Sifr

Iris Ascendis

Sorry that 'bit' took like, ten hours. I got a lot of sudden job stuff on my plate today, followed by some family favours, but!! I am going to Reply Now. I'm so sorry for the wait, and I also apologize if anything is off, 'cause I'm currently fighting off sleep Orz

EDIT: It's up, gonna go pass tf out now. Sorry again for the wait

Iris Ascendis

Give me a bit, haha ^ ^"

Iris Ascendis

Don't give her so much credit, Chunji. She wasn't the only one with guns blazing.

Hildegunde keeps quiet as Iraleth and Chunji speak. If she had any protests or other ideas, she did not share them, instead simply giving a curt nod to Iraleth's final conclusion. She then cranes her neck, trying to meet Chunji's gaze.

"You there, guy. I've watched you for a while; you're more suited to this than I am. If we both go for him at once, you might be in my line of fire. I'll keep any mannequins coming your way down, give you a clean, easy path to the guy. You do your thing. Things go bad, we improvise. Worst case scenario, I back you up with lethal force. Don't you worry about being in my way if it comes to that, but don't learn to rely on it either. I only have so many guaranteed safe shots. 'Kay?"

Of course, a man and a mannequin were two very different beasts. It'll take a lot to make her use her ethos again. She concentrates for a moment, laying down two preparations. The first is a tiny bit of magical manipulation to her belongings.

Silence. Rifle and boots. This was a familiar usage of magic for her, alongside concealment. All handy hunting tools. Sound should not give her position away. The action slows her pounding heart some; it is strangely comforting in its familiarity. The second preparation comes once her feet hit the ground. She reloads; best to go in with a fresh mag.

After doing so, she keeps low. Her eyes are alert, her hood is up, her breathing is shallow. On Iraleth's word, she takes off, away from the Half-Elf, trying to keep out of eyesight and find a good sniping spot; if Chunji had any protests to her proposal, he would have to follow her.

Iris Ascendis

I think that's our fastest round yet. Time to circle Nanaya in T pose.

Iris Ascendis

Whatever doubts Hildegunde had been harbouring earlier scattered along with the rain of embers. Bullet well spent. Hopefully she will do fine without spending another. The parting words were ominous, but they were an issue for later. She spent maybe a singular second admiring the shower of extinguished flames, before deciding she needed to get a move on.

That was, until Chunji approaches Iraleth. She freezes, observing, expecting another fight to break out. As demanding as Chunji was, she is relieved that he is approaching peacefully. While wary of him, and still not super on board with the idea of him as a classmate...well, it'd work to get on his good side. Best to be cooperative - it was maybe the smartest thing Iraleth had done all day, in her opinion. And who is she to turn down help from the woman who saved her earlier?

She points back at herself, as if to ask 'me?', lips curling into an playful smile. False bravado. She is nervous, but it would be hard for someone to pick up on this with how airily she is carrying herself.

"My aim's all I got," she half jokes, approaching the duo. If you're sure I won't weigh you down. I think you've dawdled enough helping others. She holds this back, however, in case the girl actually reconsiders. Not just because Chunji might react poorly, but because, quite frankly, she could use the lift. While she's not so injured that her physical ability is impeded in any way, now that the adrenaline has died down, she can feel her scrapes stinging. She'll need to clean them once her seat is secured. If she even manages that.

Hildegunde will feel bad if carrying her is the reason Iraleth ends up losing her seat, but...well, it was her own decision.

@Psyker Landshark@AThousandCurses

Iris Ascendis

Iris Ascendis

"No disdain! I'm just sayi-!"

The fireball was not an issue. The following explosion, however, would be. Hildegunde yelps as the blast knocks her off her feet, pain searing her side as she slides across the floor, cheek scraped. She grimaces, getting back to her feet as quickly as possible, bashing a mannequin that she had gotten too close to with her rifle. Distance. She needs distance. So preoccupied with her need to make distance and the stress of the engulfing flames that the announcement is white noise to her. She backs away from the crowd, eyes scanning for an exit, before locking onto Iraleth and the mage. Why is she like that.

Mannequins came to intercept the incoming attacks, and some primal part of her brain was screaming to get out of the flames. Would they even fall with the mage? Even if it didn't, she couldn't allow more damage. Never in a million years did she think now of all times is when she'd evoke her ethos. But if the whole place goes down in flames because she didn't, it'll be one more weight on her shoulders.

Besides, she supposes she owes Iraleth. And with her and Chunji so close to the mage, there's no other way for her to make a safe shot without risking blowing off one of their heads instead.

She inhales, briefly wondering if this is a mistake, without giving herself time to dwell on it. Mage. Head.

"Freikugeln."

The cackle of gunfire follows her whisper.

Iris Ascendis

Hi, sorry, life got kinda busy. Working on a post now.

Iris Ascendis

Hildegunde when people exist in her immediate vincinity and she can't shoot willy nilly

I'm so sorry Iraleth

Iris Ascendis

@Psyker Landshark @Nanaya

Well, that was easy.

While she wastes no breath on Chloe, Hildegunde does take the energy to flip the frilly half-elf off as she dashes off. Good fucking riddance. She silently congratulates herself for making it through so far unscathed, and gives thanks to Iraleth's interference, even if it still boggled her mind. Her internal celebration comes to a quick halt, however, upon coming face to face with the wave of mannequins. The huntress scans her surroundings; where's the most easily accessible high ground? Is there anyone else nearby, or is it safe to use her ethos? After a quick assessment of her surroundings and options, Hildegunde puts her hand to the trigger...

...And Iraleth crashes down from the sky.

She swears under her breathe. What is her deal? So much for her ethos. She has no attachment to the woman, of course, but compared to the violent or panicking masses, she'd like to keep her around. It's not that she's not thankful, of course, but she could've shot the lady. And she's still hoping to make it through the day without seriously hurting anyone. Or god forbid, killing someone.

"You have wings, you find the route!" Hildegunde barks back, sounding a lot less appreciative than she is. In honesty, she wants to chew Iraleth out for being an idiot. Why is she jeopardizing her spot? Why did she land in front of someone with a rifle? But now is not the time. Without summoning her ethos, she turns so that Iraleth is not in her way, and begins to shoot at mannequin after mannequin, trying to keep a good distance between herself and them. While she doesn't have the pinpoint, surefire accuracy she would have with her ethos, and she will eventually need to reload without its usage, her aim is still alarmingly good.

"Don't slow down for me, stupid!"