I watched this movie 3 times over the last 3 days. I needed to write something for it. It's not the best but I like it
Ember hated the last few hours before closing.
The number of customers that came decreased drastically and those who did come in were quick with their purchases, never staying long enough to chat. The few tasks required to close the store had been mastered long ago and barely took time, leaving Ember to deal with large stretches of boredom.
Sighing, Ember opened the register to count the contents for the fifth time that hour. Finding the amount hadn't changed since the last time she checked, she closed the drawer and returned to her tiring task of doing nothing.
Scanning the store for anything to do, Ember's eyes landed on the picture on the wall across from her.
It depicted her shaking her father's hand signifying that the store he'd spent the latter half of his life building belonged to her. It was an exciting day, one that marked the start of a new era.
Ember snorted and looked away.
She had a deep respect for her father. The existence of Firetown was often attributed to the fact his store was the first of its kind. His hard work and devotion to Firish traditions were a pillar in the community, one that many people relied on to support them. When he passed the store to Ember and retired, the majority of the community turned to her to fill his role.
"Thanks for the shoes Dad," Ember muttered bitterly.
It had been three years since she'd taken over the shop, yet Ember still found herself unable to live up to the expectations put on her by the community. Every day she felt herself drowning under the weight of the image she was meant to uphold. Every little change she made was met with criticism, and while people eventually adapted, she knew they were never really happy.
Ember groaned and tried to find something else to focus on. Introspection was a habit she was not fond of.
Luckily for her, distraction came in the form of the bell above the shop's door ringing.
Before she even had a chance to see who the customer was, Ember started going through her normal spiel, having said it so many times it came naturally.
"Ráì khìf, we offer authentic Fireland souvenirs and food, how can-" Ember stopped talking as soon as she saw who had entered her store.
It was a water man of average height and build, one who looked extremely out of place among the fire-themed products of her store.
Immediately Ember's features hardened.
While never totally malicious, Water people had been a constant sore spot for her. They generally came in to cause trouble but were easily scared off by a sharp reprimand.
"Can I help you sir?" Ember asked coldly, not wanting to deal with the man any longer than necessary.
He didn't seem to be causing any trouble, but she knew not to let her guard down.
The man turned to look at her, his eyes widening slightly when he saw her,
"Yes, thank you!" He said happily. "I was wondering if you had any sparklers."
Ember eyebrows shot up. She wasn't expecting a genuine request.
"Uh, yeah we have sparklers, there up front," Ember mentioned for the water man to come up to the counter.
He obliged happily, scanning the store as he walked, his eyes sparkling with curiosity.
Ember didn't know what to think of him. She'd never seen a water person so unbothered while surrounded by fire. Even the people who came in just to cause problems were apprehensive about being surrounded by something that could end them.
As she packed his sparklers into a bag, Ember found herself unable to avoid asking the burning question she had since his arrival.
"Why'd you choose to come all the way down to Fire Town for sparklers?"
The man looked at her and tilted his head to the side.
"I was told authentic Firish sparklers were the best and I wanted to try them," He answered as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.
"So you're not here to cause trouble?" Ember asked before she could stop herself.
The man's expression darkened drastically.
"Of course not! Why would you even think that?"
Ember felt like kicking herself. Of course, she found a way to offend the only decent water person to enter her store.
"Usually when water people come here, it's just to cause trouble," Ember said quickly. "I didn't mean to imply that's why you were here."
The man looked around the store with a somber expression on his face.
"I'm sorry you have to deal with that," He said after a moment. "This place is amazing, I don't know why anyone would want to damage it."
Ember smiled slightly, the unexpected empathy made her feel a little bit lighter.
"There's nothing I can do about it, so there's no use in worrying," Ember replied as she finished ringing up the sparklers. "You're total is three fifty."
"Doesn't mean I can't feel bad about it."
The man stuck his hand into his side and pulled out several coins, before counting a few out and handing them to Ember.
"I like it here, I think I'll come back," He said with a smile. "I want to try those Khol Nuts."
Ember laughed and shook her head.
"I think they might be a bit too hot for your palette Water boy."
"Wade," The man said suddenly. "My name is Wade."
Ember found herself smiling.
"Well, Wade thank you for your purchase."
"Thank you for having good prices," Wade replied. "Have a good evening."
"Likewise."
Wade nodded and made his way out of the shop.
Ember chuckled and went to put the money into the register, only to find Wade had given her more than he owed. Sighing slightly, Ember prepared to go after him but stopped herself.
She'd give it to him next time he came around.
For some reason that thought made her feel warmer than usual.
This will only be 3 chapters, each one no longer than 1,000 words. I'm almost done with the next chapter of my Owl House story, I just needed to get this out of my brain
