Maybe she bit off more than she could chew.
This hero stuff didn't come easy to most, and Jester Lavorre was no exception. Although she had taken the initiative to practice her newfound magic in secret, putting her skills to the test in real life was a whole different animal altogether. Her powers, like some of the more famous heroes of team Vox Machina, were gifted to her.
*
There was a joke shop set up just on the corner of 10th. It had never been there before, which only made the dilapidated store front look even more out of place in comparison to the rest of the nearby various places of business.
Logically, Jester just had to take a peek inside.
There was a man, or so they seemed, behind the register. Adorned in a green cloak that looked as old as the store front itself, and a face completely obscured by the curiously dimmed overhead lights. The mysterious figure smiled at their new customer.
"Oh, curious little one," their voice was soft but deep in tone. There was a warmth to it.
Almost like an old friend.
"What brings you here?"
"I've lived here all my life, and I don't think I've seen you around before," Jester grinned as her eyes flashed a burning curiosity at the intriguing stranger.
"Well, since you're my first customer, allow me to present you a gift."
A hand vanished beneath the cloak, and as quick as a flash, a tiny golden charm appeared almost out of thin air.
"A lollipop?!" she exclaimed with obvious excitement.
"Not to eat of course, but keep this safe."
Gingerly, the young girl held out her hands to catch the tiny charm. A bright smile formed on Jester's face.
"No price?"
"No price."
"What do I call you?"
There was a playful pause and then an even wider grin, "for you, my dear?"
Jester nodded fervently.
"The Traveler."
The joke shop disappeared seemingly overnight after that.
Jester tried recreating the entire day up until the ship appeared for her that afternoon several times in hopes of somehow conjuring the shop once more but to no avail. When her powers manifested only a week after receiving the charm, she wanted more than anything to speak to the Traveler again.
Her parents, as far as she knew, weren't magical users. Which meant having to be self taught. Jester wanted this to be her secret. A surprise if you will.
It began with her snapping her fingers.
Magic works like that right?
Nothing happened. Jester frowned and clenched her fist around the tiny lollipop.
Shoot.
A blast of pink suddenly exploded from her grip; nearly singeing her dyed blue bangs.
"Hookay!" The girl laughed brightly, "I can work with this!"
Playing pranks became easier than ever, unfortunately, her magic now took out most of the fun of building the contraptions with her own hands.
Jester's pranks tended to have many moving parts.
Life went on, and her job as assistant to her mother, Marion, in the Museum of Creative Arts slowly settled back to mundane.
To call Jester absent minded would be an insult—and also possibly true.
Her head was always in the clouds so to speak. She had vivid dreams and wants that could only be satiated by fantastical media. Due to her mother's illness, Jester's childhood was incredibly sheltered, which left her plenty of time to absorb any kind of comic, movie, series, any form of storytelling she could get her hands on.
Naturally, after honing her powers for a year, when she found herself in a situation where she could use them to help someone—be a hero—she took that chance.
Life was no longer mundane.
Devil Princess was finally on the scene!
*
The name and costume were definitely spur-of-the-moment. Taking inspiration from her favorite heroes, Jester decided on a cutesy persona. Pink everywhere with ribbons and sparkles. She was a girly-girl at heart, but still tough as nails.
So when the would-be thief attempted to scurry past her, the left hook to the jaw was a bit of a surprise.
Maybe I should've used magic to attack too, Devil Princess mused after the fact. But the bystander gave their thanks to the brightly dressed girl, and that seemed like it had been the right choice after all.
Being a new superhero after feeling out her powers in private for so long gave her a bit of an edge. However, this new foe that stood before her, with his menacingly green aura and bright yellow eyes, was not something she had been prepared for.