Transformation

Christopher was the first in his class to turn into Oscar Wilde (like a breath of fresh air [some said] and like a pain in the ass [said others]). It was a Thursday and, on that day, an idiot (in the form of the school bully berserker) had presented themself as the spoiler of Christopher's afternoon reverie (a bit of fun in the sun with snacks and such in the company of trusted friends). The idiot did his best to degrade and threaten the party, but Christopher had fully transformed by then and, shortly after he rose from a seated position to his full height, he slapped the moron across the face. "I would challenge you to a duel of wits, Sir," Christopher said softly, "but I would never, out of a sense of integrity and fairness, fight an unarmed man." When everyone talked about it later, they marveled that a simple slap could do the trick to discourage further action and avoid a skirmish to the death. It was pointed out (with relish) that Christopher had afterwards confessed a growing dedication to exercise and training, whereby the slap had so much power behind it that the idiot had fallen hard away, been unable to stand back up reliably, and proceeded to tumble down the hill to the shore of the lake. Christopher shrugged off supplicants, hangers-on, and other parasites that had considered him unremarkable just the day before; he knew that celebrity held dangerous consequences.