(Attendances… plz…)
….
Beatrice, thoroughly teased and completely unable to harm him, let out an indignant "Hmph!" and floated back down to her stool.
She couldn't touch him, she couldn't make him leave, and now he was relentlessly mocking her. Defeated, she sat down and simply ignored him.
"Well, well, well," Gojo said, his voice dripping with amusement. "Is someone pouting? Are you trying to get a reaction out of me, huh?"
Betty didn't even glance at him. She just picked up her thick book and held it in front of her face like a shield, trying her best not to listen to the man she had now firmly labeled "creepy."
Gojo continued his previous tactic, reaching out and poking her gently on the forehead again and again. "Is Betty there?" he said in a singsong voice. "Is Betty there? I swear she was just here a second ago, but I can't hear her now."
Finally, Beatrice snapped. "What are you doing to Betty's forehead?!" she yelled, slapping his hand away. "Betty doesn't like some creepy man touching her! Just leave Betty alone, I suppose!"
"Oh, so you were here," Gojo said, feigning surprise. "What can I do? You went completely silent. I thought maybe you believed it would make you invisible or something."
"What are you even saying?!" Betty cried, completely exasperated. "In fact, most of the things you say don't make any sense, I suppose!"
"I should be the one asking that!" Gojo retorted playfully. "What are you doing in here all alone with all these books? I thought kids hated reading. Don't tell me it's different in this world."
"Betty is not a kid!" she insisted. "And Betty likes reading, so don't you dare say anything bad about her books! If you don't have any business here, just leave Betty alone in peace so she can read, I suppose!"
"Well, you're wrong there. And I'm kinda right," Gojo said, ticking the points off on his fingers. "If I remember correctly, spirits have their own way of aging. Which means, in those terms, you probably are a kid."
"You are… somewhat right, I suppose," Beatrice admitted reluctantly. "But Betty is still not a kid!"
"Kinda hard not to call you a kid when you look like a kid," Gojo said with a shrug. "So, how many of these books have you read?"
Not wanting to be poked in the forehead again, Beatrice answered curtly, "All of them."
For the first time since he'd entered the library, Gojo went genuinely silent for a moment. "...You're kidding, right?"
"Betty does not lie," she said with a proud sniff. "And in fact, there isn't really anything else to do."
"Damn," Gojo breathed out, genuinely impressed. "Exactly how old are you?"
"That's none of your business, I suppose!" Beatrice snapped back immediately.
"Well, well, well," Gojo said, a slow, teasing grin spreading across his face. "You really are a lady, getting so flustered over a question about your age."
"Don't spout nonsense!" she retorted, her cheeks turning a faint shade of pink. "Betty isn't flustered in the slightest! And even if she were, it's hardly the business of some meddlesome stranger to point it out! Hmph!"
Gojo leaned in with that infuriating grin of his, enjoying every second of her denial. "Ohhh, I see, I see. Classic move, deny it as fast as you can so nobody notices. But it's too late, I already did. You're practically glowing red right now. Cute."
Beatrice didn't reply. She'd learned that every time she spoke, he just found a new way to make things worse.
Seeing that he'd pushed her far enough, Gojo changed the subject. "Well then," he said, his tone becoming a little more serious. "Would you kindly teach me some Yin magic? Explain it to me. You see, I'm quite new to this whole 'magic' thing."
Beatrice saw her opening. She finally had the upper hand. "And why would Betty do something as meaningless as teaching you, I suppose?" she asked, a smug little smile on her face. "Though… it wouldn't be out of the question, if the creepy man with the creepy smile were to apologize to Betty one hundred times."
Gojo recoiled dramatically. "Can you drop the 'creepy man' and 'creepy smile' bit? You're ruining my image," he complained. "And really? A hundred times? I thought cute spirits didn't hold grudges or something."
"Betty doesn't know where you heard that type of nonsense," she replied, looking very pleased with herself.
Gojo let out a long, theatrical sigh. "Okay, okay. No more teasing the cute Betty," he said, raising his hands in surrender. "As much as Gojo wants to, he will do what Betty wants. Not because he wants to learn Yin magic, but because she said so."
Beatrice crossed her arms, unimpressed. "Betty, in fact, didn't hear a single 'sorry' in that sentence. Maybe your ears are full of trash, I suppose."
Gojo's shoulders slumped. He had definitely tangled himself in a mess this time. His own playful behavior had led him to this: having to say sorry, not just once, but one hundred times to a tiny spirit who was clearly enjoying every second of it.
He took a deep breath. "Sorrysorrysorrysorrysorrysorrysorry..."
….
...After what felt like an eternity, Gojo finally finished. "...sorry." He stood up straight, his expression one of complete exhaustion. "I suppose that's enough 'sorry's. I haven't said that many in my entire life. You should feel honored. So, when can we start?"
Beatrice looked at him, a smug, triumphant little smile on her face. "Betty will think about it."
Gojo's jaw dropped. "What is there to think about?! You said you'd teach me if I apologized one hundred times!"
"Hmph," Betty said, as if explaining something incredibly obvious to a very slow child. "Betty doesn't know what the man in front of her is talking about. Betty clearly said it wouldn't be out of the question. Betty didn't agree to anything."
"That… that's an underhanded thing to do to an honest man!" Gojo exclaimed, feeling like a kid who'd just been scammed out of his candy.
"Betty doesn't see an honest man here," she said, now fully in control of the conversation. "It would be good if the man leaves Betty alone. Then, maybe, Betty will decide to teach him something."
Gojo stared at her, completely defeated. "Huh," he said, letting out a final, defeated breath. "I surrender. I didn't think I'd find such a worthy opponent in a place like a library." He turned towards the door, his shoulders slumped in a parody of a beaten warrior. "I will withdraw for today. But don't think for a second that I lost. I'll be back, and I'll win next time."
As he walked out, he called back over his shoulder, "Well, Gojo is going now! Gojo will come back for a rematch against Betty... and next time, he won't leave until the cute Betty agrees!"
"Betty thinks the nuisance is finally leaving her in peace," she said to herself as the door began to close.
But before it could shut, Gojo's head popped back in. "Gojo thinks Betty is thinking absolute nonsense!" he declared, and then he was gone, shutting the door before she could get in a final, witty retort.
Left alone in the silence of her library, Beatrice stared at the closed door. A tiny, almost unnoticeable smile touched her lips.
"...Betty didn't mind the creepy man that much... I suppose," she whispered to the empty room.
….
A/N: so, i think i did a good job in the teasing and gojo losing. How do u think gojo would respond if betty just casually ask gojo "are you that person?" For me first he will ask why, and when he get to know the reason in his mind it will be that is some bullshit makeup excuse.
Though he could deny that he isn one, he will say yes to end her suffering of linliness knowing how she is alone for 4 centuries. He was impressed she didn't just went a villain route till yet and still is waiting.
So what i'm thinking is betty ask him this before they leave to the capital after village or during the village like him asking if betty wants to go the village and all. And then gojo also learning shadow magic and enhancing his already broken abilities with magic.
Just to be clear not romantically or anything but in a contract and so he can free her.(had to write this here as some readers already misunderstood what i said.)
Q: Should i do that?!
-yes
-no
-leave betty for subaru…
&
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