Renard’s Memory Box

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+ https://archiveofourown.org/works/50891395/chapters/129536164#workskin…

+ Lore chapter number 2 because the art looks better ahaha~ +

Gay segments on ice, if you will 🫴🏻

~​˖⁺. ༶꒷꒦꒷꒦꒷꒦♡꒷꒦꒷꒦꒷꒦~​˖⁺. ༶

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[…] Contrary to general beliefs, Renard’s and Prime’s relationship is not rooted in positive feelings. Created by his master’s hand by being a branch of Irminsul dipped in the Abyssal Pool, Renard is classified by Prime only as an extension of his being, even though Renard possesses his own feelings that often intermingle with the ones Prime experiences by default.

Even though his heart was extracted, he retained his ability to feel, and by feel one means the very basic emotions that can be easily suppressed by one’s willpower. Labeled as a monster from the earliest moments in his life, Prime makes a crucial decision to rid himself of the seat of his soul and place it into an entirely separate being that is Renard, his first clone. The clone’s only real duty is to protect the accordingly modified organ and keep it alive, as it is still a vital part of both Dottore’s and his own body. If the heart were to get damaged, both subjects would be exposed to physical trauma. To destroy the heart one must pierce it through, skewer it, in a way.

Killing Renard would be a relatively easy thing to do; his battle prowess is rather average, with the clone being a swordsman endowed with a glass rapier and an electro vision. Having been alive for almost as long as his master, and also not being accustomed to long sparring sessions, his weakened body would swiftly become vulnerable enough to become in danger of lethal trauma. However, the fact that the Doctor has split his life into two bodies, and erasing him would mean having to defeat the two simultaneously, has not yet been discovered by anyone aside from a very small circle of fellow clones. Prime is able to defend himself quite well, which is obviously shown through his rank in the Fatui and his ability to keep the other rowdy replicas in shape. Renard however, for his own protection, is strictly prohibited from leaving the grounds of Haeresys when not in Lord Dottore’s presence. This led him to become a constant presence in the walls of the underground arena, save for the moments when his assistance is needed during Prime’s missions (including the happenings in Sumeru City and a not work-related visit in Fontaine).

Despite being a quite literally caged bird, Renard remains steadfast in his wish to serve his master. As the Heart, he is a polar opposite to Prime’s brain, much like the dichotomy between Da Vinci’s senso comune “the soul” and the imprensiva combined with memoria, which are on the other hand the component parts of the figurative “brain”. Sadly, the aspect of memoria, and with it the burdens, are shared between the two, which means that Renard, also, carries the sorrows of Prime’s past. […]

~​˖⁺. ༶꒷꒦꒷꒦꒷꒦♡꒷꒦꒷꒦꒷꒦~​˖⁺. ༶

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~​˖⁺. ༶꒷꒦꒷꒦꒷꒦♡꒷꒦꒷꒦꒷꒦~​˖⁺. ༶

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[…] - Segment “Eta”, otherwise known as The Heart. He was rumored to be Il Dottore’s first ever prosthesis, created shortly after acquiring Balladeer as part of the Fatui. Aged around 30 in bodily years, he is by far the most devoted and steadfast subject amongst the menagerie. His sole duty is to assist Prime in his endeavors, hardly ever allowed to leave his side for reasons that are unknown even to us, his fellow Segments. […]

[...] - You’d be wise not to cross Renard’s path. Although he is known for his mellow and friendly nature, he is Prime’s eyes and ears. Whatever you say to him, know that sooner or later, Prime will know of it too, whether Renard wants it or not. So choose your words wisely, Traveler. δ

Renard is a Segment that was created shortly after Scaramouche joined the Fatui, and Dottore obtained knowledge on how to create beings similar to him. After obtaining all the necessary resources, and after a set period, his very first clone was brought into Teyvat. A snapshot of his current self at that time, a mirror image so identical and yet so different, his blank eyes and unamused visage staring back at him as he sat on the operating table.

“He” was a breakthrough. The confirmation and first phase of his plan.

A creation that was frail, wobbling like a newborn fawn before the man’s very eyes; and yet, he was a divine being, in a way. Molded in the shape of an Archon’s puppet, bestowed with the mind of a genius. Bearing no name of his own and no sense of self, the clone both fascinated, and evoked a sense of benevolence in the Doctor. After all, this one would be the baseline of all the other segments that would come around in the future. “He” could be considered important, as every new discovery of his, and every step would be a rush of new data, new possibilities to improve every other clone that would be created after him.

“He” was destined for more, though.

And it so happens that the Doctor had already written his fate.

What is Renard?

[…] – I am the fruit of your labor, carrier of the brunt of your sins. Should you wish to end my life, I will drag you into the grave with me. η

The void in his chest was easy to get used to. The Doctor was always known as a heartless monster dressed in the robes of a charming man, all this talk about his cruel ways and inhumane methods could finally be justified. He was no longer ‘human’. A human must have a heart to be considered a living and breathing unit. And his, has found a new body to inhabit.

A commodity, at first. To transplant his heart into the body of a pliant vessel, that would abide by his every whim. One like “him”. Given a heart, the segment awoke anew, drawing in a sharp breath for the first time.

This time, though, he’d gaze at his creator with wonder, sensing the thin thread that connected them. Although the organ was no longer in the Doctor’s body, its behaviors resonated within him through “him”.

‘What shall be your name, my creation?’ The Doctor’s lips curl into a wry smirk, observing the faint, azure glow from under the wound dressings on the clone’s chest. He feels its every beat, the apprehension that lingered in the segments head. It’s exhilarating, like a bird fluttering in a cage, reverberating like an echo in his own, empty chest cavity.

Finally, he speaks, his voice an unfamiliar timbre, soft like a wisp of wind in a quiet chamber.

‘Renard.’ He says, and the Doctor nods, reaching to grab his chin between his thumb and pointer finger. There’s excitement lingering in his eyes, a keenness to see what else ‘Renard’ can bring to the table.

[…] – Two bodies, one heart. The Canopic segment not only houses the physical organ of the heart, but also its burdens and past experiences. Some even claim the heart to be the seat of one’s soul. Perhaps it is why this difficult task, of tending to the heart, was given to Eta. The number eight is a constant flow of power and energy; in other words, the number 8 represents everything that makes up the universe which is infinite: love, time, and energy. Additionally, the number eight is a connecting number representing the link between the earthly and the divine worlds. A body carved from the branch of a white tree, seemingly transcendent, yet still fleshly in a way. Burdened with an inconsolable human heart, meant to forever nurture it to preserve its owner.

~​˖⁺. ༶꒷꒦꒷꒦꒷꒦♡꒷꒦꒷꒦꒷꒦~​˖⁺. ༶

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kind touch

‘eta build’ - [p1/??]

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Finally clearing out the wip basement wee

Cakes are a hassle to draw qwq

“Devotion, much like love, is blind…🥀”