#i'm getting too old for bs

[danykindaforgotaboutdre]

Things that will automatically make me lose interest in a Teen Titans movie

Starfire not being played by a Black actress (honestly I don't even want a light skinned Black actress unless it's Yasmin Finney)

Robin being anyone other than Dick

Robin and Starfire not being love interests, because we all know that if they aren't together then they'll just try to shoehorn B*bs in there like the freaks they are. Nothing against her but I can't stand her being in Titans stuff, it's unnecessary every time. Dick and Roy are the only normies allowed and that's final.

I don't even read the comic books anymore because of that kind of nonsense you really think I'm going to shell out actual money to basically be punched in the face by Warner Bros? Puleese.

[littlefankingdom]

Bruce telling Dick that he will not stop until the mission is over in The Batman 2004 reminds me of how, in the Batman comics (2016), Bruce fears letting the mission to his kids because he is afraid it will kill them.

It makes him sound obsessed with the mission, but the reality is, it's about his family, his kids. The mission is a burden, and he doesn't want his kids to inherit that. And how is he supposed to stop if he knows that his kids are putting themselves in danger every night because he failed? Because the mission isn't over? He cannot have that.

[rmbunnie]

I like Batman. I like Batman as a character. I like Bruce Wayne. But it is very unserious when people act like Jason Todd, or maybe Damian, the robins as a whole, or any one writer, or any specific story arc, is singlehandedly corrupting Bruce’s character into an severe and inflexible colleague and distant, emotionally-unavailable father. Because even if he hadn't consistently been a questionable, loving yet unhealthy AT BEST father figure in the majority of his appearances since the early 80s (and I do mean to Dick, to Cass (actually shaping her into his image in Batgirl 2000 at the cost of her social development and autonomy ISNT good,) a BAD mentor to Steph, not even getting into Helena, like truly it’s not all about Jason?) The first well-written book that comes to mind where his morality is at its worst imo? That’s Wonder Woman: Hiketeia. No robins, no batfamily, just Bruce putting aside Wonder Woman’s input and the context of the situation and chasing down a girl who killed the men responsible for trafficking, assaulting, and killing her baby sister, to the point where it ends with her jumping off a cliff.

And the thing is I still like reading him in Hiketeia, because he fills the role he needs to fill in that story well, his actions align with his wordview even if it’s taken to the extreme in an uncharitable way, and he keeps my attention. I just think it’s goofy how some of us on here look at the guy who’s big character trait is being a hard-to-know, stubborn, and condescending control freak who puts other people's emotions on the wayside in favor of his mission prolifically, and go “all he did was LOVE TOO MUCH! His mean kids and associates and teammates are PUNISHING HIM for LOVING with his BIG BIG HEART and it’s tainting the narrative!” And you could say “well Hiketeia doesn't count, Greg Rucka is just a hater!” (though I certainly wouldn’t.) But when the issue is Damian entertaining the idea of leaving the family business, and before that it’s Red Hood stepping on toes, and then, wait, before that it’s Green Arrow and Wonder Woman, and then Huntress, and then oh wait we can’t think about the weird patch with Nightwing where their relationship was super rocky, and then Jason but before he died, and of course the Green Lanterns are basically treated like punching bags for him to do something awesome then- Like maybe if it’s a consistent pattern spanning what, 20, 30 years now? The issue isn’t Damian or Red Hood alone, or PKJ or Greg Rucka or Judd Winick or Marv Wolfman + George Perez or even Jim Starlin being a hater, but your blorbo just having extremely well-documented character flaws?

[purplesimmer455]

Meanwhile, in the main universe:

Cara Mulawin walks out of the bathroom at the Stargazer lounge, and puts her long hair into a bun. She catches a glimpse of someone in yellow, and grins. "Gracie!" She calls out, and her best friend (and crush) Grace Siddiqui turns to look at her. She's stunningly beautiful in a flowy off the shoulder yellow dress and simple jewelry. Cara's heart races as Grace’s face turns from sad to lit up at the sight of her.

Grace walks over to Cara, grinning as she eyes her fancy orange cocktail dress. "Hey Car, you look gorgeous. What's the occasion?" She asks teasingly, and Cara snorts. "I could ask you the same thing Ace. I was at a work event." She says. "I was at one of my coworker's wedding, he's super rich so he and his groom went all out." Grace’s smile falters and Cara reaches over to squeeze her hand. "When they had the first dance, I couldn't-I had to leave. I told one of our mutual friends to let him know that I wasn't feeling well and was sorry to go but had to and I came up here to get some new perspective and fresh air." Grace says half jokingly but her voice shakes, and Cara nods.

Grace takes a deep breath. "I'm sorry about you and Is, I know you loved her." Cara says gently. Grace nods, biting her lip. "Me too, I wanted to make it work but we were getting so distant and we weren't ready to get married. Plus, I think Iseul still loves Megan and I couldn't marry someone who I'm a second choice for." Grace says, her voice a little stronger. "I understand, Gracie. It wouldn't have been right if you married her while ignoring everything going on." She says and Grace nods.

They go and sit by the bubble blowers, and Grace smiles sadly "You know what the worst part is? The disappointment when I told my family that the wedding is off. They wanted this for me so badly, and my mum's family in Pakistan is asking why I'm not getting married* because Iseul seemed so perfect and we could've worked through it, and I feel so stupid and embarrassed." Grace says and Cara reaches over to put her hand on Grace’s. "You are not stupid, you made the right choice for yourself. What if you did go through with it to save face and you and Iseul were both unhappy? You can't do things to make someone else happy, and your family will understand." She says and Grace smile. "How are you so wise, Car?" She asks, wiping away a stray tear. "Experience, plus my dads say I'm an old soul." Cara says lightly, smiling as Grace snorts.

"Anyway, for today I just want to forget everything." Grace says, reaching for the nozzle of the bubble blower. "Ace, you sure? It's really intense." Cara says cautiously. "I just want to let loose for a bit." Grace says, and Cara grins at the mischievous glint in her eye. It hasn't been there for a while, and Cara is glad to see it again. "Okay, just be careful-" She says just as Grace inhales too much solution and coughs up bubbles. "Don't even say it, Car." she says as Cara gives her a playful grin and one more bubble comes out, causing both of them to double over with laughter.

[crow-caller]

good angel turns 7 goddamn years old on the 22nd I'm going to lose my head. did you know bad end is 6.5 years old. Did you know Angel radio is 8.5. Did you know I'm 27. did you know time continues ceaselessly forward and so do i

[youredyingthatsallthereis]

simon the harrowed watching simon riley degrade further into insanity and when hunter gary sanderson shows up in the nightmare he warns him to watch out for a skull masked hunter annihilating anyone who gets near him with a beasthunter saif

warnings of “in another lifetime maybe he could have been your ally…but i doubt someone as far gone as he is can be reasoned with anymore” doesn’t stop sanderson from trying; he didn’t get the nickname roach for giving up easily

even as riley tries to obliterate him with the deadly precision of a practiced hunter coupled with the unhinged blood lust of a hunter intoxicated by the hunt sanderson keeps fighting back until he has riley flat on his back, his threaded cane pressed down tight on riley's throat to keep him still, looking into the covered eyes of the unhinged man that he knows can still see him, quietly reminding him of the hunt he abandoned before he gave in to his clear grief and agony; telling him they can take on ludwig together, take the research hall and the astral clocktower together, free the poor wizened child from his suffering together, if only riley would come back to himself, remember who he is and his purpose as a hunter; they could transcend the hunt together, gain true insight together, if only riley would remember who he was and could still be

[pinkponyluv]

kind of weird how attatched I am to the immigrant mentality considering im not an immigrant

[luv-again]

okay no but i am getting soooo petty abt one of my classmates. they're now in both of my groups for both parts of my course and i lowkey get annoyed when i receive feedback from them ?? like,, ik it's not that deep constructive criticism is the requirement (and i can take that, whatever, i have to dish it out myself too) but i sometimes get annoyed abt how they come across ? ofc i can't rly tell them abt it and i have a good understanding on why they come across that way, so i don't want to fuss bc ik it's probably not their intention-

i think i just don't vibe with them. i was okay with it when they were only in one of my groups but them being in two is now irking me. it shouldn't, but it is

[shadowkira]

I remember before the election I had a conversation with my mother about the election... and she said "why are we talking about Elon Musk when we were talking about Trump?"

Me every day since January 1st:

[ladykeane]

I have learned to bite my tongue sfm online, but here comes something I can't keep to myself anymore

I really LOVE the following aristotlean mindfuck of a take on queer ships:

you ship characters x & y romantically

characters x & y are both gay men/lesbians/bi or pan/[insert compatible allo identities here]

therefore you're saying that NO romantically/sexually compatible queer ppl can just have a loving platonic friendship! WHY ARE YOU TRYING TO DESTROY ALL QUEER FRIENDSHIP UGKHGKGJHYFDUKFU

like dude what are you talking about, can i just be left in peace to make my blorbo dolls kiss please

[cuntwrap--supreme]

What is it about me that makes old white men think I'm a conservative? I need to know so I can change that.

[niofo]

thinking about that post abt wynne's age still. i certainly appreciate that we just casually have characters in their 40s in dai, like vivienne or blackwall, and no one's making a big deal of it, but i feel like there's even bigger missed opportunity with the advisors, yk.

like it was already said many times why cullen as the commander makes no sense and he has 0 required skillset, but imagine if we actually got some retired military commander in his place. like imagine a ferelden general who fought alongside loghain and maric, maybe was a bit older than they were then (bcos they were really young), so by the point of the 5th blight she already retired, she's no longer a powerful fighter, maybe even gathered some disabilities during her military career, but she still knows a lot of shit of how to command armies just fine, she doesn't have to swing her sword to do so. imagine how cool it would be, just this retired general and veteran advising on our military movements. maybe she'd have some unique dialogue lines if loghain is the warden in this worldstate. and instead of being bigoted towards the mages her character arc is about messing with orlesians and we can either endorse it or side with josie that come on, we can't be mean to those envoys even tho they're orlesian, it's not their fault.

[mary-laib]

I was just going to block you because I don't want to interact with what looks like obvious rage bait, but actually, I have time.

Also, read the whole post before you go all keyboard warrior on me because I'm pretty certain you didn't read anything past the first paragraph of my og reblog.

Starting off strong:

I think it's pretty obvious that my choice in saying "we have the worst and most numerous disasters" is an exaggerative stylistic choice. Obviously America doesn't have the worst of everything. I know the US doesn't have the worst of all types of weather in the world. I kind of assumed that was common sense. It was a stylistic point used to grab people's attention.

But even ignoring that, THATS NOT WHAT THE POST IS ABOUT! It's not even about the US of A you seem so obsessed with. It's about how the native peoples of America, Canada, AND Latin America dealt with these disasters and even minor weather long before colonizers appeared. My reblog isn't even necessarily a direct reply to your assessment of the weather. I was just spinning off of your topic to reply to a comment on the post (that I didn't @ that's my bad) who was actually asking about the topic. Not everything is about you.

Idk if you just didn't read the whole thing or if you just ignored it because you wanted to start an argument for no reason, but how extreme the weather is is not the point of the reblog I made AT ALL. It's about how native people dealt with it historically.

But pretty classic move of you to just ignore the native people who came before you so you can forward your own political agenda.

Second point:

I hate to be the one to break it to you, but Trump isn't in the room with us. You don't have to bring him into every conversation you have. This is a safe space. We didn't invite Trump to the gc, so there's no reason to invite him in here with us. (Though I do have to admit, that was a pretty funny comparison, you got me there lol)

Third point:

You sound like your British ancestors. Trust, I consulted on this matter with two other people who made the same assumption.

There’s a tornado warning out (two, technically), so of course I went for a walk outside to see if I could spot it.  Never have I seen so many of my neighbors at one time, when there wasn’t a firework show or a picnic.

[the-cimmerians]

It's 2024. I have been participating in fandom for 40 years. This is a ramble commemorating some history I've experienced along the way.

In 1984, I attended my first convention, and made a beeline for the one long row of covered tables in the Dealer's Room that was, according to the whispered lore of my friends, 'the one'. "um", I said, very suavely and coherently, except for how it was totally the opposite of those things, "I'm here for the... for the, uh. For-"

"Come around here," the man behind the table said with exhausted ennui, so I went around, and he lifted up the table skirt next to him and pointed to rows and rows of boxes underneath the line of tables. "It's all under here."

It was all under there. Along with about five older ladies with glasses, graying hair, cardigans. Flipping through slash zines and chatting in whispered voices like old friends (which of course they were). I noticed one of them had the good sense to be wearing kneepads. I was still too young and ablebodied to need kneepads when crawling on a carpeted floor, but I immediately found her preparedness skills to be both impressive and hot. "You're new," one of the ladies whispered to me--a bit warily, which made sense. "Are you sure you're in the right place?"

In the faint light (the kneepads lady had also come prepared with a flashlight, additional practicality hotness points for her) I grabbed a comb-bound book with a heavy line art piece on the cover, featuring a musclebound Captain Kirk getting righteously and enthusiastically plowed by a stern-yet-ebullient Spock. "This," I said, pointing helpfully at the cover, like I was trying to make myself understood in a language I had only the vaguest knowledge of. "I'm here for this."

Outside at the convention, most of the attendees were wearing large homemade circular pins that shrieked 'K/S is BS!!!'1. But underneath the table, we reveled in the forbidden.

***

In 1985, I fell very hard for Starsky & Hutch fandom. Which was simply referred to at the time as 'the other fandom', because there were only two. We were upstarts. Many fannish elders predicted that it was just a phase.

***

The 'circulating library' was a massive stack of barely-legible pages that smelled strongly of mimeograph ink. When you were on the list, you would write stories while you waited for your turn, and when the big box was mailed to you, you would read everything (new finds, old favorites), add your own sloppily-typed or hastily-mimeographed stories, and then mail the whole thing to the next person. For me, at the time, it was an extremely expensive indulgence--but my favorite one.

***

By 1990, slash fandom had grown enough that I no longer knew everyone in it, which was both thrilling and a bit daunting. A young woman at a convention waited for me after a panel I was part of (I think it was 'writing impactful smut' or something like that), and said she had a question she didn't want to ask in a group setting. I'd heard that before. I said that's fine, go ahead and ask; and she came out with: "Why do you have to be gay?"

I blinked. "Is... that a problem?"

She looked annoyed. "Yes, because your stories are on all the recommendation lists and in all the top zines, but if you're gay and I read something you wrote and I get hot from it that makes me gay, and I'm not gay."

"Wow." I grinned, I couldn't help it. It probably made me look very predatory-dyke-about-to-score-a-toaster. Whatever, it was enough to make her back away from me fast.

When I thought about it later that night, I wondered what it would be like not to be the only queer person in slash fandom.

***

By 1997, slash started appearing on the internet. Many fannish elders claimed it was the death knell of slash fandom, or dismissed it as 'just a phase'.

***

Anyway, I wrote all this for myself as a commemoration of sorts, but if you took the time to read it--thank you. Love you, fandom. I always will.

1 In those days, m/m fandom was known as 'slash', which grew from the fannish shorthand where 'K&S' meant a story of Kirk and Spock having adventures or tribulations or what have you, and 'K/S' meant a story of Kirk and Spock getting it on (Kirk divided by Spock or Spock into Kirk--it was mathy fannish humor and I was into it then and I still am now). Slash was decidedly unpopular in the fannish world in 1984, and there was a concerted effort to force slash authors, artists, and fans out of 'mainstream' fannish public life. Hence, under the table.

[starconchs]

𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐑𝐎𝐀𝐃 𝐓𝐎 𝐅𝐀𝐋𝐋𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐈𝐍 𝐋𝐎𝐕𝐄

pairing: gojo satoru x f!reader summary: a collection of moment where gojo finds himself falling harder and harder for you. genre: fluff, strangers to lovers, idiots in love i think notes: technically a prequel to "the lesser of two (presumed) evils" but can be read as a standalone, spoilers for jjk manga + anime, the exchange event scene is complete bs idk wtf happens but bear with me pls wc: ~4.8k

Gojo Satoru is sixteen years old when he first meets you.

You're half hidden behind Haibara, walking next to Nanami and nodding sagely as you listen to him speak. There's a smug grin on Gojo's face as he approaches the three of you, thinking about how impressed his underclassmen will be when they learn about the special grade curse he just took care of.

He's lost in thought— thinking about the best vocabulary to use in order to finally, finally, gain Nanami's respect— when Haibara finally moves out of his line of sight. He watches as Haibara turns to face you and Nanami, walking backwards as he finally participates in your conversation.

There's a brief second during which Gojo thinks the world pauses, his mouth going dry and brain going blank when he gets a good look at you. Haibara's sudden movement has left you entirely exposed, and Gojo tries his hardest to ignore the way his heart stutters when he sees you're smile.

"Ah, Nanami! I'm back!"

He bites back a laugh when he sees Nanami stiffen, robotically looking over at him and giving him a pained look before sending a nod his way. He doesn't hesitate before throwing an arm around his shoulders, swaying back and forth as he hold his underclassman close.

"You'll never believe how ginormous the curse I was assigned to exorcise was!" Gojo exclaims, wincing as Nanami elbows him in an attempt to push him away. He tightens his hold.

"Get away from me," Nanami grumbles, an embarrassed expression on his face as he gives up and crosses his arms.

"I will, I promise. But first," Gojo pauses, tilting his head down to look your way with his bright, blue eyes. "Who's this? It's rude to not introduce people, y'know?"

Nanami rolls his eyes before muttering your name, sighing in relief when Gojo lets him go in order to approach you. He makes sure to give Haibara a nod before coming to a stop in front of you and repeating your last name.

"I've heard of your clan," Gojo says, one hand in his pocket as he extends the other towards you. "Your cursed technique is powerful when you truly have a handle on it, or so I've heard. I'm Gojo Satoru."

He can see the slight hesitance in your eye, the uncertainness of meeting someone new visible even as you look away from him to glance at Nanami and Haibara. He decides he likes your attitude when you square your shoulders and shake his hand firmly, all traces of nervousness gone as you hold your head up high and meet his gaze.

"It's a pleasure," you say in response. "I've heard great things about your clan."

You speak your words so casually that Gojo is half tempted to ask if you truly know who he is; if you know just how powerful he and his clan are. But he hesitates when he sees the small smile on your face, and he realizes that you do know. You know exactly how important his name is and here you are, doing your best to have a normal conversation with him.

He thinks you're kind, and he's unsure if there is room for kindness in the world of jujutsu sorcery.

"So, how does your cursed technique work?"

The words tumble out of his mouth before he can stop himself, and he takes note of the way your fingers brush against his as you let go of his hand. A flash of surprise crosses your face before you realize that Gojo is genuinely asking, and your eyes light up as you start to explain, hand waving around for emphasis as you talk about the finer details of your technique.

Gojo only catches half the words you say, too distracted by the way your lips move to form words and the way your nose scrunches when you try to think about a good metaphor for what you can do to fully pay attention.

In fact, he's so distracted that he doesn't seem to notice that you don't stop talking, not even to catch your breath. You're so rattled by Gojo's sheer presence— his pretty eyes, his bright smile, and his ruffled hair— that you keep on rambling, using your hands as you speak in an attempt to prevent the others from noticing how they shake with nerves.

It isn't until you shoot a panicked look at Nanami that he intervenes, grabbing you by the collar of your uniform and dragging you away from Gojo as he scowls.

"I hate to cut this enlightening conversation short," he begins, disdain clear on his face as he gives you a look. "But we have a mission to get to. You two can keep talking later."

There's barely a goodbye said before you're on your way again, leaving Gojo standing in the middle of the path as you resume your conversation with Nanami and Haibara.

It isn't until the three of you have left the school grounds that Nanami side-eyes you, huffing out the faintest of laughs when you refuse to meet his gaze.

"Gojo? Really?" he asks, rolling his eyes as you shake your head at his words.

"I don't know what you mean," you proclaim, still avoiding his eyes as you keep walking.

"Sure you don't," Nanami says, feeling slightly nauseous due to how much he's thinking about Gojo. "And you two definitely weren't giving each other heart eyes back there."

"We were not!" you yell, slapping his shoulder a few times to cover up your embarrassment.

"Ow! Okay, you weren't!" Nanami concedes, grabbing your hand and pushing you away softly in order to get you to stop. "The two of you were having a really normal, really casual conversation. That's all."

He almost smiles when he sees the scathing look on your face, instead choosing to keep looking straight ahead as you reach the train station.

The silence only lasts a few seconds before Haibara speaks up.

"I don't know, I think the two of you would look good together!"

A defeated sigh escapes Nanami's lips as Gojo slides into the seat across from him, a huge grin on his face as he swipes Nanami's croissant off of his plate.

"Gojo," Nanami greets dryly, lips pursed as he watches his upperclassman. There's a moment of silence as Gojo bites into the pastry, eyes lighting up in delight as he sets it back down before lacing his fingers together.

"A dark chocolate croissant?" he asks, studying the younger boy from behind his sunglasses. "I didn't take you for the type to like sweets."

"I don't," Nanami sighs, a smug look on his face as Gojo takes another bite. "That's not for me."

Gojo freezes when he sees you walk in, watching as your eyes crinkling when you smile at Nanami. He observes you quietly, mouth slightly agape, as you ruffle Nanami's hair. The blond shoots you an annoyed look, scooting deeper into the booth when you slide in next to him.

"Gojo, hi!" you greet, your smile falling when you see the half-eaten pastry in his hand. "Was that my croissant?"

"No!"

"Yes."

Gojo sends Nanami a glare, lips twisting into a frown when he sees the smug look on Nanami's face intensify. His frown drops however, as he takes the opportunity to send you a charming grin, leaning in close in an attempt to grab you attention.

"Let me buy you a new one," he states, grin widening when you give him a shocked look. He waits a few seconds for your response, shoulders stiffening when you shake you head.

"No, that's okay!" you reply with a grin of your own. Gojo chooses to ignore the way Nanami's lips twitch in amusement. "Nanami bought me that one because he lost a bet but I don't really mind. I'm more in the mood for a slice of chocolate cake today anyways. I'll be right back!"

Gojo watches you stride up to the counter, smiling at the cashier before purchasing your cake. There's familiarity in the way you banter with the employee, and you don't look around or hesitate before locating the napkins and utensils.

"How often do the two of you come here?" Gojo asks, his eyes never leaving your form as you wait for your order.

"Every week," Nanami says, pausing for a second before continuing. "Or after every mission."

Gojo hums in response, silence falling over the two of them once more.

"You know," Nanami begins, a rare hint of teasing in his tone. "You can look away. She won't disappear if you take your eyes off of her."

Gojo sticks his tongue out at his underclassman, crossing his arms and leaning back in his seat as he finally looks at him. Nanami meets his gaze evenly, looking almost bored as Gojo gets lost in thought.

"Let me know," Gojo eventually says, gaze now trained back on you.

"Let you know what?" Nanami asks uncertainly, nervousness settling in his stomach as he waits for a response.

"Whenever you plan on coming here. I'll join the two of you," Gojo says confidently, missing the way Nanami's face falls in disdain.

"Absolutely not," he replies, shaking his head firmly as Gojo shoots him an offended look.

"C'mon Nanami! Please?" Gojo asks, his lips in a pout in an attempt to wear him down. His pout only gets bigger when Nanami refuses, and he even lets out a slight whimper that only serves to make Nanami's eye twitch.

"I already said no," he states, almost unkindly. "I see enough of you at school, I will not have you are not crashing our class's hangouts just because you can't grow some balls and ask her out on a date."

"I don't want to ask her out on a date!" Gojo denies. The pink tint on his cheeks lets Nanami know he's lying. "I just like the croissants from here, that's all."

"Then you can come with Geto or Shoko. It's still a no."

"Fine," Gojo huffs, looking away as you rejoin the table. You pause briefly, glancing at the two boys in front of you before sliding into your seat once more.

"Where's Haibara?" you ask, digging into your cake as you look at Nanami.

"I don't know," Nanami admits, his eyebrows furrowing slightly as he glances towards the door. "Maybe I should go look for him in case he got lost again."

Gojo stands up before either of you can move, giving you a lazy grin as he shoves his hands into his pockets. "Let me. I have to get going anyways so I'll be sure to send him your way."

"Thanks, Gojo!" you say, giving him a smile. His cheeks grow slightly darker before he hurries out of sight, and Nanami can't help but watch as Gojo sends you one last look before exiting.

Nanami is surprised to see that Gojo keeps his word, and although he sees him eating sweets from the bakery occasionally, he never shows up while the three of you are there.

What does show up every time they go to the bakery is a few bills in Nanami's pocket, a little note always secured to it.

"for the dark chocolate croissants but shhh don't tell her."

The exchange event is one that almost everyone looks forward to, except the students from Kyoto who know what Gojo is capable of.

So when they hear that he'll be absent from the event this year, off on some mission of high importance, they can't help but breath out sighs of relief.

You're in your second year now, a bit more mature and grown up than you had been the previous year. The past year has changed you, hardened your view of the jujutsu world, and pushed you to become a better sorcerer. You now hold the rank of semi-grade 1 and if you're being completely honest, you don't feel all that intimidated by the competition.

You manage to catch a glimpse of Utahime, who seems to be in high spirits after learning that Gojo would be absent this year. There's a couple of other students you vaguely recognize, but you end up sticking to Nanami's side as you wait for the event to start.

It's an abnormally small competition this year, and the only ones present from Tokyo Jujutsu High are you, Nanami, and Shoko. The Kyoto school had only sent four students, and you and Nanami exchange glances as you study them from afar. You think they seem kind of weak.

Your assumptions turn out to be right, and the three of you have no trouble beating them in the team battle the first day. The second day is full of excitement and concern, with the one-on-one battles being put on hold as they try to figure out how they're going to pair the students up.

The issue is resolved when Gojo Satoru walks in, a huge smile on his face as he greets the Kyoto principal with a witty one liner. He ignores the way the older man complains, turning to Yaga and giving him a brief report on his mission.

You watch his from afar as he speaks, studying him quietly from your seat next to Nanami. You don't see Gojo that often anymore, the previous year having taken a toll on all of you after the incidents with Haibara, Geto, and Amanai Riko. Between your intensive training and Gojo's constant missions, you hadn't really had the chance to sit and speak with your upperclassman like you had a couple of times before.

"You're not subtle with your staring at all," Nanami mumbles, grabbing your attention with an elbow to your side.

"I wasn't staring," you argue petulantly. "I just haven't seen him in a while, that's all."

"Sure," is all Nanami says, watching the way your eyes drift back to Gojo. "Just admit you like him."

"Who likes who?" Shoko asks, leaning forward from her place on Nanami's other side.

"She likes Gojo," Nanami says quickly, earning a slap to the head from you. Shoko's nose scrunches in distaste before she composes herself, giving you a friendly smile.

"You could do better but you could also do much worse," she whispers to you, earning a snort from Nanami. "This is good. He'll be happy to know."

"No! He's not going to know," you hiss in response, shaking your head furiously. Shoko opens her mouth to speak, only to stop herself when Gojo himself plops down into the seat next to you.

"Ooo are we sharing secrets over here?" he asks, leaning forwards conspiratorially. Your wide eyed stare goes ignored as Yaga calls for everyone's attention, announcing that thanks to Gojo's last minute arrival, the exchange event could proceed smoothly.

The conversation comes to a stop as the pairing are announced, and the poor student who gets paired with Gojo goes pale at the news. Shoko's match is first, and she ends up losing to a third year from Kyoto who took advantage of her hand-to-hand combat skills to pin her down. Gojo's match is over before it even starts, with his opponent surrendering out of fear before the battle even starts. Nanami's match against Utahime is also over relatively quickly, with him emerging as the winner and giving you an encouraging pat on the back as you walk up to take your place.

Your opponent is one of the third years, tall with an intimidating stare. You can feel your friends' eyes on you, and you make sure to remain relaxed as you study your opponent. He lunges as soon as the battle starts, and you weave back and forth, dodging his hits as you try to think of the best way to find an opening.

Gojo watches as you dance around your opponent, drawing out the fight by exchanging blows with him as you taunt him. He thinks that saying that you're exchanging blows is too generous considering the fact that your opponent hasn't been able to land a single hit on you at all. The fight ends quickly when you decide to use your cursed technique, and he watches you smile smugly as Yaga announces the winner.

He looks to his side to see Shoko already staring at him, eyebrows raised as she tilts her head towards you.

"You're hopeless," she scoffs, brushing her hair out of her face before leaning back in her seat.

"I don't know what you're talking about," he responds smoothly, turning back to look at you. He stiffens when he sees you looking in his direction, and he sends a grin and a thumbs up your way.

"Sure you don't," Shoko says in an amused tone, watching the way Gojo's ears turn red when you send him a thumbs up back. "Just tell her you think she's cute."

Gojo gives her a scandalized look, opening his mouth to tell her exactly why that would be a bad idea before his gaze drifts back to you. He stands as he sees you walking over towards the refreshments, brushing Shoko off with a half-wave before following after you.

"Hey!" he breathes out, coming to a stop next to you and reaching out blindly for a drink.

"Gojo, hey! It's been a while," you greet in response. "Sorry I didn't say hi earlier, we were in the middle of a weird conversation."

"The secret, right?" he asks, opening the random bottle in his hand and taking a sip as he tries to ignore the way you giggle at his words.

"Anyways, you did good out there," you tease, your eyes dancing with mirth as you glance at his former opponent. "You're so strong you didn't even have to do anything."

Gojo can't help but chuckle at your words, shaking his head lightly before leaning against the table next to him. "You did great too. You've improved a lot. I heard you're semi-grade 1 now?"

"I am," you confirm, a proud smile present on your face as you nod. Gojo watches the way your hair bounces with the movement, and he resists the urge to reach out and tuck it behind your ear. "I'm hoping to make grade 1 by the beginning of my third year."

"If anyone can do it, it's you," Gojo responds, unable to stop his next words from slipping out. "You're just incredible."

He watches the way your eyes snap to him in shock, a quiet laugh leaving your lips before you look away shyly. He still thinks you're kind but now he thinks that there is room in the jujutsu world for kindness if it comes from you.

"Thanks," you mumble, looking down at your feet.

"I mean it," Gojo says, uncharacteristically gentle with his tone.

A call of your name snaps you out of your shy state, and you turn to see Utahime waving you over frantically. You turn to give Gojo an apologetic look, biting your lip briefly before speaking.

"It was nice catching up with you," you say softly. "We should do it again sometime."

Gojo mutters a goodbye as you walk away, watching as you launch yourself at Utahime when you're close enough for her to catch you. He watches as you toss your head back at something Utahime says, your laughter ringing out across the field before you link arms with her and walk away.

"As I said," Shoko says, sidling up to Gojo as she places a cigarette between her lips. She glances at you before taking in Gojo's almost-lovesick expression, digging her elbow into his side in an attempt to break his stare. "Hopeless."

He makes sure to congratulate you on your promotion at the beginning of your third year.

He doesn't see you after you graduate from Tokyo Jujutsu High.

There's a rumor going around, that you've gone abroad to help in other countries and he finds himself wondering if it's true. He can't bring himself to reach out to Nanami and ask.

He finds himself frequenting the cafe you used to visit with Nanami and Haibara, ordering a dark chocolate croissant and a hot chocolate for himself as he takes a seat in a booth by a window.

It's in this same cafe where you find him, having been told by Yaga that it was where he spent a lot of his time.

His eyes widen in shock as you slide into the seat across from him, immediately recognizing you even if it's been a couple of years since he last saw you. He thinks that the years have been all too kind to you, and the soft grin pulling on your lips makes his heart race the same way it used to back in high school.

He's realizing that he never quite got over you.

"Gojo," you greet, the smile on your face growing when he says your name in return. "I'm glad I found you. I was told that you already knew all the details of the mission and that you'd be filling me in?"

"What?" Gojo asks dumbly, only catching half of the words you said. He straightens up when he processes the word "mission" and he finally understands why you're here in the first place. "You're my partner for the hospital mission?"

You nod eagerly, reaching forward and swiping the croissant off of Gojo's plate.

"Hey! That was mine," he protests weakly, still trying to figure out how you ended up being his partner.

"Consider this revenge for that one time you ate mine," you tease, giving him a sly wink before biting into the pastry. Gojo swears his heart stutters at the action, and he breathes in deeply before focusing on the task at hand.

"So why'd you come back now?" he asks casually, earning a soft hum from you.

"I missed Tokyo," you admit, putting the rest of the croissant down and wiping your hands on a napkin. "Kyoto is nice and I love Utahime, but I missed home. And Shoko, and Nanami, and you, I guess."

Gojo huffs out a laugh at your words, leaning forward and giving you a curious glance. "Kyoto?"

"I was hired after graduation," you explained. "They needed some extra help and I happened to be available. I would've stayed in Tokyo but they really needed someone. Now, what's this I hear about a special grade curse?"

Gojo manages to explain the mission to you without any more distractions, only pausing to see if you have any questions and continuing when you don't. The two of you take off as soon as he finishes, making your way to the old, dilapidated building on the outskirts of the city.

"Creepy," you remark, hands in your coat pocket as you look up at the building. Gojo hums in agreement taking a step forward before looking back at you.

"Remember, you're here to run interference in case something happens," Gojo say seriously. "So here's the plan: you stay behind me and stay alert."

He receives a serious nod from you in return before leading you inside, only for his plan to fall apart almost instantly. He thinks the curse is mildly intelligent; there's no other way to explain the way it separates the two of you so easily as though it had been waiting for your arrival.

Gojo can feel the curse following him, stalking him through the halls until it deems him distracted enough to attack. He's thankful that its chosen him as its target. He doesn't give it the chance to surprise him, immediately appearing behind it and kicking it into through the wall and into the waiting room next door.

He wastes no time in following after it, avoiding its attacks with ease and fighting back when he sees an opening. The two of them move back and forth in a distorted dance, and Gojo can't help the way he giggles at the thought before jumping away from an attack.

His laughter turns into an embarrassing yelp when he steps on a weak piece of wood over a gaping hole, the little, makeshift bridge snapping under his weight and sending his foot through the ceiling. He falls to the ground, arms supporting his weight as he senses the curse approaching eagerly, thinking it's caught him at some sort of disadvantage as it sprints toward him.

Gojo rolls his eyes as he raises his hand, getting ready to exorcise the curse and pausing when something— you, he realized belatedly— bursts through the door. There's a determined look on your face as you kick at the curse, and it's only when the curse disintegrates instantly that Gojo realizes what just happened.

"You just used a black flash," he says casually, his foot still stuck in the floor and hands pushing at the ground in an attempt to get up. You give him a confused look before glancing at the spot where the curse was standing a few seconds ago, kicking at the dust that had settled in the aftermath.

"Oh. Is that what that was?" you ask curiously, a thoughtful hum leaving your lips as you approach him. "Interesting."

"You didn't have to do that, y'know?" Gojo says, his tone filled with amusement as he watches your eyes drift towards his predicament. Your hands loop under his arms, gently pulling him up in an attempt to help.

"You sure?"

"Infinity," Gojo says, the singular word causing your mouth to drop open in realization. "The curse couldn't have touched me anyways. But I'm honored to see that you were so concerned about me."

"I wasn't concerned," you protest weakly, eyes shifting around the room in an attempt to avoid his gaze.

"You were," Gojo teases, laughing when you shoot him a glare. "So concerned in fact, that you manifested a black flash attack."

"Are we done here?" you snap letting go of him and taking a step back. He falls back with a grunt, and you don't wait for your response before turning around and heading to the door. "Okay, good. I'll see you around."

"Hey! Aren't you gonna help me?" Gojo yells, calling after you as your footsteps fade. He tries yelling out your name a few more times before giving up, gently guiding his leg out from the hole before flopping onto his back.

There's a grin on his face as he stares up at the ceiling, thinking about the way you looked as you fought the curse. As you saved him.

When the two of you give Yaga your report the next day, Gojo's eyes stay trained on you.

A couple of months later, Gojo finds himself wandering around an estate unfamiliar to him.

The garden is huge, boasting flowers that Gojo didn't even know existed. He crouches down to examine a small bunch of blooms that he thinks might be forget-me-nots, springing back up to his feet when an attendant softly calls his name.

He gives the young girl a smile before following her down multiple winding hallways, receiving a bow from her when they finally approach a set of large, mahogany doors.

"She will see you now," the attendant says softly, motioning towards the door. "Whenever you're ready, sir."

She leaves him alone in the hallway, and Gojo merely smiles to himself before opening the doors and entering the large room. He approaches the figure in the room confidently before kneeling down and bowing his head, earning a laugh from the person in front of him.

"Please, nothing of that, Gojo Satoru," the woman says, waving towards the seat across from her. "Take a seat. To what do I owe the honor?"

Gojo slides into the wooden seat before looking up, making eye contact with the woman he knows to be your grandmother. The matriarch of your clan.

"I have come with a proposal," Gojo says, ignoring the suspicious look he receives. "I know about the predicament your clan is facing. You're at the risk of being dissolved and I'm sure this will solve your problems."

"You're lying," your grandmother states casually, causing Gojo's eyes to widen slightly. "Tell me why you are truly here."

"How did you know?" Gojo asks quietly, looking down at his hands to avoid her intense gaze.

"Call it women's intuition," your grandmother replies, her eyes crinkling as she smiles. "Now, why are you here?"

Gojo takes a deep breath before straightening up in his seat. He removes his sunglasses, folding the arms and placing them on the table before meeting your grandmother's gaze head-on. "I am here to ask for your permission"

"Permission for what?" your grandmother asks immediately, her tone defensive as she questions him.

"I seem to have fallen in love with your granddaughter," Gojo admits, his heart pounding as he sees the corner of your grandmother's lips twitch. He steels himself before continuing, hoping to anything and everything in the world that your grandmother would hear him out.

"I am here to ask you for your permission to court her and eventually, should she be in agreement, marry her."

rbs are appreciated <3 ty for reading!!

[gasstationlady]

the start of something beautiful | a lando norris social media au

pairing: lando norris x private!reader (fc: tyla)

lando is spotted with an unknown woman, and everyone thinks she’s another fling. however, later revealed as naomi campbell’s daughter, lando's fans slowly start to love her despite her tendency to be private.

notes: btw, i’m so sorry i’ve been mia for a while! honestly, i have a ton of drafts i’ve written over the time i didn’t post, but i lowkey hate all of them lmao. anyways, hope you enjoy this fluff :)

disclaimer: swearing. photos not mine. OLD PIC OF JAZ AND ROSS (yes it’s a warning bc i’m still mourning that relationship, and ik i’m not the only one). there are a few mistakes in the tweets that i was too lazy to fix lol. also, i hope the flow doesn’t feel too rushed!

masterlist

yourusername

liked by landonorris, yourbestie and 138 others

yourusername 🌸

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yourbestie 👀

↳ yourusername 🙈

yourbestie framing these pics brb 😍😍

f1gossip

2,993 likes

f1gossip We received these photos of Lando and a girl today! It looks like the same girl he has been spotted with for the past 3 months, but it’s still unclear who it is. ☕️

View all 202 comments

user three months of them being pictured AND YET NONE CLEARLY CAPTURE HER FACE. that’s some bs

↳ user no deadass bc you guys had one job 🙄

user lmaoooo i know the delulu fans are crying that she’s still here

user Are we sure it's the same girl? Lmfao even if it is, he's probably going to get tired of her soon!

user god i hope people learn and treat her better than how they treated luisinha

landonorris

liked by maxverstappen1, charles_leclerc and 759,301 others

landonorris First time trying wakeboarding 🤙

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user happy lando >>>

user Where’s your girlfriend

user not the red bull life vest lmfaoo

user lando rlly said here’s some shirtless pics to distract u

↳ user frrr but like it’s not working 😭

f1gossip

12,321 likes

f1gossip Naomi Campbell and daughter, Y/N Campbell, making an appearance at today’s GP! It's presumed that Y/N is dating Mclaren driver, Lando Norris. Our sources in the paddock mentions that the two visited the Mercedes, Ferrari, and Mclaren garages before the race. 👀

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user i'm literally in love w her she's soo beautiful 😍

user this actually makes sense that they knew each other since naomi has been connected to f1 for a while now

user I would be unstoppable if I looked like her.

user she looks so kind 🥺🥺

user oh the things i would do to reincarnate as a wealthy person’s child

user i was there and got to meet her and i’d just like to say that i’d go to war for her

landoupdates

7,626 likes

landoupdates Max, Lando, and Y/N (seen in second photo, far right) with fans at an after party! We received these pictures a few minutes ago, and the fan included “Y/N mostly stood behind as Max and Lando were asked for photos but she was so so kind !! Although you can tell she likes to keep to herself, she told me she thought my dress was cute and even got Lando’s attention for me so I could ask for a picture 😭 Also, he kept holding her hand !!!”

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user her face card is insane.

user now that we know she's naomi's daughter, i can't believe we didn't see it before LOL

user “he kept holding her hand” 😭😭😭😭😭

user I have never wanted someone to go off private so bad 😩

user honestly she’s my new fav wag

user it’s the way everyone loves her rn lmaoooo

user LANDO CAN YOU FIGHT

f1gossip

11,234 likes

f1gossip Lando, Ginge, and Ethan possibly alluding to Lando’s new relationship with Y/N in the recent Quadrant video 👀👀

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user not them clowning him 😭

user i mean we all know by now that they’re together but this was the cherry on top

user melting over how he couldn’t stop smiling 🥹

user the fact that he kept this clip in 😩😩

user I AM ONCE AGAIN ASKING “LANDO CAN YOU FIGHT”

user I get it 😭 I also wouldn’t be able to hide that I’m dating Y/N

user perfect example of private but not a secret, in love with them 🥹🥹

landoupdates

5,389 likes

landoupdates A few photos of Lando and Y/N at the paddock today ☺️

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user literally my fav couple

user when is he gonna make it officially on insta

↳ user My thoughts exactly!! 😭😭 I know not everything has to be posted, but I’m just excited to see him officially announce it.

user my girl y/n looked so fucking good today

user i just want him to post her solely because i want more y/n pics

↳ user LOL you’re so real for that

landonorris

liked by yourusername, angryginge13, georgerussell63 and 1,221,334 others

landonorris We so good ❤️

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user THE HAND PLACEMENT

user not tagging her is criminal 😭😭

↳ user girl what’s the point when she’s on private

user When will it be my turn 😩

user LANDO??? OMFG

user TURN IT UP IVE BEEN WAITING FOR THIS ONE 😁😁😁🔊🔊

user omggg i can’t, they’re goals

user Y/N IS SO CUTE

user i luv my parents