Porcelain Doll (Howl X Reader)

Chapter 13

"Howl, what in the world has gotten into you?!"

Said man was pacing around the house, closing it off or sprinkling spells around the corners. Calcifer was still moving the castle the direction he was told, his mind working its own stuck between what was causing the man to act that way, along with trying to concentrate on moving the castle quickly.

Sure Howl has been dramatic before, but this time Calcifer could sense there was more to it. After all the two were connected.

"Howl!" (Y/N) snaps causing the man to stop in his steps. Calcifer knew if he could eat popcorn, now would be the perfect time to consume some. "Why in the world did you do that!"

Upon receiving no response her frustration grew more. He simply kidnapped her away from the poor cat which she was only trying to help.

"Calcifer, please stop the castle for a minute" She huffs, turning back to the door.

Before she could reach it Howl was in her way. He places his hands on her shoulders, lightly pushing her back. She shrugs his hands off pushing them away in anger "Don't touch me"

"You can't go out there" He ignores her warning, grabbing her arm and pulling her away from the door. He forces her to sit in the chair, standing in front of her to keep her from standing up.

"Move out of my way you imbecile!" She goes to stand but is pushed down once more. Despite his scrawny looking appearance Howl was quite strong…or perhaps (Y/N) was simply weak or even just doubting the dramatic man's strength.

"Calcifer keep watch of her, let Markl know also. She is no longer allowed to leave this house unless I am to accompany her." Howl replies, ignoring the girl's complaints.

If this was payback for her pulling the silent treatment on him, she'd make sure to come back tenfold. No explanations were given as the two sat with their mouths agape.

"I will not stand for being under house arrest!" (Y/N) complains.

"Well it is a good thing you are seated" Howl replies in a blink of an eye. (Y/N)'s face grows red, her eyes narrowing at the tall man before her, she decided to not voice her distaste, rather speaking with a strained voice.

"If you are going to keep me here, at least tell me why!"

"It would be better to do so" Calcifer speaks up, munching on his wood as the castle had made it to the destination.

He was rather entertained by the two adults arguing like children in front of him. It almost reminded him of a poorly acted play, whose actions would be exaggerated.

"That cat.." He uncrosses his arms, opting to rest his hands on his hip as he stares at the girl, his green eyes acting as a pool of emeralds, suffocating her from needing to know more, yet drawing her in to want to know more.

"It had magic"

With those words her nose crinkles up, with her eyes narrowing further. Her tight frown had begun to relax, turning into a grin. She rests back against the chair releasing a laugh.

A cat. With magic?

"I knew you were crazy, but to be that crazy…." She continues to laugh, eventually dying down into small giggles.

And then silence.

She returns to look at him, surprised when his expression had yet to change. It left her confused

"But it is a cat, what sort of magic could a creature not able to speak the tongue of man possibly use?"  Due to his lack of reaction and the silence of Calcifer once more, it led her to believe he was indeed telling the truth.

Her question was met with silence once more. Enraged she has to push for questions she hops up to her feet.

"Fine if you wish not to answer me I will not follow what you tell me to follow." She growls, blinking a few times to clear her quick loss of vision. "I do not follow things blindly. If there is something you want me to do, explain it. Otherwise I shall not listen."

When she had turned her gaze upward to Howl's face she expected to see an angered blonde towering over her. Yet as they made eye contact his stern demeanor seemed to fade. His eyebrows furrowed as he bit his bottom lip upon making eye contact yet quickly returned to his angered expression once he realized they were making eye contact.

"I should not have to explain myself to a mere human who cannot detect or understand magic!"

"If you should not have to explain yourself then there is no reason for you to keep me under house arrest!" She snaps at him.

The commotion seems to have finally reached the young boy living in the house as he had appeared on the staircase watching the argument unfold.

Noticing the new pair of eyes watching, (Y/N) sucks in a breath releasing it. She hated letting go of an argument without trying to meet in the middle, but she didn't want to argue in front of a child. Markl had definitely become a weak spot for her.

"You know what, fine!" She exclaims throwing her hand in the air and placing herself in her cot. "I'll listen for now, but this isn't over"

Howl's frown turns into a smirk, the triumph clear on his face in (Y/N)'s viewpoint. He turns his back towards her, the smile dropping instantly as he begins to twist the ring on his finger, his mind starting to wander as he goes back to his room upstairs, passing Markl without acknowledging the boy's presence.

"Well that was something" Markl huffs, stumbling down the steps and to (Y/N). Glancing at her eyes he smiles

"Your eyes are pretty today! They seem to reflect so much!" He gives her a toothy smile. (Y/N) returns a soft smile patting the boy's head. He knew some ways to cheer her up for sure. They were odd, but nevertheless accepted.

"That's off topic though" He rubs the back of his ear with a shy smile. He lifts the book from under his arm and places it in the girls lap. "Could you help me read a bit more for the spells?"

"What am I chopped liver?" Calcifer huffs. Throughout the whole ordeal the poor fire had been cast to the side. His bright flames may have lit up the room but the tension seemed to distract from that.

"Perhaps Calcifer can help you" She smiles at the boy once more ignoring the fire's rhetorical question, reaching to pick up the bag she had arrived with. "If I am to be under house arrest, I might as well make my time of it so I was planning to sew!"

"You sew?!" Markl gazes at her in awe.

"Of course." She pokes his nose as Calcifer groans at her motherlike affection "I'll make something for you, myself, and…Howl"

"What about me?" Calcifer whines.

"I would, but you would burn it within a few hours" She deadpanned at the fire who seemed close to throwing a fit about being ignored.

"Fine. If you do make something for Howl, make another jacket. I'm tired of seeing him wear that white and blue jacket" Calcifer pipes up after whining.

"Oh yes, yes!" Markl jumps "You should do that! I think we have some fabric around for you to use!"

He grabs her hand, tugging her with him. They reached a small closet (Y/N) had yet to look through as she feared it was a disaster but as Markl opened the door she was met with a surprisingly neat and organized display containing a few stacks of fabric.

"Wow" She utters in awe, stepping closer to look over the colors.

Her gaze lands on a soft pink and a light, almost purplish, blue. There was also some white and gold which seemed to match with what she had planned in her head.

Just because she was mad at Howl didn't mean she couldn't use him as a mannequin for her designs. If he were to keep her under house arrest, she assumed it would be the best way to bother him.

Gathering the fabric in her hand she turns to Markl with a smile. It was time to begin her new, small project.