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An earsplitting guitar riff rang through the building known as Kong Studios, the knick knacks placed among shelves vibrating and clanking like some kind of mini earthquake. Murdoc's eyes snapped open and he sat up in his messy unmade bed, where he was just taking a peaceful nap (peaceful meaning...half naked, while tossing and turning and making unattractive noises). "What the hell is that racket? Ugh!" He swung his feet off the mattress and pulled his jeans on. He stomped out to the kitchen, the source of the sound. There he was met with Noodle clutching her guitar, and a concerned looking Russel lumbering in, 2D scratching his head behind him.
"Noodle?" 2D asked, "Why are you playin' guitar in the kitchen? Your room an' the studio are soundproof, you know that right?"
Noodle smiled and leaned the guitar against the fridge, unplugging the amp sat next to the toaster. "I am bored. All you guys ever want to do in the afternoon is sleep or stay locked in room with a lady, we should play a game or something!" She peered at them hopefully through her bangs.
2D's face reddened a little, and he hoped to god Noodle was too young to know what the latter meant, but it was probably a lost cause. After living with Murdoc, sex was no longer a taboo topic to anyone anymore.
Murdoc grumbled and started back to his room, throwing a sour "No," over his shoulder.
"Muds! Hold on jus' a minute..." 2D called, making him halt.
He reluctantly turned around and leaned against the doorway.
"What kinda game are you thinkin' Noodle?" 2D asked, bending over to be even with her eye level.
"Yeah, I could go for a game. It's downright depressin' in here sometimes." Russel spoke.
"We go to game closet!" Noodle said.
2D looked up at Murdoc, who was really the one who knew Kong studios inside and out, and if there was such a thing he'd probably know where it was.
Murdoc simply shook his head. "Well don't look at me, I've no idea what the little spring roll's talking about."
Noodle huffed and grabbed 2D's skinny hand, leading him down the hall and past the bathrooms, until they reached the very end of the hallway where a mirror was hung on the peeling wall. Noodle reached up and turned a tiny nob next to the mirror, and to their surprise, a door swung open to reveal a darkened closet crammed with random boxes and things.
"Huh." Murdoc grunted. "I forgot about that."
2D cracked a smile. "I didt' even know that was there, isn't that somefin?"
Russel beamed with excitement. Being a fan of hobbies and odd ways to spend his time, this was like Christmas to him. He reached forward and started rummaging through the things on the shelves, reading the dusty covers. He uncovered various outdated paint-by-numbers, a beaten up board game named "Splashy the Whale," which gave 2D an unpleasant feeling for some reason and was thus rejected, and then something called..."Naughty Twister"...?
"Oh...forgot I had that, heh. Apologies." Murdoc took the box from his hands and set it to the side, noticeably not disposing of it.
"Oi, whas' that up on the top? The purple box!" 2D pointed.
Russel reached up and retrieved a box entitled Quiz War. "Looks like some sorta...trivia game." Russel concluded.
"Yes! That one! That will be very fun." Noodle said.
The four members of the band sat around the dining table in the living area, setting aside the many ashtrays and music magazines littered around.
Russel unpacked the game and unfolded a packet of instructions. "Must be three players and up, yeah...uh huh...not for children 12 years or younger..." he glanced at Noodle briefly, contemplating, then just continued scanning the instructions. "...I'm sure that's fine...okay, so one person is the reader and pulls a card, reading the question. Whichever of the competitors gets it right first gets a point, and first to 20 points wins. Simple enough."
Noodle smiles, picking up the first purple and blue card. "I will be reader! You all guess questions. First category! Movies."
Murdoc boredly stared ahead as 2D and Russel listened in anticipation.
"What year did Martin Scorsese's film Taxi Driver come out?"
Russel and 2D looked at each other, neither knowing.
2D shrugged his bony shoulders. "Was that...was that the 20th century?"
Murdoc looked up at them and smirked. "Well, Noodle...I do believe that was 1976."
Noodle turned the card over and checked, then nodded in confirmation. "He is right."
"Would you look at that! I might actually be good at this!" Murdoc exclaimed, pleased with himself.
2D slouched over, "'S not our fault Muds is an ancient old bugger."
Murdoc growled at him, and 2D flinched in response.
"Next question." Noodle continued, "As of 2010, how many films are there in the Living Dead series?"
2D immediately sat up, his hand waving."Ooh! I know that! 6 of 'em, that's the answer, 6."
Noodle nodded, smiling at 2D and marking a point down for him on her notepad. "Correct."
"You and your bloody Living Dead," Murdoc rolled his eyes.
After a few more questions, all both 2D and Murdoc were pretty much neck and neck, Russel being behind, but what had started as a lighthearted game was getting a little too...competitive.
"Next category! Music."
Both men sucked in breaths, knowing that this all came down to the genre.
"What year did Ozzy Osborne officially leave the band Black Sabbath?!"
"1979!" Murdoc shouted, "THAT WAS 1979!"
2D huffed and glared at Murdoc, who snickered. Russel looked down at his shoes, not sure if he was having fun anymore.
"I'm gonna beat you, you know, I'll get it." 2D remarked.
"Oh, good luck with that, your brain's as hollow as your eye sockets, isn't it?"
"I HAVE EYES YOU SODDIN' PRICK, YOU'RE THE ONE THAT MESSED 'EM ALL UP!"
"Just shut your pretty little eyeless face so I can win this!"
"Enough!" Noodle shouted, throwing the notepad used to keep score at Murdoc, who cowered. "This is supposed to be a fun game. You are making it so I have no fun."
Murdoc frowned, not liking Noodle being upset. 2D hung his head in shame.
"Okay...next question...who is bassist and creator of fictional band Gorillaz?"
"MURDOC NICCALS!" 2D blurts out, before Murdoc even gets the chance to blink.
Noodle nodded quickly. "Correct." And scribbled down a point.
"Hey, wait a minute! That doesn't count does it? It can't! I'm the answer, you can't let him have that Russ, it's literally me."
Russ shrugs, bored and deflated, like all things fun had been sucked out of him. "I mean...he did get it first."
Murdoc groaned and grabbed a handle of cards, throwing them at the wall. "You bastard!"
2D stuck his tongue out at the man cheekily.
"I'll show you..." and Murdoc grabbed the lid of the game box, pulling back to swing at 2D's head. But instead of striking him Murdoc dropped the lid and grabbed onto the spiked hair on the top of 2D's head, pulling him in for a harsh kiss.
2D made an embarrassing squeak, and Murdoc pulled off him, letting him fall back. After being released 2D sat in a daze, staring at the floor in disbelief.
"Noodle, give me another one of those questions." Murdoc said.
"Who played drums in the Beatles?"
"That's Ringo Starr, that is! Was that the last question I needed? I won! HA HAA!"
Murdoc stood up and pushed 2D's head to the side, where it bobbed uselessly, his eyes still staring blankly at the ground in disbelief.
"Who's the master of Trivia now, you godforsaken idiots!? Murdoc Niccals, bassist and creator of Gorillaz, that's right!" Murdoc whooped and then stood, his face plastered with a grin of satisfaction. "Well...that was actually quite a good idea, Noodle, we should do stuff like this more often, eh?" He turned around, stomping back to his room. "Hollow-head, you're welcome to join me anytime if you like." He called back.
2D blinked, eyes still on the floor, and licked his lips. He gestured behind him weakly. "You know what...I'm jus' gunna...join him...for a bit." His voice cracked on the last syllable and he unfolded himself off the ground and followed Murdoc to his room.
"Round two?" Noodle asked Russel.
"Yeah, why not?" He replied, and started gathering the cards all flung about everywhere. "I'll be the reader this time."