But who was phone? 👻

[mermalaide]

It was blustery and people had emptied out of the street in front of the bookstore. It was likely that people were feeling peckish for more festival food and for the actual festival event itself. The street over had a dull roar of noise to it. Outside, the street was a bit cluttered with litter here and there. There were advertisements for restaurants and clubs everywhere! Some people had left trashed containers. It was always a mess. A young woman was pushing a broom and trying to get some of the trash out there piled up. She was grumbling because her grandmother had sent her outside to tidy things when she wanted to go to the festival. She saw Raitaro and gave the little boy a wave before looking for the man he was usually with. Other than that, she went back to sweeping.

The ground was littered with so much. Something glinted on the ground near Raitaro. It was so shinny and gold! It had a pretty metal color to it, and it was open, lying on it's side. Was that a gold colored phone? Someone must have dropped it? Or had they just discarded it like trash? It was hard to say. But it was sure tempting to pick it up! Who wouldn't want a new free phone,right?

[Ashken]

Wataru was inside finishing up the final duties before locking up for the night, at last minute a drunken university student remembered he needed to work on a paper and practically crashed into the store begging for supplies and some hard-to-find documents, Raitaro was starting to become anxious as he had counted every book a few dozen time, and when you counting abilities stop at twenty, it takes a long time to count all the books, so Wataru sent him out in order to distract him.

Raitaro bounced off outside moving the store sign inside and distracting himself with the far away sounds of music, and people, the waft of food enticing. Though he had just snacked and didnt think he had much space for more food... well maybe he had space for Taokyaki and some mayo... okay lots of mayo. At a distance someone waved at him, he tilted his head trying to see if they recognized them. Either way he tried to keep to his manners and waved back, "Afternoon!!" he practically shouted at the girl, he used to say good afternoon, but both Granpa and Wataru would grumpily ask what's so good about it.

Letting out a sigh, he looked around for things to do, Wataru was being slow. Until something caught his eye, a metallic object, he approached it, as he got closer, he could see the shinny golden phone. Without a second though, the kid picked up the phone, and ran towards the girl, "O-nēsan!" he waved the phone at her, "Did you drop it?!"


  

[mermalaide]

His shouts startled her a bit to where she almost drops her broom onto the ground. "H-hey kid! How are you doin'?" There was something about the kid across the street, shouldn't he be in school? Well it was a holiday. Sort of. She wanted to go out and party, but granny had other ideas. When he held up the phone to her, at first she checked her back pocket. No, her phone was still there. "No, uh, my phone is here kid." She patted her pocket. "Hah.. you didn't get that off of the ground did you?" She looked concerned. That was one fancy, shiny phone. Wouldn't it have been visible earlier when she had been sweeping over there?

The phone began to vibrate in the boy's hand and it rang. Something about the ringtone is off. Like uncomfortably so. If he picked that up off the ground, who had dropped it, it could have been anyone. "You shouldn't pick stuff up off the street kid. It could be cursed." She was parroting the very same thing that her granny had been telling her. She didn't know if she wanted to scare the kid. Her granny was talking about not picking up red envelopes earlier. The phone started ringing violently, as if they were ignoring it.

"Um... you aren't gonna get that are you?"

[Ashken]

"H-hey kid! How are you doin'?"

Raitaro didn't mean to startle her as he approached her, he continued to waved the phone as he got closer, a big smile on his face as he was convinced he was doing a good deed, he saw her check her pocket and inform him that she still had her phone, he lowered his arm and looked at the phone curiously, maybe there where something he could use to figure out who it belonged too.

"No, uh, my phone is here kid. Hah.. you didn't get that off of the ground did you?"

"I did!" he beamed, flipping open the phone wondering if it had charge, or if it was on, as he did the phone began to vibrate and ring, "Maybe the owner?" he said as he presented the phone to the girl, maybe she would answer it for him, Wataru didn't like it when he answered the phone.

"You shouldn't pick stuff up off the street kid. It could be cursed."

He tilted his head confused why would someone curse a phone, "Looks fine" he said as he turn the shiny golden phone around, he though how sad he would be if he lost something shiny and important. 

"Um... you aren't gonna get that are you?"

"Why not?" he asked as the phone rang more violently, as he fumbled around with the open phone if almost fell out of his hands due to the intense vibrations, he did his best to catch it, the phone bouncing off his small hands a few times till he managed to get a good grip accidentally answering the phone, but not noticing he had done so, "That was close, I dont want to brake it"

[mermalaide]

The phone beeped in answer and there seemed to be a voice on the other end. It was a bit raspy and hard to make out through the sound of static. "h...?....ello?...u...ha...eve.n...sssss." It struggled to make itself heard on the other end very much so. "ar..ou......li...ing?" The shhhhk, shhhhk noise was god-awful and the girl almost droped her broom again. Her eyes were as big as sushi plates. "....ey.." Shhhhhhhhhhhhk! The phone made a noise of distress.

"OH. MY. GOD."

She don't now if the kid heard that but she certainly did. "Chuck it and run!!!" The girl no longer cared about if the street was swept. She did not care if Granny was mad. The broom dropped to the floor and when the phone made a squelching noise, she took off and ran down the street. The broom fell with a loud clatter and she was already to the corner. "Run kid!"

Oh dear. What was her problem anyway?

[Ashken]

Raitaro did not initially notice that he had answered the phone, when it started to make noises, he looked at it making sure he had not broken it when it almost fell, "Did I brake it?" he wondered out loud. The words where hard for the kid to make, between the raspy voice and static.  

"h...?....ello?...u...ha...eve.n...sssss. ar..ou......li...ing?"

"I think it is broken" he told the girl as he waved the phone close to her so she could see and hear, but clearly, she wanted nothing to do with this phone as her eyes went wide and she ran away. Leaving behind he broom. 

"OH. MY. GOD. Chuck it and run!!!"

"Bye!" he waved at her as she ran away, he looked at the phone and wondered why she was so scared, Wataru had told him in the past to toss things in the lost and found bin if he could not find the owner, so he took the girls comment as a turn it into a bin, but before he did that, he was going to try to fix it.  

"Run kid!"

He looked around seeing he was now alone, he sigh and picked up the broom as he walked back to the bookstore, "Hi! I am going to fix you!" he practically shouted at the phone before closing it and walking into the bookstore, he walked past the books and past Wataru who was grumpily finishing some papers, Wataru looked up and saw the kid on a mission broom in hand, he raised an eyebrow not remembering the kid walking out with a broom, but he was not going to complain if the kid swept the outside. "Make sure you don't leave that broom out" he said as he returned his focus to the paperwork. 

"Okay!" he said as he walked to the back and toward the small kitchen, when Momiji and Haru helped him and Wataru they told him to put the phone in rice to fix it, so after putting the broom aside he started to clamber up the counters to try to find some rice. "This will make feel much better" he said to the phone, "we can talk once you feel better" 

[mermalaide]

The neighbor woman hadn't heard him, but she did run right into a post box and try to climb over it to get away. He was speaking to the phone and carrying it into the bookstore. Frankly Raitaro was so sweet. He had no idea how horribly malicious cursed things could be. He had a little boy's understanding of the world which was innocent. The phone continued to growl and crackle at him. He paid it no mind and spoke as a friend.


"This will make feel much better he said to the phone, "we can talk once you feel better".

As he climbed up onto the counter, the phone hung up and tried to call again. It buzzed a little on the counter and moved on the counter. The container of rice was a good size, and there was a big plastic mixing bowl as well that fell out of the cupboard while he was looking. It made a hollow thud on the floor when it fell. He could fill that up and dunk the phone in it. The phone buzzed like crazy, but when it was approached with the bowl of rice it went quiet.

[Ashken]

The phone angrily buzzed on the counter as he attempted to gather the things, he needed to help the poor thing, he looked down as he opened the cabinet, watching the phone vibrate angrily on the counter, he split his attention making sure the phone didn't vibrate into the floor as that would cause it to hurt itself even more, but due to his split attention a large mixing bowl clambered off the cupboard, banging off the counter and thudding against the floor.  

"What was THAT!" Wataru called out loudly from the front of the store, he was irritated enough doing the books, he did not want to extend his night having the clean up the kitchen again, "You better put things away when your done!" the exasperation on his voice was palpable. 

"Sorry!" the boy responded. "Mixing bowl fell" you could hear the bubbling of emotion on the kid's voice "I can fix it!" Grabbing the large container of rice he lowered it down and next to the angry phone which promptly went quiet. He clambered down and looked at the phone, "Phone-kun!" he made a face at the now quiet phone moving the rice container to the floor he flipped the mixing bowl an dropped the phone in it. 

"do do do dooo do du du dum" he sang to himself as he started to carefully pour the rice into the container, "I can charge when you feel better" he smiled a big smile his elongated canines visible as static danced on his fingertips causing some of the rice to stick to his fingertips.

[mermalaide]

Phone-kun was very still and quiet. If there had been a yurei in there, which there had indeed been, it was metaphorically shitting it's pantaloons about now. The rice began to sizzle and give off a smell. It.. it almost smelt burnt. It it had been salt, it would have turned black as pitch. The smell became quite strong, enough to carry and the color of the rice started to become a brownish yellow, like it had been burnt in the pot.

To those that are unaware, rice, sake and, salt are often used in Shinto purifications across Japan. Sake will often be gifted to new home owners to purify the home and welcome good spirits in. Salt is used to purify most things, and in many cultures as it's a pure form of earth. Rice, well, rice was for prosperity and for bringing in protection and good luck. So, for Phone-kun to be placed in a bowl of rice and buried in the rice, dear god, this was a nightmare of comeuppance for Phone-kun!

The golden phone pushed itself to the top of the rice and the rice continued to get darker. It thunked on the bowl harder and harder until the bowl of rice tipped over and spilled with Phone-kun sliding across the floor.

[Ashken]

Once the rice had reached the point of covering the phone Raitaro, slowed down his pouring and turned around to put the container on the counter. He tried to shake his hands to cause the rice that had stuck to his fingers off, but the small amount of static had caused it to cling even as he shook his hands. 

The young yokai wiggled his nose as the smell of burn started to fill the air, initially he walked towards the small stove and oven. The burners where off and as he opened the stove there was still the left-over smell of quiche, "Uh?" he was truly confused, he didn't hear the microwave going, so he was not sure what else could be running, but something was burning, the sent was getting stronger and stronger and starting to travel past the kitchen.    

With a loud snap the pencil on Wataru's hand broke in two as the smell of burnt got to him "If I have to go over there and fight a fire..." he said loud enough for Raitaro to hear, "You wont be able to sit down for a week..." he clenched his teeth, and took a deep breath, "Do I need to get in there..." he stated, not asked as he stood up allowing the chair to screech against the floor. 

"I CAN FIX IT" Raitaro practically screamed, he didn't see a fire, so all he needed was make the smell go away, thunk, thunk! the bowl rocked, and even though Raitaro tried to move quickly it tilted and spilled all over the floor, the rice getting everywhere, the smell becoming stronger, some of the rice having lost its white coloration and now taking a brownish tint. "I can fix it" he squeaked.

He could see the phone, but he was focused on the rice and the smell, "The broom" he said to himself as he went to grab the broom the girl had left before trying to sweep the rice into a small mountain, as he moved by the phone he picked it up and placed it next to the rest of the rice container, his fingers still covered in random grains of rice, "Not on the floor, cleaning" he mimicking Wataru when he cleans. "Sorry Phone-Kun," he frowned, he could get the floor swept quickly, but he was still trying to figure out how to make the smell fully go away before going back to help the phone.  

[mermalaide]

The rice was smelly and totally not his fault. The malicious energy within Phone-kun was burning the rice away. It's gold case was flashy and mirrored his reflection in it, but the reflection was somewhat distorted, like a fun house mirror. The Phone rang a little but it sounded weird, like it was underwater a bit. It just sounded off. Some of it was the unintentional damage it took spiritually, some was just because it was a spooky ass ghost phone.

The air seemed to get a little heavy in there. Moisture was a little present, but it was almost like the air had a weight to it. Which was terrifying. The tension was thick and some of the windows fogged up, like someone was in a shower or sauna. The phone buzzed and the window said 'Unknown' as the caller. It rang its out of sorts ring and then went quiet. What the girl had warned about could easily happen, which was why she wanted nothing to do with it. The girl across the street and her grandmother were Chinese, and the grandmother had come from Shanghai. Shanghai Granny had seen some scray stuff as a girl, and she made sure to tell all the grand kids stories. Mostly ones like, 'don't pick up something off of the ground if it isn't yours because a ghost will follow you home.' Appearently, Shanghai Granny had seen some shit.

But Shanghai Granny was not here right now.

It was only sweet Raitaro and a very possessed, but somewhat stunted phone!

[Ashken]

As the phone rang once more, the kid looked up at the golden device, it sounded weird, muffled, like someone's voice when he sunk himself underwater. Raitaro frowned, maybe it was too broken to fix? He wondered as he tried to finish sweeping the floor. He kept thinking of options and ideas to fix the phone, as he dumped the yellowed and partially burnt rice into the dumpster he had a realization. Rice likes to stick to things, he wondered it some of it got stuck in the speaker grill, maybe it was blocking the sound. 

Opening the silverware drawer, the boy pulled out a thin fillet knife, its body perfect to dig out rice from little grooves, "Phone Kun!~" he said in a sing song tone as he brandished the blade approaching the golden device, taking it in his hand the phone buzzed, the screen saying Unknown, the sound still sounded off, it anything it sounded even more broken than before. He tried to juggle the phone and the knife accidentally hitting the answer button as he looked for grooves where there might be rice or something else stuck, prodding the flashy golden body with the sharp knife. 

[mermalaide]

Phone-kun did not like the sound of that knife. If anything the distorted ringer turned on and was ringing loudly for help. It was terrifying and almost ear-piercing. Phone-kun wanted none of that knife. It tried to vibrate in his hands and a sizzling reek was present, one that was strong. As he prodded the poor cursed phone, which, we should remember to not feel so sorry for, a black viscous sledge came out of the phone, it was wet and full of a clod of hair.  The phone was silent for a few minutes, almost as if it stopped working.

The body was a little scuffed now and the liquid that came out of it had a coppery smell, like blood. It looked a lot like black blood. If the phone had died, it had likely been from shock. 

Who wouldn't have?

But I digress, do not feel sorry for Phone-kun.

Phone-kun is about as evil as it gets.

The stillness is violated by an eruption of loud, unearthly rings. 

[Ashken]

Raitaro did his best to keep a strong grip on the vibrating phone, his eyebrows knitting together as he focused intently, the ringing was hurting his ears which at one point almost made him drop his knife, he was focused and intense. Yet the moment the gunk started to come out the little boy face lit up. Victory he though there was something stuck on the grill, a lot of something, must have fallen into water, a puddle, maybe even a swamp based on the smell and fibrous material that was coming out. Moving towards the sink he tugged on the hair and gunk trying to clean it up the best he could. His young mind never questioning the material, scent or even the quantity.  

For a moment it seem like the worse of the racket was over and he could finally get ready to rise the gunk out and maybe give Phone-Kun some juice, but before he could think of anything the loud rings seem to explode, causing the boy to be startled and drop both knife and phone causing them to rattle on the sink, he covered his ears his gunk covered hands getting vile on his hair and skin, "Phone-Kun, Too loud!" he shouted at the phone, he was happy phone-kun felt better and that his ring although still unnerving was substantially louder and clearer. 


But the ruckus was not contained to the kitchen and though muffled by the distance and door, Wataru could hear that something was happening, taking a deep breath he stood up and marched to the back opening the door to the kitchen, "What are you doing" he said firmly as he looked around the kitchen seeing things out of place, smelling smells that did not belong and looking at the boy covered in some sort of black sludge. "Explain" he said with an exasperated sigh, he wanted to be angry, but at this point, it was more effective to fix the problem first and then worry about how he would correct the boy. 

[mermalaide]

The ringing went quiet when asked, as if phone-kun was thinking. It was not a nice phone. When Wataru tried to get Raitaro to explain himself. Phone-kun began to ring again. This was a normal ring, a functional one this time. Phone-kin very much wanted to lure Wataru to pick it up. Maybe he would save Phone-kun from Raitaro, who, to be fair, meant only love towards the evil phone. Maybe it could get Wataru to pick it up. It salivated at the thought of that.

Someone to curse!

The kitchen was a mess. There was rice, container and what looked like sludge all over the floor. It looked like their had been a failed exorcism in here.

PickMeUpPickMeUpPickMeUp

PICK ME UP

It was an urgent feeling. Phone-kun vibrated a little. The gold prettiness had been scratched by Raitaro, but oddly, the scratch began to fade, as if the phone could heal itself a little. It was shiny in the black puddle that it sat in.