#war depiction

[clownfcr]

THE LAST KISS I GAVE

Cuttletavio Fanfiction

Word count: 4141

Content warning(s): Major Character death, Hurt/NoComfort, depiction and description of death, war.

Author: Clownfcr (me)

Special thanks: I would like to thank my friend lemon for brainstorming this idea with me, and listening to me yap about it. As well as the Fanfic Author who came up with the idea of Octavio being shot during war infront of Craig. I have not read it personally and i dont know who it was, but Lemon told me about it so i thought it would only be appropriate to at least mention the original source of the idea.

-

Octavio and Craig finally had a day off within their busy schedule to spend some time together at their faveourite little place. It isn’t often they are able to spend thier days like this because of their important roles in their respective land and country. For once, Craig is one of the most important lieutenants serving the squidbeak splatoon, while Octavio controls the regime of the TAKOWASA shogunate in OCTO Valley. Both of their words weight more than gold when it comes to political and military decisions.

One would believe they were each others greatest enemies, yet again others will see a beautiful relatio ship between two men. Many had said they have not seen a better couple since decades and to come.

Craig and Octavio were looking forward to this day for weeks now, exchanging letters for thier shared organization to make this special day just perfect.

„You got everything?“ Octavio asked while his son, Wasabi, yanked at the sleeve of his kimono to hurry up and get moving. The little man wants to snack on the candy he was promised by Craig.

„Of course, I have. Got an inkling brain but it is still functional.“

„I doubt it. All the cigarettes and alcohol made you dumber.“

Craig gave Octavio a playful-hurt look before they fall into laughter and moved along.

-

The little takowasa was an eager one to get to the grassfield. You cannot blame him however, he is just a small little cute child (and Craig promised him some of hissing faveouite candies. He may be the future shogunate heir of the TAKOWASA clan but he is nothing but a child at heart still). He was so impatient Octavio and Craig both took each one of his hands to keep him in place as not for him to run off.

Meaningless gossip started between them two, talks and discussions about work and their shared friends had them giggling and going back-and-forth naturally. Although being away for some months, their talks flow as naturally as if they weren’t ever parted for longer than a few hours.

Craig brought the blanket and beverages to the little pick-nick while Octavio brought the food and a parasol. The sun can be pretty harsh, and knowing Craig he wont ever bring sunscreen with him. It would be a miracle if he doesn’t dry up by the age of 50.

Craig kneeled down when he found the perfect spot on the grassfield. Setting up the blanket and the parasol Octavio brought, he began to also drink his favorite beer.

Cannot be a middle-aged man and not drink his well deserved beer while going out. He may be an inkling, but he is not an animal. He needs his beer to start the day, as he would say.

While Craig set up the spot and drank his beer, Octavio watched wasabi play in the grassfield. It is a wonderful and cute sight to behold because Wasabi is Octavios pride and joy. Seeing his son happy makes him happy, no matter what situation Octavio himself might be in.

Wasabi ripped out the grass and threw it into the air, twirling and laughing with a childlike lilt to his voice.

Octavio clapped his hands enthusiastically with his playfullness and encouraged him to play more.

After a few passing moments and Craig’s trying to understand the manual to set up the parasol, he finally got the spot ready to sit on. Blanket? Ready. Food? On plates, and served. Drinks? Of course! Craig got it all finished.

„You did a great job.“ Octavio praised his partner.

„Yeah, i know“ Craig grinned and lit up at Octavio cunningly. His toothy smirk and lucious eyebrows making Octavio blush a little. He slap his arm lovingly to stop being as flirty.

Wasabi didnt mind his fathers one bit ignored their playful little snickering, and dived right into Craig’s jacket he left on the blanket. Finding what he was searching for, his beloved snack: CRABBY CAKES with extra sugary filling.

„OH NO! YOU DONT!“ Octavio yelled out, and reprimanded his son for simply going into Craig’s jacket without asking, and trying to snack before he ate an actual meal.

„But-„

„No `buts`.“

Wasabi pouted and took the chopsticks Octavio held out as he sat down on the blanket.

Craig just laughed wholeheartedly and invited himself to them as well. Wasabi sat in the middle of them two.

Octavio brought many different kinds of food , both, his son and Craig, would like. He had a hard time preparing them a day prior because they are actually very grotesquely picky when it comes to food items. Depending whether it has acceptable texture or taste, both of them will either Love or hate it.

Snacking away at their food and enjoying each others presence, the atmosphere was wonderful. Sharing food and letting wasabi talk about the most none-sense things brought a smile on both of the males.

„And then I played ball with the kid from the nice servant lady. I forgot his name but he was really nice and we played all evening!!“

Wasabi told them about his little adventures while eating and drinking vigorously. He spilled a little of his juice on his kimono and as Octavio was about to pick a napkin and clean it off of his son, Craig already beat him to it without even needing to ask him to do it. It is truly the little things that make Octavio love Craig a lot.

„Need to be more careful, sunny. It will stain.“ He said as he cleaned Octavios son off of any spilled drinks and left over crumbs from the delicious food.

Octavio looks at Craig as if he would fall in love for the first time again. Even though Wasabi isn’t Craigs biological son, he still treats him as if he was his own. Looking at both of his favorite people on earth, on the little grass field, made him feel so much content his tentacles tarted to curl in itself.

-

When they were finished eating, Octavio allowed his son to dart off but still be close so if anything happened he would be able to dart straight to him. Wasabi took his own little play-bag and ran off to do what children always do, play and be a little mischevious.

As Wasabi ran off, Craig and Octavio made themselves comfortable, enjoying each others presence and careessing each other lovingly.

Talking about the most mundane and unimportant things known to man, they could not be happier than in the very moment in their shared embrace.

Craig laid his head on Octavios lap and started making noises Octavios loves a lot about him. The growl like purring noises emitting from his partner gave him a feeling of pure contentment and love. It reminds him of Rottweilers.

Octavio talked about his palace life and how everything is getting way too boring, his time being swept away from spending with Wasabi, and barely sleeping if at all. Craig reincorporated and told him about his problems at work back in squid county.

As they talked about their problems, complained and gossiped away, Octavio combed Craig’s hair with his sharp nails. It felt so good on Craig’s skin his tentacles turned a rather orange hue. He knew Craig only took this color when he felt blissfully happy. It made Octavio feel proud to make his lover and hopefully soon future husband. Caressing his cheeks lovingly as he spoke, Octavio cut between his speech.

„Your eyes are beautiful.“

It caught Craug off-guard and made him feel squeazy. He blushed hard his so his tentacle stripes became ever so visible, and his color became much more vibrant. If he could he would hide away. It is rare for a man like Craig to be treated with so much care and tenderness since he works in the military. Barely, more so none at all, would ever say something like this to him unless they want him to beat him up.

With Octavio, it is very much different. He loves it when Octavio calls him pretty, attractive or any more so feminine compliments. It is a wonderful change of pace. It makes him feel wanted, love and needed. He loves Octavio and so did Craig him.

Craig reached out his hands to touch Octavios cheek as well. Octavio leaned into the touch and looked at him with so much love.

„And i think your ass is sexy-„, while he used his hands to make grab motions as he maintained a serious face.

Octavios mood was instantly soured. Craig laughed hard and loud, he even had to hold his belly because it started to ache from the excessive laughter. Octavio stood up and let Craig fall on the soft cushion of grass and the blanket. Hitting his head didnt hurt at all through the laughter.

Wasabi in the background could not give one care in the world. He was busy digging holes and playing with the insects.

„Awww dont be like that, Tavi. You think im so romantic, and you luv me <3.“, flashing puppy eyes up to Octavio.

The shogun cannot be angry at his lover for long, and quite frankly, it was very much funny. He would be dead before he would admit it, however. They both started giggling and getting sitting on the blanket again. Craig on Octavios lap, they stayed like this for a while. In pure silence, they found comfortablility.

Octavio slowly put his forehead on Craigs forehead and closed his eyes. He loves to be in the presence of Craig, and so does Craig with Octavio. Their breaths became calmer and their mouths got closer and closer.

Their shared kiss was soft, it was full of love, it was perfect. Smiling against each others lips, Craig searched for Octavio’s hand to hold dear and close to him. It was a magical moment between the two of them.

Holding each others hands, Wasabi suddenly appeared and hopped right onto Craig, aughing hysterically. Craig took Wasabi and started to playfully wrestle with him, pretending to be knocked out cold by him, too. He loves Wasabi as if it were his own.

Although the moment between them was cut short, it was one of the most heartfelt they had ever had, and the last one they will share.

-

The sight before Ocatvio shock him to the core. His men fallen, soldiers hurt or dead, murdered by the inkling troops as if they were obstacles to get rid of, laying on the ground. One can barely count the dead soldiers that faciate the grass field under Octavios feet.

Blood, misery, sadness and rage everywhere his eyes lay upon.

Octavio lead his troops since weeks throughout their territory close to the inkling borders. Barely any water or supplements. Medics were called on their way but he doubts they will come in time to help the hurt.

He felt like he was fighting for centuries, but were nothing but minutes of combat Intervalls between each fight. He was heaving heavily, injured and his heavy armor seemed to weight a few tons more each second. He was growing tired and the situation at hand still has not stabilized. The soldiers he had aided were lucky and were able to stand on their own as of now.

Octavio swings his katana around him as if it was nothing to him, fueled by adrenaline and worry for his people he stayed on the battlefield despite his wounds the inkling inflicted on him.

Half his armor is broken, his left arm heavily injured, and yet his people are still in need of help he simply cannot ignore.

As Octavio was running to aid his people on the grass field, his eyes stood still on a familiar body laying on the ground. It was not any of his soldiers he personally trained, neither any octoling as far as he remembers. No, it was the one person he could never forget the face of.

Octavio stood in shock, barely processing the sight before him. Craig trying to claw himself away from the motion around him. The gunshots and screams of the people were barely audible As he watched Craig pathetically move across the battlefield.

„Oh god,….“

„….“

„CRAIG! CRAIG!!!“

The distressed shogun yelled across the other side of the grassfield. But he was too far away for Craig to hear him in anyway. Aftrer nearly straining his voice, he began to run past through the enemies troops, ignoring gun shots completely, and ignoring all his injures and blood gushing from his wounds.

Craig was still clawing the ground, his nails bleeding from trying to move his body away.

„Craig, oh god. Craig, what are you doing-„

Octavio quickly yanked on Craig’s clothes, turned him around and ignored his flimsy attack. Craig didnt know it was Octavio holding him against his chest, so he tried to protect and defend himself with one of his still functioning hands.

Craig still couldn’t hear Octavio through the pain inflicted by Octavio’s solider troops. He had a slit abdomen, countless wounds around his torso and his arm. Even his face is full of cuts, dirt and blood. It looked disgusting. His clothes beyond recognition, aside from his medals which early give away that he was part of the enemy.

Oh, Craig loves his medals, Octavio knew oh so well.

„Shush, I am here. It’s Octavio, I am here. Im holding you.“ He whisper-yelled into Craigs ear. He held Craig as tight as he could to calm him down. When he figured that Craig would stay still and stop moving frantically he let him down gently, while still holding him firm in his arms. His head close to Octavios chest, he opened his tired eyes and looked up to his face.

„..Tavi?“

Octavios eyes quickly lit up when he heard his hoarse voice.

„YES! Yes, its me. Im here.“

„Stay with me, please. Everything hurts. I want to go home.“

Octavio couldn’t hold back the pain in his face as he heard Craigs pained voice emitting from his throat. It hurt to speak.

„Shh, everything is okay. I will get you home. But, first we need to attend to your wounds. They are horrible“

„…Okay…“

Craig nodded along, and let Octavio put torn clothes around his most deadly wounds. The kimono cloths Octavio ripped from his clothes took on the color of blood much quicker than he had hoped. They dripped with Craigs blood in an instant.

Octavio shielded his lover. Towering over him, using his broad stature with the help of his heavy armor so no one can see what the two of them are doing. A little bubble of privacy was created which nothing in the world was able to break.

Craigs heavy and pained breathing distressed Octavio immensely. He di not know what he was supposed to do at the moment. His lover and most beloved person he has ever met bleeding out in his arms, and his own people of the octo kingdom dying around like flies.

He didnt know how to wager this situation. What was he supposed to do, why cannot someone come to him and decide for him? Why does he always have to choose what to do, what others are supposed to do? Why is every existing responsibility depended on him?

He looks at Craig’s face contort in a grimace. He is losing blood quickly. The shoguns hands are full of blood trying to still the flow, so he can save more seconds to think what he can do.

„I.. I-I, i dont know what to do… please help me,,, anyone.“

He held onto Craigs wounds more tightly, holding him closer to his chest and breathing frantically, till a piercing thought came to his mind.

The more seconds pass the more it dawns on Octavio what he needs to do. What he is supposed to do and fulfill as the head of the OCTO kingdom. He is acting selfish by sitting here, and explicitly tending the wounds of the enemy.

The more he thinks this through, the more absurd it sounds to him. The Shogun tending the wounds of the enemy, crying tears and worrying for his health. What a joke. Octavio Takowasa, nothing but a joke to his nation. His people died for nothing. Enemy sympathizer and traitor.

The thoughts kept spiraling in his head, echoing through his mind like an echo-chamber. The thoughts keep running, sprinting and screaming inside his head till he concludes what is best to do. He knows what he has to do. Octavio needs to fulfill his duty as the protector of his people, as a king, as a SHOGUN of OCTO VALLEY.

Wasabi, his one and only son died months back. Devastated by his sons death he was brought back once again to the pitiless feeling of despair after seeing Craig suffer so much. His son died through the inklings hand, politic excecution, they say. He was a child, he had no part of any political disagreement the takowasa shogunate has with the inkling government.

Driven by grief, he came to the conclusion.

The death and suffering of one person is no greater than the suffering of a whole nation.

The shogun slowly loosened his grip on Craig, and looked at him through tears in his eyes.

„Craig.“

„..hm?“

Octavio slowly put his bloodied forehead on that on Craig’s. Closing his tired and worn eyes, tear droplets falling onto Craig’s scarred cheeks.

„Please let me be selfish… Just this once.“

As he uttered those words his lips touched those of Craig. They were chipped, the kiss was unconventional, uncomfortable and desperate. But, it was the softest and most loving kiss Octavio had ever given to Craig in all the years he had known him.

Octavio unsheathed the bloodied katana from the shaft and angled it at Craig’s most vital point. Slowly sinking in he made sure to cut through the most important muscles. Craig felt nothing of the blade immersing itself in him due to the heavy wounds and adrenaline keeping him barely awake.

„When we… are back home. I will give you thousands of these“, he said tiredly. he looked at Octavio through half-lidded eyes. Oh, how lovely those eyes are to Octavio.

When Octavio heard this he started to cry uncontrollably. His make-up dripping from his face as he kept looking at the face Craig made.

He expected a face of hatred, betrayal or sadness, but all that was on Craigs face was what could be described as pure love. He looked at Octavio as if they were on that grass field all the many years ago.

Craig began to cuddle up to Octavio even more, closing his eyes as he muttered one last thing. Through the turmoil and emotions wishing the shogun he could barely make out what his lover has said. He didnt catch his lovers last words. The grip on Craig made his knuckles turn white, He didnt want to let him go.

„I love you.“, Craig whispered as he took his last breath.

He started to panic when he realized he could not make out what Craig had said to him before he died. It made him cry and scream into his dead, and slowly cold turning body. Octavio begged Craig to please say it again. That he will listen this time, that he will shut up and listen.

„No no no no no no“

He shock Craigs limp body.

„Craig, please.“

Octavio looked at him pathetically and desperately. Leaving wet snoot and tears all over Craigs soft and emotionless face. It looks like as if he is sleeping soundly.

„Please, say it again. I am sorry, please. I will listen.“

Craigs expression was void of any pain. He was laying there in Octavios arms, just like the many years ago and the many times they shared before the beginning of war.

It looked like as if he was simply sleeping. Ready to wake up at any moment and spend the day with him in the palace. It is as if they were back home, cuddling before starting their shared day. Craig going to his office, Octavio taking his duties as the Shogun, and little Wasabi taking along with whomever he feels like it at the time.

They would annoy each other each morning but still end up hugging and kissing nonetheless throughout the lazy morning. Craigs expressing lighting up each time he would see Wasabi and welcome him with a big hug under their warm covers.

It would be the perfect morning to wake up to.

The perfect life.

It wasn’t meant to be, was it?

Octavio held onto him as long as he could. Feeling as if its just the two of them in the world he slowly puts Craig’s limp body on the grass field. Taking his captain hat off, combing his hair with his hand and caressing his cheek as gently as he could, Octavio started to falter into a sobbing mess. Meeting foreheads he cried uglier and uglier till Craig’s peaceful face was full of tears tainted by Octavio’s make-up even more. It looked like a mess.

He wiped off Craig’s face with his ragged kimono one last time before he stood up and left him to rest. Taking Craig’s beloved scarf, hiding it in his wielding hand, he went into the battle once more. This time not as Octavio Takowasa, but the Shogun.

-

The fight went on for quite some time, but the victory laid clear in the octoling favour.

He realized what he had done, but there was no going back now. He has a duty to fulfill as the Shogun of the octolings and octarians, to protect them at all costs.

Octavio goes up to his people on a higher ground to properly address all the soldiers which are still present, and so everyone can listen to him and his preach. The inklings loosing the battle indefinitely and returning to their bases with many casualties and loses. He announced that the ocotlings are the victors.

„The days of inkling rule, the misery ended. No more false promises.“

„I have led us all to victory and a beautiful future of freedom. Our freedom shall rule over others, and we shall now live in prosperity and peace.“

Yelling into the battlefield with a voice he didnt know he had himself, he made his new stance as the righteous ruler of octo kind clear. His everlasting regime and rule will shine upon those slimy inklings. He looked into the distance in disgust when he thought back to what the inklings would had done to his people he deemed as close as family if they were to lose the Great Turf War.

„Follow me, and you will never fear of being discriminated against, to be put underground like vermin’s, like PESTS.“

He remembered when Craig had warned him of the plans the inklings put into motion. They tried to put them underground as if they would survive or thrive in anyway, If it were not for Craigs kind-hearted nature Octavio would have never found out otherwise. The day Craig told him about their plans he was enraged, disgusted and quite frankly speechless. He couldn’t believe they would be as evil as to lock them away like dying working animals. Even less than animals, rats, monsters.

The rage filled him with so much emotion, the sentences just flowed out of his mouth naturally. Mirroring how he felt, his speech became the pillar for his people.

„RISE UP!.“

With determination, grieve and hatred he built himself up. His eyes filled with hatred unbeknownst to mankind. His hatred fueling his speech into an emotional and heartwrenching speech which makes the blood of those inklings who heard it run cold.

The octarians cheered and celebrated. Shouting with Octavio in agreement.

„YEAH!

With one last deep breath for his speech, Octavio struck his fist into the air. So did his people, and his army. Flags were hissed and the celebration of the Great Turf War has come to an end. The TAKOWASA sigil was seen everywhere. It was the most prideful display of the TAKOWASA clan since centuries, and to come.

Octavio clutched the stolen, bloodied scarf from Craig in his other hand and began to shout loudly to his people.

„I. AM. OCTAVIO TAKOWASA. RULER AND SHOGUN OF THE VICTORS, OCTARIANS AND OCTO KIND.“

Celebration all across the battlefield was heard. Yelling, bickering, screams of happiness, brothers and sisters holding onto one another crying for a more beautiful future without fear of death from the inklings penetrating offense, and everyone looked at their savior, their shogun and light.

Octavio simply never knew he had to kill the love of his life with his own bare hands to achieve it.

-

Thank you so much for reading! <3

[kagoutiss]

i like sidious & boba fett’s banter in BF2…… [has never played BF2]

[wintvies]

“why can’t ukraine just give some land to russia?” 20 days in mariupol is on youtube! hope this helps. 😊

[depiche]

head empty

[cenvast]

Laios, Monsters, & Toshiro: On Racialized Desire and Identification with the Other

Arguably, the most significant part of Laios' character is the societal ostracization he faces because of his non-normative interests and behavior. For the majority of his life, Laios struggles socially, and other humans mistreat him. When he rescues Marcille from the Nightmares, his nightmare dredges up his inability to fit into school and the army. During his early dungeoneering days, he's lied to and exploited by his fellow party members.

One of his earliest and most formative negative experiences with people is his village's abuse of Falin as a magic user. He shares that after the villagers discovered that she can use magic, "adults who were just kind yesterday, all began to bully [her]." Instead of protecting Falin, his parent tell her to leave the village. The prejudice Falin faces and his parents' response to it upsets Laios to the point that he leaves home.

While Laios cares about his friends, the Demon points out that Laios understandably does not care for people in general. Laios doesn't disagree with the Demon's assessment and suspects that the Demon "can sense all [his] thoughts." The Demon goes on to say that Laios actually "despise[s] all humans." Laios denies this assessment, but given the Demon's uncanny ability to sniff out people's desires and Laios' ashamed expression, at least part of Laios likely agrees with the Demon. It's not a stretch to assume that he's held onto some hurt and resentment towards humans due to their mistreatment of him and Falin in their youth.

In response to how human society has othered him, Laios distances himself from humans and invests his time and energy into monsters and demi-humans instead. In the DunMeshi world, monsters and demi-humans are the ultimate societal Other. People fear them, exploit them, and even hunt and kill them. As someone who's similarly been mistreated by human society, Laios resonates deeply with monsters.

His desire to become a monster and/or beastman reflects his desire to reclaim agency over how society has ostracized him. If he chooses to become a monster, he gets to place value on what society has deemed despicable. He gets to choose why society hates him and be different on his own terms.

Both textually and thematically, Laios' identification with the Other bleeds into the erotic. More blatantly, he says that he'd have sex with orc women, and his succubus is a monstrous version of Marcille.

The entire story is also steeped in the theme of consumption as carnality. Laios and his party spend the entire manga eating monsters — a taboo physical act which they reap pleasure from; the underlying eroticism isn't difficult to see.

The story also presents consumption as a form of extreme identification. Eating a monster makes the monster part of you through digestion. The line between consuming the monster and becoming the monster — between erotic desire for the monster, demonstrated by eating their flesh, and identifying with the monster — is very blurred. Note that digesting a monster is an act of absorption; it destroys the original creature. Senshi states that consuming a monster erases "its individual identity," and major manga spoilers, but Laios defeats and pacifies the Demon by consuming its desire to eat. We'll come back to this concept later.

As previously mentioned, Laios is disinterested in most humans. The notable exception to this rule is Toshiro and by extension, the Eastern Archipelago. Laios doesn't seem to know much about the Archipelago before speaking to Toshiro, so he isn't drawn to Toshiro because he's an Easterner. Instead, he's drawn to his "odd appearance."

Just like Laios views monsters and demi-humans as a visible Other, Laios views Toshiro as another visible Other. On the Island, Toshiro stands out as a foreigner at first glance. While Laios as a white tallman doesn't appear visibly strange to other people, he's drawn again and again to people and creatures who are immediately visibly "odd." He sees them as understanding what it's like to be different and be mistreated for it, and since he relates to that experience, he wants to learn about them and be closer to them.

Essentially, Laios behaves towards Toshiro and his culture the same way he behaves towards monsters; he wants to know everything about Toshiro's foreign culture — the thing which makes him different. Unintentionally, Laios unintentionally reduces Toshiro to being Japanese; if he wasn't Japanese, Laios would never have approached him.

While Laios doesn't have bad intentions, as Toshiro himself acknowledges during their fight, his behavior towards Toshiro still has negative consequences. Laios' harmless interest in monsters translates to fetishization in the context of Japanese culture. He enacts multiple microaggressions against Toshiro and crossing his boundaries.

Laios goes beyond merely learning about Japanese culture. He takes parts of it for himself when he names his sword a Japanese name. Akin to his consumption of monsters, Laios attempts to participate in Toshiro's culture while failing to respect Toshiro himself. Just as eating monsters destroys them, Laios consuming Toshiro's culture while enacting racism against him causes real harm.

Many people have already written about Laios' microaggressions towards Toshiro, but a couple include Laios telling Toshiro that he looks "odd" and asking where he's from, mispronouncing his name as "Shuro," and assuming his favorite food is rice. Laios' treatment and fetishization of Toshiro is racist and harmful. However, I'd like to dive beyond the surface of Laios' micro-aggressive remarks and examine how his obsession with Toshiro becomes a racialized mode of desire, paralleling real world phenomena.

Though no concrete canonical evidence of Laios' feelings towards Toshiro being romantic and/or sexual exists, his interactions with Toshiro have erotic undertones. Their fight dialogue, in particular, revolves around eating, an act the story consistently shows as carnal. During this fight, Laios places his thumb in Toshiro's mouth and asks him, "What's the point of even having a mouth?" Laios' penetration of Toshiro's body via his mouth and his question's potential as an innuendo lend themselves to an erotic reading of the scene's more obvious conflict. Considering the overlap between consumption and carnality throughout the story, it's not a large jump to read eroticism into Laios demanding Toshiro meet his body's physical needs.

Furthermore, Laios is more enthusiastic about Toshiro than any other human in the series. While he cares deeply about his sister and his friends, Laios repeatedly expresses how much he admires Toshiro. He retains and brings up things like Toshiro's (perceived) favorite food. He wants to go to the East in Falin's place after she rejects Toshiro's marriage proposal, and in the "What-If" extra material, he's adamant about setting up a scenario where Toshiro travels with him through the Dungeon.

Undoubtedly, Laios is drawn to Toshiro. Since he sees non-white-ness and monstrosity as equivalent markers of societal othering, Toshiro's identity as a foreigner is what cultivates and maintains Laios' interest in him. Even if Laios learns to care for Toshiro as a person, his desire for Toshiro, platonically or otherwise, is still filtered heavily through race within the narrative.

Laios' relationship with his masculinity is also fraught. He broke off his engagement with a girl from his village and doesn't express normative interest in female tallmen. Seeing how the nightmare versions of his parents ask him when he's going to give them grandchildren, Laios experiences societal pressure to conform to a normative performance of masculinity through being attracted to and marrying a tallman woman and creating a family with her.

Laios frequently talks about how cool and admirable Toshiro is when he performs masculinity through combat, etc. He might find Toshiro's Asian masculinity more appealing and more accessible to him than the masculinity that's been forced onto him, precisely because Toshiro's Asian masculinity appears non-normative in a Western lens. But co-opting the masculinities of men of color as a white man would only further feed into the white consumption of cultures of color.

Overall, Laios' entitlement to and consumption of Toshiro's culture mirrors the real-life way white people co-opt and fetishize non-white cultures. Laios' fetishistic treatment of Japanese culture, because of his attraction (platonic or otherwise) to Toshiro, parallels white people's treatment of Asian people in the Western diaspora. I can only speak on the Asian American experience, but Laios immediately being drawn to Toshiro's "odd appearance," obsessing over his culture, and primarily treating Toshiro as a conduit for his said culture feels eerily close to how some white anime and/or K-pop fans act towards Japanese and Korean people.

Similarly to Laios, real queer, neurodivergent, and/or otherwise non-normative white people are marginalized by white Western society. They relate to how society others non-white cultures and/or people of color and latch onto them. While forming human connections based on curiosity and shared experiences is wonderful, white people are often unaware of the racial dynamics at play when they engage with non-white cultures and people of color and unintentionally, end up consuming and fetishizing non-white cultures in detrimental ways.

None of this negates the reality that Laios and Toshiro canonically care for each other. For instance, Toshiro's willingness to hug Laios reveals his genuine familiarity with and affection for him. The racial dynamics of their friendship complicate their relationship in fascinating ways and open up a potential path for Laios' growth. With time and effort, Laios could absolutely unlearn his racism and become a much better friend to Toshiro.

In conclusion, Laios' behavior towards Toshiro is a study in a marginalized white person's identification with and racialized desire for a non-white Other and how even a well-intentioned attempt at connection can replicate harmful racist dynamics. Toshiro's experience with Laios closely parallels real Asian people's struggles with racism and fetishization in our world today.

[thou-babbling-brook]

Smth smth endless cycle of war for a purpose that exceeds your understanding smth smth

[niobiumao3]

[knightsiscrabs]

made a quick little comic of a mentioned event in the upcoming chapter 5 of Folie à Deux while brainstorming for the next chapter's art :3 for such a quiet guy, din's massiff call echos like crazy. that cannot be pleasant to have happen right next to you

[fusionsprunt]

Non-canon instance where Beatrix accidentally falls into another dimension in which Holloway's Comet didn't make it to planet Zona.

[dellamortethelesser]

SO EXCITED!!! These are the sneak peek images we got about the War of the Rohirrim!!! This animation style is gorgeous and I’m really looking forward to this movie.

Check out the article here!

[luguangs]

We are alive. And we will continue living. So long as you remain by my side.

[glitter-stained]

Look, I'll say it: Zurr isn't a magical demon that took over Bruce's body, it's a vilifying, demonizing take on induced DID. I can't keep seeing people fight to defend Bruce's honour in Gotham War by saying "it wasn't actually him so it's not his fault", reject the Lazarus Pit Madness headcanon because "Jason and he alone did his crimes and he has no excuse", and then we're talking about how Bruce's or Dick's trauma is what made him a hero, one post later on my board it's "the lazarus pit madness headcanon is unnecessary because Jason's behaviour is completely explainable and logical if you just take in account that he has cptsd" (or bpd depending on the post) and then that fanfic I had to stop reading because a character literally was screaming at Jason "so what you died get over yourself but you weren't magically controlled by the pit so you have zero excuse and justification for being angry" and then a post about "wow why is Batman punching down on all these mentally ill people", and then in the replies "are you dumb it's because those crazies are bombing orphanages..."

I'm still thinking about that moment in "dumpster slasher" where Batman is like "the killer is still free while poor Elmore [a homeless guy with substance use disorder and major neurocognitive disorder] is being shipped off to Arkham... This doesn't sit right" yeah buddy I'm sure if you ponder that for a while, the reason why the fact the only mental health facility in your city is also a prison for dangerous criminals with no apparent mental illness doesn't sit right with you will appear to you eventually.

Maybe it's time to confront the fact that the difference between a hero and villain in dc is often whether their mental illness is demonized, glorified or minimized. Or the fact that attenuated circumstances and responsibility exists on a gradient and there is such thing as "altered responsibility due to mental illness" in a trial. Maybe it's not "oh it was this evil Zurr/Batman entity, not Bruce/Batman, so there is no responsibility to be taken and anyone condemning those actions as abuse is talking in bad faith" maybe it's "this is a terrible representation of something that exists and should be treated respectfully" and "I don't have to accept this terribly harmful rethoric and fucked up depiction into my conception of my fav's characterization in such a dislocated, often incoherent canon if I don't want to."

And also maybe it's "if we accept this event/depiction as canon it doesn't mean that we have to either bash the character completely or erase his mental illness into something vaguer/mystical that would somehow absolve him of his place in this situation".

And maybe it's "what does accountability for your harmful actions looks like when your judgement was heavily impaired by mental illness, and what judgement can be placed upon you and who decides where people are placed on that continuum of responsibility and how do we acknowledge and go forward into repairing things when severe harm/abuse was done under impaired judgement and also how do you reconcile all of this with your sense of self, (especially in conditions like bpd/cptsd and especially did where the sense of self is already so altered/complicated) with what your values are, what you want to be, what you are capable of doing and what you thought about yourself before the bad thing happened." I don't know any simple, correct, good answer, especially not a one size fits all. All I know is: the desire to be a good person, and be able to distinctively separate people between bad and good, is profoundly human and, at times when lines of responsibility get blurry, profoundly unhelpful. Most people who are going to hurt you aren't mentally ill. Most people who do terrible things aren't mentally ill, and sometimes people are mentally ill and hurt people and the two have nothing to do with eachother. But it is also a reality that sometimes judgement is impaired and behaviour is altered due to mental illness, and then you need to figure out where to go from there. Acknowledging this while also fighting stigmatisation is a complicated business. It's messy. Mental illness often is. I'm weary of any rethoric that pretends it's simple.

[backjustforberena]

Then we must press what advantage we do have. And what is that? Dragons. 

[depiche]

When your Padawan's drink gets spiked and you're on Master-sitter duty now.

[daydreamerwonderkid]

You know ... I did already make a joke post about how DC should give us an event dedicated to the Batkids beating Bruce's ass.

But with the way things are going so far ... maybe DC will actually deliver????

Cause the sheer amount of fucking rage Dick showed while pounding Bruce's face in for what he did to Jason ... ngl, that was hella delicious.

Crossing my fingers DC isn't gonna pussy out and have Bruce defeat all the Batkids again iswtfg

[tideswept]

I think it’s vitally important that we hear more of your thots (and anakin’s 😏) on THICC obi-wan. Man is muscley and padded and Anakin is weak for it 😳

i said what i said and stand by it! 😤

#we need more of this tbh #man's a monk warrior#+4 years of war during TCW? #strong and built as hell #not shrinkwrapped #but s t r o n g

I do think his level of fitness vastly depends on what era we're talking about and this doesn't apply to AUs (unless the AU has a specific reason for him to be fit) but my guy. My guy. He is a warrior monk dude! He fights! He trains! He probably indulges in [1] terrible (and by that I mean GRAND and greasy and wonderful) meal at Dex's diner once a month and then eats almost fastidiously healthy the rest of the time.

But particularly once the war starts? There's rationing (probably with a focus on high protein) There's shortages. There's supply blockades. Stress and a highly active fighting style, training, drills, years upon years of sieges and combat. Running after Anakin. Running after Ahsoka. Doing his own feral gremlin shit. Man pulls stunts. He will jump out a window with no regard as to where he's going to land.

C A L V E S ✔️

T H I G H S ✔️

C H E S T ✔️

S H O U L D E R S ✔️

A R M S ✔️

He has them all, and Anakin is a scrawny kid when the war starts, and he's probably side-eyeing Obi-Wan suddenly filling out in ways he never did before, walking differently, distributing his weight and center of balance differently, and Anakin's not sure if he's envious or... something else.

(It's ok, Anakin. Your time will come. Your six-pack by the end of the war will be the stuff of holonet legend)