✦ meet me on the battlefield !!

[Vivika]

✦ ━ 𝐂𝐀𝐒𝐓𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐂𝐀𝐒𝐓𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐂𝐀𝐒𝐓𝐈𝐍𝐆
‎ ‎ ⊰ starring. ollie, rafi, euri, piero, arlo, ole • notes. jan-aug '23 lil bio blurbs <3 ⊱‎

ollie ━ living on the edge, take a chance
rafi ━ crossover caught in the crossfire
euri ━ lock the ghosts in the closet
piero ━ tangled constellations & dreams
arlo ━ would you remember me, tonight?
ole ━ picture perfect patriot (or is he?)

[Vivika]

✦ ━ 𝐂𝐎𝐋𝐋𝐈𝐃𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐖𝐎𝐑𝐋𝐃𝐒
‎ ‎ ⊰ starring. gabriel, myrrh / piero + prince • notes. quest board prompts <3 ⊱‎

"welcome to limbo."
little red + the huntsman

[Vivika]

✦ ━ 𝐃𝐀𝐍𝐂𝐄 𝐖𝐈𝐓𝐇 𝐌𝐄
‎ ‎ ⊰ starring. cathan, ollie • notes. rewrite/expansion of this! ⊱‎

reject, reject, reject.

there was no end. under the cover of the dim balcony, the flood of invites streamed across his feed in beeps, chimes and soft whistles, flickering icons of professionally lit avatars of foreign faces. a soft green checkmark glowed beside each name, rich and inviting, but he opted for the tiny red x in the corner. a little flick of his wrist and those faces dissolved into pixels, swept into the digital invite shredder. when the last face faded from his feed, he blew out a sigh. all done━

“pardon my intrusion.” rising on the swell of the music, a mellifluous voice slipped through his silence. sweeping skirts of ceruleans pinned with accents of gold and silver whispered against the woody panes of the balcony. her family crest rested close to her heart, simple, yet elegant: a shield twined with twin silver laurels. heiress, defence sector.

he inclined his head. “my lady.”

“you’re a hard one to catch and a harder one to find. always brooding in the shadows, aren’t you?” gold glittered upon the set of her dark lashes. “i thought i’d come personally and extend an invitation for a dance.”

his smile froze.

a personal invite? the air in his chest ran thin, squeezing, an unnatural rhythm against the ebb and flow of the music below him. the lavish cloak upon his back seemed threadbare and moth-eaten ━ of little protection against her gaze ━ as he bowed his head. “you’re too kind, my lady. i’m honored, but… perhaps another time? there are some things i need to attend to.”

he didn’t dare meet her eyes as he stole into the shadows, pulling the cloak tighter around himself.


✦✦✦

the heavy ruffles of the velvet curtains was his next best option.

with any luck, some aristocat would trip into a bowl of delicacies or cause enough of a disturbance that he could step-in, intervene and excuse himself from the banquet. an early retirement for the evening. for now, all he could do was… well, stay back here. avoid further detection.

he winced as the music screeched into its thunderous crescendo. hanging chandeliers swayed, their gold flush flickering at the cacophony, and the dark florals woven through banisters, around pillars and tables seemed to pale of their sweetspiced scent. yet, upon marbled floors, skirts and cloaks spun and twirled, glittering, twinkling, scintillating in twists of sequins and silks. never ceasing. dizzying.

there was a rhythm to this madness. a flow to this chaos of colors and clash in the ballroom, but if there ever was a pattern, the boom and bust of the music drowned it out in clanging cymbals and high-stringed instruments. so… unlike the festivals at home.

“you’re a real heartbreaker, cathan.” the crackle of his coms surged to life, gently chiding. on this line, there was only one who could access it. “and i thought i claimed that title alone.”

“this is a secure line, ollie. for work.” he cleared his throat, withholding a sigh. “is there an actual problem?”

“actually, yes. you see the trail of heartbreak you leave in your wake?” his shield chuckled, voice interwoven with static. “i hear about it from all sides. it’s appalling, really. lighten up, let down your guard and come dance with us for void’s sake. spare me the agony of hearing all these questions from these interested ‘friends’ about where my dear sword is. hiding in the curtains, i bet?”

“i’d rather not.” a new song stirred, rousing movement from the sidelines and the dessert tables. one by one, they drifted as if under a spell until only one remained, a dark form adorned in a long, fluttering cloak of gold flames. he sighed, the sound hollow and strained even to him. “please, clean up after my apparent mess, then. distract all the guests━”

“you can’t dance, can you?” a spark awoke within the depths of those firelight eyes, the melody of his chuckle light and gentle. amused. “i never thought… well, that does explain it.”

“keep your voice down.” a hiss slid between his jaws. “i’d rather you not announce that to the entirety of the king’s inner circle.”

his shield churred, tongue clicking. "cathan, dear cathan. you always assume the worse. i'd never embarass you behind your back… but i'd love to see you squirm behind closed doors when we do lessons."

“what?”

"call it an improptu deal! you'll learn from me and in-exchange i'll keep your secret."

[Vivika]

✦ ━ 𝐋𝐎𝐒𝐓 𝐈𝐍𝐍𝐎𝐂𝐄𝐍𝐂𝐄
‎ ‎ ⊰ starring. keitha • notes. n/a ⊱‎

i saw a boy today with starry eyes
lips parted and gaze gold
fingers laced with his satchel
foot tip tip tapping
head like an owl’s
taking
.........every
....................thing
.................................in.

and i saw myself once upon a time
before i lost a sliver of my soul in the grind
axe in my hand, carving and breaking back
on the cold brittle road of black ice

i’ve become better.
stronger, harder, sharper
kicked down and came right back up

does academia craft better souls?
or create jaded, aggressively intelligent,
emotionally unavailable narcissists?

i… i don’t know.
and by the time i’ve dropped my axe
the boy’s starry eyes have grown dim.

..................................-keitha

[Vivika]

✦ ━ 𝐁𝐑𝐎𝐊𝐄𝐍 𝐒𝐘𝐒𝐓𝐄𝐌
‎ ‎ ⊰ starring. keitha • notes. pov + lore collide <3 ⊱‎

remember...
you are not worth a number.
you are not worth a letter.
you are not worth a rank in the GRID.

and they lie
liars without liabilities

it’s not worth it
i’m giving my spirit soul sacrifice
take time for you
chasing crying cursing the curve
sleep is important
coffee rings, midnight bruises on my eyes
it’s just a number
my dreams down the drain
you are valued
even when i'm a ghost on the street?
you are important
will you spit on my bare feet at the station?
you are worth it
spare a peça?

and they lie
liars without liabilities

because i know
the number imprinted in my soul
the letter earned through blood
the rank assigned is my worth.
...............................................-keitha

[Vivika]

✦ ━ 𝐒𝐄𝐑𝐀𝐏𝐇
‎ ‎ ⊰ starring. ollie, iryssa • notes. struggled with pacing this one </3 ⊱‎

"who says a sword-swinging assassin can't dance?"

with a wink, he twirled his dance partner around and swept her off the tiled floors. her skirts hugged her figure, tattered ivory silks unfurling in tangled twists splashed with indigo and navy lights from a rotating spherebot above. a delicate mask studded with faux pearls and silvery glitter concealed her features, but it didn’t hide the radiance in those stormy eyes.

eyes that happened to be the hype of fashion just several moons prior.

“believe me now?” the music thrummed, low and earthbound, settling into a slow tempo. “i’d expect a lady who masquerades as the fallen daughter of luneda’s chieftess to believe the unexpected.”

her smile glowed, lifting the curve of her cheeks. “i’m impressed. you know your history, little assassin.”

“what can i say?” the swish of her dress glided across the floors and as he tugged her close, a silver spark glinted at the corner of her eyes in tandem to the rotating spherebot. “an assassin’s gotta know his targets. especially if i’m the seraph, hmm?”

her laugh was a short bark. "i highly doubt you're the seraph."

"what?" he released her mid-twirl, shoulder careening into hers, but she flowed with the momentum of her spin, poised until he pulled her back towards him. "surely you’ve heard of the seraph’s reputation for dancing.” he huffed, but the grin on his lips remained. “are my dance moves not enough for you?"

"well, for one… you stumbled." laugh like a lark's, her touch fluttered, dancing upon the onyx crystals of his mask, tracing the flare of obsidian feathers along the sides. this time, she pulled him close. and closer still. until her breath kissed his cheek. “now…”

in another breath, her grip tightened, digging into his shoulder.

her polished capital accent tapered off as if a diminishing note, the syllables more elongated, fluid and flowing. “you see━”

“is this the part where you murder me?” he grinned softly. “usually, i’m only a fool if the peça toss says so. but i did notice the contacts ━ hard to miss, but they're kinda out of fashion right now. lovely, though. the ladies of the sectors also tend to be a wee bit dramatic when her partner pulls a move like i did earlier. word of advice, but make a big deal out of it next time. apologize for my ineptitude, make a veiled comment━"

"do you know how i knew you weren't the seraph?"

"…wild guess, you've met him and he has a laser aimed at my head right now?"

in a blink, the storm in her gaze flooded opaque, shimmering like a mercury wave. another blink. her irises flared, the colors fading from its monochrome sheen, betraying their true hue: the color of a shaft of light through a prism, vivid and striking.

"i work for the seraph.” her smile unveiled the bone white of her teeth. “also word of advice? she doesn’t dance."

[Vivika]

✦ ━ 𝐔𝐍𝐓𝐎𝐔𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐁𝐋𝐄
‎ ‎ ⊰ starring. noemi • notes. n/a ⊱‎

someone once asked me what it was like
to touch the stars, to break the dawn

to stretch the limits of what the mind
ever conceived was an impossible feat

to build empires in the sanctuary of your
wildest dreams with just the quill of a pen

to stand on the graves of giants you've conquered
to witness the wonder of the next generation
to grasp power and taste its energy like freshly
gathered sweetspice pulsing through your soul

to become so untouchable by the pantheon
ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤthat you yearn to be touched
more valuable than a ship of a thousand souls
ㅤㅤㅤㅤthat you wish to give yourself away
to have your name on the lips of the Crown himself
ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤthat you pray to never lose yourself

and the truth?
it's terrifyingly lonely.
..................................................... -nomi

[Vivika]

✦ ━ 𝐄𝐏𝐈𝐏𝐇𝐀𝐍𝐘
‎ ‎ ⊰ starring. keitha, tbd • notes. n/a ⊱‎

she dances when no one is watching.

barefoot in the florals, gold pines her retreat
dark lashes softly closed, hair loose from its tight coif
undulating like a mirage of rushing gold wheat

she twirls, colorful bracelets and anklets chiming
ink smears on her hands and one on her cheek flitting
fluttering to her sway and rhythm
whispering the lyrics of a song only she can hear

at that moment, it takes everything in me not to join her
to take her hand in mine and wrap her little finger with mine
to seal a ceasefire, to call a truce, to end the bloodshed with wine

but i can't.
i wish i could hate her.

i remind myself she's the same girl

laces always double-knotted, without a grass stain
narrowed eye slits, steeltrap mind tighter than her coif
sharper than a moonlit scythe cutting through grain

she turns, colorful steel and paper fans cutting
ink smears on calling cards, comms chiming
cooing to her cronies and contacts
spelling the start of a war only she can halt

i wish i could hate her.
but i can't.

i just see a girl and

she dances when no one is watching.
.....................................................-keitha

[Vivika]

✦ ━ 𝐁𝐑𝐄𝐀𝐓𝐇𝐄
‎ ‎ ⊰ starring. noemi • notes. v loose inspo <3 ⊱‎

go gently through the daylight, little one.

those days are gold, they glow soft
a shimmering thread of daydew
suspended on a spider’s silk
quivering against the night’s snap

go gently, go slow, go soft
spring on a bed of moss
walk barefoot in spring showers
thread a daisy through your hair
dance with the sparrow’s song

fold those paper planes
build those snow forts
create that splash of art that
roams free in your wildest dreams

go gently.

everyone’s gonna tell to go, go, go
they’ll tell you to put your back on the grind
ignore all the amber flashing warning signs
beat the rush, race the lights, buckle up and
hold tight for the long ride

so maybe it’s audacious, a dare so ludicrous
but go gently through the daylight, little one

it’s okay to let go
and to just
breathe.
.............................................-nomi

[Vivika]

✦ ━ 𝐒𝐇𝐎𝐖 𝐌𝐄
‎ ‎ ⊰ starring. noemi • notes. n/a ⊱‎

sometimes i fear we've made a mockery of love
watering it down to a cheap instant high
itemizing it to a shiny status icon
weaponizing it as a gimmick for gold
romanticizing it until true love
is nothing more than a child's tale

is it so wrong to pine for love?

for a love that brews deep and rich
crushed and pressed and tested
through age and time
until it flows like vintage wine.

for a love that stands through storms
ships returning to their safe harbor
through travels and trials
until it unfurls like sails with style.

a love that is grace under pressure
two wholes creating something new
not two halves made whole.

show me more
than just romantic love
woo me with familial love
friendship love
found family love.
.............................................-nomi