Hmmm Janus and Logan find out that Remus is a little and they take care of the baby? You don't have to! Take your time too :3
Remus was sitting on his bed watching beetlejuice for the third time in a row and using crayons to fill in a gory picture in his coloring book. Neither activity was exactly kid friendly but Remus didnt know what else to do. He only knew the creepy movies, that was his jurisdiction, so that was what he watched. Same with the coloring. He might try to draw something 'normal' bit it always came out....off...
None of the other sides knew he regressed to deal with the constant stream of intrusive thoughts running through his head at all times. He was never one to keep secrets but this...this was the one thing the other sides didn't know about him and he was going to keep it that way. He didnt need them to pay less attention to him than they already did when they would surely decide he was less of a threat than they originally thought.
He pouts at the idea of less attention. He really cant get enough if it. Not that anyone is willing to give it to him. Sure Deceit might tolerate him. They might even have what some would call pleasant interactions from time to time. But Janus was really very busy usually, and he tended to get very grumpy when Remus interrupted his meticulous planning sessions with his morningstar and a moldy banana that he threw at the wall.
So there he sat in his room, watching beetlejuice and colouring alone, even though he really wanted someone to pay attention to him.
Janus noted that Remus had been acting...odd lately. He would make excuses for why he had to leave the room suddenly and while it was believable to most of the sides when Remus said he had to go figure out the melting point of birds, Janus could taste the lie.
After a few times of this happening he decided enough was enough and he was going to get to the bottom of whatever the trash man was doing. It was making him nervous to say the least. Remus didnt usually lie so whatever he was doing was probably highly destructive in Janus's mind.
When he creaked open the door however he did not expect to see Remus in a onesie watching beetlejuice and coloring with his thumb in his mouth.
Furthermore he definitely didnt expect Remus to look at him with wide eyes and begin wailing and scrambling away from him.
What??? Was all Janus could think for a few moments before he took a deep breath and slowly approached Remus, trying to calm him down.
He shook his head and backed up a bit more.
"Its alright I'm not going to hurt you." He tried to assure him.
"Bu- but you- think m' not scawy anymore!" He wailed.
Jan winced and reached him, placing a hand on his shoulder and Remus collapsed, knees giving out. Luckily Janus was able to catch him and lifted him up.
"Believe me I am all sorts of scared right now. Come on, we're taking you to Logan, he'll know what's going on with you." Janus quickly sunk out with him confused as all hell as Remus started crying and squirming again. Logan already didnt take him seriously! But Janus kept a tight grip on him and rapped at logans door impatiently.
The glasses clad side opened the door with a look of exasperation
"What?!" Then his eyes fell on remus and he stepped back a bit in surprise, giving janus the opportunity to briskly walk in with Remus and set him on the bed. Said side was now hiding his face in a pillow.
"He's broken. We broke him." Janus pointed at Remus,
"He isnt broken Janus." Logan brushed him off and approached Remus. "Hmm...I think I might have an idea of what's going on. What was he doing when you found him?" He questioned.
"Umm...watching beetlejuice and doing a coloring page I think?"
"And did he seem different than usual?"
"Oh I don't know Logan. What do you think??"
Logan rolled his eyes but nodded. "I think I might have some idea of what's going on."
He sat down slowly next to Rwmus so he didn't startle him. "Remus, how old are you?"
"What kind of question is that? He's thirt-"
"M' two." Came the hesitant reply.
Janus stared at him, more and more confused by the second as Logan just nodded and readjust his glasses.
"As I thought. It seems Remus is engaging in a coping mechanism commonly known as age regression."
"Age what now?" Janus asked as Remus whined and buried his head behind Logan while he rubbed his back, not liking that his secret was being figured out.
"Age regression. It's when an individual either voluntarily or involuntarily reverts back to an earlier stage in their state of mind. So Remus here," he gestured to him "is about the mental mindset of a two year old. Is that right honey?" His voice softened as he turned to Remus for the last bit who nodded reluctantly.
"Oh no need to apologize." He picks him up and sets him on his lap. "Its a perfectly healthy coping mechanism, we arent going to judge you for it." He perks up a bit at that and nuzzles into Logan, enjoying the attention.
"How do you know so much about this?" Dee asked, eyebrow raised.
"Virgil taught me." He responded simply, not giving a further explanation and Janus didnt ask for one. Just sat down next to the two other sides as Remus played happily with Logans fingers, no longer worried about them knowing his secret as it didnt seem like they were going to judge him.
"So...what do we do?" Janus asked finally.
"Well we should supervise him until he comes out of this headspace. From what he's told us he's fairly young and honestly I dont trust adult Remus to be unsupervised." He shifted Remus out of his hold and handed him off to Janus who took him and set him on his hip. "I'm going to make him some food, entertain him while I'm gone." He turns and walks out leaving the too alone.
"So...what do you want to do buddy?"
Twenty minutes later Logan walks in on the two watching a horror film and looks positively exasperated.
"Why are you watching this with him?"
"Um...because he said he wanted to watch it?" Janus looks confused.
"He's two Jan, this is not age appropriate." He turns of the television with a click, getting whines from both Janus and Remus.
"Its lunch time anyways Remus." Logan tuts and lifts him off of Janus. He hands him a sippy cup and some dinosaurs nuggets which he quickly demolishes and whines in complaint when Logan wipes the crumbs and ketchup off his face.
"Hold still Remus." He grunts as he tries to get it while Remus shakes his head away.
Ree sticks out his tounge and hops down giggling and running out the door and into the imagination, he decided he wanted to cause some trouble.
Janus is up and chasing after him almost instantly while Logan shakes his head and sighs in his room, cleaning up the dishes.
Remus cackles as he watches jan try to follow him through the imagination. Remus knows every inch of the territory so he's much faster. At least he was until the imagination did its job. You see since Remus was in the imagination, the place where thoughts come to life, and his thoughts were currently that of a small child...well he shrunk rather quickly to that age and soon enough Janus caught up to him as he stumbled on his tiny legs.
"Gotchya!" Janus scooped him up and he shrieked with laughter, Jan couldn't help a small smile either.
"You certainly are a handful."
He smiles deviously and nods.
Jan brings him back to Logans room but he doesn't regain his usual size. Logan theorizes that he probably wont until he ages up again.
"Remus." Logan scolds when they arrive back. "You cannot run off like that." Ree just sticks out his tounge with a small pout.
"I know baby." Logan takes him from Jan. "It isnt fair is it? But the imagination is dangerous for a child to be all alone in. What if the dragon witch saw you?"
He shrugged, he hadn't thought of that.
"Exactly." Logan set him down on the bed and Remus let out a tiny yawn.
"Is it naptime?" Janus asks
"Oh so you aren't tired?" Janus asked eyebrow raised.
"That's a lie." He said "do you know what happens to little babies who lie?"
"They turn into tacos!" Janus quickly wraps him up in a blanket as he giggles wildly.
Janus slips him under the comforter and he frowns "you tricked me!"
"That I did." Jan smirks "now get some rest little hatchling." He grumbles but they taper off as Logan and Janus cuddle him to sleep.