[Lying low is not in Cam's vocabulary, sadly (unless he really means it, then he usually just screws it up anyway). And the sword would be pretty cool but he's had plenty of the stage for today, if the Olympians would even let him get close again.]
So, uh... what was a nice sword like you doing in a place like that?
[He would say swords don't usually sprout legs and walk around, but he definitely saw Boxer doing some walking when he first arrived.]
[It's the thought that counts, maybe. If he can hear the metatext subtext in that question about their first encounter on the ship (he can) he doesn't seem to care to go out of his way to shed light on it, himself. (He prefers not to talk about it, when he can manage it. It's not an easy story to tell.) Don't leave him room to dodge around the personal questions if you expect all that much of an answer from him. But, with no small amount of irony, he echoes himself—]
Lying low. [Unfortunately.] Couldn't call the locals out on the mixup, like this. Just needed a way out before things got out of hand.
[Someone snagged him in the cheerful chaos of the crowd because they'd assumed the flashy blade was a theater prop. But since he couldn't tip his clearly-not-Nysan hand and tell them so—]
[That makes sense, he guesses, within the context of the situation, but it still leaves his yet-unasked question unanswered. He scratches the back of his head, how to word this?]
So, uh… The last time I saw you, you definitely had legs. [It would have made using Boxer as an illusion to get in town a little tricky otherwise.] Can you do that again, or is this a new thing or…?
[Probably not new, unless Boxer is just the most chill person in the universe, to take being trapped in a sword in stride. Oh wait.]
[Why not both, really. It's a little more complicated than just being chill—or even being used to it, by now. But it makes things a whole lot simpler to carry on that way. For a whole lot of reasons. And given the rest of their limited track record...it's not really Cam's business, either way.
So, honest but still evasive—]
Kind of works on borrowed time. Doesn't always pan out for very long. [Might need a Long Rest before he can manage it again. You know how it is.] ...Still kind of getting a feel for it.
[Ah, long rests. Gotta replenish those spell slots. The whole thing sounds pretty magical, anyway. Less Disney-vacation magical, and more Cursed-To-Be-Trapped-Forever magical.]
Must be hard. [He does have sympathy for the guy. Evasive as he is about the actual reasoning behind it, it's hard to imagine being trapped like that. Even Crownrend, who absolutely deserved everything that came to him, still deserved a small amount of pity. Being stuck, alone for thousands of years would probably make anyone a little evil.]
Listen, if you ever need a good polymorph spell, I'm your guy. [It's only an hour but hey, an hour not spent as an inanimate object is a good hour in Cam Buckland's book.] You wanna be a... mole? Hm... maybe a wolf?
[How is a mole the first thing to come to mind. (Does he even know what a mole is, did they have moles in the art deco matrix... He's more of a dog person, anyway.) He definitely doesn't know what a polymorph spell is, though. So while he lets the sympathy pass in a slightly uncomfortable pause, the rest—]
You know… Polymorph. [He raises his hands, pantomiming holding something large, and then something small. Debatable if that helps illustrate his point at all.] Right, a bunch of you guys don’t have magic.
[At least not his kind of magic. Hm. Cam taps his chin,] It’s a spell where you turn into something else. Like a giant into a mole, [Good times] or a... talking sword into a rabbit?
[Why are you the way you are, Cam. The way he echoes it definitely seems to confirm that no-magic thing, so throw him a bone here, bud. Attempt numero dos at explaining does go a little better, though how or why that could work is still a little lost on him. Still—]
...Think I’m good, for now.
[Sounds like it could go sideways on several levels. So. Yknow. He’ll pass. Maybe in a pinch he’ll be more willing to consider alternatives, but—better the weird state of being you kind-of-know than throwing a wrench in it. Things aren’t great, but.... they could be a lot worse. He’s not against finding solution. Just slow to risk what he still has left.
[Cam shrugs, unbothered by the rejection of his offer. Probably for the best considering Boxer would also take on the intelligence of what they turn into. What is the intelligence of a mole?
With that sorted out, Cam stretches lazily, arms over his head, then down to scratch at the nape of his neck,] So, should I be delivering you somewhere? [With some trepidation,] …Back home?
[Trepidation because he’s not sure if he should be coming within five feet of Red’s house at the moment. (Although maybe heroically rescuing her boyfriend would earn him some brownie points.)]
[Cam is more of an act first, think never kind of guy. But even though he's not in a hurry to get in anymore awkward encounters full of angry glares, he's not going to leave the guy stranded in the middle of the city. Besides, how long could Red stay mad at him anyway? (Even though it's only been, what, a day? What are timelines.)
He shrugs, with forced nonchalance,] I've got nowhere else to be.
[Besides, he had a really good idea while they were talking. He places both hands on his chest, and Boxer's readout might note a wave of magical energy, but there's no visible change to Cam's person. However, when Cam reaches out and grip's Boxer's handle again, the sword lifts off of the ground with impressive ease.]
Oh yeah, this is way better! [Why didn't he think about an enhance ability spell before? With a grin, he lofts Boxer up, and holds him slung across his shoulder like a cool guy.] So where to?
[You'd be surprised. But he's just...not going to ask about the magic juicing. The more he wonders, the less he wants to know.
He gives Cam a few concise directions toward 5gg house, promising to steer him back on track if he takes a wrong turn. Even like this, he's been here long enough to have made a point of learning his way around. So if there's one thing he's still good for, it's navigating.
Then mildly but deliberately, as they get going—]
She'll cool off, if you're worried.
[About that Trepidation. If you think Red didn't fill him in on your shenanigans to vent her aggravation about them, you're wrong.]
[Cam stiffens, and he barks out an airy, forced laugh,] Worried? Who? I don’t know what you’re talking about.
[Very believable. He can feel the heat in his ears at being basically called out like this. He really shouldn’t be surprised that Boxer has been made privy to Cam’s shenanigans involving very flattering depictions of Boxer.
At least Cam seems to know that he’s full of bullshit, and, sheepishly,] I wasn’t doing anything creepy, you know.
[Wasn't trying to pick up your girl using your body or anything. That would be creepy./small>]
[Meticulously impersonating someone you barely know is more than a little creepy from their perspective no matter how you slice it. Downright invasive, actually. Sorry, Cam. He's not going to get up in arms about an isolated incident—far as he can tell, he hadn't meant to impose. But there's a stern edge to the even tone that's pretty hard to miss.]
Just promise me there isn't going to be an encore.
[He keeps a pretty tight rein on how much of his face he likes to show on principle. Creepiness aside, (and it is still pretty creepy, downright invasive, not at all funny from where he's sitting. Harmless intentions or not.) he'd rather not have the complications.]
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
Boxer - Feb Intro Log
So, uh... what was a nice sword like you doing in a place like that?
[He would say swords don't usually sprout legs and walk around, but he definitely saw Boxer doing some walking when he first arrived.]
no subject
Lying low. [Unfortunately.] Couldn't call the locals out on the mixup, like this. Just needed a way out before things got out of hand.
[Someone snagged him in the cheerful chaos of the crowd because they'd assumed the flashy blade was a theater prop. But since he couldn't tip his clearly-not-Nysan hand and tell them so—]
no subject
So, uh… The last time I saw you, you definitely had legs. [It would have made using Boxer as an illusion to get in town a little tricky otherwise.] Can you do that again, or is this a new thing or…?
[Probably not new, unless Boxer is just the most chill person in the universe, to take being trapped in a sword in stride.
Oh wait.]no subject
So, honest but still evasive—]
Kind of works on borrowed time. Doesn't always pan out for very long. [Might need a Long Rest before he can manage it again. You know how it is.] ...Still kind of getting a feel for it.
no subject
Must be hard. [He does have sympathy for the guy. Evasive as he is about the actual reasoning behind it, it's hard to imagine being trapped like that. Even Crownrend, who absolutely deserved everything that came to him, still deserved a small amount of pity. Being stuck, alone for thousands of years would probably make anyone a little evil.]
Listen, if you ever need a good polymorph spell, I'm your guy. [It's only an hour but hey, an hour not spent as an inanimate object is a good hour in Cam Buckland's book.] You wanna be a... mole? Hm... maybe a wolf?
no subject
Polymorph?
[Warrants a little honest curiosity.]
no subject
You know… Polymorph. [He raises his hands, pantomiming holding something large, and then something small. Debatable if that helps illustrate his point at all.] Right, a bunch of you guys don’t have magic.
[At least not his kind of magic. Hm. Cam taps his chin,] It’s a spell where you turn into something else. Like a giant into a mole, [Good times] or a... talking sword into a rabbit?
no subject
[Why are you the way you are, Cam. The way he echoes it definitely seems to confirm that no-magic thing, so throw him a bone here, bud. Attempt numero dos at explaining does go a little better, though how or why that could work is still a little lost on him. Still—]
...Think I’m good, for now.
[Sounds like it could go sideways on several levels. So. Yknow. He’ll pass. Maybe in a pinch he’ll be more willing to consider alternatives, but—better the weird state of being you kind-of-know than throwing a wrench in it. Things aren’t great, but.... they could be a lot worse. He’s not against finding solution. Just slow to risk what he still has left.
Guy’s heart is in the right place, though. So—]
I change my mind, you’ll be the first to know.
no subject
With that sorted out, Cam stretches lazily, arms over his head, then down to scratch at the nape of his neck,] So, should I be delivering you somewhere? [With some trepidation,] …Back home?
[Trepidation because he’s not sure if he should be coming within five feet of Red’s house at the moment. (Although maybe heroically rescuing her boyfriend would earn him some brownie points.)]
no subject
He sure doesn't miss that air of impending doom in the question, though he doesn't immediately call it out. First, slow and diplomatic—]
If it's on your way.
[Open ended enough for a "no," if you're really not feeling it, bud.]
no subject
He shrugs, with forced nonchalance,] I've got nowhere else to be.
[Besides, he had a really good idea while they were talking. He places both hands on his chest, and Boxer's readout might note a wave of magical energy, but there's no visible change to Cam's person. However, when Cam reaches out and grip's Boxer's handle again, the sword lifts off of the ground with impressive ease.]
Oh yeah, this is way better! [Why didn't he think about an enhance ability spell before? With a grin, he lofts Boxer up, and holds him slung across his shoulder like a cool guy.] So where to?
no subject
He gives Cam a few concise directions toward 5gg house, promising to steer him back on track if he takes a wrong turn. Even like this, he's been here long enough to have made a point of learning his way around. So if there's one thing he's still good for, it's navigating.
Then mildly but deliberately, as they get going—]
She'll cool off, if you're worried.
[About that Trepidation. If you think Red didn't fill him in on your shenanigans to vent her aggravation about them, you're wrong.]
no subject
[Very believable. He can feel the heat in his ears at being basically called out like this. He really shouldn’t be surprised that Boxer has been made privy to Cam’s shenanigans involving very flattering depictions of Boxer.
At least Cam seems to know that he’s full of bullshit, and, sheepishly,] I wasn’t doing anything creepy, you know.
[Wasn't trying to pick up your girl using your body or anything. That would be creepy./small>]
no subject
Depends on your point of view.
[Meticulously impersonating someone you barely know is more than a little creepy from their perspective no matter how you slice it. Downright invasive, actually. Sorry, Cam. He's not going to get up in arms about an isolated incident—far as he can tell, he hadn't meant to impose. But there's a stern edge to the even tone that's pretty hard to miss.]
Just promise me there isn't going to be an encore.
[He keeps a pretty tight rein on how much of his face he likes to show on principle. Creepiness aside, (and it is still pretty creepy, downright invasive, not at all funny from where he's sitting. Harmless intentions or not.) he'd rather not have the complications.]