If you tell Astarion NO BITE ME and NO BITE PEOPLE, this is the dialogue you get IF YOU ARE A DRUID who HAS CAST SPEAK TO ANIMALS BEFORE you talk to Astarion the next morning. I imagine if you have a Speak To Animals spell scroll, and cast it before talking with him, you might get this dialogue as well.

This is yet another tourdeforce for Neil Newbon SUCH ACTING, SUCH VOICE, SUCH EXPRESSION. **swoon** And he is SO FUNNY LOL
Enjoy!

EDIT: It’s 2023 and I’m playing on PS5. Astarion looks slightly different, but that could be a PS5 vs Mac thing. Anyway. In answer to your questions: If Tav is a GNOME in this scene, Astarion does NOT say “gnomes?” he says “halflings?” LOL