[Lawns] Pain for Pleasure {Blake/Open}

[Ollie La'Roque]

His ankle has finally healed, and as Archi separated his leg from the cast mould that had confined it he was glad to get some air to it and the first thing he did was give his leg a good hearty scratch. However being in a sweaty mess with no way of washing his leg, revealing it also released the putrid stench of it. It wasn’t exactly the most pleasant smell either of them had waft up their noses, but it could of been worse. As Archi also unravelled the thin bandage on Ollie’s forearm, he inspected the now pale silvery scar that stretched across it horizontally.

A raging tree and a living suit of armour with an axe all in one week? It was certainly not Ollie’s week.

Thanking the school healer, Ollie soon hopped off the bed with a slight inward smile as he was able to finally walk properly without the aid of a cast. He had not stepped foot out of the castle for a little over a week, and it seemed like the sun that had been giving him some colour and life that had been withdrawn from him as his complexion seemed pearly and pale compared to his usually darker creamy shade. His eyes were sunken in and underneath them looked grey and even his appetite hadn’t returned back to normal yet. He was sure it would soon go back to normal.

Walking out to the courtyard, he slid down to the second step before stretching and giving a yawn. The midday sun caught in his eye and made him squint and close his eyes tight before he began to take a slow stroll through the courtyard and onto the dry emerald blades of grass that were motionless.

Finding a good spot for a view of the lake, he stood on the slight hill and crossed his arms over one another, simply looking out onto the lake and the birds floating euphorically on the surface as his mind began wandering onto what Rieko was doing now...

[Blake Adams]

Amongst the noise and general hustle and bustle of the great hall, Blake sat alone at the Gryffindor table (well asides from the usual gaggle of girls whispering and giggling a few feet away), twiddling grapes between his fingers, before mindlessly devouring them. Harri was still asleep, not even a blast ended skrewt could wake him from his slumbers, and trust him he had tried this method. A smile spread across his face as he recalled the image and smell of singed sheets, and yet all harri did was stir slightly and roll over. Even with himself and Toby howling with laughter in the background he still didn’t wake, and was completely non-plus when he awoke to what had taken place.

As for Rieko, he had no clue where she had disappeared too, she had acted strangely with him the past few days, sure they had not spent as much time together at the moment as they would have liked, but with the work load and other such things he had less chance to see her. This was another reason he sat alone this lunchtime, they generally had meals together, so even if one of them was stuck in lessons for the majority of the day they had at least seen each other. But alas Rieko had been nowhere to be seen in the common room, no one else had seen her either, it was almost as if she were avoiding him today. Though he would not dwell on it, she clearly had just got caught up in something.

Another giggle was emitted from the gaggle of girls, popping the last of the grapes into his mouth, he slid off the bench, and headed toward the exit, smiling at them as he went past. Why he did so he did not know, because this meant that now he had indulged them, even slightly; they would follow him wherever he ventured until he lost them again of course. A small group of stressed looking first years entered the hall as he left. Each carrying an armful of parchment and books, there bags full to the brim with even more parchment, the lower year workload was not particularly arduous, so that was what Blake considered to be utterly over prepared. On his first year of school he carried barely two sheets of parchment and a quill, and those were on the days he remembered his bag in the first place! A small smile graced his features as the thought crossed his mind that they probably had all but a kitchen sink with them.

Passing them by he then entered the courtyard, the sun was unusually bright for a November day but they had not had the best summer in the world so that was just clearly trying to make up for it. The sun caught his eyes making him squint slightly, he should really have taken a leaf out of Harri’s book by now and learn to take a pair of shades with him everywhere. Putting a hand to his face, he randomly scanned the familiar grounds, though there was not much point, he would only walk where his feet took him anyway. The lake glittered invitingly, though it was all a deception, for everyone knew it was just waiting on unsuspecting victims to trust it, so that it could thrust all its chill upon them in one fell swoop.

Making his way down the steps, across the harsh cobbles and onto the lush lawns, took only a matter of minutes, why he had been compelled to go to the grass he did not know, but why not. Blake kicked the odd stray stone as he went, how could you gain such amusement from such a simple action. He watched as a stone went astray as it hit the left side of his right shoe and bounded off in the direction of a dark blob on the ground. “Watch...” Blake began but it was a little too late the stone connected with the shoulder of the figure lain on the floor with a loud thud. “...out!” he finished seconds later, and headed over to apologise. As the person sat up and turned to face him he realised it was a fellow Gryffie by the name of Ollie, he was of his own year in fact. They had never mingled much, even though all the tales he had heard of him, made him seem not unsimiliar to himself. “Sorry dude..I kinda fluffed that one up!” Blake uttered with a uncomfortable smile.

[Ollie La'Roque]

Ollie could still feel the slight tenderness of his ankle from the time with Rieko in the Forbidden Forest when they had to defend themselves from a runaway tree and Ollie’s mind began to wonder whether Rieko had told Blake of their little incident. He assumed not and a sigh escaped him as the frustration of how he got himself in this whole love triangle predicament began settling in his mind once again. Things used to be so easy, so why did he have to fall for a girl that was already in a loving relationship? Guilt started to set in slightly as he thought about when they kissed and what he was putting himself through let alone Rieko and Blake.

Watching the lake as it began shimmering, he wondered that somehow if the mermaids had brightened the glimmer of the lake somehow because he had never seen it look so bright, warm and inviting before now. It was almost hypnotic as if sirens were calling to him but it was the actual lake. As he stepped forward beginning to get caught in a trance he soon got disrupted.

Thud. A short dull pain suddenly connected with his shoulder and Ollie frowned as he turned around to see a stone drop to the floor. Looking at the culprit, he wished he didn’t turn around. Blake Adams. Typical right? As soon as things go somewhere with Rieko, he turns up. That was just his luck. All signs of guilt had dissolved away as soon as he saw his face. For some reason just him being there and interrupting his thoughts annoyed him.

“No man, it’s okay just practice a bit more to get your aim better, it seems your lacking” he said with a slight smug smirk tugging at the corner of his mouth. He turned around to face the lake once again as if the conversation was finished, but he could still feel his eyes boring into the back of his head. Sighing and rolling his eyes, he turned back around before picking up the stone and skimming it. He hated that feeling of someone watching you when you were unaware of it, and especially when it’s from behind. It made you feel uneasy and vulnerable, and Ollie was neither.
“Can I help you with anything or did you just want to try and give me brain damage again?”