"What kind of teammate is he?!" Carmella is ranting to James, the two of them picking through some foliage a ways away from the others. James hadn't wanted to go off, their partners still little more than babies, but she was determined and he wasn't going to leave her alone here. So he'd allowed her to take his hand and drag him away, absorbing the heart-stuttering sensations teasing up his skin with every touch of her fingers against his. "Just looks at us like we're trash 'cause we keep gettin' attacked due to him!" She scoffs and holds his hand tighter, walking faster like her anger gives her energy to go further, say more things.

He completely believes it too, but he likes it about her. He'd always been so lowkey and simple, the kind of guy that most didn't think had it in him to make it far in wrestling, but with her supporting and encouraging him, he'd grown a little more confident, had been able to assist her in certain high profile matches. And sometimes, when she smiles at him, he believes that she likes him just a little bit too.

"Are you listening to me?" she demands, turning to look at him with her hands on her hips.

"Of course, Princess," he says, hands up in what he's hoping is a reconcillatory motion. "Nakamura's the worst, I agree. We could've died because of him."

She seems pleased by this, reclaiming his hand and continuing to walk towards a lake that had caught her eye. That is, until his dead weight stops her and she frowns, turning. "James, what-" She stops short, seeing a gleam of blue as a creature stares at her, its claws biting into James' shirt, spikes protruding from its back and draining all of the color from Carmella's face as she takes in how close everything is to vital parts of James' anatomy- the claws close to his chest, teeth close to his throat, and the spikes... well, the spikes are just too close to everything. "Pyocomon!" she calls out and her small partner, shaped like a flower bulb with purplish blue leaves sprouting out of her head bursts forward and blows bubbles at Gizamon, causing him to yelp and dig in deeper.

"Carmella," James trembles, frozen. She still has his hand, and it's the only thing keeping him together as he grips her as tightly as he dares. "Please-"

"James, stay strong, I'll get you outta this," she promises, even though her voice is shaking as she stares helplessly at her partner, at the digimon that looks like any movement it took could be fatal for poor James, her digivice a heavy weight in her hand. "Pyokomon! Digivolve!" It doesn't work and she hisses, finally storming up to James and gripping Gizamon by the spikes. It is surprisingly cool and when the digimon hisses at her, she barely flinches, determined to free James.

"Princess, no," James grunts, thrown off-balanced by her attempts at freeing him. "He'll- he'll hurt you-"

"Or he'll hurt you," she insists, digging her heels into the ground and putting as much weight into it as she can. Which, considering the awkward angle, and everything else, isn't much. "Let go, dammit!" Gizamon hisses at her, spitting all over her, and she recoils, briefly, before gripping him once more. "You can't have James! Let go!" She screams as suddenly a bright light washes over her and she tenses, expecting something awful to happen- but instead, a pollen washes over her and she sneezes slightly before relaxing, calm and almost doe eyed as Gizamon too is affected, dropping his grip on James and scurring off with a quick squeak, diving into the water in a surprisingly graceful move.

As soon as they can all breathe normally again, James turns and grabs Carmella, staring into her eyes. "Are you ok, Princess?!" She nods dazedly and he exhales roughly, hugging her tightly. "He could've hurt you."

"Or you," she breathes. Then pauses. "Where did that pollen come from?"

"From me," a soft, but familiar voice speaks from behind them. Carmella and James' eyes widen as they turn to find Floramon staring back at them. "I'm Pyokomon, or, well, I was. I digivolved, Carmella, thanks to your determination to save James. My pollen can make people lose the will to fight, so Gizamon was quick to leave once I calmed him down a little." She giggles and then squeals a little when Carmella picks her up and hugs her gratefully.

James smiles down at them, tilting his head when Choromon peeks out from his shirt collar, making funny little noises.

"I'm so glad you're ok," Carmella tells him, gaze intense as she stares up at him. "I couldn't breathe when I thought about..." She closes her eyes and looks away, shaking her head before squaring her shoulders and facing him once more. Cupping his face with one hand, she smiles up at him and leans in, softly kissing him. "Come on, let's go back to the others."

He's drowning in a bunch of emotions, relief to be able to go back to the others where they'll be safer, and the lingering feel of her lips on his, the subtle taste of her against his skin. "Ye- yeah, let's," he breathes, smiling when her hand easily slips into his and guides him back the way they'd come.