Grimacing Non-stop

Astarion had been wincing as he drank wine, muttering about its lack of quality. Despite being stranded in the wilderness, he saw no excuse for lackluster libations. A twinge of jealousy came over the spawn as he watched the joyful elation of the camp inhabitants.

From the corner of his eye, Astarion saw the burly Archdruid, Halsin, standing off to the side in quiet observance of the festivities. Hmmmm. Astarion had a wicked thought.

With the ease of a well practice predator, Astarion sauntered over to the elf. His red eyes were heavy lidded in thought as he tried to strategize on the simplest way to get his needs met. Grabbing a bottle of mead from a stash as he walked, waggling the bottle as he walked up to Halsin.

“Do you find the wine as repulsive as I do?” Astarion asked, trusting the bottle into Halsin's hand.

Halsin looked down at Astarion, his eyes searching the vampire intently. There was a glint of mischievous energy behind those red eyes, but that was common for the trickster.

“I rarely imbibe. Goes straight to my head. Next thing you know, I'll be breaking into song or declaring my love for the first person I lay eyes in.” Halsin spoke warmly, almost laughing to himself as he thought of his younger years of partaking.

“Rarely does mean sometimes. And I believe that time is now.” Astarion put on his alluring mask, his fingers gently reaching to trace the leather band on Halsin's arm.

Seeing no immediate threat, Halsin decided to indulge in the offered mead, if only to keep Astarion preoccupied. Halsin had seen how he kept himself from the group, staying on the fringes.

“Perhaps you are right.” The chuckle from Halsin was low and sweet.

As the night wore on and bottle after bottle was emptied, Halsin's stoic demeanor gave way to a hearty laugh and a rosy complexion. Astarion watched with an amused smirk as the typically reserved druid became more effusive with his words and gestures.

For a second, Astarion felt a lightness in his ribs as Halsin swung an arm around his slender shoulders. He was pulled close, leaning against Halsin's hulking pecs as he regaled an encounter with a group of beautiful harpies. His neck was exposed, a vein tempting Astarion with its gently throbbing. He would just need to turn his head. This had to be the moment.

Just as Astarion was about to seize his opportunity to take advantage of the drunken elf, Halsin turned to him with a wide smile and suddenly transformed into a massive bear.

Without missing a beat, Halsin wrapped his enormous bear arms around Astarion in a tight hug. Caught off guard, Astarion struggled futilely against the bear's grip. To Astarion's surprise and slight horror, Halsin, still in his bear form, promptly fell asleep, his snores echoing throughout the camp.

The camp fell into a stunned silence before erupting into laughter at the sight of the sophisticated vampire trapped in a bear hug. Despite his initial shock, Astarion couldn't help but chuckle at the absurdity of the situation.

There was no waking the drunk bear, even as Karlach attempted to lift him. She laughed and tossed Astarion a pillow as she waved herself off to bed. The pressure of the bear was surprisingly soothing as the sky filled with specks of light. The camp had grown quiet, the celebration dying softly as exhaustion took everyone to slumber.