And They Call It The Day of Fools
When you awaken this morning, initially, things feel as they always do... until the realization dawns on you that you are not alone in bed. Once, long before the tragedy that befell the town took place, the apartments were full of people from all walks of life, living out their lives beside one another. The silent ghosts who fill the halls are now restored to temporary life while you, and the neighbors you've come to know, are now the spirits that haunt the hallways.
The rightful tenants of the apartments can't see you, typically, but can sense your nagging presence. When you move things, they can't see you moving them, but can sense that something has been altered, somehow. Some of the more spiritually inclined tenants may try to fight you, with tape or with exorcism. You may leave, only to find yourself barred from your own room...
For the next week, starting at sunrise on Thursday, April 1st and lasting until sunrise on Thursday, April 8th, all apartment tenants will become spirits. They can still see and interact with other tenants, but not with the original owners of the apartments. You can either choose a family from the list provided or develop your own, your character becoming privy to events within the household (if you wish to develop your own, please run the concept by the mod team first!). The communicators still work for connecting with other characters, but the messages cannot cross into the next world, and the former tenants cannot look at the posts.
The list of available families is as follows. Once a family has been claimed, it will be noted next to the family name, and the apartment number will be copied from the apartment listings post. To make browsing down the list easier, claimed families are noted by a filled square (■) while unclaimed ones have an open square (□).
■ Koga Hikaru, claimed by Bakura (spiritofathief) and Marluxia (petalsofdeath)
Apartment 550
Landlord of the apartment buildings. Lives alone.
■ Sato Ai and Takahashi Masato, claimed by Mello (worldsrunnerup) and Matt (gamer_anon)
Apartment 506
An unhappy young couple that fights constantly. Takahashi frequently strikes out at Ai, and despite her cries, her neighbors do nothing about it.
■ The Suzuki Family: Emiko, Junji, and Maki, claimed by Mika Whitepaws (notlikethemovie and Deuce Preston (hiddensnake)
Apartment 434
Emiko loves to cook, but is terrible at it, always setting off the smoke alarm. Junji, 19, is afraid to leave her alone for long, living at home and cleaning up her messes, while Maki, 15, spends all of her time with Mana down the hall.
■ Sasaki Kankuro, claimed by Shiro Amaterasu (deimos_loki)
Apartment 629
An elderly Widower that has richly appointed his apartment with treasures from his travels from all around the world, displaying a variety of rich tastes and hobbies. Chief among his prized possessions is a rather familiar Noh Mask...
■ Ito Family: Ichiro, Eiki, and Kei, claimed by the Fierce Deity (fierce_deity)
Apartment 720
At first, it may seem like Eiki and her son live alone in the apartment, with Ichiro only occasionally coming home, either to eat dinner and then leave again for his office, or to come home and sleep, only to get up and go back to work first thing in the morning.
■ Yamamura family: Takashi, Shizuko, and Sadako, claimed by Teutonic Order (moarcrusadesplx)
Apartment 105
Takashi and Shizuko live quietly, as if in fear of their young daughter, Sadako, who they keep locked in her room for fear of others finding out about her. Sadako does not seem to complain, just sits in her room and stares at the floor, as if watching.
■ Kudo Kana and Misa, claimed by Puck (yieldingdream)
Apartment 111
Raising her daughter on her own, Kana often leaves Misa, 6, alone in the apartment during the day to fend for herself. Misa often cries about seeing monsters, and no matter how often she tries, nothing Kana can say changes her mind.
■ Kimura Hajime, claimed by Sasori (sunstsands)
Apartment 619
An artist who lives alone, his cluttered apartment filled with depictions of figures in torment, which he would describe as being "landmarks for the transition between one world and the next."
■ Narita Satomi, claimed by Seth Aurailia (the_aurailia)
Apartment 407
The real name of Nataka Motoko, the soft-core pornography star. Rather private in her personal life, she never seems to have a boyfriend, living almost like a nun.
□ Chiba Junko and Kikuchi Mamoru
A nurse, weary with her long hours and the never-ending system of suffering she sees on a daily basis. Her fiancée Mamoru tries to do his best, cleaning and cooking and being supportive of Junko when she comes home, but bit by bit, she seems to be slipping away from him.
■ The Abe family: Kyukichi, Marina, Midori, Naomi, claimed by Wei-Fa Yao (kernelpanicking)
Apartment 555
An officer under review to become detective, things are looking up for Kyukichi, though his wife Marina is worried about the new dangers this job will bring him, with the rise in strange and unexplained murders in town.
□ Saito Jotaro and Yukari
Things just haven't been the same in the Saito household since Hitomi died of a strange brain tumor two years ago. Every day, Yukari, their daughter, grows a little more lovely, and more like Hitomi. This change has not passed unnoticed by Jotaro, who is carefully tracking the change every waking moment when Yukari is not in school, guarding her like a treasure.
■ Watanabe Kojiro, claimed by Vergil (guide2hell)
Apartment 700
A stage magician who has been having a rough patch. His partner, Endo Hiromi, hasn't been returning his calls lately. Even though even he admits his tricks are nothing but that: misdirection and slight-of-hand, he has been seeing things that beggar his belief. Hiromi had mentioned something of that effect before she vanished into thin air, complaining about shifting stains and a strange voice coming out of her radio...
■ Kobayashi Akihiro, Arai Kaori, Nakamura Yoji, claimed by Dev Feardorch (meno_nikephoros)
Apartment 122
Thee students at the university at the next town, things have gotten strange between the three of them. There seems to be evidence of a fourth person living in the apartment, and now each suspects the other of inviting a significant other into their room without the permission of the others.
■ Tanaka Daigo and Iori, claimed by Zack Fair (soldierinbloom)
Apartment 308
Well into their 80's, the Tanakas are doing well for themselves, all things considering. Iori has been nearly blind for years, but she still is able to cook and crochet, provided that Daigo picks the yarn for her when they leave the apartment together (and they never leave alone). Daigo's knees haven't been what they used to, but he refuses to stop moving, walking without aid of a walker or cane in the apartment, and having only recently deigned to take one when they leave the house. Despite their happy home, full of photos and mementos of their 65 year marriage, the spectre of death hovers over them both, and they surely know, that one goes ahead of the other, the other will surely follow out of both heartbreak and dependence.
□ Yamamoto family: Kyo, Miyumi, Gin (and baby makes four)
Until recently, life was good for the young Yamamoto family. Kyo and Miyumi moved to the apartment when Gin was an infant, seeking new and lucrative jobs in town. But now that Gin is old enough to go to school and that Miyumi is pregnant again, things are tense. There is a pall over the household that even Gin keeps quiet about, all centered on the growing life inside of Miyumi.
■ Hayashi family: Saburo, Aiko, Kenji, and Kenzo, claimed by Itsuki Tachibana (crystalore)
Apartment 211
Kenji and Kenzo were twins, born in the local hospital healthy and happy. Things were fine in the household until recently, when Kenji began to hit puberty. Kenzo, who was a little less developed, is lagging behind slightly, and seems to be the only one who can see the changes in his brother, and is acting out his frustrations as a result.
■ Yoshida Akira, claimed by Shiki (p3rfect_kill3r)
Apartment 414
A strange loner who the other neighbors shun, after their initial attempts at friendliness were ignored. Only Hikaru has seen the inside of his apartment, and will tell neighbors with trepidation that his rooms were meticulously soundproofed and stink of bleach, as if he is trying to hide a terrible secret. No longer do the neighbors let their pets roam loose in the halls, for since Akira moved in, any outside of their apartments have gone missing. No one can prove anything, of course, but all the same, no one is willing to think anything less of Akira.
■ Yamazaki Akane, claimed by Ushiwaka (fauconlunaire)
Apartment 260
Ever since her husband died, Akane has not left her apartment, insisting that she is terrified of what lies outside of the safety of her little home. For the items she cannot purchase from the internet, she asks Yoji, the college student, to assist her, buying her groceries and taking out her trash. He does it for no charge, feeling immensely sorry for the strange, young widow.
■ Mochizuka Akemi and Shimizu Masashi, claimed by Uriel (uriel_archangel)
Apartment 705
Akemi is a psychic, particularly of the Nensha variety, who could focus her will to produce images on film. No one believes her, of course, save for her current boyfriend Masashi, who supports her as she attempts to supplement their own living from fortune-telling techniques she developed from her childhood. She sees the spirits slowly devouring the apartments, consuming the souls of her neighbors, but does nothing, for she knows that only Masashi will believe her. And if he knew, he would be powerless to stop them.
■ Fukazawa Tomokichi and Maruyama Hiroko, claimed by Dante (werallsatisfied)
Apartment 128
Tomokichi practices his guitar when the others are at work, going out with his band, The Flesh and Bones, in the night to play at local gigs while Hiroko works as a billing specialist in the hospital. She loves him dearly, and thinks that he has the talent to go farther, if only he would abandon the rest of the band, a mixed bag of marginal talent. Tomokichi refuses, causing a source of never-ending strife between the two.
□ Sugiyama family: Heihachiro, Akiko, Shizuko and Chizuko
Heihachiro works in a private practice as a therapist, working with the ills of the people of the city and prescribing them pills to make all of their hurts go away. His own house, however, is in turmoil. His teenaged daughters, Shizuko, 17, and Chizuko, 14, spend all of their time with the strange Mana, who seems to have all of the local girls entranced into some sort of cult. Other girls that he talks to because their parents sent them, will say nothing of Mana, save for that she "saved them." a sentiment his daughters share.
■ Yamada Yutaro and Nishimura Kyoko, claimed by Miku Hinasaki (herbalmedicines)
Apartment 143
Yutaro makes his living taking pictures of the conflict between the natural environment and the encroachment of civilization, and the tension between the two, when not selling photos to the newspaper to pay the bills. Kyoko, his girlfriend and favorite subject, can't understand why Yutaro seems to be so upset about his latest batches of pictures. She sees nothing wrong with the perfect captures, though Yutaro now davens away in his darkroom, talking about the strange smears in the pictures, covering faces.
□ Inoue Kotomi and Kotori
Kotomi never married and when Kotori's husband divorced her to marry his much-younger assistant, Kotomi happily opened her home to her sister until she got back on her feet. Twenty years later, and the two now feel as though they can never part, going so far as to actively shun suitors, hiding away in their little apartment.
□ Matsumoto Yutaka and Miho
After a whirlwind courtship, Yutaka and Miho married and moved into their apartment six months ago. It's still a happy little love nest, and now that things have settled down, they are talking about children and trying to get pregnant, though there has been as of late, no success. This has yet to deter the couple, who are talking about names and looking at swatches of paint and cribs.
□ Maeda family: Nagao, Ikuko, Akina, and Himeko
Nagao works as a taxi-cab driver, enjoying the people he meets as he takes them where they need to go. Hell, that's how he met Ikuko 18 years ago, and they've been happily married ever since. He'd never quit working as a taxi-driver, and because of his hours, he hasn't noticed the change in his oldest daugher, Akina, 16. He brushes off Himeko's, 8, worry that her big sister has made a dangerous friend in Mana, another girl in the building. He just thinks Himeko is upset that Akina is growing up and becoming an adult, leaving Himeko behind in that temporary transition (or so Sugiyama down the hall suggests).
■ Yamane Hideki and Fujiwara Anzu, claimed by Aburame Shino (justahost)
Apartment 329
Hideki has just finished his dissertation on the local butterfly species for his doctorate. His star is already rising due to his assistance in charting out a new species of red and black-rimmed butterfly that seems to have migrated out of the dense forest that surrounds the town. With any luck, he'll have enough money to get a beautiful ring to propose to Anzu and then move to a little house on the edge of the woods, so they can be surrounded by the perfection of nature and he can observe butterflies all the time.
■ Hara family: Hayato, Kumiko, Iemon, and Chihiro, claimed by Willy Wonka (tophatcandycane)
Apartment 256
Hayato and Kumiko have their dream job: Together, they run and maintain a restaurant that is wildly successful. With Hayato managing, and Kumiko cooking, it seems the pair have created a fail-proof business. The only downside is the long hours they spend working and the toll it takes on their children. Iemon, who is about to leave for Tokyo University, seems content enough to work as a waiter in the restaurant, but Chihiro, 15, is starting to resent all of her free time being taken up. Lately her grades have been slipping, and now she's spending time with that strange girl Mana. Busy as they are with the restaurant, they are powerless to stop her.
□ Miyake Hideo and Fujii Madoka
Hideo has refused to move out of his apartment and go to a retirement home, despite having had a crippling stroke that has robbed him of the use of half of his body. As a final, stubborn compromise with his children, he hired Madoka to live with him and make sure he was getting along okay. Madoka is all he could ask for, in as far as that he leaves Hideo the hell alone unless asked. Recently however, Hideo his finally relented, growing to trust his companion, whom is usually the only person he sees in a day.
■ Kondo family: Mako, Asuka, and Mari, claimed by Rubi Malone (whiskeykillshot)
Apartment 302
Mako arranges flowers for a living, and lately, business is sagging. In desperation, he has been literally bleeding for his business, pouring blood into the soil of his plants. Anemic and weak, he knows he will need more... just a little more... And it's not like he's going to miss his wife and daughter, anyway. Asuka's been getting fat ever since she broke her ankle falling down the stairs. She says she was pushed by someone she didn't see, but Mako knows that she did it on purpose so she wouldn't have to work anymore. Mari's always gone, claiming to have gone to see Mana, but Mako knows she's lying. She's likely with a boyfriend or something, the little harlot. No, he wouldn't miss either of them... it's only a matter of time...
■ Mori Kunihiko, claimed by Hayden Tenno (metalicvirus)
Apartment 536
Kunihiko jut moved here from Kyoto and boy, does she hate it here. Everyone in town is just so... provincial. However, with country mice, there is money to be made in selling fashionable ideas. And so Kunihiko must stay in this disgusting, stained deathtrap, making the final preparations to open her store.
□ Oonishi family: Makoto, Tomoko, Mizuki, and Saki
Makoto is a civil engineer, specializing in roads in this prefecture. Having a lifelong passion for construction, he has tried to instill such a passion in his children. Mizuki, 17, used to be fascinated, but since having been bullied, seemed to have lost her desire to become one. That is until she befriended Mana. Her confidence came back, and frankly, Mana seems to be the best friend she has ever had. Makoto is more than willing to let Mizuki come and go as she pleases, so long as she keeps her grades up so she can get into a good school.
■ Murakami Mayumi and Ochi Jin, claimed by Vexen (chilledacademia)
Apartment 338
Mayumi's career seemed to be bright indeed until she slipped on a rough patch of ice last spring during an unseasonable blizzard and broke her ankle. Now, it is too weak for her to perform, crushing her young dreams. Jin for now, is supportive, taking her to physical therapy and trying to find places where Mayumi can open a studio, fulfilling her shattered dreams through her students.
□ Komatsu Amane and Hamada Kumi
Amane and Kumi are hiding away in the apartments. While they both have husbands and families, they cannot deny the attraction they feel for one another. So their apartment is a love nest, paid for by their jobs at the accounting firm in town, where they can both hide away from the worries of the world.
□ Matsuo family: Haruto, Ami, Masaki, and Isamu
Haruto is the coach for the soccer team at the local high school, and is a bit frustrated with Masaki 16, who seems incapable of learning how to properly play. He loves his son, however, and pushes him a bit to succeed, but only because he wants his son to succeed at everything he tries. He fears pushing too hard, however, just as his father did with him.
□ Nakajima Hikari and Sakamoto Shingo
Hikari is a local dj, with a two-hour block of pop hits every day. She loves her job, even though it is time consuming, and her local celebrity at times makes it hard to do her business. Lately, however, she's noticed a strange signal, underlying her own. If she listens hard enough, she discovers it to be a message, but the contents are still a mystery to her.
■ Kawano Mana, claimed by Muraki Kazutaka (sword_of_k)
Apartment 314
Mana is a 15-year-old girl who seems to live alone in her apartment. Hikaru does not ask questions, he just takes the check that is promptly delivered each month, always on time. The apartment is filled with a never-ending string of girls coming in and out, all seeming to idolize Mana, who seems to almost be the leader of a cult. Lately, the girls have been acting strangely, becoming quieter, more drawn in to themselves. They only giggle when pressed, but it is clear to anyone looking that Mana is at the center of the strange behavior. It's clear they're planning something, but as to what it is, no one really can say for sure.
[girls that come in and out of Mana's apartment. These are not girls that live in the apartments, but come from the houses around town.]
Goto Hinata
Ono Tsukiko
Kuroki Karin
Kai Masami
Hidaka Hisako and Hotaru
Kinjo Mai, Rei, and Aoi
Miyagi Kaho
Arakaki Jubei
Mifune Chiharu
Tomokichi Itsuki and Satsuki
Fukurai Ayaka
Ikuma Yuriko
Asakawa Nanako
Inou Miki
Matsushima Reiko
Takano Rie
Takeuchi Hinako
Takayama Yukie
Sanada Yuko
If you play multiple characters, you don't have to log into each account to claim the family; merely list all of your claims in one comment. If your character is rooming with another, it's one claim per room, so make sure to check with your roommate before making your claim! List is first-come, first-served. Remember, if you desire to make up your own family for this event, please comment here with details first so a mod can approve it before you post!
As always, questions, comments and concerns are welcome!
The rightful tenants of the apartments can't see you, typically, but can sense your nagging presence. When you move things, they can't see you moving them, but can sense that something has been altered, somehow. Some of the more spiritually inclined tenants may try to fight you, with tape or with exorcism. You may leave, only to find yourself barred from your own room...
For the next week, starting at sunrise on Thursday, April 1st and lasting until sunrise on Thursday, April 8th, all apartment tenants will become spirits. They can still see and interact with other tenants, but not with the original owners of the apartments. You can either choose a family from the list provided or develop your own, your character becoming privy to events within the household (if you wish to develop your own, please run the concept by the mod team first!). The communicators still work for connecting with other characters, but the messages cannot cross into the next world, and the former tenants cannot look at the posts.
The list of available families is as follows. Once a family has been claimed, it will be noted next to the family name, and the apartment number will be copied from the apartment listings post. To make browsing down the list easier, claimed families are noted by a filled square (■) while unclaimed ones have an open square (□).
■ Koga Hikaru, claimed by Bakura (spiritofathief) and Marluxia (petalsofdeath)
Apartment 550
Landlord of the apartment buildings. Lives alone.
■ Sato Ai and Takahashi Masato, claimed by Mello (worldsrunnerup) and Matt (gamer_anon)
Apartment 506
An unhappy young couple that fights constantly. Takahashi frequently strikes out at Ai, and despite her cries, her neighbors do nothing about it.
■ The Suzuki Family: Emiko, Junji, and Maki, claimed by Mika Whitepaws (notlikethemovie and Deuce Preston (hiddensnake)
Apartment 434
Emiko loves to cook, but is terrible at it, always setting off the smoke alarm. Junji, 19, is afraid to leave her alone for long, living at home and cleaning up her messes, while Maki, 15, spends all of her time with Mana down the hall.
■ Sasaki Kankuro, claimed by Shiro Amaterasu (deimos_loki)
Apartment 629
An elderly Widower that has richly appointed his apartment with treasures from his travels from all around the world, displaying a variety of rich tastes and hobbies. Chief among his prized possessions is a rather familiar Noh Mask...
■ Ito Family: Ichiro, Eiki, and Kei, claimed by the Fierce Deity (fierce_deity)
Apartment 720
At first, it may seem like Eiki and her son live alone in the apartment, with Ichiro only occasionally coming home, either to eat dinner and then leave again for his office, or to come home and sleep, only to get up and go back to work first thing in the morning.
■ Yamamura family: Takashi, Shizuko, and Sadako, claimed by Teutonic Order (moarcrusadesplx)
Apartment 105
Takashi and Shizuko live quietly, as if in fear of their young daughter, Sadako, who they keep locked in her room for fear of others finding out about her. Sadako does not seem to complain, just sits in her room and stares at the floor, as if watching.
■ Kudo Kana and Misa, claimed by Puck (yieldingdream)
Apartment 111
Raising her daughter on her own, Kana often leaves Misa, 6, alone in the apartment during the day to fend for herself. Misa often cries about seeing monsters, and no matter how often she tries, nothing Kana can say changes her mind.
■ Kimura Hajime, claimed by Sasori (sunstsands)
Apartment 619
An artist who lives alone, his cluttered apartment filled with depictions of figures in torment, which he would describe as being "landmarks for the transition between one world and the next."
■ Narita Satomi, claimed by Seth Aurailia (the_aurailia)
Apartment 407
The real name of Nataka Motoko, the soft-core pornography star. Rather private in her personal life, she never seems to have a boyfriend, living almost like a nun.
□ Chiba Junko and Kikuchi Mamoru
A nurse, weary with her long hours and the never-ending system of suffering she sees on a daily basis. Her fiancée Mamoru tries to do his best, cleaning and cooking and being supportive of Junko when she comes home, but bit by bit, she seems to be slipping away from him.
■ The Abe family: Kyukichi, Marina, Midori, Naomi, claimed by Wei-Fa Yao (kernelpanicking)
Apartment 555
An officer under review to become detective, things are looking up for Kyukichi, though his wife Marina is worried about the new dangers this job will bring him, with the rise in strange and unexplained murders in town.
□ Saito Jotaro and Yukari
Things just haven't been the same in the Saito household since Hitomi died of a strange brain tumor two years ago. Every day, Yukari, their daughter, grows a little more lovely, and more like Hitomi. This change has not passed unnoticed by Jotaro, who is carefully tracking the change every waking moment when Yukari is not in school, guarding her like a treasure.
■ Watanabe Kojiro, claimed by Vergil (guide2hell)
Apartment 700
A stage magician who has been having a rough patch. His partner, Endo Hiromi, hasn't been returning his calls lately. Even though even he admits his tricks are nothing but that: misdirection and slight-of-hand, he has been seeing things that beggar his belief. Hiromi had mentioned something of that effect before she vanished into thin air, complaining about shifting stains and a strange voice coming out of her radio...
■ Kobayashi Akihiro, Arai Kaori, Nakamura Yoji, claimed by Dev Feardorch (meno_nikephoros)
Apartment 122
Thee students at the university at the next town, things have gotten strange between the three of them. There seems to be evidence of a fourth person living in the apartment, and now each suspects the other of inviting a significant other into their room without the permission of the others.
■ Tanaka Daigo and Iori, claimed by Zack Fair (soldierinbloom)
Apartment 308
Well into their 80's, the Tanakas are doing well for themselves, all things considering. Iori has been nearly blind for years, but she still is able to cook and crochet, provided that Daigo picks the yarn for her when they leave the apartment together (and they never leave alone). Daigo's knees haven't been what they used to, but he refuses to stop moving, walking without aid of a walker or cane in the apartment, and having only recently deigned to take one when they leave the house. Despite their happy home, full of photos and mementos of their 65 year marriage, the spectre of death hovers over them both, and they surely know, that one goes ahead of the other, the other will surely follow out of both heartbreak and dependence.
□ Yamamoto family: Kyo, Miyumi, Gin (and baby makes four)
Until recently, life was good for the young Yamamoto family. Kyo and Miyumi moved to the apartment when Gin was an infant, seeking new and lucrative jobs in town. But now that Gin is old enough to go to school and that Miyumi is pregnant again, things are tense. There is a pall over the household that even Gin keeps quiet about, all centered on the growing life inside of Miyumi.
■ Hayashi family: Saburo, Aiko, Kenji, and Kenzo, claimed by Itsuki Tachibana (crystalore)
Apartment 211
Kenji and Kenzo were twins, born in the local hospital healthy and happy. Things were fine in the household until recently, when Kenji began to hit puberty. Kenzo, who was a little less developed, is lagging behind slightly, and seems to be the only one who can see the changes in his brother, and is acting out his frustrations as a result.
■ Yoshida Akira, claimed by Shiki (p3rfect_kill3r)
Apartment 414
A strange loner who the other neighbors shun, after their initial attempts at friendliness were ignored. Only Hikaru has seen the inside of his apartment, and will tell neighbors with trepidation that his rooms were meticulously soundproofed and stink of bleach, as if he is trying to hide a terrible secret. No longer do the neighbors let their pets roam loose in the halls, for since Akira moved in, any outside of their apartments have gone missing. No one can prove anything, of course, but all the same, no one is willing to think anything less of Akira.
■ Yamazaki Akane, claimed by Ushiwaka (fauconlunaire)
Apartment 260
Ever since her husband died, Akane has not left her apartment, insisting that she is terrified of what lies outside of the safety of her little home. For the items she cannot purchase from the internet, she asks Yoji, the college student, to assist her, buying her groceries and taking out her trash. He does it for no charge, feeling immensely sorry for the strange, young widow.
■ Mochizuka Akemi and Shimizu Masashi, claimed by Uriel (uriel_archangel)
Apartment 705
Akemi is a psychic, particularly of the Nensha variety, who could focus her will to produce images on film. No one believes her, of course, save for her current boyfriend Masashi, who supports her as she attempts to supplement their own living from fortune-telling techniques she developed from her childhood. She sees the spirits slowly devouring the apartments, consuming the souls of her neighbors, but does nothing, for she knows that only Masashi will believe her. And if he knew, he would be powerless to stop them.
■ Fukazawa Tomokichi and Maruyama Hiroko, claimed by Dante (werallsatisfied)
Apartment 128
Tomokichi practices his guitar when the others are at work, going out with his band, The Flesh and Bones, in the night to play at local gigs while Hiroko works as a billing specialist in the hospital. She loves him dearly, and thinks that he has the talent to go farther, if only he would abandon the rest of the band, a mixed bag of marginal talent. Tomokichi refuses, causing a source of never-ending strife between the two.
□ Sugiyama family: Heihachiro, Akiko, Shizuko and Chizuko
Heihachiro works in a private practice as a therapist, working with the ills of the people of the city and prescribing them pills to make all of their hurts go away. His own house, however, is in turmoil. His teenaged daughters, Shizuko, 17, and Chizuko, 14, spend all of their time with the strange Mana, who seems to have all of the local girls entranced into some sort of cult. Other girls that he talks to because their parents sent them, will say nothing of Mana, save for that she "saved them." a sentiment his daughters share.
■ Yamada Yutaro and Nishimura Kyoko, claimed by Miku Hinasaki (herbalmedicines)
Apartment 143
Yutaro makes his living taking pictures of the conflict between the natural environment and the encroachment of civilization, and the tension between the two, when not selling photos to the newspaper to pay the bills. Kyoko, his girlfriend and favorite subject, can't understand why Yutaro seems to be so upset about his latest batches of pictures. She sees nothing wrong with the perfect captures, though Yutaro now davens away in his darkroom, talking about the strange smears in the pictures, covering faces.
□ Inoue Kotomi and Kotori
Kotomi never married and when Kotori's husband divorced her to marry his much-younger assistant, Kotomi happily opened her home to her sister until she got back on her feet. Twenty years later, and the two now feel as though they can never part, going so far as to actively shun suitors, hiding away in their little apartment.
□ Matsumoto Yutaka and Miho
After a whirlwind courtship, Yutaka and Miho married and moved into their apartment six months ago. It's still a happy little love nest, and now that things have settled down, they are talking about children and trying to get pregnant, though there has been as of late, no success. This has yet to deter the couple, who are talking about names and looking at swatches of paint and cribs.
□ Maeda family: Nagao, Ikuko, Akina, and Himeko
Nagao works as a taxi-cab driver, enjoying the people he meets as he takes them where they need to go. Hell, that's how he met Ikuko 18 years ago, and they've been happily married ever since. He'd never quit working as a taxi-driver, and because of his hours, he hasn't noticed the change in his oldest daugher, Akina, 16. He brushes off Himeko's, 8, worry that her big sister has made a dangerous friend in Mana, another girl in the building. He just thinks Himeko is upset that Akina is growing up and becoming an adult, leaving Himeko behind in that temporary transition (or so Sugiyama down the hall suggests).
■ Yamane Hideki and Fujiwara Anzu, claimed by Aburame Shino (justahost)
Apartment 329
Hideki has just finished his dissertation on the local butterfly species for his doctorate. His star is already rising due to his assistance in charting out a new species of red and black-rimmed butterfly that seems to have migrated out of the dense forest that surrounds the town. With any luck, he'll have enough money to get a beautiful ring to propose to Anzu and then move to a little house on the edge of the woods, so they can be surrounded by the perfection of nature and he can observe butterflies all the time.
■ Hara family: Hayato, Kumiko, Iemon, and Chihiro, claimed by Willy Wonka (tophatcandycane)
Apartment 256
Hayato and Kumiko have their dream job: Together, they run and maintain a restaurant that is wildly successful. With Hayato managing, and Kumiko cooking, it seems the pair have created a fail-proof business. The only downside is the long hours they spend working and the toll it takes on their children. Iemon, who is about to leave for Tokyo University, seems content enough to work as a waiter in the restaurant, but Chihiro, 15, is starting to resent all of her free time being taken up. Lately her grades have been slipping, and now she's spending time with that strange girl Mana. Busy as they are with the restaurant, they are powerless to stop her.
□ Miyake Hideo and Fujii Madoka
Hideo has refused to move out of his apartment and go to a retirement home, despite having had a crippling stroke that has robbed him of the use of half of his body. As a final, stubborn compromise with his children, he hired Madoka to live with him and make sure he was getting along okay. Madoka is all he could ask for, in as far as that he leaves Hideo the hell alone unless asked. Recently however, Hideo his finally relented, growing to trust his companion, whom is usually the only person he sees in a day.
■ Kondo family: Mako, Asuka, and Mari, claimed by Rubi Malone (whiskeykillshot)
Apartment 302
Mako arranges flowers for a living, and lately, business is sagging. In desperation, he has been literally bleeding for his business, pouring blood into the soil of his plants. Anemic and weak, he knows he will need more... just a little more... And it's not like he's going to miss his wife and daughter, anyway. Asuka's been getting fat ever since she broke her ankle falling down the stairs. She says she was pushed by someone she didn't see, but Mako knows that she did it on purpose so she wouldn't have to work anymore. Mari's always gone, claiming to have gone to see Mana, but Mako knows she's lying. She's likely with a boyfriend or something, the little harlot. No, he wouldn't miss either of them... it's only a matter of time...
■ Mori Kunihiko, claimed by Hayden Tenno (metalicvirus)
Apartment 536
Kunihiko jut moved here from Kyoto and boy, does she hate it here. Everyone in town is just so... provincial. However, with country mice, there is money to be made in selling fashionable ideas. And so Kunihiko must stay in this disgusting, stained deathtrap, making the final preparations to open her store.
□ Oonishi family: Makoto, Tomoko, Mizuki, and Saki
Makoto is a civil engineer, specializing in roads in this prefecture. Having a lifelong passion for construction, he has tried to instill such a passion in his children. Mizuki, 17, used to be fascinated, but since having been bullied, seemed to have lost her desire to become one. That is until she befriended Mana. Her confidence came back, and frankly, Mana seems to be the best friend she has ever had. Makoto is more than willing to let Mizuki come and go as she pleases, so long as she keeps her grades up so she can get into a good school.
■ Murakami Mayumi and Ochi Jin, claimed by Vexen (chilledacademia)
Apartment 338
Mayumi's career seemed to be bright indeed until she slipped on a rough patch of ice last spring during an unseasonable blizzard and broke her ankle. Now, it is too weak for her to perform, crushing her young dreams. Jin for now, is supportive, taking her to physical therapy and trying to find places where Mayumi can open a studio, fulfilling her shattered dreams through her students.
□ Komatsu Amane and Hamada Kumi
Amane and Kumi are hiding away in the apartments. While they both have husbands and families, they cannot deny the attraction they feel for one another. So their apartment is a love nest, paid for by their jobs at the accounting firm in town, where they can both hide away from the worries of the world.
□ Matsuo family: Haruto, Ami, Masaki, and Isamu
Haruto is the coach for the soccer team at the local high school, and is a bit frustrated with Masaki 16, who seems incapable of learning how to properly play. He loves his son, however, and pushes him a bit to succeed, but only because he wants his son to succeed at everything he tries. He fears pushing too hard, however, just as his father did with him.
□ Nakajima Hikari and Sakamoto Shingo
Hikari is a local dj, with a two-hour block of pop hits every day. She loves her job, even though it is time consuming, and her local celebrity at times makes it hard to do her business. Lately, however, she's noticed a strange signal, underlying her own. If she listens hard enough, she discovers it to be a message, but the contents are still a mystery to her.
■ Kawano Mana, claimed by Muraki Kazutaka (sword_of_k)
Apartment 314
Mana is a 15-year-old girl who seems to live alone in her apartment. Hikaru does not ask questions, he just takes the check that is promptly delivered each month, always on time. The apartment is filled with a never-ending string of girls coming in and out, all seeming to idolize Mana, who seems to almost be the leader of a cult. Lately, the girls have been acting strangely, becoming quieter, more drawn in to themselves. They only giggle when pressed, but it is clear to anyone looking that Mana is at the center of the strange behavior. It's clear they're planning something, but as to what it is, no one really can say for sure.
[girls that come in and out of Mana's apartment. These are not girls that live in the apartments, but come from the houses around town.]
Goto Hinata
Ono Tsukiko
Kuroki Karin
Kai Masami
Hidaka Hisako and Hotaru
Kinjo Mai, Rei, and Aoi
Miyagi Kaho
Arakaki Jubei
Mifune Chiharu
Tomokichi Itsuki and Satsuki
Fukurai Ayaka
Ikuma Yuriko
Asakawa Nanako
Inou Miki
Matsushima Reiko
Takano Rie
Takeuchi Hinako
Takayama Yukie
Sanada Yuko
If you play multiple characters, you don't have to log into each account to claim the family; merely list all of your claims in one comment. If your character is rooming with another, it's one claim per room, so make sure to check with your roommate before making your claim! List is first-come, first-served. Remember, if you desire to make up your own family for this event, please comment here with details first so a mod can approve it before you post!
As always, questions, comments and concerns are welcome!