ice cold vodka

@Horus

When Pasha made eye contact with Pan again, they noticed a changed in his thoughts. No longer was conversation something to avoid with them but it was interesting. Interest meant there was something worth talking about. Pan liked it when they were worth talking to.

"Ah, thank you." They said as they were passed another glass.

They nodded slightly, chuckling a bit, "Looks can be deceiving." A painfully true statement in Pan's case. Most of their life had been spent in forms that were meant to trick. Well...trick may be a strong word. They were more specious than anything else; they were forms that were meant to please those whom Pan desired but were not always true to who Pan really was. However, Pan hadn't always been very sure of who they were outside of what other people wanted them to be.

Pasha's next question pulled Pan's thoughts back from the deeper parts of their mind to which they had begun to wander. They took a swig from the fresh glass and set it down again. They placed their elbows on the bar, leaned forward slightly and looked up at the bartender.

"Do you want the short version or the long version?"

Pan was happy to see a shift in Pasha's attitude toward conversation with them. They didn't have to peer into their thoughts anymore to know that the man was genuinely engaged in hearing Pan's story. Though they weren't exactly sure where to start with everything..

"Time is a cruel mistress. Constantly pushing us forward while rarely denying us the ability to look back.." They weren't really sure what they meant by that but it somehow seemed to fit. They took another drink before beginning their tale.

"First, I should say that I have always been a nomad of sorts. There isn't one place on this planet that I could really call home. I stopped aging when I hit my mid twenties and I have found that I really can't stay in any given place much more than seven years before people begin to become suspicious of me. Rather unfortunate but that is just a fact of life. At least for myself..."

They paused again, taking another drink. "I actually ended up here because I became careless and I spent too long a time in New York city. Ten years actually... It wasn't so much that people began to notice my lack of aging - I was masquerading as a woman at the time and was able to vary my appearance readily with makeup and such - but it was my actions that brought unwanted attention. I...I.." Pan suddenly found themselves unsure of what to say next. They realized that they hadn't talked about the details of this situation to anyone yet besides Gomph but they had not seen their friend in quite some time.

"I apologize..." Pan said as they blushed, cheeks shimmering slightly, "I must admit that I find myself at a loss of words. This is quite unlike myself.."

Pan watched as Pasha played with his drink. They wondered how it felt to control ice like that. Pan had very little control over anything external to themselves. It was nice to have as much control as they did over their own body and form but the world around them was something that had always felt untouchable.

Pan finished off their drink as well. They were beginning to feel the affects of the cold drink on their system. They had always handled alcohol quite well, maybe even too well at times. There had been times when they had consumed too much but those had been few and far between.

"I suppose before I tell much more of my story, you must know more about who I am for that is quite integral to how I ended up here." They sat their glass down away from themselves. They were quite content for the time being and didn't need another drink though they would not refuse more if offered.

"You may have met some of my siblings before, as it is from them that I learned of this place. I am a demon of lust, Prince Asmodeus child though I am unaware of who my mother is. " They paused for a moment, allowing the information to sink in as needed. They knew that Klaus and his little band of demons were fairly well known around the island but how everyone felt about them was something Pan was yet to full understand.

"I possess the unique ability to shapeshift. What you see right now is my demon form however, I can take on just about any human form I please, male or female. Which is why I said before I had been masquerading as a woman."

They paused again, their eyes connecting with Pasha's. They wanted to know what this man thought of all they had just shared. They hadn't explained themselves to someone in quite some time and it hadn't always gone over very well. If they didn't hear (verbally or though thoughts) any strong negative reactions, they would continue with their tale.

Pan could sense the slight shift from Pasha but it wasn't anything that concerned them. They had spent a lot of time in other peoples heads when they had found out exactly what Pan was and more often than not, there was a very strong reaction. Pasha seemed more neutral on the whole matter which was something the demon greatly appreciated. Given that, they decided to hold nothing back in the rest of their tale.

"Well, because of who I am, I have an insatiable desire for people. Only the best, most interesting and wonderful people. I don't lust after something as superficial as physical attractiveness but what is inside of a person, their personality, what really makes up who they are. I find humans to be so fascinating and when I find a person who interests me, I want to know them as best I can. This more often than not leads to a physical attraction as well." They chuckled slightly, cheeks flushing a bit, "I know it may sound promiscuous of me but I really can't help myself. There is something about a mind body connection that I ...I just crave. And New York City!" They leaned back in their chair, a grin spreading across their features, their voice full of wistfulness. "Oh New York had the most wonderful people! I honestly never wanted to leave. I hadn't felt a desire for a home before but the city had everything I could have ever wanted."

Pan's smile slowly began to fade as they leaned forward again, grabbing the glass they had set aside, playing with it absentmindedly, "But of course...it was all for naught.. Or to good to be true or whatever little saying you want to use. You see, when I sleep with someone I have another ability that is turned on and I cannot turn it off...as I said before the 'mind body connection' is...well, when I have sex with someone our minds become linked for that time. We share not only the physical intimacy but also a mental one; a constant flow of thoughts between the two of us."

Pan sighed heavily, "As I said, I was careless. You'd think that having the ability to read minds would mean you can always tell what someone is thinking but...that is not always the case. After ten years of pure bliss in New York, I was captured by a branch of the Vatican. Some small underground organization that hunts down possessed people and attempts to release them of their demons. Well..seems this group thought I was one of those people. They attempted exorcisms on me for over nine years..." Despite the clear heaviness of the conversation a small chuckle came from Pan's lips, "Eventually I couldn't take it anymore and I finally revealed my true form. I was then sent to a facility where they experimented on me for about a year. I met another demon child there and together we managed to escape. Upon our escape there was a boat at a dock waiting for us...how the old man knew we were coming is something I have yet to find out."

They looked up, their expression surprisingly light, "He took us to the island and well, the rest is rather boring from there. That was about six months ago.."