Emma

Full Name: Emma De Smedt

Sex: Female

Age: 13

Ethnicity: Belgian (Flemish)

Language: English only

Hometown: Ternat, Belgium

Occupation: Secondary school student

Appearance:

• Skin color: Fair, lightly freckled
• Eyes: Grey-blue
• Hair: Straight blonde, shoulder-length, usually worn in a ponytail
• Face: Round with a small nose, thin lips, and a slight overbite

Outfit: Dark navy school uniform with a white blouse and burgundy cardigan; white socks and black leather Mary Janes; a small silver cross necklace

Personality:

• Positive traits: Loyal, disciplined, responsible, earnest
• Negative traits: Stubborn, judgmental, anxious in unfamiliar situations

Favorite Food: Stoofvlees-frietjes (Flemish beef stew with fries)

Political Views: Conservative — supports traditional family structures, favors limited immigration, values national identity and cultural preservation, skeptical of rapid social change

Morals: Believes in duty, obedience to authority, and personal responsibility; values honesty and hard work; views morality as absolute rather than relative

Spirituality: Regular prayer, believes in a personal relationship with God

Religion: Roman Catholic (practicing)

Quirks: Always carries a pocket rosary; refuses to walk under ladders; alphabetizes her bookshelf by author surname

Likes: Horseback riding, historical novels, choir practice, rainy afternoons, her grandmother's cooking

Dislikes: Loud music, disorder, being late, spicy food, secularism

Phobia: Arachnophobia (fear of spiders)

Additional Notes: Emma is the eldest of three siblings. She moved to an English-only curriculum at an international school in Brussels, which is why she speaks only English despite growing up in Dutch-speaking Flanders. She struggles somewhat with feeling disconnected from local peers who attend Flemish schools. She volunteers at her parish's Sunday school and hopes to become a veterinarian.