Good thing there were other pitiful animals to distract her from Arwen, because Nemean might've exploded at being given the cold shoulder.

Kaimana, Thalia, Mephistopheles, and Aran (blind as he was) both were greeted by a great variety of frightful things: oversized spiders, grotesque bats, nasty cobwebs, and the Master's new hired help, Effluvium—which, she squealed upon its agreement to the terms. She'd lost hope in the awful thing for a moment, and had even started to prime a bit of magical punishment for it when it kept IGNORING her, but it was keyed in. It thumped off after its compatriots and... wow... it was just perfect. All anger was forgotten in an instant.

The meaty horror show could handle things while she was busy pointing and laughing at people in holes—

"... Nemean ... did you try to kill one of my people, now?" Eyeroll. "Come a little closer." The fairy sputtered a laugh, zipping to only face Pride. She pretended to check her nails, then lean on an invisible table in mid-air. All the while, she was crowing "I'd NEVER" with all the confidence of someone that would. "Anyways, nah buddy! I'm BUSY!" The ug-lee thing could wait if he wanted to whine about her work or whatever. She had people to laugh at.

So, she did: Redwood, Labradorite, Fahl, Chaos-Two, Twisted... all of them got their own personal show of Nemean getting increasingly wheezy with squeaking laughter and keeling over. How could they all be so dumb? This whole tunnel was fake, and they still managed to trip and fall into the floor! It was HILARIOUS.



Bug's escape attempt had her crashing into the stone ceiling, but much later than expected. As it turned out, the Tunnel of Frightmares's ceiling was completely false. The illusion warbled and wavered as the dragoncat tore through it. Its aftershocks rippled through the entire horror attraction. All of it was... FAKE! Would Bug snitch? Ruin the special effects? Time would tell.

Due to the massive delay in my updating this thread, all participants that have entered the tunnel have received the special event spells Witch Cackle and Vampire Gaze, regardless of their progress!

You are free to continue to roleplay going through the tunnel, interacting with Nemean until she leaves, or exit.

@Effluvium @Arwen (James, V-Chaos-Two) @Redwood @Tema @Fahl @Jampa @Thalia (Bug, Pride) @Comet @Twisted @Mephisto @V-Labradorite-One @Kaimana

Arwen stomped forward, wanting to get out of this wretched place. She had Blue by the hand, her mood severely dampened by Nemean. Maybe they'd find fun somewhere else.

A light popped up in front of her, flickering gently, and she sent it off forward to guide them through the gloom. Before she knew it, she was out, though it would be determined if that meant Blue would be with her or having fallen victim to the haunted house.

If she ever met Nemean again, she was going to turn her insides into her outsides.

Exit unless stopped
@Redwood

[rolling]

Blue just groaned, tired. they had had enough of being laughed at for one day as rage boiled near the surface but somehow only able to come through in a stabbing glare at the fairy.

the harpy grumbled as they tried to atleast get out of the hole, but ended up just straight up falling ass first into it again with a soft thud, detaching arwens grip on their claws in the process.

they sighed, rubbing their eyes tiredly. "arwen..! you lost me..." the harpy tried to call out, but she was already leaving, so they just waited for a minute.

Somehow, Tema had made it through. A little spooked but no worse for the wear, she pranced as much as a bear could prance out of the cave's exit with a joyful hum. Despite all the chaos and drama (and spiders, a thought Tema avoided), she had done it!

Tema didn't need to find the host to ask what the prize was. The feeling of new magic swelling inside her was something she couldn't miss. The warmth was always comforting, like hugging a friend after a long day.

"Thank you!" She called back into the cave, hoping the host would hear. She had needed this visit. But the time had come to leave, her attention called to another booth.

//Exit

Fear morphed into something else entirely as the wheezing laughter penetrated to reverberate inside the walls of his skull. The mixture of a grumble and groan brewed in the back of his throat, rising up to his tongue where it sat boiling. His teeth ground in sharp squeaks that nearly drowned out Nemean's. A jumble of words, accusations, swirled within his mind, the chaos behind him forgotten.

Monster.

Betrayer.

Eye-stealer!

Fahl's mouth opened to spill out a tirade—only angry gurgles left it, his lightly scorched insides shrieking protest as air met them. All he could do was glare, an ineffectual lizard in a humiliating position. Rage was channeled into his limbs until they quivered and might eventually stand. She could continue to mock him, but he wanted out of this tunnel and back into more open space.

He'd have time and air then to sort out his memories. The story he recalled, its blurry edges became ever less so the more he lingered in the presence of this aggravating creature, and the clearing image did not quench the blaze that grew within him.

Body finally cooperating, Fahl left but did not scamper far from the cave. He loitered near the exit. Although everyone that he'd heard straining in the darkness had been presumably strangers, the widening pit in his stomach held him from ignoring their struggles entirely. This was certainly a game but far from the fun he'd initially wanted.