#shoutout to hives tags on my last post you inspired to make this post today and not wait and forget I was ever going to

[neriumdelusion]

HI. Lauren and Kevin right? Yeah. My take on them is that they genuinely care for each other and, dare I say it, love each other. I’m right and here’s why. These two have been through hell together, they worked their way up through the strex ranks and ended up arguing about who’s in charge. Neither of them wanted to be their, both of their lives were majorly fucked up by that corporation. They probably blame each other, I also think strex facilitated that, “divide and conquer” sorta thing. Easier to stop people rising up if they’re blaming each other. Their disagreements and arguments are funny as fuck to listen to but. Lauren knows that calling Kevin “Kev” gets to him, she knows he doesn’t wear Cologne, she knows what his reaction will be to being sprayed with acid (which by the way. What a scene)

Kevin invites her on the radio show when he DOESNT HAVE TO. strex is gone no one is telling him what to do he can tell her to get fucked he can kill her if he really wanted to or at least try. But no. He tells her that’s he’s in charge and then invites her on his show MORE THAN ONCE. (Toast and All Smiles’ Eve I think). He didn’t fucking have to. No, he clearly wanted her around. You could argue that the loneliness of Carlos having left would mean he’d take anyones company and that’s sorta fair but also. If he REALLY hated her, would he go to the level of having her on his show? HIS radio show that he takes a great amount of pride in. You can talk to someone without inviting them on your radio show.

He uses her as a scapegoat in mudstone abyss, not very kind of him, what a twat but also. He doesn’t seem happy with the effect it’s had on her, we know how he is with brushing things off and making light of them, so when he seems slightly upset that’s gotta mean it’s REAL bad. And so, riddle me this. Why is he concerned and worried when Lauren gets tattooed in the last mudstone abyss? Huh? If he really hated her and wanted her to be miserable that would be great for him wouldn’t it? She gets effectively exiled because of him you’d think he’d be pleased if he really hated her, and while he’s not explicitly saying he’s upset or anything did you really expect Kevin to say it that explicitly? He’s not thrilled with the outcome and that makes a change from his presentation of the situation up until that point. They’re not getting along, but they certainly have more to their relationship then ha ha passive aggressive. While it’s not a healthy friendship and he should consider getting over himself and unexiling Lauren, he doesn’t HATE her. I think it’d be more accurate to say he loves and hates her, she’s definitely not gonna be too happy with him after getting forcibly tattooed a frown of all things on her face. A frown. Lauren Mallard. How fucking horrifying. And then to be exiled from her community. People forget, Desert Bluffs was her home too, Desert Bluffs Too is HER community too. They have issues, for sure. But I genuinely believe there is way more to their feelings on each other than hatred.