Welcome to Gaia! ::

After quite a few minutes of being left to his own thoughts, Vice's attention was jerked back towards the building as the door creeked open again. Edel emerged from the building, holding a large clear orb in one hand, and a small purse drapped around the other. She smiled a bit and walked back up to him. "Alright, find something we can use as a table and something to sit on." she replied.

Vice looked around a moment. "Well, there's a broken box over there, a trash can, and a large board we could rip off the window to use."

Edel grimmaced a bit, but shook it off. "I'll have to do for now." she sighed. She waved her free hand towards each, and a moment later they all drifted their way towards the two and set themselves up between them much like a table and chairs. Edel stared at them a moment longer, let out an annoyed groan and shook her head. "On second thought, it might take a minute or two longer. I am NOT sitting down on those." she mumbled. Slowly, the broken and filthy things began to bend and morph themselves into very nice, antique looking furniture.

"Why couldn't we have just done this inside?"

"The building's still reforming and molding itself into my shop. If we stayed inside, we'd be subject to it's.....shall we say growing pains?"

At about that time a loud CRACK echoed out of the building, like a tree being snapped forcefully in half.

Vice looked at the building a moment, then shrugged it off and turned back towards Edel. "Fine. Finding little girl now please?"

"Of course." Edel replied with a sigh, setting the orb down in the center of the now clothed oak table. "Have a seat." she said as she sat down in one of the velvet lined chairs herself.

Vice started towards one, then paused a moment and glanced around. "You sure we should be doing this out here? I mean..."

"If there are any filthy creatures out here watching us, they won't have much interest in what's happening here by tomorrow morning." she replied, pulling a few small stones out of the bag and placing them around the orb.

"What do you mean?"

"I mean the homeless, thugs, druggies, and other hoodlums that frequent here shall be taking on new tasks and livelyhoods by this time tomorrow." she replied, then looked up at him. "I can't have a nice town without anyone living in it or running the stores, now can I?"

"So you're going to turn this whole area into your own little town, and you're going to morph everyone's minds and lives to suit your town wether they like it or not?"

"My Richard liked to take dirt off the streets and use them as he seen fit. A rather "green" way of doing things, and a smart one. I'm simply putting them to a more productive and humane use."

"You are both very, very scary people. You know that?" Vice asked, finally sitting down.

"Call us old fashioned." She said with a grin, placing a small bag of bones and a deck of cards on the table as well.

”Well then, lets go get her.” Vice said, standing up and unraveling his chain.

”There‘s no need to. She‘s fine.” Edel replied gently, touching the table and crystal ball. Each turned into a marble and tiny box. She opened the small box and placed the marble inside.

”I‘m not going back and telling Goss tat her kid‘s fine but her ex has her.” Vice said crossing his arms.

”Then don‘t. She‘s fine.” Edel said, shrugging her arms. She shrank the chairs as well and placed them into the pocket of her dress.

”What are you going to do then?”

”Gather some additional energy to help move along construction.” she replied, pulling out a rather large sapphire from her pocket. She smiled maliciously at it and started for the door.

”From that thing?” Vice asked skeptically, following her.

”From the woman who made it.” Edel said, opening the door of the building and disappearing inside.

”Sapphire Spider?” Vice asked, following her inside and then stopping. Within just the bit of time they had been outside, the entire interior of the building had been changed drastically. Antique, gothic style furniture, tapestries, drapes, jewels, runes, cards, spell books, a cauldron in the back, it looked like something out of a book. He was waiting for a fortune teller to come walking out of the back room.

”She won‘t mind..” Edel replied with a hint of spite in her voice. She walked towards a small orb sitting on a nearby shelf. She placed the sapphire on top of it, and it slowly sank through the glass and into the center of the orb. The orb began to glow a deep green color.

Vice stared at her a moment, studying her expression. ”I‘ve seen that look before.” he commented, crossing his arms and leaning against the doorframe.

”What look?” Edel asked without turning around.

”You hate her. You‘re jealous of her.”

”I most certainly am not!” she spat, whirling around to face him.

”Yes, you are. Why? Because Blackstone had her wrapped around his finger?” Vice asked with a smug little sneer.

Edel stared at him a moment, then turned back towards the sapphire. ”….it was the other way around.” she said quietly.

Vice stared at her a moment, his expression puzzled.

Edel sensed that he was staring at her and sighed. ”There are events missing from your memory. Which indicates that you were brought here from an earlier point in time than I was. There are quite a few things that happened after Cons…Richard claimed her.” she began.

”Alright…then what happened? If you‘re not going to help any more, then I have nothing else to do either.”

”You know about some of the things that happened when Richard had her under his thumb? Well her knight in shining armor managed to save her and all was made right. For a day or two. Another disaster appeared. A disaster on a much…greater scale..” she said, turning towards him. Her expression was dark, and she became very quiet for a moment. ”…it seemed like that woman was under Richard‘s thumb then, and nothing more. But he actually DID fall for her. He loved her.” she said in a low tone.

”Lemme guess…she was captured again and HE saved her.” Vice sighed as he moved towards a nearby sofa.

Edel was quiet again. ”…he gave his LIFE to TRY and save her.” she growled.

Vice stared at her a moment. ”But…I thought the old geezer COULDN‘T die...”

”He can. He did. And it didn‘t change a damn thing as far as her safety was conserned.” she replied, turning towards the stone again.

”So…how are things afterwards?”

She was quiet, then turned towards Vice with a fain malicious grin on her lips. ”As a small consolation…that woman‘s living in a secluded mental institution that‘s been sugar coated with the title of a ‘recovery home‘.”

”And you?” Vice asked.

A dark smile curled around her full lips, and her eyes took on a sinister glint. ”I have HER special love wrapped around MY finger.” she purred as she held up her left hand, showing off a small diamond ring.

Vice looked at her a moment. ”Seems like your current malice is a little more…recent.”

Edel‘s expression fell, and she turned from his glance. ”…I seen them together again. He got himself KILLED for that ****. And they‘re together again.” She said, moving towards the center of the room. She pulled the box out of her pocket and slammed it down onto the floor in front of her. It smashed open, and the table and crystal ball exploded back into it’s previous form.

”Ah. And…what about Gossamer?” Vice asked after a moment.

”She‘s fine.” Edel replied, slamming the miniature chairs on the ground to do the same. Then she paused a moment in thought. ”In fact…I do believe she has that child you were looking for.”

”She actually has her in our world?” Vice asked.

”Yes. Created to spy on others I believe.” she replied, turning back towards Vice. ”Sweet girl. Nothing like her mother.”

Vice was quiet a moment, then hesitantly asked, ”…and a father?”

Edel grinned. ”Mmmmm…that I don‘t think I should say….”

”Why not?” Vice asked, curious now.

”Help out around my shop and I‘ll talk as a payment.” Edel replied, walking back towards him and out the door.

”Rosie?” Vice said, turning and following her out.
Again, he stopped dead in his tracks. The few minutes they had been inside, the entire area around them had changed dramatically. Grant, everything still looked like it was in the process of changing, but it didn’t look like a dilapidated street anymore.

Edel looked at him with a grin. ”Will be fine. Now come help your mother recruit some new workers.” she said as she turned and began walking down the cobblestone street.

Reaper simply stood there and stared back at the woman. The look on his face was...hard to read. He appeared to be in a state of surprise...uncertainty...the stress he'd previously been holding seemed to have vanished from him....and at the same time, there was a strong hint of hatred behind his eyes.

Edel simply continued to smile warmly at him. Finally, she shifted her posture and turned towards the interior of the open door she was still standing in. "Well? Are you going to come in and make yourself at home, or just stand there? I haven't seen you in so long...I'd love to hear how you've been."

That last statement seemed to snap Reaper out of his uncertainty, and the anger behind his eyes took over the rest of his emotions. "How have I been?" Reaper growled. "After the last time we met, how do you THINK I've been?"

Edel shrugged. "I don't know. I have no idea what point in time you've arrived. After spending some time with Vincent..."

"VICE" Vice corrected her with a tired tone.

"...Vice, I realized that we're from different points in time from our own world. From his time, he'd just escaped prison. From my time, well, that had been years ago." Edel continued.

Reaper didn't say anything. Just stared as if he didn't even hear what she had just explained.

Edel became quiet a moment herself, and after a few moments pause, her warm smile returned. "I see...I'm still a few years after your time...but not nearly as long as Vinc, erm, Vice. I can also tell that you're needing a bit of help." she said with a more knowing look. "Come in, Michael. You take a moments break while I help you look." she said as she dissapeared inside.

Vice scoffed. "Just like that? I had beg and plead for you to help me and he doesn't even have pout to get you to move. Who exactly is this guy?" Vice complained, raising a brow over at Reaper.

Reaper didn't look back at him. He wasn't sure what to do. He didn't WANT her help. And yet at the same time...he did want it. He wanted it and he needed it. He wanted to just sit down and spend some time here...and he wanted to get the %$#* out of this place. He hated this. He hated this feeling.
......Being logical about the situation....she was a pretty powerful bit of help. His differences aside with the woman, this was a bit of good luck as far as finding those on the list went.

With an obvious grimace, Reaper headed for Edel's little magic shop. Vice watched him walk away with a bit of a look on his own face. "Still doesn't tell me who this guy is. Woman's the freaking fertility goddess. How am I supposed to keep track of her kids and boes..." he grumbled as he followed behind Reaper.

ɢا§คɱєя

ENTER FROM THE RAFT

Gossamer soon appeared in the room that she had set up as a spare home. The second she fully appeared, she froze and stared wide-eyed around the room. It was different. DRASTICALLY different. The room had been completely gutted with the exception of what she brought into the room before. But now....it was completely furnished! Lamps, wallpaper, curtains, dressers, bed, pictures, jewelry...it was like she'd just stepped into a wealthy apartment.
Glancing around, she tried to think of what could have gone wrong with her spell. This obviously wasn't the same room...so where did she end up? A second inspection though...and she knew that this was the same room. The walls were in the same fashion, and she had done nothing different with her teleportation spell.
Which means someone else was here...

Vice turned around in his seat to get back onto his feet, but was stopped a second later.

"Don't trouble yourself getting up." Gossamer all but growled. "I'm just here to get a few of my things. Which conveniently have been replaced." she said as her furious eyes darted over towards Edel.

"And they can be replaced just as easily, my dear. I needed the magical properties in them to help power-up my-"

"So I noticed. Which means I have a bit of relocating to do now, doesn't it."

"Not at all. There is plenty of room for-"

"Pass." she snapped. Gossamer clearly didn't want to hear anything the woman had to say. "Just give me back my stuff, and I'll be gone." she growled, then paused a moment. "And where is Rosie?"

Edel sighed lightly and glanced back up at the floating globe. A small red dot appeared after a split second. "Around that area. As I told Vice, though, she is fine. You do not need to trip over things to try to get to her."
Then she blinked a moment. There were three dots on the globe. One for Rosie, one for the bat, and one...oh. Someone had just returned apparently.

"And that's all you told me." Vice growled, suddenly angry himself. What the heck?! He asked for her help in finding Rosie and she did nothing. Gossamer and this guy ask and she just...erg!

Edel shrugged. "You didn't ask again when I had this up."

He facepalmed.

Gossamer grimaced, and apparently ran out of patience. She turned and headed towards the exit, mumbling something that may have been a thank you.

Vice blinked and hopped out of his chair to chase after her.

Edel simply sat and watched the two walk out of the room, then turned back to her tea as the door slammed behind them. She took a sip, then glanced over at Reaper. "It seems someone else from your list has arrived now as well." she said absently.