askmenosecrets | Arcadian Forest Party

This was more work that he usually bothered to put in, Pan thought, especially here, at home, but everything was set.

At first glance, it appeared to be a forest clearing, beautiful and wild but nothing different than a hundred other clearings spread throughout the woods of the Arcadian mountains. But when you looked again, Pan thought, you saw something quite different. Hidden in the trees were a series of structures suspended in air, hung with ivy and dew, and through the mist-shrouded branches you could see the faint glow of light, and you could smell the scent of fire and food. There was the fire pit, a circle suspended in the arms of a large oak with a crackling golden fire, a roast, and bowls of marshmallows, chocolate and crackers waiting. There was the bar, stocked with a rich variety of wines and alcohols and staffed by two of the satyrs. And then there was the forest floor itself, bare now, but waiting for the dancing. On all sides of the floor, there were cushions on the low branches and benches of fallen logs, each accompanied with wooden buckets full of wine and beer bottles and glassed suspended with vine.

"Well," he said to Zaffre, currently wrapped around his neck, "I think we're ready." Pan flicked a leaf off his forest green turtleneck and looked around with approval before pausing. "We're almost ready," he corrected, and pulled his pan flute up to his lips.

The forest filled with music as he played, music that began as the mystical songs of the flute, but transformed as he let the instrument fall to his side - transformed into thrumming, sensual rhythms and intricate guitars that would encourage the party-goers to...well, Pan thought with a sharp grin, to be bad. Very bad.

"Let the games begin," Pan said.

[Notes: Everyone in fortuna_invicta is invited, the more the merrier in Pan's opinion. If anyone needs directions to the right section of the forest, let Pan know on the SWS post. Mingle! Get drunk! Stuff your face! Find a secluded tree and do naughty things! Pan approves highly of all these pursuits. Format = narrative third person, if you please!]

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"Nemi," Pan said as he lounged next to her. "Really. If you wanted to get me naked, you just had to ask."

Nemesis snorted. "I'm sure, if I wanted to get you naked, I wouldn't even have to ask. It probably wouldn't take much more than a suggestive look in your direction."

Pan batted his eyelashes and effected an innocent expression before leaning forward to whisper conspirationally. "Doesn't even take that much," he said with a gleam in his eyes.

“I’d be lying if I said I was surprised.” The innocent expression on his face made her laugh as she was putting her s’more together. “There’s a reason there have been so many naked statues of you carved over the years.”

Pan went wide-eyed. "Really?" he said as he unwrapped a piece of chocolate. "I thought it was because I was so pretty."

"I'm sure that had something to do with it." Nemesis took a bite, and wiped some marshmallow from her face. "They probably wouldn't have made nearly as many statues of you if you were ugly."

"I'd hope not," Pan said with a sniff, and leaned forward to wipe some marshmallow from Nemesis' cheek. "Missed a spot."

“Thank you.” She smiled at him, and took another bite. “The only downside to s’mores is how messy they can be.” Nemesis wiped graham cracker crumbs from her lap for emphasis. “They’re worth it, though.”

"Honestly, I wasn't expecting them to be the biggest draw," Pan said as he finished his. "But I could have just made one big fire pit with buckets of chocolate and marshmallows, and this party would have been as successful." He paused, looking around. "Especially with Cousin Eros and Freya out in force."

“Never underestimate the simpler pleasures in life.” Nemesis laughed. S’mores definitely were one of the more simple things in life, especially when you were a god. “Eros and Freya? Really?”

"They sent the party into a towering rage of lust," Pan said dryly. "Not that I'm complaining. I mean, really, if it didn't turn into an orgy, I would have wondered what I did wrong."

Nemesis smirked a little bit. He was right about the orgies; they were a common theme when it came to parties with the gods. “It’s true, parties tend to end that way, around us. I’m sure it would’ve happened eventually, even without Eros and Freya here.”

"I would have done my very best to maintain our reputation," Pan said piously. "It's the least I can do, as host. I'd hate for our fantastic and stellar reputation to end on my watch."

“Fantastic and stellar.” Nemesis snorted. “That’s the perfect way to describe our reputation.”

Pan grinned. "It sounded better than 'hedonistic and petty,'" he said. "Although possibly a little less accurate."

“I’m in favor of the better sounding description, no matter how accurate it is.” She grinned back. “Though I’m not sure I’d necessarily describe us as petty. Immature, maybe.”

"Oh, I don't know," Pan said dryly. "Petty seems like a good description. Maybe," he added with wide blue eyes, "you're more forgiving than me. Anything is possible."

Nemesis laughed. Forgiving was the exact opposite of what she was. "Anything except me being forgiving."

Pan grinned back and skewered another marshmallow. "It was just a thought, Nemi, darling."

"It's a funny thought, at least, me being forgiving." Nemesis finished her s'more, and grabbed another piece of chocolate. "Almost as funny as the thought of you bringing order to the world."

Pan snorted out loud, turning his skewer over the flame. "I haven't the faintest idea what you mean, Nemi. I restore order to the world on the third Tuesday of every month."

"You even have it scheduled? I'm impressed." She took a bite of chocolate, and smirked. "I never thought you the type for schedules."

"Oh, it's an annoying responsibility," Pan said as he blew his flaming marshmallow out. "If I don't schedule it, I won't do it, and then I'd just be bored when all my toys were broken."

Nemesis leaned back, and nibbled on her piece of chocolate. "And we can't have that, now, can we?"

Pan. lifted a brow. "Absolutely not. It'd be a tragedy of epic proportions, truly." He smiled and reached forward to pull a bit of duck off the fire. "For everyone else, at least. I'd not be bored anymore."