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.’

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[mp_strikinglyblessed]

Reigen gracelessly fell onto his back with a splat into the mud after the tall whatever it was forcibly released him. If nothing else he didn't fall onto his phone. There was a sour and spoilt smell clinging to him now and Reigen recognized it at once--

'...Booze?'

There was a sniff. Then, there was growling--no, crying--no, blubbering. Reigen wiped at his eyes to finally see what had grabbed him. A towering man with an instrument for a head was trying to feebly reach for him. 'A biwa.' He spared a thought for the traditional music classes he took in middle school. It's face was twisted with inelegant sobbing and when it wiped at it's face it's cries distorted with a harsh twang as it plucked itself.

"A-A nice group of guys...a nice group of guys showed up...!"

[spiritsandsuchtrainee]

Was this spirit dangerous? It was hard for Mob to tell. He didn't sense any hostility from him, but Mob was hesitant to drop the shield from around Reigen until he had a chance to suss things out for himself.

"Why aren't you inside with everyone else?"

[mp_strikinglyblessed]

An old wooden bucket tipped over as it heaved a sigh with a loud splosh as the rainwater it was collecting spilled out. "Biwa-kun, you're being terribly unseemly." It spoke with an aggrieved familiarity. "Go around the back and sober up."

Kasa landed on Mob's shoulder, his canopy flaring out to shield him from the rain. "He ain't inside cause he causes trouble for everyone. He steals energy better than any of us...not that he means to. He just drinks and cries so much that people get trapped into consolin' him. ...That, or they're just too slow to escape. Still, he got really powerful that way..."

'So he's an energy vampire?' Reigen grimaced as he watched the tsukumogami's maudlin display. He got back to his feet and watched him carefully for a few moments more before taking a deep breath. "Hey."

Biwa rubbed his face on his sleeve and whimpered in acknowledgement.

"My student will lower the barrier, but you can't grab me or him. Deal?"

Eventually, Biwa gave a little nod. Reigen motioned for Mob to let it down.

[spiritsandsuchtrainee]

Mob promptly let down the barrier.

"Everybody misses people that much, huh?" Mob considered that. He never really missed much of anyone. He saw his family and Master Reigen almost every day, so it was really hard for him to relate.

[mp_strikinglyblessed]

Kasa’s singular eye grimaced at Mob’s comment. “He did take the humans abandoning this place the hardest. I guess that’s musicians for you. Still makes a nuisance out of himself, though.”

“You seem like a nice guy…there aren’t any nice humans around anymore…” Biwa sniffed. “And when I saw you crying, I thought you might be like me—“

“T-that was just the rain.” Reigen gestured for Biwa to follow him inside. Spirit or not, he couldn’t stand by and watch a sloppy drunk crying out in the cold. “Shigeo-kun, please start some more tea.”

[spiritsandsuchtrainee]

Mob wasn't exactly sure how he could start some more tea, especially since Morinji poured it from himself. Was it okay for him to use a spirit to make tea? Mob wasn't sure. He'd never encountered a teapot spirit until now. It might be rude.

It was probably better for him to ask.

"Do you have any more tea?" he asked Morinji.

[mp_npc]

Mori’s bronze body quaked with excitement at the question. “Yes! Are going to use me to make tea?”

[spiritsandsuchtrainee]

Mob nodded. "If you're okay with it."

[mp_npc]

“Of course!” The metal of Mori’s face glistened as if it was shining with tears. “That’s what I was crafted for.”

[spiritsandsuchtrainee]

Mob picked up Mori just as he would the teapot they had at Spirits and Such. "Let's get you heated up. Just show me where I need to go."

[mp_strikinglyblessed]

Spirit or no spirit, Reigen was skilled in the art of playing keeper to a sad drunk. His spirit brethen seemed taken aback by his and Shigeo's easy-going approach, some even insisting that they let Biwa sleep it off out back so as not to inconvenience either of them, but he steadfastly reminded him of their mission: to soothe. Reigen felt a mote of pity for the spirits who had already forgotten they were exorcists on a mission, but that was far secondary to their essential purpose of simply serving humans. Reigen chose not to dwell on it--it wasn't for him to understand how spirits thought. Even the crass umbrella was relaxing in the corner of the room, all folded up comfortably.

As for the problem-child, Biwa seemed to respond well enough to firm boundaries. No begging for seconds of tea until everyone at the table had gotten theirs, no blowing his nose on the sentient cloth, no leaning on Shigeo's head. A little more time passed, the tea was almost gone and everyone was warmed up and dried when he made a request that surprised Reigen.

"Mister...can you play me?"

"Play...you?" Reigen gestured at Biwa's head.

"Yeah. You can play good music, right? I can tell from your fingers."

Reigen blushed slightly, but he hid it behind his hand and played it off like he was simply ponderous. It wasn't exactly the instrument he spent the most time with, but he had played it a few times in college out of sheer intrigue. Even if he wasn't blind, it was a romantic fantasy in imagining himself a biwa hoshi when things got too stressful to deal with. Those embarrassing thoughts flew through his head in an instant and he wondered if the tsukumogami could perceive them with some panic.

"I suppose...I do know at least one song..."

[spiritsandsuchtrainee]

"Wow, so you're that old," Mob observed aloud as the teapot was warmed over the stove. "How long ago did the previous owners move out?"

[mp_strikinglyblessed]

There was a confused hush that fell over the spirits and Reigen cleared his throat loudly. “What my humble protège means is that you all are very esteemed in your experience and hospitality.”

The redirection worked flawlessly on Biwa, whose change in mood set the rest of the less powerful yokai at ease. He laid himself on Reigen’s lap, propping his head into his hands.

Reigen reminded himself that this was a ghost possessing an instrument and not a man nuzzling up against him. One hand found the neck of the instrument part and the other found the plectrum. He had to pause at the feel of it…it felt like ivory. ‘This isn’t legal anymore, is it…?’

Regardless, the show had to go on.

When he struck the strings, the sound was resilient and rich. The tone reverberated in the room and a steady calm fell over even the most restless of the ghosts.

[spiritsandsuchtrainee]

That wasn't actually what Mob meant, but he kept his mouth shut all the same.

As Mob prepared the tea, he listened to Reigen's music, surprised that his master was capable of making music like this. He didn't know why, but he never expected that Reigen would know how to play any instruments. Now that Mob thought about it, there wasn't a lot he knew about Master Reigen at all.

"The tea's ready," Mob said once Reigen's music stopped. He poured the hot tea into a glass for his master, just as he did back in the office. Only now he was pouring from a sentient tea kettle.

[mp_strikinglyblessed]

Once he was done, Reigen set the yokai's head aside politely and scooted forward to the table. He waited for his student to sit before he raised the cup to his lips--wincing at the heat until eventually he could manage a full sip.

"You've gotten pretty good at this."

[spiritsandsuchtrainee]

"I had help this time," Mob said passively. "But thank you." He felt like his tea-making skills had improved, too. Mostly because he was making tea daily at the office and sometimes even at home.

[mp_strikinglyblessed]

Reigen turned his eyes towards the window. The storm was finally calming. The rain and the wind were rather peaceful to listen to when they weren’t battering any structures or innocent men just trying to keep a business afloat.

“Alright, I’ve decided. I’ll get you a phone.”

[spiritsandsuchtrainee]

"Really?" Mob wasn't expecting that. Usually when Reigen said he had to think about it, it was just another way of saying no.

[mp_strikinglyblessed]

“Well, not even I have powers of telepathy. It’s important we know how to reach each other. I’m committed to being an accessible teacher.”

[spiritsandsuchtrainee]

"I guess it makes me more accessible too. You'll be able to reach me whenever you need me."

[mp_strikinglyblessed]

'Whenever I need you, huh?' Reigen wasn't sure how he felt about an 11-year old telling him that so earnestly...even if it was true.

"Finish your tea. Hopefully the clothes will be dry by the time we're done."

[spiritsandsuchtrainee]

"Are you able to help me wash them before I go home?" Mob took a sip of his tea. "My mom's going to be really upset if I go home with them this dirty."

[mp_strikinglyblessed]

“O-of course…” He wasn’t about to squander how weirdly permissive the Kageyama’s were. There was a laundromat not far from the office. He wondered if he claim it as a business expense on his taxes.

When they finished their tea, Reigen rose to check his things hanging on the coat rack—dry enough. He peered out the front door and held his breath. “…Ah! The rain’s stopped.”

[spiritsandsuchtrainee]

"I guess that means we'll be going soon." Mob eyed the yokai; though his expression remained neutral, he felt a strong sympathy for them. They really were all trying their best.

[mp_strikinglyblessed]

Reigen followed Mob's gaze, but as he looked closer, he was struck by what he saw--or, rather, what he didn't see. In place of the yokai were perfectly ordinary, if aged, household objects. Not a stray eye or flailing hand to be seen.

Huh. He had thought things had gotten rather quiet as they had been drinking their tea, but he had been so occupied with conversation and a nice drink that he hadn't noticed. Of course...that was how things were meant to be in a tea room, right?

"Looks like they've been soothed."