Travis vs. Namine

Mari looked around despairingly at the place that Scrooge had ordained as her workspace. Her "desk" was an old particle board table that looked like he had found it in the same corner of the road he found the bed in his spare room. Her only office supplied consisted of a pad of paper, several unsharpened pencils, a rusty hand pencil sharpener, and one manila folder.

"Scrooge!" Mari shouted at the elderly duck.

"What is it Mari?" he asked." Can't you see that I am busy."

"You can count your money later," said Mari,"We need to talk."

"Don't tell me you're going to start complaining again," he said, with a sigh.

"I asked you for office supplies and this is the best you can do?"

"You asked for office supplies, I gave you office supplies. Now, what's the problem?"

"Nothing if I was running an office in the 1950s," yelled Mari. "I don't even have an electric pencil sharpener. Where are my computer and my printer?

"Are you saying that we should have more than one computer in the office?"

"You do know that sixteen years ago a thing called the new millennium took place don't you? No one runs a successful office with these meager supplies!" she said. "You're a millionaire and I am sure you can get me better office supplies then this."

"We'll talk about this later," said Scrooge." There is a customer coming to the door."

"You just stalling the inevitable, duck," said Mari.

A tall, dark figure walked silently through the doors of Date's "R" Us. He was dressed in the traditional long black cloaks of Organization XIII. The only exception in his appearance was a strange purplish pink pattern embroidered on the cloth, that swirled around edges of the sleeves and bottom of the cloak.

His features were completely hidden behind the large hood that he had pulled loosely around his head. All that could be see was two glowing circles glimmering from somewhere within the hood

"You!," said Scrooge, his voice trembling slightly at the sight of the cloaked figure." Are you the famed Anti Black Coat Nightmare."

" Reveal thy face," said Mari.

"As you wish," came a soft whisper. He placed his gloved fingertip to the edge of the hood pulling it back, exposing the face hidden in the shadows.

"I don't believe it," said Scrooge. " Anti Black Coat Nightmare is actually..."

"Wait a second," said Mari. " Who the heck are you?"

"I'm Travis," he said.

"You're not a Kingdom Hearts character," said Scrooge. "What are you doing dressed like that?"

"This?" said Travis, pointing to his outfit." I bought this and these glowing red sunglasses at the Disney Store down the street."

" I should have known," said Mari. "Disney will market anything if they can make a buck."

"I know," said Scrooge, with a dreamy expression," if only I could own more than a quarter share in the company."

"You're part owner of the Disney company?" asked Mari. "I bet you are behind all those re-releasing of games and stalling the release of Kingdom Hearts 3."

"We can talk about that later," said Scrooge. " We have a customer here who need our assistance."

"I actually here because I got this with my Disney Store purchase," said Travis, handing Mari a pink and red card with Scrooge's face on it.

"What is this?" said Mari, taking the card from him.

"Oh that's my new deal I have with the Disney Store," said Scrooge. "It's called a love card."

"They told me that since it was my birthday, I got a free date service from Date's "R" Us with my purchase," he said.

"You're giving out free dates through the Disney Store," said Mari," What are you trying to do bankrupt the Disney Company."

"Mari has such a particular kind of humor," said Scrooge." You'll soon have to learn to ignore her the way I do."

"Um, okay, I'm just here for the free date," said Travis.

"First you need to fill out this form," said Scrooge."Don't forget to sign the bottom before turning it in."

"Can I fill this out here," asked Travis.

"Sure," said Mari," you can use what is laughably known as my desk. We'll just be in the back room having a 'meeting'."

"If I not back in half an hour call the police," said Scrooge, as Mari dragged him into the back room.

Travis was sure that Scrooge was just joking when he said that. The way Mari and Scrooge always kidded each other made him think this was probably a really fun place to work.

He sat down at Mari's desk and began to fill out the dating form. At first, the questions were simple things like his name and age, but farther down they became weirder and weirder. One of the questions asked him his blood type and another asked him if he was an organ donor. Why on earth would there be such ridiculous question on a date form?

It must be a joke, he reasoned, after all, Scrooge and Mari were always teasing each other, so these questions were obviously just to mimic the comedic atmosphere of the place.

"Yes, that must be it," he thought, as he filled out the rest of the form.

He got to the bottom of the page he noticed that it was written in very small print. He squinted his eyes and drew the paper up close to his face. He could make out a few word like

" unforeseen death" and "beneficiary". Before he could make out any other word there came a crash from the back room and Scrooge came running out the door.

"Alright, I'll get you a computer and a printer," said Scrooge.

"That's better," said Mari, flicking some white dust off of her jacket.

"Um, I'm done filling out the form," said Travis." All but the signing it at the bottom, I couldn't read the tiny lettering."

"Oh that's some legal jargon," said Scrooge. "Don't bother reading it and sign at the bottom."

"Since it's just a dating form, I guess it's okay," said Travis.

"Why do I feel that I am witnessing a scene from Faust," said Mari.

"And thank you very much," said Scrooge, snatching the paper away as soon as he signed." I'll call you tomorrow with all the date information."

"Great," said Travis," and thanks again."

"Poor kid," said Mari.

"Poor nothing," said Scrooge," he is getting the date for free."

" Yeah, but somehow it's like winning a free trip to jail."

Travis receive a text from Date's "R" Us two days later. From it, he learned that his date was a girl named Namine, that she loved art, and that she was around his age.

He slid his finger across the text until he came to her picture. She was short, with shoulder length blond hair and big, blue doe eye framed with thick blond lashes. The picture was obviously candid, as Namine was gazing into the camera with a rather surprised expression. She seemed to be in the middle of some art project because she had a pencil stuck her ear and two blobs of red paint on her cheek and knew girls well enough to know that someone else must have sent in the picture, but he was glad they had chosen that picture. He thought it made her look cute.

Travis looked in the mirror again as he brushed through his messy, curly, black hair, trying for the third time to tame it as best he could. As he gazed at his reflection he practiced saying her name again.

"Namine," he said, the name sounding nice in his lips.

He hoped that they would get wasn't much of an artist himself but he did appreciate art and, at least, that was something they could start the conversation with.

He looked back at the date information Scrooge had sent him, which wasn't a lot. It had just said to come by the office and meet his date at seven. It didn't tell where they were going or even what they would be doing. But Travis thought better to question was free after all, and Scrooge had found him a really cute date.

What's the worse that could happen?

Travis arrived at the Date's "R" Us office promptly at seven. He thought about coming earlier but he didn't want to appear over eager.

He was glad he made that choice because there, in front of the Date's "R" Us, Namine was waiting for him. She was sitting on the bench all dressed in a cute white coat with a blue scarf that had Paopu fruit and seashells embodied on it.

She had taken off her blue gloves and was busy sketching a snowman that Aerith had placed in front of her store. She concentrating so hard on the picture that she didn't even notice that Travis was next to her until she felt the rock of the bench as he sat down.

"I sorry if I am interrupting you," he said.

"Oh, I was just sketching," said Namine, putting her sketch pad away. " I just love sketching winter scenes. Where I live we never get snow."

"Do you really carry that big, sketch pad with everywhere you go," said Travis," I thought you would have a tablet or something."

"No, " she said wrinkling her nose," I hate using that stuff. I only like things like color pencil and paint. I know it's not popular and old fashion but I feel like computers lack feeling and warmth."

"I totally agree," said Travis, willing to say anything to see her cute smile.

"Oh, I almost forgot," said Namine," Scrooge told me that we would get information for our date from Leon at Ansem's study.

"Is our date here at Hallow Bastion," said Travis. " No wonder it was free. I was kind of hoping we could go somewhere warm, like the beach."

"I don't mind," said Namine," almost anywhere can feed my artistic soul."

"Yeah," said Travis, forgetting the entire conversation in favor of admiring Namine lovely blue eyes.

They hurried to Ansem's study where Scrooge was waiting for them with Mari and Leon. Mari was pouting and grumbling about overtime while Scrooge and Leon were busy with the computer.

"We are here Scrooge," said Namine," and all ready for the date you promised."

" You seem excited," said Mari," I didn't even think you'd be interested."

"I wasn't at first," she said," but when Scrooge told me about the lush scenery, the bicycle rides through the park and the sailboat across quite lakes. It will totally feed my artistic soul to be around all the lights, colors, and nature.

"Hold that thought for a minute," said Mari," Scrooge, come over here."

"What? I'm busy," he shouted back.

"Get your white duck butt over here right now," said Mari.

"How dare you address me in that vulgar manner," said Scrooge.

Mari grabbed Scrooges' arm and turned him away from Travis and Namine.

"Why do you lie to them about the date," Mari whispered," you know that Namine is paranoid about being stuck it a computer and never getting out. I had to spend the night at her house after watching Tron Legacy and she wouldn't go near a computer store for almost a year after that."

"Well, then it is good that I can help her overcome her fears," said Scrooge. "Leon, hit the switch."

" Are you sure?" he said, his hand paused over the keyboard.

"Never mind, I'll do it myself," said Scrooge," Say hello to Tron for me."

"Mari, what did he just say?" said Namine, looking at her with eyes of panic.

But unfortunately, Mari wasn't able to answer as they dispersed in and 80s version laser show and a distant scream.

"Scrooge, you are going to have to pay for her therapy," said Mari.

" It wouldn't be a first time, lass," said Scrooge.

"Welcome to Space Paranoid," said a man who greeted them at the Pit Cell " My name is Tron."

"Ahhhhhhhhhhh," screamed Namine.

"You must be the two users that Scrooge told me about."

"Ahhhhhhhhhhh," screamed Namine.

"Is she going to be okay?"

"Ahhhhhhhhhhh," screamed Namine.

"Breath, Namine," said Travis. "You're going to pass out!"

"I want to go home," screamed Namine.

"Alright, we'll leave," said Travis," I don't want you to be uncomfortable."

" I'm sorry but I am programmed to keep you here until your date was completed," said Tron.

"Trapped! We're trapped," said Namine. " This wasn't what Scrooge promised me. He said we could go biking and sailing."

"You can do that here user," said Tron. " We have light cycles and a solar sailor simulation. I'm sure you will have a good time."

"And you look awfully cute in your Tron outfit," said Travis.

"I do," she said smile slightly through her tears.

"I'm sure we'll have fun here if we just give it a try," said Travis.

"Maybe your right," said Namine,"Maybe I will have fun."

"I am not having fun," said Namine as she Travis sailed into the port at Central Computer Mesa.

" Neither am I," said Travis.

"I'm enjoying it," said Tron.

"What kind of date is this anyway?" asked Travis. "Everywhere we go we are attacked by monsters."

"I've been helping you defeat them, haven't I ?" said Tron.

"That's another thing," said Travis," why do you keep following us everywhere. This is supposed to be a date, you know, just the two of us."

"I don't think it would be nice to leave Namine behind," said Tron.

"I am not taking about Namine," said Travis.

"Are we almost done here," said Namine, " This place is sucking up my artistic inspiration."

"Really," asked Tron." Are you in pain?"

"Not in physical pain," said Namine," but in mental anguish. My artistic soul needs beautiful sights and sounds of nature. There is nothing here but the crude artificial technology; so barren and lifeless.

"I'm afraid I do not understand what she is talking about," said Tron. "Perhaps that is because I program."

"No," said Travis" all guys have that problem."

"Well, I'm sure you will enjoy the next room," said Tron," We have a special birthday event for you, Travis.

" Travis, is it your birthday?" said Namine," It's too bad you have to spend it in a place so void of art and culture.

"It's not so bad, but not really an idea place for a date," he said.

Tron led them on to the Central Computer Mesa. It was very similar in color and design to all the other rooms that Tron had showed them. The only real difference was that the colors were red and gray instead of the usual black and blue, and that room had a sort of pit shape.

" I really like this room," said Namine.

"You do," said Tron. " Honestly?"

" No, I really hate it," said Namine, " but since it's the last place on the tour, I'll tolerate it."

"Intruder alert, Intruder alert," a voice came blaring into the room.

A large pillar of orange light shot up in the middle of the room and a man in a red and gray outfit came charging toward them.

"What are you doing here?" asked the man." This area is forbidden."

"That can't be, Sark, "said Tron." The program that Scrooge set up clearly states that we end the tour here."

"Oh, is this the Blind Date Birthday tour?" asked Sark.

"Yeah."

" I was informed about this, " said Sark." Let me speak this over with the Master Control."

"Is he talking to that big orange wall?" asked Travis.

"Its got a face," said Namine. " I feel like I'm looking at something from a Picasso."

Sark turned back to the party and said," We've decided to give you the birthday special."

He pulled a harmonica from somewhere on his costume and blew a note on it.

"Happy Birthday to you, Happy Birthday to you," he sang." We eliminate all threats, so we'll de-resolute you. "

"What did he just say?" asked Travis.

"I said I'm going to eliminate you as a threat to this computer," said Sark, turning into a giant. " Prepare to be squashed you tenacious little bugs."

Before any of them had time to react Sark raised up his giant foot and was about to bring it down on Travis and Namine. But there was a flash of light and they were both transported back to Ansem's Study.

"Well, how was the date?" asked Scrooge.

"How was our date!" shouted Travis." We almost got killed in there!"

"Yeah," said Namine," and it wasn't anything like you said it was going to be, you liar."

" Come on Namine," said Travis, grabbing," we will somewhere else and have a real date."

"Can we go around the block so we won't pass the computer store?" she asked, still trembling as they left the room.

"I hope you learned your lesson, Scrooge," said Mari.

"Yes, I have," he said. "No more free dates.

I agree with Namine in this story. I hate doing art on the computer and prefer the old pencil and paper much better. I hope you all like this date. Special thanks to TisIJustAGuy for proofreading for me.