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Tweak says, "I aim to misbehave."

gentle_gene (gentle_gene) wrote in vie_en_guerre,
@ 2008-02-01 00:27:00

A Very Wartime Christmas
Who: Staff and Patrons of Le Passant
Where: Le Passant
When: Mid Evening on Christmas Eve
What: Le Passant is having a party
Summary: A night of drinking, food and enjoyment is interrupted in the most surprising of ways.

Le Passant always had a warm, inviting atmosphere, but tonight was particularly cheerful. A small four piece band had set up on the stage and were already warming up to play Christmas Music all through the night. For a fee of 20 Reichmarks (though it was waved for those patrons who were loyal but could not afford it in the entirity) a party was being thrown. Booze until dawn, food until the kitchen runs out, and they will be closed tomorrow. The room was decorated as best possible on a limited budget: tinsel, snowflakes and cranberries are strung all around the walls. And, of course, there was mistle toe hung upon the interior door from the front foyer/coat room to the actual bar.

Genevieve was dressed to impress tonight. A gown of deep almost-blood red skimmed the length of her slender body. She's lofted a touch taller than her usual self in a sleek pair of black, strappy heels. The heat has actually been turned up inside so she didn't need to wear a jacket. Her pale, slender arms were long and free, lending a touch of sensual grace to her form. She had kept herself busy setting up all the tables around the edges of the dance floor when Jacques crept up behind her and scooped her off onto the empty wooden floor.

Gene laughed to herself, leaning into her old friend's arms as he took her about a slow stroll to a quiet warm up Christmas carol the band was playing. From the sight of the entire bar, one might have never known a war was on. The couple on the dance floor looked breathtakingly elegant -- he in a sleek black tux and she in curving, flowing red. They danced smooth and close, waiting for the crowd to trickle in but also enjoying each other's company for just a few moments.

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	oh_nurse 2008-02-01 06:03 am UTC (link)
	Josephine was sitting by the stage, enjoying the music. She tapped her toes along to it, watching the dancers as they spun by. Everyone looked so happy! (Reply to this) (Thread)

oscar_ontherun
2008-02-03 06:03 am UTC (link)

Christmas Eve was not a particular night Oscar fancied spending alone. He'd certainly got into the spirit of things for a change. He managed to borrow an old dinner suit from M. Ducard, and even went as far as to take the pavement rather than the rooftops in his journey to Le Passant. It was after all the only place he knew of in the city.

Slinking quietly into the bar, he spotted Josephine, sitting at the very same table as the last time he'd met her.

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	oh_nurse 2008-02-03 06:07 am UTC (link)
	Josephine glanced away from the dance floor just in time to see Oscar. Her face brightened, and she gave him a cheerful wave. "Merry Christmas!" she called. (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

	oscar_ontherun 2008-02-03 06:14 am UTC (link)
	It was good to see a familiar face, even more so given that it was the only familiar face in the Country. Oscar flashed Joséphine a quick smile of acknowledgement before scooting through the web of tables and planting himself in the seat opposite hers. "Merry Christmas," he replied. (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

	oh_nurse 2008-02-03 06:17 am UTC (link)
	"I'm so glad you're here," Josephine said. "I was going to ask you to come with me- but I didn't know if you had other plans..." Plus she'd been worried about the entry fee - she didn't want him to feel obligated to pay for her, when she knew he didn't have much money. "Is it still snowing out there? Did you have a hard time getting here?" (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

	oscar_ontherun 2008-02-03 06:26 am UTC (link)
	"That's alright," he said, waving his hand in dismissal. "A little," he continued, dusting his shoulders to illustrate the weather, "though not terribly. It was actually quite a pleasant walk." It was a refreshing change to clutching at dirty tiles, he thought. (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

	oh_nurse 2008-02-03 06:30 am UTC (link)
	"It was nice when I came over as well - I like a little snow, but it didn't show any signs of stopping. I hope we don't get too much, or we'll be snowed in..." She laughed at the folly of that thought. It never snowed THAT much in Paris. "And there's a whole band tonight! Isn't that lovely? And dancing..." (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

	oscar_ontherun 2008-02-03 06:44 am UTC (link)
	He looked over to the band cruising through their warm-up with festive bravado and the young couple dancing along. They were nothing if not striking. "I'm not a great fan of carols," he said, turning back to Joséphine. (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

	oh_nurse 2008-02-03 06:46 am UTC (link)
	"Do you like to dance, though?" Josephine asked hopefully. It had been a long time since she'd danced. "Maybe when they play a better number..." (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

	oscar_ontherun 2008-02-03 06:49 am UTC (link)
	"I... wouldn't know how." He admitted with embarrassment. It was not like he couldn't swim or ride a bike, but he couldn't help feeling a little a little sheepish. "And I wouldn't have thought I would be very good at it," he said, venturing towards humour, "Do you dance?" (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

oh_nurse
2008-02-03 06:56 am UTC (link)

"I do," Josephine said. "Though I haven't for a while - there hasn't been much opportunity lately."

She smiled and reached across the table to pat his hand. "But don't worry, I don't mind that you don't know how. Perhaps I can teach you another time - when there are less people."

She didn't want him to be embarrassed by trying to learn in public on such a crowded night.

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	oscar_ontherun 2008-02-03 07:02 am UTC (link)
	"Maybe," he settled on, and leaned back in his chair. He contemplated ordering something, but decided he would wait for the couple to finish dancing. "Forgive me, I haven't yet asked how you are. How is the hospital?" (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

	oh_nurse 2008-02-03 07:07 am UTC (link)
	"I'm doing well, thank you. And things at the hospital- well, they are a little better. We had someone donate supplies, can you imagine? How nice that was. And we don't even know who - they just left boxes on the doorstep." Josephine considered it some sort of miracle. "And how about you? How have you been?" (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

oscar_ontherun
2008-02-03 07:18 am UTC (link)

Oscar soured immediately. The thought had occurred to him to try and procure some supplies from somewhere, but he'd been busy simply trying to find his way around Paris. The thought that someone else had the same designs troubled him inexplicably.

"That's... Good news." He tried to shrug off the anxiety for present company.

"As for me, I can't complain," he shrugged his shoulders, "I'm still here, at least."

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	oh_nurse 2008-02-03 07:24 am UTC (link)
	"That's good that you're still here..." Josephine said. "I'd miss you otherwise." She blushed slightly, and looked away towards the dance floor, feeling somewhat shy about the depth of that statement. Though she'd only known Oscar a short time, she'd miss his company terribly were he to go away. (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

	oscar_ontherun 2008-02-03 07:31 am UTC (link)
	"I've only been in town for two weeks," he was flattered by the remark she'd made, "and I'm sorry I haven't been more sociable. I've been," he paused, "busy getting settled." (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

	oh_nurse 2008-02-03 07:44 am UTC (link)
	"Oh, I understand," Josephine said, returning her attention to him. "I don't mean that you've been lax in our friendship or anything- I know you're probably quite busy..." She felt like she was putting her foot in her mouth. (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

	oscar_ontherun 2008-02-03 07:55 am UTC (link)
	He didn't quite understand her sudden change in manner. Could she suspect something? He thought he'd been careful- She knows, something rumbled inside him. "Quiet," he muttered to it, stifling the sickly sensation in his gut. "It's okay," he forced his attention back to the woman in front of him, "I'm sorry as much for my own sake as yours." (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

	oh_nurse 2008-02-03 08:05 am UTC (link)
	Josephine relaxed a bit at his words. "As long as I'm not being a bother to you," she said. "I don't want to be overly-friendly...." She knew how some Parisian girls could be - and she wasn't like that, really. (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

	oscar_ontherun 2008-02-03 08:17 am UTC (link)
	"Believe me, overly-friendly is a breath of fresh air," he replied with a relieved smile. He looked around Le Passant. People had started to fill up the tables around them, though that hadn't stopped the band's warm-up. The couple continued to dance, as if oblivious to the increasing commotion in the room. (Reply to this) (Parent)

paperlucy
2008-02-03 06:08 pm UTC (link)

Lucy had heard of the Christmas festivities planned at Le Passant. She knew that she had to go. Not only would it make a lovely article, but she really needed it. Lucy had never spent a Christmas away from her family. Even when she was in London, she had always made the trip back to Oxford to her parents' home. Her mother always went above and beyond with food -- puddings, meat pies, lamb, vegetable dishes and bread sauce, and the best, most moist and delicious Christmas Cake. The wine was plentiful and of course there was always home-made chocolates (that was Lucy's favourite bit). The tree, always a healthy blue spruce cut from the woods behind the cottage, decorated to perfection with baubles and cranberries and twinkling lights.

Not this year though. This year, James was off fighting the bloody war and Lucy was safe for the time being, but far from home. Her mother's most recent letter had been melancholy and slightly splotchy -- she suspected her mum had cried a bit while writing. So it was with a slightly heavy heart and an incredible feeling of homesickness that Lucy headed toward the bar. She donned a lovely deep green silk dress and her nicest heels, and her long blonde hair was swept up into a simple French twist (quite fitting, she thought, considering). The deep colour of the dress complimented her pale English skin. Her mum would have loved it.

Le Passant looked really lovely. Lucy immediately felt a little more relaxed and happy that she had decided to come. There were a few couples on the dance floor. She recognized one of them as the owner. The music was festive, the atmosphere was relaxed -- happy, even. She could forget about everything for just a few hours. Lucy headed to the bar and sat a few seats away from a blond woman and a man talking with one another. She ordered a glass of wine before turning to watch the dancing couples, a smile playing on her lips.

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gentle_gene
2008-02-07 01:48 am UTC (link)

Gene smiled, turning her head as she saw the woman coming in the door. She didn't really know her well, but any patronage was good, and from the little bit of talk she heard the woman was alone on Christmas this year anyway. It was good to give her a bit of family. Gene stepped smoothly to that side of the bar, her dress a shocking flash of red behind the muted dark wood and dim lights of the bar area.

"Lucy, yes? Please, sit... Wine, of course. There is food also, if all those brutes haven't eaten it yet." She teased in the direction of the few young men that had come tonight, probably hoping for some sort of Christmas night date. Most of them were hung right in the spot between the bar and the food table, equal distance from food and booze. She turned her back, quickly scooping up a bottle of the house red, this one almost empty. She poured it out into a glass for the woman, topping it off just a bit high but she wanted to finish the bottle.

"Enjoy. Sit, relax, the band will be playing again soon. If you need anything else-" And then she was cut off as the door flew open. (See post below)

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wolfwork
2008-02-07 12:45 am UTC (link)

Christmas Eve. A time for peace, love, joy and all that, yes? One would think, anyways. Friedrich stared at the lighted building - Le Passant - in front of him with a barely hidden snarl - this was only whetting his appetite for destruction; they were only taunting him; playing at civilization. He jerked his dress uniform hat on, straightened his collar, and checked that the mostly-ornamental Luger on his belt was loaded.

The men assigned to him were doing the same around him, but he ignored them for the most part - they were grumbling about the cold, about being out on Christmas Eve, about anything that came to their tiny minds. He spat on the street, fighting to ignore the way his teeth were aching, the way his eyes burned. He glanced at the nearest window, breathing deep to force the yellow creeping around the edges of his pupils to dissolve into the more human hazel.

The wolfsbrudders would say these feelings were subconscious - useless jealousy carried over from before the operations; envy of those holding the party, the normalcy they were able to find in this most abnormal of times. The wolfsbrudders were usually wrong.

This feeling wasn't jealousy.

This was hatred.

He shoved the Luger back into the holster, silently enjoying the way their eyes snapped to him, respectfully. They'd all probably reach higher ranks than him, be promoted more, climb their way up the chain of command over their brothers' backs. That didn't change the fact that they were inferior - and clueless of that fact. If his grin showed a little more tooth than was advisable, that was alright - it was dark. No one would see.

"With me," He barked, "Schnell."

They obeyed.

The door was unlocked; it didn't really need kicked in. Friedrich slammed it open with a boot anyways, not stopping as he stormed down the short hall, past the coats and hats hanging, and through the large glass door into Le Passant, proper, watching as the trained men behind him dispersed – one stayed behind, covering the front door; one covering the door they'd just entered by; one towards the door to the (he assumed) kitchen; and one by the foot of the stairs at the end of the bar. The remaining two stood at attention behind him, hands hovering – rather obviously – on gun butts, eyes trained somewhere above the crowd’s heads, and he was shouting loud enough that his voice felt hoarse.

”I want your hands in the air, and I want them there now!”

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gentle_gene
2008-02-07 01:53 am UTC (link)

The shock Genevieve felt at the sight of the uniformed men pouring into her bar was possibly the worse in her life. The war they had all expected. Hell, the war was pretty much over by the time it reached Paris and they were all ready for the dire consequences. Curfew hurt, but once more Gene had brilliant ways of fixing that and none of them were hurting for it. This, however, even with the warning from Hans just last week, this was too much.

The empty bottle of wine she had in her hands dropped, tumbling behind the bar before shattering at her feet. She did as ordered, jerking her hands into the air a heartbeat later. Her brain couldn't quite catch up with her body, though, giving no reaction to the dropped bottle or the guns that were now on her and her patrons. She stared, wide eyed and sheet white now, over to the men who invaded her cafe`.

Finally, after a time that seemed too long for words, she cleared her throat and attempted to speak, "...Can... I help you, gentlemen?"

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oh_nurse
2008-02-07 03:54 am UTC (link)

Josephine was startled by the sudden influx of troops. She glanced nervously to Oscar before obeying with the soldier in charge said - putting her hands in the air.

As she did so, she blinked - focusing on the face of the lead soldier a moment, eyes widening in recognition. She'd seen the man before - they'd had lunch once at her favorite cafe. Herr Köhler - that had been his name.

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oscar_ontherun
2008-02-07 04:14 am UTC (link)

It was all Oscar could do to stop himself from instinctively rolling off the chair and onto all fours. Instead, he tried to calm himself and leaned back in his chair, slowly bringing his hands up behind his head.

He stared back at her, blankly. In his head were running escape routines and target prioritising. He settled on the stairs being the most convenient exit and the guard wouldn't be a challenge to overcome, but he couldn't just leave Joséphine.

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paperlucy
2008-02-07 05:12 am UTC (link)

"Yes, thanks," Lucy replied in French, smiling at the woman. She was really kind, doing all of this Christmas stuff, and Lucy appreciated her friendliness more than she could say.

Lucy's back had been to the door, but it only took her a second to realize what was going on. She turned to face the invaders, forgetting the glass of wine in her hand as she raised both of them in the air. She vaguely registered how calm Gene seemed to be through all of this. If Lucy were in this position, she had no idea how she'd react. Oh wait. She was in that position. Oh Christ, she thought. This is how I'm going to die.

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reichsfuhrerss1
2008-02-11 04:17 am UTC (link)

The Oberstgruppenfuhrer-SS observed the operation from the relative safety of his armored vehicle, concealed across the street in an alleyway. His spyglass was out and surveying the interior of the cafe, barely noticing two of the no-name conscripts shifting nervously. He may have had misgivings about this operation, but it would succeed.

Stossel surveyed the rooftops, noting the position and relative concealment of every SS sniper he'd stationed. "Good, they have all turned up." The commander muttered to himself, not wanting to deal with them if they hadn't.

The SS commander scooped up his MP40 machine pistol, Luger Parabellum 9mm pistol, and SS-issue cavalry sabre, attaching them in their appropriate spots on his rarely-worn combat uniform. "It is time." Reinhardt muttered, opening the car door and standing up slowly, ironing out the cricks in his back as he did.

The commander's eyes flashed a dark red for a moment, before settling into their familiar brown. "I... am looking forward to this. It has, indeed, been too long since I took the field. I shall make a note to do so more often." He mused, emerging from the alleyway with a faint smile on his face.

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reichsfuhrerss1
2008-02-14 05:03 am UTC (link)

Stossel moved towards the small squadron of his men which had been left out as a rearguard, nodding to the ranking officer as he passed through the ten-man fireteam. He pulled down his cap, shielding his eyes from the bright transition into the cafe as he brushed through the front entrance.

The commander surveyed the room as he joined his forward team. "Well-executed, Herr Kohler." Stossel smiled thinly, his MP40 held loosely in his right hand. He adjusted the long SS-issue overcoat and stepped up to the front of the room. The Oberstgruppenfuhrer-SS scowled at the sheer amount of people out in violation of curfew. 'There must be close to forty people here, in the crowd alone.' Waiting for silence, he frowned as there still sounded a muted whisper through the crowd. "Geschwader eins, Schnur weg von den Ausgängen. Wenn sie Entweichen versuchen, schießen Sie sie. Geschwader zwei, auf mir. Schnell! (Squadron One, cordon off the exits. If they attempt escape, shoot them. Squadron Two, on me. Quickly!)" Stossel barked at the assembled men, turning and approaching the stage with his weapon raised in a single-handed firing position. He gestured with the gun for the entertainers to evacuate the stage and join the patrons.

"Please remain seated. Quiet, please..." Stossel began, in French, "Does anyone see the problem before me? Anyone?" The hiss of whispering grew louder and he frowned. The SS officer raised his weapon and fired it into the roof. "Silence!" He sighed and lowered his weapon to ready position. "I have in front of me far too many curfew violations for me to feel comfortable with. Please remain seated. You will all be taken into custody and processed. Anyone who attempts escape will be shot. Am I clear?" Stossel raised an eyebrow, gazing over the crowd as if daring them to defy his orders.

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gentle_gene
2008-02-14 06:43 am UTC (link)

Gene's jaw tensed just a touch more as she saw the other man spill into the room of her once cheerful bar. Her eyes flickered across the crowd in clear concern, studying the terrified patrons and doing her best to make certain none of them looked too drunk. Or, hell, making certain none of them looked sick over the situation either. She took one slow step forward, her hands still in the air, as she cleared her throat loudly in attempts to gain some eyes in her direction.

"With all due respect, sir, none of these people are out on the street. They are all indoors and obeying curfew. As this is a special occasion we would stay open past the dawn and wait until curfew was lifted to let anyone go." Gene did her very best to keep a strong, charismatic presence to the huskiness of her usually subdued voice. She did not wish to command them, but she did wish to instill enough confidence in her words that they seemed the utter truth and not just said out of fear. After all, they were going to stay open until after dawn -- it just had been the rule always, not just on this special occasion. As long as no one seized in her direction, she made one more step to come out to the side of the bar. She wanted to face this matter head on if nothing else.

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	oh_nurse 2008-02-14 06:54 am UTC (link)
	Josephine was very frightened by what the officer said. She couldn't be taken into custody! Who would water her plants, and what would she do about work at the hospital? Who would help the sick people if she was in jail? Her bottom lip began to quiver. She dared not move, but she glanced towards Oscar to see if he was as afraid as she was. (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

oscar_ontherun
2008-02-14 03:23 pm UTC (link)

Oscar's eyes darkened as the second officer entered. Trying to make out the insignia on his uniform as he strode briskly past them, Oscar hissed to himself with curiosity. The newcomer was oddly high-ranking for curfew enforcement. Something had to be amiss.

He looked inquisitively to the woman by the bar, before turning his attention back to Josephine. He could see her getting anxious, and attempted to drop one of his hands to take hers.

"Don't worry," he hissed, simply.

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reichsfuhrerss1
2008-02-14 05:52 pm UTC (link)

Stossel sighed, massaging his forehead with his free hand for a moment. "Why must you be difficult, Mademoiselle? Your place of residence IS this building, you are free from arrest. Well, for curfew violations, at any rate. The rest of your customers," he gestured to the crowd with his MP40, "are not where they should be - in their places of residence. The law is quite specific."

The Oberstgruppenfuhrer-SS shrugged, seeming to not care all that much for Gene's argument. "The law takes no vacations for holidays. If it did, I would simply shoot you all where you stand and not be charged with anything." He took a slow step to the right, almost giving into his urge to pace while speaking. "Do not think that no-one has been watching this place. This was not a one-time occurrence. We conversed once, and I told you that I would not be harsh in enforcing the curfew for one or two stragglers. This is quite a bit more than that."

Stossel sighed and returned to the middle of the stage. "Gruppe zwei, halten sie fest. Sie wissen was zu tun. (Squad Two, arrest them. You know what to do.)" He told the fireteam at his side. They broke apart and fanned through the crowd, checking papers and slapping restraints on them. It was slow going, but it would be done.

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