THE MOMENT
"Mom, Dad,...," Both parents heard the crack of nervousness in their son's voice and immediately gave him their attention. The family had already finished breakfast, and they were in the den gearing up for the day together, the way they usually did since Luke was old enough to join them. Morning sun flooded in through the windows and seemed to make the various adventuring accoutrements glow with magic, and the air was still, as if in anticipation. "...I don't want to be an adventurer. Going around, fighting monsters, raiding caves, and dungeons is scary. I'd rather be a Cyber Icon...maybe a Streamer or an Influencer."
Luke finally said it. His birthday was coming up, and at 15, he would get to officially choose his Class. He had plenty to choose from, and although his parents never deliberately tried to box him into their legacy, he naturally gravitated toward the adventuring Classes at first. His father was a Knight and his mother a Healer, so it didn't get any more standard than that. Up until recently, he planned on becoming a Paladin and carrying on the traditions they'd built up. The more he thought about it and tried to imagine that future, the less appealing it became, and he couldn't identify a reason that he HAD to other than the imagined weight of obligation.
"Kinda short notice, isn't it, kid?" his dad asked with a warm smile. "We're already about to head out," he grabbed his sword, nodded at his wife and son, and walked outside to wait for whoever was going to join him that day. Luke's mother shook her head with a mildly disappointed expression.
"We've taught you better than that, I thought," she said. "You don't change plans the day of. Now, you can pick up your sword and shield and come with us, as we planned... Or you can stay here and think about where you went wrong today. Maybe, if you're ready to respect our time by then, you can come along tomorrow," she ended the discussion with a stern look into his eyes and a single raised eyebrow.
He had messed up. In his defense, he was already nervous. But, in their defense, that was his problem.
"Yes, Ma'am, sorry, Ma'am," Luke nodded. "I'll be ready tomorrow."
"Good," she smiled, then headed toward the door. "Since you're staying home today, we'll expect dinner ready," she waved as she walked out, and Luke sighed.
The only reason that went as badly as it did was because of him. He was too nervous about what they might say that he didn't actually think through what they might say.
"Okay," he nodded to himself as he wondered how to best proceed. He needed to decide on dinner to plan the rest of his day around that. Then, while shopping, he'd stop by the guild and borrow the Cyber Icon skill set to test. His parents never really put much stock in words; anyone could say anything. It wasn't enough to tell them what he wanted; he needed to be demonstrating how ready he was to want it, and that meant being ready with the appropriate gear. "That could've gone better, and it will next time...," he mumbled to himself as he shifted his focus entirely to meal possibilities.