Open: In a shout of joy at the only shrine where you come benighted and leave benign

[vineleaves]

Dark has come and gone again, which means it’s time to party.

In some ways the party is very similar to last year’s - same large banquet room in the mansion, a similarly large abundance of food and drink, and the promise of a night full of letting loose for everyone in attendance. It’s far from a direct clone of the previous party though. For starters, Dionysus has had Claudius help him in all of the planning (sometimes a god’s blessings come in the form of enrichment for one’s enclosure). They’ve gotten several of the mansion’s residents to agree to play live music during the night, and Dionysus was able to find some, ah, more widely appreciated CDs to play during the breaks between performers.

The room has been decorated to the nines again, but where last year he had green vines draping on the walls diffusing the glow from the twinkling fairy lights, this year he has strung up swooping vines of silver, glittering almost like tinsel. The large food tables have an almost ridiculous amount of things to munch on; there should be something for everyone there.

It should go without saying that the beverage tables are well-stocked, considering the host.

The festivities are starting a little earlier this year than last, out of respect for those who may or may not have earlier bedtimes. Come dressed in your finest, it’s a yearly tradition now!




Just as there was last year, there is to be an ‘after party’. If your character is part of the standard Orgy Invite Crew, they will have received another invitation to that half of the evening as well. Just like last year, this part of the event is to be handwaved, for obvious reasons.

Comments

[vineleaves]

"Yes, this year was not exactly fun, but we were able to prepare in advance. Last year it came as a big, unannounced surprise, and we were all caught off guard and with no preparations. Either way though, the end of it deserves a proper celebration, I think! To wash us all of our stresses and let everyone just let loose and relax."

[minor_variation]

"I dunno if I know how to... let loose."

[vineleaves]

Dionysus grins. "Well then, you've come to the right person. I'm the god of letting loose!"

[minor_variation]

"That's great, actually. Yeah. Can you make me do it?"

[vineleaves]

A different Dionysus might go into Gaheris' mind, incite a touch of madness, just enough to make him not care about anything for the duration of the night. These other Dionysuses (Dionysii?) would likely not have nearly as many friends at the Mansion though, for a number of reasons.

"Well," he says as Gaheris' glass starts to refill itself. "What are you nervous about?"

[minor_variation]

"So far there's eight girls here," Gaheris says, generously including Sunny in his count in spite of the fact that she's the one person in the entire pocket dimension who doesn't make him at least a little nervous. "And I'm me."

[vineleaves]

Dionysus nods, as if he's thinking this information over, before replying, "Why should that make you nervous? I'm pretty sure you're the most eligible bachelor here, or whatever that phrase is."

[minor_variation]

"Mate," he starts, and then thinks better of addressing a god that way and subs in, "My lord. My da's got four sons, all right, and I'm the worst one. Everybody knows that. Gareth's a baby and he's better."

[vineleaves]

"Whaaat? Sweetheart, no, you're lovely. You're sweet, you're respectful of people, you like to read, what's not to love?"

[minor_variation]

Gaheris squints at Dionysus, suddenly suspicious in spite of himself. "I mean, um, all of that's bad. I'm supposed to be good at fighting people."

[vineleaves]

Dionysus raises an eyebrow. "I'm not good at fighting people. I consider that a positive attribute of myself."

[minor_variation]

"Yeah, but that's not what you're supposed to do, either. If you were a god of fighting, it would be bad."

[vineleaves]

"You're not a god of fighting either though, right? So why do you need to be good at it?"

[minor_variation]

"Because that's what Da wants. We're all supposed to be knights."

[vineleaves]

"Is that what you want though? I know I for one definitely don't want all the same things my father wants."

[minor_variation]

"Course it's not what I want," with a shrug.

[vineleaves]

“So then why should it matter?”

[minor_variation]

This strikes Gaheris as such a disingenuous response that he doesn't really know how to answer. How can it not matter what his father wants? Saying he doesn't need to be good at the things he doesn't care about is an utter failure to understand the reality of his life: he doesn't have a choice not to try to do those things. Go to Camelot, be knighted, bring honor to the kingdom of Orkney and his father's lineage.

"That's just how it is," he says finally.

[vineleaves]

"This world is much more gentle than the one we left behind. All that matters is whatever will make you happiest, dear."

[minor_variation]

Now he looks as if he can't decide whether to believe Dionysus or not. "So then, um, how do I let loose?" after a long silence.

[vineleaves]

"Oh, there's several different ways you can go about that. The first and easiest is to just drink a little bit more, until you don't care as much."

[minor_variation]

"You can't just make it happen?" He doesn't really manage to keep the disappointment out of his voice.

[vineleaves]

He hesitates. “I could, but I tend to avoid messing around in others’ heads whenever possible. Except in emergencies.” Or flirting, but that’s different.

[minor_variation]

"No offense," hurriedly. "Just-- you're a god."

[vineleaves]

"I am a god, yes." A god who doesn't like fucking up people's minds.