Re: lakeside mansion; hugh c./dietre a.
Dietre watched the chocolate making process from a respectful distance, feeling awkward and that he was being too quiet. Of course, Hugh showed no sign that he shared these sentiments, it was just in Dietre’s head, as usual. When the drinks were finished, he accepted his mug with a murmur of thanks, and soon found himself blinking down at the various insults written on its surface.
Sieglinde hesitated before dashing outside, seeming to wait for Dietre’s permission. Or maybe she was worried to let him out of her sight, as if she thought he might disappear on her again. Dietre gave her a nod and gestured for her to go, so she bounded off the moment she was sure that he was on his way out too. She was a smart dog, smarter than most, which shouldn’t be a surprise seeing how she had been hand picked by an angel to be Dietre’s companion. A going away present. Because didn’t they always go away in the end?
Outside, Dietre held his hot drink with both hands, peering shyly at Hugh through the steam whenever he thought the man wasn’t looking. “It is lonely…” he agreed. Dietre’s whole life felt like coming home to an empty house.
“I had always wanted pets as a child, but wasn’t allowed to have any.” He watched the dogs sprint around the yard, a look of fondness temporarily displacing his usual melancholy. “Sieglinde is making up for it, though.”
“Um…” Dietre tried to think of how to keep the conversation going. Small talk was the hardest part of meeting people. “...How long have you had Heart?”