LADY AOKI || JUJUTSU KAISEN

十七

"I don't know whether to feel weird or sad." Anzu muttered to herself. She sat beneath a ray of afternoon sunlight, an open book in her lap. After a thorough bath and examination by Shoko, the cursed girl had been unchained and dressed in simple clothing: loose black pants and a white uniform jacket with large wide sleeves that reached past her waist. 

The thought was rather amusing to her: students who wore a white uniform were considered "the troublemakers", the stark contrast made them stand out like a traffic light and therefore easier for teachers to keep an eye on. 

"Gin had a white uniform, he was always messing around. One time, we were at the markets and he saw some kids playing with a hackey sack so he wrapped a raw egg inside a wad of silk and replaced it when they weren't looking. The yolk splattered everywhere and he had to buy the girl a new haori." She nodded solemnly to the cursed doll sitting quietly next to her. 

To put it as simply as possible, when she met principal Yaga Masamichi for the first time, she got scared, screamed, and tried to run, only to be snatched back by Gojo like some mischievous puppy. Over the years, Anzu had adapted her scary intimidating demeanour from Lady Aoki, who had a brash and merciless nature, but now that the curse was dormant for the first time in over fifty years, the real Anzu would admit she was actually rather timid. 

Gojo was the one who saved Anzu's hide, confirming the fact that she wasn't actually a curse, but a human spirit inside of one. Still, Yaga was sceptical, and rightfully so, she had the presence of a curse, but when Anzu told him her story he eventually caved and let her off with strict boundaries. 

"I can stay, continue on as a student, but I can't leave master Tengen's barrier and I have to keep you with me at all times." Anzu poked the cursed doll. It was a squat, round bear with beady black eyes, stumpy legs, and large white fists, specifically designed and powerful enough to kill her if she decided to choose violence and revolt. She adored it.

"Whatcha reading?" Yuji's voice startled her. He stood in the doorway with a glass of juice on hand. He reminded Anzu of Gin, skilled in combat but cheerful and optimistic. Smiles came easily to people like them.

"Itadori Yuji was it?" Anzu scooted over so that he could sit across from her. "And I don't really know, this is just something I found on the shelf. I think it's a cookbook."

"Yup! I'm a first year." He smiled and offered her the glass. "Here, I stole this from the kitchens. You were throwing up a lot of blood over the past few weeks, so you're probably really dehydrated and lacking some sugar. At least, that's how I think it works? I hope it helps though, you're looking a little pale."

Anzu accepted the glass and stared into it as though it were filled with flaming gasoline instead orange juice. It smelled sweet and delicious, and probably tasted so, but for some reason she just couldn't bring herself to drink. "I cannot."

"Why not?" Yuji asked innocently, and his brows suddenly knitted when another thought came to mind. "Wait you're not allergic to oranges are you?!"

She set it down on the floor carefully, watching the glass rim catch the sunlight and cast warm reflections onto the walls. "I just, don't think I can. I've never needed to eat or drink or sleep, I don't remember the last time I laughed because I found something genuinely enjoyable, I can't feel warmth even under direct sunlight. These little pleasures just seem to be a privilege only humans have, so it's...I feel like this is something undeserved."

"Wait wait sorry, what do you mean by you're not human?" He cocked his head to the side. "You look and act pretty human to me."

She sighed. "I meant, it's been so long that I fully rely on the cursed spirit I posses to live. Our souls are fused together, the physical manifestation of that is a human with curse-like features and abilities. Half curse half human if you will. Because cursed spirits only grow more powerful the older they get, she's like my life force, without her, I would die from sustaining a hundred and fifty years worth of aging all at once. By now, I am more spirit than human, my soul has been cursed for so long that it's slowly turning me into one even though I still retain humane aspects."