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Letters
[Several letters and slips of paper, creases worn soft as if they had been unfolded and refolded a lot over the last few weeks.]
Hey, Akane.
I'm...shit. Even if I say I'm sorry this happened, I don't know if it'll mean that much. But I...I am. I'm sorry. This probably hurt you a lot. Like, a lot a lot. And we had so much to do together, so many things to see, and now it's kind of...all gone.
I'm sorry, my beautiful violet. You deserve so much better.
But...I can promise you this, okay? We've fought our way outta death before. I'll do it again. I'll find a way. Don't do anything silly, 'cause it won't be long, and I'll be back, and I'll take you for that picnic under the stars, just like I promised!!!
...If you still wanna go, that is. I wouldn't blame you for bein' mad.
Just stay strong. You're stronger than this, you're stronger than anyone.
Keep fighting. Believe in me believing in you.
I'll be back soon, okay?
Kaito
Stay safe, be warm.
Hello, all you two-bit detectives!
...Wait wait wait, wait just a minute, don't burn or tear this letter yet! It's important, I promise!
Ahem! Anyway, disregard my certainly tasteless little joke there. This is, fortunately or unfortunately, James Moriarty writing this to you from Hell!
Or perhaps I should call it Tartarus? For you see, it appears we who have perished have found ourselves in the Greek Underworld, with portals opening to show other parts of said underworld. Such as the Elysium Fields, though I'll refrain from taking a drink from Lethe's waters for now.
Apparently these portals are generated by the damned Tree we are all being fed to - but that is not the only havoc it is causing. Apparently, there have been two other rounds of this sort of game before us, and the ones who perished in those are currently seeking a way out from here...only to be stymied by the tree's very roots blocking the exits. Apparently the only thing that can even damage it is the power of a Devil Arm, but it appears we have all been given their powers at at capacity too weak to be a threat to it.
For now, that is all I have been able to gather. If there is anything else, I will pay the price to send over another letter - or item, if it comes to that.
...Ah, I suppose I should also explain how it's come to be possible for me to send this. Well, given we are in the Greek Underworld, I have entrusted this to the one being that exists on both sides - The Gimmie - or, his true name, Charon. I've no idea if you'll be able to send things to us the same way I have sent them to you, but I would stress to be polite to him while asking.
And that, as they say, is that. If you do not wish to read anymore, then you may tear anything from here on at your leasure! Burn it to ashes! Whatever your heart desires!
Still, if you do read on, I....have a confession to make. A small one, of course!
You see, I...
...I may have lied just an itsy bitsy, teeny tiny little bit when I said I tortured Kaito.
In that there was no torture.
So that you wouldn't crowd about being all depressed afterwards about a murder done to primarily protect others.
Anger is much better than sadness in getting people to stay motivated, after all! And who better to be truly angry at than a hideous villain who had supposedly tortured a young man in his prime for no reason at all, I ask you?!
...
But, well. I...Apologize. To all of you. Truly! Cross my heart and hope to - Oh.
Oh no, I suppose I can't use that sort of oath in my current condition...
Oh well! Regardless, there it is! Cherish the apology from this bastard liar to all of you! More specific ones can be saved for later, of course!
Make our captor regret his actions, won't you? And unravel whatever plot lies waiting in the wings, as I am sure all of you will. I have the utmost faith in all of you, even in death.
Sincerely (if you can trust that from me!),
James Moriarty
Dear Akane,
I am glad to hear that you received it properly - thankfully, a god seems much more reliable and punctual than the postal service, hm?
I had thought I felt a tinge of something last week, so I suppose that was your summoning attempt. I am both surprised and yet not at all - not on your account, mind! But more that whatever means our captor has placed us here, is powerful enough to block a call from the Throne itself. Which only gives me a suspicion onto who, exactly, is pulling the strings behind it all - there are only a few beings powerful enough to do that.
I miss you as well - every day, in fact! ..Do days still run down here? It's a bit hard to tell, given we're all but cooped up without a glance at the sky! Though it's not too dissimilar to the ship, is it not? Ah, perhaps you don't want to be reminded of that...
Regardless, I am a bit perplexed to hear Zack is at the center of all of this. I wouldn't have thought he would be, honestly - the boy seemed a bit...'slow', so to speak. Still, unless he finds his way down here, I suppose I won't find out how exactly until we manage a 'jailbreak.'
But do not fear, my dear. Merely getting a letter from you is more than enough for me, regardless of the important information contained in it. Why, you could send me a letter full of nothing more than random gibberish, and I would treasure it all the same! ...While also being a bit concerned for you, of course! You are eating, I hope? And your fevers - have others been helping you through them? And you've better have been resting, young lady!
Ahem, I suppose I should cease bothering you like an overly broody hen and stop before this letter gets any longer and incurs more of a cost from me. I am sending all my love, my dear - and my apologies. I won't elucidate, but I believe you should understand why. I am an old fashioned man with old-fashioned foibles, after all.
Still refusing to give up,
Papa
Dearest Akane, light of my life,
I suppose you have a point, but it never hurts to be courteous with the ferrier of the dead across the River.
That being said - yes, I am glad you realized who exactly I am speaking of. And indeed, it is - he inherently has an Authority over all souls of dead within his domain, and if the ship is considered a part of that....why, it's not a surprise that I ended up here to begin with! Or why even with such strong connections, I was unable to return to your side.
The Lord that does not relinquish what is his easily...we may be in for quite the fight for our freedom, both you and I.
I will commit those passes to memory, though I am a bit worried. If there are three left, and normally most 'trials' end with two dead...where will that final death come from? Again, I caution you to be careful, my dear Akane. Though I wish dearly to see you again with my own eyes, I don't want to do it in the land of the dead! Or if you are correct and nothing happens, don't you dare think of putting your name in some sort of sacrifice draw! I won't allow it, do you hear me?!
...Ahem. Anyway.
However, if the memory wipe comes to pass...well, you needn't worry. Of course I would be patient with you - however, if there is some word or phrase I should say in order for you to quickly understand the depth of the relationship we once had, would you mind sharing it with me?
It is interesting that it keeps coming up, yes. And I'd noticed his inability to change, but do you mean to tell me he's still just as...'challenged' as before?
Regardless, I'm sure you will be fine in regards to your weight. I know it's a touchy subject for a young woman, but you are young and healthy - and given it was done in service to others, Kaito will hardly blame you for gaining weight. Honestly, he's as like to praise you more than anything! I do wish I could send you some sort of earplugs or something to keep the noise at night low, but unfortunately there's little to occupy us down here. Still, I hope my well wishes will be enough.
[There's a pause in the letter, a blot of ink as if his hand trembled for a moment - strange, for such clear and almost beautiful handwriting.]
I am grateful for your forgiveness, my dear. I'm not sure if I would be half as understanding in your place! I am sorry to hear of your difficulties with Aoi, as well. I had hoped with my loss, he would understand he needed to be there for you, and tell you all that he knew...perhaps I assumed too much of him, in the end. I can only extend my condolences, and assure you that I will tell you everything I know whenever I can.
Catching your love and sending my own, doubled,
Papa
Hello, everyone still alive! It seems we're beginning to come to the end of things, hm?
This is a letter to inform all of you that we've decided to attack the roots on Wednesday, in order to make our escape from Zeus katachthonios's underworld. I hope that time passes the same, but I am sure that it does. If you hear pained screams from the ship on that day, then you know what it's from! Wahahahaha!
We will be doing our utmost, as we have nothing more to fear. Hopefully, even if you cannot see us, we will be able to see you when we break free and rejoin you.
Also, not to worry! None of us will be looking back in the slightest when we're about to cross that threshold! So no worries about any of us getting stuck back in Tartarus, Okie-dokey?!
Sincerely,
James Moriarty
P.S. HERMES IF YOU GET THIS LETTER DO NOT PUT IT IN YOUR HOARD PILE WITHOUT FIRST SHOWING EVERYONE!!!
[The final page isn't a letter, but has a magic circle sketched neatly on one side, with various of the glyphs and symbols sketched on the other side, perhaps with greater signs of deliberate slow care and less familiarity. There are several watermarks on it, as if from tears.]
Hey, Akane.
I'm...shit. Even if I say I'm sorry this happened, I don't know if it'll mean that much. But I...I am. I'm sorry. This probably hurt you a lot. Like, a lot a lot. And we had so much to do together, so many things to see, and now it's kind of...all gone.
I'm sorry, my beautiful violet. You deserve so much better.
But...I can promise you this, okay? We've fought our way outta death before. I'll do it again. I'll find a way. Don't do anything silly, 'cause it won't be long, and I'll be back, and I'll take you for that picnic under the stars, just like I promised!!!
...If you still wanna go, that is. I wouldn't blame you for bein' mad.
Just stay strong. You're stronger than this, you're stronger than anyone.
Keep fighting. Believe in me believing in you.
I'll be back soon, okay?
Kaito
Stay safe, be warm.
Hello, all you two-bit detectives!
...Wait wait wait, wait just a minute, don't burn or tear this letter yet! It's important, I promise!
Ahem! Anyway, disregard my certainly tasteless little joke there. This is, fortunately or unfortunately, James Moriarty writing this to you from Hell!
Or perhaps I should call it Tartarus? For you see, it appears we who have perished have found ourselves in the Greek Underworld, with portals opening to show other parts of said underworld. Such as the Elysium Fields, though I'll refrain from taking a drink from Lethe's waters for now.
Apparently these portals are generated by the damned Tree we are all being fed to - but that is not the only havoc it is causing. Apparently, there have been two other rounds of this sort of game before us, and the ones who perished in those are currently seeking a way out from here...only to be stymied by the tree's very roots blocking the exits. Apparently the only thing that can even damage it is the power of a Devil Arm, but it appears we have all been given their powers at at capacity too weak to be a threat to it.
For now, that is all I have been able to gather. If there is anything else, I will pay the price to send over another letter - or item, if it comes to that.
...Ah, I suppose I should also explain how it's come to be possible for me to send this. Well, given we are in the Greek Underworld, I have entrusted this to the one being that exists on both sides - The Gimmie - or, his true name, Charon. I've no idea if you'll be able to send things to us the same way I have sent them to you, but I would stress to be polite to him while asking.
And that, as they say, is that. If you do not wish to read anymore, then you may tear anything from here on at your leasure! Burn it to ashes! Whatever your heart desires!
Still, if you do read on, I....have a confession to make. A small one, of course!
You see, I...
...I may have lied just an itsy bitsy, teeny tiny little bit when I said I tortured Kaito.
In that there was no torture.
So that you wouldn't crowd about being all depressed afterwards about a murder done to primarily protect others.
Anger is much better than sadness in getting people to stay motivated, after all! And who better to be truly angry at than a hideous villain who had supposedly tortured a young man in his prime for no reason at all, I ask you?!
...
But, well. I...Apologize. To all of you. Truly! Cross my heart and hope to - Oh.
Oh no, I suppose I can't use that sort of oath in my current condition...
Oh well! Regardless, there it is! Cherish the apology from this bastard liar to all of you! More specific ones can be saved for later, of course!
Make our captor regret his actions, won't you? And unravel whatever plot lies waiting in the wings, as I am sure all of you will. I have the utmost faith in all of you, even in death.
Sincerely (if you can trust that from me!),
James Moriarty
Dear Akane,
I am glad to hear that you received it properly - thankfully, a god seems much more reliable and punctual than the postal service, hm?
I had thought I felt a tinge of something last week, so I suppose that was your summoning attempt. I am both surprised and yet not at all - not on your account, mind! But more that whatever means our captor has placed us here, is powerful enough to block a call from the Throne itself. Which only gives me a suspicion onto who, exactly, is pulling the strings behind it all - there are only a few beings powerful enough to do that.
I miss you as well - every day, in fact! ..Do days still run down here? It's a bit hard to tell, given we're all but cooped up without a glance at the sky! Though it's not too dissimilar to the ship, is it not? Ah, perhaps you don't want to be reminded of that...
Regardless, I am a bit perplexed to hear Zack is at the center of all of this. I wouldn't have thought he would be, honestly - the boy seemed a bit...'slow', so to speak. Still, unless he finds his way down here, I suppose I won't find out how exactly until we manage a 'jailbreak.'
But do not fear, my dear. Merely getting a letter from you is more than enough for me, regardless of the important information contained in it. Why, you could send me a letter full of nothing more than random gibberish, and I would treasure it all the same! ...While also being a bit concerned for you, of course! You are eating, I hope? And your fevers - have others been helping you through them? And you've better have been resting, young lady!
Ahem, I suppose I should cease bothering you like an overly broody hen and stop before this letter gets any longer and incurs more of a cost from me. I am sending all my love, my dear - and my apologies. I won't elucidate, but I believe you should understand why. I am an old fashioned man with old-fashioned foibles, after all.
Still refusing to give up,
Papa
Dearest Akane, light of my life,
I suppose you have a point, but it never hurts to be courteous with the ferrier of the dead across the River.
That being said - yes, I am glad you realized who exactly I am speaking of. And indeed, it is - he inherently has an Authority over all souls of dead within his domain, and if the ship is considered a part of that....why, it's not a surprise that I ended up here to begin with! Or why even with such strong connections, I was unable to return to your side.
The Lord that does not relinquish what is his easily...we may be in for quite the fight for our freedom, both you and I.
I will commit those passes to memory, though I am a bit worried. If there are three left, and normally most 'trials' end with two dead...where will that final death come from? Again, I caution you to be careful, my dear Akane. Though I wish dearly to see you again with my own eyes, I don't want to do it in the land of the dead! Or if you are correct and nothing happens, don't you dare think of putting your name in some sort of sacrifice draw! I won't allow it, do you hear me?!
...Ahem. Anyway.
However, if the memory wipe comes to pass...well, you needn't worry. Of course I would be patient with you - however, if there is some word or phrase I should say in order for you to quickly understand the depth of the relationship we once had, would you mind sharing it with me?
It is interesting that it keeps coming up, yes. And I'd noticed his inability to change, but do you mean to tell me he's still just as...'challenged' as before?
Regardless, I'm sure you will be fine in regards to your weight. I know it's a touchy subject for a young woman, but you are young and healthy - and given it was done in service to others, Kaito will hardly blame you for gaining weight. Honestly, he's as like to praise you more than anything! I do wish I could send you some sort of earplugs or something to keep the noise at night low, but unfortunately there's little to occupy us down here. Still, I hope my well wishes will be enough.
[There's a pause in the letter, a blot of ink as if his hand trembled for a moment - strange, for such clear and almost beautiful handwriting.]
I am grateful for your forgiveness, my dear. I'm not sure if I would be half as understanding in your place! I am sorry to hear of your difficulties with Aoi, as well. I had hoped with my loss, he would understand he needed to be there for you, and tell you all that he knew...perhaps I assumed too much of him, in the end. I can only extend my condolences, and assure you that I will tell you everything I know whenever I can.
Catching your love and sending my own, doubled,
Papa
Hello, everyone still alive! It seems we're beginning to come to the end of things, hm?
This is a letter to inform all of you that we've decided to attack the roots on Wednesday, in order to make our escape from Zeus katachthonios's underworld. I hope that time passes the same, but I am sure that it does. If you hear pained screams from the ship on that day, then you know what it's from! Wahahahaha!
We will be doing our utmost, as we have nothing more to fear. Hopefully, even if you cannot see us, we will be able to see you when we break free and rejoin you.
Also, not to worry! None of us will be looking back in the slightest when we're about to cross that threshold! So no worries about any of us getting stuck back in Tartarus, Okie-dokey?!
Sincerely,
James Moriarty
P.S. HERMES IF YOU GET THIS LETTER DO NOT PUT IT IN YOUR HOARD PILE WITHOUT FIRST SHOWING EVERYONE!!!
[The final page isn't a letter, but has a magic circle sketched neatly on one side, with various of the glyphs and symbols sketched on the other side, perhaps with greater signs of deliberate slow care and less familiarity. There are several watermarks on it, as if from tears.]