Once upon a time the old house had been well cared for, its gardens the envy of the neighborhood, the family one of the nicest ones one could find anywhere. Then, one day, it all went horribly wrong, as all things do eventually.

The family took in a relative that had been disowned.

At first the girl seemed harmless enough, playing with the other children as all children do. But strange things began to happen. One day, while playing hide-and-seek, one of the children disappeared within the house. Then another. And another. Nobody dared to go near that house. The little girl grew restless with nobody to play with until one day the son of the family disappeared as well. The mother interrogated the little girl in tears, asking her where her baby had gone. The little girl and only tilted her head as a wide grin spread across her lips. The mother wailed before calling the little girl a witch, to which she responded.

"And so what if I am?"

The next day, the mother was gone. The father, having been away on a business trip, did not believe the neighbors when they told him about the atrocities of the little girl he had opened up his home to. All he knew was that his wife and child were gone, and everybody around him was being ridiculous by saying that the blame was to be put on the little girl. Then one day...he was gone as well.

Nobody knew what happened to that little girl, nobody ever saw her again after that. Sometimes, unsuspecting visitors or homeless would stumble into the house never to be seen again. The property was passed down through the years to the sole survivor, the daughter of the missing family, who had moved out a few years prior to the horrid events.

No one dared to live in that house for the longest time. But as time passed, the stories became legends and then even those were eventually forgotten. Now, the new owners, in the twenty-first century, have gotten the house fixed up and have opened it up for four to six visitors to stay for the year. They sent out invitations in the mail and waited patiently for their "winners" to respond.

You are one of the "lucky" recipients of their invitation.

Welcome to The House of the Damned.

Dear recipient,

We are pleased to inform you that you have been invited to stay at the Hisoko Estate for the following year. All necessary items, such as food and toiletries, shall be provided for you. Clothes, make-up, and anything such things you will have to bring yourself.

The Hisoko Estate has recently been renovated and cleaned for your convenience. While the house itself may look old, rest assured it has been fully restored for your comfort.

Exterior:
X

Some Interior Rooms:
X
X
X
X

Gardens:
X
X
X
X
there is also a garden maze.

Please RSVP with the following information:

Name: (First Middle (if applicable) Last)
Age: (18-24)
Bio: (2-3 paragraphs at least)
Personality: (self explanatory)
Fears: (2-3 at least. points to you if you can name the phobia~)
Likes: (self explanatory)
Picture: (after much debating...I think it makes more sense if we used real people. No anime pictures.)
Username:

Also, keep in mind the following:

† Follow Menewsha ToS
† No God-modding
† No killing of the others characters unless with my, and the owner's, green light
† Have fun with it, describe things, the more descriptive your scenes, the more fun we'll have scaring the crud (or attempting to) out of one another
† Cursing is allowed, but try to keep it at a reasonable amount
† Title pms 'My Life Is Given' so I know you read the rules
† Try not to run off on your own, I'll be in charge of the progression of time so hopefully no one gets left behind
† I expect semi-literacy. which means, no one-liners. I won't be making exceptions this time around
† Speech is marked with " " and thoughts are italicized, also, use past tense please, makes it easier for everybody
† Expect me to update these rules as we go along since I can't remember everything I was going to type

Yours Truly,
The Hisoko Family

reserved x1

reserved x2

OOC: come in and chat or ask questions if you want~

After shutting the door to his room behind him, Sin'ichi trudged over to his bed, dropped his letters onto his bedside table, and then dropped on top of his covers with a tired sigh. He ran a hand over his face, closing his eyes as he took comfort in the mattress below him. He could feel the stresses of the day leaving his body as his sore muscles were finally able to relax.

Sin'ichi let a few minutes pass before he moved to prop himself up on his bed's headboard and moved his letters from his bedside table to his lap. Faintly, he could hear the murmur of voices from outside his bedroom door. He paid them no mind as he flicked through his letters. A few from friends back in the city, some junk mail, and...Sin'ichi paused. He brushed the junk mail to the side, his friends' letters were unconsciously placed back on the bedside table, and hefted the slightly heavy envelope in his hands. It was a heavy envelope compared to the rest of his mail, the envelope itself felt almost like parchment paper. He turned it over after examining his address and name scrawled on the front in an elegant, loopy handwriting. Instead of a return address, Sin'ichi found himself eying a wax seal. The image pressed into the wax was probably a family crest, but Sin'ichi didn't recognize the seal. Not that that surprised him.

Sitting up straighter now, Sin'ichi broke the seal and slipped the letter out, also parchment...or something incredibly close to it anyway. He unfolded the letter, photos dropping into his lap, and scanned the words. It seemed...suspicious. Something at the end of the letter caught his eye and he picked up the envelope he had dropped while reading the letter. He upended the envelope and out dropped a key. It wasn't like any key he'd seen before, this one was old and looked like it belonged in one of those historical museums. He fingered the design creeping along its length as he reread the letter. A yearlong stay at this Hisoko estate... he placed the letter to the side along with its envelope and the key before picking the photos up and flipping through them. The estate itself looked nice, and the few rooms that had been pictured looked nice as well, if not slightly Gothic. With a glance at the clock on the wall opposite him, Sin'ichi decided he'd think it over on his walk. For now, he needed a shower.

~~~

The next morning, Sin'ichi reentered the house, shedding his shoes by the front door and covering a yawn as he padded down the front hallway and into the kitchen. Surprisingly he could see the rest of his...family was still sitting in the dining room eating breakfast. He paused in the archway that led from the kitchen to the dining room. The three occupants of the dining room paused as well, looking up from their food to stare in confusion at the rare person sighting.

"...good morning." Sin'ichi murmured before turning and making to leave through the kitchen again. His father suddenly spoke up, calling for him to wait. Sin'ichi stopped mid-step, slowly lowering his foot. He didn't bother to turn around, just stood there, his back to his father, waiting for him to speak.

"You...you're done with high school now. It's been a year since you graduated...what...what do you plan on doing?"

Sin'ichi could tell this was awkward for his father just from the way he kept pausing. Sin'ichi's eyes wandered throughout the kitchen as he carefully picked out his response. "I've been taking a few night classes since the beginning of the school year." he finally answered. He shoved one of his hands into his pants pocket, the other hand hung loosely by his side, clenching and un-clenching occasionally. "I received an invitation to stay at an estate for the year. I'll be going."

"I...I see..."

Before his father could say more, Sin'ichi muttered a 'see you later' before heading up to his room to gather the things he would need during his stay at the estate.

A few hours later he was almost done, the drawers and closest in his room were all eerily empty now. All that was left was...his hand hovered over the picture frame on his bedside table. Slowly, he curled his fingers around it and brought it up to eye-level. His apathetic gaze softened as a small sad smile appeared don his lip.

"Hey mommy...I'm gonna be leaving home for a while. You'll still watch over me then...won't you?" Sin'ichi whispered, running his thumb over the area of the photo that his mother was in. He closed his eyes for a moment before tucking the picture into his bag and zipping it shut. He shouldered the bag, taking a second roll-along bag by its handle, and left his room. He left his stuff by the door and entered the kitchen again, looking for something to eat. Whoever had sent him the invitation had provided him with transportation, considering the estate was at least on the other side of the town he lived in, the 'wealthier' half.

As he ate by himself, leaning against the counter in the kitchen, the silence of the house pressed down on him and Sin'ichi was quick to finish his meal. He quickly cleaned the things he had used and, after casting one last glance around the house, unsure about when he would see it next, readjusted his hold on his bags and left.

The front door shut behind him with a click.

((I had more but...I think that's long enough for an opening post :sweat: oh and before i forget, this is the song I was listening to nonstop while typing this post. They aren't really related at all, but I think the song sounds really nice nonetheless. Alice Nine- GEMINI

Cassadee Blake sighed as she finished packing her bags. She was finally going to get out of the mansion that seemed to suffocate her even though there was so much space. She thought that the space was what suffocated her the most. It was so empty as if nothing had significance or mattered at all. Yeah, it took them a lot of time and work to get to where they were now, but it slowly became the only thing that ever mattered. And frankly, she was sick of it.

She smiled, feeling accomplished with her decision to take up this offer to live in that house for a year. She didn't care how legitimate it was. Anything was better than living in the mansion. Anything. And "anything" wasn't a term used lightly by Cassadee. She knew that "anything" could lead to things that she would regret, but at this point, she didn't really care. She had nothing to live for anymore so nothing mattered to her. Nothing. "Nothing" was another word that Cassadee didn't toss around either, but it was absolutely necessary. Her whole life, she was living a lie, so she had nothing to lose.

She took the cab to the house she was given the address to and got out. This is it..., she thought. Here goes nothing.

Cassadee unlocked the door to the house and stepped inside. "Hello?!" She called out.

After having recieved a letter stating she was welcome to stay at The Hisoko Estate for a year, Tristin glady accepted. She had been packing her bags for the past hour now, and was almost done. But first, she had yet to pack her wrod collection. Of course I would bring these. She loved her swords, and she loved sharp objects. Because, I am a masochist, after all.

She grabbed the hilt of the longest sword she had, and slowly removed the sword cover, enjoying the sound it made as she did. When the katana slid out completely, she stared at it's beauty. She smiled, placing it back into the cover, and into her duffel bag with care. She grabbed the other three smaller swords she had and placed them in the bag just as carefully.

She glanced around the room, making sure she haad everything that was important or needed. With a smile, she turned back around, facing the bag, and zipped it up. She had the duffel bag which contained the important things, and a smaller bag which contained the small amout of clothes she had. She grabbed both bags in one hand, and headed downstairs to say goodbye to her mother.

"Tristin? Are you leaving already?" Her mother asked.

"Yes. I need to get there. The sooner, the better." Tristin mainly wanted to get away from this house. She hated seeing her mother in the sorry state she was in. She drank often, and smoked. She was usually drunk and would become pitiful. "I love you, Mom. I'll see you in a few months. I'll try to visit every now and then." With that last statement, she exited the house.

Tristin stared at the cab that had been in front of her house for who knows how long. She walked over to it, opened the back door, and placed her bags in the seat next to hers. She shut the door gently behind her when she positioned herself comfortably in the seat.

"To this address, please." Tristin handed the driver the slip, showing the address. "I'll pay you extra for the long travel, if you would like." The man nodded, and started the long trip to the Estate. Half way through the trip, she fell asleep.

When she woke up, she was pulling into the driveway of the Estate. She thanked the driver, and paid him the money she was supposed to, and extra for the distance and gas. She grabbed her bags, and climbed out of the car. She smiled, and walked up to the door. She pulled out the key that was within the letter and placed it in the door. With hesitation, she turned it, and it unlocked. And, she walked inside.

It had been a rather silent ride to the estate. The driver had attempted a few times to start a conversation but Sin'ichi gave only the bare minimum in response. He was grateful to the man for trying to talk to him, but he just wasn't in the mood to do anything but stare listlessly out the window. His bags had been placed in the trunk of the black car, but Sin'ichi had insisted on keeping his instrument case with him. He had it now sat on his lap as the scenery whizzed by.

Playing an instrument was something that his mother had always wanted him to do. And it was something he rather liked doing. Music had been his retreat when his life started going downhill. It was the only thing that helped him keep his sanity through the majority of his life after his mother's...passing. He was normally found with a pair of headphones or earbuds in his ears, deaf to the rest of the world as all kinds of music filled his ears. His tastes ranged from the classical to rock, though he had a bias towards more...eastern music. If asked what his favorite type of music was, he would most likely reply with a incoherent answer. But judging from the state of his mp3's memory, j-rock would be a safe guess.

Lost in thought, Sin'ichi didn't realize that they had reached the Hisoko Estate until the driver turned around in his seat and coughed lightly.

"Excuse me? We've reached the estate..."

Sin'ichi snapped from his thoughts instantly and nodded to the man. Without a sound, Sin'ichi opened the door and blinked as sunlight spilled across his face, having been blocked out by the tinted windows. As he blinked to clear his vision, Sin'ichi could hear the man exiting the car and popping the trunk open to get Sin'ichi's luggage for him.

"Thank you..." Sin'ichi murmured to the man. He seemed briefly surprised at the thanks from the teen but smiled a few seconds later, nodding his head. He seemed to move to the car before pausing and reaching into his pocket. He pulled out a card and held it out for Sin'ichi to take.

"Just in case. You never know when you'll need a ride."

Sin'ichi took the card and slid it into his pants pocket after giving it a cursory glance to assuage his curiosity. He nodded at the man and stood, quite still, in the driveway as he watched the man pull out and turn down the street. Sin'ichi watched until the car was completely out of sight before bending to pull one of his bags onto his shoulder and picking up the handle to his roll-along bag. Well then...it was time to actually enter the building, he decided.

The manor looked almost like a castle, with that one tower off to the side. Sin'ichi briefly noted that it must have been an impressive home in it's own right all those years ago when it was probably the only one like it in the neighborhood. For some reason though, as he trudged up the path that led to the front door, he couldn't shake the feeling of something heavy pressing down on him as he neared the building. It was like the feeling he had gotten at the funeral home...and at the graveyard whenever he visited his mother. Though the feeling in the graveyard had been a comforting one, this one...this one sent shivers down his spine. Involuntary movements that had him questioning the history of the place.

Finally, after what seemed like hours of thought, Sin'ichi reached the front door and he reached into his pocket, fingers brushing against the card he had received, to pull the old-looking key out. He fitted it easily into the keyhole in the door and turned. With an audible 'click' the front door unlocked and, before Sin'ichi had even toughed the handle, swung open on its own.

Taking a deep breath, Sin'ichi entered, glancing around the front hall as he did so. The door slammed shut behind him and he turned his head to give the door a wary glance. That heavy feeling was back with a vengeance. Sin'ichi doubled over and almost retched as a sickening feeling filled him. Just as quick as it had come, the feeling had gone, leaving him with a cold feeling that reached to his very core. He straightened slowly and looked around. There was something very strange about this place, he decided.

As he walked through the house, Sin'ichi noted the almost labyrinth maze of staircases and rooms in the building. He could have sworn he had even seen a room where the tables and chairs had been on the ceiling while the lamps chandeliers had been on the floor, as if someone had picked up the room and flipped it upside down...though gravity didn't seem to have taken effect on it.

After exploring nearly every inch of the place (and almost falling down a staircase when a door he had sworn he hadn't opened slammed shut) he found a door with his name hanging from a plaque on it. Strange...he opened the door and stepped in to find a rather nice room...it definitely fit in with the running theme he had seen around the house. A rather dark Gothic theme. He wondered briefly what kind of people owned the place. He left his bags beside the door and pulled his instrument case's strap over his head so that it rested against his back. He moved to the windows and glanced out to see the driveway he had been standing in when he had looked up at the house. He was probably in the room at the top of that tower he had been examining before then.

As he stared out the window, the door suddenly slamming behind him had him quickly turning on his heel to stare at the door to what he supposed was his bedroom. He took a calming breath and glanced back out the window to see someone coming up the front path. People. Maybe he could ask them if they thought there was something weird about this place. He placed a hand on the doorknob and twisted.

Nothing.

His brow furrowed. What...he yanked on it and the door still refused to open. He thought he heard giggling from the other side of the door and he was suddenly aware of his heart pounding loudly in his ears. Who was there? The person he had spotted couldn't have reached his room that quickly, and why would they want to do this thing to him anyway? He tried to open the door again and found that it opened easily.

Sin'ichi pulled the door open and cautiously stepped out. He heard someone shouting 'hello' and figured that the person he had seen had finally entered the house. Giggling caught his attention and Sin'ichi turned to see the end of what appeared to be a red dress disappear around a corner. He gave chase immediately.

For some reason though, no matter how fast he went, he always seemed to be a second too late, only seeing the end of that dress before hearing the giggling again as whoever or whatever it was disappeared around the corner. Without realizing it he had ran until he reached the first floor front hall again. He ran around the corner and very nearly crashed into one of the two girls standing just in from the front door. He skid to a stop, breathing slightly heavily as he looked them both over. None of them were wearing a red dress.

"Did...did either of you...see a girl in a...red dress run by?" he asked, still trying to catch his breath back. He had a sinking feeling that they hadn't. there was just something about this place that seemed extremely...off.

((I'm sorry if this is a lot to read. I just couldn't help it. >.>))

Tristin walked into the house, only to freeze. In this old house, was one thing she never expected. Beauty. She loved beauty. She enjoyed having something beautiful to look at, and always appreciated it. "Oh, wow. How beautiful. Whoever did this, did an amazing job." She silently thanked whoever had redone this house, and wished, now, to meet them.

She reached into her pocket when she was done staring at the beauty, and pulled out the letter. At the bottom was a set of numbers and numbers. She knew what they meant. They read, '02-13L-TNG'. She figured they had meant, Floor two, thirteen to the left, and then her initials. Tristin Nicole Gregorian. She followed the simple directions, and walked right over to the staircase. With both bags in her hand, she found it a little annoying when the bags repeatedly hit her leg, but ignored it otherwise. She sighed when she finally made it to the top of the staircase.

She started counting doors as she went by. One, two, three... Until she got to door thirteen. Along the way, she saw several other names. Two included Sin'ichi and Cassadee. Sin'ichi, huh? How unique. I like it. She opened the door to her room, and instantly fell in love with it. The room was a darker shade of grey, but not quite black. It had the old-fasioned look to it that she liked as well. She examined the bed to see a black silky setup. She smiled, and placed her bags on the floor.

"I suppose I can set my things up later. I would like to go wait for the others for now." She placed her hands on her hips, examining the room one last time, then made her way out, closing the door behind her. She examined the hall, making sure she was going the correct way, and made her way back downstairs. Along the way, she heard a loud slam and jumped slightly.

"Agh! Heart attack!" She chuckled at her reaction, as a grin formed on her lips. "Oh, it apprears my masochist side wishes to make herself known." She forced that side of her down, and tried to put up the innocent, kind side of her. Now, both sides of her are kind, but she doesn't want it to be known that she is a masochist. She was shunned when she was younger for it. So, she learned to keep that part of her hidden.

Finally, she made it to the first floor again. She made her way to an old couch that lay near the farside of the room, and positioned herself comfortably. When she heard footsteps, she opened her eyes to see a female. She closed her eyes, assuming it was another of the guests. By the looks of her, she's rich. However, I will not judge. She could be one of the sweetest girls I could know, for all I know. Like me, I'm some poor girl, who looks innocent, and is actually a masochist. Who would have thought?

Just then, I heard footsteps approach from the stairs, coming rather quickly. I stared at them, seeing a male. When he asked if we had seen a girl in a red dress, my first thought was, what did she look like?

"Ah, no. No I did not. But, what did she look like? How tall? Cute?" She noticed the part of her that loved kids was showing. She hoped it was a little child.


((Don't worry about it! I like a lengthy post! Gives me more to read, and more excitement! So, keep up the good work! I also like your character's name. Very unique.))

((Hey, should we possibly post up our Character Profiles? This way people know what our characters look like.))

---------

I see, I'm sorry! I wont post anything other than a Roleplay post again. I apologize.

((I posted them in the OOC, please try not to post OOC in here again :sweat: i wanna try to leave the main thread as uncluttered as possible.))

Cassadee was somewhat disappointed at the looks of the house. The whole point of her accepting this offer was to get away from a big house. She hoped that it would've been a small, cozy house, but it was much bigger than she expected. But then she thought, beggars can't be choosers... She was happy though. She finally felt free. She felt free of...everything, really.

Cassadee hoped that within the time of her stay at the house, she would be able to find a job and get a place of her own. She saw the stay at the house as a temporary living place. She thought that she would stay there until she made enough money to rent her own apartment. She wouldn't stay far though. She would probably get a job somewhere within a ten mile radius of the house and a place within the same range. Cassadee thought that it was finally time to be independent and start a life of her own. She wanted to start the life she wanted to and forget and not think about what her parents would say.

Her parents were especially mad when she got her first tattoo, but she was unfazed by that. It was a large banner of music notes. She had to go back a few times to get it finished and colored, but when the outline was done, she went home and it was the first thing her parents saw.

"Cassadee Blake!" Her mother had yelled. "Is that a tattoo?! My gosh, Cassadde, that better be fake!"
"And what if it's not?!" Cassadee demanded.
Her mother looked at a loss for words. So she just slapped her across the face. Cassadee just smiled. "What the hell are you smiling at, Cassadee?! Tattoos cannot be removed and they look like scum on your body! Your father and I are paying for it to be removed. We'll set up an appointment."
Cassadee knitted her eyebrows. "No. I paid for this tattoo and I love it."
"All the money you have, Cassadde is because of your mother and I." Her dad stated firmly. "You don't have anything."
"So what have I got to lose?" Cassadee demanded.
"You're not even legal age yet!" Her mother exclaimed.
"I will shut that place down if it's the last thing I do..." Her dad shook his head. "And we are most definitely going to get that tattoo of yours removed as soon as possible."

Cassadee never got the tattoo removed.

"What is that of anyway? A stupid banner?" Her mom said in disgust.
Cassadee rolled her eyes. "It's a stream of music notes."
"Why on earth would you get that?" Her father questioned.
"Because I love music. I always have. You just never cared to notice."

Cassadee pushed the memory aside and went up to her room. She didn't actually remember what room she was in, so she just looked around until she found it. It said "Cassadee" on the door, so it was very safe to assume that the room was hers. And on her way there, she passed two other rooms. One with the name "Tristin" and the other "Sin'ichi". She didn't even bother to look around her room or even pay attention to what color walls for floor she had. She didn't even want to look around the house. She thought that shse would just hang out downstairs and talk to the people that were already at the house. She was going to show them exactly who she was -rather what she had become -and hoped they would genuinely like her. She didn't even want them to like her. She just wanted them to tolerate her.

Cassadee found herself irritating after endless days of recapping everything that her fake friends said she did to upset them. She learned to almost hate herself. At one point, she couldn't take it and cut herself. It didn't help. She was already immune to physical pain. She never cut again.

She went down and saw a girl sitting on the couch. She looked friendly enough. Cassadee thought that she should make an attempt to talk to this girl. She was about to say something to her when a guy arrived in the room and asked if they saw a girl in a red dress. Cassadee had seen no such person since her arrival at the house. Maybe it was another guest that was just settling in at her room. The other girl responded first.

"Nope." Cassadee answered afterwards. "Haven't seen anyone like that."

((I hope that makes up for what I missed...even though most of it isn't really relevant.))

When both girls answered with a no Sin'ichi found himself slumping against the closest wall, running a hand roughly through his hair. He couldn't believe this, This was why he'd been made to go to see a psychiatrist for a few months after his mother had passed. He kept seeing things...things that just weren't there. The psychiatrist had said it was nothing and that he was better already. He'd freakin' stopped seeing anything afterward! Why was it starting up again? Had the psychiatrist lied? Sin'ichi wouldn't have put it past the woman, she seemed like a nice woman...but how nice could she be really, leering at him through those glasses. The thought of the woman brought slight shudders to Sin'ichi's frame before he straightened back up.

"I'm sorry...I was probably imagining things..." he mumbled, keeping his eyes averted from the two girls. How would they react, he wondered, if he told them he could see ghosts? Or spirits? Would they think him crazy? It was the only explanation...having a sixth sense. That's why he'd been taking the extra classes at night. The fact that it kept him out of the house longer was just an added bonus.

He moved away from the wall and settled into an armchair across from where one of the girls was sitting on a couch/sofa. He carefully pulled his case off his back and rested it on his lap. He dialed in his keycode before unclasping the case and opening it. Running had been a bad idea, he would just have to make sure that he hadn't jostled his violin during the running.

He took the violin out of it's case and ran his hands over it delicately, feeling the smooth wood under his hand. He could feel his pulse settling back down with the familiar instrument in his hand. Once he was sure there was no damage he set the violin back down and carefully closed his case again, though he left it in his lap.

Sin'ichi leaned back into the armchair, one hand resting protectively over his violin case as he raised his gaze to the girls, his expression settled into its natural mask of indifference. So...these were to be his housemates for the next year or so huh? He moved his gaze away from them and let his eyes wander around the room, taking in the details. For some reason he couldn't shake the feeling that somebody was watching him.

Maybe he was just being paranoid...being in a new place was probably just making his imagination go into overdrive trying to find out the mysteries surrounding the place. Sin'ichi sighed before closing his eyes briefly to collect his thoughts. Right...maybe it was just an overactive imagination. he'd just have to give it another day or two to settle down.

"I...did you two notice anything weird about the place when you walked in?" Sin'ichi mentally cursed. He had meant to introduce himself but that question had slipped through his mouth before he had even realized it.

((lol, my post is so short now! XD))

Cassadee nodded at the guy's response. She tried not to seem freaked out by what he was saying. She didn't find him crazy or anything; she was just scared. She always had a fear of horror movies and scary stories. When she was younger and her friends went around telling scary stories, she had to leave the room. One time, she had to call her mom to pick her up when she was eleven because she got so scared. She didn't know why she was scared of these things though. She found the fear somewhat irrational, but there was nothing she could do about it. Cassadee sometimes thought that she was crazy for thinking any such things could possibly be real.

Cassadee went to sit down on the other side of the couch from the other girl as the guy sat down in the armchair. She looked as he pulled out a violin. Even though she loved all types of music and thought that there was something special to every genre and a story behind every song, classical music sometimes creeped her out -especially in a setting such as the one she was in. One thing she was scared of was actually large houses.

She was often scared at her own house when no one else was home. It had been so big that she was scared that someone might've been in another part of the house and she wouldn't notice it. She didn't know if there were any places in her house to hide, but she did know that in movies, they always found a place to hide. So when the feeling of fear would get too strong, she would go out to her friend's house, maybe just to the store, the mall, the record shop, basically anything that wasn't a huge house or mansion.

Cassadee was actually scared of the house she was in at that moment. It seemed eerie and had this weird feeling to it. She didn't quite know how to explain it yet, but she knew that she eventually would be. She figured that she might not be able to sleep for a couple nights, but that was okay. There were other people in the house apparently and hopefully they would understand her fear and not mock her. It was something she was really sensitive about.

She almost wanted to try to tune out the music she thought that the guy was going to start playing. She felt her heart beating faster in anticipation. She almost wanted to run back to her room and cover her ears. But that wouldn't work. From a distance, it would just be creepier. Then he asked if either her or the other girl had noticed anything weird about the place when they walked in.

So it wasn't just her. She wasn't crazy. Even though she was normally unfazed by anything, this was something unavoidable. The only things she could feel were her loves and her fears. She wished that she wouldn't feel the latter, but she did; greatly, in fact. "Yes...actually I did..." She began. "I think this whole house is weird. It's not something you can notice, I think. Well, for me at least. It seems like this place has this eerie type feeling to it. It's like those movies with..." She swallowed and forced the next two words out. "Haunted houses." Then she realized her rambling and decided to explain herself. She didn't know why she cared now. "I'm sorry. You guys might think I'm crazy, but I have a somewhat irrational fear of things like that." She paused and looked from the girl to the guy. "I, um, I'm Cassadee, by the way."

((Your post isn't short. But...YEAH FOR LONG POSTS! I have time now, so why not? :P ))

Tristin watched as Sin'ichi went to open the case he has with him. It had a rectangular shape to it, but she had seen people keep other things in instrument cases, so she was curious as to what was in this one. When it opened, she saw it was a Violin. And a beautiful one at that. She examined the Violin's beautiful features, then looked away, not wanting to look weird for staring at it. She examined the room a little more, until she had the feeling she was being watched. She shook her head, and the feeling vanished. But, it had always been this way for her. Why would now be any different?

When Sin'ichi asked if they noticed anything weird, she thought for a moment. Perhaps the loud slam she heard earlier? But maybe one of the two did it. She decided to say nothing of the door, and continued to think. Everything seemed normal enough to her.

"Not really, no. It seems... About as normal as an old house can get. Well, how about more than normal, perhaps. It's beautiful. Why do you ask? Are you getting a strange feeling?" She looked at Sin'ichi and smiled slightly. Perhaps she wasn't the only one getting a slightly strange feeling.

With the frustrating turn of the small gold key, Adam fought with their mail box. The silver contraption just simply got stuck, and did not open most of the time. Not only that, the key would not even turn at some points. Today being one of those point. He stepped back with a frustrated sigh. Glaring at the inanimate object in front of him. He tried once more before getting the stupid mail box to open for him. Inside poured out letters, bills, and even a large package. The package he stuffed under his arm while he took hold of the smaller letters, and closed the box. Walking back upstairs. There was an elevator in the apartment, but the twins only lived on the third floor. So the stairs always become the better option. With a free hand Adam opened the door to the small one bedroom apartment.

In the living room he could see Eve's head. She was stretching most likely. She had just gotten home from work about two hours ago, and had taken a nap. The kitchen, dining room, and living room were all connected in the apartment. Adam took a seat on the couch so he could go threw the mail. His sister was sprawled out on the living room floor in a split. Taking hold of one foot and stretching, then repeating with the other foot. Holding for about ten seconds. Eve was a dancer, or used it be any way. Adam was her partner in fact. Something he was not ashamed to admit. It was just a hobby they did together.

"Anything good?" Eve asked, glancing over her shoulder. She had bags under her eyes from working all night at the restaurant. Adam had tried to get Eve to sleep longer, but she would not hear a word of it. Not wishing to waste her day away.

"Hmm.. Bills, junk" He said sorting the letters around. Ripping any junk mail in half. "Take out menus." Which he also ripped in half for the trash pile. He finally got to one which made him pause. It was made with old paper, probably parchment. On the front someone had both of their names written in cursive. the letter was also sealed with a red wax seal. The symbol was one he did not recognize, but could guess it was a family crest of some sorts. Adam opened the letter and read threw. Cocking an eyebrow as pictures and a key fell onto his lap.

"I guess we won a house...?" Adam asked himself. Reading threw the letter. He did not enter a contest, maybe Eve had. It seemed very strange. Eve came and joined her brother on the couch. Taking the letter as it was handed to her and reading threw it. Adam looked threw the pictures. Finding the Gothic picture very eerie.

"Hisoko Estate?.. Wait isn't that the house across town? It's been boarded up for the longest time. I guess someone finally bough it, but why did we get a letter?" Eve asked Adam, glancing to the pictures he was looking threw. Deleting his suspicion of her entering any contest. The both traded again so Eve could get a better look at the pictures.

"Think we should do it?" Eve asked Adam, getting a scoff from her older brother.

"Are you insane? Yes, lets move into the old creepy house neither of us know anything about." He said sarcastically. Picking up the pile of junk mail, and even the old letter, throwing it in the trash. Adam then headed into the kitchen to get a head start on dinner. With Eve working, he normally cooked and cleaned to let her relax when she got him. Since Eve would work threw the night, come home sleep, and more than likely go back to work after dinner. It was just how her schedule was.

For dinner they had raman noodles with some egg on top. Nothing fancy, but it was food. Eve slowly opened each bill, writing checks, until suddenly she stopped. Her eyes widened. She went back to her check book and started to re-calculate the numbers. Until she froze.

"What is it?" Adam asked. Feeling her distress in his chest.

"I can't pay rent again this month." Eve said to him. Looking over the bills. wondering if there was one they could go without. Cell phone they needed since they did not have a land-line, water, electricity... There just was not enough to cover the $800 dollar rent bill. Eve looked up at her brother. Re-crunching the numbers over and over, come to the same result. Plus they still needed to pay for food, and the car insurance.

Adam looked at Eve nearly dumbfounded. "Even with all of the over time." To which Eve just nodded. Unable to really look at him because of her dirty little secret. The owner of the building was very kind towards the pair. Even cutting them a break for the past couple of months. But he warned them he could not keep doing it. Adam was at a loss for words. They needed to move to a cheaper place... The thought came into his mind again and he looked towards the trash. Shaking his head. There was no way. The letter was probably a joke. Instead he looked toward the time.

"It is late Eve. We should go to bed..." Adam suggested. Wanting to relax his sister. He could just see the stress taking years off of her beautiful face.

The two slept in the same room, mainly because there was only one bedroom. They each had their own bed of coarse, but the room was very plain and on the smaller side. The next morning Adam woke first. Well, Eve had gone to work already so he was home alone for the time being. He headed into the kitchen, going on the laptop. The internet they used an open wireless from the neighbors. He started filling out applications, and calling businesses at the same time. This had been a routine for him for months. But finding a job proved to be horrible. He got quiet a few interviews, but each time there was always something he was missing for the job. Not that the interviewer would tell him outright.

Adam walked into the bedroom to change, heading back out into the dinning room where he saw the parchment letter sitting on the table. He looked very confused. It was opened with the pictures and key on the table. Maybe Eve had placed it there before she left... He went over to it, re-reading the letter. Now honestly thinking about it. Even if it was a scam.. They would have no where to live in just a couple of days. Their landlord would kick them out. Adam sat the tabl with the letter in hand. Reading the old paper over and over. Knowing in the back of his mind it was a horrible idea.

Strange letter, no return address. An idea came to mind. Maybe the internet could help him. He at least had a couple of hours before Eve was due home, so he searched the web. Typing Hisoko Estate into the search bar. The little wheel turned, as nothing came up. Zero searches found... Could that be possible? Adam then tried just Hisoko. Of coarse finding numerous people with that name. But nothing came up again when he searched for the house.

A sigh escaped his mouth. The damn computer must have been broken.

Several hours later Eve came home. Her face was completely red from tears. Adam was at her side right away. A hand rubbing her back.

"I was fired today." She said as the tears started again. "A customer complained that I had overcharged him. He made a few calls, and I was fired within the hour..." Eve said between breaths. She had no idea the man was a Blake. Eve had to wonder if the man knew he had pretty much just ruined their lives over ten dollars. The idiot ordered expensive drinks!

Adam took even over to the couch, taking the letter with him. "I think we should do this.. If it is a scam, then they obviously already know where we live, If it isn't, we can look for a new place while staying here." Adam said to her. Beating himself knowing it really was a horrible idea. Eve just nodded. Trusting her brother. Even if he was having a hard time finding a job, he was still a very bright individual.

The two went into their room, packing everything they would need into large bags. Even stopping a couple of times as each of them found things they had not scene in years. Adam phoned the landlord, offering him every thing they had left in the apartment as payment. They owed the man thousands of dollars after all. He was less than please they were leaving, but agreed. Adam and Eve went the sleep that night in order to get ready for the morning.

The next morning they loaded up their car and followed the address on their GPS. The reason their car was so nice, and they had nice toys like the GPS and laptop was because of Adam's old job. He was easily bring home a couple thousand dollars a week. The car was completely paid for, as well as most of their tech. Well except for insurance, which was not too bad any how. They found the place rather easily, pulling to the drive way. There were no other cars they could see any how.

The twins took hold of their things walking up the front door. Adam reached for the key while Eve tried the handle. Finding it already unlocked. Adam suddenly felt a heavy weight in his chest. Weighting him down like a ton of bricks. He found his breathing increasing as it felt like someone was sitting on his chest. But he was standing. It was strange. Eve turned to take a look at Adam, being sure he was alright.

Eve had noticed the gardens, flowers being something she loved dearly. She would need to explore later in the day if time allowed. Eve stood a couple of inches shorter than her brother. Her hair was a deep Auburn brown, the same as her brothers. Eyes were a very beautiful dark brown. Skin was a brilliantly even beige. She had the body of a dancer, meaning she was very lean and muscled in the right places on a woman. She wore a black coat over a vintage blue dress that fell to about her mid knee. A pair of matching flip flops and a head band that were also pink. The top half of the dress would be covered by a white button shirt she tied in the center around her waist. Creating sleeves for the normally sleeveless dress.

Adam on the other hand looked similar. His features were sharpened more so than Eve's, and he was far more built then her. Having to lift Eve during routines really built up strength. Not that she was heavy by any means. His hair, eyes and skin were matching compared to his sister. Expect Adam stood at about six foot one inch. His outfit compared to his sister was relatively simple. He wore a black pair of jeans. A black button up shirt with a white loosened tie. His hair was a bit messy since he did not feel like styling it that morning, but the messiness was another style.

Eve opened the door, stepping inside of the house. Looking around at the entry way. Adam moved in after all, closing the door.

"Its huge." Eve said, her voice seemed to carry threw out the halls. Her eyes scanned every little detail. The Gothic feel of the house made her nervous. So did the openness of it. But it was also very new. Eve stepped back, reaching for her Brother's hand. Which he gladly took. At first glance, many oddly thought the two were lovers. Since they were not identical twins. But the way they both depended on each other, it was like one person working in two bodies. The two could practically work together without saying a single word.

The sound of voices rang down the hall. Catching the twin's attention. Adam coughed a bit at the weight returned. Forcing Eve to turn towards him again. Resting hand on his back and rubbing while his coughing fit started. It lasted a good ten or twenty seconds before he returned to normal, giving a nod to Eve while they moved into a sitting room. There were two other girls, and one guy. Eve stood slightly behind Adam as he was unsure of the people standing before him. His hand still within his sisters.

"Hello there Everyone!" Eve said in a cheery voice. "My name is Eve, and this is Adam." She introduced once the conversation seemed to stop. Her red heels seemed to click against the ground every time she moved. Eve had always learned to introduce one self before asking anything of others. Her brother was probably not going to speak much, just simply watch to learn what the others were about. He would throw in a line or two every now and then.

"Would you like to sit down Eve?" Adam asked his sister. Only to receive a shake of her head.

"I notice the others here do not have bags. Meaning there are bedrooms we should throw our things into, or they are the current residents." Their conversation could obviously be heard by everyone in the room.

"So in a couple of minutes we should seek out rooms?" He confirmed, not getting an audible answer from Eve, but he knew the answer himself.

When Tristin heard a door open, and a cool breeze follow in, she tried to get a glimpse as to who it was. Almost falling backwards, she stiffened back out. Eh, they'll be in here soon enough. And she continued to talk with Sin'ichi and Cassadee.

Sure enough, two people walked into her view, and she examined them. Upon hearing them talking, she stopped examining, and listened in. "Ah, I do believe I saw both of your names on the second floor. I think that might be where all of the rooms are." She watched the two, admiring how close they appreared to be. She had never been that close with a person before. She wanted to have that type of relationship.

((actually Akabane-san, I imagined the violin cases to be rectangular cases that would have made it harder to guess what instrument it was, but it's fine. I should have been clearer with my wording.))

The door to a rather nicely furnished penthouse apartment was pushed open slowly and the person who had pushed the door open entered, dropping their messenger bag to the floor almost immediately. A hand reached up and flicked a switch on the wall. The blinds covering the floor-to-ceiling windows across the living room area slowly rolled up, allowing sunlight to spill into the area, creeping over the furniture until the sunlight spilled onto the tired face of Satsuki Yoshirou Tsukino.

After another tiring night wandering the streets and trying to get spirits to cross over, Satsuki was completely wiped out. Luckily, his classes had ended for the semester and he wouldn't have to return for another couple of months. With a sigh, Satsuki ran a hand through his hair, pushing his bangs out of his eyes. He moved towards the couch, letting his front door shut itself as he dropped onto the piece of furniture. He reached up one hand and unbuttoned the front of the blazer he wore so that it wasn't constricting his middle as much as before. He extracted a contacts case from his pocket and set it on the table before carefully removing his contacts and dropping them back into the solution that filled the case. He blinked a few times before extracting a pair of glasses from another pocket and slipping them on.

It was only then did Satsuki notice the envelope sitting on the coffee table in front of him. He couldn't remember leaving a letter on the table, and he was almost certain that it hadn't been there while he was removing his contacts...he whirled around in his seat to scan the rest of his apartment, his eyes darting throughout the sunlight filled area. Nothing. Like usual. He shuddered slightly and then picked up the envelope with one hand. He hefted the heavy thing in one hand before flipping it over to see his address and name printed on the front in a curling script. His raised an eyebrow curiously before flipping the envelope back over and breaking the wax seal, taking a mental picture of the crest on the seal. He tipped the envelope onto the table and watched as photos spread across the table along with an old looking key that clattered noisily onto the coffee table. Moving aside a few of the photos, Satsuki picked up the folded parchment and opened it to read.

"Hisoko...Estates..."

Hisoko...? Why did that name sound so familiar? Satsuki was too tired to remember, but he couldn't help but think it was important. A year long stay huh...he didn't really need this. He was doing pretty well on his own here. Though sometimes the lack of other people in the apartment did throw him off. Satsuki placed the parchment back down and sifted through the photos.

As he was about to move another photo of the gardens to the side, he paused, eyes widening, and picked up the photo so that he could get a clearer view of it. There, right at the edge of the picture..."No..."

The photo slipped from Satsuki's hands and landed back on the coffee table. With a slight groan, Satsuki removed his glasses and covered his eyes with one hand. He shouldn't bother. It wasn't his business. But...the letter had said others had been invited...they could be in danger. He slumped back on the couch, it would weigh down on his conscience if he didn't go. And he would probably regret it if he did. Why were things never easy for him anymore? The image of his sister's angry expression flashed to the front of his mind and a sad sigh slipped from his lips. Right...that's why...

With a mumbled thought, Satsuki forced himself to get up. Well, he had better start packing then. He'd have to call up a favor from one of his friends to see if they could help drive him and his things there, he didn't want to risk bringing his motorcycle to the place.

----

The next afternoon, after a quick lunch at a small cafe with a few of his friends, one of them motioned for him to get into the car after tossing his things into the trunk.

"So...a year long stay, huh?"

"Apparently."

"A little fishy don't you think?"

"Incredibly."

His friend glanced at him from the corner of her eyes before returning her gaze to the road. "You'll be careful won't you Satsuki? You're one of the kindest people I've ever met, it'll crush me, and the rest of the group, if you got hurt."

Satsuki smiled a soft smile, his gaze never leaving the road just visible out the front window. "I'll try my best Miu." he replied, his tone warm.

Miu's expression softened and a sad gleam entered her eyes. Satsuki never argued a point, he never told them off for babying him or worrying about him as if he were still a kid. He just agreed to everything they said. It was...sad, Miu thought, sad that Satsuki, who was really extremely nice, was too scared to stand up for himself. She knew he wouldn't admit it, at least not outright, he'd avoid the topic if he could, but she could see it. She could see that something had hurt him in his past, something he hadn't shared with them, but she dared not push the matter with her friend.

After about half an hour more of silence Miu pulled up to a stop in front of the gates that led onto the large estate. She exited the car with Satsuki and the two stood for a few moments, just staring at the place. What Miu didn't realize though, was that they were both seeing two completely different things. What she saw was a beautiful estate that she could only ever dream of owning. Satsuki on the other hand saw what seemed to be a fog of dray hanging over everything and a little girl smiling out at him from one of the upper floors. Not a smile that one would expect to see on a child's face, no. She was smiling at him with a look of pure insanity. Satsuki looked away for just a moment to scan the rest of the grounds, but when he looked back, she was gone, along with the fog of gray.

"It's...a nice place." Miu managed out.

"Hmm." Satsuki mumbled out before turning to stare at the trunk of Miu's car. It took a moment before she realized what he was waiting for and Miu scrambled to unlock the trunk. Satsuki pulled his luggage from the back along with an instrument case. The case itself was rectangular in shape, a pure white color with black borders. Miu gave it a curious look before smiling.

"I didn't know you still played."

"It's good for stress relief." Satsuki replied. "Maybe I'll play for you and the rest of the group after this year is up."

Miu smiled faintly before moving closer to Satsuki and giving him a quick hug. "I'll look forward to it."

With that, Satsuki took a step back and watched as Miu's car disappeared into the distance before turning and starting up the path to the house looming in the distance. As he walked, he could feel the chilling gaze of the girl he had glimpsed on his back, he made no move to show that he noticed, but he was fairly certain that she knew what he was, just as certain as he knew what she was. He passed by a car in the driveway and wondered if maybe he was the last one to show up.

When he reached the front door, Satsuki sighed before testing the doorknob, it was unlocked. He let himself in and closed the door softly behind him. He cast a weary glance around before hearing a girls voice coming from down the hall.

"Ah, I do believe I saw both of your names on the second floor. I think that might be where all of the rooms are."

Shifting his grip on his bags, Satsuki followed the voice and entered what seemed to be a sitting room where five others were gathered. So he was the last one to show up. He stood partly in the hallway still, behind a pair of...twins, was it? He leaned slightly against the wall to see past them and his eyes skipped over two more females before landing on the last male, who held a similar looking instrument case to the one on Satsuki's back in his lap, though that guy's was black with red decals. Satsuki looked up and scrutinized the male's face before a spark of recognition entered his eyes.

----

Sin'ichi gave Cassadee a relieved look when she said that she'd also felt something weird. Alright, so it wasn't just him, that was a relief, even if Tristin didn't think anything was wrong, as long as someone agreed with him Sin'ichi had hope yet for his sanity. The feeling he had of being watched had disappeared as soon as the sound of a car door slamming had reached his ears.

A few minutes later a pair of twins walked in and the girl cheerfully introduced herself as Eve and her brother as Adam. From the way Adam acted...it was like the twins had their own little world, separate from the rest of them. Not that Sin'ichi felt that he had any right to talk, he'd been that way with the rest of his family for quite a while.

It didn't even seem that long when Sin'ichi heard the door open and then shut again and another person entered. Well, half-entered. he was stuck behind the twins. Sin'ichi leaned forward in the armchair to see who it was and his eyes widened slightly in disbelief at who he saw standing there.

"Satsuki? Is that you?"

The older male smiled, that same smile from at least a year ago Sin'ichi noted, before replying. "Hello Sin'ichi. I didn't expect to see you here."

Sin'ichi could only blink in shock at his old classmate.

----

Sin'ichi and Satsuki used to take violin lessons together a few years back, when Sin'ichi had first moved to the neighborhood. Sin'ichi had taken an instant liking to the older male who never seemed to have a bad word to say against anybody. As for Satsuki, it was like having a younger brother hanging around all the time who just loved to spend time with him. The two lost contact after Satsuki abruptly stopped taking violin classes.

They met again a few years later in the same college psychology course. Sin'ichi was reluctant to become close to Satsuki again, not wanting to go through having him disappear suddenly all over again. But it was hard keeping a grudge on someone like Satsuki and Sin'ichi found himself talking and joking around with Satsuki like the older male had never left. After that year they took different courses so they saw each other rarely.

In fact, they didn't keep in contact much so that was probably why neither realized the other had been invited to stay at the estate.

Satsuki was suddenly glad he had decided to come. He would have definitely beaten himself over the head many, many, many times if he'd found out that Sin'ichi had gotten hurt when he could have prevented it from happening.

"Oh...where are my manners?" Satsuki asked, remembering that there were four others in the room. "Please excuse me. My name is Satsuki. It's nice to meet all of you."

Sin'ichi snapped out of his daze then and laughed softly. "Ever the gentleman Satsuki. My name's Sin'ichi." He added for the benefit of the rest of the room's occupants, slightly more energy in his voice now. He got up from the armchair and placed his violin case back onto his back. He moved around the twins and smiled slightly wider when he saw the case on Satsuki's back. "You brought it."

Satsuki's smile widened ever so slightly. "Would you believe that you're the second one to sound surprised by my actions in the past ten minutes?"

"For some reason, I can."

Satsuki shook his head lightly. "Do excuse us. It seems we've got some catching up to do." Satsuki supplied to the others. "Maybe we can catch up later Sin'ichi?"

Sin'ichi seemed to deflate slightly at the suggestion, but he didn't disagree. He knew that with just one word Satsuki would go along with whatever he wanted, so instead, Sin'ichi returned to the armchair, this time setting his violin case by his feet.

Satsuki excused himself as he moved around the twins and set his own instrument case next to Sin'ichi's and then set his luggage down as well, resting one of his hands lightly on the back of Sin'ichi's chair before letting his gaze wander around the room, taking in the decor.

((whoosh~ this was fun to type...though I think I made Sin'ichi go out of character XD))

Tristin watched as another person, an older man, walked in and seemed to light up when he saw Sin'ichi. She stared as the two talked, then blinked when he introduced himself.

"Ah, it is nice to meet you, too, Satsuki. My name is Tristin." She smiled politely at the man, and watched as the two continued to talk again. If she didn't know any better, she would say Sin'ichi looked slightly uncomfortable. She turned back around, facing the correct way in her chair, and looked at her hands. She lifted her sleeves slightly, to see the scars she had created when she was younger. Personally, she wished the cuts had never scarred. She may have liked pain, but she had wanted to keep that part of her secret. These scars are only proof of the side of me I want to keep secret. How do I keep something so obvious a secret? She pondered, silently. She sighed, pushing the sleeves back down slowly.