Aiden gave Journal a look from the doorway. This was the third day in a row he’d come home to find his roommate hunched over a book at the kitchen table. The younger sorcerer had paper and mugs scattered all over, and the telltale raccoon mask of sleep deprivation. He’d clearly been there for awhile. Not that Aiden really needed material confirmation. He hadn’t seen him get up for more than coffee these past few days. And he was pretty sure Roo would confirm that.
… if, of course, the little guy wasn’t asleep in one of the armchairs. The familiar’s ears twitched in his sleep, quiet snores drifting up. He looked quite peaceful.
At least someone is getting proper sleep, Aiden thought ruefully. Heaving a sigh, the questor set his bag down on the couch. He’d worry about putting his stuff away later. He had other things to tend to.
Or, rather, other people.
Into the kitchen he went.
Journal’s mumblings were the only sound in the room. They were barely audible, but Aiden could tell he was talking magic. That’s what all the papers were for. Even if he’d only been sharing the apartment for a few months, he knew about Journal’s love for magic. It was getting to be a borderline obsession.
… scratch that, it was an obsession. Staying up for three days over something was all the qualification needed. Someone really needed to step in. And Aiden was ready to put his foot down.
After pouring himself a mug of coffee, he sat down across from Journal. The sorcerer glanced up, but didn’t send any words his way. He was turned back to his work before Aiden even took his first sip. Just whispering to himself. Scribbling more things down. Aiden watched him for a minute.
“... Y’know, staying up for three days isn’t the healthiest of things,” the questor ventured, swirling his coffee. He gave Journal’s tired glare a look of concern.
“... yeah, well… i didn’ ask you…” Journal muttered. He dropped his gaze back to the paper before him. His quill dully scratched another couple words out. “‘m busy…”
“Busy enough to skip meals?” Aiden pressed. Journal gave him another annoyed look.
“Does it look like it?” he shot back, gesturing to a bowl.
“You’re aware that bowl was there yesterday, right?”
“I can use the s-”
“In the exact same place.”
“Y-yeah, well-”
“And with the exact same food stains, too, if memory serves.”
Journal floundered for a minute, seeming to scramble for the right words. Aiden simply stared at him from his spot at the table, one brow raised. There wasn’t an easy way out of this one. He knew he had him stuck. When Journal couldn’t come up with excuses, he just huffed. The sorcerer crossed his arms.
“Y… yeah, and….? What’s your point here?” he finally mumbled.
“The point is you haven’t had any food today. Or slept. Or moved. At all.” Aiden fixed Journal with a stern look. It made the younger sorcerer squirm.
“S-so??? What’s- w-why do you care? I haven’t bothered you with it,” Journal countered, bristling.
“But you’ve bothered yourself with it plenty,” Aiden sighed. He gestured to the mess across the table. Well… both of them. The clutter on the table was almost less qualified than the sorcerer to bear that title. “You don’t need any more magic work. You’ve been working so hard your notes are barely even readable. The only thing you should be doing at this point is going to bed,” he continued gently.
Journal just scoffed. Rubbing at his eyes, he stubbornly pulled another magic book towards him. Aiden blinked.
“If you want me to go to bed so badly,” Journal said hotly, scribbling down more notes, “then make me.”
Aiden was silent for a moment. Hmm. He really wasn’t stopping, was he?
Seems it was time for some... other measures.
“... y’know what?”
Aiden got up abruptly, setting down his coffee.
“I think I’ll take you up on that.”
And with that, Aiden snapped his fingers. A small flash of blue mist left Journal’s quill on the counter, and his books all closed. Journal jumped a bit at the sudden change. Glancing up, he looked utterly bewildered.
“I- wh- what’d you just-?”
“You’re done working for now,” Aiden said firmly. “Go. Bed. Now.”
“Wh- no!!! I was in the middle of something!” Journal cried. With the exhausted undertone to his voice, his complaint sounded more like a whine. “You can’t just force me into stopping! I don’t care how many days I’ve been awake!!!”
“Yeah, well, tough luck, bud,” Aiden huffed. “Because someone in this apartment does.” He went around one side of the table to Journal’s seat. The sorcerer was trying to get all his books open again.
Aiden promptly scooped him up out of his chair. Journal flailed a bit as the questor hefted him over a shoulder, shifting him around to make sure he wouldn’t drop him.
“aiDEN WHAT THE FUDGE- FRICK- REVAEW DANG YOU AND YOUR STUPID FILTER SPELL-” Journal squawked, wiggling around like an eel. His face was as red as his magic. Evidently, this was not the result he’d been expecting. “PUT ME THE FRICK DOWN!”
“You act like a kid, you get treated like one,” Aiden replied. “And you need sleep. Believe me. You’ll be thanking me later.”
Journal kept complaining loudly while Aiden carried him down the hall. Aiden didn’t pay him any mind. Just adjusted his grip as he walked to his room. He nudged the door open with his foot. The door creaked open to reveal a cluttered space, filled with paper and ink and boxes and books. Aiden glanced around from the doorway. Were there more books in here than he’d seen last time? Probably. He headed inside. Journal stopped flailing once they went in. He’d fallen to grumbling angrily.
Once Aiden got to the side of Journal’s bed, he shifted the sorcerer around so he could just drop him into it. Journal let out a little yelp when Aiden dropped him. Before he could even try and scramble out, Aiden snapped again. Blue mist quickly pulled blankets over the sorcerer, leaving him tucked in tight enough he couldn’t wiggle away. Aiden watched on as Journal muttered filtered curses, glaring up at him.
“Comfortable?” he hummed, arms crossed.
“Friggin- you’re the worst- the worst-” Journal spat vehemently- “lemme outta- lemme outta here, I’m not gonna-”
“Not gonna what? You’re stuck there until you get some actual sleep. Magic’s orders,” Aiden shrugged. Journal just let out a frustrated groan. Much to Aiden’s satisfaction- and Journal’s dismay- it turned into a yawn.
“You’re the woooooooorst…” Journal groaned.
“I’ll take ‘worst’ if it means you get a rest,” Aiden chuckled.
Journal tried to scowl at Aiden, but his exhaustion was catching up to him. It was hard to look mad when you’re finally lying in a proper bed after days without sleep. Aiden was happy to see him start to get himself comfortable. Good. He wouldn’t have his roommate staying up that late again if he could help it.
As he turned to leave, Journal mumbled again.
