HI GUYS!! You can call me Zsat!!
I'm a 18 yrs old hungarian artist! I use they/them
You can commission me on Vgen💚 (OPEN)
“There is nothing more truly artistic than to love people.” - Vincent van Gogh
An art gifting game
Check out Zsatuka's commissions and portfolio! | My name is Zsat! I'm a graphic artist student.
I do semi realism and cartoon art
૮ ˶ᵔ ᵕ ᵔ˶
MY KO-FI If you want to support my work :>
DO NOT REPOST OR USE MY ART: pls do not post my art on other platforms. Edits are fine as long as you credit me and ask for permission. If I made art for you then you can share that with credit :)
Umm a bit of a weird question, but how do you think Franco would react to Dottie's death (and vice versa)? How much would it affect them?
YAYY!! It honestly makes me really happy that people are interested in Dottie and Frottie and that I get so many questions about them. I always try my best to keep them interesting while still focusing on their canon personalities and flaws. I love writing characters who are horrible people but still have layers to them because I think that's what makes them feel more real :D
CW for disturbing topics (though… this is Outlast, so 😭)
Phew, them reacting to each other's deaths would genuinely be one of the hardest things to think about because, as people, they are absolutely awful. But the idea of them losing each other is still really sad because, despite everything wrong with their relationship, they are probably the closest either of them has ever gotten to having someone who actually understands them.
They would process grief in completely opposite ways. For Franco, I think his first reaction would be anger.
He would blame everyone except himself because admitting that he's hurt would mean admitting that someone actually mattered to him. He grew up around the mafia, where that kind of traditional masculinity was taken to an extreme level. Men were expected to be cold, dominant, and completely in control, especially around women.
Mafia yap ahead
I think if Franco wasn't Salvatore's son, he would've been in an even worse position than he already was. He was already mocked for the things he liked and for not fitting that perfect image of masculinity. Even liking dominant women was something people around him used against him, and being called "Nancy" (a homophobic insult aimed at men who were considered feminine) probably affected him even more. The culture he grew up in was extremely hostile toward men who were seen as weak, feminine, or not "man enough," and that shaped a lot of his insecurities.
I also think Franco was very aware that a lot of the "respect" he received came from his last name rather than from who he was as a person. He knows that without Salvatore's protection, he probably wouldn't have the same position, and that insecurity fuels his obsession with proving himself.
So when Dottie dies, the last thing Franco would want is for anyone to see him actually grieving. He would NEVER want people to know how much it affected him. Instead, he would become more aggressive and probably much more reckless. He'd lash out because he genuinely wouldn't know what else to do with the pain. Admitting that he misses her or that he feels lost would feel humiliating to him.
Dottie was probably the biggest source of validation he ever had. She was one of the only people who genuinely made him feel wanted. She saw him as strong and impressive, all the things he spent his whole life desperately trying to prove he was. She gave him the kind of approval he always wanted from his father but never really got. Losing that would completely destroy him.
Especially because Franco is already someone who has very few real connections. He doesn't have normal friendships or healthy relationships, so losing Dottie would basically mean losing the one person he allowed himself to become attached to, and that would embarrass him even more.
After her death, Franco would spiral badly. He would drink more and use violence as a way to avoid actually processing what happened. He would also become even more self-destructive. He already struggles with empathy and emotional connection because of his upbringing and the violence he has been surrounded by his entire life. He has killed so many people that death itself has become something he barely knows how to emotionally react to.
That's part of why Dottie is such an unusual relationship for him. She is one of the few people he has ever had genuine attachment toward, and he simply doesn't know what to do with that. It would probably make him think of every cruel thing he was ever told about himself - that he's useless, that he's not enough, that people will eventually leave him.
If he had access to her remains, I think he would keep pieces of her as a way of coping and refusing to fully accept that she's gone (think of the Vault in the Casino map...). The difference between Dottie and the people he has treated as possessions before is that she actually meant something to him, even if he would never openly admit it.
In his own twisted way, he would try to give her "special treatment" because she was important to him. He would still end up repeating the same behavior he always has. Even someone he genuinely loved would eventually be reduced to something he could possess and hold onto because he doesn't know how to grieve normally.
The realization that someone he loved is now just a body would probably disgust him and disturb him, but at the same time, he wouldn't know how to let go.
If Franco died, I think Dottie would completely lose whatever grip on reality she had left. Death is already something she has a very strange relationship with because of her entire life. She spent years surrounded by corpses, anatomy, war, injuries, and "medical" procedures, so death became something she normalized instead of something she processed normally.
Losing someone she is emotionally attached to is completely different, though. She would lose someone who gave her the validation she craved her entire life.
At first, I think she would actually be angry. She would probably convince herself that Franco left her on purpose. That he got tired of her, that she wasn't good enough, that she was too strange or too difficult to love. Her entire life she has been taught that love is something you have to earn, so her first instinct would be to blame herself.
Once she understood what actually happened, though, she would become even more unstable. I think she would become much more obsessive and desperate for connection. She would try to replace Franco, but nobody would ever actually be him. She might look for the same qualities in other people, trying to recreate that feeling she had with him, but it would never work because what she misses isn't just his personality.
Dottie would probably also struggle with the idea of grieving because she has her own warped ideas about femininity. She believes women are supposed to be composed, desirable, and perfect, so openly breaking down would make her feel like she was failing again. She would try to hold everything together, but underneath that, she would be completely devastated.
If she had access to Franco's body, I don't think she would be able to let go. Dottie already has a distorted relationship with death because of her past and her work with anatomy, so she would probably treat him as if he was still there.
She would try to preserve him, take care of him, fix him, and maintain the illusion that he hadn't truly left. She would brush his hair, fix his clothes, talk to him, and act like he was just resting.
Not because she doesn't understand that he's dead, but because accepting that he is gone would mean accepting that she is alone again. She'd probably do the same things to him that she does with the bodies in her trials, just with much more care. She'd preserve him, possibly using her sewing skills and whatever methods she knows to slow down the decay because, to her, she's "fixing" him. (She's a seamstress!) She's making sure he doesn't disappear….and I don't think Dottie would ever truly move on. She would slowly blur the line between memory and reality until, in her mind, Franco still exists in some way.
Umm a bit of a weird question, but how do you think Franco would react to Dottie's death (and vice versa)? How much would it affect them?
YAYY!! It honestly makes me really happy that people are interested in Dottie and Frottie and that I get so many questions about them. I always try my best to keep them interesting while still focusing on their canon personalities and flaws. I love writing characters who are horrible people but still have layers to them because I think that's what makes them feel more real :D
CW for disturbing topics (though… this is Outlast, so 😭)
Phew, them reacting to each other's deaths would genuinely be one of the hardest things to think about because, as people, they are absolutely awful. But the idea of them losing each other is still really sad because, despite everything wrong with their relationship, they are probably the closest either of them has ever gotten to having someone who actually understands them.
They would process grief in completely opposite ways. For Franco, I think his first reaction would be anger.
He would blame everyone except himself because admitting that he's hurt would mean admitting that someone actually mattered to him. He grew up around the mafia, where that kind of traditional masculinity was taken to an extreme level. Men were expected to be cold, dominant, and completely in control, especially around women.
Mafia yap ahead
I think if Franco wasn't Salvatore's son, he would've been in an even worse position than he already was. He was already mocked for the things he liked and for not fitting that perfect image of masculinity. Even liking dominant women was something people around him used against him, and being called "Nancy" (a homophobic insult aimed at men who were considered feminine) probably affected him even more. The culture he grew up in was extremely hostile toward men who were seen as weak, feminine, or not "man enough," and that shaped a lot of his insecurities.
I also think Franco was very aware that a lot of the "respect" he received came from his last name rather than from who he was as a person. He knows that without Salvatore's protection, he probably wouldn't have the same position, and that insecurity fuels his obsession with proving himself.
So when Dottie dies, the last thing Franco would want is for anyone to see him actually grieving. He would NEVER want people to know how much it affected him. Instead, he would become more aggressive and probably much more reckless. He'd lash out because he genuinely wouldn't know what else to do with the pain. Admitting that he misses her or that he feels lost would feel humiliating to him.
Dottie was probably the biggest source of validation he ever had. She was one of the only people who genuinely made him feel wanted. She saw him as strong and impressive, all the things he spent his whole life desperately trying to prove he was. She gave him the kind of approval he always wanted from his father but never really got. Losing that would completely destroy him.
Especially because Franco is already someone who has very few real connections. He doesn't have normal friendships or healthy relationships, so losing Dottie would basically mean losing the one person he allowed himself to become attached to, and that would embarrass him even more.
After her death, Franco would spiral badly. He would drink more and use violence as a way to avoid actually processing what happened. He would also become even more self-destructive. He already struggles with empathy and emotional connection because of his upbringing and the violence he has been surrounded by his entire life. He has killed so many people that death itself has become something he barely knows how to emotionally react to.
That's part of why Dottie is such an unusual relationship for him. She is one of the few people he has ever had genuine attachment toward, and he simply doesn't know what to do with that. It would probably make him think of every cruel thing he was ever told about himself - that he's useless, that he's not enough, that people will eventually leave him.
If he had access to her remains, I think he would keep pieces of her as a way of coping and refusing to fully accept that she's gone (think of the Vault in the Casino map...). The difference between Dottie and the people he has treated as possessions before is that she actually meant something to him, even if he would never openly admit it.
In his own twisted way, he would try to give her "special treatment" because she was important to him. He would still end up repeating the same behavior he always has. Even someone he genuinely loved would eventually be reduced to something he could possess and hold onto because he doesn't know how to grieve normally.
The realization that someone he loved is now just a body would probably disgust him and disturb him, but at the same time, he wouldn't know how to let go.
Oh my god, you have no idea how happy this made me!!!!
I saw this and spent like 10 minutes jumping around IT'S SO BEAUTIFUL AND ACCURATE OHMYGODDD...You drew them so beautiful <333 Your artstyle and art is amazing!! I'm gonna treasure this forever!! SO SO SO CUTE!! <333 Thank you so much, you are such a kind person 💗💗💗 YOU DESERVE THE WORLD...I just can't express how much I adore this
you mentioned that dottie helps franco feel like a "real-man". so she doesn't see him as a "baby" at all? essentially, there's no mommy/baby dynamic between them but something else... that's really interesting! would franco ever call her "mommy"? (sorry for the cringe lol). what pet names would they use for each other?
a sudden thought that came to mind: dottie is probably so skinny that franco could easily scoop her up in his arms and carry her around
Yeah, that's basically how I see it. Dottie doesn't see Franco as a baby. She thinks he's masculine and really impressive… which is kind of embarrassing for her because Franco is such a LOSER.
The thing with Dottie is that she's attracted to men pretty easily in general because she's so desperate for affection and validation. She wants to feel wanted and feminine so she'll latch onto almost any man who gives her any kind of attention. She's especially drawn to men who remind her of her father, and unfortunately that's… a lot of men in Sinyala.
Franco stands out, though, for a couple of reasons. Part of it is that he's disabled and Dottie has a really strange relationship with disability because of both her past working in an asylum and because her father was disabled himself after WWI. She doesn't consciously connect those dots, but it's definitely there. Then there's the violence. Franco is loud and agressive, those are all traits she grew up around, so instead of frightening her they feel familiar. It's a really unhealthy source of comfort, and because of how she associates fear, love, and attraction, those qualities become attractive to her too.
That's also why I don't think she'd understand Franco's kinks at first. Like I said she has very limited knowledge about sex in general and most of what she thinks she knows comes from a really unhealthy upbringing. Her idea of sex is basically "the man takes charge," so if Franco suddenly expected her to take control or play into his humiliation kink, she'd just stare at him.
Meanwhile Franco is there completely confused because… what do you mean this woman isn't laughing at him? What do you mean she isn't making fun of him? Dottie isn't refusing because she's disgusted - she literally doesn't even register the things Franco is insecure about.
I think that's one of the reasons their relationship ends up being different from what either of them expected. They both have their own fantasies about sex, but because they actually form a real emotional bond, they slowly start meeting each other halfway instead of only chasing those fantasies. They're both capable of taking charge or kindaaa stepping back? depending on what makes the other happy. I think their intimacy is one of the healthiest parts of an otherwise incredibly unhealthy relationship.
As for the "mommy" thing... yeah, unfortunately Franco calls her that sometimes. Not because Dottie is actually motherly - she is about as far away from that as you can get (Type of nurse to hurt infants.) but because she's an older woman and that's just where his brain goes. By that point it isn't really about Dottie herself fitting the role, it's about the emotional baggage Franco brings with him. It's how he expresses affection and attachment to her.
And that's what makes their dynamic so interesting to me! Franco has severe mommy issues, Dottie has equally severe daddy issues and they both end up projecting those unresolved feelings onto each other in completely different ways and see each other as parental figures.
Over time she'd probably start playing along with some of Franco's preferences simply because she realizes they make him happy, but I don't think she'd ever truly get them. Deep down she'd still think, "Bless his heart... there's probably something wrong with that man's brain." After all, she spent years around psychiatric patients so she'd probably convince herself this was just another symptom that needed a "cure." Which is ironic considering she's just as messed up herself.
They use way too many pet names. Dottie calls him puddin' more than his actual name, but there's also bug, sugar, big hunky bear (she desperately needs glasses), mean ol' thing, bulldog, cookie, and pumpkin.
Franco was genuinely offended the first time she called him "bug" because he thought she was insulting him. Even after she explained it was meant affectionately, he stayed suspicious of it for a while.
Franco's nicknames are mean. He uses Doll and Dollface the most, which accidentally fits her way too well considering her puppet-like movements and the scars that make her look like a doll. Then there's sweetheart whenever he's genuinely being affectionate, but that sits right alongside stupid girl, nutjob, whore, and stick bug whenever he's annoyed.
HI GUYS!! You can call me Zsat!!
I'm a 18 yrs old hungarian artist! I use they/them
You can commission me on Vgen💚
(COMMS CURRENTLY CLOSED)
I'll join Artfight when it starts! I'll try to attack back everyone
“There is nothing more truly artistic than to love people.” - Vincent van Gogh
An art gifting game
Check out Zsatuka's commissions and portfolio! | My name is Zsat! I'm a graphic artist student.
I do semi realism and cartoon art
૮ ˶ᵔ ᵕ ᵔ˶
DO NOT REPOST OR USE MY ART: pls do not post my art on other platforms. Edits are fine as long as you credit me and ask for permission. If I made art for you then you can share that with credit :)
we all know that franco is a total freak. despite thinking dottie is weird, will he still objectify her? she is a woman after all... how does dottie react to such vulgar behavior directed at her?
also: what does franco think about dottie finding him attractive?
(frottie canon btw)
You're right they are canon.....😝
Franco definitely still objectifies Dottie and humiliates her. I don't think he would suddenly stop being Franco just because he found someone who "matches his freak." Like... this man is a violent misogynist and a trained killer. Finding someone he likes doesn't magically teach him how to love in a healthy way. He likes her, but he still has all of those horrible traits and he doesn't know how to express affection without turning it into something degrading.
I see this happen a lot in ships where people soften characters like Franco too much and it kind of misses the point of how people like him actually act. He can genuinely love someone and still be abusive. Those things unfortunately can exist at the same time. I don't think Franco wants a person he truly sees as an equal. He wants the idea of a woman who takes care of him and makes him feel wanted. Basically the mommy fantasy he has built in his head rather than an actual person with her own wants and feelings. That's why Dottie works for him in a reallyyy unhealthy way: she does give him that validation, but she's also just as messed up as he is.
He would be the type to compliment her one minute and insult her the next without even seeing the contradiction. One second he'd be grabbing her and going, "You're my girl. Nobody looks at you like that." and acting like he's showing her off, then the next he'd be picking apart her appearance because that's just how he was taught to view women.
He'd also compare her to conventionally attractive women on purpose, especially when he's angry or insecure. Stuff like, "You oughta be grateful I even look at ya. You seen the dames I could be with?". It's less about believing those things and more about making sure she doesn't get too confident or think she could leave him. He wants her to depend on his approval.
The irony is that he'll also turn around and make her feel attractive in the same conversation....He'll call her beautiful and even get jealous if another man even glances at her. So Dottie ends up getting these really mixed messages where he'll make her feel desirable one minute and completely tear down her self-esteem the next. His affection is not fake at all, he's just projecting onto her.
And… Dottie unfortunately responds to it in the worst way possible because of her upbringing. Being humiliated and degraded feels familiar to her because she grew up associating love with obedience and having to constantly prove herself. So when Franco insults her, she interprets that attention, even negative attention, as proof that he cares about her.
Those feelings can also trigger arousal for her as a trauma response rather than because she genuinely enjoys being hurt. Her brain has connected shame and affection together. (Haha. Her and Franco are really similar aren't they. 😟) If he says she's not woman enough, she starts trying to be more womanly. If he says another woman is prettier, she becomes desperate to prove she's still the one he wants.
As for Dottie finding him attractive... I think that genuinely messes with Franco's head. Franco is constantly proving himself and his masculinity, so having someone look at him and sincerely think he's attractive would probably feel almost unreal to him. At first he'd assume she's joking or mocking him because he doesn't understand why she'd choose him of all people.
But once he realizes Dottie is serious? His ego would absolutely eat that up. Dottie openly tells him he's handsome and is a freak. She isn't trying to manipulate him - she just genuinely thinks he's attractive. Franco eventually kind of starts believing her and it becomes one of the biggest sources of confidence he has. Her attention makes him feel masculine in a way he rarely does otherwise. That's also why he gets so possessive over her....Dottie's attention isn't just flattering to him, it becomes tied to how he views himself.
Hi Zsat👋 I hope you don't mind me asking you for some romantic stuff xD
Who initiates hugs and kisses more — Dottie or Franco?
Do they flirt with each other? If so, how does it happen? It feels like when they're together the trials fade into the background and they only pay attention to each other
Hii!! I don't mind at all!! :D💚
I think they're both really physically affectionate, just in different ways.
Franco is definitely the one who initiates more. He has no concept of personal space once Dottie or any woman is around 💀. He'll sling an arm around her shoulders, grab her by the waist, pull her into him, kiss her forehead, grab her face etc. He's also really possessive, so a lot of his affection doubles as him showing everyone else that she's his.
Dottie is affectionate too, but she's a little weirder about it. She'll absentmindedly lean against him, hook her arm around his, fix his hair or clothes without thinking or just stand too close for no reason. Sometimes she'll just stare at him for an uncomfortable amount of time before giggling to herself. She's very touchy in general, but with Franco it's much more affectionate than intrusive.
As for kissing, neither of them is particularly shy about it. Franco usually starts it because he has zero patience, but Dottie definitely surprises him sometimes by just grabbing his face and kissing him out of nowhere because she got excited. If they've been separated for a while and finally see each other again, they're absolutely kissing before they've even said hello. Dottie doesn't usually think to actually initiate one, but if he kisses her she'll happily kiss him back, and sometimes she'll give him little pecks when she's in one of her giggly moods.
They do flirt A LOT, although "flirting" for them is… weird. Franco's version is just showing off. He'll brag a lot, flex and even kill a reagent and immediately look over to see if Dottie's watching because he wants her to think he's impressive. He also teases her a lot, throws around pet names and calls her pretty. He's trying to act confident, but half of it is just him fishing for validation.
Dottie's flirting is offputting. She'll giggle to herself, call him handsome or compliment random parts of him that nobody else would think to compliment, or say something completely unfiltered that catches him off guard. She's pretty horny in general, so she isn't embarrassed to admit she's attracted to him. She just says whatever pops into her head because it genuinely doesn't occur to her that most people would keep those thoughts to themselves.
I also love the idea that they get completely distracted by each other during Prime Time….They'll still attack reagents because that's basically instinct at that point, but if they're together their attention is always split. Franco is constantly checking where Dottie is, and Dottie keeps wandering back over to him every few minutes. They'll be talking to each other in the middle of a chase and showing each other whatever they just did for approval.
Obviously Easterman and the doctors would notice it eventually. I think Easterman would actually be really interested in the contrast between them because, realistically, they probably would've expected Franco and Dottie to turn on each other like the other Prime Assets do. The fact that they somehow manage to calm each other down and function better when they're together would probably catch his attention because it's the complete opposite of what he'd expect from them.
I'm curious how much does Dottie understand the reality of what's happening in Sinyala?? Does she realize that it's essentially an experiment on all of them?
Also, who is she in the family? A sister??
Thank you for the ask!!
Dottie is pretty similar to Gooseberry when it comes to her grasp on reality. She's always been disconnected from other people and from reality in general and that only got worse over the course of her life.
When she was first caught, it wasn't even Murkoff that caught her, it was the police. But by that point she was so detached and paranoid that she genuinely believed they were going to kill her. She escaped custody and they eventually found her hiding out in a field surrounded by animal carcasses because, in her mind, that felt safer and more familiar than being around people. She grew up in a very isolated rural environment, so when she's terrified she instinctively retreats to things that remind her of childhood.
A lot of that paranoia came from her morphine addiction, but also from years of abuse and the way she was raised. Sinyala only made those delusions worse. When she first arrived there she was terrified. It was a completely unfamiliar place full of strangers and she fully expected to be hurt. But over time she becomes comfortable because she's finally given something she's wanted her whole life: a purpose!
I imagine Easterman tells her that she's important, that she's helping build a better future and that the people she kills or "treats" are dangerous influences who are trying to destroy society. He'd frame the Reagents as immoral and "infected" people who need to be corrected for the good of everyone else. Because of that, Dottie doesn't see herself as a murderer, she genuinely believes she's reforming people and helping create a healthier future.
I also mentioned before that Dottie has severe father issues and an Oedipal complex, so her relationship with Easterman is... incredibly complicated. She craves his approval, fears him, resents him and is attracted to him all at the same time. Deep down I think part of her recognizes that he's hurting her, but she can't really process it because he's also the person who gives her purpose.
In Sinyala she's allowed to become everything she always believed an "ideal woman" should be. She can take care of people in her own way, she can "correct" them, she can create the kind of world she thinks is right and nobody arrests her or tells her she's wrong. The reagents and Expops view her as the perfect lady...
Easterman knows how to manipulate her. He understands her insecurities and uses them to keep her obedient. If she succeeds, she receives praise and validation. If she fails, she's punished - just like her father punished her growing up. So she ends up trapped in the exact same cycle she experienced as a child without realizing it. Ironically, Easterman has his own unhealthy projection onto Dottie. He compares her to his mother; she's abusive and deeply unhealthy, but he's also fascinated by the authority and charisma she has. So both of them are projecting unresolved parental issues onto each other, just in completely different ways.
As for her place in the "family," I'd say she's the sister. She represents misogyny, purity culture, and the impossible standards forced onto women especially in the 1950s. Almost everything about her design ties back into that too. Her being underweight reflects both her traumatic childhood, where she was neglected and starved - and the way she desperately tries to embody the expectation that women should always stay thin, pretty, and "healthy," even when it's destroying them. Her small chest is another source of insecurity for her, feeding into her obsession with femininity and her jealousy toward other women. She's constantly chasing this fantasy of being the perfect housewife and the perfect woman, but she's incapable of fulfilling the nurturing role she was taught to idolize. That failure only feeds her self-hatred even more.
Will Frottie go on dates? There are imitation cafes and restaurants in Sinyala... Though they don't compare to real ones but still
I think Franco would want to impress her
Has Dottie ever been on dates? I think she wouldn't have understood at all what Franco wanted from her at first lol. Especially if he tried to hint instead of saying it directly
Thank you :D
Yeah, they go on dates whenever they get the chance! They're…not exactly ideal dates considering they're stuck in Sinyala, but they make the most of it. They like going to the cafés and restaurants, and they both sort of play along with the fantasy that it's a real place. If either of them stops to think too hard about the fake decorations and mannequins everywhere, it'd just make the whole thing depressing.
Franco wants to spend as much time with Dottie as he can. He'd never actually call it a "date," though. Instead he'll say something like, "I found a place. Get your ass over here" In his mind, asking is for suckers. He just tells her they're going somewhere and expects her to come with him.
He also tries really hard to impress her. He'll spend half the time talking himself up, acting like he was this huge important mafia guy when in reality… he was a button man. Dottie completely believes every word, too. She'll just stare at him all impressed like, "Mercy… you really was important, huh?" meanwhile Franco's sitting there with his chest all puffed out and feeling like the coolest guy alive lmao
Franco kind of hates these dates, though. Not because he's with Dottie, but because the places feel cheap and depressing. They're fake and he can't stop thinking about that. Every time he looks around, he's reminded that none of it is real. He genuinely wishes he could take her somewhere real. Somewhere fancy with actual food instead of fake places full of creepy mannequins and guts. It's honestly one of the sweetest things he thinks about her. He believes she deserves something nicer… which is funny considering how much he looks down on poor people. Part of it is genuine affection, and part of it is his ego wanting to be the guy who gives her something she's never had before.
Dottie, on the other hand, has never really been on a date before. She never had boys asking her out, so her only idea of romance came from watching other people from a distance. So when Franco first started hinting at wanting to spend time alone with her, she didn't understand what he was getting at at all. She'd probably get really quiet and suspicious at first because she'd assume he was trying to prank her or trick her somehow. Like… why would anyone want to be alone with her?
Once she realized he was serious, she'd still say yes, but she'd be incredibly awkward the entire time. She talks way too much whenever she's nervous, so she'd end up rambling about random things for ages because she has no clue how people are "supposed" to act on a date.
I also like imagining Franco asking if she's done this before, and Dottie just casually admitting she's never been taken anywhere like this. He'd probably go weirdly quiet for a second. Suddenly he's looking around and thinking, "Jesus Christ… this is the nicest date she's ever had?" It makes the whole place feel even shittier than it already did. From then on he'd become kind of obsessed with the idea of taking her somewhere real someday. (They're dying in Sinyala)
Outside of the restaurants and all that stuff, though, they treat almost anything as a date. They'll just sit together while the other works. Dottie helps Franco make his nipple bottles because she's actually pretty good at sewing and working with her hands, and she can pull the teeth and nipples off corpses a lot easier than he can thanks to her "medical" background. Meanwhile Franco "helps" Dottie with her surgeries by standing way too close and talking nonstop. He makes her laugh at the worst possible moments and distracts her until she sighs and tells him to quit moving before he makes her mess up. He isn't actually useful most of the time….He just likes being around her. Even if she's elbow-deep in somebody's chest cavity, he'd rather stand there annoying her than be anywhere else lonely.
Your ask reminded me of some older drawings I did...I was thinking about them being on a date the whole time I was making them
I looked at the info abt Frottie and I was really interested in the part about Franco likely dying for Dottie. I was like wooow... that was unexpected but I really like it!
Yeah!! I honestly have kind of mixed feelings about that part...I'm a perfectionist and I fear of being out of character LMAO
I think, deep down, Franco would probably feel that way about anyone he genuinely considers important and feels close to. He doesn't really have anyone and a huge part of him desperately wants to prove that he's useful and worth keeping around even to people who aren't his dad
I also like to think Dottie eventually ends up occupying a place in Franco's mind that's very close to where Salvatore is. He's spent his whole life trying to impress his dad and prove he isn't useless, and after Dottie comes into his life he kind of redirects that need toward her instead. Their relationship is abusive and dysfunctional, but he's genuinely terrified she's going to leave him, so he ends up constantly trying to impress her and keep her attached. That's why I think after really bad arguments he'd eventually apologize... after spending three days whining and pretending she was the unreasonable one. 💀
I think he's trying to fill the hole Salvatore left by putting Dottie into a similar role, not because she acts like a parent (she absolutely doesn't.), but because her approval becomes just as important to him. The difference is that Dottie actually gives him genuine attention. She thinks his horrific behavior is impressive instead of shameful, she makes him feel capable and masculine instead of treating him like a child, and she gives him a sense of confidence that he never really got from his father.
So when Dottie is disappointed in him or pulls away, it hits almost the same nerve as disappointing Salvatore. It's not just that he's scared of losing her - he's terrified of losing the confidence and sense of worth that she gave him in the first place. That's a huge part of why he clings to her so aggressively.
I didn't post any good content for weeks so as an apology here's coyle cucking franco and dottie (yes i have dottie plush. so cute)
How do you think the other PA see that there is something between Franco and Dotti? Tbh if I were them, I would think it's more of a one-sided attraction on Franco's part, as he seems overly fixated on her while Dottie remains more reserved
That's what most of the other Prime Assets would assume at first
Franco's affection towards Dottie is aggressive and possessive at the same time. He's very loud about, is visibly protective and acts like she belongs to him. He wears his feelings on his sleeve so he's not subtle in the slightest. He's also very impossible to ignore, which makes it seem like it is one-sided at first glance. Most of the other Prime Assets (besides maybe Gooseberry) already find Franco repulsive, so they wouldn't assume someone actually likes him back. Knowing Dottie, though...they probably start questioning that pretty quickly because she's a freak.
Dottie isn't subtle either once she likes somebody. She's odd even around strangers because she already has terrible boundaries and gets touchy with people she barely knows, so once she's attached to someone it gets ten times worse. She gets all giggly like a teenage girl, follows the person around, stares for way too long and finds excuses to touch them or stand next to them. One second she's horrifying and the next she's a mess because she happens to be around someone she finds attractive.
She also shows sexual attraction to men pretty openly in general, but I think the other Prime Assets would eventually realize that what she has with Franco is different. They can tell the difference between her just being horny and her actually being attached to somebody. Around Franco she's… softer, I guess? As soft as she can be.
The Kress Twins are the first ones to notice. If you've seen their Prime Time dialogue, they're constantly watching everyone else's behavior. They would definitely gossip about the other Prime Assets and would pick up on all the little things before anyone else: Franco immediately dropping whatever he's doing the second Dottie shows up in a trial, Dottie unconsciously drifting toward him whenever they're in the same area and how the two of them somehow "calm down" around each other compared to how they act with everyone else.
After that they'd never shut up about it LMAO They'd constantly talk shit, saying they deserve each other, calling Dottie disgusting for preying on young men… even though Arora does the exact same thing. They're complete hypocrites and that's already obvious from their dialogue, especially with how they mock Franco about his stepmom when they're...yeah. I could also see them making nasty comments about Franco "settling" for someone they barely consider a woman, or saying Dottie's poor and therefore "good for nothing."
Coyle notices Franco's side first because Franco has absolutely zero shame about it. He'd make fun of him constantly and question his masculinity and trying to make him feel small because he already can't stand Franco. He'd probably throw in racist comments too, saying Dottie "ruined her American blood" by getting with an Italian-American, and he'd insult Dottie the same way the Kress Twins do by saying she isn't much of a woman.
I also think Coyle would be... weirdly jealous? Not because he wants either of them, but because he genuinely doesn't understand why they chose each other. He's a lonely guy so seeing two people who are obviously attached gets under his skin. He'd act like he couldn't care less, but deep down he'd probably be hoping they fall out with each other because if he's miserable, everyone else should be too.
This one dialogue made me thought of that btw
I think out of all Prime Assets Gooseberry would be the only one who doesn't react with disgust. If anything, she'd find it… kind of sweet in her own way. Not in a romantic sense at all, she just sees them as "friends". There's also this part of her that's a little bit amused and maybe even a little jealous in a sad way. She does show sexual attraction to Franco at times and probably craves some kind of bond or genuine attention beneath everything she's been put through by her father. So I think seeing people actually bond hits a nerve she doesn't fully understand herself.
Liliya..I don't think she'd care. She'd notice but I don't think she'd waste energy commenting on it.
hihi. these are js my guesses. i like to talk a lot sooo forgive me
another problem that will make franco afraid to show feelings for dottie is his ED. if they have something she will find out abt it sooner or later. and when she does, she'll leave. she needs a man not a half-man. someone who will satisfy her properly. these are franco's thoughts
and considering that dottie has no sexual experience the situation seems more complicated. idk. it's unlikely she knows much about sex, and even if she does, it's very distorted (especially when it comes to a woman's pleasure...)
if this is too weird then ignore it ^^``
Hii! Don't worry it's not weird at all and it is very interesting :D
You're right! Franco definitely thinks like that.
I actually think Dottie being inexperienced would make Franco simultaneously more comfortable and more insecure.
More comfortable because, from Franco's perspective, she has nothing to compare him to. She's not a working girl, she's not someone with a long history of relationships, and she's not somebody who can go "well, another man did this better." Dottie has no blueprint. Franco is effectively her first point of reference for everything. That gives him a sense of control over the situation and protects his ego a little.
At the same time, I think it would bother him more precisely because he cares what Dottie thinks.
With other women, Franco can dismiss criticism. He can tell himself they're lying, they're ungrateful "whores", they're stupid, whatever excuse helps him protect his self-image. Dottie is different. Surprisingly her opinion actually matters to him even if he acts like it doesn't. If she looks disappointed, confused, or unhappy, he can't brush it off as easily and it would hurt him more than it usually does.
Dottie is a unique case because she doesn't have a normal understanding of sex at all and lacks education like you said.
She grew up as a poor Southern girl in the 1920s so her education on the subject is minimal. She'd know that sex is something married people do and that babies come from it, but beyond that? Probably not much. Anything else she learned would likely come from gossip, rumors, and pornography which really distorted her view of it. On top of that, seeing her father with prostitutes just made it more confusing for her, and it left her with this uneasy mix-up in her head between sex, shame, and something she never really got a clear or healthy explanation for.
Dottie's reaction would be less about the condition itself and more about Franco's emotional response to it. Dottie doesn't have the experience to immediately understand why this is such a huge source of shame for him. She wasn't raised with a very clear or sophisticated idea of what men are "supposed" to be, beyond the fact that they were violent. A lot of the cultural baggage surrounding masculinity would go right over her head.
What she notices is that Franco is distressed, avoiding eye contact and is visibly embarrassed and that's the part that would affect her. Dottie would probably end up becoming insecure herself. Not because of the ED, but because she doesn't understand why Franco suddenly seems so distressed around her. She'd start wondering if he's disappointed by her body. If she's ugly. If he expected something different. If he's regretting being with her etc.
Meanwhile Franco is panicking because he thinks she's judging him and Dottie is panicking because she thinks he's judging her.
They're both insecure for completely opposite reasons.
What would have happened if Frottie had met each other before Sinyala?
How would they meet and what kind of relationship would they have?
(Dottie stole my heart btw><)
THANK YOU FOR THE ASK AND I'M GLAD YOU LIKE DOTTIE!!
Honestly if they met before Sinyala, I don't think they would've had the same slow-burn development they do in canon. Sinyala accidentally creates the perfect environment for them, they're isolated, they rarely see each other, and months can pass between interactions. Every conversation matters because it's all they have.
I actually have an AU for what you asked, although I haven't developed it much yet
I imagine they would meet somewhere in Florida around 1959-1960, probably near Miami, after Franco's expulsion from the CIA operations in Cuba. I headcanon that at that point in his life he's basically drifting. He has money but he doesn't really take care of himself. (The prostitues complained about his hygenie..) He spends nights in cheap motels, disappears for days at a time, gets high, gets drunk, gets into fights, and generally doesn't care what happens to him. The guy is miserable and completely directionless.
Dottie would be working at some underfunded county hospital because she doesn't really know how to do anything else with her life. Becoming a nurse was never really her dream. A huge part of it was wanting to feel closer to her father and make him proud. Unfortunately, she's not exactly a good nurse. She thinks she's helping people, but her idea of care is just abuse.
I think their first meeting would be really mundane, Dottie would just simply notice him. Maybe Dottie is walking home after a night shift and sees Franco sitting outside smoking a cigar. Maybe he's got a bruised face from a fight. Whatever the situation is, Dottie notices him. Most people would keep walking, but Dottie doesn't.
Partly because she's curious, and partly because she doesn't really have the instincts that tell most people to leave strange men alone at 1 AM. She notices his appearance first, not in a cruel way though. More in the way somebody notices an interesting bird! And because Dottie has spent years around wounded veterans, psychiatric patients, and people society pushed aside, Franco doesn't immediately register as threatening to her, instead he feels familiar.
So she talks to him and Franco's first reaction is suspicion. People don't usually approach him unless they want something, and Dottie is strange enough to make him uncomfortable. She's wearing a prosthetic mask and she's really awkward, strange and she doesn't react to him the way others do.
The conversation probably goes badly almost immediately. Franco snaps at her to leave him alone but Dottie doesn't really take the hint.. she apologies quickly, then keeps talking anyways like the rejection didn't fully land. For a second, his temper spikes hard enough that he seriously considering just ending it right there LMAO and probably thinks shut the fuck up, i could end this in two seconds, stupid fucking whore.. etc all that stuff as he stares at her and tries to decide whether she's just clueless or pushing her luck.
Before their relationship Franco would start following her around, not everyday just enough to satisfy his curiousity. He notices where she works, what routes she walks home and what kind of people she is surronded by. And the more he learns, the stranger she becomes because he can feel that she is similar to him and not the usual person.
Eventually Dottie notices. She's not charmed by the stalking itself, she's charmed by what she thinks it means. Dottie spends most of her life feeling invisible. People talk over her, mock her behind her back, or simply don't pay attention to her at all. SO the realization that somebody has been noticing her, watching her, remembering details about her life creates this ridiculous highschool girl crush almost immediately.
After Franco asked her out (which goes horribly, including their first date lmao) their attachment to eachother slowly turned into dependence. As a "couple" now, Franco would disappear for days or weeks at a time, most of the time he would vanish without explanation then he would return expecting everything to continue exactly where it left off, other times he would leave from an argument. Dottie hated that, everytime he disappeared she worried that he wasn't coming back. And everytime he returned she felt relieved, that cycle made her attachment to him even stronger and more abusive.
Franco became increasingly possessive too, the more he cared about Dottie, the more afraid he became of losing her. That fear often came out as anger and his emotional responses often created the very problems he feared. Dottie wasn't innocent either, she projected fantasies onto Franco and lashed out at him too because of her horrid moodswings.
What truly accelerated things, however, was the fact that they began revealing their darker sides to each other. Dottie did this first! Not because she trusted Franco more than other people. Because she genuinely didn't understand why she shouldn't, she would casually talk about traumatic events from her life to literally anyone and would would describe disturbing thoughts as if they were completely normal. At first Franco thought she was joking, when he realized she wasn't joking he became fascinated.
For the first time in his life he was speaking to somebody whose mind seemed as damaged as his own, he felt understood and because of that Franco eventually started opening up too. At first he only revealed small pieces of himself then larger pieces. Then things he normally hid from everyone and Dottie listened without judging him. She accepted things most people would find horrifying. And that acceptance created a bond between them unlike anything either experienced before. Instead of helping each other heal, they helped each other justify their behavior and crimes.
Both of them are deeply misogynistic freaks in their own ways, and their relationship doesn't "fix" that at all. If anything, it reinforces it. Dottie doesn't challenge Franco's beliefs or behaviors, and Franco doesn't challenge hers either.
Dottie would not only tolerate Franco's violence toward women, but actively encourage it, especially when her jealousy is triggered. In canon she already targetted women before Sinyala. Franco takes comfort in the fact that Dottie doesn't recoil from him or judge him for his worst impulses. Her acceptance gives him permission to lean further into his own resentment and anger toward women, because now it feels shared rather than personal.
They normalize each other's worst tendencies. Even drug use becomes part of that, something they do together as another form of shared escape and dependency, reinforcing the idea that they don't need anyone outside of each other.
