Fandom JoJo's Bizarre Adventure: Part 2.5: Hearts Unchained

[DJ UwU]

Ace gave up on continuing the conversation once he realized that he didn’t have the energy to deal with both Rock and Angelica. “Just… do whatever you want.” He waited silently off to a side of the room for whatever it was that Max was cooking to be ready. Once seated, it took a single sip of the soup for Ace to decide that this thing just wasn’t worth it, calling it food would be generous. Ace made a mental note to not let Max cook again for as long as they both lived.

Silently agreeing to Max’s suggestion, Ace pushed his plate towards Rosie. He made mental notes as the Stand users spoke, until Hugo’s fall caught his attention. He stared at the scared and panicked kid, wondering what to do.

The kid was weird, a mystery that piqued Ace’s curiosity, yet, because of the unstable nature of their actions, he was discouraged from finding out more. Right now, Hugo gave the impression that he wasn’t the one Ace made a contract with, whether it was acting or actual multiple personalities he didn’t know, but what he did know was that Hugo had to calm down.

Ace followed Odiel’s start, calmly speaking from his chair. “Easy, kid. We aren’t witches or wizards. We are... possessed. We each have our own demons or Stands, as we call them. Including you, you just can't control it yet.” Ace said, it may not have been the best explanation, but what can you do.

Turning back to the group, Heavensent appeared behind him breathing heavily. “My Stand is Heavensent, it can take stuff with its left hand...” Ace said, as the stand reached for a nearby empty chair, which disappeared. “…and put it back with its right. Simple as that.” He continued, Heavensent placing the chair back where it came from.

He took a glance towards Rosie and without giving it a second thought began, “I don’t believe we have to explain Keep Yourself Alive, uh, Rosie’s Stand, since everyone here's seen it before. She can heal wounds through singing and feels sleepy or falls asleep afterwards, depending on the wounds’ severity."

Minako Assailant Cyan Hide Ferociousfeind EmeraldSplash Kloudy

 

[Minako]

​

Oh, dear...

If the Nightmare Nazi was basically Hercules, then the one-armed man was essentially Poseidon... Rosie may not have actually had a chance to get food in her stomach until now, but she was glad for it: She felt like vomiting when these scary men revealed just how powerful they really were...

It was both fascinating and terrifying to meet these strangers like her! The little nurse was definitely suffering from the emotional whiplash of going from excited to petrified and back again.


When the lovely Italian young woman spoke and revealed HER "Stand", Rosie was at first concerned that the poor dear might have needed water or something, but when she used "Day Tripper" as an extension of her arm (Oh! Perhaps she would get along swimmingly with Keep! Keep does that, too!) she did not grab water or anything, but rather one of the cookies she had made with Keep earlier... The little nurse supposed her "Stand" wasn't dependent on the water at all... Well, even if she was, One-armed Poseidon could certainly help her...

When the poor, young, confused boy spoke, he basically reacted how ROSIE herself really wanted to (luckily she lacked the guts necessary to truly speak her mind and decided it was best to hold her tongue and just eat)... Rosie shot him a concerned look and a consoling smile, but since there was one giant Nightmare Nazi between her and the boy, the little nurse decided it would be prudent to stay put... For now, at least.


Luckily Odiel stepped in where Rosie couldn't, and revealed her "Stand" (Goodness, she really DID want to know why they were called that!) was basically barrier summoning and Rosie was relieved Odiel could react faster than she ever could anyway.


Suddenly, Rosie flinched (nearly jumping) when another bowl of duck soup was suddenly slid towards her and she looked up at who had given her another: It was Ace!

Finally! Thank goodness!

She was far too jaded (and self-aware!) to think this gesture meant anything but platonically taking care of the healer, as per their agreement, but nevertheless, she was extremely grateful!

"Uhm, Thank you very much, Ace," Rosie smiled at him while thanking him meekly, nodded as he explained his ability (and thankfully mentioned Keeps while he was at it!), and slid the bowl next to hers, but before she had a chance to pour the extra soup into her bowl, an orange blur hopped onto her lap... and started to lap the soup up to its leisure!

"Oh, kitty!" Rosie gasped quietly, hoping not to interrupt anyone else who may have spoken, realizing she had only given it a little saucer of water and it surely must have been hungry in between then and now!

"Mew!" She smiled and petted it as it mewed and licked up the soup from the extra bowl, and couldn't help but be pleased as she heard it purring. Keep was very happy as well, and was also doting on the cat--

Using her bandages as a toy for the cat... And the little orange kitten, once it had had its fill, began playing with the bandages...

Spoiler: Tags

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Ferociousfeind
Kloudy
DJ UwU

 

[AvidElmV2]

Rockefeller gave his attention to Angelica but was surrendering to the laziness of the moment. He didn't need to take notes on how a tentacle picked up cookies. Instead, he enjoyed the long seconds between his blinks and the heaviness of his eyelids. God created dusk for these moments. It was a sin to waste them. It wasn't a voice that got his attention next but a cry. Rockefeller turned to see Hugo ass flat on the floor and cursing them all as pagans. Rockefeller wasn't lackadaisically soaking in their conversation as it went anymore. He was upright in his chair, eyes as wide as Hugo's and his heart beating twice as fast. Odiel was equally as panicked, going by her volume. Yelling as she had wasn't the ideal effort to disarm the situation, but he trusted her to clean up after if she didn't.

It was Ace that seemed intent on making things worse. Rockefeller cocked his head at them, cringing as if someone slapped him. "Why would you say that?" The man hissed, rattling spoons and bowls when he dropped a hand down on the table. "You went from witches and warlocks to demon-possessed. I'd rather he think we were using magic if the alternative is us being pawns of Satan. Stop talking. Sip on your coffee some more and join the conversation when you're fully awake." It wasn't consequential to Rockefeller how Ace argued after. He was already out of his chair and crossing the room to Hugo, moving as carefully as he had before. The minefield was armed. "Hugo, we're neither witches nor demons, but this was something you needed to see. The power of the Stand. If you still don't understand and you're still frightened, leave. I'm more comfortable with you going than attacking someone out of suspicion. We'll sit here and continue our conversation. A British man might stop you. Just tell him you have our blessing to go."

When he was by Hugo's side, Rockefeller kneeled. He didn't wait for expressed permission but wouldn't if the boy hadn't calmed down. "But you should know that everyone in this room is an enemy of the state. We're here because we're safer together. Because you're in that number, we won't let any harm come to you. But you have to just us first."

EmeraldSplash DJ UwU Minako Assailant Ferociousfeind Cyan Hide

 

[EmeraldSplash]

Hugo was accepting of this situation at last as he noticed that he really just doesn't have a choice. If the people around him could manipulate things, transcending the human comprehensive ability then why even bother?

He shrugged off all of the questions and was in no mood for chat, although he did not hide any negative feelings towards the superman, he did not care anymore and so he went into an accepting attitude as he took a bowl with the soup and started eating.


The soup, to his surprise, taste wonderfully and he finished it in no time.
Looking at the biggest man in the room he thanked for the soup and stretched his arms high.
It was obvious judging by his chill and cooperation that he fully just did not care what happens next and so he just sat and waited for instructions, plans or just something that would make his life have purpose since he thought deep down inside of him that these random people would give him that.

"So what happens now? And oh.. pardon my outbursts, we people are far from perfect." Emphasizing the word people he looked around the room. "I hope that you'll try to understand."

He smiled and just kept sitting.

Assailant
Minako
AvidElmV2
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Ferociousfeind
Kloudy

 

[Minako]

"It's alright," Rosie gently assures and smiles at the young man as he changes his demeanor, probably because he had calmed down and seen all these cooler heads prevail!

He was scared... and Rosalina, of ALL PEOPLE, couldn't fault the boy for being scared...

Truth be told, she was also curious as to what was gonna happen next herself... She knew the only reason why the Hercules and Poseidon that were currently present would want the little nurse around, and so long as Ace trusted them she supposed she didn't mind getting swept into... Well, whatever it was she was swept into...​

She figured the modern-day german Hercules already hated her after... the... uh... Cow fiasco... from earlier...


She gulped and stiffened up, and said no more after that... The last thing she wanted to do was grate the patience of these men...

Rosie kept eating the duck stew given to her and looked around to see if anyone else knew the answer to his question or had plans of their own to share...

Spoiler: Tags

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EmeraldSplash

 

[Assailant]

Maximus Kuhn

After a few minutes of relative silence, Maximus placed the bowl down and stood with a sigh.

"I suppose I should be getting back," he stated as he smoothed out his uniform and tidied himself up. "My cover still hasn't been blown yet, so I might as well keep up appearances. You never know when those kind of connections will be useful." He pulled on his sleeves, straightening them out, before making for the door. "I will return as soon as I can. Hopefully with some useful information. As a heads up, it might be a few days. If I disappear from my post every day, they'll get suspicious. Still, I'll try to be here tomorrow." He opened the door as slightly as possible, glancing outside. No one around, though admittedly it was hard to be sure. The sun had fully set on the horizon, and stars were beginning to twinkle above. He turned and gave a polite nod to the assembled group.

"Auf Wiedersehen"

With that, he slipped out the door, cracking it only as wide as necessary for him to awkwardly slip out. Even with as little light as the fire in the hearth produced, he didn't want any wandering patrols to see it through an open door. With that, he began the long walk back. Walking silently by himself in the brisk late-fall air, beneath a blanket of stars, gave him plenty of time to think. Was this really a good idea? Obviously he believed it was morally right, but it definitely wasn't smart. What was the end game here? Even if they managed to completely rout the occupation here, they'd just come back, and when they did, they would do a lot worse than just harass the local women and commandeer some delicacies from the local populace. The Reich was not known for its forgiving nature.

He knew the war in the east was not going well for his nation, but exact specifics were hard to come by this far in the west. Even still, there was no way it was going so poorly that the end of the war was in sight. England wasn't likely to surrender any time soon, but they were in no position to put any real stress on the Reich, and America was in no rush to throw its hat in the ring. All signs pointed to this war going on quite a bit longer. What were they hoping for, here? They had no contact with other resistance cells, if they even existed, so they couldn't have a true revolution or anything...

When he had come to Locronan, he had hoped he'd be able to make a small difference. Maybe change some of his fellow soldier's attitudes: try to treat the civilians nicer and live alongside them. Obviously it would not be the same as true freedom, but he had hoped to make their lives a little bit easier until this war was over. Now? This was liable to get them all killed! What had he been thinking?! He'd gotten so swept up in their shared desire for a free France that he hadn't even considered how insane this was until it was too late to stop.

He sighed, rubbing his hands together for warmth on this cold walk. It was too late to stop this whole... whatever it was, civil unrest he supposed. Hopefully he could just use it to help the people. Break down some transports, maybe? Steal food and redistribute it to the people? They really had to be careful so the regime didn't take it out on the populace. Of course, there was the naval base... but no way they could do anything to that, not yet. They didn't have the people for an assault, nor did they have the intel for an infiltration. One day, perhaps, but not today...

After some time, he wasn't really keeping track, he made his way back to town. He avoided patrols as best he could, and kept his head down where he couldn't. Needed to make sure no one knew that Maximus Kuhn was hanging around outside of town.

Eventually, he finally made it back to the barracks.

"Kuhn. You're late." The barracks manager was... surprisingly chill, all things considered. The perks of being stationed in a relaxed farming commune, Maximus supposed.

"Apologies, sir."

"What were you doing?"

"On the tail of some suspicious individuals. I thought they might have terrorist ties. False alarm."

"Hmph." The manager considered this for a few moments. "Well, next time you feel like being exceedingly diligent, feel free to inform the rest of us. Understood?"

"Yes sir." With that, Maximus shuffled past the manager and made his way to his bunk. With this village being fairly lowkey, it seems like protocol was being a bit looser than mandated. Good, that could be useful. Or harmful: less rigidity meant less predictability. Still, with his past being what it was, he was likely afforded a bit more trust than your average grunt. That wouldn't last if he continued being sloppy. He had to blend in, make them trust him... while still helping the citizens and guiding the resistance in a productive way that wouldn't harm itself or the civilians.

Simple as.

Maximus was planning on coming up with some plans for the next day, but he didn't have the luxury. After such a long day, he was asleep the moment his head hit the pillows. Darkness took him.

---

"Any luck?"

"Sorry sir. Wish I could say we had some good news, but no one there matched the description of the terrorist. Certainly no one appeared to have a Stand..."

"Do you think it was a lie?"

"Doubt it. Who would out themselves as a Stand user to people whom they believe aren't Stand users, only to lie about a nonexistent Stand user? I can't imagine."

"Well, with Dorn dead, our tracking capabilities are severely neutered. A terrorist and a fugitive, both Stand users, continue to elude us... this is beginning to look like a problem."

"Should I brief the garrison?"

"Hah! We're not that desperate. No, let the boys enjoy themselves while the men take care of the problem. Still, this is a problem... our operatives need to know exactly what they're looking for."

"Already on it. I've got one of my men on the job."

---

Maximus rose, groggy, as the sound of hustle in the barracks roused him. He hadn't dreamed that night; tired from the events of the previous day as he was. The morning flew by quickly: breakfast, assignment, patrol. Patrol was going by painlessly, although admittedly he kept more of an eye on his fellow soldiers than he did on the civilians. Citizens skirted past him, faces down and eyes on the ground. It was sad to see, but there was little he could do to make them feel more comfortable around him.

The sun was hanging high in the sky when he finally heard someone address him.

"Herr Kuhn? This is Herr Kuhn, is it not?"

Maximus turned and faced the man addressing him. Gaunt, skeletal frame, wearing a green suit, three sets of earrings, and golden bracelets. "Ah yes, Herr Kuhn. I hope you don't mind answering some questions."

 

[Cyan Hide]

Minako

Odiel had gotten up at the crack of dawn the following day, always an early riser, got bathed and dressed, and left the farmhouse to perform a quick sweep of the immediate vicinity, and to catch breakfast. She returned to the farmhouse close to an hour later, carrying four dead hares, and now saw that Rosie was up and about, tending to the cows.

"Good morning," Odiel greeted in English, cheerful but not smiling. "I'll make breakfast for us all as you cooked last night. I saw we had flour so I'll make maultaschen. We don't have any eggs, sadly, so they'll be more like...dumplings, than pasta."

Upon entering the farmhouse kitchen, Odiel got to work skinning the hares, making sure to save the blood in a bronze tankard. They might be able to make blutwurst with it. With their food situation, she wanted to waste as little as possible. Even the rabbit's bones, she would save for broth. She hadn't had to worry about food since joining the Nazi party, but this lifestyle, this stretching of every Mark. It made her somehow nostalgic for her upbringing. She lived in utter poverty but she was safe, and surrounded by people she knew she could definitely trust. She thought immediately to Will, Hugo, and to Angela. Ace also seemed to be hiding something. She now realised how reassuring Max's presence had been to the group, at least for her without her realising. And it could take days before they'd see him again. Would they even be at this farmhouse in a few day's time?

 

[Minako]

"Ah! Good Morning Odiel!" Rosie greeted back while waving at the dark-haired beauty, beaming and cheering.

She nodded as Odiel explained to Ro her meal-making intention (Rosie had absolutely no idea what maultaschen was, but she knew it was EDIBLE and this was how Odiel took care of people she cared for) and the little nurse nodded at her enthusiastically. Rosie was happy and felt safe with Odiel around, and with Ace here as well she almost dared to feel happy and call them her friends... Maybe even the young, confused german boy, too!

Waving the pretty german woman off, Rosie sat back on the stool and went right back to milking and brushing the cows... There weren't a lot of options for food they had available at the present, but at least they would have some yummy milk to go along with it!


"Thank you for sharing some of your milk with us, Bessi!" Rosie chirped and nuzzled the mother Cow from last night she had affectionately now named Bessi.

"Mooooooo," The Cow simply moo-ed in response to the affection.

"Odiel's working hard, so WE gotta keep working hard too," Rosie told both the mother Cow and her loyal (newly-dubbed) Stand, who was playing with the two little calves also from last night, lovingly named Jessi and Messi.

"Iro!" Keep responded with just as much verve as Rosie, nodding.

"I'm done milking them now, so I'll go put this in the kitchen and start to pasteurize it! After that, I'll start watering the lawn to keep the grass green and fresh for these sweeties!"


Rosie actually felt very happy helping to take care of these people, especially Odiel and Ace! They both seemed so lovely inside and out, and it wasn't like the little Nurse would be seen as trying too hard for the others: She was just pulling her weight, after all!

Plus... Maybe...

"Have the once-proud French really deteriorated so much in the last twenty years that this is their best hope? This is war, Fraulein. If you can't handle killing a single Cow to survive... If you can't handle that... Then perhaps we were wrong. Perhaps you can't handle this fight after all. Might as well go turn yourself in to the Nazis: at least they'd feed you better than you feed yourself."

Maybe the scary modern-day German Hercules wouldn't dislike her so much...?

Rosie was sure if she kept silent around him, kept her head down, helped out, and did as she was told then perhaps Max (That WAS his name, right?) would tolerate her?

She was used to bullies and jerks...

Bigger people who could hurt her and squash her like a bug... But it was... Quite another to have literally the strongest man on Earth detest you and be able to kill you with their pinky finger while clearly disliking you and only tolerating you for ONE ability...

The little nurse held her chest and breathed a good, long sigh of relief he wasn't around for her to annoy or irritate him... Though, for just a moment, the little Nurse felt a twinge of sadness as she accepted she and him would probably not grow to be friends...

Oh well...


It was probably for the better they got off on a bad foot anyway... Why would someone like him want to befriend a flea like Rosie, anyway?

Once the war was over he'd have no further use of her and couldn't get away from her fast enough...




"...Iro...?" The little nurse walked forward and then stopped when it seemed like her Stand had something to ask her.

"Yes, Keep? Is everything ok?" Rosie raises her eyebrows as she asks.

"...Iro iro iro... Ro iro iro ro ro...?"

"...I-I don't know, Keep... I really don't know... Just... Do the best we can, I-I suppose..." Rosie answers, unsure.


Trying to bottle everything up and push everything away, Rosie takes a deep breath and begins to carry the milk bucket inside.

Spoiler: TAGS

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[AvidElmV2]

Rockefeller woke after Odiel, relieving her of patrol duty when he intercepted her on her rounds. He looked to enjoy the cool morning air and think while finishing her lap around the perimeter. They couldn't begin to know each other's thoughts, but Maximus and Rockefeller shared similar worries. Rockefeller's zeal stirred to the lack of a plan. He wanted to free William's compatriots, rally the townspeople against the occupation, and free Locronan. He needed to fight. But he knew that couldn't happen as things were now. If there was a resistance, it died with the lemon man and perhaps Adelaide. They succeeded their will to a count of seven people.

"Seven people is a club, not an army," Rockefeller whinged. He stopped to massage his brow, taking deep breaths. He was wide awake as could be now. The monk widened his route into the surrounding woods, summoned Crystal Dolphin around his hand, and pressed it into the dirt underfoot. Emerald green flowed from his fingers into the soil, touching with deep tree roots and webbing out to farther forest giants. The air came alive with sparks of yellow like fallen embers from the sun itself. An oppressive vitality rippled from tree to tree until it vanished into the deep brush. But Rockefeller was acutely aware of it wherever it went. His Hamon mapped out the forest as keenly as any radar wave, and he sat to meditate on its findings. The monk relocated every few minutes to focus where his sensory abilities failed to reach and repeat the process.

 

[DJ UwU]

Ace was startled awake by Odiel’s morning routine, he had always been a light sleeper, but it had been so long since the last time he had willingly slept anywhere near another person, that it was quite the surprise. Ace, however, made sure to not make any obvious signs that he was awake, both his instinct and his pride wouldn’t allow it.

He struggled to fall asleep again, finding himself staring at the wall instead, so he just laid there, motionless, thinking about the uncertain future they were marching towards and the events that led up to now. Honestly, how did he end up sleeping on the ground of a filthy, abandoned farmhouse? Just yesterday he was staying at a… pretty mediocre hotel, all things considered, the food was good though… he should’ve taken a pillow, come to think of it, but no, instead he chose to pick a fight with the Nazis for the sake of Rosie and stick with a barely tolerable group of “people”, and Odiel, whom he owed a favor to. Great.

What to do next, he thought, the big man could be out for days and there was nothing to do around these parts, staring at cows was as fun as it sounded and talking with present company would vary between boring and very, very annoying. That was, until a certain memory popped up in his mind and, suddenly, Ace knew exactly what to do.


Stretching as he stood up, Ace headed for the bathroom to wash and prepare for the day. He used one of his many, many, many different containers of Brylcreem to slick his hair back entirely, he decided to forego the suit’s jacket in exchange for a tie and a silver patterned vest. He rolled up his shirt’s sleeves, adorned with a few rings, put on a little bit of perfume, and so, he was ready.

By the time Ace got out of the bathroom, Odiel was working on breakfast in the kitchen, “Good morning!” Ace said in English as he entered the room, smiling, cheerful and beaming with confidence. He made his way to the back door, towards the field, just to take a breath of fresh air and, maybe, look at the cows.

“Boss! Good morning!” Ace exclaimed, as he saw Rosie walking back to the farmhouse carrying a bucket, he walked a few steps towards her and offered a hand to carry it the rest of the way, and, still standing outside the house, continued, “Glad to see you’re up already, seeing that today is quite an important one, because you and I need to talk.” He said, smiling, and offered Rosie her binder, making it appear like a magic trick out of thin air. “I believe this is yours. There’s a barn that way if you want some privacy, I’ll bring the milk inside. You just tell me when you’re ready to lead the way.” Ace said, before making his way back to the kitchen.

who?

Minako
Cyan Hide

 

[Minako]

"Oh! Ace!' Rosie cried, a bit startled at his sudden appearance, but it wasn't like she wasn't happy to see a friendly, familiar face.

The little nurse's eyes nearly popped out of her skull in amazement as Ace gave her back the little "everything" binder that she kept around.

"Ah! Uhm, Thank you," Rosie squeaked as she exchanged the heavy bucket of unpasteurized milk for her little binder from Ace, and she sort of stared at him in wonderment as Ace basically said what Corneille had always casually joked was the worst phrase in social human history, "We need to talk".

The "four most hated words imaginable" when said together in that particular order.

And with great reason, the little nurse noted: In every movie when a man tells a woman that (or a woman tells a man that) it usually led to a massive break-up or another event of equal cataclysmic proportions... Er, for their relationship, of course.

This, however, definitely did NOT apply to Rosie and Ace... So, while the phrase did leave her worrying, it wasn't exactly sending her into a panic attack... Plus, the phrase is usually said grimly and as if the world was ending, While Ace said it pretty casually, all things considered.

"The Barn?" Rosie blinked, processing everything, then nodded once her mind caught up with her eyes staring at it not too far off in the distance, "Oh! Uh, Sure! I-I'm ready when you are, I suppose!"

This conversation needed privacy? Or, at least, was "heavy" enough to justify it?

Goodness, well NOW Rosie was curious as ever what on Earth could Ace want to discuss!

She almost forgot she was holding the binder until a thought occurred to her: When William spirited her away, she must have dropped her binder in order for Ace to have had it all this time, correct??

Could looking through this binder be WHY he wanted to talk? Whatever for? All she had were random reminders, doodles, notes, the alleyway map semi-colored from their route... Certainly enough tedium Rosie was sure Ace wasn't the type to bother with...

"Keep, you didn't draw another embarrassing doodle of Gerard, did you?" Rosie accused suspiciously.

"Iro! Iro iro ro Iro!" Keep huffed haughtily in defense of herself, adding, "...Ro..."

"Oh don't you even start with me, Keep! You dare, alright! When it comes to Gerard I know you dare!" Rosie scolded back as she and Keep now began quarreling with each other.

Spoiler: Tags

DJ UwU

 

[DJ UwU]

Ace simply smiled when the nurse thanked him, “Alright, I’ll drop this off and then we’ll be off.” He said, making his way towards the kitchen.

“Here,” Ace said, placing the bucket of milk on the counter near Odiel, “raw, so you still need to prepare it.” As he left, Heavensent took a chair on his way out and was almost out of the room when he stopped, “Oh, right. Rosie and I are going to be at the barn, just in case. Anything happens, you know where we are.”

Once outside he clapped his hands to get the attention of Rosie and her Stand, “Alright, break it up. Let’s get going.” He said, before leading the way towards the barn.


Ace opened one of the doors of the abandoned barn, although the interior was quite dark, sunlight leaked through the closed windows and eroded wood. He stepped inside, using his Stand to clear the area and open some windows as he went towards the second bay near the entrance. He placed the chair near the back wall and instructed her to sit while he stood near the hallway.

“Now, then.” Ace started. “Although our relationship is entirely contractual, there are some things that need to be shared between us. Now, I’m not saying that we shouldn’t keep any secrets from each other, no, everyone has their own history, after all.” He paced around the room as he spoke casually, before stopping a some steps ahead in front of Rosie, continuing in a more serious and professional tone. “But, when those secrets can potentially jeopardize our entire… operation, if you will, it becomes serious, for example: Why did you feel the need to hide your identity? What is your real name? Who is the almost fiancée of one, I assume, Elias Desmond?” Ace paused. “Or, to put it simply. Who are you?”

Ace looked at her from where he was, waiting for an answer.

Minako

 

[Minako]

The moment Rosie heard the daunting name from her past, "Elias Desmond" her eyes widened and she got teary-eyed, and it was a good thing she obeyed when Ace had instructed her to sit down because she might have collapsed if she were standing.

She did not know she would hear HIS name from someone currently in her life.

She was not ready to hear HIS name from someone currently in her life.

How did he---


Rosie gasps as her actions interrupt her thoughts, and sure enough, she spotted it. The page. The haunting, haunting page she hadn't been able to even look at in nearly two years...

"You... looked through it?" Rosie asked, but not angry or hurt, no no, rather... as if she was lost.

The question came out of her mouth just as a small child asking a stranger to help them find their parents would.

...And then tears began to flow.

Just as that question from a small, lost child would.

"It... I-I... They knew about me..." She choked between the sobs, "I-I don't... I don't know how they did but somehow they knew about me... A-and found me..."


She choked on another sob.

"They... They sent so many soldiers to our base... So quickly... W-we... We never had a chance..."

Rosie begins to sob harder, and can't continue for a while due to all the crying.

After a few chokes and deep breaths, the little nurse finally manages to continue.

"We had... We had just slept together... And when... When the Nazi's came... He... He lied to them... He bluffed the base knew and sent me away... A-and... A-and--"


Reliving the moment broke her.

She couldn't even say his name...

Rosie burst into tears and the next sobs and chokes out of her were BARELY discernable, "They killed him! THEY SHOT HIM STRAIGHT THROUGH HIS HEAD! We wanted a life together! We wanted to get married! We wanted A BABY! We... We had just slept together the previous night... A-and then... A-and then.."


The little nurse buried her face in her hands, weeping and weeping.

"They killed him."


Rosie kept weeping and sobbing but she knew Ace was there and she was trying to pull herself together...

"Y-you're right..." She weakly managed to mutter as she wiped her tears with her coat.

Keep offered her gauze from her arms... But Rosie declined as it was red and soaked...

"Y-you... Y-you're right... You deserve to know..." Rosie mumbled slowly, "I-I'm... I'm a curse. That's all I am... Is... A curse..."


Rosie tried to wipe away her tears but fresh, new tears always happened to pour whenever her poor, dear, departed Elias happened to dance across her thoughts.

Nodding while simultaneously hanging her head she took a long, deep breath and muttered, "I-I'll tell you everything... And if... If... After you know everything... If after you know everything y-you think I'm a curse too a-and want to n-null the contract a-and leave me... Th-that... That's ok..."

Spoiler: Tags

DJ UwU

 

[Ferociousfeind]

Angelica Giovanna ~ New Morning

The Italian wakes slowly, gradually, as sunlight streams into whatever little corner she crawled into to sleep. One long yawn later, and she's up, taking in her surroundings and re-orienting. New waking places every week! The farmhouse seems to be in working order still, which is good. Angelica spies the moody nurse and the mature Frenchman making their way out, supposedly to talk something private- or maybe to make out, she was still groggy and couldn't honestly tell, maybe she'll hassle them about it later- but what they're up to probably isn't very important, not to her at least.

Angelica moves to the nearest windowsill and looks out on the countryside, resting her chin on her wrists. It's peaceful and quiet, and looks cool and sort of dewy outside. A nice place to sit a dawdle, probably. Unfortunately, this is also nearly an active warzone, and dawdling is the last thing this Italian can do. So, she gets up, shakes off a little more sleepiness, and wanders the farmhouse to familiarize herself with its layout.

Eventually her wandering brings her to the kitchen, where Odiel- the cute German woman- is working dutifully on some sort of food. It smells like rabbit, but without any sort of typical kitchen seasoning or spice. Meat without seasoning? Is there really no seasoning in any of the cabinets? There has to be something to liven up the poor rabbit meat. She should probably confront Odiel about it. Angelica thinks twice before coming up too close and getting a face full of fist, but she wanders her way up to Odiel and asks- "Oh hey- what'ya cooking?"

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[EmeraldSplash]

Blood, anger and chaos. Themes, prevalent across Hugo's subconscious, surprisingly let him sleep soundlessly which was not an everyday thing. There were nights where the nightmares of his would make his body move, shake and jump with every other passing minute.

This night was calm and almost empty.

Although he didn't even remember falling asleep, Hugo found himself lying on the ground with his back facing the exact corner of the room.
He woke up confused as everyone would and he couldn't even point out why he'd woke up. Usually he knew right away that a shattering of glass or a loud argument was the unpleasant element that caused the awakening. However, now he had no clue, everything seemed normal and so he stood up without an issue and went on to investigate further after briefly checking the room that was, to his surprise, empty.

Did they just leave him alone? Were they not concerned? It was exactly what Hugo wanted almost all of the time but now it felt weird. It felt as if they were careless, even though the boy had no recollection of what happened or even of what he'd become, he felt on the verge of duality. He knew something wasn't right. An entity, a demon, or another being was constantly observing his actions now and pushing itself to the front of his mind.

It was just a matter of time and place.


He looked around one more time as he stood up, just to be sure that there truly is no living soul around him. Since he didn't see anyone he'd decided the best course of action would be to investigate the place where he heard chatter. And so he made his way into the kitchen. Although he was calm and well-rested, he could not hide the hints of fear here and there. The supernatural scared him because he did not understand anything.

He saw two ladies preparing food in the kitchen and so he did the most appropriate thing he could think of.

"A lovely morning we're having, right ladies?" At the time he could not remember who the ladies were, he did recall yesterday quite clearly however he never did care about the faces of strangers.

And it was even harder to recall such a thing when he only saw their backs as they were turned away from the boy.

"I was thinking of giving you all another chance in my book, you know. Starting again and such? " He said.

And without waiting for a proper response, it clicked! The one girl was the italian beauty that he'd so helplessly wanted to talk to as he'd never seen such a soul.

"Ehm! … I don't know your name but I remember your back very well and so I know it's you from yesterday!"
Full of excitement he did not quite realize how that sound.

His face was painted in the most embarrassing shades of crimson.

And before the Italian could even react…

"Shit I'm sorry I didn't mean it like that, I meant your like the back like I have seen you turned around like the hair and shoulders and such you know! I've never looked down past your shoulders!"

Way to go Hugo… he thought.


Ferociousfeind
Cyan Hide

 

[Cyan Hide]

"Maultaschen," was Odiel's reply, and once the meat was cooking, searched the cupboards and found a jar of dried parsley, putting it on the counter, ready. She turned to Angelica. "You're Italian, aren't you? Could you prepare dinner? I've never had Italian cuisine before but I've always been curious.

Hugo entered the room, seeming a lot more...normal and relaxed following a good night's sleep. Odiel's guard was still up. His flustered commends got a smile out of her and she wanted to see how Angelica would respond.


Ferociousfeind EmeraldSplash

 

[Ferociousfeind]

Angelica Giovanna ~ Italian Cuisine

"Maultaschen..." the Italian repeated, putting bits and pieces together in her head. The word is not at all familiar, nothing like any German word she's ever heard. She doesn't really know German beyond simple greetings and basic vocabulary, but still it is very different from anything else. Not even a clue in the name. She could probably figure it out anyways, if she just watched Odiel do her thing...

Speaking of, the cute German turns around and asks if Angelica would make dinner. She doesn't entirely realize for a split second- "Oh? Yes, I'm Italian, if we find some okay ingredients, I could probably make something or other my ma made me as a kid." She could imagine multiple things already, mostly the really good stuff that they absolutely wouldn't be able to find ingredients for, but one or two good candidates do come to mind. Unfortunately, she isn't given much time to think about it, as someone else has stepped into the kitchen, and begun talking.

Angelica tenses at his first words, turning around once Hugo has finished nervously rambling. She gives a little bit of a chuckle, leaning to one side, flirting on autopilot, "You're completely sure you've never looked any lower? That's unlikely, really, one's gaze is not easy to control.~ I think we do all need to get to know the rest of the team better, so you'd be doing the team a favor by looking all you like...~" As the cherry on top, she strikes a pose for emphasis.

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[EmeraldSplash]

God have mercy.​

"He hehe hehehe" Hugo laughed nervously as he listened to the Italian speak, he did not really care what she was saying since he was preoccupied with the sight that he was presented with.

Dangerous, yet somehow calm and friendly were her purple eyes.


Hugo did not understand these emotions he was feeling and he did not even want to understand them for that could lead into something he was not quite okay with yet.

And so he stood there listening to the girl struggling to find himself as he'd lost his own mind inside of those unknown galaxies dancing across her pupils.


…Looking all you like… were the only words that made Hugo stop enjoying the deep gaze sprinkled with a purple haze.

He took a deep breath as he prepared to react to the beauty's speech, he was stopped however, as the girl stroke a very provocative pose to which Hugo lost his balance and his knees weakened enough to make him fall to the side, luckily, as he was standing in the doorway, he did not fall, just bumped and caught himself on the outer door frame.


"Oh fuck.." he uttered sofly and one can only guess what was happening inside of his head.


"I can say that I will try to get to know you more not only by looking at you." He said confidently but corrected himself right after.

"Ehm I mean like 'not by looking at you' but like doing more than not looking at you."

No matter how hard he tried, the words just did not stop not making sense.


Ferociousfeind
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Minako

 

[DJ UwU]

Ace listened as Rosie talked, looking straight at her, mostly unfazed, except for a coincidence that broke through and made him react, although he brushed it off as quickly as it came.

“I’m not gonna null the contract since you haven’t given me a reason to consider it voided yet, alright? Let’s go back Rosie.”

He helped her up from the chair as Heavensent took it back. Her face was a mess after crying, but they would have to deal with that back at the farmhouse… Even if it meant that everyone else would antagonize him over it. He felt tired just thinking about it.



The warm morning rays of the sun washed anew over Ace as they exited the barn. He matched Rosie’s pace as they walked side by side back to the farmhouse. The air felt heavy around him, he felt the need to do something, but didn’t know what, a short time after, he took a deep breath.

“Okay, listen.” Ace started, hoping to go somewhere with this, “I know what it’s like to lose someone important, maybe not to the same degree as you, but at the very least you have the knowledge and solace that their last thoughts were of you. You ain’t a curse, no matter what you think.”

“You see, they didn’t die because of you, nor did they choose to die for you, they chose to save you, no matter the risk, which is an entirely different matter. They could’ve easily left you to die back then and go on with their lives, and you might think that it could’ve been for the best, but for them? Your death would’ve been the worst outcome. I honestly think you’re doing a disservice to their memory and feelings of you when you chalk it up to some curse.”

“Hell, I can only think of one person that would risk their lives for me, just because of who I genuinely am. That is how much you meant to them and that is how much they cared about you.”

Ace paused and turned his gaze forward.

“Distancing yourself from others ain’t the way to go for someone like you. I mean, you know that a good amount of people care about you.”

Ace looked off to the side, away from Rosie, slightly annoyed and sighed. “Soon as we get the chance you should call your mother and your grandma. Miss Desmond, or whatever, told me they were worried sick ‘bout you.”

Minako

 

[Minako]

Rosie weakly smiled as Ace was already (mercifully) doing as she meekly requested and gladly accepted his help up.

The little nurse was stunned and silent while Ace was talking and walking with her back to the farmhouse, not imagining she was hearing such encouraging and nice words from someone she hadn't even known a full week yet, but she was extremely grateful for them and Ace's company... and was relieved he didn't null their unspoken "contract" (She didn't recall actually signing anything that night, so Rosie wasn't sure if their arrangement could actually be considered "contractual", but it seemed like BOTH OF THEM treated it as such, so, might as well label it appropriately).

Ro had listened to every word he had said as she dried her eyes, and nodded slowly at some parts.

Oh, dear...

She hadn't considered thinking poorly of herself reflecting poorly on Elias' memory... Had she been wrong about everything all this time?

....No... As sweet as her friend's words were, it was very easy to say all of this from the realm of the living while Elias no longer resided here, wasn't it...?

At the end of the day, Elias was dead... And nothing, absolutely nothing Rosie could do or give (and she would give her own life in return for his in a heartbeat) would EVER bring him back...

This fact was the only thing she hated more than herself.

She remained silent as Ace told her that distancing herself from others wasn't for her... It was a blatant reminder that he barely knew her, for if he did he would know she was actually quite good at putting and keeping others at arm's length (or further!) at all times and the giant Nightmare Nazi she failed to evade was as much a literal once in a lifetime fluke as her finding a man who truly loved her as Elias had.

And then Ace another name Rosie wasn't quite prepared to hear propelled her OUT of silence---

"Wha-- Who-- Y-you... Wait, You called--?!"

She felt a sickening lurch in her stomach.

Rosie had meant to call Mrs. Desmond before Ace did, really she DID, but... Well... How do you even begin to talk to someone when you were the reason their son died? What right did Ro have to talk to her?



"O-oh... I... I'll see I-if I can t-tomorrow... Maybe... D-does this house even have a working phone...?" The little nurse meekly asked more to herself than to Ace but it was all out loud either way.

She did feel guilty leaving behind her Mother and Grandmother, but after Elias and Irene's deaths...

Rosie figured the more distance she put between her remaining living loved ones the less likely they would suffer the same fate.

Though Ro wasn't religious, she quietly swallowed a lump in her throat and prayed if this house DID have a phone that worked that Ace would be none the wiser that "tomorrow" was...

Tomorrow was such a magical day, wasn't it? It was always just a day away...​

Spoiler: TAGS

DJ UwU

 

[AvidElmV2]

Rockefeller lingered behind the tree line for awhile after after he finished his rounds. Not plotting or considering, just hiking through grown over footpaths and making his own. No woodlands critters came to eat out of his hand, but he felt at ease with the world nonetheless. The only worry he had was knowing where the next path would lead him.

...Coming back, it took awhile to find the farmhouse. All the meandering and he hadn't left any markers, but that was an adventure in itself. The disappointment when the farmhouse came into view stopped him in his tracks. Rockefeller could leave behind that excited energy of discovery, but seeing Ace up and about wasn't an easily remedied affliction. Seeing Ace at all was damaging to his mental health but there was something about the way they slinked when they moved and the fat rays of light worming on their greased head that was especially nauseating today. They would try to start something, he could feel it. Or he would do it himself. Rockefeller thumbed his nose and carried himself forward with long strides, briefly wondering if anyone would judge him for breaking both of Ace's legs this time.

Rockefeller came into the farmhouse opposite the entrance Ace was headed towards. It brought him almost behind Hugo, which he took advantage of to mockingly wrap his arm around the boys front and prop him up. "Fear not, welpe!" He boomed in the loudest voice he could manage, lifting Hugo off his feet. "I won't let you fail here even if your legs give out! Go on, talk to her!" The man howled with laughter and set Hugo down out of the way so he could carry on into the kitchen. The thick smell of blood and meat hit him. He didn't recoil but followed it, his mouth already watering. He found the meat cooking on the stove and blood sitting heavy in the tankard. With his one hand, he lifted the rolled the container on its base to make one wave of its contents. "Blutwurst?" Rockefeller started in an excited tone, turning to Odiel as she hovered over the stove. "You're making blutwurst, Fraulein clerk? Oh, yes, yes!" He cheered with a one-handed clap, near bouncing in place as he repeated a giddy cheer.

"Blutwurst, blutwurst, blutwurst, blutwurst!"
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Ferociousfeind

 

[Ferociousfeind]

Angelica Giovanna ~ Good Chuckle

Seeing Hugo's visceral full-body reaction to her light teasing made Angelica burst into laughter. That was more effective than she anticipated! It takes a few moments for her to recover, and she walked a little closer to him as Rockefeller, who has just arrived and is practically holding the boy hostage, booms about getting the girl. She gives him a little smirk, "Okay, perhaps we could get to know each other a little later.~"

Though, like the ultimate cocktease, she stops her slow approach and turns away, joining the chant for the hell of it- "Yeah, Fraulein- blutwurst! Show us your German delicacies! Or, how you like to have fun?~" Of course, it's impossible for the Italian girl not to flirt, with Odiel still right there.

AvidElmV2 EmeraldSplash Cyan Hide

 

[Cyan Hide]

Odiel pretended not to notice Angelica and Hugo's interaction. It was nice to see them getting along, and Hugo acting like a teenage boy instead of a vengeful psychopath was a nice, refreshing change of pace. She was a little worried about Anelica, though. She seemed like a flirt. Hugo might get his heart broken if both of them aren't careful but....that's all part of growing up. Probably. Is it? Odiel though back to her own childhood. As a young woman, she had no shortage of suitors or interested parties, especially once she conscripted. But flattery wasn't the way to her heart. The more they pushed, the more she was repelled. Well, now she's forgiven France in her heart, maybe once the war is over she could try lowering the walls she had built around herself, and try letting somebody in...

That's when Rockerfeller came in, and started pestering her about blutwurst. Odiel's jaw clenched. "Maultaschen, herr Rockerfeller. Though I plan to make blutwurst with the rabbit blood. I warn you, we don't have many ingredients to work with so it may not be the taste of home you hope for."

Odiel spared a glance at Angelica, and raised an eyebrow. Yup. It was very likely she was going to break Hugo's heart . "Want to elaborate what you mean by that?" she asked.

Ferociousfeind
EmeraldSplash
AvidElmV2

 

[DJ UwU]

Ace stayed silent, a glance in her direction was the only indication that he was still listening to Rosie. He quietly decided to let go and forget about the previous conversation, and focus on other, more important things.

The silence remained until they arrived at the farmhouse. Once inside, at the entrance, Ace spoke

“Oh, right. Here,” He said, as Heavensent placed Rosie’s bags off to the side, “If you need any help regarding your stuff just ask me.” Ace had barely gotten further into the house before an annoying chant reached his ears. “Or even better, ask Odiel for help! I’m staying outside.” He said, jokingly.


Ace sighed as he walked past Rosie. Maybe he had been too harsh with the countryside, because although it was still boring. It wasn’t unbearable. He closed the door behind him and picked a nice spot not too far away from the farmhouse where he could lay down and relax, away from whatever headache was waiting for him inside.

Minako

 

[Minako]

"O-oh! Uhm, O-okay! Thank you so much!" Rosie barely was able to mutter as Ace walked away from the back entrance of the Farmhouse quickly. Before she and Ace had approached the door Rosie made sure to wipe her tears and calm herself down... She didn't want anyone thinking ACE had made her cry or anything!

She didn't take Ace up on his offer OR suggestion as Ro felt bad asking so much of him already, especially when he could have easily abandoned her just now, but he didn't. That, and, after Odiel was willing to give her life to free Rosie, the little nurse didn't feel right asking HER for help carrying bags, either.

Which was fine as Rosie exchanged glances with her Stand (that was still such an ODD name for what Keep was to Rosie) and they both carried her bags inside... And no sooner had she gone inside and heard the one-armed German man cheering (along with other voices of probably everyone else that remained) did Ro realize exactly why Ace decided to bail.

"Heh heh, Guess Ace isn't exactly a people person, is he?" She internally pondered to herself while lightly dropping a bag to bring her left hand to her mouth to stifle a giggle.

She couldn't blame Ace: Rosie was too scared of others to truly befriend them herself, with Corneille and Dr. Gerard being exceptions, naturally...

As quietly as she could, Rosie walked past everyone, smiling, and set her bags down near the couch (The scary one-armed man could have the upstairs bed along with the young boy, for all Rosie cared). She smiled, winked, and nodded at Keep, who gave her a thumbs up in response, once the bags were neatly set down near the couch.

Wanting to make herself useful, she carefully approached the kitchen, not wishing to startle or interrupt anybody. Odiel had taken it upon herself to cook everything she caught (thank goodness!) and the one-armed German man seemed to be entertaining the... teenagers. Rosie noted they would probably make an adorable couple, and hopefully, that was in the cards for them!

"Uhm... I-I can help you cook if you want, I-I'm done brushing and feeding the cows now..." Rosie found her way next to Odiel while hoping not to grab anyone else's attention, and quietly interjected, "Or I can just wash the dishes you use as you no longer need them, whatever is easiest for you."

Spoiler: TAGS

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