Amy is down by the water, beside the boardwalk. She's walking on the pristine white sand, her blond curls free and riotous about her face and shoulders, falling down to her waist. She'

Amy is down by the water, beside the boardwalk. She's walking on the pristine white sand, her blond curls free and riotous about her face and shoulders, falling down to her waist. She's singing, as she walks, the daughter of Random reasonably musical, even if no superstar performer. The sky is blue and clear, at least until it finds its way to the ever present fog. Fog. Amy stops singing to turn to glare at the Fog, but she's in a content and happy mood, so she coesn't stay there glaring long. Instead she finds a long log of drift wood and starts to balance on it, as she walks the length of it.

Mortimer for once is not wandering along the beaches. Though he is sitting on the edge of the beach and walkway leading to the landings of the boardwalk. Occasionally, he snaps his fingers and looks out to the sea. Nothing. Then again. Nothing. He shakes his head a little, tucking his head to his knees for a moment as he looks out to the sea. One last snap of his fingers. ... Nothing. It's only on the third attempt that he sees Amethyst, lifting his head from the tucked position and smiling in her direction. "Hey! You were at the fountain party?" While raised at the end, its more a statement than question. Pointing at himself, "I'm Mortimer!"

Danielle comes walking along the beach looking for any changes that might have emerged since the last time she walked this area. noting amy and mortimer in a fairly relaxed posture she smiles and waves

Amy pauses as he spies someone, and she heads over towards Mortimer. She is pretty relaxed indeed. "Oh - Hello, Mortimer. I'm Amy and yes I was there. I think I remember seeing you there too," she says with a nod. "That goat was something else - I wonder where it came from and how it got here." Who knows? The goat probably isn't telling. She catches sight of movement and turns to wave back to Danielle, as Amy reaches a hand to shove some curls behind her ears. Maybe they'll stay there. Maybe.

Mortimer smiles back to both Amethyst and Danielle. Slow to stand, then brushing off sand from his frock coat. Finally running a hand through his short brown locks. "The goat was both tasty, and very angry. Hopefully, the alive and angry one didn't take too much home with it about the curry. Though the wine was delightful. It'd be great to get some more of that." He looks over to Danielle with a little nod and a smile. "What lovely things have you found lately?"

Amethyst takes a 50:50 chance. The result is: Fail

Danielle nods "I've found nothing much but no news is good news when it comes to looking for either random fluctuations or potential enemies but you and your eagerness for alcohol help my investigation a great deal. i had speculated that our words and actions influenced the state of this ralm but i will take gin raining from the sky in response to chanting as the nearest i will get to proof

It's not raining today, blue sky above. There is fog of course, but when is there not? It's reasonably well behaved over on the edges of the area. Amy, Mortimer and Danielle are standing together on the white sand beach, chatting. There is a log of driftwood that Amy was just walking along, not too far away. Amy grins at the conversation, eyes dancing with a bit of amusement. "I'll take that over the coin storm any way," she says. "Much tastier."

Meanwhile, one side of the driftwood seems to be trying to move, just a bit.

Dirk walks along the boardwalk. He stares out to the fog . He hears a familiar voice and says, "Hello Mortimer." For a moment it's like no one else exists. Dirk blinks and adds "Hi Amy and Dani."

Mortimer is nodding to Danielle and Amethyst about the storms, "Coins would be fun though. However, the tastier of the storms the better, and allows for reason to have a quiet night upon the beach." He smirks a little at this thought when Dirk calls out to him, he is slow to turn his head. Then winks to Dirk. Waving the man over, "Dirk!" Mortimer doesn't even bother to watch the beach for anything to be moving at this time. He's too engrossed in conversation. "If we could find a way to enforce that the gin would fall from the sky, we could have buckets out and then have a grand time."

Danielle hms "Would you like to appoint a group of gin chanters like priests or something. You'd probably have an easier time getting volunteers than i am for my mapping endeavors" she smiles and waves to dirk" Hey there" she says. She notices the movement only enough that her eye is unconciously drawn back to amy transversing it as she chats

"You'd think that would be fun, but actually it was quite frightening. They broke windows and even injured anyone caught out in the storm," she says. Amy is no longer on the log, it's behind her. There's a small skitter sound, as the one side of the log slowly inches away from the petite blonde. "The only way the gin would be worse is if it fell in bottles." She turns at the newest arrival. "Hi Dirk."

Dirk says "Remember the Spider that I stabbed in the eye?" He moves closer to Mortimer.

Mortimer catches a little of the skitter sound and has a momentarily look of /oh god what now?/ before the look fades away as Dirk moves closer. He swings an arm over Dirk's shoulder, pulling them a little closer. "Yes, it was a mighty spider too. How are you Dirk?"

Danielle blinks as she two notices movement. first eliminating semi-logical explanations-looking for an army of ants beneath perhaps

Amy blinks as folks seem to notice somethign behind her. She turns and looks, but doesn't see anything. That driftwood? Just a log if you ask her - after all, she walked all the way across it. "It was indeed a mighty spider," she says, with a smile to Dirk. "I hope it doesn't have a lot of friends nearby."

As folks look, the log stops moving. It only starts again, when nobody is looking.

Dirk says "I tried to raise the pattern in my mind and the spider came. "

Mortimer looks between the log and Dirk. "What are you thinking of now? And could it not be another spider?" A little smile to Amy, "I could see how the coins could cause issue."

Danielle gives a light frown as if semi-aware she's missing "i'm not sure that thing of the patten is necessary to produce effect though i do wonder if more people focusing on a single aim makes the actual desired effect more likely to occur verses an odd manifestation. much like we can make the fog recede more easily when working in tandom

Danielle gives a light frown as if semi-aware she's missing "i'm not sure that thing of the patten is necessary to produce effect though i do wonder if more people focusing on a single aim makes the actual desired effect more likely to occur verses an odd manifestation. much like we can make the fog recede more easily when working in tandom(repose)

"Maybe," Amy says with a shrug. "I don't know." She pauses to look over at Danielle, Mortimer, and Dirk. "What are we talking about?" she asks, curiously. "There's nothing behind me?" she says. She looks that way, frowning with some confusion. And then back to the group. "That sounds like a good thing. I would rather not be healing folks from spider stabbing, if it's all the same to you."

There doesn't seem to be anything under the log at all, other than sand.

"Danielle, did you say you were having trouble getting people to help you with mapping?"

Dirk says "Come here to us?"

Danielle mmm "I think it's a trust issue> I need to figure out what people need and that I can provide it. Most of my great uncles and aunts tried ruling by fear and strength. i'd much prefer trust even adulation if i can manage it

"Trust over strength." Mortimer ponders this for a moment, still trying not to look at the long directly, just keeping it in the corner of his vision. "Well, I could see how as a healer that you'd prefer something less dangerous. How about a dance? Those unicorn folks seemed to have the right idea. Hold a party. Dancing. food. mingling. See where the night takes us? We could find chanters to keep the drinks flowing."

Danielle follows dirks lead and beckons to the driftword with a come motion as if summoning a dog

The tip of the log seems to move a bit, just a little. Amy jumps back, moving back over behind Dirk and Mortimer. She looks at Danielle wide eyed. "Did you just - did that log move?" she asks, sounding appalled.

The driftwood log suddenly sprouts about 16 legs and takes off running for the water.

Dirk takes off running to jump on the driftwood log cause thats what Dirks do.

The log freezes and all the feet vanish.

Mortimer starts to walk towards the log as it sprouts the legs. "No. You come back here." A hand reached out towards it, his fingers look like they are ready to snap towards it. As Dirk runs after the walking log, Mortimer calls out after him, "Careful!"

Amy squeaks and just stays where she is. The log doesn't move for a long moment, then one leg pops out, then another. And another. Until they're all out there, trying to lift the log and the Dirk. Failing. Splat.

Danielle hms "well ok mr. contary. be that way. don't you dare come in this direction" the new strategy is reverse psychology with a log

With Dirk on the log, Mortimer lowers his hand. Not going to try that magic sorcery thing. Not with Dirk there, and not without knowing for sure that what he wishes to happen would happen. Things are still too fluid there. "Um. How about stay?"

"I'm good with that. Don't ocme here," Amy says fervently. "You can just stay right there, whatever you are."
The log makes a low sad mournful sound. Other than that it's quiet.

Danielle rolls with advantage 0 at difficulty 15, using occult.
The result is a success.

Dirk rolls with advantage 1 at difficulty 15, using combat, pattern initiate.
The result is a success.

Mortimer rolls with advantage 0 at difficulty 15, using occult.
The result is a success.

Amethyst rolls with advantage 0 at difficulty 15, using occult.
The result is a failure.

Dirk tries to pick up the log and knock on it.

All the legs and feet that are sticking out vanish with pop pop popping sounds back into the log.

Dirk now has a log of driftwood in hand.

Mortimer looks to Dirk. "Um. stand back for a moment. I don't want Amy to have to patch you up. But there's more feet over there than there should be."

Danielle suggests to Dirk "I think there's something inside"

Amy at least doesn't faint? That's something right? "I don't want to have to patch Dirk up either. Wait - why would I have to patch anyone up?" she asks.

The feet start to circle, in the sand. More and more of them come in from the water. it's sort of like whatever they are is underground, with their feet sticking up. Bare feet, 8 toes each, wriggling as they move.

Dirk puts the log down but sts

Dirk puts the log down but stands it vertically.

Mortimer looks back to Danielle and Amethyst with a little smirk, "Ah. well. I was going to snap at the feet? See if whatever they are attached to want to come up and say hello?"

Danielle hms "Careful they don't sprouut giant...er go for it?

Mortimer rolls with advantage 1 at difficulty 18, using occult, sorcery.
The result is a success.

The log stands on it's end, and a couple or three feet come out to balance it that way, then they start to inch towards the rest of the beach feet. Inch. Inch. Inch. The log wobbles and weebles, but doesn't fall over.

Amy now looks curious, stepping forward one step to watch. "Should I hold my breath?" she asks, curiously.

Mortimer snaps his fingers with eyes closed, muttering to himself, bits over heard. "...please come here...don't blow up...um...please?" As he opens his eyes he sees the log standing upright and does a little happy dance, then it starts walking forwards and Mortimer starts backing up. This is what he wanted... "Right. Everyone else see that it's walking towards us know?"

Dirk holds the top of the log and stands still.

Danielle hms "I do does that count as hello?" she wonders "Hello? You can keep the log if you like? We don't want anything really? Being neighborly like

The log does a big circle, and then heads back towards the water, unless stopped. There's a soft trill of sound, like a happy baby.

Amy watches thoughtfully.

Mortimer smiles, "nothing blew up! ha! I might be getting better at this!" Then looks at the walking log. Holding his hands out. "Wait. no. why? ... oh. are you happy now?"

Dirk let's go of the log. "It gets to keep the log. Can you tell it I am sorry for sca ring it?"

Danielle hms "I may have done it but then again it doesn't sound scared. I think..it..they may have wanted the wood. She watches very slowly followinh to the water's edge to see where they go

Mortimer looks to Dirk and shrugs, "I'm lucky it didn't explode? Maybe just tell it that you're sorry?"

As the log gets closer to the water, all the other feet in the air slowly head back into the water.

"I think you just did, Dirk," is Amy's comment at that. She steps forward now, curious. A couple feet seem to come racing towards Dirk, run in a circle around him, and then with a plllllloooooople sound, they sligher into the sand vanishing. The piece of wood floats on the water, sideways again. it then starts to head out in the bay, with little feets paddling like mad.

Dirk looks at the little feet and chuckles. "Be safe little feet dudes."

Mortimer scratches his head, "Just when I start to make sense of this place... It gets weirder and cuter at the same time." He looks between Dirk, Danielle, and Amethyst. "So. Who's up for a drink? Or something that possibly won't change on us?"

Dirk says ""Can I borrow a hug first?"

Danielle hms "ok fess up, who odered the tiny feet?" she grins

Mortimer shakes his head to Danielle, then looks to Dirk. "How do you borrow a hug?" Turning back to Danielle, "I was trying to start a fire, for a bonfire on the beach. Maybe the log didn't want to be a part of that?" He stops for a moment, "Between goats attacking because we're eat goat, and now the tree that's ... swimming. I'm terrified that a juniper berry might start singing."

Dirk says "Borrowing a hug starts with someone hugging me and then I return the hug with interest."

Amy shrugs. "I don't know," she says. "This place is just - well, like mortimer said. Strange." She relaxes a bit, settling down on a seat. "Maybe it didn't want to be on fire - I don't think I can blame it really."

Danielle hms "At least it ran away unlike the goat. We should consider it an improvement perhaps

Mortimer turns to Dirk, "Ah. I can help there." And gives the man a hug. Spinning while holding Dirk a little, speaking over his shoulder to the others, "I wouldn't blame it. I didn't know that it was alive?"

Dirk is spun around and is a cuddle slut as he hugs back.

"me neither! I walked all over it," Amy says. "Oops - I'm sorry!" She calls that out towards the water, for all the good it does. "But it looked like a regular piece of driftwood - how were we supposed to know?"

Danielle shrugs "I don't know how any of us could. it's slightly unsettling. I'm thinking of a posibility that i don't want to say lest someone take it as suggestion. just imagine the most awkward time for something to animate

Mortimer puts Dirk down for a moment, leaving an arm draped over his shoulders. "I... Danielle. I shouldn't think of that. I can get some really interesting ideas in my head. And to have something that shouldn't be dancing off to its own beat..." He shutters a little at even the glimpse that he just had. "How about we don't do that?"

Dirk pokes Mort. "Make sure your interesting ideas contain me.:

Amy blinks and then she chuckles softly. "Fair point. Maybe instead we should go get that drink?"

Danielle smirks "well amberites are known for their boldness. Have a good night