A/N: Hi! I really wanted to do something with "Howl's Moving Castle" and the idea of modernizing it and recreating the heroine came to me. You'll notice I'll keep a few lines from the movie, but it's a little different. Miyoko will still be cursed and venture into Howl's castle, but because I consider the time nearer to Victorian than twenty-first century (Is Mayday still celebrated anywhere?) I'll change a lot. Enjoy it, and please review.

Also, let me make one thing clear. I am writing the story as if Sophie never existed. The pairing is Howl/OC. I actually do support Howl/Sophie, but if pairing Howl with someone else bothers you, you should steer clear of this.

Miyoko was bored. She was trying to do her homework, but she really wanted to finish her new book. Being a senior in high school was the most exhausting thing in the world sometimes, and she knew it better than anyone.

"Yoko, hon!" her mother called.

Miyoko looked up. "Yes, Mom?" she said.

"Do you want to come out with us? We're all going out." Miyoko knew 'all' meant her parents, her cousins, and her little brother. Miyoko was seventeen, nearly eighteen, and didn't enjoy going on family outings much.

"No, I better finish my homework. Have fun."

Her mom sighed. "Suit yourself. Come on, everyone else!"

"Hey, wait, look over there!" screeched Topaz, Miyoko's fourteen-year-old cousin, who was staring out the window. "I can see Howl's castle!"

Miyoko reflexively glanced up at that mention. Everyone knew magic, along with witches and wizards, were no big deal. Dangerous and rare, sure, but not extraordinary. But the Wizard Howl was kind of exciting. There wasn't one girl in Miyoko's town who didn't know how notorious he was for devouring the hearts of pretty young girls. Not that many girls had really disappeared, but some did from time to time. Howl's castle was also famous, as he lived in a contraption which actually walked around.

"And this is interesting because?" Miyoko questioned.

"Didn't you hear the rumour about the last girl, up in the next town?" questioned Jessica, who was thirteen.

"I'm actually scared to go out, sometimes. I don't want to meet the same fate." shivered eleven-year-old Charlotte.

"Char, you're way too young." Topaz said. "Besides, he only likes pretty girls."

"I'm out of danger." muttered Miyoko. She wasn't exactly pretty as much as she was interesting-looking. Her cousins were all American, but she was Japanese on her mother's side, hence why she had Japanese first and middle names. She had the almond eyes and black hair of a Japanese girl, but otherwise, her looks were American. But she didn't really care, anyway. She made no secret that she thought her girl cousins' excitement whenever they spotted Howl's castle was uncalled for. "Isn't even worth it." she muttered under her breath.

The minute the door closed behind her family, she tossed her homework down and was about to pick up her book, when she realized that she didn't really feel like reading. She changed out of her school uniform into Capri jeans and her floral shirt dress.

Her older sister Aria was working on the tills at the local supermarket, but it would be closing soon. It would be good for Miyoko to go and see her. Aria was twenty years old and lived in a flat across town with a couple of her university friends, but she'd be happy to say hi to her little sister and talk for, like, five minutes without the rest of the family around.

So Miyoko caught a bus across town, but the nearest stop was still a few blocks and turns away. She hadn't actually gone there herself, as usually her family drove to Aria's flat, or more often, Aria came to their house. Miyoko didn't do supermarket trips much, either. Her family usually went when she was at school, anyway.

She walked, making sure she hadn't passed the street, when she almost ran into a guy, that she recognized from her school.

"Hey." he greeted her. "You got lost?"

"No." Miyoko said firmly. "Leave me alone, Chris."

"Maybe we should give you a little help." Chris continued. "We're good at that, right, Liam?" The second boy stepped out, and Miyoko stepped back a little. She'd heard the rumours about these boys being creepers on girls, and worse, but she'd never run into their trap before.

"Go away!" she said.

"You don't need to be scared." leered Liam. "We won't hurt you."

At that moment, a new voice joined the conversation. "Hi, babe. Sorry I'm so late, you know what it's like." Miyoko felt a hand on her shoulder, and knew the voice belonged to a guy, maybe in his twenties. She couldn't decide if he was better or worse than these two. There was no way of telling, since she didn't know this one.

"Excuse me, but we need to talk to her about a little school lesson." Chris snapped.

"Oh, really?" said the guy. "From what I saw, it seemed like you were done here." Miyoko stared as the two creeper boys were suddenly walking straight past her. She at last got a good look at this new guy, wondering how he'd got the boys away from her. From the way the boys had left, he had probably used magic. She wondered if it was just a little bit he'd learnt, or if he was actually a powerful wizard. She hoped it was the former.

"Just to be safe." he was saying. "Anyway, you did look lost. Where were you planning to go?"

Miyoko was a little tongue-tied. The guy was tall, much taller than her. He had pretty long hair for a guy, which was blonde and styled perfectly. He was quite pale, but it was a good look on him. But it was his eyes that really captivated her. They were a deep blue, and the prettiest eyes she'd ever seen. He was so hot that the young girl nearly forgot how to talk.

Finally, Miyoko was able to stutter out "Oh, um, just to the supermarket. I was a little lost." She couldn't be sure, but since he'd saved her, she'd take a chance.

He took her hand and whispered "Don't get anxious, but I'm being followed. Don't look."

Miyoko couldn't help but get anxious. If this guy knew magic, being followed couldn't be good...unless tons of fangirls and hookers were going to run after him. He was cute enough for that.

But no, it looked like it was the former. Ghostly mist rose up, everywhere. Miyoko audibly gasped. The guy was still completely calm.

"Sorry." he said, although there was no meaning in his words, considering expression and smile. "I guess you're involved."

The mist took on forms of blobby creatures, turning darker. As the guy, still holding Miyoko's hand, turned down an alleyway, more creatures popped up in front of them.

The guy suddenly let go of Miyoko's hand and wrapped an arm firmly around her waist. Next thing she knew, they shot up into the sky. She gasped, scared of heights.

"Don't look down if you're scared." the guy advised her. "Just walk." Miyoko hesitantly did so, and suddenly, it felt as if she was on the ground. The man took both of her hands, and suddenly, it stopped being scary, and it felt safe, like an amazing simulation.

The guy let her down just in front of the supermarket. "You should probably go inside and wait for a few minutes." he told her. "That'll give me enough time to lead them away."

Miyoko smiled a little, all doubts removed from her mind. "OK."

The guy gave her a dazzling smile, and said "That's my girl." before suddenly disappearing up. Miyoko looked up from the doorway, but there was no sign of a blonde young man with beautiful eyes.

It was as if nothing had happened.

There! You have a few differences already. Next up, we'll meet Aria, and someone who is getting very jealous of Miyoko.