styrofoam stars 🌅| gorillaz + 2d x reader

༄ 12. styrofoam stars {some kind of nature}

As you  groggily dipped your spoon into your sea rations can dinner, you looked over at 2D sitting on the floor, looking down at something he held in his hands. Your mind was still somewhat asleep; you'd been asleep for most of that afternoon, and had even slept through the recording of the next song on the album, but you could tell he was busy doing something. "What'cha doing, D?"

He turned to where you could see what he was working on; his radio. "Th' radio's got some cracks 'n dents in it. 'm tryin' t'put some new batteries in it so it'll turn on." He explained. "It must've fell 'n broke a bit during the..." He shuddered. "Whale visit."

"That thing's really getting on my nerves." You shook your head. The radio barely worked before, you weren't sure if it would make a full recovery in the state it was in now. Silently, you hoped it would. Being stuck in a place like this with no radio would be all sorts of no fun. "How's it going?"

"Well," he replied. "I jus' put th' batteries in. 'm gonna try t'turn it on now."

Carefully, he flipped the power switch, praying to at least hear some static.

...But there was none.

...However, after a split second or two, some sound could be heard.

It sounded like synths.

It sounded like...

"Music!" You exclaimed, your brain now at attention. "You can actually hear music!"

Sharing your sudden excitement, 2D turned the volume up to where the actual song itself could be properly identified.

A 5-note synth riff boomed over top of the previous one, a synth riff you'd heard a hundred times on the radio back at home.

You and 2D recognized it immediately, as you both turned to look at each other, sharing the same grin.

"You were working as a waitress in a cocktail bar," the song sang melodically, in a very 80s fashion. "When I met you..."

"I picked you out, I shook you up, and turned you around," 2D began singing along excitedly. Of course he knew the words. "Turned you into someone new."

You remembered reading somewhere long ago that he was a big fan of The Human League. If you could remember correctly, they were his favorite band, at one point. Which must've explained why the somewhat limited floor space you had in the room became a dance floor for just the two of you, as you pranced around the radio with a child-like playfulness in your step.

2D even made you take over vocal duty for the second verse, much to your protest. You were glad nobody else could hear you. But at the same time, you were having such a good time that it didn't really matter. Meanwhile, 2D sang perfectly no matter the situation.

How did he do that?

"Don't you want me, baby!" You sang the chorus together, in-between bursts of laughter.

You chirped the lyrics gleefully until the song faded away into radio static, and the pair of you collapsed onto his bed side-by-side, panting yet smiling ear-to-ear.

He looked over at you, his smile showing a glimpse of the gap in his teeth, which only made him look even more cute. "Heh...I 'aven't heard that song in years."

You smiled back, feeling the memory of this moment cement itself into your brain. You hoped you'd remember this feeling for a while.

"HEY!" A sudden familiar, raspy shout tore through the atmosphere from above ground. "Th' hell are you lot doin' down there?! Keep it DOWN!"

Your heart slightly sank in embarrassment. "Murdoc could hear us?!"

"No," 2D shook his head. "Th' whale jus' probably told 'im. He's so odd 'e can talk t'whales, you know. An' if it makes you feel any better," He gave you another famous smile. "You sing better than 'e does any day."

You giggled. "Thanks."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Later on, you'd taken the lift up to the surface, and you were following close behind 2D as you walked together. You assumed you were heading up to the studio, because even though you'd worked plenty on the next album song the previous day, you had yet to finish it.

The song, quickly becoming one of your favorites yet, featured the massively famous Lou Reed, who you practically fainted at the sight of when you met him for the first time. He had a dark, slightly mature aura to him, an image you'd gathered from all of his work you'd heard and just from his general appearance. But it took you not long at all to figure out he was actually a really nice guy, with a lot to say. He'd finished his vocals for the song, but 2D had not.

So you were slightly confused when he was leading you in the opposite direction, towards the metal door that led out to the beach...

When you exited, the sky was tinted crimson, with bits of pink and yellow and white bleeding into it, creating a sunset that looked particularly out of character for the island. Imagine something beautiful existing here?

"What are we doing out here?" You inquired, not complaining, but curiously.

"I thought we'd do somethin' diff'rent," said 2D. "We could, erm...record th' vocals out 'ere."

"Does Murdoc know?"

"'e's not my dad or anythin', what, do i 'ave to ask his permission?"

You smirked, leaving it at that.

You descended the staircase down to the sand, hearing it crunch softly under your feet. It was shaded a dark orange under the glow of the sky. It looked...different, to say the least.

You settled in a spot on the sand not too far from where your crashed boat once was, most of it now gone, swept away from the shore. Not far from where you'd landed, from where you looked up and saw him for the first time. The waves leapt up the shore gently to meet you, only to fall back to start over again and again. Seagulls that were miraculously still alive in these conditions squawked as they flew overhead.

2D handed you a portable microphone he must of snatched up from the studio. It had some specks of sand on the top of it, most likely from when it was last used, which gave it some charm. You flicked the switch on the side to turn it on, and held the tape recorder it connected to carefully in your lap. He looked at you and nodded, cueing you to press 'record', sit back, and listen.

"Some kind of nature, come forth within us..."
His voice joined the wind, flowing and free. Your heart skipped a beat before beating slow and steady.

For once you heard his voice in its purest form. The only musical accompaniment was the sound of the world around you. As you gazed into the distance, you pondered how something so beautiful could coexist on such a thing as this island, made up of trash and pollution.

"All we are,

is stars..."

You looked up at the sky, faint traces of stars beginning to come out of hiding appearing between the clouds.

Even they looked plastic.

Even so, it was apparent to you; everything this place made you feel, everything you were experiencing...

It was the realest thing there.