Some character design/ costume concept art for a fan project me and @banannerbread dreamed up. It was a little spinoff comic about Varian continuing his adventures in alchemy through the seven kingdoms in order to learn the seven alchemical laws and attain forbidden knowledges. New characters we wanted to play with were Varian’s mom, who design-wise was a in flux, since we only had one reference image to go off of…but we really wanted to match her aesthetic to Varian/ that of a field researcher. We always imagined her as being a lot like Varian! Tried to develop some motifs between the other characters (L-R: Hugo, Donella, and Donella’s muscle-man) to make them look like the evil pack they were. Hugo was a sneaky artificer who conned the wealthy and worked for Donella: Varian’s mother’s former research partner. We also had Yong and Princess Nuru- who were some new friends that Varian would meet on his journey! And of course, Prometheus, a farm donkey Quirin gifted to Varian before he left Corona. (Not quite a Maximus…but, hey!)
AWWWWWW MY POOR BABY 😭😭😭😭💗(Biromantic and asexual bro✨)
(And headcanons cool)
Varian headcannons
He/they baddie
Has lots of burn scars from experiments
Has scars on his wrists from handcuffs. For this reason he never takes off his gloves unless he's alone or with someone he trusts.
Trust issues. This kid was ignored by pretty much everyone when he needed them most, it's gotta have an effect on his ability to have healthy relationships (they say, almost like they're not speaking from experience)
Angry and Catalina were the first friends he had that were vaguely around his age. The vat7k gang (- yong) were the first friends he had actually within a year of his age (I hc angry as 12 and catalina as 14 in season 3. the vat7k gangs ages are again my personal hcs: Nuru as 17, Hugo as 19 and Yong as 15).
Used to love the snow and rain and winter because it meant hot cocoa and time with his dad. The blizzard ruined a lot of things for him, including the snow.
Sensory issues galore (no I'm not projecting wdym)
Sh scars BC boy hates himself for everything he's done and blames himself for everything that went wrong
Whipping scars from prison. Again based off a HC of mine where they put him in maximum security and treated him like a regular major prisoner (including fun perks like interrogation, torture, starvation and whipping) until his old cellmate attacked him pretty badly so they threw him into the cell with Andrew. (Which was no better. Seriously which fricking ass had the oh so intelligent brainwave to put him in with Andrew. That's why I created this HC to at least try to give it a rational explanation)
Frostbite scars. You're telling me that a kid in a winter coat travelling the carriage worthy distance from old Corona to the castle through a blizzard literally described as a divine death trap TWICE made it out unscathed? No way!
Looks perpetually like a 12 yer old, much to his annoyance and to the amusement of Eugene.
Autism and ADHD. Look at him. Just look. Especially at the beginning of that episode where he gets kidnapped.
Also: PTSD, anxiety, depression, and BPD. Yes I'm projecting but also. Varians anxiety is pretty much canon ATP. You can see it in most of his episodes pre and post villain arc. PTSD because even in be very afraid, which happens around 2 years after his dad was trapped in amber, he is still very affected by it. Depression and low self esteem, he's miserable about everything that's happened and that's kind of ruined his life and he hates himself for it. Little canon evidence but feels right. BPD- much of Varians character, especially early on, is built around seeking affirmation. When he is repeatedly denied it, his emotions overcome him and he can't hold it anymore and breaks down. Also I see him as very emotional and logical at the same time so he has mood swings out of his control and is horrified at himself because he knows they aren't rational but he can't control them. Totally not projecting. Again not much canon evidence but great for angst and projecting purposes.
Since I'm projecting here I might as well project my artstyle on him. Sketchy, done with a pen or pencil and one random colour on the back of pretty much anything. Actually pays attention to lighting and tone on the rare occasion it is required. Very good at making random scribbles look like a perfect replica of something he's seen before. Good for scientific drawing and sketches. Terrible for fully finished works. Unlike me he is very good at art and makes my weird artstyle look good.
POTS. No real reason, just I can make characters physically disabled in headcannons and I want to use that power. Also varigo fluff potential.
Reads too much
Chronic loneliness from having no one to talk to (I'm projecting too fcking much and I know it)
Insomniac and won't admit it. Has passed out plentiful times in his lab and the most random places ever from pure exhaustion. This got worse during the villain arc because Quirin wasn't there to drag his sleepy ass to bed. Hugo worries.a (no it isn't an ungodly hour in the morning when I'm typing this wdym).
Reconnects with Cass post canon.
Has nightmares about his dad, sots, prison or Andrew regularly and needs either his dad, Eugene and later Hugo to stay with him after.
Has a serious sense of ✨style✨
Biromantic and asexual. He does not escape my giant aspec ray.
Begged his dad for weeks to let him keep ruddiger, who wandered into his lab one day and soon enough became his "assistant". Quirin was rather displeased (DW he came around eventually guys).
We all know that Varian loves animals, but did you know that animals love Varian?
Very picky eater who has a bunch of allergies and often forgets to eat (y am I projecting sm here chat).
Very good at lying and manipulating and scheming, as seen in his villain arc, but his emotions and guilt and empathy get in the way most of the time. As he should tell Hugo in my hcs, "just because I can doesn't mean I enjoy doing it". (HC: Hugo knows Varian has some sort of criminal past but he doesn't know that he was his gay awakening, the alchemist).
Makes annoying household inventions.
sassy and overdramatic
Issues with authority
Shares some rather radical opinions with Hugo and Cass
Frustrated at Cass walking away scott free whilst he was stuck in prison for a year
Bottles up anger until it explodes at the worst possible moment
is NOT innocent.
Intense fear of disappointing people, especially those who wouldn't have a negative reaction, since "that just makes it worse".
Idealist that kept getting more and more frustrated and disillusioned over time.
There are more but this post is long enough as it is. Almost all of these are me projecting on Varian.
What are some of your Varian headcannons? I'd love to know. :)
Another VARIGO sketches from math
*they are not furry, it’s just kigurumi (I don't know how to spell it correctly, my English is not very good) It's something like a jumpsuit of some animal. :_) it sounds strange, sorry(((
Loves the Care Bears – He finds their messages of kindness and understanding incredibly comforting. He has a little plush of Tenderheart Bear that he keeps hidden in his room.
Favorite Instrument – The trumpet and French horn. Playing it helps calm his nerves when he’s feeling overwhelmed. But he also loves the violin—it’s expressive and emotional, like him.
Favorite Songs – He’s a sucker for old love ballads. Songs like Can’t Help Falling in Love (Elvis Presley) or Unchained Melody (The Righteous Brothers) make him feel warm inside. He also secretly loves lullabies.
Favorite Animal – Lambs. He feels a connection to them, probably because of his own nature (and the horns). He always stops to pet any he finds in Heaven’s pastures.
(Milk) Tea Over Coffee – He doesn’t like the bitterness of coffee, but he loves milk teas.
Writes Letters – He has a habit of writing letters he never sends. Letters to Adam, Lucifer, and even Cain. Sometimes, just putting his feelings into words helps.
Loves Star-Gazing – The night sky has always fascinated him, and he often sneaks away to quiet places in Heaven just to watch the stars. It makes him feel small in a good way.
Enjoys Handcrafts – He likes embroidery and weaving. Creating things with his hands makes him feel grounded, and he often gives his finished pieces as gifts.
Favorite Flower – Forget-me-nots because… well, he’s afraid of being forgotten.
Soft Sleeper – He curls up when he sleeps, hugging a pillow or blanket close. He doesn’t like feeling exposed or alone when he rests.
Favorite Color – Soft golds and creams. They make him feel safe and remind him of warmth, like the morning sun.
Sings to Himself – When he’s alone, he hums or softly sings old hymns or lullabies. It’s a habit from childhood he never outgrew.
Loves Gentle Rain – The sound of rain is incredibly soothing to him, and he loves the fresh, clean smell afterward. If he could, he’d stand outside and let it wash over him.
Terrible at Lying – His face gives him away immediately, no matter how hard he tries. His emotions are always written all over him.
they're so sooo cute though ughh..eugene,, you're so lucky man..you win bro 🙏😭🤧 you win 😔 con😭gra😭tula😭tions😭
i need her so bad 😞
“Team Awesome, remember?”
Requested by @glacecakes
Okay so I know he's out Vat7k exclusive but he is in team radical so what are your Varian headcanons??
YAYYY VARIAN MY BELOVED
Used to love when it snowed because it meant he got to go sledding with his dad, but then he developed an intense fear/hatred of snow because of the events during queen for a day
First reaction was to not trust Nuru because of how much she reminds him of Rapunzel. Even though the two of them had mostly mended things at that point, there was still a part of him deep down that blamed Raps and expected Nuru to betray the rest of the team for her kingdom
Had to put up a sign declaring his lab an “anti-Eugene” zone due to how often Eugene just barges in without warning. When it didn’t work, Varian changed it to say “Anti-Horace” just to piss him off
Keira and Catalina were his first friends that were actually around his age
Calls Hugo “pretty boy” as an insult (backfires cuz Hugo thinks they’re flirting)
Thrives in warm/hot weather but the moment the temperature drops, Varian refuses to go outside and wears thick clothing until it’s spring/summer again
He’s a snob about produce due to his dad being a farmer, and it’s a nightmare to go food shopping with him. What’s supposed to take an hour at most turns into an entire afternoon wasted at the market because the tomatoes are too soft or the apples aren’t the right color or the celery doesn’t snap right. Hugo, who grew up eating whatever he could get his hands on, has to physically restrain himself from strangling Varian
He had freckles everywhere
Exchanges letters with Rapunzel throughout his journey as a way of mending their relationship further (they both still feel super guilty about everything that happened and blame themselves) so no matter how far Varian travels, he’ll always have someone from home to guide him
Doodles Team Radical in the margins of his journal when he’s bored (caught himself making a very detailed sketch of Hugo’s face and was shamed of himself for days)
Inconsistent sleep schedule due to nightmares, which often leads to him sitting outside by thr campfire late at night. Because of this, he and Hugo are alone together a lot of the time because Hugo is usually the last of the team to go to bed
Insane sweet tooth, genuinely can’t get through the day without consuming something sweet
First to see Hugo with his hair down and was a flustered mess about it for hours after
Hugo was the first one he told about his past as the Alchemist
Has the Saporian emblem on his body somewhere (either tattooed or branded idk) because everyone in that group has it as a way to pledge their loyalty
Slight country accent that surfaces only when he’s really fired up (you can pry this hc from my cold dead hands cuz I think it’s so funny that he becomes a cowboy when he’s angry)
“Accidentally” leaves too traps in the castle halls where he knows Nigel and/or Frederick will be walking
Forgets to eat all the time. People will remind him, but he’ll just wave it off and forget until someone shoves a ham sandwich in his face and threatens to reorganize his beaker drawer
Despises coffee and makes fun of Eugene for drinking an “old man” drink, but he will drink it if he’s pulling an all nighter and is desperate for something to keep him awake
Realized he was bisexual at some point during the journey. I feel like he wouldn’t care about romance after becoming royal engineer and getting over his crush on Cassandra, so it wouldn’t really occur to him that he likes both guys and girls until he’s on the road with too much time to think
Tries to emulate his dad when taking charge of the group cuz even away from home, he looks up to his dad
Wrist scars from the handcuffs during his prison era, whether they’re prominent or barely visible
Left-handed. Why? I dunno, it just makes sense to me
Hot chocolate snob. He’ll drink almost all kinds of hot chocolate, but he has a preference for the high quality stuff they keep in the castle and can tell the difference between different kinds (judges people who make it with water instead of milk)
When he’s in a particularly sour mood, he’ll shut off all the hot water in Corona just to be petty (usually does it when Frederick pisses him off)
Yong called him his brother once and he didn’t stop crying for an hour
Makes fun of Hugo for not knowing how to swim until Varian has to save him from drowning in the water trial
Gets offended when people call Ruddiger fat or say he’s overweight (he’s basically a bowling ball that waddles around the castle but Varian isn’t ready for that conversation yet)
Refuses to let people take care of him when he’s sick because they “have better things to do”
Hugo is the only one he will voluntarily share a lab space with. Anyone else and he’d sooner throw himself out a window
I have so much more but this is definitely long enough jansosiwbsoishwnsksoaisj I love him
Thank you for the ask <333
My headcanon about Saint Peter in the Hellaverse: he has imposter syndrome! He still feels guilty about that time he denied knowing Jesus, and secretly thinks he does not belong in Heaven. Not sure if Jesus even exists in the Hazbin Hotel universe, but hey! Headcanons are just for fun. (Side note: the heavenly authorities won't let him have anything sharper than a pen due to The Ear Incident of 33 AD...)
Happy Holidays!
It's just a kitten in strawberry jam!
Varigo🧪💔⚗️