Quirin sighed and rubbed his forehead to try to ease the migraine that had been building up for the past few days. His head was pounding away like a drum, or like one of Varian's inventions. Everything was far too loud, which was annoying enough on a regular day, but made even worse after the disaster that had been Varian's water heater failure.
The explosions around Old Corona and the angry complaints of the citizens had sounded like roaring in Quirin's ears, and by the time he could finally make his way home he felt like he was going to be sick. It was still fairly early in the evening. Quirin would normally spend the next few hours making dinner and keeping an eye on Varian, who wasn't allowed to be in his lab after dark.
Varian put himself, and the entire village, in enough danger as it was. Quirin didn't need fatigue and darkness to increase the risk of something going wrong. And if the worst happened, Quirin would rather it be in the middle of the day so he could quickly step in before Varian really hurt himself, or he could evacuate the inhabitants of Old Corona, if the disaster was wide-spread enough like it had been that day.
And, though Quirin hated to admit it, he was starting to drift from his son. He knew he was too harsh with the boy, but he had a lot of responsibilities to take care of, and balancing them all was just getting harder and harder, and Quirin sometimes let his impatience get the better of him. He hoped that by setting aside time every night to just be with his son that they could keep things from getting any worse between them.
It worked to a certain extent, but Quirin's pounding headaches weren't making things easy. All too often Varian's failed experiments would trigger a migraine, and by the time Quirin was done cleaning up the mess he was in no state to spend meaningful time with his son. Between Quirin's exhaustion, the sharp pains in his head that made it hard to think, and the nausea he felt after a day like this all he could bring himself to do was climb into bed and hope that his head felt better in the morning.
Quirin knew this wasn't helping his relationship with Varian, and he regretted it. He frequently scolded his son immediately after his alchemic or engineering failures, but he rarely got around to the softer part of the discussion about what had happened.
Quirin really wanted to talk to Varian, who had looked so disappointed and hurt when he'd last seen him, but he could barely focus enough to walk back to his house. Any discussion he wanted to have with Varian would have to wait until tomorrow. And this time, Quirin swore, it would happen. No more putting it off until something like this happened again.
When Quirin finally got home the sun had just set and darkness was starting to fall, and yet their manor was still dark. There were no lights or candles that he could see. Quirin sighed. He knew that this could only mean that Varian was still in his lab. Even if the boy had turned in early he would have left a candle out to meet Quirin when he came home. The only reason why he wouldn't have done it was if Varian hadn't left his lab since he'd retreated there.
Unless, of course, Varian had run off to find himself a new sanctuary, but Quirin hoped that wasn't the case. His head felt like it was doing its very best to kill him, and Quirin didn't want to stay up all night to look for his son. He would, of course, without hesitation, but he didn't want to.
For what must have been the first time in his life Quirin was relieved when he found his son in his lab, mixing together those chemicals of his. Varian looked far from happy, but at least he looked better than he had before. Quirin was so relieved that he didn't immediately bring up the raccoon that was curled up on his son's lap. Oh, he would be sure to have words with his son about it, but he didn't want to tackle more than one problem at a time.
Quirin waited until Varian had set down the chemicals in his hand and reached for something else. After accidentally spooking Varian once, causing the boy's hands to slip and add too much of a particular chemical, making his mixture explode in his face, Quirin had learned to not bother his son while he was working. He had been responsible for Varian getting badly burned once, he didn't want to do it again.
"Varian," Quirin said once he thought it was safe. Sure enough Varian jumped so much that he disturbed the sleeping raccoon. The boy turned to face him.
"D-dad." Varian picked up the startled raccoon and stood up. "Hey. What, uh, what are you doing here?"
It was obvious that Varian was nervous. What Quirin didn't know was whether the boy was nervous because he was hiding something else that would be potentially dangerous, or if he was really shaken by Quirin's mere presence. He didn't know which one he was more afraid of.
"It's dark out." Quirin said simply. "You know the rules."
"Oh," Varian shifted uncomfortably. "Sorry, I just didn't notice, I guess."
"Come on," Quirin gestured to the exit. Varian sighed, but he set down the raccoon and put the stoppers on his beakers and tubes. He wasn't working on anything that was time-sensitive. Quirin figured that his son wasn't experimenting as he was just trying to relieve stress and pass time.
"Okay, dad." Varian said quietly before he perked up. "I was just trying to figure out the scientific properties of the princess' hair. She says it's magic, but I don't-"
"Please, stop." Quirin held a hand out to his son and brought the other to his head. He felt a twist of guilt in his gut at the crestfallen look on Varian's face, which didn't sooth his nausea. "You know I love your enthusiasm, but can you just...just stop?"
"O-oh." Varian's voice shook slightly with uncertainty, and the pain in his eyes was still there, but there was also a look of understanding. "Is it your head again?"
Quirin started to nod before he thought better of it. "Yes."
Varian was quiet for a moment. "Do you want me to get the solution I made?" His voice was soft, though Quirin didn't know if it was because he was uncertain or because he was trying to be considerate of his situation.
Quirin only hesitated for a moment before answering. "Yes." One of Varian's very first alchemy experiments had been something that would help sooth Quirin's headaches. He'd made countless remedies, some of which had nasty side effects, or didn't work very well, but for the most part they helped more than they hindered, and beggars couldn't exactly be choosers.
Varian brightened. "Okay, I'll go get it. I'll meet you upstairs." Varian knelt next to the raccoon and stroked its fur. "Keep an eye on my dad for me, will you buddy?" The raccoon chattered and nodded, which just confused Quirren. Where had this creature come from, what was it doing here, and why was Varian treating it like the family dog?
Once Varian had left the lab the raccoon turned towards Quirin. It scurried to him and nudged his leg like a cat that wanted to be pet. Quirin sighed and knelt so he could grab the animal. It wouldn't do to leave the raccoon to mess with all of the fragile chemicals and tools that Varian kept in his lab.
He started making his way upstairs, but paused slightly when he felt something on the raccoon's leg. It felt like a piece of paper had been tied to him. "Did you have a run in with a cruel child?" Quirin tried to pull it off, but it was tied on really well. He would need both hands and a little more light to work with.
"Hang on," Quirin sighed. He went upstairs to find that Varian had already lit some of the lamps. He had put some covers on the lamps to dim the brightness, which Quirin appreciated. He sat on his chair in the main room and set the raccoon on his lap. He didn't want to be as domestic with the animal as Varian had been, but he wasn't going to just let an animal go around with something tied to its leg.
The raccoon sat perfectly still as Quirin untied the paper from its foot. When it was free it chirped appreciatively and leaned against him. Quirin gave the raccoon a small smile and stroked its fur. He supposed he could wait a few minutes before setting the creature outside.
Quirin moved to set the note aside but he caught a glimpse of what it said, which made him freeze. He pulled the note fragment closer to the light so he could read it better. There was just one familiar word on it, written in very familiar handwriting. His own.
"Hector." Quirin said breathlessly. He looked at the raccoon, which was watching him curiously. "Did...did my brother send you?" Hector held up his note. The raccoon perked up and nodded eagerly. Quirin leaned back against the chair, his breath getting caught in his throat. After all these years of reaching out to his brother, trying to stay connected with him, this was the first response he'd gotten.
Why now? And, perhaps more importantly, why like this?
"Dad," Varian came running down the stairs carrying a box with a dozen different small vials in it. "Okay, what are your symptoms this time?" Varian set the box down and started to sift through the vials.
"Nausea, irritability, and a harsh pounding in my head." Quirin said.
"Is the pain sharp or dull?" Varian asked. "And does your neck hurt, or your arm feel numb?"
"Dull, no, and no." Quirin said. He grimaced and rubbed his forehead in a vain attempt to sooth the pain. The raccoon chirped sadly and jumped onto the back of the chair. It nuzzled against Quirin's head.
"Ruddiger, get down." Varian said. He held two vials in his hands. He looked from one to the other before he decided on one. He returned the other to the box.
"Ruddiger?" Quirin frowned. "You named the raccoon."
"Heh, yeah." Varian said sheepishly. He handed the chosen vial to Quirin. The boy then picked up the raccoon and pulled him away from his dad. "I-I know we can't keep him, but he just kept showing up and I got tired of just calling him pest." Varian pet the raccoon's fur. "He's really determined to stick around."
Quirin hummed to himself as he swallowed the contents of the vial. It tasted bitter and made his throat burn. He was curious about how his son made these remedies of his, but he didn't dare ask.
Quirin clenched his hand around the scrap of paper with his brother's name on it. If Hector really had sent this raccoon, he had done so for a reason. And if Ruddiger was anything like Hector's other animals it wouldn't abandon whatever job it had been given.
Quirin had never wanted any pets, especially one that was a wild animal, but he couldn't just send away the first sign of communication from his brother in twenty five years. Besides, Varian looked so content and comfortable with the raccoon. Quirin couldn't remember the last time his son had felt comfortable and safe around anybody. He was always so awkward around people.
Perhaps Varian was one of those people who felt more comfortable around animals than other humans, like Hector was.
Quirin remembered when he'd first met Hector. The boy had been wild, completely out of control, and he had been quick to snap at anybody for the smallest little thing. Hector would come up with any excuse he could think of to not work with or help Adira and Quirin, even though they were supposed to be working together.
Hector only warmed up to them when Quirin and Adira had agreed to help him save a baby rhino from a travelling circus. The rescue had almost resulted in them getting enslaved themselves, and the then Prince Edmund had been absolutely furious with them, but after that day Hector had decided that Quirin and Adira were worthy to be his brother and sister.
They'd been inseparable after that, until the incident with the moonstone. Now Quirin hadn't seen or heard from his brother for a quarter of a century, and he only ever caught a glimpse of Adira every few years or so. It hurt that things were like this when they used to be so close, but there was nothing Quirin could do about it. He had a son to think about. He couldn't get involved with the moonstone and sundrop any more than he already had.
Quirin had let his relationship with his siblings fall apart, he wasn't about to let the same thing happen with his son. Even if it meant allowing Varian to keep a wild animal as a pet.
"If the raccoon wants to stay, he can." Quirin said. Varian looked at him in shock, and Quirin himself could barely believe the words coming out of his mouth. "I don't want to see it ruining anybody else's crops though. And if you're going to have it in your lab I expect you to teach it some basic safety rules." Maybe it was ridiculous to expect a raccoon to learn rules like that, but Quirin could tell that it had a higher than average intelligence. The raccoon seemed to understand what was happening around it.
"O-of course." Varian said. There was a spark of hope and rare joy in his eyes, and just from seeing that look Quirin knew that he wouldn't be backing out on this. That happy look was becoming increasingly more rare as Varian got older and their relationship became more strained. Quirin would do anything to keep that look in Varian's eyes.
"Have you eaten anything this afternoon?" Quirin asked. His head was still hurting, but it was a little less harsh than before and the nausea had gone down. He felt like he could stay up a little later and make sure his son was okay.
"Yeah," Varian grinned and pet the raccoon. "Ruddiger kept on bringing me apples and nuts. He wouldn't stop bugging me until I ate them."
It wasn't nearly as much sustenance as the boy needed, but it was more than he would have had if he'd been left on his own. Quirin gave the raccoon an approving look. "I'm liking you more and more with every passing minute."
Ruddiger had kept Varian company and possibly kept him from spiraling after the failure of his invention. It had made sure that Varian ate something, and it brought word of Hector. Granted, it was just a single word, but it was more than Quirin had thought he would ever get. Perhaps allowing his son to have this companion would turn out better than he thought it would.
Varian gave a little snort of a laugh and cuddled slightly with Ruddiger, which chirped happily and nuzzled against him. "Thanks, da-ow!" Varian flinched when Ruddiger grabbed onto his hair stripe and pulled on it. "No, no, Ruddiger, stop it."
"Take it from me, little one, that stripe isn't going anywhere." Quirin said. They'd tried to trim and dye it, but the teal stripe was stubborn. The best that they could do was have Varian grow out his bangs so the stripe didn't stand out so much. Varian said that he liked the longer hair, which Quirin was fine with, except it always got in the way of his alchemy and experiments.
Quirin had lost track of the number of times that Varian's hair had caught on fire or gotten caught in his machines, and he was sure that there were even more instances that he didn't know about. Fortunately Varian hadn't gotten too hurt yet, but Quirin knew that it was only a matter of time.
Quirin turned the hair tie and paper over in his fingers. When they were younger, just after Hector had opened himself up to them, Adira had braided his wild hair a little bit, just enough to keep his hair out of his face. As far as Quirin was aware Hector still wore his hair that way.
"Here," Quirin reached for a nearby chair and pulled it closer to his seat. He gestured for Varian to sit down. "We're going to try something new."
Varian looked curious, but he did as he was told. He sat very still as Quirin leaned forward and started to braid Varian's bangs just like he used to for Hector. The boy waited patiently as Quirin worked, only occasionally grimacing when he accidentally pulled on his hair a little too harshly. After a few minutes Quirin took the hair tie to keep the braid in place.
"How's that?" Quirin asked. Varian frowned thoughtfully and poked at his braid like it was a new specimen for him to examine. "Do you think that will help keep your hair out of your face?"
"Yeah." Varian grinned. "I think so." Varian had been trying to find ways to keep his hair away from his experiments. It was too short to just pull back and expect it to stay there. He'd tried headbands, but they always got tangled up with his goggles. Quirin hoped that this method would be a little more successful.
"How's it look?" Varian asked.
Quirin felt a pang in his chest. Between the braid the raccoon on his shoulders, and the excited gleam in his eyes Quirin could almost pretend that he was looking at a younger version of his brother. Varian was a lot different than Hector, but it was undeniable that there were similarities as well, which Quirin didn't fully understand. How could his son resemble an uncle that he wasn't related to by blood and had never met?
"You look great, kid." Quirin said. Ruddiger chirped and nodded in agreement.
"This should really help." Varian said. "Thanks, dad."
Quirin grinned and ruffled his son's hair like he used to when he was really young. "No problem. Now, I'm going to turn in early. Don't go back to your lab, and make sure to find some proper dinner."
"Yeah, okay." Varian said. He frowned slightly and seemed to have something on his mind. Quirin sighed.
"What's on your mind?" Quirin asked.
"I, uh, about today-" Varian grimaced. He looked like he was really bothered by what had happened, and Quirin knew that he really wanted to talk about it and make things right, but he didn't know if he was ready for that particular conversation. Quirin felt a little better than before, good enough to spend some quiet time with his son, but not nearly well enough to be able to address the incident.
"Not tonight, Varian." Quirin said tiredly. He tried to ignore the way his son flinched and hunched his shoulders slightly. He didn't want to let Varian down, but he knew that if he let this discussion happen now his pain would get the better of him, he would lose his temper, and Varian would just get hurt.
Still, he didn't like to see his son disappointed. "How about tomorrow you help me fix things up and we'll talk about it then, okay?"
Varian gave him a shaky smile that didn't quite reach his eyes. "Y-yeah, we can do that."
"I'll see you in the morning." Quirin would put his hand on Varian's shoulder, but the raccoon was still sitting there. Instead he scratched behind Ruddiger's ears and gave Varian as gentle a look as he could manage.
"Night, dad." Varrian muttered.
"Goodnight." Quirin said. He made his way to the stairs, though as he left he heard Varian whisper to Ruddiger, who chirped comfortingly. Quirin felt bad, but at least his son wasn't completely left alone. Hopefully this raccoon would be good for him.
And who knew, maybe Quirin would get lucky and Varian would start to be more careful in his experiments now that he had a small animal to worry about.
A/N: I love Quirin as a character (one of my favorite character tropes are dads who care about their kids but aren't very good at showing it). It was kinda a spur of the moment decision to give him migraines, but it just feels right, somehow.