One Just Doesn't Quibble
-Moonlesswind
The first slash/yaoi fanfiction for Howl on this site! Sophie was at the market whenavaguely bored Prince Justin shows up at the moving castle. The only ones home were Howl and Calcifer, and he isn't telling what happened. Howl/Justin. YAY!
I apologize now for any misspellings or story line problems, while the misspellings are not my fault, the story line problems are, and just there to make the story flow better.
Disclaimer: I am not making any money from this story, and if you think so you are truly foolish. If you sue me all you will get is a few pennies and an extensive collection of yaoi. Also I got the pastry names from the Pink Rose Pastry Shop in Philadelphia, PA. Of course I'm not getting any money from them either, just a large amount of drool.
Justin's POV
I suppose you could call my life normal, or at least it was after the lovely Sophie removed the horrible cure that was placed upon me. Spending three years of your life as a scarecrow can hardly be called normal.
Anyway, after I returned to my home, the castle at Kingsbury, and had my father call off that ridiculous war my life returned to its boring-at-the-utmost state. Unless you count the dreams…
Since I returned home I have been experiencing rather disturbing dreams. Ones that include myself and the sorcerer Howl, with the distinct absence of Lady Sophie, the child Markl, the Witch of the Wastes, or even the fire demon Calcifer… Oh yes and our clothing. Blush
Getting back to the subject at hand… Yes, my life was the most boring of lives, until the day that I decided to go and visit the group at Howl's moving castle.
The random and mostly ridiculous war had been over for about a month when I suddenly had the urge to go and visit Howl…and the others. Finding the moving castle was hard to do, but then I had found it when Sophie needed a place to stay and I was confident that I could find it again.
The day I decided to go was spent announcing my intentions, telling my father, and getting all of the supplies that the Royal staff said that I needed. So in the end it was the next day that I finally set out, on foot to find the moving castle.
I set out with a full retinue at the beginning of the day. 'What do they think I'm doing, going to visit a neighboring kingdom,' I thought to myself, raking my hand through my hair, 'why the hell do I need all of these bowing and scraping buffoons to come with me. I need to dump them somewhere.'
"Ah, yes the bakery, I think I'll go in and buy some pastries to give to Lady Sophie," I said to my servants.
"Sir! Allow me to suggest a more… delectable bakery from which to purchase the pastries," one of the men exclaimed.
"No, no, um…Ingles. This is the perfect place to purchase them. Lady Sophie's sister works here and I'm sure that she can direct me to the proper ones," I said, maybe a little too quickly in my haste to get away from them, "You'll please wait here for me; I won't be but a minuet."
Quickly I walked into the bakery and spotted Lattie, surrounded, as always, by her male suitors. I slowly made my way through the young men, who parted for me as soon as they realized who I was. I am, after all, the crown prince of Kingsbury.
"Oh, Prince Justin," Lattie exclaimed as soon as she saw me, "How can I help you, Your Majesty?" Lattie quickly dropped her flirtatious air as she talked with me; it wasn't the best idea to flirt with the crown prince.
"First I need a box of pastries, assorted for a group of people, including a young boy, a very old woman, a aging dog, a fire demon, a sorcerer, and your sister," I told her smiling as I saw comprehension dawn on her face, even before I mentioned her sister.
"Are you going to visit the Moving Castle, Your Majesty? I have just the thing you need, Sophie comes in occasionally to pick up some treats for everyone," she told him as she took out a small box and proceeded to place several pastries into it, "Now Markl enjoys the Chocolate Macaroon, the Witch of the Wastes has always bought the Pink Rose Famous Éclair, for that sweet little dog; a carrot cupcake, and Calcifer just loves the Lemon Tartlette. Howl, although you wouldn't think it, just drools over our Chocolate Angel Mousse Cup, it's quite endearing. My dear sister has simple tastes; her favorite pastry is the Pasticcio. And for you, Your Majesty?"
"Hmm, well the Chocolate Angel Mousse Cup looks excellent; I think I'll go with that. How much?"
"Pastries are always on the house for Royalty here, Your Majesty, especially if they are buying them for my sister," Lattie smiled as she told me.
"Thank you my dear Lady. Now I have one more favor to beg of you," I told her, "If one did NOT want to leave this establishment by the front door, how, pray tell, would one go about leaving?"
"Ah, they sent an entire troop with you, did they? Well there are always ways around that," She turned and addressed a pair of her suitors, "Jameson, Larsen will you please take these tarts outside to the men dressed in Royal livery? Please make sure that their Prince was thinking of them and that he will regretfully be a little longer than he first thought. Also make sure that they do not try to come in here. Will you do that for me boys," she waited, pouting, until they acquiesced and took the tarts out to the men. Then she turned back to me and smiled, "Now that I've given you a lead, follow me…"
Lattie turned and went into the back room and I followed. I have to give the girl credit, for a person that isn't, and has never been Royalty; she is really perceptive as to how it works. In the back room Lattie went over to a small-ish door set into the exterior wall.
"Now, go through here and stick close to the wall, when you come to the first right, take it and almost immediately go left. Keep going straight until you come to the old iron door that connects to the old hat shop. Go around the hat shop and you'll find the main road out of town," she gave a small giggle, "didja get all that?"
"I believe so, thank you for helping me out," I smiled at her, "I'll be sure to come back here if this is the kind of service I can expect all of the time"
"It was no problem at all, Your Majesty. I am always glad to help out a friend of my sister," she told me, "Now you better get going, before your servants figure out that you're gone."
"Thank you, I won't forget this," I called back over my shoulder as I dashed out the door and down the alley.
The rest of my trip out of town was rather uneventful, fortunately the Royal servants either never caught on and are still waiting for me at the bakery, or they never caught up to me.
Anyhow, now I'm safely away from them, wandering the wastes, because, it the curious way of the world, it is easier to find something you are not looking for than something you are. Today is a rather lovely day in the wastes, not like the day I first met Sophie, when it was cold and raining. No, today is a fine day, the sun is shining and the clouds are fine silver wisps in the sky.
As I passed a lone Shepard with his flock of sheep I heard a curious clanking noise. Then came the familiar hissing noise made by the steam that ran the moving castle.
'Easily done,' I thought to myself as I run after the back end of the castle, where the door is located. Grabbing the railing on the edge of the platform I swung myself up and knocked on the door. It took a while for the door to open, and when it did, Howl's face peered out at me.
"Hmm… Who- Oh yes you are that prince that was cursed into a scarecrow," Howl mumbled as he stepped aside to let me in. his hair was slightly mussed, as if he had just gotten up out of bed.
"Good afternoon, Sorcerer Howl. I trust I find you well this fine day," I greeted him. Then I noted the fire demon Calcifer burning in the fireplace, "And good afternoon to you too, Calcifer."
"I suppose it would be if I didn't have to move this hulking behemoth of a junk pile. Why are you here anyway, Scarecrow? Sophie aint here," Calicifer grumbled in his own way.
"Is she not? Oh dear, I had hoped that this would be a good day to come and visit my friends. Ah well, the two of you are here and I bought pastries," I told them.
"No, dear Prince, Sophie and Markl went to the market and took the dog with them. As for the Witch of the Wastes…Well, god only knows where she went off to, although I'm fairly sure that she's still in the castle somewhere," Howl smiled as he replied.
"Yes, break out the pastries, although how would you possibly know what my favorite is," Calcifer declared.
"Oh, your favorite… hmm, could you mean a Lemon Tartlette? Because that's what I brought. Oh, yes, and I thought Howl might enjoy a Chocolate Angel Mousse Cup…" I trailed off as Howl's eyes lit up. Flushing slightly, I opened the box and handed him the cup. He took it happily and immediately drove his tongue into the middle of it.
'Oh. My. God…' I thought as my mind began producing images that caused me to flush even further. Seeing this, Howl grinned around the mousse and licked the edge with the tip of his tongue, taunting me.
'I'm in trouble,' was the only thought my fevered mind could come up with.
In the background I registered Calcifer complaining. "Hey what about me?"
CLIFFHANGER! Bwhahahahaha. I laugh at you. This story will continue on, so plz keep checking back. I'm a rather slow writer, so I'll apologize ahead a time. I love reviews, flames and otherwise. hint hint
(A/N) the next chappie will be in Howl's POV, just so's ya know!