Absit Omen RPG

BLAKE THREAD ARCHIVE
October 4, 2008 || Walk A Mile In Muggle Shoes
October 11, 2008 || And the Truth Shall Be Set Free!
October 14, 2008 || To be Detested the Most: Homework
October 17, 2008 || Happy Birthday, Big Bother....I Mean Brother
October 31, 2008 || A Night in the Enchanted Forest – The Halloween Ball!
November 22, 2008 || Party Central
November 25, 2008 || Studying Amongst the Ashwinder Ash
December 31, 2008 || And a Pinch to Grown an Inch
January 16, 2009 || Yes, No- Maybe So?
February 14, 2009 || Check yourself before you wreck yourself
April 9, 2009 || Spring Shopping
June 13, 2009 || Bigger Fish To Fry?
August 16, 2009 || No One to Tell Us No, or Where to Go!
August 30, 2009 || Welcoming Feast!
September 2, 2009 || Show Me the Door
September 9, 2009 || Well, nobody is using that room anyway, right?
September 27, 2009 || The Prize for Rotten Judgement
September 27, 2009 || The Stars Don't Spell Studying
March 20, 2011 || The Always Hungry Teenage Boy
April 4, 2011 || I whip my stairs back and forth...
August 4, 2011 || Had Enough
September 1, 2011 || Trying to collect all the pieces....

BLAKE'S CLASS THREADS
October 6, 2008 || Defnce Against the Dark Arts - Third Years
October 15, 2008 || Charms - Third Years
November 18, 2008 || Common Sense is Key
November 27, 2008 || Defence Against the Dark Arts
December 13, 2008 || Egg Hatching Ceremony
January 27, 2009 || Serious Business
February 14, 2009 || The Valentine's Day Edition
September 4, 2009 || Defence Against the Dark Arts - Fourth Years - 4th September
September 9, 2009 || Leopold's Transfigurations 4nd Year - New and exciting
April 19, 2011 || Ancient Runes Challenge
September 20, 2011 || Encounters of the Magical Kind (N.E.W.T.S)
April 11, 2012 || Look Inside, What Do You Find?

BLAKE'S QUIDDITCH THREADS
October 5, 2008 || Ravenclaw Quidditch Tryouts
October 5, 2008 || Mentor and Pupil
December 5, 2008 || Ravenclaw vs. Gryffindor!
September 19, 2009 || Club Day: Ravenclaw Quidditch
November 8, 2009 || Ravenclaw vs. Slytherin
Feb-April 2012 || Out of left field…a curveball! (Quidditch Snapshots)

Blake regarded his professor skeptically. "I dunno. I think you tend to do a pretty good job of throwing us in places, Sir. And that's not in a bad way, I don't think." Even as he said it, Blake realized what an odd thing it was to say to one of his elders. He wasn't intentionally trying for his comment to sound ass kissery in nature. But that is what it indeed sounded like. He could feel the heat rushing to his face.

The Ravenclaw was grateful when Greyfriar seemed keen to move on and move to outline options. Blake sat up straighter, genuinely interested to go into more detail. And he considered what he had said previously. He questioned, "Which of those three would you think involved the most puzzles? The most variable in one's day-to-day life? And are there any options for a hybrid?"

Contrary to popular belief, Blake did have other interests outside of Quidditch once the season had ended. The same focus and passion he had put into trying to win he had in turn put into his coursework so that he finished with decent grades (considerably better than his usual goal of straight A's). And then, he had even channeled that energy into a budding relationship with Meredith following the April visit to the museum. It turned out they had a lot of common interests that they were able to explore since school ended for the summer. Blake had been staying with his oldest brother Callum and though he did attend one quidditch camp, he was happy to let that obsession go for the rest of the vacation in lieu of some rest, relaxation and distraction.

And Meredith had been a lovely distraction. As they approached the group of their friends, Blake gave her hand a squeeze before she let go to greet everyone. He also flashed a warm smile for those he knew. He saw Ambrose and his eyes widened in surprise and he exclaimed, "Oh hey friend! Long time no see!" Blake then turned a friendly gaze to the others he may not have known well and echoed Meredith's greeting, "Nice to meet you."

When Meredith turned to him to ask about drinks, he grinned and responded, “Sure. I can come with and help carry them if you want. Unless you think they could fit in your handbag without spilling,” he teased.

Blake wasn’t sure how long he had been sitting on the bench before he was pulled out of his running thoughts of how he was such a horrible person for what the mirror had shown him by Meredith’s voice. He saw her worry and curiosity. She asked what he had seen and her query was echoed (even silently) by the others. His blue eyes darted between them all, unsure if he wanted to dampen the mood. He debated holding back and only sharing with Kelvin at some point, since Blake did consider him to be his closest friend. Maybe closer than even his own family.

But maybe this was too dark to burden his friend with alone. Dragging his hand through his hair, Blake shrugged. “Sorry about that. I didn’t mean to worry anyone. It’s just what I saw was rather wild.” He paused and stood, trying to shake off any lingering haziness. “Heather is right though in that what we see it might never come true. In fact, I probably wouldn’t be that lucky,” he said with a wry tone in his voice.

Shoving his hands in his pants pockets, Blake still found it hard to shake the guilt of what his image implied. Even as he darkly joked, “Sooo, it pretty much said that my hearts desire is for my family to basically not exist.”

Not wanting to wait for an awkward silence to ensue, he rushed to say, “Can we get out of here now and do something fun?”

Gryffindor v. Ravenclaw
May 26, 2012
Hogwarts Qudditch Pitch

Final Rankings
1. Ravenclaw: 560 points   
2. Hufflepuff: 560 points   
3. Gryffindor: 470 points   
4. Slytherin: 220 points

The victory was sweet. Even as he would have liked to win the cup outright with the highest point total, tying with Hufflepuff was acceptable in his book. They were worthy adversaries and showed excellent athletic conduct. And the tie breaker went to his team for beating Hufflepuff in their lone match earlier in the year. To Blake, they had all won. They had all beaten Slytherin (quite thoroughly) after 3 long grueling and unbearable years of dominance. They had broken an unspoken curse; let go of a weighty burden of defeat.

“We drink from the keg of glory, my friends!” He hollered, the cup firmly in his grasp and feeling as if it weighed nothing at all.

Blake threw back his head and released a sound that started as a low rumble from deep within his chest and then rolled into what could only be described as a howl. Perhaps he had been hanging out with his friends in SAWS too much of late but anything relating to a raven or a bird just didn’t seem enough to convey all the emotion he was feeling.

What a thrilling night.

Hufflepuff v. Slytherin
May 12, 2012
Hogwarts Qudditch Pitch

The evil empire had been dismantled.

Blake may have had a hand or two in helping the Hufflepuff team prepare for their match against Slytherin. Perhaps too well as they slaughtered them and it placed the badgers in front of the points standings by a decent amount. Even so, Blake had happily rooted Ayla and her team on and robustly celebrated the win, almost as if it had been his own team's. It assured that Slytherin would not have a four-pete and unless Gryffindor tanked, the chances were high for them to finish dead last. This filled him with glee. It was his dream and prophecy from the beginning of the year come true. And though he had joked of doing something underhanded like sabotage, the win had been through hard work on the pitch, painstaking crafting strategy after strategy and utilizing the Ravenclaw brains over the Slytherin significant braun.

And now it was time to turn his attention to beating Gryffindor. He wanted that cup more than he was comfortable saying aloud for fear that it would jinx them. But he envisioned himself hoisting the trophy so many times that it felt real. It couldn’t be just a dream. It couldn’t just be something he wanted so deeply he felt it in his bones.

No. Now he had to go out and make it happen.

"Capable in the muggle world?" Blake repeated, his brow furrowing as he tried to pick up on where Greyfriar was headed with his questioning. Their headmaster was adept at nudging students to deeper thinking and even when someone like Blake knew that is what he was trying to do, he was glad for the extra prodding. With all of the other things occupying his mind, Blake could admit that he didn't always follow every notion or thought to its very lengths. He could get lazy. Even when he wanted to do his best.

As the Headmaster qualified his query about the muggle world, it was if a light dawned on him and Blake's eyes brightened. "Ah, yes, I think I actually do well in the muggle world." He ducked his head as he said his next words to his elder. "You know my family, sir. Probably better than even I do. And you've known me since I started here. I think it's safe to say that I'm the only member of my family who cares about the muggle world. Who would live or survive in it. Or dare I say, thrive?" Blake clasped his hands together tightly on the desk and leaned forward over them. With a sigh and a half grin when he finally looked at Greyfriar, he added, "I think it's safe to say that it might not really be much of a strange place at all." He paused before stating matter-of-factly, "Throw me in anywhere. If you think I would fit then....yes."

When it was his turn, Blake moved to the place indicated by the curator. His crystalline blue gaze lingered over the words that the frame professed. “I show not your face but your heart's desire.”

His chest tightened and he took a sharp breath as he shifted his eyes to the glass, uncertain and apprehensive of what it might reveal. Blake was never one to talk much or seriously of his feelings or even what his heart might most desire. When his classmates talked of a great desire for the quidditch victory this year and for all of time, they probably weren't wrong. It sounded grand enough but still quite shallow.

His heart lurched in his chest when the image in the mirror grew dark and grey. Sinewy shadows danced in a sizeable room with stone walls. It appeared empty and desolate, which would be confusing to anyone. How was that something anyone would desire?

But it soon became clear to Blake that the room was a mausoleum or crypt, specifically the one where generations of the Knight Family came to rest in peace.

His gaze focused in on the memorials closest to him. It took his breath away to realize that they were names belonging to his family. Not distant but immediate family.

Here lies Fitzgerald Knight.

Here lies….

One after the other, after another his eyes passed over the names familiar to him.

Here lies Callum Knight.

Here lies Darren Knight.

Here lies Harold Knight. Twin of Blake.

His vision became blurry as he struggled to see the death dates.

Even Aglaia, his seemingly sweet and innocent sister, had a place here. To Rest In Peace.

To allow him peace.

He whispered that word, “Peace.” Under his breath. With hopeful eyes. Eyes that blurred again and only now felt wet.

He should feel sadness that he was alone, right?

Blake's shoulders seemed to heave with relief. Somehow, he felt the least alone than he ever remembered feeling in all his life among his family.

Blake heard someone calling to him and he tore his gaze away from the mirror, breaking the magical spell it had over him. He heard someone's voice ask if he was alright and with one glance in the direction of his waiting classmates, he suddenly felt sick to his stomach as a wave of guilt washed over every limb in his body.

"I'm.....sorry," he stammered, and hurried off to find the nearest bench to sit on and collect his thoughts.

Though the 6th Year History of Magic class was later in the afternoon, Blake had made his way to the classroom for the lunch hour intent to discuss what amounted to an Independent Study project Professor Greyfriar had assigned to him about career aspirations. Like many of his classmates, Blake had always had thoughts about the future swirling in the back of his mind somewhere. He and Kelvin even had quite a lengthy conversation about futures before the year started. Then, he had talked casually about something to do with curse breaking or muggle studies. Settling on one specific career always felt tedious for him, which was more than likely that was because he had so many interests and saw so many possibilities. How could one combine the subjects History of Magic, Arithmancy and Runes into a profession? He imagined he was not the first nor the last who would grapple with the idea. Surely such accomplished wizards like their headmaster had done so back in their day and so it made sense that Blake had sought out his advice. He had not expected the side project, but he did not begrudge it, especially if it helped his focus.

As the bear of a professor spoke about starting early verses procrastinating to 7th year, Blake found himself quirking a small grin. And the query about Hufflepuffs almost elicited a response except before Blake could eek anything out, Greyfriar moved on, making it clear that it was essentially a rhetorical question at best. So he nodded in agreement and waited for the inevitable question to drop. Which it did.

"Well," the Ravenclaw hedged, sliding his books onto the nearest desk and slipping easily into its corresponding seat. Blake pulled out a few pieces of parchment that he had brought, which displayed his neat writing and intricate diagrams or drawings. He looked to it and then back up with a furrowed brow. "I'm actually not sure if I've managed to narrow anything down or just create a more jumbled mess. But ultimately I posed the over arching question of what truly interests me on the most basic level." When he said it like that, it sounded quite silly and vague and so he rushed to add, "I think what kept coming up is an enjoyment of puzzles. Or that which challenges my mind, stamina, wits or just generally pushes me to my limits. It can be both mental and physical, if that makes any sense." Taking a breath, he kept going, presenting his opening charge. "I've decided that I don't really enjoy being smart just for smarts sake. I can do book learning well enough like any good Ravenclaw, but honestly Professor, I just want to truly get to the meatiness of a task or problem. Break it all down to build it back up. Which sounds....insane. But in doing something like that -- be it cursebreaking, obliviating, unspeakable-ing....a wizard would need all the parts from subjects like History of Magic, Runes and Arithmancy, right?"

Blake wasn't sure if that was where he should stop, but he decided see if Greyfriar was following. He truly hoped so.

"A tattoo, huh?" Blake raised his brows in a way that suggested he was skeptical of her declaration. Somehow he didn't picture Zeta as the rebel-without-a-cause Pepper. That had been former classmate, Ambrose Pepper's persona. And the lad certainly was living that life out now having left school behind.

But Blake's skepticism more stemmed from the fact that Zeta came from another notable family in the wizarding world. Reputations and expectations were at a premium. So he would be surprised if she actually went through with it.

Blake did chuckle when Kelvin mentioned being dragged off to the loo. "I mean, I'm sure we could concoct great plans to take over the world if we did that. Count me in. I think Moaning Myrtle would love it if we visited her bathroom more."

Then, Meredith piped in with some great ideas for Zeta's tattoo and he had to admit that a SAWS one did seem to fit their classmate. She was as fanatical about SAWS as he was about Quidditch, which Meredith also touched on....as she touched him. He couldn't help but grin back as she squeezed his arm when suggesting a tattoo of the beloved quidditch cup. What made him grin more in that moment - the idea she presented or the flirty manner in which she presented it?

He didn't have time to think much on it when Heather lightly chided them for being "handsy" and indicating the line was moving.

Realizing that his and Meredith's flirting seemed to be bothering some, it emboldened Blake to take his Slytherin classmate's hand that was still touching him and tucked it in the crook of his arm so they could move forward together. He steered them out of the way of the determined Heather. He certainly wasn't going to get in her way. And he wanted to see someone else do the deed first. "By all means, after you, Abbott."

Of course me. Missed this.

The arrival of the Headmaster had Blake standing a bit straighter, even though the Ravenclaw truly felt that Greyfriar was one of the most down to earth and approachable professors they had at school. Still, he had a way of commanding respect without it being given a second thought. Even so, he watched carefully as Greyfriar fell into conversation with a colleague before relaxing his stance again.

Meredith and Zeta also returned and started chatting with Heather. He caught Meredith’s wink and grinned back before looking back to Kelvin with a shrug. “We try our best to be decent conversationalists.” Then he teased, “But apparently we can’t compete with the loo.” After a beat, he gave another shrug and shoved his hands into his pants pockets before adding, “But to be fair, my own chatter has been mostly about quidditch this year so I’m sure that makes me quite boring or one note.” This was confirmed by Zeta’s comment, which made him chuckle. Blake looked around to the others and lowered his voice a bit. “So, besides the concert, anyone have any other plans for mischief before heading back to school?”

Hufflepuff v. Gryffindor
March 3, 2012
Hogwarts Qudditch Pitch

Scouting Report.

Blake scratched the words in his notebook with his quill and waited patiently for the pre-game ceremonies and team introductions to conclude and the match to officially start.

There was still a lot of Quidditch to be played before the end of the season. Ravenclaw’s final match would be against Gryffindor. So most of his notes would be in preparation for that. But, he may have promised Ayla that he’d make note of anything the Badgers did that stood out as potential weaknesses verses Slytherin. He still wanted to beat Hufflepuff, but he wanted everyone else to beat Slytherin almost as much.

The toot of the whistle pulled him out of his thoughts and soon he was feverishly scrawling notes and reminders to himself. He tracked stats of each player and noted interesting facts or tidbits that stood out. To anyone else, his scratching might not make sense. But Blake would later pour over everything he’d written in an effort to devise new plays or strategies for the team. It was something he had seen previous captains do. And he had most of their notes that had been passed down to him, all with great ideals in theory. But they didn’t always apply in practice given that teams changed from year to year.

Even Ravenclaw’s team was quite different in years past. Besides veterans Alvis and Kelly and himself, most of the rest of the team were newer and not well known at all. Past teams always seemed to have an abundance of personalities jockeying for attention and position.

Yet here they sat 2-0. Perhaps having star players at every position wasn’t ideal. They weren’t working as individuals but as a true team.

This match was over almost as quickly as it had begun. The teams had been tied at two goals apiece before the snitch was caught.

Hmmm….this might not be enough for a decent scouting report….

“Touché,” Blake returned with a smile, taking in the ribbing from them both. “In all honesty I’ve been trying not to get too far ahead of myself, even though that is what we Ravenclaw are prone to doing.” Then his brow furrowed a bit and he looked from Heather to Kelvin in earnest. “Besides, next year may be a different beast altogether. Depending on how our NEWTS course load is, I may not be able to spend as much time obsessing over quidditch like I’ve done this year. Shocking, I know.”

Silently, Blake was hoping for a little more balance. He absolutely loved and was proud of the work he had done with Quidditch this year. But he knew the all consuming nature of it was less than
healthy. He could not imagine it would be sustainable with adequate attention given to preparation for NEWTS.

Seeing that they were inching forward, he murmured, “Should we let the others know we are almost there?” He craned his neck to see if he could spot Meredith and Zeta. When he thought he saw them, he waved to try to get their attention and then gestured to the line.

Blake broke out into a wide grin. Pretty much anyone who knew him well understood how he’d practically had one singular goal this year and it was to finally bring quidditch glory back to Ravenclaw House. And yet, he still produced a nervous laugh. “I think the mirror could show me hoisting the quidditch cup and I still wouldn’t believe it can actually happen until I feel the cup in my hands,” Blake stated with all seriousness, holding them out  in an imploring fashion. “It’s enough that Ravenclaw beat Slytherin this year. And as long as they don’t win overall, everything else will be bonus.” That was, at its core, a boldfaced lie. It minimized how he wanted to win with every fiber of his being—even down to the tips of his cow licked dark hair. And seeing the mirror showing him with the cup he coveted that much would be the manifestation of his yearlong visualizations, surely to fuel that fire within him even more.

Blake had never placed much stock into divination or predictions or a set fate for every person and every thing. If anything, he felt you could be shown possibilities for the way things could be —different fates so to speak—and work to alter your course or make certain ones happen.

The fate he wanted was clear: to win the Quidditch Cup. And there were many ways that might or might not manifest into being. He firmly believed that he had to do as much as he could to give his preferred outcome the best chance of coming into fruition by preparing and over preparing for the moments that would contribute to it. Having done that, even if he and his team lost, he could be okay with the fate that finally did wind up happening.

As it was, some things were completely out of his control. He had to rely on other happenings too, which he voiced. “Besides, Hufflepuff still needs to clobber Slytherin in a few weeks and we still need to beat your team,” he pointed out. He was confident Ravenclaw could beat Gryffindor, but didn’t want to be overconfident. He knew they were plucky and could play well, with their scrappy young captain leading the way.

“So bottom line…no, it won’t change me.” He laughed a bit, knowing full well he had had a bout of tunnel vision this year. Then his face grew gravely serious and he added, “Plan on me still being annoyingly competitive until the end of the year.”