What should I be doing? Studying for finals.
What am I actually doing? Writing this, apparently. I hope it's acceptable.
The Strong-Steel siblings had been absent for a few weeks, having gone to visit their family in Kvatch for the Mid Year Celebration. When they came back, the first thing Vidar did was make his way to Thedas, to the Herald's Rest, for an uninterrupted drink. Tanya ignored him, for the most part, and sat opposite of him, trying to study her notes for an exam. He had argued with her about taking a break, but she refused. Taking her to the tavern had, evidently changed nothing.
Dorian, Bull, Sera, and the Inquisitor chattered at the same table in the bar, a few times trying to elicit a response from either of the siblings. They didn't have much luck; both seemed preoccupied. Finally, Sera had had enough. She nudged Vidar, who turned his tired eyes to her as the elf gave him a look of exasperation. "Right, what has you two with your knickers in a knot? You've both been acting weirder than normal weird since you came back."
Vidar looked at his sister, who seemed absorbed in her notes. Numerous hairs were out of place, and her eyes twitched. "She's studying like a madwoman for her exams." He rolled his eyes. "She'll pass just fine, and I tried to bring her here to make her take a break, but it's no use. She may as well marry her notes."
Tanya seemed completely oblivious to everything he just said. The only thing she did after he finished was use her magic to flip the page of her notes and hunch over it, supporting her head with a hand, writing with a pencil that moved itself by magic. Dorian sighed and shook his head. "Ah, magic exams, such fun. I, too, used to pull late-night study sessions, but not in some time." He squinted at her notes. "When's your exam?"
"...Mondas." she murmured. Bull raised an eyebrow.
"You mean Monday?" He snorted. "That's two days from now, Tawn, take a break. Your eye is twitching, and you're not gonna learn anything if you're too tired or stressed."
She didn't hear him. The mage was trying desperately not to nod off, between taking notes and reading them. Dorian frowned. "Tanya, you need your beauty sleep. I shudder to think what an overtired dragon acts like."
"She gets incredibly irritable, that's what happens." Vidar snorted. Tanya grunted but otherwise didn't respond. She knew it was true, and was too distracted to even be insulted. Sera snatched the girl's notes away, and finally Tanya looked up, red in the eyes and bags under them.
"...Give it back." she ordered weakly, eyelids fighting to stay open. Sera shushed her, putting a finger on her lips.
"Shhh. Go to sleep." Sera ordered. Tanya glared at her.
"You're not my mom." She looked over to her brother, who sighed and snatched the notes from Sera, who gave him a dirty look. He turned to hand them to his sister, who drowsily began trying to study again. The Inquisitor sighed.
"Sera was trying to help. She needs to sleep. I used to get like that around exam season, too, but I did get more sleep than she did." She crossed her arms. "That, and Tanya? You're a genius, a prodigy, in regards to magic. You'll be fine."
The Dragonborn didn't respond. Sera waved a hand in her face, and all she got was a blink in response. The elf shuddered. "Creepy." She turned her attention to Vidar, raising an eyebrow. "So, you're not all weird about tests. What's wrong with you?"
The legionnaire paused and took another swig from his mug. He ran a hand over his face, wishing his beast blood didn't grant him such a resistance to alcohol's effects. The man sighed. "You know that Tanya and I were visiting our family for the Mid Year Celebration."
"Yes. And?" Bull pressed. Vidar shook his head.
"We knew there was going to be a full moon during one of the days I was there, so Tanya and I headed to a cave we used to play in as kids to wait out the transformation." The others shared a look, already having a bad feeling where this was going. Vidar took another drink from his mug and exhaled. "Carlotta followed us, because she used to play with us in that cave and wanted to see what we were up to. Then Mum and Dad followed her, because they wanted to know where all their kids were getting off to."
There was a long pause. The Inquisitor frowned. "Did they..."
"Yes," Vidar moaned, "they saw the whole transformation. Came at just the right time."
The entire table winced and groaned at the announcement. Dorian shuddered. "That must have been...well. How did they take the news?" He was grimacing, looking between the mug and the man drinking it; a bad feeling rattled him. Vidar rolled his eyes.
"They're alright with it, right?" Sera blurted, frowning, "I mean, if they said something to you or tried to hurt you, I could get you some payback with an arrow or two-"
"No, no," Vidar interrupted. He turned red in the cheeks. "they took it fine, it was just...bloody humiliating, is what it was. After the initial shock, they went about it in the way only our parents could go about it. They wanted to know who did it and when, and after getting them off of that, they shifted into 'overbearing parents' mode." He reached for his mug and found it empty; sighing, he pushed it aside and looked down at the table.
"Mum made me take a flea bath with some poultice that got rid of the dog stink, and then spent hours trying to brush all the fur out, and trimmed my claws. She fussed over me all night." He sighed. "Pops went home to the castle, got Arindiil, Tanya's old master, the Court Mage, to examine me. I tried to tell them we've almost got the cure, but he wouldn't have it." He rolled his eyes. "'Now, son, what's the harm in looking into two sources to help with your condition? You know you mother and I love you, and we're just trying to help! We don't want you to have to go through that painful transformation again.'" He scoffed. "Then after that? 'Maybe some night, you and I could go hunting for sport, get all that energy used up. It'll do you some good, even if it's not a full moon.' Dad, please..."
"Then Carlotta was trying to paint my claws. Paint. My. Claws." He held up his fingernails for emphasis; they were painted a hot pink and in impeccable condition. "Then tried to teach me to do dog tricks. 'Just because you're a werewolf doesn't mean you can't have manners, brother! You can still look pretty, too!'" He rolled his eyes again. "Then she tried to braid flowers into my fur. She and Mum were..." He scowled. "Why are you two smiling?!"
Bull and Sera were snickering, and Dorian and Dawn were grinning at the disgruntled werewolf. Dorian rolled his eyes. "You don't know how lucky you are, you ass." he reprimanded, shaking his head with the same stupid smile. "You really don't know how lucky you are."
"What he said." Dawn agreed, sighing. "What we wouldn't give for family like yours. Overbearing and embarrassing just means they love you, so much. I'd take that any day over..." She cut herself off. "Well. Consider yourself lucky." The Inquisitor turned her attention to his sister, who had fallen asleep over her notes, snoring gently.
The table fell silent for a moment, before Sera creeped in and slid the notes out from under the Dragonborn, whose head gently fell on the table, out cold. Vidar took her pen and the notes from Sera, tucking them in the bag of belongings that Tanya had dropped on the floor. Tossing the bag over his shoulder, he carefully moved to pick up his sister, who barely roused at the disturbance. Her eyelids opened, squinting briefly, before closing again, deciding she was in no danger.
He nodded to the others, who quietly watched them go. Cassandra, who had been coming in, held the door open and let Vidar carry his sister out. The seeker looked greatly amused, grinning at the sight; it reminded her of Antony. Vidar smiled at her, and the seeker merely nodded, lest she say something and wake the girl.
Cassandra watched them go for a moment, then let her grip on the door slip, allowing it to close behind her. She joined the others at the table, shaking her head. "What has Tanya so tired?"
"She's studying for exams. Been at it for hours, and finally exhaustion took her out." Bull chuckled. "She'll be fine; she's got a good brother to look out for her."