Fruits Basket-The Sohma Curse- STARTS- 1 LSU

[ChobiChibi]

Fruits Basket- The Sohma Curse

Many thousands of years ago, God told the animals “I’m inviting you to my banquet tomorrow. Don’t be late!” Hearing that, the mischievous Rat lied to his neighbour, the Cat, and told him the banquet would be the day after tomorrow.
The next day, the Rat rode on the back of the Cow and nimbly landed before the banquet hall. After him followed the Cow, the Tiger, and all the rest, and together they feasted until morning.
After this, the twelve signs of the Zodiac were born. The Rat, Cow, Tiger, Rabbit, Dragon, Snake, Horse, Sheep, Monkey, Rooster, Dog and Boar.
All… Except for the Cat, who had been tricked.
The Cat, unable to attend the banquet, was angry that he had been deceived and was always trying to catch the Rat.
--

“Kyo-kun… What are you trying to tell me?” A scared and confused look spread across Tohru’s face. She waited for her husband’s answer, holding his hand as he lay in front of her in the hospital bed.
“Tohru… You have to let me go. I’m the only Zodiac left… I’m not even a Zodiac but as long as I’m still here the next generation can’t come. Please, Tohru, don’t cry. It’s for the best. They will be able to destroy the evil that did this to me.” Kyo smiled up at her. “I’m just glad that I won’t die alone…”
“What about whoever did this to you? They’re still out there…” Tohru glanced out of the window, wondering if they were waiting outside.
“Akito will sort them out… He will get the next Zodiac to sort it out… If not… I have lost all faith in the man. I’m sure he will… We’re family after all…” He sighed; he wasn’t always considered a member of the family. “I must leave you… Tohru, if you ever meet the new ones, please look after them for me…”
She held his hand against her face. She nodded. She understood what he had to do. He slowly closed his eyes, drew his last breath. He was gone. Tohru placed his hand back on the bed. She let one last tear slide down her face and drip to the floor before leaving the room to find a doctor and tell them of his death.
Time stood still, the world went dark. The spirit of the Cat rose from Kyo’s lifeless body. It rubbed against his face before disappearing into the darkness. The twelve Zodiac spirits also rose from their previous bodies and began the journey to their next body. Which members of the Sohma family would inherit this was unknown. But what is even more curious; is it a blessing or a curse?
--
Akito stared out at the snow falling on the Sohma estate. All of the Zodiac were dead. He no longer had anybody to govern and control until the new Zodiac were appointed by the spirits. He gazed at the thirteen bright balls of light before him, each containing the Zodiac spirits. A small smile forced itself upon his face and the spirits flew off in the direction of their chosen ones.
Akito dropped the glass he was holding. It shattered onto the floor. The spirits had left the Sohma estate, instead making their way into the surrounding city.
“Is everything okay, Akito-sama?” Asked a relative. He wasn’t quite sure who she was. He didn’t need to know his whole family and he wasn’t looking at her to see who she was anyway.
“Not at the moment, no. It’s none of your concern, however. Leave me.” He said bluntly.
She bowed and left the room, closing the door swiftly behind her. He sat down at his desk and began writing letters. He had to bring them all together before something happened to cause them to be discovered.
--

Okay, you’re one of the 13 that received Zodiac spirits. You also receive a letter from Akito Sohma telling you to meet him in a house on the outskirts of the town. However, you are slightly confused as it appeared on your desk and is addressed to an animal. Do you go straight away? Or do you ignore the letter until something strange happens?

You don’t necessarily have to be born under a certain year to have that Zodiac as I’d rather have them all between the ages of 14 and 17. I’d also quite like to have a balance between male and female characters if possible… I don’t need all of the different Zodiacs either, but I defiantly need the Rat and Cat, as they’re part of the main legend. The more we get the more chaos it will be with all the personality clashes. If we don’t get enough, you can have a second character if you want…

For those who haven’t seen or read Fruits Basket: You don’t really need to have read or seen it. But just so you know, whatever Akito says goes. He will punish you for doing something wrong. Also, whenever a member of the Zodiac is hugged by a “normal” person of the opposite gender, they turn into their animal form. This also happens when they’re weak (like ill, or they’ve just been beaten up or something).

So here’s all the different animals and what their basic personality traits are. Please expand on your character’s personality as much as you can, but try not to make it like another one of the Zodiac’s.

Rat: Riko- Malheur
Positive- imaginative, ambitious, generous to loved ones.
Negative- hot-tempered.

Cow: Still up for grabs!
Positive- inspiring, conservative, natural born leaders.
Negative- Stubborn, unyielding personality.

Tiger: Daichi Sohma- classy_cat18
Positive- courageous, unpredictable, loving.
Negative- overly aggressive, highly emotional.

Rabbit: Kotoko Myumi- PokemonLuver
Positive- affectionate, talented, pleasant.
Negative- too sentimental, avoids conflict.

Dragon: Reserved for a friend of mine as someone no longer wanted to play...
Positive- intelligent, enthusiastic, soft hearted.
Negative- bossy, loud.

Snake: Tsukiko Ayame- Sango
Positive- romantic, clever, beautiful.
Negative- vain, procrastinators.

Horse: Ryuichi Sohma- Emotional Faun Chiko-sai
Positive- cunning, adventurous, cheerful.
Negative- impatient, selfish.

Sheep: Sakura Sukeki- VirtualPlay
Positive- creative, honest, passionate.
Negative- disorganised, timid.

Monkey: Tashimitankora Kemohura- M1ND G4ME
Positive- inventive, entertaining, magnetic personality.
Negative- distrusting, untrusting.

Rooster: Jaketsen Kikyo- sesshomaru
Positive- courageous, hardworking, skilled.
Negative- arrogant, selfish.

Dog: Shouta Miyamoto- PoLHaruko-san
Positive- honest, generous, faithful.
Negative- quiet, cynical.

Boar: Yori Sato- Malarkey
Positive- reliable, sincere, tolerant.
Negative- shy, short tempered.

Cat: Hinote Sohma- Kuro Espeon
Positive- caring, thoughtful, persistent.
Negative- jealous, aggressive, revenge seeking.

PM ME IF YOU NEED YOUR SIGN UP FORM! Thanks to Eric who saved them ^^

Sign up form:
Name: (Japanese, please. Set in Japan.)
Age: (14-17)
Gender: (duh)
Zodiac: (from the above)
Personality: (please base on Zodiac)
Appearance:
Animal appearance: (what features does you animal have? Like, what type of dog it is).
History: (a bit of background info of where they came from)
Relations: (duh)
Other:

~My form~
Name: Kotoko Myumi
Age: 16
Gender: Female
Zodiac: Rabbit
Personality: Kotoko is very affectionate towards those close to her, which makes some people a little uncomfortable around her. She is often quite clingy as she is afraid of losing those around her. She plays the piano and flute. She also enjoys acting and is part of her school’s theatre group. However, she is rather sentimental and likes to keep hold of anything that she has any important memories attached to them. She also has to avoid any conflict that may occur as it makes her feel uneasy. Overall, she is a pleasant person to be around.
Appearance: Kotoko is 5’6’’ tall and of an average build for a girl her age. She has black straight hair which just goes past her shoulders and flicks out slightly at the bottom. Her bangs are normally either in front of her eyes or held back by a hair band which is red. Her eyes are a silvery grey colour. Other that her school’s uniform, she normally wears bright coloured t-shirts with bold designs, a simple navy blue jacket and jeans or a skirt, depending on the weather. She will always
Animal appearance: She is a French lop-eared rabbit. Her fur is black except for the tips of her ears, her tail and her front right paw which are white. Her eyes are the same silvery grey as her human form. She is slimmer than most house kept rabbits.
History: Kotoko lost both of her parents when she was young and having no other family she could stay with, she went into foster care. She had been fostered several times, but kept ending up back in the same foster home. Luckily, the one stable place she has is her school. No matter which family she stayed with, she would always go to the same high-school. She also takes photos and things belonging to her parents with her to wherever she stays. She is afraid that losing those would make her lose touch with her parents.
Relations: Riko and Akira's best friend.
Other: *hugs other. turns into the rabbit. nibbles on other*

~Kotoko Myumi~ Rabbit~
On this particular night, sitting on my windowsill with my legs dangling out of the window seemed like a good idea no matter how cold it was. The small tears my eyes produced froze to my face as they fell, sticking to me. Another home lost. A sigh escaped my mouth, producing a cloud of water vapour.
I dared myself to take one of my hands from the frame i was gripping to catch some of the snow that drifted from the clouds. I always loved to sit here when i was feeling down. The lights over the city gave it a warm glow as it did most nights. There was, however, a light i didn't remember. It was rahter small and seemed to be moving quite quickly towards me. I carefully climbed back into my room. Surely it was nothing. I stood by the window, looking out on the night sky. It was still moving and it seemed to be getting larger...
I watched it intil it was a few feet away from me. Thinking it was a stray firework some kid had got hold of from the new years celebrations, i closed the window and drew my curtains. I knew it wouldn't help much if it were a firework, but atleast it would take slightly longer to get to me.
I sat on my bed, waiting for a crash or some sort of breaking noise to wake everybody up, but nothing happened. Instead, the blue light i saw passed through the window and curtians with ease. As it got closer, i noticed it was some sort of rabbit. I only believed in a few supernatural things and animal spirits wasn't one of them until it came and sat on my lap.
I pinched myself. No, i wasn't dreaming. It was right there. Everything around me and the rabbit went black and all i could see was it and myself. I could still feel the bed underneath me and i was glad to have such a comfort.
The spirit of the rabbit walked into my body. I expected it to come out the other side, like it had gone through my window, but it stayed inside me. The room turned back to normal. I glanced at the clock: 12:01am. I yawned and lay back on my bed, falling asleep as soon as my head hit the pillow.
~~~
"Kotoko-san! Wake up! Get ready for school!"
The peircing sound of the social worker's wake-up-the-whole-house voice commanded everything at this time in the morning. I pulled my quilt up over my head and tried to block out the noise.
"Kotoko! GET UP NOW!" came the social worker's angry voice.
I almost literally jumped out of bed. She smiled at me with a slight sympathetic look in her eyes before heading back out to get the others up.
I found my school uniform in my suitcase before making a dash for the bathroom so i'd get in there before those who took forever. I quickly showered and dressed and went back to my room to get my school bag.
A piece of paper on my desk caught my eye. It had been folded over and had "Rabbit" written on the front. I picked it up and flipped it open.
"Dear Rabbit,
I'm sorry for the lack of notification, but you are the new Chinese Zodiac of the Rabbit. This is not normally meant to affect anyone outside of the family.
I can't tell you anymore details now, but please make your way to the address above ASAP so that you can meet the others.
Don't hug anyone of the opposite gender. I know it's strange, but you don't want to know the consiquences.
Yours,
Akito Sohma."
I stared at the letter for a couple of seconds. I chose to believe what it said. I have witnessed the rabbit zodiac entering me. The hug thing seemed a little strange. My two best friends, Riko and Akira, were guys and i always hugged them. They'd think it was very strange if i didn't hug them as soon as i saw them...
I put the letter in my bag and made my way down the 2 flights of stairs and into the kitchen. The other foster kids stopped eating and stared at me. I chose to ignore them and went to the fridge.
"Myumi-san, you're back then?" Asked one. He had a slightly polite tone to his voice but i knew he wanted to stir things up.
I simply nodded, not turning to them but still looking in the fridge.
"How many times has that happened recently? Five, isn't it?" Asked a girl. She was spiteful, i had always disliked her.
"Atleast i've actually been fostered..." I muttered, taking a carrot and storming out of the kitchen into the hallway.
"What did you say?!" i heard her chair scrape across the floor.
"Nothing!" I called back, not wanting to start and arguement. I knew i wouldn't win. I never did like any kind of arguements...
I grabbed my coat, scarf and gloved, put them on and headed out into the cold winders day to meet Akira and then Riko.
~~~~
As i said above, if you don't have your form, PM me and i'll send it to you. Include the letter, please ^^;
I've gotta run now... Happy posting ^^
EDIT: If you need your first post, go here. It won't be up for long.
Emotional Faun Chiko-sai- If you need your post, i have it still in my PM box over there. Tell me soon if you need it.

[Kuro Espeon]

I didn't go to the temp board so this really IS my first post! :p Weeee!

Name: Sohma Hinote
Age: 17
Gender: Female
Zodiac: Cat
Personality: While outwardly aggressive and pushy, she is actually very caring and will often put other's needs before her own. However, she is hard to approach because of her anti-social nature and her slight *cough* attitude problem (she sometimes forgets to be respectful...). She is very persistant and will never slack off when it comes to acheiving her goals.
Appearance: Around 5'11 in height, she is often called a giant by even some men. Along with her height comes a lanky build with slight curves. She has shoulder-length, orange hair that flares outward at the tips and has auburn-colored eyes with scattered freckles underneath them. She usually wears, a red and white plaid pleated skirt (think uniform style), white, short-sleeved dress top, black, elbow-length, fingerless mesh gloves, black hiking boots and a red bandana on the top of her head.
Animal appearance: An orange cat like Kyo, only with a white underbelly and a small tuft of fur that sticks out on her forehead. She is also a bit smaller than Kyo was in cat form.
History: When she was 14 years old, her parents mysteriously disappeared and were never found. The authorities believe them to be dead, but bodies were never found. Determined to live on her own, she juggled work and school for 2 years before dropping out and working full time. Often made fun of because of her height, hair color, and tomboyish physique, she tended to shy away from people and developed a cautious mistrust of others. She became a semi-rebellious loner, and she was often labeled by adults as a "stupid young punk" and they refused to get close to her, deepening her anti-socialness. She was always told as a child to stay away from Riko-kun because of certain feud between their families, but she is unsure why. She doesn't "hate" him, but avoids him whenever possible. Understandably, they are often at odds. She is good friends with Sohma Ryuichi because he's the only one to actually tolerate her. But since he is rather wild, she sometimes has to keep him in check.
Relations: She is a young cousin of Kyo's, but never actually net him because their parents never got along. She's only heard of his existance. She also related to any of the other Sohma's (some direct, other's distant)
Other: I'll put something here later...

*~Sohma Hinote~*
--------------------------------------------------

"Ma'am...I don't think you understand what I'm telling you..." I said with masked irritation, my fingers drumming audibly on the counter top, "Your coupon expired three months ago. Which means...you can't....USE IT!" The lady on the other side of the counter let out an exasperated huff and glowered at me.
"I don't understand why you just can't give me a break! I'm a devoted customer here and I want my 100 yen off this bottle of hair dye!" She jabbed her finger at the bottle on the counter in a demanding fashion. I felt a twitch forming in my eye as I tried to keep my cool at this woman's stupidity.
"I can't do that ma'am. I'd be fired. And this a convience store, not a beauty parlor, we don't have devoted customers."
"Well you WILL be fired once I talk to your manager! You're being extremely rude to me, young lady! And let me tell you something else! When I was your age, kids treated their elders with respect. I swear, all you kids nowadays are a bunch of hoodlums! No manners at all!"
That did it... With a single bullet my patience was shot and it popped like a big red balloon.
"Ma'am when you were MY age there were no convience stores with dumbass customers."
"What?!"
"And you know what? That hair dye isn't going to anything for those nasty wrinkles under your eyes."
"Why you little--!"
"Sohma!" the Manager appeared beside me with a serious look on his face. He turned to the woman and gave her an embarassed smile. "Haha...our little Hinote is such a kidder! Here's your 100 yen ma'am! Thanks for shopping with us! Have a nice day! Heh heh..."
After the woman had left, the manager turned his attention back to me and sighed. "Sohma....what have I told you about this?"
"Sir! She..."
"I don't wanna hear it, Sohma. Look... You're one of my best employees, but you really need to work on your temper, not to mention your people skills. If you can't control yourself I'll have to let you go. Understand."
"Yes..."
"*ahem*"
"...sir."

When I got back to my apartment that evening I threw my bag down next tot he door and practically fell onto my couch with a heavy and exasperated sigh. After staring at the blank ceiling for several minutes I began to wonder: What does everybody want from me? What do I need to do to make them all happy? What do I need to say...so they'll get off my case. Is my life....ever going to go anywhere?
My thoughts were interrupted by my stomach. I hadn't eaten since this morning and it was obviously complaining. I grumbled and stood up, making my way toward my kitchen. On the way there I saw the light on my answering machine blinking. I pressed it and began to make a sandwich as the following message began to play:
"YoOoOo HINOTEEEEE!" Ryuichi's voice practically screamed at top volume, "What's happenin'?!? Stop bein' such a frickin' workaholic and come party! PARTY!! PAAAAAARTYYYYYYYY!!! Yeah, I'm going to bring some beer over to yer place and--- what? What the hell do you want? No, I don't have any change! What the..!? Let go of me! Get the **** off me you dirty ol--*click*"
I sighed and rolled my eyes. Ryuichi was such a spaz.... but his calls always made me smile. Seeing as he was the only person who ever bothered to call me was a statement onto itself. Sohma Ryuichi was a bit psycho...but he was my friend nevertheless.
On my way back to the couch I noticed something I hadn't before. Sitting on the coffee table was a small envelope with a fancy-looking seal on the back. Curious as to how it had gotten there, I picked it up and flipped it to the front. In curvy, bold letters, the letter was addressed to Neko-san. Ms. Cat? What the...? My curiosity spurred further, I slid my finger under the flap and opened up the envelope. Inside was a very short letter written in the same fancy ink:
Dear Neko-san,

It is impossible to explain everything that has happen in a single letter. Something has occured that needs your immediete attention. The Curse of the Chinese Zodiac has been transfered to new hosts, not all of them inside the Sohma family.
Please come to the main Sohma estate ASAP. You know the address.
Do not speak to anyone on the way.
Do not hug anyone of the opposite gender.
Do not leave town.
Your fate has been decided, you cannot run from it.

-Sohma Akito-

I stared at the letter for several minutes, rereading it several times. The Curse of the Chinese Zodiac...? Being a member of the Sohma family, I had of course heard about it, but I was never sure if it was really true. My mother and father had always talked about my cousin Kyou in a hushed voice, as if they were afraid someone would overhear them. I had never met Kyou...but I could swear I had heard my mother refer to him as "That damn Cat..."
This letter....addressed to the Cat.... was it meant for me? If it was...what did it mean?
I realized...that I had no choice but to find out...

Phew.... first posts are always so hard to get out...

[classy_cat18]

Name: Sohma Daichi
Age: 16
Gender: Male
Zodiac: Tiger
Personality: Although short in stature, he will gladly take on anyone that threatens him or his friends no matter the size. His usually neutral expression and size makes it hard to tell what he's going to do next. Despite his tough exterior, he's actually quite gentle and loving when he wants to. But he can get over emotional during times of stress. He also tends to get too much into fights.
Appearance: Rather short, about 5'6". Although he looks scrawny, he actually has muscles under his shirt. He'll wear his navy blue school uniform even on the weekends. He sports messy, short black hair and green eyes. A rather expensive watch is on his right wrist. He wears a silver necklace with the Yin/Yang symbol around his neck.
Animal appearance: A white Bengal tiger with piercing yellow eyes.
History: He has lived a good life. No problems with family or school, although he sometimes has to stress over homework or an annoying classmate. He has, once or twice, gotten into trouble for causing trouble due to boredom and bullies.
Relations: Well known member of the Sohma family and friend of Sakura (hope that's okay).
Other: *turns into tiger and maims other*

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

"Where am I?" I asked myself as I stood in the middle of a dense jungle. Well, I knew I was in a jungle. But where in the world was I? I stood in one spot, not daring to go anywhere and be eaten. My blood froze as I heard a low growl. Standing behind me was a stunning white tiger with yellow eyes. Funny, I always thought that a white tiger's eyes were blue...

I shot up in bed as my alarm clock sounded. Another day of school. "Whoopie," I groaned as I slid out and practically dragged myself to the bathroom. As I dressed I contemplated on the dream. Why was I so stuck on this dream? It's not like I've never dreamed that I was going to be eaten before. I went downstairs to eat breakfast.

My mother was already in there, getting her and my lunch ready. "Hello, Daichi. Are you going to keep out of trouble today? I know you have a short temper when it comes to some of your classmates," she told me.

I smirked. Mom was always concerned about me when it came to my social life. "Mom, you know me. I'll try my best." I grabbed my lunch and walked to the front door to leave. I almost missed the piece of paper lying at my feet as I opened the door. I happened to look down and notice it. It was folded over and had "Tiger" written on it. "Who is this for? Is it for me?" I remembered the dream about the tiger. I read the letter. It read:

"Dear Tiger,
I'm sorry for the lack of notification, but you are the new Chinese Zodiac of the Tiger. This normally happens to people within the Sohma family. I can't tell you anymore details now, but please make your way to the address above ASAP so that you can meet the others. Don't hug anyone of the opposite gender. I know it's strange, but you don't want to know the consequences.
Yours,
Akito Sohma."

I dropped the letter in surprise. The tiger in my dream actually had meaning. It sounded impossible but it was true! And I didn't worry about anyone hugging me. I usually wasn't a hugging person. "Mom? Did you know about this letter?" I yelled from the front door.

"Oh yes! I found it on your desk this morning. The dog must've moved it. You know that he likes to hide stuff of yours. What did it say?"

"Nothing. I think whoever sent this letter got the wrong address," I lied. I went out the door.

Sorry it's unoriginal but I had to get one out.

[Haruko]

Name: Miyamoto Shouta[First name last]
Age: 17
Gender: Male
Zodiac: Dog
Personality: Only speaking up when he wants to voice his opinion, Shouta tends to be very laid-back and lazy. Accompanied by a very negative and sarcastic attitude, people tend to be disguisted at him...therefore, he has trouble making friends. To the one's he has, he's very commited to them and places their needs infront of his. Besides being negative, Shouta has a very mature viewing of life and tends to discourage immature thoughts.
Appearance: Around 6'2" in height, Shouta has a somewhat muscular leg figure, with very strong legs (Even though he admitts that he's a couch potato). He has black hair to his mid-neck, styled in a very neo-Japan hairstyle(A bit like Shigure's haircut, but shorter), and black eyes from his cursed form. He normally wears khaki pants and a black shirt when he's not wearing his school uniform.
Animal appearance: A Belgian Groenendael. Black eyes, black fur thats very furry and soft.
History: Shouta has always lived a bit of a negative life, with himself being colorblind. Even though he's excellent in school, he has fights with his parents over small things. This caused him to use his work money to get a small apartment(Well, normal for Japan. 1 room with a folding table, bathroom and kitchen. He sleeps on a futon), and live away from home. He has no problem with it, but sometimes it shows with stress. He has Sohma blood mixed into him, but it's from long ago.
Relations: None, but open slightly
Other: He was born colorblind. How much does that suck?

----

"A good day's work."I told myself as I hanged up my apron and streched, locking the register. I walked into the back of the bakery, where the ovens lay and the stairs to the family's apartment was.
"I'm going to leave now."I yelled up the stairs as I punched out my timesheet. I slowly made my way towards the door, and as I bent down to put my shoes on, I heard someone walk by.

"Take this tempura. Kaa-san said she made extra."Hiro, the owners youngest, said. I stood up and took the plastic container filled with it, and messed with the boy's hair.
"Thanks Hiro. Tell your mom that I'll see her tomorrow. Jaa, mata."I replied as I walked out, and walked down the dark alley into the light-filled sidewalks. You could barely see the stars, but the ones you could see were wonderful. Even if I only could see shades of grey, I still liked to look at the stars. I slowly made it back to my apartment house, and into my "apartment". Taking off my shoes and placing the tempura on the counter, I placed rice and water into the rice cooker and turned it on as I looked in the fridge, taking out the fish from the freezer. I prepared a skillet with some light oil and seasonings as I cooked the fish, made the rice and took out a plate.

When it was all done, I placed it all on a plate and sat down next to the table, turning on the TV as I ate with my chopsticks. I was quiet without my parents, but if I stayed with them...I would've gone insane. Tradition this, sports that. I was glad that I was free, although I did miss not having to cook for myself. I sighed as I heard a howl at the moon, and I looked outside my window-panes. The moon was beautiful, but something..insane was out the window. A dog of complete black, which I could tell because there were no shades of grey or white. It jumped down, through my window and right near me. It walked slowly and cautiously near me, the tail wagging - a sign of happiness. I slowly extended my hand, and placed it on what seemed to be the illusions head. At that instant, the dog walked through me, but didn't appear on the other side.

"what..was that?"I asked myself, but shrugged it off on exhaustion. I finished my dinner, cleaned what I used and took a shower. In my pajama's, I locked the door and folded the table against the wall, taking out my futon and pillow. I turned off the light, keeping the TV on low as I streched and laid down. At that instant, I fell asleep.

+

I hit my alarm clock as it went off, opening my eyes slowly to the morning sun, getting up and closing the shades. I sighed and got a glass of orange juice as I looked around, and noticed a white rectangle on my counter. Closer to it, it was adressed to 'Inu'...dog. The nickname I was given at school because of being colorblind, I sighed in fustration. I ripped it open and took out the letter, and read it..

" Dear Dog,
I'm sorry for the lack of notification, but you are the new Chinese Zodiac of the Dog. This normally happens to people within the Sohma family. I can't tell you anymore details now, but please make your way to the address above ASAP so that you can meet the others. Don't hug anyone of the opposite gender. I know it's strange, but you don't want to know the consequences.
Yours,
Akito Sohma."

Sohma...Sohma...That last name was so familiar. And then it hit me, my grandmother's, on my mom's side, maiden name was Sohma. I placed it on the counter and finished the glass of orange juice and went into my bathroom, getting changed after washing up. I streched in my school uniform as I walked out, looking at the letter again. I was oddly curious about it, since I was probably related to the guy one way or another. I went into the bathroom and got changed into normal clothing, putting my wallet in my backpocket and my keys in the front. I could miss a day of school anyway, and head over to the main house of Sohma.

I put on my socks and my shoes, and opened the door before locking it and closing it. In the hallway, I sighed, and walked out, towards what might be a prank, or...something.

[Malarkey]

Name: Yori Sato
Age: 16
Gender: Female
Zodiac: Boar
Personality: Yori prefers to be in a group of friends rather then a group of unknowns. She is acceptable of others quickly as long as they in turn are acceptable and she tries her best to be as kind as she can. Her tongue can get the best of her at times in a case of confrontation, but only when provoked on a sensitive topic, a quick temper can flare at anytime, as anyone knows that is close to her. Her habit to people watch instead of actually talking to them can get in her way of a social life and is a turn off to some. To those who she does get along with she will attempt to put them first. When she does give her word on anything she sticks to it, no matter what.
Appearance: Yori is candid with her appearance and isn’t the type of girl to show too much skin. Blue denim pants that are artfully cut in the legs of the fabric show rare glimpses of her pale skin. Her upper wardrobe consists of a well fitting tee, which will vary, in colors. She has a single piercing in her lip, much against her father’s wishes. Her straight, chocolate brown hair is usually found tied back where it just reaches her shoulders. Her nails are painted black, though is mostly chipped because of lack in upkeep. Makeup is a big scare for her, and will only be seen on her face at important gatherings Around 5’5 in height, this enables her to have a slight disadvantage to other women. Her eyesight isn't as good as it should be so contacts are a savior.
Animal Appearance: She takes form of a boar, with dark course hair and a rather useful snout. Agility from a wild boar is greatly overlooked, though the form that she takes is slightly smaller then the average stature.
History: Living in Japan all her life, Yori has not gone to see many places. Her mother had passed away when she was five, though her father and one younger brother provide a good home to come back to. Her father can be a bit over protective due to the fact that she is the only girl in the family. Yori's brother can be the most irritating pest around, but often changes to be one of her best friends when it comes to getting out of trouble and lending support. She is slightly above average in school though never a savior when it comes to sports. Her job is substantial enough to save her money for what she wants, as well as a little start on savings for a good school.
Relations: A close friend of Akira
Other: Yori has a slight passion for food, though her figure luckily, doesn’t reflect that too much. High metabolism is a blessing….

I made sure the door was shut tightly and locked before I turned to glance at the guitar lying on the floor. Approaching it warily, I took the fret in one hand and the body in the other, slowly strumming the strings with a pure white pick. The amp wasn’t anywhere near on, so doing this slowly wouldn’t cause the whole household to wake up screaming for peace. Carefully holding the guitar, I stood on the bed as stable as possible and started to play a few tabs that I had learned. My eyes closed and my head started to bob in tune as I went into a deeper chord progression. Being lost in the song, I didn’t exactly remember where I was and soon enough my hair started to fall out of the band that held it in place. I started to jump on the bed, seeing a stage in my mind’s eye…though quickly discovered that it was the dumb thing to do.
The comforter on my bed, being twisted up enough from jumping ridiculously, caught my foot causing me topple backwards. The floor rushed up against me as it hit my back, the guitar thankfully landed on top of me. A loud thump of a sound emitted from the floor resulting me to brace myself for the noise.
“Yori! What have I told you about dancing around with that guitar at twelve o’clock at night!” The booming voice of my father came to me, anger recognizable even through the walls. My face colored with embarrassment as I stood up shakily and placed the guitar into its metal holder. I didn’t respond to my father knowing that further yelling would make my stupidity seem worse. Ah well…it would have been an awesome concert.
After straightening the sheets, I laid down thinking about the days events, or rather the lack of them, when a stray bird or something hit my window. I glanced over to the glass, expecting to see only darkness. The surprise of having to close my eyes at some type of light hovering right in my window made me wonder if I was still thinking about concerts. I stood from the bed and cautiously walked over towards the window, and did the stupid thing of opening the latch. This…thing came in on it’s own without the decency of an invite. It hovered before me instead of flying around the room like I thought it would. Was that a pig in there?
“Hello pig,” I said slowly and almost laughed when I heard a snort of a snore from my little brothers room. The animal figure didn’t find that to be too funny as it rammed itself into me causing me to fall onto my butt. “Ok, more like boar then!” I tried to keep quiet, though the fact that this was the second time that I had fallen tonight and the fact that this was probably all a figment of my imagination got me a bit mad. The boar went back for another attack, but didn’t hit me this time. Instead, it “stampeded” right into me. Hoping I wouldn’t catch some sickness like the flu, I stood up again and went back into the bed. A clock across my room obviously read 12:01. A sigh escaped my lips as sleep came quickly. What a crazy concert.

The sound of the birds outside the open window was what woke me up. I sat up slowly and attempted to rub the sleep from my eyes. Glancing slowly at the clock resulted me to push myself out of the bed and rummage through my dresser, searching for he school uniform. I was so late! I ran to the bathroom and did all the necessary things to get ready with a doubled quickened pace. Running out of the bathroom with my uniform applied, I ran to my little brothers room to wake him up, only to stop with a quickened halt. A folded note occupied my desk, with writing I had never seen before. Must be dad’s but why in my room? A mental battle occurred in my mind as I considered opening it or not. Right thing or wrong thing…oh well, if it was dad’s letter, he shouldn’t have left it here. The label Boar was written in plain sight anyway. I reached for it and opened it quickly, not wanting to be anymore late for school than I was already. My eyes quickly read the lines with no real care of what it said.
"Dear Boar,
I'm sorry for the lack of notification, but you are the new Chinese Zodiac of the Boar. This is not normally meant to affect anyone outside of the family.
I can't tell you anymore details now, but please make your way to the address above ASAP so that you can meet the others.
Don't hug anyone of the opposite gender. I know it's strange, but you don't want to know the consiquences.
Yours,
Akito Sohma.
The words echoed in my mind as I re-read the paper at least five more times. So the thing that happened wasn’t my crazy imagination. After considering it for another moment, I threw the paper down and remembered the crisis at hand. I had to get my little brother up and going for school. I quickly jogged into the hall and to his room.
“Wake up now,” I said quickly as I pushed him out of his bed. He immediately opened his eyes with a smile on his face.
“A new morning!” He said with a loud voice. He stood slowly and stretched. He then looked at me with curiosity. “What’s the matter?”
“Nothing get dressed and let’s go,” I said urgently. “We are late for school.” Thankfully he did what he was told and I walked out to the kitchen to have my fill of breakfast. After stuffing a piece of toast, some apple, and a bit of orange juice in my mouth, I waited at the door for him to get ready. It didn’t take him very long, and he had his bag and mine in his hands.
“You forgot your bag Yori,” he said as he handed it to me. I felt a surge of gratitude for my brother. He was a good kid most of the time. And seeing as my father had to leave early for work, it made looking after him a lot more pleasant.
“You want me to make you breakfast?” I asked him. He looked thoughtful for a second and shook his head.
“No, I can get it myself, you go ahead to school. I can walk to mine by myself you know,” he said with newfound authority. I didn’t like the idea of leaving him alone, but my father did say he was old enough for walking to school.
“All right, I will see you later,” I went to hug him but the words of the letter echoed in my mind again. He opened his arms with dull boredom, as if thinking I was stupid, but that quickly changed into relief as I drew away, forgetting about the hug. “See you later.” I muttered as I grabbed for the nearest jacket and walked out the door into the cold. So should I go to this stranger’s house? My feet chose to go to neither this Akito’s house nor school, but towards Akira’s. He would know what to do. Hopefully….

[Emotional Faun Chiko-sai]

PokemonLuver: No, I saved it, thanks! Rewriting it anyway to be more in character (and to coincide with Kuro Espeon's post), though...
-------------------
Name: Sohma Ryuichi
Age: 17
Gender: Male
Zodiac: Horse
Personality: Ryuichi doesn't seem to be afraid of anything, and has a me-against-the-world attitude. Has a tendency to be violent, headstrong and sadistic, due to his extremist stand in most things. He gets what he wants, one way or another. He can be sneaky when he wants to, and is selfish and egoistic. While this is true to a certain extent, Ryuichi finds himself terminally unable to deliberately play out or hurt those he really cares about, and has a dramatically different side of his personality specially reserved for those few. He likes to experience new things, and can sometimes be relentlessly and annoyingly 'cheerful' in the face of adversity (typical shounen hero reaction).
Appearance: He's about 5'11", with a thin, wiry build, without a spare inch of flesh anywhere. Often has a hungry look about him. He has strangely pointed ears that twitch when he's listening carefully, with several piercings. He has an elongated, pointed face with a well-defined nose and jaw, is quite pale, and his hair is actually dark, but he bleached it blonde and spiked it. His eyes are dark, though they look green when he's plotting something. He likes clothes in all the different shades of black.
Animal appearance: Ryuichi's an Akhal-Teke, a smooth-coated, very thin, warmblooded racehorse type with large, long ears and stiltlike legs. His coat is a golden-dun colour with a metallic, eye-catching sheen, with dark ears, muzzle and knees. Mane and tail are black, fading out at the tips, and quite sparse.
History: He has a (much) younger adopted sister who thinks he's the greatest brother in the world and a single mother who is a Sohma. His father is unknown, as his mother doesn't wish to talk about him and chose to keep her maiden name. Towards his immediate family, he is very astute and shows nothing but the greatest diligence and care. Conversely, he's feared by many people (including teachers) in school because of his apparently violent and cunning nature, which he sees as an advantage. Is a friend (the only one?) of Sohma Hinote. He hangs out with her often and helps her out whenever he can, albeit not in very orthodox ways.
Fyi, there's like this on/off flip switch on Ryuichi's personality when NOT around his family members.. His mom and sis are totally clueless about what's REALLY going on ^^;
Relations: A remote scion of the Sohma family. They don't talk about this particular one, though, because Ryuichi's not the type of person you'd want to be known as part of your family. Eheh.
Other: Er... is that right?
-----------------------------
Sohma Ryuichi (Horse)
------------------------------

There was indeed beer in Ryuichi's house. It was in his room. And technically, it didn't have authorized entrance to the premises.
Never mind, his sister thought it was pineapple juice (because of the colour - she hadn't yet learned that almost any liquid could be coloured a goldy brown if you had the proper chemical composition, and besides she'd leapt to conclusions too quickly for him to say anything in the negative) and his mother didn't know. There were some things (a lot of them, actually) that he thought his mother didn't need to know. She was getting enough stress from working late, anyway. He made a private note to himself that when he eventually found out the address of her boss, he'd do something about the working late thing. Something painful that involved tying the bugger up and M-16s.
It wasn't the usual Asahi you found everywhere in Japan, the beer, that was. It was Qingdao beer from Hong Kong. Hinote didn't know what she was missing. She didn't even drink shandy. He'd skipped the last two periods of class to procure these through shady ways best not mentioned here.
After depositing his stash at the bottom of his drawer that also contained numerous objects generally used to inflict grievous bodily harm, Ryuichi was *almost* tackled by his little sister. Mina was a natural blonde, which probably meant she wasn't Japanese. She also had a weird interest in the occult, and often tried out unsuccessful attempts to get an omen out of an old goldfish bowl. Today she'd drawn a picture. She shoved it into Ryuichi's vision.
"Aniki, isn't it the coolest horse you've ever seen?"
It was a picture of a skeleton with badly crayoned armour and spear, and a sharp, pinched representation of a horse's head upon its neck.
"That's a horse?" For some reason, the sunken eye-sockets of the horse-head, rendered in black and red with typical eight-year-old enthusiasm, seemed to be boring into his own. His ears twitched nervously, something that did not happen very often. "What's it really supposed to be?"
"Horse-face Oni~ a guardian of Hell!" said Mina, happily. "He brings dead people to the King of Hell, and catches lost souls who try to run away from judgment. I wonder why people run away, maybe they've been bad? There was Ox-head, too, but I didn't feel like drawing that one, the horns are difficult. What does pineapple juice taste like?"
Most people recoiled in the face of Mina's pump-action chatter, but Ryuichi was used to it, and smoothly led her off-subject about the beer by answering: "Pretty good. I think I saw a letter for you on the kitchen table. Maybe it's from the King of Hell asking you to send your wonderful portrait of his faithful retainer to Hell so he can frame it up and put it on display."
Mina was off like a shot.
"Wow! It's really from Uma-san! Or is it for Uma-san?"
Some inner niggling feeling convinced Ryuichi that he should take a look at the letter. Which, if he had been telling a regular lie (his original intention), should not have been there. His lies becoming truth? Not bloody likely. (But it would be nice if they did.)
He took the letter from his sister's grasp and opened it, and stared.

Dear Uma-san,

It is impossible to explain everything that has happen in a single letter. Something has occured that needs your immediete attention. The Curse of the Chinese Zodiac has been transfered to new hosts, not all of them inside the Sohma family.
Please come to the main Sohma estate ASAP. You know the address.
Do not speak to anyone on the way.
Do not hug anyone of the opposite gender.
Do not leave town.
Your fate has been decided, you cannot run from it.

-Sohma Akito-

Zodiac, huh. There were always wild rumours floating around the family about their pet curse, not all of them strictly accurate. But this letter came straight from Akito, who was someone his mother was afraid of. Akito was the reason they did not live in an area normally favoured by Sohmas - his father was of disreputable ancestry, possibly even gaijin, and his mother was consequently in disgrace. This disgrace manifested itself in ostracization from most, if not all, Sohma contact. And that was all Ryuichi knew about Akito, apart from the address his mother kept in the secret compartment under her bed that she thought no one else knew about.
He rooted it out from the underside of his mother's bed and told his sister he was dropping by Hinote's place, which was partly true. Hinote was Sohma as well, so she would probably know something. Her house was en route to the Sohma estate, and he was violating the first rule stated in the letter, but why would he care?
He brought along some Qingdao in case she wanted any. Sharing was caring.
Hinote lived in one of the seedier suburbs of the city. The apartment block was just one step away from becoming a condemned building - the bricks were probably held together by the ivy that smothered the walls of the place. Hers was one address he knew by heart, and he also knew not to knock the door too hard in case the building suffered a tremor.
"Oyyyyyyyyyyy, Hinote! You home?"
------------------------
Apologies if Hinote's apartment is actually not such a horrible place as depicted *sweatdrop*

[Kuro Espeon]

heh...no you got it about right. She's a high school dropout living on a convience store salary, so she's definetely not going to be living in the Ritz.

*~Sohma Hinote*~
---------------------

"Oyyyyyyyyyyy, Hinote! You home?"

I was suddenly jerked out of my thoughts by a familiar, boistrous voice floating in through the wood of the door. I had been so enthralled in the contents of this mysterious letter that I had forgotten entirely about Ryuichi's message. I guess when he had said he was bringing beer he really meant it. Ryuichi had always said that "sharing was caring" or something like that...
Folding up the letter (I decided to keep it's contents to myself for now, until I learned more about it) I made my way over to the door and looked through the small peephold to see Ryuichi standing there with what indeed looked like a six-pack of Qingdao beer. I opened the door and looked out at him, blinking in an almost confused fashion.
"Jeezus, Ryu-kun, are you trying to wake the whole neighborhood?" I greeted him with my usual tone of sarcasm. He simply grinned in response and invited himself in, stepping through the doorway, his arm outstretched and offering up the pack of beer. It was as close to an apology as I was ever going to get from him so I took it. I made my way back over to the kitchen counter and placed the beer upon it, talking to him over my shoulder the entire way. "So, what brings you here at this time of day? Besides the beer, I mean..."

[VirtualPlay]

Name: Suteki Sakura (surname first, given name last)
Age: 16
Gender: Female
Zodiac: Sheep
Personality: Sakura is unusually closed around people she doesn't know, even if she's with people she does know and is friends with. She has a very hard time making friends, as well as having a hard time doing just about anything that requires a little daring. However, she's got a very creative mind, and if she can think up a way to do something that she's absolutely sure will work, she'll go at it with a hidden energy that just seems to sprout from nowhere. She's very open and honest with people she's not afraid to be around, but quite often loses her train of thought. Her room is unusually neat, considering everything is completely out of order and once you look closer, nothing seems to really fit where it actually is.
Appearance: She's quite small and stands at about 5'4" with a slightly frail build. Her eyes are a strange dark gray, causing people to either stare at them without realizing it, or to look away from them as soon as possible. Her hair is raven black and unusually frizzy, falling just past her shoulders even though it would almost reach the small of her back if it was pulled out. For clothes she has an up-until-now-unexplainable addiction to anything black. She wears the whole range of styles—baggy pants and shirts to mini-skirts and baby-doll tees—as long as it's black she's happy to wear it. She'll only wear other colors if she's forced. She does not wear much makeup, though, often just black nail polish and maybe some black eye-shadow. Her ears are each pierced once (through the lobe) and she has a small pair of plain silver earrings.
Animal appearance: Sakura is, quite literally, the black sheep of the 'family'. She's a small sheep, though, only about 3 feet long and 1 1/2 feet tall. She still, strangely enough, has the earrings on her ears (if that's okay).
History: Sakura has always had a strange liking to the color black, from her clothes to her favorite crayon and beyond. However, even after a few psychiatric visits, she has shown no evidence towards depression or any other "closed goth" issues aside from her timidity, which in and of itself is very normal. Other than that her life has been pretty much independent. Her parents care about her like normal parents, but they let her do as she pleases as long as she continues to do well in school and doesn't end up doing anything illegal.
Relations: I'm gonna NPC someone until I get a PC friend for her...
Other:

----------

Suteki Sakura - Sheep
~~~~~~~~
I yawned, setting my pencil down. I knew I shouldn't have left my homework for this late, but I had been so preoccupied with extra details on my Graphic Design homework that I had left the Literature and Math for the last hour of the day. At least I was fairly good with math, and it only took me those few minutes before midnight.

I stood up and stretched, then pulled the black scrunchie out of my hair, letting all of my frizzy, black hair flop around freely. The last time I had slept with my hair tied up, something got caught on the tie and I woke up with a splitting headache. I figured it wouldn't be a good idea to repeat that incident.

I walked over and sat on the black comforter on my bed, straightening out a small fold in my black nightshirt. The past few nights had found me wondering once again why I liked black so much, something I hadn't thought of for a couple years before then. Tonight was no different, and I figured I'd be up another half hour trying to explain it away before exhaustion would overtake me.

I laid myself down on the bed, then reached over and turned off the light. But something wasn't right: it was still too bright in my room. I sat up quickly and looked around, quickly spotting the source of the new light. I stopped, shocked, and stared at the source.

First, the light itself was black. Not that purplish color of a blacklight, it was black. Apparently black had gotten tired of absorbing all light and decided to emit it in my room.

Second was what was in the light. On my floor, standing as if nothing was unusual about it, was a small black sheep, surrounded by the sphere of black light. Curious, I walked over and knelt down near it.

It gave off a soft, "Baa!" and, don't ask me how it did it, but as I watched, it smiled at me. It then padded closer to me, and I was so shocked I flopped back on the heels of my feet. As if it had been trained to do so, the sheep came and put its paws on my almost-exposed thighs. I felt a strange warmth from where it stepped, and I suddenly realized that there was a black wall surrounding me, and even though I could feel the floor under my knees, I couldn't see anything.

That's when the sheep started walking up my legs and right into my body! I gasped as I noticed the sheep was completely gone from my room, and that I could see again. The first thing I noticed was that the glowing red numbers said 00:01. Had I just dreamed that sheep up and sleep-walked to where I was kneeling?

Deciding to think on it later, I got up and got back in bed, falling asleep almost immediately.

~-~-~-~-~

My alarm rang out loudly, waking me up from a weird dream involving sheep, though I couldn't quite remember any details. Still not fully awake, I set my brain on auto-pilot for doing my morning 'activities' of getting ready for school. It wasn't until I was finishing up by putting on my uniform (which I really didn't like all that much; the shirt was just too white) that I noticed the note that was on my desk. Curious, I looked at it. It had "Sheep" written on the outside, and when I opened it up it was headed with an address and the following letter:

Dear Sheep,
I'm sorry for the lack of notification, but you are the new Chinese Zodiac of the Sheep. This is not normally meant to affect anyone outside of the family.
I can't tell you anymore details now, but please make your way to the address above ASAP so that you can meet the others.
Don't hug anyone of the opposite gender. I know it's strange, but you don't want to know the consequences.
Yours,
Akito Sohma.

"Sheep…sheep…oh!" I said out loud, suddenly remembering last night. "Then it wasn't a dream…?" I added, reading the letter again. "ASAP, huh? Well, I'm not going to cut school, it'll have to wait until afterwards." I folded the note up again, stuffed it in my book bag, then went downstairs.

"How's my favorite daughter?" My dad said, smiling the way he always did with his arms open for a hug. I went over to him and was two paces away before remembering that line from the letter. Before my dad could wrap his arms around me, I quickly called a cough out of nowhere and pushed myself away.

"Ack, sorry, I think I went too fast down the stairs," I said, instead running over to where my morning Pop-Tarts sat and my lunch was packed up. "I, uh, gotta go in early, and I'm, er, going to a…a friend's house after school. I'll call if I'm going to be late for dinner." And I rushed out of the house before they could ask any questions.
~~~~~~~~

[Malheur]

Name: Riko-kun
Age: 14
Gender: male
Zodiac: Rat
Personality: Riko-kun's most noticeable character trait is his quick temper. He's ready to fight even if someone just looks at him funny. But though he might have a quick temper, he's really very nice if you get on his good side. He doesn't really get close to anyone, because he doesn't trust anyone. His only friend is Myumi, who he has only just recently begun to trust after knowing her for about a year. Because of a feud between himself and Hinote's family, he stays far away from her. He also thinks she has something against him.
Appearance: Like this kid here. He is rather short and pale. He is thin. He has long-ish black hair that sort of covers his eyes, which are also black. His family is wealthy, so he often where clothes like the ones pictured.
Animal appearance: he's a rat with dark grey fur and black eyes...
History: unknown (ooh I bet you can't wait to find out XD)
Relations: good friends with Myumi, but has issues with Hinote and her family (they have issues with him as well)
Other: Riko-kun has an intense fear of cats (that cat in the picture just was in the picture, it's not his or anything ^_^; and by the way that picture is © maui at deviantART)

« RIKO // RAT »

Riko tore his eyes away from the computer screen. He let his eyes linger on the bright neon light of his digital clock. 4:45. It was a lot later than he expected. If he didn't get to bed soon, he knew he'd regret it. His family was going to make him be up by 6:00, because they assumed he needed at least an hour to get ready for school. He had argued with them, saying that he only needed about 5 minutes. But his parents were stubborn, and told him to let the argument drop. And he had grudgingly done so.

He sighed, and turned back to the computer screen. He said his farewells to a few online friends, telling them that he had to go for tonight. Then he logged off of his screen name, and closed down all of his windows. He set the computer on standby. He stood up, yawned, and flicked the lightswitch. His room went dark, except for a sliver that was showing through the slightly open curtains of his window. His made his way towards his bed, pulled back the covers, and lay down. Slowly, he drifted off into a dreamless sleep...

« 6:00 AM // THE NEXT DAY »

Riko pryed open his sleepy eyes, looking at the alarm clock to absolutely sure he hadn't only been sleeping for about a half an hour. That's what it felt like. When the alarm clock's bright numbers confirmed that it was indeed 6:00, he got out of bed and headed for the bathroom. He grabbed his toothbrush, ran it under the faucet, and then reached for the mirror so that he could open it to retrieve the toothpaste. It was there that the following note was taped ::

"Dear Rat,
I'm sorry for the lack of notification, but you are the new Chinese Zodiac of the Rat.
This is not normally meant to affect anyone outside of the family.
I can't tell you anymore details now, but please make your way to the address above ASAP so that you can meet the others.
Don't hug anyone of the opposite gender.
I know it's strange, but you don't want to know the consequences.

Yours,
Akito Sohma."

Akito Sohma? Who was that? And how had he gotten that note on the bathroom mirror in his room? Riko decided he was completely unsure of this guy. And he also decided that when Myumi and Akira came around to pick him up (they had told him they would), he would ask them about it. Myumi at least knew something about the Zodiac. She would be a great person to ask. Of course, even if she thought that this letter was explicable, he wasn't sure his parents would be too keen on him going to some guy's house who they knew nothing about.

« AFTER HIS SHOWER & BREAKFAST // THE SAME DAY »

Riko heard the doorbell ring. "I'll get it!" he called to his parents. He ran down the staircase to the double doors at the front of the house. Opening it slowly, he saw Myumi and Akira framed in the doorway. "I'm going to school! See you later!" he called to his parents. Then he shut the door behind him, and took the note, which had earlier been his bathroom, out of his pocket. He handed it to Myumi, and said, "What do you think of this?"

« // END OF FIRST POST »

Enjoy. He only got 1 hour and 15 minutes of sleep, lol. Expect him to fall asleep in school...

[Emotional Faun Chiko-sai]

Sohma Ryuichi (Horse)
-------------------------

Ryuichi was inspecting the hairline cracks in the wall when the question came. He stopped making a hole out of one of the cracks when Hinote gave him a Look. He dug the letter out of his pocket and waved it in a vague sort of manner.
"I got a weird letter from Akito."
He saw Hinote start out of the corner of his eye, and grinned slightly, pricking up his ears. How very interesting... "You got that, too?"
"Oh yes. Apparently I'm Mr Horse. What are you?"
His amusement at the extreme coincidence that Hinote was also a Juunishi must have shown because her next statement was: "You've got that evil grin on your face again."
"You didn't answer my question." Ryuichi was nothing if not persistent.
"I'm the cat," Hinote answered, scowling. "It looks like a very large and elaborate joke, but the letter has Akito's seal on it."
"Who the hell is Akito, anyway? Every moron I have ever met from the Main House has this phobia of the guy."
"Kyou was quite scared of him."
"Kyou's from your branch of the family, right? The branch that has all the people with orange hair."
"Yeah, but I think he was a Juunishi, too. Most likely the cat. I heard my parents talking about him. What about this Juunishi thing?"
Ryuichi reached over to the counter and grabbed a beer. "Hey, don't waste the beer. I had to do some creative blackmailing to get it..."
"Now you're the one changing the subject! I think we have to find out more about the curse. Akito's the head of the family. He wouldn't joke about something like this."
"Whatever. Let's get our butts over to the Main House, then."
"What, tonight?"
"No, no, I meant to go later. You know, at three am, when we can wake up the whole family and have some fun looking at the murderous expression on their faces."
"Shut up."
"Actually, I was serious about that. Then we can see exactly how scary this Akito b*stard is-"
"Just shut up."
"That means we're going, right?"
A large vein popped on Hinote's temple. Ryuichi ignored it, polished off the can and tossed it expertly into the dustbin. Hinote was too nice a person to be seriously lethal. That was more in his line. He sauntered to the door.
----------------
My brain is fried... too much homework.

[sesshomaru]

Sorry, but could I drop outta this one. I just don't have time.

[Kuro Espeon]

Hinote:
~~~~~~~
I sighed and followed Ryuichi out the door. He had grabbed another beer and tossed one to me and I had to admit, after everything that had happened that night I really needed it. I popped open the can and took a long swig before heading down the stairs to the base level.
"So, which direction is it?" Ryuichi asked, scratching his head.
"It's not far actually. It'll take about 20 minutes to walk there. If I remember correctly it's...." I paused and thought for a moment, point off to the right. "That way. Come on, let's get this dumb joke over with...." I put my arms behind my head and headed off down the street with Ryuichi at my left heel, practically guzzling his beer. Please Lord, let him NOT be drunk by the time we got to the main house...

It did take approximately 20 minutes to get there. I knew my way there surprisingly well considering I had only passed by the place before with my mom and dad about 6 years ago. My memory of it was hazy, but I remember mom pointing it out to me as we passed, saying something like "That's where the main Sohma family lives. But we can't live there... we're not one of them." One of them? Had she meant the Jyuunishi? That would make sense since she had always refered to Kyou as a "damn cat", but I had always thought it was just a legend. The Curse of the Jyuunishi couldn't be real....could it?
"Whoa, this place is frickin' HUGE," said Ryuichi (not drunk, thankfully), gazing up at the set of large double doors that marked the entrance to the Sohma estate, which was surrounded by a thick stone wall. "They must be rich. Wonder if they're are any good "souvenier" opportunities. Heh heh heh..."
I was only half listening to him. I was still thinking about the Jyuunishi, and my distant cousin Kyou. I walked up to the doors, glanced up at the decorated "Sohma" name plate, and slowly raised my fist to knock. But before I could rap on the door, they suddenly creaked open slowly before us. Momentarily taken by surprise it took me a few seconds to drop my hand again. I looked at Ryuichi, who shrugged and walked through the doors almost as if he owned the place. I shook my head and followed after him.
We hadn't gone more than a few feet before an old man (obviously one of the older generation of Sohmas) seemed to appear out of nowhere and approach us.
"Sohma Ryuichi....Sohma Hinote.... we've been expecting you. You are the first ones here." He said, in a slightly monotone voice.
"Gee, lucky day for us..." I grumbled sarcastically. Ryuichi snickered and the old man's head shot in my direction. He gave me a studying glance, a strange looking coming over his face as he reached my bright red hair. His eyes narrowed and his next sentence came out in a low growl.
"You....are unwelcome here."
"'Scuse me? I was invited, old man!" I replied dryly, waving my letter in front of him.
"Invited, yes.... but very much unwelcome. Your spirit... I sense it around you. It is one of deceit and disgust. One that this family will never accept. You may be of kin, but be prepared for rejection, Sohma Hinote." With that he turned from us and began walking down the cobbled path that led to the main house. "Come now. Akito is waiting."
"Ok, whatever, you freaky ol' bat..." I mummbled as I tossed my empty beer can over my shoulder and crossed my arms over my chest.
"Want me to take him out, Hinote?" Ryuichi said, cackling anxiously under his breath and cracking his knuckles.
"Oh yes....beating up a fragile and senile old man will really improve your street rep..."
"Hey now... it was just an offer..."
As we drew closer to the main house an unsettling feeling sank into the bottom of my stomach. This was all starting to look very fishy to me... [i]'Speaking of fish...why do I suddenly have a strange craving for tuna?' I thought.

Sorry about the old man NPC. Hope that's ok for him to be there.... O_o I kinda wanted to establish her eventual rejection by the rest of the family. Since she's the cat and all...^^()