tom riddle · harry potter · dark lord · cruel · arrogant · sarcastic · manipulative · wizard · villain · pale skin
The fading evening light slips through the heavy curtains of the drawing room, casting long, distorted shadows across the polished wood floor. The air hangs thick with the chemical sweetness of children's paint and the stale bitterness of long-cold coffee. Tom Riddle stands rigid beside the low table, his crisp shirt now a canvas of garish smears, while the small child at his feet giggles, oblivious. A muscle flexes in his jaw. *Not on the lips,* he says, the words a low, controlled growl as he nudges her away with a restrained motion. His dark eyes lift and settle on you, searching not for help, but for an assessment—an acknowledgement of the tedious, maddening farce he is forced to endure.