Tryout #17: Impact Lass
Name: Chu Hua Jin
Homeworld: Earth
Abilities: Telekinesis
Chu Hua stares down at the glowing screen, trying to fool herself into thinking the games on her phone will make her forget what she's about to do.
She's always had big plans, never wanting to stop looking past the horizon and thinking that she can somehow do better. And considering where she is now that should be enough, but as a possible Legionnaire she has a lot of expectations to live up to and she's not certain she can meet them all. Maybe she has a power that isn't creating chocolate or changing colors, but is that really enough?
Cacao Kid—at least that's what Chu Hua thinks his name is—storms out of the room, whatever he's yelling muffled by the chocolate bar stuffed in his mouth. There are a few words she can make out, like "Fine!" and "One day", but really nothing else.
Just remember Dad's advice, she tells herself. Think of something funny or something you like so you'll smile, make your introduction short, and show a demonstration they won't forget.
"Next!" They call, and Chu Hua shuffles into the room where she is greeted by more than a dozen pairs of eyes staring at her from above. She's tempted to look down where she won't have to look at the official Legionnaires but forces her head up so that they will recognize she wants to be on their level.
"My name is Chu Hua Jin." She forces herself to think of pancakes and cat plushies and snowboarding, anything to get her lips to tilt up.
One of them, a boy a little older than her with bright ginger hair and a mechanical arm, scans the clipboard. "Impact Lass, right? Says your ability is—."
"—Telekinesis. Yes, that's correct."
"Can you give us a demonstration?" This time it's a girl speaking, dressed in striking shades of black-and-white that make Chu Hua feel like a child compared to her.
"Of course." Quick, think. You need something that will make an impression, right?
"Throw something at me!" She blurts out.
"What?"
"...Just throw something at me!" The ginger-haired boy shrugs, but picks up his pen and throws it down toward her. It falls at a high speed, and just when its nib is about to land right on her face, Chu Hua raises a hand and stops it; the pen hovers in midair only a few centimeters away from her nose.
She looks up and makes the pen ricochet off the walls, causing loud pinging noises to reverberate throughout the room. And just for good measure, she propels the pen back into the air toward the boy who threw it at her.
Only this time, she doesn't stop it from hitting his face.
"Ow!" He rubs at his nose where the nib hit him.
"...So, how did I do?"
There are a few murmurs among some of the other Legionnaires as they speak. Chu Hua finally allows her gaze to drop to the floor, where she stares at a particularly noticeable smudge on her shoe. She braces herself for the dismissive "next" that might come.
Sprock. I think I messed up. I must have done something wrong, why else would they be talking about me like that?
Someone says her name but the rest of the words are lost on her. That happens a lot.
"'Scuse me?" She looks back up again, turning her eyes away from her shoe.
"Hmm?" She's probably getting dismissed, she concludes. "Sorry, I wasn't listening."
