Literally Forever

Like, he made one (pretty mild tbh) gay joke and then obliquely threatened Crystal to get her to leave him alone (and she was in no way whatsoever in danger, even if he had meant the threat, which he clearly didn't)

And then Charles in completely cold blood throws him over a hecking table and drags him around and chokes him out while Edwin and Crystal psychologically torture him in ways that will shake his worldview forever and most definitely give him nightmares in the short term and for what. for why.

crystal: stands in the middle of rooms alone, asks very personal questions too quickly, maintains unwavering eye contact, houseplants start growing quicker, wood doesn’t creak when she interacts with it, rust falls off of metal, anyone who was sick gets better overnight and starts talking about how cool she is? kids/animals automatically go to follow her and you have to snap them out of it.

charles: animals start alerting, makes rooms colder, stuff starts cracking, doors start opening/ getting locked, personal items go missing, (baseball bat: gone, hiking stick: gone, shower rod: gone) cabinets are all opened at once/ furniture gets rearranged in odd ways, smiley faces are doodled everywhere, he shows up in kid’s drawings, new strange things start appearing in the building (jar of bees), lightbulbs start burning out, old people start “dropping by to say thanks 🙏 😊”

Crystal can’t focus on the case because she’s busy having an absolute meltdown over an exam she has the next day, that she absolutely has to get a good grade on. And she’s been out of school for months, and her memory’s spotty, and she’s been so anxious about it she could barely bring herself to pick up her books, which she barely remembers how to use anyway, and she is, quite frankly, terrified.

And Charles does his Thing, all “you’ll do amazing, Crystal!” and “it’s just a test - that you’re gonna do great on!” and she goes back to her apartment feeling somehow even worse.

In her apartment, she clicks the light on and immediately screams, because there’s a damn ghost sitting on her bed, ankles crossed, hands folded primly.

“What time is your exam tomorrow, Crystal?”

“What the fuck - I don’t - 9AM,” Crystal says, far too exhausted and miserable to argue or snipe, and slumps on the bed next to Edwin, fully clothed.

“I will be there at 8:45,” Edwin says, and Crystal’s brain spins. “I have already arranged an excuse so Charles will not know where I am.”

Crystal’s eyes blink back open, then blink several more times. “What?”

“I do not need to sleep,” Edwin said, “so I will spend the next few hours reviewing your books to ensure my knowledge is up to date. You said it was multiple-choice, so you won’t need to translate my idiom into your own. I do recommend, however,” he said, with a touch of awkwardness, “that you transcribe a few answers incorrectly, for… verisimilitude.”

Crystal stared up at him. “Edwin,” she said slowly, “are you… are you offering to cheat for me, and lie to Charles about it?”

Edwin twitched. “I did not lie to Charles,” he said. “But I will not deny I misled him, yes. Crystal,” he said, and turned to face her head-on, pulling his legs up on the bed. “You are not learning anything, with all of - ” he gestured at her books and notebooks, which she would deny the tear stains on to her deathbed - “this. It is only causing you distress. There is no inherent virtue in suffering.” He said the last sentence like it was a mantra he’d repeated a thousand times, trying to get himself or Charles to believe it.

Crystal shook her head, still dazed. “You, Edwin Payne, are offering to cheat on a test for me, Crystal Palace?”

Edwin huffed. “I am offering to use my skills to relieve your distress and ensure your ability to maintain your work at the Agency, which is the same thing I always do. I am simply doing it in a different location.”

Crystal would deny the tears dripping down onto her cheeks now far, far past her deathbed. “Thanks,” she sniffled.

Charles flashes Edwin a wide smile, Edwin rolls his eyes and doesn't argue. Crystal adds, jokingly "Yeah, I thought so. Edwin just loves you more, doesn't he?"

Edwin sends Crystal a 'do not try me' look, but his smile is there, his eyes stay amused, he looks smug, almost proud. And again, doesn't argue.

The two of them continue walking and talking, but the comment gives Charles pause.

He doesn't like it.

He loves Edwin. A lot.

He knows what Crystal means, but it doesn't sit right with him, because it's just- it doesn't feel right, and he would never want Edwin to think that- to feel like he's not-

I listen to my instincts but then they cut me off...

Meltdown - Twin Atlantic

cant let dead dogs lie. you whistle & he comes running. you say here boy and your boy is here

At first, you think Charles is the Loud One and Edwin is the Quiet One. But as you keep watching, you know that it’s kind of the opposite. Edwin is the Loud One because he is more demonstrative of his true feelings while Charles bottles his up.

Then there is the jealousy. (Beautifully shown, I must say)

Edwin outright expresses his displeasure with Crystal’s presence. Charles goes silent, but then subtly pokes at Edwin later, telling his best mate that they need to keep focus. (A tiny bit hypocritical there, Charles, I’m just saying)

(I don’t really count the confrontation at Point No Point about the Cat King as jealousy on Charles’ part. I posit that it’s more about anger fueled by frustration than jealousy)

They both do not handle complex emotions well. Charles shuts his down behind a smile while Edwin just diverts his attention to a case. But Edwin changes just enough that he becomes more willing to confront his own emotions. It seems like Charles doubles down on shutting them out.

I wish we could’ve seen how Charles’ little repression game was gonna stand up in the second season. And I wish we got to see if Edwin praised and complimented Charles more to express a fraction of his feelings or tried to stiff-upper-lip the situation in the hopes of not making Charles uncomfortable.