#Toshiro has other issues but hypocrisy regarding his treatment of the toudens isn’t one of them

[geeneelee]

This is a spin-off of a different discourse but, you guys know that Laios and Falin aren’t literally the same character but different genders, right? And for that matter, Ryoko Kui wrote their genders as being part of the people they turned out to be?

The biggest difference is confrontation and bluntness—Laios is very blunt and not afraid to share his opinion. He usually isn't trying to pick a fight, and he certainly isn't trying to hurt people's feelings, but that is the end result in some instances.

Falin, on the other hand, despite being open about her interests and true to herself, is non-confrontational and accommodating of people's feelings to a fault. The fact that she prioritizes making healing painless over making it effective is a problem! And she largely follows other people's leads when it comes to how she lives her life, instead of asserting herself. That’s part of what makes her chimera intro so horrific—the way she’s acting is shockingly at odds with her normal personality. People love Falin for her gentleness, and that’s not a word I would apply to Laios.

One of the instances that makes this clearest is the "that's not normal, Laios" incident. Right after Laios says something off-putting, he reflects that if Falin were here, she would be able to smooth it over and prevent the awkwardness. Falin is just far less socially awkward and prone to upsetting people, and this is important.

Laios and Falin are very close and have a lot in common, but are fundamentally different people with very different approaches to other people. This is a vital plot and characterization point to understanding them and the themes of their arcs.