#riddle’s mother

[windblume-wishes]

Game of Thorns - A Twisted Wonderland Story

Every rose has its thorns, and with every stab one will bleed bright crimson from that thorns very touch. Riddle is no different, he is a rose with many thorns, but who's not to say even the rose himself will be stabbed brutally with his own protective thorns.

Chapter 4: Learning to Love Yourself

When Riddle awoke the next morning he looked about to see he was all alone in the infirmary, his private room completely devoid of his parents and all that remained was him and a few of his belongings. He remembered that the headmaster told his parents that they could stay in the nearby hotel in Port Town as the private infirmary room was a bit tight to hold three people for the nights they were to stay. Riddle looked to the nightstand and noticed a note written by his mother that was being held in the plush paws of his bunny Alice.

Picking up the letter, he silently read it;

Good morning, Riddle,

By the time you read this we, your father and I will be taking our rest in the Oceanview Hotel in town. I hope our absence will not put you into any discomfort, however, if it does, we are a phone call away- that is why we allowed you a cell phone remember? You are a brilliant boy so I assume you already know that, seeing as you are our son and you inherited our brilliance naturally.

Before we left, the nurse informed us that you are doing splendidly and will make a swift recovery in due time, you are still expected to study and work hard even in recovery though! But, please rest and try not to strain yourself. Also, a young lad named Deuce came by the infirmary with your books so I placed them atop the table under the window.

The nurse also provided you with a counseling session schedule, that can be found with your books- honestly, such a thing being handed to you should be seen as an insult! But, as a medical professional I should look at this as an opportunity for you, an opportunity for you to grow mentally. Mental growth will help you tremendously with your education and life so do take this as a learning opportunity.

Lastly, I was informed that this plush “friend” of yours is named Alice, charming when considering that is your Great, Great, Grandmother’s name. I entrusted this letter to her, your rabbit friend, so I hope this letter finds you well. I know this may come as a surprise to you, son, but I too had a beloved plush rabbit- mine was named Mary-Ann after one of the rabbits in grandmother Alice’s tale. I’m sure she’s tucked away somewhere safely in the basement.

Please don’t hesitate to call your father and I if you need us, Riddle.

Love,

Mum

Riddle placed the letter on his lap, tears flowing from his pale eyes as he reached for his bunny, hugging her to his chest and allowing himself to cry freely as he read the ending over and over. “Love, Mum” spoke volumes to him- did that truly mean that he was loved? genuinely loved and appreciated by his mother?

‘Tell me, mother, am I genuinely loved or am I simply a trophy child that you wish to display? I do not know anymore… please, mummy… tell me, tell me that I am REALLY loved and not just a porcelain doll atop a shelf…’

Riddle pushed himself against his headboard, shifting his knees so his head could rest atop them, Alice Bunny still pressed against his chest as he sobbed heavily into her soft plush head. Everything hurt, his heart ached and throbbed like he was being squeezed and stabbed by harsh and unforgiving thorns. He felt like his tears were no longer tears of salt water but of blood, the swelling under his eyes and atop his cheeks were from poisonous thorns and not from his tears. Riddle, despite his mother’s letter and unusually kind words. His sobs, while loud, were surprised by the toy’s plush body, however, some sound did emerge and was heard by the last person Riddle thought he’d see.

A knock sounded at the door but through his cries, Riddle did not hear the knocking thus leaving the individual to enter on their own. Riddle looked up the second the door opened, trying to hide his crying by quickly drying his eyes- the sight of the fearsome Heartslabyul Housewarden wailing like an infant would not be a good look to continue sporting. Riddle then remembered that he had his bunny with him, he then attempted to hide her under the covers but without him realizing it, her floppy ear hung out.

“Riddle?” Came Vil’s smooth voice laced heavily with concern, allowing himself into the room and taking a seat on the chair by the bed. “No need to hide the tears, I already know and completely understand. Your tears, while causing your poor skin to puff, are completely valid given your circumstances.”

“V-Vil, I’m sorry you must see me l-like this…” Riddle hiccuped, still drying his eyes with his nightgown’s sleeve. “W-what brings you here…?”

Sighing with a small smile, Vil took out a clean handkerchief and began to lightly wipe away Riddle’s tears. “You missed a housewarden meeting, that’s all, and before you go into a tangent as to why it’s utterly unacceptable to miss an important meeting Trey already informed me of your situation and word travels fast in this school so I knew. Your health should come first and thus I made certain that I come here immediately after the meeting to see how you are doing as well as hand you the information from the meeting.”

Riddle sniffled and nodded, his hand unconsciously grabbing his bunny’s plush paw in an attempt of comfort and to prevent him from bawling in front of Vil, his senior.

“Riddle, come now, I can see you are a rather poor actor at trying to hide your need to cry, you need not keep all that bottled up- you have gone through, to put it frankly, hell.” Vil reached forward, placing his hands atop Riddle’s shoulders, gripping them firmly. “There is no putting it lightly, you went through something so traumatic that it clearly shook you to your core. Let it out. I cannot begin to tell you how awful bottling up your emotions is for your skin! The stress alone will cause a young, bright, and definitely attractive face like yours to wrinkle and sag! So let everything out.”

Vil then reached down, carefully pulling the plush rabbit out from where Riddle attempted to hide her but failed to and handed her to his underclassman. Riddle blushed the second Vil held up Alice, mortified that now Vil knew of his plush friend. Vil only chuckled softly as he handed the small Housewarden the plush, earning a small huff from the younger.

“You do not need to be so embarrassed, I see many in my dorm with plush creatures of their own. I have a few myself, you know. Now, let’s get those emotions out before we move onto some skincare, hm?”

Riddle nodded, bringing Alice Bunny closer, burying his face into her fluff and sobbing violently. His body wracked with his sobs, stunning Vil at the utter intensity. Vil figured that he had pent up emotions but never imagined something so intense, as if on instinct, Vil reached forward and pulled Riddle into a hug. Whispering comforts and encouraging words with gentle rubs on his fragile back as he shook.

Vil felt it immediately, Riddle was dramatically thin, he could feel bone- something was beyond wrong and Vil felt that asking the younger boy what was truly happening would be a terrible idea given how unstable he was. One wrong move and he would likely shatter like glass hitting pavement.

‘Riddle, what the devil has happened to you?! This… I can feel your bones, you are lacking muscle- just what has happened?! Riddle Rosehearts, the young man who follows rules and routines to absolute perfection neglecting his health for whatever reason this is?! Preposterous! I may not know much about him, but I know who to ask if Riddle is too shy to speak up… Clover, you best tell me everything so I might offer my assistance in nutrition!’

Riddle calmed down after an hour, swollen and clearly exhausted from his cries. Vil never once let go until Riddle had regained his breath and at least took a few sips of water for his strained throat.

“Feel better now?” Vil whispered softly, helping Riddle sit up on his bed. The younger nodded with a small hiccup, staring down at his feet in what seemed to be embarrassment. “Good, now I want you to quickly take a warm bath- but not too quickly, you need to make sure you are properly washed so you feel fresh and clean. Once done I will help you with your skincare. Do not try and weasel your way out of this, Rosehearts, you need a personal care day.”

Riddle stood up, took a neatly folded oversized nightshirt and underwear, making his way into the bathroom to freshen up. He slid off the nightshirt and stared at himself in the mirror. Skin and bone, scarred, battered and bruised… gaping holes from thorns with blood oozing from their puncture wounds. He saw a pool of crimson at his feet, soaking his petite toes and covering the floor of the bathroom.

Battered and bruised.

Tattered and torn.

Bloody and beaten.

Unclean and unsightly…

Broken….

Riddle felt sick, he clutched his hand over his mouth and fell to his knees with a thud, gasping for air as he felt his vision go black, body to ice, and sickness flooding over him.

Oh sevens, he was going to be ill…

A knock on the door sounded, Vil must have heard everything and was getting worried. Leaving Riddle with no time to get up and regain his composure, Vil bursted in and bent down to the height of the smaller housewarden.

“Riddle?! What happened?! Oh sevens look at you! Do you need me to contact someone?! Get a doctor in here?!”

Riddle stared up at the elder and shook his head. “N-no… I’m fine… I just… I just slipped. Clumsy me…”

Vil clearly could see through his lies and helped the younger boy up, steadying him and leading him to sit atop the bench against the wall.

“No, you are clearly not fine so do not dare lie to me, Riddle Rosehearts. I understand you have been through plenty as it is and you are uneasy but you are in no condition to be alone. Do not dare tell me you simply slipped, I heard everything.” Vil firmly gripped Riddle’s shoulders, staring into his eyes with a stare that clearly meant not to test him. “Now, I will stay right here with you so you do not injure yourself further. Besides, I need you better as I miss your presence in our Housewarden meetings. You seem to be the only sane one in the room half the time.”

Riddle was too stunned to speak, he could only nod in reply. Vil smiled warmly, accepting that nod as a satisfactory reply, he stood up and turned the bathtub water on, adding bath salts known for calming effects and soothing skin as well as bath oils to ease tension.

“Now, I added bath salts of eucalyptus and spearmint, they have calming effects to the body and the mind as well as eucalyptus oils to the bath so you can let that soak into your skin. Both are from Felicity Cosmetics, a brand I trust fully so you needn’t worry about quality.”

“M-Mummy- I mean mother used to use that when I got sick… it smelled nice…” Riddle mumbled with a smile, remembering that was the one time his mother genuinely retracted her thorns and cared for him and loved him. Though she never rocked him in her arms when he was ill or sung to him, all he needed was her gentle hands caressing his face and hair as he sat in the bathtub trying to bring his fever down.

“Then your mother has a great taste for bath salts and oils, the same brand I suspect?” Riddle nodded with a smile. “Thought so, brilliant woman indeed.”

“Mum is a skilled doctor back home, best in town in fact, she always recommends this brand when children or even adults get seasonal colds and flus…. She always says that for a swift recovery mint and eucalyptus will be your best bet.” Taking the rest of his clothes off he carefully stepped into the bathtub and let himself relax. “She was right, it always feels great and smells lovely…”

Pouring a bit of the matching shampoo into his hands, Vil began to work on Riddle’s hair, making sure to get everywhere. “In that case, I will leave you with this set here, new set from my personal stash so no need to pay me back- only payment I require from you is perhaps a visit to Heartslabyul for tea as it is no secret your dorm has the best tea in the school.”

Riddle laughed a bit, it was indeed true that his dorm had the finest tea in the school- much of it coming directly from the Queendom of Roses which was known for its tea culture. The dorm’s students all had a loving for tea whether it be hot or iced, sweetened or unsweetened, infused with fruit or not- it was always there and ready for any occasion.

“Indeed, I dare say Trey prepares tea the best out of everyone in the dorm- you have been over before, I’m sure you have sampled his Shamrock Isle blend which is known for its strength yet exquisite taste, yes?”

Vil nodded, remembering how delicious that tea was and how it was likely enough to cause a new addiction if not careful. “That I have, strong, yes, but it was definitely a good tea. Trey tells me you fancy milk teas and the occasional Earl Grey, yes?”

‘Earl Grey… yes, when was the last time I had that?’ Riddle thought to himself, ‘When I get better, perhaps I can ask Trey to brew make some for the make-up unbirthday party’

“Yes, I do quite fancy those teas, though, I am open to more options to broaden my palate.” Riddle let out a soft chuckle, practically melting from Vil’s soothing hands tending to his hair. “Have you any suggestions in terms of tea, Vil?”

Vil thought for a moment, he based what tea he would drink on specific health benefits and occasions. Chamomile and lavender fit sleep perfectly, mint was best for focusing on studying and calming nerves, hibiscus was excellent for the heart, and ginger was for illness. Basing tea flavours and types was crucial to him as it had to fit the occasion and fill a specific role.

“Hmm, well I suppose if you are unwell, ginger tea is the best solution- post workout, cardio to be exact, do hibiscus tea…” Vil replied with a slight shrug, “I can already imagine you drinking a warm cup of chamomile before bed so I suppose you do not need that as a suggestion.”

Riddle nodded, taking mental notes to every bit of Vil’s words. If Vil Schoenheit himself recommended a specific product, diet, or even brand, it usually was a perfect choice and received incredible results and praises from many.

“I would also recommend apple tea for lowering cholesterol levels. It contains high amounts of magnesium, potassium, vitamin C and sodium, all of which can help build strong bones- which you need after this ordeal.” Riddle nodded in reply, bending forward to allow Vil to pour water over his head and rinse out all the shampoo and conditioner remnants.

‘Drink tea based on health… As much as he sounds like my mother I know he is right. Vil’s students are always in incredible health and shape thanks to his dedication to nutrition- perhaps listening to him will do me good…’

Riddle let out a sleepy yawn, the scents of the bath salts, oils, and hair products began to make him sleepy, the warm water wrapped around his beaten and tired body cradled him, inviting him to sleep. He knew he had to keep awake for a bit longer, he wished to soak in as much of this experience as possible. It was not every day one could be pampered and cared for so tenderly by the Vil Schoenheit.

“Oh~? Falling asleep on me, Rosehearts? Fufufu~ come now, if this is making you sleepy then it looks like my hard work is paying off.”

“N-no actually I was merely yawning!” Riddle let out a sleepy pout, failing to hide everything miserably as his acting skills were rather poor.

Rolling his eyes, Vil sighed and helped Riddle out of the bath and into a soft, fluffy towel. “Denial will not get you anywhere, your acting skills need work, you know?”

“I- You! Hmph! I suppose I should get some rest… but only after a face mask…” Riddle sighed, letting out another yawn as he buttoned up his oversized nightshirt. “I will admit, I never imagined you of all people would help me out during this ordeal, Vil.”

Vil looked up from folding the towel and smiled understandingly, “Of course I would help you out, when I heard about what happened I knew I had to offer assistance somehow. I even spoke with Trey as you know, he even asked if I could help you in recovery as he knows that I have a few tricks up my sleeves.”

Vil hung the towel up and sighed, facing Riddle with a face that clearly meant worry. “And because I was worried about you, it may come as a surprise to you but everyone in the Housewarden meeting today expressed worry for you. Even Leona, who let’s face it, rarely ever cares for anyone but himself. While Malleus was not in attendance as per usual, Lilia offered his own assistance if ever needed. Malleus spoke with Trey and myself and offered to grant you a blessing of good health if you need it.”

‘I worried people…? Night Raven College is notorious for having people who only care about themselves and a specific quality that the Mirror of Darkness desires… I have caused a lot of trouble… Tell me mummy, what rule is there to make all this go away…? To make everyone know I am sorry?’

“I-I’m… I’m s-sorry! I-I did not mean to cause t-trouble!” Riddle let out some small sobs, trying his hardest to stop them, using his sleeve to wipe them away. “I caused so much t-trouble… I just want all this pain to g-go away!”

Vil bent down and hugged Riddle tight, not daring to let him go. He needed to know he was not alone, that no one was going to hurt him, that no thorns were to stab his flesh.

“Riddle, let’s pause the skincare routine for now, I think it is best you get some sleep. Remember that you are not a burden, that you are important, and that you need not care about troubling anyone. Just put your health first. Mental and physical. If you need someone to talk to I’m here, so are Trey and Cater. I do not know the full reason for your Overblot but whatever it was had to have been rough, so definitely take some time to focus on you.”

Vil pulled away from Riddle and led him to his bed, noticing how Riddle was barely responding to his words as his eyes dropped and his normally proud steps became sleepy shuffles on the wooden floor. The elder boy chuckled softly, helping the younger into bed and tucking him in. Immediately Riddle fell asleep and his body curled into a loose fetal position as an arm grabbed Alice Bunny out of habit. Vil then grabbed a piece of paper and scribbled down a letter to Riddle for when he woke up as well as instructions on skincare.

“Sweet dreams, Riddle… Please regain your strength soon.”

________

Vil exited the room quietly only to come face to face with Mrs. Rosehearts who boasted a rather cranky face. He kept his composure, refusing to let this woman get the better of him and dare to give him attitude.

“Ma’am? Do you need something?” He asked politely, refusing to let his voice be laced with anger or frustration. He played the kind act, not letting his true emotions show.

She glared into his eyes as if to detect any trace of insincerity but was clearly failing against Vil’s world renowned acting skills. “Who are you and just what do you think you are going near my son?!”

“Firstly, I am Vil Schoenheit, Pomefiore Housewarden and third year. Secondly, I was simply paying him a visit. As his senior and fellow housewarden I took the opportunity to see how his recovery was and offer my assistance in skincare and healing techniques.” Vil replied smoothly and calmly.

Cora sighed, allowing her guard to be down seeing as the young man had no ill intent towards her son. “I see, I expect you used eucalyptus and spearmint for his bath and possibly lotion? I can smell its calming scent from you so I assume you used such.”

Vil nodded, impressed by the woman’s straightforwardness and attentiveness. “Indeed, I used the very bath salts and oils you used, Riddle confirmed the brand was the very one you recommend to your patients. I must say, to hear you recommend Felicity Cosmetics was quite the interesting information.”

Cora huffed with a smirk, the very smirk her son would give when he felt cocky or proud of himself. A smirk all at Night Raven knew well because of the amount of times the crimson haired Housewarden flashed it after taking the head of an imbecile rule breaker.

“Oh? Well I suppose one in my position can only recommend the beat of the best. I would not want my patients to have anything less than top notch quality of product to ensure health and wellness. Health is of the highest priority, I’m sure one in your profession can understand, Mr. Schoenheit.” She stated as a matter of factly, adding a small huff at the end as if to emphasize her point.

“Crystal clear, ma’am. I know health and beauty go hand in hand.”

“Indeed, good day to you, Mr. Schoenheit… and thank you for looking after my son…”

Before Vil could reply she was already in the bedroom likely sitting at her boy’s side as he slept. He stood there for a second and listened to her mumbling softly to a sleeping Riddle.

“I almost lost you once, I cannot lose you again…”

Vil shuddered at those words as he walked off, knowing he had to speak with Trey immediately over what he just heard.

‘Clover, I believe it is time you and I had a long conversation about Riddle… this whole situation has me sick to my stomach with worry…’

[cheekinpermission]

Riddle Rosehearts does not approve of potty mouths >:(

You're here! | Pt. 2 | Pt. 3 | Pt. 4 | Pt. 5 | Pt. 6 | Final

[probablybadrpgideas]

Swear Words By Fantasy Language

Common: hit your thumb really hard and see!

Dwarvish: Dwarves don’t have any swear words. Rather, a Dwarf must show their craftsmanship by combining non-swear words in a vulgar way. You’ve not been truly offended until a dwarf calls you a house-painting-horse-bargainer.

Elves: Elvish has exactly one swear word, and each elf can only use it once in their life. If uttered it kills all plant life in 300ft and everything capable of hearing must make a wisdom saving throw or disintegrate on the spot.

Giant: Giant contains such swearwords as “double fuck”, which is like normal fuck but twice as big.

Gnomish: Gnomish uses things like “tax returns” and “fiscal responsibility” as swear words. Mentioning your accountant will have you thrown out of respectable gnomish society

Goblin: Honestly, it’s easier to list the words in goblin that aren’t swear words.

Halfling: Halfling has incredibly harsh swear words, to the surprise of everyone when this pastoral little man toddling around a farm and eating muffins calls you a motherfucking shithead cockface

Draconic: Draconic swear words translate to things like “gosh darn it” and “oh heckers” but, to be fair, they come off as more serious when roared at you while you’re on fire.

Orcish: Orcish contains no swear words. Don’t assume based on stereotypes.

[vampyama]

a yuu that is a medieval lady and a mother (highly inspired by catelyn stark)

mother!yuu that sees poor riddle rosehearts, the boy without a proper mother, and immediately starts to treat him as she treats her own sons — she sits with him, talks with him about his studies, have tea parties with him, help him with his housewarden chores and in general gives him lots of attention. poor riddle is in a mix of satisfaction for finally having a mom, anxiety bc he wants to make mother!yuu proud of him, and confusion bc he doesn't want to betray his biological mom. in the end, he doesn't know what to do, but oh boy he does sparkle even more with a mother helping and guiding him. she teaches him how to be more gentle but still strict, which is a relief to well everyone

mother!yuu that sees lazy leona and says oh seven hells NO. HELL NO. and tries to cheer him up, specially when she finds out about the fact that he is a prince — she says, hey yeah leona yk ppl die if ur brother dies u're going to be prince regent and you need connections with other nobles not only bc of the possibility of being prince regent but you're MATERIAL OF BECOMING A HIGH LORD you'll eventually need a good marriage contract and for that you need contact with the other lords — besides, as a second born is your duty to make connections and contracts for the crown so yeah START WORKING. NOW PLEASE sweetling ^ _ ^. in general, her words give him an ego boost bc finally someone believes in his prince duties, believes that he isn't just a second born (actually for royalty that does not make sense there is a reason for old nobles having sm kids they want to make sure they have an bloodline heir) and she actually teaches him how to behave like a prince !!! al sorts of political training for leona ! and he's actually REALLY good at being a political figure!! mother!yuu is really proud of her princeling .

[merakiui]

not poor you-tsum getting piled on the moment she shows up in front of the others. don't worry, i'm sure they're all just playing a fun game with her! she sure is squeaking a whole lot, though...

>_< poor you-tsum, returning to your arms looking so disheveled after playing with the other tsums for so long! They’re all so rough! Riddle tries to brag that his tsum would never participate in such things, but then he finds out his tsum was one of the first to jump on your tsum and now he’s absolutely mortified. The tsum does not reflect his inner thoughts; please believe him!!!! orz

Or you’re studying with the Octavinelle trio while your tsums play together. You don’t understand why they’re wrestling with each other, but all it takes are knowing smiles exchanged amongst the trio and you’ve suddenly got a bad feeling…

Napping alongside Leona while your tsums are busy playing. By this point, you’re almost certain they’re doing more than just playing. ^^;; if you comment on it, Leona cracks one eye open to look at them before smirking and saying, “Maybe we ought to copy their example. Seems fun.” Slow, sloppy, sleepy sex with our favorite lion prince hehe!!!! <3

[wookiecookiesfactory]

What is Motherhood but making sure your baby doesnt become a killer?

[archetypal-archivist]

Riddle x Yuu - Secret Garden

In which there's an enchanted place in Riddle's backyard where the edges of two worlds blur together. In the walled garden that resides there, Riddle meets Yuu.

( @yuri-is-online I blame you for this.)

Thought: Consider a Riddle/Yuu story with Secret Garden elements. A very young Riddle whose mother decides he needs time outside at least a few times a week so she sends him out into their gardens to do his homework. Riddle enjoys the sun well enough, the weeks flow more gently, a honey-slow, sun-sweet pace. Then one summer day when it's just a little too hot to be outside for long, one of his work sheets catches on the wind and blows away.

Riddle chases it and ends up in the rose maze, eventually stumbling into a place where there are walls and a gate, almost fully overgrown in thick red blooms. Riddle is curious and the shade of the overgrown garden looks inviting, so he slips past the gate to do his work at the picnic table he can just make out inside. Only, when he steps through, there's another child sitting at the table- Yuu.

At first it's all accusations and competition, then Riddle tries to make Yuu go away with magic and that flips the conversation on its head because Yuu is very convinced that magic isn't real. Riddle can hear his mother calling (Yuu can hear it too) and tells Yuu to come back tomorrow, he'll prove magic is real. And despite a brief scolding from his mother, Riddle is indeed able to come back tomorrow, bringing with him some of his textbooks.

Yuu comes back too, only they have a few books of their own on technology. Riddle is astounded by the illustrations of planes, the way metal wraps over wooden framework, the precise mathematics that go into the elegant curve of the propeller. Yuu is astonished by the production of flame from thought, flowers from incantation. How incredible it would be, to have coal-less stoves and fields of wheat springing up on demand!

Both very convinced, Riddle and Yuu spend weeks getting to know each other and participating in cultural exchange. Helping each other with their homework makes it go twice as quickly, though they often have to take breaks to explain some concept or another, such as health potions and quinine.

Yuu and Riddle also experiment with the magic of the walled garden, insisting on the scientific method as two kids understand it to try and figure out the rules. They bring different toys/objects into the garden, try standing at the gate and yelling for attention, Riddle even sneaks his broom in to see if there's a vertical limit. What they discover is that anything brought into the garden will stay, and things can travel outside the walls, but their respective yelling is only heard in their respective worlds (Riddle's mother got worried but only heard her son's voice) and once Riddle flew up past a certain point, he could no longer see Yuu. They just flickered from view, vanishing in a blink, which freaked Riddle out so much he immediately flew back down and crushed Yuu into a hug.

Riddle asks Yuu about him maybe traveling back to their world to visit as he really wants to see the planes they speak of so fondly, but both are hesitant because they aren't sure of what it would do to him. Yuu and Riddle make do with playing make believe, tying fake wings to Riddle's broom and Riddle taking them up, careful of the vertical limit.

Yuu, wistful, wants to fly freely, not having to worry about speed or limited space, but both are too cautious to actually do anything risky. At last, they conclude that things can be brought into the garden but nothing from the other world can fully travel out of it to the opposite realm. Only when Yuu and Riddle are in the garden together can they see each other.

Then Chenya and Trey meet Riddle and Riddle's world expands that much more. He knows plenty about the world beyond his own and he feels so grown up compared to his new friends, but there's still so much he doesn't know and Riddle takes to learning about tag and tarts and playtime with aplomb. He tries to introduce them to stuff from beyond their world, like fizzy lemonade (he uses a minor air spell to 'carbonate' it, give him a break, he's, like, nine) and matchbox cars. They don't really get it though and Riddle realizes many times over that his life is very, very different from everyone else's.

Between his mother's rules and Yuu, no one else is like Riddle at all. It suddenly feels very isolating, and not one to be helpless, Riddle drags Chenya and Trey to the secret garden. Yuu is there and introductions go well enough but it's clear that Trey and Chenya don't really believe the duo, thinking it's the pair playing pretend. Both are very annoyed by this and it's the only interaction the quartet have before Riddle's mother catches Riddle at the Clover bakery.

House arrest in effect, Riddle feels terrible being inside, so used to the freedom of fresh air and sunshine, doing his homework at his own pace with a companion to help him. Now he's trapped under his mother's attention and it's stifling. It's a whole three months before he's allowed to do his work outside again and his broom is still confiscated (the wings long torn off), but he'll take it.

Riddle beelines for the walled garden only to find a small white rose bush, a pile of letters, and no Yuu. He feels torn over doing his work or reading the letters first and he eventually decides on work, tense and anxious the whole time. A couple hours later- still no Yuu. Riddle reads the letters and tries not to cry.

Apparently, Yuu had thought something had happened when he didn't come back for over a week and had taken to writing him letters so he'd remain up to date with their daily life. They call him their friend, too, starting each with 'to my dear friend Riddle' and ending with sincere wishes for his happiness and safety. The pleas for his safety grow more desperate with each letter and it's revealed that political tensions in Yuu's world are growing. It's leery enough at home, they want him and his world to be okay too. The white rose bushes were apparently from their own world, a gift since his last name was Rosehearts and something to remember them with.

Riddle is deeply touched and also deeply fed up with his mother so he resolves to wait for Yuu so they can spend time together again. The hours slip past until it's early evening but Riddle is too stubborn to give up. As the first stars creep over the horizon, Yuu finally appears, letter in hand. They burst into tears at the sight of him and Riddle finds himself crying too, running to hug his friend, work forgotten.

Riddle asks Yuu again if he can travel to their world with them in a fit of impulse but Yuu denies him. They explain sorrowfully that in a few days, they'll be going away to boarding school as it's unsafe where they currently live. However, they have a few days- they can make the most of them. Yuu's eyes burn with resolve and they run through the gate, coming back with an old canvas tent and a bunch of water, snacks, and books.

The duo camp out in the secret garden for two days, Riddle so caught up in enjoying the time and committing every bit of it to memory that he forgets his mother entirely. Indeed, it's the least stressed he's been in a while. At the dawning of the third day, Riddle hears his mother calling for him, genuine panic in her voice, and he realizes he has to go. He begs Yuu to be safe, Yuu asks the same of him, and neither can fully commit to the promise, Riddle grimly aware that his mother is going to be furious with him.

He plucks a white rose off the bush to tuck into his lapel, a last bit of armor to remind him he's got people in his corner, and leaves the garden, refusing to look back. (Unbeknownst to him, it stays visible, having become 'part of him', a facet of who he is). Quietly he walks up to his mother, face as blank as he can make it, and when she sees him, she goes white with panic. She grabs Riddle's hands and he looks too: in the cradle of her fingers, his own are nearly transparent.

The next hour is a flurry of activity, Riddle's mother sitting him in front of a mirror in the library as she frantically researches what could have happened to her son. Sure she's pissed at him but this takes precedence. Riddle stares at his reflection, fearful and awestruck, and realizes that this is likely the result of eating so much food not from his world.

Outside the boundaries of the garden, you can't see or hear things from the other world. Having eaten nothing but food from Yuu's realm for a few days, his cells have started to assimilate more materials from that world than his own. (The water is the real culprit, the replacement rate is faster there). As such, bits of him have gone translucent, no longer visible to Twisted Wonderland.

It scares Riddle a little but this mess seems to scare his mother more. She does come across an 'answer', one that makes sense to Riddle's world. Borrowing from Snufkin and the Moomin Trolls- unloved, unwanted children will eventually turn invisible, trying to be unseen and unheard so they can be good, good enough to be loved. This isn't the case at all, Riddle is indeed loved a lot even if it's been demonstrated in a damaging way, but it's the only thing that makes sense to Riddle's mother and so it must be true.

Riddle's mother apologizes to Riddle and asks him outright if he's happy. Riddle... Isn't certain what to do with this information. It feels like a scam; he could ask for his freedom in this moment and have it granted, could ask for Chenya and Trey, ask for tarts at supper and hugs at breakfast, and surely he'd get them. In the same measure though, his mother is laboring under a falsehood, to ask anything now would be to take advantage. And really, can he truly say he has been unhappy under his mother's rule? Perhaps not always happy, but certainly not miserable.

Riddle- compromises. He doesn't tell her the truth, nor does he tell her of how oppressive she can be. He merely tells her that yes, he's happy, but he wishes he could fly again. As expected, she grants this and actually pulls back some on her harshness, being quicker to praise. As expected, the invisibility fades.

However, she micromanages him even harder in trying to make Riddle feel loved, her attention on him almost always. Anything he shows interest in, he gets classes on, and Riddle learns not to show his interest in too many things at once or else he gets overwhelmed with work.

The only breaks he gets are tending to his personal garden, during flight (constrained though it is to the manor grounds) and horseback riding. The garden is where he tends to the roses he cultivates from the seeds he took from Yuu's bush, and fed on Twisted Wonderland soil and water, they bloom visibly for all to see. As for flying, it reminds him of his flights with Yuu and their shared dream to share the sky together; Yuu in the cockpit of their own plane, him on his broom. They'd wanted to race, once...

Now, horseback is the only way he can get that same rush, able to go as far and as fast as his mount allows. It feels like freedom and Riddle falls in love with the sport. In the back of his mind though, Riddle always wonders how Yuu is doing; if they're safe, if they're happy. If they're alive.

In this way years pass and though Riddle changes, it's not enough. He goes to NRC with a potted white rose in his hands, a broom in his baggage, and a flower on his lapel, and he still becomes house warden in a week. Trey greets him warmly, though he admits to barely recalling Yuu, thinking them an imaginary friend of Riddle's. This puts a little distance between Trey and Riddle, but it's just one more straw in the mountain of awkward that makes up Riddle's tyrant tendencies and Trey's guilt complex.

Second year rolls around and the night before his departure for NRC, Riddle enters the secret garden in a fit of nostalgia. To his surprise, Yuu is there, on their knees and sobbing. He immediately runs and sweeps them into a hug, frantically checking them over for injuries, which only makes them sob harder. It takes a while for them both to calm down and once they do, Yuu wants nothing to do with explaining themself, only wanting to hear of Riddle's exploits.

Riddle hesitantly tells them, then insists on having Yuu's story. In fits and start and more tears, they do manage to tell it; their world is at war and they aren't safe. Their boarding school had been far from the action, but not far enough, and now the bombers are bearing down on them. They'd panicked when the sirens went off and are now hiding here, hoping that the magic of the garden will keep them safe.

Horrified, Riddle questions them but Yuu has no answers. The whys of war, the usage of planes for fighting, Yuu hadn't cared to learn and Riddle can't blame them. At last, Riddle asks Yuu if they're scared, and Yuu explains they're terrified, Riddle asks further if they're scared of planes now.

Yuu says no, calms down, and begins to explain that flying is *theirs*. A plane of their own, under their own control, affecting only themself and free of all others? They want that, they want to *fly*. It's their dream. Planes are only evil when people use the gift of flight to hurt others.

Mentally, Riddle makes the connection between Yuu's thoughts on planes and his own rules- wonderful when he makes his own rules and follows them, the problem comes when he uses the power of rules on others in a way that hurts them. It's almost an idle thought and one quickly pushed aside when Yuu goes still in his arms, oddly placid. They sit up, smile at him, then very quietly ask him to leave.

Riddle can hardly believe what he's hearing and Yuu repeats themself, asking Riddle to go home. Riddle furiously points out that Yuu is under bomb threat still and Yuu explains that's exactly why he has to go, go *now*, before it's too late. Things from their worlds can still enter the garden, don't you see? If the garden is struck, the bomb would kill them both. Riddle needs to *leave*!

Riddle's heart cracks in two as an icy sickness takes hold of his gut, making him swallow back tears. He hates this, really and truly, and in desperation he asks Yuu to come with him, already knowing it's futile. If Yuu were to come with, they'd be invisible, unheard, and while perhaps feeding them food from Twisted Wonderland would help, there's no guarantee they'd be solid enough for that to work. How was a ghost supposed to eat a sandwich? Were ghost sandwiches a thing?

Yuu gently pushes Riddle away and momentum drives Riddle to his feet, backing away a few steps. Yuu stands too, and turns towards the gate, looking back at Riddle with a teary smile and a nod. Riddle shakily nods back, silent, and they both turn to go.

Just as Riddle is about to step through the gate into his world, he hears a dull roar of what Yuu had described to be sound of a plane overhead. He closes his eyes tight, pushes on, and the sound cuts out as he leaves the garden. It's silent but for the birds in the trees. A minute passes. Two. It's all Riddle can do to keep from passing out, his knees locked to keep him standing. Time passes and eventually Riddle can bring himself to open his eyes, turning to look at the garden behind him. He doesn't see Yuu there, knows he wouldn't anyway, not without stepping into the garden proper, and he can't bring himself to do that yet.

With the ease of long practice, Riddle turns and walks back home, certain enough of the path that even in his grief he's sure in his steps. He... Keeps his eyes closed, for most of the trip; Yuu's smile lingers in his mind.

Leaving for NRC after is an awful affair but one Riddle drags himself through regardless. Grief and exhaustion war for dominance in his heart and most of that transmutates into anger, his temper fraying faster than ever before. Even his mother is a little shocked by how quick he is to snap, as Riddle had done just that over the toast at breakfast.

Riddle's heart only cracks further when he finds himself a ghost in his own body come his arrival at school, collaring people left and right on impulse when Riddle knows he knows better. There's something particularly awful about falling into old habits that you know are damaging, but being unable to stop yourself at the same time. Here, Riddle knows he's hurting his dorm mates, he just can't bring himself to care.

Indeed, it's all he can do to keep from burning the Yuu who emerges from the coffin during the NRC sorting ceremony. At first he'd thought it was his Yuu, they'd looked identical in all ways, but this Yuu didn't recognize him. (And, his mind whispers treasonously, his Yuu is dead.)

As such, Riddle can't bring himself to believe that they are the same person as his friend, and he slides further into grief and rage, intent on ignoring the situation. Canon proceeds apace, only Riddle keeps up with the white roses left to him by Yuu, magic keeping his desk plant in bloom so that a new flower can grace his lapel every day. He tries to keep the sorrow from his face, his eyes firmly away from the familiar stranger who looks so much like his Yuu.

When Riddle overblots, white rose on his chest, the last surge of magic he does as a finishing move has the flower taking up the magic. It explodes outwards, sending tendrils of white roses in all directions, students scattering in their wake. Vines crawl up the walls, dig into the ground, and bind Riddle to the earth so that Trey and the others can get the last blow in.

As the overblot monster disappears, Riddle slumps to his knees and Yuu catches him, memories rising up to meet them both. See, Yuu had woken up in Twisted Wonderland with no memories save for a vague nostalgia. Now seeing so much of their life through Riddle's eyes and hearing about their life before NRC, their mind begins to recall their past and Yuu remembers themself, and more important to the moment, Riddle. The two friends burst into tears and Yuu apologizes for forgetting while Riddle sobs about being so cruel, for not meaning a lick of it and how sorry he is.

This, of course, alarms everyone around them, and the pair are promptly bundled off to the nurse's office, something a bit tricky as Riddle refuses to let Yuu go. Both fall fast asleep, exhausted from the day's events, and only awaken when the moon is high in the sky and everyone else is long gone.

The rose on Riddle's lapel is the first thing Yuu sees as they blink awake, the petals edged in fine silver from the light of the moon outside their window. The smell is pleasantly sweet, bringing to mind the bush they'd given to Riddle so long ago. Was this a flower from that same bush?

Yuu's heart squeezes at the thought and they hesitantly reach to touch the bloom, then move to press their hand to the space above Riddle's heart. Tilting their head up, they're surprised to see Riddle looking at them, something terrible and grieving in his eyes. Emptily, Riddle tells Yuu that he thought they were dead. Yuu chokes back a sob and quietly admits that they think they were; they're still not sure how they ended up in Twisted Wonderland.

Riddle nods as if expecting such an answer, then gently gathers up Yuu's hands in his own, holding them, unable to meet their gaze as he recaps his life for the past many years. Yuu ends up weeping at the realization that Riddle had adopted their fondness for flight as his own, as well as how stifled Riddle has been all these years. How much their friend has suffered in their absence! And then, their arrival with no memories? Is it any wonder that Riddle overblotted?

Through their tears, Yuu fiercely tells Riddle that he's forgiven and more than that, he's free now. He can act however he wishes! Riddle's own cheeks are wet as he points out that Yuu is too- forgiven for dying, for leaving him, because it was never something either of them could control. He's just so, so glad they're back.

And- and now they can do all the things they'd wanted to do together! Try new foods, visit the places in Riddle's books, they can even fly for real! Yuu's face lights up at that and Riddle finds himself smiling too, heart full up on love and joy at the thought of flying with his friend. He tries to get up, ready to go grab his broom right that moment, but his ribs twinge and he falls back into bed with a groan. Only, he falls on top of Yuu, who wraps their arms around him on instinct.

This brings a brilliant flush to both their faces and Yuu shakily jokes that perhaps they should get some sleep. They feel more than see Riddle nod and Yuu shoves their face into Riddle's hair, suddenly realizing that their childhood friend had grown up. Riddle was so much bigger in their arms now but the scent of his shampoo is the same... Yuu flushes again, brighter.

(Riddle was still awfully handsome, too.)

Time passes, the duo heal, and while neither explain to anyone their bond, everyone can see that Yuu and Riddle are deeply connected in some way. The white roses that'd sprung up from Riddle's overblot had proven themselves impossible to remove so Heartslabyul had simply incorporated them, weaving the vines into the rest of the garden to make a seamless whole.

And, on the day of Riddle's apology Unbirthday, Riddle grabs his broom, Yuu's hand, and smiles for real for the first time in far too long. It feels like flying when Yuu and his new friends smile back, and when he kicks off into the sky, Yuu's arms around his waist, he never wants to come back down.

[the-mothering-doctor]

I would like to address the recent slander of my good name.

It is utterly ridiculous that there are rumors going around about me having a court date or being an abusive mother

It's even worse that I am no longer allowed to step foot on my precious son's campus to check in on him.

I've only been able to see my baby boy if I sneak past all of the teachers and janitors so that I won't be roughly tossed out the gates like some trespasser.

How cruel is that? A mother being separated from her own son! It's despicable.

[coquetteriddle]

and if i said tomarry

[iamnmbr3]

Given that the Malfoys disdain the Weaseleys not just for their politics (i.e. being "blood traitors") but also for their relative lack of wealth, I cannot imagine that penniless Tom Riddle would have been greeted too warmly by the monied purebloods in Slytherin even if they knew he could speak Parseltongue.

And I don't think that even if his Gaunt lineage had been known from the start it would actually have helped him that much. I doubt the Gaunts were viewed as too respectable given their state of utter poverty.

[windblume-wishes]

Game of Thorns - A Twisted Wonderland Story

Every rose has its thorns, and with every stab one will bleed bright crimson from that thorns very touch. Riddle is no different, he is a rose with many thorns, but who's not to say even the rose himself will be stabbed brutally with his own protective thorns.

Chapter 2: Cora Rosehearts

Ring!

Ring!

Ring!

The chimes of the Rosehearts' old fashioned landline echoed through their silent halls. Ringing loudly in the middle of the night, trying desperately to awaken the two who lived within the large, silent home.

Ring!

Ring!

Ring!

A lamp could be heard flicking on, light filling the large master bedroom, the shuffle two people sliding out of bed could be heard. The sounds of soft slippers patting down the halls and the winding staircase sounded in the halls.

Ring!

Ring!

Ring!

A female's hand reached out for the phone, picking it up quickly, reading the caller's identification, it was Night Raven College. The woman's blood ran cold, her blue eyes darting to her husband's slate grey eyes. Something was wrong, terribly wrong.

"Hello, Rosehearts residence..." She spoke coldly, thorns in her voice.

"This is Headmaster Dire Crowley, I am calling to inform you about your son..."

"What has happened to my son?! I demand answers!" Cora's voice dripping with concern and rage, her thorns only sharpening.

"Your son overblotted, he is in the infirmary... we almost lost him, he is stable now but he has cried out for you..." Crowley's voice softened, trying his hardest to be calm to the frightened mother. "He wants his mother, his cries for you in his sleep have become more and more frequent.."

"I- I will be there as soon as I can, please tell me, is he doing alright? Other than his cries?" Cora asked, her voice wavering, the feelings of the day her son was almost taken from her years ago returning.

"As I said, he is resting, he is stable but all he needs now is his mother. Come see your child, Mrs. Rosehearts, he needs you."

Her voice went silent as if forgetting how to speak, her throat felt like a stone was wedged inside it, her heart pounding. Cora felt faint, her body shaking, her normal cold self seemed to melt, her thorns falling off her.

"H-Henry... Riddle is-" She choked out.

"I know, my dear queenie, I know, you need to go to him. He needs you." Henry knew while Cora had been the sharpest thorns imaginable, cold and near unforgiving to Riddle, she still cared for him... in a unique way... "You made a promise to him when he laid in the ICU, a promise that you would protect him from all harm, did you not?"

Cora froze, flashbacks of that day played in a continuous cinematic record before her eyes, her voice ringing loudly, her blood ran cold. She made that promise the day they told her little newborn Riddle had a low chance of survival.

"Riddle, I am not sure how much time we may have together but know that no matter what happens I will always protect you."

Cora remembered how hard she sobbed as she reached to hold her tiny newborn son's hand, his hand wrapping tightly around her index finger, squeezing it with all his might. That was when she knew he would be alright, he had to be, he was to be a Rosehearts.

"You are right," Cora smiled almost psychotically, a cruel fire lighting within her. "I made that promise seventeen years ago and follow that promise I shall, I should never have let him out of our sight!!"

Henry froze, he knew how much Riddle enjoyed his freedom at the school. The letters he wrote home were proof that he was enjoying himself and was living healthy and well.

"Cora, my queenie, please think this through. Riddle probably overused his magic to the point of Overblot. You know how that boy of ours can overwork himself, he got that from you, dear." Henry smiled reassuringly at his wife, her gaze in return softened, only a little, but it softened.

"You do have a point, dear, he did get that from me. I suppose I can look at it in that perspective until I know the full truth. Then, and only then will I make my final judgment." Cora sighed, pulling away from her husband. "Care to accompany me, my love?"

"I would love to, let's see our boy."

—————

Trey returned to the infirmary late in the evening with Riddle's beloved Alice bunny and his favourite pillow. He was still shaken after hearing how Riddle almost died, receiving such a terrifying phone call only sent him into panic. Cater placed a comforting hand on Trey's shoulder as he gently placed Riddle's pillow behind his head and tucking the bunny in along with him. Cater cracked a smile at how fast Riddle latched onto Alice bunny, it made him happy to see Riddle alright, he could not lose another friend. Not like this.

"Trey, you are shaking, dude... it's okay-cay. Riddle is asleep like a baby and is breathing. We did not lose him." Cater whispered, gently caressing Riddle's face with his index finger. "He's too stubborn to die on us, he has too much fight in him..."

Trey smiled at Cater's remark, knowing how true it was. Riddle has plenty of fight in him, he had always joked with Che'nya that Riddle's temper had been because of his short stature, it was partly true.

"Yeah..." he sighed, taking his seat by Riddle's bedside. "Cater, you have no idea how terrible his mother is, I witnessed her wrath firsthand. She terrified not only me but traumatized Riddle..."

"Trey, how OP is this woman? If she's as bad as you claim Riddle's chances of staying here at NRC are almost certainly a no-go." Cater's tone became serious, his emerald eyes filling with worry. "From what I heard from you, and bits and pieces from listening in to Riddle's phone calls to her... she sounds mega evil."

The green-haired young man sighed, Cater was not entirely wrong but was also not entirely right. As cruel as Cora was, she had her mother, Riddle's grandmother, to blame for her behaviour and upbringing of Riddle. Cora was raised in a strict and nearly unforgiving household, a family of millers who put all their hard work onto her. She had no room to argue, she could not even voice her frustration. She was forced to endure years of hard work at their mill and difficult magic studies from a private tutor. Cora was forbidden to have friends, go out, or even play. It was seen as weakness and foolishness. Her mother was right, at least to her she was.

"She was raised by some pretty rough folks, her dad was a drunk and her mum was pretty much as evil as they came. Cora- Mrs. Rosehearts- was forbidden to play and make friends. How she met her husband is still mind boggling..." Trey explained with yet another sigh.

"She was raised worse than our housewarden... her own son..."

"Yeah, but all I know is about how she met her husband was during the Queendom of Roses annual Rose Festival Ball, she snuck out in a beautiful dress and she found Henry, Mr. Rosehearts."

"Dude! That sounds mega #FairyTale~!" Cater was practically exploding with awe, a woman so cold could once be so young and rebellious? Impressive indeed. "And by the looks of it I'd guess it was #HappilyEverAfter with a #BabyBoy on the way not too long after~!"

Trey could not help but crack a smile at Cater's attempt at humor, he seemed to always know when Trey needed a good smile. "Yeah, pretty much, but from what Riddle told me, his grandmum, Cora's mum, was fuming with her for sneaking out and wanting to marry Henry despite him being an incredible guy. She was scolded heavily and her hopes shattered. Eventually she moved out and married him while continuing medical school."

"Damn, no wonder she was so hard on Riddle! She was hurt so bad by her mum she thought and it was the right way to go..." Cater sighed, looking over to Riddle and taking his small hand in his. "Hey, housewarden, you probs can't hear me but just so you know, Cay-Cay understands now and is cool, I'm here when you need me..."

Cater looked at him with a sad smile, he knew he could not lose another friend, he lost one a year prior to attending Night Raven College. He was not there when he was needed most, because of his terrible mistake, his friend met an untimely end. Seeing Riddle almost pass on was something he could not bear to see happen, not again.

"What are you doing here near my son?!" Came a voice as sharp as a rose's thorns. Venom dripping viciously from every word.

"M-Mrs. R-Rosehearts! We are part of house Heartslabyul, I'm a friend... and the Vice Housewarden..." Trey replied a bit startled, he had to hide his fear and anger as best he could, this woman was worse than a deadly wild cobra.

"YOU, you are the baker's son! The same menace who dragged my son into being a fool! How DARE you show your face here!"

"Hey! Easy now! Trey is our Vice Housewarden! He's been Riddle's right hand man this whole time, he hasn't dragged Riddle into nonsense!" Cater barked back, not taking any of this woman's anger. "We just came to see our friend, we care about your son, he's not just a Housewarden, he's our friend..."

"C-Cora, dear, let's not do this now, you boys seem to mean well, thank you for taking care of him until we got here." Mr. Rosehearts smiled reassuringly, before receiving a death glare from his fuming wife, inwardly hoping an ounce of his kindness would put the boys at ease.

"Henry! They likely are the reason for this mess! What if Riddle overused his magic and strength trying to be foolish with them?!"

"U-unlikely, Riddle would know better. He is in charge of a whole dorm, responsibility is key..."

"Leave! I do not wish to see your faces here at this time! GO!" She booked, pointing her thin finger at the exit, watching as the two slowly made their ways out of the room, sadness etched on their faces as they looked to Riddle one last time.

"Cora... those boys did not mean any harm, perhaps you should have just let them say goodbye." Henry sighed, feeling terrible for his wife's unsightly behaviour. "I can tell they care for Riddle..."

"Care?! Hmph! As if! They are the very reason he is here in this insufferable condition! How DARE you even suggest those ruffians are innocent! Did you not see their looks?! The accent of that Clover boy?! It's the accent of those Shamrock Isle ninnies of the northern isles- those rough speaking ruffians!"

Henry knew he could not argue with her, her anger was not worth the energy to argue over. Once she had her mind set, arguing with her was the equivalent of trying to wrestle a hungry lion, damn near impossible one would dare say.

"Cora, my dear, let's not insult the Clovers... insulting will do no good, my love."

Cora huffed her way over to her son's bedside and sat down, paying no mind to her husbands words. She could already tell there were signs of exhaustion, he was not in any way malnourished, her overall conclusion would be that it was likely an exhaustion induced Overblot- little did she know that it was more than that. She reached a hand over to stroke her son's face, watching him dream on as she petted his petal soft cheeks.

"Riddle, as long as I am here I will make sure you never face such terrible outcomes again even if it means never letting you out of my sights ever again."

—————

Greetings Travelers!

I'm so deeply sorry for the delay in this chapter! I have been incredibly busy and dealing with some health concerns. As some of you know I'm on "high risk" monitoring for Melanoma (skin cancer), I will try and not let my situation and school get in the way of writing for you all, I truly love writing for you and I hope to write more for you all soon!

- Windblume

[sleepyorchidmonster]

After Chapter 7, Malleus and by extension Briar Valley had to deal with plenty of backlash.

In an attempt to appease the public (and control Malleus), the Senate organized a press conference with world leaders and NRC parents (there's A LOT of overlap between those two groups).

The main idea was to show the Senate as capable advisors that would guide the young Draconia, cementing their status in Briar Valley while also "protecting" and isolating Malleus.

What really happened was that Mrs. Rosehearts yelled at them for ten hours straight.

You see, Riddle was worried about how his mother would react to the entire Chapter 7 situation, so he made sure to explain everything to her, casting Malleus and Lillia in a more favourable light.

And it acually worked! You see, despite all her failures as a parent, she is still a mother at the end of the day, and the idea that a son would go to such great lenghts, overblotting and almost dooming the entire world, just to keep his parental figure safe, was quite touching.

She also has a newfound respect for Lillia, how he spent all those years looking for ways to get Malleus to hatch, how he went above and beyond to care for the Prince, even while banished, how he adopted and raised Silver (who is the only student she actually respects). HOW HE LITERALLY SACRIFICED PART OF HIS LIFEFORCE FOR MALLEUS TO HATCH!

On the other hand, she HATES the Senate. Mostly because she put herself in Meleanor's shoes: imagine you're about to die and decide to entrust your unborn son to your friend, only for said friend to be unjustly banished, leaving your kid in the hands of a bunch of entitled senators that completely DISREGARDED YOUR LAST WISH (Mrs. Rosehearts hates it when people don't do what she says, so she feels personally offended by that last bit, the fact that Malleus almost died also doesn't help).

Anyway, she's angry and, since the Senate IS encouraging people to air their grievances with Briar Valley, might as well seize this opportunity!

Malleus, Silver, Sebek, Lillia, Baul and Maleficia feel vindicated. Since only the housewardens and Diasomnia were invited for the event, the group chat was crazy.

The housewardens were all sitting together near the back of the room, alongside Silver and Sebek (they DON'T want to draw attention to themselves, especially since most of them are overblot survivors), so they could easily chat or sleep. Meanwhile the students back on campus were watching everything at Ramshackle.

As a small bonus, a few ways to avoid panic attacks, by Riddle and Trey:

*Mrs. Rosehearts starts talking*

Trey: Hey Rook!

Rook: Oui?

Trey: What is the meaning of beauty?

Rook: :D

*Rook starts monologuing and nobody can hear the TV anymore*

Meanwhile Riddle:

*School chat*

Epel: So, how long until she stops yelling at people? It ain't funny anymore...

Riddle: Since she yelled at Trey's parents for five hours because they gave me a tart, maybe ten or fifteen hours?

Ruggie: Wtf

Deuce: Are you doing okay, dormhead?

Riddle: I have a fully charged phone with a crosswords app, headphones playing all the Queen's rules on loop, and an entire bottle filled with the strongest calming tea I could find.

Riddle: Moreover, I'm currently seated beside the sleepiest students in this school (Leona and Silver). Their calm disposition creates a peaceful environment.

Riddle: Therefore I shall be able to keep panic attacks AND overblots at bay!

Ace: Just say yes or no...

*15 minutes later*

Riddle: I beat the game, there are no more crosswords

Vil: Chess.com

Vil: NOW

Vil: Wake Leona up, we're having a TOURNAMENT!

Idia: Congrats, u just got a World Record

Idia: Also I'm sending you a list of games later...

They left a bit after the seventh hour mark.

[mochinomnoms]

On the topic of whether or not Riddle's mom loves him or not:

I think it's very possible for people, especially parents, to love in toxic and hateful ways. People severely underestimate how powerful a child's desire to be loved by their parents is so it's very silly to expect Riddle to hate his mother, or to think that Mrs. Rosehearts doesn't love her son. A lot of bad, and even abusive parenting comes out of love and it's difficult to address that in a therapy setting unless you acknowledge and address that because without it the behavior doesn't make sense.

-Yuri (who is speaking from personal experience with a great deal of sympathy for Riddle)

Same, I wrote that with some personal experiences in mind. I think that as a character, Mrs. Rosehearts is very complicated and it's very easy to villainize her and hate her, which I don't fault anyone for it's a pretty gut reaction. We probably won't get anything about the two reconciling in-game or in manga, but yeah they both desperately need therapy.

[raven-at-the-writing-desk]

I think you mentioned that Rollo was a Dark Mirror to Idia and recently Fellow is a Dark Mirror to Ruggie (Maybe Gidel too)

Of the cast we have what Dark Mirror of a Character would you be interested in exploring and maybe what Twst-ified Disney Character would fit

[Idia and Rollo comparison/analysis here!]

[Fellow and Kalim + Ruggie comparisons/analysis here!]

I also compared Fellow and Kalim ^^ and honestly, I do believe those two are the stronger parallel over Fellow and Ruggie (especially considering that Kalim was a SSR in Playful Land). I think that and the Rollo-Idia post are some of my longest and most interesting analyses, so I’d really recommend giving them a read if you haven’t already!

Mmm… While I don’t think it’s likely that we’ll get characters twisted from 3D animated films anytime soon, I’ve also said before that I would really love to see a twisted Mother Gothel. She’s so crafty and expertly emotionally manipulative; Gothel would be a perfect first in Twisted Wonderland.

I think Gothel could serve as a great foil to both Vil and Riddle; it depends on what direction they’d take her in. Riddle is no stranger to having a strict, controlling guardian that keeps him locked indoors and away from the world. His relationship with Gothel would be like that of parent and child, and perhaps it could help Riddle revaluate his relationship with his own mother. In Vil’s case, he would be more of a 1:1 with Gothel, both serving as “parental” figures to others. Vil within his own dorm, and Gothel with a twisted Rapunzel. Similar to Riddle, maybe Vil confronting or facing off against Gothel might make him reconsider his own stern methods of mentoring—sort of in a “don’t compare me to you, I’m insulted/I’m not this awful” manner?

[merakiui]

i love how with every birthday card for riddle it's obvious he's become much more comfortable and relaxed. his smile gets brighter and he isn't so tense or awkward. 🥺

from this to that is such amazing growth:

he's come such a long way. nrc has done so much good for him. T^T i love how genuinely happy he looks,,, AAAAA RIDDLEEEEEEEE,, <3

[lemonandlime22]

Riddle, pissed off at someone: Don’t ever talk to me or my child ever again! *picks up Bitey child!Yuu and leaves*