Cultured {Jane} [Casual] FIN

[CLAUDIUS CHANDLER]

Claudius Chandler had only met Jane Eyre twice, and both times he had been surprised by what he learned about her. The first time they had met was at an art museum; Claudius had (not too swiftly) realized just who Jane was and had been shocked at her insistence that just because she was now wealthy didn't mean she had to spend her money on frivolities. He liked to think due to the conversation they had had about art that he came across as cultured, but the way in which he acted probably made more of an impression than his talk of painting and sculpture.

The second time Jane and Claudius had met had been at his good friend Hector Tormei's post-election celebration. Before Claudius had consumed too much alcohol to recall the rest of the evening, he had come to realize that Jane was only just nineteen (that and she didn't drink...at all).

This taken into account it was a wonder that the pair of them managed to get along. Well, Claudius thought they got along well, if anything, and thought Jane felt the same way. Therefore, when he felt his office needed sprucing up with some new artwork, he had no hesitation in getting in touch with Miss Eyre, who he knew was a gifted artist from their first encounter and her evident passion for the topic.

A brief phone call was all it had taken to sort out the meeting, which found Claudius outside Jane's apartment come early afternoon, having rang the doorbell and now waiting to be admitted. Funny sort of business meeting, in all honesty.

[JANE EYRE]

During their two meetings, Jane hadn't been able to form a complete opinion about Claudius Chandler. He made her uncomfortable at times, other times he was an acceptable conversationalist. It had been startling when he called her up concerning art for his business workplace mainly because Jane couldn't recall giving him her contact information. After the initial shock wore off, Jane was more than happy to make him an appointment to stop by her apartment to view her artwork.

Even though she didn't have financial worries any longer, Jane enjoyed selling her art. It made her feel worthwhile as an artist. That others wanted to own her work was so flattering and it encouraged Jane as a teacher. It didn't do any good to set before the students an unaccomplished person. To be able to stand before her students and tell them that she has sold was a huge deal for the young teacher. It gave her credibility.

Even though she wasn't too fond of the idea of having an unattended man in her apartment alone, Jane couldn't very well haul all of her pieces to his office. Claudius had been very vague about what sort of art he wanted so Jane had no choice but to invite him over. Asking her kindly neighbor, Mrs. Greensmith, to keep an ear out for her, Jane relucantly prepared for Claudius's arrival. She sorted her completed pieces of all sizes into genre in her living room. Some pieces remained locked in her cupboard, her portrait of Erik and her own self-portrait done with a heavy hand in charcoal were among them. The others, the ones on display, ranged from macabre subject matter to light landscapes. It seemed a bit schizophrenic, even to Jane, but she didn't have one style that she always stayed true to.

Since it was a business meeting, Jane dressed like she would for a district meeting. It was silly but she wanted to prove that she could spend her money on insignificant things, like the business appropriate dress she had on. It was a bit dark, perhaps, but it was still modest enough to suit her. Her entertaining etiquette still manifested itself in the form of refreshments on her kitchen counter and Jane looked at the spread to make sure everything was in order. It was just Claudius but Jane didn't want to slack off. Leaving England she had been worried that her schooling would wash away so she worked hard to maintain it. Hearing a knock at her door, Jane took a deep breath and told herself that Claudius Chandler was sure to act the part of a gentleman, that he wouldn't...try anything inappropriate, that it was all a business deal. She opened the door with a smile plastered on her face, greeting Claudius and inviting him in brightly.

[CLAUDIUS CHANDLER]

Claudius was utterly oblivious to the fact his mannerisms often caused Jane discomfort, so he took her bright and cheery greeting as she opened the door at face value. However, rather than trying to act debonair as he so often did, Claudius reminded himself that this was technically a business meeting, and deigned therefore to shake Jane's hand rather than kiss it.

"Jane, pleasure to see you again."

The formalities of the greeting done, Claudius stepped into the apartment and looked the living room over. Despite the fact the room was full of paintings (ranging, he noted with curiosity, from the macabre to the light and airy) Claudius knew a nice apartment when he saw one.

Turning back to Jane, Claudius smiled and nodded.

"This a great place you have here, Jane," he said, smile still firmly in place.

[JANE EYRE]

Jane accepted Claudius's handshake and his pleasantries with a smile and a slight nod of the head. She was quite glad that he didn't try anything more flashy for a greeting. At least with the simple handshake, Jane knew that he was taking the appointment serisouly. It was business and business did not need to be muddled by other things.

"This a great place you have here, Jane,"

"Thank you," Jane replied, taking a moment to look around her at her new apartment. It wasn't a large apartment or over furnished, but Jane quite liked it. She had decorated much like she had decorated her old one, the only difference being that there were extra chairs that she kept by the patio door. Jane didn't like leaving chairs out on the patio itself and instead chose to simply take one out when she felt like being outside. "It isn't much, but it suits me,"

Motioning for Claudius to follow her, Jane lead them to where the paintings were all spread out. "Now, have you decided what sort of art you'd like? I have just about everything,"

[CLAUDIUS CHANDLER]

"Thank you. It isn't much, but it suits me,"

Claudius shrugged.

"Each to their own, I suppose. I have to say the artwork gives it a little extra something,"

Having chuckled at his own joke, not feeling at all awkward (he was too sure of himself to feel awkward, generally speaking) Claudius followed Jane as she led him to see her artwork on display.

"Now, have you decided what sort of art you'd like? I have just about everything,"

"That's my problem," Claudius said, somewhat theatrically. "I just can't make my mind up. That's strange, mind you, because I'm usually a man who knows exactly what he wants."

[JANE EYRE]

"Each to their own, I suppose. I have to say the artwork gives it a little extra something,"

Jane managed a weak smile and a shrug at that. He made a joke and Jane wasn't sure how to respond to it. She wasn't the joking type usually and when she was, she usually played it off with a straight face as long as her companion was as well. Jane was entirely unsure about how to act around Claudius, probably because he was such a difficult man to read. He seemed to be rather limbic and flighty, two traits that Jane had little experience dealing with.

"That's my problem, I just can't make my mind up. That's strange, mind you, because I'm usually a man who knows exactly what he wants."

"Well, we can work around that," Jane went to the first stack of paintings. They were all a bit smaller and were of unusual objects she had found or seen. One was of a tennis shoe that was laced shut with a yo yo. A homeless man had been wearing such a device and Jane had remembered the image. It sparked all the others. A little man made of wire and bottle caps, a condom balloon animal (the condom part being discovered after the picture was complete), a baseball cap that was being used as a nest for a family of sewer rats...The images ranged from the odd to the dark, the style all painfully realistic. "I don't know if you'll like these, but perhaps we can start to get an idea of what direction we'd like to go,"

Jane held out the stack of paintings for Claudius to take and look at, unconsciously holding her breath for his verdict.

[CLAUDIUS CHANDLER]

It was only after Claudius replayed what he had just said inside his head that he realized how it may have sounded. However, to his great surprise, Jane seemed unfazed and continued talking about art as though nothing had happened. Claudius figured either she had no idea about the alternate meaning of her words or, if she did, she was making a good job of ignoring it.

Focus, Claudius, focus, he reprimanded himself. This is a bloody business meeting. Business. Only.

"Well, we can work around that. I don't know if you'll like these, but perhaps we can start to get an idea of what direction we'd like to go,"

Claudius smiled and nodded as Jane handed him the paintings, quickly looking through them. He liked them well enough, and couldn't deny they were well done, but they weren't quite what he had in mind. A baseball cap with rats in it wouldn't give off the best impression on the wall of his office.

"These are really unique, I have to say, but I'm afraid they aren't quite what I'm after," Claudius said, handing the paintings back, with a smile to show he wasn't trying to be rude about them. He considered saying something about the balloon animal in particular but managed to stop himself before he went that far.

[JANE EYRE]

Jane nodded and grabbed the paintings. "Of course. I have some....landscapes here," Jane sat aside that stack of paintings and pulled over a stack of watercolor paper. She used charcoal, water colors, and pencils together to create a series of sunset themed landscapes. There was contrast in lines in each pieces, the colors were boldly chosen yet muted, softly blended with thick, dark accents of trees. Even though the colors were quite serene, the landscape itself was desolate and dead looking. Jane justified this by adding accents of snow and ice, painting a barren winter scene.

Jane sat down on her couch, motioning for Claudius to take a seat also. She had a feeling that this was going to take a while. Claudius wasn't looking for anything specific which meant that Jane would probably have to go through every single piece before he found the ones he liked.

"I also have these," Jane handed off the water colors and pulled over four tall, thin pannels. She had done a series where she filled different bottles with insulation, let it harden, then shattered the glass around the filling. She then used chalk pastels on wood pannels to draw the new sculptures. Jane still had the figures sitting in her kitchen, she had used some wire to turn them into a utensil holder that held all of her serving spoons.

[CLAUDIUS CHANDLER]

"Of course. I have some....landscapes here,"

"Landscapes, got it," Claudius muttered, as he looked over the stack Jane had given him. These too were well done, but Claudius was unsure about how they would fit in with the colour scheme. Before he could bring that up he noticed Jane had sat down on the couch, inviting him to take a seat also. Thinking nothing of it, Claudius sat down next to her, looking at the next set of paintings afforded him.

"Wow," he said simply, leaning back slightly where he sat the better to appreciate the panels. "Very nice...very...I don't know what the word is that I'm after but they're cool. I like them."

He paused. Then,

"You wouldn't happen to have any pictures of people, would you, rather than landscapes? A portrait or two, perhaps?"

[JANE EYRE]

Jane couldn't help but beam internally at his compliment. She took every good word spoken about her work to heart, using it to encourage her in her pursuits. Jane sat aside the landscapes and the panels when Claudius mentioned something more specific. Portraits. Jane had plenty of portraits, she had made a habit of drawing or painting people she saw everyday. Jane rose from the couch only for a moment to retrieve her favorite portraits.

"This is the woman who ran a fruit stand on my street where I used to live before moving here," Jane explained as she showed a portrait of an old, Yiddish woman, her face worn and lined with age.

"And this man drove a taxi, he lived two floors up from me," Jane then showed the portrait of a smiling man with a wide, greying mustache. All of her favorite portraits were of people she had seen every day. Before moving, Jane had more than enough time to study them and learn their faces, unlike her new neighbors. The woman to her right had already changed her nose once since Jane moved in. All of the portraits were done in a photo-realism manner with chalk. They looked almost like photographs with the background unfocused and the foreground clear but soft.

[CLAUDIUS CHANDLER]

Claudius looked over the portraits Jane showed him with interest; he liked the realism of them and the materials Jane had used to make the portraits really made them work.

"This style's called photo realism, isn't it?" Claudius asked as he examined the second portrait, attempting to sound as appropriately knowledgeable as he had done before.

Having looked at the portrait all he wished he set in down and casually crossed his legs, thinking over the work he'd been shown so far. After a moment or two's pause he asked;

"Do you have pictures of anyone younger?"

[JANE EYRE]

Jane nodded her head. It was photo realism. She wasn't expecting Claudius to know that but gladly accepted it. He knew more about art than she gave him credit for it seemed.

"Do you have pictures of anyone younger?"

Jane chewed on her lip as she looked over the piles of paintings. She did have pictures of younger people but they weren't nearly as good and almost all of them were terrifyingly dark in one aspect or another. None of the younger subjects were nearly as easy to look at.

"I do, but I doubt that they will be right for this,"

[CLAUDIUS CHANDLER]

As Jane looked over her paintings and bit her lip, Claudius' relaxed expression turned to one of confusion. What was the problem? He hadn't said he didn't like these other ones, he did like them...what had he said this time?

"I do, but I doubt that they will be right for this,"

For a moment Claudius was amused; if indeed Jane meant what he thought she meant. Then again it was painfully obvious that he and Jane Eyre had very different ways of thinking. It was entirely possible Jane wasn't as demure and prim as she appeared, but Claudius doubted this was the case.

With a chuckle, he asked;

"Why d'you think that?"

[JANE EYRE]

Jane sighed and stood up, going to kneel in front of a pile as she flipped through them. She had put the darker ones back behind the others, hoping that they wouldn't be seen. "They're rather macabre I'm afraid,"

She pulled the mildest of the bunch from the stack and turned it to show Claudius.

A young man stood on a fire escape, a syringe hanging from his fingers like a cigarette, the cigarette taking the place of the syringe in the man's arm, pressed into the crook of his elbow just below a tourniquet made from a belt.

"I don't think that these would work really. You don't want to scare off your clients or your employees," Jane said, mumbling. She put the picture away again and stayed where she was.

"I have more still life, flowers and the like, more landscapes and more photo realism portraits,"

[CLAUDIUS CHANDLER]

"They're rather macabre I'm afraid,"

Claudius found it difficult to imagine someone like Jane painting something macabre, or maybe the word meant something different in her book. The CEO waved a hand airily as if to dismiss Jane's words, but the painting she showed him, though not as much terrifying as it was disturbing, made him understand what Jane had meant.

"I don't think that these would work really. You don't want to scare off your clients or your employees,"

"...Yeah," Claudius said at last. "I don't think those would give off the best impression. I'm sure the rest are as great as this, Jane, don't get me wrong, but you're right...they wouldn't work."

"I have more still life, flowers and the like, more landscapes and more photo realism portraits,"

"Let's have some still life," Claudius said with a smile, attempting to lighten the mood. He improved upon this point by moving off the sofa as Jane did, but instead over to where she had set up refreshments. Having eaten a couple of snacks, he offered the plate to Jane.