Daniil building a "quiet room" on the first floor of Artemy's house. Dim lights, thick, curtained walls, rugs on any floors above it etc. It'd primarily be for his and Murky's use, but patients are also welcome to spend time there if it would benefit them (in the case of, say, a migraine or a concussion, for example). It would be stocked with an adult-sized desk and chair, a child-sized desk and chair, a few books, some art and writing supplies, and a bed with a lamp and nightstand beside it for quick naps and/or long-term use.
Opinions on Clara being able to make vaguely cat-like purring noises? My friends say it’s not biologically possible but she’s also a Dirt Child who is kind of sort of also the sand plague so I don’t think the laws of biology have to particularly apply to her
yes!! this is one of my favorite headcanons for her, alongside her having claws and fangs (and overall weird biology)
it may not be biologically possible for a human, but she isn’t a human, so i say she can! she’s a little creature that deserves to make her silly creature noises
making this post as a reference for dances/gestures/performances/[...] i find relate to Herb Brides' dances In My Mind, as i do not think the soft swaying they do in canon really warrants clothes torn from their chests (but i also know how hard animating characters is, period, so i won't comment on that further.) takes this more as a long Herb Brides Dances Headcanon post (and also as a collection of poses reference...)
Pina Bausch's works, especially her choreography for Rites of Spring (done on a stage covered in dirt).
the dancers have very loose light clothing, so mind the toplessness.
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Damien Jalet's works, especially his works for Les Médusés performance in the Louvre, particularly his "L'Évocation" and "Les Médusées" pieces.
L'Évocation:
it picks up from 2:20 and stays consistently powerful and strong until the end. this is the performance that's the most Herb Brides to me. everything, from the frantic dancing, throwing self on the ground multiple times, the slapping of the chest, the throwing of the hair, the heavy breathing, fits them so, so well to me. this is what i think they do.
Les Médusées (nonsexual nudity in images and video from the costumes):
you might have noticed from the similarities with above, Damien Jalet was the one who choreographied the dances of Suspiria (2018). These dances also fit into the Herb Brides dances of my mind (but since it's a horror movie, I won't put videos as most of them contain spoilers).
last thing from Jalet (for now): his choreography Yama (1:20 and onward)
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Ryan Heffington's choreographic work for the background dancers in Florence + The Machine's "King"
and "Heaven is Here"
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Akram Khan's choreographic work for the background dancers in Florence + The Machine's "Big God"
and for "Giselle" (0:48 and onward)
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Isidora Duncan's body of work and legacy, both as formal inspiration for the dance itself and for the beliefs she put into her art (spirituality, freedom of the body and of movement, sublimation or the body and its holiness through dance)
in that order: Isidora Duncan, Isidora Duncan draw by José Clara, one of her student's Maria-Theresa Duncan, and one of her students' student Madeleine Lytton.
i'm particularly inspired by this video for a "softer" more subdued dance for them, even if the Herb Bride Dance of My Mind is not obviously not this structured and not this consistent/followed across brides, but i find it a good demonstration of the footwork & armswork within a fuller, longer choreography. i also adore this video because you get to see dancers of varied body types and ages
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more to add as i discover new things, new performances and choreographers :3
Compilation of Various Changeling Headcanons of Mine
Been a while since I last wrote a massive list of hc's I have for a character, but I've been feeling bad for the lack of Patho content I’ve been sharing and want an excuse to talk about our beloved Clara the Changeling 🐀✨
Some spoilers for two of Pathologic Classic's endings are included in these, I should mention. Otherwise, enjoy!
Clara is a demisexual lesbian. I don’t need to do an in-depth detailed analysis to prove it, I just… know it!
She’s also neurodivergent, but in a way that makes it hard to give her a proper diagnosis. Really it’s most likely that she has overlapping disorders (adhd, bpd, autism) mixed in with others exclusive to those who’ve spawned from the Earth.
I’ve discussed this in another post once, but Clara’s biggest fear is her own body. A combination of knowing she was born from the clay and bones of the Earth combined with the truth about the world itself has given her a dreadful insight on how fundamentally different her physiology is from the other humans in the Town. Oftentimes she’ll feel different textures than what her skin and hair is supposed to feel like, and will need to stop what she’s doing and convince her mind that she’s real before the right textures return to her senses.
Is a tactile learner, and often prefers to show affection via touch (ex: patting one on the shoulder/back, holding hands, hugging, etc.)
The stress of her journey made her shed many tears, but now she’s become embarrassed about it. She’ll do everything in her power not to cry in front of others if she’s ever upset, simply saving it until she’s buried herself under some bed sheets or finds a lonely alley to cry her sorrows away.
That being said, if someone she cares about did find her sobbing and wanted to comfort her, she would throw herself into their arms and take in their compassion like a flea to fresh blood!
Clara was born with an innate understanding for very adult concepts and philosophies despite having the body and mind of a teenager. However, she finds herself preferring the conversations she has with the Town’s kids compared to the adults.
For example, with Sticky and Murky she can assuredly engage in a long, thoughtful debate on the mystical qualities and immaterial essence of life held within some nuts they found lying the dirt, while with the Bachelor and Haruspex she needed to slowly and carefully explain to them why it’s wrong for adult men their age to bully a teenage girl.
I have many complex feelings on her bond with Alexander Block, but I do believe that after her meeting with The Powers That Be she chooses not to accompany Block on the front lines. Even if she wants to leave, she knows more than anyone that this world only exists within the confines of its setting, and thus she can only live within the space created for her and the others. Perhaps Block can leave, but just as she says to him in her ending, "You came out of thin air and you'll pass into nothingness."
She still sees the Albino as her brother, and will often times travel deep into the steppe to visit him.
Once the plague is quelled Clara eventually begins to form a new family unit by being communally raised; essentially moving about at her own leisure between the residences of the members of her bound most patient with her (Yulia, Rubin, Lara, and even Bad Grief on some occasions) as well as Daniil and Artemy, who are both willing to put their past quarreling behind them. Presuming the Termite Ending was picked, of course!
The Saburovs remain unwilling to accept the future granted to the Termites, and Katarina in particular still believes that Clara is her proper heir and has tried to reach out and bring her back into their care to start over. She avoids them like the plague, still not ready to forgive them for abandoning her.
If the Humble Ending was picked, then she lives all by herself in the Rod, with only the consistent company of her two surviving humbles and the Bachelor and Haruspex; the three having ended their feuding after learning the shared knowledge of being dolls, yet still haven't fully recovered from the trauma of it all. She sends letters to Commander Block hoping to hear about what the outside world is truly like, even if all he can tell her are what battles lay on the front lines, and is trying to defy her fated rivalry against Maria and Capella by trying to form an alliance, perhaps even a friendship, with them to ensure a good future for the Town.
Capella is the only one willing to tolerate her presence at the moment, yet is still uneasy about this new future the Changeling has created…
While Clara always preaches about her fierce understanding of the divine powers of love, she genuinely does not understand the concept of being loved herself. Thanks to her hasty upbringing in a cult, she assumes that it is something like a commodity: needing to be earned by successfully completing tasks, and being instantly lost if she fails said tasks. The reason her mood nosedives into dramatic self-loathing whenever she angers/fails the people she cares about is because she believes that they now no longer love her as much as they used to.
Okay those last few points were pretty depressing, let me lighten it up a bit. Clara and Grace often have fun sleepovers in the cemetery together! Or at least what weird teenage girls closely connected to death find fun, like communicating with the dead and expressing their feelings toward one another in a series of flowery, cryptic riddles :)
I can totally see her owning pet rats! They’ll cling to her scarf and ride her like a taxi as she walks throughout town, freaking out every adult she passes.
Going back once more to her complex feelings about her own body, Clara also feels just as strange about her gender. She knows her anatomy isn’t built the same way “normal” girls’ are, despite taking the form of one. Often she feared that those who knew of her unnatural birth secretly saw her as an inhuman monstrosity, let alone those who haven’t found out yet. But eventually, with the support of those closest to her, she learns that humans inherently do not fit into the neat, fantastical boxes of cis heteronormalcy and slowly embraces her unique form of girlhood, and perhaps may start experimenting with using other pronouns too.
— ages 15-19/20
— a very small portion of the Maidens have felt "called" to being a Herb Bride for as long as they can remember, most others have started to show a pull towards Herb Brides during childhood. Around 15 of age, the to-be-Herb Brides (nicknamed Herb Maids/Maidens, or Fledglings) will go through an Initiation ceremony in the presence of older Herb Brides.
— their outfits are heavy, layered, cloth and leather with minimal sigils as face and body paint since they still have to learn their meanings : they will rather have simple lines and shapes. they wear heavy bone and clay jewelry, and their hairdos stay pretty simple.
— they are very active, following older Herb Brides in dances. year after year, they develop their own dance, going through phases of very intense, frantic and kind of disorganized choreographies as they try to find their footings in the dance that will feel the truest and most meaningful to them.
— the heavy outfits are here to allow them to prove they can dance even with all of the weight on them. the to-be-Herb Brides often fall from exhaustion, more often than their older counterparts, and these instances are seen as important proof that they are giving it their all, losing themselves into Boddho and allowing her to take their energy and give it back.
"Mother" / Bride
— ages 19/20-45
— functioning as a coming-of-age rite, a Confirmation ceremony takes place around the 19th to 25th birthday of a Maiden having proven her determination and stood by her choice of becoming a Herb Bride. she is able, anytime before the ceremony is set to take place, to walk away from a future as a Herb Bride and reintegrate the rest of the Kin: it is understood that the life of a Herb Bride is tough, hard, exhausting, even if ultimately exhilarating and incredibly fulfilling to those who are able to follow through, and that not everyone is fit for it. Maidens reintegrating the rest of the Kin will still typically have an interest in herbs, and will tend to gravitate towards being herbalists, gardeners, botanists... some might take up entirely different trades, even if they tend to be anchored in Kin culture, such as becoming leather tanners, leather cutters, weavers, tapesters...
— the fledglings become Herb Brides in the presence of other Herb Brides and a/multiple Warden(s). they typically bathe in the Gorkhon or one of her tributaries and are expected to dance through the night.
— from there, they wear lighter clothing which allows them to move freely. having learned the meaning of the sigils during their earlier years, and now in the company of more knowledgeable Herb Brides, sigils become part of their face and body paint. intricate hairdos become more common as Herb Brides help each other with them.
— at this point, a Herb Bride will have settled into a dance of her own, something that feels true and meaningful to her. she will continue to change, morph and adapt it as she grows and learns more, but she has, now, come into her own.
— the "Mother" title is not really accurate, as Herb Brides are celibate per their customs; they will be mother figures and mentors to to-be-Herb Brides, and some will learn midwifery.
— whether or not a Herb Bride does become an actual midwife, Herb Brides will tend to to-be mothers and be around for births even if they do not help with the birth itself.
— the Voice of Boddho grows stronger during this time, and many Herb Brides will pick up chants directly from the Earth.
— a Herb Bride might still walk away from being one years, sometimes decades after her Confirmation ceremony. while these cases are rare, a Bride reintegrating the Kin at this point will typically gravitate towards herbalism, herbal medicine, poetry or storytelling inspired by the chants of the Earth.
— even more rare than the previous cases, but having been seen nonetheless, adult women might want to become Herb Brides past the usual age of Confirmation ceremonies. they might or might not go through the Maids "trial" period, as they are typically more sure of themselves and more convinced of their desire to devote themselves to the dance.
Crone
— ages 45+
— as some herb brides age and do not have the vigor to dance they once had, their knowledge of sigils, plants, and for some, childbirth, allow them to focus on these aspects of the Kin rather than the frantic dances as the new generation of Herb Brides fill that role.
— with sometimes 30 years of being a fledgling/maidens then full-fledged Herb Bride, their knowledge of sigils, herbs and the myths is vast and crucial to be shared. some Herb Brides become more sedentary, settling in with family members, and are reached periodically like Elders.
— for some, having been trained in midwifery by other Brides; and for others, having been witnesses to these births, a number of Herb Brides of that age settle in a midwife role. their knowledge of herbs allows them to make births less painful for the mother, and they either shoulder the Menkhu during birth, or take care of it themselves, surrounded by younger Brides.
— with age, some Herb Brides start wearing warmer clothing again as they handle the cold less well than when they were vigorous young women. their outfits welcome layers again and often intricately braided grass and herbs into sleeves, vests or skirts.
— the Brides who keep dancing tend to settle into a slower, softer, less brutal dance. they grow closer and closer to blades of grass swaying in the wind with the knowledge that they, soon, will go back to the Earth and be reborn as these very same blades.
— mentorship of to-be and younger Herb Brides is a crucial part of their life.
Daniil being a reluctant caretaker to Clara is SUCH a good concept
like, him finding her slumped on some bench somewhere, looking miserable, and he makes some jab at her while he’s passing by.
but she doesn’t snap back, which is a bit strange. usually, she starts smarting off to him. but this time, she doesn’t.
so Daniil backpedals a bit to stand directly in front of her, bluntly asking what’s wrong with her. but she doesn’t even lift her head to look at him, so he does it for her- “it’s rude not to make eye contact with someone when you’re having a conversation.”
and that’s when he notices how hot her face is. which leads him to feel her forehead.
she’s burning up.
like that, the rivalry is gone because oh shit. even if it isn’t the Pest, with the state the Town is in, any sickness should cause concern.
He acts like he doesn’t give a fuck about Clara, she’s just some insane brat stepping on the toes of professional adults, but the MOMENT he realizes something is actually wrong with her, he goes STRAIGHT into Dad Mode
And he didn’t even know he had a Dad Mode!
Pet names? Pet names
“Sweetheart” and “pumpkin” are his go-to for her
He questions her choice in bottoms. Her legs are going to get cold!
As such, he’s CONSTANTLY nagging her about putting on pants
“Oh, is the great Bachelor worried for me?” “No, you just look idiotic.”
(He is worried about her)
He doubts the Saburov’s ability to take care of Clara, especially given all her strange…quirks
Sometimes he finds her asleep on benches outside, groans to himself, and wonders if he REALLY wants to deal with this today. And then he trundles over to her and wakes her up, telling her she can sleep at the Stillwater instead of out in the elements.
“God, DON’T look at me with those eyes!”
He once let her use his coat because she was shivering (probably because she doesn’t wear pants), and he genuinely thought he was never gonna get it back (he did. very reluctantly)
He’s the type to worriedly insult Clara when something and happens. like, “what did you do, you stupid girl?”
He and Clara throw jabs at each other constantly, but one day, Clara was just in a really bad mood, and Daniil made a comment, and she just burst into tears
Cue Daniil going, “wait, no, no, no, don’t cry!” and frantically trying to get her to stop
Daniil Very Quickly learned that Clara is EXTREMELY touchy-feely and has no concept of personal space At All
One time, he snapped at her for hanging on him, and she looked like a kicked puppy after, so he heaved a sigh and apologized before explaining that she can’t just go and always get in people’s personal space bubble whenever she wants. She understood well enough!
She still likes using him as her own personal piece of furniture, though
She’s just very touch-starved and craves affection more than food
Speaking of food!
If Daniil has some to spare, he’ll give Clara some food
She always refuses it, though
Which makes him snap at her for being so humble in the time of a famine
After the Plague has ended and Daniil and Artemy become a thing (because we all know those two want to be together), Daniil is even more adamant on getting Clara to eat
Among other things
He’s lucky enough to have found a family in this damn town
Clara has nobody anymore
And although she acts like she doesn’t care, Daniil knows that’s not true
The poor kid is lonely. She wants a family again. But, as brash as she may be, she doesn’t want to impose, especially on Daniil and Artemy
When she invades the house (which happens a lot), Daniil forces her to take a bath while he washes her clothes and that stupid beanie
Daniil tried to teach her how to swim (because i just know that girl can’t)
“Get over here and let me fix you” -Daniil, 24/7
I headcanon Clara with claws because she’s a weird little earthborn creature and deserves freaky bestial traits, and Daniil attempts (key word: ATTEMPTS) to clip them because they’re a safety hazard for EVERYONE, including herself, and she is SO DRAMATIC about it. yowling and crying like a dog getting its nails trimmed. Daniil thinks it’s amusing. and then she bites him.
She once fell asleep in his lap, and he Could Not Move
