In Which the Argument Goes Too Far
A/N: Hello all! Welcome to my little experimental fanfiction. It's an experiment because of all the what if's that lead to this, and also because I wanted to write something a bit more serious and see how that turned out. This will be a little 3 chaptered story (I can't bear to see these two angry for too long). I hope you stick along for the ride. ^^
Disclaimer: Howl and Sophie are still not my puppets. Diana Wynne Jones still holds that distinction.
Chapter 1
In Which Howl Really Blunders
Howl took a running leap and flew down the castle stairs, a flurry of flapping shirt and tousled raven hair. Sophie tumbled after him, laughing wholeheartedly.
"It's so nice to have the old castle all to ourselves, for once!" Howl exclaimed, in a surprisingly cheery early-morning state of mind.
"I know," Sophie laughed, and then added, "just don't talk like that around Calcifer."
"Oh no, none of that moralizing today, Mrs. Nose, I am determined to live up to everyone's expectations of the infamous Horrible Howl," Howl grinned. "As my first act of being horrible, I think I know just what I'll do," he muttered slyly, taking a step closer to Sophie.
Sophie took a step back, trying in vain not to blush to the ends of her red-gold hair.
"What will it be today, Horrible Howl?" she bantered, matching Howl's tone. "A collection of damsels' souls? Or maybe you'll just steal their hearts?"
"Just one heart today, I should think." Howl edged closer.
"Oh? Do go on," Sophie said, bravely standing her ground.
Howl took a long stride, shortening the distance between their bodies to an infinitesimal amount of air.
"Well, it's not something I can really explain with words," Howl said, leaning in.
Sophie stared at him with wide eyes, as Howl leaned closer, closer and – kissed the top of her head.
Well.
Howl leaned back so he could see Sophie's slightly disappointed face, and placed his hands on her shoulders.
"What was that?" Sophie demanded, a little miffed.
"Hmm? Expecting something else my dear?" Howl teased. "Well, did it work?"
"Oh yes Howl, you are the most horrible wizard in all of Ingary for having stolen a heart that was already yours!" Sophie teased back.
"That's all I ask, my dear." Howl smiled a rare, true smile.
Then he kissed her for real.
When they at last pulled apart, Sophie rested her head on his shoulder and whispered in his ear, "Just for that little joke before, Horrible Howl, I sentence you to flower picking duty. I'll ready the shop." She gave him a little peck on the check, and turned to go.
"Oh, I'll pick those flowers all right. I'll be so horrible that I'll bring them in when you least expect me!" Howl marched towards the portal, turned the knob to reveal Sophie's magnificent field of flowers, and crossed the threshold.
Sophie, still chuckling, headed over to the adjoining shop. She opened curtains, dusted shelves, and swept the floor. She arranged vases and talked the remaining withered flowers to life again. When she was out adjusting the sign, she noticed that they had mail, despite the early hour. So she took the letter, returned to her behind-the-counter stool and stared at the envelope, brimming with curiosity.
The stamp was definitely foreign, Sophie thought, turning the envelope about. Upon seeing it was addressed to "Mr. and Mrs. Howell Jenkins", Sophie figured it was alright to open it. The fact that it was addressed to Howell Jenkins, and not Howl Pendragon only heightened her curiosity, though it should have heightened her sense of foreboding.
For the letter was from none other than Megan, Howl's sister from Wales. As Sophie pulled out the fancy invitation and realized who it was from, the sense of dread finally hit her. This would surely ruin Howl's good mood.
It was a wedding anniversary invitation printed on a single page of expensive looking paper. A long rose wound up the left side of the invitation, looking both beautiful and terrible at the same time (though surely the later was not intended, Sophie mused).
You are cordially invited to the
20th anniversary of
Gareth and Megan Parry (née Jenkins).
Help us celebrate the years
With good music, good food,
And, of course, good friends.
Sophie smiled it spite of herself, rather touched, and wondered if she would make such an event out of her 20th anniversary when the time came. Perhaps something a little less fancy, she decided. Then again, what a clear reminder that Megan was Howl's sister – those flamboyant Jenkinses.
Sophie read on, skipping through the general information (hopefully Howl would know where to find the Wales Country Club, whatever that was) and pondering over what was meant by "cocktail attire". Something interesting greeted her at the end – a short, handwritten scrawl.
Hello Howell.
-Megan
What could this mean? Sophie wondered. She could only assume that Megan wished to make up, but felt awkward about it. Megan was overbearing and even cruel to Howl at times, but Sophie knew that beneath it all she really did care about her younger brother. She hoped the two could finally get over their imagined differences; maybe this party would do just the trick.
Still, there was that little matter of telling Howl.
As if on cue, Howl barged into the shop, pushing the door open with his foot, as his arms were full of flowers. Horrible timing indeed, Howl – Sophie bit back a laugh.
"Careful Howl, don't crush my flowers!" Sophie instructed Howl where to place them.
"You're just jealous they like me just as much as they like you!" Howl insisted.
Instead of deigning to reply, Sophie turned her attention to a wilted flower in Howl's hand. It was one of her experiments, and had gold trimmed petals with a shockingly blue center.
"Perk up, you," Sophie addressed the flower. "You must look your best today so someone important will fall in love with you!"
And the flower did just that, shining magnificently. Sophie took the beautiful flower from the stunned Howl and put it in her favorite vase on the counter so she could admire it.
"Show off," Howl accused, sounding impressed.
Sophie allowed herself a small smile at having impressed Howl, before returning her attention to the letter.
"Howl, we got something in the mail," Sophie began slowly.
"What, at this hour?" Howl laughed, not noticing Sophie's tone.
"Well, yes. It's something from…from, well, Megan." Sophie regarded his reaction; sure enough his smile was gone, his demeanor stiffer, his eyes nearly as glassy and unfeeling as they were when she had first met him.
"Ah," was the only response.
"It's actually quite sweet, I think," she said, trying to be cheery, and offered the opened letter to Howl.
He stared at the letter longer than necessary. Sophie eyed him nervously, holding her breath.
"Well," Howl began, "that's that."
The letter promptly burst into flames in his hand.
"Howl!" Sophie exclaimed, aghast.
Howl lazily flicked the ashes from the palm of his hand, ignoring her.
"Howell!"
Howl flinched imperceptibly at the use of his real name. He made eye contact with her; to Sophie it seemed like the fire that had consumed the letter now raged in his piercing green eyes.
"What Sophie? You didn't see through her sweet ploy?" he scoffed. "It's just an excuse to criticize my lack of accomplishments by putting me side by side her dignified, more successful friends. And frankly, I've had enough of that."
"Now, Howl – that's not her intention –"
"You don't know Megan!"
"I know she wants to celebrate the 20th anniversary of her marriage with those she cares about the most, and – what's this? – it seems like you've merited an invitation!" Sophie yelled, her annoyance rising. How could Howl not appreciate his sister? Sophie's thoughts lingered on Martha and Lettie.
"You don't know anything!" Howl shrieked, interrupting her sisterly thoughts.
"Howl, you and I both know you should go," Sophie reasoned, backtracking with a conciliatory tone, and calling for patience from all those years of dealing with Martha and Lettie's tantrums.
Silence.
"Come on Howl, someone needs to go! Megan will be so disappointed…" Sophie trailed off, seeing Howl's strangely hopeful expression.
She realized her mistake too late.
"That's it Sophie! You can go!" Howl was elated.
"Don't be ridiculous! By someone, I of course meant you."
"But you said – you mean, you won't go?" Howl seemed crushed.
"Only if you do," Sophie promised. "You should be there too."
Howl exploded again.
"You don't understand ANYthing – I'm never going back just to visit HER. I can't! You owe me a favor – go for me!"
"Howl, I don't owe you ANY favors," Sophie countered, her anger rising with Howl's.
"Bah, you won't even go to Wales for me?" Howl waved his arms furiously.
"Of course not! Take some responsibility for once!" Sophie yelled, chest heaving.
"How unadventurous," Howl scoffed cruelly, and then continued, "as expected from the eldest of three."
A pregnant silence followed.
Howl waited for Sophie's line. Surely she'd come back with a fiery response along the lines of "as expected from a slither-outer". Howl waited, but it never came.
Finally, Sophie began to speak.
"How dare you?" Sophie choked out, her form shrinking.
Howl watched, utterly horrified, as Sophie's skin aged 70 years. She hunched over, her back no longer able to keep her up straight. Her glorious ginger hair shriveled and greyed. Sophie became her ninety year old self once again, but this time there was no Witch of the Waste to blame, Howl despaired.
"Goodbye Horrible Howl," she said, her voice cracking with age.
Sophie shuffled out the shop, slamming the door behind her with such force that the customer bell jingled on for minutes after she left.
Howl just stood there, quivering, waiting for his pounding heart to implode.
What had he done?
Megan did ruin everything, Howl thought darkly.
A/N: Thoughts, please? (Was the argument dialogue authentic, do you think? Arguments are hard to write, I think, because people are usually irrational during arguments and on top of that Howl's so dramatic and Megan is really taboo… so, yeah, it's hard to tell if it's authentic enough after I've read it 10+ times)
Reviewers get their hearts stolen by Horrible Howl xD Also reviews encourage me to post the other chapters, which I have already written (mwahaha shameful trickery ;P)