Drops of Note, Soothed Evening (Otherwise Untitled)
#64 of Short Stories
A pair of travelers take turns showering, one tired and the other finding a transition of emotional states.
~ The kobold's soft wailing croon shifted into tones of conclusion as he adjusted the shower's water over to 'Arctic Glaze'. He always liked to follow the relaxation of a hot steam with the invigorative properties of a sudden chill. With the final notes of his mother's song, Randy settled the knob and the shower sputtered to a dribble. "You're up!", he called from within the stall, elaborating "..have you decided on in or out?", sauntered out nakedly into the hotel room.
~ A rapidly diminishing quantity of puddle followed in the wake of the kobold as the water dripped off of his form. Randy winced, but said nothing, when he saw the dragon laid out on top of the bedding and in apparent contemplation of small red handled pocket knife amongst his fingers. The kobold volunteered to Jake, "If you want to eat at that pasta place we saw on the way into town, you'll need a shower", the kobold's gaze fixed silently on the knife.
~ Randy continued to conceal his anxiety as Jake rolled and sat upright. The dragon nodded and stood slowly, his reply carrying the tone of being travel weary, "Sounds like a plan." The kobold took particular note that Jake set the knife down on the nightstand while getting undressed, and was not entirely at ease until laying eyes on the thankfully unchanged pattern of faint scars on the dragon's thighs as the taller fellow slunk into the bathroom nakedly.
~ When the sounds of the shower kicked in, the kobold's facade of calm gave way to a sigh of relief as he lept forth to flop out atop the bed. Damp scales resting against the stiff hotel comforter that smelled strongly of polyester and starch, Randy leaned over to snatch and toss the knife into his travel bag.