Happy Mother's Day(Ozaki/One other)

He would see the head tilt and hear the words said by the other, a small somewhat sympathetic smile crossing his face. “Yes. There are many who suffer daily. Sometimes I wish I could eat it all away, the suffering, but I probably could not contain all of it in the end.” With so many people and creatures in the world with various degrees of suffering, could anything on this plain contain all of that suffering without destroying themselves? No. He thought not. A sad thing, but a reality of the world nonetheless.

That depressing thought aside, he would hear the next set of words as his golden color eyes watched the other for a moment before opening his mouth. “It is often amazing what creatures like that can do. Angel and vampire. Human and vampire. Even perhaps werewolf and vampire somewhere in there. All of them working and doing their best despite being in a place that doesn’t take kindly to them or does not seek to understand them or why two such opposites would get together in the first place. They go against the odds. It is inspiring,” the nightmare would say, but then he would become quiet thinking for a moment on the last part of what the other said as they moved towards the bar.

Once there, they would each settle in with their own drinks. To the simple answer given, the Nightmare would give a nod as he turned slightly on the stool to observe the place around them for a moment his mind turning as usual before he finally came back to the thought he was pondering earlier. “You know…I think you can beat the odds too. I think you don’t need to change. You can be you and somewhere out there will be a purebred vampire that accepts you for you. Perhaps the ones that don’t take well to you were just the wrong people to be around. Unless there is more to that than you are saying out loud.” The Nightmare would look over at the other with a raised eyebrow seeing what he would say if he said anything at all.

He would take the quiet response in regard to suffering not pushing the matter any further than need be for the time being. As the conversation moved onto half breeds, the Nightmare would notice the amused sniff and raise an eyebrow at the other. “Hm?” he would question, seeing if the other would explain why he had made that sound, but whether he did or not the Nightmare would hum as he gave a slight nod. “Yes. It is inspiring. Though….do you really think some births are a mistake?” Didn’t birth come about from love? Or was he more naive about the matter than he realized? Regardless, the subject did catch his curiosity for the moment so he just had to ask.

That aside, the Nightmare was quiet as he took a sip of his drink, the burning sweet liquid not really bothering him as he drank for taste and a bit of feeling anyway. When he had made his remark to Ozaki about being himself and the other started to laugh, the Nightmare would look over him with raised eyebrows and curiosity. “Oho? It wouldn’t do the trick? And which hack are we talking about?” he would ask wondering if this was about his father or something else entirely.

The Nightmare would consider the words the other had to say about birth taking a moment to gather his thoughts that mixed with another's thoughts. As he thought, his eyes would remain on the drink between his hands watching the condensation build upon the glass. After a few moments of silence, a small frown would cross his face. “Mmm. So people don’t have children out of agreement or love alone? Then I wonder why they go through with it if they aren’t going to take responsibility for the child and love it…” That was something that didn’t make sense to him at all. Why bother going through the whole process of being with someone and having a child if you had no plans of wanting one to begin with? Were these things simply not planned? Perhaps his picture of that particular situation was smaller than he thought and maybe could use some expanding upon. As for the part about being born without purpose…

“I don’t agree there with that,” he would begin pausing briefly to take a sip of his drink before continuing. “I don’t think we are born for no reason. We each have a purpose planted in us. I just think we forget it as we grow up and lose our way. I think those that manage to create a purpose simply rediscovered what was there are all along. The same with death. I don’t think we live and die for nothing. If we did, then why be born or live to begin with?” Even if one didn’t find their purpose they were born with, they made something out life right? So how could they be born and die for nothing? No he did not agree. There had to be something in the end.

In any case, the Nightmare would let that conversation go where it would before tilting his head at the other surprised he actually got a somewhat direct response to the question posed. Yes, the other still left it vague, but the answer left him wondering what would happen if he pushed more. “Oh? And who is this vampire you speak of?” Was it the same guy he had seen when he was walking Yuuki back to his apartment? Or someone else? Would the other be willing to answer? Curious.

It was not Rika’s first day on earth, but rather actually interacting and learning first hand about life outside of the isolated island that was his home or the oddness that was the dream world. He was book smart and had common sense to a degree, but a lot of his perceptions on things were bound to those books he read or small programs he had watched back then. Would he have been better off if he was just thrown out into the real world versus getting stuck in the dream world? Well maybe some things would’ve been learned sooner and his concept of things not so naive and narrow in scope. It was an unfortunate drawback for him to be the age he was, but sometimes have the mentality of a child. However, the Nightmare tried not to let that flaw bring him down as he just remained opened to learning.

That aside, he would frown a bit in thought and hum. “Children…are accidents now?” he would ask, the idea putting a damper on the happier version he had in his mind. He thought that new life was to be celebrated, but the way Ozaki seemed to put it that wasn’t always the case. There was always a shadow to the light…wasn’t there?

His mind might’ve wandered further down that dark rabbit hole, but luckily the subject changed to something outside of children. As the other took a swing of his drink, the Nightmare was quiet for a few seconds as he contemplated the words that followed. “I suppose that is true, the changing part that is. Though what was the original reason for you and what did it change to?” he would ask, a bit curious about the pathway the other had taken, but also wondering if he would get an answer to that. Even more so if he was poking into uncomfortable grounds for the other.

Speaking of getting answers, the Nightmare would find himself highly amused as he drank down his soda to the half point in one go. He saw the other become startled by the question and kind of figured the other probably didn’t want to say as much as he had; however, it was too late now wasn’t it? So the question was what would the other do now?

Oho? Be vaguish, but give more information? How interesting and unusual.

Keeping a straight face somehow despite his amusement and curiosity, the Nightmare would shift his glass to a napkin on the counter as he used the now cleared space to place his elbow down before using his hand as a stand for his head. Leaning against his hand, his golden eyes would look at the other as he raised an eyebrow curiously.

“Some dude?” he’d hum. “What is his name and why don’t you want to do anything with said person that is trying to look after you?” Oh yes, the Nightmare would pry as long as he could alright. Shall we see how long this door remained opened?

Rika saw the nod and was quiet as he tried to wrap his brain around the new information. While this information may have been common to most that lived out in the real world, this among other things was new to the Nightmare. After all, even before he became a dream, he wasn’t exposed to things of the real world. He was brought up in an isolated area by a machine with limited knowledge and books that while informative painted the world way more innocent than it actually was. Was he aware there was an ugly side to it all? Yes, but even so that did not mean he understood said ugly side’s way or ideas. He had never been exposed to that and being stuck in the dream world when he tried to leave only warped his concept of reality more. It was a disadvantage and his child like nativity would probably make some consider him dumb or gullible, but even so…the Nightmare walked with the flaw and learned as he went. Thus the conversation only got a frown of thought versus one of worry or depression.

Children aside, the conversation would slid into pathways and purposes. To this one, the Nightmare’s frown would turn from one of thought to puzzlement as he furrowed his eye brows. “You manage to find your own path, but what have you done that makes you believe you have done so much evil that you cannot correct it?” And why did that seem to resonate with him so much? He didn’t consider himself evil, but he did consider himself the source of suffering for many. Were they really that similar?

The Nightmare would ponder this as the other down his drink and asked for a refill, the Nightmare’s own drink forgotten for the moment. He would watch the other sprawl out across the bar counter and cradle that drink in his arms the scent of sorrow growing and surrounding the other. While the negative energy floated about, the Nightmare wasn’t hungry enough to take much interest in it outside of a small nibble off of some that came rather close to him. That aside, he would watch Yuuki with a concerned expression as he sat up a bit, the curiosity dying down as he watched the other struggle with pain and sadness.

To the words heard, the Nightmare would shake his head. “No. You don’t sound like a babbling fool,” he would begin gently before shifting in his seat to reach over to attempt to rest a hand on Yuuki’s shoulder. “If it hurts…let it out,” the Nightmare would state in careful yet caring tones. He didn’t know Yuuki well yet, so he wasn’t sure what the other may do, but he wanted to help... so he pried. “Who are you trying not to be like? And why did you think the one who made you the way you are ruin your life?” Ah! Not so slow after all. While it was true the Nightmare didn’t know the whole story from what was given he given, he assumed Yuuki was not always vampire…something changed him, but why he didn’t know. Just like he didn’t quite understand what evil Yuuki was trying to correct he had done or who the father was.

Even if he had many questions, he only asked the questions to help him understand the current situation and perhaps in turn be able to help Yuuki out of his pain and misery…

Curious indeed and very confused. The Nightmare’s brows would furrow as he looked over at the other not quite understanding. “So you haven’t done much as far as the amount of things, but you have done enough heavy things that it is a burden on you?” He was curious what these things were. He wanted to dig deeper, but something about the air around the other made the Nightmare hesitate for once versus pry any deeper than just a bit at a time. Was it because he was somehow relating to a heavy burden? Or was he finally understanding after all this time that he needed to be a bit careful with his poking? Well the latter was probably in the low category, but at least he wasn’t being quite as heavy handed with his questions as he instead focused on the other and the mood he was in.

As he rested his hand on the other’s shoulder and asked his questions, he would wait patiently enough for the answer and when the other spoke he would listen. The information that was given was stuff he had only gotten hints of before, but now it was being pulled into something that made more sense. He was given a name to the father and another he had not heard about yet. To what he heard, the Nightmare would hum in thought as he considered it all. “I am not sure who Meggi is in all this, but what makes you so sure that you would’ve become like your father? You are you, are you not?” he would begin as he moved a bit away from the guy his hand slipping off his shoulder as he took a sip of his now water down drink still thinking. “As for being good or bad, we determine these labels for ourselves no? And if that is so, I cannot answer that question for you. You would have to find that out on your own by turning around and facing yourself fully….the good and the bad…..” He’d trail off at that one, the words themselves an epiphany to a cross he carried in life; however, could he do what he was asking the other to do himself? He wasn’t sure as his frown of thought deepened. “What is your inherent nature, Yuuki?” he would ask his voice still soft and calm, but not quite as sweet as before even though there was no hostility coming from him as he tried to understand the other and put himself in his shoes.

As for that last part…

Rika would lower his eyes as he looked down at the counter as he brought his hands up to the edge of it and drummed his fingers against it in a nervous fashion; however, he didn’t seem to notice he was doing the action as he instead seemed more focused on the thoughts in his head and the information presented.

“Are you really a monster for being angry about things?” he would ask before falling silent and shaking his head. “I think…the anger can be dangerous if not controlled, but at the same time I don’t think it nor having another’s blood inside of you makes you a monster. They don’t…make you you. They are just…ugly pieces that…need to be dealt with in some fashion, but you aren’t a monster…” He was telling Yuuki this yes and genuinely was trying to help the guy, but at the same time as he spoke back in low tones to the other, he had to wonder…was he also speaking to himself and his situation? Was he trying to convince his own self that he was not a monster too?