Dorothy/Story

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Overview**Story**VoicelinesGallery

## Information

### Affiliation

Goddess (formerly)
Inherit

## Behind the Scenes

###

Kim Sae-hae

###

Megan Shipman

###

Chiwa Saitō

## Profile

Dorothy is a Nikke hailing from Eden, an advanced settlement located in the surface situated in a remote region. Dorothy serves as a guide for newcomers in Eden, and is also the leader of Inherit, Eden's primary combat squad.

In the past, Dorothy is actually one of the members of the ill-fated Goddess squad consisting of her, the late Liliweiss, Rapunzel, Red Hood, Scarlet, and Snow White. After Liliweiss' unfortunare death, Dorothy took the role of their acting leader. She along with other surface-dwellers founded Eden and became the leader of Inherit squad.

### Nikke Backstory

The leader of Inherit Squad.

In a squad renowned for its superlative strength, she is recognized as the most powerful amongst all of them. Her angelic smile conceals the true contents of her heart, which remain a mystery.

## Personality

Initially, Dorothy presents herself to be kind and hospitable, introducing herself as Eden's guide to strangers or newcomers. However, her kindness masks a cruel, manipulative, vengeful yet affable personality. She often schemes out a subterfuge or plan, not hesitating to formulate one which will sacrifice a squad in exchange of providing Vapaus or turn against her own allies to relive her pride and past glory, although her intentions are good such as protecting Eden or yearning the love of humanity, but nonetheless, it could result in casualties and defy the ethics of her own teammates. Dorothy may impart in a temper tantrum whenever things do not go out according to her plan or whenever she is shaken off. Out of all the members of Goddess, Dorothy has shown to be more emotional; the loss of a dear friend exacerbated by the squad being left to die on the surface have drove her from spiraling depression while being prone to emotional outbursts.

Prior to the negligence of the Ark towards her squad, Dorothy is genuinely kind and protective towards humanity, ensuring their safety and the lifelong goal of reclaiming the surface as a member of the Goddess squad. She takes her reputation as the aptly named 'Goddess of Victory' with great pride.

Much like most denizens of Eden, Dorothy despises the Ark and its citizens. She may punish outsiders who attempts to make communications within the Ark in the jurisdiction of Eden, if necessary. Her hatred is at justifiable at least, due to the Ark and its people leaving her and the entire Goddess squad for dead after sealing the Ark. But perhaps, buried in some corner of her heart, something besides hate yet lingers. Her yearning to love humans. For humans to love her in turn.

## Story

### Background

Main articles: Over Zone and Red Ash
Virtually little is known about Dorothy's past life as a human other than being the daughter of a reputable politician.

When the Raptures first invaded, Dorothy caught wind of Goddess Squad and their leader Liliweiss, and sought to join them. She believed that with Goddess' help, she could destroy the Raptures and return the world to the idyllic peace it knew before, despite her lack of combat experience. With the commander bluntly telling her a return to the ways of before was impossible, Dorothy settled for reaping her payback from the monsters that ruined her peaceful days.

While Dorothy was fine with most of the squad's members as they joined, she and Scarlet soon became what could only be described as "sitcom-grade enemies." They regularly insulted each other and got into arguments, many of which escalated into physical violence. To her, Scarlet was a blunt, unrefined madwoman who picked fights with everyone, never cleaned up after herself, and charged at the Raptures with a sword, getting herself absolutely *filthy* from dirt, scuffs, and Rapture gore. Though the two would find occasional common ground, such as their shared interests in tea and their duty as symbols of hope for humanity, they still traded barbs on the regular.

Near the end of the first Rapture invasion, Dorothy took the role of acting leader of the Goddess squad due to the absence of their commander and Liliweiss. Following events that ended in the commander's disappearance and Lilith's death, Dorothy became Goddess' leader in every way that mattered. By the time of Operation Ark Guardian, Dorothy is doing fairly well at leading the squad in absence of two of its biggest support pillars. She even stops quarreling with Scarlet over everything, though whether it's because the former is too busy to think about common squabbles, the latter's mellowing out over the course of time, or something else entirely, is unspecified.

Despites successfully safeguarding the Ark until its sealing, the people reneged on their promise with Goddess and refused to let them enter the Ark. Betrayed, Dorothy swore vengeance against the humans who wronged her and vowed to take back the Ark, calling it a paradise made by Goddess' sacrifices, for Goddess' sake alone.  At some point in time, Dorothy founded Eden and became the leader of Inherit squad.

### Main Story

#### Chapter 19

After Inherit retrieves Vapaus for their operation to defeat the Heretic Nihilister, Dorothy finds a squad of Nikkes and brings them into Eden. Later, she also welcomes the protagonist, the commander of the Nikkes she just brought in. It would seem this act of bringing outsiders to Eden is a unilateral action on her part, a recurring trend that exasperates her nominal superiors, Johan and Cecil.

According to Dorothy, Eden has kept an eye on the protagonist for quite some time since his successful subjugation of Modernia, and one of her "old friends" has even told her he's something of a miracle worker. Therefore, she would like to request his assistance in Eden's attempt to defeat Nihilister once and for all, offering him the single bullet of Vapaus Inherit scavenged as an incentive.

#### Chapter 20

Along the way to Nihilister's territory, Dorothy pulls Johan aside to reveal her plans for Counters. She intends to use them as bait to draw out the Fire Dragon, force them to use the Vapaus bullet, and then swoop in and save the day. It's a win-win for Eden in her book; either Counters and the protagonist become grateful to Eden and will do their bidding for more Vapaus, or the Ark squad becomes kindling and they'll just have to grab the Vapaus from the protagonist's corpse and do it themselves. While Johan expresses his disgust at the Nikke's insidiousness, Dorothy is confident that a righteous type like the protagonist would still advocate for Nikke rights, even knowing her true nature.

Later on, Dorothy becomes utterly confused due to Johan's change of plans by prioritizing a rendezvous with Counters. Johan questions the other Inherit Nikkes' opinion about the plan, all of which agree and follow along. She becomes perplexed and infuriated with Inherit, calling them out as having NIMPH and explaining her justification, that there will be less casualties within their squad if Counters were brought into the frontlines to fight Nihilister. Harran, Noah, and Isabel all express similar sentiments that she has gone too far, despite tagging along with her schemes most of the time. As Isabel brought up the Ark, Dorothy then questions how much they all despise the Ark after everything and let them be, to which Johan reveals that he has changed his perspective from loathing the Ark and its people to loathing Dorothy's eloquence instead before moving out, much to Dorothy's disappointment.

Inherit's ambush and application of Vapaus leave Nilhister dead to rights, but Dorothy becomes intrigued by the Heretic's offer to use "Lilith's Body" to kill the Queen. It's enough for her to issue a stand-down order, though it's all for naught when Liberalio intervenes to silence Nihilister.

Later, Dorothy catches Papillon, Counters' little tag along, trying to message the Ark with her findings. She is willing to let the Ark Nikke send her messages and make use of her connections to the Central Government, on the condition that every message requires her express authorization, and she will decide what information can be included in the messages.

#### Chapter 21

After Counters has successfully downed Mother Whale and acquired the Vapaus they set out for, they're about to ready to go back to the Ark...except for the little detail that Papillon is going to stay with Dorothy in Eden. It's all too clear that the Inherit leader is trying to pull something by taking Papillon hostage, but the squad can't risk antagonizing Eden or jeopardizing Papillon, so they simply leave.

Watching the squad go, Dorothy comments to Papillon about the concern Counters showed, the Ark Nikke replying the squad and their commander are far too good to be mixing with people like [them]. With any possible objectors gone, Dorothy returns to her previous conversation with Papillon. She wants to be escorted to the Ark and welcomed as an honored guest. She claims it'd be a major win for Papillon, the feat of bringing home a wayward Pilgrim undoubtedly boosting her up the Central Government ladder. Papillon is more concerned with what they stand to gain allowing Dorothy to come to the Ark. The Inherit leader claims that in exchange for a welcome where they honor her, she will give the Ark everything Eden has to offer...

#### Chapter 22

As the Heretic Nihilister threatens to scorch the entire Ark, a light beams down and send Nihilister tumbling into a pit. The light eventually dims to reveal its source, and an angel addresses the people with a melodious voice. Dorothy has descended upon the Ark, claiming she has come to save it...

### Event Story

#### Over Zone

The time is two months before the Ark closes its doors and Operation Ark Guardian is concluded. As a member of Goddess, Dorothy faithfully carries out her duty...

### Character Story

*Canonically set sometime between Chapter 19 - Eden and Chapter 21 - Giant Whale*

#### Episode 1 - The Garden Where Loneliness Dwells

After passing Inherit's test, the protagonist has returned to Eden and lingered there for a few days. The open fields and fresh air, teeming with natural produce, it's all things the Ark can only dream of becoming. The most striking area is a courtyard acting as the center of Eden, and standing right in the middle of it is Dorothy.

The protagonist compiles what he knows about Dorothy; she's a Nikke who resides here in Eden, and for all her appearance makes her out to be an angel, she can flip demeanor at the drop of a hat and leave someone for dead. For some reason, she spends most of her time in this very courtyard, staring into the distance as the sun shines down on her. From his perspective, she looks so...

Dorothy calls out to the protagonist, breaking him from his musing. The small talk that ensues ends as quickly as it begins, and Dorothy decides to leave. Watching the Inherit leader go, the protagonist turns his gaze back to the sunlit spot where she stood. Inexplicably, the beauty of the scenery gives him no joy. If anything, a deep sadness is permeating his thoughts.

Wanting to know more, the protagonist asks Noah about Dorothy's habit of staying in the courtyard. To her knowledge, the Inherit leader has always been like that for as long as they've known each other. The protagonist's admission that Dorothy seems lonely astonishes Noah, and she sarcastically remarks on his new profession as a therapist.

The conversation continues as Noah explains that for all the Nikkes of Inherit accept Dorothy as one of their own, at the end of the day, she's still a former member of Goddess. By her testimonial, none of the Inherit members can really connect with someone who's old enough to have seen the Ark's walls come up. This revelation takes the protagonist by surprise, leading Noah to explain how Goddess squad stood at the gates to the Ark after it was completed, protecting it long enough for humanity to evacuate. The battles against the Raptures trying to break in were brutal, and the death toll was uncountable. The fact that Dorothy was one of the few to make it out of there in one piece is something both awe-inspiring and disquieting.

While the protagonist silently parses this information, Noah explains that part of Dorothy's seeming untouchability comes from the fact that she was the founder of Eden. That kind of lofty status on top of her background as an ex-Goddess means most of Eden will bend over backwards to do her bidding. That fact reminds Noah of something she found earlier that she regrets reporting to Dorothy. Apparently, while Inherit was out on a desert mission, Noah found "something" that Dorothy has been seeking for quite some time, and the Inherit leader chewed her out over not retrieving it. But by Noah's take of it, the squad got mobbed by Raptures the moment she found the thing, so there was no time or breathing room to grab it.

As for going back for the thing, Noah unfortunately doesn't remember where she found it. Having said her piece, Noah suggests the protagonist try and interact directly with Dorothy rather than skulk around for information, and leaves. Mulling over this advice, the protagonist decides to speak with Dorothy.

The next day, the protagonist returns to the courtyard, where Dorothy is waiting in the sun. He asks her what she's looking at, but it turns out she's not really looking at anything in particular...

The next day, the protagonist asks Dorothy for an apple near her, and she allows it.

A week passes by in this fashion, and eventually Dorothy reaches her breaking point, and she questions the protagonist on his persistence in being here. Hearing his reasoning, Dorothy's response contains an implicit yet easily audible scoff. She decides to invite the protagonist on a walk, which he accepts. The man's almost immediate assent is a bit of a surprise to Dorothy, who notes that perhaps his goodwill is genuine...

#### Episode 2 - A Sweltering Stroll

The duo of Dorothy and the protagonist step into the desert outside Eden, the site of their "stroll". Dorothy passive-aggressively comments that since the protagonist said she seemed "cold," she decided to walk in the hottest place she could find. Apparently, the protagonist reminded her of a flower she's been meaning to see, and the stroll will end once it's found. It turns out this flower is what Noah notified Dorothy of earlier, so in her eyes, it'd kill two birds with one stone. She assures the protagonist that finding this flower is the key to resolving her loneliness.

As for *where* this flower is exactly, that's where things get complicated. But by Noah's report, it should be only 5 hours away from their current location. At the protagonist's disbelief, Dorothy pounces on an opportunity to disparage him. A fragile human, selfish as the rest, who can't even take a 5 hour stroll in the desert for a Nikke *he* chose to reach his hand out to, she calls him. As the protagonist affirms his choice to accompany her, Dorothy's smile doesn't quite reach her eyes as she takes a stride towards their destination.

The duo haven't stopped once for a break during the trip, and the heat is definitely getting to the protagonist. Seeing Dorothy spare not a single glance back at him makes the protagonist think about how even the most standoffish Nikkes he's accompanied at least registered his existence and tried to make sure he lived. In the throes of dehydration, the protagonist calls out to Dorothy, telling her she's going too fast and his endurance is reaching its limit. After berating the man on his comparative frailty, Dorothy admits that perhaps she's gotten *too* used to going around with people made of sterner stuff. She declares they'll take a break here, and the protagonist crumples onto the ground.

Dorothy stares at the downed protagonist, pondering on how he's not upset. Normally, most humans would be absolutely livid for a "mere Nikke" like her to make them suffer like this, trudging in the desert heat with nary a drop of water or a break. While she wonders how he can be so calm by comparison, the protagonist tells the Inherit leader that the both of them are tired. Dorothy scoffs at such an idea, reminding the commander of how Nikkes are literally built different, a reminder that leads him to envy a Nikke's constitution. This remark takes Dorothy by surprise, as such a comment almost reminds her of "him", though she refuses to elaborate who "he" is. Declaring the break over, Dorothy blazes ahead, the protagonist scrabbling to keep up with her.

Seemingly endless walking ensues, yet nary a sign of the radio tower Noah reported nor the flowers that grew near it. Gazing upon the surrounding ruins, Dorothy remarks on being a bit parched. The protagonist offers her his water bottle, refusing her refusal to drink. The two both sip from the bottle, and feel refreshed for it.

Looking over the wreckage, Dorothy wonders if perhaps Noah's eyes were deceived when she said the flowers were here. The protagonist suggests asking Cecil for the coordinates of Noah's mission, but Dorothy is intent on not bothering the operator with "frivolities" like this one. What she ends up focusing on is the protagonist's comment of Cecil being a "squadmate". In Dorothy's eyes, Cecil will never be anything but human, even if she is from Eden. How could a Nikke and a human possibly be on such equal footing?

At this comment, the protagonist remarks on how much Dorothy dislikes humans, which she eventually admits to. Except the protagonist then remarks on how it's *great* that she hates humans, so long as she doesn't hate *him*. Dorothy laughs over this distorted reasoning, then tries to deny having laughed so much in front of a human, then goes silent. Eventually, Dorothy decides this flower-hunting stroll is a bust, and stands up to go back to Eden.

Then the protagonist remembers Noah's exact words; the flowers were near a red radio tower, and the moment she saw them, Raptures showed up and she was forced to book it. Looking around the wrecked red metal and antennas, the protagonist tells Dorothy that they've reached their destination. He heads towards the rubble to investigate, a befuddled Dorothy behind him.

#### Episode 3 - Unrequited Love

The protagonist explains his reasoning and begins sifting through the metal. Sure enough, a patch of flowers is under the rubble, and thankfully some of them are still intact. The protagonist finds it just out of his reach, so he begins moving pieces of metal out of the way.

As he does so, Dorothy questions why he's going so far for a few flowers. He *had* to have known this whole thing was more of a hazing on her part, which he does, given how he'd bothered her every day for a whole week. But Dorothy said these flowers would cure her loneliness, so he's getting them, come hell or high water. Watching the protagonist move the scrap, Dorothy declares her intent to not lift a finger to assist him, even if Raptures were to be attracted by the noise he's making. The protagonist persists, believing Dorothy will protect him, a notion she halfheartedly derides.

Eventually the scrap metal is out of the way, allowing the protagonist to pluck a flower and offer it to Dorothy. Unfortunately, she declares that it's not the flower she's looking for. This nondescript wildflower is nothing like the liliweiss Dorothy seeks, and she derisively sneers as she mocks the protagonist working so hard for an ultimately futile endeavor. The protagonist's nonchalant acceptance of the situation only riles her up further, insisting that he act like the other humans and make some profanity-laden tirade about her being an ingrate. She's not buying his nice-guy routine for one millisecond, and asks him to stop bothering her from here on out. Rather than be hurt, the protagonist can only see the look on Dorothy's face as she tries to repulse him. She has to actively convince herself that she hates humans, but in reality, she holds them with caring regard, and that juxtaposition is the root of the loneliness eating her inside.

Dorothy demands the protagonist shut up, firing a warning shot in the process. She goes on a rant denying each of his points, then levels her gun at his head. She asks if he thinks she can't kill him, before explaining that Eden Nikkes don't have the same limiters as Ark Nikkes. Unlike their shackled sisters, the Nikkes of Eden have fought and scraped for every day of survival after the Ark sealed itself, and that's made them not just capable, but *willing* to kill humans. Satisfied by the protagonist's silence, Dorothy warns the man against trying to stick his nose where it doesn't belong, though she "assures" him that she still has use of him, and is thus willing to keep him alive...for now.

Dorothy messages Isabel to transport the protagonist back to Eden, and declares her distaste for his further company, dropping the flower as she leaves. The protagonist stares at the fallen flower until Isabel arrives.

#### Episode 4 - Things That Have to Be Said

Rapi checks to see how the protagonist is doing, word having spread around Eden about his little outing with Dorothy, and how Isabel was the one to bring him back alone. Thinking about previous events, the protagonist asks Rapi what she knows of Goddess' fate after the Ark was completed. The main point she recalls is Operation Ark Guardian, which she elaborates upon.

Operation Ark Guardian was a mission where Nikkes formed a defensive line around the Ark's gates and ordered to safeguard them until the last of the humans were ensconced in the Ark. Naturally, Goddess was a part of this, and they supposedly scattered and went into hiding after the operation's conclusion, with no one even knowing whether they were alive or dead. The protagonist's takeaway from the explanation is that no one expressed one iota of gratitude for Goddess' efforts, a sentiment echoed by Rapi given how the Ark simply wrote Goddess off as MIA.

The protagonist flashbacks to Dorothy's tirade in the desert, her impression of a someone calling her an ingrate making him believe she thought he had the right to be upset. After all, he had toiled and suffered out of nothing but devotion to her, and she repaid him with disparagement and insults. He remembers the pained look on her face as she mocked his comments about her wanting to love humans and be loved in turn. But most of all, he remembers her empty gaze as she stood in the sunlight beaming into the courtyard.

Rapi's remarks on how no records remain from Ark Guardian rouse the protagonist from his thoughts, and he politely refuses her offer to seek more information. He already knows the words he needs to say to Dorothy...

The protagonist finds Dorothy in the same courtyard, in the same spot where the sun shines down. Dorothy sarcastically asks if the man enjoys her giving him the cold shoulder, or if he gets his kicks needling her. But the protagonist's next words weren't anything like what she expected;

"Thank you. For everything that you've done for the Ark. It was your sacrifice that allowed us to survive in the first place. So, from the bottom of my heart, thank you."

Dorothy wonders just where this is coming from, which the protagonist answers is an expression of gratitude for what she did during Ark Guardian, belated as it is. She sneers in response, snarking at the *audacity* of this human before her, if not trying to stand-in for all of the Ark, then having the gall to try and claim he can understand her decades of hatred. Seeing the protagonist remain silent, Dorothy changes tracks, wondering if perhaps he's trying to kiss up to her to become a resident of Eden, or buy her mercy so she won't kill him. The protagonist simply responds that he is saying what should've been said to her decades ago.

Dorothy's rejections become more frantic as she questions why he's saying these things, if he truly doesn't believe that what he says will change what has already transpired. The protagonist admits that this changes nothing, but it still needed to be said. Thoughts of Marian and Counters flash through his mind as he explains that the efforts, and even sacrifices, of Nikkes are what allowed him to survive up to now. Even if it's only a few words, he wants to repay their devotion in some fashion. To repay *Dorothy's* devotion.

Dorothy steadfastly clings to her hatred of humans, claiming cowardice is humanity's core. Fear of Raptures is why they created Nikkes. Fear of Nikkes is why they created NIMPH. Mankind is a "sniveling bunch of cowards", in her eyes, and she's all too eager to express it. The protagonist accepts that accusation, and is willing to accept any other criticism she has. After all, it's only because the Nikkes have gone above and beyond their duty that such a cowardly race could still survive in the face of a foe as implacable as the Raptures.

Dorothy finally hits her limit, and she all but plugs her ears and goes "lalala" as she calls the protagonist a liar and storms off. He silently watches her go...

#### Episode 5 - Ceaseless Wings

Dorothy stands in the courtyard, a place that was built to her exact vision and specifications. A place of tranquility, so peaceful you'd almost forget there were murderous alien robots roving the ruins beyond. Here in this sunlit courtyard, Dorothy has almost everything she ever wanted, far away from the horrors of the war. The keyword being *almost*.

Even the sun and the environmental control of Eden cannot stave off the chill of loneliness permeating her being. She hums to herself that this wasn't how her strolls went a few days ago, thinking back to that human that always kept bothering her. A commander so much like her previous one that time with him feels like a trip back to the past. A polite worker who's unafraid of toil. An outsider who hails from the Ark. A parasite who latches onto whoever he can exploit by whispering milk and honey in their ear. A weak and cowardly *human*.

The protagonist's greeting catches Dorothy's attention. He wanted to say goodbye before he went back to the Ark, given the unlikelihood of him returning to Eden and seeing her again. He imparts one last advisory plea, asking her to let others into her heart, and truly step into the sunlight. Her only response is a dismissive snark, and he bids her goodbye.

Dorothy steps forward in the courtyard, unwilling to turn and see the look on the departing human's face. She thinks back to his words about how she still wanted to love humans and be loved by them in return. His words honoring the sacrifices of herself and her sisters. Words of gratitude from the bottom of the heart...

Gritting her teeth, Dorothy tries to deny his words, rationalizing that he was trying to get in her good graces so she'd let him stay in Eden, or lend him her power. That's what the cowardly humans do. Except that man admitted humans were cowards, hardwired for it even...

Dorothy's memories take her back, to when she first tasted victory as a Nikke. A child had come up to her with a handful of flowers, and the onlookers cheered while the child's trembling hands took her own...and they said "Thank you." Yes, there was a time when humans were the object of her fascination, her adoration, and her affection. Even the bad parts only affirmed her desire to protect and shelter them. But because she used to love them, that is also why she can never forget their transgressions, nor can she forgive them.

Remembering the words of a man who toiled for a flower she didn't even want, Dorothy turns around and thinks about that human. Another of those whimpering wastes of flesh she once risked everything to protect, like the very same humans who have found themselves in Eden, her paradise to safeguard...

Wordlessly, Dorothy watches the protagonist's departing figure, then silently admits that he's won. Somewhere in a buried corner of her heart, Dorothy still harbors a sliver of love for humans. The protagonist turns around and calls her name, but Dorothy simply bids him to keep going as she steps forward. Just as a rolling stone will tumble until it finds the hole that will become home, she will never stop moving forward until she finds the place where she belongs.

The protagonist bids Dorothy goodbye once more, and she watches him go. No matter how much she wishes for love, or how tempting the person is, she will never stop. For that is the promise she made with Pinne. Before her wings carry him back to the Ark, they will first fly to paradise.

## References

Notes

References
1. ↑ Event, Red Ash. Cutscene: "Red and White."
2. ↑ Event, Red Ash Side Story "First Meeting I"
3. ↑ Event, Red Ash Side Story "Elegant and Unconstrained I"
4. ↑ Event, Red Ash. Cutscene: "To Bid You Farewell."
5. ↑ https://youtu.be/dagUrfcZf7I
6. ↑ https://twitter.com/NIKKE\_en/status/1649608799458557953
7. ↑ Event, "Over Zone."