Around the worlds 2 - Tiptoe

"You," answered Neos, whose mood wasn't getting better. "You've been talking about it for days, now's your chance, he mumbled as he turned around to face the wall.

Michela frowned. "Fine", she said, going towards the bathroom. "Call me if your mood gets better. Or if you decide that it wasn't worth it and you'd better want to change room", she added, getting in the bathroom and not even bothering with closing the door completely. She sighed, opening the water. Why was she such a disaster, with other people?

Neos sighed yet again, and burrowed his face into his pillow. And this, he thought, is why he never ever dated everyone. He was just a complete mess at expressing his feelings, and got offending way too easily. He actually felt so bad that he gathered a few things, and left the inn without telling anyone. He needed some fresh air.

Michela just had a quick shower. She wasn't in the mood to take a long one, nor to relax. And when she came out and saw that Neos was gone, she felt even more frustrated than she was before. Talking about messy feelings, she wasn't any better than him. She got dressed hastily and decided to head downstairs. She needed to get distracted.

Karl looked up from his book when he saw Michela get down. "Are you going out too ?"

Michela frowned slightly. "What do you mean, me too?" But of course she had the answer already. Probably Neos had gone out on his own.

"Neos just went out," confirmed Karl to her. "He said he needed some fresh air. Are you both alright ?"

Michela sighed. She pressed her hand on her face. "I don't know", she answered honestly. "Did he seem... ok to you, when he went out?", she asked uncertainly.

Karl seemed to wonder for a moment. "Not really. I sensed distress in his voice, but he asked me to leave him alone."

Michela seemed lost. Was she supposed to go look for him? Was she not? She stood there for a bit, unsure. "... maybe I should go too... there could be dangerous creatures out there", she mumbled.

Karl nodded. "Do you want me to come?" He asked her as he folded his book.

Michela nodded. "Yes, please. Maybe if he sees that people are worried over his stupid ass, he will be easier to take back", she said through her teeth, walking to the exit of the inn.

Karl stood up and readily followed her. "Can you find his track back?" Neos hadn't actually gone far, so that wouldn't be too difficult for Michela to find him. Actually, he sat on a bench of a nearby park, as he was looking through his notebook.

"Ah, I see him", Michela said in a low voice. She stopped fairly distant, not knowing if he really wanted to see her right now. Then she steeled herself and walked up to him. "There you are", she simply said, stopping before him.

Neos quickly closed his notebook, that seemed more filled with doodles than with actual notes. He looked up to Michela and Karl, confused to see them here. "...What, were you looking for me?"

Michela crossed her arms on her chest. "Well, you disappeared without saying anything. We were worried", she said, mindful of not sounding harsh. 'I was worried.'

"... I just needed some fresh air," said Neos as he looked down. "To try to ... clear my mind a bit," he said, a bit awkwardly. After all, Karl was standing just by Michela's side, it wasn't as if he could actually confess anything more to her.

Michela sighed, a bit relieved. "That's ok", she said. Then she smiled. "So, uh, what about we take a walk? I'm curious to see a bit more of this place, now that it is getting safer for me to stay out. I sure hope that werewolves and banshees aren't part of the menu here!"

"... You sure? It's a bit late," Neos said awkwardly, as he stood up. "Then again, night time is your time, right ?" he asked her with a bit of a smile.

"You can bet!", she said merrily. "But well, if you don't feel like it, we can head back to the inn. I think dinner could be served in some time." She shrugged with a small smile.

"I'm sorry, but I think I'd better eat. Who knows if someone will feel hungry in the middle of the night," he joked.

Michela laughed. "Yeah, you never know. I might get sudden... cravings." She flashed a smirk at him, then patted Karl on the arm. "I might have to go and call Cathy too. Will you sit with us for dinner, even though you don't eat?"

"Surely," answered Karl with a smile. "Do you wish for me to go ahead and call Cathy for you ?"

Michela smiled and nodded. "That would be nice, thank you. We'll wait for the two of you downstairs", she added then, putting a strand of hair behind her ear. She was thankful for the fact that in this city, the evening seemed less misty and humid. At least it didn't make her skin all sticky.

Karl nodded, and went back to the inn, to fetch Cathy.
Neos looked at her for a moment, before he looked away, his cheeks sligthly colored. "I'm sorry."