Author's Note: So my sister came home from college for the second time since she has been gone. She brought a friend with her so we had to clean the house. But we have so many animals that it's hard to keep it clean. I felt bad because my dad had to clean while sick. But I couldn't tell him that my middle sister was supposed to do that.
Sometimes I feel like my author's notes are kind of like a mini blog I keep up with when I write a new story. I know many of you who read these don't really care what I'm doing but those who do, thank you for letting me ruin a few minutes of your life with my drivel. It just makes me feel better for some reason.
Here's where we meet our female character. She's like all my other leads; she's crazy and obviously has something she's bringing to the table. I hope I can get all the emotions across that I'm feeling for her as I create her.
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Yi Jeong was tired already. He had been interviewing artists for the last few hours with no luck. None of the people who had applied for the position were what he was looking for. The backgrounds of everyone was so good but it wasn't what he wanted.
He knew he probably shouldn't be picky. All these people wanted was for others to see their work, but he knew many of them would achieve that. He wanted someone who was the underdog. He wanted to promote the person as someone who could beat all the odds. He had to feel that as he looked at their work.
The people he had seen first were all the same. They had all the happiness on their faces but their works were dreary and morbid. One guy had even painted a picture of him slaying an evil dragon that obviously represented his mother. Mentally Yi Jeong thought the guy needed help. Most artists were a little on the morbid side, but this was the worst one the potter had seen and he had been working with art for years. Luckily that guy hadn't pushed the issue when Yi Jeong had said he wasn't what he had been looking for.
One after the other, it was the same ole same old drab. Many were interesting but they didn't have that spark. He was slowly losing his mind as he waited for the right person to come through his office doors and wow him.
His secretary escorted the second to last person out, giving Yi Jeong time to stretch. He glanced down at the next applicant and had to do a double take. This person wasn't of Korean descent at all. They were American with Pacific Islander ancestry. He flipped through the file, enraptured with everything he read.
It all came to a head when the door to his office opened and two people came in. it was obvious at first glance that they were twins by the same curly hair and facial features, but they were completely exotic. They had deep tans that could only come from living on an island all their lives. They were the complete opposites of anyone who had come through those doors. Yi Jeong wondered who was who as they sat in front of his desk.
He looked down at the file. Both (obviously) were from Hawaii with Hawaiian descent in their backgrounds. They had grown up on the Oahu and had come to Korea two years ago. They were now fluent in the language and hadn't planned on leaving. But which was which?
"Storm Montgomery?" he asked in his best English. It was decent but not perfect.
The woman nodded but it was the man who answered. "She's Storm." He looked sheepish when Yi Jeong looked at him. "My sister doesn't speak. She hasn't in two years."
Yi Jeong looked at the woman and she looked right back at him, unashamed. Her eyes were kind and bright, but the amazing thing about them was they were a light violet. They stood out against her dark hair and skin.
His eyes roved over her face until they landed on the violent white scar circling her right eye. She didn't look away even when she realized he was staring. She seemed to be used to it.
"Does it hurt?" he asked. She shook her head as kindness oozed off her.
"Storm was in an accident that caused that. She's not really shy about it," her brother said.
Yi Jeong smiled. He was suddenly beginning to like this person even though he had just met her. "May I see your portfolio?"
Storm handed it over and sat back to watch his reaction. Her brother looked at her and she shook her head. They had the freaky twin thing going on and weren't afraid to use it even in pleasant company.
The potter flipped through the book, amazed at the quality of work the pieces brought forth. He was very impressed at the level of expertise he was seeing. Storm was quiet but her work was loud. Not because it was popping with color, but it was full of life. He could see she really enjoyed what she did.
"How do you do with pottery?" he asked out of curiosity.
She leaned forward and grasped a tab (that told him how organized she was). The pages flipped right to it. Yi Jeong looked at bowls, cups, teapots, plaster, sculptures, and anything a truly refined artist dedicated to the craft could create.
His mouth dropped at the life-size recreation of the titan Atlas. Unlike the original, this one was made out of clay and painted with vibrant colors. It gave the sculpture life as well as told the story of the man who held the world on his back.
"You have a raw talent," he said as he closed the folder. "I especially love the Atlas recreation. Not many people have the ability to recreate classics. What's your specialty?"
"Glass," her brother piped up again. Yi Jeong glanced up from the book in which he was engrossed. The man smiled. "By the way, my name is Jax."
The artist let it slide and looked back at his interviewee. "Glass etchings are your best?" he asked. She shook her head, curls flying about her face. She pointed behind him, and he glanced back. "Paintings?"
"She can recreate stained glass, but her best feature is her blown glass," Jax explained. "She's been studying it for nearly a decade, but we don't have the resources for her to have her own studio to be really successful and it's too expensive to rent a place. So she's made up for it by perfecting everything else."
Yi Jeong looked at Storm for a just a moment longer. She was so expressive even when she was silent. She took in everything that was going on around her. Her brother was her voice but her hands were her emotions. Everything she was feeling went into something and it became a beautiful piece. Not everyone had that ability. Not even Yi Jeong could recreate emotions.
"Miss Storm," he said as he leaned forward to hand her portfolio to her, "it would be my honor to work with you."
Storm grasped her folder and inclined her head. The siblings shared a look and the happy smiles that played across their faces were identical. It was a candid moment that made Yi Jeong wish he had a camera on hand.
"When should she start?" Jax asked.
"I planned to start today once I had decided." The other artist noticed the frown that replaced the happy smile. "Is that not acceptable?"
"I have to be back at the university for my afternoon classes. Storm would be left alone." The woman in question looked at her brother and shook her head. "Are you sure?"
"I won't leave her alone. I'm not that comfortable with her yet to make that choice. As for now she won't be left alone."
Jax didn't look convinced, and it was understandable. But his sister was already over him. She set her portfolio on the desk and stood. Grabbing his arm, she hauled Jax up out of his seat and across the office. After opening the door, she shoved him out of the room and made a gesture before closing the door in his face.
She returned to Yi Jeong's desk and pointed at his phone. He nodded and watched as she picked it up. Whatever she did took about two seconds before she was picking up her phone. Setting his back down, she typed on hers. About thirty seconds later, his chimed.
/My brother thinks I'm an invalid. How do I survive when he's at work? Just because I don't talk doesn't mean I'm useless./
Yi Jeong laughed. "You're snarky." She shrugged with a smile. "Follow me. I have a place where you can work. You won't be disturbed."
He was going to have to amend his text tone for her as she sent him another one. /Disturbances don't bother me. I live with a disturbance. I actually concentrate with some sort of noise./
"I'm sure we can do something about that. Follow me."
Storm gathered her bag and followed him. Yi Jeong wasn't a bad guy. He seemed kind and understanding. It was one of the reasons she wanted to be sponsored by him. The last few people who'd had their works shown by him had gone on to wonderful careers. That's what she wanted. She wanted to be known for her works, not necessarily by her works or who she was affiliated with.
He led her down the hall and to another entrance. His office was attached to his studio. The space was huge. He was able to house and work with his students if he so chose. Fortunately Storm had a house.
"I don't have everything you need, but I have a furnace. I'll whatever else is needed to get started so make a list. Feel free to use and make whatever you want. All I ask is that you clean what you mess up," he said.
Storm nodded and continued to look around the studio. He was essentially giving her free reign of his work space without as much as a snarky attitude. She had heard about F4 and about how they could ruin someone, but this member was working to help people do what they want to do in life. He would help as long as you were willing to work your ass off. If not, he would drop you then you were screwed.
Yi Jeong wondered what was going through her mind as she wandered through his most private space. She was soaking it all in and that told him she was going to make sure she stayed near him so she could work. He hadn't really seen anyone with this much passion oozing off them. She looked to be in heaven and that made him laugh.
"Oh, I have to tell you. I'm giving private lessons to a college student as well. He'll be coming in on Tuesdays and Thursdays at seven so if you don't want to work with anyone in the room you have been forewarned," he said.
She pulled out her phone. /I'll be fine. It will be hot in here once I light the furnace because it has to be nearly 1300 degrees Fahrenheit to melt the glass./
Yi Jeong looked up from the screen. "Does that mean you will be wearing as little as acceptably possible?" She laughed but nodded. "As long as you keep this," he waved his hand away but close to her upper body, "covered we'll be fine. I have coveralls I use sometimes."
He looked down at the screen when she replied. /Are tank tops acceptable?/
"As long as you stay covered." He watched her walk over to a cabinet and open it. "What are you doing?" She pointed at herself then the cabinet. "Are you taking that over?" She nodded.
He laughed at her then motioned her over to one of the long tables in the middle of the room. True to what he was feeling, Storm sat on the table and swung her feet like she was a child. He shook his head at her then looked up at her.
"Is there a reason you don't speak?" He thought her gaze was going to change but it was the same as she nodded. "Is it private?" This time she shook her head. "Will I ever know?"
She pointed at the scar and he realized it had something to do with it. Without being able to control it, he reached up and touched her face. She closed her eyes and let him run his thumb over the raised and angry scar. He didn't think she could help leaning her head into his hand and it endeared her to him even more.
"All right. You don't have to tell me what happened, but I expect to know at some point. It's only fair since I think this affected your art more than you want to admit."
When she opened her eyes, the color in them had deepened. They were so deep a violet it looked like molten amethyst had been poured into them to darken them. He knew he had touched on something that she didn't share often but since they were both artists, it would come out naturally. Here she was able to open all the doors that had been closed.
"Your brother doesn't touch you like this often does he?"
She shook her head before pulling away and walking around the studio again. This time he just watched her and didn't worry about what she was feeling. She would tell him eventually.
