Act 39: Painful Pasts, Powers, And Presents

--- Joshua Durand ---

Having developed a mild headache while ignoring the Madness flow at the museum, he decided that it was best to take a bus home rather than what was becoming his usual mix of parkour and ink flowing.

While he was waiting for his stop he mindlessly browsed the internet on his phone, going into a mild deep dive on TVTropes to figure out a plan for his heist.

It was in this state that he got a text from the GM.

GM: [So, I was looking into the city’s going on to try and figure out a holiday event when I found this floating around.]

Clicking the link he found some shaky phone footage of his fight with Puck the week before.

GM: [Got to admit you were putting on a pretty decent showing, right up until the end there.]

He couldn’t help but grimace at that reminder, still embarrassed of how that show had ended.

You: [Ran out of MP.]

You: [Figured my tricks were the only thing letting me keep up and giving up would be less embarrassing than getting my ass handed to me.]

GM: [You mean more than it already was?]

You: [Yeah…]

GM: [Daddy really spanked you huh?]

He felt a bit of heat in his face as she reminded him of that joke.

You: [It was funny when I said it… less so when you bring it up.]

GM: [Eh, I can’t blame you if he’s your type. I mean Puck is an absolute DILF.]

He briefly considered that for a moment, noting that Puck was kind of handsome, before shaking his head.

You: [Yeah, no. It was a joke. I’m into women.]

GM: [Dangerous women?]

For some reason his danger sense pinged and he found himself looking up from the phone, only to find nothing suspicious going on in the bus. (Weird, maybe the bus drove past something?)

You: [Depends on if they’re like you.]

He stared at the text he’d sent while distracted, before deciding that it was probably in his best interest to shift the subject a bit.

You: [Anyway, you ever meet Puck yourself? He’s a bit of a card.]

It took the GM a minute to respond but when she did she sent him.

GM: [Uh, I think I did way back, but I can barely remember. Honestly, my siblings interact with the Hero’s Guild more than I do, and anytime one of them shows up around me they sort of usher me off.]

That was… something he could relate to.

You: [Yeah, my brother did the same thing a lot. I know it was because I was a kid, but he still treats me with the kiddie gloves a lot more than I like.]

GM: [Given how they started the Gamer’s Guild to protect me, I doubt that’ll end any time soon…]

That was an interesting note. He knew the Guild revolved around her, but he’d thought it was because she was their Wonderlander. (Then again, she has mentioned she got her powers when she was like seven…)

GM: [But your situation is different than mine. I’m sure when you show your brother how much of a kickass do it yourself Wonderlander you are he’ll be all for you doing your own thing.]

He wasn’t quite sure of that, especially given how his brother had purposely quit being a Heroic Mask, while here he was trying to be a Villainous one. (Yeah, still not going to tell him anytime soon…)

Still he appreciated the thought at least.

You: [Thanks.]

You: [I know you probably can’t respec without messing a bunch of stuff up, but maybe you can build yourself up the way you do everyone else. Maybe that’ll show your siblings you’re not a little kid anymore.]

GM: [Tried that. They’ll let me compete in some of our multiplayer games if there’s enough people they know, but if there’s anyone they don’t trust they sort of shuffle me off. Double if there’s another Mask in the area.]

You: [Well… maybe we can sneak you out for an adventure or something?]

The GM took another moment to answer, seeming to actually consider the idea, before sending him a text saying,

GM: [I think I’d like that… Though I’ll have to set some stuff up on my end.]

That was more than fair, given how the GM was technically a gang boss. (Though given what she’s saying, I think that technically might need to be underlined…)

You: [Just tell me when and where and I’ll help sneak you out however I can.]

GM: [It’s a date.]

He froze halfway through his response, as he realized, (Wait, did I just ask the GM out on a date?!)

(Yep, you asked a woman with her own personal army out on a date. Good job kid. That takes guts… or stupidity. Probably both. Yeah, let’s go with both. You’re bravely stupid.)

Scene Consequences

-Grew a bit closer to the GM.

-Discovered the GM is a supporting actor on the Mask stage.

---

He rolled his shoulders as he shook his hand out.

“This is probably a terrible idea.” He admitted to himself as he entered a boxing stance, his eyes never leaving the brick wall in front of him.

His thought process for this had gone something like this, (I know I’ve got super strength but I don’t really know the limits of it. I mean it’s useful but at the same time with my reality warping stuff, I can’t really get a solid read on anything. After all, who’s to say I can’t lift something only for it to immediately fall on me because it’s funny?)

At which point a more practical part of him had pointed out that, (Technically, it doesn’t matter how much we can lift, so much as how much we can use. And the only time we’re really going to use it is when we want to punch something.)

Which is why he came and found something that he could punch, while getting a rough idea of how hard he could punch.

It was probably smarter to start with a wooden fence of some kind and work his way up, but he had little doubt that he could punch through said fence. Whereas while he could crack a brick wall he wasn’t sure he could punch through it.

Of course this meant he was more likely to hurt himself by punching said wall as demonstrated when- “Motherfucker!” - he punch the wall at full strength and ended up busting his knuckles.

(Well… at least you weren’t stupid enough to punch metal this time…)

With a shake of his head, he ignored the pain in his hand and instead focused on the indent he’d left in the brick wall. “Okay, that’s a decent enough idea of how much damage I can do.”

(But what about when you use your toon hands?) The sadistic little devil on his shoulder asked, a smile clear to its voice.

Knowing that it would be a good idea to know what the difference between his strength pre and post toon hands was. He sighed, his mind unable to help but wonder if Toon Hands actually increased his strength or just spread out the surface area of his blows.

After taking a few steps to his right, he once more entered his stance before pulling his hand back and punching the brick wall as he enlarged his fist to comical proportions. “Motherfucker!” And once more it hurt like a bitch when he punched the wall.

Whatsmore his hand seemed to visibly throb in a cartoonish manner that he knew for a fact a normal person’s wouldn’t.

Turning his gaze from his Maddening physiology, he instead focused on the significantly larger indent -(almost a crater really)- that he’d left in the side of the wall. An indent that was also visibly deeper than his first punch. “Alright, I guess that’s proof that my Toon Hands are doing something for my damage output.”

(It does… now I wonder how the Malice vials change things?)

“Ugh…” Curse him and his painful pursuit of power.

Scene Consequences

-Base: Toon Hands Lv. 2 (4/6) + Toon Strength Lv. 2 (5/6)

-Gained (1+ Synergy 1 + Malice D6/2= ) 3 XP

--*Power Level Up* Toon Hands Lv. 3 (1/8)

--*Power Level Up* Toon Strength Lv. 3 (2/8)

-Thanks to Malice Chain gained 1 Malicious Madness.

A/N: Also to answer the question behind this combo, the two bonuses are additive. I.E. Melee Attacks get Toon Strength as a +1 per level to damage. Then Toon Hands increases the damage and accuracy of an unarmed attack or ability by +1 per level. Meaning this chapter increased our damage by +2 and our accuracy by +1, when we use the Toon Hands or just our damage by +1 when using any other melee attack.

-Bonus Info: Taking a Red Vial also temporarily bumps your Physical stats thus increasing your damage a bit there too. At least until it wears off.

---

As the day of his heist grew closer he found it growing harder and harder to ignore the little voice in his head whispering, (Come on… One more try… It won’t kill you…)

Until one day he found his feet taking him back to the museum when he had no real reason to be there. (That’s not true…)

His eyes drifted towards the wing of the museum that held the Baron’s exhibit, or more specifically the Killjoy’s Gun where he could feel the flow of Madness originating from.

The fact that he’d come here without intending to, scared him. Almost as much as the black outs and the hallucinations. All of which reminded him of a number of the stories his brother had told him about Magic and Madness enslaving those who delved into things they shouldn’t.

For a moment he considered calling the whole job off before shaking his head at that stupid, stupid, idea. “Fuck it. I’m the Wonderlander, I’m the one who tells Madness what to do. I’m not going to be scared of a stupid gun.”

And so with what in hindsight would be a regrettable amount of conviction he once more made his way towards the Cheshire’s exhibit, being sure to side step the tour guide that had been there when he’d passed out last time. (Last thing I need is to leave an even bigger impression…) (Until the show anyway.)

The moment he stepped into the exhibit area, he lost the ability to simply ignore the drafts of Madness that flowed all around him. It being the difference between a windy day and standing at the edge of a twister, one that he could just picture forming around the Killjoy’s gun with a malevolent face grinning at him, daring him to get just a little closer.

Rather than giving into the flows of Madness, he forced himself to remain grounded, to not be swept away in a tide that would devour him underneath the abyssal seas of Madness.

It was a struggle, especially with some dark part of him begging him to just give in already… but he managed to make his way to a small bench just across from the Killjoy’s gun, before collapsing in it like a puppet with their strings cut.

Unable to resist the pull or the voice begging him to please, reach out he ever so gently, ran his fingers against the flow of Madness, before watching as the Killjoy’s mannequin blurred in static, leaving a tall dark haired man in its place wearing the half skull mask with a grin, his gun nowhere in sight.

All around him the world seemed to twist and shift, the proportions becoming an unnatural spiral of Madness all around him. The exhibit of the Last Call just a few meters away overflowing as its walls wrapped around them and its tables skittered around until he was sitting inside of the old speakeasy. A place that was as much home to him as the Cartoon Cabaret.

He could hear familiar laughter in the air, a dozen friends who made his head pound and his heart clench as he realized he couldn’t remember what any of them looked like. Or even whose voice belonged to who.

Desperately, his eyes darted around hoping to find someone, anyone, he could recall but all he saw were faceless ghosts sitting all around him, living a life he no longer could.

Seeing this his eyes locked onto the Boss, the only one with a face and he reached out. A gesture his best friend, the man who saved him, returned only to stop short of actually taking his hand.

And he couldn’t help but frown in confusion as the pounding in his head grew and grew until he finally realized, he couldn’t remember what the Killjoy looked like beneath his mask.

Reality snapped into place around him as he found himself reaching for the lifeless mannequin of a dead man.

Feeling a dampness on his face, he went to wipe his nose out of habit, only to find he wasn’t suffering a nosebleed for once.

Instead he found himself crying for a reason he couldn’t remember.

Scene Consequences

-????? realizes he can’t remember.

-Gained 2 Melancholic Madness, ????? receives 3D6 Mental Damage in Joshua’s place.