Nine Lives

25. Love

Entry #1

Today I took over mom's position as Kuroko Representative. We held the transfer ceremony in the forest behind the house, where the ruins are. Mom wanted to make it special.

The actual ceremony was great. The feeling of being connected with Seijurou is something I'm never going to forget. But, transferring a familiar to a new master is a difficult task... And after it was finished, Mom looked exhausted. I think it might have made her sickness worse... She just waved me off, as usual, but Seijurou had to help her walk home.

She gave me these books. Originally, they were from dad, but since he couldn't give them to me, mom kept them until now. He wanted me to use them to document my life and keep spells and recipes. Like he used to.

I don't know If I'm going to be any good as representative. But I'm going to try my best! For dad, and mom.

-Yuzuki

Entry #2

My first Coven meeting was yesterday! Seijurou and Mom spent the entire week preparing me. They reminded me like a thousand times to act responsible and treat everyone respectfully. All the other Representatives are older than me after all.

However, I regret to say that in my nervousness, I... might have gotten a bit tipsy on Shirogane's wine...

Ugh, I still see Seijurou trying to cover his laughter. He could have stopped me! Annoying cat. He was too busy talking to the Takao Raven. By the time he was any help, I had already tripped over my own feet twice and spilled wine all over Shirogane's carpet! All over it! I was so mortified...

But, once the meeting was over and everyone was leaving Shirogane's home, he joked about it and promised to serve everyone white wine next time...

Then he looked at me, while I was giving my parting goodbyes, and all I could see was pity and badly hidden distain. And he said to me, "I know you didn't get much of an education, but you could at least try to act like a real Kuroko."

I was so shocked, I couldn't say anything. I just stared at him in shock until Seijurou back tracked to pull me out the door... I'm glad, at least, that he didn't hear what Shirogane said. I don't think he'd be happy...

I'll do better next time. I'll show him just what it is to be a Kuroko.

-Yuzuki

Entry #36

It's been three days since mom's funeral... I can't even cry anymore, I feel so empty... I barely left my bed since we came home. Seijurou kept coming in periodically to make sure I was eating, but other than that he left me alone.

Today, though, he came in and told me I needed to get up. I looked up at him in the dark of my bedroom and before I could even get the energy to respond, he reached down and picked me right up off the bed. I was so startled! But he carried me out of my bedroom and into the living room where all the windows were open and the sun made the room look warm and bright. He dropped me on a pile of pillows and blankets that were on the floor, and walked back to my room to grab the ones off my bed too.

When he came back, all he said was, "You need sunlight and fresh air." Then dropped the rest of my blankets on top of me. I was so shocked, all I could do was sit there in the pile while he busied himself in the kitchen.

Seijurou is so kind... He made my favourites, and brought the food over on a tray so I could eat in the comfort of his makeshift bed. Then he sat with me, for hours.