Restful State of Mind

Part 1 - Restful State of Mind

Part 1 presents the story of Beth and Thalia, two bisexual lovers with a fantastic relationship built on true love. All said best by their in-home dog, Sage (who was reincarnated far into the future with the ability to tell the story once), the commentary and music tell the story of the tragedy that Thalia faces - the loss of her one true love. The fiction presented in the story is resembling the truth behind how much the album's producer truly loves his significant other, and the things he would do in light of a similar situation.

Part 2 - Myli

“Love-struck”: Experiencing intense feelings of romantic love for someone; besotted or infatuated.

The famed narrator, Sage, makes a guest appearance in this album after disappearing following the completion of part 1, speaking alongside Thalia in an interview as the story continues to unfold through new musical approaches and ideas. This album also features the re-mixed versions of songs from albums past, including part 1 and one of Revolution’s earlier works.

In his canine form, Sage would have looked like any casual dog to the average person; he was completely black with longer, soft and flowing hair. His breed was definitely some cross with golden retriever with black lab, which surely made for a strong and loyal, yet caring and loving animal. His surface sure was lovely, but it was the inside that really counted. The things he had seen in his lifetime made him much more pensive and wise. For example, the death of one of his best friends changed his perspective on love, and how people should feel about it regardless of their situation: It should always be cherished.

Part 3 - Next to You (EP)

After the original story of Beth and Thalia ended, no one actually knew what happened to Sage. He re-appeared for a short time, but only to explain how times have changed since Beth’s passing. It’s very difficult to explain the circumstances, but Sage wasn’t completely limited to a one-time reincarnation during part 1. Shortly after the interview, Thalia contacted and informed us that Sage had run away for a short time. He was gone for approximately 5 days before returning, only to catch Thalia completely off guard with his new transformation. Each song you hear is correlated to each day Sage was away from the place he called home. A short intermission, we’ll call it; what really happened to Sage?

Part 4 - RSoM2-1

The predecessor to the finale, part 3, began shortly after Sage disappeared during his interview with Thalia in part 3. Part 4 begins when Sage returns, but not in the form followers of the story are used to. During his leave of absence, he passed on to the next life, and was reincarnated permanently as a human being. This is very similar to his reincarnation during part 1, when he returned as a dog to tell the original story of Beth and Thalia. No one except for the writer of the story really knows what he was before his transformation, but the truth will never be revealed. More specifically, Sage returns to Thalia, and catches her completely off-guard by his new look. Something caught her attention about him, but she wasn’t sure exactly what it was…

After Sage’s return, he and Thalia sat to reflect on memories of Thalia; some good, and some bad. During his time as a dog, he always supported both of his owners, and didn’t prefer one over the other. With the strength of their bond resounding as he thinks of her passing, Sage mourns the loss of Beth one last time, exclaiming the coming rapture, and how they will soon be together once again. Nothing in the near future, as far as he was concerned, but something was missing in his life without her.

Once he was finished pouring his heart out for Beth, Sage was very clearly upset. Thalia saw this, of course, and being close friends, along with an oversight of his transformation, she grabbed his hand. He felt a shiver down his spine as he looked deep in her eyes. It was something he never saw coming, but deep down he felt a connection with Thalia that was stronger than ever before.

Sage moved closer to Thalia, with hope that the connection he felt was mutual. Thalia saw this and immediately pulled away, explaining to Sage that she kept a promise to Beth for four years now; the promise that she’d live her life as though Beth was still living and supporting a family with her. This promise, as stated in the first part of the story, was that of true love; a bond that should never be broken. Sage completely understood, and agreed that their friendship could still last without them having to be in a romantic relationship.

Thalia agreed that Sage could live in her home until he managed to get back on his feet. As time continued to pass, the two learned more and more about each other, from having similar musical interests to favorite foods and similar choices in books. If we fast-forward several months, we see that the two are much more comfortable than they were when Sage first reappeared. They grew quite fond of each other…

Sometime in the Fall, when the two seemed to settle down, and when Sage seemed ready to move on to a new phase in his life, Thalia asked Sage what his next plans were. As they sat together on the couch in front of a roaring fire, Sage explained to Thalia that he wanted to meet someone and start a family, and maybe continue to tell his story to future generations. Thalia took his hand and explained that he didn’t need to go anywhere just yet.

Flashing back to when Beth was still alive, Thalia had always wanted to start a family. There were plans to adopt two children shortly after the couple had gotten married and settled into their new home, but with Beth’s untimely passing, the ability to fulfill those dreams had passed on.

As their connection grew, Thalia had started to feel the same way Sage did when he first arrived. When Sage felt the warmth of her hand against his, he looked over to her and asked what she meant. She said, “Sage… I’m in love with you, and sometime in the future I’m sure we’ll have the same connection that Beth and I once had”. She then kissed him passionately…

The rest of that night was a blur for Sage, but he remembers waking up next to Thalia with a warm feeling all throughout his body…

After Thalia reminded Sage of their nightly endeavor, the two agreed to maintain their relationship, as long as neither shared their affairs with anyone else… not even close friends who they could trust. These are incredibly touchy subjects, and if their secret were to be leaked, who knows what would happen…

Things really started to kick into action once the two were growing closer at a steady rate. The tragedy of Beth seemed to affect them less and less; Thalia was on the path to make better decisions for herself, and Sage was always there for her, while continuing to share his stories through online platforms. They made each other happy, just like old times.

Time started to go by slower and slower for Sage and Thalia. Their daily routines started to feel more and more obsolete, but it was because of the time of year; Beth died shortly before Christmas, and the scattered pictures of her throughout Thalia’s house seemed to close in when the date started to approach. Memories that the three shared seemed to pop up in regular conversation almost constantly, and pain seeped through the seemingly sealed cracks yet again. The mentality of the couple really took a turn for the worst…

Part 5 - RSoM2-2

As life started to settle down a little bit, and time moved deeper into the cold months, things didn’t feel normal anymore. Sage and Thalia found themselves talking more and more about Beth, which made them both sad and uncomfortable. The seasonal depression was really starting to hit, and it was only early December…

Around the second week of the month, while the couple was out gift shopping for friends and family, Thalia collapsed out of nowhere; Sage had absolutely no idea what happened, and called an ambulance. The crowd gathered around the commotion looked shocked and disturbed, quietly discussing possible causes of her sudden illness among themselves.

Once the couple arrived at the hospital, Thalia was admitted to urgent care to undergo several examinations, all which showed no sign of underlying health conditions. She was released the next morning, with only one specific instruction: return immediately if a similar occurrence should take place.

Taking things slow and steady was the primary objective for the couple. The two ruled out everything but stress and separation anxiety, which can both induce a similar health issue to what happened in the store. Sage made sure Thalia had everything she needed to be comfortable; the two remained at home until she no longer had any medical concerns.

Several days later, strange things started to happen in their home: Uncanny sounds from the basement and attic, things being moved around seemingly on their own, objects falling from shelves out of nowhere, and some nights, a faint voice could be heard. One of those nights, as Sage and Thalia were falling asleep, a glowing figure appeared at the foot of the bed. As it came into focus, the two immediately recognized who it was: Beth.

She returned to their presence with only one message: “The two of you shall join me in the grasp of death; Thalia shall see no remorse from this illness, despite it being an honest mistake. I miss you both to no avail, so do join me soon”. She then faded away, never to be seen again. Sage and Thalia were shaken, and remained awake for the remainder of the night discussing what Beth meant in her message…

The days dragged on from there; Beth’s cryptic message left Thalia feeling uneasy, and Sage started to regret having those romantic feelings. He felt as though he broke bonds with everyone he ever told the story to, since he was part of the promise Thalia originally held on to.

The uneasiness Thalia felt never went away. In fact, she grew ill enough to render another trip to the hospital. She woke up the morning of December 24th with a deep feeling of pain in her stomach; it was bad enough to make her cry. Sage brought her into urgent care, and she was admitted immediately. The doctors ran several tests, and nothing ever came up. The worry started to grow more and more…

Thalia and Sage remained in the hospital through Christmas Eve and into Christmas morning. The doctors still had no leads as to what Thalia’s trouble is connected to.

A nurse came in and greeted the patient.

“Hi Thalia. How are you feeling this morning?”

“I could be better, ma’am. Do you have any new information for us?” Thalia said.

The nurse looked at her with disappointment. “Unfortunately, I don’t. The doctors have been looking over your charts and nothing seems to line up. We want you to feel comfortable and well again soon, so I’ve decided to start back again from square one. These are just some general preliminary questions for a woman of your age. How long have you been feeling ill like this?”

Thalia stopped to think for a moment. “These symptoms started around the beginning of the month, maybe a little earlier.”

“Okay,” the nurse said. “How would you describe the pain?”

“Every morning, I wake up with an achy stomach, almost as if I might vomit. I’ve also been eating some strange foods that I wouldn’t normally eat, and my mood has been all over the place.”

The nurse’s disappointed look turned to curiosity and suspicion. “Those are interesting symptoms. I have on your chart that your menstruation cycle lines up with the beginning of the month being your peak. Have you experienced your period this month?”

Thalia looked to the nurse with concern. “Now that you mention it, I haven’t. I've been so caught up with Sage here and these symptoms that I didn’t even think about it.”

The nurse looked to Thalia with revelation. “I think I may know what’s been troubling you, Thalia. Were you sexually active at all in the past month?”

Thalia blushed. “Um… yeah, yeah I was. Why do you ask?”

“Well,” the nurse started, “...You may be pregnant.”

Thalia was left speechless. The thought of being pregnant never crossed her mind. The relations she shared with Sage never seemed like a possible cause, but in the heat of their moment together, nothing in the world mattered.

The months continued to push on. Winter brought more cold weather and seasonal depression, Spring brought the rain and flowers, and Summer… well, Summer brought the two closer to the birth of their child. Thalia continued to visit the doctor for regular health check-ups, and to learn the health of her soon-to-be-born child. Nothing ever concerned the doctors, and Thalia felt everything she should have felt.

Sage, on the other hand, had grown distant. Since the news was broken to the couple, he stopped sharing his true feelings with Thalia. He showed little to no interest in the baby, and rarely asked Thalia if she was okay, or if there was anything she needed. Most of his time was spent writing in journals.

With Thalia’s mood swings bringing out her worst, she did something Sage would never forgive her for. While he was gone one day, she spotted his journal on the desk in their study. Double checking to make sure he wasn’t around, she sneaked over to the desk and sat down. Flipping through the pages, she spotted an entry from July 18th. It read:

“Nearing a year after the news of Thalia’s pregnancy, I still haven’t forgiven myself for the mistake I made by coming back. I never should have come back. I should have started a new life away from the pain I experienced here, but no… I’m stuck now. There’s nothing else for me, and I have to live with the pain I never should’ve held onto. The easy way out isn’t the best way out, but it’s the only way out and I’m taking it”

Thalia couldn’t believe her eyes. Now she understood what happened to him, but she couldn’t understand what went wrong…

That night, Sage returned. Not a single word was spoken between the two; Sage was still quiet, and Thalia was literally speechless. Over dinner, she seemingly stared into his soul, wondering how someone like him could possibly feel so unappreciative of the gift he’s been given. He’s an immortal soul, one that could never die of natural causes.

Sleeping was impossible for Thalia that night. While she was angered by Sage’s thoughts, she worried about him constantly. In fact, every night was a nightmare for her, splitting equally into what Sage’s passing would be like and how she would raise a child on her own should he take his own life before it’s born. Her brain was a mixed bag, causing her great stress and anxiety almost constantly.

A week before the baby was due in August, Sage finally spoke to Thalia once again.

“Thalia, I have a question for you…”

“What is it?” she asked.

Sage waited a moment, then revealed, “Do you have anything to tell me? ...I know you read my journal. I know I didn’t leave it open for display on the desk that day I was gone.”

Thalia froze. “You’re absolutely right. I did read your journal, because that’s all you’ve been focused on since we found out I was pregnant…”

Sage looked defeated. “So I’m not happy, okay? I wasn’t expecting a new beginning to be like this. I know it’s my fault, but I broke the promise. We broke the promise. Aren’t you ashamed of yourself too? This happened because we weren’t true to Beth. The message she gave that night when she returned was clear: “...Thalia shall see no remorse from this illness, despite it being an honest mistake. I miss you both to no avail, so do join me soon”. The illness was you being pregnant, Thalia. You know yourself we can’t handle a child, and if Beth knew about this from the beginning, then she knew we broke the promise. She wants us to join her because we can live life like it was when I was still a dog, and when you and her were still deeply in love. Don’t you remember what you two had?”

Thalia turned on herself and broke down. “You’re right, Sage… We did screw this up, and there’s no going back...”

“Well,” Sage started again, “...I don’t have to go alone…”

Thalia looked into his eyes for the first time with curiosity. “Do you mean…”

“Yes,” Sage interrupted, “You can come with me to the other side…”

“But what about the baby?” Thalia asked. “We can’t not give it the gift of life…”

Sage waited for a moment. He grew disturbed, as the mood of the night had grown darker. “Well, it can still live on without us. We can find a home for it, and once we know they’re in good hands, we know only time will tell.”

“That’s fair.” Thalia said.

The two turned back toward the ceiling as they laid in bed. They never fell asleep that night, but sooner than later they locked hands once again. The room was completely silent…

The remainder of the week leading up to Thalia’s due date didn’t sit well with the couple. They knew what was coming, and that nothing else could change their plan of action.

The baby was born a girl on August 17th, and immediately given up for adoption. The nurse was curious as to why the couple decided on this choice.

“She’s so beautiful… do you have a name for her yet?” The nurse asked.

“Unfortunately, no… we’ve been so caught up on other things that we didn’t really think about it.” Sage answered.

“Well, we can give her a name here at the hospital before we send her away to the children’s ward,” the nurse said. “If you don’t mind me asking… Why won’t you keep her?”

Thalia, distraught after the indescribable pain, answered her. “We feel as though she’ll be in better hands with someone else. We won’t be able to support her as well as we’d like to.”

Sage and Thalia looked at each other and smiled with remorse.

“Well,” the nurse started, “I can understand that. A lot of people feel this way. We’re glad you gave her a chance at life. Is there anything you’d like to tell her before we take her away?”

“Yes,” said Sage, “I’d like a minute with her, if you don’t mind.” The nurse handed the baby to Sage without another word and stepped out of the room. Thalia listened as Sage spoke.

“We know you’re a special baby… and we know you’re destined for greatness, which can come at any point in your life. Your mom and I want something better for you; something better than what we can offer. You’ll never see us again, no matter how hard you try, and we’re sorry for that… But it’s just the way things have to be. We hope you grow up to be something more than what we were, and know that… Thalia, Beth and I will always be watching over you.”

Sage kissed the baby, as did Thalia, and brought her back to the nurse. As she carried the baby away, Sage stepped back into the room with Thalia and hugged her. The time had come…

~

A week after the baby was born, Sage and Thalia prepared themselves for their transformation. The exact method the couple decided on consisted of dousing their home in gasoline and starting a fire. Before bed on the night of August 24th, Sage worked to prepare the house as Thalia drifted off to sleep.

He lit a match and dropped it in the basement, where a trail of gasoline made its way up to the main floor, around every single room, and ending under their bed. Sage ran up to sleep with Thalia for eternity, and holding her hand, he eventually fell asleep as well.

The house quickly engulfed in fire and smoke. The walls crumbled and memories surrounding each room melted quickly.

~

The spirits of both Sage and Thalia were carried with the smoke up into the atmosphere, where they met Beth once again to live in eternity...

The Characters that Started it All...

Beth and Thalia are the characters that began the journey of a lifetime in Revolution's music and the stories behind it. The two are first introduced in the beginning of his first official album release.

With the help of his amazing partner and loving girlfriend, Bella Villasenor (a.k.a. "Belle V."), these two lovers were born from well-thought out fictional characters into ever-growing, complex creatures of nature; Beth, the spokesperson for a major music production company known all throughout the United States, is the main focus of the story (which can be heard in "Restful State of Mind" and read about on the corresponding page on this website), seen as the unfortunate soul who lost her life in a tragic accident and left her family behind. Thalia is a stay-at-home journalist that rarely leaves except to perform necessary tasks for survival in everyday life. The bond these two share is like no other; not only are they openly bisexual in a world where the different sexualities are shunned, but they are also strong in multiple aspects mental health. Both have been through bouts of intense depression, anxiety, and stress, not to mention their rough childhood experiences with bullying and the inability to attract friendship from others. Seemingly so, the two were destined for each other, and their love is undeniably true; the attraction they feel to each other is easily comparable to that of Revolution's bond with Belle V., as well as their experiences through life. Character traits, though, are solely created by the only one Revolution knows to have an unending imagination; someone that creates characters and their portfolios in her free time for fun.

Beth and Thalia are definitely great characters to explore, and more information can be read about them later in this page. But none of what we heard about them in the musical aspect could have been possible without the trusted canine that narrated it all - Sage. Just the name itself provides insight to his position in the families life; Sage can mean one of many things - One, such as a philosopher, who is distinguished for wisdom; a mature or venerable person of sound judgement. One who is considered a Sage proceeds or is characterized by wisdom and prudence. Upon reading further, you'll understand just how well-thought out Sage's demeanor really is in the story, as well as the continuation of his development. He truly is a meaningful character, and without his communication throughout the story, we wouldn't have the understanding of the family that we do today.

Beth

Thalia

Sage

More Information

Some may not have noticed, but the album cover for "Restful State of Mind" is directly linked to the inspiration behind the entire album. The primary focus is Thalia, seated at the edge of a cliff with her trusted companion, Sage, observing the clouds. The imagery really connects the listener to the story. Best said by Revolution himself:

"Often I listen back to old projects, including the songs found in "Restful State of Mind", to gain some insight and inspiration for future projects. There's always a moment where I find myself in a deep trance, connecting the feelings of the characters in the story with my own - I find that, a lot of the time, without thinking about the story, I feel the same way the characters do, and that's where most of the inspiration for the story comes from. Looking at the album cover over-emphasizes those feelings, and I feel chills down my spine thinking about how the story really comes to life through the music"

-Revolution