Cross Life

Mediums:
Centered in Yakushima of the Osumi islands of Japan, was a family with great spirit powers. Dating back even way before the Edo period, they were often called upon for help when dealing with the supernatural. The family generally kept to the island they originated from, however, some members of the family chose to leave instead of being tied down to the duty that Mediums were held to such as being at the beck and call of the emperor. As the years wore on and on, after the Meiji Restoration the family of Mediums started to become very disperse. Instead of having over half of the residents on the island from the family, the numbers dropped so they were hardly one-fifth of the population. Even later on, when more technology and modern ways were being produced, the family became so dispersed that the ones left were able to live comfortably in one of their temples.
Nowadays, a small part of the family still lives on Yakushima island, though they no longer reside in the temple and instead live like any normal person. They do not practice the ways of the Mediums anymore since in the present no one really believes in that kind of thing. Despite the thinning of the bloodline from spreading themselves out and having free will to marry whoever they wish, their powers remain almost just as strong as it was back before the Edo period. They hardly have a reason to use it though.
Their temples, shrines, and graveyards have been left to ruins or have been paved over for modern towns and roads. The ones further inland remain mostly untouched except by historians who research the places, taking what they want. Whatever evidence of the family having thrived there long ago is no more.

Ghosts look like a human, are tangible, and are just like a normal person. The only difference is that they live for a very long time, are drawn towards Mediums, and can posses a Medium. No one knows where Ghosts come from or how and why they exist. And in today's time, no one even knows they exist.

Mediums know who they are and their abilities. In the present, stories about the Ghosts are passed down to their children who pass it on to theirs and so on. Some believe, some don't, and most go through with life without realizing if they've met with a Ghost or not.

But there is something about Yakushima Island that draws Ghosts to it. A Medium may find a Ghost anywhere in the world, but for sure you would meet one on this island. They cannot explain it themselves and just know they feel an incredible pull towards the place. It had been suspected by Mediums for long ago that it was because of the Mediums strong spiritual powers and the fact that the island was where Mediums were originally from and had lived for many, many generations. It seemed like as a good guess as any so the Ghosts just went with that to put their minds at ease. As for why the pull is just as strong today the Ghosts cannot completely explain.

Some Ghosts say the pull has lessened for them, but they are generally pulled towards it for just about their entire life. Their lives are incredibly long as well. It seems the only way they can die is to be killed. How a new Ghost comes about is still unknown, since it seems as if they sort of just happen upon the world on day.
They age just slightly slower than humans, so a Ghost who looks like they are only sixteen can actually be over twenty years old. Once they reach a certain point in their aging they just stop. This point in a Ghost's life is different for each one. Some stop looking as if they were eighteen, some in their twenties, and some look over thirty.

Mediums and Ghosts are naturally drawn to each other, and a Ghost will stick with a Medium if necessary. Some Mediums nowadays let a Ghost live with them so he or she does not have to worry about fitting in with today's society. For each Ghost, it somehow works out for them and their existence remains unknown.

The thing that is so special about Mediums is that they can let a Ghost posses them. A normal human can not be possessed by a Ghost.
When a Ghost possesses a Medium, their physical capabilities are increased greatly and they are then capable of super-human feats. How strong they become depends on their sync-rate with their ghost. The better compatible a Medium and a Ghost are, the greater their physical capabilities are increased. An indicator to how well synced a Medium and Ghost are is by the black markings that appear on their skin. In general, these black markings are multiple lines that sometimes look like veins that overlap. They start from the center of the torso (front and back) and branch out from there going up the neck, out past the shoulders, and down to the thighs and feet. If a Medium and Ghost are not synced well, these black markings will not branch out very far. Using percentages, if the sync-rate is at 50% then the black markings will only cover the torso. The further these black markings reach out across the skin, the thicker it becomes from where it centered. A sync-rate of 80% would make the torso completely black, and then thin out around the shoulders, base of neck, and waist. The black markings would also reach out over the entire body.

It is said that when one is completely in-sync with their Ghost, all of their skin will turn back. This has only been recorded of happening one time in the Medium’s history. Because of this, it is considered as only a legend that such a thing can happen. The highest sync-rate that has been seen is around 90% but that was over a hundred years ago.
It is very rare for a sync-rate to be over 85% because it’s very difficult for two to be so in-sync. Everyone quarrels with another, especially when they’re with that person almost all the time, so it’s hard to not be at each others’ throats once in awhile. Also, everyone keeps secrets and hides things from others. Even though when a Ghost possess a Medium they do in a sense share the same mind, it is possible for them to not let certain thoughts through to the other.

When a Ghost is possessing a Medium, the two have a special finishing move that they can use to destroy the core of a monster. If the sync-rate is about 60%-80% they can only use it once. Above 80% it can be used twice, and then when two are completely synced they can use it as many times as they want. Generally, the finishing move is unique to every Ghost/Medium partnership. If a Ghost changes partners, they can have a completely new finishing move with that new partner to what they had with their previous partner. Same thing if a Medium changes what Ghost they are partnered with. A finishing move is only limited by their imagination and what their sync-rate is. A higher sync-rate will have a powerful, often more flashy, finishing move.

After a Medium or Ghost has died, their spirit moves on to the afterlife (don’t worry about afterlife details too much). However, if their spirit somehow remains or is pulled back to the world, they are never a pleasant spirit. With all the energy that they have, they manage to posses things, infusing it with their power and thus changing it into a monster.

Characters

Username: Shiro-chan
Name: Kazuhiko Hideaki
Age: 16
Gender: Male
Medium/Ghost: Medium
Partner: Shiyuchi Tsuhanako
About them: As the only son of a moderately wealthy family, Kazuhiko always had pressure put on him by both of his parents, not only at studies and sports, but also as a potential medium. He does fairly well at school in general, but nothing he achieves seems to fully satisfy his parents. Five years ago, when Kazuhiko was 11, it was officially confirmed that he was indeed a medium, much like his father, grandfather and other ancestors were before him, adding yet another responsibility for him to carry out in order to please his parents. It was around that time when he met Shiyuichi, his ghost partner, whom he has "put up with" ever since, going as far as living together. Kazuhiko's training in self-defense, carried out personally by his father, also started then, with the goal of making the child able to face off weaker monsters without needing to be possessed by Shiyuichi. Kazu has evolved much since then at hand-to-hand combat, and is perfectly able to hold his ground against lesser monsters without serious injuries. His sync-rate with Shiyuichi has also grown in the past few years, although there's still trouble caused by their conflicting personalities. Kazu's drive to prove the other wrong about his supposed "faults" keep him going though, and, as much as he would hate to admit it, they help him grow stronger too. That personal realization won't stop him from yelling at Shiyuichi whenever the ghost starts ranting about how bad he did though.
As a person, Kazu may seem calm and gentle at first glance, and he might be, but not when he gets annoyed by someone or something. Which happens quite often. He has a really short temper, getting violent, yelling and generally throwing tantrums whenever provoked. However, as pissed as he may look and act, Kazu never lets this affect his judgement, being able to think clearly even during his fits- that is, unless he is seriously enraged, which is a hard feat to accomplish. He dislikes sweet things (including overly sweet people), idiots, smug people, and many other things. He does like chocolate though, that being the only sweet food he'll willingly eat.
Finishing Move: Summoning a spiritual glaive
Appearance:

Username: Kira-senpai
Name: Shiyuchi Tsuhanako
Age: 17
Gender: Male
Medium or Ghost: Ghost
Partner: Kazuhiko Hideaki
About them: Shortly after Kazuhiko became aware he was a Medium was when Shiyuchi met him. Shiyuchi could sense great potential from the boy and decide to partner up with him. As for the training though, Shiyuchi let Kazuhiko’s (or Kazu-chan as Shiyuchi likes to call him) father take care of that. At first, Shiyuchi could only possess Kazu-chan for a short while as the strain on the boy’s body was too much for him at first. However, Kazu-chan soon became used to it and the two’s sync-rate began to increase. Though, they still have some difficulties since Shiyuchi is always pointing out Kazu-chan’s faults which bothers the young Medium to no end. The only reason why the two can be partners at all is because Kazu-chan tries to prove Shiyuchi wrong whenever the Ghost points out the Medium’s mistakes and such. Also, when there’s a monster that needs to be dealt with the two are like-minded in wanting to take care of it quickly. It’s after the monster is defeated and the two are separated does Shiyuchi begin to go on about the careless mistakes Kazu-chan exhibited during the battle. After all, Shiyuchi doesn’t need a useless Medium as his partner.
Shiyuchi can seem a bit stuck-up since he looks down on practically everyone. In school, mostly everyone tries to avoid him. Some even look at Kazuhiko weirdly because Shiyuchi began to live with Kazu-chan about five years ago. They just say that they’re cousins to get people off their backs about it. This also explains why some think the two are so close. Most of the time Shiyuchi is acting smug towards Kazu-chan which gets the other pissed off. It seems that Shiyuchi is able to get Kazu-chan the most pissed simply with his attitude towards the other. Not to mention that generally Shiyuchi is calm and hardly ever shows expressions other than unamusement, smugness, blank stares, and icy glares. Not to mention he’s taller, standing at about 5’10” (about 177cm), which he likes to point out to Kazu-chan.
Even though people leave Shiyuchi alone, most girls don’t leave Kazu-chan alone. When Shiyuchi sees Kazu-chan cornered by a girl, he’ll go over and interrupt her without caring if he’s being rude or not. Shiyuchi will generally come up with something like Kazu-chan has homework or chores to do and then drags the young Medium off. This behavior off Shiyuchi comes from finding amusement from it, as well as a sort of possessiveness of Kazu-chan. After all, the Medium was his partner, not anyone else. Besides, Kazu-chan had better things to do than talk to girls, like increasing his skills and the like to do better in a battle.
Finishing Move: Summoning a spiritual glaive
Apppearance:

Username: Kira-senpai
Name: Hiroyuki Kobayashi
Age: 15
Gender: Male
Medium/Ghost: Medium
Partner: Kei Minoru
About them: Hiroyuki is a very happy-go-lucky child, always smiling at other people. He prefers to avoid conflict as much as possible so he can get along with others and have fun times. Somewhat young and quite sheltered, he's very ignorant because of his innocent mind. He has a tendency to stare off into space, hardly blinking or moving as he gets lost in his own thoughts. Usually someone has to snap him out of it, and then he'll just look at them with a big smile. He excels in the classes involving english and the arts, does alright with math, and not so well with science and history. However, he knows the history of the mediums on the island very well because his parents would repeat it to him a lot ever since he was a little kid. Since he is a Medium, he feels like he should know about the Mediums that were here before him and all the stuff that happened. It wasn't until he was 14 that he met Kei, who also became his first Ghost partner. Hiroyuki was very happy when he met Kei, excited to have a Ghost partner, though getting Kei to accept him wasn't easy. However, Hiroyuki kept on insisting that they work together to make sure no monsters were
able to run amok. That it was their duty to work together to accomplish the task. Eventually he won Kei over, though the Ghost still held back getting too close. At least their sync-rate was high enough that they could defeat monsters without much trouble. Hiroyuki was still young and had lots to learn, so he was very attentative to his marital arts lessons. He studies hard to make Kei finally accept him as an important partner and open up to him. He's always really concerned over Kei, generally by his side whenever he can be. He's like Kei's shadow whenever he's with the Ghost. It's mostly to Kei that he sort of acts like a little brat, pouting when he's not getting his way with Kei, or giving him those big teary eyes to make Kei cave-in. All the other times he's just smiling. He's never raised his voice at another, and refuses to use his knowledge of martial arts against other people. Since he's small and a bit of a pushover, he gets bullied quite a bit. It progrssively became worse as he became older, often coming home with a black-eye, scrapes and bruises. He always lied to his parents and said he tripped or something like that. They never pushed it because he'd always be smiling and carrying on as his usual self. His grades never changed much and never got into any trouble (since he wouldn't fight back against the bullies). In his free time, he likes to spend time with Kei and play games. Not videogames though, since he doesn't have any. His form of entertainment doesn't come from anything electronic (only electronic device he has is a cell phone). He's good at working with his hands, having learned how to cook, sew, sculpt, do origmai, and draw.
Finishing Move: GUNSGUNSGUNSGUNSGUNSGUNSGUNS :DDDD
Appearance:

Username: Shiro-chan
Name: Kei Minoru
Age: 17 (physically), ??? (chronologically)
Gender: Male
Medium/Ghost: Ghost
Partner: Hiroyuki Kobayashi
About them: Kei has had what many would consider an EXTREMELY long life. He was born as a ghost a long time ago, and stopped aging physically when he was about 17 years old. He got himself a medium partner around that time, but things didn't work out in the end. His partner died, although the circumstances of that incident are a mystery to everyone but him. He'll never talk about that day, or even mention it to anyone. It would be a miracle if someone even knew he had had another medium partner in the past. When he met Hiroyuki, it was a struggle to get Kei to accept Hiroyuki as his medium partner. However, their synchro-rate hasn't ever been too high, most likely because of all the secrets Kei keeps, and the distance he insists on keeping from everyone else. They still make a decently good team though, and have no problem dealing with the monsters that usually appear around them. Experience has taught him to materialize a pair of guns with his spiritual energy, which can gain more power when he's possessing his partner.
As far as social issues go, Kei prefers to keep to himself, and as far away from everyone else as he can manage. He's a cold, distant kind of person, keeping to himself most of the time, and only speaking when strictly necessary. His answers are also short and straight to the point, giving him an overall reserved personality. All of this makes it really hard for people to get close to him, even if they try, so they tend to brand him as an antisocial person. Kei himself knows and acknowledges his utter lack of human interaction skills, but it has been hard to let others close ever since the incident that happened when his previous medium died. As could be guessed from his personality, the expressions Kei usually wear range from "unamused" to "still-not-amused" and sometimes even to "I-am-raising-an-eyebrow-at-you-because-you-are-either-acting-stupid-or-you-were-born-without-a-functional-brain". He might someitmes frown too, and in the rarest of ocassions, he may crack the smallest and and quickest of smiles. Those are more blink-and-you-miss-it moments though. Kei spends most of his time reading countless books, mostly novels, since he doesn't go to school like other ghosts who look his age. He's lived long enough to know everything he needs to, and thus sees it unnecessary to have to go through the pains of high school. Besides, he already went when he was actually 17 years old. This leaves him with hours of doing nothing, since Hiroyuki has to go to school like normal teenagers. He spends three quarters of that time either reading or looking for new books to read, and the rest is spent on eating or sleeping. Being so old and experienced, he thinks himself strong enough for a relatively new medium, so he barely trains. When, or if Hiroyuki gets strong enough, he might start trying to better himself though. Only if it doesn't take away from his reading hours.
Finishing Move: GUNSGUNSGUNSGUNSGUNSGUNSGUNS :DDDD
Appearance:

Username: Shiro-chan
Name: Emi Ayano
Age: 17
Gender: Female
Medium/Ghost: Medium
Partner: Motoe Arakaki
About them: Emi is a unique kind of person. She's friendly to anyone she meets, has a cheerful personality, and gets decent grades at school, but her way of thinking is a little... unusual. She can stand on one spot staring at a seemingly plain tree for hours, pondering on the green of the leaves or the shape of the creases in its trunk; and at the same time, she can get bored of a conversation and completely space out after seconds. She does her best to keep her focus when another person is talking to her, or when it's necessary like for lectures, but her control over her attention slips at times. She can be snapped back into reality really easily with a little shake on the shoulder or a hushed calling of her name though.

Her really weird mode only activates when she has any kind of drawing or painting materials in her hands though. Her imagination runs wild, and she can think of the most messed up things, like how drawing a series of childish, seemingly random pictures on an old fence represents how the decaying minds of some people prevent them from seeing beyond what they think is right or true, leaving them stuck on a childish disposition where they can't accept that what they were taught could be wrong. Or something. Most people stare blankly at her when she explains these kinds of things, but the art teacher at school thinks Emi will be a famous artist in the future, and who are the students to go against her opinion?

Emi is really talented at drawing and painting, and has a weak spot for small and cute things. Her father works at some high position in a bank, so their family is pretty well-off. Her mother is a doting housewife, who daydreams of her little baby's paintings being hand on museums. They're both sweet and caring, and always support and encourage Emi to do what she truly wants to, so long as her average grades are at least average. She has no siblings too, which means her parents' doting is focused solely on her. Despite all this, she isn't spoiled in the very least, and enjoys sharing things with others. She's also a little shy about herself though, which is why she usually wears clothes that are more loose than tight, and pants instead of shorts or skirts. This, coupled with her short hair (because according to her, long hair is too hard to maintain, which is a hassle), make some people confuse her for a boy at first glance. She doesn't particularly mind, and she actually laughs when this happens. Her voice is normal for a girl though, so people usually notice she's a she the moment she speaks.

Emi's family is one of the faraway branches that has lost contact with the main family where mediums came from. Apparently, her mother either never met a ghost so she never found out about mediums; or if she just wasn't born one. Emi, on the other hand, met Motoe when she was about eleven, and found out all about ghosts, mediums and monsters. She decided to keep it a secret from her parents, not wanting to confuse or worry them or have them think she was crazy, and asked Motoe to help her with physical training and the such. They've been keeping their fights against monsters and training sessions a secret for six years now, and Motoe came to live with them under the excuse of having a bad relationship with her foster parents and running away from home. Emi's parents were and still are suckers for that kind of sob stories, so they agreed right away. They could easily afford to maintain the two of them, and they agreed that it would be good for Emi to always have a close friend around.
Finishing Move: Magical bow and arrow pwnage
Appearance:

Username: Kira-senpai
Name: Motoe Arakaki
Age: 17
Gender: Female
Medium or Ghost: Ghost
Partner: Emi Ayano
About them: Motoe met Emi, her medium when the girl was 11, and informed all about the world of ghosts and monsters to her that she was to be a part of. Emi's parents didn't know about any of this, so since Emi wished to keep it a secret, Motoe did as well. It was great her parents accepted the sob story they gave, and Motoe thought she sold it pretty well.
By Emi's request, she helped the girl train to become stronger, focusing mostly on speed and using her opponents weight and weaknesses against them. She taught her how to think of her feet and not be swept into someone else's pace (other than Motoe's of course but they worked together). Of course during training she would possess Emi so they could get used to it, learning how to move as one.
Motoe is a very "affectionate" ghost towards Emi. Especially when it comes to overly hugging her and grabbing her breasts. She even openly does this in public which succeeds in making guys around them feel awkward and stay away. Motoe can be very possessive over Emi (heh get it?) and would probably drill and interrogate anyone wanting to be Emi's boyfriend. Nothing but the best for her little Medium.
Finishing Move: Magical bow and arrow pwnage
Apppearance:

Beep beep beep beep beep beep beep beep beep beep beep beep beep beep beep bee-

"Ugh..." Kazuhiko retreated his arm back into the comfort of his covers, yawning and rolling onto his other side, facing away from the now silent alarm clock. It was always hard to get up in the mornings, but even more so in winter, when the bed's warmth made such a contrast with the cold room. He'd had to get up eventually though, and the sooner he got it over with, the better. With much effort, Kazuhiko pushed off his covers, sitting up and stretching in the process, only stopping when he heard the familiar sound of a few bones popping back into their rightful place. He swung his legs over the edge of the bed, standing up as he yawned again, running his fingers through the mess that was his hair right now, making a beeline for the bathroom on the right side of the room. Once he was inside and the door was locked, his mind started going through the classes of the day, what homework needed to be handed in, and the various tasks he'd have to do that day after school was over; all while his body went automatically through his morning routine. Brush teeth, wash face, fix hair, grab uniform hanging from the door, get dressed.

Already fully awake and mostly ready for the day, he packed his bag for school, grabbing all the books and notebooks that he'd need that day. A quick glance at the alarm clock on his bedside table told him it was 7:15. A little early, but he liked to have breakfast in peace. As he made his way downstairs headed for the dining room, he had a quick thought of checking on Tsuhanako, but he quickly shrugged it off. That guy was most likely already up. Plus, he could take care of himself. He sat down on one of the chairs, not surprised at seeing a couple of sets of dirty dishes. His parents went to work at ungodly hours of the morning and came back sometime in the late afternoon, at which point his father supervised his training. That was basically all he saw of the man, except when it was time to hand in report cards from school. Great parent. Not like his mother was much better though. At least she had the decency to ask how his day went from time to time.

"...Itadakimasu." He started to eat, not bothering to wait for Tsuhanako. He never did anyway. They weren't exactly on good terms, although they weren't on bad terms either. At least not too much. He got annoyed easily by the other's personality, and, if his constant critics were anything to go by, Tsuhanako didn't think too highly of him either. He knew they'd have to work around that eventually, since all and any clash between them was reflected in their sync-rate, but it wasn't that urgent either. Being a medium and fighting ghosts might be one of his responsibilities as a part of his family, but being realistic, it wouldn't help much in the future. Good grades, on the other hand, would make a big difference. The training he did with his father and the one he did alone would be enough for now. If he could prove Tsuhanako wrong about his constant critics, that would be sufficient.

Shiyuchi was awake and getting ready around the time when the sky first began to brighten, however, the sun was still not up over the horizon, so that made it sometime before 6am. He then started his usual morning routine of a brushing his teeth, and putting his shoulder length hair up into a ponytail. The clothes he then changed into were his jogging outfit, as he then left the house to jog around the neighborhood. By this time it was a bit after 6 and the time he returned to the house was about half an hour later. Once back, he hopped into the shower which he liked to prolong. He gave the water time to warm up, thoroughly washed his hair, and simply enjoyed a good soak. It was almost 7 when he got out of the shower and dried off. He went back to his room to change into his school uniform and grab his bag before going to the kitchen for breakfast.

Kazuhiko, or Kazu-chan as he liked to call the other, was already eating his breakfast now. Though upon seeing the dirty dishes, Shiyuchi picked them up and set them in the sink to wash later. Next he grabbed some breakfast for himself and joined Kazu-chan at the table. As he poked at his cereal with his spoon he asked the other a question before he started to eat.

"Do you have all of your homework?"

He knew just that simple question would annoy Kazu-chan, and frankly, he did it on purpose most of the time. Kazu-chan made it so easy to annoy him, and after living together for so long, Shiyuchi knew everything that could annoy or anger the other.

Kazuhiko huffed when he saw Tsuhanako walk into the dining room, already anticipating the other's thoughts. It wouldn't be too long before he was doing or saying something with the sole purpose of annoying him, a hobby he had apparently taken quite a liking to. He ignored the other when he picked up the dirty dishes left by his parents, focusing instead on his breakfast. He stopped eating all together when he was asked a question though. "Well, good morning to you, too" He huffed, throwing an exasperated look at the other. How many times a day would he need to point out his bad manners for Tsuhanako to finally start behaving like a proper person?

"And why do you even need to ask that?" He continued eating, annoyed by now at the other's pointless question. As if he had ever not done all of his homework in time. Or forgotten some of it. He wasn't stupid. The worst part of it all was that Tsuhanako did it all on purpose just to get on his nerves. His childish behavior only angered him more, and thus went the cycle. It was like their everyday routine. The fact that it had been going on for the past few years did nothing to make it bearable though.

He set down his chopsticks, directing his glance directly at Tsuhanako. "You know, just for one day, it would be nice of you to act like a decent, mature person."

The reply was typical from the other. He knew Kazu-chan wouldn't get really angry just yet, but he could see how annoyed the other became just by that one question.

"And it's only you here, why do I need to act mature? I already know everything about you after having been inside you, Kazu-chan," Shiyuchi replied with a little smug grin. Albeit their sync-rate wasn't the greatest, but it was enough that he cold possess Kazu-chan and stay that way for a decent amount of time.

He continued to eat his breakfast in anticipation of what Kazu-chan would say next. Especially since Shiyuchi said the nickname that the other despised being called. Everyday, Kazu-chan replied in the most entertaining ways. Shiyuchi was glad that Kazu-chan was always easily annoyed and let it get the best of him. Of course, it made it really easy when Shiyuchi could practically read all of Kazu-chan's thoughts when he possessed the boy.

"You should act mature because you should be mature, idiot. In case you forgot, you're not a five-year-old," His gaze turned into a right-out glare, breakfast forgotten for the time being. "And don't say it that way. First, you can't read everything, and second, it sounds gross." He cringed at the nickname, glare intensifying, as if he was trying to drill holes into the other's skull using only his eyes. Normal people wold apologize and cower away at this point, Kazhiko was perfectly aware of how scary his icy blue eyes turned when he was honestly glaring at someone. But not this idiot. It was like Tsuhanako made his purpose in life to be the bane of his existence.

"Don't call me that." He gripped the table hard enough for his knuckles to turn white, but he did nothing else. He knew what the other boy was expecting, and he knew all the teasing was just for his own amusement. If he gave in, he'd just be giving that idiot exactly what he wanted. Then again, it was a pointless struggle. Tsuhanako would get on his nerves, be it now, in a few minutes or at school. It would eventually happen. That moron must have practiced to get to the point where he could be so annoying.

"Kazu-chan~" Shiyuchi said in a sing-song voice, picking up his bowl off the table since he was done eating anyways.

He may not be able to read everything, but he could read enough. Second, of course it sounded like that. Acting mature was no fun around Kazu-chan. Shiyuchi acted mature enough for other people, but there was just something about annoying Kazu-chan that was greatly entertaining. Shiyuchi never really did this to anyone else. Only if they annoyed him first, starting the fight themselves. Then Shiyuchi would always win the fight. Just like he could always win them against Kazu-chan. He had a feeling where this fight was going though.

Kazuhiko's eyebrow started twitching at the moron's repeated use of that wretched nickname, this time even singing it. His grip on the table tightened, his final straw snapping almost audibly. "...I said to STOP CALLING ME THAT!" He yelled, raising his arms and flipping the table over in the process. His half finished breakfast fell onto the floor with a loud crashing sound, as did the table a few seconds later, knocking over some of the chairs set on the other side.

He stepped right over the broken bits of dish and glass, knowing there were more than plenty anyway, heading straight for Tsuhanako with one fist ready to punch the lights out of that irritating moron. Just as he was jumping over the fallen table, he changed his mind though, instead grabbing one of the fallen chairs when he landed, making a run for the other, chair raised and ready to be broken on his back and head.

Well, Kazu-chan's mother and father weren't going to be very happy if they came home to a mess. The crunching of some broken dishes made Shiyuchi look back up at Kazu-chan after having turned his attention to the mess now on the floor. Kazu-chan was heading right for him with a fist readied for a punch, but then changed his mind and picked up a chair instead. Shiyuchi sighed, swiftly vacating the spot he was occupying at the last second to dodge the chair. He was then calmly by the kitchen counter, setting his bowl down in the sink. He turned and faced Kazu-chan with a sigh.

"You really shouldn't take your anger out on the furniture, you know, Kazu-chan," he said, arms crossed as he awaited for Kazu-chan to try and attack him again. He was pretty sure that Kazu-chan was not finished with his violent rampage, but before he destroyed the house Shiyuchi planned to stop him.

Kazuhiko growled deep in his throat as the chair collided with nothing but the floor, making a loud noise and spraying some splinters, but not exactly breaking. He didn't even bother to answer to Tsuhanako's comments anymore, instead jumping over the counter that separated the dining room from the kitchen, throwing himself at the moron. He made a move to punch him square in the face, knowing that smug illegitimate child would make as little movement to avoid him as possible, just to show off. He was ready to kick at his feet, sweeping him off the floor, when he changed his weight in order to move. All that training in hand-to-hand combat with his father became useful when he wanted to beat the feces out of Tsuhanako. Then again, the annoying ghost always managed to come out either unscratched or barely even hurt.

Shiyuchi watched as Kazu-chan didn't bother replying and instead jumped over the counter at him. He guessed that if the others' punch didn't work, which it wouldn't, the other had some other trick up their sleeve. He could assume the only other thing would be to attack with the legs. As soon as he was within reach, Shiyuchi took hold of the others' wrist, moving quickly to sweep Kazu-chan off of his feet so he would land face-first onto the floor. He used one knee to pin Kazu-chan's shoulder to the floor, keeping one foot under him so he could control how much pressure he was exerting. With his arms, he had the others' legs bent back and trapped in his hold.

"You never can win against me, you know?" he said, pressing down a bit harder on Kazu-chan's shoulder to only cause a little bit of discomfort but it wouldn't seriously hurt the other. It would just get his point across that victory was his again, and Kazu-chan could just hear the smugness in Shiyuchi's voice.

Kazuhiko yelped as he felt his feet leave the floor, falling face-first onto the kitchen floor. He winced when his chin made impact, growling again at Tsuhanako, who was keeping a tight hold on him. "Let go, you illegitimate child," He growled, glaring at the moron who was holding him against the floor. The smugness of his voice just made him struggle harder, with every fiber of his body itching to punch Tsuhanako, or at least to get away from him.

He hated how the other always beat him, no matter how hard he trained. Tsuhanako was one year older, but still. It got more and more frustrating with every loss, and there were no signs of a possible win anytime soon either. "Talk about a living hell..."

Shiyuchi did let go after Kazu-chan told him to, though he didn't wait around by the other to see what he would do next. By the time Kazu-chan got to his feet, Shiyuchi had already grabbed his bag and was heading out the door.

"Better hurry so you're not late for school," he called out to the other before the front door slammed shut. Shiyuchi grabbed his bike from where it was locked up at the side of the house, walking it out of the front gate, and then hopped on to take off down the sidewalk. He smiled to himself knowing that Kazu-chan wouldn't be able to catch up to him on his bike. Since Kazu-chan was careless in paying attention, and didn't notice at all when Shiyuchi removed the front tire on the others' bike. The tire was sitting safe and sound in a place where Kazu-chan would never find it in his rush to get to school.

With a good run to get to school, perhaps Kazu-chan would have gotten some energy out and would be calmer. Well, not as calm as he could be, but probably wouldn't be attacking Shiyuchi again.

Kazuhiko growled as he stood up, throwing a discarded fork at Tsuhanako's back, only for it to hit the front door as it was being slammed shut, getting stuck in it. He stood up while cursing under his breath, picking up his bag and hurrying his way out the house. He'd have more than enough time to clean up the dining room after school. He headed for the usual spot where the bikes were chained, only to find the front wheel of his was missing. He stared at the scene for a couple of seconds before processing what Tsuhanako had done, kicking the bike, cursing that annoying parasitic moron, and sprinting away, headed for their school.

Luckily enough, he knew a shortcut on foot, although it involved running through some parts of the woods. It was better than being late for class. He could feel some of the small leaves and branches scratching his face and getting stuck on his hair and clothing, but that wasn't anything he couldn't fix in a couple of minutes before walking into the school.

"Damn that idiot...! I'll definitely get back at him one day!"

At lunch, Shiyuchi was hanging with his usual group of about four people including himself. They would always hang out in the school courtyard where there were trees and benches. Like usual, he and his friends were minding their own business as they talked and ate lunch together. For the most part, the events during the morning were in the back of his mind. He wasn't really worrying about it.

The day had gone on like usual for their first classes. Shiyuchi went to his, never meeting Kazu-chan in between since there was no reason for them to do so. Before school, after school, and during lunch were the only times the two saw each other while on school grounds. For the most part they didn't interact much. Their classmates knew they lived in the same house though.

Aside from the bicycle incident and barely making it to class, the rest of the school day was pretty much normal for Kazuhiko. He paid attention and took notes during classes, and talked with his classmates during the small breaks. There was always a small group of people around him, although Kazuhiko himself wasn't in particularly good terms with any of them. It wasn't like they didn't get along with him, but rather Kazuhiko himself was the one that kept turning their invitations down. He had more than enough with school work, training to be a medium and actual fights with monsters. It left no time to try and make deeper friendships, or to hang out after school.

During the lunch break, he ate at the class while studying, as per usual. A small part of him still hoped if he managed to actually raise his grades to the top of the year, his parents might finally say "good work". Something as simple as that was apparently too much to ask of them, seeing how their words of praise always came with some 'but' after them. "Good job, but you can still do better than this"... At least he didn't have to put up with Tsuhanako during school.

When the bell rang for the lunch break to be over, Shiyuchi was surprised he didn't see Kazu-chan anytime before that. Well, whatever, Kazu-chan was probably avoiding him because he hated the fact that he could never win. Plus he knew better than to fight on school grounds.

The final bell rang and all the students eagerly grabbed their things to leave for home or after-school activities. Shiyuchi unchained his bike from the rack, and headed home, keeping a look out for Kazu-chan so he wouldn't run into the other until they returned home. Not to mention there was a mess for Kazu-chan to clean up when they got home.

Shiyuchi arrived at home first, chaining up his bike, and pulling the tire out of its hiding spot slightly so when Kazu-chan returned, he might notice it. He then went to the kitchen for a snack, before continuing on to his room to do homework while he ate. He figured Kazu-chan would take care of his mess when he came home.

Then when Kazu-chan's father returned, the training would start. Of course, Shiyuchi was hoping there would be no monsters appearing today. He knew he was being a real dick to Kazu-chan (though he was always like that to him) today, but he figured their sync-rate wouldn't be that great. Generally when a monster did appear, the two could agree that their goal was to stop the monster, which allowed them to do so.

When school was finally over, Kazuhiko was one of the first who rushed out the gated of the school. That stupid Tsuhanako, making him lose precious time walking or running when he could be using his bike... By the time he got home, the other's bike was parked in place and chained, and he could see the front wheel that was missing from his own poking out a little from some shady place that was probably where it had been hidden. He walked past it and through the door into the house, deciding he didn't have the energy nor motivation to set the wheel in place right now.

Kazuhiko dropped his bag onto the couch in the living room, then headed for the dining room. It took him a while to clean up everything that broke, but luckily the chair and table weren't damaged enough that it was noticeable, so he only had to put those in their place. When all was done, he grabbed his things and went up to his room, locking the door before getting to his school work. He checked the clock, mentally cursing Tsuhanako over and over. Annoying him for fun was one thing, but making him lose this much time, with everything he needed to do... "...I feel a headache coming..."

It hadn't been that long since Kazu-chan returned home that Shiyuchi's head snapped up from his homework when he felt something. That something could be nothing other than a monster that had just appeared. Quickly Shiyuchi sprang up from his chair, darted out of his room, and was about to open the door to Kazu-chan's room, but found it was locked.

"Hey, I just sensed a monster! Come on!" He shouted through the door. He hoped Kazu-chan would answer that he'd be out in a second. Right now, Shiyuchi and Kazu-chan were the only Ghost and Medium in the area, at least to Shiyuchi's knowledge. That meant they were the only ones who could stop the monsters.

Kazuhiko almost didn't hear the rattling of his doorknob when someone tried to open his door, having been concentrating on his homework. He looked up at the source of the noise, hearing Tsuhanako's voice coming through. He should've expected that though, since the two of them were the only ones in the house at that moment. He sighed, standing up and making a move for the door, before his eyes moved past the flashing green numbers of the alarm clock. It was getting late. His father would arrive in about an hour, and he still had to finish homework, have dinner, shower, study... it was too much. He looked at the door again, his anger from all of the earlier incidents coming back full-force.

"Well, you seemed pretty confident in your skills this morning. If you're so smug, then go do something about it yourself! I don't have time to waste on this after that prank you pulled!" With a huff, he turned around and plopped down onto his desk's chair, picking up his pen and continuing with school work. It was rare for strong monsters to appear, so Tsuhanako could handle it alone. If he got a little injurd in the process, then that would be good news for him anyway. Someone needed to teach the moron a lesson.

"You idiot, without possessing you I'm like a normal human! But why waste time talking to you, since nothing ever gets through to you! It's no wonder you're miserable!" He wasn't exactly sure why he shouted at the other like that, but before he said anything more or heard a reply, Shiyuchi was already dashing out of the house. He headed for the woods in the surrounding area which was where he sensed the monster appearing. It was still fairly weak, having only just possessed something, but that wouldn't last for very long, and if he didn't find it before that then he'd really have no hope.

Typically that Kazu-chan would be an idiot and not come stop the monster. Shiyuchi didn't know what it was, but he just had to go and find the monster to try to destroy it. As he wandered through the forest, time seemed to be slipping away. It seemed like that by the time he'd find it, things would be too late. Sure enough, when he came across the monster, it was already too strong for him to handle alone.

Wait, was that table?

He blinked a few times, watching it from where he was hidden as it trudged through the forest. It would smack random bushes and trees as it went along, animals fleeing as it went by. It was walking on two of its legs while it used the other two to hit things. Well, there wasn't much he could do in waiting for it to spot him. Luckily for a table, it couldn't exactly hide where it's weak spot was. As stealthily as he could, Shiyuchi prepared a sneak attack. When he thought the opportunity was right, he swiftly leapt out of his hiding spot to swiftly attack the weak spot with a good strong punch. However, the table managed to strike before he even got that close. It seemed that it could extend its limbs out to defend itself.

The table monster knocked him back with one good swipe, sending him flying into some bushes. The landing was definitely not soft, however he could still stand. Unfortunately the table monster was going to make sure that he couldn't stand ever again. He barely had anytime to get on his feet before the table smacked him again.

Kazuhiko sighed before going back to the schoolwork he had been doing. He didn't bother answering to Tsuhanako's yells, he had heard the other stomping away anyway, so it wouldn't make much sense. He waited for a few seconds, sighing again when he heard the front door slamming. He considered following after the ghost for a few seconds, before he shot that idea down. It was Tsuhanako's fault in the first place that he didn't have time to waste on what would most likely be another tiny monster that wouldn't be any trouble for a 'normal person' to handle. Tsuhanako was quite skilled in combat, as frustrating as it was to admit it. He hadn't been able to beat him in all of this time, after all.

A few minutes passed, and suddenly Kazuhiko had to drop his pencil in the middle of writing. His hand shook a little as a shiver ran down his spine, and he got a really, really bad feeling deep in his gut. He shook his head a little until it had subsided enough for him to try and figure out what it had been about. He had an irrepressible urge to run after Tsuhanako. And for once, he decided to go on with what his instincts told him.

He headed for the woods that were around the house, following the loud noises he could recognize as a fight. When he got close enough, he also started hearing Tsuhanako's voice, and it didn't sound like the battle was going his way. He pushed away the last few bushes on his way, and came into a small clearing, where what seemed to be a... table was whacking Tsuhanako with its legs. He stopped and stared with his mouth half open in the intent of saying something. The entire situation was too... weird for him to take it in in a second.

"Tsuhanako!" He reacted on instinct when the table smacked the ghost again without giving him time to even stand up, mKING his way towards where the two were fighting.

Shiyuchi heard Kazu-chan's voice shortly after the table struck him again. The table became distracted when it heard the medium's shout, so finally Shiyuchi could get to his feet and move. He made a mad dash to Kazu-chan to try and get to him before the table did. In order to possess Kazu-chan he needed to touch him, and then this table would be no problem. Unfortunately the table had the annoying ability to stretch its legs out, and so one leg went straight for Kazu-chan.

"Get down!" Shiyuchi shouted at the other. He forced himself to ignore whatever pain he might be feeling so he could run as fast as he could. Shiyuchi was almost to Kazu-chan when the quick moving leg of the table was just about to strike. Hopefully Kazu-chan would be able to react fast enough and get out of the way. If he didn't, well they would have a problem. Shiyuchi was pretty sure that shortly after the table attack Kazu-chan it would come after himself. If both of them were hit, then it would take longer for Shiyuchi to actually possess the medium.

As soon as he saw the table monster noticed him, Kazuhiko's brain went into battle mode, which turned out to be a good thing, since he was able to react fast enough to Tsuhanako yelling at him to get down. The leg that had been stretched towards him barely missed the top of his head, but he lost his equilibrium in the process of dodging. Normally, he would've just fallen onto his rear, but the leg that had been aimed at him hit a tree that was further behind, which made the small hill had been on shake for a few seconds.

Kazuhiko yelped, stumbling and falling forwards and down the hill, right past Tsuhanako, who had been running towards him. By the time he stopped sliding and rolling, he was closer to the monster than the ghost was. He cursed under his breath, pushing himself off the ground and bringing a hand to rub on his head. He needed a few seconds to recover from the dizziness, and to will his sight to return to him. Something was telling him that table wouldn't give him such a privilege though.

Of course not, the table saw Kazuhiko right in front of it, so it lashed out and struck the medium which sent him flying back. Luckily it was in the general direction of Shiyuchi who was watching shocked at the incredibly bad luck of the other. He quickly brought himself out of his shock when Kazu-chan went flying back. Shiyuchi groaned as he had to keep moving once again to get to the medium. Just as the table was attacking them both once more, Shiyuchi grabbed a hold of Kazu-chan by the arm and possessed the other.

In a flash of spiritual energy, Shiyuchi became one with the other, black marks appearing on Kazuhiko's body which represented how well they were synced together. At the moment, it was good enough to stop the table monster.

Dodge its attacks and rush in there to destroy its core, which can be plainly seen, Shiyuchi instructed Kazuhiko, 'cause I know you can do that.

He added that last part to try and be a bit reassuring towards Kazu-chan. He knew the other didn't take kindly to being told what to do.