In the twilight of my tenure as a guardian of the coast, the final ascent to the beacon room felt every bit a ceremonial march and an omen. Each step echoed the years of my life—seventy-six in total—as I climbed the spiral staircase of the old Montauk Lighthouse. The air was dense with the scent of history, each breath a mixture of salt and iron. It wasn't just another evening; it was a passage, marking the end of an era.
Elsewhere, on the turbulent waters a few miles from the shoreline, the evening spelled disaster for Richard Mallory. His boat’s engine room blazed, a fire doused only by desperate measures with a fire extinguisher. At sea, the rules are different, the stakes always higher.
Inside the lighthouse’s beacon room, a plaque caught the light: “Margaret Mabrity, Lightkeeper—First lighted the depths on March 2nd, 1985, and hasn’t missed a night.” Four decades of solitary vigils, of battling the elements, of keeping the light burning so that others might find their way home.
Tonight, though, as I stepped onto the gallery deck, the air carried a charge, a sharp scent of petrichor announcing the storm brewing on the horizon. The storm clouds, like ink dropped into water, spread across the sky, their bellies dark and heavy. I tasted the metallic tang of ozone and felt a pressure that seemed to compress the air around me.
Why did I do it? Why spend a lifetime in this solitary pursuit? The answer was as murky as the churning sea below—a personal beacon, perhaps, calling me to a purpose only I could fulfill.
Meanwhile, not far from my fixed orbit, Captain "Cappie" Rodgers prowled the waterways of Long Island, his tugboat a steadfast sentinel awaiting the call to action. The sea was his domain, but even he couldn’t deny the changing tides—of technology, of time. Yet tonight, like every night, the old ways proved their worth.
Our paths, though charted by different stars, were linked by more than duty. Our lives—a tapestry of rescues and near misses, of lives saved and lost—were bound by the sea’s relentless call.
Throughout my life, I’ve walked away from many things: a promising career as a skier, academic pursuits, even a family. Each departure marked by its own unique sorrow and liberation. But nothing compared to the constancy of the lighthouse. Its beacon had been my companion through seasons of turmoil and peace, its rhythm a heartbeat in the coastal silence.
As I contemplated this final night, a crackle over the radio shattered the stillness. It was Cappie, his voice a lifeline thrown across the dark water. He didn’t have to say it; I could hear the urgency, the unspoken alarm. Tonight was not to be the quiet farewell I had envisioned.
Richard Mallory was adrift, literally and metaphorically. The fire was out, but his vessel was now a ghost ship, floating aimlessly, its electronic navigational aids dead. For someone who had lived by numbers and coordinates, the sudden plunge into uncertainty was paralyzing.
Only months before, buoyed by a promotion, Richard had indulged in the dream of a seafarer’s life, purchasing a used Sea Ray Sundancer. It was his escape, his slice of freedom. Yet, his preparation had been woefully inadequate—a fact now clear as the GPS blinked out, leaving him stranded in a vast, unyielding sea.
On land, his life had been slipping through his fingers. Rene, his partner, had moved on, captured by the allure of a wealthier, more thrilling life. His vessel, much like his heart, was battered, unsteady.
But as the dark closed in, Richard faced the void with a clarity he had never known. The horizon was lost to him, yet in that loss, he found a stark, terrifying liberty.
“Marge, the seas are angry tonight,” Cappie’s voice broke through the static.
“I feel it,” I replied, my hand steadying against the lighthouse rail.
“He’s out there, Marge. Our wayward sailor. Lost his bearing, and now caught in the squall.”
I knew without asking that Cappie would go. It was not a night for safe harbors or cautious hearts.
“Be careful,” I said, the weight of my words heavy as the clouds above.
“Always,” he replied, and I imagined his rugged smile, the glint in his eye as he faced down the tempest.
The night grew darker, if possible. The sea and sky merged into one black void. Below, Richard fired his last flare into the abyss, a desperate signal swallowed by the storm.
Then, against all odds, salvation arrived. Cappie’s tugboat, the Cthulhu, named for myths as old as the sea itself, battled through the waves. With deft hands and a seaman’s grit, Cappie reached Richard, tethering their fates with stout ropes and sheer will.
“Thought I was a goner,” Richard gasped as he clambered aboard the tugboat.
“Not on my watch,” Cappie grunted, securing the line. “Let’s get you home.”
And as they turned toward shore, the beacon of Montauk Lighthouse pierced the darkness—a steadfast promise of safe return.
Back at the lighthouse, I listened for the distant hum of the tugboat, the storm easing as if in respect of the old seaman’s courage. The sea had called us both, in its wild, unfathomable ways.
“Cappie,” I murmured into the radio, a smile tugging at my lips, “bring him home.”
And in the quiet that followed, as the dawn light crept across the horizon, I knew the lighthouse wasn’t just a beacon for lost ships. It was a beacon for all who were lost, calling us home in the end.

Score Vid of all the submitters: https://youtu.be/Hl1sqeSgM5I?si=K4epN2G2yuy86iQ2
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The very first Composition Challenge is HERE

For this challenge the premise is very simple, write a Spring themed Ground/Chaconne/Passacaglia that utilizes some existing melodies/motifs about Spring. The melody/motif does NOT need to be the ground bass/ostinato itself and does not need to be a main theme. It could also be altered
It could be any tonality, any style, any instrumentation, and the melody can be from ANY GENRE
AND HERE ARE THE SUBMITTERS
Note that the arrangement of the pieces are not my ranking of qualities, but just how I would arrange them if it was a concert.
Notes from composers in the comments
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If you are interested in more events like this, feel free to join my discord server:
Classical Music Discord: https://discord.gg/hTpJqVXD8d
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0:00 BMBMBM - SUPER DUPER YOU YA, for Piano Trio
Note from composer:
A cute little dramatic piece for piano trio.
It is a ground (maybe theme and variations)
Spring melodies I used:
Vivaldi - The Four Seasons: Spring (I. Allegro & II. Largo e pianissimo sempre)
Takashi Yoshimatsu- 4 Little Dream Songs (1. Spring … Dream Song on May)
These melodies I used are mainly altered, they are sometimes being extended and served as main melody.
This piece is made out of 4 parts, 1 main theme and 3 variations. I put many spring sounds especially in the first variation.
Sorry for the shitty strings playback, I use musescore :(( have fun listening to it :DD
3:38 kingfishy or Charley Shi - Chaconne in F major, for Piano Trio
Their YouTube Channel: https://youtu.be/P0nG-wJr2Jk?si=ejpaB1BbARQyfpLn
Note from composer:
This is my submission for Zewen Senpai's composition challenge:
This composition uses the main theme of the 3rd movement of Vivaldi's Spring. It is in the key of F major because F major evokes the feeling of Spring (Beethoven 6th symphony and Beethoven Spring sonata) and is close to the key of Vivaldi's Spring (E major).
In this piece, I have employed numerous violin techniques: scordatura, harmonics, spiccato, ricochet, and left-hand pizzicato. I am learning violin so it was really fun trying out the stuff on the violin (albeit way under tempo). I have no idea how to notate scordatura properly on Musescore since the scordatura plugin for Musescore 3 doesn't work in Musescore 4.
The piece commences with the piano playing the bassline by itself. The cello joins in with an outline of the main theme, which is then echoed by the violin. The violin shortly introduces the main theme in full. After moving towards the first climax, the music shifts to F minor. The F minor section, in my mind, represents a storm which is brewing; the F minor section drives towards a big climax which portrays the thunderstorm that arrives. There is a burst of light when the F minor climax suddenly leads back to F major, with the violin dancing above the cello and piano in celebration.
In the coda, the music dies away, evoking an atmosphere of peacefulness, restfulness, and stillness. I quoted from the beginning of the last movement of Beethoven's 6th symphony.
9:37 Andrej Dedík - Chaccone in G minor, for Piano
on the Themes of Fašiangy, Turíce & Po nábreží koník beží
Note from composer:
"Fašiangy" (Shrovetide) is the period before Lent in the Christian calendar, characterized by vibrant festivities leading up to Ash Wednesday. It serves as a celebration heralding the end of winter, where snow begins to thaw, and the climate softens, yet we remain in the chill of the colder months, with spring waiting just around the corner.
"Turíce", a vital part of Slovak folk tradition, is celebrated during Shrovetide with community gatherings, traditional music, and dances. This tradition involves vibrant costumes and masks, and door-to-door processions, symbolizing the farewell to winter and the welcome of spring. It's a time of communal joy and cultural reaffirmation, deeply rooted in the anticipation of renewal and the celebration of Slovak heritage.
"Po nábreží koník beží" is a captivating piece of Slovak folklore, evoking the lively image of a horse galloping along the riverbank. This traditional song or tale is imbued with the essence of nature and freedom, reflecting the beauty and spirit of the Slovak landscape. It symbolizes movement and the timeless connection between land and life, often interpreted through dance or music. This folklore piece resonates with themes of adventure and the pastoral idyll, celebrating the simple yet profound joys of rural life. Its narrative captures the imagination, transporting listeners to scenes of natural splendor and the rhythmic beauty of life in motion.
17:15 Tapeworm Saga - Spring's Arrival, for Synth Septet
Their YouTube Channel: https://youtu.be/W2wCZhCwRcY?si=tRYD3kqu1eOlFClK
Note from composer:
Loosely in the form of a passacaglia (more 20th century than baroque), it starts with an original theme for the ostinato, but slowly introduces the Georgian song "Gazapkhuli"/"Spring" (https://youtu.be/ou8TfiRQAFU?si=2J-MbgWD\_Uauoc4U) into the texture, starting with fragments and slowly blooming into a full statement of "Gazaphkuli" near the end. In addition to this, I intended for the overall change in character through the piece to reflect the changing of seasons as the still of winter slowly gives way to spring.
26:25 Francium - Chaconne in E major, for Piano
Note from composer:
This Chaconne is in the key of E major because it's the brightest key for me personally. Also "Spring" by Vivaldi is in the key of E major.
I used various German folk songs about spring in this one (and Vivaldi's Spring, of course!)
The themes I used are (in order of appearance):
Es tönen die Lieder (translated: The songs resound)
Der Kuckuck und der Esel (transl.: The cuckoo and the donkey)
Vivaldi - Spring from The Four Seasons
Kuckuck ruft's aus dem Wald (transl.: Cuckoo calls from the forest)
Die Vogelhochzeit (transl.: The bird wedding)
I just translated the German song titles roughly so that everybody can understands the song titles.
29:40 Aoi or Azura - 春節 Haru Bushi Op.42 for Orchestra
Their YouTube Channel: https://youtu.be/VTVhhurKC0A?si=GSx4cQozaVml7o1\_
Note from Composer:
A tale of Nature, the Sea, and the Forests.
The piece makes various quotations from the works of other composers.

1. Haru Bushi
   
2. Ondo no Funauta
   
3. Michio Miyagi- Haru no Umi
   
4. Astor Piazzolla- Primavera Porteña
   
5. The Flowers of Spring
   
6. Dies Irae
   
7. ryo- Black Rock Shooter
   
8. Sergei Rachmaninoff- Piano Concerto No.2
   
9. Shiro Sagisu- unknown piece
   
10. Neru- Tokyo Teddy Bear
    
11. Charles-Valentin Alkan- le Chemin de Fer
    
12. Bela Bartók- The Miraculous Mandarin
    
13. Antonio Vivaldi- Spring
    
14. Hector Berlioz- Sinfonie Fantastique
    
15. J. S. Bach- Harpsichord Concerto BWV 1065
    
16. Henryk Górecki- Harpsichord Concerto
    
17. Igor Stravinsky- The Rite of Spring
    
18. Antonio Vivaldi- La Follia
    
19. La Bruja
    
20. Seina- Starlight Wonder
    
21. Tormented by Grievous Bondage
    
22. The Flowers of Spring
    
23. As I roved out on a bright may morning
    
24. Joe Hisaishi- Princess Mononoke
    

Special thanks to bee5156@discord.com for helping me understand time signature modulation
49:04 Sißel Ng or Sissel Ng - Spring for Strings, Piano and Organ
Their YouTube Channel: https://youtu.be/UvxjqpVpJnU?si=48cKl40QfY5B7s7g
Note from Composer:
Well, a dull name sure, but it's referring to the text I picked for the work — "Spring" by Christina Rossetti.
Frost-locked all the winter,
Seeds, and roots, and stones of fruits,
What shall make their sap ascend
That they may put forth shoots?
Tips of tender green,
Leaf, or blade, or sheath;
Telling of the hidden life
That breaks forth underneath,
Life nursed in its grave by Death.
Blows the thaw-wind pleasantly,
Drips the soaking rain,
By fits looks down the waking sun:
Young grass springs on the plain;
Young leaves clothe early hedgerow trees;
Seeds, and roots, and stones of fruits,
Swollen with sap, put forth their shoots;
Curled-headed ferns sprout in the lane;
Birds sing and pair again.
There is no time like Spring,
When life’s alive in everything,
Before new nestlings sing,
Before cleft swallows speed their journey back
Along the trackless track, –
God guides their wing,
He spreads their table that they nothing lack, –
Before the daisy grows a common flower,
Before the sun has power
To scorch the world up in his noontide hour.
There is no time like Spring,
Like Spring that passes by;
There is no life like Spring-life born to die, –
Piercing the sod,
Clothing the uncouth clod,
Hatched in the nest,
Fledged on the windy bough,
Strong on the wing:
There is no time like Spring that passes by,
Now newly born, and now
Hastening to die.
First, second and last stanza of the poem are used for this work.
This time, instead of providing a largely Spring-style work, I decided to diminish the importance of the actual Spring element.
Thus, in 11 mins, there's only 2-3 mins that's really "Spring" (corresponding to second stanza of the poem).
The work itself shows how Spring is started, flourished, and how Spring is died.
I deliberately chose 2 existing themes for this work: opening ofJoachim Raff's Symphony No.8 ("Spring Sounds"), which corresponds to what before the Spring, and Carl Reinecke's Violin Concerto in G major, which do the opposite.
With unusual time signature (cut time) and lengthy bassline, and even some elaborations (depicting the text), this work would show a dampen nature instead of the active, bouncy Spring.

Many people/articles say that the counter on the pause screen is the number of days since the outbreak happened or at least when Farewell was affected, I believe that it's how many days since Sarah has been gone, ever since she either, got on the helicopter, or when she "died" where Deacon had the makeshift headstone. To me it makes sense because Deacon is essentially looking for her during the entirety of the game. Also Side Note: I'm at 823 Days and the computer AI thing said that it's been 751 days since the "Wizard Island Witch"(quotations for those who snoop on spoilers) has been there. Is the 751 the same day that she left work and the helicopter happened or was there a gap in time since then?

AVGN Crew React to Meeting Tony Hawk:
The Bimmster: James is awestruck when he sees Tony Hawk and immediately starts gushing about how much he loved playing his video games growing up. He asks Tony about behind-the-scenes stories from making the games. He cuts it short because there's no time.
Kyle Justin: As soon as Kyle spots Tony Hawk, his eyes widen, and he excitedly points him out to Mike. "Dude, it's Tony Hawk!" he exclaims, immediately pulling out his phone to snap a selfie. Kyle then launches into a passionate monologue about how much he loved playing the Tony Hawk Pro Skater games, reminiscing about the countless hours he spent perfecting his tricks. He eagerly approaches Tony, shaking his hand and thanking him for the memories the games provided.
MF Mike: Matei grins from ear to ear when he sees Tony Hawk, nodding in agreement with Kyle's excitement. "Man, those games were legendary," he remarks, recalling late-night gaming sessions with friends. Mike joins Kyle in approaching Tony, expressing his admiration for Tony's influence on the skateboarding and gaming communities. He asks Tony about his favorite moments from the games and shares his own memories of playing them. He shouldn't have worn tight shorts that day.
Justy: Justin's eyes widen in disbelief as he spots Tony Hawk across the room. "No way, it's Tony Hawk!" he exclaims, his excitement palpable. As a fellow enthusiast of gaming and pop culture, Justin can't believe he's face-to-face with the legendary skateboarder. With a mix of awe and enthusiasm, Justin approaches Tony, extending his hand for a shake. "I grew up playing your games, man! They were a huge part of my childhood," he says, his voice filled with genuine admiration. Justin peppers Tony with questions about his experiences in the gaming industry and eagerly shares his own memories of playing the Tony Hawk Pro Skater series. The thought of peppers makes him hungry. He and Tony get some bangin' pub subs and the two bond over their mutual love of gaming and skateboarding, exchanging stories late into the night.
Lloyd Kaufman: Lloyd spots Tony Hawk from across the room and nudges the person next to him, whispering, "Isn't that the guy from 'Skate or Die 2'?" Confident that he's identified a fellow cult classic enthusiast, Lloyd approaches Tony with a mix of confusion and enthusiasm. "Hey, aren't you the skateboarder from that B-movie about the mutant zombies?" he asks, referencing a film he once watched. Despite the mix-up, Lloyd engages Tony in a lively conversation about the intersection of skateboarding and cinema.
Kyle Justin as the Guitar Guy: When Kyle lays eyes on Tony Hawk, a mischievous grin spreads across his face. Without missing a beat, he reaches for his guitar and starts playing the iconic opening riff of "Superman" by Goldfinger, a staple of the Tony Hawk Pro Skater soundtrack. As the familiar melody fills the air, Tony's face lights up with recognition, and he nods along to the music. Kyle's impromptu performance draws a crowd, and soon everyone in the vicinity is tapping their feet to the rhythm.
Bugs Bunny: Bugs Bunny spots Tony Hawk skating nearby and immediately sees an opportunity for some friendly competition. With a mischievous twinkle in his eye, Bugs challenges Tony to a skate-off, confident in his ability to outmaneuver the legendary skateboarder. What follows is a hilariously chaotic showdown as Bugs unleashes a barrage of cartoonish tricks, including loop-de-loops and gravity-defying jumps. Despite Bugs's antics, Tony takes it all in good humor, impressed by the rabbit's creativity on the board.
Freddy Krueger: Freddy Krueger, ever the master of nightmares, spots Tony Hawk and decides to have a little fun at his expense. With a sinister grin, Freddy conjures up a nightmare scenario, transforming Tony's skateboard into a malevolent creature that twists and morphs beneath him. But to Freddy's surprise, Tony effortlessly navigates the nightmarish terrain, executing flawless tricks as if he's skating on solid ground. Frustrated by Tony's unflappable skill, Freddy retreats into the shadows, vowing to come up with a new plan to torment his next victim.
Seaman: Seaman, the quirky virtual fish with a penchant for sass, does a double-take as Tony Hawk enters the room. "Well, well, well, if it isn't the one and only Tony Hawk," Seaman declares with a wry grin, his fishy lips curling into a smirk. Tony, caught off guard by the talking fish's boldness, blinks in surprise before approaching Seaman's tank with a chuckle. "I've heard you're quite the skateboarder," Seaman continues, eyeing Tony skeptically. "But can you do an ollie while swimming backward?" Tony, amused by the challenge, mimics the motion of an ollie with exaggerated flair, causing Seaman to burst into bubbles of laughter. "Not bad, not bad at all," Seaman concedes, nodding appreciatively. "But let's see how you handle a grind down the coral reef!" Tony plays along, pretending to grind along an imaginary rail, much to Seaman's delight. The two share a moment of aquatic absurdity before Tony bids farewell to his newfound fishy friend, leaving with a story he'll be retelling for years to come. He will definitely be a secret character in the next game.

• Perhaps in his urgency to spare the citizens of King’s Landing, Varys has abandoned most of the care that has kept him alive this whole series. Beginning with the opening where he’s trying to poison Daenerys. And continuing onto the beach where he is sure to be the first one to meet Jon. In view of Tyrion. Knowing that he (and perhaps Jon) will report to Daenerys. This is a Hail Mary attempt on his part.
• “The right ruler on the Iron Throne. I still don't know how her coin has landed. But I'm quite certain about yours.” Varys hasn’t known Jon as long as the audience has. I’m sure he’s made a good impression, but what makes him so sure about Jon?
• This interaction with Varys is a good indication of what his future would be like if he took the crown. The bluntness, the inability to be coy. The clash against Southern Politik.
• This side shot of Tyrion as he comes to a halt in the map room against the craved dragon is delicious. Like the dragon is eating him.
• “Someone has betrayed me.” “Yes.” “Jon Snow.” I know, in her mind, Jon has betrayed her by spilling the secret, but it’s still interesting that he’s the first name that crops up for her.
• Seeing someone onscreen accept their doom with quiet dignity is like catnip for me. Maybe I hope I can be that calm in the face of death. In any case, I love Conleth’s performance in this season. This episode in particular. The action of removing his rings (I assume for Martha, the young girl in the beginning. Or for all of his little birds) was a lovely touch.
• “It was me.” God, I love that they made them actual friends. This farewell hits hard. Especially with Varys’ response: “I hope I deserve this. Truly, I do. I hope I'm wrong. Goodbye, old friend.”
• Drogon emerging from the darkness is quite menacing. I forgot that Jon is also in this frame with Daenerys. A dragon as well. The burst of fire made me think it would be a scene transition at first, but then we see the reaction. No music. And then a wide shot with the dark castle of Dragonstone in the background. Lovely death scene!
• But we do cut to another fire. Daenerys’ hearth in her room. Where she give Grey Worm Missandei’s collar. This reveal that she kept it. That she had no other possessions…it kinda calls into question the nature of her whole relationship with Daenerys. Grey Worm seems disgusted by it…
• Speaking of, for the first time (at least I think), the subtitles for the High Valryian don’t say Grey Worm, they say “Torgo Nudo”. A measure of respect? Either way, based on the last two episodes, that will be the name he goes with.
• “She betrayed your trust. She killed Varys as much as I did. This was a victory for her.” 😐 It’s a paranoid thought about Sansa. True, but still paranoid. And it speaks to a difference we’ll see between her and other characters. Not taking responsibility for her decisions.
• “I don't have love here. I only have fear.” I don’t know how many viewers took the time to remember the connection to Viserys. Whether they were so put off by him as a character that they dismissed his words entirely. Or perhaps it was a long time ago.
• There’s no music for the kissing between Jon and Daenerys. The incest…it’s too weird now.
• “All right then. Let it be fear.” The Mad Queen narrative annoys the hell out of me. It takes away Daenerys’ agency. Her choice. Here, at Jon’s rejection, at the realization that her power would only be secured with terror, she makes her decision. And follows through in King’s Landing.
• This angle of Daenerys on the throne in Dragonstone. Among the jutting rocks with her arm extended. It’s similar to the position Joffrey used when he was King.
• We get our first glimpse of the mother and daughter duo who will encounter Arya. The actor for the mother has a very good face! Instantly noticeable. A personality. She’ll be integral in making the nameless citizens of King’s Landing the most important characters in this episode.
• The Stark army camp is very close to the city walls! 😳 Like…should they be that close?
• “I'm Arya Stark. I'm going to kill Queen Cersei.” 😆 I mean…when you’re the Hero of WInterfell, you’re not gonna ask permission. And at least we get one last funny moment between her and the Hound.
• And it’s not the last funny moment in this tragic episode either. The reveal of the Unsullied soldier speaking the Common Tongue is very nice! I think Tyrion became worse with his Valyrian each season. 😂
• But we come to his goodbye with Jaime. The man’s back in chains in a Stark (and Targaryen) camp, which is how he ended season 1.
• “To be honest, I never really cared much for them. Innocent or otherwise.” This line…it’s amazing how I loved it from the beginning and yet, it became fodder to knee-jerk criticism. As if the possibility that Jaime wasn’t speaking literally couldn’t be considered. He could be! But he could very well be speaking from that protective shell surrounding him. Or it could just be more complicated than we previously thought.
• Tyrion’s obviously doing this for the love of his brother. Not for Cersei! If Jaime had remained in Winterfell, I highly doubt he would have tried to save Cersei on her own
• “If it weren't for you, I never would've survived my childhood.” Peter Dinklage imbues this one line with so much feeling. All the clever words. All the drinking. All of it to cover the terror he experienced at the hands of those who were supposed to love and protect him. Only Jaime was there to protect him. We saw it way back in season one. Jaime fighting for him…
• The day begins with a shot of a city bell…
• The lion heads on the scorpions are a great details. Especially with their ivory teeth!
• Already we are seeing shots of civilians. Trying to hide from what’s about to come.
• I like that the uniforms of the Gold Company are not all homogenous.
• Harry Strickland riding his horse to the front of his men and observing the Northern army, the Unsullied and the Dothraki. The camera is on his back and rises above him to show the invading forces. It’s eerily similar to the shot in Battle of the Bastards. When the camera rose behind Jon to reveal the Bolton forces.
• I forgot that the daughter in the anonymous mothedaughter duo is clutching a white horse.
• The surround sound is doing wonders for the crowd outside the Red Keep as they push against the closed door. It’s very claustrophobic.
• 4k for the win! I can see Drogon against the sun. I couldn’t before.
• I like that Daenerys has learned how to engage with he scorpions. Taking low sweeping dive bombs to get several in a row. Maximizing Drogon’s firepower to get them all down as quickly as possible. These flying shots are incredible. So far so good. All’s fair. She’s keeping to military targets…
• This cut from the burning to the silent stillness outside the city gates with the Golden Company is great. Until we hear the low rumbling of Drogon approaching, only for the city gates to explode from the inside.
• I said it once, I'll say it again. I love that the Golden Company is destroyed so quickly. Just the inadequacy of bringing swords to a dragon fight. Harry’s white horse is killed instantly it’s not his horse that Arya’s riding at the end. I love that several riders pass Harry as he flees. Not even bothering to kill him for a while until Grey Worm’s spear takes him down.
• Then we start to stretch the moral limits. Daenerys pursues the fleeing Golden Company members and burns them. Which is fine! They’re fleeing, not fighting, but it’s still within the rules.
• Cersei has gone into herself. Surveying the destruction from her tower…
• Muddling the time on this one because Jon and the Northern soldiers are at a standstill with the Lannister battalion at this point. But I like this cut from Tyrion to Jaime to Cersei. All the Lannister siblings.
• I love the performance of this Lannister soldier, the leader of the battalion. His eyes as he surveys the situation, the numbers. Hears Drogon’s roar and his decision to throw down his sword. It’s so strange; the surrender of the Lannister army. It’s something that many viewers having been wanting ever since the beginning. Their defeat. But this moment is not a relief. Not yet...
• The moment between the Lannister surrender and the bells tolling is so tense. And the music builds and builds until finally we hear them. The bells and more than one character sighs in relief.
• It doesn’t matter who rang the bells. I’m sick of that criticism. The word got out. The city surrendered. Someone reached the bells and rang them, desperately trying not to get killed. Anyone trying to dismiss this event on a technicality is just…whatever. It’s not worth it.
• Emilia Clarke’s best moment in the series. Her face, her silent decision. Rightly praised…by this subreddit at least. I have nothing to add. And it’s a good thing we got her excellent expression here. Because this will be the last time this episode that we see Daenerys’ face. What’s important now is the devastation…
• I love this close up shot of Grey Worm lowering his spear across the frame. Jacob Anderson is so good this episode. Now he’s not Unsullied. Now he feels the rage of a very human soldier. It’s funny. Despite Drogon already breathing fire on the city, his spear throw is the second break in the dam. For the dragon-less soldiers. For them to indulge their fury.
• Grey Worm’s look back to Jon. If Jon hadn’t started to kill Lannisters (even in self defense), I hate to think what Grey Worm would have done to him.
• The bloods squibs in this sequence are intense! 😬 The slow motion helps too. The focus on the violent soldiers. The stunned children of the civilians. Drogon’s fire really isn’t the focus at this moment. War is violent enough without the supernatural.
• Before we get to the Euron/Jaime fight, let me just say; the distance between shore and the Iron Fleet is not so great that an expert seaman couldn’t swim it.
• Jaime gets to fight the worst version of himself. And it’s a messy fight! I actually kinda liked it. No music until Jaime is stabbed.
• “The Unsullied have breached the gates of the Red Keep.” This is the line that prompted a tear from Cersei. Bringing her out of herself. Her protection is gone.
• Qyburn’s a strangely loyal dude. And it’s kinda endearing. And as he leads her away, we see the caches of wildfire exploding. Just a few patches! Nothing that D&D changed substantially in post production!
• Euron gets a nice death. Nicer than he deserved, but at least I can imagine his corpse being eaten by crabs. I can’t imagine anyone bothering to explore this cave in the near future. To dispose of his body.
• The Hound cupping his hand around the back of Arya’s head is quite father-like. When was the last time someone caressed her like that?
• And when was the last time someone called the Hound by his real name, Sandor? Brother Ray. His last look is not too sentimental, but it’s enough. Glad they got their goodbye.
• They really sell the Mountain’s strength as he shields Qyburn and Cersei from the falling debris. That was intense.
• The focus pull on the Mountain’s eyes when Sandor said “Hello, big brother” is excellent.
• Last (?) bit of comedy in this episode (at least mildly amusing moment), Cersei making her way past the two Cleganes. Like…yeah, this is between y’all.
• This image of the Hound (from the back) facing his brother is fucking grand. On a literal staircase to nowhere. With Dragon flying across the background, spewing hellfire! The stillness of the two Cleganes. Nothing matters. Only their fight.
• “Yeah, that's you. That's what you've always been.” I forget where I saw this thought (it’s not mine) in this subreddit or naath. That this line by the Hound applies to many characters in this episode. How they are revealed for who they are.
• The crack in the floor across the painting of the Seven Kingdoms is very on the nose but fun!
• Jaime reunites with Cersei where he left her last. And even this time, she doesn’t go to him. He has to walk back to her.
• Rory McCann is so good in this fight. The weeping and laughing on the stairs as the fight against his brother is revealed to be more and more futile. I love this framing of the Mountain against the sun. And the smoke. This fight is not heroic. It’s not cathartic or empowering. It’s a rebuke against anyone who was cheering for this match.
• And I’m not forgetting Hafþór Júlíus Björnsson. Selling the monstrosity of the Mountain ever since the season 5 finale. He does very well in this scene as well.
• It’s remarkable to think that this oner with Arya dashing through the streets was cut short iirc. It’s already so intense! The editing at the end when she’s on the ground between her and the Hound being beaten down is great. I heard someone say this is Arya’s “Battle of the Bastards”. Like Jon, she’s nearly overwhelmed and overtaken by a panicking mass.
• Until the woman in the mothedaughter duo helps her. Apparently, her name is Nora.
• “Fucking die!” The laughter from the Hound is just an inspired choice for this fight. The impossibility of bringing down this creature. Of course, this leads to one of the more squeamish moments. We nearly get Oberyn 2.0, with the Mountain pressing the Hound’s eyeballs in.
• Thankfully we don’t. Rory sells that pain really well. Barely able to open his eyes. This final tackle launching him and his brother into the inferno below…I really hope he died on impact and didn’t feel any of the burn…
• Davos and Jon see each other and know they’re of the same mind. I’m amazed they can even call a retreat. That they can get control over their men.
• It’s time to continue Arya’s nightmare. The dust in this scene is making my throat itch. The way that she tries to save Nora and her child. That they end up being incinerated regardless. That the daughter refused to go with Arya and ran back to her mother screaming before being engulfed in flames…👌
• I read that Lena and Nikolaj differed in their reaction to the death scene. Lena didn’t like how she died and Nikolaj convinced her otherwise. Personally, I love Jaime and Cersei’s death scene. It’s their power, the veneer of it anyway, come tumbling down on them.
• All to the tune of “The Rains of Castamere,” a song inspired by their father burying his enemies in caverns. So to speak.
• It’s funny watching this, that Cersei’s death comes at the very end of this episode. That so many suffered and died before the main target was finally killed. There’s only one sequence left.
• Arya is stunned. And alone. The ash is falling in slow motion around her. And the horse otherworldly, still here after all this…it’s an inspired choice for the ending of this episode.
• There are so many people who have written more eloquently about this than I have. But I’ll try to sum up my feelings briefly. I’m an American. I know plenty of people who consider themselves good. Who would feel sorry but ultimately excuse violence on civilians in far away countries. Citing general reasons of related security and whatnot. This episode is a catharsis for me. A much needed slap in the face. And I’m so happy that this show had the courage to produce this episode. To hold the audience accountable for what we cheered. It was awesome.

Basically, the title because I still see (Queen) Dynamite and the subsequent English songs being brought up whenever people want to discuss BTS, and it's truly baffling to me because that is akin to still centering BTS's artistry around No More Dream in 2017 when BTS released Spring Day (the amount of time in between is almost the same). That is part of who they are as an artist, but that is not all they are, and that is also the case here.
Since Dynamite BTS has released BE, a self-produced album with contributions from each of the members documenting their lives during the pandemic and thoughts on the pandemic; My Universe, a heartfelt collab with a band that they admire, which is also a starting point for a beautiful friendship; Proof, an anthology album that closed their first chapter with songs like Yet to come (a celebration of the past and a promise for the future), Run BTS (quintessential BTS showcasing all their strength and what makes them BTS), For Youth (a beautiful, soulful gift to army), Born Singer (a testament to their love of music and art) as well as several demos showcasing the members' talent and I still think Quotation Mark, Joon's demo for Young Forever, Hobi's demo for DNA, jin's English Demo for Epiphany, Young Love, and the boy in luv demo with that slayful bridge should be on streaming platforms because they all are amazing. And these are just group releases.
They also have each released an album or a single as a solo on top of multiple collaborations with several artists, from hip hop legends like J Cole to K indie artists like So!YoON! and Balming Tiger to small and big western artists like UMI and Charlie Puth to legendary Korean artists like PSY and Taeyang, they each have dipped their toes in several genres and scenes, have a chance to do some meaningful and authentic collaborations with musical artists they admire or like and have pushed themselves musically and have given us some memorable works and exposed the fandom to so many different talents out there.
Their official solo debuts were also as unique. Hobi has started chapter 2 with a sound that no one expected of him by mixing old school hip hop with rock elements as well as playing with genres that we know of him, like funk; he gave us Jack in The Box, a conceptual album that is so unique to him. Apart from being cohesive in sound, Jack in The Box is also conceptually stunning. From the album art to the stories that he explores in the songs touching on topics of how our lived in reality affects how we are as human beings to how our passion and drive can burn us if uncontrolled, Hobi did a great job of showcasing his artistry and his identity as J-hope, the artist, and Hoseok, the human being, through his solo album.
Jin also gave us a beautiful solo single, The Astronaut, which was co-written by Coldplay (Once again, such a genuine and beautiful friendship). In The Astronaut, Jin tells the army what he feels and thinks about the future and sings about this unique connection that spans different realities. The Astronaut was a beautifully heartwrenching farewell, a promise of unwavering love, and a story about a found family, and I so cannot wait for him to return and continue this journey and for him to show us more.
As for Joon, his solo was the beautiful indigo, a reflection of his twenties or, as he likes to put it, "an archive of my twenties" and an album with ten blues rather than ten songs. It is a well-crafted, introspective album talking about what it means to be human and an artist, the dichotomy of fame, past regrets, and mistakes, and is an album with a diverse sound. The collaboration list is also astonishing, with 8 of the tracks featuring truly legendary artists that lend their beautiful sound to make the album what it is, and I still can't wrap my head around the fact that he got Erykah Badu, the queen of Neo Soul herself singing about what it is to be human.
Jimin also dropped the EP that surprised me the most with how raw it is, with how he talked about his demons and his dark feelings in such an honest way through his art. With FACE, Jimin gave us a sonically cohesive album that resonates with millions because of the emotions it paints and because of how it portrays the human experience: from self-loathing to heartbreak to loneliness to wanting to escape reality to embracing oneself to finally being free, listening to FACE is a whole journey.
Yoongi or Agust D also finally released the album that closes the Agust D trilogy, D-Day. In the album, he makes commentaries on the state of society and what it means to exist in society, he talks about his winnings, he talks about his losses, he digs deeper and puts his trauma and hurt on display for all to see, and he also shows us that he is healing, he lends a shoulder for other artists and idols to lean on, he honors one of the most extraordinary talents of our times, Ryuichi Sakamoto. And he did this through multiple genres, from trap to hip-hop to drill to alt-rock.
Tae uniquely did a sort of visual EP with each track having MVs showcasing conspts he chose and exploring genres and sounds that I expected from him: a relaxed sound that mixes elements of jazz and blues with modern pop and rnb and songs that seamlessly fit his beautiful, warm tone. He created a somehow surreal world that felt equal part fuzzy and equal part sharp with LayoVer and gave us anthems for autumns and heartbreaks and songs with MVs that make us think about the ephemerality of Youth, early adulthood, and love.
Finally, the golden maknae blessed us with Golden. With Golden, Jungkook takes us back to the early 2000s and gave the pop world the pop boy it craved. Golden features songs that Jungkook curated to explore his artistry; songs imo are the epitome of modern-day pop perfection, like Seven, or beautiful ballads like Hate You, and the main single, Standing Next To You, has one of his best vocal performances to date. Golden was also performance-based, adding to the throwback vibe of it, with Jungkook giving us amazing choreographies for each of the three singles.
BTS also further explores and showcases their artistry through music documentaries and performances accompanying their solo albums. Three of them, J-Hope, Agust D, and Jimin, released different types of documentaries. J-Hope chronicles his journey from creating JITB to preparing its release and launch party, culminating with his historic performance at Lollapalooza. Yoongi took us on a road trip across the world as he met other artists and musicians while looking for inspiration to create D-Day. Jimin gave us an intimate glimpse into the creative process of FACE with him literally living with PDogg and other producers during FACE's production. And it was fascinating to see how he walked around humming and coming up with beautiful melodies that were incorporated into the album. On the other hand, Joon gave us an album magazine film, in which he went through each track on his album 'Indigo', discussing their meanings and showing us how intentional he was about each collaboration. The film also included additional commentaries from each one of the collaborators.
The live performances were also equally as diverse. From big venues like the aforementioned Lollapalooza or a sold-out Coldplay stadium concert in Argentina to small venues like the rolling hall to Korean music shows to a world tour to tiny desk concerts to performing in front of 2 unsuspecting armys to performing in front of hundreds of unsuspecting but hopeful armys in Times Square, each member showcased their talent in different, creative ways and gave us so many memorable moments in these two years.
So, although I think it is totally valid that people may not enjoy or even hate all their English releases (because to each his own), it gets tiring and often comes off as ingenuine when those songs are always brought up to talk about the artistry and discography of artists as prolific as them, even after three years, and even after they gave the world so many other releases between 2020 and now and I hope and would love to see more discussions about them as artists NOW than as the BTS almost four years ago.
And if you read all this, THANK YOU. And tell me about the releases that you like post Dynamite, your thoughts and feels in regards to chapter 2, what did you like, what did you not like, what are elements that you hope to see from chapter 2 in 2025 and after?

"We have nothing to go out there and campaign on. It's embarrassing." - Rep. Andy Biggs (R-AZ) just tellin’ it like it is about GOP achievements in Congress

Ron Voyage

Today we fly our high-heeled boots at half-mast for Ron DeSantis.

• Gov. Ron DeSantis (R-FL) ran an absolute Hindenburg of a presidential campaign for nine excruciating months, and now it’s over. Yes, on Sunday DeSantis gave his swan song (Ron song?) just before Tuesday’s New Hampshire primary and endorsed the guy he spent the better part of the last year dragging to hell: disgraced former president Donald Trump. In the speech bidding his disastrous campaign farewell, DeSantis misquoted Winston Churchill, in what was actually a quotation from a depression-era Budweiser ad. Quite simply, no one is doing it like him. Even Jeb Bush (Jeb!) made it past the first nominating contest. It feels like just yesterday that Ron calamitously announced his campaign on Twitter Spaces, which experienced so many glitches it barely worked (a harbinger of his road to come). The worst campaign launch of all-time? The worst GOP campaign since…ever? Very possibly!
  
• DeSantis and his PAC, Never Back Down, (lol) spent a whopping $53 million to win just over 23,000 votes in Iowa. Incredible. “Entrepreneur” Vivek Ramaswamy spent $15 million of his own money just to win 8,449 votes before dropping out. The only more embarrassing presidential campaign we can think of in terms of negative return on investment is former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg’s 2020 Democratic campaign sinkhole, in which he spent one billion dollars of his own money to ultimately win four delegates. I never want to be lectured about “fiscal responsibility” by any of these jagweeds ever again.
  
• Alright, enough about ole’ pudding fingers. The winnowing of the GOP field has left just Trump and his former United Nations Ambassador Nikki Haley. The exit of DeSantis clears the way for all of the never-Trump Republican voters to coalesce around Haley—the only problem is, there aren’t that many of them. According to the latest CNN/University of New Hampshire polls, Trump’s lead over Haley in the Granite State has only widened in recent days. After Tuesday, the two will head on to Haley’s home state of South Carolina, where Trump looks poised to embarrass her on her own turf. It’s true that nearly one-third of Iowa caucus-goers told pollsters that they thought Trump would not be “fit” for the White House if he is convicted of a crime, but any such polls should be taken with a hefty grain of salt.
  

It’s abundantly clear that Trump is the likely nominee, so what does a potential 2020 rematch mean for President Biden?

• President Biden unfortunately has every reason to be fearful of a rematch with Trump. The latest polls have shown Trump beating Biden on a hypothetical 2024 ballot, with that lead growing with the presence of third-party candidates like antivax guy with too much generational wealth, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., Independent Dr. Cornel West, and the Green Party’s Jill Stein. The latter point reinforces the ideas of many who say that the country “needs another choice,” but Republican Party primary voters, with their overwhelming support of Trump, seem to disagree.
  
• Michigan Democrats are sounding the alarm, as recent polls have shown Biden losing to Trump by nearly double-digits in the all-important swing state. The Biden campaign is working to bolster the president’s support there, focusing on the administration’s unprecedented support for organized labor, an appeal to the state’s 300,000 auto workers. Biden will address the United Auto Workers at the union’s political conference in Washington in an effort to secure its pivotal endorsement. The Biden administration’s policy decisions throughout the Israel-Hamas conflict have alienated many young voters, as well as Arab-American voters, who make up a significant demographic in Michigan. Pennsylvania is the only battleground state where Biden is showing a slight lead over Trump; polls from Arizona, Georgia, North Carolina, and Nevada all have Trump coming out on top.
  

President Biden has a tall order to execute in the months ahead. He needs to convince young voters, Black voters, and the rest of the coalition that delivered the White House to him in 2020 that he’s fighting for them, and that he’s the octogenarian we can depend on for four more years. And those of us who want to see Biden get over the finish line a second time also have to do our part to get him there.

Look No Further Than Crooked Media

In today's episode of our digital series Political Experts React, Dan Pfeiffer and former White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki go through a roundup of the best and worst ads from the 2024 Republican Primary. They discuss the last-ditch-efforts of a dying DeSantis campaign, Nikki’s ‘’Haley Mary’ strategy and a Never-Trump ad that’s been airing during town hall events on FoxNews. This episode of Political Experts React just dropped, check it out only on the Pod Save America YouTube channel!

Under The Radar

The United States called for Israel to protect innocent people in hospitals on Monday, as the country’s forces stormed the Al-Khair hospital, according to Gaza Health Ministry spokesman Ashraf al Qidra. Israel Defense Forces troops moved into the Al-Mawasi district in Southern Gaza near the Mediterranean coast, where residents said that the bombardment from air, land, and sea was the most intense the region has seen since the war began in October. The IDF said it was moving its campaign further “to the west” of the city of Khan Younis in Southern Gaza and reiterated allegations that Hamas “embeds itself in the civilian population” and “sites such as hospitals and schools.” But it did not respond to NBC News about whether its forces were active around the Al-Khair hospital. White House National Security Council spokesman John Kirby said on Monday that Israel has a right to defend itself, but added that the U.S. “expect[s] them to do so in accordance with international law and protect innocent people in hospitals, medical staff, and patients as well, as much as possible.”
In what could amount to a major breakthrough in the conflict, Israel has reportedly presented Hamas with a proposal (through Qatari and Egyptian mediators) for a two-month ceasefire in exchange for the release of all remaining hostages in Hamas custody, according to two Israeli officials who spoke to Axios. Of the 220 hostages taken by Hamas on October 7, more than 130 are still being held in captivity. John Kirby told reporters on Monday that the White House supports a pause in fighting that would both enable the release of hostages and allow more humanitarian aid to flow into Gaza. CNN reported that two officials familiar with the negotiations suggested that Hamas senior leaders could leave Gaza as part of the agreement. While the details have yet to be finalized or made public, it’s clear that pressure is mounting on Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his war cabinet to bring the hostages home. International sentiment towards Israel has grown more critical—even among its allies—since October, as the country’s invasion of Gaza has killed more than 25,000 Palestinians, according to the Gaza Health Ministry.

What Else?

The Supreme Court decided on Monday that federal border patrol agents can remove razor wire installed by Texas officials along the southern border until the legality of those barriers is resolved, siding with the Biden administration for now.
The White House announced new steps to expand access to contraception, abortion medication, and emergency abortions at hospitals in red states on Monday, the anniversary of the Roe vs. Wade decision.
X (Twitter) CEO and all-around terrible guy Elon Musk visited Auschwitz after backlash for promoting an antisemitic post on his social media platform and calling it “the actual truth.”
A growing number of House Republicans are looking to boot GOP Speaker Mike Johnson, just months after they booted Kevin McCarthy.
New Hampshire authorities are investigating fake robocalls that used an artificially-created replica of President Biden’s voice to tell Democrats to stay home from the polls on Tuesday.

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New York Uber and Lyft drivers will soon be able to apply for settlement funds from the historic lawsuit brought by Attorney General Letitia James (D-NY) in which the two companies agreed to pay $328 million for “not properly paying” its drivers (read: wage theft).
The Louisiana state legislature approved a new congressional map on Friday that would create a second congressional district of majority-black voters in the state (after a federal court ordered them to do so, but who’s counting).
Economists are increasingly confident that the United States will avoid a recession. Bidenomics at work!
A federal judge blocked Republican efforts in North Carolina to add more restrictions to same-day voter registration.

Enjoy

poppa on Twitter: "when a girl says “5 mins” think about it like five minutes left in the 4th quarter and both teams have all their timeouts"

Hello! I have a coworker who will be leaving, and I would love if someone could double-check my farewell letter. Included are my original English letter and the attempted Spanish translation. There are 3 phrases (in quotations) in English that I want to keep in English, so those don't need to be translated. Thank you!
​
I'm very happy that you get to go back to Mexico, but I'm so sad you're leaving. "Sorry for me!" But I'm very grateful that we got to work together. Since the beginning when I started working at Northstar, I've learned so much from you. I've watched you work so fast, make beautiful food, and always help others all while whistling, singing, joking around, laughing, and having a good time.
Your hard work inspires me to work harder!
Thank you for your jokes, funny impressions, all the delicious food you've made, covering our shifts, making great pizza dough, working so cleanly, and all the compliments you give. My favorite shifts were always the ones when I got to work with you (especially when we get to work Grill together—we did a great job together!).
Even though we don't speak the same language, I love that we could be such good friends. We will miss you and all the joy you bring to the kitchen, but I hope you enjoy your time in Mexico, and I hope you're "never better"!
"Do you remember Lalo?" We'll always remember Lalo!
Love you, Lalo, and see you soon!
​
Estoy muy feliz de que puedas regresar a México, pero me entristece mucho que te vayas. "¡Sorry for me!" Pero estoy muy agradecido de que hayamos podido trabajar juntos. Desde que comencé a trabajar en Northstar, he aprendido mucho de usted. Te he visto trabajar tan rápido, preparar comida deliciosa y siempre ayudar a los demás mientras silbas, cantas, bromeas, ríes y te diviertes.
¡Tu arduo trabajo me inspira a trabajar más duro!
Gracias por tus chistes, impresiones divertidas, toda la comida deliciosa que has preparado, cubrir nuestros turnos, hacer una masa de pizza excelente, trabajar tan limpiamente y todos los elogios que das. Mis turnos favoritos siempre fueron aquellos en los que trabajé contigo (especialmente cuando trabajamos juntos en Grill: ¡hicimos un gran trabajo juntos!).
Aunque no hablamos el mismo idioma, me encanta que podamos ser tan buenos amigos. Te extrañaremos y toda la alegría que traes a la cocina, pero espero que disfrutes tu tiempo en México, ¡y espero que tú eres "never better"!
"¿Do you remember Lalo?" ¡Siempre recordaremos a Lalo!
¡Te amo Lalo y hasta pronto!

(from oca.org)
A spiritual mission was organized in 1793 with volunteers from the monks of the Valaam Monastery. They were sent to preach the Word of God to the native inhabitants of northwestern America, who had come under the sovereignty of Russia only ten years before. Saint Herman was one of the members of this mission.
Saint Herman came from a family of merchants of Serpukhov, a city of the Moscow diocese. His name before he was tonsured, and his family name are not known. There is a possibility, however, that his baptismal name was Gerasimus. He had a great zeal for piety from his youth, and he entered monastic life at sixteen. (This was in 1772, if we assume that Herman was born in 1756, although sometimes 1760 is given as the date of his birth.) First he entered the Trinity-Sergius Hermitage which was located near the Gulf of Finland on the Peterhof Road, about 15 versts (about 10 miles) from Saint Petersburg. He also spent time at at Sarov, where he first met Father Nazarius, who became his Elder at Valaam. Later, Saint Herman followed him to Sanaxar where Saint Theodore (February 19) was their igumen.
Miraculous Healing
At the Saint Sergius Hermitage there occurred the following incident to Father Herman. On the right side of his throat under his chin there appeared an abscess. The swelling grew rapidly, disfiguring his face. It became difficult for him to swallow, and the odor was unbearable. In this critical condition Father Herman awaited death. He did not appeal to a physician of this world, but locking his cell he fell before an icon of the Mother of God. With fervent tears he prayed, asking of Her that he might be healed. He prayed the whole night. Then he took a wet towel and with it wiped the face of the Most Holy Mother, and with this towel he covered the swelling. He continued to pray with tears until he fell asleep from sheer exhaustion on the floor. In a dream he saw the Virgin Mary healing him.
When Herman awoke in the morning, he found to his great surprise that he was fully healed. The swelling had disappeared, even though the abscess had not broken through, leaving behind but a small mark as though a reminder of the miracle. Physicians to whom this healing was described did not believe it, arguing that it was necessary for the abscess to have either broken through of its own accord or to have been cut open. But the words of the physicians were the words of human experience, for where the grace of God operates there the order of nature is overcome. Such occurrences humble human reason under the strong hand of God’s Mercy.
Life at Valaam
For five or six years Father Herman continued to live in the Saint Sergius Hermitage, and then he transferred to the Valaam Monastery, which was widely scattered on the large islands in the waters of the great Lake Ladoga. He came to love the Valaam haven with all his soul, as he came to love its unforgettable Superior, the pious Elder Nazarius, and all the brethren. He wrote to Father Nazarius later from America, “Your fatherly goodness to me, humble one, will be erased out of my heart neither by the terrible, unpassable Siberian lands, nor by the dark forests. Nor will it be wiped out by the swift flow of the great rivers; nor will the awful ocean quench these feelings. In my mind I imagine my beloved Valaam, looking to it beyond the great ocean.” He praised the Elder Nazarius in his letters as, “the most reverend, and my beloved father,” and the brethren of Valaam he called, “my beloved and dearest.” The place where he lived in America, deserted Spruce Island, he called “New Valaam.” And as we can see, he always remained in spiritual contact with his spiritual homeland, for as late as 1823, that is after thirty years of his life within the borders of America, he wrote letters to the successor of Father Nazarius, the lgumen Innocent.
Father Barlaam, later lgumen of Valaam, and a contemporary of Father Herman, who accepted his tonsure from Father Nazarius, wrote thus of the life of Father Herman.
“Father Herman went through the various obediences here, and being ‘well disposed toward everything’ was in the course of events sent to Serdobol to oversee there the work of quarrying marble. The Brothers loved Father Herman, and awaited impatiently his return to the cloisters from Serdobol. Recognizing the zeal of the young hermit the wise elder, Father Nazarius, released him to take abode in the wilderness. This wilderness was in the deep forest about a mile from the cloister: to this day this place has retained the name ‘Herman’s.’ On holy days, Father Herman returned to the monastery from the wilderness. Then it was that at Little Vespers he would stand in the choir and sing in his pleasant tenor the responses with the brethren from the Canon, ‘O Sweetest Jesus, save us sinners. Most Holy Theotokos, save us,’ and tears would fall like hail from his eyes.”
The First Mission to America
In the second half of the 18th century the borders of Holy Russia expanded to the north. In those years Russian merchants discovered the Aleutian Islands which formed in the Pacific Ocean a chain from the eastern shores of Kamchatka to the western shores of North America. With the opening of these islands there was revealed the sacred necessity to illumine with the light of the Gospel the native inhabitants. With the blessing of the Holy Synod, Metropolitan Gabriel gave to the Elder Nazarius the task of selecting capable persons from the brethern of Valaam for this holy endeavor. Ten men were selected, and among them was Father Herman. The chosen men left Valaam for the place of their great appointment in 1793. (The members of this historical mission were: Archimandrite Joseph (Bolotoff), the Hieromonks, Juvenal, Macarius, Athanasius, Stephan and Nectarius, Hierodeacons, Nectarius and Stephen, and the monks Joasaph, and Herman.)
As a result of the holy zeal of the preachers the light of the evangelic sermon quickly poured out among the sons of Russia, and several thousand pagans accepted Christianity. A school for the education of newly-baptized children was organized, and a church was built at the place where the missionaries lived. But by the inscrutable providence of God the general progress of the mission was unsatisfactory. After five years of very productive labor, Archimandrite Joasaph, who had just been elevated to the rank of bishop, was drowned with his party. (This occurred on the Pacific Ocean between Kamchatka and the Aleutian Islands. The ship, Phoenix, one of the first sea-going ships built in Alaska, sailed from Okhotsk carrying the first Bishop for the American Mission and his party. The Phoenix was caught in one of the many storms which periodically sweep the northern Pacific, and the ship and all hands perished together with Bishop Joasaph and his party.) Before this the zealous Hieromonk Juvenal was granted the martyr’s crown. The others died one after another until in the end only Father Herman remained. The Lord permitted him to labor longer than any of his brethren in the apostolic task of enlightening the Aleutians.
The New Valaam — Spruce Island
In America, Father Herman chose as his place of habitation Spruce Island, which he called New Valaam. This island is separated by a strait about a mile and a quarter wide from Kodiak Island on which had been built a wooden monastery for the residence of the members of the mission, and a wooden church dedicated to the Resurrection of the Savior. (New Valaam was named for Valaam on Lake Ladoga, the monastery from which Father Herman came to America. It is interesting to note that Valaam is also located on an island, although, this island is in a fresh water lake, whereas, Spruce Island is on the Pacific Ocean, although near other islands and the Alaskan mainland.)
Spruce Island is not large, and is almost completely covered by a forest. Almost through its middle a small brook flows to the sea. Herman selected this picturesque island for the location of his hermitage. He dug a cave out of the ground with his own hands, and in it he lived his first full summer. For winter there was built for him a cell near the cave, in which he lived until his death. The cave was converted by him into a place for his burial. A wooden chapel, and a wooden house to be used as a schoolhouse and a guest house were built not too distant from his cell. A garden was laid out in front of his cell. For more than forty years Father Herman lived here.
Father Herman’s Way of Life
Father Herman himself spaded the garden, planted potatoes and cabbage and various vegetables in it. For winter, he preserved mushrooms, salting or drying them. The salt was obtained by him from ocean water. It is said that a wicker basket in which the Elder carried seaweed from the shore, was so large that it was difficult for one person to carry. The seaweed was used for fertilizing the soil. But to the astonishment of all, Father Herman carried a basket filled with seaweed for a long distance without any help at all. By chance his disciple, Gerasim, saw him one winter night carrying a large log which normally would be carried by four men; and he was bare footed. Thus worked the Elder, and everything that he acquired as a result of his immeasurable labors was used for the feeding and clothing of orphans and also for books for his students.
His clothes were the same for winter as for summer. He did not wear a shirt; instead he wore a smock of deer skin, which he did not take off for several years at a time, nor did he change it, so that the fur in it was completely worn away, and the leather became glossy. Then there were his boots or shoes, cassock (podrasnik), an ancient and faded out cassock (riasa) full of patchwork, and his headdress (klobuk). He went everywhere in these clothes, and at all times; in the rain, in snowstorms, and during the coldest freezing weather. In this, Father Herman followed the example of many Eastern Ascetic Fathers and Monks who showed the greatest concern for the welfare and needs of others. Yet, they themselves wore the oldest possible clothes to show their great humility before God, and their detachment from worldly things.
A small bench covered with a time-worn deerskin served as Father Herman’s bed. He used two bricks for a pillow; these were hidden from visitors by a skin or a shirt. There was no blanket. Instead, he covered himself with a wooden board which lay on the stove. This board Father Herman, himself called his blanket, and he willed that it be used to cover his remains; it was as long as he was tall. “During my stay in the cell of Father Herman,” writes the creole Constantine Larionov, “I, a sinner, sat on his ‘blanket’—and I consider this the acme of my fortune!” (‘Creole’ is the name by which the Russians referred to the children of mixed marriages of native Indians of Alaska, Eskimo and Aleuts with Russians.)
On the occasions when Father Herman was the guest of administrators of the American Company and in the course of their soul-saving talks he sat up with them until midnight. He never spent the night with them, but regardless of the weather he always returned to his hermitage. If for some extraordinary reason it was necessary for him to spend the night away from his cell, then in the morning the bed which had been prepared for him would be found untouched; the Elder not having slept at all. The same was true in his hermitage where having spent the night in talks, he never rested.
The Elder ate very little. As a guest, he scarcely tasted the food, and remained without dinner. In his cell his dinner consisted of a very small portion of a small fish or some vegetables. His body, emaciated as a result of his labors, his vigils, and fasting, was crushed by chains which weighed about sixteen pounds. These chains are kept to this day in the chapel. Telling of these deeds of Father Herman, his disciple, the Aleut Ignaty Aligyaga, added, “Yes, Apa led a very hard life, and no one can imitate his life!” (The Aleutian word “Apa” means Elder or grandfather, and it is a name indicative of the great affection in which he was held).
Our writing of the incidents in the life of the Elder deal, so to speak, with the external aspects of his labor. “His most important works,” says the Bishop Peter, “were his exercises in spiritual endeavor in his isolated cell where no one saw him, but outside the cell they heard him singing and celebrating services to God according to the monastic rule.” This witness of the Bishop is supported by the following answers of Father Herman, himself, “How do you manage to live alone in the forest, Father Herman? Don’t you ever become lonesome?” He answered, “No, I am not there alone! God is here, as God is everywhere. The Holy Angels are there. With whom is it better to talk, with people, or with Angels? Most certainly with Angels.”
Father Herman and the Native Alaskans
The way in which Father Herman looked upon the natives of America, how he understood his own relations with them, and how he was concerned for their needs he expressed himself in one of his letters to the former administrator of the colony, Simeon Yanovsky. He wrote, “Our Creator granted to our beloved homeland this land which like a newly-born babe does not yet have the strength for knowledge or understanding. It requires not only protection, because of its infantile weakness and impotence, but also his sustenance. Even for this it does not yet have the ability to make an appeal on its own behalf. And since the welfare of this nation by the Providence of God, it is not known for how long, is dependent on and has been entrusted into the hands of the Russian government which has now been given into your own power, therefore I, the most humble servant of these people, and their nurse (nyanka) stand before you in their behalf, write this petition with tears of blood. Be our Father and our Protector. Certainly we do not know how to be eloquent, so with an inarticulate infant’s tongue we say: Wipe away the tears of the defenseless orphans, cool the hearts melting away in the fire of sorrow. Help us to know what consolation means.”
The Elder acted the way he felt. He always interceded before the governors in behalf of those who had transgressed. He defended those who had been offended. He helped those who were in need with whatever means he had available. The Aleuts, men, women and children, often visited him. Some asked for advice, others complained of oppression, others sought out defense, and still others desired help. Each one received the greatest possible satisfaction from the Elder. He discussed their mutual difficulties, and he tried to settle these peacefully. He was especially concerned about reestablishing understanding in families. If he did not succeed in reconciling a husband and wife, the Elder prevailed upon them to separate temporarily. The need for such a procedure he explained thus, “it is better to let them live apart, or believe me, it can be terrible if they are not separated. There have been incidents when a husband killed his wife, or when a wife destroyed her husband.”
Father Herman especially loved children. He made large quantities of biscuits for them, and he baked cookies (krendelki) for them; and the children were fond of the Elder. Father Herman’s love for the Aleuts reached the point of self-denial.
An Epidemic Strikes
A ship from the United States brought to Sitka Island, and from there to Kodiak Island, a contagious disease, a fatal illness. It began with a fever, a heavy cold, and difficult respiration, and it ended with chills; in three days the victim died. On the island there was neither a doctor nor medicine. The illness spread rapidly through the village, and then throughout the nearby areas. The disease affected all, even infants. The fatalities were so great that for three days there was no one to dig graves, and the bodies remained unburied. An eyewitness said, “I cannot imagine anything more tragic and horrible than the sight which struck me when I visited an Aleutian ‘Kazhim’. This was a large building, or barracks, with dividing sections, in which the Aleuts lived with their families; it contained about 100 people. Here some had died, their cold bodies lay near the living; others were dying; there were groans and weeping which tore at one’s soul.”
“I saw mothers over whose bodies cold in death crawled a hungry child, crying and searching in vain for its food...My heart was bursting with compassion! It seemed that if anyone could paint with a worthy brush the full horror of this tragic scene, that he would have successfully aroused fear of death in the most embittered heart.” Father Herman, during this terrible sickness which lasted a whole month, gradually dying out towards the end, visited the sick, never tiring. He admonished them in their fear, prayed, brought them to penance, or prepared them for death. He never spared himself.
Father Herman as a Spiritual Teacher
The Elder was concerned in particular for the moral growth of the Aleuts. With this end in mind a school was built for children-the orphans of the Aleuts. He himself taught them the Law of God and church music. For this same purpose he gathered the Aleuts on Sunday and Holy Days for prayer in the chapel near his cell. Here his disciple read the Hours and the various prayers while the Elder himself read the Epistle and Gospel. He also preached to them. His students sang, and they sang very well. The Aleuts loved to hear his sermons, gathering around him in large numbers. The Elder’s talks were captivating, and his listeners were moved by their wonderous power. He himself writes of one example of the beneficial results of his words.
“Glory to the holy destinies of the Merciful God! He has shown me now through his unfathomable Providence a new occurrence which I, who have lived here for twenty years had never seen before on Kodiak,” he wrote. “Recently after Easter, a young girl about twenty years of age who knows Russian well, came to me. Having heard of the Incarnation of the Son of God and of Eternal Life, she became so inflamed with love for Jesus Christ that she does not wish to leave me. She pleaded eloquently with me. Contrary to my personal inclination and love for solitude, and despite all the hindrances and difficulties which I put forward before accepting her, she has now been living near the school for a month and is not lonesome. I, looking on this with great wonder, remembered the words of the Savior: ‘that which is hidden from the wise and learned is revealed to babes’” (Matthew 11:25).
This woman lived at the school until the death of the Elder. She watched for the good conduct of the children who studied in his school. Father Herman willed that after his death she was to continue to live on Spruce Island. Her name was Sophia Vlasova.
Yanovsky writes about the character and the eloquence of the talks of the Elder thus: “When I met Father Herman I was thirty years old. I must say that I was educated in the naval corps school; that I knew many sciences having read extensively. But to my regret, the Science of sciences, that is the Law of God, I barely remembered the externals—and these only theoretically, not applying them to life. I was a Christian in name only, but in my soul and in reality, I was a freethinker. Furthermore, I did not admit the divinity and holiness of our religion, for I had read through many atheistic works. Father Herman recognized this immediately and he desired to reconvert me. To my great surprise he spoke so convincingly, wisely—and he argued with such conviction—that it seemed to me that no learning or worldly wisdom could stand one’s ground before his words. We conversed with him daily until midnight, and even later, of God’s love, of eternity, of the salvation of souls, and of Christian living. From his lips flowed a ceaseless stream of sweet words! By these continual talks and by the prayers of the holy Elder the Lord returned me completely to the way of Truth, and I became a real Christian. I am indebted for all this to Father Herman he is my true benefactor.
“Several years ago,” continues Yanovsky, “Father Herman converted a certain naval captain G. to Orthodoxy from the Lutheran Faith. This captain was well educated. Besides many sciences, he was well versed in languages. He knew Russian, English, German, French, Italian and also some Spanish. But for all this he could not resist the convictions and proofs of Father Herman. He changed his faith and was united to the Orthodox Church through Chrismation. When he was leaving America, the Elder said to him while they were parting, “Be on guard, if the Lord should take your wife from you then do not marry a German woman under any circumstance. If you do marry a German woman, undoubtedly she will damage your Orthodoxy.” The Captain gave his word, but he failed to keep it. The warning of the Elder was prophetic. Indeed, after several years the Captain’s wife did die, and he married a German woman. There is no doubt that his faith weakened or that he left it; for he died suddenly without penance.”
Further on Yanovsky writes, “Once the Elder was invited aboard a frigate which came from Saint Petersburg. The Captain of the frigate was a highly educated man, who had been sent to America by order of the Emperor to make an inspection of all the colonies. There were more than twenty-five officers with the Captain, and they also were educated men. In the company of this group sat a monk of a hermitage, small in stature and wearing very old clothes. All these educated conversationalists were placed in such a position by his wise talks that they did not know how to answer him. The Captain himself used to say, ‘We were lost for an answer before him.’
“Father Herman gave them all one general question: ‘Gentlemen, what do you love above all, and what will each of you wish for your happiness?’ Various answers were offered ... Some desired wealth, others glory, some a beautiful wife, and still others a beautiful ship he would captain; and so forth in the same vein. ‘It is not true,’ Father Herman said to them concerning this, ‘that all your various wishes can bring us to one conclusion—that each of you desires that which in his own understanding he considers the best, and which is most worthy of his love?’ They all answered, ‘Yes, that is so!’ He then continued, ‘Would you not say, is not that which is best, above all, and surpassing all, and that which by preference is most worthy of love, the Very Lord, our Jesus Christ, who created us, adorned us with such ideals, gave life to all, sustains everything, nurtures and loves all, who is Himself Love and most beautiful of all men? Should we not then love God above every thing, desire Him more than anything, and search Him out?’
“All said, ‘Why, yes! That’s self-evident!’ Then the Elder asked, ‘But do you love God?’ They all answered, ‘Certainly, we love God. How can we not love God?’ ‘And I a sinner have been trying for more than forty years to love God, I cannot say that I love Him completely,’ Father Herman protested to them. He then began to demonstrate to them the way in which we should love God. ‘If we love someone,’ he said, ‘we always remember them; we try to please them. Day and night our heart is concerned with the subject. Is that the way you gentlemen love God? Do you turn to Him often? Do you always remember Him? Do you always pray to Him and fulfill His holy commandments?’ They had to admit that they had not! ‘For our own good, and for our own fortune,’ concluded the Elder, ‘let us at least promise ourselves that from this very minute we will try to love God more than anything and to fulfill His Holy Will!’ Without any doubt this conversation was imprinted in the hearts of the listeners for the rest of their lives.’
“In general, Father Herman liked to talk of eternity, of salvation of the future life, of our destinies under God. He often talked on the lives of the Saints, on the Prologue, but he never spoke about anything frivolous. It was so pleasant to hear him that those who conversed with him, the Aleuts and their wives, were so captivated by his talks that often they did not leave him until dawn, and then they left him with reluctance;” thus witnesses the Creole, Constantine Larionov.
A Description of Father Herman
Yanovsky writes a detailed description of Father Herman. “I have a vivid memory,” he said, “Of all the features of the Elder’s face reflecting goodness; his pleasant smile, his meek and attractive mien, his humble and quiet behavior, and his gracious word. He was short of stature. His face was pale and covered with wrinkles. His eyes were greyish-blue, full of sparkle, and on his head there were a few gray hairs. His voice was not powerful, but it was very pleasant.” Yanovsky relates two incidents from his conversations with the Elder. “Once,” he writes, “I read to Father Herman the ode, ‘God,’ by Derzhavin. The Elder was surprised, and entranced. He asked me to read it again. I read it once more, “Is it possible that a simple, educated man wrote this?” he asked. “Yes, a learned poet,” I answered. “This has been written under God’s inspiration,” said the Elder.
The Martyrdom of Peter
“On another occasion I was relating to him how the Spanish in California had imprisoned fourteen Aleuts, and how the Jesuits were forcing all of them to accept the Catholic Faith. But this Aleut would not agree under any circumstances, saying, ‘We are Christians.’ The Jesuits protested, ‘That’s not true; you are heretics and schismatics. If you do not agree to accept our faith then we will torture all of you.’ Then the Aleuts were placed in cells until evening; two to a cell. At night the Jesuits came to the prison with lanterns and lighted candles. They began to persuade the Aleuts in the cell once again to accept the Catholic Faith. ‘We are Christians,’ was the answer of the Aleuts, ‘and we will not change our Faith.’ Then the Jesuits began to torture them, at first the one while his companion was the witness. They cut the toes off his feet, first one joint and then the other joint. And then they cut the first joint on the fingers of the hands, and then the other joint. Afterwards they cut off his feet, and his hands; the blood flowed. The martyr endured all and steadfastly insisted on one thing: ’I am a Christian.’ In such suffering, he bled to death. The Jesuit promised to torture to death his comrades also on the next day.... But that night an order was received from Monterey stating that the imprisoned Aleuts were to be released immediately, and sent there under escort. Therefore, in the morning all were dispatched to Monterey with the exception of the martyred Aleut. This was related to me by a witness, the same Aleut who was the comrade of the tortured Aleut. Afterwards he escaped from imprisonment, and I reported this incident to the supreme authorities in Saint Petersburg. When I finished my story, Father Herman asked, ‘And how did they call the martyred Aleut?’ I answered, ‘Peter; I do not remember his family name.’ The Elder stood up before an icon reverently, made the sign of the Cross and pronounced, ’Holy newly-martyred Peter, pray to God for us!’”
The Spirit of Father Herman’s Teaching
In order to express the spirit of Father Herman’s teaching, we present here a quotation from a letter that was written by his own hand.
“The empty years of these desires separate us from our heavenly homeland, and our Love for these desires and our habits clothe us, as it were, in an odious dress; it is called by the Apostle ‘the external (earthy) man’ (1 Corinthians 15:47). We who are wanderers in the journey of this life call to God for aid. We must divest ourselves of this repulsiveness, and put on new desires, and a new love for the coming age. Thus, through this we will know either an attraction or a repulsion for the heavenly homeland. It is possible to do this quickly, but we must follow the example of the sick, who wishing for desired health, do not stop searching for means of curing themselves. But I am not speaking clearly.”
Not desiring anything for himself in life, when he first came to America, he refused in his humility the dignity of hieromonk and archimandrite, deciding to remain forever a common monk. Father Herman, without the least fear before the powerful, strove with all sincerity for God. With gentle love, and disregarding the person, he criticized many for intemperate living, for unworthy behavior, and for oppressing the Aleuts. Evil armed itself against him and gave him all sorts of trouble and sorrow. But God protected the Elder. The Administrator of the Colony, Yanovsky, not having yet seen Father Herman, after receiving one of those complaints, had already written to Saint Petersburg of the necessity of his removal. He explained that it seemed that he was arousing the Aleuts against the administration. But this accusation turned out to be unjust, and in the end Yanovsky was numbered among the admirers of Father Herman.
Once an inspector came to Spruce Island with the Administrator of the Colony and with company employees to search through Father Herman’s cell. This party expected to find property of great value in Father Herman’s cell. But when they found nothing of value, an employee of the American Company, Ponomarkhov, began to tear up the floor with an axe, undoubtedly with the consent of his seniors. Then Father Herman said to him, “My friend, you have lifted the axe in vain; this weapon shall deprive you of your life.” Some time later people were needed at Fort Nicholas, and for that reason several Russian employees were sent there from Kodiak; among them was Ponomarkhov; there the natives of Kenai cut off his head while he slept.
The Temptations of Father Herman
Many great sorrows were borne by Father Herman from evil spirits. He himself revealed this to his disciple, Gerasim. Once when he entered Father Herman’s cell without the usual prayer he received no answer from Father Herman to any of his questions. The next day Gerasim asked him the reason for his silence. On that occasion Father Herman said to him, “When I came to this island and settled in this hermitage the evil spirits approached me ostensibly to be helpful. They came in the form of a man, and in the form of animals. I suffered much from them; from various afflictions and temptations. And that is why I do not speak now to anyone who enters into my presence without prayer.” (It is customary among devout laymen, as well as clergy, to say out loud a prayer, and upon hearing a response ending with Amen, to enter and go to the icon in the room to reverence it, and to say a prayer before greeting the host).
Supernatural Gifts from God
Herman dedicated himself fully for the Lord’s service; he strove with zeal solely for the glorification of His Most Holy Name. Far from his homeland in the midst of a variety of afflictions and privations Father Herman spent several decades performing the noblest deeds of self-sacrifice. He was privileged to receive many supernatural gifts from God.
In the midst of Spruce Island down the hill flows a little stream into the sea. The mouth of this stream was always swept by surf. In the spring when the brook fish appeared the Elder raked away some of the sand at its mouth so that the fish could enter, and at their first appearance they rushed up the stream. His disciple, lgnaty, said, “It was so that if ‘Apa’ would tell me, I would go and get fish in the stream!” Father Herman fed the birds with dried fish, and they would gather in great numbers around his cell. Underneath his cell there lived an ermine. This little animal can not be approached when it has had its young, but the Elder fed it from his own hand. “Was not this a miracle that we had seen?” said his disciple, Ignaty. They also saw Father Herman feeding bears. But when Father Herman died the birds and animals left; even the garden would not give any sort of crops even though someone had willingly taken care of it, Ignaty insisted.
On Spruce Island there once occurred a flood. The inhabitants came to the Elder in great fear. Father Herman then took an icon of the Mother of God from the home where his students lived, and placed it on a “laida” (a sandy bank) and began to pray. After his prayer he turned to those present and said,“Have no fear, the water will not go any higher than the place where this holy icon stands.” The words of the Elder were fulfilled. After this he promised the same aid from this holy icon in the future, through the intercessions of the Mother of God. He entrusted the icon to his disciple Sophia; in case of future floods the icon was to be placed on the “laida.” This icon is preserved on the island to this day.
At the request of the Elder, Baron F. P. Wrangel wrote a letter to a Metropolitan (his name is not known) which was dictated by Father Herman. When the letter was completed and read, the Elder congratulated the Baron upon his attaining the rank of admiral. The Baron was taken aback. This was news to him. It was confirmed, but only after some time had passed, and just before he departed for Saint Petersburg.
Father Herman said to the administrator Kashevarov, from whom he accepted his son from the font (during the Sacrament of Baptism), “I am sorry for you, my dear ‘kum.’ It’s a shame; the change will be unpleasant for you.” In two years, during a change of administration, Kashevarov was sent to Sitka in chains.
Once, the forest on Spruce Island caught fire. The Elder, with his disciple Ignaty, in a thicket of the forest made a belt about a yard wide in which they turned over the moss. They extended it to the foot of the hill. The Elder said, “Rest assured, the fire will not pass this line.” On the next day, according to the testimony of Ignaty, there was no hope of salvation (from the fire) and the fire, pushed by a strong wind, reached the place where the moss had been turned over by the Elder. The fire ran over the moss and halted, leaving untouched the thick forest which was beyond the line.
The Elder often said that there would be a Bishop for America; this at a time when no one even thought of it, and there was no hope that there would be a Bishop for America. This was related by Bishop Peter, and his prophecy was fulfilled in time.
“After my death,” said Father Herman, “there will be an epidemic, many people shall die during it, and the Russians shall unite the Aleuts.” And so it happened. It seems that about a half a year after his passing, there was a smallpox epidemic; the death rate in America during the epidemic was tremendous. In some villages, only a few inhabitants remained alive. This led the administration of the colony to unite the Aleuts; the twelve settlements were consolidated into seven.
“Although a long time shall elapse after my death, I will not be forgotten” said Father Herman to his disciples. “My place of habitation will not remain empty. A monk like me, who will be escaping from the glory of men, will come and he will live on Spruce Island, and Spruce Island will not be without people.” (This prophecy has now been fulfilled in its entirety.) Just such a monk as Father Herman described lived on Spruce Island for many years; his name was Archimandrite Gerasim, who died on October 13, 1969. This monk took on himself the responsibility of taking care of the Chapel under which the Elder Herman was first buried. Metropolitan Leonty, soon after his elevation to the primacy of the Russian Orthodox Church in America, made a pilgrimage to Spruce Island, and the grave of Herman.
Prophecies for the Future
The Creole Constantine, when he was not more than twelve years old, was asked by Father Herman, “My beloved one, what do you think; this chapel which they are building now, will it ever stand empty?” The youngster answered, “I do not know, Apa.” “Indeed,” said Constantine, “I did not understand his question at that time, even though the whole conversation with the Elder remains vivid in my memory.” The Elder remained silent for some time, and then said, “My child, remember, in time there will be a monastery in this place.”
Father Herman said to his disciple the Aleut Ignaty Aligyaga, “Thirty years shall pass after my death, and all those living on Spruce Island will have died, but you alone will remain alive. You will be old and poor when I will be remembered.” And indeed after the death of Father Herman thirty years passed when they were reminded of him, and they began to gather information and facts about him, on the basis of which his Life was written. “It is amazing,” exclaims Ignaty, “how a man like us could know all this so long before it happened! However, no, he was no ordinary man! He knew our thoughts, and involuntarily he led us to the point where we revealed them to him, and we received counsel from him.”
“When I die,” the Elder said to his disciple, “you will bury me alongside Father Joasaph. You will bury me by yourself, for you will not wait for the priest. Do not wash my body. Lay it on a board. Clasp my hands over my chest, wrap me in my mantia (the monk’s outer cloak), and with its wings cover my face and place the klobuk (monastic head covering) on my head. If anyone wishes to bid farewell to me, let them kiss the Cross. Do not show my face to anyone....”
The Repose of Father Herman
The time of the Elder’s passing had come. One day he ordered his disciple Gerasim to light a candle before the Icons, and to read the Acts of the Holy Apostles. After some time his face glowed brightly and he said in a loud voice, “Glory to Thee, O Lord!” He then ordered the reading to be halted, and he announced that the Lord had willed that his life would now be spared for another week. A week later, again by his orders, candles were lit, and the Acts of the Holy Apostles were read. Quietly, the Elder bowed his head on Gerasim’s chest; the cell was filled with a sweet-smelling odor; and his face glowed, and Father Herman was no more! Thus he died in blessedness, he passed away in the sleep of a righteous man in the eighty-first year of his life of great labor the 25th day of December 1837. (It was the 13th of December according to the Julian Calendar, although there are some records which state that he died on November 28th and was buried on December 26th).
(Continued in comments)

Dear Ladies,
Happy Thanksgiving to everyone! I hope you have a joyous time with friends and family. Please send some pictures through our GroupMe. Let's imagine we are all sitting around one big table!
We've been working very hard here to prepare for our RV Park Thanksgiving celebration. It's become a tradition. We have a gorgeous commercial kitchen in one of our warming huts and we have been cooking up a storm for a few days. Everything is ready and just needs warming. We have also finished all the decorations and we have set up the tables and chairs. It will also be a farewell celebration to about 50% of our clients who will be hitching up their RVs and heading out this weekend.
I have so much to be thankful for. I feel an overwhelming sense of gratitude to Ikeda Sensei for dedicating his life to making it possible for people like me to experience happiness.
Today we will begin studying Part 4 of Sensei's "Key Passages from The Record of the Orally Transmitted Teachings" in the December Living Buddhism. Ikeda Sensei continues to lecture on the Expedient Means (Second) Chapter of the Lotus Sutra. Part 4 is titled "Developing the Conviction I Embody the Mystic Law!"
Sensei begins with a memory of a speech President Toda delivered at a Young Men’s Division leaders meeting in June 1957:

Speaking with great passion, he stressed to us that it is especially important in our youth to trust our heart and believe in ourselves. He asserted that the stronger our faith, the more invincible we will be in any situation, urging us to forge such inner conviction based on the Gohonzon.

Heidi and Lolita are the two youngest members of our 500 Seeds Group. (The following is written with their permission:) They texted yesterday that they had already started to read Part 4 and that "it is especially important in our youth to trust our heart and believe in ourselves" left a big impact on them. Both of their families are joining together for Thanksgiving "like a new family!" Heidi and Lolita said they look forward to the real work ahead: the "stronger our faith," the "more invincible we will be in any situation," and forging "inner conviction based on the Gohonzon." I am full of appreciation that there are 15-year-olds living on this wavelength.
Sensei expands the thoughts of his mentor:

We believe in our Buddha nature. We believe in our lives that are one with the Mystic Law.

I was talking with my parents last night about these two lines. We all agreed we are works-in-progress. We are not there now but we are on the way and enjoying the journey! We talked about the 1951 Edith Piaf song Padam Padam and how the waltz accelerates faster and faster. That's how the three of us feel about the accelerating growth of our faith.

As long as we have faith based on the Gohonzon, we will triumph over whatever hardships we may now face. Mr. Toda urged us to make the Gohonzon the core of our convictions and unite in the spirit of “many in body, one in mind” to create a new age.

Dee, with the full consent of her 16 dialogue partners, is finally sharing a bit about their correspondence. Up until now, believing that stories are precious spirits of their own right that need to be protected, she would not share even with the Fam anything that was said. She would only leave us with I-Statements: "I'm so frustrated...angry... hopeful, ...etc." She is now on the same page as "we will triumph over whatever hardships we may now face"--even problems on the world stage.
Finally:

...Let’s now turn our sights toward a springtime of jubilant victory! My wife, Kaneko, and I are watching over and praying for the growth of all of you, our dear fellow members, as your united efforts in dialogue nurture beautiful flowers of friendship—like fragrant plum blossoms that herald the spring from the depths of winter. We are both chanting morning and evening with the sincere wish that each of you triumphs in life and your efforts for kosen-rufu and writes a brilliant story of transforming your karma.

Thank you, Sensei and Mrs. Ikeda!
Have a great holiday, Ladies!
TAG: I adapted this post from Part III of Ikeda Sensei's lecture "Key Passages From The Record of the Orally Transmitted Teachings." To make it easier to read, I've edited out brackets and I have done some minor paraphrases of quotations. I've also left out sources and footnotes. If you are curious about them, please refer to the original article.

Sorry for late posting. Boys had an early morning well-baby check up since they are days away from their 2-month birthday. Dai's heart murmur is stable. Everything else is okay for both. Our pediatrician believes in spacing out vaccines so the boys received their Pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV). Back home.
Dear Ladies,
I am sorry for my mistake yesterday. As you all corrected me, our goal is to accomplish 500 Seeds by the end of the month, not by this week's reporting date. So no reports on Friday or Saturday. The summaries will be due on December 1st. Enjoy the Holiday and shop to you drop on Black Friday!
News, news, news! This will be the busiest 4 days of the camp. We have a big Park Thanksgiving/IPD feast tomorrow, wish you all were here. Our Autumn Season officially ends on Sunday so we see a mass exodus of our senior citizen RVers leaving for warmer pastures down south. Some just dry dock their RVs and winter at their homes and apartments. A few hang in for a couple of more chilly weeks. But pretty soon we will be here with just our slim (but growing) crew of 3-Seasoners!
Sunday is the Memorial Service for Ikeda Sensei. It is still unbelievable that he is not here with us any more. Our region has a couple of designated centers where memorials will take place. We will spend the next couple of days reaching out to all of our members--active and inactive--to make sure they are aware of Sensei's passing and the services. Dee and Eulogio will represent the Fam there.
Final piece of news. Yesterday we bought our Bolt EUV. Pick up is on Saturday or Monday.
Today let's conclude studying Part 3 of Ikeda Sensei's "Key Passages from The Record of the Orally Transmitted Teachings" with the section "However Dark the Times, the Sun Will Rise."

Today, my beloved young Bodhisattvas of the Earth in Japan and throughout the world are achieving tremendous growth and development as their ranks continue to expand.

I know the growth of the Youth Division is uneven across the SGI-USA. Andy posted yesterday that he had a "breakthrough" district general meeting with great attendance--but still with no youth. I am sure there are many other districts like his. Ours is quite different with about 50% Youth. We have a very strong YWD presence (Emily, Frida, Toni, several JHHS/Student Division, and me). But Guy is still struggling to raise another YMD despite so many efforts.
Perhaps "achieving tremendous growth and development as their ranks continue to expand" is a slow process. Not really. When time lapse photography is played back then the growth and development is explosive.
Sensei continues:

We practice the Buddhism of the Sun. However dark and perilous the times, the sun will always rise again, freely and generously imparting its light and warmth.

The times are unbearably dark and perilous. But there is the tiniest glimmer of hope coming out of Gaza-Israel this morning.

In the same way, by chanting Nam-myoho-renge-kyo, let’s make our hearts shine with the morning sun of happiness and victory, brightening all around us. Dee keeps up corresponding with her friends from Ukraine, Russia, Israel and Gaza. She celebrates when there is even the slightest point of agreement. That's the stuff if peace-making
Nichiren Daishonin writes: “When the skies are clear, the ground is illuminated. Similarly, when one knows the Lotus Sutra, one understands the meaning of all worldly affairs” (“The Object of Devotion for Observing the Mind,” WND-1, 376). With that conviction, let us once again this year wisely and cheerfully spread our great movement of courage, hope and the highest good to illuminate the world!

What a great Farewell Message from him to us! Sensei, please rest assured, we will lead our lives wisely and cheerfully. We will spread our great movement of courage, hope and the highest good. And we will illuminate the world!
Sensei now reveals the essential message he wants to convey to his successors:

When youth, with their vibrant power and passion, rise to action and unite, the way to victory will open without fail and a song of spiritual triumph will resound far and wide. This is my personal experience and the essential message I wish to convey to our successors.

TAG: I adapted this post from Part III of Ikeda Sensei's lecture "Key Passages From The Record of the Orally Transmitted Teachings." To make it easier to read, I've edited out brackets and I have done some minor paraphrases of quotations. I've also left out sources and footnotes. If you are curious about them, please refer to the original article.

My jowa, 26M, is a seaman in a cruise ship. I can proudly say that he is exceptionally good at his line of work. Magaling din sya makisama kaya siguro hirap na hirap syang bitawan ng chief at HR nila.
Contract was supposed to end na month ago but he was requested to stay pa which he agreed since it was 8 months +/- 1 naman ang napagkasunduan. Weeks ago, he was notified about his flight details(which was supposedly today) so he got ready na physically and mentally. Inayos na nya lahat ng gamit nya. He even tossed away most of his clothes since overweight yung 2 luggage nya. Then 3 days before his flight, he was asked na naman ng HR and his chief to further his stay since di pa sila nakakahanap ng kapalitan nya. It was really heartbreaking for me, what more pa kaya sa jowa ko.
Today, he bids farewell with his crewmates(na naunahan nya sumampa but naunahan pa sya bumaba kahit same position lang sila). Then later on sinabi nya sakin na naiyak sya. It shattered me into million pieces kasi wala akong magawa kundi kausapin lang sya. I was not there to hug him or cook his comfort food sa mga ganitong sitwasyon.
Sabi nya, may bagong disembarkation date na sya pero di pa daw sure yun kasi madalas daw mangyare sa barko nila na dapat bababa ka na sa mismong araw na yun then wala ka sa disembarkation list. Then dun lang mismo sasabihin na di ka makakauwi. Sabi nya din sa akin, normal na daw sa kanila yung ganun na mangyayare sa kanila 3 to 6 times.
Nakakaputng i* lang talaga. Nakakaramdam ako na gusto ko manugod ganern.

When Tolkien wrote The Hobbit, his children were his primary audience, But he was also winking over their heads at his fellow medievalists. Probably not all of these, when Gandalf appeared, recognized his name as belonging to a dwarf in the Old Norse mythological poem called Völuspá. But when a dwarf walked into Bag-End, bowed, and said "Dwalin at your service!", they would have begun to catch on. These readers presumably kept their eyes open for the rest of the story, and spotted such things as the resemblance between Beorn and the skin-changing hero Boðvarr Bjarki from Hrolf Kraki's Saga.
Having enjoyed this, Tolkien went on inserting such scholarly jokes into LotR. Here are a couple:
Quickbeam: The name “Quickbeam” is a bilingual pun, meaning one thing in modern English (and in Elvish), and another in Old English. To begin with, béam was an OE word for “tree,” cognate with German Baum.¹ (Its meaning was transferred, very early, to a whole tree trunk used as a horizontal support member in building.). “Quick” in modern English means “rapid” or sudden,” and readers are meant to take it that way: “Hasty tree.” Which is also the meaning of the Sindarin Bregalad.
What Tolkien has up his sleeve, however (as he acknowledged in the “Guide to Translation”), is that cwicbeam is an Old English word for the rowan tree – which turns out to be the tree with which Quickbeam feels a particular affinity. The meaning of “quick” is the original one, which is “alive” (surviving in the phrase “the quick and the dead” and the verb “quicken”). The rowan was so named because it was difficult to kill. (Tom Shippey flagged this joke in The Road to Middle-earth, p. 379 n.7.)
Holdwine: this was the name given by the Rohirrim to Merry: “Farewell now, Meriadoc of the Shire and Holdwine of the Mark! Ride to good fortune, and ride back soon to our welcome!” Readers are invited to suppose that Merry earned this name by some feat of alcohol consumption, perhaps drinking under the table the NCO's of Éomer's éored during a late night in the Mess. In fact, the name is a compound of Old English hold meaning “loyal, faithful,” and wine “friend.” Wine is also found as an element in a number of other Rohirric names, such as Guthwine (“Battle-friend”), Éomer's sword; Gleowine Théoden's minstrel (“Music-friend”); and several of the Kings of Rohan. It's pronounced "Holdweena."
1 The Dutch equivalent is boom. This word was borrowed into English-- during the 17th century, when the Dutch were the master sailors of Europe – and applied to a horizontal spar used to extend a sail. Though the word is spelled the same in both languages, the Dutch pronunciation is “bohm” – /bom/ in the International Phonetic alphabet, in which English “boom” is /bum/. Speaking of pronunciation, the diphthong “ea” in OE beam was pronounced /æːɑ̯/ -- “bam,” close enough.
"Beam" and "boom" in modern English are thus what philologists call a "doublet" -- two words with different meanings deriving from the same origin. An exact parallel is "wain" and "waggon/wagon," both found in LotR. "Wain" is the natural development of OE wægn. "Wagon" was borrowed from Dutch wagen in the 16th century.

1. One of the quotations for hold in the Bosworth-Toller dictionary taken from the Laws of King Cnut, is Ðam byþ God hold ðe biþ his hláforde rihtlíce hold – meaning “God will be faithful to him who is faithful to his lord.” Which suggests that this name was given to Merry in recognition of his loyalty to Théoden.

Source: J.D. Tant's Email Newsletter ([jdtant3@juno.com](mailto:jdtant3@juno.com))
Not God. I am thinking of my own natural father, Jefferson Davis Tant. It is June 4, 1941. A few score of us are gathered in the old auditorium of the Central Church of Christ, Cleburne, Texas. My father’s body lies in the casket before us. W. K. Rose has just finished a simple, moving tribute to the one who will walk among us no more. The casket is opened, and friends and relatives file slowly past, looking for the last time upon the mortal remains of the fallen soldier. Finally, the family is left alone for a few sad moments of farewell.
And what is the most vivid picture that comes to me as I remember that poignant hour? For some strange reason my gaze focused on my father’s hands – strong, calloused, and worn with eighty years of toil and labor. Through half of my life-time that picture has not faded from my mind. I remember how the thumbs curled back, and that the skin of the hands was clear and unspotted, contrary to what it is often seen in the hands of the aged, and especially unlikely in view of his Irish heritage. Those were the hands that had held tightly of the bridle reins as he had tamed the furious contortions of many a bucking bronc; those were the hands that had picked wild berries in the hills of Georgia after Sherman’s armies had burned to the ground every building that stood on the farm; and had destroyed every vestige of food that could be found. Those were the hands that had baptized many thousands of people into the body of Christ, had written even more thousands of letters (quite often frustrating and unintelligible to the recipients because of their incredible illegibility.)
My father was a strong man, both physically and mentally. His hands revealed that strength. They were worn and roughened by honest toil. They knew the feel of an axe handle, the warmth of a branding iron – and the smooth hard quiver of a bamboo fishing pole when a four-pound catfish is tugging at the other end of the line. These were the hands that had clung with such desperate despair to the wife of his young manhood as she slipped so quickly into death after four short years of marriage. These were the hands that had served both as mid-wife and physician at the birth of my older brother “because we were too poor to pay the $20.00 a doctor would have charged” as my mother told me so many years later.
They were hands that had given strength and courage to many a sad and weary heart whose owner had felt their tightening grip as he battled with some fierce grief or tragedy. They were hands of friendship and compassion and sympathy. They were hands also that had hesitated to “apply the rod” (and how he applied it!) to his own children as they were passing through the formative years of childhood. They were the hands of authority – but also of security. Strength was there, and we knew it.
More than thirty years have passed since I stood beside my father’s bier, gazing so intently at his hands. It is as vivid as if it had happened yesterday. Somehow, my father’s hands, lying so still on the warm gray fabric of his burial suit (a gift, incidentally, of John W. Akin) seemed to symbolize his life, a life of fantastic activity, which had known hardship and heartache; but which had been rich in love and friendship, and in service to his Master. They were the hands of a man who had lived his life rather than merely marking time through his allotted span. As I gazed at my father’s hands that day in June so many years ago, I felt the appropriateness of the brief quotation which he himself had selected as an inscription to be engraved on the stone marker at his head: “I have fought a good fight; I have finished my course; I have kept the faith.” (II Timothy 4:7)
--F.Y.T. (written in the 1970s)
Dear Reader, could these final words be said of you when the end comes? -- J.D.T.

Blood of the Harpy part 3: Poisoning the Tree
​
Welcome back.
In this section, we move into the age of Andal ascendency to find the Blood of the Harpy establishing itself in Westeros. With the Hightower in their possession, they would now begin positioning themselves to begin the most important task:
Control of the final quill in Westeros.
Control of history itself.
In This post I will:
Theorize as to how the Andals went about taking power in the Citadel.

1. The steps they took to push out those who believed in the establishment's original purpose.
2. Add to the timeline to complete the connection between the Andal Invasion and the main storyline with entries including theories on when Braavos was uncloaked, why the Iron Islands are incapable of growing crops and what "Blood of the First Men" really means.

Holy Mission:
Imagine you’re the Church, you’ve managed to hoodwink your way to power in all but two kingdoms. More importantly, you’ve gotten your foot in the door at the Citadel. So what do you do?
What you've always done: Play the long game.
You know that the True Believers will not trust you and they will actively work to stop any attempts to seize information, so you instead settle down and begin sending your “best and brightest” to Oldtown.:
The Septons.
And what service they would provide; not just by learning the inner workings of the Citadel but by quietly converting others to the cause.
With an Andal presence in the Citadel, they could now start isolating the True Believers. I believe they did this by targeting three groups: The First Men, Baseborns and Foreigners.
The first group would be the most time consuming. The Andals would have had the Hightowers make a request that the Citadel start including classes in the Common Tongue. While this is happening, Septons and Septas would’ve used a combination of education and shame to push the CT amongst the smallfolk, making it easier to get the nobles on board.
In addition, they would’ve demanded audiences in the CT when dealing with Northmen and Iron Islanders. Through control of the southron kingdoms, the Faith could put trade pressure on the outsiders to make concessions and eventually the Old Tongue would be nearly wiped out.
Yes, nearly.
Baseborns would’ve been the simplest to deal with. Any baseborns who showed intellectual promise would immediately be encouraged to join The Faith. It’s an unlimited supply of slaves and what better way to convince them then to tell them that they were worthy of serving The Seven and spreading the word?
For those of the Old Faith. Well, it wouldn't be much for the Andals to kidnap and toruture them over to the Faith would it?
Finally, the foreigners, by this point they would’ve seen the writing on the wall and said their farewells, communicating via letter or glass candle but as the Faith grew in power it would inevitably lead to the point where even that would fail them because there would not be enough True Believes to make a difference.
Over those thousand years, the Blood of Harpy slowly wrested control of Westeros by twisting the Citadel against the culture that created it.
But it wasn’t like they were calm elsewhere.
​
The Andal era of Ascendency
​
The Scouring of the Iron Islands
602 BC (Circa)
You ever wonder why the Iron Islands can’t grow food? Their lands have a thin, rocky soil that makes it very hard to grow anything.
But why are they like that?
The maesters claim that the Iron Islanders over forested but that's impossible. How could all but one island managed to do this and no one stopped to think about what was happening?
Can you guess who did it?
When they invaded, the Andals went in committed to Total War: Take everything you can and destroy everything else. With the land burnt and poisoned with the likes of salt and sulfur and no trees to prevent soil erosion the islands were forced into their current state.
The Westermen left Great Wyk, the largest island, as the Iron Born’s lone food and lumber producer but this was not the end. Not long after the Westermen left a long winter set in that resulted in a famine that killed three times as many people as the twelve years of war before it.
It’s almost like they knew when to leave.
Wheat is not very hardy once it begins to grow and if the Iron Islands had not been informed that winter was coming they would’ve poured their seed into Great Wyk’s soil only to find it dying on them.
For centuries they struggled, with only one island that was capable of supporting large scale agriculture, the Iron Born were forced to turn to trade to survive but the defilement of their lands was never far from their thoughts.
This also would’ve left little land for growing the type of trees used for building ships, which can take between 20 and 50 years to grow to full size. Whatever was of significant height was likely cut down and the ground reseeded for crops.
After struggling for decades, they would've begun buying more food from the mainlands.Once they had enough money to buy food from the mainland in larger amounts, more of Great Wyk could be given over to lumber but even that took time.
Hundreds of years rebuilding and playing nice with the Greenlanders until Qhorwyn the Cunning said,
“This fleet? Oh, it’s for trade and protection.”
And his son Harwyn said,
“Of course, father. We’re just trying to expand our trade network.”
​
The Old Faith under Attack
402 BC (Circa)
House Teague’s attempts to use the Faith Militant to suppress the Old Faith gives us a peek into when the Church started to drop its act and began to ramp up of hostilities.
Considering that even House Bracken stood up against them, it's not hard to imagine how excessive the assault might’ve been.
This invoked the wrath of Arlan Durrandon, who married Lord Roderick Blackwood’s daughter, resulting in House Teague being wiped out in the male line.
This tale gives us clear evidence of the Tullys and Durrandons practicing the Old Faith as recently as 700 years ago. Arlan married a Blackwood under the Raventree Hall weirwood and his son married that woman's sister, Shiera.
I think this might be an indication of why some families below the neck still take pride in the "Blood of the First Men". Originally it was a "fuck you" to those families that allowed their lines to be "tainted" by intermarrying with the Andals. and an indication that they kept the Old Gods.
Wait a moment, the Stormlands were fighting far north of their Kingdom in the name of their faith around the same time that Nymeria and her people were arriving in Dorne and aligning with an Andal house?
What a coincidence.
​
HardHome
302 BC (Circa)
Hardhome has long been believed to have been the testing ground for The Doom and I support the volcanic vents theory.
While there is no indication of lava flow described in the area; you wouldn’t actually need lava to have come up to the surface. Forcing the lava up through the bedrock under the forest would’ve set it ablaze and as it rose, those caves would’ve grown deadly hot.
The heat would’ve seared the skin and left those people desperate for water. Something similar happened after the Hiroshima bombing. Hundreds who survived the blast tried to make their way to a river to get a drink only to die from their burns or in the river itself from shock.
​
The Unveiling of Braavos
302 BC (Speculative Date)
Hardhomme was the final test before the BoH could have its vengeance and with its success the Secret City was finally “revealed”.
Now, I put quotations around revealed because we know that it wasn't hidden. This was about allowing outsiders to enter the city. I believe that Hardhome happened the last night of their celebrations, when the Braavosi took off their masks.
Valyria was on the chopping block, the city needed to establish foreign nations within their city and let the Iron Bank expand its influence before the Freehold fell, as Braavos would’ve been the least affected by The Doom and in prime position to take power afterwards.
Wait, so, if Braavos was 111 around 302 BC, then that would put its founding (The city’s, not the HoBaW) at around circa 413 BC. Was anything happening or about to happen in Westeros around that time?
​
The Doom of Valyria
102 BC
We all know what happened. We all have our theories of how it was done exactly but it’s the effect that it had on Westeros is important here.
Think about how many True Believer maesters were in Valyria. Now, think of all the maesters scattered around the world. If they weren’t already on their way home, there’s a good chance that they never made it back.
Some died, some were enslaved, others, realizing what was happening, might’ve stayed put until they could figure things out, only to realize later that they would likely never see home again. I wonder how many ransoms demanded by shady individuals, who once worked with maesters only to betray them, were ignored by the Citadel.
1,000 years the BoH had waited and now, their time had finally come. They knew that the comet was not far off and with both religion and history in their hands all they had to do was wait until their God rose again.
​
Iron Vengeance
90 BC (Circa)
Oh, yeah….. Harwyn definitely did a fabulous job expanding the Iron Islands trade network.
​
Aegon’s Conquest
2-0 BC
…..and it would’ve all worked out if it wasn’t for those meddling dragon riders.
​
And with that we've returned to the main story. I wonder, when you next read a Hightower conspiracy theory; will it come off a bit….darker?
​
We finish with Part four: The Dragon’s Most Ancient and Terrible Bloodline, where we’ll delve into rouge maesters, the possibility that Maegor was a good guy, code breaking and the real identities of legendary figures.

What's up boys. I'm making this post as a bit of a farewell/thank you to the sub. I've been lurking for probably 10 years now, well before the day that I shipped off to boot camp. Funnily enough, I even connected with a couple of dudes that were in my boot camp (800 Div)/buds class before we shipped, and I'm still in touch with them to this day. I'm going to give specific enough info to dox myself to those who know me, but honestly I just don't give a fuck anymore.
The point of this wall of text is not to give civilians tips for BUDS (I'm wholly unqualified for that and there is plenty of info already out there), but more so to drop some info for the dudes in the Fleet and especially for those poor Undes souls that think they're trapped with no way out. Please don't dive into a propeller, it's played out and nothing will come of it, Big Navy simply does not care.
Also, I joined the Navy/went to BUDS (320s) over 6 years ago and have been out of the Navy for a little while now so take what I say with a grain of salt. Things change and shit happens.
So, first a little background about me. I joined the Navy at 23 right after graduating college (99 ASVAB and still sent Undes lol), I was 6'2 and 205lbs coming from a huge strength background, I had actually cut 10lbs to make running a little easier. Looking back, I definitely would've changed my diet and tried to drop 20-30 more lbs before coming in, carrying that extra weight adds up. I was running 35 miles a week before I shipped and my best PST run was 9:06, with a 26 min 4 mile. My Navy career was Boot Camp-Prep-BO-BUDS (DORd Friday week 1)-Undes on a ship-TAD EODGRU1-CEODD (Med Rolled, Med Dropped)-GM A School-Riverine Squadron-DD214. I saw more sides of the Navy than most in 4 years, and I figured I should data dump everything while any of this is still even vaguely relevant.
If this is able to help even one good dude, it was worth it.
BUDS:
Not going to say much about it other than STOP TRYING (https://www.reddit.com/navyseals/comments/eie5la/stop_trying/). I obsessed over everything SEAL related, spent way more time in college than I'll ever admit combing through this forum, spending hours reading the entirety of NYDI's AMAs, looking for that one secret tip that would provide just a tiny bit more insight than what I got from Breaking BUDS, hoping for the smallest glimpse behind the curtain. Looking back, it was a huge waste of time and completely unnecessary. Like everything else in life, reality rarely matches your expectations. I spent years thinking about what it will be like to run out onto the Grinder on Day 1 for an epic beatdown to kick off the legendary selection process that is BUDS. Know what my class's first evo was? Run onto the grinder screaming, then go back to the beach for a 4 Mile timed run. My point is, it will be different than what you expect, so why stress? Enjoy the journey, take it as it comes, and above all else don't take it too seriously.
Oh yeah, and I watched my class's scrawny no-quit dark horse collapse under a boat, get trampled by 2 boat crews, and ring out while the shoe-in high level athletes made it through. It's not the 90s anymore, be as fit as you can be.
Fleet:
Rates:
So, you just quit BUDS and are now sitting at a disinterested NC's desk that is pressuring you to pick a rate. They won't tell you this, but this is ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT MOMENTS OF YOUR CAREER. Pick a good rate, and you'll have a good time and look back on your Navy days fondly. Choose poorly, and the next 4-6 years will suck beyond anything you could possibly imagine. This is very much a pivot point in your life, so be extremely careful. Figure out your career goals before you even step foot in the office. Do your research (https://www.mynavyhr.navy.mil/Career-Management/Community-Management/Enlisted/) and determine which rates are undermanned and which are overmanned. If the rate that you picked is undermanned and/or the Active Duty Community Health Summary (linked above) says "No convert out opportunities", there is zero percent chance that you go back to BUDS or a different pipeline. You could have record PST numbers and letters of recommendation from a flag officer, but ultimately it is up to your enlisted community manager.
If you fucked up and didn't read my advice, you could still get lucky and get good orders (ie anything that doesn't start with USS or, to a lesser extent, Squadron), or (after building rapport with your CoC) screen/apply for a special program that's offered within your community. If you get a say in your orders, I recommend the order you put as follows: Expeditionary (Seabees, Beachmasters, Riverines, Assault Craft Units, etc.), Squadron, Amphib (LPD/LHD), Small Boy (Destroyers, not MCM or LCS), Big Deck. Do everything possible to avoid going to a ship, your quality of life will be significantly better at anything that doesn't start with USS.
When I was given my sheet with the available rates, they offered me my 5th choice (AM), which came with a 6 year contract. I don't know about you but I didn't join the Navy to fix airplanes for 6 years, so I said "Fuck it" and signed for 4 years as a PACT (Undes) Seaman (Really 3.5 years, as you get credit for time served) and received orders to an LPD. I figured that 4 years as an indentured servant (with an opportunity to convert out after 2) was better than 6 years in a job I knew I wouldn't like. It ended up being the right choice for me.
Undesignated Seaman:
The Undes life blows, but if you play your cards right it can actually work in your favor. The Bad: You will be given the shittiest jobs to do, the longest hours, the shittiest watches to stand (Oh, how you'll stand them!), no opportunity for promotion, terrible evals, and work with bottom of the barrel people that couldn't qualify for any other job. Undes life is god awful, and I wouldn't wish it upon even the most selfish not-for-the-boys boat ducker. You will have much more in common with that guy than with anyone you find in your local Deck Department. Expect to be ridiculed and regarded with suspicion by your CoC for the crime of trying to become a Navy SEAL. One thing to keep in mind is that you are not the first person to be in this position, and your CoC has previously dealt with many BUDS duds with terrible bitter attitudes. BUT. You can use this to your advantage. The Good: Convert Out opportunity into any rate/program that you want, extremely low expectations, no real responsibility. As I previously mentioned, manning is a huge part of how they run the Navy. As Undes, one of your NC's jobs is to actually help you get a rate. Believe it or not, you are in a position of strength in this regard. You will have to pay the piper for a while, but eventually the rate you want will become available, or you will get accepted to a Special Program and bounce. Your CoC's expectations of you as Undes will be very, very low. They expect you to be miserable, reluctant to work, and standoffish. If you flip that on its head and show up with a positive attitude, work hard and volunteer all the time (chances are whatever you just volunteered for is better than what they would've had you doing, plus it makes you look good), and suck their dick at every opportunity, it will pay off in spades. Your evals will be a part of any special programs package that you submit, and having EP evals and being Sailor of the Quarter actually really matters to the selection committees. You're not going to get that by playing the role of the bitter buds guy who doesn't want to be there. As much as it sucks, put on the face of being Joe Navy, Fleet as Fuck guy that never wants to go back to buds/specops, but wants to become a BM just like you, Senior Chief.
I would also HIGHLY, HIGHLY recommend to get in good with as many of your ships' officers as possible, and talk to the CO/XO whenever you can. The CO has final say in any package that you submit. My best friend was abhorred by our CoC, routed a BUDS package that had "Not Recommended" "Strongly Not Recommended" "Discipline Problem" "Needs Remediation" for every level, including CMC. The CO and XO both approved it. He didn't get picked up due to Year Group, but the point stands. Play the game and put on a happy face, even if it kills you underneath the surface.
I'll also add to pick up some collaterals, but be mindful of which you pick. Being a stretcher bearer or part of the VBSS team gets you good training and can be fun, and you are easily replaceable if your package gets picked up. Being 1 of 2 SAR swimmers or Crane/Forklift Operators on your ship could kill your dreams the same as if you'd gone to Mast. I was a SAR swimmer and had a blast, would highly recommend it if you know for a fact that your ship has more than 2 swimmers. I don't personally know of anyone that didn't get picked up due to being SAR, but you are a Critical item (ship can't get underway without 2 SARs) and I did hear a few rumors about some poor dudes.
To finish this section, Undes life is miserable but in a sense you are free. Do your research, talk to people, etc. You might just discover programs that you can apply for that you had no idea existed (ie SARC). I'll add that your CoC has a vested interest in keeping you on the ship, and will do little to nothing to help you (regardless of what they say).
CEODD:
The Navy EOD pipeline has very little info on it out there so I will try to provide as much color as I can. In keeping with the theme of the rest of this post, I'm sure that some of this info will be outdated but I will do my best to provide an accurate recollection. Converting from the Fleet to EOD is much, much easier than going back to BUDS. There is less competition and in my experience dudes will actually go out of their way to help you. Perfect example, I have a friend that was curious about the pipeline so he just showed up to the Quarterdeck of a Mobile Unit and asked how to get started. He was able to sit down with the CMC and shoot the shit for an hour or so, got some points of contact, etc. In terms of physicality, I would put it a couple of steps above SAR School and a couple of steps below BUDS. That is NOT to say that it is easier, just that it's selective in a different way. I do not know a single guy that went to BUDS that didn't make it through to EOD School. I do know several guys that made it to EOD, Double Tapped a test, and went straight to the Fleet Undes (If you go to EOD straight from BUDS the Navy sees it as you failing two A Schools, and doesn't offer you a rate). When I went, the pipeline was CEODD (Great Lakes)-Dive School (Panama City)-EOD School (Eglin)-Underwater EOD (Panama City)-Static Line Jump School( (Ft. Benning)-Expeditionary Combat School (Gulfport)-EOD Tactical Training (San Diego), then off to your Mobile Unit as a Basic Tech. Any healthy Hell Week drop or 2nd Phase (Pool Comp) drop was offered EOD, and would spend his Holds time at EODGRU-1 before classing up at CEODD. I didn't meet any dudes at Group or CEODD that made it beyond Pool Comp, but I did meet an SQT drop at GM A School that was also offered EOD. The key word is Healthy, they don't want broken dudes or guys with bad reputations. We did receive a guy at Group that some of the other dudes saw as a shitbag, the guy in charge talked to the BUDS instructors and they agreed, I stood outside the office as this guy was dropped and sent to the fleet. So yeah, your reputation does follow you.
I got picked up from the Fleet on like an 8:45 Swim, 80-90 Pushups, 80-90 Sit Ups, 12-15 Pullups, and like a 9:30 run. Upon getting to Group you will do a PST with super strict form (cadence pushups, pullups, etc.), IMO moreso to see how you will put out when they start docking reps. Day to day life TAD at Group was very chill, show up around 9 and workout on your own until 11, everyone heads to the pool and swims/treads/stretches until 12, grab lunch, then usually odd jobs (armory inventory, cleaning, etc.) or play games (soccer, ultimate,volleyball) until you're cut around 3. Every now and then we'd have a contractor watch for a couple of hours. That TAD time was some of the best time I had in the Navy, very chill days and consider yourself lucky if you get it. Definitely build up your fin treading for CEODD, I was one of the best treaders in both of my CEODD classes using a simple progression. Put one dive brick on each shoulder and hold one in your hands (like eye level, out of the water) so 30# total. Start with 1:00 on, 1:00 rest, 1:00 on, 1:00 rest, 1:00 on, 1:00 rest. Add 30 seconds each time you do it (so Session 2 instead of 3 total working minutes, it would be 3:30 total working minutes) and keep work/rest 2:1. Progress this until you can do 5:00 on, 2:30 rest and do 2-3 treads a week, progressing each time. The longest you will go at CEODD is 3 sets of 3:00 on, and like 6 mins off (depending on how many people are in your line) with a 30# belt on your shoulders. If you can do 3 sets of 5/2:30 with no hands, you have absolutely nothing to worry about. The furthest that I got was 4,3:30,3 before I left San Diego, and I breezed through the treads.
You should also try to keep your running up. Nothing too crazy, the furthest that you'll run in CEODD is 4ish miles but you'll go further in Dive School. If I remember correctly (2nd hand info), one of the last evos you do in Dive is a 10 mile moto beach run. They had also just introduced rucking (w blue rifles) up to 6 miles at CEODD, the only one to fail any rucks was a small female that they ended up pushing through anyway, so nothing to worry about there. Again, the intro PST will be super strict. It will also be followed by one of the worst CEODD beatings, I knew this going in and coasted and it worked out well. You just need to pass. As far as other pool evos, expect basic underwater knot tying (bowline and square), ditch and dons with mask, belt, snorkel, and weight belt with hand signs, OveUnders in full cammies (barefoot and no mask), and a test out with a partner where you practice entering the water and performing checks on simulated twin 80s with a buddy and while treading. The test out is the only thing that would get people rolled, and usually they would be allowed to only do the test out with the next class. Not much more to add for CEODD, expect some hard beatings/fuck fuck games on the field and in the classroom building.
Oh yeah, and since its in Great Lakes it's super super fleet. Expect to stand midnight watches during the week while you're in CEODD and have to clean the barracks, deal with Liberty cards, etc. It was hit or miss how much the fleet returnees would have to do depending on the day/NMTI, but if you're coming straight from BUDS they will treat you as if you're straight from boot camp. The Fleeters in charge of the base don't know/care that you're in a selection. To give you an idea as far as attrition, we classed up with 50 and by the end of the first week we were down to 26. By the end of the 5 weeks 13 went to Dive School, with everyone else being rolled or dropped at some point. Don't get attached to any of the boot camp kids, they disappear pretty quickly after the first tread. Also, the pool is small (25m long but only like 10-15M across and 8 ft deep). Most days you will spend your mornings at the pool/field, get lunch around 12, then spend the afternoon at the classroom learning dive physics and getting beat, then get cut around 4-5.
I can't attest to Dive School first hand, but expect OveUnders in a 25m 15ft pool, more PT, surf hits, etc. Again, its not easy but nobody that I know that went to BUDS failed Dive. When I got rolled the boys that moved on were recommending to work on my breath hold as much as I could for the oveunders. EOD is an academic grind, as I alluded to before if you fail the same test twice you are dropped on the spot and sent to the fleet so take it seriously and study hard. FWIW I don't know anybody that failed Underwater, but several that failed EOD School.
GM A-School:
Not much to say here, when I went through all of the test questions/answers were on Quizlet but I think that the Nukes fucked that up for everyone. Expect any A-School to be fleet as fuck and very gay. Try to get to know the cooler instructors, it turns out that one of ours spent time at DN and another was at a SEAL team for most of his career. Oh yeah, and my buddy and I were able to rig it so that we had the exact same score at graduation so we both got honor grad and automatic promotion to E-4, lol.
Riverines:
If you are lucky enough to get Expeditionary orders, from A-School you'll go to Expeditionary Combat Skills in Gulfport, MS. Great school, you'll spend 1 week each on TCCC, Pistol, Rifle, and IED/Convoy/Sim.
The Riverine unit itself was a perfect microcosm of the Navy: Lots of potential, but squandered by Fleet BS. Back in the day (2007) you had to pass a SEAL PST and go to the USMC School of Infantry before you got to the unit, and you were almost guaranteed to see combat in Iraq running support for SEALs/Marines. Now, its luck of the draw as far as who gets orders there, so there were a lot of fat bodies, lazy people, and women. Definitely some solid dudes too though, don't get me wrong, and it was far closer to my idea of "the military" than anything that I did on the ship. The deployment tempo is high, you can expect to be home 15 months, gone 9 months for the duration of your time there. You'll be issued your own kit and have opportunities that you can't get elsewhere in the Navy (actually cool schools like USMC CQB [and formerly JTAC], Designated Marksman, VBSS Support for USMC Recon, exercises with EOD and NSW units, etc.). You can also do the in-house selection and become part of the Aircraft Security Team, tasked with flying with and providing security for C-130s and other airframes when they land in sketchy places doing spook shit (its an offshoot of the USAF's Phoenix Raven program). I enjoyed my time with the Riverines and wish I spent all 4 years there. Also, it's an environment that actually encourages guys to do things like submit SpecOps packages, so if you're lucky enough to end up there don't expect the resistance that you would get in the fleet.
Other:
DEVGRU:
I was 50/50 on whether to even post this section but I'll leave it in on the off chance that it helps someone. DN does actively recruit support guys from the fleet. Right before I left the Riverines, a couple of recruiters showed up to talk to the GMs. Basically, they walked us through the process. You reach out to the DN recruitment page, submit a package, they invite you to come out to the compound and screen, you do a 1 week screener and take a psych eval, then go back to your unit. If everything went well, they told us that we would get overriding orders that had us leave our unit within 30 days. There was also an OBLISERVE, it was either 6 or 8 years at DN I can't remember. After your OBLISERVE is up, if you want to stay in the Navy you have to go back to the fleet, as much as it sucks at the end of the day you're at the mercy of your Community Manager. Only certain rates can move over (listed on their recruitment page), but they did say if you have a critical skill (ex: language) there is some flexibility.
Both of the guys that came out were GMs, and one of them said that there are opportunities within the unit (if you earn it) to screen for programs that were Combat Support and had you going out with the guys. Otherwise, you'd be working in the armory or at the range, and doing a lot of travelling. FWIW both of them looked absolutely exhausted/overworked. I didn't pursue this as I was processing out, BUT I passed the contact info along to my Undes buddy who reached out to the recruiter and started the process. They ultimately didn't take him because he went to Mast (on BS trumped up charges), but for Undes guys its something to keep in mind, the worst that they can say is "No". If I had known about this when I was Undes 100% I would've taken advantage of it.
One last thing, they were emphatic that if you screen and get the orders, you will never go back to BUDS.
PEDs:
I know that this will be controversial but it's worth mentioning. You absolutely don't need to do PEDs to get to/through BUDS or any other pipeline. Having said that, I don't know anybody from my class that was on PEDs that didn't make it through (except for 1 guy that rang out right before we ran onto the Grinder Day 1). My ship had 3 Officers submit BUDS packages and all 3 were on PEDs. 2 got picked up and made it through, the other was disliked by the CoC, couldn't get a recommendation and got out and went National Guard 18X and made it through. There was also an enlisted dude that went EOD that used PEDs, he also made it through. Again, you 100% DO NOT need them to get through (especially for EOD, total overkill), but if I HAD to go back to BUDS I would use them and cycle off before showing up. Times have changed and I know that supposedly they have tried to crack down, but just my .02.
Other SOF Info:
Today I am vehemently anti-military/government and would not advise that anybody join the military for any reason. My time in most certainly changed my perspective from a hard-charging flag-waver to viewing the bloated military budget and our propensity for casual violent foreign intervention as disgraceful.
However, if you are dead-set on going down the SOF route I would strongly recommend that you consider the other branches. The Navy is a toxic organization, and that toxicity permeates every level. My Air Force friends speak highly of their branch. Sure, it has its faults but they seem to be treated much more humanely. The dudes that I know that have gone 18X also seem to think that it was a good decision. I don't know anyone in the Navy or USMC that thinks that joining their organization was the right call.
Also, FWIW none of the dudes that I went to BUDS with that made it through or the USMC dudes (1 Raider, 1 SARC, a few Recon) that I know have seen combat. One guy in my class that dropped in HW and went EOD has, as have my USAF TACP friend and 1/2 of my Ranger friends. My read is that it seems like being an Enabler gives you a better chance of seeing action, as you can deploy with many different units over your career doing many different things. Both my EOD and TACP buddy were supporting Army units at the time.
If I can't change your mind and you are set on joining the Navy, strongly, strongly consider EOD. It's not as "sexy" to the general public as SO but it seems to be a more laid back lifestyle, plus the breadth of mission sets and cool assignments is hard to beat.
Closing Remarks:
This post was my way of trying to pass off as much of this info as I could while it is still of some relevance. I wrote this for the dudes stuck living life in Undes hell, with seemingly no way out other than to suck it up for their 4 year contract. As much as life sucks right now, you have options and despite what it may seem like, there are people out there willing to help. Anyway, my DM's are open if anyone wants to reach out.
"Are you silly? I'm still gonna send it!"

I have conceptualized an innovative mobile app, combining elements of a dating service and a social icebreaker, with a captivating backstory. Allow me to elaborate on the idea:
During a casual visit to a local lounge with a friend who had come into town for the holidays, we decided to embark on an engaging game. Our playful activity involved approaching girls, selected by our friends, and initiating interactions by offering drinks and exchanging contact information. While my friend Michael took the lead, engaging with some girls, buying them drinks, and securing their social details, I followed suit in a similar manner. However, after our interactions, it became evident that the remaining participants in our group were not willing to partake, leading to a mildly frustrating situation. Despite my initial reluctance, I pondered an intriguing question: how could two individuals seated on opposite sides of a room effectively communicate in such a scenario?
Over the subsequent weeks, I delighted in my creative process, frequently brainstorming various ideas throughout my daily routines. Perhaps my exposure to entrepreneurial ventures, including the television show "Shark Tank," influenced this inclination. However, the true inspiration struck one day while I was at my place of work, a collision repair shop specializing in vehicle repairs.
During one such workday, I received a call from a client requiring repairs for a vehicle that had been involved in a hit and run incident, with the client's girlfriend as the victim. After providing a quotation and receiving the client's agreement, he lingered at the shop, awaiting transportation. While parking the vehicle in an available space, I noticed a single rose, gracefully aged but still exuding beauty, resting on the dashboard. At the time, I gave little thought to its significance, simply closing the door and exchanging a farewell handshake with the client, assuring him of updates on the repair.
However, a brief ten minutes later, the same client returned, requesting the keys to the vehicle he had previously brought in, claiming that something of importance had been inadvertently left behind. Promptly, I handed him the keys while remaining at the shop. As the day progressed, while moving the vehicle into the shop, I discovered the absence of the previously observed rose. This seemingly mundane occurrence led me to introspect on the profound symbolism of roses as tokens of affection and love.
This introspection, in turn, birthed the concept I aptly refer to as "Social Roses." Allow me to elucidate its functionality: envision yourself seated at Table 15 within a bar or lounge, and you notice an intriguing individual at Table 30, seated across the venue. To foster communication, you can utilize the "Social Roses" app by scanning a QR code placed on your table and ordering a rose to be delivered to the person at Table 30. Should the recipient graciously accept the rose, they can then scan the QR code on the rose or their table, thus initiating an exchange of social media information through the app. This interactive process facilitates communication and creates a memorable connection between the parties involved.
The "Social Roses" app possesses considerable promise, seamlessly melding the appeal of a dating service with the charm of a social icebreaker. Moreover, its revenue model entails selling the app's software to lounges or bars through a subscription-based system, wherein each establishment contributes $150.00 per month. With multiple venues embracing the app, the collective revenue potential increases significantly, reaching $150 x 20 (or more) per month for these establishments. Furthermore, partnering venues stand to profit from the sale of roses to users, priced reasonably at $0.99 per rose, while offering various pricing tiers such as $9.99 or $19.
In conclusion, "Social Roses" represents a revolutionary solution to bridge communication gaps in social settings. Its unique concept, coupled with its substantial revenue generation potential, presents a compelling proposition for both users and partnering establishments. I eagerly await your thoughts on this transformative communication solution, which extends its applicability beyond dating services to enhance bar management services by incorporating the seamless purchase of drinks, food, and flowers for any desired table or active app member. Furthermore, app users can easily request specific accommodations provided by the facility. Together, let's embark on a journey to change the way we communicate in social environments and elevate the experiences we share.
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Introduction
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A successful move requires careful planning and flawless execution. The packers and movers in Noida excel in this aspect, employing a streamlined approach to ensure a seamless relocation process. They meticulously plan every detail of your move, from coordinating the packing schedule to organizing the transportation logistics. Their expertise and attention to detail guarantee that your belongings are handled with utmost care and that your move progresses smoothly from start to finish.
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Packing is a crucial aspect of any move, and the packers and movers in Noida offer comprehensive packing solutions to simplify this task for you. They utilize high-quality packing materials and employ efficient techniques to ensure the safety of your belongings. Fragile items receive special attention, with extra layers of protection and cushioning to minimize the risk of damage during transit. By entrusting your packing to the professionals, you can rest assured that your treasured possessions are in capable hands.
Trained and Skilled Team
The success of any packers and movers service lies in the competence and professionalism of its team members. The movers in Noida are a team of trained and skilled professionals who possess the expertise required to handle all types of relocations. From disassembling furniture to securely loading and unloading your belongings, they carry out each task with precision and care. Their efficiency and attention to detail ensure that your move is executed to perfection.
Modern Equipment and Technology
The packers and movers in Noida embrace the advancements of technology and employ modern equipment to enhance the efficiency and safety of your move. They utilize specialized packing tools, sturdy moving equipment, and GPS tracking systems to streamline the relocation process. These technological innovations not only ensure the secure transportation of your belongings but also provide you with real-time updates on the progress of your move. With state-of-the-art equipment and technology, they bring a touch of sophistication to your relocation experience.
Transparent Pricing and Value for Money
When it comes to pricing, transparency is of utmost importance. The reputable packers and movers in Noida offer transparent pricing structures, providing you with detailed quotations that clearly outline all the costs involved. You can trust that there are no hidden charges or surprises along the way. Moreover, their services are designed to provide value for money, offering high-quality service without breaking the bank. With their transparent pricing and commitment to delivering exceptional value, you can plan your move with confidence.
Conclusion
Relocating to Noida doesn't have to be a daunting task. With the assistance of professional packers and movers in the city, your move can become a unique and effortless experience. Their personalized consultations, streamlined planning, and comprehensive solutions ensure that every aspect of your move is carefully managed. By entrusting your relocation to these experts, you can focus on embracing the excitement of your new beginning while they take care of the logistics. Bid farewell to relocation stress and welcome a seamless move with the exceptional packers and movers in Noida!

Summary for the Listener: After spending the day exploring the village you discovered the previous night, Mystic Haven, you are now ready for your evening meal. The village’s innkeeper, Cassian, was your guide throughout the day, but he is unable to accompany you this evening. Instead, he suggests that you dine at The Drunken Goose, the village’s prized tavern. You have heard tales of the owner, Griselda, who also happens to be Cassian’s younger sister. She is fierce and sharp-tongued, able to strike fear into the hearts of many. However, upon meeting her, you find she is more agreeable than you were let on….
*****
Key:
(SFX: Words in parenthesis): Sound effects
[Words in brackets]: The Speaker’s actions/suggestions for tone
“Words in quotation marks”: The Speaker’s lines
— : The Speaker should pause for a response
*****
General Notes: This is Part 2 of a Three Part series. The other two parts (1 and 3) involve male characters and voice actors. Reading Part 1 prior to this script would likely be helpful for context, just so you know how Griselda is depicted. You can find the link to Part 1 here. Since this female character only appears once in the series, you may want to drop the “Part #” from the title (for example, The Mystic Haven Chronicles: The Tavern). You don’t have to, though. I did take a lot of creative liberty with the dialogue and the information, so this is not meant to be an accurate reflection of the Medieval era. Anyway, I hope you enjoy :)
Notes on Usage: You may record this script for an audio, but I do need to be credited. I would really appreciate the chance to listen to it, so please send me a link so I can follow up. Certain types of monetization are fine (like YouTube), but please do not put this behind a locked paywall. As for the script itself, please keep the writing the same and the speaker as F. You may change the gender of the audience, however (for example, F4F). If you have any questions, feel free to send me a message. Thank you!
*****
Setting: The Drunken Goose, a tavern in Mystic Haven
(SFX: A heavy door is thrown open. Either tavern music plays or the general din of guests as they chat and eat. Footsteps approach. A chair is scrapped against the floor as the Listener sits.)
[Slow drawl] “I was wondering when you would arrive, traveler.”
[An annoyed sigh]
“Are introductions truly necessary? You already know that I am Griselda, the owner of the tavern you are currently occupying, The Drunken Goose. And considering I have been expecting you, I am fully aware of who you are.”
[Slightly patronizing laugh]
“Did you think my brother would keep quiet?”
–
“Precisely. You have been in his company long enough to know that he adores the sound of his own voice. He could prattle on just about anything, including the most recent object of his affections.”
–
“Yes, that would be you.”
[Longer pause, as the Speaker takes in the Listener’s appearance]
“You appear perplexed, given how deeply your brow is furrowed and your lips are pursed. Have you not realized that you have caught my brother’s eye?”
–
[Amused] “Ah, you noticed that Cassian had taken a slight interest, but assumed it was nothing more than passing infatuation.”
–
“It seems that you are terribly mistaken, traveler. In all my years, I have never seen my brother so enamored of someone. You must be truly enchanting, for you managed to captivate a man whose talents lie in wooing for an evening, only to bid farewell the next morning. I would be lying if I said I was not the least bit curious about you.”
–
[Defensive] “I am not jesting! Even though my brother frequently vexes me, I would never jest about something as serious as that. In fact, I have a tale that will prove how sincere his affections are.”
–
“Ah, ah. While I admit that was a clever attempt to persuade me to reveal the details, it will not work. I was raised alongside two brothers who thought they could pull the wool over my eyes. Much to their chagrin, I saw through their deception, just as easily as I can easily see through yours. Since you are so eager for the story, let us have a trade then. I will only tell you if you purchase a meal, a beverage, or both. That is why you are here, is it not?”
–
“Indeed. The day has dwindled, and night will fall upon us soon. There is no better time than the present to have your evening meal. If you are famished, then you have come to the right place. No one ever leaves my tavern feeling unsatiated, of that I am certain.”
–
“Yes, you may inquire about this evening’s selection. I prepared a roasted leg of wild boar, which rests atop an ample pile of potatoes, onions, and carrots. If you desire lighter fare, there is bread, cheese, and pickled herring.”
–
“Your preference is the heartier meal. Very well. And what will you be drinking?”
[A derisive snort]
“You are aware you are in a tavern, yes? Of course, I have a variety of beverages available.”
–
[Impatiently] “Well, what will it be: mead, cider, or ale? I have a bit of wine as well, though it is significantly more costly because it was brought here from another land. Only the wealthiest of guests typically choose the wine.”
–
[Surprised, but also suspicious] “…You would like the strongest, most potent ale that I have? Are you absolutely certain of your decision?”
–
[Scoff]
“As the owner, it is my duty to ask! I must give a fair warning, for I cannot have my guests falling to the ground, writhing in pain, simply because they think they can handle my beverages. I do not know what kind of drivel was served in your previous town, but it was likely not up to my standards. My strongest beverage often causes the burliest and most garish of individuals to weep and beg for mercy. Are you prepared for that?”
–
“Since you have given me your word, I will take it. Once you take a swallow, we shall see how long your bravado lasts.”
–
“Oh, you will eagerly take the challenge?”
[Laugh]
“You are quite the determined thing! I must say, for someone as innocent looking as you are, I did not expect such a response from you. I had assumed you would care for mild cider instead.”
–
“I agree with your sentiment. At times, appearances can be deceiving. Consider me, for example. Most assume that I am nothing more than a timid maiden whose sole desire is to please those around her. As soon as I open my mouth to release a sharp retort, or point the blade of my dagger right at someone’s throat, any demure impression of me quickly vanishes. Over time, people grow accustomed to my behavior. And if they do not, it is no concern of mine. If anyone is the least bit bothered by who I am, then they should bugger off.”
(SFX: The sound of plates crashing, followed by the thumping of mugs on a table.)
“Oi! You there!”
[Deep, frustrated sigh]
“While we are on the subject of people who should bugger off… I have some business to handle. I will return in a moment.”
(SFX: Loud, echoing footsteps as the Speaker stomps across the room.)
[Off into the distance; angrily] “Garrick, I have told you several times that this is not some rowdy establishment! I do not care that you are a recent and loyal guest. I will gladly take the loss if it means that I do not have to see your wretched face, listen to your bawdy remarks, or clean your filthy messes. This is the best tavern in this God-forsaken world, and you have been treating it like complete rubbish! I have had enough! If you do not leave this instant, I will gladly chase you out with my largest and most deadly knife. Do you understand?”
–
“Oh, you would like to argue? Hmm, if I were you, I would not dare. My largest weapon may be in the kitchen, but I have a very sharp dagger strapped to my inner thigh, and I will pull it out to use on you, if you are not careful.”
[Condescending laugh]
“You do not believe me? Well, here it is.”
(SFX: The sound of the dagger as it slams into the table.)
“You are fortunate that this table is not your face or your throat. Now, off you go. I will not say it twice.”
(SFX: Heavy footsteps recede. A door slams shut.)
[Muttering] “I should have done that after the first day.”
(SFX: Footsteps approach the Listener.)
“Right, where was I before I was so rudely interrupted by that guest?”
–
“Oh, that? That is nothing to be concerned about. Simply an average Wednesday, truthfully. I have similar altercations every week. If I feel that my tavern is disrespected in any way, then I require that a guest vacate the premises. Garrick was not as vile in the beginning, but during the past few visits, he has become bolder and fouler. I hope that he heeds my warning, but if he does not, then I know where the next resting place will be for my dagger.”
[Laugh]
“What a wise observation. Yes, I am unapologetically myself. I never try to sweeten the words that I say or the actions that I do. I am not here to please anyone, and no one shall have control over me. Why should I play the fool and be some well-mannered, quiet, subservient person? That would contradict my very nature, and it would be nearly as tortuous as the breaking wheel.”
–
“For reasons I do not understand, you are smiling. What has caused that expression upon your face?”
–
[Surprised] “You find my callous nature refreshing?”
–
[A burst of unexpected laughter, then a cough to reign it in]
[Brusquely] “Yes, yes, I am fine. Your words simply startled me, that is all. I would like to know why you believe that?”
–
[Bemused] “I have never heard of such a thing. Nevertheless, your explanation pleases me. You are quite a mystifying creature, traveler. I can see why you fascinate Cassian. I am starting to grow more curious myself.”
–
“I may find you intriguing, but that hardly means that I am fond of you. I do, however, commend you on the wishful thinking.”
–
“As entertaining as this conversation is, you are here for a purpose. Your meal and drink will arrive shortly. Give me a moment.”
(SFX: Receding footsteps. The sound of a door swinging open. The clanking of plates and kitchen utensils. Approaching footsteps. A plate and a mug are set in front of the Listener.)
“Here you are: one plate of roasted wild boar and an ale so strong that it may cause you possible harm.”
[Laugh]
“Oh, do not look so alarmed! If the worst came to pass, I would send for my younger brother, Florian, who you know is the village’s apothecarist. He would arrive swiftly and treat you with one of his herbal remedies. Normally, I would not bother to call upon Florian’s assistance, as I believe that my guests should suffer, in order to learn the consequences of their unwise actions. However, Cassian would be outraged if I returned you in less-than-perfect condition. He might even challenge me to a duel, which would be highly amusing, as we both know he would lose. Not only am I the superior fighter, but it is evident that the only sword the man knows how to swing is the one attached to the lower half of his body.”
–
“Goodness, your face has deepened with a flush! Did you find my words unsettling?”
–
“Good! They were meant to appall you. Words aside, it is now time for you to have a sip of your ale.”
[Slight longer pause as the Listener takes a gulp of their beverage]
[Surprised] “As much it pains me to admit it, you are handling the ale exceptionally well. You have not flinched, nor have you groaned in misery, which is truly astonishing.”
[Laugh]
[Begrudgingly] “Perhaps there is room for me to grow fond of you. It is a pleasure to know that I am not the only one in the village who can drink all these sorry fools under the table.”
–
“Ah, I see you have not forgotten our deal. Quite the intelligent one you are. Very well. You may consume your meal while I begin the tale of my confrontation with Cassian. This should prove that he is incredibly fond of you.”
[Gently clears throat]
“Before the sun had even risen, my brother was knocking on my door, demanding to be let in. I thought he had been afflicted by a strange illness, for he never rushes to see me in the morning. I had half a mind to send for Florian, in fact. One of his remedies would have healed Cassian’s ailment, but then, I thought better of it. It was more likely that Cassian needed my traditional remedy for him: a sharp blow to the face with my hand, followed by a soothing cup of tea. Begrudgingly, I rose from my slumber to allow him to enter my home. Imagine my surprise when I found him in perfectly good health with a besotted smile on his face. I asked him what in God’s blood could possibly drag him from his bedchamber at that hour, but all he wanted to do was discuss some enchanting person he had met the night before. I did not want to hear any details regarding his latest bedmate, so I chased him back into the frigid outdoors with my dagger. At that moment, he swore to me that you had not fallen into bed with him. I was so startled that the dagger clattered out of my hands and onto the ground. Never before I had I heard Cassian, the village philanderer, announce something as staggering as that. I insisted that he come indoors for tea, so that I could ask him questions. And that is how I learned of you.”
–
“Do you now believe how deep Cassian's affections run?"
–
“Good. What I find most extraordinary is how Cassian wishes to remain in your company, but not for the sole purpose of wooing you into bed. I sense that he truly and genuinely cares for you, whether you become his bedmate or not. Based on my understanding of this situation, it seems that you do not have an interest in becoming acquainted with him on an intimate level. The fact that my brother’s charms did not easily sway you may be enough for me to consider you an ally, or perhaps even a friend.”
–
“I said perhaps. I cannot guarantee it.”
–
“Do not become haughty. If you wish to be my friend, then you must not behave in such a way.”
[Laugh]
“Flattery certainly helps, yes. I am pleased that you find your meal delectable. Your roast is more than half eaten now, which is a clear indication that you are relishing it. The tavern is an extension of me, and I work tirelessly to maintain it. Any compliments regarding the food, the beverages, or the general atmosphere will encourage me to consider you in a positive light.”
–
“Yes, I am highly skilled at what I do, and I enjoy being here at the tavern. It is a place that has felt more like a home to me than my own living quarters. I do have other passions, however. Do you see the wooden sculptures over there on that shelf? The ones that resemble wolves? I crafted those. Wood carving is a favorite pastime of mine. Truthfully, if I did not have this tavern, I would likely open my own shop to sell my wares.”
–
“Thank you. It is nice to hear that you find them aesthetically pleasing. While certain guests provide praise every now and then, none of them have been as earnest and enthusiastic as you. Your considerate words are much appreciated.”
–
“What about you? During tea this morning, Cassian mentioned that you once were a tailor. I assume that you created that cloak of yours. It is eye-catching, I must admit. The crimson color suits you.”
[Snort of laughter]
“Yes, I am being truthful. It is a stunning and well-designed cloak. Do you realize how many individuals would flock to your tailoring shop, if you were to establish one here?”
–
“Nearly the whole village, I would say. It has been many years since we had a tailor. The last one perished without leaving someone behind to take care of his shop. The building was never demolished, so it is still tucked away in a corner of the village. It would likely need to be cleaned and reconstructed, however. Once those tasks are accomplished, I could imagine you there, working to bring style and vibrancy back into the villagers’ wardrobes. Actually, Cassian told me that you were considering staying in Mystic Haven, if you found it acceptable. Did your day with him convince you?”
–
“Is that so? You found the village so charming that you would like to stay?”
–
“That is rather exhilarating news.”
–
“No, I am not delighted on your behalf! And this is, by no means, any indication that I am fond of you. What would give you that idea?”
–
[Fondly] “You are a menace, traveler.”
[Slightly longer pause]
“I am curious. What inspired you to make your decision?”
–
“Ah, you found the shops quaint and distinguished, but you were far more interested in the people and their lives. You could realistically envision yourself here, establishing your own tailoring shop and becoming involved with the community.”
–
“That is good. And I agree that the villagers in Mystic Haven are among the friendliest and warmest in the world. That is, if you exclude people like Garrick. Did you make Bernard’s acquaintance this morning?”
–
“I am glad that you interacted with him. He is a well-mannered man, but beyond that, his skills as a baker are unmatched. The first time I tasted a loaf of his bread, I demanded that we work together. Now, he provides the bread for this tavern. I visit him in the mornings, right after sunrise, to collect the day’s loaves to sell.”
–
“You could not help yourself, so you indulged in half a loaf while you visited him? Pray tell, how was it?”
–
“It was the best you ever had? I am not surprised in the slightest. As I mentioned, he is brilliant at his craft. Other than Bernard, who else did you speak with?”
–
“You met the physician, the shoemaker, the scribe, the armorer, the blacksmith, and the stonemason. Goodness, it seems that you have had a lively day! Each one of them enjoys long, extensive conversations that can last for hours. No wonder you appeared somewhat bedraggled when you arrived this evening. I assume you also met Florian?”
–
[Surprised] “You did not? Was he not in the apothecary today?”
–
“Ah, he received a letter from a faraway town, requesting his help. The town did not have an apothecarist, so it was in dire need of someone who could provide the necessary remedies for a few citizens who had suddenly fallen ill. You saw him on his horse, racing out of the village, so you did not have the opportunity to make a formal introduction.”
–
“That is a shame. You would have likely found him endearing.”
–
“Yes, you heard that correctly. Even though Cassian is the one who charms individuals, Florian is the one that people should prefer to spend time with. However, he drives me to madness because he is simply too compassionate. He is a natural caretaker and would do anything for anyone, even if it meant harming himself in the process. If he were more callous, then perhaps certain individuals would not take advantage of him. Ever since he opened his apothecary, Elixim, he handles guests during the most inconvenient of times because he has never learned to turn anyone away. On some days, he does not eat or sleep, choosing to worry and fuss over others instead."
–
“That is a fair question. Yes, I do believe that some of Cassian’s traits would benefit Florian. Cassian has, at least, learned how to form strict boundaries and maintain them. Florian, on the other hand, will bend to the whim of anyone. One brother is far too self-assured and vain, and the other is not self-assured and vain enough. It is frustrating to observe them, truthfully. Although, I would never wish for Florian to be as promiscuous as Cassian. That would be horrific. As it is, Florian has never shown interest in another human being in that regard.”
[Laugh]
“Why do you appear disappointed?”
[Slightly longer pause as the realization sinks in]
“…When you saw Florian on his horse, you found him attractive, did you not? That is why you are disappointed and why your cheeks have deepened to a red that nearly matches your cloak.”
[Laugh]
“You slay me! Florian is truly the apple of your eye?”
–
“Your mouth denies it, but your eyes reveal the truth. I simply do not understand. You have not even exchanged words with him!”
–
“Ah, you did not need to, for your heart already called out to him. Before he left the village on his horse, you observed him. You happened to be walking near the apothecary during the midafternoon, and the window was open. You watched as he provided his remedies to some of the villagers. The way he spoke and cared for them was enough to convince you that he was a good man.”
[Sigh]
“I suppose I cannot fault you for that. He is a good man, and he will undoubtedly bring joy to someone’s life someday. Perhaps it might even be you. I will give you this warning, though. Should you choose to explore your affections, if you harm either Florian or Cassian, I will not hesitate to turn my dagger on you. Do you understand?”
–
“Good. Oh, your face is even more flushed now! Is it the conversation that is the cause of your reaction, or is it the ale?”
[Laugh]
“I am jesting! I know that it is not the ale. It appears that you have finished yours and your meal as well. Are you satiated for the evening?”
–
[Surprised] “You would like another ale?”
–
[Groan]
“…Yes, that is fondness in my voice… Perhaps I am fond of you, though that could be because of your impressive drinking abilities and nothing more.”
–
“Oh, shut your mouth, and do not smirk at me. What did I say about becoming haughty?"
[Laugh]
"All right, all right. I will have another ale ready for you. When I return, we can continue our conversation. I have a feeling that we will have many more in the future, considering you will be calling Mystic Haven your new home.”
–
“Ah, you are wondering about living quarters? Fret not. Due to the nature of my profession, I speak with everyone in the village, so I know the latest news. At the moment, there is one space available. A married couple recently left the village to live elsewhere, so their home is vacant. I may be able to negotiate with the council, and if the discussion is successful, that dwelling may become your new living quarters.”
–
“Yes, I would do that for you, on one condition, of course.”
–
“You are correct; I never participate in any activity without drawing a benefit from it myself. We shall have another trade then. I will speak to the village council, if you create a cloak for me that is similar to yours. I would prefer the color to be violet, however. Are those terms agreeable?”
–
“Excellent. I will visit the council in the morning then. In the meantime, give me a moment to fetch your ale. I would like to see how many more you can handle.”
[Laugh]
(SFX: Receding footsteps.)

Mitfreude: co-joy, fellowship in joy, compersion, non-pitiful sympathy

BVN-1875,495 — letter to Carl von Gersdorff: 13/12/1875.

• For, to tell you this, you have the glorious capacity for sympathy; I think it is even rarer and nobler than that of pity. Now farewell and go into your new year of life as you were in the old one, I have nothing else to wish for you.
• [Denn, um Dir dies zu sagen, Du hast die herrliche Fähigkeit zur Mitfreude; ich meine, sie ist selbst seltener und edler als die des Mitleidens. Nun lebe wohl und gehe in Dein neues Lebensjahr hinüber, als der welcher Du im alten warst, ich weiß Dir sonst nichts zu wünschen.]

NF-1876,19[9] — Nachlass: October–December 1876.

• Those who can rejoice with us stand higher and closer to us than those who suffer with us. Sympathy makes the “friend” (the fellow-joyer), pity the fellow-in-sufferer. — An ethic of compassion needs to be supplemented by the even higher ethic of friendship.
• [Die welche sich mit uns freuen können, stehen höher und uns näher als die welche mit uns leiden. Mitfreude macht den „Freund“ (den Mitfreuenden), Mitleid den Leidensgefährten. — Eine Ethik des Mitleidens braucht eine Ergänzung durch die noch höhere Ethik der Freundschaft.]

MA-499 — Human All Too Human I: § 499. First pub. 07/05/1878.

• Friend. — Joyous sympathy, not pity, makes the friend.
• [Freund. — Mitfreude, nicht Mitleiden, macht den Freund.]

MA-614 — Human All Too Human I: § 614. First pub. 07/05/1878.

• Another character, which is rich in shared joy, makes friends everywhere, feels lovingly everything that is growing and developing, enjoys all the honors and successes of others and does not claim the privilege of only recognizing the true, but is full of a modest distrust - that is an anticipatory person who strives towards a higher human culture.
• [Ein anderer Charakter, welcher reich an Mitfreude ist, überall Freunde gewinnt, alles Wachsende und Werdende liebevoll empfindet, alle Ehren und Erfolge Anderer mitgeniesst und kein Vorrecht, das Wahre allein zu erkennen, in Anspruch nimmt, sondern voll eines bescheidenen Misstrauens ist, — das ist ein vorwegnehmender Mensch, welcher einer höheren Cultur der Menschen entgegenstrebt.]

VM-62 — Human All Too Human II: § VM - 62. First pub. 20/03/1879.

• Fellowship in Joy.—The snake that stings us means to hurt us and rejoices in so doing: the lowest animal can picture to itself the pain of others. But to picture to oneself the joy of others and to rejoice thereat is the highest privilege of the highest animals, and again, amongst them, is the property only of the most select specimens—accordingly a rare “human thing.” Hence there have been philosophers who denied fellowship in joy.
• [Mitfreude. — Die Schlange, die uns sticht, meint uns wehe zu thun und freut sich dabei; das niedrigste Thier kann sich fremden Schmerz vorstellen. Aber fremde Freude sich vorstellen und sich dabei freuen, ist das höchste Vorrecht der höchsten Thiere und wieder unter ihnen nur den ausgesuchtesten Exemplaren zugänglich, — also ein seltenes humanum: so dass es Philosophen gegeben hat, welche die Mitfreude geleugnet haben.]

NF-1880,7[285] — Posthumous fragments late 1880.

• The philosophers see a weakness in pity, as in any losing oneself in a damaging affect. It increases suffering in the world: it may indirectly reduce suffering, this consequence must not justify it in essence! Assuming it prevailed, mankind would perish immediately. On the other hand, co-joy increases the power of the world. (...) There is a distinctive compassion that grasps extraordinarily remote kinds of suffering: it is to be honored as a sign of a high intellect, not in itself!
• [Die Philosophen sehen im Mitleiden wie in jedem Sich-verlieren an einen schädigenden Affekt eine Schwäche. Es vermehrt das Leid in der Welt: mag indirekt das Leiden vermindern, diese Folge darf es nicht im Wesen rechtfertigen! Gesetzt, es herrschte: so gienge sofort die Menschheit zu Grunde. Dagegen vermehrt die Mitfreude die Kraft der Welt. (...) Es giebt ein auszeichnendes Mitleiden, welches außerordentlich entlegene Arten des Leidens erfaßt: es ist zu ehren als Zeichen eines hohen Intellektes, nicht an sich!]

FW-338 — The Merry Science: § 338. First Pub. 10/09/1882.

• I want to teach them what so few understand now and those preachers of pitiful compassion least of all: — the joy of sharing!
• [Ich will sie Das lehren, was jetzt so Wenige verstehen und jene Prediger des Mitleidens am wenigsten: — die Mitfreude!]

Mitleid(en): co-suffering, pity, pitiful compassion (co-passio) - there are over 500 examples in his Werke, most of them being negative, like the passages in BGAE about the noble man not (or hardly) helping others from compassion [Mitleid] but from overabundance [Überfluss] of power, but here's one interesting posthumous note that uses it in quotations:

NF-1885,36[7] — Posthumous fragments June–July 1885.

• My "compassion". — This is a feeling for which no name is enough for me: I feel it when I see a waste of precious abilities, for example when I see Luther: what strength and what absurd backwoods problems (at a time when in France already the brave and cheerful scepsis of a Montaigne was possible!) Or where, by the action of some folly of chance, I see a man falling short of what he might have become. Or even when I think about the destiny of mankind, like when I watch with fear and contempt the European politics of today, which, under all circumstances, are also working on the fabric of all human future. Yes, what could become of "man" if——! This is a kind of "compassion"; if there is no sufferer with whom I suffered.
• [Mein „Mitleid“. — Dies ist ein Gefühl, für das mir kein Name genügt: ich empfinde es, wo ich eine Verschwendung kostbarer Fähigkeiten sehe, zum Beispiel beim Anblicke Luthers: welche Kraft und was für abgeschmackte Hinterwäldler-Probleme (zu einer Zeit, wo in Frankreich schon die tapfere und frohmüthige Scepsis eines Montaigne möglich war!) Oder wo ich, durch die Einwirkung eines Blödsinns von Zufälligkeit, Jemanden hinter dem zurückbleiben sehe, was aus ihm hätte werden können. Oder gar bei einem Gedanken an das Loos der Menschheit, wie wenn ich, mit Angst und Verachtung, der europäischen Politik von heute einmal zuschaue, welche, unter allen Umständen, auch an dem Gewebe aller Menschen-Zukunft arbeitet. Ja, was könnte aus „dem Menschen“ werden, wenn — —! Dies ist eine Art „Mitleid“; ob es schon keinen Leidenden giebt, mit dem ich da litte.]

Einleid: one-feeling, 'one-pain,' fellow-feeling (only one use, along with Einleidigkeit: fellow-weariness)

M-63 — Daybreak: § 63. First pub. 31/07/1881.

• Neighbor hate. — Assuming we felt the other as he felt himself — what Schopenhauer calls compassion and what would more correctly be called fellow-feeling, fellow-weariness [Ein-Leid, Einleidigkeit] — then we would have to hate him if he found himself, like Pascal, worth hating. And that is probably how Pascal felt towards people as a whole, and so did old Christianity, which, under Nero, was “convicted” of the odium generis humani, as Tacitus reports.
• [Nächsten-Hass. — Gesetzt, wir empfänden den Anderen so, wie er sich selber empfindet — Das, was Schopenhauer Mitleid nennt und was richtiger Ein-Leid, Einleidigkeit hiesse —, so würden wir ihn hassen müssen, wenn er sich selber, gleich Pascal, hassenswerth findet. Und so empfand wohl auch Pascal im Ganzen gegen die Menschen, und ebenso das alte Christenthum, das man, unter Nero, des odium generis humani „überführte“, wie Tacitus meldet.]

Mitgefühl: co-feeling, co-sensation (over 50 uses, generally neutral but not always; I can add more but here are three examples):

MA-47 — Human All Too Human I: § 47. First pub. 07/05/1878.

• — There are people who, out of co-feeling/compassion and concern for another person, become hypochondriacal; the kind of co-suffering/compassion that arises is nothing other than an illness. So there is also a Christian hypochondria which besets those lonely, religiously moved people who keep contemplating the suffering and death of Christ.
• [— Es giebt Menschen, welche aus Mitgefühl und Sorge für eine andere Person hypochondrisch werden; die dabei entstehende Art des Mitleidens ist nichts Anderes, als eine Krankheit. So giebt es auch eine christliche Hypochondrie, welche jene einsamen, religiös bewegten Leute befällt, die sich das Leiden und Sterben Christi fortwährend vor Augen stellen.]

NF-1880,3[86] — Posthumous fragments, spring 1880.

• Compassion/co-feeling increases when joyful feelings are its predominant result; it decreases when it takes more pain than pleasure. With the constant sight of those who are suffering, pity sinks steadily, but the more one has sympathy/co-joy, the more sensitive one becomes to the suffering of others. - The most compassionate people are those who have a lot of inner joy, everything contradicting hurts them; misfortune and men of war are hard.
• [Das Mitgefühl nimmt zu, wenn freudige Empfindungen sein überwiegendes Resultat sind; es nimmt ab, wenn es mehr Schmerzen, als Freude davonträgt. Bei dem beständigen Anblick von Leidenden sinkt das Mitleid beständig, aber man wird um so empfindlicher gegen fremdes Leid je mehr man Mitfreude hat. — Die mitleidigsten Menschen sind solche, welche viel innere Freude haben, ihnen thut alles Widersprechende wehe; Unglücks- und Kriegsmenschen sind hart.]

JGB-284 — Beyond Good and Evil: § 284. First Pub. 04/08/1886.

• To live with an immense and proud composure: always beyond. - To have and not have one's feelings, one's for and against, voluntarily, to condescend to them for hours, to sit on them, as if on a horse, often as if on a donkey: - for one needs to know how to use their stupidity as well as their fire. To preserve one's three hundred foregrounds, as well as one's dark glasses: for there are occasions when no one should be allowed to look into our eyes, even less into our "reasons." And to select for company that mischievous and cheerful vice, courtesy. And to remain master of one's four virtues: courage, insight, sympathy, and loneliness. For solitude is a virtue with us, as a sublime tendency and impulse for cleanliness, which senses how contact between one person and another - "in society" - must inevitably bring impurity with it. Every community somehow, somewhere, sometime makes people - "common."
• [Mit einer ungeheuren und stolzen Gelassenheit leben; immer jenseits —. Seine Affekte, sein Für und Wider willkürlich haben und nicht haben, sich auf sie herablassen, für Stunden; sich auf sie setzen, wie auf Pferde, oft wie auf Esel: — man muss nämlich ihre Dummheit so gut wie ihr Feuer zu nützen wissen. Seine dreihundert Vordergründe sich bewahren; auch die schwarze Brille: denn es giebt Fälle, wo uns Niemand in die Augen, noch weniger in unsre „Gründe“ sehn darf. Und jenes spitzbübische und heitre Laster sich zur Gesellschaft wählen, die Höflichkeit. Und Herr seiner vier Tugenden bleiben, des Muthes, der Einsicht, des Mitgefühls, der Einsamkeit. Denn die Einsamkeit ist bei uns eine Tugend, als ein sublimer Hang und Drang der Reinlichkeit, welcher erräth, wie es bei Berührung von Mensch und Mensch — „in Gesellschaft“ — unvermeidlich-unreinlich zugehn muss. Jede Gemeinschaft macht, irgendwie, irgendwo, irgendwann — „gemein“.]

Preface

Hello. So, I don't know if any of you has ever done this, but I would like to give out my own full analysis of In Hell We Live, Lament; and I have to mention that this analysis goes hand-in-hand with a theory I found from Limbus Company's Steam Discussions, whose main point I took was Dante's clock being an Aberration of White Night; I will put the link below. Remember, I have not finished Lobotomy Corporation or Limbus Company, and I know only a fair bit of the lore, so pardon me for any inaccuracies and I hope those more well-informed can correct me and expand further. I wish your cooperation.
Warning : Spoilers for Lobotomy Corporation, Library of Ruina, Limbus Company, and Paradise Lost.

Introduction

This text will be both an analysis and theory of Limbus Company's opening song In Hell We Live, Lament; particularly, concerning the character Dante. One might think it strange why I decided to look into the lyrics of a song for this theory. This is based on my experience with Mili, where they would often incorporate the stories of the media they write for, be it for an anime or a game, into their lyrics; and moreover, their use of literature in Project Moon's game (e.g. String Theocracy : Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep correlating to Angela, A Clockwork Orange perhaps correlating to The City's violence, and Yun Dong-ju in not just Salt, Pepper, Birds, and the Thought Police but throughout the phases of Library of Ruina. I think literature in Limbus Company should be emphasized further, because of its utilizations in the characters and their stories.) I believe that one way or another we will understand how much story was In Hell We Live, Lament tells by the time we come to its end. All clues and hints I have gathered up all seems to lead to Dante's character in particular, and the analysis section shall explain why. 'Tis only a speculation, a postulation, a conjecture, a theory, of what story, does In Hell We Live, Lament tells. Only the clockwise motion of time will tell, whether is it true, or is it not.

Analysis

Verse 1 :

(C) I walked down a path
(K) Leading to the past

Now, let's stop here and look at this two lines for a second. I gave a mark for which part did (C)assie Wei sing and which part did (K)IHOW sing, because I think it tells something important about the point of view of the song. Cassie, in a higher voice, spoke in the singular first-person "I walked down a path." And KIHOW, responded in a deeper voice, "Leading to the past." Now, what does this tell? I believe this division into two separate voices assigns a two different self of Dante; Cassie is the younger Dante with a more younger voice and of the present Dante (not the post-amnesia Dante, the timeframe I use as present in this very moment is Dante walking down this path, Cassie Wei is currently the Dante which walks down this path), while KIHOW is the future Dante (I do not know exactly if it's pre-amnesia Dante which speaks so loathe-fully and resentfully, or the Dante which we will see they become as we course through the game.)
With this division down, I believe they are speaking two different things. First off, Younger Dante is walking down through this path, which I presume to be the Selva Obscura (elaboration in the next few lines), and I believe this is Dante very presently. Meanwhile, Future Dante responds to "Leading to the past." The preposition of "I walked down a path." gives this line which Future Dante speaks a new meaning of going back to the past. It's two different meanings framed as one sentence.
Now, what could Future Dante mean by going back to the past? I believe it's Dante remembering, or perhaps, reliving the moment in which they walked down this path, of which Younger Dante is presently going through.
(Side Note : I know Cassie Wei speaks in past tense, but I believe it's not really far away as KIHOW's past. Besides, she speaks in present tense just right at her next line.)
​

(C) Stole from the tree's hands
(K) A regretter's friend — the forbidden fruit

Now, this is one of the most important line in the entire song, because it gives a clue of who Beatrice is. First off, in real life, I think Beatrice is Dante's unrecruited love, and not lover. She married another man and died at an early age. However, she did helped Dante somewhat in Inferno and Purgatorio, later becoming his guide in Paradiso. I think this is important because of the use of a 'friend' instead of 'lover'.
Now, going through the first line, sung by (C)assie Wei, Younger Dante grabbed something from a tree, which Future Dante, sung by (K)ihow, later explains to be a fruit, and a forbidden one at that. Now, who could be the 'regretter' in this line? I base this conjecture off KIHOW later using a second-person 'You' near the end of this verse and later a lot in other lines. KIHOW never spoke a line in a singular first-person, but instead with second-person and third-person, and I believe it's because she, as Future Dante, looks Younger Dante as a different person, for now (elaboration for the line analysis at the end of this verse). I think the regretter here refers to Dante. As of now, I am not sure if the regretter she is referring to is Younger Dante (which implies they have been regretting a lot before they came walking down this path), Younger Dante which would become a regretter, or Future Dante, a regretter, is framing Younger Dante as them.
As I have said before, Beatrice is Dante's unrequited love, and not lover. I think it's important that the line which comes right after "A regretter's friend" is "the forbidden fruit". Em dash is often used to give a brief additional information to the sentence. I feel what it's speaking, is that the regretter's friend, Dante's friend, Beatrice, is the forbidden fruit which this line speaks of. And I take it as literal. See what happens to the fruit in the next few lines.

(C) I bite off the skin
(K) Chewing on its tender flesh
(C) Quaff down its lukewarm pus

Now, both Cassie Wei and KIHOW speaks complementarily to each other, and I still stand by my theory that they are assigned as two different selves of Dante. Younger Dante is narrating their action as they are doing it in simple present tense, and Future Dante joins along speaking in continuous present tense. How I take it, is that Future Dante is giving details of the moment they ate the fruit as they relive through it and Younger Dante narrating it.
Now, Dante is eating Beatrice. This is as far as I can get from the line. Dante is eating their friend who became a fruit. There is only one thing I would like to add, which is the use of the word 'quaff', which by Google's definitions, means gulping down an alcoholic drink, or it can also become a noun for an alcoholic drink. I feel this has some parallels to Adam and Eve's sin of eating the forbidden fruit; as how drinking drunk-inducing drinks, especially alcoholic ones, is a sin, so was eating the forbidden fruit became a sin to Adam and Eve. Now, let me elaborate on what I think about the Sinners.
First, I think the name is obvious. Sinners refers to Sinners of hell, like Sinners in Dante's Inferno. And like Dante Alighieri who went from hell to heaven, the Sinners will climb down from hell up to heaven, to empyrean. Every Sinners have a sin which they must confront, and it resonates with the Golden Boughs. This is perhaps how the Sinners are chosen, relating to the line Sinclair was speaking for his suspicion to Faust in Canto 3. For Gregor it was the... war? Smoke War? I'm sorry I forgot which war. For Rodion it's killing that old lady. For Sinclair it's Kromer and revealing her the basement. For Yi sang... I haven't finished Canto 4 no spoilers pls. But we can make conjectures for the other Sinnners, such as Faust's being her bargain with Mephistopheles, Don Quixote with her hijinks like in the source material (he's an unintentionally bad person), Meursault killing the Arab, Ryoshu her child, Heathcliff his revenge, Ishmael possibly "letting" her subordinates dies, Outis perhaps the murder of the suitor? Or perhaps what she did to LCB's counterpart for Polyphemus? Which in The Odyssey made his entire journey a wreck. And for Hong Lu... I have not read Dream of the Red Chamber yet. But each of the Sinners have their own Sins. And I believe, Dante, the 10th Sinner, has the Sin of eating their friend, the forbidden fruit. And they will eventually have to confront it were a Golden Bough is to resonate with them.
Do I need to mention also that this verse resembles somewhat the first verse of John Milton's Paradise Lost?

Of Mans First Disobedience, and the Fruit Of that Forbidden Tree, whose mortal tast Brought Death into the World, and all our woe,

The one I want to mention here is the mention of the Fruit and the Forbidden Tree. More on Paradise Lost, White Night, and Beatrice in the second verse. Just remember, White Night's E.G.O. is Paradise Lost.
​

(K) You became the "me" who you despised
(CK) We swallowed the time
(CK) Let us rewind

I think it's important to point out the use of point of views here. This is the first time Future Dante has ever used a first-person pronouns 'me', though in quotation mark. I think this sets the line of demarcation, that Younger Dante is before eating the fruit, and Future Dante is after eating the fruit. "Me" could refer to a still younger Future Dante after eating Beatrice, or really, it could refer to them, Future Dante, and really using the quotation mark because she knows the "me" Younger Dante is probably thinking is not exactly themself. The line and use of past tense 'despised' is also interesting. It could mean that Dante had always been hesitant of eating Beatrice, but finally bit the bullet to become what they have been avoiding to become as; or it could be that Younger Dante eventually hated what they will become.
Then, in the rest of the lines, both Cassie Wei and KIHOW sings in unison, using a plural first-person. It's the moment when Younger Dante becomes Future Dante, and they are both the same person now. The last two lines of swallowing time I feel refers to eating Beatrice. I am not exactly sure how this would have happened, perhaps Beatrice Distorted or manifested an E.G.O. or any other Light shenanigans, but at some point, Beatrice gives whoever eats her, the ability of White Night. More on that on the second verse.
Chorus :

Lament
If you wanted me to speak
If you wanted me to think
If you wanted me to carry on our dreams

As you know from the song, this part of the chorus perfectly lines up with a later part which goes like

Lament
Why'd you make my voice stutter?
Why do truths never matter?
Why'd you curse me with "you're a natural born genius?"

I think, looking at the first line of these parts, it's obvious that the bolded parts are Dante's lamentations, as indicated by the Lament which plays everytime before it starts. Now, I want to go through one by one possible interpretations of what this could mean.
First, I think the most obvious is Dante lamenting on their younger self. Considering Younger Dante has become Future Dante and now lamenting in unison, and now they are speaking in a second-person 'You', it could indicate they are talking about their younger self and how they seems to keep shutting down their opportunity to seize the future they wanted, especially with that third line of carrying 'our' dreams. I think the only strange part is the second third line of "Why'd you curse me with "you're a natural born genius?", which implies Younger Dante might have been more vain and selfish and arrogant in the past, which I could believe remembering how Dante was a bit arrogant in their pre-amnesiac in Selva Obscura. Voice stuttering might refer to Dante being hesitant of taking into action, while truths never mattering might be about the whole hopelessness for whatever they were doing, or perhaps it's about life and how they saw doing and taking the opportunity would just lead to nothing, or perhaps it could be talking about The City and how some things are just ignored largely by the population, especially The Nests and The Head.
Second, it could refer to Beatrice. It could be that Beatrice had always stopped Dante on their way to seize their opportunity, the second line being more like asking her why is it that the truths never matter, and the third line is how Beatrice called Dante a natural-born genius which perhaps filled their E.G.O. However, I don't really think it's the case. Judging from the first lamentations, it could be that Beatrice pushed Dante to seize their future, and whatever became of Beatrice into becoming an apple, could perhaps be their dream. The second line is asking Beatrice why is it that even though she wants them to think, that the truths never matter, and there is no ill-intention against Beatrice. The third line may refer to Beatrice leaving their dream to be carried on by Dante, because they are the one naturally born as a genius. I am, however, still doubtful for this interpretation because of the contradiction the first line of the second lamentation seems to bring with the rest of the lines.
Third, it could be a Nest, or The City. This I think is the weakest interpretation in my opinion, especially since the lyrics here felt a bit more personal. Just thought a Nest might have labelled them with that 'natural born genius'.
​

Each loop we live through
(Each loop we live through)
The standards inside me
The line I drew for me
Lowers to the earth

I would like to take a moment to just look at this part for a second. It seems to be referring to at how Dante's morals, each loop, becomes more and more broken. Considering this is the Dante which is after eating Beatrice and gaining the time rewind power, this could indicate we might witness Dante's moral corruption later in the story which he had made post-amnesia. And this line will be important when we get to the second verse.
​

Endless inferno (Inferno)
Counter-clock we rose
Counter-clock we reload

This line is a bit obvious. They are rewinding back time to revive, hence counter-clock. Endless inferno might refer to each loop and rewind they have to go through in hell, both metaphorically (The City) and literally (consult to the scene of Dante reviving the Sinners for the first time and pulling them out of hell).
Verse 2 :

Tick tick tock
Replayed thoughts

Now, let's stop here and look at this line for a second. This line comes right after the 'Counter-clock' lines, which is rewinding time to revive the Sinners, going to the past. The rewinding, the ticking back in time, the going to the past, might be going further than the usual resuscitation. It is going back to Beatrice again.

Forget me not
I'm inside the emphatic light

\Cracks hands** This is the meat of this analysis.
First off, continuing from the previous line, the line 'replayed thoughts' refers to this very moment which Dante is either reliving, or currently experiencing, and it has a special significance.
Forget-Me-Not is a type of flower, with a story whom if I remember correctly, is about a knight who went to pick a pretty blue (significant) flower for his lover, but his armour made him lose his balance and so he fell into the currents. Before dying, he threw his flower to his lover while screaming "Forget me not!" before unaliving.
My interpretation of this line is twofold : First, Beatrice is the "lover", or the person who gave Dante the flower, the forget-me-not; that Beatrice might have died getting the Fruit for Dante, or that she got it at the cost of her life and the Fruit is both a memento of her and her in its literal sense. Second, she is reminding Dante to forget her not, and that she is inside the "emphatic light". This line in particular tingled my sense because of The Seed of Light Project. Now, admittedly, I do not know much about The Light, but going by A's words, it's described to be a place "where they create their own stories and lay the roots of their existence on." From what I understand, The Seed of Light was spread incomplete after Angela took everything for her, and so the incomplete Seeds made incomplete Light and in the end, turned into Distortion. The person will have to sow the remaining Seeds on their own, and grow a complete Light, manifesting an E.G.O.
I interpret the "empathic light" having double meaning. First, it could be referring to Beatrice's Light. By that, I mean White Night, its Aberration of, or whatever it is that gave Dante the power to rewind back time after they ate Beatrice, is the manifestation of Beatrice's Light be it a Distortion or an E.G.O. or something else. Second, I think the "emphatic light" might be a reference to Plague Doctor's blessing.
You see, the theory that Dante's clock being an Aberration of White Night has always stuck in my head because of how much it would fit with the overall direction the story is going. White Night has 12 Apostles, Dante has 12 Sinners, them being the uncounted tenth. White Night's previous form, Plague Doctor, turns the clock 12 times with each Baptized Agents that gets Blessed, and it resembles a clock; Dante's head is a clock, with 12 marks indicating the time, and also has 12 Sinners. White Night has time manipulation abilities, even to your gameplay (I'm having flashbacks to my first encounter...), and could revive its Apostles anytime; Dante has the time rewind abilities and could revive the Sinners, painfully; whether or not it has more time manipulation abilities is unknown for now. I think what strikes me the most is the contrast Dante has with White Night. White Night has a divine holy theme, with Blessed people and Apostles, while Dante has Sinners instead. The Apostles transforms entirely (mirroring Distortions), The Sinners manifests E.G.O. while keeping most of their forms. The Apostles are crazy scary and hard to kill, The Sinners are, well, you know... remember K. Corp? Brazen Bull? N. Corp? just not as scary as The Apostles. I will continue this in the Conclusion section and state my main point on Beatrice's emphatic light parallels with Plague Doctor. Each Baptized who receives a Blessing will improve on their work and feels so much better after working with it and being cloaked with its wings, which, I conjecture, possible because of the Plague Doctor's "empathy". Beatrice has the same kind of "emphatic light" to the Sinners.
​

I bite off your skin
Exposing the angels on your ribs
They stare at us
Hello, how may I help you today?
Please, a one-way ticket to heaven

Now, a lot to unfold here. This line is the main reason why I felt so strongly about the possibility of Beatrice being the fruit Dante ate, because its description, especially the "I bite off your skin" sounding similar to "I bite off its skin", and the fact it has the same intonation, melody, inflection, contour, and in the same placement the original lines had in the first verse. The imagery of angels inside the ribs and the eyes staring reminds me a lot of White Night and my horrific memories of it staring at me while it murders all of my employees and my dearest ones, telling me to do a 1 Day Reset because I foolishly picked it at the start of a Week and a Memory Repository won't get it off me. The fact that the angels presumably comes from Beatrice's ribs, be it from her human form or Fruit form, makes me more convinced that the angels, the White Night or its Aberration or something else, is indeed her Light.
Then there is the line of, presumably, the angels asking how shall they help the person who I'm guessing is Dante, to which they answer with a one-way ticket to heaven. If you think about it, Dante's Divine Comedy is inherently about a one-way journey towards heaven. I believe that Dante's clock is the key to reaching the Sinners' salvation, and I will elaborate more on my Conclusion section.

Buckled up on velvet seats
Sceneries were passing by
Not so different from our hell
Not so different from our home

I think this is supposed to reference about Dante inside Mephistopheles, finally reaching this point in their story. Ignore the fact there are no velvet seats and that they just dragged a buncha couches and chairs inside the bus to sit. Mephi goes to a lot of places, it could be a Nest, a Backstreet, or honestly could be The Outskirt, but atleast one of them has got to be Dante's old home.

Then I realized someone's heaven
Could be the source of my torment

Now I think this is referencing to Paradise Lost, alluding to Satan. I'm not really familiar with the Christian Satan, but if I remember correctly, he was banished from the heavens after his attempt to overthrow it failed and he was doomed in hell. This line, to me, paints the image of Satan being envious of Adam and Eve in heaven, one way or another, "tormenting" him which would eventually lead to him tempting Eve to eat the apple.

Life is allowing yourself
Allowing yourself, to step on fire

I interpret this image as Dante finally learning to, perhaps, break a little of his moral code, or perhaps finally learning how to take all the pain and still move forward regardless. The former interpretation is the reason I thought the line of Dante's standards lowering to the earth was important.

(Life is to consume)
(Life is to become food for each other)

Beatrice... While I do think there is a bit of allusion to her, it might also be referring to the state The City is in, at how we are just food, tools, something to be preyed to those bigger than us. The latter interpretation will be important in my Conclusion section.

Shed tears on bloodied routes
(No matter evil or good)
(Life is fairness, life is inequality)
Eternally in hell
(Life is in the motion)
We live by default

One of my favourite passages from the song, there are two sections I want to dissect. First is the part which KIHOW sings, without the parenthesis. Combining the lines, it should sound like "Shed tears on bloodied routes, eternally in hell, we live by default." On the first line, I took it more as a pitying line? As if the person singing this feels pity that they must take the route they take, even though it's necessary. Combined with the second line, it had a completely different meaning of eternally crying in hell, possibly from torture, though in this case I think crying from the suffering you experience in this metaphorical hell (The City). The last line made me think about how each of us does not have a choice of who becomes birthed and who does not, and how those who live, live by default, without a choice. If we combine the second and third line, its meaning becomes "We live eternally in hell by default", which to me strikes like the condemnation of hell. I know this is just stretching it a bit more here, but if we combine the three lines together, I think it should sound like, only by lamentation of the path we must choose, and facing the Sin which we have made, could we live in this hell.
One Cassie Wei's section, I'm not really sure what I could infer from the first two lines since it just seems to be juxtaposing two different contradicting descriptors together, but the last line struck my attention because combined with the last line, it should sound like "Life is in the motion by default". I thought this is interesting, because by default, our life goes round in a clockwise, linear motion. But The Sinners are exceptions to this because of Dante's time rewinding ability. They are going counter-clockwise.
​
Chorus :
This part is a bit special because there is a bit of Latinate section in this Chorus. I can't actually discern if it's in Latin or French, but by going through Wiktionary and using my limited knowledge of Latin and Italian grammar, I have tried my best to find its meaning.

(Nell) [I think it's a contraction of "in l'" in Italian, which means "In"
(Inferna) [Hell]
(Ques te anim?) [Genuinely one of the hardest to translate. In Latin, for "Ques te" I got either Queste which is a vocative singular masculine form of "Questus", which combined should mean "This soul?" referring to a singular soul of a man; or I think its intended meaning of "Those souls?", because quēs should mean "Those" for plural male and female, while te... I have no idea.] (Ques sej mentalle?) [I think Mili is trolling me with those middle words now... but I'm starting to see a pattern and it should mean "Those minds?"
(Ques io fuocca?) ["Those fires?"]
(Ques qui Diavola? ["Those devils?"]

​

(Cossa non naturha) ["Unnatural causes", or, going by Medieval Latin, "Unnatural things"]
(Via si violenzalle) ["Through a little violence" I'm starting to be convinced it's in Italian]
(Bruschia sej diva, verha ignisa) ["Goddess of Brescia"? "Staff of Fire"???
(A! Lamenta, lamenta) [I am]
(Cis senza) ["Without this side"???]
(Lamenta, lamenta, lamenta) [This was a bad decision it's 4:22AM]
(Nell inferna) ["In hell"]

This, again, will be important when I get into my Conclusion

If you wanted me to live
If you wanted me to forgive
If you want us to pretend like we're civilized humans

​

Why do deaths end my torture?
Why can't anyone feel my hurt?
Why do you crown the most violent to be champion?

This, I think brings some interesting materials to analyze. First off, if we interpret it as Dante speaking to their past selves, it gives an interesting image towards what kind of person Dante used to be. Someone who thinks deaths ends the torture and suffering in this world, someone who feels resentful and unforgiving for the pain they suffered, and someone who believes in strength of oneself more than anything. If it's interpreted as Beatrice, the first set feels more like Beatrice's wishes, while the latter set is Dante stating facts, or atleast, beliefs he has on the world. Again, I feel it's very unlikely and only weakly possible that Dante could be talking about The City.
​

The justice inside me
The ego fending me
Rationalize my sin

Another reason I think the Sin of the Sinners will be important for manifesting the E.G.O. More elaboration later.

In this inferno
We built for ourselves
Reviving each other in this hell.

I'd like to only point out about how this line reminded me of LC's 'Face the Fear, Build the Future'.

Conclusion

Now, what do I think happened so far? Going through the chronological order, I think Beatrice and Dante are scientists (I'm trying to make a guess they work for Limbus Company) who knew about The Seed of Light Project, Beatrice experiencing The Light first-hand, recognizes about the problems with the incomplete Seed of Light, and wishes to continue and complete the project so everyone can grow their complete Lights. But midway through, Beatrice died and left one thing, be it her turning into a Fruit, or whatever it is that gave Dante their clock. The three animals which appeared in Selva Obscura (both in Limbus Company and Divine Company) might have interrupted and attacked whatever they were doing there, and that's how we got into the prologue.
This made me think of Limbus Company's goals trying to gather the Golden Boughs. Could it be that they are trying to complete The Seed of Light Project using the Golden Boughs? And don't forget, the parallels White Night. What I'm thinking is that Dante, serving as the White Night to The Sinners, give them the ability to manifest E.G.O.s Though it could be the E.G.O.s they could manifest right now are imperfect, and we will eventually get a power-up version of the default E.G.O.s of the Sinners. Perhaps what they are doing is to make the Sinners manifest their E.G.O., hence the name 'Face the Sin, Save the E.G.O.' And also why each of the people hired in Limbus Company : Bus has each their own Sin; so they can face them and manifest their E.G.O. This also opens up another possibilities which the Steam Discussion guy's theory pointed out. First off, there are 12 Blessed in White Night, the Twelfth being the Heretic, and I think we might have the same counterpart for The Sinners. I know Outis have been acting all sussy, but I feel her betrayal would be a red herring because it feels too, obvious if she were to betray. If we go through the order in which each Sinners were introduced, and the order in which the Canto releases are going with, Faust will be the last whose story will be revealed, and that might make her to be the last Sinner, the Twelfth. My bet is that Faust will be the one to betray Dante instead, especially with how much secrets she holds over us and how she seems to be... closer to the company than she is to Dante? Not sure if I worded that right. I stand by this not just because of this order, but also because, atleast in Goethe's version of Faust, Faust redeemed himself by the end of the story and went to heaven. Assuming the game's story's end journey is going to heaven, do you think it's possible she might betray Dante before redeeming herself and going to heaven together with the Sinners? I hope they sing Pass On together when that happens.
​
https://preview.redd.it/3mvyckdl11ab1.png?width=249&format=png&auto=webp&s=bc04e3aa8e115bc37702be141a3023d10d5a86e9
But then, I remembered about Vergil. In Leviathan's cover, Vergil is depicted with a laurel crown (which strangely enough should've been Dante Alighieri's signature). This imagery reminds me of One Sin and a Hundred Good Sins with its crown of thorns, and in Lobotomy Corporation, you can surpress White Night by making the Heretic confess to One Sin and a Hundred Good Deeds, though it will kill it. And after thinking about it, Vergillius in the role of the Heretic fits well, because canonically, Vergillius Publius Maro was not a Christian (a Pagan I think?) and born before Christ, which is why he couldn't enter Paradiso and Beatrice replaced him as a guide. Do you think Vergillius might be the Heretic, or Faust? Or perhaps, you have another alternative.
On Beatrice, I've had a theory. I was thinking, is the character in In Hell We Live, Lament's music video, Beatrice?
​
https://preview.redd.it/xvyd6c5tw0ab1.png?width=1366&format=png&auto=webp&s=146eb6764045a41b27b7c323ffb27b9a342a16e8
At first I thought it was a pelvis or a ribcage, or hands. But now with the Beatrice having a Light theory, could it be the skeleton the character is standing on is the skeleton of Beatrice's Light? Which explains its strange shape. I do not want to imagine White Night's skeleton. Now, I was thinking this is not exactly Beatrice. Looking at her left eye, it glows red. Looking at common colour design application, red and blue are used often for complementary colours : In this case, Dante is red and Beatrice is blue. The red eye might represent her connection to Dante after they ate her, especially since it is one eye (the closest thing Dante have to an eye is the giant clock, and it's only one). I wonder if the character reaching for the watch could represent Beatrice reaching for Dante represented by a watch because, clock head, and also remembering at the arms which holds the character could it imply Beatrice is bound to whatever that thing is and can't reach Dante? Also, not sure if this is intentional but that circular glow on the background reminds me of a clock shape, and since the skeleton and the character is about the size of the circle, could it be that Beatrice is inside the clock? I am not sure if this is Beatrice, or both Dante and Beatrice in the same body as seen with the red eye. This makes me think. Is Dante they/them because they are non-binary, or is it because they are literally two people? Like the Venom meme.
Also, I know I checked out Outis for betrayal, but just remember. Odysseus tricked a cyclops under the name Outis before revealing his name which would later become his doom. Dante has one big "eye". Just telling you to watch out, keep an eye, you know.
I must conclude this here. I have been writing for 6 hours (5:38 AM as of currently). I have always wanted to share this but mostly busy to sit down and write at all. I always lurked around the subreddit without ever saying anything, so I thought one day I should make some contribution to this amazing community for with this analysis. My mind degraded along the way, and I might have forgotten some points I wanted to make. However, I am always up for corrections and for someone to further expand this theory or share their own opinions, theories, views, etc. I'm sure there are other more well-versed people in the lore than me. Feel free to talk. And if you have reached to this point, thank you for reading. I bid my greatest gratitude, and farewell.

References

Milton, J. (1991). Paradise Lost
In Hell We Live, Lament's Music Video : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XfTWgMgknpY
Simacan's Theory of Dante and White Night : https://steamcommunity.com/app/1973530/discussions/0/3823032344637462350/