Demon Days
- - Sound Check - -
Credits and copyrights for this chapter (and probably the entire story) go to the almighty K.I.T.I. Productions (Atréu Nibori), Elizabeth Underwood (Nephtys Rousseau) and many other puppets of their trade. (Paper In a Box Inc. ---more info of them later.)
Oh and something I forgot to say in the first chapter; excuse any spelling errors I may have missed in spell checking. I do not have a system that automatically spell checks, therefore I must do it on my own. Pointing them out for me to fix would be lovely, please and thank you.
Well, I do not believe I have missed anything or feel the need to explain anything. If so, tell me. As always, question, comment, suggestions (etc...) are always welcome.
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Atréu adjusted her hat down over her face and sat with her legs propped up on the table. In her hand was clutched a cup of soda and a folded up piece of paper. It was eleven-thirty-two at night, she was ready to pass out from the day's disturbing events. She dozed off and her grip on her cup and paper loosened.
She knew she shouldn't be sleeping right then. She should be pondering the folded piece of paper and it's contents that she'd not yet revealed to herself. It had been under her door when she'd decided to turn in for some sleep. Needless to say, she'd forgotten all about sleep in favour of walking aimlessly through Kong Studios while staring at the note as if expecting it to open itself, or how to open it herself if it didn't. It was from 2-D. The top of it said so in somewhat sloppy handwriting. Atréu could feel something hard embedded in the folded paper. She shook it.
"Hmm...a tape." she decided from the shape, size and sound it made.
She sat up properly in her chair and finally decided to open it. Just as she'd guessed, there was a black tape in there labeled '2-D's Keys'. What was that about? She looked at the note.
"I liked your playing, hope you enjoy mine as well. - 2-D"
Atréu took a sip of her soda and looked over the tape again reading the label twice over. She sighed tiredly and mentally cursed her own timing to open it. Now she had to get up and she didn't want to. Heaving herself lazily, she clutched the two objects leaving the cup on the table and walked to the recording room. Sitting in front of the dat tape player, she slid the tape in and pressed play. His playing was amazing, even better than in the official songs he and the Gorillaz have made in the past.
"I wonder what his lyrics are," she whispered in awe.
---
2-D and Russel sat in the café talking amongst themselves about 2-D's discovery about Atréu. Russel set the headset down on the table and rewound the tape.
"Damn, she's gotta be some sort of expert or something. Didn't you ask her about it?" he said.
"Couldn't. She ran out before I could even compliment 'er. Though, I wrote 'er a note yesterday to encourage her to play fer us. I even gave 'er a recordin' o' my stuff," he answer.
"No word, eh?"
"Not yet."
"Give her some time, she'll come 'round."
Just then, Atréu walked in looking tired and groggy. The two stared. She stared back.
"Nani?" she asked childishly rubbing her right eye.
"Huh?" Russel asked confused.
"I asked, 'what?'" she specified.
"Oh. Nothin'."
"'Ello! 'Mornin' Atréu!" 2-D said in a bright voice.
"Ohayo." she sat down next to 2-D, "So, what's up?"
"Nuthin'. Jos thinkin' 'bout goin' out fer some fun. Wanna come with?" 2-D grinned.
"Sure." she shrugged and yawned.
"Great!" the two guys grinned, grabbed Atréu by the arms and dragged her to the carpark.
"What the hell! Hey! What are you guys doing!" She yelled and struggled.
"Murdoc! Noodle! Come on! We're goin' out after all!" 2-D yelled amused.
"2-D-SAN!" Atréu yelled as she was tossed into the backseat of the jeep.
Murdoc got in the driver's seat just as 2-D got into the passenger's seat. He gave her an evil and amused grin. Atréu was now nervous, "HE'S driving! But he'll kill us all!"
"Dun worry, love, I'll make sure we get home in as few pieces as possible. I promise." Murdoc cackled evilly and slammed down on the gas.
Atréu put her seatbelt on quickly, held on tight to the armrest muttering to herself, "Oh that's so assuring." she brushed some of the hair that was whipping in her face away, "So, where are we going anyhow?"
"The new café that jos opened up downtown. I think you might like it." 2-D said grinning.
"Oh, sure." and before she knew what was going on, they had pulled up outside an average sized café called 'The Melancholy Café". She knew why he said she'd like it. He was right, too. When they'd entered she'd been immediately lulled into a sense of security by the smoke of the incants. It was fairly dark and there were tables in front of a stage in back. There was a bar to the right. An incant was burning idly at every table and was re-lit by a worker when it burned out. There were people onstage singing a soft, somewhat depressing song. Atréu was let to a table in the far left corner. A waited came to them.
"What'll it be?"
"I'll have an iced cappuccino," 2-D said, "How 'bout you Atréu?"
"Tomato juice, if you have it." she was staring shyly down at the table.
The waiter nodded and Murdoc ordered himself a coffee, Russel a latte and noodle a chocolate milk. The waiter wrote down the orders on a pad of paper and left. Atréu didn't look up from the table.
"So, Atréu, tell us about yourself." Russel said reassuringly.
"Well, I'm Noodle's sister. I'm Japanese, but speak many languages." she shrugged not really knowing what to answer to the question with.
Noodle hugged her when she'd mentioned she was her sister. Russel seemed interested, "Which languages?"
"A whole bunch. Japanese, English, German, Chinese, Spanish, Russian and Latin. I hope to learn more. I've already picked up a bit of some others like Korean and Greek, but I'm not completely fluent in them."
"Wow! Tha's a lot! Can yu speak some German for us!" 2-D asked so enthusiastically it was scary.
"Okay, sure. Umm...Ich heiße Atréu. Ich bin sechzehn Jahre alt. Ich habe schwarze Haare und grune Augen." she shrugged cluelessly after finishing.
2-D seemed to think it was the most amazing thing in the world while Russel and Noodle grinned and clapped in approval. Murdoc was unimpressed. No surprise there, but really what made things bad was what he'd decided to say instead of keeping his big mouth shut.
"Yeah, yeah, real impressive. Meh! Come back when you can put those language skills to work in a profitable way!"
Atréu looked up from her focal point on the table; a dark black-brown coffee stain, to give him a glare, "Well then. Why don't you play your bass in German?"
Russel and Noodle stared between the two rivals. 2-D was trying to warn her of Murdoc's wrath. She gently silenced him and swapped glares with Murdoc, "Go ahead. Impress me." she smirked.
Murdoc was not happy at all to have her stand up to him. He thought a counteract quickly though, "Mm...nah! How 'bout we go back to me Winne and we can 'ave a nice conversation wif the monster. I'm sure 'e's got some language skills under 'is belt!"
Atréu rolled her eyes and gave a mock laugh, "Oh! Really now? Nah, considering he's yours to begin with, you probably beat all the words out of his poor skull." she took a sip of her tomato juice that had just been set down in front of her, "Oh and since when did you, yourself, have languages skills? Conversation, word with four syllables. You're quite the accomplished one, aren't you?"
"Atréu, don't!" 2-D pleaded fearing that Murdoc would soon become completely outraged and try to abuse her like he does him.
"No, no, 2-D. S'ok, let 'er did 'er own grave," Murdoc said now occupied on the coffee in his grip.
They were silent for the next ten minutes, too busy listening to the new person on stage doing stand up comedy. He was actually pretty good and had even brought a smile to her lips. Murdoc, though, being the royal pain in the ass that he was, couldn't stop himself from making fun of the poor man and booing him off stage. Many people were not happy with this, but no one tried to stop him either so Murdoc won that round. Atréu began to become annoyed after he booed another really good guy off.
"If they suck so bad, why don't you get up there and try it!" she said angrily.
"Shut up! Quit ruining my fun!" he growled.
"Yeah and your 'fun' alone is the main show here!"
"Keep it up girl! You'll regret it!" he threatened.
"Oh really? I'd like to see you hurt me!"
"Believe it girl! I will!"
2-D pulled Atréu back when she tried to stand, "No! 'E really will!"
She backed off reluctantly and began staring at the table again, seemingly void of all emotion. Obviously, it was taking her quite some effort to not fight with Murdoc. This was quite amusing to Murdoc for a time, but he soon returned to his usually schedule of insulting performers. It wasn't until a few hours later that they'd noticed that Atréu had fallen asleep! 2-D poked her.
"'Ay...Atréu. S'time to go." he said in a whisper in her ear.
Her head snapped up immediately, "Huh? Wha?"
"We're going..." he rephrased.
"Oh. Okay." she stood, lost balance, gained balance and repeated the process all the way to the door.
2-D had to help her or else she'd surely fall flat on her face. Murdoc was finding this amusing and walked past with a big grin played across his face. The obvious happened in the jeep; she fell back to sleep. Atréu ended up using Noodle as a pillow, not that the eleven-year-old minded that. Anything for her sister.
---
Atréu woke up still in the jeep. The others were gone already and it was parked in the carpark. something shifted in the front seat.
"'Ave a good sleep?"
She yelped and slammed back against the seat in surprise. What was 2-D still doing in the jeep? "How long have I been asleep? Were you sleeping too?"
He smirked, "Nah, I was waiting for you. I think you've been asleep about...two hours, but I'm not sure so don't count on it." he jumped in the backseat next to her. He was playing with a keyboard.
"Hm...so that's why I heard keys being played in my dream but saw no player." she commented groggily.
"You sleep a lot," he stated as he began to play a few simple keys.
"Heh, yeah. That's not really my fault." she said hesitantly knowing what he was going to say next.
He'd apparently caught the edge in her voice because he asked, "How so?"
She stared at him a moment, pulled the keyboard from him, began to play a bit and shrugged, "I was born with a disease that shuts down my consciousness when I'm dormant or, in other words, bored. Just watching TV or waiting for something can force me into sleep. Of course, this disease is new and there's nothing to treat it yet, thought they're working to come up with something to help. My case is very minour but the doctors predict that by the time I'm in my mid to late 50s I could go into a coma...if they can't find something to as least postpone the growth." she gently tapped the keys playing an angelic, melodramatic tune.
2-D thought it suited the depressed tone she had perfectly, though it seemed to sadden his heart in a way nothing else ever had. Atréu was deep, maybe too deep. He offered a smile.
"Sing the lyrics...please?"
"What? To this load of pathetica?"
"No, to the beautifully heart shattering song you're playing right now." there was no sarcasm in his voice.
She blushed slightly hiding under her hat, "Heh, sure." she stopped the song, nodded a few times, then started again, "I feel asleep next to that one song last night. The one I said reminded me of the fae and the light...of the moon. But nothing lasts forever, even the fae must die at some point and for me...my last breath has long since passed."
There was a few moments of keys that picked up in loudness and speed until she began to sing again, "I fell asleep next to your memory last week. Because you are so close to my heart that if I tried to rip you away I'd rip a hold in it so black and bleak. I met you in a second, fell in love with you in an hour, but it will take forever to forget you, I think."
More keys in the same pattern only this time a bit longer, "And finally, I fell asleep next to a hammer today. Even the pictures I tore off the wall littering my floor will remain stained in my mind for faery dust and memories never travel very far away. I breath out, the silence stops and I learn from the pain that I loved." she ended it with a few high pitched keys and didn't look at him.
2-D was speechless. The lyrics, the keys, her voice...it was all so breath takingly beautiful, but also sad. The Gorillaz had never written a song with so much sadness or emotion in it. Murdoc probably wouldn't appreciate it completely, but you had to admit to how many questions it brought up...why was she so sad?
"It isn't finished..." she stated staring at the keys.
This drove him back to reality, "Oh. I see, when will you plan in finishing it?"
"Maybe never."
"Wot! Why!"
"Because it's horrible." she had a somewhat childish tone to her voice at that moment.
"Atréu...you're wrong! It's amazing! Sure, it is dark and sad, but still very beautiful. You should finish it...I'd sure like the 'ere it when it's done!" he gave an encouraging smile.
She was silent for a bit, obviously deep in thought.
"Well, ya gonna ask 'er to join the band or wot?" came Murdoc's voice from behind.
Both of them jumped and spun around. Atréu his under her hat as always.
"Well, I uh..." 2-D stuttered.
"Well, go ahead then," Murdoc slapped 2-D on the back of the head.
Atréu was confused. Why did it seem like Murdoc actually wanted her to join? She thought he hated her, "No, I can't. I'd only get in the way. Besides, teamwork is my weakest point," she handed the keyboard back to 2-D and began to leave.
---
"2-D-san! How many times must I tell you! No! And that is the end of it!" Atréu gave back his keyboard for what must've been the millionth time that day.
"But why not? You'd fit in jos perfect!" 2-D insisted pushing the instrument back at her.
She sighed, "You not going to stop bugging me unless I say yes, are you?"
"Of course!" he grinned.
"Heh, i'll give it some thought, k? Though, I'm not making any guarantees." she said giving up.
2-D jumped, cheered and hugged her, "Okay!"
Atréu blushed a bit. 2-D noticed his actions and moved away a bit, blushing too. She smiled and shook her head, "Such a sweetheart, just like I'd heard. Well, I'm gonna go think about it in my room. Stay out of trouble now," she turned away and walked to her room.
2-D's grin was still there when he walked into the café for some food. Russel stared at him, "So what's up with you? I haven't seen you this happy since a few Christmases ago when Noodle got you that weird computer game you'd been wantin' fer a long time."
"Atréu's thinkin' about joinin'."
"Oh, so you finally got around to talkin' to her? Good job," Russel took a bite of his hamburger.
"Yup! She also played a song for me. It was amazing. She definitely has a lot of talent." he sat down across from Russel with his bologna and cheese sandwich.
"You really see some potential in her, eh? What does Murdoc think of it all?"
"Well, 'e's the one who brought up joinin', actually. Guess 'e sees a future fer 'er or summik."
"Yeah, I guess so.
---
