Party Politics

"howdy, danny boy! what's on the menu tonight?" cardigan was already rubbing his hands together in anticipation of sampling danny blake's offering of the day.

"broccoli cornmeal upside-down cake," blake answered back.

"no, no, no!" judge st. bishop stormed in, slamming the door. "there are so many things wrong with that i don't know where to start!"

"what's the problem, your honor?" Mysterious Lurker appeared suddenly, her bright blue eyes twinkling.

"he's putting cornmeal together with broccoli! then he's making cake out of cornmeal! then he's making cake out of broccoli! that's just taboo on so many levels!"

cardigan slapped the judge on the back. "take it from me, judge. danny's instincts are never wrong. if he makes it, it is worth eating."

the judge simply walked out the door, muttering to himself and shaking his head. "so wrong, so wrong...."

cardigan shrugged and he accompanied the Lurker back to the table. "what's going on tonight, people?"

"we're planning a party," marian explained.

"why?" cardigan was puzzled.

"why? because parties are fun!" marian replied.

"and there's beer," taylor added.

"and food," sierra piped in.

"and cool people," the Lurker said, the beer in her glass reflecting in her deep brown eyes.

"i see," cardigan replied thoughtfully, taking in the beer mugs and empty plates on the table in front of his friends. "yes, that has certainly been missing in my life."

marian scowled at him. "you're a party pooper!"

"i'm not a party pooper, i just don't see the point. we have a party here every night, and buddy lee over there does the clean-up." he motioned toward the creepy doll at the end of the bar, who stared blankly in return. "it's a sweet deal."

"but we can have a theme party," the Lurker explained, running her fingers through her euro-red hair. "like a costume party."

"oh, we can all dress up like characters from quentin tarantino movies!" marian suggested.

taylor grimaced. "you got that idea from a 'Gilmore Girls' episode."

marian made a face at him, then clapped her hands together. "we could all be characters from 'Gilmore Girls.'"

"no!" they all said in unison.

marian pouted. "burkie would like the idea."

"burkie's not here," taylor pointed out, knocking a plate to the floor in the process. "how about famous monsters?" he showed off his fangs.

"no!" they all said in unison.

"you could have a food theme," blake suggested as he brought over cardigan's cornmeal brocolli upside-down cake. "you know, like broccoli."

"or bacon!"

"kimchi!"

"dark chocolate!"

"blood!"

"never mind," blake wandered back to the bar to stack coasters and do other barkeeperly things of that sort.

"how about a poker game?" cardigan suggested.

"i hate cards," sierra groaned.

"twister!" the Lurker declared, her hair striped in red, blue, yellow, and green streaks.

"no!"

"risk!"

"hell, no!"

"we're not getting anywhere, guys," sierra noted. "how about a luau?"

"a fiesta!"

"chinese new year celebration!"

"a funeral!"

"no!"