Everything is black. It should be disconcerting, but for some reason, it isn’t. instead, there is an almost relaxing calmness that comes over me. I feel weightless and for a brief moment, I wonder if I’m underwater again. Though I’m not cold or struggling, and my breathing is...Wait! Am I breathing? I can’t really tell.

Oh right. I’m dead. You don’t need to breath when you're dead. I don’t think you need to anyway. Do you? I have no actual frame of reference or anything, just what seems right based on my extremely limited experience with crossing over into the afterlife.

This is a first for me after all.

But then, when did I die? Was it back in my apartment before that crazy fever dream started? Probably from blood loss. Yeah, that made sense. Some weird cobbled together memories cumulating from years of tabletop gaming. Synapses firing off their last remaining electrical impulses as my brain cells died, starved from lack of oxygen.

At least I won’t have to do inventory with Greta the Grendel. I almost wish I could see the reaction on her face when I don’t show up and leave her there all day fuming and puffing away like a chimney. Though, I doubt that she will care about my actual death. Only that she’ll need to find someone else to guilt into working crappy hours and every, single, last public holiday.

Ha! Good luck, Grendel.

I think about the dream, picturing how I had looked in the reflection of the cave walls. The fire I felt as my body responded in ways that would have ended me up in traction if I ever attempted them in real life.

Name: Brian Brantly REMAINING CHARACTER POINTS: 7 Race: Dark Elf Class: Gunslinger Background: Craftsman, WarGear Stats Skills Special Abilities Complications Inventory

Quests Combat Journal

What the hell? The knowledge appears in my mind’s eye, or perhaps in the blackness around me. I can’t really tell. It’s just... there.

Wait? Character Points 7? I thought I spent all my character points when I first built the character. And then there are these other new listings. Inventory, Quests and... Combat Journal? What is that?

I focus my attention on that particular section and in an instant information floods my brain.

******************

Encounter: Lesser River Naga

Lair Location: Crystal Caves- Environmental Hazard: The effects of light based attacks and special effects are amplified due to the reflective nature of the crystals growing here.

Combat Begins.

***

Your Turn

Surprise Attack! Naga’s Defense is Decreased.

Action: You attack Lesser River Naga with Pistol.

Hit! Body: You dealt 10 Lethal and 18 Stun damage to target after Defenses.

Stun damage exceeds Lesser River Naga’s Vitality, Target is Stunned !

***

Naga’s Turn

Naga is Stunned.

0 Movement, Defense Value Lowered.

***

Your Turn

Fast Action: You pick up Short Sword.

Action: You attack Lesser River Naga with Short Sword.

Hit! Stomach: You deal 0 Lethal and 6 Stun damage to target after Defenses.

Unlocked: General Skill: Acrobatics: Success!

Movement.

***

Naga’s Turn

Target is no longer stunned !

Action: Naga takes a Recovery.

Naga Recovers 9 Stun.

HP: 5

Stun: 15

***

Your Turn

Free Action: Drop sword.

Action: Reload Pistol.

Movement.

Fast Action: Grab Boot .

***

Naga’s Turn

Movement. Special: Frightening Speed.

Action: Naga Attacks with Bite.

Miss!

***

Your Turn

Action: You attack Lesser River Naga with Pistol.

Misfire! Gun Jam!

***

Naga’s Turn

Action: Naga Attacks with Special Attack: Constricting Coils.

Hit! You are grappled!

Casual Strength to escape Grapple: Fail!

Your Movement is Reduced : 0, Defense Decreased.

***

Your Turn

Free Action: Casual Strength to escape Grapple: Fail!

Charm vs Naga: Success!

Stealth vs Naga Perception: Success!

Stealth Action: You cast Mend on Pistol

You Spent 2 Mana, Pistol is Repaired.

***

Naga’s Turn

Charm vs Naga: Success!

Action: Naga Attacks with Bite

Hit! Shoulder: You take 2 Lethal, and 2 Stun damage after Defenses.

You are Poisoned. Special Effect: Paralysis

Poison Damage: You take 0 Lethal, and 2 Stun damage , No Defense.

***

Your Turn

Action: You attack Lesser River Naga with Pistol.

CRITICAL HIT! Vitals: You deal 16 Lethal and 30 Stun damage to target after Defenses.

Lesser River Naga is dead!

***

Poison Damage: You take 0 Lethal, and 5 Stun damage , No Defense.

Poison Damage: You take 0 Lethal, and 15 Stun damage , No Defense.

You are Unconscious.

Poison Damage: You take 0 Lethal, and 8 Stun damage , No Defense.

Poison Damage: You take 0 Lethal, and 16 Stun damage , No Defense.

You are no longer Poisoned.

****

Combat Ends.

******************

Was that the fight I just had with the Naga? Somehow, I know it was. Broken down into turn-based game like chunks of information. Am I still in my crazy brain dying dream? I think about taking a step back and that same initial character info block appears in my mind.

Name: Brian Brantly REMAINING CHARACTER POINTS: 7 Race: Dark Elf Class: Gunslinger Background: Craftsman, WarGear Stats Skills Special Abilities Complications Inventory

Quests Combat Journal

This time I focus my attention on Quests and a single entry appears.

******************

Quest - In the Serpents Nest (Random Encounter) - Complete!

Foes: Lesser River Naga. Reward - 4 Character Points

-Bonus Exp: Special Challenge – Crystal Cave Lair – 1 Character Points

-Bonus Exp: Clever, Life-Saving Idea! – Created flash suppressor for Pistol – 1 Character Points

-Bonus Exp: Clever, Life-Saving Idea! – Repairing Pistol with Mending – 1 Character Points

******************

Holy Sea-biscuits! I am! My excitement builds to near palpable levels. I’m still in the game and I have points to spend! Okay, what the heck do I do? I’m just about to think back to my sort of main page Character Sheet Info when something else appears,superimposed over everything else.

You are healed: 9 HP and 10 Stun damage.

You are Unconscious.

Racial Ability: Lightsleep.

You are no longer Unconscious.

The darkness and my character info disappears in a rush of returning reality. I blink but it’s still dark, like there is something covering my eyes. I’m laying on my side and I attempt to sit up, but my hands feel as though they are bound behind my back. Is the Naga still alive? Crap! Did she have friends? In a panic, I struggle to free myself.

There is a strange squeak of alarm near my face that makes me freeze.

“Gosh, I didn’t think you’d wake up that fast.”

It doesn’t sound like that nasty hissing lisp the Naga had been talking with. The voice is definitely feminine but sounds rather mousy, and dare I say... cute?

I feel something cold and pointy touch my throat. There is a quick tugging sensation and light floods my vision as the blindfold is pulled away from my face. Thankfully, it’s not so bright that it hurts. I instantly recognise the soft ambient colors of the crystal cave. Still, it takes a moment to focus.

“Sorry I had to tie you up, but you can never be too careful..”

I look upward toward the source of the voice and see there's, an honest to god, playboy bunny kneeling over me.

I blink again trying to clear the delirium but sure enough, there she is. Soft chestnut hair, sparkling doe brown eyes, long bunny ears and a plunging green leather corset top that spills out a very generous mound of tanned, creamy cleavage. I try not to stare, especially due to the fact that she has a nearly empty bottle of orange colored liquid in one hand, and much more concerning, my Naga-nest sword pressed to my throat with the other.

I lick my lips.

“Did you...? Did you feed me carrot juice?”

“Oh! Well, It was a healing potion, actually.” She smiles but doesn’t remove the blade, “You seemed to be taking a long time to come around after I tied you up. So, even though you didn’t seem to be really injured, I was getting a little concerned and used one of my potions. You are right though. It does have quite a bit of carrot juice in it. I add that for flavor. There’s no reason that medicine should taste bad if it doesn’t have to, right?”

“Um, Yeah, I guess.” I manage to roll onto my back a little, “Thanks?”

“You are very welcome. It was no trouble really.” She closes her eyes and smiles down at me with a little nod.

A few drops of water echo somewhere beyond the crystal columns and a rather long, and to me, uncomfortable pause draw outs in the near silence of the cave. I am thankful that she still has her eyes closed though, because my attempts at not looking down her top are failing.

Badly.

“So, think you can untie me, Miss...?” Somehow I manage to turn away from the captivating cleavage.

“Oh, gosh, Umm... No. I'm afraid I can't do that. See, I’m not sure if you are a villanous bad guy person or not yet." She nods her head in a kind of self affirmation, "But, you can call me Cinnamon Butter.”

“Cinnamon Butter?” I smirk and can’t help but mumble a little dig under my breath.

“Huh?” Her ears twitch down in my direction. “What’s a stripper name?”

“Whoa! You heard that?” I look up to her fluffy ears, “Wait! Those things are real?”

“Why of course they are, silly.” She giggles cutely and wiggles her ears as if to accentuate the point, “I am a Lepuri you know.” She says it like it explained everything.

“Ah. Right, of course.” I say.

“So, what’s your name?”

“I'm, uhh... Brantly?” I clear my throat and in an attempt to sound much more debonaire than I am, slather on a healthy helping of 007 suave, “Brian Brantly.”

Charm vs Cinnamon Butter: Success!

She makes a cooing sound that makes a certain region below my belt twitch.

“What a nice name." She smiles. "It's so exotic.”

Is she serious? With a grunt and roll, I manage to twist my legs under me and thump backward onto a crystal stalagmite so that I’m sitting upright. She backs off a little with the blade but doesn’t drop it completely.

Cinnamon stands and somehow the view just gets better. Judging by the toned, muscled calves and thighs she is a runner. Her long legs encased in a pair of pants that are little more than strips of leather wrapping down to just below her knees, leaving her calves and feet bare. I take a peak at her tiny tootsies and notice that she only has four toes on each delicate foot. Taking my time my eyes continue the journey back upward.

About a waist that looks to be the perfect size to wrap a pair of hands around, is a looping belt of assorted bottles on dangling straps, most filled with colorful liquids. A couple of pouches, and at least one sheathed dagger sits on a curvy hip.

Careful to not to seem like a total creep I glance around the cave then back to the fantasy playboy bunny girl, making sure to look at her face and not her assets.

“So, Cinnamon. How did you get in here?”

“Humm, I’m not really too sure. I was making my way toward Redtree but then that nasty Naga dropped out nowhere and attacked me.” She turns to points to the serpentine body with the sword. Before she turns back to me I spy the cutest little twitching bunny tail, just above an even cuter bubble like rump. “She bit me, then I woke up in this cave.”

Damn, I must have rolled a critical fail on my perception check to mistake her for an actual rabbit. I may have to see about dropping some points into that or something.

“Did you kill it, Brian Brantly?”

“Just Brian is fine. And yeah that was me.” I can’t help but puff out my chest a little. The way she addressed me makes me pause. “So, do I call you Cinnamon? Or Butter? Or is it Cinnamon Butter like you’re some kind of MLP character?”

“Oh, I don’t mind.” She pushes a little hair back from the side of her face, "Any of those will do, Brian."

Wait! Is she blushing? The way she said my name. I've heard that same upward inflection before. Never directed at me of course, but definately when a group of giggling frat girls were hanging around Handsome Hank and his panty dropping corvette. I decide to test the waters a little.

“You know, Cinnamon,” I huff in agitation and shake my head, “You gave that Naga every reason to want to bite you.”

She looks at me with shock and what apears to be a bit of hurt in her eyes.

“You’re just too sweet.” I smile and give her what I hope is a playful wink.

Charm vs Cinnamon Butter: Success!

She lets out that little coo giggle and I almost explode.

Hot Damn! Is this what all those Jersey Bachelor, Big Shore Brother meatheads feel like all the time? Here was one of, if not, the hottest girl I’ve ever seen blushing and giggling at me because I smiled and I threw out a ridiculously cheesy line or two.

Alright take it easy, Brian. Remember, with great power...

I keep up the smile and chuckle along with her. Play it cool, Brian. Play it cool. And don't forget, she has a sword pointed toward your throat!

“Listen, Cinni. I totally get it. You don’t know me from Adam--”

“Who’s Adam?

“Huh?

“Is he around here too?” She says and glances around nervously.

“What? No, it’s a figure of speech.” I shake my head, “Nevermind. That’s not important, all I’m saying is I’m a good guy. Tell you what. Why don't you untie me but you can keep holding onto that sword there. Okay?”

“What about your gun?”

The question takes me back for a moment. “You know what a gun is?”

“Uhh, yeah. I’m not some backwoods hillbunny, you know.”

She gives a little humph and an indignant attitude that I recognize all too well. Save the anthropomorphic features I guess women of this world weren’t so different from those from mine.

“Oh! Hey, no! Not at all. Sorry if I offended you. Totally didn’t mean to imply any sort of insult. See, it's just that I’m a long way from home and I wasn’t sure if you had guns here too."

“Where are you from?”

“A place called, Suckville, USA.” I snort with more than a bit of bitterness.

“That's a weird name. Are there a lot of Vampires there or something?"

“No, Cinni.” I can’t help but laugh at her too cute naiveté, “Well, you know. In a manner of speaking, yeah. I know quite a few that take extreame pleasure in sucking every bit of joy out of life.”

"Gosh, that sounds awful." She pouts and gives me a sad expression and her ears droop slightly, "Is that why you left?"

"I'm still working that part out actually."

She gives me a confused look and I just shrug my shoulders in her direction to indicate my bound hands. “C’mon? What do you say?"

“Humm? You did kill the bad beastie that was probably gonna eat me.” She glances back to the Naga corpse and her bunny tail gives an adorable little double twitch that makes me want to bite it.

"Okay! I guess you aren’t a bad guy.” With a little hop she comes over, reaches behind my back and I feel the sword slice away my bonds.