#dbda analysis

> Because of past trauma, Charles cannot be anything but a 'perfectly happy' person in front of Edwin in fear of ruining anything

> Edwin is too important to risk ruining anything by being 'imperfect'

> He might think Edwin might've only fallen in love with his smiley facade

Then I want this to happen:

> Charles cannot play the happy perfect role. He is probably pushed to an emotionally devastating point.

Well, at least in this video, I can confirm that all the "Friends" who killed him call him Charlie. 😭

I reckon that is what his peers, teachers, and, even his abusive father likely referred to him as... Charlie Rowland. Makes sense for a teenage boy in the 80s; particularly a sporty, alternative, charismatic boy like Charles who hung around "lad-types."

It's no wonder he flinched when Brad/Hunter called him Charlie Boy. This show really doesn't miss a single detail. It's brilliant and intentional in every single thing it does.

we all know that edwin is "not very good with people", but neither is niko. she's a shut in. she outwardly panics when she interacts with crystal before her life is saved, and the moment she processes crystal is in her room she runs somewhere that she isn't. after that people aren't really in niko's room much, until edwin. after their shared trauma of watching people literally die, crystal almost dying, and charles' breakdown throughout the day she manages to get edwin to heavily dress down, give her a compliment, and sit in bed with her while they watch scooby doo together.

and conversely, she lets edwin onto her bed to hang out with her. she opens the letters from her mom beside him and trusts him to pry more than she's willing to give. yes, niko is a trusting person, she opens up to crystal earlier than edwin because of their shared experiences, but edwin doesn't talk about his family to her. he doesn't even ask, she just tells him. and i don't know, i like that trust.

and then, it's not just that edwin accepts affection from niko, he actively seeks it out from her. when interacting with crystal he tends to stand back a little, with niko he leans down a lot to get on her level. when he sees her crouching in lighthouse leapers, he crouches beside her. when niko comes in with crysal after he gets back from hell and she hugs him and he grins. he grins and he grabs her arm and pulls her a little closer. when they sit on the rooftop after he's the one who scoots closer so their shoulders are nearly touching. he's the one that bumps into her shoulder to make her laugh. and again he grins. he's the one who offers his hand to her to comfort her after she laments him leaving.

he's the one who grabs her and can't fucking let go after she dies. who has to be dragged away as he shakes his head in disbelief. who tries to shake her because it can't be real.

Do you wanna add more songs to your Charles playlist that aren't Ghost Town by the Specials? Do you wanna talk about ska bands in your fics but don't know what to use?

Well, listen close motherfuckers.

Source: my Rude Girl mother and British alt upbringing

while in the show hell is associated with the colour red, due to of course it being the colour hell makes when coming to collect a soul, the dollhouse (edwin's hell) is instead very green

so edwin spents a lifetime in hell, surrounded by green and trying desperately to escape it with every power of his being

and the opposing colour of green is red.

and who wears red 🤨 literally almost the entire series 🤨 who does edwin meet directly after escaping hell 🤨 who does edwin spend 34 years with after 73 spent in hell and who embodies what is the literal opposite colour of edwin's past torment