5th Contract - [Video]

[conesoldstober]

What do you think, Sophie? It's not a castle, but I suppose it will just have to do. I got a rather good deal as well.

[The camera spins until Howl's beaming face fills the screen.]

Pavel, you're invited, of course. And ask your lady friend if you like. In fact, we may need to find a few boarders. There are rather more bedrooms than we can fill on our own, and I hate an empty bedroom in a house. It feels like bad luck.

[Howl isn't bothering to filter to this, despite it being directed at one person in particular. You could call it laziness or his desire to show off. More likely a combination of both. He spins it back round to show the house again.]

So how soon do you reckon until you can have us packed up to move?




[ooc: In which Howl is a fickle spendthrift and bought a house.... open video/audio/action from anyone!]

Comments

[conesoldstober]

[His eyes follow hers and land on the fireplace. There are a few moments where he can actually feel the emptiness where his heart used to be, an emptiness of shorts. It might be missing him, it might be missing the power Calcifer brought him. It's hard to tell anymore.]

You should see the kitchen.

[Probably less likely to create a reaction out of either of them.]

[mrsnose]

[The kitchen, the sitting room, the living room - those all revolved around the fireplace in the castle. Life there revolved around Howl and his secret and his star.

She looks away, down to the arm she has around his, to her hand placed over his forearm. Brushes her fingertips in a circle against the fabric between his skin and hers and looks towards the staircase.]

No. I'd rather see the room you think I might like.

[conesoldstober]

Top floor.

[He breaks contact with her arm so her can bound up before her.]

[mrsnose]

[Better; she's not going to wallow or stall or fall into flourished dramatism that seems more fit for him. That's not her, rubbing her empty palm as she climbs up to the top floor.]

[conesoldstober]

[There are two bedrooms on the top floor. He leads her into a sun-filled room, full of old floorboards and sloped ceilings. A set of french doors lead onto the small balcony looking out onto the main street.]

I'd take this one for myself, of course, but I'd only hit my head on the ceilings. I don't believe you'd have that problem.

[mrsnose]

[Loveliest room she's been in. And it's hers - of course it is, because of course this is the room she wants; he seems to know her tastes too well, considering how all he knows is that she can sleep just fine in a cot next to the fire - and she's never had something so beautiful before. It's strange to feel grateful for this.

In fact, hesitance is the first reaction, one that has been sitting at the back of her mind for a while now. She walks into the room, and heads to the french doors, opening them widely and letting sun and noise and air inside before turning around to look at him again.]

I didn't expect you'd want me to still live near you. Let alone assign me such a lovely room.

[conesoldstober]

Contrary to what you may believe, I'm not as-

[he's about to say 'heartless' and cuts himself off.]

-as bloody-minded as you seem to think. We've just got each other in this place, it'd be stupid not to stick together at least.

[mrsnose]

Contrary to what you may believe, I don't actually believe you are. [She's hinting at too much, but the urge to defend Howl in front of - well, Howl himself, is making her talk without thinking first.]

[conesoldstober]

So do you like the room?

[Howl doesn't linger too long in that territory before changing the subject.]

[mrsnose]

Of course I like the room. [She runs her hand over the window pane before moving into the room again. The decision forms in her mind - its origins dating since his boast of the house on the network, in fact - and she decides to say it.]

I intend to earn my keep. While here.

[conesoldstober]

Excellent! So you are going to clean after all?

[mrsnose]

[GLARES.] I thought no-one was going to make me clean. [Firmly.]

But, no. Everybody's going to clean, because it's a house and it takes a lot of time and dedication to make it presentable or habitable. What I mean is that I intend to find employment.

[conesoldstober]

Oh.

[Not even trying to hide his disappointment. Good luck getting this one to clean, Sophie.]

You don't have to, you know.

[mrsnose]

Yes, but I want to. I need to have something to do with my hands, I've realized, and I've been a cleaning lady, a florist and a hatter's apprentice before. They've all been very interesting jobs, and I learnt a lot from them, but - but it's not what I want to be. I don't want to just...make hats, and clean and sells flowers.

[This sounds like an interview for a job - and that's because it is. She's slowly building up the strength to ask, or simply to inform him. The decision's been made in her mind, so - so - all that's left is to inform him of the future path of Sophie Hatter.]

I want you to teach me. Magic.

[conesoldstober]

If it will keep you out of trouble, I suppose I can't argue with it.

[He fixes his glass marble eyes on her.]

You're sure? You know what I can be like when I'm work. It will drive you mad and I refuse to have my technique criticized.

[mrsnose]

No, you refuse to listen to having your techniques criticized, but that doesn't mean they won't be. If they ask for it.

[Since saying it - informing him - feels so much like a rock's been lifted (a heavy one), she smiles while she says that. Teases. Silly wizard, would do well to know that she only criticizes his personality, not his methods of magic. Mostly.]

Either way, it's as you said - I know I have it, now, and I've almost done a lot of damage with it to know that I need to actually know what I'm dealing with.

Besides, you'll need to produce a lot more beauty spells to maintain this house, and an assistant would benefit you.

[conesoldstober]

I've done protections as well, if you must know.

[He gives her another appraising look before he decides that she really is interested in this. Strange.]

I suppose if it's a matter of you not ruining any more suits of mine, I can take you one.

[mrsnose]

I'll try to stay away from your suits.

[Well, it seems pretty much like the right thing to do, on this occasion. She holds her hand out.]

Deal?

[conesoldstober]

[He looks down at that hand of hers. It's an innocent enough gesture, but they haven't touched since that weekend. Since that ship amd their -

He takes her smaller hand in his.]

Deal.

[mrsnose]

[Yes, now she becomes aware of it. The touch is a simple and innocent one, yet it pushes a shot of electricity from her fingertips to the nape of her neck, then down her back; she squeezes his hand in reaction.]

Thank you.

[conesoldstober]

[He can see that she noticing it too, and he can't help but use it to his advantage and pull her in a touch closer.]

I don't have most of my books here, so it won't be as comprehensive as I'd like.

[mrsnose]

[A moth to the fire, that's Sophie. Always stepping closer to dangerous things, willingly.]

It's a risk I'll take.

[conesoldstober]

Excellent.

[He stays for a moment, beaming at her, before he's away again in a flurry of blue sleeves.]

There's a room on the main floor I believe would make an excellent workspace.

[mrsnose]

[And hers go down to her sides as well.] We'll have to move here first. Is Pavel coming, too?

[conesoldstober]

I offered, of course. I am the one who took over his living space, after all.