Chapter Three: Jackass Bosses and Forming Plans
Grimmjow sat rigidly in the plush seat across from his boss. The lithe, yet muscled man that sat before him was currently looking through his latest sketches. Sosuke Aizen, the man Grimmjow hated more than anyone else in the world. Brown hair slicked back on his head, piercing and cold dark brown eyes, a cruel smile that often played on his lips. The egotistical man infuriated Grimmjow to the maximum capacity.
Aizen was now sporting his often discarded glasses as he looked through the sketches. His face was neutralized as he flicked through the sketches. While his face betrayed none of his thoughts, Grimmjow already knew the first thing the man would say and prepared himself for hearing it once again. Aizen set down the sketches and looked at Grimmjow over the frames of his glasses. “Grimmjow, these drawings”, he began and Grimmjow closed his eyes, “Are absolutely and utterly horrible. These color schemes are all wrong, and the designs are despicable.”
Grimmjow bowed his head, teeth gritted as he nodded without a word. He wasn’t going to say anything, lest he start cussing the man out. He always made nasty remarks about his sketches, so it was nothing new. He’d never please the man, so he wondered why he even bothered trying anymore. A new voice pulled him out of his reverie, causing his head to rise slightly.
“Aw, c’mon Sosuke, dun’ be s’ ‘ard on ‘im”, a lazy voice drawled casually from the side of the office. In the window sill, another man was perched, contentedly watching the streets below. He was more formally known as Gin, Aizen’s husband. He directed his gaze away from the window long enough to look over at Aizen. His short silver hair reflected in the sun light, eyes closed as usual. The constant smile on his face was also present, adding to the curiousness of his look. His clean pressed white clothing russled as he got up and leisurely made his way over to his husband. “Th’ boy ‘as a natural affinity fer art”, the man said softly as he leaned against the arm rest of Aizen’s chair, “An’ ‘is sketches are good. Ya’ know they are. Better than some o’ Ulquiorra’s, I dare say... An’ Halibel’s... She likes these sketches, ya’ know. Always compliments ‘em. S’ cut th’ poor guy some slack. Let ‘im fix what ya’ dun like.”
Grimmjow blinked in surprise at the silver haired man’s defense. Gin... liked his drawings? He hadn’t expected that. He thought the man despised his drawings like Aizen did. He was apparently proven wrong though. A sense of respect for the silver haired man rushed through the blonde momentarily.
Aizen frowned at Gin’s intrusion into the conversation. While what he said was partially true, Aizen dared not admit that. He took joy in beating down probably one of the best employees he had. In his eyes, it was a game to see how long it would be before the blonde would snap and go off on him, which he figured would not be very long now. He gave a soft sigh, amending to Gin’s statement with the slightest bit of annoyance. Just when he was starting to have fun with the blonde. “Alright, fine”, he said with a heavy sigh, “Redo the sketches and have them to me by midnight tonight. No later, or you’re fired. Dismissed.” Grimmjow nodded slightly and stood up, taking all of his sketches with him and leaving quickly. Aizen turned to look at Gin once the blonde had left. “Odd that you defended him”, he commented, “Why now, of all times?”
“Couldn’t ya’ tell by ’is posture”, Gin asked idly, standing up straight with his normal smile in place, only now with mischief in it, “’E was gonna’ hit ya’ if ya’ said anymore. ‘E really doesn’t like ya’, ya’ know. I can see why, though. Yer always so hard on ‘im, Sosuke. He’s good, an’ ya’ know it, so why torture ‘im s’ much?” His head tilted to the side with curiosity. Aizen had never taken this much of an interest in any of his workers or their talent. Ulquiorra, he knew, was only around because he was a good ******** and had decent drawing skills and would follow Aizen’s every whim and order. Grimmjow on the other hand was the exact opposite; he had beautiful drawings but defied Aizen in every way possible.
A smile slowly spread across Aizen’s face as he sat facing the doorway in which the blond had left. “He’s very intriguing”, he commented nonchalantly with a shrug of his shoulders, “He is so defiant and untamed... It’s so easy to push buttons that will drive him crazy... I wish to see how many I can push and him still remain calm... Today I was pushing them extra hard, trying to see if he’d break for me... Still, that strong will refuses to budge... It makes me wonder how he manages to defy me.”
Gin listened as the brown haired man spoke with a spark of ill contempt and mischief in his tone. His lips turned up even further, smile turning cold and cruel. Oh how Sosuke loved to mess with people. He should have known what he was doing. He did it to almost all of his employees. “You want to see if you can bend him and shape him to be one of your best”, Gin clarified with that cold, permanent smile, dropping his accented speaking in favor of speaking normally, “To make him one of the true members of this company... Where he can never leave, so long as he lives?...”
“Exactly”, Aizen said with a malice filled smile of his own. He pushed his leather chair away from his beautiful oak wood desk in his large expanse of an office. He stood up and walked to the very back wall, looking up at the wall that was bare of anything except something that looked like a thumbtack stuck in the wall. Aizen removed the thumbtack and a door in the wall slid open as if by command. Aizen walked through the short hallway, Gin in tow directly behind him. He walked out into a large room that was hidden amongst the walls where no one could find it. In the center was a large alter type thing, ornate designs flowing along the sides and on the floor. Crystals lined the floors in a circle like pattern, crystals varying in sizes. In the center of the witch craft like equipment, there sat a small purple orb in a small glass box. Aizen smiled as he stepped closer. “For him to become one of our own, we would be unstoppable”, he said with a dark smile.
“Your mind is made up”, Gin commented with a smirk, tipping his head to the side as he joined Aizen’s side, “And I know you’ll stop at nothing to attain what you want... But I wonder... What if the cat gets to him before he can die?” The man stared at the purple orb along with his husband, almost being mesmerized by its luster. The purple orb shimmered under the low lighting, giving off a nefarious, menacing gleam. The orb radiated pure sinister power and that was what corrupted most of its wielders.
“That cat hasn’t been seen in one hundred years”, Aizen said in a careless tone with a wave of his hand, brushing the topic aside, “She won’t show her face now... But then again... so many are in the company and dying now, she might make a comeback... We’ll need to keep an eye out for her... Start looking out, see if anyone has seen her...” He looked over at the silver haired man with a serious gleam in his eyes. “I don’t want my plans compromised because of that cat.” He turned back to the orb, staring at it with a fondness, stroking the case surrounding it almost lovingly.
Gin nodded slowly and turned to leave the room. “Juss’ be careful, Sosuke”, he said with a partying wave as he stepped out of the secret room, “Ya’ never know who’s already been touched by th’ cat... Need t’ keep an eye out fer ‘em.” With that, he left the small room hidden in the walls with only his husband inside.
Aizen gave one parting glance at Gin and then turned to stare at the sphere locked away inside its glass case. The purple sheen of glittery light reflected in his smoldering eyes. “Soon, my dear Hogyouku, we’ll drain away everyone of their life force and we will be all powerful”, he said, stroking the glass fondly once again, “Soon, dear Hogyoku. Soon.”
