Notes: this is just character study, I might be wrong in how Madara's younger sister views him or in how Madara actually is - this is just the way I see him and his relationship with his sister right now so it's subject to change
Unedited
Her lungs burned. When she was really young, they didn't. At the time, she could run about without any care. Now, walking has become one of the hardest parts of her day. In fact, some days she couldn't walk at all.
It was beyond irritating. Her inability to be independent was infuriating, yeah, but there was one thing far more aggravating.
Her older brother. Madara Mikejima. Mikejima Madara. Did it really matter what she called him? Seeing his face had been a thing of the past, the former Mikejima heir having been forced to travel the world as punishment.
With the collapse of the Shinkai cult, she saw no point but their parents, the ones betrayed, thought otherwise.
In her opinion, their reaction was granted. She understood what it felt like to be betrayed by Madara, too.
But staring at the screen from her room, the sounds of machinery beeping and oxygen traveling to her lungs that barely functioned, sitting in a wheelchair when there should've been a desk chair, she grits her teeth.
Madara was a horrible, horrible man. Always making the biggest moves for the smallest reasons. Always saying the worst things with the best intentions. Always painting himself to be the bad guy when, really, he wasn't even close.
Irritating, infuriating, and aggravating rolled into one.
She knew he didn't want to be the bad guy, but she also knew that the only way he could do what he wanted was to act like one. Then, at that point, there would be nothing else but to accept his villainous role wholeheartedly.
If Madara Mikejima believed himself to be a villain, then surely he wouldn't be hurt when others called him that.
Warning: It's very long; mentions of his mom & his upbringing
Unedited
Affection
How affectionate are they? How do they show affection?
Riddle is fairly affectionate - behind closed doors.
Don't get him wrong, he'd love to flaunt his relationship with you but there are a lot of reasons he has to keep it relatively secret.
Aside from the fact that if his mom found out he was dating someone she didn't pick out for him, she'd flip, he's a bit shy and would prefer to keep something so dear to him private. The whole school doesn't need to know something that's his business.
Definitely the type to convey affection through gift-giving and quality time as he's a fairly busy guy. The gifts show that despite him not being around a lot, he thinks of you often. The quality time shows that he's willing to push his schedule around for time together and greatly treasures moments spent in your company.
On the off chance, he'll use words of affirmation. Riddle is eloquent and knows how to work a conversation, however, when it comes to you, his genuine feelings make his vocabulary turn into that of a elementary school child. So, in this case, he usually does so in the heat of the moment.
Personally, I believe Riddle is the type to get nervous about physical touch and will remain strictly polite in that regard. Basically, he'll only kiss your knuckles or link pinkies until he gets more comfortable - just give him some time and he'll be able to kiss you or hold your hand confidently.
Best friend
What would they be like as a best friend? How would the friendship start?
Riddle isn't exactly a mom friend, that's reserved for Trey, but he's definitely a parent friend. He has a... "doting" nature in that he'll consistently remind you to do things or about an upcoming assignment or-
And, if you fail to listen to him, he gets pretty ticked off about it. In an angry, tomato way.
He's also pretty socially inept. Maybe not on the level of Malleus, but he is to an extent. His mother only taught him how to be formally polite and how to work his way around people as a leader - not so much how to make friends with people his age. He can read books but they won't ever prepare him for the nosy, talkative, but oddly dutiful student that is his desk mate.
For once, he doesn't really mind a group project. He knows you do your part and that you're... somewhat invested in classwork. After realizing how hardworking you are, he definitely tries to interact with you outside of class - it's up to you whether or not you'll accept his invitation to Heartslabyul's upcoming Unbirthday Party.
Cuddles
Do they like to cuddle? How would they cuddle?
Once again, Riddle can get pretty nervous at the thought of physical touch due to how he lacked much physical affection growing up. Give him some time to grow confident and he's all for cuddling.
He's pretty strict about what time he goes to bed, so you'll have to either be in bed before him or join him after he falls asleep. He'll be pretty stiff, not because he dislikes it, so be sure to ask if it's okay with him first.
Sure enough, Riddle has a bit of a height complex. He'd prefer being the big spoon when cuddling, but if you aren't satisfied with that arrangement, he doesn't mind being the little spoon. He understands that cuddling is supposed to be comfortable for both parties and he doesn't mind if you're happy.
Domestic
Do they want to settle down? How are they at cooking and cleaning?
I doubt he's thought of settling down at all, actually. Most of his thoughts are taken up by dorm leader duties and the troublesome duo of freshmen in Heartslabyul.
But on the off chance that he has thought about, the short answer is no and the long answer is a solid maybe because the idea of being with someone who can support him in his endeavors to change and also accept him for who he is has become very appealing but he knows the act of finding that person is difficult and once he does, that the extension of trust is scary.
Riddle is neat and organized, so cleaning is something he's rather good at. He barely procrastinates, more like he thinks about it then never does, so he always has a clean room and a clean bag and a clean- well, everything is pretty clean around Riddle.
As for cooking... he's trying to learn. He's never been allowed to cook for himself before NRC, so this is his first try at it, but give him enough time and he's bound to master it!
Ending
If they had to break up with their partner, how would they do it?
This can go multiple ways. You break up with him or he breaks up with you because his reaction is fairly different.
If you were to break up with him, he'd be heartbroken for sure but would respect it. At first, he'd fumble around and ask why before naturally assuming it's his fault.
But Riddle breaking up with his partner? It's a slow affair. The worst part of falling in love with a person, he notes, is losing that connection. He still assumes it's his fault and attempts to do better by reforming that connection.
If that doesn't work out, Riddle's the type to have a serious, mature conversation about it. He tries to go about it in a way that doesn't cause distress to either party, but relationships are always going to be stressful no matter what.
Fiance(e)
How do they feel about commitment? How quick would they want to get married?
Commitment scares him. Greatly. It's not so much the idea of committing to someone but the idea of that someone wanting to separate after discovering what he's really like. He always goes back to his own parents and their separation, how his father left once he was born because his mother changed.
But, he's willing to try and change his ways, face his fear, especially for someone he cares so much about.
Definitely the type to savor the relationship. He's also the type to do things in "order." It's the way he was raised, propriety and all that. In other words, he's the type to take his time in the dating stage before then spending a lot of time planning out how to propose and such. I believe he takes so much time dating because he wants to confirm that the person he's dating is the one.
Gentle
How gentle are they, both physically and emotionally?
I see Riddle as a generally nice person. In all his interactions with people outside of Heartslabyul, he's fairly polite. It's only toward those in his dorm that he's so strict with. Even then, you're his partner. While you may not be an exception to the rules, he's a little bit lenient with you. By a little, I mean it. He won't take that much rule-breaking from you either.
Physically, Riddle is actually very gentle. This is the same person whose hobby is taking great care of hedgehogs, I think he's also the type to be very gentle with people or things he views as important.
Emotionally... Riddle tries his best. He's rather blunt with his opinions when he decides to voice them but he has modesty, he knows when to speak and when not to. I think Riddle has been taught to read the room pretty well, but if he thinks a sensitive topic needs talking about, he will bring it up at the most opportune moment without hesitation.
Hugs
Do they like hugs? How often do they do it? What are their hugs like?
Personally, Riddle's receiving love languages are physical affection and quality time. While he's stiff towards giving or receiving hugs, he does come to enjoy them, mostly because of his upbringing.
There's a struggle here actually because I believe that Riddle's likes receiving any love language because of how love-starved he is. I don't think anyone has showed him genuine affection in any manner before NRC, so he craves it. (I'm going to beat his mom for him I swear to GOD-)
Hugs from Riddle are sparse in occurrence, usually happening during more vulnerable moments behind closed doors. They don't happen frequently, but when they do, there is a lot of unsaid feelings conveyed. For Riddle, physical affection makes him stiff but it's fairly special to him.
Once again, a lot of unsaid emotion is conveyed with Riddle's hugs. You can truly understand how he feels when he hugs you. If he wraps his arms a bit tighter and digs his head into your shoulder, he wants to anchor the moment in his mind - remind himself that he deserves this and that he will change to become better and that he is nothing like his mother.
Otherwise, hugs are used to communicate how much he's head over heels for you, so you know you've got him when he hugs you quite a bit.
I love you
How fast do they say the L-word?
Riddle probably stutters over every other word trying to say it and he knows he will before he attempts to say it to you, so it takes him a while to say he loves you.
Besides, he wants to see if he truly does before saying anything. He doesn't want to give the impression that he's dragging you around for fun or for curiosity purposes. He's very considerate to the other person's feelings in context to his own and that's way he waits a bit longer than most to admit his love. However, even if he doesn't say it, it's pretty obvious in his actions.
Jealousy
How jealous do they get? What do they do when they're jealous?
I don't believe Riddle is a jealous person. He understands that you may be just as busy as him and have friends outside of your relationship.
In Riddle's mind, he decided to trust you the minute he realized he loved you. He's the type to doubt, but only himself and not you. Riddle knows that in order to have quality time together, communication is needed, so there shouldn't be a lot of room for jealousy.
I think the one time Riddle would feel envious is when, or if, you talk about other people in a very loving manner. This can apply to real people, like celebrities, or fictional characters. He's especially jealous when it's during a date or your private tea parties.
Kisses
What are their kisses like? Where do they like to kiss you? Where do they like to be kissed?
He's such an awkward boy in the love department. So if you're into that or into taking the lead for the earlier stages of a relationship, he's definitely your type.
Chaste. That's it. A simple peck. He can't do anything more or he'll combust. This is the same person who cannot handle hugs in public, he can barely handle kisses in private.
The knuckles or cheek is where he prefers to kiss. The former is definitely more suited for times when Riddle wants to show affection but there are people around. The latter is quick but heartfelt, a nice way to greet or say goodbye to his partner.
Give him a kiss on the cheek. One that's gentle and you slowly pull away. He'll crumble. Or give him a kiss on the hand. He'll explode into a bright red that's the same color as his hair.
Little ones
How are they around children?
Bad.
Riddle has generally no experience with children. He doesn't exactly know what to do with them, and therein lies the problem.
A lot of the times, when Riddle doesn't know something, he seeks out a lot of knowledge on it. Someone who knows better or books are his go-to.
For the time being, Riddle would try to avoid interacting with kids because he doesn't want to show how inadequate he is. Then, when he feels he's good enough, he'll be okay with children around.
He's not asking for it though. He'll only really interact with a child if circumstances called for it, not so much out of choice.
Morning
How are mornings spent with them?
Chaotic and busy is the only way to call a morning with Riddle.
He gets up an appropriate time for a dorm leader: early. There are things to get done and it mustn't be done carelessly. And once he gets up, the dorm grows quite noisy as people move around doing their tasks for the morning.
He tries not to wake you up at first, especially early on in the relationship, as a courtesy because he knows you don't need to wake up as early as him. However, he'll wake you up when you should start getting ready - it all depends on your morning routine and how long that takes.
If you're an early riser like him, he would actually enjoy getting ready together. Like, standing side-by-side in the bathroom trying to straighten hair out and him helping you tie the bow or tie of your uniform. Trey would barge in at some point to check your teeth, don't ask.
If you're more of a night owl, he understands and will let you sleep a little longer. But he will not hesitate to make your morning miserable and yank the blanket off of you. He'll even keep watch to make sure you don't go back to sleep.
He still fixes your uniform (this is for me because I cannot tie laces, bows, or ties uniformly and to have this man fix my uniform is just- can you imagine him being that close to you like he was in book two because I can and I-) and Trey still checks your teeth.
Night
How are nights spent with them?
Once again, Trey checks your teeth. Don't ask.
Nights are a lot more calmer. Partially because everything for the day is ending and Riddle doesn't have to corral an entire dorm.
If you go to sleep early, you get to do your night routine with him! If you have products you need to apply on your face, or any other general routine, he'd help you apply it. If you tie up your hair or anything, he'll also help you do parts you can't do on your own.
If you go to sleep late, please say goodnight to him. And please keep the lights off when you get ready to sleep, or just be quiet in general. Those are his only rules.
But you could also give him a little kiss before you vanish into the night...
Before inevitably coming back lmao.
Open
When would they start revealing things about themselves? Do they say everything all at once or wait a while to reveal things slowly?
Definitely the type to wait. There are some things he's okay with telling immediately off the bat but other things... not so much.
Riddle is largely a private person, he has a lot of things he builds up quietly without telling anyone despite how quick he is to go off the rails and cast his unique magic at rule breakers.
But once he starts getting a little more comfortable, giving more physical affection is a great sign of this, he is more willing to share.
Just ask in a private space and allow him to take his time preparing the words to say, and he'll tell you.
Patience
How easily angered are they?
Uh.
Lmao, I said something about it in the last section but.
Riddle is well-known for his short-temper, so it's best to avoid breaking a rule unless you want your magic gone and Riddle to pop a vein.
I think it's pretty obvious why Riddle is so quick to anger when it comes to rules or making fun of his height. He's been raised to take roles of authority, and to have that authority threatened is a direct threat to him as a person, so he reacts the best way he knows how: anger.
Otherwise, I think with certain things he's actually very patient. Particularly to animals. He respects animals a lot and takes his time with them. He probably finds them easier to deal with than humans.
Quizzes
How much would they remember about you? Do they remember every little detail you mention in passing, or do they kind of forget everything?
Riddle is attentive. End of story. Other than his temper, I think Riddle's attention to detail is one of his more obvious characteristics. Many people comment on how picky he is, like in Alchemy where he cannot be a millimeter off in measurement.
To details, to facts, to pretty much everything he comes across he sorts away into his head. His memory is pretty fucking good. Like, he memorized 810 rules plus a bunch of academic material and has dorm leader responsibilities on top of that.
So he also remembers a lot about you. Of course he does. You're someone he cares about greatly, why wouldn't he memorize everything you mention?
Remember
What is their favorite moment in your relationship?
The moments that happen on slower days. Usually off campus. Which is to say, both occurrences are pretty rare.
Riddle has grades to maintain, a club he participates in, and dorm leader stuff to attend to. He's, and I've said this many times, very busy.
And Heartslabyul is plenty chaotic for there to be a day that's calmer than usual.
So, for there to be a moment between the two of you where you're either far from the classrooms and other people, or entirely off campus, he cherishes it a lot.
There's no rule breakers, no schoolwork, nothing to interrupt whatever thing you're talking excitedly about and there's nothing to interrupt him happily listening. And vice versa!
Security
How protective are they? How would they protect you? How would they like to be protected?
I'd think Riddle is someone who can identify danger pretty well. He's got a good head on his shoulders and can gauge whether you're in a situation you can handle or not based on your abilities.
So, I'd say he's not too overprotective with dangerous things. He understands when to step in and when not to.
It's more tiny, mundane things he's protective over, actually. He probably worries more about how much time you spend staring at the blue light of your phone or how much time you spend studying.
He trusts that you know your limits, but to ease his worries, he asks how everything is every once in a while. Just a general, "How are you feeling?" Or, "How are you?" He probably asks it every day, it's his own way of watching over you.
Riddle doesn't necessarily need protection unless, again, it is certain danger he cannot escape. However, he'd probably need "protecting" from himself.
This boy runs himself into the ground without ever stopping, like at all. He juggles so much without so much as showing he's struggling, but he does every once in a while. So, you become his clutch when he needs it.
If you see him becoming stressed or overworked, whether he notices or not doesn't matter, you get him to take a step back and take a break until he feels better.
You guys just protect each other from your bad working habits. Like, just mental wellness checks on both sides.
Try
How much effort would they put into dates, anniversaries, gifts, everyday tasks?
Try? Riddle only knows the word succeed.
How much effort? Um, all of it.
You have no idea how to top half the things Riddle does but he swears everything you do is just as amazing even though he literally goes above and beyond each time.
With dates being the few times you get genuine alone time together, he tends to be a bit more invested in it. He wishes for every date to be amazing and to be perfect, even if a perfect date means it not going according to plan. He understands that time well spent together is what matters to you, and it matters greatly to him as well. Other times, you'll plan the date and it'll usually be less planned out but just as fun!
Anniversaries... are a whole different ballgame, however. Depending on how you are, an anniversary may be a date at home spent doing whatever or it might be a dinner date or a amusement park date or a-
He wants to focus entirely on what you've been saying you want to do. So if you simply want to stay in bed and do nothing, even though he itches to be productive, he'll do it. If you want to try your hand at cooking with him? Well, he wants to do that anyways, so he's happy with that. Of course, if you want to plan it, he'll allow you to. But he expects as much effort in the date that he'd put into it, so good luck!
Once again, gifts are one of his mains ways of communicating affection, so he may splurge a little - but only if you're okay with it. Otherwise, he'll go for more handmade things. Generally, he gives gifts that may remind you of him, or gifts that remind him of you. It's a way of being together when your schedules don't align.
I feel Riddle's going at 100% all the time no matter what. So for everyday tasks you guys get up to (👀 the domestic life), he tries to be prepared. If you want to study, he won't mind going over previous material you didn't understand. If you want to cook with him, please remember he's also a bit of a beginner. If you want to take care of the hedgehogs, he'll show you everything he knows.
Ugly
What would be some bad habits of theirs?
Another uh moment.
Perfectionism. I have to bold and italicize it.
His worst habits are probably overworking (I think Riddle actually has great understanding of when it's time to put work down but won't because of responsibility thus him being pretty stressed) and perfectionism.
He's always going 100% so he expects the same of everyone else. He's always on top of things and he expects the same.
Sometimes, his tyrannical behavior slips out and he has to breathe before correcting himself. It's a bad habit cultivated from trauma, so you have to bear with him trying to heal. In which becoming more tolerable of imperfection is a way of healing because that means accepting that he's not perfect, that being imperfect is fine.
Vanity
How concerned are they with their looks?
He always strives to maintain his public image due to his position as dorm leader, and public image includes physical appearance.
He wakes up and tries to get as neat looking as possible, always checking that his uniform is tidy and clean before leaving his room.
Otherwise, he sees no personal attachment to his physical appearance. Except for maybe height. He might have a bit of a height complex. Or a general problem with how "small" and "fragile" he looks. Although, most people understand he's tough as hell so it doesn't get to him that often.
Whole
Would they feel incomplete without you?
Well. Duh.
Of course! He's placing all this trust in you. All of his care and attention is being given to you. He doesn't get into a serious relationship like this willy-nilly. He has spent time sorting through his feelings and came to the realization that he loves you.
It isn't so much a sense of being incomplete. Riddle is his own complete person, he knows, but it's more of a desire to have someone who understands completely by his side. Someone who, even if they don't know, they will trust him and will understand his actions, who he is, and who he's trying to become.
So, while he may feel whole with or without you, he'd probably feel better not being whole if that meant you staying was guaranteed.
Xtra
A random headcanon for them.
Riddle has rough hands.
Due to his appearance, it seems like he'd have soft hands. And he'd probably try to maintain having softer hands because of appearance bring important to him.
But this man probably writes a fuck ton. And he does do horseback riding.
The gloves might protect his hands but I doubt his hands are as baby as his face.
Yuck
What are some things they wouldn't like, either in general or in a partner?
Generally speaking, this applies to anyone including potential partners, but he greatly dislikes people who are rude and or childish. Not so much rule breakers, but people who are disrespectful and act younger than they are typically break the rules.
While he's now more open-minded, he still has great dislike for people who show a lot of disrespect.
Zzz
What is a sleep habits of theirs?
I feel like Riddle runs hot when he sleeps (fire is his magic specialty, c'mon) so he tends to kick the blanket off him in a tired fit.
He also can't cuddle for too long. Unless you run cold, then he'd be fine.
Oddly enough, he doesn't seem to move that often if he feels fine. It's just him aggressively kicking the blanket to get comfortable.
