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

[Ferociousfeind]

Angelica Giovanna ~ Mood killer

The Italian sighs and shrugs, "Fun, Fraulein! We are having fun. Lighten up- you're stiff, which is no good for anyone's mood. We can be stiff and serious when we're rooting out the German occupation, but right now, as I recall, we are just waiting for our German friend to get back to us."

"Okay, let me try again- how do you entertain yourself, Fraulein, when there is little to do?" which is, perhaps admittedly, not much better. "I do not think we have much to do while the Ubermensch is out at his post."

Cyan Hide EmeraldSplash AvidElmV2 (silence, you nonbelievers! Was this post worth it?)

 

[Cyan Hide]

Odiel nodded curtly and returned to her cooking. "Better. And what I liked to do for fun was sit and smoke while listening to Big Band records. Sometimes I read, too."

An unsurprisingly dry answer, but she continued.

"I used to imagine that I was a character in a Hollywood film, or in a cabaret or speakeasy. Maybe one day in peacetime I can live out these daydreams for real."

Odiel gave Rosie a slight smile when she entered the kitchen. Now here was somebody who'd seemed sensible so far. "Thank you for offering. You could wash up if you want to keep busy, I suppose, and the meal after next can be your responsibility. I think Angelica should cook tonight's dinner, as I do want to try Italian food."

Ferociousfeind Minako

 

[Minako]

It wasn't surprising to hear Odiel tell the young Italian girl of her hopes and aspirations: They were BOTH much more suited to be actresses on the Big Screen rather than part of a ragtag group of rebels...

Put them in the right outfits with some make-up on and they would probably be treated like Hollywood royalty...!

The little nurse smiled back and nodded obediently once Odiel addressed her.

"Ah! Alright, if you're really sure!" Rosie responds and nods while backing away and giving Odiel her space in the kitchen (Ro knew SHE wouldn't like someone taking up space while SHE was trying to cook).

"I-I'll get out of your hair!" She stated while taking a few steps back, then looking at both women and their clothes had a very unsatisfied look on her face.

Speaking of the right outfits: These women needed OTHER outfits in general...


Odiel's clothes were bloody and holey while the Italian girl had probably been wearing those same clothes for DAYS...

"I think I'll see if I can't do something with my clothes to give them something else to wear... I'll definitely have to fix Odiels clothes when she changes outfits, too..." The little nurse thought to herself while looking over the two of them worriedly.

She nodded to herself while making her way back to the couch (Rosie wanted to tell the men, at least, to give Odiel space so she can cook but... Well... She didn't feel right giving orders OR suggestions to either of them, and it was probably for the best not to boss them around... Besides, if it truly would impede on Odiels cooking, she'll probably shout at them in a moment herself, right?), and immediately began looking over the clothes in her bags, stopping for only a moment when she heard a small kitten's Meow from underneath her seat.

"Oh! There you are, pretty kitty! Sorry, I guess I left you behind this morning while tending to the cows, huh?" Ro chirped while putting one of her blouses down and picking up the orange tabby.

"Mew!"

"Heh, I'll bring you along when I herd them back into the barn later tonight! How does that sound?"

"Meeew!"

"Don't worry, I'll take care of you too, little guy. Can't have any harm coming to the SECOND most handsome man alive in Locronan, right~?"

Keep blushed and held in a dreamy sigh while thinking of a particular devastatingly handsome Doctor being the FIRST as Rosie noticed and puffed her cheeks at her stand while rolling her eyes...

Spoiler: Tags

Cyan Hide

 

[AvidElmV2]

Rockefeller dismissed Odiel's warnings with a wave and turned to leave the kitchen. "A hot meal is a hot meal. Even warm duck water was preferable to how I ate on the road." He left the idle prattle behind him, climbing the stairs to the bedroom where he re-equipped himself with fresh bands on the arms and legs. The soldier was winding his scarf around his neck when he came back down, gingerly resting the end over his shoulder. "I'll be leaving now. I'm not going to loiter around waiting for dinner to be done. If the Superman shows up earlier than he said, tell him I'm doing reconnaissance." He turned himself towards the door with that said but came back without leaving. "Anyone need any errands doing while I'm out," his floating head said with complete sincerity from the doorframe.
Minako Ferociousfeind Cyan Hide EmeraldSplash

 

[Minako]

Rosie, hearing Rock’s announcement he was going out for errands, sprang up and joined him.

“I’ll go, too, please!” She politely asked to tag along, as she also had some things she needed to purchase as well.

“Give me just one moment, I need to make a list,” She asks while grabbing a piece of paper and jotting down a few items:

• Seeds
• Eggs
• Flour
• Cooking Oil
• Salt
• Sugar
• Chicken (meat to eat, unless they CAN purchase a live chicken)
• Cloths (to make clothes out of)
• Patterns (to help make clothes)
• Cat food
• Jars (to gather up some butter they can sell)

“Alright, I’m all ready!” Rosie announces as she shoves both the list AND the orange kitten into a basket and skips her way to the one-armed german man.

“Iro iro!” Keep excitedly calls.

“I know, right?!” Rosie cheers as well.

Rockefeller went wide-eyed seeing the nurse putter up to him. All her earlier theatrics, and now she couldn’t wait to be out and alone with him? He muttered his exhausted disbelief to himself and just stepped out of the door’s way. He followed beside Rosie, allowing her to lead the way. While her eyes were on the path ahead of them, his were alternating between her and the road. “Do you hear how quiet it's gotten?” He kept a smile despite the ominous nature of his words. “Normally, I have your panicked whimpering as background noise. It has me on edge that it’s so peaceful.”

“I-I mean, I-I don’t know you… Of course I would be panicked and whimpering a-around someone dressed in a Nazi uniform wh-who’s german…” Rosie muttered uncomfortably, “But I also don’t want to go into town u-unacompanied, after all…”

“Iro iro,” Keep nodded and added.

“That, too,” Rosie murmured and agreed, then added, “Do you know which way town IS…? I-I was sorta unconscious when coming here… S-so…”

Rockefeller let his attention flicker between Keep and Rosie as the two shared a brief dialogue. “Your Stand is unusual,” he said matter-of-factly, raising his hand to point at her. “How do you even know what it’s saying? It only knows one word and it’s nonsense.” He turned the hand he extended out to Keep back to him, Crystal Dolphin collecting along his palm and still extended finger as a drop of green with one swirling yellow eye. “Crystal Dolphin speak.” Silence. Even when he shook the hand and Crystal Dolphin swung side to side like a glob of mucus, it only stopped to stare at him again with it settled. “See? It doesn’t speak. Neither does the Superman’s or the thief’s, or the clerk’s or Hugo’s. Only yours.”


“Eh?! Really?!” Rosie gasped, having never thought of this before, “W-wow… I-I guess we are strange…”

She looked at the one-armed man uncomfortably while fiddling with her fingers. This was the first time she had ever been around people like her.

“I guess even among strangers like me I’m the odd one out…” Roise bit her lip slightly as she thought to herself.

The little nurse and Keep exchanged glances as the one-armed Man’s stand attempted verbal communication… and failed.

Rosalina shrugged with a worried expression on her face as she wasn’t able to give him a proper explanation, “I-I… I don’t know why I can understand Keep… I just… CAN, I-I guess? It’s more like… I feel what she feels, So I feel what she feels when expressing herself and I guess in turn that's why I can understand her…”

Rosie looks at Rockefeller dead in the eyes with her most “deer in headlights” expression and asks him, “I-is.. I-is that bad?”

“You’re asking me?” Rockefeller's eyes were dishplate mirrors that returned Rosie’s shock tenfold. “It was only an observation. We may be Stand users, but it doesn’t make us the authority on the powers we wield. I’m no more sure of what your Stand’s independence means than you are.” He shrugged hard, physically relieving himself of the burden of educating Rosie. He had nothing to share that the woman didn’t already know, surely. Stands obeyed their masters, and ensured them awesome power. And that was all about them that was readily knowable. “Anyway, I’m sure we’re on the right path to town. And don’t fear being alone out here. I’m sure there were lessons learnt from being kidnapped the first two times that will help prevent a third.”

“Huh? Kidnapped… Twice? When was the second time?” The little nurse asked, confused and tilting her head.

"When I first arrived in Locronan, I found you being dragged down the road by dogs," Rockefeller started casually, scratching at his chin.


“D-dragged… by dogs?!” Rosie gasped, horrified: Just WHAT had happened while she slept?!

She exchanged glances with her “stand”, who look equally as mortified.

“I-I don’t understand: H-how?! Did they visit my apartment for something with my scent on it!? Wh-why would they want to kidnap me?! H-how did they even know about me?!” Rosie sort of panicked, again giving the odd one-armed man puppy-dog eyes.

“I-I don’t understand at all…” She finally mutters while letting this all sink in, “D-do you know any answers to my questions?”

She was clearly afraid and uncomfortable, but it seems her need for answers kept her strictly close by as she walked alongside the one-armed man.

Rockefeller tried and struggled to find a place to jump in amidst the flurry of questions. When, finally, he was afforded that moment, he could only shrug. "I don't know," was his honest answer. "I only saw you getting dragged out of an alley and chased to help. And since you were asleep in a box, I just assumed you were an errant the dogs meant to eat."

“O-oh, Ah, I-I’m sorry… This is just… kinda alarming is all… I-I healed the Nigh– Er…. Big man who left last night… A-and ever since then I-I’ve only woken up to you two…” Rosie mumbled as she kept walking, “I-it’s… Just kinda strange… Uhm… I-I know you can’t speak for… uhm… Max… But c-could you at least tell me WHY that is…?”

In Keep’s worry and sudden urge to seek ANY answer from this man, she began mimicking Rosie’s wide eyes. A lot of what this man was telling her was very alarming and she didn’t know quite how to take it…

Rockefeller cringed at Rosie's question and didn't shy from staring down at her with that puckered expression. "Why do we keep saving your life, you mean? It's because you keep getting kidnapped. Why else?" He threw his head back and bellowed a humorless laugh. "Were we meant to let you get eaten by dogs? I admit, if I'd known that the terrorist only wanted your healing, I would have left it alone. He's a bastard, but he doesn't seem like the type to go around slaving useful people."

“Oh… uhm… I guess that makes sense…” Rosie mutters, and kinda hangs her head, and just kinda keeps walking. In her panic she had forgotten the only reason why anyone wanted her around.

“Sorry for causing so much trouble…” She mumbled as they kept walking, and she decided to stay silent for the rest of the walk to town.

Rock kept stealing curious glances at Rosie. He stepped out in front of her, half-crouching to eye level. "Nurse-" He grabbed her by the shoulder, eyes staring hard into hers. "Are you asking because…" He rocked her back-and-forth, his serious tone breaking into a teasing song. "You have a crush on the Superma~n?" Tittering like a fool, Rockefeller ran from Rosie and skipped up and down and across the footpath. "The little Frau has a soft spot for tall, dark, and brooding! What will he think!? Does an Aryan have a place at her family's dinner table?"

“Eh!? B-but I barely know his name, i-isn’t that impossible?” Rosie kinda chuckles uncomfortably and squeaks as he grabbed her shoulder.

When did it come to THIS?! She’d die of fright before falling for the man she was SURE slipped out of her nightmares, but she also would rather die before offending him by gossiping!

She just wanted to know what went on while she was unconscious (since APPARENTLY a lot happened), she didn’t ask for THIS! Covering her face, she briskly walks past Rockefeller and keeps her brisk pace so she didn’t have to face him.

Keep gave the man an unamused and disapproving stare the entire time and sort of “tch’d!” him away as Rosie went past him.



Rockefeller giggled the entire walk, but let the extended silence last aside from that. The nurse was no good for conversation, but for a laugh?



The pair still had a ways to walk even with their lengthy conversation. Luckily, the sun had a long climb to its peak in the sky. This was still the case when Locronan came into view. The gaps in security they slipped through to leave were still there when they arrived, so entering the town itself wasn’t a problem. “Do you have your ration tickets?” Rockefeller kept his eyes on the faces that passed them by, looking for fatigues and looks of recognition especially.

“I have a few, but certainly not enough for everything I’d like…” Rosie mutters uncomfortably while digging in her basket.

“We’ll probably have to sacrifice some items on the list… And we’ll have to do this quickly before any of these officers notice us…” The little nurse mumbles while looking on at the farmer's markets around, then she stops and realizes something…

Perhaps this was, in retrospect, possibly a VERY BAD IDEA!

“Wait… If… If all that REALLY happened… You… You’re not still wearing the exact same clothes as you were that day… Right…?”

“No-” Rockefeller pulls on the chest of his orange tunic. “I was shot and bit by dogs, so those clothes are ruined. I changed into these the night after.” He shrugged and reached out his hand. “Let me see the list. We can have the terrorist hunt for meat, so our real worry for supplies is probably water and the money to afford this all. I don’t know if the farm has a well.”

“Oh, G-good point…” Rosie meekly states while handing Rockefeller the list.

Rockefeller looked over the list for a while, mentally marking off items they didn’t need or couldn’t afford the first time. “I have an idea.” He pocketed the list and gestured for Rosie to continue to lead. “We’ll get the ingredients and jars for butter, and whatever else we can afford. Then we should go home.”

“Right, ok, good idea!” Rosie nods and agrees.

The two continued on their way, only stopping to get instructions to the farmer's market. They found it under a canopy of trees and tarps, where lines of people mingled at kiosks and tug carts stocked with produce. Armed infantry patrolled between them, browsing like they had their own stake in the welfare of the businesses. ”Well, maybe they do,”

“W-we’d better be careful not to alert these,” Rosie mumbled with uncertainty, adding, “C-come on… Let’s tip-toe around this place and hurry to gather these things…”

The little nurse took the lead as she went from stall to stall and kiosk to kiosk. She spoke softly, quietly, and ONLY WHEN ABSOLUTELY necessary.

Rockefeller reasserted the point with a nod. “While we have our anonymity, let’s make the most of it.” And then he saw Rosie off with a wave, and just… Stood there. “I’m not going in, though. I look even more out of place than you with that hood on. You can do this, though!”


“Wh-what?! B-but didn’t you want to come here too?! Wh-whats the point of walking all this way f-for just staring and watching?!”

“But that is what I came to do. You’re the one who wanted to go shopping.” Rockefeller shrugged at the woman.

“Pl-please…?” Rosie pleads while shaking and giving him puppy-dog eyes, and Keep was mimicking her behavior.

Rockefeller blinked slowly at Rosie’s pouting. He approached and took her hand in his, holding it tightly for just a few seconds before he withdrew. A palm-sized glob of green remained, two dazed, yellow beads surfacing in it. “Here. Crystal Dolphin says he will keep you company.” Rockefeller offered a smile. “You’ll protect the nurse, won’t you, Crystal Dolphin?” He put his knees on his hands, staring into Rosie’s palm like he actually expected a response. The glob depressed in her hand, trying to fill out all of its crevices. There wasn’t a hint of intelligence in those eyes. “Yeah.” Rockefeller responded to nothing, sounding totally convinced. “I have reconnaissance to do. But I’ll be right here when you come back.”

Rosie gasps and gazes at the green glob, engulfed in watching it and gasps, “Little mini dolphin…!”

“O-ok! W-we’ll be right back!” Rosie nodded vehemently, satisfied with at least a little someone extra to be with her just in case something bad happened.

As sneakily as she could (or, at least, without getting unwanted attention from the Soldiers) she slowly got most of the items from the list she needed, one by one.




“Hmmm… I guess we’ll have to substitute BUTTER for cooking oil, since it's so expensive… Gross as it sounds, we’ll have to recycle the remains as much as we can for as long as possible…” The little nurse mumbled to herself as she saw the prices for a mere small bottle of cooking oil…

Ridiculous!

“Excuuuuse me, Miss… Did I hear you say… BUTTER?” came an old, haggard voice from behind her.

The little nurse turned around to find a withering old woman with an odd smile and scent about her: At first glance, based on their clothes, they almost seemed like a gypsy of some sort?

“O-oh! Uhm, Yes, I did!” Rosie smiled and answered while nodding.

“Butter is just as hard to come by… Yet you sound like you could get it easily?”

“O-oh! Yes! Uhm—”

Now, before Rosie answered this old woman's inquiry she thought about her situation she didn’t want to make worse and pondered what she should do…

“I have my ways…” She winked at the aged woman, thrilled to finally be able to play a mysterious, shady lady (Men ALWAYS perceived mysterious types as foxy and attractive!) despite the little nurse wasn’t even remotely attractive enough to play the part.

“Oooh, do you now?” The hag chuckled, though it sounded very coarse and a bit creepy, “So: How much…?”

“Eh?”

The gypsy-like woman then pointed to the jars in Rosie's basket.

“You’re planning on sellin’ or tradin’, right?”

“OoooooooOOoooooh… I suppose I could!”

There was an audible facepalm.

“Ssssssh! Keep your voice down… Listen, bring me two FULL jars of butter next week, behind the church, and I promise you I’ll pay you handsomely, young miss…!”

“Mmmm…. Okay!” The little nurse nodded with gusto.



Rockefeller didn’t return to the agreed-upon rendezvous site immediately. As soon as Rosie turned away, he started walking. He retreated deeper into Locronan, flowing through crowds and backstreets and noting the wear on both. A mental map took shape in his thoughts, aided by the Ripple. But really his focus was on the people he passed. Their conversations, their migration patterns, and what all they were doing this time of day. It wasn’t much to learn in the tens of minutes he was gone from Rosie, but it was enough.

He learned nothing of particular interest to anyone but himself. The names of some popular storefronts, mostly, and a few suitable foxholes to dive into if needed. Rosie was waiting for Rockefeller outside of the market when he returned. “Hello again, little nurse.” He gave a wave and Crystal Dolphin rolled out of Rosie’s hand or pocket or wherever he was kept and up to his feet, dispersing there. “Have you found everything we need?” Without waiting for an answer, he started down the path back to the farmhouse, expecting her to follow.

“Yep!” Rosie cheered while holding up the bags of items she had purchased, “I think so!”

“Iro iro~! Ro ro iro~!” Keep also chirped along.

Rockefeller nodded. He spoke quietly but managed a nonchalant stride. An effort was made to stay inconspicuous. “The rest of the list may have been too expensive, but with these items, we have what we need to procure more funds. And maybe resources for our resistance as well.” Rockefeller looked back at Rosie, pointing into the basket she carried. “Obviously, you’re familiar with the ration system established by the occupying Nazi menace. What about the civilian black market?”


Before Rosie could respond, the two were stopped as they came face-to-face, or face-to-chest in Rosie’s case, with a towering German soldier. The stone face and rigid demeanor of the man likely sent them into a panic for a moment, until they realized it was Maximus. He looked at them with as stoic of a face as possible, although if one looked at him closely enough, there was a slight twinge of worry to it.

“Sir. Ma’am. We’re on the lookout for suspicious individuals. Please do let me or one of my comrades know if you spot anyone matching this description. Thank you.” He quickly shoved a piece of paper into Rosie’s hands, and, without waiting for any response, stiffly walked away and disappeared behind a corner.

At first glance, it appeared to be a normal, folded up piece of paper. However, something immediately became apparent: it was torn from something: Rosie was holding up a torn-off scrap of paper, folded a few times. Upon opening it, there was a small paragraph to greet her.

“Rosalina Chandra. Blonde hair. 30. 4’11”. Nurse. Last seen wearing a hood and dress just west of the church. Wanted for conspiracy, improper surrender, treason, refusal to comply with garrison command, and suspected connection to the death of an officer. Reward available upon turnover of relevant information.”

Thinking back… she had gotten some weird looks in the market…

“Wh-wha–!? Again?! Oh no…” Rosie mumbled, trying not to draw too much attention to herself, “H-how did they find out about me this time…? A-at least the hospital isn’t on their radar… Wait… Death of an officer? Which officer?”

Oh cheese. She was wearing another hood. She took it off completely and just kept her eyes nailed to the ground as she walked on with the one-armed German.

Rockefeller tensed as he watched the officer step between them. Maximus’ timbre took the edge off of his alarm, but not the message he left them with. Rockefeller read the poster letter from over Rosie’s shoulder, hissing through his teeth. “The enemy has recognized you. Before me, even.” He took a second to think about that while he helped Rosie stuff her cloak into the basket, underneath all of their supplies. Then, he was walking again. “Well, come on. Oh, don’t worry about that dead officer business. He was the one that tried to take you first. I think Odiel did that.”

 

[AvidElmV2]

Rockefeller lead Rosie far out of Locronan before he felt comfortable enough to continue speaking. If any other person had walked up to them like that while they were talking, it would have been nothing but problems. Now it was just the trees and open road in front of them to hear their words.

"Anyway," he started again, clearing his throat. "The civilian black market. I've been travelling France for awhile and I've seen many things. Criminal gangs turned Gestapo, women executed for fraternizing with German soldiers. Still, I think the most bizarre is the civilian black market. A food commerce network outside of the officials channels, where farmers sell excess produce at exorbitant prices. Why is the mark-up on these items they already sell at town markets so high? The penalty for failure to sell through appropriate German channels is death. Same for buying from unauthorized peoples. We live in a day and age where people have to risk their lives for an extra hundred grams of butter. Those who are able to, who have the contacts and money, often will. It's a hush-hush market, but almost anything can be sourced through there. Especially meat, like the Superman said." Then Rockefeller looked back with a smile, pointing at the basket on Rosie's arm. "Especially... Butter. We can exploit that need. So long as we can continue making butter, we can continue making money to buy what we can't procure on the farm. Maybe even to fund our revolution in other ways."

Rockefeller went quiet now, stroking his chin while he mused his thoughts aloud. "We only have to find a contact to introduce us to the black market. Then we can began to plan the other details."
Minako

 

[Assailant]

Maximus Kuhn

​

It took more time than Maximus had expected to be able to sneak away. He had hoped to be back once every other day or so, but, surprise, oppressive authoritarian regimes are controlling and good at surveillance. Maximus spent his days doing his work as incompetently as he could without getting caught: allowing provisions to go missing, distracting his fellow guards from doing their jobs, all with enough plausible deniability that it could never be traced back to him. Ultimately, however, his goal was information. He wasn't positive exactly what information he was looking for yet, but he just had a gut feeling that there was something... off about this place. Something that went deeper than your average occupation.

He spotted his allies in the resistance here and there, although he went out of his way to avoid interaction with them. They were smart enough to not come around often (or stealthy enough that even he didn't notice often), but he still wanted to avoid any association with them. If either of them were ever compromised, it was important that the other remain safe to continue operations. Otherwise, not much of note happened... well... except for two things...

One day turned into two, turned into three, turned into more, and soon a whole week had passed. Between his injury at the hands of William his first night in town, and sneaking off for the entirety of the second and third day, he was under closer scrutiny than he'd anticipated. It was a whole week before he finally found a chance to sneak off into the countryside towards the farmhouse.

As he crept over the hill approaching the farmhouse, the sun was close to setting on the horizon. Maximus quickly donned Fields of Verdun and approached, hands raised over his head. He didn't want any lookout at the farm, if indeed they'd stationed one, to see a soldier approaching and attack before realizing it was Maximus, so he wanted to make sure his presence was clear and noted to the lookout.

Soon, he had made it, and the farmhouse was in sight.

 

[Minako]

The little nurse was in the open space at the back of the farmhouse, between it and the barn, dutifully tending to the cows as she had since arriving in this "hidden" space the Nightmare Nazi had brought her to.

"Good girl! Thank you for sharing your milk with us!" Rosie thanked her bovine companion as she finished milking them.

She hummed quietly while Keep and the kitten were playing with the little calves, Jessi and Messi.

The pair of calves watched like hawks as the orange tabby eyed Keep's bandages like a predator and pounced on them like they were as mighty as the big cats in the jungle...

"Oh ho! Aren't you a little fighter? Hee hee, so ferocious! Like a tiger!! OH--!" Rosie shouted as if an idea had just come to her.

"That's it! TIGRE! I'll name you TIGRE!" She giggled while scooping up the kitten and peppering its forehead in kisses.

"Iro iro!" Keep cheered while clapping them on.

"I know it took a bit! I couldn't help this: This is a special kitten and they deserved a special name, don't you think, Tigre~?" Rosie rhetorically asked the newly named tabby now formally known as Tigre.

"Mew!" It meowed back, clueless as to what was really happening.

 

[AvidElmV2]

The days and hours after Rockefeller's outing to Locronan were spent watching the surrounding hills and forests majorly. As the only people who had any ranged capability with their Stands, or skill enough with a long rifle to make up for it, lookout duty was his and William's special responsibility. This was one of those evenings, where he counted the hours of the coming twilight with his eye to a scope.

Rockefeller made out movement over the hill while pivoting around the chimney. He observed Maximus' advance through a magnifying glass apparatus made from his hooped thumb and index finger and a film of Crystal Dolphin, further magnified by the Ripple. His free hand drew back a Ripple charged sheet of water from Crystal Dolphin. It wasn't a challenge to recognize the distinct form of Fields of Verdun from this distance. But knowing their enemies already knew some of their names and faces tempered his expectations. A man like Maximus would never go along with an enemy plan under threat, but the nature of Stands means that force isn't the only method to an end. He permits Maximus' approach, watching the trees, until they've cleared the hill are walking the long way down. "Ho, Superman!" Rockefeller called out, angling his mirror to shine a ray of light into Maximus' face from behind the chimney. "Are you under the hypnosis of an enemy Stand?" He only said this half-seriously, but an answer was still expected. Better safe than sorry.
Assailant

 

[DJ UwU]

After his conversation with Rosie, Ace spent most of his time fixing the barn. Certainly not enough to make it a livable space, given the lack of usable materials, but enough to use it as a personal space. It was not perfect, but at least it wasn’t in the poor state he had found it in.

Ace was sitting in the same place where he had questioned Rosie, the second bay from the entrance, not only had he cleaned it before, but it was a good distance from the doors, enough that he could see whoever was outside, while also offering some privacy.

The barn doors were fully open and, despite the half wall barely covering the view, anyone could see Ace sitting there, facing the entrance. His head was lowered however, it seemed that he was working on something, but the strangest, and perhaps most important, feature, was Heavensent’s mask that he appeared to be wearing.

Ace was fully engrossed in tailoring a German uniform to better fit his frame. He got the idea after finding out that Rosie had gone out, without his permission, to buy some stuff. He was done with the barn and there was nothing else to do… besides lookout, which he pushed onto Rock.

His attention didn’t seem to waver, but he would occasionally give a quick glance at Rosie, just to check that she wasn’t getting kidnapped again. He worked with unnatural precision and speed, only a freak would notice that the uniform had been tampered in any way. Ace was thinking of how great his work was when he noticed the cat playing with Keep’s bandages.

Right, the cat has a Stand too… The number of Stands that had suddenly appeared were concerning, and of those, the ones that he could reasonably trust were even more so. Ace stood up, stored the chair and the clothes, and began walking back to the farmhouse. It would soon get too dark to effectively work, and help Rosie on the way back, if needed.

 

[Cyan Hide]

Odiel hated this. All they could do was wait. The former clerk was frequently restless and took any opportunity to clean and cook provided it would not encroach on the rota. She didn't want to take work from others. She believed in the communal lifestyle and that they should all carry their weight to keep things equal and fair. Right now, she was smoking a cigarrette from her last pack (which she had snuck back into Locronan for) whilst staring out of the Farmhouse window. Rosie was tending to the cows outside, and Ace was coming in from he barn which he'd decided to fix. Come to think of it, given his little project, and her desire to keep busy, they hadn't talked properly one on one before. She approached him.

"I've been meaning to ask you. You only just met Rosie recently yourself, and she obviously trusts you as her rescuer and is here because she has no other choice, but...why are you staying here? What's in it for you? I never could figure that out."

 

[DJ UwU]

“Business.” Ace replied, almost immediately, “The only thing keepin’ me around is business. I made a few... promises to Rosie that I would’ve finished by now, but then Dorn happened and, since I’m almost certain I’m also being hunted now, I don’t have many other options. So until I can get that over and done with, I'm sticking around.”

“Besides,” He smiled “you can consider the fact that I’m still around a demonstration of goodwill. That way, you know that I haven’t told anyone where you’re all hiding.”

Cyan Hide

 

[Ferociousfeind]

Angelica Giovanna ~ Down Time

Ribbing the heroic rebel teammates got old, fast. Eventually, Angelica settled for treating the others cooped up in the farmhouse with a modicum of respect. She even asked them how their days were going, and offered support, attention, and help with chores during the longer days waiting for the Übermensch to return from his post.

Just kidding! She is a brat and a flirt, and gains endless entertainment out of the groaning of others. Today, she has left the door to the kitchen cracked, and meticulously placed various harmless things atop the precarious ledge the door yields. The classic bucket-on-the-door trick! Always entertaining. Instead of staking out behind it, though, she's wandering the farmhouse looking for someone to talk to, or something that needs doing.

Unlike the workaholics here, she thinks the place is fine as it is, as long as they still have food rations, and she's largely un-motivated to help with their personal pet projects. However, if anyone needed help, and asked her enough, she might actually be willing to help. Maybe. She'd be a lot more willing to simply chat, too. Chatting is practically her favorite pastime.

 

[Assailant]

Maximus Kuhn

​

Maximus slightly shielded his eyes as the light hit it. He had originally planned to do a light signal similar to what Rockefeller did, but he hadn't been able to find reflective glass at the last second. He raised an eyebrow as Rockefeller called out to him.

"Doesn't calling out to me verbally defeat the point of using the light trick?" Maximus lowered his hand from his eyes, but remained in place a moment to allow Rockefeller some security. "And if I was, would my answer be any different? No. I'm pretty sure I'm in control." Maximus shifted his weight slightly. "I'm surprised the Brit isn't out here. He didn't seem the type to leave his safety in the hands of someone else"

 

[Minako]

As Rosie was finished milking all the cows, it was now time to pasteurize the milk, so the little nurse brought the buckets of milk inside uneventfully--


Or, so Ro thought!

WHAM!!!! Came the sound of various things crashing down to the ground before the little nurse, narrowly avoiding her! Luckily for her, Keep was able to put down her buckets and swish Rosie out of the way with her bandages so that no items would hit her or the kitten she was carrying.

"Eeep!" She cried, startled by the sudden sounds.

What happened?! Who put those there?!

"G-geez..." Rosie sighed after calming herself down from the near heart attack and began picking up the items now fallen on the ground.

"Who did this and where did they even get this stuff?!" Rosie pondered to herself while she was doing so while Keep muttered angrily and put the buckets of milk on the table.

Ferociousfeind

 

[AvidElmV2]

"Are you saying I'm not just as good a lookout?" Rockefeller hawked up a laugh. "He can't always be awake, and the thief is absolutely useless as always, so I'm on watch duty. At least for the night. Don't worry, though - I can shoot down anyone who comes over those hills. And they're not safe in the woods either." He nodded in affirmation of his boast, again only half-serious. The truth was that William was a better fit on the roof than himself. They were better with a rifle, and their Dead Dreams sheer speed and range was better suited for patrolling and scouting. Comparatively, Crystal Dolphin was lacking. But his sensory capability was arguably the best of everyone in their group, and with the power of Hamon, he could create his own opportunities for long-ranged combat. He shifted the ray of light out of Max's face, quietly permitting him entry. "Any news from the urban front? Have they put my face on a poster yet?"
Assailant

 

[Assailant]

Maximus Kuhn

​

"Not yours, no." He sighed and shifted some of his equipment around to be more comfortable. After a couple moments, he began making his way to the entrance. "But that's what I'm here about. I've got some news. Good and bad... regrettably, mostly bad. I'd prefer if we could assemble to discuss the goings-on and see if we can't start making some plans."

AvidElmV2

 

[Ferociousfeind]

Angelica Giovanna ~ Score!!

The Italian detected a disturbance in the force. Something wasn't right. She perked up, looking around for a few moments, but nothing seemed out of place. She followed her feeling through a couple of doorways, and stopped when a loud crash sounded through the whole house. Perfect timing. She rounded the corner and found a highly-distressed nurse surrounded by heavy objects that had been nearly two meters higher just a few moments earlier.

"Oh! Nurse! I see you've gotten into some trouble... Where did all of these heavy objects come from? Do you need some, eheh, help?" she kneels down before the absolute mess she absolutely had a had in making (though she would never tell Rosie such), picking up one of the buckets she had found behind the house the day before.

Minako

 

[AvidElmV2]

Rockefeller nodded, grunting his acknowledgement to the air between them. "I'll be right behind you." He didn't come down right away as he suggested, taking the time to do another full sweep of the surrounding woods and hills from his perch. If there were any hints that someone were behind Max, Rockefeller didn't want to miss them. When he was satisfied, he slid down from the roof to land at the kitchen back door, entering to see Rosie and Angelica making a fuss about some clutter on the floor. "You knock over something on the counters?" He walked over and knelt down beside the two, helping them gather up the fallen items. An empty break box, a tea kettle, a book, an old shoe... Rockefeller held the latter, visibly concerned with its place in the kitchen. "...You had this on the counter too?"
Minako
Ferociousfeind

 

[Minako]

"Ah, It was totally YOU who did that, huh?" Rosie figured out rather quickly as Angelica zoomed into the scene at rather record timing... Keep narrowed her eyes at the Italian and pouted at her like she had never pouted before.

Oh well, there was nothing for it: She was a teenager with no form of entertainment and had to do SOMETHING... Rosie was just unfortunate enough to have fallen for her prank!

From the way she was helping Rosie pick things up, Ro deduced Angelica probably didn't mean for Rosie specifically to be the victim anyway, that was just Rosies rotten luck (man, if THAT wasn't the theme of her life the little nurse didn't know WHAT was!).

"O-oh, uhm, thank you very much..." Rosie muttered shyly to the pretty Italian teen as they began helping her pick up things, and she flinched as the one-armed man known as Rockefeller came in from the back Kitchen entrance she had just come through...


Hmmm, now that the little nurse thought about it: Rosie was actually now glad SHE had fallen victim to the prank because Ro would shudder to think what would have happened if it was ROCKEFELLER who opened the loaded door!

"A-ah! Oh, uhm, w-well, I-I was... uhm... Gonna inspect them and clean them i-if need be, a-and the kitchen sink i-is the only one big enough I could wash or rinse some things o-off and such... At least a small, moist rag t-to wipe the dust o-of the book and shoe, aha..." Rosie lied, covering for Angelica (because teens will be teens) and Keep's face softened a bit (though her eyes were still slightly narrowed as her gaze shifted from Angelica to Rockefeller).

"Mew!" Tigre mewed while popping up from behind Rosie's feet.

"I-is everything ok? Y-you came in so suddenly and you usually don't do so a-at this hour... Er, I don't think, at least..." Rosie asked while picking up the kitten now that the mess was out of the way and kissing Tigre on their forehead.

AvidElmV2
Ferociousfeind

 

[AvidElmV2]

Rockefeller's eyes narrowed on Rosie, then the boot. His gaze went back and forth between the two before settling on the shoe. He felt the layer of grime and dust she'd talked about between his fingers, but the leather was blackened and sagging from age and work, not disuse. The sole was sunken and pounded flat by the years and the walls had lost any vigor or spine. This shoe was an irredeemable assault on the eyes and nose. Rockefeller wasn't sold that this shoe was anyone's who was living here, but he chopped Rosie on the head with the boot, balancing it there. "Throw it away. Someone should have taken better care of their shoes." He stepped around Rosie and Angelica, making his way out the door behind them, when Rosie stopped him with her question. "The Superman is back and calling for an emergency meeting. He'll be inside any minute now, just stay here."

He left the farmhouse right after, crossing to the barn certain he could find Ace at the least. Lo and behold, he was there with Odiel, both sitting in silence while Ace worked on some new personal endeavor. "Ho," Rockefeller called into the open doors to get both their attentions. "The Superman is assembling for a group meeting. He says he has news we need to discuss." He says this directly to Odiel, expression souring when he turned to Ace. "If you've got nothing of worth to say as per usual thief, you can stay here." He turned and left back in the direction of the farmhouse with that said. But less than a few seconds later, he came back to poke his head through the doors. "Uh, actually, I need you to get Hugo and bring him here for this too. I don't know if this is the him that will listen to you though..."
Minako DJ UwU Cyan Hide

 

[Assailant]

Maximus Kuhn

Maximus waited patiently as everyone assembled, taking the occasional swig from his pouch of water. He had to word what was happening carefully. He couldn't risk anyone here acting rashly, but he also had to make sure everyone knew what was going on. He ran over the words in his head multiple times, making sure he had all the info straight. Before long, everyone was assembled. He took one last drink of water, cleared his throat, and spoke.

"Apologies for taking so long, it's difficult to sneak away without drawing attention to oneself. Over the last three days, I've gathered information, some of which has already been made known to you." With that, he gave a pointed glance at the nurse. "As you are all already aware, Rosie is wanted. That goes double for Odiel, although I doubt that comes as any sort of shock. They are also on the hunt for William, although they don't have a name and they only have a vague description. Everyone else here is largely unknown to the administration. They have a description of Rockefeller as a one-armed man via Dorn's report during combat, but that's hardly unique these days, and he's far from a high-priority target. You should be mostly safe walking around, but I'd leave the sleeve hanging rather than tied up. Minimize any attention drawn to it. Just keep your head down, it'll be fine."

With that, Maximus gave them a pause to take that information in, if even that was necessary. After a moment or two, he continued. "Thus ends the information that you all are probably aware of. Now comes the new stuff, and I'll warn you before I begin that it's not good news. First: the subway station that the Seeds were hosted in was found and raided. As such, we no longer have militant insurgent contact. Many prisoners were taken, and many... weren't." He let the implication hang for a moment, once again giving everyone some time to make of the info as they will. He then continued. "That said: while I couldn't get an official report regarding those taken down by the raid, it sounds like it was a not-insignificant amount less than the actual number of insurgents. Meaning there are some out there. In particular, word in the barracks is that a high-priority target evaded capture. That being the man I knocked out in the fight with Herr Dorn, the one with the lemon Stand. We should keep an eye out, he could be a valuable asset." He took a quick swig from the water and prepared his final words once more.

"That leads me to my final bit of information. As part of their search for two high-value targets, the local hospital was raided. While neither target was found, admin was intent on not leaving empty-handed. They took prisoners with them. Why, I'm not quite sure: perhaps leverage, perhaps to make an example of... perhaps simply because they can. This I was able to get some more definitive names on. Two caught my eye..." Maximus looked over at Rosie as softly as he could manage. "Chantalle and Regine. On the basis of protecting the targets."

Minako DJ UwU Cyan Hide Kloudy AvidElmV2 EmeraldSplash Bowl of Sad Ferociousfeind

 

[Minako]

"AH! MEAN! BULLY!" Rosie thought to herself as mean ol' Rockefeller quickly placed a dirty old boot on top of Rosie's head. adding internally, "Always picking on me! I-I hate you!"

Why was he always picking on her?! Gosh, she HATED IT when people toyed with her, and Rock seemed to take WAAAY more enjoyment out of it than he should!

​

Oh well, there was nothing for it now. Knowing she had to report to the... Gigantic... Double... Agent?


Knowing she had to report to whatever the behemoth of a man was, Rosie sighed and grabbed a brush from her bags in the living room before giving him her full attention. (After all, she had to brush the dirt out of her hair! She wasn't going to keep it there!)

The little nurse glued her head to the floor and winced every time he said her name (it may have just been her alias she had been using for the past 2 years but it was still a name she HADN'T given him and she knew HE KNEW it long before she actually told him...) and she didn't dare look up the entire time he spoke...


At least, until he said two VERY familiar names she knew: Chantalle and Regine.

"Wha--?! NO--!" Rosie gasped, partly shouting, in shock as Keep covered her mouth and looked like she was holding back tears!

They had them. They had her friends!

Rosie couldn't just idly sit here while her friends were in trouble! That, and, no doubt Cornielle and Gerard were probably already planning something themselves to save them... Rosie had to help!

Without thinking, the little Nurse ran to the BACK entrance of the house (the gigantic blond double agent was blocking the front entrance to the house) and made a beeline for the door, determined to find out somehow where the Nazi's were taking their prisoners!

 

[AvidElmV2]

Rockefeller gathered around Maximus after rounding up the others, bringing a chair with him from the dining room. He sat with his arms folded over the spine, head cradled in his forearms, gently rocking it side to side while he waited for some news of interest to him. Don't get him wrong, it's not that he doesn't want to know what's happening on the superman's side of things, but what he wanted to know in particular... Rockefeller perked up as Maximus began talking about his own notoriety among the enemy. Yes, this! Finally! But that excitement and interest passed just as quickly as his time as the star of the conversation.

"What? That's bullshit!" Rockefeller cried, shooting up fast enough to rattle the legs of his seat. "I've done just as much to destabilize this tyrannical regime as the clerk! Where is my recognition as an enemy to their evil!?" He huffed, plopping back down with force. His arms crossed over his collarbone, hiding the deep pout on his features but not the frustration brewing on his crinkled brow. Rockefeller collected himself while Maximus finished their report, fully involved by the time Chantelle and Regine's names were mentioned. He had all of a microsecond to reflect on his own experiences at the local hospital when a shout came from one side of the table, followed by a blur of movement moving it to the other. Rockefeller started to react in kind, kicking his chair back as he stood... Then stopping to settle back into his seat.

"...I'm... Not going after her this time. Honestly, it feels like it's always me. Superman, you're up to bat." He dropped his chin at the chairs back, certain whatever Maximus did, it would be the right thing. Or they would steamroll Rosie and make sure she didn't go off playing hero by leaving her bedridden.
Minako Assailant

 

[Cyan Hide]

"I don't doubt that you're on our side," Odiel replied to Ace. "At least for as long as your interests remain to be so and you're in the same trouble we are. This is probably the safest place for you. Still-" She was cut off as the commotion from the main house indicated that Max was back. "Max is back. We'll have a deeper conversation later. For now, we'll all continue to rely on your cooperation and assistance."

Odiel returned to the main room, and listened to everything that Max had to say. Odiel's face remained passive and impartial but she clenched her fists tight. Everything she'd ever done, and was still doing, she'd done for Germany. Now, because she'd opposed the corrupt, oppressive, evil system that was The Nazis, Germany considered her an enemy. She would root out this corruption for the sake of her country, even if she could never be allowed back. Her mind was made.

Hearing that they were now keeping innocent hospital staff captive, Rosie had immediately tried to leave the farmhouse. Odiel didn't even waste a word addressing Max, Rock, or anybody else. She turned on her heel, raced straight to Rosie and grabbed her forearm tight. "I can't just let you barrel straight into a trap alone, Rosie." she spoke in English

DJ UwU Assailant AvidElmV2 Minako