(thanks for reading, guys! I intended this to just be short stories but it may turn into something longer. This is rather an interlude, because I need more time to work out the plot with the university and tie stuff together... I mean, it does move it along, just slower than I intended. So enjoy, and I apologise for the delay, I'm writing more these days! Cheers!)

"Damn!" whispered Howl, squeezing the papercut finger and continuing to absentmindedly shuffle through the rest of the papers with the other fingers. He was, of course, talking to himself as he stood in the dim light of the garage in the back garden of Megan's house. There was no one to hear the exclamation, as Sophie arrived just as Howl had found the important blue file folder and was flipping through it with apparent disregard for the small droplets of blood collecting on the cover.

"What're you looking for?"

"The paper we were talking about yesterday. You know, one of the ones talking about everyday magic. Before I discovered the theories to get to your world. I think it's in here…" Howl trailed off, flipping back a few pages. Sophie observed the faint sunlight through the small window, which backlit the dust motes and seemed to give them a magic of their own. "You know, I see a sun ray outside."

"Mmm."

"Howl?"

"Hold on, I've…" Howl got lost in this thought, thoroughly reading the paper he held up towards the light shaft.

"Yes, it's sunny. How would you like to take a trip to a place with old buildings and greens and secluded rivers? Old buildings full of time? Greens full of picture perfect people? Secluded rivers which wind down avenues of metaphoric memories?" Howl asked in a jokingly overdramatic tone, flinging an arm into the air.

"Sounds like going back to Ingary."

It wasn't Ingary, but the differences made it all the more interesting to Sophie. The Ingrarian sounding place turned out to be a university campus, and Howl had it in mind to enjoy a relaxing day outdoors, exploring and posing as grad students-although Sophie could get away with being an undergraduate, he thought-and then, find a specific professor, specific book in the library, and specific stone statue.

They came to a rapid stop in front of the convenience store of a petrol station that was in the countryside. Sophie, who had just had an earful from her husband on how this was "a great deal less busy than any real petrol station in a normal town" and "you have no idea how busy these things normally are. We're so lucky", it still seemed a mind boggling and frantic place. The three other cars were taking turns zipping around the parking lot, people getting in and out, people attaching some odd sort of long leash to the car and standing there watching it for a specific amount of time until they apparently felt like removing said leash.

"I'll show you how," said Howl as he downshifted and pulled up next to one of the tall boxes that held the leashes. In a few fast motions, which Sophie had no time to process, he was touching some sort of lever, springing out of the vehicle, and reaching a hand into a hole in the side of the car.

"See, there's oil in here. Well, in the ground, but this is the pump, and it gets it into the car so the car can run on it."

Except for the confusing looking machine and the beeping noises, as well as the mystery of how, Sophie felt surprised that this didn't feel too far beyond her grasp. She nodded attentively. Until they were back in the car, her clutching a handle and the edge of the faded seat, and Howl was explaining something about the handle between them that he kept pulling back and forth every time they stopped or went.
Sophie began formulating daydreams again, unconsciously, as Howl continued. Her mind kept in filling wide gaps of knowledge that she didn't have-what was Howl like in primary school? Secondary? Where did he and Megan live? She dreamed up a small brick house on the corner. Kids, shouting and kicking a round ball down the street, became animated in her head, and the picture switched to a living room scene, then Howl reaching his hand through an open space that was dark and mysterious.

"... right?" Howl finished, looking briefly over at Sophie, cocking an eyebrow.

"Oh… of course!" Sophie went for the affirmative here, since the wizard looked expectant.

"I just asked you if you were a nosy, bossy, appallingly clean young lady to see if you were listening, and you agreed with me." This was delivered with a note of triumph.

Sophie huffed and frowned. "Well, I can't very well be expected to listen if you talk about these MACHINES, since anything in your world is way beyond me."

"You wanted to know! You keep asking me questions! And the second I grace your ears with a lovely answer, you think about-oh, I don't know, the weather! Or all the wonderful things you left behind in oh-so-perfect Ingary!"

They came to a halt in the conversation. The car sped on by sheep pastures, as if nothing had happened. Sophie had her arms crossed, and was staring out the window. Howl shifted uncomfortably, wondering what she was thinking about, too afraid to say anything else in fear that it would be akin to starting a flood that would never stop. A mountain range came into view, and the car passed into dense tree cover, as Howl pondered this.

"I'm sorry, Howl."

"Sorry?! Sorry? I should be… sorry. I mean, don't apologise to me!" Howl said, caught off guard. He was a nanosecond away from opening his mouth and say the same thing-fool, he thought. You big fool. What a coward. "Er," he continued, softening his tone, "I shouldn't have said that. Actually, I'm sorry for boring you. I…" he trailed off.

Sophie stiffly unfolded her arms, still tense. "It's… I'm sorry too. It takes two to have an argument, doesn't it? I'm sorry for not listening to you. I shouldn't have drifted off."

"Drifted off? I can't blame you… I'm sure it was more interesting than the mechanics of my world."

"I was actually thinking about your world."

"What about?"

"Well, I guess trying to imagine what it was like living here." Sophie felt a little embarrassed, thinking of all the questions she wanted to ask but not wanting to pry. Learning to let another person into your life was really hard; hard to give up that privacy and slowly learn that they would know all about you. She decided she wouldn't push it.

"We're nearly to the university," Howl said, nodding at the road, which had taken them into more urban areas. Sophie could see a small city in the distance. "I expect you'll have a lot of answers then."

"Let's not be mad at each other then."

"Let's not," Howl replied, his fingers brushing hers and then settling near her knee.