one of my most favoritest bg3 fandom ideas is of astarion starting to get close to tav because they genuinely find him funny and just like interacting with him 🥺 would you ever do hcs of him and tav goofing off together and how that would be for him? especially if its with a tav where he would not expect that sort of humor to work. like he makes a frankly rude comment and looks over and that mousy little goodie two shoes is holding back tears of laughter... oh i just love it so... ty either way!!!
YESSS ASTARION REALIZING PEOPLE WANT HIM FOR HIS PERSONALITY AND NOT HIS UTILITY
Astarion's humor (with tav)
i absolutely do think this is something he adores about his dynamic with tav
i see Astarion's humor as something he developed to keep himself afloat, so many of his one-liners slip out without him realizing. he's got a natural wit
so when tav starts laughing at his jokes and noticing them, he notices
initially, it's another way to manipulate you. it's an easy plus for him. you like his humor, so swaying you to his cause will be easier
since he's so used to people using him, i don't think he makes the connection between you liking his humor to you liking *him*
he's grown accustomed to being used. he expects people to consider him a form of entertainment or an instrument of amusement, not a person.
i can imagine that with Cazador, his humor was either exploited or punished. more often punished, i predict, since Astarion most likely developed his sense of humor as a way of claiming some semblance of personhood back from Cazador.
i think Astarion's humor is closely tied to his self-image. and since he expects people to see him as scarce more than a pretty face, i think he imagines his humor to be a similar tool.
just as he values his appearance, he values his humor. they're both assets that he has that he can use as tools.
as your relationship progresses, Astarion relishes in your amusement. not because of manipulation. because it's an indicator that you like some part of him.
his humor is (arguably, to me) one of the more genuine parts of him. he doesn't fake it. so when it charms you, he appreciates that.
he tries to make you laugh. if you do laugh, he feels accomplished. if you don't, he's frustrated, but does take note of how to improve his tactics.
if you start trying to make *him* laugh? he does find it cute, in a way. or annoying. depending on his mood and how close the two of you are.
if he thinks you're funny, your laughter means all the more to him.
speaking of that, i think Astarion's sense of humor borders Shakespearean. wit, insult, detail, and drama. if your humor mirrors this, he treasures having a companion who can keep up with him
he also dies find humor in the misfortune of others. if you steal something from someone, beat someone up, humiliate someone... these will sometimes lead to his giggle
[AN: did you know that Neil Newbon based Astarion's giggle off of Tom Hulce's role of a young Mozart in Amadeus?? fun stuff. Neil is amazing. I can't find the interview i'm thinking of for the life of me, but he said that he wanted Astarion's laugh to mimic a satirical "high class" laugh. this ties in to the ideas about Astarion's humor being part of his image.]
Astarion's ideas of power, influence, and authority absolutely tie in to his humor. finding amusement in suffering places him -- at least, in his mind -- above those who are suffering. it's a separation of roles.
insult is his favorite form of comedy, i think. it goes back to his preference of elevating himself above others. insulting and demeaning other people is a way to do that.
he looooves to gossip. go to his tent, spread a rumor about a campmate, and find a clever way to insult them -- this makes him enjoy your company more. or insult the enemies your fighting. but insulting campmates is more messy, and therefore more fun (to Astarion). just don't believe he'll keep what you said to himself unless you're quite close with each other.
talking shit about people is among his favorite forms of comedy. i'll have to find some voice lines later but... that's what i gather from him.
bonding with Astarion through comedy does often mean putting others down together. but he is rather good at it -- he's hilarious
someone piss you off while you were away from home? he's sat. a friend said something idiotic? the drinks are poured. saw someone in a horrific outfit? he's snuggled in his blankie with a shit eating grin.
if your tav is generally a nice person, he *adores* being the person who brings out your petty side. he likes having something that draws you in.
unfortunately, it takes him a pretty long time to realize that you like his humor because you like *him.* if you told him this, he'd probably give you some attitude about not thinking he's actually funny and be annoyed that you lied about his ability to make you laugh (like when he gets annoyed about some of the comments you make during the mirror conversation... if you say his hair curls around his ears, he says he doesn't need poetry or something)
but it starts to make sense after a while. it's similar to how he likes the way you laugh, or the way you look at him. it's something distinctive. something that makes you the way you are. and he realizes that his humor, something he reclaimed and worked to make his own, is something you see as making him himself. and you love him. gods, is he grateful.
[AN: whether he has this realization without a direct comment or conversation, or how many years it takes him to realize it... i'll leave that up to you]
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