#rosehearts

did i make this too nonplatonic😔

The rose gardens of Night Raven College had always been Yuu’s favorite place, a contradiction that made absolutely no sense to anyone but them.

Even on the most pollen-heavy days, when their nose was already tingling and their eyes watered just stepping past the wrought-iron gate, they couldn’t resist wandering down the winding paths lined with sculpted hedges and impossibly perfect blooms. The scent was thick, sweet and heady, clinging to the air like a perfume the wind refused to carry away.

Riddle Rosehearts had warned them countless times not to push their luck. “Yuu, if you insist on visiting the gardens, at least wear a mask,” he’d said that morning, arms folded, voice carrying that crisp precision that made every word sound like law.

Yuu had promised,,, but the mask was forgotten somewhere in their dorm room, and now they stood among the roses, already sniffling. Their nose twitched. “Hh’ktschh!” The sneeze came so violently that a startled robin flew off a nearby branch.

“Bless you,” came Riddle’s voice, clear and exasperated.

Yuu flinched though not from his tone, but from the fact that he’d appeared silently behind them. His uniform looked freshly pressed, not a single thread out of place. His red hair caught the sunlight, glowing like a flame, and his expression hovered between irritation and concern.

“You forgot the mask again,” he said, not even phrasing it as a question.

Yuu rubbed their nose sheepishly. “I didn’t forget, I just-uh-wanted to smell the roses?”

Riddle’s sigh was quiet but pointed. “Yuu, you’re allergic. You can’t keep doing this to yourself.”

“But they’re pretty,” Yuu argued, voice slightly muffled as they sneezed again. “And it’s-hh’itsschhh!- worth it.”

Riddle stepped closer, the sharp scent of roses mixing with the faint, clean smell of the tea he favored. He reached into his pocket, producing a neatly folded handkerchief, embroidered with tiny hearts and a rose motif at the corner, and held it out. “At least use this. You’re a mess.”

Yuu took it with a soft, watery laugh. “You always carry one of these?”

“Of course,” Riddle said simply. “One must be prepared for untidy circumstances.” He hesitated, eyes flicking to their reddened nose, the slight puffiness in their cheeks. “Though I didn’t think I’d need it for this particular reason.”

Yuu blew their nose and mumbled, “Sorry.”

Riddle frowned. “You needn’t apologize for something you can’t help.” He gestured for them to follow, leading them toward a shaded bench near the fountain. “Sit. You’re flushed.”

The marble of the bench was cool, a welcome contrast to the warmth spreading through Yuu’s face. Riddle stood beside them, arms crossed, clearly battling between lecturing them and fussing.

“I just wanted to see them up close,” Yuu said softly, tracing the edge of the bench. “You take such good care of them. It’s like.. watching you here is peaceful.”

Riddle blinked, caught off guard. His composure faltered for half a second, a rare crack in his perfectly controlled exterior. “You… enjoy watching me tend to the roses?”

Yuu nodded, rubbing their nose again. “Yeah. You look- well, happy here. Softer. I like that.”

He stared at them for a long moment before looking away, the tips of his ears turning pink. “You shouldn’t say things like that so casually,” he muttered. “It’s, disarming.”

They grinned, teasing. “You mean I flustered you?”

“I am not flustered,” Riddle said, perhaps a little too quickly. But when Yuu laughed, light and unguarded, he didn’t correct them again. Instead, he knelt in front of one of the nearest rose bushes, his gloved fingers brushing delicately against a crimson bloom.

“Do you know,” he said after a pause, “these roses are hybrids of two rare strains? One for color, one for resilience. They require daily care. precise trimming, perfect watering times. Neglect even once, and they’ll suffer for it.”

Yuu leaned forward despite themselves, trying to listen through the haze of congestion. “So… you’re saying they’re dramatic?”

Riddle blinked. “I- well, I wouldn’t phrase it that way, but-”

“They sound like me,” Yuu said, smiling faintly. “High maintenance but cute.”

Riddle’s mouth twitched, half an exasperated sigh but also half a smile he refused to let form. “You’re impossible.”

“I know.”

Another sneeze hit them mid-laugh, and Riddle instinctively placed a hand on their shoulder, steadying them. His grip was surprisingly gentle. When Yuu opened their eyes again, Riddle’s gaze lingered on their face, on the mess of tears and sniffles and soft defiance that kept them there despite the allergy.

“You really love these gardens,” he said quietly.

“I really love seeing you in them,” Yuu admitted before they could stop themselves. The words hung between them, sunlight filtering through the leaves, painting dappled gold across Riddle’s face.

He went still. The breeze caught the hem of his cape, stirring it slightly. When he finally spoke, his voice was soft, almost hesitant. “You should take care of yourself first, Yuu. I- well I care about that. Deeply.”

Yuu smiled weakly, another sneeze cutting through their answer, and Riddle gave a breathy laugh, something genuine, fleeting, but real. He shook his head and reached for a pair of gloves from his pocket.

“If you insist on being here,” he said, “then we’ll do this properly. I’ll trim the roses, and you can watch from over there. That’s far enough to keep you from sneezing every two seconds.”

Yuu tilted their head, pouting. “What if I want to help?”

“Then you’ll wear this,” he said, producing a medical mask from his coat pocket like he’d been waiting for this moment all along.

Yuu blinked. “You carry those too?”

Riddle looked faintly smug. “One must always be prepared.”

With mock solemnity, Yuu took the mask, slipping it on as Riddle began to tend to the nearest rosebush. The rhythmic snip of scissors, the soft rustle of petals falling. it all blurred into a quiet peace between them.

Every so often, Riddle would glance up to make sure Yuu was still breathing evenly, that their eyes weren’t watering too badly. Each time, Yuu met his gaze with a smile, tired, stuffy, but content.

The roses swayed gently behind him, crimson and gold under the afternoon light.

And though Yuu’s nose still tingled and their voice came out congested, when they said softly, “This is my favorite place,” Riddle only replied, in that calm, precise tone that couldn’t quite hide the warmth behind it;

“I know.”

i tried something knew her, style wise, plz lemma know if it sucks.

summary: you had an affinity for teasing Riddle Rosehearts, others thought you had an affinity for death.

tw: none.

a/n: reader isn't Yuu. Reader is in Heartslabyul dorm.

wc: 0.6k

Master List

You wouldn’t call yourself extroverted. You went to class, did your school work, and chilled in your room when there wasn’t an unbirthday party. But it seemed like you had a death wish with how easily you found yourself teasing the Heartslabyul housewarden. You weren’t sure why, it was somewhat difficult for you to talk to others, but Riddle Rosehearts seemed to make you lose your filter.

The two of you were in the same year, and you found yourself deskmates within your first class. You found it funny how strict Riddle was about himself, and you couldn’t help but wonder if others saw you similarly since you were also a bit of a goody two shoes. At least you didn’t scold people the way Riddle did when they broke a rule. Like stated before, you mainly kept to yourself. 

-image edit by me

HELLOOOOO i'm the mod! you can call me M, mod, or rose! i use any pronouns

RULES

NO NSFW OR NSFW ALLUDING ASKS IMMEDIATE BLOCK riddle is between the ages of 7-12 for this blog and mod is also a minor🍓 EDIT: Dni if you have a nsfw account. i sometimes look at my followers profiles and ive already been jumped by nsfw and kinks im sorry, i'm a minor and i don't want to interact with anyone doing that stuff!! i will block you 🍓 if you're homophobic, racist, xenophobic, transphobic, sexist, zoophile, lolicon/shotacon ppl etc. 🍓 OCs are completely allowed! give me a link or info if you need me to know info about them 🍓 Send in an ask or dm for long term rp! 🍓 Be patient!! I have a school that requires a lot of homework plus im dealing with my life and mental health so i'll get 2 you eventually i promise 🍓 Other rp accounts and riddles pls interact!! Even ship ones as long as they aren't trying to like. be with riddle as a child they just think he's a cutie. (i ship Florid but i accept all legal ships!) 🍓 TRIGGER WARNING!! i'm not sure yet but my bot will probably contain stuff alluding to physical, mental and emotional child abuse from his mother along with the symptoms of it (he may get randomly terrified or apologise too much, he will also CRAVE sweets). 🍓 I'll update as i go ig :3 🍓 I also kin child riddle!! i had a similar childhood so i project a bit but if i refer to him as myself or as a persona, real person etc its just cause i shift into the mindset of him and lowkey act like him sometimes when im upset or feeling strong emotions lol.

Keep in mind child riddle only has so many reactions from what i can gather from the anime and a fan design in the style of the game so i may not have an image on every post!

Credits for assets

-border by @cafekitsune

-gif by @riddlerosehearts

-top image by me! free to use with credit!

- Briar and Cupid always host the best parties together

- Briar confessed first, Cupid fell first

- Hopper is their gay third a la the meme

- Briar talks to Cupid about already missing her brothers because of her curse, Cupid talks to Briar about how to deal with that from her own knowledge of missing Monster High

- Cupid always reassures Briar that she’ll be there when Briar wakes up

- Cursed x immortal

- They have a rose garden together that Cupid uses for her roses of love

- Cupid always attends Briar’s hextreme sports competitions and flies in to save her if she looks like she needs it

Requested by @thelilylav

Lily, you do spoil me with favorites! Although, funnily enough, this ship name could also be applied to Lizzie and Briar. I only knew Hearts was Cupid because of who was requesting it ;). This is why I think Cupid's "title" in idiosyncratic couple names should be "angel," instead of "hearts," but I digress.

Cupid and Briar are an interesting case of seeming like very similar people and actually being an example of opposites attract.

Briar is well-known, well-liked, comfortable in her own skin, and resigned to her destiny. She's also impulsive and confident and just a bit insane. Briar and caution are not on speaking terms.

Cupid meanwhile is brand new, hiding some pretty serious secrets about the world from everyone, explicitly showed up to mess with the status quo, and is a bit of a mess. She's nervous and awkward and despite coming from a world of literal monsters, is pretty spooked by all the dangerous nonsense that happens at EAH. As she rightfully should be! Monster high is not the scary school, they're FINE over there, these fairytale losers need HELP.

They both have some pretty unhinged energy going on, Briar with her desperation to live it up now and to share that feeling with everyone around her, and Cupid with her sheer determination to make true love feasible. All these things play off each other fantastically when they're paired in True Hearts Day. I really do love that Briar just swooped in and lied her socks off to Grimm and Cupid was like "Huh? Wuh? Why?" Fantastic way for two characters to meet. They are great fun.

But like most things involving EITHER of these two characters, the wacky hijinks are hiding a lot more depth! When you look at them through specifically a shipping context, you find some interesting material. Cupid is immortal. She's one of the few people that Briar can count on to still be there after her 100 year sleep. That adds some layers to the way Briar really easily latched onto Cupid for seemingly no reason other than "she's planning a party and I'm a nice person." Briar is also someone who, like Cupid, is used to giving up her own personal desires in favor of someone who matters to her more. The way she constantly sacrifices for the sake of Apple and her other friends is a major part of who she is. And on Cupid's end, her own love life is terrible because she'd rather make other people happy and be miserable for their sake. It's a very similar mentality, and I can see why they'd gravitate to each other.

Cupid's also fun because after Raven, she is the most rebellious rebel that ever did rebel. Her diary contains the most metal line in the entire series: "I'm not a fairytale. I'm a myth." Headmaster Grimm is afraid of her because of what she can do and how he has absolutely no control over her. And the way she and Briar meet is Cupid openly defying the guy to throw a secret underground celebration commemorating following your heart and making your own choices. I think there's a reason Briar jumped on that premise in particular. Cupid definitely brings out and encourages Briar's rule-breaking and desire for change.

Between the two of them, they could (and do) get into a lot of trouble that sparks both important development in themselves and in the characters around them, but there's just something about it that keeps it from S-tier for me. I think it's because, while this is far and away the most compelling option for Cupid---YEAH I SAID IT, DIE MAD HEARTLOCKES STANS---it lacks the *oomf* of other Briar ships. Briar is one of the main characters. She is the deuteragonist's best friend. She's really important and gets a lot of focus because of it. And Cupid just isn't quite to her level. She has a lot of interesting stuff going on, but she gets relegated to side character so frequently that Briar in a relationship with her doesn't carry the same weight as something like AppleBeauty. It lacks the implications. It doesn't change the story the way other S tier ships do.

It's a bit like Madven in that regard. It's a fantastic ship and one that I deeply enjoy: aesthetically pleasing, fun as all get out, and their relationship is thematically and narratively appropriate. But shipping them just doesn't meaningfully change or carry the story the way the best of the best do.