Cape City
Cherry ended up moving not too far away, to Paragon. It was a new place, but close enough to her parents that she could drive home to visit them and Charlie whenever she wanted. Further, it gave her more space to get used to her powers without the pressure of anyone knowing about them.
Sure, she was still registered with the FBSA, but she changed her name to something a little sillier, and let that set the tone for the rest of her time. What few forays she had out in the 'heroic' community involved mind tricks and letting people think they weren't as hurt as they were, then telling them after that they REALLY needed to rest and see a doctor, if necessary. After a few months of that, she kind of felt like she had just... done enough. There were real heroes out there and if the time ever came that she felt like she had to do things, well, she would.
Work It
She tried a few normal jobs once she got settled in; retail at book stores, waitressing, this and that. None of it really stuck, until she had the hilarious thought at lunch with a friend that "Would't it be hysterical if I was paid to strip without having to do anything?".
...And it kind of snowballed. She went down to The Cat Walk the following week and had her audition. Hired almost immediately, she was put on roster as Cherry Bomb, the sweet as pie girl next door. Her popularity grew rapidly.
In reality, Cherry spends most of her time dressed in sweaters and jeans, letting them all see what they expect to see while she sits in the wings reading. Sometimes, she watches the audience to make sure no one is looking too close; and if someone pays for a private session, she follows along to give a good show.
Cherry will try the clothes on, at home, in private. She'll move in them and work on her routines so that she can make it look good... but when it comes to put Cherry Bomb on display, there are a few differences between her and the vision - a few extra pounds, some extra tattoos, a different shade of eye color. Enough the same that it takes little effort on her part, but enough different that she feels comfortable flashing it around people's minds. And for all her work, it's gone over quite well. She's been there for a good two years, now.
Job Offer, 2
Now... working as a stripper isn't exactly living the high life, and Cherry tended to not make a lot of friends. She wanted to, but... never seemed to happen. She had her cousin and his family, her brother, one gal friend. Social life was not quite what it should be, and maybe a date or two would be nice - and not from people at the office. So, she signed up for a dating site. Three months of sifting through weirdness and she got a real weird offer. "Okay, full disclosure. I made this profile for my dad. He hasn't gone anywhere since his wife died. He stays at home and collects stamps. It's boring and he needs to go on a date."
If nothing else, it was amusing. And he was an attractive man. The date was set, and the horribly uncomfortable guy showed up. Cherry didn't have to read his mind to know he wasn't entirely comfortable and she felt a little bad -- until she read his mind. It was habit. There' already been a few bad dates from the site, even after the sifting and well, better to check before things snowball and if nothing else, she could help him relax and enjoy himself before he ran away. So she peeked. Leaning forward, she used her powers to blur their conversation from everyone else as she blurted out "Ohmygod. You're Signalfire!"
Thankfully, her lack of finesse didn't kill anything. In fact, it got them into a long conversation, and earned her an invitation to his reforming group, the Battle Ready Organization. Though Cherry took a very ... relaxed view of her powers, she felt she owed it to him to at least try. Things seem to be working out a lot better than her previous attempts at heroics.
