Teenagers scare the living shit out of me

Parenting had always had its own unique sets of challenges. For the most part, Artorias had felt that he had navigated those treacherous waters pretty readily with his supportive and loving wife and their extended families around them for guidance. But now things had gotten complicated... messy... Ember was furious with him, barely speaking to him for more than cordial reasons. He had tried to get her to see reason and understand why he had made the decisions he had at the time, but Ember was far more staunch in her beliefs than he was. Had he raised her to be too hardheaded and stubborn—or was she just more like he was at her age than he cared to admit? Either way, the tension was eating up the Lord of Cinder alive. Neither side wanted to back down and admit they were wrong, but it was becoming harder and harder to ignore the friction mounting between sire and daughter. Fucking hell, when did teenagers become so damn difficult?!

Artorias stood in front of the fireplace in the alphas' chambers that night as he and Briar were getting ready for bed, staring into the flickering flames while he ruminated on everything that had happened since the Syndicate's rise. Mostly he was dwelling on the hard words he and Ember sparred with in the immediate aftermath. His daughter was steadfast in her beliefs, idealistic to a fault with an inflexible view of justice and morality. Had he been just like her when he was an adolescent? Gods, those years seemed so long ago now, and Art was starting to feel his age... Drawing in a deep breath, Art held it in his lungs before releasing his breath in a drawn out sigh. His mind was weighed heavily with turbulent thoughts with no clear answer in sight. What was he going to do with his daughter...?

"Artorias & Briar Carpathius" | "Carpathian"