Punzie | Vilrid my love

1. Why do like shipping VilRid? What about those two and their shared interactions, similarities, and contrasts makes you believe there is a potential romance? Is there a dynamic between them that is unique compared to everyone else? Branching off of that question, how does this ship stand out amongst the other, more popular ships Vil and Riddle are in (RookVil, LeoVil, FloRid, TreyRid, etc.). How much does the main canon and the ship’s popularity play a part on your reasonings for shipping VilRid? I don’t mean this as an attack on you btw, I just really like hearing people’s reasons for shipping a particular one they like.

2. I want to know how you think they got together. Who do you think fell in love first? When do the two guys realize their feelings for each other are more than just friends? Do the other characters notice what’s going on between the two of them? If so, what do they do to help the couple get together (if they decide to help at all)? Finally, who makes the first move and asks for them to go out? Just a side note: going off of that one art you made of Riddle greatly misinterpreting one of Vil’s flirts, I like to think that Riddle doesn’t notice Vil dropping hints until someone flat out tells him or he randomly realizes while he’s doing something random.

That’s all the questions I have for now. Once again, thanks for what you do, keep making VilRid content whenever your heart desires, and remember to stay healthy!!

First of all, thank you so much for your kind words and for the ask!! It honestly means a lot to know that there are people who enjoy my VilRid content. ❤️

Also below is a silly fanart I made but haven't posted. They're fighting over who loves the other most. :3

1. Why do I ship VilRid?

*Inserts Tangled prologue music*

This is quite the long story. Don't worry, it's actually a very nice story!

I've actually loved rarepairs ever since I was a child. I know many people begin shipping characters because of their interactions or because they have a fun rivalry, but I've always been drawn to characters who feel like they belong together through their personalities and values. I like imagining couples that would naturally build a peaceful, lifelong relationship because they understand each other so well.

I first met Twisted Wonderland when I was 14, but it was at 15 that I completely fell in love with Riddle. I admired how elegant, mature, and hardworking he was, and I also related to parts of his backstory, especially having a strict, academically focused upbringing and a sheltered life (like Rapunzel). Later, I fell in love with Vil as well. Since they became my two favorite characters, I naturally started imagining them together.

Then I began noticing just how much they actually have in common....

They're both incredibly disciplined, hardworking, elegant, and ambitious. They're inspired by queens, they're perfectionists, and they both genuinely want what's best for their dorms. They are strict, yes, but they have high standards for themselves and those around them. I think that shared mindset allows them to understand one another in a way very few people can.

There are also little details that make me smile. Riddle's ideal type is someone punctual, and in Riddle's Broomquet Birthday story, Vil specifically comments to Riddle that he is always punctual. It's a tiny interaction, but it quite a lot of you think about it. Vil also mentions roses and sometimes is seen with them as well as the color red, reminding me of Riddle.

What really makes VilRid special to me, though, is how they complement each other.

Riddle spent much of his childhood isolated from the world, while Vil has traveled extensively because of his career. I love imagining Vil introducing Riddle to new cities, restaurants, and experiences that he never had the opportunity to enjoy growing up (in fact they also talk about it on Riddle's bday story too. Oh and there's the story where they dance together like a Disney couple and it's shown that they knew each other long ago, with Vil helping Riddle wear heels... So lovely.) On the other hand, Riddle gives Vil something that's much harder to find: someone who understands the pressure of always having to meet impossibly high expectations.

I also think Vil would help Riddle grow socially. Riddle doesn't have many close friends and is often feared by others, while Vil is incredibly socially aware. I can easily picture Vil teaching him how to use Magicam, helping him feel more comfortable in social settings, or encouraging him to enjoy life outside of academics and responsibilities.

To me, their relationship is about helping each other experience the parts of life they missed while growing up.

My love for this ship became even stronger while creating my Twisted Wonderland Tangled fan event, The Festival of Floating Lights. I spent four years developing it, studying Tangled, expanding the Rosehearts family's story, and exploring Vil and Riddle's relationship through an emotional journey. That project made me appreciate their dynamic even more, and it's become one of my biggest dreams to turn it into a manga and someday animate it.

You may ask if the fact that VilRid is a rarepair is why I like it, but nope. I liked it because I fell in love with the characters first. But ironically, I'm actually happy it's a rarepair.

If VilRid were already one of the biggest ships in the fandom, I probably wouldn't feel as motivated to create so much content because there would already be countless amazing artists drawing it. Being a rarepair gives me the chance to contribute something meaningful to the community. I want to show people the potential I see in these two characters, and hopefully inspire others to fall in love with the ship too.

Maybe I'm dreaming big, but I'd love for VilRid to become much more popular one day. Even if it takes years, I want to keep creating art and stories that help people see why I love them so much.

2. How do I think they got together?

I imagine their relationship growing very slowly and naturally.

At first, they're simply acquaintances who deeply respect each other. Neither of them falls in love immediately because they're both the type of people who admire someone before they allow themselves to become emotionally attached.

I think Vil is the first to realize his feelings. He's emotionally mature and very observant, so he'd probably notice that he starts looking forward to conversations with Riddle, paying more attention to him than usual, and making excuses to spend time together. At first he'd try to convince himself it's simply admiration for someone equally hardworking, but eventually he'd recognize it for what it is.

Riddle, meanwhile, is completely oblivious. He admires Vil immensely, enjoys spending time with him, and values his advice, but he interprets everything as friendship. Even when Vil starts flirting, Riddle assumes he's simply being polite or offering compliments the same way he does to everyone else.

I think the people around them notice long before Riddle does. Rook realizes almost immediately and finds the whole situation endlessly entertaining. Cater notices because he loves observing people's relationships and gossip, and Trey slowly figures it out after watching how differently Riddle acts around Vil. Ace and Deuce probably don't understand what's happening until everyone else already knows lol.

No one really tries to force them together, though. Instead, they create little opportunities for them to spend time together, knowing the rest will happen naturally.

Eventually, someone (probably Cater, Trey, or even Rook) casually points out that Vil has been flirting with Riddle for months, then Riddle spends the next several hours replaying every conversation they've ever had in his head:

"...Wait...THAT'S what he meant?!"

After that realization, Riddle slowly begins noticing things he had completely overlooked before: the compliments that were a little too personal, the lingering eye contact, the way Vil always seemed to seek him out.

As for the confession... I think Vil makes the first move because Vil realizes his feelings first. The confession wouldn't be dramatic or overly emotional. It would be calm, honest, and sincere. Riddle is speechless for several seconds, his face turning bright red, but he says yes... trying to sound composed while completely failing! XD

And somehow, that's exactly how their relationship begins: with mutual respect that quietly grew into love before either of them realized it.