selfhelp | [Action/Written]

[Billy has never thought of himself as one of those obsessive stalker boyfriends who needs to be attached at the hip to his significant other at all times. Really, he'd always figured they were pretty good about mutual space. A two-month separation with the potential of spending years in this place without seeing Teddy again is, however, apparently the trigger he'd needed to become one, so after one too many looks from Teddy - some patient, others not so much - he'd officially gotten himself banished from the apartment for the afternoon after too much worried lurking. Which is... not the greatest thing ever on a hot day like today, but ten minutes down the road he realizes that, yeah, he'd been a little ridiculous, either blowing off his responsibilities or dragging Teddy along for the ride. He's happy and eager to have Teddy here, but they'd lived separate lives at least half the time back home; no reason for that to not continue here as well.

It's just hard to let go after you've missed someone for that long.

Still, that's how he finds himself out and about for around five hours today, doing the following (in no particular order):

- a late lunch at Seventh Heaven
- searching around the library for comic books
- combat practice in the Battle Dome (with or without his trusty new teacher)

While at the library, a few sketches find their way into his journal, more or less like the following: this, this, and this. Some time afterwards, a scribbled message appears below.]

What are some good ways to deal with bad dreams?

[Once he's finished all his daily stuff, he'll be bringing groceries home around dinner time, in the hopes that he's allowed. Feel free to run into him at any time.]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[He's glad to see that Ace is using his advice and even recommending it to others, (play it forward Ace!) so Marco will just add to/expand what he can.]

Depends on why you're having nightmares.

There isn't any kind of universal remedy for this sort of thing?

[He was hoping for advice, like a cup of cocoa before bedtime or something, but now people want to talk about it... erk.]

[Actually no. Keep your problems to yourself. He doesn't even know you. ~~And Marco's not as nice as Ace.~~]

Sometimes it can be what you eat before you sleep causing you problems. Or what you're sleeping on. Or in.

[WHAT A RELIEF.]

Sleeping in? It's just a bed.

I meant like pjs or something. If you're sensitive to heat it could be affecting you while you sleep.

Oh, clothes. Got it. [Wow, he'd never have thought of that.] It has been pretty warm the last few weeks- more than usual, anyway.

Aye. I can't get used to a regular rotating four-season weather system at all, it's too bizarre.

Try doing something to cool your room down and see if that helps.

I'll try to find a fan, then. Thanks.

You lived in a place without seasons before you got here?

Good luck.

Sort of. On the Grand Line each island has its own weather system and stays one season all year long. It still has a little bit of rotation, but if you get bored with Summer you can just sail to a winter island if you feel like it. Being stuck in one place with a rotating system jsut feels weird.

Every island has its own weather? Is it magic or something?

[Or is the world just that weird?]

No, magic isn't real in my world. The Grand Line is just a crazy place.

The science is pretty involved. It has a lot to do with the ocean currents because it's bordered by the Calm Belts on either side and their own magnetic fields. It's not really my expertise however, if you really wanted to get technical you'd have to ask one of the others.

How many people are here from your world?

["Others" is a pretty broad term. He's not sure if it's something he'll look into, but learning about other worlds actually sounds pretty interesting.]

My two roommates and brothers, a bunch of the Straw Hat crew, Law, Perona, and one marine.

Law's a doctor so he's quite brilliant, Nico Robin from the Straw Hat crew is the smartest person I know, and Perona is pretty well-informed but I'm not sure technical science is really her thing. You could also ask Nami, the Straw Hat crew navigator. Actually she might be your best bet, all told.

Thanks, I'll remember that. If I get really curious, I mean.

[Nice to have a point of reference for the future, anyway.]

I'm Billy, by the way.

Marco. Nice to meet you.

And sorry about the nightmares. They seem to be pretty common in this place.

I guess we've all got demons chasing us in one way or another.

Between the drafts, death becoming something to get punished over and everyone having problems they carry from back home, it's a wonder that more people aren't plagued with nightmares. Or maybe they just admit to it less.

Not admitting it is definitely a possibility. I didn't want to say anything myself, but I can't do much more than try to stop them here, so.

[Not like he can actually resolve the issues they're based on.]