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WHO:

nightmarecause
WHERE: Some restaurant near the MAC
WHEN: Evening of the 28th
WARNINGS: None as of yet
SUMMARY: Momiji wants a distraction. Darkrai needs to learn to eat like a human. Let's see how they can help each other.
FORMAT: Starts in para

Momiji stood outside the entrance of the MAC, leaning against the building. His arms were wrapped around himself, not from the cold, but for the small comfort it brought. He was watching the passing citizens with a sullen stare. The smile he'd freely shown to the network was gone, only reappearing when someone came near enough to enter the building. He was hurting.

The memory he witnessed in the tent had stirred up a lot of well hidden negativity. Momiji hadn't been able to concentrate since he'd gotten back to his room the night before. What if someone else saw it? What if they thought badly of his mother? What if they thought it was his fault for what happened to her? What if someone started to hate him?

His mind had been racing with these questions, only allowing a few hours of sleep. He'd went to the network in hopes of finding a suitable distraction from thinking. And he'd been lucky enough to find one. Darkrai had been willing to spare some time on Momiji's childish whims. Which led him to his position on the street, waiting for the other to arrive and more then ready to focus on something other than his mother for a few hours.

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Darkrai had originally thought to stay away from the MAC due to the amount of people living there. While he didn't mind people, especially since no one here seemed to dislike him or fear him, he did have a tendency to isolate himself from them, in a fear of hurting them with his nightmares. Nightmares were a natural part of him, part of his being, so it wasn't like he could help it, but he found that most creatures did not take kindly to anything that could make them fearful.

But, finding that living outside like he had done when he was a Pokémon was too cold, he had gone to the MAC, living quietly in one of the apartments there, pacing around the apartment when he was not outside, getting used to his legs. He didn't fall quite as often any more, when walking at normal speeds, though running or moving too quickly was still out of the question. Stairs were slightly difficult as well.

Which was why he took a while to get out, not trusting the elevator and taking the stairs instead, walking slowly down and then out the door, spotting Momiji leaning against the building and stopping, looking at the boy and waiting.

Momiji was so deep into his internal musings that it took him a few minutes to notice Darkrai waiting for him. When he did, he jumped away from the wall and started to chuckle. He was hoping his cheery behavior would cover the dark stare he'd had earlier. "Sorry, sorry. I started people watching and didn't even notice you'd came. Oh, hey you live here? What floor?" The babbling started the second Momiji turned to face his company for the evening. Talking was another easy way to avoid any serious thought.

"So the place I was talking about is just a block down, won't take long." He pointed with one hand and beckoned Darkrai with the other. "It's nice. I got there when I don't feel like cooking."

Darkrai said nothing over those few minutes, watching him, worrying about what could've upset him so. On the network and the first time they met, he had appeared to be truly cheerful, but right now... It did seem a bit forced, and the look he'd had before he noticed he was there, well...

But he didn't ask, letting the boy talk about what he wished to, because he had no right to pry into his business. He would allow him to come to him for support should it be needed, because Momiji had been kind to him, but it would happen on Momiji's own terms. Until then, all he could do was be concerned for him, and hope his mood would lighten.

He didn't answer to the question about which floor he lived on- He didn't want visitors, even if he was used to kind of living with many. Here was more of a confined space, and he needed some place to be on his own at least. He nodded then, stepping over to the other, waiting for him to take the lead so he could follow. "I do not know- if it is necessary for me to eat. Like- a human would."

Momiji realized that Darkrai was avoiding questions, but didn't press further. Tonight was going to be about having a bit of fun. Honestly, he thought they could both use it. Darkrai exuded a serious air that reminded him a little of Hatori. Which wasn't a bad thing, but did call for a little entertainment every now and again. The Pokemon was also still new to the City and could probably use some friendly behavior to help settle in.

"What do you usually do for food?" Momiji asked, starting down the street and keeping an eye on Darkrai to make sure he was following. He stuffed his hands in the pockets of his jacket, weaving through the crowd gracefully. "You could always try. Even if you don't need to, you might like it. And if you don', no problem. I'm paying for it anyway."

What he usually did for food was also a question Darkrai chose to avoid answering. Not so much because he wished to hide it, but... He just didn't want to frighten the other really. Certainly not make him think that he purposefully created nightmares in people or anything like that and he did realize, mostly from the reactions of people in his own world, that anything that caused and ate nightmares was... Not very popular or welcome at all. It didn't bother him so much on a personal level, as it bothered him to be chased away from his home or attacked.

"Maybe." He said, following along quietly, expression the same serious one that was common for him. He hadn't been expressive as a Pokémon, and pretty much wasn't all that expressive as a human either.

"I- would not know. What to eat."

All he knew was that from what he'd seen and heard? Even if there were no Pokémon in this world, he would not eat the meat of animals. It would feel too strange to do it for him. He'd smelled it too, in some places of the City on his wanderings, and it wasn't appealing to him at all.

"But- not meat."

If the avoidance bothered Momiji, he was certainly not showing it. Instead he latched onto what little was said, happily jabbering away. "We'll find you something. Shouldn't be that hard."

"You don't want to eat an animal?" It was barely phrased as a question, more of an amused statement. He wasn't passing any sort of judgment. Momiji came from a family that regularly turned into animals. He could understand not wanting to eat meat fairly well. That, admittedly, didn't stop him.

Rabbit meat was out of the question. When you spent a good portion of your life as a bunny, eating one was just too disturbing. Add his natural ability to 'communicate' with them and the thought went from disturbing to terrifying. But that didn't quell his love for beef or pork or most any other kind of meat. Haru still ate beef. In some weird way that almost seemed like permission for the rest of the family to as well.

"There's a vegetarian option at the place we're going. So you don't have to worry about that. But other people will probably be eating meat. Will that bother you to be around?"

"I do not."

After all, in his world, the Pokémon were like animals, and though he was not something that was likely to find on a menu somewhere, he was not a meat-eater by nature, and didn't want to be now that he was human.

He glanced at the other then, before shaking his head a little. "It will not." He said, looking as if he was about to leave it at that, pausing for a moment, but soon speaking again; "They.. Are not me. They decide- for themselves." He said. He was sure that for proper humans, eating an animal wasn't all that strange. It was just part of their nature- He didn't think they would do something like eat another human though.

Momiji nodded, coming to a stop at the front of the restaurant. Opening the door for them both, still chatting. "I eat meat." He announced, shrugging.He felt no reason to be ashamed nor proud of this fact, but did feel the need to get it out there. "I won't eat it tonight, just so you know. But I do most of the time. I hope that doesn't offend you or anything."

A waitress waved at some empty seats inside. Momiji grinned. "Window seats or the back corner?"

"I do not mind- if you do." Darkrai said, with another glance at him. He wouldn't want to hinder him from eating something he liked and he didn't mind others eating meat- He just would never do it himself. Fruits, berries, nuts, vegetables... That was more than good enough for him, though normally he was supposed to be able to live only on nightmares. Needing actual food was pretty new to him.

"And- it does not."

Looking around inside the restaurant then, he nodded toward the back corner, preferring that over the seats by the window. "Back corner."

Momiji smiled briefly. Whether or not Darkrai cared, Momiji was fine with going vegetarian for the night. He was rather partial to vegetables. It was an already large stable of his diet, thanks to his heritage. Besides, it was much better for him than his sweets obsession. "Alright. But that's just what I'm doing tonight."

He led the way to a table at the back, catching the eye of the waitress. She, and menus, were waiting as they neared the seats. "What do you want to drink?" Momiji asked Darkrai.

"I will- let you decide."

Darkrai wouldn't have the slightest idea on where to start both with food and with what to drink. He knew how humans ate, but knowing what they ate and what they liked to drink? He had no idea. He had no idea what he would like, even. He could only really start trying things out for himself and see if it was good or bad. It was obvious that he was not used to this sort of place, this sort of thing, as he looked around the place, inspecting it curiously, and ignoring the few stares he got.

He already knew that he didn't look completely human, though the stares and occasional comments could be ignored. It was to be expected really, considering how odd his ears and eyes were.

With a shrug, Momiji turned the the waitress and asked for waters. Water was a safe bet right? He figured it was just about impossible for someone not to like water. It didn't even have a real flavor.

Momiji plopped down at the table, not paying much attention to the staring. Darkrai was the most obvious of all the imports he'd met so far, but he'd when you hung around imports you just got used to the looks. Momiji himself didn't have too much trouble fitting in, aside from his flamboyant way of dressing and heavy accent, he looked normal. People could gawk if they wanted, odd looks had never bothered him in the past and they wouldn't start to now.

"There's a bunch of different vegetable dishes. Um, on this page." He picked up a menu, flipped through it, and held it up for Darkrai to see. "It's got a description of each. But, oh, can you read in English?" Which was a perfectly good question to be asked. Momiji had trouble reading in the native tongue of this city. It was probably why he was already behind on his homework.

"I cannot read." Darkrai replied. As a Pokémon, it was just one of those things he'd never had to learn. Why would he, there was no use for it for him. He had learned to speak to be able to communicate with others to a point, but learning how to read had never seemed that important to him, though he supposed learning while he was here would be better in the long run, since for humans reading and writing were usually necessary skills.

"You- choose." He said then, trusting him to make a good choice, because it wasn't as if he had any preference. His preference would be eating only what he needed to eat as a Pokémon, but obviously that was not enough if he felt hungry even after doing so. So he would have to see if this helped.

"At all?" Momiji was a little surprised. "Was it not a big thing in your world?" He was rather curious about the differences in the places the imports came from. So far he had only been able to talk to two or three people about their homes. He knew of one were schooling was important. Prehaps, he thought, his companion's world was similar.

"If you want me to." Momiji scanned the menu, taking a few minutes to chose something appropriate. Once again grabbing the attention of their waitress, he put in an order. "Two plates of vegan lasagna please. "

Turning back to Darkrai. "I hope its okay for you. It looks good in the pictures."

"For humans." Darkrai said, with a nod. Humans went to school and learned to read, write... The normal things. Pokémon, not so much. Pokémon lived in the wild, like animals here, only more... Aware. Some were companions to humans, fought for them, but he'd never heard of a Pokémon who'd learned to read or write for them. No- for Darkrai just speaking human had been enough, and learning that better was already proving a challenge, though he learned quickly, since he already understood it pretty much perfectly.

"I was- not. So I have not- learned." He added, before nodding his head, in response to it being ok. Not like he knew what was good and what was bad, so he would trust Momiji's judgment on it. And if it helped in making him stop feeling hungry, then that was really all that mattered to him. A prolonged feeling of hunger got irritating.

Momiji took a few minutes to process that statement. "What were you? What did they call your kind?" He wasn't sure if the other would find that line of questioning rude, but he was genuinely curious.

"If you want to learn to read, there's plenty of places to learn here. I can help, but I'm not that good with English yet. And I'm not sure how helpful German or Japanese would be for you." That and Momiji was a little too hyperactive to be a good teacher. He'd end up abandoning lessons half way in for ice cream or something just as juvenile. "But knowing how might be helpful. So you can read signs and stuff."

"Pokémon." Darkrai replied, though of course, there were many different kinds of Pokémon and each and every one of them, was a kind of their own. But in general, they were all just Pokémon as a collective group outside of humans. The same as animals were in this world.

"Pokémon are- something similar. To this world's animals."

Which explained why meat really wasn't on the menu for him.

"Perhaps- I will learn. Sometime." He wasn't sure about that really, because he didn't think he would have any need to, but perhaps at some point it would come to be something that could be useful for him to learn, but he hadn't needed to before, so he didn't think he would have to now. But he couldn't tell what the future here would bring for him, so... He couldn't be 100% positive that he would never learn.

That made it easy to see why he was a vegetarian. "Pok-e-mon." Momiji sounded the word out slowly. "It must be strange, being human looking now." Though Momiji had no clue as to what Darkrai was meant to look like, except for the different ears, he could imagine being human would be awkward for his companion.

Momiji nodded. It wasn't like literacy was the most important thing in the world. He had just wanted to put that out there, just in case. "If you decide to, than you know who to call."

"Yes." Darkrai replied. It didn't bother him too much, and certainly wouldn't stay a hinder to him for too long, though his legs were the hardest thing to figure out of, even if he could walk now, without falling on his face. He still couldn't move too quickly when going up and down stairs and he couldn't run, but...

The offer to help with learning to read was ignored, just as most other offers of help had been ignored. Momiji had already shown him so much kindness since he arrived here, so Darkrai would be around if he needed help or company, but he wouldn't call him to get him to help him out in any way, even if the boy did offer.

Momiji yet again found himself not wanting to press forward. It was kind of a strange statement to make anyway. Of course it would be weird to turn into something you weren't meant to be. If his mom had taught him anything, it was that.

He knew the other man was doing a good job of ignoring his offers for help. The best he could do was make sure they were made and only hope that that he could be of help if Darkrai needed him. "If I may ask, what was your world like? Other then having Pokemon."

"Peaceful."

For the most part it was anyway, as far as Darkrai knew. He didn't really travel outside of Alamos Town, and that place was peaceful. People and Pokémon lived in harmony there. Of course, there were bad people who always wanted something different than the sense of peacefulness Alamos Town offered, but for the most part it was quiet.

"At least- the place that I- was allowed to stay."

To Darkrai, anything before that time didn't really matter. The times he'd drifted the world in search of somewhere he could settle, the times he'd been attacked for what he was... All that didn't matter, since he had found somewhere to settle. Even if the people in Alamos Town hadn't accepted him, nor the Pokémon, it was still somewhere he had been allowed to stay, that was quiet and where he didn't have to fight or worry about things too much.

Momiji's eyes widened slightly at 'allowed'. It made him think of where the cat was 'allowed' to stay. Where the cursed family was allowed to live. He opened his mouth to comment on the word choice, but cut himself off. What would there be to say? He didn't know if the situations were comparable. Even if they were, it wouldn't be his place to say anything.

"It sounds nice." He focused on 'peaceful'. It was nice to hear about peaceful worlds. The few he'd heard about had been strife with war or the people from them told stories that were edged with painful memories. It was good to know some people had came from happier places. "I hope you get to go back soon."

Darkrai nodded. Alamos Town was indeed a nice place, beautiful really, if he thought of it that way. Though that it was, and would always be a place of peace was the most important thing, and the fact that Palkia and Dialga had been destroying it when he had been taken here was still troubling him. Even if he'd been told that time stood still while he was here, his last memories was of the town disintegrating...

If people were wrong, then...

He feared for what would be left if he got to return. Even if he did, his last memories were also of him being attacked by both Palkia and Dialga and disintegrating himself, in the same way the town was. But regardless, he would find a way, because it was where he was needed, more than this place needed him. He needed to save everyone. Pokémon, people... Alice...

He fell quiet for a while then, looking troubled as he thought about the happenings in his world, before he had been pulled here.

Momiji began to grow worried when that look spread across Darkrai's face. "Ah, I'm sorry. Did I say something wrong?" He leaned forward, placing one hand on the table near Darkrai. "I shouldn't have brought up going back. I didn't mean to upset you." He instantly felt horrible. Wasn't he supposed to be making today about good things? And here he was troubling someone who'd taken the time to cheer him up.

Darkrai looked up then, and shook his head. "You- did not." He said, not wanting the other to grow worried for him, when Momiji was the one who needed someone worrying about him. Although he was worried about his home, he also worried about Momiji- The boy had shown him so much kindness since he came here. It was only right that he returned the favor.

"Things- were not... Very peaceful. When I came- here." He said. He had no idea how to explain it though, didn't know which words to use. "But- I will make them right. When- I go back."

It was his duty after all. He would go back, continue living, continue fighting for the sake of Alamos Town.

"Oh. I...I see." He said quietly, still feeling bad for Darkrai. Why did it seem that everyone came from such hard circumstances? Was every universe infected with so much pain?

Yet again Momiji found himself caught up in Darkrai's wording. "Are you their protector? Or are you just someone who wants to help?" Either way, Momiji found it impressive. He generally held a high opinion of people who went out of their way to protect others.

Darkrai didn't know what he would call himself, back home. He protected the town sure, but the people in the town didn't exactly approve of his being there at all. He did protect everything and everyone, though he did it not for their sakes, but for the sake of a little girl who was long gone by now. Because she had loved it so.

"I protect it- For her sake." He replied after thinking on that for a short moment. He didn't so much want to consider himself the protector of the place. Just. Someone who was there to defend it should it be necessary was all. Someone who would only come out when he was needed.

Her sake. That's was something Momiji knew a thing or two about. He smiled, resting his elbow on the table and cradling his chin in his hand. "You love her." It wasn't spoken in a teasing way, and it held no suggestion as to what kind of love he meant. His tone held a certain fondness that came from understanding the sentiment.

"It's really noble of you. Doing something like that for someone."

Darkrai had no interest in denying in, and nodded his head in agreement. "Yes." He replied, with a small smile, though smiling still felt odd to him. Most expressions still did, with this human face. He wasn't used to being so full of expressions. Certainly hadn't been as a Pokémon.

But yes, he did love Alicia, and loved Alice, because they were kind to him, and Alicia had given him his home. He felt as if he was protecting her, when he protected the town, his home. His love for the home he had been given, felt much the same as the love he felt for the one who had given it to him.

"She gave me- my home. I will protect it. Always."

Momiji's smile widened and he gave a little hum of satisfaction. He was definitely treading on safer grounds now and he'd managed a smile from Darkrai. Wagging a finger a Darkrai, he leaned back. "And that's what makes so noble and amazing. Like a shining knight."

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