Gothic Academia

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“Wanna get outta here?”

Tobio looked up from his work and stared at the gothic girl with a curious look.

They were seated in the corner next to the window at the study centre. She’s seated across from him, preoccupied with her phone. Mikasa exuded an effortlessly cool aura in her gothic ensemble. Her raven-black pixie cut framed her delicate features, emphasizing her sharp, determined eyes and her lips were painted dark plum. Strands of obsidian hair grazed her temples and nape, adding a touch of edginess to her overall appearance.

She glanced up, arching an eyebrow with a stoic expression. “You weren’t expecting me to actually work on this assignment, were you?” she scoffed.

“It is a group assignment,” he reminded her. “It requires a group effort.”

Mikasa rolls her eyes. “Well, this assignment is not worth my time and effort,” she argued. “I’m not about to waste my time and brain cells on an analysis of ‘The Blessed Girl.’”

“It’s not that bad.”

“The Bloomsbury version was simply the author’s attempt to appease some overly sensitive feminists who complained about the harsh ending in the Pan Macmillan version and got paid for it. I’m dying on this hill.” She growled, pointing a finger at him. “Besides, I could be doing something worthwhile with my time, like partying and drinking with friends.”

“Well, this module is compulsory. You need to pass this class to graduate,” Tobio reminded her, pushing his glasses up the bridge of his nose. “Might as well suck it up until the end of the semester.”

Mikasa glared at him, as if ready to cut his head off. Tobio raised his hand in surrender, not wanting to argue further. “Anyways,” she continued, “I don’t get why we’re getting assignments on top of tests, exams, and continuous assessments. I mean, we’re in university for crying out loud. If I wanted homework, I could have just stayed in high school, but here we fucking are.”

“It comes with the degree, Mikasa. How else are they going to assess us?” he answered.

She scoffed, annoyed. “I’ve been scoring straight As for damn near every test and quiz for this module. What more do they want to know? It’s not like the professors take the time to actually read three to five-page essays. All they have to do is look at the Turnitin plagiarism percentage, fancy words, slap a random letter from the alphabet based on their mood, and if they like us, then call it a day.”

“You still salty about Professor Ackerman giving you a C- on your last assignment?”

“Oh, most definitely. I didn’t put my blood, sweat, and tears into an essay on child psychology just for that middle-aged midget to give me a C-.”

Tobio chuckled at her rant. It was a mystery how Mikasa was studying Psychology instead of Criminal Justice, considering her passion for justice. She would make a great lawyer or judge.

“Well, if you wanna leave, I won’t stop you,” Tobio told her. “Based on what we have, I’d say that we’re already done with this assignment.”

“Great! ’cause it’s Friday and I’m hitting the club and getting wasted. Wanna come?”

Tobio made a face at the offer. “Hard pass. Not only is clubbing not my scene, I have a shit tone of essays to finish grading.”

Mikasa’s eyebrows furrow with confusion. “I’m a tutor.” He told her.

“Why would you punish yourself this way, dude!” she asked, shock present in her tone.

“Good resume and extra cash.”

She stared at him like he was an odd phenomenon and burst into laughter. “Okay, I knew you were a dork, but I never would have thought you were goody two shoes.”

“What can I say, I value my education and my future,” he shrugged with a smirk. “Now run along. Wouldn’t want you to miss out on your Friday shemons.”

“Hilarious,” she rolled her eyes. She got up and started packing her stuff into her bag.

“Don’t forget that we’re meeting at your place to study for next week’s test,” he reminded her.

“Yeah, yeah, yeah,” she waved her hand dismissively. “But you better not be copying my answers while we’re studying. Got it?”

“Please,” he rolled his eyes. “I have too much pride to stoop that low, sweetheart.”

She hummed, satisfied but still a little amused. “Just making sure.” With a wave, she left the study centre.

“Have fun,” he called after her.

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Tobio rang the bell and adjusted the strap of his backpack as he waited for Mikasa at her door. In contrast to Mikasa’s gothic style, Tobio’s attire was plain and simple; denim jeans, a black T-shirt, a grey jacket, and a pair of red and blue vans. His hair, which was once a buzzcut, had grown into spikes over the past three months, but he had recently trimmed the sides, giving it a faded look. He wore his glasses over his amber eyes. It was low-effort but decent and presentable - just the way he liked it.

A minute later, the door opened, revealing Mikasa in a more casual ensemble that contrasted with her usual gothic look. Her attire remained dominantly black, consisting of a zipped-up black hoodie that offered a glimpse of her cleavage, and a pair of black cotton shorts that accentuated her hips, tracing a path down to her waist. Her dark makeup, a signature part of her style, was still present, though her eyeliner, though not as bold, highlighted her captivating dark grey eyes. Just below the corner of her left eye was a faint scar, adding an intriguing touch to her already enigmatic allure.

“You’re early,” she stated with a stoic expression, leaning against the doorpost.

Tobio shrugged. “I like being punctual.”

“You won’t die or have a stroke if you’re just a few minutes late, you know.”

“I know. But punctuality has its perks. You should try it.”

She rolled her eyes, opened the door wider and moved to the side. “Come on in.”

Tobio walked inside her little studio apartment and noticed how... normal it looked. He would have thought that given her taste, Mikasa’s apartment would have a dark and gothic touch and aesthetic to it, but the simplicity of the décor and interior design from the all-white painted walls, the furniture, the light brown wooden floor and the grey curtains surprised him.

However, despite how normal and clean her small studio apartment was the faint smell of cigarettes from the ashtray on the coffee where her books and notes were scattered. She must have been studying before he came.

“Sorry about that,” she quickly removed the tray and disposed of its contents in the dust bin in the kitchen. “It’s kinda a habit to smoke while I’m studying.”

“No, no, no. It’s fine,” he assured with a smile. “You’re fine.”

“Great! Now that you’re here, we can get started,” she sat down on the floor in front of the coffee table. “I remember you saying that you need help with Literature. Anything specific?”

“Ah yeah,” he placed his backpack on the floor and sat down across from her. “I’ve been having trouble with the Gothic Era. I figure that given your aesthetic, it’s your area of expertise.”

“Oh my gosh, yes! I have so much I wanna talk about,” her face beamed with excitement. “There’s so much to cover... how about we start with its characteristics? The history and background might be a bit too complex for you.”

Tobio gave her a “The floor is yours” hand gesture, “Take it away, Professor Ackerman.”

“Haha! Very funny,” sarcasm dripped in her tone as she rolled her eyes. “Anyways, one of the key characteristics of the Gothic Era is its tone and themes which are horror and romanticism. If you look at the literature during that time, they mostly dwelled on supernatural, death, torture, the list goes on.”

Tobio listened to her attentively. It was funny how Mikasa always expressed her distaste for doing assignments and school work but still excelled in her studies and was at the top of the class. She was smart and intelligent, probably even smarter than him in some of the classes he took with her.

While he acknowledged her level of intellect, he also came to admire and appreciate her passion for the things she loves or generally anything that sparked her interest. The way her face would light up and her dark grey eyes would sparkle when she talked about her favourite band or a book she recently picked up. The way her eyes would burn with fire and her jaw would clench when she ranted about her pet peeves or when she argued and challenged opinions different from her own.

Mikasa wasn’t one to express herself that way to everyone outside of her friends Eren and Armin and some rare occasions him since she was usually stoic and withdrawn. He didn’t mind it, but he always appreciated rare moments like these where he got to see her in her natural element.

Not forget, he had a thing for intelligent women.

She’s so sexy when she explains stuff, he thought without realising that he blurted those words out loud.

Mikasa, who was explaining examples of gothic themes in Wuthering Heights, paused. “Did you... did you just call me sexy?” A tinge of red appeared on her cheeks, surprised by what Tobio said.

Tobio snapped out of his trance and flushed with embarrassment. “Shit. Did I say that out loud?”

“Umm... yeah... pretty much,” she answered with an awkward chuckle, her cheeks still red. “I mean thanks... I guess?”

“I am so sorry. I hope I didn’t make you uncomfortable,” He said, now getting worried that he creeped her out.

She shrugged her shoulders. “A compliment is a compliment. I don’t mind it even though you’re not my type honestly.”

Ouch, he thought. I mean fair. She’s allowed to have a type and a preference. But still... ouch. “So who’s your type then? Eren?”

She made a face. “I mean... we dated before but it got weird and toxic and we decided to just stay friends,” she sighed scratching her head. “I dunno. It’s complicated, but one thing for sure is that if you’re too weak to handle all this,” she gestured to herself. “then you’re not worth my time.”

“Oooh! Yas queen,” he cheered, snapping his fingers. “We stan a woman with standards.”

She chuckled, leaning back against the couch and resting her arms on her knees. “Yeah, like sure I dress in black and wear dark makeup which practically makes me a goth girl, but that’s just how I dress and express myself.” She paused briefly. “But I do like guys who are smart and can have deep conversations with. Just as long they make it past my resting bitch face.”

Tobio laughed. “Then I’m happy to say that I’m one of those guys.”

“Question,” she leaned forward, placing her elbow on the coffee table and putting her hand on her chin, her expression now serious. “Do you think I’m cold and unemotional?”

Tobio blinked, taken aback by the sudden question and change in atmosphere. “It’s just... I’ve always wondered what people think of me... well people besides Eren and Armin,” she explained. “I know I’m not exactly friendly and approachable, but I’m just curious to know.”

Tobio leaned back and pondered her question. He had only known her since freshman year, unlike Eren and Armin who’ve known her since childhood. He did get the impression that she was cold and emotionless - at first at least - but he thought of her as reserved and withdrawn. It didn’t drive him away even when they first started talking, but it did take some time for her to warm up to him and he didn’t mind that.

“Well... I think you’re capable of expressing yourself, but only to those you trust and feel comfortable with,” he answered truthfully. “I’d say you’re more cautious and self-conscious than cold and unemotional. You know yourself and how people might react and receive the real you since you have a strong and intense personality. But that’s just me.”

Mikasa nodded her head slowly, taking in his words. “Well... having a tough childhood does that to you...” she said with a sad smile.

Tobio felt a pang of empathy in his gut. She didn’t go into the nitty gritty details about her life and past but he already had a rough idea of how hard it was for her. “Sorry to hear that,”

She shook her head and smiled, a genuine one this one. “It’s okay, I had friends and family who looked out for me,” she said before clearing her throat. “Anyways, sob story’s over. I still need to explain Wuthering Heights and its gothic themes to you so pay attention.”

He chuckled. “Yes, ma’am.”