[Club Gambit] Is this Burlesque?

Pan still didn't know the exact origins of their demonic being, beyond being a demon of lust, so there were still many unanswered questions they had about their true potential. Thankfully though, while their body wasn't as strong as many of their other relatives, they didn't have quite as much aversion to things holy. Being in that church had mostly affected Pan mentally more than anything and they were still dealing with the aftermath of that.

"I appreciate your sympathy. And yes, people can be horrible indeed. It was strange though..when they thought I was a human they treated me the worst and did some of the worst things to me. It was like they were trying to rip the sin out of me but all their efforts were futile..." Pan paused, unsure of what else to say if anything else was to be said. However, Eli's words drew them away from their current train of thought to other, more present matters.

"Oh, no I haven't met with really anyone else. I have been trapped by my own thoughts and am not quite myself yet. My time with those terrible people took more of a toll on me than I wish to admit." They felt almost ashamed to say it, wishing that they had been stronger. The warmth of Eli's body next to theirs was comforting though and Pan turned their gaze onto the girls, allowing a single thought to pass between the two minds;

"Thank you Eliana."

Pan could sense the displeasure Eli felt as they shared their thought with her. It was almost out of habit and wasn't an action they had put much thought behind. In fact, they had been using telepathy as their main forum of communication for the past year with Gomph so talking sometimes seemed like extra work. Of course they wouldn't dare look into Eli's mind without permission. It was one thing to poke around human's brains willy-nilly but something else entirely to do it to another demon.

Pan shook their head a bit, "No, all I have to my name right now are the clothes on my back an I.D. But after spending the past week or so wandering about the island I have a fairly good idea of where everything is."

They let out a small sigh, "It was an old man on a small boat. Just big enough for maybe seven or so people. He seemed to have been waiting for us and even had a letter for Gomph to attend some school here. He was silent the whole trip and while I tried to read his mind, all I could hear was thoughts of driving the boat and getting us safely to the island. As for Gomph I haven't seen them recently. I suppose they went off to the school. They have free food there so I can't imagine where else the creature would have run off to."

Pan's gaze had moved away from Eli as they spoke but her last words brought their gaze back to hers. "Well, I suppose we shall have to go find him one day so you can do that. Though please don't feel obliged to do anything my dear. You have helped me plenty yourself. Just the presence of another demon such as yourself is helping me feel more like myself again."

They smiled as well, though it wasn't quite as dazzling as the girls. Pan's genderless form often came off a bit awkwardly and out of place. Though it was the form Pan preferred when not lusting over someone and was in a more self-reflective state of mind.

Pan had ordered a rum and coke. Nothing fancy but it was a drink that Pan had not enjoyed in quite some time. It was always simple things that they ended up missing the most. They listened to Eli talk for a moment, glad to not have to speak for a moment and to get to sit and enjoy their drink. They couldn't help but glance back out at the room full of people and the performers on stage.

"Sound's like this island has been good to you. I hope that I can find a similar experience for myself as well." Pan chuckled and took another sip from their drink.

"I think I was in Ireland for a year or so. I couldn't stay for long. I found the them to overall be people I had a hard time connecting with." They gave a shrug. "I basically just travelled around Europe until I got wind of all that was going on in the Untied States during th 60's. Kind of a ridiculous time but everyone was having sex and there was this whole liberation movement that I just had to be a part of. Great times. I just travelled around the country until I settle in New York in the mid 90's and well...you know the rest from there."

They gave a smile to their friend, "It's been overall good times though, minus the past ten years but thats an outlier. Honestly, this island excites me so much I don't know what to do about it. For the first time in my life I'm actually free to be who I am...and I'm utterly terrified."

Pan really did feel like they were dreaming now. All of what they were being told sounded way to good to be true. This island really was something else.

"I really don't know what to say. This is all more than I have ever had my entire life." Their cheeks flushed gold again and they glanced away from the girl and took another drink from their glass, finishing most of it. They hadn't been eating much lately so their body took the alcohol quite well.

"I know just how deep those rumors run. Apparently I am a special crime against nature. A transexual, gender-swapping, slut of a being." They looked back to their friend, "I don't think there is anything wrong with those first two things and I don't think those people could ever convince me otherwise. It's the last one that they really drilled in and it's hard to shake. I never thought of myself that way before. I just like experiencing people and there are just so many wonderful people out there to experience."

They realized they had slipped back to a darker conversation topic and tried to pull away from it, "But who can listen to anything those crazy Christians say. They think they know so much but really they are very ignorant beings." They chuckled and finished their drink.

Pan knew that Eli was right but they had spent a long time being told something else, leaving an uneasy feeling in their stomach. But now was not the time to try to work through all that had happened; now was a time to plan for their life.

Pan cracked a sly smile, "My philosophy exactly."

"Well, my abilities are telepathy and shapeshifting. I can hear thoughts and share thoughts with anyone I make direct, purposeful eye-contact with. I can turn this on and off though as I see fit."

Eli's arm felt comforting and Pan leaned into her as well. "I guess you could say my major skill is getting to know who a person really is. I know all the questions to ask and the thoughts to listen for to figure out a person's desires in just a few minutes. Though some people are harder to crack than others."

Pan reached their hand up to touch Eli's arm the rested across their shoulder and back, "I like jobs where I can meet lots of different people. Beyond that, I learn quickly and am basically a do as I'm told kind of worker."