Chapter 12. She comes in colors everywhere

[thebestseller]

[Referencing Derrick's mysterious delivery as noted here. Just- pretend the first sentence is changing color as he writes.]

Hey, whoever gave me this nifty quill pen and the ink? You're a peach.

[There's a pause as Derrick grabs a normal pen and switches back to ordinary ink.]

Don't want to waste the stuff, though. And the note you left with it doesn't make much sense. WHAT "coming storm", and how is spiffy color-changing ink going to help me with it? Unless sometime's trying to pull my leg and make me THINK it's about something. Quite a conundrum.

Perhaps I can make a special edition of "Our Friend Nannerpus" with this ink...

Comments

[man-genius.livejournal.com]

Well if nobody questioned this house's sanity before, they certainly are now.

[bloody-pens.livejournal.com]

I think we are long past the point where anyone considers us sane or normal, man-twin.

[man-genius.livejournal.com]

I'm still creeped by HOW THEY GOT INTO THE HOUSE while we were all gone! I mean--what?! Was it housekeeping?

[bloody-pens.livejournal.com]

... you know, that's a damn good point and one I never even thought of.

I'll ask around. Arthur seems eager to look into it, too.

[buchananneket.livejournal.com]

A strange note and weird color changing ink? Sounds like a mystery to me!

[bloody-pens.livejournal.com]

Indeed it does, my friend. Have any ideas?

[buchananneket.livejournal.com]

Don't worry, Arthur is on the case! Now, what exactly did this "note" say?

[pauses to think]

And who is this Nannerpus guy?

[bloody-pens.livejournal.com]

Arthur, eh? I'm Derrick, nice to meetcha.

Note just said "For the coming storm" in blocky black letters. No handwriting I could recognize, and for whatever reason the words "coming storm" keep jumping out at me. Hell if I know why.

Ah, you arrived here after Nannerpus. He was a banana puppet that gave people free pancakes. My first book was a story about him.

Stigmata's writing :|b

[bridewannabe.livejournal.com]

"After the calm comes the storm", maybe.

[bloody-pens.livejournal.com]

Hmmm. I wonder what kind of storm, though...?

[bridewannabe.livejournal.com]

I don't know. It's the first thing that came to mind.

[bloody-pens.livejournal.com]

I'm hoping it just means a snowstorm myself. Maybe more champagne rain. That would be fabulous.

[wtk-is-wedge.livejournal.com]

Rainbow writing? Like what was happening with that one entry the other day ago. But not sparkling.

A coming storm? That's vague enough to be anything.

[bloody-pens.livejournal.com]

COLOR-changing rainbows, no less. It's awfully nifty.

True. For all I know they could be forecasting a snowstorm next week.

Derp. I'M SO SORRY. Last delete for editing purposes. ._.;

[mischiefmatched.livejournal.com]

[Pen tap, pen tap. The last time that Gene saw multicoloured writing that wasn't Castor bitching was from the mysterious rainbow writer(s). Was that whole 'coming storm' bit a reference to what they're involved in? A means of keeping his identity sealed while giving out cryptic messages?

He can't exactly hypothosize on all that in writing, though. That sort of kills all stealth potential the medium holds.]

Huh. I've seen something like that before. I don't know if you were here yet or not.

<3

[bloody-pens.livejournal.com]

Color-changing ink? Awwww, man. Means I'm not the only one who has it and thus my uniqueness is diminished. Ah well.

[mischiefmatched.livejournal.com]

In this case, not being so unique may not be a bad thing.

[bloody-pens.livejournal.com]

Suppose so. I'll have to get by on my wit and charm instead.

Struck out after 30 seconds

[burnt_orangesky]

[Pen tap, pen tap.]

Was it phrased like a warning?

Same

[bloody-pens.livejournal.com]

No. It just said "For the coming storm". Thick black letters, and I could not recognize the handwriting.

Same

[burnt_orangesky]

Be careful. Some of the 'mystery writers' seem to know

[pause]

Just be ready.

Same

[bloody-pens.livejournal.com]

Mystery writers...?

I'll be okay. I've got you all watching my back, right?

[spandexisyouth]

COLORS ARE NOT VERY GOOD PROTECTION AGAINST STORMS. BUT MAYBE THE JOURNAL WILL START CHANGING COLORS AND THEN CHANGING COLOR INK IS THE ONLY INK THAT WILL SHOW AND YOU ARE PREPARED EARLY!

[bloody-pens.livejournal.com]

Hey, there you go. I'd hate to be deprived of my ability to banter back and forth with you all, after all.

[spandexisyouth]

I THINK WE WILL BE ALL RIGHT IF THERE IS A STORM.