Comedy and Tragedy - aClown

Not quite sure how long that much needed nap lasted before the most sorrowful piece pulls tears from eyes before they can fully open. I wipe them with my sleeve while blinking away any remaining drowsiness. "You're quite the heavy sleeper Lil Jester" Perry now a fair bit larger than i remember says without losing hold on my heart as bow strings glide across the weathered violin, weathered in way that oozed deep sentimentality. As she continues playing without acknowledging me any further I'm forced to focus only on the music. I wanted her to stop, i wanted cover my ears with my hands but i couldn't move. I could only listen as that miserable little melody entered my ears until finally, the dam built to hold back years of repressed emotions, memories i tried to bury, and and the hatred clinging to it all like flies on filth. I'm swallowed by a wave of resentful sadness.

"P-Pe-Perry please.... stop ....whatever it is... you're doing.....stop" i say through pained sobs. "im not doing this, don't you remember what i said when we first met?" Perry says, with a pained smile

"oh that?"

"That's the price of playing a character"

"comedy cannot exist without tragedy just have a look at your status it'll help you understand" Perry say still playing that accursed song "status" i mutter

[Name]: Josef Grey

[Level]: 1

[Patron]: Preriot The Progenitor of Clowns

[HP]:80/80

[MP]:500/500

[STR]: 1

[DEX]: 1

[INT]: 100

[CHA]: 1

[LCK]: 1

[SKILLS]: Tragic Reversal LVL ???

"Everything is gone?!" i shriek "Where did this skill come from??" i bombard Perry with questions "when a patron adopts a disciple a link is formed between their souls, its how we exchange power and absorb you when die. The amount of power transferred is based on compatibility of our souls." Perry said uncharacteristically serious. "Tragic Reversal reverses fate and fortune but you were already lucky and dumb its almost funny only 2 people in known universe have this skill, and one of them happens to have the highest luck stat I've ever seen. But fate has deemed your story must be a sad one" Perry says while finally storing that moon forsaken instrument "my previously high luck stat, Which is likely the reason for my repeated near escapes. It could even be the reason survival manifested in the first place, Thank you so much" i say sarcastically but Perry smiles and says "worst skill? I cant help but notice how fast you put that together.." "well duh that obviously a byproduct of raised intelligence why are you point out the obvi-" I pause with realization. I'd gotten far only thanks to my luck. From escaping Aasir, defeating a red cap i was too dumb to run from, and maybe even meeting Delilah in that clearing. The combination of high luck and low intelligence caused me to fumble into success time after time. If we assume this is permanent how will i stay alive moving forward?

Suddenly a thought came to me.

"But your imagery was not only solid but deeply personal when combined with survival greatly optimizing your mana circulation you created a skill."

Without survival's assistance could i replicate that phenomenon? Perhaps this was the price of taking shortcuts and my over reliance on luck and survival. If luck is related to fates love for me perhaps I've fallen out of fates favor. "If our lucks run out we need to train, we're still being pursued and i haven't exactly covered my tracks thus far. Without luck to rely on we'll be found soon" I say while searching wardrobe for clothes to wear. "If you continue to level up its very likely you'll be granted more tragic skills and ill warn you, i was in a dark place when i made created those" Perry says seemingly embarrassed. I dress in Grey tailor suit some how perfectly my size and head back to the foyer, i remember the path from before due to my increased intelligence. I also notice some things i didn't bother too before, mainly how the size didn't seem to fit the amount of residents. Not including myself I'd only seen 3 Mother, Delilah, and that maid who showed me the room, Delilah seemed to vanish as soon as we entered the threshold so could i even be sure she was here at all. "We should have made it to the stairs by now" i say to myself "You seem different...no longer smiling" Delilah's silky voice calls out for a darkened hall, she was still as a statue about 10 feet in front of me. The moonlight from the corridor window danced off that sharpened blade she never went anywhere without. Her presence always made me uncomfortable but there was something different about her tonight. I primal urge we cultivated surviving this harsh and unforgiving world. In front of this predator i was merely a tiny rabbit with a painted frown. "Tell me Delilah.. why do you hate me so much?" i ask partly to stall and partly because after all these years of torment, I'd never asked anyone why. Not Mother , Delilah, and not even Aasir. "You've never questioned anything outside of the reality Giorgia constructed around you, a worthless wretch fathered by a destitute whore in a small sea side village. The mysterious circumstances that sent to a prestigious academy instead of an orphanage. The bullies backed by the strong houses. I almost envy that blind stupidity of yours, almost." I have to keep her talking if i mess this up I'm dead. " So who is she really?" i ask her another leading question probing for more information. Instead she raised her knife in the air and delivered a horizontal slash

SWISH

[-30 HP]

A burning pain spreads across my face and warm blood spills from slash across my forehead just missing my still wide open eyes. A warm crimson curtain blankets my vison but, neither of us move.....

Its goes on like that for minuets, she wounded me and waited for a reaction. She was a predator after all, but even prey can be dangerous if driven into a corner. The worst thoughts are born in places like this, and then it came to me. I share the plan with Perry telepathically "that's pretty dark little jester hehe" Perry's laugh rings through my head. Suddenly i took off running down the hallway, with my lowered stats it barley qualified as running. But if I'm right about Delilah...."HAHAHA finally...we can play until you to collapse okay little boy" She cackled like a hyena while slowly walking after me. I knew she would take the bait, that'll buy me valuable time while I search, eventually i spot what I'm look for. A door like any other in this dark and winding hallway the only difference was a flicking orange glow shining from the bottom of the closed door. I rush through the door and close it behind to find the second a part of plan. The part that changed everything.

The first part of the plan required Delilah to treat this like a game, she doesn't view me as a threat so that reaction almost guaranteed given her personality. The second part was hinged on the boost to perception that came with high intelligence, while talking to Perry i noticed after the that stupid fucking violin was put away I briefly heard shoes clicking through the hallway meaning someone was awake...and that person was my only way out of this.

After closing the door i turn to face the final step in this plan. The beautiful maid from before, a night owl like i guessed. I'd interrupted her reading by lantern light, and i was rude enough to rush inside her room in the dead of night. She stood up from her and ran towards me "what are doing?! get out of here?!" she cried out. "I'm so sorry..." i whisper before she can speak again i gripped her throat as tight as i could, her eyes so wide i thought the pop out of her skull "KEK" she croaks and thrashes like a hog caught in a snare until she doesn't, suddenly she's limp wide eyes staring right through me.

[Level Up]

"you know what this means?" Perry asks while examining the corpse "there's no going back" i say. I'd felt noting since that miserable melody Perry cursed me with. "Status" i say