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sion lifts his eyes from the exam parchment he was grading. “have a seat.” he greets the student, hand gesturing towards the chair in front of his desk, although slightly obstructed by the stacks of parchments and books sprawled upon the surface. “apologies for the mess, i will be right with you shortly.”

truth to be told this was sion’s very first time summoning a student into his office. while other teachers might find the time and energy to do interventions towards lazy underperforming students, he finds such approach a waste of his own. he assumes that as adults, they are already aware of the consequences of their actions and thus does not need reminding nor reprimanding.

hardworking students who puts genuine effort and passion upon their studies, however, is a different story.

once finished, he sets the parchment aside with the rest of the graded ones before facing the student directly, the tremor of zhiyu’s hands or the tightness of his expression gone unnoticed—there was no need for them to be nervous, after all. “zhiyu li,” he begins, eyes watchful. “how are you finding your studies thus far?” he inquires, never the person for pleasantries.

𝐋𝐎𝐂𝐀𝐓𝐈𝐎𝐍: verum, professor lee's office 𝐅𝐑𝐎𝐌: LI ZHIYU 𝐓𝐎: SION LEE ( @primordialized )

dark blue hanfu ghosts over the wooden floors; steps quiet as they climb up the stairs, moving through the old hallways. the smell of history-ridden rooms and paintings would be somewhat comforting if not for the schedule for today: meeting professor lee during his office hours. it would be an understatement to point out zhiyu is merely nervous. it has been building up for the past few days, mind running through hundreds of scenarios, trying to figure out the reason why he was asked to see him there. not the type to slack off or cause problems, zhiyu does his best to fit in as much as he can in a world he was introduced to merely years ago. a ghost wandering through the castle, surrounded by history he can't wrap his mind around yet. all the reasons why he usually keeps it quiet, talks when he should, and does his schoolwork on time. as he knocks on the door, receives permission to enter, and steps inside, he tries not to show how anxious he is about this whole ordeal. tries to calm the tremor in his hands, though the tight expression remains. "sir — you asked me to see you?" his eyes move from the ground back up at the other's face, waiting for him to lead.

[primordialized]

“no—“ ‘ma’am’ was sitting right upon the tip of his tongue, formed out of habit by years of conditioning. he swallows it with a slight cough, opting to finish his sentence with a “i am sure. this is everything i have ever borrowed and have yet to return.” instead, with his hands tucked neatly upon his back less as a sign of peace offering and more because he doesn’t know what to do with them, ever the awkward one.

yet even with all those years of military experience behind him, sion had never considered the rules as something absolute—a behavior that continued even during his tenure in verum as a part of the faculty, until one fateful encounter with the library’s loyal guardian. while he does admires her dedication for her duty, sion couldn’t help but also be slightly intimidated; if throwing a shoe at his head with frightening accuracy was within her capabilities, who knows what else (ban him from the library, knock on wood) the librarian could do?

another cough, and he tries not to focus on the scroll in their hands, faithfully and specifically keeping account of his sins for years if its length was anything to go by. “…it was a fascinating read,” he begins his defense. it truly was. “there were too many foreign terms and concepts for me to grasp within one read-through, so i had to borrow another book that could explain them.”

now there’s an idea: a device that allows you to transfer the content of multiple books into another surface, preferably portable that he can bring it anywhere without taking much space, or worry about having a tome being launched at you next.

“i do apologize that my actions have inconvenienced the students.”

the scroll was ready for him. painstakingly articulate, noting each & every title in proper cursive, the date upon which it had been removed from the library, & then, in a flourish of crimson ink, the date when it was meant to be returned. gwen keeps a tight list. the ledgers don't lie. these things make sense, unlike the voice in the shelf that appeared to them all. they are never going to tell him: it was somewhat of a relief to see him appear. in his chagrin. with the weight straining his arms.

the tower between them separates them both from making eye contact for the time being. counting by sight. "are you? are you sure you didn't misplace some of them? left them in a trail behind you as you ambled your way here?" they had been here when he first appeared in these halls, avoiding their weapons displays in the archives even when coming to bother them about books. "four of these are from last month. i have made many excuses as to why you still had decomposition and its cruelties on your reading list and i haven't been able to check it out to students."

[primordialized]

he pays no mind to her previous error nor her apology—unnecessary, he thinks—mind instead wandering to the mudslide that is currently standing between them and the rest of the world, trapping (or protecting, in his case) them from the outside. although if what his hunch were telling him are correct, perhaps this would only be the beginning… divide and conquer, was it?

his smile softens at the mention of his family. “yes i am. my daughters are particularly excited for the fireworks.” eyes once again search for their small figures in the crowd, one tucked in their father’s arms and the other holding his hand. though his gaze flickered back at the student, feeling slightly apologetic for her predicament. “what about you, miss bulawan? anything you’re looking forward to tonight?”

“ professor lee. ” sheepishness colours her cheeks a faint pink. she smiles and tips her head as a sign of respect. internally, she cursed herself for not recognising him. “ i apologise for my crudeness. ” it’s a rookie mistake to let the headiness of anticipation rule over her. she needs to reel her head back to the ground before the mask she wears slips completely. “ i am. it’s my first time celebrating the new year in cynefin. though i wasn’t given much of a choice, ” she says with soft laughter, “ i suppose i’m a little bit excited. are you here with your family? ”

[primordialized]

LOCATION : library, verum academy

STATUS : closed for gwendolyn @cynefinisms.

returning a book to the library should not feel like a walk of shame, sion thinks.

and yet it is, though he supposes it might be due to the fact that verum’s head librarian was none other than the gwendolyn cothi jones, who had given him the ultimatum to return the books he had hoard—borrowed if he wanted to bring another one home, which to his luck had the equation he needed for his newest project.

….or the fact that he might have had more than just one book. maybe five. or ten. or twelve. he had lost count the moment he took them from his workspace but estimating the weight that is currently straining his arms, it was definitely more than ten.

“i am here to return these.” he says, placing the tower stack of books on top of gwendolyn’s desk, avoiding their gaze lest another shoe lands upon his face this time.

[primordialized]

despite the anticipation thrumming in his veins for the festivities that is about to come, sion finds himself rather restless, gaze unconsciously searching for his family amongst the crowd as he prepares the fireworks. worry a persistent thing coiling in his chest, unwarranted when the atmosphere is the lightest it has been. so the sudden call proved to be a welcome distraction.

“i would not know, miss bulawan.” he had been quite preoccupied with the preparations, after all. he does know that there would be a signal five minutes before the new year comes for him to start igniting the fuses. still, he lets a small smile curl upon his lips. “excited for the year to turn, are we?”

LOCATION : town square, year's end bonfire .

STATUS : OPEN, what came from the sea event .

there's a glint of both fear and fascination in her eyes, as they roam the town square, waiting to see the demon keep its word. the memory of the encounter in the library, still in fresh vivid colours, causes a delicate smile to play upon her lips — my brothers are coming for cynefin, the demon promised. haliya wonders how. she wonders what will happen next. " you there ! " she calls, forgetting herself, as she approaches. " how long until midnight? "

[primordialized]

( lee soohyuk, transmasc, he/him ) — amongst the faces lining the staff portrait wall, you recognize SION LEE, the thirty-five year old professor within the school. having spent five years as a member of the verum staff, students say that they’re reminiscent of warm calloused hands stained black with gunpowder and iron / an empty grave sitting upon the top of a hill overlooking the sea, abandoned but not forgotten / fluttering pages of an opened children storybook in the wind, covered in debris and stained with blood, never completed / burning the midnight oil searching for answers within stacks of books until the pitch black sky breaks into sepia-toned dawn. their unwavering and conscientious temperament brings color to these halls, but be warned, you may also find them to be taciturn and disillusioned. regardless, hopefully they’ll remain when it’s time for verum to open its doors again.

PROFILE.

FULL NAME Yohan Lim Sion Lee AGE thirty-five BIRTH DATE december 27th, 897 GENDER & PRONOUNS transmasculine & he/him ORIENTATION ace-spec RELATIONSHIP STATUS married

KHEMIA transmutation, specializing in weaponry engineering OCCUPATION professor of metallurgy @ verum academy CURRENT RESIDENCE cynefin, clwyd-isle

PARENTS Minkyu Lim (father, deceased); Eunmi Hwang (mother, deceased) SIBLINGS Siyeon Lim (younger sister, deceased) PARTNER Cyrus Mihalis (husband, alive) CHILDREN Ahri Lee (daughter, alive); Yuri Lee (daughter, alive)

HEIGHT 185 cm / 6’0’’ WEIGHT 70 kg / 154 lbs BUILD healthy, muscular and tall DISTINGUISHING MARKS small scars all over his hands, burn scar coiling around his left arm, standard lobe piercings, an upper lobe piercing on left ear

POSITIVES paternal, incisive, wistful NEUTRALS candid, persevering, realistic NEGATIVES reticent, self-sacrificial, dependent ASTROLOGICAL SIGN capricorn sun, cancer moon, virgo rising ENNEAGRAM the defender MBTI ISTP MORAL ALIGNMENT chaotic neutral TEMPERAMENT choleric-melancholic

FACECLAIM Lee Soohyuk CHARACTER INSPO Secretive Plotter (Omniscient Reader’s Viewpoint), Alhaitham (Genshin Impact), Winry Rockbell (Fullmetal Alchemist), Kitagawa Yusuke (Persona 5)

SUMMARY.

his name is sion lee. thirty-five years of age. a professor of metallurgy at verum academy. if not caught teaching, he can usually be found in his own office buried nose-deep in a book about metallurgy or the human anatomy, or in the lab jotting down calculations upon the already full chalkboard. if you still can’t find him by the time the clock strikes 5 pm, try again tomorrow because he had already headed home to his husband and daughters. something to keep in mind, though; he doesn’t care for geniuses or prodigies—only hard work. joined verum as a part of the faculty five years ago despite having never studied there, though he claims to have been taught by a former professor as their apprentice. strangely enough he avoids anything relating to weaponry and would rather utilize his skills for communal purposes like engineering. most people only remembered him as the stranger who wandered into cynefin seven years ago, muttering gibberish about death and the sea before the local priest rescued and nursed him back to health. upon first glance might seem standoffish due to his quiet and intimidating exterior, but is actually helpful if you ask him. always looks deep in thought that one might think he is reflecting something beyond the grand scheme of things (spoiler: he’s thinking about going home already because he misses his family). can be quite blunt, but only because he thinks holding back on things will cause problems later. always jumps to the worst case scenario so he won’t ever be taken by surprise, and will not hesitate to state his less-than-hopeful view on the subject out loud even if it means lowering the morale of the group. also fiercely protective of those he considers as “his”.

BACKSTORY.

born as yohan lim in a city by the borders of clywd-isle, to a family full of scholars. father was a skilled healer, known for his community service and humanitarian acts. mother was an engineer employed by the town hall to help with local development. they both met during their education in verum. grandmother is a self-taught healer herself.

when the conflict first arrived at their hometown, it first took his parents with them, then his grandmother not long after. yohan was forced to become the sole caretaker of his then infant sister, siyeon, alongside an orphan that his grandmother took in few years prior named cyrus.

their survival mostly relied on moving from city to city, with yohan utilizing his bare minimum knowledge of transmutation to work odd jobs here and there. they lived on the streets or abandoned houses or even shelters and orphanages as they couldn’t afford rent. the only constant thing in his life was siyeon and cyrus, so yohan held onto them with everything he’s got, even if it means he had to work until the palm of his hands or the soles of his feet are bloody.

at eighteen, it was cyrus who got taken away from him, and yohan was then recruited by the military. the soldier had told him that it was an experimental program to create soldiers that can also produce weapons in the events of a war, spearheaded by a former professor hailing from verum. as they were promised food and shelter in the military, yohan agreed to join.

yohan himself became the professor’s apprentice, who claimed to have also taught his mother during her studies in verum. aside from khemia training, he was made to participate in standard military training such as survival skills and combat. his mentor deemed it necessary in order for yohan to understand how his weapons will be used in real battle situations.

ten years later he finds himself in talcelin, a prominent member of his ranks due to his skills and achievements. yet even then the sight of the battlefield still causes dread and guilt to keep him awake at night, especially knowing that his creations has caused innocent children like them to suffer. chose to turn a blind eye for his sister’s sake.

ironically enough, it was siyeon who begged him to leave the military with her after finding out the true nature of yohan’s job, which prompted his mentor to eventually assassinate her. clueless at first, yohan turned his grief into hatred for the enemy and continued his work, even participating actively as a soldier at battle. it wasn’t until his mentor got drunk and confessed to orchestrating siyeon’s death that yohan finally murdered the professor before escaping the military.

which finally brought him to cynefin after months of wandering aimlessly, looking for a sea to set siyeon’s belongings free before taking his own life, only to find a still alive cyrus instead. finding a reason to keep living once again, yohan chose to settle down with the younger man and form a family with the arrival of their twin daughters. hence the year 925 marked the death of yohan lim and the beginning of sion lee.

WANTED CONNECTIONS.

someone from his military days. maybe you were dispatched together once, or maybe you two only known each other from afar. either way sion isn’t very pleased to see a walking reminder of his old life… but maybe that’s exactly what he needs.

neighbors in cynefin. “you scratch my back and i’ll scratch yours” type of arrangement? you ask for help with mechanical/building related stuff and in return he receives a constant supply of pastries and homecooked meals? or they simply just enjoy each other’s company? or maybe the opposite; you can’t sleep because he kept tinkering with his husband’s prosthetics at night.

fellow professors in verum. the quiet ones who doesn’t mind his company while reading. the cheerful/easygoing ones that became his closest work friend. the ones that probably thought he standoffish until they interacted.

fellow staff in verum. librarians who had to keep reminding him to return the books he borrowed to the point of going on first-name basis. infirmary staffs who had to deal with his chemical burns during experiments. security who has to deal with his failed experiments.

students. those who genuinely like him. those who just wants a good grade. those who had always been considered as the rotten eggs but he thought has potential.

and more!! these are the ones i could recall at the top of my head atm so i’m most definitely open to discuss plots, etc. actually if you ever come up with something for our muse out of the blue just throw it at me bc i will love u for it.

[primordialized]

Lee Soo-hyuk as cursed god, Woven ↳ Episode 101; HANDMADE LOVE

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No one will know the violence it took to become this gentle.

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tag dump!