#unfortunately the catstarion is stuck with me

[vole-mon-amour]

Thinking about Cat!Astarion experiencing snow and snowstorm for the first time and Halsin encouraging him to at least try it.

"Am I supposed to walk in this?"

"Just this one time, please, my heart? Maybe you'll like it?"

Because there's no way Astarion is going through the snow as a small cat (house cat, if you will, but there are definitely small wild cats, and sometimes he's one of those feral ones) and he definitely refuses to try and fly in a bat form through it all, he takes a form of a serval. More on that here.

Astarion with one paw up, frozen to the place, not wanting to leave his shelter/cover. Nervous tippy taps with his front paws because it's cold and wet and he's an undead creature that's generally cold, so it's extra extra cold for him (and there's nothing nice about your paws getting wet, especially as a cat and a creature that always lived in a relatively warm climate).

And when he's forced to keep walking (maybe they're travelling with companions, and they don't have all day to sit and wait it out), fur wet after some time under the snowfall, he looks so down and pathetic, Soggy Wet Man, Halsin takes pity on him. Obviously, Halsin is used to winter, snow, and hibernating, but also going through snow—both in his elven form and in his bear one.

So when Astarion hears a small chuckle, with a lingering smile on Halsin's face, and the words he wants to here, "Come here," Astarion's eyes lit up with hope. His first response is to turns into a smaller cat, but he knows that won't help him much. He doesn't want to experience snow and wetness on his skin (and fur) any longer.

Astarion turns into a bat, and for a moment, it's immediately way worse. Cold, so incredibly cold, and windy, this is terrible. But then Halsin scoops him into his palms and then tucks him close to his bare skin. Halsin is naturally warm, so near his skin, but with the winter clothes on, Astarion all safe and secure. Perfectly insulated (and, in time, perfectly toasty, oh yeah) unless he doesn't peak out of Halsin's clothes.

And with how comfortable he is, with Halsin carrying him through the snowstorm? No longer needing to walk, nor fly? His boyfriend heating him up? Oh, Astarion has no reason to check for the weather.

(Not only Halsin's got his back, but his entire body. He doesn't really mind. Astarion barely weights anything to him as an elven, and as a bat? Not a problem. Not at all.)

(And in the end, Batstarion just snoozes there, safe and sound. His bear is doing all the walking for him.)