Diana of Themyscira (cannotstandby) wrote in valarlogs, @ 2017-10-09 22:50:00 |
|
|||
Entry tags: | !complete, diana prince (wonder woman), niklaus mikaelson |
Who: Klaus and Diana
What: Meeting at the museum where Diana works
When: Sometime in August
Where: Museum
Warnings: Family friendly
Niklaus was preparing himself for opening up a new art gallery. In his home town this time. New Orleans still felt more like home to him than Orange County ever had, but there was no going back now. He was ruined there, and there was a certain pull to this place. He wasn’t entirely sure what that pull was just yet. Other than his family of course. Well, his siblings. They meant everything to him. But Esther and Mikael? They were dead to Klaus.
To prepare Klaus was visiting different museums and galleries. Seeing what the county was lacking in, what they were most interested in, that sort of thing. He didn’t just go to art museums either. They were the main ones of course. Today he ventured into an antiquities museum. It was fascinating to see the creations from ages ago. He began to make his way through the museum, taking the time to fully observe each piece.
Diana took her job very seriously, doing her best to coordinate the exhibits. She had a couple new pieces come in to add, but she needed to figure out when and where they would fit in. She was armed with her iPad as she moved through the museum. She had the stock of antiquities pulled up and she glanced it over, attempting to figure out what could be moved.
She was dressed impeccably, hair pulled into a ponytail, and she looked like she belonged in an art or museum gallery. Without the high heels she wore, she already stood at six feet tall, but the heels pushed her over that by a couple inches. As she stepped into one room, she noticed a man carefully studying the pieces on display, she smiled, able to tell who took art and history seriously.
“They are beautiful pieces, are they not?” She asked as she stepped up, swiping to a different page of artifacts on her iPad.
Klaus had been so fixated with the piece in front of him that he hadn’t heard the woman approach. Not even the click of her heels on the museum floor. It wasn’t until she spoke that he came out of his trance. Almost jumped, even. “They are,” he gave a small nod in agreement. “I find it fascinating the things people were able to create ages ago. “Almost makes me wished I lived in ancient Greece.”
He tore his attention away from the sculpture, over to the woman beside him. She was tall - that was saying a lot considering he was 5’11”. But more than that she was gorgeous. He couldn’t help but notice it. And she clearly knew about art. He also noticed the iPad in her hand. “You work here?”
Diana smiled, looking at the artifact in front of them. “I would have loved to have lived back then and watch what inspired the maker to create such art. Even the weapons are works of art.” Bronze age weaponry was a sight to behold. What the ancients were able to do with metal was breathtaking. Even the art itself was extraordinary.
“I do, yes. I am in charge of antiquities. We just received some new pieces that I am attempting to determine where to place them. Also, this exhibit was a terrible mess when I first arrived.” She chuckled softly. “Some people do not know their antiquities well.” She shook her head slightly, but she was making the exhibit much better now. It was organized how it should be. “My name is Diana Prince.” She introduced herself, holding her hand out in greeting. “You are a lover of art, I take it?”
Niklaus was an expert at art. While he appreciated antiquities and knew a bit about them it was nowhere near enough for him to be able to handle a whole exhibit, he would just stick to admiring them. “Niklaus Mikaelson,” he replied shaking her hand. “Pleasure to meet you, Diana.”
Ah, so she had picked up on that. Not that it was something he was trying to hide. He took pride in his passion for art. “I am. I had a gallery back in New Orleans.” He had still been referring to it as his to everyone that knew him, only his sister Freya knew the truth. But Diana didn’t know him, or Marcel. There was no reason to pretend as if he still owned it.
“So,” he continued his eyes lighting up a bit. “Is there any chance you would be able to show me those new pieces, love?”
Antiquities could be tricky to deal with, especially when the Romans began to build their empire and began to influence art and culture of the places they conquered. It could be tricky to differentiate between things at times, and it required an expert eye to deal with it. “It’s a pleasure to meet you as well, Niklaus.” she said with a smile.
“Ah, a gallery is as intricate to run as an exhibit on antiquities. Though I admit modern art is a subject I am less familiar with.” Considering she spent most of her time studying history, it wasn’t a surprise. She could still pick out the most well-known artists, but the lesser known ones she wouldn’t really know who they were. Though not knowing wouldn’t make her appreciate them any less.
“Perhaps. You are fortunate that I have already unpacked and documented them. They are simply waiting for me to find them a home here in the exhibit.” She could scarcely deny an art lover from seeing the pieces she had just gotten in. And they were rather exquisite examples of their kind.
“You can call me Klaus.” Niklaus was his formal name. The way he introduced himself and how her preferred lesser men referred to him. And of course it was what Elijah called him. His brother could be too formal for his own good sometimes. For the rest of the people he actually liked? Klaus was fine.
“There is something to be said about the classics. I try to mix them in. Acquire what I can.” Unfortunately he didn’t have any Van Gough’s or Monet’s. Museums got those. But he did have some paintings from lesser known impressionists. “Of course, even Jackson Pollock was considered modern art in his time. Who knows what acclaimed artists our generation will bring.” Klaus also dabbled in art himself. Although he never put any of his work in his own gallery, it was something just for him.
“A woman after my own heart,” Klaus commented with a smirk. “Lead the way.”
“Klaus,” Diana said with a nod of acknowledgement. Sometimes Diana could be too formal with people, but that tended to only happen when she was at fancy parties or was otherwise out of her element. Generally, she tried to be as open and welcoming as possible.
“It sounds as though you can create quite an eclectic collection at times, depending upon the pieces you acquire. Sometimes I think people need more exposure to a wider range of things. It is all well and good to be acquainted with Monet or Picasso, but there were other brilliant artists as well who were overshadowed but no less talented.” The same certainly went for antiquities. The Roman Empire, and even the Republic era, tended to gain most of the fame. But there were other civilizations that thrived outside of Rome’s direct touch.
“This way,” she gestured with her free hand and led Klaus through the exhibit and through a door marked ‘employees only.’ If anyone tried to stop them, Diana would shoo them off saying she was discussing business. Which they weren’t, but it would stop them being bothered. Diana led him to a room where the artifacts were located and she set her iPad down on the table. “These are some artifacts from the island of Crete from around the height of Minoan civilization.” She pulled on a pair of gloves, then handed him a pair as well. She gingerly picked up a piece of pottery that was rather well preserved for its age, the painting on it still very visible. “This depicts the tale of Theseus and the Minotaur.”
“My thoughts exactly,” Klaus agreed. “And who knows what our generation or future generations will contribute.” Of course Niklaus appreciated the classics. Some of his favorite pieces came from the Renaissance period. However, there was always something new to discover.
Klaus followed Diana through the employee only door. A smirk crossed his features. He love going into places he wasn’t necessarily supposed to. He followed suit, putting on his own pair of gloves. Was she actually going to let him handle some of the artifacts? His eyes lit up at the thought. Of course Klaus would be gentle, treating each piece like a work of art. Because well, it was. “Incredible,” Klaus commented. “It has to be what, about four thousand years old?” If he had his history right, which he was pretty sure he did.
Diana nodded. She certainly could appreciate modern art, though she knew less about it than she did art of the ancient world. Still, one did not necessarily need to know everything about something in order to appreciate its beauty. Though Diana would never turn down learning about it. She did like learning.
Yes, Diana probably shouldn’t be doing this, but she liked sharing art and passion for it with others. And Niklaus certainly had passion which she was starting to feed off of. She smiled. “Yes, you are correct. This piece has stood the test of time, which is not always an easy thing. Pottery is so easily broken. This one is almost like a miracle being as intact as it is.” There were a couple cracks a chip or two missing from the rim, but otherwise it was pretty good. “This is also a very good representation of Minoan art, and much can be learned from it.” She held it up so he could better see it.
Klaus didn’t doubt that he had his history right. But it was still nice to have it confirmed. Especially by someone who was basically an expert. “It’s exquisite,” Klaus commented again. “It’s a shame that the things we create probably won’t be around in thousands of years.” The quality just wasn’t the same anymore. “Where was this found?”
“Indeed, no one creates things to last these days.” Whether it was due to governments and businesses trying to save money or having a lack of proper funding, people tended to cut corners a lot. “Sometimes I believe the ancients had better construction methods than most give them credit for. After all, the Egyptians built the Pyramids in a time when it should have been impossible according to modern experts.” She shrugged a little. “This was found in the ruins of Knossos itself on Crete.”
“I have to agree with that,” Klaus replied. The pyramids were a perfect example. “Sometimes I wonder if all this technology is worth it.” As much as it gave it took away if you asked Niklaus. No one would create goods as meticulously as they used to. There were too many short cuts with technology. Not to mention the fact that people couldn’t seem to stop looking at a screen, specifically their phone, long enough to truly appreciate art.
“And I agree with that. Technology has its benefits, but it has also become a crutch in many cases.” Even just looking at this pot, for example. It was made from clay, but considering how well it had stood the ravages of time, it was far more durable than most pots were these days. Diana looked the pot over fondly, almost as though it were an old friend. “Some days I prefer to simply remain here surrounded by antiquity than I do being out in the modern world.”
“Can’t say I blame you,” Klaus agreed again. Something he seemed to be doing quite a lot of with this woman. “You’re fortunate you have a job that allows you to do that.” Just as he had been fortunate enough to have a job that kept him surrounded in art all day back in New Orleans. It was something he was ready to have again.
Diana smiled brightly at Klaus. She was probably what the sun would look like if it was a person. She was all sunshine and optimism, which tended to be a rare thing in this world. “It is one of the reasons I went into this career. My mother also encouraged it.” It had also been her mother who had discouraged her from being an archaeologist and working out in the field. Largely due to the dangers that came with some dig sites. Her mother was overprotective like that. “Though I think we are both quite fortunate to have the jobs we do where we can always be surrounded by what we love.”
“Once again we are in agreement,” Klaus comment with a grin of his own. This might just be the start of a beautiful friendship. Or as close to one as Niklaus Mikaeson would get.