Fandemonium

"howdy, everybody!" gavin cardigan called out as he entered the Pub.

"hello, gavin," danny blake replied from behind the bar, pouring his best friend and best customer a beer. "we're serving bulgogi today."

"i love bulgogi. give me more than you think i can eat," gavin grinned as he grabbed his beer and walked over to join his friends.

"why do you get billed as danny's best customer?" sierra charles asked as he settled into his seat. "we're always here before you show up."

"because i've been coming here longer than the rest of you," gavin theorized. "plus, i probably pay. burkie at least gives me occasional employment, unlike most of the people here he writes about."

"so, how do you think the 'niners will do this year?" asked the apparently unemployed vampire wannabe taylor young, quickly changing the subject.

cardigan grimaced. "that's the only thing i don't like about burkie's setting us in san francisco. i don't like the '49ers. i'm going to root for da bears."

"i'm a raiders fan," Mysterious Lurker noted, her black hair sticking up in multiple spikes in typical oakland raider fashion.

"i like the dolphins," michigan alumna marian elfman exclaimed. "they have chad henne & jake long!"

"i support the 'niners," blake stated as he delivered cardigan's bulgogi. "i have to be loyal to joe montana since he owns a diner."

"charles, didn't you go out with the cardinal's quarterback once?" cardigan asked sierra as he picked up some bulgogi in his chopsticks.

"we only went to an awards show together," the D-list celebrity explained. "i'm a jets fan. they selected me for their cheerleading squad."

"really?" marian looked at her in suprise. "i didn't know you were an NFL cheerleader."

"i had to quit before i ever performed in a game. my schedule got too busy after that ZZ Top video."

"how about you, tucker?" taylor turned to the shaggy haired guitar player.

"i'm not really into football, but linda makes me root for the cowboys," he motioned toward his girlfriend linda nulo, who nodded determinedly. "texan women take their football seriously." with that, he strummed a chord and began to sing:

my first wife kicked me off her team
for a west coast offense man
my second wife divorced me
for a dallas cowboy fan
my third wife couldn't tolerate
my 3-4 defense views
i got them jersey-wearing, referee-swearing
football woman blues...

tucker was interrupted by judge st. bishop's stormy entrance. "hey, do i smell bulgogi?"

sierra nodded, sneaking some off of cardigan's plate. "it's good, too."

"which NFL team do you support, your honor?" marian asked.

"the vikings," replied the judge, signaling to danny that he wanted some bulgogi. "one of their former players, alan page, is a friend of mine."

"we should play fantasy football this season," linda nulo suggested, uncharacteristically fleshing out her character development. "i'll be the commissioner."

"that's a good idea!" marian exlaimed, but then made a face and stomped her foot. "i should have thought of that!"

"what are the stakes?" asked cardigan, intrigued by the idea.

"i don't care, as long as they aren't wooden stakes," taylor stated, pulling a piece of beef off of one of his fangs.

"how about steaks?" danny remarked as he brought a plate to the judge.

"hmmm....how about if the winner gets to create a new character for the Pub?" the Lurker proposed.

"hey, i like that!" cardigan exchanged a high-five with the Lurker. "i could create a girl friend."

"we can figure that out later," linda said. "what do you think, shakespeare?" she asked the playwright as he came over to collect dirty dishes.

"strive mightily, but eat and drink as friends," he quoted himself.

there was a clicking of glasses all around the table at this.

"hear, hear!"