Polar Opposites
Disclaimer: I clearly do not own Howl's Moving Castle. It belongs to the wonderful Studio Ghibli and the visionary Hayao Miyazaki. Original novel belongs to Diana Wynne Jones. I make no money whatsoever from any of my fan works.
This was written sort of spur-of-the moment, since I recently watched Howl's Moving Castle yet again. It is definitely one of my favorite movies of all time. The characters are memorable and charming, the animation is lush, the music is lovely…all in all, it's a gorgeous film, and I adore it completely. I love how it twisted the fairy tale dynamic and it all feels so fresh and original. (Then again, that's the Miyazaki magic at work.) I adore Howl most, because he was such an endearing character, and I couldn't resist writing about him and Sophie, though the entire cast of characters was wonderful. Anyways…enough of my blathering. Please kindly review, I adore feedback.
Sophie
He had an endearing, childlike quality about him, Sophie thought. At his best, he was high-spirited, dashing, handsome, a bit reckless, and the consummate rogue. He had a sharp intelligence, and an inquisitive mind, always eager to learn, and an often wicked sense of humor. At his worst he was vain, selfish, eccentric, egotistical, stubborn, cowardly, and his motives were often unclear and remained unknown to all but himself. Though his shortcomings were many, Howl Pendragon was a fundamentally good man, and he had a good heart.
Sophie knew, because she had been the one to restore it to him.
He was lithe and graceful, and his lanky yet elegant frame was never able to settle down for long periods of time. Howl was rarely quiet for long. His face was constantly animated with some expression, whether it was his brow furrowed in concentration, his eyes sparking with mischief of some kind and that characteristic devil-may-care smirk he wore. Sophie found herself endlessly fascinated, amused, and often bemused by his antics. He was good natured and friendly, and had a gentle way about him. He wasn't the great and terrible wizard that ate women's hearts, but he did have a tendency to steal them. Sophie couldn't count how many women in Kingsbury, Port Haven, Ingary, and all the other towns they visited had all swooned and sighed over the devastatingly handsome wizard.
Sophie showing them her golden wedding band was enough to deter them, more often than not, and she couldn't help the smug little smile that would cross her pretty features when sour or disappointed expressions would cross their faces.
Howl was hers, and she was his, and that was that.
Of course, there were times when he was frustrating, but Howl was Howl, and she loved him for it. He oozed charm and charisma, and he knew it. He was suave and had a debonair style about him. He had a wicked smile that no red-blooded female could resist. His vanity knew no bounds and his ego and pride frequently got the best of him.
Fortunately, Sophie was able to knock down said ego a few pegs more often then not, and she did her best to keep his pride in check. He also had a stubborn streak a mile long, and when he'd wanted to protect Sophie, he'd risked his life for her without hesitation. That was the moment when she knew he loved her.
He also loved getting her to smile and laugh with his fun-loving personality, and listened when there was something bothering her, no matter how trivial it was. Nothing was trivial to him. Everything concerning Sophie mattered, and she loved that about him. He had a tender, sympathetic way about him and made it clear every day that he adored and cherished her.
No matter his shortcomings, Sophie loved her eccentric, lively, flamboyant husband with all her heart.
Sighing in contentment, Sophie Pendragon put a hand on the gentle curve of her growing belly. She knew he'd make a wonderful father as well.