A Seed of Misfortune

[AVEIRA STERLING]

He was willing to make it up to her? Make up for something that didn't even happen. The boy was going to get killed here. Quite a few people would take advantage of him. If she wanted, with just a few twists of his own words, she could have made him her slave. And, yes. The thought did cross Aveira's mind. But was she going to act on it? Of course not. Those were the impulses of the false memories, not hers.

At least he seemed prepared to meet Alistair. Most people didn't have a clue and Alistair truly frightened them. She nodded to him, keeping a careful eye on the boy as she headed towards the manor. "This circus has been in his family for years. His father was the Ringmaster, and so was his grandfather. He's tried to keep their influence alive, which is why Circo seems so old-fashioned." And because Alistair preferred the times of old, but still. It sounded better the way she explained it. "He's kind of like you, he's very gentlemanly. But because of the strain of being Circo, he can often come across as disconnected. His power also gives him an almost dark feeling, like when you get the creeps, so most people find themselves afraid of him." Hopefully he wouldn't question what the Ringmaster's power was.

"He also has a personal assistant that tends to give people the creeps. His name is Yuzki. I'm not sure if he'll be around, so I'm just warning you ahead of time." She hoped that he was there though.

[METHUSELAH BRECKENRIDGE]

Once Oliver's vision was set and his ordeal over, he had calmed down considerably. He was by no means a cool and collected person, but he knew when to take matters maturely and calmly. He easily sided by Aveira, one arm gripping his school backpack and the other swaying rhythmically by his side. He kept his vision just below her eyesight as he was taught that it was rude to give eye contact to figures of authority. Everyone else was fair game, however. His flower had been tucked carefully into his pocket with extra care as to not damage his gift. All traces of his former anxiety disappeared as his mind evolved into one that was ambitiously eager to learn.

Even though he was prepared to meet the ringmaster, he still felt unsure as to how he would react to him. Was he that frightening? What did he look like? Was he more... Monstrous than most of the freaks here? No, he couldn't be. How rude of a thought. Perhaps he was truly normal with an odd gift. He was only told so much, as his rescuers sought fit for him to seek out an unbiased opinion of him. Either that or they wanted one of the staff to get a kick out of his fearful reaction. On any case, the man sure had an interesting history. "He holds a very honorable position. I'll be sure to be on my best behavior." He noted to himself, unsure if his answer was audible or not. He looked back to Aveira and nodded clearly. "Understandable. I'll be more than content to uphold the Circo's traditions." Though he was, he couldn't help but to feel a bit upset at the fact that he wasn't allowed to use technology. It was his true getaway besides his studies, and now he was denied it. He couldn't complain, though. He had a chance at another life, and he wasn't going to take it for granted.

Oliver listened to the rest of her explanation silently, taking in both the surroundings and her words. He almost grinned with her compliment though suppressed the temptation to thank her several times over. His attention was quickly changed however when she told of Alistair's somehow saddening personality. He seemed not extremely threatening, though managed to be of a threat. And he had an assistant, too. Who was just like him. Well, Aveira was friends with them, so they couldn't be too horrible, right? "Oh, alright. You previously stated that they are good people, correct? The inside is what counts, as I have been told. I will do my best to see past their presence." He assured her calmly, a small smile placed on his pale lips.

[/font]

[AVEIRA STERLING]

Aveira nodded. "They are both very good people." For different reasons, of course. Alistair was a good person because of all he did for Circo. While he wasn't really the father figure she had a feeling he wanted to be, he meant a lot to everyone. If nothing else, they had a home and friends because of him. And Yuzki? He was just... Yeah. She wasn't going to follow that train of thought. Oliver deserved and, quite frankly, needed all of her attention. No one would be very happy if he tripped and broke his new glasses.

"Is there anything you would like to know about Circo? I'm sure I could answer any questions you have, or at least direct you to someone more knowledgeable." As if there was anything is Circo she didn't know or wasn't aware of. She made it a point to know at least a little bit about anything and everything that happened around her home. It was /kinda/ her job. And she loved her job, even if it meant dealing with idiots on a daily basis.

[METHUSELAH BRECKENRIDGE]

Questions? He had so many! He nodded following her statement of the two men's benign nature. He trusted the judgement of others who didn't threaten him. Then again, others would pretend to be harmless just to earn his undying trust. To make matters worse he never quite learned his lesson or hardened his attitude. The boy just really needed some therapy and friends.

It was sad, really.

Oliver looked up slightly to think of the questions he had before he had been thrown out of a window. What could he ask?... Ah! "Mistress? Is there a... Hm, facility of some sort to help new oddities control their new 'gifts'? I do not wish to um... Do something that will put other oddities in danger... I do not have a lethal gift, at least I do not believe so." He explained to her in a quiet voice, as if he was embarrassed by his newcomer-ship. He inhaled softly to burn off any shame he was thinking as he thought of yet another question. He bit his lip as he thought until a mental lightbulb went off in his head.

"I have heard there are occupations here. Everyone must perform a task in order to pay their dues to the circus. There are performers, staff, sideshow actors and the tech crew. Though I do have a passion for technology, I do wish to assist with your staff... Am I old enough, or eligible? I know I am new, and that I am but a child... I just wish to help with the ringmaster. Not personally; I just wish to aid the population of Circo in general..." His confidence fizzed down as he realized how demanding he thought he was. He looked down sheepishly and shook his head with a faint smile. "It's an odd, stupid request I know. I do need to earn responsibility first before I charge into it. Forgive me for my rudeness."

[/font]

[AVEIRA STERLING]

"We have the Big Top." Aveira answered the first question, thinking it over. "A lot of the oddities go there to practice with their gift. It's also a good place to make friends, and some of the older oddities could probably help you." Though, given how his first run-in with oddities had gone, that probably wasn't the safest place for him.

And then he went on to ask to be part of the staff, jumping from unsure of himself to wanted to be part of the big leagues. So the boy did have some confidence... It actually made Aveira smile. Maybe she could help it show. "I don't think you're ready to be part of the Staff yet, but," Did she really want to do this? She was already tied to so many of these kids. What would happen when she finally snapped? So many people would be hurt... "If you want, I could use an assistant. I can't be everywhere at once, and some of the oddities might find talking to you easier than speaking with me. And I could help you with your power if the Big Top isn't your thing."

It wasn't exactly part of the staff, but close enough, right? Being assistant to the head of security. If nothing else, it would help protect the poor boy. Most people were scared of her and when that didn't work she had Yuzki. Hopefully no one would mess with the poor nerd anymore.

[METHUSELAH BRECKENRIDGE]

The Big Top? With peers? He didn't think so. Oliver handled adults better than children his age. It just seemed to be his nature. His mother raised him to look down upon other children and up upon adults. Though the former fragment of philosophy was not obeyed by her son, he did feel more obliged to associate with adults rather than children. Bullying didn't help much either, which sent a chill of fear down his spine. He didn't want to decline boldly, so he kept his mouth shut and nodded at the suggestion.

Her second proposal, however, drew out a lot more attention to him. He wasn't allowed to be apart of the staff as expected, but... Her personal assistant? Not only could he repay his previously mentioned debt, but... He could assist someone! And have protection! Everyone would think he'd be a kiss up when he genuinely wanted to be of use... At least it was to someone who had a respectable position. "Your assistant...?" He asked in near disbelief. He thought for a second before smiling brightly. "Miss Sterling I would be honored to help you."Oliver decided respectfully, almost tempted to bow but decided against as they were walking. "If it isn't any trouble for you of course I would greatly appreciate your help. Only whenever you want to, I'll go to the big top if I need to." He didn't want to be a burden to her. That's not what assistants did, right? Through his delight perked through a very valid question. He chuckled softly and cleared his throat.

"Um, mistress... What do I do as your assistant?"

[/blockquote]

[AVEIRA STERLING]

What would he do as her assistant? She had never wanted one before, or needed one, or really even thought about one. So what would he do? "I'm sure that there's things in the office you could do." She really didn't like to do incident reports, and he was obviously well-worded. But it wasn't really fair to keep him in the office, was it? That's where he would get close to the other staff, but he was a kid.

"And I could use your help when trying to get closer to victims." Certainly that was something he could do, with his bully experience. "I can't comfort them like they need, and a lot of people here are scared of me." But he didn't really like people, did he? Still, it'd be a way for him to make friends. "And you could walk the day guards with me. We could practice with your oddity then." He would like that, hopefully. One out of three wasn't too bad, right? It was better than nothing.

She looked to him with a smile. "And we can figure it out as we go. I've never had an assistant, so it might be rocky at first. You need to talk to me if there's something you want to do, or something you'd prefer no to."

[METHUSELAH BRECKENRIDGE]

Oliver was just quite honestly honored to have the job in the first place. He didn't care what he was doing. As long as he did something that made him feel like he was a contributing member of the Circo society. He pondered her first suggestion quietly, considering it heavily. He would have accepted it then and there, but instead was given a suggestion that he didn't possibly think of.

Helping others? He had always wanted to assist people in more ways than forced homework copying. He wanted to help people emotionally, but unfortunately he had never had the chance to do this. But this? This job might change everything. He was an exceptionally loving person if someone were to look past his dorky demeanor. Would people still hate him though? Would he only drive victims away even more? Oliver sincerely hoped not. Plus, he didn't want to be called a kiss-*ss. "I..." He had to think about this carefully. After a few seconds of silence, a decision was reached. He was going to help her. "I would like that very much." He said finally with a tiny smile.

He could help others, train with her, and do his part. "I am not scared of you." He reassured her with a whisper, hoping it helped her some. She was really nice, actually. Sure, her hair and eyes were a bit off colored, and her scars were off-putting in the sense that they made him concerned, but she was alright. Plus she had given up some of her time to help a dweeby little kid like him. To him that was one of the greatest things in the world. "Mistress I'm here to serve you. You have my word." He vowed with a bow of his torso. Of course, he would buzz off the moment she no longer desired him around. He didn't want to be a nuisance or that one annoyingly clingy kid, so he would only serve Aveira when she needed/desired assistance.

Her topic did being forth something that seemed rather important. Could he discuss it with her now? "Oh, um... I have not discussed this with you yet, but um... Would you desire that inform you as to what my oddity is? I will not show it now, if you do not wish... But I have not informed you, and it may be important to share..." Oliver asked her nervously, his green eyes full of hesitation.

[/blockquote]

[AVEIRA STERLING]

"You can show me now, and I can explain it to the Ringmaster when we meet him, or you can show the both of us later." Though she was interested in what, exactly, he could do. He didn't look like he could do anything physical, but he was obviously smart. Maybe his gift was mind-based. In that case, she probably could help him since her own power was mental based.

Not that she couldn't help him if it was physically based. She /was/ head of security after all. She had to keep herself in shape. How could she ask those under her to do things if she herself was unwilling or unable to do them?

And now it was bothering her. What /was/ his power? Something dangerous? Something bland? Something she had yet to seen before? Whatever it was, it was probably a good thing that he hadn't used them against the bullies. Hopefully, as she helped him become stronger, he wouldn't use his powers against the other oddities. "It's really up to you, Oliver."

[METHUSELAH BRECKENRIDGE]

Show the ringmaster? Potentially destroy his office and embarrass himself in front of the keeper of the circus enough to potentially kick him out? That option didn't even seem considerable in his head. Potentially making Aveira laugh at him was bad enough. Was his ability lame in her eyes? Possibly. It wasn't like he had super strength or the power to shape-shift into a Tyrannosaurus rex. That would be cool, though.

"I... I will just tell you, Miss Sterling." He whispered in almost an ashamed tone. She had probably seen worse than him, so he had no reason to be nervous, correct? Well, in any case, it would be best to explain it to her first. "You see, mistress, I..." How would he approach this? He took a moment to process the situation before continuing. "Are you familiar with... Well, I am not so fluent on the aspect of fictitious superheroes, but... Have you heard or witnessed oddities that had the power of animal mimicry and/or the possession of interchangeable animal-like qualities? In some cases they behave like animals and can 'produce' different parts... They also can adapt feeding behaviors and can have altered DNA..." What was he getting at? Hopefully she could understand him. "Well, my oddity is... Similar to that. Not technically, but... The standard premise is still the same. I can... Oh, how can I say this..." Why was he being so difficult with himself? He took another second to think before proceeding once more. "I possess the partial DNA, characteristics, interchangeable qualities, and shifting abilities that are attributed not with animals... But with um... Plants..." Had he explained this well enough? Oliver had the feeling that what he said was too difficult to follow. Might as well get his biggest quality out of the way now. He was going to have to demonstrate for her. "I... Um... One moment please..."

Oliver stepped back two large strides away from her to make sure he had enough room. He breathed in through his nose smoothly and pulsed himself with mental assertion as he began to unbutton his shirt. He could do this. He could control it. Oliver then closed his eyes barely as he began to concentrate. Don't freak out. That was the key. His chest rose and fall with forced smooth breaths as his torso began to change. Ever so faintly, brown lines began to appear under his milk-white skin. After a few seconds these lines grew darker and raised to the surface, growing longer as they seemingly grew out of his skin like it was absolutely natural. Oliver looked away from this fainting-worthy sight as the lines, now distinguishable roots, grew upwards and wrapped up his body in a cool grip. The roots split with tinier hairs that went back into his body as they latched on, though the major root kept crawling upwards. As it wrapped behind his shoulder and over to his right arm, briar wood-like spikes began to poke out of it as well as smaller sprouts. Around the roots his skin began to fade into a pale shade of green. The vine wrapped around his arm like a boa constrictor as it traveled to his hand. That, upon the growth's contact, started to shift completely. His palm's skin began to crack and became almost like bark, gaining a texture and hardness of solid oak. The growth continued to his fingers, which began to emulate roots as they grew in size and inhumanity. They ended up looking almost wickedness and to a fine crooked point, as if they were ready to be planted in the ground just then. In a final attempt to shift the boy the top of his hand started to shift once more to branch-like growth, covered in leaves. It created a helix around the pre-existing vine as it worked its way over his shoulder and up the side of his face. The branch then split into two directions, little tendrils sprawling over the side of his face enough to knock over his glasses. The other fork just ended in oval leaves to shroud his hair and the right side of his now bashful face. Immediately after the growth began to die down as his transformation eased into a complete stop. Oli opened his eyes just enough to peer at Aveira through his leaves. His mutated arm then met with his normal one as he wrapped himself in a self-hug, his long fingers encasing the circumference of it. Oliver bit his root-touched lip as he looked down to his feet, his toes now facing each other in a sign of his own signature insecurity.

"So, yes... This is my oddity."

{I'm bad at typing transformations...}

[AVEIRA STERLING]

Aveira didn't take risks. That was just one of her things. She didn't take risks with just about anything, especially with her powers. But as Oliver transformed, and the human energy signature slowly began to fade, Aveira couldn't help it. She couldn't feel the weird energy coming from him not anymore, not as strongly at least. It was kinda like when the shapeshifters changed, and she just... She wanted to know.

She stepped closer to him, looking over the changes with amazed eyes. "It's either botanical mimicry or a plant exoskeleton." she murmured softly. "And since I can't feel your guilt as strongly anymore, it's probably the first..." Which meant if she touched him... She very carefully reached out, the very tips of her fingers touching where skin had become plant life.

Nothing. There was no pulling, no rush of memories, no chaos. And so she stepped away, her hands buried in her pockets. "That's amazing Oliver. Your entire body changes, so that my power doesn't work on you anymore." She honestly was impressed, and it showed in her voice. He had an amazing power.

And she wasn't quite sure how she'd help him with it.

[METHUSELAH BRECKENRIDGE]

Oliver looked nervously to the ground as Aveira inspected him. What would she think? She was looking at a boy smothered in foliage. Wow, what an astounding ability. Other 'shifters' could become jaguars, wolves, or even blue whales. Oliver? He could shift some (or maybe even all, he hasn't quite tried it yet) of his body into a daisy. Yeah, what he possessed was lame and probably not worth her time.

Or so he had thought.

The leaves caressing Oliver's face slightly reacted to his emotions as he eased himself a bit. Aveira approached the mutated boy in a bit of wonder. Oli nearly tilted his head out of confusion at her marvel of his power. Botanical mimicry? That seemed just about right. He kept himself silent as she looked the boy over, his root-like hand unclenching his arm and drifting to his side. The vines surrounding him piqued with interest as she commented on his new appearance and ability. "My guilt...?" He mumbled as he was puzzled by her musing. He would have been kept in this state of confusion, had it not been for the fact that Aveira had touched his tree-like hand.

Not only did her touch now not register through his nerves, it did not trigger her powers to detect his sins. At first he flinched in fear that she would hurt herself. Ease worked its way through his body as absolutely nothing happened now. Had his humanity slipped away? Plants could not complete malicious intentions... Did that mean he was safe? Would his ability be easier to work with now? Could she finally have somebody that she could react with? What did this mean? "My power... Amazing?" He wondered in awe as a small smile creeped upon his face, stretching the roots imbedded in it. His power, unbeknownst to him, did hold nearly infinite potential. He could shift his body to his will for practically anything- he could grow vines from his back to swing himself and other objects like Spider-Man; he could produce poison or create cactus spikes on his body to defend himself; he could technically sustain himself off of fruit he produced himself... Hell, he could even produce a giant carnivorous plant a-la Little Shop of Horrors to intimidate his enemy. Though an equal amount of limitations created his downfall, he still had much potential to do anything he desired. All he needed now was a bit of self-confidence and pride.

That, of course, was an aspect that didn't necessarily need another superhuman to train.

Oliver adjusted his glasses with his pinkie and lifted his head with more confidence. Well, at least someone liked who he was. "Th-thank you mistress..." He gratified shyly with a small bow of his head. Now that his big reveal was out of the way, could she grasp how they could work together? "I am significantly pleased that your gift does not hurt you with me like this... I truly am." Oliver, still, couldn't break his promise with what he could potentially do. He didn't want to push his luck, so of course he wouldn't touch her unless she touched him. "So, um... Do you believe you can aid me? I mean... I know your power is much different than mine... I will aid myself the best I can by touching up on the subject of botany, but... This is the most successful my oddity has been. I usually get launch myself a few feet or grow a spike or sprout so fast that it inflicts pain... This is not exactly what I desired to shift with, but it is better than hurting you or I right..?" His question followed itself with a small chuckled before a large sigh. "If you cannot help me I understand. I will practice away from the circus by myself until I can control and get used to my body. I still am not quite sure what is wrong with me... I sincerely hope that I may find out soon." With that note his leaves blew a bit in the wind, which Oliver instinctively attempted to tuck behind his ear with his over-half-foot-long 'fingers'.

"I suppose that I should also discover how to properly morph back... It may be odd to walk into the ringmaster's office like this."

[/font]

[AVEIRA STERLING]

He was going to be stuck like this? Well, that was something she hadn't quite thought of. He /had/ been the one to decide to change though. He had been doing just fine explaining it, even if he had tripped over every single word. He had explained the same thing about three different times in three different ways.

Still, he couldn't go see the ringmaster like this. He'd destroy things on accident at the very least. "I've absorbed the memories of transformations." Aveira said softly, giving him a small smile. "I believe I can still help you. I understand the basic concepts of powers like yours at the very least." She looked him over again as she stepped back. She didn't want to be speared through the gut on accident. Plants couldn't exactly beat a pissed off vampire. "It looked like it grew out of you at first, and then you began to change. So maybe if you take the energy that created the plants and pull it back inside of you, you'll change back more easily." Hopefully. "I would try it on a small area first though, like a finger or the back of your hand. If you can do it in a small area you'll have the confidence for the bigger area, and there's less of a chance of something going badly."

[METHUSELAH BRECKENRIDGE]

Oliver felt relieved to hear that Aveira could still help him. His skills would be a bit odd to practice with, seeing as how hesitant he was to show his superior a sample of what his potential was. Oliver knew that this would become a trust exercise if nothing else. Luckily no one was out right now to poke fun of him.

"Alright... I look forward to your help..." He courteously voiced with a pleasant smile. Maybe the two could help each other much when it came to both of their abilities. Now that he knew she could touch him, he could possibly help to allow her to interact physically with others without hurting herself... Yes! Surely, there was science around her curse. He certainly could figure out something for them. If she wanted to, that is. She didn't seem to enjoy her 'gift' all that much... She had to have wanted physical contact of some sort. It was nice to be hugged or told with a pat on the shoulder that everything was going to be okay. At least that's the positive contact he's received from school counselors. Maybe that could be something else he could owe her for her hospitality. He would have to see. "Perhaps if I can master my gift I can aid the circus more with it... I would like my power to be of some use to everyone here." He pondered what he could do with his botanical mutation. Perhaps he could research medicine, or at the very least restrain frenzied oddities with his vines. It was something.

Of course, now that he had shown her his potential, now was the time to put away his deformity. Her instructions seemed simple enough, but they were easy in theory. What mentality did he have to use to aid in his de-metamorphosis? "Alright..." He whispered as he raised his verdant hand up to eye level. "The last time I transformed I tried to cut off the vines that were really long... It was an idiotic idea, so at least I know one thing I will not be doing in the future."" Oliver chuckled with the former learning experience. It hurt with how gentle he failed to be, which was enough to warrant him not doing it again. "The opposite of growth is decay, which does not seem to be the most healthy decision for this... So reverse the process it is." Oliver stepped back a few feet himself as he looked at his palm. The energy to transform seemed so easy... He was releasing what was naturally now apart of him. This was suppressing what was truly an inescapable force. Still, he took a deep breath in and filled his mind with the thoughts of reverse blooming. All those sped up videos on the national geographic channel shown in school with time passage through plants helped him grasp the image a little bit. Slowly, bark started to recede into his hand and turned flesh-tone. The roots and vines reverse-grew back into his arm, his fingers turning back to normal and the branch encasing him receding. He kept a steady breathing pattern as he watched his ability drift away from him. Everything, his leaves, the roots embedded into his face, were going away smoothly.

And then, of course, everything had to go horribly wrong.

When trying to absorb back the spikes, they somehow became 'caught'. Oliver looked in confusion as the spikes broke the wave of smooth reformation; instead opting for a painful pull. "Ow!" Oliver yelped as he tried to pull his find to focus it back in. He didn't want spikes in the first place, why did his body make that decision for him? The large thorns refused to return back to his body, no matter how hard Oliver concentrated on them. "Oh bother... Just a moment, I'm sure that I- AH!" Oliver cried when the spike suddenly throbbed pain throughout his body. What was going on?! Whatever the case the unholy agony had sent Oliver's instincts into panic-overdrive. His mutation told him that he was being threatened, even though the pain and fear had instilled from himself. In another excruciating pulse his vines wrapped back around him at three times its normal speed, now covered in rose-bush like thorns and poison ivy. Too distracted by the sudden anguish, he didn't notice that matching vines had shot out from behind him, raising up in the air as if they had a mind of their own. Almost as if they were trying to hone in on a threat, Aveira seemed to disrupt every instinct his body carried. Oliver looked up from the ground through tear-pricked eyes to notice that she was dangerously close. "Ms. Sterling watch out!-" His yell had been lost as quickly as it was shouted as the protective limbs practically leaped out at her to defend the boy.

{Drama bomb?}

[/font]

[AVEIRA STERLING]

This was what she'd been waiting for. Aveira threw herself into a back flip, landing neatly crouched a few feet away. So Oliver's mutation was not a complete mesh. Just like anyone with an animalistic oddity, Oliver's plants had a mind of their own. What would a plant think of? Growth. Growth and protection,both of which could be triggered by reversing the power.

New plan time. "Oliver, you need to calm down. Instead of reversing you power, make it go dormant first. All plants have a dormant phase. If you make it go dormant, then reverse it, you should not have a problem." Hopefully. It made sense at least. People trimmed trees in winter because cutting a dormant limb would not hurt the tree. Certainly the same would apply now.

Aveira stayed crouched, her weight lightly balanced on one foot. She was ready to dodge again, should it be needed. "The plants have a mind of their own. In order to control them, you have to understand them."