SUE: No Sudden Moves (Cameron and Xun)

[Event !]

The lights go out, and suddenly Cameron and Xun are plunged into darkness alone in a lounge.

[Cameron Osiris]

Cam didn’t think he would be any good at this whole thing, he wasn’t even sure what it was called. “Xun, is this sword fighting? I forget.” Of course it wasn’t sword fighting, but Cam didn’t know what else to relate it to. In any case, after his run in with Oriel, the blond decided it might be a good idea to have some kind of self defense in his pocket, and it would be fun! And maybe secretly, Cam wanted to spend more time with Xun, and wasn’t sure how to ask without making it seem like a date or something.

But they were in public, so, nothing weird would happen or whatever. Standing a few paces away from Xun, Cam was having a hard time focusing and being serious. Nobody was perfect, and this was definitely Cam’s downfall.

Cam had just taken a step back, scary weapon in hand, when the lights went out. For a moment all Cam could hear was his own breathing. It was so eerie hearing the lack of buzzing from all the appliances in the student lounge. Cam gulped. “Xun, the lights are out outside too.” It hadn’t yet occurred to Cam that he could just, you know, make some light if need be.

[Deleted]

"No, it's not sword fighting," Xun replied with slight exasperation. "There isn't any fighting involved. It's just a series of movements that one perfects over time." Although no one ever perfected their form. Ever. It just wasn't possible. "Of course... If someone bothers you, you do not have to tell them that, though." A small, playful smile played about the Chinese boy's lips. Cam was one of the rare people that brought out the more light-hearted side of the athlete.

Even if Xun was getting a little tired and wondering if he should have ever offered to do this. Cam had the physical ability, perhaps, but not the focus required to get better. It was a mental sport as much as it was a physical one.

Xun twirled his own straight sword in his hand and prepared to go through another simple move when suddenly he couldn't see. "Cam!?" he yelped, whirling around. It was evening and the sun was down, which meant... It was very, very dark. And the martial artist had... Well, a very acute fear of things that seemed to like the dark. A cold sweat broke on his brow, and not from the exercise. "Wh... Where are you?" he asked into the darkness, carefully holding his sword so as not to stab his friend accidentally as he felt around for the blonde with his free hand. There was a reason the superstitious boy slept with a night light (and no, no one knew about that).

[Cameron Osiris]

Cam blushed slightly – since when did he do that? “Sorry, I’m just learning.” He knew that this sport was important to Xun and already he felt like he was messing it up. “Well, at least I can get better, right?” At a boy Cam, look on the brighter side of things. Cam laughed a little and nodded – the moves definitely looked badass. Hopefully badass enough that they could scare the likes of Oriel away, if he ever had to.

Poor Cam though, he just looked awkward doing it. Xun was as thin as he was, but definitely more defined in terms of muscular strength, and he wasn’t as tall as Cam. The blond just looked out of place, especially when he kept waving at everyone he knew who went by – maybe he was too squirrely for this sport.

But it didn’t matter if he waved now, no one would see him. No one could see anything. Hearing Xun’s panicked voice, Cam put the straight sword down and started moving his hands around in the dark. “It’s okay, it’s just a power outage,” Cam said, taking a careful step towards where Xun had been. “I’m coming towards you,” Cam spoke, wondering if he was extra alert because of the physical activity, or because of how scared Xun sounded. Maybe he did have mental endurance if he applied himself! Huzzah!

“Oh! Duh,” Cam said, laughing at himself, “I’m an idiot. Hang on.” Carefully, Cam concentrated on creating a small orb of soft light about as big as the palm of his hand, hovering over both of their heads. He smiled brightly, but as soon as he saw Xun’s startled face, Cam frowned. “You okay Xun?” Cam asked, nearing the other boy protectively. “I’ve got us covered,” he smiled again, “no one else has their own personal night light.”

[Deleted]

Xun scolded himself for letting his exasperation show, and forced up a wider smile, twirling his own blade around absent-mindedly. "It is alright," he replied. "It is only your first time, anyway. I think I probably dropped my sword five times during my first practice." Perhaps that was a slight exaggeration, but he wanted to make Cameron feel better. Fortunately, straight sword was a more feminine, smooth sort of form, so it fit the tall blonde more than, say, broadsword or nandao - Xun couldn't imagine him hacking and slashing with the more fierce, intense blades. But who knew?

It was amazing the transformation the martial artist could make - from being a cool, confident, level-headed individual to nearly panicking in a dark room. Having grown up in a family that was also extremely superstitious and being taught the dangers of what angry spirits could do, Xun had grown up being fearful of dark places, especially suddenly and without warning. He never watched horror movies for that reason. "Just a power outage?" he squeaked into the darkness. "O... Okay..." At least his friend seemed calm. "I'm, um, r-right here," he mumbled, going still so they didn't somehow miss or bump into each other.

"Huh?" Xun whimpered, his free hand still held out, waiting for his friend to find him in the dark. Suddenly, light appeared from nowhere, and the Chinese boy winced, blinking several times to adjust before he let out a sigh of relief. "Ahhh, your ability is so useful," he breathed, staring at the orb before dropping his gaze to Cam when he asked if he was alright. "I... I am okay now," he replied, rubbing his sword arm with an embarrassed blush. "I'm... Not.... Good with the dark." He didn't want to admit just how scared of it he was, though, so he smiled and nodded, carefully setting his own sword aside and wrapping his arms around himself. "I... Wonder why the power went out," he mused. And how long would it last?

[Cameron Osiris]

Cam smiled appreciatively, glancing down at the straight sword he left on the floor. Xun was probably just being generous, but it made Cam feel better anyways. Maybe he really would get better. The blond picked up the sword again, just to make sure no one would accidentally step on it – that would be an epic fail on his part.

“Yeah, the lights are out all over town too,” Cam said, not realizing that his words might make the situation worse for Xun. Laughing softly, Cam glanced up at the dancing light orb and shrugged. “Yeah, sometimes I guess, it’s more for show than anything else.” Funny, hadn’t they just had this conversation, expect it was Cam who had been complimenting Xun’s power over sushi.

Cam smiled again, not in a mean way. “Well you’re not alone,” he said reassuringly. Glancing around, Cam could see some other students poking around, feeling their way through the darkness. “Yeah, guess practice is over,” he said, giving a shrug.

The little light moved and Cam spotted the couch in the student lounge. Everything just looked so eerie in this kind of darkness. Slipping the sword under the couch, figuring it would be safe there, Cam sat down and patted the spot next to him, the light orb hovering over his head. “Pop a squat, this could be a while.”

Cam gasped suddenly. “If this lasts too long, all the cafeteria food’s gonna go bad!” And yes, to him that was the end of the world.

[Deleted]

Xun did, indeed, grow more worried as the situation seemed to get worse. "R... Really?" he stammered, trying not to imagine every building completely dark.... No lights at all... "I.... I'm staying close to you, then," he declared, motioning towards their little savior in the form of a light orb. Or, hopefully, there was a stash of flashlights and things they could use.

He managed a small, wavering smile back, giving a short nod. "You're right..." I hope it stays that way. Xun would freak out if he was in this by himself. Sure, he had skills to protect himself, but not from ghosts! "We can practice more when the light comes back. There is no rush." At least, if nothing else, it gave him some time to muse over how best to train the squirrely blonde.

Xun wandered after Cam in the darkness, sticking very close to his friend for fear of somehow losing him. "How... How long do you think it will last?" he asked, obvious anxiety in his voice. He hesitated, then settled down beside Cameron, curling one leg up against his chest and wrapping his arms around it.

He jumped visibly at the sudden gasp, heart pounding as adrenaline pumped into his body. But then Cam spoke, and he realized it wasn't as dire as he had made it sound (at least not to Xun). "We could, ah.... Go eat it?" he suggested uncertainly.

[Cameron Osiris]

Cam looked up to see who Xun was talking to before he realized that he was talking to the light orb. Cam smirked, finding this whole thing pretty adorable. "Ya want one?" Cam asked, creating another light orb to hover beside the first. It flitted a little around Xun playfully. Maybe it would make Xun feel better about being in total darkness. Well, not total. He wasn't alone, as Cam had already said.

Watching Xun sit next to him, Cam couldn't remember the last time someone had been so tense around him. "I dunno, it's hard to say," Cam said, putting his arm around Xun's shoulders reflexively, trying to make him feel better. "There wasn't a storm, so it wasn't that." At this point it would be easier to talk about what it was and wasn't caused from.

"Sorry," Cam said softly. How quickly he forgot the situation around him. To him darkness was the opposite of light, and light, no matter how small, always broke the darkness. Smiling broadly, Cam shot up suddenly, grabbing at Xun's hands. "That's a great idea! Let's go do that!"

[Deleted]

Xun's eyes widened with delight as his own personal orb appeared above him, and seemed to dance playfully around. The Chinese boy giggled, reaching out as though to touch it, but of course, being light, there was nothing to touch. "It's like... A huge firefly," he smiled. A huge, personal firefly that didn't need to be kept in a jar.

He tensed at the initial touch, but as soon as he realized what Cam was doing, Xun relaxed, even leaning in slightly on his light-producing friend. He was comforting, and Xun needed that, being consumed in one of the few things that really frightened him. "Yeah, at least it's not storming," he murmured, resting his head on the blonde's shoulder. That would make things even spookier. "Maybe someone's playing a joke?"

Whatever the case, at least Cam was making the best of the situation. Xun had to chuckle at his enthusiasm for eating, and stood as his friend pulled him up, repeatedly saying,"Okay, okay," with amusement. "Bet I can beat you there," he challenged. Without thinking, he started to speed off, putting his ability to use and quickly speeding outside into the... Darkness. Wait. No, he didn't want to be alone! With a yelp, he spun on his heel and darted back to Cam, glomping onto his arm. "Never mind, we can go together," he determined with a shaky voice.

[Cameron Osiris]

Cam smiled softly at Xun’s explanation. Why did he have to be so damned adorable? “These guys aren’t hard to maintain,” Cam said, as though the light orbs were alive. Xun thought them akin to fireflies, others claimed Cam made stars. It made his power seem closer to nature, and he liked that.

Leaning his head on Xun’s shoulder for a moment, Cam looked around the dark room as though it would offer up an explanation. “Ah well, at least you got stuck with me, right?” One, Cam was a light manipulator, and two, despite how he could be a dill hole, he would never make fun of someone’s genuine fear. Lifting his head, and Xun now resting on his shoulder, Cam looked down at the side of the Asian’s head. “Ya don’t like storms either?” Cam looked around again. “Yeah, maybe,” he said, not having the heart to say otherwise.

Smirking at Xun’s cockiness, Cam just watched the other boy begin to run over to the fridges, not thinking to send the second light orb with him. Stifling a laugh, Cam shook his head as Xun came right back faster than he left. “You got it,” Cam said, clasping Xun’s hand and heading to the fridge slowly. “Sorry I didn’t send the firefly with ya,” he said, moving past the counters, Xun in tow.

Opening the first fridge, Cam found mostly condiments, and some vanilla yogurt. “Want any of this?” He asked. “Usually these things don’t need refrigerating,” he said, passing over most of the items without guilt, “but this won’t survive long.” Cam took one of the tubs of vanilla yogurt with his free hand, the light orb duo lazily bobbing above their heads.

[Deleted]

Xun felt a strange skip in his chest when Cam's head rested against his. He hadn't expected it, but before he could react, his friend had lifted it again, so he brushed aside whatever weird feeling he'd had. "Yeah, definitely," he agreed with a nod. "I... I could have been stuck with Brooke or something, and... I think she would have made fun of me," he mumbled. The outgoing girl was sort of starting to grow on Xun, but... She was still a little too spazzy for him to feel comfortable around. "Um... I don't mind storms when the power is on," he replied. But... Anything in the dark was just scarier for the superstitious boy.

What had he been thinking, going off by himself like that? Stupid, stupid. Now Xun had made himself look even more like an idiot. He clung onto the offered hand, trying to hide that he was shaking as they approached the fridges. "It is okay," he said quietly. "I should have thought before I did that." One of the problems of having a speed-related ability - sometimes he acted before he really thought things through.

Xun stood to the side as Cam went through the food items, blinking as he was offered the yogurt. "Oh, um, sure," he replied, taking it in his hands with an uncertain tilt of the head. He hadn't really eaten much yogurt before. Still, he fumbled through the nearby drawers until he found a couple spoons, and gave one to Cam before pulling the seal off of his container and taking an experimental bite. "Mm... This is good," he commented with a small chuckle. "I guess maybe I was hungrier than I realized." All that sword work sure could make a person tired and hungry.

[Cameron Osiris]

"It's not a big deal," Cam said with a shrug, "it's not like anything bad happened." So what if Xun was afraid of the dark? There were lots of things to fear, but Cam didn't really have fears like that. He could see how a storm would make this whole experience a lot scarier.

"Cool," Cam said, closing the fridge door. "It's weird that the little fridge lights don't go on," he observed, taking a spoon and popping the lid off his yogurt, leaning against the counter next to Xun. "Yeah it's good right?" He asked, smirking, hoping to get Xun's mind off the dark. "Vanilla's good."

"So," Cam said conversationally, "ya got a boyfriend or girlfriend yet? Ya know, since we last talked?" He wouldn't have asked if he didn't care. Cam would've asked that of almost anyone, but he knew Xun. They could have these conversations.

[Deleted]

Xun wondered if most people saw this side of Cam. As far as he knew (although he didn't know a lot), the blonde had a sort of reputation around school for being... What was the right term? He wasn't sure he knew. But there was really more to him than met the eye. And Xun felt humbled to realize he got to see that side.

"It is strange," he agreed, lips tilting into a frown. Unsettling, he thought. If Cam hadn't been there, he would have been panicking more for sure. "Um, I wonder... If I should find a flashlight," he mused quietly, taking another spoonful of yogurt. "I wouldn't want to force you to follow me around all the time until this is over, but..." Xun gave a soft, nervous chuckle. He nodded at the question, managing a small smile. "You are trying to get me to stop thinking about the lights being off, aren't you?" he accused.

He nearly choked on his next bite of yogurt, totally unexpecting the question that came next. "N... No, I don't," he stammered, hoping the darkness was hiding the bright blush on his cheeks. "I, uh... I'm not interested in... Anyone... I don't think... Maybe?" He shifted uncomfortably, unsure why he suddenly felt uncertain about his answer. "Do, uh.... Do you?" Xun filled his mouth with another bite.

[Cameron Osiris]

Cam didn't feel safe around most people, but he liked being on edge. It was this attitude that kept his conversations with people usually on the surface. Sometimes it was just easier to be who people expected him to be, he had never taken his high school years seriously until now.

Cam grinned at the thought of following Xun around - hopefully it didn't look too creepy. "I wouldn't mind following you around until this is all over." When Xun caught Cam trying to make light of the situation, he only shrugged. "So?" He used his spoon to point at his friend. "You're welcome."

Nodding, Cam dragged his spoon around the inside of the yogurt container. "Ok, I was just wondering. I'm always curious about these things." Cam shook his head. "Nah, just have gone on dates here and there." And that was find with him, he wasn't planning on sticking around anyways.

"Ya want anything else from the fridges? There's a couple left to look through if you want." This wasn't stealing, right? Hopefully he wouldn't lose his scholarship because of this.

[Deleted]

"You wouldn't?" Xun replied, a little taken aback. He was sure he wasn't all that interesting to be around, despite what Cam said. The fact that he wanted to hang out with him at all still surprised the quiet boy. Xun snorted and stared into his cup of yogurt, pink touching his cheeks. "Thanks," he mumbled, apparently belatedly.

He tried to hide his flustered reaction to the question. Xun had always been sort of dumb and ignorant when it came to relationships - he'd just come to the conclusion that they weren't really for him. Maybe if he found the right person someday, but... He was as far from actively looking as possible. "That sounds smart," he commented quietly. "If you are going away for college, it might be hard to try to keep a relationship with someone." Just being friends with Cam, Xun would still miss him.

"Oh, um, okay," he agreed with a nod as he finished up his container and tossed it in the trash. Xun shuffled over to the next fridge and popped it open, peering inside at what it held. "AH!" he exclaimed, pulling out a jar. "Kimchi!" He'd had a friend growing up whose mom always used to make amazing kimchi; it was high on Xun's list of favorite foods. "You want some?" He popped open the lid and grabbed a couple forks, offering one to Cam.