An Aside: Mobile Gaming

[mp_strikinglyblessed]

They had hit a lull and Mob was fussing.

Of course it didn’t look like fussing to anyone else, but Reigen was fine-tuned to Mob’s nearly-invisible displays of emotion. A tiny line on his forehead or by his mouth conveyed deep befuddlement, and all of it was aimed at his phone which he hadn’t put down for the last fifteen minutes.

Reigen would have ordinarily been inclined to have him do something more useful with himself, but this was unusual enough that he gave it a few more minutes of observation, glancing up from behind his screen, before saying something.

“Is your phone on the fritz or something?” ’Please say no.’

Comments

[mp_npc]

"Hey. Shigeo." Dimple's voice was low as he floated up close to Mob's ear. Now that Reigen was able to hear him, he had to tread lightly when he was feeling conspiratorial. Luckily, Reigen's attention was pretty selective when it got boring like this. "You really gonna leave it there?"

[spiritsandsuchtrainee]

"Well, there's nothing that can be done about it," Mob said, not bothering to look up. "If my phone's not compatible, that's the end of it."

[mp_npc]

"Be a little more proactive. You said your nice ol' Master got you your first phone, right? Just bargain for an upgrade."

[spiritsandsuchtrainee]

Mob looked up. "Bargain?" He had never bargained for anything in his life.

[mp_npc]

"You've seen how much business this place has gotten since the website went up. Over half of those jobs have been exorcisms." Which only Mob could handle for obvious reasons. "He can definitely afford it. And as long as you know what to say, he can't say no."

[spiritsandsuchtrainee]

Mob frowned thoughtfully, considering. "Is it really okay to do that? Master Reigen's already been really generous to me."

[mp_npc]

'Seriously? Just look up the regional minimum wage, kid.' The savings Reigen made in pure wage theft paid for at least 10 phones.

"If you wait too long to ask, Tsubomi'll lose interest in it and then you'll be back to having nothing to talk about with her. Are you really fine passing up this opportunity?"

[spiritsandsuchtrainee]

Mob looked down at the desk in front of him, still thinking. He could still feel the weight of the phone in his pocket. "No, but... I don't want to seem like I'm taking advantage, either."

[mp_strikinglyblessed]

Dimple knew better than to point out how rich that was considering the players - there wasn’t any coming between the kid and his fraud of a mentor. That didn’t mean he couldn’t stoke a little trouble, though. It was for Shigeo’s good after all. “You’d be surprised at the amount of things you can get in life just by asking. Trust me.”

Reigen broke up the relative quiet with a loud yawn. He angled himself to stretch out in an exaggerated fashion over his desk like a cat and laid there. “Guh. I’m hungry. Mob, let’s get lunch.”

[spiritsandsuchtrainee]

Mob stared at Dimple for a minute, absorbing what he said, then abruptly stood up. His attention was directed firmly on his stretching employer.

"Master," he said, steeling up his resolve. "Is it okay if I get a new phone?"

[mp_strikinglyblessed]

Reigen peered up as he stretched his fingers. "That was quick. I mean, I suppose..."

Mob kept staring at him expectantly and the realization of the request sunk in.

"Oh. You want me to buy it."

[spiritsandsuchtrainee]

"Yeah," Mob said. Was that okay? It seemed like Reigen already knew exactly what he needed, so it seemed like it was.

[mp_strikinglyblessed]

Reigen sighed and pushed back up to sit properly--only to slump back against the back of his chair immediately anyway. His blood sugar was low and he was having to use his energy on one of Mob's sudden bouts of boldness. He wondered with some dismay if this trend was here to stay.

"You know, I got you your phone as a necessary business expense. You're young, so I understand your fear of missing out, but is a fancier one necessary as far as your work here is concerned?"

[spiritsandsuchtrainee]

What did Mob know about those new phones? Not much other than what the Telepathy Club members told him. And when they did talk about their phones, they mostly just talked about the games they were playing. Mob was sure that that wouldn't be enough to convince Master Reigen.

But there was one thing that he recalled them saying.

"There's supposed to be a tracker on some of the newer phones that allows you to track the phone owner. If I got lost in the forest like I did last time, you wouldn't have to search as much to find me."

[mp_strikinglyblessed]

Reigen waved his hand. "Oh, that? I already--ahem. That is. I actually took that into consideration. But, truth be told, I can sense your aura pretty keenly as is, which of course was how I was able to find you in that hideout...ahem."

"Throat feeling a little dry, Reigen?"

"Look," Reigen coughed, pointedly ignoring Dimple and his smug look, "do you really want one that badly?"

[spiritsandsuchtrainee]

"Yes," Mob said solemnly, as if taking an oath.

[mp_strikinglyblessed]

'There's no need to look so serious...' Kids were usually excited asking for these kinds of things.

"Fine." Reigen smacked a hand to his desk as he finally stood, undoing the buttons of his jacket. It was balmy out and being put on the spot like this was making him warm under the collar. "Give me the day to consider it."

[spiritsandsuchtrainee]

"Okay. I'll check in with you tomorrow, then." Mob promptly stood. He was already kind of hungry, so Master Reigen had good timing.

[mp_strikinglyblessed]

~~

“Stay close to me, Shigeo-kun. The path is overgrown.” Reigen wondered if he should hold the 11 year-old’s hand as the bamboo began encroaching on the old trail. If he took even one step to the left or right he risked tripping into a thicket. Meanwhile, Shigeo barely passed his hips. He was beginning to regret investigating an old shrine in the woods as one of his first jobs with the undersized kid.

It didn’t help that Shigeo was as quiet as a mouse and as spaced out as a koala. Reigen could talk enough for both of them, but some give and take seemed called for here.

“Do you know remember what I told you about Tsukumogami?”

[spiritsandsuchtrainee]

"They're inanimate objects that have a soul because they were so well-taken care of." Mob took everything Master Reigen said seriously and committed it to memory.

[mp_strikinglyblessed]

"That's right. Once they become one hundred, a spirit occupies them. So, people threw objects out when they were ninety-nine to prevent this from happening. Tsu-ku-mo." Reigen supposed Mob was a bit too young to have read things like the Konjaku Monogatarishū to acquaint himself, but that's what he had a wise mentor for now.

Reigen yelped as his foot suddenly sunk further than expected into the path--it was more muddy than he expected. He resisted the urge to swear. He should've figured - the bamboo was thriving after all. The rains in the forest must have been frequent. He had a jacket on and instructed Mob to do the same, but he should have tossed on some galoshes for good measure.

"So...that's what we're exorcising today." Reigen said as he yanked his foot free with some effort. "Our clients' old family property is being haunted by tsukumogami, according to them. Items going missing...umbrellas opening and closing themselves....tatami mats rolling up on their own..."

[spiritsandsuchtrainee]

Mob was lighter than Reigen and didn't sink nearly as far into it -- but his shoes were still getting really dirty. Mob knew his mom was going to be upset when he got home.

"It doesn't sound like they're really doing anything harmful," Mob observed.

[mp_strikinglyblessed]

"Tsukumogami are restless spirits. It's our job to soothe them and ensure our clients' satisfaction." Reigen maintained an instructorly-tone even as he was having to yank his foot out of the mud yet again. He hastened his footsteps to get back onto the drier looking patches of path ahead, suddenly feeling fresh raindrops on his nose. 'Just fantastic.' The drops got quicker and heavier with each moment.

[spiritsandsuchtrainee]

"Hmm," Mob hummed in response as he tried his best to navigate through the mud. "This place is really far out there. Don't you think it'd be pretty lonely to live out here without anyone else?"

[mp_strikinglyblessed]

"Believe it or not, some people work hard to do just that...but in this case, this house hasn't been lived in for decades. The family lives in the city now and is wanting to sell. It was more common to live rurally a long time ago, but it's not unheard of today." 'But even by Meiji standards this is out there...' "It wasn't exactly like this, but I grew up in a pretty naturous area. You had a few family homes way off the beaten path."