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Arno Spiegel Blog Entry |
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April 7, 2023, 3:00:23 AM 4/7/23: r/SketchDaily theme, "Free Draw Friday." This week's character from my anthro WWII storyline is Arno Spiegel. He's one of the core members of the resistance Diamond Network (the others are Josef Diamant, Gret Dannecker, and Lukas Mettbach, with collaborators Andreas Cranz and Trudi Detzer); he isn't as courageous as they are, but makes up for it with his smarts. There'll be more about him later in my art Tumblr and Toyhou.se. Regarding his design, he's a dachshund, albeit a rather plump one. I'm not satisfied with his hair, it may change in the future. TUMBLR EDIT: Arno is the least-developed member of the Diamond Network--all the others have acquired extensive backstories by now, though he's been mum so far, I think mainly because I'm a bit too ignorant regarding him. He's an accountant--at least, he was, before he ended up captured by the Nazis--and I know zilch about accountants and how they work. So I really can't tell you anything about his employment. 😳 What I do know: Arno Spiegel is an accountant. Middle class, decent but modest means, good at his job, prudent with money, not terribly successful socially (especially not with women), rather shy and unassuming mostly due to his appearance--he's short, plump, nerdy, and unlike most of my characters actually rather fits the Jewish stereotype. You can tell just by looking at him whether he's wearing a yarmulke/kippah or not. Given the atmosphere that develops in his home country, this could very well be another reason for his shyness--the more he stands out, the more dangerous it could be, so he just keeps his head down, keeps to himself, does his work. I think he manages to remain employed right up to the end before the Nazis--at least a few of which possibly made use of his services--storm into his neighborhood, hustle him and the others out, and shove them onto a train. Arno had known something was up, and had been thinking of leaving for good, but he hadn't thought the Nazis would act so abruptly, he assumed there would be warning. Obviously it's too late now. The labor camp is at the city's far end and it isn't long before Arno is bustled down the ramp, an SS guard barks for him to go right, he's told to strip and to leave behind his possessions (he gets to keep his glasses--the guard says they'll hold on to the rest of the prisoners' belongings and they'll get them back later, though Arno suspects this is a lie), then they're all ordered into the showers. Stripping had been humiliating--this part is outright terrifying. All that comes out of the showers is cold water, though, and after quickly washing off they're ordered out again. Arno puts up with the delousing, the head shaving, the tattooing, getting the striped clothes with the yellow star, the questioning and photographing and cataloging, without saying a word of protest. He can't really hold back the tears, though. He's made to get into rows with the other newcomers, given a brief outline of what to expect, assigned a bunk and a job. The work here is pointless--digging holes, filling holes, breaking rocks, carrying rocks, stacking rocks and breaking them again--he can't understand it. He's assigned to break rocks with a pick and he's awful at it. He tries his hardest, because what else can he do, and manages for a little bit, but then his pick gets stuck and while trying to dislodge it, he stumbles backward and runs into somebody. They both hit the ground, landing in the mud; Arno immediately pushes himself around, apologizing profusely and reaching out his hand, only to yelp in pain when something smacks it away, hard. He blinks the water out of his eyes and sees that he knocked down an SS guard. The guard is holding a riding crop, the object that slapped Arno's hand away when he tried to help, and he looks PISSED. "Watch it, Jew!" he barks; Arno stumbles to apologize further, holds out his hand again--the guard practically snarls with hate--then somebody grabs hold of Arno from behind and hauls him back. "Apologies, Herr Obersturmbannführer, apologies," a voice says repeatedly, "won't happen again, apologies." Arno watches the guard push himself to his feet--all spattered with mud--but whoever's holding on to him won't let him go to try to assist him. The guard looks ready to start smacking him with the crop when another guard calls to get his attention; he gives Arno a final malevolent glare before storming off. The person holding Arno's arm finally lets go, Arno lets out a relieved breath, and turns around to see him. His rescuer is taller than he is, quite thin, dressed in the same striped outfit but with a black triangle with a Z on it rather than a yellow star. Oddly, he has mismatched eyes, one brown, one blue. He shoves Arno's pick back into his hands and says, "Learn to split the rocks or they'll put a bullet in your head. I'll show you how." He does so, demonstrating a few times; it's all quite fast, but as he tells Arno when he asks him to slow down, "You gotta work fast, these Schweine won't wait for you to catch up." Fortunately, despite his clumsiness and lack of strength, Arno learns fast, and the stranger quickly teaches him how best to handle the pick based on his abilities. Before long the two of them are rapidly splitting rocks for the others to carry away. Arno gets nervous when the guard he'd knocked down passes by again, still mudstained, still glaring, but seeing Arno working, he doesn't approach and goes on his way. The stranger working with him lets out a breath. Stranger: "You must be the f**king luckiest man I know." Arno: "Lucky--? How do you mean? I knocked him down, he must be so upset right now." Stranger: "You're still alive, is what I mean. And I can't be sure but at least it doesn't look like he's gonna mess with you. Any other time, he'd've put you out at the first chance. Herr Gott must be watching over you." Arno: "I tried to help him up." Stranger: "No offense, friend, but he'd rather lie in the mud than take help from a Jew. Trust me, you're lucky to still be breathing." Arno: "He wouldn't--I mean, a guard wouldn't just kill a prisoner over such a thing, would he--?" Stranger: "They kill us over lesser things here. And what are you talking about, 'a guard'? Don't you know who that is?" Arno: "I don't know anyone, I was only just brought here." Stranger: "You need to learn faster then, friend. Everyone knows Der Teufel (the Devil)." Arno: "Der Teufel--?" Stranger: "The commandant. Herr Dannecker." It's a bit before Arno realizes just how close a scrape he had and how truly lucky he is, considering; he gets plenty of chances to see why later on. Commandant Dannecker is well known for his unpredictable temper and his unceasing cruelty, especially of the psychological variety--he definitely knows how to mess with someone's head. For some inexplicable reason, he decides not to target Arno (maybe he doesn't consider him enough of a challenge), and Arno is also quick to learn to keep his head down in here, too. His benefactor introduces himself as Lukas Mettbach, a Sinti petty criminal who, like Arno, was rounded up with a surviving handful of his camp after the Nazis massacred the rest; unlike Arno, he's quite familiar with the camp system by now, as Dannecker's is the third he's been in. He's passed selections three times now and even survived the attentions of a doctor he calls simply Der Todesengel, the Angel of Death (the way he talks about this person makes Arno suspect he's not real, is some sort of figment of a disturbed imagination, though Lukas does show him a huge nasty scar on his side which he insists the Angel gave him); it's frankly unbelievable that he's survived as long as he has, though his experiences have taken an obvious mental toll, and Arno is a little uneasy about him at first. Lukas makes it clear any malice he feels is aimed solely at the Nazis and Arno doesn't have to worry about him. He takes Arno under his wing, helping him out in what small ways he can and teaching him how to survive, and Arno is infinitely grateful. The two become fast friends. They manage to keep alive for a while--sadly, the primary goal of living in a labor camp--and although the entire experience is incredibly demoralizing (Arno tries to be friendly with Isaak Schindel, the Jewish kapo, and gets a smack from Schindel's club in response: "Mind your business, Jew!" Schindel snaps), he doesn't completely lose his hope. He and Lukas witness when a later newcomer to the camp stands up to Dannecker one day as he's beating a prisoner; Dannecker breaks off the attack and leaves, only to come striding right back with his revolver, shooting the prisoner in the head even as he begs for forgiveness. Arno and Lukas and everyone else stand and watch mutely as Dannecker empties all but one bullet and walks after the other prisoner, who futilely attempts to flee; he corners him by the wall, puts the gun to his head, and pulls the trigger. Nothing happens. But it's the just the start of Dannecker's psychological campaign to break him down; the commandant has made Josef Diamant his new pet project. Arno and Lukas, who had already befriended Diamant not long before, offer what advice they can to try to pull him through what Dannecker's doing, but it soon becomes clear the commandant's efforts are taking their toll. Lukas is just about convinced Diamant's days are numbered--Diamant just can't keep his head down and obey like a good prisoner--though Arno is a bit more hopeful. They both are aghast, however, when Diamant starts paying undue attention to one of Dannecker's guests to the camp: Margarethe Dannecker, his stepdaughter. Every time Dannecker escorts her from the limo and through the yard into the main building, Diamant watches intently, even catching her eye and smiling at her; at first Gret blushes and averts her eyes, but she soon enough returns his attention, looking for him in the crowd as she walks past. He even manages to scrounge a bit of scrap material to fashion her a ring which he slips to her as she goes by. Arno and Lukas assume he's attracted to her and try to talk him out of such madness--no good can come of this. They don't understand that Diamant's not interested in Gret in the least--he just sees her as a means to an end, and his goal is to finish off Dannecker. As he puts it to them, "He'll kill me if I don't kill him first." He doesn't explain the specifics to them until after he succeeds in getting Gret to meet him privately so they can talk. He plans to seduce her into helping him, but it turns out she despises her stepfather as much as he does and also wants him dead--she's been planning to use Diamant to achieve her goal. When it turns out the two of them are on the same page, Diamant lets the others in on his plot: Gret will give him the means to kill Dannecker, and they'll escape the camp together. Lukas vehemently refuses to get involved; Arno can't think of anything he can offer. Diamant tells them it's fine, he doesn't need them to do anything but be ready at a certain location when the time comes, if they wish to come along. About a dozen other prisoners who are let in on the plot agree to go. Diamant instructs Gret to ask her stepfather for a gift--a ring--and since Dannecker already spoils her, he readily agrees. Diamant is well known as a jeweler; the SS even tortured him with his own jeweler's tools, Dannecker partially crippling Diamant's hand when he ran a nail file through it. As expected, Dannecker calls Diamant in and orders him to design and fashion a ring especially for Gret, and sets up a small workspace for him in a room just off his office, with a guard watching over him to make sure he doesn't try anything. Diamant also tells Gret to keep Dannecker distracted and in a good mood while he works on the ring--and to secure a loaded gun--specifically, a revolver--and hide it near his space. Gret is very good at what she does and follows through to the letter. Everything goes so smoothly that the guards assigned to Diamant start to slack off once they notice he's not attempting to escape, and on the day Diamant selects to finally set his plan in motion, he and Dannecker are alone. Arno, Lukas, and the others have been told to be waiting at a little-used entrance to the administrative building at a certain time. They slowly move away from their work stations and head back there while a few prisoners who decided not to accompany them make sure the guards don't pay much attention. They pretend to work while they wait in case any eyes are on them. The more time passes, the more nervous they get--when the door suddenly pops open and Diamant, pale and panicked looking, waves them inside. Despite his expression, everything is going according to plan, and they enter the building to make their way to a passage that will lead them out of the camp, unnoticed by the guards. Lukas objects when he notices Gret is present--he refuses to go anywhere with "that Nazi bitch," but Diamant insists as she's the one who pointed out the hidden passage and made the entire plan possible, and Arno persuades him to come along. They head for an area in the hallway where a large tapestry is hanging, push it aside, and unlock and open the door behind; a wide passage leading downward is revealed. Everyone hurries inside and closes the door behind them, letting the tapestry fall back in place. They then head away from the camp and further under the city via a network of passages connecting various buildings; it's a long while before they halt and listen, finally hearing a dim alarm sounding in the distance. They pulled off their escape so well that it took almost an hour for Dannecker's body to be discovered, and they're far ahead of the guards by now. After a while the group splits up, though Diamant, Gret, Lukas, and Arno stay together. Eventually, the four of them form the nucleus of the Diamond Network, which starts working to help free and shuttle away other victims of the Nazis. As one of the founding members, Arno has quite a position of influence, though he's not like the other three--each of whom, including Gret, is more than capable of defending themselves and fighting off others. Arno is a survivor but he isn't a fighter; he wasn't in the camp long enough to either toughen up or lose a significant amount of weight, so he's still soft and unskilled at what he deems to be the important things. But he does have a sharp mind--he's the most intelligent and well educated of the four, and soon proves to be good at tactical planning and especially anything involving numbers. This may not be the most useful talent in pulling off escapes themselves or fighting off Nazis, but he makes sure everything possible is in the best position to make escapes go smoothly, and he's especially invaluable in plotting out how to handle escapees afterward, coordinating where they're to go and how they're to get out of the country. He easily determines which passages and routes are the best for any actions, and has an excellent memory of where everything is. He only rarely needs to consult the many maps and diagrams of the passages and tunnels, which minimizes the danger of members being caught with valuable information on their persons. He's not flashy, he's not memorable or even very noticeable in any way, but he is useful. Throughout the story Arno constantly doubts his own abilities, however, and feels insignificant compared to the others, especially when his physical limitations impair his actions. He's painfully self-conscious about his looks and is very shy, especially with domineering men like Diamant, and women. He's never had any sort of relationship, and while he's not bitter or spiteful by any means, he is rather wistful about missing out on most of the experiences others have had. I'm not sure how yet, but at some point in the story Arno comes into contact with a young woman named Gertraud Detzer. Trudi, as she calls herself, is the apparent patient of an SS doctor named Erich Arzt; she'd been living with him and helping to keep his house in exchange for treatment for a "medical condition." At least, that's the story. One day Gret, who'd been out trying to collect information from Arzt's house, returns to the group in a near-panic; Trudi had caught her in the act of nosing around in Arzt's study. Arzt had arrived just then, yet instead of yelling for him to come to the study, Trudi left Gret and made an excuse, not mentioning Gret's presence as she escaped (their conversation made it clear nobody, herself included, was allowed in Arzt's study without permission, so Gret assumes this is the reason for her silence). Everyone waits, tense, for a few days, but nothing happens, SS activity against the Network doesn't increase. Diamant suspects Trudi may not be a threat to them after all--the situation mirrors that of an informant of theirs, Andreas Cranz, an SS chauffer who similarly spotted and identified Gret shortly after their escape (the SS had first assumed she was taken hostage, but soon enough realized she was collaborating with the enemy and ordered her shot on sight) yet failed to report her. The Network established contact with Cranz and recruited him to eavesdrop on his passengers and report everything back to them; by now they've somehow established the means to pay him for his services, which in Cranz's case is a big motivator. Perhaps Trudi is similar. Cranz is the one to fill them in on her situation living with Arzt and reports that she often visits her mother; Diamant sees his opening. He visits Frau Detzer but she refuses to talk with him, and on a second attempt Trudi herself threatens Diamant not to bother them, hinting at violence. Of course he wants to recruit her now; he instructs Gret to try, since she's the one Trudi covered for. Gret is skeptical, but Trudi is much more receptive to her, and allows her in to talk. Gret gets curious about why Trudi didn't turn her in, and Trudi willingly answers her tentative questions; she doesn't have to say anything outright, but Gret easily concludes that there's a not-entirely-consensual sexual relationship between her and the doctor, in exchange for him not revealing her "medical condition" to anyone else. When Gret asks what "medical condition" this could be, Trudi fetches a folder and lets her see it; within is a medical assessment for someone named Gerwin Detzer. "Is this your twin brother?" Gret asks, to which Trudi smiles slightly and replies, "This used to be me." Trudi was born an intersex male, with both male and female characteristics; after some surgery, she realized she felt more like a girl, changed her name to Gertraud, and has been living as female ever since. Arzt found out about her condition when she was injured and he, as the nearest doctor, treated her; he promised not to reveal her secret if she came to stay with him and basically let him do whatever he wished. Gret, who was similarly victimized by Dannecker, finds this abhorrent, but Trudi simply shrugs and says, "It's not so bad. Not as bad as it could be. Whatever to stay alive, ja?" When Gret explains Diamant's reason for visiting her, Trudi agrees to talk with him. "You're very beautiful, you know," Trudi adds as Gret gets ready to go, and when Gret blinks and says, "Dan...ke?" Trudi smiles at her again. She's quite obviously flirting now. Gret, flustered yet also a bit oddly flattered, returns to Diamant with the news. Arno and Lukas listen in as Gret explains the situation as best as she's able. It's strange, but makes basic sense to her; the men, on the other hand, are beyond confused. Lukas does manage to somewhat get it, saying, "So...she's a boy...with the parts of a boy and a girl...who thinks she's a girl...and likes girls?" He then wonders if Trudi has any supernatural powers or maybe the evil eye, because if she were one of his people, she'd definitely have supernatural powers or the evil eye. (Oh my God, while Googling the evil eye I found this on Wikipedia: "Ancient Greeks also had an old custom of dressing boys as girls in order to avert the evil eye." AHAHAHAHAHA.) (This is also kind of funny for Lukas to suggest as he himself could be accused of having the evil eye, what with his heterochromia.) Arno is the least perturbed of the group; he finds the story odd, but oh well. If Trudi is willing to help them despite the threat it poses to her, surely she's a decent person, and the idea of ridiculing or criticizing her for something obviously beyond her control doesn't sit well with him. When they first meet (Lukas asks, "Do you have the evil eye?" and Trudi responds, "Do you?"), Arno is the most polite of the three, clasping her hand and greeting her as Fräulein Detzer; Trudi smiles and says, "Trudi." Similar to Gret, her smile makes him blush. Trudi refers to him as Herr Arno from that point. Whenever they have occasion to meet, Trudi is friendly and more attentive to Arno than the others usually are; the two don't flirt with each other like she flirts with Gret--she's not interested in men, and only flirts with them when she's manipulating them for some reason--but she often affectionately touches his face or holds his arm and talks with him. For someone socially awkward like Arno, this is incredibly kind and appreciated, and she always manages to boost his spirits. She even tells him, "When this mess is over and these Nazi bastards are all gone, we can dress up and walk out arm-in-arm and make all the pretty Mädchen jealous, then you can pick one and I can pick one, ja?" While his particular skills are invaluable to the others, they often neglect to mention this, and he's too shy to bring it up; Trudi always makes a point of letting him know. He asks her at one point why she's so nice to him in particular. Trudi: "It's a strange thing for people to be nice to each other?" Arno: "Nein, it's just...why to me? I don't do anything any more important than anyone else. I do appreciate your kindness. But, why me? Why not Herr Josef, or Herr Lukas...?" Trudi: "I don't know. I feel, though, I understand you. People look at you and don't quite see the whole picture, nein? The inside and the outside don't quite match, nein?" Arno: "Nein...they don't. Or...I don't really feel like they do, I don't know." Trudi: "I was like that once. I found who I am. You will, too." Trudi's prediction does turn out true, though at a high cost. Arno starts to find some courage as the story goes on, and at some point toward the end he has to help the group fend off a Nazi who tries to follow and attack them; the rest of the group have already moved on ahead and only Arno is left to try to stall the guy. He does his best, and does manage to slow the guy down, but is seriously wounded in the process; he collapses and doesn't witness the man try to follow the others again, only to get attacked this time by Trudi, who's just arrived. Despite her slim build, Trudi is rather strong and capable of fighting men who aren't specially trained; unlike Arzt, who's fit and able to easily subdue her, this guy isn't as in shape as he could be, and she manages to get him in a chokehold, slowly strangling the life out of him. (She'd already done this once to a man she found trespassing in Arzt's house while he was gone.) She holds on until he stops breathing and goes limp, then, after making sure he's dead, hurries to Arno, dropping beside him and pulling him into her lap. He regains consciousness but is quite weak from blood loss; Trudi presses her hands over his wound as she cradles him and waits for the others to return. Arno (weak and panting): "Did I stop him?" Trudi: "You did." Arno: "He won't follow them...?" Trudi: "Nein...they're safe. You killed him." Arno: "I did?" Trudi: "You did. He won't follow them now, he's dead." Arno: "Well...I always wanted to prove I could fight...guess I did, ja?" (weak laugh, wince) "Just didn't think it would hurt so much." Trudi: "You proved it. You were very brave." Arno: "I always wanted someone to tell me that." Trudi: "It's true." Arno: "Could you stay with me a little bit, Fräulein Trudi...? Just till the others come back? I don't want to be alone." Trudi: "Of course. I'll stay as long as you need." Arno: "I'm so sleepy all of a sudden...don't go, bitte?" Trudi: "I'll stay right here." Arno: "Danke." (closes his eyes) (falls still) Trudi: (brief silence) "Herr Arno? ...Herr Arno...?" By the time the others come back, Arno has slipped away. Trudi keeps hold of him the entire time. Lukas especially is devastated, dropping to his knees beside them, eyes tearing up. Trudi sticks to her story when Diamant asks what happened, insisting Arno was the one who killed the guy: "He was very brave." Although skeptical, none of them question it. Diamant is touched that Trudi refuses to leave Arno's side as they take him away; she kisses him and murmurs, "Tschüss, Herr Arno," when they have to part. The aftermath of Arno's loss is something I haven't fully developed yet, though Lukas's chilly feelings toward Trudi thaw somewhat both then and throughout the story, seeing how she reacts to him (this might be a small part of the reason, also, that he starts to warm to Gret, whom he'd long regarded as "that Nazi bitch" despite her being their ally--these feelings take a lot longer to resolve, however). I'm pretty sure that after the war, the others--Lukas and Trudi especially--continue to pay their respects at his burial site. Trudi never wavers from her story about his courage, which, despite the outcome, has more than a grain of truth. Arno may not have been the one to kill the man, though he did his best, and gave his life while doing so. Trudi didn't lie when she said he was very brave. [Arno Spiegel 2023 [Friday, April 7, 2023, 3:00:23 AM]] |