AnimeWriterTycoonGirl: I'm back! I really hope everyone likes this chapter!
Halfway through the chapter is the next hurdle for the twins and Isidore; the divinity trial. I'm not exactly an expert on how normal hearings go, so I'm making it the way I imagine the gods would hold one.
There will be some hints to look for here that will come up in the next few chapters.
Just … keep your eyes peeled for them.
Chapter Warnings: Adorable hobby, Bathing, Swearing, very brief roughplay, anxiety, council procedures, abrupt scandal and extremely dramatic cliff hanger
Chapter X
…..
The two lingered in bed longer, sated (for now). Grimmjow smiled as his precious and kindhearted soulmate offered the same massages that he received earlier so the god could avoid feeling any discomfort. The god's body was more than capable of healing any minor injury he felt, though he accepted anyways.
Though Grimmjow wanted to keep Isidore here forever, it would only spell trouble for him and his brother should any of the other gods note Isidore's absence from the mortal realm. There was also the extremely short waiting period of three weeks.
Three short, mortal weeks. It was hardly a blink of an eye to someone who has been alive for thousands upon thousands of decades, and yet, it already felt agonizingly long. Grimmjow looked at his beloved soulmate as the farmer was mesmerized by the natural stones that made up his walls.
"We should start thinking about bringing you down to the mortal world again, but before we do, how about a bath?" he asked, Isidore perking up at the idea of using his personal bath. He hadn't forgotten Isidore's reaction to the bath chamber.
"I would love that." He said earnestly before settling into an annoyed expression. "After all, I have to cleanse myself of the olive oil you so blasphemously desecrated me with." He accused with a flat tone as he shifted. He could feel the tacky remnants of their activities, and it was bothering him in more ways than one.
"…I'm never going to hear the end of that one, am I?" Grimmjow sighed, but smiled when Isidore grinned cheekily. "Come; leave your clothes here, I'll draw the bath. In the meantime, there's a few other rooms on this side of the house I neglected to show you if you are interested."
Isidore accepted the hand offered to him and was led out of the bedroom to continue down the hall.
"This is one of my favorite rooms, actually, but I neglected to show you at first," Grimmjow explained, opening the door furthest down the hall. Isidore hardly had a chance to glance at the room before Grimmjow swore and covered his eyes. "Damn, I forgot … hold on for just a moment. Don't open your eyes!" the god instructed.
Isidore, confused, covered his eyes obediently. He could hear clinking and clanking sounds as well as running water. He could hear Grimmjow rummaging around, but otherwise the room was silent.
The god sighed and gently pulled the mortal into the room. "Ok, you can open your eyes now." he said.
Isidore lowered his hands and was stunned by the rows upon rows of minerals and stones collected on shelves built into the walls. But they seemed unusual. All the stones looked … smooth and shiny? In addition, there were strange objects moving up and down of their own accord.
"Grimmjow … what is this?" Isidore wondered, looking at some beautiful colored stones to his immediate right. He's never seen stones so brightly colored and smooth. They were very pretty, and he gently touched one, confirming it was as smooth as it appeared.
"This is a hobby of mine," Grimmjow admitted sheepishly, a small blush on his face. "As the god of light in all the cultures of the world, I have seen many occupations that span from farming to weaving.
"I was traveling through Bharat [ancient India] a few centuries ago when I came across some workers rolling a bag on the ground," he explained. "I took the guise of a mortal and asked what they were doing, and they explained they were smoothing stones to be made into jewelry and decorations."
Isidore tilted his head in confusion. "Why were they rolling the bag on the ground?" he asked, genuinely interested in the story.
"The bags were filled with water, ground up stones and the minerals they wanted to make into jewelry, like this one," Grimmjow explained, reaching up and grabbing a small skin bag to show Isidore. "The process of rubbing the stones with ground rocks and water made the stones like this.
"I was really taken in by the process, and worked with them for months to create smooth stones of my own," he added. "The mortal way, however, is labor intensive. The stones they showed me had been half finished after two months of work."
Isidore gaped. "Two months?" he asked, eyes wide. "How long did it take for them to actually finish?"
"Depended on the stone's size, but the ones I saw took another three months before the master above them was satisfied with its texture," the god explained. "My own stones I collected took me three and a half months to be at the smoothness I wanted, and it was tedious work. Not to mention, the bags were small and could only hold a few stones at a time.
"Despite the exhausting effort it took, I loved it, and wanted to find a way to get the task done faster, so I worked with some gods who specialize in crafting to create this," he added, pointing to the objects moving up and down in the center of the room.
There were 10 of them, and there were two large barrels on either side of a wide beam that were moving up and down very quickly. Isidore heard water sloshing inside, as well as a constant noise. Click. Clack. Click. Clack.
"These things make the stones smooth?" he asked, unconsciously mimicking the up and down motion of the devices with his head. Grimmjow smiled at the adorable reaction.
"Yeah, they can achieve the same results in the span of two weeks, and can hold significantly more stones," Grimmjow said proudly.
The god walked in front of one of the devices and grabbed onto the end of one barrel, pulling it off, causing the machine to stop moving.
"The tool works by moving off its own weight. Both barrels are filled with the water and sand and ground stones to smooth the larger stones, and then the stones I want to polish," he explained. "I just have to give it the first push, and gravity takes over."
"Gravity?" Isidore asked, the word strange and unfamiliar to him.
Grimmjow chuckled; the mortals were far less advanced and had no way of knowing about such complex things at this stage in their development. "I'll tell you about it later. All you need to know is that the tools here work on their own without having to move them myself."
"That's amazing! You made all of these beautiful stones?" Isidore exclaimed, looking at the room around them.
There had to be hundreds of small stones sitting around. Belatedly, he noticed at the far end of the room was a massive table with different stones and materials cluttered on top of it. Grimmjow noticed the direction of his gaze and chuckled awkwardly.
"Yeah … I sometimes make jewelry or decorations of my own. Not a thing one would expect a god to do, so the other gods don't know about this," he explained, somewhat embarrassed. "Pan knows, of course, but outside of the two gods who helped me create the equipment, no one else knows about this."
Isidore was touched by Grimmjow's trust in him to share such a personal side of his. He had no idea why the god would keep such a beautiful hobby to himself, but he was honored to be included in such an exclusive circle.
He turned to the god with a sincere smile. "I think this is incredible, Grimmjow. You should take more pride in your work." He said honestly. "I would be thrilled to receive a stone like these from you." He added.
Grimmjow chuckled. "You already have … two of them, actually," he said, grabbing the summoning relic stone Isidore wore around his neck.
Even when sleeping or bathing, Isidore loved the jewelry he received from his lovers and never took them off. The redheaded mortal blushed at his own foolishness. Of course, Grimmjow made the summoning stones himself; they were just as smooth and brilliantly colored as the rest of his collection.
"I should have realized," Isidore mumbled, flushing bright red. Grimmjow shook his head and kissed his silly soulmate on the cheek.
"I never said anything, and you probably thought I got them elsewhere. That's what all the other gods assume when they traded with me for their own necklaces and other pieces," Grimmjow said kindly.
Since he had already given Isidore the jewelry at the very beginning of his courtship, Grimmjow didn't feel it would be original to give him more as gifts. Upon seeing Isidore's love of the stones and jewelry, he chided himself for thinking this way.
Isidore hummed happily when he was kissed and paused, filtering the information. "You trade with the other gods?" he asked, impressed.
"Err… not anymore," Grimmjow admitted sheepishly. "They were asking for a lot and I didn't want to admit it was me making the pieces, so I just said the mortal I got them from died to leave me alone. But I'm more than happy to give you any stones you want."
Isidore looked around. There were stones of all colors and shapes. Truthfully, he wanted them all. So, he shook his head. "You pick for me," he insisted, trusting Grimmjow would find something beautiful.
Grimmjow thought to himself, then spotted the perfect stones after a few moments. Gently brushing past his lover, he grabbed two small bright stones that nearly matched Isidore's bold hair.
"These are Carnelian Agates," he explained, holding up the burnt orange-colored stones. "I'd love to make these into earrings for you." The god held one of the stones up to Isidore's left ear.
Isidore flushed, but smiled shyly. "I would love to wear them … but my ears aren't pierced." He protested.
"I'll do it for you. It doesn't hurt that much. Trust me," Grimmjow insisted, pointing to his own ears.
He wasn't wearing any earrings at the moment, but Isidore could clearly see the holes in his ear where the earrings would go. There were two piercing scars on both ears. One at the fleshy lobe and another near the rounded edge at the top.
Isidore smiled. Well, if Grimmjow said it didn't hurt, then he'd be honored to wear the bright stones. He said as much to Grimmjow, who smiled so brightly, it almost hurt to look at him.
"Come on, I'm confident the bath is filled up enough by now." Grimmjow said, carefully placing the two agate pieces on the large table and taking his soulmate's hand to pull him toward the bath.
Sure enough, the large bath was full of steaming water, and as they were already naked, the two men did not hesitate to step into the water. Isidore sighed in bliss at the water that was at the perfect temperature and sunk down gladly.
Grimmjow scattered some lavender into the water, perfuming it and relaxing his lover further. It had been so long since the farmer partook in an herb infused soak. The god then summoned a jar of oils and washcloth to be used later, following Isidore's Greek customs. He forwent the skin scrapping tool though; finding it unpleasant.
Isidore gladly accepted the cloth to cleanse his body. Grimmjow chuckled as the man vigorously scrubbed at his nether regions, desperate to remove all traces of his previous love making.
"Ah-ah, don't be so rough with yourself," Grimmjow chided, wading close to his lover and taking the cloth away. "I get that you didn't want to use the olive oil for sexual lubrication, but scrapping away at your skin like that will only hurt you."
The god gathered the protesting mortal into his lap, calmly washing him while pressing kisses up and down his back. Isidore sighed, feeling spoiled, and a tad bit like a child but held still.
"So … where did you even find those stones?" he asked, breaking the silence after a few minutes.
"Panthera gives them to me. All stones technically come from the underworld and are pushed closer to the mortal surface," Grimmjow explained. "If my hobby is to make stones smooth for jewelry use, then Panthera's is finding the rough material. He loves to find and make new minerals."
"Wow. Both of you have wonderful hobbies." Isidore said wistfully. Growing up poor and friendless, the farmer had no time nor opportunities to have a hobby of his own. Grimmjow noticed his tone and wrapped his arms around the mortal's stomach.
"We can introduce you to hundreds of different hobbies if you'd like once you're immortal," he promised. "Most of the gods find something to do when they're not heeding prayers. I think the first thing we'll do is show you around the whole world. It's so much bigger than you can currently grasp. You'll love it."
Isidore smiled, turning around to kiss the considerate god behind him. "I would absolutely love that." He said happily.
The two of them took turns washing each other while talking about their plans for after Isidore was turned into an immortal. Isidore confessed he hadn't told his family about his decision yet, but Grimmjow wasn't worried. They would be told sometime within the next two weeks, the two men decided.
Suddenly, footsteps could be heard from the hallway.
"Oi, Grimmjow. When did you start infusing your baths with …?" Panthera appeared at the head of the door, his tone teasing until he saw Isidore in the bath with his brother.
The three men stared at each other in silence for a few moments before Panthera focused on his brother.
"The fuck is he doing here? We could all get in so much trouble if anyone finds out we brought a mortal to the heavens without permission," Panthera accused. Isidore shrunk into the water; even Panthera was worried about them getting in trouble, so it must be a serious offense.
Grimmjow hardly seemed as worried. "It's going to be his home soon enough," he shrugged before frowning. "I'm more annoyed by you coming into my wing than I am of getting caught."
Panthera scoffed. "Fuck off; I smelled lavender from the main room and needed to check it out. You never take herb baths," he said pointedly before grinning at Isidore. "Having a good time there, baby?" he teased.
Isidore flushed, sinking lower in the bath until only his neck up was exposed.
"Sorry … I didn't know he was going to bring me here, but I swear I won't say anything to anyone." The mortal promised.
Panthera chuckled, waving it off. "I doubt you would. It's just shocking to see Grimmjow break the rules for once," he laughed, much to Grimmjow's annoyance.
"As I said, it will be his home in only three weeks. I'm not worried, especially since it's impossible to enter our home without either of our permission. No one will know." He assured, mostly for Isidore's benefit.
Panthera rolled his eyes before pausing, his eyes on Grimmjow's shoulder. Isidore bristled; there was still a faint indent of his teeth from earlier.
"Congratulations. Fucking took you two long enough," Panthera said, clearly amused. He had felt some arousal on his end, but ignored it, assuming his prim and proper brother was still taking it slow.
"Leave him alone, you're embarrassing him," Grimmjow scowled, wrapping a protective arm around Isidore and pulling him away from his smug brother's view.
"Aw fuck off. I'm allowed to have fun, especially since it's been well over a hundred centuries since you last got laid." Panthera teased, narrowly avoiding the spray of water sent his way.
Grimmjow grunted, his eye twitching at his irritating other half's antics. Isidore gulped, and popped out from his spot behind the fuming immortal.
"Hey Pan … I've only been to this part of the house. I'd be happy to see your wing once I've dried." He offered as a distraction and peace offering.
Panthera perked up and Grimmjow sighed. It was only fair; Isidore was promised he could live in either wing of the house.
As reluctant as Grimmjow was to wrap up his bath with Isidore, the two of them pulled out of the massive bath. Grimmjow helped rub the after-bathing oils onto his lover, drawing it out as long as he could. Isidore giggled at Grimmjow's sulking, amused by his rare childish reaction.
He dressed himself quickly and kissed Grimmjow once they got back into his bedroom. "I really, really appreciate you bringing me here, despite the apparent risks." He said earnestly. "I'm thrilled to call this my future home."
Grimmjow relaxed, his bad mood sufficiently culled by his sweet soulmate's words. "I'll bring you back home when you're done. Just come back to the sitting area when you've had your fill." He insisted.
Panthera hopped out of his favorite lounge chair when Isidore ventured out into the main area. "I'm pissed at myself for not thinking of doing this earlier, considering Grimmjow did, but come on, let's go!" he said, yanking the mortal down his own hallway.
The marble faded away into a more natural, roughly carved out style, though the green flamed torches remained.
"Is your wing literally carved into the mountain?" Isidore wondered out loud.
Panthera chuckled. "Yeah. I wasn't joking when I said I wasn't a fan of bright spaces," he said, slowing down now they were further into his wing. "I don't have as many fancy spaces like Grimmjow does, like his spirits room or hobby space, which I'm sure he told you about already. But hey, it's home."
The first room was similar to Grimmjow's lore library, albeit not as organized. The god of darkness also had a room filled with mysterious artifacts, and warned his lover not to touch any, as several were cursed. Isidore shuddered at the ominous presence of this room, but realized they were offerings sent to him from various cultures and didn't think too much about them.
Panthera had his own bathing chambers, though unlike Grimmjow's there were no windows to let sunlight in. Instead, there were several torches as well as two large hearths, made of glossy black materials (Panthera helpfully explained they were made of obsidian and black marble). The black marble bath itself was just as large as Grimmjow's, however.
Panthera had a feral grin as he approached the final door. Isidore shivered; there was only one room left in this hallway.
Panthera brought him into a room completely covered in darkness. There were no torches to be seen. At least, at first. Panthera inhaled sharply before releasing a stream of blue flames from his mouth, lighting the torches in his room. Once Isidore's eyes adjusted to the sudden change from dark to lit, he realized Panthera's room was vastly different from Grimmjow's aside from his lack of windows.
The room had levels to it. They were on the first level, which encircled the round space. There was little on this 'ring" except the door to come in and the many torches that lit the area. The second level was wider, and had some furnishings like an armoire, some glowing plants and a desk with several scrolls on it. There was another fireplace carved in the opposite wall, though it was currently unlit.
The third level, surrounding the fourth and final ring (which was elevated as a result), was entirely filled with water, which glistened and glowed under the firelight. A few floating stones made it possible to cross the water to the absolutely massive round bed that took up the entire final level.
The walls were made entirely of the same obsidian Isidore saw earlier. The levels were connected by glowing stones floating in an area cut away for their placement. Idly, Isidore wondered if it was for aesthetics since stairs would have been easier, but it was a stunning choice.
"Wow …" he breathed, taking in the dramatic space. Panthera chuckled next to him, proud of his unusual bedroom.
"Pretty cool, huh? Truthfully, I don't use the torches, but it would be dangerous for you to walk around in here your first time," he explained, offering a hand to help Isidore walk down. Isidore appreciated the gesture, because he was absolutely terrified of the stones sinking underneath him or missing one.
Once he (cautiously) got to the second level, he looked at the water below. "This room is incredible." Isidore said, fascinated.
"This is my favorite place to just relax and ignore Grimmjow whenever he pisses me off." Panthera said, referring to the water.
Isidore glanced at the large bed in front him while Panthera was talking. The bed was covered in furs, but was made of a soft material for the actual bedding, not unlike Grimmjow's. Isidore knelt down and brought his hand under the water's surface. The water was lukewarm, so it wasn't for bathing, he noted.
"Come here, Isidore," Panthera purred. Isidore looked up to see the god of darkness had already sprawled himself on the bed, legs spread open, his upper body propped up by his elbows and his attractive face illuminated by the flames, smirking wickedly.
The mortal flushed, but carefully moved across the floating stones to crawl onto the large bed. Thank Gaia Panthera hadn't removed his clothes, he wasn't sure he was ready for sex again so soon after being with Grimmjow a mere hour ago.
Panthera tugged his soulmate on top of him, devouring his mouth in a searing kiss. There was something extra thrilling about having Isidore in his room, especially since it was currently forbidden. His hands gripped Isidore's waist tightly, just as he knew the mortal liked it.
Isidore moaned into the kiss, reaching up to tug on the darkness god's hair as he knew the god liked it. Panthera growled and rolled them over, pinning Isidore to the bed.
"Careful Essi, you keep doing things like that and I'll lock you in here forever," he rumbled into his lover's ear, grinding against Isidore's crotch, his cock springing to life immediately.
Isidore whimpered and shook his head violently. "I'm not … Pan please." He whined; his own body unable to respond.
With a self-suffering sigh, Panthera relaxed his grip on Isidore's waist (which would bruise later), and willed his erection away. "Yeah … I'm sure you're still overwhelmed just by being here," he said wistfully as he pulled away. "Not to mention you'll be approved for immortality in four days so …"
"Wait … the trial is in four days?!" Isidore gaped, springing up from the bed. Panthera looked at him in confusion.
"Ah, shit. Grimmjow didn't tell you. Were you not supposed to know?" he wondered out loud. 'Stupid worthless twin … learn to fucking communicate.' He groused to himself.
Meanwhile Isidore hyperventilated, his nerves going haywire. What would Lady Sunnera say? What would Zeus, Apollo and the other gods who bothered to show up to his hearing say? What if he was foreseen to be a threat to the gods somehow? What if …?
"Shhh, shhh…. Isidore, baby calm down," Panthera pleaded, hugging the anxious mortal tightly and adopted a deep, slow breathing for Isidore to mimic him. "I'm sorry. I knew you were nervous about this and I blurted that out thoughtlessly. You'll be ok. Everything will be fine." He assured.
Well, now he knew why Grimmjow hadn't told their soulmate; even after being told how the process would go and how it was mostly a formality, Isidore's terrible childhood made him paranoid and convinced that the worst could and would happen.
Panthera kept rubbing Isidore's back and breathing evenly to help his lover calm down. The tactics quickly worked, though the mortal man still trembled.
"I'm sorry, I really am," Panthera soothed, giving Isidore a brief squeeze. "Are you alright?"
"…Yeah. I didn't expect the trial to be so soon," Isidore admitted, his hands tightening around the soft furs surrounding him. "Grimmjow kept telling me it's nothing to worry about, that it's a standard practice … so I have no idea why I'm so nervous."
"It's a hearing based on you, being presided over by several important gods of your religion. Of fucking course it's making you nervous," Panthera said flatly, not one to beat around the bush. "But even though you won't be there, we can testify in your good favor. Plus a few of our associates have been … watching you." He admitted.
Gossip spreads quickly among the gods, and once it was revealed (likely by Amara, Panthera grumbled) that the twin gods had found their soulmate, a lot of gods snuck onto the island to spy on the mortal that captured not one, but two ancient deities.
Even some members of the underworld snuck up to see him, curious about the man who stole their father's heart (or original king if not sired by him). Panthera overheard some of his children or other gods talking about the wonderful character they've witnessed, and imagined the same conversation happening in the heavens.
Isidore stiffened at the information. Other gods had been watching him? Which ones? What were they thinking?
Panthera chuckled despite watching Isidore's anxiety grow. "Don't worry; everyone I've come across had only kind things to say about you. How lovely you were with animals, and your beautiful features," he insisted, kissing the pretty orange hair the twins loved so much.
The mortal relaxed at that, though he fussed at the idea of so many gods watching his daily tasks. "So … it really will be alright?" he sighed, releasing most of the tension in his body. Panthera nodded.
"I can't vow that it will go perfect, however, I think you'll have very little to worry about," Panthera insisted before groaning. "Anyways, I have no idea how long you've been up here, and the longer you stay up here with so many gods interested in you, the more likely we'll get caught." He said moodily.
He wished he'd been able to spend more time with Isidore up here. He now understood what Grimmjow had meant about being envious about not taking Isidore's virginity. This was a different kind of virginity per se, but one he had wanted to be a part of.
Oh well, at least he was able to show Isidore his wing of the house.
Isidore nodded and surprised the immortal with a tight hug. "Thanks for making me feel better," he said sincerely. "I love your rooms, by the way."
Panthera huffed out a quick, laugh and accepted the hug, scooping the mortal into his arms. "Come on, Grimm's probably pacing in the common room like the paranoid moron he is," he teased, striding out of the bedroom quickly.
Isidore frowned and poked at the god's firm chest. "You mock your brother too much," he scolded. "I get into arguments with my sisters every now and then, but you're just being unnecessarily cruel."
The god grumbled but listened passively as his soulmate chastised him. He was grateful no one could hear; they'd die of laughter seeing him, one of the most feared gods of the underworld, being scolded at for being mean.
Grimmjow wasn't pacing the room like Panthera joked he would, but the god of light did leap out of his chaise the moment the other two emerged from the right wing. Isidore blinked rapidly; his eyes had somewhat grown accustomed to the darker space. No wonder the brothers avoided going into each other's wings.
"Ready to go?" Grimmjow smiled, offering a hand. Isidore nodded before wriggling out of Panthera's grasp and giving the pale skinned god a kiss goodbye. "I'll be back soon, Pan." The tanned skinned god said as Isidore took one final look around the house that would be his home.
Waving them off, Panthera went back to his chambers to take a soak and rest.
Meanwhile, Grimmjow quietly reappeared on the Karousakis farm, keeping a warm hand on his lover's back.
"I'm glad I took you out today," he said, looking up at the darkening sky. It wasn't too late, but the sun would definitely set within the next two hours.
Isidore nodded happily. "I loved it. Thank you so much for everything. Both of you have been so wonderful to me, and I feel like I haven't been able to contribute too much as a result," he said sheepishly.
Grimmjow lightly smacked the back of Isidore's head with a chiding sound. "Tch! Don't say such ridiculous things!" he warned, looking stern. "We've never been happier in our thousands upon thousands of years of life. All you need to do is exist, Isidore, that will keep us happy."
Isidore chuckled. "Such an onerous task, huh?" he teased, causing the god to laugh as well. "Alright … I'll do my best to keep you both happy as long as I can." He promised.
"That's better," Grimmjow said warmly. "Alright, go home. We'll visit you soon."
"Mhm… after the divinity trial is over four days from now, right?" he asked, giving the god a look. Grimmjow sighed; Panthera and his big mouth. Well, Isidore seemed to be taking the news well enough.
"Yeah, the three of us can celebrate after the good news," he promised, pressing a kiss to Isidore's hand. "Don't stress yourself over the possibilities. I have a feeling the outcome will be in our favor."
There was a nagging feeling at the back of his head, actually, but Grimmjow didn't want to worry his already timid lover.
Isidore grinned brightly. "I trust you. Goodnight, Grimmjow." The two shared a final, brief kiss, before Isidore turned back to his home.
Grimmjow hummed to himself as he watched Isidore's back. Things would turn out well, the two of them would make sure of it, he vowed, before returning to the heavens.
Panthera groaned as he stumbled into the living room. "I fucking hate formal clothes," he said disdainfully as he adjusted his chest piece for the third time in past five minutes.
Since it was a council meeting, it was mandatory to wear your best clothing. That meant Panthera had to don a set of robes that were heavily layered, especially styled for the underworld, back when he was the active king. He had designed it himself when he was still a young god, and he cursed himself every time he had to wear them now.
"Just bear with it, Pan; it's for Isidore," Grimmjow reminded him as he added his jewelry, putting his earrings in as well as checking his own robes for any imperfections. Grimmjow's own formal robes were a lot less heavy than Panthera's, but still had many sashes and pieces adorning it.
"Tch … I know that, but that doesn't mean I'm thrilled to do this," the god of darkness groaned as he slouched against the island. "I hope you don't care, but I don't plan on speaking unless I'm directly spoken to, as much as possible."
"That's fine. I'm the better speaker of the two of us anyways," Grimmjow said offhandedly, finishing his look with the bracelets Isidore gave him. "Alright, you ready?"
"No."
"Pan."
"Yeah, yeah, I'm ready. Let's just get this fucking thing over with. Isidore's going to be approved easily enough anyways," Panthera sighed before glancing out the window. "Poor thing must be a nervous wreck down there waiting for the results."
"I'm sure he is, so be on your best behavior. Come on, I don't wanna be late." Grimmjow snapped his fingers, sending them off.
The two touched ground in front of the main entrance to the citadel, located in the central part of the heavens. Most of the upper gods and immortals lived close to one another, not unlike a city-state.
The citadel was one of the oldest buildings in the existence of time itself. The Fates and several of the first gods built it as a central location, which would be used to help keep the gods and goddesses in check. All councils were held here, and The Fates themselves lived in the building.
If a god wandered in there long enough, they could even run into one of the powerful sisters, but ever since their announcement, The Fates remained inside the citadel, never once leaving for any of the feasts, festivities or other events that have since transpired outside its ancient doors.
The twins walked in together, though they were not alone for long.
"Hey, there you two are! You must be so excited, huh?" Hermes said, excitedly. Both gods of light and darkness groaned, lamenting their luck. Of fucking course: the god of travel would come. "Aw, don't be like that! I fully plan on supporting you two!" he insisted, his dark gray eyes bright and showing no trace of dishonesty.
Panthera merely scowled at him, causing the younger god to nervously take a step back. Grimmjow shoved an elbow into Panthera's ribs, glaring at him to behave.
"We appreciate your support, Hermes," Grimmjow said slowly, though he made no attempt to smile. "This still doesn't make up for your previous transgressions against us, however."
The blonde god chuckled awkwardly. "Yeah, I figured. I mean, it was, 500 years ago, but I get it, still sore about the prank. ANYWAYS," he added hastily, taking another step back at their twin glares. "I would like to at least make some amends, so I truly hope everything goes smoothly today." He insisted.
"Oh, leave them alone, Hermes, I'm sure they've got enough on their plate in addition to listening to your stuttering foolishness," a woman's voice rang out, scolding the god of travel. Hermes stiffened, responding to Xianla's stern gaze immediately.
"Eh… but I'm only trying to be supportive, I swear!" he grumbled as the goddess of hunting swatted him harshly.
"That's why I'm here too, but I don't see the need to bother them right before the council meets," she retorted before flashing the twins a smile. "We can prove our support if the time needs, but we should get going," she insisted, dragging the protesting blonde away.
Panthera snickered. "I used to think she was just as annoying as he was," he said, shaking his head. "Guess I misjudged her."
"Yeah, well, they're all annoying to us anyways. Younger gods like her and Hermes are more social and interactive with the mortals than we are," Grimmjow chuckled.
"Damn … a lot of gods came today," Panthera noted.
The colosseum styled room was already halfway full, and there were still roughly 15 minutes before the trial began. Gods and immortals of all ages and powers were there talking to one another. Hermes and Xianla were just getting seated.
"It's been a while since a god has found their soulmate, maybe 400 years or so," Grimmjow muttered, taking in the view. "It's no wonder they're all curious about Isidore. Doesn't help that we're the first of the split soul gods to find our mate."
There were only 16 dual souled gods (or eight when remerged), so it really was a big deal that Grimmjow and Panthera found their soulmate. This was even more impressive because of Panthera's chaotic reputation; they all wanted to see the mortal who had noticeably tamed the ancient god of darkness.
"Ah, you two came early. That's good to see," the mature voice of Waldromett came from behind the twins.
Ah yes, the god who drew the best lots with his powerful thunder powers. The god that mortals knew as Odin, Zeus, Set, Aktzin to name a few. Since he was presiding over a Greek mortal's trial, he had donned the look the Greeks were used to, an older man with a dark beard and sharp blue eyes.
Grimmjow smirked and bowed his head just enough to show respect. "We're known to be punctual when the need arises, Wald." He said calmly.
Waldromett was a fickle god, and a lot of the power and respect he received tended to go to his head, but when it came down to it, he could be a reasonable god when it came to trials like this.
The god of thunder laughed. "I'm sure the two of you are just dying to get back to your lover, so we'll do our best to make this quick. Iamus is already prepped for his reading, according to Amara." He said kindly.
Panthera's shoulders relaxed with the news; Iamus was an incredibly gifted and quite accurate prophet, but occasionally it took time for him to get into the headspace to see the future.
"That's nice to hear. I'm sure you're happy to have such a simple trial to preside over compared to the last few, I've heard," Panthera noted mildly, trying to be amicable.
Waldromett groaned, looking quite annoyed. "You've no idea, Lord Panthera … everything has a trial these days," he complained. "Everyone has a story to tell and a sob piece to go with it! You two understand the struggles and lamentations of being so powerful. Maybe not for the Greeks, but the rest of the world, of course."
The two older gods nodded their heads as if they were actually believing the thunder god's own sob story, all the while sighing in their heads. Just a little longer, they thought to themselves. This was all for Isidore.
The god of thunder prattled on for a few minutes before he noticed the rest of the council pouring in. "Ah, well, I guess we should get ready to begin. I sincerely hope the prophecy shows in your favor, you two."
With that, Waldromett strode past them, his ornate robes flowing around him as he took his seat at the head of the massive table. Amara winked at the twins as she took her seat to his immediate left.
'Someone really dolled themselves up today,' Panthera thought to his twin dryly as he took in her lavish jewelry and make up that she'd adorned herself with. She had entered from the other side of the citadel, but they could smell her oils from here. Amara was known to be materialistic, but she really took it to a new level when she was at these meetings.
'Don't say anything stupid,' Grimmjow reminded him, though his inner thoughts were tinged with amusement.
The twins stood tall and impassive in the center of the room as the rest of the council took their seats. The surrounding seats were almost completely filled by now. It was a good thing that Isidore wasn't needed for the trial, because there was no doubt in Grimmjow and Panthera's minds that the poor mortal would faint under so many watchful eyes.
Panthera couldn't help the scowl on his face at the haughty look given by Apollo. The god of the sun naturally didn't get along well with the god of darkness, and the feeling was unfortunately mutual. Grimmjow cleared his throat, a final warning for his brother to behave.
Apollo was an arrogant shit, but Grimmjow's worked alongside the younger god long enough to know that he could be fair when he needed to be. It was a shame that the god was so caught up in his glorified reputation and gifts sent to him from the mortals.
Both brothers were also slightly bitter because the god was also a healer, an exceptional one at that, but rarely used the gift. It would have saved them and Jinn so much time if he had just heeded Isidore's family's pleas to heal their matriarch. Perhaps after the trial, they could have a few choice words with him about his neglect of his healing talents.
Sunnera smiled from her spot to Waldromett's right, next to Apollo. Next to him was Moiriya (Aisa/goddess of fate) and next to Amara was Euriadittes (Dike/goddess of justice). The only one missing was the prophet himself, but that was expected.
After the official beginning of the meeting, Waldromett would ask if there were any gods in the audience who had their opinions or questions regarding Isidore. Then, anyone who had objections could speak their piece. Then, Iamus would be brought in to share his visions. Finally, the council would immediately decide whether Isidore would be granted immortality.
Panthera had only been to two or three of these meetings, whereas Grimmjow had been to most of them, previously having the same curiosity and longing to one day meet his own beloved. This is how he knew that the trial wouldn't make much longer than, say, two hours depending on how long it took the prophet to have a vision, and how many gods or immortals wanted to share their own insight.
Waldromett raised his hand, summoning a quick clap of thunder to quiet everyone; the trial was ready to begin.
"We stand here today to judge if a mortal man has been deemed worthy of becoming one us," he began, his voice booming and echoing off the walls. "The mortal has been recognized as a soulmate of one … make that two … of our own." He quickly amended with a self-depreciating chuckle.
"Who stands here today, to claim the mortal as their soulmate?" he continued.
"I, Grimmjow, god of light and ruler of the heavenly air, claim this right."
"I, Panthera, god of darkness and ruler of the mists of the underworld, also claim this right."
"Who is the mortal whom has laid claim to your hearts?"
"Isidore Karousakis, a denizen of Kamarina on the isle of Crete." Grimmjow said, taking over the conversation as planned.
"The two of you believe it necessary to share your immortal lifespans with this mortal, and have come here today to prove his worth as a benefit to our ways of life," Waldromett said, his tone all business. "Who found this soulmate on the isle of Crete?"
"That would be me." Grimmjow said.
"Who approached this mortal man first?"
"That privilege also is mine."
"To whom did the mortal man extend his interest in courtship?"
"Isidore has agreed and accepted both of us, however, he originally began with me, and accepted Panthera's proposal two months after agreeing to mine."
"Has Isidore Karousakis been made aware of this offer, and is interested in extending his life beyond his originally predestined lifespan?"
"He has, and he expressed his interest before this council meeting was scheduled."
"Good, then we shall proceed to the next stage," Waldromett said, turning his attention to the audience. "As this mortal, Isidore Karousakis, has been nominated to become one of us, I ask those of you who have gathered here today to offer their own opinions of the mortal in question.
"To avoid confusion and to keep everything fair, we will begin with only comments from those who are not opposed to Isidore Karousakis' immortality," he continued. "Does anyone here have any comments they would like to share regarding this mortal man? You may stand if you wish to speak."
Yachiru hopped up excitedly. "I wish to speak Your Excellency!" she beamed; her grin so wide it took over her entire face. The entire room chuckled at her childish enthusiasm.
"You may speak, Yachiru," Waldromett agreed, also chuckling.
Yachiru flew above her seat so that all could see her. "I am the one who spotted Isidore while I was flying through Crete, and recognized him as Lord Grimmjow and Lord Panthera's mate," she explained. "I just wanted to say, that I went back to see how Isidore was after I told them, and he is so kind and thoughtful. He cherishes the gifts his soulmates have given him, and I know he will make them really, really happy too, if he's immortal!"
The twins smiled at her little speech. They owed this entire experience to her; they would have to make good on that promise to reward her. She had wanted sweets though, so they would have to find someone to make it for her.
Having nothing else to say, Yachiru hopped back into her seat. Immediately after, two nymphs stood up at the same time.
"We are merely nameless tree nymphs, but we have always come to like this particular mortal for his exceptional care to nature, especially when it came to his personal groves," one of the young nymphs said, her bright green hair matching well with her honey yellow eyes.
"Isidore has been an olive farmer for a brief moment of time to us nonmortals, but for his kind, he has toiled for quite some time, and in this time has nurtured a small grove of just 12 trees to become a lovely collection of 40," the other, brown haired nymph said.
"We feed off healthy trees' energies, and if his care of his grove is any indication, we said confidently say that this mortal is a kind and considerate soul." The green haired one added. "If the lords allow us, we would love to help celebrate his immortality should it be blessed."
The twins were thrilled by the tree spirits' insight. They already knew Isidore took wonderful care of his olive trees, and to think that he had been adored already enough to warrant some admirers spoke volumes of his character, which would definitely go in his favor.
Sunnera smiled, and stood from her seat, shocking the room. Rarely, if ever, did a council member add their own input for an immortality trial unless they were the ones nominating someone. Even then, they were exempted from being a part of the council itself, to avoid bias.
"I'm sure it has surprised all of you that I am sharing my own thoughts today, but I can assure you my judgement will always be fair," she assured calmly. "I have had the pleasure to meet Isidore Karousakis twice in his short lifetime. Recently, as a proper introduction through Grimmjow, and 13 mortal years ago, when he was but a child.
"It was that moment when Isidore was a child that he had decided to honor me as his patron goddess," she continued, holding out some olives. Isidore's olives. "I have witnessed and enjoyed the labor of his dedication to me and his family with these simple fruits. Grown and tended for by the man in question today, I can honestly say no mainland Grecian farmer has come close to creating such a pure tasting olive."
"Why does this matter, Sunnera?" Waldromett asked, eyeing the fruit in her hand.
"Olives are an easy fruit to grow, which I made possible for the people of Greece to enjoy for its bounty," she explained. "However, most of the Greeks have taken advantage of its easy care and do not put forth anymore less than the bare minimum to grow fruit. Isidore, as the tree sprites can attest, has put far more work into his farm, allowing the fruit to be the best I've ever seen a mortal grow.
"Surely, if a mortal is able to take a plant as easy to nurture as olive trees and still take painstaking efforts to ensure its bounty and health, then he deserves a place among us," she concluded, popping one of the delicate fruits into her mouth as she sat down.
Whispers were amplified into a dull roar at the end of her conclusion. Sunnera rarely praised mortals so highly. It was also no secret that she held a grudge against Panthera for that incident years ago, so it was immediately clear that she was not intentionally tipping the scales in the twins' favor.
Waldromett raised a hand, the room falling to a hush instantaneously.
"Well, that was certainly high praise from our own goddess of wisdom, wasn't it? Anyone else?" he asked.
The room was silent. Even if they did have more positive things to say about Isidore, no one could surpass the praise brought by his own patron goddess herself. Waldromett nodded.
"Very well. Now, to ensure fairness, I will open the floor to those who feel opposed to Isidore Karousakis' immortality. You may now stand if you wish to speak."
There were a few moments of silence, which allowed the twins to relax. Seems like no one was going to …
"I hold my misgivings about this man, Your Excellency," A cool voice rang out.
The twins twisted their heads to see Lukki rising out of his seat, a twisted grin on his face. They both glared but could not speak against him until he had finished his part.
Waldromett sighed; Lukki was always the voice of negativity at these meetings, and was soundly ignored every time. "Very well, Lukki, what reasons could you have to oppose this mortal's becoming an immortal?" he asked, weary already. From her seat, Sunnera narrowed her eyes.
Lukki placed a slender hand to his chest, striking a dramatic pose. "Forgive me for taking initiative when no one asked, but I took an opportunity to ask a prophet about this particular mortal, and what he had seen saw nothing but calamity," he insisted, poisonous purple eyes alight with dark intent.
"What's this?" Sunnera asked sharply. Lukki bowed his head by a mere fraction.
"Well … I also came across that boy for a few moments, as you well know, Lady Sunnera," he stressed, before turning to the audience. "I got a chill down my spine after one look at him, so I de…requested a vision reading from another prophet outside of the one held by this court."
Apollo scowled. "How dare you … you interfered with the trial before it could even begin!" he scolded, tossing his golden hair off his shoulder and looking down at the God of Strife. "You overstepped, Lukki. Who is this other prophet you speak of that went against the divinity court?"
Apollo was a stoic but proud god who tended to get a little dramatic when he was defied or challenged, but he took his jobs seriously Well, most of them. He had delegated his healing prayers to Jinn, but other than this, he was all about the status quo.
Lukki looked at the god of the sun innocently. "But you should know him better than anyone, Lord Apollo," he said in surprise and fake honeyed tones. "After all, he's your precious soulmate." He cooed.
Apollo went still, eyes wide in quiet rage and glowing bright yellow. "…You dared to approach my Branchus*?" he seethed, his powers unconsciously activated, causing the room to heat up from the power of the sun.
Waldromett clapped his hands, calling forth thunder to break Apollo out of his rage. "Enough! Lukki, even if you had your misgivings about the mortal, you had absolutely no right to set up a prophecy reading of your own without a member of the council present," he fumed, a deep scowl set on his face. "Even worse, you're trying to cause a scene by using a prophet who is known for his ties to one of the council seats!"
Throughout this, Grimmjow had a strong grip on Panthera's arm, the god of darkness looking absolutely murderous. The god of light wasn't faring much better, but he knew a reaction is what Lukki wanted the most.
The twins were absolutely furious, but also concerned; Lukki has never attempted something like this in the past trials. It couldn't be … a future actually was deemed dangerous with Isidore as an immortal? Their Isidore? There was no way …
"But Your Excellency, Branchus is also well gifted for his prophetic visions. I knew it would be completely out of bounds for me to request a reading from Iamus, so I simply asked the next best person for my own peace of mind," Lukki insisted before sighing in displeasure. "Believe me, I was quite distressed by the reading. Branchus is actually waiting outside if you would like to hear from his own mouth."
The twins stiffened and Sunnera, Moiriya and Euriadittes all stood up. "This is unacceptable, Lukki," Euriadittes said. "These trials are not spectacles for you to twist into one of your sick games!
Apollo growled at her. "Silence, Euriadittes! I want to hear what my beloved has to say about this!" he insisted.
"But Apollo, it's clearly some ruse Lukki cooked up," Moiriya insisted, grabbing at his sleeve as he attempted to leave the table. "Be rational about thi-"
"I want him in here. NOW." Apollo roared, his whole body becoming hot to the touch. The minor goddess of fate shrunk back, wincing as her hand was burned.
A few sprites sprang from their seats to hurriedly open the doors, which had been closed at the start of the meeting. A small, thin man timidly stepped inside, his eyes downcast and his frame hunched over on itself at the dozens upon dozens of eyes staring at him.
Upon seeing his soulmate in distress, Apollo wrenched himself away from the pleading councilmembers and dashed over, firmly clasping Branchus' hands in his own. "My love, is it true, did Lukki demand a prophecy out of you?" he asked, eyebrows knitted in worry.
The twins hardly blamed Apollo for his frenzied worry over his own soulmate; the god of discord had been against him too when the god of the sun had requested his divinity as well. By Tartarus, they wanted to go to Earth and check on their own soulmate to make sure Lukki hadn't tried anything with Isidore.
The prophet, forever young and effeminate, bit his lip. "Well … I …" he trailed off, glancing at Lukki.
As all of the room had their eyes on Apollo and his lover, only Branchus saw the look that promised pain if he said anything contradicting Lukki.
"I … did perform a prophetic dream for him, though only because Lukki insisted on his terrible feelings about this Isidore," he stammered. "And … he had reason to be worried."
Apollo stiffened, as did the twins. "What did you see, darling?" he asked, guiding the prophet toward the center of the room to be heard clearly.
The small immortal looked even more fragile next to his divine lover, and he swallowed thickly before addressing the room.
"In my dream, I saw golden blood. Enough to fill two caskets of wine," he explained, hands shaking. Grimmjow's skin went pale, as did most of the other occupants of the room.
Golden blood. Only gods had golden blood. And if it could fill two casks of wine … then the god must be dead.
"There's gotta be more than just that. Whose blood is it?" Panthera snapped, unable to hold back any longer.
Branchus shrunk back, hiding behind his lover. "I … I don't know! I only saw the blood and your own soulmate's face covered in black tears!" he insisted.
Shock and fear rose in the courts again. Grimmjow and Panthera felt their heart twist painfully. Black tears meant the loss of someone close. If this vision was true, then Isidore was in grave danger.
Waldromett clapped again. "ENOUGH. I've had it with this charade of a trial!" he roared, glaring at Lukki and Branchus. "I will acknowledge your complaint today, Lukki, but I refuse to accept this prophecy from someone who might have been coerced into revealing it. I want to hear what Iamus has to say."
Apollo scowled. "Are you saying my Branchus would dare come here and lie, not only to you, but to ME?!" he accused. "If my beloved said such a thing will happen, then it shall happen. He does not fail to give accurate readings, just as well as Iamus!"
"Apollo!" Sunnera snapped. "We do things properly, regardless of your feelings for your own soulmate!"
"Hmm … but my Lady, you just defended the soulmate who is on trial today … and admitted he was a devotee of yours. Can we truly expect fairness from someone who sung his praises earlier?" Lukki cooed.
Amara, who had been left gaping in shock for most of the commotion, cleared her throat and glared. "Lukki, you're hardly one to talk! You burst in here every time with the intention of preventing soulmates from becoming immortal every single time. How can we expect you to be anything but unfair yourself?"
Panthera could have kissed Amara for her surprisingly clear headedness were he not so worried for Isidore.
Lukki scowled but had no rebuttal. Waldromett groaned and addressed the court.
"That's it! I'm taking things into my own hands! We will hear from Iamus to confirm if this prophecy is indeed genuine. However," he paused, staring at the twins. "I want the mortal in question to be here for this part."
"The fuck he will be!" Panthera snarled, his eyes turning black and the atmosphere around him darkening. Grimmjow shook his head.
"Isidore is a kindhearted mortal who is greatly intimidated by you and the other gods in this room! There's no logical reason to bring him here besides overwhelm him!" Grimmjow argued.
"Grimmjow! Panthera! Clearly, this case has not turned out as simply as we all expected," The god of thunder stubbornly said. "We need to get to the bottom of this immediately. I want to see this mortal who has been deemed a threat for myself. Bring Isidore here, or I shall kill him to prevent any such future, however small a chance, from happening!"
With so many eyes on them, the twins could do nothing but grit their teeth and accept the demand, despite holding seniority over the king of the gods. With a heavy heart, the two slipped out of the heavens to appear before Isidore, who was passing the time grooming Anatoli and Herms.
"You're here! How did it go?" he asked, leaping to his feet with a smile. His good mood and hopes faded away as he took in their grim expressions. "What … what's wrong?" he asked, his heart skipping a beat.
Panthera looked away, unable to bring himself to speak. Grimmjow sighed heavily as he looked at his soulmate with concern.
"There's an issue that needs to be addressed, and we have no choice but to bring you to the trial. Right now," he said softly.
Isidore froze, his heart hammering in his chest. "But … but you said …"
"I know, love, but Zeus himself demanded your presence, and we have to abide. Please, just be yourself and answer everything honestly." Grimmjow said, offering his hand. Swallowing thickly, Isidore took both their hands, putting his faith in his lovers.
The three of them returned to the citadel, where no one else has moved. Isidore shrunk, unable to stand tall seeing so many powerful beings staring at him, some with suspicion and others with pity. A deep voice cleared its throat and Isidore locked eyes with the king of the gods himself.
"Welcome to the heavens, Isidore Karousakis," Zeus said with no warmth, his eyes cold as steel. "I apologize for the lack of warm greetings, but I have some questions for you. Answer wisely, for if I deem you unworthy or dishonest, your life shall end today."
AN: Don't worry, the next chapter will be out soon. Please be patient with me as you have so far. Thank you all.
Apollo = Robert Accutrone. I originally chose Uryu Ishida, but his appearance doesn't fit. His lover, Branchus, is based off Hanataro.
*Check out the real myth of Apollo and Branchus' love, it's actually really sweet.
Zeus/Waldromett = Yamamoto
Euriadittes = Ran Tao
Moiriya = Nanao Ise
Ciao~!