Spire of Inspiration

TWST HEADCANON FOR MY TWST IDOL AU BUT IT'S ACTUALLY A FIC

Riddle always had a love for music for all music genres. With all the school work and self study he did, the only class he likes is playing instruments.

Riddle likes to sing. He plays the piano and violin and plays classical music. He may play Beethoven or Mozart multiple times but that's okay! As long as he plays instruments, he's good.

Whenever Mrs. Rosehearts leaves the house or Riddle doing his self-study, he would use the time to compose his own music.

He would make poetry and try singing it secretly with his own compositions.

Little Trey and Chenya heard him play music and they bonded over that but just like in canon, their friendship didn't last long...

A few years later, 15-year old Middle-school Riddle stumbled on a flyer about idol recruitments. He's kind of interested...he wanted to express his feelings through music but reality hits as he remembered the last time he expressed himself--he lost his friends...

He decided to continue to ignore his musical passion for the sake of his mother. Becoming an idol is a distraction to academics.

A year later, during his first year in NRC...and in his first days as housewarden...despite Riddle being all strict and serious, he can't help but feel curious about Trey...it's been so long since they last spoke.

Hanging out with friends outside a routine is a distraction to academics but still, Riddle can't help but to check him from time to time.

During an unbirthday party, Cater and Trey are hanging out...Cater is showing Trey about the virtual idols and talking about them. Riddle heard this and his interest piqued when he heard Virtual Idols are idols who technically has an online persona and their identity remains unknown.

Riddle called for Cater one night. Cater thought he's in trouble...then Riddle asked the holy question:

How does Virtual Idols work?

Cater blinked then boom! Cater and Riddle becoming secret besties

Some request... That I just remembered. I will never finish this if I render

Money and resources are nothing to worry about for Malleus. He could probably build an entire castle with a few dining halls and well over forty bedrooms five times over and barely make a dent in his own personal coffers, and that’s without even glancing at his colossal hoard of personal treasures.

But, he knew Silver. He’d probably think a one room home would be too much to just be given, and Riddle seemed to be shy about gifts in general from what Malleus had observed during holidays when Riddle stayed in the Vanrouge cottage. So, it would be in everyone’s best interest to think on the smaller side for such a gift.

Lilia had come to Malleus prepared with a list of things to consider. Given how much Silver valued and loved his family, he wouldn’t want to move too far from his childhood home—the only home he’d ever known. Riddle kept in minimal contact with his mother and his father and sisters often sent letters back and forth with him since they all lived in different places, so staying in Briar Valley wasn’t completely off the table. Riddle’s work allowed him to work remotely, electricity and internet would be required to install. Both Riddle and Silver enjoyed gardening—though Riddle preferred cultivating flowers and Silver preferred a small veggie patch and growing strawberries—ample space for a garden would be optimal. And given the fact that Silver was beloved by nature, his animal companions would likely appreciate being able to visit him, so a large yard for them to visit would be appreciated by both Silver and his friends. There were also Riddle’s pet hedgehogs, so the yard would be a space for them as well.

Lilia and Malleus eventually picked out a spot for the house to go. A glen that was a bit larger than the one the Vanrouge cottage was in and was upstream from it. It was about a half hour walk away at the most, so spontaneous visits to and from family would be easy. So would visits from the forest animals that beloved Silver so. Not to mention the ground was firm and ideal to have a structure built upon.

Once the location was chosen, Malleus began working on designing the home. With his vast architectural knowledge and access to the incredibly old blueprints of Lilia’s college, it was rather easy to do. He knew that Silver valued function and simplicity over most anything when it came to material things. From his clothes to his bedroom, he truly was a minimalist. Riddle seemed much the same, though Malleus observed his appreciation for the odd and unique pieces in the Vanrouge home, especially the more eccentric and elegantly crafted things. Malleus wanted to consider Riddle feeling just as at home as Silver in this abode, as it was for the two of them to start their married life and—hopefully—their eventual family in. This led him to researching the architectural history of the Queendom of Roses and staples of the design elements. And he doesn’t remember when, but Lilia did have to stop him from adding gargoyles at one point.

But, eventually, Malleus ended up designing quite the nice little home. It was three stories, including a basement, with one and a half bathrooms, four bedrooms, and a designated office space. It was quite a bit more spacious than the Vanrouge cottage, but Malleus wanted to give the two lovebirds ample space to have family over and grow their own family with ample space for both themselves and any children. And after getting everything squared away and approved by professionals, construction began. It didn’t take long, given that the construction team was all fae and they used magic to aid them, but it was still wonderful to hear that the team had finished up quicker than expected.

And all two years before Silver even proposed!

…

Okay, Malleus and Lilia may or may not have gotten a little bit too excited…

We learned that night fae came from a colder climate (northern area) to the area BV is currently at and because of differences between laws and environments etc they didn’t get along and eventually that led to a war where night fae won and maleficia ended up with the princess glow and the castle that meleanor inhabited. The origin of the land isn’t known because the squabble has been going on for a while.

If they had a war, it would also explain why Lilia became an orphan wouldn’t it? Why he was found trying to survive and why maleficia also took him in.

It would make sense in that regard why after years of uneasiness, why the day fae would side with the humans to get back what they believed was their right.

And because twst loves laying the down hints in front of us, we can see hints of this already in book 7.

Wild rose castle was white and bright colors, the dark fae think of black as the royal colors. As we see here on the inside:

So it makes sense that the castle used to belong to day fairies.

And this is probably why meleanor got the labeled of being evil because of the past wars and when the day fairies saw that the humans might be able to help them they took that chance to team up.

This would also explain how knight of dawn ended up with the ring which had a stone that came from the same mine as the princess glow and it also explains how the humans knew the healing properties of the princess glow too. It would be beneficial to them both to team against the night fae. One would get the stone to heal the king and the other would get their lands/homes back.

There’s also the hint that night fae/other fae immigrated from other lands in book 7 too during Lilia’s travels.

We see here during Lilia’s travel, he came across a castle that was long since abandoned. A castle from legends, so the origin and events Lilia would not be privy too.

Notice how the colors (yes I know it’s a reused background but still they used this one specially for a reason and endless Halloween was an event where malleus and lilia took a main role in the background), are dark colors. Could this be a hint that this was the castle the night fae abandoned before going to BV?? Or just one of many places night faes kind moved to different areas to find a new place to live??

Twst loves its hints and its parallels so it’s interesting to see the story hints showing up again. It’s fun to see what was in front of us. I think there’s more to learn about the fae history so I can’t wait until we learn more about both sides.

Not only that, but we got hint as far as the ghost bride event where Eliza speaks of dying because her home was invaded leaving her with regrets.

So we see again how events and main story parallel.

Seeing how Lilia talks about the cycle of wars and how long it’s been, no wonder he advocates for peace between all species. No wonder he taught the boys to get along with others because literally look at what centuries of wars have not only cost him but also others in the past.

The side who wins, who’s good and evil, changes depending on who you ask. It’s a repeated cycle. That’s how history is. The story changes. Who knows what is truth and isn’t.

This is why it’s important that Malleus heeded Lilia’s advice and tries to get along with humans and why Sebek and Silver are his knights as well. Because they’ll bring the change that he’s been trying to bring (along with him and his future school ambitions)

Malleus the king who learns and is more open to humans. Silver, a past prince and human who is close to malleus and isn’t one to hesitate to have his opinions known and be the middle man. Sebek who represent the love of a fae and human, who is very loyal and also stepped up to help his lord.

This is also why fairy gala if is such an important event too because we see first hand that peace is possible between different species.

Anyways buddy I've barely watch BSD myself so you're practically the primary source here rn 😭

But like imagine going about the usual routine only to hear about your past fling from your BOSS of all people- the same boss who orders you to pretty much kidnap your son and bring him into the fold.

Maybe the fling started from a mission that led to a whirlwhind romance, only for Chuuya to break it off and leave Mrs. Rosehearts behind one odd night with a large sum in hopes that somehow makes up for the passion shared. Except, this totally tilts Mrs. Rosehearts views on love because maybe she was raised in an extremely strict household and her romance with Chuuya felt like a breath of fresh air amidst all the stifling rules of her household. Perhaps she even considered running away with him the day after he left her behind with a thick wad of cash as if that would serve enough compensation for her innocence. Maybe the night he left, they got into an argument about whether or not they could become a permanent couple, and maybe some unsavory words were thrown before Chuuya decided enough was enough and left right as dawn broke. Maybe Mrs. Rosehearts woke up wanting to apologize, thinking she had more time to make it right only for that check in the envelope placed right on the nightstand of the hotel room Chuuya booked stared right back at her. Mocking her and her hopelessly naive dreams of ever desiring more than the provincial life he parents expected of her.

From that moment on, she changed. For the better or worse- who could really say? But what is safe to say was that after her marriage because Sevens only know the fury that reigned down upon her once her parents found out she was pregnant and apparently had a lover all those times she'd claimed to be out studying or spending time with prospective suitors. Really, they would've disinherited her right then and there had she not struck a plan with someone who was equally in dire straight and in need for a contractual spouse.

With the aligned benefits, and the promise of rising in status- her parents agreed to the marriage without question. They bought her lies about the two falling hopelessly in love- not once questioning the fact that he was a tad too old to be looking at women as young as herself.

But life went on and Mrs. Rosehearts believed she'd gotten over her past. Only for an email to send her straight back to square one- and only a week later did she come face to face with a man she hoped she'd never see again or Sevens help them. Him more than her.

Hmmm Mori probably was aware of Chuuya's flings because I'd imagine the man likes to keep EXTREMELY close tabs on his inner circle. Including their off day daliances and the like.

So Chuuya begrudgingly agrees- however I'm still debating on a timeline for this one because on one hand it'd be really sweet to have Chuuya meet a Riddle who hasn't quite completely submitted to his mother. However there's also something about the fact that he sees his kid for the first time- only to realize that Riddle behaves not at all like what a normal child should be like. Maybe this even solidifies the aversion he feels that makes it so hard to approach Riddle with sincerity.

But at the same time I really like the idea of Riddle slowly growing closer to Chuuya as welllll. Maybe their first meeting is pre-tart incident where Chuuya is still tasked with the mission to observe whether Riddle truly has a magical pool or an ability of sorts. Plus I'd imagine he wouldn't really be comfortable speaking to an ex fling again- nor could he just up and grab the kid since the Rosehearts are VERY well known. So I'd imagine that their connections wouldn't be too simple for the PM to just flat out ignore..

So yeah, he spends some time just stalking the kid which isn't all too exciting since Riddle hardly ever leaves the house and the windows don't exactly give much leeway either. Plus the Rosehearts have a couple wards put up- so it wasn't worth the risk sneaking cameras in the house without notice. So a stakeout it was. It honestly made Chuuya wonder just how this kid could possibly be related to him especially with how innocent and obediently he followed his mother's words.

Until that fateful day where Riddle first met Trey and Chenya, the calm before the storm. However for Chuuya it was a chance to properly observe Riddle in a less controlled environment where he wasn't constantly under his mother's watch. So he watches and watches.

I'd imagine that he's been gone for three months now and Mori was expecting some news- except none of Chuuya's reports were satisfactory so Mori decided to overrride his authority and meet Mrs. Rosehearts himself. A brief meeting that informs Mrs. Rosehearts that her past fling was far more meaningful than it might've seemed which instantly brings her hackles up as she goes to check on Riddle only to discover that her precious son was missing.

So not only does the Clover family get a taste of a Rosehearts' hell hath no fury- but so does Chuuya. But Chuuya doesn't just see the explosion, he sees the fall out and the last bit of innocence in Riddle crumble to submit to his mother's command. It sparks something within that he decidedly doesn't name- but he also makes a decision to be more involved. Even if such a decision was made more so with feeling than an actual string of thought he could acknowledge.

I think I had more in my head but I'll let you take the floor for now as I try to recall it 😭

The blind leading the blind ahh (I only watched up to the end of S3 a long time ago so its probs ooc)

Ohhh you see my mind was more so steering towards a route where Mori had the leverage to blackmail Mrs. Rosehearts into handing Riddle over to the PM. Especially since the public is under the firm belief that Riddle is Mr. Rosehearts child and not one born out of wedlock much less to a love. The very idea that Dr. Rosehearts bore the child of a previous lover and decided to pretend it was her husband's was unfathomable- which made it just as scandalous.

So maybe that's where Mori strikes first in order to gain the upper hand and while it does frazzle her, she also understands that she's not completely helpless. The last years spent after Chuuya's departure weren't wasted on years of misery but instead honed to develop a career that most would have to think twice before coming to her doorstep to try and sabotage the life she'd painstakingly worked on.

So the negotiations keep on flowing until they come to a reluctantly satisfactory agreement. Mrs. Rosehearts has the resources to prevent Riddle from getting directly involved HOWEVER the dirt they have on her is what's keeping her from accomplishing a complete a pushback. So the only thing they could agree on was exactly ONE hour of time spent with Chuuya. No matter how against it Mrs. Rosehearts was- Mori refused to budge so she could only agree begrudgingly.

I'd imagine that Riddle isn't informed of WHO Chuuya is to him- as he's instead introduced as a magic tutor. The fact that his mother actually "entrusted" someone else besides herself to be responsible for his studies- even if only for one subject already made Chuuya rise quite high in Riddle's list of respectable people.

But Riddle wasn't exactly shielded away from his mother's opinions of the man either- so his attitude towards Chuuya in general was that of cordial respect reserved to those who worked with his parents. He also wasn't exposed to the mafia life but that doesn't mean he wasn't trained in combat and the like either..

Mrs. Rosehearts and Chuuya are probably both in agreement that it'd be for the best to hide Riddle's true parentage from him. However it doesn't exactly make it easier when Mrs. Rosehearts hurls insults at Chuuya left and right all the while he's there. They're like bitter exes now, and Riddle can't help but feel awkward around the man whom his mother has such enmity for.

(At first I was thinking about the prospect of Mori actually getting Riddle- but it also wouldn't quite make sense either especially considering Riddle's firm views on following the laws to a T. So introducing the mafia lifestyle through subtleties such as how to handle subordinates and how to maneuver his magic were proposed for the sake of advancing his education in his mother's words..)

At the same time- I'd imagine that Mori would also approach Riddle who wouldn't be as wary of the elder as he would if he'd been a second year or something. Mori probably likes to use that to his advantage quite often because although he doesn't get Riddle- he's found something more interesting instead. Another leash for Chuuya who's growing affection for the child isn't quite as well hidden as he could've hoped.

The thing is- they probably do test to see if Riddle was worth the investment after all the negotiations were set in place. Most importantly, was whether or not he'd inherited Arahabaki.

News flash: He didn't.

HOWEVER they also found that despite not inheriting the ability from Chuuya, being his child made Riddle the perfect vessel to inherit the ability should Chuuya loose his life at anytime. This tidbit isn't known to Mrs. Rosehearts who was under the impression that the mafia believed Riddle somehow inherited a UM similar to Chuuya. (Even though Chuuya's ability isn't a UM.)

After revealing that Riddle "didn't have what they were looking for", she's now under the impression that they're only interested in Riddle either because he's an executive's son or because of his large magic pool.

Mori LOVES dangling the fact that he could just replace Chuuya with Riddle, especially since I'd imagine that Chuuya would be in his late 40s or maybe early 50s at best. The threat wouldn't work all the time- especially not at first. But it certainly does start to gnaw on Chuuya once his heart begins to open up for Riddle.

Riddle def keeps Chuuya at arms length due to his mother's very low opinion on him. But little by little, he grows to respect the man a little more.

Maybe Chuuya takes him out on a 'lesson' occasionally, maybe yearly since Ms. Rosehearts would have a heart attack otherwise, and this is where the two get to bond.

Chuuya does teach Riddle what Mori wants but he lowkey says little things to thwart any kind of propaganda he's trying to sneak in.

Now all Riddle needs is Arahabaki which makes Mori eyes Chuuya with even MORE scrutiny as the years pass. The age doesn't make Chuuya weak at all of course but it does make him more wary as Riddle continues to grow in ability and renown. While all his efforts are certainly praise worthy- Mori will definitely have his ways to pull Riddle into the Port Mafia should he deem the reward outweighs the risk. Riddle's invite to NRC probably provided Chuuya with just enough room to keep Riddle safe and out of the weight of mafia eyes atleast for a couple years. Especially since NRC only allows students chosen by the mirror so the probability of planting spies is low. But never zero...

It does make me wonder if Mori contemplates outsourcing connections to have eyes on Riddle while he attends NRC. Maybe if you follow the fish mafia theory- then Mori could probably reach out to the Leeches and enlist their family for assistance for a price. This already puts Riddle on the Leech's radar or more specifically Jade's as he's probably the one more interested in keeping up correspondence with the family if I'm not mistaken?

Not sure whether Azul would be kept in the dark or have some sort of knowledge- BUT he does know when to read the room and this understands that their attention on Riddle means more than he could probably hope to understand. Especially since Jade was being particularly tight lipped and Floyd couldn't be bothered to spare much less remember the finer details.

Oh God, imagining Riddle unlocking an ability that allows him to achieve an overpowered state like Arahabaki through overblot without straight up dying sounds terrifying.

But like the prospect that he could possibly be undefeatable in his overblot form without some sort of nullifier ability prepared sounds even more so. Maybe his overblot doesn't happen first like we see in canon- because Chuuya's presence probably adds a balm to the constant isolation he experiences under his mother's care. Hell even Mori's random visits could be insightful from time to time- though Riddle's not completely aware of the mind games that operate just around his peripherals.

Perhaps he's not too emotionally mature because again- Chuuya being a healthy role model feels questionable at best. But it also feels like he wouldn't be as uptight as to overblot within the first week of school. Especially under the tutelage of an older Chuuya who's experienced a life that no one should ever have to undergo.

I can lowkey imagine that as maybe the only paternal figure in his life, Riddle may slip up a call Chuuya dad completely on accident. Though he's quick to backtrack and apologize, begging the man not to tell his parents and all Chuuya can do is nod and laugh it off while deep inside a feeling of regret stirs. He's not completely sure why he feels so regretful, especially since the past can't even be changed so there really was no point in doing so.

Anyway back to the point- what if his overblot happens sometime later. Later enough for someone to actually be present to nullify his ability enough to knock him out of the overblot. Maybe it's Ace who was driven to the point of using his UM for the first time like in Book 7- or perhaps better yet... What if it's Dazai????

Chuuya's def taught him some underhanded tricks to get away with things even if Riddle isn't too keen on using them.

Honestly I wonder how Riddle will react if he learned Chuuya was his biological father. I doubt it'd be a pretty conversation, I mean they were a "casual fling", left her in the middle of the night with just cash? You seriously think you can pay something away like that? It would definitely make him reconsider how their relationship is. He wouldn't shut him out forever but he'd def to do it as some point.

Fish mafia keeping an eye of Riddle!! I always thought Azul was somehow mixed into the business. He's not too deep in yet but the twins usually tell him stuff so for them to keep him in the dark is suspicious. Jade might be wondering what Riddle has to have someone like Mori so interested in him. He could chalk it up to him being related to someone who owes a debt but that doesn't feel right.

Maybe his overblot happen in Yokohoma? I mean even if it's a brief stay, Chuuya can't hide Riddle from non port mafia members. This is the biggest slip up since now that it's known Riddle has mafia potential, Mori won't let him go. So Chuuya can either ditch that mafia to save the son he's basically unofficially raised for nine(?) years or just accept his faith of Riddle being raised to become an executive.

I feel like he'd BEGRUDGINGLY would go to Dazai since he's the only one whose left the mafia and has a standing by himself. He loathes having to ask for his help but if it means keeping Riddle safe, he has no other choice.

But who that would be feels hard to confirm so my money's on Mori first and Dazai as a second maybe. Ranpo probably wouldn't be all too interested in stating the obvious imo. Mori could probably reveal it if Riddle was really asking whereas it feels like Dazai would be the type to procrastinate on revealing the truth outright. He seems more of the type to turn it into a game to see if he can get Riddle to figure it out himself. The connection is pretty obvious because despite the fact that Riddle's got red hair while Chuuya's a ginger; their eyes are very similar in color. Their height as well, as Dazai would most likely point out for the hell of it.

It's safe to say that seeing a mini Chuuya react in the same way is very amusing to him.

But yeah, it feels like the natural progression would be the goading and teasing from Dazai and maybe Ranpo which would tip Riddle off to the idea that there's something more between him and Chuuya that he's failed to see in the past. Then, I imagine that another meeting with Mori shifts into the man offering Riddle the truth. However Riddle declines, because he wants to trust Chuuya and he's always been told to be wary of Mori.

Riddle doesn't really know who Mori is besides the fact that he's apparently Chuuya's boss. So like Chuuya, Riddle is still respectful but he's also outgrown the childish closeness he may have held for the man in the 'not so distant' past.

Back to the father reveal, maybe he overblotted AFTER finding out the truth. Perhaps it was during the winter break when Chuuya takes Riddle to Yokohama for the first or maybe second time in his life. The reveal just makes him shut down and feel so confused because he's not sure what or who he's supposed to trust anymore. Maybe Mori intentionally offered the truth because he'd heard of the overblots in NRC and wanted to see if Riddle could also undergo a similar experience. He'd call it simple curiosity knowing that it led to the very public-ish acceptance that Riddle did carry potential on par with Arahabaki. Much to Chuuya's disdain for Mori and his schemes.

I lowkey DO want Chuuya to just leave it all behind- as insane as it might sound. Maybe Riddle becomes his reason to leave and so he finds himself enlisting Dazai's help. At first Chuuya thinks about running away but then he realizes that in doing so would only put Riddle at further risk. It's at this point where Chuuya realizes that he has to choose between letting Mori sink he claws into Riddle or to fight tooth and nail to protect his kid. Chuuya has his answer in a heartbeat.

Dazai is the type to play all those mind games; maybe he calls Riddle "mini Chuuya," much to both their annoyance. It certainly bothers him that everyone seems to know this secret when he's been kept in the dark for years now.

Chuuya leaving everything behind to protect Riddle</3. He def can't assassinate Mori by himself, so maybe he makes a deal with the ADA. We stay out of each other's way if you help me bring Mori down. I mean, its beneifical considering the ADA has an impending "exchange a member" deal Mori hasn't yet called on.

It helps them clean up that loose end, but also less headaches. Chuuya just wants to keep his kid safe.

Like imagine Riddle hearing about nearly every bad thing Chuuya's done straight from Mori's mouth: from the crimes committed down to the origins of his OWN birth as the cherry on top. It all makes Riddle want to throw up and keep on denying to his very last breath.

The only reason he can deny it is because he's still holding onto the silver lining where Chuuya had mentioned that Mori likes to play with people's minds. So he refuses to listen, only to return to Chuuya and overhear his conversation with Mrs. Rosehearts who is very pissed that Chuuya brought Riddle all the way to Yokohama. They're so caught up in their argument that Chuuya doesn't even have time to notice Riddle's presence because he's grown so used to the kid being around that he doesn't even register Riddle as a threat. Unfortunately for him, Mrs. Rosehearts says something that makes Chuuya snap back about how he's Riddle's dad too. This infuriates Mrs. Rosehearts who goes on to yell at him- however he can't seem to pay attention when a frail voice snaps him back to reality.

He looks behind him only to see an empty space and the sound of a door slamming shut. Riddle runs away, hyperventilating and unaware that he's currently being watched by Mori who's observing the fallout with keen interest. Yes, Mori's the one who instigated the Mrs. Rosehearts into calling Chuuya at just the right moment.

The overblot itself is pretty much a haze for Riddle, he can only recall his mentor- or he supposed his father now apparently- catching up to him. But Riddle can't quite acknowledge Chuuya's presence when he's finding it difficult to breathe and on the precipice of a panic attack or WORSE.

He knows Chuuya's trying to calm him down, trying to talk some sense into him but all Riddle can here are the crimes uttered from Mori's lips and he finds himself flinching unintentionally when Chuuya tries to touch him. The development shocks them both, but it doesn't deter Chuuya from speaking. However instead of calming down, Riddle just feels more enraged and soon the blot starts to overflow because he's unintentionally using magic and letting it affect his surroundings. It's incredibly difficult to listen to reason when it feels like his entire life's been turned upside down.

By the end of it- the only thing he feels is the sensation of someone holding him close and the presence of a second or perhaps even more voices. One of them sounds annoyingly familiar though he can't pin point why that is exactly.

Def what made Chuuya break apart from the mafia. Overblots are deadly, and as far as they knew, there was no chance that Riddle had any abilities to protect him from the same consequences. It's very likely he could've died, all because Mori wanted to manipulate him.

At the same time Riddle can't stand being so close to Chuuya right now without remembering everything that they went through. In an unlikely or perhaps not so unlikely turn of events- Atsushi probably offers to let Riddle stay over for a few nights just to cool off and gather himself. Let's just say he can empathize when it comes to dramatic revelations concerning fathers. (lmao I just realized they both had their fathers raise them without ever realizing that the man raising them was their bio dad-)

Anyways so the penthouse or wherever Chuuya lives is practically empty without Riddle, and Dazai sneaking in somehow makes it feel worse because the man knows exactly hot to hit where it hurts.

I'd imagine that Chuuya tries to stop thinking about it by devising plans to protect Riddle- meaning that he plans to make Kouyou the new boss.

Hmm I lwk wanted the book 6 kidnapping to occur sometime after Riddle's overblot but that doesn't feel likely if this plays out during Book 4, meaning Riddle would probably have to be absent during Book 5. But then again maybe he could stay in Yokohama under the excuse of recovery? So long as he stays long enough for Book 6- where in he gets kidnapped by the Charon bots who know Riddle overblotted.