InsaneJournal

positives: dedicated, loyal, intelligent, creative, well-read
negatives: obsessive, easily irritated, manipulative, argumentative at times, insomniac, fanatic

As dedicated as Emerson is, it often crosses the line to obsession, and as the obsession grows, it continues straight into fanaticism. For example, he first felt the ideals of L.O.L. were in line with his and after he dedicated his free time to them, he became obsessed, then fanatic about them. Now he preaches their ideals to anyone who'll listen. He sleeps no more than four hours a day, in fits and spurts.

Born in New York, NY, Emerson Harris was the youngest child of Frank and Louisa (Malone) Harris. His older sister, Madeline, was four years old when he was born. The two started as bitter rivals, always fighting to see who would be the better student, who would get more of their parents love and attention, who would make teachers more proud. It didn't help that Emerson was always "the smart child" of the family, because Maddy would get horribly jealous. A normal childish fight when Emerson was 12 and Maddy was 16 ended in hits between the two and when Frank walked in on it, he took his eldest child into the back bedroom and beat her until she screamed. When he was done, he came back out, took Emerson over his knee and used his belt on him for what felt like hours, but was likely more like five minutes. Emerson went to his sister when it was over and curled up next to her, and in that moment, the entire rivalry was over. They never talked about the beatings they got. They just became a unified front. They would never let it happen to the other again.

Maddy was 18 years old when she fell in love with a man Emerson would later find out was a Super. At the time, he just thought the guy was a normal, everyday jerk. That is until the day he watched the man try to hit Maddy and he stepped in between them. In a second, 14 year old Em was thrown into a wall and nearly THROUGH it, and he spent the next four days in the hospital, his arm broken, his back and head bruised horribly, and a new level of fear he couldn't exactly explain to anyone. Maddy refused to believe her boyfriend had meant to hit her, and she ran away with him, marrying him four months later. She sent a letter, and that was the only notification her family had.

Emerson started having problems with insomnia just after the attack, and the insomnia continuted to get worse and worse until he was only sleeping five hours a night. Then four hours a night, then three... and then he started hallucinating. His fear became paranoia. His small problem became a chronic condition. His parents started him on sleeping pills, and when that didn't work, they tried CBT, and EEG biofeedback. None of the "solutions" worked, and when Em slept at all, he had crazy dreams. The only benefit was that he began writing his dreams down, and selling them as short stories to a sci-fi magazine. The small amount of money coming in helped him to afford internet, books, and other distractions. Nights get very long when you aren't sleeping.

Through the years, Em had a few minor relationships, and even fell in love a few times. He's never felt safe with anyone though, always fearing that he would discover someone was a Super after he was already involved with them, and the paranoia about that happening has made him a loner. He went to college in Washington DC, and when he was finished, he decided not to leave. DC is now his home, and he's much more comfortable there than he is anywhere else.

One night, reading online, he ran across a group called L.O.L. and as he read about them, he realized he agreed with their politics completely. Their paranoia matched his almost perfectly. Within a short time, he was contacting group leaders and asking to become a recruiter. He does his recruiting mostly online, and he's very vocal about his feelings on Supers and the L.O.L. to everyone he comes in contact with.

● He has an IQ of 172.
● He's obsessed with true crime novels. The way human beings can hurt each other intentionally is fascinating to him, and almost titillating. His darkest nights are spent with books in which one seemingly normal human being does atrocious things to another. He could never do it, but that doesn't stop him from reading about it over and over.
● He has read books on many different religions, but Christianity is and will always be his own One True Religion.
● He and Maddy don't talk, even though they have seen each other a few times. There's too much bad blood between them. If she ever needed him, though, he would help her in a second. And he knows if he ever needs her, she'll be there for him.
● He's terrified of underground trains. Or anything underground, actually. He can deal with basements, if he has to. If anyone wants to get away from him, going underground would be the best place to go.
● His mother died when he was 24 of a double brain aneurysm. One on each side of the back of her head. They kept her on life support for four days, and finally shut it off. She lived for another 10 hours, and died as peacefully as possible.
● He is writing a series of stories based on his crazy-assed dreams. Certain things are changed, of course, but the majority of it is based in reality.
● Sometimes he hates being smart. He thinks people with average intelligence probably have life easier. Even if they don't, the question is: Do they KNOW their lives aren't easier? Do they realize? Or are they so average that they'll never understand?
● He hates most music. He can't tell you why, but there it is. His iPod has 23 songs on it, and he listens to them once every few weeks... maybe. When he's in a good mood.
● He once had a bird, but it was driving him crazy so he let it out the window. The squawking/chirping/noises were making him feel crazy.
● His favorite game is the Sims2. He likes to make himself and play the nights on speed 1 so he can watch himself sleep, since he hardly does it in real life.

player: Nori
AIM/Y!M/etc: sleeplesswashdc
contact post: here

played-by: Jim Sturgess
coding: fenostol@rp_tutorials