Family Duty (CLOSED)

Nettlepaw was sitting outside the apprentice’s den, finishing the last bits of her meal. Even here at rest there was something distinctly unrelaxed about the way she held herself, and there was a sharp intensity to her movements and her gaze.

Her eyes drifted across the camp and settled briefly on the leader’s den-- her father’s den. She allowed herself to smile a little. She enjoyed being the child of the clan’s leader. Not so much because of anything status related; it just made her feel even more connected to her clan, to her duties. It was more to live up to, more pressure, maybe-- but she really didn’t mind. She perhaps even enjoyed that aspect of it. To her, it didn't really feel like being in anyone's shadow, more just that...she had something to live up to. She liked that; liked having something grand to aspire to. It gave an even greater sharpness, an even stronger push, to her already innate desire to do her duty and serve her clan with everything she had.

“It is more pressure. But I don’t mind,” though she meant the comment mostly for herself, she spoke it aloud, as if addressing someone.

Mistpaw walked up to his sister, quietly so as to not startle her- yet. He dropped the squirrel he was carrying. "Already done?" He said. "It's more pressure to retain the title of the fastest eater, then." His tone retained none of his silliness, just as calm and serious as his face, as it often was.

Nettlepaw looked up at the sound of her brother's voice. She smiled warmly. She always enjoyed being in the company of her family members.

"Hey, Mistpaw," she began, with a brief glance down at the space between her paws, where the remainders of her finished meal sat. "Sorry, I didn't mean to speak aloud. But I was talking about...thinking about how there's a natural pressure in being the kits of a clan leader, even more so than in being the kits of a deputy. More pressure to live up to it, I mean. But it's alright with me, not like I wasn't already planning on giving my all to my duties to the clan,"

She stood up and shook out her pelt a little, doing a slight stretch before sitting down again, looking over at her brother to see what he had to say.

Mistpaw sat down and took a bite as he listened to his sister speak. "Ah. Yes, I suppose it must be more pressure on us. Leadad was chosen as the deputy and now he's leading. I agree, though- my effort levels will not increase in light of this. I will be the best warrior I have the ability to be regardless of heritage. I could have a Shadowclanner as my father and it would not change anything.” He mused.

"I agree. In one respect, it doesn't matter who our parents are. We are here, this is our Clan, and we owe it our all, regardless of heritage or anything of that sort," Nettlepaw flicked her paw idly as she spoke, watching it shift back and forth. "Still, I like it. Having something to aspire to. It's a good driver. It's true that it doesn't change as much as it seems it would...but it's like having an extra force. It's good. It's good to have a sharpened view for my goals, to have the extra expectations there to remind me to never up on my duties to the clan, or to my family,"

Mistpaw nodded. "And perhaps one of us will have that honor one day." He joked. "I personally would love being a leader, or at least a deputy. Of course, I'm perfectly happy to be a warrior, but hey, aspirations are healthy."

"Yes," Nettlepaw smiled. "I admit I also dream a little about being leader someday. It would be an honor to get to serve my clan on that level. But," she looked over at her brother "I'm perfectly content with the idea of just being a warrior as well. In the end, I just want to be wherever I am of the most service to my clan. More important than being the leader is being a leader, someone willing to give their all for the clan. All I hope is that someday I can be someone who my kits will be able to look up to, like our parents are for us,"

Mistpaw just barely chuckled at the thought of kits. "Speaking of kits," he said, with an uncommonly teasing tone, "Are there any toms you've got your eye on?" He asked, finishing off his meal. "I believe I may know of some toms looking for mates..." He grinned, happy to mess with his sister once in a while.

"No, I don't have anyone in mind. Guess I just haven't found anyone who deserves me yet," Nettlepaw said, sticking her head up with mock pride, her eyes glimmering with humor. If anyone besides a family member had tried to tease her, she probably would've snapped at them. At the very least she certainly wouldn't have joked back. "What about you, Mistpaw? Found the right she-cat yet?" she said, also adopting a teasing tone.