Name: Vera Zeman
Alias: Vera "Blight"
Age: 22
Personality:
Vera is completely submissive; she is passive when it comes to other people's actions towards her. Even if she's treated like trash, at worst she'll only act distant. She feels awkward when people do things for her, and feels the need to do things for others. This is to such an extent that she could ironically even be considered 'needy.' She rarely does things for herself, and thus has few interests and hobbies. Although Vera is prone to hiding it, she does actually enjoy playing real-time strategy games. Should she get really into it, she can even despair over losing at such a game, feeling she completely failed her duty to protect those who relied on her.
Appearance:
Vera is rather average in height and weight (and three sizes,) reaching 5'5" at 130 lbs. (1.65m/59kg) She has long and dark hair, which is often decorated with one or two bows or accessories to make her otherwise 'dark and edgy' appearance more approachable. She often wears full body clothes along with gloves. Vera has a blind-fold, but she can easily see through it. That is because its purpose is to hide. While one of her eyes is a normal brown, the other is a festering and writhing mass of moving parasites, bright with blood and without pupil or iris. Similarly, when her clothes don't hide her flesh, it's easy to see movement under her skin.
Powers: Parasites
Parasites have completely taken over Vera's body, to the point where neither her bones, muscles, or blood can even be called her own. Nor can they be called those things. Rather than these things being the parasites, it's more like her mind is the one living off of them. They are highly adaptable and resilient, forming to fit the need. The parasites themselves form up Vera's inner body, and can easily be seen wriggling under her skin. Vera's brain is the one exception, only being half-infected.
The resilience and adaptability of these parasites provide a large benefit to survival. They allow Vera to take grievous wounds as well as poisons or toxins, and even survive harsh environments. Although she has something resembling blood, it's only purpose is the direct transmission of nutrients (and is actually edible to others!) If her 'lungs' are damaged beyond use, new parasites will work as 'lungs.' The only 'vulnerable' part of her is the brain. That said, if her arm is cut off, it's cut off. It's not like she can re-attach it... yet.
Additionally, Vera has found it possible to open up portions of her skin to create a mouth-like opening. The parasites form teeth, which although aren't that hard can at least penetrate flesh. From this mouth, an acidic slime can be produced. This slime is also capable of causing festering and rotting when in contact with living things. Through experimentation, it is also possible to use things 'eaten' to strengthen the bite of the teeth. However, since it causes problems with her body, she is unable to keep the material in her body for too long.
Weaknesses and Limitations:
There are a few practical and aesthetic weaknesses to her power. Practical: As stated, the teeth she makes are somewhat soft, and can only have their hardness imbued temporarily. The acid saliva, while damaging, is hardly fatal unless you let her gnaw on you for a minute or so. Despite that small damage output, this is her only ability that can be labeled as 'offensive.'
Aesthetic: Vera's parasites make her seem inhuman, and it's easy enough to think of her as such, even amongst the empowered. Due to the constant shift of parasites under her skin, it's almost implausible for her to be disguised as a normal human, unless she's decked out in conspicuous full-body clothing, including her parasitic eye.
Abilities: Cooking & Housekeeping. Patience, pain endurance. Skilled at observation. Slight strategical ability from games.
History:
Her parents immigrants, they lived in poverty. Vera Zeman had lead a hard life. That name wasn't even hers. Her parents had been murderers, and from an early age she had been left alone. While she wanted to forget her name, those around her didn't. They drove her away, transferring the sins of the parents onto the child. Perhaps it was because Vera accepted it without resistance that things escalated. No one bothered to raise her properly. Everyone pushed everything onto her.
Soon that extended to outsiders. She had been kidnapped, yet no one would even pay a dollar of ransom. Rather than let her go, she was sold in the slums. Life from there could easily be imagined. And yet, it was much worse. Because of her passive acceptance, her mind did not break. She accepted the suffering without going crazy. She accepted the scars on her body and soul. She even accepted the blindness that took one of her eyes. The only bit of happiness she received was that she was no longer Vera Zemen. She was Vera "Blight," named so out of spite.
One day, it was either an Angel or Devil that smiled upon her. Even she, who had only been used, had heard rumors of the super-powered humans called Empowered. Even she hoped to become one, it was a life better than one she had. ... It had certainly not been a happy transition. It had happened suddenly and all at once. The client ran away screaming in disgust. Vera was vomiting blood, her body in utter hell from pain. She could see it moving, could feel the things inside her. Soon she wasn't just expelling blood, but parts of her organs too. It was a bit too much when she was holding a piece of her own heart in her hands, veins trailing from her mouth. She was completely horrified when suddenly she regained vision in the eye she had lost so long ago.
Naturally she ran. It had happened, but she didn't know what to do. Naturally. Becoming an empowered was only a fantasy. The reality of it was not so pretty. Vera no longer had a place to stay. She had been taken care of in return for being used. Even a tool receives a certain amount of care. But she had no where to go and no one to trust. She couldn't even show her ever-moving body. It was only a matter of pure blind luck that she managed to be found by the Syndicate before being captured by the government.
