Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

The official Healing Ward is packed with recovering warriors and witches from the Day of Unity. Healing tents needed to be set-up to accommodate the immense demand after the war. Some of the tents were nicer than others and designated for former followers of the Emperor's Coven. While some tents were designated for war criminals. 

It is in one of these tents that we find Raine sitting pensively at Hunter’s bedside.

Raine replaces the damp cloth on Hunter's forehead, while Flapjack rests atop Hunter's chest that steadily rises and falls. Although Hunter is finally in a quiet and comfortable environment, his fever has yet to break.

Flapjack hops from Hunter's chest to Raine's hand when a healer pushes back the tarp to enter the tent. They don't acknowledge Raine and immediately enclose Hunter in a healing circle that floats down from Hunter's head to his feet. Raine awaits eagerly to see if the healing treatment has a significant effect. The healer finally addresses Raine, "It'll take a few more treatments, so you should relax." The healer makes some notes on a chart and turns to exit, "I'll be back to check on your son on my next shift."

Raine isn't sure if they should correct them as Hunter isn’t officially Raine’s son yet, but the healer has left by the time they have a coherent thought. 

Flapjack takes this opportunity to jump back onto Hunter's chest.

Raine rubs their knees awkwardly unsure of what to do while they wait.

And then they have an idea.

Raine places some birdseed on Hunter's chest for Flapjack to nibble on and they exit the tent briefly to gather two thin branches of palistrom wood with the Bat Queen's permission. They grab a small knife, and sit back down on the uncomfortable folding chair beside Hunter’s bed and begin to whittle.

After thirty minutes or so, Raine hears a commotion of kids outside their tent. “Hey you guys! I think this is it!” Raine hears a young boy shout before they see the canvas being moved to the side. 

“Oh! Hi! We’re here to visit Hunter. Is this his tent?” Gus asks Raine who has risen from their chair. 

“Uh, yes. May I ask who you all are?” 

“We heard Hunter was recovering in one of these healing tents and we wanted to pay him a visit. We’re his friends.”

“I’m Willow.”

“Gus here!”

“I’m Skara!”

“Viney at your service!”

Raine is a bit shocked by this news as they were unaware Hunter had made friends around his age while Raine was mentally absent for the past month. But they are grateful that the awkward teen was able to make friends outside the castle.

“Friends…” Raine says aloud and smiles. “It’s nice to meet you. Hunter…I’m sorry to inform you that he’s still unconscious at the moment.”

Raine sits back down on their chair and the kids crowd around Hunter’s bed. Hunter remains pale and sweaty with a clear respiratory mask covering his face.

“I’m surprised you found us…there are so many tents,” Raine says.

“There's a board that has a list of categories for the tents. After we chose the right category, someone was able to direct us to this tent to find Hunter. I guess since Eda checked him in, we’re in the war criminal category of tents,” says Willow. 

“Oh…I see. I guess that’s why we got a private tent separated from everyone else,” Raine muses aloud. 

“Do you mind if I try a healing spell?” Viney asks gesturing towards Hunter. 

“Uhh, I don’t know. The healer already applied a healing spell…”

Viney politely ignores Raine’s comments and waves her finger to levitate a healing circle around Raine from head to toe to heal most of their cuts and bruises, “There! Now you’re only scarred emotionally!” 

Raine smiles crookedly at the dark humor. Viney feels a bit awkward about the joke, so to relieve the pressure in the tent from the untimely joke, she walks over to Raine and taps the rim of their cracked glasses and repairs them. “There, good as new!” 

“Oh, thank you,” Raine says as they inspect their lenses. “Viney is the most talented healer at Hexside!” Skara happily explains to Raine.

Viney walks around to the opposite side of Hunter’s bed and promptly encircles Hunter in a healing circle and swipes a circle from his torso to his head and a separate circle from his torso to his feet. Raine is surprised to see the majority of Hunter’s scrapes healed and a bit of color return to his skin, “That’s incredible.”

“Thanks. The healers on the battlefield have been working non-stop so it’s understandable that they are a bit drained.”

Viney removes the damp cloth from Hunter’s head and places it in a bucket on the floor “He won’t need that anymore.” Raine exhales a sigh of relief knowing Hunter hopefully feels better after the healing treatments.

Raine makes note of some of the kids’ appearances now that they have relaxed a little, “I see you’re a bard track student.” 

“That’s right! My instrument is the harp. Pleasure to meet yah, coven head.” Raine smiles and shakes Skara’s offered hand. “It’s nice to meet a promising bard student like yourself. Of course, coven tracks aren’t everything. What are your other interests?” Gus interjects to gloat about Skara, “She’s one of the best sports students at our school! She plays grudgby and flyer derby!” 

“Flyer derby! Wow, I haven’t heard about that in ages. We didn’t have a flyer derby team when I was a student at Hexside.” Skara pulls Willow over by her shoulder, “And this is Captain Park of the Emerald Entrails of Hexside!” 

Willow waves her hand, “Hello!” 

Raine’s eyes widen, “You’re a Park? Are you Gilbert and Harvey’s daughter?” 

Willow’s eyes widen, “Yup! They’re my dads!” Willow says smiling proudly. 

“Amazing! I was one of their references when they were looking into surrogate parenting. I’ve been so busy with work that I haven’t seen them in quite a while. I’m glad to see it all worked out for them.” 

Raine turns their head and takes a closer look at Gus, “And I hope you don’t mind me asking, but are you Perry Porter’s son?” 

“I am! Is it that easy to tell?” 

“It is! Add some glasses and you're the spitting image of young Perry Porter.” Gus laughs and rubs the back of his neck bashfully. 

Suddenly, the kids’ crow phones start ringing at the same time.

“Yes, dad? Yeah, I’ll be home in a little bit. I was just checking on my friend in the healing ward. Okay, sigh, I’m heading home now. See you soon.”

“Your parents telling you to go home too?” Skara asks the others.

“Yeeaaahhh…” they answer in unison. 

Raine smiles, “It is getting a little late. Thank you kids for visiting Hunter. I’ll let him know you stopped by when he wakes up.”

“Thanks!” they shout. Viney puts an enchanted healing bracelet on Hunter’s wrist before she, Skara, and Gus exit.

Willow stalls a little and stands beside Raine's chair.

Raine continues to whittle. 

“What are you making?” 

“A new set of drumsticks for Hunter.” 

"I didn't know Hunter could play the drums.."

"Oh yes, he's full of surprises."

"You've got that right,” Willow says quietly. “I was surprised when he revealed himself to be the Golden Guard after we played a game of flyer derby."

Raine is surprised by this news and stops whittling momentarily to look up at Willow, "He played with y’all?"

"Yup! I mean, he did capture us after the game..." Willow says as she brings her finger to her mouth in thought. 

Raine covers their face with their hand in embarrassment.

Noticing this, Willow clarifies, "But he protected us from the head of the abomination coven and let us go!" Willow smiles abashedly. 

Raine is relieved, "Oh, good...that's the Hunter I know."

"Yeah. Hunter is a good guy. And he's a goofy guy on penstagram."

Raine is surprised at Hunter's development in their absence, "He has a penstagram now?"

"Yeah. I'm sure you can find him on there. His handle is rulerzreachf4n." Willow pulls out her scroll and allows Raine to view Hunter's history and their messages to Willow.

"Heh heh, you're famous on penstagram, Flapjack." The cardinal confirms this with a proud "Chirp!"

Raine is glad that Hunter made some friends and that he wasn't alone while they were undercover and "under mind-control."

“What’s 'rulersreach' and why is he a fan of it?” Raine asks.

“It looks like Hunter is a fan of the book Ruler’s Reach. It was a book that was really popular last month,” Willow informs them.

“Oh, neat. I’ll have to check it out.” 

Raine continues to scroll through the penstagram history. “Y’all seem to exchange quite a few messages. Are you two dating perhaps?” Raine asks with a smile. Willow turns bright red and grips the front flowing fabric of her shirt, “Oh, no! We’re just friends and teammates!” 

“Oh, I see,” Raine’s smile fades slightly but they still have a gentle expression, “Sorry to embarrass you. Don’t mind me. Us old people assume too much about you kids.”

“Thank you for showing me his penstagram…um…What’s your name again?” they ask as they hand her scroll back.

“I’m Willow,” she says as she takes back her scroll. 

“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Willow. And thank you for befriending Hunter.”

Willow frantically waves her hands, “No thanks needed really! Caleb is a valued member of our Flyer Derby team after all.”

Raine smiles, mildly confused, “...Caleb?”

“Yeah! When he first introduced himself, he said his name was Caleb.”

“Huh…Caleb…It’s a nice name.”

“I thought so too.” 

They turn their heads to look wearily back at the still sleeping Hunter. “Oh!” Willow looks to her side excitedly at Raine, “and he named our Flyer Derby team too!”

“Really? What’s the team name again?” 

“The Emerald Entrails!” 

“Oh, that’s a cool name,” Raine says looking up at Willow.

“Yup! 'Emerald' because our team color is green and…” Willow pauses to glance at Hunter, “and 'Entrails' because there’s more to us than you think.” 

Raine’s eyes glisten at this heartwarming news. Raine can’t think of anything to say besides a quiet “Yeah…you all are pretty amazing kids. Hunter included.”

Willow notices the change in expression on Raine’s face into one of concern. Willow conjures a single chamomile flower in her hand and hands it to Raine, “They’ll pull through. He’s tougher than he looks.” 

Raine exhales a breath they were unaware they were holding in, “Thank you, Willow,” and accepts the flower. 

Willow turns to head home. Eda enters the tent and pats Willow’s shoulder, and the pair exchange worried glances as she exits. 

Raine doesn’t notice Eda enter the tent and continues to stare at the flower and spin it in-between their fingers. 

Raine blushes slightly when Eda leans over their back and hugs them from behind, “You took off your vest?” Eda asks, unsure what to say. 

“It was a little suffocating,” they whisper.

Eda reaches forward and clasps her hands around Raine’s tenderly. Eda takes the flower they had been twirling nervously and puts it behind Raine’s ear.

Eda leans forward again to clasp Raine’s hands in hers and steady their shaking hands.

Chapter Text

The healers have been working through the night in shifts and the sun rises over the conglomerate camp of healing tents.

Luz holds the tent flap open, so Amity can enter the tent despite having to walk with crutches, since her right leg is in a cast covered in healing sigils. 

"Hey Raine," Luz says, "How's it going?"

"It's...going, I guess..." Raine responds from their seat beside Hunter’s bed. Their voice trailing off listlessly.

Eda enters from the other side of the tent with food for Raine and herself. "Hey, kid! If I had known you were stopping by, I would've picked up some grub for you too," Eda says as she holds out a bowl full of actual grubs much to Luz's disgust. "No worries, Eda. Thanks," she says as she swallows a warm glob of saliva, "We stopped by to bring you the change of clothes you ordered."

"Perfect! Thanks kids! We were really starting to smell."

Luz hands Eda her favorite light purple long sleeve shirt and long light blue skirt that she typically rests in at home, and trousers and a short sleeve hoodie for Raine that Eda had in her closet of human clothes that she acquired before the portal went down. 

Luz and Amity sit down on a small bench on the opposite side of Hunter’s bed, "Thanks for letting us go back to Bonesborough to shower and pack a few travel items. The Owl House was a bit shaken up but everything was mostly intact.  King stayed to tidy up a little and Hooty is there too to protect it from opportunist looters."

Amity rummages through her bag for some Boiling Isle vegetable sticks that her and Luz can share, "Our house looked like a tornado went through it, but nothing of significance was damaged."

"Here, batata" she says as she hands Luz something similar to a celery stick. "Aww, thanks, hermosa" and kisses Amity's cheek before chomping on the fibrous vegetable. 

“Any sign that he’ll wake up soon?” Amity asks Raine.

Raine quietly holds out their hands and clasps them together in an uncertain gesture, “The healers haven’t given much information so far, but his condition has improved since yesterday.”

“I’m not surprised he still needs rest though. His body is recovering physically, mentally, spiritually…he was in the belly of the beast for so long…” Raine explains.  

“And it was an intense battle. Especially in those final moments. I can’t believe we made it through. With how reckless you were being Luz…” Amity looks into her girlfriend’s eyes, “Aw, come on, you know I always choose the chaotic route,” Luz says with a smile.

Raine listens quietly as Luz and Amity recount moments from the battle. "And you’re one to talk!” Luz says with a light laugh, “You freaked me out when you jumped off the rib bone to catch me!" 

“If only I were more cat-like, I wouldn’t have hurt my leg so much when I landed on my feet.” Luz laughs and holds her girlfriend’s hand, "Ironically, your leg just can't catch a break. And you broke it protecting me...again." Amity gently taps Luz's cheek with her free hand, "Luz, I would break every bone in my body to protect you." Luz blushes a deep red at her girlfriend's dedication. “Oh geez, I have the best girlfriend in the whole universe!” and punctuates her compliment with a kiss to Amity’s cheek.

Raine can’t help but smile at the pair’s conversation and looks down at the floor. 

Eda chimes in, “And once we get home, you’re grounded for one week Luz.” 

“Wha-?” 

“You disobeyed me when I said not to confront Belos without me being there to back you up.” 

“But Hunter was fighting him all alone! I had to help!” 

“And what was that light glyph combo you used that burned your hands?!”

“Oh! That one was inspired from the Human Realm. I call it the Kamehameha Wave!”

“Call it whatever you want, that was dangerous. You’re lucky Lilith had the forethought to bring bandages. And you gave me a heart attack when Belos levitated you off that bone cliff!”

“I’m sorry. Everything just happened so fast. Belos wasn't holding back either.”

“At least his plan didn’t succeed,” adds Amity.

“Yeah,” says Luz with a sad smile, “but the homeworld portal that Belos made was destroyed in that final fall of the Titan. I’m glad he couldn’t use it, but…that also means I can’t use it to go home.” 

Amity grips Luz’s hand, “Now that we know how it’s constructed, it should be easier to replicate this time around. We’ll help you build another one.”

Luz returns the hand squeeze, “Yeah…” 

Amity and Luz start packing up their bags again and inform Eda and Raine of their departure, “Willow and Gus are meeting up with us soon. We’ll be back later to check on you three.” 

“Don’t worry kids,” Eda shouts as the pair exit, “we’ll be fine! We’re the adults here. We should be the ones checking on how y’all are doing. Not the other way around.” 

“Right! Be back later!” Luz shouts in the distance.

Raine sighs after the couple leaves, “Ah, young love. So innocent. So free. So uncomplicated.” 

Eda snorts, “Uncomplicated? She’s a witch, and she’s a human. They don’t even know if they’ll ever see each other again if Luz goes back to the Human realm. It’s difficult to make a long-distance relationship work. Not to mention their difference in lifespan too." 

"Oh…” Raine says with downcast eyes, “I’m sorry. I hadn’t realized.” Eda blushes at her outburst, “Eh, well, it’s not like you would’ve known all that without me telling you.” 

Eda puts her empty bowl down and bends down to lean against Raine’s back and twiddle with their earring, “Their relationship is nothing to be jealous of. Theirs is more complicated than ours is…” 

“Our relationship..” Raine says aloud absentmindedly. 

Eda jerks back quickly because Raine’s skin had become warm and they were doing their best to look away from Eda while she played with their ear. 

“I! I mean! Um, if you want to be in a relationship with me. Again.” Raine stares at Eda as she crosses her arms and looks at the tent ceiling nervously. 

“I…I dunno,” Raine says quietly. 

Eda rubs the back of her neck and pulls at her shoulder, “Right…sorry.” Raine decides they’ve tormented Eda enough and pulls her down by her arm and whispers in her ear, “Only if you promise to keep coming up with cute pet names for me.” 

Eda loves Raine’s smile and snorts, “I can do that, no problem…Raine-deeeaarr.” 

Raine laughs and slaps their forehead, “Titan, that’s so corny!” They enjoy each other's laughter, but the quiet sets in quickly. 

“Of course, we’ll still need to talk about some things, Owl Lady,” Raine says as they glance up nervously at Eda. “Right. Talking,” Eda blushes and glances to her side, unable to return Raine’s gaze, “We will do more of that.” Raine squeezes the fabric covering their knees and can’t think of anything to say other than, “Good.”

They both look at Hunter, an unconscious bystander to their conversation. 

“Without Hunter’s efforts, the emperor would have been more difficult to subdue. And Luz as well. All of these young witches made this victory possible. The Boiling Isles should be considering them heroes.” Eda knows that would put too much weight on Hunter, as it does for Luz. “As a parent of King, and a mentor to Luz, I would like to warn that it’s dangerous to impose too much greatness onto these kids.” She adds, “He never intended to be a hero. This teen here is a goofy nerd….just like you, Raine," she says and winks at Raine.  

Raine smiles and looks up at Eda, “Eda, have I ever told you you’re amazing?" 

"You haven’t said it in a while, so I could use a reminder.” 

“Haha! I appreciate your parenting advice."

"Parent…so, just to verify, you’re really going through with this? You’re gonna adopt him?" 

"Uhh, well, if he accepts the offer, yes. Katya and Derwin are already grown and they let Amber live with them, so they don’t need me like Hunter does.”

Eda leans down to tenderly kiss the right side of Raine’s forehead and enjoys making them blush, “And I’ll be around to help with anything you need y’know.”

Raine smiles and exhales a sigh of relief, “Thank you, Eda.”

Chapter Text

The next day, a Healer visits Hunter’s tent to discuss Hunter's anatomy with noted interim guardian, Raine Whispers. Eda, Luz, and Amity are also there for support.

“After a thorough examination of the grimwalker referred to as Hunter,” Raine and Eda grimace at the healer’s choice of words, but decide to let them continue their explanation uninterrupted. 

“we have determined that he does not need special treatment at the moment. The grimwalker’s-”

“Hunter.” Raine interjects this time to correct the healer and glares sternly at them.

“Right…Hunter’s components don’t seem to be inflicting any harm and he is not experiencing any central nervous system issues or seizures. He is a unique creature, but he is so well put together that physical intervention is unnecessary at this present time.”

The healer hands Raine a piece of paper, “Guardian Whispers, are you aware of Hunter’s unique anatomy?” 

“Minimally. I know he doesn’t have a heartbeat, but other than that, he is like any other average witch. As far as I know…”

“Correct. If you refer to the information I gave you, you can see that in place of a heart and bile sac, Hunter has a galdorstone. He breathes with stonesleeper lungs. His skin and nails are made from palistrom wood with a mixture of selkidomus scales. We detect ortet bones in his composition as well.”

Eda gets impatient at the Healer’s explanation, “If he’s fine, why hasn’t he woken up!?”

"I...don't know. I'm also unsure as to why he hasn't woken up yet. Physically, he should be able to.” The healer hesitantly explains, “Perhaps he hasn't had the right motivation. But that’s just a hypothesis."

Upon hearing this, Luz steps up from her chair and flexes her hands, “I got this you guys.”

Luz approaches Hunter's bed. The group look on in wonder. 

“Is it a new healing glyph combo?” Amity asks Eda under her breath.

“If it is, she hasn't told me about it,” Eda replies quietly.

Raine is on the edge of their seat in anticipation.

Luz leans forward toward Hunter.

The tent is silent, and suddenly-

SLAP!!

"WAKE UP!" Luz shouts as she slaps Hunter awake.

And to everyone’s surprise, Hunter wakes up understandably angry, “What the heck is wrong with you?! I was sleeping!”

Raine rises from their seat in shock, "EDA! Why does your kid take after you so much!?" Raine shouts with their hands on top of their head in surprise at Luz's behavior.

Eda smiles quietly and scratches at her cheek, embarrassed by her student’s actions.

“That's my Luz.” Amity says with an embarrassed smile. 

Three days after the war ended, Hunter woke up.

Chapter Text

Raine stands hesitantly outside Hunter’s tent. Eda notices them and taps them on their shoulder which startles them.

“You okay?”

“Oh! Phew! Yes.”

“Is it time?”

“I think so. I’m just trying to think of what to say. I don’t wanna go in there and just start rambling. Gotta be clear,” Raine says while rubbing their shoulder nervously.

Eda snorts a laugh, “You sound like you’re about to propose.”

“Eda! This is serious.”

“You got this. You’re gonna do great. Just speak from the heart, okay?”

Raine inhales and then exhales, “Right.”

“I’ll wait out here so no one interrupts you.”

“Thank you for your support Eda.”

“No problem, Raine-Boo,” she says and kisses their cheek before pushing them into the tent.

“Oh! Hi, Raine,” Hunter greets Raine from his bed as they enter the tent.

“Hey Hunter,” Raine says with a smile, “How are you feeling?” they ask as they walk towards their customary folding chair beside Hunter’s bed and sit down.

“I’m doing fine.”

“Good, good,” Raine says as they nervously rub their legs and tap on their knees.

“Everything okay? Was there something you wanted to talk about?” Hunter asks after noticing Raine’s fidgeting. 

“Yes. I did want to discuss something with you,” Raine says, still smiling nervously.

“Before you fainted on the battlefield, do you remember what I asked you?”

Hunter looks up at the ceiling in thought, “Hmm…oh!” Hunter looks back at Raine, “That you…offered to let me live with you?”

“Yes. It’s been a few days, and I wanted to let you know that the offer still stands.”

“Well, it would be nice to have somewhere to go since they are booting me from the tent today since I’m all better now.”

“Right! So this is good timing. Hunter…in addition to letting you live with me, I would also, if you accept that is, um…” Hunter tries not to laugh as Raine nervously stumbles over their words and gestures with their hands.

“I would like to propose…um, gosh, Eda is in my head right now. Is that the right word?” Raine nervously asks Hunter and Hunter responds with a shrug.

Raine scratches the back of their head “Let me start over.”

Raine inhales and exhales one more time, “Hunter, if it’s okay with you, I would like to adopt you.”

Hunter’s eyes widen before he blinks a few more times at Raine’s announcement.

Raine awaits Hunter’s answer, but before that, Hunter asks, “Why?”

“Good question,” Raine glances down momentarily in thought.

“For one thing, the emperor’s castle, and the only home you’ve known up until now was destroyed. Along with all of your personal belongings…”

Hunter looks down at their blanket, “Yeah…” 

"And not only that, but I have reason to believe that some of your memories were erased. It seemed to be the emperor’s go-to tactic to keep people under his control. Belos even had Terra Snapdragon manipulate my memories to fulfill my role for the Day of Unity." 

Hunter goes pale and sits eerily still. 

"Hunter, it feels like a dream now, but there was a month before my coven head initiation that we were friends and almost hung out together on the daily."

"Really? Why?"

"I can't say exactly why, but you seemed to seek out my attention."

"And in that short time, we bonded…" Raine flinches at remembering the past, "and you became like a mentee for me. And I promised you that if you rebelled, or even just disagreed with Belos, that you would have a place to turn to."

Hunter looks up at Raine with a slightly confused face.

"That I would take you in. And if you wanted...I would legally adopt you," Raine explains clearly.

Hunter is silent. Raine stares at Hunter as he thinks, and after a few seconds, he asks:

"We were friends?"

"Yes."

"What would we do?"

Raine was a little worried he'd ask that, but it's a valid question for one who is missing memories.

"Well, you helped me tidy up the Head Bard Coven office when I first transitioned into the emperor's castle." Raine makes a conscious decision not to mention their aiding Hunter when he had an unexplained infection in his side. "Occasionally we had lunch and dinner together and at one point we also had a picnic. After a while, I taught you to play the drums...and we even played a song together..." Raine gets a little side tracked while talking, "Before the castle was destroyed, did you still have the drumsticks I made you?" 

Hunter stares at the ceiling in thought, "Oddly enough, I do recall some wooden sticks on my desk. But they were cracked and splintered, and I didn't know what they were or why I had them, so...I tossed them."

"Oh." Raine tries not to look hurt. They are not upset with Hunter's inability to recall them. They are upset about what Belos stole from Hunter.

"I'm sorry..." says Hunter.

"Oh, no! Hunter, that's not your fault. It just shows the extent to which Belos was willing to act to keep you in his domain."

Hunter looks down at the blanket covering his lower half and clutches the fabric. Raine stares at the stressed teen and tries to think of something to say that might lift his spirits.

"Hunter, during the month we interacted, you saved my life."

"I did?"

"Yeah!" Raine says with a slight smile, happy that Hunter’s tension has eased slightly and curiosity piqued.

"I was completely unprepared for a mission where I was instructed by Kikimora to go to the Knee and collect something called a blue-eyed jewell. Luckily for me, you snuck out of the castle and attempted to tag along in secret."

"That does sound like something I'd do," Hunter says with an embarrassed smile.

"Though, I spotted you pretty quickly, I'll admit,” Raine chuckles at the memory, “And when I asked you why you followed me, you said you were there to protect me."

Hunter blushes from this news.

"And it turns out I did need your protection because not only did I not know what the heck I was looking for, but I also didn't realize I went to the Knee during slitherbeast mating season."

"I've heard the beasts' mating season can get pretty violent!" Hunter says in surprise that they had supposedly been there.

"That's right! And we ended up in the middle of a fight between an alpha and beta slitherbeast!"

"Whoa. What did we do?"

Raine smiles at the fact that they are recounting an event that only took place a few months ago and it's a little odd to recount it with the person that lived it, "Well, unfortunately, we did end up engaging in a fight with the slitherbeasts and had to defend ourselves. And what made the situation worse was that a slitherbeast kicked me to the side and I lost my glasses. So you had to step up to protect both of us. You fought valiantly with your former artificial magic staff, but the alpha was just too strong and you were captured!"

"Of course I was.." Hunter says frustratedly.

"No no, it was terrible. The beast squeezed you tight and you were shouting for me to do something but I couldn't see anything! And it didn't help that the slitherbeast blended in with the snow. But I didn't have a choice but to attack. I took a chance and used my violin to cut down the beast with a slicing sound attack. And possibly because the target was so big, or sheer dumb luck,  I managed to slice it in half without hitting you. I recovered your body from beneath it's corpse and I was lucky you woke up."

"That sounds like you saved me..."

"Hunter, who knows what would have happened if I had encountered the slitherbeasts alone. And not only that, you helped me acquire the item I was sent to get. You reached into the deceased monster's mouth and yanked out the blue-eyed jewell. I wouldn't have figured that out without you. And I didn't go back to the castle empty-handed and I know you know how important that is. So in my book, you saved me twice."

Hunter's eyes shine from Raine's compliment. He looks back down at his blanket and blushes, unsure of what to say.

"That's kind of cool to hear."

"I tried my best to repay your kindness and adoration, Hunter. I visited the castle more often than I needed to to hopefully protect you from Belos in some small way. And I did at least manage to keep you company before I was under mind-control."

"Really? That would have been nice to remember..."

"Hunter, we came to know each other very well after our visits and I even tried to help you find out what kind of creature you were. We spent hours scouring books and scrolls on cryptids and creatures and we eventually narrowed it down to a short list. When I left the castle to intercept witches being captured, with inside information you provided no less, we hadn't determined what you were. But now we know."

"A grimwalker..." Hunter says as he clutches his gut with one hand.

Raine grabs his other hand resting on the blanket, "But that's not all you are, Hunter. You're a considerate and kind-hearted guy. And I'm honored to know you."

Hunter blushes from the onslaught of compliments he is unaccustomed to receiving.

"And if you'll accept my offer, I would like to continue to support you in life. I want you to be happy and healthy and I want the best for you in life. And I will never abandon you again."

Hunter's eyes glisten and his face turns embarrassingly red.

"Well...I don't recall you abandoning me, so...let's just say the slate is wiped clean. And we're starting from a new point."

"I can accept that."

Hunter grips Raine's hand in return, "Have you thought this through, Raine? Adopting a teen can be tough. And expensive. And I'll be an adult soon..."

"You're right, Hunter. Those are all valid points, and I accept all terms and conditions. And I can't wait to see how you turn out."

Hunter can't hold back his tears anymore and they flow effortlessly down his cheeks.

"Okay!" Hunter manages to say in-between sobs.

"Okay!"

Hunter tries to wipe his tears away and hide his ugly crying face with his hands.

Raine rises from their seat and pulls Hunter into a hug and Raine is glad that Hunter feels comfortable enough to return the hug and wrap his arms around them.

Raine is at their emotional limit too and allows their tears to run down their cheeks as well as Hunter wails against their chest. Raine can't help but hug him tighter in the hopes that it'll bring them some warmth and comfort.

Outside the tent, Eda quiets her sobs as she hugs King.

Chapter Text

The next day, Lilith holds a roundtable discussion with prominent figures of each coven, of which Raine is present. Eda makes an appearance too, briefly, but it really isn’t her scene. After Belos failed to siphon power from all inhabitants of the Isles, the coven sigils appeared to have evaporated from people’s wrists and they were no longer bound to one type of magic. Conversing with representatives of each former coven rather than having a townhall meeting was decided out of convenience. 

As a historian, and one who has visited the past, Lilith explains the history Belos hid from the islanders: “He lied to our ancestors when he said they were using magic improperly. We located time pools. We visited the past. Our culture and society worked before Belos! Our hidden history has the answers for our current instability! There can be peace again if we work on it!” 

“What should we change immediately?” 

“Everyone should be encouraged to embrace their lost power. We can hold training sessions if needed. And the next generation of demons and witches shouldn’t be pipelined into tracks. There will be no need to make a dark pact with a coven anymore. If we succeed, you all here will be the last of the coven representation.”

Everyone is nervous. But they vote to agree with Lilith’s recommendations.

“Thank you for your time everyone. Now if you’ll excuse Raine and I, we have an adoption ceremony to attend.” And the meeting is dismissed.

The islanders are scrambling to put the pieces of their society and culture back together, so finding an officiant was a little difficult, but they finally locate someone who was available and licensed to officiate the adoption proceedings.

“Tonella Nosa!?” Luz and Amity shout. 

“She’s had a name this whole time!?” Gus and Willow shout in unison.

“Correct. I am a jack of many trades. If the ones known as Raine and Hunter will follow me,” she says as she walks into the office with a folder of documents. 

Raine and Hunter exchange glances and then proceed towards the office. 

“We’ll be waiting for you outside in the meeting hall when you’re done!” Eda shouts at the pair before the door automatically closes behind them.

The next 30 minutes are spent signing documents and filings with the local district. She slides paperwork across the table, “Here are your copies of the official legal documents for your records.” 

Hunter holds up the paper and reads out his new name, "Hunter Caleb Whispers."

"I hope you don't mind that I picked out a middle name for you. What do you think?"

Hunter smiles and looks up at Raine, "It's perfect."

“Now,” Tonella Nosa starts, “to complete the ritual, you will poke your finger with this needle and cover each finger in blood and press your hand down against the paperwork.”

Raine and Hunter stare nervously at Tonella and gulp, both of them having a mild needle phobia and all. 

“Really?” Raine asks.

“Pfft, no, not really,” says Tonella as she puts the needle away and replaces it with a black pad of ink. Raine and Hunter exhale a sigh of relief and glance at each other and laugh awkwardly together. 

“Just put your thumb in the ink and press down on the paper to leave a thumbprint. Then you will sign next to it to seal the deal.”

After they finish signing the paperwork, the letters shine vibrant colors and the documents float into the air and roll themselves up as a string materializes to wrap the documents. Tonella stands on the desk to grab the documents and raises her arms in the air: “I would now like to pronounce you: Parent and child! Congwats! You may now hug.”

Raine and Hunter can’t help but laugh at the parallels and embarrassedly embrace each other. Tonella exits quietly to file the documents.

Raine and Hunter lean back from the hug and Raine observes Hunter’s conflicted facial expression as his smile fades, “Hunter, what’s wrong?”

Hunter looks down at the floor, “Are…are you sure you won’t regret this?”

Raine holds Hunter’s hands and looks into Hunter’s eyes, “Of course not…I know it’ll take some time for us to get into a rhythm, so to speak, of cohabitating together, but if we both put in the effort, I know we can make this work.”

“Yeah…Okay…” Hunter is a little relieved that Raine seems as anxious as he is and smiles.

“Now that that’s settled, before we go meet up with our friends, I got you a present.” 

Hunter rubs the back of his neck nervously, “Oh, you didn’t have to do that…especially since I didn’t get you anything.” 

“It’s no problem at all. Funny enough, this present is for you and sorta for me too. Kind of a selfish venture really,” Raine makes a circle with their finger and catches a pair of palistrom drumsticks that fall out of the air, “They’re replacement drumsticks!”

Hunter reaches for them eagerly, “Oh! To replace the broken ones I threw out!” 

“Yeah! Try them out!” Raine insists and Hunter looks up at them questioningly, “Try them out?”

“They’re a set of drumsticks that you can play in the air!” Raine explains excitedly.

“But, I don’t have any magic,” Hunter responds worriedly.

Raine smiles gently, “I have considered that and made them especially for you. Try hitting the air around you.”

Hunter gently lowers the drumstick in the air and is shocked to hear the sound of a snare drum. He gasps. He continues to swat at different places in the air around him and hears a high tom, mid tom, floor tom, and even cymbals.

“Wow! They’re amazing! Where did you get them?!” 

“I made them.” 

“WHAA!?”

Raine laughs at reliving one of their fondest memories with Hunter.

"They’re imbued with my magic with a bit of innovation tossed in. Now you can practice whenever you can, wherever you are.”

“Amazing! Thank you, Raine!”

Raine is glad to see Hunter smiling again. 

“My pleasure, Hunter. And here’s the part that’s a gift for me. Once you master the drums, I would like us to play a song together.” 

“Play a song…with you? That’s a bit of a daunting task. I…I don’t even know how to play the drums yet or read sheet music or anything…” 

Raine chuckles, “Don’t worry. Belos may have done something to your memory, but it’ll be interesting to see if your muscle memory will kick in. Once we have some down time, we’ll test that out, okay?”   

Hunter tightens his grip on his new drumsticks and smiles: “Okay!”

Hunter is excited at the prospect of learning an instrument and playing with their new parent, “Thank you, Raine. I promise I will make you proud.”

Raine scratches their head at Hunter’s exuberance, but smiles nonetheless.

“Which song are we gonna play?” Hunter asks.

Raine looks at the ceiling and brings their finger to their mouth in thought, “I don’t know yet,” then looks down at Hunter, “I have an idea. How about we decide together, okay?” 

“Okay,” Hunter responds quietly.

“Um…”

“What is it, Hunter?”

“Sorry…um…what…should I call you?”

“Oh…right!” Raine leans back and crosses their arms in thought, “I guess mom or dad would be a little…off…I’ve heard some people use the term Ren before…”

“That sounds pretty close to Raine already…Could I keep calling you Raine?”

“Oh, sure, yeah!” Raine smiles, “If that makes you most comfortable Hunter, you can keep calling me Raine.”

“Okay, thanks.”

Raine looks up at the clock on the wall, “Wow, an hour has passed already since we entered the office. We should go join up with everyone else in the meeting hall.”

“Right!” Hunter shouts excitedly.

Raine and Hunter exit out of the other side of the office and spot Eda, Lilith, Luz, Amity and Hunter’s other friends waiting for them. 

“WOOOO!!” They all howl in unison to congratulate the pair.

Eda reaches around to slap Hunter’s back causing them to yelp, “Hey!” Eda snorts, “Congrats, kid!” 

Hunter glares at Eda before Willow, Luz, Skara, Viney, and Gus hug Hunter (while Amity hugs Luz from behind). Hunter can’t help but smile as they all begin to chant, “Hunter Whispers! Hunter Whispers!” much to his embarrassment.

“Let’s head to the park everyone!” Eda announces as they all exit the building.

At the party, Hunter frets at his newfound ‘promotion’ in his found family from ‘frenemy’ to ‘son,’ and attempts to gather intel on their new parent.

“Hey Eda. Hey Luz. Can…I ask you something?” Hunter says nervously. 

“Sure. What’s up, Hunter?” Luz asks.

“I’ve occasionally interacted with Raine before while we were at the castle, and during one month I don’t remember, but there was one month where they went silent. This is probably an odd question, now that they’re my parent and all, but…what are they like?” 

Eda smiles, “Kid! You were just adopted by the coolest, baddest, kick-buttiest witch in the Boiling Isles! Besides me of course. They’ve earned scholarships since they were young and quickly became a witch to watch out for! They have intense stage fright, despite being a bard, and they still do performances. They mastered every instrument there is and developed bard spells no one had ever seen before.”

“Whoa…” Hunter feels a little intimidated now. I have to live up to Raine’s legacy, thinks Hunter. My new mission is to be the best son ever.

Darius also stops by the party at the park and overhears this gush fest about Raine and offers their own insight, “Raine is also overprotective.”

“Darius!” Hunter shouts. “I’m surprised you stopped by!” Hunter raises his hand to give him a high-five.

Darius stares at him with disgust.

“It’s a human thing,” Luz explains, “It’s like a clap completed by another person.”

Darius squints his eyes and smacks Hunter’s hand. 

“Congrats mister!” Luz exclaims as she throws confetti in the air, “You just experienced your first high-five! What do you think?” 

Gus interjects, “What a rush, right?!”

Darius grimaces, “Right. Anywho, I overheard you talking about Raine.”

“Yeah," Hunter confirms, “I was wondering what they are like. I don’t want to mess up as their new son.”

“Hmph. Well, you shouldn’t have to worry too much about that, Little Prince. However, after having worked with them for a few months, I can tell you that they are annoyingly shy. And cunning. They’re also not much of a people person. Oh, and selfish. They never shared their snacks at meetings.” 

“That’s because they don’t like you, Darius” Eda explains. 

“They also lied to Eda.”

“Well, I didn’t say they were the smartest of witches,” Eda retorts.

“But” Darius continues after sighing, “they were able to stay undercover for a good while, so I guess that counts for something. And anyone is a step up from your former guardian.”

Lilith joins the group and offers her thoughts, “I wonder how they’ll feel having someone else in the house. I know I enjoy my quiet time at home.”

“Not everyone is you, Lily, who only enjoys the company of her books and scrolls,” says Eda.

“I’m just saying, Raine doesn’t even have a palisman. How are they gonna adapt to having a whole other person around?”

Hunter furrows his brow and brings his hand to his mouth in thought after absorbing all this information: Would the best son ever be considerate of their parent and give them tons of personal space?

King walks over to Raine and sits next to them on the bench, watching a growing crowd surround Hunter. “Hey Raine, why don’t you go join them?” Their shyness preventing them from walking over as well as another factor, “I’m too nervous, bud. And I think they are talking about me.” 

“Nonsense! You’re just making up excuses because you’re nervous. You can’t let your shyness prevent you from living life and talking with other people.” 

“I have for the past 40 some odd years, soooo I think I can.” 

King smacks their head, “Oh boy…”

Raine spots Hunter depart from the crowd, “I’m gonna go check on Hunter. Keep the bench warm okay, King?” King rolls up into a ball and gives a thumbs up, “You got it.”

Raine tries to walk over to Hunter and catch his attention, “Hey, Hunter!” but after Raine and Hunter make eye contact, Hunter bolts away from Raine leaving them very confused.

“Maybe he…had to go to the bathroom?”

However, after Raine’s initial reasoning, Raine is dumbfounded as to why Hunter spends the rest of the party actively avoiding them.

Out of breath from chasing Hunter, Raine approaches Eda for advice, “Eda, I’m not sure why, but I think he’s avoiding me.” 

“Who?”

“Hunter. I don't recall doing anything that would make him scared of me. Was it too forward giving him a present so soon?” Raine ponders aloud, a little depressed.

Eda thinks about what could be going on and comes to a realization, “That little idiot!”

Raine raises their eyebrows at Eda's sudden exclamation, “What?”

Eda grabs Raine’s arm and pulls them behind her, “Come on, let’s go find your kid.”

Eda goes into Harpy mode and flies Raine up on top of the bandstand to get a better vantage point. “There he is,” Eda exclaims as she points at the edge of the park. Eda tightly grips Raine and they fly down to Hunter’s location.

“Whoa…” Raine says as they almost stumble to the ground.

Hunter tries to run but Eda catches him quickly, “Where do you think you’re going?”

“Let me go!” Hunter yells as he swats Eda’s arm away.

Raine makes eye contact and shouts, “Hunter!”

Hunter tries to run again, but this time Eda wraps her arms around him. She reverts to her normal form. “What’s going on kid!? Why are you avoiding Raine?!”

Hunter looks away.  

“Hunter, did I do something? Do…” Raine starts nervously, worried about the answer, “Do you remember something from the castle?”

Hunter tilts his head up and glances to the right, “Mm…” holding Raine in suspense.

“Nope. Sorry…”

Raine exhales a sigh of relief. “Well, that’s okay. I told you the main important parts anyway. So…then…why have you been running away from me all night?”

“Lilith told me you like your personal space, so I…”

"Geez,” Eda exasperates, “I thought it was something like that. Look, kid. Lily isn't the best person to take relationship advice from."

"Lilith?" Raine asks.

"She explained that adults appreciate lots of personal space and time to themselves."

“Oh, Hunter…” Raine breaths out worriedly, “It may be true that I enjoy some personal space and personal time. But…I also want to spend some time, and space, with people I care about. With people whose company I enjoy. And that includes you Hunter.”

"Oh…” Hunter is disappointed in himself, “I grossly misinterpreted the intel I received. Siiiigghh, I failed my mission in my new role already.” Hunter hangs his head, “I suppose I’ll punish myself with the standard reprisal."

Raine squints and worriedly asks, "And what's that?"

"No food for a week."

Raine exhales loudly, "What the f-" Raine exclaims before stopping themselves. Eda, however, vents her rage, aware of who used to punish Hunter, "I oughta reanimate Belos' corpse so I can kill him again."

Hunter continues to look down at the floor at the mention of Belos' name.

Raine and Eda have to shove their anger down so as not to make Hunter think they are angry with him.

Raine makes the first move and walks quickly over to Hunter to hug him, “Hunter, I swear, you will never be punished like that again. And you have not failed. You put in great efforts to be considerate of my quirks and successfully avoided me the whole afternoon. I only found you because I asked Eda for help.” Raine smiles at Eda. Raine leans back to look into Hunter’s eyes to clearly convey their message, “If there’s any point in time that I need space, I promise to let you know. But as a general-principle, I want you around. I want you in my life. Even if, and when, you annoy the heck out of me, I will still want you around. Does that make sense?”

Hunter blushes and holds back his tears, “Yes, I understand.”

Raine pats Hunter’s shoulders, “Good.”

“Now that that’s settled, let’s go join everyone else. I’m sure they’re worried about us” says Eda.

Raine, Hunter, and Eda walk back to the party as Luz, Willow, and Gus, are setting up the camera tripod. Gus also enchants a camera to fly overhead to take pictures.

“Everyone huddle for pictures!” Luz excitedly shouts and the crowd of friends and family gather around.

“Here, Hunter,” Willow says as she hands Hunter his certificate of adoption with his new legal name on it. Hunter gazes at the paper and smiles again.

Raine pats Hunter’s shoulder and smiles down at him. Eda wraps her arms around Raine, and they stand beside Hunter. The group crowds together and shouts “SCREAM!!!” at the cameras with Hunter in the middle, proudly holding up his certificate in front of him.

Chapter Text

Raine and Hunter arrive at Raine’s residency both happily exhausted after the celebration in the park with their friends. 

“This is where you live?”

“It’s where you live now too, Hunter!” Raine jauntily says with a smile.

“I was expecting something grander of a coven head’s place of living.”

“I’m gonna forget you said that,” Raine deadpans.

Raine pauses in front of their door momentarily before inviting Hunter in, “Um, let me hide some...I mean, tidy up some stuff first and then I'll let you in. Be right back!” Raine rushes in after closing the door. 

Hunter stands outside and takes in the features of his new home. 

The townhouse looks just big enough to accommodate two people. It’s two stories with a column for stairs. The roof curls at the corners and a chimney sits on the backside of the house. Metal railing lines outside the deck on the second floor. Lights hang above the entryway and some of the windows are stained glass with a mixture of red and yellow. Hunter’s mouth quirks into a small smile in appreciation for the quaint place.

Raine rushes back downstairs and throws open the door, “Welcome home, Hunter!”

Hunter points to his palisman on his shoulder, “And Flapjack.”

“And Flapjack,” Raine chuckles as they repeat Hunter’s words. 

Hunter enters the building and notes the disarray. Plates broken on the floor, frames dangling from the walls, bookshelves laying flat on the ground.

“It looks like the rumbling from the Titan did a number on this place.”

“Yes, I agree,” Raine responds with their hands on their hips, “But we can clean up tomorrow. You wouldn’t mind helping me clean, right?” Raine asks sheepishly. 

“Of course not!” Hunter answers eagerly. “Besides, I feel like the mess is partly my fault…” 

Raine pats Hunter’s head, “Hey, don’t think about it like that. This is not your fault, okay?” Flapjack responds for Hunter with a “chirp” that gives Hunter a small smile. 

Raine walks over to the living room couch and clears it of debris, “Tomorrow, we’ll stop by the market and get you a new bed for your room. Is the couch okay for tonight?”

“Yes. Thank you.”

“Okay. Let me grab you a pillow and blanket from upstairs,” Raine says as they make their way up the stairwell. 

Hunter sits on the couch and his eyes scan the room to gain more insight into Raine. Instruments that had once been hung up on the walls now dangle precariously. A mix of paperwork and sheet music litter the ground as well as glass award cases that most likely shattered when they hit the floor. Hunter’s perusal of the room is interrupted when he sees Raine almost trip while running down the stairs. I guess they can’t act cool all the time, thinks Hunter with a curt smile.

“Are you okay?”

“Who me? Psh, yeah, I’m fine,” Raine says awkwardly with sweat running down their forehead from how quickly they grabbed a couple of pillows and blankets and embarrassed themselves on their way back downstairs.

Raine positions the pillows for Hunter and puts a few blankets at the foot of the couch, “You should be all set for now.”

Raine leans back up and puts their hands back on their hips and observes Hunter who is looking at the ground fidgeting a little.

“Or not…” Raine exhales loudly. 

They lean down and put a hand on Hunter’s shoulder, “Everything okay?”

Hunter jolts, “Oh, yeah! Everything’s fine! Thank you, Raine.”

Raine’s intuition tells them something is up, so they kneel on the floor so their eye-level is even with Hunter’s. “You’re welcome, Hunter. But if somethings not fine, you can tell me, alright?”

“Yeah…yeah…” Hunter answers unconvincingly.

“Come on, kiddo, what’s up?”

Raine watches Hunter as he twiddles his thumbs, “Well…I…had a stuffed frog called Sprig that I had on my bed that I lost when the castle fell.”

I see, thinks Raine. He’s missing his comfort plushie. It’s not surprising that he misses some of his dearest possessions. And it’s probably scary to be in a new place. Especially for someone who has lived their whole life in the castle…

“Wait here,” Raine says as they hold out their hands before running, and tripping, their way back upstairs.

Hunter hears Raine loudly rummaging in a cabinet before they walk back down the stairs, holding something behind their back.

Raine stands in front of Hunter and clears their throat, “Ahem. Please don’t laugh. But I still have my stuffed animal from when I was a kid.” 

“Why would I laugh?”

“Weeeeelll,” Raine starts nervously, “they’re not in the best of conditions.” Raine presents their childhood comfort toy to Hunter. “Their name is Nosferatu.” Hunter examines the tattered bat plush that is marked by stitches, stray colors, and missing one eye. “We can buy you a new stuffed animal tomorrow while we are at the market, but…maybe Nosferatu can keep you company tonight?” 

Hunter slowly takes the plush from Raine’s hands and strokes the fabric with his thumb. 

“This will suffice,” Hunter answers with a grin. “Thank you.” 

Raine rubs the back of their neck bashfully, “Sure thing!” 

Raine looks around the room and thinks out loud, “We’ll have to buy you a toothbrush at the market tomorrow. I…never saw the need to have extra toothbrushes on hand, since…I never have anyone over.”

Hunter just stares blankly up at them. Raine scratches the back of their head, “And we’ll pick up the rest of the necessities too.”

“Okay.”

“What time do you normally wake up, Hunter?”

“4 am.”

“Uhhh…” Raine looks at the clock on the floor, “that’s in 6 hours. Would you mind sleeping in until 6 am?”

“Sure.”

“Great.” Raine heads towards the stairs for the final time tonight. “I’ll be upstairs if you need me. Goodnight, Hunter.” 

“Goodnight, Raine.” 

Raine is glad to see him smile before he covers himself with the blanket and clutches the bat plush, while his palisman flies over him to nest in his hair. Raine smiles at this sight and shakes their head in amusement before heading upstairs. The top floor is just as messy as the main floor, but Raine knows it’s important to clear out their study to make room for Hunter and the new things they’ll be getting him tomorrow. Everything that Hunter owned was destroyed in the castle, and this spare room didn’t even have a bed yet.

Raine rubs the tiredness from their eyes, cracks their neck, and rolls up their sleeves, “Time to empty this room and fill it with care.”

Chapter Text

Hunter wakes up to Flapjack pulling on his hair. Hunter weakly swats at his hovering palisman, but he can’t ignore Flapjack’s chattering. 

“It’s 6 am?” he asks while rubbing the sleep from his eyes. “That’s the longest period of sleep I’ve had in weeks.” 

“Tweet tweet!” 

“Yes, besides the three days I was unconscious.” 

Hunter quickly gets off the couch and washes his face in the kitchen sink to wake himself up further.

He walks over to the stairwell and looks up the stairs. 

“Tweet-twiddle-tweet!”

“I know it’s technically my house now too, but…it kind of feels like an invasion of privacy if I go upstairs unannounced.”

“Tweet!”

“Yes, they did say if I needed anything, they would be upstairs…” Hunter is conflicted, but wants to check on Raine, and see the upstairs part of the townhouse. “Hmm” he hums before raising his voice, “Raine?”

Silence.

“Raine? I’m walking upstairs!”

Flapjack rests on Hunter’s shoulder and encourages him to head upstairs. 

Hunter proceeds slowly as he walks up the curved stairwell. Once he reaches the second floor, there is a door directly in front of him that leads to a small balcony, with two doors to his left and one door at the end of the hall. They notice the first door they see is open and peer in; however, Hunter is shocked when he spots Raine lying face down on the floor. Hunter rushes to Raine’s side and kneels beside them. 

He puts his ear to Raine’s back briefly before he prys open one of Raine’s eyes.

“Phew,” Hunter laughs lightly to himself, “they’re just sleeping.”

Hunter takes a moment to look around the room and notices how empty it is…how clean it is. 

“It wouldn’t have looked like this last night,” he explains to Flapjack.

“Did they…stay up all night cleaning this room to the point of exhaustion?”

Flapjack chirps as if in confirmation. 

“Why? What’s so special about this room?” Hunter stands up and scratches his head.

“Tweet twit!”

“You think this is gonna be my room?”

“Chirp!”

“They stayed up all night to clean out my room for me?”

Hunter stares down at Raine’s prone form. “But I said I’d help them clean up…They even asked me to…”

“Tweet twiddle tweet!”

“Yeah! That’s a great idea, Flapjack! I’ll clean up the whole downstairs!”

Hunter notices Raine twitch in their sleep and he covers his mouth to keep himself from shouting more in excitement.

Hunter exhales, relieved that he didn’t wake them. He smiles down at Raine and nods his head. 

He has a plan. And now he must make the downstairs spotless before Raine wakes up.

Raine wakes up in a pool of their own drool and groggily wipes their face. They had slept in until the afternoon. By that time, Hunter had been awake for several hours and had cleaned up the entire main floor as he intended.

Raine's joints crack as they rise from the floor and their muscles protest from sleeping in an uncomfortable position. They quickly crack their back and vigorously rub their face to wake themselves up. They blearily look around the room and spot their glasses on the ground. They also hear shouting in the distance. They put their glasses on and run downstairs.

“Hunter?! Are you…okay?” Raine is surprised by the condition of the downstairs floor. It’s…immaculate, thinks Raine as they examine the living room.

The floor had been cleared of broken plates and glass.

The bookshelves had been righted and neatly shelved with books and scrolls and paperwork.

Their instruments had been carefully hung back up on the walls.

The next thing Raine notices is Flapjack and Hunter playing tug-of-war with a cleaning rag.

“Give it back Flapjack!”

The cheeky cardinal suddenly releases their grip and Hunter falls hard backwards.

“Hunter?” Raine says from the stairwell.

“Raine!” Hunter briskly gets off the floor, “Sorry! I didn’t hear you. Flapjack seems to be in a playful mood.”

“I see that! Haha, and I see that you cleaned?”

“Yes! I swept, mopped, wiped, tossed garbage, and straightened everything back up!” Hunter explains proudly. 

“It looks great, Hunter!” Raine walks down the stairs and examines the kitchen and dining area. 

“I think the food went bad though…” Hunter explains to Raine as they open the fridge door and are hit by a wafting spoiled smell.

“Oh, geez!” Raine exclaims as they clench their nose, “You’re right! I guess the power was knocked out long enough for the food to turn. Looks like we’ll have to restock on groceries while we’re at the market too.”

Raine closes the door and suddenly hears Hunter’s stomach growl loudly. 

“Did you eat anything yet, Hunter?”

“Uh, haha” Hunter laughs nervously, “No…Flapjack tried to tell me to stop and eat, but I’ve been so busy cleaning…”

“And you woke up at 6 am?”

“Yeah, Flapjack was my alarm clock today,” he explains with a smile.

He’s been awake for several hours without food. He could have woken me up…but knowing Hunter, he didn't want to burden me and let me sleep in.

“Alright! Since I haven’t eaten either, I suggest we go out to eat at the square in the market! How does that sound, Hunter?” Raine asks with hands on their hips.  

“O-oh…okay.”

“And then we’ll go on a shopping spree. Luckily, I have some emergency snails saved up.” Raine says with a wink. “Now, let's get ready!”

“I’m ready,” Hunter responds quickly.

“Oh yeah. Right. Um, let me get ready then, and we’ll head out.”

“Sure.”

Raine awkwardly exits the kitchen and rushes upstairs to brush their teeth and pack their traveling bag so Hunter isn’t waiting too long for them. Raine opens the front door and closes it after Hunter and his palisman exit. 

“Okay, Hunter and Flapjack! Let’s go! To the market!” Raine shouts with their fist pumped in the air.

Hunter laughs at Raine’s antics and repeats them, “To the market!” while Flapjack excitedly repeats them in their own way as they fly by Raine and Hunter’s heads, “Tweet tweet!”

Having their magic back has made quick work of the cleanup and the majority of the shops reopened. 

After enjoying some creepy pasta and putrid pizza at the square in the market, they head down an alleyway to first order a new bed for Hunter’s room.

“Can it be delivered today?”

“Yes. It’ll be an extra cost though,” the shopkeep explains.

“That's fine. We need it as soon as possible and we’ve still got more shopping to do.” They finish their business with ordering the bed and head to a clothing shop next door. 

Raine thinks it’s odd that the customers seem to exit as they enter the shop, but Raine just chalks it up to the weirdness that has been accompanying the restoration after the war.

They pick out a few new sets of clothing for themselves and Hunter. Hunter also asks to buy some sewing needles and thread to sew himself a new stuffed animal. Raine is happily surprised to learn that Hunter can sew and adds Hunter’s items to the basket.

Raine attempts to checkout with the shopkeep owner, but Raine can tell something is wrong by the cashier's nonverbal behavior and short answers to Raine's question about the clothing sales.

The owner almost doesn’t want to ring up their items at first, but knows they need all the snails they can get after the shop had to be closed for a couple of days.

The shopkeep explains that there are no sales. Not for them anyways. 

After Raine purchases the items, the cashier balls up Raine's receipt and throws it at them.

"Hey!" Hunter shouts.

"Turncloak!" the cashier exclaims before spitting on the floor by Raine's feet.

S***, thinks Raine, someone loyal to the emperor.

"Come on, Hunter. Let's go." Raine grabs the bag of clothes and leads Hunter away.

Raine glares at the cashier as they exit.

"And don't come back," Raine hears the owner say before they are out of ear shot.

"We'll shop somewhere else for clothes next time. There's no shortage of clothing stores," Raine says while still facing forward.

Hunter looks up at Raine, "Do you think there are many people like that?"

Raine glances at Hunter as they walk, "Unfortunately, yes. As you are aware, Belos' presence permeated society and he still has several dedicated followers."

"How?"

Raine sighs at the complexity that underlies Hunter's question, "People will believe what they want to believe. They've convinced themselves that we, 'the turncloaks,' are lying about Belos."

Hunter turns his head quickly at the incredulity,  "What? How? Why?! We lived through the fight with Belos!"

"Shh, sh, sh, calm yourself, Hunter," Raine puts their hand on his shoulder and glances at their surroundings, "Best not to draw attention to ourselves."

"Why would we lie about something like that? ...It just doesn't make sense..." Hunter turns his head to look forward.

Raine looks forward as well as they progress through the market, "You're right, Hunter. It doesn't."

Hunter puckers up his face in thought before speaking, "Y'know, Willow says ‘society was the emperor all along.’ Whatever that means."

"Hahaha!" Raine throws their head back as they laugh, "She's a smart kid."

"Yeah, she is."

Raine stares at Hunter with a knowing smile…

"What?"

"Do you like her?"

"Of course I like her." Hunter says with a neutral expression.

Raine knows he doesn’t understand what they mean and sighs, "Siiggh, we can only hope she thinks your obliviousness is cute."

Hunter raises his eyebrows in confusion, but is quickly distracted by a book stand on his right side. Raine watches Hunter linger and stands beside him at the booth, “Have you heard of the novel Ruler’s Reach?”

“Yeah! Are you a fan of it too?” Hunter asks with a grin.

“I actually haven’t had the chance to read it yet. Do you want to pick up a copy?” 

“That would be great!” 

“Looks like there is a music shop next door. We'll head there next. I gotta grab some more blank sheet music and we'll buy you a book about drumming too while we're there.”

They pick up their desired items and also stop by a health and wellness shop to buy Hunter some protein powder he asked for. Raine also convinces Hunter to purchase some vegetables and fruits and some multivitamins.

“Let me see if they have any books on teen nutrition.” As they walk, Raine explains to Hunter that he needs to consume more than just protein powder every morning. Raine picks up a few magazines on “healthy witch teen nutrition” and proceeds to walk toward the wall of vitamins at the back of the store. They locate a gold bottle of iron tablets and a green bottle of iron gummies and Raine turns to Hunter to ask for his opinion, "Hunter, do you want the gold one or the green one?" 

But Raine is surprised to see that Hunter isn’t standing behind them. Raine looks back and forth in the shop before they hear a loud explosion down the road.

"Oh no…"

Raine drops the vitamin bottles and runs in the direction of the commotion. "Please don't be him, please don't be him."

Before the explosion, Hunter walked around the store and was vaguely listening to Raine talk when they spotted something happening across the alley. 

A shop was being robbed. 

Snail currency is in trouble now that the economy is unstable while the Isles’ rebuild and some witches and demons have resorted to looting.

Hunter converts Flapjack into his staff and chases after the thieves. He whizzes by the crooks, knocking each of them to the ground.

"You are under arrest for crimes against the- uh, FOR CRIMES!!"

Hunter hears a whistle and an arrow swipes by his left cheek, scratching his face.

Hunter backs up and narrowly avoids the arrow as it comes back around.

Luckily, his glitching transportation ability is just as fast as the arrow's speed.

He closes in on the thief directing the arrow and jumps in the air, about to whack them with his staff, but is tackled by another thief from the side.

"You shouldn't try to be a hero, mate!"

"Rrgh! You don't scare me!" Hunter shouts before he windmills his legs while his staff shoots bright yellow bolts of electricity outwards towards the thieves. 

Hunter teleports to the nearest thief and elbows them in the face. 

He then proceeds to easily swat at the thieves with his staff as they charge towards him. 

"LET'S FLY!" the apparent leader of the crew shouts.

They maneuver to escape on their respective staffs, but so does Hunter. 

The leader makes sure his fellow thieves fly away with the loot first and he stays behind to deal a final blow to Hunter so he can’t follow them. 

They emit a high-pitched whistle, almost imperceptible to the ears. Hunter assumes the whistle is to control the arrow, which he whips his head around to look out for, but instead, the world starts to tilt. And his vision blurs. 

Hunter plummets from his staff and crashes hard against the ground.

Flapjack converts back into its cardinal form and flies down to him. Before Hunter can figure out why he fell, he vomits.

He tries to stand up, but his equilibrium has been affected by the magic attack and he staggers and falls to his knees. 

The thief whistles again and directs the arrow at Hunter, but Raine slides in front of Hunter to defend him. They effortlessly blast the arrow away with their own powerful whistle.

The thief, and now attacker, sneers and flies off into the distance, “See yah, kid!”

Raine glares at the crew of thieves and their leader as they get away. 

Hunter is dizzy and bleeding from his ears,  "We have to stop them..."

Raine turns to Hunter and is displeased by his insistence of street justice despite his injuries: "No. We don't. They busted your eardrums... We have to stop this bleeding."

Hunter falters forward and Raine reaches out to catch him.

“Who were they, Raine?”

“How should I know. You were the one chasing them. The leader seemed to be using bard magic to control an arrow with their whistling. He also took advantage of your youthful hearing, so the high pitched whistle was extra effective.”

“I thought bards were good witches…”

"Anyone can be a bad witch, Hunter. Even bards. And Bard magic can be quite violent with the right techniques. I'm surprised you're still-”

Fwump!

Hunter faints from dizziness and the pain in his ears.

“conscious…”

Raine sighs as he lifts Hunter off the ground. 

"What a busy day at the market."

When Hunter comes to, he's being carried into the townhouse by Raine. 

"Oh, your eyes are slightly open," Raine says, looking down at Hunter in their arms.

"I borrowed Flapjack to fly us back home."

"Now that everyone has their full range of magic back, I should be able to save us a little money and heal you myself. I also don't appreciate the way some of the healers treat you."

Raine looks around the living room.

"It's been a while since I've healed someone." 

"I guess I can use my new bed?" Hunter asks weakly.

"Uhh, that's...it might be more...er, or maybe...less awkward if I healed you on the couch," Raine says as they make their way over to the living room couch. Raine also purchased two more couches while at the market in case they have company that wants to sleep over. Raine was fortunate that the market delivered everything they had purchased, after paying for some of the damage Hunter inflicted on some of the shop stalls.

"After I heal you up, you should be able to walk up the stairs just fine."

Raine stands beside the couch with Hunter in their arms.

"Let me explain this technique before we proceed. If you had just hurt your hand, for example, I would just hold your hand and heal it. But since you're pretty scraped up all over...uh, well, it'll be easier to pretty much cuddle you in order to heal your entire body. Is that okay?" 

"Nn," Hunter mumbles weakly, "I'm fine with that."

"Okay then. I'm gonna lean back on the couch so you can rest on top of me." 

Hunter squints in pain as they both sink into the couch ungracefully. "Sorry," Raine says as they wrap their arms around Hunter's back. Raine breathes in steadily in a rhythm and they begin to heal Hunter with a spell that makes them purr. 

Hunter chuckles, "You sound like Amity's palisman, Ghost." 

Raine smiles, "That's a good deduction, Hunter. A lot of ideas are inspired by nature and this spell is no exception. This technique is a refined version of what cats can do. The audible purr is a side effect of the healing sound vibrations. Cat purring has been shown to fall between 25 and 140 Hz which is the same frequency that has been shown to aid in the healing of broken bones and wounds." 

"So...you're vibrating?" Raine blushes at Hunter's interpretation of the spell. "Well, sort of. However, I would describe it more as an internal reverberation rather than an external, physical vibration." 

Hunter leans his head against Raine's chest as they heal him. The purring spell is soothing, comforting, and warm. Hunter closes his eyes and listens to Raine’s heartbeat as they purr. 

"It's cute. And soothing..." 

Raine blushes and stumbles over their words, "Th...thank you. I’m glad to hear it." 

Raine feels Hunter’s chest expand and contract against their chest as they breathe and remembers Hunter’s lack of a heartbeat. It’s really not that different from someone wearing a blanket over their chest where you can’t sense their heartbeat. 

"How long does the spell take?" Hunter asks, interrupting Raine’s inner monologue.

“Typically not long, but it varies depending on the injury. For yours, I'd say about five minutes."

Hunter relaxes into Raine's body and lets the spell work its magic. He almost falls asleep before Raine asks him a question.

"Why were you fighting those guys?"

Hunter grimaces at a question he thinks has an obvious answer, "They were robbing that place."

"That doesn't mean you yourself should intervene. So why did you?"

"They were stealing. It’s wrong to steal, right?"

"Mmm…" Raine hums in thought, "Yes, for the most part. And it's been happening a lot more lately. Some steal to survive and some steal for the thrill of it."

"Either way, it's not right," says Hunter. 

"Either way, it's not your responsibility. And the shop is most likely insured," Raine tries to explain to Hunter. "As a civilian, it’s dangerous to do things like that. You're not the Golden Guard anymore. And you're not a hero."

Hunter looks up and stares into Raine's eyes, forlorn. Hunter turns his head to the side once again and rests his ear against Raine's chest.

Raine understands they've injured his pride, "I'm sorry, Hunter."

"No...you're right. I'm not a hero. Never been one. Even when I thought I was doing right, I was working for an evil purpose."

"That was not your fault, Hunter. You've heard Luz talk about Belos when he was younger. He's been lying and using people for centuries. You were a victim of his plot too.”

Hunter is silent and still.

Raine contemplates on what to say while they stare at the ceiling. 

"You should know your...limitations...y’know, Hunter? Fighting Belos was one thing, but facing off against multiple magic users at once…it’s unwise."

They get no response from Hunter and worry they have offended him.

“I'm sorry Hunter. That was a harsh thing to say. I misspoke.”

The silence continues and Raine starts to get curious.

“Hunter?”

They look down at the teen resting on their chest and realize he has fallen asleep.

Raine panics slightly in their mind: How long has he been asleep? What part did he stop listening at?

Hunter is so comfortable that he drools in his sleep, and his arm dangles off the side of the couch. Raine runs their hand up and down his back to comfort him more and intensifies the spell. The pur gets louder as a result and it's the only sound that can be heard echoing off the living room walls.

After five minutes, Hunter is all healed up and Raine ends the spell. Raine notices that Hunter's breathing is steady and even. It appears Hunter fell into a deep sleep on top of Raine, inadvertently. Raine stares down at Hunter's youthful face, marred by shadows under his eyes and a scar on his cheek. Raine leans their head down to nuzzle their cheek on top of Hunter's blonde mop of hair and reaches up with their hand to brush Hunter's forehead with their thumb, just above his eyebrow. They squeeze him tight a final time before rising from the couch with him in their arms. Even jostling him as they rise from the couch doesn't wake him.

Well, he has been awake since 6 am, thinks Raine.

Raine carries Hunter upstairs to his new bed and reflects on Hunter's predicament.

Without being the Golden Guard, without following Belos’ orders, without the goal of defeating a villain, Hunter has to find another reason for living. A task he is ill-equipped for. So I must give him the tools to find what that new purpose could be. Frankly, I'd be happy if he found that he just wanted to live a boring life, filled with hobbies. 

Raine tucks him in and observes him in his restful slumber, and wonders if that would be too much to ask of this headstrong, rambunctious teen.

Raine hears their crow phone ringing in their room and answers.

“Hello?”

“Hey, Darius. What’s up?”

“You heard about the market fight?”

“Haha, yeeeeah, that was Hunter.”

“Now look who's overprotective.”

“Yup, he’s fine now. I healed him up, so he’s resting now.”

“You can’t talk to him right now since he’s asleep.”

“Yeah, I’m gonna let Lilith know so she can see about developing a taskforce.”

“Sure, you can lead the taskforce if you want if you aren’t busy or anything.”

“No, no, I wasn’t implying that you don’t have a life.”

“Okay. Sure. I’ll let him know you called.”

“Haha! There’s no reason to be shy about it Darius. I’ll have him call you when he wakes up.”

“Yes, you are. You really care about him. I think it’s sweet.”

Raine has to pull their ear away from their crow phone as Darius shouts a rebuttal on the other end.

“Okaysongbirdoverandout,I’lltalktoyoulater,Byyyyyyeeee!” Raine says quickly before hanging up their crow phone.

"He cares more than he cares to show, haha, as usual…"

Chapter Text

After loading the room up with Hunter's new belongings, Hunter quickly gets accustomed to his new room on the second floor down the hall. He spends his time in his room, sewing a new stuffed frog, practicing his drumming, and reading his books.

If only...his nights in his room were as peaceful. Sleep had always been a challenge for Hunter, but now his attempts at sleep are even more arduous. 

His sleep is marred by his past trauma bubbling to the surface. He relives the same moment in his nightmares every day for the past week…

Hunter stands anxiously before Belos. His palisman staff impaling him in the chest where a heart once resided, soaked in dark blood.

Hunter watches the blood leach from Belos' mouth. Blood… Hunter hears his thoughts echo in his head. So much blood…

His stomach lurches as he rewatches Belos utter his final words:

"You finally beat me, older brother...only took you several years…though I swear you let me win our first duel...You were always so soft, Caleb...so weak …"

Belos' hand reaches towards Hunter. 

And he wakes up in a fit of screaming: "AAAAAAAAHHHHHH!!" Raine barges into his room and rushes over to him, "Hunter! I'm here! It's just a dream!"

Raine would like to believe they are used to this by now...but seeing Hunter in pain hasn't gotten easier.

Hunter sounds like he's drowning as he gasps desperately for air and clutches his chest, still staring at the ceiling, seemingly immune to Raine's presence. 

Raine leans over Hunter's face and tries to get Hunter to focus on them, but Hunter seems to stare through them. He continues to scream and cry: "AAAAAHHHH!! HUFF HAH HUFF HAH!! AAAAGGGHHH!! NNNN WAAAHHH!!" 

Raine struggles to get Hunter to listen to them. "HUNTER! WE HAVE TO SLOW DOWN YOUR BREATHING! YOU'RE GOING TO GO INTO SHOCK!"

Hunter grips his head and drags his fingernails down his face.

"HE'S IN MY HEAD!! GET HIM OUT!! MAKE HIM STOOOOP!!"

Raine decides it would take too long to try to reach Hunter with words in his current state, so they are forced to use a spell to make him sleep. Raine forms a circle on their own forehead and then places their forehead against Hunter's. "With this spell, I'll force a pleasant dream into your mind to drive Belos away."

Hunter’s whimpers fade as the spell takes effect. His head lolls back and he stares silently at the ceiling before his eyes flutter shut and goes limp against his bed. 

Raine wipes the tears from their eyes before readjusting Hunter's arms and legs on their bed. 

They clasp their palms together and they glow blue. They hover their hands above Hunter's face to heal the scratches.

All that's left to do is wipe the streak of tears from Hunter's cheeks.

Flapjack flies to Hunter's head and bumps his cheek with their head.

"Twiiit, chirp, twiiit," Raine warbles.

Flapjack chirps back in defiance: No, I'm staying here.

"Fine by me. Was just checking..."

Raine watches Flapjack fly to the top of Hunter's hair and settle in.

Raine sits at Hunter's desk and watches his chest rise and fall steadily.

It's late at night, but they decide to call Darius and Eda.

"Hey, I'm sorry to disturb you two, but-"

"Did he have another night terror?" Eda asks.

"Yeah...I did the mind spell you recommended, Eda. With us getting used to our powers again, it's hard to recall all that we can do. So, thank you for that, it's been of great help."

"Did you invite me on this call just to subject me to this?"

"Henh, sorry to inflict this upon you, Darius, but I actually called to see if you and Eda could send over some good memories. The spell works off of good dreams or good memories that the user has had…and unfortunately, I'm kind of running out of both. Is there a way to do that Eda?" 

"Based on my research into this spell, yes, it is possible to initiate dreams and memories other than those of the direct spell user. This would benefit Luz too. We can exchange memories and dreams to have them experience."

"That would be great."

"Raine, we can write down any good dreams and memories that each of us can think of on parchment and then grind each of them into a powder. If I stop by Mort's, I can probably even have him press the powder into a capsule."

"And I'd pay for that expense of course."

"I'm sure Mort will appreciate that."

"Does Raine then give the capsule to Hunter before bed?" Darius asks.

"Not exactly. In order for the spell to work on Hunter and Luz , Raine and I would actually take the capsule and then mind-meld the spell as we have been doing so far. Well, I slap a glyph on Luz's forehead, but you get my point."

"Is Luz having the nightmares every night like Hunter is?" Raine asks.

"Fortunately for us, it's not every night."

"He's been having them every night?"

"Yes, Darius," Raine yawns, "Sometimes the spell wears off early while I'm sleeping so you can imagine how tired I am."

"Eda, is it okay to do the spell every night?" Raine asks.

"For a witch of average mana, I would not recommend it. But luckily, you have a large reserve of magic mana naturally."

"That's good to hear."

"Should I dm the dreams and memories through penstagram to the both of you?"

"That would be appreciated. Thank you, Darius."

"Eda, I know you said I could do the spell each night, but will there be any side effects for Hunter?"

"Not that I'm aware of."

"Okay. Keep the offered dreams and memories PG everyone, alright?"

"Of course," Eda responds.

"Whatever you say, Songbird."

Raine yawns loudly, "I might need to cast a sleeping spell on myself to help me get back to sleep..."

"Do you want me to tell you a bedtime story over the phone?"

"That would be lovely."

"Egh, warn me before you start the lovey dovey chat. I shoulda hung up sooner."

Raine and Eda hear Darius end his side of the call.

"Haha, everyone's a critic," Eda says, eliciting a content laugh from Raine.

They rub the back of their head and check on Hunter a final time before walking back to their room to relax in their bed and listen to Eda talk.

Chapter Text

It has been a couple of weeks since the adoption ceremony and Eda, Luz, and King decide to visit Raine and Hunter's townhouse to see how they are settling in.

Hunter answers the door.

"Hey we tried calling, but no one picked up."

"Do you have my number?"

"Uh...actually no. Honestly kid, with you being so behind the times, I'm surprised you have a crow phone at all."

“Hmph. Well, you just missed Darius.”

“Haha, good.”

Hunter crosses his arms, but turns to the side to let them in. King lunges at Hunter's head as he enters the townhouse and rests on his shoulder, while Hunter's cardinal flies up to rest on one of King's horns. 

King looks around at Raine's possessions and awards on the walls and whistles, "I hope y'all are insured..."

"Eddddaaa…" Hunter whines.

"King! Don't break anything expensive." 

Hunter huffs at Eda's lax words of warning, while King snickers.

"Where's Raine?"

"They're taking a shower."

Eda blinks and then a grin widens across her face, "Sweet," she says before running upstairs.

The kids hear a commotion upstairs and can hear Eda shout in the distance, "Hey, Rainestorm!" as well as Raine's appropriately surprised response "Eda!?" as she invades Raine's bathroom unannounced. 

Luz and Hunter blush at Eda's antics and Luz apologizes to Hunter on Eda's behalf, "Sorry..." 

"Psh, they're the one who's dating her. Should feel sorry for them." 

Luz glares at Hunter, but changes the subject, "Where's your room?"

"Upstairs. I'll show you."

Luz and King race upstairs and Hunter has to chase after them. They barge into his room and immediately start touching stuff. 

“Oooo, what’s this?!” 

“Hey!” Hunter shouts.

“Can I eat this?” 

“No!”

“What does this do?!” 

“Don’t touch that!! Raine!! They’re touching my stuff!!" 

“Figure it out amongst yourselves!” he hears Eda shout from Raine's room at the end of the hall. 

“Errgh,” Hunter growls. 

“You can play the drums, Hunter?” Luz asks, holding up the gift he got from Raine. 

“Gimme those!” he exclaims as he swipes them from Luz’s hands. “Geez, I was just asking.” 

Hunter blinks and realizes he has overreacted again, “Sigh, Raine gave them to me.”  

“Aw, that’s sweet.” 

“They…made them.” 

“Oh, wow! That’s amazing! They’re so smooth too!” 

Hunter smirks, “And watch this,” he says before he starts making drum sounds in the air. Luz gasps, “That’s so COOL!!” 

“RIGHT!?”

Hunter smiles, “I guess anyone who can appreciate how cool these are can try them out.” Hunter hands the drumsticks to Luz and immediately regrets it as she wails away at the tactless drums. 

“How was that?!” Luz asks excitedly. 

Hunter uncovers his ears, “That was awful! Haha!” Hunter answers while laughing, and decides to loosen up and show Luz and King some of the things they procured at the market. 

While showing Luz and King his new belongings, Eda pops her head in the doorway as Raine walks by behind her, “We'll be downstairs smooching up a storm if you need us.”

“Eda! We're making dinner!” Raine shouts from the stairwell.

“Oh yeah,” she snorts, “dinner also happens to be being made.”

“You owe me more pomade, Eda. Your kid ate my brand new jar.”

“She was probably hungry.”

“Not her! King!”

“Sure, sure, put it on my tab,” she says as she waves her hand dismissively and heads for the stairs.

Raine is busy slicing kraken legs while Eda sneaks downstairs quietly.

She grins as she sneaks up behind them and starts tickling their backside.

"Ah! Haha! E-haha-Eda! I have a knife in my hand!"

“I’m a dangerous flirt, you should know that by now,” she cackles.

Raine sighs happily after Eda stops tickling them. 

Eda puts the bag she brought with her on the counter and begins to help prep dinner. 

"Does Luz have any allergies I should know about?"

"I'll actually be making Luz's food that I brought over from our place, since she has a different digestive system."

"A restrictive diet. Wow; that must be tough."

"We make do,” she says with a tender smile. “So! Have you and Hunter gotten used to living together yet?" 

“Oh yeah, I’d say we’re doing well. I think it helps that we communicate a lot. He also likes order and schedules, so our days have become pretty routine. Our days start at 6 am-”

“Dang! That’s early!”

Raine smiles nervously, “Haha, yeah, I talked him down from waking up at 4 am every morning. But that also means we get a lot done during the day. After our daily ablutions-”

Eda scrunches up her face at Raine. 

“Um, after we brush our teeth and wash our face,” Raine says to clarify and smiles when Eda nods her head.

“we have breakfast together. Sometimes I’ll cook and sometimes he’ll cook. After breakfast, I usually have paperwork or other tasks from Lilith I need to complete and he stays occupied in his room with his books and drumsticks. He’s also been watching more crystal ball lately. After I’m done with my paperwork, I give them a one-on-one lesson with an actual drumset and then he usually does his daily exercise routine before he takes a shower at 4. Then I take my shower at 5 before coming downstairs to prepare dinner. Usually we just mutually relax in the living room until bedtime around 10 pm. Or we’ll call Darius and bug him. That’s always fun. I think the routine comforts Hunter.”

"Ah, so now I know to stop by at 5 pm," Eda says. Raine raises an eyebrow questiongly and Eda responds by raising her eyebrows and winking.

Raine pushes their palm against Eda’s cheek and rubs slime on her cheek, "Haha, Sure! I can take a shower upstairs and then I can help hose you down in the yard. How long exactly does it take to wash your hair? Do you have to check King isn’t in there before you shower?"

Eda playfully retaliates by wiping some of Luz’s goo tofu on Raine’s cheek, “Shaddup, yah little snot!”

“Hey, I just showered!” Raine exclaims with a feigned face of annoyance.

“Whatever, dingbat! What do you think I did before we arrived here?” She says with a smile, “Kraken slime is a lot more difficult to remove than goo tofu,” she says as she starts washing her hands of the goo and wiping off the slime from her cheek with a damp towel. Eda spots Raine attempting to wipe the goo off on their sleeve. She walks over to Raine with the damp towel and begins to aggressively wipe off the goo from their cheek, causing their glasses to shift upwards on their face. Raine takes a moment from chopping the ingredients as Eda gently removes their glasses from their face and seems to inspect them. Raine flinches slightly as Eda leans in to kiss their cheek before she repositions their glasses back on the bridge of their nose, “There. All better.”

Raine gulps nervously and goes back to rapidly chopping as a blush spreads across their face, much to Eda’s amusement.

Raine looks away blushing and clears their throat, "I-I’m gonna put the ingredients in the pot now. Did you wanna use the other burner for Luz’s food?”

“Yes, that’ll work,” Eda says with a smile and stands beside Raine at the stove as they both put ingredients into their separate pots.

“Is he still having night terrors every night?”

Raine’s eyes sadden and they sigh, “Yes…and no. If he doesn’t wake up screaming, he usually just has a nightmare. I almost hate sending him to bed sometimes. I’m hoping as time passes, the war won’t weigh on his mind as much. The events are just too fresh right now, y’know. Maybe the days he has night terrors or nightmares will decrease as he has his own good dreams and memories. I think it’s just gonna take time. For now, we’re getting by with the mind-meld spell.”

Eda leans her head down to make eye contact with Raine, “Just don’t overdo it, okay Raine? I know I said you could do the mind-meld every night, but you're starting to get light bags under your eyes like Hunter.”

“Haha! We’ll look even more like parent and child.” 

Raine’s smile fades as Eda continues to stare at them with concern, “Right. I’ll try to do better.”

Raine stirs the pot of kraken stew, “Can you toss me the scary spice?”

“Sure, here you go.” Eda lobs the season shaker to Raine, but it ends up bouncing off their arm and onto the floor.

“Whoops, sorry Raine. I’m surprised you didn’t catch that.”

“Yeeaahh, I’ve been a little slow with my reflexes lately,” they explain as they lean down to pick up the shaker, “I also didn't catch something else that someone unexpectedly threw at me at the market.”

“Whaddya mean? Someone throw something at you?” 

“Yeah, a clerk threw my receipt at me after I purchased clothes for Hunter. Seems he was a loyalist and called me a ‘turncloak.’”

“Aw, Raine! I can’t believe that happened to you! You freakin’ saved whoever that jerk was and this is how they repay you. Really boils my blood.”

“Do others treat you like that Eda?”

Eda furrows her eyebrows before she hides her emotions behind a wry smile, “Yeah. Worse even after I lost my powers. And shopkeeps didn’t even want to do business with me leading up to the Day of Unity. But, it’s whatever you know,” Eda says as she shrugs her shoulders.

Raine sets down the seasoning and walks over to Eda to pull her into a sudden hug, “I’m so sorry you had to go through all of that Eda.” Eda blushes from Raine’s sincerity and sappiness, and is elated when the stew starts to boil over.

“Your food is spilling.”

“Oh no!” 

Eda rubs her arms as Raine’s warmth leaves her as they check on the hot pot.

After turning the heat down on the stove, Raine sits down at the dining room table, “What were we talking about?”

“Your day at the market.” 

“Oh right! And that wasn’t the only thing that happened that day.”

Eda sits adjacent to Raine at the table and listens, “There was a robbery taking place in one of the shops in the market and Hunter tried to detain the thieves. With him lacking magic, and everyone else gaining magic, he got beat up pretty bad.”

“Oh, Titan…What did you do?”

“I managed to help Hunter, but prioritizing his safety means the criminals got away, which he wasn’t too happy about. But he was pretty drained and fainted from an earache.”

“Did you take him to the healers again?”

“No. Now that I have more magic at my disposal, I was able to use a bard healing spell I concocted. That cleared up most of the injuries. Sigh, I looked away for a moment and he got hurt on my watch. I need to do better. Hunter deserves that…I feel awful about it."

Eda covers their hand with hers, "You don’t have to beat yourself up over your mistakes. They happened, you learned from them, and you said so yourself. You've vowed to do better. Hell, Luz still sleeps in a sleeping bag on the floor with King and they both almost die several times due to my negligence.” 

“Thaaaat’s not something to be proud of. You really should try harder, Eda,” Raine reprimands. Eda huffs, “What I’m saying is, you don't have to be perfect, Raine. You just...have to be there . When they really need you."

Raine stares down at the tabletop and considers Eda’s advice, "So are you more there for Luz than you were before?"

"Well, yes, but now that she knows the Boiling Isles a bit better, I've been able to give her a little more freedom now too." 

“Well, with everyone getting their magic back, she’ll still wanna be careful about who she runs into.”

“Not everyone got their magic back, Raine,” Eda half-heartedly smiles.

“Oh! Eda! I’m sorry-”

Eda snorts, “No, no, it’s fine. It would’ve been nice to get my magic back, but I’m able to make due with my Harpy powers and glyph magic.”

Raine raises their eyebrows in concern for Eda, who has a bad habit of pretending to be strong when she doesn’t need to be.

“Don’t look at me like that, Raine. Haha, honestly, my lacking magic fits in with our family dynamic. What with Luz and Lily lacking magic and your kid lacking magic too.”

“Gosh, what a group of hopers, jokers, and rogues we are.”

“What?” Eda asks as she scrunches up her face and smiles.

Raine shakes their head, yet smiles as well, “I don’t know. Guess I’m saying we’re made for each other.”

Raine clears their throat, “Back to discussing the kids. Hunter specifically. I would appreciate some advice on how to get him more accustomed to freedom and socializing, eehhh, appropriately with others.”

Eda raises an eyebrow at Raine, so they elaborate.

“Hunter was cooped up in that castle for so long, he's not used to freedom. He's used to authority and discipline." 

"Then boss the kid around if that's what he wants."

"No, no. That'd only encourage his current mindset. He needs more socialization to build up his social skills and understanding of the world around him. For the past couple of weeks, he’s been stuck here at the townhouse, cleaning .

“That’s…nice? I’m failing to see the issue here.”

“He swept, mopped, cleaned the bathrooms, organized the kitchen and the hall closet, did my laundry, and probably other stuff I haven’t even noticed!”

"Wow! Can I borrow him sometime?"

Raine smiles and shakes their head before continuing, "My point is, I think he feels like he has to do those things to ingratiate himself to me."

Eda stares blankly at them.

"To appease me! To get in my good graces! Like I'm his king now."

"Did someone say King!" King shouts as they peek over the dining table.

"Not now, King," says Eda.

Raine hands King a spider roll from a jar on the table and King is pleased, "I accept your offering," and runs away back upstairs.

Raine continues after they know King has left, "And not only cleaning. He wants to help me in whatever I’m working on. Everytime I turned around for the past few days, he was right there. I don't mind him helping me, but I don't want him to feel like he has to serve me…" 

Raine asks with their hands open, "Does that make sense?"

“Hmm, well. You said yourself that y’all communicate frequently. So. Even though it’s uncomfortable, talk about how you are feeling with him.”

“But I worry I’ll make him feel bad.”

“Then explain that too.”

“Hmm, I guess you have a point…” Raine rubs the side of their neck anxiously.

“As for the other thing, I would suggest he invites his friends over, but his closest friend right now seems to be Darius,” Eda says with a snort.

“Oh! Actually, he does have friends! Remember! They were at the party!”

“Oh! I mistook them for Luz’s friends.”

“I think they share a friend group. Anyways, I can invite them over or set up a playdate or something!” Raine explains excitedly.

Eda laughs, “He’s kinda old for a ‘playdate,’ but I guess he is kind of new to these kind of experiences. I’ll let Luz know. I’m sure she’ll be just as excited as you are. She needs a break from working on the portal anyways.”

“Oh yeah, how’s that coming along?”

“Great! It’s almost done. Probably just a couple of minor kinks to work  out, and locating a new power source, and she’ll be good to…go…” Eda chokes up a little and Raine squeezes her hand to offer what little comfort they can.

Eda quickly wipes her eye, clears her throat, and changes the topic, “Um, speaking of ‘playdates,’ would you like to go on a date tomorrow?” Eda asks with a soft smile.

"Oh…Eda. I...I would love to, but I have a few errands to run tomorrow to help with the Isles’ restoration. And I should probably notify Hunter in advance before I mess with his newly established routine." 

"Oh, sure, yeah, of course, no problem," Eda says quickly, mildly bothered, but trying to be understanding. Raine thanks Eda and clasps Eda’s hand with both of their hands, "How about we visit the owl house next week?" Raine offers as they stroke their thumb over the back of Eda's hand. Eda glances down at the table and then back at Raine with alight eyes, "I'd like that."

After King ran back upstairs, he informed Hunter on what he learned in the kitchen.

“Your spy has returned, now pay up!" King says as he runs over to Hunter sitting in his desk chair.

"Quiet! You owe me for eating the stuff I put in my hair! I know Eda well enough that she's not gonna pay her tab." 

"I'm telling you it was delicious fire bee jelly!” 

“King!” Hunter shouts between gritted teeth impatiently.

“Okay, okay, anyways...yup, they are talking about you down there.”

“Sigh, I knew it,” Hunter looks upset. 

“Hold on, Hunter. King, were they saying good things or bad things?” Luz asks from Hunter’s bed.

“Hmm, I don’t really know. They said you were treating them like a king. I think it made them uncomfortable from what I could tell.”

“No, that can’t be it,” says Hunter, “I obviously didn’t do enough chores. Tomorrow, I’ll clean the chimney!” He says with his fist pumped in the air.

“Ehh, I don’t think that’s such a good idea. You’re no Santa and you could get stuck up there.”

“I don’t know who that is, and I don’t care! I won’t get stuck.”

“Yes, you will!”

“Oh! And another thing,” King announces, “I also heard them say you got hurt at a fight at the market? That seemed to upset them too.”

“Oh, man!” Hunter buries his face in his hands, “I got hurt and Raine got mad. I have to get better at fighting so I don’t lose again! Luz! Teach me more glyph magic now!”

“Hold on, Hunter. I know parents can get mad when they are upset we did something, but sometimes they also get mad when we get hurt because it hurts them too.”

“No it doesn’t. You should have seen Raine. They were so cool when they used bard magic to scare away the bad guys. And they didn’t get hurt at all. Unlike me. Who had to be carried home like a baby.”

“Be that as it may, you have to consider that there is someone else who cares if you get hurt. You’re not the only one who worries about you anymore…If you’re not gonna be careful for yourself, you should at least be careful for their sake.”

Hunter glances back and forth between Luz and the floor as he listens.

“You don’t have to earn their love, Hunter. You already have it.” 

“Yeah! Even if you don’t clean the house top to bottom!” King adds.

Hunter glances at them and half smiles.

“I’ll…consider that. Thank you.”

“Kids! It’s time for dinner!” they hear Eda shout up the stairwell.

"Coming!" Luz shouts in response.

The three of them begin to walk down the short hallway, when Hunter pats Luz on the shoulder.

"Hey, um," Hunter says as he rubs the side of his neck and looks away.

Luz smiles and raises an eyebrow.

"Thank you...for listening."

"Anytime, Hunter. Race you downstairs!" she yells as she makes her way down the stairwell.

"I shall be victorious!" King shouts.

"That's not fair! You're riding on Luz's shoulders, King! After dinner we're having a fair and regulated race back up the stairs!"

"No, you're not!" shouts Raine. "You can take the race outside. Now, let's enjoy our food together." 

After dinner, Raine and Eda moderate five races amongst Hunter, Luz, and King. 

Hunter wins three of the races.

Luz wins one because she trips Hunter.

And they both agree to let King win the final race to alleviate the pain of having tiny legs.

Chapter Text

Raine followed through with their plan to organize a get-together for Hunter and his friends. They all headed up to the Knee to enjoy some wintery fun, while Raine and Darius worked on some Restoration ideas and paperwork. 

Raine slaps the ground and creates a one-room cabin with their new construction magic and the kids agree to stay within ear-shot. 

Darius would have helped make the cabin, but his attempt was too...gooey.

Raine knocks on the side of the cabin with their knuckle, "And it's structurally sound !" they say with a cheeky grin.

Raine looks over at Darius who simply raises an eyebrow.

"I was expecting applause after that joke."

"Eda isn't here, Raine."

"Oh right," Raine pouts slightly.

"Miss her already, you old sap?"

"Shaddup," Raine responds embarrassedly. "...sigh, but yeah…" they quietly admit as they enter the cabin, "Haven't had a chance to have a date with just the two of us with no kids around."

The pair sit on opposite sides of the bench table and begin writing down ideas.

Raine quietly stares at their paperwork before speaking, "Hey Darius, would you-"

"No."

"You didn't let me finish!"

"You were gonna ask if I could babysit. The answer is no."

"Aw, come ooooonnn."

"No. I'm not gonna ruin my evenings so you can get jiggy with your girlfriend."

"It's-! It's not! We-!"

"Mm-hm."

Raine slams a book on the desk and opens it to a random page and seethes with embarrassment. 

The matter Darius and Raine hash out while at the cabin is the planned effort to rebuild the town that was burnt down at the Knee, motivated by the idea of building on the ashes of the past.

While they are discussing local taskforce ideas, of which Darius will lead, and the idea of the former BATS offering their services, the cabin door busts open. 

A demon leaps in the air and shouts menacingly at the nonchalant Darius and Raine, "Alright yee wankers! Surrender the cabin and no one gets hur-!!"

Darius effortlessly squishes him against the wall with his extended abomination goo and sits him down against the wall adjacent to their table to keep an eye on him.

"As I was saying," Raine continues nonplussed. 

Outside the cabin, Hunter, Luz, Amity, Willow, Gus, Skara, and Viney compete to see who can build the 'coolest' ice sculpture.

Amity giggles when Luz winks and admits, "Pun intended." Luz loudly blows a whistle to begin the voting.

The kids turn their heads when they hear Eda fly overhead in harpy mode and loudly crunch in the snow when she lands.

"Eda!" The kids, except for Hunter, shout excitedly.

"Hey kids!" She greets with a toothy grin.

"What are you doing here? I thought you were busy with the Bat Queen?" Luz asks happily surprised.

"She let me off early. I was getting some fresh air through my feathers and decided to see how y'all were doing."

"We're doing great!"

Eda looks around, "Where's the adult supervision?" she says in reference to Raine and Darius.

Willow points up the snowy hill, "They're in the cabin up the hill. They said to scream if we needed help."

"Uh-huh," Eda responds with a smirk and knows Darius is the one who most likely advised that.

"We did hear some shouting from the cabin earlier though," Gus adds, "I think they were attacked."

"What!?"

Eda flies away before the kids finish telling her they probably already took care of the matter.

The kids shrug, "Oh well. They'll figure it out." 

The kids return to their activities, and after several recounts, Amity's detailed ice sculpture was voted the best. The kids then move on to a fearsome snowball fight. 

Back at the cabin, Eda wastes no time in making an entrance and busts straight through the roof of the cabin in harpy mode.

"What the hell, Eda!?" Darius shouts angrily.

"Raine!? Are you okay!?"

"I'm here too!" he shouts even more agitated.

Eda stares at Raine and Darius who are sitting at a bench table littered with books and paper.

"Uh, I heard...y'all were attacked?"

Raine quickly places their hand on the floor and seals up the roof with their magic to keep the weather out.

Eda reverts to her normal winter coat and cap, and her eyes fall to the figure against the wall. She recognizes them.

"Hey Basil! What are you doing here?" she asks the restrained demon on the floor.

"Eda! Help a guy out?" the newly named would-be attacker pleads.

"Of course she knows him," Darius grumbles.

"That's right," Eda points to herself with her thumb and grins, "Feared by my enemies and revered by my accomplices."

She walks over to Basil, puts her back against the wall, crosses her arms, and slides down to sit beside him on the floor. 

"Basil, this is my partner, Raine," she announces, gesturing with her hand.

"How'd do yah do," Basil says with a slight bow of his head to Raine.

"Hi," Raine returns the surprisingly polite greeting with a small wave.

"And their partner against crime, THE ray of sunshine: Darius."

"Nice to meet yah," Basil bows again with a small smile.

"Hmph," Darius huffs before returning to his writing.

Eda gestures with her head at Basil and asks, "What's he in for?"

"Disturbing the peace," Darius replies with annoyance.

"Not exactly," Raine corrects, "He's the one who attacked us. So he is being detained."

"What'd you do that for, Basil?"

"What does it matter? He abused magic and behaved violently," Darius asserts.

"Sigh, Basil..."

"I was cold...there was this cabin," they gesture with their hands, "in the middle of nowhere."

"Sigh, you could've asked if you could come in from the cold."

"No one's gonna agree to let a stranger in. Not if they're smart."

"First thing you've said that I agree with," Darius says.

Raine quietly observes Eda as she sits on the floor beside the offender.

Eda is...so cool. The way she can sit and talk with just about anyone. Criminal or not. If people had a fraction of her selflessness and compassion...people, the Isles, and everything in it would be better off. Could our taskforces learn something from her example? Maybe I should ask if she would lend us her influence.  And if she joins...we'll be able to spend more time together.

"Eda, would you wanna join the taskforce board?"

"What?" Eda says with slight shock.

"What?" Darius concurs with incredulity.

"I'm just thinking it'd be a good idea to have someone that has lived on the other side of the law to help guide the criminals of the Isles to a more...appropriate path."

"And be like the emperor's goons who used to chase me nonstop?"

"Well, we are trying to construct a taskforce that will replace the former Emperor's guards and minions."

"I'm sorry, Raine. I'd love to help, but I don't think that's for me," she declines with a demure smile.

"Yeah," Darius agrees, "she's more suited to running a shelter for wayward children."

"Hmm," Eda ruminates, "you know, that's not a bad idea. They don't call me 'Mama Eda' for nothing."

Raine smiles, "We could run the idea by Lilith and see if we can get approval to construct a permanent building!"

"You serious?" Eda asks with upturned eyebrows.

"Well, yeah, why not? Got anything better to do?"

"Uh, well, my life has been one on the run. And ever since Luz came into my life, I've been focused on her. And then the whole fight with Belos killed some time," Eda explains while glancing at the ceiling.

"But...she'll be going home soon, right? What will you do after that?"

Eda's eyes lower and she stares at her feet.

"I think yah should seriously consider it," Basil says as he nudges her shoulder, still tied up with abomination goo.

Eda looks warily at Basil, "Jus' imagine it. Kids will run down the alleyways screamin' for joy at the sight of the kind and powerful 'Mama Eda.'"

Darius snickers, "Yeah, then somebody besides Raine will be screaming 'Mama Eda,'" Darius teases.

"I do not!! We haven't even-!" Raine cuts off their thought abruptly as Darius coyly stares at them, Raine having unintentionally revealed too much about their relationship.

"Ergh!" Raine slams an open book on the table and shields their face with it.

"AHAHAHA!" Darius laughs heartily, "I'm starting to think it's not too bad having you around Basil."

After regathering their patience, Raine adds to the proposed idea, "Often times, a path towards criminality starts at an early age. If Eda fosters them, we'll have fewer witches and demons grow up to commit crimes like Basil. Um, no offence."

"No, yah right," Basil agrees with a slight shrug, "If I had had someone like Eda as a youngun, I might not've become like this."

"Hmm, well if Eda isn't accepting the job offer," Darius begins, "would you like to apply for the job of acting as an assistant liason with local rougheons?"

"Really?" Basil asks with astonishment.

"You can consider it community payback, but unlike volunteer work, it comes with a living stipend and housing," Darius explains.

Basil has to hold back grateful tears, "Y-you can't be serious..."

"Alriiight, and a food stipend as well. But only because you twisted my arm," Darius says with a wink.

Eda punches Basil's arm in congratulations and smiles tenderly at Raine. They communicate with their gaze and both understand how sweet a guy Darius can be. 

"Wow, it's crowded in here," Hunter says as he enters the cabin with Willow in his arms.

"Hey, kid! Perfect timing!" Eda says with a smile before squinting her eyes, "Wait, why are you carrying Willow bridal-style?"

Hunter sets Willow down on her feet.

"The snow was pretty deep and Captain kept sinking in. We're also pretty cold, so we came in to warm up and dry off. We couldn't make a fire survive outside with all the snow."

"Where are the others?"

"They're still competing. We voted on ice sculptures before we had a...uh..." 

"Snowball fight," Willow answers. 

"Yes. That. Surprisingly, you don't fight until you lose consciousness."

"What sculptures did y'all make?" Darius asks.

"We're not telling you," Hunter huffs.

"Oh come on. Couldn't have been that bad," Darius prods.

"I made...a ball of ice."

"Hahaha!" Darius and Eda laugh.

"Mergh! This is why I wasn't gonna tell you!"

"Haha," Willow giggles, "it was a neat ball of ice though. Perfectly smooth and spherical."

Hunter can't help but blush from the compliment.

"And you, Willow?" Raine asks

"Ehh," she scratches the back of her head nervously as she crouches down to sit on the floor.

"Ice magic isn't really my specialty," she explains as she creates some wood logs and twigs to burn.

"Don't be modest, Captain," Hunter says as he sits beside her on the floor, "I thought the tree you made out of ice spikes was beautiful. I voted for you."

Willow stares at Hunter's smiling face before turning away, bright red. Hunter furrows his brow as to why she won't look at him and leans his head down in an attempt to make eye contact.

"Can I get a little help with the fire?" Willow asks nervously, hoping to change the subject.

"Sure." Raine rises from their seat and walks over to the pile of wood. They form a small circle with their index finger and a small fire floats momentarily in the air before they flick the fire towards the logs which engulfs them in a warm flame. Darius solidifies some goo to use as a heat pan to contain the fire.

Raine walks back to their seat and Eda tilts her head to get a better look at Raine's backside as they walk across the room.

"I saw that," Darius says, still staring at his writing.

Eda rolls her eyes but smiles.

Raine sits back down at the table, oblivious to the exchange. 

"What were y'all talking about?" Hunter asks.

"Oh right!" Eda begins now that her memory was jogged, "How do you kids feel about referring to me as Mama Eda?"

Willow and Hunter stare and then exchange glances before turning back to Eda.

"I think it'd be nice," Willow responds with a smile, "I have two dads and I love them to pieces, but it'd be nice to shout for mom every once in a while. I'm down for it."

Hunter fidgets with his hands and scrunches up his face, "Raine didn't propose did they?"

Darius laughs as Raine splutters.

"Haha, no kid. Not yet anyways," Eda says with a wink, "And you can call me Mama Eda if you want Willow, but I was primarily asking about it in a more formal context."

Willow and Hunter raise their eyebrows simultaneously.

"You lost me."

"Darius and Raine here had an idea for me to run a foster program for wayward kids and teens. For lack of a better example, kids like Hunter, who need a place to turn to for help and guidance."

"That's incredible! I don't think we have anything of its kind here on the Isles. You'd be a pioneer!"

"The hell is a 'pie-on-ear?'"

"Luz explained it once when she referred to herself. She said it's someone who is willing to create or do something new!"

"Well hot dang! That's me to a T."

"And, it's not like you don't have experience with fostering and adoptions, Eda," Willow continues, "You raised and adopted King and you even coordinated that palisman adoption event at Hexside!"

"That's right! Maybe I could streamline any kids without schooling into Hexside, like I did with Luz!"

"A school full of delinquents?" Hunter asks skeptically.

"I know right!? Bumpykins is gonna have a heart attack at that idea," she explains with a snort.

"By the way, I'm surprised Raine's old St. Epiderm uniform fit you, kid. The red color looks good on you."

"Thanks! With the sewing skills I learned from Darius, I was able to let out the fabric on the sides," he explains with a bashful smile and scratches the back of his head, the action of which causes the fabric of his tunic to stretch too far.

RRRIIIIP!

One of the seams in the back of the uniform rips open. 

"Oh man!"

"Don't worry, Hunter. I've got it," Willow forms a circle near Hunter's back and a thin vine pieces together a patch and seals the opening.

"Phew. Thank you, Captain."

Raine sighs, "I guess we'll have to go back to the market and get you a new coat sooner than we expected. This was more cost-effective for the moment, and their school uniform was made with the cold weather in mind, but-"

"I don't mind the hand-me-downs, Raine," Hunter interjects.

"That's good to know, but it'd also be...troublesome if someone thought you were a student there. We'll go to the market and get you a new winter coat. We'll just choose a different shop this time."

"Hm? Did something happen?" Willow asks.

"Yeah, we ended up shopping at a loyalist's shop a few weeks ago." 

"Should we have them arrested?" Darius asks.

"Sigh, nooo. If we start arresting them without a crime being done, we'll just look hypocritical and stoke more anti-rebellion sentiment." 

Raine pauses before continuing their thought, "The ones we do need to capture are the ones who caused a ruckus in the street. ...Basil, as a criminal, would you happen to know of a criminal crew with a leader who uses bard magic?"

"Hmmm," he thinks aloud, "there was a crew known as the BATs..."

"Um, we've crossed them off our list of suspects," Raine says with a blush. "Anyone else it could be? Someone who commands an arrow?"

"Oh, aye! There is one I can recall. An underground crew known as 'sin-esthesia.'"

Raine and Darius glance at each other and then silently nod their heads in agreement. 

Out of the corner of his eye, Darius spots Willow and Hunter getting cozy under Hunter's cape. Darius stands up and drags Hunter across the floor by his collar and sits him beside his seat.

"Aw, they were cute. What'd you do that for?" Raine asks.

"Harvey would kill me if I didn't protect his daughter."

Willow stands up and drags Hunter back across the floor and hugs Hunter from behind, "Excuse me, I don't need protection. I can take care of myself, thank you very much.  Here, have a honeysuckle, Hunter."

They raise their eyebrows at Willow's declaration while Hunter wordlessly accepts the offered treat.

"I think Willow won that round," Raine indicates with a neutral expression, returning to their paperwork. Darius does as well with a scowl.

"Ahem," Willow begins after clearing her throat, "Hello Basil. I don't think we've met."

"Hello miss. I was the attacker turned informant."

"Oh wow. Another enemy to friend."

Hunter looks at him, "Bah-zil?"

"That's mah name. Pleasure to meet yah, young sir."

"It's a nice name. I have an affinity for plant names," says Willow. 

While Willow, Basil, and Eda chat, Darius scowls at Raine and wordlessly demands them to pick up a pink secret-meeting jewell off the table.

Raine sighs and begrudgingly agrees to participate in the secret-meeting.

R: What? 

D: You know what.

R: You heard her yourself; she doesn't need protection.

D: No, but he does.

Raine blushes at the subtle double entendre.

R: From who?

D: Don't play dumb, Raine.

R: Hunter doesn't mean her any harm. 

D: I know that, but Harvey doesn't. All Harvey will see is a 'Hunter.' 

Darius emphatically explains. 

R: I guess that's true. Harvey really needs to relax though. 

D: Well, he's got Gilbert who is relaxed enough for the both of them.

D: Listen Raine. You are raising a son. You will have to teach him about boundaries. About respect. And about the, ahem… birds and the bees .

Raine visibly blushes.

R: He's not a bird or a bee yet. He's still just a kid...

D: But he will be! Do you expect Willow to teach him about this stuff?

R: No, of course not!

D: Then if he's not gonna learn about it in school, it's your parental responsibility to teach him.

R: If you're so adamant about it, why don't you teach him?

D: Simple. Not my job. I get to enjoy the life of a bachelor and you get to raise kids with Eda. Think of it as practice for when Eda has you have the talk with King.

Raine stays still, but glances in Eda's direction.

R: Still! It's too early! They're too young!

D: Tell him he has to be more careful when hanging out with Willow!

R: He's not gonna hurt her! He just got his freedom and I don't want to be another bully for Hunter! 

D: That's ridiculous!

R: You're ridiculous!

The onlookers watch the heated final moments of the private conversation until Darius suddenly crushes the jewell in his hand.

"Great!" Raine exclaims in frustration. "Now we have to buy more secret-meeting jewells!"

"Don't worry, I'll replace it. Yeesh."

"Can you also untie Basil now, Darius?" Eda asks on his behalf.

"No. They may be a new member of the taskforce, but they will still need to reflect on their actions for a little while longer."

"I can live with that," Basil says with a shrug, "I'm gonna take a nap then," and proceeds to immediately hang his head and begin to snore.

Darius grumbles while the other cabin attendees giggle at the exchange. 

Eda rises from her seat on the floor and sits beside Raine on the bench who is trying to calm down. She leans on the table with her arms crossed and gazes at Raine, "I hate to interrupt your work more than I already have," Eda says with a cheeky grin that makes Raine smile and say, "Sure you do."

Eda smuggles her laughter, "But are you still coming over tomorrow?"

"We are. Isn't that right, Hunter?" Raine leans back in their seat.

Hunter straightens his posture and announces, "Yes! We will visit the owl house after breakfast from 10 am to 5 pm per request! After which, we will have dinner at home as usual!"

Raine nods in approval, "See? It's all planned out," they say with a tender smile. Eda lightly grips the side of her arms and smirks at their family dynamic, but is pleased that they have added her into their scheduled life.

Chapter Text

In the morning, as Hunter and Raine are preparing to leave for the owl house, Raine reminds them of the day’s general plan.

“Okay you two. We're visiting Eda, Luz, King, and Hooty today and-”

“Tweet tweet!”

“Yes, Flapjack, and Owlbert.”

Raine helps adjust Hunter’s shoulder bag as they exit the townhouse, “And we're gonna be on our best behavior, right?” 

“Right!” Hunter answers promptly with his fist over his chest.

Raine smiles, “And all of us will have a good time. It’ll be a nice break from the taskforce operations.”

Meanwhile, at the owl house: “Okay, everyone! This is not a drill! Operation Lovenest will be carried out today!” Eda shouts to her owl house crew politely seated on the living room floor.

“We will do whatever we can to give Raine and I some alone time!”

“ROGER!” Luz and King shout with a forehead salute.

“KAHOOOT!!” Hooty shouts in agreement.

"This may be a bit rude, but do whatever you can to keep Hunter entertained and busy, alright?"

"Yes, ma'am!” Luz shouts as she holds up her Raeda fanart, “I already have a small journal of you two! See! And I will do whatever it takes to make your love story a happy one!" Luz explains with an intense expression.

"Wow...I appreciate your enthusiasm!" Eda responds slightly uncomfortable.

“We're gonna play catch together!” King exclaims.

“Great! And Hooty, you're on guard duty! Make sure no one comes within 30 feet of the house.” 

“You got it m’am!”

Eda raises her pointer stick in the air and shouts, “Operation LoveNest is about to commence!”

The two groups converge with seemingly opposing itineraries for the day.

Raine and Hunter drop from their staff to the ground promptly at 10 am.

"Hey everyone!" Raine shouts as everyone is already outside.

The owl house crew immediately begin their operation of separating Hunter from Raine.

"Hey Hunter!" Luz shouts. "Do you want to play 'extreme catch' with King and me?"

"What's extreme catch?"

Luz wraps her elbow around Hunter's arm and drags him across the field, "Great question! It's a game King and I developed. We'll show you!"

Raine starts to follow them, but Eda quickly pulls them back, “Where do you think you’re going?”

“To play…catch?” Raine responds with slight confusion.

“Oh, we’re gonna play something,” Eda says with a suggestive eyebrow wiggle. She starts to drag them to the side of the house.

“Hey, Eda, I wanted to ask you somethin-”

Eda isn't listening as she peers around the corner to make sure the kids, especially Hunter, aren't near, "Now that he's distracted-!"

"Eda, I was thinking-MMH!?" Raine’s sentence is quickly cut off as Eda pushes them against the side of the house and seals their lips in a passionate and desperate kiss.

"Wha-MMPH!?" Raine mumbles against Eda’s lips.

Eda lets Raine breathe momentarily as she kisses their face and neck and whispers in-between kisses, "Let's head upstairs to my room."

"E-Eda!? Mm!?"

It's difficult for Raine to answer, or think at all, with Eda pressing against every inch of them.

But the spell is broken when Eda gets a little too aggressive, "Ow! You bit me." 

"Oh! Henh, sorry, Rainestorm. You just smell so dang sweet!"

"That's probably my aloe vera lotion," they respond as they sniff their forearm.

Eda leans forward to attack their neck again when Raine raises their arms in a defensive position, "Wait! W-what are you doing?!"

Eda stares at Raine with confusion at their question, "Uhh, embracing the love of my life?"

"Oh," Raine blushes at Eda's candidness, "While I appreciate that...could you wait until our first date?" Raine asks with a nervous smile.

"This is our first date," Eda declares at Raine's confusing remark.

"What? No, this is just a social visit."

"It is?...Oh..." Eda pouts.

"I mean! Not that I don't want to go on a date with you! But I was planning on asking you to go...dancing for our first date."

"...I see..." Eda quietly responds.

"Could we just talk today?" Raine asks with a smile.

Raine shivers as Eda suddenly grips their clothing. Eda clutches Raine’s short jacket and experiences an inner battle. She wants to carry Raine up the stairs and make love to them, but she also wants to be a good partner and listen to her partner's feelings.

"Mmm," Eda groans and tries a final time to convince Raine by raising her knee between Raine's inner thighs, "Are you sure?"

Raine jolts slightly at the contact and has to steady themself, "As persuasive as you are...yes."

Eda groans in frustration, but leans away from the wall, "Sigh, okay. We can talk in the kitchen while the kids play in the front of the house."

"I guess I don't necessarily have to call off Operation Lovenest, since they'll be keeping Hunter busy no matter what anyways," she whispers to herself with her hands on her hips.

"What?" Raine asks while straightening their clothes up.

"Nothing. Haha, we'll try again later," she says quickly as she starts walking towards the back of the house but Raine remains standing still against the wall.

Eda stares at them. "Got you all hot and bothered, huh?" She asks with a mischievous grin.

Raine turns away red in the face with their fist covering their quivering mouth, "Just give me a moment."

After giving Raine some time to catch their breath and physically calm down, they follow Eda to the kitchen and sit at the large dining table to chat.

In the front yard, the kids enjoy the good weather and play extreme catch.

"Launch me!" King screams at Hooty as he stands on Hooty's back. 

Hooty wiggles his body and slings King into the air. Luz throws the ball high into the air using a fire glyph and King uses his glove to catch the fast ball as he spins and falls towards the ground.

"CATCH!" Luz shouts to Hunter.

"I've got him!"

Hunter quickly runs towards King and jumps up in the air and catches him before landing back on his feet.

"He was falling extremely fast towards the ground, Luz!!" Hunter shouts with an intense expression.

"That's why it's called extreme catch!” King excitedly exclaims with his hands in the air, “If you don't catch me, I die! Haha!"

"Let's do it again! Even higher this time!"

"Leeets not!" Hunter politely shouts as he sets King down.

"Luz! How's your portal coming along?" Hunter asks to distract them from playing another round of extreme catch.

Luz looks away nervously, "There seems to be some connectivity issues."

"It's plugged in right?"

"Yes, Mr. Smartypants. It'll power up but the portal won't form."

"Have you tried turning it off and back on again?"

"Thanks Portal IT," Luz answers bitterly with her hands on her hips.

Hunter raises an eyebrow, not understanding what Luz has just said.

"Siiiggghh" Luz groans. "Can't we just go back to our game of catch?"

"Come on, Luz,” Hunter says as he walks over, “The sooner we get this fixed, the sooner you get to go home. I'll take a closer look at it."

"Sigh, that's what I'm worried about," Luz admits with a downtrodden face.

And her fears are soon realized as Hunter gets the portal up and running after an hour of working on it. 

But as soon as the portal forms, it suddenly collapses again.

"Hm, I don't know what we could be doing wrong," Hunter hums with his finger bent in front of his mouth in thought.

In the distance, Hooty locates King in the shadows, "What are you doing there, bud?" Hooty asks him. King doesn't respond. He simply and silently walks away from his hiding spot, leaving a cut wire behind him.

At the kitchen table, Eda and Raine chat about their lives.

“How has the palistrom forest work been going?” Raine asks.

“It’s fine. It can get a bit monotonous at times, but attending to the Bat Queen and her babies’ needs sure keeps things hectic. It’s been nice to see the trees and the baby bats grow though.”

“How has your taskforce work been?”

Raine exhales and tries not to frown, “Belos did so much damage to our culture. I know we’re witches and demons, but he was a monster compared to us. He introduced practices that we are currently trying to undo. And it’s mentally and emotionally exhausting.”

Raine goes quiet. Eda stares at them with concern but lets them explain further when they are ready.

“According to our intel sources at the nightmarket, Belos was able to acquire the raw materials for parts of his grimwalkers there. With the abundance of body parts bought and sold there, it would have been easy for Belos to make an army of them. And, it appears…that children body parts are inexpensive since there is such a high quantity of them. Unless they are derived from a rare source.”

Eda covers her mouth in disgust. 

Raine continues, “The taskforce believes that Hunter is a combination of body parts sourced from the nightmarket.”

Eda sighs, "The more I learn about that Belos guy, the less I like him."

Raine smirks and raises an eyebrow.

"It's a joke, Raine. Since I don't like him at all."

"Oh, I get it," Raine smirks and runs their hand over their hair, "Anywho, the Nightmarket is one of our major targets for renovation. Too many kids find their way there. And when someone offers to trade a tooth or other body part for food or shelter, some don't hesitate at all. I feel ill everytime I see a jar of eyeballs. What were they traded for...? Was it worth it...?"

Eda reaches across the table to hold Raine's hand. 

Raine smiles, grateful for the comfort, and continues their explanation, "Darius and Lilith are the main figures overseeing the taskforce besides me. And Derwin, Katya, and Amber have been assigned as on the ground level support. Eber, with the newly joined Basil, commands his own team of beasts that hunt down our targets."

Eda listens intently and has questions of her own,

“Will Hunter join you as part of the taskforce?”

“Oh, Titan no. Not if I can prevent it.” Raine understands the need to elaborate at Eda’s head tilt. “I don’t want him to see anymore pain…or experience anymore anguish…”

Eda rubs Raine’s hand, "Have you asked Hunter about taking over my position as a palisman carver and palistrom tree caretaker?"

Raine rubs their shoulder, "Not yet. We've been so busy lately, I haven't had the emotional energy to put into a large conversation like that. I don't know if he'll be up for the job because he wants it or because I ask him too."

"What do you mean?"

"He’ll do it if I ask him to because he thinks so highly of my opinion, but I want him to have an opinion about how to live the rest of his life too."

"There's nothing wrong with giving him a helpful nudge in the right direction, Raine. You make it sound like he's got some grand destiny."

"I know. It's kind of tough to explain. I mean, after finding out Belos made him to be used as a tool, I'd be fine if he didn't have a special destiny at all! There's nothing wrong with an average and carefree life," Raine grimaces.

"That's kind of you Raine, but he'll need to make money too. He'll be moving on with his own grown-up life and he'll need snails to do that.”

“And that’s another thing I want to dismantle. This whole arbitrary snail business,” Raine says suddenly with a fierce expression.

“Great! I love to hear that! But for now,” Eda tightens her grip on Raine’s hand, “Palistrom wood is a rare and hot commodity that could support himself and a family. I would know. My dad was able to and I’ve looked at the projections too. Even in a snail-less future, talents and skills will be necessary."

Raine exhales through their nose in disbelief, "You still surprise me at how wise and mature you can be Eda."

Eda smirks and retorts by putting her fingers at the edges of her mouth and stretching them into a grin and sticking her tongue out, which makes Raine laugh at her ridiculousness.

Raine wipes a happy tear from their eye before moving on to the next topic of conversation, "I also ordered a winter coat for Hunter and it should be delivered tomorrow afternoon."

"That sounds pricey."

"Engh," Raine groans to themself, "It was, but I couldn't help myself. It's a sturdy coat that will grow along with him. He'll never have to buy a winter jacket again. It's a valid investment."

"But?"

"Um, well...being on the taskforce board doesn't pay as much as when I was a coven head. I'll need to stop splurging soon, or Hunter and I will be in trouble," Raine says while solemnly staring at the table.

Eda stares at Raine's fallen expression and ventures an idea, "Raine?"

"Hm?" Raine hums quietly in response. 

"I know it's kind of early in our relationship, but...have you...I mean, would you ever consider moving into the owl house...with us?"

Raine feels their breathing stop as they look up from the table and stare at Eda. 

Raine exhales and their eyebrows furrow as they go back to staring intently at the table. Moving in with Eda would be a big step...and I have Hunter to think about...I like the idea of living together with Eda, and I know I probably will eventually but, for now, I will put Hunter's needs above my own.

"I appreciate...the idea, Eda. But...Hunter and I just settled into my place and developed a routine. And the owl house is pretty full at the moment. And even though the owl house is bigger than my townhouse, it would be difficult to have any peace with all of us crammed in here."

"Then we'll make some additions!" Eda excitedly exclaims with a smile and her arms spread out, "I'm almost done fixing the tower in the back and we can easily build more rooms ourselves!"

Eda pulls an ice glyph symbol from her hair and quickly slaps it with her hand to display her construction skills, but unfortunately for Eda, the "building" is a misshapen mess.

Eda gestures towards the small ice sculpture with her hands, and Raine has to be the voice of reason: "Uhh, it might be better to hire witches and demons with honed construction magic to do the additions."

Raine curves their finger in front of their mouth in thought, "That'll definitely take some saving up to accomplish."

Eda chimes in, "Better that than continuing to pay rent at that rinky dink townhouse."

Raine jokingly whines at the jab at their residence, "It's not rinky dink, it's cozzzzy..."

"It's drafffttty..." Eda retorts.

"Haha," Raine laughs, "okay, maybe a little..." 

Eda watches Raine bring their fist to their mouth and think aloud, "Let's see. My lease on the townhouse ends in four months. Let's reevaluate the living arrangements at that time, okay?"

"Okaaaaay..." Eda begrudgingly agrees.

Raine is glad Eda is listening to them and props their elbow on the table and rests their head against their palm as they stare at her. Eda stares back and they contently listen to each other breathe. For a moment, they hold hands and let themselves enjoy the quiet. The peace. The adoration. 

"Should I get us some grub from the fridge for lunch?" Eda asks. 

"That sounds good."

Eda brings back some ingredients for constructing some sandwiches to the table.

"Should we let the kids know that we'll be having lunch?" Raine asks.

“Haha,” Eda giggles, “I didn't let them know to call off Operation Lovenest, so Luz has a picnic lunch prepared for Hunter and King."

"Operation Lovenest?" Raine asks with a raised eyebrow.

"Its nothing. Heh heh, Just something me and the kids came up with." Eda clears her throat and changes the subject. "Ahem, There's a new event place being constructed near the market...did y'all wanna go to it tomorrow?"

"Sigh," Raine responds, disappointed in themselves that they have to decline Eda's offer again, "I'm sorry, Eda. Could we reschedule for another day? I'm actually busy tomorrow evening since I will be running the foster program idea by Lilith." 

"My sister is really keeping you busy." 

"Honestly,” Raine responds while rubbing their tense shoulder, “rebuilding society has been more...involved than we expected. But! If we do it right, society will be as we imagine it."

"Does Hunter want to spend the night here then, if you'll be busy tomorrow?"

"I have that covered," they inform Eda with a grin. "There's actually some people that I've been wanting Hunter to meet to continue his quest in socialization." 

"Your BATs crew?"

"You guessed it. Gold stars all around," Raine splays out their hands in the air as if spreading out imaginary stars in the air.

Eda walks over to their side of the table and reaches down to playfully tickle Raine, "Where's my stars, huh? I want my gold star!"

"Hahaha! Eda! Haha! Stooop! Haha!" they shout as they try to cover their sides.

Eda stops to let Raine breathe and so they can eat their food.

"It's funny you say socializing when the BATs were once social outcasts," Eda says as she quickly scarfs down a sandwich.

Raine grins, "Not unlike you and myself. I want him to socialize with good people with an eye for the kind future we want to build."

While Eda listens to Raine, she notices them rubbing their right shoulder frequently. 

"Did I hurt you with my tickle attack?"

"Haha! Nooo, my shoulder has just been tense lately from sitting and writing a lot."

Eda rises from her seat and crawls behind Raine onto the bench they are sitting on and grips their tense shoulders. She leans down to whisper in their ear, "How about we go upstairs and I give you a deep, tissue, massage?" she says, providing emphasis as she speaks.

Raine shivers as she languidly runs a curved finger from their chin to the top of their cheek.

Raine puts down their second sandwich and gulps, "Shouldn't that be like a second date kind of activity?" they ask timidly.

"Come on, Rainestorm," she encourages as she grips their shoulders. "Do something spontaneous."

Raine blinks quickly and stares at the table top.

"All this finance and politics and parenting has got you so tense!"

Raine glances up at Eda, "B-but the kids..." they weakly protest.

Eda smirks and thinks if that's their only concern, then she might have a shot today at some carnal delights with Raine, "Don't worry. I've got it covered."

She kisses the side of their forehead, leaps off the bench, grabs their hand, and leads them up the stairs.

"Hooty," she notifies him in passing with a whisper, "Defend the love nest."

"Yes ma'am! No one will enter the owl house while I'm on guard!"

Once in Eda's room, Raine takes a moment to look around the organized chaos that makes up the room. 

"Henh, You really are a mess without me..." they say with a quirked eyebrow and a smirk.

Raine turns and blushes when they notice Eda unashamedly changing from her street clothes to her purple sleeping shirt and long blue skirt.

Raine knows they shouldn’t stare, but is happily surprised to see a comfortable and soft Eda. Eda catches them staring at her.

"Ha ha, what is it?"

Raine raises their eyebrows before looking away, embarrassed they were caught staring.

"You...look cute."

Eda is the one surprised by their comment this time and raises her eyebrows before she grins and blushes. She walks over to Raine and grabs their arms to slowly pull them down to the floor. They kneel on her purple, rectangle rug in front of each other and stare into each other’s eyes. Eda gently kisses Raine’s lips and reaches around Raine’s neck to pull back the collar of their short jacket, "Do you want me to help you disrobe?"

Raine's heartbeat races and their breathing quickens. They are aware that Eda is being persistent in her mission, but they decide this isn't so bad. A little physical contact is okay, they convince themselves. Their pupils dilate and their voice drops an octave. Their answer laden with blatant lust: "Yes."

Eda helps them remove their short jacket, undoes the belt just above their waist, and slides their white tunic over their head. Eda glides her hands down Raine’s chest and stomach and reaches down to the waistband of their red tights.

"Wait," Raine pleads as they clasp Eda's hands, "they stay on for the massage. I mean, it's just my shoulders, right?" Raine asks nervously, looking into Eda's eyes.

Eda exhales loudly, a little frustrated, but backs off.

"Okay. I got it."

Raine furrows their brows and looks up at Eda, "You're not upset right?"

Eda waves her hands wildly, "Oh! No! Um!"

She puts her hands behind her back and glances at the ground, "I can't say I'm not a little disappointed, henh, but I want you to be comfortable..." she looks back at them with a soft smile.

"Okay," Raine responds with a similar soft smile, "thank you."

Eda claps her hands, "Okay! You can lay face down, Raine, and then we can begin."

Raine lays on their stomach and Eda places a small rolled up blanket under them to support their arms, head, and neck. She applies some oil and begins the massage.

In the front yard, Hunter, Luz, King, and Flapjack begin to get hungry.

“I'm gonna go tell Raine it's lunchtime,” Hunter announces as he walks towards the owl house.

“NO!” Luz shouts as she yanks on his arm and pulls him backwards.

“Um! We were gonna have a picnic out here!”

King throws the blanket and basket in the air and the blanket unfolds perfectly on the ground while the food falls directly on the plates.

“Just us?” Hunter asks, a bit confused.

"Well! Yeah! Um! I have a human digestive system and I can't eat what Eda and Raine are having for lunch! Yeah! That's it! And-" Luz adds, making up a half-truth on the spot, "I thought it'd be nice to let you try some awesome human food!"

Hunter squints his eyes and raises an eyebrow at Luz's nervous sweating and odd behavior, but their curiosity is piqued at the prospect of trying "human food."

Luz and King sit down on the blanket and pat the ground to invite Hunter to sit with them. 

He sits and warily eyes the colorful human food. "What is this?" He asks, holding up a small purple crinkly package.

"Those are gummy bears! It's candy and it's really sweet."

Hunter squishes one of the bears between his fingers. 

"Go on! Try it!" Luz insists with a smile.

Hunter pops it into his mouth and holds it on his tongue to fully taste the blue raspberry flavor of the treat before chewing it and consuming it. Luz notices Hunter's pupils widen and a smile begin to form.

Hunter notices Luz and King grinning at him. 

"They're good, huh?"

"They're okay, I guess," he answers as he looks away, trying to remain cool.

Luz laughs, "And that's just candy! Wait until you try actual food food!" She says as she hands him a steaming cup of ramen noodles.

After their picnic, and after Luz taught Hunter a lot more glyph combinations, it was getting close to Raine and Hunter’s time to leave. Unfortunately, Eda was enjoying massaging Raine, and the soft groans she was able to elicit from them, and was unaware their planned visiting hours were quickly coming to a close.

"I'm gonna let Raine know it's time to head home," Hunter says as he goes to open the front door.

"Hey, uh, maybe you should keep working on the portal door!" Hooty suggests.

"It's finished. I fixed the cut wire earlier and, barring any other unforseen circumstances, Luz should be able to go home next week. Now move aside."

"You can't come in!" Hooty yelps.

"Haha," Hunter is visibly agitated and glares with a menacing smile, "you're NOT being funny Hooty." Hunter reaches for the doorknob but Hooty pushes him back.

"It's time to leave!! Let me in!!"

"I cannot do that!!"

Luz and King were staring at the portal when they are notified of Hunter's behavior by Flapjack and turn to see Hunter choking Hooty.

"Listen, you Hollow Tube of Horror!! We are leaving!!" 

"WHA!? Hunter!! Stop it!!"

"WEH!!" King tries to help pull him off of Hooty.

Eda smooths massage oil over Raine's tense shoulders, "Wow, Raine! There's a huge knot on your right shoulder!"

"Sigh, yeah, I really should take more writing breaks. And work on my sitting posture when I'm writing."

"I'll work the knot out. This is gonna hurt though."

"AGH!!" Raine yelps as Eda massages their shoulder.

Raine balls their hands into fists and grips their hands tight as Eda works their muscle.

"I'm sorry, Raine..."

Hunter hears Raine’s loud yelp from downstairs, “Raine?!” he shouts as he looks up at Eda’s large room window. He turns his anger back to Hooty, “Let me in! Eda is obviously attacking Raine! We have to help!”

“How can you be so naive, Hunter!?” Luz yells as she pulls Hunter back by his stomach.

"Look at the time, Raine..." they glance at the clock on Eda's desk. "It’s time for your shower...Now that you're all limbered up, do you want to get a little dirty before you get clean?"

Raine's face flushes at Eda's words. 

Raine turns over and sits up.

"It's not that I don't want to...it's just not the right time. I thought we agreed to wait until after our first real date to take our relationship to the next step?" 

Raine can't take their eyes off of Eda as she crawls over them.

"And I have to leave soon..." Raine explains as they lean backwards.

She leans down to whisper in their ear, "Stay...Play with me..."

Raine wants to give in.

And it's difficult to entertain reason when all they can hear is their heartbeat drumming in their ears, "I..."

But Hunter's shouting is louder: "RAAAAAIIIINNNNE!!" Hunter shouts from the ground outside.

Raine lunges forward too quickly and hits Eda's forehead with their forehead.

"OW! What the fart!" Eda exclaims.

Eda watches Raine as they rub their forehead and turn their head toward the window and listen to the teen shouting,

"Our agreed upon time of departure has arrived! It's time to go home! And is Eda hurting you?! She is, isn’t she!?"

"Hunter! Quit it! Leave them alone!" the couple hear Luz shout.

"Your parent is assaulting my parent!" Hunter argues.

"No, they aren't! THEY’RE MAKING LOVE!" Luz adamantly retorts, causing Raine to stagger as they try to stand and feel faint at the misunderstanding.

"I've really gotta talk to that kid about discretion," Eda whispers to herself.

Eda watches Raine turn an healthy shade of burgundy before they cast a spell circle around themselves to instantly don their attire.

 Eda sighs as Raine quickly dispels her glass window and leaps through it and reseals it.

They land gracefully on the ground.

"Okay, Hunter. I'm sorry I was late," Raine says tonelessly.

"See Luz! They were able to escape Eda's clutches," Hunter says with a smirk, "Now let's head home!"

Luz crosses her arms angrily and scowls at Hunter's perception of Eda.

Raine notices Eda leaning against the front door frame with her arms crossed.

"Eda...I'm sorry."

Eda waves her hand, "It's fine. Go ahead. Have a safe trip home."

Raine opens their mouth in an effort to say more, but Hunter briskly locks elbows with Raine and drags them away.

Chapter Text

The first thing Derwin, Katya, and Amber see when Raine opens the door is the sleeping teen clung to Raine’s back, drooling on their shoulder.

"Haha, rough night?" Derwin asks.

"Yeeaah..." Raine lets them in and walks over to the couch, "he was also a bit agitated yesterday, so he's been clingy all morning. Would you mind helping him off my back, Derwin?"

"No problem, Captain."

Derwin wraps his arms around Hunter and lifts them off Raine's back, "He's so light!" Derwin exclaims as he holds Hunter in his arms.

"Yeah, I think he has a fast metabolism."

Hunter slowly wakes up and is surprised to see Derwin when he looks up.

"Wha-!?" Hunter shouts as he hastily wriggles out of Derwin's arms and onto the floor and immediately latches onto Raine's leg.

"Oh! Sorry, Hunter. We didn't mean to startle you," Raine explains. 

Katya and Amber reach down to Hunter on the floor, "Hi Hunter! We're friends of Raine. I'm Katya."

"I'm Amber!"

Hunter grips Raine's pantleg and stares warily at the offered hands.

Raine reaches down with their hand and lifts Hunter off the floor.

The former warden Wrath knocks on the open front door, "Sorry to break up this little reunion, but we've gotta head out." 

"What's going on?" Hunter asks.

"I'm heading to an important meeting with the taskforce. I'll be gone for the next two days, so I'm having Derwin, Katya, and Amber help you hold the fort down."

Hunter looks over at the three young adults waving their hands. 

“I don’t need a babysitter!” Hunter says to Raine under his breath.

Raine fluffs his hair, “I know, I know, but I thought it would be nice for you to spend some time with them. They’re the closest thing I have to family, besides you of course. I’ll warn you that they are a little loud, but I hope you will get along with them.”

Hunter crosses his arms and sighs, “Fine. I’ll try.”

“Thank you, Hunter. That's all I'm asking."

Raine pulls out a small bag of coins from their satchel, "Here’s some snails to buy some takeout for dinner.” 

They also lean down to whisper to Hunter, "And make sure Amber doesn't have too many sweets, okay?"

Hunter laughs, "Okay."

Hunter watches Raine tap their boots as they get ready to leave out the door. Raine is surprised when they are suddenly pulled backwards as Hunter hugs them. Raine looks down at Hunter who looks to the side bashfully, "Have a safe trip."

Raine smiles at how adorable he can be sometimes, “I will. Thank you, Hunter."

Raine fluffs Hunter’s hair a final time before heading out.

Raine walks on the rural path beside Wrath on their way to the taskforce meeting.

"So. We meet again."

Raine raises an eyebrow and glances at Wrath.

"I'm sorry, who are you again?"

"I was the competition for Eda's heart."

Raine smirks, "Oh, riiigghht...Huh. Please, you weren't even in the running." 

Wrath growls at Raine.

Raine ignores Wrath's childish jealousy and explains the days' agenda.

"Anyways, on to more important matters. The taskforce's goal is to apprehend dangerous and violent criminals. Those criminals could be people who used to work for Belos who refuse to cooperate with the Isles' restoration or it could also be criminals who are acting out of their own self-interests. Warden Wrath. You weren't in the main circle of Belos' guards. You're also not a loyalist or a rebel, so criminals will potentially view you as an impartial warden. Which is what we need at the moment."

"Hmph. I get it. I know I used to work for an evil man with evil intentions, but I hope to redeem myself."

Raine breathes a sigh of relief, "That's good to hear."

"Besides, I have a kid too. What's beneficial for the Isles will be good for him too."

Raine raises their eyebrows in surprise at Wrath's revelation. Perhaps I misjudged them as a know-nothing muscle head.

Raine smiles, "We appreciate your participation."

"Do I really have to sit through a two-day long meeting though?"

Raine laughs lightly, "We're going to our meeting now, but it should only take a few hours. After that, we're heading into the forest to camp out and hopefully locate a local crew's hideout."

"Which crew?"

"Sin-esthesia. You heard of them?"

Wrath whistles. "Now I see why you need all the help you can get. That crew has stayed off the radar, but other criminals know of their exploits. I used to hear wild witches-"

Raine raises an eyebrow at Wrath.

"Uh, well, you know, formerly known 'wild witches' and 'criminals' talk about that crew in their cells. They call the leader the 'Blue Devil.' You sure you wanna pursue them?"

Raine's eyebrows knit together, "We don't have a choice. Sin-esthesia has forced our hand in the matter. And one less dangerous group will make the future of the Isles safer. For both of our kids," Raine says as they look up at Wrath. Wrath grins and turns his head to look forward on their path and cracks his large knuckles, "Makes sense to me. Let's knock some heads!"

Back at the townhouse, Derwin, Katya, and Amber stare at Hunter as he stands quietly in front of the closed door. They huddle quietly in the background, "Okay, you remember what Captain told us, right? Don't bring up the Day of Unity, or Belos, or grimwalkers." They all nod their heads in agreement. "We're also here to help Hunter have fun!" 

"Right!" they shout in agreement.

"What are y'all doing?" Hunter asks, squinting his eyes at the suspicious three-witch-huddle, causing them to jolt. 

"Haha! We were just talking about how much fun we're gonna have! Right, Derwin?!" Amber shouts as she pulls Hunter into a headlock. 

"Oh yeah! Tons of fun! Right, Katya?!" Derwin shouts with uncertainty.

"You bet!" Katya answers a bit nervous.

"So! What do you do for fun around here, Hunter?"

"Um...read my books, quietly, watch crystal ball, quietly, chores..."

"I'm hearing a lot of quiet! Come on! Get out of your comfort zone!" Amber shouts as she leaps onto Hunter's back.

"Get out of my comfort zone!"

Hunter shouts as he forcibly drops Amber to the floor.

Katya and Derwin raise their eyebrows and Hunter regrets being so aggressive with Amber. "Ugh, sorry," he says as he offers Amber a hand off the ground.

"Eh, no worries. I get that kinda response a lot. So! Do you ever get loud!?" Amber asks excitedly as she dusts off her clothes.

Hunter grimaces with discomfort, but tries to be nice and offers the only example he can think of, "Uh, well, I guess my drumming can get kinda loud."

"You play the drums!? Show us! Let's have a jam session!" Amber shouts.

Hunter backs away nervously, "Uhh, I don’t know. I've never played with others before."

Hunter backs up into Katya who puts a hand on his shoulder, "It's okay if you don't feel comfortable playing music with us just yet. We're not the best bards either. And please excuse Amber."

Hunter stands to the side and faces Katya as she offers her hand, "It's good to see you again, Hunter."

"Yes. You too! Uhhh-"

"Katya." She answers. "I play the Tambourine and the triangle. Haha not very impressive instruments, I know."

Katya suddenly gets really close to Hunter's face, "But my true passion is my fanfiction!"

Hunter smiles nervously, "Fan-what?"

She pulls out a slim binder and opens it to show Hunter some of her art and fanfiction. “I write fanfics of food falling in love. I like food, I like love."

"Ha ha, that's nice..." Hunter responds awkwardly with how close Katya is to him.

Katya squints her eyes, “I would show you some of my other romantic fanfiction, but we’d have to get real cool about a bunch of stuff really quickly.” Hunter nervously gulps and his smile wavers at the comment.

Derwin pulls Hunter aside to help free him from Katya's hold.

"Haha! Don't mind them. Hey, Hunter. I'm Derwin. I play the bassoon and other woodwind instruments. I also play steel drums and squeezebox."

"Wow! I don't think I've heard of those kind of instruments before."

Katya and Amber glomp onto Derwin, "Oh yeah! Derwin here is a pretty great bard! But he's also a really great patisserie!"

"Is that also an instrument?" Hunter asks innocently.

"Hahaha!" The three witches laugh. "You are a riot!"

Hunter scratches the back of his head awkwardly, not fully understanding what they mean.

"It means he bakes desserts!"

"Oh."

Derwin pats Hunter's shoulder, "Don't sweat it, Hunter. It's not a very common word."

Derwin puts his hands on his hips and Katya and Amber lean on him, "And we're sorry we couldn't join you for your adoption party. I was hoping to make up for our absence by baking you a cake? How does that sound?"

"That sounds nice. Raine and I typically don't buy cake since there's just the two of us."

Raine's reminder suddenly echoes in Hunter's mind.

"Oh, wait! Amber's not supposed to have sweets!"

"Pfft!" Amber splutters as she waves her hand. "I'm not supposed to have TOO many sweets! One cake should be fine!"

Katya and Derwin smile nervously since they know the terror of Amber's sugar-rushes.

"We can prep the ingredients today and finish baking it tomorrow. So what do you like?" Derwin asks with a smile.

Flapjack flies down and pulls on Hunter's hair before landing on his shoulder, "Flapjack says a mud and worm dirt cake."

"Good choice, Flapjack! I'll up the fanciness of the cake a bit and make it a mud and worm tiramissu."

"I don't know if we have the ingredients for something like that."

"Well, let's see," Derwin says as they all head into the kitchen.

Amber flies by and opens up the cabinets, "Wow! This place is stocked with food!"

Derwin opens the fridge, "Whoa! You aren't kidding!"

"Yeah, we had to resupply everything after the food spoiled," Hunter explains as he sits at the kitchen table.

"We should have no problem finding all of the ingredients here then."

Derwin spots a few glass jars on the counter and holds them up, "Awesome! You've even got a jar of fresh spiders and fireflies! Oh, you're in for a treat, Hunter!"

Hunter smiles and raises an eyebrow at the cheery demeanor of the witches. It's emotionally laborious, but I think I'm getting used to these witches.

Derwin starts to prepare the cream and mud for the dessert while Katya and Amber raid the fridge and cabinets for snacks.

Hunter raises an eyebrow, curious as to what they are doing.

They then dump armfuls of food onto the table in front of Hunter.

"Ever had a snack attack?!" Amber asks excitedly.

"Uhhh..."

The three witches laugh, "That's just how the Captain reacted when we asked them!"

Hunter smiles and blushes at the idea that Raine and him share any similarities.

"What's a 'snack attack'?" Hunter asks timidly.

Amber picks up some food and holds it in her hands, "It's where you create a whole bunch of crazy food combinations!" And promptly shoves the food into her mouth.

Hunter laughs lightly at Amber as Katya hands him a pickled pepper that had been dipped in melted cocoa sauce, "Come on, kid! Get involved!"

Hunter takes the offered odd food combo and stares at it momentarily before taking a big bite.

Hunter's eyes widen, "The sauce mixes with the crunch of the pepper so well!"

"Told yah! Snack attack!" Amber yells.

"You create something now!" Katya says with encouragement.

Hunter puts his hand to his mouth in thought, "I have always wondered what fried ogre fingers would taste like with ice scream!"

"Go for it! I'll grab the ice scream!" Amber shouts as she leaps towards the fridge.

"I'll grab the fingers!" Katya shouts as she reaches into a kitchen cabinet.

Derwin watches them with a nervous smile as they gleefully huddle around the table and chow down.

"That's so good!" Hunter shouts, getting into the spirit of things.

"You've gotta try this, Derwin!" Katya shouts as she tries to hand one to him.

"Sorry. I'm mixin-MMF!" His statement cut short by Katya shoving a fried ice scream covered ogre finger into his mouth.

"Mm! Mm-hm! 'At's goo'," he says with his mouth full.

"Here, Hunter! Try this!" Amber shoves a mealworm cookie with mint paste into his mouth.

"WOOO! Refreshing!"

"Hahaha!" The three witches laugh at Hunter's excitement.

"Why don't Raine and I eat like this every day?!" Hunter asks with a tipsy grin from all the carbs and sugar.

"Becaaauuusse," Amber says with a can of processed cheese in her hand, "they don't appreciate such refined palates as ours. More Wheeze-cheese?" Amber asks before haphazardly squirting the can contents into Hunter's mouth and also accidently onto Derwin.

"Hey! Watch it with that thing!"

"Sorry, bro!" Amber exclaims with a grin.

In a far away and undisclosed meeting room, Raine sneezes loudly and interrupts the ongoing, lengthy meeting.

"Sorry..." Raine apologizes quietly as they wipe their nose with their sleeve. Darius whispers to Raine sitting beside them, "Sounds like someone's talking about you."

"Please. That's just a superstition."

"Ahem!" Lilith coughs to get Raine and Darius' attention. Darius looks away defiantly while Raine appears remorseful and looks at the document in front of them on the tabletop. "As I have explained, we have reason to believe that Sin-esthesia has been hiding out in the forest and we have triangulated their base of operations to this ravine." Lilith points to a map on the wall with a pointer stick. "We will break up into our usual groups in order to apprehend them: Eber and Basil with fellow demon members will strike from the south side. I'll lead the east side brigade with the bounty hunters. While Raine, Darius, and Wrath will cut off Sin-esthesia's escape route from the north. Understood?"

"Yes, ma'am!"

After the meeting, the taskforce members exit the building and begin their hunt for members of the Sin-esthesia crew in the forest.

Back at the townhouse, Hunter grips his stomach as he rests his head on the table that Katya is sprawled out on while Amber lays on her side on the floor. The three groan miserably from their food comas. "Y'all are a mess," Derwin admonishes. 

Amber raises her arm and shoves one more eyeball into her mouth before swallowing.

Hunter sits up in his seat and covers his mouth, so he doesn't vomit. He then mumbles something quickly and walks upstairs to take a quick shower.

Downstairs, Katya and Amber slowly wake up from their snack attack hangover. "Here's some ginger water," Derwin hands each of them a glass.

Katya wipes her mouth, "We should probably give some to Hunter too."

"He went upstairs to shower and I think he mumbled about getting something from Captain's room."

Katya sits up quickly, surprising Derwin, "Captain's room is upstairs!"

"Yeah...?"

Katya grips Derwin's face in her hands, "Don't you get it! We may never get the opportunity to see Captain's room again!"

"Let's go!" Amber shouts with a loud burp before staggering out of the kitchen and up the stairs. Katya pulls Derwin behind her by his arm.

After exiting the bathroom, Hunter opens the door to Raine's room to retrieve a workbook from their small library of music books. Hunter is about to exit their room when Amber, Katya, and Derwin rush past Hunter to enter Raine's room.

The three witches' eyes bounce from wall to wall to take in the details of the bedroom.

"It's so organized! Just what I'd expect from our captain!" Katya says with her hands on her hips.

"Hey! You can't be in here!" Hunter shouts as he re-enters Raine's room.

"Why not? You're in here." Amber says.

"I just needed to grab something real quick. Come on!" Hunter whines as he pulls on Amber's arm with no success.

The three witches continue to explore Raine's room.

Katya and Amber look at the various potions and lotions on Raine's dresser.

They open Raine's top drawer and their eyes widen upon spotting the leather-bound journal contained within it.

"We shouldn't..." Katya and Amber say simultaneously as they reach down to pick up the journal. But recoil their hands as the book comes alive with several eyes and teeth and tries to bite their hand. "WAH!" Katya and Amber exchange glances. "Haha! I've gotta get me a diary like that!" Katya tells Amber.

"Check out all of these instruments!" Derwin exclaims as he picks up Raine's gui-scar off its stand on the floor and plays a few chords, "Wicked!"

The gui-scar suddenly turns bright yellow and vanishes from his hands. Hunter grabs Derwin's forearms and raises them up in anger, "What did you do?!"

"Whoa! I didn't do anything! The gui-scar was summoned!"

Hunter releases Derwin's arms and furrows his brow, "What?"

"Raine must've summoned it. ...I wonder if they needed to use it for something?"

Katya and Derwin exchange glances and know that Raine is probably using it in battle at this very moment. But they don't want to worry Hunter.

"I'm sure they are just showing off their gui-scar skills to their fellow taskforce members!" Amber tries to explain away the incident.

"Come on! Let's check out what they've got stored in their closet!"

"NO!!" Hunter, Derwin, and Katya shout in unison.

They see Amber's eyes widen as she flings open the closet door. "...whoa."

Hunter turns away and covers his eyes, "I didn't see anything! I don't wanna know what you found!"

Derwin and Katya's curiosity gets the better of them and they peer into the closet to find a small shrine-like photo collage of Eda.

"Okay! And we're closing the door!" Derwin shouts as he slams the closet shut. "Let's get out of here before we get into trouble."

"Thank you!" Hunter shouts in a frustrated huff.

Hunter stands in the doorway and waves the witches out of the room like a bouncer, "Exit this way. Step lightly. Thank you and don't come again!" and slams the door behind him.

As they walk down the stairwell, Derwin asks what Hunter took from Raine's room.

"It's a workbook on time signatures. Raine said I could borrow it to practice."

Hunter hands the book to Derwin after he extends his hand. Derwin flips through the pages and laughs to himself, "The artwork in here is hilarious! Looks like something from the Deadwardian Era."

Once they reach the living room floor, Derwin sets the workbook down on the coffee table and grabs some blank paper to scrawl on. "Here! I'll show you another technique to help you practice. It does require two people though."

Derwin directs Hunter to the opposite side of the coffee table and has him sit down. Derwin summons some drumsticks and places one of them in Hunter's hands.

"You can read standard notation, right?"

"Yeah. That was the first thing Raine taught me."

"Good! So this exercise should be pretty easy for you, but it'll help you practice rhythm."

Derwin grips Hunter's right hand while standing behind him and guides the drumstick to the four pieces of paper with a quarter note on each of them. He has Hunter tap each quarter note on the table. "Now I'm gonna add some other notes and you keep tapping according to the notation, alright?"

"Okay. I got it."

Derwin sits across from Hunter and tells him to continue tapping. "Okay, now I'm gonna add two eighth notes."

Hunter focuses on the notes on the paper and follows the rhythm: Tap. Tap tap. Tap. Tap tap. Tap.

"I'm gonna add a rest now."

Hunter does his best to tap on the paper as Derwin adds more notation.

Tap. Rest. Tap. Tap tap.

Derwin silently adds a page with three notes.

Tap. Rest. Tap tap tap. Tap tap.

Hunter loops around as Derwin replaces the rest note with two eighth notes and changes the final eighth notes to a quarter note.

He then makes the third beat a rest: Tap. Tap tap. Rest. Tap.

Derwin adds a final 4 sixteenth notes.

Tap. Tap tap. Tap tap tap tap. Tap.

And replaces each paper with a single quarter note symbol to conclude the exercise.

Hunter wipes his brow after the two minute exercise. "Phew!"

"That was great, Hunter!" Derwin exclaims with a smile. Hunter blushes and smiles at the praise.

Amber grabs his shoulders and shakes him vigorously from behind, "You catch onto things quick! Took me forever to go two minutes without making a mistake!"

"Proud of you, kiddo!" Katya says as she runs her hand through Hunter's golden locks and it reminds him of how Raine fluffs his hair. 

Hunter looks up at the three smiling faces looking back at him and he feels his face warm as he grins. Despite being kind of loud and annoying, I can see why Raine likes these witches.

"That's some nice sleeping clothes by the way!" Katya says with a wink.

Hunter looks down and realizes he put on his purple "Bad Girl Coven" shirt. He crosses his arms in front of him quickly to hide the design. "There's no need to be embarrassed, Hunter. Got a shirt like that for the rest of us?" Derwin asks with a smile.

"Oh, sorry. I don’t have any extras. Let me go change into some other clothes. I just got a new wardrobe that Raine picked out for me."

The three witches' curiosity is piqued, "Really?!"

"Uhh...yeah?" Hunter says nervously.

"We wanna see what kind of clothes the Captain picked out!" Katya explains.

"Yeah! Fashion show! Fashion show!" Amber shouts as she claps her hands which leads Katya and Derwin to clap their hands as well.

Hunter rubs the back of his neck nervously, "Uh, I guess I could show y'all what they bought. I honestly haven't tried on all of the clothes myself yet."

"Wait here, I guess?" Hunter says to the cheering group as he rushes upstairs to grab an armful of his new outfits.

He comes down wearing one of them. 

"Ooo! Very smart and chic!" Katya says as she examines Hunter.

"You think so?" Hunter responds, not entirely certain what 'chic' means, but imagines it's a good thing.

"Try this one on next!" The group urges him.

Derwin, Katya, and Amber adorn themselves with some concealment stones to join Hunter in his fashion show.

Hunter displays a few different outfits and his new winter coat to the unbridled amusement of the group.

Katya also takes this opportunity to put Hunter in a radish suit and takes a few pictures of him.

The group raises a collective eyebrow at Katya, "What? They're reference photos for my fanfiction later."

Hunter quickly sheds the costume and puts on his warm and comfortable sleeping tights and tunic.

"Raine really has good taste in clothes. And you're surprisingly handsome too, Hunter!" 

"Uh, thanks?" Hunter says with a shaky smile at Katya's remark. 

"Oh! Sorry. I guess the word 'surprisingly' didn't need to be added there. Heh heh..." Katya says with a nervous chuckle.

"With all these great outfits, I'm sure you're having to beat people off with a stick!" 

"I don't do that anymore..." Hunter says with a serious face.

Katya slaps her face and laughs, "My bad. That's just a figure of speech. So! Do you have any crushes?" Katya asks with a wide smile. Love is a topic never far from her mind.

"What are crushes?" 

"They’re people you think are nice!"

"Oh! Then I've got a lot of 'crushes.' Raine is nice, and Luz is nice, and Gus is nice, and Willow is nice, and-"

“No, no, a crush is…Y’know!” Katya holds out her hands and Hunter tilts his head in confusion. 

“It’s someone that makes you feel crazy emotions--like feeling shy and uncontrollably giddy at the same time."

Derwin offers his definition of a crush: "A crush is a burning desire to be with someone who you find very attractive and extremely special.”

Hunter scrunches up his face, still unclear on the concept.

Amber describes what a crush is the most bluntly: “It’s someone you wanna kiss!”

“Oh!” Hunter responds with a bright red face at the embarrassing context of conversation.

Hunter rubs his arm nervously, “Well, I don’t know many people…so my pool of potential crushes is limited…”

"But someone just flashed in your mind's eye, didn't they?" Katya says with a pointed finger and a wink.

Hunter's eyes widen, "How did you know?"

"Oooo! You do have a crush! Who are they?!" Katya clasps her hands and gets really close to Hunter's face.

“I…don’t wanna say…” Hunter says looking away.

“Awww,” Katya whines a bit disappointed. “But it’s someone special?! Someone who makes your heart beat fast?!”

“Uh…I wouldn’t know. I don't have a heartbeat.”

Katya laughs, “Haha! Very funny, Hunter. What? Are you dead inside or something?”

Her comment jogs unpleasant memories of his past. He starts to shake and goes pale.

“Maybe...I am…”

Derwin and Amber glare at Katya.

“Oh! I'm sorry! That was a dumb comment! Of course you're not dead inside! You just experience love differently! You're weird, but that's okay!” 

All three of the witches, and Flapjack, huddle around Hunter and embrace him in a group hug.

"Why are you hugging me?"

"Because us weirdos have to stick together."

Hunter blinks a few times before smiling to himself. He tentatively reaches around them and returns the hug.

Derwin orders some takeout for himself and eats alone as the other three are still too full from their food binge.

After brushing their teeth and getting ready for bed, Derwin and Katya and Amber collapse into the living room couches.

Hunter pulls out a sleeping bag and drags it to the middle of the living room. "That doesn't look very comfortable, Hunter," Derwin says quietly.

"I've slept rougher before. And if Luz can do it, so can I."

Hunter squishes himself into the bag and stares at the ceiling, "What was Raine like before the war?" Hunter asks the group.

Katya giggles and glances at Hunter from her place on the couch, "You wanna hear some bedtime backstories about the Captain?"

Hunter breathes deeply, "Yes."

Katya, being the writer of the group, recounts the epic tale of Raine’s rise to be a coven head and a rebel. She also describes how each of them came to meet Raine.

By the time Katya is finished telling the story, it was way past Hunter's normal bedtime. She had also talked herself and her fellow group members to sleep.

Hunter feels all tingly from getting to know more about Raine and their background. He stares up at the ceiling and listens to the soft whistling sounds of Derwin, Katya, and Amber as they sleep.

Hunter's eyes flutter shut and "Goodnight, Raine," were Hunter's final words before succumbing to exhaustion.

In a triangle of three tents, in a dark and damp forest, Raine unwinds from a long day in a lonely tent. The Taskforce was able to find some members of Sin-esthesia, but they evaded capture. The Taskforce will try again early in the morning. 

Raine sighs and wishes they were resting in their bed instead of the thin sleeping mat on the ground. They can hear Darius and Wrath snoring loudly from their respective tents, so they wave a spell circle and summon a pair of earmuffs. After putting them on, and appreciating the silence, they look up at their ceiling tarp and whisper quietly into the night, "Goodnight, Hunter."

Chapter Text

"Order! Order!" Lilith shouts over the multiple chattering members of the taskforce board. 

They sit in a ring of multiple round tables with a wide open area in the center to cast projections. 

"I know you're all antsy, but this meeting will be concluding soon! Raine, make a note."

"Noted, Lilith," Raine answers listlessly from their seat adjacent to Lilith's with Eber, Darius, and Wrath sitting on either side of them. She really seems to enjoy the role she has been given, thinks Raine. Seated across the table are Basil and other demon members of the taskforce along with the bounty hunters.

"Before we depart," Lilith says as she waves a hand towards Raine, "We have one final matter to vote on." Lilith introduces them before taking her seat, "Raine will now begin their presentation." 

Raine nervously gathers their documents and rises from their seat. Raine grimaces as their stage fright sets in, "H-hey everyone..." 

Raine panics as their sweaty palms crinkle the papers in their hands and smudges their writing. "UhHhHh..." their voice cracks awkwardly and their mind goes blank as they feel the burning stares of the audience. Tears prick the corner of their eyes in shame that they can't get this simple speech over with. Sure they can fight an evil dictator and chaotic God, but they'd rather die than stand up and give speeches. They quickly turn to run and Darius has to grip their cloak to prevent their untimely departure. "Not this nonsense again!" Darius chastises under his breath. Raine turns their head to glance glumly at Darius who stares back at them with a determined expression. "Remember who you're doing this speech for!" Darius angrily whispers to them. Raine turns away and stifles a sniff with their sleeve.

They straighten their posture, puff their chest out and turn back to the table. 

"You can sit down for this quick presentation if you want, Raine," Lilith offers sympathetically.

"Thank you," they silently mouth before sitting down.

Raine holds up their papers to block their blushing face and so they don't see the witches and demons they are addressing. 

"I would like to introduce the concept of a foster program for lost and abandoned witches and demons of the Boiling Isles." Raine glances over their papers to see the audience's reaction which seems to be neutral at this point, "I propose to, uh, no wait, I propose Edalyn Clawthorne, aka The Owl Lady, as Head Witch of said program." This causes a stir amongst the taskforce members and Lilith has to bang the table with a small gavel to quiet the increasing murmurs. 

Raine casts an illusion in the center of the room and displays the envisioned building with which to house foster children.

"We are seeking approval for not only this new program, but also the construction of a permanent building."

The taskforce members stare at the building illusion as it slowly spins 360 degrees.

"I would like to open the floor for any questions or concerns," Lilith announces.

"Yeah, I got one!" one green bounty hunter shouts from their chair, "Who's gonna pay for all this?"

Raine narrows their eyes and glares at the demon with disdain. What an asinine question, they muse. We wanna do something positive and they only care about how many snails it's gonna cost.

"Raine, your rebuttal."

"Ahem!" Raine clears their throat and calms their demeanor before they begin their response, "With what few resources young witches and demons have access to after they are disowned or orphaned, there is a trend that they turn to criminal activity to survive. Or attain employment in dangerous jobs where employers have no qualms about hiring literal children. The program will not give much of a return when it initially begins, but the return on the investment will be palpable in the future when there are fewer crimes and criminals. Resources that would have been directed towards violent and expensive incarceration, will now have the opportunity to fund a new outlet for diminishing crime. The program will work towards the goal of being self-sufficient through self-sustaining methods. The Park family has already offered to help offset food costs by providing a garden with which to source food from for the foster children. The foster program is a safe and effective, preventative method that invests in our future and the lives of the Isles' children."

Raine scans the room as the members whisper to each other.

"Order will be had in this room! Settle down, everyone!" Lilith shouts as she bangs the table with her gavel. 

The crowd falls silent.

"This sounds like it'll take a lot of time. And care. Is a wanted criminal the best witch for the job?" A nameless demon asks as they scratch their chin.

Raine is confident in their answer, "Formerly 'wanted criminal.' She was only pursued as a part of Belos' evil plot. And I have no doubt in my mind that Eda Clawthorne is perfect for this position. I can think of no one with a greater abundance of love and care. Eda currently assists the Bat Queen with the revival of overharvested palistrom trees, but she will soon vacate that role after she trains a new apprentice."

"And how soon will it take for a new apprentice to take over and maintain the forest with the Bat Queen?"

Raine tries to maintain their professionalism and neutral facial expression despite being ticked off by this nameless demon that is arrogantly crossing their arms.

"Within the next few years. By the time they are ready, the building should be complete and the foundation for the program lain."

Raine is a little nervous after their final answer, knowing they fibbed since they haven't officially asked Hunter if he would like to take over the role of palistrom forest caretaker and carver.

"So will the kids be for sale?"

Raine squints their eyes at the question, "Technically, yes, for a nominal fee to ensure the people who adopt them can financially support their new children."

"I see. So they are fostered and then they are adopted."

"Yes..." Raine eyes this demon warily. "There will also be thorough background checks to make sure the children go to a safe and loving home after they are adopted," Raine adds with a glare. They have determined they dislike this demon and their questionable motives.

A whirl of questions erupt from the crowd.

"Where will it be built?"

"Will we have to raise money to send the kids to school?"

"What if the kids are beyond help?"

"What if kids don't want to go into the foster program?"

"How many employees will be required to support multiple children?"

Raine flinches. I didn't expect valid questions to be risen during this meeting. 

"I appreciate your comments and concerns. We haven't fleshed out all of the details yet, but we will in due time," is Raine's final address to the room.

Lilith rises from her seat, "The time for questions and comments has ended. We will now begin the vote. Everyone shut your eyes and raise your hand to cast your vote."

Raine apprehensively shuts their eyes and listens to Lilith's instructions.

"Everyone who votes 'Aye' raise your hand."

The room is quiet as she counts the raised hands.

"Hands down."

"For those who vote 'Nay,' raise your hand now."

Raine steadies their breathing as Lilith finishes counting.

"Hands down. You may all open your eyes now. The motion carries and is approved with a vote of 30 to 23," she announces with a final gavel.

"This meeting is now adjourned. Everyone head to your stations and await further instruction before proceeding into the forest."

Raine blinks their eyes open and hangs their head. The proposal was approved...but with a slim margin.

Raine jolts as they feel a hand on their shoulder. They turn their head to see Darius give them a quick nod and a brief smile before rising from his chair. Raine returns their small kindness with a half-smile. Eber leaps onto the table in front of Raine and quickly ruffles their hair before scampering off to his group.

Raine runs their fingers through their hair and smiles to themselves before standing. 

They rest their palms against the cool table top.

We're not alone in this, Eda. We have the support of our friends. 

Raine inhales and exhales forcefully. 

We'll show them this is a worthwhile venture. 

They turn resolutely to join Darius and Wrath to exit from the north side of the building and head into the forest.

Chapter Text

Upon entering the Forest of the Arm, the taskforce separates into their task groups and follow the coordinates to a ravine.

With the help of Eber's tracking abilities, it does not take long for Lilith's and Eber's group to run into members of the Sin-esthesia crew.

The two groups converge in a flurry of magic attacks.

They promptly capture some of the crew members while simultaneously directing escapees of Sin-esthesia's crew towards Raine and Darius' and Wrath's location on the northside.

Lilith is in charge of the detainment with the assistance of the experienced Bounty Hunters who trap and ensnare crew members.

Eber and Basil, along with fellow beast demon taskforce members, are tasked with weakening Sin-esthesia so they are easy to capture.

Eber applies a construction glyph to the back of his neck and leaps onto Basil's back. They both go into beast mode and twist their bodies rapidly into two twin tornadoes to disrupt congregated crew members.

Sin-esthesia members go flying in the air as Eber and Basil rip through the crowd.

The Sin-esthesia crew is clever and utilizes a slew of ghosts to slow them down. The tornadoes cease as they are engulfed in ectoplasm.

The bounty hunters have success ensnaring several witches and demon crew members with vines and suspend them in vine cocoons in the trees.

However, their efforts are thwarted by a flying arrow that swiftly whips by and cuts all of the crew members free.

"Eber! It's the Blue Devil!" Lilith shouts.

Eber nods his head and follows the Blue Devil's scent through the trees. He leaps up into the trees and bites down on the Blue Devil's leg, drawing blood.

"Dammit!" the Blue Devil exclaims as he slams Eber against a tree, breaking the tree in half. The force of which causes Eber to release their bite. The Blue Devil reaches down to grab Eber by his hair and slams his head against a tree repeatedly, "You stupid mutt!"

Basil races after Eber's scent and catches up to him and the Blue Devil. Eber claws and scrapes at the Blue Devil but Eber's short limbs are a hinderance as he starts to choke Eber. An enraged Basil bounds up the tree towards the Blue Devil, "LET 'EM GO!!"

The Blue Devil swipes at Basil with abomination claws and his left eye gets scraped shut. Basil could have evaded the attack, but it allows him to get close enough that he is able to snatch Eber away from the Blue Devil's grasp.

Basil flips backwards in the air and lands safely on the ground with Eber in his arms. Basil looks down at Eber whose head lolls listlessly to the side, bleeding profusely. Basil snarls and removes the construction glyph from the back of Eber's neck and puts it on his forehead. The power of the construction glyph takes affect immediately. His hands and feet flare. His hair frays and he grits his teeth. His eye slits sharpen and the blood flowing to his muscles increases. Basil lays Eber on the ground before he runs through the crowd of crew members in a rage trying to reach the fleeing Blue Devil. His erratic stomps shake the ground. He slaps the ground and two giant walls emerge from the ground and he uses them to squish the crew members he is leaving in his wake as he pursues the Blue Devil. He leaps off a tree to propel himself over the tree line and emits a powerful shout directly above the Blue Devil's location.

"RAAAAWWWRR!!"

Basil roars loudly and his voice applies immense pressure to anything in its path. The Blue Devil burrows into the ground to evade Basil's attack. Basil lands above the hole the Blue Devil disappeared into, but he is pulled backwards by the Blue Devil's crew members who dogpile on top of him. Basil growls and throws crew members off of him as he begins to attack anyone in his way.

The crew members' blood splatters against the trees and ground as Basil swiftly strikes indiscriminately with his claws in an enraged frenzy.

Lilith checks on Eber who slowly comes to and decides this is getting out of hand, "Bounty Hunters! Detain Basil!"

The bounty hunters raise large vines from the ground and use them to halt Basil's erratic movements. Basil struggles against the restraints and rips through the vines. One vine wraps around Basil's arm and the act of pulling dislocates his shoulder. He howls in pain. He is completely ensnared a final time and Lilith swipes the glyph off of Basil's forehead.

Basil returns to normal and is exhausted from the affects of the glyph, "That's some good sh**," he says weakly with his eyes wanting to close in pain and his head bobbing from side to side lethargically.

Lilith sighs and turns back to the rest of the taskforce, "Forge ahead! Continue detaining the criminals!" she shouts to the witches, demons, and bounty hunters.

On the Northside of the forest, Wrath paces the ground while Darius scrolls through his penstagram and Raine scribbles some music notes in the dirt with a twig as they rest on a log. Wrath scans the tree line, "Where is everyone?!" he shouts with his fists raised at his sides.

"Calm down," Darius responds with annoyance, "Everyone is trying to subdue the crew members. And if they try to escape this direction, then it's our job to prevent that."

"Yeah, Wrath, we're the last line of defense," Raine adds.

"What?! I thought I was gonna see some action!"

Darius and Raine continue what they were previously doing which irritates Wrath more.

"This is boring waiting around here! I'm gonna go kick a tree!"

"Hey! Leave the trees alone! What did they ever do to you?!" Raine shouts at Wrath's receding form as he flicks them off.

Raine scowls, "Sigh...what a hot head."

Raine rests their head in their palm as they lazily scribble on the ground. Their mind wanders and they start drawing Eda's face. They aren’t that great at art, so her face is pretty misshapen and disproportionate, but the big hair and smile is a dead-giveaway. They breathe in deeply and sigh loudly, "Siiiiggghhh..." Raine's lengthy sighs begin to get on Darius' nerves.

"Siiiiggghhhh...."

To the point that he can't ignore them anymore.

"Okay, what is it now?" Darius asks, looking up from his penstagram.

"What do you mean?" Raine asks still scribbling on the ground.

"You're sulking."

"No, I'm not."

"Ugh. You always do this. You don't hide your emotions very well. Your face is so easy to read."

"No, it's not," Raine objects as they cover their mouth with their fist.

"See! Right there!"

Raine throws their arms in the air and huffs, "Agh! Fine! Maybe I am a bit distracted!"

Raine slumps forward.

"Is this about Eda? Because if it is...I don't wanna hear about it."

Raine opens their mouth and gapes at the lack of care, "I thought you wanted to help me unburden myself?!"

"I changed my mind."

Darius looks back at his penstagram and Raine glares at him. And then grins with a cleverly annoying plan.

"Siiiiggghh..."

Darius does his best to ignore Raine, but Raine's sighs increase in volume and really start to get on his nerves.

"SIIIIIIGGGGGHHHHH..."

The final straw is when Raine places their head between Darius and his penstagram in his hands and exhales a final, "Sigh."

"Fine! Tell me your queer love story!"

Raine grins, "Thank you."

"Ugh. You two were made for each other."

"We like to think so."

Raine sits back down on the log and hangs their head, "And...you were right. I do wanna get jiggy with my girlfriend," Raine mumbles under their breath but loud enough that Darius hears them clearly.

"What? She blue-ball you?" Darius asks as he meanders over to sit on the log beside Raine.

"Actually, I think I blue-balled her. It happened yesterday. You see, what had happened was-MMF!"

Darius cuts off Raine's sentence by covering their mouth with his palm, "You can recount your little 'incident' but keep it on a need to know basis!"

Darius' eyes widen at the sudden wet sensation against their palm, "ARE YOU LICKING MY PALM?! UGH! DISGUSTING! I AM TRYING TO HELP YOU!" He shouts as he rubs the saliva on Raine's face.

"Look! When you finally get the nerve to talk to that librarian, then we can talk about YOUR love life!" Raine yells.

Darius turns a deep red. "What!? I do not-!"

"Then why do you have so many library books? Makes me think the books aren't the only things you're 'checking out,' hmmm?" Raine says with a wink.

Darius growls, "We're not discussing my love life!"

"Of course not because there is nothing TO discuss!"

Raine rubs at their temples, "Sigh, help me help you."

Darius huffs.

Raine tilts their head with a smile, "I've heard he likes caaaaats!"

Darius raises an eyebrow, "What does that have to do with anything?"

"You were in the CATs group! And you're stand-offish like a cat!" Raine explains as they wave their hands in the air.

"And I'll scratch your eyes out like a cat if you keep talking," Darius adds sardonically with abomination blade fingers.

"Hey!" Raine continues undeterred, "Maybe that former emperor coven guard Severine can properly introduce you to him! If we're nice about it, maybe she can even chat you up to him a little!"

Darius takes Raine's glasses off their face and yeets them into the forest.

Raine glares at Darius before pulling out another pair of glasses, "Don't worry, I've got a spare."

Darius puts his face in his hands and angrily groans.

"As I was saying! He even has a similar grumpy demeanor."

"I am not grumpy!"

"Aw, come on Mr. Grumpypants!"

Darius places his palm against Raine's face and forcefully pushes them backwards off the log.

"Tell me your problem before I leave," Darius says as he glares down at Raine on the ground.

"I need to figure out how I can have a date with Eda."

Darius blinks, "That's all?"

Raine pouts at Darius' oversimplification of their situation.

"Simple solution. Leave Hunter home alone. Make him do chores or something."

"He does almost nothing but chores! He does chores galore! I left him with Derwin, Katya, and Amber while I'm gone, so I'm hoping he's having fun."

"Hunh. Better than leaving him with that human child. He'll get in less trouble if he's by himself."

"Her name is Luz, goo-for-brains," Raine says as they stand up and dust themselves off.

Raine's ears twitch at a sound in the distance and they are the first to notice the sound of feet racing in their direction.

"Do you hear that?"

Darius rises to his feet and looks southward where the increasing sound of explosions and stomping feet are getting incredibly close.

"Wrath!" Darius shouts for their new taskforce teammate for backup with the oncoming crowd.

"Wrath, get your a** over here!" Darius shouts as he assumes his abomination form.

A stampede of Sin-esthesia crew members run right into Darius and Raine.

Darius forms a hammer and slams the ground to disrupt their running. Raine summons their violin and forms a lightning storm above the crowd that strikes the ground, cutting off Sin-esthesia's escape. The crew members turn their attention to Darius and Raine who fight back to back and are about to be overtaken by the sheer number of crew members when Wrath finally appears. Wrath side-swipes crew members away from Darius and Raine and entangles them with his extended arms.

Lilith and the bounty hunters arrive on the scene and re-capture many of the crew members with Wrath's assistance.

While the taskforce and crew members are fighting, a flying arrow whizzes by Lilith's face, scratching her in the process. I don't think the Blue Devil meant to scratch me, Lilith reasons. So he must not be able to see or hear very well where he is. Lilith looks at the battleground and spots some disturbed dirt that is moving in a clear path.

"Raine! The Blue Devil is underground!" Lilith shouts and points northwards where the Blue Devil is tunneling underground.

"I got it!" Raine intuitively understands their task is to address the leader of the crew. Bard to bard.

Darius and Wrath are left to assist the bounty hunters and Eber's beasts with the crew members while Raine chases the Blue Devil bard leader.

Raine casts away their violin and summons their gui-scar. They emit a loud sound attack that vibrates and shifts the dirt and sand and exposes the Blue Devil. Raine pauses momentarily to raise their right hand and examine a gooey substance on their palm and arm, "Why is there wheeze-cheese on my gui-scar?"

Raine narrows their eyes, "...someone's been in my room."

Raine is pulled from their thoughts by a loud gui-scar attack. Raine takes a direct hit and their back crashes against a tree.

Raine remains standing and looks up to see the Blue Devil who is also wielding a gui-scar.

Raine and the Blue Devil emit sound wave attacks with their instruments and cause explosions in the air when their attacks collide.

The Blue Devil plays a neoclassical metal composition while Raine matches their speed on the gui-scar and plays "Caprice No. 5" by Paganini, a famous bard of the past.

"Hahaha! I haven't had a gui-scar duel in a long time! This should be fun!"

As the Blue Devil and Raine try to outplay each other, Wrath intervenes with hand scythes and swipes wildly at the Blue Devil who effortlessly dodges his attacks.

"We're gonna send you to the crematorium!" Wrath shouts.

"Ha! Don't threaten me with a good time," the Blue Devil cackles. Wrath wraps his arm tentacles around the body and neck of the Blue Devil who struggles against the appendages.

"Wrath! We don't do that anymore!" Raine shouts loudly as a reminder to Wrath not to kill the Blue Devil.

"Remember! Detain! Not maim!"

"Aww, just a little maiming..." Wrath pouts with one arm scythe raised in the air.

The Blue Devil struggles to breathe, but has the gall to mock Wrath: "Oh look. You're a sight to see. The physical embodiment of fragile masculinity."

Wrath growls and opens his mouth to breathe fire, but the Blue Devil whistles an attack and causes Wrath's fire to fly back into his face.

The attack causes Wrath to release him so he can pat the fire from his face.

The Blue Devil gasps for air and quickly runs away and up a tree after Wrath drops him.

Raine checks on Wrath as he pats the embers out on his face.

"I'll get treated by the healers! Don't let the devil get away!"

"Tch!" Raine feels a little bad for leaving Wrath in pain, but knows he's right.

Raine gives chase to the Blue Devil who is leaping from tree branch to tree branch.

Raine strums their gui-scar and blasts the tree branch to bits that the Blue Devil jumped onto, causing him to crash to the ground.

That was for knocking Hunter off his staff, thinks Raine.

"Hey! Blue Devil! What's your name?!"

The Blue Devil staggers to their feet, "Who wants to know?!"

They think it's only fair they offer their name in exchange for his, "Raine Whispers."

The Blue Devil leans his head back with a glint in his eye, "...The Raine Whispers?"

"The one and only," Raine responds with a smirk.

"Hahaha! No wonder you've been able to keep up with me!"

Raine and the Blue Devil glare at each other before the Blue Devil whistles.

Raine's eyes widen as they recognize the specific pitch of that whistle as a command to the Blue Devil's flying arrow.

Raine twirls to the side and narrowly misses the arrow, while simultaneously attaching a thin metal E violin string to the arrow, nearly imperceptible to the naked eye.

Based on the trajectory, he was aiming straight for my heart, Raine deducts.

Raine grits their teeth as they remind themselves to stay calm.

"Listen! We don't want to kill you!"

The Blue Devil nimbly plays a a few chords on their gui-scar and Raine quickly matches the magic bard attacks. The bard spells collide in a colorful explosion of yellow and cyan and form a ghastly green smoke as the spells dissipate.

"It's funny y'all call me a devil when I'm the one who's cursed."

Raine doesn't understand and considers he is just trying to elicit sympathy.

Suddenly, the Blue Devil's arrow scratches their cheek as it flies by and returns to it's owner and hovers beside him.

Or he was just trying to distract me...

Raine tries to follow the arrow's trajectory and carefully listen to the wind it displaces as it slices through the air, but the arrow increases in speed as the Blue Devil whistles. The arrow rips through Raine's clothing and leaves shallow scratches as it flies around them, back and forth.

Rrgh! He's just toying with me now!

Raine is surprised when their limbs become really tight and unable to move. The wire they had wrapped the arrow is now wrapped around themself...but they follow the thin wire and see that it is also wrapped loosely around the Bue Devil. Raine's hazardous and crazy idea might just work. Raine struggles against the thin wire pressing against their skin, but pushes through the pain to quickly strum on their gui-scar and wail on the whammy bar to summon an electric storm.

Initially, Raine directs the lightning strikes at the Blue Devil who easily counters them with his gui-scar spells, as Raine expected.

After lulling the Blue Devil into a false sense of security, Raine directs a powerful bolt of lightning to strike themself.

Raine clenches their jaw and endures the pain long enough to grab onto the thin metal wire they discreetly wrapped around the Blue Devil's arrow. The electric current follows the wire and the electricity consumes the Blue Devil as well.

"RAAAAAHH!!" the Blue Devil screams in pain.

Raine isn't thrilled with the electricity coursing through their nerves, so they release the spell.

Raine struggles to keep their eyes open, and their breathing is ragged, but they continue to stand, while the Blue Devil falls to their knees and hands. "You're fast...huff huff, but I'm faster," Raine taunts.

The Blue Devil understands Raine's comment as a jab at his finger speed on the gui-scar and his arrow's speed, his precious weapon of choice.

Raine watches him hang his head before he leans backwards and cackles, "HAHAHA! You wrapped a fiddle string around my arrow and used it against me!! You even electrocuted yourself just to injure me!! What a gamble!! You're a freakin' lunatic and I love it!!"

The sound of his laugh irritates Raine. Raine watches the Blue Devil rise to his feet with a disconcerting smile.

"I'd expect nothing less from one of the former coven heads. And one of the rebel leaders that helped take down Emperor Belos.  It's been a pleasure playing with you, Raine Whispers."

"I can't say the same thing," Raine responds.

"Haha. Tell me, Whispers...Why are you hunting my crew?" he asks with his head cocked to the side.

Raine glares, "Sin-esthesia has been tied to more crimes than just petty theft."

The Blue Devil scoffs, "You were once a criminal yourself. A rebel against the empire no less."

"You and I are not the same."

The Blue Devil's arrow flies languidly around him, "Don't you have better things to do than chase us?"

"It's difficult to usher in an era of peace when people are worried they are gonna be robbed of their livelihood. If I may offer a suggestion: turn yourselves in."

The Blue Devil places a finger over his mouth in thought, "How abooouuut, no."

Raine's annoyance with the crew leader increases.

"Why!? We don't want to kill any witches or demons, but if you don't change your ways, we'll be forced to put you down!"

"That's alright with me," the Blue Devil says as he cuts the metal wire, "With all I've done, I deserve death. Nothing less."

Raine scrunches up their face, puzzled by the Blue Devil's words.

"I'm not entirely unopposed to repenting, but we're not just gonna hand ourselves over. Nothing my crew loves more than a high-stakes game of hide-and-seek. Haha."

"Wait. Aren't you upset we are capturing members of your crew?"

"Not really. We brought this on ourselves. We know that," the Blue Devil saunters in the open forest area, "We were getting bored anyways."

Raine wonders if this is a trick or if he is telling the truth. Raine furrows their brow at this odd fellow, the forest humidity making sweat drip down their neck uncomfortably.

"A bit off topic, but I'm curious. I heard someone named 'Raine' tamed the Owl Lady...that witch you?"

Raine scowls, "She's my partner. And she's just as wild as she ever was. There's no taming her."

"Hahaha!" The Blue Devil throws his head back in pure joy, "I like your attitude, Whispers!"

The Blue Devil stares into Raine's emerald eyes as he speaks.

"And from what I've heard of you, you're trying to make the Isles a better place."

"I plan to. Yes."

The Blue Devil closes his eyes and nods his head approvingly, "Hmm, yes."

The Blue Devil makes eye contact again, "I'd like for us to meet again, Whispers."

Raine's eyes widen at his odd phrasing.

The Blue Devil makes a break for it and Raine realizes what he meant. He's confident he'll escape.

Raine chases, and stumbles, after him into the forest and nearly falls off a cliff that they didn't notice with all the forest brush. The crew leader had lept off the cliff and was retrieved by one of their crew members flying by on a staff. The Blue Devil gestures a final forehead wave before he and some of his crew disappear into the lower region of the forest. Darius catches Raine in time with a vine of abomination goo, but that means the Blue Devil gets away again.

"You really are reckless, Raine," Darius admonishes as he pulls them up the cliff side and sets Raine on the ground.

"So! What was your first impression of the Blue Devil?" Darius asks Raine.

"Boisterous, obnoxious, unpleasant."

"Titan, look at you" Darius says in reaction to Raine's ripped clothes and disheveled state, "I thought you were the most powerful bard in the Isles."

"Mergh!" Raine huffs at the remark, "I was the head of the bard coven, but that doesn't mean I am the strongest witch out there. I was just one of the few that was talented enough and motivated enough to apply for the position. Anyways, I don't recognize any of these witches, so they most likely never joined a coven."

"Which means they aren't on any coven registrars," Darius adds.

"Sigh. With what little info we have on them, it's almost like we're fighting ghosts," Raine says.

"I think some of the crew members were ghosts," Darius responds.

"Siiggh, sucks to be chasing wild witches though. Makes me feel like a coven guard like Eda said."

"Hey, we're chasing actual criminals who happen to be wild witches. None of us have sigils anymore, so we're all wild now. And it's not like we're hunting them down to confine them to a coven. We're hunting them down to confine them to a cell. Haha, completely different."

Raine frowns and raises an eyebrow at Darius' explanation.

"Anyways, let's get you to a healer. You're covered in blood and all scraped up from the tree branches too."

Raine and Darius walk back to where their groups converged.

Wrath is almost done getting his face healed while Basil is still tied up.

"What happened?" Raine asks.

"We had to tend to one of our own going berserk."

Darius walks over to Basil who is seated on the ground wrapped in vines, "I see you're detained again. What happened this time?"

"Hmph. They hurt Eber."

Darius blinks.

"What should we do with him?" Lilith asks.

"I'll take responsibility for Basil's actions. I was the one that recruited him after all."

Darius wraps some goo around Basil's arm and snaps it back in with a loud crack that makes Basil yelp in pain.

Basil breathes deeply to ease the pain.

"Get him a healer," Darius tells Lilith.

"When one becomes available. We're a little short-handed right now," Lilith explains.

Eber bounds by and leaps onto Darius.

"Had a little trouble with Sin-esthesia, did we Eber?"

Eber mumbles and snarls before he leaps onto Basil's left side.

Raine observes the interaction between Eber and Basil. Eber tends to Basil's wounds and licks at two large scratches across his eye. Eber infused his saliva with healing properties and the scratches fade from Basil's face.

And for some reason, it makes them think of Eda.

Raine is lost in thought when they suddenly register Darius shouting at them.

"Hey! Hey!"

"Sorry, what?"

"You should visit the healer now."

"Aren't you gonna get treatment?"

"Hmph. Don't need it."

Raine sees that Darius is unscathed.

"The best fighters don't get hurt in battle," he tells Raine and sashays away.

Raine stares at his back, "Jerk..." and walks to the next available healer in the group.

Darius notices Raine sit beside one of the group's designated healers and almost immediately stands back up and walks back towards him.

"We're gonna need a new healer on our team," Raine says with a sour face, "He just hit on me again."

"Again? After you told him not to?"

"Yup."

Raine thinks for a moment, "Let's hire that Viney girl. She'd be great for our team. And she's got that griffin beast with her."

"She's still in school isn't she?"

"She's in her final year. It could be like a paid internship and then she can see if she wants to continue helping us after she graduates in a few months."

"So you're willing to put other kids in danger, but not Hunter?"

"You know why we can't let Hunter join the taskforce. This would all be too personal!"

"So he'll need to work through some stuff, but he'd be fine after that."

"No! No way! He is finally having fewer night terrors and nightmares! I'm not fueling that fire again!"

"Ugh, fine, fine. Whatever. I still say you're babying him too much."

Darius notices Raine sway from pain and exhaustion.

"Tch!" Darius hovers his hand above Raine's head to heal them a little, "I'm not very skilled at healing magic, but this'll at least stop the bleeding."

Darius' hands glow blue as he heals the majority of Raine's scrapes, but the internal bruising remains.

Raine grips their hands and is thankful they feel less nauseous from blood loss now, "Thanks, Darius."

"Whatever. Just stop forcing me to babysit you."

Raine puffs their cheeks out in annoyance.

At least I’ll be able to sleep tonight, thinks Raine.

"Help me set up camp!" Darius shouts to Raine.

"Sigh. Sure." Raine watches Darius ardently attempt to set up the tents with his magic. "Darius," Darius turns his head to look at Raine, "What?"

"Thanks for listening earlier," Raine tells him while bashfully rubbing their neck.

"Hmph. It'll be bad for morale If one of the Taskforce leaders is melancholy. So get your act together."

Raine laughs at Darius' lecture, "Haha! Okay, okay. Thanks for the advice," Raine says with a demure smile scratching the back of their head at the reprimand from their colleague.

"And I'm serious if you ever need help with asking that bespectacled guy out, I'm here for you."

Raine grins and winks at Darius who looks back at Raine momentarily.

Darius looks away with a blush, "I'll consider it..."

Raine is surprised that Darius finally admitted wanting to be in a relationship with someone, even if in a very small way.

Raine grins and can't help but tease their comrade, "Ooooo, Darius wants that Dee!"

Darius gasps, "Raine!!"

"What? His name is Dee isn't it?" Raine explains in reference to the librarian.

Darius grimaces, "Oh, so it is...For a moment there, I thought you were being as crass as Edalyn."

Raine smirks before gripping their sides in a fit of laughter and falling forward onto the ground, "Hee Hee, Hahahaha!"

Darius scowls, "You knew what you were saying you bard-barian!"

Darius quickly strings Raine upside down with abomination goo and walks away.

"Heeeyyy, buddy, ol' pal! Haha…Where are you going? Don't leave me hanging here..henh..literally......"

Raine is left hanging in silence.

"Sigh, Well this brings back memories.....At least he didn't break my violin this time...ugh, I feel nauseous."

After 20 minutes of wriggling, Raine frees themselves from the goo cocoon.

Raine sees that Darius has set up their tent for them and that Wrath and Darius have already gone to sleep. Raine climbs into their tent as night quickly falls on the first day of their mission in the forest.

Chapter Text

Hunter wakes up at 6 am as he always does, with a little assistance from Flapjack, and wipes at the streaks of dried tears on his cheeks.

"Bathroom..." he says half-awake.

He rises from his sleeping bag and steps over Amber who rolled onto the floor during the night.

He heads upstairs to use the bathroom, brush his teeth, and wash his face.

After he changes into his day clothes, he walks back downstairs to find something light to snack on. He would make his protein shake, but the blender would be too loud and he doesn't want to wake the others. 

He grabs an apple off the counter and some smilk from the fridge and spots an open binder full of pages on the kitchen table.

Katya had been working on her fanfiction last night and forgot she left it there. 

Hunter sits at the table and flips through some of the pages and quietly begins to read.

Katya and Derwin don't wake up until a little after 10 am, which gave Hunter almost four hours of alone time to read through several of Katya's stories.

Derwin heads upstairs to the bathroom while Katya sleepily wanders into the kitchen and rubs the sleep from her eyes.

She sees Hunter who is engrossed in reading at the table. 

Hunter addresses Katya, but keeps his eyes glued to the pages of fanfiction, "These are good. They're no Ruler’s Reach, but they're good. Could use some more violence and action though."

Katya's eyes widen in alarm as she realizes he is reading her writing, "What are you doing?!" Katya shouts as she snatches her papers out of Hunter's hands.

"Uh, reading-"

"Did I say you could read my fanfiction?!"

"Ah! I'm sorry! It was just laying here and I-!"

"That doesn't give you permission to read other people's stuff!" She yells as she gathers her loose papers and binder from the table.

Hunter realizes he has crossed a personal boundary and frantically gets on his knees and sincerely apologizes, "S-sorry! I'm sorry!"

Katya glares at him as she organizes her papers back into her binder. 

"Huff! I'm still mad at you, but...what did you think?"

Hunter raises his head from the floor. "Um... they're unique. I haven't read anything like it before. I couldn't put it down once I started reading."

Katya anxiously scrunches up her face, "Which ones did you read?"

"The first one I read was about the polyamorous pizza."

"Wha-?! But that one's M rated!"

"What does 'M rated' mean?"

"It means 'Mature!'"

"How was I supposed to know? I've never read fanfiction before."

"Siiggh!" Katya groans at Hunter's ignorance. "Wait!" She checks which stories follow the pizza piece. 

"Did you read the one about the two sweet potatoes?!"

Hunter slowly nods his head.

"And the sausage and the roll?!"

"Yeah..."

"And the forbidden love between the aristo-carrot and the duchess onion?!"

"I was in the middle of reading that one."

Katya collapses into one of the table chairs and covers her face with her hands, ashamed at her role in the metaphorically taking of Hunter's innocence.

Hunter stands up and sits in a chair adjacent to the distraught Katya.

"What's going on?" Derwin asks as he enters the kitchen. 

"..ee..rea-..my...fa..tion.." Katya mumbles into her hands covering her face.

Derwin walks to other side of the kitchen to get a mug, "I'm sorry? I didn't quite get that."

"Katya is upset I read her fanfiction," Hunter explains.

Derwin pauses in his footsteps and his eyebrows raise, "Oh! Well...you've had quite the sex education this morning."

"You've read the stories too, Derwin?"

"Yeah. Katya asked me to read them to help catch any tiny errors to edit."

"So why can't I read them?"

Katya lowers her arms, "Because fanfiction is personal! It's embarrassing to bare one's soul in their writing and I didn't give you permission to read my fanfiction!"

"Oh...I see...I... didn't know... I just thought they're stories and you'd like anyone and everyone to read your work."

"Well, yeah, that's sort of true. But I don't know if I can trust you not to mock my fanfiction."

"I won't! I wouldn’t! I...I'm just as surprised as you are, but I actually really like your stories!"

"And you're too young to read my mature and explicit material!"

Hunter blushes at this fact, "The material is definitely more mature than anything I read in Ruler’s Reach."

"Well, of course. Ruler’s Reach was the work of children compared to my writing."

"But the erotic scenes are also surprisingly tender and well-written."

Katya blinks in surprise at Hunter's remark, "Oh. Huh. Uhh, thanks."

Hunter and Katya stare at the table top in an awkward silence while Derwin shuffles around the kitchen and starts making some coffin brew. 

Katya scratches her head, "Siiiggh, well, as much as I wanna stay mad at you, what's done is done."

She turns to Hunter, "I guess you could read some of the material that is marked T for Teen if you want to."

"Can I finish reading the story about the aristo-carrot and the duchess onion?" Hunter points with his finger at Katya's binder of fanfiction.

"Let me check which one you were reading." Katya flips through her binder to locate the fanfiction Hunter was previously reading. "Hmmm. Oh. Uhhh, I have some T rated material about them but you were reading one of the M rated ones. It's rated mature because the Aristo-carrot removes the Duchess Onion's several layers of clothing and they make passionate love. Are you sure you want to continue reading that one?"

"Yeah...I mean. I read the other explicit material so I'm almost desensitized to it now. But I like the fact that you mirror the removal of her physical layers alongside the shedding of her emotional layers."

Derwin sips his coffin brew while Katya stares at Hunter, stunned,

"That's a really good observation. I wasn't sure if that came across clearly or not..." Katya crosses her arms on the table, "So would you consider yourself a fan of my work?"

Hunter nods his head, "Yes."

Katya smiles and then sighs loudly, "Siiggh, the Captain is gonna kill me, but I guess if you're a fan, you can continue reading my fanfiction. But please read at your discretion."

Derwin laughs in the background, "Yeah, reader discretion is advised."

Hunter smiles, "So what is this fanfiction called? Is all fanfiction like this?"

Katya laughs, "Nope. I'm just kind of a weirdo who writes about food falling in love. It's just such an accessible concept. Most people write about witches and demons from crystal ball shows or books."

Katya slides her binder back towards Hunter and shows him the front cover,

"I was gonna call it VeggieTales, but I've heard that's already been taken so I've branded the genre as EdibleTales. I also considered titles like EdibleChronicles or  FruitFiction but wanted something all-encompassing but also vague."

Hunter politely nods his head, not entirely sure what she means, but gets the gist of it, "Do you have more fanfiction like the one I read?"

"Uhh, let's see...there's one about two aubergines. There's one about two peaches. I also have a story about a cornichon and a peach and a banana and a peach and an alternative relationship where the banana dates a strawberry."

"What's a banana?"

Derwin grabs a banana from a high shelf and places it on the table in front of Hunter, "It's a fruit, Hunter. Other fruits exist besides apples."

Hunter picks up the banana, "Huh..." and Katya has to stop him from trying to eat the banana with the peel still on.

Katya grabs it from Hunter and partially peels it for him.

"Ooohhh!" Hunter says as Katya hands it back to him, "I can already see how this would work in your fanfiction."

Katya puts her head on the table and shields her face with her arms in embarrassment, "Oh noooo, I've corrupted you. You'll never be able to look at food the same way again."

Hunter smirks, "Well, you're right there."

Hunter quickly finishes the banana and Derwin takes the peel from him and tosses it in the compost can.

"Are your stories popular?" Hunter asks Katya. 

She picks her head off the table, "Ehhh, heh heh, not really. I write for my own self pleasure, but I do have a few followers who read my work after I post it on the web."

Hunter thinks for a moment and then makes finger guns and points at Katya with a smile, "Gotta feed your audience."

"Eyyyyy! This kid's got jokes!" Derwin says as he leans over to ruffle Hunter's hair.

Hunter flips through more pages of Katya's fanfiction, "So this is what they mean when someone says 'making love'?"

"Yup. It's a physical expression of love between, or among, consenting adults. As you read in the stories, the act feels pleasurable. And many couples make love in order to make a baby."

Hunter gapes at Katya, "This is how babies are made?!"

"Uh, well," Katya points at one part of fanfiction,

"They wouldn't be able to produce a baby with what they are doing here and this act wouldn't produce a baby either," Katya explains, "but when the aristo-carrot does this, then they would have to keep in mind that they could impregnate the onion."

Hunter raises an eyebrow questioningly.  

"Well in this food universe. There's a bit of suspension of belief since this isn't how vegetables are actually produced." Katya giggles at her unintentional pun.

"Is a baby made everytime?"

"Not exactly. But it does only take one time for a baby to be made. Especially since the aristo-carrot wasn't wearing protection."

"Protection?"

"You don't know...? Well, let big sister Katya explain. Typically there is protection involved when people engage in sexual acts, either to avoid a pregnancy or the transmission of diseases." 

"But I haven't read one that describes that."

"Hmm, good point," Katya admits with her hand under her chin in thought, "I guess I hadn't considered that since they are fictional characters, but I should write one that is a bit more realistic and depicts the use of protection."

"Um," Katya begins as she scratches her cheek nervously, "I know of some educational videos on the crystal ball that can go into more details about this subject matter. Especially since it appears they didn't teach you a lot about this while you were at the castle or in the emperor's coven."

Hunter shakes his head in agreement that he did not learn about this during his time at the castle. 

"You could look up some stuff on wicca-pedia or, better yet! There's a videographer that makes some great videos about this specific topic. Here," Katya rips off a small piece of paper and hands it to Hunter.

"Sexplanations..." Hunter says aloud.

"She's a great resource and her advice is wonderful. I highly recommend her for your personal quest on sex ed and sex-cellence!"

"Ah. Thanks....I'll check it out later."

Hunter fidgits in his seat and asks Katya a question he's been wanting to ask, "You're aware that I'm a grimwalker, right?"

Katya does her best to maintain a neutral facial expression, "Yes."

"Do you think Belos-"

"Ehh, probably not."

Hunter blinks. 

"If you're thinking what I think you're thinking then I'd have to say probably not."

"Hmm, I read some books about the creation of grimwalkers...but the specifics were blotted out..."

Katya stares worriedly at the forlorn Hunter.

"Do you think I'm able to make offspring?"

Katya's eyes widen at Hunter. She anxiously grips her hands together, "I'm sorry, Hunter. But I don't know the answer to that either..."

"Right...sorry..."

"But even if you can't have kids, there are other options for making babies than the old-fashioned way."

Hunter looks up at Katya, "I can direct you to a detailed report or a video on the crystal ball about it but I think there are at least three other methods..."

Katya rests her hand on Hunter's shoulder, "And there's always adoption too, so don't give up hope if that's something you want in the future."

Hunter smiles with relief, "Okay...Thank you, Katya."

"Sure thing."

Hunter rubs the writing on a page with his thumb pensively, "Is writing fun?"

"Definitely!" Katya smiles widely, "You can let your imagination run wild while writing since you can write about anything you want."

"We only wrote reports in the emperor's coven."

"Then Hunter, do I have a surprise for you!"

Katya runs out of the kitchen and grabs a string-bound notebook from her bag. 

"Taa-daa! I present to you your very first writing notebook!"

Hunter timidly accepts the notebook, "Are you sure? Isn't this yours?"

"Don't worry. It's blank. And I can always get another one."

"Wow, thanks."

"Your writing can get as personal or as outlandish as you want. Just make sure to keep it in a safe space where someone won't stumble across it," she says as she rubs the back of her head.

"I hear yah." 

Hunter looks up at Katya who sits back down, "But your writing is good. Why do you hide it?"

"Writing can be exhilarating, but it's also simultaneously the most embarrassing thing to put yourself on full display for validation or rejection. Showing other people your writing is like walking out onto a stage naked."

"That's what writing feels like?"

"Yeah! Haha, at least for me anyways. Some people describe it as being set on fire. I can't wait for you to experience the excitement and anguish of writing too!" Katya exclaims excitedly with her fists in front of her chest. 

Hunter eyes her warily with a nervous smile, "I can see why people think you're a little weird."

"Thanks," Katya smiles accepting Hunter's words as a compliment.

Hunter and Katya's stomach growl in unison. Katya grips her stomach, "Talking about all this food has made me hungry. We've been talking for a while and I haven't eaten yet."

"Sorry..." Hunter apologizes.

"No worries, Hunter."

"What do we want for breakfast?" Derwin asks.

"Scrambled griffon eggs please!" Amber says as she sleepily stumbles into the kitchen.

Hunter rises from the table, "I'll help you, Derwin."

"That's okay, Hunter, I got it."

"But I wanna help."

Derwin opens a cabinet and quickly shuts it as some squid tentacles try to grab him.

"You also don't know where everything is."

Derwin smiles nervously, "Haha, you're right."

Hunter helps Derwin locate pans, plates, bowls, and spoons, while Katya grabs a cup of coffin brew for herself.

"Hey, Katya..." Hunter starts.

"Hm?"

"People like me and Derwin would be like the carrot and people like you and Amber would be like the onion, right?"

"I suppose that's one way of looking at it," she answers as she sips at her drink.

"Is there anyone like Raine in your stories?"

"Umm, yeeaah...but I'm not gonna tell you which ones," she replies with a wink. "And besides, I don't think the Captain would be comfortable if they found out we talked about their bits- uh- business!"

"Oh- right! Forget I said anything."

"But I will say one thing about the Captain,"

Hunter stops in his tracks to listen attentively.

"They are sweet and soft and are what we like to call a sin-a-mon roll."

"Sin-a-mon roll..." Hunter repeats to himself, "So they're like a snack?"

Katya raises a finger in the air authoritatively, "'Sin-a-mon' roll and 'snack' are not always synonymous, but in this case, yes."

"Okaaaay..." Hunter responds in confusion at Katya's slang. 

"So the Owl Lady wants to eat Raine?"

"In a manner of speaking, yes. But don't tell the Captain I said that," Katya explains while rubbing the back of her head bashfully.

Hunter grips his head with his hands, "I'm so confused my head hurts..." 

"Ha ha, you should just stick to the basics."

"I just don't get what Raine sees in the Owl Lady..."

Katya smiles at Hunter and leans against the counter, "Maybe you can ask them when they return."

Derwin grabs a carton of griffon eggs out of the fridge and Katya grabs her binder off the table and excuses herself to the living room to watch Hex-files with Amber. 

Hunter turns on the stove and grabs a frying pan from Derwin's hands. Derwin begins cracking the eggs and Hunter walks behind Derwin to get the tub of 'sweet scream spread' from the fridge. Derwin tries to toss egg shells beside him into the compost can without looking, but accidentally tosses them onto Hunter's head.

"Oh, sorry!"

"Haha, It's okay."

Hunter picks the shells out of his hair and tosses them into the can.

Hunter walks back to the stove to put the sweet scream on the counter beside the stove. Hunter reaches for the salt grinder in the top shelf above Derwin's head as he washes his hands in the sink. Hunter struggles to reach the salt grinder, but he manages to flick it with his fingers just enough to topple it out of the shelf and onto Derwin's head below.

"Agh!" Derwin yelps as the salt grinder hits his head and clatters loudly into the sink.

"Sorry! Sorry!" Hunter apologizes as Derwin vigorously rubs the top of his head to alleviate the pain.

Hunter turns off the faucet and withdraws the grinder from the sink and sets it on the counter.

"Are you okay? I'm really sorry," Hunter says nervously with arms slightly extended towards Derwin who has his eyes shut.

"Its okay. I'm fine," Derwin walks around Hunter and puts a spoonful of sweet scream into the pan.

"Thank you for helping me get the pans and food together Hunter. I can handle the rest if you want to go into the living room with Katya and Amber."

"Oh, sure, uh...sorry." Hunter answers with downcast eyes and rubs the back of his neck anxiously, "I didn't mean to get in your way..."

Derwin glances at Hunter as he hangs his head and starts walking away solemnly. 

Derwin raises his head towards the ceiling and abruptly exhales, "Ah- Hunter, wait...I didn't mean to dismiss you. It's just- With this being a small kitchen-"

"Oh...yeah, I get it..."

"Too many cooks in the kitchen and all that..."

"Right, I understand..." Hunter rubs the back of his neck awkwardly as he turns to leave.

Derwin scans the counter for something he can give Hunter to do.

Derwin grabs the bowl of eggs and holds it out towards Hunter, "Would you mind sitting at the table and helping me stir the egg mix? If that doesn’t sound too patronizing that is..."

Hunter looks back at Derwin, "No, that's fine with me. I don't mind."

Hunter accepts the bowl with a large wooden spoon in it, and sits at the table to stir.

Derwin glances back and forth between Hunter and the eggs cooking on the stove.

Derwin exhales again to gather his courage before breaking the heavy silence, "The Captain told me you help around the house a lot."

Hunter stirs a little slower as he looks up at Derwin who is standing at the stovetop, "You two were talking about me?"

"Only when I asked how y'all were getting along. They said you're very helpful, Hunter," Derwin says with a smile.

"I..." Hunter's voice trails off as he stares into the cloudy yellow mixture, "just wanna be useful..."

Derwin's eyebrows knit together in concern, "I guess that's not a bad thing, but the value of a person isn't based on how useful they are."

Hunter glances between the egg mix and Derwin, "I guess I'm still trying to wrap my head around that concept..."

Derwin transfers the first batch of scrambled eggs to a plate and extends his hand towards Hunter so he can hand him the bowl.

"Captain may not have explicitly said it, but I doubt they took you in so you could be 'useful' to them. What do you think?"

"Raine said..." Hunter grips his head and squints his eyes in thought, "Titan, it's hard to remember. They said they wanted to support me. And see how I turn out."

Derwin pours the egg mix into the pan, "See? That sounds like someone that cares about you, whether you're useful or not."

Hunter stares into Derwin's eyes, "Is it so bad to have a purpose in life?"

Derwin blinks, somewhat befuddled, "What purpose are you trying to fulfill, Hunter?"

"For now, I want to be the best son I can be to Raine. I don't want them to regret taking me in."

Derwin puts his hand on Hunter's shoulder, "They didn't just take you in, they adopted you. They're not gonna return you if you're not the best son ever."

"They can return me?!"

"Uh, well, technically yes, I mean, no!" Derwin gestures nervously with his hands, "I mean kids do get returned, but Raine isn't gonna return you! Besides, there's no where to return you to even if they wanted to. Which they don't!"

"You have such a way with words, Derwin," Katya says as she enters the kitchen with her arms crossed.

Derwin flinches as if he's been stabbed and turns his attention back to the stove to transfer the rest of the scrambled eggs to plates.

Katya pulls Hunter into a hug and slowly sways side to side, "I think what Derwin is trying to get across is that the Captain loves you no matter what. So you don't have to wait on them hand and foot." She leans back and rests her hands on Hunter's shoulders, "Trust me, kids don't do that for their parents anyways. Okay?"

Hunter glances to the side before looking up at Katya and answering, "Okay."

Derwin grabs a spoon and clangs it against an empty glass, "Food's done, Amber! Better get in here before it's all gone!"

"I'm here!" Amber exclaims as she flies into the kitchen and quickly grabs a plate.

"I didn't add anything, so you can season to taste," Derwin announces to the group as he hands a plate to Hunter. 

"Come on! Come on! You gotta see this episode of Hex-Files! It's the one about the Lenderman!" Amber says as she bounds out of the kitchen. Derwin and Katya laugh lightly while Hunter smiles. He adds a dash of salt to his scrambled eggs, grabs a fork, and follows them out of the kitchen into the living room.

After they finish their breakfast and the Hex-File episode ends, they gather their plates and tidy up the kitchen.

Hunter steps away briefly and heads upstairs to put his new notebook into his desk drawer. While there, he spots his drumming sheet music on his desk.

Hmm, I wonder if the three bards downstairs might have some insight into how to get over a specific sequence that I'm having difficulty with.

Hunter grabs his sheet music and a pencil and briskly walks back downstairs, when he suddenly pauses midway. He stares into the living room from his spot on the stairs and sees the back of the three bards’ heads as they sit on the living room couch. He sees that they've started the next episode of the show on the crystal ball, and a memory of the coven heads walking away from him flashes in his mind's eye. Hunter's mouth stretches into a flat line as he anxiously grips his papers and reconsiders asking them for advice. 

They're... they're busy...I shouldn't interrupt them...

Hunter looks down at his sheet music as his thoughts cloud his mind. 

It's not really important anyways...I can figure it out on my own...

Hunter begins to head back upstairs when he is stopped by a question from below. 

"What'd yah got there?"

Hunter flinches and looks down at Amber where she stands beside the stair column with a bright smile. 

"Oh. Um, just some sheet music I've been practicing."

Derwin looks up from his spot on the couch and waves at Hunter to come down, "Really? Bring it down here. Show us what you've been working on."

Hunter blinks his eyes in surprise and hesitates. 

His eyes dart from Derwin's face to Amber's and then to Katya's who are all staring back at him. He half-smiles at first before shaking his head.

That's right...I'm not at the castle anymore...I'm in Raine's townhouse with family friends...They’re nothing like the coven heads…

Hunter grins and walks the rest of the way down the stairs to join the group.

He hands Amber the sheet music, and she leans over the back of the couch to show Derwin.

"Raine and I are gonna play this one together," Hunter explains as he walks over to the couch and sits down.

"'Through the Fire and the Flames' by Dragonforce." Derwin's eyes widen excitedly, "Really?! That's so bard-core!"

"Um," Hunter rubs the back of his neck nervously, "I was gonna ask if you had some ideas on how to play a specific part."

Derwin smiles, "We'll help if we can."

Hunter reaches over to point at the middle of the sheet music, "I've been practicing it for a month now, but this section is still giving me issues."

Derwin waves his finger in the air and summons Hunter's drumsticks.

Hunter catches them as they fall out of the air while Katya turns off the crystal ball.

"Show us how you've been practicing so far."

Hunter nods his head before tightening his lips into a thin line. His muscles tense as he begins to hit the tactless drums.

After a couple of minutes of playing, Derwin places his hand on Hunter's shoulder, "I see your problem. You're a bit stiff. It'll help your sound if you loosen up. To get the rhythm down, you've gotta transition smoothly from one drum to the next."

Hunter tries to process Derwin's advice and tries drumming again.

Katya raises her hand towards Hunter and looks to Derwin, "Do you think it'd help him practice if he closed his eyes?"

"Oh yeah, try that."

"But then I can't see the sheet music."

Derwin points at the sequence Hunter is struggling with, "Practice just this part until you have it memorized. Then clear your mind and close your eyes. Your senses are taking in too much information. Closing your eyes will help you feel the rhythm and focus on the sound."

Hunter hums in contemplation, "Okay. I'll try it."

Hunter is about to drum again when his crow phone flies to the back of the couch and starts cawing: "Hi Hunter!"

Hunter's eyes widen brightly and a smile effortlessly spreads across his face which doesn't go unnoticed by the group.

"Oh! Hi Captain!"

"Who's that? Who's that?!" Amber asks repeatedly while hopping up and down.

"Hm? Who's that with you?" Willow asks.

"Sorry, you're on speaker. It's just some of Raine's friends-"

Hunter's words are cut off as Amber grabs his crow phone.

"HE LIKES YOU!!" Amber shouts loudly into the receiver.

"What?" Hunter hears Willow say on the other end.

"NO, I DON'T!!" Hunter shouts as he scurries over the back of the couch and tries to get his crow phone back from Amber.

Amber extends her arm to prevent Hunter from reaching the phone, "YOU SHOULD SEE HIM!! HE'S BLUSHING SO MUCH!!" 

"NO, I'M NOT!!" Hunter shouts as he knocks Amber to the ground. They wrestle for possession of the phone and Hunter smacks the crow phone out of Amber's hand.

"Hunter? What's going on?"

Hunter holds Amber down and answers loudly so the phone can hear him, "Nothing!!"

Amber rolls Hunter over so she is on top now, but they also manage to roll over the crow phone.

The crow phone squawks as it's squished and the group watches it fly away out the window.

They stare silently at the window for a moment and realize Hunter's crow phone is not coming back.

"Now look what you did!!" Hunter shouts as he grabs Amber by the collar of her shirt and shakes her. Amber also grabs Hunter's shirt collar and shakes him in return, "What?! I was helping!!" she shrieks.

"Now she's gonna think I don't like her!!"

"Ah-ha!! So you do like her!!"

"AAAGH!!" Unsure how to respond, Hunter screams out of frustration and pushes Amber to the ground to continue wrestling to quell his embarrassment.

"Hey! That's enough, Hunter!" Derwin and Katya successfully pull Hunter away from Amber who continues to make silly faces at him. 

"Wow, you really like this girl, huh?" Derwin asks as he sits Hunter down on the couch. Katya and Amber stare at him as his face flushes and he turns bright red.

"I guess so," Hunter answers under his breath.

"I wonder what she was calling about," Katya says.

"Maybe she was calling to confess her feelings for you," Amber teases as she pokes Hunter's cheek.

Hunter bites at Amber's finger who pulls it away quickly. 

"Settle down, you two," Derwin admonishes. 

Katya leans down so she's face to face with Hunter, "Admitting your feelings is the first step in a relationship Hunter. Admitting them to yourself and admitting them to her," she says with a smile.

She reaches for Hunter's hands and pulls him off the couch and twirls him around, "Once you admit your feelings to her, you can ask her out for a customary first date of the bards!"

"And what's that?" Hunter asks, a bit dizzy from the spinning.

"A dance date!"

Hunter stops their momentum and looks down at the floor with worry, "But I don't know how to dance."

"Have the Captain teach you then."

"Raine can dance?"

"All bards know how to dance. It's part of our training."

Derwin leans over to take Katya's hands from Hunter to demonstrate a quick couple's dance.

"You could learn something as simple and fundamental as the box-step," Derwin explains.

Hunter observes Derwin and Katya as they move in a small square in rhythm. Katya rests her head against Derwin's shoulder as Derwin counts aloud, "1, 2, 3, 1, 2, 3..."

Amber stands beside Hunter with a grin and nudges at Hunter's elbow, "They're always like this. Like birds dancing." Hunter stares at the couple while Amber winks with a sly smile at the pair who blush and pull apart out of each other's arms. 

"Ahem!" Derwin clears his throat awkwardly and points to the kitchen,  "I should finish the cake!"

"Right! And I uh-" Katya announces awkwardly, "have some writing to finish!"

Derwin walks into the kitchen while Katya grabs her binder and steps outside.

Hunter raises an eyebrow at Amber who is giggling, "So! Do you wanna practice dancing with me or do you wanna practice drumming?" Amber asks Hunter with her hands on her hips.

"I'd rather practice drumming, no offense."

Amber smiles, "Haha! No problem. I'm gonna rest on the couch and watch you practice then."

Hunter picks up his drumsticks and they sit down on two adjacent couches.

"Maybe I can message Willow on penstagram to ask what she was calling about after I finish practicing..."

Amber stretches her arms out on the couch, "Sounds like a plan."

Hunter glares at Amber, "And you owe me a new crow phone."

Amber flinches and scratches the back of her head, "Okay, okay. I'm sorry about your phone. I'll replace it on my next payday."

Hunter practices the song in the living room with his eyes closed while Derwin finishes the cake in the kitchen. Derwin gathers the toppings on the counter and pulls the cake out of the fridge. He removes the cake from the pans onto a flat plate and grabs a bowl to mix the cream topping. He empties a can of worms into the cake filling and when he steps away to get a large wooden spoon, Amber silently sneaks into the kitchen and deposits some magic pebbles into the mixture. She walks back to the living room couch to watch Hunter play and Derwin mixes together the creamy cake filling and topping.

He layers the cake with the mixture and dusts the top of the mud and worm tiramissu cake with crushed spiders and fireflies which give the cake a faint glow.

Derwin nods his head triumphantly and smiles down at his creation.

He moves the cake to the table and raises his hand to his mouth, "Cake's done everyone!"

Hunter is still drumming in the living room so Derwin exits the kitchen and waves his hands widely to get his attention. Which doesn't help much considering Hunter has his eyes closed.

Derwin gestures towards Hunter with his arms to Amber. She smirks and then throws a couch cushion at Hunter.

"Hey!"

Amber chuckles, "Cake's done, Hunter."

"Oh! Cool."

"Amber, go get Katya. I'm gonna light the candles."

"Okay!" Amber hops outside to bring Katya in.

"Candles?" Hunter asks Derwin.

Derwin smiles and wipes at his nose, "You'll see."

Derwin directs Hunter to sit down at the kitchen table as Katya and Amber arrive. Derwin lights a few candles on the cake and he rushes to place the cake on the table before the candles sink too far into the cake.

Hunter watches nervously as Derwin, Katya, and Amber gather around the table and stand across from him.

Hunter flinches as they yank the cord on some small party poppers and shout: "WELCOME TO THE FAMILY, HUNTER!!"

They blow on some party kazoos as Hunter stares at them a bit bewildered.

"I don't know what to say..."

"Aww, isn't he cute?!" Amber exclaims with a toothy grin.

"He is indeed!" Katya and Derwin agree.

Hunter blushes at the compliment and stares at the cake. He wipes at his eyes as they begin to water and smiles.

"Thank you, everyone. And the cake looks delicious, Derwin."

Derwin smiles widely, "Thanks! It's kinda nice to have a baby brother!"

Hunter's eyes widen at the remark and a faint blush dusts his cheeks.

"He's not a baby, Derwin!" Katya exclaims.

"Aw! He doesn't mind being called baby brother, right Hunter?"

Hunter looks down at the cake bashfully, "I don't mind. It is kind of nice..."

"See!" Derwin gestures happily with an open palm.

Amber grabs the table excitedly, "Blow the candles out!!"

Hunter is also excited to blow out the candles as he imagines this is what a birthday party is like.

He inhales and extinguishes the candles. And as soon the candles are out, the entire cake explodes. 

Derwin wipes some of the cake off of his face and glares at Amber, "Did you add exploding pop-rocks to the cake?!" 

"Whaaat, the cake needed some more pizzazz!" She explains with jazz hands. Derwin continues to wipe the cake from his face while Katya blindly walks over to the kitchen sink to rinse a washcloth to wipe her face. Hunter licks the cake off his lips, "Huh. I was right, Derwin. It is delicious."

"Chirp chirp!" Flapjack concurs as the cardinal pecks at the scattered array of worms.

Katya, Derwin, and Amber smile warmly at Hunter as he nibbles at the cake on the back of his hand while Flapjack excitedly hops around the kitchen table, pecking at the dessert.

Derwin sighs exhaustively at his cake creation's untimely demise, but recovers quickly at the sight of a happy Hunter. 

He casts a quick circle in the air and summons a large hardback book, "It's a good thing I didn't give this to you before the explosion," Derwin says as hands Hunter the large book and a washcloth.

"A Kitchen Witch's Cookbook..." Hunter reads aloud.

"It's a cookbook my family uses. It's got some good recipes in there that you and the Captain can try out."

Hunter looks up at Derwin and smiles, "Oh, wow. Thank you so much, Derwin. I really appreciate it."

Derwin rubs the back of his neck bashfully, "You're welcome. I hope you find it useful."

After consuming most of the scattered cake bits from the table, they take turns using the upstairs bathroom to shower off and change their clothes. They regroup in the living room and scan the kitchen's messy state. The cake still covered the cabinets and floor and the plates, bowls and utensils Derwin used cluttered the sink. 

"Ehhh, we'll clean it up before the Captain gets home," Katya says and the group agrees with a collectively weak, "Yeah..."

For now, they decide to rest on the living room floor to play a few rounds of Hexus Hold'em at the small coffin-shaped table.

Night falls on the townhouse as the hours of fun pass quickly.

"That's your tenth win in a row! Are you sure you aren't cheating, Hunter?" Katya exclaims with a smile.

"Hahaha, I'm just that good!" Hunter laughs.

A sudden sound at the front door startles the group and they turn their heads towards the townhouse's front entrance. They peer over the couch and stare quietly as a figure slowly enters the townhouse.

"Oh, shittake mushrooms..." Katya curses under her breath as the group realize a disheveled Raine has returned home.

Hunter rises from his seat on the floor and rushes over to Raine to intercept them before they see the mess in the kitchen.

“Raine! Uhh-! We were about to clean the kitchen! Honest!”

Raine looks down at Hunter and smiles wearily at him before weakly ruffling his hair. Hunter can see that Raine is pallid and fatigued and he watches them stagger towards the closest couch and collapse into it. 

The group hovers beside Raine and stares down at them as Raine’s consciousness fades.

Their concern heightens as they notice the increasingly haggard state Raine is in. Their clothes are soaking wet and the couch takes on a dark hue as the couch absorbs the liquid from their damp clothes. The group notice a few jumping ticks crawling on their clothes which are tattered and torn and smeared with traces of what appears to be blood and dirt. 

Hunter's eyes furrow as he stares down at his exhausted parent, "I don't think their meeting went well..."

Chapter Text

Raine wakes at 6 am as they have been for the past month. 

But not of their own volition. A high pitched ringing sound invades their ears and rouses them from their slumber. Raine rolls over on their sleeping mat and flings their earmuffs from their ears in alarm. Raine covers their ears with their hands and inhales sharply as the ringing slowly subsides. The noise had left them slightly frazzled, but they dismiss the ominous incident as an issue related to age. They scratch behind their ear, crawl out of their tent, and stand up tall to pop their back.

Raine observes the two tents beside them and assumes Darius and Wrath are still sleeping.

They rub their face aggressively and inhale sharply through their nose.

They scan the modest campsite for the single cooking pan and one-dozen griffin eggs provided by the taskforce for the mission and grimace at the measly supplies.

Raine casts a spell circle on the ground and raises some twigs from the ground and lights them on fire before using another spell to hover the pan above the fire.

Raine pokes around in the few necessary items that were brought along for the mission and is disappointed at the lack of hot sauce.

They snap their fingers and remember their personal bag has some. They dive into their tent and pull out a travel-sized bottle of hot sauce from their satchel. Raine exits their tent and shakes the bottle of hot sauce over the eggs to give them some flavor.

While quietly eating their breakfast, Raine reflects on yesterday's interactions with the Blue Devil. 

Sigh, I hope we make some progress today. We have to convince them to stop their criminal activities or disband their crew at the very least.  

Raine slowly chews on their food as they mull over their predicament.

The Blue Devil knows I was a coven head, and a traitor to the emperor, and that I'm dating Eda. What else does he know about me? 

"It makes me uneasy that he knows so much about me, but I know nothing about him," Raine says aloud, "He never even told me his name."

"It's Udontu."

Raine freezes at the sudden vocalization beside them. They slowly turn their head to the side and see the Blue Devil sitting beside them.

"Yo!" Udonta greets with a small forehead salute.

Raine's mind blanks at first and time seems to slow down as Raine's brain tries to catch up. They finally recover from shock and swing their arm at the Blue Devil's head, but he rolls backwards on the ground and avoids it.

Raine pursues Udontu fervently and the pair exchange attack spells. Raine manages to push Udontu back with their swipes of spells, but Udontu grabs Raine by their shirt and tosses them into the air before they crash against the tents causing them to collapse.

"Wrath! Darius!!" Raine shouts as they are alarmed to see the collapsed tents are empty.

"Your friends aren't here," Udontu explains in the distance. 

"Where are they?! What did you do to them?!" Raine shouts as they struggle to stand up from the caved-in tents.

"They're fine. They're busy fighting members of my crew. While you were busy with breakfast, they've been out fighting."

"Rrgh!" Raine is dismayed that their comrades have been fighting without them. 

"I needed to keep them busy and separate you from them."

Raine's brow furrows, "Why?"

"I needed some uninterrupted personal time to discuss an important matter with you. And only you."

"Does the matter involve your dabblings in the nightmarket?"

"Yes and no," Udontu says with a vague wave of his hand, "It's an urgent personal matter. And I don't need the Emperor's Coven guards getting in the way."

"We're not coven guards," Raine declares with a scowl.

Udontu blinks rapidly, "Could've fooled me. Come into our forest, magic spells first and questions second."

Raine steps away from the tents and lowers their arms by their side and frowns, "I'm sorry. After detainment, we were going to have a discussion and trial with your crew about renouncing your criminal ways. And I wish we didn't have to resort to violence first. But with the crew's violent past, we couldn't take that risk. But, we can talk now, if you'll hear me out."

Udontu smiles and stands across from Raine.

"It takes a strong person to apologize. Lucky for you, I've been wanting to talk with you as well, Raine Whispers. Call it serendipitous."

Udontu's smile makes Raine nervous. 

Raine watches Udontu extend his arms beside him, "Right now, we are currently in a concealed illusion of my making."

Raine becomes aware that it's pitch black beyond the first line of trees. They try to contain their panic at the realization that they are trapped in here with the infamous Blue Devil.

Raine turns their attention back to Udontu, "Why are we here? What did you need to discuss?" 

"I need to ask you for a big favor. But first, I need to present my argument. I'm hoping I'll be able to convince you with tales of my time and images from my past."

Udontu stands silently and awaits Raine's answer. Raine fidgets in place and grips their fists tight in conflict. They close their eyes briefly and reopen them and begin walking towards the Blue Devil.

"Udontu...did I say that, right?" Raine asks as they stand in front of him.

Udontu appreciates the subtle sign of witch decency and answers with a grin, "That's right."

Udontu waves their arm in a circle beside them and casts a 3D projection that fills the area. Raine looks around at the illusionary background Udontu projects. It looks like an old holding bay with a variety of cages. Raine swipes their hand through one of the metal cages as the illusion languidly disintegrates and resolidifies. 

"Your illusion magic is incredible." 

Udontu half-smiles at Raine's compliment. He waves his hand as he begins to walk, "Follow me."

Udontu leads Raine to one small and specific cage within the illusion. Raine leans down a little and squints their eyes to read the metal label on the top of the cage, "Blue Bipedal Demon..." Raine looks up at Udontu and is surprised to see a thinly-veiled, pained expression. 

"This is one of my earliest memories."

Raine kneels down to get a better look at young Udontu. The cage is cramped and looks to be a size too small for this child who couldn't be any older than 8 years old. Raine grimaces at the shackles on the boy's small wrists and ankles. The boy hugging his knees in the cage looks up and seems to stare at Raine. His skin is blue, his irises are red, his left ear is clipped, and his head is shaved down to the skin. But the sclera of his eyes aren't black like the current Udontu who stands beside them. And the most obvious and alarming feature that makes Raine nauseous is the crude tattoo on the boy's forehead that reads FUG .

"Your forehead..." Raine says aloud and Udontu understands the statement as a question about their current blank forehead. Udontu removes his concealment stone and holds it in between his fingers, revealing his true physical appearance.

There's a scar across his right cheek like Hunter's, but what differs greatly is the tattoo across his forehead.

"Can you believe they tattooed me as a youngster? I was a fugitive, hence the abbreviation you see before you." Udontu gestures to his forehead, 

"I was captured. Made a slave."

They continue to stare at the boy in the cage. Raine's eyes dance back and forth as they scan the scared face of the child. Raine takes steady breaths and reminds themselves that they are only in an illusion. 

You can't reach out to this child. You can't change what happened to them. This child before you grew up to be the demon standing beside you.

"Do you know why the caged bird sings, Whispers?"

Raine shakes their head slowly, "No..."

"I do. I spent my youth as a slave, and I'm not going through that again."

"I'm sorry this happened to you, but why show me?"

"It's one of the reasons I won't let your taskforce or anyone else capture me." Udontu turns his head and walks to the right side of Raine,

"Let me show you how I got my eyes."

Raine stands up from their crouched position as the illusion of the child fades away. Raine turns their head and stares warily at Udontu’s back.

I don't like that he's being so cryptic...

A new illusion begins to take shape and Raine walks over to where Udontu stands and looks around them as the space is filled with darkness, a yellow haze, and floating cubes. 

"Somehow, I came to a crossroads and I was promised power by a disembodied voice. In exchange for enhanced bard abilities, I was given an extended lifetime."

Raine scrunches up their face in confusion, "That sounds like you got two wishes."

"I believed that too when I first got these powers, but after one lifetime, I realized that my near immortality was a curse. I had power, but no purpose. I had a long life, but no surviving friends to share it with."

Raine watches the past Udontu lean their head back in pain as their scleras are consumed in black pigment, making their red eyes stand out in contrast. 

Raine and Udontu watch solemnly as the past Udontu laughs wildly, "My soul was cursed by a crossroads demon. I sold my soul for a hollow existence. I am forced to walk the land for generations in exchange for the musical talent and power I was gifted. I'm not exactly immortal. Just an indefinitely extended life span."

"What's the difference?"

"I can die. But there is a stipulation I must meet. I have to choose a fellow musician to hand my life and power over to."

Raine grimaces at this information and a nagging sensation pulls at their consciousness, "Udontu, why are you showing me these things?"

Raine shuffles nervously as Udontu turns to face them head-on, "Because I. Choose. You. I want you...to kill me."

Once again, Udontu has thrown Raine for a loop and Raine has to figure out how to make sense of the situation they have found themselves in.

"W-what?! W-why?!" Raine's voice cracks.

"I don't mean now," Udontu adds nonchalantly with a quirked eyebrow.

"What!?" Raine exasperates as they back away and clench their fists, "That doesn't matter! I'm not going to kill you! Not now! Not ever!"

Udontu stares unflinchingly at Raine and slowly steps towards them, "Whispers, please. Only in death, am I free of this curse. Consider it a favor to me."

Raine flails their arms as they back away defensively, "Find someone else to do it! I'm done here! Let me out of this illusion! Now!"

Raine turns to walk away when Udontu grabs them and forcibly turns Raine to face him, "I can only be killed by a powerful bard. Someone strong with enough mana to wield this power. Whoever kills me also gets my enhanced bard and magic abilities, so you benefit from this arrangement too."

Raine raises their arms up to free them from Udontu's hold, "Let go of me! I don't want your power! I don't need it!"

Udontu glares at Raine's back as they try to leave again.

"The grimwalker from the market you protected..." Udontu grins as Raine halts and slowly turns to face him with a menacing glare, "You know, he's composed of a lot of rare items. I'm sure someone would pay handsomely for that galdorstone in his chest."

Raine glares at Udontu and takes steady steps towards him. Raine aggressively grabs the lapels of his jacket, "Don't you dare threaten Hunter!"

Udontu narrows his eyes at Raine, "Ooo, touch a nerve, did I?" Udontu teases as he covers Raine's hands with his. Raine kicks Udontu's leg out from under him to throw off his balance and Raine uses the momentum to slam Udontu backwards against the ground at full-force, "STAY AWAY FROM MY SON!"

Raine wobbles to the side away from Udontu. The lack of substantive food and water intake increases their fatigue and wears on them heavily. They bend slightly to rest their hands on their knees to remain standing. Raine had lost track of how long they had been inside the illusion, but their body seems to know it's been a while since they've eaten.

Raine looks up to see Udontu sit up on the ground.

He hunches over, rubs his bald head and lets his arms hang listlessly in his lap, "Your son? You adopted it?"

Raine snarls and raises their fist in front of them, "He's not an 'IT!' He's my son and his name is Hunter Whispers!"

"Well, well. Who knew I had such a bargaining chip..." Udontu staggers to his feet, "I'll make you a sweet, sweet deal. I'll stay away from the grimwalker and you agree to help end my curse. I'll even help you manage my fellow criminals, in my own way of course. And I'll advise other ne'er-do-wells too. Not that they'll listen to me. But I'll pass the message along. In exchange, you promise to end me. How's that sound?"

Raine huffs and puffs as they try to regain their composure, "Why should I trust anything you say? This illusion you've trapped me in to tell me your life-story could be just that: an illusion."

Udontu shakes his head and smiles, "It might interest you to know that I helped create him."

Raine growls at him as a headache begins to develop, "What are you babbling about now?"

"Your beloved 'Hunter.' No mistaken who he was when I encountered him at the market. That Belos fella always likes to make the grimwalkers look the same. I helped create him. Well, not directly. But over the years, my crew and I gathered and delivered the ingredients to make them. All them 'Hunters.' There have been so many during the century I've lived."

Udontu begins to pace back and forth slowly and continues to explain his connection to Hunter, "I used to fulfill deliveries for Emperor Belos. Oops. Sorry. Former Emperor Belos. I even procured and delivered some ingredients to reanimate some basiliks. That guy couldn't handle acquiring the ingredients himself for the grimwalkers and basiliks, so my crew and I were hired to get the raw materials for him."

Raine wishes Udontu would stop walking back and forth, the sheer sight of it increasing their nausea. The heavy conversation also contributes to their discomfort. Raine shuffles on their feet to stay standing and looks up at Udontu with glassy eyes, "Why?"

Udontu snorts, "Simple. My crew was rewarded handsomely by the empire. But now that Belos and his ilk are gone, money's all dried up. Gotta steal to eat. Gotta eat to live. And we're the best thieves around. And we steal from anywhere and anyone."

Raine sighs, “That's the problem. We can't have your crew stealing from anywhere and anyone anymore. We plan on helping you and your crew reform and find more productive uses of your time that enables you to have your basic necessities met so you don't have to pillage and pilferage anymore."

Udontu stares at Raine in disbelief at the progressive ideals they just spouted, "Wow...You really are something, Raine Whispers. But...I don't think I deserve your kindness. You can try to reform my crew members all you'd like, but I've got too many regrets to be redeemed now. But if you're trying to change things back to the way they were before Belos, then you have my support in that matter."

"And why is that?"

"Y'see, over the years, Belos had us deliver him galdorstones and selkidomus scales and bones of various origin, but he also frequently ordered corpses."

Raine is aware that grave-robbing happens and is an acceptable part of the Boiling Isles' culture so they are unsure as to where this conversation is headed. Raine notices the distant look in his eyes, as if Udontu is detaching himself from his words, "and occasionally the 'product,' as he once referred to them, had to be 'fresh.' They had to still be alive."

Raine scans the floor as the meaning of Udontu's words dawn on them, "You trafficked people?!"

Udontu exhales solemnly, "Yes...But when I discovered what Belos was doing to the people I captured, I quit. His creations were unethical. Even for a lowlife like me."

Raine clenches their jaw in anger and grips their knees, "Well, one of the 'creations' destroyed Belos. Hunter killed him."

Udontu smirks, "Damn good to hear. That guy was a dick."

"Can't argue with that."

Udontu stares into the distance and glances at Raine, "After we stopped doing deliveries, he threatened me and my crew, so we had been in hiding for years."

Raine decides to preemptively finish the story, "And after you resorted to crime for a living, your name and your crew's name proliferated." Raine straightens up and rubs their aching back muscles, "It's exactly what I'm trying to prevent in this new era. Sigh...I have a ridiculous idea, but here it goes. How about you repent? We'll have a trial, you can serve a sentence, and help us tame the crime and debauchery taking place in the nightmarket."

Udontu scoffs, "You saw how I was imprisoned as a child. I ain't going back there. I'll help you, but it'll be on my own terms." 

Raine exhales forcefully through their nose in irritation at Udontu’s understandable stubbornness. 

"In exchange, you end me. Deal?" 

Raine squints up at Udontu pleadingly at his outlandish request.

Udontu replies with a woeful smile, "It'd be an honor to die by your hands, Raine Whispers."

Raine's eyes widen nervously as their brow furrows.

Udontu adds more information, "I still have to protect my crew though, so I can't die just yet. Give me three years. And when the day comes, I hope you'll free my soul from this realm."

Raine shudders, "This is madness! Look! We should discuss this!" Raine tries to convince him.

"There's nothing more to discuss, Whispers. I'm guilty."

Raine doesn’t know what to do or say to him.

Raine glances at the ground in thought. If I agree to his terms, I’ll become a murderer…But I’ll be making substantial progress towards decreasing the crime rate over the next few years…And if I don’t agree, it’ll endanger Hunter…And the crime rate would potentially stay the same or worsen… 

"Tch!” Raine vocalizes as they shut their eyes tight, “Fine." Raine stares up at Udontu, "But we're not releasing the members of your crew that we’ve already captured.”

Udontu leans away, "Psh. Keep 'em. If they weren't able to avoid capture, they can't survive out here in the wild anymore. Besides, knowing what I know about you, you'll probably feed, house, and clothe them." 

He isn't wrong , thinks Raine. How can he smile at a time like this?  

"The taskforce is a collective group of talented and intelligent witches and demons,” Raine argues, “We can help you get rid of the curse that doesn't involve killing you!" 

Udontu smiles sadly at Raine, "You don't understand. Immortality is not all it's cracked up to be. I've had so many friends die over the course of my long life. I want to join them. I want the peace only death can provide. Please, Raine Whispers. I humbly stand before you as a devil with a death wish."

"Tch!" Raine huffs, upset that the Blue Devil is putting them in this position. Raine looks up and silently nods their head.

A wash of relief visibly crosses Udontu's face.

"My sincerest apologies and my deepest gratitude, Whispers."

Raine extends their hand towards Udontu and he gratefully clasps hands with Raine. 

"I'll call in the favor in three years. Now that I know I'll be free from this life soon, there's some things I need to discuss with my crew and some loose ends I need to tend to."

Raine tries a final time to convince Udontu, "You sound like a reasonable guy. Is there no other way?"

"You're kind, Whispers, but this is my choice."

Raine looks down at their hands, "If we had met, some other way... under different circumstances..."

Raine doesn't know what they are thinking... There's no way we would've been friends, but...

Udontu grins, "I like to think if someone like you had found me back then, then I could've been spared...That I too would've had a home...And I wouldn't have had to make a deal with a devil..." Udontu watches Raine grimace, "But what's done is done."

Udontu hovers their left hand over their conjoined hands, "Oh. One more thing. I take younguns in that have lost their homes in this twisted world. Maybe I'll hand the job over to you now…"

Raine closes their eyes, before opening them again, and looks up at Udontu with a serious expression, "Sigh, sure. That's not a problem. They could be our first applicants for a new program we're starting. Funny..." Raine smirks, "If you ever met Eda, I feel like you two would get along..."

Udontu laughs heartily, "I look forward to the opportunity."

Udontu casts a light blue spell circle around their handshake and announces, "The Everlasting Oath is sealed."

Raine glances at their hand before letting their arm hang limply at their side. 

Udontu begins to back away slowly, "I offer you a final warning, Whispers. There is an evil that lurks in the shadows that existed before Belos. But it only intensified during Belos' reign. Be careful with those damned Belos sympathizers. There's no reasoning with them. They are so entrenched in their ideologies that words will not reach them. So save your breath."

Raine nods their head in agreement, "Thanks for the words of warning. I'll tread carefully."

"I wish you best of luck with your goals, girlfriend, and grimwalker."

Raine's eyebrows knit together in frustration as Udontu tosses them a secret meeting jewel and turns to leave. Raine extends their arm out toward him, "Wait!"

There was no dazzling escape this time. Raine pursues Udontu until he appears to simply vanish. Raine hacks and coughs from sprinting. What am I supposed to tell the taskforce?! Raine screams in their mind.

All of a sudden, a downpour of fake blood drenches Raine.

Raine turns their head sharply as they hear Darius and Wrath shouting their name in the distance, "RAINE!!" 

Wrath and Darius finally reach Raine’s location and stare at them in confusion, "We looked for you at the campsite, but you ran off! You've been missing for hours!" 

Raine huffs and puffs from physical exertion and stares into the vast forest in front of them, suddenly aware that the dark illusion had lifted. Wrath grows impatient with Raine's stunned silence, "What happened?!"

Darius glares at Raine who seems to be holding something behind their back, "What are you hiding behind your back?"

Raine raises an eyebrow and brings their hands forward, "Nothing." 

Raine's eyes widen suddenly as they are startled to see the Blue Devil's decapitated head in their hands.

Lilith pushes her way out of the forest brush and into the open clearing where the three are gathered. She walks over to them and spots the head in Raine's hands, "Oh my. Did you do that?"

"Uhhh," Raine assumes it's a decoy that Udontu placed in their hands at some point to create a cover story, "Yup!"

Lilith's eyes light up at this news, "Wonderful! Congratulations, Raine!" Lilith says as she takes the head from Raine's hands and turns to leave, "We were hoping to take the leader in alive, but I'm sure this will earn you some points with the other members."

Raine grimaces and shakes their hands in the air in disgust at how heavy the fake head was, "You'd think after dating Eda, I'd be more accustomed to holding severed heads. But nope. Still weird."

"You're covered in blood," Darius points out.

Raine looks down at their red-stained clothes, "Don't worry. It's not mine."

Darius casts a spell circle above Raine's head to levitate a ball of water above them and showers them with water to rinse the blood off.

Raine stands still, dripping wet, "Gee. Thanks," they scowl.

"You're welcome. Hah, it's so good to have full range of my magic back."

Raine reams water from the bottom of their short jacket. Darius suddenly leans in close to Raine's face, "You've been acting weird, Songbird. Well, weirder than usual." Darius leans back and stares down at Raine with a suspicious glare, "What's going on?"

"Nothing!" Raine answers unconvincingly as they wave their hands.

Darius pokes them in the forehead, "You're a terrible liar. But I'm too tired to care right now." Darius crosses his arms and proceeds to follow the exit path Wrath cleared through the trees, "Mission accomplished. I'm never setting foot in this forest again."

Raine is glad he doesn't press for details but they are also kind of ticked off that they don't care enough to be more persistent with the questions, "Thank you for your APATHY!" Raine shouts at Darius' back. "Can you at least give me a lift home?!"

Darius snaps his fingers and Raine is encapsulated by abomination goo and dragged underground. In an instant, they re-emerge outside their townhouse complex. Raine crouches on the ground on their hands and knees, "Siiiigggh...and they wonder why I dislike people...I'm so tired..."

Raine blinks their eyes from fatigue and notices night has fallen. They stagger to their feet and make their way to the front door of the townhouse. They hear the sounds of laughter dissipate as they enter the crowded living room. Raine is startled by Hunter’s sudden appearance before them with defensive hands raised, “Raine! Uhh-! We were about to clean the kitchen! Honest!”

Raine looks down at Hunter and smiles wearily at him before weakly ruffling his hair. I’ll protect you no matter what…

Raine steps to the right of Hunter to collapse into the closest couch and their consciousness fades as they feel familiar faces crowd around them.

The last thing they hear is Hunter’s voice as they drift to sleep, “I don't think their meeting went well...”

Chapter Text

Give me three years. In three years, I'll call on you to fulfill your end of the deal.

Udontu's words replay in Raine's dream. Raine looks down at their feet that are shrouded in a black liquid. In the distance, they see a dream version of themselves. The camera in their mind zooms into the face of their dream doppelganger and they are filled with anxiety as their scleras are gradually consumed by a black liquid.

Their dream ends when Raine is startled awake by someone shaking them. Raine twitches and slowly opens one of their sleepy eyes.

They continue to lay prone on the couch and inhale deeply as three faces come into view.

"Hey sleepy head!" Amber shouts, "You've been asleep for a week!"

"WHAT?!" Raine gasps as they push their torso up from the couch.

"NAH! Just kidding!" Amber says as she waves her hand. Katya pulls Amber aside and gives her a double noogie as punishment for freaking Raine out.

Derwin helps Raine sit up properly, "You collapsed on the couch last night, so we let you sleep in. It's 12 pm. We also healed up your shallow injuries," Derwin explains.

"Ah," Raine grips their head and scans the faces of the group before exuding a menacing glare, "Was someone in my room while I was away?"

The group gulps nervously at the gravity of Raine's stare.

Hunter emerges from the kitchen with a cup of apple blood for Raine, and Derwin immediately slaps Hunter's shoulder as Katya and Amber scramble towards the front door, "Weeell, we're gonna let you take it from here, Hunter! BYYYEEE!!"

Hunter raises his brow, perplexed by the fleeing bards, and turns his head to look at the tired Raine. He hands Raine their mug before kneeling on one knee on the floor in front of them, "Ha ha, They should know better than to talk to you before you've had your apple blood."

Raine takes the offered beverage and gratefully sips at the cup, "Haaaah, that's the good stuff," Raine exhales happily.

Hunter stares at Raine who still has their eyes closed.

"Hunh. They're right...you do have RWF."

"Hmm?" Raine hums questioningly at Hunter's statement as they drink their apple blood.

"Derwin, Katya, and Amber said you have 'Resting Witch Face,' also know as RWF."

Raine freezes mid-sip, "Oh they did, did they?" with a distant look in their eye.

"Is it a bad thing?"

"No," Raine chuckles lightly, "but it's not exactly flattering."

Hunter hesitates to ask, but they are worried about what happened to Raine during their time away from home for them to return in such a state, "Raine...did your meeting...turn violent?"

Raine's eyes widen nervously. They do their best not to choke on their drink and they set it on the end table beside the couch.

"Did you get in a fight?" Hunter asks with concern.

Raine doesn't want to reveal too much about their secret Sin-esthesia mission and decides it's best for now to hide it from him.

"O-Oh! Yeah!" Raine scratches their head nervously, "The debates at the taskforce meeting got pretty heated and I got in a fight with some of the other members," Raine cleverly admits a half-truth. 

"But, hey, I won!" Raine says with a wink and a thumbs up.

Hunter gives Raine a suspicious side-glance, "...You don't have to force a smile, Raine..."

Raine flinches and their smile fades. They scratch their cheek nervously, "sigh...I should know better than to lie to you..."

Hunter observes Raine as they clutch the fabric covering their knees and nervously glance to the side.

Hunter hangs his head pensively, "I understand if you can't tell me exactly what happened, Raine...I'm used to the adults around me keeping secrets..." 

Raine feels a pain in their heart at Hunter's words. They tightly shut their eyes and slide off the couch to kneel before Hunter, so they are on an even level.

It could be the fatigue and lack of sustenance making them vulnerable, but they allow their defenses to fall.

Raine can't begin to unravel what occurred over the past two days. The deal they accepted to protect Hunter and the Boiling Isles.

Hunter is startled when Raine suddenly pulls Hunter into a tight embrace. They'd like to say it's to comfort Hunter, but they are aware it's to soothe their own anxieties.

"I-I'm sorry, Hunter."

"...Raine?..."

"I wish I could tell you, but I...I just can't right now..."

Raine's face contorts in conflict, "I...it's just a bit difficult. I want to tell you. But I also want to protect you from the truth..."

Hunter gently returns the hug and furrows his brows, not entirely understanding what they mean.

Hunter raises his arm to pat Raine's back, but hesitates. Instead, he loosely balls his fist and glides his fist up and down Raine's back, "It's okay, Raine..." Hunter mumbles into Raine's shoulder, "But you'll tell me when you're ready, right? It sucks to be left in the dark."

Raine rests their face against the crook of Hunter's neck in shame at their fragility, "Yes. I promise. I'll tell you soon."

Hunter and Raine continue to hug on the floor until Raine's stomach rumbles and growls loudly. They pull back from the hug and wrap their arm around their stomach while also covering their mouth, "Ngh, sorry. I'm hungry but also slightly nauseous."

Hunter stares at Raine in surprise and stifles a giggle at Raine's sudden bodily function, "I can make us some lunch while you take a shower?"

Raine's eyebrows raise as Hunter pinches his nose, "You kind of reek." 

Raine pulls their shirt forward to sniff inside and shudders at the stench and blushes at the realization that Hunter could clearly smell them during the hug, "Sorry. You're right. I do need a shower. I smell terrible. But that's what two days in the forest will do to you."

Raine looks down at Hunter who is staring up at them, "Was your taskforce meeting held in the forest?"

Raine jolts slightly at their slip-up, "U-uhh, yeah...that much I can tell you at least."

"I see."

Raine looks away, displeased with their inability to maintain a secret meeting location.

"I understand you're not comfortable with telling me right now, but...will all of your taskforce meetings end with you coming home like this?"

Raine immediately waves their hands refuting the thought, "Nononono. This type of meeting was just a one-time thing...so I've been told. The rest of the 'meetings' should be a lot more...tame." Raine answers as they squint their eyes, "...I hope..."

Hunter looks at them suspiciously once more, "You sound uncertain."

Raine scratches their cheek and looks away, "Ehhh, well I am. How dangerous the next few taskforce meetings are kinda depends on the outcome of this past meeting. Even I will have to wait and see how the taskforce events will turn out. I'm hoping for the better so I don't continuously come home and worry you."

Hunter smiles slightly, "Ah. Okay. And thank you, Raine. I appreciate the consideration."

Raine pats Hunter's shoulder reassuringly, "Of course. And I promise to take better care of myself."

"Chirp chirp!" Flapjack tweets as he flaps in a circle before landing on Hunter's shoulder. 

"Haha, thank you, Flapjack. I will."

"You understand him too?" Hunter asks with innocently wide eyes.

"Oh yeah," Raine says as they run their finger gently over Flapjack's beak, "One songbird to another."

Raine leans back to sit on the edge of the couch and Hunter sees Raine wipe a tear from their eye.

"Are you okay?"

"Oh yeah, just rubbing the sleep from my eyes still," Raine fibs.

"...I feel like this is an example of why Darius says you're a terrible actor."

Raine is surprised by his statement and their pride is just a little hurt.

"If you really want to hide your tears better, you could always fake a sneeze," Hunter says with a smile and a raised pointer finger in the air, "The pressure of closing your eyes when you sneeze can make you cry. It's pretty believable..."

Raine stares at Hunter, "Have you had to do that before?"

"Of course! That's how I know it works!" Hunter explains with a proud grin. 

Raine's face contorts in concern for Hunter.

How many times has he had to be a good actor and hide his tears?

Raine swipes at their eyes with their palms a final time, "It's okay to cry, Hunter. Though, I'm not exactly sad. Just a bit emotionally overwhelmed," Raine explains with a reserved smile.

Hunter raises his brows, "Maybe some food would help you achieve some emotional stability?" 

Raine smiles gratefully, "I think that's a good start, Hunter. Thank you." 

Hunter smiles and his eyes light up at the opportunity to be useful, "Right! Let's go Flapjack!"

"Chirp! Chirp!"

Raine smiles at Hunter's liveliness as he and his palisman rush into the kitchen.

Raine groans as they stand up and reaches over to the end table to down their mug of apple blood before they head upstairs to their room.

Upon entry, Raine casts a spell circle to summon a moist towelette that wipes off wheeze-cheese residue from their gui-scar and simultaneously re-strings their fiddle that is hanging on the wall. They toss their jacket and tunic on their bed and spot their crow phone on their bedside table and seriously consider calling Eda.

It's been a few days since I've heard her voice and I'd like to start discussing the details of our first date.

Raine blushes at the thought. 

They sit down on the edge of their bed with their phone in their hands.

Their palms become sweaty and their heart begins to race.

They think it's best to face this head on and quickly dial Eda's number. 

They hold the phone to their right side and listen to the dialing tone. They hear the line pick up: "If you're calling for Luz, she's not here."

Raine laughs at Eda's phone manner, "I'm actually calling for you."

"Oh! Hey, Raine! Sorry about that. Luz's friends have been calling her all day since she decided to go back to the human realm next week. It's just been one kid calling after another."

"That's nice. Hunter and I are invited to the send-off, right?"

"Of course! She'll only be gone for about a week before she returns to the Isles, but you're welcome to see her off too if you want."

"Well, I'm glad to hear that," Raine stares at their bedroom carpet before continuing, "And I'm sorry I haven't called sooner. I was on a taskforce mission out in the forest and left my phone and penstagram at home. But I stayed busy pretty much the entire time."

"It's no worries, Raine. I know you've got a busy schedule."

"Sigh, Thank you for being patient with me, Eda."

"No problem. Did Hunter go with you?"

"No, he stayed at home. Why? Did you try calling him?"

"I still don't have his number."

"Ah. I'll ask him if it's okay to give you his number."

"Is he opposed to me knowing his number?"

"He probably thinks you'll prank call him."

"Hee hee, He knows me too well."

"Hahaha..." Raine sighs happily at the ease with which they can converse with Eda.

Raine smiles nervously and their stocking-covered toes grip the carpet, "I've...been thinking about you," Raine blushes profusely at their embarrassing declaration.

Eda pauses before grinning at the interesting turn the conversation has taken, "Ooooh?" 

Raine covers half their face with their palm as they can hear Eda's smile in her honey-tone.

They lower their arm to grip their knee and gather their courage, "Listen, I should be off from work in the next few days, and I called because I was wondering if you'd like to schedule our first date?"

Raine hears a loud thud emit from their phone. 

"Eda?"

"Sorry! I dropped my phone."

Raine's eyes widen before they burst into laughter, "Hahaha!"

"What are you laughing at, yah nerd?!" Eda shouts with embarrassment into the receiver.

"Haha, you're cute, yah dingus. I'm flattered I make you nervous enough to drop your phone."

Eda blushes as she imagines Raine's coy smile that makes her knees weak.

"Would next week work?" Raine asks. 

"Next week is gonna be pretty hectic with Luz heading home. Especially since I might be going to the human world with her. I'll either be there for the whole week or half a week. And we were hoping to spend as many days as we could together leading up to it.

"Oh. I see. Well, that's sweet that you two wanna spend time together. I'll probably plan some more bonding time with Hunter soon then too." 

Raine hums as they think out loud, "Why don't we move the date of our date up a bit then? Would the day after tomorrow be an okay day?"

"That should work!" Eda answers excitedly. "Luz should still be busy with her friends for the next day or two anyways."

"Perfect!"

"So where are we going? I remember you said something about dancing?"

"Yeah! We can go out to eat at Lovecraft House Bar & Spirits, and then I can take you somewhere special where we can dance. Just me and you."

"Sounds like a plan, Rainestorm. Whose gonna be watching Hunter this time?"

"Darius has convinced me to give Hunter the chance to be home alone."

"Oooo, look at you being all lenient."

Raine laughs before redirecting the conversation, "Should we meet at the restaurant at 6 pm?"

"That works for me."

"Great. Then I'll see you then, Eda."

"See you then, Rainestorm."

"I'm gonna let you go now, so I can take a shower."

Eda raises an eyebrow, "Bit early for your 5 o'clock shower isn't it?"

"Haha," Raine laughs at Eda's memory of their daily schedule, "It is, but I am covered in sweat and dirt and grime and I smell awful."

"Ah. Alright then. I'll let you get to it."

Raine rubs the back of their neck bashfully as they feel the conversation draw to a close, "And Eda..."

"Hm?"

"I can't wait for our date."

Raine listens intently to the brief silence on the other end of the line before Eda speaks, "So you're about to take your shower now, right?"

Raine blinks a bit puzzled, "Yeah?..."

Eda crinkles her nose, "Will you think about me while you're there?" Eda asks with a teasing lilt in her voice.

Raine can feel the blood rushing through their veins, warming their skin, and crawling up their body as a blush consumes them. Raine's brain freezes as their face flushes and a rush of blood thunders through their ears. In their daze, their finger slips and they prematurely end the phone call. 

They flinch at the realization that they hung up on Eda before answering and stare at their phone momentarily before their phone starts squawking loudly. They fumble with their phone and immediately shout, "YES!"

"Hey, Songbird. There's something we need to discuss."

Raine stares lazily into the distance at the recognition of Darius' voice, "Well, that's a bucket of ice water."

"What?"

"Sigh, nothing. What do you want? And make it quick. I just woke up, and I'm about to shower and then go eat."

"Hmph. As brusk as ever. You really need to work on your attitude."

"I'm hanging up now."

"Wait! Wait! Okay! Geez. The taskforce is being affronted by demands from the Board of Landlords."

Darius has Raine's attention now as this directly affects Raine.

"Your townhouse complex is owned by the Board of Landlords, right?"

"Yes."

"So are many others across the Boiling Isles. But the Board is arguing that they are inclined to double rent because of the unstable market from the fallout from the war. Some apartments and townhouse complexes were completely destroyed, so they are burdening the surviving complexes with recouping losses. The decrease in available apartments and townhouses increased their value. So your townhouse-"

"Is now worth twice as much as it did before the war," Raine concludes. "Stupid greedy old farts and their magical math."

"Sigh. Correct. On both comments."

"When will the rent increase take effect?"

"In two months."

"Two months?! That's way too soon!"

"Hey! Lilith did her best to stave off an immediate rent increase. They barged into her office and argued that the increase should take effect TODAY."

"That's ridiculous! How can they expect anyone to hand over twice as many snails without warning?!"

"That's what Lilith argued. We bargained with the Board to allow a two month delay in rent collection. After that, we're going to put it to another vote to determine if the increase is logistically and ethically valid."

"We have more say in what goes on in the Boiling Isles, don't we? Why can't we just disband the Board of Landlords?"

"It's an old institution. They've been around since before Belos' time. And even though we may have more leverage in the ongoings of the Isles, we are not emperors remember? We decided that when we formed the coalition that we wouldn't be an empire."

"Siiiiggghh," Raine hangs their head in frustration and grips their forehead, "I think my headache is returning."

Raine listens to Darius as he takes on an uncharacteristically solemn tone, "I'm sorry to be the one to drop this news on you. I'll have to figure out something as well. My townhouse is also owned by the Board."

"Maybe you could get a roommate or boyfriend to help with the expenses."

"Oh yeah. I'll just do that. I'll pick from the tons of guys lined up outside my door. Oh wait-" Darius responds sardonically.

"Alright. I get it. I get it. I know you'd prefer to be a lone bachelor anyways."

"You know just as well as I do, Raine, that we value our personal space. I can't just have anyone traipsing through my home."

"Before Hunter moved in with me, I wholeheartedly agreed with you. But...now I'm lucky to have someone like him here. He brought me my juice when I woke up. He helps around the house. And he's making us lunch as we speak. He's a really good kid."

"Yes, well, I'm not surprised. His predecessor was just as kind and considerate. Though more innately talented and powerful. I miss him dearly."

"Is that why you didn't offer to take Hunter in? Would he remind you too much of him?"

Raine listens to Darius hesitate as he comes up with a reason. 

"I'm not the 'guardian' type. I'm more suited to be the fun uncle."

"I guess so. But I know he would've preferred you over me. I was pretty much a stranger when I initially adopted him."

"I disagree. I think he'll thrive under your care. Don't think so little of yourself, Raine. Honestly, you have so many bad habits, what does Eda see in you."

"Haha, you could've just concluded your thought after the compliment. The rest wasn't really necessary," Raine replies with exhaustion, "Well, thanks for the heads up."

"Sure. Get some R&R. I'll call you if Lilith and I figure something out."

"Thanks. Talk to you soon."

Raine places their crow phone on its perch and heads into their personal bathroom to shower. 

They exhale gratefully as the warm water cascades down their skin. They allow the water to wash away the sweat and stress accumulated over the past two days. Their arms hang at their sides as they get lost in contemplation. 

Will we have enough funds to continue living here before the lease is up? What should we cut back on? Should I take on extra hours? Can we stretch a snail more than we already are?

Raine leans their head and back against the shower wall.

I can't let Hunter know how close we are to being homeless if things don't turn out in our favor. He'd probably blame himself. Or stop eating to save on snails. 

Raine grips their hair anxiously.  

I'll figure something out. I don't want Hunter to think he's a burden. We'll make it through this. I'll do whatever it takes.

Chapter Text

"Tweet tweet!" Flapjack whistles from Hunter's shoulder while he stirs the 'soul smilk stew.' 

"You have the best ideas, Flapjack! Raine is gonna love this soul stew. And it won't be too hearty for their queasy stomach."

Hunter steps away from the stove to pull out two bowls for Raine and himself and places them beside the stove. He ladles some soup into each bowl and sets them on the table along with some small plates with skull crackers.

"Sigghh, I feel alive again," Raine announces with a grateful sigh as they enter the kitchen. 

Hunter smiles with amusement at Raine's comment as he pulls out a chair for Raine. 

"Oh, thank you, Hunter." Raine sits and watches Hunter frantically move the stew pot to the back burner and turn off the stove top before claiming his seat at the table across from them.

"The soup smells wonderful," Raine tells Hunter as they breathe deeply.

"Yeah?" Hunter responds with a nervous smile, "Flapjack picked it out from the recipe book Derwin gave me." 

Raine sets their shower towel on the back of their chair, "He gave you a book?"

"Yeah! I've only ever had to prepare food for myself when I was on missions since there was a personal chef at the castle, so the recipe book should really come in handy."

"Let's see how it tastes then," Raine says as they dip their spoon into the soup. Raine samples some of the broth and appreciates the resulting warmth emanating from their core. The pair fall into companionable silence as they consume several spoonfuls of the hot soup. Hunter pauses and looks across the table at Raine who is squeezing their eyes shut and clenching their fists as they exclaim, "This is so good!" which brings a smile to Hunter's face.

He looks down at his soup bashfully, "Aw, you're just saying that."

"No! Really!" Raine enthusiastically reiterates.

Hunter shrugs his shoulders, "I guess it's not that surprising that it came out good since cooking is just following instructions."

Raine quirks an eyebrow, "Don't sell yourself short. Cooking is an art."

Raine continues to enjoy their soup and asks Hunter how the past two days went. "So how did things go with Derwin, Katya, and Amber? Did you have a good time?"

Hunter glances at Raine and notices the twinkle in their eyes, looking for his approval, "Haha, They're okay, I guess," Hunter answers sarcastically.

"Were you able to stick to your daily routine while I was away?"

"Nope!" Hunter says with a smile, "It was chaos as soon as you left, haha!"

Raine is happily surprised by Hunter's laugh, "Not too chaotic, I hope."

Hunter finishes a spoonful of soup before answering, "They were so loud. Especially Amber."

"Haha, yes, they can all be kind of a handful."

"We made some snacks and they helped me with my drumming practice, and we watched Hex-Files, and played card games. Oh! And we had cake! Well, we sort of did before it exploded."

"It exploded?"

"Amber put exploding pebbles in the cake."

"Ah. That makes sense. So they helped you practice Through the Fire and the Flames? I'd like to hear more about that."

"Yeah! After we got a practice book from your room, Derwin showed me a practice game to work on rhythm. And I practiced one sequence over and over."

"So that's when there were people in my room?" Raine asks with a raised eyebrow.

"Uhh...yeah, but I got them out of there as quickly as I could!"

"I see…Well, thank you for letting me know." Raine panics internally and hopes they didn't see their embarrassing collage of Eda.

Raine takes a sip of their apple blood before diverting the conversation, "Did you do anything else or get any other gifts?"

"Yeah, actually. Katya gave me a notebook."

"Really? That was nice of her!"

"Mm-hm."

"Amber give you anything?"

"Amber is going to get me a new phone," Hunter answers smugly. 

"Oh, wow! That's very generous of her. What happened to your old phone?"

"It flew out the window and didn't return."

"Oh, haha, yeah, the older models do that. It's about time we get you an updated crow phone."

Raine eats some more soup before asking, "Once you get a new phone, could we give Eda your number?"

"Uhh, can I get a guarantee she won't prank call me or sign me up for advertisements?"

"Haha, we'll make sure you have caller ID and we’ll sign you up for adblockers."

Raine tosses some skull crackers into their soup and clears their throat, “So! I…I know I was just gone for two days, but,” Raine flips the skull crackers in their soup with their spoon nervously, "I planned a date with Eda for the day after tomorrow."

Hunter silently stares at Raine before lowering his gaze to stare at his soup, “Oh…”

"I wanted to discuss our plans with you. We'll be going to Lovecraft House Bar and Grill and we'll probably be out during the evening from 6 pm to 10 pm," Raine explains, "And instead of leaving you with a babysitter, I thought you might want to watch the house by yourself this time." Raine glances nervously between their soup and Hunter, "How does that sound?"

Hunter rests his arms on the table and smooshes a soggy skull cracker in his soup with his spoon, "But you just got back. Can't the date wait a little while longer?"

Raine encircles their bowl with their arms and clasps their hands together, "Luz is returning to the human world for a week soon and Eda will be joining her. We wanted to share our first date together before she gets busy with her visit to the human world."

Hunter takes a spoonful of soup into his mouth and thoroughly chews on a soggy soup cracker as he digests what Raine is telling him. 

"Sigh...Okay, I guess..."

Raine is uncertain on how to make Hunter more comfortable with their plan, "Of course...you don't have to be home alone. I could ask the bards again, or maybe even Darius-?"

"No...that's not it. I would prefer to watch the house by myself with Flapjack. It's just-"

“Hm? What is it?” Raine asks as gingerly as possible.

Hunter considers this a good opportunity to ask Raine a question he's had on his mind for a while now. After gathering his courage, he clears his throat, "Can I ask you something?"

"Sure. Anything," Raine answers with a smile before taking another spoonful of soup.

"Why do you like the Owl Lady?"

Raine blinks in surprise and nearly inhales their spoon at the unexpected question. Raine splutters and coughs and leans to the side in their chair to clear their esophagus. 

Hunter stares at them, unsure how to help other than giving Raine some time to recover.

"COUGH! Wha...? Why do I...COUGH!"

"Uhh, yeah...Are you okay?"

"COUGH COUGH! I'll be fine-" Raine struggles to respond. "I was just a bit surprised...by the question...cough cough..."

Raine readjusts in their seat and takes a swig of apple blood. "Is there a reason you're asking?" They ask as they wipe their mouth with the back of their hand.

“While Katya was here, I read some of her fanfiction.”

“I-I see,” Raine answers nervously, aware of the romantic nature of Katya’s writing. “That's nice. She does have good writing. I'm surprised you were interested in reading her EdibleTales though.”

“You've read her fanfiction too?” Hunter asks in surprise.

“Hmm, just a couple of pieces. They were mostly G rated though.”

Raine pauses as a thought dawns on them, "What ratings of fanfiction did she let you read?"

“Weeelll, I kind of read them...without asking her first.”

“Huh...that doesn’t bode well…” Raine replies.

“But I asked her if I could keep reading them after she caught me reading her stories. She just advised I read with ‘discretion?’”

“That makes sense. She has some adult content that you might not be ready for.”

Hunter blushes as he understands what Raine is referring to, "Well...I...did read some of the T material..."

Raine’s eyes widen, “Huh…I guess that's okay...you are a teen after all…”

“Annnd...some of the M material…” Hunter continues.

Raine freezes, “...O-Oh…”

“And some E material…” Hunter says as he glances to the side anxiously.

“...I...I see…”

“I didn't understand it all at first, so she did explain some things. Is that bad?”

"Oh um... I'm not sure...I've actually been meaning to discuss this topic with you, so I am kind of relieved Katya was able to do it for me.”

Raine rubs their neck, a bit flustered, “Um, as your parent, do...do you have any questions for me?”

“Is that why you like Eda?” he asks, "Is the stuff depicted in Katya’s fanfiction what you want to do with Eda on your date?"

Raine turns a deep red, covers their mouth, and nearly faints from the bloodrush, “I’m not exactly sure what you’re referring to…”

Hunter pulls out his penstagram, “Here, I'll show you some of Katya's fanfiction and you can tell me which one is most like you and Eda.”

"AHwaH! Um! That's kind of embarrassing!" Raine explains as they cover their face with their hands. “I-I'd rather not Hunter.”  

“Oh…okay..."

“I’m not entirely sure what you read, but there are things couples do to express their affection. Non-sexual things…For example, I enjoy holding Eda's hand, and staring into her heterochromia eyes, and hugging her…”

“So when you were screaming that day we visited Luz and Eda, you two were-”

"Nonononono!" Raine waves their hands wildly. "We weren't! Heh, she was just giving me a massage! I know that could be misinterpreted as a different kind of massage, but she was just helping me with knots in my shoulder and muscles!”

“Oh...Does Luz know about this?” Hunter asks, aware that he has more book knowledge while Luz has more life knowledge.

“That's something you'd have to ask Eda or Luz herself.”

“Luz said y'all were making love…”

"Uhh, oh geez" Raine says with their palm to their face nervously, "It sounds like she also misinterpreted what was going on." Raine twiddles with their hands nervously, "Um, she is probably aware this stuff exists and happens between adult couples, but unlike you who has been exposed to detailed content present in Katya’s fanfiction, she probably only has a general idea. But again, I can't say for certain."

Hunter raises and lowers his spoon in his bowl of soup before consuming another spoonful, "I guess...I’m just trying to make sense of your relationship with Eda.” 

“Ah…What do you mean?”

“You're cool and she's crass. You're organized and she's a mess. You're kind and she's crude. In Katya’s fanfiction. The pairs made sense. I…I just don't see why you like someone like Eda."

"Wow, tell me what you really think about her," Raine responds sarcastically.

"I just think you could do better."

"Ouch!" Raine winces and grips their chest theatrically in response to Hunter's comment as Flapjack hops emphatically on the table and pulls on Hunter's hair to admonish his insolence. "Hey! Ow! Flapjack!"

Raine's sarcasm fades as they reflect on Hunter's words. 

Raine absentmindedly smooths the wrinkles in their shirt, "Sigh...Funny enough, you're not the first to think that." 

Hunter looks up from their soup to stare at Raine who is looking down at the table as they speak, "Eda has always been viewed as a goofball. A troublemaker. A screw-up. And…we did used to date when we were young adults…and there was a time when I broke up with her…" 

“You did?” Hunter asked with raised eyebrows.

“It was one of the hardest things I’d ever done…” Raine looks away anxiously and grips their forearm, “Our relationship had been on the rocks for months. And as the owl curse progressed, the fire she once wielded grew cold and distant. I could tell she struggled with the curse as her lively spirit waned, but she never wanted to talk about it. The curse made her afraid of herself and others. But I had gotten so fed up with her facade of pretending to be okay. I had reached out to her several times, but not once did she reach back. Instead, she put up a wall to protect herself, and that really hurt. She was lost for so long, and I didn't recognize her.”

Raine’s head tilts listlessly to the side as they allow a single tear run down their cheek before they wipe it away.

“So…if you don’t mind me asking, why are you dating her now?”

“Because she's changed…”

“How can you tell?”

“She's happy again. Sincerely happy. And she seems more calm now. She still has a little ways to go, but I can tell she’s changed for the better. She has some patterns to unlearn, some new behaviors to adapt to, some wounds to heal…but there’s nothing wrong with the core of who she is. I love her. And I always will.”

Raine and Hunter blush at Raine’s confession. Raine adjusts in their seat and leans over their soup to continue eating, as does Hunter. 

After a few minutes of quiet eating, Raine looks up from their bowl and makes eye-contact with Hunter, “There’s also a lot of good things about Eda…”

Hunter briefly stops eating to intently listen.

"Believe it or not, Eda has a soft side. And she’s unpredictable. There's more to her than meets the eye. And she's always been a fierce and independent witch ahead of her time. With a heart of gold." 

Hunter's brow furrows as he tries to wrap his head around Raine's description of Eda, “I was staked outside her house for months before the war and I didn’t see anything like that from the Owl Lady…” Hunter remarks.

Raine chuckles, “Haha, you just weren’t looking at the right time. Eda shines in small moments. Through small gestures and comforting words. She’s always been like that.” Raine smiles and looks up at the ceiling, "And before she was the Owl Lady, she was Eda. Just Eda," Raine muses. "And I've always looked up to her.”

"That's because she's taller than you are. Don't be fooled by her height advantage, Raine."

Raine can't help but burst into laughter at Hunter's immediate response, "Pfft-Hahaha!" and wipes a tear from their eye, "I'm sorry, I don't mean to laugh. I know you're serious, but that was too cute, Hunter."

Hunter blushes and pouts.

Raine rubs their shoulder, "Gosh, how do I explain this? Eda...She...She's a warm fire. While the rest of our fellow witches were cogs in the machine, she was a hammer. She was...Calamity."

"Nice poem," Hunter tells Raine with a neutral expression.

Raine blushes and smiles bashfully at their unintentional rhyme.

Hunter furrows his brow, "Isn't calamity a bad thing? It's destroying stuff."

Raine rests their elbows on the table and holds their hands open as they explain, "Most often, calamity would be a bad thing. But not when the thing it's destroying deserves to be destroyed. Some things deserved to be whacked right in the face."

Hunter scrunches up his face, "I don't understand. Like what? What did Eda do?"

Raine curves their finger under their chin in thought, "Oh! I have some examples I can show you from my Hexside school yearbooks!" Raine picks up their bowl and brings it to their mouth to gulp the last bit of soup in their bowl before setting it back on the table, "Let me go get them!" 

Hunter watches Raine as they hurriedly place their bowl in the sink and rinse it before rushing towards the kitchen doorway.

"Thank you for the soup, Hunter! I'll be right back!"

Hunter stares at the doorway with a blank stare, "Flapjack...what's a yearbook?"

"Tweet tweet!"

"Huh…I guess we're about to find out."

Hunter watches Flapjack hop beside his small plate of crackers and chirps. 

"No, thanks. You can have them."

"Tweet!" Flapjack replies before pecking at the two remaining crackers. 

Hunter gathers his cup and bowl and grabs Raine's mug as well and rinses them in the sink. He decides to wash them later since he hears Raine excitedly stumbling down the stairs with a box in their hands. 

Hunter takes a moment to cover the remaining soup in the pan and puts it in the fridge before joining Raine on the living room floor. 

Raine sits crossed-legged with their back against the couch as they spread out a few yearbooks they pulled from a box and some loose photos. Hunter sits adjacent to them and leans to view the photos.

"I found my first Hexside yearbook!" Raine holds it up excitedly to show Hunter. Raine opens it to a bookmarked page. "Haha! This photo is from when I let Eda cut my hair." Raine looks across at Hunter and pats the floor beside them, "Come look!"

Hunter hesitates momentarily, but eventually crawls to the spot beside Raine to get a better look at the books and photos. Raine hands Hunter the photo to get a closer look at it.

"Your haircut looks so choppy..." Hunter smirks. 

Raine shuts their eyes as they laugh heartily, "Haha! Yeah! Eda's enthusiasm while cutting my hair didn't match her talent for it. But I didn't mind it, after the initial shock, since I knew it would grow out. And besides, everyone has awkward haircut photos." Raine glances at Hunter with a warm smile.

Hunter peers over the yearbook, "Are there any pictures of Darius?"

"Hahaha!...Oh, you're serious. ...Hmm...let me see...tah teh tah...hmm," Raine mumbles until they finally find a photo of Darius near the back of one of the yearbooks, "Here he is. There was an abomination competition and Darius earned second place. See?"

Hunter lowers his face closer to the page, "Is that...?"

"Yup! That's Amity's dad, Alador. He won first place in several competitions."

“That’s surprising.”

“I guess so. He was talented. Both of them were. But I think Alador’s success was one of the reasons Odalia dated him.”

Hunter shudders at the thought.

Raine locates a loose photo stuffed in between two pages of a young Eda and them sitting on the front steps of the school, "Eda's mom took this photo." Hunter notices the tender fondness in their eyes as they hand him the picture, "Weren't we adorable?"

Hunter stares at the youthful and cheery faces in the photo. "When did you first realize you liked Eda?"

Raine blinks before looking up at the ceiling and rubs their cheek with the back of their fingers, "Oh...um, haha, I guess you could say it was love at first sight. Eda was aesthetically attractive and she was also a bit of a comic from my point of view. My heart had been hers since the first time I laid eyes on her, and from every moment onward."

Raine lazily flips through the yearbook pages of random faces, looking for the only face that mattered to them, "Eda and I actually met at an interschool competition known as IFWOT. I was one of the students representing St. Epiderm and she was there representing Hexside."

Raine giggles at their childhood memory, "She really knew how to make an entrance. I spotted her across the room as she entered with such determination before she completely deflated at the lackluster cluster of kids at IFWOT. I couldn’t help but giggle at her reaction because it was so appropriate and comedically well-timed. At one point, she volunteered to participate in a trust exercise which she failed miserably!"

Hunter scrunches up his face in confusion as Raine grips their stomach as they laugh, "What'd she do?"

"She pretended to die! Hahaha!" Raine laughs with a palm to their forehead. 

"You have an odd sense of humor, Raine," Hunter bluntly admits.

"Ha ha, I guess you had to be there..." Raine replies as they wipe a happy tear from their eye, “She was given a demerit for the macabre prank, but, as a bard, I appreciated her showmanship."

Hunter stares at Raine with confusion, "That didn't help me understand her appeal at all," he states matter-of-factly.

Raine flinches but smiles apologetically. 

“Ahhh, hmmm, how else can I explain this?...” Raine thinks aloud as they gently scratch at their cheek with their finger. “We became pretty close friends during IFWOT. It was like we understood each other. We even held hands after the few events we participated in together. It was nice...and comfortable. My admiration for her grew when she stood up to the Head Proctor, who was also the Head Witch of the Plant Coven. But Eda didn’t care who Terra Snapdragon was because Eda knew she didn’t like the games she was playing with student’s minds. Instead of fighting each other, Eda knew we should be fighting the forces that pitted us against each other. Sigh, she was so cool that day,” Raine swoons.

Hunter purses his lips as he considers Raine’s words and praise for Eda.

“And in the eyes of a strict academic system, Eda was rightfully labeled a troublemaker. But she was a troublemaker for all the right reasons. She pushed boundaries and railed against the status quo. I liked that she played to the beat of her own drum. Like me."

“Hmm,” Hunter hums reflectively.

“We became even closer friends once I began attending Hexside. Eda was always brave enough to follow her instincts...and her heart. She was considered a 'bad' student, but that's only because she was intelligent enough not to conform or comply to rules that didn't make sense to her. She’s always had a strong sense of character and moral compass.”

Hunter picks up a yearbook off the floor and half-heartedly flips through the pages, "Luz told me Eda didn't like school when she was younger. That she was a terrible student. And that her antics were well-documented."

"Haha, That is true that she was a prankster as well as a hellion. But school was a lot more strict than it is now. They've loosened up a bit in the past few years. Or so I've heard. I think she was naturally bright and just wasn't challenged by the school curriculum. She was a bright and raging fire."

Hunter stops flipping through the pages when he finds a picture of Eda scowling with a sign hanging around her neck.

"What's this picture for?" Hunter asks Raine as he holds up the yearbook to show them.

Raine snorts a stifled laugh, "Oh. That. That picture was taken during the former principal's last year. Eda skipped school frequently and Principal Faust made her wear a sign around her neck that said 'TRUANT' to 'document her crime.' Eda's mom was so upset when she found out."

"That makes sense that her mom was mad at her for skipping school."

"Haha! No, no. Eda's mom was upset with the principal. Not with Eda. Well, a little with Eda. But Eda missed class a lot because of her curse and her mom knew that. When Eda's mom found out about the sign he made her wear from the picture, she raised hell and got him fired with help from the PTA group."

"But she was truant. I mean, it's not a crime, but...she was still supposed to attend her academic institution." 

"Haha, I can see how that might not make sense to you, Hunter. But attending school is supposed to help students. Not hurt them. And those perfect attendance awards are a double-edged sword. Sure, whatever kid earned that award never missed a lesson, but that means they also never got a break. They attended school even when they were sick or sad or overwhelmed. The attendance award was an early tool to ingrain kids with the idea that taking a day off is bad. And it's not. Everyone needs a break sometimes."

Hunter looks down at the yearbook at the face of the average student that earned the award that was opposite Eda's page. 

Eda the Owl Lady and some nondescript demon across from her. 

"How many times were you absent, Raine?"

"With my anxiety, as often as I needed."

"Oh...the Emperor's Coven” Hunter mumbles, “...gave us one day off a year..." 

Raine's ears droop at the solemness in Hunter's tone and stares to their side at him as he slowly flips through the yearbook.

"It's weird seeing her with red hair."

Raine's ears perk up at Hunter's comment, "Mm-hm! Lilith had fiery red hair too."

Hunter freezes and then looks at Raine's haircut photo again to examine the witch in the background, "So, then! Is that Lilith!?" Hunter asks as he points to the photo. 

"Haha! Yup! She was always busy with extracurricular activities and studying though, so there aren't many pictures of all of us together. And she was a little older than Eda and me."

"Huh!" Hunter speeds up his pace looking for more pictures. "Is this you?"

Raine leans over to see the picture Hunter is referring to, "Yup! That's me. That was a horrible play."

"You look cute in your rat ears and bow tie."

"Well, thank you! Haha, I'm glad you like the memory. It's not a very pleasant one for me."

"Why? What happened?"

"That stupid play was the birthplace of my stage fright. I told the director that I didn't want to sing. But he just told me to get over it."

Hunter watches Raine awkwardly run their hand through their hair as they reminisce, "Sigh, I stumbled over my words. Forgot lines. And I got really sweaty. And my voice cracked. And I got really dizzy because my heart was racing and I fell on stage. And people were so cruel. Eventually, I just ran off stage and didn't return."

"Did the audience throw rotten tomatoes?"

"Ugh! They threw something worse than rotten tomatoes."

"What?"

"Insults. I was humiliated. It's taken me years to drown out the negative voices. I still struggle with live performances. After that play, I didn't return to school for two weeks. And the only reason I did go back to school was because Eda burst through my bedroom window and dragged me out of bed."

"That's surprising."

"What is?"

"That she'd drag you back to school. Since she didn't like school..."

"Sigh...yeah, Eda's relationship with school is complicated. But her dedication to being a good friend never wavered. She knew it wasn't good for me to hide away in my room forever."

Raine adjusts their sitting position and rests their elbow on their thigh and their cheek against the palm of their fist as they reflect, "Eda was always like that. Helping others...and helping me...At one point during high school, my social anxiety got really bad to where I couldn't talk on the phone. But she helped me write scripts so I could read them while I was on the phone."

"Wow..."

“And one time, before she got Owlbert, she stole a witch’s staff to help me get my first violin back that had been lost during shipping.”

“What? What happened?”

“Eda was so reckless that day. But once she decides to do something, it’s hard to get her to change her mind. I was so nauseous when I discovered my first violin that I had been anxiously waiting for was potentially lost for good. And it wasn’t cheap either. It was a 500 snail beginner violin. She quickly figured out how to use the staff and picked me up from my house and flew us to the distribution center to help me get my violin back.”

“What happened to it?”

“It had been reported lost, but it turns out that it was actually stolen by one of the delivery flyers. They were gonna sell my violin to make some quick cash.”

“That’s awful!”

“Oh yeah. And they were a big guy too! And we were just kids! But Eda was naturally gifted with spells and she easily took the thief down. She made sure he never stole again.”

“That’s ironic,” Hunter says with a scrunched up face, “Luz told me Eda stole all the time. She made a living of it.”

“Ha ha…she stole discarded things and sold them. It’s borderline, but it’s not exactly the same thing.”

Hunter raises an eyebrow at Raine’s explanation.

"And she helped me get revenge on bullies too by hexing them,” Raine continues, “Even though I told her it was unnecessary."

"You had bullies?"

Raine runs their palm against their jawline, "Yeeaahh, I was a bit of a snarky kid and that got me into trouble sometimes with other kids."

Hunter scratches the back of his head, "It's just kind of hard to believe that you were picked on when everyone considers you to be a cool witch."

"Haha! Now they do! When I was growing up, it wasn't cool to be a bard. Eda was the first one to think I was cool."

Hunter can see Raine's enthusiasm for this topic as they begin to wave their hands emphatically, "Still to this day, parents have a habit of steering their kids towards more 'useful' paths like potions and abomination magic."

"That happened to Willow! She said her dads pushed her into the abomination track even though she wasn't gifted in it like she was with plant magic."

"That's not surprising knowing her parents are Gilbert and Harvey. They were high-achieving students too."

"But bard magic is so cool! Why would it be viewed so poorly?"

Raine swipes at their nose proudly, "Hee hee, well thanks Hunter. Not to take too much credit, but I think I made bard magic cool. It was like I released the potential of bard magic. And, unfortunately, not many people give bard magic a chance. And it doesn't help that we're viewed as weaklings. Many parents directed their kids to the abomination or potions track thinking their kids would have a more secure future if they chose those tracks." Raine places a thumb against their chest, "We bards were the theatre kids. The loners. The misfits."

Raine twiddles with their thumbs, "I showed potential for bard magic when I was just a few months old. For some, that would've been like drawing the short straw in life. But I was lucky that my parents were fine with me pursuing bard magic. But not everyone has supportive parents like I do."

"They let you do what you wanted? Even if you might've failed?"

"That's a risk you gotta take sometimes for something you're passionate about."

Hunter leans their head to the side, conflicted, "I haven't found anything I care about that much so far..."

"And that's totally fine, Hunter,” Raine announces. “Don't go thinking that your life has to be one with some divine purpose. For me, I'd be satisfied if you simply became a happy adult."

"That seems like kind of a low bar don't you think?"

"Becoming a happy adult is a more difficult achievement than it sounds," Raine explains with a chuckle.

Raine holds up their hands defensively, "Of course, if you want to become a happy, working adult, I'll support you in that too. Whatever you choose."

"Huh...That's good to know...but also terrifying. The freedom to choose what to do with my future is intimidating. Can't you just tell me what to do and think? Take the burden off me?"

"Haha, nonono, you'll have to choose for yourself. Freedom can be scary, but I know you'll find your way. And I'll be here for whatever you need."

Hunter looks down at the floor and blushes, "Ah...thank you."

“And you’ll have your friends’ support as well. And The Bad Girl Coven! Haha!”

Hunter smiles and rolls his eyes, “Couldn’t we get a cooler name?”

“Haha! Sorry! The Head Witch of The Bad Girl Coven probably won’t change the name. Eda really likes that name.”

“I thought we had gotten rid of covens,” Hunter replies jokingly.

“I think it’s more of a club now. And I hear the coooolest people are in this club,” Raine explains as they nudge Hunter’s arm with their elbow.

Hunter smirks, “Well, I see that I’m not gonna change your mind about dating Eda…” Hunter looks up at Raine who smiles gently and politely shakes their head in confirmation.

"Sigh, okay. I'll watch the house so you can go on a date with Eda."

Raine smiles widely, "Thank you, Hunter. I truly appreciate your support."

"But if anything happens..."

Raine laughs lightly, "I'll be fine. What's the worst that could happen?"

Hunter raises an eyebrow, "Do you want me to start a list-"

"No no no, I get it. We'll behave ourselves," Raine declares with a wave of their hands and a nervous smile.

Hunter clears his throat and scratches the back of his head, “Speaking of upcoming events, Willow messaged me on penstagram and asked if we could help her with a school project she is working on."

"Oh yeah?"

"She asked if we could meet her tomorrow at...The Boards? I'm not exactly sure what or where that is."

"Oh! Sure! That sounds great! The Boards is the name of the Bard Building. We offer classes there for members of the bard coven, and I guess other witches now too since we no longer belong to a single coven. The name is taken from the phrase 'Trod the boards.' It's a decent sized cement-brick building carved into the side of the Titan’s femur." Raine covers their mouth nervously, "Oh...well..."

"Something wrong?"

"No, no, haha, I, uh, used to work there as an instructor."

"You were a teacher?"

"Yup! Teacher for the bard coven." Raine shrugs their shoulders, "I'm just anxious about seeing my fellow bards again after being away for a few months. Before the war, I had to reduce my class workload when I became a coven head. And I've been busy with the Isles Restoration since then." Raine rubs the back of their neck and smiles nervously, "I just know they are gonna make a scene when I get there. Just fair warning, haha,"

"Oh. If you don't want to go you don't have-"

"I still want to go with you. You don't have to worry about that. I'm just mentally preparing myself for the thespian excitement I'll encounter when I arrive, haha," Raine admits with a sincere smile.

"Oh, okay."

Hunter looks at the clock on the wall and realizes how late in the day it has gotten to be, “I’m gonna head outside for my routine workout. Do you need any help packing everything back up?”

"No. That's okay. You can head outside. I've got some paperwork I've gotta check on upstairs anyways."

“Okay,” Hunter rises from the floor and grabs his jump ropes off the wall and heads outside.

After Raine packs away their yearbooks, they briskly head upstairs. They snatch their crow phone off its perch and belly flop onto their bed and quickly dial Eda's phone number.

"Hey, Raine! What's up?"

"I got Hunter’s permission!"

"That's great! ...Permission for what?"

"Oh, right, sorry," they laugh at themselves, "I got his approval to leave him alone at home while we go on a date. I did have to wager some stories, but he eventually agreed."

“Awesome! I didn’t realize we needed his approval, but whatever.”

“Ah, well, we didn’t need it necessarily, but it is nice to have my son’s support, you know? Especially if you might become his mom one day?...” Raine lets the awkward statement hang in the air and waits for Eda to respond as they try their best not to writhe in embarrassment from their own remark. 

“O-oh! Yeah! Of course, haha…” 

“And it’s a good thing that we planned our date the day after tomorrow since it seems Hunter and I have plans for tomorrow. Hunter and I are going to visit The Boards.”

“What's going on there?” 

“It seems Hunter got a penstagram message from Willow asking for our help with a project she is working on with plants and music.” 

“The Bard Building, huh? It's been a while since I've been there.” 

Raine hears the unmistakable mischief in Eda’s voice. 

“I might just have to crash the party y'all got goin' on.” 

Raine smiles, “Haha, I'll still act surprised to see you if you do.”

“I can't wait to see your performance, Rainestorm,” Eda prods and Raine can't help but laugh, "Eda! Don't tease me." 

"I can't help it,  Rainestorm. You're the cutest witch to tease." 

“So embarrassing..." Raine runs their hand down their face as a blush floods their face. They clear their throat, "Then I guess I’ll see you soon, Calamity."

“See you tomorrow, Rainestorm.”

Chapter Text

"There it is!" Raine announces as Hunter directs the flying staff towards the Titan's femur. 

"Woah..." Hunter is surprised to see The Boards come into view. It’s a cavernous structure crudely carved into the side of the Titan's femur.

Raine and Hunter touch down in one of the side parking lots of the bard building.

Hunter notices a few parked ratworms, wagons, and other personal vehicles protected by force-field spells. Hunter looks up towards the sky. The Isles is overcast and boiling rain threatens the inhabitants below. 

"The oracle was right for once. It is gonna rain today." 

Raine chuckles at Hunter's comment as they walk around the building in their cloaks to the main entrance.

Hunter's steps are a little slower than Raine's as he looks around the area.

He sees a few no-parking signs lined up near the front of the parking lot that read: VIOLATORS WILL BE TOAD.

"Haha," Hunter laughs and points at the sign, "they spelled towed wrong."

Hunter looks down and sees a large toad with a vest and eye glasses and realizes the truth behind the sign, "Oh..."

Raine laughs at Hunter's discovery, "Yeah, bards have an affinity for hazardous word play. Try to avoid responding to riddles while you’re here. They can be as treacherous as they are clever."

Hunter gulps nervously as he follows Raine into the cavernous building.

Upon entrance, Hunter is bewildered to see the appalling state of the lobby. He quickly looks up. To his right. And to his left.

“It’s…It’s empty!” 

Raine laughs, “Haha, everyone says that when they first enter The Boards. It’s a bit of a shock, isn’t it?” Raine walks to the furthest point in the lobby directly in front of them. A mere 6 feet. They gesture towards Hunter to follow them. Hunter hesitantly walks further into the dimly-lit room to stand beside Raine. Hunter stops abruptly as he notices the floor ends. Hunter looks down at the steep drop that descends from their current rectangle room. 

"Here," Raine extends their hands towards Hunter as they step right to the edge of the drop-off. "Since this is your first time here, you'll wanna hold my hands to help steady yourself."

"Why? What's about to happen?" Hunter asks as he clasps hands with Raine standing in front of him. 

"Bards love word play, remember?" Raine answers with an apologetic smile, "We're about to slide down the scales to get to the main hall of the The Boards."

Raine feels Hunter’s hands become clammy as he stares nervously down at the vast darkness awaiting them.

“Are you scared?” Raine asks with a soft smile.

Hunter looks across at Raine and forces a smile, “Not even a little, haha…”

Raine grips Hunter’s hands tighter, “Good. Here we go.”

Hunter looks down at their feet that begin to teeter on the edge. He sees a platform begin to form as they begin their descent and side-surf into the void below. Hunter hears music notes play as he and Raine slide down “the scales” to the innermost main lobby. The slide descends more gradually than Hunter expected. And he would have been caught off guard by the sudden ramp if Raine hadn’t warned him, “Land on your feet!”

The sliding scales eject Hunter and Raine with a B flat and an F sharp base resounding in the background. Raine and Hunter release hands as they soar momentarily in the air before landing. 

“Tweet tweet!” Flapjack flies effortlessly through the void and flies around Raine and Hunter’s head before landing on Hunter’s shoulder. 

“Haha, show-off,” Hunter says with a smile as he pets Flapjack’s beak.

Raine starts heading down the wide corridor of osseous matter lined with lanterns that illuminate the walls with a warm hue. Hunter skips to catch up to Raine. “Walking a little fast there, Raine,” Hunter notes aloud. 

“Am I?” Raine responds with a worrying tone.

A myriad of antique instruments stored in glass cases whiz by as Raine and Hunter quickly pass rooms of witches and demons doing improv, art, music, and dance.

Hunter blinks when Raine finally speaks, “The Boards is a theatre and arts community center. There are several rooms for people to engage in creative activities and there is even one large room designated for duels,” Raine explains in a hurried tone. Hunter bumps into Raine when they abruptly stop walking. “Uhh, Raine?” Hunter squints his eyes at Raine who is frantically looking left and right and checking the corridors.

“Phew! He doesn’t seem to be here,” Raine says as they wipe their brow with the back of their fist. 

“Who?” Hunter asks with increasing curiosity.

“Professor Scooter Crane,” Raine answers with a nervous smile.

“The former head of the Bard Coven?”

“Yeah.”

“Why are you avoiding him?”

“HMmm…He always wants to push me outside of my comfort zone. It’s kind of a bad habit of us bards and Professor Crane can be reeeally pushy.”

“Can’t you just tell him ‘no?’”

“Believe me, I’ve tried,” Raine explains as they rub the back of their neck.

Raine jolts as they hear someone coming down the hall.

“There you are! Hey, Raine! Hey, Hunter!”

“Willow! Phew!” Raine responds with relief, “I’m glad it’s you.”

“Yup! Just me! Were you expecting someone else? Haha!” Willow smiles.

“Hey, Captain!” Hunter says with a polite wave.

Willow takes a double look at Hunter’s new doo, “Hunter!” Willow shouts with excitement, "You got a haircut!"

"Yeah...do you like it?" Hunter asks awkwardly while rubbing his shoulder.

Willow clasps her hands together, "I love it!"

Hunter blushes madly at Willow's glowing smile.

Raine pats Hunter's shoulder, "We got his haircut done early this morning. When the stylist asked how he wanted to cut his hair, he just pointed to me and said 'Like that.' It was so precious!" 

"AWW!" Willow fawns at the story.

"Doooon't teeeell theeem..." Hunter pleads with embarrassment as he tugs at Raine's sleeve.

"I told Hunter if he wants to keep getting his haircut like mine, he just has to choose number 6 which is what I get done. In the haircutting book it's called the reverse raven."

"Ooo! Well it looks great on you, Hunter!"

"Th-Thank you, Captain!" Hunter manages to say. He flusters with his hands before pointing at his head, “Your braids look really nice too!”

Willow flushes and spins around, “Thank you! My dad did them for me!”

Raine suddenly starts directing Hunter and Willow down the corridor that Willow emerged from, “Now let's head to the room you’ve reserved, Willow. Before we run into-”

"IS THAT WHO I THINK IT IS!?"

“EEP!” Raine’s shoulders jump as they yelp in alarm.

The group of three look behind them to see an old man shouting from down the hall.

"Oh, geez," Raine exasperates as they place their hands on Hunter's shoulders and attempt to hide behind him. 

"I see you hiding behind that scrawny kid, Professor Whispers!"

Scrawny!? Hunter scrunches up his face at the offense.

"Hnnn," Raine groans, "Why didn’t I bring an invisibility glyph?..."

“I’ve got one in my pocket if you need one, Raine,” Hunter offers.

“Siigghh, nooo…I should stand up and face the music.”

Raine straightens their posture and greets the former Head Witch of the Bard Coven, "Heeey! Professor Crane! I didn't expect to see you here!"

Willow and Hunter chuckle at Raine’s comment.

“Am I really that scrawny?” Hunter quietly asks Willow.

“Not as much as you used to be now that you are eating and exercising more,” she quietly answers.

“I follow your exercise regimen to the letter…” Hunter squeezes his right bicep.

“Maybe we should increase the number of reps?” Willow suggests.

Hunter flinches when Raine suddenly pulls him in front of them, "I'm actually a bit busy at the moment, so I can't help out today. I'm here with my son. We're helping a young witch named Willow with her plant magic experiment."

"You have a son?" Scooter massages his bushy, white mustache with his fingers as he leans in close to scrutinize Hunter's face, "Ah! I see the resemblance."

Raine squints their eyes at Scooter, "He's adopted."

"I see! That makes more sense! He looks nothing like you! BHAHAHA!" The old man leans back and chortles.

“Right. Anyway…,” Raine rolls their eyes before they suddenly widen in trepidation. Willow and Hunter become aware of the fact that witches and demons are steadily closing in on them from all sides to crowd around the two head witches. 

"PROFESSOR WHISPERS!! YOU’RE HERE!! PROFESSOR WHISPERS!!" The crowd squeals with excitement.

"H-Hi everyone. Sorry I've been away for a while. It's been a busy year."

Willow watches Hunter grip his head and wince in pain as he pushes through the crowd. She follows him to the outskirts of the growing crowd, "Are you alright, Hunter?"

"Uh...yeah...I think so. My head hurts a little though."

"Is it too loud here? Is it giving you a headache?"

"I don't know. I guess so...but it kind of feels like a memory wanted to break through a wall or something."

"Should I get you some medicine? Or should we go somewhere quieter?" Willow offers.

Hunter smiles weakly, "No, it's okay. I'm sure it'll pass soon."

Hunter jumps as a long, thin arm wraps around his shoulders.

"SURPRISE!!" Eda shouts in Hunter's ear.

"Mama Eda!" Willow shouts happily-surprised.

Hunter grimaces, "Nevermind! My headache just returned with a vengeance!"

"It's good to see you too, Hunter! Nice haircut!" She exclaims as she aggressively rubs his scalp. 

"EDA! What are you doing here?!" Hunter shouts as he steps beside Willow and fixes his hair.

"I came to help with Willow's project!" Eda exclaims with a wide grin.

"We don't need your help," Hunter informs Eda as he crosses his arms.

"Actually, it'd be nice to have more witnesses for the experiment," Willow tells Eda.

"Thank you, Willow!" Eda smiles and pats Willow's head gratefully.

"Sigh," Hunter scoffs, "Fine. I guess you can watch."

Willow giggles at Hunter's childish rebuff of Eda, "We'll be able to start the experiment as soon as Raine is done," Willow tells Eda who follows her gaze to the rowdy crowd that has Raine trapped at the center.

Hunter’s penstagram suddenly pings. He raises it in the air and squints his eyes in confusion at the direct message Raine sent him, "Uhh, what does this mean?" Hunter leans his penstagram to the side so Willow can see his screen.

"Let me see, kid." Hunter flinches as Eda leans her head over his shoulder. "They just texted 'HELP' in all caps," Hunter explains.

Eda's mouth stretches into a wide smile, "PFFT! Hahaha! Raine still hasn't changed.” 

Eda’s mirthful smile morphs into a mischievous grin and makes Hunter nervous at her idea to answer Raine’s plea for help. 

“Okay, I'll tell you what to do…” She quietly explains to Hunter and Willow the plan that could only be executed by the adorable, youthful witches: “Walk over there with the most innocent of faces and-"

Hunter and Willow nod their heads in agreement and push their way into the epicenter of the crowd where witches and demons are taking selfies with Raine as they do their best to address the varied voices in the crowd.

“Yes! Thank you for the well wishes, everyone. Yes, it is amazing to have our magic back! No, I don’t plan on being here the entire day-”

Raine feels a tug on their sleeve and looks behind them to see Willow and Hunter staring up at them, "Raine...You said we were gonna spend some parent, son time today…"

The crowd erupts in simultaneous squeals, "AWWW!!"

Raine smiles as they understand they are there to help free them from the dense group, "Listen everyone!” Raine announces loudly to the mob, “I’ve got plans with my kids today, so I’ll have to excuse myself! It was good to see you all! BYYYEEE!!"

Eda raises her brow and fondly half-smiles at the funny sight of Raine, Willow, and Hunter quickly fleeing the crowd as it slowly disperses.

After the electricity in the atmosphere has died down in the hall and the group finally recollects in the private practice room Willow reserved for the hour, Raine rests their hands on their knees and hunches over in emotional exhaustion, "Thank you, thank you, thank you!"

Raine looks up from their frantic “thank yous” and sees Eda standing behind the kids. Raine places their palms against their cheeks in feigned shock, “EDA? WHAT ARE YOU DOING HERE?”

"Wow," Hunter says flatly in response to Raine’s wooden performance.

"Sigghh, I'm a bit rusty," Raine doubles over with embarrassment.

"You invited her?" Hunter asks, feeling a bit betrayed.

"No. No…” Raine refutes as they walk over to stand beside Eda, “she invited herself," they explain with their hands extended towards Eda.

Hunter puffs up his cheeks in visibly contained frustration.

"Oh come on, Hunter! The more the merrier!" Eda exclaims as she grips Hunter’s shoulders.

Willow grabs Hunter's hand and looks up at him, "Remember. Breathe out. One, two, three..." she says as she counts with her fingers raised in the air.

Hunter closes his eyes and exhales slowly.

“Okay…I’m okay now. …Where’s Luz and King?” Hunter asks calmly.

Eda puts her hands on her hips, “Luz is with King, Amity, Gus, and the twins today playing with some virtual reality magic. But we'll be spending a lot of time together soon, so it’s no skin off my bones. And a little time apart makes the heart grow fonder, amiright?” She grins widely and winks. “So! What is this experiment you got going on, Willow?” Eda asks.

Willow summons her clipboard and notes, “I’m assessing music’s effects on plants, and whether it's a positive or negative contributor to growth.”

Eda whistles, “I’m impressed, Willow. The only experiment I remember doing as a kid was examining the mold on a sandwich I had left in my locker for a year.”

Raine shakes their head before an idea comes to mind, “Hey! Hunter! This would be a great time to play the song we've been practicing!”

“Nonono! It's way too early for that! I'm not ready!”

“I'd love to hear you play, Hunter!” Willow grips her clipboard to her chest.

“YeAh, OkaY!” Hunter’s voice cracks.

Raine and Eda exchange smug looks.

Raine folds their arms and puts their finger to their chin in thought, “Perhaps you’re right, Hunter. For the benefit of the experiment, let's perform a shorter folk song.”

Their plans and gathering is interrupted by a loud banging at the door that makes them jump. They see Scooter Crane fling the door open and immediately wag his finger in Eda’s direction, “I thought that was you Owl Lady!”

“Oh boy!” Eda responds in alarm at the authority figure.

“You're still banned!” 

“Oh come on! Give a witch a chance!”

“You still haven’t returned the 200 year old magical flute you stole when you were a witchling!”

“The flute asked to be stolen! It wanted life breathed back into it!” Eda flexes her fingers in the air for emphasis, “Not sit behind a glass case!”

Scooter and Eda close the distance between them and scowl at each other.

“Ahem!” Raine clears their throat loudly with a fist in front of their mouth. They hold their hands behind their back authoritatively, “As the most recent Head Witch of the Bard Coven, I hereby terminate her ban from The Boards. Effective immediately.”

“Whispers!” Scooter huffs with annoyance.

“Yes! In your face!” Eda exclaims with a finger pointed down at Scooter.

“Eda!” Raine warns not to make the situation anymore tense.

“Hmph!” Scooter exhales loudly, “Fine! I’ll approve the dismissal of her ban if Professor Whispers agrees to deliver the opening words at the bard ceremony happening in a few minutes.”

Raine blinks, grips their arms tightly behind their back, and cranes their head to address Eda, “Well, it looks like you’re gonna have to leave, Eda.” Raine says sarcastically.

Eda lightly punches Raine’s arm. “Haha, okay, okay…” 

Raine has to suppress a sudden bout of coughs and gestures at Hunter and Willow, “But I’m kind of in the middle of helping with a kid’s project. We probably shouldn’t leave them alone. It is their first time at The Boards afterall,” Raine manages to argue before Crane suddenly pushes Raine by the shoulders from behind towards the door. 

“Nonsense! Nonsense! They’ll be fine!” 

Hunter and Willow decide to sit on the bench table placed in the corner of the room and watch Crane effortlessly direct Raine out the door with Eda in towe. 

"Don't worry, Professor Crane! I really know how to light up a room!"

"Please don't set the room on fire, Owl Lady!"

"Eda wouldn't do that, Professor Crane. She’s matured. Haha, right, Eda? Eda?"

Raine chases after Eda who quickly flees the room, "Eda! Put that glyph away!"

Hunter breathes in…and breathes out…and relishes the sudden absence of sound in the insulated music room.

"I bet she'll really get the crowd fired up," Willow jokingly tells Hunter sitting beside him. Hunter smiles when Willow winks at him. 

"Haha! I hope The Boards has a sprinkler system."

"If they do, we'll know why they go off then."

Willow and Hunter laugh happily.

Hunter turns his attention to the large corpse lily resting atop the bench table.

“Is this the plant we'll be conducting the experiment on?”

“Yup!”

The lily is an hourglass shaped flower with thorns near its roots and a single star shaped flower adorning its closed petals.

"It's the last major project for the school year and 20% of my final grade."

"Wow! Then we better help you get a good grade!" Hunter says enthusiastically.

Willow laughs at his endearing sincerity, "Thanks!"

A loud squeal from the room’s intercom makes Willow and Hunter wince. They swivel their bodies to face the direction of the intercom and listen to the announcement. They recognize the old man’s voice: “My dear witches and demons! We've got a special guest today for our opening ceremony and they're raring to go! But, luckily, we've convinced them to stay long enough to give a quick speech as we enter a new era welcoming those who were not initially initiated into the bard coven.”

Hunter and Willow smile at each other and look back up at the intercom. There’s another loud screech before Raine's distinct voice emanates from the horn on the wall.

“Hunter! Willow! If you’re listening, I am sorry for the delay! I'll be back as soon as possible! Rgh-!”

They overhear the struggle for the mic as Scooter takes over once more, "So everyone, come on down to room 1031!"

"NO, DON'T!"

Is the last Hunter and Willow hear Raine say with awkward desperation before the announcement abruptly cuts out.

Willow and Hunter exchange glances before giggling, "I feel bad that Raine will be in front of a crowd."

"It might not be so bad," Willow offers, "And they've got Eda with them to give them support."

Hunter makes a squeamish face, "I guess so..."

Willow and Hunter swing their feet on the bench, “How have your take-home tasks been going?”

“Haha, you mean my homework?”

“Yeah, that,” Hunter says with an awkward smile.

“The assignments have all been too easy. But I think the teachers have been lenient with me since I'm one of the heroes who saved the Boiling Isles.”

Willow adjusts in her seat in a more comfortable and confident position, her elbow on the table and her legs crossed on the bench, “How has your drumming homework been coming along?” 

Hunter laughs, “Raine says I’m doing great. But like you, I think they are being too lenient with me. I’m still not where I want to be. I want to play better.”

“I’m sure you’re being too hard on yourself, Hunter. How long have you been playing the drums?”

“A few months now.”

“See? It takes time and practice and patience. Just like anything.” Willow smiles, “But I have no doubt that you’ll become a drumming master.”

Hunter looks away bashfully and smiles, “Thanks, Willow.”

“Soooo…” Willow says with raised eyebrows as she leans towards Hunter.

“Soooo…?” Hunter matches her questioning tone.

“Are you gonna show me some of your drumming?” 

“Oh, um, I guess I could. Oh! But Raine has my drumsticks…and drumset…”

“Then let’s desk-drum!” Willow recommends happily.

She waves her finger in the air and summons four pencils that she catches as they fall, “Here you go, Hunter.” Hunter accepts the pencils and stares at them curiously, “Uhh…?”

“I know they’re not as great or as loud as actual drumsticks, but we drum with pencils all the time at school!”

“Huh…” Hunter taps on the table with the pencils to get attuned to the sound.

“Here. I’ll play a little and then you can play something. Okay?” Willow asks with a gracious smile.

“Okay.”

Willow taps out a consistent and simple beat: Dun, da, dun, dun, da, dun, dun.

When Willow stops, Hunter begins his turn to drum and speeds up the tempo. Willow is amazed to see how fast he can drum with the tips and sides of the pencils.

“Wow! I knew you were underestimating yourself! That was great!”

Hunter rubs the back of his neck bashfully, “It’s okay…but…” Hunter allows himself to explain his dilemma, “It’s a bit difficult for me to sometimes connect with a tune.”

“How do you mean?”

“Well…” Hunter twiddles with the pencils in his hands nervously, “Everyone has more experience with drum beats and rhythm than me.”

“How so?”

“Babies’ first experience with drum beats begins in the womb, with their mother’s heartbeat. I didn’t have a womb with a soothing heartbeat. I didn’t have a mom. And even now…” Hunter grips his right shoulder, “I don’t have a heartbeat.”

Willow stares at him quietly, trying to collect her thoughts on how to best reply to Hunter’s concerns, “Then that’s why you’re even more amazing, Hunter…”

Hunter glances to his side at Willow. 

“Even though you didn’t start off with the same experiences as others, you’re still learning to play the drums. I don’t have a mom either, but that’s not gonna stop me from doing whatever I want and it shouldn’t be an obstacle for you either, Hunter. And who needs a heartbeat when you can create a heartbeat?”

Willow starts tapping the traditional rhythm of a heartbeat on the desk: Da, dun, da, dun, da, dun…

Hunter matches her rhythmic tapping: Da, dun, da, dun, da, dun…

Willow, who is more inexperienced at drumming, skips a beat and Hunter immediately notices. He follows her lead and also skips a beat. She turns her head to stare at Hunter as he drums. He notices her staring at him and turns to look at her. Their eyes lock on to each other and they can’t look away as they continue to drum. Willow hastens her drumming to match the pace of her rapidly increasing heartbeat. Hunter also speeds up his drumming and feels his skin tingle at the increased drumming pace. The rhythm of their drumming speeds up until their drumming becomes erratic.

“What are y’all doing?”

“AWAH!!” Willow and Hunter shriek and throw their pencils in the air.

They look up to see Raine and Eda staring down at them.

Raine coughs, “I hope we weren’t interrupting some ritual…”

“Uh-no! We were just…drumming…” Hunter admits with a blush.

“Ha! With the way you two were drumming, it sounded like lightning was about to strike!” Eda laughs.

Willow and Hunter scratch at their scalps with embarrassment, “Does this mean you’re done with your speech, Raine?” Hunter asks.

“Yup! Now that that’s over with, we can move on to today’s main event!”

Raine waves their finger in the air and summons their violin along with two conga hand drums, a flute, and a tambourine.

“Here, Hunter, I’ll have you sit over here,” Raine directs Hunter to his seat in front of the large bongo drums. “I’m not using my drumset today?”

“Not this time since we switched to a folk song. You remember this one, right?” Raine sets up a music stand in front of Hunter and places some sheet music on it for him to review. “Oh! ‘Macphearson’s Rant.’ We practiced it a bit when I first started playing the drums.”

“‘The Gallows Tree!?’” Eda shouts with excitement. “I love that tune. It starts off all happy and descends into madness.”

“Haha!” Raine laughs, “Yeah, it’s a pretty fun tune the way I coordinate it. I hope we don’t kill your plant with our intense playing, Willow.”

“Don’t worry! It’s a tough plant. So bring it on!”

Raine tosses Eda a flute and Willow a tambourine as they sit on the table bench, “You got it!”

Raine waves their finger and summons a final instrument. The lute they summoned levitates in the air and they wave their finger in a circle a final time to have the lute begin the tune. Raine joins in with their violin and Eda contributes with melodic notes with their flute. Not to be outdone, Hunter begins to pound on their drums. Willow also does her best to contribute to the song with the tambourine Raine gave her.

They fall into sync and begin to speed up their playing as the song progresses. Raine’s fingers fly on the neck of their violin and Hunter begins to sweat as he beats on the drums to match Raine’s speed. As Raine’s vibrato resonates in the room, the corpse lily begins to grow. The lily opens its large petals and its vines begin to crawl up the walls. Large pink, star-shaped flowers bloom from the vines, and a few beautiful, spherical chrysalis emerge from the plant and gingerly encase Willow and Eda inside separate bubbles. Raine and Hunter continue to play unaware on the ground. The lily busts through the walls and ceiling and reaches within The Boards' structure to the supporting Titan bone.

“Raine! Stop!” Eda shouts from her bubble.

The bow scratches on the strings as Raine abruptly halts their playing and looks up to see the monster of a flower that has metamorphosised into a massive problem.

“Professor Whispers, what is the meaning of this!?” a dismayed bard professor exasperates as they see the damage to the private practice room.

“Professor Davies! How nice to see you! You’ve come at a wonderful time!” Raine lies, “You are the first to witness the new installation provided by one of the war's heroes: Willow. It's a new permanent display that bridges plant and bard magic.” 

“I see! Incredible!”

“And! Willow was gracious enough to do this free of charge no less. She merely requested assistance with her experiment, so I am doing my utmost to assist her.”

“Marvelous!” The Boards’ bard member exalts. They walk over to shake Willow's hands as she graciously descends from the air on one of the corpse lily’s vines, “If there is anything else The Boards can assist you with, please let us know, young witch.”

“I appreciate your hospitality, Professor Davies.”

Professor Davies gleefully exits the room to tell the news of the new installation to the other bard members.

“Phew!” The group exhales gratefully. 

"An art installation?" Eda crosses her arms and nudges Raine who mirrors her, "What can I say? I've got a knack for talking my way outta trouble." They respond with a mischievous smirk.

Hunter wipes his sweaty brow and turns to ask Willow a question, “Where's the control group for the experiment, Willow?”

“It's the corpse lily standing in that insulated, noise-cancelling room,” she explains as she points to a plant sitting behind a plexiglass barrier.

“Since it’s the control group, it's not going to experience the sound of any music. But it seems there’s not much debate now on whether music is beneficial or not. I’ll have to write up a detailed report on this experience.”

Hunter stares at the isolated plant and feels pity for it. It's alone. In a soundless environment. And it won't grow as big and beautiful as the other plant.

“Don't worry, you're not that plant anymore,” Eda whispers in Hunter’s ear with her hand on his shoulder.

Hunter squints his eyes before looking away from Eda, "I have no idea what you're talking about."

"Uh-huuuuh...guess I'm just jumping to conclusions then," she says with a shrug and smiles before stepping away.

“Can I have that plant when you’re done with your experiment, Willow?”

“Sure! I can teach you how to take care of it!"

“I’d like that,” Hunter responds with a soft smile.

Raine coughs loudly. “You okay there, Raine?” Eda asks with thinly-veiled concern. “I’m fine. Just a tickle in my throat. I’m gonna go get some water.”

“I’ll join you!” Eda follows closely behind Raine, “We’ll be back kids!” and shuts the door behind her.

“So how has your sleeping been going?” Willow asks Hunter, “Your eyes have fewer red lines on them,” she notes.

“Haha, thanks. I have been staying asleep for longer and my room is comfortable to sleep in. Especially with the music box Raine gave me. And it complements the abomination goo lava lamp Darius gave me.” 

“Aww, that’s sweet. I never imagined the abomination coven head being…thoughtful?” 

“Haha! Yeah, he’s a bit rough around the edges, but he’s a good guy.”

“Kinda like Mama Eda, right?”

Hunter scoffs, “I see what you’re doing but I’m still on the fence about her.”

“Speaking of…I wonder where Raine and Eda went.” 

Willow and Hunter open the door and peer into the hall, “They should’ve been back by now. The water fountain isn’t that far down the hall…”

“Look! There’s Professor Crane!” Willow points at the elderly bard as he walks by.

“Professor!” Hunter shouts as he races to catch up with Scooter.

“Ah yes! Raine’s boy and his girlfriend. What can I do for you two?”

“Ah! We’re not-! She’s not-!” Hunter flusters. 

“Where’s Mama Eda and Raine?” Willow interjects quickly.

Scooter places one hand behind his back while his other hand massages his mustache as he thinks, “Hmm, last I saw them, they were leaving the ceremony.”

Willow and Hunter blink when Scooter snaps his fingers, “Ah! They’re probably in the same music room they used to scurry off to when they were youngsters. I still know the way. Follow me.”

“Ah! No! Wait! That’s okay! We probably shouldn’t interrupt them-!” Hunter flushes, aware that Raine and Eda might have snuck away for some ‘alone time.’

“Nonsense, mah’boy! Follow me!” Scooter waves his hand and makes his way down the corridor. Willow and Hunter struggle to keep up with Scooter as he zooms his way through the maze of corridors.

“Here we are!”

Hunter and Willow try to suppress their wheezing, “Geez…hah…pretty sprightly for an old guy,” Hunter says as he wipes at his mouth with the back of his fist.

“I was right,” Scooter declares as he cracks the door open, “There they are. Take a look for yourself.”

Willow peers through the doorway.

“No, wait!” Hunter reaches towards Willow.

“Aw, look Hunter,” she smiles, “They’re cute.”

“Huh?” Hunter’s ragged breathing finally quiets down enough for him to hear the sound of soft piano notes coming from the room. He leans beside Willow and sees Raine playing a grand piano. Their back to the doorway with Eda sitting the opposite direction beside them. 

“She looks almost peaceful with her head hanging low and her eyes closed. I think this is the quietest I’ve ever seen Eda.” 

Willow giggles at Hunter’s remark which makes him smile.

“Yah see, mah’boy…” Hunter looks down at Scooter, “The Boards is an alternate universe where pupils are often unrecognizable from who they are outside of it. The shy become confident. The agitated become calm. The lonely become included. The quiet become heard. And the lost become found.”

Hunter turns his attention back to Eda and Raine and half-smiles as he admires the couple. 

Hunter blinks and looks down at his left hand that Willow is holding, “Let’s give them some alone time,” she suggests with a smile.

“Oh. Sure…I brought some apple slices we can share. If you’re hungry…”

“That sounds nice. Thank you, Hunter.”

Hunter turns to ask Scooter for directions back to their assigned room, “Hey, Professor Crane. Can you walk us…back to…” Hunter stands with a slacked-jaw as he realizes Scooter has abandoned them.

“EHH!?!”

Willow and Hunter hear the music stop and look behind them to see Raine and Eda looking down at them from the doorway. “I thought I recognized those shrieks of terror,” Eda snorts.

Willow and Hunter abruptly cease their hand-holding and bashfully look away, “We got lost…” Willow admits to the pair.

“Sorry for stepping away, Hunter,” Raine apologizes, “We got a bit nostalgic. Should we start heading home soon?”

“Oh…” Hunter mumbles as he glances at Willow.

Raine notices Hunter’s hesitancy and smiles, “Or we can head to the dining hall and have lunch here. It might still be raining outside…”

“Is that okay, Willow?” Hunter asks, “I don’t want to get you in trouble with your dads…”

“It’s okay! I’ll call them and let them know I’ll be here for a little while longer.”

Eda claps her hands together, “Now that that’s settled! Let’s grab us some grub!”

Eda starts walking down one of the several halls. “Uh, Eda, the dining hall is this way,” Raine tells her.

“I knew that! I was just testing you,” Eda replies with an embarrassed smile.

“Mm-hmm…” Raine hums as they lead the way through the hollow portions of Titan bone that form the hallowed halls of the bard building.

Eda skips past Willow and Hunter to catch up with Raine. She grabs their hand while her other hand glides along the wall as they walk. 

Willow and Hunter follow them at a distance. In the dimly-lit hall, Hunter feels something soft and warm suddenly envelop his hand. He turns his head to see Willow staring straight ahead and looks down to see her hand holding his. Once again he follows her lead, and continues to walk forward.

Chapter Text

The boiling rains hadn't let up that day. Thunder rumbled throughout half of the island. Asleep in his bed, Hunter tosses and turns, unsettled by nightmarish visions.

Flashes of pain, death, and Belos flash in his mind's eye.

Hunter wakes up screaming for Flapjack.

"Flapjack?! Flapjack, Where are you?!"

He tries to flee from his bed and find his friend but his feet get tangled up in his bed sheets as panic sets in. 

Raine bursts through the doorway with Flapjack on their shoulder, chip bags under their arms, and a flurry of seeds trailing behind them. 

"Hunter! What's wrong?!"

Hunter's eyes widen in inordinate relief and joy, "Flapjack!! You're here!!"

"Of course he's here, Hunter. Where else would he be-?"

Hunter lunges towards Flapjack and Raine and knocks them to the ground in the process.

"Sorry! I'm sorry...sniff," Hunter wipes at his runny nose and tears with his hands.

Raine notices the pain in Hunter's eyes and touches his cheek, "Did you have another nightmare, Hunter?"

"Sniffle...Uh-huh...I dreamed that Belos was back. And..." Hunter hugs his small bird tightly as he details his waking nightmare, "And he wounded Flapjack. And then...I died... but Flapjack brought me back to life... in exchange for his. Sniff, Raine, it was terrible! I was so scared..."

Raine pulls Hunter into a soft hug. 

"That does sound awful, Hunter. What a scary dream," Raine runs their hand up and down Hunter's back to soothe him. "I'm sorry you're struggling with this. We should take solace in the fact that Belos is gone. That chapter of your life is over. And Flapjack is right here. It was probably scary when you woke up and he wasn't here beside you. We were just getting a midnight snack. Sorry..."

"Sniff...it's okay..."

Hunter holds Flapjack on his palms, "Flapjack...you can't leave me, bud, okay? I still need you...So...don't go dying on me alright? I'd miss you too much."

Flapjack chirps, I could say the same to you.

Flapjack twits and tweets and Hunter understands him: I'm an old palisman, Hunter. If something does ever happen to me, you could always carve a new palis-

"I don't want a new palisman!" Hunter shuts his eyes tight as if to close off any future realities where Flapjack isn't around.

Raine observes Hunter with sympathy in their eyes. 

"You were the first real family I had, Flapjack...you found me...you saved me...I love you..."

"Chirp tweet chirp!"

Raine rubs Hunter's arm as he hugs his palisman, "Maybe I should stay home tomorrow evening…"

"No," Hunter says quickly. "I don't want you to cancel your date because of me."

Raine breathes in and exhales slowly, "Okay, okay..." Raine runs their fingers through Hunter's short blonde locks of hair, "Should we do another mind-meld spell Hunter?” 

"...Yeah…," Hunter looks away and then back at Raine. "Could you also sing for me?"

"O-oh. Hunter...haha, you know I can't sing..."

Hunter pleads with his eyes. 

"Sigh...only if Flapjack sings with me. And instead of singing, we'll whistle a tune together. Is that alright?"

"Yes...Thank you, Raine."

Raine wipes the tears from his cheek, and helps him off the floor and back to bed. 

Raine helps Hunter get comfortable in his bed and grabs the blanket and throws the blanket in the air and gently places it over Hunter. Flapjack sits on Raine's shoulder, "I'll let you start."

Flapjack warbles and Raine whistles a soft and slow tune.

When they are finished whistling, Raine hands him a capsule, "Here you go Hunter." Raine summons a small cup of water and Hunter sits up and swallows the pill. Raine places their hand behind Hunter's head to support him as Raine rests their forehead against his. 

"With this spell, we cast out fear and pain and invite peace to mend this mind."

Hunter's eyes that were previously shut tight relax their muscles. Raine supports Hunter's head as he quickly falls asleep and places his head on his pillow. 

Flapjack tweets and flies to rest on Hunter's chest as he frequently does. 

"You'll protect him," Raine states matter-of-factly as they interpret Flapjack's actions. "Right, Flapjack?"

"Tweet tweet!"

Of course! Raine hears the palisman retort. 

Raine smiles, "Good. Thank you."

Raine rubs the spot under his beak that he likes scratched before leaning over Hunter to smooth his hair down and tenderly kiss his forehead. 

I thought we were over this hill, thinks Raine, but it looks like Belos still haunts him. 

Raine turns to Hunter's bedside table and winds up the small music box and turns on Hunter's lava lamp.

Maybe we should schedule a couple of fun days next week. I'll ask the coalition for some vacation time. I’m sure Hunter will like that.

Raine stares down at Hunter a final time before heading back downstairs to clean up the mess they left when they rushed upstairs. I'll do whatever I can to protect you too, Hunter. We'll get through this. Together.

Chapter Text

Eda and Raine sit on a bench in the waiting area of the restaurant. Raine stares at a red amulet in the palm of their hand. 

"Eda, the amulet has come to life." 

Eda smiles widely and grabs Raine's hand and gleefully whisks them away from the waiting bench, "Great! That means our table's ready!" Raine smiles at how happy Eda is leading the way, despite not knowing where their table is.

They pass a dispute between the staff and a beast demon customer.

"What's going on over there?" Eda asks the waiter.

"Please excuse the commotion...They didn't complete the house eating challenge of 1000 kebabs in one sitting and now he's refusing to pay and throwing a tantrum," is their answer before directing Eda and Raine to their table.

"Maybe we should give the eating challenge a go, huh Raine?"

"No way…"

"With our fast metabolism, I'm sure we'd be able to beat the house and get a free meal!"

Raine looks upwards in thought, but eventually dismisses the idea, "Nonono. Maybe we can do that on our next date," Raine chuckles.

The waiter places menus on the table in front of Eda and Raine, "What would you like to drink tonight?"

"Got any hard apple blood?"

"Certainly. And for you?"

"I'll take a ginger beer," Raine tells the waiter.

The waiter writes in their notepad, "And do you know what you'd like to order?"

Raine flips the menu over and orders ghost pepper griffin chicken.

Eda skims the menu and orders the crawly crab angles with fresh mint and lemons.

"Excellent choices. I'll be back with your drinks momentarily," they inform the couple as they collect the menus and step away from the table.

Eda waits until the waiter is out of earshot and intertwines her fingers and puts her hands under her chin to address Raine, "You haven't said what you think of my outfit."

Raine mirrors Eda and also folds their hands under their chin, "You haven't told me what you think of mine."

"Ah, I got yah. Raine, you look fabulous. Now me."

Raine laughs lightly while shielding their mouth, "Thank you, Eda."

Raine crosses their arms and rests them on the table. They smile at Eda and stare into her eyes, "As much as I'd like to say something sarcastic like 'you look alright, or you look like a scullery maid,' I honestly can't take my eyes off you. You look beautiful...as usual."

Eda smiles, a tinge of pink spreading across her cheeks as she looks away bashfully at Raine’s embarrassing honesty.

Eda fiddles with her hands and stretches her arms, "So, I know Hunter gave you his approval to go on a date with me, but how did he feel when you left?"

Raine leans into the table, racked with laughter as he recalls Hunter's words of warning, "Haha! His exact words were: 'Be careful on your way there! And If the date doesn't go well, you can come home early!'"

"Haha! I think he likes me," Eda says jokingly.

"He'd like you more if you didn't tease him so much."

"I can't help it! His cheeks puff up when he's angry and it's so cute. Not as cute as King's squeak of rage mind you, but it's cute in its own way." 

Raine tries to hold back their laughter, "He'll come around. I think you two just need a good bonding experience."

"I guess so," Eda rests her cheek against her knuckles, "So, tell me again how you convinced him to let me steal you away for a few hours?"

"I..." Raine places their palm against their forehead, "oh this is so embarrassing. I...had to tell him why I like you so much."

"Oooo?" Eda smiles coyly, "Did you mention my good looks? My chaaarm?" Eda splays her fingers in the air.

Raine rests their jaw against their palm.

"Oh no, I don't recall mentioning those at all." Raine smirks. "I said you're conniving and ambitious."

"Also some of my best qualities."

Raine and Eda's shoulders rise and fall with their shared mirthful laughs. 

Back at the townhouse, Hunter hears a knock at the front door and opens it to see Amber standing there with a small bag in hand. "Here you go, lil bro! One new messenger crow!"

Hunter happily accepts the gift bag forcefully thrust against his chest. While Hunter's hands are full, Amber takes this moment to grip Hunter's face with her hands and rubs his cheeks up and down.

"Urgh! Please stop!"

Amber pulls her hands away and smiles at Hunter's bright red cheeks, "I'm sorry,  I couldn't resist, haha!"

Hunter smiles nervously and looks into the bag at his new crow phone.

"I added my phone number and Derwin's and Katya's to your contacts! Call us anytime, okay?"

Hunter smiles softly, "Thanks for doing that,  Amber. And thanks for letting me know."

Amber turns to the side to begin her trek back home, "Make sure to add that girl's phone number that called you last time," she adds with a wink. 

"Rgh! Thank you!" Hunter responds through gritted teeth with embarrassment and quickly closes the door. 

"Hmph! I mean, I was gonna do that anyway."

Hunter holds his phone in his hands and stares at it. A blush creeps up his shoulders and consumes his face, "I'm adding everyone's contact info. Not just Willow's. Heh, it's not like…Willow is special or something…"

Hunter sees Flapjack hop onto the arm of the couch and chirps at him, "Yes, I know I'm talking to myself…"

Hunter fidgets and eventually screws up his courage and calls Willow.

"Hello?" He hears Willow say on the other side of the line and freaks out because he doesn't know what to say and immediately hangs up.

"Well that was immature."

Hunter and Flapjack jolt as his crow phone starts to squawk.

"EEP! Flapjack! She star69'ed me!"

"Chirp chirp!"

Hunter hesitantly holds his phone to his ear, "H-Hello?"

"Hey, who's this? I think the line dropped suddenly."

"Uh! Yes! Sorry, Willow. It's Hunter. I called."

"I thought so, haha. I wasn't sure since I didn't recognize the number my crow squawked out. What's up?"

"Yes. What is up? Um! I got a new phone and a new phone number, so I wanted to call you to make sure you have my number. In case you ever need to call for anything..."

"Awesome! Thanks for letting me know, Hunter!"

Hunter nervously grabs his pantleg as he tries to think of what to say to extend his conversation with Willow, "I...I'm working on a rock song."

"Oh yeah! The one Raine mentioned at The Boards! You should send me a video of you playing on penstagram!"

"Uh! Right! Yes, of course! I'll do that, Captain!"

"Ha ha, I look forward to seeing you play it."

They hang up the phone, and Hunter frantically struggles with his penstagram, "How do you get penstagrams to fly?! Flapjack! Can you help me hold up my phone to record me?"

“Chirp chirp!”

While Eda and Raine are waiting for their food, Eda shows Raine a magic trick she learned from Luz.

"Is this your card?!"

Raine squints and smiles cheekily at the card Eda is displaying in her hand, "...No."

"No? Dang it! What did I do wrong?"

"Here," Raine takes the cards from Eda's hands, "Let me try."

Raine lets Eda pick a card from the deck and then shuffles the cards in a dazzling fashion, "Is this your card?"

"That's it! Heeey! Not fair! How'd you figure out how to do that?"

"It's just sleight-of-hand magic. Simple for us bards to pick up." Raine hands Eda back her hexus hold'em cards that she puts back in her hair, "I can teach you how to do it later if you want. I know you should be able to pick up this skillful deception after I teach you the additional trick to it."

"Speaking of deception," Eda says with a raised eyebrow and Raine starts to get nervous.

"So, what happened at your latest Taskforce meeting in the forest?"

"Nothing much…" Raine says with a nervous smile.

Eda slaps her hand on the table in mild frustration, "Okay, spill, Raine! Over the phone, you made it sound like it was a leisurely meeting of your fellow Taskforce members, but you were in a fight with a crew!?"

"I wouldn't call it deception…more like omission of the truth," Raine says as they sip at their ginger beer, "And who told you?"

Eda crosses her arms, "I have my spies on the inside."

"It was Lilith, wasn't it?"

"Yup! And what are you thinking going around decapitating demons?!"

"Haha" Raine laughs nervously, "That was an accident," Raine replies while scratching at their forehead.

"And why wasn't I invited?"

"It was for taskforce members only. I did invite you to join but you declined, remember?"

Eda looks up and to the side as she recalls their conversation in the cabin at The Knee, "Oh, yeah. Well, who wants to endure a bunch of people sitting around talking for hours?"

"Hahaha, that is how meetings work. But I think you were right to decline. It can be tedious work at times and you wouldn't have liked hunting fellow witches and demons. Even I was a bit uncomfortable."

Raine sighs with defeat and rubs the back of their head, "I guess I'll tell you what went down. Mainly because we know too many people in common to try to hide the truth."

"But if you were able to hide the truth, you would?"

Raine looks everywhere but at Eda, "Mmmm, nnnnnnnooo..."

"It's a good thing you're a terrible liar."

"Why does everyone say that?"

"You're so easy to read," Eda laughs with a snort, "We should play hexus hold'em later. It'd probably be an easy win for me."

“Anyways!” Raine exasperates in mild frustration, “Sigh…” They cross their arms on the table and hide their face in their arms in anxious hesitation.

"Hey…" Eda says and Raine peers over at her.

"No secrets," she tells them. A mix between a request and a reminder. 

Raine sits upright, but still hunches over the table in nervous anticipation, "No secrets…" they repeat.

“But if I’m gonna tell you what happened during the taskforce meeting…you have to promise not to get mad, okay?”

“Who am I getting mad at?” Eda asks with similarly crossed arms. 

“No one…well, maybe me…maybe the taskforce…I guess in general, just try to keep your temper down…For me…Please…”

Eda grimaces with sympathy at the way Raine is prefacing the conversation.

“Sigh…Okay. I promise not to get mad. For now. And if I do get mad at what you are about to tell me, I promise I’ll step away for a moment so I don’t take out my frustrations on you…” Eda’s mouth quirks into a kind smile, “Okay?”

Raine smiles in relief at Eda’s reaction. They lift their head from the table and hold out their hands on the table, inviting Eda to hold hands with them. Eda raises her arms and holds both of Raine's hands across the table.

Raine decides to get the most difficult topic of conversation out of the way first, and explains to Eda why Udontu, also known as the Blue Devil, gave them a fake head to give to the Taskforce as proof of their demise. Raine also tells Eda of their deal with Udontu: to kill him to fulfill his death wish and protect Hunter and the Boiling Isles. Raine feels Eda squeeze their hands tightly. Eda notices Raine wince in pain and exhales slowly and releases her grip. Raine is grateful that she at least didn’t have to leave the table while they explained their deadly dilemma.

“So he’s a crossroads demon, huh?” Eda asks.

“I suppose so…” Raine responds quietly. 

“They’re tricky to deal with…” Eda says as she looks up at the ceiling in thought. She lowers her head to stare into Raine’s eyes, “You’re not actually going through with it are you?”

Raine’s eyebrows furrow at their conflicted emotions, “I…I don’t want to but…what else am I going to do? I already sealed the deal with an everlasting oath. And with how determined Udontu is about this, I don’t think he’ll call off the deal easily.”

"With how much stress he's putting you under, I don't mind killing him myself; let me do it."

"But then you would be the one taking on another curse! I can't let you do that for my sake, Eda. And I don't want you to fight him if it means you potentially getting hurt!" Raine huffs with anxious resignation, "At the very least, the worst-case scenario isn't so bad. I'll most likely live a long life with near immortality and my magic will increase exponentially. The only downside is having to…," they gulp harshly, "…take someone's life…Even if it's something they want…I'm conflicted…"

"Being conflicted is probably the most natural response you could have, Raine. I'd be more concerned if you were completely okay with this."

"Haha, you're right."

"There's got to be a way out of this deal. It'd be easier if we could release the deal by killing the crossroads demon, but that's what he wants…plus he's sort of immortal so it's not like just anyone can kill this guy that's been around for centuries. URGH! My brain hurts! I'm sure we can think of something! Anything!"

Eda glances at Raine who is looking at the table wearily.

"When are you telling the others?" She asks.

Raine blinks and looks away with a nervous smile, "I'm not sure they ever really have to know, right?"

Eda squeezes their hand tightly, "OWOWOW!" Raine painfully realizes that was the wrong answer, "Alright! I'll tell them when the time is right!"

"Raine! You shouldn't try to do everything yourself! Maybe someone else has some experience with breaking deals with demons! You won't know until we ask! Don't give up on your friends!"

Raine winces anxiously, "I'm not giving up on them! I just don't want them to know I'm dealing with this!"

"Why?!"

"I don't want them to feel helpless too! I'm the one that made the deal! A deathly deal I may have to seriously fulfill! I don't want that weighing on their conscience too! I feel terrible enough that you're aware of my predicament! If things go as Udontu wants, I don't want you to feel like you're to blame…this is my fault…I've resigned myself to living with the consequences of my actions. Especially if everyone else gets to live in peace."

Eda's brows furrow with worry as she watches Raine hang their head low. She then proceeds to resolutely kick them in the shin under the table. "YOW! Hey! You promised you wouldn’t get mad!" Raine glares at Eda with tears stinging the corners of their eyes. 

"I'm sorry, Raine, but that was for your own good! I had to kick you out of your defeatist mindset!"

"What happened to leaving the table?"

"Completely honest, I forgot," Eda admits bluntly.

Raine rubs their shin in agony, "You couldn't have kicked me more softly?"

"I'm sorry, Raine. I'll hold back next time."

Raine growls under their breath at her retort.

"Please don't give up on yourself, Raine. You aren't alone. And as long as I'm around, you never will be again. And if I have to drag you out of that mindset kicking and screaming, I will." 

Raine blushes and feels their heart skip a beat in response to Eda's words of determination. 

They know she will. 

She has before.

"Ah…Th-Thank you, Eda…" Raine squeezes their hands together and fidgets with their fingers.

"I'm still unsure about telling anyone else though. I was so worried about even telling you. My social circle, the people I'm actually close with, is relatively small…and you know the old saying: 'if you burden friends too much, soon you won't have any.'"

"That may be true, Raine, but I'm not just any friend. I'm your partner. And I'll take on the weight of the world with you."

Raine feels the tension in their gut alleviate slightly. They scrunch up their face, but force themselves to hold back their tears of relief. 

"So we're gonna tell them soon, right?"

Raine quietly nods their head and begrudgingly agrees.

"How much time do we have to think of something?" Eda asks.

"He said he had some unfinished business, so…three years…"

Eda and Raine visibly flinch when the waiter sets their plates of food on the table, "I hope the food is to your liking."

Raine notices Eda salivating at the sight of the food as she wipes at the corner of her mouth with the back of her hand. They laugh inwardly and smile, "The food looks delicious. Thank you," Raine tells the waiter.

The waiter bows and takes their leave to cater to other tables.

"Eda," Raine says her name softly. Eda looks up from the table of food to give Raine her full attention, "at least there's some good news from this whole Udontu situation. It seems he has a few youngsters in his crew that he'd like re-homed, and he's asked us to take in the kids that he's been looking after.”

Eda looks at Raine with a questioning look, “Huh. A creep and yet compassionate. What an enigma,” Eda mutters, “So we’ve got our first applicants for our foster program?”

Raine smiles, "Seems so. So let's move on from what we can't control right now and look towards our other plans for the future."

Eda smiles, glad that Raine’s spirits appear to have lifted.

While the food cools down, Raine hunches over the table and casts a small illusion of the foster home on the table. Eda is happily surprised by the vast and detailed design, “That looks even better than I imagined!”

“I took some elements from the Owl House you live in and explained what we want to do with the building to the contractor witch I’ve enlisted to help with our project. The aptitude and versatility of the foster home will rival The Boards!” Raine explains with excitement.

Eda manipulates the 3D projection and examines the back and sides of the building. She pinches the illusion and zooms into some of the rooms and down the halls of their future building project.

“This is amazing, Raine. We’re going to be able to do so much good with this. And I’ll never have to experience Empty Nest Syndrome again!”

“What?” Raine asks with amusement and a curt smile.

“What?” Eda quickly responds with feigned confusion.

 Raine scrunches up their face, “You…you just said…”

Eda looks to the side and then back to Raine, “What’re we talkin’ ‘bout?” Eda asks nervously.

“Ah, haha…” Raine exhales through their nose at Eda’s comment and smiles weakly, "The proposal was approved...but with a slim margin."

"For real?” Eda exasperates, “Well, whatever! What matters is that it was approved. We'll prove the haters wrong, Raine!" Eda exclaims with a determined fist.

"Definitely!" Raine agrees with a steadfast grin. “And like you said Eda, we have the support of our friends.” 

They continue their discussion in-between bites of food.

“It helps that we’ve got connections in high-places,” Eda says as she jabs Raine’s shoulder with her finger, referring to their connections in the Taskforce. “And it’s so sweet of the Park family to help us out.” 

“You’re right. Our connections are really working out in our favor.” 

“We should do something nice for them too,” Eda insists, “Like, have a plaque for them in the halls or something.” 

“Ooo, that’s not a bad idea! We could go a step further and engrave funders’ names on the pillars of the building or on the bricks or however it’s constructed! That could be one way of securing funds. I’m sure some wealthy witches and demons would want to immortalize their names because of their financial contribution. We can ask the head contractor witch about it when we see them next time.”

Raine pauses eating to reach into their vest and pulls out a list from their pocket “Before we move further, however, we’ll have to address these questions in writing to show we've done more planning. Having concrete answers will rally people to the cause.” 

Raine hands Eda the list of questions posed by the Taskforce:

"Where will it be built?"

"Will we have to raise money to send the kids to school?"

"What if the kids are beyond help?"

"What if kids don't want to go into the foster program?"

"How many employees will be required to support multiple children?" 

“Wow.” Eda exhales while scratching her head, “They asked surprisingly reasonable questions. We hadn’t even gotten that far in our discussions before you presented our project. How did you respond?”

Raine looks to the side awkwardly, “IIIIII curtly brushed them off, for now. But I was grateful to get decent feedback. We’ll do our best to keep overhead costs to a minimum. And it’s not like we’ll be a business like palistrom carvings, so we shouldn’t have to worry too much about profitability and marketing," Raine reasons with their hand under their chin in thought. 

Raine taps their fork on their plate, “I also explained to the Taskforce that you would be the Head Witch for the program. There was a little push back there.”

Eda grips the handle of her fork tightly, “Oh-ho? Was there?”

“Yeah, but I squashed those concerns quickly. And I explained that you would have a new apprentice within the next few years to take over your current role as the Bat Queen’s assistant.”

“Have you told Hunter about our future plans?”

Raine flinches and tries to distract Eda, "Your food is crawling away." 

Eda stabs her fleeing food with a fork and stuffs it into her mouth, "Again. Have you told Hunter?"

"Siiigghh, I plan to. And I will. Eventually."

Eda twirls her fork in the air at Raine, "You're really skilled at putting things off."

Raine hangs their head in embarrassment and groans, "Aggghh, I knoooow...Look, I can only fix one character flaw at a time."

Eda chuckles, "I think the transition from me to Hunter will go well. And I think the Bat Queen will be sympathetic to our mission. She made a home in the forest to take in lost palisman and we'll be doing something similar for witch and demonkind."

“Huh…” Raine muses.

“Securing the Bat Queen’s trust will take time and diligence, so we’ll want to bring up the topic with Hunter soon. We have an imaginary deadline of one year. We can even ask him together if that will be easier for you.” 

“It’s just such a big responsibility. I don’t want him to feel pressured to do something just because it’ll benefit our goals.” 

“I’m sure he’ll be fine. And by the time he’s a pro, he’ll probably be 18 or 19. Time better spent in an apprenticeship than at Hexside.” 

“Hmm…”

Eda watches Raine close their eyes in consternation and then looks at their forgotten food, “Let’s take a break from chatting and enjoy our dinner.”

Raine visibly shakes their head, “Good idea,” and scarfs down a few griffin bites.

"How's your food?" Eda asks them. 

"It's really good!” Raine answers emphatically while nodding their head, “I don't care if I'll regret my choices later."

"Haha!" Eda laughs and Raine stares at her with a fond smile. 

Eda reaches across the table and stabs one of the glazed chunks of meat on Raine’s plate. Raine stabs the same piece with their fork and glares at Eda with a smile, “I think you missed your plate, Eda.”

“Can’t you share one single piece, Raine?” She glares with a similar smile.

“But you didn’t ask. And this is really good griffin chicken. I want to savor every last bite. Including this one.”

Raine tries to raise the fork to their mouth, but Eda swats at the piece of chicken with her own fork and the contested chicken piece launches from Raine’s fork. The morsel leaps into the air, propelled by a flurry of fork attacks from Raine and Eda. While childishly competing for the chicken chunk, Raine forgets that they are in a public place and is only aware of Eda. In a final effort for the griffin chicken bite, Eda disarms Raine of their fork and it clatters loudly on the wooden floor. 

“Hah! I win!” Eda shouts as she catches the chicken piece with her mouth.  

Raine looks at her in awe, their arm raised and frozen in mid-air. 

"Consider it payback," she winks.

Raine adores Eda’s contented expression, and is reminded of how she can make them feel like they’re the only ones in the world while they’re smiling…laughing…playing. 

But that also means they have forgotten themselves in the moment. Eda doesn’t mind making a spectacle of herself, but Raine does. An audible wave of grumbling from other tables ekes its way to the edges of Raine’s consciousness.

Raine hears the steady footsteps of the waiter walking towards their table. Raine refuses to look at them, embarrassed by their rude and raucous table manners. 

"Will you be needing another fork?" the waiter asks.

Raine stares down at the table guiltily, "Yes..."

The waiter pulls a fork out of their pouch and places it on the table before leaving. 

"Thanks..." Raine says as they grab their fork and quietly poke at their food. 

Raine supports their head with their fist as they feel their stage fright set in. They feel the stares of the other restaurant patrons and their face flushes. Pressure builds in their head and they feel the world start to tilt from their headrush. They shut their eyes as they begin to sweat and they have to fight a sudden bout of dizziness as the patrons' voices invade their mind: 

"Aren't they adults?" 

"They should know better..." 

"Look at them..."

"So loud..." 

"So annoying..." 

"How uncool..."

Raine feels something grab their hand. They open their eyes and see Eda smiling at them with a determined expression, her hand grounding them.

“Who cares what they think about us, Rainestorm? Don't let a couple of stuff-shirts make you feel bad. We're on this date to have fun!”

Raine returns Eda’s grip on their hand and rubs their thumb against her knuckles anxiously.

“We'd never be able to move if we stayed in the boxes people have tried to put us in. And we shouldn’t let others' ideas of how we should behave dictate our lives. You know that better than anyone, right Raine?” 

Raine stares at her in disbelief before exhaling slowly, "Yeah... you're right, Eda," they smile at her fondly.

Eda grins and holds up her fork, "Wanna go for round two?"

Raine smiles briefly before looking down and pulling their hand away, "No."

Eda blinks in surprise and frowns with concern.

Raine rests their head against their left palm bashfully and stands their right hand up on the table. Their hand begins to walk on two fingers towards Eda’s hand. They bend their fingers to bow to Eda's hand lying on the table, inviting her hand to dance. Eda smiles in relief that Raine is still wanting to play around. Her hand comes to life and stands on two fingers.

Their hands dance independently on the table, and then as a couple until they eventually collide and Raine and Eda intertwine their hands.

They hear someone sniffle and look up to see the waiter dabbing at their eyes, "Beautiful."

Raine and Eda glance at each other awkwardly and chuckle.

The waiter excuses themselves as they are called to another table.

Raine stares into Eda's eyes and caresses her hand with their thumb. 

Eda shrinks into her shoulders and looks away bashfully.

She turns back to look at Raine who lifts her hand and kisses her knuckles.

Eda gasps at Raine’s boldness. They use their fingers to gently spread Eda's index and middle fingers apart to expose the soft flesh where they join. 

Raine winks devilishly and gazes into Eda’s eyes as they brush the tip of their nose against Eda’s interdigit fold and slowly shift their face upwards to languidly lick at the crevice between her fingers.

"Ah!" Eda gasps as her entire body tingles and her face turns bright red. She nervously extends her other hand out towards Raine, "Revert! Revert to the cute and shy Raine!" 

Raine blinks in surprise at Eda's expression.

"I can't handle your sexiness..." she says as she looks away awkwardly.

Raine thinks Eda’s reaction is adorable and chuckles lightly. They press their forehead against Eda’s hand before releasing their grip on her hand.

Raine covers their mouth with their fist to cover their nervous smile: I was worried I went too far there for a moment...I thought she was shouting 'pervert'...

Raine is suddenly startled by the waiter appearing beside them. The waiter replaces Raine's empty ginger beer bottle with a new one and leans towards Raine to whisper, "You might want to calm down; you're going to reheat your neglected food.”

Raine gulps nervously at the insinuation and nods their head.

Raine looks at Eda who is diligently devouring their food, no doubt trying to recover from Raine’s antics. Raine smiles at her behavior and follows Eda’s example and continues eating. 

After Raine finishes their food, they feel the spiciness of the ghost pepper glaze on the griffin chicken kick in. Their nose starts to run and they have to talk with their mouth open to cool their tongue.

“Do you need any to-go boxes?”

“No thane ‘ou, juss thah chec’ please,” Raine tells the waiter, the capsaicin affecting their speech.

Eda giggles at Raine struggling to breathe and speak. Raine inhales and exhales loudly in-between snippets of speaking, "Since, hah…I'm the one, sigghh…that invited you here, dinner is on me."

"Don't worry, Raine. I got it covered," she tells them. She reaches into her hair and pulls out a bag of snails and hands it to the waiter.

"Aww, thane’s Eda,” Raine says as they wipe their nose on a napkin, “Where, haaaah…di’ you get thah money from?"

"I stole it from a nerd."

Raine squints their eyes and then pats their clothing, "Hey! Tha’ was MY snailbag!"

"That's what I said! Hahaha!" She says as she slaps the table in a fit of laughter.

After using the restroom facilities, Eda exits the restaurant to see Raine sitting on the front steps breathing heavily.

Eda walks down the steps to where Raine is sitting and offers them a glass of water, "Maybe you should have gotten a milder version of the griffin chicken," Eda says as she helps Raine hold the glass of water to their lips as they struggle to drink steadily, languishing from the intense spiciness of their food choice.

"Hah hah, no way! Hah ha, anythin’ less spicy would've been bland! Hah hah-"

Eda stares at Raine from the side as they gasp for air and pant heavily.

"Why do you do this to yourself, Raine?"

“Agh, Haha, my insides are on fire! Hah hah, it burns so good, hah hah-" Raine answers with a smile as they continue to pant heavily with their tongue hanging out of their mouth.

"Sounds like masochism to me."

Eda watches Raine haphazardly down the glass of water. She notices water mixed with Raine’s saliva dribble down Raine’s lips and chin and form a steady stream down their neck. Eda becomes highly aware of Raine's heavy breathing and she imagines it’s what Raine sounds like in bed. 

Eda feels her whole body flush and she squirms uncomfortably beside Raine. She reaches towards Raine’s scalp and runs her hand through their short hair, "All this huffing and puffing...You've gotta be doing this on purpose."

"Hah hah, Wha-?" Raine asks, oblivious to the effect they are having on Eda.

Eda grumbles with a small scowl and in order to make her vexed nature known, she licks the water running down Raine's neck and jaw and follows the waterfall to Raine's mouth. She intertwines her dry tongue with Raine's dripping with the water they had guzzled. A thin string of saliva connects their tongues as Eda pulls away to inform Raine, "You're making me horny."

Raine chokes on their spit as they try to swallow, "Cough cough!" 

Raine’s glasses fog up and you could swear steam billowed from their face as they blush furiously. Raine's dizziness gets the better of them and they stagger to the side.

Eda reaches out to Raine with worry as Raine lilts to the side, "Raine?!"

Raine is still in a hazy fog from their spicy food and Eda’s equally spicy kiss, "Hah hah, I can't feel my face..."

Eda snorts a small chuckle as she exhales, “You dork!” She stands on the step below Raine and grabs their hands and helps them to their feet, “Come on, Raine! We’re going to go get you some ice scream!”

Eda and Raine clamber down the stairs on unsteady legs and head down the alleyway towards a local ice scream parlor.

“But ice scream will only make the acid reflux worse later!” Raine weakly protests as Eda pulls them behind her.

“Too bad! We’re gonna cool your tongue down now!” Eda exclaims as they happily lead the way down the cobblestone path toward the setting sun.

Chapter Text

“Cleared out your sinuses?” Eda asks jokingly while Raine blows their nose into a tissue.

"Oh yeah! Haha!" Raine responds and balls up their used tissue and lobs it into the nearest trash can. 

On their way to the ice scream parlor, Raine and Eda run into Katya and Derwin who are holding cups of ice scream, as well as each other's hands.

Eda rushes over and wraps her arm around Derwin's shoulder, "Look what we have here,  Raine!"

"Hey, you didn't tell me you two were dating. How long has this been going on?"

"Tonight's our first date. Katya asked me out…"

"And he said yes," Katya finishes. 

"We just left the Dopamine Dance Club. Are y'all heading there too?"

"No. We're going to somewhere secluded Raine picked out. We're gonna get some ice scream first."

"Hey! You didn't call us to babysit Hunter. Are you sure he's fine on his own?"

"Yes, he even told me he preferred to watch the house by himself. He's a pretty responsible young guy. On the other hand," Raine says as they slide closer to Derwin, "You left Amber home alone? Sure that's wise given her record for mischief?"

"Ha ha, I know what you mean," Derwin chuckles.

"We're actually headed home now," Katya clarifies, "And she hasn't been home alone for too long. She actually stopped by your townhouse to give Hunter his new crow phone."

"Oh! That's great to hear! Thanks again for helping Amber replace Hunter's phone."

"No worries, Captain. We'll see you later! Stay out of trouble!" Katya shouts as they take their leave.

"Yes, mom!" Eda shouts, making Raine laugh as they walk down the road.

Eda continues walking but looks over her shoulder at the young Derwin and Katya starting off on their new romantic relationship.

  Will they have a happy relationship? Will they have ups and downs? Will they fall apart? Will they stay together, no matter what? 

“Eda? Everything alright?”

Eda visibly jolts at Raine’s question, “Ah! Yes!” 

Eda quickly turns her head and realizes they are standing at the Ice & Vice Ice Scream Parlor counter.

Eda feels Raine staring at her from the side and she does her best to play off her stumble, “Wow! So many ice scream flavors!”

She goes on to read half of the available flavors to settle her nerves:

“Ogre Blood, Cicada swarm, Elf Snot, stone fruit, devil berry, mimic choco chip, trash slug gelatinous scoop, ratworm chunk, fairy pie, Bugbear crunch, Butter Bourbon, Nothic Neapolitan, Key Slime Pie, Sludge chunks, Franken Fruit, Abomi-Berry, Wrath Berry…hmmm, I'll have a firebee honey flurry."

"One snapdragon swirl please," Raine tells the shop attendant.

"I didn't know they made ice scream out of plants."

"The floral flavor is an acquired taste, so it's not very popular."