"You know what I'd like?" the yellow Acara adressed her two companions. Neither, however, seemed interested in her wantings, as all three were sprawled on the steps of the Sekhmet Palace, basking in the shade. Completely ignoring this small impediment, Penny the Acara continued dreamily, staring off in the distance. "A delicious, creamy, cold ice cream... Double-chocolate, with plenty of syrup and I'd just lick it off the spoon as it melts"
The other two Neopets groaned, obviously displeased. One of them, a yellow Kyrii, bobbed her head back, as if looking up at Fyora and asking her why she was subjected to such torture. The other, a blue Bruce, sank his head deeped in the book he had been reading, trying to distract himself from the knowledge that, somewhere, temperatures beneath 50 degrees Celsius were possible.
The three Neopets, accustomed to the temperate climate of Neopia Central, did not enjoy having to wait through the scorching afternoon.
"Man, who's idea was it to shop in the Lost Desert, anyway?" the yellow Kyrii asked suddenly.
"It was yours, Keena," Penny huffed in response, while leaning her head on her hands and her elbows on her knees. This position, while in itself not strange, informed her friends that she was sulking.
"Oh..." Keena blinked and stood silent for a second. Then, "You know, I bet you put the idea in my head, anyway..."
Penny twisted around in a stupendous show of shock and indignation.
"Me?" she asked, dramatically putting a hand to her chest. "What could I have possibly said that would have made us come all the way here?"
The blue Bruce, silent up to that moment, mumbled over his book.
"I believe your exact words were, 'hey, don't they have those mad discounts in the Lost Desert?'."
Penny pursed her lips.
"Well, that doesn't mean I forced you to come here!"
"Are you kidding?" Keena spat. "You know I like a good bargain! You knew I can't resist discounts. You were practically already packed by the time we came to suggest the idea!"
Penny gave the Bruce a smothering glare and muttered just loud enough for him to hear, "Thanks a lot, Deg."
Degam, however, was unimpressed and continued reading his book as if nothing had happened.
"Oh, and you know what, Keena?" Penny turned to the Kyrii again, obviously displeased. "This wouldn't have happened had you not insisted on buying everything in triple exemplary."
Keena stared, her mouth agape.
"Whaaaaa-aaat?" She franatically turned to Degam for support, but the Bruce only nodded.
"True, we did warn you about purchasing three identical T-shirts that don't even fit you..."
"Buthey, this is Penny's fault, too!" Keena whined. "I came here psychologically prepared for a certain amount of shopping. I really thought there were discounts. So I expected to buy a lot. Of course, due to Penny's... accurate... piece of information," she looked pointedly at said person, "I spent more than I would have..."
"Well, why didn't you just buy less?" Degam questioned.
Keena feigned sadness.
"Alas, 'tis a curse. If I don't buy as much as I'm prepared to buy, I'm condemned to suffer a perpetual feeling of unaccomplishment..."
Her two friends blinked at this particular snippet of Keena's psyche. While it did explain much, they weren't ready to acknowledge that the Kyrii's sole purpose in life was shopping. Degam returned to his book and Penny resumed staring into the distance, each staying wisely silent.
Quite some time passed, and the shadows were looming further and further. Their overview of the Bazaar showed the three Neopets that vendors were already leaving, packing up and moving out. The mosquitos were also starting to annoy the threesome and Degam had even grown as annoyed as to flay his book at them. Also, as scorching hot as it might have been at day, as mercilessly cold was it getting at night.
"Okay, could you try again?" Penny asked Keena pointedly.
Keena rolled her eyes over her head. Her owner had given her a cell phone, "just in case". Of course, once the three found themselves stranded, they tried calling, but lo and behold, no signal. While Degam and Keena had reconciled with this annoying fact, Penny seemed to be holding out for a miracle.
Indeed, Penny's face was alight with hope and excitement as Keena took out the cell and tried, yet again, to call her owner.
"No luck," Keena informed, much to Penny's disappointment and Degam's expectance.
The Acara turned back towards the view of the bazaar and seemed ready to resume her sulking position when she snapped back around and smiled brightly.
"Hey!" she squealed, suddenly excited. "Look there!"
She was pointing to a bus, similar to the one the three had taken to reach the Lost Desert in the first place. The others, however, were not as excited.
"We have no money, remember?" Keena muttered.
To which Penny replied with a devilish smile.
Keena slumped into her seat, paws crossed. She was fairly confident that, at some point, someone had to take notice of her discontempt. Across her, Penny commented gleefully.
"Who would've thought they'd accept payment in tacky T-shirts?" the Acara laughed.
"I must admit," Degam replied amusedly. "It was quite a surprise to see that T-shirt fit that Tuskaninny. I suppose I expected it to rip, or something..."
Keena humph'ed and flicked her mane graciously, choosing to do the decent thing and ignore her friends for the rest of the ride home.
The End