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Winter Star Poinsettias: (6) : Poinsettias are common during the winter seasons, so it isn't unusual to see them decorating windowsills and local establishments. What is unusual are the unique Winter Star Poinsettias that seem to have accidentally mixed into the bunch. They look like ordinary Poinsettias reflecting a bit of glow from nearby lights--only, the leaves themselves are emitting a soft, silvery glow. They look like they are covered with a fine morning dew, only with fine silver glitter peppered in to give it a unique sparkle. They seem to have gone unnoticed by most of Destiny City and the landscapers, and it's not clear how these plants were selected, but anyone with a keen eye might recognize them as the catastrophe of Destiny City Botanical Garden's 2016 Winter Extravaganza. Thankfully, these variants are far less dangerous than their counterparts, however, these plants have a strange pollen that acts like an allergen and can cause agitation, oversensitivity, and sneezing to anything with much of a strong smell. Anyone who comes into contact with these plants may also find themselves suffering from flu-like symptoms such as fever, coughing, fatigue, and nausea and no medicine will relieve it, but the symptoms gradually fade. The leaves of the poinsettia are sharp and can sting like a papercut, so be careful! ...If you're worried about an all-out attack again, it might be a good idea to destroy these poinsettias--if you can manage to do so without getting caught.
Andreiya had done his research. He already knew about these poinsettias. In his research, he'd come across accounts of the Winter Star Poinsettias, and he'd made it a length task to scour Destiny City to find any traces of the strange plants.
He couldn't only research the safe ones, after all. If finding answers was without danger, someone else would have pursued this task long ago. No, it had to be him.
Procuring the Winter Star Poinsettia was the first of many hurdles. Not because they were hard to identify, but because he had to be out in public to do it, and he couldn't make it so obvious that he was relying on his ComTech to pick them out. After weeks of searching, he'd only managed to find a single plant.
He hoped it would be enough.
Andreiya hadn't found it in the shop--he found it at the park. Between two other perfectly normal poinsettias.
He had to wait until no one was around. And then, he had to steal it. Within his enormous backpack were all the tools he'd need for the job, so once he slung it to the ground, he extracted a trowel and pot. Extracting the poinsettia was done with great care, of course--not just for the plant but for himself as well.
Andreiya could pretend that he was doing this for the good of the citizens of Destiny City, but really, he was just doing it for himself.
Before handling the plant, he'd put on gloves, a powerful respirator, and even a pair of goggles. He wasn't going to take any chances.
After potting the poinsettia, he covered it with a protective bag, and carried it at arm's length.
Naturally, he'd had to take a few detours. He couldn't risk any of Destiny City's surveillance systems tracking him back to his greenhouse. It added an hour to his walk, but Andreiya was diligent. He even already had a special workstation set up to guarantee he didn't risk the health of the other plants in the greenhouse--or Dylas.
There were only so many plants on Earth that were worth being worried about, and while he'd researched many of them, he had little chance of actually coming into contact with most of them.
So, this would have to do.
Honestly, his expectations were slim--but there were already strange wildflowers blossoming plentifully despite being so very out of season. Early for spring, but more than that, alive, and thriving.
Which was all he could ask for Velenia.
The warmth of the greenhouse was immediately comforting, but he set about tending to the poinsettia before tending to himself.
He wanted to know why the pollen was so annoying. Did it affect animals? Velencians? He didn't really care to find out. He wasn't much for the creation of weapons, but he wanted to make sure no one could find a way to weaponize it. Or, if they could, he wanted to find a cure. The pollen was dangerous, inducing its own kind of sickness.
Did Velenia have plants like this? What if some dangerous species moved in? Was there a way to modify its genetics to remove the threat?
Oh, he didn't know. Maybe this wouldn't go anywhere.
But maybe there was hope.
He wouldn't know unless he tried.
