Happy Mother's Day(Ozaki/One other)

He had been walking along the pathways trying to explore the area outside of the school and away from the crowds of the city. He wanted a peaceful walk where he could be pretty much alone for the day and give his mind a chance to take in the area without actually dealing with or trying to figure out the world, people, or some ancient text. He wandered and wandered until he came to a quieter part of town where he discovered a home. An empty home, but a home nonetheless.

Curious, he would observe the house from a distance before deciding to go closer to see what he could find out about it. Perhaps there was a sign outside of it with a name or address on it. Or maybe it was one of those old souls that had been abandoned and had no owner. If that was the case, maybe he would go inside and give it some company. He and abandoned places did get along pretty well after all. Besides it would be nice to speak to the spirits there if it truly was without an owner.

He would approach the place from the back, following the pathway along the side of the home before pausing as he first felt strange emotions in the air and then peeking around the corner saw a familiar form there. It was the child like guy from the library.
What was he doing here and why was he standing by that box thingy looking at a letter with odd emotions around him? Was he upset about something? Was this his house? Had his house rejected him? Or he had to leave it? Or was it something else? So many questions. Well then only one way to put them to an end.

Pulling himself out of stare mode, the Nightmare would begin moving down the path veering off towards the guy, his footsteps quiet. He would continue until he was within range of the guy and stop as he caught hold of some words escaping him.

“No good? What is no good?” he would ask, his tone curious and innocent despite his mind finding it quite ironic that he caught this guy when he was perhaps not in the best of moods once more. Was he magnet for this stuff or what?

Rika would watch the other flinch and take a step back unphased by the reaction as he simply tilted his head at the other curiously. All he really wanted to know was what was on this guy’s mind and why he was so jumpy. Sure the Nightmare could be mean and like lull the guy to sleep and enter his mind via dreams, but that wouldn’t be a fair or fun way to get information, so all the Nightmare could do was wait and see if he would be answered. And well….He did get answered.

“Dawn?” he would ask as he blinked a bit confused as to why standing in front of someone’s house was bad. Was this Dawn dangerous? Or the source of his misery? The creature’s mind began to reel a bit with questions though that was quickly pushed aside as the other decided shove the envelope in the box and then tried to make a quick escape.

Staying where he was for the time being, he would let the other get a good distance away as he stared at the box quite tempted to just open it and see what was in the envelope and other package. Was it something dangerous or something nice? Was it for this Dawn being? Or a offering to the house spirits?

Also….

He would blink again and turn slightly to watch the other over his shoulder, his eyes narrowing a bit.

“Hmph.”

The nightmare would look forward once more as he reached out his towards the empty space in front of him, his fingers curling as if grabbing an invisible door knob. He would pull on that door knob... and a door opening into a strange darkness would open before him. Unafraid, he would go into that darkness and shut the door behind him making it seem as if he had never been there at all; however, if one thought the Nightmare was gone that was far from the truth.

Oh no. He wasn’t gone.

A few feet ahead the fleeing vampire, a door would open high in the air and a few seconds later Rika would drop out of it, the bells on his clothing jingling lightly as he landed directly in the other's pathway. As the door closed and vanished, the Nightmare would stand up straight again and huff as he moved his hands to fix his sleeves.

“Where the hell are you running to this time?” he would ask his voice flat versus sweet this time around. Though when he looked over at the other there was no trace of red in his eyes. Just agitation.

The Nightmare wouldn’t make a move to pursue as he saw the other take a step back. Gold eyes would simply watch the other wondering if he was going to try some other method of escape. Was he going to make him chase him about? Hmph. He'd rather not play that game today as fun as it might’ve sounded outside of these circumstances. When the other decided to pull up his hood and began giving off that strange tasting emotion known as rage, the Nightmare would not react as he kept his expression neutral and his mouth sealed this time around despite how many questions came back up again.

When he received the answer, the Nightmare would raise an eyebrow at the idea and then with a hum of consideration nodded. “Perhaps we both could use one.” Maybe it could take out a bit of his agitation if he actually let a drink sit in him a bit versus doing something to rid himself of the substance, he neither hated or love. In any case, he would cut the thought short as the other began to move. Like a shadow, he’d trail slightly behind the other keeping a check on the emotional atmosphere around them as his eyes scanned the area around them taking in details.“Where is bar exactly and is it a place you go to often?”

Whether or not, Rika could tell he was unwanted company or not was hard to tell, the Nightmare’s behavior calm and cool in comparison to the agitated one of Ozaki. It was true he was very persistent when it came to getting information or figuring out a puzzle; however, he also had another reason for hanging around this one. Those strong negative emotions he gave off. They concerned him and honestly even if the guy didn’t want him around, he would be reluctant for the other to be alone with such emotions. In a nutshell, he cared too much to leave him alone. Sure. He didn’t know him well, but that didn’t change how Rika was or felt about the matter.

In any case wanted or not, the guy was stuck with him for now as he continued to follow him. “Hmm. I am unfamiliar with that area, so I cannot see that location. Is a bar fun?” After all, he had only had drinks at his home area. He had never been exposed to bars or restaurants though he knew of their existence.

The Nightmare would continue to follow, observing the other and the energy around him. The Nightmare's behavior was very calm though as he took in the answers given. So apparently he would have to be the judge of how fun this bar thing was, eh? Well fair enough. New data was new data after all and that was always something the Nightmare appreciated. No matter how trivial it seemed.

Hm? How old was he? Well not that it mattered, but...

"25. And you?" the Nightmare would ask clearly seeing the question as just that - a question. He didn't think or rather knew about age limits in bars and so he would have no clue that the reason behind being asked such a thing was due to that rather than curiosity. Either way he didn't care about giving out that number that marked his age. It wasn't like it could harm anything anyway.

Anyway...

He would look back towards the house they were leaving quite curious about somethings revolving around it. He would look back at the other.

"..."

He would contemplate his action for a moment before simply going for it.

"Who is Dawn to you?"

“29. Nice,” the Nightmare would say easily accepting the number despite the fact that he was looking at what appeared to be a child no older than perhaps early teens. This one was a vampire, no? So they could look any age. It honestly depended on when they were turned. At least that is what the books he had read said. Though on the note of being turned, he wondered what circumstances got this one turned at such a young age and by whom. So much he wanted to know about this one, but he mustn’t be all over that so soon.

Restraining himself, even more due to the mood shifts of the one he was with, the Nightmare would choose to keep his curiosity to himself for the time being as he simply followed and posed his other question. When he got silence for a moment, he wouldn’t mind it as he instead focused on the area around them taking up details of the place as they moved. As he did this, there would be a caw from above, a shadow going along the ground before a crow with skull head swooped down and landed upon the Nightmare’s head. Quite used to this, the Nightmare would barley take notice of this as his eyes studied the landscape and the bird settled comfortably in his hair.

When he finally did get his answer, he would hum a bit as he observed the other quietly for a bit not missing the way the other was wording things or any mood shifts. “I am assuming she must be a great threat then. Though, what is she too you that you leave things in her box?”

Did he witness a gift offering of some sort? Or just a simple mail delivery? Were they friends? Questions. So many, but lucky ones he did not let slip off his tongue as he instead waited to see how the other reacted on all levels before making another move. As curious as he was, he rather not make this a tense or unpleasant experience like what happened in the library.

Also…

“Hm? Why are we changing directions?” he would ask just out of plain curiosity rather than suspicion. Did he need to ask? No, but he did anyway cause he liked random bits of data like that.

It was true Rika could read the other's emotional state like he could read a book. Being what he was he was naturally drawn to emotions of the negative variety and even to the good ones too. Though those he didn’t care to eat so much since they were quite sweet and unfulfilling most of the time. Emotions, for him, was a food source, but also an interesting thing to study and try to understand. They were complex and a pain in the ass, but it was a subject the Nightmare always found himself drawn to when it presented itself.

Though right now his study wasn’t just for entertainment, but rather to figure out the one before him that held such hate towards a subject he didn’t seem want to talk about. Which was not setting well with the Nightmare. Even more so when this one decided to be vague or try to lie his way out of something.

…Something the guy was actually doing right now. It was true, the Nightmare did use the emotions the other gave off as a gauge to a degree, but he also made assumptions based on the way the other simply described the woman as short as it was. Granted, he had no real proof to support his assumption, the short “somewhat” he received only giving him minor insight into the matter. He was quite disappointed with the short answer to be frank, but for the moment would let it slide as he responded to the answer with a hum that said he heard the guy at least, but nothing more. Perhaps he would seek this Dawn person out on his own to figure out more of this or maybe he would poke at the subject some more later. He would have to see.

“A gift for a maid?” the Dreamweaver would repeat as he tilted his head a bit. “Why for the maid? Is she special to you in a way or…something else perhaps?” It was curious to leave a gift and letter for someone if they meant nothing to you. Well there was the thank you gifts and such, but still that would have to be someone you made a connection of a sort with right? Well whatever came of that, he would have to wait and see.

Though the next set of words would not get a warm reception. As soon as the words escaped the other’s mouth and the Nightmare would become quiet, his face becoming an unreadable slate as the other turned to look at him and the bird on his head. As if playing off the mood the bird would look back at Ozaki, releasing a caw as if it was questioning why he was staring while Rika questioned something else.

“Were we really going the wrong way or is there something in that direction you are trying to avoid?” the Nightmare would ask in a flat tone as his golden eyes watched the other. The bird on the other hand, would just watch quietly content to be a decoration for now to the Nightmare.