Howl's Moving Castle: Tales Of Love

Earth (Part 1.)

So this and the next few chapters will all be interconnected, so I hope you enjoy!!

This one is more based off of the movie, so if maybe you like the book better, then I'm sorry, these next few chapters may not be for you!!

(I apologize if this is rusty, I've been extremely lazy and unmotivated this past year when it comes to anything creative.)

Part 1: Earth.

Earth. Howl found that to be the best description for her eyes. After a few good months he finally figured it out, why he, someone so flighty and impulsive, had found such safety and security in her gaze; it was because they were so distinctly the color of the soil in their garden, or the bark of an old tree, or perhaps even of their wooden floors that he had grown so fond of over the years.

Often when her eyes were shining with excitement or glistening with tire was when he found himself most intrigued, and he often got accused by Calcifer of looking like a lovestruck puppy, which Howl doubted was even a thing, but didn't deny, as he knew in his big mess of feelings, the strongest of them all was the almost indefinable love he felt for her. As cheesy as it might've sounded, it wasn't just the color of her eyes that reminded him of why he felt this way, but the way she viewed the world with them. How she often used her eyes for kindness, or acts of love, or the way she read or what she read.

Ever since he got his heart back, it was like every thing he felt consumed him, and he wondered if he was really experiencing the love people so often talked about, or if it was just because he had gotten his heart back so recently, as to why everything was so intense. Especially when she looked at him with those big earthen eyes, he had to reel it in, so as to not freak her out with the complete mushiness and tenderness that would wash over him.

Instead of lessening, it only seemed to increase the longer he got to know her, the more time he spent with her. The more time he learned her little quirks and mannerisms, and about her past and her dreams and desires. It confused him, as he had never enjoyed the company of a woman so much, and it scared him how much he found himself willing to sacrifice for her, just to see her happy, just to spend as long as he could with her. Whether it be his time, money, energy, or magic, he found himself wanting to do everything and anything he could for her.

One day, as he was idly tweaking some spells he had created, a much welcomed distraction came in the form of Lettie Hatter, with a basket of food in hand, saying she was delivering bakery foods for the castle as she often insisted sweets were good for the spirit. Surprised to find Sophie was still in the flower shop, as it had grown rather busy these past few weeks as the spring season had just started, Lettie set the basket down and walked over to Howl, peering over his shoulder as he started mixing different flower petals together in a shallow bowl.

"Howl, what're you doing? A spell or something?" Lettie asked in a somewhat accusatory tone, still a bit unaccustomed to magic.

"Would you mind passing me the bowl on the desk next to you?" Howl requested, evading her question as he started boredly roaming his eyes over the different ingredients that were for a spell he had little interest in, but knew would make money from, likely from some drowsy elderly man or woman. Something Sophie would've been interested in when she was an old woman definitely. A moment later she handed the bowl over to him, and began to ask what he was making.

"Nothing important, just helps to keep furniture dust-free." Howl said with a sigh, slumping forward slightly as he realized he had made a mistake while putting in the ingredients.

"Oh, sounds useful," Lettie said simply, but then added, "but you sound like you could use a break."

Howl glanced miserably at the spell he knew he would have to redo, since he put the ingredients in the wrong order, and decided to work on it at a later time, and followed Lettie out to the front yard, who apparently decided now was a good time for a walk. To his surprise, she stopped just outside of the front door, waiting for him to catch up, but did not take a step further when he did meet her just outside the front door.