tampered | Go and catch a falling star

Entry tags:

Go and catch a falling star

When; 12th of May; Saturday evening
Rating; G?
Characters; Sophie Hatter (

mrsnose) & Howl Jenkins (

conesoldstober)
Summary; Sophie's dreams catch up with her.
Log;

[Sophie is tense the whole day. The whole day, she watches the network and it bustles with posts, as people everywhere in the City announce their suspicions; as the day proggresses, they only get further confirmed. And all Sophie can do is watch the network and dread the evening, and hope that her dream doesn't follow.

And then the sun sets. She's putting clothes away in her new closet, and ordering things on the desk near the window when she spies it. In the back garden, a circle of blue roses - the very same she planted in the tub, the very same that starred in her dream - make her stomach drop and her hands forget what they were doing. Careful that no-one follows, she goes downstairs, and steps into the garden, until she's standing amongst them.

The star falls, and stops in mid-air. Sophie's hands rise to hold it. She isn't even sure it's Calcifer; the star doesn't talk. But she can feel the words resonnate through her, let's make a deal, give me your heart, you don't need it either.]

I do, though. [she murmurs to the star. I'll die, sing the words in her ears.] You will. Everyone dies. [But you caught me, so I don't have to. Come on, just give me your heart, and you can have my powers. You're a witch, are you not?

One who's been taught the lesson.

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[Howl is absorbed in his work when he hears the creak of the door opening and closing. It doesn't register at first. After all, a good number of people live in this house, and many of them come and go at odd times. But something uncomfortable settles deep in his stomach, and he finds himself being drawn to the window. There's an ache, a hollow pang where his heart used to be when he sees what Sophie's doing, and he's dashing down the stairs and out into the garden as fast as he can.]

[It's so tragic, it's like her heart's already missing. (But it isn't, not physically, it's just that she's been slowly giving it away to the most oblivious and insufferable of men.) The star knows. The dream repeats itself. You won't save him here, because his heart isn't here. So you don't need yours, so please...]

No. I will, you'll see. Most stubborn woman he'll ever know. [The first tear falls against her wrist, and in her hands the star flinches. (Calcifer, she thinks; wants to think, still. But it's not Calcifer, because Calcifer is home in their castle, and this is just her living dream.) She feels so very sorry for it.]

I've no need for power, little fire demon. Don't want adventures either, because they follow me around anyway. You'd only be miserable, with my heart.

[He stops when he reaches the door out to the garden. His face feels hot and flushed, and he knows that if his heart were here with him rather then tucked in under Calcifer's embers it would be beating up a storm. He can see Sophie talking to the star, but she isn't moving any closer. Not yet. The memory is so strong, he can practically see himself standing where she is. Poor young, naive little Howell Jenkins, ready to give his heart away to the first thing that ask.

He leans against the door, breathing heavily, hoping she doesn't notice him just yet.]

[She doesn't notice; so wrapped up in this, it's as if only the circle of roses and the star and her exist right now. What if this were Calcifer? She wouldn't want him to die. Everyone dies in the end, but she doesn't want to be this cruel.]

What if I put you back up? [There's a pause. (She hears a faint sound from behind her, something that barely registers through her own heavy breathing, and the tears that keep gathering up in her eyes.)

But I don't want to go up. I want to stay here, I want your heart.]

I want my heart too, star. I need it quite a lot. I use it every day, you know?

[His hand comes up and covers that empty space between in his chest. He can almost feel the loss of it now, a dull ache that he's been noticing less and less as the years go on. But right now it's as fresh as that night on the moor when he first felt his heart leave him. He tries to stay as quiet as he can as he watches the rest of it unfold.]

[She stands her ground with the star, which is harder than she thought. It's not that she wants to give her heart away - she does use it, confound it all! She uses it ever time he's in the room, and even when it's not, and she will not be an empty shell because it will feel better, because he's heartless and she loves him.

And there it is, the main problem. She loves him. Each day it grows, and he's still insufferable, so doesn't that make her a fool? And being a fool - well, that grants her the right to do foolish things.]

Look, star. You won't be luckier caught up in a deal with me than you'll be dead, but I'm not about to let you die.

[Her heels dig into the ground, and she stands ramrod straight, and stares the star in the - flicker.] You're going to float right back up where you came from, you hear me? And you'll stay there and you'll snuff out when it's your time, and you won't fall. I don't know if stars can be happy, but you're going to be the happiest you can up there with the others, so go on. Up!

[And, see, she does expect it to work. Believes it with every fiber of her being, pushes the star up and out of her hands. It floats for a second, as if it's looking at her, and Sophie swears she can see wide, shocked eyes. Then it goes. Speeds right up, like it's a ball that Sophie just threw into space.

She watches it go, her hands clutched to her chest above her heart, and when it's out of sight, she finally brushes her tears away furiously.] Well, good thing that worked.

[The sensible part of him is telling him to turn around and go back upstairs. Never mention any of this again. The problem is, he's not very good at listening to that part.]

Sophie.

[He says it softly, still leaning against the door and breathing heavily.]

[Sophie has never been caught in a spell that freezes you completely, so she can't really compare it with a good basis; she imagines this is what it's like. Her hands drop and her eyes widen, and before she can control her body, she's whirled around.

There he is.

Her breath catches, and she holds it. Here she stands, just sent a star back up into the sky, and she can't say a single word.]

You know, don't you? About the contract.

[She bites her lips, pulls them into her mouth. Clenches her fingers into fists.

Nods.]

Did I tell you? Or did you work it out on your own?

[There's a part of him that aches for him to have told her. Except he wouldn't. He never would.]

[Something flashes in her eyes, some small expression that begs don't make me have to talk, before she shakes her head. But she can't give him just that, can she? The cat's out of the bag at last.

At least she lasted long enough; would've lasted longer.] I -

[Her voice is croaky when she starts, but she continues, letting the words tumble out fast, before they decide to stop.] Broke it.

You what?

[He pushes himself off the door, walking closer.]

And we're - both still alive?

[It's like the words have jagged edges that dig into her throat as they climb out of her mouth.]

Of course we are. [She hopes he'd know that - her reaction to seeing him, had he not been alive as well, would have been different. She is hoping a lot of things right now.

Also, she is standing still when she should be moving, and there's a rose under her foot from then she turned.] So is Calcifer.

He broke your spell, didn't he?

[A hand reaches out to curl around a stray lock of hair escaped from her bun.]

I tried to take it off more then once. But I suppose you had to believe it could be broken.

[Oh, dear. Now she's not sure if she's glad she chased the star away, because her heart is beating so fast it hurts. Her chest hurts, her lungs, her throat, the corners of her eyes. He's touching her hair - she wishes she could not react like a lovestruck fool about this, but not swooning is as far as it goes. Everything else - quickening of heart, blush, and sweaty palms - she's not exent of.]

I - think I did. In the end. [She exhales softly, a shuddery thing. Smiles a little, shrugs a little.] Ginger.

I always knew you could. You were the one holding it on, after all. [He feel her heart thumping from where he's standing, and he takes half a step forward, even as that sensible part of his brain is practically screaming at him Howl what are you going you idiot!]

It suits you better than it did me.

[Now his fingers are brushing across her check, as gentle as a feather. How many times has he thought about doing that since they showed up in this infernal city?]

So your spell in broken. My heart is restored. What happens to us?

[The last questioned sounds muted to her ears, the blood rushing to them. He can probably feel her heartbeat picking up now, and the tension in her neck as she holds her breath.

Her fingers grab onto her skirt, because if she reaches out to touch him, it will be the biggest confession she could give him without words. And whilst he hasn't chased her away this time, with words or actions, she has to wonder.

What if she ended up keeping her heart just so the terrible wizard could eat it up?]

Us. [She breathes the word out.]

[He closes his eyes and takes a slow and steady breath in. Shit.]

Sophie. You know that here, I can't.

[No.

Her hand moves fast, fingers pressed against his lips.]

Don't.

[His hand comes up and grips onto her wrist, holding it there, and he stares into her eyes with glass-green marbles.]

[She knows how they look, after he gets it back. She knows, and she can't get the image out of her mind, but it doesn't mean they affect her less now. It doesn't mean he does - she didn't fall in love with the Howl who had his heart; she didn't even know he didn't have one, when she'd done it.

She sways on her feet, finally stepping a little closer. It would be easier to close her eyes and not watch as he pulls her apart, but she's no coward. And she won't do it the easy way, because nothing about them is easy.]

I know, but it won't make anything change. You need to know that.

[His hand slips around the back of her neck as he closes the distance between them, leaning their foreheads together.]

You know I haven't felt anything in a very long time. But you make a ruddy good go at changing that.

[Piece by piece. She expects - doesn't want to, but the expectation is there - him to to pull the rug from under her feet any moment, but he only takes her apart in other ways. Hope.

She closes her eyes, and barely keeps from nuzzling him.]

I've a good hand at making people do what they think they can't.

Sheer stubbornness at work.

[His thumb traces over her bottom lip. He could kiss her right now. The situation is practically screaming for it. But will that just make every worse?]

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