#ph brainrot

yearning levels so insane he couldn't stop himself from touching her cheek

Before Lauren’s kidnapping, Lauki were so close to becoming something more. Their interactions in the latter half of S3 clearly carry romantic undertones. After Kym is poisoned, we really start to see Lauki grow closer. Kieran becomes more vulnerable, opening up about his past, while Lauren is constantly there to help and comfort him. She’s genuinely interested in understanding him and what he’s been through. You can also see that she’s increasingly affected by his affections, like when he visits her in the hospital and has his arm around her, or when he congratulates her after she gets her detective badge back.

After episode 142, when Lauren renews their partnership, Kieran becomes even more open with her. He admits she’s his weakness in episode 151 (this scene is actually INSANE, he basically confesses) and gently touches her cheek — a quiet, but powerful way of telling her how much she means to him, and how terrified he is of losing her. Lauren doesn't really think about the cheek caress and what it could mean, but I am sure she's actively trying to push those kind of thoughts away. She won't reflect on her feelings for Kieran as long as she doesn't accept Dylan's death.

And then Kieran's worst fear comes true: Lauren is taken by the PS.

Now, with the kidnapping, I feel like once Lauren is safe we’ll have to wade through a lot of angst and trauma before Lauki can finally enter their romance era. Kieran’s guilt and self-loathing will be even worse, and Lauren will carry her own emotional burden, especially if she’s used as leverage to force Kieran to kill again (which feels inevitable). Kieran won’t let himself act on his feelings; he doesn't believe he deserves to be with her. I just think he's going to do whatever he can to protect Lauren. Meanwhile, Lauren might have to truly confront what it means to love Kieran and be with him. He’s still the Purple Hyacinth. After the events of Redcliff's ball they might become fugitives if their identities as Lune end up being compromised. Lauren will have to leave her family and friends behind. Even if they manage to take down the PS in the end, what happens next? What happens to him?

Those are questions Lauren will need to face. I believe that she’ll choose to stand by Kieran no matter what, and that he’ll eventually realize he deserves love and deserves to be with her, but it’s going to take time. They’ll try to fight against their feelings until they just can’t anymore and finally give in. It's going to be so special when they do.

I copied my essay from discord here cause I love Lauki's color palettes and their significance.

Lauren's red hair and golden eyes are often associated with fire. She can be impulsive and hot-tempered, but also fierce and badass. However, Kieran also perceives her as a source of warmth and comfort. Kieran, with his black hair and cerulean eyes, brings to mind imagery of water or the ocean. While water can be powerful and destructive, it also possesses a calming quality. I feel like his presence in Lauren's life offers a sense of tranquility, and also comfort.

Kieran often stays composed and steady in moments when Lauren becomes more impulsive or emotional, and he comforts her a lot. But that dynamic changes near the end of S2 and into S3 after Lauren renews their partnership. We can see Lauren constantly grounding and reassuring Kieran in S3 as he grows more vulnerable and emotional. She helps him feel alive—and human—again. They’re capable of being destructive in their own ways, Kieran because of his life as an assassin, and Lauren through her consuming obsession with finding Dylan. And yet, they’re also a source of warmth and solace for one another.

Subordinate 💜

"This guilt never leaves me" / "You didn't have to leave me alive"

Lauren seeks the truth about Dylan as a way to free herself from her guilt, to find some sense of closure and relief. For Kieran, though, guilt is a weight he believes he can never escape—a burden he’ll carry with him until it ultimately leads him to his death.