bluefishcake
patreon
Sexy Steampunk Babes: Chapter Fifty Two
🕑 Added 2024-11-10 07:24:40 +0000 UTCAN: This is just chapter one of an intended two I wanted to release today. Alas, I'm completely out of juice for the day and the second chapter still isn't finished so I'm just going to release this now and the second chapter tomorrow.
--------------------------------------
William supposed it was inevitable.
He chose the Corsair as a design to replicate for two reasons. Firstly, because its folded wings meant he could store more of the machines in a ship that was never really designed to act as a proper carrier. Secondly, because of the Corsair’s historical eleven to one kill ratio against the Japanese in the pacific theater.
While shards most definitely weren’t Mitsubishi Zeros, they shared many of the same performance principles. Those being a lightweight frame and excellent turning capability.
With that said, the Corsair was not without flaws. Not least of which was the nose.
It was long.
Which meant it obscured the pilot’s vision when they were coming in to land. A trait that was more inconvenient than dangerous on an airfield, but on an aircraft carrier – or airship – it could be downright deadly.
“You say she misjudged the angle?” he asked as he looked over at the nervous young woman sitting in the hospital bed in front of him.
Well, to call it a hospital bed was a bit of a misnomer. It was a room in his estate that occasionally functioned as an infirmary. One that was now occupied by him, Xera and one mildly-maimed pilot trainee.
He said mildly, because while the young woman’s foot was definitely not the shape of a foot under all those bloody bandages, it was technically still attached. Though that would likely only remain the case until the healer outside got the go ahead to break out her hacksaw.
“Aye,” Xera grumbled, glaring heatedly at him. “Which I might have corrected, had an unfortunate gust of wind made that impossible in the time before impact. Twas’ all I could do to pull the ejector handle before the Shard hit.”
That was a little concerning, even if it was a relief that Xera herself was ok. He genuinely didn’t know what he would do if he lost access to her abilities at this juncture. Hell, the only thing that might be more crippling would be losing Piper.
“I thought the instructor’s ejector handle was linked to the forward seat as well? Did hers not function correctly?”
“No,” Xera’s single word answer was as dry as sand. “Blacksmiths went over the wreck once they peeled your Corsair off the deck of your ship’s new ‘flat top’, and while they can’t be sure, they think the release valve for the front seat jammed.”
Which meant that the sudden blast of aether that should have been directed from the engines up under the seat and cockpit glass in an attempt to blow both clear of the Shard failed to materialize for the front seat.
With that in mind, it was actually rather impressive that the only lasting injuries the woman in the bed before them had was a single mangled foot. Oh, she had bruises galore and more than a few abrasions, but those were temporary.
No, the reason he’d been called in here immediately after arriving back at his estate was the foot.
That was a crippling injury. One that would see the young woman across from him removed from the flight program and likely just about any other kind of work that might be available to a peasant.
Something she was clearly well aware of given her downcast and terrified expression. It was a fairly significant fall from the heady highs of a few days ago, where she’d been set to become one of the planet’s first peasant pilots – a veritable knight of the skies.
Now the life of either a burden to her family or a beggar in the streets was just about all she could hope for.
“I would have thought we’d have tested the ejector seats to make sure they worked correctly when we made the Corsair-M undergo its first refit?” he asked, turning back to Xera.
“We did,” the wood elf said. “Briefly. Both seats worked then. Unfortunately, it seems that either the valve was damaged in flight or, more likely, during a repair cycle in the time since then. An error that an extensive review cycle would have picked up between flights, but…”
“…But we’ve had to cut those short to maintain each trainee’s flight quota,” William hummed.
“Exactly.”
It was clear from Xera’s tone what she wanted. To either downsize the training cadre or slow down the pace of their training.
Not because the trainees themselves couldn’t keep up, but because the techs were being run ragged keeping the Sshards the trainees were practicing on operational. It didn’t help that said machines were a totally new design. Mage-smiths often spent years familiarizing themselves with every nook and cranny of a design so that they could magically reshape it without fear of accidentally warping some part of it in the process.
That unfamiliarity was likely how the issue with the ejector valve came about, some mage’s mind wandering just slightly during the repairs and warping a component.
“I know what you want,” William said. “And I can’t do it. Put simply, we need the pilots. If that means the training cadre suffers some degree of attrition as a result, I’m afraid that’s simply the cost of doing business.”
Down in the bed, one such ‘casualty’ flinched, and Xera looked like she wanted to slap him.
“With that said,” he continued hurriedly. “While we can’t afford to lose time by slowing down the program, we likewise can’t afford to lose partially-trained pilots to otherwise trivial injuries.”
The trainee pilot’s head shot up so fast he was a little worried she’d need treatment for whiplash in addition to her other injuries. Across from her, Xera frowned.
“This… isn’t trivial shit, William. Otherwise Suthers would have fixed it by now.”
Suthers was his personal physician, though in truth the Lord of Redwater rarely saw the woman. In addition to her quarters at his estate, she also had a small clinic down in the town itself. One that operated for minimal profit that the young woman established while Xera had been in charge. As he understood it, she spent most of her time there, seeing to the ailments of those she could.
Which unfortunately, wasn’t everyone, as the case in front of them proved. As he understood it, ‘healing magic’ operated on similar principles to mage-smithing – in that a healer needed to properly visualize what they intended to fix and how.
Which required decades of study, given the potential for harm should anything be… amiss.
Which is why it’s not a coincidence that most healers are elves, he thought.
Suthers wasn’t. She was as human as him. And only a journeywoman besides. Which was fine for setting broken bones or fixing stomach aches, but for something like a more or less pulped foot?
“Then we’ll hire a master. On commission or permanently.” He shrugged. “We have the coin.”
Or they would in time, once the gramophone business really started up. As it was, his once flush treasury was beginning to look more empty than not as a result of his many ongoing expenses. Between the workshops and his plebeian training program, they were operating so far in the red it wasn’t even funny. And while the payout he’d received from Yelena for his creation of the Kraken Slayer was kingly – it was still finite.
In the bed, if the trainee’s eyes shone with hope before, they gleamed with awe now. By contrast, Xera’s expression only grew more complicated.
“May I speak to you outside, milord?” she said finally.
He nodded, having some idea as to what this would be about. Though as he turned to leave, a hand shot out, aborting from grabbing his sleeve only at the last moment.
“I- ah, I’ll repay you for this, Lord Redwater. We, all of us, appreciate this opportunity you’ve given us. To be mage-knights. It’s a childhood dream come true. One I thought over until just now,” the young woman’s words burned with fervor. “I promise, you’ll have a loyal servant in me until the end of time. Thank you.”
He hesitated, before plastering on a smile. “See that you do. Practice hard. Redwater will have need of you and your fellows before long.”
He left, making for the hallway outside before the woman could respond. He didn’t want thanks. He expected at least one fatality from a crash before things were through.
Likely two, he thought. Because assuming no more valve failures, if a trainee fails to eject before impact, that likely means the instructor failed to bail too.
All because he wasn’t giving his craft enough maintenance time.
Oh, he could resolve that issue right now. Or within the week. The first Corsair frames would start rolling out of his workshops next week. More or less complete, but for the cores and weapons. All he’d need to do was cycle out the machines acting as training craft.
Swapping cores between machines was hardly any work at all, and it would allow each one more time for maintenance and safety tests.
But he wouldn’t. Because those machines needed to be sent on for renovation by Piper’s slowly growing group of sworn-in alchemists and mage-smiths. For the installation of new weapons and engines.
Combustion engines.
That wasn’t a quick or easy process. At best, he figured he’d be getting two craft a week. An absurdly high number for a pre-industrial society, but one that was within the realm of capability for one backed up by magic.
For a moment, as he turned to regard Xera as she filed out after him, he momentarily considered banning Xera from continuing training the plebeian pilots from the cockpit, before he decided against it.
He couldn’t afford to lose her at this juncture. Hell, that was half the reason he’d spoken to both the twins and Griffith the other day. Part of the reason he valued her so highly was that she’d never agree. She was dutiful like that.
“Training’s going to be slowed down for a few days while the crashed frame is repaired,” the wood elf said.
William resisted the urge to scoff. Any plane from Earth that had been involved in a crash like that would be a total write-off. Not here though, not with the ability to literally fold metal back into place. In fact, it was even easier than making a machine from scratch, as if the metal remembered the shape it used to be.
With that said, it’d still take a few days. Unless he intervened.
“I have time.” He said. “I can at least sort out the frame before I return to the academy tomorrow.”
Team Seven was still on a losing streak when it came to Shard fights against other houses, so Olzenya wanted them to get in some extra practice time on the weekend – and had traded some favors to get some flight time in with another team using the academy’s communal shards.
…It wasn’t the best use of his time to be sure, but he wasn’t about to risk the high elf’s ire by begging off to spend yet another weekend toiling away at his estate.
Just most of it, he thought wryly. The match is scheduled for the evening, so I should be fine so long as I set off back to the Academy by lunchtime tomorrow.
“That’s not the point!” His second hissed. “I didn’t say anything in there, because I was hoping sense would prevail after seeing that girl, but clearly that didn’t happen.” She crossed her arms. “You need to stop these running landings. They were annoying but harmless on a runway, but attempting them on a flying airship is dangerous. Between the wind, the swaying and the absurdly fucking long nose you’ve shoved into that new design of yours, it’d be risky for veteran pilots. So, unless you give me a decent reason for why all our pilots need to be trained for running starts and stops, I’m putting my foot down.”
Well, he figured this day would come, fortunately, he was reasonably certain there weren’t any of the Queen’s spies about. The arrival of Olivia and his aunt meant that the small three-woman detail he’d picked up seemed to spend more time following them than him.
Oh they still followed him about sometimes, but right now he wasn’t seeing any of the subtle indicators of their presence. Like a third set of boot-prints, given that both he and Xera had come here straight from an inspection of the airfield.
“They’re not needless,” he said, remaining calm in the face of the woman’s ire. “Which, I’m sure you’ve already guessed, otherwise you’d have kicked up a fuss weeks ago, rather than the token whining you’ve given me up until now.”
The antlered woman scoffed, but didn’t deny his words. “I wasn’t entirely sure. I suspected, but it was only after Piper stopped complaining about the retrofits you’re making to the Jellyfish that I became sure.”
Huh, he’d not considered that flaw in his geass-sworn secrecy. The magical compulsion kept someone from talking about the combustion engine – overtly or otherwise – to anyone else not sworn into the secret. To do otherwise risked them losing their ability to cast spells. With that said, he’d never once considered the idea that someone might be tipped off to something being suspicious by one of the secret holders suddenly going silent on the topic.
“She’s sworn a geas,” he said finally. “But I imagine you’d already guessed that as well.” She nodded so he continued. “And as you might imagine, if you want me to share the details of why our pilots need to be trained for rolling starts, you’re also going to have to swear one.”
“I’d point out that at this point, I already have a pretty good idea of what the secret is, even if I’ve no fucking clue how you pulled it off. If I was going to share anything, I’d have already done it. Just the implication of what you’re talking about would be of plenty of interest to a number of people with deep pockets and to whom I ostensibly owe my fealty.”
“Ostensibly?”
“I swore an oath – and I meant it. Liege. Queen. Country. That order. You’re my liege. My loyalty is to you first,” she said seriously, eyes catching his. “Though I’d much prefer not to pick between them.”
He smiled. “I’m no ally of any of our Queen’s enemies. Blackstone or New Haven. That I can swear to you as part of the geas.”
And that was technically true, though only because he deliberately excluded the free-orcs from that statement.
Time stretched between them, as Xera digested his words, thinking long and hard.
“Bleh,” she said finally. “I barely use my magic anyway. And I can still fire a gun and pilot a Shard without it, so fuck it, yeah, if it means I’ll finally know why I’m risking the lives of my colleagues and students on these running landings, I’ll swear, but only to keep the secret.”
He nodded. “Only that.”
It was in everyone’s best interests to keep geas contracts as simple as possible. Anything too broad and you ran the risk of either party breaking it accidentally, given the adjudication was being performed by a fae.
“Bargained and done,” she said, sticking out a hand, which he shook moments before she surprised him by beaming with a set of pearly white teeth. “Not going to lie, I’m pretty excited about all this. I’ve been trying to figure out what the secret was for weeks.”
William smiled back, the woman’s sudden enthusiasm after such a tense conversation was infectious. It suddenly reminded him of a thought he’d had but a few days ago. A way to tie the woman even closer to his cause… and perhaps give them both a little fun as well.
“You know Xera,” he said. “It occurs to me that I’ve asked a lot of you since I became the Lord of Redwater.”
The woman’s mirth faded as she eyed him, suddenly wary as if he was about to spring some kind of trap. “Well, I’ll not deny it. You certainly know how to keep a gal busy. And on her toes.”
He nodded commiseratingly, brain changing gears away from thoughts of politics or machinery as his eyes trailed across the woman’s obvious curves. The pilot suit didn’t exactly do much to display them, but there was no doubting that the wood elf was very much a woman under her outfit. Perhaps not beautiful in the conventional sense, but she cut a striking figure all the same. Less svelte than most of the elves he’d seen, he wouldn’t be surprised to learn she had some human ancestry.
The gold-flecked irises of her eyes in particular seemed to catch the light as he gazed at her, before his attention flickered over to the exotic sight of her antlers. Rather than spread out as one might expect, the two horns peeled back, twisting around her head as if in imitation of a crown of some kind.
She really was an attractive woman.
“Something in my teeth?” she asked, eyebrow raised – causing him to realize he’d been staring.
“No, just thinking about how best to reward you for putting up with my odd requests for so long,” he said. “How about dinner?”
Whatever she’d been expecting him to say, it clearly wasn’t that.
“Dinner?” she asked. “With me?”
Perhaps if he’d been talking to Griffith, he’d have been treated to some deliciously adorable flushed stammering from the otherwise hard faced woman. It seemed though that underneath her own hard-coated exterior, his second in command was made of tougher stuff.
If anything, after a moment to process his words, she seemed almost amused.
“Yep.” He nodded. “Me and you. Somewhere nice. In the city.”
She cocked her head, and he suddenly felt a little small under her regard as something like a switch seemed to flick on inside her.
“Like a date?” she asked with an outward nonchalance that failed to hide the intensity under it.
“If that’s what you want to call it,” he said.
“And if I do?” she asked, something akin to a growl entering her voice.
He was a little surprised by the sudden intensity. Had it been a while for her?
“Then I suppose it’s a date,” he said quietly. “Unless the thought of being involved with your liege lord in such a manner is uncomfortable for you. If so, I’m sure I can think of some other way to reward you.”
Though he’d be very disappointed. Not least of all because this new side of his subordinate was… doing things for him.
Unexpected things.
First Griffith and now Xera, he thought. Maybe it’s less ‘competence’ and more ‘dominance’ I’m attracted to?
No.
Surely not.
He’d certainly not had inclinations of that variety in his last life.
“No,” Xera said, suddenly leaning over him, her breath tickling his nose as she leaned in. “No, that’s no problem at all for me. If anything, I think it might be interesting. Maybe even fun.”
She was staring into his eyes.
“Ah,” he said, turning away, a sudden heat creeping up across his face. “Then, how about tonight? We could sort out the geas issue afterward.”
For some reason, the woman looked smug as she straightened up. “Tonight is more than fine. Though you’ll forgive me if I meet you in the city itself rather than travel with you. Been a while since I’ve been somewhere fancy and I’d like to grab a new outfit for the occasion.”
The image of the woman across from him in a dress flitted across his vision, the dichotomy between it and her flight clothes forming a glorious tableau.
“No problem at all,” he coughed.
“Well, I guess I’ll see you then,” she said as she turned away.
Or rather sauntered, rolling her hips in a manner he hadn’t known the mage-knight was capable.
He watched her go, before a sudden pang of irritation flowed through him.
That wasn’t how that was supposed to go! He was supposed to be playing the confident playboy here!
Not her!
Tugging on his collar, he made a vow. He’d turn the tables on the woman tonight. One way or the other!
This was war!
Comments
Vonbaron
I'm not sure why but the character William really annoys me here. All major mid war and later USA naval fighters had folding wings. The F6F-5 had folding wings AND an 19:1 kill ratio. The F6F is a superior design in every metric including being vastly easier to pilot. Old men getting stuck in their ways and having a favorite plane is very true to reality though :P
Peter Henrichsen
That would require balanced thinking instead of "I want to win" like his Harrowing pushes
Peter Henrichsen
If you're high enough you can take off by gravity alone, but you're right that isn't a great place to start a dogfight
Timo Geerties
I pictured the turret setup to more closely resemble the Westland Wendover or Boulton Paul Defiant
Marius Petrauskas
nice
The Fire Piper
It's hype time! Friday is almost here! Whoo!!! I hear antlers make great handles!
Vonbaron
The description fits many planes that flew during WW2. Germany had a few twin engine fighters with a single turret up top like the BF110 series. The soviets liked to build their "bombers" that way such as the TU-2, PE-2 and a dozen others. Since he's American then the P61 would fit the best but I still want to pretend the shard is a mini b25 complete with shark mouth :P EDIT : I've put a few too many hours in warthunder over the last +10 years. I like dog fighting in IL-2s and other soviet bombers.
Trevayne
It is closer to a P-61.
DMR1
Man, the first volley of FFAR rockets from a Corsair... Sheeeit.
Vonbaron
In my mind the shard owned by the twins looks like a mini b25.
Vonbaron
When people are arguing over the best tank or whatever they never pay attention to ergonomics. Flying a plane in combat conditions is exhausting. An exhausted pilot makes mistakes that they wouldn't make fresh. The F4U adds to that exhaustion by being a harder airplane to handle on the ground and in the air. So yeah in theory the stats on the F4U are generally superior to the F6F. The reality of this situation is that the F6F is the superior plane. Some still argue that in our reality the F6F was a superior plane.
Morpheus
hump day chapter!
Eastman
Aw cmon man a mid week chapter would be so awesome
Morpheus
awww but want to read!
Jon Thorn
Strangely one of the reasons that all the pilots in Starfox have metal feet, it's inspired by the legless Ace pilot who discovered just that.
Blue Fishcake
Mostly just a bit of awkward timing. I could release it right now but I figured I'd just release two on Friday instead.
Kaywye
That's a good point. My understanding of the practical science involved in fighter craft of any variety is...patchy at best. I was unsure if a rolling takeoff were required, but it wakes sense that all you need is to have enough falling space to get up to a sustainable flight speed.
Conrad34xdsa
I am interested if William is planning on adding a limited run of medium bombers using the engines that he has produced. With a modified squadron of b-25s he could ( in theory) pull Doolittle raids and have the Blackstones hold back some of their forces to protect their cities and towns (target heavy industries to cripple their means to wage war) that could have a similar impact the Doolittle raid had in having to split their forces and to have them make mistakes that could lead to a decisive victory. If it didn’t work then they could be used for long range scouting and commerce raiding against the merchant ships. One thing I would like to see is a new map of the continent that goes into more detail with how far something is. It would be interesting to see how far a F4u-4 would have to go in order to reach the Blackstones or other major locations.
The Fire Piper
Sir, at this point I would gladly be patient for another two weeks of no chapters for you to get ahead and have a two to three week store of chapters ready to go. This allows you flexibility and the ability to deal with emergencies. Are you sick this week, that's OK, you got it covered. Wanna go on vacation? Having a family emergency, or need to help someone move? Need to deal with your mental health? You are covered, as long as you keep the goal of being two - three weeks ahead when you start getting behind. I would bet this would make you much happier, and allieve your feelings of guilt of continually not getting things done when you want to. A happier BlueFishCake makes for a happier community, and a consistent release scheduel makes us, your fans, more addicted to your work when we get the anticipated fix.
Andrew Lechner
Why is the public chapter not out yet?
Trevayne
As I understand it, takeoffs aren't the problem. They could just push the shard over the side and it would reach flight speed long before it hit the ground. The real reason for the flat top is landings. An IC-powered shard has no ability to hover, so it can't return to its carrier by just matching speeds and easing into the shard bay. An IC-powered shard has to do a rolling landing on a relatively flat surface. It doesn't have to be as long as a wet navy carrier because the airship can move at higher speeds and thus have more wind over the deck.
Borisoff72
If you're taking off from an airship that's already a few thousand feet up, you have a much bigger margin for error than on a seaborne craft. It's fine if the plane has a small initial descent after takeoff. In fact, you might not need a runway for takeoff at all. You could get the engines going to max power and drop them out of the hangar.
Blue Fishcake
The reason is mostly just that it's convenient for people to have some idea of when the next chapter will drop. On my front, it stops me from getting too caught up in a constant game of editing as I try to make my work 'perfect'. It also keeps me from being lazy if my muse isn't cooperating. I love writing for a living, but at the end of the day it's still a job. Sometimes you just aren't feeling that spark on a given day. In moments like that you've just got to power through. Having a deadline helps with that. Otherwise we end up like Patrick Rothfuss or George RR Martin. (As for why it's a week? It used to be a five day cycle, but people suggested adding two extra days because I kept missing my deadlines. The extra two days ostensibly would give me more time. In response, I started making the chapters longer and continued missing my deadlines :D )
Hunter
I’m writing here before I finish the story… because I love the abject defeat the girl is feeling… before she’s likely getting the good news of her continued service. Hell, she’ll be a better pilot without her foot than before, with her blood flow not impeding her as much as it did prior.
22junk
Is there some practical reason to release on a seven day schedule? This is the only Patreon I’m subscribed to so I don’t know if it’s built into the rules or something but if it’s more natural for this story to churn out a fully formed chapter in 9 days I would not have a problem with it. I get notifications on my phone so it makes no difference to me. I can already tell I’m going to reread this story multiple times. It would really suck if you had any regrets on the direction or execution of the plot because you felt bound to a weekly schedule just a little too fast than is ideal.
MarakEvans
[Everyone liked that.]
Richard Anderson
The way Willian was geeking out on the girls rear gun-turret and talking about dive bombing attacks I envisioned he was going to build a SBD dauntless.
The Fire Piper
Well done sir!
Blue Fishcake
Well, my body physically recoiled at the idea of churning out more words this morning, even though there's only a few hundred left, and the comment suggesting holding off part two until Friday was pretty popular. So I guess I'll take a break today, finish it tomorrow, release the chapter as normal on Friday and start working on the next chapter early. Probably for the best. The double chapter idea seemed appropriate as I didn't want to release just one big scene this week, but at the end of the day extra words are still extra words. More to the point, I was genuinely dreading the thought of trying to get *another* chapter out on Friday as well if I released one today. As ever, thanks for being such a cool community :D
Kaywye
I believe William needs to slow down a bit. He's working himself at an unsustainable pace. I realize he's running against the clock, and it's only a matter of time before Blackstone kicks things off, but part of the issues he is having is the reckless speed at which he is proceeding. Pull back just a touch and then you will maybe perceive things that you would be blind to if you were in a full-on sprint.
Kaywye
Agreed. I think it has to happen. I mean practically speaking there can't be enough of a 'runway' on the Jellyfish for unassisted take offs.
Scott Mitchell
I’m wondering if William will add rocket assisted catapult launched fighters (like the Brit’s and a few others hard pressed for flat top real estate) if for no other reason than to build a early sortie advantage.
Trevayne
He isn't going to be able to keep the secret that IC shards exist. However, until plebians are involved in maintenance or building engines, they don't have much more information to leak. They can tell spies that the shards rely on fuel and their general performance, but they can't describe how the engines work. Adversaries are going to need to get a crashed shard to even start trying to figure out how it works. Even then, they are going to have difficulties and will probably need some gifted mage-smiths to try to put it together.
Conrad34xdsa
Also, the last sentence reminded me of something. https://youtu.be/mE1r2j_DaSk?si=J0Ms0RfIpyc6qU1e
Conrad34xdsa
I’m surprised he has not invented something else that’s a minor but interesting invention and sold it openly to his family as a sort of olive branch. With the same royalty deal as with the Gramophone. They make money, he mends a few relationships and gets money.
bioenthusiast
Need to bring out the thach weave and get crown a tactical genius.
Trevayne
Thinking some more about it, I think William's choice of the Corsair is evidence that he wasn't a WW2 pilot. Given his situation, picking the Corsair is like a WW2 aircraft buff asked to choose which carrier fighter they would like to use in a game. It is arguably the best or at least in the conversation for the best carrier fighter. However, someone who flew it would know how tricky it was for new pilots and that should have disqualified it right there. Especially given how many pilots he is going to have to train. Right now he is trying for forty or so. He will have IC-powered Corsairs for them in about 20 weeks, and I doubt he will stop there.
Trevayne
Agreed. At some point I expect we will see William realizing he goofed, but he is too far along with the Corsairs to switch designs now. I think that he thought he needed the best carrier fighter of WW2 because reasons and he did not think that ease of flying the Hellcat offset the better specs of the Corsair. There were reasons why it was only used by the Marines from shore bases for years before the Navy used it on carriers.
Vonbaron
The F4U was called the “Ensign Eliminator" for a reason. I would not of started off with that design. I would of went with the F6F as it was a rugged plane that was way easier to fly AND it performed just as well as the F4U (F6F had a better wing loading aka tighter turn). Some of the Japanese aces declared the F6F to be the toughest opponent they had. That might be because the deployment of the F4U was not as wide spread due to it's numerous issues including killing even experienced pilots. Personally I don't understand why a character like William would start off with a notoriously hard to handle plane. The best play would be by far to go with an easy to handle durable design that had similar performance.
The Fire Piper
:D
Isak Mark
>consistent Friday releases. >early smut I'm torn in indecision. Why do the heavens tease me so.
Trevayne
IIRC Bacall was significantly younger than Bogart, so the ages are reversed, but otherwise I agree.
The Fire Piper
You know @Bluefishcake, you could save pt. 2 for this next Friday and work on the next chapter during this coming week. This will get you a week ahead in writing and make it possible to have consistent Friday releases. Just sayin!
Jon Thorn
I am with Spintool on this one. It also makes sense for the setting and for how his being in this world works. This life wants for things the last life did not.
MarakEvans
Very nice. Get your bets in boys and girls. Time Skip or Sexy Time?
22junk
The gender ratio means no one is ready for a personality like his coming from a young man. William’s been playing on easy mode up till this point. Hope he’s not too rusty.
Moonlightwind
Somehow I don’t think he’s turning anything around on her. William, going for strong confident older women in a world where men are outnumbered 7-1 is not going to get you a lady who lets you take charge. I absolutely loved him just instantly crumbling under her with basically no resistance. He is very much in denial, but he probably shoulda figured this out already.
aj0413
Hah! He’s strong on offense but weak on defense! Lololol Can’t wait till others find out XD
Jacob
I think it said in an earlier chapter that mage-smith's often have a notable number of plebeian assistants. I'm assuming none of them are allowed entry into the workshop where the engines are being installed in the shards, and that discrepancy would probably be suspicious enough to the Queen's agents for them to try to investigate and access said workshop.
Jacob
I just realized William has a really big infosec problem coming down the pipe. Plebeians *can't* swear a geas and even if they could it would be worthless because they don't have any magic to lose. So how does he plan to keep the secret once his plebeian pilots, or any other plebeians for that matter, becomes aware of the combustion engine?
lord vauthry
Minor typo "ragged keeping the Sshards the trainees were practicing on operation"
Baron Von Mott
Yeah, I figured you were trying a new approach what with Will being into older women and everything. And at the end of the day it's your story, and it's not gonna stop me from enjoying the series as a whole. I just don't want all the girls in this one to fall too much into the same archetype, especially considering it's one I'm not really interested in to begin with.
Blue Fishcake
To be fair, both of my other characters were pretty dominant in the bedroom. William is an attempt at something a little different.
Baron Von Mott
Fair point, I'd forgotten about the twins 😁
Baron Von Mott
Oh yeah, I'm still enjoying the story in general 👍
Victor
I dont really enjoy it either but this is Blue's whole schtick from the beginning, worth to just power trough for the actual plot haha
Spintool
I like the focus on more dominant women and want to see more. You can wait your turn when William finally starts making moves with the twins
Baron Von Mott
"Maybe it’s less ‘competence’ and more ‘dominance’ I’m attracted to?" Please, no. Yes, at the end of the day this is Blues' story and their choice, but that's just not what I'm into. And truth be told, giving Griffith the dominant role kinda ruined that part of the story for me. I don't blame Blue for wanting to do things a little differently to their other stories, but I for one would really appreciate this particular idea not becoming a pattern.
Trevayne
Good update, and I am looking forward to seeing Xera's reaction when she finally finds out why she is having the students practicing running take offs and landings.
Batou
Poor man has already lost and doesn't know it yet...
Richard Anderson
Why did I envision Lauren Bacall walking away from Bogart in to have and have not when Xera left him dumbfounded in the hall.
The Fire Piper
Hah! Great ending!
Tim Speller
YESYESYESYESYESYES
MaybeASquid
And here I thought it would be sweet sweet flight and dogfighting scenes but instead we got all the prep work for pancakes
Christopher Manoff
Oooo I like Xera. That's a dangerous woman xD
Ben
Time for some more smut
Andrew
Thank you!
