Fair enough point. Not easy for what I suggested, but not impossible. Not relevant either, unless and until the redoubtable P-M uses the idea.
Could those deathtraps from the first world war even get you high enough to where oxygen is needed?
Stupid Luck and Happenstance, Thread II
- Thread starter Peabody-Martini
- Start date
Fair enough point. Not easy for what I suggested, but not impossible. Not relevant either, unless and until the redoubtable P-M uses the idea.
Could those deathtraps from the first world war even get you high enough to where oxygen is needed?
.....Furthermore Suga it's attractive to get hitched with Freddy not only because she is a Royal Princess, in very good terms with Freddy and would be potentially a massive sign of reconciliation post War...... But because Suga isn't even remotely linked to Queen Victoria like most of the European Royalty and thus, highly likely to be free of the fear of Hemophilia in her descendants....
The most notable examples of an aircraft from that era that regularly flew over 20,000 feet are the SPAD 13, SE-5a and the Fokker D.VII.
For comparison, current FAA standards require oxygen for unpressurized flight above 12,500 feet.
The FEDS still required State Govt to pass information back and forth into the mid 90's. Watching a self threading tape reader in action was interesting.
Part 70, Chapter 1023
Chapter One Thousand Twenty-Three
21st July 1953
Tokyo, Japan
“Good” Natsumi said, “But you still tend to drop your guard on the right when you start an attack.”
Kat’s ribs ached from when Natsumi had exploited that tendency of hers that she had been unaware of until the second that had happened. It had started early that morning when the Senior Equerry had woken her with an invitation to have breakfast. The conversation had been wide-ranging discussion over breakfast of grilled fish and rice with fruit washed down with tea. They had spoken at length about recent news and Kat’s impressions regarding Japan. Kat’s children and the various reasons for Kat’s visit, Natsumi refused to believe that she was here only for a dog.
Then the topic had turned to martial arts and Kat’s knowledge. Before Kat knew it, she was facing off against Natsumi, the woman was ten years older than her, but she hardly allowed that slow her down. It had turned out to be the hardest workout that Kat had done in years. Simply put, in hand to hand Natsumi was better than her. At the same time the Japanese woman had never fired a pistol or saw much use for a karambit, preferring her tessen as Kat would learn her fan was called.
After a couple hours in the Dojo Kat noticed that the sun was out, she had completely lost track of time and that her clothes were soaked with sweat.
“We must stop” Kat said, “I’ve an obligation to attend to.”
“I’m always happy to have a receptive student” Natsumi replied “The Princess I presume?”
Natsumi seemed to be the sort that believed that pain was a good teacher. Kat felt more satisfied then she should have that she had been able to keep up.
“Yes, I promised her that I would go to Museum of Art with her” Kat replied.
“What are your impressions of her?”
“Suga is a sweet girl” Kat said, “Intelligent, imaginative and a dreamer. She’s a bit naïve and can be a pushover, manipulative at times. Those last few things can be worked on.”
“And as a potential bride for your Crown Prince?” Natsumi asked.
“I didn’t say anything about that” Kat replied.
“You don’t need to” Natsumi said, “Your Empress sent someone she knows and trusts all the way here. I also know that you teach others, young women to do the same thing that you do. The Mistress of the Keys, I believe you call it? The invisible hand of the Empress in your society. Working in the interest of harmony.”
“I’ve never heard it put that way before” Kat replied, not denying what Natsumi said, but not confirming it either.
“Tell me about Prince Friedrich?” Natsumi asked.
“Smart, nice, not much of a reader, enjoys the outdoors, particularly football” Kat said, “He can be a bit pigheaded at times though.”
“Yet he took the time to learn Japanese and writes a letter twice a month to a girl halfway around the world?”
“I told you he can be a bit pigheaded” Kat replied only to see that Natsumi seemed amused by that.
“Enjoy your afternoon in the Museum Katherine” Natsumi said, “I would suggest looking for the paintings by Takeuchi Seihō. He traveled widely and was deeply inspired by a trip to the Dresden Zoo.”
With that Natsumi left, Kat knew that she had just enough time to get cleaned up before starting the three-hour trip to Kyoto. She was starting to wonder what had happened to Tilo, not having seen him in a couple days. She figured that he would turn up eventually, but there were times when Kat wondered exactly what Nancy saw in him.
Berlin
It was a fun party as the filming had wrapped up. They had shot the scenes depicting the final moments of the race and then that was it. Nancy had not stuck around as the party had run late. She knew she was going to have to be up early in the morning, so going home was the best option for her.
To Nancy’s astonishment the film didn’t have a necessarily conventional ending. Tiger Martz has a chance to win the race but gives it up so that her friend Anna can have a chance at happiness. The final scene involves Tiger and Felicitas talking about if their 2nd Place finish was worth it as they can see Anna and Derik finally able to be together on the other side of the spectators there to see the end of that race.
Overall, Nancy had to say that the filming was a good experience for her and exactly what she needed. Tomorrow she would be back in Wolfsburg in the Promotions Department of Volkswagen. Very different from Greece. She also had her family coming to visit and Kat was supposed to be back from Japan in time for her birthday. Nancy wouldn’t say that everything was coming up roses, but for the first time in what seemed like forever she was close to happy.
The house was dark as Nancy walked up the front steps with only the blue light from the television coming from the parlor. Typical Tuesday, she thought to herself. The girls would have knocked off early having places to be in the morning. Douglas might be up but with Kat out of town he had divided his time between work and the twins, the result was that he went to bed exhausted as soon as Tat and Kol were down for the night.
Unlocking the door, Nancy saw that Petia and Eha were watching a murder mystery. “Perfect timing Anna” Petia said, “They’re just about to show who did it.”
“But I wouldn’t know the context” Nancy said as she hung up her jacket in the front closet. She smiled to herself, it was as if she had never left.
21st July 1953
Tokyo, Japan
“Good” Natsumi said, “But you still tend to drop your guard on the right when you start an attack.”
Kat’s ribs ached from when Natsumi had exploited that tendency of hers that she had been unaware of until the second that had happened. It had started early that morning when the Senior Equerry had woken her with an invitation to have breakfast. The conversation had been wide-ranging discussion over breakfast of grilled fish and rice with fruit washed down with tea. They had spoken at length about recent news and Kat’s impressions regarding Japan. Kat’s children and the various reasons for Kat’s visit, Natsumi refused to believe that she was here only for a dog.
Then the topic had turned to martial arts and Kat’s knowledge. Before Kat knew it, she was facing off against Natsumi, the woman was ten years older than her, but she hardly allowed that slow her down. It had turned out to be the hardest workout that Kat had done in years. Simply put, in hand to hand Natsumi was better than her. At the same time the Japanese woman had never fired a pistol or saw much use for a karambit, preferring her tessen as Kat would learn her fan was called.
After a couple hours in the Dojo Kat noticed that the sun was out, she had completely lost track of time and that her clothes were soaked with sweat.
“We must stop” Kat said, “I’ve an obligation to attend to.”
“I’m always happy to have a receptive student” Natsumi replied “The Princess I presume?”
Natsumi seemed to be the sort that believed that pain was a good teacher. Kat felt more satisfied then she should have that she had been able to keep up.
“Yes, I promised her that I would go to Museum of Art with her” Kat replied.
“What are your impressions of her?”
“Suga is a sweet girl” Kat said, “Intelligent, imaginative and a dreamer. She’s a bit naïve and can be a pushover, manipulative at times. Those last few things can be worked on.”
“And as a potential bride for your Crown Prince?” Natsumi asked.
“I didn’t say anything about that” Kat replied.
“You don’t need to” Natsumi said, “Your Empress sent someone she knows and trusts all the way here. I also know that you teach others, young women to do the same thing that you do. The Mistress of the Keys, I believe you call it? The invisible hand of the Empress in your society. Working in the interest of harmony.”
“I’ve never heard it put that way before” Kat replied, not denying what Natsumi said, but not confirming it either.
“Tell me about Prince Friedrich?” Natsumi asked.
“Smart, nice, not much of a reader, enjoys the outdoors, particularly football” Kat said, “He can be a bit pigheaded at times though.”
“Yet he took the time to learn Japanese and writes a letter twice a month to a girl halfway around the world?”
“I told you he can be a bit pigheaded” Kat replied only to see that Natsumi seemed amused by that.
“Enjoy your afternoon in the Museum Katherine” Natsumi said, “I would suggest looking for the paintings by Takeuchi Seihō. He traveled widely and was deeply inspired by a trip to the Dresden Zoo.”
With that Natsumi left, Kat knew that she had just enough time to get cleaned up before starting the three-hour trip to Kyoto. She was starting to wonder what had happened to Tilo, not having seen him in a couple days. She figured that he would turn up eventually, but there were times when Kat wondered exactly what Nancy saw in him.
Berlin
It was a fun party as the filming had wrapped up. They had shot the scenes depicting the final moments of the race and then that was it. Nancy had not stuck around as the party had run late. She knew she was going to have to be up early in the morning, so going home was the best option for her.
To Nancy’s astonishment the film didn’t have a necessarily conventional ending. Tiger Martz has a chance to win the race but gives it up so that her friend Anna can have a chance at happiness. The final scene involves Tiger and Felicitas talking about if their 2nd Place finish was worth it as they can see Anna and Derik finally able to be together on the other side of the spectators there to see the end of that race.
Overall, Nancy had to say that the filming was a good experience for her and exactly what she needed. Tomorrow she would be back in Wolfsburg in the Promotions Department of Volkswagen. Very different from Greece. She also had her family coming to visit and Kat was supposed to be back from Japan in time for her birthday. Nancy wouldn’t say that everything was coming up roses, but for the first time in what seemed like forever she was close to happy.
The house was dark as Nancy walked up the front steps with only the blue light from the television coming from the parlor. Typical Tuesday, she thought to herself. The girls would have knocked off early having places to be in the morning. Douglas might be up but with Kat out of town he had divided his time between work and the twins, the result was that he went to bed exhausted as soon as Tat and Kol were down for the night.
Unlocking the door, Nancy saw that Petia and Eha were watching a murder mystery. “Perfect timing Anna” Petia said, “They’re just about to show who did it.”
“But I wouldn’t know the context” Nancy said as she hung up her jacket in the front closet. She smiled to herself, it was as if she had never left.
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Md139115
Banned
I can just see Louis attempting to explain to a bunch of scandalized Junkers that from the Japanese perspective, the Hohenzollerns are nouveau riche...
Part 70, Chapter 1024
Chapter One Thousand Twenty-Four
25th July 1953
In transit, Over Russia
The name Aki, Autumn, was perfect for him. With white and gold fur, he was going to be beautiful when he got bigger. It had fallen to Kat to try to keep him from being to disruptive on the flight home.
“It will be alright Aki” Kat said as she hugged the puppy close when he had started to whine again. Despite his fear at unfamiliar surroundings, frightening noises and strange people, Aki still licked Kat’s chin.
This got her dirty looks from the other passengers on the plane, but Kat was used to it. People might not like being on a plane with scared, homesick puppy but they recoiled in terror at the prospect of being stuck on a plane with twin babies. They had almost had go to war with Lufthansa to get them to budge in this. Aki, an Akita puppy, was a gift from the Japanese Emperor to the German Crown Prince and because the breed was considered Monument of Japan there was no way that he could ride in the cargo hold without creating an International incident. The other thing that the Airline was unhappy with was that Tilo had used the trip for research and to gather material for a scholarly manuscript he was writing about different practices of Buddhism and offshoot religions in Japan, China, Korea and Vietnam. He had ended up needing to rent a lorry in Tokyo to get the crates of material to the airport.
“Be careful Kat” Tilo said, “People might discover that you are secretly a good Mum.”
Kat just shrugged, she was long past caring about what other people thought of her. The implications of this trip were far more at the front of her mind. Through intermediaries the Japanese Royal family had put out feelers towards the prospect of a union between Suga-no-miya Takako Naishinnō, Imperial Princess of Japan, and Friedrich, Prince of Prussia and Crown Prince of the German Empire. Even the aspect of Suga being Japanese wasn’t as much of an obstacle as it first appeared. Most of the Princesses of Europe were either much younger or older than Freddy was or were directly related to him. In the future it was expected that the younger Royalty of Central and Eastern Europe were going to be marrying the members of the Nova Nobilitas, who had earned their titles through merit, at a high rate. If Freddy and Suga married it would just be shape of things to come. That meant that the Imperial Court would continue to grow more interesting in the coming years. Still, Kat remembered years earlier when she had joked with Gia about this very thing. Now that the reality was only a few years from being upon them. The puppy in her arms was proof of that.
“You know that he is going to be huge” Tilo said.
“Who?” Kat asked.
“Aki there” Tilo said, “Look at the size of those paws.”
“I was told that his kind were bred for hunting bear and boars” Kat said.
Tilo laughed at that. “It will make him popular in the East” He said, “They like hunting dogs.”
“I guess” Kat said.
“What is up with those?” Tilo asked and it almost caused Kat to start laughing when she realized what he was getting at. The shoes had been a gift from Helene, supposedly based on a design of shoes from Medieval Germany that were for historic reenactments. They looked like a combination of Ballet slippers and Scottish ghillies. Kat just knew that they were extremely comfortable if she didn’t have to walk any distance. Suga had asked Kat if she could arrange for a pair to be sent to her. Kat had the impression that Suga had the mistaken belief that Kat was considered remotely fashionable in German circles. The closest she ever got to that was listening to Klaus Voll complain about how she occasionally managed to convince women across Germany that fashion was a waste of time.
“They are comfortable, and you know what they say?” Kat asked.
“No” Tilo replied.
“That this trip is being taken by me and not Oberstlieutenant Gräfin Katherine von Mischner” Kat said.
“You make it sound like you are two different people” Tilo said.
“You’re the Philosopher, you tell me” Kat said, “It’s like I have this unwelcome roommate that is the person who people think I am.”
“You never wanted to be famous, did you?” Tilo asked.
“If I could live quietly with Douglas, Tatiana and Malcolm I would be happy” Kat replied, “The Sisterhood and Stefan would be free to visit.”
“Who’s Stefan?” Tilo asked.
“My younger half-brother” Kat replied.
“Oh” Tilo replied, he had heard rumors about how her father had gotten around. “Mission accomplished with this trip” He said awkwardly changing the subject.
“We have Aki” Kat said, “And I was able to make some good connections.
“What is that supposed to mean?”
“I invited Maeda Natsumi to come to Berlin” Kat replied, “To teach the Sisterhood for a few months.”
“Are you insane?” Tilo asked in disbelief.
“Far from it” Kat replied, “I discovered that there are some flaws in my training on this trip.”
“And you think that Natsumi can help you with that?”
“Yes” Kat replied, “The training that the SKA/MA uses is a combination of disciplines, there is always room for improvement.”
That would also provide cover for Natsumi coming to Berlin, but Tilo didn’t need to know that.
25th July 1953
In transit, Over Russia
The name Aki, Autumn, was perfect for him. With white and gold fur, he was going to be beautiful when he got bigger. It had fallen to Kat to try to keep him from being to disruptive on the flight home.
“It will be alright Aki” Kat said as she hugged the puppy close when he had started to whine again. Despite his fear at unfamiliar surroundings, frightening noises and strange people, Aki still licked Kat’s chin.
This got her dirty looks from the other passengers on the plane, but Kat was used to it. People might not like being on a plane with scared, homesick puppy but they recoiled in terror at the prospect of being stuck on a plane with twin babies. They had almost had go to war with Lufthansa to get them to budge in this. Aki, an Akita puppy, was a gift from the Japanese Emperor to the German Crown Prince and because the breed was considered Monument of Japan there was no way that he could ride in the cargo hold without creating an International incident. The other thing that the Airline was unhappy with was that Tilo had used the trip for research and to gather material for a scholarly manuscript he was writing about different practices of Buddhism and offshoot religions in Japan, China, Korea and Vietnam. He had ended up needing to rent a lorry in Tokyo to get the crates of material to the airport.
“Be careful Kat” Tilo said, “People might discover that you are secretly a good Mum.”
Kat just shrugged, she was long past caring about what other people thought of her. The implications of this trip were far more at the front of her mind. Through intermediaries the Japanese Royal family had put out feelers towards the prospect of a union between Suga-no-miya Takako Naishinnō, Imperial Princess of Japan, and Friedrich, Prince of Prussia and Crown Prince of the German Empire. Even the aspect of Suga being Japanese wasn’t as much of an obstacle as it first appeared. Most of the Princesses of Europe were either much younger or older than Freddy was or were directly related to him. In the future it was expected that the younger Royalty of Central and Eastern Europe were going to be marrying the members of the Nova Nobilitas, who had earned their titles through merit, at a high rate. If Freddy and Suga married it would just be shape of things to come. That meant that the Imperial Court would continue to grow more interesting in the coming years. Still, Kat remembered years earlier when she had joked with Gia about this very thing. Now that the reality was only a few years from being upon them. The puppy in her arms was proof of that.
“You know that he is going to be huge” Tilo said.
“Who?” Kat asked.
“Aki there” Tilo said, “Look at the size of those paws.”
“I was told that his kind were bred for hunting bear and boars” Kat said.
Tilo laughed at that. “It will make him popular in the East” He said, “They like hunting dogs.”
“I guess” Kat said.
“What is up with those?” Tilo asked and it almost caused Kat to start laughing when she realized what he was getting at. The shoes had been a gift from Helene, supposedly based on a design of shoes from Medieval Germany that were for historic reenactments. They looked like a combination of Ballet slippers and Scottish ghillies. Kat just knew that they were extremely comfortable if she didn’t have to walk any distance. Suga had asked Kat if she could arrange for a pair to be sent to her. Kat had the impression that Suga had the mistaken belief that Kat was considered remotely fashionable in German circles. The closest she ever got to that was listening to Klaus Voll complain about how she occasionally managed to convince women across Germany that fashion was a waste of time.
“They are comfortable, and you know what they say?” Kat asked.
“No” Tilo replied.
“That this trip is being taken by me and not Oberstlieutenant Gräfin Katherine von Mischner” Kat said.
“You make it sound like you are two different people” Tilo said.
“You’re the Philosopher, you tell me” Kat said, “It’s like I have this unwelcome roommate that is the person who people think I am.”
“You never wanted to be famous, did you?” Tilo asked.
“If I could live quietly with Douglas, Tatiana and Malcolm I would be happy” Kat replied, “The Sisterhood and Stefan would be free to visit.”
“Who’s Stefan?” Tilo asked.
“My younger half-brother” Kat replied.
“Oh” Tilo replied, he had heard rumors about how her father had gotten around. “Mission accomplished with this trip” He said awkwardly changing the subject.
“We have Aki” Kat said, “And I was able to make some good connections.
“What is that supposed to mean?”
“I invited Maeda Natsumi to come to Berlin” Kat replied, “To teach the Sisterhood for a few months.”
“Are you insane?” Tilo asked in disbelief.
“Far from it” Kat replied, “I discovered that there are some flaws in my training on this trip.”
“And you think that Natsumi can help you with that?”
“Yes” Kat replied, “The training that the SKA/MA uses is a combination of disciplines, there is always room for improvement.”
That would also provide cover for Natsumi coming to Berlin, but Tilo didn’t need to know that.
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Hmm....Considering that they would be marrying in the Sixties, and in wings of an a slightly smaller than OTL but more balanced Economical and technological miracle boom in Japan , likely linked to the Space Race finally taking speed....I can imagine that while there would be scandalized Junkers, they would be drowned by the charmed masses to the "romantic history" of the crossed Royals of nations once enemies in the past and all that smushy stuff that the media adores.
And THAT, not counting in the immense positive effect in Asia and specially Japan that the marriage would have.....that the very heir of one of the Super Powers of the world, a nation that around 15 years ago defeated the Japanese Empire in a war, now accepts a daughter of the Chrysanthemum Throne as its Queen, it would speak beyond words that the world is changing and that Japan its truly being recognized as a nation and people in peace.
And THAT, not counting in the immense positive effect in Asia and specially Japan that the marriage would have.....that the very heir of one of the Super Powers of the world, a nation that around 15 years ago defeated the Japanese Empire in a war, now accepts a daughter of the Chrysanthemum Throne as its Queen, it would speak beyond words that the world is changing and that Japan its truly being recognized as a nation and people in peace.
....Don't know if it cringe or laugh my ass to the incoming mayhem from Natsumi's educative training. She may bring Tessen as gifts to Kat and to learn to use for the Sisterhood....
Modern historiography is able to verifiably trace and date the Imperial House of Japan in unbroken lineal descent all the way back to Emperor Kinmei, who was born in 509 and ascended the throne December 5, 539.
Also in 539:
- Walthari son of Wacho, the last of the Lething Dynasty, reigns as King of the Lombards. He will be succeeded by six dynasties and about that many non-dynastic kings before the title is united with that of King of Italy by the Carolingians. The title falls through another succession of non-dynastic kingships and then the Ottonians, Salians, Hohenstaufens, Luxembourgs, Wittelsbachs, Hapsburgs, several decades of chaos, a Bonaparte, several more decades of chaos, and then the current House of Savoy.
- The Hagia Sophia is only two years old. It will hold the title of largest cathedral in the world for nearly a millennium to come.
- The Anno Domini calendar has been in use in Scythia Minor for seven years. It will not become prominent for almost three centuries.
- Seong of Paekche, King of Korea, has just dispatched a diplomatic mission that will introduce Buddhism to Japan for the first time.
- The Great Pyramid of Giza is in year 3,109 of its 3,881-year reign as the world's tallest freestanding structure.
- China is divided between Northern and Southern Dynasties. The Shaolin Monastery is fifty-four years old. None of its surviving structures will be built for centuries yet.
- The first documented ancestor of the House of Hohenzollern will not be born for another 486 years.
The traditional order of succession of Japanese Emperors extends back to the accession of Emperor Jimmu in 660 BC. He was almost certainly legendary, but for diplomatic and political purposes it would be unwise to come out and say so.
The first Hohenzollern to be titled King of* Prussia was Frederick the Great, in 1772, so the Hohenzollern line has been unquestionably royal for 181 years as of the story's current date. The Imperial House of Japan has been so for at least 7.8 times as long (and likely nine or ten), and will claim more than fourteen times.
So, yeah. Nouveau riche.
*not "in" Prussia; the so-called Kings in Prussia still owed fealty to the King of Poland, and as such Prussia was not legally a Kingdom before this point.
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F Scott Fitzgerald has been quoted as saying that being an American is a state of mind and in this timeline Peabody-Martini has been showing us that after the wars there has been in Germany an influx of people from other countries.
There has been Russian women who no longer had homes to go back to and they stayed in Germany because that is the only place,they could make a living in.
We have seen Korean BBQ joints opening up and I think that there was a mention of a Mexican restaurant also.
We have seen an Irishman start up a pub in Berlin with his Polish wife.
So that leaves us the question in the future is being German an ethnicity or is it a state of mind?
That is going to be what the Junkers are going to be most concerned about is that the Germany of their forefathers is no longer going to be the reality and that Germany is going to be represented in the future by a Kaiser who is half Asian.
There has been Russian women who no longer had homes to go back to and they stayed in Germany because that is the only place,they could make a living in.
We have seen Korean BBQ joints opening up and I think that there was a mention of a Mexican restaurant also.
We have seen an Irishman start up a pub in Berlin with his Polish wife.
So that leaves us the question in the future is being German an ethnicity or is it a state of mind?
That is going to be what the Junkers are going to be most concerned about is that the Germany of their forefathers is no longer going to be the reality and that Germany is going to be represented in the future by a Kaiser who is half Asian.
Where it gets really strange is that is that the hypothetical Kaiser would be half Asian in a country where a substantial percentage of the population are the descendants of nomads from Central Asia.
I wonder, when we see a dynastic marriage between Freddy & Suga, will the Japanese Emperor be sending the the First Imperial Foot a gift of an extra company or two of hand picked men as honor guard for the Princess Imperial.
