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It was exhilarating, even though he would’ve preferred not to be boogey, he couldn’t really deny the way his heart raced as he watched Joel and Jimmy get blown apart from the tree.
Couldn’t hide his maniacal laughter as his invisible body ran away from the scene.
Some sick twisted part of him reveled in the way their bodies went flying, the part of him most corrupted by the many games he’s played, thanks to the influence of those he can’t see no doubt.
He runs through the valley dodging a recently respawned Joel in the process, only stopping to meet up with Martyn and tell him what happened, recounting it with the glee of a man who will soon have a huge weight lifted off his shoulders.
But as he runs away from the group of people, he can’t help but want to celebrate with the people who he knows will understand him, and so he heads toward the light house, hoping his friends are around.
“Scott did you do it?” Gem’s voice called out from inside the building.
“I did it!! I did it!!” He returned, it felt freeing to be able to be so open with people he knew would be happy for him, the following “I’m so proud of you!” just made him feel better.
He stuck around for a bit, jumping around with the villains and telling them about how Martyn showed him how to set up the trap and later accompanied him through it all, seeing Pearl’s proud smile and Gem’s glee was enough to send his spirits soaring.
But Watching Grian’s approving expression from the back made his heart throb, he didn’t say much, just watched and made sure no mobs disturbed the mini celebration they had going on, but he knew Grian was happy for him, he could see it in the way his wings were more open, how his eyes crinkled with a smile.
It wasn’t often that he got to share his victories with the winged man, in actuality it was rare for the two to spend as much time together as they have in this game, they usually stayed on opposite sides until the end where Grian starts losing it a bit.
Of course the first game was different, but they had to ally with each other for necessity.
Either way he couldn’t deny that he felt quite a bit of admiration for the other, maybe more but it’s not something he likes to dwell on anyway, he’s seen how formidable Grian is and having his approval means more to him than he would like to admit.
So as he walks up the stairs with Pearl and feels the pressure of the boogeyman curse leave his body, he can’t help but wish for more opportunities to spend time with the feathered man.
Maybe he shouldn’t have, he knows how closely they like to watch him.
—————-
“Whugh one am I not opening so I don’t die?” Scot laughed as he walked up the hill where he and Gem were discussing their next plans.
As they both looked over at the blue haired man, Gem warned “Don’t open any of our chests!”
“We’re just scheming” Grian claimed “cuz none of the dinguses will fall for the square hole an 8th time” he huffed out with a little pout as they looked over to the very obvious rigged pressure plates over the gravel “yeahhh no that’s fair”
A little time passed, the tension started building up in the air once more, they were barely past the mid point of the session and Scott felt his own boogey kill had not fully pleased the ones watching him “well I’m still terrified there’s another boogey out there, so..”
Grian noted how Scott’s eyes started to survey the area, his nerves starting to show as he tried to warn them of potential danger during Tango’s funeral, he couldn’t exactly blame him, Scott had a way of attracting misfortune once the Watchers set its eyes on him.
Unfortunately just as he was thinking of the blue haired man’s bad luck, a strange yet much too familiar voice began to be heard, its low tones offering a warning of a new boogeyman that’s about to be chosen, his body shivered with the knowledge that the timing was anything but coincidental, knowing how much Scott has been under their gaze as of recently.
As the three in front of him groaned and shuffled close together, he could only hope that this time they would choose him, and not the man in front of him.
But that was too much to ask, especially coming from him.
He could hear Scott’s quiet “It won’t be me, it can’t be me, I was just it..” coming out like a prayer, the suspense falling onto them all like a particularly stuffy weighted blanket, half of them hoping to get a chance to kill, the other half praying to be left alone.
But as the tense silence stretched on and he could only feel his body being light, he knew he hadn’t gotten what he wished for, then a sad little “I’m not the boogeyman” came from his right and he knew Gem was telling the truth.
But as the two most loyal and honest members of their little quarter stayed silent, the other two realized the misfortune that had fallen upon them, he wanted to laugh, they were starting to get quite predictable, giving the curse to the only two who didn’t want them.
He looked straight at Scott as Gem pursued Pearl towards the light house, excitedly giving out encouragement and ideas for their next kill, but he knew Pearl would eventually give in to Gem’s desire to kill, Scott was the one who worried him, never has he seen someone get picked twice, it would be frankly hilarious if he didn’t know how much Scott abhorred having the curse be placed upon him.
Sometimes he wondered if Scott was their most hated player, with how much they taunt and hurt him yet he bounces back with ease, or maybe it’s because of the challenge that they prefer to torture him over everyone else, maybe.
Either way, Grian called out to Scott, worried for the man he’s seen suffer more than most at the hands of these games yet still come out with his morals intact, the man that with just his presence manages to reassure him, one of the only people he trusts won’t stab him in the back.
“So apparently I’m going for a round two this session..” came his defeated reply, he looked away, most likely tired of being watched.
He really shouldn’t have but he couldn’t help but laugh hysterically at the misfortune, it truly seemed stacked against him but he knew he could do it, if anyone could, it would have to be Scott.