Lightly Scented Air

[rhiannon_lee]

Clink…clank…scratch…

Under a thick layer of mascara and liner, Rhiannon’s eyes lifted from the pages of her paperback to search out the sound. She sat slumped on a vinyl-cushioned bench in the laundromat, legs stretching into the aisle alongside her basket of detergent and dryer sheets. She leaned forward and squinted at a zippered hoodie bouncing ‘round and ‘round the front-facing dryer. Was it worthwhile to stop the machine and flip it inside out?

The Laundromat was humid and heavily scented: ocean breeze, spring bouquet, fresh cotton. A television was mounted in the corner and from it Rhiannon heard the subdued score of a soap opera punctuated by commercials for cleaning products or diapers. Headphones hung crookedly around her neck because she wasn’t sure how much juice was left in the cassette player’s batteries.

She set her book aside and knelt in front of the dryer to open it.

[Thread]

Comments

[rhiannon_lee]

"Yeah. Video, too. I guess early Christians or whoever worked their hoodoo on the undead didn't foresee technology." Rhiannon arched a brow. "Listen, you seem like a decent person. I'm contemplating asking if you want to exchange contact information, but there's a catch. I want zero to do with the Council."

[holiday_pirner]

"That makes two of us," she answered quickly. "The Council interests me about as much as that box of soap."

Holly searched through her bag for a spare scrap of paper. "I was staying in Searchlight for awhile, but now I live in Vegas. The place creeped me out. I probably should not have listened to that goth-looking chick who came through my hotel walls."

She looked up at Rhiannon. "Sorry, I do that a lot. Don't feel bad if you have no idea what I'm rambling about."

[rhiannon_lee]

At first, Rhiannon attributed the wrong meaning to the word 'came'. Then she backtracked. "Was she wearing some kind of weird," she gestured at her nape, "Headdress hood thing? Also pale, veiny? If so, she must have a thing for misanthropic brunettes, because I saw her, too."

Rhiannon fished an ink pen out of her pocket and handed it to Holly.

[holiday_pirner]

She grabbed the pen, her eyebrows raised. "Huh," she said, smoothing out the wrinkles on an old dry cleaning ticket. Holly took a moment to remember her new phone number.

"That's her. To a T. So, what is she? Demon? Ghost?"

[rhiannon_lee]

"In a nutshell? Denizen of the underworld," Rhiannon said. "At least so far as I can figure." She took the proffered number and wrote her own on a piece of cardboard she peeled off her box of dryer sheets.

[holiday_pirner]

"Well, I just know all the cool people, then." She tucked Rhiannon's number into a side pocket. Holly would have to take time later to wonder why a denizen of the underworld had wanted to speak to her.

"I should probably fold those and get out of here. You know, before my nasal passages are permanently corroded by bleach smell." She stood, slinging her bag over her shoulder.

[rhiannon_lee]

“Have fun with that.” Rhiannon pulled the door on her remaining laundry load and checked it for moisture. All clear. She transported it to the table and started to sort it. “Maybe I’ll see you around. And hey, bonus, the Dive is probably one place where the Council won’t show up.” She smiled tightly at her new acquaintance.