A/N: This is the first of a handful of one-shots I plan to publish over the next several weeks. For those who aren't aware, these one-shots coincide with a previous story of mine titled Salt Skin. I discontinued the main story, but still wanted to share some of the drafts I had in progress that would later become chapters. Please keep in mind that these one-shots were written between 2012-2013 and may not be up to date with my current writing style. There might be a couple mistakes here and there; try to look past them. These were merely rough drafts to ideas I had years back.
Instead of dating the chapters like I did in the original story, I'll simply list which phase each one-shot takes place in. Try to think of it as a direct continuation from the time listed in Ch. 07 of Salt Skin...which was late 2004. The drafts will progress into later years as the time frame shifts from Phases 2 to 3.
Thank you to all of you who expressed interest in reading these. It means the world to me. Enjoy!
- 01 -
[Phase 2]
"2D, hold this would you?"
Noodle was sitting on the floor of Kong's living room when she handed 2D, who was carrying luggage, a paper object.
"Sure… what is it?" He plopped down the belongings in his arms to the floor.
"Paper crane. Oragami! A traditional pastime in Japan."
"Oh, right. …..Did it come like this?"
"No. You have to make it."
"….How?"
"If you two are done bloody messing around in there, we've got a flight to catch!" Murdoc's voice was heard from the other room.
"I'll show you if you want." Noodle disregarded Murdoc's orders, smiling up at the vocalist.
2D nodded; taking Noodle's lead and ignoring the bassist.
"Here…" Noodle pulled two pieces of paper out from a pile lying on the floor beside her. She handed one to him and kept one for herself. "Ready? First you fold the paper this way….and then this way…."
"Are you even listening?!" Murdoc squawked from the other room again.
"Like this?" 2D held out the paper to receive critique.
Noodle chuckled. "2D, that's….not quite right. Here, try it this way."
"HELLO?!" Murdoc's tone of voice was red hot.
They continued to ignore him as 2D followed Noodle's instructions carefully. After a minute or so, he grinned widely and held it up. "I did it!"
Noodle beamed. "That's a good one! Now just blow into the bottom of it and it'll be perfect!"
Stu did as he was told and blew air into the small hole in the bottom of the crane. Soon, it plumped up into a life-like creature. "That's brilliant! What do I do with it now? Does it fly?"
Noodle gathered the other cranes she had made and put them into a box carefully. "Keep it if you'd like. I have plenty of them already…. I'm going to hand them out to our cohorts in the states."
"Really? What for?"
"I don't know…just for fun I suppose."
"Oh for the love of Satan! Are you children deaf or something? HURRY IT UP!...Right gits, the both of you." Murdoc finally poked his head into the room, snarling and then rushing downstairs.
"Ayyaah, Fine." Noodle sighed and picked up her box. Before she could leave the room to grab her suitcase, she felt something hit the back of her head lightly. She reached behind her and pulled out of her hair a paper airplane.
She turned around to find 2D still sitting on the floor smiling. "That's about all I can make."
Noodle grinned back. "We better get going….Murdoc may implode."
"He can sod off." 2D grabbed another piece of paper and outstretched it towards her.
She took a look around and then returned to her seat on the floor. "I don't think I've ever made a plane before. Will you show me?"
"Yeah! So yeh take the paper, right? And then yeh-"
"—GIVE ME THAT!" Murdoc suddenly appeared above them and grabbed the piece of paper out of 2D's hands.
"Ouch! Yeh just gave me a paper cut!"
Murdoc scowled with rage. "Get. Your fucking arses. DOWNSTAIRS."
"Perhaps if you said it more politely." Noodle retorted.
"Don't give me that gracious rubbish. Our flight leaves in 2 hours and we have to beat traffic. Russ has been ready for hours and what have you two been doing? Mucking about with fucking paper!"
"She's right, yeh know. Yeh could be a little nicer about it." 2D held onto his finger to stop the slight bleeding.
Murdoc grabbed the collar of the singer's shirt and raised him up to his feet. "Don't get in on it too, dullard. I've had a long fucking morning." He then threw 2D back down on the floor with a loud thud and proceeded to exit the room. "If you two aren't ready in 5 minutes we're happily leaving without you."
Noodle glared at the bassist as he left, then focused her attention on 2D. He sat idle on the floor with a discouraged look on his face, rubbing his backside and lifting his finger to observe the small cut. He looked like a whipped dog, unable to fight back, unsure why he deserved such treatment.
She knelt beside him. "Are you okay?"
He bit his bottom lip, then slapped on a short grin. "Sure."
"Let me see…" Noodle reached for his bloody finger. She frowned, although it was a minimal cut. What upset her more was the endless torment Stuart Pot endured during his time with Gorillaz. Not only was it unfair, but it was angering. If he tried to stand up for himself, he received a worse beating. Sometimes Noodle hated Murdoc more than she realized.
Knowing there wasn't enough time to grab a bandage, Noods gripped a small section of her shirt, ripped it, and began tying it around 2D's finger. "Is that better?"
2D looked perplexed. "Yeah… but what about yeh shirt?"
"It's no big deal."
She then stood up and offered a hand down to him. He grabbed it and she hoisted him to his feet.
As they collected their belongings and headed for the elevator, 2D glanced down at the guitarist and nudged her shoulder. "…Thanks, blud."
She smiled.
There's only one person in this entire world that could make me feel like I'm worth a damn. And that person is standing beside me.
I won't hold your hand, no, I won't even try.
You're the fragile thing that I could never taint or tarnish.
You're the person I find most important…
You are my family, my friend.
The individual I want to share everything with.
I don't want to let you go…even though we are not embracing. I don't want to let you go.
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