Theathre of Strings Chapter 2 - Long Beach

- Uh… What a night huh? - Kisa woke up with one of the strongest hangovers she ever had, and Mizuki was still sleeping, with her head lying on Kisa’s chest. Kisa looks to her and sighs, going back to sleep for some more hours.

Was already high noon, everybody was gathered on their usual point, but this time, the café was closed, our protagonists were alone in there, all of them except Koyuki and Mizuki. The curtains were closed, the place was pretty dark. Myra, who seemed to be feeling renewed, was drinking a milk tea, different of her state on the last night. However, Michael, Kisa and Alexandra were all with a strong hangover.

Kisa, who was resting her head on the table, stood up, putting both hands on the table then opening her mouth to say something, but, when she was going to say the first word… - Alexa and I had sex with Mitch last night. - Myra commented with the tea glass in front of her mouth in a way she could avoid some eyelookings.

- YOU WHAT? - Kisa said - HOLD ON IN THERE I THOUGHT MICHAEL WAS GAY, REALLY - Kisa yelled surprised with what her wife just said. Disliking her reaction, the wolf slapped the back of the hybrid’s neck, while looking calm and drinking the tea.

- Shut the fuck up and sit down, some people are having a damn headache here - Myra said.

- Holy shit, Kisa, we used to live together for two years and I already said and everyone here knows, I’m bi… I like both boys and girls… And I guess I’m in love with someone here… - Michael commented pointing to the cheetah with his eyes.

- You are in love with ale… - She was slapped again before she could finish the phrase. - Shhhhh That’s a secret. -

- Hm… I-I-I had sex with Mizuki last night… But what I really want to say is… I-i-i-i… - Kisa tried to go straight to the point but since she got too nervous to say, her wife did for her.

- Ok, since my honey is really slow to say the things and can’t because the language barrier and stuff… Yeah, I’m still teaching her, she’s from Sweden.  What my sweetheart is trying to say is: She wanna start a rock band, and we thought you two could help us. I’ll be the vocal, she will be the lead guitar. Mizuki will be on the synthesizer, what about you two? Any interest in joining? Oh… Right we already had this conversation about the band some weeks ago...-

- Yeah, Alexa will be on the drums and I will do the bass stuff - Michael said.

The day was pretty long, they chatted all day long about life and such trivial things.

Was already late at night, everyone was on their own home, except Myra. Kisa, who was a lot worried, was on her bed, with a lot of paper sheets around her, and with the guitar on her lap. She was trying to force herself to be creative, she had only one week before their first jam.

- ARRRGH HOLY CRAP! WHY IS SO HARD TO WRITE SONGS? - She shouted, alone and frustrated throwing her back on the bed.

- Maybe was the coffee… I can’t even stand still… Feeling like if my heart is pumping hard and I’m trembling inside but… hmm… Maybe… - Kisa sit again and grabbed her guitar. - Don’t know if people will like it, but… What about an intro on B minor? Would be pretty interesting, Mizuki could start the intro on the pentatonic of the Bm chord, more like something of a thriller movie intro, the synth tuned to pipe organ, and the guitar with mid gain and low treble… Yeah that would be nice, now… Back to the lyrics. - What about if I tell a story about someone? People might like it. Let’s try…

- “The girl who enjoyed herself with pornography and guitar magazines all night  long.
She’s taken a job in a country on the other side of the ocean.
The pain of losing your mother and being discarded by everyone, even by your brother… Do you still remember it?” -

- Perfect! Now what about… - She strummed her guitar. - Maybe an intro with some clean and soft chords followed by a distortion arpeggio with vibrato... - Without letting her notice, Myra sat behind her, resting her head on the opposite shoulder of Kisa, unbuttoning her shirt and grabbing her left breast. - I bought some little things for us, dear… - With a suggestive whisper she said on Kisa’s right ear.

- Not now. I am busy and our first session is next week, now give me my coffee bottle, AND LEAVE ME FUCKING ALONE - The hybrid shouted.

- I know… To be honest… I really don’t care so much… And you promised me we would have sex tonight, don’t you remember?~ - Kisa moaned as the wolf kept playing with her nipple, making her mood fastly change.

- GET OUT! I DON’T WANNA TO DO IT NOW OK? IT’S NOT YOUR BUSINESS, LET ME WRITE ALONE AND PLEASE LEAVE ME ONLY FOR THIS NIGHT… I’m… I’m sorry… - Kisa started to silently cry, sobbing a bit, then Myra noticed the 2 Litres coffee bottle on the ground, near the bed. She picked the bottle and noticed it was half-empty.

- Honey… Don’t tell me you drunk all of this at once… I know your routine is something very stressful but you need to give up on this addiction, there’s really no need to put it all on coffee… Look at you, you are volatile and trembling… Well, you must not have ate anything since this morning… C’mon, I’ll take you to eat something, it’s still 10PM, but I’m pretty sure there’s a place open somewhere… - Myra got out of the bed, reaching for her leather jacket and changing her tight jeans to some more comfortable one. She took the car keys and grabbed Kisa by the arm, making a “do not even try” expression and going to the car.

The two found a Pizzeria, was Myra suggestion, because she knew Kisa didn’t like all those expensive restaurants, she knew Kisa would feel bad and dislocated in there. The two arrived, sat, and ordered the pizza, the two ate two slices each and Kisa pulled the paper out of her bra.

- Myra… I know you don’t like when I take job to our dates, but… This is one of the lyrics I c-c-c-composed… C-Can you take a look if… - Kisa gave the paper to her wife.

- There’s actually no problem dear, everything for my beloved one… Has been a long time since the last time I sang, and well, we had a lot of adventures here in the US when we arrived, right? We were homeless, do you remember? And you didn’t even know how to speak english  very well… I was also running away of my parents… I wanted to do everything by myself… We learned what the real world is… And was our first time as a couple… Well, anyway… Let me read this. - Myra grabbed the paper with a tender expression and a nostalgic smile on her face.

- Uh… Kisa… this thing… forget it, this thing is just trash. I have better ideas, tell you when we get back home - Myra put the paper on her bag.

- Rly? -

- Isn't my fault if you are bad with lyric writing, goddamn that shit was cringey -

- Fuck u -

- Nah, it is better if you fuck me. Now forget about that stuff and relax a bit, I would ask what are you plans for the band stuff but that's not important now. So… we have been together for a very long time and our anniversary is pretty soon, what do you think about inviting our friends to drink at home or something? Or… don't tell me you forget, did you?

- To be very honest… Yes. I forgot our wedding, mind if I ask… -

- It is tomorrow. -

- WHAT? -

- Our wedding anniversary, it is tomorrow. Knowing you forgot it disappoints me, but knowing how you are, it doesn’t makes me surprised. Anyway, I have plans for tomorrow, I hope you will like it. -

Kisa hides herself on her coat. - Well, we’ll know tomorrow then… And what about the band? what are your plans for it, Myra? -

- Ah… Depends on the kind of melody you are making, but I guess I would feel more comfortable with dark or horny stuff, maybe some hard-rock or maybe something indie-like, just not too depressive stuff, I just want something that makes me want to run while spilling some strong words. -

- Alright then, so let’s see how things goes… I’ll see what I can do. -

The day after, another hangover. The sunlight reaching the bedroom, cutting sharp through the curtains, Myra was smelling like alcohol, and so does Kisa. The telephone rings, Myra gets out of the bed and goes downstairs to answer the call. She takes the phone out of the hook and opens the fridge to get some milk, looking for the pot with chocolate.

- Oh, hello, yes, it is Myra, who’s in there? Ah, Alexa, everything is ready for tonight? Yes, right, right, nice. Alright, see you in there. - She said as she took the cup with milk out of the microwave and made some hot cocoa for herself as she goes back upstairs with some migraine pills, she then wakes up Kisa. - Get the pills then get in the car, it is almost 12 AM and we have an appointment, we can’t let them waiting -.

- Let who waiting? - Kisa mumbled

- None of your business, just get up. -

On the car, after some time…

- Alright, what’s going on and what you are planning? - The drowsy Kisa said.

- You’ll see, we are almost arriving. -

- Hey isn’t this place the Long Beach circuit? -

- Yes it is, Michael and the crew are waiting for us, there will be a F1 exhibition in a few minutes. - The wolf said while parking the car, and Myra took Kisa by the arm through a different path, giving her some “visitor” badge.

- Wait, where are you taking me? What this thing is, ohhh… wait, why this thing has the Rena… - Before Kisa could finish talking, she arrives at one of the boxes, with a black and long car in the middle, people running from one side to another, there are still some hours before the cars go to the grid, Michael, Alexa and the siblings, Mizuki and Koyuki are talking with someone in a racing suit, a german shepherd. The group notices the two who just arrived and waves, before the hybrid could put the engine on her brain to work on this confusing situation

- Here, Myra! Look who’s also here!!! - Mizuki yelled.

- It is Nico! It is really Nico! - Alexandra finished.

Myra then stares at Kisa. - Nico Hülkenberg. He is Michael’s… Well, he has a cousin… And that said cousin has a step-brother, and that step-brother is… Well, nevermind, you already must have got it. -

Myra gets close to the group.

- Thank you for this, Mitch, is very rare for them to let strangers like us to enter on such places like this one. Thank you very much too, Nico, is an honor to meet you. -

- My pleasure! - The Shepherd answered. - But tell me, what do you guys know about F1? What F1 is for you all? -

- Well, usually I hear that F1 is not about arriving at first place, but actually about improving and showing performance, the best F1 drivers are not the fastest, but the ones which take care of themselves and their gear, the best F1 drivers are the most careful ones - Said Mizuki.

- Yeup. You are right, because it is not only the car that is in game, but also your life, Formula 1 is dangerous. And there’s nothing we can do to make it safer. If there is speed, there will be danger. - Nico answered back. - So, who wants to take a look at the car? -.

Myra pushed the confused hybrid to the front of the shepherd. - She, she wants to get into the car. -

- Me? Why me? Really? I don’t know anything about what’s going on. - The hybrid said, blushing -

- Just. get. into. the. car. - The wolf said, while trying to force the hybrid inside of it.

- Alright, little one, since you are already in the car, lemme explain some of the basic stuff - He said, while crouching. And pointing to the weird steering wheel buttons. - Do you see this thing? I mean, this display on this weird steering wheel. This is where our speed meter is. It doesn’t only shows the speed, but also shows the temperature of each tyre and the revs, when attached to the car, all the needed information can be found. Now, hold it, go on, you don’t need to feel ashamed. Ah, and this weird thing above the cockpit, we call it “halo”, believe me, it saved many lives as you can’t count. -

Kisa puts her hands on it, she feels different, a thrilling sensation better than the one she felt on the streets before some disasters happened, her PTSD wasn’t triggered this time, she got hooked on a kind of trance, at the point she could barely hear what the people around her were saying. It was a magical feeling, she felt like if that was her place.

- Kisa? Kisa? Kisa? - A voice echoes on her mind. - Kisa? GODDAMMIT KISA! - Was Myra. - Are you at least understanding what the heck he is saying? -

- They are always like this, Michael? - Nico whispered.
- Not always, only when she gets really hooked on something, believe me, we used to live together for two years... -

- Well, since she got into that stuff then… Can you remember to give her this thing? - Said Nico while giving a Renault RS28 steering wheel to Michael

Alright! Thank you very much Nico! now we kinda need to go! the race is about to start, isn’t? - Said Michael, pulling Kisa from the car in the direction of one of the pit tables and being followed by the rest of the crew.

Someone from the Renault team walks on Nico’s direction.

“Alright Nico, the formation lap is about to start, better we start doing the formation lap”

The shepherd sighed. - Well, here we go. -

The group watched from a bench, with some screens showing the POV driver’s cam. The pit lane was very busy, people yelling from a side to another, during the race, an uneasy air. Nico was at the 12th place, ten laps from the final lap. At the final lap, he was at 5th. The race was already decided, there was no way he could climb up to 3rd. Was a beautiful race, but was already late at night, and since it has been a long time since the last F1 race at Long Beach, the traffic were going to be a nightmare.

As the duo were getting ready to go home, Michael shows, with a heavy gift bag, giving it to Myra, who were hugging the almost-sleeping hybrid.

- Give it to her when she gets totally awake again, - He said.

- Oh, right. Sure I will, and… Thanks again for it, Michael. -

- My pleasure! But, you two aren’t going to stay for dinner? Nico invited us to a kind of expensive restaurant on Long Beach -

- I am sorry, Michael, but… Kisa is tired and… It is out of the world we live in, you know, I mean… We are out of this rich world, it is not our place, since we don’t get lots of green… -

- Well, Mizuki and Koyuki aren’t rich too, actually, they are kinda… You know, they are just like you two… Are you sure you two aren’t going with us? -

- Sorry Michael… But… We just want to spend some time together, since… You know, it is our wedding anniversary… Thank you very much for the invite, and if possible, tell Nico how grateful I am for allowing us to come here on this special day. Also is almost midnight, we might get going. - The wolf answered, covering her wife on her big leather jacket - Ah, and her lyrics are terrible, don’t worry, I’ll come with some new lyrics next week, see you in the studio. - 

As foretold, the traffic was slow, too many people going back their homes, and it has started to rain again, Myra closed the windows and turned on the AC, pushing the hybrid to her arms as she waited for the traffic light to go green, the traffic was so slow that a 30 minutes travel has already turned into a 1 and a half hour travel, and they were still in the half of the way back home.

- What a day, Kisa… It has been a long time since I didn’t saw you that way… I mean, by touching a car without getting hysterical, I know I acted pretty rude but, I am happy to see you that way… About the band, I’ve already thought on some interesting lyrics, some crowd pleaser songs are nice and maybe can help us to pave our path, I know it is not your actual dream… Actually I know you have absolutely no dream at the moment that make your heart burn, this is actually what I want, but I won’t be able to make it without you, you know… When you come to me with that idea, I got really excited, I felt like it could finally be our time to shine, to get out of this mess… You look so beautiful when you are sleeping… Sometimes I feel like I do not deserve you... - She said while fondling Kisa’s hair. It was a long night until they could arrive back at home, the car’s clock was displaying 3am.

Almost a week has passed already, was finally friday again, and the group gathered on some small studio, Myra were with the lyrics on her hands, and each of the members were making sure their instruments were correctly tuned. Kisa started to play a very simple riff, a power chord on the 5th and 7th fret of the A and D strings, played twice and going up to the 7th and 9th frets, finishing with G and D strings loosely ringing, and repeating. She started to be followed by Michael with the bass and then Alexandra started giving a track with strong beats. Myra started singing.

- Never you would forgive me again.
You erased me from the eternity!
All because I was dragged into such intense pleasure
There won’t be peaceful times anymore, those are the colors of my sin, right on the show time -

The bridge of the song is marked by the bass legato followed by an octaved lick.

- Being pity or love, it can’t reach you. This is my shameless self, fading now in blue.
Panicking, worrying, understanding, explaining, going my way!
My heart is pumping beyond reason!
Burn it! Freeze it! And with your own hands, put into your way!
My chest is hurting, a compensate feeling.
Unshakable Soul.
Follow me! -

After the main verse, the guitar solo, on the Em scale, starting at the 12th fret of the ‘e’ string. And then being followed by the main verse again, twice, then finishing.

- Alright, that one was pretty good - Said Alexandra. - Blue Morning now, right? What about the other 5 songs we practiced? -

- The other songs we practiced are supposed to be stage stuff only, Alexa - Mizuki answered. -

- She’s right - Myra commented. - I made the songs to be for stage only, and we collect them into an album later, with ‘Panicking’ and ‘Blue Morning’ included.

- Alright then, I wanted to play more but I see no problem - Michael said while Kisa was eating some noodles she brought from home, giving her enough time to finish them, and then starting to play.

Alexandra was the one who did the countdown, hitting the drumsticks on each other, then Kisa, with a jazz tone on her guitar, started. C9(7), C minor 7(9), F chord was the progression, being followed by some sweet harmonics on the piano and a groovy, slow bass track.

- The slow sun rises again, and the phone doesn’t ring.
Waking up in front of the TV.
I take off my clothes. A chill.
Getting ready to get out, the news. -

Kisa does Harmonic Pinching on the 7th from G string to ‘e’ String and then from the ‘e’ string to the G string on the 12th fret

- On the cafe reading a magazine.
I turn the pages slowly.
One way or another, my tea tastes bitter.
Forgetting the umbrella.
Going back home.
The bus starts to move, the rain falls.
I’m tired of this same scenario everyday.

Ah, blue morning, until when it will keep going?
Getting drenched wet is amazing,
Worrying about what people think about me
Thank god the phone rings… -

A slow solo on the acoustic steel guitar Myra was playing closes the song.

Two days later…

- Buy our singles! Help us to grow! We are a new band! Hope you guys like our songs! - Mizuki and Alexandra were on the streets, with a box full of cards with some serial codes and a JBL speaker.

- Alexa… Let’s just go home, it is pretty hot around here… -

- You’re right… Let’s just go back to the cafe, the sun is harsh today… -

As the two were getting ready to go away, someone shows an a blue cadillac, a female blonde beagle, covered into brown fur, wearing Ray Ban aviator sunglasses, who stops the car in front of the two.

- New band, huh? - The person says.

- Uhhh… Yeah, wanna get a single? -

- I’ll get the entire box. - The beagle then gave $300 and took the box from their hands, giving them a visit card next, and going away.

- Uhhhh… Alexa, isn’t weird that it happened on a crossroad? -

- Yeah, sis… It is hella… Weird, guess we’ve just met satan. What the card says? -

- It says ‘Yellow Submarine Studio’.

- Neat. The guys will like this.

The day after...

- Wait, you guys sold everything? - Myra said, impressed

- Yeah, and I guess we met satan too, she even gave us this card - The cat said while handing Myra the visit card.

- Oh wow, we are lucky then, I’ll be calling them asap.