#glo's yapping

[fushiglow]

Different anon but uhhhh what do you think is the most neurodivergent thing gojo ever did in canon? And how did that come across or impact your writing of OTT!Gojo, if at all?

Sorry if this is a bad question it's hard to come up with a good one lol. I just like audhd Gojo

Breathed.

It's been three months and that's all I can come up with, anon. I just find it really hard to talk about this topic in a concise manner and I'm also indecisive, so I'm struggling to choose one thing without being deeply unserious. Same as I can't identify one thing about myself probably (it's the fog horns). It's a collection of traits and behaviours that combine to make up the individual, isn't it?

It's really just *waves hand* the way that he is, but I don't want to give you a cop out answer, so let me list several things across four categories, beginning with the least serious! To avoid this getting really long, however, I'm thinking of answering your question about Over the Threshold Gojo in a separate post. The short answer is "it's woven into the very fabric of the story", but I have a lot I could talk about! Would any of you like to read that post?

For now, what do I think is the most neurodivergent thing Gojo ever did in canon? Well, before we get into it, a quick note about something that I've never seen anyone mention in their discussions or depictions of autistic/ADHD/AuDHD Gojo, at least on the English speaking side of the fandom.

I think it's really important to judge Gojo's character within the context of his own culture (and, indeed, the culture of the person who created him). This research article (which is well worth a read!) published in the Journal of Cross-Cultural Psychology posits that we should adopt a sociocultural model of disability on the basis that "the neurotypical world in which an autistic person is situated varies considerably depending on the cultural customs and values unique to the pocket of the world from which they originate", i.e. people experience autism differently depending on the cultures they grow up and live in.

Gojo is a Japanese person, born and raised in Japan. He is also a man. I always keep these factors in mind when analysing or writing his character, but it seems especially important when looking for neurodivergent traits. Okay, let's begin!

Fun things to support AuDHD Gojo

He's always late. Man can teleport, there's literally no good reason for him to be late except for ADHD time blindness.

According to Gege, he eats sweets to stimulate his brain. It makes me wonder how Gojo would fare on stimulant medication with the Six Eyes, but it's both illegal and highly stigmatised in Japan. Of course, that doesn't mean he couldn't have tried it...

He's impulsive, especially when it comes to teaching opportunities for his students. However, his impulsive decisions always seem rooted in logic so it balances out. He's a logical guy on the whole, honestly, which is another point for autistic Gojo.

He supposedly has a "bad personality". People find him annoying and he often clashes with authority figures because his behaviour is deemed disrespectful. This is a big ADHD mood, but it also works through an autistic lens, especially in Japan. Let's dig into this in the next section!

Less fun things to support AuDHD Gojo

According to the article I linked earlier, the structured nature of the language and clear "rules" for communication based on social hierarchy and context in Japan could make it easier for autistic people to follow scripts, which are used more readily in everyday Japanese communication with the goal of minimising uncertainty. However, you have to know the scripts in order to be able to use them!

In a country with a system of honorific speech (keigo), deviation from social norms is noticeable and even alarming in some cases, which is why we often see deliberate deviations used in untranslatable ways in manga, sometimes emphasised with katakana or bouten to draw attention to how out of place they are. This is why Geto tells Gojo he should change the pronoun he uses, much to Gojo's surprise and chagrin. The deviation from social norms and expectations communicates something all by itself, even if the meaning is the same, and Geto recognises that where Gojo doesn't.

We don't have a keigo equivalent in English, so we do a lot more with tone of voice instead. However, we are also capable of adjusting our language to convey different intentions. An example is something like "Move over!" vs "Excuse me, please could I just squeeze behind you? Thank you! Sorry!" (a very Bri'ish example). Both can be either appropriate or rude depending on the circumstances and the person you're interacting with.

You only learn how to navigate these types of social situations "appropriately" as you get older, but until it's pointed out to them directly (usually after a "blunder"), autistic people often aren't aware of unspoken "rules", especially those which seem inefficient and/or illogical. For similar reasons, autistic people are sometimes seen as "childlike", simply because they don't know a certain behaviour is perceived as childish until someone tells them, and that's how I always saw this moment during the Hidden Inventory arc.

Geto is essentially saying, "You shouldn't talk like that anymore, you're too old to get away with that kind of overfamiliarity now". Gojo is socially unaware — unaware how he comes across, how he sounds, maybe even that he's "grown up" (I like this reading in the context of JJK and protecting youth). My autistic king.

Of course, this exchange takes on extra meaning later, but at that point in the story, I think it's just Geto quietly making him aware of something that will impact how he's received by others for his own sake as much as theirs. The fact that he says "I've been meaning to say this for a while" suggests that Geto has been watching Gojo's interactions for some time, second guessing whether to say something before finally deciding he needs to intervene when he sees that he isn't picking up on those unspoken social cues.

As an aside, I love that Geto's ability to make himself seem unthreatening by following social norms is completely at odds with how threatening he actually is, while the opposite is true for Gojo (unless you're a curse or curse user). Gege cooked with that. To me, it really feels like a criticism of the emphasis on conformity and politeness in Japanese society, especially in light of chapter 236 which brings us nicely onto the next section.

Much less fun things to support AuDHD Gojo

To me, chapter 236 of JJK is Gojo’s “unmasking”. I wrote an analysis of Gojo’s character in 236 and though I didn't mention autism explicitly, it was implicit on my end. Aside from the fact that I think Gojo and Geto sitting back to back with Nanami and Haibara is a lovely visual representation of the double empathy problem (which I touched on in this post about empathy), I've said everything there so I won't repeat myself.

This post (and especially its tags) from right after the chapter came out says it in a much more concise way, but Gojo’s upset pout when Nanami says "You never cared about protecting people!" breaks my heart, especially in light of everything he had just said to Geto about how he was never truly able to connect with anyone after he left. For me, the panel below just summarises the experience of being autistic in this world.

Not fun at all things to support AuDHD Gojo

Well, the way that Gojo is infantilised by a huge part of the fandom, despite being a highly competent, intelligent, and responsible adult. It's rife in depictions of Gojo across his ships (with a correlation to his t/b configuration) and it bothers me enormously. I can't think of a more AuDHD experience than being infantilised even when you're the most accomplished person in the room, so I'm taking that as evidence all by itself.

—

And that's all! For the longest time, I've been thinking about writing a series where Gojo is explicitly autistic. I'd like to bring a different perspective to the table and address some of the less "palatable" aspects of being autistic head on without compromising on his canon characterisation (to the best of my ability) and without putting him in a box. However, I'm reluctant for so many reasons. We'll see!

Hope this answer was enjoyable, anon! Sorry it took this long. This topic is close to me and it's easy to overthink it. I wanted to do it justice, but I only managed to answer half your question and even then, barely! Argh!

[fushiglow]

Music as narrative device in Jujutsu Kaisen

What the quiet transformation of Megumi's leitmotif in "Strong and Intelligent Allies" reveals about his relationship with Gojo

A leitmotif is a recurring melodic motif associated with a particular person, place, or idea. In music for film and TV, composers use leitmotifs as an audio cue to evoke the thematic subject whenever e.g. a character appears on screen or is referenced in the narrative.

We first hear Megumi's in episode 4 when he faces down Sukuna. Our introduction to his theme is "An Unfair Reality Granted to All Equally", played as he reflects on his approach to saving people. It's then showcased in full in "Jujutsu Sorcerer, Fushiguro Megumi" as he prepares to summon Mahoraga.

Meanwhile, "Strong and Intelligent Allies" plays over a key scene in episode 5 where Gojo tells Ijichi about his dream for the future, then again much later in episode 23 when Megumi narrates the events that led him to become a jujutsu sorcerer, including how he met Gojo. Importantly, in the latter half of the piece, the composers interpolate the electric guitar riff from "Jujutsu Sorcerer, Fushiguro Megumi" in a syncopated ostinato played on strings beneath the main melody, as demonstrated in the video at the start of this post.

It's very subtle, which is almost certainly deliberate and all the more interesting for it. I would bet that very few people without musical training have ever even noticed it, and that's precisely why it captured my attention.

The use of Megumi's leitmotif in "Strong and Intelligent Allies" establishes a connection between Megumi and Gojo, and suggests that Megumi is an integral part of Gojo's dream. It's an auditory symbol that identifies Megumi as the first "strong and intelligent ally" Gojo sought out. This is later confirmed at the end of Premature Death when we recount the first meeting between the characters from Gojo's POV, immediately before Megumi wakes him from his dream.

Megumi and Gojo are currently the only characters with prominent leitmotifs throughout the series. Gojo's "Limitless Cursed Technique" theme is littered all over the second season, including in "You Better Get Strong" which plays over his meeting with Megumi, bridging the past with the present day. The composers have given each of these characters a strong musical identity and they've clearly gone to great pains to connect the two of them in the score for Jujutsu Kaisen.

Here's the interesting thing, though. A leitmotif is one of the few ways a composer can influence the narrative explicitly. Usually, they want viewers to hear those cues and make those connections — think Darth Vader's iconic theme — so what does it say that the composers chose to tuck Megumi away in the audio representation of Gojo's dream? What does it suggest about the characters and their relationship to each other?

I think this is very clever, very lovely writing on their behalf. To me, the final section of "Strong and Intelligent Allies" speaks to the distance Gojo maintains between him and Megumi, but also the genuine feeling there if you look closely enough — much like their relationship in the text.

Played staccato, Megumi's leitmotif sounds almost tentative, as though it isn't sure it belongs. However, rather than standing out among the legato piano and strings around it, the other instruments act like a soft cushion. That's why its integral place in the accompaniment goes largely unnoticed.

It feels very much like Megumi's character to me. He won't "be greedy", but instead puts himself in a support role. He hides in the shadows. He speaks of his relationship with Gojo only in terms of the debt he owes (恩人: benefactor, saviour), overlooking his inherent value as a person.

On the other side of things, Megumi's quiet yet critical presence in the music speaks to the hands off way Gojo cares for people — loving them from afar, never letting them into his inner world — such that they never even realise how much they feature in the soundtrack to his life.

I'm often frustrated when people downplay Megumi and Gojo's relationship. Their unique connection is woven throughout this story, from the first chapter all the way through to chapter 270, "End of the Dream". It's even present in the music, and I expect more on that front before the anime ends.

If you know how to interpret it, music can really enrich your understanding of a character or a story through the hidden depths it reveals. Unfortunately, musical literacy is a profound privilege, which is why I'm always sad about how many thoughtful details get lost in translation for most viewers. For this very reason, I've been wanting to share some music analysis for Jujutsu Kaisen for the longest time. There's so much to talk about, but it's hard to judge the audience. If you don't take the time to untangle the terminology required to analyse music, there's a really high barrier to entry.

Sadly, I have a full time job and a much more accessible way to connect with people through writing 😭 Someone pay me to analyse the Jujutsu Kaisen OST! I'll make videos! First up, all instances of Gojo's leitmotif and its narrative significance in season two! Until then, I really hope you enjoyed this 🎶

[fushiglow]

How my interpretation of Ryōmen Sukuna in canon informs his character in Over the Threshold

This morning, I made a post on Bluesky that said:

OTT Sukuna is a pansexual genderqueer person born thirty years too early. I will not elaborate on this.

Two people said they'd like to hear more, so obviously I immediately caved and elaborated on it. I thought folks here might also be interested, so I'm transferring the Bluesky thread into a post with a few more references.

Please note that I wrote this off the cuff and in brief based on my memory of my research and analysis of Jujutsu Kaisen over the last three years, but I don't claim anything I say here is objectively correct. This is simply my reading of the character in relation to my fanfiction, Over the Threshold. Hope you enjoy it!

In canon, I see Sukuna as someone completely disconnected from the body. For him, the body is merely a vessel for the true self. That's his answer to the body vs soul question that's posed throughout Jujutsu Kaisen.

The problem is, his original form is a big "scary" body that comes loaded with preconceptions, both for characters in universe and readers of the manga. He is a "monster" to everyone except Gojo (and later Yuji), who first recognises him as a human very early in the story. Surely not a coincidence?

I've said many times that Gojo vs Sukuna is my favourite arc in the manga. Putting shipping aside entirely, these two characters have always had a very compelling relationship to me. It heavily informed chapter 16 of Over the Threshold, which is fundamentally about "the truth" vs "the performance".

For me, the most important similarity between Gojo and Sukuna is the gap between who people believe they are vs who they actually are. I think Sukuna is the most misunderstood character in JJK, even more than Gojo — which is saying something considering I think Gojo is incredibly misunderstood!

They're both performers. They play the role required of them, both by the narrative and the people around them. Sukuna is a human who played the role of a curse so well that people forgot he was human at all. The really important thing is that I think he forgot, too (this doesn't apply to Gojo).

Through this lens, the body is merely a costume for Sukuna to help him play his part, and this applies to others' bodies too. I don't think it would have made a difference if Megumi were a girl; the Heian sorcerers never showed any qualms about occupying bodies different to those they were born in.

I do think there's even more depth to Sukuna in relation to gender in canon though. I'm only paraphrasing (in a very brief and heavy-handed way) what others have said much more thoughtfully and beautifully before me, but Sukuna is "woman coded" (good faith please!) in ways that largely go over people's heads, especially in English speaking fandom. It isn't as simple as the fact that he canonically wears women's kimono to accommodate his arms either!

For detailed posts on this topic with extensive research and references, please read Historical Heian vs JJK's Heian by @/thepersonperson and The Details You Missed & The Context Behind Yorozu's Marriage Proposal to Sukuna by @/tangsakura

When Yorozu challenges him (proposes), she evokes Heian era courting rituals, taking on the role of the man. Sukuna not only allows this, but he takes it seriously. He even remembers Yorozu's words when it's Gojo's turn to challenge him (propose).

Ultimately, both Yorozu and Gojo fail to win him over (kill him), but there's a specific way Yorozu offends him that feels really important to understanding Sukuna's character to me. Part of the reason he rejects her proposal (kills her) is because of the poor quality of her poetry, a measure by which women judged potential suitors in the Heian era. If the poem fails to meet certain criteria, the marriage is off!

Look how horrified Sukuna is! Language matters to this man! In fact, there's some amazing analysis out there covering the secret romance in Sukuna's antiquated language, unnoticed by the modern sorcerers. See the difference between "Show me, Fushiguro Megumi!" and "Enchant me, Fushiguro Megumi!":

They sound the same in Japanese, but only the written kanji reveals the truth in what he's saying! So often with Sukuna, what could be interpreted as praise is received as an insult in modern Japanese, though it's unclear whether he's aware of this. Regardless, it's a really specific way Sukuna is misunderstood, and non-Japanese readers have another layer of misinterpretation to work through!

Take the "Enchant me!" example alone. By the time it's translated into English, we're already multiple steps removed from the truest version of the character. Megumi hears "Show me!" (because you can't hear kanji. This is the most wonderful thing about Japanese to me) so that's how it's translated.

Now, extrapolate that example across the entire manga. All the double meanings that create this fundamental gap in understanding. Sukuna cannot connect to the people around him. He's completely out of place, but the sad thing is, even in the Heian era, he's always been out of place. He's a curse.

Thus, I see Sukuna as a character who has been whittled into shape through hardship. What began as self-protection in a cruel age became the only way he knew how to exist, such that he cannot let down his mask. He cannot "come out". We never see the "true" Sukuna until the very end of Jujutsu Kaisen.

As for how I translate this across to Sukuna in Over the Threshold? Well, homophobia in the Japanese music industry plays a huge role in the story. Satoru and Suguru cannot "come out" without consequences. For Sukuna, some twenty years older than them, there was even less acceptance.

He's formerly V-kei so he's already been playing with gender performativity. He's already familiar with the concept of "queerness" on some level, but I don't think he's interrogated what that means for him. Similar to canon, I think Sukuna simply believes he's too far down that path to step off it now.

[fushiglow]

okay my turn: tell me why you like writing no power AUs. What's the draw? How do they feel to write? also other general thoughts on this, pats chat for words

Yippee! I hope you'll find my answer insightful, because this is something I've given a lot of thought to in the past! I think it mostly comes down to the appeal of answering the question I mentioned at the end of my ask:

How far can you remove a character from the source material while keeping their essence intact?

I'll put the rest under the cut because I'm about to talk a lot, oops...

I would say I have two main motivations for writing fanfiction: developing my understanding of the source material and challenging myself as a writer in one way or another. No powers AUs cover both in a really unique way. Often, it begins with a challenge at a craft level, e.g. the opportunity to try using a narrative structure that lends itself to a specific setting. However, the question that inevitably follows is: "how could I make that work for these specific characters?"

I think there are lots of different ways to write "good" fanfiction. Only the author can say whether they've achieved their goals with a particular story, but for me personally, the best fanfiction is in dialogue with the source material. For obvious reasons, that's easier to achieve with canonverse fanfiction, but when I remove the characters from their original universe, I have to work a bit harder at it. How much harder depends on the no powers AU in question!

In the past, I have definitely written "bad" fanfiction by those specific standards, even if it isn't "bad" fanfiction at all by a different set of a criteria! These days, I'm pickier about the ideas I choose to pursue, and that's because I've developed a better understanding of what I find rewarding to write and a better understanding of the source material. The two things definitely go hand in hand, so since I mentioned the snowboarding AU earlier, I'll talk about it a little here to illustrate that.

This AU started with a romcom I published in February 2025. I'd never written one before so I gave it a try (challenge!) and quickly decided I'll probably never write one again lmao. It's a reader favourite, but for me as the writer, it lacked the stakes I apparently need to stay engaged. Still, it is a pretty good example of a no powers AU that's in dialogue with the source material, even if it's on the lower end of the scale.

Simply put, it follows adrenaline junkie Gojo as he seeks solo thrills after becoming profoundly bored on a skiing holiday with friends who neither want nor are able to keep up with him. Basically, the story hinges on the reveal that he's the reigning world champion in halfpipe snowboarding, which was actually my first idea for the fic. I watched a video of Hirano Ayumu talking about his Olympic gold run where he pulled off a never been done triple cork in terrible conditions. He said, "To stay at the top, you have to accept loneliness". Naturally, I was instantly sold on the idea of Gojo Satoru the freestyle snowboarder!

Fast forward to January this year when Ayumu "broke his entire body" a month before qualifying for the Olympics and still set out to defend his gold. I'm suddenly hooked on halfpipe snowboarding like never before, I'm incredibly invested in an aging Scotty James' quest for the only medal he's never won, and I realise I've given myself the convenient opportunity to write an action sequel to the romcom which will parallel my favourite arc in the manga (Gojo vs Sukuna) while digging into everything about this character that compels me most.

While writing this fic, I did a whole lot of research about athlete psychology, and accidentally learned a whole lot about the winner's mentality that Gojo instils in Megumi in the process. I've basically come to believe that the athlete state of mind and the strongest sorcerer state of mind are one and the same, especially when it comes to extreme sports. Rather than explaining it, I'm going to share a passage which, I think, illustrates the exact appeal of writing a no powers AU for a character like Gojo, if you can find the right angle for approach:

Perhaps more than a test of skill on a board, riding the halfpipe is a test of the ability to thrive in chaos — to brush off the unpredictable, to meet the unknown head-on without fear or hesitation. It’s a test of self-belief, most of all. Dropping into the pipe, state of mind is everything, which is why some people wear lucky underpants or recite prayers at the top of the course. As for Satoru, he believes in preflight checks rather than preflight rituals. To engage in superstitious practices is to suggest that winning or losing is outside his locus of control. Satoru doesn’t give any importance to things outside his locus of control, so as he bends down to clip in for the biggest ride of his life, he isn’t wearing lucky underpants. Instead, he checks his bindings once, twice, three times before he hops out onto the groomed snow at the front of the start house. [...] Taking up his starting position on the entry ramp, he digs his heel edge into the snow as he waits for the go ahead. He adjusts his neck gaiter. He adjusts his gloves. He plots his route down the pipe, visualising the future version of himself who’s lacing the most insane run of his life. He smiles at his win. And then Satoru returns to the moment. His moment. He stares down the Olympic rings, and the Olympic rings stare back at him. Eyes on the prize. Eyes on me, he commands, one finger pointed at the camera. This is his moment.

To me, that's just "Nah, I'd win" in a few more words lmao.

Admittedly, it's not very ship focused, simply because of the solo nature of the sport. I think that's more reflective of my personal preferences as a writer, though. I set out to send people's heart rates through the roof with a really high stakes action scene, and that's what I did. Although I did explore Gojo's relationship with Sukuna a little, perhaps someone else would focus more on the interpersonal rivalry between them, e.g. scenes set in the Olympic Village.

(Fun fact: the athletes got through their free condoms at a record rate at this year's Winter Olympics. They used 10,000 condoms [around 3.5 per athlete] in the three days immediately before Valentine's Day.)

I probably will return to this universe in the future, because I think I can eke more out of the parallels with JJK. For example, the inevitable "changing of the guard" that happens in a high risk Olympic level sport like freestyle snowboarding is something that translates really nicely. In other words, I want to write Satoru coaching Megumi, hehe.

How far can you remove a character from the source material while keeping their ~essence~ intact?

To summarise, putting myself in a position where I can answer this question by pointing to my fic and saying, "Pretty damn far!" just feels really fucking good lmao. For me, there's nothing more satisfying than writing "good" fanfiction by my own standards, but especially when I've executed it with a no powers AU.

I hope this was interesting to read! Please tell me all your thoughts! Are you any more sold on the idea? Have I persuaded you?

[fushiglow]

I am a gojo low empathy enjoyer but also subscribe to the, there are different types of empathy, thing. Genuinely curious about the topic tho, have you ever looked into cognitive, affective, and compassionate empathy models?

Yes, of course! I'm going to try not to yap too much about this (edit: lmao) because I think this is part of the problem. It's a fandom space and it's simply not reasonable to expect people to use precise terminology and provide academic sources for their arguments at every turn. Sometimes you just want to say "Gojo is a low empathy character" and trust it'll find its audience so you can talk about it with people who can intuit exactly what you mean when you say "low empathy".

I think it's important to preserve this type of low stakes enjoyment in fandom spaces, which is why I don't want to insert myself into other people's discussions about this. However, the fact remains that the internet is a public space. I am choosing not to insert myself, but there's nothing stopping me except for a moral code.

This is where the problem lies for me. Even if we don't realise it, the things we say are always being perceived by people outside the target audience. For that reason, I really value precision, especially when it comes to language about sensitive and/or poorly understood topics like this one. For example, if someone thinks Gojo has low affective empathy but high compassionate empathy, I think they should say exactly that. Otherwise, "low empathy" comes bundled with a whole lot of tricky associations for people who aren't aware of these different models for empathy, which is actually the vast majority of people who will stumble across it.

However, despite always trying my very best to articulate myself as carefully and precisely as possible, I have been misinterpreted enough in this fandom (wilfully or otherwise) to know that precision rarely matters in online discussions, in which case, why bother putting in all of that extra effort when you're simply trying to have a good time? I'm torn on the matter. The more your reach grows, the more important precision seems to become, but it's also unfair to place that kind of burden of responsibility on fandom creators. I often feel that, yet I find myself trying to act responsibly at the cost of my own enjoyment anyway.

Once again, I digress. To get back to your question, yes, I am familiar with these models. However, while "cognitive empathy" and "affective empathy" have been around for a long time now, the concept of "compassionate empathy" is even less recognised than the double empathy problem. Research on empathy and compassion and their relationship to each other is constantly developing, but as things stand, I consider empathy and compassion to be separate motivators for prosocial behaviour.

That said, I find "Gojo has low affective empathy but high compassionate empathy" far more agreeable as an assessment than simply "Gojo is a low empathy character". However, it's still not my personal take on the matter. My point was not that there are different types of empathy, but that empathy looks different in different people.

When looking into research on empathy (honestly, all research), we should always keep bias in mind. I only feel confident discussing this matter in relation to autism research, which is undergoing a slow deconstruction as more and more people who aren't white European/Anglo-American cisgender men enter the field. I'm not going to go into that at length here, but it's why we should be careful about talking in absolutes. Even concepts such as the theory of mind hypothesis of autism which have underpinned clinical approaches for decades are now being challenged for the way they dehumanise autistic people, as well as the fact that the original research has roots in racism and sexism (obviously).

All that in mind, I don't believe empathy is purely innate, but mostly learned. Rather than something you have or don't have from birth in high or low quantities, I believe that, like most things, empathy is a trainable skill. However, I also believe that it's largely circumstantial. In the replies to my original post, @/thequeenofsarcaasm said:

I believe, to get work done in their field, compassion is more important than a strong sense of empathy. Finding solutions is impossible if you can’t “distance” yourself from the pains of others (as a doctor would).

I think this sums it up perfectly. For me, "high" and "low" are pretty much irrelevant. In high pressure situations (like, for example, the high pressure situation Gojo faced on platform B5F of Shibuya station on October 31, 2018), open displays of empathy simply don't serve anyone involved. However, just because empathy isn't immediately obvious, doesn't mean it isn't there. It's just that, in those high pressure situations (in all situations, if you ask me), rather than how people perform empathy, it's how people apply empathy that matters:

Geto was full of empathy but where did it get him?

Like many things, empathy exists on a spectrum. There are evidence-based techniques to increase empathy, at least within existing measurement frameworks. However, it doesn't necessarily follow that increased empathy towards one person means increased empathy across the board.

This is why I don't think breaking it down into types and amounts is particularly helpful, for the same reason I reject the notions of "high functioning" and "low functioning" autism. I think it is reductive to categorise people by their ability to meet certain criteria according to a framework that may not apply to them, especially without taking into account the wide array of individual experiences and circumstances that informs outcomes, many of which are societally enforced and outside the locus of their control.

Alas, this is the research problem. We categorise and systematise with good reason. It helps us to make sense of the world, and individual and collective understandings are constantly in development. However, we should just keep an eye on who gets to carry out the categorising and systematising at a research level and how the impacts of that trickle down to the rest of us.

And that brings us full circle! If you don't want to put Gojo in the very broad category of "low empathy" for the sake of considering every angle, you end up writing 1000 words in response to an ask on your fandom Tumblr blog. Most people have neither the time nor desire to pour this kind of effort into a post about their headcanon and nor should they have to! Most of the time, I don't bother either, but I feel like your question invited this kind of in-depth discussion and I do enjoy talking about this in the appropriate circumstances.

With that in mind, please feel free to share more of your thoughts on the topic if you feel inclined, anon. As I said in my post yesterday, I don't think there's any right or wrong here. I'm just adding a different perspective into the mix for the sake of diversity, because I think diversity is really important both in and out of fandom. Back to the responsibility thing again, argh!

If not, I hope you found my answer interesting and perhaps even educational or enjoyable. Thanks for the question, anon!

[fushiglow]

Suguru's private symphony

Someone just left a comment on Over the Threshold to tell me how many times they've come back to read the love scene in chapter 10 specifically and maybe it's just because I'm going through a hard time, but I'm really moved, ahhhh.

This particular story is more meaningful to me than anything else I've written (and may ever write) for many different reasons, and it's been a journey. I'm blessed to have many wonderful readers, but I've also lost a lot of readers along the way, simply because I've been posting it for two years now. Life moves on and people move on, too.

I write Over the Threshold for myself first and foremost. It's my story and it's personal, so I'll see it through for my sake. Still, those comments that remind me there are people out there waiting to see how this story ends are incredibly encouraging. Five chapters from the end. I'm closer than I've ever been, so let's do this!

For now, please enjoy a song that a reader recommended in the comments when I originally posted this chapter in June 2024. It really feels like it was written for this scene, for this story, for Satoru and Suguru in counterpoint.

Having seen how the singer worked at the things he cherished most, it wasn’t surprising that Satoru handled Suguru’s body, heart, and soul with the same care and consideration that he handled a melody or a rhythm. It felt like a symphony springing off the page for the very first time, a blend of timbres coming together to complete one another in a harmonious chord that resounded throughout Suguru’s mind — and only Suguru’s mind. Whatever magic he'd discovered in the unique instrument of Satoru's body sounding together with his, it belonged to him alone. It was his secret chord. One that no one else got to hear. Despite the fact that he’d promised to give Satoru his all, in that moment, Suguru took a selfish pleasure in the secrecy that weighed on him daily. If he was the only one who got to hear the vocalisations that Satoru made in the seclusion of the sheets — the unique song he performed only for Suguru — all the better. When the orchestra died down, Satoru kissed him with sleepy eyes and a sated smile and Suguru decided there and then that he wanted to keep Satoru his own personal secret for the rest of his life. His own private symphony. It didn't sound so bad. The world could have Gojō Satoru — the idol, the superstar, the celebrity. They could have all the different iterations of the man, except for the one that existed here in Suguru’s arms. They would never have him. They would never have Satoru.

[fushiglow]

Froot by MARINA: the ultimate song for Getō Suguru as written by AO3 user greaterglow 🍓

The video isn't relevant. I just think... Marina... And I thought you... Might also think...

After posting chapter 4 of Five Days of Summer this evening, I was rooting around for something to listen to for my next project and I stumbled across this song for the first time in years.

The timing immediately after this particular fic is purely coincidental (it doesn't work for my next project at all), but it's true that I love my seasonal imagery for SatoSugu. For a while, I worried I was getting too repetitive with it, but then I decided I don't care because when something works, why not continue to find new ways to juice the shit out of it like froo-oo-oo-oot 🎶

Anyway, perhaps I was in the summer Suguru mindset, because it was such an oh moment listening to these lyrics progress and realising how they relate to how I depict Suguru not only in canonverse, but in Over the Threshold, too — because to me, this song is explicitly about the music industry.

Yapping with Glo (and manga spoilers abound!) under the cut!

Firstly, this song is simply eccentric. That's the only word for its sound. I'm never comfortable identifying modes in pop songs with any real confidence, because they tend to flirt with them rather than commit to them, but this shifts between scales noticeably enough for me to say that it's definitely modal, at least in the verse.

Modes have traditionally been described by the "character" or "mood" they impart. Dorian mode (which is what the verse of Froot is written in, G specifically) can't quite be characterised as happy or sad. It's a minor mode, owing to its minor third, and this is a sound that a Western ear usually associates with melancholy.

However, the major sixth further up the scale lends it a brightness which counteracts that somewhat. Thus, Dorian mode is considered melancholy yet hopeful, a bittersweet scale suited for jazz and blues. Sound familiar, OTT readers?

‘Were you sad when you wrote Blue Spring, Suguru?’ ‘Why? Does it feel sad to you?’ Satoru deliberated over it for a long while. ‘Not sad exactly,’ was the noncommittal answer he eventually gave. ‘Bittersweet, I suppose?’ He tucked Suguru’s palm against his cheek, eyes wandering across the room as he weighed his words. ‘Maybe nostalgic. Or wistful. A lot of words that aren't quite sad.’

Blue was a thousand different things to Suguru, including a lot of words that weren’t quite sad. Bittersweet, nostalgic, wistful.

A familiar tinkle of piano keys sounded through the bar, cycling through three chords coloured by added sevenths and suspended notes — a jazz progression with a melancholic feel that was quintessentially Japanese.

Over the Threshold agenda aside, this sums up the music I tend to associate with Suguru. It doesn't quite capture one mood.

In the case of Froot, the song is upbeat, there's this swelling energy to it, but also a thread of dread running through the song. There's joy but also sadness. There's something a little unnerving about it, but also a delicacy to it. It's both hopeful and hopeless.

There are very tangible human instruments among the arrangement (a gutter filthy bassline opens the song, even. Dolce, anyone?) but also a synthetic sparkle. The vocals are playful, they hop and skip between registers, between voices almost. They concern themselves more with personality and style than with technique. It's all giving Getō Suguru declaring war. Nonsense!

Now, what about the lyrics? What about the damn lyrics?!

I've seen seasons come and go From winter sun to summer snow

The sun setting on December 24 as snow starts to fall on summer (夏), growing cold in an alleyway. Yeah, okay.

It's summer time and I hang on the vine They're gonna make me into sweet red wine Hanging around like a fruit on a tree Waiting to be picked, come on, cut me free

This entire interlude has such sinister undertones to it. It speaks of consumption and exploitation and objectification, befitting of both Suguru in canon and in the music industry setting of Over the Threshold (which we're not done exploring yet... Shhh!).

Suguru was "picked" by Kenjaku, but ultimately, Yūta cut him free.

Living la dolce vita Life couldn't get much sweeter Don't you give me a reason That it's not the right season Babe, I love you a lot I'll give you all I've got Yeah, you know that it's true I've been saving all my summers for you I've been saving all my summers for you

Sweet Sugar in Over the Threshold, waiting and waiting and waiting, smiling, hiding, pretending all the while.

Also, 夏 meaning summer when Suguru was born on the day of a festival which typically marks the arrival of spring, yet actually falls on the last day of winter. For Suguru, it's never the right season.

Baby, I am plump and ripe I'm pinker than shepherd's delight Sweet like honeysuckle late at night

This verse (and the song in general) speaks of a woman at the prime of her life, at her ripest. Age has importance in the music industry, but almost exclusively for women. To me, this song speaks both of empowerment and fear of the fate that befalls a woman who spends too long on the vine, especially if she's an artist in the commercial music industry.

In canon, Suguru dies on the cusp of the summer of his life, marking him a member of the famous 27 Club, a group of (mostly) musicians who died at the age of 27, arguably before they had the opportunity to reach their full potential.

Cancel me if you like, but I do associate notions of femininity and fertility with Suguru and his technique in canon. I don't think it's a reach at all and I don't think it needs to come with any nefarious implications either. Get outta here with your gender essentialism! Therefore, this idea of Suguru being plucked from the vine both too early and at the exact right time for Kenjaku to exploit his body is delicious, especially in light of the next half of the verse:

Leave it too long, I'll go rot Like an apple you forgot Birds and worms will come for me The cycle of life is complete

Because Suguru isn't allowed to rot, but his body is used to further the cycle of curses after death. He's frozen in time, held in stasis in the season of his life that he died in.

I'm your carnal flower, I'm your bloody rose Pick my petals off and make my heart explode I'm your deadly nightshade, I'm your cherry tree You're my one true love, I'm your destiny

I don't need to say anything. Bleeding camellias, an application of Limitless technique to the heart, twin deaths on December 24. Suguru, who was Satoru's one and only complex, and his sweetest downfall. Also, Summer's Last Cherry.

Come on, fill your cup up Looking for some good luck Good luck to you Autumn, I'll be gone Birds will sing their mourning song

Kenjaku hit the jackpot with the fruit machine that was Getō Suguru, an inventory of curses, opportunities spilling out of him.

The pre-chorus also speaks of the experience of making it in the music industry. This is an industry where "right place, right time" takes precedence above everything else for musical artists trying their luck. The reason bad deals are rife in this industry is because artists snatch at any opportunity to get a foot in the door. The first bad deal they're offered is likely the only deal they'll ever be offered.

The lyrics frame the music industry as the one who will get lucky by juicing the singer, urging labels to pick her before it's too late. Like I said at the top of the post, there's a feeling of empowerment to it, but also a sick sort of self-sacrificial sentiment. A willingness to exploit oneself because it seems like the only route to success. Oh, the themes.

Oh, my body is ready Yeah, it's ready Oh, my branches are heavy Yeah, they're heavy

Again, we can read this in two lights. There's a sexuality to the first reading, an invitation, a suggestion of fertility and ripeness. However, the second reading has a weariness to it, a feeling of being weighed down. "My body is ready", but for what?

While I'm not a member of the "Getō Suguru set out on a deliberate suicide mission on December 24" club, I certainly think he had lost his way. Though I believe he set out with the intention of succeeding, I certainly think he was ready to die if it came to it. And I certainly think he wasn't wholly convinced by his own principles anymore. Also:

Truly, Satoru was a star. [...] And he’d chosen Suguru. He kept choosing Suguru. The gravity of it was startling. It weighed on him. It exhausted him. He thought he’d given up resisting the pull that the singer exerted on him. Thought he’d made a home in Satoru’s inescapable orbit. Thought he’d resigned himself to being swallowed up by his beautiful explosion, too. Music was still his dream; it didn’t matter that Satoru was the one living it. Not when Suguru had already passed the event horizon. When he’d already given so much. When he was already half devoured. It was enough to help Satoru shine. It was enough to be a part of him. It was enough.

Suguru is a star and a sweet fruit. He's being swallowed. He's being devoured. Those themes of consumption are really hitting hard.

Anyway, AO3 user greaterglow and your love for Getō "Summer" Suguru, you will always be famous. For more of Glo's greatest hits featuring seasonal SatoSugu themes, see February, Race You to the Bottom, erase me, and literally anything else I've written probably.

For more musical themes, yeah, same thing. You're not a one trick pony if you know how to make it fresh and juicy every time. Here's to more tasty froo-oo-oo-oot from fushiglow 🎶

[fushiglow]

10 things I've learned about being a fanfic author over the last year

At the time of writing this post, I have been writing and sharing fanfiction for Jujutsu Kaisen for almost two years. This time last year, my in-progress longfic, Over the Threshold, started to gain popularity and, over the last twelve months, I think it's fair to say I became something of a "BNF" in the SatoSugu community... Sigh...

While every creative wants their work to be seen, there is a threshold (ha) past which visibility brings difficulties, and unfortunately I went over it (ha) in recent months. It has changed my fandom experience significantly, and not entirely for the better. While there have been friendships for life forged, beautiful memories I'll carry with me for the rest of my life, and more kind words and fanart than I can shake a stick at, there have also been opportunists, naysayers, and even outright bullies.

Seeing your name thrown around in fandom spaces with little regard for the real person behind the writing — for your character, for your circumstances, for your creative liberty — does force you to re-evaluate your relationship with your work and your audience. With that in mind, I thought I'd share the lessons I've taken from the last year as a fanfic author.

I really hope this serves as advice for any fanfic authors seeking more visibility on their work, and also generally encourages more thoughtful engagement with fandom creators. Let's go!

1. Writing for anyone except yourself is still a bad idea

That doesn't mean it isn't sometimes worth taking reader preferences into account. It's just about knowing when to disregard them. We write fanfiction for lots of different reasons that vary from fic to fic. Sometimes, making other people happy is a good enough reason to write a fic, as long as that's what you set out to do and you're under no illusions about that.

However, letting reader expectations creep into your approach to your other work in a way that doesn't serve your personal creative vision is a bad idea, especially because...

2. People disrespect fanfic authors even more than you thought

There are plenty of kind, supportive people in fandom. However, the unfortunate truth is they are vastly outnumbered by people who will gobble up your work without even taking a moment to say thank you for the meal and who will, in fact, demand more from you instead.

Trying to please entitled people who are impossible to satisfy, who bring nothing of value to your fandom experience, and who may even resort to bullying if you don't play by their ever changing rulebook is a pointless endeavour — so don't bother!

3. Your writing process is a constant work in progress

Because you are a constant work in progress. You can't always expect something that worked for you a year ago to work the same now. There are too many variables in play, not least your skill as a writer. If the stabilisers you put on last year are no longer helping, maybe it's a sign you don't need them anymore. Maybe it's time to take them off and try something new.

I am still planning a more in depth writing process post, but the simple truth is, my writing process can be summed up as...

4. Whatever works!

My main piece of advice when it comes to writing is always going to be, "at some point, you've just got to do it". Sure, there are tools and techniques you can use to aid the process, but ultimately it always comes down to you and the words.

There's no right or wrong way to write, and there's no point comparing your process to someone else's, because ultimately you'll do whatever works for you. Whether you're someone who religiously practises a warm-up routine before sitting down to write or someone who stares at the screen for two months straight before vomiting up a masterpiece whole (or someone like me who jumbles their way through with a slightly different approach every time), it's all good as long as it ends with words on paper.

5. Writing for an audience changes the game

For better and for worse! Having an engaged readership on a WIP has, on occasion, created unique and invaluable opportunities to elevate my work beyond what would have been possible by myself. I'm very grateful for the artist-audience dialogue that I know we all crave when sharing our work with the world but aren't always fortunate enough to experience.

However, being aware of your audience while writing also influences your approach in unhelpful ways, no matter how much you try to get around it. Ensuring that I maintain control of that dialogue (or, at the very least, a 50/50 back and forth) requires constant vigilance.

6. Community is a double edged sword

I think everyone in fandom is seeking community of one kind or another. Building a dedicated community around my writing and seeing real good come of it was an unexpected by-product of sharing my fic with the world, but a deeply rewarding one. However, communities aren't static and they require a collaborative effort to maintain.

Series come to an end, fandom trends shift, people move on. On the flipside, you build something so wonderful that others want to share in its benefits without contributing in meaningful ways. Seeing a community so closely tied to your work and your sense of self shift into something unrecognisable until you start to feel like a stranger in your own space is very hard. Furthermore, managing a community in a dedicated forum takes significant time and energy which could be spent writing, which is why...

7. The most successful fanfic authors are selfish

What I mean by "successful" is up to you. However, whether it's replying to comments, supporting fellow creatives in the fandom, or even tagging work for discoverability, some authors disregard anything that prevents them from getting words onto the page. Some people are here to post their shit and leave — and more power to them.

The more of yourself you offer, the more people come to expect until, eventually, the already generous act of writing thousands of words for your fandom becomes the bare minimum. This is often where the topic of "fandom etiquette" comes up, but fanfic authors are already taking on a disproportionate share of the burden simply by sharing their work in the first place. Anything beyond that is a courtesy we are not obligated to extend. We should thank authors who thoughtfully choose to extend those courtesies anyway, rather than vilifying them when they don't.

8. Guarding your enjoyment is paramount

If, like me, you're an author who does enjoy being an active member of the fandom community, then it's important to watch out for the myriad of things that can come between you and your stories. Fandom politics, or even just fandom trends, can have a huge influence on your relationship with the characters that originally inspired you.

However, what other people are doing with them doesn't need to have any bearing on what you choose to do with them if you don't want it to. Responding to fandom trends in your writing can be satisfying, but maintaining a degree of separation between wider fandom and the stories that really matter to you is crucial, I think. That being said...

9. Collaboration feeds creativity

Some beautiful moments have been born from throwing an idea back and forth with my fellow fans. Simple things can rapidly snowball into territory you would never usually set foot in, and expanding your creative horizons like that can only ever be a good thing! Being open with your ideas in fandom spaces is always a bit of a worry, but the reward for extending that trust far outweighs the risk in my experience.

Additionally, I think we get caught up in the idea of absolute originality, but if you're active in fandom, you're always taking inspiration from your fellow creatives. Freely crediting the people who have inspired me has only ever brought wonderful things my way, and I've even gone on to develop collaborative relationships with some of them. Fandom is more fun with other people!

10. But ultimately, writing is lonely work

No matter how many friendships you forge, you still have to retreat into solitude to write the damn story eventually. Writing doesn't lend itself to active human connection as much as art or music. You can chat to someone while drawing or play an instrument alongside another person, but when you're writing, you have to go it alone.

And the worst part? Even when you eventually share your story with the world, no one will ever care about it as much as you do. Writing is such a deeply lonely experience most of the time, I think — which is why it's so important to hold onto all the things that make it worthwhile.

And that's that! I have been stewing on all of these thoughts privately, but I wanted to share them in case they're of value to someone. I tried to keep it as measured as possible, but I acknowledge that I'm in a bit of a bitter headspace about fandom in light of the Discourse TM and subsequent harassment over Christmas.

I don't think it will stop me writing stories for this fandom, but I do think it will make me more guarded in my interactions with the wider community, and I think that's a shame. I joined this fandom as a fan first and a creator second, and I'm deeply sad to feel like some of the parts I used to enjoy most are no longer accessible to me.

This experience has certainly got me thinking more critically about the trend of fandom creators seemingly becoming more distant as they gain popularity. The word "arrogant" is often thrown around, but I think it's much more likely that taking a less active role in fandom spaces isn't as much a choice as it is a necessary measure for the sake of wellbeing and even safety.

Fascinating in a sort of sick way.