Stupid Luck and Happenstance, Thread II
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Part 93, Chapter 1465
Chapter One Thousand Four Hundred Sixty-Five
21st October 1961
Bad Reichenhall, Bavaria
After weeks of exhausting training, Kiki had unexpectedly found herself at completely loose ends when the announcement had come that the entire training cadre was to be given twenty-four hours liberty before they left for Pfullendorf on Monday morning. So, on Saturday morning Kiki left the Mackensen Barracks and walked into the Bavarian town with the knowledge that she had an entire day for herself and did have to be back until the following morning. Staring at the ceiling of the bathroom while luxuriating in the warmth of an oversized bathtub was like heaven. It certainly beat the mountaineering instruction that she had been doing over the prior two weeks.
Mitzi, who had insisted in tagging along with her had asked what she had in mind. “Whatever I want” Kiki had answered, “A meal or two of food that isn’t bland and made on an industrial scale, a hot bath and a chance to sleep in a real bed even if it’s just for one night.”
“The guys are all talking about getting drunk and visiting a…” Mitzi paused for a second, “Er… A house of ill repute.”
Kiki wasn’t annoyed with Mitzi for the way she looked at the world. For her, ending up in a place like the one that the men had openly discussed going to was among her worst nightmares.
“Their priorities are skewed” Kiki had replied, “This is a spa town, something that we ought to take advantage of while we can.”
“How much will that cost?” Mitzi had then asked. It always came back to money with Mitzi. Kiki knew that like everyone else in the cadre Mitzi had no time or even the opportunity to spend what they had been paid over the prior months. Still, she had squirreled it away as if she expected it to be taken away from her.
“Don’t worry about that” Kiki had replied knowing that she had her passport and the plastic charge card that had been given to her by the Imperial Bank when the family trust had opened an account for her a year earlier. She had hardly needed to use it since then and had actually been paying more into the account than she had been taking out. She had kept both of those items carefully hidden because they were in her real name and there would be questions if anyone saw them.
She had certainly gotten quite the reaction from the hotel staff when she had checked in. Mitzi had plenty of questions, especially after the Concierge addressed Kiki by her title.
“Just who are you?” Was what Mitzi had asked. Kiki had put her off, but that wasn’t going to last for long. She was certain that Mitzi was going to be asking again.
Getting out of the bathtub, Kiki looked in the mirror to study her face and body for the first time in months. The bones stood out clearly and she looked tired. Her hair had started to grow back and had tended to flop over her eyes unexpectedly. It wasn’t quite long enough yet to tuck behind her ears, so it was an annoyance. Doctor Berg would have a fit if she saw her like this. Putting on the one dress she had brought, a sun dress that revealed just how optimistic Kiki had been regarding notions of spare time when she had left Berlin an eternity ago. The last thing did was find her glasses before leaving her room.
Mitzi was surprised when Kiki met her in the dining room of the hotel, having only seen her in uniform before. Mitzi had her blond hair in a neat braid and was wearing a mauve dress that looked like something a schoolgirl might wear. Kiki kicked herself when she realized that was exactly what Mitzi had been up until about six months earlier.
While they were waiting for their meal to arrive, a man who Kiki thought had the look of a Photographer passed through. One of the advantages of no longer looking like what people expected was that he walked right past their table with no more than a glance at Kiki. With that as one less worry, Kiki looked out the windows and saw that the trees were a riot of autumn colors. It certainly hadn’t felt like it had been that long. Kiki started looking through a brochure detailing all the services that the hotel and nearby businesses offered when Mitzi interrupted her thoughts.
“You said you were going to answer my questions once you got a chance to take a bath and rest for a bit” Mitzi said, “Why did the hotel staff react to you the way they did?”
“It is because being Princess Kristina of Prussia has that effect on people” Kiki replied, “I would prefer you didn’t spread that around the barracks when we get back tomorrow.”
“Is that a joke?”
“Hardly” Kiki said handing Mitzi her passport. There was a photograph of her taken just a few months earlier next to her full name; Kristina Alexandra Yekaterina Tatiana von Preussen, birthdate of 25th December 1941, and the address of Schloßplatz 1, Berlin, the Winter Residence.
Mitzi was silent for a long time as the first course of their food arrived. Potato soup that smelled very rich, Berg once said that if a dish like this smelled so good then it was something that she needed. As Kiki was eating the soup with bread, Mitzi finally spoke up again.
“This is why you can afford to be so generous?” She asked.
“I can afford to considering that it’s my father’s money” Kiki replied.
“The Emperor?” Mitzi asked still looking surprised by all of this.
“You’ll figure out how little that matters soon enough” Kiki said, “You’ve got to try this soup and look through the brochures when you get a chance.”
21st October 1961
Bad Reichenhall, Bavaria
After weeks of exhausting training, Kiki had unexpectedly found herself at completely loose ends when the announcement had come that the entire training cadre was to be given twenty-four hours liberty before they left for Pfullendorf on Monday morning. So, on Saturday morning Kiki left the Mackensen Barracks and walked into the Bavarian town with the knowledge that she had an entire day for herself and did have to be back until the following morning. Staring at the ceiling of the bathroom while luxuriating in the warmth of an oversized bathtub was like heaven. It certainly beat the mountaineering instruction that she had been doing over the prior two weeks.
Mitzi, who had insisted in tagging along with her had asked what she had in mind. “Whatever I want” Kiki had answered, “A meal or two of food that isn’t bland and made on an industrial scale, a hot bath and a chance to sleep in a real bed even if it’s just for one night.”
“The guys are all talking about getting drunk and visiting a…” Mitzi paused for a second, “Er… A house of ill repute.”
Kiki wasn’t annoyed with Mitzi for the way she looked at the world. For her, ending up in a place like the one that the men had openly discussed going to was among her worst nightmares.
“Their priorities are skewed” Kiki had replied, “This is a spa town, something that we ought to take advantage of while we can.”
“How much will that cost?” Mitzi had then asked. It always came back to money with Mitzi. Kiki knew that like everyone else in the cadre Mitzi had no time or even the opportunity to spend what they had been paid over the prior months. Still, she had squirreled it away as if she expected it to be taken away from her.
“Don’t worry about that” Kiki had replied knowing that she had her passport and the plastic charge card that had been given to her by the Imperial Bank when the family trust had opened an account for her a year earlier. She had hardly needed to use it since then and had actually been paying more into the account than she had been taking out. She had kept both of those items carefully hidden because they were in her real name and there would be questions if anyone saw them.
She had certainly gotten quite the reaction from the hotel staff when she had checked in. Mitzi had plenty of questions, especially after the Concierge addressed Kiki by her title.
“Just who are you?” Was what Mitzi had asked. Kiki had put her off, but that wasn’t going to last for long. She was certain that Mitzi was going to be asking again.
Getting out of the bathtub, Kiki looked in the mirror to study her face and body for the first time in months. The bones stood out clearly and she looked tired. Her hair had started to grow back and had tended to flop over her eyes unexpectedly. It wasn’t quite long enough yet to tuck behind her ears, so it was an annoyance. Doctor Berg would have a fit if she saw her like this. Putting on the one dress she had brought, a sun dress that revealed just how optimistic Kiki had been regarding notions of spare time when she had left Berlin an eternity ago. The last thing did was find her glasses before leaving her room.
Mitzi was surprised when Kiki met her in the dining room of the hotel, having only seen her in uniform before. Mitzi had her blond hair in a neat braid and was wearing a mauve dress that looked like something a schoolgirl might wear. Kiki kicked herself when she realized that was exactly what Mitzi had been up until about six months earlier.
While they were waiting for their meal to arrive, a man who Kiki thought had the look of a Photographer passed through. One of the advantages of no longer looking like what people expected was that he walked right past their table with no more than a glance at Kiki. With that as one less worry, Kiki looked out the windows and saw that the trees were a riot of autumn colors. It certainly hadn’t felt like it had been that long. Kiki started looking through a brochure detailing all the services that the hotel and nearby businesses offered when Mitzi interrupted her thoughts.
“You said you were going to answer my questions once you got a chance to take a bath and rest for a bit” Mitzi said, “Why did the hotel staff react to you the way they did?”
“It is because being Princess Kristina of Prussia has that effect on people” Kiki replied, “I would prefer you didn’t spread that around the barracks when we get back tomorrow.”
“Is that a joke?”
“Hardly” Kiki said handing Mitzi her passport. There was a photograph of her taken just a few months earlier next to her full name; Kristina Alexandra Yekaterina Tatiana von Preussen, birthdate of 25th December 1941, and the address of Schloßplatz 1, Berlin, the Winter Residence.
Mitzi was silent for a long time as the first course of their food arrived. Potato soup that smelled very rich, Berg once said that if a dish like this smelled so good then it was something that she needed. As Kiki was eating the soup with bread, Mitzi finally spoke up again.
“This is why you can afford to be so generous?” She asked.
“I can afford to considering that it’s my father’s money” Kiki replied.
“The Emperor?” Mitzi asked still looking surprised by all of this.
“You’ll figure out how little that matters soon enough” Kiki said, “You’ve got to try this soup and look through the brochures when you get a chance.”
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I like how causally generous Kiki was with Mitzi and not making a big deal about springing for the Spa Hotel without making Mitzi feel like a supplicant.
This just helps the Imperial family in the long run as they lean how ordinary citizens live and by sharing the same living conditions in training and in the field shows that the Family is doing their part in serving the Empire.
I find it funny how Kiki is thought to be a young mother by others when she is babysitting.
This just helps the Imperial family in the long run as they lean how ordinary citizens live and by sharing the same living conditions in training and in the field shows that the Family is doing their part in serving the Empire.
I find it funny how Kiki is thought to be a young mother by others when she is babysitting.
Part that, and unknowingly, part gaining an utterly loyal friend.
Not in vain, for Mitzi's POV, to see that one of the princess of her country to endure the same training than the other people... It's the kind of stuff that hardwires long lasting loyalty...
Double so, as there are good odds that Mitzi WILL be checked by Kat due to being close to Kiki, and if she passes Kat's review, it's the door for higher stuff, both in training and rank, something that would all but solidify her loyalty to Kiki.....
ferdi254
Banned
Sometimes there are funny little anachronisms ITTL. Like Douglas taking out Pizza in the 50s (Pizzas started being a thing with the Italian guestworkers in the 60s and taking out food took until the 80s to become a possible option) and now the plastic card.
Even today many cabs and rural restaurants in Germany do not accept cards at all. Early 60s IOTL it was cash or cheque.
Even today many cabs and rural restaurants in Germany do not accept cards at all. Early 60s IOTL it was cash or cheque.
It turns out that plastic charge cards as we know them date back to the early 1960s in OTL. ITTL with the earlier widespread usage of computers in banking, magnetic strip cards or something like them would logically follow. A hotel in a spa town that also houses a major military garrison would probably want the latest technology in that regard.
As for pizza, its introduction to Germany in TTL was from tourism. When we are introduced to Hans and Jost they manage to ruin the vacations of an entire train full of tourists bound for Italy in the mid-1930s.
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The first plastic bank issued credit card was in 1958 with the Bankamerica card and back then merchants would call the card in to find out if it was good, also they had books issued with stolen card numbers to check before the card was accepted.
So ITTL it is very possible that there are credit cards available right now and having Kiki being issued one from the Imperial Bank in her name is like having the fabled "Black Card" from American Express.
So ITTL it is very possible that there are credit cards available right now and having Kiki being issued one from the Imperial Bank in her name is like having the fabled "Black Card" from American Express.
In some respects, Kiki's card is as good as cash, it is, ultimately, backed by the Emperor.
On a slightly different point, Mitzi will go one of three ways:
1) Be an honest friend to Kiki. Time "in the trenches" will do that and this could see Mitzi taking over from Zella as the cold, wet bucket of reality Kiki needs at times.
2) This will be too much for her and she'll walk away. Coming from a poor background and suddenly rubbing shoulders with the daughter of the Emperor may be too much for her to cope with mentally. As they get posted, they'll drift away.
3) That way of life will become expected, and she devolves into a toady, hanging around for the money and the perks, becoming bitter when she's cut out for being toxic.
I'm hoping for #1
First off - great story!
It might actually be that the credit card is very suspect because its newfangled tech that doesn't reliably work.
Since it is also a garrison town and training hub for the KSK a detailed record of guests might be required, including passport numbers or a photocopy. "Feind hört mit!" and all that jazz.
So it would be the passport that is as good as cash, because as a hotel you would want to check an unusual passport like that with the police...
It might actually be that the credit card is very suspect because its newfangled tech that doesn't reliably work.
Since it is also a garrison town and training hub for the KSK a detailed record of guests might be required, including passport numbers or a photocopy. "Feind hört mit!" and all that jazz.
So it would be the passport that is as good as cash, because as a hotel you would want to check an unusual passport like that with the police...
At that time whenever you used a credit card the merchant would phone the issuer phone number and verified that it was good, plus Kiki probably has a special “Imperial Passport” that is almost impossible to forgery that allows her to bypass customs around the world.
So when Kiki presented her credit card and passport you could have heard the scraping and bowing over in the next two towns.
So when Kiki presented her credit card and passport you could have heard the scraping and bowing over in the next two towns.
The operative words were “almost impossible” plus as an ironic side note there won’t be a Mossad ITTL.
Yes, well it helps to have the resources of a government that issues its own passports behind you. Especially before they included microchips and biometric data in the passport.
Passports seem all be very similar presumably due to international treaties, so it seems feasible that a countries passport office could print a fairly convincing forgery quite easy before modern CCTV and facial recognition.
Hell, if Virginia Woolf and Horace de Vere Stacpoole could pull it off why couldn't Mossad?
Is that the naval Abyssinian affair? If so, God I love that story.
And whatever is passing for the NKVD under the Tsar, and Poland, and the Ukraine, Bohemia etc...