In which Cam went evil... and people didn't realise for a while

[camwatanabe]

[OOC: Open to Hunter/crimsonninja in particular, but to any other PR muses too. Idea shamelessly stealing from a particular Star Trek book, will link at some point. Any mode welcome in response. I'll match. Also feel free to tag each other, obviously.]

There's a box on my workstation. It's a pretty box, sides coruscating, swirling.

No idea who could've left it here; after we defeated Lothor things have been busy, and anyone from the schools could've wandered through.

I'll pick it up and look at it curiously, but when it starts opening by itself...

...I really should've run faster.

dropping to my knees, hands clamped to my head...

Comments

[crimsonninja]

Sometime later (or so I assume)...

Despite returning to the Thunder Academy as Head Teacher after Lothor's defeat, it didn't stop Hunter from dropping by the Wind Academy to hang out with his friends. He was a common sight usually, except lately they'd gotten a rather large batch of new students so it had been a while since his last visit.

Of course, his first stop on his long over due visit was to head down to Ninja Ops in search of Cam. "Cam? Yo, dude, you down here?"

[camwatanabe]

...ah. This could be problematic. He knows 'me' only too well. But perhaps a ruse.

I turn from the computer with a smile. "Ah, Hunter. Good to see you." I'll raise the matter of 'concern' shortly.

[crimsonninja]

The smile just earned lopsided one from Hunter. It was so good to see a familiar face that had never worn a Thunder uniform. "Good to see you too, man. You busy?" Aka, could Hunter steal him away for an afternoon off.

[camwatanabe]

"No, not particularly," I say with feigned surprise. "I'm up to date, and no emergencies have come up today. It'd be good to talk to you, actually."

[crimsonninja]

Okay. Hunter looked surprised and a little in disbelief. He hadn't expected it to be this easy. In fact, he'd expected to be promised time later if he left Cam alone now, in which he'd go find one of the Winds to catch up with.

But surprise or not, Hunter wasn't about to say no and his grin turned brighter. "Oh...hey, yeah okay! Wanna go out or stay here?"

[camwatanabe]

All right. If I can take him out of here, and distract him for long enough, put him onto another path to investigate the wrongness which he'll detect soon enough, get him to leave me *alone*, then I can finish my work.

"Out," I say easily. "Food'd be good."

[crimsonninja]

"Food is good. I can do food." He didn't even flinch at how on eloquent that sounded, because he didn't care. He hadn't had to fight to get Cam to spent time with him so already it was a good day. Great even.

"I'll even drive. What are you in the mood for?" He asked over his shoulder as he moved towards the exit.

[camwatanabe]

...perhaps this one, if his inability to articulate is any example, will not be so difficult.

"Anything with salt," I say after a pause. For some reason the possession seems to drain salt from the body far too quickly.

[crimsonninja]

That made Hunter pause and turn to look back at Cam. "Salt? Really dude?" Was he joking? Sometimes Hunter couldn't tell. Cam was the healthiest eater he'd ever seen so the request was a little strange. "Feeling alright or just got a craving?" Hey, a craving for fast food could happen to the best of them.

feel free to pick up on probs at aaaany point XD

[camwatanabe]

"It's been a long few days," I say with an approximation of 'my' usual wryness. Damn, that was a misstep. "Sometimes salt is what's required."

I figured you wouldn't mind!

[crimsonninja]

There is still a wariness to the look Hunter was giving him but he attempted to shrug it off. "Okay dude. Whatever you say. Burgers then?"

hee, definitely not <3333 I have some vague plans but nothing concrete, input gratefully received!

[camwatanabe]

"Burgers are good," I say with pleasure, linking arms with him as we head out of the base.

<333

[crimsonninja]

The linked arms gets another curious look, as Hunter had always gotten the feeling that Cam wasn't much of a PDA kinda guy, but this he wasn't going to question in case Cam decided to let go.

At least until they got to his truck, minus the motorbike in the truck bed at the moment, since it was currently in the back room of Storm Chargers waiting on a part. "So, still adjusting to all the people around yet?" He asked as he started the car.

Re: <333

[camwatanabe]

I climb in next to him, and grin companionably. "It's been hard," I admit, dredging through 'my' memories to find out what he's talking about. "Some days people won't leave me alone."

[crimsonninja]

Hunter liked Cam's smile, he really did. He just wasn't used to seeing it so much. And it just added to the whole off putting feeling that was growing in his gut.

"I hear that." He said as he shifted and got the truck rolling. "I don't think I quite thought the Head Teacher thing over as much as I should have before I said yes. Sometimes I wonder if he did it just so everyone would bug me instead of him."

[camwatanabe]

"Yeah, it was selfish of him to take that post for himself and leave you with everything else," I agree, looking out the window as we drive.

...wait, that's not quite right.

[crimsonninja]

The truck stopped suddenly, throwing them against the seat belts for a moment. Hunter shifted into park, glad they were still on the mountain roads around the Academy, so he could turn to Cam.

"Okay, what's the deal? What's wrong with you?" Something had been off, but now he was sure something was wrong for Cam to get a detail like that so wrong.

[camwatanabe]

I turn to him, smiling. Maybe it's time to attempt contact. To take him over as 'I' have been taken over.

"Just a headache. Sorry."

[crimsonninja]

"A headache has never confused you before. Plus you'd be bitching about it, not smiling. Now, what's wrong with you?" Hunter was starting to really have a bad feeling about this. Cam just wasn't....Cam.