Return of the Hall of Horrors

[cardio_swindle]

[From the outside, when you open the door, the room looks like a warm, inviting tavern, smelling possibly of mulled cider, mom's apple pie, hearty stew... A cozy seat by a roaring fire with spirits just behind the counter for the taking, and that fresh pie cooling on a table.]

Comments

[solo_insanity]

[Curses out loud when the door clicks shut behind him turning into a wall. How clever, you tricksy little hobbit, how clever. Tyki glares at the wall for the offense for a moment before reaching out a hand and pressing it to the wall.

Nope.]

Well, then. [He reaches a hand up and yanks down a body. The chains might be useful.]

[cardio_swindle]

[You sure you want to do that? Don't you remember the chain spider? Still the corpse splashes into the liquid and Tyki manages to pull down a good chunk of chains. But it's noisy, there's a loud echoing of metal and clinking that seems to echo unnaturally down the hall, and then back, as if replayed.]

[The lights flicker and dim, and something is definitely alive and watching him, the malice and bloodthirst is practically palpable.]

[solo_insanity]

[He let's the carcass rot in the water. He bets on that disturbance that it and the chains caused caused should at least make it the focus of attention at the moment. Any unsavory creatures swimming at his feet should be coming up to the surface now. He didn't care for the surprises like last time.

The lights dimming was not desirable in any sense. Always made it easier when he actually could see. The Tease he summoned, however, were not as constrained by sight as he. And they fastened themselves onto the chain ten links apart and lifted it from the ground. He'd have to admit, that chain fence the spider made was rather clever after all. He stood between them, the fence and the dropped body, disrupting the water as little as possible position himself. Then he stopped and slowly counted down from sixty. An afternoon snack decoy or a tease and chain blanket. Sometimes you just have to make do.]

[cardio_swindle]

[Something dark and humongous--too big to have been hiding in the shallow water--emerges. Tentacles, slimy, slick, with sticky suckers, coil around the corpses and haul it under, with more reaching, feeling around for Tyki, for more of a snack.]

[The thing stinks of rotting flesh and stagnant water. There's a horrible, screeching noise that covers any sounds of what may or may not be approaching from above.]

[solo_insanity]

[Now, isn't that darling. At least he could cancel his dinner plans. He probably wouldn't want to eat for a good day or two.

He hopped up into the air, landing into a crouch. He felt the edges of the feelers against the hem of his pants as he did so. He looked up at, not because he was aware that anything was up there, but because he was just inspecting the bodies that were being pulled under. Wouldn't want a live one to be in with the mix. And he orders the Tease to drop the impromptu net on the creature.]

[cardio_swindle]

[Nothing alive that he can see, though the creature is hauling everything it can get its tentacles on in for the feast. There are, however, eyes on the ceiling watching all this with interest, glowing sorts of eyes.]

[The creature begins to thrash under the chains, and that won't hold it long. And the eyes are getting closer, inching forward.]

[A door opens, it's past the tentacle thing, and a few of the eyes, a bit of a gauntlet to get there, but Tyki's in the doorway staring at the whole mess. If he says anything it's lost in the din.]

[solo_insanity]

[He is surprised a bit. Wasn't expecting two delights in one day. But why is it always red eyes?

Oh, hi there, other Tyki. He'll just give a mock salute. He has this well under control. Well, as much under control as you can expect from him. He summons a few more of the larger Teases, and they dive under the water to grab the chains and completely wrap said tentacle monster. A few more Tease are added to the mix and they flap their wings actually trying to lift the thing out of the water. Assuming, of course, it isn't rooted somewhere like a nasty plant.

Tyki drops down back into the water, intent on leaving the water creature as an offering of sorts. He moves past it to the open doorway trying not to get caught by red eyes or flailing appendages as he goes by.]

[cardio_swindle]

[Red eyes are classic, it's expected.]

[However the little gambit with the Tease and chains is a success. The lurkers on the ceiling descend on the offering in a small swarm of scuttling bodies and glinting teeth, and the tentacle thing flails and howls.]

[Tyki just lights a cigarette and nods when the other man joins him, not glancing at the gruesome feeding frenzy in the hall.]

Seems like you had that one under control.

[solo_insanity]

[Hearing it is probably bad enough. He arrives next to other. Seeing him light a match reminds him that a light source might be useful, so he look around the walls to see if there are any visible lights that could be borrowed.]

Do I now? I'm beginning to think this place likes you. Do anything similar right before this time and last to grab its attention? You know, disturb some gaudy magical treasure or take a walk in a cemetery.

[And while the screeching of the tentacle monster is loud, it doesn't fully drown out a dragging sound that seems to be coming from both ends of the hallway. One that is getting more steady and louder by the second. Tyki motions to the door the other came from.] Shall we? Or is it a dead end?

[cardio_swindle]

You sure it's me that it's got an eye on? Could be it prefers you. Didn't go reading Road bedtime stories or something, did you?

[The only lights on the walls are electric, unfortunately, and they flicker and fritz enough. The dragging sound it probably closer than it seems, considering all the thrashing and howling right next to the two.]

...Lets. It wasn't a dead end a moment ago, but you can never tell with this place.

[Tyki's already stepping back into the room, heading for one of a myriad of identical doorways.]

[solo_insanity]

[He follows and locks the door behind him. Not much help overall, but sometimes it is better than nothing. The water is still slimy and thick around their ankles. Going to ignore the bits of who knows what floating about as he catches up to open the door.]

For something like this, I do believe it would be the other way around. Road would be telling the tales.

[He retracts his hand when he tries to open the door across the room. The metal was scorching, like putting a hand directly on a stove. He shakes it to get the feeling back when something slams against the door behind them causing the water to ripple not so lightly.]

To hell with this. [He grabs the handle and turns, shoving the door open with his shoulder and ignoring the burning. A second ram against the door behind them audibly cracks the door frame. A third hit and it would be through.]

[cardio_swindle]

Ah, but I don't recall pissing her off lately. [He summons a cloud of Tease to hold the door and steps into the room as soon as Tyki gets the door open.]

[They're enveloped in smoke, thick and choking, and the door slams shut behind them. The room is blistering hot and the parts of their clothes that were damp before hiss as they steam. The rest of their clothing is starting to smoke and their skin may feel too stretched and dry as the very air tries to suck the moisture out of everything.]

Did you have to mention hell? [Tyki gasps, raising a hand to cover his mouth and nose with his sleeve, eyes streaming from the smoke and heat.]

[solo_insanity]

Did I?

[He berates himself once he enters. Of course the door with a smoking handle would drop them in such a place. He'd gotten use the the unpredictability. A mistake he doesn't plan on making again. And he's fighting down the familiarity of being in such a place and all the trappings that come with it.

He grabs onto the other's wrist, the one not covering his face, making his way across the room. He raises a hand over his eyes, blinking them trying to see through the smoke. The pace is quick as he can make it while watching out for things that could trip them. They might melt to the floor if they did. While he hasn't noticed them, there are things looking at them from the edges of the smoke. Large, bulbous, fiery monsters are lying in wait.]

[cardio_swindle]

[Tyki twists his hand in the other's hold, grabbing the other's wrist right back and yanking to stop him before he passes between two of the monsters. While Tyki's not fond of fire, he's still not as bad about it as the other. They need to get out of this room before they run out of air, but he's pretty sure getting close to those lurking creatures is as bad an idea as hanging around and maybe taking a nap.]

[But the smoke makes it hard to see, breathe, or even speak. Not ideal.]

Watch it. [He rasps, still holding onto the other as he looks around for any potential exit that isn't next to a pair of bombs fire monsters. Only the longer they linger the more eyes seem to watch them.]

[solo_insanity]

[Jerks to a halt and looks back at him. Noting the tone and the look on the other's face, apparently he missed something. He took a clearer look back into the smoke. The haze made it difficult. It looked like everything was moving, but then he spotted them. Well, damn

[cardio_swindle]

[Tyki looks around as he kneels, nodding at the suggestion. It's not ideal but they don't have a choice really, unless they'd like to try being baked alive in the ducts or try their luck with one of the two doors. And their luck doesn't seem to be great today.]

[He tugs the other's wrist lightly, keeping an eye on the shifting shapes in the smoke.]

Get it open and I'll play with our friends. [Is his reply. Not really feeling too talkative, speaking feels like searing lungs right now. Is it possible that the room is getting even hotter? Regardless, Tyki doesn't want to remain in this place where smoke and heat warp everything to make it look like it's melting.]