Yandere Toons x Reader: An Anthology of Headcanons and Scenarios

The Golden Guard/Hunter (Platonic & Romantic Headcanons) (The Owl House S2)

TW: Abuse of Power, Abandonment Issues, Implied Stalking, Mentions of Violence & Death, Implied Familial Abuse (not by Hunter), Emotional Manipulation, Toxic Mindsets.

A.N. - Artwork by Mike Austin.

Platonic:

While the friendship is the subject of many happy rants at first, Hunter comes to regard it as a secret after Belos makes an ominous comment about the person distracting Hunter from his work. Any mention of his friend made in his presence now causes him to become defensive, as he considers it a threat. Hunter does not trust Kikimora, in particular, and suspects that she would snitch on him to Belos and have his friend either imprisoned or petrified by the next day.

He wants his role in the Emperor's Coven and his life with his friend to be independent of each other. While he does brag about his status as the Golden Guard on the off chance that it will be seen as impressive, the truth is that Hunter worries about his friend seeing him as nothing beyond a title. A part of him knows that he should never introduce Belos or the Emperor's cronies to the relationship more than he has by accident, but his fear of not being there to help pushes him to order his most loyal guards to tell him before anyone else if his friend comes near Kikimora or the palace.

With his habit of projecting his own interests and beliefs onto his friend, it is difficult for Hunter to admit to any wrongdoing without first explaining why his attack on a Hexside student was justified after the student called his friend a rude nickname. He views apologising as an admission of failure and hopes that all will be forgiven by the time of the next meeting. If it is not, Hunter assumes that abandonment is imminent and throws away his logic in a desperate scramble for reconciliation.

When Hunter is driven to desperation, he makes amends at the cost of his own health. He fights people to obtain items that he can use as a peace offering, interrogates civilians if his friend is avoiding him, and sends Flapjack to scout for Coven officials who may interfere. Hunter does not sleep or eat much during this time, and he treats this misguided mission as though his life will end if he fails to complete it.

Unrealistic expectations have been placed on Hunter for so long that he places them on himself and others too, oftentimes not thinking about it when he expects his friend to drop everything and come with him at a moment's notice. Luz notices the tension this causes and gives Hunter advice on how to better handle the situation, which he has no intention of following. After telling Luz to stay out of his personal affairs, Hunter broods over his friend spending time with other people when he trusts no one else and expresses this by way of condescending remarks meant to inspire guilt.

Romantic:

Hunter has a conflicting self-image marred by both pride in his accomplishments and uncertainty in his right to exist. As a result, he has little confidence in the relationship and tells himself that he needs to fight for every second of it. Each conversation with his partner may be the last if Hunter does not say the right answers, and anyone who talks or laughs while he is near his partner is talking and laughing about him. Those who make negative comments about the relationship are that much closer to feeling the business end of the Golden Guard's staff.

The Night Market is a known hub for scams and seedy behaviour, and should his partner wish to go, Hunter objects on the grounds of it being too dangerous and asks about the purpose of the visit. If his partner goes anyway and ignores his offers to use his royal authority to get something for free, he insists on donning his Golden Guard uniform and being an escort. Hunter reacts to cons and attempts at swindling by throwing life sentences in the Conformatorium or threats of violence at the offender.

If the one selling knock-off goods or dealing illegal services is his partner, he demands that the practice be quit at once but refuses to order an arrest. Hunter, instead, arrests anyone who threatens to report the business, and when the other guards and members of the Emperor's Coven question him, he assures them that he is only targeting Belos's enemies. The lie edges closer to becoming true in his mind, cobbling together excuses to hide the fact that his most frequent nightmare is watching his partner rot in a cell or turn to stone because he made a mistake.

Hunter is used to an environment where every movement and each word has the potential to determine whether he leaves the room with a fresh scar or not. He is desperate to believe that his partner is not like that, but he cannot stop overthinking the tiniest bits of conflict and convincing himself that it is all deliberate. As a result, Hunter apologises for seemingly no reason and engages in reckless behaviour to prove that he is worth the effort, such as claiming to be an expert in a field he knows nothing about and looking for fights so he can demonstrate his ability to protect.

Hunter craves genuine companionship but at the same time doubts it, having been stuck with the rampant backstabbing among Coven Heads for so long that he struggles to see kindness as anything more than transactional. Every step that he takes with his partner must be earned in his opinion, and to prove himself, Hunter relies on the one skill his training has honed: servitude. Whether it means duelling someone who is not enough of a bother to warrant it or bullying a shopkeeper into giving something for free, Hunter believes that his worth starts and ends with how much he can do for his partner.