#but I also need everyone to consider this when writing fem!payneland

[read-write-thrive]

I’ve written whole papers on this I literally love this idea

like he sees them holding hands or kissing each others cheek or whatever and Charles is over here like ?!?!? (he knows abt lesbians and bisexuality and the like he just has no gaydar and I will die on this hill) VS Edwin is completely unphased

The other three naturally don’t know how to react to Edwin’s non-reaction so they scheme to try and make it sooo obvious that he has to notice (figuring he didn’t notice before) but all the plans hilariously fail multiple times over before Niko bites the bullet and confronts Edwin about it while they’re having their bestie time(tm)

Niko: Edwin, you know how we’ve talked about boys like like-ing boys? And I gave you that manga—

Edwin: Yes, yes. If you’re going to ask me about them—

Niko: No, no, I won’t rush you. I just wanted to make sure you knew that it’s the same for girls. Girls can like-like girls, too.

Edwin: Yes, I know all that. That was common even in my time, you know. Especially at boarding schools, in fact, my favourite cousin had such tremendous feelings for her classmate, she brought her to a family holiday. She was nice, from what I can remember of her. Why do you bring this up?

Niko, gobsmacked: Really? You knew girls who liked girls but didn’t think boys could like boys?

Edwin: …I don’t think you understand the circumstances at that time. Girls could have their beloved companions during school, but were still expected to marry a man and have families. It was… harmless, for lack of a better word. Meanwhile, men together… it was seen as a perversion, something ill-gotten in one’s very being…it signaled societal ruin. If a man could…have intercourse with another man… women’s role in society, and therefore the future of society, was threatened. … Of course, I know now that this is not the case, and that these.. feelings are natural and acceptable in modern society…. Why are we talking about this, again?

Niko: … I just wanted to ask if you had a problem with Crystal and I dating. We thought since you didn’t comment on it…

Edwin: Oh, right, yes. Truthfully, I am… unhappy… but not because of some such prejudice, I simply do not understand the appeal of Crystal. You and Charles both… but if she makes you happy, far be it from me to meddle with such things.

and then Niko hugs him and asks if it’s ok to tell the others, which he rolls his eyes and says I suppose but he’s being all playful about it. Crystal and Charles breathe HUGE sighs of relief when they hear that it wasn’t prejudice it was just Edwin being his usual self and not talking about emotions lmao

Ok so at women’s colleges in the early 1900s, girls having crushes on girls was pretty normalized.

So imagine if Crystal and Niko start dating, and fully expect to have to explain that girls can like girls and get him through his edwardianness

But Edwin thinks it’s completely normal, confusing them to no end