Benjamin If Barok Van Zieks Were A Worm Would You Still Like Him

Mod update: today's asks

I've worked on answering all the asks that I have for today, and they're all saved as drafts. Queuing is being weird, and so I have to publish them by hand. I am attempting restraint in not posting them all at once, but don't be surprised if they post in weird intervals.

I'm loving all the asks so far! Feel free to keep them coming!!

Signed, Mod of the Baskervilles

Catch me being as self indulgent as possible…

Hey Rosie! What’s up with Enoch?

[modverse, not canon verse]

Dear ace-chaser,

I have been keeping an eye on my brother, and I find it quite entertaining that he simply lives there now. He is thriving with his close friend Benjamin, creating all sorts of ridiculous contraptions together and having great fun.

It is wonderful to see him like this.

Thank you, Rosie

Mod Post: Queue!

As of now, we have ten posts in the queue! It's very exciting, both the amount of asks and the amount of followers we've gotten. Keep the questions coming!

Also, not to ~ spoil ~ one of the upcoming answers, but I do need to give credit to this post somewhere, and I feel like this is the best opportunity.

Signed, Mod of the Baskervilles

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

hi hello ⚙️ anon here! I sent the "Dr. Iris" ask and the one abouch Enoch Drebber's past - did not put my emoji on them because I Deadass Forgot.

I can prouldly say I have read the entirety of the Sherock Holmes canon and oooooh I like what this implied - our Enoch is the son of the Study in Scarlet victim? 10/10 move

P. S. I haven't read your fic yet but I'm looking forward to it!

Hello again! Nice to hear from you once more.

Yes, you got exactly what I was implying! The Enoch we know is Enoch Jr., son of the victim from Study in Scarlet. If you've read that story you might be able to imagine why he doesn't like his dad and might want to leave his family.

P.S. that's okay, I hope you enjoy it!

Signed, Mod of the Baskervilles

Benjamin, how is living with Barok? - 🌹

Dear 🌹,

I love living with Barok! You would not believe the amount of money one saves when he need not pay for housing or food. I have put on a tad bit of weight--something I previously thought impossible, as my food was rather inedible. And yet now I have time! And food! And funding! And though Dr. Drebber may have had a point about my scientific abilities, well... I still enjoy my projects!

I am quite seriously considering visiting him. I do not know how long his sentence will be. There was something comforting about his presence, his designs, the whir of the robotics upon his hand. I do believe the two of us would make quite a formidable scientific pair, if given the chance.

And, Barok takes wonderful care of me! He buys me clothes, gives me allowance, he even allows me to sleep in his bed! What a kind man.

Scientifically, Benjamin Dobinbough

Enoch:

Not long after your incarceration in late October, and due to some tragic events, The Professor case was reopened. Following the trial Lord Van Zieks has made the truth of those events known to the general public.

Has anyone told what that truth was? If so, how has made you feel?

Dearest anon,

I feel about that trial the same way I feel about that entire portion of my life: a time that must be moved on from. I feel grateful for the knowledge that I was not imagining what I saw that night, and of course enraged that the truth was kept quiet through the ending and ruining of lives, my own included. I did what I did to bring the truth out of hiding, and I am glad it lives in the open. I wish it could have been sooner, but I am happy that the public now knows.

Gratefully, Enoch Drebber

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

To barok,

What do you think about your new niece? Any thoughts about how she is the only child of your beloved brother… Your brother who was also the professor?

Ace-chaser,

I fear that my feelings on Iris being my niece are too complicated to sum up through one single correspondence. She is a brilliant child, and she reminds me quite a bit of him... Or, at least, the side of him that I knew.

There is a lot I must reconsider about my brother. The kind of person he was, how it would have ended had he stayed alive... though, perhaps it is best that he died when he did. He caused a significant amount of misery in his time.

I truly hope his better side lives on in his daughter.

Signed, Lord Barok van Zieks

"Barok, can you see this letter?" Is all the letter says. It's written in fresh ink, but the handwriting resembles that of his dead brother. 👻

No matter how I look at this, I cannot believe... and yet, when I ran my fingers over the letter, the ink smudged and spread as though it had been written moments before. The handwriting is undeniably familiar, the ink the scarlet he loved to use in his time.

So, all told, yes. I can see this letter.

Signed, Barok