#❅ 𝐕. JUJUTSU KAISEN ⤻ she’s got blood cold as ice，and a heart made of stone. ❞

[zorkaya-moved]

navigation: death under waxing moon.

This verse alternates the spoken canon about the sorcerers & curses outside Japan being almost non-existent.

𝐀𝐧𝐝 𝐰𝐡𝐞𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐬𝐤𝐲 𝐟𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐬, 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐮𝐧𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐡𝐲 𝐰𝐢𝐥𝐥 𝐛𝐞 𝐩𝐮𝐫𝐠𝐞𝐝. 𝐔𝐩𝐨𝐧 𝐰𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐫'𝐬 𝐚𝐫𝐫𝐢𝐯𝐚𝐥, 𝐃𝐞𝐚𝐭𝐡 𝐰𝐢𝐥𝐥 𝐛𝐞 𝐝𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐞𝐝 𝐢𝐧 𝐰𝐡𝐢𝐭𝐞 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐬𝐢𝐥𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐰𝐢𝐥𝐥 𝐝𝐞𝐬𝐜𝐞𝐧𝐝.

Title: Ice Queen  Age: 28 years old, July 27th, Leo Ancestors: Chernobog and Morana (sorcerers turned vengeful spirits) Grade: Special Grade Innate Technique: Death In Winter

To speak simply and to, later on, write it better in another headcanon, Zarina’s cursed energy transforms into ice, she is able to create a variety of tools and even ‘living’ and ‘acting’ figures such as animals or even humans. Her technique can also apply either ‘stagnation’ state or ‘fragile’ state on her enemies but only one at a time due to complications of such technique. 

Domain Expansion: Eternal Slumber of Death;

Full description: TO BE UPDATED.

Incantation: All are equal before Death.

Heavenly Restriction: Inability to use the fire-related techniques passed down in the family in exchange for enhanced ice technique; emotional detachment in exchange for control of emotions and cursed energy. 

Binding Vow: Limitation of cursed energy based on ‘chains’ (accessories). Zarina binds her powers and her cursed energy based on how many accessories she wears (she wears 9 at all time but may wear 10 to fully be seen as if a normal person), each accessory limiting ten percent of her power. 

𝐋𝐄𝐀𝐑𝐍 𝐇𝐎𝐖 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐀𝐍𝐂𝐈𝐄𝐍𝐓 𝐂𝐔𝐑𝐒𝐄 𝐎𝐅 𝐁𝐄𝐓𝐑𝐀𝐘𝐄𝐃 𝐋𝐎𝐕𝐄 𝐅𝐑𝐎𝐙𝐄 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐆𝐎𝐃𝐒.

o1. The main history behind this verse: Background information and the story.

o2. The curse of Morana: the ancestry, the relation, and the effect on Zarina’s life as a sorcerer.  TO BE REWRITTEN/UPDATED.

o3. Morana’s Doll: What will happen when the seal breaks down? How will it affect Zarina? Why is she in such hurry? UPDATED.

o4. “I’m glad Gojo Satoru was born.” What does this phrase mean?

o5. Morana's Doll: The location of the doll at the beginning and middle of the manga. (TBA)

o6. (Ten) Nine limiters of powers: What are Zarina's 'limiters'? How do they affect others' perception on her power level and what they do to her powers?

o7. Reputation: How others view Zarina? What others whisper about her? What information is fully available from her reputation?

[zorkaya-moved]

JJK VERSE ORIENTED — REPUTATION ACROSS NON-SORCERERS AND SORCERERS.

*This headcanon may be rewritten in some ways but the general information remains.

This headcanon has following four separations:

Political protection.

General reputation from both sides.

Prime minister of Japan / Government of Japan (Non-sorcerers).

Jujutsu Headquarters and Jujutsu Society.

POLITICAL PROTECTION: Unlike certain presences in Japan, Zarina Sokolova is allowed to do many things but she is also not allowed to do others. What does it mean? Let’s start with the fact that Zarina has political protection from both the Japanese government and jujutsu clans within Japan. 

It means that she cannot be killed by those two factions: jujutsu sorcerers and the prime minister to keep a good relationship with the Russian government. This protection for political reasons comes from the fact that the Sokolov family is the leading family in Russia as both part of the government and also the leading jujutsu family in the country. Zarina’s presence in Japan was first made known to the Prime Minister of Japan before it was made clear to the higher ups of jujutsu society. 

Why? The Prime Minister of Japan wanted to use skills that Zarina Sokolova was bringing with herself: information gathering and further political discussions regarding the work of two countries together. Trade, politics, economics, and more. Thankfully, such talks were moved a couple of weeks after her presence in Japan to calls with her father Oleg and her brother Victor. 

Her political affiliation also prevents her from being a teacher at Jujutsu High, be it Tokyo or Kyoto. She is allowed to visit the premises but she isn’t allowed to work there full time due to her affiliation and busy schedule. She is allowed to give classes if it’s requested but she cannot be a full-time teacher, no matter what is proposed.

GENERAL REPUTATION: In general, both politicians and jujutsu sorcerers know that Zarina is a spoiled and indulgent woman who does her job well. She is known as someone who - if her interests are met - will deliver the best results. People whisper about her as if she’s someone who is both easy to get and not, a paradox in the making. Someone who is desirable yet picky, spoiled yet professional when requested. Bold, shameless, and unpredictable in how she might behave. They say her unpredictability depends on how entertained she is. It’s common knowledge that she does not enjoy the nickname of ‘spoiled princess.’ 

Another part is that Sokolova is known, in general, as someone who can do work and can do it well if the price is met, but she is also known as someone who is very… skittish. She is a mystery and people don’t know what she thinks or what she’ll do next. 

However, many older politicians and jujutsu sorcerers don’t have high views on her due to her being a woman and her more flirtatious reputation. Some people tend to doubt her successes and say that she has a team with her that acts on her behalf and that she doesn’t do any jobs herself. There are also talks that she is all talk and no bite, which is either met with nodding or met with laughter from those who know better. 

PRIME MINISTER OF JAPAN / JAPANESE GOVERNMENT (NON-SORCERERS): The Prime Minister of Japan is much better aware of the darker shady dealings that aren’t connected to jujutsu society. Specifically, when it comes to the underworld and darker dealings of non-sorcerers. He is well aware of what deep web Zarina is connected to without knowledge that she is one of the leading operators of everything he’s heard of when it comes to the Russian mafia. 

The Prime Minister also uses Zarina’s presence in Japan for his own personal requests that come in as shady dealings from information to murder and annihilation of anyone who he wants out of the picture. This is something that is only between Zarina and the Prime Minister as it concerns non-sorcery and something that doesn’t touch jujutsu society at all. Sokolova only takes operations and missions for Japanese government if it is approved by her own family, which doesn’t happen a lot as she keeps her schedule open for jujutsu society the most, but it happens enough to keep her away from - as an example - becoming a teacher at Jujutsu High. 

Several government officials of Japan have Zarina on speed dial both because they want to get on her good side because of what affiliation with her opens for them in terms of political and informational weaponry. Many government officials are known to be smitten by her, which causes her to attend many parties and gatherings. 

The Prime Minister has hired Zarina for several missions in a couple years such as assassination and information gathering. Naturally, no crime has been connected to her or the government. 

JUJUTSU SOCIETY OF JAPAN: Now when it comes to Jujutsu Society of Japan, they are fully aware of the fact that Zarina Sokolova is a Special Grade sorcerer but they were met with surprise when meeting her the first time. The higher ups expected her to have a similar presence to Satoru Gojo or Yuuta Okkotsu, but she lacked any powerful energy and any showcase of power. She was polite and charming, but they also noticed a trace of danger in her words.

Higher ups personally do not want to speak with Zarina more than they need to due to how they seem to get tongue tied or cannot refuse her words, which leads her to gain certain favors. This caused higher ups to avoid meetings with her to the best of their abilities until it’s required. She is seen as dangerous to them mostly through face to face meetings when it comes to verbal discussions. 

What the higher ups know is that Zarina Sokolova is not allowed to fight full force until they wish to annihilate the region they send her to. She is not allowed to enter crowded areas to fight special grade curses until headquarters let her due to the possibility of having high casualties. They received such documentation from Russia upon her entrance, providing her services to the higher ups and showing them that the reason for her ‘weak’ outer appearance is due to her power limitations. In general, the higher ups see Zarina as someone who can be used as a weapon if they need her assistance but they have never witnessed the true extent of her powers and they have never been notified about it as it’s a technique of a family from another country which they couldn’t find full information on. They are aware it's connected to ice, they are aware it's affecting cursed energy, but they are unaware of details. 

Additionally, Jujutsu Headquarters are also aware of her extensive skill set in fighting. Specifically, when it comes to fighting curses and her ability in hunting other sorcerers. Many jujutsu sorcerers call her ‘Silencer’ due to how her technique seems to affect all who step close to her. “Silencer” also comes in as a nickname when it comes to how after fighting with her, there is silence left behind, which corresponds with ‘annihilation’ mentioned prior. She is treated as a weapon, as a beast to unleash when they need to. They are quite confident that she will never betray them and that she will be on the side of humanity. 

When it comes to others Jujutsu Sorcerers below higher ups and three great clans, they are aware that Zarina is a capable sorcerer of Special Grade rank, but they also are aware that she prefers using cursed tools instead of her technique. She is known as someone with great potential and bright intelligence, but they are also aware of her... skittish personality. Some of the sorcerers whisper about how Zarina Sokolova never works in a team but they are unaware of the reason why. She is known more as a lone wolf than anyone else.

They are fully aware that she is searching for Morana’s Doll, but after casualties with Suguru Geto and the appearance of Sukuna, they stopped assisting Zarina with the search due to how tied their hands are. 

Altogether, many see her as a powerful yet dangerous tool without knowing the reason for her search for Morana’s Doll aside from ‘it will be destructive to Japan.’ 

[zorkaya-moved]

JJK VERSE ORIENTED — INNATE TECHNIQUE, 'DEATH IN WINTER'

warning: this is my attempt at explaining in deeper detail how zarina's technique works. tldr; the closer you to the epicenter of a winter storm (death) the less warmth (life) you have left in you, you become fragile (age or consumed by ice) and you have winter throw all cutting snowflakes at you that will lead you to your demise; the closer you are to death - the more cold you become, the more fragile you become, and the faster you will succumb to that chilling cold.

Let’s talk about the cursed technique that Zarina operates. To save time, I will only be diving into what Zarina’s cursed technique is without speaking about the history of Morana’s and Chernobog’s family that leads to current time’s Sokolov family. 

There is one thing that will forever follow Zarina through all of her verses: the overwhelming control over her abilities down to molecular level. Zarina’s ability to utilize her technique is only the way it is because she spent years training it and even evolving it for her own benefit, her own style, and her own life. This is why her approach to the cursed technique cannot be precisely copied because of how masterful and overpowering her control is. As an example, Yuuta Okkotsu will be able to copy the low to medium level parts of her technique but her higher level ability may take Yuuta much longer to grasp due to how it relies on her internal control. 

Zarina’s innate technique is best explained through a more poetic explanation: death in winter. It’s widely known that many people have fallen prey to the winter’s cruelty: hypothermia, fragility, shattering, freezing, and so on. When you really dive into it, her concept is very simple but the way she explores it makes it far more complicated. When Zarina activates her technique, she becomes the epicenter of a winter storm where anything and everything that approaches her will start to freeze/turn to ice or turns fragile. 

When you get close to Death, you become fragile due to aging, but in case of Zarina’s innate technique, you become fragile because your body starts to freeze over down to your cells. It’s especially effective against cursed spirits who are cursed energy given form and also jujutsu sorcerers who have a high concentration of cursed energy within them. Cue why Zarina's good at hunting down both, or, well, was taught to hunt both.  

Her innate technique is similar to Uraume’s “Ice Formation” technique, Zarina uses not only her own cursed energy but the energy from the environment around her (especially the cursed energy released upon death of civilians). This means that if there is anyone who sends their cursed energy at her, she can freeze it and use it for her own benefit, which dictates her ‘authority’ over ice as the descendant of Morana. Zarina’s cursed technique not only contributes to the creation/manipulation of ice, freezing, but also applies fragility trait to others. Some people may think that they’ll be covered in ice, which will signify the fact that her technique works, but that’s not the case. Fragility is applied if you are in close proximity to her, you may think that your hand is safe but if Zarina attacks or uses her weapon, she’ll shatter their limb or their summoned spirit or their cursed technique depending on the output. As an example, if a cursed technique like Mai's bullet is shot at her, Zarina may still get hurt if she won't concentrate correctly or if she won't dodge in time.

As an example, Zarina has 2 ways of using her innate technique to make it seem both very similar to Uraume but also vastly different. First, she creates a field around herself that will automatically freeze or apply fragility to those who come close to her (aside from Satoru Gojo’s Infinity as she does not make contact with him). Sadly, it affects ALL those all around her which makes it unfavorable to fight in big crowds as long as they won’t be used as substitutes for weaponry through fragility. If Zarina cared enough about that, it'd be an issue, but she isn't.

The second way is for Zarina to solidify the cursed energy around her and use it to create different types of constructs from animals to weapons to anything that’s required for her like stairs or whatever can be done. This is solidifying of the cursed energy and forcing it to gain a freezing attribute. The ‘death in winter’ is applicable through those constructs clashing against another person where her ice will start to ‘freeze away’ or ‘consume’ the cursed energy it comes in contact with if it’s striking the person. Specifically, it starts to freeze away the soul, trying to lead it closer to ‘death’ through hypothermia. 

The lowering of temperature acts as a way for her to also find targets if they are hiding. The lowering of temperature (or appearance of molecular level snowflakes’ is happening due to Sokolova using her own cursed energy to cover a specific ground and by walking she moves that area with her as she must remain the ‘center’ of the field. Thanks to that, she can sense any intrusion or change in her surroundings to avoid damage. However, this does not mean she can fully stop it. Zarina must act fast to avoid the attack, to attack back, or to concentrate her cursed energy to soften the blow or multiply the fragility trait to ensure it won’t harm her too much. 

Once again bringing up Urauma because they are basically almost identical in their innate technique in majority of cases and usage, but Zarina is unfazed by Urauma’s techniques due to how it clashes against her own control. The control she has over the cursed energy would bleed into her own ice consuming Uraume’s and making that ice her own, but it may not be noticeable until it’s too late or Zarina lets it be known.

This meta may be up to correction or better verbiage in the future. I've been struggling with explaining things all my life. Got a very solid idea what Zarina's ability does but writing it down? Oh boy.

[zorkaya-moved]

Fun fact about JJK verse: The 6 seals are connected to 5 parts of the body and the 'soul' -> arms, legs, neck + 'heart/soul'. The first seals always go to limbs before neck and heart/soul is the last one.

The reason for that is to neutralize the spirit's ability to move at any point. Basically, by chaining all those 5 spots, they can access the heart/soul without missing and finalizing the ritual.

[zorkaya-moved]

JJK VERSE ORIENTED — SIX SEALS ON MORANA'S DOLL, WHAT HAPPENS WHEN THEY ARE BROKEN?

Morana’s Doll has six seals that were created by Chernobog when his wife turned into a cursed spirit and he took it upon himself to become the seal to keep her grief away from destroying everything around, including their surviving son who later on would continue the bloodline. 

There are five seals that represent the family of Chernobog and Morana, specifically memories connected to their life as a family with their children. The five seals are shared between the seals imbued with memories of their four children and Chernobog himself. They are seals that must be redone every five years, which is considerably less than what was happening when the doll was first created thousands of years ago, prior to Master Tengen’s appearance to be exact. 

The center of Morana’s curse is LOVE, but specifically betrayal of the one she loves the most and the loss of those she loved the most. She was torn apart from her feeling of love, which left an eternally freezing agony and lament that makes her turn everything around into silent and still ice age because then no one will leave and nothing will make her remember the loss of that warmth. But this is going to be discussed in another meta in greater detail.

Returning back to the seals and how they affect Zarina. Each year, when the seal breaks down, Sokolova experiences an intense level of pain and she grows extremely cold, which renders her immobile for a couple of minutes. Additionally, she may start coughing out blood as her body goes through a forceful expansion of her cursed energy that comes from Morana’s doll. Morana’s cursed energy is extremely cold as her Slavic legend suggests, which is why Zarina’s body must adapt to it before settling back to normal state. Sokolova is well aware when that day happens and makes sure that she spends it at home or somewhere where she can go through that intense shot of pain without anyone else witnessing it. 

The more chains/seals are broken from Morana’s Doll, the more dangerous it is for Zarina’s to use her Domain Expansion due to how it attunes/connects her to Morana’s spirit sealed in the doll. The fewer seals there are, the more possibility there is for any Morana’s cursed to be possessed by the spirit. Thankfully, Sokolova was blessed with an inhumane ability to control herself, her mind, and her soul, which has never been a problem for her in terms of Morana’s possession. However, it is why her family continues to underline how essential it is for her to never know love of another, all because it’ll give Morana’s spirit a way to ‘control’ Zarina’s mind. Sokolova herself does not think it’ll be an issue either way, stating that even when Morana’s spirit was aggravated during the ceremony, she was able to repress her with relative ease. 

I mentioned only five seals from Chernobog but said there are six. The sixth seal is the very person who acts as Morana’s cursed. If they are killed, it doesn’t mean that Morana is killed. If there are still several seals left, the spirit will instead return to the previous woman who is cursed in the family, waiting for the rest of the seals to be broken. She is a petty woman, after all. However, there is also a problem where killing the sixth seal may not kill them. What do I mean by that? If the person who has been mortally wounded beyond using RCT, if their desire for life is stronger than anything, they can exchange their death for one of the seals. As Morana represents winter and death, she’ll negate death’s hold but will break one of the seals or possibly even two depending on how strong Morana’s cursed is mentally. However, the sixth seal is not an ‘active’ seal, it is the very vessel of Morana that she needs to possess to be in full power. 

What happens if all seals are broken? Naturally, Morana’s spirit will possess the body of the woman from her family she cursed. In this case, Zarina Sokolova. After all seals are broken, the spirit of death in winter will be far more powerful and aggressive in its possession, freezing and shattering the mind of the person she possessed. Not only that, she will greatly alter the ecosystem around the continent of Japan as well, bringing the beginning of an ice age if not stopped. Morana’s Doll during the history of Slavic countries and Russia has been used by sorcerers to protect their country, which is where the common saying of Russian winters comes from.

[zorkaya-moved]

JJK VERSE ORIENTED — LIMITERS, WHAT ARE THEY AND HOW THEY AFFECT OTHERS' PERCEPTION ON ZARINA.

What are the limitations that are used by Zarina? Simply speaking, they are a parody of Chernobog’s Seals on Morana’s Doll. They are created by infusing cursed energy of the Chernobog’s blessed and their blood, which is then used on the person who inherited Morana’s cursed. Usually, that’s why Sokolov’s family must have two children of two different sexes every second generation due to how curse affects them (boy being blessed by Chernobog and girl being cursed by Morana). 

In modern day and age, the Sokolov family has made a variety of different ‘limiters’ for Zarina to use as a way to make her ‘burden’ easier. It was especially pushed forward by her younger twin brother Victor who became Chernobog’s blessed as he didn’t want his sister to be unhappy about those ‘limits’ in some way or form. At the very least, he wanted to make sure she likes the look of them and they don’t feel like legitimate chains on her. Thus, the limiters are cursed tools that with Zarina always look like common jewelry or accessories (cue the easier reference to them as 'accessories'). 

Victor spent days upon days making them for his sister, which she greatly appreciates every single day by wearing them in different ways. Rings, hair clips, necklaces, chokers, earrings, bracelets, and more. It fits Zarina’s appearance and the lifestyle she shows off. Throughout years, she gathered countless different smaller cursed tools. They are not activated until they are put on Zarina as they directly connect with her innate powers and connection established through bloodline. This means that they seem like normal accessories until coming in contact with Sokolova herself. They do not react to any other curse or any other sorcerer. 

Zarina altogether can wear ten limiters if she wants to, which will significantly decrease the power observed by others, which can even make her pass as a normal civilian. Each limiter seals away ten percent of her power respectively, but she usually keeps to having nine on to still be recognized as a jujutsu sorcerer. They hide away the oppressive aura she may gain upon exposure and they also keep her on her toes as she prefers to first always use her cursed weapons or use as little of her cursed technique as possible, preferring to push her limits through physical means and sole physical enhancement. 

The limiters are not full-proof. They can break and they can shatter upon certain conditions. Zarina can easily break them with simple will power, shattering them into dust. It only happens if she is in a life or death situation OR she is extremely mad/angry, which happens almost never. However, due to how the current situation in Japan is, there is a higher possibility of how her emotional output levels may act up. 

The accessories/limiters also affect how attuned Zarina is to her powers and how strong her connection to Morana’s Doll is, which peaks during Domain Expansion. What does this mean? Morana’s ‘aura’ may start to affect her in a sense that certain people may consider her to have a curse on her or even relate her to a curse, which won’t be that wrong. Specifically, Special Grade curses can see Zarina as someone who has a fellow curse’s existence. You can say that a curse like Mahito can see the disruption of her soul by having a second soul that occupies her body, and that ‘second soul’ becomes more and more prevalent the less limiters she has on herself. That ‘second soul’ is indeed Morana’s soul.

[zorkaya-moved]

JJK ORIENTED — THE HISTORY BEHIND THE VERSE.

━ You are born from a family where survival of the fittest is simply the way to live. It’s not your decision where you were born, but it is your decision on how you will rise and how you will shape yourself in this world of corruption. 

Before the birth of the Sokolov twins, the story that must be told is a short but meaningful one. The tales told in Russia, the creatures such as vodyanois, rusalkis, beses, and more, were told among the people. There were people who could see those people, there were those who could fight those spirits, and there were those who were disappearing because of those spirits. The way Russians call those spirits were similar to the Japanese “curses” - “proklyatiya.” It’s unknown how long this story took place, but the slavic deities were sorcerers. The ones who were portrayed as “good” were the ones who were working towards the greater good, but those who turned antagonistic were the ones that turned into a vengeful spirit. The history that turned into stories, twisted and distorted outside of the specific lineage, was something that changed the knowledge of the common folk. The deities they knew and the spirits they read about were all real, they were existing behind a veil that the common folk couldn’t see. 

The story of Chernobog and Morana, the “deities of Nav,” (the opposites of “deities of Yav”) the Slavic “realm of the dead.” Chernobog was known as the god of evil, but it is only what the common folk knows while knowing that Chernobog was working alongside his twin brother Belobog to have the balance in the world. The true fear remained in his wife - Morana (Marzanna), the goddess associated with winter and death, who was known for her attempts to harm and cause chaos in the world of Yav. The true fear surrounded her, the one who was far more dangerous than any of the sorcerers and deities existing. 

What is the truth behind this story? Why is this being mentioned? 

Chernobog and Morana were feared yet respected until the husband could not hold his wife’s anger that was caused by people’s hatred towards her and her abilities, calling her a witch who was bringing death and winter that was killing all around. They drowned several of her daughters and caused the woman to go into hiding with the remaining children, hiding even from her husband only to return while turning the powers against those who harmed her and who disrespected her. The anger and hatred towards the world caused the woman to turn into the winter so many people feared and hated, she became the death of winterland itself. Countless people died, too many to count, the curses along with non-sorcerers who were unable to stop the ice-cold anger radiating from the woman who lost her humanity, now being called a deity of death. Only Chernobog was able to speak to his wife but even he was tossed away as the woman had lost all love and warmth she ever had in her soul. 

Upon a sea of frozen corpses, Morana was only able to be sealed away by all the sorcerers of Yav gathering together and using Chernobog’s sacrifice as the seal to wake up the cold-hearted woman just for a second so she would lose control over her powers. It worked, the dead body of her beloved husband, the ice cracked and tears flowed out as she understood who was in front of her and whose blood covered her porcelain skin. Morana cursed the world until her last breath when she understood the process of sealing, her anger never subsided as winter still strikes the coldest in Russia. And has been for thousands of years. 

THE CURRENT.

The Morana’s Doll was sealed away by the Chernobog himself who had sacrificed his life to ease his wife’s curses towards the world and to grant her a deep sleep. The Doll was passed down the family of sorcerers who came from Chernobog’s and Morana’s union, those who were lucky to survive. It had to be re-sealed every year when the winter was ending and the spring was beginning, it became a largely known ritual in the current Russia, but there could only be one person to seal the doll until the next one could take the place - it became a life-time commitment as the doll required blood and the cursed energy offered as a small price to keep the Chernobog’s seal remain. The Sokolov family became the only family that was able to continue the sealing of the doll as the main branch of the family was devastated during the 20th century when the revolution happened, the royal family passed away. 

Today, the current sorcerer that is able to seal the doll is said to be a resemblance of the Morana herself in her nature and presence. The winter and death follow her footsteps just like it did with the vengeful spirit, but those are all rumors who no one can guarantee. The woman with silver hair and bright golden eyes who was cursed with apathy, she was indeed the reminiscence of the stories told about Morana, but is it really true? No one knows. What people do know is that she is the only one in the world who can put Morana’s spirit into another year of sleep and continue supporting Chernobog’s seal. After all, if the seal were to break, Morana would bring back the ice age and she will walk the world once more to engulf the country in snow and cover it with ice to showcase how far her dissatisfaction with the world became. But not only that, the first layer of the seal would bring back the vengeful spirit of Chernobog who hated what had become of his wife and came to hate those who harmed her in such a disastrous way to the point where she could no longer see him with the same love as before. It is a tragedy, but the story of Chernobog and Morana will forever live in the Russian sorcery as the story of how winter could alternate so many historical incidents just like when the seal was growing weaker during the fight against Napoleon when the cursed object was used to win the battle with pure “nature” alone. 

THE SORCERER.

Zarina Sokolova is the latest sorcerer who was given the duty of sealing the Morana’s doll every five years. After taking the duty from her grandmother from her father’s side, the woman took it into her hands to find a way to see if humanity's potential could exceed the cursed energy so these curses will never walk the Earth again. The girl who was born with astonishing control over her emotions and her cursed energy was devoid of the same emotional capability as her brother and not being able to wield the same two powers as her grandmother did, making her resemble more the vengeful spirit hidden in the doll. The people whispered how she was the reincarnation, the very embodiment of Morana herself. She could hear the words coming from the doll and her grandmother said that Morana’s hatred will never be satisfied until the world would be covered in white snow and ice, stainless and quiet as under the winter moon. Zarina talked to the doll when she was young only to never be replied with any warmth or interest, the harsh and biting cold words were making her wonder if she should be angry or show any emotions, but she didn’t feel anything: no fear, no anger, no resentment, only boredom and apathy to the presence that was radiating through the dangerous aura of chill and cold. The doll didn’t matter, what mattered was that she would never lose herself and lose control over her body. What mattered was her own and her family’s safety. Of course, what also mattered was her humanity. 

The story of Zarina Sokolova remains the same, she is still a part of the most influential organization that rules over the underworld in Russia, but unlike her brother, she was bind to serve as a sorcerer instead of anyone else. Her brother (despite also being a sorcerer) had chosen to lead his family without diving deep into the world of curses and spirits. He only took care of them when he needed it. The silver-haired older twin went through battles, through hardships, and through the world’s swamp of corruption and disgrace that consumed her whole until got out with gold around her neck and a crown on her head. As a sorcerer in Russia, she had to strike deals with those of Europe, Asia, and America to make sure that nothing bad would transpire between the powers. She wished to have cursed energy and curses to disappear, she wished for a world where such powers wouldn’t exist. 

Dissatisfaction with the current made her put on a mask of a clown that would bring fun into her life. She continued her life of indulgence and happiness until the unthinkable happened. The Morana’s Doll was stolen after the ritual of sealing. A traitor escaped along with the cursed object of special grade, the shock and the fear hit the Russian government along with the close European government who knew they had to make sure that the cursed object would not be unsealed and re-awakened. Zarina was dispatched on a mission to retrieve the doll before the next cycle of re-sealing would happen, knowing that only she would be able to find it. All the clues led to the traitor fleeing to Japan, a place where there was the highest number of sorcerers and curses circulating while being closed off by the infamous Tengen’s barrier. Was someone starting off a strange plan? After all, she did arrive to meet Master Tengen herself to make sure that the cursed object did not leave Japan, and it did not. The immortal sorcerer promised that the cursed object will not leave the barrier anymore, not while they were still alive. 

Despite everyone’s fears, Sokolova was smiling, confident in her ability to find that cursed sealed doll of thousands years. ━ It seemed fun, so I was glad that it was stolen. 

It was time to depart to Japan and find that damned doll, she started to miss the aura of death radiating from it along with the whispers of how Morana wanted to take over this body of hers. She thought that five years would be enough to find that doll. It wouldn’t that bad, correct? How wrong it was. The cursed energy and the cursed objects of Japan would fully limit her ability to sense the doll and its presence, causing her to remain in Japan for three years already while searching for that accursed object.  It wasn’t according to the plan, but... Well, there are still a couple of years to go. Until something forces her to break the seals prematurely. 

[zorkaya-moved]

jujutsu kaisen verse is one of the rarer verses where zarina's family (aside from victor) has fully distanced itself from her. they want to love her, they want to be close to her, but they cannot because of morana's curse running through their blood.

they think that if zarina is surrounded with love, she has an easier way of slipping and turning into morana. her mother cries endlessly because she cannot make her child happy. her father has to act tough, but zarina can see that they all are trying to do what they can to seemingly 'protect' her. it hurts her. it hurts her so bad.

so this is why victor - her twin brother - makes sure to butt heads with her, argue with her, speak with her, make sure she is heard when she doesn't speak about her 'emotions' but victor knows that he's also losing zarina to that distance and it fucking scares him. so he can only promise his sister that if she is lost, he'll make sure to kill her before she can hurt their family. because zarina cares about her family the most. just like morana did. and it hurts.

it hurts so fucking much because zarina walks her life truly alone from the get-go, which is why she doesn't make strong connections with others and envies those who have the ability to make them but don't take those chances.

[zorkaya-moved]

Gojo hummed, "I heard from a little bird somewhere that it was your birthday." Eyes were always hidden behind a blindfold or shades but he was looking directly at her either way, a crooked smile adorning his face. "So, as your very lovely and gracious ally, I thought to bring you a gift."

He reached into his pocket, seemingly for a few seconds as though looking for a specific item that he has stashed away. Out came a little pink bow when he did manage to find it, placing it there then on his head and gave her a stupid grin—a signature of his really.

"Me! The gift is me. Aren't I thoughtful, Sokolova-san?"

@amaurct

𝓮𝓿𝓮𝓷𝓽:  𝐇𝐀𝐏𝐏𝐘 𝐁𝐈𝐑𝐓𝐇𝐃𝐀𝐘, 𝐙𝐀𝐑𝐈𝐍𝐀! 𝟎𝟕.𝟐𝟕 ( accepting. )

What should she have expected from someone as quirky as Gojo Satoru? It’s not that she wished for any massive present. A simple happy birthday would’ve sufficed well enough. Even his extreme love for sweetness could’ve played a good role in delivering a cake, but instead she was met with something so unique and unexpected she couldn’t hide her blank face from his upon hearing him begin the words spoken out loud. Just when she thought of going out in a bar, he appeared. Sometimes, Sokolova wondered if he was waiting for her to start getting ready to go out only to cockblock her at any possible opportunity. If it wasn’t causing her to blue ball herself for the fourth week, it would’ve been absolutely hilarious. 

No, it was still funny, but she really wanted to get something more physical on her birthday afterward. Now she couldn’t kick out Gojo from her place, especially when he was offering himself as a present knowing full well what kind of person she was. Then again, she respected him enough to never reach out without seeing a mutual wish and indulgence. His trust and his positive view of her were far more important than anything, both in terms of her personal wishes and in terms of how beneficial it’d be for her. Ah, but she couldn’t deny that it was still comedic gold. The timing, the spectacle, the words. 

Zarina held back from attempting to slap his arm at the way he cutely showed off his bow on top of his white hair. Somehow, she started to understand what Nanami was going through all these years. 

“ Can I at least touch my present or do you have Infinity on again? Because, you know, Gojo, I will be very fucking upset if you pretend to be my present and I can’t even bypass the invisible wall, ” she is being rather dramatic only because she can, crossing her arms over her chest as she stares at him with question in her gaze. This is a moment of comedy, nothing more and nothing less. There’s no anger nor irritation. She pretends and she plays, deciding to take this moment as an opportunity. Indeed, her trustworthy ally was very thoughtful and very observant. It does make her laugh in the end as she shakes her head, understanding that this was payment for good company. Sometimes, said good company could be quite irritating and unpredictable, but it was better than boring days filled with apathy. 

“ Yes, yes, so very thoughtful, Gojo, I am so touched and I’m ready to tear up at how wonderfully sweet your present is. ” 

Mind you, everything was said in perfect monotone as she turns around and waves her hand at him to make sure he knows he can follow after and she’s not just leaving him behind. Guess she needs to change clothes into something different, her bar hopping won’t be happening anymore. No birthday sex, but whatever. She can get blue balled for another week, it’d be fine. When does one get so lucky to have the strongest sorcerer as their birthday gift? 

“ What’s included in my birthday gift privileges, Gojo? ” Without even reaching her room, she starts to unbutton her shirt. There’s no care about the fact that Satoru is right behind her, Zarina has no shame in starting to change at least the shirt in front of him. It’s both strange but also so very her in terms of how she never attempted to full-on seduce him and sleep with him ‘till the wish was met from his side as well. Such was her respect. Zarina grabs a shirt that was hanging on the door to the bathroom, carefully hanging her silky one away. “ My lovely and gracious ally interrupted my attempt to get laid in the bar for my birthday, so I’d better at least use you as my pillow while I watch TV now. Also, the bow looks awful on your like that. Maybe with your hair down it’d make you look better, but with a paintbrush hairstyle like that? It’s too out of place. ”

Despite all words and actions, she already takes out some food she made this morning and some drinks. It’s evening. So why not? If he wants to go out with her, she’ll need a moment to change and get her card, but that’d be it. It’s strange how she just dropped her plans when he appeared on her doorstep. A magical presence, certainly. Then again, it also spoke of how used she was to his company and the unpredictability he brought with himself. Indeed, a delightful company. 

[zorkaya-moved]

❛   the human eye is the loneliest creation of all.  ❜   - gojo

@amaurct

The human eye is the mirror of the one’s soul, a gateway and a window to witness the reality hiding beneath. It took special training to conceal even that window, but she wasn’t the only one who could do it. This trick isn’t one that was lost on others. It’s strange to hear Satoru Gojo of all speak in such a melancholic way, noting on something that his students would find plain terrifying because there were no smiles or comedic additions to such words. Zarina wasn’t disappointed, no; on the contrary, she found herself quite intrigued and fascinate by the fact that he spoke like this. There is a lower note to his voice, the blindfold still snuggles comfortably around his head to hide his eyes. She’d caught a glimpse before when he wore glasses, how dangerous such shine could be for someone unprepared, but the devil’s daughter would simply feel greed. 

“ Is that why your eyes are always covered? ” The question comes out more genuine than she wants it to sound. The woman holds two bottles of beer in her hands, putting one on the coffee table in front of Satoru. She doesn’t want to deal with Infinity and its barrier if he still has it working. As to sweep the genuineness under the metaphorical rug, Sokolova continues as she sits down on the couch where Satoru sat as well, but with a distance between them. Immediately, she crosses her legs and places her elbow on the armrest. This is her third bottle of beer, but she seems to be doing relatively fine. “ Then again, one glance into your eyes might uncover something that you don’t want to be seen. The dilemma~ ”

Zarina speaks to prod, to poke, to bring out a reaction. Even if she cannot see his eyes, there are his lips, his hands, his body, the more under the blindfold. Her eyes are of molten gold, glowing and shining for those who knows enough and knows better. However, others are mesmerized and they are tempted. If Gojo Satoru is the strongest sorcerer, Zarina Sokolova is the prized divine beast. The way her eyes glance at him as she opens her bottle before continuing. Whatever she says, it comes from her own experience and from what she said before. They are both lonely existences, it feels like that. A dangerous path she chooses to walk here, but how could a woman like her not notice something that only she has the advantage in? In feeling like an isolated beast that others are ready to gut the moment it gets out of their leash. How funny, the leash never existed. 

“ Let me be an asshole for a second, ” a sip of the beer goes first before she leans back against the couch’s back. Thinking about it for a second, Zarina switches the hands that hold the bottle, placing her now free hand on the couch’s back t turn to the side to face Satoru. Her gaze is observant, somehow cold, but also inquiring, seeking, and tempting. Her innate technique was different to his own, but she won’t speak of it today. An asshole for a second, though? As if she isn’t one twenty four seven. It’s not that matters. What matters is what she says next, basing it all on her own bias, her views, and her observation. Especially when such words come from none other than Gojo. It’s too rare of an opportunity not to poke her nose deeper. It excites her. 

“ Are you wearing a blindfold because you’re afraid that no one will see you despite having an access to the window into your soul or... ” Her smile is a dangerous one, it’s small but it feels knowing. It’s not one that speaks malice but one that speaks of confidence and personal experience. A beast that she is, she knows. But why not sniff out something else to see if the one you’ve heard so much about has humanity that you long to find within yourself? “ because you’re afraid someone will? Because, well, sounds adorably human of you. ”

She laughs, softly but melodically. Such chuckle made many feel a chill roll down their spine but she means not to scare or be a threat. If anything, there is a tease only because she can relate. Not in hiding, but in never finding. What made Satoru Gojo the way he is now? What made him talk the way he does now? It intrigues her, she wants to know the human who has to carry all of these emotions within himself and on his shoulders. Perhaps, she could find peace as well if she sees and witnesses it. 

Oh how desperately she wants to be seen as well. 

“ A man who sits atop of the throne, alone, idolized and worshipped yet with no one to confide in, no one to see him, ” Zarina chuckles then, bringing the bottle to her lips and drinking some more of the liquor. It’s not that great, but it would do until her whiskey gets here. “ How lonely and hurt must you be to hide your eyes like that even in a company of just little ol’ me. But then again, I’m just talking out of my ass based on my bias. Feel free to ignore it, but seeing you get so melancholic? A girl gotta figure it out. ”

After those words are spoken, the bottle is emptied by her before she gets up from the couch. One more time she looks at Gojo, her smile welcoming in the strangest sense. This talk bring her own melancholy forward, it feels strange to speak to Satoru when it feels like she’s talking about her own experiences as well. It brings the apathy back in, the cold sense of misery and despair. The loneliness fills her to the brim. How does she deal with those feelings? Indulgence, pleasure, temptation. So why not bring the man on a ride with her?

“ Mhmm. I think I’d like to see your eyes more often, it could feel less lonely when you have a pair looking right back at ya. Haha, then again, if you don’t want to have a deep conversation with me, let’s stop before I let my tongue run wild once more, ” she thinks that if she doesn’t stop he’ll figure out more than she also wants him to see. Perhaps, he already does. Perhaps, these next few words will only provide it to be right. Perhaps, she already doomed herself from the beginning. “ Want anything else with the beer? My whiskey’s gonna be here in a moment, I’m gonna go grab it. ”

[zorkaya-moved]

need to write that jjk meta about zarina actually working with baddies and getting them 2 sukuna fingers in exchange for them not to be in her way & tell her if they find the morana’s doll through the heavenly binding. 

all because kenjaku knew that it’s the best approach and it went as ‘she is giving us mercy through cooperation’ because he knew she was powerful enough to destroy the curses around him so they agreed to work behind the scenes together but once she got them 2 fingers the deal was done and she continues to work with the ‘goodies’ now without them knowing she worked for the other side behind the scenes already. 

it’s important to underline that until she is emotionally attached to someone (as an example, hell’s satoru), zarina could give less than 2 fucks about the balance, the country, and the jujutsu society because her priority is her own life and morana’s doll that she needs to recover to secure her own life. however, it’s also important to underline once again is that she is not a good person and if - as following hell’s satoru as an example - her ‘limiter’ (human connection) is taken away from her, she will not hesitate to turn against the ‘good guys’ either. 

everything to reach her personal goal, be it her life’s salvation or her ‘limiter’s safety/well-being. 

[zorkaya-moved]

" Satoru Gojo ... Really ? " // jjk verse ofc.

@spxrosae

“ Itadori Yuuji, Crystal, seriously? ” Two can play at this game, student.

[zorkaya-moved]

JUJ.UTSU KAI.SEN CENTRIC HEADCANON ! 

Someday, one might hear Zarina speak these words:  “I’m glad Gojo Satoru was born.”

The problem lies in the undertones that come with this set of words. This one sentence will always be spoken with genuine appreciation of the fact that the strongest sorcerer in history was born and that he exists in the timeline she lives. The name of Gojo is known beyond Japan, without question, and his name will forever be written in the history of jujutsu. 

What do those words mean when it comes from one like Zarina Sokolova? There are several meanings hidden behind such strange and somehow chilling words, even if they are spoken with a smile. Perhaps, because they’re spoken with a smile that lacks malice they become far graver and more confusing. 

One. Born the same year, Gojo took all of the eyes from the world onto himself since he was a child, all of the attention and all of the change. People weren’t concerned about Sokolova’s birth anymore as there was someone far more terrifying in history of sorcery born in the family of Gojo in Japan. Thanks to that, Zarina was given the ability to be more free in her movements and her life in terms of not having others trying to get her killed or have as many eyes on her to keep her suffocated and with less freedom than previous ‘reincarnations of Morana’. Thanks to his birth, she didn’t have the same fate of being caged. His birth gave her an opportunity to live without regrets, so she is genuinely glad that he was born on the same year. Alas, couple of months later. It was even better. The comparison helped her avoid the worse fate.

Two. The presence of Gojo Satoru underlines the humanity’s potential and its possible future evolution. Zarina is known for her fascination with humanity’s potential and how far a human can go on. In this case, the fact that Satoru was born showed her that humans can truly ascend to higher steps with time. A bit of luck, a bit of massacre here and there, and a bit of complicated events. This point, indeed, dehumanizes Gojo; however, it’s important to remember that Zarina is not a good person and she is very twisted. 

Three. Sokolova views Satoru as the end goal for humanity, an entertaining play to watch and see how far will he move and how far will he reach. Where can the path of a human who seemingly acts as the modern day God lead at the very end? She wants to see what will happen. His existence would satiate her apathy and her curiosity if she lives to see the end of his glorious enlightened path. If not, well, she will have no regrets because she was able to witness miracles happen. She is glad that he was born into the age where she was alive, where she lives, where she exists. 

Four. There is a curiosity in her that wonders if she is correct about her judgement regarding his inner world and his state as a human being. Does he still feel human? Does he feel lonely being sitting at the very top, untouchable? Is he truly all-powerful or is it only his powers granted to him upon birth? Zarina is glad that she exists during the times where she can figure it out or attempt to. All because she wonders if she could find a kindred spirit in terms of that isolation, that distance, that sensation of need to hold onto one’s humanity. In simpler terms, Sokolova wants to learn if he is similar to her. The most powerful in his country, the feared one, the one put on a pedestal of power while being isolated from others. Once again, twistedly so, she is glad that he is born because he makes her feel like she may not be the only one existing in this strange sphere of dehumanizing power. 

Five. Without a doubt, the most important one. He can kill her, even if the Morana’s Doll is unsealed and the chains of Chernobog would be broken. Even if she loses the fight with Morana in terms of domination over the body, she could still be exorcised. I will state it right away that no one aside from Gojo and Sukuna (at full power) would be able to fight Zarina at full power if she loses the fight against Morana and the latter takes over her body. For Sokolova, who is more confident she’ll be able to win no matter what, to have someone who would be able to end her life if the worst comes to worst means a lot. It’s another dark reason, but it is possibly the most important one for her who doesn’t want to die a cursed spirit. She wants to remain a human, she wants to die a human, she doesn’t want to harm her family, and she knows that no one aside from perhaps 2 people would be able to take her head on. Since her childhood, both cursed spirits and sorcerers from different countries noted on her uniqueness and her ‘inhumane’ nature that affected her far more than those who were pseudo-vessels for the oldest cursed spirits in Russia. All in all, the existence of Gojo Satoru simply helps her sense of humanity to not fully melt. 

Even if they’ve never met, knowing of his existence certainly helped in its own awful, twisted, and terrifying sense. 

And no, he is still very human in her eyes. He is still very damn human in her eyes. This is what makes him fascinating to her. This is where the true villainess comes out, she doesn’t idolize him nor puts him on a pedestal. He has powers, he can do what others cannot, but he is still so painfully human. His birth and his fame opened a path to her that could’ve been closed in a cage. 

Even if she is still a beast, at least, there is a hunter strong enough to hunt her down if the chains will be broken. And no, she doesn’t think he’s heroic enough to do what she would ‘want’ him to do. It’s a simple fact that he ‘can’ do it that makes her truly grateful for his birth. It doesn’t matter if he chooses to do anything or not, or if they would ever meet. The single knowledge that someone like that exists... a soothing lullaby to hear for the one who - despite her family’s love - was always referred to as a beast. 

[zorkaya-moved]

❛  let’s  pretend  like  we’re  friends .  ❜ - mahito because hehe.

@amaurct

You would be a fool to trust any word a curse like Mahito says or does. Letting him closer than a meter is already enough. As she pretends to be the small fry despite the power still seeping through the ‘Chernobog’s Embrace’, Sokolova smiles at the other without a hint of any malice. If anything, her golden gaze remains all too stable and all too calm for someone who knows a non-human stands before her, a supernatural being that only certain people could see. She is not one of Japan, not a person who has been in this country more than once before for business. This meant that she will not allow anyone truly close, her soul is as cold as the coldest winter polar nights in Russia where a tear would freeze in less than a second. 

The air around her remains cold, freezing anyone who tries to touch her before she allows. This is why she hides her hands behind her back and laughs at the other’s words, twirling on her tiptoes as if she’s in a dance. He isn’t her enemy, he is a being that belongs to this country. Her goal is more important, even if it means working with curses such as this one. A tricky one, a playful one, a sadistic one. She can see it, sense it, analyze it. Zarina knows she’s playing two sides, but does it matter when her own life is at stake? Oh, absolutely not. The people of this land didn’t matter. They had their Gojo Satoru and her country and family needed her to be alive. 

“ Aww, does Mahito want a human friend? Are Jogo and Hanami not enough? ” She dances around the topic, her deal was to help Geto Suguru find those darned fingers. Sokolova found two, but she kept one as a safety measure for a little bit longer. She will give it away next week as promised as they were supposed to keep their heads away from her own business. A Binding Vow is an annoying thing, indeed. She could only buy herself a couple of weeks, but so be it. “ Fine, let’s pretend to be friends. Learn that I have private space and don’t cross it, hehe~ ”

How can she trust a curse if she doesn’t trust humanity in general? Ah, what a day to be alive and to be a fucking menace. The playfulness of Mahito is entertaining, it’s enough to keep her intrigued for now without truly trusting or involving herself. A distance will always be kept, the air of cool air around her will never lessen. The “fragility” and the “stagnation” follow the brumal touch of apathy. 

“ If you entertain me well enough, Mahito, we can pretend for a lo~ong time. How about it? ” Hedonistic tendencies look away from the sadistic antics, her golden gaze searches for an entertainment worth her time. She was glad that Satoru Gojo existed, that he was born, it was much easier to be underestimated and to hide thanks to that. This is why she would smile and play this game of pretend for a far longer time, until she’s satisfied. This hunger of hers, can it be satiated? Maybe, it’s another reason why she’s so isolated from humans as well. Her lack of care for them, their lives, and their existence aside from select few. 

[zorkaya-moved]

[txt: satoru] babe come back. i miss that zarinussy. :(

@amaurct

Is she allowed to ignore him? Probably not, but the very wording makes her stop reading the message for a good, solid minute. 

Zarinussy. Was Satoru serious? Was he at her place again?

[txt: zarina]  for making me read this atrocity, you’re going down on me after I come back home and shower. [txt: zarina]  since you miss me so much, make sure that tongue and those fingers do their fucking job.  [txt: zarina]  be there in 10, love you.

Let’s just say, he won’t be saying a lot of cursed things when she does come back. In ten minutes. 

[zorkaya-moved]

there was nothing more you could have done. - nanami 🤡🤡

@amaurct

It takes one to know one, huh? The memory of the curses whispering among each other back in Russia brings up a moment that sullies her mood as she watches the corpse of a person in front of her. The curse got to them, but she honestly couldn’t care less. The sight of blood and gore doesn’t  touch her. If anything, she feels bored out of her mind. This land, this place, this incident, this mission. Her eyes are vacant yet to others it may look that she is mourning the loss of a person as she stands there, unmoving, stuck in this frigid moment without a way to go back. As if she regrets not being able to save that lad who died a disgustingly saddening death and who will never return to his family. Sokolova wished she would at least feel something, but she doesn’t. It’s the problem. It feels cold, frigid; the languor takes over as it whispers in her ear that she doesn’t have much time. 

Thankfully, Nanami’s voice brings her out of the short daze. Huffing at his words, she drops the clownery as she takes out her cigarettes without turning to him. She lights it up right away, groggily breathing out and grumbling something under her nose in her native language before straightening up. As the smoke dissipates in the air, the woman still looks at the body and responds:

“ Call it what it is, Nanami. It is a failure. The stronger you are, the more expectations you have on your shoulders as a sorcerer, ” she rolls her shoulders and finally looks up at the darkening sky. Her eyes catch the beautiful colors that the sky turns on this evening, they are turning bloody red closer to the horizon like her lipstick and it makes her internally note on this beauty, but she still feels so empty and do devoid of any emotion. Her seriousness always comes like a cold shower, sudden and chilling. It’s even worse when she can switch back to her comedic act in less than a millisecond, a snap of her fingers would be enough to bring the magic of acting back. The eyes would stop being vacant because she learned how to blur the lines between reality. She is in control, control is everything. Without control, she would be eaten by the wolves. “ You are incorrect in assessing that there was nothing I could’ve done. I can give you five other plans where things could’ve been different, but I chose the one where the life is lost at the end. ”

Another exhale lets the grey smoke travel upwards, disappearing in seconds. The smell of mint and ash follows, Zarina closes her eyes as she taps her cigarette to have some ash fall off before turning to face Kento. He is a noble one unlike her. She would continue to feed into his image that she was upset over the death of another. Her words fit in and she does look like she’s upset about something, but her being upset is only because of this chilling cold that hugs her heart. Nanami Kento shines as the heroic figure despite being ordinary. He is a human through and through who feels compassion and sadness when he does. He shows his dislike and his like without much thought to it, he is colorful despite how he doesn’t put himself in the highest regards. This simplicity is what she finds both envious and comforting. Maybe spending time with someone so human could bring something out, but so far she notices nothing. It’s a disappointment. All curses in this land are so weak, they don’t bring any entertainment or any adrenaline. 

“ Do you always think what you could’ve done differently? ” Zarina inquires, raising an eyebrow as the smile doesn’t appear at all. It feels like an investigation. For the first time, her aura is more oppressive and cold than ever but it immediately disappears as she lets her shoulders drop and relaxes her stance. “ How many more lives you could’ve saved, how you could’ve avoided certain outcomes? Sometimes, I wonder if your choice in becoming a sorcerer was a good idea. A peaceful life... it sounds like a dream. ”

She chuckles softly before understanding that she may not even be satisfied with that at the end. Now, she walks forward towards the man, melancholic in her stance and for the first time very distant and unreachable. 

“ I wonder... Can you tell me more about how your worked a normal, boring 9-5 job? I think I’d like to hear more about that after this, ” she glances behind once again before giving Kento a small smile. It’s not like she wants to forget what happened, but she wants to listen to something that isn’t making her want to yawn. but what Nanami doesn’t know won’t hurt him. Let her appear remorseful and regretful over a death like this. “ You are a good man, Nanami. I hope luck would find you. No sarcasm here. Men like you are one of the reasons why the world is still standing and rolling. ”

This world doesn’t deserve heroes, but they are the people who move this planet forward. The ignorant masses walk on the bones of those who protect them. Humanity and its love of ignorance. Ignorance isn’t a bliss to those who know, but it is to those who don’t. Zarina doesn’t lie when she compliments Kento for his attitude and his life. People like that who know and still choose to move forward are respected even by a villainess who could give less of a fuck about anyone and everyone, only interested for now in saving her own ass from becoming a curse. But then again, maybe just hearing about a normal life may satiate this void that continues to grow. He may not understand like Gojo Satoru might, but maybe it’s what needed for this evening. 

“ I’ll pay for your dinner since you answered my call, let’s go. ”