CHAPTER TWENTY FOUR–DREAMS AND AMBITIONS 

seled her students the ough some still exercises and basic techniques with minimal 

The next few and classes were celatively uneventiel without Dingas over–the–top presence. Jasmine drama. But it wasn’t long before the chock negreturned with a vengeanor. 

Two weeks alter the blowup, Jasmine arrived to find Diego already holding court, sporting an outrageous look–skintight scarier tard, mismatched argile leg warmers, and a vibrantly patterned beret askew stop his wild silver curl 

Ah, then she is!” be eend upon sporting Jasmine, fuchsia lips quirking into an exaggerated pout. “Our delicate tower has deigned to graceus commence more with her cultivated 

Jasmine mecaly archedane et conly. “It’s good to have you back too, Diego. I trust you’ve refocused your articles in a more piva ection? Himberghinted with a hint of defiance. “ur of course, ma chérie. I am the very vision of cestralt and decorum 

The demontate, he abruptly fling both arms out in a grandiose flourish–sendingaladed paintbrush saving straight into Marcin’s using puris visage. 

“Dude! What the hell?” The teen’s shoot was muffled by the bright purple streaknom adoring hischerk 

“Oh whoopsie,” Diegotitered, entirely unapologetic. “De forgive me, I simply gora tad–carried away in the throes of passion 

“You got that sight,” Prockape monteceddarkly from the comes, 

Jarob openly galed at the spectacle, all pretenses of jaded disinterest forgotten. Event Apes ked mildly scandalizedbehind on mittened hand. “Now, now, no need for such staffy lusing reinvigorating and conative rest!” 

went on blithely, sanaying towards the supply closer with an overdramatic wish of his athletichips. “I have just the perfect antidote for 

Ignoring the chorus of dubioun grumblings behind him, he ieveda v pottery wheel and began log it is the center of the room, graming ostentatiously with each awkward step. Marging here it into place, be straightened with a flourish, chest pulled out in self–tisfaction. 

“There! We shall embrace the can, prinal power of sculpting directly with our hands! Let the unity of creation flow through our bodies as 

His impassioned spiel ground to a halt as the pottery wheel abruptly and to fe, sent inning violently by his elboor smacking the pedal control Wee clay stopped wildly in all direction as Diego squawked and fled 

Jasmine reacted instantly, lunging over to slam the wheel’s power off as her bewildered madents scattered to avoid the earthen shrapnel assault. Annerie silence Jell, punctuated only by the pitous squishing of Diego’s muck–drenched form. 

“will,” she said evenly, surveying the damage with one accedinow. “Now that the artist passion in been appropriately stoked, should we try channeling into actual canvases? In a slightly more controlled manner the time, prihaps?” 

Under Jaurine’s firm yet lighthearted guidance, the rest of the lively, productive energy she circulated the room offering pointers, she ser rapports with her students beyond techniques 

personal 

“Agnes, these floral modes you keep revisiting are just exposite,” she complimented warmly, admiring the older woestored Bush work. “They’re delicately conce special inspiration behind these subjecta?” 

The plump retired soprano’s rosy cheels dimpled in a food me, “Why, nothing and as a statements, I’m afraid imply do indulging my long low from in oila and yes these days” 

She let out a ling pral of lighter, patting Jasmine’s arm affectionately. In my opera days, besoed benefactors were always showering me with lavish bouquet after show. I suppose yould say I’ve cultivated quite the penchant for capting each boom’s unique, ephemeral beauty on camas before it fades away.” 

Jasmine felt her grin widening, captivated by Agnes’s twinkling anecdotes. “How perfectly poetic, Lean virtually hear the touring ariasbehind these multidimensional petals” 

A leweasels over, Marcus continued meticulously thing harsh lines of inkonis slate shaded abstracts, brow furred in concentracion. When Jasmine approached, he barely afforded her a sideways glance, chin jetting up lendy. 

“Your compositions are really compelling. Macdia,” Jazmine tegen, haping to break through his prickly esto, “That bold interplay of darks and lights, thour vehement brushstroke. there’s walcowpown whind them. We do you channel these incenar emotions when you work? 

For long beat she didn’t think he would respond at all just when she was about to give up. Man gave a nonchalant one–shoulderedshing, dislodging his shappy bangs. 

“Dunna. I just get frustrated a lot, I guess. With rapid authority figures and ancistal expectations and whatever.” Its fucked his waist, adding a thick stock of crimson to grashing, fangedshape “My art’s basically an outlet for rebelling against all that opporssive 16” 

Jasmine arched one eyebrowing his cynical adrelssion. “Well, rage and prosesi cancertainly catalyze incredibly staark when welded purposefully. I think you’re wally tapping into that subversive spirit in a visceral way with pieces like this.” 

The faintest hint of a mile seemed to ghoot across Marcus’a lipn an her 

  • Whether he registered her compliment or not, ha didn’t outright rebuilt in. 

Swiring her small victory, Jasmine moved on to where Penelope was smaged in another of her severe, monochromatic geometrics, lips pusein acute concentration. The chic lawyer didn’t even glance up upon Jasmine’s approach this time. 

“You’ve got make technical skills and grasp of negative space, there’s no denying that,” Jasmine marked lightly, studying the rank, angular form. “What compelled you to gravitate soward this minimale, precise style?” 

Penelope’s hazel eyes flicked up briefly, appraising lasice though her impeccably groomed drings of blood bangs. “Thank you. I find unnecessary embellishments and bitrary Barishes cather taste- they only to obscure the true impact of Item and proportion” 

She made a fem dein strokes, accentuating the harsh vertical of her composition. ” my legal profession, as in my art, I’ve cultivated a partiality for urvamished structure and efficiency werniation. It allows the aburance to speak for itself” 

Jasmine couldn’t argue with the logic–aligned with the posed, discaming persona Palope exided. Before she could ingere lurther, the woman’s crisply arched brows knitted slightly, 

and she seemedio decide.. 

“Though I’ll confess this moment towards a more personal creative outlet been an experiment in learning to allow some vulnerability to exist alongside my outward polish She glanced up once more, he coolly tailored visage tracking slightly to reveal an unguarded flicker of wistfulen 

“My profesional life demands à pemainzigd decorum of me at all times. Perhaps subconsciously, artistic expression alleen me to explore auter undercurrents Travity acknowledge.” While Jasmine hadn’t expected such a candid glimpis beneath Penelope’s urban venent, she inspected the insight rely offering the other woman a warm smile, she moved on ro 

check in with Jacob 

Much sa hei surprise, the typically detached tager had become quite eased in layering vibe an acryls across his camas 

Haldwashes and fetic splatters swirled into an abstract yet oldly cohesive composition of reler and kitc 

“That’s an explosive style you’ve really immersed yourself in there,” she remarked approvingly, “I love the sence of caw, intuitive expression totally unbridled” 

Jacob glansendup, Hoshing slightly at the inspected pratie. “Uh, yeah guest’s just how I tend to vibe when I got in a flow state, you know 

Jard went on, shrugging one shoulder awkwardly. “1’ll just stari slinging paint without overthinking in too much and see what fools Light” 

CHAPTER TWENTY FOUR–DREAMS AND AMBITIONS 

“An admirable instinct to trust in the artistic process,” Jasmine encouraged warmly. “Thero’s a refreshingly visceral immediacy in your bushwork that really resonates.” Before Jacob could brush off her words entirely, the jarring clatter of metal on tile rang out across the studio, drawing all eyes, 

CHAPTER TWENTY TIVE – THE STOLEN PUNTING