Cosimo Galluzzi
tannertan36
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Aqua Utopia｜海の底で記憶を紡ぐ
Mike Driver
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pixel skylines
TMBGareOK. The Official They Might Be Giants tumblr
hello vonnie
d e v o n
❣ Chile in a Photography ❣
Lint Roller? I Barely Know Her
official daine visual archive
occasionally subtle
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Discoholic 🪩
Monterey Bay Aquarium
Product Placement
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noise dept.
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@imlosingmymindslowly
Hear me out
(varigo and genderfluid hugo hc so if you dont like that pls boh- yes i just referenced spider-man far from home iykyk)
at the varigo wedding (because i do hc they get married) what if hugo wore a dress for the ceremony, dramatically changed into a suit but with a cape thingy for the first dance and then changed into a suit for the rest of the night
so I’m sure nobody needs these but
My friends and I made it our mission that one day to find the absolute worst screenshots while watching tts.
So here you go
guys I feel like something has to be said
Okay so I’ve noticed that there’s a lot of discourse in this fandom based off of who ships what.
if you’re a Varigo shipper, then you like Varigo.
if you’re a cassarian shipper, you like cassarian.
if you don’t like what other people ship, then just keep scrolling.
this fandom is supposed to be a safe space for everyone, so don’t backlash people who like a certain ship.
of course, shipping a minor with an adult is wrong, and it’s illegal, so uhh…
okay at this point i have no idea WHAT I’m saying.
(guys maybe research relationship laws like where I live the minimum age of consent is 16 and that’s only if their partner is at most 2 years older so.)
Day 7: Free Day!
Day 7 of Varigo Week yayyyyyyyyyyyyy @varigoweek2026!!!
uh so this is from 2025 Varigo week, but I never posted it so. It’s yours now heh
It all started on a calm summer evening.
Trees swayed and danced, whispering secrets outside the lab, where Varian and Hugo were currently, hoping to create a new compound- or, at least, something that didn’t explode. Hugo, ever the hopeless romantic, kept glancing up at Varian, holding his gaze for just a moment too long before Varian caught him, smiling. Varian, in turn, couldn’t stop ‘accidentally’ brushing hands with Hugo while reaching for a new flask. Then, he tried reaching for his favourite flask- a little too quickly.
The flask hit the floor before Varian even noticed it was there.
Glass shattered. Liquid hissed. Blue smoke curled upwards sinisterly, as if it was laughing at him.
“Oh- oh no, no, no!” Varian staggered back, his voice cracking with panic. “That was the stabiliser! I need that- and the flask-”
Hugo was by his side in an instant. “Hey, it’s okay, we can clean it up!”
“No, we can’t Hugo.” Varian laughed, bitter and wrong. “You can’t just clean up an experiment. You start from scratch. Redo all your hard work!” Varian slammed his fist on the table, his voice rising.
His hand curled into fists. “You should go, Hugo.”
“What?” Hugo frowned. “I’m not leaving you here with this mess!”
“I’m serious,” Varian snapped, his voice strained. “I’m- I’m doing the thing. It’s only going to get worse, so just- just go before I start yelling- and throwing things- and you might get hurt or-”
“Varian-”
“I’m too much.” Varian sounded like he was about to cry now. “I talk too much, I overreact, I get angry and I cry and I ruin everything I touch, and you don’t have to deal with that. You don’t have to deal with me.”
Silence.
Heated, strained, painful silence.
Hugo didn’t move.
“Why are you still here?” Varian demanded. “Why won’t you just leave?”
Hugo stepped forward, cautious and slow, careful not to set Varian off again.
“Because,” Hugo said, soft and slightly exasperated, “I love you, idiot.”
Varian paused. “Huh?”
“It’s true.” Hugo put his hands on Varian’s shoulders. “It always has been.”
He picked up a mop.
“Now let’s clean up this mess, shall we?”
Operation: Medicate the Alchemist
Day Five of Varigo Week: “Hold Still”
I apologise in advance, this is incredibly stupid.
@varigoweek2026
Varian sniffled, dragging a hand across his nose.
“Come on, Hugh, I’m not even sick.”
Hugo stood at the cabinet, bringing out the medicine.
“Oh yes you are, Blue.” He said seriously. “Don’t think you’re getting out of this.” He poured syrup onto a spoon.
“But I’m not sick!” The alchemist whined.
Then he sneezed.
“Uh huh.” Hugo rolled his eyes.
“It’s just a cold or something, I can live.” the shorter boy argued.
“You can rest.” His boyfriend corrected, approaching him with the spoon.
Varian leaned back.
Hugo brought the spoon up to his lips.
Varian pushed it back.
“Quit it, babe.”
“No.”
Hugo lifted the spoon again, slightly more firm.
Varian knocked it out of his hands, syrup spilling on the sheets.
“Oh for- are you kidding me, Goggles? Just take the medicine!”
“Not until you admit I’m not sick and don’t need to take medicine.”
“There is no point in doing that.” Hugo hissed. “Wha- come back!”
Varian had already jumped out of bed and sprinted across the room to the door, jumping off the walls.
“I’M NOT SICK!!” He heard a congested voice scream from halfway across the corridor.
Hugo groaned and dragged a hand down his face.
“This man…”
~~~~
Hugo sprinted down the hall, trying to figure out where Varian went, or rather- trying to figure out where the series of coughing was coming from.
He was still new to this whole “lush life,” living in a castle where every room is different from the last. It was like trying to navigate a maze!
Varian had the upper hand in this situation, knowing the castle much better than him, but nothing- nothing- was stopping Hugo from finding his boyfriend and force-feeding him his medicine.
~~~~
Fifteen minutes into the chase, Hugo was already out of breath.
Why is he so goddamn fast?
Rapunzel turned the corner, tiara sitting on her head, seemingly looking for something.
“Oh-!” She exclaimed when she saw the blonde. “Hugo! Do you know where Varian is? I need him to fix the water tanks, the girls were messing with them.”
Hugo sighed. “He’s sick, and won’t take his medecine.”
Rapunzel gasped as if he had just told her the throne room was on fire.
“Where is he?”
“…loose.”
“Oh sun.”
“I know.”
They agree to look for him together. The two search the West Wing and find:
A pile of books knocked over
A basket of apples stolen from
And a sneeze echoing from somewhere above them.
Rapunzel looks up, and shrieks when she sees Varian hanging from the chandelier like a bat.
“Varian- get down from there!”
Varian only giggles, swings back down and takes off again.
“Hugo… this is more than a two-person job.” She sighed.
“Yeah, no kidding.”
~~~~
Hugo had dealt with a stubborn Varian before. He’s dealt with dramatic Varian, Overworked Varian, Sleep-deprived Varian, “I swear I’m fine” Varian.
But this?
Sick-feral-menace-on-crack Varian?
This was a whole new species.
And right then that species was somewhere in the castle, unmedicated and causing chaos.
Hugo and the Princess found Eugene and Lance playing fence in the courtyard as they were sprinting after Varian.
“Woah, woah, Sunshine, what’s up?” Eugene caught his wife as she tripped on the concrete
“Var- Varian’s sick.” She said, breathless.
“And…?”
“And we need him to take medicine but he’s so slippery!” Hugo explained.
“Yeah, sounds about right.” Lance joined in. “Can we help?”
~~~~
How Hugo ended up spending two hours with three insufferable optimists looking for a fever-high alchemist, he didn’t know.
For him, this was completely unhinged.
For the others, this was just a normal Tuesday.
Varian kept sliding away, throwing stuff at them- some harmless, others very much the opposite (the guy tried to pick up a piano).
This was exhausting, and they were running out of energy.
“Buddy!” Eugene yelled into the castle. “You can’t escape illness!”
“No, but I can escape treatment!” A voice came from somewhere below them.
“What’s going on?” A voice came from behind, making them all scream.
Catalina and her sister Angry rolled their eyes.
“It’s just us, you idiots. What’s happening?”
“We’re trying to track down Varian.” Lance panted.
“Cool!” The red head grinned. “Can we help!”
“Yes. Please. We need it.”
~~~~
“You guys have been doing it all wrong!” Angry exclaimed.
“You need a plan.” Her sister stressed.
“A good plan.”
Hugo rolled his eyes.
“Right. Do elaborate.”
“Here’s what we’re going to do.” Angry motioned for them to huddle up. “We corner him in the West Wing, no windows, no vents, no escape.”
Catalina nodded.
“Lance, you make sure Varian can’t run from the right, Eugene takes the left, Angry, Raps and I will stand as backup, and Hugo-“ She jabbed a finger in his direction- “will lure him into the trap.”
“…are you sure this is going to work?” Eugene sounded incredulous.
The girls nodded, deadly serious.
“He’s sick and fever-high. He’ll walk into any trap.”
~~~~
Hugo stood awkwardly in a corner of the West Wing, holding a plate of ham sandwiches and cookies, waiting for Varian to show up.
He did.
Cheeks flushed, hair frizzy and heaving through his mouth, he looked a mess. But Hugo had to admit it was cute.
“Are those- cookies?”
“Yes.” Hugo nodded, holding out the plate.
“And… sandwiches?”
“With two slices of ham and butter on one side. All for you, if you’ll take them.” Hugo spoke carefully, not wanting to overstep.
Varian seemed to consider running, but decided the food was more worthwhile.
Immediately, the other five closed in on him, advancing slowly.
“Varian, sweetie… Don’t run…” Rapunzel took a few slow steps forward.
Varian turned towards her.
Blinked.
And then smiled.
Not a cute smile.
Not even close.
A full-on, wide, feverish smile that made him look like a crazy mad scientist, and made everyone else take multiple steps back.
“Babe…” Hugo said gently.
He threw something.
A small spherical ball.
Hugo braced himself.
FLASH- BOOM-
It exploded on impact, sending them all flying in different directions.
“Oh, come on!” Hugo yelled in frustration.
Everyone was coughing and stumbling, trying to catch their breaths.
By the time the smoke cleared, Varian was gone.
Everyone started talking over the top of each other at once.
“HE TELEPORTED-“
“HE RAN, DOOFUS-“
“WHERE IS HE-“
Screeeech!
A loud, piercing sound made them all cover their ears.
“Hello, Corona.” Varian’s voice boomed. What is wrong with him!? “I would like to confirm-“ he violently coughed into the microphone, cause Hugo’s entire body to vibrate- “that I am not sick. At all. I’m fine.”
Rapunzel facepalmed.
“Oh, not again.”
Not again?!
Varian wasn’t done.
“Take that, Beanpole! MWAHAHAHAHA- cough cough cough cough cough- HAHAHAHAHHA-“
“Oh my God.” Catalina stifled a laugh.
They followed the sound.
Down the hall.
Around the corner.
Up the stairs.
Past the tapestry Varian had leapt off of.
Through the corridor Varian had sneezed in.
Until finally, they made it back to Hugo and Varian’s room.
The door cracked open-
And there was Varian.
Sitting on the bed, holding onto a microphone, giggling into it.
He pointed at them as they entered the room.
“BEHOLD!” He croaked. “I HAVE WON THE BATTLE.”
He sneezed directly into the microphone.
The feedback nearly gave everyone a heart attack.
Hugo stomped forward, grabbing Varian’s face and holding the spoon up against his lips.
Varian kept them stubbornly pressed together.
Hugo loved Varian, he really did, but by the sun he couldn’t do this.
“Nope-“ he threw the spoon onto the bed. “Nuh uh, I’m done.” He turned to the others. “Somebody else feed him, I’m out.”
Varian smiled happily. “Well I guess that means I don’t have to take-“
Rapunzel swooped in and gently grabbed his face. Squishing his cheek a in a way that forced his mouth open. She poured the syrup inside.
“There.” She said, wiping her dress and the others gaped at her in shock. “That wasn’t so bad, was it?”
Varian swallowed.
“OH ARE YOU ACTUALLY KIDDING ME-“
Varigo Week Day Four: Too little, too late.
uhh can we ignore how im an entire day late (heh…)
@varigoweek2026 IM SORRY
Hugo knew something was wrong the moment he tasted petals on his tongue.
The others lazed around the caravan, Nuru and Yong playing cards at the table while Varian sat hunched over his workspace- the usual. Nobody looked up when Hugo coughed once- and spat a pale yellow carnation petal onto his palm, staring at it in disbelief. He looked around, searching for something to make sense of it. There was no pollen in the air, and no flowers to be seen. He was sure he hadn’t somehow swallowed a flower- that would be stupid.
He coughed again, slightly louder, this time coughing up three petals. The same petals. What?
“You okay, Hugh?” Varian asked, not looking up, engrossed in his work, but subtly showing his care. It was something he loved about Varian- woah. Not loved- liked. He liked how Varian always looked out for him- for all of them.
Hugo sighed, dragging a hand down his face.
“Yeah, I’m good, don’t worry about it.” Hugo brushed himself off and stood up, slipping the petals into his pocket. “I just gotta check something.”
~~~~
Hugo sat outside the caravan with a few books on plants, skimming through the pages, looking for an answer as to why he started coughing up flowers, still believing there was a logical explanation. Occasionally petals scattered across the books, but he brushed them away impatiently.
“This is so stupid,” He mumbled, “Its probably nothing-”
Then he saw it.
A word.
Hanahaki.
He paused and took a closer look, his body stilling.
The rare Hanahaki disease is a magical affliction in which flowers grow in the lungs and chest cavity of a person suffering from unrequited or suppressed romantic love.
Hugo’s stomach dropped. That couldn’t be-
It causes the affected to cough up petals, blossoms, stems and eventually thorns as the disease progresses.
If the love remains unreturned or unspoken, the floral growth will become invasive- obstructing breathing until the victim suffocates.
The disease is not always fatal, however, and can be healed if:
the beloved returning the feelings,
or the afflicted having their feelings magically removed (at the cost of losing all memories of the beloved).
If all else fails, death will occur.
Surely this couldn’t be it.
Hugo scanned the page desperately, eyes landing on the list of symptoms. Surely, surely this wasn’t it. He probably had swallowed something weird!
Symptoms can include:
Coughing of petals (early stage)
Tightness in the chest
Bleeding (middle to late stage)
Petal symbolism aligning with the situation of relationship
Hugo didn’t want to read the rest.
No.
No way.
He did not have the Hanahaki disease.
It was just a cough.
~~~~
It was not just a cough.
Hugo had managed to keep the flowers hidden from the rest of the group, concealing his increasingly frequent coughing as best he could. He couldn’t tell anybody about this. How would he explain?
Hi Varian, I’ve been throwing up flowers because I’m madly in love with you!
That was out of the question for sure.
In his free time he poured over books, frantically scouring for an easier way to cure the disease.
Nothing.
Yellow carnations symbolise fear of disappointment and rejection, capturing the sorrow of the victim.
Every new piece of information fit right into place.
Hugo hated it.
He pressed a hand to his chest and it hurt- not bad, but enough to make him aware of every breath he took.
He thought of Varian, the reason he was in this mess. Every day he spent around the blue eyed boy made it harder to accept that he was going to have to betray him in the end. Every day made it harder to move on.
Thinking of the ravenette made Hugo’s chest blossom with something warm.
But the pain blossomed with it.
~~~~
“Are you sure you’re okay, Hugo? You’ve been coughing for the past month.” Nuru nudged Hugo as they navigated a desolate village.
Hugo smiled down at her, ignoring the dull pains in his chest.
“I’m fine, Stardust, really.”
“Hmm.” She hummed. “Well, if you say so.”
Hugo’s smile faltered as she walked ahead of him.
~~~~
The disease didn’t progress steadily.
It progressed a little further every time he fell a little more in love with Varian.
Every lingering brush of his hand by the fire.
Every soft smile from across the room.
It was so painful.
Hugo escaped into the woods, barely out of sight before throwing up dazzling pink cyclamen flowers, slightly sticky.
Cyclamen flowers symbolise the fear of losing their beloved.
He felt sick and dizzy, watching the petals pour out of his mouth-
“Hugo?” A voice called- Varian. “Are you there?”
Hugo quickly wiped his face clean with his sleeve, hiding the petals and blood by kicking the leaves on the ground.
“Y-yeah, Goggles.” He called. “I’m right here.” He plastered a smirk on his face as Varian came bursting through the trees
“Oh-” He breathed, exhaling heavily. “Hugo, we’ve been looking for you everywhere!” He paused, taking in Hugo’s posture, leaning into the trees. “Are you sick?”
“No-! Uh, I’m not sick, Freckles.” Hugo flashed a grin, hoping Varian would let it slide.
“Hugo,” Varian grabbed his arm, dragging him back to the campsite. “You were just throwing up. You’re sick.”
“Who’s sick?” Yong asked from a log.
“Hugo.” Varian led him to the caravan. “I’m going to treat him.”
~~~~
Hugo was confined to his bed, coughing into his pillow, pink petals scattering everywhere.
He did whatever he could to hide them, shoving them under his bed and into his pillowcase.
Nobody has to know.
The weeks went by, and Hugo found his illness getting increasingly worse.
As they got closer to their final destination- Corona, where the last trial would be held, Hugo’s flowers changed yet again.
“Ha hah!” Yong laughed. “Two more trials and we get to the library!”
Hugo’s heart clenched.
“I’ll finally find the way to save my kingdom.” Nuru sighed happily.
“And I’ll meet my mother!” Varian grinned, looking genuinely excited. “What will you do, Hugo?”
Hugo flinched. “Uh-” I’m going to betray you all. “I don’t know..”
“You’re going to be the smartest in all the kingdoms!” Yong exclaimed, running up to him. “I mean- minus Varian.”
“Thank you, Yong.”
Watching them all interact made his heart coil into an icy knot, ice wrapping around his insides. Pain shot through his chest, throbbing relentlessly through his throat, forcing upwards fiercely. He could feel it coming.
“I-I need to go.” He choked out, running outside, leaving the others confused behind him.
He only barely made it to the woods before violently throwing up blood-soaked purple Hyacinth flowers, bitter-tasting and dripping red.
Purple Hyacinth flowers represent deep sorrow, regret and a plea for forgiveness.
I’m sorry, Varian.
I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I’m sorry.
~~~~
The feeling of suffocation signifies the nearing of death
Black roses represent despair and death, meaning your demise is approaching.
Hugo couldn’t stand it anymore.
He was headed straight into the hands of death.
As his breath shortened, he grabbed his quill and scribbled a note- a note to Donella.
Asking for help. Any help.
She had suffered from the Hanahaki Disease too.
She was going to save him, free him.
He ran away into the forest, away from unrequited feelings, away from them, away from varian, yet ran closer, closer, too close to the chokehold of unavoidable death, but he was going to be free! Free from the crushing weight that was his infinite love for the alchemist, free from the flowers, stained in his blood, free free free!
Flowers tore up his throat. Tore.
He looked down, holding back a scream as his hand disappeared under a pool of deep red blood.
A deep red pool of blood, scattered with the black petals of roses.
No.
No no no no-
This couldn’t be happening, Donella was going to save him! He was going to be alright! He wasn’t going to die- he just needed to get to the lake. He just needed to get to the lake and send the letter.
He was- he was going to be ok-
The thought was interrupted by a more violent cough than before, one that climbed up his throat, and ripped at his insides, then he screamed, a scream from the heart, a scream because yes, he loved Varian! Yes, he was a coward who didn’t want to admit his feelings! Yes, he should’ve done something earlier! And now he was going to die. He was going to die without even having been able to show Varian just how deep-rooted his love for him was. He was going to fall over, be swallowed by the very ground he was on right now, when all he wanted was to love. Love. If love was this painful, Hugo didn’t want to know love anymore.
Maybe he should just accept his fate and die.
He dropped to his knees by the lake, blood streaming from his mouth, thorns and black roses flowing out.
He could feel himself slipping away, his eyes drooping, it was getting harder to stay upright.
He fell onto both hands, gasping for air and the roses continued to fall, and blood stained the water in front of him, hacking and crying, throat being torn apart.
He thought of Varian.
He thought of his laugh.
His eyes.
His smile.
His trust.
He never got to say goodbye.
The warmth in his chest flared, bringing up more thorns.
He coughed again, weaker this time.
More petals spilled out.
More blood.
His arms gave out
He slid forward into the lake.
The cold hid him like a shock. His limbs felt heavy and distant.
It felt as if he watched from afar as the water around his swirled red and the world dimmed at the edges.
He sank.
Black petals drifted around him like fallen stars.
~~~~
“Hugo!” Varian’s shout tore through the woods. “Hugo, where are you!?”
He ran across the grass, boots slipping but sheer panic holding him up.
“Hugo!” He reached the lake just as Hugo’s body slipped underwater.
“No-nonono no- HUGO!”
He dove into the freezing water without hesitation, plunging into the lake that was turning red.
He grabbed Hugo’s arms and pulled him over, cold stealing his breath but he didn’t care. He hauled Hugo’s limp frame back to shore, with frantic strength.
He gasped as he pulled them both up, collapsing on the bank. Hugo’s body was still, eyes closed, with blood streaming out of his mouth.
“Hugo- Hugo please-“ Varian begged, running his hand through Hugo’s hair, “this isn’t funny- open your eyes.”
He cupped the blonde boy’s face, tears streaming down his face.
He pressed his forehead against Hugo’s.
He didn’t move.
“Wake up- wake up please.” Varian whispered, pulling Hugo close. “I’m here, I’m here now, don’t leave me-”
His voice cracked.
“I- I love you.”
The words tore out of him like a prayer and a scream and a wish all at once.
But the lake stayed still.
The air stayed cold.
Varian sobbed, hugging Hugo’s body tight, brushing through his hair.
“I love you, I love you, I love you, Hugo.”
His shuddering gasps echoed across the lake as the alchemist pulled his love impossibly closer, as if holding on would anchor them both.
A single black rose floated to the surface.
It was too late.
Dance to the Rhythm
Varigo week day three: Dance
@varigoweek2026
(I’m so sorry I had no idea what I was doing 🙏🙏 don’t hate me)
Drip.
Drip.
Drip.
Maker, how Varian wanted to scream into his mother’s journal. He put his quill down with unnecessary force, and hissed when it rolled off the table.
“Hugo, put a bucket under that leak.” He told the blonde theif, who was lounging on his bunk.
“Goggles, we don’t have any more buckets.” Varian looked up, seeing he was right. The caravan was scattered with metal tins and containers, catching every drop of water from the leaks that had appeared on the ceiling of their caravan when it had started raining. It had been three hours of nonstop dripping and everybody was hanging onto their last nerve.
“Guys, look!” Yong exclaimed from the window, breaking the uncomfortable silence. “There’s a house over there, with a light inside!”
“Hmm,” Nuru joined Yong, “we could go and ask for shelter from whoever’s inside!” She looked expectantly at Varian, who shrugged
“Why not?” It wasn’t like he would rather be stuck in the caravan.
“Okay, hold up.” Hugo held up his hands. “We can’t just go walking into a random house that just conveniently happened to be here! Doesn’t that seem a little- I don’t know- weird?”
Everybody looked at Hugo like he was crazy.
“Oh come on, Hugh, it can’t hurt to ask.” Nuru rolled her eyes. “You’re overthinking again.”
“Whatever,” Hugo shoved passed the princess to the doorway, pulling on a raincoat. “I’m going to walk ahead and check if there’s anything strange around. You guys can go inside the haunted house.”
And with that he left the caravan.
~~~~
The three made their way through the rain, trudging through the mud to get to the house.
Once they finally made it, Varian knocked politely and paused, hearing a shuffle behind the door. He knocked again before tentatively pushing open the door..
In front of them was a crackling fireplace, with three men sitting in front of it. Two were big and buff, muscular frames contrasting to the more lean man in the middle. As the heart washed over the three- a stark contrast to the freezing cold outside- the two larger men snapped their heads towards them.
Growling, they got up and advanced towards the teenagers, cracking their knuckles. Varian pushed the younger two behind him and held out his staff, bracing himself.
“Stand down, boys.” The lean man said from the fireplace, smooth and lazy. Instead of turning to look at them, he turned a dagger in his fingers slowly, eventually turning away from the hearth- revealing dark, asymmetrical hair and deep brown eyes. He stood up and smiled warmly, tucking his dagger into his belt. Varian made a quick mental note. “Sorry about them, this storms got everyone on edge, huh?” The man stopped in front of Varian and held out a hand. “I’m Kaelen.”
Varian took it, and Kaelen held his hand for perhaps longer that necessary, staring him up and down, something akin to hunger on his face.
“Ah, hah-“ Varian laughed awkwardly, rubbing his hands together, “uhm, my friends and I are really hungry, do you think we could-“
“Oh! Of course!” Kaelen waved them inside. “Come sit by the fire, we have plenty of food to share..”
~~~~
Ten minutes later. Team Radical- minus Hugo- sat in front of the fire with Kaelen and his cronies, the storm still raging on outside.
With the tension at ease. Kaelen played the ultimate attentive host, offering food, drink and warm clothing.
Nuru, fully relaxed, leaned over to Varian.
“Honestly,” she grinned, nudging his shoulder, “we should just leave Hugo out there. This Kaelen guy is the perfect-“ she cut herself off and faltered under the destructive glare Varian sent her way. “Sorry, just kidding.” She mumbled.
Kaelen, who had been happily chatting with Yong, paused and raised an eyebrow.
“Hugo, you said?” He looked down at Varian sweetly. “Who exactly is he?”
Varian rolled his eyes, an involuntary smile tugging at his lips. “Heh, well Hugo is an annoying thief Yong and I picked up on our journey. He’s whiny and arrogant and drives me absolutely crazy.” Varian explained, exasperated but clearly fond. “But honestly? He can be kind when he wants to be. And smart. And funny. And-“
SLAM!
The door crashed open, swinging to reveal Hugo standing in the doorway, soaked through, hair plastered through his forehead, and with a bitter expression on his face. He opened his mouth- likely to slander them for picking a creepy house- but the words died in his throat.
He froze. He glanced from his friends, sitting comfortably, to the man sitting right next to Varian.
The colour drained from his face so fast he looked like a Victorian child- his hands- usually so precise- shook slightly at his sides.
“K- Kay?” He whispered. “What are you doing here?”
Kaelen smiled. As if he had been expecting this. “Hello, Sparky.” He smiled.
~~~~
For a single, agonising moment, the room was completely silent.
And then Hugo’s demeanour entirely flipped. The panic dissipated from his eyes and was replaced by something more… sharp.
“Hmm,” Hugo purred, his voice dropping low. “Look at what the storm dragged in. Last time I checked, you were hacking Ingvarr’s top district security systems. What happened? Did you get demoted or just miss my face?”
Kaelen chuckled, pushing off the floor to meet Hugo. They were almost the same height, with Hugo about an inch shorter. “Oh, please. As if I could forget your face.” The man tilted his head. “You’re looking good, Hugo. A little damp, but it’s a good look.”
“Flattery can get you anywhere, darling,” Hugo leaned in close. “And I see your taste in muscle hasn’t changed.” He glanced at the beefy men in the corners. “Still choosing guys that look like they could swallow a concrete brick to protect your sorry ass?”
“They do the job.” Kaelen’s smile flickered.
“Okay, what’s going on?” Varian whispered, feeling like a member of the crowd watching a particularly heated ice hockey game.
“Well, I doubt we’re going to find out anytime soon.” Nuru whispered back.
Kaelen moved forward until he was right up in Hugo’s personal space, and Hugo didn’t back down. “They do the job… unlike some people who tend to lag behind when the security system gets hot.”
Hugo scoffed. “Is that what we’re calling it now? Lagging behind?” A dull flush was beginning to form at the blonde’s neck.”Funny, because when we broke into other vaults, you thought I went too fast. Begged me to slow down, even. Said I was too quick with my hands.”
Nuru covered Yong’s ears.
“That’s because I knew how… loud you got when the system overloaded.” He smirked. “I missed that little tongue of yours.
“Get in line, babe.” Hugo quipped, composure slipping slightly. “Everybody misses me when I’m gone.”
“You talk a big game, Sparky. But we both know you love it when somebody else takes control of the system.”
Hugo flushed, hands twitching. “I only let people take control of the machinery when they know what they’re doing, Kaelen. And last time I checked, you were a little clumsy under the hood.”
“Well, Sparky, you always got soft after the heavy work. That’s why you failed that district heist. You started second-guessing our plan because you were worried about some factory workers.
The words echoed through Hugo’s head, ringing in his ears.
Hugo’s smirk, the one that had effortlessly remained on his face, finally dropped, twisting into a snarl.
“I didn’t fail that heist.” The blonde said quietly, head down.
“You were dead weight and you know it.” Kaelen spat.
“I was saving us from getting vaporised!” Hugo yelled. “We were partners! I trusted you! I loved you, you absolute psycho!"
“Look where that got you!” Kaelen yelled back, matching volume instantly. “Wandering around the woods with dirty farmer boys and a medieval princess! Is this your “crew,” Hugo!? Do your stupid little friends even know the real you?”
He locked his brown eyes onto Hugo’s green.
“Do they know you spent three years on your knees for me!?”
The final string of Hugo’s control snapped.
With a raw, animalistic snarl he launched himself onto the taller man, sending them both crashing into the ground.
Nuru and Yong yelped and Varian covered his mouth with a silent scream- he wanted to help, to get Hugo out of this situation- but Hugo scrambled over the top of Kaelen, pinning him down. He grabbed his collar, knuckles white through his gloves, his breathing was ragged and sharp.
He raised a fist, preparing to absolutely obliterate the man’s face- and Kaelen didn’t move to block him.
Instead, he lay there under Hugo’s unwavering grip, a soft smile replacing the predatory one. He looked up at Hugo, eyes softening in a way that used to mean safety. Now it triggered danger bells in Hugo’s brain.
“You’re beautiful.” He murmured, voice dropping into a smooth register. “Maker, Sparky, I missed looking at you.”
Hugo’s face twisted through all five stages of grief before settling into pure, unfiltered revulsion. The sheer audacity.
With a scream of rage, Hugo slammed his fist down into his jaw with everything he had, Kaelen’s body tensing as he spat out blood, a viscous glare quickly forming.
“Boss!” The meatheads raised their fists to jump Hugo from behind-
“No!” Varian snapped, instincts roaring as he threw his alchemy balls at them, thick purple substance gluing them to the floor.
Meanwhile, Hugo and Kaelen wrestled on the floor, blood flying everywhere, kicking scratching, punching anywhere they could reach.
“You- left- me- for- dead-!” Hugo screeched. “You left me alone to die in that vault!” He rolled up, towering over Kaelen, and pulled out his gun- pointing the tip straight at the man’s chest, breathing shakily.
Kaelen, who had seen firsthand what Hugo could do with a gun, froze, slowly raising his hands. It wasn't pretty.
Once again, everything went eerily quiet, save for the heaving of breath.
“Hugo!” Varian begged. “Stop, please stop.”
Hugo seemed to snap out of whatever trance he was in and realised what he was holding. He dropped the gun in pure shame and backed away.
“I-I’m sorry, I didn’t-“ he stuttered, heading straight for the door and running off into the rain.
“Hugo, wait!” Varian yelled after him. “Nuru, take care of this freak-“ he gestured at Kaelen- “while I look for Hugo.”
The princess nodded.
~~~~
It took Varian a long while to catch up to Hugo, who walked straight onward, ignoring Varian’s cries.
“Hugo, come on, you need to-“
“No.”
“We can-“
“I don’t care about it.”
“Didn’t seem that way back in the cabin.”
“I’m not going to talk about it, okay?!” Hugo whipped around. “I don’t want to talk about it..”
Varian smiled, taking Hugo’s hand.
His brisk walk came to an abrupt stop, Hugo freezing instantly. Varian’s hand wrapped gently around his fingers, providing a comforting warmth.
“We don’t have to talk about it, Hugh.”
Hugo laughed softly, shaking his head. “Life is a dangerous dance, Goggles. I learnt that the hard way. You can know all the steps by heart- and still find ways to mess up. I messed up, Varian…” he choked.
Varian rubbed into his hand, understanding. Hugo had grown up on the streets, living the life of a thief, fighting to live. It must have felt almost routine- just steps in a dance he had been learning his whole life. Kaelen messed that all up, getting into his head.
“I let him get to me-“ Hugo admitted, the crushing wait of shame washing over him. “I let him know he could still get into my head. I got so worked up- oh Maker- Varian, I almost killed him!”
Varian didn’t hesitate, raising their intertwined hands to eye level, as if to remind Hugo he was still holding on.
“Hugo,” he murmured, “maybe you don’t need to know all the steps by heart. Maybe you need to learn to dance to the rhythm.”
The profound simplicity of his words hit Hugo harder than Kaelen’s ever could. He didn’t have to perform, he didn’t have to keep up with a flawless, untouchable routine anymore. He didn’t need to prove he wasn’t dead weight.
He had found his rhythm in Varian. In Yong, even in Nuru. He had spent so long fighting for himself, trying to calculate every next step. But he realised the choreography had already changed. He found his rhythm in Nuru’s sharp loyalty. In Yong’s unwavering faith, and in Varian unconditional love. He had found it right here, Varian's hands in his.
And he could dance to this rhythm for the rest of his life.
Cooking is a scam (according to Hugo)
Day two of Varigo Week: Burn
Here I am. Standing in the middle of a burning kitchen. Clothes singed. Hair singed. Face- probably also singed. Getting lectured as a grown man by my boyfriend. Actually it’s more screaming than lecturing. Wow.
How did I get in this situation, you ask?
Well, it started simple.
There I was, hopeful, determined. Standing in front of a frying pan. Sleeves rolled up, hair tied back, I was committed.
To what?
Oh, you see. In this relationship, Varian- my loving boyfriend- is the designated cook. I don’t know who decided that but it’s an unspoken rule now. Every meal we have together is cooked by Varian himself.
Now, Goggles went and got a big head, and said that he didn’t think I could cook anything without burning everything I touched. He was right. Of course, I couldn’t let that slide, so I told him I would prove him wrong. Big mistake.
Anyways, I had decided I was going to make porridge. Because, please, its pretty much just wet grain. It’s something you can make by just staring at the pot! I’d seen the cooks do it multiple times, so it should be easy. Easy as stealing candy from a baby. Wait- why do people say that? Stealing candy from a baby is actually so hard. Maybe it’s a sign.
I started a fire in the hearth, which was simple enough, and then set a pot over it. So far, so good.
Then I went to work beating up the wheat and barley. Okay, maybe I beat it a little too hard because once I poured it in, the pot started simmering.
And then, I tried putting some eggs in, to thicken the mixture, and that’s when the trouble started.
Why are eggs kept in those stupid boxes? They’re flimsy and ineffective and suck at holding eggs. I say this because the moment I brought the eggs out, the box flipped and all the eggs went crashing down.
Great.
I gritted my teeth and gave up on the egg idea. Instead I moved to poke the fire with a stick.
Poke.
Poke.
I was getting impatient, because this porridge was taking forever to thicken. I could’ve been doing much better things, such as pissing off Fitzherbert, instead of wasting my time watching barley become sludge.
Wanting to spice things up, I dug around in the drawers until I found what I thought was the spice drawer.
Key word: thought.
I grabbed a bottle of what looked like Vanilla extract, and poured it into the porridge.
Before I say what happens next, I need to clarify something.
What I thought was Vanilla Extract was not Vanilla Extract.
It was oil.
Freaking oil.
And now I’m sure you can guess what happens.
It exploded.
The entire hearth burst into flames and I jumped back, panicking.
The fire started spreading and suddenly my sleeves felt warm. Too warm.
I looked down.
They were on fire too.
Yeah, that would do it.
I grabbed the first alchemy ball from my pocket and threw it onto the flaming kitchen floor, which burst into bubbles and dissolved, getting rid of the fire.
If only it could’ve gotten rid of the damage too.
“HUGO?!” Varian screeched from the doorway. “WHAT ARE YOU DOING?”
“V! I- uhh…”
“WHAT THE HELL?”
~~~~
I guess the takeaway from this experience, the lesson, the moral of the story is:
Always label your spices.
Please.
________________________________________________________________
okay this one was actually stupid
@varigoweek2026
Upon this we swear
Day one of Varigo Week: "I promise"
This is based off of Wish Dragon because yes.
Eight year old Varian giggled as the brown-haired boy came rushing over to him.
“Varian! Varian! Look what I made!” Hugo eagerly held up a kite, his emerald eyes shimmering with pride. His large, gold-rimmed glasses were sliding off his face. “I made it myself! Y’wanna fly it?”
Varian giggled. “Yeah!” Hugo was his best friend. Ever since the boy had sat next to Varian during a hallway detention, and bonded over a shared love of science, the two had been attached at the hip.
They made their way up to the roof of Varian’s home, talking all the way.
“Do you know, kites work because of aerodynamical liftification!”
Varian snorted. “That’s not a word, Hugh, you’re so silly.”
“Basically,” Hugo continued, unfazed by this interruption, “the wind goes whoosh and the kite goes whoosh, but up!”
“Woah.” Varian looked up at the only slightly taller boy with a buck-toothed grin. “That’s so cool!”
The boys climbed onto the flat roof, where Varian’s mother was hanging clothes out to dry.
“Boys,” Ulla smiled warmly, her auburn hair swaying in the breeze- which was perfect for kite-flying, “whatever you’re doing, be careful.”
“You got it, Mom!” Varian shouted as the ran past her, to the edge of the roof.
“Ready?” Hugo adjusted his glasses and steadied his grip on the string of the kite.
“Ready.” Varian grabbed on too. “Three… two… one!”
They pushed the kite off the edge and held on to the string with all their might.
The kite sank down… down… down…
“Oh…” Hugo sighed, letting go.
“Wait!” The kite rose up again, with a strong gust of wind. It unfolded to reveal the intricate design of a dragon, hands and claws springing out, horns emerging from the head.
They stared triumphantly at the kite… before it started pulling them along-!
“WOAHH-” Varian squealed as they went tumbling onto the roof of the next house, running to keep up with the kite, jumping over baskets and dodging clothing lines, wind whipping their hair, tiles breaking under their bare feet.
They skidded to a stop, stumbling over onto the concrete as the kite flew away, its red patterns blending into the morning sky.
Hugo was the one who laughed first, it started as a snort. And then a chuckle. and suddenly he and Varian were laying on the concrete, wrapped up in string and laughing until tears sprang into their eyes.
“Let’s make a promise.” The ravenette said, sitting up and holding out his pinky. “To be best friends forever.”
“Friends forever.” Hugo agreed, intertwining their fingers.
“Year by year.” The two chanted. “Upon this we will always swear.”
~~~~
Time passed, and the duo grew ever closer, spending their days throwing rocks at each others’ windows, making shadow-stories with their fingers in the torchlight, chasing each other relentlessly throughout the village. They had formed themselves a reputation, the two young, inseparable boys, waltzing through the years. There never was a day they were seen without each other.
At least, not until…
“Hugh, I’m so sorry.” A thirteen year old Varian stood in front of his best friend, trying not to cry. Hugo looked devastated.
“Wh- but, where are you going?” His locks had softened over the years from a deep brown into a flaxen, hair long enough now to tie back into a ponytail.
Varian’s father, Quirin, stood waiting at the door of a sleek black car. Varian looked back at him, then turned back to the boy.
“Goodbye, Hugo.” He whispered, touching Hugo’s pinky before being led into the car by his father.
Hugo watched as the car drove away, Varian’s warm touch a ghost on his skin.
“You promised, V.” He breathed. “You promised.”
~~~~
Credits to @varigoweek2026!!!!
Right in the feels damn it was still adorable 💚💙
Aww thankssss!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
(this is my first time contributing so uhm uhm-)
Upon this we swear
Day one of Varigo Week: "I promise"
This is based off of Wish Dragon because yes.
Eight year old Varian giggled as the brown-haired boy came rushing over to him.
“Varian! Varian! Look what I made!” Hugo eagerly held up a kite, his emerald eyes shimmering with pride. His large, gold-rimmed glasses were sliding off his face. “I made it myself! Y’wanna fly it?”
Varian giggled. “Yeah!” Hugo was his best friend. Ever since the boy had sat next to Varian during a hallway detention, and bonded over a shared love of science, the two had been attached at the hip.
They made their way up to the roof of Varian’s home, talking all the way.
“Do you know, kites work because of aerodynamical liftification!”
Varian snorted. “That’s not a word, Hugh, you’re so silly.”
“Basically,” Hugo continued, unfazed by this interruption, “the wind goes whoosh and the kite goes whoosh, but up!”
“Woah.” Varian looked up at the only slightly taller boy with a buck-toothed grin. “That’s so cool!”
The boys climbed onto the flat roof, where Varian’s mother was hanging clothes out to dry.
“Boys,” Ulla smiled warmly, her auburn hair swaying in the breeze- which was perfect for kite-flying, “whatever you’re doing, be careful.”
“You got it, Mom!” Varian shouted as the ran past her, to the edge of the roof.
“Ready?” Hugo adjusted his glasses and steadied his grip on the string of the kite.
“Ready.” Varian grabbed on too. “Three… two… one!”
They pushed the kite off the edge and held on to the string with all their might.
The kite sank down… down… down…
“Oh…” Hugo sighed, letting go.
“Wait!” The kite rose up again, with a strong gust of wind. It unfolded to reveal the intricate design of a dragon, hands and claws springing out, horns emerging from the head.
They stared triumphantly at the kite… before it started pulling them along-!
“WOAHH-” Varian squealed as they went tumbling onto the roof of the next house, running to keep up with the kite, jumping over baskets and dodging clothing lines, wind whipping their hair, tiles breaking under their bare feet.
They skidded to a stop, stumbling over onto the concrete as the kite flew away, its red patterns blending into the morning sky.
Hugo was the one who laughed first, it started as a snort. And then a chuckle. and suddenly he and Varian were laying on the concrete, wrapped up in string and laughing until tears sprang into their eyes.
“Let’s make a promise.” The ravenette said, sitting up and holding out his pinky. “To be best friends forever.”
“Friends forever.” Hugo agreed, intertwining their fingers.
“Year by year.” The two chanted. “Upon this we will always swear.”
~~~~
Time passed, and the duo grew ever closer, spending their days throwing rocks at each others’ windows, making shadow-stories with their fingers in the torchlight, chasing each other relentlessly throughout the village. They had formed themselves a reputation, the two young, inseparable boys, waltzing through the years. There never was a day they were seen without each other.
At least, not until…
“Hugh, I’m so sorry.” A thirteen year old Varian stood in front of his best friend, trying not to cry. Hugo looked devastated.
“Wh- but, where are you going?” His locks had softened over the years from a deep brown into a flaxen, hair long enough now to tie back into a ponytail.
Varian’s father, Quirin, stood waiting at the door of a sleek black car. Varian looked back at him, then turned back to the boy.
“Goodbye, Hugo.” He whispered, touching Hugo’s pinky before being led into the car by his father.
Hugo watched as the car drove away, Varian’s warm touch a ghost on his skin.
“You promised, V.” He breathed. “You promised.”
~~~~
Credits to @varigoweek2026!!!!
Guys Hear Me Out - Varigo IRL Edition
What would their pets be irl?
OKAY OKAY OKAY.
So I've been thinking bout this for a VERY long time, and I think that Ruddiger would be a black cat - yk, the type who sleeps on your head and meows REALLY loudly if you forget to feed him. And I think Olivia would be the sweetest golden retriever in exsistence💖💖💖
What do y'all think?
