Word count: 1044

Gaius staggered in to the play room, his eyes bleary from lack of sleep. It made him look older beyond his years, like an old, shrunken man. His legs wobbled beneath him as he surveyed the room. It had been another long bout of insomnia. Going on to his second week now. He was so tired that even the friend that was always with him was suddenly muted. It was a peculiar feeling that left the hybrid feeling awfully and oddly ... lonely?
The child somehow managed to make it to the rug half way across the room before flopping down with an audible thump. His eyes blinked heavily as he tried to stay upright. The worst part about his insomnia was no matter *how* tired Gaius was, the boy just couldn't sleep. Nod off, yes. Rest? No ...

--BonBon had watched the boy enter in to the play room, gaze lifting from Abigail as his weaving and bobbing captured her attention. The boy — despite his dark complexion — looked rather pale and sickly. Their tendrils seemed dim and almost entirely died down, and the glow of their eyes barely a flicker.
"Hmmn ... " BonBon hummed to herself. "I'll be right back, Abi." BonBon pushed herself to her feet, fey wings fluttering gently as she sauntered over to the boy, now slumped down next to the spelling blocks for the smaller kids.
"Hello," she offered gently. "Are you alright?"

--Was someone talking to him? Gaius' head swiveled back and forth as he tired to pinpoint the source of the sound. Colour and light smeared across his vision, inebriated by lack of sleep. Eventually his focus landed on a small hybrid girl, standing over him with a rather concerned look on her face.
The corner of Gaius' mouth twitched, as if words were trying to form. It was like watching someone trying to figure out how to talk for the first time. There was sound, but no real words.
How embarrassing.
"Mmyah ... " was all the boy could manage as he lifted his hands to rub at his eyes.

--A rather perplexed look took over BonBon's face. Obviously the boy was lying. But why? Did he just not know what was wrong, or was there some other underlying issue?
"Are you sure?" BonBon asked, not sounding convinced. "Because you walked in here looking like you might faint, and I don't know about you, but it doesn't look like you're alright."
BonBon crouched down beside the boy, peering in to his eyes. "So do you wanna try giving me that answer again?"

--Gaius' eyes lazily followed the demon-fey, as if unable to fully focus on her. His face contorted and twisted, brows furrowing as he strained and squinted to see her face through the fog of sleepiness. She sounded like a parent. Was she just a very short adult?
"Mmmmm ... guess I'm tired ... " Gaius murmured under his breath as he swayed, scratching at his face gently with his claws. "Please don't send me home ... " Gaius really didn't want to have a talk with his parents. Now that he was getting older, Gaius was starting to realize certain things about himself that he did not want to discuss yet with his folks. He didn't want them to judge him, and he certainly didn't want to explain that sometimes he just ... didn't sleep.

--"I'd say so ... " BonBon gave a soft sigh and stood up tall, small hands resting on her hips. The kid was off. Whether it was from lack of sleep or something else, the hybrid couldn't quite tell. It sounded like the boy couldn't even tell if BonBon was an adult or a fellow student.
Scoffing a little, BonBon glanced around the room. Nap pillows and blankets were typically stored in the same room. They were typically reserved for the younger students, but anyone was allowed to use them. There were even a few seniors in the Quiet Room taking a nap.
"Come," said BonBon, reaching her hand out to the hybrid.

--Without even thinking, Gaius reached his hand out to touch the hybrid's hand, patting it gently as he tried to figure out exactly was it was. He jumped a little when something grabbed hold of his own, but soon Gaius relaxed as it registered that it was the girl's hand. "Where?" Gaius asked quietly as he was brought to his feet, easily moved in his weakened state. "What's happening?" he asked deliriously.

--The minute the girl grabbed his hand she started to lead him away. This boy needed to get some sleep, pronto. And there was no way that BonBon was going to let it slide. She didn't know why the boy was so tired, and she didn't really care. All she knew was that people could not function when they were that tired. She knew from experience.
Mindful of the other students around her, BonBon guided the dysfunctional boy in to the Quiet Room, leading him to an empty space and gently sat him down. "Stay here. I'll be right back."

--Gaius' body instantly flopped the ground the moment the hybrid pushed on him gently to sit down. His legs buckled and folded under him, now sitting cross legged. It felt as though he could just so, so easily curl up and go to sleep. His eyes blinked heavily.
She'd be back? Gaius' eyes looked around the room. This room was different. How had he not noticed? It was darker in here, and the sounds of the children playing had been almost entirely drowned out.
Where had she gone?

--BonBon returned shortly, clutching a pillow in one arm and dragging a blanket in another. BonBon gently pushed Gaius down, the boy complying like putty as he now lay face down. The fey-demon gently lifted his head to place a pillow underneath him, then gently tossed the blanket over him to help keep him feeling cozy and secure. She figured that with how tired the boy was that it wouldn't matter how hard of surface he was on.
To no surprise, as soon as the pillow was under the boy's head, the geist-litch had passed right out, snoring and all.
BonBon shook her head, giving a small sigh as she patted the boys head and returned to her friend.