biography

Emberlynn Knight had always been an "odd duck", especially in the eyes of her adoptive parents. They were, after all, an exceedingly normal family. A religious middle-class sort that valued conformity, modesty, and outward morality... complete with a white picket fence. The Knights were neither aggressive nor neglectful, but they were quite strict. Their daughters grew up under strict supervision. Their clothing, their friends, their studies, their hobbies - all kept under constant supervision. Such methods worked well for their older daughter. 15-year-old Katherine Knight was exactly the child they had hoped to raise. She was a model student, a volunteer in her church and community, obedient to authority and involved enough in her all-honors high school to be a shoe-in for any college applications. On the outside at least, Katherine was perfect.

Emberlynn... was not. Helena The younger sister was not a bad child by any means, but she was certainly different. Her elementary grades were average, and she had a terrible habit of "talking back" when she felt things were unfair. She enjoyed many extracurriculars - choir and drama club in particular - but was more motivated to hang out with her friends there than to add anything to her future resume. She was outspoken and cheerful, and try as they might her parents could not get her to "take things seriously". Ember loved to joke around, and her winning smile brought her a multitude of friends.

But it could not win her parents' approval. Especially not with the legacy of Perfect Kate hanging over her head. Somewhere in the back of her mind she knew they loved her, but it was hard not to think they loved Katherine more. Not that she could really blame them. After all, she was pretty weird, and weird stuff seemed to follow wherever she went. She'd walk up to perfect strangers and somehow get them to start telling this little child their life stories. She sketched and colored on EVERYTHING in sight, and had an eclectic fashion sense that left her traditional parents confused and horrified. And then there were the stranger things... the almost magical things...

Emberlynn had once seen a cartoon featuring a gorgeous, badass woman with deep purple eyes. She wanted those eyes. So badly did she wish for them that as she fell asleep that night the only image on her mind was one of her own eyes sparkling like amethysts. The next morning she found that her vision had manifested! Overwhelmed with joy and wonder she ran to show her mother, only to be met with "I don't know why we got you those damn contacts." But she didn't have contacts, and they hadn't bought them. Had they? That wasn't something the Knights would do...

The only member of her adoptive family she felt a true connection with was her Aunt Amelia. Aunt Amelia ran a small bakery in New York, and had a personality every bit as boisterous as Emberlynn's. Her visits were always a blast! She'd take her to museums, plays, art swaps - even to the fashion stores her parents would not allow her to shop in. Amelia was also the only adult that seemed completely unphased by Ember's quirks. She encouraged her to draw and paint the colorful visions in her daydreams. Taught her how to do makeup, and gave her temporary glitter tattoos to experiment with. And best of all, as Emberlynn entered middle school, she offered to bring her to New York to attend a local school for the arts.

This was a difficult ask of the Knights. Helena Knight trusted her half-sister.  But to trust her with her child's life was another thing entirely. The two women had only really become close as adults. Their mother had always been extra mysterious about Amelia's missing father and had long seemed determined to keep the two halves of their family apart. So much in fact that they had gone to different schools and Amelia had been sent off every summer to some camp. The sisters had reconnected as adults, but the freshness of their reunion made the decision a bit difficult.  Still, it was clear the boisterous woman knew how to handle herself. More importantly she seemed to know how to handle Emberlynn. Though they were loathe to admit it, she knew her better than they did. And while they didn't agree with the way she dressed and acted, their traditional methods did not seem to be working.  Between Ember's begging and Aunt Amelia's persuasions, her parents agreed to let her go.

Her new school was amazing, and she thrived in the less restrictive environment. For once, she felt like she could really let herself shine. She found it easy to make friends anywhere, and this place was no exception. On her first day she met a somewhat clumsy and awkward boy called Atlas and the two became fast friends. Even though it drove her nuts that he wouldn't let her style his hair - it was super shaggy and always covered by an old baseball cap - the two seemed to agree on almost everything else. He's walk her home from school most days, and they'd spend hours talking about their latest ideas and new projects.

Yet as she grew closer to her thirteenth birthday, the strange occurrences around her became more frequent. Once she swore she heard a horse complaining that he hadn't been given the right quality of oats. Another time she felt the gargoyles atop the library roof were watching her, only to turn and see no gargoyles at all. And when she stole her best friend's hat as a prank, she thought she saw little horns poking out from his messy hair. He assured her she had seen no such thing.

But the scariest occurrence happened on her way home from school one day. Atlas had been absent from school, so for the first time in quite awhile she was by herself. She heard a bark and a whimper from a nearby alley. When she checked to see if perhaps there was a stray dog in need of help, she found herself face to face with a snarling creature too large to be any normal dog. She charged down the street to her Aunt's apartment, the monster on her heels.

No sooner had she reached the door than her Aunt Amelia emerged - wielding a massive battleaxe! With one clean strike she drove back the beast, all while Ember looked on dumbfounded.

"What... the hell... was that?" She managed to get the words out.

But the axe-wielder was on a rant of her own. "I knew it! I mean, I didn't know it know it until recently but I was pretty sure by now.... but you're so young... and were in the world is Atlas? If he was here I wouldn't have to -" Aunt Amelia stopped abruptly gave her a concerned look. "Dammit... happening already, is it? You got a wild ride ahead of you, Em."

Emberlynn blinked. She couldn't process how she was feeling. Relieved? Amazed? Confused? It was too much to handle. And what on earth did Atlas have to do with any of this? Atlas usually walked her home, sure, but it's not like he and Auntie were particularly close, she thought... Well, at this point she had no idea what to think. So befuddled was she that she didn't even register the apparent randomness of her Aunt's next question.

"How do you feel about summer camp?"

Ember was quickly rushed to her room, where she listen to her Aunt stumble through an explanation. Apparently one of her parents - the biological ones - must be someone powerful and important. Amelia specifically said one of them must be a god, but that must have been an exaggeration, right? Anyway because of this lineage, monsters like that giant dog were going to keep attacking her and she needed to learn to defend herself. So now she had to go to some kind of camp to learn more? It was where Aunt Amelia had learned to wield that axe, and part of the reason the "other side" of Amelia's family had been kept a secret from the Knight clan. It all made sense in a vague fiction-y kind of way, but the fact that this was real life was still causing a major mind fog.

After a few very confusing minutes, Atlas came pounding on the door. "Amelia! Where's Emberlynn!? Is she safe? I'm so sorry, I was sick today, I should've been there!"

"Yes, yes you should have." Aunt Amelia seemed cold and concerned, yet far closer to Atlas than Ember could ever remember her being. "Atlas is a Satyr." She stated as though that would explain everything. She then turned back to the panicked friend. "Thank the gods they let me move her to New York. I guess I'll have to call Helena. And after all the effort mom went through to keep her out of all this... Life's funny sometimes, ain't it? Get in the car. You too, Em. We're going to Long Island!"

Neither of them were making any sense. "Long Island?" Ember mumbled. "What's in Long Island?"

Altas placed a hand on hers. Somehow it was reassuring, despite him clearly being involved in whatever this whole mess was. She didn't know it then, but his answer was going to change her life forever. |"What's in Long Island?" She repeated.

"Camp Half-Blood."

Personality

Emberlynn is outgoing and exceedingly cheerful. She instantly loves everyone she meets, and strives to make a friend out of even the most stubborn adversary. One of her favorite pastimes is finding (usually making) the perfect gift for someone - and she's quite good at it too. She's a bit naïve at times thanks to her eternal optimism, but somehow manages to bring out that bright side she's determined to see in almost any situation. She's carefree, colorful, and incredibly creative. Ember's innocent nature endears her to many people, and she has an almost supernatural ability to make people want to protect her. She loves people, and for the most part they seem inclined to love her in return.

Despite her extroversion though, Ember suffers from terminally low self-esteem. All the bright colors and makeup feel great when she looks at them, but she can't shake the feeling that everyone secretly finds her ugly and annoying. She constantly compares herself to others, and obsesses over every reason that she falls short. She also tends to try and "lighten the mood" in serious situations, making her look callous and uncaring at times.

She is stubborn to a fault, particularly when she feels someone is trying to make her conform to their own style. Ember simultaneously wants desperately to be accepted, but despises the idea of changing herself to be "acceptable".

About Me

Birthdate: August 23rd, 2009
Likes: Giving Gifts, Baking, Music, Acting, Meeting New People, Sweets, Spicy Food, Glitter, Cute Animals, Drawing, Fashion, Tattoos, Hugs
Dislikes: Sports, Being Told How to Look, Studying, Coffee, Bitter Foods, Conflict, Being Compared to Others (even though she does it to herself all the time), Letting People Down, Feeling Disrespected

Family:

• Mom:
  • Bio Mom - Unknown
  • Mom - Helena Knight (38)
• Dad:
  • Bio Dad - Unknown
  • Dad - Elliot Knight (39)
• Siblings:
  • Bio Siblings - Unknown
  • Sister - Katherine Knight (15)
• Other:
  • Aunt - Amelia Warden, half-sister of Helena Knight (42)

Happy Thoughts: Picturing herself surrounded by friends, everyone happy and comfortable doing something together.
Nightmares: Being Rejected, Being Forced to Conform, Enclosed Spaces
Fatal Flaw: Emberlynn is her own worst critic, and the brief reassurances and expressions of love she gets from others may never be enough to make her see herself as worthy.