Ganryu
Your Lovable Jackass GM
The warm sunlight lit across Anabelle’s face, a haze of heat rising from the fresh grass, the smooth velvety blades brushing across her skin. The grass had a strong, sharp smell. It even managed to overpower some of the nearby flowers. Daisies, Marigold, Peony. Anebelle had to focus to tell any of them apart.
She supposed someone of her status probably shouldn’t just be lazing in the grass, but, if anyone had any complaints, they’d have to find her first. And that would require also lazing in the countryside, atop a random hill, away from any road.
Something soft and fuzzy brushed against her hand. As a finger twitched, she heard a small creature suddenly bolt away from her, brustling past grass towards a nearby hole.
“The Halcyon days of Summer.” Despite the peace of it all, her voice didn’t match. Raspy and grating, the buzzing insects went quiet. Anabelle groaned, rubbing the nub of one of her arms, turning to one side.
As she lazed there, amid the chirping insects, she could feel a sudden drop in temperature as a cloud passed in front of the sun. She cringed, wanting the sun back. The warmth returned, and she gave a contented moan, her eyes fluttering as a nap sounded ideal. Then her body shook awake; a smell came to her nose. A wafting smell of smoke. Of iron. Of blood. Of worse.
She groaned as she sat up. Blades of grass scattered off her back, drifting back to the ground. She shook, and several more came off. A dandelion drifted off her hair, dancing in the air as it tickled her nose. It drifted teasingly against her body as it fell, beaconing her back to sleep amid the warm grass under the pleasant sun.
“Just once, once, I would like it to be someone else’s problem. To just laze around. Claim I’m too injured, that the fight's over…”
She waved her sole hand across her face with glassy eyes, then shook her head. She slowly got to one knee and rose. The smell of iron grew stronger, along with a fouler smell. Something unnatural. Most people couldn’t detect it, but to her, it was like mold left out, brushing against her nose like someone rubbing mustard into her nostril. It was almost worth doing what she did just to get rid of it.
She stood still for a moment. The sun went cool again with another cloud, and a stiff breeze. Anabelle kicked the ground, cold steel bouncing with a ‘twang’ as a blade landed in her hand.
A moment later, another woman screamed in the road as a demon leapt at her, purple skin dotted by red blood, and matted white hair flowing down its monstrous and fanged face. The creature fell in two pieces as a blind woman with one arm saluted with sword. “Don’t worry. Everything’s going to be alright. I’m here now.”
She never was going to get that peaceful day off, was she?
She supposed someone of her status probably shouldn’t just be lazing in the grass, but, if anyone had any complaints, they’d have to find her first. And that would require also lazing in the countryside, atop a random hill, away from any road.
Something soft and fuzzy brushed against her hand. As a finger twitched, she heard a small creature suddenly bolt away from her, brustling past grass towards a nearby hole.
“The Halcyon days of Summer.” Despite the peace of it all, her voice didn’t match. Raspy and grating, the buzzing insects went quiet. Anabelle groaned, rubbing the nub of one of her arms, turning to one side.
As she lazed there, amid the chirping insects, she could feel a sudden drop in temperature as a cloud passed in front of the sun. She cringed, wanting the sun back. The warmth returned, and she gave a contented moan, her eyes fluttering as a nap sounded ideal. Then her body shook awake; a smell came to her nose. A wafting smell of smoke. Of iron. Of blood. Of worse.
She groaned as she sat up. Blades of grass scattered off her back, drifting back to the ground. She shook, and several more came off. A dandelion drifted off her hair, dancing in the air as it tickled her nose. It drifted teasingly against her body as it fell, beaconing her back to sleep amid the warm grass under the pleasant sun.
“Just once, once, I would like it to be someone else’s problem. To just laze around. Claim I’m too injured, that the fight's over…”
She waved her sole hand across her face with glassy eyes, then shook her head. She slowly got to one knee and rose. The smell of iron grew stronger, along with a fouler smell. Something unnatural. Most people couldn’t detect it, but to her, it was like mold left out, brushing against her nose like someone rubbing mustard into her nostril. It was almost worth doing what she did just to get rid of it.
She stood still for a moment. The sun went cool again with another cloud, and a stiff breeze. Anabelle kicked the ground, cold steel bouncing with a ‘twang’ as a blade landed in her hand.
A moment later, another woman screamed in the road as a demon leapt at her, purple skin dotted by red blood, and matted white hair flowing down its monstrous and fanged face. The creature fell in two pieces as a blind woman with one arm saluted with sword. “Don’t worry. Everything’s going to be alright. I’m here now.”
She never was going to get that peaceful day off, was she?
