okay, back to regularly scheduled turns! (i'm feeling better now. kind of.)

~~~ 

The strange interlude ends, and suddenly, you're back to being Wren, as opposed to being nobody, like before.  You're leading the group up the hill, following the tracks of the creature. It seems the group has somehow each independently come to the conclusion that you are some sort of "unofficial leader." This is not a position you wanted, by any measure, but you suppose it is just a logical result of having recently made an inpiring speech. Diana is following closer behind you than before. You get the general impression that she wants to talk with you about something. For a while, the Creature was visible, but it's past your line of sight now. Fortunately, it's left foot prints in the soft dirt that are fairly easy to follow, and it's also moving in a very wild, unfocused way, meaning it tears apart branches and scatters pine needles whereever it goes. 

Leading the group is not exactly pleasant, as you are all too aware that the creature is closest to you, out of everyone. If it realizes you're behind it...

If it realizes you're behind it, you trust your friends will protect you. Also, Ten might help. You're going to be okay. You repeat that internally, until you start to actually believe it.  

YOU: It feels like we're almost out of the woods. Hm. So to speak.

Ten: That'd be cool. I've been out here looking for... A while. I'm not sure how long exactly. But it'd be nice to see something that isn't trees! Or cool monsters. I would like to see more cool monsters though. 

Diana: Me too. At a distance, preferably.

Alex: I'd actually prefer to, uh, not see any other horrific creatures. Crazy opinion, I know. But knowing one exists is enough.

Diana: Eh... Three.

Alex: What?

Diana: The woodsman, The Alien in my brain, and the little man in a green suit both Ten and Wren have seen. Oh, your names rhyme! Do you think that is why he has appeared to you both?

YOU:... Probably not?

Diana: Oh, and certain things the Alien said implied that there is a whole subspecies of things like the woodsman. And I personally believe the creature talking through the woodsman is some spirit possesing it, because it's mannerisms were entirely different earlier. But that is just my headcanon.

YOU: Your headcanon. For real life.

Diana: Yes :)

Alex: Well, it's really comforting knowing there's a legion of these freaks around.

Diana: Why would that be comforting?

Alex: ...

Diana :D

Alex: Nevermind.

You're reaching the outskirts of the forest. You can see dull light filtering in through the tree line.  You reach the tree line and see... Your house. The back door is open, meaning the creature is in your house. Your house, which you have somehow reached despite walking in the opposite direction of where it should be. 

What do you do?

~~~

note for my wonderful players... i am aware that a previous part said lillie was in a cottage in the woods. this is still true. i have plans. horrible plans. you thought you'd caught me in a trap of my own design, but you hadn't. i rule all. see you soon. 

argh why did I post as pine sunset I must have clicked on the wrong name (when I type "p" into the name box, a bar pops up suggesting all the names beginning with "p" that I've ever used). sorry. the above post is me *insert embarrassed emoticon*

TURN BACK==>

You stagger back slowly, eventually running into Diana.

Diana: Oof.

YOU: Oh, sorry Deen. 

Alex: Isn't that house...

YOU: Yeah! Hey, weird, huh? We must've gotten turned around on our way. Let's just, uh... Retrace our steps, and...

Diana: Wren, we walked in what was virtually a straight line, following a very clear set of tracks. This is the correct directio-

YOU: Sh sh sh sh! Nope! Wrong direction! Turning around!

You start walking briskly in the opposite direction, and the others linger back for a while, before catching up with you. 

Diana: Wren... Where are you going?

Ten: Hey, you're not even following the tracks, man. It's gonna-

YOU: Come on, look, another way out of the woods!

There's an area where the trees are opening up to the left of you. You turn wildly, knocking into a sapling beside you. You rush up toward the break in the woods, the others following behind you. You leave the forest, and-

No...

No, It's your house. It's your house. Again. It's your house. Which isn't fair. Because you went the other way. You made a choice.  And yet... Somehow....You're here?

You decide to run, screaming. Before, it was only your dignity stopping you. So much for dignity now. And so much for teamwork. Haha! 

You do remember not to abandon Diana this time. You grab her wrist, pulling her behind you. Ten and alex stare at you, with mixed concern and apprehension. You run blindly into the forest, dragging Diana behind you. You guess you probably also run through the river, because your clothes are soaked. But that might be nervous sweat. Eventually, you run into what was probably an exposed root, and fall down face first. 

Diana: Wren? Are you okay? And, what exactly are you doing?

If you stay like this, lying face down on the ground, you don't have to deal with the possibility that the house is there again.

Ten: You okay, kid? 

You look up.

Ten. Ha. Alex. 

The house. Ha. Ha.

YOU: ... But.

Your house again. Huh. Funny. That's really funny. The house again. You made a choice. You chose to not enter the house. But it's there again. So you can't choose. You can't. It isn't your choice.  You don't get to choose. You're here again.

It's really. Funny.

Oh no! Wren's brain is too broken to be able to play as her anymore! Who do you want to play as now? 

You're exhausted. You've exhausted for a while. You know what you're doing is important, and that you should do it... But you feel... Burnt out. Tired. Normally you'd be relaxing with Wren in her house right now, instead of a monster... being in her house... Instead of you. 

That didn't make any sense.

You've been around too many people, for too long. And it is wearing you down. But it looks like Wren is doing worse than you are. So you should probably pay more attention to her right now. She's shaking a little, and kind of rocking on her feet. Which you've done before, and she's always tried to help you. You need to try and help her.

What do you do? 

DE-ESCALATE SITUATION==>

You sit down beside Wren, and smile a strategic smile up at her. You don't motion for her to sit, or say anything. That's up to her. 

She sits, very close to you. You both start going through the breathing and stretching exercises your parents came up with for you when your anxiety was really bad. Wren had learned them back in middle school, and she used to do them with you as a sign of solidarity. You are very lucky to have each other, in this world filled with... teleporting houses and... stuff. 

YOU: This is definitely weird, I will give you that.

Wren: H... Uh- Understatement. 

She grabs your hand. She keeps it there, hanging sort of limply. 

YOU: We can take a quick break from the whole adventuring thing now. If you like. 

She nods. You look over at Alex and Ten, who are standing awkwardly nearby you. They've had to do too much of that recently. You feel a little bad.

(such is the burden of side characters.)

Alex: Hey... Wren. Are you, uh... Are you okay?

Wren: Hehhh. Yeah. I'm doing great.

You get the sense that she is not, in fact, doing great. You get the sense that she is doing quite poorly. 

YOU: Wren?

Wren: Yeah?

YOU: I... Think we probably need to enter the house.

Wren: I knowwww.... But that sucks. I don't wanna do it. It feels like we're being, like railroaded into doing it, by, like, some deranged childish reality warping stooge. 

Ten: Heh. "Stooge."

What do you do next? 

GIVE ENCOURAGEMENT==>

You decide that since Wren is too sad and on the floor to give an inspirational speech, you will give a speech instead. On behalf of your floorsad friend. Hehe. "Floorsad."

YOU: Look guys... Things are pretty weird right now. I think we can all agree, right?

You pause. Nobody confirms or denies for an awkwardly long period. Then Alex clears his throat.

Alex: Um. Were you actually looking for an answer when you-

YOU: Well, yes! Obviously. That is why I asked you.

Alex: All right then. Yeah. Things are weird.

Ten: Yeah, I'd agree.

YOU: Yeah. But... Well, there is that thing everybody says. When times are tough, get tougher. So we just need to get weirder, right?

Alex: ...what?

YOU: Look. I am not great at speeches.

Wren: Keep going, Deen.

YOU: Okay! Uh... We are most certainly being led into a trap, and the universe has made it apparent that we have no way to avoid it, no matter how hard we try. Also, I am covered in green water, and I would like to be taking a nap. We are thoroughly outclassed and outmaneuvered.

Ten: Outnumbered, outplanned.

YOU: No, I think we have better numbers. Maybe outplanned, I will grant that.

Ten:...

YOU: That was a referance I didn't get, right?

Ten nods.

YOU: Okay. So I don't understand pop culture references. But what I do understand is that the worst possible thing we could do now is give up. The world is practically bending over backwards to show us that our attempts to interfere with its' plans are meaningless. But, why should we let that stop us? Let's enter the horrible teleporting house. The cards are stacked against us, but so what? I would rather fall facing a monster down then run and hide forever.

You grin at the group, waiting to see if you got a positive reaction. Wren nods encouragingly. Ten is smiling, but that seems to be their natural state. Alex looks dour, but that seems to be fairly normal as well.

What do you do next?