Prince's Place

Hi there, I’m Prince, the admin of this blog. My pronouns are: he/him, they/them, and she/her! This is a SFW agere blog! You can expect to see agere headcannons and fics here, and I do take requests! 

A little about me!

- My little age varies between 2-4.

- My big age is 19. I am an adult.

- Favorite colors are green and blue!

- I’m a tall lil guy, clocking in around 5’10.

- I’m a flip!

I write for the following fandoms. If it has a link, it will direct you to my master list for that fandom for works I've already written! Anime/Cartoons: Boku No Hero Academia (My Hero Academia) Haikyuu! Assassination Classroom Blue Lock Steven Universe Live TV: Law and Order (SVU and Organized Crime) Grey's Anatomy Madam Secretary Criminal Minds Chicago PD Gilmore Girls The Pitt Movies: Marvel Harry Potter (I do NOT support JKR.) Books: Percy Jackson Heartstopper (yes, I know there's a TV show. I follow with the books Alice has written and drawn.) Other Fandoms: Pokemon

Honkai Star Rail

Requests: Open

My tags:

#princeponders - My banter and babble!

#princeposts- my fics and headcannons!

DNI! Please do not interact if you’re any of the following:

A/N: I’ve got to give credit to this fanfiction I read on A03 for introducing me to the concept of Little! Mel and Service Pup! Frank, and then @fandomregression's stuff got me even more hooked (thank you! seriously, big fan of your work!). It’s been living rent-free in my head since, so I figured I’d give it a go.

- Frankie is just such an eager pup for his Melly.

- He always keeps whatever she might need within arm’s reach, ready to deploy at a moment’s notice for his favorite girl. Headphones because it’s too loud? Check. Snacks for hungry girls? Check. Water bottle? Check. Chewelry necklace? Double check.

- When Mel’s little, she likes teaching her puppy silly little commands. “Sit” means Frank immediately plops down beside her. “Heel” means he follows after her faithfully until she releases him from the command… or until something distracts him halfway there.

- She’s also taught him how to roll over and play dead. Frank takes both VERY seriously.

- Frankie LOVES belly rubs. He’ll dramatically flop onto his back and stare at Mel with the biggest puppy eyes imaginable until she caves.

- Frank, when he’s deep in puppyspace, gets distracted so easily. He’ll completely abandon whatever he was doing the second Mel needs something from him.

- One of their favorite things to do together is play fetch. Mel giggles every time she throws the tennis ball she carries around in her bag, and Frank takes off after it like his life depends on it.

- Mel loves reading out loud to her puppy. They curl up together on the couch while she reads a chapter from whatever book they’re working through, and by the end, Frank’s completely melted against her side, sleepy and nuzzly and giving her the saddest puppy eyes when she tries to move.

- Both Mel and Frank adore watching Bluey and Clifford the Big Red Dog together. Frank gets way too emotionally invested in Bluey episodes.

- Frank absolutely has a favorite hoodie of Mel’s because it smells like her. If he’s having a rough day, she’ll find him curled up with it pulled over his head like a blanket.

- Mel painted little paw prints on one of Frank’s old badge clips once as a joke, and now it’s secretly his favorite thing he owns.

- Frank’s favorite place in the world is lying with his head in Mel’s lap while she plays with his hair absentmindedly. He could probably fall asleep there forever.

- Sometimes when Mel’s really little and overwhelmed after a bad shift, Frank instinctively switches from excitable puppy to very calm guard dog energy. He’ll sit beside her quietly, lean against her, and keep other people from bothering her until she feels safe again.

- Frank definitely has zoomies. Usually at the worst possible times.

- Mel has a habit of absentmindedly scratching behind Frank’s ear while she’s focused on something else, and it completely flusters him every single time.

- Frank likes carrying things for her in puppyspace. Doesn’t matter if it’s her bag, her juice bottle, or a stuffed animal she forgot on the couch. If Mel needs help, he’s already grabbing it.

- Frank gets ridiculously protective over Mel’s stuffed animals. If somebody tosses one carelessly or squishes it under something heavy, he looks personally offended on their behalf.

- Frank has a habit of nudging Mel’s hand with his nose whenever he wants attention but doesn’t want to outright ask for it.

- Mel secretly loves brushing Frank’s hair when he’s in puppyspace because he goes so soft and sleepy afterward.

- Mel likes putting colorful Band-Aids on Frank even when his injuries are tiny because “puppies deserve fun Band-Aids too.” Frank acts embarrassed about it, but secretly loves them.

- Frank is terrible at hiding when he’s in puppyspace. The second he gets excited, his whole face changes, and he starts bouncing on the balls of his feet like an overexcited dog waiting for a treat.

- Frank loves routine. If Mel reads to him one night before bed, he expects storytime the next night too and gets pouty if they skip it.

- Mel made friendship bracelets for both of them once, except Frank’s has tiny paw print beads on it. He refuses to take it off, even at work.

- Frank gets very clingy after rough shifts. He doesn’t always have words for what’s wrong in puppyspace, so instead he just quietly follows Mel around the apartment until she sits down and lets him curl up against her.

- Mel sometimes uses a laser pointer to tease him and then immediately regrets it when he spends the next twenty minutes trying to hunt the red dot.

- Frank has a favorite squeaky toy. He tries to act dignified about it until Mel squeaks it once, and suddenly, all composure is gone.

- Mel loves decorating Frank’s things with little doodles. Paw prints on sticky notes, smiley faces on his water bottle, stars on his snack containers. He treasures every single one. - Frank is embarrassingly easy to bribe with praise. Stickers, forehead kisses, a quiet “good boy,” Mel calling him “my puppy”, it all completely short-circuits him every single time.

- Mel always showers him with praise whenever he brings her something she needs. You can practically see his tail wagging every single time she tells him he’s a good boy.

- Mel once made him a little paper “good boy certificate” during a particularly silly day when she was little, and Frank kept it tucked inside his locker for months.

- Whenever Mel gets really small and nonverbal, Frank becomes extra attentive. He’ll sit close beside her, rest his head on her shoulder, and gently nudge things toward her until she feels comfortable enough to communicate again.

- Frank absolutely does that thing dogs do where he circles three times before settling into bed beside her.

- Mel calls him “Frankie puppy” in the same tone people use for little dogs, and it makes him melt instantly.

- Mel regresses younger around Frank than she does around most people because his puppyspace makes her feel safe enough to stop masking so hard. - Mel loves parallel play when she's in little space. She’ll sit on the floor coloring while Frank curls beside her with his head in her lap, perfectly content just being near each other. - Mel likes hiding under blankets when she’s overwhelmed. Frank learns that the solution is usually not to drag her back out immediately, but instead to climb under the blanket fort with snacks and wait quietly beside her until she’s ready. - Mel likes lining things up when she’s especially small or overwhelmed. Crayons organized by color, toys in specific spots, Mel values order when she's small. Frank learned very quickly not to mess up the system, even when he gets excited.

- Luke is the gruff, no-nonsense caregiver type, not because he's strict on purpose, but that's just because he's Luke. - He’s a very grumpy teddy bear. But everyone knows that he has three soft spots. Lorelai, Rory, and you.

- When he knows you’re regressed, he’ll make one of two meals. Chocolate chip pancakes with hot chocolate or grilled cheese with tomato soup. He claims it's because "anything else is overcomplicating things". You just know it's because he knows it's your favorite foods.

- He lets you steal his flannels when you’re small. Makes you swear to not tell others, though.

“I swear, kid, if you tell anyone else, I will never live it down.”

- When he first finds out, he’s very awkward. He hasn’t really had the chance to be around kids, and he doesn’t know the first thing about them or regressors.

- Over time, though, he gets slowly better and better at it. One day, you catch him reading a parenting book when he mutters:

"This doesn't make any sense." Luke complains, glaring at the book. He hadn't noticed you slipping into his apartment after work.

- Turns out, He's been reading a parenting book in secret to try to be better. It makes you melt. - Luke and you are both headstrong, stubborn people. This means that Luke has yet to learn that you do not negotiate with a toddler. Especially when that toddler is his regressed partner negotiating for a later bedtime.

-“No bed!” “You’re falling asleep sitting up.” “M’fine.” “You just called the salt shaker ‘Jeff.’” “That’s his name.”

- Luke eventually figures out that distraction and redirection work a lot better to coax his little one to sleep. He becomes surprisingly good at redirection once he figures out negotiating with a little is a losing battle. - Luke can and will carry you to bed when you fall asleep. - If you're a non-verbal little, Luke adapts almost immediately.

Luke holds up the juice and the bottle of water. "Juice or Water?" You point at the juice. He tosses it to you. "There you go, kid."

- He treats your stuffed animal with complete seriousness. He doesn't tease it, doesn't toss it around, and makes sure it is well taken care of and always with you. - Luke doesn't baby-talk (very much unlike Lorelai!), but his voice gets noticeably softer. He claims it doesn't. It does. - He's also very practical about his rare spoiling of you - extra fries, letting you steal his flannels permanently, fixing things before you notice they're broken.

- He's also very good at noticing when you're regressing before you do. - He doesn't love messes, but he'd rather you were having fun than being clean. - Luke pretends he’s annoyed the first time he realizes you forgot one of your comfort items at the diner. After that, backups just mysteriously start appearing everywhere. His apartment, his truck, you name it - there's probably a backup. He refuses to acknowledge it. - Luke is quietly affectionate. A hand at the small of your back. Pulling you closer by your sleeve. Resting his palm against your knee while he drinks his coffee like he isn’t even thinking about it. - He sticks to calling you kid as a pet name. - Luke is terrible at imaginative play at first. He approaches tea parties like business meetings.

“You’re s’posed to pretend,” you whisper. “I am pretending.” “No, you’re doing taxes.”

- Luke’s good at handling nightmares because he doesn’t overcomplicate them. He just pulls you close, rubs slow circles into your back, and just talks.

“You’re okay.” “I got you.” “Take a breath for me, kid.”

- That’s Dana’s little lamb right there, and absolutely nobody in the Pitt is allowed to argue otherwise.

- Emma loves coloring. Give her a fresh coloring book and the giant 128-pack of crayons, and she’ll disappear into her own little world for hours, tongue poking out in concentration while Dana quietly works beside her. Dana keeps coloring books everywhere now - In her house, in the car, even stuffed into her work bag for bad days.

- Emma is a deeply anxious little, so Dana is rarely allowed out of arm’s reach once she regresses. Fingers hooked in her sleeve, clinging to her hand, curled against her side, Emma attaches herself to Dana like a baby koala.

“You’re my tiny shadow, y’know that?” Dana teases one day. Emma just nods solemnly and clings harder.

- Emma goes absolutely insane for watermelon-flavored anything. Candy, lip balm, slushies, gummies, you name it. If it says watermelon on the label, Dana’s already buying two.

- Emma is ridiculously giggly. Dana lives for it. She’ll do dramatic readings of discharge paperwork in a princess voice, pull ridiculous faces across the kitchen island, or loudly accuse Emma’s plushies of tax fraud just to hear her dissolve into helpless little squeaks.

- Princess play is sacred in Dana’s apartment. Emma owns dresses in every possible color and texture, complete with plastic tiaras and sparkly shoes she constantly trips over. Dana rotates between playing the brave knight, the queen, and the big bad dragon.

- Dana kisses Emma constantly without even realizing she’s doing it anymore. Forehead kisses while passing by. Cheek kisses during movie nights. Tiny absentminded kisses pressed into Emma’s curls while she’s half asleep. - Emma is obsessed with Barbie movies and Disney films. Dana swears she’s heard the entire Moana soundtrack often enough at this point. And yet, somehow, she still catches herself singing along. - Emma’s plushie collection amounts to a small army. Dana keeps saying she’s cut off from buying more, and then Emma gives her the biggest puppy eyes, and suddenly Dana’s carrying another plushie to the checkout counter. - Emma is painfully shy around other littles at first. Dana usually has to gently coax her into group activities, rubbing circles into her back while Emma hides behind her shoulder, but once Emma warms up, she’s the sweetest little thing in the world.

- Dana loves swaddling Emma in blankets after especially hard days. Emma gets all warm and sleepy almost immediately, blinking slowly up at Dana before inevitably passing out against her chest.

- Emma absolutely adores playdates with the other Pitt littles, especially Victoria. The two of them can spend hours playing princesses, coloring, or lining up plushies for elaborate tea parties while the adults supervise from nearby. Dana also finds endless amusement in teaching Cassie the very serious art of caring for little girls.

“No, see, the strawberry detangler matters,” Dana explains gravely. Cassie looks exhausted already.

- Bath time is one of Emma’s favorite parts of the day. Dana’s bathroom has slowly been overtaken by bubble bath bottles, bath bombs, tiny toys, and approximately fourteen different lotions.

- Dana adores Emma’s curls. Wash nights became a whole ritual without either of them really meaning for it to happen. Warm towels fresh from the dryer, detangler that smells like strawberries, soft music playing quietly while Dana patiently works through Emma’s curls section by section. It’s one of the few times Emma gets completely still.

- Emma loves being read to, even though she can absolutely read by herself. It’s never really been about the story. It’s Dana’s steady cadence and the feeling of being tucked safely against her side while someone she trusts reads the words for her.

- Dana learned how to braid hair entirely because Emma liked “princess hair.” There are bookmarked YouTube tutorials all over her phone now. Some mornings, Emma walks into work with little star clips or ribbons woven into her curls, and everybody immediately knows Dana had time off the night before.

- Emma is obsessed with stickers. Puffy stickers, glitter stickers, scented stickers, any of them. Dana has absolutely shown up to rounds with a sparkly dolphin sticker mysteriously attached to her ID badge.

- Consequently, Emma loves sticker charts. Dana jokingly made one once for things like drinking water, taking meds, and getting enough sleep, and Emma became deeply invested in earning sparkly stickers.

- Emma likes sitting on the bathroom counter while Dana does skincare at night, kicking her feet while handing Dana products like a very tiny assistant.

“Moisturizer,” Dana says, holding out her hand. Emma passes it over with the seriousness of a surgical nurse.

- Emma thrives on routine when she’s little. Same blanket. Same bedtime snack. Same movie she’s seen a hundred times already. Dana memorizes all of it without even trying because consistency makes Emma feel safe, and Dana would do just about anything to preserve that safety for her.

- Thunderstorms are terrifying for Emma in little space. Dana eventually turns stormy nights into cozy nights instead. Blanket nests in bed, Disney movies, warm tea for Dana, and watermelon juice for Emma, counting the seconds between thunder while Dana holds her close until the storm passes.

- Dana keeps emergency regression supplies in her hospital locker now without even thinking about it anymore. Crayons, Watermelon candy, hair ties, Strawberry detangler spray, and a tiny plush lamb. Nobody in the Pitt comments on it, mostly because everybody already knows exactly who it’s for.

CG! Baran + her own regressors + Victoria

A/N: OOOH! This is a fun prompt, thank you for sending it in, Anon! I'll try to address this in the best way I can. I'm going to split this up based on the two posts I have already (mostly because, admittedly, I haven't worked out what Baran and having all three as regressors as a collective looks like! I love Baran, and I think she's incredible, but four is a crowd)

- It honestly depends on which littles Baran has with her at the time. (And yes, Baran has somehow accidentally become the babysitter/caregiver for half of the Pitt.) For Mel/Samira/Baran & Little! Vic: - Surprisingly, Mel, Samira, and Victoria all get along really well while regressed. Mel and Samira both regress quite a bit older than Victoria does, so they immediately go into “tiny baby!!!” mode around her. - Mel especially absolutely melts over toddler-aged Vic. She’s constantly offering her stickers, helping her hold juice boxes, or gasping dramatically every time Victoria does something cute.

“She said please!” “Yes, azizam,” Baran laughs softly. “She does know words.”

- Samira is a lot calmer about it, but very patient with Victoria. She’s the type to sit beside Victoria and quietly color with her for an hour while Vic babbles away happily beside her. - Victoria ADORES the two older littles paying attention to her. She gets very attached very quickly and starts toddling after Mel and Samira like a baby duck. - Baran can't help but melt over the sight. Something about seeing Mel tuck a blanket around Victoria and Samira patiently helping Vic color, makes Baran look like she might cry at the sight of her girls being so caring towards someone so tiny. - Mel is the assistant caretaker.

“Shhh, Vic’s sleepy.” “Don’t give her the tiny crayons, she chews those.”

- Mel LOVES helping Baran with tasks such as getting juice boxes, picking bedtime stories, and helping choose pajamas for Victoria. - Samira is more of a fun older sister.

“Wanna see somethin’ cool?” “Samira, do NOT teach Victoria how to jump off the couch.”

- Mel and Samira both become fiercely protective of Victoria when they’re regressed together. - Baran eventually develops a sixth sense for silence, especially because silence with those three NEVER means peace. One day, she walks into the living room to find Victoria covered in stickers and Mel (with Samira actively helping) trying to color on the walls.

- Baran just stands there with her tea for a solid five seconds. Mel immediately bursts into tears when all three of them realize Baran's there because she thinks they’re in trouble. Which means Baran instantly starts comforting her. “No, no, joonam, I’m not upset.”

For Barantos & Little! Vic:

- Trinity and Victoria, however, are absolutely still themselves while regressed. Trinity regresses around preschool age, Victoria around toddler age, and suddenly, Baran is mediating a dispute over who gets to sit in her lap. - Trinity is deeply possessive of Baran’s attention when regressed, especially because of her childhood trauma. She’s spent so much of her life feeling abandoned or overlooked that seeing Baran hold Vic can hit a really raw nerve.

- Trinity struggles with jealousy a lot more than the others because of her childhood trauma and abandonment issues. Sharing Baran’s attention doesn’t come naturally to her, especially when Victoria is so tiny and needs more hands-on care. - Trinity gets especially sulky whenever Victoria gets carried around a lot.

“I wanna uppies too.” “You are fully capable of walking.” Trinity glares. “Mama.”

- Victoria, meanwhile, is little enough that she genuinely does not understand why Trinity is upset.

- So Trinity will be sulking dramatically in the corner while Vic waddles over trying to hand her a stuffed animal, like:

“Bunbun?”

- Victoria honestly doesn’t understand jealousy at first because she’s so little. She just thinks Trinity is mad at her randomly and gets all watery-eyed about it.

“No like Vic?”

- Baran handles it with a frankly insane amount of patience.

“You are both allowed to need me at the same time.”

- She never frames it as Trinity being bad for feeling jealous, which is important. Instead, she reassures her constantly while still maintaining boundaries.

“I know it feels hard right now, azizam. But loving Victoria does not mean I love you less.”

- Trinity also tends to regress louder than Victoria. Vic gets quiet and clingy; Trinity gets emotional and reactive. So if Trinity feels ignored, everybody in the apartment is going to know about it. - Baran gets very good at multitasking physically. One arm holding Victoria on her hip, while the other reaches out to pull Trinity into her side, too. - Despite the jealousy, Trinity is actually VERY protective of Victoria once she gets used to it. Nobody is allowed to upset the baby. - Trinity absolutely gets offended on Vic’s behalf if somebody startles her or makes her cry.

“NO! She’s little!”

- Victoria, for her part, thinks Trinity is the coolest person alive. She follows her around whenever they’re both regressed and wants to be doing whatever Trinity is doing.

Caregiver! Baran Al - Hashimi & Little! Victoria Javadi

A/N: Anon, I hope I did your brain justice - I definitely really tried my hardest with this one! Vic is such a fun character to write for. Also enjoy the McVadi sneak (that’s coming up soon once I have time to sit down and write that out) - if you have any more asks in the future, feel free to send away!! I cannot even begin to tell you how excited I was to wake up to see this in my inbox.

- Victoria tends to have Cassie as a main caregiver. Still, Cassie definitely gets so busy juggling Harrison and her tense relationship with Chad as well as her past and the fun legal stuff that at times Baran steps in to help take care of Victoria when she’s tiny.

- I like to imagine that Victoria is one of the youngest regressors out of everyone in the Pitt. Baran melts over how little Victoria regresses sometimes. Most of the Pitt littles hover older, so getting to care for somebody so tiny brings out an almost unbearably soft side of Baran.

- Victoria goes completely nonverbal when she’s really little, but Baran never pressures her to speak. She’ll simply kneel down beside her, hold out her hands, and ask softly:

“Do you want uppies, azizam, or space?”

- Victoria is so little when she regresses that Baran instinctively slips into this impossibly soft tone around her without even realizing she’s doing it.

“Hi, sweet girl.” “There you are.” “Maman’s got you.”

- Baran is actually a great match for a Little! Vic because she's so patient and kind, and that's great for Victoria, whose parents growing up were rushed, impatient, and cold. So Vic gets to have a second chance with a lot more love and warmth. - Victoria is a huge fan of being carried everywhere when little, and Baran indulges her constantly. - Vic gets startled really easily when little, especially by loud noises or conflict. Baran gets in the habit of warning her before sudden loud sounds.

“Okay, azizam, blender’s gonna be loud for a second.”

- Baran absolutely rocks Victoria to sleep when she’s especially little. She'll slowly sway her while softly humming and rubbing her back.

- Vic absolutely sucks her thumb sometimes when she regresses really young. The first time it happens, she’s mortified afterward. Baran doesn't make a big deal of it, but she buys a ton of pacifiers because she hates the germs from Victoria's hand ending up in Vic's mouth.

- Vic loves being tucked against Baran’s chest while Baran talks softly to other people around the apartment. She doesn’t even care what’s being discussed; she just likes listening to Maman’s voice vibrate against her ear. - When Victoria gets really tiny, Baran starts instinctively bouncing her slightly whenever she’s holding her, even while multitasking in the kitchen or answering texts. - Vic absolutely falls asleep holding onto one of Baran’s fingers. - Victoria gets very clingy when she’s sleepy little. If Baran stands up, suddenly a tiny sleepy Vic is trailing behind her, wrapped in a blanket like a baby duck.

“Maman?” “Yes, azizam?” “Where goin’?” “To the kitchen.” “…Oh.”

- Baran has mastered the art of doing things one-handed because Victoria refuses to be put down some days.

- Tiny Vic gets incredibly attached to praise because she didn’t grow up receiving gentle affirmation consistently.

“You did such a good job, azizam.” And suddenly, Vic’s looking at Baran like she hung the moon.

- Victoria loves being read to, but specifically likes hearing Baran read things far above her little age because she likes the sound of Baran’s voice more than the actual story.

- Victoria gets embarrassed really easily after regressing younger than intended. Baran always handles it calmly and warmly.

- Baran found out that they both regressed when all three of them used to work together at the VA. - She wasn't going to leave it be when she found out that two of her best doctors were regressing alone, and she realized she could give both of them the safety neither of them seemed to have otherwise. Especially since her house was empty most of the time anyway, with her son being with his dad most of the time due to her busy schedule. Therefore, the most practical solution was to let Mel and Samira come over, relieve their stress, and Baran would get to care for her doctors as well as fill her house with love and laughter again. - Baran first found out about Samira after Samira had an absolutely brutal shift at the VA. Two patients died. Another, she couldn’t help because insurance delays had tied everyone’s hands.

Samira had kept it together all night purely out of stubbornness and adrenaline. So the second she was alone, she broke. Baran went looking for her after noticing she never came back from the locker room. She expected crying, maybe anger. Instead, she found Samira curled up in the corner between the benches, sobbing so hard she could barely breathe, and emotionally, she looked so impossibly small. “Samira?” Baran said softly, crouching down in front of her. “Hey, honey, what’s wrong?” Samira flinched like she’d been caught doing something shameful. “’m sorry,” she cried in a tiny voice completely unlike her usual composed self. “I tried really hard.” Baran’s expression softened instantly. “Oh, sweetheart.” “I couldn’t fix them.” Baran sat down on the floor beside her without hesitation. “Come here.” After only a second of hesitation, Samira practically collapsed into her lap. That was when Baran realized this wasn’t just a breakdown. The way Samira clung to her hoodie sleeve with trembling hands and the slurred speech. Baran had seen trauma responses like this before during psych rotations back when she was a resident. So, in true Baran fashion, she adapted immediately. “You do not have to apologize for hurting,” Baran murmured, rubbing circles into her back. “You had a horrible night.” “Patients s’posed to get better,” Samira whispered miserably. “I know.” “I’m bad at this.” That one nearly broke Baran’s heart because Samira was one of the best residents she’d ever worked with. Brilliant, compassionate, endlessly hardworking. “No,” Baran said gently, tipping Samira’s chin up enough to meet her eyes. “You cared and fought for them. Sometimes medicine still loses anyway, and that's very sad.” Samira’s lip wobbled. After a long silence, she asked quietly, “Can you stay?” Baran immediately squeezed her hand. “Yeah, azizam. I’ll stay.” So she did. She sat on the locker room floor holding Samira while she cried herself out, occasionally mumbling sleepy apologies into Baran’s shoulder. Later, once she’d calmed down a little, Baran asked softly, “Does this happen a lot?” Samira looked mortified but gave a tiny nod. “Sometimes when things get bad,” she admitted quietly. “It helps.” Baran just squeezed her hand again.“Okay,” she said simply.

- Baran would find out about Mel a month or two later.

Mel had the day off and wasn’t answering her phone, which normally wouldn’t have been strange, except Baran needed to speak with her about a shared patient before the next morning. Nothing catastrophic, but important enough that Baran decided to swing by her apartment on the way home. She knocked lightly on the door. “Dr. King? It’s me, Dr. Al-Hashimi.” She was met with silence. Baran frowned faintly. Mel was usually quick to answer, if not the door, then at least a muffled “one second!” from somewhere inside. She knocked again. “Mel?” Still, no response or sign of life. Now mildly concerned, Baran tried the handle and realized the door was unlocked. “Dr. King?” she called carefully as she stepped inside. “I’m coming in.” The apartment was cozy and dimly lit. It had been one of those rainy afternoons where the world felt soft around the edges. There was a cartoon playing quietly on the TV, the smell of microwave mac and cheese lingering in the air, and craft supplies absolutely everywhere. And in the middle of the living room floor sat Mel. She was sitting cross-legged in fuzzy socks, surrounded by stuffed animals and half-finished bracelets, completely absorbed in coloring. Mel looked up at the sound of Baran’s voice and then froze. The expression of horror that crossed her face was immediate. Baran stopped too, suddenly realizing several things at once. It was very clear that Mel was not in her normal state of mind. Her massive hoodie engulfing her hands, her posture smaller and softer, and her chewelry dangling from her neck. “Oh,” Baran said quietly before she could stop herself. Mel immediately scrambled to sit up straighter, face burning red. “I-I can explain—” “You don’t have to,” Baran interrupted gently. That only seemed to make Mel more embarrassed somehow. “I wasn’t doing anything weird,” she rushed out. “I just— sometimes on my days off I—” “Mel.” Baran’s voice stayed calm and warm. “You are allowed to relax in your own apartment.” Mel stared at her, clearly expecting confusion at best and judgment at worst. Instead, Baran just glanced down at the friendship bracelet supplies scattered across the carpet. “…Are those frog beads?” she asked. Mel blinked hard, completely thrown by the question. “...Yeah.” “They’re very cute.” That finally earned a tiny, startled laugh out of her. Baran sat carefully on the couch while Mel slowly uncurled from her panic on the floor, still visibly mortified but no longer looking seconds away from bolting out a window. “I’m sorry the apartment’s messy,” Mel mumbled. “It’s cleaner than most residents’ apartments,” Baran replied dryly, which made Mel snort softly. And, since Baran was observant, she saw the details afterward. The carefully folded weighted blanket was draped across the couch’s arm, and the noise-canceling headphones were plugged in to charge next to the television. Safe foods lay cluttered across the counter. Baran understood more than Mel probably realized, though unlike Samira, Mel clearly understood herself far better than she let other people see. And thanks to Samira, a month earlier, Baran recognized the signs almost immediately. This wasn’t childishness. It was simply how Mel let herself rest after forcing herself to hold everything together day after day. So Baran simply discussed the patient with her like normal, accepted the frog bracelet Mel shyly offered her before she left, and never treated her any differently afterward. Which was exactly why Mel trusted her enough to eventually regress around her on purpose.

- The first time Baran introduces Little! Samira to Little! Mel, it's anxiety wrecking for all parties.

"What if she doesn't like me, maman?" Samira would cling to Baran anxiously. They were waiting for Mel to come over on the day that all three of them had off, and clearly, Samira was already regressed. They’d spent weeks trying to coordinate a day when all three of them were off so the girls could finally meet properly without Baran having to split her time between separate visits. "Azizam, I'm sure it'll be fine. Mel's a sweet little girl." Baran would coo. But Baran couldn't lie; she was filled with her own anxieties. She really hoped the two would hit it off. And then the doorbell rang.

- They, very fortunately, hit it off. So much so that they get very comfortable with the idea of regressing around each other, and more often than not, Baran has two little girls running around. It makes her heart happy. - After Baran's first day in the Pitt, she suddenly understands why, for the last ten months, Samira has been walking through the door of her house and just regressing immediately. Yes, she'd heard about both Mel and Samira's complaints about Robby. Still, she hadn't really understood until dealing with the man himself and watching him needle Samira all day with insults and passive-aggressive behavior.

- That night, Baran is curled up with her girls on the couch.

"Sami? Sweet girl, Maman is so sorry she didn't realize how hard Dr. Robby was being on you."

She showers her girls with a ton of love and affection that night. She hadn't really understood, and now she does. - Mel is very naturally the little sister in this scenario. She loves playing with her stuffies and hanging out with Samira because "Mira is the coolest ever!" She always acts like Samira just accomplished advanced neurosurgery, even if it's just Samira showing her how to make toast. - Samira tends to take on the role of the older sister to Mel's little sister when both of them regress. She's the one doing Mel's hair, making her bracelets, reading her books that Mel doesn't quite understand just yet because "she's just so little, maman!" - Both of them, when they're little, love to do a ton of crafting. Baran always makes sure she has a million and one craft supplies on hand because her girls always want to draw or make her something. Her fridge is just absolutely covered in stuff they both made. - Mel has made matching bracelets for all of them. Samira wears hers proudly, both at home and work. Baran wears hers under her jacket sleeve at work but openly at home. - Both Baran and Samira have gotten used to Mel's stims and sensory needs. They both have headphones on the ready, and they're always willing and able to accommodate where Mel is at. Now, it's not always smooth sailing - they've really been working on trying to help Mel with unmasking and her emotional regulation and needs. A lot of the time, Mel gets overwhelmed and hides and starts chewing on her fingers. - This has led Baran to start carrying around a chewable necklace just for Mel when those moments happen. They also start getting soft things and weighted blankets for Mel, and they're really good at adapting for when she goes non-verbal. Samira always finds a fun way to play with Mel, even when she doesn't feel like talking. - They both call Baran "Maman" or "Mama".