#and Edwin showing Charles a level of kindness he never knew before

[katsco]

There is something so special about Edwin and Charles first meeting each other.

Edwin, the same boy who just escaped hell bringing a light to Charles to keep him warm. The boy who, once realising it’s too late for him, stayed with him in his final moments to confort him. The boy who just escaped hell but it didn’t stop him from making sure Charles, a boy he never met before then, was comfortable as he was dying. The boy who spent 70 years in hell but still showed so much genuine kindness to niko and Charles. The boy who, despite not liking crystal at the time, made sure to keep her safe while trying to save Charles. The boy who spent 70 years in hell because of his some boys trying to play a prank but upon meeting one of them in hell, still forgave him. The boy who figured out his own identity and reassured said bully that it was okay for them to be them despite the time period he’s from. The boy who, despite seeming rude or mean, always shows genuine kindness to the people he loves. The boy who confessed his love for Charles on the stairs to hell because there was nothing for him to loose in that moment. The boy who tried to do as much good as possible in hopes he would be free from hell.

Charles, the boy who was dying because his friends turned on him. The boy who just wanted to do good in his life but was always punished for it. The boy who died without even knowing he was dying. The boy who met someone that showed him genuine kindness and decided that he wanted to spend the rest of eternity with him. The boy who then spent the next 30 years protecting Edwin as much as he could. The boy who literally went to hell just to bring Edwin back. The boy who was willing to get stuck in hell if it meant he was by Edwin’s side. The boy who tried to show everyone kindness and care because he never was. The boy who always put a smile on his face because he wanted to keep everyone happy.

These two boys met at probably the worst times for each other them and yet they decided in that moment they would spend the rest of eternity together even if it meant running from death the whole time. They spent only a few hours with each other before becoming best friends, partners and the most important people in each others lives. These two boys who lived awful lives/deaths and found safety in one another.

[certifiablyinsanez]

I am haunted by the detailed, completed map of Hell that Edwin took notes on. You don’t understand, it makes me sick. It’s one thing to have a basic layout, a vague idea, or a rudimentary map but it was meticulously detailed. Down to doors and what they do and where they go. Down to secret spaces in the walls. He even knew what ringing an innocuous bell would do. It can only mean one thing. We don’t know when Edwin began trying to escape, but assuming he started from the get go, it means that he spent all his decades in Hell trying to find a way out. He never stopped running. And that is assuming he never stopped. From his second trip, we could see he resorted to his old ways and ran. But he was eventually caught, reduced to pieces. Even when Charles showed up, he didn’t seem very optimistic about their chances. He could feel every second of those 70 years. There were likely many times he fell to hopelessness, trembling in the corner watching himself be desecrated knowing it was going to happen again and again. How long? How many times did he try to be so, so quiet, hoping he would have a few moments before the next round? How many times did he muster the ability to run, just one more time? How long did it take him to run, discovering the ends of each ring? How many times did he sprint up, down, north, south, east, west, trying to escape? And what happened when he finally escaped? How long did it take for him to be able to relax, even a little? Because he can never relax. He must always outrun Death and her constituents because he can’t count on them to be fair. How many times does he look over his shoulder, waiting for the monster to claim its eternal meal once again? His breath of fresh air, his first taste of companionship in ages not only keeps him company, but sticks by him. And then, in that blessing there comes a curse, because now you have something to lose. Because when you taste ambrosia how can you return to starvation? He feels safe with Charles. Happy and comfortable, but the threat always lingers. And he knows that Charles couldn’t fend off Death. He never considered he could fend off Hell beasts; after all, he’s just a ghost kid. He watches innocents be slaughtered on repeat, unphased by the level of violence but no less affected by it, because no one has even a clue what it takes to be this kind. Even at his most happy, he has so, so much to lose and he goes back to Hell when hope was dangled in his face like the fruit of Tantalus. When he returns, he’s subjected to Hell once again, sustaining through torture that obliterates souls, only to watch his best friend, his confidant, his platonic soulmate, die horrifically. This woman who gave him sea-glass courage, so powerful and yet so fragile. Allowed him to be himself, gave him permission to do so. Was the openness to his closed self, and now she is gone. And he retains his composure, his stiff, British posture because it is what has saved him from madness and Despair, protected him, and now the world is darker without Niko Sasaki in it. But surely he saw this coming. After all, humans are messy. And yet, he shows up for their souls, time and time again.

Edwin Payne is THE character.