Chapter 4: Cutting Algae Part One

[mp_strikinglyblessed]

Texting was a pretty neat function. It was widely adopted by every teenager except the one he, Reigen, had so generously gifted a phone to do it with. Mob was diligent to a fault about picking up his calls, but texting? Still a work in progress. Mob was getting better, though. After all, how else was Reigen supposed to give him a heads up about big jobs before the end of the school day? Excepting the occasional friendly lunch break chat.

That was of course assuming the phone was still intact. After their chat last night, Reigen wasn't so sure. It wasn't like Mob made a habit of texting him first.

Reigen squinted at the clock on his second-hand laptop he'd just replaced the shattered one with. 12:05PM. He had found a decent deal on one in a flea market but there was something off about the graphics. Parts of the screen were always slightly out of frame and most of his day had been spent trying to uselessly dink with the display options until it was righted, but instead he just ended up with a resolution that was too small.

'Ugh. New laptop, and if we're really unlucky, a new phone? I'll just garnish it...' Reigen pulled out his phone and fired off a text to his pupil. You didn't get washed away, did you? Your phone's still working, right?

Comments

[spiritsandsuchtrainee]

Thanks Send.

I should go check on Master. He's really taking a long time. Send.

[mp_strikinglyblessed]

As if by some divine timing, it was then that Reigen emerged from the serene suite's restroom, a towel in hand. He sighed, patted his face with it, papped his cheeks with his palms and set it to the side.

"Sorry about that, Mob. Let's get going."

[spiritsandsuchtrainee]

"I was starting to get worried." Mob shoved his phone back into his pocket as he stood up. "But... at least Teru and I got to text for awhile."

[mp_strikinglyblessed]

His eyes had been feeling blurry--Reigen blamed it all the reading he was doing at the expense of his sleep...not that Mob needed to know that. A date with the sink a lot of time submerging his face into the fresh water seemed to do the trick.

"Oh?" It was a lot easier to regain his composure when he had something else to glean onto. "I thought you looked a little happier than usual."

[spiritsandsuchtrainee]

Mob remained ever-oblivious to Reigen feeling less-than-100%.

"I looked happy?" Mob wished he could check himself in the mirror to confirm the facts, but he knew that Reigen had no reason to lie to him. "I guess I am happy."

[mp_strikinglyblessed]

Reigen made a quick gesture towards the tall windows showcasing the view of the gardens. "Don't forget! I understand you're excited about your new friend, but don't neglect your surroundings either. We're here to immerse ourselves in this village to understand the nature of it's ills."

[spiritsandsuchtrainee]

"Yeah, I know." Work always came first. These people were depending on them. "Um, did you notice the oldest daughter staring at you earlier? She seemed really intense."

[mp_strikinglyblessed]

"Yeah, I did."

[spiritsandsuchtrainee]

Mob was relieved he had noticed. "I think maybe she's cursed."

[mp_strikinglyblessed]

"She seems troubled, that's for certain..." Reigen trailed off as he approached the door. His hand went for the door pull, but he suddenly paused.

"Like attracts like..."

[spiritsandsuchtrainee]

"Like attracts like?" Mob repeated, stopping himself before he ran into Reigen.

[mp_strikinglyblessed]

Without explaining further, Reigen looked to his student.

"I think you're right on the money, Mob. I came to that conclusion myself after talking to her."

[spiritsandsuchtrainee]

Mob was again awash with relief. It wasn't that he was insecure about these things (there were other things he was insecure about, though), but his master's validation was always welcomed.

"I think it probably has something to do with the castle, but I think we'll know better once we're there."

[mp_strikinglyblessed]

Reigen adjusted collar of his rain jacket and brushed his bangs into a more orderly alignment before opening the door. They were on their way--luckily, when they emerged from the ryokan, the sun was still strong in the sky. No sign of rain yet, but the air was still thick with moisture. The stony path leading around the ryokan to the castle was dry, but the moss was fat underfoot with hydration.

"I've been thinking...there's quite a bit of similarity between prayers and curses. Don't you think so, Mob?"

[spiritsandsuchtrainee]

Mob took a moment to consider that. "Yeah, I suppose so. They both come from the same place. Desire."

[mp_strikinglyblessed]

“Rather insightful, Mob,” Reigen said with clear approval. Did Mob seem more thoughtful lately? “It’s said that the root of suffering itself is desire, after all. What do you think about that?”

[spiritsandsuchtrainee]

"I don't know if desire is always a bad thing." Mob desired to have muscles and to protect and help others. None or those things seemed bad. "It's probably the actions we take because of that desire that are sometimes bad."

[mp_strikinglyblessed]

“The actions we take…the mistakes we make…our hopes…and our attachment to a specific outcome…”

The wind suddenly whipped at them as they emerged from the windbreak of the trees to the coast. It was still a walk over a large rock shelf before they got there but the castle was suddenly well within sight. Reigen took a deep breath — the smell of the seaweed was especially strong. They kept walking and the form of it manifested bit by bit through the sea mists. The closer they got, the louder the crashing waves did too. The tide was low but from the way it battered the rocks the threat of it rising and sweeping away any wanderers was clear.

“You know…despite it’s infamy, this castle inspires a sense of protection and duty in many people from the village. Let’s tread respectfully.”

[spiritsandsuchtrainee]

"Right," Mob said in agreement. "Teru's granddad donated a lot of money to its preservation."

[mp_strikinglyblessed]

"That so? ...Wait. What's his granddad's name?"

[spiritsandsuchtrainee]

"Terukatsu," Mob answered simply. "Why do you ask?"

[mp_strikinglyblessed]

Reigen cleared his throat a little too harshly. "And you're only mentioning this now?"

[spiritsandsuchtrainee]

"I didn't think it was important."

[mp_strikinglyblessed]

'Seriously!?' Reigen closed one eye as a crashing wave sent up a particularly salty spray towards them. "Not even as a, oh, fun little factoid about your good pal?"

[spiritsandsuchtrainee]

"I didn't know until recently, either." Mob gazed out at the sea as they passed. Mob decided he liked the sound of it.