Ah, what a great update! I love dressing up; the way all outfits are described in so much detail is amazing. Sherlock will surely look like a star at the ball wearing these gorgeous outfits. (unless they choose to wear “a bag of potatoes”, probably ) I’m so happy male MCs are allowed to wear dresses too. Though I think choosing this option made one of the tailor’s comments a bit strange.
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If Sherlock is attractive and chooses a bold look, the tailor says: “ah—to make the women at the ball, excite?”… Why would the tailor think that a man dressing up as Aphrodite or Bride of Dracula is doing this to attract women? It doesn’t make much sense, imho. I feel like the comment that the tailor says about (I presume) nb Sherlocks would fit much better in the situation where MC chooses unconventional outfit for their gender: “ah—to make the men and women at the ball, excite?”…
I’ve already decided long ago that my Sherlock will ultimately go for Lestrade, but other ROs just keep on being so enticing, I can’t. First, the letter and roses from H, then this whole scene with Watson and them calling us “precious”. And we haven’t even met Adler yet… Well, at least my Sherlock have no shame flirting with everyone at the same time, so it’s not such a big problem for now. Speaking of which, does accepting H invitation to escort Sherlock to the ball will result in us spending less time with other ROs during or at the begging of the ball? I don’t want to miss any Lestrade moments.
For some reason, I found it very amusing when a series of questions about Sherlock’s sexual experience suddenly began. Now I get what was meant by “inappropriate questions.” I confess, I spent at least 20 minutes choosing what kind of partner was my Sherlock’s first, because all those little passages about their failed relationships were written so beautifully! …And then it was revealed that my Sherlock also had something with Watson’s favourite professor. I can’t wait for Watson to find out!
I just realised something. Aren’t the four people who could be Sherlock’s first partners sort of correspond with ROs?
Someone too smooth-talking, who’d lie only to abandon. - Adler(I assume they’re like that) Someone too good and honest, who, when finding out who you truly are, abandoned you. - Watson Someone too broken, too scarred—that once it truly began—pushed you away, “for your sake”. - Lestrade Someone who showered you with awe and affection but soon bored when your pieces did not fit perfectly into their exalted world. - H(on the simping path, definitely)
What do you think? Probably a coincidence, but still kinda neat.
It’s certainly a bad omen - history repeats itself. Better stay away from these sexy ROs!
Yeah, it’s too perfect to be a coincidence. I noticed similarities to Lestrade (my main RO) right away, and, same as you, I considered choosing the broken and scarred one to show my Sherlock’s type. But then I was like, “wait a minute, it’s not just Lestrade, they’re all similar to ROs!” Very clever, @Doriana-Gray
Oh, yes! I’m not sure if they will have as much importance as other ROs, but they definitely have their moments. The scene where Sherlock is dreaming about X remains one of my most favourites in the wip. You know the one where ink is pouring on Sherlock’s skin - so mesmerising. One thing is clear though: judging by Sherlock’s past experiences, X must be the one and only for them!
I respect your Sherlock’s self-control, mine could never! He’s too lustful for his own good.
Haha, I love it! Equally as favourite, but for an entirely different reason…
They just weren’t interested until at some point they thought they didn’t know anything about the area that important to average human being and they had to catch up.
It’s research xd
I decided to finally bite the bullet of me Feeling Weird About OC’s and just fricken DO IT already so I can get that ‘first name VS nickname VS last name usage’ dialogue and yeah, wow, they were not joking! The customization is so extensive I love it XD
I ended up just going with a Sherlockalike I made for a D&D campaign with a few of my friends so is it really that far off?
What… is the difference between Raven hair and Jet Black hair?
Wait. This is an OC now. I can do whatever I want! I don’t have to have him have black hair!!
Ohhh!!! The facial details!! I wish I could give myself more than one “negative” one, I imagine my Sherlock to have a lot of scars (experiments)/markings, though I understand that probably makes coding hell when it comes to characters actually commenting on them?
Wait now I’m panicking thinking of all the existing characters so mine would look harmonious but also unique in a lineup… no one else has grey eyes right??? Ahhh!
“Ample Backside” HELP
Uhhhhh attraction is incredibly subjective help what do I do, he’s attractive in like. A. Rat kind of way??? Like a sad little kitten in the rain whom you try to help and then they scratch you and give you an infection?? Something that with time and care could be considered beautiful but it’s covered by layers of grime? By Victorian standards… Like, I think he has an attractive face shape and bodily structure, but he’s very unkempt, so?? Augh,
Oh…, Lestrade calls you by your first name… I Get It Now. Wow. That hits differently, haha. I’m a little flustered??? (It’s the earnestness and genuine kindness of some of the interactions!! AAa! I forgot how good your writing is!!!)
“Watson’s hands covers his face. ‘I know…’ Then, his posture falls, hugging himself around the elbows—still unable to meet your gaze. ‘Don’t give up on me, Arthur. I can do better. I will.’” OH MY GOD??? WATSON??? JOHN MY BABY I’M SO SORRY… choosing the mean options hurts me so much auuu… Very interesting for their character though, that the clinginess goes both ways. Maybe they’re right about us needing space, haha …
“‘It is quite unusual. A favour to a friend—as I consider him as such—but favour was all it was. Work-related. I can not say we talk very often, beyond the professional.’” NOO THIS MAKES ME SAD… I wish we could tell him explicitly that we don’t mind/encourage him spending time with other people because we care about him and want him to have fun/a fulfilling life… Watson please the boys nights are essential you’re allowed to do that… I love you… please…
Awwe the miniatures of you and your brother for the locket… Mycroft I love youuu…
GOD the dream sequences… they are so so good… my faves are probably the “reach out further” option with Lestrade, and the “Let go” option with Watson (For foreshadowing reasons… “They would never leave” and then the next moment they’re asking for space, dsfhnisdfnks…)
NEEL ILY NEEL
Remembering exactly what made me like Hamish so much, haha. I’m a sucker for intellectual conversations (I love learning and teaching ppl things… knowledge… yippee…) and the Convo about how you would kill them!!! They’re just like me fr I do that with my friends all the time!!! I get you Hamish
Giggling and kicking my feet at every mention of Watson and Lestrade interacting … THE LITTLE “Tell Arthur—and prevent reckless reactions.” IN THE LETTER??? They use our first name when talking about us??? Crazy…
THE DRAMATIC LITTLE “Until we meet again…” HAMISH PLEASE… they feel so, like. 13 year old Y/N x Sherlock Holmes fanfiction… living their best soap opera life… Hamish ily you are so silly
It’s interesting to me how their idolization of us doesn’t at all extend to the partner who goes with us on all of our excursions… Something something rich people not caring about the little guys that are actually the backbone of any one project and instead lauding a singular name that in actuality isn’t much involved in the process…
Hrhhrgrh. Watson… Lestrade… Ow…
I find myself reading and rereading passages just bc of how beautiful they are. These might be some of my fav written IF romances, to be honest?? I’m not usually very invested in them like this unless there is something particularly unique about the nature of the relationship, and on paper these ones are really nothing to write home about, but the way you describe scenes and your writing style just brings everything to life where a less skilled writer wouldn’t have evoked any reaction from me sdjnfkjds! Like. I feel sappy dsfnhdfk. The way that I assume Hallmark movies are supposed to make you feel
Anyways DRESS UP DRESS UP DRESS UP DRESS UP
WE CAN HAVE THEMED OUTFITS??? EEEEE!!!
I feel a little silly choosing the least bold of the themed outfits but a Knightly ensemble will always have my heart… I love knights I love armor I love metal… ALSO SWORD??? SWORD???
HAMISH PLUCKS THE ROSES THEMSELF??? OH MY GODD
“—Firstly—I feel hauntingly compelled to clarify that this is singularly uncommon of me—nonetheless, I have to ask:” Oh, buddy… I can’t tell if this is them trying to kiss up to us or a subtle way to get across that we’re lucky to have their attention at all.
Oh, they’re infatuated. Uh oh. It would be super advantageous to go with them too…
AHH MY SHERLOCK KEEPS HAVING THE ROMANTIC NARRATION FOR HAMISH I DIDN’T INTEND FOR THIS… I AM JUST NEURODIVERGENT PLEASE… I GOT TOO EXCITED ABOUT THE TEA AND MATH AND MURDER…
Nooo Watson scolded Ms. Hudson please… Hamish is the book club buddy to my wine mom… a pleasant and stimulating acquaintance that does not extend to more personal matters… understand this truth…
Wish there was an option to be more definitive about knowing that it’s strange. Like an; “Of course it’s strange. How do you think I see him??”
W is turning out to be more possessive than I thought they would be (not complaining ) but it is interesting considering I was expecting my Sherlock to be that part of the dynamic… but I am quickly realizing I have too much love in my heart and shunning any of the characters would make me feel bad
“Forget all about him, Arthur…” He whispers, his voice so near to your ears and so unfamiliarly low. “I don’t know what to do with myself when you are upset. I—I’ll too soon commit crimes of passion, ones I’ll hardly regret, but…” He smiles. “Put him out of your mind. And I’ll make sure it never happens again. Would you do that, precious? For me?” This is very romantic but, more than that, it feels foreboding … It’s dawning upon me what a LT route would actually entail and I really don’t want them to fight bc of me dfhbsdjkmfh. The idea of Watson foregoing his potential platonic relationships for our sake like that makes me sad. I think it’s how he says “ones I’ll hardly regret…” and “I’ll make sure it never happens again.” Like dang, L doesn’t mean enough to you that you would care about how he feels after you go off on him I guess, haha.
Anyway PRECIOUS???
“Everyone else ignores or complains about me, so why shall I not accept the one that does not.” HELPP WE CAN BE SALTY ABOUT OUR NOT-BREAKUPS… THAT’S SO FUNNY…
MS. HUDSON TRYING TO GIVE US THE TALK??? BSDUHSNAKJABSAHHAHAHAH
“I am well versed in the theoretical–” REAL SO REAL FOR THATT
“You noticed there was a gap in your knowledge you wanted to fill” JUST LIKE ME FR!!!
The little vignettes of past relationships are written so beautifully… I know they’re supposed to correspond to each of the ROs but I am having such a hard time figuring out which ones would suit my Sherlock best?? They’re all so good, the Watsonalike one hits harder for me personally but, then again, I don’t… Do Romance, and that one is specifically friendship-adjacent, so. sdkjfnsjkf. If I go back to my “I am going to emulate ACD’s Sherlock as much as possible here”, he had a childhood friend of his own (Victor Trevor,) who was similar to Watson in their relationship. (And he is criminally overlooked I love you Victor Trevor… You are so sweet and kind and I miss you so much… His little meetcute w/ Sherlock with the dog and everything ) So that’s who the past relationship is in my head… (I say I love him and then I use him to give my MC a shitty ex I’M SORRY VIC… FORGIVE ME… ILY…)
Grammar, etc.
The spelling of 221B Baker Street here threw me off so much I stopped reading, and that’s not a bad thing, but I did want to note that this is a less than standard spelling of it, hehe.
For a male MC: A lot of the “Mr.”'s aren’t capitalized and have no period?
REALLY GOOD UPDATE I LIKED IT A LOT!!! !! I am feeling a little UncomfortableTM now that things are turning a bit more… romantic? Exclusive? I’m not sure how to describe it but I can no longer live in my aro romantic-friendship bliss… I really hope we get to see more direct RO-RO interactions, I’ve really enjoyed those so far and I do hope that, for the L-W LT, we are able to at the very least end it amiably. A sad consequence of LT’s is that the one you don’t end up choosing is often completely sidelined afterwards in favour of the True Love and the Romance Is Just Inherently More Important Than Friendship and it can make it almost feel like the other character just doesn’t/shouldn’t matter now that they aren’t a romantic interest, and I really hope that doesn’t happen here. They are both equally vital to me and I really want to get the chance to make that clear to them in spite of anything else that happens, haha.
If I remember something about that dream, Sherlock was dreaming a pair of red eyes I might be speculate who that is my ultimate soulmate my perfect ying
I even like their outbursts of anger, but I think he started apologizing and begging for forgiveness too quickly. I know that some of the more sensitive readers probably felt a bit better when Lestrade immediately came to their senses. But I think it would be more realistic if he ran away from there and when calmed down he realized how shitty he was to Sherlock.
My Sherlock usually jokes, banters, or flirts unconsciously with Lestrade. At that moment, he’d had his guard down out of genuine worry. So when Lestrade attacked him so personally, he actually cried. Which was a rare sight to probably all but Watson. So Lestrade immediately realizing and going into apologies fit the scene. It felt like seeing Sherlock cry instead of laugh off his comments shocked him back to reality. So I had no issue with Lestrade quick “oh shit, I effed up” moment. Lol.
I think it was more of a case of, after hearing it spoken aloud, Lestrade realized just how cruel what they said was. Especially since Sherlock is visibly upset, even if it is just storming off without another word.
All ROs are great in this WIP, but I especially adore Lestrade. The fact that they can sometimes be so mean and cruel to Sherlock only makes them even more appealing to me. We have some full-on red flag ROs out there, and as much as I love them, I appreciate that Lestrade isn’t just a red flag RO, but instead they’re a complex and intriguing character. This is perfectly illustrated by the scene where they snap at Sherlock only to instantly regret it. They are not an asshole - they are a deeply troubled person.
I also like the different possible reactions Sherlock can have on their outburst. My Sherlock is usually even meaner to Lestrade: he always tries to get a rise out of them, but once he finally succeeded in that, he was very hurt and angry at them, because he never expected them to bite back quite as hard. (and Lestrade basically called my alcoholic Sherlock stinky ) Although I really enjoyed my Sherlock’s angry response to Lestrade, it’s equally fascinating to read about Sherlocks who cried because of them. When I eventually make another Sherlock, I will definitely make them cry too.
The most important thing is that none of this hinders or prevents Lestrade’s romance (at least from what I’ve read about the romances in this WIP). It’s really exciting that I can experience a romance where the characters clash so much and it doesn’t lead to a breakup just because I’m not nice enough to the RO. Overall, Lestrade and Sherlock’s relationship is one of the most interesting relationship dynamics I’ve seen in IFs.
No? That’s why it was rather strange for me. I usually realize it was too much when I’m no longer face to face with the person. When anger and adrenaline will disappear.
(unless they choose to wear “a bag of potatoes”, probably 
) I’m so happy male MCs are allowed to wear dresses too. Though I think choosing this option made one of the tailor’s comments a bit strange.
First, the letter and roses from H, then this whole scene with Watson and them calling us “precious”. And we haven’t even met Adler yet… Well, at least my Sherlock have no shame flirting with everyone at the same time, so it’s not such a big problem for now. 
Speaking of which, does accepting H invitation to escort Sherlock to the ball will result in us spending less time with other ROs during or at the begging of the ball? I don’t want to miss any Lestrade moments.
I confess, I spent at least 20 minutes choosing what kind of partner was my Sherlock’s first, because all those little passages about their failed relationships were written so beautifully! …And then it was revealed that my Sherlock also had something with Watson’s favourite professor. 
I can’t wait for Watson to find out! 
and for that same reason I chose the one that would be Watson, to show that my Sherlock has a type 
…
Mycroft I love youuu…
… THE LITTLE “Tell Arthur—and prevent reckless reactions.” IN THE LETTER??? They use our first name when talking about us??? Crazy… 
please… Hamish is the book club buddy to my wine mom… a pleasant and stimulating acquaintance that does not extend to more personal matters… understand this truth…
) but it is interesting considering I was expecting my Sherlock to be that part of the dynamic… but I am quickly realizing I have too much love in my heart and shunning any of the characters would make me feel bad 
… It’s dawning upon me what a LT route would actually entail and I really don’t want them to fight bc of me dfhbsdjkmfh. The idea of Watson foregoing his potential platonic relationships for our sake like that makes me sad. I think it’s how he says “ones I’ll hardly regret…” and “I’ll make sure it never happens again.” Like dang, L doesn’t mean enough to you that you would care about how he feels after you go off on him I guess, haha.
!! I am feeling a little UncomfortableTM now that things are turning a bit more… romantic? Exclusive? I’m not sure how to describe it but I can no longer live in my aro romantic-friendship bliss… 
I really hope we get to see more direct RO-RO interactions, I’ve really enjoyed those so far 
my ultimate soulmate 
my perfect ying 
