OTA with Closed Prompt - Ninja Mime 3

[nutkrusher]

Who: Cassie + Anybody, with closed prompt for Trunks
Where: Cinema Car
When: Horseshoe, Day Four-ish
What: A screening of Ninja Mime 3: Mime in Time

There's less fanfare for this screening than there was for the last one Cassie hosted. She's looking for a somewhat more intimate affair, and she figures the sequel won't draw as much as the first one anyway.

Before she gets there, though, she'll be lingering outside her own cabin, waiting for a certain lavender-haired someone who is particularly invited to pass by.

Comments

OTA Responses Go Here!

[nutkrusher]

Cassie has the popcorn ready - as for everything else, it's BYOB. This one, as she'll explain before the screening starts, is a French-American co-production (owing to the particular success that the first two films had in the French and Belgian markets). The French studio had a number of medieval sets and costumes left over from a previous film, along with access to a castle, so the time travel plot was introduced as a cost-saving measure. Naturally, our hero must follow the villainous time-travelling sorcerer into the past by unwinding an invisible clock.

Keep your eyes peeled for a particular Belgian martial-arts star (whose name is withheld here for legal purposes) as none other than Charlemagne himself. Will he be climbing an invisible rope? Bitch, you know it.

It might be a date?

[light_of_willpower]

Trunks was confused, and for all that he was good at adapting to new situations, this was proving more difficult than time-travel complications. At least for as much as he was thinking about it. He knew what his Mom would say--she would tease him, and believe this was a date.

But, neither of them had exactly asked the other out properly. Cassie honestly seemed the kind to flirt if it'd throw an opponent off-guard; part of her spirit, which Trunks did appreciate. She certainly enjoyed teasing him. He knew it was easy to do, because he hadn't really had friends growing up, never mind a girlfriend.

So if he was a bit antsy, hopefully he'd be forgiven. But he'd agreed to meet her at her cabin again. Was it a date? Was it not a date? Trunks sighed, and screwed up his courage--he was likely to be teased either way, so...

When he came within sight, he ducked his head, already blushing--and held out a flower. "...thank you. For introducing me to 'normal' things." Shy, but determined.

[nutkrusher]

Cassie is leaning rather casually against the door when she arrives. She isn't trying to look like she isn't waiting for him so much as she's trying to look like she's failing at trying. She certainly hasn't been looking for dates while she's stuck on an interdimensional train. After all, she won't be here forever, right?

But she knows when she's hit it off with someone. If nothing else, it's nice to have someone to spar with, hang out with, and talk to. Maybe this is a date, maybe it isn't. But it should be fun. And she'll take as much of that as she can get.

A smile crosses her face as he approaches. Then her mouth opens as he reveals the flower.

Aaaand then she starts giggling. For a while. More than long enough to make him feel nervous and uncomfortable.

She'll thank him for it in a moment. Really, she will.

[light_of_willpower]

Okay. Flower was a bad idea. Maybe because it meant 'date'--and this wasn't a date. He wasn't even sure if he'd even wanted a date? But he did want to spend more time with Cassie--he'd never found a kindred spirit really. He hadn't even bonded with Gohan, either version, this way.

But she's giggling--and that is not helping his blush, and he's starting to feel really awkward now.

[nutkrusher]

Cassie catches her breath as her laughter softens to a light chuckle. "Sorry. Sorry. I just..."

She snorts before giggling some more. Finally, her laughter fully subsides, and she grabs the flower.

"Seriously, though, thank you. Can't say I was expecting it, but...it's sweet."

She looks at him warmly before glancing back over her shoulder.

"I should probably find a glass or something to put this in?"

[light_of_willpower]

It's a good thing he's not red-team, or his face would match his shirt. Or orange team, because his blush would just clash horribly then with his shirt. As it is, Trunks is ducking behind his bangs and wishing the train-floor would swallow him.

Until she finally calms down, and he risks looking up from behind his bangs. The statement, and the warm look are not helping his blush at all. "I mean, it'll keep for an hour or two? Or you could find something now..." Definitely nervous, as he reaches up to brush a stray bang back out of his eyes.

[nutkrusher]

"Yeah, you're probably right," Cassie says.

She gives the flower a good, long sniff as she continues to look at Trunks. His flustered reactions certainly aren't making her less amused about all this. Normally, she'd claim to be too old for that kind of high school shyness to still work on her, but in his case, she finds it endearing. She knows the reason for it - he's never been able to just spend a normal evening with a girl before. She still hopes to fix that.

"Might just leave it on my bunk for now and bring a cup or pitcher back with me. It'd be a little awkward carrying it around."

[light_of_willpower]

"I-uh...I didn't think of that." No, instead he'd thought about all of this, and whether it was a date, and whether a flower was a good idea. Too much.

AND aside from him feeling like his face was on fire, so far so good right? He'd made it clear it was thanks, in a neutral way right? Which didn't help in terms of figuring out what this was.

"That's probably the best idea."

[nutkrusher]

"Don't sweat it. I'll only be a second."

Cassie ducks into the cabin and sets the flower gently on top of her mattress.

"Alright. Show doesn't start 'til I get there, so there's no rush, but...no time like the present."

[light_of_willpower]

"So what're you screening?" Trunks asked when she reappeared, shoving his hands in his pockets and trying to ignore that he was still blushing. "Besides, rude to keep people waiting, right?"

[nutkrusher]

"Ninja Mime 3 starring my dad," Cassie says. "I know you haven't seen the first two, but the title of the series pretty much speaks for itself, right? Anyway, this one's got time travel in it. Hope that's okay."

[light_of_willpower]

"Time Travel has only mildly traumatized me so far, so I should be okay." That might be his attempt at a joke. But he's trying to regain some ground okay? Some semblance of normalcy.

[nutkrusher]

Cassie chuckles. "That's good to hear."

But on the subject of normal, Trunks might not be ready for what's coming next.

"So, you said you wanted to practice 'normal,' right? So how's about I give you a couple tips along the way. Y'know...for if this were a date."

[light_of_willpower]

"Umsure." Trunks mumbled, and it was a mumble as his head ducked again. Did that mean this wasn't a date? That was okay really, if that was what Cassie wanted; so long as she remained his friend.

[nutkrusher]

"Alright," Cassie says. "So...for starters, if this were a date...you might want to lead me by the hand to the theater."

She sticks a hand out with a faux-innocent smile on her face.

Somehow, narration doubts that this will do anything to alleviate his confusion on whether this is a date or not.

[light_of_willpower]

Narration would be correct.

"Oh-ohkay." Trunks murmured, trying not to stutter. Reaching out, he took her hand gently. Almost like a hand-shake, but definitely with a more nerves that were obvious.

[nutkrusher]

Cassie's smile tightens into a smirk as he takes her by the hand.

"Lead on, handsome."

[light_of_willpower]

"You assume I know where to go." It's muttered under his breath, more out of nerves than anything. But really, it was a straight-line and Trunks had gotten used to the general location so far for which car was which. It didn't help that her hand was warm, soft and strong and warm.

[nutkrusher]

They're a warrior's hands, like his. A warrior with more frequent access to Beverly Hills mani/pedi people than most people, but they are definitely hands that have punched.

His hand sure isn't bad to hold, either.

"Not to worry, you can't miss it."

[light_of_willpower]

It might be because she's also a warrior, that he finds her hand warm. Because they were kindred spirits. Not just warriors who fought together, but she had become his friend very rapidly too.

Of course, now it was the walk through the train cars--including all the other Sleepers, and the Library, Music, and training gym cars.

[nutkrusher]

Cassie lets much of the walk pass in silence. It's a warm silence, not an awkward one. But as they pass through the cars around them, including the new library car, she starts to feel a little more chatty.

"So how've you been settling in?"

[light_of_willpower]

While his blush hadn't completely gone away, it had faded as they walked and he had both tried, and not tried, to think about the fact that they were holding hands. "Well, like you, I frequent the training gym more often than almost any other car. Well, maybe the kitchen too. I try to do my share of cleaning up there, even though it's not my chore, because I tend to eat a lot."

[nutkrusher]

"With muscles like those, I'm not surprised," Cassie says. "Gotta eat your protein to keep those gains."

She shoots a smirk his way.

"To be honest, I think I'd have gone stir crazy in here if it weren't for the gym car."

[light_of_willpower]

Nope, that blush is back. "It's kind of not my fault, in a way. Saiyans run on their stomachs." She really thinks I'm handsome? She noticed?

[nutkrusher]

Swole Trunks is impossible not to notice.

"Guess it makes sense," Cassie says. "All that energy has to come from somewhere."