Gold to Lead

Varian: Ruddiger is a valued asset of my team.

Eugene: How does a raccoon help you in any way?

I wanted to focus on the relationship between Varian and Andrew, so here we have a few screenshots with my analysis added to them.

(Part 1 of 2)

First we have these two. When Andrew and Varian are looking down at Rapunzel and her friends, obviously hurt by the explosion and fall, Varian is obviously feeling guilty- and Andrew sees it, too.

He elbows Varian lightly and tells him he did well, calling him “kid” in a way that he was definitely trying to portray as affectionate towards Varian. Then, he calls Varian to follow him and set his mind back to alchemy, almost as if he’s trying to distract Varian before he can realize what he’s done.

Next, there’s this.

We can tell Andrew is a bit impatient with Varian, but he still makes it a point to call Varian “buddy”. Again, he’s trying to establish a bond to make Varian easier to use. Unlike the Sapporians, who share his views, Varian is working with them because while their goals are different, they can mutually benefit one another. This makes Varian something of a wild card- what happens when Varian decides the Sapporians have gone too far, or that their morality doesn’t align with his own? The alchemist is useful to him, so I imagine Andrew wants to give Varian a more personal reason to stay.

At this point, Varian is explaining to Rapunzel that he’s beyond help, and that this is the ONLY way left for him. Andrew and the other Sapporians look so smug- Varian can’t see, since his back is turned, but Andrew seems to me to be bragging to Rapunzel.

At this point, Andrew steps into Varian’s space and picks him up, pretty easily and not in a “friendly” or “affectionate” way like the other times he’s elbowed or otherwise touched Varian.

This time, it felt more to me like a display of strength. He was about to break it to Varian that their deal was broken and wanted Varian to remember who has the power here.

When Varian gets in his face at first, we can see how annoyed Andrew is with him. He doesn’t see Varian as a threat at all.

But then, he puts on the facade of a caring friend again. He’s very gentle when he takes Varian’s finger out of his face and even kneels down to be at eye level with him. Again, we see the pattern of Andrew elbowing Varian and smiling, as if they’re close friends sharing a joke. It’s a way to make the situation seem less messed up and to remind Varian “Hey, kid, I’ve been taking care of you.”

The next red flag for me is the way Andrew responds when Varian tosses the bathbomb at them, especially compared to the other Sapporians.

Everyone looks angry. Well, everyone except Andrew, who’s smirking. He knows Varian’s biggest fear is probably being abandoned again, so when he drops Varian like a sack of potatoes the moment he rebels against them for wanting to literally destroy Corona, a switch flips. Andrew isn’t pretending to be nice to him anymore. Andrew wants Varian to be hurt and regret what he did.

Varian: Rapunzel, how do I get revenge on those who’ve wronged me?

Rapunzel: Well, the best revenge is living life and letting go-

Can we all take a moment to appreciate that Varian literally DREW ON FACIAL HAIR WITH A MARKER?

Look at this baby!

When I first started watching I guessed that it was fake, which only made it better when I found out I was right.

Anyway, you can expect some headcanons and oneshots about his time with Andrew and the others coming up soon.

Hey everyone! I’m doing a literate discord RP for Tangled on Discord.

If you’re interested, send me a message! Currently taken: Varian, Cassandra, Rapunzel

Wanted: Lance, Eugene, Adira,

Alchemy had always been the center of Varian’s life- an art long surrounded by misconceptions, stereotypes and incorrect assumptions. Among this misinformation was the idea that alchemists worked to turn lead into gold.

No- what most people didn’t realize, Varian mused as he listened to water dripping onto the floor of his cell, was that the opposite was easier.

He knew from his own experience- to find redemption was harder than to find yourself spiraling into evil..

Maybe Varian had once been gold- silver, perhaps, or at least copper. Maybe, once, he had been something valuable.

Not anymore. He’d turned to lead in a heartbeat- the fading heartbeat of his father.

The cold reality of it had struck Varian long after his failed attempt to save his father, long after he’d grown accustomed to his cell.

There was no way he had survived. The man would have suffocated to death by now, if not starved. He was long dead before Varian had even gotten to Corona’s palace to beg Rapunzel for help she refused him.

His death could not be reversed. His father’s cold corpse could not be turned back to gold- for all the amazing things he could do with alchemy, bringing back the dead was not among them.

If his father got no more gold, why should Varian? Why should he bother with everyone’s attempts to redeem him, to save him- and from what?

Himself. His stupid, lead self, his self that could never become gold again.

The young alchemist scoffed bitterly.

Lead to gold...