C'est La Vie

Who: Hans ot anyone
Where: a small cafe
When: Lunchtime , July 07 1941


Hans sat at the cafe nearest to headquarters, having a bit of lunch before he had to return to work. He'd been back at his job a week now, and while the paperwork was by no means physically strenuous, the hours were exhausting. Since the shooting, he tired easily and needed this afternoon break to get his bearings. He tried not to think of the Occitan Cafe, and how he'd enjoyed so many evenings there. It would do him no good to think of such things now.

Since Marie-Pierre left, the primary focus of his life had returned to work. He signed orders and requisitioned supplies as he was expected to. He did his job efficiently and without question. When he saw the strange fuel was coming in more frequently now, and the transports of deportees had likewise increase - he shoved any correlations to the back of his mind. It was not his place to trouble with the why - it was his duty as an officer to obey orders without question. He lost himself in this mindless activity, and was glad of the respite from the pain.

But at times like this, when he sat alone with his glass of water and small sandwich, the hurt came back full force.

He nibbled cautiously on his sandwich, as if he might choke on the feeling.

Who: Elisabeth, open to anyone and everyone
Where: The American Library
When: July 4
Note: I am completely making up all "historical" information, so ... yeah. Don't take it too seriously ;)

In years past, July 4 had been a day of great celebration at the library. Decorations were put up, displays of Independence Day related books were set up, all in an attempt to preserve a little bit of American spirit for those away from home on their biggest patriotic holiday.

This year, things were very different. After canceling all plans last year, the library's leadership had decided that something should be done to try to boost the spirits of the people. So a small supply of fliers had been made up, announcing that the library would open one hour earlier and close one hour later than usual, as well as waive the need for subscriptions for the day.

On the morning of the fourth, Elisabeth arrived early to set up a few minimal displays with history books detailing the birth of America. She was just finishing up the last one when the doors opened and the first patrons wandered in. Greeting them with a smile, she helped them to the section they were looking for before taking her place behind the circulation desk, hoping they would be only the first of many.

WHEN: July 1st
WHERE: Moulin Noir
WHO: Vito, OT anybody

Vito settled at his usual table with a good bottle of red wine. a fresh pack of cigarettes and a not-too-ancient edition of the New York Times. He smiled at a passer-by, and poured himself a glass. Jackie would probably show ... no telling who else would, if anybody. He took a sip, and waited.

Current Time: July, 1941- any post within the month of July is acceptable! Please try to keep them somewhat chronological. If you have posts from June still going on, that's okay- just finish them up at your leisure then move on to July.

Current Curfew: The current curfew lasts from 10 pm to 6 am. During the night, inhabitants have to close their shutters or windows. Without Ausweis (authorization), it is forbidden to go out during the night. Special permissions are getting harder to come by, and the rules are getting stricter.

Current Rations:10 oz (280 g) of bread, 4 oz (114 g) of sugar, 2 oz (50g of cheese), 13 oz (360g) of meat, 6oz (170 g) spaghetti, 1.5oz (43 g) rice per day and 3 oz (85 g) of margarine per week per person. Supply problems affect many stores. The queues in front of shops are frequently lengthy. Ration fraud is becoming more prevalent.

Current Exchange: The current exchange rate is twenty French francs to one Reichsmark. Reichsmarks are the official currency of the occupation, and are both coin and paper currency.

Current Laws: Some important laws to remember - Curfew; Citizens must carry papers at all times; citizens must use ration books to purchase materials that are in short supply; Jews must wear a yellow star sewn on to their clothing to identify them at a glance; Jews must take the last carriage on the Paris Metro.

The Vichy government encourages all citizens to report suspicious activities of neighbors,visitors, and family members to their local Gestapo office.

Current Dangers:
Obligatory Work Service (Service du Travail Obligatoire or STO ) frequently requisitions and transfers French workers to Germany against their will for the German war effort (factories, agriculture, railroads, etc) in work camps. Avoiding being picked up for this is a wise idea.

Patrols are on the streets asking for papers. Being caught out after curfew (especially without the proper papers) is an unwise idea.

Jews, métèques (immigrants), Freemasons, Communists and Protestants, Gypsies, homosexuals, and activists are being detained and interrogated, and often sent to Camp Gurs after these interrogations. Businesses are frequently raided if there is any suspicion of resistance activity (or sometimes seemingly at random).

Neighbors and friends seeing a suspicious activity may be tempted to report such under new laws that offer rewards for information leading to arrests, so watch what your neighbors are watching you do.


Current Rumors:
The new German fuel source is coming into more prevalent use. Rumors are circulating that somehow the people taken away by transport trains are being used for fuel production.

A local resistance movement is organizing - word on the street (told to those who are not a danger, who might help) is that you must go to the Moulin Noir at night and speak to the bartender about cedar to be sent in the correct direction of the resistance. Help is actively sought...

Authorities are on the lookout for a downed ally pilot thought to have come to Paris on his escape route. Citizens with any information are encouraged to contact the Gestapo for a reward.

Those with American citizenship are actively being watched - and occasionally detained for questioning.

A famous German film actress is scheduled to make a live appearance at the Soldatenkino to sign autographs at a showing of one of her films.

The hospital has a mysterious benefactor - supplies have been increasing, much to the gratitude of patients and staff.


Current Diversions:
Come and see the entertainment at Le Moulin Noir , deep within the catacombs beneath the streets of Paris. If you don't know where you're going, you'll almost certainly get lost; if you do, you had best know the password, as well, or the doorman won't let you in. Current Password: je cours ma perte (I got a death wish) . Featured entertainments include the performance trio of Liberté, Egalité, et Fraternité; and the American jazz sensation Jacqueline Pearson.

Soldiers of the Reich may prefer to spend their time at the Soldatenheim , catering to the needs of Germans far away from home or the German-only cinema, the Soldatenkino.

Those looking for some companionship of the female variety have been known to frequent The Black Death Tavern, where proprietor Fancy LaMorne and her girls offer more than just drinks...


Current State of the War:
As of June 30th, Vichy France has broken off diplomatic relations with the Soviet Union.

Germany and Italy have expelled US consular officials in retaliation for similar American moves.

Believing the campaign in the East soon to be concluded in Germany's favor, Hitler has ordered the German war industry to shift production away from guns and armored vehicles to U-boats and planes.

Who: Friedrich, OTA
When: June 30, 4:00pm
Where: Streets of Paris
Complete/Incomplete: Incomplete

Friedrich Köhler tugged his uniform straight over his hips, a scowl on his lean features. He was not exactly a happy wolf. Any day that required the proper uniform was a bad day. He'd been having a lot of bad days lately. A bad week, to be more accurate. Some, even, might claim that he'd been having a bad month, possibly year - possibly life, if they were exceptionally brave or stupid.

Those claims would never be made to his face, mind - most people were smarter than that, and if they weren't, they were generally dead. Scum drained out of the gene pool. Not a nice mental image, for all its accuracy.

He strode down the street with that snarl constantly present, paying no attention at all to the people he was pushing past, shoving by and generally mowing down in his way. If they don't have the sense to get out of my way in the first place...

That was his general train of thought until he rounded the corner near headquarters and ran headlong into someone else. Unable to stop his forward momentum, he - they - wound up on the sidewalk in a pile of tangled, ungainly limbs.

The werewolf staggered upright, lip curling away from his incisors in a decidedly less-than-friendly manner. He leaned down, latching his fist around his unfortunate collision companion's shirt, and hauled them upright with a snarl.

"Watch where you're walking."

Who: Jackie OT
Where: Gare Saint Lazare
When: June 26

Pancake makeup and proper traveling clothes made her close enough to white that she passed most of the stares, and her traveling papers said she was just a traveling performer. Jackie also traveled at night, and made sure never to draw too much attention to herself. A few bribes also helped make her trips smooth.

She had her cat in a box, and her suitcase and coat were heavy. She made sure to stand aside from the soldiers... She knew things were starting to get serious. She had a lot of news for Vito and the others.

Speaking of... someone was supposed to be there to pick her up. The way things were right now... she couldn't be safely alone outside of the train station for long.

Who: Adalhelm and Viveka
When: Sunday afternoon
Where: Reinhart household

Adi was enjoying the rare day away from the office. It was a pretty day out, with the sun shining, but not too hot to enjoy being outside. Even so, he was still driven inside after a few hours of sitting outside. Too much time outside tended to make him miss home, anyway. He sometimes missed home and the much more carefree days that had come with it. It wouldn't really do to live too much in the past, though.

Viveka seemed a little different lately. Of course, it could be anything. Considering their situation, she had every right to be a little nervous at times. "Is everything alright, dear?" he asked her as he came in.

Who: Charlie & Open
What: Continuation of this
Where: The Black Death Tavern
When: Set shortly after this, early afternoon

Fancy was filled with so much nervous distraction that she went two blocks past the Tavern before she realized her mistake. She laughed at herself as she turned around and made her way back. She stopped in the kitchen and prepared a try of food for herself and Charlie. She included some of the sweet rolls she'd just brought at Marie's bakery. There wasn't any meat to spare for this meal, so some bread cheese and fruit would have to do. It wasn't as much as she'd like to offer, barely a plateful for each of them, but all good things were hard to come by. She made a pot of cheap coffee to take up as well. She was careful to make the try look as if it was only for her and hid the extra cup and saucer in her coat pocket before going up stairs.

She looked around her cautiously and listened for a moment at the door before unlocking it and quickly going inside. She closed and locked it behind her before doing anything else, including looking for Charlie. It was dark and stuffy in the room and she longed to open a curtain, but didn't dare risk it. She found Charlie asleep on the bed, and smiled softly. She was glad he was able to sleep, she knew he needed it. She walked over to the small table by the window, the click of her heels almost silent with her careful steps, and laid the tray down.

She went over to the closet and took off her coat and hat. Then, since she hated walking around her own bedroom in shoes, she took them off as well. She also took off her dress, thinking that running around in her slip and stockings was far more fitting to the stuffiness in the room. She didn't want to pass out from the heat. She had a lot to do tonight. She would like to venture out tonight to Le Moulin Noir and see about getting Charlie some papers. She folded her dress over the back of a wing back chair, figuring she could get away with wearing it again.

She turned around and watched Charlie sleep, watched his chest rising and falling, wondered what he was dreaming. Something good she hoped. After all, good was in short supply during the waking hours these days. She reached up to take the pins out of her hair, letting it fall down over her shoulders. She thought she'd lay down beside Charlie for awhile, she could use a nap herself. It had been a long day, and was most likely to only get longer.

Who: Marie & Open
Where: The Bakery
When: Late morning after Fancy takes in Charlie
Status: Completed

Fancy was relieved to see the OPEN sign in the bakery window. She needed to talk to Marie and didn't know how else to reach her but here. She had considered just buying the man some new clothes. But with a good number of German officers knowing who she was and what she did if she was seen buying men's clothing it would no doubt be considered suspect behavior. And the Allied pilot,she was hiding needed her to be more cautious then that. Marie's husband had died, it was possible she still had some of his things even after five years. And if Fancy could make up a convincing enough story she might just be able to procure them. Marie didn't know where she lived and would have to make an effort to track her down. She had more anonymity here, she thought. And Marie seemed like such a kind woman. Worth taking a chance on.

Who: Josephine and Alain (TBC in tags)
When: Late night, June 14 1941
Where: streets, then Josephine's home

"Please, let go of my arm," Josephine said, struggling against the drunken soldier that was muttering how beautiful she was and trying to lead her off the main road and into an alley. She'd been walking home from a late shift when she'd run into trouble.

"A bit of that famous French hospitality could go a long way.. come on now pretty lady, we could both have a good time," the soldier slurred.

"The lady is not interested." The voice was cold, firm, and speaking German.

The soldier looked up, straightening as he expected to see one of his superiors. His bleary vision tried to focus on the face in front of him - obviously a man, not in uniform. "I saw her first," the soldier complained, still holding on to her arm. "Be gone with you." Josephine struggled against his grip, but for a drunk man, he held on tightly.

"I do not care when you saw her. She is not interested. Perhaps a word with one of your superiors. I drink regularly with several of the sort who wear those LOVELY leather coats?"

The soldier stiffened. Maybe the man was bluffing, but... the chance was one he didn't want to take. He shoved the woman roughly away from him and towards the man. Josephine stumbled, and fell against the rescuer. "Take her," the soldier groused. "She's probably diseased anyhow- damn French." He started weaving his way offwards.

Alain caught the lady, and took a long, hard look at the man. He would be finding him later. Perhaps he'd even allow for one of his superiors to handle the situation. Perhaps not. The man had just treated a woman of obvious class most shabbily, after all... "Are you alright, Mademoiselle?" He switched immediately to French.


( Read more... )

Who: Elisabeth, open to whomever
When: Late Morning-ish
Where: American Library

The past few weeks had been interesting at the library, not that anyone else besides the staff would have noticed. Director Reeder's departure had left a vacuum that the Countess de Chambrun had stepped into; in Elisabeth's opinion, she would never actually fill it. So had begun yet another period of uncertainty at the library, with everyone wondering if they could keep their subscription number high enough to have the funds to continue - assuming the Germans even let them. After all, Dr. Fuchs could only do so much for them.

Elisabeth pondered all of this as she sat in her place behind the Circulations Desk, idly thumbing through a recently returned book in between checking the cards of the entering patrons.

Who: Hans ot anyone who might stop in
Where: Hans's house
When: early June (about three weeks after his shooting)

Hans recovered sufficiently that they released him from the hospital now, and he was at home recuperating. It would be another week or two before they allowed him back at work. He'd been visited several times by his superior officers, once to receive a medal and a commendation for being shot in the line of duty, and once to be interrogated over what had occurred. He wasn't sure they believed him when he said over and over again that he could not remember what had happened that night - but it was true. He could remember the patrol he'd been on just prior, and waking up groggily in the hospital after - but the events in between were shrouded in mystery.

His sister had helped him get settled, and had wanted to stay with him at the house - but he refused. She would only fuss over him, and he'd had enough of that at the hospital. He would rest, he assured her, and she could come to visit him daily if she so desired, but he needed some space in which to contemplate things. The close call he'd had with death had changed him, somewhat. He felt more sober, less secure, and very distant (even from himself). If only Marie-Pierre hadn't gone away, he thought, and quickly squashed the thought down because there was no sense of following that train. He'd checked in twice with the Occitan Bistro, and no one there knew when he'd be back, or where he'd gone. With the nature of Duclos's business, it was expected, but still...

Hans turned on his phonograph to play some music , and tried to concentrate on reading a book. Even small activities like this still tired him out, but it was better than worrying over circumstances he could not change.

Who: Adi and Open
When: Afternoon/Early Evening
Where: La Boulangerie Chabert (bakery)

Adi got the idea while getting into his little car after work to surprise Viveka with something. He thought that a freshly baked desert would be a good surprise for her. Of course, he knew that the bakery wouldn't be producing as many sweets as it used to, but he hoped that he would be able to find something to give to his wife.

Adi wondered what his wife was up to right now. He figured that she was probably starting on dinner. He was glad that she had went to visit her new friend that she made in the cafe, though. It would do her some good to get out of the house, even for a few hours. Hopefully that visit went well.

Adi walked into the bakery. Although he had removed his jacket and hat, it was still probably obvious that he was a government official. He just hoped that people would treat him semi-normally. He usually even spoke French to shop owners or whomever he ran into, instead of forcing them to try and speak German to him. His French itself was fine, even though it was spoken with a German accent.

Who: Charlie and Fancy, others?
When: June 2, 1941, roughly 10:00am (follows this)
Where: The Black Death Tavern (back alley)
Summary: Charlie arrives in Paris, and is to be hidden by Fancy.
Complete/Incomplete: Complete

They were waved through the checkpoint shortly after dawn, and Charlie held his breath and willed his heart to stop beating so loudly. They rolled over cobblestone streets for a couple hours, the innkeeper making a handful of deliveries to keep up appearances for the occasional Nazi officer who passed by.

The cart was navigated into a narrow alley and Charlie was pulled off and a large blanket thrown over him, to block him from view. The innkeeper walked up to a door, waving Charlie closer. He knocked, a series of clips and pauses, and waited.

After a moment, the door opened.

Who: Viveka
When: Monday morning
Where: Max's apartment

Max's apartment was small and modest. Her first parisian apartment had been luxurious and extravagant but she didn't begrudge the modestly plain apartment. After all this was war, and this was her job.

She was kind of at a loss right at that moment though. When she was in Germany she was right in the middle of the action but here in Paris there were more Parisians than Germans and the Germans seemed to keep to themselves more or less. Max had managed to do a little spying on the Resistance and made a report about that but it certainly wasn't the big haul that she could have reported on from Germany.

She couldn't help but wonder if this was a little bit of a demotion.

She was about to make herself a cup of coffee and curl up in bed with a book and figure out something to do that afternoon when she heard a knock on the door.

She opened it to see Viveka, "oh, Viveka," she smiled. "Come in."

WHO: Vito OT any and all
WHAT: Mayhem
WHERE: Le Moulin Noir
WHEN: May 31st, 1941, 8:30 pm

Vito murmured something about having a deathwish to the guy at the door, and was allowed to pass. He got a look around the room; a few people lingered in shadow, but Sunday nights were pretty relaxed, here. As relaxed as they could be with the threat of death hanging over everybody.

He ordered a bottle of good wine, left a generous tip for the woman, and looked for a table from which he could watch the room.

He peeled off a few more bills and set them on the bar. "Anybody comes in here and mentions 'cedar,' point me out."

He had spoken to Jackie earlier, and asked her to put a bug in people's ears, let them know that tonight, if they wanted to do something to take back Paris, to drop by amdn mention "cedar."

Why cedar?

Vito had no idea, but the odds of someone walking up to the bar and randomly asking about cedar were slim, it was better than giving out a fake name, in his opinion.

He settled, poured a glass and lit a cigarette.

Who: OPEN
What: A drink perhaps? Or something else...?
Where: The Black Death Tavern
When: Current, evening

Fancy stood behind the bar, pouring drinks. Now and then she helped herself to one. The liquor burned it's way down her throat in the pleasantly familiar way. She looked around the bar at it's occupants. She was looking for a costumer. She had an itch, and she could always use the money and change of something to do. She liked to keep her girls in luxury as much as possible during these troubled times. She also kept up with a few charitable endeavors as much as she could. 

The place was bustling, but it was still a quiet night by Fancy's standards. No one had started a fight, and most of her girls where still downstairs. This made tending drinks easier, and Fancy had been behind the bar most of the night. She watched attentively, hopefully, as more people continued to arrive.

Who: Max and Viveka
Where: Café
When: May 31, 1941 10:20AM

Max took her cup and saucer from the woman behind the counter and paid her. She lifted the cup to her lips, looking out over the other patrons. She had come and gone a few times and recognized a few of the faces. One face in particular stuck out to her. The woman in black stuck away in the corner. She seemed to be isolating herself. The day before Max recalled seeing her with a young Nazi.

She was as good a place to start as any to establish herself in the community.

She walked over to the woman's table. "Bon matin, madame. May I join you? There are no tables available and you look as though you could use some company." She smiled a little.

Who: Jackie, OT ???
Where: Phonecall from unknown location to an unknown location
When: Sunday afternoon

Jackie looked at the number in her hand, and waited for the person at the other end to pick up. Everything had become such a mess- all because of what she had done. She'd been so afraid that night- afraid of what would happen to her. She didn't want to relive what things were like back in Georgia- or find out what things were like for so many others.

She wanted to be free. She wanted her little bit of freedom, and she wanted to do whatever she could to keep it. She hadn't meant to shoot one of the friendly faces.

Hopefully, this phonecall would help Hans.

She knew it was odd that a colored girl was helping a nazi soldier.

Who: Josephine (and Hans) ot anyone
Where: critical care ward, the hospital
When: May 16, 1941 afternoon


The German lying in the bed had nearly died last night, the result of a gunshot wound. Josephine read his chart - Hans Ernst Varner, age 27, Sturmbannfuhrer-SS. That last part likely explained why someone had shot him - the only question of course, was whether it was one of his own men or one of the French citizens. Josephine did not concern herself with such things as politics, however. All men were equal in the hospital, deserving of care and attention that would hopefully help them return to good health.

Though Herr Varner was quite unconscious, Josephine spoke to him in a calm soothing voice as she checked his vital signs. "Don't worry, you're safe now," she assured him. "You're in the hospital, and you're going to get well again very soon."

His heart seemed strong, and his respirations were even, though somewhat weak. It was troubling that he was still unconscious, and he had lost a lot of blood.

"It's a nice day, though there's not much of a view from here," Josephine continued, as if they were having a conversation.

He did not respond.