Imagine Pantalone holding lifeless 8 in his arms, where just a few minutes ago, happily talking about his new proposal.
He can't put the poor boy down, so he kept carrying the body until it was discovered that all of the Dottore segments are found lifeless except for one who's on a mission in Sumeru. Many assumed he must have something to do with this, but regardless, the segment bodies must be given a proper funeral, according to Pantalone, who arranged the entire thing for all of the segments.
It was a quiet funeral attended by Dottore's subordinates stationed in Snezhnaya. Other harbingers didn't bother to attend since Dottore is technically not fully gone, but Childe did stop by to give some flowers to 8's coffin. Pierro & Capitano later stopped by after the funeral to pay some final respect to 65, a segment they were quite fond of. It is not worth its own mourning period, though, as it's just his segments. Instead, there were some celebrations said to be done in the Palace since the surviving Dottore received two gnosis. But Pantalone wasn't in the mood for some celebrations.
To others, those may just be mere segments, copies of the real Dottore who is now long gone, but to Pantalone, those "copies" were his family, his community. The loss of the real Zandik still left a hole in his heart, but his segments at least filled the void. Even if they're not the real Zandik, they still carried a part of him. Especially 8, sweet 8, who light up his life with imaginative ideas and adorable proposals. He could still feel the warmth from 8's body leaving his arms. He wished he didn't have to let that little body go. He has wonderful memories with all of the segments. All of them have a special place in his heart, including the very segment that killed them all. He didn't know what to say when he met that Dottore. Should he shout? Tried to listen to that segment's reason? Maybe he should just give a cold shoulder for a month or so and cut all his funding. Or punch him in the face... Pantalone thought to himself as he was still sitting near 8's little coffin. He should just have them all buried, but he didn't think he had the right to do that without the surviving segments consent, so all of them are put inside coffins that can preserve their bodies for a while.
Waiting, he was waiting for what to do next. This all happened so fast. It felt like a nightmare that he desperately wanted to wake up from. It takes him back to when he lost the OG Zandik, but at least little 8 was with him, who was also missing the OG Zandik but had to dissect him for the elixir of immortality. Pantalone understood that, though secretly, it took him years to accept that. How is he supposed to accept this? He had many Dottores to accompany him before. Now, all that's left is just one, the most selfish one. Pantalone knew the possibility of this segment wanting to dissect all of these bodies is high, just as he does with the OG Zandik. Can Pantalone allow that? Must he allow that?
As he was thinking, footsteps approached him and, as he turned around, faced a familiar figure, which resembles the ones in the coffins. Dottore seemed to be happy to see him but stopped when he saw the coffins behind Pantalone. For once, he couldn't utter a word, especially after looking at Pantalone's sunken eyes. No, this is not a happy reunion. He wanted to celebrate his success in getting the 2 gnosis, but the one person he wanted to celebrate the most appeared to be disoriented. So he just stood there, possibly waiting for the consequences.
Pantalone most definitely knew that he's the cause. Oh, his "partner" must've been furious with him. It happened again. He will lose someone again. He just wanted to achieve his goals, but once again, he would be pushed away because of it. He will be rejected again. Pantalone stood up and walked towards him slowly. Dottore is ready. He's ready to be hurt, to be insulted, to be rejected, to be - he felt warmth instead.
Pantalone pulled him into a tight hug. Dottore took a few seconds to return the hug. This is not the first time Pantalone was being affectionate towards him, but why now? Shouldn't Pantalone be mad at him? Did he read the room wrong? This didn’t feel right, but he didn't want to say that it's wrong either.Pantalone looked at him in the eyes and cherished his face like it's the most precious thing in the world.
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