Jester rejoined Vale and Daisy. The trio was now bound by another shared experience. Another step forward on their unique paths.
"Glitch, huh?" Vale asked. Nudging Jester with his elbow. "Brave man. Or just plain crazy."
Daisy giggled. "As long as it doesn't blow us up, I'm happy for you, Jest."
"Trust me!" Jester said. A mischievous smile played on his lips. "This is going to be way more interesting than your good old Mana."
"I'd rather have reliable Mana." Vale retorted. "You sure about the Glitch thing, Clown? Messing with the weird unknown was never a good idea, you know?"
Jester grinned. A flash of his usual impish charm. "Relax, Bard! I know what I'm doing. I've always been dealing with weird things these days." He winked. "And speaking of weirdness, I've got some stuff to show you two later. My place, after school?"
"Sure." Vale answered easily.
Daisy chimed in. A slight frown of regret on her face. "Wish I could, Jest. Aunt Mildred is visiting from out of town. Mom will strangle me if I come home late today."
She gave Vale a gentle nudge. "You two be good. And don't blow anything up!"
"Come on. The last time we did that was such long time ago." Jester complained. And looked at Vale "So, it's just you and me. What time your class ends?"
"Today? At two I think."
A grin split Jester's face. "Good. Me too."
They parted ways on the way. Vale and Daisy, both specializing in the Sorcerer path, headed towards the Sorcerer Training Zone. Jester, on the other hand, veered towards the Rogue Training Wing.
For the Rogue Class, there were two more sessions for today's agenda.
First up was 'Dirty Fighting Techniques' with Mr. Larken. It was just a repeat of the Tuesday's class. The students were not taught new techniques. They just had to practice what they had learned previously again and again. Refining their skills through repetition.
Next was 'Perception and Insight Training' under the watchful gaze of Mr. Viper. Jester and his two classmates were trained to pick up subtle cues, to read intentions in micro-expressions, and to anticipate actions before they happened.
Again, it involved repetition and hands-on practice. Involving great number of pictures, videos, and discussions.
After the final class, Jester regrouped with Vale. Near the academy's gate. The early afternoon sun cast short shadows as they walked. To Jester's home.
"So..." Vale began. "What's this big reveal?"
"You'll see."
Jester led Vale back through the less populated streets of Oakhaven. Eventually reaching the Old Eastvale District.
This area was quieter. The buildings were relatively newly renovated. But with an underlying emptiness. They arrived to their destination soon. Jester unlocked the front door of his small house.
Inside, the living room was quite simple and tidy. Jester bypassed the livingroom and went straight for his bedroom.
Vale followed him in familiar manner. He had visited there many times before.
"New computer?" Vale asked as he saw the desktop computer that dominated a corner of the bedroom.
"Yup." Jester said as he booted it up. The whirring of its fan signified its activation. They waited until the booting process was done.
Vale raised his eyebrows. "So, what is it? A game? A movie?"
"Here. I bet you've never seen something like this." Jester said. His fingers flying across the mouse and the keyboard. He accessed a folder labeled 'Toonworld Project' and clicked on a video file.
Vale leaned closer. Soon, his usual dreamy expression replaced by one of pure astonishment.
The screen flickered to life. Showcasing a vibrant, impossibly detailed 3D animation. A cartoon hare, with Jester's signature mischievous grin plastered on its face, bounded through a bright dungeon.
The environments were cartoonish, yet extremely detailed. The main character was anthropomorphic and expressive. And the animation quality was utterly breathtaking. It was unlike anything Vale had ever seen produced on Sherra.
"Damn, Clown! What is this?" Vale breathed. His eyes went wide. "The rendering… the fluidity… it's incredible!"
"This..." Jester announced with a flourish. "... is Toonworld. And that's me." He gestured to the hare. "Well, my avatar, Nightclown."
Vale was speechless. His gaze glued to the screen as Nightclown expertly wielded a nunchaku. Dispatching a bowling-ball-looking monster with a flurry of cartoonish violence.
He watched as Jester opened a different file. Here, Nightclown navigated a whimsical village. Interacted with a sentient animal character. A gorilla blacksmith.
"This is… this is beyond anything I imagined." Vale finally managed. "How is this possible? It's much much better than any animated movies I've seen."
"That's where my Toonworld Watch comes in." Jester said. Summoning and showing off his Soulheart Gear. A brass pocket-watch.
He then explained the ability of his Soulheart Gear. The ability to enter a pocket dimension brimming with an entirely different reality. And the power he could draw from it.
He admitted that the recordings were a byproduct of his daily visits to Toonworld. Captured by Cammy. His sentient [Toon Camera Recorder].
"I've been gathering footage these few days." Jester continued. Scrolling through more video files. "My plan is to turn this into a full-blown movie. A hit. The biggest entertainment spectacle Misterra has ever seen."
He paused. Looking at Vale. "But it's missing something. The soul. The feeling. It needs music. Music that captures the whimsy, the action, the… cartoonish ambient of it all. And I can think of no one better than you."
Vale's eyes lit up. Music was his world. The idea of composing for a project of such… unparalleled strangeness was intoxicating. But then, a thought struck him.
"You're telling me you can just… go there? Into this… Toonworld? And bring things back?"
Jester nodded. "And gain power. And skills. And items like these." He pulled out his [Wild Nunchaku] and one [Recovery Cabbage] he still had. Seemingly out of nowhere.
"That's crazy. Can you bring object from this world there? Can you bring other people there?"
"For objects, currently, no. Only toon object could enter my Toon Inventory. And to cross world, objects needed to be within the inventory." Jester explained.
"As for other people..." He continued. "I've seen Toonworld Avatar Token being sold in a Spell Store there. I assumed it was a way to bring another person to that world. But it was way too expensive. I can't afford it for now."
"Get me one if you can. That world sounds interesting." Vale made a request without any hesitation.
"Sure." Jack agreed easily. "Things are crazy there in Toonworld, you know. Normal common sense seems to be absent. But it is quite... fun. Entertaining. That's when I thought... why don't we turn this into a movie. To make others entertained too."
Vale turned silent. He seemed to process this information. After a while...
"You've certainly outdone yourself, Clown." He finally said. "You've got access to a whole other world, and you're making movies out of it. That's... audacious. I like it."
"I know you'll like it." Jester laughed.
"You know..." Vale said slowly. Thoughtful frown creased his brow, "I've been thinking about my Soulheart Gear too. It was the Stormlord Lute. It was supposed to be great for… well, for making storms. Any type of storm."
Jester leaned forward. Sensing Vale's budding inspiration. "So?"
"Well, you're talking about your Toonworld. And the absence of common sense. I'm thinking... What if my lute can create the storms that don't make sense too?" Vale's fingers began to tap a rhythm on his knee.
Jester's eyes gleamed. "Your lute can call any type of storms? Windstorm? Hailstorm? Sandstorm? What about a healing storm? Have you tried it? A storm that carries restorative energies? Or a buff storm, that randomly enhances allies? Or... imagine a fog storm, obscuring vision, perfect for stealth missions."
Vale was nodding vigorously now. His imagination was kicking into overdrive. "I should try that later."
"And what about psychological warfare?" Jester kept putting ideas. "A storm of pure dread? A storm in the mind of the target? You could call it a mental storm!"
Vale let out a low whistle. "A mental storm. That's... that's a whole new level. I never thought of it like that. I always just saw the Stormlord Lute as an elemental weapon."
"Well, I used to see my Toonworld Watch just as a gate too." Jester countered. "A ticket to go to a weird cartoon world. To get power. A place of training."
He continued. "Now, I'm planning to use it as a source of entertainment. It's more than just a tool to gain power now. Just like your Lute can be more than just a weapon."
He gestured again to the computer screen. Where Nightclown was now dueling against Razor. "Back to this, Bard. This footage is gold, isn't it? But it needs a soundtrack that elevates it. And when it is related to sound, you are the maestro. So, are you in?"
Vale looked at the screen. Then back at Jester. A genuine smile finally appeared on his lips. "Alright, Clown. I'm in. Let's make this movie."