Chapter Text
Valentine's Day is such a stupid holiday.
Thought Hunter.
A day where for the next 24 hours, the Isles would be covered in nothing more than sappy, sticky-sweet couples loudly displaying their love for the world to see, with impermanent flowers and cheap, chalky candy and chocolates.
Great .
Trading in his snails, he exchanged them for a bag of Eda the owl lady's weekly groceries which he has the utmost honour of being the delivery boy for. Bidding the trader farewell with a silent wave he turned to make his exit back to the owl house on his palisman until he was stopped in his tracks.
"Oh I almost forgot to say! We have a discount on pulvis astra flowers for Valentine's Day! Great for oracle related spells and to give to your special someone!" The overly, joyful witch chippered up with an almost commercial-like attitude, as they held up a bouquet of deep-purple flowers, shimmering with it's golden pollen that spread all across the surface area of the petals like glitter.
The yellow eye in the middle of it blinked lazily.
"I don't need these. I don't like Valentine's Day." Hunter rolled his eyes. This was- what the sixth time he had yet another sappy deal thrown his way.
"Oh shame." At that the witch immediately dropped their smile, allowing Hunter to go by his day with nothing more than a scoff.
It's not that Hunter hated love, like Luz would like to tease him for. Infact, whether he liked it or not. He was stuck in it's spell.
Deep in it's binds.
It's just he hated the commercialization of it. The tacky banners. The signs. The decor.
He couldn't see who it appealed to.
Top it off with the fact that basically everyone in the Isles was happier than him in their romantic pursuits and you had a recipe for Hunter's least favourite holiday.
He groaned, why couldn't he just be left in peace?
Having to overcome the five stages of grief over his feelings for a pretty boy was bad enough, but now he was being suffocated with every witches mockery, as they skipped through town hand-in-hand with their lovers.
Swinging the grocery bags over the stick end, he dismounted his staff home.
_
"I'm back!" The door swung open, as Hunter kicked it with his boot.
"Oww! Have some respect for your elders. Geez!" Hooty assisted him with his bags of groceries, taking them to the kitchen, after scolding him for being so rough with what was part of his body.
"Welcome back." Eda was laid on the couch. "And don't kick Hooty."
"Sorry. I kinda forget he's...well, the house." Hunter let his palisman free from it's staff form. Allowing the red bird to fly freely, as it decided to move to rest in Eda's volumed mass of grey hair.
Making itself a quite comfortable nest to no protest of hers.
"Where's Luz?"
"Their out with boots, it's Valentine's Day you know." Eda put her head back, picking up a magazine from the coffee table and reading it as her painted toenails dried, spaced out by red toe spreaders as she put her feet up.
'10 tips to make your partner swoon'
Eda had no interest in taking romance lessons from a flimsy binding of colorful papers, but she would admit, it was quite fun to see what absurd things other witches believed they needed to have a successful relationship.
He let out a groan. "How can I not know when it's been plastered everywhere I can see? I can't go out into the markets without hearing 50 advertisements for 'Valentines this' and 'Valentines that'!" He put up his arms in exaggeration.
She chuckled, flipping the page.
'1: Buy them flowers often'
Now that definitely wasn't necessary, goodness knows that would be inciting war to do so with her own Raine Storm. Considering the intensity of their pollen allergies. Leaving the poor witch sniffling and puffy eyed, sneeze after sneeze.
"Sounds like someones a real Valentine's Day Scrooge. Lighten up a bit, kid. People just want some time with their loved ones."
"The least they could do is not shove it in my face." Huffing, he collapsed onto the forest-green sofa chair. Sinking down with a bitter look.
'2: Make time for them, No matter how busy you are'
She made a face, halfway through the sentence and the writer had completely killed the message.
Sure making time for your partner was vital for a functioning relationship, but to act like someone could just put aside such important duties for another was absurd.
Raine themselves was a busy witch, the duties of a high bard were seemingly endless. And she understood that.
"Pfff- no need to be so bitter, kid." She snickered at him.
"Whatever." He grumbled. "I thought at least you would understand."
"Oh no no, I get where your coming from 'Mr I'm the only single witch in the house', I was just like you when I was a teenager-"
"We get it, you're old."
"Anddddd as I was saying, Valentine's day isn't just about the marketing and capitalism. It has a different meaning to different people. Me and Raine storm celebrate it cus that was our tradition as teenagers." Placing the magazine down on her lap, she sat up removing the toe separators from her feet, turning to face Hunter.
"Hooty and Me celebrate it because for a good while we only had each other." She held up a bright pink card which was resting on the cluttered coffee table, decorated with a red heart and a familiar bird tube, reading 'Happy Valentines Times Day From Your Pal Hooty!'
"And whether you believe it or not, we love eachother even if it's not romantic. Hell, even King and I celebrate it! I'm still waiting for this year's macaroni art."
"Alright, just rub in how everyone loves you."
Eda sighed. "You didn't listen to a word I said, did you? Titan, you're stubborn."
"Hey!"
"But I get it's harder to understand when you have no one to celebrate with. Hey! Why don't you ask that Blight boy out for dinner tonight, so you can stop whining about how single you are?" Grinning, she gave him a mischievous look.
"What?! I can't do that! Besides, he's probably already got a date-" Infront of his face was his own scroll, which Eda was holding. Displayed was a pending call to Edric. "EDA! HOW DID YOU GET MY SCROLL?! WHY DID YOU CALL HIM-"
"Hellooo?"
"Oh hey Ed!" Hastily grabbing the phone away from the long, manicured yellow nails of the trouble-making old owl, he placed his ear to the receptor. Bright red, he scowled at Eda who chuckled back.
"Sup dude! What's up?" Cheerfully, Edric replied. Clearly joyed by Hunter giving him his well-deserved attention.
It had been only recently since Hunter had gotten himself a scroll, after Luz persistently pestered him to get one. It seemed pointless at first, but who's to say it didn't have benefits?
Despite him never being the one to call Edric first, he loved hearing his voice through the speaker, as he rambled about anything and everything.
"Oh nothing, nothing. My palisman stepped on my scroll and it called you haha." With an awkward tone, he falsified a lie from thin ear.
Both Eda and the little, red bird in her hair gave him a disapproving look.
"Oh! It's cool though, I was gonna call you anyways."
"Y-you were?"
"Yeah! I don't have any plans for Valentine's Day, so I was wondering if you'd like to come with me to a new restaurant that opened up across town?"
"YEAH! I-I'd love to." He cringed after hearing how loudly enthusiastic that 'yeah' was.
Not cool at all.
"Great! It's a date! I'll pick you up at 7! Bye!"
Beep .
Scroll in hand, Hunter stood there. Face red.
"Don't say I never did anything for ya'."
With a cocky grin, she walked off to the kitchen to find herself a snack.