Stupid Luck and Happenstance, Thread III

I think the social worker was Charlotte, since she reffered to her stepson and how Mathilde's parents were his subjects.
 
Had she been born on Wollin Island? She had said yes to that. Only to get asked why had they been unable to find a record of her birth in Western Pomerania?
Yeah, that will cause trouble for her parents. And others too.

IIRC Prussia had a form of Meldewesen (translates as something along the lines of 'residency registry') since the mid 19th century. Not sure what twists and turns that one has taken since, because the OTL current legislation is very much based on some Nazi era laws and I can't be bothered ATM to research deeper.

But the basics were there. Births were recorded (often taken over from the churches who recorded baptisms back to the late medieval times in some places), notifications of a change of place of living had to be given to the appropriate bureaucracy within a relative short time frame, etc.

If this is playing out as mentioned, and not just ignorance on Mathilda's part (and probably Wulfs' too), there will be a lot of people in hot water. 'Religious freedom' never was as universally in Germany as in the US and certainly won't protect them from being fined severely if used as justification for evading the law.

Their parents for one will be under close scrutiny, any medical professional who might have helped out at one point or other(be they doctors or midwife or similar), local authorities (depending on the municipality their part of Wollin belongs to, from mayor to the education department), census takers...

For the matter the associated human interest story (Mathilda running away to visit her brother, who of course is with the First Foot), religious crazies, (potentially) corrupt local politicians - it'll have whatever equivalent of the 'Bild' exists very interested in the whole affair. And what remains of the monarchists. And the Christian Right. And probably even quite a few social-democrats, because neo-pagan forest dwellers do not fit into their neat little idea of who the world should work.

Depending on how the people already in the know act, this has the potential to be The Story to fill the 'Sommerloch' (the traditional low ebb of reporting during the summer months, leading to often odd stories getting coverage that wouldn't otherwise) - or maybe it will be kept very much under warps with Freddy personally taking a lead to untangle the whole things quickly and without much outside notice.
 
Part 127, Chapter 2160
Chapter Two Thousand One Hundred Sixty



29th July 1972

Potsdam

The only reason why Freddy had taken up the cause of Mathilda Auer was that it was a welcome distraction from the impending visit from the President of the United States. Meeting with his stepmother and Doctor Peter Holz to discuss their findings after they had individually met with the girl was a part of that. Many had already observed that her actions reflected talents that were similar to that of a young Kat Mischner. It was something that Freddy figured Kat herself would probably have a few choice words if anyone could find her. It seemed that Kat had arranged for her children to spend the summer without her and had vanished along with Doug Blackwood. Freddy figured that it was she didn’t want to be bothered on her birthday and that Petia Fydorova, Kat’s Household Manager and longtime confidant probably knew where she was, but good luck getting that information out of the Russian woman.

“I ended up asking the girl herself to see if she understood the implications of her situation” Charlotte said, frustration evident in her voice. “She had no idea what I was talking about, much less the implications.”

“What child does?” Freddy asked in reply. It would be like asking Mirai or Alex and he figured that his daughters would not answer the questions differently even if it was their Oma asking. “Are you certain that she existed entirely outside the system?”

“Yes” Charlotte replied, “This isn’t the first time I have encountered this.”

“Exactly why would a parent do that?” Freddy asked.

“They give lots of reasons” Peter replied, “Religious rationalizations are common, but it always seems to come down to control though. A girl who has no other options is dependent upon her parents and parent’s community and can have her life choices dictated to her.”

Freddy didn’t need to be told by them the potential for abuse that represented. “You said that her parents were among the Neo-Pagan revival from years ago?” He asked.

“That has got far less to do with this than you would think” Charlotte replied, “The other times I have encountered this has been among Fundamentalist Christians.”

“That is certainly ironic” Freddy muttered to himself considering who was expected to try to make hay over this situation.

“Mathilda is not what people seem to think she is” Peter said, “Despite being a highly intelligent and determined young woman, she is not the next potential Kat Mischner. The sequence of events that led to Kat becoming who she is are unique to her and I wouldn’t wish that sort of experience upon my worst enemy.”

It was something that Peter had hinted at, Katherine von Mischner’s life should have destroyed her. Instead, she had become the woman who had become a surrogate Aunt to Freddy and his younger siblings. However, most of the world saw her as the ruthless Tigress of Pankow and with her turning fifty in a few days, there was speculation about if there was a potential successor waiting in the wings.

“What should we do with Mathilda then?” Freddy asked.

“Place her in an appropriately structured setting, encourage her to do something else with her life and let her be forgotten as people move on to the next shiny object” Charlotte replied with Peter nodding in agreement.

“Exactly what do you have in mind?” Freddy asked.



Schwielochsee, Spreewald National Park

Sophie was laying in the bottom of the canoe, enjoying the shade of the tall trees that grew along the western bank of the lake on a warm afternoon. It was what she had been doing every day for the last few days and after the weeks and months leading up to this, it was a welcome change. Ziska had gone with her because one of the rules of the camp was that no one was allowed to go anywhere alone but they were encouraged to spend their days outside. Especially if it was on the water. A few minutes earlier, Ziska had jumped over the side of the canoe to cool off. Every once in a while, the wind would shift, and the canoe would be pushed a few meters on its line.

There was a THUD! And Sophie sat up alarmed.

And she was greeted with laughter as four boys were on a punt were a few meters away. One of them was holding an aluminum pole that he had just whacked the bow of the canoe with, and he had a big smile on his face. He looked like he was Sophie’s age, but the other boys were much younger, nine or ten. Meaning that he was supposed to be setting an example instead of this tomfoolery.

“You are supposed to be leaving us alone” Sophie said.

“Where’s the fun in that?” The boy said. Then he saw Ziska hanging on to the side of the canoe. “Two pretty girls should expect attention.”

“Piss off!” Ziska yelled angerly.

The boys just laughed at that as they poled their punt away. Once they were gone, Ziska climbed over the stern of the canoe. It had only taken them a few tries this week before they had got the hang of climbing into the canoe without tipping it.

“Pests” Ziska said, “We should go before they come back.”

“They seemed harmless” Sophie replied even as she grabbed the oar.

“Yes, but how do think they would have responded to this?” Ziska asked gesturing to her right leg. Because she had been swimming, she wasn’t wearing any prosthesis, the missing foot and ankle were plain as day.

“Sorry” Sophie replied, “I didn’t think.”

“Clearly” Ziska said.
 
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If you replicate the conditions that Kat went through a million times over you won’t get the same results that created Kat not even once and that shows why the title of this timeline is so apt.
The best place for Mathilda is going there be a certain school that the Kaiser’s Prees Officer is sending her children to and now they are accepting females this year and so Mathilda will have at least a couple of other students to help keep an eye on her.
 
Wulf didn't have any trouble joining the army, so he clearly has all his paperwork in order . . . .

Is Mathilda going to be joining the first girls year at Bas's military school?
 
If you replicate the conditions that Kat went through a million times over you won’t get the same results that created Kat not even once and that shows why the title of this timeline is so apt.
The best place for Mathilda is going there be a certain school that the Kaiser’s Prees Officer is sending her children to and now they are accepting females this year and so Mathilda will have at least a couple of other students to help keep an eye on her.
If they send Mathilda to a military-style school, the automatic assumption by far too many people is that Mathilda IS another Kat. This would keep all that unwanted attention on her, which is why I think they'll send her somewhere else. Not sure where, but I'm sure P-M will find something.
As we've seen previously with Emil Holz and Kurt Knispel, the Heer is never too fussed if a recruit doesn't have all their paperwork in order.
To be fair to the Heer, those were different times back then. Aside from being nearly 60 years earlier (for Emil), the Heer was in somewhat desperate need for soldiers in WW1. Mind you, everyone but the Yanks were back then. As for Kurt, the Heer was still in the 'don't ask, don't tell' mind-set regarding eligibility that predated WW1, was reinforced by said war and a looming conflict with the Soviets. By the 1970s, even with the demands of empire, the need for so many warm bodies has waned.
 
If they send Mathilda to a military-style school, the automatic assumption by far too many people is that Mathilda IS another Kat. This would keep all that unwanted attention on her, which is why I think they'll send her somewhere else. Not sure where, but I'm sure P-M will find something.

To be fair to the Heer, those were different times back then. Aside from being nearly 60 years earlier (for Emil), the Heer was in somewhat desperate need for soldiers in WW1. Mind you, everyone but the Yanks were back then. As for Kurt, the Heer was still in the 'don't ask, don't tell' mind-set regarding eligibility that predated WW1, was reinforced by said war and a looming conflict with the Soviets. By the 1970s, even with the demands of empire, the need for so many warm bodies has waned.
Fair points but to me the school that Niko and Bas are at and Gretchen is going to enroll in is in an isolated area of Silesia that is the domain of Furst von Richthofen and he has ways of discouraging unwanted pests like reporters from hanging around.
Mathilda apparently needs some structure in her life and a military school fits the bill but if she went to live with Kat and her family she would probably flounder at the same progressive school that Sophie and Ziska are now attending.
Another thing is that Mathilda is very much a child of the rural life and living in the big city maybe too much of a change for her to cope with at this time.
Also with no previous paperwork to her name Mathilda can be given any identity that will protect her and maybe Tilo and Nancy can be to Mathilda what Aunt Marcella and Kat has been to others a surrogate family to her.
 
If you replicate the conditions that Kat went through a million times over you won’t get the same results that created Kat not even once and that shows why the title of this timeline is so apt.
I think this is a fair point.

Kat is not only the Rule, but the exception to the rule.

You can't replicate how Kat was brought up, no how she learned to grow up. Not even Kat mark II - Ergo KIKI, could be the same. Trying to tame Mathilda in the same way may backfire.
 
Fair points but to me the school that Niko and Bas are at and Gretchen is going to enroll in is in an isolated area of Silesia that is the domain of Furst von Richthofen and he has ways of discouraging unwanted pests like reporters from hanging around.
Mathilda apparently needs some structure in her life and a military school fits the bill but if she went to live with Kat and her family she would probably flounder at the same progressive school that Sophie and Ziska are now attending.
Another thing is that Mathilda is very much a child of the rural life and living in the big city maybe too much of a change for her to cope with at this time.
Also with no previous paperwork to her name Mathilda can be given any identity that will protect her and maybe Tilo and Nancy can be to Mathilda what Aunt Marcella and Kat has been to others a surrogate family to her.
Perhaps Mathilda gets drawn into the family of Admiral Albrecht and Ilse von Richtofen as Niko's other younger sister? This might mean having Ilse as a maternal/female role model with her love of and concern for nature is a great way to channel the "pagan, tree worshipping" part of Mathilda's upbringing into a more appropriate path? And Manfred would also love to have another grandchild on the estate to impart his reverence and love for nature (in his own way) on to. Perhaps she'll be the next crack shot in the family? However, it doesn't matter what I think, this is in the hands of @Peabody-Martini, as always.
 
Part 127, Chapter 2161
Chapter Two Thousand One Hundred Sixty-One



2nd August 1972

Langeoog

Kat had needed to retreat from Berlin for a time because things had grown overwhelming. Beyond the expectations that people had of her, she had Marie Alexandra and Sophie to contend with. The two of them seemed determined to make things complicated in a way in which only young women were capable of. Sending them off to camp where they could be both closely watched and someone else’s problem for a month was a godsend.

On the other side was Aunt Marcella whose health was deteriorating. There was no explanation beyond her being an elderly woman who had lived a tough life and at the age of seventy-five her body was worn out. Despite Marcella’s assurances to Kat that she was going to be fine, Kat was aware that she would need to face the reality that she would no longer have the woman who had been her mother in her life at some point in the near future. The situation with Doug’s parents was not much better and Kat had started to dread hearing the phone ring, especially at night.

Staring out at the beach and the waves rolling in, Kat remembered wading in the surf with Gia thirty years ago to the day on the same stretch of beach. She remembered that she had pushed all thoughts of the war and everything that had been weighing on her out of her mind for a few hours and had just been carefree. These days, Gia spent her summers living in the Transbaikal region of Siberia with her son Alexei and her husband, provided he hadn’t been called away. Kat found that she missed the little sister who Gia had become. She also missed the other girls who had become the improvised family for them. They all had careers and families of their own these days.

Next week, it was expected that she was going to meet with the President of the United States in her capacity as the Prefect of Berlin. What exactly was she supposed to say? Thank you for meeting with me, Sir. By the way I despise your country and think that you treat the Office you hold as little more than a means to burnish your portfolio. The whole thing had the makings of a disaster. Of all the things that Kat had been accused of over the years, being diplomatic was not one of them.



Richthofen Estate, Rural Silesia

“I think that you will like it here Mathilda” Charlotte said, “Or at least it is much better than the State School.”

Anything would be better than being in that school surrounded by hostile strangers, Mathilda thought to herself as she looked out the window as the trees passed by. She was sitting in the back seat of the car that had brought her and Charlotte from the train station.

Plus, she was escaping from Berlin itself. She had always dreamed of going to the city, the reality of it though had been overwhelming. The crush of humanity, noise, and bright lights. All of those had become too much. There had also been the aspect of finding out what her father really thought of her. The context of all the comments he had made about hearth and home over the years suddenly made perfect sense. Her brother Wulfstan was expected to go out into the world and make something of himself, whereas Mathilda was supposed to stay home, unable to leave her father’s household. Charlotte had explained that she had been extremely vulnerable to coercion, whatever that meant. Mathilda’s thoughts kept going back to her beleaguered mother. While her father had been intent on living what increasingly felt like a childish fantasy, her mother had made jewelry that she had sold at the various fairs they attended. It had often been the main source of actual money that they had had. There was also the kitchen garden that Mathilda had helped tend, which frequently kept them from starving. Finally, there had been what they had been able to gather from the forest around their house. Besides boasting and arguing with people, what had her father ever done? The small hammer pendant that Doctor Holz had returned to Mathilda had been made by her mother and been a Name Day gift to her.

Looking out the car’s window, Mathilda saw that the trees that grew along the road had given way to a meadow and there was a collection of buildings that had additional trees growing among them. The car stopped in front of the largest and most imposing and the car’s door was opened.

“I need you to stay close to me” Charlotte said and if to ad emphasis, she took Mathilda’s hand as they entered through the house’s front door. “Kurfurst von Richthofen has agreed to let you live in his household until school starts and he would like to meet you. He is an important man, so please be respectful.”

“As important as Freddy?” Mathilda asked, and she saw a look of annoyance cross Charlotte’s face. She had been introduced to Friedrich, or Freddy as he had told her to call him. He had told Mathilda a few silly jokes before he had talked to her about what she wanted to do when she grew up.

“You’ll find that the Kurfurst has far more gravitas” Charlotte replied, “My hope is that one day my stepson will be as respected as his father, but that day is still far off.”

They eventually entered a room and Mathilda’s breath caught in her throat. Along one of the walls was glass fronted cases filled with weapons. The other walls were covered in hunting and war trophies of all kinds, along with hundreds of photographs. This was the inner sanctum of not just any warrior, but what she had always imagined what that of the high kings of the old stories looked like.

“So, you’re the little runaway I’ve heard so much about” An elderly man seated in a highbacked chair said.
 
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So how long after Charlotte leaves before Mathilda starts calling him Opa and has him wrapped around her finger? Considering her upbringing the Kurfurst will be really interested in her, I think.
 
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