To answer your question, krenya-alenak-san, no the similar coloration was not on purpose. I was discussing the twins with a friend of mine, who agreed to help me figure out appearances. Her favorite colors are silver and blue, and mine are black and purple, so we compromised. Also, it's not the same dark grey shade of silver as Yuki-kun…it's more of an almost white silver…although I should have specified. Also their eyes are one of the few ways to tell them apart. Senna has lighter purple eyes, and Suika's are darker. I'll try, in the future, to make sure such differences are evident.
Ookami Aya-san…I know schizophrenia is different then Split Personality/Multiple Personality Disorder. I just figured, considering neither twin has any particular interest in psychology that they, like most people, wouldn't know the difference. I will try in the future to do a little better with which mental disorder I stick on poor Haru-kun.
One last note. I know for the first few chapters, I called Ichigo their cousin…except that she's their aunt. (sweatdrops) it's strange, I know…it's just at first it seemed easier to go with cousin then anything else. I hope that's not too confusing. Also, sorry for shuch a long wait. I promise I'm going to try and update this more often.
Chapter 7
Senna looked around the kitchen, wandering if there was anything she was forgetting.
"That it?" Suika asked, Senna nodded.
"Where are you two going?" A voice asked from the door. At first glance they saw no one, but then they looked down to find their mother.
"We're having a picnic with our friends today." Senna replied.
"Will there be boys?" Mikan asked, picking the mink up as they joined the conversation.
"No, of course not." Suika replied sarcastically. "Because we're not friends with any boys."
"Can I come?" Shouka asked, looking as pleadingly as she could manage.
Senna sighed.
"Fine…but be on your best behavior."
"Sometimes I wonder if I'm still the mom around here…"
"Of course you are, Okaa-san…" Both twins said in unison.
Suika got an annoyed look before moving to the foot of the stairs. "Ume-baka! If you're not down here in five minutes, we're leaving without you!"
Ume grumbled as she came downstairs. "Don't rush me…I'm coming."
"Sometimes I think you're a snail, not a crab…" Suika teased, quickly dodging a 'punch' from her little sister.
Senna shook her head. She was glad to see Suika hadn't let Satoimo's visit get her down. People like him weren't worth getting upset over.
"Let me get a bag for you, and we can go, Okaa-san." She said as she started upstairs.
Shouka jumped from Mikan's arms and followed her. "Can't you carry me?"
"I'm carrying the picnic basket, and Suika is carrying a couple blankets." Senna began. "So it's either the bag, the leash…or Ume carries you."
Shouka lowered her head in defeat. "So either I suffocate, walk to death…or get dropped every other step?"
Senna nodded. "No matter which one you choose, you have to wear this." She took something off the shelf and fastened it around the black mink's neck.
"Why a collar?"
"So no one thinks you're a stray. I'd hate it if you were taken to the pound…or something worse." Senna straightened back up. "So what'll it be?"
"Bag." Shouka sighed.
Senna took out what resembled a mesh beach bag. "I'll take the leash too, just in case." She put a leash in the bottom then picked up Shouka and set her inside. She then put the bag over one shoulder, and started back down to the others.
She returned to find Ichigo waiting in the kitchen.
"Remember the rules…no hugging." She said. "Even if this is on the Sohma family property."
"Aw…but I wanted to hug Yuki and scare Shi-chan." Suika sighed.
"One of these days you're going to do that and either give your sister a heart attack, or get poor Yuki stepped on." Ichigo shook her head. "Well…I'm off to do research…I think I might almost have this curse figured out."
"You've been saying that for years." Shouka's muffled voice came from inside the bag.
"You know…once I do get this figured out…you'll regret saying that." Ichigo said before leaving.
-------
"I'm glad we decided to have our picnic this weekend." Tohru commented.
"Yeah, before long it would be too cold to." Senna replied.
"It seems too early for lunch…" Haru commented.
"Let's play something!" Momiji suggested.
"Like kickball…or soccer…" Ume said, jumping up to her feet.
"Great idea, Ume-baka…" Suika began sarcastically.
"But we don't have a ball." Kyo finished.
Momiji and Ume teamed up for double stink eye.
"Ume, that's not nice…and Suika, don't call your sister a baka." Shouka scolded.
"Hai, hai, Okaa-san." Both girls said in unison.
"How about tag?" Momiji suggested.
"Or hide and seek?" Ume added.
"This is stupid." Kyo and Suika said in unison, standing up. They both walked down a nearby trail.
"Come get us when it's time to eat." Suika added just before they disappeared from view.
Momiji and Ume once again shot stink eye at the two before standing up themselves.
"Where are you two going?" Senna asked, watching the young blondes.
"If you guys don't want to play…then we'll go play by ourselves." Momiji explained, and the two ran off without another word.
"I think I have a deck of cards…" Tohru said, looking through the bag she'd carried. "Want to play a quick game before we eat?"
"How about 'Rich Man, Poor Man'?" Yuki suggested.
"I've never played that before…" Senna admitted.
"We'll teach you." Haru said, smiling.
"Ok then…" Senna replied, blushing slightly.
-------
Suika and Kyo walked silently for a while. Ever since their conversation over a week ago they found themselves able to actually stand each other's company.
"Hey, Suika…" Kyo began after a while. "What's the deal with your mom?"
"She's nosey and overprotective." Suika replied.
"No…I mean why is she stuck in her cursed form?"
Suika stopped walking. "That's a long story." She sighed as she leaned against a nearby tree.
"I've got time." Kyo replied, stubbornly.
"Okaa-san and Otou-san got married right out of high school. Ichigo-chan had just been named the new head of the family after the previous head of the family died."
"Does this have a point?" Kyo asked. He thought it would be a simple enough answer.
"Yes it does, baka neko." Suika glared before continuing. "Otou-san accepted the fact that Okaa-san had to keep her family name…and that it was also the name we children were to inherit. You see…it's easier to spot a cursed relative if we all keep the same last name…" She sighed. "Everything was good, except that Okaa-san never told Otou-san about the curse. She figured that since we didn't live near any of the family, there was no need in him knowing."
She paused, waiting for another smart mouth response from Kyo.
"Well? Are you going to tell me, or do I have to guess what happens?" Kyo asked.
"Ichigo-chan came to visit right after Ume was born…and brought a few other relatives with her." For the first time, she looked Kyo right in the eyes. "Okaa-san had never told the family that we had been twins…so they were all shocked to find out about me. Otou-san overheard an argument between Okaa-san, Ichigo-chan, and Ouka-oba-san, and that's how he found out about the curse. He was so outraged he left Okaa-san, and we never heard from him again. Okaa-san was so upset she transformed into her cursed form…and never changed back. That's when we came to live with Ichigo-chan."
"That's rough." Kyo replied.
"That's another reason Ichigo wants to break the curse…Okaa-san's been in her cursed form for nearly 16 years…and Ichigo feels somewhat guilty about it." Suika went on. "She feels if she hadn't taken so many relatives with her, the argument never would've happened…and Otou-san and Okaa-san would still be together."
"Your dad sounds like a jerk." Kyo stated before continuing down the path.
"Yeah, I know." Suika replied.
-------
Yuki, Tohru, Senna and Haru were on their third game when they heard a familiar whining sound.
"I'm hungry!" Ume and Momiji said in unison, flopping on one of the blankets.
"I guess we could go ahead and eat." Tohru said.
"I'll help you set out the food." Yuki offered with a smile.
Senna sighed as she stood. "I guess I should go get Kyo and Suika…"
"I'll come with you…" Haru said as he stood too. "So you don't get lost."
Senna laughed. "Just be careful not to get lost yourself, ok?"
She glanced at Shouka to see if she would protest, but smiled when she saw the small mink curled up asleep.
"We'll be back soon." Haru said as they started off down the path Suika and Kyo had gone down nearly two hours earlier.
They had only been walking for a few minutes when Haru stopped.
Senna turned to look at him. Haru just stood there, watching her for a moment, holding something behind his back.
"What is it, Haru-kun?"
He held out a small handful of wildflowers. "I was wondering…if you're not busy…maybe later tonight…would you like to go grab a bite to eat?"
Senna blushed a little, taking the flowers. "I'd love to."
"Really? Great!" Haru exclaimed. "I'll be by around 6:00?"
"Maybe you should have Hatori-san drop you off."
"Good idea."
"Oi…Shi-baka…I never pegged you as a cradle robber." Suika said as she jumped out of a nearby tree, Kyo right behind her.
"I'm not that much older then him." Senna exclaimed, blushing more.
"Why were you two spying on us?" Haru asked. He was starting to go black.
"Why did you two have to stop under our tree?" Kyo shot back.
"What were you two doing in that tree?" Haru asked.
Senna saw where this was going, and grabbed Haru's arm with a nervous laugh. "Come on guys…it's time to eat."
Still engaged in a three way glare down, Suika, Kyo and Haru nodded, and all four started back for the clearing.
Senna sighed. 'Because it's just too simple to have friends and family that get along…'