Ask Dgs - Blog Posts

Lord van Zieks, do you do ballet?

-⚙️

To ⚙️,

I am rather surprised that you were able to pick up on such a trait of mine. It does depend upon how you define 'doing' ballet. My father would never let a son of his take any sort of lessons in something like ballet. It was below us, something a man should not be able to do.

However, every now and then, I would walk in on my brother dancing. His poses were graceful and difficult, showing off the power in his legs. He told me that it was ballet, though he never did tell me how he learned it.

It was something we bonded over. He showed me how to warm up for such dances, do careful stretches, how to perform leaps and lifts and other such things.

I do have an idea how he learned, but... that's long passed. Perhaps I can hire a private tutor for these lessons. I think it would be quite fun.

Lord Barok van Zieks

Heather:To our dear fathers me and my brother hope you’re well. I’m here to ask you something. Originally it’s was me and Henry but he was afraid to ask this question. So here is my question Did you guys ever had a big argument like it was so big that it almost ended up you to going to yours merry ways and never seeing each other again.

(Henry appear out of nowhere) Henry: Or if you guys our uncomfortable with this question and possibly mad at us for asking such a personal question! So you don’t have to answer it.

Heather:Henry what are you doing?

Henry: oh I’m just telling our dads that if they feel uncomfortable that they shouldn’t answer the question.

Heather: ok but why did you threw the line “Possibly mad at us for asking such a personal question”

Henry:Hey you don’t know if they would be mad or not about this.

Heather:(sighs)

Dearest Heather and Henry,

You have no need to be so afraid to ask such a question. If ever there is a question that he, or I, or anyone does not want to answer, we would simply choose to not answer it. We are under no obligation to do so. That being said, such a question can be answered in a very simple and non-invasive way, and thus we (or, I suppose, I) will do so.

There is a short answer and a long answer to this. I will answer first in the shorter way. In terms of interpersonal relationships, I do believe it's impossible to never get in any arguments. The difference is in if these are disagreements, arguments, or full-on fights. I do try not to let it escalate to that final stage, as that makes it far more difficult to reconcile. The most important thing is ensuring that you have an honest communication with the people around you.

That being said, Albert and I haven't been in this new stage of our relationship long enough to have too many arguments in the vein of splitting apart like that. The closest we've gotten to such a thing would be when I told Albert to leave London as soon as the trial was over.

I feel quite ashamed for my actions towards him, especially at that time. I had gotten to the point where I no longer cared if I hurt him emotionally, nor how badly I would hurt him, so long as he survived the experience. And, while that may be something one can forgive oneself for, I am truly ashamed of my actions.

I did not care if he left forever. I did not care if he would never recover. When he sent me letters from Germany, both in the years leading up to his London trip and the months following, I never once responded until after I had managed to recover from the final trial.

I learned a lot of difficult things about my family. I had to rethink quite a bit about my life and my actions. I found what I had done to be unforgivable, and yet he forgave me anyways. He is an incredible man, better than I could ever be. No one deserves a love like him.

And so, I will always try my hardest to ensure he feels listened to, understood, cared for. It is the absolute least I can do to help him. Any argument can be overcome so long as the person is worth it. And for him... anything is worth it.

Lord Barok van Zieks

Enoch have you talkled to Benjamin??

Anon.

I... am quite pleased to say that he has visited me in my confinement. I was quite surprised to find that I missed him. He initially came to me for some advice on what to do about a particular predicament in his own personal matters, which I will not share.

I was shocked to find that Benjamin is an incredibly forgiving man. Despite the fact that I betrayed him, destroying his life of science, something that I could not forgive someone else for... he forgave me. Near immediately. He did not want to talk about science, which was an incredibly reasonable request.

But he did want to reminisce on the good times we had together. He shared news on his friends and various animals. He even showed me a few drawings he'd done. It was all quite... quaint. Fun, even.

Signed, Enoch Drebber

Hello there I’m the one who asked about the Benbaro twin question and right now I wanted to ask what Barok and Albert think?

Sorry that my art is bad.

To childrenofozstory,

This art pierced through my heart. It is utterly wonderful, a delightful idea of what could be in an ideal world. I myself have never wanted to have children, but the thought of raising these two children with my lovely partner is... incredibly appealing. I adore the idea that Heather takes after her father in science, and I am a large fan of polka dots. (Additionally, Iris has been teaching me how to braid hair.)

As for Henry, I do quite like his hair. The mix of Albert's and mine, and the volume and texture of his hair... I know that Benjamin is quite a fan of his particular look, and I cannot help but feel the same.

Life with these two would be an absolute dream. These twins will be on my mind for... quite some time now.

With fondness, Lord Barok van Zieks

mr stronghart: put yourself back in the moment you saw asougi-san rise from the grave in front of that graverobber. imagine now at this time you had the thought that you could pay off the graverobber for his silence. would have still asked jigoku-san to murder his friend yes or no

Ribbonroad, don't be a fool.

As the situation is well and done, I can now describe what precisely was going on that night. There was never a plan to let Asougi out alive. Why would I make such an idiotic mistake? No, the entire thing was a ploy, an attempt to find the damning evidence I knew he was hiding on him. He was far too tricky, though. I should have seen something like that coming.

Jigoku's guilt was an added bonus, but the real intention was just to get Asougi out of the way. As for the graverobber, he was simply collateral damage. It wasn't supposed to be that way. If I could have, I would have gotten him killed too, buried the two men nameless together. That would have been the justice they deserved.

Mael Stronghart.

van zieks if you were on a sinking ship with ryuunosuke naruhodou and a pile of wine bottles which would you push off first

To Ribbonroad:

I have often been told of the dangers of water. I would never allow myself into such a situation, but for the sake of your answer, I would push the wine bottles off of the boat first. I have far too much of it already, and I am not a fan of the taste. Bitter and raw, fragrant and malignant.

I have never finished a bottle, and I have no plans to change this.

Lord Barok van Zieks

mr stronghart do you think madame tusspells effectively utilized girl power when she committed the crime of graverobbing

An utterly ridiculous question. Your inane drivel would be entertaining if it were not so infuriating. I am unsure where you got your facts from, but I am afraid you've gotten the facts all wrong.

She was not grave robbing. She was committing a crime, in collusion with the prison connected to that graveyard, but her crime was not grave robbing. It could more accurately be described as desecration of a grave, as she was not stealing anything more than an artistic impression.

It could also be easily considered trespassing, though that is complicated by the fact that the prison staff were well aware of what it was that she was doing. Her infuriating actions certainly complicated quite a bit of things.

Mael Stronghart.

dr mikotoba do you think other people feel the same positive emotion about mr holmes' strange and peculiar vibe that you do, or do you have to pretend you are merely looking past it

Dear Ribbonroad,

I am afraid that many people cannot appreciate Holmes' unique charm. He is a fascinating man who can add so much to one's life if they simply let him, though most people are far too afraid to let him do so. He is an unpredictable man, and his particular flavor of spice of life occasionally rubs the wrong way against his friends and colleagues.

And by occasionally, I do unfortunately mean most of the time. My friends always asked why I cared so much for him, as he was such a strange person... I'm afraid it's something I cannot explain, but it is something I cannot apologize for. He is a uniquely wonderful man.

Dr. Mikotoba Yuujin

To Albert and Barok let’s just say you two had twins a boy and a girl what would you name the kids?

What a delightfully difficult question, anon!

As may not surprise you, I haven't put much thought into having children. I hope I do not need to explain why. That being said, I brought it up with Barok and we both have some things of note about names. I personally believe that twins should have names beginning with the same letters, and he truly enjoys the idea of naming children after plants.

I suggested Henry or Henrietta, and perhaps Harold. Maybe Harry. He thought that perhaps we could go with Heather and Hyacinth. I don't believe I can narrow it down from that list without any help! I have a hard enough time making other, even less important decisions.

What a thought, though. I love it! Albert Harebrayne

kazuma-sama i want you to know that the curse you cast upon the auchi clan will in fact persist for centuries to come, members of the auchi clan will be consistently humiliated by naruhodou-sans kin generations from now

Of course it will. I do not curse family bloodlines lightly.

Susato, have you ever questioned your gender?

-⚙️ (yeah I'm new here! I like ur style of writing)

Dear ⚙️,

This is something that I debated on sharing with anyone. It took me a long time to be able to figure out how to word it to myself. Since that first day I dressed myself as Ryuutarou, I've felt drawn to his clothes. Er, my clothes, that is. The clothes that my father and I modified for that day.

I think of Ryuutarou as something different from Susato, as I have not been able to reconcile the two in my mind. I do not want them to be separate, I want to find some way to accept the feelings I have towards my situation in court, the way I was treated, how Haori interacted with me... it's not easy.

Looking back on some of the Sherlock Holmes stories, I noted that he on occasion would dress as a woman to disguise himself. Perhaps if I brought up my feelings on the matter to my father, then, a man who knows Sherlock so intimately, he may be able to help me sort through these emotions.

With love.... Ryuutarou.

Enoch, would you believe me if I said that one day man would reach the moon using an as of yet unexplored method of propulsion?

Anon.

You bring up a fascinating concept. I have long wondered myself whether it was possible for man to reach the moon, or perhaps even further. I think I may believe that it is possible, though I do not know how long in the future that may be.

It is something that I myself will have to look into. I know that propulsion could theoretically be used to lift something rather than trying to imitate the flapping of wings or, God forbid, Benjamin's inane ramblings on teleportation. That being said... yes. Yes, I will have to look into the science myself.

Thank you for the idea. Enoch Drebber

dear sherlock holmes: do any of mr mikotobas friends ever ask you to dance. if yes, do they say "go white boy, go" and if not, would you dance for them hypothetically

Dearest Ribbonroad,

I'm afraid to bring the mood down, but Yuujin does seem to be running out of friends. That being said, Jigoku was a rather large fan of the term 'jig', and therefore he and I ended up doing a lively jig together whenever we saw one another.

He did not use the phrase you mentioned, as I have never heard anyone use that phrase before. As for if I would dance for him... Ah, it would be hard to say no!

Sherlock Holmes

benjamin if barok van zieks were a worm would you still like him

Dearest Ribbonroad,

I am already quite fascinated by Barok in his human form, I would be only more interested if he suddenly became a worm! I would have to examine how different he is as a worm, what it was that turned him into one (a woodland faerie, perhaps?), what his favorite foods would be, how he reacts to rain.

I love him quite a lot, and I would still very much love him in any other form! Especially if that form was a worm.

With love, Benjamin Dobinbough

hosonaga-san what is your favorite disguise youve ever utilized on a mission

To Ribbonroad:

I shall have you know that I cannot, will not, be discovered this easily! As I am an incredible master of disguise and could be anyone, anywhere, at any time, it would be utterly foolish for me to admit what my favorite disguise is!

However, that being said, I suppose I could tell you about one of my disguises I have retired.... Hm.

All I will say is that I am quite fond of turtles.

Signed, Detective Satoru Hosonaga

(chucks chuunosuke at sherlock) woe. chuunosuke be upon ye

Whoa!

This adorable thing Iris has created seems to have a life of its own, and is rather fond of climbing into my hair! I thought I had finally escaped its insatiable wrath for tormenting me, and yet it continues to find me again and again.

He climbs my sleeves, tugs my ears, nestles in my hair, and takes naps in there. I have no idea how Iris has managed something like this. I wish I could stay mad at something like that.

With Chuunosuke, Sherlock Holmes

miss susato did you ship holmes & watson be honest (in case you don't know what "ship" means, it refers to thinking two characters would be appealing in a romantic relationship)

Dear ribbonroad,

I don't know that the two of us have met before, and knowing this, I find it rather unlikely that this information will get to... well... my father.

I find that it's quite easy to understand that their bond was a very strong one as it was written within the story, something nearly unbreakable and rather unexplainable. It is something shared simply between the two of them, and it was not hard to read into that relationship.

(It was particularly easy when I met Holmes-san and listened to how he discussed his partner.)

I hope this helps! Susato Mikotoba

Hi!!!

Albert what is the nicest thing Barok van Zieks has done for you?

Hello, anon!!

Having been asked this question twice in such few days, I have been reflecting on the relationship between the two of us. All my life, I have never had a friend like him. He understands me in a way that no one else does. And, I know that he does not judge me for who I am, how I act, and, most importantly, how I feel.

And so, it is with this knowledge that I brought up my particular feelings towards him the other night. The two of us were laying in comfortable silence in the morning, as we often do, when I expressed the depth of my affection towards him, how much he means to me.

I can now say with confidence that the nicest thing Barok has ever done for me is to return my affections, and enter into this exciting new part of my life. I cannot wait to see where our experiment goes from here.

With a heart light as a feather, Albert Harebrayne

kazuma, picture this: you ask what ryuuno is making for dinner. he says hes already eaten. what do you do

Ribbonroad,

I think the first thing I would do in such a scenario is just silently stare at him and see if he is going to further elaborate. If he says that there is nothing left from the meal, I would raise a judgmental eyebrow at him. He tends to crumble under the weight of a simple look like that.

If he says that he made chicken for dinner, I would simply sleep hungry. If that bothers him, that is fine by me. My life long vendetta for the foul fowl was not helped by my experience on that boat.

If he feels bad about it, I would then of course assure him that it is not his fault and I would have eaten if I wanted to, but some days I am far too exhausted to make food for myself.

Asougi Kazuma

ryuuno out of all your friends who is the most bumpin like fried bologna

Dear ribbonroad,

Your question perplexes me. I don't know what you mean by bumpin, and I did have to ask for help on what bologna was. I first asked Mikotoba-sensei, who told me that it was a place in Italy. I don't know how you would fry a place in Italy, and that does indeed sound like a bad thing. I then asked Susato-chan, and she informed me that it was a form of dried meat, like a sausage. As I happen to quite like fried sausages, especially when Iris is preparing them, I can assume you're asking which of my friends is as good as fried sausages.

That is quite a difficult question to answer... I have a lot of friends in my life who I deeply care for. I'd like to say that my best friend would be anyone who helped form who I am today, but that doesn't narrow it down at all. I would not be the man I am today without everyone who was there by my side in court. I also would not be the man I am today if a frightened young girl hadn't accidentally hurt Asougi.

I love all of my friends. I miss the friends, and even the acquaintances, I left behind in London. There is so much that I need to say to them that I haven't had the chance to, that I can't say until I see them face to face once more.

That doesn't seem to answer your question, but my mind is full of things I need to say that cannot be expressed in this letter.

With care, Naruhodou Ryuunosuke

kazuma-sama you are so right as suaul to be upset over the serving of grouse it is far too close to chicken. its clearly a fowl. van zieks should have known better and surely he put it on the menu to slight you

Ribbonroad,

I am so pleased to know that you agree with me on how rude and inconsiderate it was of him to do something like this to me. I cannot bring such things up with Iris, Lestrade, Holmes, or even van Zieks' pet scientist, as they all insist that I should have calmed down and listened to him.

I do not want to calm down and listen. It is not a thing that I am wont to do.

Fondly, Asougi Kazuma

kazuma-sama you are so right i apologize profusely for my slight

Ribbonroad,

I accept your apology. It has honestly been a bit of a relief that people now have started to treat me with more respect... aside from my closest friends, of course. I have gone through my fair share of slights, including as of recently.

Would you believe that van Zieks had the nerve to invite me to supper at his home and he dared to serve me grouse? His pet scientist insisted that not only did he know that I hated chicken, but also that grouse tasted nothing like it. But I am no fool! I know he did this to me on purpose to make me sit through an unbearable dinner where I would not be able to sample the first course.

Anyhow. Thank you,

Asougi Kazuma

(squints at the masked disciple) who do i know this man

Ribbonroad.

This man, this thing, is a husk of myself. I am no longer the masked disciple, a name I despise as it implies I had anything to learn from either Vortex or van Zieks. I despise the both of them, and this unwilling servant of the two of them is not someone I want to associate with.

Kazuma Asougi

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.

To Enoch

What is the best Creature?

To anon.

I actually did quite a bit of work under a veterinarian when I was still living with my parents. I wanted to apprentice under him but my parents did not want this, so it was a bit of a secret apprenticeship. It was quite a bit of fun, and absolutely fascinating, but those years are long past.

Tat being said, my favorite animal is the humble pig. They are ferocious creatures with a strong personality and a penchant for eating anything. Quite literally anything, aside from metal. And that is certainly not for lack of trying, I simply believe they cannot process such a food. In fact, I know of only one animal brave enough to eat metal, that being the goat, though that is neither here nor there.

Pigs are intelligent creatures and I admire their tenacity. When I was younger, I would pretend an old ear of corn or an undesirable wooden crate was an effigy of whatever had been frustrating me lately. I learned later that there is a similar process in the South called voodoo. Fascinating stuff.

I hope this satisfies you. Enoch Drebber

Iris,

Have you ever made Victoria sandwiches? If so are they good?

Dearest Anon,

I adore Victoria sandwiches! They're quite the delight, and Papa always asks me when I'll be making them next. We eat them to celebrate cases, birthdays, experiments, friendships... all sorts of milestones!

Ginebean doesn't know exactly when her birthday is, so we have celebrations regarding her birthday whenever she seems down. At this rate, she's going to be older than the judge any day now!

I have been getting quite interested in the process of preserves lately, whether they be pickles, jams, candied fruits, salted meats... anything that keeps food better longer! My uncle sometimes talks of the ice box he has which can keep foods frozen for quite some time, though I do prefer this method. It's cheaper, more reliable, and frankly, more fun!

All my love, Iris

Barok if you had a dog… what would you name them?

Dear Anon,

I'm afraid I don't quite know what I would name a dog if I had one. I do have a rather strained relationship with that species, no matter the breed. All dogs remind me of my brother, as he was quite the fan of such animals. And thinking of dogs in relation to my brother leaves me in quite a foul mood. It is something that I am working on.

I suppose when I was younger, I would have taken inspiration from him. He took his dog's name from a work of classic literature, and I suppose I would do the same. In that case, something like Excalibur would be the best I could come up with.

Though, Benjamin and I have been discussing bringing some kittens into our lives...

Signed, Lord Barok van Zieks

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.

To anyone

Thoughts on former queen Elizabeth’s passing?

Anonymous,

I weep for the life that has passed. Such a beautiful age of art, of philosophy, of theatre--the patron saint of the bard himself!! While it has been hundreds of years since our late leader Elizabeth, her impact will be felt for centuries to come, I know.

Death comes to us all, and while such a thought may be dreadful to some, he has wise words to share on such a subject, as with all others... She has gone to the undiscovered country, from whose bourn no traveler returns. To die, to sleep, no more. To sleep, perchance to dream-- and so on and so forth.

With slings and arrows of outrageous fortune,

William Petenshy

Yujin,

Would you still be my partner if I was a Worm?

Respond with haste!

Sherlock

My dear Holmes,

You are most certainly the strangest man I have ever met in my life. I can think of none other who would even think up such a question, let alone ask it to me. This letter is utterly perplexing, and though you asked for a rapid response from me, I am not ashamed to admit that it took me a few days to ponder what sort of answer I could give.

I have never before loved a worm, or any such creature. Insects tend to make me feel uneasy, rather than the way I feel when I am with you. At best, they are a neutral stimuli for me, a thing that I do not notice as I pass by it on a rainy day.

That being said, worms are quite useful creatures. They are entirely necessary for the world around them, despite how some people may see them as annoying. They live a life that I can never quite comprehend but that I can very much appreciate. So, I suppose to answer your question, though I do not love any worms in particular, if you were a worm I would still be your partner. I do rather hope you remain a man, however, if it's not too much trouble.

With affection,

Your Mikotoba