Hello.
This is heavily based off Hayao Miyazaki's adaptation of Howl's Moving Castle, and also relates a bit with the book. Some things may be altered as I deem fit, so the story line may not be exactly linear with either the book or the movie.
The dialogue is almost identical to the English translation, save for a few things here and there. I'm recalling everything out of memory.
I don't plan on keeping it as accurate as this first chapter, though.
Disclaimer to where credit is due.
Dong.
Dong.
Dong.
The clock tower stroke noon, overpowering the clopping of hooves and heels. Bustling cobblestone streets were filled with ambitious minds, each person absorbed with their own agenda. Many walked briskly across a chaotic mess of traffic and festivity. Others chattered about, gossiping and recalling the latest news. Some sat in the midst of this hyperactive sea of people, enjoying their lunch in the almost grease-like humidity. This was nothing extraordinary to the occupants of this town. Houses creaked with faulty experimental structures and many buildings were painted in vivid color. The energy matched the exterior; vibrant and busy.
Somewhere within the town, following the tracks of the hourly train, was a small shop hiding modestly in the frenzy that was home. In this shop were workers, all girls with longstanding family friendship. They giggled and gasped, scuttled this way and that, a fresh harvest of cloths and accessories being ravished by hard working hands.
Behind a closed door not ten feet from their bustling work station was another member of this factory, a solitary young lady who sat adjacent to tower after tower of completed flamboyant hats. The window clattered and the room shook as the train passed by, but the girl paid no mind. Her eyes stayed focused and her handiwork reflected practiced skill. This young lady was the eldest daughter of the company, known as the mature and hardworking Samantha.
Her hair was a plain oak-like color, a dark brown that seemed faded and bleak against her pale skin. She had inherited her father's plain attributes, including his dull grayish blue eyes. He was a plain looking man when he was alive, but his heart and passion made up for it. As for Samantha, she assumed the role of head of the working ladies, leading a prime example for the other girls. While Samantha maintained a near perfect work ethic, she had given up her passionate personality and held her tongue. She had the potential to be a dominating spitfire, yet she brought it upon herself to fulfill her duty to her father and run the shop in his absence.
A few short knocks caught her attention as the door to her secluded room creaked open.
"Samantha? We're heading out now." One of the elder women spoke as the other girls began preparations to close shop.
"Okay. I'll stay here for a bit and finish up the rest," Samantha gestured toward the few bare hats she had left.
"You've done more than enough work, why don't you come out with us this time?"
She offered an apologetic smile. "No, I'd better finish this up. You go on and enjoy yourself."
"Well, alright." The door was left opened as the woman left to leave. Samantha let out a small sigh, placing her finished hat delicately on one of the surrounding towers and picking up a bare one to begin. The chattering and giggling filtered from the workroom, entering Samantha's thoughts as she absentmindedly began sewing.
"Look, it's Daniel!"
"What?"
"Daniel's here?"
The girls shuffled towards the window, Samantha's eyes lifting up to look through her own. Through the haze and smoke, a gigantic figure stomped over nearby hills.
"I heard he steals the hearts of young girls and eats them!"
"Great, now I'm too scared to go out."
"Oh don't worry, he only does that to pretty girls."
Laughing and teasing erupted from the group, each of them filing out of the room and leaving Samantha alone with her thoughts. Her face was blank, eyes still cast to the window as her fingers slowly threaded the needle.
With a sigh, she left the hat on the desk and leaned back.
Samantha fumbled about the main shop room, moving and adjusting hats as needed. She stepped back to the front desk, reaching down and finding her own straw made hat. It was a simple, wheat colored picnic hat with a lilac ribbon and false plums. She made her way to a nearby mirror, fixing her hat atop her head and attempting a smile. A frustrated frown quickly replaced it as she tugged the brim tightly down her forehead and left to shut down the shop.
She decided to visit her sister, Star, who worked at a bakery near the center of the city. Of all the girls in her family, Star was the most enjoyable company she had, even if they failed to understand each other. Star was everything Samantha was not; doll-like, beautiful, sociable, and heavily courted. To say Samantha envied her sister wouldn't be false. However she felt pride in her sister's ability to work in such a hectic environment, and her love for her kind younger sister would always come on top.
She took a bus part way through, but as the streets became cramped she had second thoughts. Glancing down at the military forces cruising through the street below, she sighed and decided to continue on foot.
Samantha chose the back route today, avoiding the suffocating crowds. She cruised through alleys and passages only known to a select few. While strolling through the back streets she neared a bar, praying there would be no drunkards bothering her today.
Instead she spotted uniformed soldiers, which seemed much better than a drunkard, but when they turned to leer at her she felt her stomach flip. Her head immediately drooped, hiding the majority of her face under the brim of her hat. 'Please don't bother me,' she inwardly begged.
"Hey."
Her head perked up as she was spoken to. Shit.
The two men smiled at her, obviously much older than she and probably the type to abuse their military rights. Samantha gulped, feeling as though rocks had begun to fill her stomach.
"Looks like a little mouse lost it's way." One of them said, igniting a spark somewhere in Samantha that she tried so hard to repress.
"No, I'm not lost." She spoke in a low voice, biting back hostility that was certain to boil over.
"This little mouse looks thirsty, maybe we should buy her a drink." He suggested, something in his voice sounding unpleasant.
"No thank you," she bit out, cringing as they closed in on her.
"Pretty cute for a mouse," the second replied, leaning forward to peak at her.
Samantha glared at the two, taking a quick step back and clenching her fists.
"Leave me alone!" She barked, glaring heatedly at the two larger men who could easily overcome her. She was treading dangerous water now.
"See?" The first laughed, turning to his partner. "Your mustache scares away all the girls."
"I think she's even cuter when she's scared."
Biting back fear, she began to inch herself away from the two. If she had to flee, she'd better hope they wouldn't chase after her or be faster. Her heart pounded in her chest, the entire situation screaming trouble.
There was a sudden weight on her shoulder and side, pressing into her and passing its warmth. She froze.
"There you are, sweetheart. I've been looking everywhere for you." A calm voice spoke. Samantha whipped around, neck craning upward to see the man that seemed to be her rescuer. He was quite tall, with long locks of raven black hair falling over his cerulean eyes. Many types of jewelry adorned his neck and hands, and his checkered blue and green coat was slung over his broad shoulders. His smile was gentle as he glanced down at her.
"Hey! We're busy here," The first soldier said, a threatening tone in his voice.
"Oh, really? It looked like the two of you were just leaving." Her savior replied, his free hand rising up and flicking a finger in the air. An invisible force straightened the two soldiers backs and, bewildered, were sent involuntarily marching off at the flick of a wrist.
"Don't hold it against them, I'm sure they're actually quite nice." The man said, grinning down at her. He bent toward her slightly, near eye level with her. "Where to? If you don't mind, I'll be your escort."
"Oh, um.." She paused, impressed and intimidated. "I was just.. heading to the bakery."
His arm slipped off her shoulder, instead falling back and taking her arm.
"Don't be alarmed, but I'm being followed." He spoke. "Just act normal."
Samantha nodded slightly, her gaze forward as they casually stepped in unison through the now empty alleyway. They walked in silence, the tapping of their heels barely heard over the pounding of her heart. As they continued onward, a slight gurgling became apparent.
"Sorry," he spoke softly, "it looks like you're involved."
It became quite loud, a slimy, bubbly noise that seemed to be catching up to them. Soon a formation of black slunk off the buildings in front of them, sliding down in a mess of goo. Samantha gasped, clutching to her escort's arm.
"This way," he said, abruptly turning down a narrow alleyway as the massive slop creatures accelerated towards them.
They began to walk faster and faster, the army of gurgling black ooze matching their pace. Soon they were running, falling into a narrower pathway.
The blobs began to form on the buildings in front of them, slipping through and creating a blockade.
"Hold on tight," her company called over the powerful masses of ooze. His arm slipped behind her, holding her tight by her waste. In panic she pressed into him, the monsters just a few feet away.
He crouched, and with a small jump they bolted into air and escaped the sea of black below them.
They rose high into the air, passing buildings and slowing as they continued to ascend. Soon they were merely floating in the air, Samantha curled in herself by his side as he expertly navigated their flight.
"Now, don't worry. Just straighten your legs and start walking," her savior said as he reached around her and gently held her hands. She complied, slowly unraveling herself and matching her pace with his. As if walking on clouds, they drifted through the air and Samantha's gasps became short breaths of amazement.
The bustling streets seemed so small below them, vibrant colors speckled here and there as the crowd quietly rumbled.
"See? Not so hard now, is it?" He smiled at her. Unable to form any adequate respond in her current state, she simply stared at him with wonder.
They came closer to the buildings, coming right over tiled rooftops. Her companion seemed to be enjoying himself as he laughed during their descent.
"You're a natural, miss." He complimented, Samantha offering him a genuine smile as they continued toward the bakery.
The tables full of tea parties and lunches below became more apparent, the clatter and chatter becoming louder as they approached the bakery's balcony. Soon she found herself stepping onto the wooden railing, and floating downwards as he let her drop to the floor.
"I'll draw them off, but you should wait a bit before you head back outside." He told her, letting her hand slip from his.
Samantha smiled and nodded her head.
He grinned. "That's my girl."
With a wave of his arm as he stepped back, he fell through the air and towards the bustling crowd. Samantha gasped, quickly pulling her head over the balcony and gazing downward. They were several floors up, yet the kind man hadn't hit the ground in a broken mess. He was nowhere to be found.
Behind the protection of a counter, a beautiful young lady smiled at her adoring customers. Many were just men attempting to woo her, each of them pushing over the counter and nearly toppling into a love struck mess. She didn't mind at all. After all, she proved to draw in a whole lot of customers.
She was the daughter of a hat maker, but as her father passed away she decided to pursue other options in her life. Star, the beautiful younger sister of Samantha, was looking for her own life and happiness.
One of her coworkers rushed to her side, coming right up to her ear to speak to her. After receiving the hushed information, Star gasped. She flipped the counter door open, gathered her skirts, and ran past her crowd. To the back of the bakery she rushed, climbing up staircase after staircase before she reached the top floor.
There her sister stood, gazing dreamily out the windows.
"Sam!" Star called, her sister turning to her in surprise.
"Oh, Star."
"Sam, what on earth is going on? Someone just told me you floated into the balcony," she pressed, gazing worriedly at Samantha.
"So it wasn't a dream," Sam murmured. "It really happened."
Star stared at her sister worriedly, pulling her away by the hand and brought them down to a secluded part of the bakery. There, Samantha explained the incredible turn of events she just experienced.
"Wow, you are so lucky Sam." Her sister commented, leaning against the bags of flour behind them.
"He was so kind. He... he rescued me, Star." Sam sat in a daze. Her sister in turn huffed, ready to snap Samantha out of that cloudy state of mind.
"Of course he was nice! He was trying to steal you're heart. If that wizard were Daniel he would've eaten it."
"Oh no he would not," Sam frowned, looking away. "He only does that to beautiful girls."
"You stop that," Star swatted at her. "You need to be more careful, Sam. It's dangerous out there. Even the Witch of the Waste is wandering about..."
She paused, glancing at her sister who was again daydreaming. "Are you even listening?"
"What?" Sam blinked. Star groaned.
"Star, the chocolate eclairs are done," a coworker called. Star waved to him.
"I'll be right there, just a moment!"
Sam stood up, pulling her hat back atop her head and turning to leave. "I should get going. I just wanted to make sure you were doing okay."
The two walked out, stepping outside the back of the building. Star clutched her sister's hands.
"Sam, be honest. Do you really want to spend the rest of your life in that hat shop?"
Sam smiled wearily. "It was just so important to Father. And hey, I'm the eldest, so I don't mind. It's my responsibility."
Star shook her head at Samantha's fake enthusiasm. "I'm not asking what father wanted. What do you want?"
A frown replaced the smile on her sister's face. "I..."
"See you, Star!" A man waved as he left the building. Star turned and smiled to him, calling out a farewell. Sam turned to leave.
"I'd better get going," Sam said shortly, walking off. Star huffed, frowning at her sister's back.
"What happened to your passion? It's your life, Sam. Do something for yourself for once!"
"Bye, Star."
Sam stood on the edge of the bus step, her violet skirt flaring in the wind. She mulled over her sister's words. When had she lost her passion? She recalled herself being an independent girl with a powerful voice and presence. But then Father had died, and she began to isolate herself even further from her company. It seemed a flame in her had died out, and, along with every other aspect of her, Samantha's life became quite dull.
Occupied by her thoughts, Samantha didn't even notice when she found herself reaching the front door of the hat shop. She blinked, shaking her head to rid herself of fuzz. She reached in her pocket and pulled out a key, unlocking the door and securing it again once she was inside.
The shop was dark and silent, the company probably sound asleep by now. She removed her hat, resting it again on the counter as she always did. Just a few moments later she had a candle lit, and the door chimed as it opened.
Sam turned around in surprise. A tall dark figure stood in the entrance way, the brim of her large fur hat obscuring most of her face.
"I'm sorry, but the shop's closed now ma'am." Sam called, confusion settling in as she recalled locking the door behind her.
The figure's painted lips smirked, turning about to scan the small shop.
"What a tacky little shop. Filled with such tacky little hats."
Sam stiffened.
"But you're by far the tackiest thing here."
Heat rose to her cheeks, fists clenching again as a fire began to burn in her stomach. Barely keeping her composure, Samantha strutted briskly past the rude woman and pulled the door open.
"I'm sorry, but you need to leave now. The door is over here, ma'am. We're closed." She bit out.
The woman's smirk widened, raising her chin and revealing her face. She was heavily coated in makeup, one eye covered by long threads of hair.
"Standing up to the Witch of the Wastes, are you? That's plucky."
Sam's eyes widened, the title passing through her lips in an unbelieving gasp. The familiar sound of gurgling approached the door. In response she flung herself away from the monsters and closer to the witch.
A sweeping breeze brushed against Samantha and she turned. The witch flared her coat and flew towards Sam like a vulture. Sam braced for impact, but none came and the witch simply washed over the girl. She became coated with a strange dark residue.
A chuckle escaped the witch's lips, stepping out the door as she spoke to Sam over her shoulder. "The best part of that spell is that you can't tell anyone about it. Send my regards to Daniel, would you dear?" The shop doors chimed again, shut.
Against the darkness of night, the Witch of the Waste fled the city.
The young hat maker stood still, crouched in her protective stance before she realized she was alone. Slowly, she raised her head and looked about. No sign of danger.
But she felt strange, as if the body she was in wasn't one she was familiar with. Her fists were still clenched, she realized, and she brought them to vision as her fingers loosened.
With a sharp intake of air she realized, this was not her hand. Or rather, not the hand she had seen all her life. It was white, almost like porcelain, and transparent enough to see her veins. The shaking alien hands turned over, revealing lilac fingernails that seemed to grow naturally that color. In astonishment she touched her face, wondering if that too had been affected. With small, shaky steps she came toward the mirror, eyes cast down until she was fully facing it.
Bright lilac eyes gazed back at her. Her skin was white as the moon, her lips tinted a similar purple on her fingernails. And her hair had become a midnight blue, shockingly dark against her pasty face. She came to the sickening realization that this was in fact her. Her hand reached up to lightly touch her cheek, her neck craning this way and that to see all angles of this alien figure in the mirror.
"Is that really me..?" She whispered, gazing into the mirror. Her heart raised to her throat. She looked like a glass doll, but life size and much scarier.
"Stay calm, Sam. You need to stay calm." She shut her eyes tight, turning away from the mirror and pacing around the room.
In high hopes that she'd just dreamed the whole scenario, she rushed back to the mirror and gazed at herself again. A shudder ran through her body as the same alien girl stared back at her.
"Okay, don't panic Samantha." She steeled herself, glaring into the mirror in attempt to accept her new appearance. She faltered, gazing miserably into her freak face and sighing heavily.
The morning was bright, radiance falling over the city as the populace began to stir. A cab drove up the street and stopped right before the hat shop. A woman in a sunny day dress and a flamboyant feathered hat stepped out with the assistance of the driver. With armfuls of luggage she smiled up at the hat shop. The mother of the shop, Pamela, had returned home.
Bursting through the door with a bounce in her step, she exclaimed, "Look who's here!"
The company dropped their work, their faces immediately brightening as they rushed to their boss. The woman was welcomed home with warm greetings and praises of her outfit and decor. She laughed, twirling her dress and tipping her hat to show off the latest fashion.
"Don't you just love it? It's all the rage in Kingsbury." She informed her staff, to which she received enthusiastic response.
"Samantha?" She called, strutting over to the open door of the small room in which her eldest daughter could be found working. But today she found the room to be empty, unfinished hats scattered about the desk.
"I'm afraid your daughter hasn't come out of her room yet, ma'am."
"Really, now. I wonder what's wrong," Pamela pouted, dropping her things and heading to her daughter's room.
She gathered her skirts as she walked up a flight of stairs, calling Samantha's name as she did so. Reaching Sam's bedroom, she rapped on the door with her gloved fingers.
"Samantha?" She called again.
"Don't come in!" A raspy voice croaked back. "I've got a nasty cold. I don't want you to catch it."
"Well," Pamela frowned, stepping away from the door. "If you insist."
Inside the closed room, Samantha sat on her bed wrapped in a blanket. She took a deep breath, clearing her throat. Faking her voice to be the most convincing had hurt a bit. But no matter, she now had an excuse to be away from the others.
Rising from her bed and allowing the sheet to fall from her shoulders, she went to her mirror. The same alien face reflected, and with a sigh she pulled her hair behind her ear.
"It's not so bad, really." She mused. "You just look like an eccentric foreigner. Well, at least your clothes finally suit you." She picked at her lilac dress, the color now blending together with the rest of her shady appearance.
Her face became serious, and she glanced towards the door. "I can't stay for much longer.."
Samantha wrapped a gray scarf around her neck, covering her braid of hair and leaving her casual hat to do the rest. Black gloves fit nicely into her ensemble, and she praised the day for being cool. The door opened hesitantly, Sam cautiously peering through the hall. Certain the coast was clear, she made her way down to the kitchen to gather a day's worth of food. Plain cheese and a loaf of bread would have to do, she decided, for it was selfish of her to take anything more from her family's supply. She wrapped it all in a gray fabric package, holding it like a purse as she made her way out and away from her home.
No one paid her much attention on the streets. Save for a few glances, and the judgment of probably coating her face with too much powder, she had a relatively easy time getting to the outskirts of the city not bothered. She'd found a farmer making his delivery of crops, and politely requested she hitch a ride.
"There's room in the back if you want, but where are you headed?" The farmer had inquired.
"Just a bit farther than where you're going," she'd replied.
Soon she found herself sitting against hay as the bumpy road rattled her. Samantha stared at the city as it became smaller and smaller. She had known it would be far from home, but it still tugged her heart a bit to leave. And yet, it ignited some fire in her that was thirsty for adventure.
They'd reached the farm faster than she had expected, and thanked the man kindly as she made her departure.
"It's dangerous, miss! There's only witches and wizards out there," the farmer had called to her retreating back.
"Thank you, I'll be sure to keep that in mind." She'd replied, smiling slightly beside herself.
Sam hiked and hiked, passing hill after hill. Soon the dirt trails disappeared and she was left navigating herself through the vast mountain area. She stopped at a particularly flat boulder, decided to take a rest and perhaps a meal break.
A sigh of content escaped her lips as she released her legs from labor, picking through her wrapped food and nibbling on a slice of cheese.
"I didn't know I lacked so much strength," she spoke to herself, watching the city from afar and enjoying the cool breeze. Her gloves had been set aside to handle the food, and she was surprised at how comfortable she became with her hands. It seemed she was getting used to her new appearance. Hopefully she wouldn't be this way for too long.
The sky had begun to cloud over, the sun falling and stealing the light of day. The breeze became wind, and as the wind picked up Samantha found herself shivering.
"Honestly, I'm all wrapped up and I'm still freezing." She snorted, trudging her way through the grass and rocks. "It's probably this skin of mine - it's so thin and frail, the wind blows right to my bones!"
A familiar scent wafted up to her nose, and she turned in the direction of the origin.
"Smoke?" She pondered aloud. Someone was burning a fire nearby. It would soon turn to night, and she did need a place to stay. With high hopes and a bit of desperation, Samantha trudged forward through the chilly wind.
Over the next hill came a sound not unlike wheezing, yet more like gears. She could hear gravel being displaced periodically as if a giant were walking over the hills. The scent of smoke became stronger, and soon the thing responsible came into view.
Sam halted in her steps, awestruck, as Daniel's castle stomped heavily towards her.
A bit rushed, I admit, and not really original.
The reason I referred to it as Sam's castle and not Danny's is because I felt that it sounded nicer and it fit better - after all, Sophie makes it her home and takes care of it better than Howl ever could, so I wanted to show that through this fic. It's also Sam-centric and I wanted to stick with that and not imply that it was Danny-centric.
I did take out the Prince, as I felt he wasn't necessary. From this point on I think I'll be able to take more liberties within the story. Originally, I wanted it to simply be inspired by Howl's Moving Castle, but I ended up unsatisfied in my attempts to create a new starting point.
Regarding Sam's physical appearance - I considered her parents' physical appearance, and toyed around with it. At this point Sam looks more like the Sam from the show, however her features are heavily exaggerated to the point that in that time period she'd earn herself several stares.
I'm a bit stuck on my character choice, and I'd really appreciate suggestions on who I should cast as who.
Thanks to all.