Believe it or not, I had this done and colored like...WEEKS ago. I just never felt motivated enough ta do the essay ta go with it. Same thing with da Nny/Edgar one actually...had that one done fer a while but never wanted ta type it up. I just wasn't in the mood for it. BUT I think I can ramble out something now, so let's see. Darn it, one of my fingernails broke and now it hurts to type for some reason. What is this.
As usual, WARNING TL;DR AHEAD OF THE EXTREME KIND


Edgar/Scriabin is perhaps an even worse couple than Nny/Edgar, if you consider the potential happiness of both people involved. Their relationship is mired in dozens of crippling neuroses, misunderstandings, and a frequently shifting power imbalance that alternately makes both miserable in one way or another.
This rambly thing will be based on where Vargas is currently. The thing about Edgar/Scriabin is that it's extremely hard to divorce from the Vargas story where Scriabin comes from. In particular, the plot. Scriabin's character changes with the plot, and the plot of Vargas is essential to Scriabin's character and his relationship with Edgar. Therefore, it's hard for me to think of any other situation where Scriabin and Edgar could interact and have the same relationship. Even if there was some AU where Scriabin really WAS Edgar's brother, it wouldn't have the same problems or defining features outside of the story. Nny/Edgar is more flexible than Edgar/Scriabin in this regard.
SO this is assuming that you've read Vargas or have some idea of what happens in it. I'll probably end up going over most of what happens in it anyway.
Another key factor in this relationship is Scriabin himself. Mostly, where he came from and what he is. Scriabin's unique position is one of the major factors in what makes their relationship so amazingly unhealthy.
Something that is easy to forget is that Scriabin IS a parasite of some kind. Edgar never asked for Scriabin to infect him, and he wasn't even aware that Scriabin was in him or building power for a long time. Scriabin also worked rather hard during this early formative stage to keep this information FROM Edgar. What this means is that Scriabin, yes, is responsible in part for his existence, if one could consider it that way. He contributed to his own development. Edgar helped, yes, and Edgar set the foundations of Scriabin's world in a very literal way, but Scriabin is not blameless in this. Scriabin deliberately tried to keep his existence secret so he could develop further and eventually, one can imagine, take Edgar over completely. It was Edgar's discovery of Scriabin that threw a wrench in this plan, and I think the events that happened afterwards, the discussion in the white space and Scriabin suddenly gaining the "freedom" so to speak to become someone openly different than Edgar that derailed his development as it should have gone. Scriabin has become distracted by what he thinks of as himself and by his budding relationship with Edgar. I mean a relationship beside that of victim and parasite. Scriabin I think became fascinated with the idea of being considered a person, and that might be what causes a lot of his unhappiness.
Anyway, I think I'm getting off-topic. The thing is that Edgar did not ask to be infected and for a good deal of time, didn't know he was helping Scriabin grow. This is important because a source of constant conflict between them is that Scriabin thinks Edgar should give up some of his power over himself to Scriabin. For example, giving him the ability to control Edgar's body, giving him a pseudo-life of his own. This request is somewhat unreasonable as Scriabin has no right to Edgar's body when you think about it in simplest terms. Scriabin is a parasite that Edgar never asked for that developed without his express position, so he has no right to control Edgar's body. He has no right to expect equal treatment from Edgar.
This is something that everyone involved with them tends to forget, including myself. It's because of Scriabin's growing depth as an individual person aside from Edgar. It's hard to devalue something that is sentient and has feelings that can be expressed, and although Scriabin is not human, it's easy to think that he is and deserves rights like a human being.
This may sound harsh, but I'm thinking of this kind of like...I dunno. Bladerunner for example. The blurring between human and non-human can make ethical judgements difficult (what really makes a person?), but for me, I don't classify Scriabin as strictly human. It's a gray area, but I tend towards the inhuman for now.

Either way, I think I may be rambling a bit off-topic. Let's see...power.
Scriabin is completely and totally obsessed with power. He desires power in all forms because he has so little access to it personally. He is just a voice who can only affect Edgar "physically" in dreams. Scriabin's first possession of Edgar was an accident, and at the time he was not aware that he had the ability to do that. This was intoxicating for Scriabin in many different ways.
Scriabin, more than anything, wants to have his own body and his own life. He feels trapped in Edgar. He's taken more and more of the pieces of Edgar's life and personality to try and augment what he wants as his own. Scriabin has no past except when he first began speaking, but he wants to define himself more clearly by creating one. That is why he went along with Edgar with the entire false past thing. It helped give him a taste of what a real life would have been like, and more importantly, it meant that Edgar was comfortable with Scriabin having a life of his own.

Scriabin would never admit as much out loud, but yes, he does crave validation from Edgar. Much like Edgar craves validation from other people, in particular authority figures. Scriabin wants Edgar's approval and he wants Edgar to treat him like a human being. He hates the fact that he wants Edgar to do this, however.
Twisting Edgar's desire to be independent, Scriabin views relying on others with loathing and disgust, rather than Edgar's apathy. Scriabin cannot stand the idea of needing anyone else for anything, as he considers himself the only person who is capable of doing the right thing. He does not trust anyone else to make the right decision, particularly Edgar. He disagrees with Edgar often because he just can't think of Edgar making a good decision at any point. The idea of needing someone else for anything fills him with hatred, and the fact that his entire existence depends on someone else fills him with constant rage. The problem is that yes, he DOES want Edgar to accept and validate him. Yes, maybe he DOES want Edgar to love him, as he may consider that the ultimate acceptance and ultimate validation. Scriabin hates the fact that he wants this, and often he is too proud to hate himself (how can he hate himself if he's always right?). So he hates Edgar. Scriabin blames Edgar for "making" him want him. Scriabin blames Edgar for a great deal that isn't his fault.
Scriabin is at heart extremely vain. As mentioned, he does not believe he can ever be wrong (although I'm sure that somewhere deep down he does doubt himself at times) and he's reworked his appearance to what he considers (and perhaps, what Edgar considers, though I'm not sure) to be beautiful. Scriabin loves how he looks. His appearance over time has changed enough from Edgar that he does not feel like he reflects Edgar any more (or at least as much as he once did), even though most of the time if you take off his coat, they look very alike. The important thing is that Scriabin doesn't feel like he looks that much like Edgar anymore. Scriabin loves the small changes he's made to his features over time, his long hair, his clothes, and his attitude.

Scriabin loves being mean. He loves hurting other people. Mostly, it's because he doesn't care, or he enjoys the power hurting others in some way gives him. There are very, very few people (if any) that Scriabin considers his equal, or even worth serious consideration.
Scriabin loves hurting Edgar in particular, as Edgar is the source, intentional or not, for a lot of impotent rage and hatred and hurt. Also, Scriabin loves the feeling of power it gives him. He likes watching Edgar crumble under his attacks, watching him give up and do what he wants. He likes having power of Edgar by hurting him and mocking him. Scriabin likes being horrible, mean, petty, and cynical because Edgar tries hard not to be those things. Edgar even, to an extent, does not believe he can be those things, which only makes them more desirable to Scriabin. After Edgar's near-death experience, Scriabin's desire to define himself as a person got kicked into high-gear, as well as his desire to differentiate himself from Edgar and to define himself as a separate person. He had the freedom and means to do so at that point, so he took every personality trait that Edgar disliked, disowned, and made them his own.
Is Scriabin really as nasty as he makes himself out to be? Yes I think he is. Scriabin enjoys being different, he enjoys being something that Edgar hates and simultaenously has no power over. Besides, for his entire life he had been sniping and mocking Edgar, so it's the one part of him that has remained steadily constant through the short period of time he considers his life. He's arrogant, self-righteous, cruel, heartless, cynical, pessimistic, petty, jealous, selfish, vicious, callous and a compulsive liar, and he loves it.

This is talking a lot about Scriabin, but I think a lot of the problems in their relationship can be traced back to him in one way or another. Whether Scriabin means to or not.
Scriabin is fanatically and insanely jealous as well. Or maybe possessive would be a better word for it. Scriabin cannot stand the idea of someone getting close to Edgar and not getting close to him in return, particularly if he doesn't like them. If he doesn't feel that someone deserves Edgar, Scriabin snaps right into his psychotic, jealous rage. This gets worse as the two of them detoriate over time. Jake was able to avoid this because Scriabin was drunk (or something close to it) when they first met, which clouded his instinctual suspicion and possessiveness, and later on, Jake talked to him and assured him, perhaps wrongly, that he liked him too. As big a fuss as Scriabin kicks over not need anyone, he falls like a ton of bricks for someone who shows him some honest positive attention. Anyway.
A thing to consider about this possessiveness is that Edgar is Scriabin's entire world and he does not want his world intruded on by someone he dislikes, someone he does not consider worthy of his attention.
Scriabin has no one else as comparison except Edgar's memories of other people, and those are still through an Edgar filter. All of Scriabin's experiences are filtered through Edgar's senses. All of what he sees is filtered through Edgar's brain. Edgar permeates everything that Scriabin knows at every single level. Therefore, almost everything about Scriabin can be traced back to Edgar in some way. All of his mannerisms, traits, looks, his behavior can be traced back to Edgar, something that aggravates them both.
The only person that Scriabin has ever really interacted with is Edgar, and Edgar is not typical. Scriabin was able to get away with a surprising amount of cruelty early on because Edgar did not suspect him as being someone different. As time went on, Edgar never stopped Scriabin when he went too far because he has no way to do so. Edgar can't exactly go to the police if Scriabin abuses him because how could you protect someone against their own mind? Edgar can't get rid of Scriabin and in a way, has resigned himself to that fact. He's gotten used to Scriabin, as it mentioned in Break I think. Edgar's life has been so drastically changed by Scriabin that's it's hard for him to imagine his life without him. As a result, Edgar is surprisingly, perhaps unnaturally tolerant of Scriabin's abuse. Think about it...if Scriabin was a real, physical person beside Edgar when he said some of the things he said (in particular, I'm thinking some of the stuff in Down and Break), I highly doubt Edgar would have stood there and taken it. If Scriabin was a real person, I'd imagine he'd have a black eye or a broken nose or some kind of physical injury, because I can't think of anyone who would ever take some of what Scriabin says without retaliating in some way.
But, due to his protected position, this gives Scriabin a unique kind of free reign with his words. Scriabin says whatever he wants because he does not fear any kind of retribution. Edgar can't hurt him, not really. Edgar can't get rid of him, he doesn't know how. All Edgar can do is try not to listen or just take it. If Scriabin won't let something go, Edgar has little option except trying to tune him out (which he's been getting bad at lately) or doing what he wants.
Again, much like with Nny/Edgar, it's easy to make fun of Edgar for simply denying or folding like a house of cards to Scriabin's demands, but he doesn't exactly have a lot of options. Particularly recently when Scriabin has proven that his words can actually cause Edgar physical pain.

So where was I going with this? Right. Scriabin has only ever interacted with Edgar, which makes his interactions with other people hugely stunted. Scriabin imagines himself very suave, very smooth, and very intelligent. He is intelligent, I'll give you that, but I guarantee you Scriabin would be the first in a social situation to call someone an idiot, insult someone's choice of clothing, and make rude uncalled for comments about someone's dead relative. Scriabin has never hid how he felt about something unless he thought it might compromise his position. With others, he'd likely be blunt, sarcastic, and mean for no reason other than it amuses him and it gives him power.
Everything with Scriabin comes back to power.

I think I'm rambling all over the place. I need to try and focus on their actual relationship.
I mentioned above that Scriabin really wants Edgar's approval, despite how much he hates the fact that he does. The fact that Scriabin wants that from Edgar is something that he views as a weakness, as some kind of dependence on someone, and he cannot tolerate it. As a result, Scriabin will try to gain this validation, but in roundabout, convoluted ways. Never in a way that would compromise his safety or Edgar's perception of him. Scriabin cannot stand the idea of being weaker than Edgar. His entire understanding of himself was built on the fact that he knew better than Edgar, and therefore he was better than Edgar. The idea of admitting that he was weak to Edgar is something that he cannot even stand. It would invite danger and uncertainty into what he understands as his own character. It would also give Edgar power over him. Scriabin hates anyone who has any power over him, particularly Edgar because like it or not, he does have power over him. Even if he doesn't want to have it.
Yeah, Scriabin does fantasize about being weak to Edgar, but it is never something he would admit in reality and it's something that fills him with shame and disgust. He can't understand why he would ever feel that way, thus why he would never tell Edgar as such.
Scriabin wants to control Edgar. He gets off on the idea of controlling Edgar in one way or another. Edgar is his host body. Possessing him is a huge rush. It validates Scriabin in a way stronger than any other. Taking control in dreams is another quick and satisfying method. It hasn't happened yet in Vargas (or hasn't been implied, I don't think) but it's extremely easy to see Scriabin repeatedly abusing or hurting Edgar in dreams to show that he has power and that he's dominant over Edgar. Edgar himself has a submissive streak in him and finds a weird kind of shameful comfort in being controlled, so in this way the two of them are matched. Tying back to Edgar, Scriabin likewise finds that comfort in being controlled but he detests it rather than embraces it, as Edgar tends to do.
You can think of Scriabin again as that voice inside Edgar that wanted to rebel but was never given a chance, another reason why Scriabin is so focused on power.

Does Scriabin care about Edgar? I think he has to, on some level. It's difficult to say how genuine that emotion really is for him. Edgar is his body, his only place to exist. If Edgar dies, Scriabin dies as well. Therefore, when Scriabin tries to protect Edgar in some way from being hurt, it's very likely that all he's doing is protecting his own existence.
Scriabin is terrified of dying. He first found out that it was possible that he could in Break, and this marked another important shift in his goals. Scriabin couldn't just constantly abuse Edgar anymore because Edgar could hurt him in some way through a breakdown. Scriabin had to become more manipulative, convince Edgar that he could not exist without him. Scriabin does not want to die. The more he works to convince Edgar that he belongs in him and deserves to live in some way, the better his chances are. One of his motivations for the joint past is not only to validate himself as a person, but to help convince Edgar that Scriabin belongs in his life, that his life is better with Scriabin inside him, and therefore prevent Edgar from ever actively trying to destroy him. Sadly, Scriabin has done a good job of this, and Edgar is coming to understand his life as EdgarandScriabin rather than just Edgar.
How much of Scriabin's concern is genuine? It's extremely difficult to say. All of his shown affection can be traced back to being manipulative in some way or self-validating. Scriabin wanting Edgar's love because it proves that Scriabin, as a person, deserves love. Whether Scriabin really loves Edgar...again, it's hard to say. Edgar is Scriabin's entire world. I think :iconrueyeet: put it best when she said that Edgar is simultaeneously Scriabin's father, his brother, his first love, and his enemy. Edgar is, seriously, everything to Scriabin.
Scriabin hates Edgar, of that I have no doubt. He hates him often.
I do think it's possible that Scriabin is attracted to Edgar in various ways, to the traits that he does not personally have but is drawn to. I think he's mentioned some times that he does like Edgar's calmness, his confidence. Ironic that Scriabin has worked so hard to destroy that so he can replace it. Another way perhaps of Edgar removing the troubling thought of loving Edgar in favor of hating him.
Scriabin feels infinitely more comfortable hating Edgar than loving him. I'm sure that sometimes yes, Scriabin does want Edgar's love, and maybe he does love Edgar in return, as much as he can. The problem is that it's temporary, forgotten, and Scriabin always returns to hating him.
They got along for three days, true. That was when Edgar was doing what Scriabin wanted, however, and when Edgar does what Scriabin wants, Scriabin doesn't have much reason to be genuinely unpleasant to him.

As for Edgar...he's come to accept Scriabin as a part of him that cannot change, which is not a good move. Scriabin is not a good sign and he's an indication that the reality of Edgar's world is steadily changing for the worse. Auditory hallucinations and all that.
Does Edgar care about Scriabin? Yes he does. Maybe more than he even knows. Edgar is more honest about their relationship than Scriabin is. Edgar does care about Scriabin and he's shown that when he's found the opportunity. The problem is that Scriabin presents few opportunities to show this concern without Edgar getting slapped across the face for it. Remember that Scriabin does not want Edgar's affection openly, although perhaps he does subconsciously. He wants Edgar's obediance and he wants himself to not depend on Edgar in any way. When Edgar shows he cares, in one way or another, it reminds Scriabin that that's what he wants somewhere inside, and he hates Edgar for it and punishes him for showing it.
Edgar doesn't understand this as Scriabin has never made any effort to explain it to him. Edgar thinks that Scriabin hates him. Whenever Scriabin alludes to having non-hate feelings towards him, Edgar is understandably confused because Scriabin gives him no indication of this. It's difficult for Edgar to believe that Scriabin cares when the only thing Scriabin has ever done is belittle, mock, and hurt him. Even in times when Scriabin has shown genuine concern or fear, it's been tempered with a cruel comment or two. Add to this the fact that Scriabin is constantly bringing up things Edgar doesn't want to talk about, torturing him with ethical questions, eventually physically hurting him, constantly and consistently lying to him, and never giving his approval for anything he does, and Edgar has almost no reason to believe that Scriabin holds nothing but hate for him.
I think it says something that despite all this, Edgar still tries to help Scriabin when he thinks that he's in trouble. Edgar might think differently at times, but in his heart he doesn't want Scriabin to be hurt. Scriabin has crossed the non-human to human barrier for Edgar, and he's possibly not even aware of this shift himself. Edgar doesn't want Scriabin to get hurt. In a way, he doesn't want Scriabin to be unhappy, generally. I imagine during their three pleasant days together that more often than not, Edgar did what Scriabin wanted most of the time to try and avoid conflict. The only things that Edgar takes a stand on are things that he believes in, mostly his religion, his sexuality, and Nny. These are things that he won't back down on, and therefore are sources of constant conflict. They are also Scriabin's favorite topics, as Scriabin feels most comfortable when at odds with Edgar for some reason.
Edgar does not feel the same. The fact that when Scriabin was hurt, Edgar actively sought him out in the dreamscape to try and heal his wounds is a good indication of the concern that Edgar has for Scriabin.
Does Edgar love Scriabin? I don't think he does, necessarily. Edgar feels responsible for Scriabin and his existance. To Edgar, I think the relationship approaches a familial level on a way. At the moment, they are not as close as the brothers they pretended to be. I guess it might be more reasonable to think of Edgar considering Scriabin something of a wayward son, someone who he's constantly at odds with but when it comes to it, he'll help. If Scriabin was in serious danger, I am positive that Edgar would try to help him.
In fact, if it came down to it, if Scriabin was in life-threatening danger, I wouldn't be entirely surprised if Edgar tried to protect him in some way, sacrificing his life in the process. I don't know if he would do so exactly willingly or with full knowledge, but unintentionally I can see that. Edgar feels that he has a deep bond with Scriabin and is responsible for Scriabin's welfare. Scriabin often mocks Edgar for not taking responsiblity, but in a way, Edgar has taken more than maybe others would have.
Edgar cares about Scriabin a lot, but Scriabin does not believe this. Scriabin does not trust Edgar, which is why he lashed out at him at first when he went to try and help him after he was injured. Scriabin is intensely paranoid, particularly after his brush with death in Break, and because he cannot imagine a relationship with Edgar that's not antagonistic, cannot believe Edgar's concern or emotions. If Edgar does express any level of affection for him, Scriabin immediately deconstructs it and turns it back on him as an attack. As a result, Edgar has stopped trying to openly do this, and Scriabin hates him for not giving him the affection/validation that he so secretly and desperately craves.

One of the major problems with Edgar/Scriabin is that their relationship is inherently destructive. Scriabin holds more cards than Edgar in their relationship, so to speak, and he is less likely than Edgar to ever reveal them. An example of how bad this relationship can get can be seen with the diaryfic. Scriabin is such an intensely private person, there's little chance he'll ever tell Edgar exactly how he feels straight out. Edgar attempts to change their relationship, but Scriabin wants it changed on his terms, which he'll never tell Edgar. Edgar stops trying, Scriabin hates him for giving up. Edgar tries, Scriabin hates him for reminding him of what he wants. It's a no-win situation for anyone, particularly as Scriabin has become progressively worse in how he "punishes" Edgar for not doing what he wants.
Would Scriabin ever rape Edgar? I would not put it past him. He would view the act as dominance, pure and simple. I think he may also view himself as being "justified" in doing so. All of Scriabin's actions he feels are justified because of the unfair position that he feels Edgar put him in. He has no power and it's Edgar's fault, so everything that he does to Edgar is deserved. This twisted logic is what leads to some of the more horrific things that Scriabin does to Edgar in the name of what he feels is his just due. This is more apparent as things fall apart for the two of them, which will inevitably happen in the future. The diaryfic is one likely path. The world is getting more unstable, Scriabin gets more desperate and frustrated, and over time, everyone begins to wear down under constant abuse.
Edgar was a strong, confident person. Even so, over time, Scriabin has chipped away at his understanding of himself, found his weak points and continuously exploited them for his own gain, and taken things from Edgar, convinced Edgar that he needs him. Edgar has come to believe it, and in the process has lost his confidence. He relies on Scriabin now, in various ways. Johnny was a factor in how Edgar became so nervous and frightened and submissive recently, but Scriabin was just as big a factor. That's part of what made it so terribly ironic that Scriabin often insults Edgar for being a doormat when he was partly responsible for him being that way.

Scriabin is completely incapable of taking responsibility for his actions. Everything, everything that Scriabin does is justified or can be justified. Scriabin cannot stand being wrong. He cannot stand making a mistake. Everything he does is right and it's only the most horrible and scarring trauma that can make him admit differently. Scriabin will fight taking responsibility for the pain he causes to the bitter end. For example, Scriabin can rape Edgar and watch him suffer because of it and know with a horrific certainty that he was justified in doing so to him. All pain he causes Edgar is justified. Scriabin feels no empathy because he considers Edgar beneath him, as it gives him a feeling of superiority and power. Scriabin may feel Edgar's emotions, but he's so fanatic about detaching from Edgar that he almost refuses to consider Edgar human at all.
Ironically, while Edgar shifted to viewing Scriabin as human, Scriabin has shifted to almost viewing Edgar as non-human, which makes his desire to be accepted by him that much more galling.
Scriabin may feel Edgar's trauma and sadness but he does not feel responsible for causing them, and if he does he justifies his behavior so he was right. Scriabin is right, Edgar is wrong. This is the law that defines Scriabin's world. If he rapes Edgar, it was Edgar's fault for any variety of reasons, from Edgar deserving it to Edgar not giving him control over his body to just showing Edgar that he hates him or he's better than him. It is always Edgar's fault. Every abuse that Scriabin heaps on Edgar is Edgar's fault and Edgar's fault alone. He could break Edgar's nose and claim in some way that Edgar pushed his fist into his face.
This tendency of Scriabin's to never admit he's wrong, NEVER say he's sorry, and NEVER tell Edgar the truth regardless of the circumstances is a huge part of what makes their relationship so unhealthy. Scriabin feels that he can abuse Edgar without consequence and feels that he has a right to do so. Edgar cannot escape this abuse. He has to sleep sometime, and it is in dreams that Scriabin tends to enact his revenges. Edgar can't tell anyone and no one can help him. He has no idea how to get rid of Scriabin or even how to stop him. As Scriabin has drawn more power from Edgar, he has even less of a chance to ward Scriabin off. If pressed, Edgar can perhaps exert a little control over their joint dreamworld, but it's rare and Scriabin usually stops that immediately. Another problem with that is that for Edgar to effectively alter the dreamworld's reality, he has to truly believe that he can, and part of what Scriabin has masterfully done over time is convince Edgar that no, he can't. That litany of "no, you can't" has become a staple and applies to dozens of things that Edgar tries to do. He's worn away his strength through this, his disapproval and his constant heckling, his digging at Edgar's known weakpoints without remorse.
Edgar does not believe he can stop Scriabin because Scriabin has shown him in various ways, from lies to manipulation, that he can't. He does not believe in himself enough anymore to stop Scriabin, and therefore if Scriabin feels inclined to abuse Edgar in some way, Edgar does not think he can stop him. He does not try. Like with Johnny, Edgar feels that he has no escape from Scriabin and therefore, has stopped trying. This is why Edgar takes Scriabin's abuse when things get worse later on. Learned helplessness.

Another big problem is that the two of them need each other, whether they know it or not. Xel said it best, that the two of them have this kind of overwhelming need for each other. For Scriabin, this is obviously because he lives in Edgar, but also because he's based his entire existence and understanding of himself on Edgar. He has always had Edgar in his life, and whether or not he's aware of it, he views Edgar as inextricable to his life as sentient thought. Edgar is his sole source of interaction. He needs Edgar to define himself as being, even though it may be as petty as by being what Edgar isn't.
Edgar, over time has come to need Scriabin as well, although whether this was entirely his decision is up for debate. Edgar has come to desire Scriabin's approval. He asks for Scriabin's advice. He asks for Scriabin's help. When confused, he turns to Scriabin. Scriabin has become a fixture of his life that he has increasingly become accustomed to...he can't imagine living without him. Scriabin is just as essential to his life now as Edgar is to Scriabin. He also views Scriabin as an authority figure, doling out punishment and clearly setting lines as to what is right and what is wrong. Edgar responds to that kind of relationship and finds it hard to escape them. His life has been defined by such relationships. Although Scriabin may be harsh and cruel and his rules may be inherently selfish, they are still rules and as such, Edgar feels the need to obey them and that customary sense of satisfaction when he fulfills them. Part of what might make him so uncomfortable about arguing with Scriabin is that he is breaking rules, even if the rules are selfish and petty.

Another huge source of conflict for Edgar and Scriabin is Johnny. Scriabin at first did not know what to feel about Johnny. Scriabin at an early stage I don't think truly understood death, and he worked mainly to confuse Edgar to gain power. As time went on and Scriabin began to understand what death entailed, he realized exactly what Edgar was risking through being in a relationship with Johnny, and has made his stance quite clear.
No.
Scriabin, above anything, does not want to die. However, the fact that Edgar continues to see Johnny despite all of Scriabin's most strenuous protests not to do so means that this is one part of Edgar's life that he cannot control. This, as one can imagine, drives Scriabin crazy. This is the most important part of Edgar's life, the one person who could destroy his existence and Edgar's with it, and Edgar simply will not listen to him about it. He can't control his own death because Edgar won't listen to him, and because of this, Scriabin loathes Edgar but he loathes Johnny more.
Johnny has what Scriabin wants - complete control over Edgar. Edgar gladly does almost anything that Johnny wants. He's not nearly so submissive to Scriabin. Scriabin wants that level of fear and control that Johnny has, and he hates the fact that he can't induce it. He hates the fact that someone else has it, and therefore, that someone else by extension has power over him. He hates Johnny with a fierce passion now and also fears him to some extent because yes, Johnny can kill him by killing Edgar. Scriabin fears death and hates the fact that he thinks that Edgar does not, although I explained in the NnyEdgar essay why Edgar cannot leave.
As long as Edgar stays with Johnny, Scriabin will never, EVER be happy. Scriabin may not be happy much to begin with, but as those three days proved, the potential for fairly pleasant exchange was possible without Johnny. Johnny presents the biggest source of conflict for Scriabin because he presents life and death outside of Scriabin's control. Scriabin has confidence that eventually he will make Edgar renounce his religion and give control to him, but he does not have confidence that he can remove Johnny from Edgar's life, and this kills him inside. Johnny is a main source of the intense undying hatred Scriabin has for them both, and fuels the disgust Scriabin feels for Edgar and the self-disgust he feels for wanting someone so pathetic's approval. As long as Johnny is in Edgar's life this will never be resolved.

Is there any happy ending for Edgar and Scriabin? There is, I think. The most essential piece of this happy ending would be to separate the two of them. If this were achieved, then I'm certain that they would be able to find some kind of coexistance. Mostly because Edgar would finally, finally have a real way to stop and get away from Scriabin. I imagine a period of awkwardness, hatred, turmoil, and fighting if they did separate though. But the thing is that the two of them, as mentioned, have this need for each other. After such a long period together, I can't imagine them splitting paths so completely. They may hate each other at times, but they need the other person. They don't feel complete without them, as cliche as that sounds. The two of them take from one another.
Given the opportunity to pursue a life outside of Edgar, I can imagine Scriabin taking pieces from everyone he meets and becoming more independent. Noteably, I imagine him getting along with well with Tenna, who would be able to tolerate his bad moods (as with practice with Devi) and would be able to teach him to rely more on himself to define himself. As much as Scriabin denies it, he defines himself by Edgar. Given the chance, he could define himself as someone else. Edgar, likewise, could rebuild what he lost to Scriabin. He probably would not be the same as before, but he would become a great deal more confident. Also, this means that Scriabin can merely avoid Johnny and isn't "forced" into tolerating him, as he would be if he were still in Edgar, although I still can't imagine him liking their relationship very much. As independent as Scriabin may get, I can't imagine Edgar ever being very far from his thoughts, and I don't think he'd tolerate Edgar being in such danger. Of course, this is the optimistic view and assumes that they would be free of the lock system and therefore the threat of insanity.
Another thing to be considered here is that the two of them have been joined for an very long period of time, and that being separated might be an extremely traumatic experience. Xel brought up the good point that the two of them are closer, technically, than any two separate beings can be. They can feel each other's emotions, Scriabin can read Edgar's thoughts. They know each other, particularly Scriabin knowing Edgar, better than any two separate people can. They were literally a part of each other, and they do need each other. You can kind of think of it as a loop of information running between two separate sources. Break that connection, and...
In this kind of scenario, the two of them would have extreme difficulty adjusting to life apart. They had no idea how close they were until they were torn into two. Being split into separate people can't be a pleasant experience, and for all that Scriabin may want his own life, he has no idea what that entails. The extreme loneliness I imagine would be a big factor here. Particularly for Scriabin, who has never been truly alone his entire life. Their arguments would become bitter, perhaps more hateful and hurtful as Scriabin no longer can read what Edgar truly feels, only guess. They've lost the connection that gave their conversations such honesty and the potential to cause such damage. I picture lots of horrible arguments with hurt feelings and despair. Self-hatred at wanting what they once had and didn't appreciate now that it's gone.
One of the more striking images from this that I remember talking about with Xel would be that desperate need to be together again, even if just for a minute. To have that understanding. To think about it, Edgar and Scriabin have the potential to understand each other better than anyone else ever could, even if they never truly used it and apart, perhaps the gaps between them could only worsen. The desire for that closeness, that intense intimacy that the two shared...I mean, they shared every aspect of each other's lives, in particularly Scriabin sharing Edgar's. Scriabin watched and observed and felt Edgar doing everything, and without that it makes sense that he would feel...empty, in a way. Me and Xel thought of how intensely sad it would be if the two of them kept trying to achieve that same intimacy and failing. The idea of the two of them having sex, extremely desperate sex because that's supposed to bring people together, and only achieving a shadow of what they once had. Personally, the image that always haunts me from this is just Scriabin always sleeping beside Edgar, holding onto him. The two of them still trapped in this extreme needy cycle. If this occurs later on when the two of them are going crazy, it's extremely easy for me to see them being almost damaged by the separation, rather than helped.

The worst case scenario is easy. The diaryfic. What makes that so frightening for me is that that is, in many ways, what will most likely happen. The two of them keep hurting each other, keep feeding their uneven, unbalanced, destructive, abusive, codependent relationship until their ability to relate to others is stunted, their emotions crippled and in the end, all they have is each other to feed their delusions, justify their behavior.
There are other situations. In particular :iconrueyeet: outlined one where Scriabin simply possesses Edgar for good, which is possible if Scriabin became that powerful (or Edgar just gave up control in one way or another). In this case, Scriabin wouldn't have to deal with the separation anxiety detailed above, and would feel free to be an arrogant jerk to everyone he meets. In this way, this is probably Scriabin's happiest ending as he would have complete and total control over Edgar (still trapped within their mind) and would have his own poetic revenge, as well as his own life, preplanned and preset with his job and id all taken care of. He could make his own life out of Edgar's. Scriabin is happy. This is assuming that the threat of insanity due to the lock system has been nullified.
Another possibility is that Scriabin dies, in one way or another. Protecting Edgar, destroyed by the system in some way, there are various ways to do this. This would damage Edgar irreversibly, I think, as I know that regardless of the circumstances around Scriabin's death, Edgar would feel responsible. He would also not have the ability to strengthen himself before Scriabin died and took everything with him.
Another possibility is that Johnny leaves in some way. If the threat of insanity from the lock system isn't a problem here, this could lead to at least a satisfactory resolution for Edgar and Scriabin. While Scriabin would not have his own body, he would at least be rid of one of the things in his life that he hates more than anything. Those pleasant three days mean that, without real provocation, Scriabin can be fairly pleasant. They could adjust to their life together gradually with their real source of conflict gone. In this case, their fighting and mutual hatred may fade, although I don't think that they would be motivated, in this case, to deepen their relationship to any kind of romantic level. For some reason I can see them reasonably tolerating each other if nothing else. Scriabin would still have rage over his position, just not as much. This would be more similar to the brother/brother relationship.
On that note, if the two were separated, the potential for romantic interaction for me somehow becomes more plausible. Without that constant source of rage about his position in Edgar, Scriabin can be free of one of his hang-ups about how he feels about Edgar. I don't know if Edgar would ever love Scriabin that way in return but considering how Scriabin behaves, that might not even matter. I don't think Scriabin would take no for an answer, and Edgar, used to submitting to avoid pain, would say what he thinks Scriabin wants to hear.
Edgar cares, as I said, but in this case I can't simplify it to love. It's something somehow more complicated, although I'm not sure how to phrase it. Scriabin too would feel something more for Edgar than can really be summed up in one word. I can see them having sex for some reason or another, but that's not connected to love.
Strangely enough, the situation where I see them most easily admitting that they love each other and playing at a relationship that resembled that would be in a situation much like the diaryfic. Where they've lost everything, all semblance of sanity and with that, all borders. Nny is also conveniently gone in the diaryfic, which removes that obstacle. As insanity drives them both to need each other more for support, they become less able to complicate their emotions towards each other because the threat from the outside (inside from Edgar's mangled perceptions I guess technically speaking) is greater.

It's interesting that Edgar does not consider a relationship with Scriabin an indication of his sexuality in any way. While his sexuality is a constant problem with him with Johnny, he has no qualms about it with Scriabin. All of Edgar's hesitation and fear of Scriabin is because he's Scriabin, not because he's male. I think this is because that deep down, Edgar still understands Scriabin as a part of himself (perhaps relating to why he cares about Scriabin still, despite everything he does) and therefore doesn't really view it as a "real" relationship, so to speak. Edgar could have crazy gaysex with Scriabin for hours and not think for a minute he was gay. This is probably also because sex between them is almost never about pleasure or affection or desire. It's almost always about power in some way or another.

Edgar doesn't have a lot of issues with giving power to Scriabin except on certain topics. There's a chance that, given a good chunk of time, Edgar could even become accustomed to Scriabin possessing his body. Power has never really mattered to Edgar, and he's submitted and obeyed through most of his life. It's not a concept that particularly bothers him.

Scriabin plays headgames with Edgar because it's fun. He toys with Edgar's emotions constantly. He manipulates him, sometimes to further his own goals and sometimes because he just wants to do it. He views Edgar as inferior, a puppet and a toy. While he hasn't done so in Vargas, he has the capability to become abusive towards him. Edgar's emotions mean almost nothing to him unless they validate his own. He could care less how Edgar feels as compared to how he feels. More than anything, he wants Edgar to do what he wants and screw whatever Edgar wants to do instead.
Edgar has no power against Scriabin except by attempting to ignore him or trying to hurt him back. Edgar's been burned too many times by Scriabin attacking him when he reached out that he's beginning to stop trying, fueling Scriabin's abusive behavior. Edgar views this now as a part of his life, something that he has to live with, rather than something that can be stopped. Scriabin's emotions have become increasingly important to him as they are beginning to override his own. Scriabin is slowly but surely taking control of Edgar's life, piece by piece. Possessing him is just a large step in a steadily ongoing process.

So like I said, not healthy. Their relationship is emotionally destructive in almost every scenario. I guess though they have a scenario where they both get out alive, which may give them an advantage over Nny/Edgar, but the fact is that Nny/Edgar treat eachother as equals. I can't imagine Nny ever hurting Edgar intentionally (except for the, you know, whole killing thing, which is done out of affection). Scriabin does none of these. Scriabin wants to destroy Edgar or control Edgar completely. Nny wants to love Edgar and be loved in return. This is why I think this pairing is more messed up than NnyEdgar, despite the whole murdering thing.
Although that's perhaps what gives it its appeal.

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