“Oh, you think so, huh?” Wilhelm stood, looking at his reflection in the window. “I don’t think you’re too far off there.” He ran his fingers through his hair, trying to tame it a little. “What’s the time? Dinner should be soon.” Wilhelm glanced around for his watch, snatching it up from his bedside table. “We have a few minutes, as it were.”
Connor laughed a little. "Alright." he replied. He stood up, stretching a little and setting the sketchbook back down, tucking it beside his pillow. He inhaled, wondering if he should ask the question that had popped into his mind.
“The food here isn’t so bad. It’s not oma’s cooking or anything, but it’s nothing unpalatable. Don’t remember what’s tonight, though.” Wilhelm shrugged, continuing to primp and preen in his reflection.
Connor nodded. "Alright." he said again. "Uhm…forgive me if this is an awkward question but…do yer friends know about yeh?" he gestured vaguely. "That yer…?"
“That I’m..? Gay? Yeah. It’s kind of hard to miss, at least when Romeo and I are in the same room. We’re not together or anything, but we used to be.” Wilhelm laughed, shaking his head. “It’s not awkward, so don’t worry about it.”
"Alright." Connor replied, turning to hide the blush that had crept over his face again. "Sorry. 'm just no' used to…this." he let out a chuckle, waving a hand to demonstrate what he meant.
“The ‘this’ being..?” Wilhelm tilted his head, a confused grin plastered on his face. “What do you mean?”
Connor let out an embarrassed laugh. "Talkin' aboot 't." he replied. "Back home, ah had…" he wasn't going to out himself. He couldn't. Not now. "Ah had a friend tha' was…like yeh." he shrugged a little. "Bu' we didn' really…talk aboot it? Because if m' uncle had foond ou', 't would nae ha' been good fer either o' us."
“Yeah.” Wilhelm shifted from foot to foot. “Can we change the subject? I don’t really care what to, just.. I’d rather not talk about this. Sorry.” He gave Connor a tight-lipped smile, tossing his head back. Wilhelm played with the collar of his shirt, rolling it in between his fingers.
"Yeah, it's fine, sorry." Connor said quickly, looking at his toes. "Ah did nae mean to make yeh uncomfortable." he tugged on his sleeves to adjust them, eyes flickering around the room.
“No, no, it’s fine. Oh- you know what? something tells me you haven’t seen the ratter they keep in this place. You like dogs?” Wilhelm turned away from the window, now facing Connor. He slipped his hands into his pockets.
Connor looked up at him, and blinked. "Huh? Oh. No, ah haven't. And…yeah, sometimes." he replied, hands by his sides.
“This one’s really cute. Little.. Yorkshire terrier, I think? Name’s Bonnie. Sweet girl.” Wilhelm smiled, shaking his head. “Keeps the place mouse and rat free.”
Connor dipped his head in a nod. "Yorkie's are usually cute." he replied with a quick smile.
“You want to go see if we can find her before dinner? She’ll probably be hanging around the dining hall, like she always is.”
"Sure." Connor said with a smile, taking a few steps towards the door, then glancing over at Wilhelm again.
Wilhelm checked his appearance one more time before opening the door and slipping outside, holding it open for Connor. “She’s sweet. Little, though. It’s weird, I think, how a dog can be that small.”
Connor ducked out the door, and shrugged slightly. "Nowt wrong wi' bein' small." he replied with a light grin, gesturing to himself. "Unless you got a problem wi' 't?"
Wilhelm gave him a doggish smile, shaking his head. “What if I do?” He left the common room, leaning on the brick walls as he walked. “Hypothetically, of course.”
"Then I," Connor said grandly, "wi' b' requestin' a new roommate wot doesn't got a probl'm wi' short things an' people." He smiled at Wilhelm, chuckling softly.
“Oh, such melodrama!” Wilhelm cried, his tone joking. “If it make it any better, Connor, I just so happen to not have anything against short people. Or things. So don’t you worry about that, eh?” Wilhelm straightened his posture as they turned a corner. A little tan and black animal scurried down the hall, bobbing and weaving in between Wilhelm’s legs. “This, my friend, is Bonnie. The unofficial mascot of Pheasant Brook.” The boy picked up the little dog, whose docked tail was wagging violently.
Connor grinned. "A'right, a'right." He replied. At the sight of the dog, his smile widened. "She's adorable!" He said, reaching out to let the squirming little dog.
“Isn’t she? Such a sweet girl, too! Aren't you?” Wilhelm ruffled the dog’s fur, voice suddenly becoming babyish in the way that you’d speak to any animal.
Connor smiled a little at Wilhelm's behavior, and kept petting the dog. "Yeah." He agreed, running his fingers through the dog's fur gently.
“Got detention once for feeding her table scraps. Don’t regret a thing about it and I’d do it again, no issue.” Wilhelm moved a little closer to Connor, allowing him easier access to the ratter. “It wasn’t even anything bad for her, just eggs.”