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Those familiar with the socialites of Manhattan, familiar with the fashion world, or at the very least read the tabloids, will likely know who Janet Van Dyne is. The woman currently dressed in a stylish red a-line dress, fetching pillbox hat, with meticulously applied makeup, is sitting across from a tapestry, a sketchbook set in her lap as she jots down a sketch dervied from said tapestry.
That tapestry would most likely be one from the Unicorn Tapestries. The series of seven is one of the more popular attractions in the Cloisters, and one that's been closely watch. Where he was sitting and working on a project, one of his workers came by. "Mister Grayson, there's a VIP in the tapestry room. You may want to introduce yourself."
Drawing in a breath, Dick pulled on his jacket - it's matching his trousers and his button up white shirt as he makes his way down and notices the young woman sitting and drawing. "It's actually much brighter on the other side." he offers to the young woman with a smile. "The time and exposure before John Rockefeller bought them gave them some age." comes the comment before he offers his hand. "Richard Grayson." A familiar name, one associated as the ward of a millionaire playboy. "…a pleasure to meet you."
Janet is rather well focused on her task at hand, so it's only when Dick actually talks to her that she realizes she's not alone. Slowly raising her head, she offers a pleasant smile, "is that so? I shall take a look…that's more knowledge than I'd expect a passing person to have about the tapestries, may I take a wild guess that you're not just a passing person?" Janet asks, amused with her own question, "a pleasure to meet you," Janet remarks as she offers her white gloved hand, "Janet Van Dyne, and I guess that answers my question, I've seen you at the Hellfire Club before, haven't I?" Considered the premier playground of the affluent, it is a likely thing, assuming Dick appreciates a good time and decadence for his pastime.
"Ah yes. Now I remember. Though I only remember the loveliness if I didn't remember the name." Dick grins charmingly at that as he lifts the hand for a moment. "As much as I would like to offer you a look on the other side, I fear that's forbidden by the curator of the museum. I might be able to put in a good word for you though that the next time that they are pulled down for cleaning that you would be allowed a glance." An amused twinkle shows in his eyes for a moment before he glances down at the drawing to see what inspiration she had taken from the art. "Do you know the story of the Unicorn?" he asks curiously.
"Do you…?" Janet seems a bit doubtful, before giving it a chance and asking, "tabloids, news, or just a word of mouth?" She wonders, wanting to guesstimate what set of perceived opinions Richard might hold of her. She most often finds people do have them. "I guess that's why I'm looking from this side, sadly, not priviledged enough," she winks. "Not quite," she answers the question," before shuffling aside on the bench, giving Richard room to join her, "but I'd love to hear of it if you'd care to tell me."
"I'm not one to take stock in the tabloids and gossip rags, Miss Van Dyne. I prefer to know a person from experiencing time with them." Richard accepts the offer to join her on the bench as he settles down next to her. "And it's not about privilidge, per say - just that it's my job to make sure they're well taken care of. After all, I am the same curator." There's a wink at that back at her, and a smile. "Well, the story is pretty simple. He starts from the first tapestry."
"A group of nobles and their dogs have gathered for the hunt. They are searching for the rarest of prey - the unicorn. The unicorn.." he moves his hand amongst the tapestries in a gesture. "Is said to make water pure, to heal the injured, and cannot be approached by only by a maiden that is pure of body and heart. The virgin.." the young woman is pointed out, "..sings to the unicorn and lures it into an enclosure. Wherein it arrives, it is besieged and murdered by the nobles, who hunger for it's flesh and fear it's powers. However.." A gesture to the last tapestry, where the Unicorn sits in a gated garden. "The Unicorn returned some days later, and thrived. None harmed it since. Some claim it's an allegory for the story of Christ. Others claim it's paganism at it's finest. Oddly enough, it was made in the Netherlands, by French means."
"Well, you're a person after my own heart, getting to know people is what makes life the exciting adventure that it is!" Janet smiles warmly, good to know there's no assumption made on her character in this encounter, let's her breathe easy and know she likely won't get pissed off in the next few minutes.
Janet listens intently, the story actually catches her attention, before she points out, "there's a flaw in the story. If the maiden, had lured the Unicorn to its death, she is by no means pure of heart. Wouldn't you agree?" Janet muses.
"That is one of the curiosities of the tapestries, isn't it? Was she aware that of the nobles' ill intent? Or was she a maiden of the forest that knew of the unicorn already?" Dick responds as he grins over at her. "Perhaps she was more hopeful to tame the unicorn than to see it killed." he offers up with a shrug of his shoulders as he considers the tapestries, and then the woman he's addressing. "Sometimes the best of intentions have the direst of consequence. But that was forgiven by the unicorn's return, perhaps?" he asks in return.
"Is this your first time visiting here?" he asks curiously. "I would think that I would have seen you here before. However, I suppose I have already proven that I could be a little absent minded in my observations. Though I will definetly have to pay more attention in the future."
"I think she was, she'd be pretty daft to be used like that blindly," Janet offers her take. "Please," Janet retorts at the question of taming, "why would anyone who is innocent seek to tame another? What is tame if not break one of their nature, and enforce on them an altogether different nature? It's cruel."
She doesn't answer the last one, but she nods at the question, "I don't have much time to sit and look at art these days, I keep fairly busy. What about you? Oh," she seems surprise as Richard suggests he does frequent the place quite a bit, "a patron of the arts are you?"
"It is something of a passion of mine." Dick admits with a grin. "Nothing like finding something that most people think cannot be recovered and find a way to make it better." he considers the tapestries again. "Like you said though, it does raise more questions than it does answers." There's a thoughtful glance. "Are you prepared for the usual holiday season?" comes the question, a glance towards her. "Planning on attending the Macy's ball?" he ventures, perhaps bravely.
"It's possible…" Janet says when asked of the Macy's Ball, "but I can assure you from my experience, nothing matches the extravagance of the Hellfire Club's parties…it's a riot, you should try one if you've never been before." But she does take a break to revisit the topic at hand, "how did you start on art? If you don't mind me asking."
"I'll have to keep that in mind. With the appropriate company, of course." Richard responds with a small smirk towards her before he considers. "Not exactly the arts - but this period in paticular, with it's restoration. There was so much darkness in those times, and it was an age where hope was at a premium. I enjoy seeing where they found hope, inspiration, the drive they needed to continue. What about you? What particular arts are you interested in?"
"Well, if it wasn't already apparent from what little you'd know about me without ever meeting me, fashion. But then I am a fashion designer, sorta gives it away doesn't it?" Janet smiles, before closing her sketch book and placing it back in her purse at her feet. "I love the creative juices flowing, when I create a new ensemble."
"I was just wondering what you may have found here to get the juices flowing." Dick admits with a small chuckle before he moves to rise to his feet. "But I didn't mean to distract you from your work." There's a smile, "I was just made aware of your presence, and I had a hope to meet the young woman that has made such a splash in the fashion world and vie to spend some time with her in the future."
"Isn't it obvious…look at the garments on the tapestry…I'm looking to have a line of Old With The New, renewing styles of olden days, drawing inspirations from it," Janet remarks, "it won't necessarily make it to a line I debut, but I like exploring, research is part of the fun." She laughs jovially at the last bit, "why ask what art I fancy when you've already known of my affinity for fashion?" She picks up her purse as she gets up, "only one way to see about that, would you like to have a drink somewhere?"