opnet [OpNet] How do you see what you can do?

[Juri 'Salamander' McClendon]

Okay everyone, time for your daily dose of me and my own brand of weirdness.

Question for the week from the girl formerly known as Pyre is: how do you see your quantum expression?

Btw, that's a nice way of saying powers, you know? Props to whomever came up with quantum expression.

Anyway, what I'm getting is what do you think of it as? Are your abilities simply tools that let you play with the world in different ways? Are they advantages that the non-erupted just don't have? Biological functions like breathing that are part of your evolution? That kind of stuff.

Oh yeah, this isn't a stupid attempt to jumpstart the magic vs science debate. There's no correct answer here. I'm just curious what people think.

I'll start off, being the wacky spirit of fire that I am.

As a flame spirit my powers are a natural function of my purpose. I've got all kinds of amazing ways to interact with the burning, from moving through it to sensing it to varying degrees of torching something, and even giving birth to and snuffing the life from it. As the burning is my domain, my element, my quantum expression naturally revolves around it and is centered in ways to interact with it.

I have to say that I've noticed this affecting my outlook on a lot of things. I'm often thinking about how flammable something is, or how much energy I'd have to exert trying to make something burst into flames. I don't know if this is just me being aware of what my expression is capable of, or seeing the world through the lenses of my expression.

But it feels, crap, I can't think of a good word here, um..........proper, that I do see it that way. It's weird, I know.

Anyone else want to share their thoughts on their quantum expression?

[kestrel404]

Hrm...that's much more 'spiritual' than my experience. When I first started out using quantum abilities (I didn't have much in the active department), it was all instinctual and unconscious. I willed something to happen, and if I was capable of it, it did.

Then, after a lot of naval gazing and experimentation (because I'm the curious sort), I began to learn what I was doing whenever I 'willed' something to happen. I studied myself using both the tools at my disposal, and my own enhanced abilities.

Now, I see my quantum expression as a surgeon sees his hands, his reflexes, his skills. It's not a tool so much as an extension to my natural capabilities. It is a part of who I am, something that I have learned and have gained control over - though not complete control, I must admit.

[billy Horrorshow]

You know I might not really be answering the question right, but if I think about my abilities too much they don't work right. I can just imagine me learning to fly:

"Holy Shit! I'm flying! I'm Flying! How the hell am I..AAAAAAAAAHHHH" (sickening thud)

I also don't ask how I can see, talk and move once my skin, eyes, and most of my flesh has been burned off. Yeah that's gruesome and VERY painful but the pay is good. (And my passion is bad horror movies, so it's often a Labor of Love at times). I think it's more like a Nodeless's immune system. You don't have to think about how it works but it usually does.

So I "guess" I'll take the Biological process answer.

Oh and I've said it before and I'll say it again: I still envy you Superman "bullets just bounce off me" invulnerable types. :sigh: God buckshot sucks. I was coughing those little buggers up for a week.

[Walker]

I see pretty much all things as being to do with Quantum juice, Quantum energy, etc, etc.

The whole universe is composed of quantum weirdness interacting, I'm not just spouting some pseudo-mystic thing here this has good basis in Quantum Mechanics, M-String theory and stuff like that. I happen to be a big reservoir of quantum weirdness, my weirdness can effect the universe's weirdness. My QE changes the universe's QE.

Rather than just 'choose' out of possibilites I can make more things possible. Slightly more technically, rather than just cause quantum wave functions to collapse, I am able to amplify and alter quantum wave functions.

I see this as cool and good fun.

[Cody]

You ever see them toys what could be pushed and pulled in parts til they changed from something like a car into a robot and then into a airplane?

Its like that. Sort of. There's this big hazy cloud of juicy stuff all around and everywhere. Things like cars and trees and what not got the stuff pushing at them to be what they are. It pushes HARD too. But just like them old toys if you push or pull in just the right spot its can be something else.

Makes kind of a weird noise when it happens too. Sorta like a piece of spring metal under pressure coming loose alla the sudden. Kind of a *sproing* noise. Most novas can't to hear it but I thought you might wanna know.

[Wakinyan]

It's as simple as breathing. I don't really see the deep science or grasp the concepts of what I do. For the most of my powers it is all physical of course so it makes sense.

However, when it comes to my visions and illusions. They come in slightly different ways. The visions come at random sometimes when I do not want them to. It's almost like I have a seizure and the vision guides me and my powers more than I consciously do. With my illusions it's a lot like sketching I know what I want to see. The medium is like ink that exists everywhere. I just choose to scoop some of it up and start painting on my canvas that happens to be everything around me.

I dunno. I am not very good at describing this stuff yet. Maybe I lack the details of it all but my body seems to do it instinctively.

[Great Monster C]

Hmmm. I don't "see" it per se. Most of what I do is all internal. I'm strong, I'm tough and well, kinda charming.

But, I do feel different when I'm doing stuff other folks can't do. I lift up a car and I feel good. It's like a little emotional pick-me up, like strength and confidence and contentment are connected. When I'm talking to a crowd and I'm doing my best to make a connection with them I can feel it, like I feel better and happier even before I get the crowd's reaction.

Quantum equals warm fuzzies I guess.

[Ghostwriter]

Before I changed, my powers revolved around the written word, visual acuity and the gathering of knowledge. I did everything like I was working to written instructions.

After I changed, my focus completely shifted from the intellectual to the primal. Don't get me wrong, I'm still as smart as I ever was, but I developed claws, functioning wings, empathy and some minor matter-shaping powers that aren't related to books. My stamina extended to cover regeneration and my perception to enhanced touch and taste. Now, I mostly function on whim and instinct, pretty much as my mood swings dictate to me.

Interesting, huh?

[Gerald Haney]

Hmmm, I don't see my powers as anything. Seeing IS my power. Heh. Weird eh?

It is kinda, everything looks...weird. Real pretty, or real ugly, or real plain. Every description you can imagine, but imagine it was neon. Neon plain. Neon ugly. I mean, even hotel walls are incredible.

[Vox Via]

I tend not to see my "powers". The facts is I know they are working based on what I am not seeing. So in a way I see them threw the negative reaction they cause.

[Xeno]

The self feels very natural. One may be one's own baseline.

Very little thought would be given to the presence/influence of quantum manifestation on form or activity if The Others were not a constant reminder of what it is like to be a solid vertebrate.

Super-normal quantum manifestations feel no more like powers than moving, speaking or thinking. But these things are not seen as such because they are shared by so many.

[Proteus]

The way my powers work bugs me some times in that I have no name for them. Just collections of other people's little names, like computer files, swirling around in my brain for me to use whenever I want to try them out. In the side panel utilities are running that sometimes have to be maintained. I can't remember when it wasn't like this, though I could give you a date that probably was the case.

It's also hard not to see Novas as just being linked chains of little names and quantum linking them to other little chains. Literally, not figuratively. As if our powers, and nothing else, defines us. I wish I could see myself but things don't work like that. My powers work by spending little bits of store energy, very actively and accepting what they have to give me, for better or for worse.

Nothing is instinctive. It's all trial and error.

Of course it's less error these days not that that helps me where I am right now.

[Edward]

Ok, finally a question I can understand. Thank you Salamander.

When I become it seems like I am breathing with the world. I feel the pulse of the world and my heart beats with it. The wind speaks to me, the earth welcomes me. Creatures of the air invite me to join them. Creatures of the see do so too. I am filled with the urge to become more, to fly even if I am not doing so, to swim if there is water.

And when I feed all is right. I can feel the blood and flesh roll down my throat, into my stomach and I can feel the energy from my food expand out into my body and I can feel the world relax just a little because the balance is closer.

[Jager]

A new meaning to the words "comfort-food" and "happy meal".

Salamander, I see my QE as so much a part of me that I don't normally think of it. In essence, I try to be capable of removing the effect of all external forces on my person, either by moving my form out of the way, or making natural forces "forget" that I'm there.

[Longboard]

I havent had to wear a wet-suit since eruption. which is BADASS, becasue besides not being cold anymore, I get to show of the tats. Alos, I'm always bronze tan word. nOw, I'm hispanic, so I come that color anyways, but I usually got lighter toned in the winter time. No more. Oh yeah, and the fire out of the corn hole.... what you expect anything less????

Surf's up eh