Multiple Settings ༻ ᴡᴇ sɪɴ ᴀs ᴅᴇᴠɪʟs ᴅᴏ ᴀɴᴅ ʟᴏᴠᴇ ᴀs ᴀɴɢᴇʟs ᴅᴏ [ᴜᴘᴅᴀᴛᴇᴅ 3/1]

[seishin]

I want a life full of incredible adventure​

• Introduction
• The Girlies
• The Lads
• Other
• Writing Samples

• I do not respond to likes left on my thread! If you'd like to roleplay with me, please reach out via pm and tell me about yourself and your writing style!
  
  Hello, thanks for stopping by! This is a bit of a specific search thread as I’m seeking to write and develop a few of my characters at the moment. For each one, I’ve listed a bit about the character as well as some plot ideas we can go with! I’m also open to hearing ideas from you as well, I just really want to play these characters. So, first I’ll tell you a bit about me and my expectations, and then it’s off to the characters!
  
  Fandom Thread [Craving Genshin]
  
  ♡ Call me Nama, Seishin, or Sei
  ♡ She/any pronouns
  ♡ 23 years old
  ♡ EST timezone
  ♡ Lazy lit
  ♡ Love ooc chatting
  ♡ Has discord
  ♡ Zero triggers
  ♡ Third person, past-tense
  ♡ Love dark/mature themes as long as it stays within the rules of the site
  ♡ Extremely LGBTQIA+ friendly
  ♡ Open to any pairings
  ♡ I work in a vet clinic, so please don’t expect responses super quick! I’m on my feet all day on the days I work and it’s very physical (I wrestle so many dogs y’all) so I’m often really tired when I get home. I’m pretty active ooc, but please don’t rush me for ic replies!
  
  
  Here's a few requirements for my partners:
  
  ♡ 18+ only
  ♡ Semi-lit
  ♡ Quality > Quantity
  ♡ Prefer at least two meaty paragraphs
  ♡ No one-liners
  ♡ LGBTQIA+ friendly
  ♡ Decent grammar and a grasp of the English language (of course I understand typos)
  ♡ Please tell me anything you're not comfortable with – sometimes my characters can get pretty dark
  ♡ Collaborate on the plot with me
  
  
  Please do not comment on the thread. Send me a PM that tells me a little bit about yourself and your writing style. I want to know about you as a potential partner to see if we mesh! I may also ask for a writing sample; I will have included some of my own at the bottom of this thread. Without further ado, onto the part you're actually here for!
  
• {Anwyn Chauvenac - F x Any}
  Anwyn Chauvenac is the youngest daughter of the king of Avalri. Growing up in the palace meant that her every whim and need was catered to, but it also left her feeling lonely and isolated. Her father obviously favored her brothers Lleweyln and Martyn, her sister Gwenyth seemed to want nothing to do with her, and sitting around the tea parties her mother organized was dull and boring. The only person in her family that she was really close with was Martyn, who was the younger of her two brothers. Little was ever expected of Anwyn aside from marrying to strengthen ties with a noble house and bearing children. In two of the plots below, Anwyn's world is shattered, when one of her father's most trusted noble houses, the House of Dyerich, gains the support of other noble houses and makes a play for the throne. Cadfael Dyerich, the young leader of the house, slaughters Anwyn's family, but she manages to flee before he can kill her. Once escaping, Anwyn is now on the run while Cadfael takes over as the new king of Avalri. She ends up finding herself joining a resistance of some kind, and this is where she runs into YC. In the first listed plot, the royal family lives and would involve a lot more internal politics. At the start of any of these stories, Anwyn is about 23.
  
  

  I Will Be Your Sword - F x Any, craving sapphic

  HIGHEST CRAVING
  
  Can be m/f OR f/f! If you want to do this sapphically, YC would be pretending to be a male in order to become a knight. This is an option that actually doesn't involve rebellion and involves the royal family staying alive! YC has recently become a fully-fledged knight, "graduating" into knighthood alongside Prince Martyn. YC and Martyn were friendly rivals in training, and it is his recommendation that gets YC into the palace. YC becomes the personal guard of Princess Anwyn and from there it would pretty much be a classic knight x princess trope! This would involve more internal politics, as the Dyerich household is still scheming to take the throne, but in this version, the person Anwyn has been engaged to since childhood is Cadfael Dyerich for fun drama reasons.

  All's Fair in Love and War - F x M

  YC is the son of one of the four highest noble houses of Avalri. He is the eldest/only child in his family and from a young age, it has been determined that he will marry Anwyn. As such, he was often taken around the castle so that he can Anwyn could get to know each other. Anwyn rather quickly latches onto YC and becomes infatuated with him, perfectly content to marry him when both of them are eighteen. When YC is 18, however, tragedy strikes his household. For reasons unknown to YC, the king of Avalri arrives at his door one day to kill YC's entire family (spoilers: YC's family is the closest to the throne, but the Dyerich household manipulated the king into thinking YC's family were traitors). Somehow, YC survives and flees. Now with a grudge against royalty/nobility, and after spending several years seeing the poor state the commonfolk of Avalri are in, YC eventually joins a resistance against the throne. But what is he to do when he hears word of the murder of the royal family at Cadfael's hand and the princess - and his former fiancee - shows up at the resistance with nowhere else to go?

  Standing in the Ashes of Who I Used to Be - F x M

  YC is a lesser noble who spends his childhood training to become a knight at the palace. During this time, he befriends Prince Martyn, and this eventually leads to him meeting Anwyn. Anwyn and YC become close friends, even though they know they have to hide their friendship, otherwise, YC would be at risk for daring to be close to the princess. When Anwyn is 18, the same Dyerich revolt as in option one occurs, but Anwyn manages to escape and flee. For some reason that's up to you, YC stays as a knight at the palace despite what happened. Several years later, Cadfael is trying to quell a revolt against him that has been growing more and more bothersome. When YC is traveling while guarding a caravan of supplies, the caravan is ambushed by the rebels and YC is taken captive. Once he arrives at the camp, however, he is more than shocked to find the leader of the rebellion - who has been shrouded in mystery and rumor - is none other than Anwyn.

  
  
  {Andromeda Lykaios - F x Any}
  Andy is someone who has always had a fascination with the supernatural. From a young age, she was convinced that she could see traces of the mythic and magical in the world where other people couldn't, though she did try her best to convince others of what she saw. No one ever believed her though, and when Andy started claiming that she was being stalked and harassed by a ghost who threatened to harm her family if she didn't do what it said, she was packed away and sent off to a psychiatric institution. Being in a psych ward would be enough to drive anyone a little crazy, but for Andy, who could still see the spirits clinging to the place, it was even worse. Eventually, however, she learned to play the part of the 'normal' girl and stopped trying to tell people about the things she saw. When she was released, she traveled across the country away from her family to go to college and got a degree in journalism and criminal investigation. Now, she jumps from job to job, never really holding one down for too long. The knowledge of the supernatural still haunts her and she knows it's all still out there. Much of her free time is spent trying to gather proof of the existence of things beyond what humans want to believe is there even though a part of her has ever given up on getting someone to believe her.
  
  

  Whispers in the Dark

  When a small, secluded town in northern Oregan becomes plagued by strange events and disappearances, Andromeda and YC, two complete strangers, are drawn to the scene to investigate. Andromeda is someone who has always believed in the supernatural, claiming to have been able to see and talk to ghosts for years. She believes the town is being plagued by something of supernatural origin and is determined to get to the bottom of it. YC is far more skeptical of the world, using logic and reason and a firm believer in the supernatural not existing. For one reason or another YC and Andromeda end up looking into the strange events happening around the town (could include cults, supernatural, monsters, anything really) and become drawn in to something far bigger than other of them ever imagined as they reveal the deeper reason why the town is a haunting ground.

  
  
  
  {Havila Naor - F x AMAB}
  Havilah Naor is the personification of a fallen piece of the moon. Millennia ago, the celestial moon was cracked in the sky, and a piece of it fell to the earth. With the blessing of a goddess, Havilah was given human form. For a time, she wandered aimlessly, uncertain of her purpose, but she eventually found her place in a kingdom called Steomaria, falling into the position of the high priestess of the Temple of Jivanta, the Goddess of Life. The people of Steomaria saw Havilah’s magical abilities as a gift from Jivanta and asked her to become their priestess, and she has functioned in this role for around a century. Steomaria is ruled as a theocracy, the elders of the followers of Jivanta ruling the kingdom with an iron fist. Those who do not follow the strict teachings of the church are severely punished, if not eliminated entirely by Faith Keepers, those who enforce the church’s rules. Although Havilah reigns as the kind and beloved high priestess, nearly as worshipped as the goddess she serves, she holds a secret: Havilah is a prominent leader of a resistance against the church, hiding behind a mask and the name of Lumos. Though she was once taken in by the church’s teachings, Havilah soon discovered the darker underbelly of the church and was unable to, in good conscious, continue to stand idly by. She has not left her position as a high priestess because it affords her access to information she would otherwise be unable to get to so she can better assist people in escaping the church.
  
  

  To Bring Down the Moon

  The celestial moon is ruled by a pair of twin goddesses: Helvius and Naevius. Helvius is the bright side of the moon, lauded and praised by all, while Naevius is the dark side of the moon, often forgotten and terribly jealous of her sister’s light and beauty. YC is a servant of Naevius who is sent after Havilah with orders to ‘determine if Havilah is worthy enough to be assimilated back into the celestial moon.’ If YC deems Havilah worthy, she will be allowed to return to the moon. If not, YC is to eliminate her. Though this is what YC is told by Naevius, the goddess believes that YC should ultimately destroy Havilah as Naevius believes Havilah has been ‘tainted’ since she has lived among humans. Naevius is certain YC will deem Havilah unworthy and kill her. With this mission in mind, YC is sent to Steomaria. While making his way there, however, he runs afoul of some Faith Keepers, who severely wound YC. Things are looking grim for YC until he finds himself rescued by Havilah, who helps him escape and heals his injuries. Now that he’s found his target, how is YC going to proceed?

  Trust In Me

  YC is a close friend and confidant of Havilah, second in command to the resistance. Maybe human, maybe not, up to you. There’s less of a plot idea here, but it would likely follow YC and Havilah as they continue in the resistance against the church of Jivanta and rescue the people suffering under the theocracy’s rule. Havilah’s history as a piece of the moon would likely still come into play eventually with Naevius still seeking her destruction.

  For This, We Pray

  A combination of 1&2, we start the story after YC has solidified his place as Havilah's second in command. YC is still tasked by Naevius with the mission of determining Havilah’s ‘worthiness’ to return to the moon. YC would likely be trying to draw out his mission as much as he can because at this point he and Havilah are very close but he hasn’t revealed to her the real reason why he’s there. Lots of different directions the plot could go, so throw the ideas at me!

  Be Not Afraid

  YC is a priest of the faith but like Havilah, also moonlights as a resistance leader. YC works separately from Havilah, having formed their own small branch of the resistance. Neither of them are aware of the position the other has. Havilah and YC each hate the religious persona of the other, but as resistance leaders, they’ve come into contact before and occasionally worked together. We’d probably have something big happening in the church that forces both of our characters to end up having to join forces more significantly, and it’s a delicate dance between them trying to lead the resistance while also keeping their positions as high priests hidden.

  
  
• {Zhulei & Jinhai Yun - M!MC x Any!YC x AMAB!MC}
  Eons ago, the god of war and vengeance, Jaesung, began a ruthless campaign against the dragons of Samikayo. His goal was to wipe them all from existence for a perceived slight against him. The immense power he held as a god allowed Jaesung to slay many of the dragons, nearly completing his quest. In their desperation, the dragons turned to humans, seeking their aid against the god. Those humans that answered the dragons' call created deep, mystical bonds with the dragons, forming an intimate partnership with them. The dragons blessed these humans with magic, and the combined power of the dragons and humans was enough to nearly destroy Jaesung. However, as a god, it was impossible to completely destroy Jaesung. As such, what remained of his power was sealed away in the heart of the Nanshui Mountains. To ensure that Jaesung's power could never be released, a human and dragon pair were assigned to protect the area. Over time, a human village grew in the mountains that came to be known as Qingbei and most of the dragons withdrew to their own realm. Every few thousand years, new guardians are chosen to watch over Qingbei and the Nanshui Mountains. When a human and dragon child are both born on the same equinox, they have the potential to become soul-bonded and become the newest guardians.
  
  

  Soul of the Dragons

  Zhulei and Jinhai Yun are the current guardians of Qingbei. They are an oddity, as it has been a long time since Qingbei had more than one guardian. Jinhai is the elder sibling, born on an autumn equinox. Their partner is a water dragon named Pangfua. Zhulei is two years Jinhai's junior, born on a spring equinox. His partner is a fire dragon named Nuo. Bodily, Junhai is 27 and Zhulei is 25, but they are both close to 250 years old. Their mentor, the previous guardian, was killed unexpectedly around 220 years ago when someone attempted to release Jaesung. This threw the siblings into the position of guardian far earlier than they had anticipated, but they rose to the challenge and have earned the title of "The Sword and Shield of Qingbei." Zhulei is the more chaotic of the pair, being very outgoing, confident, flirtatious, and energetic. He's the 'sword' of the pair, specializing in offensive and destructive magic. Jinhai is the calmer, quieter, and more balanced of the pair. They're the 'shield,' specializing in healing and defensive magic.
  
  Now, YC! They can be just about anyone you desire, and we can build a plot based around the sort of person you make YC! YC would need to be a newcomer to Qingbei for whatever reason, and that is how they would meet Zhulei and Jinhai. I would like for some sort of romance to end up blossoming between YC and the siblings - we can either have YC end up with just one of them, or maybe they end up dating both! All depends on you. Zhulei is a cis male who uses he/him pronouns and is bisexual. Jinhai is amab nonbinay and uses they/them pronouns (but is fine with masculine terms such as handsome, brother, etc.) and is pansexual. YC can be any gender.
  

  
  
  
  {Isolfr Valtýr - M x AFAB}
  Note: I'm willing to work with Isolfr in a modern, non-magical setting as well! He'd fit best into a crime story, with his rigid personality best fitting with a detective or some sort of officer of the law. If he sounds interesting to you but high fantasy isn't your thing, go ahead and ask to modernize him! In that case, YC could either be his superior or a criminal he's forced to work with for one reason or another.
  
  Isolfr Valtýr is a high ranking mage at the Academia of Ralinzavi – the most prestigious place of learning in the world for those of magical affinity as well as a ruling body that functions as a way to keep mages in check. The Academia ensures that the intrinsic rules of magic are followed and that mages with immense power do not use that power to bring about equally immense destruction. Isolfr is one of six judges in the highest circuit of courts in the Academia, trialing and sentencing those who attempt to break the intrinsic rules of magic and seek out forbidden power. He is also a former bounty hunter, someone who arrested those being taken to trial. Isolfr is from a continent to the north and wields the power of ice, something he has possessed since birth due to a powerful spirit latching onto his soul. In order to keep the spirit in check, Isolfr imposes a strict lifestyle on himself to keep himself calm and in control. In general, he’s a stickler for the rules and expects other people to follow them to the letter as well, to a fault. Polite and gentlemanly, he treats everyone very formally and has a tendency to hold everyone at arm’s length. He’s the ideal image of a judge of the Academia – at least on the surface.
  
  

  Heart of Ice

  I don’t have any super concrete ideas about a plot for Isolfr, so I’m open to hearing ideas! I would like for YC to be a judge at the same level as Isolfr or, even more ideally, the Grand Judge, who has the final ruling on sentences in the case of a tie. Basically, I want them to be on at least an equal level or with YC being Isolfr’s superior. I’d like them to be people who clash quite a bit with their ideals, in the sense that YC is possibly more willing to bend rules and offer allowances in contrast to Isolfr’s desire to follow the letter of the law to a tee. I kind of see Isolfr in a “academic rivals to friends with benefits to oops we caught feelings” plotline. Our characters would likely grow closer the more YC discovers about Isolfr’s past – namely, that he stopped being a bounty hunter because he blames himself for the death of his sword-brother on a mission (Isolfr’s magic got the best of him and he killed his partner) and after that, he got hooked on highly illegal and addictive drugs. He keeps this vice of his very well hidden and no one would ever suspect he uses, so it’s a very drastic thing for him when YC eventually finds out about it. We could either have them stay around the Academia or maybe they have to travel for something and Isolfr is forced to take up the position of a bounty hunter once again to provide protection? Lots of possibilities!

  
  
  
• These are some various ideas I have that are less fleshed out or would depend more on a character that you choose to play! All three of these are fairly open-ended and have a lot of potential options depending on what direction you want the story to go in!
  
  

  Shadows of Death - M!MC x F!YC x F!MC

  Hidden deep within the ever-shifting woods of the magical continent of Creulixune lies a guild known as The Sable Cross, where many people on the wrong side of the law make their home. The Cross is a well-known mercenary guild who keeps just enough “above board” business to stay out of the full scrutiny of the law, but most of their work deals in the underground. The Cross is run by a masterful and authoritative woman known as Reaper, a human who specializes in Beast Taming magic and has collected several extremely dangerous creatures in her repertoire. A snap of her fingers is all it takes to call one of her many “pets” to her side, which may be the last thing you see as Reaper stands idly by, not even giving you a final glance. Her rule is further enforced by her right hand, a wolf shifter known as The Bloodhound or The Grim. An energetic and sadistically playful man, he delights in hunting down his prey and ripping them apart. Though both Reaper and Grim have become terrifying figures in the underworld, those in the Cross know them to be fair, just leaders who always watch out for their associates. The pair of them have a very intertwined past, and many in the Cross speculate about the true nature of their relationship, though both will vehemently deny any sort of romantic feelings for the other.
  
  As for YC, she is someone who happens upon the Cross in some way and for some reason or another ends up having to stick around. Maybe she needs protection from something, maybe she has a dangerous mission she needs help with, it's up to you! The direction the story goes largely depends on what you do with YC. She can either be human, a magical human, or non-human. Creulixune is sort of a hodgepodge continent of lots of different magical species, but YC also could have come from one of the other continents in the world: Samikayo, Lithuin, I’tarif, or Rosaleryn. If you'd like her to come from one of them, I can explain more details about them in PMs.

  Why is a Raven like a Writing Desk? (Potential Doubling) - Any x Any

  Willing to do a love triangle for you as well involving anyone except the Hatter and Cheshire
  
  I love the idea of Mad Hatter x Alice x Shifter!Cheshire Cat. This would be a Wonderland that has not seen Alice for many years and she is only drawn back there now as an adult for one reason or another. Wonderland has changed in a lot of ways since she last visited as a child. Think Tim Burton's film but darker. I've toyed with the idea of Alice having some kind of special ability that the Queen of Hearts wants in order to cement her rule over Wonderland, but no one realizes that Alice has it in the beginning. Or we could scrap that and come up with something else. Again, lots of ways this could go! A quick note, these are simply archetypes of the characters. I'm not expecting a "canon" Mad Hatter or Cheshire or anything like that. Please add your own twists, backstory information, any sort of flair you want!

  Second Star to the Right (Potential Doubling) - Any x Any

  Willing to double as anyone other than Peter for you
  
  I'm kind of obsessed with the idea of a dark version of Peter Pan. Whether he's always been this way or something happened recently to turn him to a darker path, I'd love to play a gal who ends up caught up in Peter's quest for more power (or something else we can figure out) when she gets dragged to Neverland to stop Pan from taking her younger brother. Lots of flexibility here! A quick note, these are simply archetypes of the characters. I'm not expecting a "canon" Peter Pan or anything like that. Please add your own twists, backstory information, any sort of flair you want!

  
  
  
• And last but not least, here are my writing samples! Below I've included some samples of me playing some canon characters. Kudos if you've made it to the end of this thread! If you think you'd like to write with me, great! I can't wait to hear from you all. Be sure to drop me a PM (do not comment on the thread) and I look forward to the wonderful stories we'll write!
  
  

  ✦✧ 𝐚𝐟𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐠𝐥𝐨𝐰 ✧✦​

  
  

  Vengeance in my Heart

  Caedis’ mind felt like it was being torn in half as anger and humiliation ripped at each other with all the fierceness of rabid animals. He despised how much he wanted to curl back up in Swan’s lap and while the morning away. He loathed that he wondered what it would have been like to wake up to the sun playing off his face and Swan’s fingers still in his hair instead of being thrown aside like a dirty sack. Why was he feeling any sort of sympathetic emotion toward the selkie at all? Swan had done nothing but hurt him over and over again. And yet, Caedis was still fucking stupid enough to keep falling for the same twisted comfort.
  
  Because there was that part of him that he kept buried deep down, the part that he had sworn to lay to rest years ago, that still ached to be wanted. Caedis hated that it was still an emotion he felt. Hadn’t he learned by now that such thoughts were only going to bring him pain and agony? No one wanted him unless he was useful to them. His own fucking parents hadn’t wanted him. Ithronel would throw him out without hesitation when she learned of everything he’d done here with Swan, and it wasn’t like Iain would care to stop her.
  
  The only person who may have been able to quench that flicker of desire inside of him was dead. In the stupidest way possible, after he’d survived so much else that should have been the death of him. How many times had Alistair risked his own life to get to Caedis on the battlefield, only to risk it again by offering Caedis his blood? There were a thousand times that Alistair should have died, and maybe Caedis would have been able to cope if Alistair had died on the battlefield, because at least that was something he expected and was prepared for. But instead, it was some fucking mage who Caedis didn’t even know, someone whose face he hadn’t even seen. All Caedis knew was the sound of the keep they were in exploding as chunks of stone rained down on them, and one fell to crush Alistair’s chest beyond repair.
  
  Somehow, Caedis felt as if it would have been less painful if Alistair had died by the sanguimancer’s own hand, his own magic.
  
  He hadn’t even gotten to pay any respects to Alistair. He’d just been expected to get up and move on. The only acknowledgement that was made about Alistair’s death was Haywood’s muttered, Damn, now I’ve got to find a new fucking blood bag, and Aurelius’ soft, fleeting words of regret to Caedis. Now that Alistair was gone, why did Caedis cling to any hope that he could ever be wanted?
  
  It was fucking pathetic.
  
  Clenching his jaw, Caedis gritted his teeth, half baring them in a snarl as Swan screamed at him to shut up in a voice so ragged and raw it would have tugged at anyone else’s heartstrings. But instead, all he felt was anger at himself for the shameful way he wanted to beg Swan to return to the man he had been last night. The mark etched into his skin was still burning, the pain seeming to worsen the more frantic Swan became. Caedis winced, his fingers digging into his side, as if he could tear his own skin off and make the pain stop.
  
  In that moment where he lost focus on Swan, the selkie strode forward and landed a kick to Caedis’ side, throwing him back. He hit the ground hard, gasping for breath, his vision blurring around the edges as black spots danced in front of his eyes. His body ached and burned and his head was spinning and the damn mark at his side was eating away at his very bones. Caedis felt delusional, the world swimming in and out of focus until Swan grabbed his hair and yanked him further back, drawing a mixture between and cry and a snarl from Caedis’ lips.
  
  When he was slammed back against the log, Swan’s face materialized above him, agony tracing over his features. As much pain as Caedis was in at that moment, his head was being pulled in too many different directions. There was only one constant amidst the stormy chaos clouding his mind: He was angry at Swan. Swan was trying to humiliate him and he was fucking pissed about it.
  
  “As if–” Caedis gasped, glaring up at Swan with a burning hatred, “As if anyone would want to be wanted by you. You say that I’m desperate? I’m not the one who dragged someone out here against their will and forced them to fucking cuddle them to sleep!”
  
  One hand was still clawing at his side, the other scrabbling at the ground until Swan thrust a hand forward and closed his fingers over Caedis’ neck. He coughed, struggling to pull air around his blocked throat while his fingers scraped against Swan’s hand, fruitlessly trying to break the tight seal the selkie had on his flow of oxygen. And yet despite his fleeing air, that usual voice of fear was squashed down by the sheer wrath Caedis was feeling toward the man pinning him down.
  
  Mustering his strength, despite the wheeze in which he spoke, there was still venom injected into every word as Caedis growled back at Swan, meeting the selkie’s anguished eyed: “Then why– Why do you look like you’re grieving?”

  Once Upon a December

  Of course, as expected, his peaceful mood from the morning couldn't last. When Isolfr bid the person at his door enter his office, he was greeted with the annoyingly familiar countenance of none other than the Grand Judge herself. As he glanced up to see her, he felt his mood sour instantly. Clearly, Aerin was having similar thoughts, the annoyance already clear on her face. Unlike her, Isolfr was far better at maintaining a lid on his emotions, and he greeted her with a neutral countenance, dipping his head in greeting. He glanced down for a final moment, scribbling a few more things on his paper before he set the quill down, neatly placing the parchment and ink off to the side. Isolfr folded his hands in front of him, tilting his head slightly as he looked up at Aerin. "Your Excellency," he greeted stiffly. "To what do I owe the honor?"
  
  The words always tasted sour in his mouth, but they were certainly ones that were well-practiced by now. Despite all of the disdain he held for Aerin, she was still his superior, and he had to treat her as such. Isolfr didn't think she deserved half the respect her position afforded her, but he would be loath to admit such things aloud. It would be improper to so expressly reveal his true dislike of her, even though it wasn't exactly a well-kept secret. Nenet had teased him once that it hardly felt like a real day at the Academia if someone didn't hear Grand Judge Faemil and Judge Valtyr arguing at each other's throats at least once.
  
  But so long as he maintained the carefully crafted facade of politeness he held for her, Aerin could met no punishment to him. On more than one occasion, Isolfr would have loved to buck off her orders and do what he knew was right, but insubordination could not and would not be tolerated. Well, it shouldn't be tolerated, even though Aerin seemed perfectly amenable to it. He was well aware, however, that if he ever did display such traits, she would likely see it as a victory. And like hell was he going to give her any reason to be smug.
  
  Not only that, but he did have his own principles to adhere to. Isolfr could have been the closest of friends with Aerin and he would still cling to his beliefs. After all, he held them for a reason. The man was well aware of the fact that many people thought he was too strict, too strident, but without a sense of order, the world around them would devolve into chaos. And was that not the original intended purpose of the Academia? To ensure order in the world around them? Isolfr was painstakingly aware of what a lack of discipline could bring about; it was something he was reminded of every day when he woke up. Every minute of every day his mind waged a constant war against itself, his own consciousness trying to fend off that parasitic spirit that clung desperately to his soul. A single lapse in judgment was all it took for him to lose control, and when he did, disastrous results always followed. Direction and authority were necessary components to life, as much as people seemed to try and avoid thinking about that fact.
  
  Which was why he was forced to entertain Aerin's presence at all. Isolfr would have greatly preferred to throw her out of his office so he could focus on his work, but unfortunately, he was bound by his own principles to listen to her speak. He tilted his head, brow creasing slightly as she stated the reason for her arrival. "I was unaware something had happened to Professor Hyit. Has he fallen ill?" Illness or injury were the only reasons that Creed Anatolia would be dealing with someone, as he was the resident head of medicine at the Academia.
  
  Before Isolfr could think too long about what had happened to the professor, Aerin was hurrying along with why she was here telling him about it. He raised both brows incredulously, peering up at the woman in disbelief. "Your Excellency, surely you are aware that my schedule does not allow for such things. If it were only today, I might be able to carve some time out to take over the class myself, but an undefined timeline such as 'the foreseeable future' is not conducive to my own schedule. I have my own duties to take care of and my own classes to teach. Besides, Professor Hyit teaches a multitude of classes throughout the day, not just a single one at three. Are you implying you intend for me to take over his entire schedule?"
  
  That was absolutely absurd. Hyit was a professor and a professor only. An older man, he was a retired bounty hunter who used the skills he had learned during his years on the job to train any who wanted to increase their skills in combat. But because he was a retired hunter turned professor, it meant he had no other duties aside from his classes. He didn't have research to do, didn't have court cases to oversee, didn't have any other responsibilities aside from the class schedules he set himself. Isolfr absolutely did not have the time to take over such things in his stead for gods knew how long.