Past Lives || Dottore

35

Pantalone left Y/n alone after their encounter, though his words lingered in her mind. A letter? She didn't know where to send the letter, if she even wrote one. No, when she writes one. She'll use him as another opportunity to get out of the house. She didn't mind the home, but there were times where it was just too much.

Her eyes lingered on the ring he gave her. It was a nice white-iron ring, speckled with diamonds and what looked like starsilver. It was made of cheap materials, but she knew it held something greater than just being a cheap ornament.

Pantalone is a rich person, so him wearing something like this didn't make sense unless it held sentimental value. She blinked, a sad smile on her face.

It was shocking to her. Now knowing that the banker was trusting enough to give her something of importance to her. She brushed her fingers over the diamonds, feeling the smoothness of the jewel. 

He must've used this as some sort of way to calm himself down, judging by how the surface of the diamonds were smoother than the surface of the starsilver.

A machine of sorts placed its hand on her forearm gently. Y/n looked up, confused. She saw what looked like a humanoid machine, dressed in proper clothes. It didn't say anything, but it seemed to nod its makeshift head when it realized that it had gotten her attention.

"Yes?" She asked, though it didn't seem like the machine could respond. The machine removed its hand from her forearm, using its other hand to gesture to a corner of the ballroom. She had forgotten that this was place of partying and dancing; since all that she was doing was standing around and meeting the harbingers, while Dottore was off doing who knows what.

She made eye contact with a person sitting patiently on a large machine. The design of the machine was similar to the machine that had gotten her attention, so she knew this was the person who wanted to speak to her.

"Oh, uh." Y/n looked at the machine beside her and smiled. "Thank you."

She turned and walked away, towards the woman in the corner. Beknownst to her, the machine she had left behind was still. It seemed to have watched her go, a makeshift grin growing on its mechanical face.

As she grew closer to the woman on the machine, the woman appeared to be whispering to herself, whispering in a language Y/n did not recognize. She stopped a few feet away from the machine, finding that her legs simply refused to go any further. The woman stopped whispering, taking notice of Y/n.

"I apologize if my friend here scared you." Her voice was soft, peaceful. "As you can see, I am not very mobile at the moment."

Y/n bowed her head. "It is no trouble."

She liked this woman in front of her. She was calm, and her aura was something pleasant. She wanted to stay by this woman, though her whispering was a little strange.

"I am Sandrone, No.7 of the Fatui Harbingers, codename Marionette. It is my pleasure to have your acquaintance." She offered her hand to Y/n, who took it gently. Y/n had a feeling this woman was fragile, and a quick glance at her legs confirmed her theory.

Her legs were cracking and falling apart. It reminded her of a porcelain doll she had in her childhood, before everything went wrong. There were spots on her legs where it was nothing by emptiness, like her body was filled with the Abyss.

"I am Y/n, Dottore's assistant." She let go of the hand, careful as to not do anymore damage. This didn't go unnoticed by the harbinger, who chuckled lightly.

"I am quite alright, dear Y/n. It is only my legs that have broken, not my arms."

"Ah- I apologize."

Sandrone hummed lightly. "There's no need to apologize dear. I have lived like this for centuries. I will simply get new legs, once they were done being manufactured at my place."

Y/n nodded slowly. "I see."

"I have noticed that Pantalone has given you something, and because of this I now feel obliged to do the same." She tapped the machine she was sitting on softly, the machine responding with light hisses as the air pressure began to release.

"Sandrone, you don't have too."

She looked at Y/n, her soft blue eyes observing. "I want too, and besides, this particular gift has no use to me anymore. Perhaps you will have a use for it?" The machines arm popped open, revealing a secret compartment. A small device was in this compartment, no bigger than Sandrone's hand.

She picked it up and held it out for Y/n to take. She did, reluctantly. It didn't quite feel right taking something like this, but it was wrong to refuse something that has been given to one from a harbinger.

"It controls all ruin machines in a certain vicinity. I have long forgotten the actual numbers, but I'm sure you and Dottore- with his well-known love of ruin machines -will have fun with this device." She smiled gently, the arm compartment hissing closed. A few more sounds came from the machine, which told her that the air pressure has been restored in the machine.

"Thank you, but how is something like this not needed anymore? If I may ask."

"It's not wrong to be curious. I learned that from a young age. Do not be afraid to ask me any type of question; I will be happy to answer." Sandrone nodded. "Now, to answer your question, I simply became the device."

"I'm confused."

She giggled. "That is to be expected. What I mean by this is that I learned to control Ruin Machines without the help of the device. That is part of the reason why I have a ruin machine helping me with my disability, and it was used to get your attention a few minutes ago."

"That machine is a ruin machine?" Y/n took a step back. This was shocking, to say the least. "I never would've guessed."

Sandrone let out a laugh. "I have made my own modifications, of course. The technology from Khaenri'ah is a little outdated when it comes to me and my talents. Creating things and using them is a hobby of mine, and it is something I have used since day one."

"Were you speaking the Khaenri'ah language when I walked up to you?"

Her pale blue eyes widened. "I was. It's the only language the ruin machines will listen too. How did you know that?"

"I've been to every nation because of the war, and I have heard every language each nation speaks. I was wondering what language you were speaking because I had never heard it before. I couldn't recognize it."

Sandrone seemed to relax. "That does explain a lot of things."

"Excuse me?"

"The war, child. It explains Tartaglia's obsession with you, it explains why you hold yourself like a warrior, one who has seen more than what they'll let on." She leaned forward, making eye contact with Y/n.

"Tell me, what exactly have you experienced?"