Stupid Luck and Happenstance, Thread III
- Thread starter Peabody-Martini
- Start date
Very Pictureque. Why do I get the feeling that Anna is about to be rescued by her worst nightmare. ;>
I wouldn't say all. We haven't seen every aspect of Tilo and Nancy's children yet. There are still a few surprises in store.
Part 130, Chapter 2206
Chapter Two Thousand Two Hundred Six
1st April 1973
Wahlstatt, Silesia
Their dormitory was a new building situated in the far corner of the grounds past the athletic field. Because there were relatively few of them it was small compared to the larger buildings that made up the larger school grounds. The way it worked, was that ten of them lived in rooms situated on either side of the building with rooms for washing and a common area in the middle. Today being the first day of April, meaning it was April Fools, Gretchen was leaving nothing to chance. She made sure to look around each doorway before she stepped through, checking every seat before she sat in it. It was with deep frustration that she knew she would probably need to strip her bed before lights out that night to make sure that there was nothing in it. Not for the first time Gretchen realized that her coming to this school had probably been a mistake.
At the time she had made her choice, it had seemed like the least bad option. Her reasoning now felt rather foolish. She had been scared of Anna and her friends. That there would be a repeat of what had happened in Primary School when Anna had gotten nearly everyone else in the school to freeze her out after an argument they’d had. She had been told repeatedly that she needed to stand up for herself, but she lacked Anna’s sharp tongue and when she tried to tell to tell Anna to stop it, it had only made things worse.
There was the other thing, which she had not breathed a word about to anyone. How she’d had a silly crush on Niko for as long as she could remember. It was absurd that something so stupid had played a role in her decisions. She knew that Niko barely knew she existed, yet here she was following him around like a puppy dog.
“Stupid, stupid, stupid” Gretchen repeated aloud to herself. It was something that she had found herself doing a lot lately.
“Just who are you calling stupid, Cadet?” Lyudmila asked.
Gretchen was a bit embarrassed. She had not noticed the Ukrainian woman approaching. Of course, sneaking up on people was basically Lyudmila’s specialty so it should have been expected.
“I’m stupid” Gretchen replied.
That got her a raised eyebrow.
“It’s like this Frau Pavlichenko, I made a bunch of decisions out of fear rather than thinking through the consequences” Gretchen said, “I’ve also had this stupid crush on a boy who I’m invisible to. So, I’m incredibly stupid.”
Lyudmila seemed to have a slight smile on her lips as she stared at Gretchen for a long, excruciating moment.
“I don’t think you are stupid at all” Lyudmila finally replied, “Most women are far older than you are before they start to figure out what they are doing wrong.”
“Oh” Gretchen said.
“Please be careful when it comes to love” Lyudmila said, “I have done that a couple times and have been unlucky.”
“How unlucky?” Gretchen asked, half afraid that she would get an honest answer.
“Divorce the first time and watching the other mistake die right in front of me” Lyudmila said, her voice flat.
“Mistake?” Gretchen asked, not quite believing what Lyudmila, an adult, was telling her.
“Anything that allows an opening for them to hurt you is always a mistake” Lyudmila replied.
Gretchen had heard whispers that Lyudmila was a bit insane. That after she had been ended up as a Prisoner during the Soviet War, she had ended up in a rubber room due to a severe case of Traumatic Stress leaving her unable to function. Something about the way that she had said that last sentence suggested to Gretchen that there might be some truth to those rumors.
“My mother told me that her coming to Germany to be with my father was not a mistake” Gretchen said.
“I didn’t say that there are not those who are lucky” Lyudmila replied, “Why are we even having this conversation? And why am I trying to use logic with a child? It is natural that you develop feelings for this or that boy, but you shouldn’t act on that because it is against the rules. Understand?”
Gretchen gave Lyudmila a look that suggested the next, most obvious question.
“Because I said so” Lyudmila said before she stalked off.
It was one of the most bizarre conversations that Gretchen had ever had. Lyudmila was not anyone’s idea of the maternal sort and that was about as close as a heart-to-heart conversation as was possible with her. Lyudmila had said that she had been in a relationship that had ended in divorce. It was hard to imagine her having gotten married in the first place.
Gretchen heard the others in the common area, they were excited about how the upcoming Easter Holiday. She found that she couldn’t share in their merriment. This was because Sabastian had warned her that the Faculty loved to spring some form of unpleasant surprise, usually in the form of a white glove inspection. Gretchen wondered if she ought to start cleaning now. Jump before she got pushed as it were. She considered whether or not to tell the others about her brother’s warning, but then remembered what the date was.
“Stupid” Gretchen muttered to herself. This time she was directing this outward. The whole situation was stupid. The Prussian Institution with its Byzantine rules, Anna and her friends, Lyudmila, and finally Gretta herself. Everything and everyone, it was all so incredibly stupid.
1st April 1973
Wahlstatt, Silesia
Their dormitory was a new building situated in the far corner of the grounds past the athletic field. Because there were relatively few of them it was small compared to the larger buildings that made up the larger school grounds. The way it worked, was that ten of them lived in rooms situated on either side of the building with rooms for washing and a common area in the middle. Today being the first day of April, meaning it was April Fools, Gretchen was leaving nothing to chance. She made sure to look around each doorway before she stepped through, checking every seat before she sat in it. It was with deep frustration that she knew she would probably need to strip her bed before lights out that night to make sure that there was nothing in it. Not for the first time Gretchen realized that her coming to this school had probably been a mistake.
At the time she had made her choice, it had seemed like the least bad option. Her reasoning now felt rather foolish. She had been scared of Anna and her friends. That there would be a repeat of what had happened in Primary School when Anna had gotten nearly everyone else in the school to freeze her out after an argument they’d had. She had been told repeatedly that she needed to stand up for herself, but she lacked Anna’s sharp tongue and when she tried to tell to tell Anna to stop it, it had only made things worse.
There was the other thing, which she had not breathed a word about to anyone. How she’d had a silly crush on Niko for as long as she could remember. It was absurd that something so stupid had played a role in her decisions. She knew that Niko barely knew she existed, yet here she was following him around like a puppy dog.
“Stupid, stupid, stupid” Gretchen repeated aloud to herself. It was something that she had found herself doing a lot lately.
“Just who are you calling stupid, Cadet?” Lyudmila asked.
Gretchen was a bit embarrassed. She had not noticed the Ukrainian woman approaching. Of course, sneaking up on people was basically Lyudmila’s specialty so it should have been expected.
“I’m stupid” Gretchen replied.
That got her a raised eyebrow.
“It’s like this Frau Pavlichenko, I made a bunch of decisions out of fear rather than thinking through the consequences” Gretchen said, “I’ve also had this stupid crush on a boy who I’m invisible to. So, I’m incredibly stupid.”
Lyudmila seemed to have a slight smile on her lips as she stared at Gretchen for a long, excruciating moment.
“I don’t think you are stupid at all” Lyudmila finally replied, “Most women are far older than you are before they start to figure out what they are doing wrong.”
“Oh” Gretchen said.
“Please be careful when it comes to love” Lyudmila said, “I have done that a couple times and have been unlucky.”
“How unlucky?” Gretchen asked, half afraid that she would get an honest answer.
“Divorce the first time and watching the other mistake die right in front of me” Lyudmila said, her voice flat.
“Mistake?” Gretchen asked, not quite believing what Lyudmila, an adult, was telling her.
“Anything that allows an opening for them to hurt you is always a mistake” Lyudmila replied.
Gretchen had heard whispers that Lyudmila was a bit insane. That after she had been ended up as a Prisoner during the Soviet War, she had ended up in a rubber room due to a severe case of Traumatic Stress leaving her unable to function. Something about the way that she had said that last sentence suggested to Gretchen that there might be some truth to those rumors.
“My mother told me that her coming to Germany to be with my father was not a mistake” Gretchen said.
“I didn’t say that there are not those who are lucky” Lyudmila replied, “Why are we even having this conversation? And why am I trying to use logic with a child? It is natural that you develop feelings for this or that boy, but you shouldn’t act on that because it is against the rules. Understand?”
Gretchen gave Lyudmila a look that suggested the next, most obvious question.
“Because I said so” Lyudmila said before she stalked off.
It was one of the most bizarre conversations that Gretchen had ever had. Lyudmila was not anyone’s idea of the maternal sort and that was about as close as a heart-to-heart conversation as was possible with her. Lyudmila had said that she had been in a relationship that had ended in divorce. It was hard to imagine her having gotten married in the first place.
Gretchen heard the others in the common area, they were excited about how the upcoming Easter Holiday. She found that she couldn’t share in their merriment. This was because Sabastian had warned her that the Faculty loved to spring some form of unpleasant surprise, usually in the form of a white glove inspection. Gretchen wondered if she ought to start cleaning now. Jump before she got pushed as it were. She considered whether or not to tell the others about her brother’s warning, but then remembered what the date was.
“Stupid” Gretchen muttered to herself. This time she was directing this outward. The whole situation was stupid. The Prussian Institution with its Byzantine rules, Anna and her friends, Lyudmila, and finally Gretta herself. Everything and everyone, it was all so incredibly stupid.
So, does the time skip from mid march to the beginning of April, mean that nothing of serious consequence has happened to Anna and her friends that required Matilda to save them has occurred?
Another thought that springs to mind, Anna may be a Schultz with the sharp tongue to match, but I suspect that Matilda will be more than her match. Maybe not verbally, but will still put her in her place.
Another thought that springs to mind, Anna may be a Schultz with the sharp tongue to match, but I suspect that Matilda will be more than her match. Maybe not verbally, but will still put her in her place.
Sebastian has finally over the years has learned that him pulling all those pranks and mischief has been counterproductive for him and now he has a couple of external things to motivate him to settle down, athletics especially track and field and now protecting his little sister at school
Anna is going to find out that being a "Mean Girl" and Queen Bee has a limited half life if something goes wrong and she bear the brunt of the consequences, she will find out how little amount of friends she really has and not so ironically it will be only Mathilda who will eventually have her back.
Gretchen Eun-Ji ( she should really use her middle name as a way to make her feel a little bit more special and confident) may be best suited to be at a public school.
The reason that Tilo's and Nancy's children are at boarding schools is because the demands of their work situations means they can not provide the proper supervision that is needed and this is the best option available.
Gretchen Eun-Ji best bet is to go to the Tigeress Home for Special Ladies (The most famous of the past residents being Princess Kristina) but Nancy would never presume to ask her friend for anything like this and Kat has respect for Nancy to not even remotely suggest anything like this.
Anna is going to find out that being a "Mean Girl" and Queen Bee has a limited half life if something goes wrong and she bear the brunt of the consequences, she will find out how little amount of friends she really has and not so ironically it will be only Mathilda who will eventually have her back.
Gretchen Eun-Ji ( she should really use her middle name as a way to make her feel a little bit more special and confident) may be best suited to be at a public school.
The reason that Tilo's and Nancy's children are at boarding schools is because the demands of their work situations means they can not provide the proper supervision that is needed and this is the best option available.
Gretchen Eun-Ji best bet is to go to the Tigeress Home for Special Ladies (The most famous of the past residents being Princess Kristina) but Nancy would never presume to ask her friend for anything like this and Kat has respect for Nancy to not even remotely suggest anything like this.
QFT: male or female it's definitely one of the main truths of life.
Part 130, Chapter 2207
Chapter Two Thousand Two Hundred Seven
6th April 1973
Tel Aviv-Yafa, Palestine (British Mandate)
SMS K24 Grindwal had been ordered to the Eastern Mediterranean after Spain and the region was just as chaotic as Louis Junior had remembered it. At the moment interest had shifted from the Adriatic Sea to the old sore spot dubbed the Holy Land, where religion had long provided an excuse for every hothead with a grudge to carry out what they probably would have done anyway. There was also the long running rivalry between the Greeks, Italians, and the British over the Mediterranean Islands. When Louis had been briefed about the current situation, it occurred to him that little had changed since he had last been in the region. Or the last few thousand years when you got right down to it.
The old seaport of Yafa had seen the coming and going of dozens of Empires during its long history, the British being just the latest. Having the Grindwal in these waters was because one of the bitter lessons that the German Empire had learned over the last several decades was that trouble in the Near East, and Balkan Peninsula had a way of becoming everyone’s problems closer to home.
Louis remembered reading articles about his great-grandfather, Wilhelm II, and the comments he made about Germany having a place in the sun. Well, after a several wars and police actions it was starting to look like they were out in the sun and getting burnt. Louis had seen as much as the Grindwal had crossed the Mediterranean and had seen the presence of the Italian Navy, the ship being shadowed as soon as they had rounded Sicily. Later, there had been a Greek ship trailing them as well. Louis had seen the two ships on the radar scope. They were lingering just on the horizon. Keeping a wary distance apart. The reason why was simple enough and it had nothing to do with Louis commanding the Grindwal for once. It had to do with the German Navy being a neutral player in a game in which there was no such thing. He remembered how inaction had basically decided the Albanian War and apparently, so did everyone else.
Now, here in Tel Aviv he was finding it difficult to push the complicated situation he had found himself in out of his mind. He had a letter from his brother that had been delivered to the Grindwal that afternoon. Michael wasn’t the most literary sort, so it was just a few lines and a few photographs of Michael, Birdie, and the newest addition to their family. It seemed that fatherhood agreed with Louis’ big brother, though he had seemed to have made a point of throwing the Press out of Castle in Prague. The letter sat on the table forgotten for the moment.
With most of the crew on liberty, Louis was in a hotel bar that was frequented by high-ranking British Officers. With Admirals, Generals, and an Administrator or two in the room, a mere Ship’s Captain didn’t draw too much attention. The place itself was like something from a James Bond Movie, though with Louis’ luck it wouldn’t be James Bond walking in and taking a seat at the bar to order his famous Martini. Instead, it would be Cosimo de’ Medici who would take a seat across the table from Louis and lecture him about how he needed enjoy the finer things in life while he was young enough to truly engage in them. He had run across the Italian troublemaker a few times now and it was always the same.
That was when he saw a face which he recognized enter the bar. It was decidedly not Cosimo, but someone else he had been running into a lot lately.
She was wearing a dress that was the latest fashion from Paris, which was exactly where she had just come from. It showed off that she had a nice figure, which was entirely the intention, she also seemed to be delighted that every eye in the room was on her.
“Wrong side of the sea, Margareta?” Louis asked as she sat down opposite of him. “Shouldn’t you be in Paris? Your University?”
“I came on a whim” Margareta said with a smile.
“No one with any sanity comes here on a whim” Louis replied, “Unless you are one of those crazy Zionists who set off a car bomb in Jerusalem last month. They seem to like it here.”
“Have you seen the beaches around here?” Margareta asked in reply, “This place has a lot going for it if they could convince tourists to come.”
Louis hadn’t paid too much attention to that with his main concern having been the harbor and the disposition of the Grindwal. Some of the men had mentioned the beaches in passing, but seedy bars that catered specially to men of their profession were more their speed.
“I’ll take your word for that” Louis replied, though Margareta was no longer paying attention. She had found the photographs that Louis had left on the table. He had heard jokes about women squeeing, referring to the noises they made. This is what Margareta was doing as she was looking at them.
“This is your new nephew?” Margareta asked, looking a picture of the baby who sleeping in the arms of Birdie. “Philipp, right?”
“Yes” Louis replied, “After his maternal grandfather.”
“What will the Lady be having?” The waiter, who had approached the table while Margareta was looking at the photographs, asked.
“I don’t know” Margareta said, “Whatever Louis is having.”
“Another sparkling water then” The waiter said before he walked off.
“Seriously?” Margareta asked.
“I like to keep my wits about me when I am in public” Louis replied.
6th April 1973
Tel Aviv-Yafa, Palestine (British Mandate)
SMS K24 Grindwal had been ordered to the Eastern Mediterranean after Spain and the region was just as chaotic as Louis Junior had remembered it. At the moment interest had shifted from the Adriatic Sea to the old sore spot dubbed the Holy Land, where religion had long provided an excuse for every hothead with a grudge to carry out what they probably would have done anyway. There was also the long running rivalry between the Greeks, Italians, and the British over the Mediterranean Islands. When Louis had been briefed about the current situation, it occurred to him that little had changed since he had last been in the region. Or the last few thousand years when you got right down to it.
The old seaport of Yafa had seen the coming and going of dozens of Empires during its long history, the British being just the latest. Having the Grindwal in these waters was because one of the bitter lessons that the German Empire had learned over the last several decades was that trouble in the Near East, and Balkan Peninsula had a way of becoming everyone’s problems closer to home.
Louis remembered reading articles about his great-grandfather, Wilhelm II, and the comments he made about Germany having a place in the sun. Well, after a several wars and police actions it was starting to look like they were out in the sun and getting burnt. Louis had seen as much as the Grindwal had crossed the Mediterranean and had seen the presence of the Italian Navy, the ship being shadowed as soon as they had rounded Sicily. Later, there had been a Greek ship trailing them as well. Louis had seen the two ships on the radar scope. They were lingering just on the horizon. Keeping a wary distance apart. The reason why was simple enough and it had nothing to do with Louis commanding the Grindwal for once. It had to do with the German Navy being a neutral player in a game in which there was no such thing. He remembered how inaction had basically decided the Albanian War and apparently, so did everyone else.
Now, here in Tel Aviv he was finding it difficult to push the complicated situation he had found himself in out of his mind. He had a letter from his brother that had been delivered to the Grindwal that afternoon. Michael wasn’t the most literary sort, so it was just a few lines and a few photographs of Michael, Birdie, and the newest addition to their family. It seemed that fatherhood agreed with Louis’ big brother, though he had seemed to have made a point of throwing the Press out of Castle in Prague. The letter sat on the table forgotten for the moment.
With most of the crew on liberty, Louis was in a hotel bar that was frequented by high-ranking British Officers. With Admirals, Generals, and an Administrator or two in the room, a mere Ship’s Captain didn’t draw too much attention. The place itself was like something from a James Bond Movie, though with Louis’ luck it wouldn’t be James Bond walking in and taking a seat at the bar to order his famous Martini. Instead, it would be Cosimo de’ Medici who would take a seat across the table from Louis and lecture him about how he needed enjoy the finer things in life while he was young enough to truly engage in them. He had run across the Italian troublemaker a few times now and it was always the same.
That was when he saw a face which he recognized enter the bar. It was decidedly not Cosimo, but someone else he had been running into a lot lately.
She was wearing a dress that was the latest fashion from Paris, which was exactly where she had just come from. It showed off that she had a nice figure, which was entirely the intention, she also seemed to be delighted that every eye in the room was on her.
“Wrong side of the sea, Margareta?” Louis asked as she sat down opposite of him. “Shouldn’t you be in Paris? Your University?”
“I came on a whim” Margareta said with a smile.
“No one with any sanity comes here on a whim” Louis replied, “Unless you are one of those crazy Zionists who set off a car bomb in Jerusalem last month. They seem to like it here.”
“Have you seen the beaches around here?” Margareta asked in reply, “This place has a lot going for it if they could convince tourists to come.”
Louis hadn’t paid too much attention to that with his main concern having been the harbor and the disposition of the Grindwal. Some of the men had mentioned the beaches in passing, but seedy bars that catered specially to men of their profession were more their speed.
“I’ll take your word for that” Louis replied, though Margareta was no longer paying attention. She had found the photographs that Louis had left on the table. He had heard jokes about women squeeing, referring to the noises they made. This is what Margareta was doing as she was looking at them.
“This is your new nephew?” Margareta asked, looking a picture of the baby who sleeping in the arms of Birdie. “Philipp, right?”
“Yes” Louis replied, “After his maternal grandfather.”
“What will the Lady be having?” The waiter, who had approached the table while Margareta was looking at the photographs, asked.
“I don’t know” Margareta said, “Whatever Louis is having.”
“Another sparkling water then” The waiter said before he walked off.
“Seriously?” Margareta asked.
“I like to keep my wits about me when I am in public” Louis replied.
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Throwing unwelcome guests out of windows with a dung heap to break their fall has regrettably gone out of fashion, not that many in the press don't have it coming...So those representatives of the press in Prague, did Micheal use the traditional method of ousting unwelcome visitors from the Pražký hrad?
Some things from the past are sadly missed.
Being able to legally challenge unpleasant people to duels, for instance
Romania is surrounded by potential adversaries, Hungary is wanting more disputed lands that are part of Romania, there is the historic rivalry with Bulgaria, Greece wants to be the main power player in the Balkans with major backing from Russia.
While the Crowns of the German Empire and Romania are head by different branches of the same family it won’t guarantee that Germany will help Romania the perception that if the families are more closely linked may give second thoughts to those who see Romania as a ripe fruit to be picked.
While the Crowns of the German Empire and Romania are head by different branches of the same family it won’t guarantee that Germany will help Romania the perception that if the families are more closely linked may give second thoughts to those who see Romania as a ripe fruit to be picked.
There are those dynastic politics that got Kira her b*tch slapping from her own daughter.
That had a great deal to do with Prince Vittorio Emanuele of Italy, who is just as much a delight in TTL as OTL with even the Italian Government encouraging him to take up dangerous sports. Kira telling Kiki to shut up and do as she was told was understandably the last straw.
I don’t think that any theoretical marriage between LF Jr. and Magareta would change the current foreign policy of Germany but it may give a pause to other less friendly parties in the area.
I think that Greece may go after Cyprus under the guise of supporting a popular movement for Greece to have an Enois with Cyprus.
I think that Greece may go after Cyprus under the guise of supporting a popular movement for Greece to have an Enois with Cyprus.