Pale fingers arranged the last of the baked goods in their case before (y/n) stood. Her mind was still swimming over what happened. Junpei was gone, Nagi was gone, Yuji was angry from even looking at her. She closed the pastry case and returned to sweeping the shop before opening. Granny was sipping her morning tea from behind the register, "You look troubled, dearie." "Troubled is a word for it, yes.," the young woman replied. The elderly woman set her teacup down, "Does it happen to do with the events yesterday?" (Y/n) nodded solemnly. "I normally do not pry into the matters of Jujutsu Sorcerers, but would you like to tell me?," Granny asked and poured a cup of tea for the pale woman. The elderly woman motioned to a cushion on the window near the register for (y/n) to sit. The silvery blue haired young woman took the tea and sat on the windowsill. "Now, please tell me what is on your mind.," the old woman told the younger one.
"Yesterday, there was an attack on a school. A curse spirit used one of the students to cause panic and attack the others. People died.," the young woman explained, "Yuji, that cute student I told you about, he got mad at the sight of me. The sorcerer with him told me he was mad because I look like that curse spirit." The old woman listened to her, taking in the words and contemplating them. "This is a bit of a problem for you. Especially since you care for this boy.," Granny spoke, "Yuji-kun more than likely knows that you are not like this curse, yet the physical similarities between the two of you remind him of whatever trauma the curse brought onto him." "My only question is, why does this curse look like me?," (y/n) inquired aloud. She thought to herself about what Nanami told her when they talked after he talked to Yuji, 'The patchwork curse knew who you were. He knew that you were coming.' The silver eyed woman looked at the cup of tea in her hand.

'How does this curse know me when we never met before?,' she thought to herself and patted Sors' head after the feline curse hopped up next to her, 'Unless that priest guy who was watching me told him about me. But why would a priest like that collaborate with a curse spirit?' Sors stared at his mother's face as she contemplated. The feline nudged her hand with his main muzzle. Her silver eyes looked at him after breaking out of the trance she was in, "It's okay, Sors. I'm just thinking about things." "I know, mother. You don't need to worry about it too much. The answers will come.," the feline spoke. "Thanks, Sors.," the young woman spoke and patted her feline son's head, "I'm glad my curse ability gave birth to you." Her pinkish lips had a smile on them before a pang of pain was felt in her gut. She clutched her abdomen, "Now? Another one?" Quickly, she got up and went upstairs. She used the wall to stabilize herself and fell onto one of the couches.
She closed her eyes and waited for the pain to pass. The young woman looked down and saw a small curse on her. Not a pollen puff or another like Sors and Vinea. It looked vaguely humanoid and had a tough skin. It looked able to fly with its small wings. The small curse looked back at her with its big silver and blue eyes. Something about those eyes made her remember something. The dream of her son. She picked the curse up in her hand and took it to the window. "It's too dangerous for you to stay here, little one. Go find your brother and tell him I sent you.," the young woman said to the small curse, "Be safe." The curse heard her instructions and understood. It was a small curse, a grade three at most. The curse nodded in understanding and flew out of the window with its little wings. She lost visual of the curse after it flew a little ways away, but she was satisfied. If her son was real, that little curse would find him. The pain had passed and she could get back to work before she had to go to the tech school to prepare for the exchange event Yaga had called her about the night before.

She was able to quickly finish her work and get to the school after riding the bus. Her footsteps tapped on the brick walkway before she stopped to look at the kids. Four children and a bipedal panda. Two of them were Gojo's first years, the others were the second years. (Y/n)'s silver eyes watched them train a bit before she began to walk to the school. She entered through the doors and walked on the wood floor to Yaga's office, where she would receive her next assignment. She stopped at a sliding door and tapped on the panel, "It's (y/n). I'm here for my assignment." "Come in.," came the reply. The young woman opened the door and entered the office. Yaga sat with the dolls he had created, he motioned her to sit on one of the cushions on the floor. The young woman did so and sighed, so much had happened in a relatively short period of time. The silvery blue haired woman looked to the man before her, his dark glasses hid his eyes. "I need you to attract some curses and make some talismans to put on them. They will be part of the games.," principal Yaga explained to (y/n), who nodded in acknowledgement. Her silver eyes were looking at one of the dolls next to him.
"Is there something wrong?," Yaga asked. "No. Just thinking of those dreams again.," the young woman said and looked back at the tanned principal, "Please, tell me how to make those talismans you need." "It will be similar to the other ones you make for us, but I need you to make them burn specific colors. You will be collaborating with a sorcerer.," Yaga explained, "I will be overseeing your work. I will also like for both your and Gojo's presence at the event." "Yes, Yaga-san.," (y/n) replied. "Your curse energy is weaker than usual. Is there a reason for that?," the man asked. The young woman did not answer him.

Yaga did not pry more, "If it has to do with her, you can just say that. But, you cannot keep using that excuse, especially once the others find out what really happened." "I know.," the young woman responded, "Thank you for sparing me." She placed her hand over her stomach. Yaga did not respond this time, not that he needed to. (Y/n) smiled as she remembered seeing the panda, "Panda has grown up. You must be proud." Yaga did not respond, but there was a small smile on his face. Another knock came to the door and a Jujutsu Sorcerer came in with some paper and writing brushes. "Ah, this is my partner today?," the sorcerer asked. "Yes, this is the curse vessel who works for me.," Yaga replied, "Prepare the talismans." "Yes sir!," both the sorcerer and (y/n) replied. The silvery blue haired young woman followed the sorcerer out of the office and into a library like room. "Do you know how to make talismans?," the sorcerer asked. "I know how to make curse sealing talismans, not the kind that Yaga-san needs.," (y/n) replied.
The young sorcerer grinned, "Talismans are my specialty! It's what I use regularly." "That's amazing!," the young woman cheered. "What kind of curse ability do you and your curse have?," the sorcerer asked. "Uh... I... don't remember. It's been a while since I've even thought about it.," she answered, "I do know a side effect of my energy is the attraction of curses." The silvery blue haired woman knew she lied to this sorcerer, but it was better than telling him the truth. "That must be annoying.," the sorcerer laughed and set out the supplies to make the talismans. She smiled, "A little, but it is kind of easy to handle."

The sorcerer picked up a brush and painted a script onto a paper, "I'll need you to write the same script. But, think of the task we want accomplished and pour in some curse energy." (Y/n) looked at the lettering and carefully wrote the same script on it while putting some curse energy into it. The paper under her brush burned with a blue flame. Both the woman and the sorcerer jumped back in surprise. She looked at the sorcerer who returned the gaze and told her, "Too much curse energy." She nodded as the flames went out and they could get back to work. She carefully cleaned the desk of and got another paper before trying again. She did not burn that one. "Good work, just have to make more to put on the curses.," the sorcerer grinned and wote some more talismans. The woman started making more talismans, "You mentioned that mine will be placed on curses, right?" "Yes. I wanted you to write the same script I write for each to have a connection between them, yours will be placed on the curses since they seem to like your energy more.," the sorcerer explained, "Mine will be used to track them and see which team exorcises the curse it is attached to." (Y/n) nodded, yet felt a pang of pain inside her heart.
She and the sorcerer worked quietly together before she heard a cooing noise coming from her bag. She picked up her bag to look inside. (Y/n) saw the largest and oldest of her pollen puffs in her bag. It must have crawled in when she did not pay attention to it. 'I need to keep this one from sight.,' she thought to herself. Carefully she closed the bag and looked to her partner to see if he had noticed. She apparently did as he was standing and holding exorcism talismans. "Put those away, this is barely a fourth grade.," she said and put her bag down, "We have work to do instead of playing with my curse. She's been here the whole time and has not made any trouble." The sorcerer sat down, eyeing the bag cautiously, "That was a super low grade that you attracted?" "She's been with me for a year now. She was the size of a mandarin when I first got her, now she's the size of a throw pillow.," (y/n) said as she worked, "These don't make the usual curse trouble, but do annoy people with allergies."

The room became quiet as both worked. The silence did not stay that way for long as the sorcerer began asking about what curses the young woman had seen. He began to tell her stories of his escapades from when he was a student at the school. Soon, they were able to get the task completed. Both reported to Yaga and showed him the finished tags. Principal Yaga nodded and let them go. After they left the office, the sorcerer bowed politely to (y/n) as she took her pollen puff from her bag to hold. "It was nice meeting you, (y/n)-san!," the sorcerer said and raised himself from his bow, "I wish you a good day." The silvery blue haired woman gave him a bow in return, "It was nice to meet you as well." The sorcerer stood upright and walked away. (Y/n) took her leave, walking to the front of the school and onto the heavily wooded grounds.
Her silver eyes looked over the lush forest. 'These trees. It feels nostalgic almost. Like the forest I was once in with him.,' the young woman thought. She looked around and walked to the bus stop to go home, stopping for a moment to watch the children train a little more before continuing.

-~-~-~-~

The trees finally opened to a place where people could park. The girl looked around. The moon overhead lit the area up. She saw a sign and read it, it told her that her destination was a few miles away. She could get there by morning. Her tattered clothes and bare feet meant nothing to her now. All she wanted was for those who left her there to die to pay. She followed the roads and signs to where she needed to go. The sun rose over the horizon as she traveled, lighting the cold world up. Her eyes saw the world differently now, colors and creatures unimaginable to the human mind.