Act 25: A Stunning Hat, Grappling Ink, and A Hole In The Wall

  --- Joshua ---

  “Uh, you sure this is the best use of resources, boss?”

  “Maybe not, but I’m hoping I can get something out of this that’ll make my future shows easier.” He told Avery, before explaining that, “If I can put on a better show, then I can gather more Madness faster. It’s all an investment game.”

  The cabaret manager gave him a mixed expression, “If you’re, uh, sure boss…”

  With that settled the Boss Dream manipulated the Stunning Madness in front of them and began funneling it through the Cartoon Cabaret’s Dressing Room as the two spheres began to circle around each other. After a few moments of this the spheres collided, unleashing a flash of light as they combined, launching his newly formed hat into the air.

  Reacting more on instinct than actual intent, his hand snatched the hat out of the air and spun it around before placing it on his head as he faced the dressing room mirror to see how it looked.

  “Hmm, a fedora… Not bad.” He admitted, looking at his reflection and making his best guess at how it’d look in 3D. “Goes with the jacket and vest at least.”

  “Yeah it looks alright, but I’m not really sure it was worth it with everything else we need to take care of.” Avery confessed with a nervous look.

  “Well, that all depends on what kind of special tricks it has.” He reminded the cabaret manager before frowning. “Uh, I don’t suppose you know how to figure that out?”

  “Um…” Avery frowned in thought. “Try… Try pushing some Madness into it.”

  Pulling on his connection to his powers, he rooted around for what felt like the thread between him and the fedora before pushing some of his power along the line.

  There was a sudden drain that felt more intense as if the Fedora wanted more power than he could give at the moment. Something in the air shifted, and instead of taking from him the fedora seemed to take from the air itself until finally- Out of nowhere instinct took over and he placed a hand on his hat before striking a pose as a the song in his head grew louder and a wave of blinding light burst from his body.

  “Okay… that was something.” He blinked as he regained control of his limbs.

  Rather than commenting, Avery just stood there staring at him with a blank look.

  “Avery?” He frowned, before waving his hand in front of the cabaret manager’s face. “You still there Jones?”

  The Boss Dream slowly blinked before shaking his head and looking around. “Uh, what’s uh, what’s going on boss?”

  “I think I just figured out what the Fedora can do.” He answered, turning back to his reflection with a smile. (Though I might want to be careful of whatever that drain was.)

  Scene Consequences

  -Gained: Stunning Fedora

  --While equipped, can spend 1 Madness of any kind to Stun all nearby units.

  ---

  This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.

  Standing on the edge of a rooftop he rubbed his hands together as he got ready to test, what was absolutely a stroke of genius on his part.

  That genius being that he could use his Equip Ink to form an Ink Whip, and then he could use the Ink Whip to pull things towards him. So why couldn’t he use the Ink Whip as a grappling hook to swing around the city like Vigilance and all of the copycats he’d inspired?

  (Only since he’s a hero and I’m a villain, I’m not copycating him.) He reassured himself. (I'm flat out stealing his schtick and pulling it off with more swag.)

  (Meh, good artists borrow, great artists steal.)

  With all of this in mind he formed his ink whip on his hand before throwing it out at a nearby ledge, a bit of intent making the whip stick to the ledge without coming back.

  “Okay, good start.” He nodded, grabbing the whip with both hands before pulling on it in the same way he would his actual Ink Pull. And while normally this would pull his target towards him, the fact that the building was so much larger than him meant that he was the one pulled towards it. (Exactly as planned.)

  What was much less planned was the fact that the ink whip snapped half way to the building, leaving him floating a good five stories in the air. (Uh, oh.)

  Against his better judgment he slowly glanced down and saw the pavement below. Pavement that was now quickly growing closer. “Oh, shit. Oh, shit. Oh, shit!”

  A painful impact rattled his bones and left him with what he just knew was going to be a full body bruise, though luckily his healing factor was more than enough to let him walk off the fall that had managed to crack the pavement.

  Feeling a deep ache throughout his body and knowing that it was only going to grow worse as the day went on, he pulled out a vial of Malice and downed it. As the super serum hit his veins and his song began to play, he felt his healing factor going into overdrive to undo the damage of his fall and ready itself to undo the damage of any other falls.

  Standing up straight, he cracked his neck to either side before looking at the ledge above him. “Alright, let’s try this again.”

  Scene Consequences

  -Training Synergy: Gained 2XP to Mobility and Equip Ink.

  --Thanks to Malice Vial gained (D6=2/2=1) bonus XP to each skill.

  --Currently: Mobility Lv. 3 (5/8) and Equip Ink Lv. 3 (7/8)

  -Potential Power Upgrade Discovered: Grappling Ink (Requires Lv. 5 Mobility and Equip Ink)

  ---

  Figuring that after a couple of hours his ass had taken enough of a kicking, he decided to try changing tracks and put some effort into a different power for the time being, and started working to form a more viable hole in the wall with his ink.

  Unfortunately, like with his previous attempt most of these new holes had a sort of rubbery texture and a bit of give that the wall beneath the ink most certainly did not.

  (I’ve still got something here, but I’m not quite making a breakthrough…) He paused at that thought. (Literally or figuratively.)

  Remembering how his powers had developed a little easier after consuming a vial of Malice, he went ahead and downed another one in the hopes of making something resembling actual progress with this power.

  And so with strawberries on his tongue and a sweet symphony playing in his head he began drawing another hole on the wall. Though this time he was unable to keep himself from giving it a little flourish as he did so, despite the fact that it didn’t actually seem to do anything.

  That said… (There’s a method to this madness, just doing the same thing over and over gets dull and boring. You quit putting in your all, and your work suffers. You need to have fun with it if you want to go all out.)

  With his Malice boosted hole drawn, he put his hand against it and pressed just like he had with all of his previous attempts. Only this time rather than giving a few inches to his fingers the hole gave enough that he could push his whole arm into the wall.

  Thinking he’d finally done it, he grabbed the edge of the circle with his other hand and started to step through the hole. At which point he was promptly shot out of the hole and into the brickwall on the other side of the alley, where he hung for a painful moment before slowly sliding down to the ground.

  (Almost… but not quite.)

  Scene Consequences

  -Thanks to Malice Vial made 2 progress towards [Hole in the Wall] power.

  --Current Progress: (3/4)

  Patron Credits

  Name: Joshua Durand

  Deviancy: Mal-Corrupted Wonderlander

  -Wonderland: The Cartoon Cabaret

  Physical Health: Very Good

  Mental Health: Good

  Ink Well: 14/14 (+4 Per Turn)

  Focus: 5/5

  Stamina: 7/7

  Cash: 752

  Malice Vials: 9

  ---

  Quests

  Current

  Commercial Break: Meet the Malice Doctor again on Act 31.

  Epic

  Cartoon Cabaret: The Grand Re-Opening

  -Get the Cartoon Cabaret to a point where it can open once more.

  Active Events

  Gamer's Guild Dungeon open until Act 30

  Skills

  Spoiler: Skill Tutorial

  Skill Ranks and Levels:

  F(1-3)- Novice

  E(4-6)- Beginner

  D(7-9)- Intermediate

  C(10-12)- Professional

  B(13-15)- Expert

  A(16-18)- Master

  S(19-21)- Grand Master

  Note:

  -It takes the next level x2 to level up a skill.

  -At each rank past Novice you'll earn a perk or bonus related to this skill.

  -Skills are ranked by this worlds standards, not reality's.

  -While you'll earn XP from certain actions, you can also train skills for more. (Note: the XP gained is based on equipment and the Rank of a mentor if present.)

  Taunt- Lv. 2 (0/6)

  -Draw a target's attention, with a chance of inflicting enraged. (Enraged increases Physical stats, but decreases Reflexive and Mental stats.)

  Street Smarts- Lv. 4 (0/10)

  -Increase Tact, Guile, and Perception when in an Urban context.

  Brawling- Lv. 4 (1/10)

  -Grants a +(Skill Lv.) to all melee unarmed combat checks.

  Slyness- Lv. 2 (4/6)

  -Grants +(Skill Level) to all checks involving keeping something hidden or determining when someone else is hiding something.

  Mobility- Lv. 3 (5/8)

  -Grants a +(Skill Level) to all movement and mobility checks.

  Thievery- Lv. 3 (2/8)

  -As swift to pick a lock as I am to pick your pocket.

  Driving- Lv. 3 (3/8)

  -Ability to drive without hitting something. (Unless you're trying to then it's the opposite.)

  Scare Tactics- Lv. 1 (3/4)

  -Determines the user’s ability to inflict Fear based debuffs through either their immediate actions or preset environment.

  Perks

  Mental Conditioning (II)- Slightly increases max Focus and Mental Health each tier.

  Physical Conditioning (I)- Slightly increases max Stamina and Physical Health each tier.

  Powers

  Note: These are just the powers Josh knows about, and the same rules apply as with skills.

  ---

  Ink Production- Lv. 4 (0/10)

  -Produces (Power Level) units of Ink each turn for Ink Well.

  -Deeper Well (I)-Slightly increases max well capacity for each level.

  Healing Factor- Lv. 4 (0/10)

  -Increases Stamina by Power Level.

  -Increases Max PHP by an amount each level.

  -Increased Recovery Speed (I): Slightly increases recovery speed each turn per level.

  Ink Tags- Lv. 3 (3/8)

  -Current distance limit: 8 m.

  -Can move (Creeping Ink Level) inches from placement point.

  Creeping Ink- Lv. 1 (0/4)

  -Influences ability for Ink to move from it's initial position. (Affects: Tags and Ink Drawings)

  Ink Doodles- Lv. 2 (1/6)

  -Place an Ink Doodle on a surface that can move along the surface and interact with anything touching the surface.

  -Movement range is ((Power Level + Creeping Ink Level) / 2)M.

  -Jump Scare (Costs 1 Ink)- Doodle performs a Jump Scare on an unaware target, inflicting [Intimidated] on them.

  Rube Goldberg Field Lv. 3 (3/8)

  -Causes a random series of events that result in an action in exchange for ???.

  -If there is too little to work with power may inflict harm to self.

  Toon Enhanced Strength- Lv. 2 (1/6)

  -Increases Strength by +1 per Power Level.

  Enhanced Acrobatics- Lv. 2 (1/6)

  -Grants a +(Power Level) to all Reflex stats while performing an acrobatic feat.

  Toonification- Lv. 4 (6/10)

  -Toonify objects or creatures for various effects. (Ink Cost and Toonification duration vary depending on target.)

  -Standard Objects gain a Toon Duration equal to power level. (Each use of an item uses 1 duration unit.)

  -That's Not All Folks (I)- Increases Duration modifier to Power Level x 2.

  Toon Hands- Lv. 2 (1/6)

  -(Costs 1 Focus or Stamina) Add power level to the damage of any unarmed attack, power, or ability. (Note: Power or Ability must deal damage in the first place.)

  Equip Ink- Lv. 3 (7/8)

  -Create a weapon of Ink that's duration is a number of attacks equal to power level. (Costs 1 Ink per Equip, or weapon change.)

  --Ink Whip- Create a whip of ink increasing the range of unmodified melee attacks and allowing multiple enemies to be hit for half damage.

  ---Ink Pull- While using Ink Whip pull one enemy within Ink Whip range into actual melee range. (Costs 1 Ink per Use.)

  --Ink Blade- Condense Equip Ink into a blade, to deal full melee damage + Power Level to a single target.

  Ink Blot- Lv. 1 (1/4)

  -Throw a blot of Ink at a target, within [Perception] * 2 meters that deals (X) damage to the target, may be upgraded to inflict status ailments. (X is equal to power level.) (Cost 1 Ink per Use.)

  Dangerous Detection Lv. 2 (0/6)

  -Allows the early detection of threats in the immediate vicinity, the higher an enemy’s threat level the lower the skill check for this ability to trigger.

  Toon Time Lv. 2 (0/6)

  -(Costs 1 Focus) Through a mix of Focus and Madness dilate your perception of reality for a short time. (Add Toon Time’s Lv. to any skill or power check using a Reflex stat. (Dexterity, Agility, and Perception.))

  Wonderland Powers

  Note: These are powers unlocked through the Wonderland and can only be upgraded by the wonderland.

  ---

  Cabaret

  Bar

  -Spirit Raising Spirits

  --Consume 1 Unit of Madness to Restore 1 Full Health State.

  Stage

  -Stage Presence

  --As long as there is an [Audience] gain a small bonus to all Social stats.

  Dressing Room

  -Dressed to Impress

  --Josh can now switch between his normal clothes and his cabaret outfit.

  Costumes

  Cartoon Cabaret Clothing: Formal wear featuring a white dress shirt with black vest, slacks, and dress shoes.

  -Unique Ability: Stage Persona- Grants all costumes (regardless of if this item is equipped) a passive perception filter separating 'Joshua Durand' from '?????' when seen.

  Gifted Ravenous Tailcoat

  -Unique Ability: Ravenous (Madness)- This item can and will attempt to eat all Madness belonging to others, granting a +1 to all checks resisting/defending against (Madness) effects. If the check is successful, grant a random stat boost to this item for free. (Note: This boost cannot upgrade Ravenous.))

  -+2 to Defense

  -+2 Max HP

  -+2 to Stealth checks

  -+1 to Reflex checks

  Classic Toon Gloves

  -Unique Ability: Second Skin- While worn anything this item touches counts as skin contact for the purpose of the wearer's skill, abilities, and powers, even if it doesn't for others.

  Stunning Fedora

  -Unique Ability: Stunning Pose- (Costs 1 Madness of any kind.) Strike a pose and stun all units in range.

  General Inventory

  Buddy the Baseball Bat

  -Size: Standard

  -Increases Blunt damage while equipped.

  -Toonification: Can double duration cost of an action to increase swing damage, range, and knockback based on Toonification power level.

  Toon Pens

  -Size: Small

  -Turns all [Drawing] Powers and Skills into Quick Actions in exchange for doubling their Ink Cost. (Or raising it to 1 in the case of skills.)

  Toon Bandit's Bag

  -Size: Standard

  -Can fit a number of objects in the bag equal to current Toonification Level.

  -Bag will remained Toonified for a number of minutes roughly equal to Toon Duration.

  Traits

  Waiter's Reflexes: Gain a small bonus to Dexterity and Agility when moving through crowded spaces.

  Relationships

  Note: These are what Joshua thinks people think about him.

  ---

  The Cartoon Cabaret

  Avery Jones: The manager of the Cabaret, and a nervous man who just wants to see it restored to its former glory.

  -Sees Josh as his way of saving the Cabaret.

  Home

  Christian Durand: Joshua's elder brother, owner of the Saint's Crossing, and retired hero of Santa Rosa.

  -Loves Josh but is a bit overprotective.

  -Wants him to go out and be more sociable.

  Madeline Thomas: One of Christian's high school friends who now works at the Saint's Crossing.

  -Tries to be a big sister to Josh regardless of if he wants it or not.

  School

  Annette Manning: A rough girl Josh goes to school with.

  -Their friendship is more due to mutual bullying than anything else.

  -He tends to get on her nerves if he spends too much time with her.

  -Her bullies are significantly worse than Josh's.

  ???

  The Malice Doctor

  -Offered Joshua what he's always wanted.

  -Doesn't actually care about Joshua beyond his experiment.

  Zylah, The Shadow Dancer

  -An agent for whatever organization the Malice Doctor works for.

  -Has a series of grudges after their first meeting.

  The Gamer's Guild

  The GM

  -Joshua's fellow Wonderlander. (Which means something.)