To A Mr Herlock Sholmes,

Hey Enoch… how do you feel about vinegar?

Anon.

I have a wealth of feelings about vinegar, particularly a fine, distilled version of it... the beauty of a chemical that can be found in many a kitchen and has the power to cause such chaos... near nothing can match.

I find it particularly useful when it comes to keeping my hand free of rust and grime, something that is quite necessary when you depend on such things to be able to do somewhat basic tasks.

As for the taste, well. I eat whatever is given to me. When I was feeding myself, most items I created were rather bland or even burnt. Vinegar, however strong the taste, surely cannot be worse than that.

Signed, Enoch Drebber

P. S. - I have heard from Dobinbough that quite a few barrels of wine in the van Zieks cellar have turned into vinegar. We both find the situation to be quite comical.

miss iris, if you were to make a charm of dr mikotoba, what animal would it be?

Dearest Ribbon,

It is rather difficult to choose a proper animal for such a thing! I had Papa as a bunny, but then when I met Susie I realized that she would also be best represented by a bunny! I made Roxy a cat, and then I realized that Kazumie would also be a cat! So, I wanted to get some more variety within the animals I have.

With a mouse, a bear, two cats, two bunnies, and a hedgehog... Hm. I do rather like the idea of him as a fluffy little dog. A very cuddly, warm, sleepy creature... or perhaps another bear, like mine! That way, Susie matches Papa and I match his partner!

What do you think? Iris

*a letter was left in Strongharts cell this time with a pencil and paper*

Dear Mr. Stronghart,

How are you feeling? I know it must not be the best but it is a formal thing to ask. I was the one who had given you the carved wooden bird and I was wondering if you liked it. I'm by no means an expert on wood carving, but I like to do it when my older brother is busy so I'd like to think I've gotten good at it!

Sincerely,

-T.V.Z.

To T. V. Z.,

I have been living in the dark for quite some time. I long for unbiased news from the aboveground as I rot in this pit of Hades. I am surrounded by the deranged people whom I had the misfortune of knowing in my first life, though I have been blissfully separated from them, as I am at a high risk for being attacked. I spend my time writing. There is quite a lack of things I am allowed to do.

I did quite enjoy the bird you gave me. I am not allowed to have violent instruments such as whittling tools or knives with which to cut my food (if the food were better than the bland slop they feed me). It was nice to see the work that went into it. I ran my fingers down every crevasse, feeling the mistakes, the details, the knots within the wood.

It has given me something to do, and I have noticed that my fingers are so often on the bird that the natural oils produced by man have begun to naturally weather the wood into a smoother texture, far more pleasing to the touch.

Signed, Mael Stronghart.

P. S. - I notice your unusual initials. Would you, perchance, be related to the van Zieks family?

to Benjamin- you sound very fond of Barok. What made you want to get back in contact with him after ten years?

Dear Uniquartz,

You are quite the astute observer! I am rather fond of Barok... The two of us were very close friends in our years at university. He is the closest friend I've ever had! One of the only friends I've ever had...

Oh, my... I can think of only three friends... well, that is to say, three human friends... that I have ever had. That is rather worrying. Perhaps I should get out more. (Not to mention one of those friends tried to ruin my dreams...)

That being said, I had missed him greatly. He invited me to visit him in his home and I could not turn down such an offer. I have struggled with money in the past, and he is helping me to save my pennies. As I said, he is a very, very kind man. I care deeply for him.

Best, Benjamin Dobinbough

Iris, I've heard that Kazuma is very fond of you. Did you know that? - 🌹

Dearest 🌹,

He is? That brings me such joy! I know that I find him to be quite an excellent older brother to myself, a good friend and a role model.

He seems to be quite down on himself a lot of the time, and in those moments I do try to find some way to cheer him up. I bring him tea, I give him a hug, I ask if he wants to participate in one of my experiments, and I talk his ear off about what I'm working on.

Sometimes when I am writing stories, I ask for his help in trying to figure out what the best word to use would be. He takes quite a bit of pride in his literacy, and I do like to try and give him that boost in self confidence. He is also teaching me to write in the Japanese script, and I hope to exchange letters with my family in Japan soon!

Thank you for letting me know!!! Iris

To Albert and/or Barok- Are you fond of desserts? If so, which ones? Signed, Ivy

Dear Ivy,

Can you believe! That there are some people who don't enjoy desserts? Preposterous! What could be more delicious than some sort of sweet treat?!

Since the dawn of humanity we've been searching out fruits for their incredible taste, and now there are some people who, when given the chance, turn down the opportunity to eat such things? Whenever I try to cook something it ends up horribly burnt, tasteless, terrible! And yet! Although Barok has people to cook for him, who do it well, who never burn anything, he turns it down! Cakes and pies, biscuits and jams, all sorts of flavored ices and small candies!

It baffles the mind! It boggles the brain! I must off to go take some desserts now, all this talk has upset me...

Signed, Albert Harebrayne

Benjamin, what is the nicest thing barok has ever done for you?

Dearest Anon,

I must admit, it's rather hard to figure out an answer to that question. Not only have we had a lot of happy memories together, I also often have trouble remembering what's happened in recent times. People have joked that I have the memory of an ant... Hah...

I suppose that may be the nicest thing he's ever done. I am a strange man. Everyone who meets me knows that I am rather eccentric. Barok does the simple task of not poking fun at me. He accepts me as I am, and he is my truest friend.

I also appreciate his generous offer to let me live with him, rather than having to pay for lodging now that I have chosen to return to London. I will always be grateful for such things he does for me.

Mr Drebber,

You? Being a college to my daughter? You must hold yourself in a too high regard to think you could be an intellectual equal to her. Ha! Do you think she'd be as foolish as to accept any drivel coming from a fraudster such as you? Do you think that *I* would allow you to go anywhere near her, you vile wrench, you abomination? Has it not been enough for you to ruin my life that you would seek to ruin my daughter's as well?

Besides... You, working for Scotland Yard? Do you think they would accept you, given your history? Was it not you yourself who said you had grown to despise this most upstanding institution? Or are you changing your tune now, as you have well done before, because it's convenient for you?

I will not accept this. I *will* make sure you stay away from my daughter, even if it means I'll have to drag you to the depths of hell with me!

Dr Sithe

To my until recently esteemed colleague,

I would like to thank you for putting such words into my mouth. I do not consider myself to be an intellectual equal to your daughter. If everyone in a workplace had to be as intelligent as one another, some morticians would have lost their jobs a tad sooner.

However, you do bring up a point that I had not properly considered. I was so enamored by the idea of progressing scientific knowledge that I forgot I would be autopsying for that horrifically corrupt organization. Though I hope it will be making changes to fix such things, I know too that I cannot depend on anyone or anything other than myself and the greed of humanity.

With all that said, there is one thing you've failed to consider: your daughter is intelligent and well capable of making her own decisions. Whether or not I become her colleague or friend is up to her, not you.

Best wishes, Enoch Drebber

To Seishiro Jigoku

Why?

Ten years ago, during that travesty of a trial against your close friend Genshin, you stepped up to the witness stand to defend him. You even destroyed said stand in your fury.

A few days later, when commanded by Stronghart, **you chose to put a bullet to your friend's heart**. You had a choice, and yet you chose to betray that friend you had tried to defend with all your might.

...

...

*Why?*

To my anonymous writer,

I don't think that it is possible to explain the kind of duress I was under on that fateful night. I fully believed in Genshin's innocence. He was my best friend. I would not have destroyed court property if I had not believed that I was correct.

When you are given an order by someone who terrifies and awes you in equal amounts, who holds their fate in your hands, who is urging, demanding that you do something drastic for the fate of yourself and your friends, what do you do? If I had not shot Genshin, I think Stronghart would have shot him instead. I do not believe there was any chance he would have made it out of that cemetery alive.

I was foolish, selfish, reckless, and manipulated. I was too much of a coward to stand up to this order, the time pressure and possibility of Yuujin being caught in the crosshairs... I can never forgive myself for what I did. I hope nobody can forgive me. I deserve every torture in the world.

But nothing I ever do can bring him back.

Jigoku Seishirou

To 🥀Rosie🥀

If you were a dragon, what color(s) would you be? What dragon traits would you desire? I think you would make a splendid dragon!

To anon,

It is hard to decide what kind of dragon I would be! I think I would like to be a dragon with warm colours, some lively pinks, oranges, yellows, someone that would fit in with the flower fields. I know dragons tend to be hoarders of wealth, but I would like to be a hoarder of happiness!

Love, Rosie Dragon