★ Body and Appearance 1. Describe the character's height and build. Is she heavyset, thin, short, rangy? Adrienne's 5'4 (163cm, she claims she's 5'5, but she's not) and slender, probably a little underweight but nothing drastic or health-wise concerning and there's some decent muscle tone to her from the walking and hiking that she does.
2. How old is she? 42
3. Describe her posture. Does she carry himself well or does she slouch? Walking she tends to have a straighter posture, in a lab she's as comfortable as she could be whilst analysing labs and data. At home on her couch she's either curled into the corner, legs tucked beside her, or laid out along it.
4. How is her health? Is she fit or out of shape? Any illnesses or conditions? Any physical disabilities? Generally healthy and reasonably fit. Her liver is something she doesn't want to think about its condition, and she has a surgical scar along her stomach. Adrienne also has a (mildish) latex allergy (mostly a rash/hives-type response to skin contact, or asthma-like if it's stronger) and hay fever. There are also a few foods that she avoids due to stomach sensitivities (thanks, latex proteins) but she's not allergic to them.
5. How does she move? Is she clumsy, graceful, tense, fluid? Generally pretty graceful and smooth movements, the grace of someone who's used to working in a busy environment and trying not to bump into people. In certain situations she's more tense, in unfamiliar environments or if her arms are bare, or on the worst of her days.
6. How attractive is this character physically? How does she perceive himself in the mirror? Pretty hot and she knows it. She flirts easily, will use her looks to her advantage, though she's not especially vain: her hair is where she takes the most attention, keeping her makeup lighter day-to-day. A contrast to how Adrienne sees her attractiveness is her comfort with her body: she's a lot more comfortable with clothes on or in a darkened room, not comfortable with her scar or wanting other people to notice/give attention to it.
7. Describe her complexion. Dark, light, clear, scarred? Fair and clear, with just the one scar along her stomach. She's probably currently more tanned than she'd usually be after a couple of years in hotter climates.
8. Describe her hair: color, texture, style. Blonde and, despite having a slight wave to it, is finer than thick. Her waves help her hair to hold a style well, usually curled or more-wavy than her natural, if Adrienne doesn't tie it up whilst she's working. She usually keeps her hair around shoulder-length or just past her shoulders.
9. What color are her eyes? Green, more jade than bright.
10. Does the character have any other noteworthy features? No tattoos, just a single ear piercing, some light freckling along her arms and chest.
12. What is the character's wardrobe like? Casual, dressy, utilitarian? Bright colors, pastels, neutrals? Is it varied, or does she have six of the same suit? Adrienne's a fan of being comfortable, wearing oversized jumpers with jeans or leggings and flat shoes (ballet flats or boots). If she's looking a little nicer she'll swap the jumper for a long-sleeved blouse. Unless she's in bed or at a formal event she'll typically have some form of sleeves with her outfit. Her jumpers tend to be cream or grey, blouses white-patterned or darker shades (blues, reds). She's a neutral or darker-toned person over pastel.
13. Do her clothes fit well? Does she seem comfortable in them? They fit well (fashionable oversizing) and she's very comfortable!
14. Does she dress the same on the job as she does in her free time? If not, what are the differences? At work Adrienne's typically in scrubs with a cotton, long-sleeved top underneath it (usually black). In the path lab she tended to wear purple scrubs, now in the ER she's wearing their darker blue scrubs.
15. You knew it was coming: Boxers, briefs or commando? She prefers a lacier bra, wanting to feel nice even if she's not showing it off. At work she'll be more comfortable, sometimes a sports bra or one that feels supportive for a long shift. Underwear tends to match the bra.
★ Speech 1. What does this character's voice sound like? High-pitched, deep, hoarse? Adrienne has a light midwestern accent, born in Minnesota, though she's spent more years out of state than in it causing it to soften. Her directness can make her sound a little harder, though when she's more humoured or flirting it's smoother and softer. With patients, especially children, she speaks with a much gentler, softer tone to put them at ease.
2. How does she normally speak? Loud, soft, fast, evenly? Does she talk easily, or does she hesitate? She's a confident speaker, clear in what she says, only hesitating when she's not certain about something (or doesn't want to say something).
3. Does the character have a distinct accent or dialect? Any individual quirks of pronunciation? Any, like, you know, verbal tics? Adrienne has two accents depending on what language she's speaking: English is a soft midwestern tone, and German sounds as if she's natively from Sankt Gallen, though someone that's lived abroad for a long time.
4. What language/s does she speak, and with how much fluency? Her first language is German, spending more time in her younger years speaking it than English, though she grew up bilingually speaking both (German with her mother, English with her father and at school). Living in Egypt for two years Adrienne learned Arabic, able to work and hold conversations with her patients easily enough. She also speaks French, though her conversations are much more basic.
5. Does she switch languages or dialects in certain situations? When Adrienne was younger she was much more confident speaking German, often only speaking it, but socially began speaking majority English. She speaks German when she visits Switzerland or with her Swiss family. Sometimes when she's frustrated and ranting she'll trail off into German, though that's a less common thing.
6. Is she a good impromptu speaker, or does she have to think about her words? If it's a topic that Adrienne is knowledgable in she can speak about it, though something less familiar to her she'd have to think about it. She's had to present findings or attend conferences in the past to be a comfortable-enough speaker.
7. Is she eloquent or inarticulate? Under what circumstances might this change? Typically eloquent. On Adrienne's worse days thinking isn't the easiest or what she wants to do so her conversations suffer, shorter answers, less communication and even her word choices can be blunter or harsher.
★ Mental and Emotional 1. How intelligent is this character? Is she book-smart or street-smart? More book-smart: she holds a medical degree and completed a fellowship, continuing reading and research through the years.
2. Does she think on her feet, or does she need time to deliberate? Being a doctor both is a good skill: if she has time to deliberate she'll use it, wanting the best diagnosis or treatment that she can present, spending the time to really investigate what a result is telling her. If she doesn't have it? She'll use instinct and what the labs and symptoms are telling her.
3. Describe the character's thought process. Is she more logical, or more intuitive? Idealistic or practical? Idealistic, wanting to hope and believe in better things. She thinks of other people, putting them over herself. At work she's pretty logical, following what the labs tell her, researching and making sure her answer fits.
4. What kind of education has the character had? Adrienne completed college (chemistry) before attending medical school (pathology residency) and then completing a fellowship (pediatric pathology). She attended a community college, though studied hard to help get herself into medical school.
5. What are her areas of expertise? What, if anything, is she interested in learning more about? Adrienne specialised in pediatric pathology, though despite having little patient contact and spending more time in the lab she kept her patient care and general doctor skills practised in the skills lab (always just in case, any need for first aid or an emergency). Volunteering with Médecins Sans Frontières has developed those skills further, with Adrienne spending more time around patients and doing front-line patient care, in both general treatment and some more emergency situations. Whilst Adrienne misses being in the pathology lab she doesn't know if that's her future, so whilst not re-specialising she's continuing to develop her skills to be able to comfortably work in the emergency room.
6. Is she an introvert or an extrovert? She's an introverted extrovert. Adrienne's always had a more outgoing, friendly, bubbly personality. She's great with people, enjoys being around people and whilst she does really love small, close-knit activities (meals, small group drinking at someone's home to kick back) she also enjoys more public, social spaces. In the last few years she's pulled more away from people. Whilst Adrienne is still good with people and public spaces, she's reclused a little more, spending more time alone or with just one or two friends when she is being social. She's trying to connect more again and enjoy being social but it feels easier to keep tucked away and alone currently.
7. Describe the character's temperament. Is she even-tempered or does she have mood swings? Cheerful or melancholy? Laid-back or driven? Adrienne has a pretty mild temperament and whilst she gets annoyed it's harder to make her truly angry. Annoyed she'll rant or stubbornly argue but she's pretty quick to calm back down. She's usually cheerful and pretty relaxed about how she views life, though more driven about work and her patients. She's snappier and more of a nightmare when she's having a bad day, after her nightmares or mind has hit her hard. She's blunt, irritable, and better to keep a distance from, but she will always be apologetic after the fact (sometimes during if she realises how she sounds).
8. How does she respond to new people or situations? Is she suspicious, relaxed, timid, enthusiastic? It ranges from relaxed to curious to flirty, depending on what about the person sparks her interest.
9. Is she more likely to act, or to react? Act. Adrienne likes getting things done especially when she believes that she's right.
10. Which is her default: fight or flight? Flight. She's not combative or aggressive and whilst she'll stand her ground in certain situations she's much better at retreating and avoiding.
11. Describe the character's sense of humor. Does she appreciate jokes? Puns? Gallows humor? Bathroom humor? Pranks? Flirty and suggestive. If it's humour about herself it's a little darker and self-deprecating. She enjoys jokes, will watch (some) pranks but won't get involved in them.
12. Does the character have any diagnosable mental disorders? If yes, how does she deal with them? Adrienne was diagnosed with PTSD and tends to not deal with it. Whilst she did attend her hospital-mandated therapy she refused to talk about her grief or trauma, struggling more with it as it ate at her. Adrienne did take some of the advice of her therapist, working with some of the coping strategies that they gave her to make the day-to-day manageable but tried to put everything else in a box. It led to her burning a lot of bridges, cutting people off and walking away from her life. She's trying to recover from that now, feeling more stable day-to-day but she still won't touch anything that hurts even though being back in her life and with potential triggers around her is making living feel more like just surviving.
13. What moments in this character's life have defined her as a person?
14. What does she fear?
15. What are her hopes or aspirations?
16. What is something she doesn't want anyone to find out about her? It's not that Adrienne doesn't want anyone to find out but she doesn't want to talk about it: her daughter.
★ Relationships 1. Describe this character's relationship with her parents. They were close and there was a lot of love. Adrienne was a lot closer with her mother, her dad often deployed overseas and though they talked a lot she also missed him a lot. Adrienne misses them both a lot, having lost them when she was 15, and there have been many moments where she wished they were with her.
2. Does the character have any siblings? What is/was their relationship like? She's an only child.
3. Are there other blood relatives to whom she is close? Are there ones she can't stand? After her parents died she was raised by her aunt Caroline. They still regularly talk, though Adrienne hasn't visited her in a few years. Adrienne was also close with her Swiss grandparents, seeing them a couple of times a year and calling them regularly. Though she has (Swiss) cousins and (American) grandparents she's never been as close with them, not seeing or speaking to them in years.
4. Are there other, unrelated people whom she considers part of her family? What are her relationships with them?
5. Who is/was the character's best friend? How did they meet? Her best friend, Julia, is someone that she met in a bar during medical school. Julia was the one that spoke to her first, trying to distract her from the studying that Adrienne was trying to do: she'd been there for hours and Julia thought she could use a break and a drink. It took a few of these meetings before Adrienne properly talked to her. For a while they lived together to help with rent (Adrienne was at work more than home as an intern) and she's still the person Adrienne's closest to, being unable to be pushed away by anything Adrienne does or says.
6. Does she have other close friends? Her other closer friends are people that she worked with at the hospital, those that stayed by her even when she tried to push them away: her residency mentor (Emma) and another pathologist (Andrew). More recently, she's gotten friendlier with one of the ER attendings (Abby) who helped her settle back in.
7. Does she make friends easily, or does she have trouble getting along with people? Adrienne used to make friends a lot easier than she does now. Whilst she's still friendly she's now more cautious and guarded, making friendly connections with people but not really letting them in or know her.
8. Which does she consider more important: family or friends? Family
9. Is the character single, married, divorced, widowed? Has she been married more than once? Single. Adrienne tends to have flings and hookups more than anything. She's dated before, in high school and college, though as a resident she felt too busy to navigate a relationship, then was pregnant, wanted to try and keep her life simple for her daughter and now is a mess. She claims that love and relationships aren't for her, though she does enjoy the stability of a fling and having someone comfortable with her than her one night stands (no matter what she'll profess). Whether Adrienne wanted a relationship or not she won't have one: she doesn't want anyone there whilst she feels broken and doesn't want to put her mental state on anyone to have to navigate, she knows that she's difficult and doesn't want anyone to be hurt.
10. Is she currently in a romantic relationship with someone other than a spouse?
11. Who was her first crush? Who is her latest? Her first big crush (and time) was with a guy called Alex. It was a very short-lived thing, more flirting and attraction, with sex putting her in the hospital. He was interested afterwards, asking her out, though Adrienne turned him down. She still liked him but she was embarrassed about what had happened and wanted to step away from that. She has no current crush.
12. What does she look for in a romantic partner? Easy flirting, good attraction and great orgasms. Her flings are usually with people she already knows, more mutually agreed "sex? yes? great" and keeping it very open and flirty. Sometimes they've stemmed from a one-night that she's been impressed enough with to see again. Currently, romance is low on her priorities (though she will never say no to some wooing and flattery).
13. Does the character have children? Grandchildren? If yes, how does she relate to them? If no, does she want any? Adrienne had a daughter named Isabella. She became pregnant after a hookup (it was worth it) despite contraception. Adrienne adored Isabella, trying to keep as healthy a work-life balance as possible to make sure she was there for her, spending as much of her off-work time with her, seeing and doing whatever they could (in New York and taking trips). Isabella was 8 when she died, an illness that was diagnosed slightly too late for her to respond to treatment.
14. Does she have any rivals or enemies? Usually friendly competition, particularly during residency.
15. What is the character's sexual orientation? Where does she fall on the Kinsey scale? Adrienne's bisexual and very comfortably so. She came out when she was in high school, has dated and hooked up with all kinds of people. She has a pretty loose definition of her interests: it's the person she's sleeping with, not what's between her legs (both can make her come if they're good at it). Adrienne does have better emotional connections with women than men, though she wouldn't say she's looking for any kind of connection.
16. How does she feel about sex? How important is it to him? She has a pretty high sex drive, is happy to flirt and doesn't have an issue finding someone to sleep with. She's good at keeping herself detached, would claim she doesn't know what love is (personally), and is also pretty flexible about where she'll sleep with you. She tends towards casual sex and doesn't always take them home for it.
17. What are her turn-ons? Turn-offs? Weird bedroom habits?
★ Beliefs 1. Do you know your character's astrological (zodiac of choice) sign? How well does she fit type? Adrienne's a Leo (August 3) and fits it reasonably well: she's confident, warm and creative, and whilst unintended has been pretty dramatic in her life. She's also loyal and fiercely protective of people.
2. Is this character religious, spiritual, both, or neither? How important are these elements in her life? Neither. Adrienne's mother was raised Catholic though stepped more away from her faith long before Adrienne was born. Whilst Adrienne knows the details of Catholicism it's never been part of her life. She's agnostic really, having something to put belief or hope in when she's needed something even if it never necessarily extended to talking to God. Minus the one time in her life when she did beg and scream.
3. Does this character have a personal code of morals or ethics? If so, how did that begin? What would it take to compromise it? Do no harm is a big part of her code being a doctor. Even before this she was pretty relaxed and non-violent, preferring to help people over hurting them. Intentionally hurting someone would take her life of the life of someone she loves being seriously at risk.
4. How does she regard beliefs that differ from his? Is she tolerant, intolerant, curious, indifferent? Tolerant, and curious in the questions that she'll ask to understand (for knowledge and to make sure she's not unintentionally offensive) but leaving them to be other people's beliefs.
5. What prejudices does she hold? Are they irrational or does she have a good reason for them?
★ Daily Life 1. What is the character's financial situation? Is she rich, poor, comfortable, in debt? She's comfortable, having saved from her hospital salary. A lot of this disappeared during her years volunteering, so she's rebuilding but she also is currently living smaller as she does.
2. What is her social status? Has this changed over time, and if so, how has the change affected her? Adrienne's in a better position than when she grew up and made sure that her daughter had a comfortable way of growing up. As a doctor she's in a good position, was able to leave her life and volunteer for two years and have something return to, a position a lot of people wouldn't be in. She's got access to good healthcare, insurance and people around her.
3. Where does she live? House, apartment, trailer? Is her home her castle or just a place to crash? What condition is it in? Does she share it with others? Adrienne lives in an apartment in New York. It's something she rented temporarily, so it's a pretty shitty apartment but she rented it short notice on a short-term contract whilst seeing if she could stay in New York. It's currently looking just somewhere she's crashing: her things are still in storage and she hasn't spent much time decorating it (the furniture isn't even hers). She keeps it clean, presentable and one day will (hopefully) get herself a better, more permanent apartment. A home again.
4. Besides the basic necessities, what does she spend her money on? Alcohol is probably her biggest spend, transport passes, Swiss chocolate (online orders) and takeout. Previously, she used to buy books, travel, and conference passes.
5. What does she do for a living? Is she good at it? Does she enjoy it, or would she rather be doing something else? Adrienne's a doctor, trained as a pathologist but currently working more in the emergency room or helping to oversee some of the interns (babysitting, sometimes). She enjoys medicine and being a doctor, though she's currently trying to find where her place is again: she loves pathology but her specialism is more difficult for her now, and whilst she enjoys seeing patients she doesn't feel as if she's in the right place. It's on her life of things to figure out.
6. What are her interests or hobbies? How does she spend her free time? Adrienne enjoys walking and hiking. She enjoys museums and art galleries and seeing live music or reading. Occasionally, but not enough to be a hobby, she would ice skate or draw.
7. What are her eating habits? Does she skip meals, eat out, drink alcohol, avoid certain foods? Adrienne is terrible about eating well. Whilst she can cook she doesn't enjoy it, especially not with the state of her mental health and tends to order take out or pick up something on her way home. She's the worst about eating breakfast (coffee and a hospital pastry if she remembers), drinks too much (less than she used to!) and avoids certain foods due to stomach sensitivities. What she gets for takeout is reasonably healthy and varied (Italian, French, Greek, sushi, etc etc) and she does enjoy food and trying new things.
Adrienne's early life started fairly boring, being born in Minnesota to Swiss-German and American parents, an only child whose most exciting adventures were the infrequent trips to Switzerland to visit her grandparents. Life changed for her when she was fifteen when, whilst sleeping over at a friend's house, two men broke into her home, killing her parents in the invasion. The invaders were never caught, and Adrienne was taken in by her aunt, though unfortunately also had to relocate to Oregon where her aunt lived. Though her first few months there were miserable and difficult (including her), she completed school, broke the heart of the first boy who tried to love her, and worked through the summer. She'd applied for a chemistry degree at one of the community colleges, working part-time as she studied.
After graduating, Adrienne took the next steps as a new chapter of her life, trying to close the book on the pain of her teenage years. She was studying medicine in New York, spending half of that time studying in a bar, sporadically working in said bar, and meeting the person who would end up being her best friend (Julia). Their friendship took a while to settle in, Adrienne's bossiness clashing with Julia's calmer voice of wisdom, but somehow, their conversations kept coming together until they never stopped. Adrienne stayed in New York, starting her residency in pathology, on track to being known as a skilled pathologist with a good eye for detail. Her "quiet" (busy) life ended up taking a hit when she fell pregnant, in the third year of her residency (a couple of one-night stands turning consequence) and against what the other residents would have said was sense kept the baby. Her daughter (Isabella) was born in June, the hospital daycare saved her when she returned to work, and despite some struggles, Adrienne completed her residency, continuing her studies to specialise in a fellowship in pediatric pathology.
Though Adrienne tried to keep her life simple and quiet (refusing to fall in love, raising her daughter, and spending more time at home), the world decidedly was not as simple. Though she thought she knew her best friend, Julia had kept a secret since they'd met: she was a vampire. She was shocked, somewhat afraid, though despite the glimpse of danger something accepted it -- not easily, she refused to speak to Julia for months, though half a bottle of wine and a curious text ended up bringing their friendship back. Adrienne had rules, though they eventually eased as she became comfortable again except for one: she loved her friend, but she didn't want to know more than necessary about that world. She wanted safety. So Adrienne knew that vampires, magic, and more creatures than she cared to ask about existed, but details didn't cross her path. At least until she jokingly asked Julia a question when she was stuck analysing a cell sample and it hit a little closer to the supernatural than she expected, but those were the exceptions.
Things calmed down, years passed, and then Isabella became sick. It was a slowly progressing illness, months of testing that felt more torturous because she couldn't help, though no answer came, not one in time. The diagnosis came too late for Isabella to recover, and Adrienne took her loss hard. Her sabbatical lasted longer than planned, though in her spiral, the days weren't noticed. Eventually returning to work, her usually friendlier bossiness was snappier and her confidence was pushed to an extreme, more reckless than anything: no one died, her work was still careful enough (and checked) that her patients were safe, though reckless driving leading to her being injured in an accident gave her a time out. Surgery, physio, and seeing a mandated therapist started getting her the help she needed. Her grief slowly started being worked through, her drinking cut back, and she started a plan of where to go now.
This plan involved a real sabbatical from work and volunteering with Médecins Sans Frontières. Adrienne needed space and physical distance from her pain, and it gave her hope, a potential purpose that she could do something to help. Though she signed up for a year, Adrienne stayed with Médecins Sans Frontières for two years before returning to New York. Despite the distance and healing that she'd begun Adrienne didn't know if it would be enough to help settle back into her life. She stayed in New York for six months, catching up with friends, touring the hospital, but the more time she spent there the more old memories and pain surfaced and all she wanted to do was run. So Adrienne signed back up, knowing that she could offer more help with Médecins Sans Frontières, more than she could currently in New York.
It was at the airport where she was stopped. Julia had taken her there, accepting that if Adrienne was committed to this then she'd see her off but hoping that she could convince her friend not to go -- she'd seen her spiral once and Julia wanted to help her more than anything, though that meant being a little (selfishly) stubborn with her friend. A long conversation (and a little begging) got Adrienne to return with her -- painfully, but together they came up with a plan: Adrienne would live with her, she'd find a new therapist and her hours working would be reduced. It began a long process for Adrienne and though she engaged more with therapy this time she still refused to touch the center of her pain -- Isabella. But slowly, with each session, some of that chipped a little away, a hint or a memory that she didn't quite stop herself from talking about and even if she shut down after it the door was starting to open. The more Adrienne worked the more that Adrienne brought little things of her life back: hiking, a trip to Switzerland to clean her grandmother's (her) place and center herself, reminding herself about herself again, some of which she'd forgotten over the years.
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★ DETAILED PROFILE
no subject
1. Describe the character's height and build. Is she heavyset, thin, short, rangy?
Adrienne's 5'4 (163cm, she claims she's 5'5, but she's not) and slender, probably a little underweight but nothing drastic or health-wise concerning and there's some decent muscle tone to her from the walking and hiking that she does.
2. How old is she?
42
3. Describe her posture. Does she carry himself well or does she slouch?
Walking she tends to have a straighter posture, in a lab she's as comfortable as she could be whilst analysing labs and data. At home on her couch she's either curled into the corner, legs tucked beside her, or laid out along it.
4. How is her health? Is she fit or out of shape? Any illnesses or conditions? Any physical disabilities?
Generally healthy and reasonably fit. Her liver is something she doesn't want to think about its condition, and she has a surgical scar along her stomach. Adrienne also has a (mildish) latex allergy (mostly a rash/hives-type response to skin contact, or asthma-like if it's stronger) and hay fever. There are also a few foods that she avoids due to stomach sensitivities (thanks, latex proteins) but she's not allergic to them.
5. How does she move? Is she clumsy, graceful, tense, fluid?
Generally pretty graceful and smooth movements, the grace of someone who's used to working in a busy environment and trying not to bump into people. In certain situations she's more tense, in unfamiliar environments or if her arms are bare, or on the worst of her days.
6. How attractive is this character physically? How does she perceive himself in the mirror?
Pretty hot and she knows it. She flirts easily, will use her looks to her advantage, though she's not especially vain: her hair is where she takes the most attention, keeping her makeup lighter day-to-day. A contrast to how Adrienne sees her attractiveness is her comfort with her body: she's a lot more comfortable with clothes on or in a darkened room, not comfortable with her scar or wanting other people to notice/give attention to it.
7. Describe her complexion. Dark, light, clear, scarred?
Fair and clear, with just the one scar along her stomach. She's probably currently more tanned than she'd usually be after a couple of years in hotter climates.
8. Describe her hair: color, texture, style.
Blonde and, despite having a slight wave to it, is finer than thick. Her waves help her hair to hold a style well, usually curled or more-wavy than her natural, if Adrienne doesn't tie it up whilst she's working. She usually keeps her hair around shoulder-length or just past her shoulders.
9. What color are her eyes?
Green, more jade than bright.
10. Does the character have any other noteworthy features?
No tattoos, just a single ear piercing, some light freckling along her arms and chest.
12. What is the character's wardrobe like? Casual, dressy, utilitarian? Bright colors, pastels, neutrals? Is it varied, or does she have six of the same suit?
Adrienne's a fan of being comfortable, wearing oversized jumpers with jeans or leggings and flat shoes (ballet flats or boots). If she's looking a little nicer she'll swap the jumper for a long-sleeved blouse. Unless she's in bed or at a formal event she'll typically have some form of sleeves with her outfit. Her jumpers tend to be cream or grey, blouses white-patterned or darker shades (blues, reds). She's a neutral or darker-toned person over pastel.
13. Do her clothes fit well? Does she seem comfortable in them?
They fit well (fashionable oversizing) and she's very comfortable!
14. Does she dress the same on the job as she does in her free time? If not, what are the differences?
At work Adrienne's typically in scrubs with a cotton, long-sleeved top underneath it (usually black). In the path lab she tended to wear purple scrubs, now in the ER she's wearing their darker blue scrubs.
15. You knew it was coming: Boxers, briefs or commando?
She prefers a lacier bra, wanting to feel nice even if she's not showing it off. At work she'll be more comfortable, sometimes a sports bra or one that feels supportive for a long shift. Underwear tends to match the bra.
no subject
1. What does this character's voice sound like? High-pitched, deep, hoarse?
Adrienne has a light midwestern accent, born in Minnesota, though she's spent more years out of state than in it causing it to soften. Her directness can make her sound a little harder, though when she's more humoured or flirting it's smoother and softer. With patients, especially children, she speaks with a much gentler, softer tone to put them at ease.
2. How does she normally speak? Loud, soft, fast, evenly? Does she talk easily, or does she hesitate?
She's a confident speaker, clear in what she says, only hesitating when she's not certain about something (or doesn't want to say something).
3. Does the character have a distinct accent or dialect? Any individual quirks of pronunciation? Any, like, you know, verbal tics?
Adrienne has two accents depending on what language she's speaking: English is a soft midwestern tone, and German sounds as if she's natively from Sankt Gallen, though someone that's lived abroad for a long time.
4. What language/s does she speak, and with how much fluency?
Her first language is German, spending more time in her younger years speaking it than English, though she grew up bilingually speaking both (German with her mother, English with her father and at school). Living in Egypt for two years Adrienne learned Arabic, able to work and hold conversations with her patients easily enough. She also speaks French, though her conversations are much more basic.
5. Does she switch languages or dialects in certain situations?
When Adrienne was younger she was much more confident speaking German, often only speaking it, but socially began speaking majority English. She speaks German when she visits Switzerland or with her Swiss family. Sometimes when she's frustrated and ranting she'll trail off into German, though that's a less common thing.
6. Is she a good impromptu speaker, or does she have to think about her words?
If it's a topic that Adrienne is knowledgable in she can speak about it, though something less familiar to her she'd have to think about it. She's had to present findings or attend conferences in the past to be a comfortable-enough speaker.
7. Is she eloquent or inarticulate? Under what circumstances might this change?
Typically eloquent. On Adrienne's worse days thinking isn't the easiest or what she wants to do so her conversations suffer, shorter answers, less communication and even her word choices can be blunter or harsher.
no subject
1. How intelligent is this character? Is she book-smart or street-smart?
More book-smart: she holds a medical degree and completed a fellowship, continuing reading and research through the years.
2. Does she think on her feet, or does she need time to deliberate?
Being a doctor both is a good skill: if she has time to deliberate she'll use it, wanting the best diagnosis or treatment that she can present, spending the time to really investigate what a result is telling her. If she doesn't have it? She'll use instinct and what the labs and symptoms are telling her.
3. Describe the character's thought process. Is she more logical, or more intuitive? Idealistic or practical?
Idealistic, wanting to hope and believe in better things. She thinks of other people, putting them over herself. At work she's pretty logical, following what the labs tell her, researching and making sure her answer fits.
4. What kind of education has the character had?
Adrienne completed college (chemistry) before attending medical school (pathology residency) and then completing a fellowship (pediatric pathology). She attended a community college, though studied hard to help get herself into medical school.
5. What are her areas of expertise? What, if anything, is she interested in learning more about?
Adrienne specialised in pediatric pathology, though despite having little patient contact and spending more time in the lab she kept her patient care and general doctor skills practised in the skills lab (always just in case, any need for first aid or an emergency). Volunteering with Médecins Sans Frontières has developed those skills further, with Adrienne spending more time around patients and doing front-line patient care, in both general treatment and some more emergency situations. Whilst Adrienne misses being in the pathology lab she doesn't know if that's her future, so whilst not re-specialising she's continuing to develop her skills to be able to comfortably work in the emergency room.
6. Is she an introvert or an extrovert?
She's an introverted extrovert. Adrienne's always had a more outgoing, friendly, bubbly personality. She's great with people, enjoys being around people and whilst she does really love small, close-knit activities (meals, small group drinking at someone's home to kick back) she also enjoys more public, social spaces. In the last few years she's pulled more away from people. Whilst Adrienne is still good with people and public spaces, she's reclused a little more, spending more time alone or with just one or two friends when she is being social. She's trying to connect more again and enjoy being social but it feels easier to keep tucked away and alone currently.
7. Describe the character's temperament. Is she even-tempered or does she have mood swings? Cheerful or melancholy? Laid-back or driven?
Adrienne has a pretty mild temperament and whilst she gets annoyed it's harder to make her truly angry. Annoyed she'll rant or stubbornly argue but she's pretty quick to calm back down. She's usually cheerful and pretty relaxed about how she views life, though more driven about work and her patients. She's snappier and more of a nightmare when she's having a bad day, after her nightmares or mind has hit her hard. She's blunt, irritable, and better to keep a distance from, but she will always be apologetic after the fact (sometimes during if she realises how she sounds).
8. How does she respond to new people or situations? Is she suspicious, relaxed, timid, enthusiastic?
It ranges from relaxed to curious to flirty, depending on what about the person sparks her interest.
9. Is she more likely to act, or to react?
Act. Adrienne likes getting things done especially when she believes that she's right.
10. Which is her default: fight or flight?
Flight. She's not combative or aggressive and whilst she'll stand her ground in certain situations she's much better at retreating and avoiding.
11. Describe the character's sense of humor. Does she appreciate jokes? Puns? Gallows humor? Bathroom humor? Pranks?
Flirty and suggestive. If it's humour about herself it's a little darker and self-deprecating. She enjoys jokes, will watch (some) pranks but won't get involved in them.
12. Does the character have any diagnosable mental disorders? If yes, how does she deal with them?
Adrienne was diagnosed with PTSD and tends to not deal with it. Whilst she did attend her hospital-mandated therapy she refused to talk about her grief or trauma, struggling more with it as it ate at her. Adrienne did take some of the advice of her therapist, working with some of the coping strategies that they gave her to make the day-to-day manageable but tried to put everything else in a box. It led to her burning a lot of bridges, cutting people off and walking away from her life. She's trying to recover from that now, feeling more stable day-to-day but she still won't touch anything that hurts even though being back in her life and with potential triggers around her is making living feel more like just surviving.
13. What moments in this character's life have defined her as a person?
14. What does she fear?
15. What are her hopes or aspirations?
16. What is something she doesn't want anyone to find out about her?
It's not that Adrienne doesn't want anyone to find out but she doesn't want to talk about it: her daughter.
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1. Describe this character's relationship with her parents.
They were close and there was a lot of love. Adrienne was a lot closer with her mother, her dad often deployed overseas and though they talked a lot she also missed him a lot. Adrienne misses them both a lot, having lost them when she was 15, and there have been many moments where she wished they were with her.
2. Does the character have any siblings? What is/was their relationship like?
She's an only child.
3. Are there other blood relatives to whom she is close? Are there ones she can't stand?
After her parents died she was raised by her aunt Caroline. They still regularly talk, though Adrienne hasn't visited her in a few years. Adrienne was also close with her Swiss grandparents, seeing them a couple of times a year and calling them regularly. Though she has (Swiss) cousins and (American) grandparents she's never been as close with them, not seeing or speaking to them in years.
4. Are there other, unrelated people whom she considers part of her family? What are her relationships with them?
5. Who is/was the character's best friend? How did they meet?
Her best friend, Julia, is someone that she met in a bar during medical school. Julia was the one that spoke to her first, trying to distract her from the studying that Adrienne was trying to do: she'd been there for hours and Julia thought she could use a break and a drink. It took a few of these meetings before Adrienne properly talked to her. For a while they lived together to help with rent (Adrienne was at work more than home as an intern) and she's still the person Adrienne's closest to, being unable to be pushed away by anything Adrienne does or says.
6. Does she have other close friends?
Her other closer friends are people that she worked with at the hospital, those that stayed by her even when she tried to push them away: her residency mentor (Emma) and another pathologist (Andrew). More recently, she's gotten friendlier with one of the ER attendings (Abby) who helped her settle back in.
7. Does she make friends easily, or does she have trouble getting along with people?
Adrienne used to make friends a lot easier than she does now. Whilst she's still friendly she's now more cautious and guarded, making friendly connections with people but not really letting them in or know her.
8. Which does she consider more important: family or friends?
Family
9. Is the character single, married, divorced, widowed? Has she been married more than once?
Single. Adrienne tends to have flings and hookups more than anything. She's dated before, in high school and college, though as a resident she felt too busy to navigate a relationship, then was pregnant, wanted to try and keep her life simple for her daughter and now is a mess. She claims that love and relationships aren't for her, though she does enjoy the stability of a fling and having someone comfortable with her than her one night stands (no matter what she'll profess). Whether Adrienne wanted a relationship or not she won't have one: she doesn't want anyone there whilst she feels broken and doesn't want to put her mental state on anyone to have to navigate, she knows that she's difficult and doesn't want anyone to be hurt.
10. Is she currently in a romantic relationship with someone other than a spouse?
11. Who was her first crush? Who is her latest?
Her first big crush (and time) was with a guy called Alex. It was a very short-lived thing, more flirting and attraction, with sex putting her in the hospital. He was interested afterwards, asking her out, though Adrienne turned him down. She still liked him but she was embarrassed about what had happened and wanted to step away from that. She has no current crush.
12. What does she look for in a romantic partner?
Easy flirting, good attraction and great orgasms. Her flings are usually with people she already knows, more mutually agreed "sex? yes? great" and keeping it very open and flirty. Sometimes they've stemmed from a one-night that she's been impressed enough with to see again. Currently, romance is low on her priorities (though she will never say no to some wooing and flattery).
13. Does the character have children? Grandchildren? If yes, how does she relate to them? If no, does she want any?
Adrienne had a daughter named Isabella. She became pregnant after a hookup (it was worth it) despite contraception. Adrienne adored Isabella, trying to keep as healthy a work-life balance as possible to make sure she was there for her, spending as much of her off-work time with her, seeing and doing whatever they could (in New York and taking trips). Isabella was 8 when she died, an illness that was diagnosed slightly too late for her to respond to treatment.
14. Does she have any rivals or enemies?
Usually friendly competition, particularly during residency.
15. What is the character's sexual orientation? Where does she fall on the Kinsey scale?
Adrienne's bisexual and very comfortably so. She came out when she was in high school, has dated and hooked up with all kinds of people. She has a pretty loose definition of her interests: it's the person she's sleeping with, not what's between her legs (both can make her come if they're good at it). Adrienne does have better emotional connections with women than men, though she wouldn't say she's looking for any kind of connection.
16. How does she feel about sex? How important is it to him?
She has a pretty high sex drive, is happy to flirt and doesn't have an issue finding someone to sleep with. She's good at keeping herself detached, would claim she doesn't know what love is (personally), and is also pretty flexible about where she'll sleep with you. She tends towards casual sex and doesn't always take them home for it.
17. What are her turn-ons? Turn-offs? Weird bedroom habits?
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1. Do you know your character's astrological (zodiac of choice) sign? How well does she fit type?
Adrienne's a Leo (August 3) and fits it reasonably well: she's confident, warm and creative, and whilst unintended has been pretty dramatic in her life. She's also loyal and fiercely protective of people.
2. Is this character religious, spiritual, both, or neither? How important are these elements in her life?
Neither. Adrienne's mother was raised Catholic though stepped more away from her faith long before Adrienne was born. Whilst Adrienne knows the details of Catholicism it's never been part of her life. She's agnostic really, having something to put belief or hope in when she's needed something even if it never necessarily extended to talking to God. Minus the one time in her life when she did beg and scream.
3. Does this character have a personal code of morals or ethics? If so, how did that begin? What would it take to compromise it?
Do no harm is a big part of her code being a doctor. Even before this she was pretty relaxed and non-violent, preferring to help people over hurting them. Intentionally hurting someone would take her life of the life of someone she loves being seriously at risk.
4. How does she regard beliefs that differ from his? Is she tolerant, intolerant, curious, indifferent?
Tolerant, and curious in the questions that she'll ask to understand (for knowledge and to make sure she's not unintentionally offensive) but leaving them to be other people's beliefs.
5. What prejudices does she hold? Are they irrational or does she have a good reason for them?
★ Daily Life
1. What is the character's financial situation? Is she rich, poor, comfortable, in debt?
She's comfortable, having saved from her hospital salary. A lot of this disappeared during her years volunteering, so she's rebuilding but she also is currently living smaller as she does.
2. What is her social status? Has this changed over time, and if so, how has the change affected her?
Adrienne's in a better position than when she grew up and made sure that her daughter had a comfortable way of growing up. As a doctor she's in a good position, was able to leave her life and volunteer for two years and have something return to, a position a lot of people wouldn't be in. She's got access to good healthcare, insurance and people around her.
3. Where does she live? House, apartment, trailer? Is her home her castle or just a place to crash? What condition is it in? Does she share it with others?
Adrienne lives in an apartment in New York. It's something she rented temporarily, so it's a pretty shitty apartment but she rented it short notice on a short-term contract whilst seeing if she could stay in New York. It's currently looking just somewhere she's crashing: her things are still in storage and she hasn't spent much time decorating it (the furniture isn't even hers). She keeps it clean, presentable and one day will (hopefully) get herself a better, more permanent apartment. A home again.
4. Besides the basic necessities, what does she spend her money on?
Alcohol is probably her biggest spend, transport passes, Swiss chocolate (online orders) and takeout. Previously, she used to buy books, travel, and conference passes.
5. What does she do for a living? Is she good at it? Does she enjoy it, or would she rather be doing something else?
Adrienne's a doctor, trained as a pathologist but currently working more in the emergency room or helping to oversee some of the interns (babysitting, sometimes). She enjoys medicine and being a doctor, though she's currently trying to find where her place is again: she loves pathology but her specialism is more difficult for her now, and whilst she enjoys seeing patients she doesn't feel as if she's in the right place. It's on her life of things to figure out.
6. What are her interests or hobbies? How does she spend her free time?
Adrienne enjoys walking and hiking. She enjoys museums and art galleries and seeing live music or reading. Occasionally, but not enough to be a hobby, she would ice skate or draw.
7. What are her eating habits? Does she skip meals, eat out, drink alcohol, avoid certain foods?
Adrienne is terrible about eating well. Whilst she can cook she doesn't enjoy it, especially not with the state of her mental health and tends to order take out or pick up something on her way home. She's the worst about eating breakfast (coffee and a hospital pastry if she remembers), drinks too much (less than she used to!) and avoids certain foods due to stomach sensitivities. What she gets for takeout is reasonably healthy and varied (Italian, French, Greek, sushi, etc etc) and she does enjoy food and trying new things.
★ HISTORY
After graduating, Adrienne took the next steps as a new chapter of her life, trying to close the book on the pain of her teenage years. She was studying medicine in New York, spending half of that time studying in a bar, sporadically working in said bar, and meeting the person who would end up being her best friend (Julia). Their friendship took a while to settle in, Adrienne's bossiness clashing with Julia's calmer voice of wisdom, but somehow, their conversations kept coming together until they never stopped. Adrienne stayed in New York, starting her residency in pathology, on track to being known as a skilled pathologist with a good eye for detail. Her "quiet" (busy) life ended up taking a hit when she fell pregnant, in the third year of her residency (a couple of one-night stands turning consequence) and against what the other residents would have said was sense kept the baby. Her daughter (Isabella) was born in June, the hospital daycare saved her when she returned to work, and despite some struggles, Adrienne completed her residency, continuing her studies to specialise in a fellowship in pediatric pathology.
Though Adrienne tried to keep her life simple and quiet (refusing to fall in love, raising her daughter, and spending more time at home), the world decidedly was not as simple. Though she thought she knew her best friend, Julia had kept a secret since they'd met: she was a vampire. She was shocked, somewhat afraid, though despite the glimpse of danger something accepted it -- not easily, she refused to speak to Julia for months, though half a bottle of wine and a curious text ended up bringing their friendship back. Adrienne had rules, though they eventually eased as she became comfortable again except for one: she loved her friend, but she didn't want to know more than necessary about that world. She wanted safety. So Adrienne knew that vampires, magic, and more creatures than she cared to ask about existed, but details didn't cross her path. At least until she jokingly asked Julia a question when she was stuck analysing a cell sample and it hit a little closer to the supernatural than she expected, but those were the exceptions.
Things calmed down, years passed, and then Isabella became sick. It was a slowly progressing illness, months of testing that felt more torturous because she couldn't help, though no answer came, not one in time. The diagnosis came too late for Isabella to recover, and Adrienne took her loss hard. Her sabbatical lasted longer than planned, though in her spiral, the days weren't noticed. Eventually returning to work, her usually friendlier bossiness was snappier and her confidence was pushed to an extreme, more reckless than anything: no one died, her work was still careful enough (and checked) that her patients were safe, though reckless driving leading to her being injured in an accident gave her a time out. Surgery, physio, and seeing a mandated therapist started getting her the help she needed. Her grief slowly started being worked through, her drinking cut back, and she started a plan of where to go now.
This plan involved a real sabbatical from work and volunteering with Médecins Sans Frontières. Adrienne needed space and physical distance from her pain, and it gave her hope, a potential purpose that she could do something to help. Though she signed up for a year, Adrienne stayed with Médecins Sans Frontières for two years before returning to New York. Despite the distance and healing that she'd begun Adrienne didn't know if it would be enough to help settle back into her life. She stayed in New York for six months, catching up with friends, touring the hospital, but the more time she spent there the more old memories and pain surfaced and all she wanted to do was run. So Adrienne signed back up, knowing that she could offer more help with Médecins Sans Frontières, more than she could currently in New York.
It was at the airport where she was stopped. Julia had taken her there, accepting that if Adrienne was committed to this then she'd see her off but hoping that she could convince her friend not to go -- she'd seen her spiral once and Julia wanted to help her more than anything, though that meant being a little (selfishly) stubborn with her friend. A long conversation (and a little begging) got Adrienne to return with her -- painfully, but together they came up with a plan: Adrienne would live with her, she'd find a new therapist and her hours working would be reduced. It began a long process for Adrienne and though she engaged more with therapy this time she still refused to touch the center of her pain -- Isabella. But slowly, with each session, some of that chipped a little away, a hint or a memory that she didn't quite stop herself from talking about and even if she shut down after it the door was starting to open. The more Adrienne worked the more that Adrienne brought little things of her life back: hiking, a trip to Switzerland to clean her grandmother's (her) place and center herself, reminding herself about herself again, some of which she'd forgotten over the years.