PowerPrincess and Mr. Greene

Lilah Banes

Marceline Denova (Mirage)

## sephet

Lilah sighed heavily as she paid the meter to park for a while. She couldn’t decide how ridiculous it was to be sure he’d have a problem with her figure. Maybe she’d watched too much Project Runway, too many designers either make a fuss about not wanting plus size models or designing something horrible because they had no practice at it. Which would be worse? Him refusing to work with her, or him turning out something awful because he didn’t really know how? She closed her eyes and breathed heavily. “Okay, let’s go.”

She felt like she should’ve done her makeup better, maybe if she came in looking professional he’d be more inclined to respect her? It couldn’t be helped though, what was she gonna do? Run off on everyone to reapply her eyeliner and throw on a pushup bra? She probably wanted a sports bra anyway to fit under the suit. She hated how nervous this all made her. It was so tempting to just curl up in bed and ignore it.

“I appreciate you coming with.” She smiled softly at Marci as they crossed over to the very fancy apartment building. “I don’t know anything about how to prepare for a fitting.”

March 7, 2019

## Rose | Rhett | Marci

Marci had nothing better to do with her evening, Dax had been in bed or doing whatever it was he did in his free time and she didn’t think it’d be a great idea to bother him too much. Not while he was still freshly injured, anyway. Instead, here she was with Lilah getting ready to meet with this Greene guy.

She exited Lilah’s car with ease, walking across the pavement to stand in front of the condos. Her hand went up to open the door while her face turned to look at Lilah over her shoulder. “Anytime, babe! I’m sure this guy is a professional and he’s probably had to deal with inexperienced clients before.”

Prying the door open and going inside, she muttered the room number to herself as they went. It would be right at 8pm when they arrived in front of his door. “You’ve got this.” She reassured quickly before knocking.

## Mob Boss Peggy

Lucius opened the door once he heard the knock, and greeted the two women rather properly as he let them in. "Welcome, welcome. This is your first time, isn't it? My name is Lucius Greene, but you can call me Lucius." The man didn't smile a great deal but his voice was good-natured.

He was dressed fashionably as usual, in a brown suit vest and matching slacks, with his dress shirt sleeves rolled up. "Just you two?" He asked, looking behind them as he closed the door. He had been expecting Torchlight to come along as he usually did.

Walking back into the fancy condo, Lucius motioned toward his leather Chesterfield sofa. "Make yourselves comfortable, I've made tea." He said. "Tell me about yourselves."(edited)

## Rose | Rhett | Marci

Between the welcoming tone, offering of beverage and being asked to tell this man something about themselves, Marceline almost thought they were attending a counseling session. Either way, the illusionist didn’t want to be rude and gladly took a seat on the fancy shmancy furniture.

“Pleasure to meet ya, Lucius. I’m Marceline, but I go by Marci.” She decided to let Lilah make her own introduction and paused to see if she’d do so. After a couple minutes, Marci resumed speaking. “When I was four I had a pet hamster named Sparky. Is that what you’re asking for?” She teased before leaning back into the sofa while allowing her eyes to explore. “I create illusions.” She offered shortly after. “If you’re ever out and about, you could come by and see my work at The Crown Royale.” Winking at the gentleman, she laughed softly then seemed to get back to the actual reason they’d come by. “Your work is really somethin’, we’d both appreciate a suit from you.”

## sephet

“Hello.” She greeted as well as the two of them were welcomed in. She felt like folding in on herself and trying to look small but she knew that would only make her look slumped and awkward.

She sat on the couch beside Marci and let the other woman introduce herself first. “I’m Lilah. It’s very good to meet you.” She let Marci carry on after the introduction to explain her own powers and life then took a deep breath to explain herself. “I am… very strong and very durable. I think… I think everyone’s kind of hoping you can turn that durability into armour other people can wear, too. If that’s alright.”

## Mob Boss Peggy

The man walked into the kitchen where he had prepared a pot of tea all on fancy China wares. Lucius let off a little breath of amusement at Marceline's introduction. He instantly knew that the two women had very different, if not completely the opposite types of personalities just moments into their meeting. Marci wasn't anywhere near shy, while Lilah was being far too modest.

"Thank you, Madam," The older man said as he returned to the living room with the tray in his hands. He set it down and poured a cup of tea for all three of them, complete with little matching saucers. "The Crown Royal, as exciting as it sounds, isn't really my style, but I'd be happy to oblige when it comes to clothing."

He looked over his shiny, black glasses at Lilah. The prospect of working with her DNA was incredibly exciting to a man of science like Lucius.

"So you're the young lady I've heard so much about. Your leader told me that you're more than just very strong, but that you can lift cars. He also said that you took a bullet yesterday. Why did you wait so long to come and see me?"

## sephet

“W-well kind of. Cars are a whole lot of small pieces so it’s actually really tricky to pick one up without just stripping the bumper off or tearing out the undercarriage. It’s a kinda complicated balancing act more than anything.” She babbled sheepishly, she didn’t realise Andy had spoken of her with much detail. She was a little proud he’d taken note of her, and a little embarrassed that this stranger knew something about her already.

“The bullet wound was… yeah I’m not quite bullet resistant, it still dug in a bit. But hopefully a little bit of resistance will help, it should make semi-effective armour.” She fidgetted her fingers together and gave a small shrug to his question. “It just took me a while to work up the nerve. I guess I’m just kind of body shy, you know? I don’t wanna cause any problems for anyone.”

## Mob Boss Peggy

Lucius sat upon his luxurious upholstered chair, crossed his legs, and took a sip of his tea. It was enormously telling of Lilah to be thinking of the others, rather than what he could do for her. He had never heard anyone speak so casually about lifting a car before.

"I've noticed quite a few of the members of your group have body insecurities. I almost forget how young you all are. What are you afraid of, exactly, Miss Lilah? You still seem rather nervous."

## sephet

“We are a fairly young group, aren’t we? I think I’m one of the oldest… I guess there’s a ways to go before the insecurity wears off.” Lilah laughed softly and linked her fingers together to keep from picking at them. She didn’t know how to say any of her worries to his face, she would hate it if in the end she just insulted him.

“I… I just know that plus size fashion can be really tricky, and that there are designers who aren’t comfortable with it. I don’t want to put you in an uncomfortable situation with a difficult body type.” She stared down at her knees trying to think of the right ways to say it all. “I’m just not sure what would look good on me and still fit the… like… hero aesthetic? You know?

## Mob Boss Peggy

The moment Lilah had expressed that she was insecure in the first place, Lucius of course knew why. As far as he knew, there wasn't anybody else on their team that was built quite like she was. From what he'd seen, everybody was unique, but it was true that Lilah didn't fit the image of the stereotypical hero.

"Honey, I am from Charleston, South Carolina." Lucius replied, before sipping the remainder of his tea. He stood and retrieved a tin from inside of a gilded drawer in the coffee table. It was a round, blue tin meant for Danish butter cookies.

"Let me tell you a little fun fact about myself, young ladies," He said, as he opened it up to reveal a bevy of sewing supplies neatly arranged. He took the tape measure in his hand. "My very first job was in a Tailor's shop, making church clothes for older gals, and let me tell you, those ladies didn't skip the cornbread and pecan pie. They were mighty proud of it too."

He draped the tape measure over his shoulders. "The only reason I look like this is because there ain't a single damn place here that serves good soul food.
From what I've learned along my many, *many* years in the business, and working with your little crew, there are no difficult body types. Just difficult people."(edited)

## Rose | Rhett | Marci

The more this man spoke, the more at ease Marceline felt. Not that she’d been particularly nervous in the first place. She’d tagged along to make sure Lilah was taken care of and in the short amount of time they’d been there, she already knew Lucius was anything but judgmental when it came to her body type.

Sipping tea from the cutesy cups, she felt listened on quietly as the two spoke. Lucius confronting Lilah over her insecurities earned a quick glance from Marci before the woman beside her answered. The conversation was smooth despite her worrying, a grin slipping onto her lips as Mr. Greene explained his history in the business.

“What a gentleman! Is there a Mrs. Greene, by any chance or can I still apply?” Marci’s grin widened as she set the tea down and looked at Lilah. “This man could sweet talk his way through hell, I think you can trust him, babe.”

## sephet

Lilah laughed a little breathlessly and pressed a hand to her cheeks to try and cool the flush. “Thank you, I’m sorry for having been concerned.” She smiled softly at Marci, glad that the other woman could be the confident one out of the two of them. She was feeling very emotionally drained from everything that had been going on over the past few days and just didn’t quite have it in her to try and shine.

“I’ll do my very best not to be difficult. Just tell me what you need me to do.” She giggled a little out of nerves. “I’ve never been fitted for anything before, I don’t even know if I’ve ever had clothes that fully fit, you know?”

## Mob Boss Peggy

Marceline's compliment drew a little laugh from Lucius. "Not these days, I'm afraid. I have *had* it with love for a while."

Lucius beckoned for Lilah to stand. "I'm afraid I need you to remove your clothes- not your undergarments, young lady, just the outer layers." Lucius could recall when the stretchy fellow was all too eager to strip down to nothing because he didn't specify. He certainly didn't want a repeat of that incident.

"If you're uncomfortable, we can move into a more private space."

## Rose | Rhett | Marci

“That’s too bad, really.” Marceline shot the older gentleman a sweet smile then went back to sipping her tea, enjoying the atmosphere that made up this man’s living space. Nothing was over the top or disorganized like at Andy’s.

“Uh, I can wait outside or somethin’ if you want me to?” She looked to Lilah with her same smile. “Of course, you don’t have anythin’ I haven’t already seen.” Taking another long drink from the glass, she waited for Lilah’s decision. If she wanted to go into another room Marci would fully understand, otherwise she’d just sit around and wait.

## sephet

She hesitated a moment, thinking about it. Marci was very kind and had never seemed in any way judgemental. If she was going to be stripping down to her undies it would probably be nice in a way to have someone familiar there for the moral support of it all.

“I think it’s okay to do this right here. Everyone’s comfortable, I think…” She got up and took a breath before pulling off her jeans and sweater a little shakily. She had perfectly functional boring underwear, save that the bra had cost a small fortune. It was very, very hard to find a properly supportive sports bra once the sizes started getting up there. “I kinda figured I’d more likely be doing work in a sports bra anyway. I hope that’s okay?”

## Mob Boss Peggy

"That's just fine. It's more practical, anyway." Lucius was respectful as Lilah stripped away her clothing and waited until she was finished to start working on measuring her body. All of the measurements he took, he wrote in a little memo pad.

"Most people do *not* wear clothing that suits them. Whether it's the style or the fit, or both. Case in point, Torchlight, for example. His clothes don't fit *nor* suit him. Most people don't realize that they can look good in clothing until they consult a professional."

## Rose | Rhett | Marci

The expression on Marci’s face lit up with pride at Lilah’s decision. Silently proud of the woman for not shying away. Marci couldn’t fully understand the hesitation to begin with, not having been in Lilah’s shoes but she was respectful as always.

She watched on as Lucius took the measurements needed and scribbled them down onto paper. Sighing as Andy was brought up, her head shook. “Please tell me you’re working on that one? He looked damn good in that suit. I’m assuming that was yours?” She referenced the Valentine’s Day outfit before looking up at Lilah then Greene again.(edited)

## Mob Boss Peggy

A little grin appeared on the mans face. "Sure was. He won't tell me how the night went. Rise your arms, please." He said, and waited for Lilah to oblige before continuing his measurements.

"Lord knows I'm working on it. Boy is stubborn as a mule. I'm gradually sending him things to replace his wardrobe with. Not sure if he's noticed what I'm doing yet. If I see another damn grey sweater..."

March 8, 2019

## sephet

“I hope he can start feeling more confident if he starts getting better fitted clothes. I know it’s different for guys but he can be extremely handsome, and maybe if he realised that he’d feel less uncomfortable.” She wanted to shrug a little but she didn’t want to move while she was being measured. Though she raised her arms when asked.

“I thought Valentine’s Day went mostly well. But I’m afraid I ruined it by having a friend crisis, he took it really personally. I think I’m still trying to make up for that.” She pursed her lips, feeling another pang of guilt and a little frustration that these little hurdles keep blowing up like she’d personally insulted him multiple times rather than just embarrassed herself.

## Rose | Rhett | Marci

“You’re a godsend.” Marci grinned in agreement to what Lucius was saying, chuckling at his last comment before turning her smile on Lilah. She was absolutely correct but before Marci could agree, she’d began to shake her head at the mention of Valentine’s again. “He’s hopeless, don’t let it get to ya, babe. Not like you haven’t already apologized.”

## Mob Boss Peggy

If there was one thing Lucius liked as much as a good cup of tea and luxurious fabrics, it was nice, juicy gossip. He was in a prime position to hear it all, too. Not that he was going to use it for anything, but it was fun.

"So you were the one he went out with? Ooh, child. No wonder he was so nervous." He moved around to Lilah's back. "Valentine's day was a few weeks ago. I doubt he's still upset over a little thing like that.

You know, people would go crazy for a pretty young lady like you, so you have options. What about that stretchy fellow? There's enough confidence in that man to power the whole city for years."

## sephet

Lilah laughed a little uneasily at Lucius’ compliment, she was never good at receiving compliments and she rarely really believed them. “I don’t think he’s *upset* he’s just always kind of… uncomfortable. You know? Then I muddled up and tried to explain things about the plus size fashion industry only like… really badly. I haven’t gotten much of a chance to be alone with him since…”

“Leo’s a sweetheart, but I think most of the time he’s out there for a reaction. I just can’t really see him wanting to do something serious, you know? I don’t really know if *I* want serious, but maybe a bit more serious than what he’s looking for.” She leaned her head back and forth trying to figure out what she meant to say. “Really as much fun as it is to think about relationships, though, I’m probably not ready for one.”

## Mob Boss Peggy

He wasn't surprised at the others' perceptions of their leader as a person. Lucius had certainly experienced how awkward and eccentric the guy was firsthand. He had honestly been kidding about Matador. It was obvious that a guy like that wasn't looking for commitment.

"You'll find the right person someday. You won't even know what hit you. You two have got *plenty* of time. Hell, I'm 60 and still striking out. Alright, dear, I'm finished taking your measurements. You can put your clothes back on." Lucius said as he jotted down the last few numbers.

He looked to Marci and gestured for her to step up next.

## sephet

Lilah nodded and stepped back to pull on her clothing again. “Thank you for doing all this. I don’t know how I ended up rambling so much. I’m mostly just worried about how stressed T-Torchlight seems, you know?”

She straightened her hair with her fingers and frowned. “What do you need for the DNA part of the process? It’s a little hard to draw blood with my power.”

## Mob Boss Peggy

Lucius took the time to pour himself a bit more tea while Marceline undressed.

"The young man has a whole lot on his plate and if you ask me, he's really doin' it. I saw some of you on the news. The building fire, saving all those people. The weird sightings in Chinatown. He must be real proud. But it's a lot of work. As for DNA, I'd like to take a hair and saliva sample. Blood would be best, but if we can't get any, we'll have to make do."

March 9, 2019

## Rose | Rhett | Marci

While the two gossiped among one another, Marci took to standing and walking about. Much like a kid in a candy store, she wandered around running her fingers along the walls and absently taking in the scenery.
Her head tilted back to look at the two as Lucius reassured the both of them over finding the ‘right one’. She laughed sharply before placing a hand to her mouth and shaking her head. “Love is overrated, babes.”

Noticing Mr. Greene motioning for her, Marceline quickly returned to the sofa where she undressed while he poured himself another cup of tea. She wasn’t the least bit uncomfortable in her matching lingerie. Nothing too obscene though she pulled it off effortlessly.

“How does that work exactly?” Marci couldn’t help but ask after the gentleman had explained the samples needed from Lilah.(edited)

## Mob Boss Peggy

"Agree to disagree," Lucius grinned at Marci's cynical statement. The two girls really were so different. He was enjoying the company of them both. It has been fun experiencing the many colorful personalities that Andy had collected. Once Marci was in position, he didn't give her body a single inappropriate glance as he began to measure her.

"It's a process I've been working on for thirty years. It's a highly complicated process requiring a lot of money, equipment, and personnel. I create a gel that gets spun into fibers, which gets turned into fabric, which can be used for anything. It's sort of the same process that spiders use to spin silk."

## Rose | Rhett | Marci

This wasn’t the first time Marceline had been measured by a professional and stripping down to her undies was hardly a reason to feel uncomfortable. She just did as she was told, letting Lucius get the information needed.

“Sounds fascinatin’, babe.” She wasn’t entirely sure how to wrap her head around all the technical business that must have been involved, she moved along to the next question on her mind. “I don’t mean to sound like a questionnaire, but is our group the first supers you’ve made suits for?”

March 10, 2019

## Mob Boss Peggy

Lucius knew already that the others wouldn't quite understand the process. There were every few members of that group that appeared to have any scientifically intellectual prowess.

"Yes, ma'am. I've designed clothing lines, wardrobes for celebrities and moguls, gowns and suits for royalty, but this is my most exciting venture yet. Had to get the old research team back together. We've been waiting decades for this opportunity. It was an amazing feat, getting ahold of me for the cause. We can all thank Miss Vindaya for that."

## Rose | Rhett | Marci

Marceline was content with the answer given, finding the bit about Vindaya a little more interesting, as well. “You’ve been around.” She smiled and watched more numbers getting jotted down. Her head turned to Lilah as the other woman had been redressing and gave her a wide grin.

“To think you ever thought this man would treat you wrong.” Her attention returned to the gentleman full of history. “I’d love to hear more about those commissions of yours. I’ll definitely have to thank the good doctor for her hand in introducing us.”

## sephet

“I’m really sorry about that.” Lilah blushed and ducked her head in embarrassment. It really wasn’t fair of her to make the assumptions she had made, for all fashion had always been something of a nightmare for her. “It’s really cool that you’re working with us. It’s really exciting.”

“It’s been a real honest relief to meet you in person, you’re wonderful.”

## Mob Boss Peggy

Lucius was pleased as well, grinning amiably at their comments. "Thank you, it's my pleasure. And you young ladies have been a delight. Now the rest won't take long at all..."

The rest of their meeting went on swimmingly. After he was finished taking samples and finalizing measurements, as well as some good, light conversation about their occupations, Lucius bid the pair a fond farewell. On their way out, he gave them a thick parcel wrapped in brown paper.

"Drop this off by Torchlight, won't you? It's about time this boy got himself some fireproof drawers."