Song of the Week 23.5: 'Every Story Begins With a Name' by zircon, Big Giant Circles (redo)

Okay, so this week I'm redoing one of Met's previous SotW's, and this one in particular is Song of the Week 7. The song is entitled Every Story Begins With a Name, and it's a remix from Final Fantasy VII. Now this is going to be the first review in a long week of posts (see the latest post from Met). So if you want to directly listen to the track, click here. Redoing this SotW will make this longer, and I mean a lot longer. Met wrote a pretty short Song of the Week at the time, so I shall provide pretty much all of the details about what's in the song, just like I normally do.

Okay, so the beginning starts off rather quiet, but eventually gets louder and clearer at about 0:08. The entire thing starts out so eerie. By the time 0:14 comes, there's so many effects being heard, yet it sounds insanely awesome. Strings start playing at 0:16, which really adds more to the song. At 0:22 everything starts to crescendo until it reaches 0:32, where at this point the strings are the main focus of the song. At 0:35 there's some high notes by the bells which create a simple melody that completely stands out volume wise. At 0:41 the strings start to die down a little bit, and then at 0:48 low strings begin to act more as a bass, and a melody starts to play. The melody consists of high notes being played in a semi-major key, which clashes with the somewhat minor strings quite nicely. At 0:55 a lot of percussion is being played, which really adds more visuals and effects into the song. At 1:04 more of the strings take over, although with more of a medium pitch than the low strings which was the bass. The amount of instruments here is awesome; there's everything from wind chimes to strings. More of a beat comes in at about 1:11, which adds yet even more to the track. So far this song has a great introduction, and yet I haven't even been through a minute and a half of it yet. At 1:17 the strings gradually increase in volume, and then at 1:19 most of the sounds heard dropped. This leads to a transition into the most the song has shown us thus far at 1:23. The components in this song are numerous, and there's an excellent mix of orchestral and electronic music here. There's piano supporting the melody, a wide variety of percussion instruments to provide for the beat, and the electronic melody stands out above all the rest. At 1:34 though, the melody switches from electronic to orchestral without any transition required. I didn't even notice the change until I heard brass instruments playing the melody at 1:41. The entire section is very theatrical and epic overall. When it does make the switch, there's a soft pattern of high notes being played to create a minor tone with the mainly major melody. This pattern could have been louder though. The melody does switch to minor at around 1:44, so that pattern makes everything sound even better. Strings dominate everything at 1:47, which makes the song sound all the more awesome. At 1:57 though, there's another transition in which the majority of the instruments drop out. At 2:00 that has to be the strangest transition I've ever heard. It gives off a high pitched screech, eventually transitioning into a new section at 2:08. This section has a lot of unique sounds, mainly an alarm going off throughout. This new section sounds even more theatrical than the last. Consisting of piano controlling the melody, driving percussion to add some intensity, and the alarm for an awesome effect, this section has greatly impressed me. The piano also acts a bass with the melody, and at 2:17 even more intense percussion is added in to create a more rock-like beat. At 2:26 there's a soft electronic effect added in the background. This entire sequence continues, giving off great visuals and outstanding effects. At 2:45 there's even more added, and this time it's something we haven't heard so far: a choir. The choir really makes the song more dramatic, and works well with the driving piano and percussion. Despite the fact that the piano and the percussion mainly just repeat themselves, it's still interesting to listen to. At 3:04 the choir gets faster, creating even more intensity. Mainly around 3:12 there's a good electronic bass that is easily heard to help support and boost the melody created by the choir. At 3:21 there's another transition created by a percussion solo. At 3:23 it changes into yet another new section with more insane percussion for a beat and also strings taking control of the melody. The beat is especially intense at around 3:30, which is of course awesome. At 3:39 there is a slight transition, but it stays at the same section. Like Met said in his brief overview of the song back when his was posted, this part of the song is great when everything expands and comes together into one epic and incredible section. At 4:00 the song becomes a little more electronic, which really adds more variety to this section (although a lot of the stuff being played had dropped here). This entire part from 4:00 to 4:18 is all out electronic music that sounds amazing. At 4:19 there's a small and quiet transition into a much calmer section with guitar (or harpsichord) playing the melody role. The strings and the percussion do a great job supporting the guitar, and it really gives off an exotic feeling. This sequence continues until it gets louder at 4:45. At 4:46 there's even more added to this section: bass which does an excellent job at supporting the melody, strings that create both the melody along with some harmonies, and some percussion that keep things moving along. At 5:04 there was a pretty cool sequence from woodwind instruments that really give off an eerie mood to the section (this same pattern appears again at 5:13). There's another transition at 5:21, and at 5:21 the guitar/harpsichord is played again. This new section is great in terms of melody, backup, and percussion which has been excellent all throughout this piece. This continues until 5:40, where there's another transition into another section mainly consisting of more awesome percussion and intense choir. The guitar/harpsichord continue to do its thing, and the melody from the choir gradually gets louder and louder until 5:59. This is where the choir, some electronic effects for a bass, and the insane percussion mesh into a sequence of complete greatness. At 6:17 most sounds heard eventually dropped, mainly leaving the electronic stuff behind. However, the alarm is back and better than ever. The alarm even matches up with the beat, making everything work together perfectly. At 6:30, the intensity dies, and everything fades away. What I thought was cool was the alarm getting lower at 6:33, which leads to the end of the song. All I can say is "wow".

Pros: Amazing, completely amazing. The instrumentation in this entire piece was incredible, and even with electronic stuff playing, it works out perfectly. All the transitions were excellent and altogether flawless. Each of the numerous sections brought something new and no matter what I was hearing, it always had some intensity to it. The percussion was great, the effects were great, and pretty much everything was great. Wow, what a great song. :)

Cons: There were some parts of the song that may have needed more attention, such as at 1:41 with that pattern that supported the melody. There were hardly any cons to this song other than that, but that's mainly because this song is so well done.

Overall: This song is almost perfect. It has so much variety, so much presented, and so many awesome visuals. Everything would come together in each section, especially at 3:40. Despite the song being a bit lengthy, listening to this song was definitely worth it.

Rating: 9.8/10

Song of the Day, Series 2, Prologue

Just dropping in for an announcement here. With our addition of Marim as a blog author and her particular focus on music we thought it fitting to re-introduce Song of the Day. I know this won't be the same as what Reogan did with The Three Realms. He has his own spectacular style and it really made McVaffe's music come to life. Marim will probably be taking more of an analytical approach, and she better, because it's going to be 5 days of music I wrote myself using Nanostudio, a program for iOS (so yes, all of the posted tracks were composed on my iPod Touch). With this in mind I would definitely appreciate critical comments as long as they're within my knowledge and the program's potential (for instance, don't tell me to sidechain dance music because that's not available on Nanostudio, however, if I ever did need to sidechain on something like FL studio, I'd watch this video). We'll be posting the tracks I made in order of when I made them, so here's the track list with a brief description of each track.

Retrospective - My first attempt with Nanostudio at making electronic music. This was composed over the summer and features all preset synths that came with the program. The major issues that plague it are a simple beat, an irritating snare, and lack of atmosphere. It's strong point would probably be the breakdown at 1:28.

Urban Science - This one was completed after Striking Chill, but the majority of it was finished by the time I decided to experiment with DnB. The drum computer is all samples recorded with the iPod mic and because of this the percussion lacks bass, but it is made up for by three very bassy synths. The main issues are lack of more than one melody structure, and too easy of a feel. The strong points would probably be the percussive rhythms with their sounds, the basslines, and the initial melody introduced at 1:36.

Striking Chill - After composing one electronic, almost dance piece and one electronic chill piece (Urban Science was actually inspired by the Pyrite Town theme from Pokemon Colosseum) I decided to tackle DnB. This sounds surprisingly fast despite the fact that it runs at only 150 bpm. I would attribute that to the hi-hat and the rapid repetitive melodies that modulate. The primary issues with this track would be lack of atmosphere (something all my tracks suffer form in my opinion), lack of elements (there are only 3 synths used), and repetitiveness. The strong points would probably be the funky snare hits (some people hate them, but zircon inspired me to try and do something "new school"), the modulation, and the initial sequence at 1:10.

Progress - I liked the results with my first DnB track so much that I decided to take another crack at it this time with more elements. While I still don't capture the atmosphere I'm always seeking, I did find that music writes itself more often then not and the best part (in my opinion) ended up being the most un-DnB part. Cons are repetitiveness, semi-uninteresting synth sounds, drum loops, and the atmosphere (or lack thereof). Pros are mostly found in the calm section starting at 2:39. Overall I would argue this has the best production quality despite the fact that there isn't any real good element about it that stands out.

Shift (Interlude) - I put this together in around an hour because I had "Paint it Black" by the Rolling Stones stuck in my head. It's repetitive and plays the same harmony over and over through different key changes, but it accomplishes its goal of being an interlude. The "lead" for all intensive purposes is a very basic triangle pulse wave that uses the LFO to ascend to the note. If you want cons then I guess they would be weak synth lead and notes and a prolonged ending. Pros would probably be harmony and the "shifting" between keys. Overall there isn't really much that can be said about this track.

So that's all I've completed so far. I can tell you right now that I've been working on a Progressive Trance/House mix that will probably be done by the end of the year. I'm trying to use all samples and synths that aren't built into Nanostudio. The other track that is still at its very beginning is a sort of synth rock. It's much harder to compose because I'm not sure how to nail the style, electronic is so much easier. Nanostudio is the first music synthesis program I've ever worked with, so give me a break and help me out. There are people much more talented then I who work with Nanostudio. Checking their stuff out is definitely recommended so you can tell me how pathetic my beginnings are :) All comments are much appreciated.

A Missive From a Friend

I find this letter from Lemony Snicket to all WriMos (I've lost, by the way. I'm weak) very fitting for inclusion here.

Dear Cohort,
Struggling with your novel? Paralyzed by the fear that it's nowhere near good enough? Feeling caught in a trap of your own devising? You should probably give up.
For one thing, writing is a dying form. One reads of this every day. Every magazine and newspaper, every hardcover and paperback, every website and most walls near the freeway trumpet the news that nobody reads anymore, and everyone has read these statements and felt their powerful effects. The authors of all those articles and editorials, all those manifestos and essays, all those exclamations and eulogies - what would they say if they knew you were writing something? They would urge you, in bold-faced print, to stop.
Clearly, the future is moving us proudly and zippily away from the written word, so writing a novel is actually interfering with the natural progress of modern society. It is old-fashioned and fuddy-duddy, a relic of a time when people took artistic expression seriously and found solace in a good story told well. We are in the process of disentangling ourselves from that kind of peace of mind, so it is rude for you to hinder the world by insisting on adhering to the beloved paradigms of the past. It is like sitting in a gondola, listening to the water carry you across the water, while everyone else is zooming over you in jetpacks, belching smoke into the sky. Stop it, is what the jet-packers would say to you. Stop it this instant, you in that beautiful craft of intricately-carved wood that is giving you such a pleasant journey.
Besides, there are already plenty of novels. There is no need for a new one. One could devote one's entire life to reading the work of Henry James, for instance, and never touch another novel by any other author, and never be hungry for anything else, the way one could live on nothing but multivitamin tablets and pureed root vegetables and never find oneself craving wild mushroom soup or linguini with clam sauce or a plain roasted chicken with lemon-zested dandelion greens or strong black coffee or a perfectly ripe peach or chips and salsa or caramel ice cream on top of poppyseed cake or smoked salmon with capers or aged goat cheese or a gin gimlet or some other startling item sprung from the imagination of some unknown cook. In fact, think of the world of literature as an enormous meal, and your novel as some small piddling ingredient - the drawn butter, for example, served next to a large, boiled lobster. Who wants that? If it were brought to the table, surely most people would ask that it be removed post-haste.
Even if you insisted on finishing your novel, what for? Novels sit unpublished, or published but unsold, or sold but unread, or read but unreread, lonely on shelves and in drawers and under the legs of wobbly tables. They are like seashells on the beach. Not enough people marvel over them. They pick them up and put them down. Even your friends and associates will never appreciate your novel the way you want them to. In fact, there are likely just a handful of readers out in the world who are perfect for your book, who will take it to heart and feel its mighty ripples throughout their lives, and you will likely never meet them, at least under the proper circumstances. So who cares? Think of that secret favorite book of yours - not the one you tell people you like best, but that book so good that you refuse to share it with people because they'd never understand it. Perhaps it's not even a whole book, just a tiny portion that you'll never forget as long as you live. Nobody knows you feel this way about that tiny portion of literature, so what does it matter? The author of that small bright thing, that treasured whisper deep in your heart, never should have bothered.
Of course, it may well be that you are writing not for some perfect reader someplace, but for yourself, and that is the biggest folly of them all, because it will not work. You will not be happy all of the time. Unlike most things that most people make, your novel will not be perfect. It may well be considerably less than one-fourth perfect, and this will frustrate you and sadden you. This is why you should stop. Most people are not writing novels which is why there is so little frustration and sadness in the world, particularly as we zoom on past the novel in our smoky jet packs soon to be equipped with pureed food. The next time you find yourself in a group of people, stop and think to yourself, probably no one here is writing a novel. This is why everyone is so content, here at this bus stop or in line at the supermarket or standing around this baggage carousel or sitting around in this doctor's waiting room or in seventh grade or in Johannesburg. Give up your novel, and join the crowd. Think of all the things you could do with your time instead of participating in a noble and storied art form. There are things in your cupboards that likely need to be moved around.
In short, quit. Writing a novel is a tiny candle in a dark, swirling world. It brings light and warmth and hope to the lucky few who, against insufferable odds and despite a juggernaut of irritations, find themselves in the right place to hold it. Blow it out, so our eyes will not be drawn to its power. Extinguish it so we can get some sleep. I plan to quit writing novels myself, sometime in the next hundred years.
--Lemony Snicket
Lemony Snicket is the author of  A Series of Unfortunate Events.

Last Thursday of November in the United States of America

Sometimes

the thoughts


don't flow.


We don't
let

that

stop us.


We should
know

by now.


We're

Blessed.


Happy Thanksgiving.

Song of the Week 23: 'The Dark Side of Phobos' by Daniel Baranowsky

Alright, here's Song of the Week 23, and were looking at a song from the people at OCR once again. The song is called "The Dark Side of Phobos" and is from the game "Doom". For the direct link, you can click here once again. I really need to find a better way to introduce these reviews. If anyone has an idea, just tell me. Anyway, I better get started.

The song starts out with an extremely low and pulsing pitch of sound. It's probably some low string instruments (or something of the sort). This entire beginning sounds completely eerie, and at 0:17, some violin is added into the background to make the song sound even creepier. At 0:24 there is a transition to a string-dominating melody. The notes that the strings make from 0:27 to about 0:36 adds a ton of suspense to the song, as the pitches gradually get higher. At 0:37 it transitions again into a different melody from the strings, as well as some percussion that occasionally comes in to add emphasis. The suspended symbol at 0:44 is a nice touch also. The string section has different parts to it, and you can clearly hear a difference from 0:50 to 1:03. At 1:04 a lot more percussion is played here, and, like the other added effects in this song, really add suspense. The percussion here gradually gets louder and even draws my attention more than the melody the strings are playing. This continues until 1:17, where there's a percussion solo lasting until 1:23. This solo transitions to a section similar to the one at 0:37, this time with some piano in the background. The bass in this section is great, and the piano does a great job to keep the suspense in the song. The piano can be louder though, especially since there isn't very much playing other than that. Everything decrescendos at 1:52, but then suddenly transitions into exactly what it was before at 1:56. The piano here does get louder and louder until 2:10, where the strings once again take over. Once again the strings here split into separate sections (depending on the sound they make respectively), and create a harmony which can easily be heard at 2:15. At 2:26 things really start to die down. At 2:29 it transitions into a dark tone equipped with low instrumentation, and low percussion. However, at 2:41 the mood calms down a little bit. At 2:48 the piano takes over everything. This entire piano section lasting from 2:48 all the way to 3:50 is awesome. The notes would switch from major to minor keys without making it sound to transitional. Everything seemed to flow here, and the strings starting at 3:00 that harmonized the melody worked out perfectly to add to the calmer mood of the song. The dynamics are also perfect; people can definitely tell the volume difference when listening to this solo, especially at around 2:59. At 3:32 the piano could have been much louder. The interlude still goes on, so the piano should finish the job by having the listener actually hear the piano being played. At 3:50, some loud percussion comes in to create the last beat of the song. It may be the end, but it completely disintegrated that calm mood with some loud percussion that nearly made me jump when it came out of no where. Then everything is quiet, and the song comes to an end.

Pros: There was a great feeling of suspense in this song, and the instrumentation was amazing. I'm glad it wasn't just strings and percussion dominating when the huge piano section kicked in at 2:48, but none the less, the strings and percussion were pretty awesome. Everything flowed perfectly, and none of the transitions were choppy. This is really a job well done.

Cons: Okay, there were unfortunately a couple of cons to go with this song. The piano could have been much louder during numerous sections, mainly at 0:37 and at 3:32 during that piano section near the ending. The ending at 3:50 I didn't like at all. That really was a bad way to end the song, especially when everything was so calm from 2:48 to 3:49. That really could have gone better.

Overall: This piece is impressive, but it could be better. For example, the ending. Beside those details though, this is definitely a piece worth listening to if a person is in the mood for something suspenseful and dark.

Rating: 9.4/10

Hello, my lycanthropic arthropods and otherwise inextricable pseudonyms. I, Reogan, have arrived to give a more Reogan-y review, as no one else here is as capable of being Reogan as I am. Odd.

A stirring from deep within the earth brushes the edge of human consciousness. Again it pulses, and a faint energy, neither electric nor chemical, grips the soul. Again it surges, stronger than before, and now a grating of the opening hell-gate begins. As infernal power ebbs and flows, the heartbeat of Man begins to speed, and the skies turn grey with terror. Across the world, not a star shines, and the sun and moon have both fled. A horrible Power, long dead, long sleeping, long damned, swells with strength, straining at Its decaying fetters.

With a terrible roar, the chains snap free from the rock, and He is free. Up from the Pit It flies, accompanied by the winged forms of creatures neither Angelic nor Human. The tunnel is long, and lit by a thousand guardian angels, whose swords glint for a moment before a fire beyond their ken quenches them. The bodies are consumed by the hoard, and only a few feathers drift, forgotten, to the ground. Above, the earth waits becalmed, unable to do anything. A faint scream grows louder as a hope never recognized fades.

Then all Hell breaks loose. The ground shatters and Legion leads his legions across the earth. Beelzebub and Asmodeus emerge nearly at once to herald the way of their Lord and Master. And then He is come. For a second, everything falls to silence, all beings immobilized by His presence. Then, with a roar beyond comprehension, he flaps his tattered wings and takes to the sky. Chaos flows from Him, and Nature herself dies. The weapons of man fail as spirits fly through their defenses and devour their souls.

A light builds beyond the clouds. Slowly, it gains strength and a single beam pierces the veil. Out of the sky stream the Host of a Lord long blasphemed by those he comes to save. Man is helpless to do aught but watch as light meets darkness above. The Lord of Shadow watches as His minions fall in hordes, while the angels lose but a handful. Above him, the two blessed generals of their Lords army direct the battle.

Suddenly, their light falls to nothing as He grabs them both from the air and devours them. A wave of Darkness floats out from him, and each angel turns black and withers beneath its oppression. He strides through the land, knocking them all from the sky, leaving his minions to devour them. The land shatters beneath his step, and nation after nation falls. Families die and their souls are snatched by darkness before salvation can be.

An arrow of silver pierces the brow of the Prince. He looks on, and out of the darkness rides a King with a blazing sword. Steel meets claw and lightning flies as the two Titans battle for the last time. First one claw-gouge, then another appears on the Savior's face, and his Foe throws him outward into the Swarm. The cloud closes about its victim, and from between the writhing bodies flows light. It grows and dims, pulsing for a minute. Mankind holds his breath.

The Light dies, and a new, maniacal fear, a hopelessness beyond thought ensnares the world. Some run screaming, others pray vainly, but their spirit is one, prostrated in the mud. Most of the demons are perished, like the Host, and the Fiend cares little for prolonging his work. All are undone by night. And the long-silent clouds above rain their tears down in mourning for their Creator. A wind blows through the broken limbs of trees, and leaves fall onto the blasted ground where Hope died.

Then, from their place of hiding, the Two chosen by the First to rebuild rise. They look about in sorrow, at what has become of their world. A glow builds behind them, and they turn to face their fate.

This is a post.

There will be more, but GLEE.

Darklight, Chapter Three

Light is unnatural. Darkness is truth. - The Gospel of Darkness

The Luminators who fetched me from my cell were clothed in the stainless white of the Capitol. As they bundled me down the hall, I felt as though my uneven blue dress was in itself an offense against the State. Only that and my dark hair stood out from the blameless white that suffused the hallway. So perfect was the light that I couldn't tell whence it came, nor in fact where the floor ended and the wall began. It was a perfect eternity of nothing. It was a heaven.
It was my prison.
After an eternity of walking-how long were those halls?-we finally came to a door. Concealed entirely within the wall, the perfect rectangle swung out at a touch from the Luminator on my right. The room beyond was far brighter than the rest of the building, and I had to shield my eyes. Blinded, I was led to the center of the floor and left to stand.
No sound was made, but the guards were gone when I could see. In their place, a host of men and women robed in the same flawless white could be seen at the edges of the room. So intense was the color that i couldn't bear look at anything for long. Then, ahead of me, I saw him.
A shimmering Brilliance stood not twelve spans from me. A long silence passed before he spoke.
"Welcome, Glint, to the Forge of Hearth. You are charged with the crimes of murder and Darking."

Michael

She was like a comet in the night. Blazing across the sky, she darted to and fro, dazzling sparks drifting from her like snow. To most, she would be nothing more than a blur. To the lucky, a goddess of beauty could be seen within the fire.

But even her brilliance paled next to the flaming behemoth beside her. Despite its terrifying downward velocity, the plane seemed to hang in the air, ominous and omenesque. She darted through the gash in its side into the cabin and back to the ground time and again, pulling screaming passengers to safety before they knew what happened. She was that good.

Michael was better.

His wings beat effortlessly as he darted towards her. Black against black, he was nearly invisible in the night sky. Without a sound, he drew up alongside her as she ascended. It was a half a second before she noticed him.

"What are-"



Michael smirked as the beacon plummeted to earth. He leisurely climbed up to where he would have a better view of the crash. It looked as though it might even land on the other Angel.

Then a brilliant golden flash lit the night, and Michael found himself spinning out of control.

Song of the Week 22.5: 'Black Wing Metamorphosis' by Fishy, Jillian Aversa, Sixto Sounds, Steffan Andrews, Suzumebachi, bLiNd, tefnek (redo)

Like the last .5 edition I did last week, this review is a redo of one of Met's older SotW's. This one was part of a two song edition, although I will only be looking at the second one. This is Met's SotW 5, which is called Black Wing Metamorphosis. Here's the direct link to the song also.

The beginning of the song is very electronic, and reminds me of a telephone. It's not really something I hear everyday (unless I hear a telephone ring, of course). At 0:15 more of a beat comes in with the soft sounds from before, which makes it all the better. You can clearly hear some strings at 0:26 as well. The strings here pretty much take over the melody until a brass section has possession of it at 0:31. The song sounds more orchestral than electronic now. At 0:45 the song is so intense; there's great percussion, and the choir here is absolutely awesome. At about 1:01, it almost sounds like more of a mix of electronic and orchestra. Mixes like this are amazing, by the way. At 1:11 it goes back into what it was at 0:45 however. At 1:16 there is even a small percussion solo. At 1:18 the vocal and the background sounds just make the song so eerie sounding. At 1:26 things kick back into gear with a huge amount of choir. The choir does an excellent job of keeping the intensity of this track. This section continues until around 2:07, where the brass maintains the melody. At 2:18 a bass line comes to support the brass also. At 3:00 something appears that I never would have excepted in this song: the electric guitar? Now that's what I call intensity. The guitar absolutely goes crazy here; I never would have known that would happen. At 3:16 things die down into the song's ending.

Pros: Excellent use of choir, guitar, and pretty much everything in the song. There were great transitions into each section as well.

Cons: Parts of the song weren't as interesting as others, and some of the sounds could have been louder. That's pretty much it.

Overall: This is one cool song. It could have gone better in some areas, but other than that it was a job well done.

Rating: 9.1/10

Karachay: Part 7

Tuesday, June 6th, 1967
Dear Lyov,
The condition of the farmers is slowly deteriorating here as well. I may soon be in your position, but for now I have a little time. I’ve made far too many house calls over the past few days. This is clearly not just fatigue; there is a connection here, I know it. I’ve just sent word out to the surrounding villages. If they face the same troubles that we do, then these things must be connected. In that case, we must contact the government for assistance. I do not know what this is yet, but no disease is incurable. The human race has made it thus far and I believe it will continue to weather these storms.
Mikhail sends his regards; he too is hard pressed in these troubling times. The farmers are constantly at work, trying to meet quotas while staying healthy. It doesn’t do them any good. If not for my own drinks and requests for cures I fear Mikhail would be out of business. I’ve yet to see a drink Mikhail cannot mix; his skills are invaluable to my job more than ever as of late.
Your dire situation demands some respite; I would visit you if I could. Do not take stock in superstition. These are trying times, but just because there is a question for every answer doesn’t mean it cannot be explained. Marya was a brilliant assistant, but do not make her one mistake. I miss her dearly, but even I acknowledge that she would accept the supernatural all too soon. There is a logical explanation for this; we will find it, and then we will call for help.
Take heart,
Isaak