Sifr

Iris Ascendis

It's over. That's what she thought as the mannequin made a final swing towards her, only for it and most the room to be engulfed in shadow. Hildegunde's eyes widen. She blinks. And soon, the mannequin - the mannequins - were no more. She immediately scrambles for her rifle, panic stilling once her hands find their way around the familiar grip.

Gulliver was down. The storm had passed.

And someone was trying to act as thunder.

The woman gives Otis a curious look. The nature is hard to decipher. Is it one of disdain? Admiration? Judgement? Condescension? Whatever the case, the woman gives a low chuckle, shaking her head slightly.

"Letting Gulliver stay. How noble of you," she jokes, although there's a certain edge to her voice that makes it clear that she is not happy about the choice. If she's planning on doing anything about it, however, she shows no signs. Perhaps she is joking to gauge the reactions of the others before taking affirmative action. She picks a splinter out of her upper lip, gained from when she had attempted to chomp down on the kimono clad mannequin, hardly flinching as she does so. She eyes Chunji's medkit, but then looks away; she's not asking Chunji, or risking a brawl with him. While she miraculously lacks any other splinters imbedded in skin, she's in relatively rough shape.

Like Ciara, she makes her way over to Iraleth, offering her a hand. Two helping hands are better than one, and she owes the half-elf yet again. As well as the fellow human girl now, as it were.

"You are the craziest, stupidest, most impressive person I've met in a while," she tells Iraleth, awestruck. Was it supposed to be praise? It sounds and looks like it, judging by the genuine grin on her face. Maybe she herself doesn't recognize that the first two words are typically insults.

"Thanks for the help. Both of you. And sorry for not saying it earlier, half-elf."

Iris Ascendis

@Estylwen I should be! There's something I need to get done before 4 PM but after that I'm free :>

Iris Ascendis

Thank you all so much. Unfortunately today has been Comically Disastrous and as much as I want to go to sleep I can't even do that because I got more to deal with. I'd love to say why but for privacy reasons I will not disclose. Just know that it's been real rough and I'm very glad y'all are understanding.

@Nanaya @Estylwen @Psyker Landshark atting you three since this pertains to you the most.

For reply purposes, if you want Ciara to have save Hilde's ass before the mannequins attacked, she can more or less be retreating while Ciara does her thing, keeping a particular eye out for Iraleth since she's Not Doing So Great.

If it's chill with you if she saved Hilde after a bit, imagine Hildegunde had gotten smacked, rifle out of hand, and had resorted to hissing and attacking the damn thing with her teeth and nails, since physical strength is NOT her forte Strength is her dump stat.

And she was losing.

Terribly.

I truly did want to show Hildegunde being more unhinged here, but ah well. But yeah, whatever works for you three. Leaning towards the latter personally if only because I think it's funny.

Iris Ascendis

Thank you @Estylwen !
I'll try to get a post up tonight but if I am cringe and fail again Nanaya has full permission to skip me. I feel really bad but I'm mobile bound and not a good mobile types + aforementioned job and meds adjustment period.

Iris Ascendis

@ERode Otis can be an honour stealer <3

Post on my end probably won't go up until sometime tomorrow morning (EST). Adjusting to medication and new job and kind of a wreck as a result

@Sifr

So that was a fucking lie

Still struggling with medication, if I don't pass out I'm putting a reply up now tho. If I do I am so so sorry X _ X

Iris Ascendis

@ERode Otis can be an honour stealer <3

Post on my end probably won't go up until sometime tomorrow morning (EST). Adjusting to medication and new job and kind of a wreck as a result

Iris Ascendis

A worthy sacrifice. Hopefully Ciara gets back up alright

Also god I am so sorry for the accidental double post X V X

Iris Ascendis

[I'm so happy that the guild still doesn't allow for deleting posts. Accidental double post X_X]

Iris Ascendis

Oh, shut up, Hildegunde thinks to herself as the man prattles on, his voice like sandpaper on her skin. The urge to actually do so is one she has to suppress once again. She continues blasting the lights with silent gunshots. As she takes a moment to seek cover and reload, Chunji speaks.

"Upon closer inspection, the Foreteller has its summoner, Gulliver Bronstel, inside the center of its being. Reasons are unknown. Suggestion, destroy the center of the Foreteller and attack the summoner that rests in its 'core.'"

While she has no intentions as of right now to try and attack the core, Hildegunde makes mental note of this, lest she find the need to summon her ethos. This is followed shortly by a knock, one which she has no time to respond to. That was worrisome, and for a moment, it startles her. A bullet flies uselessly into an already extinguished light. She makes a face, gritting her teeth as she regains her old focus, her old efficacy. She vaguely notices the Mannequins coming her way are less numerous now, but doesn't give it much thought. Not when the smell of smoke is once again flooding her nostrils for the second time today.

Her eyes widen, body on extra alert. As she extinguishes the last light, her eyes trail towards the source of the smell and the yelp. With a sudden burst of adrenaline, she makes a mad dash for the rest of the shutters, trying to make up for the loss of time on Ciara's part. Trusting that Iraleth's heroics won't allow further harm to come to the black haired girl.

After all, if she was incapacitated, what good was all her work?

Iris Ascendis

The silver haired boy prattles, and Hildegunde's brain is overwhelmed by a thought that is loud enough to overpower his spiel.

Please, just kill him.

As tempting as the thought is, she pushes it aside. So much for the plan. She supposes she might, if it comes down to it. But while things have gone south, she has not deemed it necessary yet to cut things short for the man.

Hildegunde doesn't really have the time to process why the shutters need to be shut. She gives the black haired woman a cautious glance, before doing as she's told, shutting as many as she can. She was not coming up with her own plan beyond simply killing this guy right then and there, and so she moved under the assumption that the stranger had something in mind that would -hopefully- not bite her in the ass. This more or less meant her location would be revealed, as her silhouette would appear and disappear in front of each window. Curiously, she rarely shoots any approaching mannequins, relying on her speed and nimbleness to outmanouver them. Aiming means focus, and focus on shooting means less attention towards the windows. And time is off the essence. Things were going from bad to worse in seconds, after all.

Only once she is satisfied with the number of windows she's shuttered, when she's sure sure additional support on her part will not sigificantly delay Ciara, does she begin to shift towards a role closer to her original plan. At least, for a moment. While initially she focuses her attention on thinning out the waves of mannequins that approach the others, her brain, now that she's no longer fighting against her damaged body to run, quickly clicks together Ciara's plan. Or at least, what she needs to execute her plan. While not told to do so, she points her rifle towards the ceiling.

"Heads up!" Hildegunde calls out, but only after she has shot at the lights directly above Gulliver. So that he is not warned. Each silent gunshot takes out one light after another.