Post by perry on Aug 28, 2010 3:11:16 GMT -5
Hi, my name is Perry and this is my first character. I found this site through Kris who plays Joanne Jefferson. Something you should know about me is that I major in Classical Archaeology and minor in Greek & Roman mythology.
Canon: Frankenstein
Custom Title: inside time stands still as I wonder
PHYSICAL
Age: Thirty-two
Gender: Female
Appearance:
Height: 5'5
Body: Verena is fairly proportional. She is considered 'curvy' but isn't overly so. Her hips are wider than average as well as her bust line - both of which she keeps hidden underneath her lab coat.
Other distinguishing features: Verena has a beauty mark on her cheek. She also has various scars from 'exploring' as a child. Her most prominent being the scar on her knee from falling out of a tree onto a scattering of branches below.
Wardrobe: Verena is usually in a lab coat. Underneath she normally wears a plain button up blouse and either a pair of dress pants or a pencil skirt. She is not a flashy dresser by any means. She prefers simple and functional. To her a plain black dress is all she really needs. She may like the magenta Prada dress with the beaded open back but where is she going to wear that? Practicality is key.[/ul]
Play By: Eva Mendes
PERSONALITY
General personality: To most, Verena is very much defined by her work. She is a scientist specializing in the cloning of plant cells. It sounds incredibly boring but the woman herself is far from it. But she does have a deep love of science. It drives her to work out all sorts of puzzles that life throws at her. She is compelled to find a scientific answer to everything as she firmly believes there is one. The woman is well read on almost everything but is almost totally socially inept. Because of her need to read, and learn, Verena can come off as distant or even cold. She doesn’t much care for chit chat or mindless facts about one’s day. While she is capable of having friends, it is hard for someone to feel close to Verena. They don’t see affection in her eyes, only the need for scientific understanding. However she is more than that. She is a human being – she’s just a little different.
Verena has a decent sense of humor. She may not get every joke you tell her but she will try to send a zinger right back to you. She can be sarcastic but usually relies on silly little jokes to get her point across. Others might find her constant work ethic to be off putting. Some take it to mean that she has no desire to interact with others but she does. Verena likes people. She doesn’t necessarily understand them but she’d like to. She is a fine friend to have for she is caring, and loyal. Until agitated she is polite and would hold the door for anyone. Her nature is not incredibly bubbly but she is cordial. Verena will not dislike a person until she’s found reason. However, that isn’t to say that the reason has to be a big one. Verena could easily dislike a person for stepping on her toes as she could for their shoddy work ethic. For a scientist, Verena is fairly easy to annoy. When she is working, only she gets to decide when there is room for play. Until then, everyone is to stick to their task.
A good way to describe her is, eccentric. She collects hobbies and she lights up at the prospect of something new. Verena will talk animatedly at length about bacteria found on a West African weed. She has a real passion when she talks about something she’s invested in. It’s obvious that she adores what she does. Science aside, Verena has that same passion for many things. She loves travel and hopes to do more. And she enjoys adventure. For a shot at going to some remote place to risk her life for a single stem off of a plant she would sell her home. She is just as easy to excite as she is to agitate. It all depends on what you say and how you find her.
It is easiest to agitate her when she is hard at work. You aren’t allowed to bother her with trivial things like your child’s birthday party when she is recording the patterns of microorganisms. If one were to bother her with such a subject, Verena would snap and go from scientist to warrior woman. She does not like distraction. Time is of the essence. She has a lot to do. And that’s a fact.
Quotes, frequently used expressions: "It's all scientific." or "There is a scientific explanation for everything."
Likes:
Dislikes:
Strengths:
Weaknesses:
BACKGROUND
Family: August Frankenstein – Father, 54, lawyer
Maria Frankenstein – Mother, 56, retired nurse
Armin Frankenstein – Brother, 30, Chef
Education: Doctorate in Biological engineering
Occupation: Verena is a Bioengineer specializing in the cloning of plant organisms
Worst past experience: When Verena was sixteen she, like most teenagers was given a car. Her father naturally could have afforded a better car but he was always a thrifty man who wanted his children to remain unspoiled. For her first ride, she took her younger brother, Armin along. Armin was fourteen at the time. The two were excited to have a taste of freedom. The music was blaring, everything seemed exciting. Unfortunately, their car was cut off short by another speeding car. It clipped them on Armin’s side. Verena was fine but barely. Armin was airlifted to the hospital. When the airbag deployed, he was in the middle of bracing himself so his legs were broken upon impact.
For months, Verena had to watch her brother go to rehabilitation to learn to walk again. To this day her brother does not blame her. He walks like any other man and the scars have long since faded, but it’s a memory that constantly plays in her mind. Verena being a ‘what if’ kind of person cannot help but think, ‘what if’.
Best past experience: Verena is a young scientist. In her field, people work until they are on death’s front door. However she has already had a major accomplishment in her career. To some it may seem silly and somewhat pointless but in her world, it’s a breakthrough. Fresh out of college, Verena started working on cloning cells in plants – mainly crops. Her goal is still to one day bioengineer a series of crops that can be grown in all sorts of environments. It’s gutsy, it’s bold, and it’s her dream.
When Verena was able to successfully clone a cell found in corn, it was a great achievement. She had scientists from around New York congratulating her. Her essay and research was published. It was a feeling she couldn’t possibly describe. Nor will she soon forget.
Image: Unfortunately, until a person knows Verena, she is seen as cold or distant. They see her as just a computer with skin. They think that this woman couldn’t possibly have a personality. Her lack of understanding when it comes to sarcasm, or pop culture makes others feel she is akin to a robot, just functioning for a purpose and not a person, willing to befriend or worthy of befriending.
History: Verena Frankenstein was the first child born to August and Maria Frankenstein. Not much occurred before her brother Armin was born. Sure, Verena learned to walk and talk at an early age. It’s nothing unexpected. The girl didn’t start to stand out until she was around four years old. The family had an apartment not far from Central Park. Maria enjoyed taking both of her children to the park on Sundays. It was on one of these trips that Verena noticed that a sunflower in the shade was craning toward the sun. “It wants the light!” She shouted. Her mother was impressed with her daughter’s deductive reasoning and her general interest in the world around her. Like most good parents, Maria and August encouraged the girl’s curiosity for plants, and animals. Books, learning materials, junior chemistry sets, whatever Verena wanted – she got as long as it was educationally based. While Verena was more scientifically based, her brother Armin developed a true knack for cuisine. The two would get together and share their findings. One would talk about the difference between worms that lived in constantly sunlight and worms that lived in the dark, while the other would talk about the flavor combination of apple and cheddar cheese.
During the parent-teacher conferences of her fifth grade class, Verena’s teacher disclosed to her parents that while she strived academically, they worried about her social skills. Other kids ran around during recess. Verena didn’t. She wasn’t one of the wallflowers that read either. She was off in some remote area of the playground looking at ants and making notes on their behavior. It wasn’t normal, said the teacher. It wasn’t the first time they had been told Verena was ‘different’ socially and it wouldn’t be the last. Verena herself would hear it. Along the way she made an effort to speak to people and try to invest herself in their interests. She tried to see others as friends to enjoy rather than puzzles to solve. Verena did want to be liked. She did have a desire to have friends. She didn’t want to be the weird girl forever. While she became more socially adept, Verena was never the social butterfly. She could be goofy and tell a silly joke, but she’d never be the focus of the room. Not unless they were interested in bioengineering.
College was easier. It was where she got to expand her horizons and really work on a level that mattered. She met like minded people and actually found herself with a collection of friends. She graduated with distinction and went onto work with one of the largest and most prestigious bioengineering firms in the country. Naturally she was just an intern at first. She was the lowest on the totem pole. Verena meant nothing. For a good two and a half years she meant nothing. However, she eventually moved up to the assistant to a bioengineer in the botany department. She wanted to work in the mammal department but fate took her to the plants. She served loyally and assisted her superior who in turn after four years had her promoted to crop research. During this time she achieved a doctorate through nightly classes. Finally she was Dr. Frankenstein.
A year into her position is when she was able to clone the cells from corn. It was a breakthrough and a step down the road of their bioengineered super crops. Now thirty-two and with one accomplishment under her belt, Verena still has a desire to work with mammal cells but you can’t just walk away from something you’ve started – can you? Verena is still just as eccentric and different as ever. She gets up and goes to work. She has a circle of friends who have learned to take her usually off putting ways as endearing. She has a long career ahead of her and she hopes to leave no rock unturned on the way.
THE SAMPLE
In Character Sample:
Verena’s socket stung; it was the familiar sign that she’d been looking into the microscope for too long. With a sigh she backed away. She looked down at the microscope. It had been a week of nothing. A week wasn’t much in the scheme of things – not in her world at least but she was still getting impatient. Mutations were important and hers was either going to take its time or not happen at all.
“Dr. Frankenstein, are you still here?” came the voice of the botanist in charge of locking up their wing. Verena looked to the door and nodded.
“I’m almost done,” she replied solemnly. She felt defeated yet again. It wasn’t a new feeling but it was wearing on her.
“Can’t push cells to mutate, sadly,” the man said. He smiled, “Not yet anyhow.”
Verena knew the man was trying to comfort her so she offered a thankful smile even if it didn’t work. At least he had tried. Silently she put her sample back with the others and hung up her lab coat. Her purse under her arm, she was finally out the door.
Walking down the street was a normal part of every day. She’d see a few homeless people, drop change off and carry on her way. Sometimes she’d stop at a street vendor’s and pick a little something up. Nothing much out of the ordinary. Days seemed to run together when she was working on a project like mutating wheat germ. The woman stopped and fished out her cell phone. It was Friday? That couldn’t be right. Her stomach growled. Verena instantly tried to recall the last time she’d eaten. The mere fact that she couldn’t was a worry. Shoving the phone back into her purse, the woman located a nice crepe stall.
She waited in line, partially ignoring the chatty man in front of her. He was talking about something to do with the weather. Verena just nodded. Talking to a stranger was just awkward when she wasn’t sure what to say. If he had actually asked about the weather and the effects of smog in the atmosphere she could have donated more than a polite smile but she just didn’t know what to say. And if she were to be frank, she didn’t care. She would never see the man again. Why talk to him? Apparently that sentiment set her apart. It would seem that the thought was strange. People liked meeting new people and talking to them about whatever. Verena liked new people but not all of them. From her quick assessment of the tubby man in front of her, nothing stood out. She had no desire to know him or how he felt about the warmth. “If you dislike the heat, your body mass isn’t helping I’m afraid. If you were to lose,” she looked him over, “Seventy pounds you wouldn’t feel as warm. Your body wouldn’t work so hard to move you and therefore you wouldn’t generate as much heat as you are now.”
She wasn’t being rude, she was answering honestly. He was warm, and he could have been cooler – if he wasn’t so rotund. It was pure science. Still he turned around. At least he wasn’t prattling on. That counted for something even if it wasn’t the desired effect.
Finally when it was her turn, Verena ordered a Mediterranean crepe. As the man inside the cart made her crepe he too decided to speak with her. He didn’t have to – it wasn’t like she wasn’t going to pay if he kept quiet.
“So you like Mediterranean food? Yeah, me too. I love spinach, basil…”
Verena tilted her head to the side, “Well that’s not really Mediterranean.”
“Huh?”
“Spinach and basil both come from South West Asia and it was a couple hundred years after they first started trading with the Mediterranean territories that people actually started using it for cooking there. In fact in Ancient Greece, if you gave someone Basil it was basically to say you hated them. And then later on in Europe it was associated with Satan. So I don’t think they cooked much with it either because…why would you want Satan in your food?”
Silently, with a look of pure confusion the man took Verena’s money and handed her the crepe. Before leaving she pointed to the lettuce in the back. “You should really throw that out. It went bad about two hours ago.” And then she was gone.
Verena Meta Frankenstein
Middle Class
Middle Class
Canon: Frankenstein
Custom Title: inside time stands still as I wonder
PHYSICAL
Age: Thirty-two
Gender: Female
Appearance:
Height: 5'5
Body: Verena is fairly proportional. She is considered 'curvy' but isn't overly so. Her hips are wider than average as well as her bust line - both of which she keeps hidden underneath her lab coat.
Other distinguishing features: Verena has a beauty mark on her cheek. She also has various scars from 'exploring' as a child. Her most prominent being the scar on her knee from falling out of a tree onto a scattering of branches below.
Wardrobe: Verena is usually in a lab coat. Underneath she normally wears a plain button up blouse and either a pair of dress pants or a pencil skirt. She is not a flashy dresser by any means. She prefers simple and functional. To her a plain black dress is all she really needs. She may like the magenta Prada dress with the beaded open back but where is she going to wear that? Practicality is key.[/ul]
Play By: Eva Mendes
PERSONALITY
General personality: To most, Verena is very much defined by her work. She is a scientist specializing in the cloning of plant cells. It sounds incredibly boring but the woman herself is far from it. But she does have a deep love of science. It drives her to work out all sorts of puzzles that life throws at her. She is compelled to find a scientific answer to everything as she firmly believes there is one. The woman is well read on almost everything but is almost totally socially inept. Because of her need to read, and learn, Verena can come off as distant or even cold. She doesn’t much care for chit chat or mindless facts about one’s day. While she is capable of having friends, it is hard for someone to feel close to Verena. They don’t see affection in her eyes, only the need for scientific understanding. However she is more than that. She is a human being – she’s just a little different.
Verena has a decent sense of humor. She may not get every joke you tell her but she will try to send a zinger right back to you. She can be sarcastic but usually relies on silly little jokes to get her point across. Others might find her constant work ethic to be off putting. Some take it to mean that she has no desire to interact with others but she does. Verena likes people. She doesn’t necessarily understand them but she’d like to. She is a fine friend to have for she is caring, and loyal. Until agitated she is polite and would hold the door for anyone. Her nature is not incredibly bubbly but she is cordial. Verena will not dislike a person until she’s found reason. However, that isn’t to say that the reason has to be a big one. Verena could easily dislike a person for stepping on her toes as she could for their shoddy work ethic. For a scientist, Verena is fairly easy to annoy. When she is working, only she gets to decide when there is room for play. Until then, everyone is to stick to their task.
A good way to describe her is, eccentric. She collects hobbies and she lights up at the prospect of something new. Verena will talk animatedly at length about bacteria found on a West African weed. She has a real passion when she talks about something she’s invested in. It’s obvious that she adores what she does. Science aside, Verena has that same passion for many things. She loves travel and hopes to do more. And she enjoys adventure. For a shot at going to some remote place to risk her life for a single stem off of a plant she would sell her home. She is just as easy to excite as she is to agitate. It all depends on what you say and how you find her.
It is easiest to agitate her when she is hard at work. You aren’t allowed to bother her with trivial things like your child’s birthday party when she is recording the patterns of microorganisms. If one were to bother her with such a subject, Verena would snap and go from scientist to warrior woman. She does not like distraction. Time is of the essence. She has a lot to do. And that’s a fact.
Quotes, frequently used expressions: "It's all scientific." or "There is a scientific explanation for everything."
Likes:
- Scientific exploration, "The things we are doing today are just the tip of this massive iceberg. Do you know what we could do if we just got the puzzle pieces in order? I am just excited to be on the forefront of some of these research projects. It's so compelling."
- Cloning, "People think that we're not making strides in cloning. They're wrong! They are so wrong. And people think that we just want to clone people. That's not what we're striving for. We want to create cells, and use them to cure diseases and help people. You know, it just bugs me when people think we're doing nothing. My work could save a lot of people."
- Documentaries, "It may seem like such a stereotype for me to spend my time watching the History Channel or the Discovery networks but it's what I do. I find everything fascinating. And have you seen the television on today? Alright sure, I watched that show where the rapper finds 'love' at two in the morning like the rest of the guilty intellectuals but it had no substance."
- Respect, "Science is thankfully a fairly equal playing ground for the sexes. I may get leered at from time to time but the less social adept scientists but for the most part I think I fit in well enough. I love when people tell me my work is inspiring or that I'm changing things. It's what I crave. I want to know that my work is being held on a pedestal. Is it vain? Does it suggest I'm slightly insecure - I wouldn't know. I'm not a shrink."
- Storms, "A lot of people like storms nowadays. We've come along way from automatically hiding in our huts at the sound of some far off thunder. I like to sit on my patio (it's screened in of course) and watch the storm roll past. The trickling of rain is a very comforting sound I think. It's nice to wake up to."
- Controlled chaos, "What is this, you might ask. Well scientifically it would take too long to explain. However I mean that I love to push the limits. I love a bit of chaos and madness. That's when you know you've really got a handle on something. Naturally there are laws that must be kept to. But I have to say that if I'm on the cusp of something - that 'controlled' bit will be thrown to the wind. Science comes first.
Dislikes:
- Refusal to see reason, "If I am telling you scientifically proven facts and you aren't listening, that makes me mad. I know what I'm talking about and you ignoring me makes me livid. I'm not a person who shouts too much or feels the need to get in someone's face but I will if they're being an oaf. I haven't a choice!"
- Loud/Obnoxious people, "I get it, you're excited you got a text from that boy you lust over at school but when I am in line next to you to get my coffee in the morning, I don't need to hear about it. You're talking to your friends, why should I be able to hear everything you're saying? Hush. And while we're at it, people who think it's 'okay' to just make a scene in a public place to show off how 'fun and crazy' you are - stop it."
- 'No', "I am aware that there are limits in this world but I hate coming up against a brick wall. I don't like being stopped because of 'moral dilemmas' - this is science. It has no morality to it. And science aside I don't like to be told no. Who does? If I'm at the grocery store and someone says I have eleven items when I'm only supposed to have ten in that particular line I am mad."
- Excessive exercise, "No, I don't want to go jog around Central Park with you. I don't need to torture my body like that. I'm not going to run a marathon. Let's face it, I was never a jock in school. Everyone knows the score, I was a nerd. That's fine, I've accepted it. So don't ask me to rock climb with you."
- Sappy movies, "I don't get them. And I don't care for people when they assume that because I'm a woman I've seen - what was it called...the Journal? I don't know. I haven't seen it. I'm open to them I suppose but at the end of the day I like films that make me think. I like adventures."
- Repeating herself, "I speak perfectly clear English and usually at a level that you can hear me. I don't like repeating myself - it makes me so irate so fast. I also don't like explaining things. I understand that sometimes I get carried away but that's me. You need to adapt. Not me. I'm the one with the knowledge. Does that sound too harsh?"
Strengths:
- Verena is very intelligent. She is fairly new in the science world at thirty-two but she has already successfully cloned plant cells found in corn. Science aside she knows a lot about a variety of things. She is very much a well read book.
- As someone who is insanely curious about the world around her, Verena is always up to learn more. While people tend to confuse her, this doesn't mean she isn't willing to try and learn about them. If something presents a mystery, she'd like to solve it.
- Verena has a good memory. They do say that it is the key to being intelligent. She will remember your name, your favorite color, your mom's favorite color, and what model of car you first drove. She retains a lot of what she learns unless of course she isn't paying attention. Then all bets are off.
Weaknesses:
- While Verena is intelligent, her street smarts are not as matched. Her knowledge is that of an encyclopedia. Slang escapes her as well as hidden motives. If someone were to joke with her in a dry manner, Verena would most likely not pick up on it. And yes, she rarely realizes when she's being hit on. Her social skills are not incredibly sharp.
- Verena cannot lift something heavy to save her life. She exercises enough to stay in shape but she is far from strong. In fact she likes to find someone to go ahead and lift boxes for her. If she were to try she'd surely fail and failure is just not in her vocabulary.
- Because of her love of learning and experimenting, Verena can be seen as reckless. She is willing to risk a lot for new information and discoveries. Her curiosity and drive has and can lead her to harsh repercussions.
BACKGROUND
Family: August Frankenstein – Father, 54, lawyer
Maria Frankenstein – Mother, 56, retired nurse
Armin Frankenstein – Brother, 30, Chef
Education: Doctorate in Biological engineering
Occupation: Verena is a Bioengineer specializing in the cloning of plant organisms
Worst past experience: When Verena was sixteen she, like most teenagers was given a car. Her father naturally could have afforded a better car but he was always a thrifty man who wanted his children to remain unspoiled. For her first ride, she took her younger brother, Armin along. Armin was fourteen at the time. The two were excited to have a taste of freedom. The music was blaring, everything seemed exciting. Unfortunately, their car was cut off short by another speeding car. It clipped them on Armin’s side. Verena was fine but barely. Armin was airlifted to the hospital. When the airbag deployed, he was in the middle of bracing himself so his legs were broken upon impact.
For months, Verena had to watch her brother go to rehabilitation to learn to walk again. To this day her brother does not blame her. He walks like any other man and the scars have long since faded, but it’s a memory that constantly plays in her mind. Verena being a ‘what if’ kind of person cannot help but think, ‘what if’.
Best past experience: Verena is a young scientist. In her field, people work until they are on death’s front door. However she has already had a major accomplishment in her career. To some it may seem silly and somewhat pointless but in her world, it’s a breakthrough. Fresh out of college, Verena started working on cloning cells in plants – mainly crops. Her goal is still to one day bioengineer a series of crops that can be grown in all sorts of environments. It’s gutsy, it’s bold, and it’s her dream.
When Verena was able to successfully clone a cell found in corn, it was a great achievement. She had scientists from around New York congratulating her. Her essay and research was published. It was a feeling she couldn’t possibly describe. Nor will she soon forget.
Image: Unfortunately, until a person knows Verena, she is seen as cold or distant. They see her as just a computer with skin. They think that this woman couldn’t possibly have a personality. Her lack of understanding when it comes to sarcasm, or pop culture makes others feel she is akin to a robot, just functioning for a purpose and not a person, willing to befriend or worthy of befriending.
History: Verena Frankenstein was the first child born to August and Maria Frankenstein. Not much occurred before her brother Armin was born. Sure, Verena learned to walk and talk at an early age. It’s nothing unexpected. The girl didn’t start to stand out until she was around four years old. The family had an apartment not far from Central Park. Maria enjoyed taking both of her children to the park on Sundays. It was on one of these trips that Verena noticed that a sunflower in the shade was craning toward the sun. “It wants the light!” She shouted. Her mother was impressed with her daughter’s deductive reasoning and her general interest in the world around her. Like most good parents, Maria and August encouraged the girl’s curiosity for plants, and animals. Books, learning materials, junior chemistry sets, whatever Verena wanted – she got as long as it was educationally based. While Verena was more scientifically based, her brother Armin developed a true knack for cuisine. The two would get together and share their findings. One would talk about the difference between worms that lived in constantly sunlight and worms that lived in the dark, while the other would talk about the flavor combination of apple and cheddar cheese.
During the parent-teacher conferences of her fifth grade class, Verena’s teacher disclosed to her parents that while she strived academically, they worried about her social skills. Other kids ran around during recess. Verena didn’t. She wasn’t one of the wallflowers that read either. She was off in some remote area of the playground looking at ants and making notes on their behavior. It wasn’t normal, said the teacher. It wasn’t the first time they had been told Verena was ‘different’ socially and it wouldn’t be the last. Verena herself would hear it. Along the way she made an effort to speak to people and try to invest herself in their interests. She tried to see others as friends to enjoy rather than puzzles to solve. Verena did want to be liked. She did have a desire to have friends. She didn’t want to be the weird girl forever. While she became more socially adept, Verena was never the social butterfly. She could be goofy and tell a silly joke, but she’d never be the focus of the room. Not unless they were interested in bioengineering.
College was easier. It was where she got to expand her horizons and really work on a level that mattered. She met like minded people and actually found herself with a collection of friends. She graduated with distinction and went onto work with one of the largest and most prestigious bioengineering firms in the country. Naturally she was just an intern at first. She was the lowest on the totem pole. Verena meant nothing. For a good two and a half years she meant nothing. However, she eventually moved up to the assistant to a bioengineer in the botany department. She wanted to work in the mammal department but fate took her to the plants. She served loyally and assisted her superior who in turn after four years had her promoted to crop research. During this time she achieved a doctorate through nightly classes. Finally she was Dr. Frankenstein.
A year into her position is when she was able to clone the cells from corn. It was a breakthrough and a step down the road of their bioengineered super crops. Now thirty-two and with one accomplishment under her belt, Verena still has a desire to work with mammal cells but you can’t just walk away from something you’ve started – can you? Verena is still just as eccentric and different as ever. She gets up and goes to work. She has a circle of friends who have learned to take her usually off putting ways as endearing. She has a long career ahead of her and she hopes to leave no rock unturned on the way.
THE SAMPLE
In Character Sample:
Verena’s socket stung; it was the familiar sign that she’d been looking into the microscope for too long. With a sigh she backed away. She looked down at the microscope. It had been a week of nothing. A week wasn’t much in the scheme of things – not in her world at least but she was still getting impatient. Mutations were important and hers was either going to take its time or not happen at all.
“Dr. Frankenstein, are you still here?” came the voice of the botanist in charge of locking up their wing. Verena looked to the door and nodded.
“I’m almost done,” she replied solemnly. She felt defeated yet again. It wasn’t a new feeling but it was wearing on her.
“Can’t push cells to mutate, sadly,” the man said. He smiled, “Not yet anyhow.”
Verena knew the man was trying to comfort her so she offered a thankful smile even if it didn’t work. At least he had tried. Silently she put her sample back with the others and hung up her lab coat. Her purse under her arm, she was finally out the door.
Walking down the street was a normal part of every day. She’d see a few homeless people, drop change off and carry on her way. Sometimes she’d stop at a street vendor’s and pick a little something up. Nothing much out of the ordinary. Days seemed to run together when she was working on a project like mutating wheat germ. The woman stopped and fished out her cell phone. It was Friday? That couldn’t be right. Her stomach growled. Verena instantly tried to recall the last time she’d eaten. The mere fact that she couldn’t was a worry. Shoving the phone back into her purse, the woman located a nice crepe stall.
She waited in line, partially ignoring the chatty man in front of her. He was talking about something to do with the weather. Verena just nodded. Talking to a stranger was just awkward when she wasn’t sure what to say. If he had actually asked about the weather and the effects of smog in the atmosphere she could have donated more than a polite smile but she just didn’t know what to say. And if she were to be frank, she didn’t care. She would never see the man again. Why talk to him? Apparently that sentiment set her apart. It would seem that the thought was strange. People liked meeting new people and talking to them about whatever. Verena liked new people but not all of them. From her quick assessment of the tubby man in front of her, nothing stood out. She had no desire to know him or how he felt about the warmth. “If you dislike the heat, your body mass isn’t helping I’m afraid. If you were to lose,” she looked him over, “Seventy pounds you wouldn’t feel as warm. Your body wouldn’t work so hard to move you and therefore you wouldn’t generate as much heat as you are now.”
She wasn’t being rude, she was answering honestly. He was warm, and he could have been cooler – if he wasn’t so rotund. It was pure science. Still he turned around. At least he wasn’t prattling on. That counted for something even if it wasn’t the desired effect.
Finally when it was her turn, Verena ordered a Mediterranean crepe. As the man inside the cart made her crepe he too decided to speak with her. He didn’t have to – it wasn’t like she wasn’t going to pay if he kept quiet.
“So you like Mediterranean food? Yeah, me too. I love spinach, basil…”
Verena tilted her head to the side, “Well that’s not really Mediterranean.”
“Huh?”
“Spinach and basil both come from South West Asia and it was a couple hundred years after they first started trading with the Mediterranean territories that people actually started using it for cooking there. In fact in Ancient Greece, if you gave someone Basil it was basically to say you hated them. And then later on in Europe it was associated with Satan. So I don’t think they cooked much with it either because…why would you want Satan in your food?”
Silently, with a look of pure confusion the man took Verena’s money and handed her the crepe. Before leaving she pointed to the lettuce in the back. “You should really throw that out. It went bad about two hours ago.” And then she was gone.
