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Dottolei is the het ship between Il Dottore and Collei from the Genshin Impact fandom.
Canon[]
Dottore is a high-ranking member of the Fatui Harbingers, known for his morally questionable experiments and lack of empathy. He was involved in experimenting on Collei when she was a child, succeeding in stabilizing her Eleazar, but also causing her deep psychological and emotional trauma in the process. For years after, Collei was deeply distrustful and even hostile toward strangers because of her experience within the Fatui. However, with the help and tutoring of her mentor Tighnari, she has grown into a bright and helpful, albeit reserved young woman. She is now training to become a Forest Ranger in Sumeru.
Dottore and Collei's canon relationship is the subject of much contention in the Genshin fandom, as it is unclear whether or not they have actually met. In the Genshin webtoon, Collei is brought to Barnabas, one of Dottore's underlings, as a young child in a desperate attempt to cure her Eleazar. Barnabas kills Collei's mother and subjects Collei to experiments that leave her profoundly traumatized. While there are no panels showing Dottore interacting with Collei in the webtoon, his direct involvement is implied both by the methods by which Collei is treated, and by one of her voicelines:
- “I was once taken to someone they call "The Doctor" for treatment for my Eleazar... well, actually "treatment" is the wrong word — it was more... experimentation. After so long in that place, I couldn't help but start to wonder, what have I done wrong to deserve this? Why won't anyone come to rescue me?”
- — More About Collei: III
Considering Collei's in-game mentions of him rather than Barnabas, it is reasonable to assume that she has met Dottore at least in passing. Regardless of whether or not he personally administered the treatment for her Eleazar or was physically involved in the experiments she was subjected to, he was likely present in the facilities in which Collei was detained to oversee those experiments. Moreover, Collei evidently directly blames him for what happened to her.
Quotes[]
- Traveler – “So is there any cure for Eleazar?”
- Tighnari – “With appropriate treatment, the disease can be effectively controlled before it progresses to a more serious stage. However, there is, unfortunately, still no true cure for Eleazar. Nevertheless, Collei's mother still hoped that there was something out there. She handed Collei over to an organization known as the Fatui after one of their members lied and said they had a cure.”
- Paimon – “What? The Fatui!?”
- Tighnari – “Ah, it appears you already are familiar with them. That'll save me some explanation. Anyway, the person who eventually rescued Collei and brought her to me for care said that she had been given to a Harbinger known as "The Doctor." I have no idea how this "Doctor" managed to do it, but her case of Eleazar was completely stable for all the years that Collei was with them. However, Collei's days with the Fatui were anything but pleasant. Collei is a resilient individual and always tries to appear cheerful, but her experience with the Fatui has left deep scars. Even now, she can still feel deathly afraid of someone touching her.”
- — Through Mists of Smoke and Forests Dark
Fanon[]
Dottolei appeals to several popular dark romance tropes, including but not limited to Stockholm and Lima Syndromes, enemies to lovers, hurt/comfort, and the general idea of a powerful, intimidating figure developing feelings for a younger, seemingly ordinary individual. Fans like to explore the ways in which Collei could form an attachment to Dottore as a coping mechanism, or inversely, how Dottore could develop empathy and affection for one of his test subjects. Some fans disregard any and all possibilities of affection and rather focus on the whump aspect of the pairing, finding catharsis in watching Collei struggle and be put in distressing situations.
Alternate universe (AU) and canon divergence are also popular with Dottolei. One frequently explored alternate narrative is one where Collei never escapes the Fatui, and is instead trained to become a Harbinger. In these fanworks, Dottore takes her under his wing, grooming her as his protégé and eventual successor within the Fatui. Alternatively, many Dottolei fans enjoy the idea of a Dottore Segment rather than Dottore himself becoming attached to Collei. The Segment can often be younger in these cases, being closer in age and maturity to Collei herself, and be nicer to her than the original or 'Prime' Dottore.
The pairing's themes of abduction and trauma make it a divisive subject within the western part of the Genshin Impact fandom. However, Dottolei still has an active fanbase and regularly inspires new fanworks, with over 70 fanfics on AO3 and plenty of fanart on twitter, tumblr and pixiv. It is Collei's number one non-platonic pairing on AO3 by number of fanfics.
Quotes[]
Collei on revenge in Emilie's Story Quest, Pomum de Ambra Chapter: Act I - Floral Debt, Blood Due:
- Emilie – “It's not good to be so tense, especially when we've got a long night ahead of us. I don't mean to put you on the spot, but I couldn't help but notice that something seems to be on your mind.”
- Collei – “Was... Was it that obvious?”
- Emilie – “You seem very preoccupied with Kirya's "revenge"... If there's anything you want to talk about, I'm happy to listen.”
- Collei – “Oh, uh... I...”
- “...Once you're consumed by hatred, it will become next to impossible to think about things that way. For someone like Kirya, I'm sure right and wrong lost all meaning a long time ago.”
- “(I wonder how it really felt for Kirya, finally getting his revenge?)”
- — Using Nahida's All Schemes to Know on Collei
Fandom[]
- FAN FICTION
- Collei/Il Dottore tag on AO3
- Collei & Il Dottore tag on AO3
- @DailyDottolei on Twitter
- Dottolei posts on Twitter
- Dottolei hashtag on Twitter
- ドトコレ posts on Twitter
Gallery[]
Fan Art[]
- All art in this section is fan made, and must be sourced back to the original artist. It also must have permission from the original artist to be posted here. If your art is here without your permission and you wish to have it taken down, please inform an admin, so that we may delete it.
