Chapter 7: Serenade for Strings

[spiritsandsuchtrainee]

Mysterious flickering lights, circuit breakers tripping, and outages were all affecting the Seasoning City metro line for weeks. The trains weren't on time and neither were the people of Seasoning City. Timely bosses who usually chided their salarymen underlings for their tardiness were huffing and puffing as they raced from the subway in a desperate attempt to make it to their desks before the clock ticked down to 8 AM.

They weren't the only ones huffing and puffing, though; Mob and Reigen had chased their target down and cornered him before he could make his way to another train line and the two were exhausted. It was nothing short of a miracle that the two of them had managed to make it to the last train of the night before the doors closed behind them.

Mob collapsed one of the train's empty seats, his damp palms pressed down atop the poly-cotton blend of his gakuran slacks. It was only by sheer miracle that they weren't soaked through. Sweat seemed to be pouring from every pore on Mob's body.

"Sorry," Mob said apologetically. "If I had been faster, we wouldn't have had to do so much running."

Comments

[spiritsandsuchtrainee]

Yeah we're watching Bambi

[mp_npc]

Oh how fun. See you in the morning. Love you, honey.

[spiritsandsuchtrainee]

Love you too Send.

Mob looked over at Reigen. "Are you tired?" He looked it.

[mp_strikinglyblessed]

“No, no, no.” Reigen gestured with his free hand that had just been rubbing at his face, the other still wedged behind Mob’s back. “Let’s keep watching.”

[spiritsandsuchtrainee]

"You sure? It's okay if you need to go to bed."

[mp_strikinglyblessed]

“I’m sure.” Reigen hit the play button - immediately they were treated to an adorable springtime song as if the movie was apologizing for putting them through that.

[spiritsandsuchtrainee]

Mob leaned forward, watching. "I really love the animation here. It's hard to believe it's from a long time ago."

[mp_strikinglyblessed]

Reigen wasn’t sure if he was relaxed or exhausted but either way his neck was getting too lax to support his head. He knit his hands into a pillow to support the back of his head to keep him somewhat upright.

The flowers were blooming and the little animal tykes were all grown up. Ah, yes. It was time for the movie to broach the birds and the bees.

The way the owl danced around explaining the subject was too adorable for Reigen to even imagine feeling embarrassed—he had more than enough of that for the evening. “Tokimeki,” Reigen mumbled after the owl. “The word they used in English was cuter.”

[spiritsandsuchtrainee]

"What is it in English?" Not that Mob was very good at English.

[mp_strikinglyblessed]

“Tweeterpatted. …Or something like that.”

[spiritsandsuchtrainee]

"Tu-" Mob attempted. "Turii--"

Mob wasn't going to have any chance of pronouncing it.

"You watched it in English?" he asked instead.

[mp_strikinglyblessed]

“Oh, yeah. I studied English language and literature in college, too. Watching movies in English was an easy way to pass the time and take it all in a little more.”

[spiritsandsuchtrainee]

"Oh," Mob said. "I guess I never really thought about what a professional psychic would study in college. Maybe... business?" English wouldn't be what he'd think of first. But maybe it'd be good to be able to speak more languages. That way he could drum up more business among any foreigners, too.

[mp_strikinglyblessed]

Reigen had to resist cringing with how closely they were still sitting. “W-well, I didn’t go into college planning on being a professional psychic…that all didn’t emerge until I finished my studies. I’ll, uh, tell you the story later. Besides, even if I was planning on it, business as a field is the death of spiritual wellness.”

[spiritsandsuchtrainee]

"So I shouldn't study business in college?" Mob was clearly absorbing what Reigen was saying.

[mp_strikinglyblessed]

“That wasn’t exactly what I meant…whatever you choose, make sure you’re going into it for the right reasons. And that they’re your reasons.”

[spiritsandsuchtrainee]

Mob nodded. "Okay." He still had plenty of time to think about it... and it sounded like if he changed his mind, he could still do something totally different after he graduated.

Mob's attention turned back to the movie in front of them.

[mp_strikinglyblessed]

After just five minutes of silence between them, that was all she wrote. Reigen had been certain he'd be awake to the end of the movie up until the point his consciousness slipped away from him. To his credit, for as animated as he was awake, he was practically a corpse when he was asleep, hardly a bother to anyone. It wasn't until the movie was nearly over and his body began sagging to one side that it was even clear the light switch had been flicked off.

[spiritsandsuchtrainee]

Mob was about to say something when he noticed Reigen's eyes were closed. He really was tired, wasn't he? Mob slipped from his space beside him and grabbed the blanket that hung over the back of the sofa, and carefully draped it over Reigen.

There. If he was asleep, it was best that he didn't wake him up.

[mp_strikinglyblessed]

Reigen's face twitched as the blanket settled over him. "Mm...Mob...hey..." He murmured.

[spiritsandsuchtrainee]

"You should go back to sleep," Mob said quietly.

[mp_strikinglyblessed]

“Need you…in th’ office…righ’ away….big job…” Reigen slurred the words in his sleep but they still had a hint of his familiar authoritative affectation.

[spiritsandsuchtrainee]

Mob gently patted Reigen's head, then grabbed the remote and turned off the tv. He nestled on the other side of the couch, curled up into a little Mob-ball and closed his eyes to go to sleep.