You start rolling a second later, following, as Wendy is, the direction of the deck marshal, who guides you to the portside catapult, pulling you right onto the catapult track. The final checks, done by the deck crew, go incredibly quickly, and the crew runs back the catapult shuttle and has you hooked up with breakaway links only a few minutes after you've rolled off your parking space.

The shooter- a term the IJN has adopted from the USN- goes through his usual gyrations before looking up at your fighter as Wendy's sends her off, the lighter fighter jumping off the deck seemingly as soon as it's rolling. He salutes and you return it, quickly turning your head to get your helmet against the headrest pad on the ejection seat- not that it does much good as the sudden acceleration of the catapult going still causes it to punch you in the back of the head.

You roll as Kyou retracts the landing gear and does a final check. "Gear up and locked, board is green." She announces, somewhat unnecessarily, given the MIU. Still, it's normal to do so- you're sure they're listening, back aboard the Kaga. "I have full connectivity on all elements, Weapons are stowed and safed, master arm is off."

"Two" Wendy calls, confirming that status for herself as well. You don't have to say anything, of course- nor are you expected to. It's almost funny- Kyou acts as your voice in almost all communications except with other element aircraft, unless otherwise directed. You almost forget the IJN witches as they jump off the deck to join you, their presence sold to you by Kyou as a necessary risk. With the ranges involved they should be fine, you know- and, as she pointed out, you may well have reason to welcome their availability, should the airspace get too crowded.

2/3 (oops)

"Our patrol anchor is twenty miles off the coast." Munnin says, displaying the anchor- it's really more of a check point than anything else, with your orders and flight plan specifically allowing you to roam over a fairly large area to stir up the hornet's nest. You've got the freedom to hit targets of opportunity- and with the EML, the firepower to do some appreciable damage to some of them- though your orders explicitly forbid hitting the airbase at Wonsan if it can be avoided. "Latest intel hasn't updated the threat assessment, but the Chinese are bound to have reinforced the area since our last flight here."

"I can begin intrusion work." Lovelace says- his voice remarkably normal, owing to Kyou's dictate that he 'speaks normally' in the aircraft. "But if I do, I won't be able to assist with defensive measures."

"Any disruption of their command network may also mean we miss Chinese assets." Kyou warns. "If they're unable to launch or respond to an alert, or the alert is limited."

"And if I don't disrupt their command net, they'll be able to slow me down much more effectively." Lovelace says. "Ideally it won't matter unless they've got assets they're hiding from the regional command net, they're known to do that with their most elite elements sometimes. I can wait, but once the alert goes up they'll be looking for any kind of intrusion."

[] Have Lovelace do his thing now- you're not expecting to be on your anchor for more than ten to fifteen minutes anyway.
[] Have Lovelace wait- elite elements sounds like it would describe a fandance unit, and you need to know if that's here or not.

>>4319323
>[X] Have Lovelace wait- elite elements sounds like it would describe a fandance unit, and you need to know if that's here or not.

>>4319323
>[x] Have Lovelace wait- elite elements sounds like it would describe a fandance unit, and you need to know if that's here or not.

>>4319323
>[] Have Lovelace wait- elite elements sounds like it would describe a fandance unit, and you need to know if that's here or not.

Now is not the time to get cute

>>4319323
>[] Have Lovelace wait- elite elements sounds like it would describe a fandance unit, and you need to know if that's here or not.

>>4319323
>[x] Have Lovelace wait- elite elements sounds like it would describe a fandance unit, and you need to know if that's here or not.

We are dangerous tonight.

>>4319323
>[X] Have Lovelace wait- elite elements sounds like it would describe a fandance unit, and you need to know if that's here or not.

>>4319323
>[x] Have Lovelace wait- elite elements sounds like it would describe a fandance unit, and you need to know if that's here or not.

Ok, sorry about the delay, had to grab food. Votes called!

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[x] Have Lovelace wait- elite elements sounds like it would describe a fandance unit, and you need to know if that's here or not.

"Not yet." You order the AI. He nods, not needing to hear why, and blinks out, instead absorbing some of the datasharing duties that Muninn normally handles, letting Muninn free up part of his own processing ability to start pulling together all the live data sources covering the target area- which are honestly very limited, consisting primarily of the longest ranged, over the horizion early warning radars aboard the escort ships of the Kaga's battlegroup. While limited, they at least provide some radar picture of the area, detecting, though intermittently, at least six aircraft.

"That's probably their CAP." Muninn notes. "Their route projection at least indicates that they're at the typical Chinese CAP spacing from a major location, and none of them are radiating, so they're probably tied in with a ground based radar we can't see yet."

"A tripwire patrol." Kyou says, somewhat dismissively. "I would be surprised if those are anything other than turncoat Koreans, the Chinese won't waste their own aircraft and pilots in an area they know we operate."

"Most likely." Muninn agrees. "Six aircraft is just enough to engage a raid, but they'll have additional support. If there are fandance assets, it's safe to assume they'll have an element ready to respond to an alert, if nothing else."

1/2

"Fandance engines are too fragile to waste on combat patrols." Kyou says scornfully. "They've less than five hundred hours of lifespan, less if they're run at war power. Typical soviet engineering, and the Chinese built variants are even less capable."

You can feel her dismissal of the aircraft through the link, as if her tone of voice hadn't made it clear enough. Part of that, you know, is just who she is- Kyou has utter faith that the Wyvern in general, and Muninn, specifically, is the best fighter aircraft ever to fly, totally impossible for anyone else to match, let alone beat. It's honestly a little dangerous- you find yourself having to remind yourself more and more frequently that even the best in the game can have an off day, and an off day up here is deadly. Fortunately, Wendy helps keep you focused- the woman is almost terrified she'll make a slip and you'll pay for it, and her utter determination to never make a mistake plays against Kyou's total self-confidence.

It's interesting, you think- there's hints of Aunt Merlin in the MIU too, like little ghosts and pieces of thoughts, scattered and faint. One of these days you'll have to sit down with Kyou and figure out where you stand with her, but not now- and probably not for a little while. You push the thought away with a little help from Muninn.

"We're coming up on our turn in point." Kyou warns. "We're not emitting, but perhaps we should? It would certainly attract attention."

[] Let's hit their tripwire patrol first, and see what they send up. If they know it's us, they might hold back.
[] Light it up, let's see what we can see.

>>4319540
>[] Light it up, let's see what we can see.

We ARE here to be a gigantic nuance and gather info, after all

>>4319540
>[x] Let's hit their tripwire patrol first, and see what they send up. If they know it's us, they might hold back.

Caution is prudent.

>>4319540
>[X] Let's hit their tripwire patrol first, and see what they send up. If they know it's us, they might hold back.

>>4319540
>[X] Let's hit their tripwire patrol first, and see what they send up. If they know it's us, they might hold back.

>>4319540
>[X] Let's hit their tripwire patrol first, and see what they send up. If they know it's us, they might hold back.

>>4319540
>[x] Light it up, let's see what we can see.

Ok, votes called! Sorry about the slow pace tonight gents, I was trying to multitask and knock out a bit of homework, too. the good news is, I remember how to read a micrometer again now!

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[x] Let's hit their tripwire patrol first, and see what they send up. If they know it's us, they might hold back.

"We'll take their patrol first, and see what they send up." You decide, reasoning that if they know it's you, they may keep assets back, and a more general alert- like the kind touched off by the sudden loss of combat air patrol aircraft- might get a better reaction.

"Understood." Kyou says- you can practically feel the eager energy radiating off of her as you close in on the fight you know is coming. She's looking forward to this in a big way- this, to her, is exactly why she wanted the wyverns in the first place.

"How shall we divide ourselves?" one of the Japanese witches- sho-sa Tosa- asks.

You frown as Kyou opens up a private communications line, roping Wendy in as well. "We should divide them as we did over Seoul." Kyou says. "And change their partners. Allow Sho-sa Tosa to fly with Wendy, while we have Dai-i Kurita remain with us."

"If it's possible, mum, I'd rather fly without either of them." Wendy says. "It's rather difficult to both keep track of a wingmate and make sure my lead isn't in need of my assistance."

"We have discussed this." Kyou responds. "Using you merely as a close guard is a waste of your talent and ability."

Wendy feels unsure about that. You can tell, quite easily, that she's extremely hesitant to admit that she can- and arguably should- be flying with almost total operational freedom in the same airspace as you, even though she's been doing so since she joined you. She's also terrified of being put in a position with command authority- a position both she and Kyou feel she's ill suited for. You're not sure if it's Kyou's thoughts creeping in, or part of the cold logic maman drilled into you- but you agree that, while Wendy is an excellent personal retainer and companion for you and Kyou, she's not, and never will be, a leader of any sort.

The worst part is, you know she'd be perfectly happy with that assessment.

Regardless- you do need her input here, and if this really is your last trial flight with the Japanese witches, you'd like a chance to watch the Dai-i more closely.

[] Have the Sho-sa fly on Wendy's wing. Wendy won't like it much, but she'll still step up and take a swing if you tell her to.
[] Have the Dai-i join on Wendy again. They flew together over Seoul, that may mean Wendy's less nervous about having a wingmate.
[] Keep them both with you- if the Chinese respond in force, you want Wendy at the top of her game.

>>4319774
>[X] Have the Sho-sa fly on Wendy's wing. Wendy won't like it much, but she'll still step up and take a swing if you tell her to.

And that's going to be it for the night! Sorry again about the slow pace- I was comisserating with an actual machinist about a graded part I was making ending up about 0.012 inches under spec for the stage of work I'm at- which means I have to start all over.

It's more than a little frustrating, haha! Oh well.

Anyway gents, We'll be back on tomorrow, and I'll be around a little around lunchtime tomorrow to field questions or comments if there are any- and I should have a discord server up by then, or at least I hope to. Otherwise gents, till then, cheers!

>>4319774
>[] Have the Dai-i join on Wendy again. They flew together over Seoul, that may mean Wendy's less nervous about having a wingmate.

>>4319774
>[x] Have the Sho-sa fly on Wendy's wing. Wendy won't like it much, but she'll still step up and take a swing if you tell her to.

We need to do it for the testing. If shit gets hairy we can have Kyou/Munnin/LL/Whatever keep one eye on the nips.

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>>4319782
Thanks for the run boss.

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>>4319782
See you next time, boss.

>>4319774
>[X] Have the Sho-sa fly on Wendy's wing. Wendy won't like it much, but she'll still step up and take a swing if you tell her to.

>>4319774
>[X] Have the Sho-sa fly on Wendy's wing. Wendy won't like it much, but she'll still step up and take a swing if you tell her to.

>>4319774
>[] Keep them both with you- if the Chinese respond in force, you want Wendy at the top of her game.

>>4319774
>[] Have the Sho-sa fly on Wendy's wing. Wendy won't like it much, but she'll still step up and take a swing if you tell her to.

ok gents, votes called! Slept a bit longer on that nap than I'd wanted, haha!

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[x] Have the Sho-sa fly on Wendy's wing. Wendy won't like it much, but she'll still step up and take a swing if you tell her to.

You think about it for a couple of seconds- all you need, really- before changing over to your squadron-level net. "Sho-sa, you'll be on Commander Maloney's wing." You order, tracking the witch as she splits off from the Dai-i and moves to join Wendy. Wendy feels carefully neutral over the MIU net- she's not happy, but she doesn't plan to complain in the open, either. "Dai-i, join on my wing."

"Understood." The witch responds, taking a traditional spot for witches flying with conventional aircraft- above your starboard wingtip, separated by just enough distance that any sudden need to maneuver won't hit her.

There's no communication after that- Wendy separates her element away from yours by several thousand yards, leaving plenty of room between you for maneuvering without having to slow down, Kyou and Muninn begin tracking the Chinese CAP fighters without going active anywhere- though, as you close in on the Wonsan area, you can feel the wash of radiation over your fighter as you get closer to their search radars. At this range they won't see you yet, but they will soon. One advantage to your loss of ECM gear is that they won't be able to tell you're a drake right away, though that'll change as soon as they get a visual, for sure.

"I have a firing solution on the closest pair." Kyou announces, and you see it via the link- you'd launch the AAM-4s with a solution built on the passive sensor readings and let them go active about ten miles out from their computed intercept point. "Their radars will see the launch, but it will also mean their alert should happen sooner, allowing them less time to think."

"If I'm going to intrude, it's going to be best if I can get into their networks before they alert." Lovelace notes. "Once they do, they'll have every bit of counter intrusion security running they can, and I won't be able to get at much in the time you expect to be here."

"It would be best if we were able to get a comprehensive look at their defenses." Kyou notes.

"Well, I could also get in and forge orders." Lovelace notes. "but I'll need to go soon if I'm going to go at all. Unless you want to keep me here for defensive intrusion into local targets only."

[] That would be best for now, yes.
[] No, go get into their net and gather what information you can. Focus on anything that looks out of place.

>>4320906
>[x] No, go get into their net and gather what information you can. Focus on anything that looks out of place.

We brought him along of a reason, might as well let the spook AI off the leash to do his job.

>>4320906
>[X] No, go get into their net and gather what information you can. Focus on anything that looks out of place.

>>4320906
>[] No, go get into their net and gather what information you can. Focus on anything that looks out of place.

BEHOLD, THE POWER OF DISTILLED AUTISIM

ok, votes called!

>>4320906
>[x] No, go get into their net and gather what information you can. Focus on anything that looks out of place.

>>4320906
>[x] That would be best for now, yes.

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[x] No, go get into their net and gather what information you can. Focus on anything that looks out of place.

"No. Go get into their net. Focus on anything that looks out of place." You order- and just as soon as the words have left your mouth, the AI is gone, launching into the hostile networks with barely a whisper that he's gone. You can almost feel Muninn shift over to occupy the suddenly vacated processing cores, expanding his own computing power- enough so that you can detect the difference as everything seems to slow down just fractionally.

The miles flash by as Kyou works to get firing solutions for the other CAP fighters- you'll have to make a decision soon, you know, but you're trying to wait for as long as possible before alerting them. It won't matter once their radars can detect you, you know, and that's going to be relatively soon- already, you're too close to launch without them seeing the missiles, and you're sure that everything that isn't already radiating will be as soon as you fire the first shot.

"I've got solutions for all hostile aircraft." Kyou calls as you catch the first glimpses of land off your port side- the small town of Kosong sliding by. "We're in range to launch on the closest pair, the remaining pairs won't be in range before either we're on their radar or the close pair detects us. I suggest engaging now."

[] Take the shot on the close pair now- you are here to cause a ruckus, afterall, and if they don't know what you are right away, they'll have to treat you like a major attack.
[] Wait to let them detect you first. They won't know what you are from just radar returns, and they might react like you're a small attack by something else.

>>4321034
>[x] Take the shot on the close pair now- you are here to cause a ruckus, afterall, and if they don't know what you are right away, they'll have to treat you like a major attack.

Better to be proactive than reactive

>>4321034
>[X] Take the shot on the close pair now- you are here to cause a ruckus, afterall, and if they don't know what you are right away, they'll have to treat you like a major attack.

>>4321034
>[x] Take the shot on the close pair now- you are here to cause a ruckus, afterall, and if they don't know what you are right away, they'll have to treat you like a major attack.

>>4321034
>[] Take the shot on the close pair now- you are here to cause a ruckus, afterall, and if they don't know what you are right away, they'll have to treat you like a major attack.

DANGER KITTEN

>>4321034
>[] Take the shot on the close pair now- you are here to cause a ruckus, afterall, and if they don't know what you are right away, they'll have to treat you like a major attack.

Ok, votes called!

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[x] Take the shot on the close pair now- you are here to cause a ruckus, afterall, and if they don't know what you are right away, they'll have to treat you like a major attack.

You pull up the firing solution, speed reviewing it- not that there's going to be any flaw in it for you to find, you know. Even if she is overly aggressive and confident, Kyou, as near as you can tell, doesn't make errors in flight.

Without any errors in the firing solution, you reach over to the console to flip the safety cover off the master arm switch and hit the toggle, arming everything aboard the aircraft in an instant. Wendy follows suit a heartbeat later- notified, no doubt, by the MIU.

You task a pair of AAM-4s from your forward cells for the shot and pull the trigger, sending the missiles rocketing skyward on trails of smoke as they launch from the VLS cell and arc towards their targets, following ballistic trajectories- at this range, they can't go for a direct intercept with any reasonable chance of success.

Both missiles travel for almost twenty miles before they activate their own seeker heads, and all hell breaks loose all at once.

The targeted fighters, their radar warning receivers no doubt suddenly screaming in their ears, both execute harsh evasive break turns in an effort to defeat the AAM-4s guidance and maneuver packages, while every land based radar starts blasting energy out to sea in an effort to find you.

The CAP fighters- you can't even tell what they are, this far out, both disappear off your screens as their defensive efforts fail- even at these ranges, the missiles have more than enough energy to make the intercept and destroy both targets. You see the tangle of debris falling towards the ocean, along with four parachutes- the crews all escaped, it looks like.

That's kicked the hornet's nest, though- search radars rapidly find you, with Muninn not even bothering to sound the warning alarm- you know you've been seen without having to hear it. Multiple fire-control radar sets start pointing in your direction, with Muninn rapidly tagging and categorizing each of them. There's not much you can do about any of them right now, you know, and it looks like there's everything in the Chinese and former KDF inventory out there- from antiquated SA-3s and -4s to much more modern KM-SAM systems and Chinese built HQ-7s and -22s.

1/2

The first missile launched are the oldest- probably hoping to not have to expend more modern, capable weapons against an unknown aircraft- and, even with your reduced ECM package, prove easy to disable, with Muninn simply sending them tracking far below and behind you, somewhere out to sea. They seem to pause after the first volley, though- while you're still being actively painted by fire control radars, they're not launching additional missiles at you.

"Fighters." Muninn warns, seeing them at the same time you do. "Launches from Wonsan, Kang Da Ri, and Kuum-ni."

"Excellent." Kyou says, anticipation evident in her voice. "How many?"

"Multiple." Muninn responds. "They're still launching. Lovelace reports he's going to need at least eight minutes, though longer will be better."

"Easily done." Kyou responds. "If we attack their fighters, they'll be unable to engage us with missiles. I suggest we order Wendy to break and attack, to sow confusion among them."

"Remember that we're only here to see what they send up." Muninn warns. "And with as many fighters as they're scrambling, it's probably best to stay together."

"Confusion works to our advantage." Kyou responds. "Once we're among them they dare not fire for fear of striking their own pilots and aircraft, and our awareness is much better than any of theirs. We should attack them as quickly possible."

[] Kyou's right- Break and pile into them, see what they send up to try to get us!
[] Muninn's right- We're not here to do damage, but to get a look at what they send up. String them along, see what else they launch to try and intercept.

>>4321341
>[X] Kyou's right- Break and pile into them, see what they send up to try to get us!

And that's going to be it for the night! I think we may end up extending into Friday if tomorrow doesn't go better- I really need to stop trying to multitask, I'm pretty bad at it.

Not much to say for tonight's closing news, which is good, I think? haha. Anyway, as usual, if there's any questions or comments, I'll try to answer them tomorrow before the run, but otherwise, gents, till tomorrow, cheers!

>>4321341
>[X] Muninn's right- We're not here to do damage, but to get a look at what they send up. String them along, see what else they launch to try and intercept.

>>4321341
>[x] Kyou's right- Break and pile into them, see what they send up to try to get us!

We're here to stir up the hornet's nest right? Let's see how they react to an aggressive play.

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>>4321349
Thanks for the run boss.

>>4321341
>[] Muninn's right- We're not here to do damage, but to get a look at what they send up. String them along, see what else they launch to try and intercept.

>>4321341
>[X] Kyou's right- Break and pile into them, see what they send up to try to get us!

>>4321341
>[] Muninn's right- We're not here to do damage, but to get a look at what they send up. String them along, see what else they launch to try and intercept.

THINK OF THE COMBO MULTIPLIER, KYOU

>>4321341
>[x] Kyou's right- Break and pile into them, see what they send up to try to get us!

I'd feel safer in a furball with our reduced ECM, honestly

>>4321341
>[] Kyou's right- Break and pile into them, see what they send up to try to get us!

>>4321341
>[] Muninn's right- We're not here to do damage, but to get a look at what they send up. String them along, see what else they launch to try and intercept.

We can go all hangry wolf when we're covering the marine landings, this is a recce by force

>>4321341
>[] Kyou's right- Break and pile into them, see what they send up to try to get us!

>>4321341
>[] Muninn's right- We're not here to do damage, but to get a look at what they send up. String them along, see what else they launch to try and intercept.

ok gents, votes called! sorry about the late start, woke up from my nap a little later than I'd have liked and I'm still pretty out of it. Gonna grab a drink and see if that helps!

It didn't help. Gents, I'm sorry to do this to you, but I'm going to postpone a day. My sleep pattern has been all jacked up lately- worse than usual, I mean- and I've been sitting here this last hour just staring at the cursor on the word processor.

We'll pick back up Friday! I'm going to go try and get some sleep, haha.

>>4322710
You sleep boss, we love ya and would rather miss a day and you get some sleep.
'rona tossed me to night shift at the start and even now I'm struggling with sleep so I know a bit how ya feel. Don't feel bad at all mate.

>>4322710
no worries

hey gents, not dead or anything. I'm catching dinner, then I'll get writing. I was planning to extend again, but I think at this point we'd be better served getting to a good spot tonight and then just picking up next week. My sleep pattern is all screwed up and I'm going to try and get right this weekend if I can.

R U OK?

Gents I'm sorry. Today is mom's birthday, and while I didn't forget or anything, got her a present and all, i wasn't expecting her friends to come over and have a party for her.

Well, as you might guess, they did. haha!

I cut loose about as fast as I could, but... I think it's a little late now to pick back up. So I'm gonna call this week- it's been a hot mess, I know, and I'm sorry about that- and we'll pick back up next week right in the middle here. Think of it as a bit of a cliffhanger. haha!

Anyway, I'll be around, on and off, over the weekend to answer any questions or comments, but otherwise, till Tuesday gents, Cheers!

>>4324832
no worries

>>4324832
Birthdays are important Ghost, it's fine.

Kyou's theme song should be Blood and Thunder by Mastodon.

>>4324832
In the meantime,some off-topic bit. Ill be moving from Twitter to Parler. https://home.parler.com/

>>4325167

Not Mighty Wings by Cheap Trick?

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Ok gents, sorry about the very late start here! Long story short my nap went a lot longer than intended, and I'm slowly coming to the realization that my years of abusing caffeine are coming home to haunt me, haha! It's ok, at least with ghosts it's hard to get lonely, right?

Right. Anyway!

We're gonna run this week for sure, but we may do another short break next week if I can't get on a seminormalized sleep pattern by then. It's not affecting school- nor do I expect it to- but it is very clearly a problem for the quest run and that's not really fair to you guys. We'll see how things shake out, but as usual I'll announce anything both on twitter and here in the thread, and in the Discord when I get that made. I know it's super easy and takes like five minutes tops, I just haven't done it because I'm lazy, haha. I guess there's the IRC too, though.

Anyway, that's enough of that!

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

You pull Muninn around into a hard break turn, vectoring into the still-scrambling fighters over Wonsan like a bullet. They break into pairs as you close, Wendy reading your intent via the link and splitting away to attack the stragglers as you pile into them, the Wonsan airbase just a few miles distant.. They're mostly Chinese-built J-10s, though you notice they're wearing different insignia and markings- and have an unfamiliar flag displayed on their tailfins. Muninn also tracks a handful of tigersharks and several FC-31s moving down there, no doubt desperate to scramble before you blow through their top cover and hit them while they're defenseless.

The AI also notes- and pushes to you- that the underground shelters are clearly occupied, his cameras getting a glimpse of something he's tentatively identifying as a J-20 as the crews rushed to get the heavy blast doors rolled closed. It's odd that they're not trying to scramble them as well- though they may figure that it's too late and it's better to at least try to prevent their destruction on the ground.

You're more concerned with keeping track of the very rapidly developing situation in the furball you've thrown yourself into. There's at least eight J-10s here, all of them maneuvering in wing pairs to attempt to trap you in and knock you out of the sky. It's mostly futile on their part, of course- the fact is, with two witches, yourself, and Wendy, you could handle a fight ten times this size alone against conventional fighters. Still, there's plenty of additional fighters in the air- while it doesn't look like a general alert, there's still over a hundred in the air in the region- most of them staying over their own bases as their units launch.

1/2

You latch onto a pair of J-10s as Muninn soaks in the data- he's estimating that they're keeping at least two to four fighters at each base on a hot alert- sitting on the pad with their prestart checklists done and everything ready to go- to be able to scramble this many aircraft this quickly. You've been on their screens maybe three minutes, total, and they've still managed to get a credible force in the air.

The J-10s maneuver violently in attempt to lose you- both pilots throwing their aircraft around the sky desperately trying to shake you- not that it matters. You don't see, but more feel Wendy and the Sho-sa knock down another pair of J-10s moving to force you away from these two, both witches getting one fighter. Wendy's kill ejects, but the Sho-sa's doesn't, the pilot- dead or wounded, there's no way to tell- riding his fighter all the way down as it augers into the ground. You get a clean gun kill on the trailing fighter of your pair a second later, a short burst- no more than six rounds- ripping the fighter apart. The pilot punches out as it starts to tumble away, smoke like blood marking it's descent.

"Fandances!" Kyou calls. "Four of them, airborne as a group from Kang Da Ri. Just like we suspected. They are not moving to engage, but they are very close by. Less than ten miles. We should not allow them to engage us on their terms. These weaklings are no threat."

As usual, her aggressiveness is showing- but she's not entirely wrong, either. As long as it's just conventional fighters, you're more than capable of destroying everything in the air- but a superfighter like the Fandance, even without witch support- could change the equation if they're allowed to engage on their terms. Especially given the sheer number of variants the PLAAF is known to operate- older fandances aren't going to be dangerous, but the newer Fandance-K might be.

"Witches?" You ask as your own witch partner gets rounds into different fighter as they attempt to come to the aid of their comrade. It shakes in the air, the pilot struggling to keep it under control, before one wing dips and the fighter yaws out of control, rapidly entering a complex spin as the damaged surfaces begin to come apart under aerodynamic pressure. The pilot punches out right before the fighter starts flipping wildly, pulling apart as it tumbles from the sky.

"None yet." Kyou says. "But that is hardly a concern. We should engage them before they attack us on their terms."

[] If we hit them now they may just try to button up the base- we'll stay in this for a little longer.
[] She's right- You know they're there, now, and you'd rather not let them form up to engage on their terms.

>>4332026
>[X] She's right- You know they're there, now, and you'd rather not let them form up to engage on their terms.

>>4332026
>[x] She's right- You know they're there, now, and you'd rather not let them form up to engage on their terms.

>>4332026
>[] She's right- You know they're there, now, and you'd rather not let them form up to engage on their terms.

>>4332026
>[X] She's right- You know they're there, now, and you'd rather not let them form up to engage on their terms.

> I'm slowly coming to the realization that my years of abusing caffeine are coming home to haunt me
So Merlin is your self-insert?

>>4332026
[X] She's right- You know they're there, now, and you'd rather not let them form up to engage on their term

>>4332026
>[x] She's right- You know they're there, now, and you'd rather not let them form up to engage on their terms.

>>4332089

Hardly, I'm nowhere near that cute. Nor am I a MILF.

anyway, Votes called!

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[x] She's right- You know they're there, now, and you'd rather not let them form up to engage on their terms.

She's right, of course. While the J-10s and other assorted fighters here aren't something you'll be able to ignore later- at least not during the landings- right now the fandances are the larger threat. While you're happy enough knowing you flushed them up and did you job, part of you wants to thin out their numbers some, too, while you're here- better now, you think, than during the landings.

You have to wait for a chance to break away from the pair of remaining J-10s, which comes right as the Dai-i on your wing splashes the second to last, who got a little too close, her movements with her rifle both efficent and precise. Muninn informs you she's only fired a dozen rounds- and has gotten two kills with them. The last survivor seems to have the same idea as you do, punching his afterburner and diving for the deck, looking to extend away and escape. She doesn't say it, but you can feel Kyou urging you to send a python or AAM-4 after him- though there's only a mild twitch of disappointment when you don't.

You blow by the aircraft over Wonsan as they scatter away from you- as close as you were, they barely had time to register you'd turned towards them before you were past them and screaming straight for the Fandances- they've gotten another pair airborne, but you think that's going to be it. Even now, Muninn's long-range cameras show the massive blast doors that protect the interior of the base from attacks grinding closed- these six are on their own.

They turn into the merge and go head-to-head with you as you flash by them, Muninn already tentatively identifying them as early C or B models- possibly even the first CFA-44A variants sold to the PLAAF. The differences in the early variants weren't that extensive externally- the B was a mid-90s 'upgrade' package that amounted to little more than a small change of the cockpit layout and some software updates, and the C ditched the 23mm guns in the wing roots for 30mm autocannons. In any case, they're probably equivalent to a late model F-15 or one of the late 90's versions of the F-14- and no match for a modern wyvern.

Wendy breaks away again, maneuvering to engage the northernmost pair, while you latch onto the southernmost- leaving one pair free to continue to turn in an attempt to engage you and help their squadronmates.

The pair you've latched onto breaks to the north, trying to set up a cross with the pair that Wendy's on- but with your pythons already seeking locks, their time to do so is far too limited for them to execute what they're trying to set up. They both snap violently off their vectors as the first pair of missiles leave your nacelle bays- too soon, honestly. The Python's seekerheads aren't fooled so easily, though as the fighters dump flare and dive, both missiles lose lock, tracking the flares and detonating harmlessly too far above the fandances.

1/2

You stay on them, letting Muninn keep track of the situation around you- Kyou helps as well, able to partition several tasks off and handle them all simultaneously. Not for the first time you're thankful for her- you never have to worry about surprises with her and Wendy sharing the link with you.

Wendy gets the first fandance today, her small caliber rounds ripping the trailing fighter of her target pair apart like much larger shells would have- the fighter's starboard wing simply disintegrates and it tumbles end over end, lit afterburner plumes careening through the sky as it falls out of control to slam into the ground in a massive explosion. No survivor out of that, for sure- Kyou feels more than a little pleased by the thought.

Your quarry is a bit more cagey though- it takes another several seconds of violent turning before you've got a shot at the lead again, sending two more pythons at him, pausing in between so that the seeker of the second missile has a chance to engage after he's begun his defensive turn. This time it works- the first python is defeated, but the second stays locked, and he punches out a split second before it hits, the proximity fuse detonating the first charge and sending shrapnel and the second charge into the aft port quarter of the fighter before the second charge detonates, tearing it apart.

"Wonsan and Kuum-Ni fighters are moving to join the fight." Muninn calls. "Forty six aircraft, but there's more on the ground at Wonsan for sure."

"How much longer for Lovelace to get his data?" You ask, having not bothered keeping track of time- at most it's been a few minutes.

"Three minutes." Kyou says. "He may wish for longer, but his tether will expire then and we'll be free to disengage if we so wish."

You grunt a response as you haul Muninn into a brutal reversal, following the remaining fandance as it attempts to split away. They've been dragging you closer together, which strikes you as foolish, at best- with reinforcements, the last thing they'd want is for the four of you to be able to fight as a cohesive unit. Then again, it's possible they know you're MIU linked to Wendy- and, as such, are a cohesive unit regardless of separation.

"We can start to break away from this now." Muninn responds. "Lovelace can tether back via satellite, and I've gotten a good look at everything they've used against us so far."

"We should stay and do more damage while we can." Kyou says. "The more we do now, the less they'll have later."

"Assuming they don't reinforce." Muninn answers. "Or that they're not hiding a significant part of their force."

"All the more reason to stay." Kyou says. "At least until the tether expires."

[] Kyou's right, we're staying in for now.
[] Muninn's right- we don't want to get stuck in a drawn-out engagement.

Gonna call it for the night here, gents. I know two updates isn't much at all, especially considering last week, but I'm going to try to sack out at a normal-ish hour considering my alarm for school goes off at 07. I'll probably just catch a couple hours of sleep and be up again, but I've got to get back on a more normal pattern, here.

I'll answer any questions or comments as soon as I can- probably tomorrow morning- but otherwise gents, till tomorrow, cheers!

>>4332410
>[X] Kyou's right, we're staying in for now.

>>4332410
>[x] Kyou's right, we're staying in for now.

Complete full mission objectives. *always* go for the bonus points.

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>>4332410
>[X] Kyou's right, we're staying in for now.
We were told in the briefing before this that we're possibly going to make a return trip before the landing. Might as well make that job easier for us, or another Wyvern if we get shifted to some other task.

>>4332411
Thanks for the run boss.

>>4332410
>[X] Kyou's right, we're staying in for now.

>>4332410
>[] Kyou's right, we're staying in for now.

>>4332410
>[X] Kyou's right, we're staying in for now.

>>4332410
>[x] Kyou's right, we're staying in for now.

Whittle down their forces some more, each one we down now is one that the Marines don't have to deal with later.

>>4332410
>[x] Muninn's right- we don't want to get stuck in a drawn-out engagement.

ok gents, i'm gonna finish dinner here and then get writing. However, i expect tonight to be slow, and probably not run very long, same for tomorrow. Long story short I got injured at school today- bashed my hand pretty badly off the vise on my mill. Not super serious or anything, but my left ring finger is shot and the middle finger and pinky on that side both have some bruising in the knuckles. Long story short it makes typing kinda painful and difficult, haha!

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[x] Kyou's right, we're staying in for now.

You find yourself agreeing with Kyou again for a couple of reasons. She's right enough about doing damage now- while it's not your mission goal here, everything you splash now is something you won't have to worry about when you come back again- or, at the very least, it's something they'll have to replace before you do, putting more stress on their logistical network. In the case of the western-built KDF fighters, they can't replace them anyway- every tigershark or phantom that goes down is gone for good. While that's not true of anything else, you can't imagine they have that many Fandances to throw your way, either, and almost certainly not enough to replace any major losses from this squadron in the time they have.

The four remaining Fandances try to re-join on each other, but it's cut short as Wendy downs another and the Sho-sa puts rounds into- but doesn't kill- another one. It's damaged badly enough that it's clearly out of the fight though as it's pilot dives away from the furball and pushes south west, trailing thin streamers of vapor as he does so.

Suddenly badly outnumbered by superior force, the remaining fandances also attempt to escape, scattering away from each other in an attempt to force you to pick a target against the closing mass of fighters- they know time is on their side and they only have to buy a few seconds for themselves before help arrives. Still, for your target, that's a few seconds more than he has- you salvo two pairs of pythons at him, spaced by five seconds- enough that his defensive options against the first pair are only going to make the second pair's easier. He ejects as the first missile hits, wiping his aircraft from the sky in a messy fireball- his ejection seat only just barely clears it on it's way up and away from the former aircraft.

The reinforcements pile in a second later, most of them settling for brief, slashing gun attacks as they enter the merge, almost none of them daring to press too aggressively against the covering gun of the Dai-i, flying just above your starboard intake and matching you move for move. It was a furball like this, part of you thinks as you twist through the air, that started your father's legend. One tomcat alone against the odds, buying time for other aircraft to get out of the airspace and for the army's trapped units to break out of the Tanana pocket. Back then, this sort of thing was the stuff of legends- indeed, he was put up for a congressional medal of honor for it.

1/2

For you, now, it's merely a routine combat mission.

For any other pilot, the ensuing furball- forty eight aircraft and two witches- would be an impossible nightmare scenario. Tracers stab and slash across the sky on split-second deflection shots as you effortlessly track the positions of every aircraft in the volume of sky. Wendy, as you expected, claims the first kill in this mess, her guns sending a tigershark on a smoking, shuddering path into the ground- no parachute from that one, you note. The Dai-i gets an FC-31 a split second later as it crosses above and forward of you- his wingmate, low and to his left, falls to your guns, fired before you could even see the target.

Wendy's wingmate has seemingly abandoned her rifle for her brutal-looking polearm- which, with maman's pragmatism, you're not particularly impressed by. Still, she breaks away from Wendy at the older witch's orders, and quickly proves it's worth, the bladed edge, glowing with the tell-tale shimmer of a focused shield plunging into the back of a J-10 like an angel slaying a dragon. She stays on the fighter just long enough to ensure it's dead, smashing one of it's engines and severing it's vertical stabilizer with what looks like an almost careless backhanded swing before jumping away, vectoring to the next fighter almost like an outsized missile.

She gets two more in quick succession, seeming utterly at home in the furball. Still- in that time the Dai-i has gotten one of the remaining F-20s, and Wendy has splashed another J-10.

You've lost track of time enough that Lovelace's return- he seems out of breath but quite pleased with himself- comes as a bit of a surprise. "I'm home!" He announces as you slide your gunsights onto another J-10 and send it cartwheeling out of the sky, fragments tumbling away as the adverse G forces rip it apart on it's way down. You unlock the pythons as he returns, feeling Kyou's need to strike at the hostile aircraft directly. She almost immediately begins launching on the best targets, claiming two J-10s and an F-20 with five missiles in the space of seconds.

"We've accomplished all objectives." Muninn warns. "But with this many aircraft it may be difficult for the witches to disengage without pursuit and we'll almost certainly take SAM fire when we separate from the fight here."

"We can order them out now and cover their retreat." Kyou offers. "It would give us an excellent chance to do a little more damage before their will to fight disappears."

"We should probably disengage as a whole, mum." Wendy responds. "They'll be able to cover our tails and we can provide some electronic countermeasure cover and superior shielding to them."

[] Send the witches out first- you want to make sure they get clear.
[] start to separate as a unit now- everyone at once, they're not going to want to chase us too far.

>>4334017
>[X] Send the witches out first- you want to make sure they get clear.

and that's it for the night, gents. I can't really type much more- my hand really, really hurts here. Normally I'd just suck it up- I've been hurt far worse, of course- but it's making it slow enough that I'm not sure about getting another post in before I need to sack out anyway. We'll probably extend another day to get to a good stopping point this week, we've already kinda gotten a bit further behind than i'd have liked because of these last two weeks of me screwing up.

I'll try to answer questions in the morning if there are any, but no promises. I'm gonna go dig out my good painkillers, have myself a shot of rum, and sack out. We'll be back tomorrow gents, but I can't promise that it'll be much better then either. Still, till then, cheers!

>>4334017
>[] Send the witches out first- you want to make sure they get clear.

Take care, boss.

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>>4334032
Thanks for the run boss.

>>4334017
>[x] start to separate as a unit now- everyone at once, they're not going to want to chase us too far.

Everyone gets out together

>>4334017
>[X] start to separate as a unit now- everyone at once, they're not going to want to chase us too far.

>>4334017
>[] start to separate as a unit now- everyone at once, they're not going to want to chase us too far.

>>4334017
>[] start to separate as a unit now- everyone at once, they're not going to want to chase us too far.
>>4334032
take care of your hand mate

>>4334017
>start to separate as a unit now- everyone at once, they're not going to want to chase us too far.

>>4334017
>[] start to separate as a unit now- everyone at once, they're not going to want to chase us too far.

>>4334017
>[x] start to separate as a unit now- everyone at once, they're not going to want to chase us too far.

>>4334032
Thanks for the run Ghost! Hope your hand recovers quickly, smashed fingers/hands always suck.

>>4334032
I missed a update, what happened to your hand, Ghost ? Punched a BLM protester too hard ?

>>4334839
...did you even read >>4333775 ?

ok gents, just woke up from a nap. Managed to work my bandage off and re-open both cuts while sleeping, but it's not super bad, so I'll just cover them with another couple cleaning swatches here and we should be good to go! same thing as last night though, just one or two updates probably.

>>4335561
I hate it when that happens. Hope the cuts didn't bleed everywhere.

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https://discord.gg/fdfUcT

Here, take this for the Discord for the quest!

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[x] start to separate as a unit now- everyone at once, they're not going to want to chase us too far.

"Start to separate now, Wendy. Extend to the south east." You order, noting, disinterestedly, as another pair of missiles shoots from the VLS cells to knock an FC-31 out of the sky- too close and already maneuvering, he never stood a chance.

The furball is thinning out anyway- the Chinese and Korean pilots having realized that overwhelming numbers, in this case, only gave your element more targets to kill. They begin breaking away at the same time as you- most of them withdrawing to the north, low and fast, with their afterburners providing tempting targets for Kyou- who sends a few more pythons at a pair of tigersharks that lingered a little too long- neither of the small fighters makes it away, their older defensive electronics and conventional flares failing to defeat the Python's seeker heads.

Of course, as the hostile aircraft clear the airspace, SAM sites take up the challenge- fire control radars, guided by search and tracking sets that have held you in their sights the entire time, start locking on, preparing to send missiles your way. Curiously they hold their fire. "Saving their ammunition." Kyou notes, having access to the same information as you- and probably reading your slight confusion. "Clearly they know they have little hope of downing us, and they're preferring to save the missiles for when they'll need them."

"They're facing a small fucksy-wucksy" Loveleace says- you can practically feel Kyou's scowl at his choice of wording. "Their logistical network is struggling to keep up with demands right now."

"If so, that's excellent news for the landing forces." Kyou remarks as you streak out over the waters north of Tongchon, crossing briefly over the abandoned-looking al-som island as you head out to sea. "Chinese ammunition shortages should make their mission significantly easier."

"There's no shortage yet," Lovelace corrects her, "But they're under orders to be more mindful of what they're shooting at. Wasting missiles on you is just the sort of thing they're trying to prevent."

[] They seem to be awful free with aircraft losses though.
[] How long can we expect that to be true?

>>4335718
>[] They seem to be awful free with aircraft losses though

>>4335718
>[x] They seem to be awful free with aircraft losses though.
I guess these are the things they "don't need".

>>4335718
>[X] They seem to be awful free with aircraft losses though.

>>4335718
>[x] They seem to be awful free with aircraft losses though.

ok, votes called!

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>>4335758

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[x] They seem to be awful free with aircraft losses though.

"They seem to be awful free with aircraft losses though." You say, frowning.

"They consider aircraft more expendable." Lovelace responds, his face appearing on one of the cockpit MFDs- much to Muninn's annoyance. "It's easier in their mind to load fuel tanks onto a J-10 or whatever replacement aircraft they're using and send it forward than it is to get missiles, shells and bombs to the front."

"How wasteful." Kyou comments, cutting in. "Come to heading zero eight five"

It's a fairly minor change of heading- one that takes you out towards the yamato ridge, where the Kaga and her group are operating. Normally you wouldn't follow a direct line back- just in case you're being tracked- but with the fleet already making prepatory movements to get into position to support the landing, it won't matter anyway- they'll have displaced a couple hundred miles by this evening. Still, one of the fleet's CAP elements- a quartet of Japanese-built tomcats- shifts to intercept you, getting a visual look over before wagging their wings and returning to their patrol anchor.

You land last- even with a solid ten minutes at combat power, you've got fuel reserves, while both witches are already showing signs of magical fatigue. Wendy, you know, is fine- like you, she'll want to eat and catch some sleep once on the ground, but she seems fairly steady right now- and Kyou, of course, is a ball of energy, pleased with the events of the sortie and eager to go back out- this time with an eye towards killing things.

You catch the second wire- the Kaga has five, compared to a USN carrier's four- and taxi only a few yards before being directed to shut down as the crew connects the umbilical lines. Aboard ship it's less to keep Munnin's cores online and more to allow him to use the ship's cores for most of his needs- the Kaga was retrofit years ago, along with her sisters, to host up to two Wyverns and their attendant AIs. Of course, that means Muninn and Tessa use all the available space, leaving Lovelace primarily needing to use his communications suite to remote in when he's summoned.

Kyou deplanes first, still evidently full of energy- poorly concealed, to you. She nods to the IJN witches as they cross the deck to join you, turning her head fractionally as you drop clear of the ladder, helmet still set on your head and flight bag in one hand. Wendy walks over a second later, having already removed her own helmet and stuffed it in her flight bag. She looks a lot less self-conscious than she used to, you note, which is no small feat for her, considering the nature of the flight suit she's wearing.

1/2

None of you say anything as you head into the ship, where you're intercepted by Merlin. "You three-" She says, clearly trying out her 'command voice' again as she indicates you, Wendy and Kyou- "Head to quarters, get cleaned up and get some food." She looks at the two IJN witches. "You two, come with me." Kyou looks over at you, clearly a little confused- but orders are orders.
"I wonder what that's about." Wendy muses as you walk through the ship's corridors, following Kyou. "She seemed rather displeased."

You shake your head. "I don't think so," You say. "Maybe in a hurry to do something."

"You don't believe she's about to make a choice involving them?" Kyou asks. "While I won't miss the imposition they represent, it seems a waste for her to decide without us."

"Doubt it." You respond. "More likely her tech rep showed up and she intends to introduce them."

"Then why not us, unless she plans to bring the rep into our close confidence?" Kyou asks.

You shrug- sometimes Merlin does things that only really make sense to her. "It's a possibility." You admit. "but the rep would have to impress her for her to make that call already."

Kyou grins. "Or perhaps she's beginning to think more politically. Allowing us to become close to the primary witch of the imperial wyvern program would give us a great deal of connection with it."

"It's possible," You admit. "and it seems less likely a tech rep assigned by the company would be a clout chaser."

Kyou frowns. "Not entirely." She says, rounding the corner into the passageway holding the imperial cabins. The guards are present, of course- both stiffen to attention as Kyou approaches. "more likely that they're attempting to foster a relationship between Merlin and their representative. I imagine she'll be young, perhaps our age, and rather naive-seeming. Much like Merlin herself was reported to be early in her career."

You pause, thinking.

[] Yeah, that makes more sense. For an aerospace company Merlin's the holy grail.
[] I don't know, seems like using Merlin as a springboard to get close to you would be more likely to work.

And that's going to be it for the evening! I'm kinda convinced I cracked or bruised a bone in my left hand some where, cos the whole hand just aches. Works alright, but man does it hurt, haha. We'll conclude the run tomorrow, I think!

I'll be around a little to answer questions or comments if there are any, and we have a discord channel now too, linked here >>4335652 for anyone interested. I'll be in there on and off- most of the time I should be around, though! Anyway, gents, till tomorrow, cheers!

>>4335938
>[x] Yeah, that makes more sense. For an aerospace company Merlin's the holy grail.

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>>4335938
>[X] Yeah, that makes more sense. For an aerospace company Merlin's the holy grail.

>>4335940
Thanks for the run boss.

>>4335938
>[] I don't know, seems like using Merlin as a springboard to get close to you would be more likely to work.

>>4335938
>[] I don't know, seems like using Merlin as a springboard to get close to you would be more likely to work.

>>4335938
>[] Yeah, that makes more sense. For an aerospace company Merlin's the holy grail.

>>4335938
>[X] Yeah, that makes more sense. For an aerospace company Merlin's the holy grail.

>>4335938
[] Yeah, that makes more sense. For an aerospace company Merlin's the holy grail.

Alright gents, votes called. Should just be a short run again tonight, we're about where I'd hoped we were gonna end up last week, haha!

Reminder that there's now a discord!
Link here: https://discord.gg/BVB9RF

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[x] Yeah, that makes more sense. For an aerospace company Merlin's the holy grail.

You nod. "That does make more sense." You admit. "For an aerospace company, Merlin is the holy grail."

"Quite so." Kyou says, nodding. "Such that they've begged us- that is, my family- in the past to attempt to intervene on their behalf with her. There seems to be a belief that Jessica holds some form of greater pull with her, owing to her relationship with your father."

You shake your head, stepping into the cabins. "Doubt it. Jess always got Merlin wrong-footed."

"She is rather... energetic." Wendy says. "It can be somewhat off-putting, I imagine doubly so for miss Wells. Though she's calmed down considerably in the time I've known her. Regardless, I can't imagine her agreeing to such a thing."

"She didn't." Kyou shakes her head. "For anyone, even a princess consort, to become involved directly in such a manner would be considered showing direct favor to the company in question."

"Not to mention it wouldn't have gone well anyway." You point out- even now, you're not entirely sure what Merlin's intentions are- though you get the impression she doesn't intend to return to the status quo when this is all over. It may end up being a case where she's chasing her own goals- and that working with Mitsubishi more closely isn't outside the realm of possibility.

"That was Aunt Jessica's position as well." Kyou responds, pausing for a second to glance at Wendy. "Wendy, you are to shower and change first."

"Are you sure, mum?" Wendy asks. "I'm perfectly happy to go last."

"Quite sure." Kyou responds. "Morgan and I will wait."

Wendy nods, disappearing into her room briefly before emerging with her towel and her bedshirt draped over her arm. Kyou watches her walk past- then turns to look at you when the door to the head closes. "I am tempted to broach the topic of our agreement to wait regarding her." Kyou says. "though I know you're not the sort of person to change their mind once it's made up."

[] Are you sure chasing after her is such a good idea? She could stay with us perfectly well without it getting any more involved than it is.
[] You're right, I'm not. We have an agreement.
[] I might be convinced to change my mind.

>>4337190
>[X] Are you sure chasing after her is such a good idea? She could stay with us perfectly well without it getting any more involved than it is.

>>4337190
>[] Are you sure chasing after her is such a good idea? She could stay with us perfectly well without it getting any more involved than it is.

>>4337190
>[x] I might be convinced to change my mind.

>>4337190
>[X] I might be convinced to change my mind.

>>4337190

[] You're right, I'm not. We have an agreement

>>4337190
>[x] I might be convinced to change my mind.

Let's see her puppy dog eyes.

>>4337190
>[x] Are you sure chasing after her is such a good idea? She could stay with us perfectly well without it getting any more involved than it is.

>>4337190
[X] I might be convinced to change my mind.

ok, votes called. This will probably be our last for the evening!

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[x] I might be convinced to change my mind.

You smile very faintly. "I might be convinced to change my mind."

Kyou blinks- surprised. "Is that so?" She asks. "Were that to be the case, how would one go about doing such a thing?"

You shrug. "Why would we?" You ask.

Kyou frowns. "Why?" She repeats. You nod.

"Why now?" You say.

Her frown deepens. "It seems fitting," She responds eventually.

"That's hardly a good enough reason." You point out.

"But you know it's correct." She retorts. "Her performance has been exemplary, and she deserves a relationship of that sort with us, does she not?"

"Does she even want one?" You ask. Rhetorically, of course- both of you know that she does, but she's never going to bring it up herself. It's one of the things about the MIU you're not sure you like- keeping a secret, any secret, is almost impossible. It hasn't been a problem so far, and you don't expect it to be- but you know that any of your secrets are open to the two witches, as well.

"Perhaps I will discuss it with her." Kyou says. "and simply advance the possibility that we'd be willing?"

You frown. Knowing Kyou, it's case where you're sure that the phrasing would be a bit more direct than you'd like- though you also have to admit that Wendy, lately, has been displaying much more confidence than she was in the past, and maybe she'd know well enough to know that she needed to be honest.

1/2

The thing that bothers you is the feeling of being pushed towards it, really. Kyou, very clearly, is used to getting what she's after- and in this case it's fairly evident she's got a stacked deck in her favor as well. Arguments about Wendy's opinion are fairly moot- you both already know her opinion, just like you're well aware of each other's. You'd hoped to have it wait at least until you were in Japan again- and it may still have to.

"I'd be willing to re-consider our deal if she brought up the subject." You say. "Of her own accord."

Kyou blinks. "I see." she says. "And if she does?"

"Then we can discuss arrangements." You say.

Kyou nods- then smiles. "It is well that we already understand each other so deeply." She says after a minute. "I will not bring up the topic with her at this time. As well, it may be moot- if Merlin's new assistant is here, then we can expect to be meeting her and have little time for any personal matters."

You nod- that's the other reason you were 'willing to discuss it'. The fact is, you expect Merlin to be back soon, with a guest- and while you're sure Kyou would more than happily involve them as well were she to be able to ensure their proper behavior after the fact, you also know that she's not willing to risk it.

Kyou shakes her head and smiles again. "It would be that I should be so lucky as to find a pilot that is such an excellent match for myself." She says, eventually.

"Flattery gets you nowhere." You respond, and she laughs- she knows that she doesn't need to flatter you to get what she wants, anyway.

And that's it for the week!

I'm hoping that by next week my hand will be back to normal- we'll see. There's rumors floating around school that they're considering shutting down the campus again. If they do, we'll probably keep to our existing schedule- we've had enough bouncing around, I think. More than enough. haha!

anyway, gents, I'll be around some to answer questions or comments if there are any, and don't forget there's a discord now, too! Otherwise, as always gents, till next week, cheers!

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>>4337378
Thanks for the run boss.

>>4337378
Thanks for the run Ghost!

>>4337378
thanks for running

>>4337378
Thanks for running!