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Round 3 - Return of the Meme
Round 3 - Return of the Meme
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That's nearly the end of the storia, for onto the scene comes our much loved meme: HAIL TO THE QUEEN OF PROMPTIA.
Re: Unprompted: Blenkinsop/Maltravers - They Owe Us A Life 9a/20
A/N: Very inspired by ”Joyeux Noël” from 2005. Watch it and cry. (and adore sexy a frenchmen and an even sexier german. Ignore Diane Krüger.)
”It's Christmas.” Lieutenant Maltravers reminded Major Blenkinsop. Blenkinsop tore himself from the pile of papers, looked up at Maltravers.
”What? Already, how is that possible?” Blenkinsop looked down at the papers, noticed that he had signed them with 24th of December. ”Have we been here for that long?”
”Yes sir.” Maltravers smiled. ”I wanted to invite myself to your room this evening.” Blenkinsop smiled to, but then the gunfire reminded them of where they where.
”No, lieutenant.” he sighed. ”That is to dangerous. What if we are called in? It wouldn't look good.”
Maltravers mood dropped, he sighed and sat down on a chair. ”Oh.”
”We will have all the time in the world after the war.” he said.
”I guess so.” Maltravers said. ”Either way, we are going to drink tonight. I will be responsible for the company.”
Blenkinsop smiled. ”I will ignore any orders tonight. It's Christmas on both sides afterall.”
Maltravers nodded. ”I heard that the germans are getting christmas trees.”
”Silly.” Blenkinsop said, stood up and kissed Maltravers cheek, in a hurry. ”But we will have drinks and hopefully the scots will not play any of their dreadful music.”
”One can only hope.” Maltravers said, and sighed. ”Will you join us?”
”Of course I will old bean!” Blenkinsop said. ”Now, I must give this order to... well you. Shoot the damn bastards, lieutenant. At 12.35 exactly.”
”Will do, sir.” Maltravers said and kissed Blenkinsop properly, it was not like anyone would see anyway. The kiss was wonderful, just as it used to be, before the war. The kiss was short but felt like it lasted forever. (like all of their (few) kisses the past 5 months)
The company wasn't very quiet that evening. They ate their food, thanked God that France wasn't as cold as England (even though it had been snowing on and off for days now. Blenkinsop even dared to sit close to Maltravers, steal some of his body heat. Maybe it wouldn't be such a bad idea to let Maltravers sleep with him that night, it was Christmas after all. Just a year ago they had been in their own bed, in their flat. That seemed like ages ago.
The soldiers had all gotten their mail, filled with christmas cards, gifts, new clothes and cakes, cookies and drawings and... well, all of those things that made a man happy. All of their soldiers where more boys than men, and Blenkinsop, who was to be 22 in a couple of months was still the oldest one. They all needed this, to relax, calm down, forget that they could be killed if the germans wanted to.
So neither Blenkinsop nor Maltravers cared for the normal rules to be followed, and did not tell their men to go to sleep. They happily drank with their company, and Blenkinsop had to firmly remind Maltravers (and himself) to keep his hands off his knee, not on his body, stroking, longing. No.
It all began when the private on watch called for Blenkinsop, said that the germans had put up their tiny christmas trees at the top of their trenches. ”Silliness.” Blenkinsop said. ”But, it's Christmas over there to, I guess.”
But before they got back they heard the french singing. It was really touching, the silence, the soft, harsh snow and then the voice of a male singing a song they all knew to well, a christmas carol that they all sang every christmas. Blenkinsop smiled, and sat down again, even closer to Maltravers. ”They might be smelly, those frenchmen, but they know how to sing.”
And suddenly they heard a violin, a soft violin. But it didn't come from the french quarters, no, it came from the other side of No Man's Land. Blenkinsop stood up, together with the rest of the crew.
”Are they...” suddenly it was not only one man singing from the french quarters, but two, and suddenly three. And they heard a few german voices, singing in horrible french.
Re: Unprompted: Blenkinsop/Maltravers - They Owe Us a Life 9b/20
They only silenced for a while, before a german voice started singing Silent Night. It was only Maltravers who sang after a few lines, the other voices faded away, as they understood. Instead the frenchmen joined with another violin, a british private with his harmonica.
And Maltravers, he loved to sing, and soon he was on his way, out of the trench, still singing, not thinking, Blenkinsop tried to grab him, but the others just cheered. He found himself looking over the field he had crossed so many times, for the first time not scared.
And a german showed the same bravery, and with his silly looking helmet came walking towards him, with a christmas tree in his hand. It was a beautiful little tree with candles and glitter. The man was smiling.
The english company climbed up, to sit on the edge of their trench. Blenkinsop worried sick and ready to shoot the damn german if he needed to. And Maltravers ended the song. ”Good evening Germans!” he said.
”Ah, good evening.” the german said, with a big smile, and he gave the tree to Maltravers. Blenkinsop had rushed over the field, and now grabbed his shoulder.
”Very well, now come back, Maltravers...” and then another german man walked across the field. He was a major and Blenkinsop saluted him, and the german major back. They looked at each other, and then a frenchmen came running, he too a major. They began to present themselves, and in the end the language they choose to speak was french, apparently all of them had been taught fine languages. ”What do you think of a ceasefire, Major Blenkinsop?” the German major, who was called Bäcker, said.
”Well, it is Christmas Eve.” the french major, Forgeron, said. Blenkinsop looked at the germans, then at Major Forgeron. ”God wouldn't want us to fight on this evening.”
Maltravers looked at him. His large blue eyes pleaded for him to say yes. ”Very well then.” Blenkinsop said.
Major Bäcker smiled. ”Fröhliche Weihnachten!”
”Joyuex Noël.” Major Forgeron said.
”Merry Christmas.” Blenkinsop said and smiled. They heard how the english soldiers came closer, and the german troops did the same thing. The french to.
The only thing that could be heard was the snow, crunching under their feet. They stared at each other, looked at the men they would only see when they where about to get killed. And then they all started talking, tried to smile. The french with traded their champagne bottles for chocolate. They looked at pictures of each others loved ones, congratulated each other. It was all rather odd.
”Now we will never be able to sneak away.” Blenkinsop whispered in Maltravers ear.
”Sorry.” Maltravers said and smiled.
The whole thing went on to well after midnight, a french priest held a small mass in latin. Maltravers sang Ave Maria, and for a single night, there was no war.
Until they heard gunfire, a gunfire, just a couple of miles away reminded them.
And then they all said goodbye, and hurried back to their shelter. Maltravers got his wish through, and got to sleep in Blenkinsops little, little bed. ”What will you write in your report?” Maltravers asked, sweaty and satisfied.
”That all was merry.” he said, and nuzzled himself into Maltravers hair, used to the lice by now.
Re: Unprompted: Blenkinsop/Maltravers - They Owe Us a Life 9c/20
The french major looked at them. ”Ceasefire, today... again?” Blenkinsop said, his french had gotten terrible over the night, especially since he had not eaten breakfast yet.
”Yes.” Major Forgeron said. ”To bury our dead.”
”But...”
”It will make it easier to fight tomorrow then, Major.” Major Bräcker said. ”Please, no one will ever know.”
So they all buried their dead. It was a sad, sad moment, they apparently had two priests, a french and a german, who blessed the soil and the poor men's souls. Both sides collected clothes, rifles and other useful things from the dead. And they all helped each other to drag brothers and friends over the field.
After that was done, another mass was held, and this time, Blenkinsop dared to rest his arm around Maltravers. No one cared about morals anymore.
The younger men started playing a game of football, Major Bräcker joined in, so soon all of them were, except Blenkinsop who hated football, he cheered on his men though. No one held the score, just playing, laughing, forgetting about the war, and that they where playing in a graveyard.
They played cards, they drank, the danced and the laughed. The Christmas Spirit had swung it magic wand upon them.
When that day draw to an end they where almost best friends. Soldiers had exchanged addresses so that they could write to each other, a young english boy had clearly fallen in love with a tall, blonde german man who had ruined the football with his helmet (long story). They even helped each other, the germans sent letters for the french. It was all good. All was good.
And they refused to fight each other on the 26th, and on the 27th they hid in each others trenches on during bombings. ”I will not kill a man who I got chocolate from.” a private said. And all of them agreed in silence.
So they got sent away. Their commanders was furious at them. Blenkinsop almost got sent home, and he would have if it havn't been because they would then would have sent home every major and lieutenant in the whole army.
”Horrible!” they said. ”Socializing with germans, and spending christmas with them! Singing songs, playing football!?” They bashed them, interrogated them and accused them of treason. All of the men who had met the so-called-enemy and they refused to fight them.
In the end, the state saw no other option than sending them all away to new places. Maybe to another country, maybe just a few miles away. Blenkinsop had delivered the news to his men. ”I am so sorry, I feel awfully responsible for all of this. But we have had a great time. It has been a pleasure being your... commander.”
Maltravers had been the first to say it. ”We will not see each other until it's over.” Blenkinsop had stopped working, looked up at him. He had not thought about that, he usually didn't think so far in advance. He wasn't so smart, so what would he really do without his Maltravers? Who would stop him from doing stupid things?
”No.” Blenkinsop said. ”We can't be separeted.”
”But we will be. You will be shipped away after me, so it's definitive.”
”But what shall I do without you? What shall I ever do without you?” he said. ”And... how... don't leave me Maltravers.”
But Maltravers did leave him, not because he wanted to, but because he had to. They did have no time to say good bye, no time to hold each other in each others arms one last time, and they wondered if they would ever see each other again. But only for a short second, if they reminded themselves of the brutal truth, that one of them might die, might not be alive to ever see each other again, what would they do? Would they go on the others funeral? (would there be a body to bury?) How... how would they ever be able to live again... no, it was better not to think about it.
They fought their war far away from each other, unaware if their other half was alive or dead. If he was hurt, if he was doing well. Always wondering.
Re: Unprompted: Blenkinsop/Maltravers - They Owe Us a Life 9c/20
A lovely part, the sweet Christmas bit and then the nasty end bit.
Re: Unprompted: Blenkinsop/Maltravers - They Owe Us a Life 9c/20
Re: Unprompted: Blenkinsop/Maltravers - They Owe Us a Life 9c/20
(Anonymous) 2011-11-19 08:47 pm (UTC)(link)That... That was so PERFECT! I just loved this part;
"Major Bäcker smiled. ”Fröhliche Weihnachten!”
”Joyuex Noël.” Major Forgeron said.
”Merry Christmas.” Blenkinsop said and smiled."
The way they were all just so... So wonderfully kind! I just can't find the words! You have an amazing talent, and this piece has just put me in the Christmas mood. I'm tempted to sing, m'lady!
Re: Unprompted: Blenkinsop/Maltravers - They Owe Us a Life 9c/20
But thank you!
I am afraid that I can not take much credit for that part, since it's probably used everywhere and felt a bit like a cliché, but hey, I like it anyway.
Thank you again, and I am happy that I could... spread som christmas spirit! And please sing if you so wish, my dear sir, I am sure you have a lovely voice!