Q & A AMA - Claire Yeon

[Chase]

Would you ever read a romance novel about an intelligent but lonely art curator and a fishing detective with selective color-blindness?

Hold...

 

[Nevon]

I know you said you didn't want any children, Claire, but if you did have a child, would they be male or female, how would they grow up, what would their career have been, what would you hope for them, and what would you tell them when they're old enough to know?

 

[Claire Yeon]

I know you said you didn't want any children, Claire, but if you did have a child, would they be male or female, how would they grow up, what would their career have been, what would you hope for them, and what would you tell them when they're old enough to know?

It is less not wanting a child and more an honest belief that it would not be in the best interest of anyone involved. I suppose motives are a moot point; it is not likely to happen. If it did, the first and most important thing is that the child would be adopted. Before my husband and I married, he made it very clear that no biological children was a non-negotiable. I think Yves would prefer a boy, since both of his stillborn children were girls and he would want a fresh start, but if that changed as the child grew into their identity we would of course be supportive. We would both want him to be a little older when we got him, at least five or six, so he could travel easier. Any child of ours would have to get used to traveling often. I travel more frequently than my husband, but he travels for longer stretches at a time; we make it work for ourselves, but throwing a child into the mix would certainly complicate things and call for some reevaluation of our priorities. My parents would like it if we settled in New York for the long term. I would hope, for the child's sake, that we could find reconciliation and that they would help us raise him. I would also hope that I would have the wisdom to not make him feel like it would be his fault if that does not work.

When it comes to his career, I would like it if he would go into a field related to history, since he would be so immersed in it growing up and would have considerable experience and professional connections. Being something of an expert on defying parents' expectations, though, I also would not be surprised if he'd had enough of history and went into something completely different. I would do my best to be accepting, and in my heart I believe I could do it, but I also wonder if that's how my parents felt about my choices. What I hope for them is nothing more or less than to grow up feeling safe, happy, and loved, and equipped to be a successful and productive member of society. When he is old enough, I would tell him about some of the more... questionable aspects of my past, and how I justified my actions. I wonder if those reasons will still seem as compelling then as they do now. Time has a way of skewing our perspective.

 

[Joe Kerr]

Does Yves know about Claire joining VILE? If yes, what's his view?

 

[Chase]

I'd asked @Patty a similar question, but here we go: Under which circumstances would Claire have joined ACME, and what would that have been like?

 

[Lee]

Would Claire ever defect from VILE, why and why not?

 

[Emma Bezzle]

What is Claire like when she received bad news? Does she sulk, get angry, pretend nothing is wrong, withdraw, etc?

 

[Lucy]

What do you consider the most overrated virtue

 

[Claire Yeon]

Does Yves know about Claire joining VILE? If yes, what's his view?

I don’t think so. He knows that I have found steady work with people who appreciate my talents, but we have not talked about the details. I am not hiding it, exactly, but I have not yet seen a need to bring it up. Right now, we only see each other four or five days a month, and we have better things to do in that time than talk about something that could potentially be a liability if he knew too much. He would probably follow me, if I asked him to. He would do well here.

I'd asked @Patty a similar question, but here we go: Under which circumstances would Claire have joined ACME, and what would that have been like?

I tend to approach any relationship from a purely logical standpoint. VILE offered me exactly what I wanted: a chance to use my skills and interests in a way that generates profit and allows me the flexibility to pursue my own enjoyments. If ACME had offered me the same thing, my allegiances might swing differently. It’s nothing personal, my dear director, only business.

Would Claire ever defect from VILE, why and why not?

If there is one thing I have learned over the years, it is that I have to look out for myself, because no one else is going to do it for me. It was my sense of self-preservation that brought me to VILE: I knew there would be steady, potentially lucrative work, and that I would be among a brotherhood of peers and equals who look out for each other and are not without a sense of honor of their own. There could be many different reasons to defect - it is impossible to know the circumstances under which they might occur until you are in them - but whatever they are, they would have to be compelling enough to where that sense of self-preservation saw leaving as the best option.

What is Claire like when she received bad news? Does she sulk, get angry, pretend nothing is wrong, withdraw, etc?

I get mad. Then, I get even.

What do you consider the most overrated virtue?

Frugality. Time is short, and your life is happening right now. It seems foolish to not enjoy the fruits of your labor in the moment, when you can best appreciate them, rather than deny yourself in favor of an uncertain future. Money cannot buy happiness, but it can be spent on the things, people, and experiences that bring you joy.

 

[Acton Roux]

What was it like for a young woman of Korean heritage to grow up in Queens, New York?

 

[Contessa]

As far as insurance goes, do you believe there is more value in art or jewelry? Have you a preference?

 

[Emma Bezzle]

What is something you've never done but want to try?