There are, quite obviously, a lot of options open to you. You could go with the safe and assured route, as your former self suggested, and simply wish for more power directly. It would be a guaranteed way to ensure your effectiveness, but it would grant you little to no utility, and that lack of utility could prove to be a critical weakness. Power is only useful so long as it has a way to be utilized, after all.
What else could you do? You briefly consider something entirely different. A wish that could grant you as much power as possible, by paying an upfront cost, but quickly decide against it. To call it risky was an understatement, and you have no idea what the end result would actually be. Fascinating potential outcome or not, you'd much rather not be the test subject for such an experiment.
Then another thought crosses your mind, leaking in from the vessel. It wants to meet her so badly, to beg for forgiveness, but you easily overrule it. Not only would such a wish have way too many knock-on effects, it would also ultimately give you little practical benefit. And regardless, you had nothing to apologize for. She would be dead regardless of whether that wish had brought this existence into being or not. If anything, at least you gave the child's body life.
but
No, you have a much better idea. If you yourself are unable to be powerful, why not simply empower those around you when they work to your benefit? Not only would it benefit you, but it would by extension benefit everyone around you, allowing your your relatively meager amount of power to hopefully be utilized to its maximum efficiency.
is
"I wish that the efforts of others to benefit me are enhanced." You transmit over.
that
"Interesting." The terminal responds, as it reaches its manipulators into the vessel.
even
You're immediately struck by the pain. It... is almost indescribable. It isn't merely physical, nor even simply mental, but something else altogether. It is as if your very existence itself ached. It is an abstract pain, a statement which rightfully should not ever be so much as conceivable. And yet, as the manipulators draw themselves up from the vessel's chest and you let out a quiet hiss, you can think of no better way to try and convey the sensation.
true?
"Your wish has successfully reduced entropy."
Finally, the manipulators are drawn out of the vessel entirely, and the pain begins to lessen. Slowly, an object is formed in the air, and as it grows more solid, the pain continues to lessen ever more, before, at long last, it drops into your hands.
You stare at the white gem with red highlights, wrapped in a cage of gold. Unlike most soul gems that you've seen, there are no emblems or other decorations on it. In fact, it is almost remarkably plain, barring its odd multicolored hue.
"We look forward to seeing the repercussions of this decision." Your former self says. When you turn the vessel to look, they've already vanished, leaving you alone once more in the hallway.
And then the door to the guest room opens up, with the sudden noise startling you.
"Uh... Rachel, are you okay?" Emma asks, concerned. "We heard some weird noises coming from the hallway and... what's that you got there?" She asks, gesturing to your hands.
"N-nothing!" The vessel stutters out, hiding what, technically, was now your actual being from sight. "And I'm fine, I was just about to head to bed." You silently curse the human amygdala and prefrontal cortex for their role in the human sensation of surprise.
"Oooookay. Well, me and Jess are gonna do the same. Catch ya in the morning?"
"See you then." The vessel offers, before the door to the guest room closes. You faintly hear the two having a conversation, but you've already begun heading to the vessel's room, and don't feel it that important to listen in. When you enter, you have the vessel gently set the soul gem down on the bedside table, before having it lie down on its bed, exhausted from the day.
Finally.
Finally.
You were one step of the way there. You didn't need to keep up this charade for the entity of a human lifetime, before perishing like any other biological life form. And by being one step of the way, you've now proven that it's possible to keep going, and soon, you'll be back where you belong.
As the vessel's eyelids become heavy, and sleep beckons once more, you allow yourself to drift off into what you imagine will be yet another nonsensical dream.
Meanwhile...
[ ] Queens.
[ ] The Bronx.
The real April Fool's joke is me being able to regularly update things for seemingly the first time in years. Also, I truthfully didn't expect for people to vote to be a team support of all things. I guess the former Incubator being a buffer does make some sense, at least.
