PSL - Late Release Halloween Meetup!

[pepperedoni]

Whatever hellish nightmare he was suddenly living in needed to come to an end as quickly as possible. He never would have let Vergil talk to Lottie if he knew that somehow they would come to an agreement on plans for anything. He had no idea what she could have said to convince the dreariest asshole he ever met in his life to go to a Halloween party. It was only eight in the evening and he was already on edge seeing his long-absent brother walk down the street towards he and Lottie as they got out of their uber. Vergil, of course, wasn't wearing an outfit but it was evident that he wouldn't get asked about it at all because it wasn't something normal people put on to go anywhere. 'Old Victorian Battle Wizard' wasn't quite a modern trend.

Dante, in comparison, had no right to talk. He was wearing a jacket he hadn't worn in years--one of the old pieces that made him look like he matched his brother more than they both intended. He even included a monocle so he'd look more like his father, even if no one other than Vergil would understand.

"You look like an imbecile," Vergil greeted him, glancing at Lottie to offer her a little nod before turning to look at the front of the home they were parked in front of. Dante had been helping Lottie out and resting his hands on her shoulders whether or not he might have nudged her costume the wrong way. He murmured in her ear--

"I told you he wasn't gonna put a costume on."

Comments

[oomfies]

Lottie wonders if inviting Vergil to this party is a good thing.

Worse, she is only wondering this now after seeing Dante pout and seethe as Vergil strolls towards them. It's weird, experiencing such whiplash at seeing how similar they are (a fact she still hasn't gotten over, especially not now). So different, but clearly mirror images. Polar opposites.

And? Clearly brothers, when Vergil greets Dante with a comment so eerily reminiscent of her sister that it almost distracts her from what he says. It's a second after he nods to her in greeting does she return it, her boyfriend's hushed voice dancing at her ear and his hands smoothing at her shoulders. Her brows furrow cutely and she pouts all the while, thinking: Dante looks sexy as hell and super hot? What a liar?? If he looks like an imbecile, what does that make him??? They're twins!!

"Hmm? What?"

Who? ..Vergil?! He looks.. Normal for him. Fine, maybe? Stiff as a board? But fine. Perhaps a little too long theme for the night, a perfect counterpart to Dante's.. Well, she's not sure what he's dressed as, but he looks lovely. Lottie, as it turns out, is the only one of the three to stick out like a sore thumb, hellbent on keeping in theme with her girls as Beetlejuice. Her jacket is mussed, her carefully orchestrated boob window (even her tie, the one she painstakingly arranged to slip into her cleavage taut and perfect for photos) is skewed to the side.

And then it clicks — "Dante, oh my god, he's right there!" it's very low, and very worried, because the last thing she wants is to start things off with a weird vibe. Especially when Vergil just said Dante looked dumb at a costume party.. Tough crowd. She puts one hand atop his, rubbing her thumb across his knuckles. The music and sounds of people, a proper party, can be heard faintly from where they're at. Distractingly, the mansion that's keeping it all inside seems to be the loudest thing here. Clearing her throat, she leads the two of them (soon three) towards the entrance.

"Love the outfit by the way, Vergil! People are gonna go crazy over it."

[pepperedoni]

"God, who cares..."

There was certainly a shift in his demeanor the moment Vergil crossed their paths. With Lottie so close, one would expect he'd be sweet and doting the whole evening but he and his brother were constantly at odds. Sure, Lottie had seen them as teenagers, competing and fighting one another for the sake of some artifact that ultimately didn't bring either of them happiness but--

She hadn't seen either of them together during a party. The last time Dante remembered going to a party with Vergil had been when they were children. He remembered a girl wanted to dance with his brother and not with him and it sparked something that built up over the course of decades. Of course, Vergil hadn't shown an iota of interest in Lottie but to Dante, that disinterest might as well have been a threat. That was Vergil's thing. He played aloof. Girls liked that. Right?

If he'd paid Lottie a little more attention, he might have noticed she was more interested in getting them through the door than entertaining some feud in which his brother was going to make a move on her by accident. Rather than coming to an understanding, he just hung over Lottie's shoulder, trying not to mess up her jacket anymore, though he did sneak the occasional peak down the cut in her clothing that made a boob window he could engage with even at an odd angle. How the hell'd she do that, anyway?

He followed Lottie closely, occasionally feeding his brother a glower while Vergil followed on his own without so much as acknowledging them. As they got to the door, Vergil sighed and crossed his arms under his chest.

"Thank you. Your outfit looks well made, Lottie."

"Shaddup, Vergil!"

[oomfies]

Lottie definitely hasn't seen any of them during a party. In any social setting, really, that wasn't told as a story to her. She's starting to see why, if the way Dante barks at Vergil so uncharacteristically is anything to go by. She doesn't bother sparing a strange glance in his direction — Dante drapes himself so comfortably around her frame that she simply allows his weird stares Vergil's way when he says her costumes looks well made (because it is!!! She spent all year on it!).

For once, she's actually kind of happy to be on the receiving end of indifference: she knows it's literally just the opposite end of the extreme that is the siblings at play here.

(It helps that it makes her feel a lot better about the weird dynamic she has with both her family!)

"Thank you," she accepts, makes sure to puff out her chest in pride and for Dante's benefit, before following up with: "Vergil, can you meet us by the snack table?"

A pause.

"Actually, can you figure out where that is first? We'll meet you in a sec. Gotta pose coordinate with the BF, you know.. Haha!"

Does that sound convincing? Apparently it does enough for Vergil to actually walk inside, no concern over why she gave such a half baked excuse for some privacy. He steps through the door with little to no fanfare, but there is an audible ooo of the crowd when they catch sight of his coat, as gaudy as ever. Lottie manages to twist her way out of Dante's hold, settling for putting both her hands on his cheeks — better for him to focus on her for.

"Okay, what's up here? What's going on in that big brain of yours?"

[pepperedoni]

"'Snack' table? Very well, Lottie." Vergil grimaced, realizing he didn't quite understand the concept until he looked. He strode past a few better-dressed guests and spared them passing glances, hardly understanding why they were impressed by him, as he began negotiating with himself on what was and wasn't edible among the Halloween themed display.

There were far ways for Dante to ruin the evening beyond the way he was earnestly attempting in the moment. He wasn't even drunk yet and he was already trying to pick a fight with his brother in someone elses' house in one of the lowest stakes environments they could possibly find themselves in. Sure, he cared a little bit about his reputation when besides Lottie but that was mostly for her sake. If he looked sloppy, then she'd have to answer to him being an utter barbarian but with his brother in the mix--he was already in the midst of working himself up to picking a fight.

Vergil hadn't even made eye contact with him, yet. It was abundantly clear he was trying to be on good behavior even by comparison.

So, he sulked even as Lottie slipped free of him and turned so she could frame him with her hands. In a rare show, he didn't meet her eyes. Sulking. As if he didn't want to admit fault for a thing. He scowled, crossing his arms even as he leaned forward a little to make it easier. Some parts of the cool guy persona were still there but they were being fogged up by resenting his brother for briefly picking up a decoration to inspect.

"More like what's with him? You see that? He's probably gonna eat that plastic spider."

[oomfies]

To be fair, in her eyes nothing was entirely ruined. And even if it was, it could never compare when Caroline pushed Charlene off a building at that New Years eve party that shall not be spoken of.

(Which, she already told Dante about, because Lottie can't help but be bored and gossip from time to time.)

She doesn't even bother to turn over her shoulder to know that Vergil is probably being weird, slightly dumb, and Mysterious™ behind them. Everyone in her crowd eats that shit up so fast it's abysmal, especially with the real possibility of him eating that little plastic spider. He might go viral, or he might just end up in the hospital, but what matters is Dante is riled up so much he isn't even looking at her. This is serious. He's a handsome, kicked puppy of a vampire who is openly sulking, edging his way closer to her despite the fact his eyes are elsewhere.

"Dante.. That would be really funny."

She coos, tries to soothe him by stating the obvious. Her thumb rubs gentle against his cheekbone, her own pout on her lips. And then she remembers:

"Also someone would probably call 911 if he choked so like, we're good." Just in case he was worried about that, which.. She doesn't think he is at all, because Lottie knows Dante well enough to figure out what he really wants right now — probably more mad dogging his brother.

"It's a whole party out there, don't worry about him. Someone'll drag him off to do stuff and then we can eat the free food."

[pepperedoni]

"It'd be hilarious."

It slipped past his teeth, almost venomous despite just how easily she was beginning to tug his attention right back to her. Any time Lottie brought up her sisters and the petty ways they dug at one another, he couldn't help but imagine his brother as the aggressor in every case they dealt with. He simply didn't realize he was the one who was worked up while Vergil was simply trying to understand what in the world was going on with the brownies that had little candy stars on them. Did that have something to do with the holiday?

Why was there a skeleton mounted on the wall? Had they killed a man and left him to rot over the course of years? No, the bones were too bleached white. Why was the pumpkin suit it had one so clean? Did they think to further defile him by dressing him in insulting, garish ways even in death?

Groaning, Dante eventually caved and fixed sullen eyes on Lottie. It looked just a little more goofy given the abundance of eye-shadow he had on and the way his self-made fangs seemed to poke out when he complained.

"...We gotta keep an eye on him, Lottie. He's weird."

Sulking, he didn't quite catch onto the overwhelmingly deep well of irony he just tapped into as he reached out with one hand to swipe a pumpkin cookie off of someone's tray as they passed to shove into his mouth.

[oomfies]

She can't see specifically what it is that has Dante so worried, so worked up, about Vergil trailblazing inside the house when her boobs are right here, but she doesn't question it. At least.. Not verbally. She tries to, as nonchalantly as she can, move so she can see the presumed chaos happening just a few steps away from them..

"Yeah.. He's a little weird."

Lottie tries to be kind about it, even though Dante said it first. Which she knows gives her permission to fully rake him in the mud, because from what she knows about him he is exceedingly peculiar.. And that's being generous about it.

Also, she is extremely biased — in fact, she thinks Dante doing whatever he wants is hot, even cute in it's own way. He doesn't care what people think! Vergil on the other hand just makes her cringe. So that means she doesn't even bat an eye when he steals that cookie, just makes a note to grab a plate of them later for him to munch on when they're ready to relax.

"But he can't be that bad. Dante, he's somebody's daddy.. He has to have some social skills to have fucked somebody, right?" A thumb moves to wipe a stray crumb off his lips, "You don't smash a random dude who thinks katanas are fun."

[pepperedoni]

By that point, he usually would have been all over her the moment Lottie doted on him and yet, Dante grumbled and affixed Lottie with a brief, sullen pout. She didn't get it. Vergil wasn't the cool twin! Every other time they went out, wasn't he the one that stood out with that dark air of mystery?

"God, you're pretty," Upset as he was, Dante had his moment to admire her and brush against Lottie's chin with his thumb before swerving right back into his rant. "Wait. Social skills? Just because he slept with somebody doesn't... Ugh, Lottie, he doesn't even know how to order a plane ticket--"

He could almost hear Lottie hoping she could convince him to not call out his brother over what essentially amounted to nothing in the middle of a party.

Vergil, somehow not noticing the scorn buried at the base of his spine, settled on a miniature chocolate croissant. With the utmost decency, he ate it with two napkins--one for excess and the other to dab at his lip. In passing, a middle-aged man with pallid skin dressed in a vest and cape similar to Dante's cut sidled beside Vergil. A strange smell passed and Dante squinted, suspicious. He reached to Lottie's shoulder to gift her a soft squeeze, careful not to mess up her outfit, again. Even sullen and pouting, he subconsciously wanted to protect all the hard work she put into the hottest outfit on the planet.

"Look, this is the part where he messes up--"

"Oh, wonderful!" Exuberant and absolutely forgetting his inside voice, Jacques Monteblanc pointed a frosted monocle in Vergil's direction and flourished to display the very expensive cape that he was absolutely proud of sewing by hand. "Someone has the great courtesy to think of crumbs! Are you, by chance, the Vergil I've heard so much about?"

Dante restrained a strangled voice once Lottie was through dusting his lip of crumbs, "What?"

[oomfies]

What a reversal of roles, usually acting wild and wacky is her deal!! He squeezes at her shoulder and Lottie, despite how tired she is already of this, humors him (she will always humor him, especially when he angrily calls her pretty before going back to ranting about his brother of all things), turning to look at whatever social disaster his brother found himself in.

All she can see is the titular, and strangely in (his follower count has been skyrocketing, for some reason? Bots, maybe?), Jacques Monteblanc. Or, '𝓙𝓪𝓬𝓺𝓾𝓮𝓼 𝓜𝓸𝓷𝓽𝓮𝓫𝓵𝓪𝓷𝓬' as his Instagram handle says.. All of his handles on any site he's on, actually. A popular dungeon master turned NFT condo crypto grifter that still hasn't been cancelled yet.. Even with his problematic past, the people love his theming. And the people who come to his parties are always guaranteed the weirdest goodie bags for the best Youtube videos.

Predictably, she sees nothing wrong with it. Also, because Vergil and her already talked about Jacques, and vice versa. Nerds socializing with other nerds, you know?

(She ignores what that sentence might imply about her..)

Lottie simply rolls her eyes, an unimpressed glimmer to them after he shouts. Luckily for both of them, the music (yes, themed.. It's all spooky music in a various arrange of genres) louder than his strangled and shocked voice. She gossips like she knows exactly what he's talking about —

"I know. He's so anal about crumbs. It's like a thing on his channel.."

[pepperedoni]

He swore he could hear the font his name was in when he said it. Something about that Jacques guy was striking him as off, though he wasn't taking his whole 'deal' into account. The first red flag? He was talking to Vergil. Vergil. Like he was going to meet him on his level or something.

"So, you've heard of me?" His brother responded with something of a smug grin, layering on a smile strikingly similar to his. "You may call me by that name."

"How wonderful! Then, I'd like to introduce myself as your gracious host, 𝓙𝓪𝓬𝓺𝓾𝓮𝓼 𝓜𝓸𝓷𝓽𝓮𝓫𝓵𝓪𝓷𝓬!"

They kept chatting. Talking about, one would argue, absolutely nothing. He had to explain it away as something else. The only reason Vergil could talk to that guy? Something had to be off. Was it the smell that set him off or his actual, genuinely pallid skin? Lottie didn't typically hang with the beastie crowd but that might have changed if any of them got wind of him. That had to be it.

An exasperated, frustrated noise choked itself right out of him. Dante wheeled on Lottie, just about spinning around to face her and grab her shoulders(mindful of her costume's shoulder pieces and hair), somehow not seeing an iota of her own exasperation being tied to him. Of course it was about Vergil. Where'd he get off using that tone of voice around regular human beings?

"Lottie, what if he's a real, actual vampire?"

[oomfies]

There's a long moment, after she's so delicately (yet urgently?!) spun around and held in place that she stares. Then slowly begins to furrow her brow, slowly begins to purse her lips. Despite how silly it sounds, it's clear she's taking him serious in some capacity, by the way she looks over at the scene and just sees two nerds who like LARPing talking to each other. Her eyes then slide back over to Dante before plainly asking him..

"What.. Like Twilight?"

It's just a costume, her tone implies, right next to, Edward Cullen? She sighs, puts both her hands atop his to gently pry them off and bring them down. After, she holds them, rubs her thumb over his hand in that soothing way she knows he likes.

"Babe, c'mon. Why would an actual vampire show up to a Halloween party? It's so corny."

So predictable! Plus, she's pretty sure she's seen that costume of his on Ebay? Or Amazon? Actually, it could be a custom.. But she knows for a fact the man is dedicated to his image, just as much as she is. She shakes her head. If his crime is slaying on a holiday appropriate day, she can't stand by and say nothing.

"Plus he'd be the worst vampire. Look at him! He's so.." A pause, as she tries not to say something like 'kind of the same as your brother?' "I mean, why do you think he could be one??"

[pepperedoni]

"No, the sun's totally down already," He responded without a hint of irony, so absorbed he didn't notice his own setup for a joke, answering Lottie in total seriousness... and incorrectly. A little more somber, Dante didn't at all fuss when Lottie took his hand and started up the arduous task of working him down when he was excited. Still, he went from a six to a three fast once she just started her evening routine of helping him ease tension from work.

It worked just that quickly.

"Corny? That's what monsters do. They blend in."

Huffing with a measure of indignance, Dante looked down at Lottie's hands, watching. Working himself up over small little details, no doubt. Guests had stopped coming in around then but Jacques had already started moving on crowd-work while Vergil returned to debating whether or not certain arrangements were edible. Most were not, so he decided to play it safe and watch to see what people picked up before trying it for himself.

She saved him from Dante.

"It's the smell. Demons sense other monster-y things with smell and he smells... like death."

He'd come to regret that delivery within the hour.

[oomfies]

"Like.. Death."

Lottie returns the cadence he says it with with considerably less vigor — mostly because she can't understand the certainty he says this all with. Jacques just smells like the cologne every guy she runs into wears? Something musky and heavy and in the realm of pleasant, never tolerable. It's not like she can really argue with the fact Dante does have a sixth sense for these things (literally), has a tremendously better nose (literally). He hunts all things that go bump in the night, for crying out loud.

Vergil takes a bite out of a Halloween themed macaron after deeming it safe, narrowly missing the display with the fake ones by an inch. Her thumb smoothing over his skin slows (really, she's wondering if she'll need to keep 911 on speed dial at this point), a bit distracted because an idea hits her. They're both related, right?

She tugs at his hands towards Vergil, trying to finagle him in his direction.

"Let's ask your brother, then. He'd be able to smell it, too, right? He was right next to him!"