#series: balancing act

[wttcsms]

balancing act fan anon here again 👋🏼 girl…… i will take anything that you got for this fic (i really may be the only feral gojo fan u got in ur fanbase 🥲)

one of my favorite parts abt writing balancing act is the idea that reader is seen as this total girlboss (in the least cringe way, i swear 😭) so she’ll sometimes be described as - or even describes herself - as that annoying antagonistic evil woman in the hallmark movies. you know, the one that the businessman male lead is engaged to but ends up dumping in favor of choosing the sweeter, nice small town girl instead. but a major part of balancing act is emphasizing how in relationships, there's sort of a part we choose to play when we enter them. so, we get a glimpse of this in the first chapter when reader is talking to utahime, and in the narration, it's mentioned that reader cannot believe that utahime's ex boyfriend broke up w her because he considered her to be "shy" and "demure" but it's commented that reader recalls utahime drunkenly choking out gojo during karaoke night when they were in college; there's nothing shy or demure abt that. and so u wonder (but never ask) about how utahime presented herself in that relationship.

some fun scenes + notes that i took for balancing act:

reader and gojo make intense, intimate eye contact and reader gets nervous, dare i say, thrown off balance, and he thinks you're going to say something sweet and you are thinking of saying something nice and genuine to him but what comes out is "you need to get some brown contacts. seriously." and then u walk off and ur like what the actual fuck did i just say that, why did i say that. he's thinking wtf too

reader is kinda ass at cooking, so u go to a convenience store nearby ur apartment but that one closed down (a recurring anecdote LMAO), so u resort to going to a 7/11 that GOJO happens to go to often and you know how there's like a section where u can cook the ramen or food u purchased and ur just sitting there eating, decompressing after work, and out of the corner of ur eye, who do u see? GOJO

cue awkward, accusatory "what are you doing here?!" against his "me? i live like two blocks from here, and i'm here every week, what are you doing here?" and ur like "every week? that is so not the brag you think it is." despite the fact that reader's dinner like 3x a week is instant ramen heated up in a convenience store microwave

and reader is kind of embarrassed bc u feel like this is something lame of u, almost shameful, because again, appearances to u matter. but gojo is fucking loaded and u see the fancy takeout he gets for lunch in the office so ur confused as to why he's eating instant spicy noodles and using the same public microwave you just used, and he's like, well, the food here is really cheap

and ur like "yea cause it's packed w preservatives and chemicals." and hes like "well u seem to be enjoying ur preservatives and chemicals." and ur like "yes. they say u should eat ur skincare. this is cheaper than botox. im gonna be so preserved, i'm going to look this way forever." and now, ur once a week ritual is to sit next to each other and eat instant ramen

blah blah blah, this is abt how there is no performance when it comes to each other; although, maybe it'll be touched on/mentioned that in the beginning stages of you two being in the process of opening up to each other, there is still a level of performance going on (re: reader immediately trying to turn the embarrassment u feel abt herself by "shaming" gojo for doing the same exact thing only to end up enjoying his company and doing said activity together. maybe something abt how u two always exchange this performance (insulting each other) like it's a type of pleasntry; their own little version of a "hi, how are you" type thing)

short scene immediately after is a convo w him and geto, where geto asks whats got him so happy and gojo is like "we're getting botox together."

and the whole point of ur relationship and why it’ll work and why it’s just so different is that between the two of you, y'all have both always been performative in ur respective romantic relationships (to a certain extent)

but w gojo, reader is unabashedly and sometimes even embarrassingly yourself, your full self, in front of him and when we finally get to month three of the story, you're trying to seduce him, so u get all dressed up

and gojo knows ur trick and he stays strong but what gets him to snap and give in

is when he sees u in the morning, making coffee, no makeup, messy hair, wearing his shirt

ALSO, u tell gojo he's annoying bc he makes u laugh all the time which makes ur makeup crease around ur smile lines + gojo says softly, hidden by the sounds of ur laughter, "but i like ur smile lines. i like your smile"

gojo can be a sweetiepie, reader just needs to have a breakdown in front of him

i wouldn't say it's angst, i think both need to have their own moment of self reflection to be like ok damn, this is who i am as a person. and again, you're both used to being performative people

you'll have a moment where you're close to each other, and the conversation turns serious and maybe even oddly sweet, and reader's "instincts" just kick in and so u back away, both physically and figuratively, trying to change the subject

and i think an important aspect is that this is out of gojo's comfort zone as well; he can joke around, he can be a (poor) flirt, he teases, and so he's putting himself out there by also engaging in serious convo w you, in being the most open about himself

and so it's v hurtful to see the light at the end of the tunnel, to believe that you can really let him in and that it's worth putting himself out there

and so, rationally, he can only handle being shut out (while also feeling like he's being thrown aside) for so long

so cliche, he's drawing back and now you're the one who has to do the pulling him in while he's somewhat pushing you out

just, moral of the story, u can't expect someone to love u unless you show up with your full self in tow and allow them to know you

and being a #corporategirlboss isn't as much fun as buzzfeed articles will have u believing

and so i think you are v focused on ur looks as well

and u two go on a business trip

and ur luggage goes missing which contains ur makeup bag

and ur like tweaking tf out LMAO

[poorly-drawn-mdzs]

Izutsumi character study

[bnprm]

.. why was the first ever live action omegaverse show lowkey one of the best shows released but thailand in the last year

[theonescreencap]

i thought this was so cute LOL they're friends :] i love how he goes all out on her weapon even despite the fact that she doesn't pay him for his work LMAO

[starheirxero]

OH YEA BTW SINCE THE VAS DECIDED TO GET EXTRA SILLY FOR MGAFS:

Earth's VA clarified (very passionately and consistently) that Earth DID NOT DIE from Bloodmoon that was a MISTAKE from Sun or Moon's VA (I can't remember which 😭), technically the old body died because it was broken beyond repair but she herself was perfectly okay!! So both her and Sun are untouched by the family theme of dying. She was just badly injured!

She also said she wants it to be canon that Earth can do a backflip! :]

KC's VA touched on the question of "why didn't it fight back against Bloodmoon?" and it was simply because it didn't care to 💔

[hatchetation]

one of my favorite things about gap: the series is how unapologetically horny it is. i’m not even saying this just as a horny lesbian, but really in the larger context of what it means to be watching television within this heteronormative world we all live in. i feel like queer women’s sexuality is so often either invisible, sanitized, or exaggerated for the male gaze.

but like the truth is, often a big part of being a wlw is wanting to fuck other women. and i just feel like the way sam and mon are so clearly attracted to each other is rare to see. the way they actually follow through with the attraction and kiss and have sex is rare. and the way that it all feels like it was made with queer women in mind is probably the rarest thing of all. i hope writers and producers are out here taking notes!!! 🍀❤️‍🔥🔥

[duckiemimi]

this is useful context for how the former jujutsu system worked, and how it affected its sorcerers and their individual characterizations, i think. again, cultural context and setting matter a lot.

[autisticangus]

with every new taz campaign theres always some dumb fuck saying "FINALLY taz is good AGAIN" like news flash asshole its been good the entire goddamned time u just stopped listening to the actual show after balance and started getting 100% of ur taz content fourth hand from a twitter account that reposts the most controversial r/theadventurezonecirclejerk posts

[jasbell]

[deviousdiesel]

.

[wttcsms]

balancing act ; satoru gojo

“I’ll double your bonus pay if you let me court you for three months.” “Court me?” You’re laughing at him again. He eats it up, savors it, lets it settle on his tongue and warm his insides. “If you’re so convinced I’d be horrible and only prove you right, wouldn’t you jump at the chance to make some easy money?” He’s trying to bait you into accepting; you know it. You also know that nothing from Gojo comes easy . He makes it entirely too convenient to forget that he’s razor sharp and cutthroat, the things he needs to be in order to remain on top of the finance scene, but he’s always joking, always teasing, that it feels like he almost doesn’t like being taken seriously. “Like I said, I don’t deal with men with commitment issues.”

gojo bets that he can get you to fall in love in three months, and you bet that he can't go three months with staying committed to one person and not bang them. neither of you plan on losing, just like how neither of you saw the other coming.

pairing satoru gojo x f!reader word count 4k+ content contains modern/no curses!au, finance bro!gojo, fuck it — everyone works in finance here, resolved sexual tension, he falls first AND harder, pussywhipped!gojo (even before he gets any pussy), mutual pining, falling in love, getting together, eventual smut, slowburn-ish

📧 OUTLOOK.OFFICE.COM

⊹ 📧  ࣪ ˖   EMAIL NOTIFICATION! ▸     PROLOGUE ⊹ 📅  ࣪ ˖   CALENDAR REMINDER! ▸ MONTH 1 ⊹ 📅  ࣪ ˖   CALENDAR REMINDER! ▸ MONTH 2 ⊹ 📅  ࣪ ˖   CALENDAR REMINDER! ▸ MONTH 3

[respectthepetty]

A Balancing Act

Yin and Yang. The symbol of balance of the nature like a dragon, a tiger, a phoenix, and a turtle from different directions. – Episode 7

Previous Posts' Recap: Ep. 1 [Yin & Yang], Ep. 2 [The Color of Anxiety], Ep. 3 [Do you get déjà vu?], Ep. 4 [The Cages We Live In], Ep. 5 [You Changed Me], Ep 6 [The Warmth of the Sun], Bonus: Where the Sun and Moon Meet

Parallels and Callbacks

When speaking to Yai, Mangkorn tells Yai that if he upset, then Mangkorn is upset too which callbacks to their phone discussion in episode four.

At the end of episode four, they fought while the storm raged around them, but this time, they leave before the storm comes because they are clearly communicating.

In episode six, a mirror was used when Yai spoke harshly to Mangkorn which reflected their true feelings. Here, neither are hiding their feelings and looking at each other. Also, the rainbow-colored paintings on the wall are a nice touch.

Yai and Mangkorn visit the dragon temple that was shown in the first episode and stand in the same positions. They chase each other similar to how the tiger and dragon chased each other in the first episode, and the tiger appears several times to balance out the dragons surrounding them.

As many have pointed out, Yai has the camera and Mangkorn has the memory card used in their first sexual encounter, but this time, they are focused on the present instead of dwelling on the past.

During the hospital scene in episode two and Yai’s kissing scene with Nine in episode five, their shoes are shown. Yai discussed with Nine about comfortable shoes representing love, and throughout the episode, it is shown that they both are wearing their comfortable shoes.

Yai and Mangkorn go to the same restaurant that Yai went with Park and Phong when he missed Mangkorn in episode three. Yai is wearing Mangkorn’s colors, and Mangkorn is wearing Yai’s. Dumplings symbolize love, family, and wealth so Nine and Mangkorn are fighting over Yai’s love.  

The scenes in the bed and bath call back to their first sexual encounter in the first episode and Yai’s self service scene with the after shot of Mangkorn sucking his drink.  

Mangkorn wakes up in the bed similar to Yin waking up alone in episode five.

Mangkorn tends to tell Yai commands or instructions twice before Yai complies. Mangkorn doesn’t like being teased about his apology note, so he asks Yai if he is being naughty before Yai stops.

Dragon & Tiger (Symbols)

In the temple, they write “Dragon” and “Tiger” down for the blessing.

Nine and Mangkorn meet in the hallway that is Yai and Mangkorn colored. Nine tells Mangkorn that he has known Yai longer, but Mangkorn and Yai met as children. Nine mentions the past several times, even telling Yai that in the past, he could take him home. Nine is focused on the past each time he interacts with Yai.

The plushies in the crane machine are dragons, and Yai goes out to buy a tiger one.

The bracelets feature the yin and yang symbols but they are wearing each other’s symbol. Yai wears Yang, and Mangkorn wears Yin. This is also similar to the bracelet exchange Hong and Nadear had in episode five.

A dove is a symbol of peace and long lasting love, and Yai’s shirt is tiger print.

At the theme park, they encounter tigers and dragons as well.

In the dark, Mangkorn and Yai are most vulnerable throughout the series, and here in the dark, Mangkorn apologizes to Yai. Right after Mangkorn asks Yai if he will be his partner, the light comes back on. Mangkorn has kissed Yai in the light, so now this is where they find balance in between the dark and the light, in between vulnerability and love.

Yai and Mangkorn wear each other’s color throughout the episode.

Even the mouthwash is colored coded.

The gayest bridges in the world, Rama VIII!

Park & Phong

Hong and Nadear have blue and pink backgrounds while they play the part of Park and Phong at the restaurant merely observing the spectacle.

When Yai and Mangkorn are enjoying their big day out, they dress in pink and blue.

Balance

We finally get the shot that probably convinced everyone to watch this show. Mangkorn nor Yai wears his creature necklace, but they are wearing their bracelets. They are no longer selfish, but thinking of the other. They are no longer Yai and Mangkorn, but Big Dragon. They are part of each other.

Mangkorn gets accepted into the program, but had already stated he would possibly turn it down.

Yet when Yai unveils the renovated bar in the next episode, he is back in his color with his necklace and isn’t wearing the bracelet.

[welcometogrouchland]

Thought about Damian and Dick's dynamic for too long and now I need to level a city block

[angelsdean]

godd reading this whole scene in part 3 of time has come today after also spending time writing my own dean and john altercation is just. ooof. so many heavy feelings today ! 

[sylhea-raemi]

i'm going to cry this hits so hard

[babieken]

We really cant ever have good things huh :/