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The week was slow. Reigen wasn’t having a great time either, so this lead him to start drinking again. Making his way down to his small little local bar and ordering the cheapest alcohol a conman could buy. After, he’d just make his way to his smaller apartment and crash out on the bed then wake up to a new hangover.
Ekubo was frequently around him more, and he didn’t know it yet but Reigen was home to him. Most days he’d float on by to see what Shigeos up to, and probably help him with class encouragement. Soon after his day is done hanging out with his old friend, Ekubo will always find ways to be at the conman’s side. Reigen didn’t even notice at first. But during one of Ekubos daily possessions, Shigeo pointed out that they were together more than usual. Laughing, working, relaxing - and it was just the two of them. It almost reminded Shigeo of his parents…just, always finding a way to make the other laugh was his parents way of love and the only way of love in Shigeos eyes. When he recently noticed his Shishous and Ekubos behaviour, all he could think about is how easily they make each other happy. Shigeo had been the first to notice that.
“Hey ,Reigen…are you feeling okay?” The little spirit asks as he made his way to Reigens side. Silence. “Uh…hmm, oh!” Ekubo snapped his fingers at his idea and phased right through Reigens head. Possessing him, making his cheeks a bright red to show off his possession.
In a body, a spirit can feel half of what the host is feeling. It was like two minds in one body. And having two minds while sharing one body makes the decisions harder to control. So when Ekubo got into Reigens body and took over half his nervous system, their shared body jolted straight up and smacked its face right into the bridge of his nose onto his paper work.
“AOWW SHIT - EKUBO?!” It was Reigens part that was now talking. “WHAT- wh-what the shit just happened…WHY DID THAT HAPPEN?!?” Reigen was rubbing his nose, hoping it wasn’t bleeding, while the spirit took a step back from control while the human took care of checking on his own body.
”Well? Are you gonna say anything after ramming my face into the desk?” Reigen was upset now. Still checking if his face was okay. “I didn’t know that will happen. I…well I was trying to straighten your back to wave your hands in your face but, it felt like you were half asleep…” Ekubo finally said after a moment of confusion.
Something warm trickled from Reigens nose. The worst thing he imagined happened, why, such an inconvenience. “Well great,” he said while holding his nose up at ceiling. “I gotta get tissue before it starts to drip onto my paperwork.” Ekubo was already on it and moved their body to the table across the room to the tissue box. There was no more words between them. It was like they did this before and knew what the other needed.
”So uh…what were you trying to ask me? Y’know before you possessed me?” Reigen finally asked, after stuffing his nostrils with tissue. “I uh…god what was it again? Oh right, I was tryna ask you if you were okay.” Ekubo let that sink, already feeling Reigens feelings tense, like he was fighting the urge to let it out. “Mm, I see…” “You can tell you know, I can feel something big that you’re hiding. So please, just tell me.” The spirit spoke, but it was obviously in a different tone from Reigens since they were currently sharing a body.
”I’m fine, Ekubo. Just…it’s just been harder lately with work. It’s slow this week and if this keeps up, I don’t think I could keep this job alive.” He sighs loudly through his teeth. “What will I tell Mob…what will he think if I just quit on him,” “you’re not ending this job just yet. You just have to be patient…” Ekubo said, interrupting his sentence. He never had to calm him down this way, but he also wasn’t as good as Shigeo was at talking with people.
”Well, thanks.” Ekubo smiled at that. Moments pasted as they sat there on the couch of the office. No words needed to be said, for they were fine with silence together. Besides, this gave them the freedom to talk to each other thought the shared body.
”what are you up to tonight?” Ekubo asked. “I don’t know. I’ll probably just go to the small bar again.”
Ekubo sighed internally. “You can’t keep going there, it’s such a shitty thing to do - specially if you work with a kid and you’re better than that, at least.”
This time, Reigen got up and walked over to the garbage. All he did was toss the bloody tissues in the small trash can. “Mob doesn’t need to know. It’s an adult thing and he has school to focus on anyway.”
He began to clean his desk and close up for the night. It was only 7:14PM but closing time didn’t matter anymore since no new clients came. Ekubo just frowned using Reigens face, and went along with his routine. He can sense that his intentions of closing up early was just to head to the bar faster. This time, Ekubo didn’t bother to stop him, he felt the same way.
8:22PM
It was just Reigen this time. Ekubo left him because he got swatted off by the host of the body. All that he wanted to do was drink alone tonight, like he always did. He never gave a thought on how it’ll be like with Ekubo around while he drank.
Reigen sat down in the same chair as last week and ordered a Suntory Toki. His favourite, probably because it was one of the cheapest. He got his shot and gulped it all in one go. Leaving him to think his sad thoughts again. Nothing was different and nothing was going to change if he kept this up.
“This is all so stupid.” He thought. “I don’t even think it’s about the slow income of clients this week.” His face was furrowed in a way which made the smallest trickle of blood come out his nose again.
“Ah shit…where could I - of course.” He realized with a deadpan voice. “The bathroom.”
He left his seat and drink to shuffle his way to the washrooms, pinching his nose so it won’t drip anymore…Which made it worse since when he went to grab a piece of tissue, blood flowed down from his nose and around his mouth. A gross blood-stache.
“Ah what the hell?! I’m gonna give that stupid spirit a broken nose next time I see ‘em.” Reigen mumbled, struggling just to get a steady fold of toilet paper whilst blood trickles on the bathroom floor and some into his mouth.
It was a mess now. Looked like a stabbing happened here he realized. Then Reigen quickly washed his hands and went back for more drinks, only to find mean looking men hovering over his seat.
”Looks like I’m heading home for the night.” He sighed and walked past them just barely making a gust of wind between them. That seemed way too close for them and got one of the worst looking guys temper boiled up. All that he did was stare at him as he walked out, making sure his buddies get a glance too.