About Lancaster

"You're too pretty to be a chalk outline."

SPOILER WARNING:

This character bio contains spoilers for BBC's "Sherlock," as well as "A Study In Rooftops" (a fanfiction by the character's creator).

TRIGGER/CONTENT WARNINGS:

This character's profile contains subjects which may affect certain readers. These subjects are not typically depicted in a graphic nature. They also do not necessarily represent the author's personal ideologies. Reader discretion is advised.

Warnings include: Substance Misuse & Addiction. Police & Law Enforcement (UK Context). Abuse, Family Conflict, Estrangement. Transphobia. Homelessness & Financial Instability. Death, Murder, Violent Crimes. Suicide, Grief, Mental Health.

Description

At A Glance

Name: Riley Lancaster
Other Names: Lanx, Lan, Riley
Pronouns: They/them
Age: Early 30s
Identity: Nonbinary. Panromantic/Pansexual.
Profession: Courier, occasional Scotland Yard consultant.

About

Lancaster lives in central London during the 2010s. They do not have a fixed address. When they do need shelter, they tend to migrate between a small, cheap rented storage unit near Vauxhall Bridge (which they're not legally supposed to sleep in), or the sofas of their allies in exchange for access to their skills. They have been living this way since they were in their twenties, and they have no immediate plans to change this.

They are a "consultant" to Scotland Yard... If by "consultant" you mean "semi-professional trespasser." And if by "Scotland Yard," you mean "Greg Lestrade, Specifically."

Design


Height: 5' / 1.52m
Build: Lean, slightly athletic
Eyes: Hazel with a freckle in their right iris
Skin Tone: Paler than average
Hair: Very dark brown. Short, androgynous styles (fauxhawks, etc)
Body Language: Loose, casual by default

Apparel:

  • A well-worn dark grey overcoat, or occasionally denim/leather jackets.

  • Black climbing boots with perhaps a few too many buckles (or trainers, if doing courier work).

  • Mostly-black clothing, usually rugged, punk, or urban techwear in style.

  • Dark purple scarf - always worn in winter.

  • As needed, fingerless black climbing gloves - usually in winter. Sacrifices grip for protection from frigid surfaces.

  • Does not carry things in their trouser/coat pockets often because they're constantly in motion. Wears a black leather thigh satchel instead.

    • Likes:

  • Sherlock Holmes. He's a bastard. (affectionate)
  • Urbex: Loves to explore and learn about the disused spaces that society has forgotten about. Prefers to learn the history of a space by immersing themself in it.
  • Music: One of Lancaster's favorite vessels for self-expression. Knows how to play guitar and piano. Owns a battered little Yamaha JR1. Occasionally busks on Victoria Street. Definitely does not have a license for this. (Don't tell Greg.)
  • The Bit: What constitutes "the bit" seems to change with the wind. But if there is one, rest assured, they are committing to it better than most people commit to their spouses.

    • Dislikes

  • Sherlock Holmes. He's a bastard. (derogatory)
  • Authority: They work with Lestrade, and they've calmed down over the years, but their relationship to authority remains rocky and they have a tendency to question everything.
  • Close-Mindedness: Has limited patience for narrow-minded people in general, and a straight-up zero-tolerance policy for bigotry or prejudice. Won't usually start fights but will absolutely finish them.
  • Pity: Few things aggravate Lancaster as much as being pitied. They go to great lengths to be self-sufficient and cannot stand it when people look at them and their lifestyle like they're something tragic.

    • Skills

    Parkour/Free-running

    Lancaster is a traceur, and rather good at it. They usually prioritize efficiency (parkour) but have been known to add a little razzle-dazzle for style (free-running) when the mood strikes them. Or just when they feel like being a show-off. Which is not entirely unheard of.

    Urban Exploration

    Skilled urbexer - has been exploring abandoned and derelict places since they were a teenager. In their teens and twenties, they were reckless about it, but they've got a lot more experience under their belt now. They follow common-sense safety guidelines and wear appropriate PPE where possible. They adhere strongly to the urbexer motto of, "Take nothing but pictures, leave nothing but footprints." That said, sometimes cases require them to break their own rule.

    Observational Skills

    Lancaster is capable of being highly observant when it counts. How much of this is inherent in their nature, and how much of it is taught from a life on the streets, isn't always clear. It straddles the line between "observant" and "hypervigilant." However, "observation mode" is not perpetually on, and it sometimes "takes a nap" when they're experiencing down-time and/or in a setting they've determined is safe enough to let their guard down. (Unsurprisingly, this usually means "whenever they're not on a case/whenever they're at 221B Baker Street.")

    History

    Lancaster was born on June 24, 1977 and was raised in Chiswick. This often comes as a surprise when people first meet them, given the area's history of being an affluent part of London. It contrasts quite a bit with their current low-income lifestyle. Their family was never particularly well-off, though, and they lived in one of the less-visible pockets of the area that struggle financially. As they grew up, their identity began to take shape, which was not exactly met with the warmest reception, especially concerning their gender identity. This prompted a rebellious streak that only grew as they aged, resulting in truancy, trespassing, and other minor trouble with law enforcement. It wasn't long before they irreversibly fell out with their parents and they officially went no-contact. They left Chiswick for central London.

    Lancaster was employed when they broke off from their parents at the age of 22, and managed to secure a room in a flatshare with a childhood friend and two other flatmates. This arrangement continued for about a year before personal drama disrupted the household dynamic, and they all went their separate ways. Lancaster's housing situation was on-and-off for a couple of years after this. They moved between jobs, and between renting rooms in poorly-maintained flats and "couch surfing" with people in their wider circle in exchange for odd jobs and favors. Occasionally - such as in winter if they could not secure a sofa to crash on - they would also look to designated shelters. Weather permitting, they were not above sleeping outside or in abandoned buildings.

    By age 27, they developed a "network" of sorts for odd jobs - mostly courier work - and began renting a very small storage unit near Vauxhall Bridge with the small income they earned. This allowed them to keep their belongings somewhere stable while their living situation remained unstable. During particularly rough nights in winter, they would sleep in the unit if they weren't able to find shelter elsewhere, though this was not legal. Eventually, they did get caught doing this, but they were able to strike up an agreement with the owner. As long as Lancaster only did this rarely, continued to pay their unit fees, and kept the unit sanitary, safe, and free of incriminating items (guns, drugs, animals, etc), he was willing to the other way.

    The Millennium Mills Incident

    On October 12, 2005, Lancaster (age 28) broke into Millennium Mills (in West Silvertown) to explore the building. While they were already an experienced explorer by this point, they did have reckless tendencies, and eventually got spotted by a pair of officers patrolling outside. They fled, prompting a chase through the building (structurally unsafe due to weak floors, industrial obstacles, several storey drops etc). Lancaster found themself boxed in without a safe escape route. To make matters worse, they discovered a body in that very space. Just before the pursuing officers caught up to them. An arrest ensued, and Lancaster was initially charged with obstructing a constable, going equipped for burglary (thanks to the lockpicks they carried) and suspicion of murder.

    Lancaster had to work very hard to be taken seriously - they already weren't supposed to be there, and they weren’t exactly earning themself any favor with their attitude. Detective Inspector Lestrade arrived to the scene, and after stating a number of observations about the body and the surrounding space, Lancaster managed to convince the Yard that they were not responsible for the corpse. Lestrade had known Sherlock for roughly a year by this point, so he recognized a similar spark of potential in Lancaster's thought process, even if their methodology (or lack thereof) and motivation differed greatly from that of his consulting detective. Lancaster came out of the situation with the suspicion of murder charge dropped (and they were issued a conditional caution for the rest). Lestrade came out of it with an annoying sense of deja-vu... and a bit of stubborn curiousity.

    Path To Consultancy

    Lancaster was not immediately made a consultant. However, when Lestrade ran into another case where their skills would prove useful, he set out to find them. After some negotiation, they finally obliged, and the case was resolved with surprisingly little friction. He began seeking them out periodically from there, and soon developed a working relationship on an unofficial consulting basis. Unfortunately, it wasn't long before he noticed that they were exhibiting some eerily familiar traits and behaviors. Something was off with Lancaster, and he soon discovered they had been using drugs recreationally - often morphine or illegally-acquired prescription drugs - for years.

    Disappointed and concerned, Lestrade gave them a choice: They could allow him to help them get off the drugs and continue working with him, or he'd need to break off their partnership and potentially wind up having to be the one to arrest them. Lancaster eventually conceded, though it wasn't an easy or smooth process by any means. The experience tested their partnership to its limits, but in the end, it also formed a strong bond between them. Lancaster was able to resume working with Scotland Yard and has upheld their promise to Lestrade ever since.

    Meeting The Baker Street Boys

    To be updated.

    Fun Facts/Trivia

  • Lancaster is 5 months and 18 days younger than Sherlock. He takes the opportunity to be obnoxious about this on a recurring basis.

  • Watson, meanwhile, is 6 years older than them in theory... but has spiritually aged about 3 decades since meeting these idiots.

  • Lestrade is about 13 years Lancaster's senior. Which is not nearly old enough to be their dad but it's his stupid cross to bear anyway.

  • Lancaster's dark purple scarf was knitted for them by Mrs. Hudson and given as a Christmas gift when she realized they weren't dressing appropriately for the weather. Lancaster guards it with their life and never goes out in winter without it.

  • Inside Lanx's Thigh Satchel: A lockpicking kit, flashlight, a black Motorola PEBL U3 (prepaid, practical gift from Greg), a small commonplace book/journal with whatever pen they found on the ground recently, and a lighter. May also carry other relevant odds and ends.

  • Lancaster has a freckle in their right iris, which comes from the real-life freckle in mine. Turns out, Benedict Cumberbatch (and thus, Sherlock) also shares this trait! A fun little coincidence, I think.

  • You can interact with a Lancaster roleplay blog on tumblr here!

  • For a vague idea of what they look like until I can have them drawn professionally, see this image of Blu del Barrio.