Chapter 4: Cutting Algae Part One
Sep. 12th, 2023 10:29 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
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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?
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?
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Date: 2023-10-04 06:35 am (UTC)"Is this necessary?" he asked. "We really should be focusing on the job."
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Date: 2023-10-04 06:50 am (UTC)It was like someone dumped a bucket of cold water on Reigen.
What the hell WAS he doing?
Still, even at his most perturbed, he wasn't about to appear uncertain in front of his student. He moved out of the way of the hanging scroll and gestured meaningfully towards it. "Mob, Mob, Mob, Mob. Mob. I certainly can't expect a rookie to understand the importance of this right off the bat. Come closer--read it. Really take it in."
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Date: 2023-10-04 09:46 pm (UTC)Mob joined Reigen and began to read the scroll. But as much as he tried, he couldn't seem to find a connection. Then again, he wasn't really good at this kind of thing, anyway.
"I don't really get it," he admitted, turning to look at Reigen after spending a long moment absorbing what he read.
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Date: 2023-10-05 06:01 am (UTC)"Keep thinking on it. I would be stunting your critical thinking if I just handed you the meaning."
Reigen did an about face towards one of the doors to continue on his way. Sliding the battered door open was more of a formality but he was rewarded with lingering traces of sunlight shining down on an open courtyard. He could tell from the patches of thick shadow from the clouds that the sun wouldn't be there for too much longer.
In the courtyard, nature had reclaimed what history had left; moss and vines covered the ground, the walls, and even the trees like a blanket. Even one season of neglect from the locals unable their restoration would set them back dearly. If not for one sunbeam shining on it, Reigen could have missed the small structure across the way.
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Date: 2023-10-05 06:13 am (UTC)"Um, Master?" he called out, setting the scroll down. When he didn't get a reply, Mob's feet carried him out into the courtyard after him.
"Oh, a garden." Or at least it used to be. Now it probably couldn't be called that. It'd take a lot of work to get it back into the state Mob was sure it was in a century before.
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Date: 2023-10-05 06:24 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2023-10-05 06:33 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2023-10-05 06:36 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2023-10-05 06:44 am (UTC)Mob quickly followed behind him.
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Date: 2023-10-05 06:57 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2023-10-05 07:03 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2023-10-06 04:41 am (UTC)"Of course I did." Reigen took his first step onto the staircase. "This tea house...it's strange, don't you think?"
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Date: 2023-10-06 04:53 am (UTC)He followed close behind Reigen. They needed to stay close in case anything happened.
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Date: 2023-10-06 05:10 am (UTC)There was a distant boom of thunder - a reminder of the storm rolling in from the sea to come. He didn't want them to get caught in a storm (poor Mob had been in enough) but they couldn't leave as soon as they found a so-obviously supernatural place. It was screaming and begging to be searched.
"We're going inside." As always, Reigen went first. He took one, two, three steps inside--nothing dangerous had happened yet. He glanced back at Mob, who was hovering close cautiously but he wasn't reacting to anything in particular.
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Date: 2023-10-06 02:01 pm (UTC)Mob fished his flashlight out of his pocket. It was small, but it still managed to illuminate the area in front of them as they continued forward.
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Date: 2023-10-06 05:25 pm (UTC)Reigen was drawn to it like a magnet and he fumbled with his own flashlight to get a good look. There was text inscribed on it that was hard to make out even with the light right on it. He shined the light from every which angle, hoping that even with the age of it and the damage it's meaning would become clear. He didn't so much as murmur, his eyes narrowing in intense focus.
The rain which … when the season of … comes is the rain reminiscent of the … of the poor … sorrow
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Date: 2023-10-06 08:02 pm (UTC)He was really getting better at this cell phone thing, wasn't he? Maybe it was good he was spending this much time on his phone messaging and sending photos to Teru.
As Mob closed out of his camera app just in time to see a new message notification. He fought the impulse the open his messages by shoving it deep into his pocket. They had work to worry about now and as he had told Reigen before, this place was very dangerous.
Still, nothing was happening. The light from his flashlight flickered naturally along the walls. The only sound he could really hear was the sound of the storm overhead. It was really coming down now. It sounded at least as bad as the storm he encountered with Tome and Teru.
Mob was confident that he could protect them from spirits, but he couldn't protect them from floodwaters.
"Master, should we return to the ryokan?"
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Date: 2023-10-06 08:10 pm (UTC)'What did you...?'
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Date: 2023-10-06 08:18 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2023-10-06 08:24 pm (UTC)Reigen's vision had gone blurry. He immediately retracted his hand to wipe at his eye and found it wet.
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Date: 2023-10-07 04:03 am (UTC)This was concerning.
"Master, are you okay?"
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Date: 2023-10-07 04:25 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2023-10-07 04:31 am (UTC)"Huh?"
Mob didn't wait for an answer as he extended a hand to offer Reigen the newly-acquired pack of tissues.
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Date: 2023-10-07 04:43 am (UTC)"Ahem. Mob."
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Date: 2023-10-07 04:45 am (UTC)"Master?"
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