Towel wrapped firmly about her body, Melian sighed and wiped at the steamed up mirror with her hand. The face she saw was frowning in annoyance. As well she should be, she thought. Stupid fan wasn’t working and as a result, she was dealing with entirely too much steam. And since the scent of the temporary dye she was using clung to the steam…

She’d be lucky if she didn’t start gagging on the sweetly bitter odor.

Still, the thick steam was beginning to dispel enough now that she’d opened the bathroom door. Besides, what else could she expect for what she’d paid for the room? She was safe. That was worth a broken fan or two. Grabbing a second towel, she used it on her hair, grimacing at the stains the dye was leaving. Another glance in the mirror revealed entirely too much brilliantly pink hair.

“God, I look terrible,” she muttered. At least it would wash out in a few weeks. More than enough time to figure out a plan for saving Alodie. Ignoring the built-in dryer, Melian grabbed her brush and pulled it through her hair, yelping every time she hit a tangle. And once that was done, she pulled the entire mass back into a ponytail, forgoing her usual braids and crystals. The plan, for now, was to be able to move about the city in relative safety. Some prop glasses she’d swiped from the theater and the pink hair would throw off the casual watcher. Assuming there was one. She’d set up watchers if she was Alodie. As it was, she looked nothing like her usual self and that was all to the good. Throwing another grimace at her reflection, Melian finished drying and tossed both towels down on the bathroom floor. Within a few moments, she was in a tank top and pajama pants and sprawled gracelessly atop the bed.

She had enough money to order in something to eat if she had to. And really, not having to really move sounded so so good after the weeks of stress and glancing over her shoulder. And as long as she didn’t power up for anything short of an emergency, she had no reason to think that she’d be compromised. She could allow herself to relax, just a little. And she had her books again. Suddenly, the desire to block out the world for at least one night was overpowering. That’s what she’d do then. Flopping to her stomach, Melian reached for the beside table and the folder full of menus there. She’d order herself a little feast and simply read. Sifting through the available menus, she finally settled on Chinese. After a moment’s perusal, she called in an order of pineapple fried rice, lemon chicken and cream cheese wontons. Oh and a one liter of Sprite. More than enough for dinner and she’d have tasty leftovers for breakfast in the morning. Good enough. And since she’d be waiting for a little, she had time to go through the bag of books she’d purchased and decide on what she wanted to read. All things considered, she wanted something light enough to grab her attention without completely separating her from reality.

By the time her food arrived, Melian was more than ready to stuff her face and read The Hobbit.