Past Lives || Dottore

47

Y/n knew that Dottore gave her strange looks. She didn't quite know why, but it didn't feel like something she needed to address. Like something in the back of her mind was telling her to not worry.

She picked up the last test tube, seeing as it was a pleasant light red color. He told her that it was the perfect product; the exact thing that they were looking for. She smiled softly at the memory of him figuring it out.

He was holding her, early in the morning, being as quiet as he could when his face lit up. She moved off of him, letting him get up and move to the table. She found his frantic stumbling towards the table a tad bit funny, but she didn't dare laugh. She watched him, half-dressed with his shirt falling off his shoulders, showing off the few hickeys she had left on his skin.

She watched as he lifted up the test tube, her eyes flicking between the tube and the bright look in his eyes, watching as his eyes shone in his delight as the tube glowed light red.

"Y/n, hurry it up, I spotted the Traveler and that annoying floating creature at the foot of the mountain." His words broke through her thoughts. She quickly yet carefully put the tube into a secure pouch, sealing it with some technology she didn't quite understand. She picked up the pouch and slung it over her shoulder just as a loud and shrill voice broke through the sound of the wind.

"Just what are you doing here?!"

She cringed inwardly at the sound, her head turning towards the entrance of the cave. Dottore was a few steps in front of her, and she saw an annoyed look on his face before he put on his mask completely. He turned on his heel, his hands crossed behind his back.

"Ah, it's the Traveler." He didn't acknowledge the floating thing beside the golden human standing at now the front of the cave. The small child seemed to have taken it as an offense, as it was stomping the air angrily.

Y/n move carefully so the pouch was hidden by her body, and she moved to stand beside Dottore. She watched a look of surprise pass on the golden human -which she assumed was the Traveler, as there was no way the floating thing was the infamous Traveler. She noticed that a similar look of surprise passed through the floating things face, though it quickly turned into anger.

"What are you doing with him?!" The floating thing yelled. "He's dangerous! Come over here!"

Yeah, no. She did not like that floating thing. Y/n pressed her lips together to prevent herself from saying anything rude, though it was getting harder with each passing second.

"Now, now. That's quite rude, don't you think?" Dottore took a step forward, using a part of his body to block her from the two intruder's view. "You made it sound like an insult."

The floating thing opened its mouth but was stopped from saying anything more when the golden human raised their arm. The look the golden human gave him was a bit on the cold side, but it was more curious than anything. Their gaze moved from the doctor to the woman behind him, the look becoming completely curious.

She gave them a smile and stepped out from behind the doctor, bowing a little. She used her hand to keep the pouch from moving too much -and revealing itself. "I am assuming you are the Traveler, yes?" She spoke, keeping her tone light and friendly. She didn't want to seem like a bad guy, though being seen with someone as dangerous -the floating thing words, not hers- as Dottore wasn't a good thing.

"I'm afraid I don't know who you are." She looked over at the creature, taking note of how it's cape seemed to release constellations. Her eyes narrowed, wondering how and why.

The floating thing didn't seem to notice the sudden change in her eyes, instead crossing its arms angrily. "Paimon's Paimon!" It spoke. Y/n flinched at the sudden loudness, somehow managing to keep a smile on her face.

"Ah, Paimon." She nodded. I would say it's a pleasure, but it's really not. She wanted to say, but she did have something to keep up. The good person between the two. The friendly one. "Nice to meet you, but me and my friend have to get going."

Paimon seemed to be taken aback. "What? You two aren't going anywhere!"

"Yes. I think we are." Dottore said as a few Fatui agents appeared behind the Traveler and Paimon. The two traveling companions were surprised, Y/n watching in amazement as the traveler summoned their weapon in a similar fashion that she did. 

Dottore took her hand, lacing their fingers together as soon as the Traveler was engaged in battle with the agents, leading her out of the cave swiftly. She couldn't help but look behind her, eager to watch the battle unfold. She didn't know why she was so intrigued by the Traveler, there was only something in the back of her mind telling her to keep looking.

"Annoying little pests." He muttered as soon as they got far enough away. "They must've been told by Diluc that I was here."

"Yes, that seems to be the case." Y/n replied, walking just a bit faster to match his long strides. "I thought they were in Inazuma?"

"Something must've happened." He said, a slight frown on his face. She noticed that the hold he had on her hand was growing tighter. "Something must've happened to Signora."

"Signora...?" Her brows furrowed in confusion. It clicked in her brain after a short second. "You mean- La Signora? One of the Harbingers I wasn't able to meet?"

"Yes. Her." Somehow, they made it all the way down the mountain. She stumbled on a small pile of snow, quickly maintaining her balance. He was in a hurry. Y/n looked at his face the best she could, trying to read the blankness he had put on.

It was like another one of his masks, yet it wasn't one she could simply take off. It was an emotional one. She pressed her lips into a thin line, now realizing the gravity of the situation.

Snezhnaya has lost one of their Harbingers.