Stupid Luck and Happenstance, Thread II
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Part 95, Chapter 1499
Chapter One Thousand Four Hundred Ninety-Nine
10th August 1962
Irkutsk Oblast, Russia
“What do you think of it?” Fyodor asked as they stood on the ridge looking down into a peaceful valley.
“This place beautiful” Gia said, “Though it is very isolated.”
“It is” Fyodor replied, “It also belongs to us, everything you see all the way to the shore of the lake, and it will not be empty in the future.”
“That’s good, I think” Gia replied, knowing that he was referring to Lake Baikal. It was a few kilometers from here and suggesting just how big this piece of land was, fairly vast apparently.
“It’s more than just a piece of land” Fyodor said, “It changes everything, it means that we have means in this world.”
It was his enthusiasm for things like this that Gia liked about Fyodor. It was the rest of it that she was still trying to work out for herself. Fyodor was one of her cousin’s favorites, that was a serious mark against him from Gia’s perspective and that had caused her to keep him at arm’s length for a long time. It had been that stupid trick he had pulled with the scare cats that had convinced people that they had seen her work a genuine miracle. It had been the argument over that in the Cathedral that had convinced the Orthodox Church that they were a couple. In the end the Church had said that they could care less that the supposed miracle was mere trickery and had basically told her to keep that information to herself. Shortly after that Fyodor had been called away again by Georgy to do something that had him away from Moscow for several months, much to Gia’s relief.
When he came back though, he had suggested to Gia that perhaps they ought to make it official and she threw him out of her flat. Anya had said that she felt that Gia was being entirely unreasonable, Fyodor could have any woman he wanted, and he had picked her.
In the end, it had been Asia coming to visit that had finally caused Gia to come around. When Asia had something to say, it was usually bluntly stated and straight to the point. “Why not just fuck him and get it over with?” Was what she had said after listening to Gia’s take on what had been going on. Gia had been understandably aghast that she would say such a thing. Gia’s response was that if she did that all she would do would be doing was messing up the relationship that she had with Fyodor. Asia had just smiled and said how wonderful that Gia had developed a relationship with man that was more than just physical first. That seemed completely absurd, but the longer Gia thought about the more she realized that Asia was right. Still though, there were several large elephants in the room. Family legacy, the chance that Gia was carrier of hemophilia, as well as the matter of her relationship with Asia years earlier. Asia had just looked annoyed, saying that there is no requirement that she continue the family legacy, hemophilia was treatable these days if she decide to do that and lastly. Was she using her past as an excuse to distance herself for a man who was crazy about her?
Once Gia had started asking questions and discussing things with Fyodor it had all just snowballed. Next thing she knew she was planning a wedding and life happened. Anya suffered an injury that was personally devastating, dancers seldom came back from serious knee injuries. Gia’s hope would be that she would start taking her studies a lot more seriously than she had in the past because she had the rest of her life to consider.
After the wedding, Gia had come east with Fyodor. It was to her surprise that everywhere she went here, people held her in high regard. She just worried that she was disappointing them somehow. How did her being married affect the way that they saw her? Would they suddenly remember that she was actually foreign born? Fyodor said not to dwell on that because East of the Urals, everyone not born there was foreign. Just the fact that the Imperial Grand Duchess Alexandra, Princess Royal of Russia was spending her summer with them meant a lot.
“What do you have in mind for this place?” Gia asked.
“A house, someplace to escape to in the summertime” Fyodor replied, “Far away from the politics of Moscow and the sort of games your cousin likes to play.”
It didn’t get much further from Moscow than this. Gia had realized that Fyodor didn’t always like the tasks that her cousin sent him on. Having somewhere to go where he couldn’t easily be reached had been a fantasy of his for a long time. Gia smiled at the idea.
“We can set it up however we want” Fyodor said, “A space for your office where you can type the next great Russian epic. A vegetable garden, a goat or two. We could have everything we need and seldom have to go into town. Perhaps we could even tempt Anya away from the capital to join us and whatever other additions we might have.”
That last sentence brought reality crashing back into Gia’s mind. They had talked about that, but Gia wasn’t sure that he really understood the full implications of how that pleasant fantasy of his could all come apart if her worst fears materialized.
10th August 1962
Irkutsk Oblast, Russia
“What do you think of it?” Fyodor asked as they stood on the ridge looking down into a peaceful valley.
“This place beautiful” Gia said, “Though it is very isolated.”
“It is” Fyodor replied, “It also belongs to us, everything you see all the way to the shore of the lake, and it will not be empty in the future.”
“That’s good, I think” Gia replied, knowing that he was referring to Lake Baikal. It was a few kilometers from here and suggesting just how big this piece of land was, fairly vast apparently.
“It’s more than just a piece of land” Fyodor said, “It changes everything, it means that we have means in this world.”
It was his enthusiasm for things like this that Gia liked about Fyodor. It was the rest of it that she was still trying to work out for herself. Fyodor was one of her cousin’s favorites, that was a serious mark against him from Gia’s perspective and that had caused her to keep him at arm’s length for a long time. It had been that stupid trick he had pulled with the scare cats that had convinced people that they had seen her work a genuine miracle. It had been the argument over that in the Cathedral that had convinced the Orthodox Church that they were a couple. In the end the Church had said that they could care less that the supposed miracle was mere trickery and had basically told her to keep that information to herself. Shortly after that Fyodor had been called away again by Georgy to do something that had him away from Moscow for several months, much to Gia’s relief.
When he came back though, he had suggested to Gia that perhaps they ought to make it official and she threw him out of her flat. Anya had said that she felt that Gia was being entirely unreasonable, Fyodor could have any woman he wanted, and he had picked her.
In the end, it had been Asia coming to visit that had finally caused Gia to come around. When Asia had something to say, it was usually bluntly stated and straight to the point. “Why not just fuck him and get it over with?” Was what she had said after listening to Gia’s take on what had been going on. Gia had been understandably aghast that she would say such a thing. Gia’s response was that if she did that all she would do would be doing was messing up the relationship that she had with Fyodor. Asia had just smiled and said how wonderful that Gia had developed a relationship with man that was more than just physical first. That seemed completely absurd, but the longer Gia thought about the more she realized that Asia was right. Still though, there were several large elephants in the room. Family legacy, the chance that Gia was carrier of hemophilia, as well as the matter of her relationship with Asia years earlier. Asia had just looked annoyed, saying that there is no requirement that she continue the family legacy, hemophilia was treatable these days if she decide to do that and lastly. Was she using her past as an excuse to distance herself for a man who was crazy about her?
Once Gia had started asking questions and discussing things with Fyodor it had all just snowballed. Next thing she knew she was planning a wedding and life happened. Anya suffered an injury that was personally devastating, dancers seldom came back from serious knee injuries. Gia’s hope would be that she would start taking her studies a lot more seriously than she had in the past because she had the rest of her life to consider.
After the wedding, Gia had come east with Fyodor. It was to her surprise that everywhere she went here, people held her in high regard. She just worried that she was disappointing them somehow. How did her being married affect the way that they saw her? Would they suddenly remember that she was actually foreign born? Fyodor said not to dwell on that because East of the Urals, everyone not born there was foreign. Just the fact that the Imperial Grand Duchess Alexandra, Princess Royal of Russia was spending her summer with them meant a lot.
“What do you have in mind for this place?” Gia asked.
“A house, someplace to escape to in the summertime” Fyodor replied, “Far away from the politics of Moscow and the sort of games your cousin likes to play.”
It didn’t get much further from Moscow than this. Gia had realized that Fyodor didn’t always like the tasks that her cousin sent him on. Having somewhere to go where he couldn’t easily be reached had been a fantasy of his for a long time. Gia smiled at the idea.
“We can set it up however we want” Fyodor said, “A space for your office where you can type the next great Russian epic. A vegetable garden, a goat or two. We could have everything we need and seldom have to go into town. Perhaps we could even tempt Anya away from the capital to join us and whatever other additions we might have.”
That last sentence brought reality crashing back into Gia’s mind. They had talked about that, but Gia wasn’t sure that he really understood the full implications of how that pleasant fantasy of his could all come apart if her worst fears materialized.
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Anya may not be able to dance professionally but that doesn't mean she can do others things like become a choreographer, director, creative director of a dance company, and there are more things that are available to her.
Maybe Fyodor can put in an airstrip and helicopter pad in for easier access.
Maybe Fyodor can put in an airstrip and helicopter pad in for easier access.
There is a bit of a difference. The fears that Kat had were always irrational. Gia on the other hand knows how potentially dangerous her passing on a defective X chromosome could be.
She's a carrier, right? So any boy she has is afflicted, and any girl has a 50% chance of being a carrier.
The big "point" at this moment, is the word "could"'. DNA and all it's possible uses in the world is not known. Only when one of her sons get the disease, she will be known to be a carrier of the disease. At the moment the medical world in this timeline, only knows the effects and that it is passed on from mother to child. The How and What is not yet identified.
IF she is a carrier one of her two x-chromosoms has the haemophilia-gen.
In this case her sons have a 50% chance of being afflicted with haemophilia.
Any girl of hers has a 50% chance of being a carrier herself.
The disease is inherited gonosomal X recessive. Women can be carriers of hemophilia without suffering from the disease themselves.
A carrier of the faulty gene for hemophilia, in which the characteristic is not pronounced, gets sons who have a 50% chance to have the disease.
If this carrier gives birth to daughters, statistically 50% of these can pass on the gene to the next generation without being affected by the disease itself.
As soon as these girls have male offspring again, it is also possible that these have hemophilia.
Because of this probability, however, the disease can also skip several generations, as long as there were daughters as carriers.
When male hemophiliacs have sons, they do not pass the disease on to them because they are inherited as X chromosomes.
Male hemophiliacs can only pass the disease on to their daughters.
Depends. The grandkids can still be carriers. As mentioned, if she's a carrier, any kids she has have a 50% chance of being carriers. Any kid that's a carrier, also has a 50% chance of producing a carrier. Assuming only one carrier in the equation, of course.
So if a warning from CalBear is a "Bear sighting", is a ban from him called a "mauling".
Part 95, Chapter 1500
Chapter One Thousand Five Hundred
11th August 1962
Potsdam
Neither Aki nor Frost would chase after a tennis ball, something about how they were wired made it so that they weren’t interested in playing fetch. Freddy wished that it were otherwise because the simple pleasure of throwing the ball and watching them run after it was exactly what he needed to put his mind at ease after what he had heard at the security briefing that had been given to his father. Instead, they were trying without success to sneak up on a squirrel that was watching them from around a tree trunk. Freddy could hear it barking at the two dogs as if to taunt them.
Then something else caught their ear and they turned to face the direction of the palace. Their wariness turned to unbridled joy as Nella came running towards them, he was expecting Charlotte to be following his youngest sister but instead it was Suga and one of Nella’s Nannies.
“Your Step-Mother looked like she needed a break from Nella” Suga said when she got close, “And Nella wanted her fuzzies.”
Charlotte wanted to be as much of a mother to Nella as she possibly could, not liking the idea of her daughter being raised by other people. Still, there were times when Lotte wanted a little bit of time for herself. That was when she handed her off to a number of people who she trusted to give Nella an enriching experience. Apparently, Suga was one of those people and Freddy wondered if that was Charlotte’s way of sending them a message.
Both Aki and Frost were a lot bigger than Nella, that was why Freddy had been careful to keep an eye on their interactions with her. While Nella saw them as akin to giant plush toys, she never pulled on their fur or ears. Instead she liked to snuggle with Aki, falling asleep with him as a pillow or running around in circles with Frost. Today was no different. Nella and Frost started playing their game and her face was pure bliss, even when she tripped and fell. Frost ran up and started licking her face even as she rolled onto her back and was trying to scratch behind his ears. Eventually, Nella got back to her feet and started running with her arms out and Frost ran ahead her. Aki stayed by Freddy, watching intently.
“It wasn’t far from here that we first met” Freddy said to Suga who must have been thinking the same thing. He had been playing fetch with his old foxound when he had met her, this strange girl who wore strange clothes and spoke a language he didn’t understand.
“Ages ago” Suga replied, with a slight smile.
“Life was easier back then. I’ll give it that.”
“Did something happen?” Suga asked.
“More of the same things happening” Freddy replied, “According to the prognosticators whose job it is to tell my father what the future holds we are all in for rough time in the coming months because of Korea.”
Freddy had mentioned this to Suga before. What many considered Augustus Lang’s masterpiece, the interlocking treaties that encouraged trade across Europe and Asia for the benefit of everyone involved. What Lang had not foreseen was what might happen if one of their treaty partners went to war with another one and had effectively shut down rail transport across their country. That was what the Chinese had done after the Military High Command had shifted additional forces to Korea to enforce the League of Nations mandate regarding the sovereignty of the borders of member nations. Freddy had volunteered to rejoin the Pioneer Corps but instead of sending him to Korea he had gone to Hamburg. He had been encouraged to continue on at University and “learning the ropes” at his father’s side. “You’ve already played your part” was what the Generaloberst in charge of the Pioneers had said. Freddy disagreed with that and suspected that his father was who was really behind that but couldn’t prove it. All his father would say was that he worried about having three of his children over there as well as whatever madness Rea was stirring up at any given moment.
“Too bad you don’t have a camera” Suga said as they watched Nella playing with Frost. “The public eats this sort of thing up.”
“All my sisters were adorable when they were little” Freddy said, “Then something always goes wrong.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
“Kiki taught herself to read because it gave her loads of new uncomfortable questions to ask adults” Freddy replied, “Rea and Vicky played cruel pranks on anyone who intruded into their little world from the time they could walk.”
“I am sure that you and your brothers were always a great joy to be around” Suga said with mock solemnity. “I love the fact that you all lived as a family. That includes silly questions and pranks.”
That gave Freddy pause, he frequently forgot that Suga had grown up in a very different environment. The relentless formality of the Japanese Imperial Court had been her entire world. Until she had found herself having to adjust to the culture shock of the HMY Hohenzollern and the Marine Infantry Sealions who had been tasked with protecting her family, Suga had no idea that another way of life existed.
11th August 1962
Potsdam
Neither Aki nor Frost would chase after a tennis ball, something about how they were wired made it so that they weren’t interested in playing fetch. Freddy wished that it were otherwise because the simple pleasure of throwing the ball and watching them run after it was exactly what he needed to put his mind at ease after what he had heard at the security briefing that had been given to his father. Instead, they were trying without success to sneak up on a squirrel that was watching them from around a tree trunk. Freddy could hear it barking at the two dogs as if to taunt them.
Then something else caught their ear and they turned to face the direction of the palace. Their wariness turned to unbridled joy as Nella came running towards them, he was expecting Charlotte to be following his youngest sister but instead it was Suga and one of Nella’s Nannies.
“Your Step-Mother looked like she needed a break from Nella” Suga said when she got close, “And Nella wanted her fuzzies.”
Charlotte wanted to be as much of a mother to Nella as she possibly could, not liking the idea of her daughter being raised by other people. Still, there were times when Lotte wanted a little bit of time for herself. That was when she handed her off to a number of people who she trusted to give Nella an enriching experience. Apparently, Suga was one of those people and Freddy wondered if that was Charlotte’s way of sending them a message.
Both Aki and Frost were a lot bigger than Nella, that was why Freddy had been careful to keep an eye on their interactions with her. While Nella saw them as akin to giant plush toys, she never pulled on their fur or ears. Instead she liked to snuggle with Aki, falling asleep with him as a pillow or running around in circles with Frost. Today was no different. Nella and Frost started playing their game and her face was pure bliss, even when she tripped and fell. Frost ran up and started licking her face even as she rolled onto her back and was trying to scratch behind his ears. Eventually, Nella got back to her feet and started running with her arms out and Frost ran ahead her. Aki stayed by Freddy, watching intently.
“It wasn’t far from here that we first met” Freddy said to Suga who must have been thinking the same thing. He had been playing fetch with his old foxound when he had met her, this strange girl who wore strange clothes and spoke a language he didn’t understand.
“Ages ago” Suga replied, with a slight smile.
“Life was easier back then. I’ll give it that.”
“Did something happen?” Suga asked.
“More of the same things happening” Freddy replied, “According to the prognosticators whose job it is to tell my father what the future holds we are all in for rough time in the coming months because of Korea.”
Freddy had mentioned this to Suga before. What many considered Augustus Lang’s masterpiece, the interlocking treaties that encouraged trade across Europe and Asia for the benefit of everyone involved. What Lang had not foreseen was what might happen if one of their treaty partners went to war with another one and had effectively shut down rail transport across their country. That was what the Chinese had done after the Military High Command had shifted additional forces to Korea to enforce the League of Nations mandate regarding the sovereignty of the borders of member nations. Freddy had volunteered to rejoin the Pioneer Corps but instead of sending him to Korea he had gone to Hamburg. He had been encouraged to continue on at University and “learning the ropes” at his father’s side. “You’ve already played your part” was what the Generaloberst in charge of the Pioneers had said. Freddy disagreed with that and suspected that his father was who was really behind that but couldn’t prove it. All his father would say was that he worried about having three of his children over there as well as whatever madness Rea was stirring up at any given moment.
“Too bad you don’t have a camera” Suga said as they watched Nella playing with Frost. “The public eats this sort of thing up.”
“All my sisters were adorable when they were little” Freddy said, “Then something always goes wrong.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
“Kiki taught herself to read because it gave her loads of new uncomfortable questions to ask adults” Freddy replied, “Rea and Vicky played cruel pranks on anyone who intruded into their little world from the time they could walk.”
“I am sure that you and your brothers were always a great joy to be around” Suga said with mock solemnity. “I love the fact that you all lived as a family. That includes silly questions and pranks.”
That gave Freddy pause, he frequently forgot that Suga had grown up in a very different environment. The relentless formality of the Japanese Imperial Court had been her entire world. Until she had found herself having to adjust to the culture shock of the HMY Hohenzollern and the Marine Infantry Sealions who had been tasked with protecting her family, Suga had no idea that another way of life existed.
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The Crown Prince should know how his family history is keeping him out of any potential combat situation and it is kind of ironic because if his uncle was not killed in Spain, Freddy would more likely then not would be in Korea as just another German Prince doing his duty.
This doesn't means that the Crown Prince can't make a morale boosting visit to Korea and get his hands a little bit dirty.
This may be the start of when Freddy and Suga realize that they actually do love each other, now they just have to have the courage to go public with it.
Pictures of Nella and the dogs would make very good public copy, Akitas are probably by now in Germany one of the ultimate in status symbols.
This doesn't means that the Crown Prince can't make a morale boosting visit to Korea and get his hands a little bit dirty.
This may be the start of when Freddy and Suga realize that they actually do love each other, now they just have to have the courage to go public with it.
Pictures of Nella and the dogs would make very good public copy, Akitas are probably by now in Germany one of the ultimate in status symbols.
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Give it one wedding and they'll be THE status symbol.
Unfortunately, what will follow is a series of horror stories in the press about "Devil dogs" because the vast majority of people that go and buy Akitas afterwards won't know how to train them.
They'll just assume that the big happy bundles of floof that Freddie has are the default settings and won't put the hard work and effort Freddie and his instructors put in to get them where they are.
That's generally because, as a group setting, people are idiots.
Unfortunately, what will follow is a series of horror stories in the press about "Devil dogs" because the vast majority of people that go and buy Akitas afterwards won't know how to train them.
They'll just assume that the big happy bundles of floof that Freddie has are the default settings and won't put the hard work and effort Freddie and his instructors put in to get them where they are.
That's generally because, as a group setting, people are idiots.
So, the German are helping the Koreans against the Chinese, but the Kreans hate the Japanese....
....and the German Crown Prince is going to marry a Japanese Princess.
This will cause some problems regardless.
....and the German Crown Prince is going to marry a Japanese Princess.
This will cause some problems regardless.
Or it could settle things down somewhat. "We know the Germans are our friends, they have shed blood to liberate & defend our land. This marriage could could bind the Japanese to our independence with ties of blood... especially if WE can arrange a marriage between OUR Imperial family & the German one as well."