Lilith's Shadow Omnibus: Volume 2, page 49
“Which is to say, she’s willing to accept your conditions, Lilith,” Archon interjected. The angelic woman paused for a few seconds, then let out a soft sigh as she added. “As am I, for that matter. My one warning is that I don’t leave the compound often, due to how much attention I receive, as well as the lack of furniture that accommodates me in most places.”
“I don’t blame you at all,” Lilith said, relief washing over her as she added. “The one thing I should say… I don’t intend to invite anyone over to my house any time soon. Not after what happened with Gina and Rachel. I don’t know if them being in the house made it easier for Amber to target them, but I don’t want that to happen again.”
“Totally makes sense to me,” Emily agreed, shuddering visibly, though Lilith thought it was slightly exaggerated. “I don’t want her in my head, that’s for sure!”
Archon gave a measured nod of her own, and Lilith smiled at them.
“Thank you. I wasn’t sure how you’d react, but… thank you,” Lilith said simply, fiddling with her purse, then added. “Though I’ll admit that I have no idea what to do for dates.”
At that, Emily’s eyes lit up brightly and she grinned predatorily at Lilith.
“Uh-oh,” Archon murmured. “Now you’re in for it.”
Lilith couldn’t help a laugh, shaking her head in amusement. But at least she had people to keep her company again… and this time, she wasn’t going to get complacent about having a couple of friends. The only question was, could she deal with Emily’s enthusiasm?
Chapter 67
Wednesday, September 10th, 2031
Leisure Super-Spa, Paragon City
Examining the building from the outside, Lilith wondered just how much Leisure made. The building was gleaming chrome, curving lines, and windows, at least on the exterior. She found it slightly ironic that with all of that, she couldn’t actually see anyone through most of the windows, only through the front doors. It made her wonder what the purpose of them was.
Of course, some of those people were looking at Lilith, but she ignored the gazes, as she shrugged and started forward again at a sedate pace. She was early and had been informed that Leisure kept to appointments precisely, so it wasn’t as though hurrying would do her much good.
The spa was located outside of the heart of Paragon City, somewhat south of Paragon City Tower, the enormous structure that dominated the skyline. Lilith was rather fuzzy about what the city did with the tower, but she knew that most of the city offices were inside it. Regardless, her appointment was in the spa, not the tower, and at least parking had been relatively easy, with a nearby parking garage that waived fees for the spa’s customers.
Stepping inside, Lilith pulled off the sunglasses she was wearing, her gaze flicking around as she tried to figure out what felt wrong to her, then placed it. With this much glass, the foyer of the building should be sweltering, even as early as it was, yet it was comfortable. That indicated either an excellent heating system, or some form of super-tech kept most of the heat outside. Lilith suspected probably the former, but the other possibility couldn’t be ignored.
“Lilith?” a familiar voice asked, and Lilith blinked, following the voice to its speaker.
The woman standing up was a bit shorter than Lilith, but she knew better than to underestimate her because of that. Astral Core, who Osmar had introduced Lilith to the previous week along with several other heroes, was a nice enough woman, with bright pink hair, glowing white eyes, and had an athletic physique. She also could throw Lilith through a wall if she wanted to. Astra, as she liked to be called, was wearing a jacket and skirt over her usual pink and white suit, and she stood up as she saw Lilith, smiling warmly. Of the various heroes she’d been introduced to, Astra was one that Lilith liked a bit more, which was part of why she was surprised to see her here, of all places.
“Hello, Astra. This is a bit of a surprise,” Lilith said, putting her sunglasses into her purse carefully.
“You’re telling me! What’re you doing here? Are you signed up for the pilot, too?” Astra asked, stepping around a large man who was looking between them with… well, Lilith decided to tune him out. There were disadvantages to being attractive.
“Pilot?” Lilith asked, frowning slightly as she offered a hand, which Astra took, then used to pull Lilith into a hug, which startled her somewhat. Lilith lost her train of thought for a moment, but then Astra pulled away, smiling.
“Oh, hadn’t you heard? They’re starting up a new program here. Leisure hired several PR specialists, as well as some fashion designers, and they’re starting things up this week with a few test runs,” Astra said, gesturing toward the desk, where a woman was watching them through half-moon glasses. “I got onto the list, since I’m trying to revamp my image so that I get more publicity. Hopefully they can help.”
“Ah, I think I heard about that. If I’m right, Osmar mentioned it in passing… no, I’m here because he set up a meeting with Leisure for me,” Lilith said, glancing at the clock behind the desk and nodded. “I have about… ten minutes before the meeting, I think.”
“Oh?” Astra murmured, her eyes widening, and a hint of envy crept into her voice as she continued. “That’s impressive, and a bit too rich for my blood. I’ve heard that her personal attention isn’t cheap.”
“No, it isn’t,” Lilith replied, shuddering internally as she remembered the price tag she’d seen when she asked about the cost. Sure, SuperNet was picking up the bill this time, but if she decided that she wanted to do anything like this again, she’d have to make sure she didn’t do it too often. Lilith hadn’t gained the money she had by spending frivolously. “We’ll see how it works out, though. Like I said when we met last week, I’m trying new things.”
“Sure, and I’ll bet that’ll be one heck of an experience,” Astra said, grinning as she took a step back. “You should check in, though. You don’t want her to think you’re not coming or something.”
“True, I’ll be back in a minute,” Lilith said, smiling at the heroine again, then approached the secretary. When she was close enough, Lilith spoke softly. “I’m Lilith Carpenter, and I believe I have an appointment with Leisure for ten o’clock.”
“One moment, let me check,” the secretary replied, smiling at Lilith, though she thought there was something artificial about the smile. Lilith nodded anyway, waiting patiently for the woman to work. There was the soft sound of a shutter behind her, which indicated someone had taken a picture of her, but Lilith didn’t react. That was incredibly common, these days.
“Yes, you have an appointment, Lilith. Your name will be called when it’s your turn,” the secretary said at last, looking up at her. “Be aware that should you request any services beyond what was agreed on beforehand, you will have to cover the charges yourself.”
“Of course, thank you,” Lilith replied politely, then stepped away as she noticed a couple more women had entered the building. Considering she could see a dozen other people waiting, that indicated a lot of business, which might explain the building. Apparently, Leisure did well for herself.
Lilith walked over to the chairs where Astra had been waiting when she entered, settling into a chair as she let out a soft breath, then asked. “So, how’re you? You were doing board games on Friday, right?”
“Yup, and it went… alright? I mean, I lost terribly, but what can you do?” Astra said, shrugging helplessly. “It was definitely a thing, though I don’t blame you for skipping. Dinner with the Sentinels sounds like fun.”
“Not all of the Sentinels,” Lilith corrected, giving a slight smile as she shook her head. “Shade was on patrol, and Decarin was in and out, since he had to keep an eye on the boards. I have no idea how he does it, some days. When do they sleep?”
“Don’t ask me. I mean…” Astra paused, then shook her head, her tone slightly exasperated. “Sorry, I shouldn’t be so snappy when it comes to them, but they’re the big players in the city. Everyone pays attention to them, which makes my life harder. How’s a girl supposed to make a name for herself when they’re always taking the big jobs? I didn’t make it to Tooele until after they’d taken care of it, along with Morgan and Warden, and it sucks.”
Lilith didn’t reply for a couple of seconds, studying Astra. She wasn’t sure what she should say but staying quiet felt wrong somehow. She could tell Astra was ambitious, hoping to become famous, but she had a hard time in Paragon City. Only now was Lilith really realizing that even without the influx of heroes for Ivanova’s visit, there were at least fifty Class A heroes in the surrounding region, and close to ten times that many Class B, if not more. The Sentinels were simply the most powerful, visible team, and a lot of the other teams tried to take neighborhoods that the Sentinels couldn’t get to as fast in the hopes that they’d get more attention. It just took time and luck.
“I don’t know what to say, really. I have a few unfair advantages, myself. My captivation field is… well, you can see as well as I can,” Lilith said, glancing around the room, noting how almost every person was looking in her direction. “Yet even without that, how I was created certainly doesn’t help. I draw attention whether I want it or not, so I can’t really understand your frustration. I hope you do better, though.”
“Yeah, you can’t. On the other hand, I was thinking about it, and well…” Astra hesitated, frowning, then asked. “Do you promise you won’t get mad if I tell you something?”
“I rarely get mad about anything,” Lilith replied, looking at her a little more suspiciously. “That said… I’ll certainly try not to. I can’t promise I won’t, though.”
Astra fiddled with the magazine on the table next to her for a moment, then spoke, her voice quiet. “I… well, part of the reason I wanted to befriend you was simple. You’re in the news a lot, and there are plenty of pictures of you. If you’re in the news, that means that your friends will be in the news. It’d help me, and it doesn’t hurt you, so…”
A part of Lilith wilted. It wasn’t that she was particularly close to Astra yet, but the admission was like a weight had been dropped on her shoulders. She’d hoped that any friends she made would be interested in her for who she was, not because of what she could give them, but… her therapist had warned her that this might happen. That in her quest to find friends, she’d find plenty of people who were in it for what they could get out of the relationship, not just for her company. That being the case, Lilith had braced herself for the possibility, and she marshalled her thoughts, trying to decide on a response.
“Ah. Is that the only reason? Do you like me at all?” Lilith asked, glancing toward the clock again. It was getting close to the time of her appointment, whether that was good or bad.
“Of course I do! I mean, sure, I want to become famous, but I wouldn’t associate with people just for that. If I was willing to put up with anyone for fame, I would have taken—” Astra began, then her mouth snapped shut as she cut herself short. The heroine fumed for a moment, anger on her face as Lilith looked at her in surprise, then continued, her voice taut. “Never mind that. I won’t give… them the satisfaction. Let’s just say that some heroes are much less pleasant behind closed doors. Anyway, you’re nice enough, Lilith. I’d be happy to meet for movies or parties. Not anything more than that, but you said that you were looking for a regular friendship, not anything else, and I think that the idea of an independent hero party around Christmas is a great idea. It’d give us a chance to network and chat in ways that we can’t at, like, conventions.”
“I wish I could take credit for the idea, but I got it after chatting with Ivanova a bit,” Lilith admitted. She opened her mouth to continue, but at that moment a door next to the desk opened and a blonde woman poked her head out to call. “Lilith?”
“Ah, sorry. I’ll see you later, Astra?” Lilith asked apologetically, standing up again.
“Sure! Let me know how it was, alright?” Astra said hopefully.
“I will,” Lilith agreed, and started toward the woman, making certain to keep her pace natural. She wasn’t sure how she felt about Astra’s admission, but if she liked her… well, she hadn’t seemed to be lying, so Lilith decided to set the thought aside. She could worry about it later.
The woman waiting for her was pretty, standing almost a full head shorter than Lilith, to her surprise, and she looked up at Lilith with bright blue eyes, pursing her lips as she tapped a spot on her tablet.
“Huh, you’re taller than I thought you were, from the pictures! You’re Lilith Carpenter, correct?” the woman asked. “Not that I’m doubting, but I have to check. It’s part of the procedures.”
“Yes, I am,” Lilith replied, nodding politely as she smiled back at the woman. “So… if you don’t mind me asking, how does this usually go?”
“Let me take care of this…” the woman said, hitting another spot on the tablet, then swiping a finger across the surface. Then she gestured for the Lilith to follow. “If you’ll follow me?”
She led the way into the back, and as they walked, Lilith looked to either side, her eyebrows rising as they passed rooms with glass windows, through which she could see men and women in private rooms with a large variety of tools and other items Lilith couldn’t identify at a glance. Some of the rooms had curtains drawn, but even she could tell that the work being done was by beauticians and the like. Lilith had seen them before, even if only in passing.
“This is pretty simple. I take you to Leisure, she chats with you, seeing what you need, and most likely you partially undress for the massage. I’m not certain if you’ll be having a makeover or not, but that’s also a possibility,” the woman explained briskly as they walked. “All told, most visits take between one and two hours. You’re scheduled for the longer period today.”
“Thank you,” Lilith said, mulling the explanation over. She felt herself relaxing slightly, which was a good sign, she thought. Knowing what to expect allowed Lilith to make plans, which helped her nerves.
They reached an elevator a few seconds later, and the woman pressed the button, causing the doors to open, and pressed the button for the second floor once Lilith was inside. The elevator wasn’t as good as some of the others Lilith had been inside, as there was a sensation like her stomach moved downward when it started moving, but the trip was short, and the door opened to reveal a hallway with a door directly across from them. A sign on the door declared it the CEO’s office.
“Here we are. Go right in, she’s expecting you,” Lilith’s guide said, and Lilith nodded politely to her, a hint of butterflies flaring up in her stomach.
“Thank you,” Lilith said, taking a breath, then stepped forward, opening the door and entering the office.
Leisure’s office was brightly lit, with the entire rear half of the room taken up by a glass window, and on the walls were a few framed certifications and pictures. The desk in the middle of the room was a thin sheet of black glass held up by a metal frame, and a computer screen was in one corner, wires trailing from it down into the floor. Behind it was a woman, and Lilith studied Leisure as the woman looked her over in turn.
Leisure was sitting in a chair, and she looked somewhat different than Lilith had expected, with her black hair cut in a bob rather than the long, flowing hair that she’d had in the pictures Lilith had seen, and her eyes were a bright blue. She was slim, almost six feet tall, and attractive, though there was a slightly sharp edge to Leisure’s features. The woman wore black slacks and a light blue shirt, and was toying with a pen as she looked Lilith in the eyes.
“Hello. If you’d take a seat?” Leisure offered, gesturing to the chair across from her. “How would you like to be addressed?
“Thank you, and Lilith would be fine,” Lilith replied, taking the chair. “How should I address you?”
“I simply go by Leisure, these days. Even if, ironically, I don’t have much time for it myself,” Leisure replied, her lips quirking upward, and Lilith couldn’t help a smile of amusement. She hadn’t expected the woman to make a joke at her own expense.
“From everything I’ve heard, that sounds right. You’ve been expanding your business, which is more than I can say for myself,” Lilith told her, just a hint of nervousness fluttering through her, now.
“Mm, I don’t think so. Your partnership with Whispering Darkness has made the news… but it isn’t something you’re directly involved in, as far as I can tell,” Leisure replied, shaking her head slightly as she studied Lilith. “Now, that aside, I’m curious, why did you come here? Usually, guests are eager to meet me, but you appear nervous.”
“I mostly came because… well, there are two reasons,” Lilith corrected herself, taking a slow breath as she re-shuffled her answers due to Leisure’s question, and decided to start with the simpler of the two. “Osmar offered to make an introduction, and I mulled it over for a time before taking it. I’ve heard that it’s hard to get an appointment, as your waiting list is usually a couple of months long.”
“That’s true. I’m one of the few people who can properly tend to supers who have… perhaps we should call it excessive durability. Most people can’t give them proper massages, at least not without risking everything in the area. It means that when they need to relax, they contact me… and there are more of them every year.” Leisure confirmed, tilting her head speculatively. “And the other reason?”
“I’ve been stressed a lot the last couple of weeks, as my entire life was turned upside down,” Lilith said softly, looking downward now. “I want to try new things, and this… well, it seemed like a good idea. Though if I’m taking the time from someone who needs it more… I don’t want to do that.”
Leisure didn’t reply, and for a few seconds Lilith kept her gaze downcast, at least until she realized what she was doing, and slowly dragged it upward. Fighting her tendency to back off and let other people have their way was… difficult. Leisure was watching Lilith thoughtfully when she finally saw her face again, the woman sitting back in her chair.
