#Made of You (Murdoc to Anna)

[overthedub]

Going into some canon x OC ship territory for All Ships Ship Week at #ficwip, starting with Annadoc! I've been insane over them since 2018 when I first started writing a multichapter fic about them in Phase 0/1 (Over the Dub). Now writing the sequel multichapter fic into Phase 2 (All Out of Song)!

Tell us why you love them:

I got into Gorillaz at a weird point in my life, which is probably the best time to get into them tbh. I'd heard their music way before I properly got into them in 2016 or so, but I fell into the hyperfixation rabbit hole when I realized they weren't just a band, but a cartoon band with lore.

I ate the lore (written by Cass Browne) up immediately. Murdoc was so ridiculously my type it made me mad lol.

Honestly, I just love writing ships that don't go out of their way to change things about the other, but they end up making each other better people anyway. That and ships that can banter and be a little mean between themselves.

I came up with Anna because I initially wondered to myself how Murdoc would handle a partner who was (seemingly) the opposite of him at first glance. It spawned like three fics lol.

Rewatch/reread your favorite moments:

Hm, I guess one of my favorite moments to write was that bit in Chapter 27 (the one I got a commission made for from @/ mamonsinon):

That and in the most recent fic, the entirety of Chapter 9 :)

Playlists:

Made a couple fic playlists for my fics here:

And here:

I am planning to make a new playlist with songs that fit them from later decades than the fics take place though!

Other Murdoc x OC ships I like:

Hailey x Murdoc (from The Dorkzilla's series The Niccals Saga)

Angel x Murdoc (art by Tchosan)

Share a prompt/idea for others to share:

Murdoc in a skimpy outfit and an OC paired with him as a classic cape-wearing vampire. It'd be a funny switch-up from what people usually draw him as.

Share a favorite headcanon:

This won't ever make it into Falling Out the Sky, but I think that even before Anna moved into Kong, Murdoc would dare her to watch horror movies thinking she'd get scared and cling to him the whole time.

Anna loves horror movies, though, and Murdoc is the one that ends up clinging to her while she watches stone-faced. They stopped watching any horror movies that feature Satanic imagery since he keeps talking over them to point out inaccuracies or laugh at inappropriate times.

Make a meme:

(Don't worry, they both think the other is hot, so it's fine)

Art commissioned by @/jankybones!

And with that, we got another blackout!

[shogas]

Dearest Serena, I really can't say what the purpose of this letter is. Perhaps to be funny? To vent? To re-affirm my love for you? Dunno. Anyways, this really brings back that time I took a shit. It was a really bad shit. I mean, that happens often, and I could really be speaking of any shit here, because they're all bad shits, but this shit was quite bad. In fact it pretty much just happened. You see, I really suddenly had to go. And I held it for a bit, but I could not hold it anymore. 1/?

So I rushed to the bathroom, and alas I was unsure if I had made it in time. For I felt it building in my loins just as I had made it there, and I had barely sat down when i felt such an explosion from myself that I was unsure of the damage it had wrought. I still felt the need though, so I stayed there for a while, waiting for another potential explosion, which did not come. Unfortunately I had been correct. I did not make it in time, for when I arose from that throne all was made clearand boy, was it shitty (pun intended). As I had sat down I must have released that explosion, such that the entire back of the seat of the toilet was covered in a mass of shit. I finished wiping what I could into the toilet water, and cleaned it up, and flushed, knowing I would need a 2nd round. Surprisingly, it went down well, like a well that was not clogged. Unfortunately I discovered that somehow the toilet seat itself had gotten well, shitty as well, and had to clean that up. Finally, I had cleaned everything up, and it was almost like new, significantly less shitty anyways. I went to flush, and my heart dropped. For the tides rose again from the bottom of the depths and threatened to overtake the rim of my throne. I grabbed my weapon of choice, the plunger, and I plunged that motherfucker all the way down. Along with it about a half roll of toilet paper. But I was victorious at last, and I bathed my shitty hands in the water of victory, along with some soap of course.And I came down here to type this up. Because truly, while this story did not need to be told, it reminded me of my love for you. Messy, smelly, and prone to explosions. You're a great friend though, even if I sometimes can't always just vent to you, and you always put up with my shit (pun AGAIN intended). You're a wonderful human being and I hope you always stay that way as the ray of sunshine you are.

i dunno if murdoc wrote this or anna, either is plausible. 

[blockheadbrands]

California Rolls Out Website to Cut Through Cannabis Haze

Ana B. Ibarra and Kaiser Health News Reports:

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Every day, Anna Denny encounters people who know their way around a joint.

Denny owns Elevated 916, a smoke shop in north Sacramento that sells tobacco products and smoking accessories. But many of her customers don't limit their smoking to tobacco.

Because they've been there, done that, Denny just can't imagine them using a new state website that offers resources — and plenty of warnings — about the use of marijuana now that lighting up recreationally is legal in California.

"Some of this, I can see it being useful for a grandma who might be interested [in marijuana] and is getting her information from her grandson," Denny said. "In that case, this website is probably a better source."

Anna Denny, owner of the Sacramento smoke shop Elevated 916, says the state’s new website, which highlights the safe use of cannabis, could be useful even though similar information has been around for years. (ANA B. IBARRA/CALIFORNIA HEALTHLINE)

Grandmas and all other Californians can now visit the "Let's Talk Cannabis" website launched last month by the state Department of Public Health. The site is the first step in the department's public education campaign to inform state residents about the drug as it becomes more widely used and available.

Last November, voters approved Proposition 64, the Adult Use of Marijuana Act, making California one of eight states — plus the District of Columbia — to legalize the drug for recreational use. California's recreational measure immediately made it legal for adults 21 and over to possess up to 1 ounce or 28.5 grams of cannabis, although the state delayed sales by licensed retailers until the beginning of next year. Colorado and Washington were the first to approve recreational use, passing referendums in 2012.

California's website is not a user guide. Instead, it is geared to youth, parents and drivers, mostly focusing on weed's potential risks and harms. Research on its effects has been mixed, but marijuana has been linked to potential cognitive impairments and driving accidents; it may be hazardous for developing fetuses. Today's dope is also two to seven times stronger than it was in the 1970s, according to researchers at the University of Washington.

For novices, the state also helpfully lists the many synonyms for pot, including "weed, grass, ganga, dope, herb, chronic, bud, trees, broccoli, nuggets, skunk, kief, sticky icky, Mary Jane."

But in general, California is no stranger to Mary Jane.

The state was the first to outlaw it in 1913. In the 1930s and 1940s, anti-weed cultural references were far-reaching and even graced movie posters that warned against the "smoke of hell," linking reefer to crime and "weird orgies."

Since then, illegal use has been widespread. Dope experienced a renaissance in the 1960s when gleeful hippies "turned on" by smoking grass. Now, California's pot industry, legal and illegal, is worth billions of dollars.

Back in 1996, with the passage of Proposition 215, the Golden State became the first of 29 states, plus the District of Columbia, to allow use of marijuana for medical purposes, with authorization from a doctor.

In 2004, the state began issuing medical marijuana ID cards, which allow patients to purchase pot from dispensaries. About 95,000 have been issued so far.

"Getting a card is not that hard," said Denny, whose clients have received medical marijuana cards for ailments including menstrual cramps, difficulty sleeping and depression.

Devonte Legaspi, 20, a student at Sacramento City College, agrees. "There are even apps that let you FaceTime a doctor for your consultation," he said.

Many of his friends have used websites and phone apps to get theirs. "It's so easy," he said.

Legaspi hasn't gotten around to getting his own card. But he turns 21 in February, he said, about a month after licensed retailers will be allowed to sell to the public.

"Right on time," he said.

California's medical marijuana ballot measure didn't require a public education campaign, but this broader law does.

"We are committed to providing Californians with science-based information to ensure safe and informed choices," said Karen Smith, director of the Department of Public Health, in a prepared statement.

The new website provides details about what's legal to buy, sell and give to others.

It's not overtly anti-drug like the infamous "This is your brain on drugs" ads from the 1980s that warned youth that their brains would get fried like eggs if they got high.

The site, however,  that if they get stoned, their babies may be born underweight — putting them at risk for all sorts of medical problems. Pet owners are cautioned that Fido might freak — and in rare cases, suffer potentially deadly poisoning — if he accidentally gobbles a pot brownie.

And parents who find out their teen is getting baked — which remains illegal — are urged to "stay calm. Overreacting may lead youth to rebel, feel resentment or take greater risks," the state advises.

The website has a resource page specifically for youth, but Legaspi doesn't think it will be the first stop for curious teens and young adults.

"You ask your friends first, then Google," he said. "I think we've been exposed to it for a while. … We know almost everything there is to know about it."

Still, there are things that some young adults want to see on the website. Aatiqah Murdoc, 22, is Legaspi's friend. She wants information about possible ingredients in marijuana products, such as brownies and candies.

The site doesn't offer that. But it does warn that "edibles may have higher concentrations of tetrahydrocannabinol (THC). If you eat too much, too fast you are at higher risk for poisoning."

THC is the chemical responsible for providing marijuana's high.

Tamara Cross, who works at Broham Smoke Shop in Sacramento, said she might share the website link with customers who walk in with questions, mostly around legality.

"I have a lot of questions myself, so it's good to know this exists," Cross, 24, said. Some customers already ask her when they'll be able to buy marijuana for recreational use, or whether their access to medical pot will change with the new law.

Sharon Duplechan, 65, who helps care for four of her grandchildren, voted against legalization last year, she said.

As she watched her grandchildren play at a Sacramento park, she said she wishes that the precautions offered on the state website had been more widely available when Californians were deciding how to vote. Now she worries that her grandchildren are growing up in an era when pot is more available and accepted.

"The warnings are a little late," she said. "You don't put the cart before the horse."

This story was written by Ana B. Ibarra and produced by Kaiser Health News, which publishes California Healthline, an editorially independent service of the California Health Care Foundation.

TO READ MORE OF THIS ARTICLE ON U.S. NEWS, CLICK HERE.

https://www.usnews.com/news/health-care-news/articles/2017-10-06/california-rolls-out-website-to-cut-through-cannabis-haze

[overthedub]

Sneak Peek for Chapter Four

Anna could not quite believe the absolute balls Murdoc Niccals thought he had. How stupid did he think she was?

He wasn’t subtle in the slightest. Toting her along, especially with the iron grip on her, made her feel like another accessory.

Anna allowed herself a demure smile. She would not let him win tonight. “Of course.”

His own smile fell a little when she began to lead them into the ballroom. Classical music circled through the air like a playful beckon. It was as if they’d stepped inside an intricate music box. Dancing couples glided in an unsettling synchronicity. Each step, twirl, and lift marked as though they ran on guided tracks along the floor. Either side of the ballroom was lined with long rows of expensive hors d'oeuvres and drinks while servers flitted around to offer napkins, shrimp cocktails, caviar, and the fancier alcohols to guests on the sidelines.

These Stepford Wives-esque rich people churned her stomach. Instead of abandoning the floor entirely, Anna tugged him into the middle of their clockwork waltz. “May I have this dance, Murdoc?” she asked with a light curtsy of her dress.

The other partygoers around them threw him a look as they danced past, irritated at the obstacle in their path. It certainly didn’t ease her rising anxiety, but she wouldn’t let her unassuming smile falter.

His laugh sounded forced when he shifted the grip on her hand and wrapped the other around her waist. He tugged her forth none too gently until his face was mere centimeters from hers.

“You may. Try to keep up, love.”

[overthedub]

Update

I’m thinking about participating in my first NaNoWriMo just to finish up this fic.

We’re only a little over halfway at 100k words, and I’ve never really looked at word counts when I write, so whether the 50k mark I hope to reach for the month actually finishes up the rest of the fic or not really depends on where in the outline this leave me at.

Though this fic originally started out as some extremely self-indulgent thing that I alone would enjoy (and it still is lol), I’m also glad (and surprised) that I have quite a few followers and readers on a blog that’s essentially just me thirsting over a fictional character and experimenting with my writing style.

It really does mean a lot that you all are here in the first place, and are still here, whether you intentionally or even accidentally followed me or even if you don’t read my fic anymore.

I know I haven’t posted much lately, but I’m hoping to fix that next month by updating you guys on my word count goals/letting you guys know what chapter I’m working on every Friday, regularly reblogging more Phase 0/1 fanart, and maybe even making moodboards for different chapters like I used to, if I have the time.

I haven’t done imagines in a while, but if you guys want to request those, too, I’ll do them as a bonus.

Thanks for reading this, if you did. Here’s an messy, unedited bit from the next chapter as extra thanks:

Murdoc was only being a cheap bastard. There was nothing more to it than that.

He cared about nothing but his band. If they didn’t sound as great as they did playing together, she had a feeling he’d easily replace them, too.

Look at what happened to his previous attempts. Look at what happened to her aunt.

It made her sick to even think about it. Sleeping with him was by far the most selfish thing she could have done. Her shameless lack of regret appalled her as did the odd feelings that bloomed soon after.

Harboring any sort of feelings for Murdoc Niccals was perhaps the stupidest part of it all. She thought she knew what she was getting into when she first approached him with the idea, but now that she had gone and actually done it—twice—Anna had no idea where this would take her.

Leave it to her own naivety to romanticize a rough fuck.

(May or may not delete this part by the time I actually publish the chapter, or I might move it to a later chapter. Not sure yet. I’m jumping around between scenes for this chapter right now)

[overthedub]

Hey... when are you returning.... I miss reading your stuff 😭😭

I’m so sorry for making you wait, anon! I’ve just been having a lot of trouble with this next chapter especially, which really sucks because I’ve been meaning to build up a queue this whole time, but I just haven’t been able to find the time.

Besides that, I’ve just been really busy with my job and real-life stuff. My job has been steadily piling work up on me, and, even though it’s been difficult, I had to sacrifice my writing time for my job in order to pay for Demon Dayz (among other things). Demon Dayz, while extremely fun, was also extremely expensive to go to (counting hotel room costs, plane tickets, Lyft rides everywhere, merch, etc.), so I needed to work a hell of a lot just to make do. I still need to work my ass off to make up for the expenses, really.

I do appreciate this message, though! I’m very glad to see that someone out there is still anticipating my work.

As a small thank you, here’s a small snippet of what I have written for the next chapter. Keep in mind, though, that it is largely unedited and I may end up deleting this passage when I finally put out the final product:

Amelia took another drag before she said, “‘m drunk, not stupid.”

“What?”

“You two were flirtin’ with each other the whole time he was here,” she said, her voice breezy. “‘n don’t think I didn’t notice how you two went off together—in the dark, mind you. Seemed like you two were havin’ a good chat back there. More ‘n a chat, really.”

The knowing gleam in Amelia’s eyes was almost too much. She knew. She had seen them earlier.

Anna’s eyes fell to the pavement. She was so goddamn stupid. Did she really think that no one would be able to see them? They were right there, out in the open, a declaration of their intentions revealed to anyone who bothered to simply look.

They had been caught more than once now, so why hadn’t she learned her lesson already? Why did she always find herself drawn to Murdoc despite everything he’d done to her? Was he really that charming? Or was she so desperate to believe his compliments that she let them constantly blind her from the truth?

“That didn’t mean anything.” Her voice was barely above a whisper. “He was just messing with me again.”

“Are you sure?” Amelia asked, ignoring both Tom and Em’s confused stares. It was clear they hadn’t seen a thing. Best keep it that way until Anna felt more comfortable talking about whatever happened back there.

Anna’s shoulders began to tremble. “You guys don’t know what he’s like. Murdoc’s a total scumbag. All he’s ever tried to do is get me in bed with him. H-He isn’t….”

The image of Murdoc first entering the pub made her falter. He seemed just as startled as she was to see her there, and she was sure he was going to simply turn around and leave. That was, until he noticed Harry’s arm around her.

Anna had no idea what compelled him to help her out. Her aunt made him out to be this cowardly, perverted player who cared for no one but himself. And, after getting to know him a little more, she was right…for the most part. But Murdoc was also ridiculous and funny and poetic and so easy to talk to that she had wished, just for a brief moment, that she could trust him to be something more.

They knew each other more intimately than mere acquaintances, talked and flirted with one another like lovers, and yet they were none of those things. Not acquaintances, not friends, and certainly not lovers.

It frustrated her to no end not knowing where they stood.

Some nights she wondered if it would be really all that bad to sleep with him. Who was to say they couldn’t just be friends with benefits? It wasn’t as if she wanted to be in a relationship with him, anyway. At least then, they would have a way to establish some proper boundaries with one another. At least then, she would have a name to what they were.

Still...the idea of handing over her virginity to Murdoc of all people was a humiliating one, to say the least. It would be a mark of desperation, one she was sure he would hold over her head for as long as they knew one another. And then there was the matter of her aunt’s nameless friend….

[overthedub]

Sneak Peek of Chapter Twelve

“Come off it. Yer cute enough to be in a magazine. Not all that surprising, really, considering you work for one,” Murdoc had said to her once, the day he had first pinned her against the wall and latched that damnable mouth of his to her all-too-vulnerable lips. A stubborn warmth lit across her face. Lately, he was constantly haunting her thoughts.

It wasn’t as if that was her first kiss. That honor, if it could even be called that, belonged to an ex-boyfriend who had no idea what he was doing. It was rushed and desperate and his teeth clacked against hers several times as he tried—and miserably failed—to create a good rhythm.

It was one of the biggest disappointments of her entire life.

But God, did Murdoc know what he was doing. She never imagined a kiss could feel so incredibly good. There was simply no way she could even begin to describe how it made her feel...how it still made her feel.

And yet, for all that, she knew that it meant nothing to him. He had kissed dozens of women dozens of times, all in that same mind-numbing way, and every time, it meant nothing. He simply enjoyed the chase, and, once he caught the prey he sought, moved onto the next without so much as a thought towards the heartbroken trail he left behind.

Anna refused to become another one caught in that string.

[overthedub]

Sneak Peek of Chapter Six

The bell for the entrance rang out then, snapping him out of his thoughts. Anna had just come back to the table with her drink and pastry when she turned to look too. She broke into an easy smile when the members of Gorillaz clambered in, looking completely out-of-place among all the uptight businessmen and hipster college kids crowding the place.

The hint of nervousness that always seemed to follow her around slid away in that instant. Harry frowned. Anna never dropped that guard around him.

“Hey, guys! I���m glad you made it!” she chirped as she walked up to them.

2-D offered her a sleepy smile while Noodle yawned as a response.

Russel chuckled at the sight. “Took me a while t’ get all their lazy butts outta bed, ‘specially Muds, but yo’ treatin’ us, so I figure it’s worth it.”

Murdoc fumed beside him, hands shoved deep in his pockets and cigarette smoldering in the corner of his mouth. Judging by the bags and dark circles under his eyes, he hadn’t anticipated being woken up this early.

Anna’s smile grew.

“Good morning, Murdoc,” she said, keeping her voice sugary sweet.

His eyes snapped to her, and his scowl deepened. “Why the hell did ya wanna meet up at nine in the bloody morning for? It’s too damn early fer interviews!” he grumbled.

Anna continued to smile up at him, unfazed. “What’d you say before? Something about how you need the publicity?” she said in that same sweet tone.

Murdoc’s eye twitched. He knew what she was doing, the petty, little tart. But damn it all, she was right. Gorillaz did need the publicity. He didn’t want the hype for their band to die out just because they were busy recording their album. No, he wanted the masses to be practically salivating whenever they heard their name.

So, instead of snapping back with insults of his own, he just switched the side of his mouth the cigarette hung and left it at that. It didn’t make her any less of a bitch in his eyes, though.

Anna’s smile softened into something more genuine. “C’mon. I’ll buy you guys some breakfast.”

[overthedub]

Sneak Peek of Chapter 2

The office had been flooded with phone calls as of late, so she paid no special heed to the one she picked up about six days after landing her first interview. “Hello, this is Anna Santos, writer and editor for Sound Underground. How may I help you?” she asked, using that professional tone she honed throughout much of the week.

“Oh, so you are there,” a familiar voice drawled. “Yer soddin’ secretary said you mighta been too busy t' talk to me.”

She blinked and held the phone away from her ear to look at it in disbelief.

“Wait, Murdoc?” she asked, cupping the receiver with a hand in case her aunt happened to be lurking nearby. “Why're you calling me?”

“Well, you did give me yer number, love.”

“Oh...right.” Anna glanced over her shoulder then turned back to the phone when she was sure her coworkers were too busy to eavesdrop. “Look, I'm not too busy right now, but I might be called to help with something later. So make this quick.”

“Awright. When're you planning to come over? You promised Noodle, y'know, and she's been pestering me about seeing you again. Frankly, I'm eager to see you myself,” he said with a low chuckle.

“...I see. How were your dates from the night I interviewed you?”

Murdoc hummed. “Ooooh, they were all lovely. That waitress I had was very vigorous. Quite nice, really. I'll have to call ‘er back sometime.”

“Okay, well, you go do that. I have some work to do. See you later.”

“W-Wait! So are you coming up to Kong or not?” The pleading note in his voice almost made her laugh. Was he really that desperate? She couldn’t possibly be better company than that waitress, sex appeal, or lack of in her case, or otherwise.

“I'll go after work,” she consented as she spun her desk chair around. “I'd like to talk to you guys about the new issue anyway, if that's alright. And tell Noodle I'm bringing my Gameboy, too.”

“Great! See ya then, love.”

He hung up in the next second. All Anna hoped was that he understood that, while she wasn't going to visit for purely professional reasons, that didn't mean he could make a pass at her. Maybe her enthusiasm for Pokémon might turn him off. It was a rather childish indulgence on her part, so maybe he might see her as too much of a child to take too seriously.