Unwelcome Visitors

A few in this world dismiss blizzards as mere meteorological nuisances, yet any resident of Terror Mountain would deny such claims extensively. Indeed, the survivors of the Great Storm of Year 12 would deem the phenomenon a plague, at least, and it is their word that the majority of Neopia tends to trust. Despite even this testimony to the contrary, some cling to their steadfast underestimation of such storms. It is for the sake of eradicating the last sliver of doubt in this matter that the following story was written.

      During one of the aforesaid storm's short-lived moments of mildness, Mika the Chia was returning to her igloo home. The sole reason behind her absence was a profound desire to acquire certain rarities from the Snowager's lair, yet even he, it turned out, was incapable of sleeping through such tumult as the storm brought about. Therefore, she presently trekked up the harsh slope that separated her home from the place to which her mammon had forced her.

      The flakes began to fall quite rapidly when Mika found herself a mere five minutes away from her igloo. She shivered beneath her tight parka; even long-time residents of the mountain strained to weather the storm. Thus she increased the frequency with which she walked, allowing her feet to more savagely disrupt the pristine surface that is new-fallen snow. She was hardly alone in such actions, however.

      Indeed, but a few feet away she spied a short, red Lenny who was presently flailing. The snow reached his waist, and as such any attempts at walking merely resulted in his becoming further entangled in the frigid mass which occupied the mountain. Mika quickly approached the distraught individual and slung him over her shoulder. Thus the remainder of her walk was slowed, but as of yet she did not regret her actions.

      On reaching her dwelling, Mika let out a long sigh as she found that her breath was again an invisible occurrence. This was true only for some enchantment, Carassa's forte, of which Mika had minimal knowledge at best. The Lenny succumbed to a lengthy coughing fit, after which he introduced himself.

      "Well, that was a rather unfortunate scenario I was in just now. The name's Paul," he said.

      "I'm Mika, it's nice to-"

      "Oh," the Lenny interrupted, "I certainly already knew who you were. You're a bit of a celebrity, you know."

      Mika paused before continuing to speak in the same tone. "Well then. Do you have a place to stay?"

      For a moment, Paul surveyed the first of many rooms of which the igloo was composed, thus discovering that, in addition to the couch on which the two presently sat, there stood a dining table, fully armed with chairs and meal-ware, within it. A moment after the cessation of the wandering of his eyes he responded, "Certainly you'd like to treat me to dinner, yes? That would be the hospitable thing to do, would it not?"

      Mika suppressed a grimace. "We'd be happy to help you out. I'll have to discuss some things with my roommate, though. I'm guessing you already know her name, right?"

      "Carassa, of course. Well, do as you will."

     --

      In the far room, the two Chias devolved into a long-winded albeit quiet argument over their treatment of their visitor. There is little need to recount it precisely, for their points were banal, at best, and they occasionally offended the discriminating ear. After their Mika's and Carassa's words had occupied the space of approximately half an hour, the latter meandered back into the first room.

      On reaching the place, she now observed Paul sitting at the table, his elbows pointed into its surface. His hands were interlocked with some intensity such that his fingers produced several varieties of symmetry. Carassa attempted to offer Paul some perfunctory amenities, yet these failures of words stuck in her throat, forever condemned to, in the eyes of the outer world, unwavering nonexistence. After about thirty seconds of silent stares, the Lenny redefined the state of affairs with a single question: "What was Mika doing outside during the storm?"

      The Chia faltered a bit before saying, "She... she was trying to get some stuff from the Snowager." She took a seat.

      "Really now?" Paul lowered his hands and exhaled slowly. "Did she show you any of the loot she brought back?"

      "Nope, she actually didn't manage to take anything from him. He's not as easy to get past as you'd think, apparently."

      The Lenny sighed. "So I'm guessing she didn't let you catch sight of the bag she hauled in here with her? I'm not surprised actually," he said, cutting Carassa off in the middle of an attempt at a response, "Mika has always seemed like an odd one."

      Carassa rose to her feet, throwing her chair back by several inches. "You've known her for all of five minutes – you're hardly in a position to judge my friend of several years."

      Paul stood up, pushed his chair into its place at the table, and countered his host's words as follows: "Fair's fair, and I won't say another word on the matter if you can honestly tell me that you've never had doubts about Mika's thoughts about your friendship." After awaiting a response to no avail, Paul smirked and walked towards the sofa. The Chia trudged into the far room and announced to her roommate that she would be heading to bed early.

      Soon afterward, Mika began to return to the first room so as to check on the activities of their guest but to collide with him in the passageway by which the two were connected. Paul slung an arm around her shoulder and regaled her with some tale from his childhood, a process which lasted a mere thirty seconds. Once they again found themselves in the room whose purpose was to be dining, and immediately did the Lenny's words reassume their pointed nature.

      "Let's cut to the chase," he began, "you're moving to a warmer home soon, correct?"

      Mika laughed. "Of course! Why else would we be having a garage sale?"

      "You aren't intending to move with your present roommate, are you?" The two took seats at the table once more.

      "Why wouldn't I?"

      "Well, between you and me," Paul leaned closer to her here, "Carassa just told me that she's had doubts about your friendship."

      Mika sighed. "I certainly don't appreciate your making such assertions about my best friend. I can't help but wonder how you'd act if you had to talk to the both of us at once."

      "Perhaps," said Carassa's voice from the passageway, "I can shed a little light on that."

      At this point, Paul began to back away towards the door of the igloo. Upon her realizing that her friend had kept no treasure from her, Carassa began to shout at the Lenny. Mika soon joined in, and the two Chias soon cast him off as one would an outgrown shell, leaving him to rely on his own abilities; he had forsaken a right to those of his acquaintances. Indeed, it was the potential threat to the famed duo of Mika and Carassa that truly made this blizzard an abject occurrence; after all, a few snowflakes on their own have never hurt anyone.

The End