She hadn't meant to keep him waiting long, but there was a need to look good before her Lord. Proper robes had to be used in exchange for her armor, and she had to cleanse herself of that dreadful, dreadful little hole of a ship that belonged to Saturn. Something uncouth and empty lingered there... made her feel filthy as soon as she had left. Of course she would after touching one who failed to believe in their Lord! Even the thought of it made her bristle as she combed out lovely locks of pale blond hair and dressed back her antennas to keep them from arching up to express her dismay about the entire event.
When she entered Sunstar's study she wore a deep blue gown bound together with gold links shaped in the likeliness of a Sun. Wisps of gold thread were expertly woven in with the gown that rolled like water over her fair skin. Sporting the colors of her God she entered with the cuffs held delicately in her hands. As she had promised Mars and Sunstar she brought them, but not before having them cleansed as well.
"My Lord...my apologies for keeping you." She announced herself despite knowing he would likely know she had arrived as her ship had boarded his own and she had been instructed how to reach his study.
Honor barely described how it felt to be granted access to one of the first Sun Temples erected on Aphrodite Terra. Many of her kind longed to be standing in her position as the excavation party stood before the ancient structure. Awe captivated her features and made her dainty lips part in a small ‘o’ shape. She had read about this temple, but even reading couldn’t do justice to its now crumpled visage. Even still, it was a marvel to set eyes upon.
Those in the party mimicked her expression, there being a long silence of sheer admiration before they started the expedition.
That was hardly a decision for her to make, and it left her biting her lip as they pressed further in. Her job was to keep the group safe, and to look out for any misfortunates that might present itself within the deserted temple. It had been a long time since their kind had moved to the Sky Domes; it was a shame they couldn’t bring this temple with them, yet they could finally come back and see what they could salvage from it. Such an event alone had taken many cycles to convince the chair that the items still settled within the temple walls would be better suited in temples their race could visit. Controversy was struck, of course, as taking something from sacred ground was unheard of.
‘We are in the middle of searching for a new Planet Lord, and need I remind you of how embarrassing that is for our people to be with a defect!? If Sunstar is not pleased with these actions—‘The Chair’s voices always were hard to pay attention to, especially when she, for one, thought they were being rather idiotic. But she stood guard before their little sessions and listened to the blunt of their discussions and was painfully aware of what the planet was currently going through while others were oblivious to it. All in order to keep calm… to keep the image that they were the superior planet.
‘Bringing ancient relics to light will reassure the people, Barzel, and it might draw the Planet Lord to us!’ Murmurs filled the room after such a suggestion…
“—Levels are pretty unstable in this place.” The inspector of their party was saying, but that was not what jerked her from her thoughts. Had she felt unease in the ground… an unsettling lurch?
“Stop.” She announced, her tone firm and commanding despite the confusion she faced. What… was that, and what was that sound?
“What’s wrong—“ Her hand pressing out in a firm manner silenced the crab that turned to face her.
“I’m not—“ Sure never made it to the air as another rumble rolled beneath her feet. This time the party seemed to feel it, but not as keen as she did.
“I knew it was a curse to set foot in here.”
“Oh will you shut up on that?! It’s just—“
“What else would it be?! We need to get out—“
“Stop bubbling around!” She snapped, her aggression showing in the blink of an eye and earning the attention of the small group with her. “It’s the volcano. The report said it was inactive—“
“It IS inactive, are you saying I’m wrong?” Oh she did not like to be interrupted.
“Obviously I am! It’s not a curse, it’s miscalculation on your part. Swallow your pride and get to work before the situation worsens!” She urged the frazzled being before her. If he could calculate the next disturbance… there was a chance to find safer ground.
That wasn’t happening, however, because the little pest wasn’t keen on being the one at fault. If only he had been through the military… pride was sooner left at the door when lives were at stake. She couldn’t help that, and with this fool (she cared not to remember his name) wasting seconds to ramble at her was something she could help.
She had just rooted her hand beneath his collar and had jerked him up close to her face when the next rumble rocked beneath her feet. She failed to keep her balance and easily toppled roughly back against the wall she had wanted to admire not long ago. Her hands dug into the vines, keeping her from falling completely to the ground. Fear engulfed the party, and Vivi saw that in the way they shouted and scrambled about like mindless drones. It was nothing like the battles she was used to… but instead reminded her of a time when she had been small and fragile like them.
“Send out a signal!” She barked over the loud infectious groan of protesting terrain as something tore at its very being. The volcano was erupting and it was tearing at the very foundations of the sacred ground they stood on.
Unfortunately, the volcano cared little for whether or not the ground was sacred. It sent cracks through what Vivi had admired as strong walls, and uprooted the floor as if they were cheaply made children’s blocks to practice building with.
Levels.
That was the last thing that registered in Vivi’s mind before the floor caved in and sent them all deeper into the temple. Screams of unrest were barely heard over the roar of the planet as she scrambled to keep hold along the wall… vines gave way, and down she plunged into the many levels that would remain unexplored. Pain sprang up into her when her body slammed like a lifeless doll into the uneven ruins below. It bounced, tumbled and finally came to a battered rest when it was caught by what had once been the long hallway to a room still held together despite the chaos ensuing around it. None of her party had the fortune to lessen their fall… and plunged further down into the ruin, with more debris to follow behind. If they did survive the fall, they were going to have a hard time surviving the floor that came down onto them from above.
Knowing that bothered the soldier, and yet all she could do was lie there and feel a rather numbing sensation overcome her and pull her into unconsciousness. Rest, it breathed.
“Unn…” A groan of protest dragged from dried lips and slowly her head lifted from the cold and dark floor she had rest on for months. It sure felt like months with how ridged her body had become. It took more effort to stretch out her fingers than she wanted to admit and when she finally pulled her arm back and pressed her palm into the ground she was burdened with not having enough strength to push her body up.
Her body felt heavier than it had ever been, as if it weighed a dome! The next thing she realized was that she couldn’t see and that her antennas were so numb they couldn’t pick up the sensation of what was even around even if they could move.
Where was she…?
What happened…?
Thinking about the answers wasn’t going to get her anywhere. Sulking about how much her head throbbed—no correct that, how much her entire body throbbed in its numbness wasn’t going to do anything either. Gritting her teeth she strained every fiber in her being to reach out and find something to bury her hand into. It took more time and effort than she ever dreamed she would have to put into her own body, but soon her arm stretched out, and trembling fingers soon brushed along the surface of…stone?
Squinting did nothing through the pitch black darkness, but that didn’t stop her persistence. Her other hand reached out, slowly as if she were stone herself defying the laws that kept is stationary, but soon her fingertips stroked along that same strange surface again. This time she found a notch in it.. and this time she willed herself to dig into it.
Little did Vivi know what she grasped was a piece of Stardroid technology that was used as a throne. She failed to realize that her pressing into it had likely been a crime in itself as well as an insult. It was his throne after all.
“T…there..” She found another notch with her other hand, dug in and pulled herself forward. Her body dragged like a lifeless weight behind her, and her entire frame shook as if another eruption were taking place.
Defiance for her situation continued to grow. She pushed the numbness and ache from her mind, and even grew disgusted at how weak she had become. That alone got her small ass up into what had to have been a chair, one she currently curled up in and pressed her forehead firmly against it. She always pressed her head against something when she was thinking… and right now she needed to think more than anything.
She needed to gain her senses back, she needed to figure out a means to gather a source of light so she could see, she needed to figure out the damage her armor had taken, and fend off the numbness that threatened to engulf her all over again. She didn’t want to sleep… she wanted out. She felt restless… but never once was she afraid.
And so an accord was struck. Twice in one week, Skull Man had made bargains with entities he did not trust in the least. And so he'd been given temporary home at the Skull Fortress - the first time he'd ever resided in one. Particularly odd given they shared a name.
And since it was his home, he'd taken on the task of repairing the roof, damage he'd caused himself. Forte had helped, in the barest of senses, but he'd volunteered to finish the task of plastering the massive white skull entrance alone. Mostly because he needed time to be alone with his own thoughts.
Well, not his.
You promised me the death of a star. And yet we remain here.
"Everything in time. Perhaps you are interested in rushing to your demise, but I still have an objective to complete." He muttered seemingly to himself, smoothing out the mended patch he'd been working on with a hand tool. "And I made no such promise."
Regardless. I grow anxious. I was content to sleep before, but our Lord has cut my patience short. And now we waste our efforts on creation. Ridiculous.
"I have no power over what Sunstar decides. Everything that happens is up to his schedule. If you want his attention so badly, convince him you're worth killing."
