So I'm home from the clinic. Jiggity jig.

The Utopians have been terrific. (So has everyone who helped me out with my problems - hugs and kisses for all.) They made me a job offer, obviously, with the Materials Engineering division of their company.

I asked them why. They said they were very interested in how I can just tell things to become other things, and if that could somehow be replicated. They theorize that eventually I'll be able to just 'see' what something's made out of, which would be undeniably handy.

I asked the Utopian agent if he had any openings in the field of biological sciences. He looked honestly surprised, and asked me why. I replied that I had two doctorates and I'd gotten them because I enjoyed working in that field, and just as the words came out of my mouth I felt a sinking in my stomach. To his credit I think he sensed it too, because he said that he'd check for me.

As I hung up the phone I thought about it for a long time. I decided to ask around:

Do people's foreknowledge of "what powers you have" color their expectations of you? I'm worried they do for me - that I'm not a doctor anymore, but the fox-girl whose eyes glow and who makes things change shape. And does anyone still keep at their old jobs despite erupting? I want to, honestly, even though the old job's more or less gone. I love my job, and I know that sounds dopey when I could be showering in dollar bills, but they say 'do what you love.'

I think my powers reinforce my job... so I got semi-lucky like that. I'm still in my old job... but that job is getting higher profile, now.

Keep doing what you love - if you don't, you'll go nuts. I'm looking at the same situation myself, in the future.

But yes, a lot of expectations are leveled on you once you erupt, or at least I've had that. I can't advise about the job-thing - mine hasn't changed, but that's because I'm in high school and I have to finish that, first.

I was visited by a small group from Project: Utopia the this morning and They want my to sign a contract to join T2M. I don't know the first thing about being a super hero so I can only assume they want me for my powers.

My eruption effectively spelled the end of my normal existence. However, with great power comes great opportunity and use it to try entirely new endeavors. And yes, for those who are familiar with my skill set, it almost always colors expectations of me.

I took my eruption as a new opportunity do do what I like to do as opposed to what I had to do to survive as a baseline in a world of titans.

As an aside, Dr. Richardson, I too have an affinity for the various sciences and absolutely love the idea of being on the cutting edge of any field. If you would like to do research in that field, I would be more than happy to sponsor your endeavors. If you like I can provide a workspace.

Lady, you're a big, fuzzy, animalperson. You thought life could stay the same?

Lemme guess, book-smart but life-stupid.

I got to keep my old job because I asked for it, and it seems things generally go the nova's way in contract negotiations. My 'powers' don't make me any better at it, but then they don't really make me any better at anything usually-relevant (unless I'm being murdered or in a plane crash or something). To my corporate overlords, my being a nova was worth more than what I could do as a nova, or a baseline.

Not complaining, mind you. I'm plenty happy with my situation, but it would have been indisputably more awesome to be able to simulate complex polymer-folding in my head than what I ended up with.

My own powers and abilities have colored the expectations of virtually everyone I've encountered since my eruption. I don't know if that sounds cynical or not, but it's true. Before I erupted I worked with for a company that helped other companies switch over to the (then brand new) OpNet protocols, and I did some basic networking as well. I know that probably sounds boring to some, but I enjoyed it (yes, I'm a geek, sue me). Anyway, after my eruption, I remember that it seemed like there was just no way that I would be able to continue my old life. So I signed up with Team Tomorrow just like the Utopia reps wanted me too.
Looking back on it, do I regret it? Not really. My parents were incredibly proud of me, all of my friends thought it was the greatest thing ever. But would I choose differently if I knew then what I know now? I don't know. I know I miss the work, and I miss doing something that I both liked and understood - something that I had chosen for myself, instead of something that almost felt (at times) like it was chosen for me.

Hmm. You know what, Vixen? I'm rambling here. Forgive me. What I'm trying to say, and failing horribly at, is that you've erupted now and you can't go back. Whichever career you choose, you're life is going to be different. People will treat you differently. Things will happen to you that never would have otherwise. The only thing you can do is make the best choice you can at the moment, and go from there.

Absolutely, to both questions. Do my powers make my job different? In some ways easier, given that it makes me more personable and more compelling in negociations. In some ways, harder. It's the classic beautiful woman in a suit syndrome - "You mean she has brains to go along with the looks?" Unfortunate, really, but not so different from dealing with being an attractive baseline woman in a law firm except as a matter of scale.

Of course, the United States government is currently trying to prevent me from keeping my job, which you've no doubt seen me complaining about before. But it's been what I loved doing since I was an undergraduate, and I have no intention of stopping now.