By the way! Forgive me for rambling under your recent posts on Tumblr & Twitter regarding the interpersonal connections, but it reminded me of a tier list you reblogged from me some time ago, sorting the characters into whether or not they’re on first-name basis with Bachelor Dankovsky in Classic.
You asked in the tags if I went through the script myself to check, so I meant to let you know for a while that I had, and these aren’t purely HCs. I made that effort with a similar feeling that might have inspired your post: a bittersweet fondness for the depth of connections within Classic that 2 doesn’t do justice.
Specifically, I’d seen beautiful Patho2 fanart of Dankovsky spending time with Eva and the Stamatins, and the way some responded in reblogs joking about how he ‘somehow has friends at last’ struck me as odd since Eva-and-the-Stamatins are mere tip of the iceberg. I know my mutuals must be weary of hearing me make this argument, but I sincerely believe the fanon characterization of Dankovsky as antisocial/even misanthropic collapses when we start noting and appreciating his existing close friendships, whether with Aglaya or Yulia or Lara or Maria, and so on. Of course, this isn’t unique to him; different characters drew out the worst/best in each other in Classic.
oh, i remember that post! i really do like the idea of going through and counting how and when different names for the characters are used.
and i guess part of what you're talking about in your third paragraph might come from the fact that a lot of people only play patho2, which means that they don't really get to see the bonds that dankovsky forms. but i would say that patho classic especially portrays him as someone who is eager for connections to people -- you could even interpret his immediate day 1 friendliness in the haruspex route or the way he calls both aglaya and block his "best friend" literally a day after meeting them as examples of this. i think these three (+ his connection to rubin, maybe yulia and even lara since they can work together on the house of the living) specifically show that it's specifically collegial connections that he's most comfortable with; he wants allies, people he can work with. this seems to fit with his implied workaholic, emotionally repressed nature, but also sort of shows the myth behind the trope of the "misanthropic scientist" that i feel like people might be tempted to slot him into -- science is actually a very collaborative activity. which at least the quarantine demo seems to be highlighting, with the way it puts focus on his colleagues back at his lab in the capital.
