Erich considered Ada's words about Gretchen. There were certainly worse people for her to spend time with. Gretchen in a round about way was part of the reason Erich was even here with Ada. She really wanted Ada and Marlena back in the group. "Maybe so. The woman is really one of those people that bring the best out of people. Erica has definitely changed for the better. Even Karoliena likes her. Even after her convincing me to at least speak to you...possibly even more so." Erich says looking down at the floor. He really didn't handle the initial contact with Ada very well. He still felt rather bad about it...but what else are ex husbands supposed to be,other than assholes? Erich shakes his head at Ada taking most of the blame for the marriage failing. "You did everything in your power. We both did. We made it last longer than anyone probably thought that it would. I...tried to change and it lead to resentment. If you left for a cult,or didn't. I think it would have ended the same." Erich says,looking over to Ada. He'd thought about this a lot and in varous states of being. He could never be the husband Ada had wanted. Erich handed Ada her sprite and took one for himself before sitting back down." You're welcome." He says as he thinks back to what was a lifetime ago on the duke. It had been some of the happiest moments of his life. This was indeed a bad idea. In a half hour or so,this question could bring that exact day back with a vengeance...only with far more melting of the surroundings. He sits in the chair and leans his head back ,so He is now looking at the ceiling. "Yeah.." He replies simply. Oh this was a bad,bad idea. " life was simple then,huh?"

"Ah,Nicole." Erich lights up with laughter. She was a someone he never thought he'd hear about again. Erich picks up the pillow from behind him and spins it in his hands. Maybe it came from a long time as an entertainer, but he didn't like having unoccupied hands. "The one person whom Gretchen probably dislikes. I wonder if Nicole's kids have killed and eaten her yet?" He continues with delighted laughter. If there was any one in Erich's sphere of people he knew: Nicole was the one to probably be killed and eaten. " well...i don't blame you too much for wanting me to change. There was a lot riding on my shoulders. Erich sighs,looking to Ada very briefly. He desperately wanted this converation to be over. He didn't really do the real life thing so well. Being with Ada had many moments of him having to be the responsible one. Ada mentioning the good times,however, did brjng a smile to Erich's face. He had loved her so much before. Even during some of the worst of it, he still loved her. In a way,he did right now as well. But, it was a different sort of love. " i still do give you a thought whenever i put Tom on." He smiles up at Ada,they had had many a dance on the Duke. He also vividly remembered the way they had spent the day the world was supposed to end in 2012. He nearly mentioned it, but the mile high club isn't the sort of thing one should being up with their ex. Still,it was a a funny story to Erich.

"Well, they still have a few years before they are adults,so there is still time for that cannibalism." Erich quips back to ada. He barely ever remembered speaking to nicole. But she did seem to have done Erica wrong,so child cannibalism should be her fate. When he sees ada seemed to have something to say but stopped,Erich frowned slightly and shifted in his chair. " Maybe you should say whatever is on your mind. Who knows if we'll ever be alone like this again. " he suggests. This could be very true as maybe this was just a one off meeting for them and may be it helped Ada. " no Tom Jones? You poor,deprived child. It's a crime to have ruined tom Jones for you." Erich said,suddenly rather embarrassed that he hadn't left the Welsh singer sacred in Ada's absence. If it wasn't basically groping a corpse,erich was really in the mood to hear some tom Jones now.

Erich smiled warmly at the mention of their daughter. The child was easy to just completely adore. Maybe this is what a parental bond is supposed to be like? " I'm guessing tomorrow would be as good a time as any,right? We'll just leave from here and pick her up and go go go. We'll also get coins for those games. " erich tells Ada excitedly. He wanted to make some sort of impact on Marlena before he took up with Savannah haim on her tour. He had visions of taking Marlena to check out cars he was thinking of purchasing,be around and see him play music in person, find some animals to pet,etc etc. Erich leaned back in his chair again and brought his bare feet up to the small table between them. It had been a few hours with Marlena,he couldn't say if she would ever feel like a burden. And if anything in this new reconnection with Ada,he wanted to be honest with her. "Ada. We agreed to make a life. Im a degenerate and all, but i can't see being a bastard and feeling burdened by Marlena...but, I am what i am. I'll never be around 100%. I gotta travel, i gotta get those gigs done. I...dont know if that's the life you want her introduced to. " Erich says surprisingly lucid. He was a guest in this dance. Ada was there with Marlena when it counted, in the end this was her choice to make for Marlena. He'd gladly have them meet randomly on the road, but Ada knew what the road entailed. Erich considered Ada's question. Yes,Tom was just music,but it meant a little more. Maybe the mescaline was taking its effect, but he saw meaning in letting Tom Jones play. Ada seemed together. At least as well as she'd ever been with him. Maybe slightly more nervous than before but, this was a kind of nerve wracking time. " i think it's time you hear him again. Careful though; just listening to tom Jones can impregnate women.." Erich laughs with a smirk. It was well known that tom Jones was to being sexy as Chuck Norris was to being tough.

"That could work." Erich agrees to the meeting of Ada and Marlena at close shows and whenever he was in town. It worked for Karoliena and her wife and kids. Ada probably doesn't care for Karoliena, but her kids are well adjusted with one mom being on the road a lot. " backstage has changed a bit since kids have come into the picture. Just give us a heads up before arriving so the heavy stuff can be put away. " Erich explains to maybe calm any worries Ada has about the more child unfriendly aspects of backstage. Erich does stop playing with the small pillow as Ada speaks and a smile grows on his face before lightly tossing the pillow towards Ada. " I KNEW you couldn't just retire like that! " he accuses playfully. He was delighted to hear the thought had ran through her head. He was very excited to see how Ada would do. A lot had happened in her life. How would her music change? When tom comes on and Ada gets up and starts to dance. Erich could feel the breeze that would blow on the deck of the Duke. He could smell the salt air. " oh,i dunno miss Ada. Ill wiggle next to you. I don't know if it's a dance." He slightly protests while He is already starting to get up. He does wiggle. But swings his arms like tom Jones. Yeah. This was a bad idea. This was venturing closer to the territory of being hard to explain if selene walked in.

" not a whole lot. At least outside of European shows. It's just too hard for Cassie to corral 4 kids." Erich laughs nervously. He knew why Ada was asking. It was inevitable. There would be a meeting of karoliena and Ada. He sighed, already pre tired for an event that hadn't happened yet. "Karoliena will never be rude or cruel to you if children are present. She takes her parenting role deadly serious." Erich explains to Ada,leaning closer towards her in hopes of transferring his knowledge of karoliena to her. " besides, we tour with the harlots and Gretchen works their merch booth. We've never seen Gretchen mad,but we're thinking it'd be like a god damned geyser of fury. She's got your back." Erich chuckles. He didn't want Ada being scared to come visit at shows. He loved Ada's little squeal, it was so genuine. " im still holding you to that britto burning. I don't care if you aren't working at museum when it happens." Erich grins at Ada,the now looking to perform Ada,that is. "Good god.yes. i hate writing. We've been coasting off past successes for so long, i feel like an atomic war bride tribute band." Erich laughs in artistic solidarity in the face of songs being difficult to write. Erich nearly doubled over in laughter at being complimented on his wiggle. " baby, this is all jam,because jelly doesnt shake like this." He replies. Not knowing if the phrase works for describing men,but he was going to try. "You..um...still have it." Erich compliments nervously when Ada's dancing is definitely Tom Jones approved. Maybe erich was just a lustful person,but if there was a line, it was getting closer.

Erich laughs with the vision of Ada sitting at a merch booth at a show her ex husband was playing. " oh Lord,Ada. Don't sit at the booth! You'll be on one of those websites: remember Ada von wannemaker? You wont believe where she's at now!" Erich loved those sites. He'd been declared dead 5 times by them. Maybe they knew something he didn't. Erich runs his hands through his hair at Ada's prospective return. It was solid reasoning and all. " Maybe...maybe see about getting on the tour with Savannah? She's a sweetie and would probably love to have you. I wouldn't even worry about having old material. People love hearing the classics. Hell,I could play the same set i we did in 2013,people would love it. Old songs are comfortable. People already know the words." Erich suggests,ready to book Ada on the spot. He always had confidence in her work and thought the world needed to see her again. Erich was in the public light for all these years when Ada was not. Knowing her story, or at least an outline of it,he wanted to see her redeemed in the public eye. She wasn't some monster or harlot (The non punk rock band type). When Ada speaks in a tone erich had heard many times before,he knew what was up. All the fractals and warbling sound effects around him couldn't overpower what he read in Ada's voice. This was a problem. If he flat out called Ada on it,she would probably be rather embarrassed. If he went along with it....he was actually paranoid enough to assume Ada would use the infidelity against him. So,he decided to try and change the subject " umm..you getting anything off this stuff? I wonder if it's stale?" He asks Ada,now looking at her face and nothing else.

"They certainly would. I have bitter fans." Erich says flatly but with a smile. If they couldn't joke about the past a little,all hope for true reconciliation was lost. Erich was a believer in humor eventually could be found in anything. Erich does seriously consider Ada's words. How long could they be together? Would they fuck or fight first? She may be right,constantly being together may be too much of a good thing right off like this. " well you do bring a point. But I would be occupied playing for her band and my own. So we could be separated enough." Erich suggests with a shrug. He really thought getting Ada back out there would do her good. Everything else they could work around. " let me know if you do want on, I can probably phone her up. As far as real bookings on yours, i can't say. Cassie takes care of all that for us. " Erich says,slightly embarrassed. He had no idea how the sausage was made,only thad it existed. Erich felt bad and that the energy was sucked out of the room.a but it did remind him of something that occurred in their relationship years ago. " Ada..do you remember that time in the casino with Nina t?" Erich asks. Years ago,asking this would have been a death sentence from Ada.

"You'll get new fans then, nobody wants old and used fans. They get crusty and cranky. You change anything about your sound and they yell sellout. New fans,however? They are little pillows of goodness." Erich says, ever the optimist about Ada's career. He was all in on wanting to help her get back some semblance of her old life. it may be harder,but it could be interesting for Marlena to once again have two musician parents. This was the life the little girl had meant to live at one time. " fantastic. Best case scenario people love you. Worst case scenario it's the tour from hell and we'll be bitter at each other forever. In any case, it'll be fantastic." Erich exclaimed excitedly when Ada decided she was going to go for it. He was very much an all or nothing sort of fellow and this was probably the most serious issue to be pressed one way or another to it's breaking point. Erich felt what little life that was left in the room after the Tom Jones stopped playing get sucked out at the mention of Nina t. But,Ada did remove her shoes, so she wasn't looking to dash out of the room. Erich was standing and started to slowly walk around the room. It was the Best way to burn the energy he felt. " well. It bothered me for ages that you seemed to think something happened with her. I have zero vested interest in lying to you now. Still,nothing happened. " Erich states. He had wanted his name cleared for a long time about that. He never felt Ada believed him. " so,like that is truth you can take to the bank." He continues, finally reaching down and opening the Can of sprite and taking a drink. It was nearly room temperature, and he could feel every molecule of the liquid binding to his own being. The drug was starting it's work on him. " trust me, the Nina thing does matter and is related to what I'm trying to say..um.i only changed the subject from Tom Jones out of not wanting you to question my story there rather than..well, old feelings did hard." Erich says awkwardly. Erich had never been untrue to any of his lovers and it was a hard thing to admit the thought crossed his mind.

"Always a fan.Its far easier to support your vision because it doesnt suck." Erich replies brightly. He greatly admired people like Ada who could make songs that meant something. Something people would connect to. His own craft offered only escapism. Slightly more important to the world than the worst Adam Sandler film. In the great scheme of things,erich saw himself as producing the equivalent of toilet paper. Something used,then immediately forgotten. Even if their reconciliation would have went horribly,erich would have tried to get Ada back performing. If anything,he did believe in her art. Erich continues to walk slowly around the room. The familiar and comfortable glow started to emit from objects in the room. The room they were in felt as if it suddenly existed outside of time and in an isolated void. "It really has weighed on me for so long. I always felt like you never believed i was being honest with you about it or her. " erich says,slowing his stroll until he is behind the chair he was previously sitting in. He sighs and leame over its back to face Ada. "What do i mean?" Erich repeats the question and closes his eyes,briefly admiring the kaleidoscope behind his closed lids. It was a hard thing to say with actual words. " I think if the Tom Jones continued, um...this visit would never be mentioned to..." Erich trails off and looks towards the city out the window. "And i don't mean the new york times." He chuckles.