[RP] The Inn of Peace - IoP (Open to all)

[The Legendary Knightsoul]

"You were going to sneak out on a secret mission and leave me to deal with her? Some friend you are," Chris muttered.

Stacy said nothing. She simply stared between the two of them, waiting for someone to explain.

Chris stared back. He couldn't tell if she was reading them or not.

Nate, deciding this had nothing to do with him, decided to head to the kitchen for another round of sandwiches. Rico buried himself back in Nate's feathers.  

[Azana Brown]

"Not exactly," Tyler answered Chris, eyes set on him despite the fact that he was staring down Stacy, "and what exactly do you mean 'deal with her'? Considering the maid of honor didn't even know about your wedding until presumably now, you'd have a lot to talk about."

His attention now fell on her, not exactly sure what to feel, or think, or say in yet another tense moment he really didn't need. "...welcome back, Stacy," he finally said, every muscle tensing to walk past and out the door. It seemed neither Stacy nor Chris was offering that as an option, no matter how important the mission. "I guess I'll go un-bundle myself. Shouldn't be long." He turned on a heel and made for the stairs.

The tension could be cut with a knife, and Sosol blocked it from him as best he could. "..."

((I work in nine hours...the conversation will have to wait. Sorry!))  

[Gareus Fletcher]

He smiled in his voice, not visible under his helmet.

"Then you are closer to finding love than I."

Whilst the action went on, the small yordle Teemo waddled in, rubbing his little furry face. He'd slept in a bit today.

"Gweehhhh~"

His little body gave a little shiver, as if to shake the tiredness out of him the way a dog might do water. He smacked his lips, looking around sheepishly.

"Whereiisebuhddy...?"  

[Azana Brown]

"Teemo!" Sosol greeted cheerfully, ever eager to escape what could easily be a minefield soon. Then again, Tyler could probably use the back up. "Need something to wake you up...?"

Tyler set everything out on the bed. The bag, the jacket, gloves, hat. Just because he was a captive audience didn't mean he wouldn't head out later. He just had to face something he wasn't prepared for. That didn't happen particularly often. He really didn't like it. The only thing that would make this situation worse would be to have Zulma in on the conversation, too.

Don't jinx yourself, Hunter, he reminded himself, taming his hat-head in front of the mirror. Stacy hadn't seen him in many months now, and hadn't contacted him for much of the same. She couldn't expect everything to be just like she left, right? She was more realistic than that.  

[Gareus Fletcher]

He pointed to Sosol with a sloppy expression.

"Heeeeeyehp."  

[Azana Brown]

Sosol popped the tab on a can of energy drink (usually kept around for a certain hacker girl) and sent it his way. "That should perk you up quickly..."

Tyler closed and locked the door to his room behind him, letting out a sigh and trying to offset his sense of dread. It would be a small miracle to navigate this without casualty. And then to continue that mission of his.

Glad I'm not on the wedding party, or this'd get messier.  

[Gareus Fletcher]

Teemo accepted it, holding it in both arms. He was small, the can about the size of his head.

"Thanks, mister..."

He took a small gulp, smacking his lips. He paused. An eyetwitch.

"Tastes like... thunderflower juice..."  

[Azana Brown]

"I don't know what that--how does a flower have juice?" Sosol asked. "Either way...Max swears by them."

Tyler came downstairs at last, ordering a drink and taking the seat next to Stacy. "...how've you been?" He said after a lengthy silence.  

[Gareus Fletcher]

"I-it's easy... if it's... big enough..."

The tiny creature raised the can to the shades-wearing man.

"I need to... take a little jog... hold this... for me... p-please..."

As soon as he let go of the can, his small legs shook, so much so that they started to blur in place. And like the cork off a bottle, Teemo blew across the floor, on top of tables and chairs and the counters and on several occasions the cielings. After making several laps around the main room, he went out the door, whizzing past the door several times as he rounded the Inn. After the thirtieth round, he dazed back inside, falling on his little tummy and face to the side. He smiled dreamily, his safari helmet falling off his head.

"Yummyyyyy...~"  

[The Legendary Knightsoul]

"I've been alright, I suppose," she replied after an equally lengthy silence. She wasn't sure how to act around him. She hadn't been back in months and was almost certain he had moved on, not that she'd blame him. "How have you been? Anything new?"

Chris decided the situation was incredibly awkward and decided to leave, until he heard Sosol mention Max. "Say, that reminds me. Where is Max? I've missed having someone call me Superdude."  

[Azana Brown]

Tyler glanced over to her, somewhat surprised that the awkward tension was mutual. They knew each other, yet felt like strangers. Honestly...it really kinda sucked. He missed the Stacy he knew, even after his whole rant. But there wasn't much going back to that. If there was going to be anything, they'd have to start over. From scratch. With the Innkeeper on his mind, that'd be difficult.

He took a breath and a long sip of his drink. "Let's see...I've made friends with an incubus, helped create synthetic soulfruit, accidentally time traveled by about three months, and--" He paused for a moment, looking to her, to Chris, and back to her. "And now I'm on a rather important mission. I honestly don't know whether or not I can or should tell you about it."

I really can't tell Chris, though. He's on hiatus, and I'd like to keep him that way, for his own health and for Crystal... He added, pressure and conflicted emotions heavy in the statement.

"Max...?" Sosol closed his eyes, doing a quick surface scan of the Inn. "She's upstairs...making...Christmas cards? Oh, dear...has been for a couple days. Her and that mile-long buddy list...why don't you coax her out? I'm sure she misses you."  

[The Legendary Knightsoul]

She wasn't actively trying to read him, but the tension rolling off of him was impossible to ignore. She felt guilty, certain that she was the cause of at least some of his conflict. When he mentioned a mission, though, she had an idea. "A mission sounds...interesting. You don't have to tell me about it, but you should at least tell Chris. He won't admit it, but he'd kill you if you left him out. Honestly, I think he's having pre-wedding jitters and is dying for an excuse to get away for a while."

"Not a bad idea, Sosol," he said with a grin. "Max! Get your technicolor butt down here! Your favorite superdude has returned!"  

[Azana Brown]

Tyler blinked, chuckled, and grinned as he shook his head. He really should've known. Chris wanted in on everything...and besides, Remy had told the rest of them. He supposed he could be the bearer of bad news. "...I'll do that, though I may have to hide from bride-zilla's wrath when I do."

He paused again. "...I know I missed a few months myself...but where've you been all this time...? I honestly started thinking you'd never come back."

There was a crash upstairs, the sound of jingle bells and electronic Christmas carols and a slamming door. Before long, an extremely festive Max barreled down the stairs, taking the last three in a daring leap before bounding for his arms. "SUPERDUDE!!! Oh man oh man oh man I missed ya there's so much ta tell ya I got ta be awesome like you and yay you're back!!!"  

[The Legendary Knightsoul]

Chris instantly realized his mistake in calling Max down. She was one of the few people he knew who was more excitable then he was, especially around the holidays. He remembered this fact as she bounded down the stairs and tackled him in a typical Max hug. "Max, we talked about this. Airways, remember?"

"This latest job required deep cover. I couldn't tell anyone where I was, not even the person I..." She stopped herself, but then continued, reaching for his hand. "I never meant to keep anyone in the dark, least of all you. But I had every intention of coming back."  

[Azana Brown]

"Oh, yeah..." She said sheepishly, backing off. "Sorry. But yeah! How ya been, man? I got so much ta talk ta ya about! I finally got ta kick a**! It was sooooo cool!"

"...that explains a lot," he said at last, the contact welcome yet bittersweet, a reminder of the past. "I just...I don't know, I guess I wish you could have at least said goodbye or something. You know know-it-alls like me; we hate being in the dark."