Year of the Rabbit (Dimitri)

[Stella Pinyin]

A little white light could be seen drifting along the halls of Hammel, and more then one student pressed their face to the window and swore they’d seen aliens, or ghosts. They hadn’t. Rugged up nice and warm, the albino girl cradled a cherry blossom printed thermos filled with jasmine green tea, and a small bright red bag that contained enamel chop sticks and a small statue the chinese rabbit. Chinese new year had passed without much celebration, but Stella still wanted to show some sort of respect to the holiday, and the new zodiac that would determine the rest of the year.

While she had been at Hammel several months now, Stella was still struggling. Zac would talk to her and keep her laughing during the drama classes she still took, and while her dorm mates scared her (well, Sidra scared her) the goth girl seemed to have decided she was not worth attacking. But Stella’s first real friend at Hammel, someone who wasn’t even a part of the student population, had left to travel for some study that Stella had not understood. But he was back now, and Stella was glad there was someone she could talk to at night.

With slight hesitance, the bleach white girl knocked on the door to the main lab, glad that this time, she was not soaked to the bone and having to be carried. ”Ah, Dimitri?” she called out, the loudness of her own voice in the quiet shocking her. ”I thought you might like some tea? And, I wanted to wish you happy new year, if you’re not busy?”

Hooking her bag over one wrist, the girl brushed down her blue coat in case any snow had settled on it, and then quickly checked her beret. Snow free, she held onto her thermos and gifts and waited.

[Dimitri Spade]

His studies had been going fabulous that week, which was always great news for Dimitri. He felt like celebrating, if he could get himself away from the desk and labs for a glass of wine.

Like that would happen.

So the absent-minded genius put the last of his genome samples in the cooler, and moved back to his office. He considered that cleaning it could be favorable, especially since he was finally sort of done with something. But that idea came into the world stillborn. He had rediscovered some interesting-looking sticks, and was sticking them in some soft foam, creating miniature trees. From there, he found some pieces of cardboard and tongue depressors and began constructing a small house.

Well, it had begun as a house, but it wasn't ending out like one, the more that Dimitri played with it, the more elaborate it became, like some treehouse made for a brilliant woman who could see much more than the average person.

As he was finishing with the creation of tiny paper lanterns, he hung them on the little twig-tree. It was a good project. Dimitri was happy that he wasn't looking at numbers or research or anything that could make his mind go into over-drive.

Well, his mind was always in over-drive, but for the first time in a long time, he was comfortable and glad that he was alive. It was always a good feeling.

A faint glow coming from down the hallway took Dimitri's attention away from his little project, and he smiled as the girl came into his lab.

Stella. She brought a little thermos, and a bag with things inside. Dimitri loved this young girl, as she reminded him of his sister. It was a shame that this glowstick of a girl was part blind, or he would love her company as an assistant.

"Firefly! Welcome. This is quite a pleasant surprise. Year of the Rabbit, isn't it? It must be lucky for you." He smiled largely at her, sweeping things off a chair for her to sit in. "I would love some tea. Did you want to do anything to celebrate the new year at all?"