InsaneJournal

Tweak says, "Is that a sandwich?"

Dietre Abendroth (dietre) wrote in darkestdays,
@ 2009-11-04 17:26:00

Who: Dietre and Roman
What: Stuff? Awkward hanging out.
When: Wednesday.
Where: Chevenksy household.
Status: In progress
Rating: PG?

Dietre led a lonely existence. The art of building and maintaining a social life was a mystery to him, any and all attempts he made had always been stressful, embarrassing blunders. Even so, it was hard not to yearn for someone to talk to. Whenever he felt particularly sorry for himself he went to see Frau Chevensky. She was the only tie to his mother that he had left, and their ever so faint family resemblance was comforting. She was the only person he could be sure of that genuinely liked him. He had a feeling that Roman most likely just tolerated his presence because they were related and his mother was fond of him.

D spent the morning being fussed over, steadfastly ignoring the fact that his own mother had never really been quite as...motherly in the same way this distant relative was. Frau Chevensky went through her usual list of complaints and demands over how he should take care of himself better, the repetitiveness brought him a pleasing sense of familiarity. Dietre thought it was nice to be nagged at.

After being forced to make promises that he'd shape up, he was coaxed into talking about whatever he had been up to lately. It was never very much, but today he actually had a tiny bit of news. He had seen that girl Roman used to be with a few years ago while he had been out walking the other day. Frau Chevensky had seemed quite interested when he brought it up, particularly when he mentioned how the girl had had a baby with her. Poor Dietre didn't realize he was gossiping, he was just glad to have something to talk about.

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rchevensky
2009-11-04 10:46 pm UTC (link)

Breakfast that morning with Maru had been pleasant, the first encounter they'd had since her return that did not involve yelling and/or him making her cry. The hope that it gave him, welling in the pit of his stomach but in an all too pleasant and warm way, should have probably scared him. Hope in this case had the power to erupt into agony at any moment should Maru happen to disappear on him again.

He had seriously considered having Maru followed, having someone watch her and her family to be certain there were no plans for an imminent return to Russia. But then that too held the possibility of exploding in his face and wreaking real havoc with the pleasant turn of their relationship as it currently stood. In the end, he'd decided to just leave well enough alone. He was risking his heart again by letting Maru in and yet, he felt he had no choice. The walls were crumbling and he was powerless to stop them. Only for Maru.

After returning from his morning spent with her, he'd met with his father and several of the Pakhan's trusted advisers. Business was conducted and Roman had his own orders to carry out or rather, to pass along as he saw fit. He would get to it soon enough.

Entering one of the parlors, Roman was only mildly surprised to find Dietre there with his mother. D was possibly the only family member who actually allowed his mother to fuss. They seemed to suit each other quite well. Roman found it odd but then, he found Dietre odd in general. Whatever they'd been talking of, his mother had abruptly stopped as Roman entered, glancing up and him and smiling a welcome. She rose, kissed his cheek, and excused herself, leaving the two men alone.

"Dietre," Roman addressed him.

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dietre
2009-11-05 01:16 am UTC (link)

Whatever animation Dietre possessed when talking privately with Frau Chevensky faded when Roman entered the room. Though he was more comfortable with Roman than with most people, it wasn't on the same level as it was with the man's mother. He seemed as reserved with his cousin as a normal person would with a stranger. But if one compared his behavior around Roman to how D acted with an actual stranger...well, its hard to explain, but there is a world of difference.

The German born youth looked exhausted, as usual. His eyes were perpetually shadowed by dark circles, and though he was impeccably dressed D always seemed unhealthy.

Dietre's gaze shifted briefly in Roman's direction before settling to a random spot on the table. Eye contact made him uncomfortable, anyone who knew him for long enough soon grew used to not being looked at when they spoke to him. They knew D wasn't ignoring them, he was just being himself.

"...Hello, Roman." D's voice was soft with a certain huskiness as though from lack of use. Never quite a whisper, but it certainly couldn't be considered a normal speaking volume. "We were having tea..." His fingers were still loosely curled around the delicate cup, and beside it was a plate with the remains of some toast. Roman's mother likely couldn't be satisfied unless she had seen Dietre eat with her own eyes.

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rchevensky
2009-11-05 02:46 pm UTC (link)

As usual, Dietre did not really make eye contact. By this point, having known the guy for five years or so, Roman was accustomed to it. He didn't even mind anymore. In fact, had Dietre made eye contact for more than a split second at a time, Roman might have found it rather disconcerting and uncomfortable. He'd often wondered what Dietre's expression was when he was mid-kill. The guy looked harmless sitting there on the sofa with a delicate tea cup held just as delicately in his hand. In fact, though Roman couldn't be considered large or bulky, he was certain he could crush Dietre with his bare hands should he get the notion. Lucky for them both, Roman had never discovered the desire to do such. His mother would kill him if he harmed the delicate German. Half German, his mother would point out.

"I can see that," Roman said in response to his cousin's statement. He sat down in a chair across from Dietre and leaned forward to pour himself a cup. Tea wasn't his first choice in refreshments, Roman usually preferred to simply drink water with lemon. But the tea was available and appropriate. "What is on your agenda for the day, cousin?" His blue eyes touched on the other man's face, thoughts of his own agenda in mind. It was possible Dietre could help him out with something.

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dietre
2009-11-05 03:04 pm UTC (link)

The fact that Dietre did not look like a killer was the very reason he had been successful in his 'career' so far. No one ever saw it coming, and even if they did, they never quite believed what was going on until it was too late. One of these days his lucky streak would run out and the likelihood of Dietre surviving the aftermath was slim. Not that D seemed to care, anyone could tell he had a death wish.

He brought his cup to his lips and took a sip, delaying his response to Roman's question. Dietre had a terrible habit of making people think he wasn't going to answer them, or that he hadn't heard a thing they said. When he did finally speak, it was with a slow, dreamy stiltedness, as though D was set on a different radio frequency than everyone else, one that just didn't come in very well.

"..There is nothing." He was likely going to wander about the city, or go home and play piano until some ungodly hour the next morning. "Are you...going to give me something?" Roman knew D didn't have a life, it was logical to assume that if he was asking, then he must have something in mind.

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rchevensky
2009-11-05 05:19 pm UTC (link)

Roman had the patience for some and for others he did not. When he asked a question, he expected it to be promptly answered. But for Dietre, Roman was patient because he knew the answer would come and because he knew Dietre did not do it out of some sort of rebelliousness. It was simply Dietre's way. It was almost as if it took him longer to process or perhaps to decide upon the answer. In any case, it did not matter. Dietre would answer when Dietre was ready and for him, Roman made that allowance. Becaue everyone knew that Russians were batshit crazy and could do god knows what when provoked. However, Roman did not currently feel provoked. This was Dietre, after all.

He did not stir sugar into his tea but took it black. It was strong, the way his mother liked it. He took a sip and sat patiently, not particularly watching the man across from him now. The ensuing silence was not uncomfortable. When he did answer and then proceeded to ask if Roman would give him something, Roman gave a slight nod. He set his tea down, got up from his seat, and went to a side drawer where there was kept a small pad of paper and a pencil. Roman scribbled down a name and address, folded it, and returned to his seat.

"It does not need to be done today but by the end of next week would be preferrable," he stated, reaching across the short distance of the table separating them, to hand Dietre the slip of folded paper. "You will inform me when it's completed."

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dietre
2009-11-05 05:57 pm UTC (link)

While Roman took his tea as is, Dietre put a sickening amount of sugar in his own. It wasn't that he had a sweet tooth, only that he needed every bit of energy he could find. Sugar highs weren't the best weapon in his battle against sleep, but they'd do in a pinch. By the time D was on the last few sips of tea he was mostly drinking soupy sugar sludge.

He watched as his cousin went to scrawl out a man's death sentence. D seemed more capable of paying attention when business was being discussed, his focus sharpening. He accepted the paper and glanced at the name and address. At the moment they meant nothing to him, just a jumble of scratches. But soon enough they'd become a person and place, and all that consumed D's thoughts until the job was done. He tucked the paper away without a word. He wasn't concerned about payment like other contract killers, nor did he care about why or how. What did it matter anyway?

Dietre set his now empty cup down, canting his head ever so slightly, a sign he was thinking and about to actually bring up a topic of conversation.

"...I believe I saw Maruska the other day...I didn't think to say hello." He wasn't presumptuous to ask if Roman knew she was back, he'd know before anyone else, surely.

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rchevensky
2009-11-05 07:21 pm UTC (link)

Roman never questioned Dietre on how he accomplished the tasks assigned to him. He'd never failed so there was no reason to be concerned with the details. Besides, one didn't ask a contract killer to divulge their methods. It was unheard of, even if D was a relation by blood. Roman would not insult the man in such a way, the same way D did not question the reason why the order was given to begin with.

Without an discernible movement of his own, Roman watched D carefully; watched him set his cup down, the tilt of his head, and contemplative expression. Not that D's face was ever overly expressive but it was there if one looked hard enough or knew him well enough. But no one really knew D, did they? The same way that very few really knew who Roman was.

Maru's name fell from the German's lips and garnered Roman's full attention. "Where did you happen to see her?" he asked casually, no hint of an over amount of curiosity.

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dietre
2009-11-06 04:13 pm UTC (link)

Dietre sat with perfect posture, his hands folded on his lap, giving off the impression of calm, collected detachment. But if anyone took the time to look closer, they may notice the tension in his jaw, the stiffness of his shoulders, and that his hands weren't simply clasped together, but that one clutched the other in a grip that periodically turned white knuckle. All signs of how uncomfortable the young man was, all the time. Nervous, nervous, nervous.

There was a slight furrowing of his brow when he was asked about seeing Maru. Dietre never paid much attention to specifics, so he was left to answer the question as best as he could, which wasn't very informative.

"...On the street...going into a building." Even D was aware of how uselessly vague that was, but what could he do? That was as much as he knew. "So it was her that I saw? I'll have to say hello next time...if I see her again." There was always a good chance he'd die while on a 'job', no point in making too many plans for the future.

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rchevensky
2009-11-06 10:00 pm UTC (link)

Though Roman did not often make full eye contact with his distant cousin or even level his gaze on him for over long, the mention of Maru had Roman's icy blue gaze focused on the guy across from him without wavering. If Dietre was uncomfortable with it, Roman did not care. He catered to his cousin's oddities as often as was convenient and when it was not, well the he didn't. But once D stated what he knew, which was little to nothing aside from having noticed her presence in Chicago once again, Roman averted his eyes. They lowered once again to the tea cup in his hand.

"It was likely Maruska. She's returned from Russia. We've spoken a few times. So yes, you should say hello the next time you see her," he said, offering a genuine smile before taking a sip of the tea. "If you see her again," he added, his smile once again replaced with the rather sober and dignified look he usually displayed.

"You've had a good visit with my mother, Dietre?" he asked. "Have you said hello to my father?" Roman's father found his wife's relation to be extremely odd but the guy had thus far always accomplished each task handed down to him. For that, Dietre was afforded respect.

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dietre
2009-11-07 04:55 pm UTC (link)

The hardness of Roman's stare did indeed have a negative effect on D. There came a point where he actually began to turn his face away as though Roman's gaze gave off heat like a fire, too blistering to bear. It was such a relief when his cousin began to speak again and even smiled, that Dietre managed to glance in the man's direction for a moment. Of course, he didn't return the smile, Roman's mother often teased him (thought gently) that D never smiled, not even in the pictures her cousin sent to her of him when he was a boy. He had always been a serious, somber person, even if his mother hadn't been killed before his eyes it was likely he'd still be quiet and depressed.

Turning the conversation towards Frau Chevensky lessened the tension from before, a bit of life returning to the German. She was a good thing in his life, safe and easy to talk about.

"Oh yes. She lectured me quite a bit." D spoke of being nagged at as though it were a nice thing. To him it was, the idea that someone cared about him made him feel...lighter. "I had to promise to eat dinner tonight."

At the mentioning of Roman's father Dietre's tension returned. He was grateful to the man for giving him a place in the world, but he made him nervous. There was something about him that reminded D of his father, he felt inadequate around him, sure that the man thought he was useless. It was likely just paranoia, the Pakhan was always civil towards him. Even so, D tended to think the worse in every situation.

His jaw stiffened and he averted his gaze downward in a guilty, reluctant sort of way. "..No...I haven't.." He adjusted the cuff of his shirt. "I will...before I go."

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rchevensky
2009-11-07 08:03 pm UTC (link)

Roman was well aware of his mother's nurturing desires towards Dietre. He was possibly the one and only to accept such nurturing with no objections and possibly the one and only who truly needed it. The woman's own children had all been raised to be strong and quite capable, it was expected of them from their father and they did not tend to fail in that regard. Of course they loved their mother but they had their own wills were much stronger than perhaps the woman would wish. Yet in Roman, the son who wished to one day take his father's place, this was required. Should he lack a strong will, he would be useless to the family name and business.

"Will you be dining with us tonight?" he asked after noticing the return of Dietre's uneasiness at the mention of his father. Clearly, Dietre was quite observant and Roman would have never assumed otherwise. One could not be that quiet and subdued and not pick up on the nature and feelings of others. It really was a positive quality to some degree. Of course Dietre had so many other undesirable qualities it was difficult to weigh the one good thing against all the rest. Although to be fair, there was more to Dietre than was apparent on the surface. Roman could not claim to know his cousin well, he was not sure anyone could. But he was not one to make ignorant assumptions about people especially contract killers.

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dietre
2009-11-11 01:25 am UTC (link)

Roman's innocent question caught Dietre off guard. The answer should have been easy, for anyone else it would have been. But in Dietre's mind it was too vague, leaving him in a state of confusion. It was the subtle things about social interactions that he had the most trouble with. D didn't like feeling like he was in a position to make a decision that would effect other people. What did Roman mean?

The mask of D's neutral expression broke, his face perfectly exposing how unsure and confused he was for a moment. It made him look terribly young even though Roman was the same age.

"I...don't recall...being invited..Ah.." He frowned, turning red at his own helplessness. He let out a frustrated breath, then carried on, bluntly getting to the point. "Are you asking me to have dinner with your family tonight?" He needed things to be clear cut.

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