filled his eyes, and his lips twitched. "Sophie?" he breathed. He strode over to her, and put an warm around her. He stared into her eyes for a long, long time.

Then he glared.

"Sophie, it is you!" Oh, he was furious! How could Sophie do this to him? And here she was, acting as if she were innocent! If he had truly wanted the spell off of her, she could have taken it off herself. He huffed at her, frowning. "We'll talk about this later," he decided. He wasn't sure if he wanted to kiss her, really... She had hidden from him and ignored his letters and pretended to be an annoying, pink haired bully--he lowered his lips to hers and kissed her.

And as he did so, he remembered why he loved her. She was his stubborn, nosy, bossy, silly Sophie. Oh, what a mess she'd caused! "You're not going back to Adrian," he told her sternly. "You're living with me. In the castle."

Howl did not at all appreciate the poke at his appearance. He frowned. "We'll see how you look when you think I've died," he huffed at her. "At least I grieve gracefully. I've seen you cry. Your nose gets horribly red and you look like a reindeer." Impatient as ever, he decided, shaking his head.

"Serves you right," he said with some malice. It served her right, being in pain. "Shouldn't have hidden from me in the first place." He was still bitter about that. He wasn't quite willing to forgive her, yet. Proven by the fact that he'd stuffed the ring box back into his pocket. "You've no idea how much pain you've put me through. I think you can take it." Despite his words, with a wave of the hand, Sophie had dove gray boots, made of soft, comfortable material. Like the ones he had once purchased for her in Ingary.

He took her hand. "Don't think I'm letting you get away with this," he told her. "There'll be green slime when we get home, and I can't be held accountable."