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The droning television was the only noise in Somsnosa’s home. Nobody was truly watching it, but the shifting light coming from its screen provided enough illumination for the dark afternoon. The sun hadn’t come out at all yet, and neither Somsnosa nor Wayne were in the mood for adventures.
Besides, there was nothing wrong with a quiet day in. Wayne was sprawled on the couch, his head resting in Somsnosa’s lap. Somsnosa scratched at the soft expanse of clay between his horns, and in turn Wayne played with the frayed tassels on the hem of her poncho. Between the TV’s hypnotic ambience and the gentle touch of Somsnosa’s fingers, Wayne was on the verge of falling asleep. He was jolted out of his trance by a muffled, heavy sound that gradually began to surround them.
“What...” Wayne muttered, sitting up a little too fast. Somsnosa had to lean back so as not to get an eye poked out by his head. The noise sounded like it was coming from outside; something steadily battering the roof and walls of Somsnosa’s small beachside home. An attack?
“What’s wrong?” Somsnosa asked, standing along with Wayne as he stared at the door in suspicion.
“Get your gauntlets and stay behind me.” Wayne grabbed the axe he’d left leaning on the wall. The noise was getting louder. He felt a pang of worry, convinced Somsnosa’s home couldn’t stand up to whatever powerful magic was at play here. They needed to hurry.
Wayne shoved the door open with his shoulder and held his axe at the ready, scanning the area around the front porch and staircase. He saw no monsters or enemies, but he did see the source of the battering sound: Water. It fell from the sky in sharp pellets, slamming into the ground a hundred times a second. Wayne stood still, in awe of the sight.
“Wayne? What’s up?” Somsnosa pushed past him, looking for hostiles the same way he had. Unlike him, she showed no reaction to the bizarre sight of water attacking them from the sky. Confused, she looked up at him and followed his gaze. An amused smile came to her.
“You’ve never seen rain before?”
Rain. Wayne lowered the axe. This was rain?
“I’ve read about it in books. Fantasy books. We don’t...it doesn’t rain where I come from.”
Somsnosa stepped out from under the cover of the porch and descended the stairs, letting the water fall on her freely. “See?” She spread her arms. “It won’t hurt you.”
Wayne wanted to hold back, but he didn’t even hesitate for an instant. He trusted Somsnosa.
Rain felt...interesting. The water was falling so fast, Wayne was sure it would hurt when it struck his skin. Instead, it felt like taking a slow, spotty bath. He held out a hand, trying to catch the water in his palm. But so little of the water fell in one place, and he gave up quickly.
He met Somsnosa at the bottom of the stairs. The rain had turned the hot, dusty sand into something more malleable. It felt almost like clay beneath Wayne’s boots.
Somsnosa had been watching Wayne’s face the entire time, entertained beyond reason at his fascination with something as mundane as the weather. Then again, it was only mundane to her. She was sure there were things on the moon that would take her equally off guard, were she to visit. But she couldn’t resist laughing when Wayne looked straight up into the sky and promptly cringed at the feeling of raindrops hitting him right in the eyes.
The laughter pulled Wayne’s attention from the rain to her. He blinked; first to get the rain out of his eyes, then to make sure he was seeing clearly. Somsnosa, woman of the earth and the insects, always had some sort of dirt and sand coating her face. It had barely even registered to Wayne, it was such a normal part of his friend’s appearance. But with her face tilted upward to look at him, the rain was washing away the spots and streaks, leaving nothing but the vivid blue of her skin. Water rested on her eyelashes, forming tiny little droplets that seemed to glisten over her eyes.
Wordlessly, he reached out and pulled Somsnosa into a hug. After a moment of surprise, Somsnosa returned the gesture, smiling and nestling her face into rain-slicked leather.
“What brought this on?” she muttered.
“I’ve decided I like rain.”