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Ember wiggled the string wrapped around her finger boredly, watching the gray runeboo swat at it with loud huffs. She still didn’t understand how Tony managed to bond with this angry little creature, it would barely give anyone except him and Lee the time of day.

The boo readied itself for a moment before jumping up again to finally catch the string, Ember pulling back her paw so it once again escaped it’s little paws. At least it was fun to mess with when she was bored at home, though it must hate her by now.

The front door clicked open, Ember glancing up to see Lee walking in, smiling as always.

“Hello Ember.. Is Brook asleep?” She nodded, watching as he shut the door just as silently as he entered, then returning her focus on the runeboo grumbling in front of her.

Since Lee started working, she’s had to watch over the small wyngling in his place, alongside Tony when he was even home. She was… apprehensive at first, she had no experience with small children, and to suddenly have to care for one was frightening. But Brook was pretty calm and easy to handle, far more easier than she must’ve been.

That was something she was grateful for, it's best he isn’t like her.

Lee walked past her, shuffling through some papers as she continued her string torment of the runeboo. It began to growl at her directly; seems it was really starting to get mad.

“Oh. I’m going to be busy for the next couple weeks,” Ember hummed nonchalantly, “I signed up for that spite hunting class going on this warptide, so you should tell Tony to stay and watch Brook.”

The runeboo stopped swatting at the string as aggressively as it did before, Ember quickly losing interest at its lazy hits. Oh well, she could find something else to do then..

“.. You did what?”

Ember blinked, dropping the red string on the ground and turning to look at Lee. He was half turned towards her, expression suddenly serious as he stared. What was with that look?

She placed her paw on the disgruntled runeboo’s face and pushed it away to give her full attention to Lee.

"I joined the spite hunting class? I thought it would be helpful, so I joined it."

Lee dropped his arms to his sides and turned to face her, looking uncomfortable. "I-I... I don't see how it's helpful.. why would you join such a dangerous class?"

Ember frowned, feeling the usual anger start to bubble up.

What? Why was he questioning her participation in something important as learning to kill spites? Doesn't he remember all those times they've encountered those damned monsters?

"Because I need to learn how to kill those things." She stood up to face him, tail lashing. "How am I supposed to protect you if I can't do it right?"

Lee grimaced, ears raising slightly. "You don't hav-"

He cut himself off, exhaling sharply before starting up again. "That doesn't mean you have to put yourself in danger just to protect me, Ember. You're my daughter, not my bodyguard."

He didn't understand, of course he didn't. Her selfless father obviously couldn't see the point in him needing to be protected. Of course he still couldn't see the point of protecting himself from his self-sacrificing tendencies.

This was a man who continuously put himself in danger for others, especially those who didn't deserve it.

Those like her.

Ember grit her teeth, accepting the intruding thought.

She won't continue to be unworthy of Lee's love and protection. She needed to make up for it, and this class was the only way she knew how.

"You don't understand, I need to go into this class!"

Lee's expression grew more worried, more conflicted. She noticed a familiar, faint yellow glow in his magic glands but couldn't focus on it as he responded.

"Ember don't you remember the last couple Warptides? The last couple years?" His voice was slightly louder, maybe he accidentally amplified it. "We've been through enough, you don't have to put yourself in unnecessary danger."

"The last couple years is exactly why I should be in this class!" She couldn't help but shout, she just couldn't find a way to make him understand-

"Danger is something we can't escape, Lee, and we never will. But maybe we'll get less hurt if I know how to protect you!"

She wasn't even pretending to care about Tony or Brook anymore, but she was being honest. She just cared for her family, and that was Lee.

Lee started to fidget with his paws at his side, clenching and unclenching shakily. It was one of his nervous ticks.

"You don't have to hurt yourself to protect me, you already have so many scars-" Ember scoffed at his excuse, shaking her head.

"Says the one covered in scars from protecting us!" Lee flinched at the reminder of his injuries but Ember couldn't stop.

"You have no right to say I shouldn't injure myself trying to protect you, you can't even fly anymore, Lee!" Her father took a step back, eyes wide. She could see the pain but she couldn't stop.

She and Lee had once promised to communicate their problems, to prevent more accidents from happening. More miscommunications.

Well. She hasn't been holding up her end of the promise lately, has she?

Maybe she should be more honest.

"First scar, I yelled at you, I called you a useless orphan, knowing what happened to make you stay at the Nook!" The look on Lee's face had haunted her in the woods. She couldn't forget it, no matter how much she wished she could. "Yet, you still threw yourself in front of a kindrin because it was about to attack me. I held you while you bled, and you don't want me to protect you because I might hurt myself?"

Lee's hands shook harder, but he couldn't seem to find anything to say. It's okay, she still had more.

"Second scar- If you could even call it just a scar- Tony accidentally fell off your back while you were flying and what did you do?" She remembers the days alone in the house, pure silence as she sat in fear, wondering where they had gone. If they'd ever return. "To save him you dove down, into dead trees, and shielded him while your wing got torn off! You bled out for days and didn't even pass out until you knew Tony would be safe. But you don't want me to join an official class, because I might hurt myself?!"

Lee looked like he was in pain, his entire arms were shaking and his blue eyes only stared into her.

Any other time they would have calmed her, made her feel safe, but now she just felt angry. Upset.

"Why can't I do this to protect you?!" She bared her teeth, no longer caring that this was her only family. All the built up anger from all the times he's hurt himself began to surface, the pain of seeing him hurt himself without a second thought to himself.

Without a second thought to how she felt seeing him like that so many times.

Her fur bristled, she stomped her paws down, tired of not being answered.

"Well?! Do you have anything to say? Or are you going to keep being a hypocrite?!"

"I-I- I'm-" His brows furrowed deeper, stepping back. He began to raise his arms but they only swayed unsteadily in the air. "I-I don't-"

"Don't what? What, Lee?!" He flinched, avoiding her gaze as his hands raised higher. They looked confused on whether to hide his face or cover his ears.

"Why can't I do this for you?!" She demanded, undeterred by her father's obvious discomfort. "Why can't I-"

"BECAUSE IT DOESN'T MAKE YOU ANY BETTER THAN ME!!"

Ember flinched back at the sudden yell, made so much louder by magic.

Lee's never yelled at her like that before.

"You're doing exactly what I did and I don't want you to!" He dug his paws into his hair, tugging frantically. "Don't be me, don't be me, I don't want you to hurt, I want you all to be safe, please don't!"

Now that the anger was shocked out of her, she more clearly took in the sight of her father.

He was visibly shaking, hunched over slightly as he tugged and pulled at his hair. His eyes were shut tightly, and his wing was trying to shield him.

What was she doing?

"... Lee-"

She tried to step towards him but he shook his head, turning his back towards her. She could see him trying to breathe.

"I'm not weak, Ember."

She stopped entirely, staring at the back of his head in surprise. Why was-

"I don't know why you think that- I don't- understand. But I'm not weak, if I was weak I wouldn't-" He didn't finish his sentence

"I'm not weak. I can- I can protect myself, and I have."

Ember grimaced slightly, trying to find a way to respond.

Did she really think Lee was weak?

"You can go to the c-classes. But I'm not going to support it."

A remaining spark of anger rose at the last part, but Ember said nothing as she watched her father usher away to the hall, saying nothing else.

This was a new experience and she didn't know how to react to it. How does one react to something like this?

Ember didn't know.

She's never fought with Lee, never disagreed with him on anything to this level.

So she reacted in the only way she knew how.

With anger.

i think you crossed some lines ember

Enhanced Hearing : 1/2
Speedy Movement : 0/2
Wind Gusts : 1/2
Manipulate Sound : 2/2

MAX WYNS

Description

Ember wiggled the string wrapped around her finger boredly, watching the gray runeboo swat at it with loud huffs. She still didn’t understand how Tony managed to bond with this angry little creature, it would barely give anyone except him and Lee the time of day.

The boo readied itself for a moment before jumping up again to finally catch the string, Ember pulling back her paw so it once again escaped it’s little paws. At least it was fun to mess with when she was bored at home, though it must hate her by now.

The front door clicked open, Ember glancing up to see Lee walking in, smiling as always.

“Hello Ember.. Is Brook asleep?” She nodded, watching as he shut the door just as silently as he entered, then returning her focus on the runeboo grumbling in front of her.

Since Lee started working, she’s had to watch over the small wyngling in his place, alongside Tony when he was even home. She was… apprehensive at first, she had no experience with small children, and to suddenly have to care for one was frightening. But Brook was pretty calm and easy to handle, far more easier than she must’ve been.

That was something she was grateful for, it's best he isn’t like her.

Lee walked past her, shuffling through some papers as she continued her string torment of the runeboo. It began to growl at her directly; seems it was really starting to get mad.

“Oh. I’m going to be busy for the next couple weeks,” Ember hummed nonchalantly, “I signed up for that spite hunting class going on this warptide, so you should tell Tony to stay and watch Brook.”

The runeboo stopped swatting at the string as aggressively as it did before, Ember quickly losing interest at its lazy hits. Oh well, she could find something else to do then..

“.. You did what?”

Ember blinked, dropping the red string on the ground and turning to look at Lee. He was half turned towards her, expression suddenly serious as he stared. What was with that look?

She placed her paw on the disgruntled runeboo’s face and pushed it away to give her full attention to Lee.

"I joined the spite hunting class? I thought it would be helpful, so I joined it."

Lee dropped his arms to his sides and turned to face her, looking uncomfortable. "I-I... I don't see how it's helpful.. why would you join such a dangerous class?"

Ember frowned, feeling the usual anger start to bubble up.

What? Why was he questioning her participation in something important as learning to kill spites? Doesn't he remember all those times they've encountered those damned monsters?

"Because I need to learn how to kill those things." She stood up to face him, tail lashing. "How am I supposed to protect you if I can't do it right?"

Lee grimaced, ears raising slightly. "You don't hav-"

He cut himself off, exhaling sharply before starting up again. "That doesn't mean you have to put yourself in danger just to protect me, Ember. You're my daughter, not my bodyguard."

He didn't understand, of course he didn't. Her selfless father obviously couldn't see the point in him needing to be protected. Of course he still couldn't see the point of protecting himself from his self-sacrificing tendencies.

This was a man who continuously put himself in danger for others, especially those who didn't deserve it.

Those like her.

Ember grit her teeth, accepting the intruding thought.

She won't continue to be unworthy of Lee's love and protection. She needed to make up for it, and this class was the only way she knew how.

"You don't understand, I need to go into this class!"

Lee's expression grew more worried, more conflicted. She noticed a familiar, faint yellow glow in his magic glands but couldn't focus on it as he responded.

"Ember don't you remember the last couple Warptides? The last couple years?" His voice was slightly louder, maybe he accidentally amplified it. "We've been through enough, you don't have to put yourself in unnecessary danger."

"The last couple years is exactly why I should be in this class!" She couldn't help but shout, she just couldn't find a way to make him understand-

"Danger is something we can't escape, Lee, and we never will. But maybe we'll get less hurt if I know how to protect you!"

She wasn't even pretending to care about Tony or Brook anymore, but she was being honest. She just cared for her family, and that was Lee.

Lee started to fidget with his paws at his side, clenching and unclenching shakily. It was one of his nervous ticks.

"You don't have to hurt yourself to protect me, you already have so many scars-" Ember scoffed at his excuse, shaking her head.

"Says the one covered in scars from protecting us!" Lee flinched at the reminder of his injuries but Ember couldn't stop.

"You have no right to say I shouldn't injure myself trying to protect you, you can't even fly anymore, Lee!" Her father took a step back, eyes wide. She could see the pain but she couldn't stop.

She and Lee had once promised to communicate their problems, to prevent more accidents from happening. More miscommunications.

Well. She hasn't been holding up her end of the promise lately, has she?

Maybe she should be more honest.

"First scar, I yelled at you, I called you a useless orphan, knowing what happened to make you stay at the Nook!" The look on Lee's face had haunted her in the woods. She couldn't forget it, no matter how much she wished she could. "Yet, you still threw yourself in front of a kindrin because it was about to attack me. I held you while you bled, and you don't want me to protect you because I might hurt myself?"

Lee's hands shook harder, but he couldn't seem to find anything to say. It's okay, she still had more.

"Second scar- If you could even call it just a scar- Tony accidentally fell off your back while you were flying and what did you do?" She remembers the days alone in the house, pure silence as she sat in fear, wondering where they had gone. If they'd ever return. "To save him you dove down, into dead trees, and shielded him while your wing got torn off! You bled out for days and didn't even pass out until you knew Tony would be safe. But you don't want me to join an official class, because I might hurt myself?!"

Lee looked like he was in pain, his entire arms were shaking and his blue eyes only stared into her.

Any other time they would have calmed her, made her feel safe, but now she just felt angry. Upset.

"Why can't I do this to protect you?!" She bared her teeth, no longer caring that this was her only family. All the built up anger from all the times he's hurt himself began to surface, the pain of seeing him hurt himself without a second thought to himself.

Without a second thought to how she felt seeing him like that so many times.

Her fur bristled, she stomped her paws down, tired of not being answered.

"Well?! Do you have anything to say? Or are you going to keep being a hypocrite?!"

"I-I- I'm-" His brows furrowed deeper, stepping back. He began to raise his arms but they only swayed unsteadily in the air. "I-I don't-"

"Don't what? What, Lee?!" He flinched, avoiding her gaze as his hands raised higher. They looked confused on whether to hide his face or cover his ears.

"Why can't I do this for you?!" She demanded, undeterred by her father's obvious discomfort. "Why can't I-"

"BECAUSE IT DOESN'T MAKE YOU ANY BETTER THAN ME!!"

Ember flinched back at the sudden yell, made so much louder by magic.

Lee's never yelled at her like that before.

"You're doing exactly what I did and I don't want you to!" He dug his paws into his hair, tugging frantically. "Don't be me, don't be me, I don't want you to hurt, I want you all to be safe, please don't!"

Now that the anger was shocked out of her, she more clearly took in the sight of her father.

He was visibly shaking, hunched over slightly as he tugged and pulled at his hair. His eyes were shut tightly, and his wing was trying to shield him.

What was she doing?

"... Lee-"

She tried to step towards him but he shook his head, turning his back towards her. She could see him trying to breathe.

"I'm not weak, Ember."

She stopped entirely, staring at the back of his head in surprise. Why was-

"I don't know why you think that- I don't- understand. But I'm not weak, if I was weak I wouldn't-" He didn't finish his sentence

"I'm not weak. I can- I can protect myself, and I have."

Ember grimaced slightly, trying to find a way to respond.

Did she really think Lee was weak?

"You can go to the c-classes. But I'm not going to support it."

A remaining spark of anger rose at the last part, but Ember said nothing as she watched her father usher away to the hall, saying nothing else.

This was a new experience and she didn't know how to react to it. How does one react to something like this?

Ember didn't know.

She's never fought with Lee, never disagreed with him on anything to this level.

So she reacted in the only way she knew how.

With anger.

i think you crossed some lines ember

Enhanced Hearing : 1/2
Speedy Movement : 0/2
Wind Gusts : 1/2
Manipulate Sound : 2/2

MAX WYNS