[004] action -- getting his hands (and quite a bit more) dirty

[empireofmymind]

[Ken and Wormmon have decided to retrieve the fallen wedding ring from the sewer! Wormmon climbed down on in and successfully located the missing item, swept a bit down the pipe.

Except now Ken is kneeling, as if prepared to climb in himself. From a ways away comes a plaintive cry:]

Ken-chaaaaan!

Comments

[Action]

[empireofmymind]

I'm all right....

[Ken sounds almost rueful.]

The pipe's slippery. Wormmon, here...

[More sloshing sounds.]

We're coming back.

[Action]

[youngestboxer]

[Wince. Falling in the sewer? Gross.]

Got it. I can pull Wormmon up while you're climbing if you want.

[Action]

[empireofmymind]

Thank you....

[Boy and worm emerge from the pipe, wet and smelly but otherwise fine.]

Sorry about the mess.

[Action]

[youngestboxer]

[He can't hide his expression at the initial smell, but he tries.]

It's fine. You couldn't just leave him in there.

...We should probably get you back to the hotel quickly though.

[Action]

[empireofmymind]

Mm. Then...

[He accepts the ring from Wormmon and slips it into his pocket, beginning to walk; he'll wait for Yuta, but will instinctively walk a bit further away than usual since yeah, fell over in a sewer.]

[Action]

[youngestboxer]

[Yuta will be sure to keep up, although he can't help but maintain that distance. Sewer funtimes and all.]

Geeze... Aren't you cold?

[Action]

[empireofmymind]

It's not much farther.

[Which isn't to say he's not holding Wormmon close against the occasional gust of wind, mind you. Not at all.]

Am I - keeping you from something?

[He sounds more guilty than anything else. It's nice to have a friend looking out for him.]

[Action]

[youngestboxer]

[Yuta pauses to check the time on his phone.

...He should technically be on his way to work, but...]

Nothing important. [And the phone goes back to his pocket.]

So did you get your job done? That's why you were in the sewer, right?

[Action]

[empireofmymind]

[Ken nods and holds up the ring.]

It wasn't too far down. After cleaning, we'll turn it in.

You did well, Wormmon.

[His partner looks pleased. As, for that matter, does Ken.]

[Action]

[youngestboxer]

Well, at least something went right. Hopefully it's not too much of a pain to clean off.

[Action]

[empireofmymind]

Yeah.

[He replaces it in his pocket, lost in thought.]

[Action]

[youngestboxer]

[Yuta lets the silence go, partially because he can't come up with anything to fill it with. It doesn't take long to reach the hotel.]

...Guess we'd better get you to your room fast, so people don't complain.

[Action]

[empireofmymind]

Mm...

Good to see you. We visited the restaurant. It was excellent.

[He nods politely, and Wormmon mimics him.]

Thanks again.

[Action]

[youngestboxer]

Yeah, it was good to see you too. I just wish it could've been when you, uh. Weren't in the middle of going down a sewer.

[He grins.]

I like the restaurant, too. And it was no problem.

[Action]

[empireofmymind]

[Ken grins self-consciously, but he doesn't look too embarrassed.]

Then, until next time.

[And off he goes.]