• The Demon's Curse •

7: In Which Howl Rips his Suit

        Sleep came quickly to Lily as she laid in her cot. Calcifer's humming lulled her to sleep on the nights she was sad or homesick. She was one hundred percent positive it was a spell to keep her from asking questions, seeing as how he was better at avoiding answers than Howl was. On these nights, Howl would disappear and be gone till the early morning hours. Sometimes Lily could hear him come in with his breathing rigid but she always pretended to be asleep during this. 
        Howl finally came back from his secretive travels looking more disheveled than ever. Calcifer eyed the Magician with his skeptical eyes.
"Wouldn't it be simpler to drink Arsenic?" Snickered the demon with a displeased flicker.
Howl glared at the fire demon and parted his lips to explain how idiotic he was, when he was shushed with a hiss. 
        "She just got to sleep." He said rolling over on his log.
The blonde let his jaded orbs scan over the sleeping form, noting the soft snore every few seconds. 
"It's getting worse, isn't it?" He asked, referring to the mark that seemed to spread ever so slightly and grow darker by the day.
        Calcifer only hummed in response. There was a silence until he spoke again. "You are a stupid boy."
Howl left his eyes on her. He decided to dedicate her image to memory. Eventually he would paint her picture inside of his mind effortlessly until she would fall in love with him.
        "Earlier today, I saw Marie. She told me she was the happiest woman alive to admit she was hopelessly in love with me."
"And?" As if the demon didn't already know what he did next.
"I told her I was leaving her and never coming back."
        "Pitiful. And she cried, didn't she?"
"Of course she did." He said, looking at the demon now. "What of Lily? Has she fancied anyone?"
Calcifer flared up, alarming the wizard a bit. 
        "You are not to toy with her. Your pompous, selfish little mind couldn't handle her." 
Appalled, Howl put his hands on the hearth and came closer to the flame. "What has gotten into you, oh mighty demon? What makes this girl so special?"
        Calcifer crackled with agitation, "You wouldn't believe me if I told you."
Howl kinked a brow, "That mark is from you, isn't it?"
The fire shrugged, "I couldn't tell you even if it was. But that wasn't my point. She comes from another place, it may even benefit you to find out more about her."
        "I have more important things on my mind such as this war and the witch of the waste closing in on me. I don't have time for something so trivial as Lily Mason." With his sassy attitude, Howl staggered upstairs and retreated to his room.
        That morning, Lily woke early. Yet again disappointed to see it was in fact, not all a dream. She got up and fixed her cot so it was neatly put away. After she made sure Calcifer had enough logs to last for a few hours and went exploring. Towards the back of the four bedroom castle, Lily went out into what seemed like a backyard. Messy junk, littered the grass in piles. Mostly metal, some jars, and what seemed like tools of torture. She paid no mind to them but did start poking around in bottles and jars. 
        She picked up one that seemed mostly full of a glittery pink powder. The label was torn and left a sticky residue on the glass itself, as she found it to be like that with most containers there. She uncorked it was just about to pour it in the grass when she heard a yelling.
        It was Howl. He sprinted her way, waving his arms, telling her to stop what she was doing. She only stared at him, wearing his silver and blue suit with the long sleeves. 
He quickly snatched the bottle and began to scold her but quickly realized she wasn't listening. He only become more annoyed which he really hated. Lily noticed that Howl would do anything to avoid conflict. Why else would he let someone so Annoying stay?
        "Are you even listening to me?"
"Why don't you wear a different suit?" she said, ignoring him once again.
"I like this one-" He said in a hurry, "Now, I'm leaving for-"
"Don't you have one in red?" 
        "Confoundit Woman!" With a snap of his fingers the Suit deepened until it began to turn red. "Now,-"
"It's still the same. You haven't washed it or changed it's pattern-"
Howl was getting angry now, "You women expect everything from magic!" As he spoke, he waved his hands frantically as if it would only express his frustration more so. His long sleeves caught the rusted edge of a metal sheet and tore making an ugly sound. 
        Howl let out a string of curses that were in a foreign language to her. 
"Oh no! I'm so sorry. I can fix that!" she said, trying to get close enough to examine it. Howl protested but she managed to push her way closer to him. He paused, catching whiffs of her softly scented hair. It smelled sweet, much like lilac or peaches. Possibly from his personal stash of scented bath soaps but he would save that for another time.
        "Can you even sew?"
"Well, Sort of. I can mend books-"
"Books? Do I look like a book to you?"
        Lily had had enough of his constant harshness towards her and began to walk away from him. 
This only triggered a childish sense in him, "It wouldn't matter because I am an all powerful wizard you egg!"
And just like that, Howl pinched the sleeve and dragged his fingers over the torn fabric. It was as good as new. It was like the rip never even happened.
"See? Impressive, isn't it?"
        Lily crossed her arms over her chest. She refused to partake in a game with him. He would always win and constantly complain if he didn't. 
Howl took a good look at the raven haired girl before him. "Listen Lily, If you are in absolute need of something to do, I have a Gilmore that may need some mending." 
        She ignored his question, just as he did to her about the black door. 
"You haven't found a way to help me with my curse have you?"
"Curses take time you know!" He stammered dramatically. "You can't just wish away your problems, it doesn't work that way."
"Fine." She said, though she would have argued that he got whatever he wanted just from a snap of his fingers.
"Where is this Gilmore?"

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