Stupid Luck and Happenstance, Thread III
- Thread starter Peabody-Martini
- Start date
Force someone to dress a certain way as a teenager, or even push energetically, and you'll get rebellion every time.
They might change their minds later, but they will hate it at the time.
And after reading and trying to pronounce the title in German, l now have no doubt why my ancestors left Germany. 😂
If you don't hear from me in the future...
...i probably got killed for telling a state secret, but...
...we give things these complicated names just so we can use all these cool abbreviations 🤫
altamiro
Banned
Ever wondered why German abbreviations are mostly three-letter but the French ones are almost always four letters?If you don't hear from me in the future...
...i probably got killed for telling a state secret, but...
...we give things these complicated names just so we can use all these cool abbreviations 🤫
ferdi254
Banned
A very famous one is Waschpopo. Wasserschutzpolizeiposten meaning a post of the water police (responsible for making sure that the rules of navigation are kept in German waters. Normally that means a ship of that agency.
But popo is also the word for the part of your body you place into a seat and wasch means to wash.
But popo is also the word for the part of your body you place into a seat and wasch means to wash.
Part 117, Chapter 1942
Chapter One Thousand Nine Hundred Forty-Two
3rd November 1969
Tokyo, Japan
When Kiki had translated the citation to Ben, he had said that fit extremely well with who she was. She still thought that her translation was missing something, but she wasn’t sure. She had been awarded the Japanese Medal of Honor with the guilt disk on a green ribbon by the Japanese Government and received it from the Prime Minister. It was a civic award whose ribbon denoted the field in which the recipient was being honored. Supposedly, the medal was awarded to Morally remarkable individuals who have actively taken part in serving society or at least that is what the citation said about the green ribbon. It was to Kiki’s surprise that she was one of dozens of people who were present at the awarding ceremony, but one of only a handful of Westerners. She listened to the reasons why the others were being honored today, a bit bewildered that she was among them. Some of the things that these people had done, often over the course of a lifetime, were incredible.
Kiki had told Ben that she had never considered herself to be particularly remarkable, he had said in reply that others didn’t see it that way because they understood that she had worked hard to get where she was and that this was real acknowledgement of that. They also knew about what she had done for Taichi and the family of Hiroshi Yamauchi. No one had needed to tell Kiki to do any of that, and that was the entire point. As it was, Kiki was happy to have finally gotten this over with so that she could finally be going home.
Wunsdorf-Zossen
“Can you hear me now!” Christian yelled into microphone.
“Now that you are yelling, yes” Ralf said over his shoulder and Christian felt like clubbing the Oberfunker over the head, but there were no heavy objects handy when he needed one. This had been a long, frustrating afternoon and the radio equipment that that they were trying to get working wasn’t cooperating and the instruction booklet was largely incomprehensible.
The tedium of the summer, full of inspections and drills had given way to the frenetic preparations for winter while they were in garrison. There had been talk of autumn field maneuvers but those had been cancelled for some inexplicit reason that only the Brass knew about. The barracks had needed to be completely cleaned out, then had stared the work of winterization. There was an old joke about joining the Army to learn a trade only to find yourself getting shot at, usually by the Russians. Everyone learned that basic carpentry, along with digging ditches, and even cooking after a fashion, were all a part their lot as soldiers along with about a thousand other things. One of those things that had grown in importance in just the last few years was the use of radios. Two networks ran constantly, the Command Network which was heavily encrypted and the fairly recent development of the Tactical Network. Everyone in the 7th Reconnaissance Battalion had been trained in the repair and use of the radio sets, however because Ralf Blecher was a dedicated Radio Operator his training had included the trouble shooting and servicing of the radio equipment as well as the black magic that was the encoders that was used to relay messages to and from Divisional Headquarters. The previous autumn, while everyone else was putting up the storm windows on the barracks or painting the buildings Ralf had been back in Heuberg in a classroom training to use the latest equipment.
That was why Christian found himself working with Ralf this morning. Someone high up had decided that the iconic helmets of the Heer that had mostly undergone cosmetic changes since they had been adopted in 1915 needed to be replaced and their Division was the first to get the new ones. There was some grumbling about this, in the view of most of the 4th Panzer Division’s old-timers this was reinventing the wheel, not to mention adding complications that they felt were unnecessary, useless distractions. The helmets were the same basic shape, but steel had been replaced by a new material called Aramid which had some relation to the Kwolek cloth that their Flak vests were made out of. Once under the camouflage cloth cover there was no real difference that Christian noticed anyway, other than being a bit lighter.
However, there was the matter of the small lightweight two-way radios and the headphone with mouthpiece that were designed to be used with the new helmets. So far, no one in their Platoon had been able to get them to work with the Tactical Network and Battalion Headquarters seemed useless in this matter. The Lieutenant had ordered Christian and Ralf to figure it out before it became an issue with the Brass, who knew less than they did about the new radios. Christian could have told them the other obvious problem with giving every soldier a radio. Anyone who had seen what they already did with telephones when they got bored knew the answer to that.
“I am going to try this” Ralf said, and Christian had the loud shriek of feedback filling his right ear as he tore the headset off his head.
Christian was giving Ralf a withering look when he flipped a switch and the feedback stopped.
“Sorry about that” Ralf said, “I think I now know how to get them to receive though.”
3rd November 1969
Tokyo, Japan
When Kiki had translated the citation to Ben, he had said that fit extremely well with who she was. She still thought that her translation was missing something, but she wasn’t sure. She had been awarded the Japanese Medal of Honor with the guilt disk on a green ribbon by the Japanese Government and received it from the Prime Minister. It was a civic award whose ribbon denoted the field in which the recipient was being honored. Supposedly, the medal was awarded to Morally remarkable individuals who have actively taken part in serving society or at least that is what the citation said about the green ribbon. It was to Kiki’s surprise that she was one of dozens of people who were present at the awarding ceremony, but one of only a handful of Westerners. She listened to the reasons why the others were being honored today, a bit bewildered that she was among them. Some of the things that these people had done, often over the course of a lifetime, were incredible.
Kiki had told Ben that she had never considered herself to be particularly remarkable, he had said in reply that others didn’t see it that way because they understood that she had worked hard to get where she was and that this was real acknowledgement of that. They also knew about what she had done for Taichi and the family of Hiroshi Yamauchi. No one had needed to tell Kiki to do any of that, and that was the entire point. As it was, Kiki was happy to have finally gotten this over with so that she could finally be going home.
Wunsdorf-Zossen
“Can you hear me now!” Christian yelled into microphone.
“Now that you are yelling, yes” Ralf said over his shoulder and Christian felt like clubbing the Oberfunker over the head, but there were no heavy objects handy when he needed one. This had been a long, frustrating afternoon and the radio equipment that that they were trying to get working wasn’t cooperating and the instruction booklet was largely incomprehensible.
The tedium of the summer, full of inspections and drills had given way to the frenetic preparations for winter while they were in garrison. There had been talk of autumn field maneuvers but those had been cancelled for some inexplicit reason that only the Brass knew about. The barracks had needed to be completely cleaned out, then had stared the work of winterization. There was an old joke about joining the Army to learn a trade only to find yourself getting shot at, usually by the Russians. Everyone learned that basic carpentry, along with digging ditches, and even cooking after a fashion, were all a part their lot as soldiers along with about a thousand other things. One of those things that had grown in importance in just the last few years was the use of radios. Two networks ran constantly, the Command Network which was heavily encrypted and the fairly recent development of the Tactical Network. Everyone in the 7th Reconnaissance Battalion had been trained in the repair and use of the radio sets, however because Ralf Blecher was a dedicated Radio Operator his training had included the trouble shooting and servicing of the radio equipment as well as the black magic that was the encoders that was used to relay messages to and from Divisional Headquarters. The previous autumn, while everyone else was putting up the storm windows on the barracks or painting the buildings Ralf had been back in Heuberg in a classroom training to use the latest equipment.
That was why Christian found himself working with Ralf this morning. Someone high up had decided that the iconic helmets of the Heer that had mostly undergone cosmetic changes since they had been adopted in 1915 needed to be replaced and their Division was the first to get the new ones. There was some grumbling about this, in the view of most of the 4th Panzer Division’s old-timers this was reinventing the wheel, not to mention adding complications that they felt were unnecessary, useless distractions. The helmets were the same basic shape, but steel had been replaced by a new material called Aramid which had some relation to the Kwolek cloth that their Flak vests were made out of. Once under the camouflage cloth cover there was no real difference that Christian noticed anyway, other than being a bit lighter.
However, there was the matter of the small lightweight two-way radios and the headphone with mouthpiece that were designed to be used with the new helmets. So far, no one in their Platoon had been able to get them to work with the Tactical Network and Battalion Headquarters seemed useless in this matter. The Lieutenant had ordered Christian and Ralf to figure it out before it became an issue with the Brass, who knew less than they did about the new radios. Christian could have told them the other obvious problem with giving every soldier a radio. Anyone who had seen what they already did with telephones when they got bored knew the answer to that.
“I am going to try this” Ralf said, and Christian had the loud shriek of feedback filling his right ear as he tore the headset off his head.
Christian was giving Ralf a withering look when he flipped a switch and the feedback stopped.
“Sorry about that” Ralf said, “I think I now know how to get them to receive though.”
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Kiki should think of the others who were honored along side of her, they were most probably thrilled about standing next to her getting the award.
They got their pictures taken with her and if someone smart from the Public Information Office of the German Embassy was there then Kiki could have taken individual pictures with the recipients which would have been placed where everyone could see it.
They got their pictures taken with her and if someone smart from the Public Information Office of the German Embassy was there then Kiki could have taken individual pictures with the recipients which would have been placed where everyone could see it.
At the end of a stressful year, just need to tell you how much your timeline has been a highlight. Your characters have been relatible and we are fully invested in them. Thank you so much & Meri Kirihimete to all from New Zealand
I absolutely want to see a "Ben and Kiki visit Ben's parents before the wedding," POV, please pretty please with sugar on top?
Ben going: "Yeah mom, that girl I perved on growing up is an actual, no shit virtuous princess, who saw the opportunity to be a help to her people and all people - took it with complete commitment, and inspired me further to be on the first crew to orbit the moon. I am very jealous of her aunt, though."
Everyone in the room both mortified and impressed at the same time, to different degrees? Pretty please?
Ben's parents spending time with the soon to be father-in-law of Ben would also be equally delicious, especially with Kat in the room. Kira has long passed, but Kat invested serious effort into protecting Kristina.
Sorry if that's too forward an ask, but there's a reason why Kiki won character of the year here, as did Kat, and the buildup has been tremendous. Thank you for a continually awesome story.
Wonderful new arc, too!
Part 117, Chapter 1943
Chapter One Thousand Nine Hundred Forty-Three
7th November 1969
Beijing, China
General Pan Yong was fuming as he made his way out of the building where Chiang Kai-shek maintained his office. While the newspapers and radio were hailing Pan as the hero of the hour, the truth was not lost on the Generalissimo. He had been badly outmaneuvered when Sun Li-jen had come north and besieged the capital resulting in demands that Pan do something about the situation rather than wait for an attack that was never going to come. When Pan had tried to come north to break the siege his had encountered a typhoon that had rolled in off the Pacific Ocean and the torrential rain had slowed the march to crawl. That had given Sun Li-jen plenty of time retreat in good order and to plan his next move.
When Pan had finally made it to Beijing, he had discovered that Sun Li-jen had retreated to the west before turning south. In doing so he had been in a position to attack Pan’s own supply lines which were strung out between Beijing and Wuhan. In one last insult, Sun had crossed the Yangtze River in almost the exact spot that Pan had been waiting for him months earlier.
Now, the press had been given their orders about what to print. If they knew what was good for them, they would stick to that story, that Pan had driven the rebel General and his Army back to the south. Around the edges the whispering had started though. That Sun Li-jen had never actually had enough men to take Beijing, instead he had used the threat to the city to draw Pan’s Army out of position. His campaign in the north had been all about showing that he could outwit both Chiang Kai-shek and Pan in a war of maneuver. It was also said that Sun had ended the campaign in a stronger position than he had started as bits and pieces of Pan’s Army had switched sides. Everyone loves a winner. Pan, of course, had told the Generalissimo that there was no truth to those rumors, that Sun Li-jen had been too cowardly to meet him in open battle. Unfortunately, Pan could tell from the look on Chiang Kai-shek’s face that he had been debating whether or not it was in his interest to have him dragged out and shot. The entire time a voice was whispering in the back of Pan Yong’s mind that when Sun Li-jen finally met him in battle it would be at a time and place of his choosing. What the legendary General Tzu called “On Death Ground.” Pan knew he needed to end this before he found himself in that situation or the Generalissimo had him removed from the equation.
Plänterwald, Berlin
This was not what Nadine was expecting when she had received the invitation to come here. The access road passed through forest that was the grey-brown of late autumn now that almost all the leaves were gone. It perfectly matched the slate grey sky above. The car stopped and two soldiers in full combat dress stood at a checkpoint, weapons ready. On a purely intellectual level Nadine understood that Kristina normally lived behind a rather substantial amount of security, to actually see what that looked like was a bit different.
The Driver handed the soldiers the paperwork that authorized them to be on the estate and was waved through. Benjamin had said that the construction of the main house had been done under the strictest of security, its purpose of being the new Winter Residence having been kept secret until just a few days earlier when the Emperor and his family had moved in. Oddly, the car drove past the house and further into the estate. Eventually, it parked in front of a small cottage that was built of red brick and had what looked like a slate roof. It stood among the trees on a small bluff that overlooked the Spree River.
“The Princess is waiting for you” The Driver said as he opened the back door of the car. Walking up the flagstone path to the front door, Nadine knocked and was surprised when Kristine herself answered.
“You came” Kristina said happily as she led Nadine into the cottage.
“Exactly what is this place?” Nadine asked looking around. The bottom floor of the cottage was a single common area with the kitchen on one side, a sitting area on the other, and dark hardwood table which looked like it could seat at least six dividing the room. The room was painted in a warm cream color and stained-glass windows let in a moderate amount of light.
“My father knows that I hate crowds and the Royal Court is a snake pit at the best of times which is why I hate it” Kristina said, “He had this built as a place I could escape to when I visit.”
“That was kind of him” Nadine replied.
“It was either this or have me living on the Meta out on the river” Kristine said, “So he didn’t exactly do it out of the kindness of his heart. It is all about image, though he is fond of telling everyone that he has less than a year to go until he will no longer have to worry about any of that.”
“He is really retiring?” Nadine asked.
“Yes” Kristina replied, “And I am happy you came, I wasn’t sure that you would accept the invitation.”
“I was curious about what you wanted” Nadine said as she saw the plates for luncheon that Kristina had laid out on the table and a pot of tea that she must have started just minutes before Nadine arrived.
“I think that we got off on the wrong foot” Kristina said, “There were some misunderstandings and I thought that we needed a chance to put that aside, start anew.”
Kristina seemed genuine. However, the fact that she had lied to Nadine for a considerable length of time about who she was, was difficult to put aside so easily.
7th November 1969
Beijing, China
General Pan Yong was fuming as he made his way out of the building where Chiang Kai-shek maintained his office. While the newspapers and radio were hailing Pan as the hero of the hour, the truth was not lost on the Generalissimo. He had been badly outmaneuvered when Sun Li-jen had come north and besieged the capital resulting in demands that Pan do something about the situation rather than wait for an attack that was never going to come. When Pan had tried to come north to break the siege his had encountered a typhoon that had rolled in off the Pacific Ocean and the torrential rain had slowed the march to crawl. That had given Sun Li-jen plenty of time retreat in good order and to plan his next move.
When Pan had finally made it to Beijing, he had discovered that Sun Li-jen had retreated to the west before turning south. In doing so he had been in a position to attack Pan’s own supply lines which were strung out between Beijing and Wuhan. In one last insult, Sun had crossed the Yangtze River in almost the exact spot that Pan had been waiting for him months earlier.
Now, the press had been given their orders about what to print. If they knew what was good for them, they would stick to that story, that Pan had driven the rebel General and his Army back to the south. Around the edges the whispering had started though. That Sun Li-jen had never actually had enough men to take Beijing, instead he had used the threat to the city to draw Pan’s Army out of position. His campaign in the north had been all about showing that he could outwit both Chiang Kai-shek and Pan in a war of maneuver. It was also said that Sun had ended the campaign in a stronger position than he had started as bits and pieces of Pan’s Army had switched sides. Everyone loves a winner. Pan, of course, had told the Generalissimo that there was no truth to those rumors, that Sun Li-jen had been too cowardly to meet him in open battle. Unfortunately, Pan could tell from the look on Chiang Kai-shek’s face that he had been debating whether or not it was in his interest to have him dragged out and shot. The entire time a voice was whispering in the back of Pan Yong’s mind that when Sun Li-jen finally met him in battle it would be at a time and place of his choosing. What the legendary General Tzu called “On Death Ground.” Pan knew he needed to end this before he found himself in that situation or the Generalissimo had him removed from the equation.
Plänterwald, Berlin
This was not what Nadine was expecting when she had received the invitation to come here. The access road passed through forest that was the grey-brown of late autumn now that almost all the leaves were gone. It perfectly matched the slate grey sky above. The car stopped and two soldiers in full combat dress stood at a checkpoint, weapons ready. On a purely intellectual level Nadine understood that Kristina normally lived behind a rather substantial amount of security, to actually see what that looked like was a bit different.
The Driver handed the soldiers the paperwork that authorized them to be on the estate and was waved through. Benjamin had said that the construction of the main house had been done under the strictest of security, its purpose of being the new Winter Residence having been kept secret until just a few days earlier when the Emperor and his family had moved in. Oddly, the car drove past the house and further into the estate. Eventually, it parked in front of a small cottage that was built of red brick and had what looked like a slate roof. It stood among the trees on a small bluff that overlooked the Spree River.
“The Princess is waiting for you” The Driver said as he opened the back door of the car. Walking up the flagstone path to the front door, Nadine knocked and was surprised when Kristine herself answered.
“You came” Kristina said happily as she led Nadine into the cottage.
“Exactly what is this place?” Nadine asked looking around. The bottom floor of the cottage was a single common area with the kitchen on one side, a sitting area on the other, and dark hardwood table which looked like it could seat at least six dividing the room. The room was painted in a warm cream color and stained-glass windows let in a moderate amount of light.
“My father knows that I hate crowds and the Royal Court is a snake pit at the best of times which is why I hate it” Kristina said, “He had this built as a place I could escape to when I visit.”
“That was kind of him” Nadine replied.
“It was either this or have me living on the Meta out on the river” Kristine said, “So he didn’t exactly do it out of the kindness of his heart. It is all about image, though he is fond of telling everyone that he has less than a year to go until he will no longer have to worry about any of that.”
“He is really retiring?” Nadine asked.
“Yes” Kristina replied, “And I am happy you came, I wasn’t sure that you would accept the invitation.”
“I was curious about what you wanted” Nadine said as she saw the plates for luncheon that Kristina had laid out on the table and a pot of tea that she must have started just minutes before Nadine arrived.
“I think that we got off on the wrong foot” Kristina said, “There were some misunderstandings and I thought that we needed a chance to put that aside, start anew.”
Kristina seemed genuine. However, the fact that she had lied to Nadine for a considerable length of time about who she was, was difficult to put aside so easily.
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