Riddledore Appreciation Write-Up

Riddledore has somehow eaten by brain, so here is a braindump of my thoughts on the ship.

Riddledore has eaten my brain, and I'd love anything you write about these dysfunctional dummies in (reluctant) love! My favorite version of these two has them locked in an eternal Bugs Bunny-Daffy Duck dynamic, with Albus as absurdist-comedian Bugs, and Tom as the ever-suffering Daffy. I unabashedly love Riddledore happily-ever-afters where Tom never makes any horcruxes, but given that this is Dumbledore and Tom Riddle here, I am just as down for things to end in a more canon-compliant (or ambiguous/open-ended) direction.

I love bratty, stubborn, petulant pretty-boy Tom, who can't decide whether he wants to kill Albus or to fuck him. I love Tom obsessed with Albus, while hating himself for pining over this loser. Tom fascinated with solving the puzzle wrapped inside an enigma that is Albus Dumbledore. Tom cringing over Albus' weird eccentricities, endlessly irritated by his fashion choices and his love of the mundane. Desperate for Albus's approval, while despising himself for caring. Single-mindedly chasing after Albus, trying so hard to catch up but always just slightly out of reach. Knowing for a fact that he's the only one (besides Grindelwald) to even approach being something close to Albus' intellectual/magical equal, but still falling short of actually being equals. I especially love it when he takes that obsession way too far. (Stalking Albus? Doing anything to draw his attention? Determined to win Albus no matter the cost? Yes, gimme!) I love all of that push and pull, the love and hate and all the other contradictory, confusing feelings that Albus inspires in Tom.

I love Albus trolling Tom. I love Albus as the older, wiser mentor figure, both drawn to and repelled by Tom Riddle, for reasons he doesn't quite understand (or maybe is ashamed to understand all too well). I love the internal conflict Albus experiences because oh, no, not again! Albus trying to pull Tom away from the darkness, while struggling to stay out of that darkness himself. Tom drawing out Albus' inner darkness (just as Albus draws out Tom's inner goodness). Tom seducing Albus, and pouting when Albus is firm about boundaries. Albus trying his best to be a Good, Morally Upright Citizen, yet ultimately being exactly kind of adult who has an affair with his student. Albus trying justify his actions as trying to prevent another Grindelwald, while acknowledging just how self-serving he's being. I vastly prefer good!Albus to evil!Albus, but I'm very into manipulative Albus too - who knows just what Tom craves and doles it out drops at a time, just enough to keep Tom on the hook and in his life. Please feel free to play up that power imbalance!

Since my Riddledore is pretty firmly rooted in fanon, I love imposing all my favorite tropes on them too! Give me dark fuck prince service top Albus, and needly, whiny, bratty submissive Tom! Professor!Albus, student!Tom, and every sleazy student/teacher dynamic ever? Alpha!Albus and Omega!Tom desperate for his knot? Wings and soulbonds? Size differences and yaoi-hands? Flimsy excuses for arranged marriages? Even flimsier excuse for Tom in short skirts? Albus taking Tom in during the summer? Tom forcing Albus to take him in because the orphanage "mysteriously" burned down? Pretty Woman AU, with Tom Riddle as a down-on-his-luck pretty boy in Knockturn Alley, and Albus is his humble patron? Yes I will take all of these, please and thank you!!

Opt-In's: Noncon/dubcon, mind control, underage (15+), daddy kink, omegaverse, Albus-adopts-Tom incest, power imbalances, psychosexual mind games, infidelity on Tom's part (eg, Tom sleeping around or Tom cheating on someone else with Albus), Slughorn/Tom side-pairing, overall idfic

Fandom-Specific DNW: Tom whump. Albus reciprocating Tom's sexual interest before Tom turns 15 (okay with Tom putting the moves on Albus when he's younger, as long as Albus has the pretense of resisting). Tom looking like Voldemort (I like my Tom pretty!). Tom having been sexually assaulted at any point in his life (aside from what's baked into the Albus/Tom or the Slughorn/Tom ship). Albus as a sub/bottom/omega. Dumbledore bashing. Cursed Child or Fantastic Beasts movie canon.

General DNWs: Low self-esteem/insecurity as a major issue, on-screen pregnancy, mpreg, kid fics, death/graphic torture of requested characters, traumatic backgrounds that are beyond the scope of what's explicitly in canon (no sexual assault type backstories), the phrase "little one", mundane AUs (canon divergence okay), "crackfic", completely hopeless/doomed endings

Smut DNWs: scat, vomit, piss, feces, vore, gore; unaroused characters; any pregnancy; mommy kink/ageplay; involving food in sex; feet; dry penetration; public humiliation