Maura Blake

[Maura Blake]

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Character Introduction for: Maura Elizabeth Blake
Played By: Ellen
Avatar Name: Chyler Leigh
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Age: 28
Birthday: June 16, 1984

Height: 5'7
Weight: Roughly 125lbs.
Build:: Athletically

Hair Color: Earth brown
Eye Color:: Hazel (distinct mix of green and brown)

Identifying Features: She has one tattoo on her heart, a very small, scripted letter M. There's also a network of scars on her left hip, remnants of a surgery she had to piece together skin that had been flayed (or attempted to be flayed.)

Typical Clothing Choice: Comfortable in everything, she can wear yoga pants and a baseball jersey in the morning and change into designer clothes by the evening. Her favorites consist of a pair of faded jeans (frayed at the knee), a gray t-shirt that has holes at the collar, and a pair of black leather boots (one inch heel)


Mental/Personality Traits
Smart and sweet, Maura has a heart of gold -- but that was not always the case. A college graduate, she majored in Communications and graduated magna cum laude; good to note that she minored in criminal psychology. Maura has a sixth sense when it comes to reading people, and once she has accessed their fears or hopes, she can (and will, if needed) manipulate them.

Over-protective (almost to a fault), she has definite 'mother-hen' issues. Nerdy (dorky!), she loves to make people laugh and is notorious for sending humorous messages. Slightly neurotic about her apartment -- shoes come off, no eating anywhere except the kitchen, and no smoking.

An atrocious liar.

She also has a renewed her spiritualism after joining AA.

Weakness/Phobias:

Maura is afraid to drive, although after doing so recently out of necessity, there might be a turning point.

She is not too fond of guns, either. After witnessing the brutal murder of a co-worker the night she met Louis Wrightman, the sound of gunfire echoes through her nightmares.

Mel's smile (complete with dimples) makes her weak.


Home, Haven and Occupation/Hobbies:

Home: 2300 Lexington Road (apartment 601; it's a reconstruction of an old tenement building. There's a turn-of-the-century elevator and lots of wrought iron accents. The balcony is small but accessible.)

Haven: Her parent's cabin on Lake George.

Occupation: Journalist for The Wire, a news publication centered in the city.

Hobbies: Baseball -- playing and watching; she's often found at a local batting cage to blow off steam.


Skills, Talents and Education/Training
-- Graduated from Fordham University, worked at the NY Times and various other publications. Her talent is investigative reporting, especially when it comes to serial killers.

Goldsmith Prize for Investigative Reporting (finalist, coverage on NY mayor's campaign fraud.)
The Worth Bingham Prize (winner, coverage of the Beachfront Killer -- career and capture and trial)
The Selden Ring Award (winner, coverage of the Beachfront Killer -- career and capture and trial)
The George Polk Award (winner, coverage of the Beachfront Killer -- career and capture and trial)



Property, Pets and Toys

-- Her two beloved birds, Woodward & Bernstein, cockatiels.

-- A 1996 autographed photo of the Toronto Blue Jays

-- Travel-sized cereal boxes (seriously, don't touch 'em!)


Friends, Enemies and General Contacts

Detective Mel Walsh ( Boyfriend )
Chase/Rex (but affectionately called 'Sweetie' by Maura.)
Kerri Watkins, close friend, restaurant owner
Morgan Doyle, childhood friend, serving in the Army presently
Jack Malone, Sr. ( FBI contact for several news stories -- he saved her life)

Enemies:

Jack Malone, Jr.
Louis Wrightman (and his assorted followers)

Brief History

Maura grew up in an unsavory environment; her father had/has connections to the IRA (now consults for local mafia families in New York) She worked at his bar when she was sixteen and was a full-blown alcoholic by the time she was seventeen. A gambler at heart, something she inherited from her father. But a night --a single night-- changed everything.

When she was eighteen, she drove while intoxicated, and hit a car carrying a married couple. Her friend, Morgan, took the blame; he was able to skirt under the law and ended up joining the military to escape the enigma of murdering two people. It was after that event, Maura tried to turn her life around -- enrolled in college, and worked hard to make something of her life. While in school, she became increasingly fond of writing, and she had tremendous skill with the subject. But her career choice led her straight into the hands of a serial killer (Louis Wrightman). Awarded with prizes for her work on the capture and trial, she couldn't escape the fact that her fame was based on a madman's insanity and the murders of thirty women.

Now, she enjoys the luxury of working when/where she likes and is trying to escape the fascination of delving into the minds of absolute madness. And she has finally learned to love, opening her heart to a certain detective who, like her, claims to be broken.