Chapter Text
i. Murdoc
There was a time in his life when Murdoc thought he'd had a purpose; though, that was two years and three months ago, before his so-called friends had left him. 2D went first, due to blacking out because of stress, and he didn't return. Then Noodle left because 2D never came back, and Russel followed swiftly after, leaving Murdoc alone.
He sat alone in Spirit House, playing his bass for the entire day, only moving to shower, eat and sleep. He felt abandoned and he didn't know what to do.
For the past few days he hadn't eaten; his depression over the sort of loss of his band was getting worse.
He decided he needed to get out, so he pulled on some clothes and shoes, then his jacket, and left the house, locking it up. He began to walk instead of driving. The car had no gas anyways, so there would be no point in driving.
Eventually, he got into the city. He was still getting used to living in America, and wondered if the other three still lived in America. Russel probably did, since he was originally from here. Noodle probably went wherever 2D had gone, because he was her best friend.
Murdoc figured that they all forgot about him, and he didn't blame them. He was a dick for the entire time he'd known them.
As he was walking out of a store, he bumped into someone wearing a hooded sweatshirt. They looked abnormally thin and held their head low. "Oi! Watch where yer goin'!" he said and the unknown person began to shake, possibly in fear.
"I- I'm sorry, I just had to pick up me meds from the pharmacist," he whispered, stuttering the entire time and keeping his head down.
"Whatever," Murdoc stated, and began to leave, until he heard the person begin to swear. "Fuck, m'gonna be late.
Why do I always fuck everything up. No wonder nobody has talked to me or attempted to contact me. I fucked it all up," he said, and continued to use derogatory terms against himself.
Murdoc stopped in his tracks. He recognised that voice.
Then it clicked.
"Stuart?"
ii. 2D
Yet another day dreaded by Stuart Pot.
He checked his phone, hoping someone would have texted or called, but nothing. The lock screen was empty and he had no notifications. Although, the Health app his doctor recommended had the number 12 attached to it in red.
Other than that, nothing. No texts, no messages, no missed calls. He knew they'd all forgotten about him.
He'd gotten out of the hospital a week after he'd collapsed and was admitted, yet no one seemed to care. He'd gone by once, but the car was gone and he'd knocked on the door, but no one answered, and he'd officially given up. Now, he waited.
He looked at the time before pulling his shoes and hoodie on, then grabbed his keys and walked out the door, locking it. He took the elevator down to the first floor and walked out.
When he'd given up all hope of ever seeing anyone ever again, he started renting an apartment. Since he was the singer of a famous band, he was given the apartment almost immediately. He used money from record sales and digital music sales and YouTube revenue to pay for it.
He walked into the part of town where he was to pick up his many prescriptions - Benzodiazepines (anxiety), Zoloft and Lexapro and Prozac (antidepressants), Onzetra (painkillers), Fluoxetine (for mild anorexia), Doxepine and Eszopiclone and Ramelteon and Ambien (insomnia). In total, he was to take ten medications.
As he walked by a store selling alcohol, he was almost knocked over by a man in a lether jacket. "Oi! Watch where yer goin'!" the man yelled and 2D began to shake. Getting yelled at for doing something he hadn't meant to do was not his favorite thing. In fact, it scared him. He began to shake and kept his head down. He knew the way to the pharmacy by heart, so he didn't have to look up. "M'sorry, I jus' 'ad to pick up me meds from the pha'macist!" he whispered, trying not to start crying right there.
"Whatever," the man muttered and 2D heard his footsteps fade away. He frowned. Fuck, m'gonna be late. Why do I always fuck everything up? No wonder nobody has talked to me or attempted to contact me. I fucked it all up. I'm useless and I deserve to feel like this," he said and heard the man's footsteps stop.
"Stuart?"
A tear slid down his face as he looked up. There stood Murdoc, a bottle of vodka grasped in his fist. He had bags under his eyes and his eyes were bloodshot. 2D didn't know what to do, so he began to cry and looked expectantly at Murdoc, who casually held his arms out. 2D ran to him, wrapping his arms around him and crying into his shoulder.
Oh, how he'd missed him.
iii. Russel
Russel had been in New York for two years visiting family, and had only recently moved back to Michigan. During those two years, he'd tried contacting 2D, Murdoc and Noodle, but could only get ahold of Noodle. 2D's and Murdoc's phones always went to voicemail. On the one occasion 2D had answered his phone, he was sobbing and wouldn't speak, and almost immediately hung up.
Murdoc had answered once, but he had also hung on Russel. Noodle had, however, answered on the first ring and the two had talked for two hours.
Speaking of Noodle, Russel was to meet her for coffee after she got off work. They were meeting at the café Noodle was a waitress at.
He walked in the door and a girl wearing a green shirt with black pants and black shoes looked up. A nametag with her name was attached to the shirt. "Russel!" Noodle said happily. "Hold on, I get off in ten minutes. Do you want anything to drink? Coffee?"
Russel nodded. "A coffee would be fine, thanks," he said and Noodle nodded. "I will be right back and don't worry: it's on me," she said, returning moments later with a coffee in her hands.
Russel sat drinking his coffee until Noodle sat in front of him, this time in a pink quarter-lenth sleeved shirt, black shorts and white shoes. She had a coffee in her hand and a bag on her back. She wrapped her arms around Russel and the two hugged. "So, how've you been?" she asked and Russel shrugged.
"I've been in New York for the past two years, and I only recently moved back. I've been renting an apartment. What about you?" he said. "Well, I was in Japan for a year, then came back and am also renting an apartment. I got a job here and have been also doing yoga once a week," Noodle said.
The meeting was short and they realized that they lived in the same apartment building. Upon walking towards the building, they walked past two people hugging until they separated. The blue hair of the one person gave the two men away. "Murdoc? 2D?" Russel said and they looked towards him. Both of them looked like shit. Noodle squealed and ran over to them, hugging the two.
2D yelped, causing Noodle to stop. "Sorry. I- I just..." The bluenette lifted his shirt, only for his ribs to be visible.
"M'sorry."
Despite the fact that they'd met up under bad circumstances, they were together again.
iv. Noodle
When she had texted Russel in order for them to meet up, she’d been very excited. She hadn't talked to him in a year and a half, so when he'd rung her up, she’d answered almost immediately.
She'd wanted to call at least one of the band members, but every single time, she'd hesitated. She didn't know whether any of them were dead or not. With 2D... she had no way of knowing. And Murdoc, well, she'd gone by the house a few times after returning from Japan, but all of the lights were off. She could hear the faint sound of a bass guitar, but that was it. Even when she'd knocked, there was no answer.
As she finished making a coffee for a customer, the door opened and she looked up and smiled. "Russel!" she said happily and the man mentioned smiled. "Hold on, I get off in ten minutes. Do you want anything to drink? Coffee?"
Russel nodded. "A coffee would be fine, thanks," he said and Noodle nodded. "I will be right back and don't worry: it's on me," she said and went back to make it. She put a dollar in the register and brought the plain coffee with cream back out.
A few minutes later, she clocked out and changed into her everyday clothing, shoving her work uniform into her bag and applying a bit of makeup. She added two dollars into the cash register and made herself a mocha, then went and sat in front of Russel.
They chatted for a bit. "So, how've you been?" she asked and Russel shrugged.
"I've been in New York for the past two years, and I only recently moved back. I've been renting an apartment. What about you?" he said. "Well, I was in Japan for a year, then came back and am also renting an apartment. I got a job here and have been also doing yoga once a week," Noodle explained. Yoga was something she did to clear her mind.
She also mentioned that she'd started meditation.
The meeting was short and they realized that they lived in the same apartment building. Upon walking towards the building, they walked past two people hugging until they separated. The blue hair of the one person gave the two men away. "Murdoc? 2D?" Russel said and they looked towards him. Both of them looked like shit. Noodle squealed and ran over to them, hugging the two. She'd missed them a lot and was relieved to discover that 2D was
alive.
2D yelped, causing Noodle to stop. "Sorry. I- I just..." The bluenette lifted his shirt, only for his ribs to be visible.
"M'sorry." Noodle gasped, covering her mouth. She'd hoped he was healthy, but instead he was the complete opposite. "Oh, 2D..." she said quietly, hugging him softly.
Despite the fact that they'd met up under bad circumstances, they were together again.