An Esper's First Steps!!

Jewel was cornered. Her opponent, a rather foul competitor, had begun getting his second wind, and her trained body was starting to falter. However, she wasn’t about to give up. She eyed her opponent’s movement, trying to find an opening, to counter his attack while his guard was at its lowest. But it was proving rather difficult…
Her mind opened all of a sudden, a nasty cacophony of voices entering her head. There were mixed opinions, the internal cheers for each of the combatants in the ring, and a single voice rung out clear amid the din.

”I know you can do it, Jewel…”

Moments later, Jewel, backed into a corner, reached deep inside of herself. She knew she needed to call upon the force that had made itself known. There was no time to really figure things out.

“For some reason, Man-Wolf has just punched at completely dead air!!”

“What are you doing!? She’s over there!!”

But indeed, a new power she wasn’t even sure she’d had until that moment had made itself known, and in an instant, thanks to a move Jewel had invented on the spot… Man-Wolf was sent flying well out of the tournament grounds. That wasn’t the end of it, either…
---
Against the legendary Son Gohan…

She forced the power to the surface again, it having awakened in response to the terrifying difference in strength between her and the old master. This time, she maintained it, and while she ultimately didn’t win that battle, her conversation with the man with a strangely familiar attack pattern… maybe one she was very familiar with after all… had enlightened her, confirmed to her that the power she was exhibiting was truly those she couldn’t have had before.

“… And you know what these are, don’t you? They’re psychic powers…”

Having used said powers to cast an illusion not unlike the afterimage she’d witnessed later that same day, as well as augment her physical abilities, Jewel, who had retired in the second round, had a few questions left over. Ones that couldn’t wait for her to return to her homeland to get answers for…
---
It doesn’t make any sense, though… Jewel thought, I hadn’t had any signs of these powers before when I’d been tested for them…

Of course, she was once the weakest of the warriors and hunters as well. The reason she was even at the 21st Budokai Tenkaichi was because she’d come so far since then. But she never would have imagined that it was possible she’d have an aptitude for the psychic powers her people could unleash. Yet, she had experienced proof that she did in fact have the potential.

Both times the power manifested… Jewel recounted further, I had been backed into a corner, and my mind opened, and my psychic powers began to manifest… Could I have some instinctual control over these powers of mine?

It hadn’t been long since the tournament concluded with Arashi’s victory. And while telling him off for that rather embarrassing display he’d put on after defeating Son Gohan was definitely on her to-do list, her desires as a martial artist were acting for her. She had come far enough already, but now she wanted more. Especially if she could bring herself to show her human face around the islands again for the next tournament…

If I do… if these psychic powers weren’t just a fluke… Jewel thought further, looking out into the gathered crowds, talking excitedly about the tournament and its conclusion. Then can I bring out more? Now that I’m aware I have them, can I start using them?

Jewel recalled her training. When working her muscles, over time, they built strength. Strength enough to withstand all those gut punches, strength enough to attack back. Could the same principle apply to her awakened powers?

Setting her green eyes on the crowds around her again, Jewel’s mind was made up. Though she barely understood the powers at her disposal, her determination wasn’t going to keep her from testing them out. Maybe she could create more illusions, not just of herself, but of the others from the tournament, maybe.

“There’s only one way to know for sure…”
---
By this stage of her life, Jewel was accustomed to the hunt. Though she didn’t have any experience hunting in urban environments like those on Papaya Shima, there was still enough cover for her to stay hidden while she attempted to work her mental muscles. Unlike most hunts she wouldn’t be actually leaping from cover to strike. Instead, she’d be trying to create illusions on a target from a safe spot. In theory, as long as she was in adequate cover and didn’t make too much noise or move around too much, she would be fine to build her newfound mental muscles.

First… I’d better start small. A small creature… I know… Jewel peered out from the bush she’d set up in, seeing a young couple approaching. They seemed to be talking about the end fight, but mostly seemed to be flirting with each other. Apparently, nothing would separate them. Quickly returning to cover, Jewel closed her eyes and tried to concentrate on the image of her small creature… a rat, something she’d get immediate feedback on should it work. A vein on Jewel’s temple began to pulse as she focused her powers. It was faint, but it was there… she just needed to bring it out.

“Eeeek!!”

Jewel’s eyes opened after a moment, and she peered out again. The boy of the couple, clearly much more terrified than the girl, had leapt into his girlfriend’s arms in fright.

“D-did you see that rat!?” he said, his face all but buried into her shoulder like a frightened child.

“N-no… no I didn’t…?” the girl asked, sounding really confused

Jewel winced sympathetically. She hadn’t expected that strong of a reaction from either of them… had she gotten it too close?

“H-h-h-h-how could you have missed it?” the scared guy wailed, “Its tail had tiger stripes on it!!”

Jewel blinked. Had she made a mistake? The rat she’d pictured was a plain white one, one she’d seen on one occasion.
She hadn’t had the kind of reaction that either of the humans she’d just pranked had. Remaining in cover, Jewel whispered an apology, and waited for the couple to pass on, the boy looking clearly terrified out of his mind while the girl annoyedly tried to give him some comfort between telling him that it may have just been his imagination. Jewel rested back, in clear thought over what she’d tried.

How did the rat come out with a tiger stripe pattern…? thought Jewel, trying to figure out how that happened. It was true this was her first active attempt at using her powers without being cornered, but how could the illusion have backfired like this? Maybe it’s a fluke… I’d better try again…

Peering out of the bushes again, Jewel sighted a different group of humans: a mother, father, and their small daughter. Jewel shook her head, unable to believe what she was about to try next.

I’m so sorry… Jewel said, closing her eyes and trying to concentrate on the image of a simple, white rat scurrying across the family’s path, no doubt scaring the little girl at least, maybe all three. Jewel suppressed a groan of effort as she focused on casting the illusion.

Sure enough, she heard a scream, and Jewel winced, her eyes opening.

“Ack, a rat!!” the mother screeched, the daughter letting out a confused cry at her mother’s overreaction, “Kill it, honey, kill it!!”

“I-I’m on it, honey!!” the father shouted, sounding confused more than anything, as if he himself didn’t see it, “Get over here, you little bastard!!”

Jewel suppressed the urge to laugh at the image of this hulking mountain of a man chasing down a tiny rat. However, the ground trembled beneath her, and she suddenly realized she’d made an imprudent error. Though the rat may have looked less stripey than the last one… it had scurried out of a hiding spot, towards her current location, rather than away from her.

Cursing her hunting instincts, luring the “prey” in this situation towards her rather than away from her, Jewel quickly vacated the spot she was in, just as the mountain of a man brought his hand down into the bush she’d been hiding in
seconds before. Jewel hid behind a nearby palm tree, taking a breather.

“I got it…” the man said, brushing his hands, the bush that Jewel had been in now looking much less bushy and more like it had been hit by a large club several times, “Now let’s get going, you said you wanted some food, right?”

Without waiting to hear the rest of the conversation, Jewel moved on. At least her rat illusion had seemingly succeeded this time… but it was time to move away from the area and find a new place to practice.
---
Jewel’s temples were starting to burn a little, and she felt herself growing more frustrated with each incomplete illusion she attempted to put in front of someone while remaining concealed. Her illusory Nam was wearing blue robes rather than the orangey ones she remembered, which was called out by the audience member that was trying to find the real deal to congratulate on his awesome match against Johnathan. The image she’d attempted to make of Kakondo had looked far too young (the hair was blonde rather than white, and his face wasn’t nearly as aged). And, for some inexplicable reason, when trying to create an Abra image, her hair came out blue rather than pink. Her illusions would be visible to her targets, but they weren’t coming out as they should have.

Jewel shook her head, sighting another target approaching. The man looked a bit down on his luck, and had probably come just to kill time. She gritted her teeth, unable to believe what she was about to do.

But I’m desperate for the right response… thought Jewel, I have to focus… Focus on the form she revealed to everyone after Rika pressured her…

It wasn’t hard. After all, Gerie’s true form was strikingly similar to that outfit Jewel had tried to wear into Fungus Town. It wouldn’t take a lot of adjustments to match Gerie rather than herself. Eliminate that embarrassed, angry glare, change the hair and eye color… Act fast, the target’s going to be passing through soon…

“Oh… hello…”

This was proof that her illusion was working. The guy was suckered in.

“A lot of people… well, I… was wondering where you went…”

Make her turn around… make her turn around…

“So, are you feeling alRIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII-III-I-IGHT!?”

Jewel’s eyes shot open, and she peered out from her cover again, the man cowering in fear of dead air as he shivered in some respect. Jewel didn’t know what had happened wrongly, until the man spoke up to a small crowd of onlookers who had been attracted by his blubbering.

“Her face… It was like that of an old witch…!!”

“Whose face…?”

Without waiting to hear more, Jewel shuffled off. Had she let her internal biases ruin her illusion without thinking about it? Was it not enough to have a clear image in mind? Jewel set out on this journey to answer her questions, but she just had more questions…
---
Jewel settled into cover one final time. Her mind was resolute. Maybe the reason her earlier illusion ultimately worked, was because she was focused on herself, an image of herself having taken the hit, but not actually being hit herself. That had allowed her to get the drop on Man-Wolf, hadn’t it? Maybe making an image of herself would be the best way to continue on.

Jewel sighted a reporter of sorts looking around. She had with her a notepad, and what looked like a large cup of indeterminate liquid. Though, given the look on her face, it was probably liquor of some kind. Her face was flushed, and she was slurring something about how she can’t seem to find any contestants to interview. Perfect.

Mumbling another apology, Jewel closed her eyes and focused on the image of herself, as a human, waving to the hopeful reporter. It was bad of her, definitely classless, but Jewel was desperate to succeed completely at something.

“Huh… oh!” she heard the reporter say, “Contestant Jewel! I have some questions for you!”

Jewel hadn’t expected this… It seemed her illusionary self didn’t have anything off about it this time, but how would she make the illusion talk.

“For instance… when did you and Arashi find time to talk to each other before his match with Son Gohan! And how do you feel about him!?”

Jewel’s face flushed, and her forehead veins pulsed.

Listen… listen here… we’re just fellow martial artists and we had a common goa—

Jewel’s head suddenly throbbed with blinding pain. As she was hidden behind bushes, no one saw the golden-haired girl collapse in pain.

“Huh…?” the reporter asked. Jewel, between throbs of agony from a migraine, prayed she wasn’t visible, “Oh… I must have drank too much… again…”

Jewel’s face twitched, and she let out a mini sigh of relief, though her relief was short lived as her head still hurt magnificently.

Psychic… Backlash… Jewel thought, A rebound when psychic-types overexert themselves…! It must have been too much… I’d better take a break before I hurt myself some more...
---
Jewel, walking back to her room after her excursion, still had a sore head. Thankfully, she’d managed to dodge any other reporters looking for a scoop on this or that about her performance in the tournament and her sparring session with Arashi. Which was fine. Her head hurt too much to deal with any further scandal.

I should have remembered… Jewel said to herself, These psychic powers are very delicate… And not meant to be trained like physical muscles… I may be able to use them to boost my existing strength, but that’s about it…

Jewel nodded to herself, the movement irritating her migraine…

“I’d… better be more careful when exploring my new powers from here on…” Jewel thought weakly, moving off to go lie down and suppress her killer migraine.

A good, fun training post, seeing Jewel push the boundaries of her newfound ESP. Setting up the mechanics and limitations of her new illusions, for now mostly limited to making doubles of herself, but with all sorts of possibilities in the future. Can't see this scoring below Rota's recent outing so...

Jewel gains 4 bonus Training Points on top of what she'd earned by passing his rolls!!