Spring of Rebirth

**Date Started:** January 4th, 2022
 **Date Completed**: TBA
**Previous Role-Play**
**Next Role-Play:** TBA
**Users Involved:** User:Blackdagger01 & User:HoloArc
**Setting:** Lubbock
**Characters Involved:** Indigo Fontaine, Osmund Vroman, Sabina.

The early morning rays punctured through the windows of the classroom, intensified by the white walls and flooring of the school as though purposely made to bleach the eyes of the tired students. Though, most seemed unphased or perhaps they simply didn't notice it, their quiet chatter made far loudly not by volume but rather quantity as the other kids around him spoke to one another in their own little groups. It was easy to tell who was friends with who with but a glance, that said, by that logic one would look at Osmund and assume that he had no friends at all. The redhaired boys eyes peering to the empty desk beside him.

Those who might come to that conclusion would be wrong but not entirely far off. At the very least, he had no friends at the moment. Though his one and other friend would no doubt show up late as he always did. Likely right before, during, or right after the lunch period as was the usual. *"He's going to get yelled at again..."* Osmund thought idly, the same thought that came to him every day around this time. As the second bell rang, signalling that any not in the class would find themselves tardy even if they'd just been standing right outside the door and with that the teacher entered the room. Her long blue hair like a waterfall cascading down her back, he might even have called her a beautiful woman if not for her short stature and small chest. In fact, she looked younger than many of the other girls in the class and yet she was their teacher all the same.

"Goodmorning, Class. Reps." She said before two students rose from their desks, an example which all other students quickly followed. After the morning announcements and the national anthem, all them were once again seated and ready to begin the first class of the day. Yet, the teacher didn't pick up the chalk or hand out any papers. Rather, she looked toward the door and called for someone to enter. Osmund figured they might yet have a guest speaker or something today. Though, his idea was thrown out when a girl about their age walked in and with that he put the pieces together right as their teacher spoke up again.

"Today we'll be getting a new student. She's transferring from a different school and has been out of the loop for a bit due to undisclosed medical reasons. I trust that all of you will welcome our newest student with the utmost respect." Miss Fontaine said as she motioned for the girl to introduce herself. "Maybe tell us a little about yourself, darling?"

Sabina entered the room with a vehement heart. It all felt so weird. Almost wrong to be back in the education system again. But it is for the best. Or at least, that is what her mom insisted on. Standing before the class, she didn't appear shy, but rather stood tall and dignified as Miss Fontaine made short introductions before leaving the floor to her. *I just want to get back out again.* She thought to herself. This pale, white-haired young woman with radiant red eyes and clad in a grey and black dress nodded respectfully to her classmates before speaking up.

"Hello everyone. My name is Sabina Ekerman. My family are originally from Doma'Khane, but moved here two generations ago. I have a catalyst for earth magic. My daily life consists of taking care of my pets and doing rehabilitation excercises. I used to train more regularly, but I am not really able to anymore. My hobbies include animal care, painting, as well as singing." She said with a nod as if to finish her words, then looking to her teacher to tell her what she should do next, whether she was free to sit down or if there was something else.

There was a word that got everyone buzzing, so much so that the moment she'd said it just about every word afterward may as well have not been said at all. That word was of course, Catalyst. Students whispered among themselves, sure they were quiet enough not to get caught but with everyone doing it they all might as well have not been. So, Indigo stepped forward again and cleared her throat loudly, "Settle down now, students, I'm sure we're all excited greet our new friend but you'll all have the opportunity another time. Right now we'll be beginning class." She spoke to them all before turning her attention back to Sabina.

"Thank you very much for sharing, Sabina. I hope you find others who share your interests here." She said before her eyes scanned the class, "You can have the empty seat right over there in the second row. We'll be starting homeroom in just a moment." She continued as she motioned toward a desk just to their left.

Osmund rested his cheek in the palm of his hand as he watched it all unfold. Like the others he was intrigued to see a catalyst user, one as young as they were anyhow. There were a few in the school and all of them were rather popular and so he assumed that it wouldn't be long before she found herself surrounded by friends as well. Looking her over he made note of her odd appearance, crimson red eyes and snow white hair. If not for clearly being human he might have mistaken such traits for that of a rabbit. Coming from Doma'Khane she was most likely human as well if she had the choice to leave the country at is. As Miss Fontaine began to speak again he let his eyes wander back to the front of the room to hear the lesson plan for the day.

Sabina made note of the murmurs following the mention of her Catalyst. She didn't care too much at the moment. If it would be the reason for any level of popularity, then there was really no point to it. Sitting herself down, she looked around herself to see a good lot of them directing attention towards her rather than the teacher. Most save for a few, and her neighbor was one of them. The dark red hair of his would certainly be a feature that would make him stand out among the crowd. Turning her attention back to their teacher, they went on with class as if nothing.

Some time later, they were on their free period. Sabina sat on a bench in the courtyard, having just gotten free from a posse of people that wanted to learn more about her. Or rather, her Catalyst and what she could do with it. With some time at last for herself, she sat there with cage in hand, covered by a blanket to keep it shaded with just a single opening so she could feed her friend inside.

Osmund remained seated in the classroom, his desk and chair moved slightly closer to the wall than its normal positioning as he bit into the last apple wedge his lunch. Sitting aside his box he leaned against the window to enjoy the warm sunlight that peered through, the first in some time thanks to the long winter months that had made school feel all the more boring and if not for winter break perhaps even unbearable. Lost in thought over this fact he came back to reality to look over to his side at the empty desk beside him before letting out loud sigh and returning his head to the window.

Upon feeling the cool glass against his brow his eyes caught glimpse of the pale color white, a far different shade of white than the sterile walls and floors of the school. Nay, rather, a snow white. Far below him in the courtyard he could see the snowy white, for but a moment beleiving it to be exactly that only to be once again reminded of the season. Only then did he focus his eyes enough to see that it was their newest student, though, following this discovery what next caught his eye was whatever she was holding in her hand. Too large to be a backpack too small to be anything else that came to mind. Moving away from the window he turned to the empty desk beside him again before looking to the door and staring at it expectantly for a minute before breathing a disappointed sigh and standing up from his seat.

**...**
In the courtyard Osmund approached the new girl seeing that whatever was in her hand was covered in a blanket. As he'd suspected it was indeed too large to be a backpack but what it could be elluded him. For but a moment he thought of simply turning back but his mouth seemed a bit quicker than the rest of his body. "H-Hey... You're the new girl, Right? Sabina?"

*God damn it, can't I have some privacy?* She mentally bemoaned before looking up at the new voice. It was the red haired kid who had been positioned next to her in class. This time she got a better view of the guy. His eyes, facial features and complexion was clearer to see now. He seemed a bit charming in appearance, though his introduction was even more so awkward. She put on a tired smile. She wanted to be genuine and kind to the best of her ability, but the swarm of people from earlier had drained her. "That's the name, don't wear it out." She tried to joke, but it came out dryer than intended. "And you are?" She asked as the thing in her lap rattled.

Leaning back in surprise as he watched the blanket covered object rattle and shake he opened his mouth to ask what that was but stopped himself, knowing better than to go ask multiple questions of someone before he'd even introduced himself. "I'm Osmund, we're both in the same class." He introduced himself without stepping closer, his eyes moving from her to the thing in her lap again. "And I'm going to throw out the assumption that isn't your lunch box you're carrying, huh?"

She maintained her smile and then looked down at the rattling object. "Easy now." She whispered, making the rattlings calm down. "You would be right about that. Had my lunch a while ago. Now I am just making quality time with a friend... Want to take a look?" She asked while making a nod to the shrouded cage she had. Inside it was a small bat-like creature with scales on its face. It was a preciously adorable creature to her. If he were to take a peek, the bat would start to softly snarl at the mere sight of him, but little more.

He hesitated to accept the offer, unsure of what it was that she might be keeping in there. However, logic quickly overuled emotion and he decided at it couldn't be anything bad. Perhaps a puppy or kitten of some kind. Stepping forward with her permission he peered into the box, shocked by the sight of something he couldn't quite describe. The little beast snarling at him when their eyes met, Osmund moving back in frightened shock of the creature, legs tripping over and sending him plopping down onto the bench beside the girl. "W-what is that?!" He asked as calmly as he could though he had no real time to hide his panic.

"Is it a baby dragon or something?"

Sabina found his reaction a bit amusing, smiling softly because of it. "Not really. It is a baby gheist. A lightning blessed creature who have found its home in the mountain ranges of Tian. My dad bought it for me one and a half years ago. He saw that I was a bit down, so he gave me this as a 'therapy pet'. It worked, but somehow I doubt that many doctors would agree that this is a suitable animal for such emotional support." She chuckled while reaching inside with her index finger to scratch its head, to which it reached forward enough to allow. It let out a cooing noise that one could assume was one of appeasement. "Tricky animals to care for. Even more so after the age of five."

He settled down a bit, leaning in a bit closer to get another look at the gheist. Listening to it coo as she scratched its head he decided that it didn't seem dangerous at least so long as Sabina was around. "Why the age of five? They get agressive around that time? Hit a growth spurt?" He asked her with a curious tone in her voice. He'd never seen a creature like this before not in real life nor in any book he had read.

"No, they hit their growth spurt at the age of two. Age five is when they are fully grown. They are hard to control by then." She explained. "Some people have tried in the past, with miniscule results. They aren't exactly tame. At best they are just a befriended wild animal that will turn on you if you are weak, uncautious or just aggrevate it in any manner. They don't do too well in captivity either at that point. Mostly because the Zoos are unable to procure large enough pens for them to thrive." She said as she stopped her scratching, blowing air in the creature's face, causing it to ruffle its fur and make the sound of a happy exclamation. "I intend to be the first to actually tame one. I think I have some good prospects of doing so."

Reaching up he scratched the back of his head, unsure of how to really take everything she was saying. After all, if professionals couldn't even do it then there didn't really seem to be much chance for it to work. Still, he didn't know a thing about Sabina and dashing her dreams with a smart remark would no doubt only see him leaving a bad impression on her. Osmund nodded his head, "That's certainly a high bar you're trying to achieve. But you seem pretty confident about it too so I gotta assume you know what you're doing," He responded with an nervous chuckle.

Clearing his throat, he looked back over to the girl. "Sorry if this is a rude question but I was curious why you were out here all by your lonesome... well, aside for you little friend that is. Figured you wouldn't have a second to yourself today, being new and all."

"I'm pretty sure I do. But I also sense that you have doubts. Don't be afraid to voice it. No one else has been afraid to voice their interests or disinterests." She spoke simply. "For a time, that was the case. People swarming me, wanting to learn more and see what my Catalyst could do. When I said that I needed time to relax because of an injury, they seemed to respect that and took off, leaving me and Raza alone. I appreciate their efforts to get to know me, but it can get a bit overwhelming after having had limited interractions for some time."

"Ah, then I guess sorta just waltzed in unwelcomed, huh? And it's not necessarily that I doubt you, don't know you after all, just after everything you said about them it seemed like a dangerous goal is all. A-anyway, If I'm bothering you I can head off? I just saw you sitting by yourself from the classroom and thought, well, it kinda sucks to be alone." Osmund offered, not wanting to intrude more than he might already have.

"I am not alone." She said while nodding towards the cage. "But I think you mean 'without the company of people' kind of alone. You don't need to leave. I think I can handle one person without stressing out." She shrugged with a soft chuckle. She rummaged through her backpack and pulled out a small box. Opening it up, she pulled out a few small slabs of meat. Raza came shuffling towards her as it smelled the meal. It started t o scrape and claw at the cage, trying to reach it. "Hey! Heel." She commanded. After a second time of giving the same command, it backed away and crouched. "Good boy." She whispered sweetly and tossed in a piece which he devoured wholesale. She pulled out a clicker from her pocket and clicked it twice. The bat backed away and assumed the same pose but deeper, making it almost look like it was sitting like a dog. She opened up the cage and clicked it three times, making the bat almost freeze. She placed the meat on its snout, clicking three times again. After a few seconds of waiting, she clicked once and it began eating it. "Good boy, Raza." She said softly as she looked towards Osmund. "Want to try and feed him?" She asked, holding up a bit of smoked beef towards him.

"I, uh..." His eyes moved from her to the gheist in the cage, "Sure. I think I can manage that," He responded, being handed the smoked meat and looking at the cage again for a moment before he began to slowly edge the meat over until it hung in front of the cage. "Should I try giving it a command or something?" He asked, not wanting to somehow mess up her training by simply letting it have the meat if it wasn't supposed to get it before doing something.

"I'll handle that part. This is just to make him more at ease with other people." She said, clicking the clicker three times, causing it to stand still. She nodded her head to show that he could approach it with the meat. As he did so, and started to approach the right space, she told him to stop and then clicked four times. The bat slowly approached him and the meat, biting hold of the edge of it, to which she told Osmund to let go. Once doing just that, the bat was quick to start devouring the slab. "You did good. I am certain it will help to go lengths to keep him more at ease with strangers."

"Really? I'm glad I could help then." He responded, wiping the residue from the meet onto the bottom of his jacket as he listened to the Gheist devour the meat quickly. "I-I guess he doesn't seem so bad, Razz, right? Oh, and he is a boy, right?" Osmund asked, realizing he'd called the animal a he without confirming it with Sabina and knowing some people can be defensive about that sort of thing. "Sorry, I didn't mean to assume."

"Well, yes, I have referred to him as 'him' for a bit now, so I would not say that you are assuming. And his name is Raza. Close enough." She giggled. Throwing in one last slab, she then closed the door and lowered the cloth over the cage. "Nap time." She said cheerily, pocketing the clicker again, leaning back before looking to Osmund again. "How about you, Osmund? What are you up to during the days?"

"Aside from class? I can't really say that I have too many hobbies, I play the saxophone in the school's band... I've thought about joining one of the sports teams before but some of them and I aren't on the best of terms so it's probably better that I don't" He responded with a hardy chuckle following it up with a deep sigh. "Mostly I just hang out around town with my friend, Dieter after school before I head home. Speaking of, from the way you were talking earlier it sounds like you're not from around here. You said your folks moved to Lubbock a few generations ago did you live in a different town before you moved here?"

Sabina scratched her neck in a bit of a nervous tick. "I... I don't think I said anything about moving or living in a different town... Did I?" She asked cautiously as if she thought she might have done something wrong. "I have always lived in Lubbock. I just changed schools when my mom decided that I deserved a fresh start in a new school. It is not quite 'up to par' with what I used to go to, but I don't really care. I just want to continue my studies." She shrugged. "Who is this Dieter? Your friend, I gathered as much, but what is he like?"

Frankly, he didn't quite understand what she was getting at about the town or the school so when she changed the subject he was a little grateful though explaining Dieter to her was its own kind of difficult. "Well, Dieter is an... interesting guy. Honestly, I think I'm his only friend... uh, well, Dieter isn't a bad guy. He's just not easy to get along with at first. I guess you could say he isn't much of a people person. All the same, if you ever wanna know anything that's going on around the school he's the guy to talk to. So that's a plus, right?" Osmund awkwardly tried to explain the other boy to Sabina, not wanting to scare her off but not wanting to beat around the bush or lie either. As such, his explanation came off jumbled.