Application
Character: Mary Russell
Series: The Beekeeper's Apprentice
Character Age: 18
Canon: Sherlock Holmes fanfiction is older than the internets. The world's most famous detective has been thrown forward into the 22nd century, traumatized by Lovecraftian horrors, and reincarnated as a Vicodin-addicted doctor. Even Holmes' retirement from detective work hasn't stopped writers from continuing his adventures. In Laurie R. King's book series, an aging Holmes takes up a young apprentice, Mary Russell, after she literally stumbles over Holmes on the Sussex Downs. The two exchange some harsh words, but soon form an odd partnership. Combining their forces of deductive reasoning and snark, Holmes and Russell solve mysteries that threaten the order of rural England and beyond.
Though her name is Mary, she is definitely not a "Sue." An ardent feminist, she is brash and headstrong, with little tolerance for the trifles that occupy most girls her age (including their fashion and grooming). Russell is a devoted scholar, her nose often buried in a book or at an experiment. Proud and wanting to be right all the time, she can come across as irritable and condescending. But through the strange process of adolescence and being under the tutelage of a similarly testy former detective, she is slowly learning patience and that you can rely on other people, even if you're on your own in the world. Russell doesn't make friends easily, but warms up to those who can match her in banter and a love for stinky cheese.
Sample Entry
"Come at once," indeed, according to this telegraph. Holmes, where in Virgil's name did you send me now? Either I was given the wrong address, or I now have reason to doubt England's railway system. Really, I have no time for these foolish little adventures, especially when I need to be studying for exams--
--Excuse me, please watch where you are going. How is it possible to run into another human being in the middle of an enormous cornfield? I am trying to conduct an investigation. What? No, I am not one of those "zombie" creatures you speak of. These are perfectly practical clothes for stomping about the great outdoors, and that smell is the block of Stilton in my pocket. One can hardly travel without some form of nourishment. No, I am a detective, though I am aware that such a hobby is sadly rare for young women these days. It doesn't take that much special training, just watchful eyes- which you, apparently, seem to lack.
What am I doing here? My teacher requested my presence at his home, and through some inexplicable intervention I ended up in the middle of Kansas. Yes, I know that this place is Kansas. One can easily deduce that from the cornfields and the humid continental climate indicative of the Midwest region of the United States. A more curious riddle would be, What is a young man from Japan doing in a cornfield in Kansas? Well, even if you don't know, you could at least tell me what this place is. It's a summer camp where people from different places and times are trapped here against their will by supernatural forces? That's preposterous! And you're telling me that this whole place, buildings and peoples, was magically transported here from Louisiana? No, no, there has to be a rational explanation for it.
Well, thank you for your assistance. Oh, and how could I tell that you are from Japan? Obviously, there's your clothes: kimono and hakama are still common garments in Japan in my time, even with the country adapting a more Western style. Then there's the way you talk, which obviously denotes a Japanese accent and speech patterns. And even if you were a remarkably skilled actor, there's still the slight callouses on your middle and ring fingers, which shows that you have used chopsticks as utensils for all of your life. Really, it's simple observation and deduction. I would exchange more pleasantries with you, but I must continue my investigation.
Now, that silo with the squid on top of it seems of particular interest. This must all be the result of some bizarre weather patterns, or perhaps mass hallucinations brought on by ergot poisoning or illicitly-produced alcohol common in less-developed parts of the United States...
Voting here. 78.4%