Howl's Apprentice

Howl crosses his legs a bit, raising an eyebrow still smiling a bit as Fiona goes on another rant. It seemed like a habit of hers... He laughs a bit, easily remembering each question from the tirade. He clears his throat a bit once she finishes.
"Yes, I do live here," he smiles, shutting his eyes as he sips his tea. "I create my spells, practice, and work here, so yes. I come by my supplies many ways..." he opens his eyes and smiles again cheerfully.

"So, tell me about yourself. Home, family, hobbies?" he looks at her curiously as he sips his tea, a bit of light blonde hair falling alongside his face as he does. "Dreams?" He loved hearing the wishes of others, it made for such interesting things to think upon in his spare time. Plus it was always fun to see how matching or not their thoughts for the future were to themselves. A faint tinkle of bells from a bauble somewhere in the house floats in the air and his light blue earrings shine softly.
 
Fiona smiled as Howl answered each and every one of her questions. She had a terrible habit of going on tirades and just spouting all the thoughts in her head. Her thoughts ran through her mind quickly because she was both an energetic person, but also very analytical. It was what made her good at what she did. She was able to think things through quickly and efficiently, coming up with new ideas and potions as she experimented. However, sometimes it was hard for even herself to keep up with the direction her thoughts went, and most of the people Fiona talked to just answered whatever question that stood out the most in her rants. "Many ways..?" she repeated, confused. What a.... vague answer. But Fiona shrugged it off as Howl asked her about herself.

"Well, for starters, I live in a little townhouse by a tavern. It's small, but I have a little shop there. People come in for remedies and potions of all kinds, but I'm limited in what I can do and what resources," she explained. "And I don't do much other than read and experiment, to be honest. Though I do like growing stuff and gardening, which I guess ties back to being a witch," she went on with a shrug. "And family? There's none to speak of. Well, no, that's not true. They're somewhere, but at some point I became more trouble than I was worth and got the boot, so I live alone now." Fiona shrugged in a way that said 'it is what it is' before taking a deep breath and continuing. "I was old enough to take care of myself though, so it wasn't that big of a deal, really," she tried to assure. "But anywaaays, you asked about my dreams?" And Fiona's eyes lit up in glee. "One day, I swear, I'm going to become a strong witch. Someone people can rely on for help, stronger than the Witch of the Waste herself, I swear! And I'm going to see the world outside of my little townhouse, and I can't wait until that day comes because when it does, I'm going to take the leap!"
 
Howl sits calmly drinking his tea as he listens to her answering his various questions. He pauses mid sip as he hears her dream to become more powerful then the Witch of the Waste. He had to force himself to keep smiling at the thought of her. That ugly old woman was one of the few things that truly scared the wizard. She was absolutely horrid. Perhaps he could help this girl with her dream... It was rare for Howl to even consider taking an apprentice, but she seemed to have qualities that he hadn't come across in a while. Enthusiasm, some experience, and a very high goal she'd set for herself.

"The Witch of the Waste is surpassed in power but very few. And even if someone came close to doing so, she'd eliminate them from the playing field," he says softly, setting his tea cup down to the side. "It's a dangerous goal. Would you really wish to follow such a dream?" The sorcerer glances up slightly with his blue eyes at the fidgety girl sitting in front of him.
 
Fiona rolled her eyes. "Geez, when you say that you remind me of my mother," she said with a smile before nodding frantically at his question. "If the Witch of the Waste was so powerful, she wouldn't be so fearful of losing her power. That's why she always tries to eliminate them before they can match up to her. She's afraid, Howl. And if that thought doesn't ease my fear, then nothing will! I'm not going to stop because someone might try and stop me. I did my reading, I've done research, I've lied low and off of her radar. I can do this," she insisted, leaning forward over her tea as she got more determined and serious.

"People need a witch out there that reminds them that magic isn't something to be afraid of. I want to be that person!" She said the last line a bit louder than she had intended and her last huff of air sent the hair of her bangs flying upwards and then back down over her green eyes.
 
Howl watches her calmly, unflinching at her speech. Yes...This girl definitely had the qualities for accomplishing her dream...It was rare, especially for someone with a dream of this caliber. He weaves his fingers together in front of him slightly. Even if she was a bit high strung, that could always be worked through. Although it could be a bit difficult...but then again, her dream would never come easily anyway.

Howl leans forward slightly as well, staring back at her green eyes with his own blue before, "I'd like to take you as an apprentice," he says simply. His eyes sparkle a bit as he smiles at the prospect. This could be interesting.
 
Fiona stared at Howl who was clearly thinking something about her. Still, his steady eyes on her unnerved her and made her feel more fidgety than usual. She shifted a bit uncomfortably in her seat wondering if her dream sounded silly to Howl. It sounded silly to a lot of people that she told, so it was not something she would ever say aloud unless asked and Howl had asked her so..

Her thoughts were cut off by Howl's comment. "Wha- what?!" She stuttered, completely and utterly shocked. The shock was soon replaced by a look of glee and Fiona quickly stood up spilling tea all over herself and on the floor but she could care less, because the one of the greatest wizards of all time had asked to take her on as an apprentice. "Me? Apprentice to you?!" Her voice rose higher in pitch as she went on. "You're not kidding, right? Please tell me you're not just joking! Because if you're serious, I will sleep in the cupboards if I have to!"
 
He leans back quickly as she jumps up, catching the spilled tea cup quickly, blinking before looking up staring in astonishment as her voice climbs in pitch. As she finishes, he pauses before bursting into laughter. The blonde sits back in his chair, still laughing. Howl pauses, wiping tears from his eyes, putting down the teacup and stands up.

"I wouldn't joke about such things. On that note, no you won't have to sleep in the cupboards." He can't help but let out another small bout of laughter at the thought. I have a place you can sleep until I have time to add on."

"Welcome into Howl's little world of women and sleeping in late," Calcifer mutters as he reaches out grabbing a log from the side of the fireplace snuggling in with it.
 
"Wait, I was just kidding about the whole moving into your cupboards part. But you're serious?! I would move in here?!" Fiona was practically bouncing on her feet, but then she stopped for a moment to seriously consider her offer. Was she ready to leave her little townhouse and shop behind without a second thought? And her family was still in that little village, even if they did leave her to her own devices. For a second, Fiona felt an inkling of doubt creep into her before she thought: What am I leaving behind exactly? Other than the physical connect to the place she grew up in, she was leaving nothing behind, and she felt just a bit disappointed when she realized there was absolutely nothing and no one stopping her. For better or worse, Fiona was alone which meant that no one would care very much if she got up and left so long as she didn't accidentally drop an explosive potion on the ground.

"I--" Fiona started but found herself at a loss for words. "When can we start?" She asked tentatively.
 
Howl watches her expressions, her fleeting doubt and hesitation, and then her conclusion. He wasn't an idiot and he had quite a hyper awareness about things, especially people. He pauses before nodding and standing, "I'll open a portal to your shop so you can get your things. I'll prepare a sleeping space for you, as long as you're ok with starting today."

The blonde magician pulls off the jacket from over his shoulders, draping it over his chair and pushes up his sleeves with a smile as he walks over to a table rummaging for a moment before holding up a piece of chalk studying it for a split second. He walks over to an empty spot against the wall and kneels down beginning to draw a circular symbol.

Once the man finishes, he stands up and holds out his hand slightly, standing on the edge of it. He shuts his eyes and his hair starts to float up around him a bit and his clothes rustle as the symbols lines begin to glow a silvery blue light. Slowly, a door fades into view in the wall in front of him and the light dies down, his hair falling back to normal and he opens his blue eyes as they glitter, and lowering his hand, he turns toward her, bowing slightly, "Your doorway, my lady."
 
"No today is great," she insisted with a smile and a frantic shake of her head. "I can move my stuff right in! Trust me!" Fiona tilts her head at the mention of a portal and her brows knit together at the chalk he held. Then when the door appeared, her eyes grew wide and she swiveled her head to stare at him in amazement. "Wha-what?" She stuttered, completely amazed. "That's - whoa!"

Fiona hesitantly opened the door as if she expected a creature to come out and grab her from it (which, if it was her making the portal, probably would have happened) and when she opened it, she saw her one and only little town home. Slightly disorganized from the recent business, but otherwise neat and tidy. "You're free to come in," she said to Howl as she began looking through her shelves. She went into a closet of the home and grabbed some wooden crates that were lined up in the walls. She grabbed some of her other clothes and placed them in the crate as well as some important potions and plants she couldn't get herself to throw out. Fiona didn't have much else other than the coin she kept in her room, and had nothing of sentimental value. Perhaps during her apprenticeship, she would be able to contact her family and get them to sell the house for her, but otherwise, she would need nothing else.
 
Howl smiles at her reaction and slowly follows her into her home, "Alright thank you." His blue eyes glance around the small house, taking it all in and immediately committing every detail to memory. The wizard pauses, running the tip of his finger across a surface before looking around once more. Despite the girls pent up energy and high strung ways, he had the feeling this could be a bit fun. A smile lights his face as he waits for her to finish packing.

To himself, he made a note that he'd probably add a few rooms onto his, well, moving castle for the new apprentice. That could come later though, as it would take him a while to figure out all the plans and actually get the motivation. The man wasn't lazy, he just had more pressing things at hand. Howl glances out the windows a bit as he waits. She was definitely an unique girl.
 
Very quickly, Fiona was finished packing the necessities she needed to bring with her into two crates and she hobbled over to Howl with the crates in her hand and smiled gratefully at him. "I can't thank you enough for doing this," she said with a smile as she finally got a good look at the man who would be giving her a new home and a new life that was much better than the one she currently lived.

"I never thought anything like this would ever happen to me. Never really thought anyone would ever give me the chance. I don't exactly show the most potential, but I - Oh, just thank you so so much!" She went on to say, before glancing back and getting one last look at her little townhouse before turning back to the door that would lead back to her new home.
 
Howl smiles and reaches out taking a crate from her to help her, "You're welcome," the blonde replies simply as they walk back through the door. He shuts it and the door fades from ever being there, leaving the blank wall once more. He walks past Calcifer and over to the tall stairs. Under it is a curtain and behind it, as he pulls the fabric back, is a bed in the moderately small space.

"Ah...I apologize, it's small. But I'll be sure to get you somewhere other to sleep as soon as I can manage it," he smiles and turns toward her after setting down the crate. The bed was full sized at least, which was a bit surprising seeing the space it filled. Somehow it fit even if it didn't leave any other room around it. The back wall has a row of drawers. You'd have to crawl across the bed and sit on it to use it. There wasn't any standing room in the back, and barely any in front behind the curtain. The bed had red blankets and sheets, with white pillows. It was actually a nice bed.

"I shall leave you to unpack," he smiles. "I"m afraid I don't cook much but I do have food around if you want to eat anything. I don't really make normal scheduled meals either. So, I'm afraid I won't be much help. But feel free to cook with Calcifer if you wish. Also, you should get some sleep. We'll start with lessons tomorrow, as long as I get a few things done tonight." He laughs lightly and turns walking up the stairs, "Sleep well when you do."
 
((Holy crap! I never got the notification that you replied! I swear I'm so sorry, and here I am wondering 'I wonder if something happened to her?' ))

Fiona smiled. "No, it's perfect," she said sincerely. "I didn't bring much anyways." With that, she practically threw herself onto the comfortable bed and crawled across, dragging the crates with her as she began to fill the cabinets. "Howl, I can't thank you enough for doing this," she added. Fiona thought back to this morning, when she thought she was simply going to go to the market. As he leaves and as she finished unpacking, Fiona debated on whether or not to cook. As if in answer, her stomach growled angrily at her.

With that, she closed the door to her new living quarters and went back to the little area where the fire demon was. "So, Calcifer, right?" Fiona asked as she began rummaging through cabinets looking for ingredients. She found some rice and meat that still looked fresh, and grabbed some herbs and spices as well as a pot as she made her way back to the flame demon. Fiona was quiet good at cooking. Cooking, after all, was a lot like mixing potions, so she had a natural talent for it. Perhaps in another life, she would have been a baker instead of a sorcerer. But that was life and Fiona was glad where she was now. "What's a demon doing working for Howl?" she asked curiously as she began chopping up ingredients on a space she made. One of these days she would have to organize this mess. Fiona was not a neat person by nature, but even this was too much for her.
 
(It's alright~~)

The fire demon looks up slightly from snuggling in with another log, "Yup, I'm Calcifer." His gaze follows her as she digs around for some food to cook. He knew there was some around somewhere... Ah, there we go, she found it. He yawns a bit as she comes over to cook it. "As much as I like you kiddo, not to be harsh but, that's hardly your business on the first day here," the demon grinned a bit.

Despite what the new apprentice originally thought, there was something in return for Calcifers presence. Something very large and precious. It was something no one knew about except he and Howl. Perhaps though, one day, someone would come along that the wizard would trust enough, maybe even love enough, to tell them about it.

"Now, you gonna feed me the scraps?"
 
"Oh- I'm sorry! I didn't mean to pry, I was just simply curious," Fiona fumbled, trying to assure the demon that she meant no offense. However, he seemed kind. A kind demon, Fiona thought, seeing a bit of irony in that scenario. But it was true. Still, she was still a bit wary, but was otherwise unafraid of the fire demon.

Fiona put the pan on the flame and let the meat sizzle for a bit while she finished chopping up the herbs and vegetables. She smiled as Calcifer asked for some scraps. "Why not?" she said, picking a slice of meat off of the plate and tossing it towards the fire. "I hope you don't mind my cooking too much, because you're going to be trying a lot of it as long as I'm here." Fiona loved to experiment with new recipes in cooking just as she did with potions. It was fun for her, although she has made several less than desirable dishes.
 
The demon catches the meat in his mouth, starting to chew it happily. "Sounds fine to me, I'll eat anything really." It was true, he was practically a food bin. Howl would feed him anything and everything he didn't need that was edible, or anything that went wrong cooking wise. But now, when Howl actually needed food, he'd managed to devise a spell to cook for him. Which would be pretty simple right? But for the wizard, he had to take days of pining before actually casting the simple spell. He was definitely, insanely lazy when it came to feeding himself. He never felt the need to eat as much as normal people, Calcifer supposed. Then again, he did manage for days on end without food, which did make him a bit different from normal people.

Calcifer moves his gaze over to the windows slightly to himself, looking at the night air through it on the streets of the city. It was getting a bit late and Howl would have a few things to do...He looks back at Fiona. "You should eat and get sleep, you'll want to be sharp tomorrow," the demon nods slightly. He wasn't lying, she would need to be well rested if she wanted to take any of the things the wizard taught her in.

Next to the front door is a small dial. Upon it is four different colors. One black, one red, one yellow and one blue. It's turned to red, the Kingsbury city on the outside of the building. The other three however, lead to much different places. In this magical castle, whenever the dial is turned to a different color, it opens to another set place. That was one of the unique, amazing things about the house. Not many magicians had power enough to harness different portals all at once.

Calcifer settles in with his logs as he waits for the new apprentice to finish cooking, eat and go to bed. There was work to be done.

(I'm so sorry it took so long to reply! I've had these craaaazy past days and yesterday was absolutely horrid! But I'm back now I think, and I apologize again~!)
 
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