You don't get what all this is about

[resoundingpledge]

WHO: Tetsuo, friends & (found) family
WHERE: "Seoul House" All U Can Eat Korean BBQ, Nonah
WHEN: July 29, 8:00 PM
WHAT: A very last minute celebration for Tetsuo's birthday
WARNINGS: None anticipated

[ There's nothing overly fancy about the private room at Seoul House. Exposed brick walls, two long tables inset with circular grills at regular intervals, exhaust pipes along the ceiling. The mingled scents of smoke and cooking meat cling to everything.

It looks like someone got here a little early; dollar store streamers drape haphazard across the walls, balloons cluster in the corners, and a cheery bunting banner banner reads:

H A P P Y    B I R T H D A Y    T E T S U 0
Of course, none of that is quite so celebratory as the food. Steamed, fried, simmered and pickled side dishes cover half the available table space, intermingled with dishes of sauces and plates of crispy lettuce leaves. The main feature, though, is the meat: platters of marinated beef, chopped brisket, short ribs, pork and chicken, all just waiting for the grill.

It's a fun and festive dinner, the kind that separates groups of friends into responsible caretakers and desperately hungry supplicants begging to know if this piece or that is ready yet. But there's more to do than cook and eat—those inclined can grab a glass and make a toast, or stop by the seat in the centre of it all for a quiet congratulations or two.

Stay long enough, and there might even be cake! ]

Comments

[deadtective]

I've just got really good pressure control. [since she's fucking dead] And it's not like I've ever got a problem with fucking expressing myself.

[glitterateur]

[Mabel looks at Hazel. Mabel looks down at the floral balloon. Mabel doubts that Hazel is expressing her all of her.]

Really?

[deadtective]

Really.

[do you want to initiate a staring contest of wills over this, Mabel? because she is totally ready to 'fight' this out.]

[glitterateur]

Okay! But all I'm saying is it's okay if you let out your other side more often.

[She's mostly teasing.]

[deadtective]

They bound that side to a reliquary a loooong time ago.

[someone is also teasing! probably!!]

[glitterateur]

A whahuh?

[That's a ghost hunting vocabulary word she's never heard before. ]

[deadtective]

You know, the shit they put holy relics in.

[HAZEL THIS IS NOT COMMON KNOWLEDGE]

[glitterateur]

[Especially not a kid who is only culturally any kind of religion and mostly in it for the food and presents.]

Why would they part of you to one of those? Is that a saying?

[deadtective]

No, it's a way to keep me from bathing the world in fire and infernal retribution. People don't seem really keen on that for whatever reason.

[glitterateur]

Aw, I don't think you'd set the whole world on fire.

[deadtective]

Of course not. Half gets the infernal retribution instead.

[glitterateur]

Doesn't that also use fire? So everything would be on fire.

[deadtective]

It's the other definition of infernal, so it's fine.

[glitterateur]

And you would definitely be doing this if part of you wasn't attached to a religious vase or something.

[deadtective]

Yep! I already scouted out a couple primo oil rigs I could hit up at the beginning.

[glitterateur]

Aw, c'mon! That kills fish and fish don't deserve that. [MERMEN don't deserve that.]

[deadtective]

They don't want to get fried then they better swim the fuck out of the way.

[glitterateur]

What did fish ever do to you?

[deadtective]

Who said they needed to do anything? It's just survival of the fucking fittest, man.