Everyone has a lot they need to learn. [ His fork clinks against porcelain as he clears the dregs of butter off, setting the bowl aside. He glances at her, and the look on his face isn't cruel -- just calm, eyes searching her face. ] But in the end, the lessons needed to live in the real world are what count. These White Lotus people may have kept you safe in the short-term. But they deprived you of the skills necessary to negotiate with life. And that isn't all about bending or being an unbeatable fighter.

[ After all, there's protecting a child. And then there's the value of the hard truth about life. ]