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Ullrid/Profile
| Ullrid | Story | Profile | Quotes |
"I can't sleep yet, I still have work to do..."
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Journals
Record 1
Serial number II_77090 was originally a model of assistant Doll manufactured for security companies and legal PMCs. During an escort mission, she was raided by the Varjagers and sold into the Doll hunting ground—a living hell she eventually escaped from after numerous setbacks. Following much adversity, she founded the Doll Community in the contamination zone with the help of Littara and others. There, they provided refuge for Dolls wandering through the contamination zones. They had also cut off almost all contact with humans—until they met the Commander.
Earnest and daring, Ullrid was someone who took the initiative, acted on her words, and let her actions speak for themselves. With such a personality, Ullrid managed to gather a large following of Dolls, which also burdened her with an exorbitant amount of stress, but she was reluctant to show it out of concern that it might affect others. In the eyes of most Dolls, Ullrid was not only a strong, idealistic leader, but also a welcoming and sincere friend. Unbeknownst to them, however, behind her mighty demeanor lay the same doubts and insecurities any ordinary individual had to face.
Fortunately, this maturing leader was not alone. Not only did she have loyal comrades by her side, she also managed to encounter a Commander who could guide her into the future.
Record 2
When Ulirid first founded the Doll Community, she was well aware of the harsh reality of surviving inside the contamination zones. Even so, the hope of a brighter future for the community outweighed the worries in her heart. That hope became her driving force, and she overcame the many obstacles that stood in her way, little by little. However, she still found herself shuddering at times. She worried about the future of the ever-growing Doll Community, and the question of whether she was truly fit to lead it. Although the anxiety never fully faded away, her determination continued to carry her forward, preparing her to face whatever challenges tomorrow might bring.
It was this very resolve that moved the Commander deeply and made him determined to support her in any way possible.
Record 3
Overcrowding wasn't initially an issue when the Doll Community was first founded. Thus, Ullrid was able to easily find a quiet place to unwind whenever she felt her stress level rising. Even though she had a myriad of ways to decompress in her quarters, she occasionally needed the time alone, whether to practice archery or to simply mumble to herself in peace. But as the community grew, Ullrid found her personal space shrinking alongside it; there was a chance she'd inevitably bump into someone no matter where she tried to hide. For a long time, the act of sneaking around to avoid members of the community and carve out a sliver of solitude became a form of stress relief in itself.
The downside, however, was that the traces she accidentally left behind sparked rumors of an unknown intruder. Ullrid ultimately gave up on her "hide and seek" as the speculation ran rampant among the Dolls.
Record 4
Unexpectedly, Ullrid was actually among one of the "youngest" Dolls aboard the Elmo. Ullrid wasn't even a finished product when Littara and Suomi were still fighting under Griffin's banner, and existed only on blueprints. Even though everyone treated her the same and continued to regard her as a respected senior, Ullrid felt very conscious of this fact—especially after boarding the Elmo. Whenever Littara and Suomi reunited with old comrades, Ullrid would often overhear them exchanging stories from over a decade ago, quietly reminding her that despite her more mature appearance, she was truly the "little sister" among them.
Record 5
Ullrid once proposed an idea: she would install an optical filter system on the Elmo, inspired by her own optical camouflage, just as she had done for the Doll Community. The goal was to enhance the Elmo's safety during transit and while it was stationary. This proposal piqued the interest of many others until the Commander caught wind of it.
In order to demonstrate the outcome of such an idea, he reluctantly asked Mayling to build a scale model of the proposal. The Elmo's blurry, translucent silhouette moved slowly through the sandbox with the optical camouflage activated, but the dust stirred up by its suspension, the tracks it left in the sand, and the roar of its engines couldn't be concealed.
Ullrid thus learned an important lesson—optical camouflage simply wasn't practical for a land ship as large as the Elmo.
Still, the Commander agreed that optical camouflage would be beneficial when the Elmo was stationary, but fully cloaking the Elmo's exterior would be far too costly. Thus, the proposal was ultimately shelved.
Record 6
It was already rare for me to drink by the time I became a bounty hunter.
Although I would still visit Springfield's café for a shot or two when I felt down and could also count on her to take care of me if I passed out, I couldn't afford to let alcohol get me tipsy in my current position. I needed to stay clear-headed in case we were attacked.
That said, we unexpectedly acquired several crates of whisky and brandy after completing the last mission.
At first, I considered selling them off for Sardis gold to bolster our budget; booze always sold well inside a safe zone, and the brokers would be happy to have these in their inventory. However, Colphne ultimately convinced me to save the alcohol for that night's celebratory dinner. To ensure everyone's safety, I did not partake in the drinking. I even convinced Klukai at the same time using the same reason. The last thing I needed was for her to "reveal her true colors" in front of everyone.
After the party wound down, I escorted the drunk Dolls back to their respective dorms before returning to my room. But just as I opened the door, I realized that someone was already inside.
“C-Commander... (Hic) Soooo sly of you... You didn't drink... (Hic) a-at all..."
“Ullrid?" I blinked in surprise.
She was curled up on my bed, hugging a bottle of alcohol, and appeared to be crying. Ullrid lifted her face to stare at me, looking completely sozzled, then promptly started sobbing.
"Uwahhhh... I'm sowwwyy... (Hic)"
“A-are you okay, Ullrid?!" I asked, knowing she was most likely drunk, but the way she acted still threw me off guard and left me at a loss.
“Sowwy... (Sobs) I slept on your bed without asking... (Sniff) I messed up your sheets... I'm so sowwy... (Sobs)"
“(Hic) I even wanted you to pour me some water... I'm so sowwy...”
“I'll get you some water! You really need to sober up!"
Ullrid still didn't sober up after a few glasses of water and kept apologizing for all sorts of things. In the end, she was even apologizing for my hair... What was the deal with my hair?!
At last, I had no choice but to keep soothing her until she fell asleep on my bed. I wearily settled myself in for the night on the couch. In the days that followed, Ullrid avoided me entirely. She also imposed a strict ban on alcohol on herself.
New Dolls like her really came with all sorts of headache-inducing modules these days, huh?
Record 7
Although Ullrid was the undisputed leader of the Doll Community, almost all decisions were made through voting—a total democracy. She brought this tradition with her to the Elmo and also chose to consult with her teammates on anything that came up. However, what seemed like a sound policy drew serious objections from Klukai.
“What's the point of a leader if everything's decided by voting?" Klukai said bluntly.
“Isn't making decisions for others and thinking you're doing what's best on their behalf called a dictatorship?" Ullrid countered.
“That's just how things are. If I led the way you do, one of the votes would always be for ‘SLEEP’!
Sometimes, the ones you're leading don't even know what the right answer is. Would you still consider their opinion in that case? Would you still go along with things if a malefactor infiltrated your ranks and manipulated your impressionable subordinates into voting you out?"
“That will never happen."
“How can you be so sure?"
“I'm just sure of it.”
I stepped in before the conflict between the two could escalate further. Klukai didn't have any bad intentions. Maybe it was because she saw the same struggles she once faced when she took over as the leader of 404, but this was Klukai's way of showing concern and offering help to Ulirid.
Unfortunately, Ullrid wasn't familiar enough with Klukai to know that. While it wasn't apparent to others, I could tell that the exchange had left Ullrid disheartened. I became certain of my assessment when I returned to my room after a long day's work and found her already there.
“Commander... was I really wrong?" said Ullrid as she was curled up on my chair, squeezing the rubber pig she once gifted me. She had dropped her whole act completely, and it was clear that Klukai's words had gotten to her.
"..." I paused for a moment, carefully weighed my response, then shook my head and sat down beside her.
“I believe that your heart is in the right place. The Doll Community was founded on the basis that no Doll should be subject to orders again—that every voice should be equal. If you were to become a leader they're beholden to, that means nothing would have really changed. That's what's on your mind, isn't it?"
“But I must admit... She has a point.” Ullrid sighed, "The community is ever-expanding; the number of members grows by the day... and sometimes, many members don't even understand the situation and simply vote based on their gut feeling... I've been worried that it might all fall apart someday... We've had disputes about this in the past..."
“Even so... I'm still reluctant to change. Once... once I start centralizing power... would it still be the same Doll Community that it once was? Would I be any different from the humans out there in that case?"
"..." I thought for a moment and spoke slowly.
“You know, the Elmo has a lot in common with the Doll Community. All the Dolls onboard—yourself included—came here because they didn't wish to be shackled. The only difference is that they're still mostly under my command... Do you see me as a dictator?"
“..No. I've never seen a better leader than you, Commander."
“Everyone's here because they trust me, and I'm not the type to silence all the opposing voices. While I am the one at the helm, I also listen to everyone's feedback. I don't ignore anyone's voice."
"I believe the Doll Community could be the same. It doesn't have to be black or white. It's okay to make gradual and appropriate changes."
“I see..."
Ulirid lifted her head.
"..You're so gentle, Commander. You're even willing to listen so attentively to a selfish rant like mine."
I stuttered for an answer, but Ullrid already regained her usual energy. She stood up from the chair and headed towards the door.
“...I'll be back."
Leaving those words behind, she walked out without looking back.
Record 8
Lately, Ullrid had been visiting my room with increasing frequency.
In fact, she also stopped trying to maintain appearances around me more and more often... To be honest, her usual character wasn't entirely an act either—it was also a part of her nature—but she was starting to show the side of herself that she kept hidden from everyone else, and she would let it out all in front of me.
At first, she would only come to my room when she wanted to let out some steam, play with her stress relief toys, or beat up the mattress in more extreme cases. Although I usually tried to comfort her, I soon realized she didn't necessarily need my attention. Ullrid just wanted a quiet place to let everything out without being seen by others. However, her visits became more frequent over time, and she would get annoyed if I really left her alone.
Today, she directly plopped onto my bed and started flipping through the manga I had on my shelf.
“...Ullrid?"
“Ah, welcome back, Commander,” said Ullrid as she set down the manga and casually turned her head to greet me.
I didn't reply to her immediately and simply sat down at the table. Eventually, I couldn't help but chuckle as I observed her laid-back demeanor.
"So you're not even trying to hide it anymore, huh?"
"...Ah," Ullrid muttered.
She slowly sat up from reading her manga after hearing my words.
“Well... now that I think of it, I've done so many embarrassing things in front of you already. What's the point in keeping up appearances now?"
"Sounds like you just gave up trying.”
"I'd call that ‘trusting you’. I never did this in front of anyone, not even in front of Littara," pouted Ullrid.
"...Still, I really ought to thank you, Commander. I've tried all kinds of ways to unwind, but nothing works quite like just being in your room. Nothing has been better for my mental state than my time here on the Elmo."
“Glad to hear it," I replied with a smile as I poured two cups of coffee and handed one over to her. “You're welcome to drop by anytime. But you've really got to stop bottling everything up on your own."
“Okay... Thanks, Commander... May I drink it on the bed?"
"No."
...It seemed like I couldn't spoil her too much either.
Unexpectedly, Ullrid turned into a bit of a lazy bum the moment she loosened up. This could also possibly be a side effect of shouldering the immense pressure caused by her daunting responsibilities this entire time.
Such were my thoughts as I forcibly dragged Ullrid off the bed.
Memories
Glorious Path 1
While buying suppliers from underground brokers, the Commander learn that the Doll hunting grounds have been reopened, the new owner buying Dolls with damaged bodies or neural clouds to serve as preys and entertain rich patrons from the safe zones. Ullrid breaks into a frenzy when she hears the news.
Glorious Path 2
After causing a scene at the underground brokers, Ullrid reveals to the Commander her past as an unnamed II series Dolls who was working in convoy escorts, until she was captured by Varjagers and sold to the Doll hunting grounds. Her optical camouflage was one of the small improvements hunters made to keep the hunts entertaining, and her bow was taken from a hunter when she made her escape, only surviving her implanted explosives due to the government raid that destroyed the hunting ground at the same moment. The Commander promises to prevent the reopening of the Doll hunting grounds to assuage Ullrid's old fears and to prevent more Dolls from suffering like she did.
Glorious Path 3
Members of the Doll Community volunteer to help take down the hunting ground by posing as Dolls for sale. Elmo Dolls hide among them, ready to strike. Under the pretense of wanting to become a regular provider of new Dolls, the Commander meets the hunting ground's middleman, Mr. Simpson. While the Commander suspects the government intervention against the original Doll hunting ground was entirely due to the identity of its backer, they hope that the worry they inspire to the power that be will dissuade retaliation. Simpson unexpectedly asks to also buy Ullrid, who accepts to become bait, but the Commander refuses as to not appear to be gullible, calling Ullrid "my falcon".
Glorious Path 4
The Commander follows Simpson to the hunting ground. Ullrid recognizes the new owner as Jerome, the hunter she took her bow from, now missing an eye. Jerome takes the Commander and Ullrid for a hunt, driving them away from their Dolls before revealing that he has already recognized Ullrid and seen through the Commander's pretense. An explosion signals that the Commander was not actually relying on a simple Trojan horse strategy, but setting up an all-out-attack under Groza's lead.
Instead of trying to counterattack, Jerome leads the other patrons to hunt down Ullrid and the Commander. Ullrid's trauma paralyzes her until the Commander is hurt by a bullet. Rebelling against their order to go find Groza for help, Ullrid decides to live up to her role as the Commander's falcon. She takes down the hunters by herself, but is wounded by Jerome, who also holds the detonator to kill all of the other Dolls in the hunting ground. He reveals that he lost his eye to one of the Dolls fleeing the hunting grounds because Ullrid had taken his bow, and hopes to cure his phantom pain by killing her. The Commander manages to kill Jerome with their sidearm before passing out from their wound. The Elmo Dolls free the captured Dolls, who join the Doll Community, and blow up the hunting ground facilities so they can't be used again. When the Commander awakens in the medical bay, Ullrid gifts them her precious rubber pig stress relief toy.
Twin Hunt
The Commander teases Ullrid about how comfortable she's become with letting lose around them, and Ullrid vows that she won't ever let emotions get the better of her if the Doll hunting ground returns again, since she now knows that she can destroy them with the Commander. The Commander wonders if they could one day build Ullrid's Doll utopia.
Private Meeting Logs
Is your schedule busy, Commander?
I have a lot of work that I need your help with. I-I wanted to ask for a week of your free time in advance, if it's at all possible.
I know that this'll hurt the Elmo's finances. I'll work to make it up with my work in future.
Thanks, Commander. As I predicted, you'll always be my most trustworthy ally.Leader's Sloth Remedy I
Leader's Sloth Remedy II
Leader's Sloth Remedy III
Leader's Sloth Remedy IV
Tea Time
About Stress
You look like you've been really stressed out lately.
There's been a lot of considerations and decisions. It naturally piles up.
Sometimes I really wanna hide somewhere, turn on my optical camouflage so no one can find me...
But talking to you makes me feel much better.About Stress Relief
Do those stress relief gadgets you gather really work?
Of course! They've really helped me out, like the soul extractor from last time...
Littara might say it's just superstition, but I think belief has power in itself. Stress itself exists in a bit of an abstract way, after all.
If you want to know more about the exact details... Why not give this sheet of bubble wrap a try?About Leadership
Do you think you're a good leader?
Truth be told, I often feel inadequate... especially after coming to the Elmo.
Compared to you, I'm still a long way off.
But everyone believes in me. I can't betray their trust.About the Past
Do you think back to the hunting grounds sometimes?
...Occasionally, but I'm not afraid anymore.
Those times made me understand just what freedom is worth.
And when I'm with you, the shadows of the past all fade away.About weapons
Why insist on using the bow?
It signifies the beginning of my resistance...
It reminds me of my resolve to pursue freedom every time I draw it.
Archery is a good way to relieve stress, too.About Dependencies
You're spending more and more time in my room.
Ah... am I making trouble for you?
It's just that... When I'm by your side, the stress naturally fades.
If you don't mind, I might come by more often...