Huntjack

"I think I understood that! Is that your name? Can you say it again?"

- Hunter understands Flapjack for the first time

Huntjack is the friendship ship between Hunter and Flapjack from The Owl House fandom.

Canon
For a long time Hunter has been handing countless Palismen to their deaths by handing them over to Belos, who needs them to help him with his curse and when they ran out Hunter was tasked to find more Palismen for him. This led to him meeting a cardinal palisman through Luz Noceda in "Hunting Palismen." The two started off being wary of each other, as Hunter was told that wild magic is dangerous was send to find and capture palismen for Belos. Making the young Golden Guard a danger to the cardinal palisman. After Hunter opened himself up to Luz and how he wasn't given a chance to pick his own future, however, the palisman had started to grow fund of him. Hunter on the other hand wasn't too fund of the way that the palisman had started to nuzzle him, while Luz tells Hunter that he is only trying to be friendly. Despite knowing who Hunter is loyal to and was given the chance to stay under the protection of the Bat Queen, the red cardinal palisman tells her that he has finally found a new bonded witch that turns out to be Hunter. Who was upset that he had failed his mission and was determined to help his uncle with his curse. When Hunter realised that the cardinal palisman had followed him to the castle and can easily hand him over to Belos, seeing the palisman react in pain to his strong grip on him is what gets Hunter to have second thoughts. Knowing the fate that awaits all palismen that Belos gets his hands on, Hunter feeling concern for the cardinal palisman has him telling him that he shouldn't stay in the castle, while stocking his head. Instead of taking Hunter's advice on leaving before anyone else could see him, the cardinal palisman turns into a staff as he picks Hunter as his new bonded witch.

Despite Hunter's loyalty to Belos and how he never wanted a palisman, "Eclipse Lake" has Hunter keeping the little palisman a secret from his uncle. Even though Hunter was annoyed of the way that the cardinal palisman kept following him around, he doesn't let his irritation stop him from caring about the palisman's safety and hides him in his cloak to keep Belos from discovering him, before he walks up to him. Sometime after Hunter had decided to get the Titan's blood before Kikimora does, the palisman joins Hunter in his task and ends up pushing him towards Eda, King and Amity who capture him. Even though the palisman may have wanted him to gain some friends. The cardinal palisman then started to follow Hunter through the mine from a distance, despite Hunter's many know attempts to tell the palisman to leave him alone and isn't happy of the trouble he got him in. The red cardinal palisman continues to show concern and worry for Hunter, as he had tried to pull Hunter out of his own dug grave. Because Hunter didn't bring his original staff with him, he was glad when the cardinal palisman came to his rescue by turning into his staff form in Hunter's hands, as he began to battle Amity for the portal key. Hunter even stats that he found the feeling of palisman magic to be weird. With the two forming a stronger bond, Hunter gains the ability to understand that the palisman is saying, as he tells Hunter that his name is Flapjack. Along with Hunter showing to be fascination by his new ability.

Around the events of "Any Sport in a Storm", Hunter is shown to have become much closer to his palisman and has started to spend time with his in his room, as he shows Flapjack his attempts to add the old Golden Guard seal to his worn out cloak. Even though a small part of Hunter was still scared of wild magic and being hesitated to call Flapjack his palisman. While Flapjack continues to showcase the love and care he has for Hunter by sharing food with him and helping Hunter in anyway he can. When Hunter decided to go uncover at Hexside to find new recruits, he allows Flapjack to stay perched on his shoulder for support. As Hunter hasn't spend much time with witches of his age and doesn't know how to interact with him. Due to the flying skills Hunter has developed with Flapjack in his staff mode, Hunter was able to gain the attention of Willow Park. To help Hunter maintain his cover, Flapjack gets Hunter to use the name "Caleb". After Hunter regrets his actions towards the Emerald Entrails and not wanting their palismen to be killed by Belos, he gets Flapjack to shift into his staff mode so he can save them. Flapjack even perches himself on Hunter's shoulder as he shields his new friends from Darius. When Darius asked Hunter is he ever plans to tell Belos about his secret palisman, Hunter immediately placed a protective hands in front of Flapjack, showing that he doesn't want Flapjack to come to any harm or to end up like the other palismen he has seen Belos consume.

The two get separated in "Hollow Mind," as Flapjack wasn't send into Belos's mind with Hunter and Luz, and turns to the Owl House Family for help. Eda follows Flapjack to talk to Hunter from the rabbit walkie-talkie, and once Hunter heard Flapjack's voice he admittingly asks the palisman if he is already and that the Owl Lady or her friends hadn't harmed him. Along with Hunter telling Flapjack that he loves him. Hooty could tell that Flapjack is worried for Hunter and reassures him that Eda will find away to bring him and Luz back. After Hunter was teleported into the Owl House with Luz Flapjack happily flies up to him, but the horrifying truths Hunter had saw in Belos's mind causes him to have a have a panic attack that has him paying to attention to Flapjack. When Hunter's panic state pf mind gets him to run out of the Owl House, Flapjack follows behind him.

"Labyrinth Runners" revels that the two had ended up at Hexside, where they made a make shift home in the damaged theatre room. As hunter reminds hidden there, Flapjack sneaks into the cafeteria to fetch Hunter some food. This lead to them being discovered by Gus Porter. The way that Flapjack tugged on Hunter's hair, like he had done in "Eclipse Lake" subjects that is how the palisman tries to convince Hunter to trust the people they encounter. After Hunter learned that the Illusion Coven are attacking Hexside, he places Flapjack in his bag before he dashes to Gus's rescue. The first time they encountered Coven scouts that were searching for Gus, Hunter summons Flapjack in his staff form so he can fight them, only to get caught by them and have Flapjack being taken from him. Luckily the Scouts had recognised Hunter as the Golden Guard and began to ask him questions, that allow Flapjack to free Gus so he can help Hunter. Flapjack then returns to Hunter's bag, as the two continue to run. Hunter summons Flapjack in his staff form again when they encountered a fake Willow, but before the two young witches ended up being caught and Flapjack wasn't able to help him. Luckily Hunter and Flapjack were found by the flyer derby team, as it later leads to Hunter awaking to seeing Flapjack in his chest and being happy to see him awake. Hunter then has staff Flapjack help him and the teachers and students of Hexside to save Gus. Before later placing the palisman back in his bag and keeping him there for the rest of the remaining time of the episode.

In “Thanks To Them”, Hunter is possessed by Belos and he starts attacking everyone. At the moment Belos left his body, Hunter was left seriously injured, so Flapjack got close to him and used himself to heal him. Flapjack snuggles up to Hunter’s chest and nods his head lovingly, then lays down to use the last of his strength to save him. Hunter was able to wake up and asks if everyone is okay. When Gus tries to tell him about Flapjack, Hunter stops him and says he already know as he touches his chest and starts crying. Moments later Luz reveals she doesn’t want to go to the demon realm since she already caused a lot of trouble there, but Hunter asks her to do it for Flapjack.

Moments
Reaching Out


 * Hunter had took a photo of his palisman sleeping in his cloak like it was a nest, and tried to share it with one of his new friends through his Penstagram account.

Quotes
"Don’t… I already know…"

- Hunter knowing Flapjack sacrificed himself to cure him

Fanon
After Hunter bonded with the Cardinal Palisman in "Hunting Palismen," fans began to realise that Hunter isn't a bad person. Just a lonely teen who needs a friend. The friendship had support long before "Eclipse Lake" had Hunter becoming closer to his palisman. That is why many drawings and fanfics of Hunter commonly have him spending time with his little friend, as well as having the "Li'l Rascal" as the trigger that gets Hunter to run away from Belos and his coven, so he can keep him from harming his friend. As many fans have feared of what would happen once Belos got his hands on the palisman, and how it would affect Hunter. There are also theories that Hunter's friendship with the Cardinal Palisman could explain the hidden signs of his new developing a fondness for palismen. After the Cardinal Palisman's name was revealed to be Flapjack, it had inspired a few fans to draw Hunter and his palisman with a plate of flapjacks, for a laugh. There have been been drawings of Hunter with Flapjack's wings, since Hunter looks a bit like Hawks from My Hero Academia and the fact that they were both voiced by Zeno Robinson.

Due to the theories of Hunter being a Grimwalker clone and how "Yesterday's Lie" revealed the existence of Philip's brother, along with a drawing of what appeared to be a cardinal that looks very similar to Flapjack on the shoulder of one of the two brothers, it got many people to wonder if Hunter is the clone of Philip's brother, while Flapjack's original owner could have been the mysterious brother. The Bat Queen had even stated that the little palisman has been without an owner for a very long time. This sparked the theory as to why Flapjack felt bonded to Hunter, as some part of him could have reminded the cardinal palisman of his former owner. That is why many believe that Caleb, the name that Flapjack got Hunter to use in "Any Sport in a Storm", could have been the brother's name. Before Belos confirms this in "King's Tide" when he said "Caleb" the moment he noticed Hunter holding staff form Flapjack. Because bird palismen are seen as the iconic palismen of the Clawthorne family and how the pregnant witch that "Caleb Wittebane" is believed to have fallen in love with could possibly have been a Clawthorne, it got them to wonder if both Hunter and Flapjack might have a connection with the Clawthorne family. Since Dell Clawthorne, who also has a cardinal palisman, is believed to look like an older version of Hunter.

On AO3, the ship has 13+ fanfics under Flapjack and 201+ under Cardinal Palisman. Before Hunter reveals Flapjack's name in "Hollow Mind", many had addressed the red cardinal palisman by the "Li'l Rascal" nickname Luz had given him in "Hunting Palismen". That is why many of the earlier fanworks of Hunter and his palisman are tagged under "Hunter and Rascal" or the "Cardinal Palisman", as well as fanfics using Flapjack's Rascal nickname. Flapjack's staff form could even have this friendship-ship be viewed as a cargo-ship, just as some of Owlbert's ships are sometimes viewed as cargo-ships.

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Trivia

 * Hunter's red socks in "Any Sport in a Storm" appear to resemble Flapjack.