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**Juliet Raphael** · #1 (**permalink**) 02-14-2012, 02:40 AM

Escape from the cold of winter to the warmth of the kiln. You walk into a room with slabs of clay along one wall, potters wheels along another, and tables scattered in the center. In a tub on one of the tables, you’ll find a bin of various tools to further detail your creations.

When you’re finished sculpting, run your work through the drier and kiln at the back of the room, both enchanted to accelerate the amount of time needed. Once dry, you’ll find paints and brushes at your disposal.

This is a date that allows creativity to flow, and sparks to fly. If all goes well, maybe you can even grab a meal afterward.

SilverTiger · 02-17-2012, 09:02 AM

This wasn't exactly anything Rhiannon wanted to be dealing with. She'd humored her cousin when she'd asked that she try and get out more, and then she'd moved her art studio from the house in Wales to Diagon Alley on her own. But apparently Elizabeth still wasn't happy with that, and had pushed her to fill out an application when the matchmaker shop had opened. Dating just wasn't her thing, and it hadn't ever been. Even before, when she'd been in school... She'd gotten a lot better when it came to talking to people. She'd had to with her job. But romantically she still was wary. Even ten years later.

At least somehow she'd gotten lucky, and been told to come here. She hadn't done a lot of ceramics, preferring sketching and painting, but it was still art. Therefore, it was a comfortable location. She thought about starting without waiting, but reached up and fingered the ends of her recently cut hair instead. That was another thing her cousin had been responsible for, which was amusing since she would have thought her baby neice would have taken the focus away from taking care of an older cousin who'd had some bad experiences in her life. She'd ended up here, though, so obviously it hadn't. And she was going to at least be polite and wait for whoever was supposed to be meeting her here.

george is cool · 02-17-2012, 09:18 AM

Max wasn't so sure about this "Match-making" thing anymore. Becky had bullied him into it because she was in a relationship and couldn't do it herself. And it was probably revenge for everything Max had said about Hayley. Becky had always done things like that. He'd only dated one girl in his life, they were fifteen and it only lasted two weeks. Basically, it wasn't his thing. He didn't even know how to.

Max had no idea about pottery, either. If it was anything like quiddich, he could do it easily, but it probably wasn't. The same with magical creatures. He could draw one or two things (mostly hippogriffs and magical creatures), but ceramics were probably quite different.

He pushed the door, nervously...

SilverTiger · 02-17-2012, 10:56 AM

Rhiannon was half-tempted to just leave. Either that, or make the most of the location and try to make something. At least then she wouldn't have to think about how awkward she felt waiting for someone she'd never met before. Even if it got her called a chicken, later on. At least she'd tried. She'd showed up. Nobody would have to know if she actually had gone through with the date, and if she made something she'd have evidence that she'd been there. It sounded good to her. A lot better than being forced to enjoy standing here feeling stupid.

She'd turned her head as she heard the sound of the door opening, mentally giving up her ideas of escaping. There weren't too many others here, so odds were that this was her "date." Time to try and be sociable, apparently. At least he looked about as happy to be in this situation as she was. Walking over to him, she held a hand out politely, ignoring the black ink spot she'd previously not noticed from the sketching she'd been doing that morning. "Hi," she said, still a bit awkward, and definitely not as confident as she supposed she should have been. At least, if she was going to acutually convince anyone it had been her idea to do this.

george is cool · 02-17-2012, 03:46 PM

Max breathed heavily as he went in. It was going to be awkward. Yes, he was right ~~as usual~~, there was an awkward atmosphere in the room. He was such an idiot to be bullied into things like this by his ickle sister, but his excuse was he was ill on that day. Max bit his lip, looking at the woman. Blind dates were slightly stupid. He peered round at the equipment layed out around the room. This would be intresting, at least, but still awkward.

Max wasn't a very "sociable" person, so talking wouldn't be easy. He preferred to keep himself to himself when he could and hardly talked to anyone while out of his house. But he'd try anyway. "Hi," Max said, quite stiffly, not on purpose of course. "How are you?" he added, quietly. He'd brought flowers ~~or Becky had, anyway~~, but it probably wasn't the best time. Maybe afterwards.

SilverTiger · 02-17-2012, 10:01 PM

Apparently she hadn't been wrong in assuming that the newcomer was supposed to be her date for the evening. Rhiannon still blinked as things proved to be just that little bit more hilarious than they could have. Not only was he as out-of-place in the situation, but it seemed he was even more awkward than she felt. Maybe she should just call it complete and they could both escape to wherever they felt safe. Or she'd stay and try her hand at learning ceramics, maybe expand her artistic possibilities. Although she was fairly certain she wouldn't be introducing pottery into her studio any time soon. Her paintings and sketches did quite well on their own, even if she was stuck without a commission currently.

"I'm alright," she said softly, answering his question. At least she could do that, even if it was hard to really start a conversation when he was as stiff as he was. She felt like she was sixteen again, back to being the shy girl in a new situation who had to be prodded to talk. But Mia wasn't there to do the prodding, and neither was her cousin. IT was just her, and she took a breath as she tried to get the courage to make the best of things. "Have you ever done anything like this before? Working with clay, that is," she finally asked. Obviously he hadn't dealt with blind dates before, but at least she felt comfortable talking about art. Maybe if she was comfortable, she could get him to relax.

george is cool · 02-18-2012, 07:45 AM

He felt his face burn as he went further into the room. Max knew that he would fail at pottery, what was the point of positive spirit? He'd never done ceramics in his life and he could only draw a few simple things and that wouldn't come in handy. He wondered whether Rhiannon had ever done anything like this before. She'd probably be fine - she didn't look too worried about the activity, unlike Max.

"Good." Was that what you were supposed to say when someone answered? Probably not, but oh well. "No. I'm not exactly what you might call "Artistic", really," Max answered slowly. It was still uncomfortable for him and his face was growing redder every second.

SilverTiger · 02-18-2012, 08:13 AM

Rhiannon actually felt sympathy for her date as she saw his face get redder and redder the longer they had stood there talking. She hoped it wasn't her, and rather the surroundings that were making him so embarrassed. She felt unnerved having to be in this situation, but for once she wndered if she was better off. Not because she was used to blind dates, or even dating in general, but the fact that she at least had an artistic background. It helped her feel that tiny bit more relaxed, even as she worried about seeming like an idiot. Stupid family thinking she had to get out, even as part of herself realized that she would be better off having someone.

She wasn't about to go there right now. Right now was just going to be fun, and she coud learn a new skill while taking baby steps to actually dating. A faint smile crept onto her face as he'd answered her question, however. "Well, I can't say I've ever done this before either," she confessed, indicating the pottery wheels and everything else around. "I'm more the painter type. Sketches." And she finally noticed the ink on her finger. Apparently she hadn't cleaned up as well as she'd thought before coming.

george is cool · 02-18-2012, 06:39 PM

Max would try to do this pottery thing, but had no experience and would probably fail terribly. Becky had done ceramics - she'd be fine if this was her date. She was quite artistic, his siter, much as she tried to hide it. "Yeah. I can draw slightly depending on my mood, but this is a complete different level," Max replied. Rhiannon did seem like the artistic type. But at least she had more experience in drawing and painting, whether he could do it, but it wasn't a hobby nor a talent. Stick men were his speciality. He never delibrately sat down to sketch, just doodled when in his own little world and quickly scribbled something when he had nothing to do.

SilverTiger · 02-19-2012, 09:24 AM

"Depending on your mood," Rhiannon echoed, the slightest hint of curiosity in her tone. She couldn't understand how someone's artistic ability could be turned on and off, as in her experience one either had some or they didn't. Most of her family did in one way or another, although it seemed only William had somehow taken after her. Even though he was only her cousin, and Elizabeth's little brother. Everyone else had gone after it in different ways, the oddest being Jonathan and his Quidditch career. Considering that wasn't necessarily an art, but the way he played he could almost convince you otherwise. Her family wasn't really the point here, though, and she smiled slightly as her date had continued speaking.

"This is a different level. An entirely different form of art, really," she agreed. "That's what makes it so interesting, though." Learning new things. Maybe that was the Ravenclaw coming out again, even though she'd only spent two years in that House. Curiosity was always there, even when it had been hidden by everything else in her life. Especially the fear that had been there for a year or so after the attack at her house, reminding her of back when she'd been little. "Did you want to get started?," she finally added. At least they could get something to show for this date.

george is cool · 02-19-2012, 10:07 AM

"It depends on what I draw due to my mood and how much of my heart and effort I'm putting into it," Max replied. Sometimes that made no sense at all and it was one of those cases then. Becky could draw anything, no matter what mood she was in and she always did it well. He didn't really take after his siter. Hayley couldn't draw either, nor their father. Their mother was previously a part-time artist and he was sure that she must have done ceramics at least a few times in her old job.

"I s'pose. Trying new things," Max nodded. He didn't like trying new things and he'd been slightly forced into doing the matchmaking thing. That was his Slytherin showing again. His whole family had been in that house, although recently Becky was acting more like a Hufflepuff. Like Hayley had been. But she didn't count as part of the family. She was disowned. "Yeah, we probably should," Max said, heading towards the potters wheels. They couldn't stand chatting all day. Now, how was he meant to do this?

SilverTiger · 02-21-2012, 01:49 AM

Rhiannon nodded as her date tried to explain more of what he'd meant by his earlier comment, even though she still couldn't quite fathom the idea. She knew that sometimes she'd felt like she couldn't create anything really good, depending on what she was feeling at the moment. More accurately, she hadn't done too much back when she was nineteen and recovering from events. "Some people just channel their mood into their art," she commented, unable to not voice a bit of her confusion at the discussion. At least, people who actually considered themselves artists. Like herself. It was possible he didn't think the same way, although that made this date that much more interesting.

She smiled as he'd spoken again, however. Something told her he hadn't entirely meant what he'd said, even if she was completely willing to try new things. When it came to art, at least, since she'd been more than a little reluctant to actually go on this date. It had been easier once she'd known where she was going. "Well, then," she replied, nodding toward the blocks of clay and the wheels. Although, she quickly took her wand out and cast a charm on herself to keep her clothing clean. One thing she did know about ceramics was that they weren't exactly an art form that one kept looking presentable in, and she'd rather not ruin her good clothing.

george is cool · 02-26-2012, 08:29 AM

"Yeah, but I..." Right, now he couldnt speak either. Uggh. This was going to be hard and Max probably wouldn't have the energy to kill Becky when it was over. Oh well, that would have to wait until the next day. His sister would probably be going out with Tim, anyway and he wanted to go to bed then, so by the time the pottery was done, he'd be aching.

That charm might be a good idea. Max copied, staring down at his clothes which were pretty tatty anyway, so it didn't really matter if his spell failed. He moved slowly towards the wheels in the corner. Okay, what was he s'posed to do now?

SilverTiger · 03-03-2012, 08:40 AM

Rhiannon gave her date a curious look as he'd spoken, as if she was wondering what exactly he was intending to say. The 'but' made her think he was trying to argue that he wasn't artistically inclined, but she hadn't necessarily thought he was to begin with. Just because the matchmaker woman seemd to have picked right for her, or at least close to right for her, didn't mean she though he would feel the same way. Besides, it all was still pretty awkward, which she couldn't exactly do much to help. She'd never been the conversation starter, after all, and she had a feeling speaking about her art wouldn't have made things any easier. That was essentially the only subject she was comfortable with, along with talking about her neice. Which reminded her she'd thought about painting Elizabeth a portrait of Dylan.

That would have to wait until after this date was over with, and she smiled as she saw her date copy her charm out of the corner of her eye. Apparently she wasn't the only one who preferred not ending up covered in clay, but they needed to actually get clay before they could make anything. He didn't quite look like he knew what to do, so she went over and cut two slices of clay off one of the blocks before walking over and handing one of them to him. "I think you'll need this. And water, if I'm not mistaken. I only know the theory to ceramics, so I'm doing a bit of guessing, but we need to get it more pliable before anything can be made." Why couldn't there be an instructor or something?, she wondered. That would have made things that much easier.

george is cool · 03-11-2012, 06:16 PM

Still awkward. Really, really awkward. But it would get better. Hopefully. Or it might just get embarrassing, due to the fact that Max wasn't artistic. Stick men were his speciality. Well, he wasn't that bad at drawing, he supposed, but ceramics were something completely different, and something he'd never attempted, nor even thought about before this date. Oh, damn, Becky had supplied Max with a Rose for Rhiannon, but it was waiting in the bag that he'd brought with him. He wouldn't of thought of something like that by himself. Maybe best to do it after the date, rather than at the current time.

Uggh, Max must now look like a complete idiot to Rhiannon, because he'd just stood there like a fool. "Thanks," he said quietly, face growing redder by the second. THis was embarrassing, just like he'd predicted before. Right, water. There was a sink thing, so hesitantly, Max walked over to a little sink thing in the corner, wondering what he'd done to deserve all this awkwardness.

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