a heart's a heavy burden to bear *

Hello, my name is Sophie Hatter; it's so good to see you! A visitor is always welcome, although I've no idea of what could have possibly led you all the way out into the Wastes. I've always thought one should avoid witches and magic and the like, if it's possible. If I can help you in any way, don't hesitate to ask; although I doubt I'll be of much use to you. I am only a cleaning lady and a hatter, after all.

[immortalxcuriosity-blog]

thekindthatcleans sees me!~

[immortalxcuriosity-blog]

"Hm? Oh— I, um. Well—" The teen stammered, searching the confines of his brain for something to say in response to the other girl’s extremely apparent concern for him. To explain who he was now or later? “I mean, if you don’t mind that is..” .. Apparently he would choose later. He did, after all, spend a vast majority of his eternal life outside. It wasn’t everyday he actually got invited elsewhere, even if warm wasn’t exactly his forte. “I’m typically outside for most of the day. A change of scenery, even for a bit, would be nice.”

[thekindthatcleans]

     Obviously, that was the only reply that Sophie needed. Soon enough, she had ushered the boy into the strange, magically held together castle that she had come to call home. "There's a chair next to the hearth," She instructed him as soon as they were indoors, under the conviction that she should get him warmed up as soon as possible, least the poor thing freeze to death. "You can sit there, if you'd like. Please, excuse the mess; my husband has no concept of the differences between cleanliness and clutter." She was rummaging through the cupboards now in search of something for him to eat. As a near afterthought, she added, "And don't be bothered by Calcifer. He's far more bark than bite."

[annamore-the-cupid-blog]

"Excuse me, I think you dropped something."

"What?" Annamore turned, tilting her head to look at the girl who had addressed her. It was a small packet of food she’d been carrying around, "Oh, um… Thank you."

"Wait, you can see me?"

[annamore-the-cupid-blog]

"I don’t normally loose things…" Annamore frowned, looking down at her belt and tugging on it slightly, "Looks like I’ll need a new one. Better my lunch than my arrows, right?" She laughed and accepted the packet back, "Thank you."

"Ah, because I’m a spirit." The Cupid raised her brightly feathered wings, grinning sheepishly, "Only a few people can see me. I’m Cupid, actually."

[thekindthatcleans]

    "A spirit?" Sophie mused, eying the sharp arrows in the redhead's quiver now that they were pointed out at her---yes, they certainly seemed authentic and quite deadly, though she had a difficult time accepting that the girl was, in fact, Cupid. She'd been under the impression that Cupid was a mild-mannered, little man with an inclination to love charms and far too much time on his hands. 

      It was only when her gaze caught on the girl's wings that she began to believe her claims. "Well, I've never met a spirit before," Sophie finally stated, adding shortly after, "Unless a demon counts, of course, in which case I suppose I'm quite well-acquainted with their kind. Ah--how does one become a spirit, exactly?"

[thekindthatcleans]

        Business at the hat shop was so slow on that afternoon, in fact, that many of the young workers took it upon themselves to leave work early, peaking inside the doorway of the room that had become her workshop, questioning whether she could handle the remaining flow of customers herself.

        Sophie accepted her fate to manage the store her own that afternoon without complaint, only glancing at the truly pathetic green hat in her hands once she was alone. “I suppose it’s only you and I now, isn’t it?” Of course, the hat didn’t answer back, only continuing to look just as lonely and floppy as before.

     However the silence of the store didn’t last long. After an hour or so, Sophie heard the ring of the front bell, signaling a new customer. With a sigh, she stood, straightened her dress, and peeked her head out of her room. “Hello? May I help you?”

[aprettyfire]

⚙ It added in a soft persuasive flicker, "How about making a bargain with me? I’ll break your spell if you agree to break this contract I’m under." Sophie looked warily at the demon’s thin blue face. It had a distinctly cunning look as it made this proposal. Everything she had read showed the extreme danger of making a bargain with a demon. And there was no doubt that this one did look extraordinarily evil. Those long purple teeth. “Are you sure you’re being quite honest?” she said. “Not completely,” admitted the demon.

[witchofthewasted]

I’m sorry, Heen, I’m trying to hurry. I just can’t seem to stop crying.

Sophie Hatter, Howl’s Moving Castle (via witchofthewasted)

[karyskoo]

This is perfection

[maniacasia]

[maniacasia]

[legend-of-ashitaka]

24 Day Studio Ghibli Challenge Day 3: a couple

Sophie Hatter and Howl(Howell) Jenkins from Howl’s Moving Castle

[thekindthatcleans]

'Ameaningfulexistence' started following you...

      Many of Sophie's afternoons were spent toiling away by herself in the hat shop, stiff fingers shoving a needle through thick material as she spoke to whatever unfortunate bonnet or cap she was currently forming together. Often, she caught herself speaking to them. "You," She told a burnt-orange cap with daisy-printed lining that she felt particularly bad for, "have a brilliant personality. One day, someone will see that inner beauty and take you away, I'm sure."

    Sophie was so caught up in comforting the hat, in fact, that she missed the ring of the bell when this new customer entered. It was only when she heard approaching footsteps that she spun around on her stool, suddenly feeling very foolish at being caught conversing with a hat. And an ugly one at that! "Hello? I'm sorry, I didn't hear you come in. I was just--" However, she figured mentioning what she had just been doing was not entirely a wise idea--"How can I help you? Shopping for a hat?"

[sennenkoi]

[howl-his-moving-castle]

[thekindthatcleans]

You're finally mine. I'm finally yours.

[thekindthatcleans]

'The-apprentice-markl' started following you...

        Often times, Sophie found herself absolutely repulsed by Markl and Howl's living conditions, or rather, the squander they would allow themselves to live in if not for her constant pestering. In fact, it seemed that whenever Sophie was allowed to get too still or too bored, the image of the condition of the castle when she had first arrived would flash through her head and she would be grasped by the startling impulse to clean.

     Today, unfortunately, was one of those days. Throughout the castle, the sound of the silver-haired woman dusting, sweeping, scrubbing, and threatening spiders as they ran from their now-crushed webs echoed. It was only inevitable that, soon, Markl would be sucked into the fray. "Markl!" Sophie finally called, hinting that there was, indeed, no escape. "Come downstairs and empty the ash from the hearth! I'm tired of Howl's and your's no cleaning nonsense. This castle is a wreck!"

[thekindthatcleans]

'Icemagicianfelix' started following you...

     It wasn't very often that a hand knocked upon the Kingsbury door of the castle that did not belong to one of Howl's customers. Sometimes they were in want of a charm and at other times, a simple magical remedy, but always they were there for his assistance. And, unfortunately, rarely Howl was present to actually assist them. That task fell on the small shoulders of Markl, and, when he had scampered off to charm some young lady, it suddenly became Sophie's job to turn away whatever needy customer called.

    So, with that in mind, her irritability when she opened the door is perhaps a little more understandable. However, Mrs. Hatter attempted to sound at least a small bit hospitable when she saw the boy standing on her doorstep. "Hello. I'm afraid that the wizard isn't home at the moment, so you'll have to take it upon yourself to come back later. I apologize for the inconvenience, truly." She had uttered those words at least five different times that afternoon.

[thekindthatcleans]

'Cuddlycamper38mj' started following you...

    "Oh. Hello." Sophie's silver-haired head appeared as she peaked out of her small alcove and workshop, taking in the sight of the new customer. After firmly straightening her dress and setting the hat she'd been sewing -- a truly witty blue bonnet-- on its stand, she made her way over. "Can I help you with something, perhaps?" 

[thekindthatcleans]

'Cantcontrol-thecurse' started following you...

       "Hello?" Sophie pushed the heavy ice doors of the castle open with a huff, taking a moment to rest the palm of her hand on her stiff back. Silently, she reprimanded herself one last time, for luck, This is what you get for getting yourself lost, you old fool. (A phrase she still found herself using.) Are you certain you haven't become senile? And now, here she was, in a castle made of ice, preparing to ask whatever powerful (and most certainly foul) wizard who had made it for his help. "I'm sorry for intruding. It seems I've gotten myself quite lost."

[thekindthatcleans]

'Ragingicestorm' started following you...

       It was no secret that Sophie was often far more curious than did her good, but this time the lengths of her determination to poke her nose into something that wasn't remotely her business surprised even herself. Whenever the castle had been traveling along, only to encounter a castle of ice in it's way, Sophie had perked up and called to Calcifer that she was "just taking a short walk'. In fact, her feet  had been itching for a good excursion due to spending a great part of the last week cooped up in the castle.

    It was only when her palm met the icy door of the foreign castle and shoved it open that it occurred to her that perhaps the plan was a little less than sane and that, perhaps, she had unknowingly become senile in her old age. "Hello," She found herself calling out despite herself, attempting to sound brave, "Is anyone here?"