Emberlynn Knight

Emberlynn hummed to herself, bouncing to the tune as she navigated her way around the craft tent. Out of all the wonderful amenities this place had to offer, this was by far her favorite. The tent was a veritable wonderland of materials for creative projects. From paints to clay to today's material of choice - scrap lumber. The cheerful teen picked out a couple of nice looking pieces and brought them over to the center table where she'd laid out a particular canvas. It was an old painting, and a quite odd one at first glance. A forest of rainbow trees sprouting up from pink grass, with a log cabin inhabited by a green-mohawked minotaur. The piece had been one of her earliest works here at the camp, and had remained her favorite ever since. Mostly because she and her sister Petal had painted it together. It could normally be found hanging up in the Iris cabin, but she'd decided it was high time she made a frame for it. She was measuring out the back of the frame when a sudden chill ran down her spine. A feeling washed over her that she wasn't quite familiar with. Someone was approaching, that was certain, but this strange feeling... An Ares kid? Some of them had that aura thing that made other people angry... But this wasn't anger. It felt more like... well, not pain exactly. That feeling you get after pain - like someone had hurt her to her core and she needed to do something about it. For some reason it felt like she'd been thrown into the middle of a tense conflict. Ember did her best to shake the odd emotion. "Hello there!" She called out in her best "peaceful" voice. "To whom do I have the pleasure of speaking?"

An embarrassed smile flitted across Emberlynn's face. It seemed Petal had grasped exactly what she had been hinting at before she could even suggest it. And it also seemed her notebook of projects was a more open secret that she'd anticipated as well. Perhaps her sister had seen her scrawling in it at some point, too lost in her thoughts to bother hiding it away. It wouldn't be a shocking revelation. Still the important thing was that she was open to working together! The embarrassment lasted but a brief moment before her expression gave way to utter joy. "Truly?" she exclaimed. "Oh, I would love that!" Her mind had a terrible habit of flitting from project to project, dooming them all to eventual failure. But working with her sister was bound to keep her on track. "And I as well!" she chimed in as her sisters discussed a cheering squad. Honesty, Ember was impressed. She'd never been particularly athletically-inclined, so hearing that Hailey was both an artist and a swimmer made her seem like a very well-rounded person by comparison. It was funny, really. Before coming to camp half-blood, Emberlynn had always seen herself as rather eccentric. Her classmates had always seemed to agree. It was strange to suddenly have so much in common with the people around her. She felt more at home in the Iris cabin than she ever had with her adoptive family. Her parents had pushed hard for her to admire her elder sister, but their constant comparisons and their lack of common interests had bred nothing but resentment. But Hailey and Petal - here were sisters that she genuinely could look up to. Petal responded positively to her question about crushes, which immediately peaked her interest. The child had no experience with romance herself, but was an absolute sucker for romance stories. All of her favorite shows and books seemed to end with a perfect and loving partner for their heroine. And while she shew that people weren't storybook characters, she also knew that real life romances could be every bit as dramatic. She had no crushes of her own at the moment - it had been a whirlwind of a year with few opportunities for things like that. But she was happy to hear that there may be potential in her sister's love life. "A good philosophy," she assured her. "Though if you ever have need of a wingman, I'd be more than happy to oblige." As she looked at Hailey and Petal's faces, her sense of elation only grew. It really is quite nice to have a family. It would be characteristic of her to give a long, flowery speech in this moment. A flood of words to express how grateful she was for their presence. But the response she gave was quite unusual for her - though every bit as heartfelt. Perhaps the other children were rubbing off on her already. "Ditto!"

Emberlynn tried her hardest to keep her face still, though the combination of ADHD and excitement made that an exceedingly difficult task. While her cheeks remained relatively still, her eyes lit up at Petal's response. "Oh, that's wonderful! I know exactly what you mean... it must be impossible to go through life without a soundtrack ringing in one's mind! Playing, you say? Which instruments do you play? I took piano lessons as a child, though I was admittedly rubbish at it. Too much "Sit still, Emberlynn! You quit that playing around!" She did her best shrill piano teacher impression. For a moment her hands forgot their mission to keep still and made stiff, jerking motions to accompany her words. She nearly knocked the paintbrush from Hailey's hand. "My apologies..." Ember quickly folded her hands back into her lap. "I get a bit... carried away at times." Thankfully the rainbow paint across her face served to hide a bit of her embarrassment. "Anyways, I'd be delighted if you'd play for me sometime!" Her mind flitted to the notebook under her mattress, filled with half-finished poems and lyrics. The teen had a million ideas but a frustrating inability to see any of them through. Perhaps her sister could help turn a few into completed projects? "Have you composed any songs of your own?" She asked hopefully. They continued the cheerful chatter about music until Haley was finished with her creation. Ember stood and produced a small compact mirror from her skirt pocket. A gasp escaped her lips. "It's beautiful! Thank you, dear sister!" She offered Hailey a hug before taking over to start on Petal's facepaint. Doing her best to incorporate the newfound knowledge she'd gained about her sister, she began to paint a colorful swirl of music notes on her cheek. "I must say, it brings me immense joy to finally have some cabin-mates! You two have to tell me all about camp so far. Monsters, adventures, crushes... tell me everything!"

Alias: AdelynnWilde Characters you are Keeping: Emberlynn Knight, Vienna Pimm, Axel Gauthier, Elliot Payne Characters you are Making inactive: N/A Characters you are Retiring: N/A

Character Name: Emberlynn Knight Cabin: Iris Other Characters involved in Plot: Oracle, Benji Baker, Sage Roberts, *At least one character must be willing to receive a temporary injury Plot Overview: Emberlynn was just getting used to life at Camp Half-Blood. She's made some friends, found some family, and even made some breakthroughs with her photokinesis. But she's nowhere near ready when the oracle calls upon her to track down and eliminate a monster that's been terrorizing a high school in suburban Indiana. Ember and her team attempt to infiltrate the school by posing as transfer students, but her lack of confidence in herself costs them their chance and gets a friend injured. Terrified of getting someone else hurt and desperate to prove herself, she attempts to take on the enemy by herself. This ends in absolute disaster, but she does manage to find out the monster (an Empousa)’s weakness - being insulted. Realizing her prior mistakes, she trusts in her friends and defeats the creature using her tongue rather than her sword. She returns to camp victorious in her quest, and a better person and better friend for it. Plot Outline: Emberlynn receives a vague prophecy telling her to hunt down a monster in the "state of a score, ten, and eight". Emberlynn is unconfident and tries to reject the quest, but is ultimately convinced that she needs to go The party is formed and figures out that “state of a score, ten, and eight” is Indiana The group takes a train towards Indiana and gathers information pointing toward the high school The party investigates and identifies Emily Greenberg as the monster The Half-Bloods confront Emily. Emberlynn fails to act at a crucial moment and another team member is injured. Emily pins the chaos on the group and gets them banned from the campus. Emberlynn sneaks away to confront the monster on her own. Emberlynn fails miserably, is knocked unconscious, and is nearly killed. She accidentally discovers that the monster’s weakness is being insulted. Teammates nurse Emberlynn back to health and are furious with her for going off on her own. Hearing her story, a companion puts together that the monster must be an Empousa. The group comes up with a plan to kill her - this time together. The team has a final confrontation in which Emberlynn uses her telltale quips to weaken and confuse the monster while the others come in to deliver the killing blow. The campers return and celebrate victory. Emberlynn realizes how important it is to believe in both herself and her friends. Plot Locations: Camp Half-Blood Train to Indiana (Maybe local library for researching info) Suburban High School Empousa’s lair - clearing in nearby woods Return to Camp Half-Blood Full Plot: Emberlynn has been at Camp Half-Blood for about a year now, and is finally starting to get used to things. She spends most of her days in relative peace - working on crafts, developing her powers, and deepening her relationships with her newfound friends and family. But the more she learns about the world of demigods, the more alienated she begins to feel. Much as she yearns to be, Emberlynn doesn't feel like a hero. Her combat skills leave much to be desired, and for all her creative pursuits, she's unable to determine a true talent she can boast of. She longs to find a purpose here, to help these people who have given her a home, but her self-esteem issues make it hard to see herself as anything but useless. So it comes as an absolute shock when she receives a prophecy from the oracle. She is tasked with tracking down and slaying a monster in the "state of a score, ten, and eight". At first she claims it must be some sort of mistake, that the quest must be meant for one of her older sisters or one of the more "hero-like" campers. But when it is made clear that the prophecy is indeed for her, she begrudgingly accepts and finds a few other campers to join her. The group figures out that the vaguely-described monster must be in Indiana - the 38th state - and set out to begin their adventure. As the group travels closer, they find information that points them to a particular high school in the suburbs. They enter the school posing as transfer students from another district there on a visit. It soon becomes apparent that something is off with the "popular clique", and in particular with the captain of the softball team- the almost supernaturally popular Emily Greenberg. Having identified their monster, the team formulates a plan of attack. They confront the creature, and things seem to be going well until it comes down to Emberlynn needing to make a split-second decision. Unsure of her answer and lacking confidence in her skills, she freezes. Another member of the team is wounded. Emily takes the opportunity to use her charmspeak on the principal, getting the Half-Bloods banned from campus and pinning the chaos on them. Emberlynn feels beyond guilty over her wounded friend, fully blaming herself for their failure. While the others plan and regroup, she secretly decides to try and take out the monster by herself. At least that way, she figures, nobody else can get hurt. She tails Emily and her clique back to their lair, but gets discovered and surrounded. Normally Ember is all quips during a fight, but in her determination to "do it right" and "act like a real hero", she keeps silent and focuses on the fight - a fight in which she is severely outnumbered. She fails miserably, getting beaten to within an inch of passing out. Just as the monster is about to feast on its prey, she lets out a feeble insult... and the creature shrieks and flees from the room. One of her companions tracks her down just in time and drags the unconscious Emberlynn back to safety. Her teammates are understandably furious with her, but her story of what occurred strikes a chord with one of them. They've heard of a monster who screams and flees at the sound of insults - an Empousa. This time they know what they're up against, and they're going up against it as a team. They manage to isolate the ringleader and Ember uses what she now realizes is her special talent after all - her words. She hurls the best insults she can think of, and as the monster reels back, the others close in and turn it to dust. The group returns victorious. After everything that's happened, Ember has not only learned that it's alright to rely on those around her but is a bit more comfortable relying on herself too. Does this impact more than just my character and those I'm writing with directly? No, only quest participants and (minimally) residents/students in the small suburban town. Would this make major headlines or otherwise ensue panic or happiness on a massive scale? No, the reality of most of the chaotic events is obscured by the Mist, and nothing large enough to make any major headlines will occur. At most the school newsletter might mention something vaguely related.

"Careful there, Mr. Gauthier," Emberlynn chuckled. The giddiness brought on by her victory clearly had yet to leave her. "That was very nearly a compliment." She still couldn't say she liked the boy much. He'd been quite rude to Sage out of nowhere, and seemed far too eager to smack her around with that stick. But she had to admit he'd been helpful. And this was far too wonderful a moment to allow it to be tainted by hard feelings. Though the rainbow light had faded from her skin, Ember was still positively beaming. She could hardly believe what had just happened. She'd done it... She'd really done it! For all her efforts up util now, all she'd been able to produce was a tiny ball of light. But with Sage's guidance and Axel's - uh - aggressiveness? - she'd managed something she'd hardly thought possible. Not one, but two full-sized illusions!!! Granted, they'd been bit shaky and had only lasted a second, but with practice... Her young mind ran wild with possibilities. Once she got a bit better at this, she'd have to put on a light show! She imagined a full band of holographic Emberlynns onstage, each with their own outrageous and sparkly outfit. Dancing fairie-lights flitting through the audience. A crowd of smiling people people. The thought filled her with wonder and excitement. Of course, there were more practical uses for her skills as well. Sage's words still rang in her ears. "With practice and honing your skills, you'll be able to harness this power even further. Together, we'll help you explore the depths of your abilities and become an even stronger demigod." Ember nodded eagerly. If she could be useful to the camp, to Iris... well, that was almost as enticing as making everyone smile with a show. "You're quite right!" she beamed, linking arms with her newfound training buddies. "A celebration it is!" She was weary and sore from the effort, but her eyes shown with a greater determination than they had in quit some time. "To the Big House!" With that she drug them off to revel in their victory.

"Oh!" Emberlynn gave an embarrassed chuckle as Hailey walked in the other direction. "My apologies, I know my manner of speaking isn't entirely conventional." It seemed that Hailey had misunderstood her request. Of course that was entirely understandable. The teen girl spoke like a walking thesaurus at times, which didn't make for the easiest conversations. It was her own childlike way of imitating the glamourous women she'd seen in the media growing up. They always spoke so eloquently, dressed so impeccably, and always seemed to lead such happy and interesting lives. She knew that her flowery speech and patchwork outfits were a poor facsimile, but it had become such a core part of her that she sometimes forgot how off-putting it could seem to others. Gods damnit Ember... She spoke quickly to mask the panic in her voice. She hoped she hadn't ruined the mood. "I-I meant..." she pointed to her face again. "I meant you could do mine, and then I could do Petal's... I mean I could paint first if that's what everyone would rather do. Whatever you're most comfortable with! Though I'm certain yours will be amazing, Hailey." Hailey was, after all, an artist. Ember herself loved to paint... and draw... and bake... and sew... and sing... The girl had a multitude of interests that seemed to vary by the day. And she was quite talented at several of them. But she was never the best at anything. She was a pretty good painter, a half-decent baker, an above-average singer - but nothing stood out as her ultimate talent. Sometimes she wished that she had that one thing. One particular skill that set her a notch above the rest. But every time she wanted to focus on one thing, she found that there were just too many to choose from. So she was stuck as a perpetual Jack-of-All-Trades. And master of none. "It's truly wondrous to have a talent like that," she acknowledged, giving Hailey another smile. "How about you, Petal? Is there any particular hobby or talent you've found passion in?"

"Indeed!" Emberlynn nodded eagerly. She was honestly grateful for Petal's quick decision making. That was always something she had struggled with herself. Between her impossible desire to please everyone and her frequent flights of creative fancy, making a decision was more terrifying than a Hydra. Not that she'd ever had to battle a Hydra, thankfully. Aside from her tragically low self-image, indecisiveness was perhaps her greatest weakness. One that could easily derail a fun party too... but it seemed she wouldn't have to worry about that tonight. It was wonderful to see that her sisters were just as excited to get to know each other as she was. Ember grabbed a lemon-flavored cupcake with shimmering purple icing from the table, taking a huge bite. Auntie A had made similar sweets for her twelfth birthday party... back before her whole world had been upended. Maybe one day she could take her sisters to visit the bakery if such a gathering wouldn't attract too many monsters. She sat down in front of Hailey, who had already gone to grab the face-painting kits. "Excellent plan, Petal!" She beamed, tucking her legs back behind her and her rainbow hair back behind her ears. Then she pointed at her exposed face. "So you're an artist, then?" She looked up at Hailey, eyes sparkling with anticipation. "In that case, I'm ecstatic to provide you a canvas! That is if Petal doesn't mind me taking the first turn." She motioned for the Petal to join them. "I could do yours next, if you'd like? Though it might not be as good. I'm sure our elder sister has much to teach us!"

With another deep breath, Emberlynn locked eyes with Sage. Lets the light flow through you... focus on how this feels... Right. Come to think of it, that warm tingly feeling that accompanied her ability did seem stronger now. When she conjured her small purple light, she had often found herself drawing on that feeling, pulling it up from her core into her hand. But thus far she'd only been able to conjure a fraction of the warmth she'd felt that day in the woods. Until now. She realized, under the pressure of Axel's vicious swings the feeling had grown within her. Instead of a tingling in her core, it felt like lighting coursing through her veins. How had she not noticed this before?! It had taken the analytical words of her friend to draw her attention to it. But now that she was fully aware, she was not going to let it go to waste. Just what was that feeling though? How had it come about? She tried to think back to what had been happening when Axel first declared that it was working. He'd been smacking her around with a tree branch. Obviously. But what had she been thinking. Feeling. What brought about that surge of power? Gods what do I do... Mom... help... That was it! It must be. All thins time, she had been relying on her own sense of strength and skill to push out the light from herself. But Emberlynn's true sense of self was far from ideal. That panic and longing had forced her to cry out for help. And her mother had answered. She looked down at her hands, still pulsing with multicolored light. It felt as though it was waiting. What do you need? the power seemed to ask. I need... She looked from Sage to Axel, who was about to strike her again with hat horrible stick. She could block him, but Sage would just as easily cut her off from escape. I need to be in two places at once. As if in answer, the light changed form. It swirled around her and let out a blinding flash. Ember dropped to the ground, rolling away from Axel's attack. But instead of trailing her as he normally would, his eyes remained on the spot where she had just been. Well, where she still was to the outside eye. In that brief moment there was not one, but three Emberlynn's. The real one who had managed to roll past her attacker, and two illusions facing her opponents. They were stiff, identical, and a bit fuzzy. Nothing that would fool a trained eye for more than a second. But a second was all she needed. As Axel bore down on the illusion, she grabbed his sword arm from behind. She used his own momentum against him, forcing him to drop the stick. She placed her foot on it and grinned. Both illusions vanished in an instant. "Good gods, did you see that!?!" her voice swelled with excitement.

The Most Colorful Cabin .animated_rainbow_1 { font-size: 42px; font-family: Calligraffitti, Gadget, sans-serif; background-image: -webkit-linear-gradient(left, #f00, #ff2b00, #f50, #ff8000, #fa0, #ffd500, #ff0, #d4ff00, #af0, #80ff00, #5f0, #2bff00, #0f0, #00ff2a, #0f5, #00ff80, #0fa, #00ffd5, #0ff, #00d5ff, #0af, #0080ff, #05f, #002aff, #00f, #2b00ff, #50f, #8000ff, #a0f, #d400ff, #f0f, #ff00d4, #f0a, #ff0080, #f05, #ff002b, #f00); -webkit-animation: animatedBackground_a 5s linear infinite alternate; -webkit-background-clip: text; -webkit-text-fill-color: #0000; background-clip: text; } @keyframes animatedBackground_a { 0% { background-position: 0 0 } 100% { background-position: -500px 0 } } ~ @ Hailey King @ Petal Price ~ Emberlynn hummed to herself, dancing around the Iris cabin with a sparkle in her eyes. There was an odd grace to her movement as she made her way through the bunks, stringing up the last of the multicolored streamers her aunt had mailed in with the latest care package. That did remind her - she needed to put some extra effort into her tank-you card this time around. Aunt Amelia had truly outdone herself. When the box had first arrived, it had been the envy and curiosity of every camper who saw it in the mail room. A brightly-colored parcel the size of of many of the preeteens themselves. And knowing that her aunt shared her passion for gift-giving, Emberlynn herself had been more than excited to open it. But the present had been far more generous than the girl had expected. The box had contained a variety of streamers and art supplies, a face-painting kit, several trays of sugary confections from her bakery, and even a karaoke machine (one of the old timey ones that operated off of discs with a chorded microphone, as Amelia was well aware of the dangers electronics posed to demigods.) With it had been a note written in her signature flowery handwriting: For Emberlynn: I know how much you love to throw parties for your friends, and I'm sure you've made tons of new ones at Camp Half-Blood! Here's some supplies to get you started. Love ya and miss ya! - Auntie A Emberlynn had puzzled for days over the best way to make use of her gift. Should she wait for a birthday or holiday? Request permission from Mr. D to hold a pop-up party at the big house? But the inspiration had struck her while looking at a painting she'd created with her sister in the craft room. This would be a perfect opportunity to bond with Hailey and Petal! She'd always wanted a sister (well, a real one, not her perfect princess of a stepsister who refused to acknowledge her attempts at bonding), and discovering that she now had two of them had brought her immense joy. But she'd been so wrapped up in camp events and developing her magical abilities that she'd scarcely had the time to give her social abilities a stretch. She hadn't hosted a party in forever, and where better to start then right here in their very own cabin! She took a step back, admiring the afternoon's work. The karaoke machine sat in one corner. In the other, she'd placed a plastic table with one of the craft rooms paint-splattered tarps as a makeshift tablecloth. The trays of beautiful sweets from Auntie A's bakery were laid out there alongside some slightly-less-beautiful ones she'd made herself in the kitchens. She was still learning after all. Along the back wall she'd set up a little face painting station with the kits she'd been given, and a banner strung up that read " GIRLS NIGHT! ". Ember wore a wide grin as she admired her handiwork. Yeah... this felt good. It had been far too long. Pleased with the layout, she sat down on her bunk, eagerly watching the door to greet her sisters when they arrived.

Emberlynn smiled warmly. She was happy - truly, immensely happy. It seemed that her sister understood exactly where her train of thought was headed. It was wonderful to have a sister. Someone who, while different in many ways, shared her wild and creative mind in ways she hadn't found even with her closest friends. Petal was right. The world they were creating together was beautiful. And not just the Iris kids either. Everyone she'd met here so far had held a different worldview, walked a different path. But here they all were at camp, learning, training, protecting each other... it truly was a beautiful thing. "As am I. I'm glad you're here, Petal." Ember wiped the paint from her face and returned to her work. Beneath one of the rainbow trees, she began to form a smaller picture. A picnic blanket, a basket full of colorful fruits, and two rainbow-haired girls chatting happily together. "It's a fascinating place, Camp Halfblood." She commented. Her early days here had left her lonely and confused. But now she had started to make some friends. And even a sister! The camp was starting to feel a whole lot more like home.

Looking at Petal's face now, Emberlynn felt a pang of guilt. She'd known that abilities were a rare occurrence, but the way they had been talking... it seemed she'd gotten overeager. She'd really hoped that she'd have someone to practice with and share in her experiences. But thinking now, there had never been any guarantee. Petal may well have goddess-given powers, but there was a chance that they didn't even work the same way that Emberlynn's did. She masked the mixture of self-shame and disappointment with a smile. "I apologize, Petal," she admitted, her voice softer and a bit less boisterous than normal. "I may not be the best teacher when it comes to these things. I'm quite new to all of this myself. I hadn't meant to become so overexcited." She turned back to their painting and began to fill in the other half of her green-haired minotaur. Even if they wouldn't be training partners with their magic, she was still quite pleased to have a sister. She loved Petal's ideas, and the way their minds worked so similarly. Her brush moved in to paint a yellow and pink tree next to one of petal's bright purple and green ones. The brushstrokes differed of course, made by different hands, but they together the picture they were making was brilliant. Ember's eyes moved from her part of the canvas to Petal's, then back to hers... then went wide. She jumped to her feet. "Oh, of course!" "Petal, look!" she motioned to their artwork, accidentally splattering a bit of paint on herself in the process. But whatever she had realized had made her so excited that she failed to notice. "Look at our trees! They're both colorful and wonderful, but they're different too!" Her smile widened. "What if you're correct in your assumption that your ability is something different. Surely people as eclectic as ourselves would have unique abilities too, wouldn't we? So perhaps using the powers my way is the issue. You've just got to find your way." Of course, such a thing would take time. But the thought of finding their own connections made her just as eager to work together as she had initially been. "It might be something like what I do, or something entirely unique. But that's the thrilling part isn't it!? Like - like finding your creative spark when we're painting! Oh, don't be disheartened, sister... Mother is looking out for the both of us, I'm certain of it!"

Emberlynn's excitement rose while Petal described her experience with the dog. It wasn't exactly like her experience with the scorpion, but it was close... close enough, perhaps? It definitely showed that their celestial mother was looking out for the both of them. Maybe... she thought. Just maybe... In her mind, she was already picturing the two of them learning together. Using their gifts side by side, teaching each other whatever new discoveries they made. Surely she could learn much faster that way. Social creature that Emberlynn was, she wasn't particularly eager to have an ability just for her. She would much rather share such a thing with her newfound sibling. And now that they were talking, it seemed for the first time that may be a real possibility. "Of course!" she exclaimed. "I would be thrilled to assist!" But... how? The young girl had very little experience with her abilities, and she wasn't entirely certain how to describe it. She thought of her recent encounter with Sage and Axel, and the things she had learned about her powers through that experience. "It won't work if you focus too intensely on it," she explained. "I struggled with that quite a bit recently - putting in far too much personal strain. When it works for me, it seems to operate more like a prayer. Think of what you want the light to do, and trust that mother will understand and offer her guidance. That's what's worked for me so far at any rate." She reached out to take Petal's hands. "Think about those times mother's power has revealed herself to us... scaring off that dog, for instance. Dwell on it a moment, then let it go. Trust that it will work, and it will! Maybe." She hoped she was explaining things right, as she'd only just learned these stipulations herself. It wasn't even clear if that was entirely accurate. But it had worked for her so far, and she truly hoped it would work for her sibling in turn. That was- if she was naturally inclined to the same divine gifts of course. Ember really, really hoped she would be.

"I... I suppose I could try..." Ember's smile faltered. She'd been hoping her older sibling might teach her a thing or two about Iris's gifts, but it turned out Petal knew even less about them than she did. But it broadened again as a new possibility dawned on her. She'd heard that not every demigod had an ability, not even those who shared a house. While they were all blessed with superhuman survival abilities and many with the occasional assistance of their deific parents, special magics like those she wielded were rare even among her kind. Petal, however, could very well be different. The way she had described her connection to the goddess had struck a chord with Emberlynn. The younger girl had experienced many of those same feelings growing up. If anyone she knew was going to share her ability, she had a feeling it could be her sister. And if she did indeed share in those powers, perhaps the two of them could work on developing them together. Oh, how wonderful that would be! "I must admit though, I'm rather new to it myself. It started when I was attacked by a scorpion in the forest - horrid little creatures, those scorpions." She shuddered. "Little" wasn't exactly an apt descriptor either. It had been about thrice the size of the preteen camper. "Well, horrid large creatures." She corrected herself. "Thanks the gods MK - ah, she's one of the older campers - she came to my rescue. A genuine knight in bronze armor, that woman. Yet even with her help, the fiend had nearly bested us. That's when it happened!" Her gestures illustrated the story as she spoke, her face lighting with animation. Her paintbrush lay forgotten next to the canvas. "This blinding flash of light came down from the sky! Initially I thought it to be lightning. Until I noticed there was no smoke or scorch marks that is. I had this warm feeling all over, like something hotter than blood was coursing through my veins." Emberlynn closed her eyes for a moment. She focused on conjuring that warm feeling until she felt it spread from her core to her fingertips. A shimmering, prismatic light surrounded her hands, which she then raised to show Petal. "That feeling you were taking about - that connection to mom... it feel like that... just a thousand times more potent." Displaying her ability was simple enough now that she'd identified that feeling as the source of her powers. Controlling and shaping it, however... that part still needed a lot of practice. "I cannot make big flashes like that first one on a whim though. Not at present, anyway. But I've been working quite hard to develop it." "Have you ever had anything like that happen?" she inquired. "Has mother ever intervened to save you or give you something you truly, desperately desired?"

Sage's words seemed to have gotten through to Axel, as he had stopped lashing out at Emberlynn for a moment. Her heart still felt as though it would pound out of her chest, but she steadied herself and took a breath. Control. That sounded right. Axel wasn't the only one who needed control. Though his remark about taking things too far did make her uneasy. She focused her vision on the blonde girl. She looked and spoke with such tactical confidence. This was a child of Athena alright. Perhaps with her help, if Ember was able to keep a good head on her shoulders... Yes. They could do this. "Sage! It's working!" It... it is?!? Emberlynn turn her attention to the source of the claim. Axel had been calling out. That strangely mixed expression was gone from his face, replaced with one of shock and interest. She spun round again, looking from one attacker to another. Was Sage doing something? What was Axel so mesmerized with. Flustered as she was, it took the girl a moment to realize that he wasn't looking past her to view his teammate. He was looking directly at her. Ember finally looked at her own hands and immediately saw what all the fuss was about. A shimmering, rainbow light was surrounding her entire body. Iris had answered her prayers. She took advantage of the moment she'd been given, thinking over just what she wanted to do with this gift of light. There were two of them, and only one of her. But knowing her mother's power was with her gave her a sudden burst of confidence. Bracing herself, she looked to Sage. "Ready."

"So they are real then! Oh, what a wonderful experience to have!" Emberlynn's purple eyes sparkled with wonder and delight. As a child, they'd been her first indication that there was magic in the world. Although her adoptive parents swore up and down that they "didn't know why they'd bought her those contacts", she knew they were no such thing. She'd longed for her eyes to look that way - like the amethyst eyes of her favorite warrior princess cartoon - and somehow her wish had made it so. Had it not been for that constant reminder, she mihgt have thought herself crazy. Plenty of others certainly did. The endearing insanity of a child trying to discover themselves...No, she'd been right all along. It was magic, real magic. And now, meeting a sister who thought like her, a sense of home that she hadn't felt for a while washed over her. "You're lucky," she joked. "My experience with magical creatures has fallen disticlty in the 'run for your life' category so far. How I'd love to meet a faerie!" Emberlynn paused mid stroke to think on Petal's question, so for a moment only half of a minotaur with a lime green mowhawk stood chopping trees for the log cabin. "Sure, there's been a few occasions. Thinking on hit, she must've been the one to grant my childhood wish of having purple eyes. And sometimes when I was feeling rather melocholy, I'd see a rainbow and - Well of course! Every time I use my-" Ember paused. Did Petal know about her ability? Was it something she could do too? The girl hadn't exactly been hiding it, but it wasn't so well developed that she was showing it off around camp either. Though with some help from Sage (and Axel, though she loathed to admit that part) it had definitely improved. She cupped her hands in front of her and offered up a silent prayer, one of longing to include her sister in her excitement. A small orb of purple light formed in her hands. Ember clasped it, pressing in as though molding clay. When she lowered her hands again, a small crytalline heart floated there above them. It still looked a bit fuzzy, like it she were to touch it her hand would pass right through. And to be fair, it definitely would. BUt it had come quite a ways toward looking like a solid object. The purple crystal heart twinked, still emitting that soft purple glow. "My ability." A sudden excitement rose in her. Petal was older. If she too had these powers, maybe she could teach her to better utilize them! "Do you have them too? The strange powers?"

So apparently Sage had meant for this to happen. Or something along these lines anyway. It wasn't entirely a bad idea - logically it made quite a bit of sense. Still, they could have given her a moment to collect her thoughts. And Axel certainly didn't need to take so much enjoyment in it. Well, actually... Ember couldn't really tell how Axel was feeling about it. Which was quite odd, considering her ability to read people was among her most prized and well-developed talents. But that face he was making was one she certainly hadn't seen before. Quite frankly, she wasn't even sure it was a human expression. It looked like every human emotion had been boiled in a vat and then splashed violently across his face. Speaking of violent. Emberlynn yelped pathetically as the stick bore down again. This time it struck her left arm, leaving a red scratch that might've drawn blood had the weapon been any sharper. "I wasn't gonna hurt her." He complained. Really now? she thought. Well you certainly could have fooled me. She really didn't like the look in his eyes. She leaned back, narrowly avoiding another strike. "And uh... if I'm going to far..." "If you're going too far what!?" Ember managed to squeak out. How exactly was she meant to stop this madman? Her ability of course, but... how... she glanced behind her, wondering if Sage would indeed make a move to block her exit. Axel stepped in closer. Gods what do I do... Mom... help... She was so focused on coming up with a way out, she hadn't yet noticed her skin had begun to glow.

"It's certainly exciting!" Emberlynn laughed. Petal spoke with an infectious excitement, one that Ember herself had long been known for. It was funny really... they had only just met these past few months at camp. Yet she already felt more like a sister than any of her adoptive family members. Perhaps their truly was something to be said of genetic nature. Or did that only apply to demigods? Either way, it was extremely refreshing. Between longing for her friend and struggling her newfound abilities, Ember hadn't felt that sense of family in what seemed like forever. Sitting here with her half-sister, she was beginning to feel like her old self again. "I didn't think telepathy was among our potential abilities," she joked. A rapidly spinning rainbow was just about the best description she'd ever heard of how the mind worked. "But you seem to be looking inside of my brain!' She absolutely loved the idea of making something crazy and colorful. A picture of a forest came to mind and began to flesh itself out as Petal described her ideas. Her brush, no longer hindered, began to dance across the canvas. A purple tree here... another red... another blue... Neon buildings, eh? "How about a cabin? Oh! Or a giant mushroom house for forest creatures to live! Or both - a log cabin with little mushroom houses for little faeries sprouting out from the foundation! Do you think they're real? Faeries, I mean. I suppose if sirens and satyrs exists then possibly... I guess they aren't Greek though so perhaps not..." As it usually did, her excitement was getting the better of her. She was beginning to get off topic. "Go on!" She urged, motioning toward the canvas where a cacophony of multicolored nature was beginning to form. "Grab a brush!"

And just like that, her prayers were answered. Maybe the gods were listening after all. "Oh, hello!" Emberlynn cheerfully greeted the new arrival. "It's Petal, isn't it?" The girl instantly recognized her newfound half-sister from the claiming. She'd been estatic when Iris had claimed another child at the bonfire - quite frankly Ember had begun to feel like she'd be alone in the cabin forever. Yet up until now, she hadn't actually gotten the opportunity it interact with Petal. Suddenly the empty tent felt like less of a tradgedy and more of an opportunity. It gave them space to get to know wach other! "I certainly could - use the company that is!" The gril grinned, tossing her multicolored hair over one shoulder. "I simply haven't a clue what to work on today. Or perhaps I should say I have too many clues. You know how it is I'm sure. It's such a strugle to pick only one idea." Ember motioned toward the empty canvas. That was the beautiful thing about an empty canvas. It could be turned into anything one desired. But that openness was also its' greatest curse. If anyone could understand, she assumed, it would be another child of Iris. "We haven't gotten much of a chance to talk yet," the young camper admitted. "How are you liking camp so far? I must say I found it all quite overwhelming at first but it certainly isn't without its charms!"

"Fighting? But we're not..." Emberlynn sighed. "I suppose it could appear that way, couldn't it?" It seemed she'd truly made a mess of things, and in front of a new friend no less. "My apologies Axel, I believe I've gotten myself a bit too - WHAT THE!?!" She stumbled backward, narrowly avoiding the tree branch that was about to smack her in the nose. Before she could catch her breath, the stick came round and struck her side. It wasn't a forceful enough blow to cause real pain - at least though her natural demigod defenses - but it was well placed to further knock the wind out of her. Ember took another step back. Too slow. The stick hit her ankles. This time she managed to regain her footing, finally getting a grasp of what was going on. Axel was the one hitting her. From his words it seemed he had taken Sage's advice extremely literally. "J-just... just what.. do you..." She panted, dtruggling to get the words out between dodging blows. She scanned for an opening, looking to put a bit of distance between herself and her attacker. It was a few more moments before she found the space to get the words out. "Oh for gods sake Axel!" She blocked another smack with her arm. These were actually starting to hurt a bit now. "I doubt this is what she meant. Please... Stop this at once!" She gave Sage a pleading look. "Tell him, won't you?"

Let's Make Something New .animated_rainbow_1 { font-size: 42px; font-family: Calligraffitti, Gadget, sans-serif; background-image: -webkit-linear-gradient(left, #f00, #ff2b00, #f50, #ff8000, #fa0, #ffd500, #ff0, #d4ff00, #af0, #80ff00, #5f0, #2bff00, #0f0, #00ff2a, #0f5, #00ff80, #0fa, #00ffd5, #0ff, #00d5ff, #0af, #0080ff, #05f, #002aff, #00f, #2b00ff, #50f, #8000ff, #a0f, #d400ff, #f0f, #ff00d4, #f0a, #ff0080, #f05, #ff002b, #f00); -webkit-animation: animatedBackground_a 5s linear infinite alternate; -webkit-background-clip: text; -webkit-text-fill-color: #0000; background-clip: text; } @keyframes animatedBackground_a { 0% { background-position: 0 0 } 100% { background-position: -500px 0 } } @ Petal Price The craft tent was unusually empty today. The place wasn't exactly a hub of activity on a normal day, to be fair. But usually there were a few campers present. The Hephaestus kids working on their various contraptions, the Apollo campers drawing out their poems in fancy calligraphy... none had come to this place today. Only a small girl with wild hair sat toward the center of the tent, staring intently at a large blank canvas. Emberlynn Knight was the girl in question. It wasn't odd to find her here - she was known for her love of personal expression - but it was odd to see her sitting so still. The canvas seemed to stare back at her, looming over her in all its emptiness. She raised her brush to the wall of white, drawing nearly close enough to mark it. Then her brush would drop and she'd cock her head, as if another perspective might be needed. What to do... what to do... Ember couldn't tell if the Muses had abandoned her or simply overloaded her with information. A thousand ideas swirled in her mind, but none seemed quite right. The girl sighed, spinning the paintbrush around in her hand. "What a strangely quiet day... how in the world am I supposed to draw inspiration from this?" Yes, that must be it! The child of Iris was vastly creative, but she thrived most when she could draw from people around her. It was the dull loneliness of the place that was stifling her - that must be the issue! She stood and stretched, looking about for something, anything to break the odd mood. She tried a few things herself - tapping her foot, humming a tune - but it just wasn't having the same effect. "Oh bother..." She looked to the ceiling of the tent, or rather past it toward the heavens above. "Well, you're always there, are you not mother? Would it be too much to ask for a playmate?" Of course it was. It was absolutely ridiculous to expect a goddess to even hear such a mundane request, much less respond. Still, she found herself looking hopefully at the entrance.

"Oh, I'm sure she can." Ember replied, giving Axel what was indeed an incredulous look. Why was he being so rude to Sage? She was clearly ony trying to be helpful, even if the introductions had been a bit awkward. Ember was the type to give everone the benefit of the doubt, but her insincts in this moment went two directions. In one sense, she felt obligated to stand up to the boy for his insults. On the other, she'd like to beleive that it was all a misunderstanding and he truly did have good intentions. Were it only her, she may have leaned toward the latter. But there was someone else here - someone else he appeared to be insulting for no reason. That and her prior frustration left a snappish tone in her voice. "And what if I don't get it, Axel? Can you fault me for that? Or perhaps it is you who's failed to give a good enough explaination to 'get'." She looked to Sage, her expresion changing a bit. What was she doing? This was no way for everyone to get along. She cast her eyes downward. "Ah... I'm sorry. There's no need for confict really. It's just... well, I'm quite frustrated. You see-" She extended her hand just as Axel had, only hers began to give off the telltale purple glow. A small trail of light followed as she waved it in front of her. "It's my... my ability, I suppose. I know it can be more useful. The first time I summoned it it was so big and bright, like the gods themselves were answering my call for help. But now I can barely make this tiny light. I just - I simply can't figure out how to access that strength I had before." Ember let the light die out. "Axel's not wrong, I suppose. I truly don't get it. Perhaps a new perspective is indeed called for. Have you any ideas?"

"Switch it up?" Emberlynn cocked her head, giving the boy a puzzled look. What could he possibly mean by that? How else was she supposed to develop a magical power aside from trial and error? It wasn't as though the camp provided training manuals. Heck, Ember didn't even have a cabin leader to ask questions about this kind of thing. "So, you're saying I should just not focus on making it work? And how, pray tell, am I supposed to do that!?" There was a streak of irritation in her voice. She wasn't angry at Axel, though it certainly may have come off that way. She was just frustrated. Frustrated that she couldn't get her abilities to work properly, frustrated that she couldn't grasp whatever the boy was trying to tell her... frustrated that she had nobody to share in her frustrations. Before she could apologize for the minor outburst though, another girl appeared in the clearing. She adressed Emberlynn by name, which struck her as peculiar since - well - they hadn't met. "Of course it's alright!" Emberlynn smiled brightly, instinctively masking her prior feeling with charisma. But... was that the best play here? It was a lie, wasn't it? Perhaps if she were to open up to the others, she might feel a bit less lonely. After a moment's consideration, she allowed the fascade to drop. "Oh... welll. actually no. I'm quite frustrated at the moment. That's neither of your faults though. Axel here was simply trying to help, and it would appear that you -ah - I apologize! You know my name, but I seem to be drawing a blank when it comes to yours! Who are you, might I ask?"

While the irony of his statement may have been lost on Axel, it certainly wasn't on Emberlynn. Her joking smile turned into a full-on giggle as she responded. "Terribly sorry - I meant no harm by it. It's just... well, you scared me for a moment there. I was attempting to concentrate. Didn't notice you at all until you were right there, you see." Her startled reaction ay have been excessively dramatic, but that was simply a part of being Emberlynn Knight. The daughter or Iris was anything but subtle. With her, every motion was complete, every tone precise, and every emotion clearly expressed in the most entertaining way possible. A true theatre kid at heart. This boy - Axel, he called himself - clearly wasn't the most subtle person either. Though he came off less flamboyant and more awkward to her. "Right - I should have guessed." She'd known almost immediately that her response had been a silly one, but she had hoped not to be called out on it so directly. "We're a little ways out from the Iris cabin - my cabin. I come to this clearing quite frequently. It's a nice place to do some thinking, wouldn't you say? An excellent atmosphere and quiet to boot! Well, usually." Ember smiled again. If she kept joking with him, he'd have to pick up on it eventually, right? It took him a while, but eventually he got to the actual introduction she'd been expecting. While he'd clearly known her by her hair and voice, it seemed he hadn't actually known who she was. That was remedied easily enough. "My name? Emberlynn Knight, at your service. The dragon-slaying kind, not the time of day. And what you just saw was my ability! Rather a pathetic showing of it though, I must admit." She cast her eyes downward, allowing her inner frustration to show for a moment. Ember hadn't shown her ability to many people. Only McKayla - who'd witnessed her moment of discovery - and her closest friend at camp, TJ. She'd wanted to develop it a bit more before showing it off to the general public. The fact that this was all she had to show for it at the moment irked her more than she would ever let on. Still a pair of fresh eyes on the situation couldn't hurt. She turned out her palm, once more producing the little ball of light. "This is what I was concentrating on. I've been trying to make it bigger. Or at least make it different. Perhaps it might change color or take another shape? I feel that it can, I just... well I haven't quite worked out the details of how to make that happen yet."

In... out... in... "Hey, it's you!" The sound startled Emberlynn, causing her to jump back with fright. For a moment the light she'd been conjuring flashed brighter than before. Perhaps there really was something to that scorpion idea... She had no time to dwell on that though, as her brain began to process the situation. The voice was no threat at all, unless she considered a boy about her age to be particularly threatening. It came from a ginger kid whom she hadn't noticed approach due to her concentration. He spoke rather bluntly, but she sensed no malice in his voice or demeanor. Lucky she was good at reading people though - many wouldn't take too kindly to being called "That chick with the weird hair and the loud mouth". "If anything, you've a louder mouth than I!" She cracked a smile, taking a moment to examine the boy. He was athletically built, with bright red hair and a freckled complexion. Being so young, he reminded her a bit of a buff leprechaun - the thought of which made her stifle a laugh. "Loud enough to give me quite a fright at any rate - though I must thank you for the breakthrough. As for where we are - this is Camp Halfblood. Haven't you been to the orientation yet?" Ember tried to place this guy in her mind. She could've sworn she'd seen him around before, but he must be new if he didn't know where it was they were. Though it had taken quite some time for her to properly transition to life here as well. Perhaps the poor boy was simply confused. No, wait... he had said he recognized her, even if he'd done it a bit rudely. He must've meant something else entirely. Quickly pushing past her blunder, she moved to a new line of inquiry. "And who might you be? You appear to know me, but unfortunately I have no such advantage."