#gothic literaure

[obiyuki-beebs]

ivy on the walls

obiyuki bingo 2022, @snowwhite-andtheknight words: 683 Gothic Literature

This is really just a draft of part of the first chapter, but for the sake of participating at least a little bit I thought I would put out what I have. It might not seem terribly gothic yet but I hope that future installments will be as unsettling to read as they are in my head. 

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“Obi!” Shirayuki nearly shouted, bursting into his bedroom shortly after dinner, “Can we go on a trip?”

“A trip?” Obi repeated from his desk, eyeing her over the glasses he wore for reading. The oil lamp beside him flickered as the door crashed shut behind her. 

“Yes,” she said excitedly, sitting down hurriedly on his bed with her hands bunched into fists over her skirts. “There are reports of a break in the local biome. Changes in barometric pressure, a frankly astounding increase in humidity, it’s truly-“

He nodded sagely, his familiarity with her studies evident in how he fully understood the ecological jargon that came to her so easily. Such it is when you spend so many years together, he thought ruefully.

“Miss,” he said, finally getting a word in edgewise when she paused to breathe, “when do we leave?”

Shirayuki smiled, glee leaking through her teeth.

“I hoped you would agree. Let’s leave at week's end. Based on the reports I’ve read, it’s 40 leagues northeast,” she said, flipping open a neatly bound stack of papers. She scanned through a few pages before bracing it open in tight hands. Obi frowned at the page.

“Hmm,” he gently tugged the report out of her hands, “I’ve heard of this place. Just how many people have gone missing in this purported singular biome?”

Her smile faltered.

“Thirty-seven,” she said, voice sober, “But don’t you think that makes it even more important for it to be investigated? And who better? I can document my observations and bring them to Makiri and the research board. They can put up a protective border. We won't know what to do if we don't investigate.”

“Have you taken this to Makiri? Shidan?” Her pout answered his question immediately. “If they’re against it-”

“Tosh,” Shirayuki said, “Shidan hardly has room to talk. Do you remember the Olin maris incident?”

“How could I forget,” Obi replied drily. He remembered; the snow in her hair; her weight on his back; ice and running water. He thought of the children with strange markings on their arms and her smile when they all – everyone – recovered from the mysterious illness. 

Obi looked up at her and the determined hope that set her lip just so.

“We’ll go -”

“Oh, Obi -”

“- But just for observation. Any hint of odd goings-about, and we leave. One day on-site, and we will certainly not be camping there. I’d prefer not to explain to our prince that you went missing in an uncharted hole in the woods.”

He caught the flash of irritation that passed over her face and chose to catalogue it for later. After a moment, she smiled with soft eyes.

“I’ll be with you, though.”

“And that allows you to be reckless?”

“Perhaps not. What if I promise not to jump out of a window this time?”

“I might be satisfied,” Obi said, smiling back at her. Shirayuki stood to leave, contented that he had agreed to her plan. “Speaking of reckless, Miss..”

“Yes?” she asked, turning back to him. 

He had caught up to her, standing an arm's length away, reaching delicately around her to open the door. 

“I might recommend that you don’t enter men's bedrooms late at night. They might begin to entertain ideas about your intentions.”

Shirayuki blushed furiously. If he leaned just a bit closer, he might have felt the heat of it.

“I-I’ll keep that in mind,” she muttered, peering up at him under her lashes, “Goodnight, Obi.” She gave him a small, flustered smile before darting away.

“Goodnight, Miss.” Obi watched her go, eyebrows raised. 

Puzzled by her reaction but choosing not to think too hard on it lest he make a big to-do, he returned to his desk to contemplate the file she had left with him. Still open to the map, he studied it carefully to decide the best route for them to take.

“Is this..” he whispered. The route struck him as familiar, and faint memories of records on previous military movements surfaced in his thoughts. He stared at the map, unease coiling deep in his chest.

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thanks for reading <3

#obiyukibingo22 #obiyukibingo #my writing #Akagami no Shirayukihime #event submission #gothic horror #gothic literaure

[petrichor-hiraeth]

Why I love Wuthering Heights.

it's 2am and i read a review of WH by a person who so clearly missed the entire point, so here this is.

The thing that i absolutely love about this book is how flawed the characters are. You won't find a romantic hero who's perfect or a heroine you stan. Here are characters who are human beings and face the tragedy of being humans.

This is a book that is not afraid to show you the tragedy of human flaws, of generational trauma, of love.

The true beauty of Wuthering Heights lies in the demise.

I think the Oscar Wilde quote completely fits here "The books that the world call immoral are the books that show the world it's own shame."

So many people are bothered by the cycle of abuse depicted in this classic, saying it makes them uncomfortable. If you want vanilla, perfect boy falls for perfect girl and the only trouble they face is their parents, you will miss the entire plot of this book, and of human beings. Thankyou.

#wuthering heights is one of the most complex well written books #you clearly missed the point if you stopped reading just because you found the characters to be 'unlikeable' #wuthering heights #heathcliff #emily bronte #catherine earnshaw #cathy earnshaw #catherine #heathcliff and cathy #gothic tragedy #classic lit #classic literature #literaure #lit #literature #bronte sisters