A Brief Lesson Title: A Brief Lesson Author/Artist:kunenk Fandom: Howl's Moving Castle/Final Fantasy VI Pairing/characters: Sophie Hatter, Terra Branford, Howl Rating: G Wordcount: 387 Prompt/challenge you're answering: Sophie and Terra, this conversation never happened
She’d seen the girl looking at the flowers through the windows, of course. It was hard to mistake someone with that colour hair for anyone else- Sophie wasn’t sure she’d seen anyone else with it, and she’d seen plenty of heads trying to fit hats onto them.
On this particular occasion, Howl was out, and Sophie was contemplating getting up and opening the door to ask the girl if she’d like to come in- was just about to get up and do so, in fact, when the girl forestalled her, opening the door and coming in herself. She still seemed rather anxious, but with Howl out she was at least unlikely to buy more flowers than she desired, and the flowers had caught most of her attention. She reached out, hesitating just before touching them.
“They won’t fall off if you touch them,” Sophie said.
The girl started and turned to her, pulling her hands back. “Are you Jenkins?”
Sophie snorted. “I’m sure Howl would like the sound of that! No, I’m Sophie Hatter. And you?”
“Terra,” the girl said. She hesitated, looking at the flowers that filled the shop, and burst out, “How do you get them looking so nice? It feels like some kind of magic…”
“It is, but I don’t think it’s anything I could teach,” Sophie said, tapping her fingers against each other. “I might be able to teach you a little about taking care of them, though, if you were interested in that.”
“Oh,” Terra said, looking a little disappointed, but cheering up once Sophie told her what she might be able to teach. “That… would be useful. I’d like that.”
“Follow me, then,” Sophie said, getting up off the chair and walking around the counter.
Howl gave them both a look when he returned. Terra flushed- clearly affected by the coat, Sophie decided- but pulled her eyes away, turning to Sophie and thanking her before leaving.
“Who in the world was that?” Howl asked, raising one- perfectly groomed- eyebrow. “She felt quite powerful.”
Sophie had felt it as well, though she hadn’t seen the sense in pressing the matter. “A possible returning customer,” she said instead, “though I can’t imagine she’s taken to well to you.”
“You remain as wounding as ever,” Howl told her, and swept off into the bathroom.