Rafflesia and Sunflowers [Olivia Octavius x Fem! Reader]

Discovery

Very few things could humble a mind like hers and unfortunately for her, she experience all of them back to back. A defeat at the hands of several Spider-Men, having her invention embedded into her own body with no way to get it out, being nearly killed by a truck that completely ran her over, being convicted by the courts and then freed by the corporation she worked for. It seemed like a miracle at first. She thought she would be allowed to work on her collider again and maybe get in touch with Fisk. But, unfortunately, it was a pipe dream she would never see to fruition. They moved her to another basic project. Renewable energy for the city. Something they thought might fix her image in the eyes of the public. It was working, but...

She was humiliated.

It was a staggering loss to her. She had poured so much of her life and energy into the collider that this felt like a deep wound to her. But, ever the stubborn one who sought power even if not for villainy - she endured it.

What started as a drive for power and fame started to fade. After a few months, she could feel her will withering away as she tinkered with the solar panels she was given to fix. It was honest work and she was quite enjoying the positive attention she was getting. Headlines read, "Doc Ock: Former Villain now Front liner for renewable energy." or "Olivia Octavius: Pioneer for Accessible Power." everything put her in such a good light that even a politician couldn't pay for it. Yet, it felt... empty. At least when working on the collider she had a few colleagues she felt close to. She had a goal she could physically grasp.

But now? There was nothing. Or at least it felt like it even with the new title of "Modern Day Hero"

A thought crossed her mind.

"Maybe they were right about me," she whispered to herself as she packed up for the day and headed out.

Her new arms were a heavy burden despite how light they felt on her back. There had been numerous appointments to see if they could be untangled from her spinal cords, but it seems that the innocuous zap she took did more damage than anyone could have predicted. It was a consequence she had to deal with, but at least they still served their purpose. It felt like the only thing she had going for her on a personal level that meant anything.

Thankfully, today they had let out staff early. A reward of sorts for when they were ahead on their quota and research. So, Olivia was taking her time exploring a part of the city she never thought to visit. When a bright red item caught her eye in the store window she stopped dead in her tracks to look at it.

Rafflesia Arnoldi. It obviously wasn't a live plant but seemed to be a part of a display. She had never been one interested in plants or botany, but this seemed like a good enough place to kill time in. Especially, when she noted the other giant sculptures. Pitcher plants, bladderworts, and flytraps. It seemed a bit too specific to not stop in and visit. She carefully opened the door to the shop and was immediately greeted by bright lights and a floral smell that completely drowned out the smell of the city outside.

"Okay, this is amazing," she said looking around.

Of course, there were the normal staples of any flower shop. Bouquets and common flowers for them, but there seemed to be a bit more as well. When she saw a section for carnivorous plants she couldn't help, but be drawn to it. She looked over all of the variations and a genuine smile crept upon her face as she picked up and inspected a spoon-leaved sundew.

"Never thought I'd see drosera like this. It's a different color than the rest," she said, "I wonder if there's an employee around. Maybe I can have this as an office plant. If the other departments can have pets I can surely have a plant."