#they're both obsessed with one another's insights but suck at communicating in a way that doesn't become a mess

[pidgydraws]

🖋️ sleepover 🖋️

"...to further encourage the bearing of our souls and the telling of our most appalling secrets."

[mwagneto]

Okay, I'm facing a bit of trouble with my Reverse Sherlock OCs. The ones who are middle aged women instead of men and also rivals to my pre-existing murder mystery investigator duo, although I have since decided they also work together sometimes. I hope that's enough info to remember which ones I mean. Anyway.

Because I just put them into a universe I already had, they are not in the late 1800s, it's actually modern day urban fantasy (but with public knowledge of magic and such (tho the fae are thought to be extinct but later turn out to just be in hiding cuz humans suck and waged a war on them for being "too powerful" despite them being peaceful) but magic is less convenient than technology so it's used less and less) and like. I know they're technically my OCs but I also wanna stay somewhat true to your vision. So here's my options:

1) set it in late 1800s urban fantasy instead. This is still a possibility since the plot isn't reliant on the modern setting and the most modern technology I will definitely include is a telephone and in fact some points might even make more sense if they can't just google shit or text each other. I'm also planning to have the MC's washing machine be broken so he always uses the laundromat but that's just one of the points to make him more skrunkly so I can just cut it. There's also some other more modern ideas/terms in there, eg the MC is vegan and his assistant/best friend is a she/they, but I could probably handwave that. Trouble is: I really don't like doing historical research and I know so little I'd have to do a LOT of research. So while this would probably make the most sense, it's also the least pleasant for me.

2) make modern day more 1800s. Eg I could include a lot more homophobia and possibly take away some technology (which I could easily explain with "since they had access to magic, developing technology was less of a priority") and it would possibly make sense to include more racism in that scenario as well but since I'm white I don't feel comfortable doing that and also I already made the reverse Sherlock ladies interracial so that would create an additional aspect of the dynamic that wasn't there before. Downsides would be I'd have to write in stuff that's pretty uncomfortable and also what's the point of a modern setting if it doesn't even feel like a modern setting?

3) have them be time travellers. Then the two of them would be from the late 1800s but everything else would stay the same. Could make their story too big for their narrative role tho and also then I'd have to invent new time travel logic since the one from another universe of mine (my only one that currently has time travel) only works for going to the past one-way (and trips that far wouldn't be possible anyway, long story) so it can't possibly be applied here. And then ofc there's the possible plot complications that come with having time travel exist at all. Plus, magic isn't supposed to be super powerful in this universe, not even fae magic should be that powerful. And I'm not making it sci-fi, too, that's Too Much I think.

I'm also open to other suggestions from both you and the audience, or I could just. Not do any of them. Like, they're still gonna be obsessed with each other and the investigative journalist (whom I chose to faceclaim as Yvette Nicole Brown bc I loved her in Community and I think she'd do a very good job at it) is charming, confident, brilliant at detective work, writes riveting articles full of wit and clever insight (without being condescending) etc while her assistant (whom I actually faceclaimed from a middle aged mutual of mine but don't tell her, in my defense I did it cuz she's pretty) is an incompetent herbo (I haven't figured out her drug(s) of choice yet but I will) whom she keeps around at first out of charity and then out of gay.

(Also, I'd like to note that herbo assistant (I haven't named the two of them yet, sorry) isn't obsessed with competent journalist because of her work (she's actually pretty disinterested in it when they first meet, she just "has to" (at first temporarily) work for her, I'll figure out the details of why) or even her more "conventionally attractive" qualities like being smart, funny, charismatic etc but rather because she is one of very few people to see her for the deranged, risk-taking adrenaline junkie that she is which is also why Yvette's character is so obsessed with her in return.)

So I do think I kept the spirit of them, but it's still your idea originally and I wanna pay homage to that so here I am, asking for your thoughts. Sorry for the long read! Love you <3

AHHH all of these sound really good but i think i'd go with 2), I'm always a huge fan of stories that try to explore how the supernatural elements in the world would change the way technology and society develops, i think that's the coolest shit ever... also idk i understand being uncomfortable with including/amping up racism, and like... i don't think you need to if u don't want to yknow? like idk the history of bigotry irl is very complicated and this is your world you can easily say some shit likem supernatural creatures existing meant ppl were less hateful towards each other and more hateful towards them or something, a lot of fantasy settings do that, Carnival Row comes to mind rn. or you can just not address it at all and make it a racism free au or have it be about as bad as it is rn.... i think you should write what you're comfortable with n like, i think it's fine when the social dynamics of a fantasy settings arent explained yknow like i dont think it's inherently a bad thing or a plothole

also another thing is i think nr 2) is the one that allows you the most freedom in that like. having a very different world with different technology means you can just make shit up instead of having to research the 1800s/time travel/even modern technology honestly, plus yea time travel would definitely fuck with a lot of things...bbut i dont KNOWW i think all 3 options are good im just very drawn to the second one

but also they're your little guys i'm just sitting next to your sandbox you don't need my permission dont worry jfjeifjdifjd<33