The Artists live Forever: till the end (May-June 2024)
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05/13/2024
A warm August's day, early in the morning; The bus is parked in the parking lot before the travel, the final checks of the vehicle's condition are carried out. Sage, Alton, Catherine and Adrian are the first to arrive, waiting for the others to arrive so they can all together go on a vacation that they've been planning for months. Sage (to children): "Did you check everything? If something is missing there are shops nearby, so we don't have to stop afterwards." Adrian: "Everything is there as far as I'm concerned, don't worry so much, mom. You panic too much when you go on a trip." Sage (breathes out): "I keep feeling like I'm going to forget something important." Alton (smiles): "You and I forget important things the least, we even have a list of what we have to bring. Better ask Shade, he always forgets something." Sage (smiles): "I'll ask him too when he comes, with the fact that in the last few years I kinda know what he might forget, so I am bringing a spare just in case. I have pills, food, a first aid kit, various little things like tissues, pens..." Catherine: "Oh, Mom, you really think about the details. (laughs, looks at the nearby taxi) Here's the uncle Hale and Aunt Meryan." Alton (smiles): "Reydan, Olivia and the kids are coming too, we are just waiting for Shade, Alice, Christopher and Jeremy to come, then we can go."
Hale came with Meryan, Lorian, Leo and Freddie, while Reydan came with Olivia, Conner, Jana, Austin and Anita, they all made it to the bus where Alton and Sage were waiting for them. Sage (joyfully): "Hellish Hale and Reddy have arrived! (they greet them) Have you prepared for the trip? It'll take a while." Reydan (in a good mood): "Of course, I couldn't wait for this! I've been dreaming of a vacation for months, we've been working a lot these months." Hale: "We have a tour on another continent when we get back from vacation, so we'll have more work to do." Reydan (sigh): "We'll think about it when we get back, we're not thinking about the tour these ten days. Now we'll all have a good time, we'll relax and have fun, the rest will wait until then." Alton: "You're right, now we're going to spend time with our families and gather energy for whatever lies ahead. We're going to need it." Sage (sees Alice and Shade): "Shaddy-buddy, you're here! ("high-fives" him and Alice) Can we go now as we are all here?" Alice (laughs): "We had to go back twice because the gentleman forgot his passport and wallet. We were worried that we wouldn't make it on time." Shade: "Hey, I'm a responsible man, it just happened this time..." Hale: "Last time you had to go back to get the keys, and that one time you forgot an entire bag at the hotel." Shade: "Well, it happens. (smiles) That's why I have you guys to remind me. (looks around) Sage's right, we're all here and we could slowly enter the bus. (to children) Let's go, children, get on the bus and sit wherever you like. (children enter the bus and take their seats)" Hale (quieter): "Should we keep an eye on these elders? We shouldn't give them too much freedom, young people usually relax too much during the trip." Reydan: "Nothing will happen, they've already been on short trips without us and didn't cause any problems. I know it's hard for all of us to accept it, but they grow up and will come to those "situations", if they haven't already. It's our job to protect and advise them, but we must not and cannot control them." Meryan (to Hale): "He's right, I know you're scared for Lorian and Leo, but that's part of growing up. If we follow them too much, we can cause an opposite effect and they will lose trust in us." Hale (breathed out): "I know, but still take care where they go and what they do. Adrian and Jana are in a relationship so they probably won't cause problems, Conner and Lorian are adults but I wouldn't want them to get carried away by the atmosphere and do something reckless with who knows who, while Leo and Catherine are minors and we shouldn't give them too much freedom when we are on vacation in a foreign country." Alton (nods his head): "You're right, we'll all look after them no matter which one of them, from the youngest to the oldest. (they go inside and sit in the free seats)"
They arrived at their destination by the next day and settled in a quieter hotel. Shade (as they walk down the hall): "Let's go like this - in this room will be Conner and Adrian, in this second Lorian and Jana, here in the third Leo and Christopher, the fourth is for Catherine and Anita, Austin and Freddie will be here closer to us. Jeremy will go with me and Alice, each one of us adults with his own husband and wife. (laughter) Choose the rooms you want, they're all the same, settle in and our vacation officially begins." Reydan (smiles): "In half an hour we're all going to lunch on the ground floor, see you later."
After lunch, they all went to the beach together, Sage used the opportunity to take photos, while the others were swimming in the sea and sunbathing. She wore a long-sleeved shirt and comfortable black pants, so people occasionally looked at her with surprise, something she had long since gotten used to. Alton (approaching her): "You should have brought at least one swimsuit, you don't need to cover yourself completely on such a hot day. (kisses her) I might as well teach you to swim. (laughter)" Sage (smiles): "So that you wouldn't have to save me from drowning anymore?" Alton (breathing out): "It was only once, but it wouldn't hurt to be sure. I would save you anyway. (smile)" Sage: "I'm too old to learn it now, and I don't like swimming either. It suits me like this, I like walking and taking pictures, and you can go swimming. (runs her hand down his torso) I'll watch you. (seductive smile)" Alton (sighing): "I don't know where you got the idea that you're old when you still turn me on with your seductive voice and everything you do... I have to control myself, I'm not dressed enough to hide my reaction to you. (laughter)" Sage (whispering, comes closer): "I can fix it for you if it becomes very problematic. You know I'm here for you, in every sense - for conversation, for support, for tenderness, and for passion. (kisses him passionately) After all, I'm also not indifferent when I see you like that, I have the urge to tear off that piece of cloth and make you sigh even harder." Alton (sighing again): "If we weren't in a public place, we'd go straight to it, with the fact that I enjoy it when you gently seduce me like you do now. (he breathes in and out) In any case, I wish you could relax and not worry about what those around you will think, I try my best even though my mind wanders into hundreds of thoughts, it's a little strange for me to wear only this but I got used to it. After those scenes we shot for the video, everything was less scary for me. (laughs)" Sage (blushing): "Yeah, the scenes we shot later... Luckily, it looks like it'll never see the light of day, we haven't released that video yet, and it looks like we won't." Alton: Why "luckily"? We shot them really well, only if you regretted shooting them in the meantime, I can understand if that's the case." Sage (nods his head): "No, I'm satisfied with how they turned out, it just seems weird when I think about it. We've been keeping that recording under lock for years, so it would be unusual for me to make it publicly available. Part of me is obsessed with the idea that we're not done with that project yet, and it's somewhere in my subconscious that it's not finished. Sometimes I feel like suggesting to the guys that we publish that video as well, it seems that they forgot about it." Alton: "If you're sure that it doesn't bother you even after all these years, then I have no problem with it. (smiles) Oh my, how they gonna react when they hear what we've recorded... If we haven't shocked people enough so far, we'll certainly succeed in that now." Sage (laughs): "I can't wait to see their faces, I love to shock people. (Reydan walks up) Hey, Reddy, are you enjoying this beautiful day? (laughter)" Reydan: "Yeah, it's beautiful here! Sage, why you don't dress something lighter, there's no need to cover yourself up." Alton: "That's what I told her too, she doesn't have to keep thinking about covering up her scars, we came here to relax a bit." Sage (waving her hand): "Don't worry about it, I'm comfortable in this too. We just talked about the music video for "Chamber", the one we never released... What do you think, is it finally time to release it? It can no longer affect the course of our career, and it would be a shame if we never publish that video." Reydan (surprised): "I thought you didn't want us to release it because you almost died that day, that's why we didn't even mention it except when you said you shot another scene so it could stand until further notice... Why didn't you ever show us that video with your scenes?" Alton (pats him on the shoulder): "You'll see when we get back from vacation. (looks at the others) Can Sage and I go to the hotel for a little while? My little seductress is giving me hard time again, I promise it won't be long. " Reydan (looks at the two of them and smiles): "You are free to go, I will tell the others that you are on a walk. Take as much time as you need. (laughs)" Sage (as they leave): "Thank you. We won't be staying long. (smiles)"
After dinner, the younger children were getting ready to go to sleep, while the older ones wanted to go out to a nearby cafe. They were allowed to go, but with mandatory caution and reporting, as well as a note not to stay late. They said there was nothing to worry about, they would stick together and be back by midnight.
Jana (taking a sip of juice): "Our parents are paranoid sometimes - what can happen to us when we are about five hundred meters from the hotel? We know how to take care of ourselves, we have already gone alone." Catherine: "Look, they are more experienced than us and maybe they are more aware of some things, after all, we are in a foreign country and we don't know the language, nor do we know anyone except that the six of us know each other." Leo: "Yes, but I wish we could relax more - no parties, no alcohol, I even have to light a cigarette in secret. (takes a cigarette out of his pocket and lights it) What's the point of going on vacation if you don't have fun? I want to stay out until the morning, to do something more interesting than sitting in a cafe and drinking juice." Lorian: "Dad strictly said not to stay up late." Conner: "And we don't have to, we can have fun until then. (gets up) I saw a club nearby, we'll have a little fun and come back, it won't be a problem."
They went to a nearby club that played electronic and techno music, keeping each other in sight. Catherine sat on the side because she didn't like crowds, Adrian and Jana danced occasionally, while Conner and Lorian took the center of the dancefloor. During this time, Leo took the opportunity to go to the bar, where he drank several glasses of beer during the evening, which already made him quite dizzy, considering that he had never drunk so much before. Lorian was unpleasantly surprised when she realized that her little brother is already visibly drunk.
Lorian (nervously): "You dummy, what should we say to the dad now? How many glasses did you drink?" Leo (showing four fingers): "Just those six, not many..." Conner (grabbing his head): "How are we supposed to take you to the hotel without our parents noticing? You are in the room with Christopher, he must be sleeping now, you can't go there like that." Adrian: "Don't worry about that, I'll sleep there instead of him, and he'll sleep with you. The only question is how to take him there." Jana: "We girls will distract our parents if they wait for us, you take him to the room quickly." Catherine: "Do you think the plan will work? They won't let us go out until the end of the vacation if we don't succeed." Lorian: "We have to try." (looks at Leo angrily) You, dummy, don't cause any problems, okay?" Leo (looks at her): "I'm Leo, not Kay. (Lorian slaps him on the arm) Hey, that hurts! (mumbled something)" Lorian: "Let's go as soon as possible, I hope they fell asleep too."
They entered the hotel and went to their floor, seeing Reydan reading a magazine in the lobby. Jana (approaches him): "Dad, why aren't you sleeping yet?" Reydan: "I was waiting for you, mom waited with me until recently, then she went to sleep. Where are the others?" Catherine (arriving): "We're all here, the guys have been staying downstairs for a while, they'll arrive and we're going to sleep." Reydan: "Was there any problem? How did you spend your time?" Jana: "We had a great time, there were no problems... We're really tired, we're going to sleep as soon as the guys come. You can now go to rest too, dad, you're tired too." Reydan (smiles and gets up): "Then I'll go too. Now that I know everything's okay, I can sleep peacefully. (goes to the room) Good night, girls. " Catherine: Good night, Uncle Reydan. (Reydan closes the door) Lorian, tell them all is clear. Jana, unlock their door." Jana (unlocking): "Just hurry up, we can't risk any of them getting out." Conner (enters the room together with Leo): "Here, I won't let him leave the room so he doesn't do something stupid and we get discovered. I'm locking the room, and good night to the rest of you. (waves and closes the door)" Adrian: "Okay, good night and don't let him out."
Morning. Christopher wakes up and stands next to Adrian's bed. Adrian flinches when he realizes Christopher is watching him. Adrian (stands up): "Damn it, you've scared me... I know, you're wondering what I'm doing here. I'll be back in my room tonight, don't worry." Christopher: "I've seen everything." Adrian: "What did you see?" Christopher: "I saw the six of you yesterday when you came. (sits on the bed) I'm not a tattletale, but I want you to buy me an ice cream, so I won't say anything." Adrian (laughs): "Oh, you're smart boy... You'll get two, just don't say anything to any of the parents, they won't let us go out anymore. You'll understand when you grow up a little more." Christopher (raised an eyebrow): "Hey, I'm already grown up, I have a girlfriend too!" Adrian (surprised): "What girlfriend, aren't you too young for that? Anyway, who is she? A friend from school?" Christopher: "I don't know yet, but someone has been leaving me love notes for a month now; when I find out who it is, it will be official." Adrian (laughs): "Maybe someone is playing a joke on you." Christopher (frowns): "You know what - let it be two ice creams. I wanted one, but you're going to buy me the other one yourself since you're messing up with me." Adrian (smiling again): "I'll buy you a one-kilogram one, only if it turns out that girl really exists." Christopher: "You'll see that she exists. I'll find her sometime."
Leo woke up with a severe hangover, barely making it to the bathroom. Conner (entering): "Put yourself together as much as you can, we have to go to breakfast. I know you've been sick all night and you're still not feeling well, but we can't act suspicious." Leo (grabs his head): "I'm trying, but everything hurts... (takes a painkiller) There, I guess it'll work until we get down there. (looks at Conner) How do I look like?" Conner: "Well, you look horrible." Leo: "Oh... I'll say I haven't slept because I have diarrhea, people get stomach problems when they travel, they can believe it." Conner (shrugs): "I'll back up your story and say that's why you didn't sleep in Christopher's room if anyone asks. Put yourself together as much as you can so we can go to breakfast together. I'm waiting for you in the room. (exit)"
Hale walked over to the table where the six of them were eating breakfast. Hale: How was your time last night? Were there any problems?" Conner: "Everything is fine, only Leo has diarrhea... (looks at Leo) He's not well, but he'll be better by tomorrow." Hale (looks at him): "Um, diarrhea... Why didn't you call me?" Leo (grabs his head): "I didn't want to wake you up. I'm going to the room to rest later." Hale (nods his head): "If I didn't know what a hangover from alcohol looks like, you could lie to me somehow, but like this... What the hell did you need that for? I'm not forbidding you to take a glass of beer, even two, but you obviously took more." Leo (surprised): "How did you figure out? Yes, I took more... But I will never drink again." Hale: "The point is not in drinking, but in moderation, to drink only to the extent that you have control over yourself and your activities, anything above that is too much. You see, uncle Reydan almost died once because he walked out drunk in the middle of the street, we could have lost him then and Jana, Austin and Anita would never have been born, and the band would have broken up because we have such an agreement - when one of us can't make it any longer, we all quit. It gave us motivation to take care of ourselves and each other, because we care about being a part of this together. You're lucky you had five of them with you, but I hope you've learned your lesson." Adrian (surprised): "You're not going to punish him for this? We were afraid there'd be yelling or some kind of punishment..." Hale (laughs): "It seems to me that he has learned his lesson, and so have you. I mean, if you want to wake up with a headache and to not be able to put yourself together, I'll buy you a whole package of beer, and go for it. (they wave their hands and say no) I understand you're at an age where you like to have no limits, I also tended to drink at that age, and I still like to have a beer now and then, but it's not fun when you overindulge in anything - it applies to everything in life. I hope you don't learn that the hard way. (gets up, turns to Leo) I'll bring you some fresh lemonade to bring you back to normal, and you feel free to drink again tonight, they say that a wedge is broken by a wedge. (laughter)" Leo (waving his hand): "No, this was too much for me, don't mention alcohol to me until further notice." Hale: "I thought so, you definitely learned your lesson." (leaves) I'll be back soon."
Sage, as she had done for years before, went for a run before breakfast in order to maintain her shape after the surgery for excess skin removal - after that procedure she devoted herself much more to exercise because her muscles were returned to their normal position during the procedure, so she could finally tighten her skin by exercising and get her body in much better shape than in her twenties. Alton hadn't minded before, but he knew her confidence would improve if she had the procedure, and she really felt better in her own skin. She was joined during the run by Shade, who also exercised regularly.
Shade (runs up to her): "You're early. Why didn't you bring Alton too, we could all run together. (laughter)" Sage (laughter): "He'll go swimming later, I'm more for the ground anyway. However he wants, I have to do like this. (they start running) Sometimes it's boring, but I have to maintain the weight as much as I can. " Shade: "That's great, but don't worry too much. You watch your diet, you exercise regularly, it seems to me that sometimes you even overdo it." Sage: "If I stop now, everything will go to hell. I'm not young anymore to relax." Shade: "On the contrary, we are now at an age when we should relax and not pay attention to anything. Although you look great for our age, you wear tracksuits and clothes that completely cover your skin, except when you wear something more revealing and tighter at performances. You still can't shed those restraints from your youth, even here where no one but us knows you." Sage: "I don't have a problem with revealing my arms, but you seem to forget that we didn't go on this journey alone. Since our children are old enough to come to our concerts, I stopped hurting myself on stage because I don't want them to see it, and I don't want them to see my scars either. Catherine and Adrian probably don't know about it, so neither do the others." Shade: "Oh, well, I didn't think about that, it is better this way in that case. But, you don't have an excuse for skirts and dresses. (laughs)" Sage (laughs): "You guys insist so much that by the end I'm actually going to start wearing them, even though I don't really like them without leggings and tights, it's kind of awkward for me. (pauses and grabs her head) What the hell, I'm fainting again." Shade (pauses, worried): "Are you all right, buddy? Let's sit down. (leads her to the bench) What do you mean - fainting again, has this happened before?" Sage (rests her elbows on her thighs): "It happens when I get really tired, a little more often in the past month." Shade (concerned): "Have you had a head scan yet? You know you have to get regular check-ups after that hanging attempt, you made a big mess with a brain back then." Sage: "It's been a long time... I haven't been on a scanner for a year, I don't need it. (looks in front of her) The hell with this ringing in my ears, I often have a feeling of pressure in my skull and that ringing, it went away for a while and then came back again." Shade (flinched): "Did you have any head injury recently?" Sage (remembering): "I hit my head a little harder when we were at a show two months ago, I was hit by a metal bar in the dressing room and my consciousness was blurred for a few minutes, but everything was fine after that so I didn't dramatize it. Do you think it has something to do with it?" Shade: "Since your brain never fully recovered, it's possible that it made it worse. If you're really bad, let's go see a doctor..." Sage: "Don't worry, it's not that bad, I put myself together a little bit. I promise I'll check when we get back from vacation, don't tell the others because it's really not that dangerous, don't worry. You shouldn't worry about it either, really." Shade (as they come back): "Take a break from exercise for now, don't stress yourself out, I'm begging you. Maybe you should at least tell Alton." Sage: ,, I won't burden him either, anyway, I'll deal with that problem when we get back. He's been worried enough about me all these years, he really doesn't need to worry about every little thing. Everything will be alright."
After breakfast, everyone spent time with their families, doing different activities. Hale, together with his family, walked around the city and visited the sights and shops, Reydan and his family were at the beach, Shade went to the aqua park with his family, while Sage and Alton went to nature with the children. The next day they all went on a boat cruise together, while the remaining days were used for sightseeing and beach activities, they wanted to use their vacation to fill their energy. There was one more evening left before departure, so they made a dinner with music and spend evening together, while the older children were allowed to go out until midnight, except for Conner and Lorian who could stay a little longer because they were already of legal age. The younger children stayed with their parents until it was time for bed and went to their rooms early while the adults were out, checking on them occasionally to make sure everything was okay.
After Jana, Adrian, Leo, and Catherine returned to the hotel, Conner and Lorian walked on the beach. After a while they sat down on the sand, listening to the waves of the mildly rough sea.
Conner (grabbing the sand in his hands): "Our parents were in a good mood when they let the two of us stay for the longest time." Lorian: "We're adults, so we're responsible for our own actions. Besides, what could we do? We were in the club, dancing, this time nobody got drunk... (laughs) Only if our old ones are afraid that we will go so wild to sleep with someone we see for the first time in our lives - I'm not so horny, and neither are you. If I really wanted sex, I'd rather sleep with you than some guy I don't know." Conner (flinched): “Really? (laughter) That's a good point, I would rather be with you than with someone unknown, at least I know you." Lorian (intrigued): "Have you ever been with a girl before?" Conner: "Yes, more than once. Since you already had a boyfriend, then I assume that you have already slept with someone." Lorian: "Yes. Listen, do you want us to... just to do it casually, we don't have to get into relationship or anything, just for one night? No one will know anything, just you and me. If you don't want to, I can pick up some guy at the club. (laughter)" Connor: "You don't need the other guy, you have me for this night. (takes off his shirt) I was tempted to be the first one to suggest anyway, but I didn't want to seem pushy. Are you sure you want to? After that, there are no regrets." Lorian (unbuttoning the top of the swimsuit): "I won't lie that it was the first time it occurred to me, sometimes I imagined you touching and kissing me, I want to see if you are like that in reality too or will my dreams be shattered." Conner (smiles): "I'll probably live up to expectations. (he moves his hand to her thighs, but stops for a moment) We've known each other all our lives, but I've never seen you without clothes, and you've never seen me. Now I'm a bit nervous, normally I'm not nervous when I do this, but now with you it's unusual for me..." Lorian (takes off everything): "There, now you've seen it. Watch until you get used to it, then let's continue. (laugh)" Conner (smiles): "Since I really like what I see, I don't want to wait at all... (gets undressed)... the night won't last forever." Lorian (smiles): , "I agree. (they kiss again) Let's use this remaining time properly."
The next day they were going back to their city, they arrived after another long journey. Before they went home Shade discreetly told Sage to get a head scan as soon as possible, she promised to have it done by the end of the week. The agreement was that they would rest from the road, and that the preparations for the tour would start from the following week, but that before that they would definitely meet to discuss the music video that they had been putting off until now.
New morning; Shade wakes up at his country estate, smiling when he sees Alice still sleeping and kisses her gently on the cheek. She woke up slowly. Shade (smiles): "Do you want me to make you some coffee?" Alice (smiles): "Please don't hang around the kitchen, you're not very good with it. (laughs) Go check the orchard and the crops, check if they took good care of them while we were there. I'll prepare breakfast for all of us. When the quinces arrive, I'll make you a jam, okay?" Shade: "Oh, how I love your jam! It reminds me of my childhood and the deceased grandmother Ruza, and I enjoy walking around the property like my deceased grandfather Radivoje... But seriously, I really like this property and the peace when I come back from the tour, others also like to come to our place because they say it's pleasant for them to get away from the city at least for a while... At least now I can get there quickly by car, as if I were there." Alice: "I also enjoyed slowing down the pace of life after going for treatment, I learned to cook and have my own garden with flowers... When I was young, I would have thought that such a life would never be for me, but during the treatment I changed my view of the world a lot. I even earn my money with my culinary skills. (smile)" Shade: "I would like to be with you all the time, but we often go on tours and shows and there are always a lot of people and chaos. I used to not mind, I even loved it, but I have calmed down a lot with age. But listen - you and I are going to be a pair of playful old people as long we can use our legs and arms, okay?" Alice (kisses him): "Of course. Life would be boring without that. (smile)"
While Alice prepared the meal, Shade started the tractor and headed for the field and orchard.
During this time, Reydan woke up a little later, looking at Olivia who was changing. Reydan (stretching): "What a beautiful sight to start the day." Olivia: "We're going to Shade's house in the country, Anita and Austin love to go there. Anita is especially happy, she spent the whole evening choosing what dress to wear. (laughter)" Reydan (laughing): "Yes, we'll take them because it's good for them to be in the countryside as much as possible, at first I thought Shade was completely crazy when he said he was going to buy a house in the countryside, and it turned out that it was a great idea. Is Jana going too?" Olivia: "She's going to practice with the rest of her band, they're having a show at a club." Reydan: "Ah, I remember how we performed in smaller clubs at the beginning, then bigger and bigger ones until we got to concerts, and now we are going on a tour on another continent... I hope they will do the same, if not better." Olivia (sitting next to him): "After all, it's important that they have fun. (kisses him) Get ready, we'll have breakfast and go, okay?" Reydan (pulling her closer to him): "If we don't have to hurry, I could hold you for a while and spend time with you, we'll be there during the day." Olivia: "Maybe it wouldn't be a bad idea to postpone everything for half an hour. (laughter)" Reydan (smiles): "Let it be the whole hour, I don't like to rush when I do the things I like." Olivia (leans on his chest): "Then let it be the whole hour, everything else could wait."
Hale flipped through the pages of daily newspaper in the kitchen, occasionally moving a cigarette to his lips and drinking coffee. Meryan enters and sits with him. Meryan: "I can't wait for retirement, I still have a few years left to finally get there and rest. I love my job, but I guess I've had enough. (notices a cigarette) How much did you have?" Hale (pours coffee into her cup): "Third since this morning. Coffee is the first one." Meryan: "Your diet full of red meat and oily food can have serious consequences at that age, you know? In the 60s, the body suddenly weakens and it becomes obvious that old age has come, don't wait until the 60s to change your habits. You better take care now." Hale: "I don't have any problems with my health, and I'm not that old either. (drinks coffee) "Hellish Hale" will rock on the stage for a long time, I'm in excellent shape." Meryan: "You have a five-year-old son, you have to live long enough at least until he grows up. He has a brother and a sister, he will have me as long as I'm alive, but you have to take care of yourself too." Hale: "I agree with you, but you really don't have to worry about anything. I'm a gourmand, I'm a smoker, I drink a beer sometimes, but I don't have any health problems. (looks at the clock) I'm going to wake Freddie, you have breakfast and get ready, I'll help him get dressed." Meryan (takes a sandwich): "I guess these gourmand sandwiches of yours won't hurt me, you could have at least left something out of them." Hale (laughs): "I could have cereals and milk for you if you're up for a light diet, but we need real food to fill us up." Meryan: "It's fine for breakfast, but you always want to eat that real food, as you already call it. Try something light, at least for dinner sometime." Hale: "Okay, I'll take that cereals with milk, but with a steak. (laughs, Meryan looks at him) There will be salads too, don't look at me like that. I'm kidding, of course, I won't promise anything when there will be nothing out of that." Meryan (louder, as he leaves): "Fine, but you'll pay for it at some point."
Catherine walks into the living room to find Sage and Alton reading books with glasses on, reclining in armchairs, while the song "Samantha" by the band Theater of Tragedy blares from the speakers. Catherine (smiles): "From all the other houses is blaring turbo-folk, only we play metal. What are you reading?" Alton: "Mom is reading The Psychology of Borderline Disorder", and I'm reading Freud's analysis." Sage: "I read it too, I understand Jung's way of thinking more, maybe because he is an INFJ personality type like you and me. Freud has interesting theories, although I would not agree with some of them. Actually, book by Freud's daughter Anna Freud meant a lot more to me as far as child psychology is concerned, it's disappointing that she tried her whole life to keep up with her father whom she admired and that she was actually great at studying the psyche, but for her father she represented only the subject he will study for his theories. (drinks tea) I had one like that too, but I loved him despite everything and took care of him like Freud's daughter took care of her father." Alton (nods his head): "That's why we don't want our children to to be our shadows and to use them in achieving our goals, but to help them express their own talents and interests." Catherine (smiling again): "Psychology since early morning. (Adrian arrives) You won't be home tonight? Are you going to Jana? (wink)" Adrian: "No, I'm going to Leo, we'll be at Uncle Hale's house, you can check with a video call." Sage: "Are you rehearsing for the performance?" Adrian: "Yes, I'll sleep over at his place, then we'll catch the bus together early in the morning to get there on time, I'll call you later anyway. (looks at Catherine) And you, are you going to your girlfriend's house? (laughter) Aren't you too young to spend the night at her place?" Catherine (blushing): "Hey, we don't do anything like that, we just listen to music and sleep. You are the one who should think about it, are you still young to sleep with someone, at least I'm not going to get pregnant, but that's why Jana can." Adrian: "Catherine! I haven't gotten to that either... (looks at parents) Sorry for things like this, she started." Alton (closes the book and stands up): "Son, you know that your mom and I are not one of those parents who are uncomfortable to talk about that topic, on the contrary, we also explained to you about sexually transmitted diseases, about pregnancy, as well as about anatomy, how it all works and how to set personal boundaries. We are both open-minded, we accept you and we are here to advise you, both of you. You are aware that you have to be responsible when it comes to that, right?" Adrian: "I am, I know that I have to protect both myself and her, but especially her from an unwanted pregnancy." Sage (puts the book aside and stands up): "That's right, there will be time for children too, but one day when you are ready and emotionally mature for it. Enjoy it for now, but still beware. (smile) Looks like we've really raised responsible and sensible young people - what do you think, Alton?" Alton (kisses her forehead): "We have. (to Catherine) It's true that you're with a girl, but don't rush it, Adrian's right that you are still young." Catherine (nods her head): "I know, we really didn't even think about it. Sleep peacefully. (laughter) We're going to Uncle Shade's house, don't keep me waiting." Alton: "We're ready, just to put our shoes on." Sage (as they go into the room): "We'll be right back and then we're going."
They entered the room and Sage bent down to reach for her shoes, but suddenly felt dizzy and quickly sat on the bed. Alton (concerned, sitting next to her): "Are you okay? Are you dizzy from standing up suddenly?" Sage (laying her head on his chest): "I didn't want to worry you during the vacation, but I got dizzy while I was running with Shade, I promised him I'd go to the scanner to check head, I had an injury two months ago but I completely forgot about it." Alton: "How could you forget the injury, when you know you have to strictly watch your head after the hanging attempt? Did you hit it hard?" Sage: "My vision turned black and I felt dizzy for a few minutes, but then it went back to normal. It was before the performance, so I was in a hurry to get on stage, that's why I forgot." Alton: "Sage, that sounds serious, we have to check tomorrow when the clinic is open. (hugs her) Are you better now? Do you want us to stay home?" Sage: "I'm fine, it's settled down. (kisses him, then gets up and goes to the drawer) I'll bring the CD, we said we'd discuss the music video now. (unlocks the wooden box and takes out one of discs) Uh, here it is. (excited) I can't believe we're finally releasing that video!" Alton (smiles): "How do we explain the concept of our scene to them?" Sage (smiles): "We'll take it easy so they won't freak out. (both laugh) We'll get to it slowly, be ready for reactions ." Alton (as they exit): Oh, there will definitely be reactions when we tell them. (laughter)"
Shade returned to the house where the others were waiting for him, driving the tractor with music blasting from the speakers into the yard, then got off the tractor and greeted everyone. Reydan (laughs): "Who else plays Korn while driving a tractor, for God's sake?" Shade: "Ah, you don't know how powerful it feels to play metal while driving a tractor." Hale (laughing): "I know what it's like to drive a truck while listening to metal, as I've got a truck driver licence." Shade (excited): "Wow, that's even more powerful! You're going to drive us once and to blast some heavy or thrash metal for our souls." Hale (smiles): "I will, just to borrow a truck. Maybe I'll buy one, that idea occurred to me." Sage: "That actually sounds like a smart idea, a truck means a lot. My father also drove a truck and I know how practical it is when you need to transport something for yourself or others. " Hale (nods his head): "That's right, if I wasn't a guitarist I would have gotten one a long time ago, it just recently occurred to me to invest in it." Reydan: "A van is more worthwhile for your personal needs." Hale: "That one is good too. I'll definitely get something before we go on tour. (they go to backyard) Well, now we said that we will discuss about the the video - are you sure it's a good time? No one has a problem with us publishing it?" Alton: "It was the biggest problem for you, do you agree?" Hale: "Yes, yes... I am fine about it after all these years, Meryan doesn't mind either, and her opinion is the most important one to me. Admittedly, Mr. Leo and little Freddie are not allowed to watch it yet, although today's children see everything and anything on the Internet even before they are of age, so even Leo is not a problem if by any chance he sees the video, Lorian is an adult anyway. How are things with you?" Reydan: "I'm fine with my scenes too, to be honest - mine aren't as provocative as yours, although I really have experience with such parties and they were even more wild than the one in the video. Extras got more naked than I did, I just touched and kissed those girls, but strictly professionally, otherwise I didn't have too many shocking scenes." Shade: "Mine are the most provocative, but I don't have any problem with them even after so many years. (looks at Alton and Sage) I guess you two don't have a problem with your scenes as soon as you shot more after a few years... You've always been secretive about that shoot and never talked about it. We will finally find out that long hidden secret. (laughter)" Alton: "Let's sit down first and we'll tell you."
Reydan (sitting on the chair): "I never understood that you still decided to finish the video after all, I at least you didn't want anything to do with it, Sage." Sage: "See, I'm a confrontational person with things and topics that cause me a discomfort, melancholy or fear, I want to understand as many angles as possible and to push my own boundaries. It was the same this time - I didn't want to run away from the video and make it a trauma that I avoid talking about, but to face it and create a different perception that won't cause me a negative memory. It worked when we went to graduation anniversary and when we had the first concert in my birth town, so I used that system during all these years and that greatly reduced traumas because there are less and less things that my brain perceives as a topic that I avoid or that I don't want to remember, I finally started to feel my emotions and face what was dragging me down." Hale: "We are proud of you for that. (smile) A person cannot suppress all difficult memories and live in the illusion that everything is fine, or to not feel anything like you did before, this principle seems more difficult in the moment but it is better in the longer run, plus we artists should always push our boundaries. That's why we want to publish the video, we want to show the audience how much we pushed our own boundaries back then. Your scenes weren't too provocative either, but we know how nervous you were about them and that you still managed to shot them, regardless of the fact that the director demanded more afterwards - you did your part very well." Sage (looks at Alton): "Now that you mentioned it... Both me and Alton have had it in our heads for years how we stopped filming because of some of our limits, how we turned out to be cowards." Reydan: "You didn't, he went overboard when he wanted you to simulate sex in front of the cameras, he even wanted you to shot in more revealing clothes... It's all right, your reaction was spot on." Alton (takes out the disc from his pocket) : "Let's say we managed to push our limits. At that time I also felt satisfied with myself and my body, Sage had that procedure and had been exercising for some time, so we were more confident in ourselves, we were younger as well. I don't know if we would do it again at this age, but then it was the right time." Shade (flinched): "Wait, wait... You want to tell us that you did as the director wanted and that you shot the scene where you simulate sex? Is that scene on that disc?" Sage (blushes and laughs): "His suggestion was the basis, but the scene is even... Um... more impressive." Shade (eyes wide): "You didn't sacrifice an animal or something, since your scene has a blood fetish?!" Alton (surprised and laughs): "For God's sake, Shade, do we seem like can we hurt an animal? No way, there was only our blood in the video, we both love animals and we would never hurt them on purpose, neither for the video, nor in life. Anyway, we didn't simulate anything in the video, we were really making love on set." Hale (flinches): "The two of you? Were you able to relax that much in front of others?" Sage (smiles): "Oh, we caused reactions during the shoot, that's for sure... There were a few people on set, but everything was done very well." Reydan (speechless): "Uh... Wait, let me put myself together... (pause) So everything that happens in that scene is real, right? (Sage nods) I'm guessing you kind of softened it by being rubbed with a sheet, or wearing that negligee the director suggested... Knowing you two, that scene might not look as drastic as it sounds." Sage (sighs): "There were no sheets, nor were we wearing ANYTHING. We are completely naked in the video." All together: "WHAT?!!!" Shade: "Buddy, now you're kidding us. (laughs) Are you kidding us a little bit now, huh?" Reydan (puts himself together): "You can't be serious, it's the two of you we are speaking about." Hale: "I still can't believe they actually had sex on set, and now they're telling us they're completely naked in the video! Shade is right, this is definitely a joke and there is something less drastic in that video." Alton (smiles and hands out the disc): "Check it out. (the others take the disc in disbelief) The video was shot with us facing each other and I'm holding her close to me, so our private parts are not visible in the video, don't worry about that. Only Sage's breasts are occasionally visible, she hasn't decided yet whether to show them in the video." Sage: "I was thinking, let them stay. When I already paid to fix them, then let them be seen. (laughs) At least there was something to see." Hale (in disbelief): "So we'll have an uncensored version of the video too... Sage, are you sure? That might be more drastic." Sage: "Yes, what's on that scene can be put in the video as well." Shade (looks at her and Alton): "No, I still don't believe it. (puts the disc into the laptop) Imagine now that a message like - April Fools's Day! or something like that appears." Reydan: "But now it's August... (video starts, he's speechless again) For God's sake, you weren't kidding!" Hale: "You really did it, I can't believe it!" Shade (watching): "Wow, this is crazy! Look, Sage, I don't know what you looked like before the procedure, but like this... Wow! ( Hale nudges him slightly) What? I'm just paying a compliment!" Sage (laughs): "It's okay." (looks at Alton) We have to get used to the comments after this video, all five of us." Alton (nods): "I'm sure there will be reactions. (takes her in his arms) After releasing the video there is no coming back, video will finally see the light of day." Hale: "If you're sure about this, then fine. Now we have a very provocative video if we add this scene." Shade: "You seem to forget that the song itself caused reactions too, that song literally simulates sex and finally orgasm. What would Sage say about the song "Chamber" - the song is pure sex and, instead of an "eargasm" like most songs, this is an actual orgasm." Reydan (putting his palm on his forehead): "And repressed memories come back again... I remember when I heard the finished version, I couldn't believe it was you... Now after this video I'm even more messed up. (looks at Sage) I look at you like a sister! (stands up and goes to one tree)" Sage (to Alton): "I'll talk to him, I'll try to calm him down." Alton (nodding): "Go, it seems like this was too much for him." Shade (raises hand): "I have so many questions about this." Alton (smiles): "I'll answer Shade's questions during that time, and you go talk to Reddy. (Sage leaves)"
Sage slowly approached Reydan. Sage: "I guess you're disappointed in me as a person." Reydan: "Not at all, and I'm the last person to judge anyone. I worry about you. You and Alton only see each other, but you don't see the potential dangers and the ones that can disturb two of you, but especially you. You know there were all kinds of stuff after the release of the song "Chamber", although song was somewhere near the end of the album and did not attract as much attention as it could have, but now we put that song in the center of attention along with this video." Sage: "That's exactly why we waited this long - we're heading into the fifties now, and that scene was shot a few years after Catherine was born. None of us look like we did ten or fifteen years ago, we care about our appearance, but the fact is that we are getting older, we have wrinkles, even gray hair, some extra kilos... You know that I exercise to keep my body in the best possible shape because I don't want to go back to my old ways, but Shade is right that even that can't last forever and that we will want to finally relax in our old age. Sorry if such provocative subject is too much for you, we don't want you to feel uncomfortable." Reydan: "I'm not uncomfortable with the topic, but I'm persistently trying to control my brain. Don't get me wrong, since you and I are both happily married and have children, even my daughter and your son are in a relationship, but in the beginning I was thinking about some things. At first I admired you as a vocalist, but I didn't pay attention to the fact that there could be something more between us. You know I had a reputation as a seducer, and you were still a virgin without any love experience at the time, I didn't want to be tempted to hurt you. I was relieved when I noticed you and Alton getting closer, I was rooting for it to work out and I'm glad it did. That's why I have a problem from time to time when you sing a song like "Rock you like a hurricane" or some seductive song, especially "Chamber", because then I remember that you are actually a very passionate person, even though I want to see you as gentle younger sister that I take care of. Sometimes you make a mess in my head. (laughs)" Sage (patting him on the shoulder): "Who knows, maybe it worked out better this way in the end, Olivia's personality suits you so much better and you're a better couple than you and I could ever be." Reydan: "Exactly, Alton and you are a perfect match too. You and I are both the only children, so it was easy for me to think of you as a sister, except when you do something like what I just saw. (laughs) Now how do I get that scene out of my head?" Sage: "I'll explain my concept to you, and maybe that will ease your problem - I'm not doing all this to seduce anyone, except maybe Alton, but to free myself, to feel confident. That's what the song "Chamber" is for - if I feel physically confident about myself, then I feel better mentally. That's why I wanted to do that scene with Alton, I grew up with others creating a negative image of me based on my physical appearance, that's why I want to feel free through such a topic because I missed the whole teenage years and early twenties thinking that it's not for me because I'm unattractive. Through the art I set myself free from the burden that a lot of girls and women has to carry during their lives, in the same time I love to annoy these moralists who freak out over everything I or anyone else in the band does, whether it's cutting myself on stage or sighing, or expressing some unusual attitudes." Reydan (laughs): "So, that's the reason? (touches her shoulder) Then I will also observe everything you do like that, I really don't want to ruin our relationship because I really like you. But don't blame me if I close my eyes during these scenes of yours. (laughs)" Sage (laughs): "No problem. (they walk back to the others) When you mentioned "Rock you like a hurricane" and you're listening to the band Scorpions, then I'll explain to you what's so great about that song - I lost virginity to Alton while that song was playing. When the song started I thought that I'm tired of waiting, that I want to give myself completely to Alton. There's something about that song that creates sexual tension, it really made that famous first time easier. (laughter)" Reydan (smiling): "So, that's why you look at each other like that during the performance of that song? (laughs) You're right, that song is very good. Olivia and I play some light love ballads, we're more into romance and stuff." Sage: "Oh, well, that's nice too. (arriving at the others) And, Shade, did Alton answer all your questions? (laughter)" Shade: "Yes. Are you done talking?" Reydan: "Yes, she explained the concept to me. (pats Alton on the shoulder) Then let's leave people speechless for a bit." Alton (laughs): "It's time to rock the stage again. The media have also fallen asleep, we will play them a nice metal song with a provocative music video to wake them up."
After that, the younger kids played soccer with Shade and Reydan, Alton and Hale watched from the sidelines and looked after Shade's younger son Jeremy, Catherine had a chat with school friends and checked social media, while the ladies sat in the garden and talked about various topics. They spent time together until evening, when the others slowly made their way back to the city.
Sage and Alton gave Catherine a ride to her friend's house, talked to Adrian and made sure everything was okay, then headed home. Sage changed into a black silk robe and lit some candles, then played some music. The first song was by Bad Omens, "Death of peace of mind", which Sage slowly danced to.
Alton (putting his arms around her waist): "After so much talk about our scene, I just want to do it again tonight, I see you're ready." Sage (unbuttoning his shirt button by button): "For you, always. After this song is "Chamber", this one is for warming up. (unbuttons his pants and goes down)" Alton (sighs): "Oh... The key to the chamber will definitely be ready... Uh... I'll help you too around the warm-up, just like we did before the shooting of the video." Sage (pauses briefly): "Now I don't have to worry about anyone hearing me. (laughs, continues)" Alton (runs his fingers through her hair): "I love your sighs... Oh... That's why I will try to make as many of them as possible. (he gently touches her face) Don't go all the way, I want to have more strength left for later. (she gets up) Sit as you are most comfortable, now it's your turn. (smile)" Sage (kissing him passionately and gets close to him): "Chamber" begins... (singing) Down with my black robe, I need it no more... (takes off her robe and remains completely naked)... You are the only one I'm taking it down for. (sits on the chair, Alton gets down in front of her)... Can't stand this tension that's boiling inside of me... (Sage sighs after Alton started moving his tongue)... Take me in your arms, move it until I can't breathe... Wander through my body, find my sensitive spot... (Sage sighed again)... I like hidden fantasies, so say what you want..." Alton (smiles): "Your sighs are better live than in the studio version." Sage (smiles): "It's years of practice. Ah... Great.. . Continue at that pace... Oh... (after a few dozen of seconds) That's enough, I can't reach climax either. (smiles) We'll do that together now." Alton (takes her hand, they go to the bed and Sage sits on his lap facing him): "We're getting close to the hottest part of the song, the one where you sigh and shout "More!" (laughs) I love hearing that part live." Sage (starts to tighten and relax her muscles): "Knowing you, you'll get a chance to hear it... Oh... Just speed it up a little bit so we can get in step with the song... Oh, yes... (speeds up his movements) I'm close, and you?" Alton: "Yeah, I feel like I'm close..." Sage (repeats words from the song): "Oh... Yes... Yes... More! Just... keep go... on... (sighs)"
After the big ending in the song they also climaxed almost at the same time, then laid down next to each other and fell asleep after spending some time in embrace.
The next day, they gathered in the practice area after Sage went in for the head scanner. Hale (to Alton): "What did the doctor say?" Alton: "She's got a hematoma, he suggested surgery to clear the blood clot, which involves drilling into the skull." Sage: "Let go, I don't need it at this age. I had minor damage so far and it has worked, I don't have time to deal with it before the tour. Maybe when we come back, sometime." Reydan: "We have enough time until the tour, better take care of it because it can cause a brain stroke. We don't have much to practice, in the next period we will focus more on the music video, go to cure that because you are already waited too long." Sage: "Okay, we'll schedule the surgery as soon as possible." Shade (flinched): "Wait, that's where the skull is drilled? Oh, my goodness, that's a tough operation!" Alton: "Fortunately, this is an experienced neurosurgeon, but such operations can be risky if some part of the brain is damaged. In Sage's case, they have to get the excess coagulated blood out because, like Reydan says, if it's not cleared, those clots can cause a brain stroke." Sage (smiles): "Don't worry, buddy, I have a feeling that it will at least relieve the pressure in my skull, I feel like my brain is going to explode. It's possible that those clots are putting more pressure on brain, drilling my skull sounds like a calming thing rather than a scary thing." Reydan (puts his hands around her head): "Your head is really throbbing, the pressure inside is too much. (To Alton) I don't like that, don't wait for the tour because we're going for three months and there's another three months to spend on the tour, half a year is not a very short time to play with it." Sage: "Okay, while they're editing our video they'll let me go home too." Hale (taking the guitar): "If you can't practice, feel free to sit on the side, don't bother." Sage (waving her hand): "Don't worry, I don't mind singing and moving, even moderate activities don't bother me, but right now headbanging bothers me because it makes me dizzy and nauseous." Shade: "Then don't shake your head or make sudden movements until you fix it. (sits down to the drums) Ready to practice?" All in unison: "We are!"
After a few songs, Sage noticed that Hale was clenching and unclenching his left hand, as well as massaging his left arm, so she left the microphone on the stand and walked over to him. Sage (concerned): "What's wrong with your hand?" Hale: "I don't know, something like it started to tingle... Maybe from playing, although that's never happened to me." Sage (looks at Reydan): "Do you think it could be a sign of a heart attack?" Reydan (worried): "It's not out of the question, at our age anything is possible." Sage (eyes wide open): "Come on, let's go to the emergency room, put down the guitar and let's go now." Hale: "Sage, I'm fine, it's not a heart attack, it's just numb... Maybe it's the circulation. (puts down the guitar)" Alton: "Whatever it is, we're not going to risk it. Let's go check it out, we'll easily continue if it's nothing."
Hale was diagnosed with a pre-heart attack condition, so he was warned to urgently change his lifestyle and rest in the coming period. Hale didn't like it at all, but he remembered Meryan's words that his youngest son still needed him, so he said that he would do his best to correct unhealthy habits. During the week, Sage also went for surgery, which was successful, so both of them took a break from practicing on those days. The older children returned from the performances they had and spent more time with their parents.
The weekend; Lorian and Jana are sitting in Jana's room and talking. Lorian: "I don't know what I ate while we were on the road, but I'm not better yet, I'm still sick. (drinks water with ginger) If it wasn't for this, I wouldn't be able to pull myself together. I'm going to the doctor on Monday, I'll check if it's salmonella or something." Jana (shrugs): "We ate the same food, but who knows... Maybe you have a more sensitive stomach or something else. How's Uncle Hale doing?" Lorian: "He's fine, the only thing is that he needs to eat healthier and reduce coffee and cigarettes to a minimum, so he is complaining about it. He also takes some supplements to strengthen his heart, he wants to improve the situation before the tour because they will need a lot of energy until then. (pause) Maybe you'll take advantage of their absence to finally sleep with Adrian. (wink)" Jana: "I don't know, I'm a little scared." Lorian: "You have nothing to be afraid of - you have already reached petting, just one more step and that's it. Nothing scary. He's a reserved boy, you might have to push things a little bit." Jana: "I want that too, but we can't come to that and can't get an opportunity." Lorian: "In two weeks we will go to the club where we performed last year, we will sleep in a hotel and then you will have a chance." Jana: "I don't know, somehow neither he nor I like the idea of it being in a hotel, after all, it's our first time." Lorian (breathing out): "Um, well... Then you'll have to wait for another favorable opportunity, what can I tell you. Or wait until you get married, then you can do it. (laughter)" Jana (laughter): "Well, if there's no chance before that... It'll happen. We care about each other and that's enough for now. And you? Do you have a crush on someone?" Lorian: "Not at the moment. I'm taking a break until further notice." Jana (wink): "Take Conner, he's currently single too. (laughs) I'm kidding, but I wouldn't mind." Lorian: "Listen, I'm going to tell you something in secret, don't tell anyone - Conner and I had sex on the last day of our vacation. It was casual, we're not in a relationship, we just felt like doing it." Jana (surprised): "Really? I'm surprised you didn't get in relationship after that." Lorian: "We didn't, it was just the way it was. You see, sex isn't such a terrible thing, you just do it when you feel the need." Jana: "Okay, you should still be careful because of unwanted pregnancy, potential diseases and such things, but I agree that the act in itself is not terrible, quite the contrary." Lorian: "Just don't rush, there will be favorable opportunities. It's better to wait a little longer than to rush."
Tuesday; Reydan was getting ready to go outside, calling Olivia first. Olivia (answering): "Hey, Meryan and I will arrive at Hale's in about half an hour. Why did Conner want us to get together?" Reydan: "I don't know, maybe they have something to tell us about the band or whatever... I just got a message that they'll be waiting for us there, I'm confused." Olivia: "I just hope it's not something bad, you see what it's about, and we'll come in the meantime."
Reydan and Hale sat down on the couch in the living room, while Conner and Lorian stood across from them. Hale: Will the others come too? Why did you call us, do you have a problem?" Conner: "A little bit. Okay, maybe a little more." Reydan (worried): "Something about the band or about you personally? You went to the doctor yesterday, Lorian, wasn't it something more serious than a stomach virus or poisoning?" Hale: "What is it about?" Lorian (grabs her head): "I know this is sudden, but... you're going to be a grandfather." Hale (flinched): "What?!!! As far as I'm aware, you're not in a relationship right now, how that happened?" Reydan (in disbelief): "When you said a few weeks ago that you are becoming a Grandpa Hale, this certainly wasn't what you meant. (puts a hand on his shoulder)" Conner: "Actually, dad... you're going to be a grandfather too." Reydan (flinches): "WHAT?! Is Jana pregnant too?!" Conner: "No, not Jana... I'm the father of the child." Hale: "You two are in a relationship? Since when?" Lorian: "We are not in a relationship, we slept together only once, without obligations. We didn't plan for it to happen like this." Reydan (to Conner, furiously): "You son of a jerk, out of all the mistakes I've made in my life, you had to make that one?!" Hale (calms him down): "Take it easy, now we're going to sort things out... (to Lorian and Conner) You're both of age, you can decide what to do next. You have my support in any case, even though this is too sudden." Conner: "We were thinking about whether to have an abortion, whether to have that child... I don't know how ready we are." Lorian: "I'm not ready either, I'm still thinking about what I'm going to do." Reydan (more calmly): "Abortion carries its own risks just like pregnancy, I'm not against abortion, but keep in mind that it also has consequences for the body, you're young to play with your health. It's a last resort. As far as I'm concerned, I don't mind you having a child, but only if you both want it, even in this situation." Hale: "If you decide to have an abortion, you shouldn't wait too long - the sooner the better. I agree with Reydan, I don't mind becoming a grandfather either, but don't settle for something just because it happened. You can give yourself a trial period of one month, if you think it is not working - terminate the pregnancy. If you see that you can work together, then go ahead and see what happens." Conner (looks at Lorian): "You know, it's not a bad idea - we'll rent an apartment for a month to see how we work as a couple, if it doesn't work out we'll try to forget this as much as possible and we will try to move on with our lives." Lorian (nodding): "Good. A month of trial, we'll see how it goes. If at least one of us is not sure, it doesn't matter you or me, the pregnancy is terminated." Conner: "Yes, that's what we'll do. (looks at the parents) There, we've agreed. Lorian and I will go now to find an apartment, you say news to aunt Meryan and Olivia because they should know. See you later. (they leave)" Reydan (after they leave): "The hell with casual sex, it turns out that it does more harm than good in my life, even when I'm not the one having it. (looks at Hale, worried) You are crying?" Hale (wiping tears): "I didn't want to say anything in front of them so as not to interfere in their decision, but I have nothing against them having a child. Conner is a good boy, even though this is all unplanned, they have known each other since childhood and have always loved and respected each other, it is better that she has a child with him than with some jerk. The hell with everything when I know I'm going to be a grandfather, but everything is still uncertain." Reydan (patting him on the shoulder): "Maybe in the end they'll decide to keep the baby, and you and I can become co-grandfathers-in-law. (smile) You're right, now I don't even know if I should be happy that we will become grandparents, if we should be annoyed that they didn't pay attention, or if we should be annoyed that they left us to inform Meryan as well, considering that he respects Olivia as a mother, but Janet is his actual mother. Who knows if he told her too." Hale: "We will inform Meryan slowly, I hope that she will not interfere in the decision like you and I didn't. I don't want to be one of those fathers who order their daughter to marry someone she may not love, so I'll let them decide for themselves. We cannot decide for others."
At the end of the month, after a big announcement, they finally released the video and it really caused quite a reaction. There were surprises and support, but also condemnations due to certain more bizarre parts. The band didn't mind either, on the contrary, as a metal band they knew that it was even desirable and they have long been used to the fact that controversy goes hand in hand with art, because artists constantly have to be different, at least from their surroundings and society, and that there are no boundaries when it comes to creativity. They had interviews and guest appearances in several shows, they used the opportunity to promote the upcoming tour. The guys were trying to spare Sage as much as possible due to the recent surgery she was still recovering from, as well as not burdening Hale until his health improved, so they still hadn't had rehearsals, but that's why they were all going to the interviews together. This time they gave one of the interviews for a local magazine.
Journalist: "You released a video for the song "Chamber", which you released twenty years ago - why are you releasing a video after so many years? That's the video that was never finished, right?" Reydan: "That's right, we were supposed to make that video for another song, but we changed the song and made "Chamber" to fit the video. Considering that we haven't finished the video back then, the song was added to the album, but it remained in the shadows, it was put in the spotlight now." Journalist: "And the video wasn't finished because of an hanging attempt during filming? We wrote about it back then. Does this current operation have anything to do with it, Sage?" Sage: "No, some time ago I hit my head hard before a performance and a hematoma formed, that's why the operation was done. I've already said that especially when I was young I was prone to self-harming and suicidal behavior, what happened during the filming was too impulsive and I shouldn't have done it, I had a lot of problems because of it and I would definitely not repeat it." Journalist: "You wouldn't repeat the hanging or suicide attempt in general? How is the situation with that now?" Sage: "I have crises sometimes, but I try not to have fatal outcomes. Alton, the kids and the guys from the band help me a lot with that, there haven't been more difficult situations in years. (smile)" Journalist: "How did your relatives, including the children, react after the video was published?" Hale: "Our wives already know about scenes we shoot before, it was only a huge shock when we saw scenes that were shoot later. (everyone laughs) Lorian and Conner said that the video was very brave and they liked it, these younger ones are not allowed to watch it yet. It is important that the fans like it, and we are also satisfied." Journalist: "There are different elements in the video - orgies, BDSM, striptease, cuts and blood, and finally a scene of sex and nudity. Did you ever think that the video would be too provocative? How did you feel during the shoot?" Shade: "If we exclude the fact that we had personal problems during that period and what happened after the recording, it was not so terrible. Hale was a little unsure about it, but he also took a great shot. However, we waited for many years to pass because we didn't want that video to define our career, now we already have a successful career and we can publish the video without fear that it will have long-term consequences for the band. Of course, now we're older and that video is like a time capsule for us that we share with our fans." Journalist: "And how did you get to that last scene, where did such a twist come from? When was it filmed?" Alton (laughs): "We recorded it ten years ago. Sage and I were discussing how far we were willing to go during the shoot, we were trying out how it would all look in front of the mirror and, as the atmosphere got heated during the "rehearsal", at one point we looked in the mirror while we were wearing nothing and then it occurred to us that maybe we don't need to set any limits, that we will simply do this for enjoyment, without any simulations. We went to the director, at first he was surprised that we even wanted to shoot that one scene that was left, but I'll never forget his reaction when Sage told him that we were going to be naked in the video. (laughs)" Shade (laughs): "It looks like you wanted to kill the man. I can imagine his reaction. (looks at Sage, who blushed and covered her mouth with her hand) Oh, don't be shy now, it's in vain to giggle after all this." Sage (laughs): "I know I should be serious, but I can't." Journalist: "Since you were already topless in the video, would you do a nude photoshoting for some magazine too?" Sage: "Probably not. For some artistic photos maybe, but not for magazines. In the video, I don't feel like a commodity on display, but doing something I love with my husband. (laughs) Taking a picture for a magazine would only come into consideration if it had a concept, and if I were to take a picture solely to show off my body - no way." Reydan: "Sage, you wore a long-sleeved shirt and long pants at plus thirty degrees of Celsius when we went on vacation few weeks ago, how did we get to this? (laughs) When we think that nothing can shock us anymore, she denies us." Sage (laughs): Hey, why isn't anyone commenting on Alton? He was without clothes in the video too!" Alton (laughs): "Because I haven't completely covered myself with clothes until now, and almost nothing more private has been seen on me." Hale (patting Alton on the shoulder): "Ah, don't think you didn't shock us, we didn't expect that from you either! At one point a nice, cultured and mysterious man, and then completely naked in front of the cameras! (laughter)" Journalist (laughter): "How did you react when they told you what kind of scene they were shooting?" Hale: "We didn't even know what they recorded, they kept it a secret! We only saw it recently." Journalist: "So, what were the reactions?" Shade: "Oh, I loved it! I didn't expect them to shoot such a provocative scene, but they nailed it!" Hale: "I still can't believe what I saw. (laughs)" Reydan: "I close my eyes towards the end of the video. (laughs) I wouldn't have a big problem with Alton even if everything was visible, but that's why it was awkward for me to see Sage without clothes. They are all like brothers to me, but Sage has been my little sister for years and I reacted more vigorously, I really didn't expect it. I thought they were joking when they told us what the scene looked like!" Sage (covering her face with her hands, sheepishly): "Sorry again for having to see that." Reydan (touches her arm): "I told you it's okay, don't worry. I am just kidding. (smile)" Journalist: "Would you change something in your scenes?" Shade: "I have everything done to the end, I wouldn't change it." I just wish they didn't have to censor me. (laughs)" Hale: "I wish I was a little more relaxed." Reydan: "I would have liked my scenes to have been even more provocative, but at that time I was devastated because of Olivia and it didn't matter to me, I did what the director wanted me to do and that's it." Journalist: "Would you also get naked if you knew it would be like this? (laughter)" Reydan (laughs): "I really don't know what to say! You see, I already mentioned that I was at such parties, I was with a lot of girls in my youth, but I don't know if I would go that far." Journalist (intrigued): "The media once wrote that one of the participants of those parties threatened to publish some of your pictures from those parties - what was so scandalous that no one was allowed to know?" Reydan (trying to act cheerful): "Everything that happens at those parties stays there. (wink)" Journalist: "Are you getting ready for the tour?" Shade: "We are currently taking a break for health reasons, but we will resume rehearsals when Sage and Hale recover. We are already trained, just to be sure." Journalist: "Are you excited to go to another continent?" Alton: "It will be interesting in any case." We have started promoting the tour, we have a team of people behind us, everything else is up to us." Journalist: "I wish you the best of luck there and many great projects like this, have a good time and let us know your impressions in the next interview when you come back." Sage (smiling): "Thank you, we hope the tour will be successful, we'll be back here after the tour."
Shade used the weekend days to hang out more with the children, and the others also came to him to get away from the city crowd. Adrian called Christopher to him. Adrian (curiously): "Well, boy, what happened about a girl? Did you find her?" Christopher: "I didn't! She still leaves me notes, but I can't find her! I fell in love with her, and I don't know who she is!" Adrian: "Um, do you perhaps know her handwriting? Which little girl was close to you? Anyway, are you sure it's a girl?" Christopher: "I'm sure, it's written in the feminine gender, it's not a boy. We just went back to school, but I got notes even on vacation - I didn't spend much time with girls." Austin (approaching): "Christopher, when are you going to get back in the game? We are waiting for you." Anita (approaching): "Hurry up, we want to play!" Adrian (thinking): "You say you didn't spend time with girls... Anita, do you know anything about love notes? (wink)" Anita (flinched): "No. What notes?" Christopher: "You think that's Anita? No, she's still young." Anita (kicks him lightly in the leg): "I'm not young, I'm eight years old!" Austin: "Me too." Christopher: "Okay, I'll be eleven in October, but you're still younger than me." Anita (pouting): "I want to play football, hurry up! (returns to the lawn)" Christopher (to Adrian): "It's not her, that girl is romantic and Anita is like a boy, she plays soccer and games with us." Austin: "She plays better than us." (to Christopher) We're waiting for you there. (leaves)" Adrian: "Who knows, maybe she's actually a gentle girl." Christopher (pouting): "She's not! You saw that she kicked me!" Adrian: "Fine, then who could it be?" Christopher: "I don't know who it is, but it's certainly not her. If you suspect a girl, let me know. (leaves)" Adrian (smiled and shouted): "Okay! We'll find her sometime!"
Conner and Lorian watched Shade's younger son Jeremy play in the sand, keeping an eye on him as well. Conner: "He's so cute. (smile) What do you think, will our child be this cute? (looks at her) I mean, if we decide to keep him." Lorian: "Almost all kids are cute at that age, but they're also very restless. Oh, what was Freddie doing two years ago! He's a little calmer now, but he was so restless then and I was afraid that he would always be like that, luckily it was just a phase. You know, it's unusual for me to have a child at this age while my youngest brother is still a child, I also wanted to continue my education, to find a job one day, to go through more things before I have a child." Conner (nodding): "I had similar plans, this caught me off guard. A child is a big responsibility and it's not so much about our age, but about the fact that our whole life we would feel as if we had to agree to this, as if we were giving up something, it would also affect the child." Lorian: "Well, exactly, I don't want to blame the child for all that happened, because of my damned mistake we are in this problem and I will risk the consequences for my health, but I don't want neither you nor I to miss everything we should go through before we become mature enough to one day have our own children, with whomever. It's hard for me to have to choose that option, but..." Conner (hugging her): "I'm just as guilty as you are, we're in this together. I am just afraid if you get any bad consequences, for everything else I agree. I'd support you either way, but maybe it's better this way." Lorian: "The decision is difficult, but I don't want us to despise each other one day because of one moment of impulsiveness. You will still be as dear to me as before. (eyes full of tears)" Conner (cries and hugs her tighter): "Me too, this won't affect our relationship. It's a shared responsibility - you initiated it, but I wanted it too, and both of us didn't think about the consequences. It will hurt anyway."
A few weeks later they started rehearsing for the tour again; Hale reluctantly changed his diet and reduced his cigarette intake, but because of this, he reduced the risk of heart attacks and improved his health, while Sage felt significantly less head problems. Everything went more or less according to plan, except that every now and then Hale would sit dejectedly, trying to hold back tears. Although all the others were with him, Reydan would join him from time to time and they would sit together in silence, but their souls were equally aching for the same thing.
Day by day, it was time to go on a long journey. The band members and crew boarded the plane, eager to arrive and for the tour to officially begin. A group of fans met them at the airport, band took photos with them and signed autographs, and then went to the hotel to rest from the long journey.
At the fifth concert, they were supposed to be joined by a guest group, they rehearsed their performance before them. After getting off the stage, their singer Mathias approached the members of the band "Blue Towers", in the meantime lustfully looking at Sage as he approached, which caused her some discomfort. Mathias: "We are done, the scene is yours. (laughs)" Alton (leaves with Shade): "Let's go set up our instruments, you bring the guitars and microphone when we're done. (they leave)" Hale (follows them): "Wait, we have to set up the amps too! (follows them)" Reydan: "Should I come to help you?" Sage (squeezing his arm gently): "Don't worry, they'll manage. (as Mathias walks away for a moment) I don't like his energy and the way he looked at me - please don't leave me alone with him." Reydan (nodding): "Okay, I'm here. Then we'll go together, it's safer for you not to be alone with him considering his reputation." Sage (surprised): "What kind of reputation?" Mathias (approaching): "Reydan, you're still here? Didn't you go get the amplifier?" Reydan: "No, they already took care of it. I'll be here with Sage and we'll go on stage together." Mathias (checking Sage): "I watched your new music video, I really liked it, and the song as well. I especially like the part with the sighs at the end, it just matches the most interesting part in the video. (seductively) Are you going to perform that song live? I'd love to hear it live." Sage (trying to hide her discomfort): "No, we rarely perform that song live, it's not a primary theme in our discography." Mathias: "It's a shame that such a seductive voice sings about death, although I'm famous for raising from the dead. Maybe I'll give you an idea for the next song, maybe even for the whole album when you feel the real man." Reydan (annoyed): "Hey, Mathias, be careful how you talk to Sage, she's married and faithful to her husband, but in the first place she's a lady and you have to respect her, okay?" Mathias (smiles sarcastically): "That lady you're talking about was filmed naked, what kind of morality are we talking about here? (looks at Sage's face then looks down) By the way, Sage, you have nice breasts, they would fit in a hand. Just to unlock that chamber of yours you talk about in the song, maybe you'll relax a little bit. (suppressed laughter, leaves)" Sage (furious, preparing for a fight): "I'm going to rip his damn tongue out, what a motherfreaking bastard... (clenching her fists)" Reydan (holds her): "Don't, you will only be paying him compensation for nothing. I would be your witness, but don't bother with the fool. I didn't get to tell you a while ago because he came back, but he has a reputation as a rapist, several girls and women accused him for rape and I was annoyed when I saw that the organizers invited him to be the opening act, he should be in prison and not on stage. Don't stay alone until we finish this concert tomorrow, I don't want him to do anything to you." Sage (nodding): "Okay, I'll make sure one of the four of you is always around while we're here. Now you've got me worried, I feel disgusting just after talking to him, let alone having anything to do with him... (shudders) Ugh, I'd feel taken advantage of." Reydan: "Just don't get too far away from the four of us. I was worried about the video because of things like this, I know you are not an immoral person and I know how gentle and sensitive you are, I know what we have been through from the beginning until now. So what if you showed your breasts? Literally all of us were shirtless in the video, and now what? (laughs) If I had known that you were going to shoot such a scene, I would have taken off my clothes too, so that we would even more annoy these jerks like this who immediately think that a woman is a prostitute or that she is immoral just because she shows skin - so what's the big deal? Would they comment on me too? Why don't they talk so much about Shade and Alton, who were also fully nude in the video, but stick to your scenes and discuss your morality? A bunch of hypocrites. We who have known you for many years appreciate you for your qualities and abilities; you just showed me, as the father of a sixteen-year-old daughter, how society treats women differently based only on their personal perception, which is based on something that has nothing to do with her personality. I'm sorry that Jana and Anita, and also Lorian and Catherine, will have to deal with this for the rest of their lives, that someone will judge them based on what they wear and not based on their personality and what they can do." Sage (nods and looks at him): "I really like that logic, I think I'm going to look into that topic more because, as you say yourself, this video has opened up a much bigger discussion than talking about fetishes, it's not even about nudity, it's a much bigger problem that people comment too much on my morals, while a certain group of people judge me for how I could do that because, for God's sake, I'm a mother! How could we publish such a video, we should be ashamed because, for God's sake, our children can see it! After all, in order to have those children we had to have an intercourse in the first place, why so much false moralizing when it comes to such things?" Reydan: "Exactly, our scenes in the video have nothing to do with parenting, we are musicians on stage, spouses and parents at home. They conclude some nebulosis based on the video. (Shade indicates that they are finished, Reydan and Sage walk towards the stage) Don't let anyone convince you that you are something you are not, and also beware of this Mathias." Sage (curiously): "What you mentioned a while ago... Would you really shoot your scenes with nothing on? (laughs)" Reydan (laughs): "Well, I wanted to suggest something else to the director before filming, but then there was the problem with Janet's pregnancy, so I lost my will for almost everything. Namely, I wanted to suggest that there should also be a scene in the video where I will be with the guys, there are no rules at swinger parties and there were only girls around me, there were some guys in the background, but I would put that in the foreground as well." Sage: "After that they would say that you like men, there would be a bunch of homophobes commenting on how inappropriate the video was. I think that idea would be perfect, somehow it seems more realistic." Reydan: "Yeah, after all, I'm sorry that we didn't shoot it like that. I'm not gay and I don't have anything against them, but it would be fun to see these moralists freaking out. (laughs, they arrive on stage) I'll warn the guys about that jerk, call any of us if you notice that he's near and don't stay alone until the end of the concert. (Sage nods, they go to their seats)"
The concert went well, the whole production looked top-notch and the band tried to sound in line with it, as always. Mathias was trying to start a conversation with Sage, but she stayed away as much as she could, even the boys had to intervene at some point. That's why they were all relieved that the concert was over and that everything went without a problem, all that was left was to change clothes and go to the hotel to rest, considering that they had a plane to the next city at eight o'clock in the morning. Sage went to her dressing room and waited for Alton, since he was the only one allowed to be with her while she was changing, so she didn't lock the door, but she didn't know that Alton stayed backstage a little bit longer. Sage thought he came in when she heard the door, but she flinched when she realized Mathias has entered the room and locked the door.
Mathias (looks at her): "What a disappointment - I thought you had already taken everything off, but you haven't even started. Never mind, I'll take care of it now." Sage (angrily): "I don't want anything to do with you. (quietly turns on the recorder and puts the phone on the table) Get out." Mathias (getting closer): "Maybe your husband has the key to the chamber, but I also know how to break down the door. (he tries to knock her down, she kicks him in the most sensitive part) You crazy bitch! Aw... I wanted to be gentle with you, but after this I'm going to fuck you so hard you'll beg me to stop! You're playing a saint, but here you're an ordinary whore like almost all the women I know." Sage (gets annoyed and punches him): "You're going to tell me what I am? (hits him again, his nose bleeds ) Look at yourself! Did I lock you in a small space?! Open the damn door!" Mathias (wipes the blood with his hand): "You are the one who seduces people with your behavior, and then you blame the others. I wouldn't be surprised if, besides Alton, you had who knows how many of them, who knows how many of them switched up on you by now." Sage (gets even more annoyed, knocks him out so much that he falls to the ground): "I don't seduce anyone, don't make excuses for your behavior and the behavior of others like you, bastards like you see women as a worthless beings who don't even serve you for sex, but solely to feed your ego by thinking you are right. I'm lucky that during my life I met a lot of men who respected the female gender, so I don't base my opinion about the entire male gender on the basis of people like you, but many times people like you ruined someone's life, and even brought girls and women to suicide. You can call me whatever you want because I know I'm not, I've never cheated on Alton and I never will, if anyone should be ashamed it's you. (bends down and takes the key from his pocket) I'll gladly pay you compensation for hitting you, but then you'll risk a long vacation in prison, since I hear you've already been accused of harassing other girls and women. (takes the phone and leaves)"
Alton was trying to open the door on the other side, but it was locked and that made him very worried. Shade, Reydan, and Hale approached and heard something happening inside, they were about to break down the door, but at that moment Sage unlocked it and came out with a bloody hand. Alton (seeing her): "Sage, are you okay? (looks at Mathias on the floor) Did the bastard hurt you? (angry) I'll kill him if he even touched you..." Sage (calms him down): "I touched him very gently with my fists, this on my hand is his blood. That bastard won't humiliate me anymore; if he ever again says something about me, I'll rip his tongue out - I'm not kidding." Shade (surprised, looks at Mathias who barely got up from the floor): "Wow, you beat him well... Where did you learn to hit like this?" Sage (smiles): "Uncle Hale taught me. (pats Hale by the arm)" Hale (smiled and nodded): "Ah, I see that you are a good student. (pats her on the head) Self-defense class - excellent, A+. (laughter)" Reydan (concerned): "Are you sure you're okay? Did he do something to you?" Sage (looks at him and Alton): "He wanted to, he didn't make it. I have recorded evidence against him." Mathias (exiting): "I'll report you for this, you bitch." Alton (angry): "There you go, five of us against one of you. Be satisfied that you only got a beating from her, I'm ready to kill you for her sake." Sage (gently): "Everything is fine, you don't have to get into this, but thank you for protecting me, Count. (smile) And as for you... (glares at Mathias)... Do what you want, I don't give a damn. Until now, I have proven hundreds of times that I don't give a damn for the norms of our eternally dissatisfied society; at one time I was ridiculed because I was fat, then I was a weirdo because I wore and still wear long sleeves in the summer, then I was bizarre for cutting myself, for them I used to be a Satanist because I'm in a metal band, so I suppose that immoral woman also came in as an epithet, but now that I'm older I don't care. (takes Alton by the hand) Now feel free to label me as a person who will beat you up when you annoy her, feel free to talk as much as possible so that people know not to mess with me - I only hit you, who knows what else I would have done if necessary. (makes an evil smile)" Mathias (starts): "You're all crazy, and you're the biggest lunatic! I don't want anything to do with you, go to hell! (leaves)" Sage (waves at him and laughs sarcastically): "Thanks, you too. (looks at the others) There, he left." Shade (opens his eyes wide): "Oh my goodness, you're more dangerous than you look like! It's good to know just in case!" Sage (smiles): "No, that doesn't apply to you, you are dear to me and I would never hurt you. (looked furiously at Mathias, who was hurrying down the corridor) On the other hand, I would tear him to pieces if he appeared in front of my eyes one more time." Shade (screaming): "Well, that look of hers, that dead look... It scares me when she does that." Sage (gently again): "I'm going back to this mode, I'm not going to scare you. (everyone laughs and goes to change in their cabins)"
The next concert was in a city by the ocean, the weather was cloudy and windy, so there were no bathers on the beach. Sage sat thoughtfully by the water with headphones in her ears, occasionally shivering and crossing her arms over her chest. Alton spotted her from a distance and walked towards her.
Alton (concerned): "How are you?" (sits next to her and takes her hands) Your hands are cold, you'll freeze here. Why did you come here?" Sage (shudders): "I came to think about some things. I'm thinking if maybe I went too far this time, if I'm really to blame for the rude comments and gestures, if I'm really provoking someone with my behavior. I don't even know if it's all the same to you that I'm naked in the video and that everyone can see it, I feel cheap when I realize how it looks to others." Alton: "For me, it was brave that we stood in front of the cameras together and filmed that scene, I felt liberated. Even if everything was seen in the video, it doesn't matter, it doesn't mean that they can touch as they want. (puts palm on her cheek) They only see a picture, I feel your warmth, your scent, your touch, your breath. To me you are real, to them you are someone they saw in a video and can only watch and listen to, but I feel you completely. I know how you function, I know how you sleep, how you cry, how you laugh, how you are when you get angry, when you are sad... I spent so many years with you, it's already our twentieth wedding anniversary, I want to spend all the years that I have left next to you. (kisses her) If people are able to completely change the way they behave and think about you because of revealing your bust, in a scene where we are together completely without clothes, it shows that they either didn't know you enough, or they had unrealistic expectations of you. Understand that I, as your husband, as the person with whom you lost your virginity and the person with whom you spent more than twenty years, do not mind. On the contrary, it's a shame that we can't do more crazy things in this life, but we're a bit old now. (laughs)" Sage (slight smile): "Would you be up for some crazier stuff? When we're alone we're not too bizarre even with fetishes, I wouldn't say roleplaying is bizarre, for example. That's always been fun for me, since we started with it. And the other things we tried were not bizarre, except maybe the BDSM elements and the one with the blood at the beginning, I don't know what would be so crazy that we could try."
Alton: "You know that I confess everything to you, just as you confess to me - when we were shooting the video, I noticed how the crew who worked on the video looked at us, especially at you. Anyone else would go crazy with jealousy, but it turned me on that you caused such a reaction, but they couldn't do anything more than watch, it made me enjoy it even more." Sage (laughing): "Oh, how mean you are! So, it's important that you have fun while they struggle! (both laugh) Just kidding, I understand the concept. We'll do it again, even if we have to shoot a video like that again. (laughs)" Alton: "You see, in that video I see the two of us enjoying the moment, I don't see an easy and immoral woman, but a passionate seductress whom I love endlessly. We are one in the music video and one in life. (brings her close, takes one headphone) Play something melancholic like what you're listening to now, it fits with this atmosphere." Sage: "Would you like something uptempo?" Alton: I won't, I like this dark atmosphere - the clouds, the rough ocean, the wind blowing our hair. A person needs to feel that melancholic atmosphere sometimes." Sage: "That's why I came here, something about this weather gives me a heavy, yet sublime feeling. I only missed you, and now you're here too. (smiles)" Alton (kisses her forehead and wraps one arm around her): "Then let's share this moment."
At the hotel, Hale had just finished showering and walked out of the bathroom without his clothes on, walking over to the bed where he had left his things. On the way out of the bathroom, he was unpleasantly surprised - his things were gone, even the sheets and towels had been moved so that he didn't even have anything to cover himself with. He grabbed his head and whispered: "Of course it's the two of them. (louder, pokes his head through the door) Shade, Raydan!" Reydan (waving from the other end of the hall): "Hey, Hayley, feel free to come over! (Shade and he laugh) If you need towels and clothes, we've got plenty of that!" Hale: I will strangle you! I'll come as soon as I find something to wear. (looks around) The hell, didn't they leave me anything?" Shade (grinning): "Take a walk to us, it's not far." Hale: "If I walk up there like this, you're screwed! At least give me back my boxers!" Reydan (holding two pairs of boxers): "The left ones or the right ones? (laughter)" Hale: "Either one, bring them to me." Shade (to Reydan, quietly): "Give me the underwear what we bought yesterday. (Reydan brings it) I'm going to take it to him." Hale (seeing Shade coming): "Let me put something on and then I'm going to strangle you." Shade (throws the box at him): "Okay, here you go. Bye! (giggles and quickly runs into the room )" Hale (opens the box and flinches): "These are not my boxers, but thongs, and they are red! Are you out of your mind?!" Shade: "I am, he's so-so." Hale: "Well, I thought to spare you, but now you've annoyed me even more! (puts on clothes and looks in the mirror) What the hell is this? Who wears things like this, what the hell?! I'll run to their room, no one will see me for ten seconds."
He carefully left his room and walked towards theirs. A group of women were coming down the stairs and saw Hale in what he was wearing, one of them screamed and then Hale stopped dead, trying to cover his private parts as much as possible. Hale (nervously): "Sorry, ladies, my friends messed up with me..." Woman 1: "I can't believe it, you hired a stripper for my bachelorette party! Oh, he's a little older, but he's hot!" Woman 2 (putting herself together): "This one... Yes! This is a stripper for your bachelorette party." Hale (upset): "For God's sake, I'm a guitarist in a band, I'm not a stripper. (yelling) Shade, Reydan, get me out of this situation!" Woman 3: "The room is here, we wanna see your dance. Where's the rest of your gear?" Hale (resisting when they tried to drag him in): "I don't have gear because I don't do it, for God's sake! I'm a married man with three kids, I put this on because they took my stuff to mess up with me." Shade (poking his head through the door): "Oh, situation got a little bit out of control now. (picks up a towel and walks over to Hale) Here, hold the towel and cover yourself. (to the ladies) Ladies, as an apology for not being able to get our super hot Hale, can I make it up to you by dancing for you?" Woman 1: "Sure, I don't care, as long as you take it all off." Shade (smiles): "Of course!" I'll be there in five minutes. (he and Hale go to their room)" Hale (annoyed): "I ask again - are you crazy?!" Reydan (pointing at Shade): "It was his idea." Shade: "Hey, we're in this together! But yeah, it's my idea. (grin)" Hale: "So, what's all this for?" Reydan : "We were bored. (laughter)" Hale (getting dressed): "I'll give you a boredom, you know? I don't know how you're going to make up for this now." Shade: "We'll buy you ice cream. (childish smile)" Hale: "I'm not allowed to eat a lot of sweets - you're going to buy me some of that "health food" nonsense instead , I don't like them but I feel better after eating them." Reydan: "Okay. (smiles, sees Shade leaving) Where are you going?" Shade: "I'm going to do a striptease, see you later." Reydan (surprised): "Wait, what?" Hale (patting him on the back): "Don't ask. (takes his things) I'm going to put this back where it belongs. (he and Shade leave the room)"
Two more successful concerts have passed, two more are left so the members used another day off. The boys went to a big sporting event, while Sage wanted to go for a walk and visit the shops, normally she didn't like shopping but she wanted to refresh her wardrobe with things that seemed interesting to her. She tried on a shorter dress with lace that revealed her legs and cleavage, on her feet were her black gothic boots that she had been wearing until then.
Seller (approaching): "Yes, queen - slay! That's totally your color, sister. It looks great on you." Sage (laughs): "Do I look like I'm almost fifty? (laughs)" Salesman (surprised): "You? Nah! Girl, I thought if you were about thirty and looking to find a boyfriend, you'd definitely attract attention with that dress. Looking for something for a special occasion?" Sage: "No, I want to freshen up the style a bit. I'll definitely take this one. (laughs)" Salesperson: "Totally! (brings the dress to her) You seem like a baddie, this one might be in your style." Sage (takes the dress): "Oh, I like studs. I'll try it on, maybe it'll fit me well." Seller: "No, sister, you don't buy a dress to make you look well, but to make you look fabulous! I have dresses, skirts, whatever you need in this store to make you look like that, if you have the time and nerve to try them on." Sage (looking at her watch): "The boys are off to a basketball game, so I have at least three hours to spare. (smile)" Seller: "Great! (passes a few things to her) Try this and see what works best."
In the evening, in the hallway of the hotel - Alton goes outside the room and talks to the guys. Alton: "Are you going somewhere tonight?" Shade: "I'm going to a Nu-metal concert, it's not too far from here." Reydan: "Hale and I are going to tour the city, try the local food and see what's around town." Hale: "Yes, I can give myself an evening off, I've been taking care of what I eat and drink." Alton: "Okay, but still be careful, avoid too much fatty food." Reydan (pats Hale on the shoulder): "Don't worry, I brought a blood pressure monitor and nitroglycerin, just in case, but he'll be fine." Shade: "Where are you two going?" Alton: "We're going to a club where they have a little more private booths, we'll be there for a while and we'll come back. (Sage exits the room) Or maybe we'll stay a little longer..." Shade (looks at Sage): "Wow, if I didn't know how old you are, I'd think you were a lot younger!" Sage: "I bought this dress when you guys went to the game, it's a bit more revealing but I like it." Reydan: "It's not too revealing, it just seems to you because you're not used to such clothes. It's good." Alton: "I like it a lot. (smile) Well, guys, see you later or tomorrow and have a good time." Shade, Hale, Reydan: "Thanks, you too!"
Sage and Alton were sitting in the club, drinking. One woman had been looking at Sage for several minutes, subtly making it clear that she liked her. Sage (to Alton): "That woman's looking at us." Alton: "It looks more like she's looking at you. Call her, at least she can have a drink with us." Sage (gesturing the woman to sit with them): "What if she thinks I'm a lesbian and expects something from me?" Alton: "Now we'll find out." Woman (sits): "I noticed you two, you seem interesting to me. I will be direct, I like girls and she got my attention. I don't like sleeping with men, so sorry boy, she intrigued me. I can prepare her for you, then you can continue with it. (seductive smile)" Alton: "If Sage wants to try, I don't mind." Sage (surprised): "You're not going to feel left out while we... Um... Finish our part?" Alton (smiles): "I'll be watching, and you heard I'll be with you at the end." Woman (smiles): "I knew you two were the right couple for that, I felt your energy. (points to the booths) We can go out there, it's much more private there. By the way, I'm Neela. (they leave together) Let's go where it's quieter so we can relax."
The seats were comfortable and soft, Sage and Neela sat on one of them, Alton across from them. Neela (to Sage): "Have you ever kissed a girl? (strokes her hair)" Sage: "No, I've only had one partner in my life for both my first kiss and my first sex, and that's Alton." Neela (looks at him): "You lucky one. (looks back at Sage) I admire your commitment, I promise I'm only here for one night and I won't leave any consequences. (brings her lips to Sage's and kisses her, then runs her hand over her arm) Don't be shy, feel free to touch me wherever you want. I'll do it too, if it's not a problem." Sage (sighing): "Of course not, that's why we're here."
They kissed again, slowly removing Sage's jacket, and then Sage moved the strap from Neela's shoulder with her lips, then the other one, taking the opportunity to kiss her from shoulder to neck. Neela pulled her dress down and exposed her breasts, which Sage did with Neela's dress too, and they ran their tongues over each other's bodies. Neela had more experience, but Sage was also trying to give Neela pleasure, and they both began to sigh. Neela wanted to prepare Sage for Alton, but Sage wanted to please her first. She knelt in front of her and first ran her hand over her legs, then more and more towards her thighs, until finally she reached the most intimate part, where she stayed for a while. Sage slowly removed her underwear, then began to stimulate the sensitive area with her tongue, while her fingers lingered a little lower, following the rhythm of Neela's breathing. The other hand moved over Neela's breast, then down to her thigh and back again. Neela breathed deeper and harder, until she finally reached her climax with a big sigh.
Neela told Sage to lean over the seat, then lifted her dress up. She used her hand to squeeze and relax her glutes, slowly removing her underwear and continuing to squeeze and relax the muscles a little longer. She knelt down and touched Sage's warm skin with her tongue, which made her wince slightly, and then Neela was already expertly running over all the most sensitive points of the woman's body, which Sage enjoyed. After a while Neela turned to Alton and asked, "Are you ready too, boy?" Alton (sigh): "Oh, yes, I really am." Neela (runs her hands over Sage's sensitive place once more): "I warmed her up, and you bring her to orgasm." (she sits down and begins to satisfy herself)"
Sage walked over to Alton, kissed him passionately and sat on his lap, straddling him and connecting her body to his. Both were moaning heavily, occasionally moaning softly at first and then louder and louder, picking up the pace until they both climaxed. They stayed in that position for a while to catch their breath.
They got dressed, the girls fixed their makeup and hair, and then they left the booth together. Neela: "I had a great time, I like your dynamic and you're a great couple." Sage: "We had a great time tonight too, I didn't believe it could be so exciting!" Alton: "We definitely did not regret coming. (laughs)" Neela: "Well, I wish you luck in everything you do and stay this lovely, I like you a lot. (To Alton) Take care of her, boy." Alton (nods his head and smiles): "I will. Good luck to you too." Neela: "Thanks. (kisses Sage again) Goodbye and thanks for this crazy night. (leaves, Sage and Alton head for the hotel)"
Around seven o'clock in the morning, everyone had breakfast together before going to the concert venue to set up the instruments and equipment. Shade: "Yesterday I turned on the video call and recorded the whole concert while talking to Alice, I can't wait to get back and see her and the boys again. She says that the concert was great, I promised that we'll go somewhere together when I come back." Hale: "I hate that the most about traveling - even though I know that everything is in safe hands, it's still hard for me when I don't see Meryan and the kids for a long time." Alton: "We had to hire a nanny when they got a little older, it means to us that they sleep over at your place from time to time because we go on tours together. We call them and we know that everything is fine, but we still worry." Reydan: "That's the worst part of this business - by the time we're done with the band, they'll be grown up and maybe have their own kids. Many times we've missed birthdays, school plays and everything that happened while we were on tour, we tried to make up for them when we were home, but I always felt like it wasn't enough. When you become a parent, your whole perception changes." Hale (nods his head): "I feel guilty for not being more present, and I try to achieve everything. The only good thing is that we manage to balance tours and work at home, so that we are not completely removed from their lives. Uh, two more shows and we'll be back. (smile) I'm looking forward to that as well, but I am also glad these other concerts went well." Sage: "I had a fixed idea - shall we perform "Chamber" at the next concert? Of course, if we've practiced enough." Shade: "You won't be shy about it? I don't mind at all, but we thought it was inconvenient for you." Sage: "It won't be a problem for me, I don't care what anyone thinks. I wrote that song and it's a shame to almost never perform it live because, for God's sake, I make certain sounds that are too explicit for some. Whoever thinks it's explicit should cover their ears, I will perform it as it is in the studio version, only with my current voice, of course." Alton: "If you need help with that, I'm here. (laughs) Just kidding." Sage (kisses him): "You can help me with that, but don't worry - I've got enough inspiration from yesterday. (laughs)" Shade: "Wait, wait... What happened yesterday? (curious) Weren't you at the club?" Sage (laughs): "Wait, Hale and Reydan didn't tell us how they spend their time." Reydan: "We walked around the city, talked to some local street musicians who are very talented, we posted videos of their performances on our profiles." Alton (opens social networks and their profiles): "They're good, we could invite such a musician as a guest musician to our concert sometime - that wouldn't be a bad idea." Sage: "Yes, and it would also help them for promotion. They're usually raising money for a specific cause - on the one hand, they could collect the money faster, and on the other hand, more people would hear about them." Hale (nodding): "We can use the influence we have as a band to promote artists like that, I like that. We have already participated in humanitarian actions for various causes, we have also donated certain sums of money, so why not support some of our colleagues?" Shade (to Reydan): ,,How about food, is there anything tasty?" Reydan: "I have to take you later - they have some good pastries in a bakery nearby, it's crispy on the outside and there are various fillings inside , they have sweet and savory pastries." Hale: "I liked the muffins; I shouldn't take too much, but I tried them. (laughs) I didn't have any problems after that, but I won't exaggerate." Sage: "We promised Meryan that we'd take care of you, so you shouldn't overdo it." Hale: "Don't worry, I'm taking care of my health, I know Freddie needs me, and so do the others. (drinks yogurt) I'll go for a check-up when we get back from the tour, and you go get your head checked too." Sage (nods her head): "So far I have much less problems, but I'll check. Maybe we should all take more care of our health, we're older now and any major illness can be fatal." Reydan: "Oh, I'm already taking a lot of care, but the four are seeing Uncle Doctor less often - you really should care more about your health. No excuses, you'll all go to the systematic exam when we get back! (laughs)" Sage (laughs): "Oh, when you mention the systematic examination, something brings back my childhood traumas. I hated them so much, and at the last one they almost found out that I was self-harming." Reydan: "Well, you see, it's better if they found out then and helped you in time." Alton: "I was always uncomfortable at those examinations too, they always asked us to strip down to the waist." Shade (laughs): "Who would have thought that you would change completely in adulthood, so you will strip not only to the waist, but completely! But... You didn't tell us how you spent your time yesterday." Sage (nodding): "It was fine. (laughs) We had a good time." Hale: "Um, there's something more... I guess there was something else after you got back to the hotel, I'm sure that's the reason." Alton (laughs): Oh, just a normal date - we went to that club, had a drink, we were looking at people, had a threesome with one woman in a booth, went back to the hotel... Nothing happened after that, we fell asleep." Shade (surprised): "Wait, what did you say about the threesome?!" Reydan: "You had sex in a public place?!" Shade (to Reydan): "Oh my God, Reydan, they were with one more person, and you're asking about... (thinking) Wait, Reddy's right, you had a threesome and it was in a public place?" Sage: "The booths were separate and no one saw us, with the fact that someone could have potentially get inside or gone astray, but no problem - that added to the excitement. I was with a girl, but I ended up with Alton. She's a lesbian and she wanted me, we satisfied each other, it was an interesting experience." Shade (in disbelief): "Bro, that's insane! Alton, what were you doing during that time?" Alton: "I looked at Sage and couldn't wait for my turn, she was making such sighs that I could hardly control myself. That woman really has experience with the female sex, I learned a few tips that I can apply. (laughter)" Sage (smiles shyly): "Don't be like that, I'm happy with you too, you have experience too. I mean, I won't mind if you try, Count. (bites her lip)" Alton (kisses her neck): "It's going to be a pleasure, Countess." Hale: "Sometimes I wonder what's next with the two of you. (laughter) Try everything you like now, later we'll get old and there will be nothing out of it." Reydan: "That's the principle that my marriage survives on - I tried different things and was with different people before marriage, after that it wasn't interesting to me anymore. You two are lucky that both of you were restrained when you were young, so now you like to try everything together, otherwise it happens that later one of the spouses starts cheating if they feel that they missed something in their youth." Sage (nods her head): "I know about that thing, it's lucky that the two of us are oriented towards each other and we like innovation. If I was with a man who would do the same thing for years, I would probably get bored by now. It would not have so much to do with the intimate act per se, but such a person would most likely have that attitude for other things too - I do everything perfectly, I don't want to learn and develop, I never want to try anything new. This is not only true for an intimate act, or even for a relationship, it is true for many aspects in life. Do you know why we are a great band? Because we are constantly trying to be better, to change the elements in the music, we don't want to make the same music as we did twenty years ago. This band succeeds because all five of us are intelligent people who learn from our mistakes, because we are five artists who do not want to create what they know will sell and what is certain, but we want to explore different topics through music and try different playing techniques and singing. Imagine if we stopped practicing in the beginning when they first told us we were good, and just kept making songs the same way? By now we'd either bore audience, but it's more likely that we'd fall apart." Shade: "Right, when you fall into complete monotony, then you start to wither. Alice and I did move from the city and now live a quiet life, but that does not mean monotony! There must be at least some content, some events, spontaneity. Of course, there is less energy with age than in youth, but you can never have enough of things that bring you positive delight." Hale: "Even I, who am more of a traditionalist, agree with that - keep something good, but try more things that can be good. The video for the song "Chamber" also inspired me to try to be more creative when it comes to the bedroom, I noticed that Meryan also liked that change. (laughs) I only know what I don't like at all, and that's the red thong these two gave to me the last time, I don't wanna see that on myself ever again." Reydan (laughs): "Oh, come on, it suits you great! (to Sage and Alton) Too bad you didn't see him, he is such a handsome man!" Alton: "If we had been there, you couldn't annoy him in the first place! (laughs) They almost caused you a problem. (Shade and Reydan laugh)" Hale (waving his hand): "Oh, I've forgiven them. I even had a lady tell me I'm handsome, it was nice to hear that. (laughter)" Reydan: "Well, what did I tell you! But I agree, we went a bit overboard." Hale (laughs): "I felt young, maybe I needed to relax a bit, I've been feeling too old lately." Sage (gently, patting him on the shoulder): "You'll never be an old man to us, you're our Uncle Hale only because you're protective of us, otherwise we never looked at you as older than us. For us, those few years are nothing, in our band years are just a number and we only remember them when we celebrate our birthday. (laughter) Who gives a damn about age, what matters is the life we live." Hale (looks at her and his eyes fill with tears): "True. In these few years we have been going through different situations, sometimes we were even in danger, but we had a chance to go on and make it this far. For example, if I had died when my appendix burst I wouldn't have met you, if Reydan had been hit by a car he would never have reconciled with Olivia, if Shade had been shot in the vital organs who knows what would have happened to Alice as well, and if you had committed suicide, Alton would probably have gone after you, we would never have achieved all that we have achieved so far. That's why I tell you all to enjoy everything you can, I stick to that motto myself as well, because life is unpredictable and who knows when it will end. I will not spend my life waiting for death, but I want to feel alive while I am here." Shade (picking up a napkin and blowing his nose): "C'mon, man, you made me cry." Alton: "You're right, Hale, as long as we're alive, it's never too late for anything. (To Shade) Shall we buy you an ice cream to calm down? (slight smile)" Shade (smiles): "I don't want ice cream right now, I want to try that pastry Reydan was talking about. We'll do that later for lunch, now I had a nice breakfast." Reydan (looks at the crew that started to get up): "Here, we're going to prepare the instruments and equipment for tonight's concert, then we have a break and we'll go there to buy lunch for us and the crew, okay?" Shade: "Of course. (they get up and go to the door) Let's finish these two concerts, then I'm going to lie down on the grass and not get up for at least two hours. All of you will also come to my place to rest your nerves after this." Reydan: "You know, I can't wait for that too. Well, we'll do two more great concerts, let's use all the energy we have left, then we'll rest after the tour."
The evening; The concert started and the band already performed several of their older and newer songs. The song "Chamber" came next after one of their newer songs. Sage (to the audience): "Now we're going to perform a song that we've rarely performed because of the somewhat explicit lyrics and some more provocative parts, if we can call them that, but after the previous period we thought that we sincerelly don't give a fuck what people think of us and how we don't want to avoid this song. After all, there are no children in the audience, so there won't be any problems. And so, we don't give a fuck for all those who have condemned and even slandered us on religious grounds, we don't give a fuck for all those who are bothered by our views on different topics, for those who at one time were appalled by my self-harming, for these moralists who recently got so disturbed because of my bare breasts in the video, same as for the other scenes because, for God's sake, we are such an immoral people! They can all go and fuck themselves, and for you who support us, we want to put on a great show as long as we can perform music, we want to give our best to you. (ovations from the audience are heard) Yeah... As the song we're going to perform would say - down with my black robe, I need it no more - that's how I'll encourage myself for the first time since I was fifteen years old, and it's been quite some time since then... (takes off her black jacket and remains in a tank top)... Uh, trust me it was easier for me to reveal my breasts than my right arm. (laughs) We shot the video so that the right arm was not visible, that's why I don't feel naked in that video, I only feel that way now. The scars are still visible and Alton is the only one who saw them so far, except for those scars that were harder to hide, I've spent most of my life under long sleeves and I think that it was enough. Let me mention in advance to those who will make fun of me because of the scars - I don't give a fuck for that too. Where were you when I started doing it, when I went to school with deep and painful wounds as if nothing was happening, when I cut myself even during classes, when I lost so much blood that I was pale as a ghost and even then it wasn't enough for me, I wanted to finish myself off. I wasn't even an adult during that worst period, and I went through all that completely alone, just like out there, and maybe even here in the audience, many young people are going through it. I know I can't be with each of you physically, but I want you to feel that I understand you through our music because I went through it myself. For now, at least you are not alone spiritually, but I also want someone to be there for you physically, you do not deserve to go through this hell alone. (Sage holds back tears, audience cheers again) Okay, now back to "Chamber", I need a different kind of mood for it. (laughter) Now I'm a bit melancholic, I have to put myself together." Hale (laughter, turns to Alton): "Alton, intervene!" Alton (comes up to Sage and kisses her passionately, leaving her breathless, audience cheers): "Is it a little better now, Countess?" Sage (catching her breath): Uh, much better. (checking him out as he came back) Uh... yeah. Time to sigh... I mean, sing a song. No censorship, of course."
The song started and everyone performed it like when they created it twenty years ago, creating the same sexual energy as at the beginning. At the end, the audience rewarded them with a big applause, and then they continued with the previously planned songs until they finished that concert as well.
They got off the stage and headed for the dressing room. Shade (hugging Sage): "It took you a long time to do this, but you finally did it." Hale: "This is the first time we've seen you in a shirt that reveals both arms, since we've had a chance to see the left one when you got tattoos. Stop torturing yourself with long sleeves when it's warm, you've been hiding your arms for too long." Reydan (looks at the scars): "The wounds were deep as the scars didn't heal even after all these years... (breathes out) I'm proud of you for not doing this to yourself anymore, I'm sorry you even had to go through this." Sage (patting him on the shoulder): "Thank you all for your support, I hope I wasn't annoying on the stage." Shade: "Not at all - this may have been a difficult step for you, but you are saving someone's life when you talk about your experience with self-harm, depression, suicidal thoughts, about all those things that led you to it. It's an honor for me to create music that can save someone's life, and I'm even more honored that this band saved you." Sage (trying to hold back tears): "You really mean a lot to me, without this band and the four of you, I'd be now long since buried next to my father." Alton (hugging her): "It's okay, don't think about heavy topics. This was a great concert, we have one more to go and we are done. (smile)" Sage (calms down): "Yes, we had a great audience tonight too, they contribute a lot to our performance." Reydan (nodding): "Let's go change and go back to the hotel and rest, we're all tired." Hale: "You're right. When you're done, we'll meet at the bus, and the crew will be done by then, we will all go together." Alton (nods his head): "Okay, we'll try to get ready as quickly as possible."
The last city, the last concert for that tour - "Blue Towers" again gave a great concert in front of an enthusiastic audience, and with that concert the tour was officially over. Once again they had a long flight back, as well as more bus rides, until they finally arrived in their hometown where their families were waiting for them.
Leo and Adrian are talking in Adrian's room. Adrian (breathing out): "Jana's seventeenth birthday is coming soon, I have to get her something nice. I know she likes the turquoise colour, she likes the sea, although I don't know how smart it is to go to the sea now when it's cold, I know she's gentle and romantic, I want a gift that will remain for many years. I saved money from eighteenth's birthday party when we celebrated before mom and dad went on tour, I want to buy something valuable." Leo: "Um, she likes jewelry... That could do, just pick something she likes. I don't know much about jewelry, but I can go with you. Maybe Lorian would understand it better, even though their tastes are different." Adrian (nods his head): "I'll take Lorian, maybe it would distract her just a little bit. Both she and Conner have been in a bad mood for months now, even though they try to hide it - I feel bad for both of them. I understand that it was difficult for them to decide about it, to be honest I wouldn't know what would be the smartest thing to do in that situation either. I mean, Jana and I have been in a relationship for a long time and I certainly want children with her one day, but I would still stand by her if we had an unplanned pregnancy before and she wasn't ready, but it would be difficult for me in the end. Lorian and Conner had a different situation and I can understand them, although I think they would make a good couple, maybe it's smarter that way for now. (sadly)" Leo (sadly): "Yes, I'm sorry for my sister, I wish she gave birth to a child, honestly. I want her to have a child with the person she wants one day, although I wouldn't mind if she stayed with Conner, for now it's better for them both to commit to college and forget about this as much as possible." Adrian (nodding): "At this moment, it's the smartest idea. (starts towards the door) I'll ask her to go shopping with me tomorrow, I'll be right back, and you open the snacks I brought since we've eaten them all. (laughter)" Leo (takes the bag): "Okay, bro, I'll pour them into the bowls while you get back. (Adrian exits)"
Olivia and Reydan drove Anita and Austin to the birthday party, then parked the car and went for a walk. Olivia: "Did you have any major problems on the tour?" Reydan: "Everything went great as far as the performance is concerned, there were no major health problems, we only had one minor incident with that singer Mathias because he wanted to assault Sage." Olivia (worried): "Did he hurt her?" Reydan (laughs): "Luckily, he didn't hurt her, but she beat him up, his nose was completely bloody." Olivia (surprised): "Hell yeah, that's how people like that should be treated, knowing Sage she didn't give him a reason for such behavior, regardless of the video. I admit that I wouldn't have the courage to make such a video, I'm the shyest of the four. Meryan is also reserved when it comes to some things, Alice has calmed down over time, but she still has a part of her spontaneous youthful energy, while Sage often surprises me. You explained to me the principle by which she does all this, I'm not a psychologist but I assume that it originates from childhood ridicule, as if she wants to break down as many stereotypes that people have about each other and in this way create an environment with less judgment, at the same time moving her own borders. It takes courage and strength to do that, it's especially awkward when there are those who don't understand why she does that and misinterpret everything, like that Mathias did, so she has to defend herself against them on top of that." Reydan: "She and Alton are open to different topics, even touchy ones, even when they speak for the media they do it with ease, but they are never vulgar and know how to say everything with leaving a touch of mystery. I always gave media everything they wanted, I even went out with some girls more because of the media and not for myself. However, there was one topic on which they could never get answers from me, I was afraid that someone finds out because I wanted to maintain my reputation as a seducer, so all these years I avoided the subject when journalists asked me." Olivia: "It has to do with that party from your youth when a girl threatened to publish your pictures? I know about that case, but you never told me the details." Reydan: "I'm afraid of how you'll react." Olivia: "We've been together for twenty years, I think I'll be able to understand whatever it is." Reydan (takes a breath): "Okay... Don't say that it was too much for you after I tell you... I slept with more than one girl at those parties, considering I've been to three or four of them." Olivia (nods head): "Okay, I assumed there were more people involved, I know there are more people there." Reydan: "Yes, usually there are more men and women, they have intercourse with each other. Now... You may not be unfamiliar with the fact that girls are touching each other, sometimes even continuing on their own, but it's not uncommon for men to have intercourse with each other as well. I have had sex with several men too, not only women." Olivia (surprised): "You are a bisexual person?" Reydan: "I was more curious, but I admit that I'm neutral on the matter, I didn't enjoy it too much. Nevertheless, I'm glad that I tried that in my life, with the fact that afterwards I was afraid that the media will find out and that everyone would judge me, somehow I feel like I could finally publish that long-kept secret, but I won't." Olivia (surprised): "If I, as your wife, don't see a problem, what could they say? Just wait a bit until the news about the tour settle down, you've kept quiet about it for too long. Use your little sis Sage as an inspiration to send haters to the hell. (laughter)" Reydan (laughs): "I was afraid how will you react, now I feel better. You're right, it's much nicer when you take that burden off yourself, when you don't care what the world has to say... You know what - I love this middle age; yes, I'm older, but I feel like I don't have to live up to any expectations anymore, and that is liberating." Olivia (reservedly): "You know, you've got me intrigued with those swinger parties... Can us oldies go there too?" Reydan: "Yes, there are parties for older people too... Wait, do you want to go? You understand what it all looks like, I suppose." Olivia (gets close to him): "Yes, if it's not a problem. The only problem could be that there are other partners, so I would understand if you don't want to, I wouldn't mind seeing you with another woman or man. (kisses him) After all, I'm taking you home." Reydan (sighing deeply): "If you want to, I have no problem with that. I didn't know you would be interested in that, you really surprised me." Olivia: "I want to relax a bit, to try something different. (kisses him passionately) The children will be at the birthday party until seven in the evening, what do you think that by then you and go somewhere by car, park in a quiet place and make up for the time we spent apart?" Reydan (takes her in his arms and kisses her passionately): "Absolutely!" I missed you a lot in the previous weeks, I wanted you so bad. (they walk to the car and get inside) I can't wait to get there."
They parked by the river, away from the town, since it was February the visibility outside was reduced even though it was still daylight, and the temperatures were lower after dark, so they didn't get out of the warm car. Reydan was sitting in the driver's seat, Olivia slowly moved to his side and sat facing him. They took off their jackets, then their blouses, Olivia unzipped her bra and threw it on the passenger seat. Reydan gently lifted her skirt and pulled her stockings down, then unbuttoned his pants as well, adjusting to make them as comfortable as possible. They made love passionately like they never done before, kissing each other gently afterwards, then headed back to town.
When the weekend arrived, Alice and Shade again invited everyone to come to their place. It was relatively warm for that time of year, so the kids could play outside, the teenagers were writing lyrics for the new album, the guys went with Shade to see the orchard and Sage stayed with Meryan, Olivia and Alice.
Christopher walked over to the older children and sighed. Leo (pats him on the shoulders): "Kiki, what's bothering you? Love, huh?" Christopher: "Yes. The girl stopped leaving me notes, now I'll never find her again." Catherine: "Don't be like that; if you haven't found this girl, it doesn't mean you won't have another one later. You have time, now you have to study and be a good student if you want to be a programmer and if you want to work in video editing." Christopher (sitting with them): "You're right. I have to take my mind off and think about the school, even tho right now I feel like a fool. My heart is aching and it's hard to breathe, I fell in love with a girl but now she doesn't love me! (sigh)" Lorian (laughs): "Oh, my, you became a poet because of all that love! Maybe you can help us, we're writing songs for the new album." Christopher: "I'll help you, now I'm broken because of the breakup of a relationship that never started, and they say that's when people do their best work." Conner (rubbing his hair): "It's going to be all right, Kiki. For now you have us, and there will be some girl one day. Do not worry about it now. (smiles)"
The ladies were talking inside. Olivia (drinking coffee): "Reydan and I agreed to go to a swinger's party. It really intrigued me when I saw it in the video." Alice: "Wow, girl, that's a big move! (smiles) Are you ready for it?" Olivia: I don't know, I guess so. I don't know what to wear for that occasion." Meryan (laughs): "I don't think you will need clothes at all." Sage: "That's very brave! Honestly, I wouldn't dare to do that. I mean, I've tried sex with a girl, but this is much bigger." Meryan: "Is there something that even you couldn't do? Oh, that seems like a pretty liberal act then." Alice (takes a sip of juice): "I was convinced you and Alton were going to end up having sex on stage the way you've been shocking us lately. (laughs)" Sage (laughs): "Oh, don't put fixed ideas in my head, then I can't calm down until I do them somehow. (waves her hand) No, really, I guess we won't go that far." Meryan: "The key word is - I guess. (laughter)" Sage (shyly): "Better not. I have to slow down a bit. After all, when I sing "Chamber" live, it's close enough to that. (laughter)" Alice (to Olivia): "Let's go to the sex shop, all four of us, maybe we'll find something appropriate for the occasion so that you won't be completely without clothes if it's too much for you, at least while you relax. We'll look around at the same time, maybe there are more interesting things. (wink)" Meryan: "I'll use the opportunity to buy some new clothes, I haven't bought anything seductive in a while." Sage: "Uh, I'll see if there's anything I can wear on stage, they have interesting accessories." Olivia (smiles): "I've never been there, but I like the idea. We'll buy tickets for the football game for the guys, the younger kids will be with their dads and spend some time with them, and we'll go there. (a smile)"
Nine o'clock in the morning, Sunday; Sage comes to Catherine's room and knocks, Catherine leaves the room. Sage: "Are you going to the beauty salon with Jana and Lorian? (gives her money) While you're there, feel free to do whatever treatment you like." Catherine: "I'm going to dye my hair pink. (laughs)" Sage: "Okay, just be careful not to burn your hair." Catherine (surprised): "I was joking, but would you really let me dye it?" Sage: "Yes, your graduation is coming up soon, so you could do it for that occasion. (smiles) My daughter is a beauty, so why not show it? You and your girlfriend Diana will be the most beautiful there." Catherine: "She started dieting, I told her she didn't need it, but she wants to lose weight by graduation." Sage: "Don't let her starve herself or overexercise, the dress is not more important than her health. She doesn't have a lot of excess weight, but I know that feeling when you want a quick transformation to amaze the people around you. Many of us have fantasized about it, but when it comes to losing weight, that principle doesn't work, it's better to achieve it slowly and then to keep the habits." Catherine: "I see that this principle works for you, so it would be wise to listen to you. I mean, I might not shoot a provocative video, but I can look pretty. (laughter)" Sage (blushing): "Wait, did you watch the video for the song "Chamber"? I told you that content was not appropriate for your age!" Catherine (laughs): "I've seen other things too, so your video isn't the most lascivious thing I've seen so far, don't worry." Sage (grabs her head): "Aren't you too young to watch adult movies? Oh, who am I to ask, I watched them when I was twelve. However, "Chamber" is something else, you know us from real life; your father is also in the video, for God's sake!" Catherine: "Mom, you know I'm a lesbian, I didn't look at them that way. (Sage rolls her eyes) But they were all handsome guys, that's for sure." Sage (looks at her): "I mean, really... I'm not worried about the nudity in the video, as much as I'm worried about another scene with me and Alton." Catherine: "You mean cutting? I know you had a problem with self-harm before and that you tried to kill yourself." Sage (flinched): "I tried to hide it from you and Adrian as much as possible, how did you know about it?" Catherine: "You couldn't hide it from me or from Adrian, although I understand that you hid it so as not to be a trigger for us to hurt ourselves. You were afraid that we would also be prone to it because you did it, although I read in interviews that dad was also prone to depression, so you were worried about us. We appreciate that, but you are still public figures and it is difficult for you to keep secrets hidden, and you have also talked about this topic in interviews and in works, you may have blocked us from searching for news about you on the home internet, but we also use other devices outside the home. Neither Andy nor I will do that to ourselves, I promise. (hugs her) You don't have to hide it from us anymore, even I'm old enough to understand. I was watching a recording of a tour concert and I heard what you were going through when you were a little older than my age. I know you would never let Adrian or I go through that, especially not alone." Sage (holds back tears and hugs her even tighter): "I knew you'd grow up to be sensible young people, I'm proud of you both. (taking a breath) You go to the salon, Jana will book an appointment for makeup and hair for her birthday, we moms will walk around the city and see you later at the shopping center to buy clothes for the celebration, okay?" Catherine (smiles): "All right, Mom. (Alton leaves the room) Are you ready for the game, Dad?" Alton (smile): "I am. (looks at Sage) Did you cry? Did something happen?" Sage: "Nothing, we were talking about some sad topics. (hears a song from Catherine's room and gets surprised) You listen to the band "Before Azoic"?! (To Alton) Do you remember Amadea and Beata? How tragic fate, I always get sad when I think of those two." Catherine (surprised): "You've heard of them?" Alton: "Yeah, we even performed together once in the beginning, they had a lot of potential as a band even though they didn't last long. Amadea had a similar life story as your mom, one would say they were like long-lost sisters." Sage (sadly): "Yes... It was very difficult for me when when I heard what happened to her and Beata, our whole band was at their funeral. Because of their death, the topic of the treatment of the LGBT population and what they go through was raised, the situation has improved a lot since then." Catherine: "I know they had a short career and a short life, but they are very important to us precisely because of that. It's really great that you had the opportunity to meet them live, they were also from this area, but it's incredible that you knew them. You are so lucky!" Adrian (leaving the room): "Shall we go, Dad?" Alton (nodding): "Let's go." Catherine: "We wanted Anita to come with us, she wanted to go to the game. (laughter) She never wants to go with us." Sage: "Whatever suits her, we won't force her to do what she doesn't like - if she wants to go to the game with the male part of the team, then fine. (smiles, looks at Adrian) Your sister says that you have searched for things we told you not to search for." Adrian: "You mean that video that you just published? (raises head up) Mom, I swear I didn't stare... I told Leo not to stare either!" Sage (puts palm on forehead): "I didn't mean the video, but the topic of self-harm and suicide, but I see you got to see that too. (crosses her arms over chest) Even Leo saw it." Alton (to Catherine): "You saw it too? (blushes) You see, what you saw in the video..." Catherine: "Okay, dad, I'm not a child anymore - you had sex. Everyone was talking about the video, so we were curious, I like it." Adrian: "My friends say you're a MILF - sorry, I had to say it. Female friends asked me about my dad. (laughs) You made a video that we'll definitely remember for a long time." Alton: "Okay, I'm a little embarrassed now, but I'll get over it. It doesn't matter, you'd see it one day anyway, so maybe it's better that we're done with it." Sage (still blushing): "These kids today are too advanced, they see and know everything. You are right, they would have seen it anyway. (to children) Come on, let's all go to our separate ways, see you later. (everyone leaves the house and goes in different directions)"
Olivia, Alice, Meryan and Sage went to the place they agreed on. Salesman (politely): "Hello, ladies, what are you interested in? Toys, accessories, lingerie, literature?" Sage: "You even have books?" Salesman: "Oh, yes; books, discs, things you might not even know existed... (whispers) honestly, I didn't know either until I came to work here. (louder) In this shop you will find everything you need to turn an ordinary evening in front of the TV into a passionate night. You can also try on the clothes you like, they are in another section. If you need my help - I'm here." Meryan (smiles kindly): "Thank you, we'll see what we like, as you say - maybe we'll find something we didn't know we needed. (laughter)"
Olivia and Sage got to the fetish equipment part. Olivia (looking around): "I need something like this for the party we're going to, or better something like this... (looks at Sage) You're buying something for Alton?" Sage: "I'm looking for something less revealing for the show, later I'll see about that. (reaches for the collars) Oh yeah, I like these. (puts it on and looks in the mirror) Okay, I'll take this one." Olivia (walks over and sees one with chains): "Uh, this one's your style, you love details like this." Sage (looks): "Oh, yeah, I like that one too." Olivia: "I will put it on your neck. (puts the collar on her neck with gentle moves, Sage closes her eyes) Here, what do you think?" Sage (looks in the mirror): "You're right, this one is great too - I'll take it too. (tries to take it off)" Olivia: "Let me open it. (opens the necklace) You know... When I saw you in that video I thought that I wanted to break free too, you gave me the inspiration for that. Reydan says you were with a girl - how was it?" Sage (sigh): "She had very soft lips and delicate skin, I also liked the note of her perfume and I just wanted to kiss her neck. Later I moved down - no wonder men are obsessed with women's breasts, something about them just makes you want to touch them, squeeze them, feel them with your lips... (bites her lip) Until then I only did it with mine, it was the first time I felt someone else's." Olivia (sigh): "Uh, I'll definitely try that, it sounds exciting. Did you please her like in the adult movies?" Sage (sigh): "Yes, every movement of the tongue made her sigh harder and harder, I used my fingers to increase the sensation. She made such a lovely sound when she reached orgasm, something about a woman's voice makes those sighs even sweeter." Olivia (sighing even harder): "Oh, I can't wait to try it all. (takes a set from the hanger) Would you like to be my critic for this? I can't go out in the middle of the store in this, and I want to know how it fits me." Sage (smile): "Of course. If it doesn't work, I'll bring another one." Olivia (nodding): "Great, thank you."
They entered the cabin. Olivia started undressing, Sage looked away so she wouldn't come across as rude. Olivia (turning to her): "You don't have to look away, I'm not embarrassed to change in front of you. (smile) After all, I want to encourage myself. (takes off the last piece of clothing and puts on the set) Oh, it's a little awkward, it has a zipper in the back." Sage: "Wait, I will close it. (closes the zipper) Right. (looks at her) It fits you great, on the bottom part you can control how much will be seen, it's adjustable, while the breasts are fully exposed. Do you want me to get you another model?" Olivia: I won't, I like this one. (touches her breasts) Do you think it's better if I get the one that is less revealing for breasts?" Sage (bites her lip): "No need, highlight them. (grabs the fabric of her pants) Shall I help you take off the set?" Olivia (turns): "Yes, please. (Sage unzips her zipper, Olivia sighs) If you want, you can try something on while we're at it. Alice and Meryan are at the other end of the store, but I can help you." Sage: "Okay, you get dressed while I find something that fits."
She walked out of the cabin and sighed deeply, then went to the lace lingerie section and picked up a black corset with lace underwear, then went back into the cabin. Olivia (looks at the set): "Oh, good choice! Do you want me to come out while you try it?" Sage: "No need. (starts undressing) You've seen almost all of me anyway." Olivia: "Well, almost everything. (Sage takes off the last piece of clothing before taking the lingerie) Now it's everything. (checks her out) You've really tightened up your body a lot since you've been working out." Sage (puts on the corset): "Yeah, it's improved a lot from before, although that procedure helped me the most. (finishes getting dressed) And, is it worth anything ? (laughter)" Olivia (looks at her body): "It's great. (looks into her eyes) Alton is one lucky guy." Sage (sighs): "So is Reydan. (slowly takes off outfit)" Olivia (walks over and touches Sage's breasts): "You're right, women's breasts really do feel good at the touch." Sage (sighing): "Olivia, I think we both got too turned on, I don't know how long we could handle this. (feels her fingers on his most sensitive part) I don't know if.. . This is a good... Idea... Oh..." Olivia (takes off her clothes again): "I saw you wanted to touch me, do it. (Sage touches her breasts) Neither you nor I are going to cheat on husbands, I just need to reduce this tension, and I can see that you can't take it anymore either. Let's make it easy for each other and go back like nothing happened, shall we?" Sage (nodding): "Okay. (they kiss each other and continue moving their fingers)"
They came out of the cabin after dressing and looked for Alice and Meryan, they were in the movie section. Meryan (seeing Olivia and Sage): "Where are you so far? Did you find what you were looking for? Why were you panting so much?" Olivia: "We found it. (showing the set) We were in a hurry to find you, we thought you were gone. We were trying on clothes, that's why we stayed a little longer, I couldn't do it alone, so Sage helped me. " Sage: "Yes, I got something too. You?" Alice: "Oh, I bought some crazy things that I'm seeing for the first time, I love innovation!" Meryan: "I bought three red lingerie sets, Hale loves the color red." Olivia: "You also bought handcuffs and... Um... What's all this... So, Hale actually likes his scenes in the video! (laughter)" Meryan: "Oh, definitely! I also like that he is more dominant, but he was always afraid of hurting me and then it took him a long time to relax, but it was worth it. (smile)" Sage (looking around books): "Um, I'll take this book too, maybe there's something interesting to read." Meryan: "Do you like to read such topics?" Sage: "Sometimes when I need an extra stimulus. After all, I'm a writer myself, so I also like to read. (laughs) I also found things that I can wear to the performance, and something for home... Did you also find everything you need?" Olivia (looks around and puts one box in the basket): "I'll take this one, for the times when Reydan is on tour." Alice: "Oh, that's actually a good idea. (puts the same thing in the basket) Sage, you don't need this, your husband is coming with you anyway. (laughs, looks at Meryan) Do you want one too?" Meryan: "Oh my, I don't need that! (pause) I already have one from before. (they all laugh and head towards the cash register)"
The male part of the team was watching the game at the local stadium, cheering for the home club. They played with a club from another country and in the end won with 2:1, so the boys left the game satisfied.
The evening; Sage is reading a book she bought during the day. Alton (leaning in and reading aloud): "He teased her slowly, until finally she felt his member deep inside her, writhing in ecstasy. He pushed deeper and deeper while she moaned in pleasure." Sage (blushing): "It sounds really weird when you read it out loud. (laughs) I bought a book to see what it was all about." Alton: "Um, now I'm interested in what happened after that. (laughs) I'm intrigued." Sage (smiles): Oh, you know what comes after that - oh, yes, more! Uh, you're the best lover I've ever had, oh! (laughs)" Alton (laughs): "Yeah, something like that. (runs his palm over her face) Something's been bothering you ever since we got back." Sage (inhaled and exhaled): "We have no secrets, so I can't hide; Olivia and I turned each other on today. (covers face with hands) I guess she was interested in how it all looked because of the party she was going to, but I can't deny that I didn't react either." Alton (smiles): "Sage, I've already watched you while you've been with a girl, how many times have you told me that you wouldn't mind me sleeping with a man if I feel attracted, with the fact that I've never been attracted to men, so I've never tried. At least you could have gone all the way to release the tension. (laughter)" Sage (biting her lip): "We satisfied each other with our fingers, we couldn't take it anymore. I told her how women's breasts are so soft and pleasant to the touch, so she wanted to try it, and so did I. (sigh)" Alton (runs his hand over her cleavage): "That's right, it's just impossible to resist them and not touch them. (sigh) If you were with a man, then I'd be worried because I don't know if I could compete with him." Sage (gets close to him): "Do I need someone else besides you? I want you, you are much, much more to me than a person I just share a bed with. I love you, Count, I live because of you and I will die with you, I don't want to sleep with other men because in the first place our relationship is the most important to me, and then physical pleasure. (puts a hand on his most sensitive part, Alton sighs) However, don't think that I'm not satisfied with this other one, quite the contrary. (takes off the robe and stays in the clothes she bought today) Do you want to try what the book says and that you put your... um, how they call it... member deep inside me while I writhe in pleasure? You'll be up this time." Alton (getting out of bed): "Aren't you going to have a feeling of panic? You know you panic sometimes in that position." Sage (moving the sheets aside): "I don't think I'll have a problem this time, and I want to feel you as much as possible with my whole body." Alton (smiles): "Okay, well, let's warm up then, and we'll try." Sage (thinking): "Do you think I'm a nymphomaniac? Yes, I'm a bisexual person, but - do you think I'm exaggerating? Sometimes I can't control myself at all, I don't know if I should consult a professional about it. (deep sigh) Can I make an appointment with You?" Alton (smile): "Oh, sounds like an emergency to me, we need to check it out now! (goes to the closet, takes a white coat and puts it on) Now we'll check is everything fine. (wink)"
He took a chair and sat opposite the bed, and she sat on her own part of the bed. Alton: "Tell me what the problem is, what symptoms are You experiencing?" Sage (breathing out): "Oh, I always feel like my sexual tension is at a high level, I get turned on very easily and I often think about it, even though I am trying to think of something else... (tightens her breasts) Oh, I feel this tension here and... (slides palm down)... Here... Sometimes I can't control myself. Do You think that it's normal?" Alton (deep sigh): "Um, we need to check your reaction to stimuli, I'll do a detailed examination. Can You take the top off for the begining? (Sage takes off her corset and remains topless) Excellent. (gently massages her breasts) Does this please You?" Sage (sighs): "Oh, yes... (Alton brings his lips to her breasts) Oh, this pleases even more! Oh, is this a normal reaction?" Alton: "Absolutely! (continues for some time) Now I want to check the situation on the other part of the body, take off Your clothes and get comfortable." Sage (takes off everything and lies on the edge of the bed): "Is this okay?" Alton: "Great. (lightly touches her sensitive part, she flinches) You seem to be very sensitive to touch. (runs fingers through her skin) The excitement is already noticeable, but I want to do more stimulation tests." Sage (feeling his fingers move even deeper): "Uh... Are You sure this is standard procedure... Oh..." Alton (smiles): "I see You're responding very well to this. If You help me prepare, I would like to do the last test as well." Sage (naively, moving up): "Sure, what should I do?" Alton (taking off his clothes): "I need a little more stimulation to make sure the final test goes well." Sage (close her lips to his intimate part): "No problem." (starts)" Alton: "Uh... I hope I can control myself... (Sage continues for a while) Uh... It's time for me to do the last test, You get into comfortable position again." Sage (naive): "And what's that last test, will it hurt?" Alton (preparing her): "It shouldn't hurt, quite the opposite..." (she sighed after he connected his body with hers ) I'll help you reduce that sexual tension at least for a while." Sage (sighs): "Ah... Is this even part of the procedure?" Alton (seductively): "I know exactly what I'm doing, I have years of experience. Is this okay with You?" (speeds up slightly and their breathing becomes heavier )" Sage: "Ah, yeah... I feel like I'm getting closer to the end... Oh..." Alton (grips her hips): "I'm getting to the end too... Uh... (drops a heavy exhale) I'm done." Sage (sighing deeply): "Oh... I'm done too. (sighs again) I feel better already. (smile)"
After the big finale, they settled back comfortably on the bed. Sage (turning to him and touching his torso): "So, do I have a problem?" What is Your opinion about my case?" Alton (running his hand over her body): "I don't see any serious problem... (kisses her passionately)... However, I recommend regular therapy to keep Your sexual tension under control, I will do everything in my power to please You, and it will be a pleasure for me too. (laughs, hugs her tightly) Are you tired?" Sage (looks into his eyes): "Yes, you tired me out. (laughter) Good night, Count. (kisses him gently)" Alton (smiling): "Good night, Countess. (they fall asleep together)"
The next day they had a rehearsal to maintain their practice routine, with plans to start working on a new album soon. At the end of the practice, they sat down to rest a little bit. Hale: "When do you want me to drive you somewhere with a truck? I drive you wherever you want. (laughter)" Sage (excited): "Uh, I definitely want to, we have a show about fifty kilometers from here, so we should go later and see about the details." Shade: "Oh, I'd go with you, but I'm taking Jeremy to the doctor. He's had the flu these days, so we'll go to check how is he now." Reydan: "Speaking of the doctor, when are you going to go to the exam, huh? I will find you the best and most expert general practitioner, I have a friend with whom I was at university and I always go to him, he finds if there is a problem before it gets worse, he doesn't wait like some of our colleagues." Alton: "Okay, we'll go to be sure. (to Hale) I'll have to deal with MOT for the car, so you'll drive me another time too. Sage will keep you company, she loves trucks. (laughter)" Reydan: "Olivia and I are going with Jana to get the first ID card later, so I won't make it either, but you truckers have a good time. (laughter)" Hale (gently pats Sage on the back): "Looks like you and I will go. I play Metallica and Slayer in the truck, you give me some more good songs. (laughter)" Sage: "Um, can we do the famous "Bark at the Moon" by Ozzy Osbourne?" Hale (nods his head): "Uh, I haven't listened to that in a long time - good one! We will definitely play the one you recommended, "Desert Inferno" by the band Razorwyre - that song is great!" Shade (nodding) "Oh yeah, that intro is epic! One of the coolest riffs I've ever heard." Hale: "Add some female metal you listen to, maybe symphonic, I don't mind. I like "Battle Beast", add them to the playlist, but feel free to put something that suits you right now." Sage (smiles): "Okay, maybe I'll think of a song by the time we leave. Can Doro Pesch come through as well? " Hale (excited): "Oh, absolutely! It can also be Sinergy, Halestorm, Arch Enemy, Huntress... I'm telling you, absolutely nothing is a problem for me." Shade (takes a sip of juice): "You'll drive us around the city with your truck, now during the day you go to see about that performance in the Sports Hall, you know how to manage without us and you know the procedure. (pause, sigh) Oh, what a good game we saw yesterday! There will be something out of our players." Hale: "Yes, they are good. Maybe their goalkeeper is a little sleepy sometimes, but maybe the man just had a bad day. At least we spent the day with our sons and with Anita, since she also likes football, she cheered with us. (smile) She's going to be a little soccer player one day." Reydan: "I signed her up for sports, she also practices with Shade - maybe she'll continue with that later, maybe not, but playing sports can't hurt her. Austin is a bit interested in physics, as far as I can tell, while Jana wants to continue medical school, along with Adrian, so that one day they can open a private ambulance." Hale (nodding): "That's smart of them, and you know medicine so you can help her finish school more easily." Shade: "Ladies seem to have had a good time too. (laughter)" Reydan (laughs): "Especially Sage and Olivia." Sage (blushing): "She told you? I'm sorry, the excitement between us was too much and we couldn't take it anymore..." Shade (eyes wide): "Wait, what happened? Were there any problems between you and Olivia?" Alton: "Oh, there definitely wasn't a problem. (he and Reydan burst out laughing)" Sage (pouting): "Oh, you're so bad!" Reydan: "Don't worry, she only had words of praise for you, and after that we made love passionately - as far as I'm concerned, feel free to do it again sometime. Just invite us to watch next time. (laughter)" Shade (puts hand over mouth): "I can't believe it! You and Olivia?! When, where?" Sage (blushing): "Yesterday we were trying on clothes in the cabin and there was too much sexual tension, probably because of place where we were or whatever... And then... (Alton and Reydan laugh again) Oh, look at this two! I couldn't calm down because of what happened, and they find it funny! Phew, men." Hale (laughs): "Just tell a man you've had sex with another girl and you'll blow his mind - most men find that exciting." Sage: "I see that. (Shade smiles) For God's sake, you too?" Shade (laughs): "And, was it nice?" Sage (rolls her eyes): "It was great, I was going to try it with Alice too." Shade: "Uh, I don't mind if you two kiss each other!" Hale (laughs, to Sage): "I told you, it's exciting for them. (puts his hand on Sage's shoulder) Don't worry so much and this will stay between us." Shade: "Of course, we're not spreading it any further. (types something on the phone)" Reydan (curious): "What are you looking for on a website with adult videos?" Shade (looks at him): "Oh, I'm looking for the "Lesbian Porn" category. (smiles, Sage slaps him lightly on the arm) What, now you've got me intrigued! I wanted to remind myself how that goes like. (Reydan, Alton and him burst out laughing again)" Hale (to Sage): "Let's go get ready for the trip, let these three watch the videos as long as they want to. We're tough guys, we don't have time to mess around with stuff like this." Sage (laughs): "You're right. (kisses Alton) I'll call you later, you've got a pie in the oven if you come back early from MOT." Alton (smiles): "Okay, have a good time. (kisses her forehead)" Hale (nods): "Don't worry, I'll take care of her like I always do, I won't even play depressing music." Sage (as they exit): "Not even Metallica's Cyanide?" Hale: "Neither that nor "Richard hung himself" by Slayer. There's no suicidal themes." Sage: "Hey, I love that kind of music! (laughs) Just kidding, no problem, we'll listen to something else, like our song "Rage"..." Hale: "In which you sing about self-mutilation and you end up shooting yourself with a gun, and also singing about pieces of your skull and brain on the floor? Hell no." Sage: "Okay, I am just trying. There's no depressing theme." Shade (yelled from behind them): "Play the song by Katy Perry - "I've kissed a girl"! (laughs)" Hale (turning around): "That's the song I was going to play first! (laughs, to Sage) Don't pay attention to them, let's go."
Hale plays music in the truck, putting the playlist on shuffle. The song "Cyanide" starts, Hale wants to change the song but Sage stops him. Sage: "There's no need to change the song, I'm not going to kill myself because of one song and I'm not going to get worse. (sings along with the song) Suicide, I've already died, it's just a funeral I've been waiting for. Cyanide, living dead inside, break this empty shell forevermore!" Hale (looks at her, worried): "Are you sure you're okay?" Sage: "Yes, sometimes that topic suits me because I listened to that kind of music very often and I created a lot of my works on that topic. It's close to my heart because of my personal experience." Hale: "I know, but every time you mention cyanide I remember when you wanted to kill yourself after the tour." Sage: "What did you do with that cyanide?" Hale: "I buried it as deep as I could. There might have been a better way to destroy it, but it was the safest for me. How did you even get it back then?" Sage: "I was looking for a cyanide pill and I found it on the Internet, I ordered it and they brought it to me in a package, they just disguised it a little so that there would be no problems at the post office and at the border, since I ordered it from abroad." Hale (astonished) : "Wait, you just ordered and they brought you a package with one of the deadliest substances in the world, without any checking or suspicion? You could be dead, no one would be responsible!" Sage (shrugs her shoulders): "I would be to blame for that, I ordered it." Hale: "If it was something else, drugs or weapons, then they would have reacted, this is how a young life could have been lost for nothing." Sage: "It suited me to be like that back then." Hale: "Well, it didn't suit us. (looks at her) I'd rather go on tours and shows together with you than to come to your grave for twenty years. Knowing Alton, I would come both to your and his grave to light candles for your souls, this way I think the two of you are adorable, especially when you do some wacky things. (laugh) All of you are so dear to me, I got used to you guys back then too, now you are still like a family to me." Sage (softly, pats him on the shoulder): "You're right, Alton would kill himself for me, I know him. That's the only reason I tell myself it's better that it turned out that way. On the other hand, I'm completely regretting that hanging attempt, after that I didn't even have any more drastic moves as far as suicide is concerned. (looks at Hale) You know, as soon as I regained consciousness and realized I couldn't even speak, the first thing I thought was that I would never be able to sing again, that my career was over and that I would automatically lose all four of you. I regretted that at least I didn't finish myself off when I had already made myself such a problem, until I heard my voice at full capacity again I could not forgive myself." Hale (sadly): "You wouldn't lose us like this, in your life, we're not here just because we're band members, but because we love you as a person. However, I understand you and you have no idea how happy I was to have you back on stage, I love your vocals when you sing in a mixed voice - I love all the techniques you do, but there you are very powerful and rule the stage. However, you manage to express and emphasize every emotion in the song, in one part of the song you are as gentle as a snowflake, and in another you blow them all away like a tornado! I've always liked that contrast of yours." Sage: "And you do that with the guitar - sometimes it sounds soft and gentle, then you play strong riffs after which you can't put yourself together for a few seconds - I just enjoy those fierce riffs, and you also know how to keep that tone like in "Chamber" so that you keep the tension with the listeners, I like that style of playing too. The first style is cure for the soul, the second is the so-called "eargasm" and the third... It knows to create a different kind of feeling. (laughs)" Hale: "The guitar is a seductive instrument, so I know what you're talking about. And you emphasized it well with your voice, so strained and smooth, I like that your voice is so adaptable to all our instruments. For example, I like the song "Truck driver", I like the theme of the song and the style, and it was also a nice way to pay tribute to your father who was a driver. The man died in the end because he wanted to provide for his family, I'm so sorry for that." Sage: "Yes, the other reckless driver hit his truck, he struggled for months after the accident. I can only console myself with the fact that I learned a lot from my father, he lived enough to prepare me for life, even though we often had conflicts of opinion and attitudes, but I appreciated him until the last moment, and I still appreciate him to this day. Shade, for example, never had the opportunity to remember his father because a two-year-old child can't remember anything yet, and he can barely remember his mother. I will remember mine for the rest of my life, I was even with him when he passed away, but imagine what it was like for Shade at the age of five to suddenly not see his mother anymore? Grandma Ruza and grandfather Radivoje looked after both him and his brother, but that emptiness remained forever." Hale (nodding): "You're right. Because of such things, I also woke up and took care of my health, I don't want little Freddie to be without me. I've always felt devastated about Shade, he's our big kid and such a nice guy, I only wanted to strangle him on this tour. (laughs) I like his energy, he's very funny right from the start. Reddy also likes to joke, but somehow he's always elegant and careful, with him you always know what you're up to." Sage: "Yeah, and he's very caring for all of us. I really hate going to health checkups, but I'll do it because he insists." Hale: "It can't hurt, anyway. You are right, he is very caring for all of us, he has helped us many times with minor injuries on stage and off stage. Alti is a well-read and intelligent man, at first one would think that he is cynical, but in fact he is also very sensitive. The only problem you have in common is that you are both prone to depression, but maybe that keeps you even closer to each other because you know you need each other." Sage: "I appreciate your ability for various things - not only me, but all of us from the band, but I admire that you were able to finish school, to get a job, to bring yourself to a better financial situation out of complete poverty circle. Honestly, you remind me of my father from that side, just don't be stubborn like him, take care of yourself so that you can live longer for your children." Hale (smiles and nods): "Thank you for those words, it means a lot me. It was very difficult, but I knew that I had to get my family out of that situation, my father's salary barely covered all expenses and my mother was a housewife with no financial income, that's why I tried and I succeeded, I'm proud of that. Now we're doing great with the band, so we always have enough money for everything, that's why I enjoy it when we help families who don't have enough. Hey, when are we going to go to the store again like before, pick up all kind of things and take it to some poor household? It really filled my heart, that was a good idea of yours." Sage: "We can do that whenever you want, just choose a family where we can take it." Hale: "I heard there's a family with five kids over there by the train station, we can stop by and check it out when we get back to town." Sage (smiles): "Okay, I'm always up for that sort of thing."
Catherine was in the library with Diana, looking for a book for school. She noticed a book with a purple cover, pulled it out of the row and opened it. Diana: "What's that?" Catherine: "A book about human rights... You know, maybe this gave me an idea of what I'm going to enroll in after elementary school - I was looking for something where I could unite my desire for justice, the fight against discrimination and helping people, I want to do something that will make this world a more tolerant place where all groups of people can live in peace." Diana: "If you are ready to fight with all those for whom hatred is like the air they breathe and if you can withstand the pressure that such a job brings, then I support you and I will be there with you. (smiles, grabs her hands) I want to work in a company one day." Catherine: "You can! We will support each other, we will study regularly and finish high school and university, together we will succeed. (hugs her) The end of elementary school is getting closer, but you and I are staying together. (excitedly) There will be an excursion soon, we have to get ready for that too!" Diana (smiling): "Some students in the class are protesting because you and I will be in the same room, they say - no, they will be doing who knows what there! For God's sake, how many times have we slept in the same room, even the bed, does not necessarily mean that we will do something else. (blushing) We're still young for such things." Catherine: "That's right, we're not in a hurry. Now we're taking care of the graduation exam, excursion, graduation party, enrollment in high school and things like that, there will be time for the rest when we're a little older. (smile)" Diana (smile, kiss her cheek): "That's right."
Leo and Conner were sitting in their practice rooms, coming up with a beat for a new song. Lorian stopped by briefly to drop off lunch for them before she left for her business. Lorian (entering): "Hey, how's it going?" Leo: "Okay, we've finished the verse and the chorus. What did you buy us?" Lorian: "You have a burger, a pizza and a bottle of juice, if you need anything else I'll buy you." Conner (approaches her): "No, we've have enough until tonight. (gently) How are you?" Lorian (smiling slightly): "Good. You?" Conner: "As good as possible. If you need anything, I'm always here for you, you know that?" Lorian (touching him on the arm): "I know, thank you. (leaves) The same goes for you two, call if you need anything. (to Leo) See you tonight. (waves and leaves)" Conner (waves after she leaves): "Take care. (puts palm on head)" Leo (approaches him): "You love her, don't you? I'm sorry to see you like this. (pats him on the back) Why don't you try again? You've never been in a relationship officially, maybe you could be together." Conner (shaking his head): "I'm not going to open a wound from a few months ago. Let her go, maybe she'll find another person and move on, that would be the best. (Leo puts one arm around him and pats him on the shoulder again) I just want her to be happy again like before."
The band members gathered at Reydan's house, they discussed the first song for the new album and its theme. Olivia (enters the room): "Sage, can I talk to you?" Shade: "Uh, just to talk or... (laughs)" Olivia (smiles): "Something about kids, it's not what you think. (Sage stands next to her) But I don't regret what happened." Sage (smiles): "Me neither, it was great. (to Olivia) Let's go to the other room." Reydan (as they leave): "If the conversation gets heated, call so we can watch! (laughs)" Sage (laughs): "Of course, we were planning to make each other orgasm again, we are going to get ready." Olivia (smiles and takes her arm): "Yes, we'll call you when we warm up a bit. (wink)"
The two of them went into the room and closed the door. Olivia: "I was thinking about something, I don't know how good idea it is to get involved in it, but... Namely, Jana told me that she still hasn't slept with Adrian for the first time, she says that all this scares her a little and that she wants their first time to be something that will remain a pleasant memory for both of them. I was thinking of creating a nice atmosphere for them after her birthday, but I don't know if that would be too much." Sage (shrugging her shoulders): "I don't think it would be, it's possible that they plan something on that day, although such things shouldn't be planned. Alton and I didn't plan our first time, I just felt I was ready. Look, in any case it's not a bad thing to create a romantic atmosphere for them, at least they can enjoy if nothing else." Olivia: "Yes, there can be some pleasant lights, like some projector." Sage: "And soft music. Something sensual, but not too strong." Olivia: "I really want her to have a pleasant memory of that evening - namely, I remember my first time because an acquaintance molested me at the age of fifteen, I felt ashamed for many years and it was hard for me to relax in bed when I grew up, I also had bulimia for a few years after he did it to me. I had to go to treatment for bulimia, but the worst thing was that those several people I told this didn't believe me, my mother even told me that it was my own fault because I wasn't careful." Sage (in disbelief, hugs her): "Oh, God, I'm sorry you went through that. (takes her hands) How are you now, have the years healed at least something?" Olivia (breathed out): "Reydan is quite attentive to me, he was very worried when I told him about it at the beginning and he didn't want to rush thins, he was afraid of how to be with me even though I told him he didn't need to worry. However, after I saw the video for the song "Chamber" and when I saw you, who were ridiculed for being overweight, who had anorexia in at one time, who even tried to kill yourself because of low self-confidence, how you filmed your scenes completely naked, I thought that I wanted to feel that I had control over my body and that I wanted to love myself. After the assault, I felt worthless, like I'm not a person, I was disgusted with myself and I hated my body and curves, I wanted to look unattractive so that it would never happen to me again, I also wanted to look unattractive so that they would avoid me. That's why I recently felt that I finally wanted to push my boundaries, to feel comfortable in my own skin. Reydan makes me feel good and I can relax with him, but I want to go to that swinger party too, not to sleep with other men or whatever, but to feel in control of my own body even in a room full of naked people, to feel that my body is not an object that will only give pleasure to another, and that's why I don't want anyone to cause me pain anymore." Sage (cries and hugs her again): "I'm proud of you, girl, and I'm glad if that video helped you even a little bit to regain your autonomy over yourself again, I hope everything goes well at that party. As for Jana and Adrian, we will arrange everything in these three days that are left until the birthday. (wipes tears) We also have to see about the location where we will make it, it has to be a place where they are comfortable. Catherine would sleep over at Diana's place, Alton and I would go somewhere that night, so we can take care of everything at our place, they've been there many times before." Olivia (nodding): "That could work, since we have Anita and Austin here - if it was a spring break maybe we would arrange it here, but now they're both at home. We have to create a playlist, go to the flower shop and get some intoxicating scented candles. Vanilla, lavender, something like that. We can do it. (smiles, they leave the room)" Sage (nods and smiles): "It will be very sweet and romantic. Oh, we have to leave them food for the next morning!" Olivia (as they go to the living room): "Okay, that one is the last on the list, let's take care of these other things first."
The day of Jana's birthday; Alice and Shade are getting ready for the celebration. Shade (puts on his shoes): "Did you pack the present?" Alice: "It's all packed. (fixes his shirt) Do you want to put on a tie?" Shade (waving his hand): "Hell no! These few times I wore it in my life were too much for me, I can't stand bows and ties. (looks at her) You are very beautiful, you have always been beautiful to me. (kisses her) Uh, sorry, I smudged your lipstick, I'm so clumsy." Alice (smiles and kisses him again): "No problem, I'll fix it. You have a doctor's appointment tomorrow?" Shade: "Yes, I will ask him to prescribe something for my leg because it hurts from time to time, now that I'm older I have a problem with it more often. I just hope it will serve me as long as possible, I want to be mobile in my old age." Alice (nodding): "We'll get whatever helps, just to ease your pain when it gets worse. (fixes lipstick) Did you tell the others about the idea for the cover of that magazine special about the band?" Shade: "Uh, I don't know if that would be too much, although we've always shocked... Maybe we're old, I don't know..." Alice (surprised): "So what if you're older? What's wrong with it? This might be your last chance to shock like that, take advantage of it." Shade (shyly): "Not only that, but maybe we would be uncomfortable... If we were all men in the band, then it would be less awkward for us, but here we also have Sage, so I don't know... I'll tell them this other idea, that we have a photos in accordance with all those prejudices that follow us from the beginning, that we play with all those labels that have been attached to us until now." Alice: "That idea is great too, but please just make a suggestion for the first one. If they are uncomfortable, they will say. Just suggest." Shade: "Okay, I'll suggest it, but it would really be too much. (looks in the mirror) That's it, I'm ready. (fixes hair) That's better, it sticks out less, I want to look more elegant. (they leave the room) Take Jeremy too, I'll call Kiki, this time we're leaving on time. (laughter)"
The birthday party was held in the company of Jana's friends from school, while the adults sat in a quieter part of the restaurant. Adrian gave Jana a gold jewelry set with a semi-precious turquoise stone, Jana liked the gift very much and she really liked the color of the stones, which is her favorite color. After the friends went home, Olivia and Sage approached Adrian and Jana. Sage (gives Adrian the keys): "Here are your keys, go to our house." Adrian: "I'll take Jana home first, then I'll go there..." Sage: "Catherine went to Diana, Alton and I are going to one place and we won't be back until tomorrow around ten... You'll have the house to yourself." Adrian (smiles): "Really?! (gets serious) Oh, that's fine. (looks at Jana and smiles once to another) We can manage for one night." Olivia (Jana): "Do you have a lighter with you?" Jana (surprised): "We don't, neither of us are smokers. What do you need it for?"
Olivia (gives her a lighter): "You'll need it for the candles. (wink) Don't worry, you have food for the morning. So much from us, the rest is your concern. (laughter)" Jana (realizes): "Okay, mom, we'll go there. (to Adrian) Come on, let's go then." Adrian (nods his head and smiles): "Let's go." (to Sage) Thanks for letting me have the house to myself tonight, it means a lot to me." Sage: "Better than going who knows where, this way we know where you are and we don't worry. (smile) Have a good time tonight. (they wave and go to the exit)"
They went home and went inside, then headed to Adrian's room. There was a romantic atmosphere in the room with flowers, a projector with different lights and candles around, Adrian started to light one by one. An intoxicating smell spread through the room, Jana looked around in amazement." Jana: "Did you also have a part in this?" Adrian: "Honestly, I didn't even know anything about this. Looks like the moms wanted to surprise us. (takes the box with chocolates from the bed) They even left us chocolate. (laughs, takes a piece of chocolate and puts it on Jana's lips, she bites it) I like this more than alcohol, I want all my senses to be active. (kisses her)" Jana: "I also want to remember this night well. (looks around once more) They really made an effort, I feel like a princess. (smile)" Adrian: "It's very romantic and tender, I hope that I'll be like that tonight and I won't hurt you." Jana (unzipping her dress): "You can't hurt me, just do the same as before. (Adrian gently wraps his arms around her waist) We've waited long enough and really I want this." Adrian (helps her with her dress, then unbuttons his shirt): "Me too. (takes protection from pocket) This is a must, I want to have children one day, but it's still early, so I have to put this on." Jana (nodding): "Of course. One day we'll get married and have a baby, but for now we'll use protection." Adrian (comes with her to the bed): "We'll warm up slowly, I know that for girls the first time is usually painful and you have to be ready first, tell me if you don't like something." Jana (kisses him): "You are very caring and attentive, I'm sure there won't be any problems. I know you're nervous too, it's your first time as well." Adrian: "Honestly, I'm a bit nervous, but we'll relax together. (smile) Okay, feel free to say if there is any inconvenience. (continues with kissing)"
Sage and Alton used the night to walk to a place they hadn't been in a long time. Alton (holding Sage's hand): "Take it easy, the visibility is down." Sage (smiles): "I'm not afraid when I'm with you. (they reach the old graves) It's here, we were here that night. (leaves flowers on two graves and lit two small candles) Although I don't know whose graves these are, nor do I know anything about their lives, every time I see them I remember the feeling when you told me that I mean to you for the first time, that I am your music, I remember our first kiss. This is where our relationship officially began. (smile)" Alton: "I liked you before that - we connected intellectually, right at the beginning, I fell in love with your mind and personality. At the same time we connected energetically or spiritually, as you say, I liked your energy. The third connection was emotional, then I already started to worry more about you and I realized that I care about you, and finally we reached physical connection, first we would accidentally touch each other, then we would hug each other, and finally, when I confessed my feelings to you... (kisses her like the first time) That's when we were officially together." Sage (gets close to him): "Those are the four stages of connection that we as demisexuals needed to finally get to what we have now. It was worth being patient. (smile) The first thing I've noticed was your deeper voice, which immediately charmed me, and then I also saw that you were a little shy and quiet, I found that adorable. (both laugh) As for physical appearance, the first thing I noticed was the eyes, the eyeliner accentuated their light color. (moves her hand through his hair) I've always loved that hair of yours too, I like the rest too but that was the first thing I have noticed."Alton (laughs): "I've always felt insecure that I'm a little shorter than girls prefer, it seems fate wanted me to find a girl who even likes it." Sage (kisses him on the cheek): "Well of course, I'm a short girl, I don't want to carry a stool with me just so I can kiss you! (they both laugh) You're just the right size, and you're tall enough to kiss my forehead, I love it when you do that." Alton (kisses her forehead): "You mean like this? (smile)" Sage (sweetly): "Yeah, like that. It kind of calms me down, and it's very sweet." Alton (smile): "I know you like it, that's why I do it often. I already told you that I also fell in love with your eyes at the beginning, but also that adorable smile. It was hard to make you smile, but I was happy when you were happy, while my soul was torn when your condition worsened." Sage (intertwining her fingers with him): "I loved watching you play too, I still love it, I admired how easily you create beautiful melodies, how dexterous you are with your hands and how you synchronize playing with both left and right hand at the same time." Alton: "I practiced for years to be good at it, it was hard at first. (laughs, runs his hand through her hair) Oh, I forgot one more thing that I liked from the beginning... When I saw you for the first time, your hair was tied, you let it down for the first time when we had our first show ... I thought how beautiful you are with your hair down. You were sad that evening, I remember that, I wanted to somehow help you, but you seriously worried me when we had that performance at the festival. If I had known that then you tried to choke yourself with a cord and that you cut yourself, I wouldn't have let you alone that night. We haven't known each other long yet, but even then I cared about you, I realized that I had feelings for you." Sage (gets emotional): "I'll admit that back then, when you were talking about how I could be center of someone's world and how someone could love me, I thought how I would like that someone to be you. (shy) I liked you even back then, I saw that you are very caring too, but I was worried that I am not good enough for you so I didn't say anything in order not to freak you out. That's why I was disappointed and said that someone like that doesn't exist, I didn't want to give myself false hope." Alton (gets emotional and hugs her tightly): "So, we could have been together earlier? It's a shame I didn't think of saying that you could mean something to me, but I was also shy and didn't want to scare you. (smile) Well, if I hadn't finally found the courage to say how much you mean to me in this same place, who knows when we would have started a relationship." Sage (laughs): "That's the problem with us introverts, we have a hard time expressing our emotions. (looks at look him in the eyes and smiles) You have no idea how glad I am that we ended up together." Alton (smile): "Me too, Countess. (looks at the sky) It'll be dawn soon, let's get out of here before anyone sees us - given the way we're dressed, they'll think we've been performing some rituals in the cemetery. (laughter)" Sage (laughter): "You're right, Count, let's go. (waves at the graves) Rest in peace, whoever you are, and my Count and I will one day lie side by side for the rest of eternity." Alton (sigh): "Yes, as Morticia and Gomez would say... (to the graves) But, we're hopefully going to live a bit more, and then they're going to bury us. (smile) There's no dying until Catherine and Adrian find their way and start their lives." Sage (nodding): "I hope so too. (they leave) I told Adrian we wouldn't be back until about ten - where are we going to then?" Alton: "Well, I'm hungry - should we buy something at the bakery?" Sage (nods): "Okay. Honestly, I crave cheese pie, but hot, just baked. You know I avoid that because of caring about my weight, but now I really crave it. (laughs)" Alton (laughs): "Okay, we'll have a yogurt with it. We'll have breakfast together, and then we'll walk around the city, we don't have rehearsals until three in the afternoon. (wraps his arm around her waist) Don't worry about the calories, if we don't burn them by walking, we'll find some other way. (both laugh and leave the cemetery)"
Three o'clock in the afternoon; the band gathered for rehearsal. Reydan (to Sage): "Jana said you decorated the room beautifully and she's thankful, she says it eased her tension a lot." Sage (smiles): "You're welcome, it was Olivia's idea, but I I tried to help as much as I can. (To Shade) How did the exam go, what did they say about your leg? (to Hale) And you, are your results of EKG fine now?" Shade: "The results are relatively good for me, he prescribed some supplements to improve my iron defiency and immunity a little bit, but my leg is suffering from the consequences from before. He suggested that I go for physical therapy and massages if it gets worse, he said that as I get older, I'll feel the effects of bad falls more." Reydan (concerned): "Do you see why we told you to be careful and not do stunts when you were young? (exales) I hope you won't have those problems soon." Shade (nodding): "I hope so too. (to Hale) And what about you?" Hale: "The EKG is fine, I've reduced the risk of a heart attack, now I just have to maintain it. I need to clean my lungs a bit, I've been a smoker since I was sixteen, there are still consequences even though I quite reduced it in the past few months. Liver is fine, it seems I didn't overdo it with the drinks. (laughs)" Reydan (to Alton and Sage): "It's your turn tomorrow. Sage, I don't want to hear that you are uncomfortable with certain checkups, I know you are still shy about it, but you are now at an age where the risk for various health problems increases. (To Alton) You too, there's no shyness when it comes to health." Alton (nodding): "Don't worry, we'll go, even though neither she nor I can stand it." Sage (panicked): "Okay, I'll go for a mammogram, I don't have any problems with exposing my breasts anymore, but I'm not going to the gynecologist! I could hardly bear everything about the birth delivery, it was so traumatic for me that I thought about asking for a caesarean section for Catherine, luckily that at least the second birth was less stressful, I wouldn't have endured another postpartum depression." Hale: "Sage, it's no big deal, we went to the urologist to make sure everything was fine." Alton: "You don't have to if it's that stressful for you, but you better check it out. The procedure will be different than with Dr. Alton, I have a slightly different working principle. (laughs)" Sage (laughs): "If I have you and our role playing in my head, it can get really awkward in front of a male doctor... (to Reydan) Are there any female doctors out there?"
Reydan: "Don't worry, they have a female gynecologist at the clinic. I know it might be easier for you to relax with women. (laughs)" Sage (pretends to be angry): "Oh, that's so? You had to mention that again, damn it... (laughs) I'm not promising anything specifically, I'll think about it. We have until tomorrow to mentally prepare, and now let's get down to composing. (picks up microphone, Shade and Alton sit down at their instruments, Reydan and Hale pick up guitars)"
Lorian looked after her brother Freddie while he was playing in the yard. She looked at him thoughtfully, wondering if she had made the wrong decision or if it was better that way. She thought it would be better for Conner to one day start a family with the girl he loved, that she didn't want to stand in the way of his happiness, even though a part of her wanted to try with him. She had spent so many years with him and he was very dear to her, what happened on the beach that night was not just an impulsive act but she had really been fantasizing for some time what it would be like to try to be in a relationship with him. Still, after everything that had happened, she silenced that voice inside her, telling herself that there was nothing left of it because she had ruined everything by rushing the situation, that Conner wouldn't even be with her anymore after this whole incident with the unplanned pregnancy.
Jana entered the yard, taking her out of her thoughts and making her happy with her arrival. Lorian (cheerfully): "So where are you, girl?! Oh, I want you to tell me everything, did it go well?'' Jana (enthusiastically): "Oh, absolutely! (takes a look to the Freddie who played away from them, starts to speak quieter) We were at his house, everything was so romantically arranged and Adrian was very gentle, I almost didn't feel anything as far as pain was concerned. He was kissing my body slowly, I really enjoyed it. Yesterday I saw him without clothes for the first time, and so did he see me. (giggles) Oh, it's hard to believe that it actually happened, it was so tender and romantic, and I was afraid it would hurt." Lorian (smiling): "That's so adorable! Do you have that awkward feeling afterwards? The next day I had that kind of pain when I lost my virginity." Jana (nods her head): "A little bit. It will pass, I suppose, I don't pay attention to it that much, I'm still under the impression of yesterday." Lorian (smiles): "I'm really glad that everything went great, let's go inside and drink some juice. (they call Freddie and everyone goes inside) I think you will definitely remember your birthday. (wink)" Jana (smiled): "Oh, of course I will."
The next day, Sage and Alton went for check-ups. Alton stayed longer, Sage waited for him in the park, talking to her son who was keeping her company. Adrian: "I'm surprised that you parents are so liberal when it came to the day before yesterday, I thought you would say that we are too young, or that you would say that we should wait another year for Jana to turn eighteen." Sage (shrugs) : "I'm surprised that you didn't decide to do that earlier, and why would that bother us? It's normal for it to happen at that age, anything under fifteen, sixteen is too early in my opinion. I mean, each person has a different functioning - someone does it at sixteen, someone at less than that, someone at almost thirty..." Adrian (laughs): "Oh, that one was waiting for too long! Are there really people who wait until they're thirty to lose their virginity?" Sage (pouting): "Yes, son, there are. There are people who make it to forty, but also us who waited until almost thirty." Adrian (surprised): "I wonder how you never had a boyfriend or girlfriend before my dad, that's too late." Sage (shrugs her shoulders): "While my peers were getting into relationships, sleeping with someone for the first time, later even getting engaged and getting married, and some of them already had children, I lived from one suicide attempt to another, later I became emotionally numb, so everything became indifferent to me. I also missed birthdays, I missed my teenage years, I started to lose my entire youth because of this before I founded "Blue Towers", it took me out of that state over time, otherwise I would have languished until I killed myself, maybe I wouldn't have reached the thirties. Sometimes I'm afraid that I'll wake up again as a twenty-eight-year-old girl without "Blue Towers" and the band members who have become my family, without Alton, without you and Catherine, that I'll be alone again and just practice my voice for myself. Sometimes I'm afraid that this is all an illusion and that I'm actually still damn alone and that I'll never feel what it's like to have close friends, a harmonious family, a person who loves me for who I am. (puts her hand on his shoulder) That's why I want you and Catherine not to miss anything, I want you to feel alive and enjoy as many moments as possible, I want you not to feel like you've lost your youth." Adrian (wipes tears, hugs her) : "You're not alone, we're all here and I'm glad your suicide attempts didn't work. You see, even though you were late with all those things, you still reached your destination. (kisses her on the cheek) As the famous saying goes - it's never too late." Sage (touching him on the nose): "You're right. (smiles, sees Alton in the distance) Oh, there's your dad." Adrian (gets up): "Okay, I'm going now, tell me how it all went tonight. I'll be home around eight." Sage (nods her head): "Okay, take care. (he leaves, she walks towards Alton)"
Sage (after getting close): "Are you done? Why did they keep you?" Alton (exhales): "They kept me to check my liver... How did it go for you, is everything okay?" Sage: "Some minor health problems, as usual - nothing major. (concerned) What's wrong with your liver?" Alton (concerned): "What do you mean - nothing major?" Sage (nervously): My chronic problems with the respiratory system, hormones, weak immunity, digestive system, head... Nothing new. Tell me what they told you." Alton: "That's a lot of problems, so how do you say it doesn't matter?" Sage (annoyed): "For God's sake, Alton, tell me what problem you have with your liver and why they kept you for so long! (grabs her head) I'm sorry, I didn't want to shout, but I know your father died of liver cancer, so I panicked. I'm sorry." Alton (looking at her sadly): "It's okay, I'm not mad, I know you're worried. Actually... They found a small tumor, but it's nothing dangerous." Sage (turns pale): "What do you mean - it's not dangerous?" Bening tumor?" Alton: "I'll know in four days, then I'll go for a more detailed analysis. (puts his hands on her shoulders) Don't worry, I'm fine, I don't have any special symptoms, maybe it's nothing serious. (Sage is on the verge of tears ) Don't cry, I don't have cancer like my father, he also had cirrhosis from alcohol, I almost never drink and I'm not a smoker, I'm probably fine. We'll check so we will know. (smiles) Don't tell anything to children so they wouldn't get worried, at least until I go for that second check-up." Sage: "Okay, I won't tell them for now. We will take a break both with the band and with the duties, I don't want you to get tired..." Alton: "I don't want a break, I'm good, really. We won't worry the guys from the band either, I want the photoshooting to go smoothly." Sage (grabs her head): "Are you thinking about photoshooting right now? What if it's not a benign tumor, but a malignant one?" Alton (they walk to the car): "I'm telling you I feel well. Don't worry about it, I want to have fun on set." Sage (touched him in the liver area): "How can I pretend that everything is fine, when there is something here that could cost you your life? How about you check first to be sure and postpone the rest?" Alton: "Even if there was a bigger problem, it would be in an earlier stage and they would remove it with surgery, don't worry so much. Whatever it is, they will remove it because it was detected early. If it turns out to be more serious, I'll thank Reydan for initiating the doctor's appointment and possibly saving my life. (smile) Anyway, don't worry, it's nothing that can't be fixed at this stage." Sage (as they get into the car): "I'll try to calm down so we don't worry others, but I'll worry until I'm sure that you are well."
In two days they had a photoshooting in a studio; first everyone took pictures alone, then photos of the whole band, then they had a theme of their own choice and a photo shoot inspired by the video. Sage was visibly upset before the photo shoot. Alton (comes up and kisses her on the forehead): "It's very noticeable that you're in a bad mood, you really don't need to worry so much. You've been like this for two days now, we'll only know what's going on in two days, so you don't have to think about it until I get there. Try to relax as much as possible." Sage (looks into his eyes): "How? If something happens to you..." Alton: "It won't. (Hale arrives) Are you ready?" Hale: "I am, for all the photoshootings today. (notices Sage's moodiness) Something happened?" Alton: "Oh, it's just a bad day. (Sage looks at him) There's no problem." Hale (to Sage): "If this second shoot is too much for you and you don't feel comfortable, you have to say so." Sage: "Oh, no, I don't have any problem with shooting, I even like the idea of annoying those who judge us by showing them that those labels of theirs are not a problem for us, that we feel comfortable enough to stick them by ourselves just to annoy them, even though we are not like that. There's no problem with the shooting, but... (looks at Alton again)... There is some heavy feeling in general, maybe it's the changeable March weather that's bothering me." Hale (nods his head): "Oh, yes, it's too warm for this time of year, one just doesn't know what to wear. (looks at the others) Okay, we'll take a pictures then, (gently pats Sage on the shoulder) everything will be fine. (smiles, goes to them)" Alton (quietly, to Sage): "You'll see that everything will be fine in the end. Come on, imagine that everything turns out well, and you're in a bad mood in the pictures - you'll regret being worried so much for nothing. (smile) Let's have a great time, then we'll think about more difficult topics tomorrow, that topic won't go anywhere." Sage (gets closer to him, tenderly): "I'll try. You mean too much to me to completely stop thinking about it, but I'll try not to show my worry and bad mood in the photos. After all, if I didn't feel your energy, you could convince me that everything is fine, this is how I know it's not." Alton (breathed out): "I know I can't hide it from you, we both feel such energy due to developed intuition and simply we know when there's a problem. However, I want to have a good time today. Honestly, I'm also afraid of what they'll say to me the day after tomorrow, not because of me, but because I know that the children need me for another ten years, that you need me, and that's why I want to be relieved today because... Who knows what will happen from the day after tomorrow. Today I don't know and I'd rather not know, that's why I want to not think about it." Sage (nods her head): "Then I'll try to make today everything as it was before, we'll have a fun shoot that will remain as a nice memory for us and others. (smiles and kisses him) I'll do my best to keep my spirits up as long as I can."
Hale had the shooting first. His scenography was in red tones and there was fire around, they brought him things that he could break because the biggest stereotype during his career was that he was aggressive. They played the song "Let the bodies hit the floor" for him to concentrate better, and he was wearing a tank top, leather pants and a leather jacket, and he had chains with him as accessories. Shade has always been seen as someone who is not afraid to do and say controversial things, so he has been photographed in front of a wall with a bunch of swear words and his controversial statements, appearing as cheeky in the photos as some people who don't know him thought he was, showing the middle finger with one or both hands. He was wearing jeans and sneakers, no shirt on top, and the song "One step closer" by Linkin Park was playing from the speakers during his shooting. As Reydan was considered an immoral seducer, and recently received the epithet of a gay person, he took pictures with two men and two girls in more intimate poses, and even kissed one of the guys to emphasize the point of the subject of the picture. "I was made for loving you" by the group Kiss was heard from the speakers, Reydan had a better time this time than during the recording of the video. He wore what he usually liked best, a shirt, pants and shoes, but by the end of the shoot he took off his shirt and remained only in pants. Alton has always been a target of religious people, so it was logical that his scenography should be made to look like a ritual, with an increasingly dark background, candles and different symbols. They played the band Cradle of Filth and the song "From Cradle to Enslave" for him, and he was the most dressed up of them all - a black coat, black pants, heavy black boots and a black cloak, all with eyeliner on his eyes. Artificial blood was on his hands, emphasizing the dark atmosphere of his photographs. Sage also had artificial blood in her pictures, but her pictures were also more passionate; she wore a black corset and faux leather skirt (since as a vegetarian she avoided wearing fur and leather as much as possible), as well as black garter stockings and ankle boots. Her hair was up and red strands fell over her neck, where a collar with chains was placed. There was artificial blood on her right hand, which she smeared on her cleavage during the filming, eventually putting her fingers on her lips. In order to at the same time unite what people talked about the most about her, which is self-harm and her recent appearance in the music video, but also different situations before it where her passionate side came to the fore and because of which she was labeled as something she was not, she asked to get the song "Sanque" by the group Theaters Des Vampires, which at the same time sounds passionate due to the way it is performed and dark due to the subject matter, it helped her to relax. In her stage design, there were roses around the stylish armchair in which she took pictures, and the lighting and atmosphere were similar to Reydan's photos.
It was their turn to take a collective photo like they had never done before. They posed for the cover photo completely naked, holding only the covers of their vinils in their hands, while Sage's breasts were covered by her hair, so that not a single intimate part was visible in the picture. There were a lot of laughs during the shoot and it was a bit awkward for them at first, especially with Sage, but they relaxed afterwards and took some great photos; they knew that soon the time will go by and they would grow old, so they didn't care what people would say because they wanted to make pictures that they certainly wouldn't be able to do in a few years.
In the following pictures, that is, on the free theme, Hale posed with a Harley-Davidson motorcycle, Shade dressed as a pirate, while Reydan wore a royal outfit with pants and a top with gold straps, and Sage and Alton dressed as dark count and countess. In the last photos, they were dressed inspired by the video for "Chamber" and again created a more provocative set of photos. Reydan had several models around him wearing masks and leather fetish gear, while he was wearing only a mask, covering his private parts so that nothing could be seen in the pictures. Shade wore only underwear and took pictures around the pole and during the dance, while Hale was in leather pants, shirtless and holding a whip, next to him was a blindfolded extra in BDSM gear. Sage and Alton were also completely nude in their pictures; in the first picture, Sage is standing in front of Alton with her back turned, he is covering her private part with his left hand so that nothing can be seen in the picture, while his other hand is under and between her bare breasts, while her left hand is covering his private part. In the second picture, they are in an embrace, holding each other so that their private parts were not seen, while in the third they are lying next to each other, looking at the camera. In the meantime, the others changed and got dressed, they waited for the two of them, so they all went to the cafe together.
Shade (sigh): "It was an exciting shoot! All the pictures turned out great, kudos to everyone!" Hale: "Where did you get the idea to dress up as a pirate?" Shade: "Oh, I watched the movie "Pirates of the Caribbean" the other day and an idea came to my mind, I wanted to be creative. (pats Reydan on the shoulder) And him, Mr. Prince! (laughs) That uniform looks good on you, you looked very elegant." Reydan: "You think so? I just wanted to take pictures where I look elegant, I was thinking if I would look too stiff in it." Sage (shaking her head): "Oh, no, you looked like a prince from a fairy tale, you seem as romantic as you are in real life. (to Hale) You looked like a biker, they've always been our dear audience. (smile)" Hale: "I really like to talk to them when we have shows at moto rallies, a biker friend of mine lent me his harley today. You two, on the other hand, decided to take pictures according to the nicknames you gave to each other." Alton: "Yes, we also had more provocative photos at the end, I don't mind being known by whatever, as long as she's with me." (Sage and Alton smile at each other)" Reydan (noticing tears in Sage's eyes): "What did they tell you at the check-up? You haven't told us how it went, and something tells me there's a problem." Sage (nervously): "For me, only my chronic problems, with the fact that I have cured some as much as I could in the past few years. One of the new things is that the doctor told me that I'm entering the climax, I guess I won't be feminine anymore and that my time is over." Alton (smile): "You will always be the lady I love for the rest of my life, regardless of your age." Shade: "Your time has not passed - the five of us are in this band as long as we live, or at least as long as we are able to perform, we may be older but we are better at some things than when we were young, we have much more experience with everything. Buddy, our time will pass only when we die, then we will surely be gone. Until then, the number of years doesn't matter, the feeling matters, it is important to live those years that are left." Reydan (nods his head): "Don't worry about age in itself, I'm more worried about those stagnant health problems. Speaking of which, (looks at Alton) what did they tell you? Is there any medical problem?" Alton (putting his hand over his forehead): "I have to have a checkup in two days, but it's just to check, it doesn't have to mean it's serious. (Sage holds back tears) Sage, I really don't feel any discomfort, it's certainly nothing terrible." Sage: "You wanted me to control myself until the shoot was over, I granted your wish, but I can't keep pretending everything is fine." Hale (upset): "Alti, what's going on? Something serious?" Alton: "They found a tumor on my liver, it's nothing big... If I knew I was going to worry Sage so much, maybe I wouldn't have told anything." Reydan (turned pale): "Wait, you have a disease that your father passed away from? Liver cancer is one of the deadliest malignancies, Sage is right to worry about you so much!" Alton: "Yes, the survival rate is low when it's in an advanced stage, but this is an early stage. After all, I still don't even know if it's a benign or malignant tumor, that's why I'm telling you not to panic." Shade: "You go there in two days to see what it is; if it's a malignant tumor, we stop all projects until further notice and you're going to have surgery or whatever they use to remove the tumors." Alton (nods his head): "Yes, in this case, surgery could be done, I'll go if necessary, but I hope not." Sage (with teary eyes, grabs his hand): "I hope so, too, but we have to be ready for all options."
Two days later, the examination was done, and Sage and Alton went to the doctor's office for an conversation. Doctor (breathing out): "I'm sorry to have to tell you this, but the news is not good - it's a malignant tumor." (Sage and Alton turn pale and look at each other) The only positive thing is that it is in the early stage, there is a favorable chance of prolonging life if we perform liver surgery, we would remove the part of the tissue that is affected by the tumor and that would reduce the chance of the tumor coming back." Sage (concerned): "But can it still come back after the operation?" Doctor (nodding): "It happens to a certain number of patients, although it takes a few years. In any case, we have to be optimistic because, like I said, it's in the early stage and you haven't even started feeling the symptoms yet, right?" Alton: "Except for the occasional stomach and back pain, and sometimes nausea and fever, I didn't have any major symptoms. I took painkillers when I was in a bit more pain, so I didn't really notice how much it really hurts. So, do you think I have a good chance of recovery?" Doctor: "I can't guarantee anything to any patient with cancer, but I'm sure that in your case, life would be extended for at least another ten years, if the cancer doesn't come back, maybe even longer, but it also depends on other factors. If you don't go to surgery, you will hardly live more than five years, that type of tumor is one of the most difficult in the later stage because the liver cleans our organism and is directly connected to the bloodstream." Alton (nodding): "I know that. I'll go for surgery whenever the first available appointment is, I'm not going to wait." Sage (concerned): "Is he only going to live ten years after that?" Doctor: "That's an approximate number - complications may occur in those ten years, or it may not come back." Alton (to Sage): "Well see for later, let's get rid of that damn thing now, so there will be at least some chance. After all, ten years is better than five, by then the children will grow up and find their way." Sage (flinched): "That's too soon to lose you! (puts her hand on the bridge of her nose) I know we have no other option in any case." Doctor (nods his head): "Okay. On Friday you have a free appointment with a colleague who is a surgeon, get ready until then." Alton: "Okay."
Hale was sitting in the garden looking after Freddie and Jeremy who were playing together, Shade brought his younger son so he and Freddie would have company. Meryan left the house and sat next to him. Meryan: "And how is our Alti, what did they say?" Hale (holding back tears): "He has cancer in the early stages. He says he has a good chance of recovery for a long time." Meryan (shaking her head): "Oh, terrible! How did that happen, he doesn't drink or smoke, he also didn't overdose on pills like Sage did in her youth. Where did he get that from?" Hale: "It seems that the hereditary factor is involved, there is no other explanation. Life is too unpredictable - one moment everything is fine, the next day things like this happen. (exhales) I'm afraid that the moment is approaching when the "Blue Towers" will fall and break into pieces, the only question is which of the five of us will fall first. We barely managed to get Sage out at the start, it probably would have stopped then, but we can't get each other out of this. Old age, illness and ultimately death are things we don't control - even though we worry for each other and tell each other to take care, we can't get each other out of it." Meryan (puts a hand on his shoulder): "It's pointless to tell you not to worry when I know you're right, we're not old yet, but we're certainly not young either, everything is uncertain. I hope that Alti will manage to fully recover from this, that the "Blue Towers" will still stand proudly as until now." Hale (nodding): "I want that too."
Alton's operation was relatively successful, the part of the liver where the tumor was located was removed, but he had to go through some other procedures to minimize the chances of recurrence. He was kept in the hospital for half a month, Sage came every day from early morning to be with him.
Morning; Sage comes to visit. Alton (smiles when he sees her): "Good morning, Countess, how did you sleep?" Sage (kisses him): "Not so good without you. I can't wait for you to come home." Alton: "Me too. (notices the new necklace) When did you get this necklace? It's pretty. (he touches it, Sage gets nervous) This is like a medallion, does it open?" Sage (gasps): "Yeah... It's not just an ordinary necklace. Listen, I'll tell you what's the deal about it, but don't freak out, okay?" Alton (gets nervous): "Someone gave it to you as a present?" Sage: "No, I bought it myself. (opens and pulls out a pill) I keep this in it." Alton (flinched): "Cyanide?! Sage, for God's sake, what do you need it for? Are you planning to use it?!" Sage (calms him down): "No, no... Now that everything is fine I won't use it, don't worry, but I wear it around my neck just in case. After this I felt how it would look like if I lose you, that's worse than death. Your death would be my death, we leave this world together." Alton (calms down and hugs her): "I wouldn't want you to die for me no matter when that happens, but I understand. I want a pill to wear around my neck too, if you don't mind getting it for me." Sage (surprised): "I don't mind getting it, but - are you sure you even need it? You're sure that you also want to have such a strong poison with you? I'm afraid that you will be tempted and..." Alton: "Sage, which of us has tried to kill themselves with cyanide? I'm the one who should be worried about you wearing it around your neck, not the other way around. Just get me that and a medallion to wear it in, something with less detail since it would be a man's medallion, don't worry because I certainly won't use it if I don't have to. However, we have to establish the most important rule - no matter what happens, even if one of us is dead, neither you nor I will take that pill for at least the next ten years, until Catherine and Adrian find their own path and begin to lead their own independent lives. They're the most important." Sage: "Sure, (touches the necklace) we're vetoing the use of this for the next ten years, I wouldn't leave children at this age either, especially not Catherine who isn't even an adult yet. They still need us. (takes his hands) Both of us." Alton (smiles): "Don't worry, they'll still have us. I'm not going anywhere, at least not until we get them on the right track. Someday we will have to leave, but not yet. It is too early for our death."
Alton spent some time recovering after leaving the hospital and going for check-ups, and then everyone went back to work on the project. All five were happy to be working together again.
Hale (takes out a magazine from his bag): "Ta-da! (gives everyone a copy) Freshly printed, and on them... are us." Reydan: "So, they go with the new album? (Hale nods) I like them, and they're well made." Shade (looking at the pictures): "Oh, our photos are awesome! (turns the page) Oh, there's our aristocrat Reydan, (continues to scroll) our tough guy Hale, (laughs as he turns the next page) Oh, I look so funny with this! (turns to a new page) Oh, here are our love birds Count and Countess and... (whistle) You took this picture while we were in the dressing room?! (coughs) Oh - I didn't expect that. (laughs)" Reydan (intrigued): "Let me see. (turns over his magazine and blushes) Sage, I'm not going to tell you anymore that I look at you like a sister... (smiles) Just kidding, nice pictures. (wink)" Sage (opens the page with his pictures and shows it): "You're also wearing nothing but a mask, so you really fulfilled what you said when we were on tour. (laughter)" Reydan (laughter): "I was like - when we're already getting brave, then why not... (looks at their pictures again) These two pictures are more tender and intimate, but this first one is kind of... Uh.. ." Alton (laughs): "That's the last time we do that, I promise. The point is not to overdo it. (kisses her) We'll leave something for the two of us." Sage (bites her lip): "Right, from now on there's no nudity for others, but that's why when we're alone... (kiss him on the cheek) Of course, my Count should first recover completely, that's the most important thing for me." Alton (laughs again): "The doctor forbade me hard work and lifting anything that's heavy, but he didn't forbid me such activities. (kisses her neck, she sighs)" Shade: "Absolutely, Alti has to take care of himself these months, and as for the pictures - we don't mind at all. (laughs) In any case... (opens the poster where they are all together) In this poster, none of us is wearing anything." Hale (laughs): "I'm already imagining the comments - move that vinil cover out of there! (everyone laughs) At least we could have worn red thongs, I kept mine. (looks at Shade and Reydan) I'd get the same for you two.” Reydan (laughs): "No, thank you, I prefer to be naked." Shade: "Don't buy me either - I already have them in different colors. (everyone laughs again)" Alton (to Reydan): "And, did you and Olivia go to that swinger party? How did it go?" Reydan (nods his head): "We went and Olivia liked it, maybe we'll go again sometime, but she says she prefers being only with me, she likes the feeling better. I'm just glad she said how she felt that control over her body and there were no problems, it was her way of dealing with her traumas from her youth and I'm glad if it helped." Hale: "The important thing is that there was some benefit from it, you didn't go in vain. (laughs)" Reydan: "Well, it's not like I didn't do anything... (laughs) But I ended up with her. Out of all those men and women, we ended up choosing each other. It seems I'm really sick of relationships and other stuff with other women, I just want Olivia by my side. (laughs again) I mean, only if she and Sage do their thing again, that's what Alti and I agreed we don't mind." Sage (pretends to be angry): "Are you going to spend the rest of your life mentioning what happened once? Well, you know what? Olivia and I will really do it again, but this time even better, we're going to do it so passionately that you won't know what to do with the excitement, but then we're going to deny you sex at the end." Alton (laughs): "So, you're going to torture us? (to Reydan) It's still worth it. (Reydan nods) You just organize it, we keep waiting it for too long. (laugh)" Sage (takes the phone and calls Olivia): "Hey, Olivia, how are you? (pause) I'm glad to hear that. (smile) Our husbands are mocking us again, I said that we will do what we agreed if they start again. (pause, surprised) So you're sure you want to? (pause) Okay. Tomorrow evening at our place. (pause) Yes, I'll tell them to get ready too. (Alton and Reydan look at each other) All right, see you tomorrow, beautiful. (hangs up) There. Get ready, maybe we'll have a mercy and end your struggling in the end. (wink) Of course, each to her husband." Shade (in disbelief): "Is this real? Wait, you're not bluffing?" Sage (shrugs): "Nope. Ask them the day after tomorrow... I mean, if they can talk. (laughter)" Reydan (cooling off with a magazine): "Alti, is she bluffing? I don't think she's bluffing." Alton: "I know her well - she's not bluffing." Reydan (drinks a glass of water from the table): "Uh... Forget swinger parties, this is going to be even crazier!" Hale (bursts into laughter): "I stopped watching TV because of things like this - the four of you have such plots that even TV doesn't seem interesting! (to Sage) You and Olivia get that revenge for all time they mocked you so far!" Sage (smiling): "Hell yeah, we definitely will."
They finished the album within two months and then caused quite a reaction again when the album and magazine came out. At that moment, everything was as it was before, the children had finished the school year, and some had even graduated and were preparing for the highschool or college, even the band of older children released an album shortly before "Blue Towers" and achieved greater success than the previous one, while everything was relatively peaceful in the lives of all of them. Alton was grateful to Reydan for insisting that they all go for the check-up, knowing that he had most likely extended, maybe even saved his life, because who knows when he would have gone for that check-up if it hadn't been for his suggestion. They entered a peaceful period, hoping to stay that way for as long as possible.
Ten years later:
Leo and Conner are sitting in their practice room, waiting for the rest of their band. Leo: "I decided to propose to Tiffany when we get back from the tour. We've been dating for three years, I think we're definitely ready." Conner (smiles): "It's about time, I can't wait to come to your wedding. (laughs)" Leo: "When are you finally going to move on and get into a long-term relationship? Lorian might even marry the guy she's dating now, and you still don't have anyone - you've had enough of being alone." Conner: "It has nothing to do with her... I just can't find a soul mate..." Leo (nodding): "Yeah, right. If I didn't know the situation maybe you could lie to me, but this way..." Jana and Adrian (entering): "Hello guys!" Conner (joyfully): "Hey, did you manage to find a babysitter?" Adrian: "We left them with their grandparents for now, although we mustn't burden them in this condition. They insisted on spending some time with them, so we took them." Leo: "How are they right now?" Adrian (breathing out): "Honestly, it's not very good, and I don't think it's going to get better. (looks around) Lorian hasn't arrived?" Leo: "No, she's late for some reason." Conner (to Jana): "Where is dad, what is he doing?" Jana: "They're getting ready for a performance tomorrow night... I don't know why they're still burdened with performances when it's quite tiring for them. (Lorian enters visibly devastated) Lori, what happened?! Why were you crying?" Lorian (crying again): "My fiance broke up with me after an examination where they told me that I would hardly have children, he said that he wanted to have children and that I wouldn't be able to give him that." Conner (angry) : "I'll beat the hell out of him for what he did to you..." Lorian (calms him down): "Don't, he's right. It's better than pretending that a miracle will happen. (wistfully) It's better if it ends now, let him at least find a girl to have children with, than to waste time with me. I will accept the fact that no one will ever call me mother." Conner (gets upset, goes to the exit): "Excuse me, I have to go. (exits)" Jana (after him): "Where are you going? (hugs Lorian) Sit down and take it easy, we're here for you. I'm sorry about Conner, I know he's also affected by this situation." Lorian (nods her head): "I know, I don't blame him. (wipes tears) Every relationship I've had so far has failed, I'm sick of it." Leo (puts his hand on her shoulder): "If you can't give birth to a child, you will adopt it, but first it is important to put yourself together and get your life in order. Give yourself some time for things to settle down, and you will be able to think more soberly about the future." Lorian: "I have to, I'm alone again anyway." Adrian: We are here as support. (smile)" Lorian (smile): "That's right, at least I have you. All four of you mean a lot to me, I don't know what I would do without you."
Alton sat outside and watched his four-year-old granddaughter and two-and-a-half-year-old grandson play on the grass. Sage walked up to him. Sage (concerned): "When you're sitting like this in the daylight, that yellow tint of skin is even more noticeable. I don't like that at all. Did you take any painkillers today?" Alton: "I'm going to have to ask for a prescription for morphine, the other ones aren't working anymore. I barely put myself together after that sickness from yesterday." Sage: "Maybe we should cancel the show, it wouldn't be wise to bother you with that in this state... (touches the right side of his abdomen)... It got more bloated compared to last month." Alton (waves away by hand): "Don't worry, I can perform, only if you can't because of your head..." Sage: "I can, though... Last time I got really embarrassed, I forgot more than half of the lyrics of the song. I'm forgetting more and more, one day I won't even know my own name anymore." Alton: "You shouldn't be embarrassed, the fans know you have amnesia, I'm more concerned that it's suddenly getting worse. I'm afraid you're right when you say that one day you won't even know your own name, but it hurts me more that I won't be there with you." Sage (eyes full of tears): "I'm watching you wither in front of me, and I can't do anything... I'm not worried that I'll forget myself, but I'm afraid that I'll forget you. (touches his hand) I wish I could transfer your pain to myself, or at least to share it, just to make it easier for you somehow." Alton (smiles and places his palm on her face): "I know, my Countess, and I wish everything was fine and that we could still enjoy our moments together. (inhales) What were you doing in there a while ago?" Sage (smiles): "I was making pudding for the kids, this time I didn't forget the milk on the stove and it turned out all right." Alton (worried, getting up): "I'm going to check if you turned off the stove, it's been a few times where we almost got a fire, so I'd better check." Sage: "There is no smoke, no fire, it seems that I did not forget this time. (both laugh, Alton goes inside for a minute)"
Lorian came home, Meryan set the table and waited for Hale to come down from the upstairs. Meryan (concerned): "Leo told me about the situation, I'm sorry. (hugs her)" Lorian: "Don't worry, mom, it doesn't matter. Where's dad? Has Freddie come back from his afternoon class?" Meryan: "No, he's still at school. Dad is upstairs, resting, I told him to come down." Lorian (smiles): "Finally, you reached retirement and now you can rest." Meryan: "Oh, you know that the new generations are getting harder and harder to work with! I didn't have so many problems because the children respected me , but that's why some of my colleagues lost their jobs because of disagreements with children and their parents! I just hoped that I will reach that retirement so I wouldn't think about such things anymore, it wasn't all the same to me when I saw what's happening across the world and here." Lorian (nods her head): "That's right, because of such things I gave up studying to be a teacher as I had planned, it's easier for me that I'm a translator in my free time. (a message arrives on her phone) I have a message from Conner. I'll go to read, you eat. (smile) Bon appetit." Meryan (smile): "Thank you, join if you want to."
Lorian opened the message and read it quietly. "I'm sorry that I ruined your life, because of our one passionate night now you can't be happy and start a family, my soul breaks because of that. I know I have a part in it, and I love you too much to see you suffer. All these years I watched idiots who didn't know how to take care of you, I despised myself for missing my chance when I could have shown you that I was really in love with you, wish I wasn't so withdrawn and passive and that I immediately did something about it. Anyway, it's too late now, I wish you something to change and a miracle to happen, I wish you to find a person who will love and respect you and never settle for less than that, you don't deserve less. I can no longer live with the long-term guilt of what I did to you, please don't grieve for me, it's my own fault. Goodbye and take care."
Lorian got worried and immediately called Conner. Conner (calling in): "I'm sorry I didn't have the guts to tell you all that live, but I'm really sorry I got you into this trouble..." Lorian (panicked): "Where are you right now? As I understand from these messages, you want to kill yourself, don't you? Don't you dare to do it! Tell me where you are." Conner: "It doesn't matter, don't worry... Once again I'm sorry for everything." Lorian (shouting): "Tell me where you are!!!" Conner (flinched when she yelled): "Near the bridge, but don't come, please. I'll finish this, you don't have to watch it." Lorian (quickly exiting the yard and starting the car): "I'll be right there, don't jump off the bridge! Just jump off the damn bridge before I get there, I swear I will I'll jump right after you, you understand?!" Conner (panicked): "Lori, don't say such things, I don't want anything to happen to you..." Lorian: "Wait for me there. Alive. (she steps on the gas and puts the phone down on the seat)"
Conner was in the middle of the bridge, but he didn't cross the railing, he just rested his elbows on the railing and looked ahead, exhaling occasionally. Lorian ran to him, relieved to see that he was still alive. Conner (when she gets closer): "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have worried you, I bothered you to come for nothing... I hate myself for making you a problem." Lorian (looking sharply into his eyes): "Shut up."
She grabbed him by the collar of his shirt and kissed him passionately, he wrapped his arms around her waist and kissed her until they were both out of breath. Lorian (coming up for breath): "I love you too, fool. Come on, let's get off the bridge, you won't kill yourself while you have me. (takes his hand and smiles) We should have done this a long time ago, we would have spare ourselves of those who were not for us." Conner (putting one arm around her as they walked towards the end of the bridge): "All these years I loved only you, it hurt me to see you unhappy." Lorian (smiles again): "Well, then you make me happy, I won't protest. (they both laugh and get into her car)"
Reydan drove Austin to his friend, Anita to training, picked Olivia up after work and went to pick up Shade with her. Alice (welcomes them): "You have arrived! Shade will come now too." Reydan: "Just slowly, he shouldn't rush because of his leg." Olivia: "And Kiki, does he want to go with us?" Alice: "He's going. (looks behind her, quietly) I think he likes Anita, I've noticed that he's been blushing for a while now when her name is mentioned. " Olivia (joyfully): "Ah, we have to see what we're going to do with it! We are already co-grandparents-in-law with Sage and Alton since Jana and Adrian got married and had children, we can be co-parents with you too. (everyone laughs, Christopher comes)" Christopher (surprised): "What's this about? (greeting Reydan and Olivia) You're gossiping about me, aren't you?" Alice: "Oh, no! (laughter) Where is your brother?" Christopher: "There he is in the room, playing games. Since he's on vacation, that's all he knows, get him out of the house. (laughter)" Olivia: "Leave him a little longer, the holiday has just begun. At least this way you know where he is." Alice: "Yeah, you're right. Still, he'll have to work hard at school if he wants to get into a better high school, he's not very good student. Christopher outdid us all, he's excellent student." Christopher (shrugs his shoulders): "Probably because I'm interested in programming and graphic design, so it's not difficult for me. (turns around) Here comes dad."
Shade slowly made his way to them, occasionally leaning on the cane he was carrying because of a problem with his left leg. Shade (seeing them): "Where are you guys, have you arrived? (walks to the car) Thanks for the ride, Reddy, Christopher could have dropped me off at the venue where we're going to hold the concert, you didn't have to bother coming." Reydan (pats him on the shoulder): "Oh, it's a pleasure for me to come here whenever we can, we're planning to buy the house next to you so we can come when Olivia retires, if not before. I'm tired of the city and the crowds." Alice (joyfully): "Oh, we'll be neighbors! (after Christopher gets into the car) Maybe even co-parents-in-law one day, who knows. (laughter)" Reydan (laughter): "I hope so. Did you bring everything?" Shade (nods his head): "Everything's here, I'm here, we can go set up the instruments and do a rehearsal before the show." Olivia (smile): "Let's go then. (waves Alice) See you then, and soon we'll see each other more often, we'll drink morning coffee together and chat." Alice (cheerfully): "I can't wait. (waves) See you later, I'll come to the concert later when it starts. Good luck!" Reydan and Shade (smiles): "Thanks! (leave)"
Sage and Alton arrived at the hall, Hale arriving a little before them. Hale (approaches and hugs them): "You're here! (To Alton) How are you, Alti?" Alton (nodding): "Could be better, honestly. How are you, did you rest during the day yesterday?" Hale: I did. I'm more careful after that heart attack I had after our last tour two months ago... I mean, after the tour we recently had. I hope it's not the last one." Sage (patting him on the shoulder, sadly): "It looks like it will be, unfortunately. Alton's condition is getting worse, you had a heart attack, Shade is having trouble moving his left leg, I'm forgetting the lyrics, and everything else. I almost set the house on fire because I forget to turn off the stove." Hale: "In that case give up cooking, you don't have to die because of one lunch. (exhales) I know you're right, that's why it's hard for me, it seems we're starting to fall apart. (To Alton) Can you play?" Alton: "I still can, but soon I won't be able to. Maybe we should organize a farewell concert, after that we can deal with less demanding duties as long as our health allows it." Hale (sadly): "I was thinking about that, too, to complete the whole thing. We won't wait long for that, possibly a month, we will hold a concert here so that we don't have to travel anywhere else, and also so that we don't wait until your condition gets worse. (to Sage) Listen, when you forget the lyrics turn the microphone towards the audience, I'll whisper the beginning of the next verse to you since I'm standing closest to you. Ask Reddy too, he'll also remind you." Sage: "Thank you for helping me the last time too, my brain stopped working. I was so embarrassed in front of the audience." Hale (putting a hand on her shoulder): "You have nothing to be embarrassed about, you have rapidly worsening brain damage and it's worrying, if this continues you're going to lose memory very quickly." Sage (looks at Alton with teary eyes and he looks at her): "I'm worried that I'll lose something much more important in the meantime. (Alton hugs her)" Hale (wipes tears and looks towards the door): "Here's Reydan and Shade, let's get ready for the concert." Sage (nodding): "Let's go. We'll also tell them about that last concert, we have to do it as quickly as possible."
The concert was more difficult than in previous years, although the members tried to make everything as good as possible. Hale and Reydan helped Sage several times by reminding her of the lyrics so the audience didn't make a problem about it, anyway they knew Sage had head injuries from before and was starting to lose her memory, they were aware that "Blue Towers" will not hold many more concerts, especially because of Alton's condition. Shortly after that concert, they announced the date for the last concert, and then the audience officially knew that the band would no longer hold performances after that, that it would be the last chance to see them all together on stage, and maybe the last time to see them alive since their health condition was deteriorating.
Christopher came to Anita and Austin, they were playing console games together. Olivia called Austin into the kitchen. Olivia (quietly): "Go tell them to buy me... Um... (looks around)... fresh local eggs at the green market." Austin: "Mom, they can buy that at the store across the street, also Aunt Alice gave you thirty eggs the other day." Olivia (pouting): "Then tell them go to the mall for... timer for the kitchen, for baking food and the stuff." Austin (pointing to the kitchen table): "Why would you need that when you have that one since who knows when?" Olivia (picks up a meat mallet and breaks the timer with it): "You see I don't have any. This one broke by accident. (puts her hand over her lips) Oopsie." Austin (gets annoyed and leaves): "Ah, well... (while he leaves) You don't even like to cook, I don't know why you need it for! (Olivia looks at him angrily and tells him to hurry)"
Austin (comes to Christopher and Anita): "Mom sent you two to the mall to buy that thing that rings when the set time is up, the kitchen timer. She had one, but it broke... by accident." Anita (surprised): "Okay, I'm going alone, Christopher doesn't have to bother going with me." Christopher: "No, I want us to go together. It's not a problem for me. Let's go there with my car, since you just got your driving licence." Anita: "Let's go then. (To Austin) You play until we get back, we'll be quick. (To Christopher) Let's go get her what she wants."
They drove to the center. Christopher (while driving): "How's training going?" Anita (nodding): "Great. They say I'm one of the better soccer players in the group, but I'm not going to be conceited about it. (laughs) Have you finally found a girlfriend at that college, is there at least one that you like?" Christopher (blushing): "I like one, but she's not going to college yet, she's about to start it." Anita: "Oh, that's a girl of my age... Come on, tell me who she is, maybe I know her." Christopher (nervously): "Oh, it doesn't matter... There's will be nothing out of it." Anita (insists): "How do you know? What's the problem that you can't ask her out? You're ashamed, you're afraid that will reject you, what's the matter?" Christopher: "No... (stops the car and looks at her) You are that girl. (Anita opens her eyes wide) Well, you better not have asked me." Anita (puts her hand on his shoulder): "Where did that come from? When we were kids you said you didn't like me because I'm acting like a boy, even though you liked them the notes I used to leave you... (smiles) Well, when I remember how I wrote some childish things, I'm somewhat ashamed, who knows what was written there." Christopher (smiles): "I can give you to read them, I keep them in a nice box." Anita (smiling): "Really? Even though you didn't know who wrote it?" Christopher: "I was a child, I didn't even know anything... I shouldn't have said that there's no way you wrote them, after that there were no more notes. (looks at her) So it was really you? I can't believe I didn't notice you like me... I mean, that you liked me then." Anita (kisses him on the cheek): "And who says I don't like you now? You know, now I can write more beautiful love notes, the only thing I'm missing is a boyfriend to whom I'm going to write them - do you want to be that boyfriend for me?" Christopher (smiles): "Of course! I was really stupid before. (laughter)" Anita (smiles sweetly): "You didn't, we were children, but now we're adults. (looks at the clock) We're going to buy mom what she sent us to get, and then we're going for a drink, okay?" Christopher (nodding): "Okay, we have enough time for everything."
Over the weekend, the band members went to the house Reydan and Olivia had just bought to celebrate and spend some more time together. Sage took the opportunity while Alton was with Reydan and Hale to go outside, to the far side of the garden, and started to cry. Shade noticed her and came to her.
Shade (comes over and puts his hand on her shoulder): "What did the results say - it's not good, is it?" Sage: "The doctor said it got to a more severe stage, we couldn't stop the cancer from coming back, even though he went for regular check-ups after the operation... Doctor says that, at this rate of worsening symptoms, he will not live for more than a year, that he will soon be unable to function due to pain and other accompanying ailments. They do not want to expose him to chemotherapy because of his age, and they say that in at this stage it can't help either. (Shade's eyes fill with tears) I don't remember the last time I saw you cry. You broke your legs and arms, you were shot, you went through different situations, but the only time I saw you was crying was at grandma and grandpa's funeral." Shade (looks at her sadly and wipes away tears): "I cry too sometimes, I just try to appear optimistic in front of others, to maintain a good atmosphere. I cry the most at my mother's and father's graves - maybe I don't remember my mother well, and I don't remember my father at all, but I wish I had remembered them better so that I would have at least some memory of them, whatever it is. (barely holding back tears) It's hard for me when I see that Alti will be taken away by the same disease as my father, I spent more than half of my life with Alti and I'm sorry that I didn't know him even longer, I knew that one day we would have to die but I would never want it to be like this. I heard that my father also died in great agony, that's why I'm afraid of what's to come. (hugs Sage) I'd tell you to be strong, but I know how attached you are to each other and I'm afraid you won't be able to handle it either. (inhales) What did the neurologist say about your head?" Sage: "My brain cells are rapidly deteriorating, so dementia is certain for me. That's why we have to hold that last concert as soon as possible, Alton's condition will soon get even worse, and I will remember even less lyrics. He says that in my sixties I will reach the point where I can't remember almost anything, and that scares me. I will be completely dependent on others and will not be able to do even the basic needs by myself, will not have any memories nor will I be able to create new ones. However, you know what scares me the most? It scares me that I will forget the three of you, that I will forget my own children and grandchildren, even Alton who gave me life to get to this. That's why I'm not sorry to die together with him, I'll be dead anyway if I forget everything we've been through, I also won't be alive if I don't create art anymore because thanks to her I have all this. Even without that dementia, I don't want to live without him, just like he was ready to die for me." Shade: "That's what I'm afraid of, when he leaves, we'll most likely lose you too, although we'll do our best to it doesn't come to that. (grabs his head) I'd like to go back to the time when everything was much easier, I don't like this old age at all. (they stand up and walk to the others) I've imagined the old age as the time then you don't give a damn about anything, when you play with your grandchildren or visit touristic attractions, when you enjoy being with a loved one until one of you dies a peaceful, natural death, and then the other one after a while, but it turns out to be more turbulent than when we were young, and at least we had a wild career." Sage (trying to cheer up): "Yes, at least they'll remember us for that. (takes a deep breath) Okay, just give me a minute to put myself together, I don't like him to see me cry because it makes it harder for him." Shade (nods his head): "Okay, I'll calm down a bit too."
During the following week, Catherine and Adrian spoke via video call. Catherine: "Tell me, did mom hide the truth from me, how bad the situation really is? She tells me not to worry, to concentrate on work because I can't help anything anyway. Since she tends not to say things so as not to worry us, is there any need for me to come?" Adrian (breathing out): "Perhaps it would be good if you could come when you can fit the schedule, Dad's condition is getting worse and neither Mom isn't very well. I won't lie to you, I'm worried... You already know. (exhaled heavily) We have to be ready, whenever that is." Catherine (exhaled): "I know everything. Diana and I will try to come there during the month, you say that it will be worse after that, so I want to spend time with them before that. (sigh) And what's new there? How are my nephew and niece doing?" Adrian: "They are fine, you will see them when you come. Lorian and Conner started living together, even Christopher and Anita are in a relationship. Freddie and Jeremy hang out with each other, Austin got the first place in a physics competition, Leo plans a wedding within the year. Our parents are holding a farewell concert, you've already heard that." Catherine (sadly): "Yes, I'm sorry that they have to finish so early, but they have no other choice." Adrian: "How are things with you two?" Catherine: "It's good. Diana is successful in marketing, I'm doing well with human rights... We entered the process of adopting a child, since here abroad the law allows us to get married and adopt a child. If nothing else, I will go for artificial fertilization, it would have been much more difficult if I had stayed in our country." Adrian: "It's hard for me that you're so far away from us, but it's safer for you and Diana, people are less understanding here. Just take care." Catherine (nodding): "We will. Let me know if there are any changes." Adrian: I will. See you and send my greetings to Aunt Valentina. (disconnect call)"
Jana enters the room, Adrian hugs her. Adrian: "I'm sorry that I've been so tense lately, I want to pay more attention to you again like before." Jana (kisses him): "Don't worry, we'll have time for that too, life is ahead of us. I think now it's more important to be here, we have a short tour in three months and then we're not going anywhere for a while." Adrian (hugging her): "You know, a part of me admires our parents for the courage to do all those crazy things during their careers. (laughs) When I was a child I couldn't understand all that, now as an adult I understand that it was part of their art, to push their boundaries and be eccentric, unpredictable, elusive. (smile) What do you think, should our band go in that direction too?" Jana (thinking): "You do what you want, I won't take topless pictures. (both laugh) I'm kidding, I want them to be our inspiration." Adrian (kisses her passionately): "We don't really have to be completely naked, that's extreme for me too. I would agree to that only if you wanted to. (laughter)" Jana (seductively): "So, it depends on me... Um... Then I'll think about it. (laughs) Who knows what we'll come up with in the coming years, I just want us all to stay as united as our parents. (moves her hand over his cheek) We will continue where they left off, we will shake society with our words and actions. There are still many topics that need to be talked about, more voices of people that no one hears - we will be their voice." Adrian (smiles): "Our parents will be proud of us for that."
"Blue Towers" held its last concert a few weeks later in front of several thousand people, as many as could fit in the hall. All the members tried their best for the last time, putting on a very emotional concert, symbolically ending the concert with the song "Blue Towers". At the end, all the band members cried and bowed to the audience, devastated by the fact that they will never perform together again and that this is the end. The audience gave them a big ovation, they thanked everyone for all these years of support and said that they will continue to live through their songs.
Time passed and the health situation of Alton and Sage worsened, they tried to spend as much time as possible with their family and friends in the next month after the concert. For a long time they had an agreement between themselves, the time had come to fulfill what they had said to each other years before, so they wanted to leave all work done, including the writing of a will in which all property and money would be divided equally between Catherine and Adrian, renting a grave site, as well as reserving a coffin and other funeral equipment. Regardless of the morbidness of the situation, they enjoyed choosing the coffins, flowers and other equipment for their funerals, as well as choosing their tombstone. They did not mention to anyone where they were going so as not to arouse any suspicion, they wanted to finish it all themselves and burden the children as little as possible after their death. Towards the end, they even bought drinks and food, as well as other necessities that will be needed during the funeral, they took care of every detail.
The band members gathered in their now former practice room. During this month, they still spent time in it, but they didn't practice anymore, so this time they gathered to spend time together, along with their wives.
Reydan (joyfully): "Well, guys... Hale and I are so happy to tell you some great news - we're going to be grandparents! (everyone cheers) Conner and Lorian are going to have a child, this time they're going to keep it and I hope everything goes well. They were thinking about what to do with the tour, whether to cancel it or not considering all the circumstances." Sage: "I told Adrian that they shouldn't cancel it because of the two of us, that the show must go on. If Lorian's pregnancy is more risky, then it's better not to bother her to go even though it's not very far and they have several performances in the region." Hale: "No, it's not risky, but it's certainly unexpected because the doctors recently told her that it's unlikely she'll ever have children. I'm really going to start believing in miracles, because I don't know what else to call this. It's as if the universe was waiting for the two of them to get together again to have a child again, it's incredible!" Reydan (patting him on the back): "The paths of life are strange, who knows where they may lead us." Alice (concerned, looks at Sage): "Wait, why did you talk to Adrian about that? They'll come back by the expected terminal stage of Alton's disease, and your dementia won't worsen to the point of total memory loss and function for at least a few months after that... (turns pale) Knowing you two, you're planning to kill yourself before then, right?! " Shade (upset): "I understand the situation, but... No, you can't do that!" Alton (he and Sage look at each other nervously): "We were just preparing him for the inevitable, because you never know with things like this... He's a father too, he has to be strong for his children, it will be hard for him but our death shouldn't devastate him too much, now he has to think of them the same way Sage and I thought of Catherine and him." Reydan (concerned): "You're a bit suspicious to me though, I'll be keeping an eye on you for the next few days. I don't like that you persistently use the phrase "our death", it means that you are planning something, considering that even with full-on dementia, Sage would live for several more years." Sage (breathing out): "We won't speak about morbid topics now, there is time for that, we want to rejoice for the fact that there will be more babies from our children! Well, Reydan, since Christopher is with Anita, that means you're going to be co-parent-in-law with all of us. (laughs)" Olivia (laughs): "Yes, Reydan will be everyone's co-father-in-law; if we had another member of the band who has a daughter, we would give them Austin as a son-in-law and that would be it!" Hale (laughs): "I said that in our band crazy things happen all the time - if now I have to choose the craziest thing that has happened to us from the beginning until now, I really don't know what would I choose!" Alice: "Oh, you are right that it's a difficult choice! From one-night stands, fights, controversial picture on social networks, religious groups, self-harm, to morbid, brutal and shocking lyrics..." Meryan: "Well, the whole situation regarding the song "Chamber", from the lyrics and sighs in the song, to the music video and the nudity in it... And then the nudity of all of you in the magazine..." Olivia: "There were also a lot of injuries, suicide attempts, dramatic moments and stays in the hospital..." Shade: "Swinger parties, sex with the same gender, a threesome in a public place, and then there was a foursome... (laughter)" Reydan (flinched): "Oh, no, that last one doesn't count as a foursome - we didn't switch partners, the two of them did what they said, but each was with her husband afterwards. (sigh) The hell, I admit it was good." Olivia (laughs): "Well, you didn't believe it until the end." Alton (laughs): "True, we were still surprised. (looks at Sage who also laughed) That's what we get when we don't trust our ladies. But, yeah, it was great." Hale (laughs): "Well, I don't know if we forgot something, but I just know that in the end we put on a great show for the audience, that we always gave our best. (remembering) Oh, how did I forget that? We also had a wedding on stage thirty years ago!" Shade: "Oh, how beautiful it was! Then we got on stage for the first time in a long time, we were so happy to be able to perform again because we thought we were done when Sage lost her voice." Meryan (looks at the necklaces on Alton's and Sage's necks): "You've been wearing those necklaces for ten years, ever since Alton had the surgery at the beginning - do they have any special meaning?" Alice (thinking): "Yes, I noticed you always have them on your neck, what's the deal with them?" Shade (smiled): "Oh, ladies, why did you notice those necklaces of theirs now?" Meryan (shrugs): "I don't know, for some reason they caught my attention." Sage (nervous at first, but puts herself together): “Yeah, we got them after Alton's surgery. (she and Alton touch their necklaces) They are a testament to our bond for the rest of our lives. (they look at each other) We're staying together until the grave." Olivia (smiling): "Oh, that's so romantic!" Reydan (looks at them): "I don't know, something still worries me about it." Hale: "Reddy, they said they don't want those difficult topics today, let's not make them angry." Alton (smiles): "That's right, now we want to enjoy your company and good atmosphere, we want to take a break from heavy topics." Shade: "Okay, then we won't upset you. (smile)"
They spent the whole afternoon together and then they all went home.
The evening; Sage and Alton dress up in elegant black gothic outfits, style their hair and Sage puts on red lipstick and black eye shadow, then walk up to each other. Alton (looks at her): "You're beautiful again. (kisses her) Wish I was able to look at you even longer, but I guess for the rest of my life will be enough. (exhales) You don't have to die when I do, you could still be alive even with dementia." Sage: "I don't want to burden Adrian, especially since he now has his own children to look after, nor I want anyone else to bother with me; even if your situation wasn't like this I couldn't bear it. (Alton makes a painful face) Did you take morphine?" Alton: "I did, but it didn't help me much. (she hugs him) Don't worry, it won't hurt much longer. (they lay down on the bed together) Today they were suspicious that something was going to happen, we managed to convince them that everything was fine. I hate to lie to them, but maybe it's for the best." Sage (nodding): "Yeah. At least we had a great time today. (smile) First we were with Adrian, Jana and the grandkids in the morning, then we spent the afternoon with our company, after returning we had a video-call with Catherine and Diana, and now we are with each other. If it weren't for those severe pains, this would be a great day." Alton (smiling): "And it was. Actually, with you, this life was also interesting for me, we traveled a lot, made music, spent time with the children and with each other... The children found their way in life and I am proud of that, I feel like a fulfilled person." Sage (kisses him): "Me too. It's been a fulfilling life, thank you for giving me the opportunity to live, for calming me down, for supporting me, for having a lot of patience for me." Alton (smiles): "It was worth it. Thank you, too, for always being there for me, even now in this difficult period. (Sage's eyes fill with tears) Oh no, no crying - we agreed not to cry today, okay?" Sage (smiling despite the pain): "Yes. Sorry, it's stronger than me. (exhales) Well, shall we go to sleep? I don't feel like it yet, I would lie like this next to you and listen to that deep voice of yours that I always loved, but I know that the time has come." Alton (breathing out): "Yes, it seems to be the time, and I wish the situation wasn't as it is to spend my whole old age with you. Life has brought us together so much that not even death can separate us. May the universe bring us together again in the next life, my soul will be restless until I find you again. (they take the pill from each other's necklaces and bring it to their lips) Good night, Countess, I'll love you until the end of the universe. (kisses her on the forehead)" Sage (kisses him for the last time): "Good night to you too, Count, thank you for all these years in which you have blessed me with your presence. I love you too, forever. I will find you again, wherever life leaves us if we are born again on this planet, without you this life would not be worth living. Good night, sleep tight. (they both smile at each other, put the pill in their mouths and fall asleep)"
The next morning, Shade and Reydan were sitting on the patio drinking coffee. Reydan's phone rang, so he answered. Raydan (looks at who's calling): "Hey, Hale, where are you? (pause) You're a bit upset, what's that noise behind you? (pause, Reydan turns pale) No... (the phone falls out of his hand and falls to the ground) Impossible! (crying) Oh, God, this can't be happening!" Shade (concerned): "Reddy, what's going on?!" Reydan (looks at him, sobbing): " "Blue Towers" has officially fallen, shattered into pieces. We lost them, Shade. It's over." Shade (in disbelief): "What do you mean - both of them? They killed themselves? (crying) You were right, we should have listened when you and Alice said..." Reydan (hugs him) : "Let go, maybe they are better off like this, they left together. (wipes tears) Wait until I put myself together, we'll go there, after all, they were like family to us. May they rest in peace." Shade (eyes full of tears): "Let's go, we should join Hale. (exhales) I can't believe this is really happening, I expected we will be left without them or that they would be left without us at some point, but I didn't believe it would hurt this much... I feel like someone ripped my heart out my chest." Reydan (nodding): "I know, I feel the same way. Come on, I'll take us there slowly, Hale needs us in this difficult time, we need him as well. I'm going to miss Sage and Alton, it breaks my heart that it ended this way for the two of them. I hope the universe brings them back together, wherever they are."
We artists live through our works, through them we feel all those emotions that we put on paper. We know that the real world is around us, but somehow we always choose that inner world of ours, so that we could bear our everyday life more easily; sometimes we remember something funny that only we know about, so a smile appears on our face and people think it's because of who knows what, sometimes tears appear in our eyes as we imagine all those sad and difficult scenarios. I don't know how many people around me would understand that, how art can affect me so much that it dictates how I will feel, but I know that it makes me alive. I know that my band will never exist, I know that I will most likely never find a person like Alton with whom I will have such an unbreakable connection, that in real life I will probably never feel what it's like to love someone to death and feel that unbridled passion for someone I trust completely, I will most likely remain completely alone until my death as I have been all these years. All those people will be in their world, and I will be eternally stuck between my exciting world and this real one that seems so cruel, selfish, frightening. A pen and blank paper, my two best friends all these years, will remind me again that I am a living being with emotions, will give me that sense of connection that I have longed for since childhood. I know that somewhere in this world there is that lonely Alton who, with headphones in his ears from which is playing metal music, yearns for that connection, but who will spend his life as lonely as I am, never getting the chance to feel all those emotions in reality, never knowing how much he could mean to someone. Admittedly, I will never know that either, that's why I want to feel all those emotions through my art. And so, Alton, I'll probably never meet you, especially since I'm a damn idealist and an extremely insecure person, even if I saw you on the street I'd admire you, but I'd never say anything because I never talk to people first and always avoid looking at them even when someone is interesting to me; I don't want them to think I'm judging them because I'm very open-minded, nor do I want to seem annoying or offensive, I always think that I'm not worthy of anyone liking me even as a friend, let alone for something more intimate than that. In those moments of my solitude, I imagine that you are there, although I have never said it until now; in moments when the sensations of the real world are too much i like to be alone, but in other moments i feel so damn lonely and I crave that gentle kiss on the forehead that is like the softest melody on the piano, I crave to put my head on your torso and stay so for a while. Maybe there would be that different life for you and me, but we both built a wall to stop being hurt, we built towers to protect ourselves, but we got trapped inside, completely alone. Two blue towers standing far apart, inside which are the Count and the Countess who will never meet, two odd ones in this emotionless, chaotic world. If you ever wander into my world and want to stay longer, feel free to make yourself at home. Even if my mortal life is over, I will live on in all my works because, you know how I say it at the end - art is eternal.
The end
May 25, 2024, 7:45 a.m
Typing completed on 6/6/2024
Suzana Ristić Suza
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