p style="font-family: opendyslexic; line-height: 24px; color: #191a42; font-size: medium; background-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.0901961) !important;"Noodle wasn't the same after El Manana, and being in Hell, before coming to Plastic Beach. 2D knew this very well, and so did Murdoc and Russel. But sometimes, 2D could only wonder what really emhad/em happened to her./p
p style="font-family: opendyslexic; line-height: 24px; color: #191a42; font-size: medium;"When she first arrived, she refused to take off her mask. 2D was scared, always asking if she was alright. She always nodded, but never said a thing. One night, he caught her with her mask off, and she cried the rest of the night. She could barely stand her reflection, let alone seeing her best friend see her face. He held her for hours, whispering apologies in her ear./p
p style="font-family: opendyslexic; line-height: 24px; color: #191a42; font-size: medium;"But that was a while back, and now they were on Wobble Street in London. She was able to face the world now, but he knows she always tried to hide her scars. But sometimes she didn't, and on those days, he was glad./p
p style="font-family: opendyslexic; line-height: 24px; color: #191a42; font-size: medium;"Sometimes, she'll catch him staring at her arms or legs, or the scar on her face that she tried so hard to cover up. She lets him stare, though, thinking of day where she'll tell him. emNot today/em, she thinks. emJust not today/em. She's silently afraid of his reaction to her experiences, but always promises to tell him when the time is right./p
p style="font-family: opendyslexic; line-height: 24px; color: #191a42; font-size: medium;"But other times, when 2D and Noodle lay in bed together, limbs tangled, he'll gently trace the scars and bruises on her body. Some are deep, some have no possible way of healing as far as he could tell. She shivers, trying to relax as he hums her a soft lullaby./p
p style="font-family: opendyslexic; line-height: 24px; color: #191a42; font-size: medium;"He always hums her On Melancholy Hill, which she stated was one of her favorites from the Plastic Beach album. It always made her felt like she was floating, but she confessed 2D's voice was always relaxing to her./p
p style="font-family: opendyslexic; line-height: 24px; color: #191a42; font-size: medium;"At other times, she'll reach out, touching the fading bruises and scars on 2D's body as well. She never asked about his, but she knew it was Murdoc's doing. She always thought the way they laid together, touching each other's bruises and cuts, was a special zen bond thing. She was glad they started it, she was glad to be home./p
p style="font-family: opendyslexic; line-height: 24px; color: #191a42; font-size: medium;"One night, 2D grabbed her arm. Taking note of some newer scars, he began pressing kisses to each one, being slow and gentle./p
p style="font-family: opendyslexic; line-height: 24px; color: #191a42; font-size: medium;""…Toochi, what /are/ you doing?"/p
p style="font-family: opendyslexic; line-height: 24px; color: #191a42; font-size: medium;""Nothin', luv. Besides lovin' you, 'course." He mumbled against her skin, continuing to press kisses against the scars. He had moved across her body, kissing all of her bruises and scars, making her go into a fit of giggles./p
p style="font-family: opendyslexic; line-height: 24px; color: #191a42; font-size: medium;"He held her close that night, even long after she'd fallen asleep. Petting her hair, he could only wonder about the scars that cover her body, knowing one day she'll open about each one./p
p style="font-family: opendyslexic; line-height: 24px; color: #191a42; font-size: medium;"Until then, he would love each and every one of them, and the person who adorns them./p
p style="font-family: opendyslexic; line-height: 24px; color: #191a42; font-size: medium;"When she first arrived, she refused to take off her mask. 2D was scared, always asking if she was alright. She always nodded, but never said a thing. One night, he caught her with her mask off, and she cried the rest of the night. She could barely stand her reflection, let alone seeing her best friend see her face. He held her for hours, whispering apologies in her ear./p
p style="font-family: opendyslexic; line-height: 24px; color: #191a42; font-size: medium;"But that was a while back, and now they were on Wobble Street in London. She was able to face the world now, but he knows she always tried to hide her scars. But sometimes she didn't, and on those days, he was glad./p
p style="font-family: opendyslexic; line-height: 24px; color: #191a42; font-size: medium;"Sometimes, she'll catch him staring at her arms or legs, or the scar on her face that she tried so hard to cover up. She lets him stare, though, thinking of day where she'll tell him. emNot today/em, she thinks. emJust not today/em. She's silently afraid of his reaction to her experiences, but always promises to tell him when the time is right./p
p style="font-family: opendyslexic; line-height: 24px; color: #191a42; font-size: medium;"But other times, when 2D and Noodle lay in bed together, limbs tangled, he'll gently trace the scars and bruises on her body. Some are deep, some have no possible way of healing as far as he could tell. She shivers, trying to relax as he hums her a soft lullaby./p
p style="font-family: opendyslexic; line-height: 24px; color: #191a42; font-size: medium;"He always hums her On Melancholy Hill, which she stated was one of her favorites from the Plastic Beach album. It always made her felt like she was floating, but she confessed 2D's voice was always relaxing to her./p
p style="font-family: opendyslexic; line-height: 24px; color: #191a42; font-size: medium;"At other times, she'll reach out, touching the fading bruises and scars on 2D's body as well. She never asked about his, but she knew it was Murdoc's doing. She always thought the way they laid together, touching each other's bruises and cuts, was a special zen bond thing. She was glad they started it, she was glad to be home./p
p style="font-family: opendyslexic; line-height: 24px; color: #191a42; font-size: medium;"One night, 2D grabbed her arm. Taking note of some newer scars, he began pressing kisses to each one, being slow and gentle./p
p style="font-family: opendyslexic; line-height: 24px; color: #191a42; font-size: medium;""…Toochi, what /are/ you doing?"/p
p style="font-family: opendyslexic; line-height: 24px; color: #191a42; font-size: medium;""Nothin', luv. Besides lovin' you, 'course." He mumbled against her skin, continuing to press kisses against the scars. He had moved across her body, kissing all of her bruises and scars, making her go into a fit of giggles./p
p style="font-family: opendyslexic; line-height: 24px; color: #191a42; font-size: medium;"He held her close that night, even long after she'd fallen asleep. Petting her hair, he could only wonder about the scars that cover her body, knowing one day she'll open about each one./p
p style="font-family: opendyslexic; line-height: 24px; color: #191a42; font-size: medium;"Until then, he would love each and every one of them, and the person who adorns them./p