Winter Solstice | Fatui One-Shots (Genshin Impact)

Intersection | Dottore

Dottore

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You could pinpoint the precise moment you became more than just an expendable research assistant to the Doctor.

You'd never been particularly fond of your assignment to the second division, but seeing as you had no talent for espionage or combat, and your mind was perpetually plagued with a certain compulsion to question and explore the unknown, there really was only one division fit for you.

There were plenty of rumors that circulated about the Doctor, and many were conflicting; it seemed as though no one had a clear grasp on who he truly was. He was young then he was old, easy-going then homicidal, and unable to remember small details.

However, every clashing story was suddenly sucked into a vicious whirlpool, twisting down farther and faster into a single point of realization when it occurred to you that it was not one individual they were describing, but many across Teyvat. And it wasn't as if it was a secret, but few had arrived at that conclusion because of how ludicrous it appeared at first glance.

But as you pondered the possibility, the absurdity of it became a dissipating mist, and as you stared across the Doctor's research notes, a mirage materialized before your very eyes. The differences in his handwriting were as stark as Snezhnaya was to Natlan, and yet they all existed on the same plane. 

"Discovering the hidden laws of Teyvat?" a voice asked from behind you. You looked up, a sense of dread falling into your stomach as you laid eyes upon Il Dottore standing in the doorway with his arms clasped behind his back. His chest was puffed out as he took calm strides towards you, a little different than the version of him you most often encountered, the one with a more assertive pace and manufactured arrogance. He was a little too mellow, as if he had nothing to prove.

You said, "The ink is still pristine on both pages, and yet the right side uses shorter strokes with letters that flow from one to the next as if you suddenly learned to write more efficiently."

He stilled all of a sudden, then unclasped his hands and brought them in front. He had a small smile on his face as though he were intrigued by this present moment instead of simply putting up with it. He posed, "And what do you suppose that means?"

You contemplated telling him your thoughts on the matter, and though you had this distinct feeling to fall short of the mark, your questioning brain sought answers. "The one who stands before me has had more time to write and discover." 

You placed your hand on the other sheet. "And the one who penned this yesterday has a heavier hand, characterized by his excitement at this breakthrough that the one on the right lacks."

You looked back up at the Doctor. "Thus, I conclude, because no other could have written these notes, that there are at least two of you. Am I correct in this assumption?"

He hummed, taking a look at the papers you had used as evidence. Though his eyes were hidden behind his mask, it was evident he was taking in the differences you had just pointed out, and then he looked back at you. He said, "There are other explanations you didn't account for."

"I also considered the length I've worked as one of your assistants. Your mannerisms also change uncharacteristically from time to time."

"But you couldn't say for certain, so you decided to ask me for confirmation," he surmised. "Aren't you brave. Were you not afraid of the consequences if you were wrong?"

"I believed it was more likely that I was right," you said.

He scoffed. "There's a difference between cockiness and confidence. A scholar ought to learn that there are never assumptions to be made. Everything must be tested and confirmed with concrete evidence."