Miss Charlotte Elizabeth Holmes (a.k.a. Holmes, Charlie)
At the Beginning of the Book:
If you ask the gossips of London, Charlotte Holmes is one of three things: she is either a lonely woman doomed to spinsterhood, a horrid, uppity tart unfit to associate with polite society, or a complete lunatic that should be locked away for her own protection, as well as for the safety of the rest of the populace. If you ask Charlotte, there is at least a small portion of the last that holds some kernel of truth, though she doubts much that she's a danger to anyone, save those who decide to flout the law. And there, she is only dangerous to their criminal undertakings. That her neighbors find her a lunatic is only a mild amusement. That those she would consider colleagues find her as one, despite her efforts - and successes! - to prove otherwise, rankles. It is why she takes such joy in humiliating the close-minded bastards at each possible opportunity. Satisfying though that may be, the lack of recognition and acceptance by her peers is a constant source of frustration and disappointment. That isn't to say that the gossips are entirely wrong, of course. She does do her absolute best to thumb her nose at convention whenever possible, because convention is at the least silly and at the most horribly offensive and potentially dangerous. And she is carrying on a relationship with a man who happens to live within her domicile without the benefit (or, by her calculation, the detriment) of marriage. She and Watson both tell themselves and each other that the proper thing to do would be to stop. In Holmes' case at least, there's little concern at all with doing anything just because it's proper.Physical Description
General Physical Condition
Special abilities
- An admirable fencer and is proficient with a knife.
- She says she's proficient with a gun, but that's like saying someone who burns water is proficient in the kitchen. (She is also proficient in a kitchen in much the same way)
- She has studied stick fighting for approximately five years.
Specialized Equipment
- A good knife, properly sharpened and hidden in her boot.
- A gun. No one is happy about that. She keeps it in a pocket.
- A silver chatelaine that attaches to her belt or waistband, that she customizes to fit her intended activity. If she's going out to investigate, there is usually a small magnifying glass, a penknife, a pencil, a notebook, a pair of forceps, and an empty glass vial attached. It always includes a slightly soot-stained pocketwatch that no longer keeps time and a single brass thimble.
Mental characteristics
Gender Identity
Sexuality
Education
- Formally educated at Girton's College; has had multiple unofficial 'tutors' and individual research and study to provide knowledge on a wide range of topics, detailed under 'skills.'
Employment
- Has earned money as a tutor on occasion, or a professor's assistant (it's how she obtained the assistance of some of those unoffcial tutors
- Primarily, she is a consulting detective.
Accomplishments & Achievements
Mental Trauma
Intellectual Characteristics
- An almost inhuman power of inductive and deductive reasoning and observation.
- An extensive study of chemistry, anatomy, and law; a perfunctory knowledge of botany (belladonna, opium, and poisons) and geology (has made quite the study on the origins of various types and qualities of soil).
- Vast knowledge of true crime stories of the sensational variety of the Victorian era
Morality & Philosophy
Personality Characteristics
Motivation
Vices & Personality flaws
- A horrid smoking habit
- A tendency to lose track of self-care when focused upon a case
- A small (but manageable!, she says) cocaine habit
- A less than ideal relationship with her own emotions.
Social
Family Ties
- Parents: Charles and Elizabeth Holmes (deceased)
- Guardian: Anne Hudson, aunt)
- Siblings: Mycroft Holmes (twin, older)
Social Aptitude
Mannerisms
Hobbies & Pets
Speech
Relationships
History
These two have been together since that moment, 28 years ago, when Mycroft beat Charlotte out of the womb by 7 minutes. It has only been since he left for college that the two have truly been separated.
Nicknames & Petnames
He calls her Charlie; she calls him Mick or Micky.
History
Phe and Charlotte met, like so many people in her adult life, during a case Charlotte was investigating. Despite the unusual circumstances of their respective professions, the two women discovered they had quite a bit in common - mainly their shared desire to exist on their own merits in a world where a woman was only appreciated for what worth she added to a man's existence and the difficulty that desire placed on a peaceful navigation of society. It was Phe that Charlotte ran to after Watson's betrayal came out, and it was Phe who did her best to pick up the pieces when the seams broke. While part of gluing the bits of Charlotte back together did involve the two of them becoming lovers in the strictly literal sense, it was never a romantic relationship. That aspect was mostly a distraction for the detective, something to pour her complicated emotions into that didn't harm anyone else or herself; it evolved out of a pair of months where Charlotte fell to very bad and unhealthy habits and both her aunt and her brother were at a loss what to do. No one was more surprised than Charlotte that she responded so well to a little light dominance, or that she would also, on some level, enjoy it. While that aspect of things faded somewhat overtime, it was a vital and therapeutic element in the early days of her solitude. Both women consider it a benefit of their friendship, but not a necessary or frequent aspect any longer, though they do still keep a monthly appointment for tea (pared down from a weekly appointment) that, no matter how busy they are, they will keep, no exceptions. It isn't the only time they might cross paths over the course of a month, but it is an appointment both keep religiously, even if, these days, it is actually most often for actual tea.
Relationship Reasoning
Two highly independent and progressive women, stuck in the epitome of a 'man's world' need someone of like mind to hold themselves together and support each other through the bullshit.
Commonalities & Shared Interests
They share an appreciation for music, an interest in the suffrage movement, an appreciation of both sexes, and sharp objects.
Shared Secrets
- The depth of their relationship
- How far Charlotte's destructive tendencies can go
- Phe's real past.
Shared Acquaintances
- Joan Watson,
- Mycroft Holmes
- Anne Hudson
Wealth & Financial state
- Engish
- French
- Relevant latin
- She has been teaching herself Russian lately, 'just in case'
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