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Loid was very specific when he was regressed.
Not that that’s a bad thing, but him being specific means it took Yor longer to figure out what he liked. It took a bit to learn what age range he regresses to, his triggers, his favorite things to do when regressed, etc.
After Loid entrusted her to be his caregiver, she was a bundle of nerves the next time he regressed around her. What if she overstepped her boundaries and made Loid feel uncomfortable? What if she wasn’t a good enough caregiver? What if Loid never regressed again because of her? What if she was so bad at her role that he never trusted her again?
She pushed all those “what if” questions to the back of her mind and put on a calm face. If she showed any sign of worry, Loid would probably immediately pick it up and stop regressing. That couldn’t happen! The baby needed attention, not her!
At that time, she didn’t know what he liked to do. So, she proposed everything under the sun that they could do: play with blocks, color, go outside, play with stuffies, etc… But Loid would just blink at her while absentmindedly chewing on his bottom lip. He didn’t look particularly interested in any of her suggestions.
It wasn’t until she asked him if he wanted to cuddle that he lit up and made grabby hands towards her. Although hesitant, she sat on the couch. He immediately snuggled up against her side…
And that was it. They didn’t move from that spot until it was time for dinner, and Loid looked happy.
So, what did Loid like to do when he regressed?
The answer was nothing. He liked to do absolutely nothing.
Loid Forger was a spy and a father, and both of those roles required him to run around 24/7 fighting Ostanian agents and chasing his daughter throughout the house while demanding she do her homework. Not to mention the family outings on the weekends. They were supposed to build morale, but for Loid they were only the cherry on top of an already exhausting week.
So, during his regressing time, his chance to finally relax, he wanted to do absolutely nothing. No big activities that required physical exertion, no outings, nothing spy related… The baby was perfectly content to just sit on the couch snuggled up against Yor and take a nap for the whole afternoon. If Yor got up for any reason, Loid, like a little puppy, would trail behind her with a big pout while dragging a fluffy blanket across the floor. The message he sent to Yor was loud and clear: “Mama, why aren’t you snuggling with me?!”
Sometimes, if a week was particularly stressful or Loid just wanted more attention that day, he wouldn’t allow Yor to get up at all. If she made any move, he would huff and drape himself across her lap, preventing her escape. She would end up carrying him on her hip throughout the house.
Loid loved it when Yor held him or carried him around. Sometimes they would play airplane, one of the very few games Loid liked to play. Yor would hold Loid up and spin him around in the air (not too fast) while making airplane noises. The two could go on for hours, laughing and laughing until their cheeks hurt.
That was another thing Yor noticed. It seemed like Loid only wanted to be around Yor when he regressed. If they were both home and Loid felt small, he would walk around the house to try and find Yor. If Yor got home late and Loid felt small, she would immediately be greeted with a rib-crushing hug when she walked through the door.
Yor was flattered that Loid seemed to like her as a caregiver and was comfortable enough to freely regress around her. Over time, she too became more comfortable as she got into the flow of caregiving. She came up with new, simple games they could play that didn’t require much activity, like hair salon, where Yor messes around with Loid’s hair by putting clips and things in it.
Other activities included: playing with stuffies, coloring, and rolling around on the floor. Yor didn’t understand the last one, but she’s seen Anya do it occasionally. It must do something or provide some kind of entertainment on a level that Yor couldn’t understand.
Yor was typically the one to initiate play, with Loid watching her from the side, but he also contributed in small amounts.
However, all these activities had one similar factor: Yor herself. Loid only wanted to be around her, and that fact had still been nibbling at the back of her mind for a while. Yor’s curiosity and desire to know why bothered her. So she decided to ask Loid.
The two were having some tiny time after Anya went to bed. Yor looked down at Loid, who was laying across her lap, and asked him why he liked to be with her all the time while regressed. However, she quickly backtracked, thinking the question was too insensitive and apologized for even asking it. Loid’s small voice rang out, silencing her stuttering.
“…Mama’s safe.”
Those two words resounded in Yor’s heart. Even after she tucked Loid in and settled under her own bedsheets, those two words were echoing throughout her mind.
She smiled to herself and rolled over to her side. Needless-to-say, she was incredibly honored to have the title of Loid’s caregiver. She was so happy that she was able to make him feel safe and comfortable around her, and she wanted to maintain that feeling.
And as her eyes closed, she promised to do exactly that.