diff --git a/webui/static/api-monitor.js b/webui/static/api-monitor.js
index 1433bb93..3f605003 100644
--- a/webui/static/api-monitor.js
+++ b/webui/static/api-monitor.js
@@ -383,6 +383,14 @@ function _renderEqualizerBars(grid, data) {
         }
         bar.classList.toggle('cooldown', cooling);
 
+        // Call embers: tiny accent sparks rise off the fill tip, spawned per
+        // socket update in proportion to REAL traffic — motion strictly means
+        // API calls are happening right now. Suppressed during cooldown and
+        // under reduced-effects.
+        if (!window._reduceEffectsActive && !cooling && realPct > 0.03) {
+            _spawnEmbers(bar, pct, realPct > 0.6 ? 3 : realPct > 0.25 ? 2 : 1);
+        }
+
         // Daily-budget ring (Spotify is the only service with a real daily
         // cap): a conic rim inside the avatar disc fills as the budget is
         // spent — green → amber → red, purple once the worker has bridged
@@ -409,6 +417,23 @@ function _renderEqualizerBars(grid, data) {
     }
 }
 
+// Spawn ember particles at a bar's fill tip. Self-removing DOM sparks with
+// a per-bar live cap so a busy hour can't accumulate nodes.
+function _spawnEmbers(bar, pct, count) {
+    const track = bar.querySelector('.rate-eq-track');
+    if (!track || track.querySelectorAll('.rate-eq-ember').length > 6) return;
+    for (let i = 0; i < count; i++) {
+        const e = document.createElement('span');
+        e.className = 'rate-eq-ember';
+        e.style.left = `${20 + Math.random() * 60}%`;
+        e.style.bottom = `${Math.min(96, pct * 100)}%`;
+        e.style.setProperty('--ember-drift', `${(Math.random() - 0.5) * 14}px`);
+        e.style.animationDuration = `${1.1 + Math.random() * 0.7}s`;
+        e.addEventListener('animationend', () => e.remove());
+        track.appendChild(e);
+    }
+}
+
 // Animate a single integer counter from `from` to `to` with an
 // easeOutCubic curve. Used by the equalizer bars so the live count
 // digit-rolls instead of snapping when sockets push a new value.
diff --git a/webui/static/style.css b/webui/static/style.css
index a112b21f..8b44a29d 100644
--- a/webui/static/style.css
+++ b/webui/static/style.css
@@ -63340,6 +63340,26 @@ body.reduce-effects .dash-card::after {
     text-shadow: 0 0 8px rgba(239, 68, 68, 0.8);
 }
 
+/* Call embers — tiny accent sparks rising off the fill tip, spawned per
+ * socket update in proportion to real traffic. Motion == actual API calls. */
+.rate-eq-ember {
+    position: absolute;
+    width: 3px;
+    height: 3px;
+    border-radius: 50%;
+    background: color-mix(in srgb, var(--eq-accent) 60%, white 40%);
+    box-shadow: 0 0 6px var(--eq-accent);
+    pointer-events: none;
+    animation: rate-eq-ember-rise 1.4s ease-out forwards;
+    z-index: 1;
+}
+
+@keyframes rate-eq-ember-rise {
+    0%   { opacity: 0; transform: translate(0, 0) scale(1); }
+    15%  { opacity: 0.9; }
+    100% { opacity: 0; transform: translate(var(--ember-drift, 0px), -26px) scale(0.4); }
+}
+
 /* Recovery flash — the moment a ban expires the track blinks back alive */
 .rate-eq.recovered .rate-eq-track {
     animation: rate-eq-recovered 1.2s ease-out;