A Fool's Prayer [Open; Max two]

Blast his boss. Why did she always insist on keeping him late? He knew school was about to pick up in earnest again after summer vacation, but literally anyone could have done what he did. Now instead of flying home- his preferred method of travel- he'd have to walk or take a taxi. It would be better to call a taxi in this case. It really wasn't the best of ideas to be walking on his foot right now. Considering it was only half formed at this point. He had a boot on where his foot was currently growing, and was having to rely on crutches. Or in his case right now, just a crutch due to the fact that he couldn't very well hold the umbrella and the second crutch.

The sun was not yet out, but he wasn't going to be singed by even so much as the first rays of dawn. So... Of course it was out. As he was walking past the courtyard he couldn't help but spot Sharaku... Praying? He was shooing other people away when they walked up but... Ozaki's curiosity was too great to not go up and ask. He hobbled over and looked to the fountain. "If I may ask... Why are you praying to a fountain? Or rather... In front of one if not to one."

Ozaki could not help but snort in laughter at hearing Sharaku say he was trying to pray the stupid away. Odds are for someone like him he'd be at it for a very long time. He had a way of analyzing things to see most actions taken by others as quite foolish in one way or another. He covered his face briefly, trying to regain his composure. "I am but... I could use a break from walking for a bit anyways." Even if he were to call a taxi now it'd take time for it to arrive. He definitely could not walk all the way home like this.

After a moment of awkward shuffling he managed to sit down within three feet of Sharaku, umbrella angled towards where the sun would rise in a few moments. "I'm all ears if you're up for sharing." He was definitely more comfortable with listening to people's problems than sharing his own... An element that Sharaku had practically called hypocritical in the past.

"Yaaah..." It'd been a good deal of months since he'd gotten himself into a situation this bad, but it was understandable that Sharaku brought up the previous time. He'd been... Quite out of it. But he was going to avoid any and all pain killers this time. It made everything more painful of course but... Well at least he wouldn't be acting super high.

Ozaki's brow furrowed at the next part being said. Vampire-centric and religion. Well. This wasn't going to be a pleasant story. At the next part the vampire tried to consider his next words carefully. Whatever he answered he had a feeling maybe Sharaku would be okay with it, given that even an affirmative answer would be better than one that was outright lying. "Well... I can't really say until I hear the story. But I can guarantee you I won't be pulling a Mordred over it at the very least." Pulling a Mordred- causing a blood tsunami over a shit storm amount of news.

Rika was an odd ball when it came to sleep. While he could go to sleep at a descent hour and sleep the night away, as of late he had been having a bit of a problem staying sleep for more than four hours at a time. He wasn’t quite sure if he was nervous about something or over thinking some matter deep within. Whatever the case was, it had kept him up for the last 16 hours and while he had tried very hard to go to sleep, he eventually gave up staring at the ceiling and rolled out a bed. Changing his looks to be more presentable for outside, he left the dorm with the plans to go for a walk in the hours just before the sun would rise.

Stepping out into the crisp morning air, he’d take a deep breath of it trying to settle down the uneasiness within before he began to walk along the paths of the school’s campus. He goal was simply to air his head out and not find anything to study as he passed by the early risers, night owls, or night beings scuttling to go in before day. He wasn’t looking for anything to fill his mind more than whatever was currently bothering him. Although it would seem fate would have other plans for the Nightmare. For you see as he entered the courtyard, he saw quite an interesting sight near the fountain.

Two figures he knew the faces of were by said fountain. One in a prayer position and the other sitting on the ground with a crutch nearby. He wasn’t sure exactly what was going on, but the fact that two beings that he was certain was vampire in one way or another doing what seemed like something religious together was just a curiosity he could not ignore, so he went over.

As he neared, he would catch hold of the conversation. Sharaku was telling Yuuki about the situation that had landed him there in the first places. From the pieces he heard the situation sounded pretty crappy, but made him consider the other in a new light. So he did defended people in general. Well that was more knowledge to add to his continuous growing one about his roommate. That aside, he’d easily hop up and balance on the edge of the fountain as he carefully made his way around it from the left just in time to hear the idea posed at the end of it all. It was this suggestion that got him out of listening mode and into talking mode.

“Well now. Perhaps she should’ve considered teaching you about higher beings' wrath instead," he would say appearing like a ghost from around the curve as he paused a respectful distance away balanced on the fountain edge as he eyed the two seriously before giving a small smile. “Good morning by the way.”

Ozaki had to resist the adolescent temptation to stick his tongue out in the air at whatever teacher might be watching them. He grimaced instead as Sharaku spoke about his teacher. Damn right that teacher would get in trouble. Ozaki tilted his head in confusion for a moment as Sharaku mentioned switching with him. Though it caught on within a moment what he meant.

Well. For Ozaki he found taking care of other people’s problems was far easier than his own. He’d avoid his own problems until the cows came home, but if someone else needed help he’d be more than happy to assist. “Oh… Well…” He shrugged in response. He had likely come across as rather evasive in dealing with problems… But that was when it came to his own.

“Think I’ll at least give it a shot.” Ozaki would say in response to the possibility of talking to the guy. “I’ve been there.” And it could be nice to have someone there to figure out things. Maybe his sire had stuck around, maybe he hadn’t. But either way Ozaki was going to offer his hand in aide.

Then Rika went on a ramble about gods that twinged Ozaki slightly, the mere mention of the word making him wince, but he did manage to keep himself mostly level. Not that he wasn’t going to call that out though. Best set the record straight. “Most deities don’t care enough unless you deliberately invoke their name. Granted there’s a few walking around campus but…” Ozaki waved his fingers vaguely in the air. “Again you’d have to invoke their name to be directly offending them.”

Ozaki didn’t hear the muttered words, but he did see the expression. Couldn’t sleep. There was more to that story, but he more file that for later than ask on it immediately. “Well. I hope you feel a bit better for wandering at least.” He took the crystals back.

“Thanks.”

The Nightmare would glance around the area as the other two did what they would with the conversation before. He wasn’t ignoring it though, just listening rather than add on considering he had nothing to add to such a thing anyway and in turn didn’t really find it his business or rather interesting enough to make it his business at the moment. However the gods topic did draw his attention back to the others, even more so when one seemed to be reacting to it rather negatively.

He would consider the words that were said by both before closing his eyes and humming. “So you don’t think they’d show wrath unless their names were specifically mentioned? I find that rather strange. Even more so if they walk on campus as you say. If someone was speaking negatively about you or your kind, would you not get offended and try to do something about it versus ignoring it just because your name wasn’t said aloud?” he would question Yuuki first before his attention would turn to Sharaku as he tilted his head. “That is an interesting point you make. You are correct. Mot all are good and I do would not say bow to them all….in fact I wouldn’t say bowing was even part of the matter. It is more about the respect part that I am getting at. However, I can see where you are coming from if you see everything as equal... even a ---” he’d pause as he searched for a different word than god out of respect and not wanting to hurt Yuuki. “Being of higher power. Though, why do you see them as equal if they’ve shown they are not? Also the hierarchy? Why should it burn? Do you find to archaic to be of use in anymore? Or are you suggesting a different approach to the matter?” Well the questions certainly would make one wonder about the Nightmare’s view on divine beings wouldn’t it? While he seemed to have his own idea of how one should behave before them at the same time it seemed he was quite open to different opinions too. Odd? Maybe. Or maybe he was odd in the fact he was one of the rare people that had a firm spiritual belief yes, but not to point where he had to shove it down other’s throats or get upset when things weren’t approach from this one way or another.

That aside, the conversation would eventually come down to the matter of him sleeping. To this one, the nightmare would give another sigh as he raised a hand and ran it through his long bangs.

“Well the wandering helps me handle the day slightly better,” he would begin. Though it did nothing to make him feel better. If anything, all the wandering did was calm him enough that he could somewhat manage to get through classes and study…though absorbing it all was hard when one was running on empty in the sleep department. And if he did close his eyes? Well he didn’t want his mind to go there right now. Nor did he want to deal with what Sharaku was implying right now either. “You are probably right, but honestly I don’t want to get into that conversation here,” he would say as he let his hand drop as he refocused sleepily on the other two as he continued to somehow balance on the fountain edge. Yuuki’s hunch of there being more to the story was right, but it was a part of the story he had yet to share with the vampire and to be frank he wasn’t sure how comfortable he was doing that. He wasn’t sure how well the other could handle or would react to that other side of him from what had already been displayed from the other on the times they did meet. He knew that the guy had the desire to help others, but could he really do that if he knew the details or saw what Sharaku had seen of him? The Nightmare couldn’t tell and most certainly didn’t want that mess laid out in front of another if it could be avoided. Probably just saying what he said was enough to make the one who didn’t know the whole story question things, but he prayed that that box wouldn’t be open. Not now. Not now…

Anyway….

The Nightmare would nod at the question as he began to lower himself in his spot to sit on the edge of the fountain versus stand to reserve energy. “Yes we have met a few times and know each other.” He would say he knew a good deal about Yuuki by now though if Sharaku knew him too, who knew how much more there was to discover about either of them? “And you know him too apparently. Small world.”