Fair flowers that are not gather'd in their prime Rot and consume themselves in little time.
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May 29, 2016 21:39:52 GMT
Post by APHRODITE on May 29, 2016 21:39:52 GMT
[googlefont="Nunito"][googlefont="Titillium Web"] A phrodite heard about the many museums in Kingsport as soon as she joined the Initiative, but she hadn't gotten around to visiting yet. In general, she enjoys visiting museums because it's interesting to see what the people think of her. She doesn't think the paintings and sculptures ever capture her quite right, but she knows an artist's job is a difficult one, and she doesn't complain. Unless the depiction is really awful. Then she has to take matters into her own hands. Aphrodite stands in front of a piece titled "Bust of Venus" and huffs. @open, feel free to jump in! |
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Post by tina on May 30, 2016 4:15:37 GMT
 They had a request for Aphrodite, but upon finding out that the goddess was at a museum, Tina told them to not bother her with phone calls or text messages. There was something crass about the sound of ringtones and text alerts in a museum. She'd run over there herself.
It took her a while to find Aphrodite--it's not a small museum--but people generally knew who she meant when Tina asked if they'd seen the most beautiful woman in the world walk past.
She caught up to Aphrodite just in time to see her huff unhappily at... well. The bust was probably one of the uglier works of art in this hall, but it wasn't awful. There was something amiss with the jaw--and the brows. Those brows wouldn't have looked out of place on a bust of Zeus.
"Aphrodite!" she said, her voice a pleasant bell tone and just loud enough to catch someone's attention without disturbing the other museum goers.
Tina looked to the bust and back to Aphrodite, and then back to the bust. "Some of our sculptors weren't very good," she said sheepishly, and it was part-excuse, part-apology.
APHRODITE
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Fair flowers that are not gather'd in their prime Rot and consume themselves in little time.
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May 30, 2016 16:45:58 GMT
Post by APHRODITE on May 30, 2016 16:45:58 GMT
[googlefont="Nunito"][googlefont="Titillium Web"] S he wasn't planning on harming the piece in any way (she had tried that before, and it hadn't gone well), Aphrodite simply wanted to get it removed. Aphrodite had every intention to call over an employee and have it taken away, but then she heard her name called. Aphrodite whipped around and scanned the woman up and down. Although it took a moment, Aphrodite recognized Tina- she was one of the younger and better-looking patrons of the Initiative. "You're telling me," she says dryly, glaring at her statue's almost-unibrow. "Imagine what this does to my image? When people see this, imagine what they think?" Aphrodite throws Tina a pleading look. "We must get it removed. You can help me do that, right?"tina |
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Post by tina on May 31, 2016 3:48:53 GMT
Tina sort of understands. She's had unflattering photographs of herself all over the internet when paparazzi catches her on a bad day. "They do know you're the goddess of love and beauty, so maybe they'll just think the sculptor's bad. It's only one statue out of many, but hmm... They'll all know what you really look like if they see you. I can schedule you in for some publicity events, if you have the time? We have plenty coming up."
Actually, she's here because the Initiative wanted to know if the gods were interested in a publicity event. The segue presented itself, so Tina took it.
Tina's not in the habit of telling museums how they do things, but she hates seeing heroes upset, especially if it's about something as controllable as their public image. "We can go ask. I don't think they'll say no to you, but if they do, I can try to buy it away from them. Or I could offer a very large donation to put it away in the archives forever."
Museums need money, right? The bust couldn't be worth that much. The Berlitz household had their own private collection of priceless artifacts. She could afford one more, and if they wouldn't part with it, she could write off a donation on her taxes.
APHRODITE |
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Fair flowers that are not gather'd in their prime Rot and consume themselves in little time.
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Post by APHRODITE on Jun 1, 2016 6:29:48 GMT
[googlefont="Nunito"][googlefont="Titillium Web"] A phrodite registers everything that Tina says, but she simply cannot take her eyes of her crooked-jawed counterpart. She raises a hand and runs a finger along the cracked clay. Hard, cold, and smooth. Aphrodite takes a breath. She is thrown by the moment of silence. "Oh. Publicity?" She nods hesitantly. "Yes, of course. Let me know what kind of events the Initiative has planned..." She swallows. "Although can we make sure the sponsor isn't so insistent that I wear some frumpy t-shirt this time?" Aphrodite nods her head at Tina's mention of the art piece. "Yes. I think we must say something, it's quite hideous. I don't mean to make a fuss," Aphrodite turns away completely from the sculpture, "but I must not be the only person who thinks so. I would like to speak to the curator immediately." She glances around, unsure of where to storm off, but then decides that she will angrily walk whichever way she pleases. Aphrodite's heels make steady rhythm with the floor. tina |
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Post by tina on Jun 2, 2016 5:11:06 GMT
"I'll call up a designer for you to get something nice made. No t-shirts," Tina promises. Different heroes have different images, but Aphrodite is not the sort of everyman hero that wears t-shirts in their downtime.
Tina follows Aphrodite--she doesn't know where the curators are either--but she takes out her phone and speed dials her lawyer. "Call the Kingsport Classical Art Museum for me? Tell them to meet me and Aphrodite in the Late Antiquity gallery, heading towards the Egyptian collection. Thanks, you're a doll. Later."
She never knows how her lawyer works the magic he does, but lo and behold, a rather frazzled elderly gentleman slips past the visitors in the hall. He's tall despite his age, must've been even taller when he was younger, agile despite his cane (which he doesn't seem to need for walking, though he leans on it when standing still). His hands are knobbly, all bones and skin.
"Ah, Ms. Berlitz and Ms. Pavlou." You can tell he's not sure if he should be using Aphrodite's second name, but he's loathe to greet a luminary by their first name. "I was told--"
Tina speaks quickly, to get a few polite words in now before things might get messy. "Thank you so much for meeting up with us on short notice. It's about the center bust in the hall back there though."
She figures Aphrodite can take it from there.
APHRODITE
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Fair flowers that are not gather'd in their prime Rot and consume themselves in little time.
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Post by APHRODITE on Jun 5, 2016 15:13:48 GMT
[googlefont="Nunito"][googlefont="Titillium Web"] A phrodite, who had previously been inspecting her nails very closely, watches the elderly man approach and resists from speaking. He is old but not disgustingly so. (It is often fascinating to watch the body grow old to Aphrodite, as she is well aware that such a thing will never occur to her. And sometimes, age simply repulses her.) However, because this is not one of those cases, and because she is determined to get what she wants, Aphrodite behaves. She listens to Tina carefully and nods along, faking a smile. "You know, sir- I have worked very hard to develop a public image," she says in a low voice. "And with the help of people like Ms. Berlitz, I have done so. But this statue, this monstrosity, will not only affect the way I am seen by the public; will not only affect my relationship with your museum, but will affect the Initiative's efforts to protect Kingsport." A bit of an exaggeration, but Aphrodite doesn't care. She smiles, fox-like, and then raises her eyebrows. "I'm sure you understand?" It is posed as a hopeful question. tina |
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Post by tina on Jun 6, 2016 7:09:20 GMT
The elderly man has been in a loving and steadfast marriage with another gentlemen for the past forty years. Aphrodite is the first woman he's ever found attractive. As an art historian well-versed in who Aphrodite is, he's both surprised and not surprised at all.
"You speak of the bust of--" He decides not to describe it as a bust of the woman in front of him, because the bust did not look a single thing like the woman in front of him. "The bust from circa 600 AD. I must apologize for the artist, ma'am. It is a woefully inaccurate depiction. Perhaps I could amend the label? We describe it as you, but... Bust of a Lady might disassociate the piece from you? We could move it elsewhere too, to the side rather than in the center of the hall."
Tina tries her wallet as strategy number one, because it works in most situations: "Is it for sale?" She's not hearing the offer to straight up remove the piece, so she gets to the point.
"Ah. No. I'm afraid not. It's one of the few pieces we have from the era, it's a rare item for a variety of other reasons too, but it also is merely being lent to us. It's owned by an anonymous private collector that's agreed to let us show it to the public."
Tina doesn't quite understand the meaning of not for sale. "Then, how much would it cost for the museum to pay back this collector if I were to buy it? I would absolutely reimburse you for the trouble, legal fees and all."
"Ms. Berlitz, I simply do not have the authority to sell it."
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