Hi, It's Me. I Have a Proposition For You (Zeb)

[Thomas "Monroe" Montgomery]

There were many things that had made Monroe end up outside Zeb's door at Hammel. One, he had just finished training and was already in the building. Two, he'd been facing extreme insomnia since he'd left Hammel. Three, he'd met another dreamwalker. And four, Adaryn had mentioned Zeb one of the last times they'd talked.

He missed the guy. He had good memories of hanging around him and drinking coffee, getting advice when he needed it. And so he knocked on the door, knowing what he'd come here for. To make his case. He wanted Zeb to be a trainer.

[Zebadiah Hayes]

Zeb hadn't seen Monroe since the boy...well young man now...had graduated. He knew Monroe was still around Hammel sometimes for training, but so far their paths hadn't intersected.

And Zeb couldn't help but miss him a little. True, Zeb had other students to look after, but that didn't mean he ever forgot the ones who had grown up and moved on. Especially the ones he had grown close to, such as Monroe.

"Mr. Montgomery!" Zeb exclaimed when he opened the door to see who it was. He reached out to pat Monroe on the shoulder. "How are you?" Stepping to the side, he gestured for the young man to come on in with a wide grin on his face. This was clearly a welcomed surprise.

"Coffee?" he asked, even though he had already pulled down two mugs.

[Thomas "Monroe" Montgomery]

When Zeb opened the door, Monroe grinned at the familiar face. He hadn't seen Zeb in a while and he wasn't sure why he hadn't come earlier, being here for training and such. He didn't mind being called Mr. Montgomery because it wasn't Thomas, but he did prefer Monroe, however, it was somehow okay because it was Zeb. He walked inside, past his mentor and friend. "I'm actually here to talk to you about how I am." Seemed to be a fair answer.

He watched as Zeb grabbed two mugs even though he hadn't said yes yet, which was exactly why he'd missed him so much. "Can't say no," he finally responded.

[Zebadiah Hayes]

Even with students and staff that Zeb was friends with, or more familiar with for other reasons, he still often defaulted to calling them Mr., Mrs., or Miss. Although he tried to keep track of people who didn't like that, his memory wasn't perfect. With Monroe he tended to switch back and forth, sometimes within the same conversation.

"Well have a seat and catch me up. How's training going?" he gestured for Monroe to have a seat wherever he liked - the couch, laz-e-boy, or at the small kitchen table.

Zeb smiled at the young man and poured two coffees. He returned to where Monroe was sitting and handed him one. "How've you been sleeping?"

[Thomas "Monroe" Montgomery]

It was all too perfect, the question that Zeb asked him after the most important question of whether or not he wanted coffee, which was always easy to answer. He sat down on the couch, his go-to spot in the dorm monitor's apartment. "That's what I wanted to talk to you about actually. Usually I'm at training right now." He'd still come anyway, after ditching the letter from his father at his apartment. He was meeting Adaryn in-between her classes. He didn't even mention t the older guy that it was his birthday, because honestly that wasn't really important to him, bu rather that he was nineteen years old and couldn't hold onto a trainer or get a really good grasp on his own powers. "I'm trainerless again." He shrugged his shoulders, even if it was a big deal. It was just something he was used to doing. "And I think I've finally reached the point of developing insomnia." Everything was so negative that he was saying and so he took the coffee mug gratefully and took a long sip.

"What would you say if the only way I could get asleep was if someone with tactile anthesia puts me out?" He laughed slightly.

[Zebadiah Hayes]

It was nice how quickly the two could settle into their old routine even though Monroe hadn't stopped by in a while. But it felt normal and comforting to have the young man sitting on his couch, drinking coffee, and telling Zeb how his life was going. It had been too long.

Zeb's smiled faltered for a bit when Monroe informed him that he was skipping training to have this chat. Still he didn't comment on it. He knew Monroe and figure there was a good reason for doing so. "I'm sorry to hear that," he said. He knew the kid had trouble holding onto a trainer and wished he could do something about it for him. And insomnia. Zeb was all too familiar with that. Though his own battle with insomnia tended to come and go, it had been worse when he was younger.

Zeb smiled at the boy's laughter, though the expression was a bit forced and didn't stay long. It hurt to hear Monroe having such a heard time. He had to pressure the urge to reach out and hug him. "I would say that it's nothing I haven't done myself," he said, the sorrow for Monroe clear in his voice. "At least you're finding a way to get some sleep. Is it the getting to sleep that's the problem? Or the dreams once you've gotten there?"

"Is there anything I can do to help?" he asked. Maybe Monroe would benefit from crashing on his couch again.

[Thomas "Monroe" Montgomery]

"Yeah, well I've gotten used to it," Monroe replied. Unfortunately.

I would say that it's nothing I haven't done myself. Good Old Zeb, of course he understood. It bought a smile to his lips, even if it didn't stay very long. You had to do what you had to do to get some sleep and Monroe was desperate. "Getting to sleep. I swore off sleep when I first developed my power because I got into personal nightmares and I just hated that I was intruding on other people's dreams. But now...it's like," he waved his hands around crazily, trying to explain himself. "...like, it's not a choice anymore. Like I just can't sleep. And I did this to myself." He hated himself for it more and more lately. He was afraid he wouldn't be able to fix the damage.

"That's what I wanted to talk to you about actually..." Monroe trailed off. He had planned this out in his head, but he knew the execution wouldn't go that well, mostly because he was so tired. "You understand me and dreamwalking more than anybody here at Hammel, Zeb...and I just met this other student...and she's a dreamwalker too, the first one that I've ever met and...I know you're a dorm monitor...but I want you to be my trainer, Zeb."

[Zebadiah Hayes]

Zeb's smile mirrored that boy's quick flash of happiness. It was sad that it only lasted for a second, but Zeb was still glad to see it.

He nodded along at Monroe's explanation. It felt like someone was reading his own memoir back to him. Though he had swore of sleep not only to avoid his own nightmares, but also to avoid giving them to others, he too had seen it turn into an insomnia he couldn't control.

"I hear you," Zeb said, leaning back with a sigh. "For me, it helped once i learned a bit more control. It's a subconscious thing, I think. When you worry less about it, your brain will let you sleep easier." Of course, even then it wasn't the easiest to fall asleep, but he didn't want to say that at the moment.

Zeb nodded along again as Monroe talked, smiling at the compliment that the young man felt understood by him and also that he'd found another friend who would empathize with his struggles.

And then Monroe reached the end of his little speech, just as Zeb was taking a drink. He spit it up a little bit in the shock of what Monroe had suggested, but managed not to spray coffee all over the young man.

"What? I...," he stammered, coughing a little. "Monroe, I'm honored...really...it's just..." He paused trying to find the words. He didn't like admitting just how much trouble his ability still gave him. Not to his friends. Not to his co-workers. And especially not to students. Even though Monroe was technically a graduate now, he still didn't like the idea of the admission.

"I'm not sure I'm qualified," he said, slowly. "You can always come to me for advice or anything. You know that...but this...I'm not sure I'm the right person."

[Thomas "Monroe" Montgomery]

"So you think it's a subconscious thing?" Monroe asked, still slightly confused. "Like...my worry is still not letting me sleep? You think I can still fix this?" He thought he'd developed horrible permanent insomnia at this point and so what Zeb was saying was making him fire questions at him rapidly.

After he'd proposed what he'd came here to do, he drank a long gulp of coffee, concentrating on his coffee mug and the glorious contents inside that made him feel slightly more alive with each sip. But he seemed shocked, a reaction Monroe hadn't been expecting. Was it really all that surprising? "You should be. You have real experience with what I deal with on a daily basis. And your experiences have the opportunity to help someone else." He was convinced that Zeb was the perfect guy for the job. But Zeb didn't seem so sure.

"Qualified as in how? Like not qualified to officially have the job title? I would petition for this. I feel so strongly about it...I need help, Zeb and I can't find it anywhere else." Of course he went to him for advice, but adding the training aspect would just be like that except he would be giving him coping techniques. What was really that different? "Of course you're the right person."

[Zebadiah Hayes]

"Absolutely. Well mostly," Zeb said. "It's not an exact science, but trust me, control helps." He gave the boy a quick smile at all the questions. He'd had the same feeling as a student. So many questions to ask and every answer only made him think of more questions.

"I...I don't know Monroe," Zeb contiuned, still staling while he tried to figure out how to explain without crossing his 'Never Tell Students About My Problems' rule. He got up from his seat to get some paper towels to clean the coffee off his shirt, taking his time at the sink.

"I'll have to talk to the administration," he said. Maybe that would hold Monroe off for now. And when he talked to the other Hammel staff, he could be a bit more open about his concerns. After all, he had been completely open when he'd applied for his job, so they knew what he dealt with on a daily basis concerning his ability and its side effects.

"It's just, I've never trained anyone before. I wouldn't even know where to begin." he continued, returning to his seat. He wiped as his still damp shirt and took another drink from his mug. Still, this was Monroe. And he'd do anything for the boy. Or any student really.

"But I'll think about it...okay?"

[Thomas "Monroe" Montgomery]

Monroe rubbed his temples. He just wanted definitive, clear answers, but nobody ever had them and it was tiring asking so many questions and never getting answers.

"Well, yeah, I mean...I would have gone to administration first, but I wanted to make sure that you even had interest. I mean, if you're not qualified or....couldn't I just have a trainer to oversee everything? Wouldn't that make everyone more comfortable?" Although he trusted Zeb completely. He didn't even know if there was any trainer left willing to take him on.

He took eager gulps of coffee from his mug. "Yeah, that means a lot in general."

[Zebadiah Hayes]

Zeb felt horrible for the boy. Monroe was obviously exhausted and tired of searching for a trainer who could give him some relief. And it tore at him. He sighed and ran his hand first through his hair and then over the stubble on his chin. What Monroe was saying did make sense in a way. If there was a trainer overseeing things, then the administration would probably go for it.

Still, what if he couldn't help Monroe. Some days he wasn't sure he could help himself.

And yet, as usual, Zeb's need to be the hero was winning out over his own insecurities. "If I can find a trainer will to do that then...maybe," Zeb said. Though if Monroe knew anything about Zeb, a maybe was a very, very small step away from a yes.

"Is there anything I could do for you now, while we're working this out?"

[Thomas "Monroe" Montgomery]

"I'm sure you could! I mean, I haven't blown through every trainer at Hammel. There's gotta be someone willing. It's not like they're completely taking on my training, but rather sharing it," Monroe explained. He just wanted to find a way to make this work, to make Zeb comfortable doing it and to also get the help he needed. "This is the best idea I've had in a while, honestly. And I just want it to work out."

He downed the rest of the coffee in his mug and set it down on the table in front of them. "Just keep me posted, I guess. I mean, is there anything I can do? Should I write a letter to the administration?"