For her part, she doesn't look like she's been up all night- other than that she hasn't changed, you wouldn't be able to tell. “Did you sleep well?” She asks, after a moment. “I am sorry for being rude. I didn't realize how hungry I had become.”

You shrug- the mattresses here are a bit harder than you prefer. While the navy is perfectly willing to spend more than a little money on the crews of wyverns, certain things will forever remain true- like terrible military mattresses.

She accepts it as an answer well enough. “I haven't slept yet, but I was under the impression I didn't need to.” She says, then smiles. “I do still believe I should make a phone call to my parents and inform them unofficially. I noticed the bedrooms have phones in them, perhaps you should do the same?”

While you're reasonably sure Maman knew of your decision before you moved into these quarters, the Bishop household isn't quite as well informed as a rule. Rachel- Slider- is almost certainly there, though you're not sure if anyone else will be. Still, she can at least get the word back out if you can get hold of her if your father isn't there.

[] Yeah, you're right, I should call my father.
[] I'm sure Maman knows, but I'll call her anyway.
[] It can wait, I'm sure aunt Merlin already let them know.

>>3509833
>[X] I'm sure Maman knows, but I'll call her anyway.

>>3509833
>[] It can wait, I'm sure aunt Merlin already let them know.

>>3509833
>[] I'm sure Maman knows, but I'll call her anyway.
It's not like we have anything better to do.

>>3509833
>[x] Yeah, you're right, I should call my father.
I suspect Maman knows but we ought to let Frank know.

>>3509833
>[x] I'm sure Maman knows, but I'll call her anyway.
Because I like her.

SO HOW IS GHOST LIKING DEEP DIVE

>>3509833
[X] Yeah, you're right, I should call my father.

>>3509833
>[x] Yeah, you're right, I should call my father.
I'd be surprised if Maman didn't already know

>>3509831
>[] Yeah, you're right, I should call my father.
[] Yeah, you're right, I should call my father.

Call mom next if we can.

>>3509833
>[] Yeah, you're right, I should call my father.

AWKWARD BONDING MOMENT!

>>3509833
>>3509861
>>[] Yeah, you're right, I should call my father.
>[] Yeah, you're right, I should call my father.
>Call mom next if we can.
This

>>3509833
>[x] I'm sure Maman knows, but I'll call her anyway.
We'll probably hear her phone ringing in some nearby shadow. But still...

>>3509833
>[X] I'm sure Maman knows, but I'll call her anyway.
Gotta call mom

>>3509833
>[X] Yeah, you're right, I should call my father.

I wonder how Frank has changed.

ok, votes called!

>>3509888

Bruh, turn off the trip

>>3509910
He's running a sidequest to this one, its legit.

>>3509977
It's not a post relating to his story, nor is it in his stories' thread, so it only seems to serve as attention-whoring to me.

But that's just my take.

>>3509989
He's used it for weeks. If you're just noticing now it's obviously not obtrusive in any way.

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[x] Yeah, you're right, I should call my father.

You nod, finishing off your plate and turning to put it in the sink behind you. “You're right, I should call my father.” you say, nodding. “And I still need to get in my morning run.”

“Don't bother, they won't let us out yet.” Kyou says. “I was planning to go for my own run but they stopped me at the desk. We can't go anywhere without an escort, and they won't be in until oh-eight. They suggested I use the fitness center, but treadmills are terrible.” She shrugs. “I would have argued, but I felt it would do us no favors. They also suggested the pool. Perhaps we should enjoy it while we can?”

You nod- she makes a good point, and you've always enjoyed swimming when you could- it's pretty good exercise and a lot easier on your joints than a lot of other options.

She smiles. “Excellent! Perhaps after we make our respective phone calls?”

“Maybe. Remember auntie M wants to talk with us.”

“Ah, yes.” She says, nodding. “I hadn't forgotten, but I was unaware she wanted to talk so soon. We won't be making her wait, will we?”

You shake your head. You're fairly sure that, if anyone was able to gain access to the secure decks of the building like the one you're on, Merlin would be them. And even then, there's better than even odds that she's not even awake yet- she tends to crash out hard when she doesn't have an immediate project to do, and with the Marine Wyvern spun up and your own down for another three or four days, your aunt is probably taking it easy- for her, that means curled up on the couch playing old game systems and drinking wine.

Kyou nods. “Good. I will go call my parents, though I am sure they were informed of the decision already.” She says, visibly slipping back into what you already think of as her 'public' persona. You wonder about the nature of her family relationship for a second before deciding you'll deal with it when and if you have to- and until then, it's not an issue you want to worry about.

1/2

She doesn't close the door to her bedroom, and neither do you as you sit at the desk near the bed, picking up the phone- corded, you note- and dial the familiar line to the Bishop house north of here. Despite working for Chance-Vought, the family's 'main' home is near to Bremerton, Washington, on Wildcat lake. You're not sure who paid for it, though, given it's size and location, you suspect it was Tabitha tapping into her inherited riches.

The phone rings twice before it's picked up- Rachel's voice greets you from the other end of the line. “Bishops.” She says, simply, sounding kind of distracted. You'd have caught her during her own morning workout, you suspect- she doesn't have the same dislike of treadmills you do, and she does work hard, she claims, to keep the figure she's got.

“Hi, Rachel.” You say- you've gotten along with her well enough. “Is dad around?”

“Morgan!” She responds, sounding a bit surprised. “He's home, just got in last night. He's still asleep, you want me to get him up?”

[] No, just let him know I'm crewed up now, we'll be starting final training and our deck tour next week.
[] Yeah, if you don't mind.

>>3510028
>[x] No, just let him know I'm crewed up now, we'll be starting final training and our deck tour next week.

>>3510028
>[x] No, just let him know I'm crewed up now, we'll be starting final training and our deck tour next week.
Best to let sleeping wardogs lie.

>>3510028
>[X] No, just let him know I'm crewed up now, we'll be starting final training and our deck tour next week.

>>3510028
>[] No, just let him know I'm crewed up now, we'll be starting final training and our deck tour next week.

>>3510028
>[x] No, just let him know I'm crewed up now, we'll be starting final training and our deck tour next week.
>[X] So how are things with you (make small talk and be polite)
We might as well let him sleep. In the meantime we can see how things are with best snek.

>>3510028
>[x] No, just let him know I'm crewed up now, we'll be starting final training and our deck tour next week.

>>3510028
>[x] No, just let him know I'm crewed up now, we'll be starting final training and our deck tour next week.

>>3510002
I've noticed it since he started using it, I've only now mentioned it because I was assuming he would naturalize more quickly.

>>3510044
People aren't obligated to act how you want them too.

>>3510028
>[] No, just let him know I'm crewed up now, we'll be starting final training and our deck tour next week.

HA, SUCK IT VADIM, WHO IS OF FLYING SHINY BEST TOY NOW?!

>>3510028
>[] No, just let him know I'm crewed up now, we'll be starting final training and our deck tour next week.

>>3510045
And I'm not obligated to ignore calling out someone that seems like an attentionwhore because you got uppity. Works both ways!

ok, votes called!

>>3510028
>[] No, just let him know I'm crewed up now, we'll be starting final training and our deck tour next week.
4koma for Bishop family shenanigans when?

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[x] No, just let him know I'm crewed up now, we'll be starting final training and our deck tour next week.


You smirk, even though she can't see it- it figures. “That's alright. Just let him know I'm crewed up now, we'll be starting final training and our deck tour next week. But it can wait till he gets up.”

“Oh! Yeah, he'll want to hear that.” She says. “The asshat should have known you were going for selection and not stayed up so late. So who is it? Do we know her?”

“Maybe.” You say. “She's the imperial princess Kyou. Katsumi's neice.”

“Oh!” Rachel exclaims. “I think we have met her, years ago. There was a big deal about the imperial family coming to an airshow we were at, right around the end of the ninteys.” There's a short pause, then she speaks up again. “Well, listen, I've got to finish this before your father gets up, I want to get breakfast cooking. But your sister wants to talk to you, so I'll hand you over. Good luck, stay safe!”

You don't get a chance to respond before Natalya picks up the line. “Morgan.” She says- he voice is always soft, given just enough breath to make it to it's intended recipient and not anything else. “Rachel-mother says you have finalized your crew selection. Who is she?”

“The imperial princess Kyou, Nat.” You tell her- not like your sister wouldn't find out anyway. In her own way she's about as scary as your mom can be. Sometimes more- the things she can do aren't natural, and there's not really another witch on the globe- other than maybe your new crewmate- that can match her.

“Kyou.” She says, sounding contemplative. “Very well. Be well, little brother. Stay safe. We will talk again.” And with that, she hangs up.

1/2

“You too Nat.” You say into the dead line, hanging up the phone. You look up to see Kyou walk up to your bedroom doorway. She's got a towel over one arm and a simple hygene bag in her hand.

“I will be taking a shower.” She announces. “Then we should sit down and decide how we intend to spend the day. It may be an overstep, but I hope your aunt will agree to escort us for the day.”

Knowing Merlin she probably will- if Kyou really as into the wyvern as you think she is, Merlin's going to about be in heaven, nerding out about her jet with the princess. “Perhaps, while I am in the shower, you could call her.” She asks- though her tone indicates that she sees no reason to not.

“It's still early.” You point out. “Auntie M probably won't even be awake until noon.”

Kyou blinks, looking surprised. “Noon? She sleeps so late?”

You shrug. “She'll go for days, then crash. It's how she's always been.”

Something runs across Kyou's face, but she squelches it far faster than you get a chance to identify it. “I see.” She says. “Regardless, if you need me, I will be in the shower.” She pauses, and smiles very lightly. “I will leave the door unlocked, but I ask that if an emergency develops, you at least knock before entering.”

You'd joke about it- it seems like a good opening for one- but you don't know Kyou that well yet, so you just nod. She waits for a second near the door, then turns and goes into the bathroom, closing the door behind her with a soft click. You hear the shower start a second later.

Merlin isn't likely to be awake yet- if she slept last night. Of course, there's every possibility she's out on the line fussing over the marine wyvern, too- or still up, beating some ancient super nintendo game for the thousandth time. Of course, even if she is asleep, she's never going to mind if you wake her up by calling- though you may have to pay her back by making breakfast for her.

On the other hand, you do know your mother will be expecting a call- even if she already knows- and if she's expecting something from you, you're far better served by delivering. Honestly, you're almost surprised she hasn't turned up at the door already.

[] Call maman- putting it off isn't going to do you any favors.
[] Call Merlin- Kyou's right, there really isn't any reason to not call- and her kitchen is far better stocked than yours.

>>3510187
>[x] Call maman- putting it off isn't going to do you any favors.

>>3510187
>[x] Call maman- putting it off isn't going to do you any favors.
So, what's the bet that nat's already texted maman that we've selected Kyou?

>>3510183
>“Oh!” Rachel exclaims. “I think we have met her, years ago.

Osananajimi confirmed

>>3510187
>[] Call maman- putting it off isn't going to do you any favors.

>>3510187
>[X] Call maman- putting it off isn't going to do you any favors.

>>3510187
>[x] Call maman- putting it off isn't going to do you any favors.
Now it's time for the mother.

>>3510187
>[x] Call maman- putting it off isn't going to do you any favors.

>>3510187
>[X] Call maman- putting it off isn't going to do you any favors.

>>3510187
[] Call maman- putting it off isn't going to do you any favors.
Even if she is our mother who would burn every square inch of the Earth if she felt it would do us good, we need not disappoint the scary cat lady.

>>3510187
Call maman,


Anger not the scary cat witchie

>>3510187
>[x] Call maman- putting it off isn't going to do you any favors.

>>3510187
>[] Call maman- putting it off isn't going to do you any favors.

ok, votes called!

Sorry it's been slower than usual- still kinda readjusting to life here, haha!

>>3510187
>[X] Call maman- putting it off isn't going to do you any favors.

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[x] Call maman- putting it off isn't going to do you any favors.

You dial maman's number from memory- and are only slightly surprised that when it starts ringing on your end, you don't also hear it from outside your window or out of the front door.

“Brigitte.” Your mother says, her voice professional, when she picks up.

“Hi maman.” You say, smiling. “I made de decision.”

“I know.” She says. “Foun out befoah you even lef de building.” She pauses. “So you pick dat Kyou, eh?”

“Oui, maman.” You say, expecting a lecture.

“You be careful wid her, boy.” She says. “I do no be mindin becomin a gran maman some day, but you don't be in no rush, non. An you be real cautious bout her in dat jet. She do no be normal an your maman intend to get to de bottom of dat.”

“Oui maman.” You respond, kind of surprised it wasn't a longer lecture.

“But you do no be worryin bout dat. Far as anyone else concern, she jus strong. I tink dere be moah to it dan dat, but I do no be too concern. I be jus as happy to call her a daughter in law an introducin her to de ladies o de coven de same regardless, you undastand boy?”

“Oui, maman.”

“Good. You know you be expected ta bring her by at de first chance you get.” She warns. “An don't tink we won't know. I run interference when I can, an I undastand maybe her family come first dis time, but don't ya be forgettin.”

“I won't, maman.”

“Good.” She says. “Now don you do nothin silly while ya be unda close supervision. Go spen de weekend wid ya auntie, take it easy, ya be busy as soon as dat Kyou be cleared back fo flight.” She says. “you be good, boy. Your maman love you.”

“Love you too, maman.” You say, and she hangs up shortly after.

From the sounds of it, the shower is still on when she hangs up. Checking your watch, you're surprised to see it's still just before 08- though, by the time she's out of the shower and you've had a chance to clean up, you suspect your required PMO escort downstairs will be available. While you do need to hygene, you'll also need to clean the kitchen before you do anything- and that's going to take a few minuites, regardless. You can still always call Merlin, of course- Kyou, at least, seems very interested in finally really getting to talk with your aunt.

[] I'd rather get the kitchen sorted out- Can't leave Morganlandia a disaster in my absence.
[] I'll see if auntie M is awake, and if she is, invite her over while I clean. It'll mean she and Kyou can talk while I shower.

and I'm going to call it for the night there, guys! I know, it was shorter and slower than usual, and I'm sorry for that. I'm going to work on getting stuff back to our regular speed as much as possible, though hopefully we'll have another off week soon when I move back out.

I'll be around a little bit to field questions or comments as necessary, but otherwise gents, I'll catch you tomorrow!

>>3510381
>[x] I'll see if auntie M is awake, and if she is, invite her over while I clean. It'll mean she and Kyou can talk while I shower.

>>3510381
>[] I'll see if auntie M is awake, and if she is, invite her over while I clean. It'll mean she and Kyou can talk while I shower.
Multitasking!

>>3510381
>[] I'd rather get the kitchen sorted out- Can't leave Morganlandia a disaster in my absence.

>>3510381
>[x] I'll see if auntie M is awake, and if she is, invite her over while I clean. It'll mean she and Kyou can talk while I shower.

>>3510383
Thanks for the run Ghost

>>3510381
>[X] I'll see if auntie M is awake, and if she is, invite her over while I clean. It'll mean she and Kyou can talk while I shower.

>>3510383
Thanks for the run boss.

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>>3510383

>>3510381
>[] I'd rather get the kitchen sorted out- Can't leave Morganlandia a disaster in my absence.

>>3510381
[X] I'll see if auntie M is awake, and if she is, invite her over while I clean. It'll mean she and Kyou can talk while I shower.

>>3510381
>[x] I'll see if auntie M is awake, and if she is, invite her over while I clean. It'll mean she and Kyou can talk while I shower.

>>3510381
>[] I'll see if auntie M is awake, and if she is, invite her over while I clean. It'll mean she and Kyou can talk while I shower.

>>3510381
>[] I'll see if auntie M is awake, and if she is, invite her over while I clean. It'll mean she and Kyou can talk while I shower.

>>3510381
>[X] I'll see if auntie M is awake, and if she is, invite her over while I clean. It'll mean she and Kyou can talk while I shower

>>3510381
>[X] I'd rather get the kitchen sorted out- Can't leave Morganlandia a disaster in my absence.

>>3510381
>[] I'd rather get the kitchen sorted out- Can't leave Morganlandia a disaster in my absence.

THE KING AND THE LAND ARE ONE

>>3510381
[X] I'll see if auntie M is awake, and if she is, invite her over while I clean. It'll mean she and Kyou can talk while I shower.

>All this talk about us marrying Kyou

I mean, I know it's not exactly unlikely but it's still a bit early to be making that assumption, surely?

>>3510381
>[X] I'll see if auntie M is awake, and if she is, invite her over while I clean. It'll mean she and Kyou can talk while I shower.
Let the Wyvern Nerds nerd out together.

>>3510381
>[] I'd rather get the kitchen sorted out- Can't leave Morganlandia a disaster in my absence.

>>3510582
By everything Ghost has posted it's half assumed by pretty much everyone that a Wyvern crew will hook up.

So they're just getting in early shots. Plus it's his mother and she's been shown to be a bit protective.

>>3510381
[] I'll see if auntie M is awake, and if she is, invite her over while I clean. It'll mean she and Kyou can talk while I shower.

>>3510381
>[x] I'd rather get the kitchen sorted out- Can't leave Morganlandia a disaster in my absence.

>>3510381
>[x] I'd rather get the kitchen sorted out- Can't leave Morganlandia a disaster in my absence.

Let Auntie M sleep a bit longer, I think.

>“Oui maman.” You respond, kind of surprised it wasn't a longer lecture.

Picking a witch with a monogamous familiar probably helped mamans mood.

>>3510381
[] I'll see if auntie M is awake, and if she is, invite her over while I clean. It'll mean she and Kyou can talk while I shower.

>>3510381
>[] I'll see if auntie M is awake, and if she is, invite her over while I clean. It'll mean she and Kyou can talk while I shower.

Ok, votes called!

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[x] I'll see if auntie M is awake, and if she is, invite her over while I clean. It'll mean she and Kyou can talk while I shower.

You pause for a second before shooting your aunt a text, figuring that if she's asleep, that stands the least chance of waking her. She responds almost instantly- a good sign she's either gotten up for something specific or she hasn't slept yet. You call a second after she responds- she picks up on the first ring. “M-morgan?” She asks.

“Oui auntie.” You respond. “You busy today? Kyou is really looking forward to talking to you.”

She laughs a little. “I-I bet. I'm not b-busy, but I had p-planned to go look over Ulysses' Wyvern later t-today. He starts his s-selection flights Monday.”

“If you be busy-” You start, but she rushes to interrupt you.

“N-no, no, n-not at all!” she says. “A-all I'm doing is checking it over, a-and I can do that anytime before h-he flies. B-but I'm going to be b-busy with yours all week a-anyway, a-and I do want to talk with K-kyou. I-if she feels up t-to it, I want to i-install some more d-demanding equipment. I-I also want to t-talk with her personally.”

“Feeling out my witch, auntie?” You ask, grinning. “Sizing up competition?”

There's a bit of a pause, and you can practically feel the blush through the phone. “I-I'm more w-worried about h-her f-for her sake. S-she might not k-know what she's getting into w-with us.”

“Oho?” You say. “Very adventurous auntie. But I'm not dad, don't forget.”

“N-not like t-that!” She responds. “I-i don't think s-she'd go for it a-anyway. B-but I don't mean l-like that. Frank's t-talent is well known, b-but poorly documented. A-and we have no idea if you g-got it or not, b-but if you did, and s-she's as strong as we t-think a-and she flies with y-you-” She trails off, letting you connect the dots.

1/2

Merlin is fantastically strong- though her power is flawed, her ability with technology is legendary. Still, she's a fantastically strong conventional witch- like most people, she has to follow the laws of physics, more or less. She can do incredible things with her ability, push jets to their absolute limits, allow them to exceed them in many ways. But she's still nowhere near as strong as Kyou looks to be- her shields can be defeated, she can't ignore inertia. Based on what you saw, Kyou's under no such restrictions. The only other witch you know of like that is Natalya.

“I see. So dis isn't worrying about me doing like dad, den.” You say, smiling.

“D-Do you t-think he h-had m-much choice?” Your aunt responds, clearly summoning all her reserves to get even that little bit of snark back at you. “I-I'll be over soon. I-I have to get dressed.” And she hangs up.

Kyou's gotten out of the shower by then, and again stands in the doorway to your bedroom. “Do we have a plan for the day now?”

You nod. “Merlin's on her way over shortly, just got off the phone with her.”

Kyou smiles- a genuine one. “Oh, excellent!” She says. “I had hoped to be able to talk with her before we began flying.” She hesitates for a minute “Did she mention talking to me? I know it is an overstep, but-” she asks, trailing off.

[] “She said she wanted to talk to you specifically, yeah”
[] “Only to mention a setup like my father has. I'm not sure.”

>>3512254
>[x] “She said she wanted to talk to you specifically, yeah”

>>3512254
>[X] “She said she wanted to talk to you specifically, yeah”

>>3512254
>[] “Only to mention a setup like my father has. I'm not sure.”

INNUENDO AHOY

>>3512254
>[x] “She said she wanted to talk to you specifically, yeah”
Let's see our royal nerd smile more.

>>3512254
>[X] “She said she wanted to talk to you specifically, yeah”

>>3512254
[]“She said she wanted to talk to you specifically, yeah”

>>3512254
[] “She said she wanted to talk to you specifically, yeah”

>>3512254
>[] “She said she wanted to talk to you specifically, yeah”

>>3512254
>[X] “Only to mention a setup like my father has. I'm not sure.”

Just a liiiittle bit of bulli

>>3512254
>[X] “She said she wanted to talk to you specifically, yeah”

Ok, votes called!

Sorry again for the slow pace. It's probably going to be a thing for a bit, I'll do my best to limit it, but we all know how that goes!

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[x] “She said she wanted to talk to you specifically, yeah”

You nod. “She said she wanted to talk to you specifically, yeah.” You say, noting how her face lights up for a second.

“I see.” She says, still smiling. “I am pleased to hear it. Perhaps you should shower, then?”

“That was my plan.” You respond, standing up from the entirely too stiff chair at the desk and grabbing a change of clothes- a simple T-shirt and a pair of jeans- from your sea bag. You'll have to unpack them later, you know, as this building is effectively your home until you enter fleet service.

Kyou's busied herself picking up her manuals from around the sofa in the living room when you step out of your room. The bathroom is still humid and hot from Kyou's shower, though there's still plenty of hot water. Kyou, you note, left her hygiene bag hanging off of the curtain rail, and there's not much in it- body wash, shampoo, and a razor. Almost the same as yours, you note. You shower quickly, pausing to dry off and pull on your pants before opening the door.

Merlin and Kyou are both out in the living room- and judging by the way they both do almost simultaneous double-takes as you walk out of the bathroom shirtless, you can bet you just interrupted their conversation. You nod towards them, pulling on the T-shirt before walking out and taking a seat on one of the chairs at the bartop, where you pull on a pair of socks. “Hi, Auntie.”

“H-hi M-morgan.” She says, sounding distracted. Kyou recovers first.

“Miss Wells only just arrived,” Kyou says. “I had not yet had a chance to offer her food or a drink.”

You nod. “Auntie, you hungry?” You ask. I'll have to run and go get tings, but I can make you something quick.”

Merlin thinks for a second, chewing on her lip. “I-if you do, will y-you cook dinner tonight t-too?” She asks.

“I do not think that would be a problem.” Kyou says, hurriedly. “If Morgan agrees, of course.”

[] It's no problem. I'll go see if the PMOs will let me off post, and I'll cook up something nice.
[] I don't know... I'd kind of hoped to be able to get to Santa's.

>>3512415
>[x] It's no problem. I'll go see if the PMOs will let me off post, and I'll cook up something nice.

>>3512415
>[x] It's no problem. I'll go see if the PMOs will let me off post, and I'll cook up something nice.

>>3512415
>[X] It's no problem. I'll go see if the PMOs will let me off post, and I'll cook up something nice.

>>3512415
>[] It's no problem. I'll go see if the PMOs will let me off post, and I'll cook up something nice.

>>3512415
>[x] It's no problem. I'll go see if the PMOs will let me off post, and I'll cook up something nice.
Never pass up a chance at cooking

>>3512415
>[X] It's no problem. I'll go see if the PMOs will let me off post, and I'll cook up something nice.

Make the Chili

>>3512415
>[x] It's no problem. I'll go see if the PMOs will let me off post, and I'll cook up something nice.

Not only a monster in the air, but a monster in the kitchen!

>>3512415
[] It's no problem. I'll go see if the PMOs will let me off post, and I'll cook up something nice.

>>3512415
>[] It's no problem. I'll go see if the PMOs will let me off post, and I'll cook up something nice.
Chili time.

>>3512415
>[X] It's no problem. I'll go see if the PMOs will let me off post, and I'll cook up something nice.

Food!

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>>3512415
>[x] It's no problem. I'll go see if the PMOs will let me off post, and I'll cook up something nice.
One again, still applicable.

Ok, votes called!

>>3512460
>>3512415

[] It's no problem. I'll go see if the PMOs will let me off post, and I'll cook up something nice.

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[x] It's no problem. I'll go see if the PMOs will let me off post, and I'll cook up something nice.

You nod. “It's no problem. I'll go see if the PMOs will let me off post.” You say. “Get the things to cook up something nice.”

“The chili?” Merlin asks, kind of hopefully.

“We'll see.” you say, pulling on a pair of battered sneakers that have been with you since your last year in high school- almost seven years gone, now. You grab your wallet and a pair of sunglasses and head out of the door into the hallway, noting that the two witches in the living room are watching you go.

You head downstairs, pausing by the desk, noting that the marine PMOs there only seem interested as you walk up- and even then, it's only passingly. “Morning, sir.” one of them, a lance corporal, says.

You nod. “Morning. So if I need to get off post, how does that work?”

“You got an escort?” He asks, and you shake your head. He sighs.

“Aight. What happens is myself of one of the other marines here will pull a gov out of the lot, you'll sign out at the desk here, go do your shit, and come back. There's no hard time limit, but you have to return here by sixteen hundred unless otherwise arranged. There's a hard twenty mile limit from the gate, unless you're under orders to go to another post.”

You nod- it's pretty harsh, but it makes sense- not everyone is going to adjust to the realities of being a wyvern crew the same. You imagine some people try to run, to get away from what they've signed up for. You can't imagine doing that, of course, for a number of reasons, but rules tend to apply for a reason, so here you are.

“So you need to head out, sir?” The young marine asks, and you nod again.

“Grocery shopping.” You supply.

He shrugs. “All the same to me, sir. I'll get the car, go ahead and sign out.”

1/2

You nod, taking a minute to look at the desk. You saw it last night of course, but it's different now. The marines- all Provost Marshal Officers- sit behind a high desk with a brushed steel front. Behind them is a whiteboard- you note that your name and room number are on it, along with Kyou's name. Next to the names is a small note block- one of the marines stands to change it to “Out, esc. Lcpl. Rico.” There's also a note next to Kyou's name, indicating that she's got a visitor- though the visitor is noted as “Adml. Wells” on the board. You wonder why she identified herself by rank, then decide it was probably to get around the visiting time restrictions you'd been told about last night.

What really makes you take notice, though, is the rifle rack behind the desk. While the locking bar is in place, there's no lock on it- and each of the rifles there has a mag locked in. One of the other marines, noticing your gaze, turns to look at it, then turns back to look at you with a lopsided grin. “Guard mount isn't much good if you can't get to your rifle, sir.” He says.

You nod again, though you're rescued by the lance corporal walking in. “You ready, sir?” He asks.

“Yeah.” You say, turning and heading out of the doors to the front, following the marine to a waiting burgandy-colored car with tinted windows. You sit in the passenger seat and buckle in as the marine takes the driver seat. “Where to?” He asks.

[] Just go to one of the bigger organic chains around here- easier and faster.
[] Hit up that farmer's market and the butcher Anastasia showed you- may as well work to impress.

>>3512709
>[x] Hit up that farmer's market and the butcher Anastasia showed you- may as well work to impress.

>>3512709
>[X] Hit up that farmer's market and the butcher Anastasia showed you- may as well work to impress.

Japanese girl never tasted our handiwork before. Let's ruin her for other food.

>>3512709
>[X] Hit up that farmer's market and the butcher Anastasia showed you- may as well work to impress.

>>3512709
>[X] Hit up that farmer's market and the butcher Anastasia showed you- may as well work to impress.

>>3512709

[] Just go to one of the bigger organic chains around here- easier and faster.

>>3512709
>[] Hit up that farmer's market and the butcher Anastasia showed you- may as well work to impress.
Not so much about impressing as it is about quality! and if we aren't going for quality, are we really going at all? Cooking is an art, and we can't just skimp out on it!

>>3512709
>[X] Hit up that farmer's market and the butcher Anastasia showed you- may as well work to impress.

>>3512709
>[x] Hit up that farmer's market and the butcher Anastasia showed you- may as well work to impress.

Ok, votes called! This will probably be the last one tonight!

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[x] Hit up that farmer's market and the butcher Anastasia showed you- may as well work to impress.

“There's a farmer's market in town I need to sing by, and a butcher shop not far from there.” You say, giving him directions as best you remember them. He nods, pulling them up on the dash-mounted GPS of the car and backing out of the parking space.

“So you a cook or something, sir??” He asks, pulling into traffic- not light, right now, with people headed out for the weekend.

You shake your head. “Not really.” you say

“Oh. Huh. Most guys just hit up the commissary, I just figured since you were heading out for that fancy shit, ya know.” He shrugs. “None of my business anyway. Damn! Look at this traffic. What the fuck, man? Fuck I wish I lived a life where I had fuckin nowhere to go, ya know? You mind if I turn on some music?”

You shake your head, and before too long, he's hooked up his phone and Tupac's 'me against the world' is playing. “Damn I love this fucker.” The marine says. “Rap died the day he did, straight up. Shit was a fucking setup. Suge had mans killed cos he was worth more dead. And now look at the crap we got. Mumble rap bullshit.” He shakes his head.

He raps along for a couple minutes, keeping up pretty well, you figure. Eventually he stops as you get into the city, following the GPS. It takes a few minutes before he finds the parking lot across from the market- which looks to be packed. He looks over at you dubiously. “Looks full as shit, sir.” He says.

“Yeah.” You say, getting out of the car- he follows suit a second later. “Well, lead on, sir.” He says.

You think as you walk among the stalls- You could make the chili again, for sure, but you're not sure you want to. You've had a long held belief that no one but family can have it twice for free- you'll marry the first girl that has it three times and isn't related by blood. Part of you wants to do something with seafood- there should be a halfway decent fish market around here, you figure, and fish, you figure, is fairly safe, especially considering where Kyou's from. You could also keep it simple- steak and potatoes, maybe. You briefly consider something more involved- something you've seen on youtube, maybe even. There's all the old standbys too- jambalaya, gumbo, steaks- Kyou did seem to enjoy her steak afterall. Thinking about it there's no reason to not go nuts- you have all day.

[] Spend all day on the chili. You'll make an exception to the rule for Merlin. For now, anyway
[] May as well see what Kyou thinks of your steaks.
[] Go for a tried and true recipe- Mom's fried chicken.
[] Make those crazy BLTs you saw- they're faster than the rest, but they look REALLY good.

>>3512879
>[X] Go for a tried and true recipe- Mom's fried chicken.

Not even going to bother with grilling up steaks for a girl who's probably had easy access to Kobe Beef. American Steaks are so dry in comparison to A5 Kobe.

And that's it for the night! again, I'm sorry about the slow update pace, I'm going to work on it. Part of the problem is I don't have a computer desk anymore- there's no good way for me to organize my notes around myself and not a lot of room to really type (and it's not real comfortable, either- my computer chair didn't survive the move!) I'm hoping some of that will get sorted as I adjust and settle, though I'm also hoping I won't be here long enough to really worry about settling, haha. I love my folks but would rather not live with them again very long.

Anyway, that's enough grousing. I'll be around a little to field questions if anyone has any, but otherwise I'll catch you guys tomorrow!

>>3512879
>[X] Spend all day on the chili. You'll make an exception to the rule for Merlin. For now, anyway
Where is the fun if we don't live dangerously.

>>3512879
>[] Go for a tried and true recipe- Mom's fried chicken.
None of the others really call out to me.

>>3512879

[] Spend all day on the chili. You'll make an exception to the rule for Merlin. For now, anyway

>>3512879
>[] Go for a tried and true recipe- Mom's fried chicken.


Too much of a good thing can make you lose appreciation of it. Best to vary it up.

>>3512879
>[x] Spend all day on the chili. You'll make an exception to the rule for Merlin. For now, anyway

>>3512879
>[X] Go for a tried and true recipe- Mom's fried chicken.

>>3512879
>[x] Go for a tried and true recipe- Mom's fried chicken.
Mmmmm, chicken

>>3512879
>[X] Go for a tried and true recipe- Mom's fried chicken.

>>3512879
>[X] Go for a tried and true recipe- Mom's fried chicken.

>>3512879
>[x] Spend all day on the chili. You'll make an exception to the rule for Merlin. For now, anyway

>>3512888
Thanks for the run Ghost

>>3512879
>[X] Go for a tried and true recipe- Mom's fried chicken.
Mmm, southern fried chicken... now I'm hungry

>>3512879
>[] Go for a tried and true recipe- Mom's fried chicken.

>>3512879
>[x] Go for a tried and true recipe- Mom's fried chicken.
>>and isn't related by blood.
What's the problem if the best possible wife is a little bit blood related ?

>>3512879
>[X] Go for a tried and true recipe- Mom's fried chicken.

>>3512888
Thanks for the run boss.

>>3512879
>[x] Go for a tried and true recipe- Mom's fried chicken.

>>3512948
Merlin isn't related to us.

>>3512879
>[x] Go for a tried and true recipe- Mom's fried chicken.
We're going to need a lot of chicken...

>>3512879
>[x] Go for a tried and true recipe- Mom's fried chicken.
I like chicken. And I seem to remember Maman making that in 89. It was a crowd pleaser.

>>3512879
[X] Go for a tried and true recipe- Mom's fried chicken

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>>3512879
>SHIKEN current winning the vote
I'm okay with this, as much as I want to treat Best Aunt and AWOO we already made it a couple days ago. Lets make the chili later after Kyou gets her plugs and before we ship out to a carrier and lose all access to cooking ingredients.

Chicken won't take all day, lets make some seafood too. Maybe shrimp jambalaya or gumbo? Kyou would almost certainly never have had those before. Also:

>you'll marry the first girl that has it three times and isn't related by blood.
Didn't we give Merlin all the leftovers, we're basically her crack dealer at this point.

>>3512879
>[x] May as well see what Kyou thinks of your steaks.

>>3512879
>[] Spend all day on the chili. You'll make an exception to the rule for Merlin. For now, anyway
This is our break period. Might as well take advantage of it.

>>3512948
>>3512989
Cass is.

>>3512879
>[] Spend all day on the chili. You'll make an exception to the rule for Merlin. For now, anyway

Merlin counts as family anyway ... and having the hots for Morgan isn’t disqualifying from that category either *cough* Cass *cough* ...

>>3513228
Actually you know what? Fuck it lets go for broke. Merlin is family and we're already married to Kyou for all intents and purposes (or we will be once she has plugs) so the girlfriend clause no longer applies.

>>3512879
>[] Spend all day on the chili. You'll make an exception to the rule for Merlin. For now, anyway

>>3513303
As I understand it Morgan doesn't consider Merlin family when it comes to the chili. Otherwise the mention of the triple rule makes no sense to me.

>>3512879
>[] Go for a tried and true recipe- Mom's fried chicken.

>>3512879
>[x] Spend all day on the chili. You'll make an exception to the rule for Merlin. For now, anyway
Merlin asked afterall, and she's going to be so deeply involved in getting our jet up and running so we kind of owe it to her.

>>3512879
>[] Go for a tried and true recipe- Mom's fried chicken.

SHIKEN. CAJUN SHIKEN.

>>3512879
>[x] Spend all day on the chili. You'll make an exception to the rule for Merlin. For now, anyway

Ok, votes called!

>>3512879
>[X] Spend all day on the chili. You'll make an exception to the rule for Merlin. For now, anyway

So, fair warning. My folks are having a shop put up, and I'm getting shanghaied to help (With my couple years of drafting... yeah) with the prints. Slow updates again tonight, sorry guys.

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[x] Go for a tried and true recipe- Mom's fried chicken.

You think for a few minutes before you nod to yourself- fried chicken, like maman made, long ago. You haven't had to change the recipe much since you learned it, though- it, like a lot of things you learned from maman, has easily stood the test of time.

Still, there are a few things you do differently- your breading is a touch spicier, though in this case probably not that much, since you don't have access to either of your favorite kitchens, nor to your own extensive spice rack. Store bought is fine, of course, but it's just not the same- you tend to mix your seasoning with peppers out of your own garden, and prefer it that way.

But it's not without regret that you pass by a basket of gorgeous apocalypse scorpion peppers. You're almost surprised to see them- they're still pretty rare, having only been bred as a true strain last year, so far as you know. The guy in the stall did have some good looking tomatoes though- you grabbed a four of the best-looking and happily paid out the nose for them. Fifteen dollars is a lot of money, even for big heirlooms like this.

You put together dinner as you walk the stalls- Chicken, you think, tomatoes, potatoes. Maybe some salad on the side- a hot peach pepper salad, maybe? You'd cook some corn- Rachel usually does, when she makes chicken- but her chicken isn't anywhere near as good as yours, you think, and corn seems painfully... midwestern. Rice, maybe? You're not sure.

You manage to leave without spending too much money- though you imagine for most people, the money you did spend would be too much. Still, you've always felt it was worth it for local food- that's one of those things that, when you can source local, you should. It tastes better, in your opinion, and, since you're the one cooking more often than not, yours is the one that counts.

Lance Corporal Rico follows you, a dubious expression on his face, back to the car, opening it up so you can put the bags in the back. “You sure you're not a chef or anything, sir?”

“Not at all.” You say.

1/2

“If you say so, sir.” He says, putting the car into drive and pulling back onto the street. “Butcher shop next?”

You nod. “Yeah.”

The butcher shop, thankfully, is far less packed- though the cashier girl behind the register blinks when she gets the order- 20 lbs of chicken. “Having a party?” She asks, trying to make small talk as she rings it up.

“Just dinner for a couple friends.” You respond.

“Oh.” She says- though she's already done. The total isn't too bad, you think- again, more than most people would have gone for, but in any other circumstances, you'd have just gotten whole chickens anyway. “Well, have a nice day.” She says, and you nod, taking the straining plastic bags, full of paper wrapped bird, back to the car, your uniformed shadow helping by opening the door.

“That it, sir?” He asks, and you nod. “Aight.” Is all he says as a response.

Traffic hasn't thinned out any- and you end up having to detour to the commissary for a few staples that you're pretty sure you don't have in your quarters. “Go ahead and go sign back in, sir.” The lance corporal says, “And I'll get this stuff carried in for you.”

You nod, stepping inside the building and noting that the air must be on- it's fairly cold in here. You end up having to borrow the lance corporal to help you carry things up- he lurks outside your door once you get upstairs, handing the bags over to you and leaving once the last one is in your hands.

“D-did you get everything?” Merlin asks, already edging toward the kitchen. “I-is it chili again?” She asks, hopefully.

[] You goan have to wait an see, auntie.
[] Not de chili, auntie. I make de shiken.

>>3514132
>[x] Not de chili, auntie. I make de shiken.

>>3514132
>[X] Not de chili, auntie. I make de shiken.
Does anyone else know about the rule?

>>3514132
>[x] Not de chili, auntie. I make de chiken.

>>3514132
>[] Not de chili, auntie. I make de shiken.

>>3514132
>[] Not de chili, auntie. I make de shiken.
Morgan not gonna be a tease

>>3514132
>[] Not de chili, auntie. I make de shiken.

>>3514132
>[X] Not de chili, auntie. I make de shiken.

>>3514132
>[X] Not de chili, auntie. I make de shiken.

>>3514132
>[X] Not de chili, auntie. I make de shiken.

ok, votes called!

>>3514130
>You're pretty sure you've seen Cassie swallow a drumstick whole
Morgan's shiken brings all the sneks to the yard.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=orPbJJah1Ow

>>3514136
Possibly that football friend Morgan plans to pass The Chili recipe too in the event that he doesn't have any male children. It doesn't seem like something he would discuss with family.

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>>3514130
>You're pretty sure you've seen Cassie swallow a drumstick whole
Oh lawd

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[x] Not de chili, auntie. I make de shiken.

You shake your head, looking around for an apron and washing your hands in the sink. “Not de chili, non.” You say as she stakes a seat at the high bar stools. Kyou, looking interested, walks over to join her a second later. “I make de shiken.”

Merlin nods, turning to Kyou as you open the 5 lb bag of flour, pulling down a massive mixing bowl. “H-has he cooked f-for you yet?” She asks, and the princess shakes her head, watching you the entire time.

“Not yet.” She says, and Merlin smiles.

“O-oh, you're g-going to be r-ruined for anyone else n-now.” She says. “N-no one cooks like M-Morgan.”

“Is that so?” Kyou asks, getting more interested. “I look forward to it.”

“Be a bit early.” You say, not looking back as you measure out the spices- for this much chicken, a couple tablespoons should do. “Early dinner, maybe bout two-tree. Dat ok wid you?”

Merlin nods and Kyou follows suit. “I can wait.” The princess says.

“T-this isn't a secret, r-right? W-we can sit here?” Merlin asks.

You laugh. “Non, dis not be a secret auntie.” You respond. “But don't be more distractin, no.”

She laughs at that. “S-so we were t-talking about the defensive countermeasures suite on the w-wyvern?” She says.

“Oh, yes.” Kyou responds- they seem perfectly happy to chat with you there in the kitchen, and, like you said to them, the recipe itself isn't a secret. It's too early to start frying up the chicken just yet, but you can get working on the sides easily enough- the rice is going to take a solid four hours on the stove, and the bread is going to take time to do right.

“I was thinking we could trim it down some.” Kyou says. “I would rather have additional shield and weapon foci in the plane to channel my powers better. Even a basic defensive electronics suite would be more than sufficient, and would allow additional power to be used elsewhere in the aircraft. Perhaps in the offensive countermeasures systems?”

“I-I'm not sure that's a good idea.” Merlin says. “N-not that I doubt your a-ability t-to defend the aircraft, but i-if you have to devote more e-energy to the shield, you'll have less f-for the engines and w-weapons.”

1/2

“That is not a concern.” Kyou says. “I barely tapped into my abilities during our selection flight.”

“B-barely?” Merlin asks.

“Barely.” Kyou affirms. “Though I do understand your point. If I do not have to devote as much energy to shields, I can use that much more enhancing our weapons. Do you think we can fit additional foci on the cannons? I believe I would be able to enhance them much better.”

Merlin hesitates. “I-I think it's possible, b-but I was c-considering an offensive s-system overhaul a-anyway.”

“Offensive system overhaul?” Kyou asks.

“I-I'm still not happy w-with the carrying ability of the jet.” Merlin says. “Y-you'll volume out long b-before you weight out. I-I want to r-rebuild the ordinance b-bays in the down time, a-and install e-experimental guns.”

“New guns?” Kyou asks, sounding.. interested. “Do go on, please.”

“F-forty millimeter. W-we can only mount t-two, a-and they're r-revolver cannons, b-but-”

“Revolver cannons?” Kyou asks. “Their rate of fire would be greatly restricted, would it not?”

“I-it is.” Merlin affirms. “B-but they're based o-on the same g-general principle S-Stonehenge or Chandelier uses. C-combined propulsion. T-they're not pure EMLs, b-but they'll fire m-much faster a-and their muzzle v-velocity is almost the s-same.”

“Hmm.” Kyou says. “I am not sure. Morgan, what do you think?”

[] I prefer the four cannons. They're fleet standard, so it'll be much easier to maintain them during operations.
[] I'm liking the sound of the forties. They'll be more accurate and hit harder at longer ranges than our guns.

>>3514341
>[] I'm liking the sound of the forties. They'll be more accurate and hit harder at longer ranges than our guns.
Element of surprise alone is worth it to me.

>>3514341
>[x] I'm liking the sound of the forties. They'll be more accurate and hit harder at longer ranges than our guns.

>>3514341
>[X] I'm liking the sound of the forties. They'll be more accurate and hit harder at longer ranges than our guns.
as long as the Logistics is handled properly it should be ok.

>>3514341
>[X] I'm liking the sound of the forties. They'll be more accurate and hit harder at longer ranges than our guns.

>>3514341
[]I prefer the four cannons. They're fleet standard, so it'll be much easier to maintain them during operations.

>>3514369
The logistics will NEVER be handled properly.

>>3514341
>[] I'm liking the sound of the forties. They'll be more accurate and hit harder at longer ranges than our guns.

>>3514341
>[] I'm liking the sound of the forties. They'll be more accurate and hit harder at longer ranges than our guns.
big guns, tons of fun.

>>3514341
[] I prefer the four cannons. They're fleet standard, so it'll be much easier to maintain them during operations

Even for us logistics is a thing, much better not to have to rely on special snowflake parts.

>>3514341
>[] I prefer the four cannons. They're fleet standard, so it'll be much easier to maintain them during operations.

>>3514341
>[] I prefer the four cannons. They're fleet standard, so it'll be much easier to maintain them during operations.

MORE GUNS, MORE DAKKA, MORE PEOPLE DYING, MORE HARDCORE

>>3514341
>[x] I prefer the four cannons. They're fleet standard, so it'll be much easier to maintain them during operations.

>>3514341
>[X] I'm liking the sound of the forties. They'll be more accurate and hit harder at longer ranges than our guns.

>>3514341
>[] I'm liking the sound of the forties. They'll be more accurate and hit harder at longer ranges than our guns.

>>3514341
>[] I prefer the four cannons. They're fleet standard, so it'll be much easier to maintain them during operations.
Is not the point of our cannons to be reliable?

>>3514341
>[] I'm liking the sound of the forties. They'll be more accurate and hit harder at longer ranges than our guns.

A regular 40mm cannon hits like a truck, this thing sounds like it will hit like an out of control train!

>>3514341
>[X] I'm liking the sound of the forties. They'll be more accurate and hit harder at longer ranges than our guns.
I'm up for upgrading to Gauss Cannons. Roughly the same output of the EMLs with higher fire rate and lower power cost (I'm guessing) would be handy...

ok, votes called!

>>3514341
>[] I'm liking the sound of the forties. They'll be more accurate and hit harder at longer ranges than our guns.
Holy shit, we can get 40mm EMAGs ? HELL YES.

Bigger projectiles and higher velocity = effective range. It's not a replacement for a missile but with railgun/coilgun partial boosting we could potentially engage targets beyond visual range. They will literally never see it coming.

>>3514374
We fly a wyvern dude, we already have a logistics train pulled by unicorns. One more specialized system isn't going to break anything, and we can always go back to the 25mm gatlings if we need too.

>>3514132
>I-is it chili again?” She asks, hopefully.
If she wants more girlfriend chili she actually has to become Morgan's girlfriend. Whether that's worth it Is up to her.

>>3514341
>[x] I'm liking the sound of the forties. They'll be more accurate and hit harder at longer ranges than our guns

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[x] I'm liking the sound of the forties. They'll be more accurate and hit harder at longer ranges than our guns.

“I'm liking the sound of the forties.” You say as you knead the bread dough. It feels almost strange, you think- you're here cooking dinner and discussing installing some of the most advanced hardware in the world on one of the- if not the- most advanced jet fighters in existence like it's a discussion of what to watch on TV. “They'll be more accurate and hit harder at longer ranges than our guns.”

“This is true.” Kyou says. “And the time installing them can be spent fitting additional foci for my use.”

“P-probably.” Merlin cautions. “They're first-run designs out of my shop. I'd planned to p-put them in pods, but t-thinking about it, this is a b-better use. I-I'll call Emily a-and see if they can install a-an additional focus o-on the guns, but I-I'm not sure they'll be a-able to.”

“So this will make our cannons more effective?” Kyou asks.

“W-well, m-mostly. T-there is a trade off in t-that these won't s-shoot as fast or a-as much, s-so they won't work a-as well for s-strafing runs, but t-they'll be better for tank p-plinking and that s-sort of thing.” Merlin says.

“You had mentioned an ordinance bay rebuild, as well.” Kyou says.

“O-oh, yes.” Merlin responds. “I-I've never b-been happy with the changes to t-the postwar wyvern d-design. I-I was thinking of restoring the wartime configuration, which would b-be easy to do for my team. T-the other option w-would be t-to delete the dorsal weapons stations f-for VLS tubes.” She pause. “H-highly expiremental V-VLS tubes.”

“VLS?” Kyou asks. “How? That seems impossible.”

“O-Only mostly.” Merlin explains. “I-it's an out g-growth of my w-wartime work. T-the trouble i-is it requires a c-charged foci to work.” You turn back to the sink in time to see her frown. “W-well, that's not t-true. I-if we can't keep a charged f-focus in t-there, it'll explode and d-destroy the mount.” She pauses. “A-and the aircraft.”

“That seems like a bit of a risk.” You point out. “More than the navy would be comfortable with.”

“T-they already o-ordered a testbed f-fighter with one i-installed.” Merlin says. “F-for china lake.” She pauses. “L-lotus Earhart was g-going to be borrowed to f-fly it, but t-they're going to have to find another p-pilot if s-she ends up flying w-with Ulysses.”

1/2

“So this VLS, I assume it must be heavily modified.” Kyou asks. “The ship based system's missiles aren't compatible with air-to-air or air-to-surface applications, unless we intend to use the type 5 or type 9 standard missiles from my country.”

“I-It is. K-kind of.” Merlin says. “I-it's not a mark f-forty one, i-it's still a specialized d-design f-for the wyvern. It w-was designed to fire a-anything i-in inventory. W-we can pack s-some of the shorter surface t-to air missiles i-in there too, ESSMs a-and SM-2 block t-threes, but n-nothing with a b-booster.”

“How many cells?” Kyou asks.

“S-six.” Merlin responds. “I-It's a s-significant improvement o-on the wyvern's c-capability to c-carry weapons, but i-it won't work w-with g-gun pods or special w-weapons, really. B-but it'll quad pack any a-air to air missile w-we have in inventory, a-and it w-works much b-better for off bore launches.”

“Hmm.” Kyou says. “I do not think I like the additional risk to the aircraft. How often does the focus need to be charged for the Dirac field to maintain integrity around the launcher?”

“S-seventy two hours.” Merlin says. “M-maybe a little l-longer, but t-that's the limit w-we've been able to get o-out of the system we u-use. It can draw f-from striker t-testing foci, but the drain i-is significant enough to e-empty one of those in f-four hours. T-the design right now u-uses three foci f-for the field, s-so they can be changed out i-in an emergency t-to maintain the f-field.”

Kyou frowns, and thinks for a moment. “Morgan,” She says after a minute. “I do not think the additional risk is acceptable. We should only have the payload bays restored to their wartime configuration, do you agree?”

[] Yeah. I trust you auntie, but that's a lot to put on the fighter that's going to need careful care and feeding at sea.
[] Not really. That VLS sounds like it would a real asset in combat.

>>3514564
>[] Yeah. I trust you auntie, but that's a lot to put on the fighter that's going to need careful care and feeding at sea.

As awesome as slinging SM-2s sound, I want to keep with what works.

>>3514564
>[x] Yeah. I trust you auntie, but that's a lot to put on the fighter that's going to need careful care and feeding at sea.

>>3514564
>[X] Yeah. I trust you auntie, but that's a lot to put on the fighter that's going to need careful care and feeding at sea.
Nope nope nope we are explodey enough

>>3514564
>[X] Yeah. I trust you auntie, but that's a lot to put on the fighter that's going to need careful care and feeding at sea.

>>3514564
>[X] Yeah. I trust you auntie, but that's a lot to put on the fighter that's going to need careful care and feeding at sea.

If we need to start filling our battlespace with SM-2's we can just data-link with a Tico or Burke.

I'd rather not explode if/when Kyou runs out of juice at the end of an extended fight.

>>3514564
>[X] Yeah. I trust you auntie, but that's a lot to put on the fighter that's going to need careful care and feeding at sea.

>>3514564
>[x] Yeah. I trust you auntie, but that's a lot to put on the fighter that's going to need careful care and feeding at sea.

>>3514564
>[] Yeah. I trust you auntie, but that's a lot to put on the fighter that's going to need careful care and feeding at sea.
as much fun as launching a Macross Missile Massacre would be, being alive is more fun.

>>3514564
>[x] Yeah. I trust you auntie, but that's a lot to put on the fighter that's going to need careful care and feeding at sea.

I mean, we are strapped into a machine that is essentially a fuel tank ripping throught he sky on a plume of burning fuel, but additional explodium is a little concerning.
Is this hammerspace that we are turning down?

>>3514564
>[x] Yeah. I trust you auntie, but that's a lot to put on the fighter that's going to need careful care and feeding at sea.

Sounds like something you would want to put on a more dedicated platform.

>>3514605
>Sounds like something you would want to put on a more dedicated platform.

Yeah, like a B-1 or maybe B-52 just so you can fill the sky with missiles.

>>3514564
>[X] Yeah. I trust you auntie, but that's a lot to put on the fighter that's going to need careful care and feeding at sea.
Missile bays of Holding sounds like something that should be it's own platform so you can deploy a flying pocket Burke inland. It doesn't really mesh well with the wyvern unless the plan is to use stealth to infiltrate a location before emptying the entire bay in one alpha strike like a submarine using TLAMs.

>“W-well, m-mostly. T-there is a trade off in t-that these won't s-shoot as fast or a-as much, s-so they won't work a-as well for s-strafing runs, but t-they'll be better for tank p-plinking and that s-sort of thing.” Merlin says.
If we ever need to strafe area ground targets as a primary mission we can just we can just bring gun pods.

Ok, votes called!

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[x] Yeah. I trust you auntie, but that's a lot to put on the fighter that's going to need careful care and feeding at sea.

You frown, but nod. “Yeah.” You say. “I trust you auntie, but that's a lot to put on the fighter that's going to need attention at sea.”

Merlin nods. “I-I understand. T-that covers two of t-the three big things.”

“What is the third thing, if I may ask?” Kyou asks.

“E-engines. W-we've been developing a suite of s-specialised focii for t-them. Right n-now we have three sets. T-they're built into the e-engine so we c-can't change them out without c-changing out the engines themselves.” She says, pushing her glasses up. “M-morgan, c-can you make me some o-of your tea? I-I didn't sleep w-well and I-I have a headache.”

You nod. “Of course auntie.” You say, stepping out of the kitchen and rummaging in your seabag for a small wooden box. You walk back into the kitchen, noting Kyou's curious gaze as you set it down next to the sink and pull out a small, battered steel tea infuser and a sealed jar of blended leaves. You fill the infuser with a generous pinch of them, then fill a mug from the cupboard with water and stick it in the mircowave over the stove. The tea blend is one you learned from- where else- maman, and it's one of the best general pain cures you know of. It'll knock back a headache better than aspirin and helps a little when you're tired and sore.

“Old secret.” You say, closing the box up and pushing it out of the way. Kyou looks interested, but doesn't comment. Instead she turns back to Merlin as you turn back to your rising bread dough- it's about right, but not quite. “You had mentioned foci?”

“O-oh, yes. Sorry.” Merlin says. “W-we've developed t-three sets w-with improved engines. T-the first set w-will reduce the draw f-for WEP use. I-it should make it easier to maintain power t-to the engines without w-wearing you out so fast.”

Kyou scoffs. “I hardly felt any draw during our training flight.” She says.

1/2

“I-it can sneak up o-on you.” Merlin responds. “T-the second w-works the other way. I-it acts as a r-reinforcing focus, a-and allows the engines to draw m-much more power for more s-speed in WEP. N-not many witches can r-run it for more than a f-few seconds. I c-can run it for about a m-minute sustained.” She says. “W-we were testing it when I g-got our fighter to mach t-three.”

You nod as the microwave finishes heating the water. You pull it out and drop the infuser in, watching as the tea blend releases a muddy red color- almost like blood- swirling into the water. You set the mug infront of Merlin, who nods gratefully and takes the mug in both hands, pulling towards her. “Let that sit for a minute, auntie.” You say as the earthy smell of the tea rises out on the steam.

“T-the third,” She says, blowing on the tea to cool it, “W-will help mask the IR signature o-of the jet. It won't m-make you invisible, b-but it will reduce the r-range IRST and similar s-systems will work a-against you. I-it could a-also make defeating IR missiles e-easier.”

Kyou frowns, then nods to herself. “I can handle increased draw, and I believe the additional speed will be a great boon to us.” She says, looking at you. You can see her sniffing the air gently, though, a puzzled expression on her face.

[] I disagree- I'd rather you were able to devote more energy to other things if I use WEP more often.
[] I agree, it sounds like it's worth the increased draw.
[] I think I'd rather have the IR bafflers.

>>3514674

[] I agree, it sounds like it's worth the increased draw.

This seems tailor made for her

>>3514674
>[x] I think I'd rather have the IR bafflers.

>>3514674
>[] I think I'd rather have the IR bafflers.
With how much we like sneakin' this seems like a good choice.

>>3514674
>[X] I agree, it sounds like it's worth the increased draw.

>>3514674
>[] I think I'd rather have the IR bafflers.
Kyou may have a ridiculous limit to her shield, but there's no point in finding out in the middle of actual combat.

>>3514674
>[X] I agree, it sounds like it's worth the increased draw.

>>3514674
>[X] I agree, it sounds like it's worth the increased draw.

This opens up options wewouldn't normally have, in a dogfight, power is very helpful. We just have to be more sparing with it.

>You can see her sniffing the air gently, though, a puzzled expression on her face.
Awoo is intrigued

>>3514674
>[x] I think I'd rather have the IR bafflers.

ok, votes called!

>>3514674
>[x] I think I'd rather have the IR bafflers
Kyou is powerful enough to push our jet to mach 3 already, and probably keep us going on sustained WEP for a while. We'll probably get better milage out of the IR bafflers

>>3514732

Going to count you as the tiebreaker vote.

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[x] I think I'd rather have the IR bafflers.

“I think I'd rather have the IR bafflers.” You say. “Means we can close in more easily, and being able to beat heaters more easily is going to work to our advantage in a furball.”

Kyou thinks for a moment, but nods. “You may be correct.” She says.

“That j-just leaves the conventional t-things.” Merlin says. “Y-your conformal p-packs and booms a-and pods.”

“These are the modular systems?” Kyou asks, and Merlin nods.

“S-semi modular. T-they can be changed out, b-but it's time consuming a-and we try to avoid it w-whenever we can. T-the conformal systems have t-three variants. T-the first is half-fuel tank, a-and extends your range b-by about f-four hundred miles at cruise. T-the other half i-is a missile bay, i-it can handle t-three AMRAAMS o-or four Sidewinders, b-but nothing else. T-the other is half f-fuel, and the other part i-is ECM equipment a-and TALD bays. T-the last w-we have right now i-is double weapon bays. T-they can carry six AMRAAMS o-or eight sidewinders each.” She shrugs, taking a sip of her tea and sighing happily. “I-I don't do much work with the FAST packs, b-but I do have a few designs I'm w-working on.”

“How's the tea?” You ask. One of the issues with it, you've found, is it can be bitter, especially with older ingredients- and you mixed this batch before you left for here. It doesn't seem to work when you sweeten it with sugar, but honey and lemon are both ok.

“A little b-bitter.” She says. You nod, pulling out a squeeze bottle of honey you'd gotten for morning biscuits and handing it to her.

“And the pods?” Kyou prompts.

“T-the two we use t-the most are either a laser a-antimissile system o-or a sensor cluster.” Merlin says. “T-the antimissile system i-is automatic, it's c-controlled by the AI, b-but will draw from you to power itself. T-the sensors a-are mostly designed to h-help with close r-range data gathering, a-and can counter some s-stealth talents.”

Kyou thinks for a moment. “I believe we should mount the additional missiles and the sensors.” She says. “That would increase our lethality, and provide us deeper magazines to pull from in heavy combat, which may be necessary.”

[] I agree, that's the best setup for us, I think. (Weapon FAST and Sensor pods)
[] I think we'd be better served with (pick one each)

{} Mixed Fuel and weapon FAST
{} Mixed Fuel and Sensor FAST
{} Weapon FAST

{} Antimissile system
{} Sensor pods

>>3514763
>[x] I agree, that's the best setup for us, I think. (Weapon FAST and Sensor pods)

>can counter some s-stealth talents
Yes please

>>3514763
>[X] I agree, that's the best setup for us, I think. (Weapon FAST and Sensor pods)

>>3514763
] I agree, that's the best setup for us, I think. (Weapon FAST and Sensor pods)

The missile defense is redundant with kyou around, and 400mi isn't that much of a gain compared to the extra ordinance.

>>3514763
>[X] I agree, that's the best setup for us, I think. (Weapon FAST and Sensor pods)

>>3514763
>{} Mixed Fuel and Sensor FAST
FUEL

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>>3514763
>[x] I think we'd be better served with
>{x} Mixed Fuel and Sensor FAST
>{x} Sensor pods
Never underestimate these little fucks, and with later upgrades we can probably get MALD-Js, which are basically just flying jammers of "fuck you"

>>3514763
>[] I think we'd be better served with (pick one each)
>{} Weapon FAST
>{} Antimissile system
touch all the enemies, but let none of them touch us! between Kyou's shields, the IR Bafflers, and the AMS, we'd be ALMOST unstoppable.

>>3514777
Forgot to add, but the TALD and MALD can mimic the signatures of combat aircraft, so we can make it look like we're backed up by a flight of hornets or tomcats. The MALD-J upgrade would probably allow them to mimic drakes as well, making it even more horrifying.

ok, votes called! this should be the last one for the night, guys, sorry for running late. and slow. and starting late. Haha!

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[x] I agree, that's the best setup for us, I think. (Weapon FAST and Sensor pods)

You nod. “I think I agree. The additional sensors will help, and so will the missiles.”

“Especially with a bay reconfiguration.” Kyou supplies. “It will mean we can carry almost as many as if we had the VLS.”

“G-give or take.” Merlin says. “O-of course, the VLS s-system can a-also pair with the weapon FAST pack, a-and that's forty plus sidewinders, e-exclusive of what you've g-got loaded in the nacelle o-or centerline bays.”

Kyou nods. “If it should become more stable at a later date, will we be able to add the VLS to our fighter?” She asks.

Merlin frowns, looking into her tea. “I-I don't think so. W-we use this chance to d-do most of this work because i-it's the best time period we h-have. Once you h-have your plugs installed, t-there won't be the s-sustained down time necessary, unless w-we get clearance from the n-navy to do the work.”

“So it's now or never.” You ask.

“F-for the major changes, y-yes.” Merlin responds. “FAST packs are e-easier to change and w-we can do that aboard ship if w-we have to. T-the same goes for the pod mounted e-equipment. W-we can change the engine enhancements out h-here or at any o-other major NAS w-without much trouble, j-just a day or two of downtime. B-but the guns and VLS r-require fabrication and f-fitting, a-and I want my team here for t-that.” She says.

You and Kyou both nod at that. “So if we want to make any changes, what's our deadline?” You ask.

“S-sunday night.” Merlin responds. “M-my team will be h-here Monday morning and we'll s-start work then. We probably won't have t-time to change any thing else this w-week, and you'll be flying n-next week very heavily. I-I won't mind if you change your mind before then though.” She says. “A-and you'll be w-working as my combat t-testbed, so there will be t-time to install other things l-later.”

Kyou looks pleased at that. “I look forward to it.” She says. “And I will learn everything I can to help you develop these systems. I have already begun studying mechanical engineering, though my academy degree was in magical studies. Still, I will not disappoint.”

Merlin looks happy to hear Kyou say it. “Y-you did say y-you were going to be as good a-as me, one day.” She says. “A-and maybe it's t-time I took an apprentice.”

Kyou looks about like she could faint with excitement.- that she doesn't is probably testament to her strength of will. You'd be impressed more if not for the sudden gurgles and squeals that emanate from her stomach.

You blink- you totally forgot breakfast.

And that's it for the week!

So I know the update pace was glacial and I started late, and I'm sorry for that and will work on it. It's been pretty busy here, of course- and my folks have wasted no time in shanghaiing me into doing everything possible around here, haha. Apparently they've got a 'few' fabrication projects for me now, too.

As always, I'll be around to answer questions or generally chat till next week, but otherwise, till then gents, cheers!

>>3514860
>You'd be impressed more if not for the sudden gurgles and squeals that emanate from her stomach.
Sure we're going to have enough shiken?

>>3514862
Thanks for the run Ghost!

>>3514862
No worries boss, life always finds a way to intrude, thanks for the run.

>>3514862
Thanks for the run boss.

>>3514862
Reading Merlin's stutter all the time is a little bit..annoying. But if you want to keep it in that's your choice.

So how many rounds will we be able to carry for the 40mm Combination guns that are replacing our four GAU-22s?

>>3514601
Yes this is hammerspace we turned down. Congratulations!

>>3515346
>>3514613
>>3514605
>>3514611
And another thing. Do y'all really comprehend exactly how much better at killing stuff in the air an SM-2 is over an AMRAAM or Sidewinder? It's like comparing a butter knife to a SCAR. More range, better warhead, better tracking, and that's just the SM-2. That's not including the verstility that it gives being able to bring the LRASM or literally anything else without a booster that can fit in the damn VLS. The only issue is a VERY minor risk that we'll explode into a puff of sparkles and JP5.

>>3515346
Sounds more like the hammerspace bays on steroids, just with far more risk then the originals. Also Ghost did say they made a few sets of the originals but they are only installed when necessary, so it's less us saying no to hammerspace bays and more us saying no to ones that might explode us.

>>3515408
>Hammerspace bays that can carry more missiles than the originals and can also store SM-2s and LRASMs and only have a minor chance of exploding on us, and having better off-bore targetting meaning Kyou can go apeshit with them and it'll be fine.

vs

>Not shooting off SM-2s with silly levels of off bore targeting while performing a Kulbit at Mach 3.

All kinds of no-fun allowed.

Regardless, 40mm Combination Guns, that's crazy, who cares if we won't have as much dakka as before, our strafing capability will be as good if not better than the A-10 in terms of fear that we can put into our enemies.

>>3515424
Did Ghost actually say it could fire SM-2s or are you just assuming? Merlin's lines imply that it just fires AIM-9s.

>>3516831
>“I-It is. K-kind of.” Merlin says. “I-it's not a mark f-forty one, i-it's still a specialized d-design f-for the wyvern. It w-was designed to fire a-anything i-in inventory. W-we can pack s-some of the shorter surface t-to air missiles i-in there too, ESSMs a-and SM-2 block t-threes, but n-nothing with a b-booster.”

>>3516838
Hmm, interesting, but its notable that it requires a three-day charging period, so while it would've been neat to have, remember that the enemy gets a vote too and worst case scenario the Wyvern can't use its most powerful weapons as a result of the enemy attacking during this down period, especially if we burn through the foci too quickly.

That said, in the likely inevitable mid-series upgrade, we can always opt to pick a VLS for that if we get the option.

>>3516905
>but its notable that it requires a three-day charging period
It needs to be charged every three days, not charged for three days.

>>3516908
I misread that then, either way I don't believe that number accounts for combat use, and while I don't know about how reliable the foci are, very high end and experimental tech tends to be the most testy, we still don't know what brought down that B-1W but it could very well be related to the foci rather than the engines as we previously thought now that I think about it.

>>3515378
I initially voted against the VLS but in light of the later options presented to us I think we should reconsider. Also the end of the thread felt really rushed, I missed the other votes and they only had 10 and 6 voters out of 58 posters. But Merlin said the decisions aren't final yet, I think we should take the time to ask her for more details and more importantly talk with Kyou about her abilities before we make a final decision on anything.

I'm going to do some research on our weapon options, starting with the cannons.

>>3517028
>Also the end of the thread felt really rushed
Felt more like Ghost was back at a decent rhythm of writing updates and calling votes closer to the 20 min mark he tries to shoot for.

>they only had 10 and 6 voters out of 58 posters
10-12 votes per update has been about the average for this thread not including the votes left up overnight.

>>3517028
>and they only had 10 and 6 voters out of 58 posters
This thread goes on over different timezones. Only a fraction of those 58 will vote unless its a important vote like Kyou's. And I'm ok with that.

>>3515378
My problem with the VLS cells are the mission profile, Chicom strategy revolves around swarm tactics, and six missiles just aren't enough to deal.

So, while we're in the interim between the bi-weekly run I just thought I'd drop in and say that I wrote another thing. Once again it's on the Gdoc because muh formatting. Hope you folks enjoy!

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1LWF8A4QgKFAaBAveFq9X-LDL3xnvT-l-KMHMDpea6es/edit?usp=sharing

>>3517028
We just spent an entire day voting on load outs. That doesn’t feel rushed to me. Not everyone is going to get what they want. I didn’t get the extra fuel that I’ve been ranting about because the majority wanted more toys. I think it’s stupid, but I don’t want to waste time with revotes. If it swings back the other way on something then someone else may want yet another revote.

>>3517106
If we don't put any VLS required missiles in there we can fit the same amount of missiles as the entire old Wyvern in there. Plus the FAST Packs. Plus the centerline bay. That's A LOT of boom.

>>3514563
>delete the dorsal weapons stations f-for VLS tubes.”

>>3514860
>“G-give or take.” Merlin says. “O-of course, the VLS s-system can a-also pair with the weapon FAST pack, a-and that's forty plus sidewinders, e-exclusive of what you've g-got loaded in the nacelle o-or centerline bays.”

>>3514564
>“S-six.” Merlin responds. “I-It's a s-significant improvement o-on the wyvern's c-capability to c-carry weapons, but i-it won't work w-with g-gun pods or special w-weapons, really. B-but it'll quad pack any a-air to air missile w-we have in inventory, a-and it w-works much b-better for off bore launches.”

File: Bofors 3P Shell.pdf (3.61 MB, PDF)

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>“F-forty millimeter. W-we can only mount t-two, a-and they're r-revolver cannons, b-but-”
So the choices given are sticking with the quad GAU-22s or using dual 40mm revolver cannons. GAU-22s are the same 25mm gatlings the F-35 uses, it's an improvement over the earlier GAU-12 used by the Harrier in that it has 4 barrels instead of 5, which makes the gun lighter and more accurate. Compared to the earlier 20mm M61A2 used by Hornets and F-22s it shoots half as fast, but fires shells of twice the weight.

The 40mm is a bit of an unknown but we can estimate several things from the description. 40mm means BIG shells, and technology has marched on since WW2. Merlin's gun might use entirely new ammo but the closest thing IRL is modern 3P Bofors shells (see PDF) that incorporate a layer of preformed pellets for more reliable fragmentation and a programmable proximity fuse. Each shell weighs almost one whole kilogram, which is 10x the weight of a 20mm shell and about 4.5x the weight of a 25mm. Revolver cannons operate differently from gatlings in that they have a rotating cylinder with multiple chambers firing down a single barrel. This gives them a lower rate of fire in the 1000-2500rpm range but they have several advantages, they are lighter than a gatling of the same calibre, more accurate because of the single fixed barrel and in short bursts they actually fire faster than a gatling because they don't need to accelerate to a maximum rotation speed. As described by Merlin the system is partially electromagnetic with velocities similar to a railgun, but I'm guessing they would be coilguns instead because of the revolver component. IRL experimental railguns can fire at 2.5km/s or higher, so a conservative estimate would be 40mm shells flying at 2km/s, twice the speed of 20 or 25mm shells with better accuracy and effective range. TLDR = Awesome.

-cont

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>>3517774
or you could mount something like this.
https://www.baesystems.com/en/product/cased-telescoped-ammunition
and
https://www.baesystems.com/en/product/cased-telescoped-cannon

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>>3517774
GAU-22s have a designed effective range of about 1.2km against air targets. By comparison modern naval 40mm mounts have an anti-aircraft range of 3-4km or a range of 10km against surface targets, and those figures are for a non-electromagnetic surface platforms with a muzzle velocity of just 1km/s. Direct hits on air targets will be absolutely devastating and the addition of proximity fuses would increase lethality, we would no longer have to hit a target directly to destroy it. By firing in an arc we could hit targets at very long range unless they actively try to dodge our shots, and slow targets like helicopters won't stand a chance either. We could even theoretically use our guns to shoot down enemy missiles as these shells are already used in a CIWS role.

We do lose a bit in the ground strafing department, the slower rate of fire doesn't have the same target saturation that the gatlings do even if the shells hit harder individually. I don't think that's a huge issue because we could always take standard gun pods if we ever have a specific need for that sort of thing. The bigger guns are also better against point targets like emplacements and vehicles. 40mm shells are more destructive in terms of payload and accuracy and can airburst to destroy infantry and equipment behind cover. A 40mm HE shell has enough mass to penetrate most vehicles short of an actual tank, APFSDS rounds for anti tank use also exist but they can't be used by aircraft because the sabots would fly back and possibly get sucked into the engine. We would have to use API shot like the warthog with a tungsten core fixed inside a shell of lighter metal, or maybe even solid metal shot like a ww2 tank shell. Even with magical and gauss booting that probably won't be enough to threaten a modern MBT but it will sure make a mess out of anything else.

Since these are magic guns we will need to tap power from Kyou to fire them at full power, or possibly fire them at all depending on how the gun works and how much propellant there is behind each shell. I'm not sure how sparkles factor into damage calculations but if witches can put enough magic into a rifle bullet to make it lethal to aircraft then Kyou is going to do unholy things with a 40mm shell. Needless to say these cannons are going to turn enemy witches into chunky salsa.

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>>3517821
Neat, it's like a fuckhuge G11 action only sideways. The rate of fire is only 200rpm though, that's rather on the low side for air combat even with such big shells. Might be able to combine elements of the two designs. Telescopic ammo would work great in a traditional revolver cannon, the cylinder could be made much shorter and the rounds would be easier to store. Caseless ammo would be even better but even with magitech they might not have that by 2016.

Here's a picture of the old style of 40mm shell. The amount of powder in the case increases dramatically with shell weight. The 25mm on the far right is what the GAU-22 shoots, the 30mm beside it is what A-10s shoot. Not sure where the 35mm is from but the 40mm is for a bofors and the tube beside it is a dummy CTAS round.

>>3515266
The amount of ammo depends on how the gun works, it's described as a combination gas-coilgun, or possibly railgun. Modern aircraft cannons typically fire shells at 1000m/s. In order to accelerate the projectile to that speed you need enough powder, in the case of 40mm that's a LOT of powder as you can see in the pic. So if we had to use traditional brass cased ammo in our gun our capacity would be very limited, maybe as low as a few dozen rounds per gun. However if the gas system is only there to provide an initial boost and the coilgun does most of the work the cartridges could be made much smaller. You would only need a minimal amount of powder to give the shell that initial kick to 250-500m/s and then the coilgun takes over and catapults the shell out at 2km/s or even higher.

Merlin said that our weapons will cap out on volume long before we cap out on weight, that's why she's interested in mounting a pocket dimension VLS and using a big 40mm cannon instead of twin gatlings. It makes sense because one big gun will take up less room than two GAU-22s mounted side by side and you reclaim further space by using a single ammo feed instead of two. If she can implement telescopic or caseless ammo each individual 40mm round will have a lower powder to volume ratio compared to a 25mm round. So our overall firepower will increase even if the number of individual shots we carry is reduced.

>>3518032
>you reclaim further space by using a single ammo feed instead of two
Any chance a single feed can jam ?

>>3519952
Always, but allocating more space for a single feed means you're going to have a more reliable beefier feed system than 2 smaller ones taking up more small combined but are more fragile individually.

>>3519956
more space combined*

Basically in modern aircraft cannons the delinker/feed tray are the most important and vulnerable parts, feed systems have been worked out for a long time now.

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>>3519952
It could jam, but the chance would be reduced because all of the mechanical parts are going to be stronger to deal with the increased weight of the rounds. There's a lot of fascinating mechanical engineering that goes into ammunition feed systems. Here's a pic of the GAU-8 system that the A-10 uses, a ww2 cannon firing at 800rpm instead of 3900 rpm would just have "a box" and be a small fraction of the size.

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This is the M61 vulcan gun used on the F-16. The bit that sticks out on the left side is the loading gate. The F-15 has a similar setup with the drum mounted vertically instead of horizontally.

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This is the version of the M61 the hornet uses, it's shaped differently because it fits in the nose of the plane between the cockpit and radar.

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Not all gatlings use a drum magazine, another common design is to use a "box" magazine with a zig zagging belt. Depending on the plane this can be easier to fit into the airframe, it can fit neatly into the space between two bulkheads and orienting all of the shells parallel to the gun removes the need for a curving belt section. The F-35A uses a magazine of this type, the F-22 also has one that is long and thin to fit along the bottom of the plane.

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This cannon/magazine combo is a BK-27 cannon, specifically the one mounted on the Eurofighter. You'll notice how tiny the feed mechanism is compared to the gatlings, a lot of that reduction comes from the fact that it's a revolver cannon.

Gatling guns require an additional de-link mechanism that strips rounds off of the moving belt and feeds them into the gun, this is necessary because rotating the barrel assembly cocks and releases the firing pins. If you shoot a gatling gun and then take your finger off the trigger it will continue to spin for a short period, if it's connected directly to the ammo feed it will continue to shoot too. So the delinker pulls rounds off of the belt, feeds them into the gun and returns the empty cases back onto the belt in the same action, a very quick and complicated operation at 3000-6000 rpm.

Revolver guns don't need any of this because they are gas operated, firing off a round is what rotates the cylinder and loads the next shot. When using a linkless system you can simply feed the entire belt into the gun, out the other side and back into the magazine.

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Think I know what the first piece of art for Kyou needs to be.

I wouldn't mind having our Drake (if we are allowed), receiving a custom paint job. For some reason having a Wyvern be painted in a Martin War throwback sounds tempting.

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>>3521458
AFAIK since WW2 the navy has always been no fun allowed in regards to plane livery (unlike the army). That was later amended to allow for squadron markings on the tailfins but recently things are back to no fun allowed for both the navy and the army because half of the stealth in a stealth plane comes from the surface coating and you can't paint over it. That's why F-22s and F-35s are mostly grey with low visibility markings denoted in lighter shades.

But if you want a classic martian war paint scheme I would pick USAAF night fighter/bomber camo. Flat black with selective red trim and id markings.

>>3522487

That sounds suitably scary and would be a pain to spot in a Visual-Range furball at night.

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>>3521458
>>3522487
We'll probably be able to take something reasonable. If the Marines are using a camo scheme on their Wyverns inspired by the F-4 it probably means they've made it so the paint doesn't interfere as much with the stealth coating as it could, or at the very least with those colors. Maybe something in the mix itself? Anyways, pic related is similar to how our Wyvern is painted up right now. There'll probably be a vote on how to paint it later after we get famous. All I really want is the AC2 Phoenix on our tails since it seems appropriate...

Also, friendly reminder Merlin's possibly strengthening the airframe and giving it a new experimental coating on top of the upgrades we're getting, she said so earlier.
>I’m g-going to want to talk t-to the board a-about some planned w-work we were doing with our t-test jets in strengthening their skeletons a-and skin against unusual stresses

Other then the strengthening for EUROBEAT INTENSIFIES inertialess drifting, they're probably both necessary with Kyou's WEP speed, mach 3.31. About 208 MPH faster than the stated speed for the Blackbird.

>>3522618

So wait, thanks to Kyou, we could do a flip-and-burn?

>>3522916
While the plane could probably take it I remind anon that our internal organs are still squishy.

>>3522925

Good point, the g-forces would likely turn our organs into something resembling soup.

>>3522925
>>3522938
Kyou's talent(s) turned off G-forces on us and the Wyvern while active, a flip-and-burn should be within the realm of possibility among other things.

Still curious about her talent though. We don't know exactly how it works, but Kyou does. While she was hinting at it before, she's kind of obligated to explain it to us now, and probably Merlin too. At the very least I'm assuming the "flaming shield" thing is from her somehow shunting the energy out of her bubble.

>>3523127

Oh damn, I would love to see the face of a witch the first time we pull a stunt like that. Because to be frank, it would be absolutely hilarious and would probably give Ice flashbacks to the stunts that Frank and Samantha pulled off.

>>3523127
She’s going to have to balance between pushing the engines and keeping us alive though. So the theoretical top end may be higher than what she can actually maintain.