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[ after weeks of meticulous preparation, the day has finally arrived. an unbirthday party is finally allowed to commence. riddle wasn't being hyperbolic when he told shu he was an excellent unbirthday planner; everything from the guest list to the sun's position when he strides into the garden have been accounted for.
he promised shu the ultimate wonderland experience, and that's precisely what riddle gives him; the moment shu arrives through the magic mirror, he's accosted by a smartly-dressed white rabbit who tells him he's a helper for queen rosehearts. the rabbit's mannerisms might be familiar to shu; the nervousness, the insistence that they're pressed for time and late for a "very important date" when they make their way through the rose maze. thankfully the maze itself is relatively tame on this day, also courtesy of the queen's preparations (what good is an unbirthday party if no one can get to the venue?). there's the occasional grove of rose trees, some blooms painted, some left to their natural redness, and a few of the roses even impart greetings to passerbys-- otherwise, things are somewhat unremarkable by the standards of a wonderland native.
if only the same could be said of the venue.
upon exiting the maze, shu will be greeted by the sight of a lush tea garden overrun with carefully calculated disarray. tables and chairs in all sorts of shapes and sizes are placed together in a manner that seems completely random, almost as random as the decor. riddle promised talking rabbits and dancing hats and singing tea pots, and that's exactly what shu will find. almost all of wonderland's creatures pop in now and then, from doggerpillars in the flowers to gaggles of mome raths shuffling all over the ground like a sentient shag rug. the potted centerpieces dance with bread-and-butterflies, attempting to chat up and flirt with the guests. all in all, it truly is a scene straight from a fairytale, albeit one that is chaotic and whimsical.
at least shu isn't the only non-native. the other denizens of heartslabyul were permitted to bring an outsider as their plus one as well, meaning there's several other confused boys among him whose reactions to the fresh hell before them range from bewildered amusement to terrified screaming. that, of course, isn't speaking of the fact several of these other guests have animal-like features of their own; there's even a vampire in their midst, holding a parasol and taking refuge beneath a tree, clearly among the terrified.
it's a lot, but thankfully explanations come soon, because the sound of a clock booming out the hour fills the garden, and is immediately followed by that familiar rabbit scrambling in. he sounds his trumpet to announce riddle's arrival. "please be seated for his loveliness, his grace... his excellency... h-- his royal majesty, queen rosehearts!"
staff in hand and looking refined as ever, riddle strides into the venue, flanked by a number of his students in uniform, his gaze scrutinizing as he looks over every detail of the tea garden one last time (his expression does brighten somewhat when he notices shu though).
while the uniformed students disperse to help their own guests, shu's pants leg is given a few tugs by the exhausted mr. rabbit. he sputters something about shu needing to be seated somewhere special, and hobbles over to the head table. there sits a trio of chairs; the one pulled out for shu is this wide, lavish, and garishly colored abomination draped in silks and decorated with appliques of hearts in clashing tones. it is offensive to the eyes, and it is meant for the king. to his right is a chair that is comically large, the backrest tall and imposing, the velvety surface black and red and also decorated with patches and appliques of hearts and strawberries and crowns and whatever else riddle decided he liked that day. to shu's left is a plush stool set atop a pile of textbooks, clearly meant for the cutest doll in the world.
finally, finally, riddle approaches. he gives a curtsey to mr. rabbit, and holds the pose as the rabbit gives his long report on the party's attendees. after a nod of understanding, the rabbit is relieved of his duties. once he's gone riddle turns to shu with a bright-cheeked, expectant smile. ]
I hope you I didn't keep you waiting long. Welcome to Wonderland, and a very merry unbirthday to you!
[ thanks riddle...... ]
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[Shu receives the tea just in time for it to distract him from musing aloud about human nature, which is just as well. His speeches on the subject have a tendency to stretch on and on forever. Better than he sips his tea and eats his crumpet instead.
He does look up from his food again when Riddle's last words sink in, glancing at the boy from the corner of his eye. That statement caught him by surprise; he's used to hearing Kagehira proclaim that they'll be together forever and ever, but to hear those words from Riddle... it's unexpected, to say the least. And given that Riddle was inquiring about Nito a few minutes ago, Shu can't help but feel as though those words sound rather pointed.
What does Riddle know about him, anyway? Riddle may proclaim he'd stay, but if he'd been there to witness Valkyrie's fall from grace, or been a member himself while Shu was at his most tyrannical, there's no telling how he would have acted. But perhaps Shu shouldn't be taking this declaration of friendship so seriously to start with. That's all it is, after all. Yet as someone who's been betrayed by someone he considered a "friend" before... it means something to Shu regardless.]
I'm happy to be yours as well, so that works out rather nicely.
[The words are said quietly and with sincerity. Yet again, after he's finished talking, Shu can't help but realize that they sounded... strange. He and Riddle are playing the role of King and Queen quite well, aren't they? But—no, no, what is he thinking?!
Feeling increasingly flustered, Shu clears his throat.]
Anyway—you may have already noticed, but I have something to unveil to you once we're finished eating. I daresay you'll rather like it.
[Yes, let's change the subject. Specifically let's change it to the suitcase Shu carried with him into Wonderland and left sitting on the grass beneath the table.]
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the sudden shift in subject is also a bit of a relief because riddle knows he's (emotionally, respectfully) down bad and any further mickey mousing around is bound to land him in hot water. plus, of course a spoiled rotten thing like him loves getting gifts. ]
Is that so? You shouldn't have. Today is your unbirthday after all. Mm, but wait,
[ he pauses for a moment to feed himself a forkful of whatever sweet treat happens to be in front of him. ]
today is my unbirthday too, isn't it? Well, you have my gratitude. Am I allowed a hint as to what it is?
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As I recall, you informed me that you're capable of riding a broomstick, but that you don't have the proper clothes for it and are forced to wear sweats. I thought that was a shame, so I designed you a three-piece outfit myself, as well as a hat and a pair of boots. Though I may have gotten carried away on certain parts.
[He just couldn't help himself. The thought of Riddle sailing through the skies was so inspiring. Anyway, he waves his hand.]
I'd be happy to get it out right now, but first, we must finish our feast and clear some space on the table.
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his delight at shu's gift is much more straightforward, however; riddle quickly dabs the corners of his mouth with a napkin before smiling excitedly. ]
You made all that for me? You really shouldn't have! Far be it from me to turn away something so wonderful, though. Truthfully, I had always wanted to try on something you have made, so you could say this really is a wish come true.
2/2
[ hopefully shu wasn't too attached to his tea. the same can't be said of a few of the other guests, who shriek when the chaos begins. the heartslabyul residents recognize what's about to happen when they see their tiny queen climb onto the cushion of his throne before taking a deep breath. ]
CLEAN CUP!!! Clean cup, move down!
[ riddle turns to snatch shu's tea cup out of his hands (of course he covers the top with his palm to prevent it from spilling onto his dear fussy king) and gives it a good lob across the tea garden. the other residents follow suit before hauling their guests out of their seats. as everyone shoves their way to the seat or table next to them, riddle slides back onto his seat. ]
Now then. Where were we?
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[Shu shifts his eyes, cheeks coloring just a little bit.]
You are an important friend to me. You deserve only the best.
[Riddle went to the trouble of preparing this elaborate celebration, after all. He deserves to be repaid in kind. Though, uh, speaking of the party spread...
Shu prepares for chaos when Riddle climbs onto his throne and yells again. He was not expecting the cup to be snatched out of his hand, though, and he makes an indignant noise in response. If Riddle had simply asked him to set down the cup so they could clear the dishes, he would have done so!
But that's not how things work here, and the sound of crashing china soon fills the air—a sound (and sight) he finds less startling the third time around. It gets his blood pumping. He feels a deep-seated, instinctive distress when he sees something beautiful shattered to bits, but by now he's resigned to it. Moreover, there's something undeniably cathartic about smashing things. He's destroyed objects in a fit of rage before, so he knows. Creation and destruction are two sides of the same coin.
As for the guests getting hauled off, Shu has no complaints about that. Frankly, he cared more about the china than he did about them. Once they're gone and the table has been cleared, Shu gets out of his seat, kneels down in the grass, and locates the carry-on suitcase he left beneath the table. It's still there, untouched, for which he's grateful; he would've been livid if the fairies had snatched it from under his nose. He worked very hard on that costume. So, so hard. He ignored schoolwork to make it.]
Let's start with the footwear.
[Those are in a separate compartment from the rest of the costume, after all. And since Shu considers the hat to be the costume's crowning gem, he ought to save it for last. Reaching inside the suitcase, Shu withdraws two knee-high lace-up fake leather boots and presents them for Riddle to inspect.]
You're accustomed to wearing shoes like this, yes? These shouldn't be too different from what you're used to. I took care to make sure they'd offer you support.
[While also looking stylish as fuck. He assumes Riddle will like them, but he is watching his reaction to make sure.]
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when the boots come out, goodness-- riddle is visibly starstruck, eyes widening in wonder as he first gives them a long look. ]
These are...
[ they look like the sort of things the nobles in the queen of hearts' time would wear. gingerly, as if accepting a treasure, he takes one of the boots and turns it to and fro, examining the heel, clearly pleased with its height. ]
They're exquisite, and surprisingly light as well. They'll be perfect for flying.
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Shu watches with great satisfaction as Riddle examines the boots. From those widened eyes, to the reverent way he touches his gift, the boy's awe couldn't be more obvious, and Shu couldn't be happier to see it. He's confident in his own skill, of course, and he expected Riddle to be appreciative; after all, high-heeled boots are something he wears often (and wears very well). But after all the times Shu's sewn some garment or another for Nito—a frilly blouse closed with a brooch, stockings and socks edge with hand-tatted lace, a pair of knickerbockers—well... let's just say he's used to seeing his hard work go to waste.
But not this time. Not anymore. At last Shu has found someone who fits his physical idea, delicate and androgynous and adorable like a doll, and that person actually wants to be dressed up. He understands Shu's artistic vision. He knows that Shu knows what he'd look best in. Their interests are aligned. To Shu, Riddle is more than just a dear friend.
He's a muse and an inspiration.]
Aren't they, aren't they? ♪ The heel will give you a lift and make you seem powerful, and it's wide enough so that it should be easy to walk in. Though I suppose your feet won't be touching the ground throughout most of their use... Still, dismounting should be easy.
[There's more he could say about what he wanted to express with the design, but he refrains from now. Though giving Riddle the chance to show proper appreciation for each piece has its own appeal, he's honestly eager to have him see more. So with that, Shu returns to the suitcase.
Out comes a large bundle of mostly-dark cloth. Several garments are folded neatly on top of one another: a blouse, a pair of shorts, shimmery gold leggings to go underneath the shorts, and a long black hooded cloak with gold trim to match those leggings. Visibly excited, Shu hands the pile over, setting it on the table before Riddle.]
There's one more piece after this. I daresay you'll be able to guess what it is.
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it'll be okay. he got his twisted tetanus shot along with his ricky rat rabies vaccine.he's so enamored with the boots that shu's words nearly go amiss to him. who could blame him? they look like something straight out of a historical period drama, something only noble magicians with the most important of jobs would wear. he's never had to dismount his broom while wearing his stilettos, so the wide heel is also appreciated.
as if custom-made shoes weren't enough, shu actually procures more and more pieces for him from his suitcase riddle is half-sure is magic itself. it's difficult to resist just laying everything out to look at as one ensemble, but the gold lining of the cape is especially mesmerizing. he can't help but reach out to run his gloved fingertips along the textured fabric, wondering if gold will actually suit him. his clothing at home is devoid of any real personality, neutrally-colored blouses and slacks, no high heels or dramatic reds in sight. riddle hasn't had much of a chance to experiment with, well, much of anything in the way of fashion.
just as he's about to pick up the long cloak and go through the other pieces, shu catches his intrigue. ]
One more piece after this? Let's see...
[ he hums in thought before looking to shu with a smile. ]
Will it be an old-fashioned witch's hat?
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[And with an indulgent smile, Shu unveils the final item. It is, indeed, a witch's hat. The brim is 48 centimeters wide, with gold trim to match the cape, but the showstopper here is obviously the giant bow—gold as well, of course. Evidently, the answer is yes; gold suits Riddle perfectly, at least in Shu's mind.]
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So cute and beautiful...! There are so many details, I don't even know where to begin-- but the ribbon is my favorite part. May I try it on now?
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Of course. I made it just for you to wear. Go ahead and place it on your head—I'll hold your crown.