Raven was left with nasty rope burns left behind on her ankles, wrists, and neck, ("Kate, your healing powers don't affect a succubus," Raven said, sighing when Kate approached her). So, with a grimace, she had to wear a scarf, wristbands, and ankle bands to cover the burns.
But Kate was not kidding when she said the round was a bit more deadly than the last one. And that was a bit of an understatement.
Tacey had indeed broken her arm ("I think one of the Killers grabbed me and I broke my arm to get away," Tacey said) and was quickly healed up. Jesse got the hatchet removed from her shoulder ("Ow! Be gentle! Hold still!"), Lukas and Olivia's gashes were treated and bandaged up ("Don't bother healing us," Lukas said when Kate tried to heal him and Olivia. "It'll heal soon"), and Axel's leg was healed and good as new. Seri and Anna were given bandages for their cuts, but that wasn't all.
Ariza got a chainsaw swung through her side, so healing potions were shoved into her hands (she didn't want Kate collapsing because of her) while Mason's broken leg (he wouldn't say what happened, much to the exasperation of everyone), Musa's smashed arm (she muttered something about 'hammers' and refused to say any more), and Ann's bloody scratches ("Freddy," she said flatly, and they understood immediately) were healed.
William somehow got a beartrap stuck on his ankle ("I wasn't looking where I was placing my feet," he said sheepishly), so Angel (her chest wound was already treated) had to spend thirty minutes trying to get it off and another ten gently scolding him to watch where he steps because two of the Killers use traps while his leg got bandaged up (like Ariza, he didn't want Kate to waste her energy).
Petra's elbow was nearly (and roughly) sliced off and she had a large gash on her forehead, so they stitched up the wound ("OW! Stop! That hurt!" "It was supposed to, you idiot," Angel said irritably) and it turned out the reason why Petra was so grumpy was because she was dragged into the dream world (aka falling asleep) by Freddy and Kate had to shake her awake before Freddy could finish ripping off her elbow. Now, Petra is super grumpy when she gets forcefully woken up, which is why she's grumpy and snapping at everyone, even though waking up saved her arm, and that will stay that way until Petra gets her sleep.
The Blaze Rods nearly got their shoulders cut straight off ("We bump into The Nurse," Maya said when asked. Angel winced in sympathy, "Ooo, that much suck. That bonesaw can cut through bone and fresh.") and Jace is Jace and got a spiky stick sticking out of his stomach ("WHAT?!") from taunting The Doctor (Jace glared at Aiden, who explained what happened to Jace when he refused to say anything, hatefully as Olivia and Angel shouted themselves hoarse at him).
Kate was injured herself, but much to her friends' exasperation and dismay, she didn't want to drink a healing potion heal herself until all the wounds, broken bones, and bruises were all healed ("My injuries are paper cuts compare to you guys!" She protested, which is a lie because she got bruises all over her body from being slammed against doors and walls and a spear sticking out of her knee). However, unfortunately for her, Jesse and Tacey ganged up on her after healing Maya (Kate looked exhausted at this point) and forced a healing potion down her throat (after removing the spear of course).
But despite all the healing, scars were left behind. This was proven when Kate, who was very tired by this point ("I'm fine!"), noticed faint scars on Lukas' face even though he had drunk a healing potion that they found, much the confusion of everyone else. Angel, overcame by a horrifying realization, began removing her gold scarf ("What are you doing?" Maya asked, looking and sounding bemused) and revealed that the red mark from the first round was still there and not going anywhere.
Ann had voiced her suspicions about The Black Musical enchanting the weapons so that the scars will forever remind them to never cross her once they leave and, because of her sadistic thoughts and obsession with killing and harming others, they didn't doubt this.
Angel, herself, had a theory but decided not to voice it in order to not delay the decrease in tension. Since The Black Musical has an obsession with seeing others hurt, Angel had the feeling she enchanted the weapons to leave scars so she could see how much it affected them. To see them glancing at their scars every time she summons them to hunt for another item, to see them cover their scars every time she looks at them, to see them squirm when talking about the Killers, and to see the flash of fear when Killers approach ー because of she can't harm them physically, why nottraumatize them?
There was one thing Angel knows, was that although some people view scars as a sign of being brave, others view it as a reminder of a traumatic event that they rather not remember.
Angel would know. She still has the faint scars on her forehead and left forearm, cleverly hidden by her bangs, sleeves, and makeup.
But it may just be her pessimist side talking, so Angel hoped it was just that because she prefers not to think about The Black Musical's sadistic thoughts.
So, with scars, dark marks that look strangely like bruises, and dark line-like cracks that resemble a broken bone, everyone sat down, spread out on each other's shoulders, laps, and legs, exhausted from healing. There was one advantage to the Hunting Games (as Jace officially dubbed it from the annoyance of constantly calling it 'rounds' or 'games'); it brought everyone closer.
"You know,"Angel muttered, leaning against Petra's legs while reading Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire ("What? It's a good book! Don't look at me like that Jace!") "I've been wondering about something."
"Fire away," Petra said lazily, barely glancing at her.
"How do we knew the exact location of the Strangling Roomー" Everyone flinched. "ーonce we got the item and the number of minutes to get there?"
There was a short silence as everyone thought this over.
"It might be enchantments…"Ann said slowly after a few minutes of silence ("Crazy about enchantments, isn't she?" Jace muttered to Olivia, who happily smacked him). "The items may be enchanted to give your team the knowledge of the location and the number of minutes to get there… I'm not sure…"
"She seems to know a lot of magic,"Seri mused (they didn't dare say her name anymore), leaning against Anna, who was doing the same. "That makes you wonder where she gets her spells."
"It's probably dark soul-binding magic or something," Jesse sighed, running her fingers through Lukas' hair (Lukas laid his head in Jesse's lap after everyone finished healing and dozed off. "If it isn't, I'm slapping Lukas."
"Hey!"
Olivia made a strange noise that sounded both amused and disproving (Angel was too tired and wanted to read to go to Mom Mode, so she left it to Olivia).
Robin did his best to shrug, as Raven was leaning against his shoulder, sleeping ("Don't do anything to wake her up," he warned. "Sis is pretty scary if you wake her up, intentional or not.") "It's not demon magic; we would know if it is."
"Oh yeah. Sex demons. Forgot," William said awkwardly. It was very easy to forget two of the people in this room aren't exactly… human when they don't look like demons ("We have disguises," Robin said flatly. "This isn't what we really look like.).
"To change the subject," Anna said abruptly after a comfortable silence. "Olivia, right? You said something about a story of Angel calling a girl a before picture?"
Raven woke up with a start (she didn't look very happy at all) as the room suddenly exploded with laughter. Within the next few seconds, there wasn't a single person who was chuckling, snorting, or rolling on the ground roaring with laughter. Except for Musa, but her lips were twitching madly, so either she forgot how to smile or laugh, or that she was trying and failing to hide her amusement.
Angel flushed as Axel pounded her back, laughing. "That girl was harassing Jesse no matter what we said ー I had to do something."
"Okay," William said, gasping for air. "Now this is a story I want to hear."
Olivia snorted, holding her side. "Well, there was this one girl who kept harassing about, and I quote, 'chasing after a boy out of her league', so Angel got super annoyed and called her something that just made the girl even more riled upー"
"Olivia, I will slap youー" Angel warned, but since Olivia lived with her for a few years, she was unaffected by the threat.
"ーso they engaged into an insult contest, which I'm pretty sure Angel was winning since that girl's insults were getting really pathetic and stupidー"
"Olivia, I swear to Notchー"
"ーand the last insult Angel said was 'if you think you're so special, why do you look like a before picture?' and it was hilarious looking at the look on the girl's face when she said that," Olivia finished, laughing.
Ariza and Ann roared with laughter, the latter being a surprise to everyone, as the young host is normally calm and professional. Guess there's a lot more to her.
Angel finally gave up and rolled her eyes at her laughing friends, but closed her book and said, "In my defense, she was wearing so much makeup, she looked like a deformed zombie."
"Nice," Jace cackled, then let out a squawk as a large cushion went flying in his direction, smacking him in the face and knowing him off his spot on Olivia's lap.
Tacey smiled faintly, "Very mature, Angel," she said, before ducking another cushion, which hit Ariza in the face instead.
Angel's annoyed look comically fell into a look that summarized her thoughts: "Oh shit."
"Shi ー sorry Arizaー" she was abruptly cut off when she leaned back and caught the pillow shot at her with wide eyes.
Ariza grinned, "To let off some steam for tomorrow, how about a pillow fight?"She asked, picking up a pillow.
Jesse's beautiful green eyes glinted as she got up ("Did you had to move?" Lukas complained) and picked up another cushion. "I declare a pillow war!"
Olivia's eyes widened. "Oh no, she's in Battle Modeー" she cut herself off and dodged several misaimed pillows, a few others doing the same.
"Oi!"Angel shouted, scooping up her book and hiding behind a couch. "Watch the book!"
They were so busy with the pillow war (either watching or participating in the war), they didn't notice someone sneaking off to escape.
They still haven't noticed.
Either they don't know ~~~ well…
Or it's not that noticeable.
I don't know what's wrong with ~~~.
But it's not good.
~~~ heard screaming in the basement.
No one questions it, seeing as we're living in a house with her.
But ~~~ felt a huge amount of pleasure every time the screaming starts.
~~~ kept laughing too.
It's scary.
No, not scary… terrifying.
~~~ keep looking into this for now… if it continues, everyone will get suspicious about ~~~.
I think I should stop writing… my hand is shaking so much, my quill is smudging the page with ink.
I hope ~~~ okay…
Musa~
A/N: Fun fact, I had ink blots instead of '~~~' since it was really cool, but fanfiction won't allow it. Why fanfiction, why?
You can check out the ink blot version here: foreverfairy . deviantart art / Rewrite - The - Lodge - Intermission - II - 727098558?ga_submit_new=10%3A1516690331. Without the spaces of course.
