Beauty in the Sewer

He looked away down one of the pipes then back at Ingrid. He did not want to leave her, but at the same time, it seemed like it was about time to take his leave. It was getting late, and she needed a good night's sleep to deal with... what was the name? Amanda... Allison... Abigale... The sister. It was a sister, right? Now he was getting confused. He had listened! He just could not keep so many details straight. And, yes, the relation of a female to his friend and her name was a lot of details for someone like him.

He gave her another nudge and grumbled softly. He'd find a way to make it up to her. He'd find her some kind of trinket and treasure to take the sting of sudden interloper away. He could understand the disquiet that would bring. At least when his interloper had... er, interloped, it was not close to his nest. He could leave.

Speaking of trinket... He gave the spot where she'd tucked the ring away a long, hard look. She'd promised to find them. Remember? She'd promised!
 
Ah. That time again. No walking off without warning this time though: what a gentleman. No level of courtesy would have stopped her disappointment. Time seemed to past so slow while she was down here: then she went away and found out it'd been hours. She didn't like it. Time was stupid. Dumb and stupid. Same words, but that just meant it was twice the stupid.

Ingrid sighed and tapped the pocket that contained the ring. In theory, all she had to do was throw it somewhere and say she'd found em. He'd never know. He'd never find out. But she wouldn't do that, because then she'd feel bad. She said she'd try, so she'd try her best.
"Yeah, yeah. I'll find 'em. Don't stress about it, pal."
 
Claudius purred happily and nudged her shoulder again. He trusted her. He had complete faith that she would find the owner and return what was lost to them. It never even occurred to him that she might lie to him or do less than her best effort.

Then he turned and padded away. Time to return to his usual place farther below. Maybe he could catch dinner on his way down. He'd forgotten about that in his need to get the ring to Ingrid.

He glanced back at her once then disappeared. He wished he could be with her longer, but this place... this was not exactly the best place for a human to spend a lot of time as she did without proper protection. He wished she'd at least wear waterproof boots or similar. Not that he could do much about that. She was a big girl and could take care of herself.

Then he turned his attention toward dinner. Dinner was rats.
 
"Psh, like I could say no."
Ingrid chuckled, patting his scales and watching him go on his way. Gone was the tiny little urge to follow and see where it would lead: not after last time. When he turned to look back, she waved with a grin, before turning to take her leave. It was getting pretty late, and if she still had a phone, she could guess it would be buzzing.
Eugh. Whatever happiness she felt would have to be shelved for now. As far as Amalie was concerned, Ingrid had just gotten back from work.

"Heya--"
"What's with all the Claudius'es?"
Piss. Her name list hadn't been oh so carefully packed away like she remembered, and Amalie had found it.
Ingrid swiftly swiped the paper away from her while walking past, heading for her room without giving her sister a second glance.
"Business. Something that sure as hell ain't yours. If you're going to stay here, stay out of my things."
"I wasn't!--- Okay, okay. I won't. But, Ingrid, before you dis--"

A loud slam said everything that needed to be heard. Ingrid was still mad at her for turning up uninvited, and on top of that, she had an engaged couple to find.
The plan was to spend an hour at most posting notices, but when no results showed up in those 60 minutes she took longer. And a bit longer.

Sleep is a luxury Ingrid claims she can't afford. However don't be fooled, her unconscious bankruptcy is her own doing.
 
The next day was bath day. He moved his usual barrel and bucket set up from the nozzle in the wall and started the painfully slow process of filling the depression in the concrete with cold, clean water. He left it to run while he tidied up the rest of his home. A clean body did little good without a clean environment.

Bath time! He turned off the water and flopped onto his side in the water. His improvised pool was shallow, for him, perhaps up to the average-sized person's waist, but it worked for him as he rolled back and for, squirming and thrashing about in the water, his wings flailing awkwardly. He looked like a cross between a dog and a bird as he tried to clean himself. The rough texture of the cement helped to scrub his scales clean, and the water washed away all the filth in every crevis.

The water naturally drained away, and he was shivering and dripping by the time the water drained, but he was clean! Clean and cold. He used some old sheets to dry himself as best he could - which was not very well - and finally wandered toward where he normally met Ingrid. He was early, but maybe he could find something along the way.

Clinks and clanks up ahead echoed off the walls. Was she early? No, it did not make sense. Ingrid never made those sorts of noises. He slowed, his body-hugging the ground as he crept forward. What was going on? Then he froze.

People! Strangers! They had the sewer accesses open and were going in and out with measuring tapes and calculators! There were only three of them, and they seemed to be recording something. He growled softly and hugged the wall, watching them. They wandered to and fro, muttering to each other as they moved, but they seemed to be almost finished with whatever they were doing. In fact, even as he came to that thought, they started up the ladders. How long had they been here? What were they doing? Why??

Then they were gone, leaving nothing behind to indicate they had ever been.

He stayed in the shadows, his heart hammering, as he watched suspiciously.
 
"Seriously, we cannot thank you enough. I don't know how we would have gotten around to replacing it, with the way things are-"
Just smile and nod, Ingrid. Smile, nod, and try not to spit a 'I didn't fucking ask.'
Through numerous postings and digging, Ingrid had successfully tracked down the owners of the ring with surprising speed. She had hoped it would be a quick give-and-go, but the gratitude they felt must have obscured their concept of time. She got it: the ring was a lot of money that was saved for this occasion. She was happy for them, even if marriage wasn't her thing.
"We're glad you found it so soon, too. We were about to ask the sewer maintenance team if they could check for it today, and well, you know how they are."
A light, awkward chuckle was held.
Hang on. Sewer maintenance. Today.
"U-Uhm-- If you'd excuse me, I really gotta get going, take care with your life together-"

Ingrid didn't hesitate to turn tail and flee. Shit, what if they found him while they were down there?? It was still early, but what if he came early?? He wouldn't be there if it wasn't for her. Aw jesus christ, what had she done???
It was difficult to look uninterested above all the fear she felt. Having to loiter around and wait for the workers to finish packing up, she considered trying a new place in the city altogether and working her way there. That sounded like a lot of walking. Best to just wait around for them to eventually finish.

The workers had hardly started turning their backs before Ingrid slipped down (hopefully) undetected, starting down the pipes with more urgency than usual. Keeping cool was impossible.
None of the workers seemed panicked, so they couldn't of saw him, right?
What if they knew.
What if he was dead.
What if Ingrid found a dead dragon instead of an alive one.
All these thoughts made the pipes seem a lot smaller than usual.
 
Claudius flinched when he heard the hurried steps and retreated back a few steps. When the human rounded into the pipe, he reared up and snarled, his wings flaring to fill the pipe. Danger! Do not proceed! Run away!

Oh. It was Ingrid.

He lowered his body, his growl fading away, but not disappearing entirely. He shifted uneasily, watching her. People! People in the pipes! Right where he normally met her. Was she the one to cause them to be there? Had she betrayed him? He hated that thought even as it entered his head, but it had to be thought.
 
Being on the tipping point of a breakdown throughout her walk, her ribcage nearly collapsed on itself when she rounded a corner to find him there growling. There wasn't enough breath to swear: only to gasp and prop herself up against the wall with an arm.

He wasn't dead! Ingrid didn't know if he was hurt, or if he was seen, but that didn't matter: he was alive.
"Oh my goooooddd..."
Ingrid drawled into her hand, squeezing her eyes shut and turning to press her head against the wall.
"I heard the maintenance guys were down here today and--- And I thought you'd be found and---
J-Jesus christ I thought I'd find you dead or something."
 
Claudius shifted, growling softly, but it slowly changed into a whimper. Soft thumping came from his tail hitting the sides of the pipe as he thrashed restlessly. He leaned down and shoved his head at her. What were those men doing in his pipes?? What happened?

But she was upset. She looked about to have a heart attack or something. She needed to calm down, but he wasn't exactly calm, himself!
 
Uh oh. That wasn't dandy.
Ingrid's split-second calm was torn away from her when his agitation became clear. She wasn't out of the woods yet: he was probably twice as scared as her. He must've seen workmen down here before though, right?? Ingrid hoped he would be used to them, but the previous point of he only hung around this area to see her was once again raised. Shelf it with the rest of her thoughts, there was stuff to be done and words to be said.

"H-Hey now, it's alright- They're gone now. They have to come down here to make sure the place is sound. People use the sewers, and they have to be checked sometime."
Ingrid knew next to nothing about community upkeep, so she was far from an expert at facility maintenance, but it seemed like that was the general idea.
Ingrid leaned back at the jolt forward, not wanting to stress him out further by moving close.
"If i'd've know they were here today, I would have said something. Honest!"
 
Her voice calmed him. She was calm. Quiet. Gentle. Yet assertive and clear. He could trust-

What was that??

He jerked up, nearly bashing his head on the roof of pipe. He stood frozen, listening. Just a car hitting a pipe cover. That was all. He relaxed a little. Nothing. It was nothing. He felt silly. He was jumping at nothing. Shadows and faint noises. Next he would be cowering at rats.

Ingrid was still here. He looked down at her again. He could trust her, right? She was not the cause of this.
 
Ingrid was less spooked by the noise, more spooked by the sudden jerk in movement which led her to momentarily stepping back. Only momentarily: once he seemed to realize what the offending noise was, she moved back to her original spot in front of him. It was times like this she was torn on how to speak: he was entirely capable of understanding her without the dulled down soft talk, yet she always found herself resorting to it when things got tense. Ingrid couldn't understand it, because when people did that to her, she immediately assumed it was down-talking.

"It's alright, bud. They're gone for today. I, uh...I don't know if they'll be back or not. Depends on if they found anything broken? I...I dunno."
A reoccurring set of intruders was a problem. There was no way of Ingrid stopping them from coming down here if they did come back. Such things would land her in an over-night cell, or maybe even a ward if she acted irrationally enough. Best course of action would be to tell him to stay away for a few days...She didn't want to do that. Not unless she had to.
 
He shifted, his skin twitching with nerves. This wasn't right. People didn't come down here! No, they did, they did just as she said and looked after the condition of the pipe. He was acting irrationally.

Movement helped calm him, so he started walking, still trying to avoid where the maintenance men had been. He took a deep breath and let it out, sounding like a leather bellows as he did so. He wasn't exactly walking slow, but he wasn't scurrying as he had other days, either, so he glanced to see if Ingrid was keeping up.

The pipes needed maintenance. Men had come in the past to check them, but they had never been right there in front of him. There had always been warning. Now he had almost walked nose-first into a group of them. That was what had him so restless. That and the realization that they would likely be back. He would not be able to return to the upper levels for a while, and neither should she. But how to tell her?
 
Ingrid moved to the side to let him past, staying clear out of his way. She felt like he was annoyed with her about the situation. Which was stupid. There was nothing in her power she could do to stop workmen. And hey, they stopped these old-ass pipes from collapsing: that had to count towards something.

"I get it isn't nice."
Ingrid's gravelly voice followed, soon joined by her person. It wasn't nice. Nothing could be done, and that sucked a lot. Considered options were whittled down in the time it took her to catch up and keep pace, and by the time she was walking beside him, a decision had been made.
"It'd probably be best for you to stay clear of up here for a few days. Will you be alright with that? Will you have enough food?"
 
He grunted a soft affirmation. He would be fine down here. He would miss her, but he would be fine. He did not want to go, but it was what was best for them both. He turned down another pipe, his tail snapping at the wall in frustration. Things had been going so well!
 
The cutting thwap of scale meeting the wall made her flinch, though more at the sudden volume than out of any fear for the action. Ingrid knew he was upset. Ingrid hated that she knew. A grip of awkwardness always scattered her words when she knew someone else was in a subpar state. She wasn't happy either, but it wasn't enough unhappiness to rival his own. Wallowing in frustration was only okay with her when it was just her doing it.

"There's a small corner store not far from here. I could get you some food just before it closes?"
Ingrid pointed a thumb over her shoulder, now trailing behind instead of beside to avoid any slaps to the face via tail, or wing. He had food, so it wasn't needed, and he survived perfectly fine before she showed up, but the need to ask was still there. Out of courtesy, if anything.
 
He stopped and turned to her. She really did have a heart under that gruff exterior, however hard she tried to crush it. He took a step back and lifted his tail, curling the tip around her back. Gently, he used the flexible appendage to guide her forward to where he could see her better. Closing his eyes, he lowered his head and pressed it gently against her chest. He had never been quite so forward before, but he needed the touch, the solidification of their friendship.

He stayed that way a moment before lifting his head once more and walking on. He wanted to thank her better for her offer, but that was not exactly possible right now. He would be fine without the extra sustenance, but he would miss the flavors. No matter what, though, it was safer she did not come for a time.
 
"Hey, hey hey--"
Ingrid raised her arms a little and arched her back at the unexpected touch, scooting forward. She didn't know if brushing is tail against her back was an accident and she was intruding: it was either she was purposefully bold, or needlessly walking on eggshells. Inbetween wasn't an option.

Previously straining her neck to look back at what was nudging her forward and why, Ingrid looked back forward just in time to softly collide with a head to the chest. It made her stop everything and tilt her head downwards to eye him curiously. The obvious answer would be that this is the only way a quadruped could show any sort of affection, but that was a little unbelievable. I mean, come on, Ingrid knew Ingrid.
She didn't know how to reciprocate hugs for people, so the dragon department was even more barren. She also didn't want to leave it and come across as indifferent: despite being overly critical of herself and adamant she didn't deserve such a thing, the gesture meant the world to her. Wavering, but still going through with it, Ingrid gingerly placed a hand atop his head and gave it a pat. It wasn't a head to the heart, but it was the best she could do.

When the walking continued, Ingrid followed for a few steps, before halting. Was that a temporary goodbye? A cue to leave? Shit. She didn't know. She couldn't just leave it like that. Should she??
"I s'pose that says it all, but so I can sleep at night, uh..."
Rubbing her shoulder and looking down in true, iconically awkward fashion.
"I'll miss ya for those few days, bud."
 
He glanced back and rumbled softly. He would miss her, too. He purred softly in an attempt to underline that thought then kept going. There was no need to needlessly extend the pain. He quickened his steps and disappeared into the darkness once more, leaving behind only the echo of a growl.

He did not know if she would try to follow, but he hoped not. He would not know to save her this time, and it was safer if she returned Up There. They would see each other again. This was not goodbye forever, only a pause in their relationship. That was all. Perhaps she would spend the time actually getting some rest rather than traipsing about in the sewers.

Not likely, but he could hope.

Maybe she and her sister would have a chance to come to an understanding.

Not likely, but again, he could hope.
 
It was upsetting her far more than it should. Ingrid wouldn't be caught dead admitting it to its full extent, but that damn giant lizard was important to her. He'd made a lasting impression that Ingrid strived to avoid when interacting with people. He didn't need to say anything to make her feel like he cared. At this point Ingrid would become careless about her relationship: if they cared, no more effort had to be made right? That was what she thought before. Now she was doubting a lot of her mindsets and hitting levels of awareness that were making her uncomfortable.
What was worse is that now she didn't have anyone to lament these things to aside from herself.

...Well. There was someone.
Ingrid entered her home to find food (warm food!) plated up on the coffee table. No sister in sight save for a note. Yadda yadda, out for the night, please eat dinner, pick up your trash...And an 'I love you'. The paper crinkled and scrunched in her grasp, Ingrid refusing to look at it twice. It was never something she cared about before, but with all this reflecting lately, she dared to say everything that had happened was having an impact on her.
A subtle one coated in bitterness and reluctance, but an impact nonetheless.

Whatever. She had tomorrow off, and with no visits to tend to, she concluded it would be a day for self-care.
In the most caring activity of them all:

Sleeping for 12 hours.
 
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