Merry Go Round of Life

where is your home?

Sophie found out that you got fairly annoyed whenever Micheal or Calcifer brought up Howl's latest unsuccessful conquest. Howl had been in the home for the past few days, to Sophie's surprise. She figured he was the type of man who never liked to be home, and yet here he was. 

She learned that you were the type of woman who didn't like it whenever Howl was home. 

You never came down for breakfast, which Sophie found quite unfortunate. She found that the mornings were a fairly peaceful time. As Howl and Micheal discussed spells and errands, Sophie kept one ear tuned in, while the other focused on other sounds. She enjoyed the relaxing sound of Calcifer providing his fire to heat up the food. The sizzle and pop sounds reminded her of the mornings when she'd wake up early to cook for her family. Calcifer didn't groan as much as he usually did, since it was his first task of the day. 

You would always come down when they were all almost finished eating. 

Howl would always fawn over your presence, in a sarcastic manner. 

"The princess has awoken," had become such a common sentence, that Sophie would mouth it to herself the second you opened the door from the stairs. 

Micheal had found that very funny, grinning. He was always in the middle of chewing his bacon, but had joined in on the fun, choosing to mouth the words that would come out of your mouth as you scratched your head and dragged your feet over to Calcifers' heath. 

"Calcifer, is there more bacon?"

You didn't like to answer Howl, Sophie had learned. 

But she noticed the little ways you acknowledged him. She noticed that you always took his plate when he was done, keeping all the plates in a small stack, so you could clean them all once you were finished eating. 

Whenever Howl was looking around for something to add for a spell, you would be by his side right away, with exactly what he needed. 

"Thank you, darling." 

Sophie was far too old to fall for the whimsical words of a boy, but she was surprised that you hadn't. If it were her sisters, she knew that the girls would've been easily smitten, quickly turning to fight each other over a brief crush. 

Then again, you were older, and probably much wiser, especially because you lived with Howl. 

But that brought her back to one thing she was most curious about. 

Whatever were you doing, sleeping in his room? She assumed the two of you were not in any sort of romantic relationship; if she were you, she would've smacked Howl out with a broom - how dare he so openly go after other women, after all? But even the dumbest man in the world  wouldn't make such a show out of going after other women while having a perfectly beautiful girlfriend at home. 

She knew you two weren't related in any way - that was because she had been so wracked by her curiosity, that she had just asked Howl during an early morning. Howl scowled, Calcifer seemed to gag, and Micheal shook his head rapidly. 

"Don't ever suggest that to her," Micheal warned Sophie, once Howl had went back upstairs to wake you up, since you seemed to be sleeping in. "She would murder you for thinking they're related. It's insulting to her!" 

You slapped his hand away before he could even reach out to shake you awake. 

"So, you were awake," Howl mused. "Why don't you come downstairs, so you don't waste away here?" 

You groaned, burying your face in your pillow. "I always waste away here. I'm always in this wretched castle, I'm always wasting away. It doesn't matter if I'm up here or down there, or in your wretched bathroom." 

Howl put a hand over his chest, acting as though your cruel words really had any sort of affect on him. 

"Don't be dramatic." 

Howl sighed, but a grin grew on his face. You knew him so well. "Come on, darling, at least eat and waste away, if you must." 

"I want to go home." 

Howl paused. 

He hesitated, and you knew he would. 

You also knew what he would say. 

"You are home." 

You took a minute, taking a deep breath before lifting up your head. 

"What's for breakfast, Howl?" 

(happy intl womens day to my dear reader and my beautiful sophie)