He does not dignify the question with a verbal response. Instead he sighs, drawing out the sound till his breath trembles and wanes… then punches up, knocking out the board just behind where Diluc rests. Like a cat sticking its paw beneath a door, he swipes for the furred end of his coat, -

It’s a terrible lie, yes, but the truth is even less satisfying. Few would believe the Tsaritsa’s beloved Second was simply bored of a meeting and decided to leave— … Well. Maybe it wasn’t so unbelievable. He grumbles again, mumblings slipping back to his native tongue as his frustration mounts.

apostasya Helppp Webby ruining the nice warm colors

A suspicious amount of non-answers in these parts…

“Such a limiting mindset to approach the concept with… Attempting to act clever doesn’t suit you.” He draws in a sharp breath, any further comments trapped behind clenched teeth. He is a Harbinger—Her Majesty’s second. Decorated scholar, Snezhnaya’s most brilliant. And he will NOT allow this man -

“Tch… that’s quite the comparison.” Again, he repositions himself, leaves rustling softly underfoot as he pivots on his heel. “I would not consider the life of a quidnunc particularly scholarly.” The novelty of the situation is quickly wearing thin—

The hand withdraws, a dramatic sigh whistling through wooden slits. Diluc is right. Dottore knows this—and Diluc knows he knows this. But the Doctor is stubborn, unwilling to concede so easily. His head thunks against the top as he shifts in place, tufts of blue sticking between the gaps.

“Should a prisoner idealize his warden?” A second finger worms through, the two working to tug at the fluffed hem of Diluc’s coat. It would, of course, be easy to simply throw Diluc off—to laugh as he lands face-down in the muck now eating at the Doctor’s coat. But he endures, behaves, even.

Oh. So that’s what his aim was. Dottore grumbles as he’s forced to scrunch himself up, knees pulled close to his chest as he sits defeatedly on the leafy floor. “I have a permit,” he huffs, jamming a finger through the slatted top of the crate. “What are 𝘺𝘰𝘶 trying to accomplish?”

He squawks—high pitched, creaky, and ever so unbefitting of a Harbinger—as he is dragged forward, knocked onto his hands and knees. And so, the ‘hunter’ becomes the ‘hunted.’ Sort of. “Stop this— now.”

……… Did that actually work? It shouldn’t have. Really, even a toddler would know better—but… He squats down, poking a stick under the box to wedge it open. “… What are you doing?”

🪤

ᅠ ᅠ ᅠᅠᅠthe ᅠ𝐂𝐔𝐑𝐀𝐓𝐎𝐑𝐈𝐔𝐌ᅠ 𝐎𝐅ᅠ 𝐒𝐄𝐂𝐑𝐄𝐓𝐒 ᅠknowsᅠ everything ᅠaboutᅠyou ᅠbeforeᅠyouᅠevenᅠ𝒅𝒆𝒄𝒊𝒅𝒆ᅠtoᅠstepᅠinᅠ. ᅠ #genshinrp :: #girp :: #mvrp ᅠ ᅠ

A deluge—a downpour, relentless as it falls from the heavens above. Crowds stream through the alleyways, packed between the stalls of clamoring merchants and rickety carts. Rain patters against canvas canopies, a steady trickle in the crevices of glossy cobbled streets and ceramic-tiled roofs.

“You’re giving intel up. Freely.” Carmine eyes skim the paper, jittery as they run over the neat script, trying to pick apart each phrase. Countryside… top… a location, presumably. But rain…? It’s a trap. Or maybe it’s some attempt at reverse psychology—

Like a fish to a lure… The Doctor grumbles, coat scrunching as his arms cross, silver buckles clacking against one another. He could burn the paper—stab Diluc, tackle him, rip it from his fingers, threaten him till he gives it up. But instead, pouting, he tries to make out what he can from -

“Oh, don’t start.” A proper sneer takes root, jagged teeth peeking past the curl of cracked lips. If he rolled his eyes any harder, they might roll back into the circuitry of his head—or malfunction altogether, more likely. Still, he trails along like a lost puppy, coat flapping in the breeze.

apostasya I'M STILL BUSY BUT I SEE U HI!!!

Declaring outright that his network monitors all of Diluc’s associates and admirers within Mondstadt is, tragically, off the table. Oh, how he regrets passing it back without a glance… Scarlet eyes narrow, white lashes peeking past the gaps in his mask. “You’ve never been a convincing liar.”

The nerve! Dottore grumbles something under his breath, jittery as he watches the other’s back. To reduce one of the Tsaritsa’s exalted Harbingers to a tool—it’s unthinkable, irritating enough to destroy his willingness to simply leave it be. … And so what if he knows it’s anticipated?

“And you can’t be bothered to solve it yourself. What did all that etiquette training amount to? A lazy suitor?” Dottore scoffs, falling back to his usual haughtiness once he pulls himself together. Stupid. Utter buffoonery. He’ll have to berate himself later for playing into his hand so easily.

… A message? Well, now he’s curious—he was expecting some sort of rude gesture or disgusting prank, not a note… As the gears turn in his mind, several emotions flicker across his face, eyes wide behind his mask as he realizes his preening has turned him into an utter 𝘧𝘰𝘰𝘭.

“I thought dirtying your hands was beneath you.” Fingers roll over the wooden gears in series, latches undone beneath nimble hands. He doesn’t bother looking when it pops open unceremoniously, instead shoving it back into Diluc’s hands with a huff. “At least a murder attempt wouldn’t bore me…”

…… Staring at it, lip curling with distaste. “… If this is a bomb, I 𝘸𝘪𝘭𝘭 remain close enough to be sure you die with me.” Still. He’s prying at it the moment after his threat, thumb jabbing at the wooden shapes to undo each lock.

Tch… Someone’s pissy today. How, pray, do you intend to shut me up? You know I won’t go quietly.

Shall we dance? #Dottore #GenshinImpact #art

All the more reason why they need to be taken care of. A smelly pine box is far more bothersome than, say, a completely sealed off automation.

Maybe the problem is judgy-Mc-judgerson's limited mindset— tinkering is always fun! The corpses are simply... recycling.

Celestia forbid a man have fun...

apostasya I love shamelessly liking my own posts when I’m bored ✨

apostasya Dottore wears height increasing insoles so he doesn't seem significantly shorter than his co-workers (trust)

Uranium

🙄

“Utter effrontery, to ruin a perfectly nice set of gloves in such a spineless way… The audacity, truly.”

Peeling off his gloves with a huff, once pristine white now caked in red. “The nerve of some people…”

New reports are in...

Underneath it all, we're just savages; Hidden behind shirts, ties and marriages; How could we expect anything at all? We're just animals, still learning how to crawl. - The Knave, Arlecchino ♡ + ↻

apostasya I’m sorry Dottore is annoying 🥀 He’s always doing it on purpose to get a rise out of ppl..

apostasya My hand slipped

“Oh, you never change… You really shouldn’t tempt me if you want me to leave—a nice attempted murder would truly make my day.”

“My, we’re both liars! You’ve quite the knack for it. Another freak and a liar—I’m sure you’d make an 𝘦𝘹𝘤𝘦𝘭𝘭𝘦𝘯𝘵 Harbinger.”

“Hehe… I wouldn’t mark them as Fatui technology without good reason. Certain standards are to be upheld, of course—you know I’d be cautious if it mattered. I’d rather not involve civilians in Fatui matters, knowing the tendencies of some of our dear friends stationed here.”

“Surely I’d have a motive if I were stalking you—which I am, decidedly, not doing. Have you concocted some grand story to explain your little conspiracy? Since wildlife is supposedly nonexistent in urban spaces… that leaves… what? A Harbinger wasting resources surveying an ordinary student?”

apostasya Sandrone stealing Dottore’s 6.0 role means he has nothing to do and must go bother everyone else now o(^▽^)o

“Discreet technology is necessary to conduct any proper research on the natural behaviors of wildlife… Putting a camera in the woods is hardly a crime. And do you 𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘺 think your threats will work? You of all people should know how much dirt every Harbinger has on one another. Don’t be a fool.”