"Who decides that?"

"Usually, their parents. If their parents need help finding the right balance they can get it from their parents. Or their friends."

"And if they don't agree with their 'parents'?" asks Eefa, with audible scare quotes.

"- well, again it depends on how old they are..."

Eefa glares accusingly.

"- like, a little baby," Chioss makes a cradling gesture, "might not want to stop playing and take a nap, but if their parents keep playing with them when they're actually tired, they'll get more and more upset about everything from being sleepy, and still not want to sleep, because they don't have practice with knowing what to do with sleepiness. But if a three year old," she holds her hand at about her shoulder height, "wants to stay up late playing, most parents will let them try it at least a couple of times, and they can all see what happens, and if what happens is that the kid is fine the next day, they can keep doing that, and if what happens is that the kid isn't fine the next day, but notices it and deals with it by themselves, they can use their own judgment about whether to keep doing it. But if what happens is that the next day they're miserable and mean to everyone and can't pay attention to anything they're doing because they're too tired, and that night they try to stay up playing again, they are acting like a baby, and their parents will probably stop them."

Eefa freezes up at the mention of what she assumes is someone being forced to sleep.

"- by taking away what they're playing with, not by putting anything in their food."

Eefa looks at Chioss to try to figure out if she is telling the truth

She is, but whether Eefa can determine that is not in Chioss's control.

Chioss is either a good liar or telling the truth, which doesn't make Eefa feel better but also doesn't make her feel worse.

"Okay."

Chioss smiles at her and goes back to baking cookies.

The last time Chioss made cookies they smelled good, so this time Eefa is watching really closely so maybe she can trust some of them are safe to eat.

She can show her all the ingredients as they go in. Would she like to stir?

Hm... yes she would.

She can stir! And help form the cookie dough into balls.

She sneaks a taste of the cookie dough while doing so.

Chioss winks at her.

Confusing, maybe she has something in her eye.

And then the cookies bake for eight minutes and come out hot and gooey with crisp edges and want a bit to cool off before they will be comfortable to pick up and eat.

Eefa watches them closely in the meantime.

They get less shiny and deflate slightly and stop steaming before Chioss puts one on a plate for her.

Does Chioss do anything to cookie that she gives Eefa?

Nope.

Then Eefa will try a little bit of it. Carefully.