On the surface, Idia and Riddle seem like complete opposites, but I honestly think they're one of the most compatible pairings in TWST because of how many parallels they share.
Their biggest parallel is their upbringing. Both of them grew up isolated, trapped by other people's expectations, and desperately wanting something as simple as freedom and genuine friends. Those shared experiences give them a foundation for understanding each other in a way very few people could.
They also think in remarkably similar ways. The cooking event is a perfect example: both of them got caught up trying to follow the recipes with absolute precision until the ghosts pointed out that the instructions were meant to be guidelines, not strict rules. Riddle also praised the programming books Idia created in his dream for being so clear and organized. Riddle's way of thinking seems perfectly suited to working alongside Idia. They're both incredibly intelligent, and intelligence can often be isolating. For someone like Idia, who rarely finds people who can keep up with him intellectually, it must be so exciting to work with someone like Riddle. You can already see that during Book 7, Idia seemed genuinely happy and energized when Riddle picked up coding so quickly.
They also share a love of animals. During the Nightmare Before Christmas event, both of them showed they understand how to approach animals and explained it well to others. The difference is that Idia gets a little too excited in practice and ends up scaring them away. I love imagining Riddle introducing him to the Heartslabyul hedgehogs and gently teaching him how to approach them. It's such a sweet image.
More than anything, though, they're both people who desperately need love, reassurance, and affection. They're guarded in very different ways, but underneath those walls they're both incredibly loving, arguably more than most characters. That's why I think they'd fit together so naturally. They would love each other wholeheartedly, which is exactly what both of them need.
Their love languages complement each other beautifully, too. Idia needs to hear that he's loved, and Riddle is someone who's honest and direct about his feelings. I can easily imagine him being incredibly gentle and openly affectionate with the person he loves. On the other hand, Riddle clearly needs physical affection to feel reassured. Looking at how affectionate Idia is with animals, I can't help but think that while he's awkward around strangers, he's probably extremely physically affectionate with someone he completely trusts, someone he considers his safe person. A bit like a cat, affectionate but very selective about it.
The best part is that neither of them would ever have to wonder whether they're loved enough. Because they're both such deeply loving people, neither would end up feeling like they're the one who cares more. They'd constantly reassure each other, and for two people who've spent most of their lives feeling alone and misunderstood, I think that's exactly what they deserve.
Technomancy study session... except Riddle fell asleep and Idia was so mesmerized by his long eyelashes he ended up sketching him ✨ Commission art by anajudraws
Thinking about a Lost in the Book event based on Treasure Planet (best Disney movie btw) with Idia and Riddle…
They get pulled into the story, meet Jim Hawkins, and end up aboard the ship. At first, Idia is having the time of his life while also being completely bewildered because SPACE. He gets to “conquer space” just like in Star Rogue. Except the problem is this world makes absolutely no sense to him. Like, wdym people can travel through space on what is basically a regular sailing ship?? There are literal space whales?? The laws of physics here feel less like laws and more like strong suggestions.
Except…the more impossible it seems, the more fascinated he gets by it.
He ends up completely absorbed in learning how the ship works because the technology is so strange, this bizarre mix of mechanics, science and nonsense. Then he starts helping, fixing things, making improvements that genuinely make the ship run smoother. And he’s actually having fun. For once, he actually feels kind of in his element. Happy, even.
And Riddle notices. Honestly, one of the biggest surprises for him is just how much Idia knows. Of course, Riddle knows astronomy, everything academically required at NRC, but Idia knows everything. Obscure theories, historical discoveries, random space facts literally no one asked for. He rambles so much that half the time Riddle barely understands him, but he finds himself… curious. He ends up lingering nearby while Idia works on the ship because, with his growing interest in technomancy, watching him tinker is unexpectedly fascinating.
And he likes seeing Idia like this.The way he gets completely lost in what he’s doing, so focused. Absentmindedly pushing his hair back, lighting up when something finally works. Riddle catches himself watching longer than he means to.
Also, Morph (Jim’s tiny blob companion) becomes absolutely obsessed with Idia 😭 and this is genuinely life-changing for him because small cute creature willingly approaching him??? Morph just keeps following him around while he works, sitting nearby making curious little noises, occasionally shapeshifting into weird dramatic forms for attention. Idia starts awkwardly cooing at him. Riddle catches him baby-talking Morph once and it makes him smile.
At the same time, Riddle ends up spending more time with Jim after complimenting his skill with the solar surfer and Jim casually offering to teach him. And somehow Riddle is actually good at it. Apparently, if you’re already good at broom flying, there’s some overlap because after the initial hesitation, he ends up genuinely enjoying it. Meanwhile, Idia watches this happen from the ship thinking there is NO universe where he would willingly stand on one of those death boards.
But… Riddle looks unfairly pretty doing it, hair blown back by the wind, this freedom in the way he moves that Idia isn’t used to seeing from him.
Somewhere along the way, they start actually getting close. They start seeking each other out naturally, meals together, working side by side, Riddle listening to Idia ramble. And Idia learning that Riddle actually likes hearing him talk, which genuinely messes him up emotionally because what do you mean someone enjoys being around me on purpose.
Then one night, they’re sitting together on deck beneath the stars. The sky here looks completely different from Twisted Wonderland’s. Idia points upward and starts jokingly making up constellations.
Riddle, naturally, tells him he’s just making things up and that it’s pointless because they don’t have actual maps. And Idia just snorts.
“What do you think constellations are? They’re stories,” Idia says. “People looked at random stars and decided, yeah okay, that’s a knight fighting a three-headed monster. Humans just love assigning meaning to things.”
And somehow…Riddle finds that idea beautiful. So he lies down beside Idia, close enough that their shoulders almost touch. And together they start making up stories. Ridiculous ones, sad ones. Stories about lonely kings and mythical beasts and people searching entire skies for someone they lost.
Riddle laughs at one point, and when he turns to say something, he realizes Idia isn’t looking at the sky anymore. He’s looking at him, with this soft warmth in his expression that makes Riddle’s breath catch.
Because he’s been seeing sides of Idia he never noticed before. Brilliant, passionate, unexpectedly gentle….painfully lonely.
And… maybe they’re alike in some ways. Both scared people won’t like what they really are. Both afraid of somehow not being enough to be loved. And somehow, without realizing when it happened, Riddle has started wanting to stay beside Idia.
Before he can overthink it, he moves closer and kisses him.
Afterward, Idia panics a little and then they both become catastrophically awkward about it 😭 They don’t really talk about it, but suddenly they’re hyperaware of each other all the time.
Then pirates attack the ship and somehow they work together ridiculously well. They just click. Instinctively covering for one another, trusting each other without hesitation. And afterward, Idia can’t stop thinking about how easy it felt. How nice it felt having someone beside him, someone he could fully trust and depend on.
There’s a small celebration after everything settles, but Idia still isn’t good with crowds, so he quietly slips away. Riddle follows. He finds Idia sitting alone outside, staring at the stars. They end up sitting together beneath blankets, watching the sky.
And then Riddle admits:
“I never truly knew who you were before this.”
Idia laughs, awkward and small.
“Yeah, well… I’m kinda scared of people actually knowing me. But… maybe not you.”
Riddle flushes so hard he has to look away. He knows he’s inexperienced and terrible at feelings. But maybe being honest is enough so he says:
“This is all… completely new to me. But I would like to try.”
Then they find a way home through a wormhole, and Jim tells them they’ll need solar surfers to get through it.
Idia absolutely refuses. He would rather perish. Riddle already knows how to ride one now, so in the end he just sighs and holds out a hand. And Idia spends the entire trip clinging to him for dear life 😭
Then they wake up back in the NRC library.
And… like always in Lost in the Book events, they forget all of it completely. The stars, the closeness, the trust, the kiss, all of it. They just stand there awkwardly for a second with this strange heaviness in their chest, like something important slipped through their fingers.
All Idia remembers is that they both happened to be in the library at the same time, then while Riddle was browsing, a book fell and there was a flash of light. After that, nothing. Riddle says there’s something strange about the book and that he’ll take it to Crowley to investigate. He hesitates before leaving, glancing back for reasons he can’t explain.
Idia almost says something, almost asks him to stay. But why would Riddle Rosehearts willingly spend time with someone like him? And why would he want to spend time with Riddle anyway? So instead, they just part ways.
And after that, neither of them can really explain why looking at the starry sky suddenly makes them so sad.
Post TWST Book 7, Idia and Riddle are dating. Some fluff with Riddle learning to relax. Idirido.
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Riddle was spending more time in Idia’s bedroom than his own lately.
Considering how close he and Idia were, the both of them reclining in Idia’s bed against a mountain of pillows, Riddle curled up against Idia’s side with his head resting on Idia’s shoulder, Idia didn’t seem to mind.
Might write a little idirido oneshot of Riddle giving Idia a ride on Vorpal
A lot of the appeal of the ship is Riddle getting so into technomancy and his and Idia’s mutual admiration of each other, but I like the idea too of Riddle gradually dragging Idia outside more and Idia getting to see the side of Riddle that likes animals and is a really good teacher/tutor
Idia would be terrified at first of course but Riddle lets him get his bearings and relax and experience smth new without the threat of being graded on it or anyone else seeing and it helps him
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