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“I’m going to invite my girlfriend over for dinner tomorrow, if that’s okay.”
Lazlo froze in place, his hand clenched against the handle of a wok as pieces of thick pork chops sizzled inside of it, as he stared at Vidcund in surprise.
“...You have a girlfriend?” he asked, “Since when?”
“About three months ago. You remember that date I told you about? The one at J’Adore Bakery?”
Lazlo nodded, recounting details of Vidcund showing him a picture of a tall, fairly curvy goth woman with tan skin and a long, black dress that complimented her dark hair.
“Damn,” Lazlo said, fully processing Vidcund’s words, “Why didn’t you tell me sooner, man?”
“I wanted to wait until things were officially serious before I told you. Didn’t want to get your hopes up after last time. And don’t tell Pascal about this. I’m not ready to tell him about her yet.”
“Fair enough, man.”
Lazlo turned around to check on his food, before turning back around to face Vidcund.
“So, uh…what’s she like?” he asked, “She’s not anything like Circe, is she?”
“Oh heavens, no!” Vidcund said, shaking his head, “Her name’s Cassandra, and she’s one of the sweetest and most considerate people that I’ve ever had the fortune of meeting.”
“Oh phew,” Lazlo said, breathing a sigh of relief, “And how are you going to stop Pascal from finding out? He’s literally been standing right behind you this whole time.”
Vidcund turned around in shock, noticing nothing, before laughing dryly as he turned back towards Lazlo.
“Very funny,” Vidcund said, forcing an angry laugh, “But I’ll figure something out. The current plan is to send Pascal a note that’ll ask him to go to a random location in Downtown Strangetown, where he’ll stay until Cassandra leaves.”
“And you really think this’ll work, dude?”
“I set the location to a bar.”
“Ah, of course,” Lazlo said, recalling many of Pascal’s drunken mishaps,”That’ll do it.”
Vidcund nodded as Lazlo quickly turned back to his wok, flipping the pork chops over before turning back towards Vidcund.
“I just have to figure out a way to make this dinner perfect,” he said, “...I’ll need to decorate the house with flowers. Do you think that’ll be too much?”
“Yeah. It’s just a regular dinner, man. I’ll cook something up and the three of us can talk about…birds or some shit.”
“Three of us?”
Vidcund and Lazlo turned around as they noticed Pascal standing near the doorway, his hands resting on his hips.
“Yeah!” Vidcund said, “The three of us…as in, us three brothers…can talk about birds over dinner today.”
“Oh.” Pascal said, stunned, “Well, I don’t know why you have to plan dinner conversations ahead of time when we usually keep swapping between topics anytime we talk. You can just bring whatever topic you want up over dinner like a normal person.”
“Right, yeah…”
Lazlo turned back towards his wok, before turning the stove off as he transferred the pork chops to a plate.
This is the first time in a while that we’re having a girl over…outside of Crystal.
Lazlo shuddered as his brain replayed his rejected confession, before staring down at the now-empty, oil covered wok.
Now, what to cook for tomorrow…
—
A new day arrived as Lazlo hovered over the stove, noticing Pascal buttoning up a white shirt that he paired with black slacks and black loafers. Lazlo turned to face Pascal fully as Pascal stopped by the door, before turning around to face Lazlo.
“I’m just going to meet Olive at the Crypt O’ Nightclub,” he said, “She wanted to talk about something related to Nervous.”
“Cool, man. Have fun.”
“Thanks. You want me to get you anything while I’m downtown?”
“Nah, I’m good.”
Pascal gave Lazlo a thumbs-up before heading out of the house, closing the door behind him, before turning back to the stove as he heard Vidcund’s footsteps approaching the kitchen.
“So, what’s for dinner?”
“Salmon, with some salad on the side, topped off with berry pie for dessert. That sounds?”
“Oh, perfect! And how do I look?”
Lazlo turned around, noticing his brother dressed in a tuxedo.
“...It’s fucking family dinner, man,” he said, “Dress like how you normally would.”
“But this is a special occasion!”
“Bro! You wear a suit every time you go outside! You already look like you’re dressed for a special occasion in your regular-ass clothes! Go change out of the tuxedo.”
Vidcund huffed in annoyance as he walked out of view, before Lazlo turned back towards the stove.
Alright! Time to cook.
—
An hour passed before Lazlo turned off the stove, moving the three plates of food onto the counter behind him before hearing the doorbell ring. He walked over to the door, leaving the dirty wok on the stove, before noticing Vidcund sprinting down the hallway in a yellow button-down shirt and brown slacks.
“I’ll get it! You go get the table ready.”
“It’s already ready, man-”
Lazlo closed his mouth as Vidcund opened the door, revealing Cassandra on the other side.
“Cassandra! You’re just in time!”
Lazlo looked away as Vidcund and Cassandra began kissing each other, before opening an eye to peek at them as he heard the kissing noises stop.
“Come in,” Vidcund said, “And you’re free to take your shoes off and leave them on the shoe rack besides the door. I got you a pair of black slippers you can wear inside of the house.”
“Aww, how sweet.”
Lazlo walked back towards the counter, figuring that it’d be better to give Vidcund and Cassandra some space, before hearing the phone ring. He walked over to it, before answering the call as he held the phone up to his ear.
“Hello?”
“Hey, Lazlo,” Lazlo heard Nervous saying on the other end, “Is Pascal home right now?”
“Nope.”
“Aw, shame. I really wanted someone to talk to because it’s really boring being at the house alone. Ophelia went to Downtown Strangetown with her friends and Olive decided to chaperone.”
OLIVE’S IN DOWNTOWN STRANGETOWN?
“Are you free, by any chance?” Nervous asked, “I know you’re probably still mad about me accidentally stabbing Vidcund with a fork the last time I was over at your house, but-”
“Nope!” Lazlo said, “Bye!”
Lazlo quickly hung up, then slammed the phone back into its original position as Vidcund and Cassandra approached the counter. Vidcund pulled out Pascal’s assigned seat for Cassandra to sit on, before heading to the stove to wash the dirty wok.
“So,” Lazlo said, prompting Cassandra to turn her head towards him, “You’re…Cassandra.”
“Yes. That’s me. And you’re Lazlo, I presume?”
“Hell yeah, man!”
Lazlo and Cassandra stared at each other in silence as Lazlo tried to think of other things to say.
…Fuck. I genuinely can’t think of anything.
I’ll just let Vidcund carry the conversation.
…That’s never something I thought I’d think.
Lazlo approached his seat in the middle, before quickly taking a step away from Cassandra to sit on Vidcund’s assigned seat instead.
He’d probably want to sit close to Cassandra, right?
Lazlo watched as Vidcund turned around, giving Lazlo a confused look before eyeing the empty seat in the middle.
“Food's going to get cold,” Lazlo said, gesturing to the middle seat, “Let’s eat.”
—
The night flew by quickly as Lazlo scarfed down his food, listening in on Vidcund and Cassandra’s conversation.
…This is the first time Vidcund’s managed to hold a conversation with someone on his own.
And she likes nature and birds, she’s also pursuing science, and she’s so invested in what he’s saying that she hasn’t even bothered asking me anything about myself!
…I don’t think I’ve ever seen such a perfect match before.
“What do you think about it, Lazlo?”
Lazlo paused, then turned his head as he noticed Vidcund and Cassandra looking at him.
“...Can you repeat it?”
“What are your thoughts on archeology?”
“Oh! Um…it’s fine, I guess.”
Lazlo finished up his food as he began licking his plate, before noticing Vidcund staring at him with what appeared to be slight judgement on his face.
Right. Gotta act prim and proper for the Goth.
Lazlo moved the plate away from his face, quickly wiping at his face with a napkin.
“Sorry,” he said, “...I like digging for bones, but I’m not super into history.”
“Have you dug for bones before?”
“Not bones. Though, I do know a place where we could-”
DING DONG.
Lazlo closed his mouth as the three turned towards the front door. Vidcund got up to walk towards the door, before he opened it to reveal Olive Specter on the other side. Vidcund stepped aside as he glanced back over at Cassandra and Lazlo, letting them catch a glimpse of Olive carrying a very visibly drunk Pascal over her shoulders.
“I found your brother black-out drunk at the bar and crying about how his family thinks he’s an embarrassment or something like that,” Olive announced, dropping Pascal onto the floor, “You should be more careful. Accidents can happen around here.”
“Uh…thanks, Olive.”
“Of course. And I’ll forgive you for trying to impersonate me. Had I not been keeping watch on Ophelia, you would’ve gotten away with it. Don’t let it happen again.”
Olive flashed her signature, evil-looking grimace as she placed Pascal on the ground, before calmly walking away.
“...You lied to your alcoholic brother and sent him to a bar in Downtown Strangetown so the three of us could enjoy dinner together without him?” Cassandra said, “Aww, Vidcund! That’s so sweet.”
…Pascal told Olive that he thinks that we see him as an embarrassment to the family?
Then that means Pascal knows the truth about the note!
Lazlo and Cassandra watched as Vidcund placed Pascal on the sofa, propping him up on his side before checking his pulse.
“Alright, he should be okay,” Vidcund said, “We’ll just have to make sure he doesn’t die while drunk.”
“I’m NOT okay,” Pascal wailed, his voice slurred, “You LIED to me! Just so I wouldn’t get to meet your new girlfriend that you never told me anything about!”
Tension filled the room as Pascal sat up, his eyes watery.
“You think I don’t have feelings or something?” Pascal said, trying to stand up, “Because I do! And I notice when you constantly try to hide things from me! It’s like you hate me!”
Pascal stumbled back on the sofa, staring up at the ceiling as Vidcund quickly moved him back onto his side.
“Maybe we should give him some food,” Cassandra said, “I heard that it helps with drunkenness.”
Lazlo winced as his memory flashed back to the amount of oil he used for the food.
“He’s a total health nut,” he said, “He wouldn’t like it.”
“Oh, now you’re gatekeeping your FOOD from me too?” Pascal grumbled, “Rude.”
“You can have some of mine,” Cassandra said, lifting up her plate, “I don’t mind sharing.”
“Cassandra,” Lazlo said, “I made that specifically for you. Don’t give that to him.”
Cassandra frowned as she placed the plate down, before crossing her arms uncomfortably as she looked back over at Pascal.
“Pascal gets like this anytime he’s drunk,” Vidcund said, “It’s normal for us. Don’t pay him any attention.”
“Yeah!” Pascal added, “Just do what they do.”
“And this is exactly why I didn’t want to tell you.”
Cassandra winced as Vidcund walked back over to the counter, sliding back into his seat before smiling at Cassandra. Cassandra smiled back, but took another concerned glance at Pascal.
“So…” Lazlo said, in an attempt to change the subject, “What’s living in Pleasantview like?”
“Oh, it’s alright,” Cassandra said, turning to face Lazlo, “I’ve lived there for most of my life, so I’ve just gotten used to it. I suppose it’s just like you two with Pascal, in a way.”
Vidcund and Lazlo both laughed awkwardly as Cassandra grabbed her napkin and moved it over her mouth.
“But in all seriousness,” she said, “It does sound like he’s hurt. You two should try being more considerate of him.”
“He’s kind of a massive buzzkill,” Lazlo said, “If he was here sober, he would probably start interrogating you with, like, a hundred million questions just to make sure you’re not evil. And then after that, he’ll start rambling about conspiracy theories and other shit you don’t care about.”
“Surely there’s a way to compromise with him, right?”
“No point in trying,” Vidcund said, “He won’t budge.”
“But you said you never tried?”
Lazlo and Vidcund glanced over at Pascal as they noticed him now quietly sobbing from his place on the sofa.
Oh, he can probably hear this entire conversation.
“Maybe you can all try talking to him in the morning, when he’s sober again,” Cassandra said, “Again, it seems like there’s some issues that need to be unpacked.”
“...I suppose we could.”
Lazlo turned his head towards Vidcund in shock.
He’s AGREEING to talk things out with Pascal?
Not even his last three therapists could make him do that!
“But for now,” Vidcund continued, “We should continue dinner.”
—
The night went by quickly before dinner was finished, accompanied by a random movie that Vidcund and Cassandra watched with Lazlo and a drunken, half-asleep Pascal. Once the movie was over, Lazlo walked Pascal back to his room while Vidcund and Cassandra stepped outside together.
“I’m sorry about how things went today.”
Cassandra turned her head towards Vidcund, surprised.
“I’m not upset,” she said, “I just wanted to let you know.”
“...Oh.”
“And even though things didn’t go exactly as planned today,” Cassandra said, twirling the hair in one of her pigtails, “I’m sure next time will be better.”
Cassandra and Vidcund shared a kiss, continuing to hold each other in their arms as they pulled away.
“Next time I’ll see if I can stay the night,” she said, “And we can do other things together besides having dinner.”
Cassandra winked as she entered the driver’s seat of her car.
“Make sure to leave a voice message once you get back home, okay?” Vidcund called out, “I want to make sure you get home safely. I’m not sleeping until you get home.”
“Of course!”
Cassandra and Vidcund waved at each other before Cassandra drove off, her car disappearing from view. Vidcund re-entered his house, closing the door and locking it before making a bee-line towards Pascal’s room.
In one corner is an empty green crib from when Pascal was trying to adopt a baby with Nervous and failed, and in the other corner is the xylophone and dollhouse that Pascal bought for said hypothetical baby but never got around to selling off.
All three items are collecting dust.
Vidcund looked over at Lazlo, who was standing besides the crib.
“...So?”
Vidcund nodded, feeling unsure of what to say.
“This was the first time that Pascal bothered to tell us how he was feeling about anything,” Vidcund said, “Usually he’s trying to force confessions out of us.”
“I meant about Cassandra.”
“Oh, she’s fine. She’s willing to come back a second time.”
“Well, that’s a relief!” Lazlo said, prompting Pascal to move slightly in his sleep, “Because you two seemed, like, hella compatible, man. You’re a lot more talkative with her.”
“Thanks. I didn’t realize that.”
Lazlo and Vidcund remained quiet as they glanced back over at Pascal, before looking over at each other.
“...You’re not going to replace me with her, are you?”
“Is that something you’re worried about?”
“Well, when you were dating Circe…you were, like, mega obsessed with her…and then you kinda ignored the rest of us.”
“I assure you that won’t happen again. I know better now…and you’re my brother and closest friend. You and Cassandra can both exist as important people in my lives.”
Lazlo nodded, then stared at Vidcund in surprise as he held his arms out towards him.
“...I’m offering you a hug, Lazlo,” he said, “Why are you staring at me like I’m an alien?”
“Because you doing this sort of shit feels alien to me.”
Lazlo walked over to accept Vidcund’s hug, wrapping his arms tightly around Vidcund in return as Vidcund hugged him.
“...One day, you’ll find your person too,” he said, “If I was able to find someone, I’m certain you can too.”
“Thanks, man.”
Vidcund and Lazlo let go of each over before Lazlo yawned.
“Feeling kinda wiped, man,” he said, “You mind watching over Pascal for a bit?”
“Of course. Goodnight.”
“Goodnight, man…”
Lazlo left the room as Vidcund glanced back down at Pascal.
…He’s asleep.
And once Cassandra gets back home, I should probably sleep too.
—
Morning arrived as Vidcund and Lazlo hovered over the kitchen counter again, with Vidcund drinking a cup of black coffee while Lazlo prepared breakfast of bacon and eggs. Lazlo turned off the stove as they heard footsteps walking towards them, before noticing a hungover Pascal stumbling into the kitchen with a full cup of water in his hands.
"One of you left your cup of water in my room.”
“That’s for you, man,” Lazlo said.
Pascal stared at the water in shock, before quickly drinking it.
“There’s something we need to talk about,” Vidcund said, “It’s about last night.”
Embarrassment flashed across Pascal’s face as he moved the cup of water away from his face, before he adjusted his glasses and squinted at them.
“Oh, right,” Pascal said, “I do apologize for that. Olive and I figured out what happened really quick and I ended up losing control of myself at the bar.”
“Yeah, it was really fucking embarrassing,” Lazlo said, “But it’s also not what we wanted to talk to you about.”
Pascal’s glasses almost fell off his face as he made a shocked expressed, his eyes wide and his mouth open as he used his hand to shield the light from his face.
“...We wanted to ask…if you were okay,” Vidcund said, “You mentioned feeling hurt and that…we were excluding you.”
“Because you do!” Pascal snapped, moving his hand away before quickly wincing, “Ow, goodness, my head…”
“Sit down, Pascal.”
Pascal walked over to the counter, sitting in his assigned stool as he rested his head in his hands and his elbows on the counter.
“You never told me that you had a girlfriend,” he said, “The first serious one you’ve had since Circe. And instead of letting me be there for this super important moment, you give me a fake note to a bar so I won’t be there to meet her? How would I not be hurt for that? And what if something happened at the bar?”
“Crypt O’ Nightclub has a ‘drunk person babysitting’ service for if someone’s too drunk to get home on their own.”
“That’s not the point,” Pascal said furiously, “The point is you excluding me from this, and practically every other activity that you two do together.”
Pascal closed his eyes, rubbing his temples as Lazlo placed a plate of food in front of him.
“It’s selfish, and I know our interests are different,” he said, “But I would appreciate being invited every now and then. Ever since the break-up with Nervous, I’ve just been feeling…”
Pascal sighed before resting his arms on the counter and resting his head on top of his arms, his body shuddering as light sobs came out from him.
“...lonely.”
Pascal’s voice cracked as Vidcund and Lazlo watched him heave, before Lazlo reached over to give him a pat on the head.
“...We all have a day off today, yeah?” Lazlo said, “Maybe we can go to one of the parks in Downtown Strangetown. Or watch a movie together or some shit.”
“I did hear that there was an interesting new horror movie that came out,” Pascal said, nodding, “I’m sure it shouldn’t be too hard to find online…”
“Horror?” Vidcund responded, shocked, “You couldn’t pick a different genre?”
“Are you scared, Vidcund?”
Vidcund quickly shook his head as Pascal gave him a smug expression, seemingly more at ease than he was a couple of minutes before. The three of them then continued to chat as light shone down from the various windows in their house, giving various aspects of their kitchen and living room an oddly angelic glow.
For the first time since we agreed to live in this house together, all three of us are at peace with each other.
And it’s all thanks to Cassandra.