#steylarc

[thevibraniumveterans]

So just for fun, I turned on the audio description option, and…

Narrator: -[Now, she helps Steven into a harness.]-

You know how hilarious this is? Poor Steven, our favorite socially awkward alter, probably never seen a climbing harness in his life, just stands there, probably gazing DOWN at Layla (who’s being resourceful and crouching down before him helping get this harness up his legs), he’s probably feeling a bit hot under the collar, looks back up, and says,

And pauses. He freakin’ PAUSES. 😂 Steven looks back down, probably realizing that what he said came out the wrong way, and goes,

Layla pops back up, and Steven tracks her movement, never taking his eyes off her face.

Layla grins, likely holding back a laugh herself at Steven’s poor attempt at course-correcting himself.

He can’t take his eyes off her.

Layla adjusts her position, tightening a strap somewhere on the right side of Steven’s harness. Our sweet, lovestruck dumbass keeps watching her.

The narrator continues: -[With two ropes hanging nearby, she leans close to secure the harness.]-

Steven’s just enjoying her presence, I think. Her face is so close to his, and it’s almost like his heart is going a million miles per minute. It’s a miracle he can keep still at all.

Layla comments, “You smell like him.” She pauses, then wistfully adds, “I mean, why wouldn’t you, right?” There’s this little moment where Steven has this sad look in his eyes, because he realizes that he knows how much Layla loves and misses Marc. Perhaps it might feel a little greedy on Steven’s part because while he does want to be with Layla, he understands that he’s a factor in Marc and Layla’s relationship that neither Spector had seen coming.

The narrator goes, -[Layla leans in to kiss him.]-

Which she almost does, but Steven, carrying some of that guilt within him, speaks up before she can kiss him.

“Marc's trying to protect you from Khonshu,” says Steven. Layla’s taken aback. “What?”

Steven explains, “That’s why he’s been pushing you away. He thinks Khonshu wants you for his Avatar, and he won’t let that happen.” Layla looks away, trying to process this new piece of information. She’s downtrodden that this is something else that Marc had failed to tell her. She’s pained on the inside, trying to reconcile her love for her husband Marc and her obvious feelings for Steven. Seeing Layla distressed, Steven, true to his honest nature, tries to bring her some measure of comfort, and says, “It’s alright. I just felt like you should know that.”

The narrator states: -[Turning away, she puts on a glove.]-

Steven sees Layla’s mood souring a little, and apologizes. Layla turns back to Steven and asks him, “Why are you telling me this now?” He’s not too sure why he disclosed this set of information to Layla. “I dunno, I just thought you deserved to know,” he says softly.

Layla finishes putting on her gloves, looks back into Steven’s eyes, and tells him, “Well, it wasn’t his call to make.” A beat. Then, “I don’t need protection. What I need is honesty.”

Luckily for Steven, honesty is one of the hallmarks of his whole being. He’s been nothing but honest from the get go, having nothing to hide or keep away. He gazes at Layla, and sighs. “Yeah, I get that,” he tells her. She preps the climbing rope, and asks, “That’s more of a ‘you’ thing, isn’t it?”

Layla hooks a carabiner onto the front loop of Steven’s harness and secures it with a tug. Distracted, Steven stammers, “What, being, uh… Honesty?”

Layla exhales and, despite her inner conflicts and pain that has settled deep within her, looks up into Steven’s eyes, and smiles. She decides to humor him a little. “Yeah. Being honesty.”

A little pause. Layla and Steven gaze into each other’s eyes.

The narration continues.

-[She smiles ruefully at Steven, who rests his hands on her shoulders before pressing his lips to hers.

Her eyes closed and face tense, Layla returns the kiss, then breaks away. Steven’s lips broaden into a smitten smile.]-

Layla returns the smile, looks into his eyes before she turns away and says, “I’m going to go down…” Into the tomb, she means. All too quickly, Steven agrees: “Okay.” Layla cuts in, “…first.” Smiling, he tells her, “Yeah. Great.”

She continues, “Before I belay.” For some odd reason perhaps known only to him, Steven says to Layla, “Thank you.” She picks up her backpack, which has been resting on a rock this whole time. With both his hands over his racing heart and mind reeling over the fact that he and Layla had just shared this wonderful moment together, Steven stumbles over his words a little. “What’s… what’s ‘belay’?”

Layla is amused. “I still can’t tell whether you’re joking or not.” She chuckles, which brings a little smile to Steven’s face.

The narration continues: -[She clips one of the ropes to her harness.]-

“All right,” quips Layla.

-[She steps onto the edge of the pit and jumps in. Steven looks down after her and smiles… then suddenly punches himself in the nose.]-

“Oh, SHIT!” 🤣

[delphiniumblooms]

here is a compilation of all my moon knight fic

five times layla slept with marc + once she slept with steven (M)

happy epilogue to the show (T)

marc and layla's meeting and falling in love (T)

[thevibraniumveterans]

When Layla embodies the concept of “get yourself a man who can do both” 🤣

Choose your fighter partner

+

[thevibraniumveterans]

Okay but like, I’ve gone and done a bit of translation too, and this isn’t gonna be the last time I’m doing it.

See, there are like, 3 different Chinese subtitles on Disney+ : Chinese (Traditional), Chinese (Simplified), and Chinese (Hong Kong).

I took one scene from Ep6, and like, the translations are wildly different but also pretty lovely!

-

Marc calls out to his wife Layla by name.

「蕾拉。」

「莱拉。」

「蕾拉。」

-

Relieved beyond measure, she says his name and embraces him.

「馬克。」

「马克。」

「馬克。」

He responds…

「寶貝」 - “Oh, darling.”

「亲爱的」 - “My beloved.”

「寶貝」 - “My love.”

-

Marc cradles Layla’s head with his hands…

「幸好你没事。」 - “Luckily you’re okay.”

「谢天谢地你没事。」 - “Thank the Sky and Earth you’re alright.”

「幸好你没事。」 - “By fortune you’re okay.”

Layla looks into her husband’s eyes, confusion setting in.

「你怎會復活的？」 - “How’d you get resurrected?”

「你是怎么回来的？」 - “How did you come back?”

「你怎麼回來的？」 - “How’d you return?”

-

Steven, unable to resist staring at Layla’s new outfit, lavishes her with compliments.

「哇！你容光煥發，你穿的是什麼？」 - “Wow! You look radiant!! What is it you’re wearing?”

「你看上去真漂亮, 你穿的是什么？」 - You look so pretty! What are you wearing?”

「美呆了，你穿這什麼？」 - “You’re so beautiful, what are you wearing?”

-

Steven wants to impress Layla, and tells her so.

「我好心急想給你看我們的新技能。」 - “I’m anxious because I want to show you our new skills.”

「我��不及待要给你展示我们的新技能了。」 - “I am itching to put our new skills on display.”

「我好期待讓你看到我們的新招。」 - “I’m looking forward to letting you see our new moves.”

-

Layla, clearly curious, encourages Steven.

「好，給我看你們的本事。」 - “Okay, show me your skills.”

「好啊 让我看看。」 - “Alright, show me.”

「好，讓我開開眼界。」 - “Sure, let me see what you’ve got.”

-

Steven gets really excited; he can’t wait to show Layla just how seamlessly he and Marc can work together now.

[delphiniumblooms]

Chapters: 2/4 Fandom: Moon Knight (TV 2022) Rating: Teen And Up Audiences Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply Relationships: Layla El-Faouly/Steven Grant, Layla El-Faouly/Marc Spector Characters: Layla El-Faouly, Steven Grant (Marvel), Marc Spector, Original Child Character(s) Additional Tags: polycule gets a happy ever after!!, but not without some trouble first, Infertility, Adoption, Jake Lockley Doesn't Exist, because i just couldn't fit him in Summary:

She elects to stay.

She hasn’t been home in ten years, and she misses Cairo’s summers, as hot and humid as they are. It’s a welcome change from gloomy London, and, in any case, she’s needed here.

  …superhero misria?

 Yes, yes she is. And she finds that she wants to stay one, despite her earlier protestations. -- Layla decides to stay as the Scarlet Scarab. She and the boys make a life for themselves in Cairo.

CHAPTER TWO IS UP!!

[thevibraniumveterans]

Moon Knight Ep6 my beloved 🥹

Marc and Steven made it 😊

I love how they’ve made their peace with each other and also they’re not even bickering over Layla. I really hope that next time we see them, Layla can be like, “Oh, I get both Steven and Marc, it’s a win-win!”

Layla got an outfit 🤩🤩🤩

I love how Steven takes one look at Layla in her new outfit and then asks her point blank with so much wonder and admiration in his voice, “Whoaaa, what are you wearing?” He nerded out and was blown away 🤣

JAKE!!

You know what, I have a new ship name for ([Marc x {Layla] x Steven}). @delphiniumblooms, you’ll love this one.

LUNAR SCARAB

Because think about it, I can’t incorporate ‘Knight’ into the ship name, unless it’s Scarab Knight and that’s not gonna work.

As cool as Steyla/Stayla/Marla/Staylarc/Steylarc are, I think Lunar Scarab is way cooler, because face it, while Moon Bug sounds hilariously adorable, it just won’t fit 😂

If it doesn’t stick I’ll be surprised 🤣

And yeah, I’m fairly certain that we’ll be seeing Moon Knight somewhere else in the MCU. Where, I’m not sure. Anyone theorize anything?

(BTW, Layla low-key roasted WW84, which is understandable, director Mohamed Diab had every reason to dislike it for cultural misrepresentation.)

[thevibraniumveterans]

That moment where Steven switches in with Marc, right? It’s really interesting because while you mentioned the flinch in the switch, there’s this other little detail, it’s almost hidden.

The movement doesn’t just remain in Steven and Marc’s face, head, and shoulders. It extends all the way down to their hands. Because, at this point in time, Marc has moved his hands from Layla’s head down to just below her shoulders, and that’s exactly when Steven chooses this moment to switch in. Layla on the other hand, who had looked away for all of 0.5 seconds, turns back to see Steven, and here’s why- she feels a little nudge, a little flutter of movement near her shoulder, a slight physical change in the way that Marc/Steven has been holding her upper arm. She doesn’t expect the nudge any less than she expected to see Steven the moment she turned back to see him. And it’s so great because while Marc is this solid presence who never wavers, Steven switches in with him and proceeds to adjust the way his hands are placed near Layla’s shoulders, right before he gets all excited about showing off to her the new skills he and Marc acquired from god knows where 😂👍🏼

Because, check this out:

It starts with Marc’s hands just by Layla’s shoulders. He’s just gently holding her.

Okay, fair enough, we get another shot, slightly from the side, showing us where his other hand is and how it’s positioned.

The moment the switch starts to happen, watch this. It’s a blink and you miss it. Notice the slight change in his hand position?

And then! Where Marc’s thumb was likely placed on the outside of Layla’s arm, now Steven’s movements has shifted the position of his thumb to rest just in front of Layla’s shoulders.

But we’re not done! Steven makes a small but further adjustment…

And! Proceeds to slide his hand down Layla’s arm as he positively nerds out about Layla’s outfit and compliments her amazing new look.

I just… I can’t 🤩

The details are amazing.

Episode 6 spoilers!! Play at your own risk!

I genuinely cannot go a single episode without praising Oscar Isaac.

Like???? The slight flinch that shows how Marc transitions into Steven? The quick change in accents and facial expressions? The overall shift in the aura as Steven fronts???

And here too? The transition from an extremely confused Marc to a very worried Steven? The way his furrowed brows shifted to a more surprised position? The way his eyes ALONE expressed these types of emotions so clearly, that one would know Marc apart from Steven without even having to look at their armor?

And HERE?? THIS ENTIRE SCENE?? God DAMN.

And!!! Jake lockley, baby! He gives off a completely different aura from Steven and Marc. (I can’t add more photos because of the tumblr media limit 💀)

Oscar???? SIR?? You’re a damn LEGEND, and that’s still an understatement. Hopefully we get more moon knight soon too 🥺 gonna miss everything about this show </3

Oscar Isaac supremacy 🥰🫶🏼

[delphiniumblooms]

Chapters: 4/4 Fandom: Moon Knight (TV 2022) Rating: Teen And Up Audiences Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply Relationships: Layla El-Faouly/Steven Grant, Layla El-Faouly/Marc Spector Characters: Layla El-Faouly, Steven Grant (Marvel), Marc Spector, Original Child Character(s) Additional Tags: polycule gets a happy ever after!!, but not without some trouble first, Infertility, Adoption, Jake Lockley Doesn't Exist, because i just couldn't fit him in Summary:

She elects to stay.

She hasn’t been home in ten years, and she misses Cairo’s summers, as hot and humid as they are. It’s a welcome change from gloomy London, and, in any case, she’s needed here.

  …superhero misria?

 Yes, yes she is. And she finds that she wants to stay one, despite her earlier protestations. -- Layla decides to stay as the Scarlet Scarab. She and the boys make a life for themselves in Cairo. all chapters are up now!!!

[delphiniumblooms]

Chapters: 3/4 Fandom: Moon Knight (TV 2022) Rating: Teen And Up Audiences Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply Relationships: Layla El-Faouly/Steven Grant, Layla El-Faouly/Marc Spector Characters: Layla El-Faouly, Steven Grant (Marvel), Marc Spector, Original Child Character(s) Additional Tags: polycule gets a happy ever after!!, but not without some trouble first, Infertility, Adoption, Jake Lockley Doesn't Exist, because i just couldn't fit him in Summary:

She elects to stay.

She hasn’t been home in ten years, and she misses Cairo’s summers, as hot and humid as they are. It’s a welcome change from gloomy London, and, in any case, she’s needed here.

  …superhero misria?

 Yes, yes she is. And she finds that she wants to stay one, despite her earlier protestations. -- Layla decides to stay as the Scarlet Scarab. She and the boys make a life for themselves in Cairo. CHAPTER THREE IS HERE!

[thevibraniumveterans]

Complex.com

[May, how did you change your interactions between Steven and Marc? I know it’s still Oscar, but I would imagine your approach to engaging with each respective character has to change slightly.]

May Calamawy: Oscar did such a good job of embodying each person that I didn’t have to sort of go through any steps or intellectualize how I would act with each one. It was just a response. I could tell that with Steven, Layla would need to have a more gentle approach there. That’s what came out naturally and what allowed him to open up in ways. Whereas with Marc, there’s just so much history there. The communication needs to be a bit more direct if she wants to get what she wants.

Vulture.com

[In fourth episode “The Tomb,” Layla says, “I don’t need protection. What I need is honesty.” That feels like such a defining moment for her character. What did you want to bring into that moment?]

May Calamawy: Any time there was vulnerability or any intimacy with Steven, it was difficult because you’re not just playing, Oh, I’m into this guy. There is a lot of pain under that. That was something I spoke a lot about with Oscar. We had a Layla and Steven scene, and I was like, “Something’s blocking me right now,” and he spoke me through it. It happened before, and it happened in that scene, where we really spoke through what was going on and the layers — because as Steven, he’s in a new situation. Layla is coming with the history: This is a different person in front of me, and I’m having these feelings for this person, but I also love my husband. And what we came to, and Oscar said it so well, is that whenever there’s that deep love, there’s pain as well. When you can sit in that, it almost just takes you.

PinkVilla

[Oscar Isaac does major heavy lifting with his dual performance as Marc Spector and one of his alter-egos, Steven Grant. On the other hand, you too have your work cut out for you as Layla constantly has to react between Marc and Steven. How did you and Oscar Isaac establish that complicated equation?]

May Calamawy: There was no, kind of, verbal establishing of anything. It was more, just he was so great at embodying two different people, that I was just reacting to what he gave. And over time, I noticed I fell into a pattern of how I would energetically feel around Marc and then how I felt around Steven.

GamesRadar

[How do you interpret Layla's relationships with Marc and Steven, and how do you think that being introduced to Steven affects her?]

May Calamawy: I'm going to try not to give any spoilers, but she has a more complicated relationship with Marc. They've known each other for a while, and he's more guarded as a person. She in turn becomes a bit guarded around him. But they complement each other in a way. And then Steven, he's sweet and she's more curious when she meets him. There's a lot of that curiosity and not like, 'Who the hell are you? What are you doing?' But more, 'What is going on? Is this person okay?'

[This must have been a really interesting role for you to sink your teeth into as you've got Marc and Steven, who are quite literally two sides of a coin. What can you tell me about their different relationships with Layla and how you approached those nuances in the performance?]

Oscar Isaac: It was interesting because Mohamed [Diab] and Sarah [Goher], his wife and creative partner, took the role of Layla and found a way to deepen it by making much stronger connections. So, for instance, the fact that you find out that Marc and her were married, or are married. The important thing that came out of all our conversations with Mohamed is creating a character with Steven that is desperate for connection and love, but just doesn't have the social skills for it. Because of the blackouts and because of his lack of history, that creates an introverted personality, and yet all he wants is to connect. When Layla comes into his life and seems like the only person that can help him, his life suddenly starts to both fall apart and light up, because he has someone and she's saying that they're supposed to be married, but she's mistaken him for someone else. Then on the other side is Marc, who is pushing everyone away, particularly Layla. And we come to find out that that's because, in his mind, he's trying to protect her. There was that push and pull and this budding romance that Steven has with her, and Marc, who is filled with regret and shame and just wants to push her away for her own safety.

The Wrap

May Calamawy: Steven was a very refreshing addition, you know? And I think it’s easy to see why she falls for him and cares so deeply about him.

#same

[thevibraniumveterans]

Coming out from under my rock today to say Youtuber!Steven:

Runs an educational channel where he gushes about ancient Egypt after he and Marc realize it's hard for Steven to hold down a regular job when Marc fights crime on the side. Marc brings up the idea. Steven isn't sure he'd be any good in front of a camera but Marc insists he can just talk to Marc in the camera's reflection.

Steven's editing skills are...questionable at first but people love him for how adorable and excited he gets. He responds to every. Single. Comment. Until it physically isn't possible anymore.

Jake will make stuff for the channel sometimes and Steven jokingly refers to him as his "editor", and talks to a little cartoon version of him onscreen sometimes (a la Markiplier and Lixian), mustache and all. Everyone thinks it's a cute gag rather than a recreation of an actual conversation.

Marc REALLY hates being in front of the camera despite his encouragement but Steven manages to convince him to do a drunk history type video and everyone is amazed at his American accent and finds it hilarious how drunk "Steven" suddenly can't get any ancient Egyptian history right.

Layla makes guest appearances to talk about the politics of people owning artifacts that don't even belong to their culture. Steven has a good time discussing how to still have museums and exhibits to teach about different cultures without taking away their artifacts (while sharing marshmallows of course). He becomes very flustered about the influx of people suddenly "shipping" them and Layla and Marc tease him relentlessly about it.

So yeah, Youtuber!Steven and you can pry this AU/Future HC from my cold dead hands.

[thevibraniumveterans]

Marc Spector, literally a day or two later:

“Are you in love? 🤨 Are you in love with my wife? 😠 You lay one finger on her ☝🏼, I swear to you, Steven 😤, I will… I will throw us… off a cliff!!😡”

Marc Spector looking at the love of his life, Layla El-Faouly. - Moon Knight (2022)

+ bonus : Jealous!Husband walking

[thevibraniumveterans]

Wait until you hear the track for this very scene, appropriately titled “The Kiss”. I’m going off memory for this one, may or may not be accurate, bear with me. (My music analysis is quite lacking!) 😅

The first 25 seconds or so it’s just strings, kinda lonely-feeling. A high note, harmonized by a pair of lower notes, maybe chords. Maybe kind of telling since the whole scene, the whole conversation revolves around Marc, Layla, and Steven. All in all this first section sounds a little light and hopeful, but very slow and easy to listen to.

Then around 0:26 or so, we start to get a low undertone, perhaps of cello or double bass, I’m not sure, and some lower harmony (as the melody?) to around 0:45. I’m guessing that it does sound darker because perhaps of the sadness, the pain of Marc regretfully choosing to be unavailable despite all the love he has in the world for his beloved Layla.

The music increases in volume from 0:45 to 0:55 on as it adds back the strings a few at a time, building not momentum but anticipation, tension.

0:55-1:08, the music fades away but does not go silent. Then 1:09-1:22… the music reaches its peak, at around 1:15, you hear a bit of choir-like vocal that sits right alongside the melody, in this dreamy, floating sensation that Steven likely felt when he kissed Layla.

From 1:22-1:30, it goes back to perhaps a major scale or something, but the music conveys a sweet and positive feeling. Steven rests his forehead on Layla’s, eyes closed, and a smitten smile so bright anyone could’ve seen from miles away.

From 1:30 on, there is a harp in the background, as the strings round up their harmonies. From 1:40, the bassoon, I think? Helps the string section to close off this piece really, really gently.

=

If it helps, May Calamawy has spoken of this scene as Layla approaching her feelings toward Steven as genuinely falling for him because he’s just this sweet, honest soul who just wants to do the right thing no matter what. In other interviews, May noted how Layla would have a gentler approach when interacting with Steven.

But at the same time, May also speaks of Layla being heavily burdened with the pain that comes from her love for Marc. May notes that Marc and Layla do indeed have this extremely complicated relationship dynamic where Marc, according to Oscar Isaac, “is filled with regret and shame” for pushing Layla away to keep her safe. May also talks about how from Layla’s POV, Marc has “so much history” with her but Steven doesn’t, offering her a “refreshing” change of pace.

In an interview with Vulture.com, May explained Layla’s pivotal “being honesty” moment:

“Any time there was vulnerability or any intimacy with Steven, it was difficult because you’re not just playing, Oh, I’m into this guy. There is a lot of pain under that. That was something I spoke a lot about with Oscar. We had a Layla and Steven scene, and I was like, “Something’s blocking me right now,” and he spoke me through it. It happened before, and it happened in that scene, where we really spoke through what was going on and the layers — because as Steven, he’s in a new situation. Layla is coming with the history: This is a different person in front of me, and I’m having these feelings for this person, but I also love my husband. And what we came to, and Oscar said it so well, is that whenever there’s that deep love, there’s pain as well. When you can sit in that, it almost just takes you.”

Any thoughts on this?

Steven refused to kiss Layla the first time because she said he smelled like Marc and our little Steven preferred to give him a chance by telling her the truth.

And the moment Layla compliments STEVEN saying that HE was honest with her, he kissed her himself. Because she was talking about him and not Marc. Even tho Steven tried to defend him. Maybe to see if she would chose Marc after that revelation.

(I think she can choose both 😌)

[thevibraniumveterans]

@tiptapricot

All this is amazing, and I love this, but consider…

Jake.

Everything is peaceful in the end like you said, yes. Marc and Steven are pretty happy with each other’s existence, but like, over the past week? Month? Or so? They’ve gotten slightly suspicious that there’s someone else but it wasn’t important enough to warrant an investigation.

Is Jake the man without love? It’s a mystery, isn’t it? You stated, and I quote, “no god hanging over their head (that they know of)”. Every time Steven blacks out he thinks it’s Marc, until he gets to know Marc and discovers that sometimes it’s not even him who does the unthinkable.

So I wonder, now that Marc and Layla are more or less back together (oh, they have so much to work out between them), and Marc is okay with Steven falling in love with Layla (I mean, who can blame him, Layla is awesome), Jake is a question mark for both of them, much less Layla.

Are Marc and Steven in exactly the same situation at the end of the season that Steven alone found himself in when the season started? Ankle restraint, tape on the door, multiple locks, and a circle of sand around the bed, all as precautionary measures.

Ok so I know people have talked about this but I just wanted to say that like… no matter how you interpret the relationship dynamic (because it fits w all of them), the fact that we start the show with A Man Without Love playing as Steven wakes up, with his life confusing and strange and lonely, where his job isn’t what he wants it to be and he’s not sure why he keeps losing time and he feels out of control of his life, and that we end it with that exact same song playing as Marc wakes up, comfortable and easy, with Steven right there conscious with him, with a new understanding and balance with each other, and with no god hanging over their head (that they know of) as they step into their new life with two fishes alive and thriving is just….

Steven was the man without love in the beginning, because he and Marc were at odds, separated. But by getting close and working things out, by trusting each other and caring for each other, by discovering the weight they hold in each other’s lives, it shapes the song into something sweeter by the end. When it plays this time it’s ironic, funny, because they’re waking up with the love they didn’t have at the start, full in the presence of each other, and know that they won’t have to wake up without it ever again.

[thevibraniumveterans]

Everyone likes to talk about how much agony Marc is in, which is fair.

But even May Calamawy herself has stated that Layla carries so much pain from deeply loving Marc. It’s this pain she feels burdened with when she falls for Steven, who just will not let Marc take the wheel in Ep4.

This whole complex dynamic, which I for one am absolutely in love with, gets deeper the more you look at it from Layla’s perspective.

Nobody ever talks about the fact that Layla not only had to watch her husband get killed, but also come to terms with how sudden it was. Slowly discovering the full trauma someone you love went through but not getting the chance to help them? Let me explain through my tears.

Sudden as in... in all the years she's known him, all the time she's spent with him, it didn't even come close to feeling like enough.

Sudden as in yeah, they fight, sometimes over things they wished didn't have such a heavy hand in their arguments like how recklessness could literally get the other killed and that stubbornness doesn't make it hurt any less. But they are still each others safe place at the end of the day, their arms providing unconditional strength and love.

Then suddenly she meets Steven and suddenly one thing becomes just as clear as it is unthinkable; that he holds all the vulnerability. He is the softness that Marc can't have, the innocence he's lost, the ease of being driven by lighter sentiments.

This thing she knew existed but was never sure how to approach quite right, until the pieces start coming together. She's looking into the eyes of her husband, but they're not fully his, they're different, more at-risk and less reticent. She's searching his face as he asks for help. ("I think I'm in real danger and I think that maybe you might be the only person that can help me. Please.") It's dizzying, throwing her world off balance. It's all she's wanted to hear for a long time, she realizes. She's supposed to be angry with Marc, and she is, but suddenly she finally sees how much pain he was in with clarity, learns the unadulterated extent at which he suffered and the self-inflicted blame he still harbors, often clinging to it like an addiction.

Then she's gently asking to be let in. ("What happened?" "Doesn't matter." "We could've handled it together.") Things are different now, so she plans on trying again. Has to try again, maybe after things slowed down. But they don't.

Suddenly he's silently begging for her forgiveness even though he's convinced he's undeserving. Suddenly he's pleading for her safety before the gunshots are piercing through the tomb, leaving a ringing in her ears that's a mix between 'too late' and 'the end'.

Suddenly she understood the sides of him he's given her, as well as the parts he so desperately tried to mask, before all of it is suddenly laying under her head as she quietly sobbed into his unmoving chest in the water.

Suddenly she can't reach out her hand to help anymore, because suddenly he's gone.

[thevibraniumveterans]

Sooner or later Marc and Steven are gonna have to tell Layla everything, since Steven is the honest one and Marc did promise his wife he would tell her.

Layla doesn't know that Marc's mom is dead---

I mean I guess that is obvious but it woke me up in the middle of the night so---

Also... I wonder how much does Layla knows about the details of Marc's childhood and his relationship with his mom. Considering the fact that she did not know about Marc's DID or his alters, it's highly unlikely of her to know it.

Her only reaction to Steven who she assumed was Marc at that time, living his "mum's" flat was a "Oh, so you guys are talking again?" back in episode 2 and she asked Marc to open up during the boat scene. Add that with Marc's general aversion towards sharing the details of his life to anyone.... Layla probably only knows that his relationship with his mom is rocky and that he has not spoken with her for a long time.

That means....

Layla doesn't know that his mother abused him wrongly for his brother's death and that her death was one of the major reasons why he decided to withdraw himself from her.