BTAS Riddler with a teenage reader who sends him fan mail while he’s in Arkham. Maybe sends him a few crossword puzzles to keep him occupied
*claws way out of a grave* of course!
platonic!btas!riddler x teenage!fan!reader
-when he receives your first letter, hes confused and very suspicious. nobodys ever sent him mail while in arkham, fan or otherwise. this has to be some kind of trap, right?
-but as he reads and rereads the letter you sent, he cant see anything off about it. its simple fan mail:
im just writing to say im a huge fan of your work. ive read your story in the papers, and honestly i think youre justified for tormenting your old boss like that. and your actual riddles are fantastic! obviously, since youre in arkham, i havent seen any new ones by you. if youre not too busy, could you send me some that youve come up with? id love to see them.
-well, if you were truly a fan, he supposed theres no harm in sending you a few riddles. he thought up a few that he wasnt likely to use in any of his criminal pursuits and sent it back, along with a paragraph thanking you for your appreciation. it wasnt often he got the respect he deserved, so he had to commend it when he did. he also included an extra riddle through the first word of each sentence, mostly to see if youd pick up on it. if youre smart enough to recognize his brilliance, maybe youre smart enough to find this
-hes honestly shocked when you write back within a week with the correct answers- including the answer for his hidden riddle. you thanked him again for his time and even sent him a riddle of your own! it was childs play for him, of course, but the thought was sweet
-you establish a schedule soon enough, trading riddles and puzzles each week. yours are absurdly easy for him, and his are difficult for you, but you both enjoy seeing that youve gotten a letter from the other. eventually you send him a package- i giant book of crosswords. he limits himself to one per day so he doesnt burn through your gift too quickly
-gotta say, the riddler is the best penpal for a teenager to have. you offhandedly mention that youre struggling in a class? he responds with a list of study materials that he used for that subject. a teacher has been giving you a hard time for no reason? that teacher is gone the day after your letter arrives. maybe he even pitches tutoring you, both to help you out and to reduce his sentence via community service. youre a fan of his, after all. someone who understands his superiority should get every opportunity to reach his level... or at least a close second
