Stupid Luck and Happenstance, Thread III

You could make a map for TTL, and just have "Here be Dragons" over the Middle-East and it would be fairly accurate.

This is what the British thought too in OTL. Then they attempted to solve the problem by using pen and ruler and add some lines to the maps to clear things up. Seems not too have worked all to well, I am afraid.
 
This is what the British thought too in OTL. Then they attempted to solve the problem by using pen and ruler and add some lines to the maps to clear things up. Seems not too have worked all to well, I am afraid.
Why does everyone forget to blame the French as well? They were right there, next to the British, drawing lines across the desert & Africa and screwing things up for God knows how long.
 
This is what the British thought too in OTL. Then they attempted to solve the problem by using pen and ruler and add some lines to the maps to clear things up. Seems not too have worked all to well, I am afraid.
Why does everyone forget to blame the French as well? They were right there, next to the British, drawing lines across the desert & Africa and screwing things up for God knows how long.
This certainly happened ITTL as well. You can add the Italians to the mix, too.
 
Part 110, Chapter 1810
Chapter One Thousand Eight Hundred Ten



20th August 1967

Hohenzollern Castle

Kiki had no idea how the staff had figured out that she was going to have guests who were deemed to be important for the summer observation of her birthday, but they had. She had found herself looking up as two new pennants were flying beneath hers atop the North Tower. The first was light grey with a stylized falcon, the second was red and white with a black horse derived from a knight chess piece, meaning that Zella and Ben were coming. She had no idea where those had come from and Zella’s reaction when she saw that was to laugh. It had turned out that Emil, Zella’s father had played no role in the creation of that banner. A few of his aides had cooked it up at the direction of the Luftwaffe when he had been appointed to command forces in the Far East near the end of the Second World War. Ben had just sheepishly looked up at the tower and said that it had been the crew who had come up with it in Korea and that it was actually the airplane that was the Black Knight. Aurora’s arrival was given no fanfare, but she had just smiled and said to give it time. Anya had been the last to arrive and all she said was that the castle had not changed a bit since she had last been here years earlier. Suga had been invited but had called to say that she didn’t feel up to traveling right now but had wished Kiki a happy observed birthday. Suga didn’t seem too thrilled about the prospect of becoming ever further immobilized over the next six months and had told Kiki all about it.

The idea for getting her oldest and dearest friends together had come to Kiki when she had realized that she had not had a conversation with anyone over the age of twelve in several days and she had always celebrated her birthday sometime in the summertime because she had been born on Christmas Day, which seemed like a good opportunity. This had happened because there were thirty children taking their summer holiday in the castle, sixteen girls and fourteen boys between the ages of seven and twelve. While Kiki had been advised to avoid medical matters, she had found herself treating things like scraped knees, bruises, or a splinter in a finger. The trouble was that she found herself a bit too adamant about the need to keep any injury clean after the events of a month earlier. A break from that had seriously been needed but when Kiki had extended the invitations, she had not considered how it would be interpreted by others.

Zella was a Markgräfin and the daughter of the former Commander in Chief of the Armed Forces. Recently the tabloids had speculated that she was romantically linked with Kiki’s brother Louis, but she said that was bullshit. Ben had become a Burggraf as a result of his role in the Space Program and was widely seen as being Kiki’s suitor. Aurora was seen as an up and coming figure at one of the largest corporations in the world. Anya had been the ward of Jehane Alexandra Thomas-Romanova. That had prompted the castle’s staff to go all out in preparations. Then Kiki had started to get requests from the Mayors of the local Towns and Villages for an invitation. That had been followed by similar requests from various individuals in the region, many of whose presence in the Province of Hohenzollern was because Kiki had enticed them to relocate here for business opportunities.

That was why what was supposed to be a gathering of a few friends turned into a formal event with a couple hundred people involved. She also had thirty disappointed children who saw that they were being kept out of the Great Hall tonight. Kiki had arranged for them to have cake and ice cream at a separate party, but many of them remained convinced that they were losing out. There was considerable irony in that they were getting something closer to what Kiki had wanted in the first place.

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The windows of the Great Hall were lit up and Marie could hear the conversation among the grownups that was happening inside from the courtyard. Whatever was going on in there seemed far more interesting than what was happening just outside. Their group from the city had been joined by a number of kids from the towns in the countryside that surrounded the castle. Marie, along with everyone else, had discovered that they hardly spoke the same language.

Earlier, when Kiki had explained what the children were doing tonight it had seemed to Marie that the party with treats and games out here was a shabby afterthought. One of the older boys was trying to get the record player that they had been provided to work. The records had been selected by Marcella von Holz, who was supposedly the epitome of cool according to one of girls who was knowledgeable of these things. The music that filled the courtyard was the odd Berliner Jazz of the Django Reinhardt Orchestra, music that Marie had always found incomprehensible.

“Do you want to dance?” Marie heard a voice ask her.

Turning she saw that it was one of the local boys who was around her age. His friends had clearly put him up to this, she could see them behind him.

“Why?” Marie asked in reply.

“It’s what we’re supposed to do” The boy said, flustered by Marie’s question.

Staring at his outstretched hand, Marie wondered what to do.
 
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“The best laid schemes o' mice an' men / Gang aft a-gley.” - Robert Burns

Poor Kiki. She just wanted a small, quiet, private birthday with her closest friends and now has a full blown formal dinner with all the accoutrements; pure hell for an introvert. The local dignitaries will remember Kiki getting drunk at the last one and will be wondering if the "Ice Princess" will "melt" again. The horde of pre-teens are disappointed, naturally, but will eventually realise that the grownup party probably isn't as fun as they think it is.

The tabloids probably have a more accurate view of Zella & Louis Jr.'s relationship than either of them do, long term that is. They are way off atm, but only because the couple in question still haven't acknowledge the other as a love interest, even to themselves yet.

As for Marie's response to being asked to dance, "Meh" is an option. Hopefully the boy in question doesn't end up having to explain to any parental unit just why his arm got broken into 3 pieces. Or that Marie doesn't have to apologise for misunderstanding something innocent and breaking said arm.
 
Hopefully Kiki will see from this party and from the formal gala the hospital threw that Ben is a more then acceptable consort for her, of course Ben should not under any circumstances even think about making a formal proposal of marriage at this pary.
Zella may think that she knows what cool is but to the children at the separate party her music sucks, their tastes run more in to the European version of whatever "Bubblegum Pop" is.
Kiki should of course make an appearance at the "Kiddie Party" and remark that this is the party she wanted.
 
“The best laid schemes o' mice an' men / Gang aft a-gley.” - Robert Burns

Poor Kiki. She just wanted a small, quiet, private birthday with her closest friends and now has a full blown formal dinner with all the accoutrements; pure hell for an introvert. The local dignitaries will remember Kiki getting drunk at the last one and will be wondering if the "Ice Princess" will "melt" again. The horde of pre-teens are disappointed, naturally, but will eventually realise that the grownup party probably isn't as fun as they think it is.

The tabloids probably have a more accurate view of Zella & Louis Jr.'s relationship than either of them do, long term that is. They are way off atm, but only because the couple in question still haven't acknowledge the other as a love interest, even to themselves yet.

As for Marie's response to being asked to dance, "Meh" is an option. Hopefully the boy in question doesn't end up having to explain to any parental unit just why his arm got broken into 3 pieces. Or that Marie doesn't have to apologise for misunderstanding something innocent and breaking said arm.
Hopefully Kiki will see from this party and from the formal gala the hospital threw that Ben is a more then acceptable consort for her, of course Ben should not under any circumstances even think about making a formal proposal of marriage at this pary.
Zella may think that she knows what cool is but to the children at the separate party her music sucks, their tastes run more in to the European version of whatever "Bubblegum Pop" is.
Kiki should of course make an appearance at the "Kiddie Party" and remark that this is the party she wanted.

Well, Kiki has a couple of options in the latest challenge @Peabody-Martini has put before her.

Option One: Have her friends stay the night and then enjoy a private champagne breakfast with them the day after this formal event. Champagne, large breakfast, pyjamas - as informal as you can get.

Option Two: The Yes Minister solution. Set up a room in the castle as a 'Communications Room', where she'll be supposedly getting phone calls wishing her joy of the day. In fact, the room is where her friends are hanging out, with booze and snack food. She endures some of the formal event, then a servant says 'Princess, there's a call from Scotland wishing you Happy Birthday', she saunters in there and spends some nice, relaxed time with her friends, goes back out, endures a bit more, rinse and repeat...
 
Well, Kiki has a couple of options in the latest challenge @Peabody-Martini has put before her.

Option One: Have her friends stay the night and then enjoy a private champagne breakfast with them the day after this formal event. Champagne, large breakfast, pyjamas - as informal as you can get.

Option Two: The Yes Minister solution. Set up a room in the castle as a 'Communications Room', where she'll be supposedly getting phone calls wishing her joy of the day. In fact, the room is where her friends are hanging out, with booze and snack food. She endures some of the formal event, then a servant says 'Princess, there's a call from Scotland wishing you Happy Birthday', she saunters in there and spends some nice, relaxed time with her friends, goes back out, endures a bit more, rinse and repeat...
Both. Both are good.
 
Part 110, Chapter 1811
Chapter One Thousand Eight Hundred Eleven



21st August 1967

Langeoog Island

Pausing from reading her book, Jo looked out at the seagulls who ruled the beach early on a Sunday morning now that the summertime residents of the beach houses were apparently sleeping in. The night before there had been bonfires along the tideline and the party had lasted until well after midnight.

This year Jo had been accompanied by Suse when she had taken her Summer Holiday at Kat’s house in the East Friesian Islands. It was a nice distraction from the troubles that seemed to be taking over Jo’s life. It all had to do with her attempting to enter the field of education and the classes she was taking at University. Her Professors tended to make assumptions based entirely on her appearance. One had even gone so far as to suggest that she never attempt to teach any male students above the age of ten because the odds were high that they probably wouldn’t learn anything so long as they were in her class. It was obvious to Jo that the Professor was speaking for himself in that instance and she wished she were more like Kat. Few people messed with Kat and if they did, they soon regretted it.

Escaping to the island for the month of August seemed like a good way to help keep her sanity. However, Suse had been distracted since they had arrived. She had said that her and Manny were going to have a long overdue talk about things, she had come back later that night refusing to talk about what had happened. For days, Jo had questioned Suse about the matter afraid that Manny had been the selfish prick that he could be at times. When Suse finally told Jo the truth, that the conversation had gone in certain unpredicted directions. Jo learned that Manny had been the exact opposite of selfish and had gone along with Suse’s request that they not “go all the way” just yet. That didn’t mean that there weren’t other things that they could try out.

For years, Jo had known that Manny’s mouth was his worst feature. He was forever talking his way up dead-end streets, particularly when it involved women. It was the reason why she had lost interest in him after having had a crush on Manny when she had been in her early teens. Now it seemed that his tongue was good for something after all and he had managed to give Suse an experience that she had taken days to process apparently having never had an orgasm prior to that. It was completely unbelievable that Jo would envy Suse over such a matter, but she did regardless. It was a rule of thumb that things pertaining to sex were supposed to be somewhat awkward and not often enjoyable, especially the first time. Suse had compared it to flying a sailplane in a powerful wave of air coming off a mountain peak. “So very lucky” Jo muttered to herself before looking back to her book.



Hohenzollern Castle

“That is not exactly what that was made for” Ben said as Kiki looked through the telescope towards Stuttgart, which was sixty odd kilometers to the north. Easily visible on a clear day.

“I know” Kiki replied, “But until the stars are out, what are we supposed to do with it?”

The telescope was a birthday gift from Ben, it also provided the perfect excuse for him to come to the castle and visit while she was here. After all, he was studying to become a Doctor of Astronomy. The terrace between the inner and outer walls provided a spectacular view of the countryside. When Kiki had opened the box containing the telescope, she had wanted to test it out and this had seemed like the best option.

“I would be pointing it down there” Zella said, gesturing towards Hechingen. “After last night I’m certain that what happened up here is what everyone is talking about.”

“Be nice Zella” Kiki said, “These are good people, they just aren’t quite up on things out here.”

Zella snorted, but didn’t say anything, her sunglasses making her expression hard to read. Regardless of Zella’s habit of hanging out in nightclubs to see the latest acts, she seldom drank, and if she did it was in a place that she deemed safe. Hohenzollern Castle, which was currently owned by her best friend was just such a place and she had helped herself to a fair amount of wine which had been served with dinner the night before and had been badly hungover when she had come down for breakfast. So had Aurora and Anya, but they were sleeping it off as opposed to Zella who had requested a drink containing tomato juice and a liberal amount of black pepper, she said she would be up for actual food later. Kiki was happy to put up with Zella’s occasional excesses if she was willing to put in a bit of effort towards getting along with Ben like she was this morning.

“The Mayor of Hechingen certainly could have handled that one surprise a bit better” Ben said absently as he took his turn to look at Stuttgart.

“He should have asked the right questions then” Kiki replied, “He didn’t mean to imply anything about Marie Alexandra.”

The night before, Kiki had gone to check on the party that the children were having in the courtyard and she found that Marie had agreed to dance with the Mayor’s oldest son. It was an amusing scene and Kiki had told him about it when she had gone back into the Great Hall. He had questioned her about who Marie was. It seemed that everyone in Hechingen knew that Kiki was hosting a group of children who were largely from Working Class backgrounds in Berlin. All most of them knew about the city was what they saw on television, particularly the gritty crime and medical dramas set there. That did paint a rather distorted picture.

The Mayor had wondered if a girl like Marie would be a bad influence and had asked about her parents. It was obvious what he meant, and Kiki had been honest with him. Her father was a Canadian photographer with a Franco-Scottish background and her mother was Fürstin Katherine von Mischner-Blackwood zu Berlin, the infamous Tigress of Pankow. He had choked on his drink when she had said that, and it served him right.
 
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This year Jo had been accompanied by Suse when she had taken her Summer Holiday at Kat’s house in the East Friesian Islands. It was a nice distraction from the troubles that seemed to be taking over Jo’s life. It all had to do with her to enter the field of education and the classes she was taking at University. Her Professors tended to make assumptions based entirely on her appearance. One had even gone so far as to suggest that she never attempt to teach any male students above the age of ten because the odds were high that they probably wouldn’t learn anything so long as they were in her class. It was obvious to Jo that the Professor was speaking for himself in that instance and she wished she were more like Kat. Few people messed with Kat and if they did, they soon regretted it.

It sounds as if Kat might be paying a professor or two, maybe some students, a little visit if any of them are daft enough to try to force their attentions on Jo. I hope that Manfred is prepared for the consequences of his actions; increased parental (read paternal) attention from Kurt. After all, Manfred has hurt his little girl before, God have mercy on him if he screws up again.

The night before, Kiki had gone to check on the party that the children were having in the courtyard and she found that Marie had agreed to dance with the Mayor’s oldest son. It was an amusing scene and Kiki had told him about it when she had gone back into the Great Hall. He had questioned her about who Marie was. It seemed that everyone in Hechingen knew that Kiki was hosting a group of children who were largely from Working Class backgrounds in Berlin. All most of them knew about the city was what they saw on television, particularly the gritty crime and medical dramas set there. That did paint a rather distorted picture.

The Mayor had wondered if a girl like Marie would be a bad influence and had asked about her parents. It was obvious what he meant, and Kiki had been honest with him. Her father was a Canadian photographer with a Franco-Scottish background and her mother was Fürstin Katherine von Mischner-Blackwood zu Berlin, the infamous Tigress of Pankow. He had choked on his drink when she had said that, and it served him right.

The Mayor of Hechingen just got a much needed lesson in humility and in not making assumptions based on flawed and/or incomplete data. I wonder what his wife had to say after they got home, although she was probably of the same opinion before Kiki revealed who Marie actually was. I can just picture the Mayor getting a phone call, answering it and crapping himself when Kat asks just what his son's intentions towards her daughter are.
 
I can just picture the Mayor getting a phone call, answering it and crapping himself when Kat asks just what his son's intentions towards her daughter are.
Considering that they are both 11 years old I think that statement was a bit sarcastic.

If his mother or his Aunt Kat find out what Manfred has been doing with Suse Rosa then he is going to have literally nothing to say as the tongue in question is going to be missing...
 
If his mother or his Aunt Kat find out what Manfred has been doing with Suse Rosa then he is going to have literally nothing to say as the tongue in question is going to be missing...

Have to disagree in Kat’s case - she’d probably congratulate him for finding an inventive workaround that lets them avoid getting Suse Rosa pregnant, as well as being more knowledgeable about women and their bodies than your average man.

Suse Rosa’s dad, of course, would be caught between the desire to shoot Manfred and the competing need to invest in a chastity belt for his daughter :p
 
It was obvious what he meant, and Kiki had been honest with him. Her father was a Canadian photographer with a Franco-Scottish background and her mother was Fürstin Katherine von Mischner-Blackwood zu Berlin, the infamous Tigress of Pankow. He had choked on his drink when she had said that, and it served him right.
This is one of those visual moments that I can see playing in my head, where the mayor has just put his drink to his mouth, just taken a draught while Kiki explains who Douglas is, and then has to take a sharp step backwards as she explains who Marie's mother is. The sound that springs to mind is somewhat similar to the noise a boat engine makes when it first turns over if the exhaust is underwater, kind of a submerged snort followed by a choking noise and the Mayor needing a bigger, stronger drink to calm his nerves.

The Mayor and his son's conversation later will be amusing. Kat will probably laugh and ask Marie about it. The mayor, somewhat less so, and will be rather on edge, especially if Kat decides to come and collect Marie herself. Would a Tiger pennant fly over the castle when she arrives? Would she, as befits her rank, have a small bodyguard of KSK troops with her? Would she "stop in" to see the mayor while she was there?

AAAAAAAARRRRGGGGH TOO MANY QUESTIONS!!!!! x'D
 
You said something similar a few months back, didn't you?

I actually have it pictured roughly in my head:
- Gorizia and Trieste belong to Austria. Austria's borders are similar to OTL but follows old provincial borders, therefore it includes OTL Slovenian Styria and OTL southern Sudetenland, and OTL Trentino-Alto Adige. Unsure about Burgenland.
- If Trieste is still Austrian despite being majority Italian, Trentino would also still belong to Austria. Italy would have OTL 1914 borders, having failed to gain anything following the dissolution of Austria-Hungary
- Slovenia has the borders of Carniola
- OTL Slovenian Istria belongs to Croatia
- Croatia consists of Istria, Dalmatia and Croatia-Slavonia
- Bosnia probably has OTL borders
- Croatia is independent, which means Hungary lost land too. This means an independent Slovakia, and loss of Vojvodina to Serbia. Cessation of at least part of Transylvania to Romania is certain, unsure of to which extent. Unsure about Ruthenia/Subcarpathia, which was majority Rusyn/Ukrainian but ceded to Czechoslovakia IOTL
- Serbia has OTL 1914 borders, except for the addition of Vojvodina
- Montenegro was occupied by Austria OTL up to the end of the war, therefore it should still be independent ITTL
- For the rest of former Austria, Bohemia has OTL Czech Republic borders excluding Upper Austria, and all of Galicia belongs to Poland. Unsure about Bukovina, most likely ceded to Romania

Oh and there's still southern Dodruja, which was ceded from Bulgaria to Romania IOTL, and Moldova/Bessarabia, which was strangely mentioned by P-M to belong to Romania, but containing a secessionist movement despite the fact that Romania never annexed the ethnic Russian region of Moldova OTL.

Yeah. Seconded. We need a map.

Edited to replace Thrace with Dodruja
Moldova has a minority Russian population OTL with a corrupt (even by local standards) little breakaway republic and they weren't all Stalin era transplants.
As I have said before on Austria-Hungary threads, Trieste was Italian in 1914 but its hinterland wasn't and, as better medical care and mechanized farming kick in, along with Trieste being Austria - Slovenia's principal port ( and thus not a dying city like OTL) there will be more Austrians, Slovenes and probably Croats in Trieste than Italians ( who will be the old city families complaining about the blow ins).
 
Have to disagree in Kat’s case - she’d probably congratulate him for finding an inventive workaround that lets them avoid getting Suse Rosa pregnant, as well as being more knowledgeable about women and their bodies than your average man.

Suse Rosa’s dad, of course, would be caught between the desire to shoot Manfred and the competing need to invest in a chastity belt for his daughter :p

Nope, I must respectfully disagree. Both sounds entirely appropriate. Also shooting is way to pleasant. In the interests if full disclosure I admit bias, I was once the father of a teenage daughter.
 
Considering that they are both 11 years old I think that statement was a bit sarcastic.

If his mother or his Aunt Kat find out what Manfred has been doing with Suse Rosa then he is going to have literally nothing to say as the tongue in question is going to be missing...
Considering the Mayor's concern about 'bad influences' and 11 year olds, I think the Mayor stressing slightly over how his son might be perceived is warranted.

Kat's main concern is unexpected pregnancies. Manfred & Suse's parents will have additional concerns. Hans & Helene will be worried that he will revert to being an idiot and break Suse's heart. Ditto Gerta, who will also be torn between squealing with delight that they are a couple again and worried because her little girl is growing up. Kurt, as
theg*ddam*hoi2fan mentioned, will be split between ordering a firing squad for Manfred or a convent for Suse.
 
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