Chapter 15. This boy's too young to be singing the blues

[thebestseller]

Coming soon- the touching tale of a pink sea monster and the one-eyed banana puppet that becomes her best friend and confidante.

The sequel to "Our Friend Nannerpus"... "My Friend Bernard".

Comments

[feathered-earth.livejournal.com]

Sounds like the beginning of a beautiful friendship.

[bloody-pens.livejournal.com]

They will have many thrilling adventures together, filled with singing and hugs.

[feathered-earth.livejournal.com]

You know, I don't think an enemy going up against Bernard's hugs has any kind of chance.

[bloody-pens.livejournal.com]

Seriously. She must lift weights or something, to get that strong.

[feathered-earth.livejournal.com]

I bet the people she hugs are her weights. It'd explain her taste in men.

[bloody-pens.livejournal.com]

Oh, my. I can already envision the third installment in my head now- "Bernard Goes To The Gym".

[feathered-earth.livejournal.com]

You'd have to get a really good artist to illustrate that one. [Not that she fully understands what a "gym" is but it still sounds hilarious.]

...Does Bernard know that you write these?

[bloody-pens.livejournal.com]

Fortunately I have excellent help to do the illustrations; were it left up to me to draw them, there would be none of them.

You know, I'm not sure if she does. I can't really tell if she understands human speech.

[spandexisyouth]

She bid on people! I think she must be able to understand some things!

[bloody-pens.livejournal.com]

That's a really good point. I'll have to read the finished story to her, then.

[spandexisyouth]

I think she would appreciate it!

You can do it on the day that we work on walking on water! Bell and I will take Lotus and Genius and you are welcome to come too!

[bloody-pens.livejournal.com]

... walking on water? This I have GOT to see.

[spandexisyouth]

Bell and I have figured it out. We need to teach Lotus, and it cannot hurt to try to teach others as well! Though I do not know if it will work. But we can try!

[bloody-pens.livejournal.com]

That's the spirit! At the very least we're sure to have fun.

[spandexisyouth]

Yes! And perhaps Bernard will say hello as well!

[feathered-earth.livejournal.com]

[arrow up to Youth's comment]

She can read, or... understand the journals, anyway. I've never had trouble talking to her.

[bloody-pens.livejournal.com]

I talk to her all the time; just never knew if she was listening or not. Someone should give her her own journal.

[feathered-earth.livejournal.com]

Yeah, she listens. Usually.

[live_ringer]

Interesting combination you've got there. [Gene doesn't necessarily get Derrick's fascination with the two be-tentacled entities, but hey. Whatever floats the guy's boat.]

Does this mean you'll be sticking to the children's story genre for the foreseeable future?

[bloody-pens.livejournal.com]

Oh, I have a few more ideas up my sleeve. Not all of them are necessarily appropriate to share where children can read them, though.

[live_ringer]

I'm sure Bell will be thrilled to hear that.

[bloody-pens.livejournal.com]

Oh, indeed. I have no idea how that man never gets tired of such materials.

[live_ringer]

Well, we all need our little... hobbies. He's just a bit more dedicated to this particular one than most.

[bloody-pens.livejournal.com]

He is the most dedicated one can possibly be.

[live_ringer]

You say that now, but there's probably some 15-year-old out there who's desperate enough to have surpassed him. Frustration and all that.

[bloody-pens.livejournal.com]

Man, I don't even want to THINK about the collection someone would need to surpass him.

[desig-survivor.livejournal.com]

I saw Bernard in passing when I was helping Dyad and Kazahana drop off the octopus that was in Dyad's shower. Didn't get a good look, though, since she didn't come out and I was paying more attention to the dogfight.

Haven't quit on that one about Rusher, have you?

[bloody-pens.livejournal.com]

Ahh, so she didn't try to hug you and drag you under? Maybe she was occupied by the idea of her new octopus friend...

Ah, of course not. Just need to find a reliable way to make more than one copy of it.

[desig-survivor.livejournal.com]

Must've been that.

I wish I could help you there, but I really don't know much - anything, really - about paper. I picked up a datapad that can print things out on a ribbon of something like paper, but it's thinner, smoother, and there's not more than a few meters rolled up in it.

[bloody-pens.livejournal.com]

... huh, that's interesting. It's no problem, anyway; Fred mentioned a broken printing press that we're going to try fixing up.

[man-genius.livejournal.com]

Is that a chili pepper on top of a rock in the ocean? I don't get how this relates to Bernard at all.

[bloody-pens.livejournal.com]

... that's supposed to be Bernard with Nannerpus on her head.

Now you know why I write and don't illustrate.

[grinninggrifter.livejournal.com]

You should try getting that kid Amurui to do some illustrations for you. No offense meant, but he seems to have more of a knack with a pen than you do, Mister Author.

[bloody-pens.livejournal.com]

None taken. I'm definitely a much better writer than I am an artist.

[grinninggrifter.livejournal.com]

I shall have to take your word for it... unless you plan upon writing some books for adults sooner or later. There's not much in the way of kids here, I noticed, unfortunately for your career.

[bloody-pens.livejournal.com]

Oh, worry not, I have some more works planned for more- refined tastes. Just don't wanna field awkward questions from the children we DO have.

[grinninggrifter.livejournal.com]

Ah, I see. Pardon my intrusion, then, and let me ask you this: will they also be based on life as we know it? I see that's been your trend in your children's fiction.

[bloody-pens.livejournal.com]

Of course they will. I mean, this place is just a WEALTH of inspiration- between the tabloids and the stuff that actually HAPPENS, I'll never run out of stuff to write about.

[burnt_orangesky]

That sounds like rather a sweet story.

[bloody-pens.livejournal.com]

It'll be my most successful yet. I can already tell.

[burnt_orangesky]

I don't know. I am rather looking forward to the story about Rusher, personally.

[bloody-pens.livejournal.com]

It is nearing completion~

[snapsnap-boom.livejournal.com]

...how touching. [Ignore the slight shake of the words he's not laughing...yes he is.]

[bloody-pens.livejournal.com]

I can foresee this as the start of a wildly popular franchise.

[snapsnap-boom.livejournal.com]

I'm sure it is.

[spandexisyouth]

Oh! So that is what that is. I thought it was a very strange turtle.

[bloody-pens.livejournal.com]

... huh, now that you mention it, it DOES kinda look like that.

[spandexisyouth]

But now I know what it is meant to be!