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rememberthisham · 1 year

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All He Ever Wanted Ch. 1

The leafless trees left precious little shelter from the sun. The bright autumn morning was brisk and stung Dibs uncovered toes in his sandals as he hiked back up the trail by the creek. If he were to set a trap in the woods, it had to be somewhere his prey was likely to frequent. Somewhere near the town, near the trails. Inconspicuous and not near the water.

Under the crunch of the red and gold leaves was the planet he swore to protect from the intruder who'd infiltrated. It said no thanks that he could hear as its impressive gravity made scaling the hill a more arduous task. He bit the inside of his cheek as the frozen wind blew through his coat and cut his skin, making him shiver and yet push harder against the ungrateful ground. He had little time. Zim had come close. His last scheme had come much too close to dominating his world for the human's comfort. His world, not the aliens. He had precious little time until one of his plans finally, against all odds, succeeded. Dib hadn't paid attention to the leftover rain puddles from the night's storm, but he paid now as his shoe slid from under him on the cleverly concealed mud beneath the leaves. He'd been vertical only moments before he laid on his back, his long coat being caked in the culprit. "Uuuuuuuh" he groaned, the first sound he'd made that day. It came out weak through his underused and under-hydrated throat. "Very slick, that mud there." An almost comical elderly voice spoke from somewhere above the kid's line of sight. He closed his eyes against the unforgiving sunlight, embarrassed but not surprised that someone had managed to see him slip and fall in the middle of nowhere. The crunch of the leaves grew closer as whoever spoke seemingly approached the defeated form. The glaring light behind his eyelids lessened and Dib opened them to see an old and very dingy man standing over him. His upside-down bearded face raised an eyebrow and Dib felt the toe of a boot tap his shoulder. "What're ya, dead?" He croaked. Dib laboriously propped himself up on an elbow to regain a sitting position. "How can I move if I'm dead?" He asked rhetorically. The man didn't seem to take it as such as he ran his fingers through his facial hair once, a serious look overtaking his expression. "Oh the dead do things we can only speculate…" he mused, seeming to forget Dib was there. He remembered with a start as he looked back, offering a weathered hand to the boy. Each knobby knuckle stuck out prominently on each finger. Dib cautiously accepted the invitation, jerking and being hoisted to his feet with a strength much greater than he would've guessed from the old man. Dib brushed off as much of the mud as he could and said a curt "thanks". The man shrugged and rubbed his nose with a finger. Right-side-up, the man looked even dirtier than before. Dusty, was a better word, and weathered with deeply tanned skin and thick wrinkles. Dib turned back around and made to continue down the path, but the old man's voice attempted to stop him. "Shouldn't a kid your age be in town? There's nasty things in these woods." Dib had explored the woods looking for Ents and Nymphs many times at many ages. The worst thing he ever encountered was an inappropriately placed pig, but that turned out to have never happened. He stopped walking for only a second before continuing without turning around. "I think I'll be ok," He said hesitantly. His forward momentum was thrown by the sound of crunching behind him. He glanced over his shoulder to find that though he'd taken many steps, the old man was no farther away. He walked on again and still the crunching steps followed. He whirled around to find the old man still the same distance away. He couldn't tell if he was standing differently but he did note that the man wasn't wearing any shoes even in the brisk weather. "What kind of creep follows a kid around?" Dib un-subtly accused him. "What kind of a good samaritan would I be if I let a kid walk around the woods by himself?" He countered, unbothered. Dib rolled his eyes and kept walking, determined to ignore the old weirdo. As the sun climbed higher in the sky the clouds began to gather, casting precious shade over the land and cutting through the harshest of the rays. Dib walked up and down the woods, never straying too close to the town or too far into the trees. He spoke uncomfortably with the old man as he did, and less uncomfortably after enough time. "You think I'm gonna be eaten by bears or something?" Dib asked, whacking trees as he walked with a branch he picked up off the ground. "Bears…wolves…Sasquatches…" he chuckled at the last part and Dib sighed. No one ever believed in sasquatch but him. In the end, dib found the perfect spot after walking and small talking for the better part of an hour. It was a sizable clearing a small ways off the path, slightly lower in elevation than the surrounding ground, possibly a place for water drainage off the hill when it rained. It wasn't too far from Zim's house and it would be easy to set up something elaborate. Whenever he was finished working out the details, he was sure it would be elaborate. With a triumphant nod, he checked his watch— He had ten minutes to get to skool. "AAAAAHHISQJFgonbelateAAA!" Was all he managed to scream at the old man as he scrambled up the hill with an energy resembling that of a weasel with its tail on fire. The man watched him leave toward town with a small smile. He was glad he'd followed that kid until he went home, who knew what lurked in the woods so close to an alien's house? 0 BAM Dib punched the door open with more strength than was strictly necessary and cast his gaze wildly around the room. Everyone else in the class was present and seated, including the one Dib's eyes sought so fervently. Zim sat rigid in his seat by the wall as he did every day. His back was straight, face neutral, and hands folded like the model middle skool student. Or the model soldier, Dib thought with venom. His thoughts weren't so certain for long as his eyes landed on the elephant in the room, or rather, the moose. Beside Zim floated a small lilac moose with a round and non-threatening face. Dib pointed aghast at the sight, looking wildly between the occupants of the room for someone, anyone, to show confusion as well. "Ms. Bitters—" " Dib ." She cut him off before he could even start up for the day. " You're Ļ̶̛̛̯̝͖̝̗̠͙͎̼̦̳͖̮͙̥̦̽̑̈̈́̎́̅̿̋̎̈́̀͌́͒̈́̀̄̀̀̐̍̆̅̀́̽̚̕͜͝͝͝ā̷̛̺͉͙̏͐̒̋̇̄̃̀͗̈́̓͘̕͠͠t̴̡̨̨̡̺̳̬̰͍̲̪̘͖̺̩̺̥̺͙̤͕͉̱̩̺̘̯͍̱̤̤̫͑̄͐́̂͛͛͝ę̵̨̡̢̝̠̭͎̫̹̠͈̙̭̟̻̹͍̟̣̤̣̹̐ ." The poison in her tone inflicted physical pain and Dib shut his eyes against it. Gulping in fear and resignation at the punishment still yet to come. "Well…I was in the woods and…but the moose " "Not good enough!" She yelled, her voice in her nose, pointing a crooked finger as she materialized in front of him. Dib shrunk back and there were snickers from the class. "You know what we do with tardy children, Dib, " she said his name like a word most teachers would get fired for using on a student. Dib sighed and nodded once. The tardy corner wasn't the worst punishment she had up her sleeve if Dib was honest. He wrinkled his nose as it bumped against the sticky brown substance running down the nicotine-colored walls. The conditions weren't very conducive to learning as he was facing away from the board and also hanging from twine by his ankles, but it did its part to discourage tardiness in the future so that had to count for something. Dib used his free time, and his expansive childhood imagination, to plan the mechanisms of his trap for Zim. It had to be completely flawless, his best work yet. He had to consider every possible escape or workaround and counteract it. First, the robot. Gir was the wildcard to everything Dib tried. He would let Dib into Zim's base of operations in exchange for a suck munkey, but he could also break Zim out of a high-security holding cell. Whichever he was in the mood for seemed to be like the flip of a coin. Only one consistency existed in the henchman's programming, food. It was Thursday, so Dib had to choose his time to act wisely. That weekend was Krazy Tacos' annual Krazy spec-taco-lur weekend blowout extravaganza. The whole town would be there and the only thing more guaranteed than at least three beef-pit-related deaths was the little robots' attendance. Zim couldn't stand people or meat so it was safe to assume Gir would be going solo, leaving Zim undefended for the weekend. Next was the issue of bait. What could Zim want that would lure him into something like that? Dib had done extensive research into the so-called 'Irkens' and had concluded that they were some kind of insect-descended intelligent species who'd evolved so closely to their technology that they could no longer live independently of it. As such, it wouldn't be such a stretch to bait an Irken trap similarly to how you'd bait an insect trap, right? Dibs' thoughts were interrupted as something hefty smacked against the back of his head, making him smash his face into the wall. The textbook hit the ground with a heavy thud, followed by the clatter of Dibs' glasses. "Stop talking to yourself, I'm trying to concentrate." The kid turned back around in his chair and continued carving the incorrect spelling of his name directly into the wood of his desk. Dib's nose and forehead throbbed but he didn't appear to be bleeding, so he didn't worry about it too much. He tried to remember what he'd been thinking about, but his thoughts came slow and heavy from all the blood rushing to his head. The trap? His train of thought found its track again as he started cataloging the items he needed to build this idea, and comparing them to the things he had available in the garage. When the bell finally rang he was let down. He sat heavily on the tile floor, willing his legs to regain feeling. He almost regretted it as the intense pins and needles made him wince and suck in harsh breaths. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw the flash of purple that had caught his attention in the first place and he was on his feet in a heartbeat, pins-and-needles ignored but not forgotten. He pointed an accusing finger in Zim's direction. "Zim! Why do you have a moose?!" He shouted, more of a demand than a question. Zim looked frantically around the room. "Eeeh…it's my…uh…EMOTIONAL SUPPORT MOOSE! Stink-mammal." He declared before grabbing the animal out of the air with both hands. "Do not follow Zim!" He spat in a quick breath over his shoulder before sprinting down the hallway. ̑

#invader zim fanfiction #invader zim #zadf #iz #fanfic

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jacqcrisis · 5 years

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Why do People Ship ZaDR?

The allure of the ZaDR ship has, and always will be ‘how do we go from mortal hated enemies to friends to lovers and how does time and maturity effect that?’. It is in essence a meta ship, having less to do with the characters in the canonical timeline of the show, and more about what they represent, what they can represent, and who they can become. The ship on most levels relies on its fans to speculate on what could be as a opposed to what is, unlike most pairings out there.

Stay with me.

Zim and Dib are fucking great FOILs, both sharing more similarities that one would first think.

both want to prove something to their superiors (Dib to his father, and by extent the world at large, and Zim to the Tallest and all of the Irken race)

both are crazy smart but also idiots (Dib repairs an alien ship for Christ’s sake and Zim used to be a scientist before earning the rank of Invader)

both are looked down upon HEAVILY (though this effects each differently as Zim is mostly unaware while Dib is very aware of how people perceive him)

both are lonely with their main non-familial social interactions coming from each other (THERE’S LITERALLY A WHOLE INCOMPLETE EPISODE ABOUT THIS)

both are trying to conquer something (for Zim it’s Earth and to a lesser extent Dib and for Dib it’s Zim)

All of that is in the canon of the show (and I’m assuming the comics, which I’ve only read bits and pieces of, so I’m going mostly off the show and the cut episodes). We have two characters are so opposed to one another’s very existence and yet they are mirrors of each other. But the kicker comes in when you think about what could happen later down the line in their lives.

What happens when Dib gets into his late teens, and has to deal with Hi-Skool, or when he goes out into the existential nightmare that is the real world? How long will he want to keep protecting a world that actively hates him? When will he realize his enemy is honestly the most relatable person in his life? What will that change for him? Will he become disillusioned with how awful humanity is and join Zim? Will he convince Zim to join him?

Likewise with Zim comes the questions of how does Earth change him? What happens if he integrates more into humanity? Does time make his quest for world domination less appealing? What happens when the Tallest’s ire finally get through his thick skull? Or if the Tallest just try to destroy Earth while he’s on it? Does he ever figure out what a good companion Dib makes, or how useful he is? Does he ever try to convince Dib to give up Earth as a whole? If he gives up the domination thing, what then does Dib represent to him?

And for both of them, when does that hate morph into something else? What happens if it did?

Its these ideas that make ZaDR so interesting, because we’ve been given a conduit for some very thought provoking explorations into the nature of hatred and two people who detest each other but at the same time NEED each other, as evidence by the planned episode, Mopiness of Doom. (< link to the unfinished animation done by Soapy Waffles, which is the full episode with all the voice acting, just not fully animated).

This episode was the pinnacle of everything a ZaDR fan wanted confirmation of. Here’s a break down if you didn’t click the link (BUT DO ITS A FUNNY EPISODE):

Dib gets tired of chasing down Zim and the pointlessness of it all, and decides to become a scientist like his dad. Zim does some more ‘evil’ and Dib tells him he’s done with the enemy shtick to which Zim finds great at first but becomes confused when Dib walks away from his monologue. Zim then spies on Dib in Membrane’s lab, saddened by how happy Dib claims to be and by how no one else even looks his way when he claims to have a new plan to take over the Earth. Zim’s reaction is to lose all his drive to the point that he just stops his schemes all together, become a shut in, and eats a bunch of junk food, all because Dib stops paying attention to him (its implied in the animatic he’s been paying attention to Dib’s new exploits as well with newspapers and magazines picture of Dib scattered across the floor, but i dont know if that’s canon).

It culminates in Prof. Membrane realizing his son isn’t happy, and when he questions Dib, Dib confesses that science isn’t for him it doesn’t make him happy because what he was meant to do was ‘catch me that alien!’. And, much to Membrane’s chagrin, he runs off to go tell Zim he’s back to being his mortal enemy, to which Zim responds by perking right back up and, according to Gaz ‘all is right with the world again’.

Not only is it canonical that these two are intrinsic to each other’s mental well-being, but those closest to them (Gaz and Gir) know it as well. Gir literally breaks into Dib’s house to beg him to go back to Zim.

And its easy, from that point, to begin to imagine what happens to that dynamic as Dib gets into adulthood and becomes more world-wise. There is so much potential there for fan speculation that its easy to see why it became such a niche and long lasting pairing. Ask anyone who ascribes to the ship, and they’ll gush paragraphs and paragraphs about personal headcanons regarding who Dib becomes as an adult and how his relationship with Zim evolved over time and how they eventually got together and what became of their lives.

Its never about how the two start a relationship in Skool while Dib is 12, but always about how their enemy dynamic slowly evolves into something more over many many years and how that opinion changes literally from person to person.

ZaDR is an inherently strange and meta ship, often delving into angst and violence and whump as its core genres given its source material. Its understandable not to see the appeal, but for those of us who do, its never been about what is happening in the canon of now, about the characters as they are presented. Its more about what could become of them later, about the natural evolution of the dynamics at play. About a mad paranormal investigator and an equally mad alien hellbent on conquering Earth.

About what happens when you grow up into an adult in a world that has always refused to accept you, and what happens when the mortal enemy you have is also the only one who genuinely understands you.

#zadr #invader zim #its an interesting topic so sue me

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controlbrains · 5 years

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Zim is an adult and Dib is 12 LMAO

Okay. This is the very last time I’m gonna say ANYTHING about any of this. From now on I’m just gonna delete asks or ignore any other nonsense because fuck, come on.

1. JV only said that recently. Before he said Zim was basically a teenager. JV has always said whatever shit comes to his mind. He’s rarely ever genuine. And he also has always had a weird kinda of aggressive relationship with the fandom.

2. He’s a fucking alien?? From a different planet?? Time is fake?? Can irkens even die from old age?? are the immortal?? What does time mean for them?

3. I don’t ship Dib with him at 12, LMAO. They’re enemies and pseudo friends rn. But, if we play in the canon, and want to move beyond what we’re given in the show/movie/comic, and explore the world then yeah like real life, characters age and grow and it’s fun to do character examinations and what things might be like one day. like this implies that we’re ONLY allowed to create stuff as it is in the show. not allowed to explore the amazing world we’re given. which would be boring as hell.

4. I’ve shipped them since I was 11. You ain’t gonna stop me now with shaky arguments.

5. Do ya go into people’s inboxes and tell them this if they ship ZaGr or DaTr?? Ships with equal age gaps?? But happen to be ‘straight’?? I’m sure this isn’t something you’re considering but, it WAS in the beginning of the fandom. People were very homophobic.

6. I’ve been in this fandom for nearly 10 years. And I’ve shipped it for 10 years.

7. Age gaps are also not pedophilia. I’ve never fetishized Dib’s age in any thing. I don’t even fetishize the age gap.

8. The two of them have ALWAYS been portrayed as equals. There’s hardly ever any kind of unequal power dynamic which is a big part of the problem of age gap ships. But, the two of them go toe to toe, in intelligence, resources, determination etc.

9. JV may have suddenly decided to say that Zim is an adult after literal YEARS of saying otherwise, but Zim is also never really portrayed as an adult. he’s an main character in a child’s show. Kids are supposed relate to him.

10. And also the show itself may be spouted as a child’s show but, its always been understood as going beyond age. I think we can see that with the sheer amount of fans it’s gathered from all ages. JV created JTHM. A very much adult Thing. Much of that dark humor and adult themes leak into the show. I guess I’m saying that in opposition to many kids shows that are designed JUST for kids and therefor have a higher chance of being harmed by fandom’s tendency to create NSFW or graphic images…the harm is less here. We have people who are in their 20s or 30s rn (like me and several of my friends) who WERE kids when the show came out. And now they’re not and they still love it. This isnt just a kids show. it never really has been. And we’re allowed to enjoy it.

11. It’s not even like…fiction. Wherein one character is a young person and the other character being shipped is an adult. It’s a young human person and a alien. It’s fantasy, science fiction. It’s literally impossible. (Unless something wild happens soon and we get aliens that are over 100+ years old tomorrow)

12. Many people who like ZaDr or any ship really are people who use them for coping mechanisms. I don’t count myself as one of them (anymore) but, I know several others who do.

13. IZ and ZaDr literally saved my life when I was young. Or at least motivated me to stay alive in a VERY dark time of my life. It made me laugh. Made me create art and writing. I made friends and a community. But, I guess that’s moot now.

14. Don’t we have more important things to be worrying about?? Like…idk the Amazon being burnt? or Climate Change? or the re-rise of fascism? Or idk real life pedophiles that are harming real life children. And not people shipping two dumb characters from a dumb show??

#zadr #zadr discourse #even tho its really not #its a failure of a discourse #Anon #asks #mp

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krizaland · 4 years

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Enter the Zimvoid Chapter 21

First Chapter Previous

Warning: We have officially reached spoiler town! If you have not read Issue 49 yet and want to avoid spoilers then please come back once you have gotten a chance to read it.

If you’ve already read issue 49, don’t care about spoilers, or just haven’t even read the Invader Zim comics at all, then feel free to read on!

“That’s right, Zims! All this time, your supreme leader…your ‘ultimate Zim’…. was actually the ULTIMATE DIB!” Number 1 cackled as he hopped out of his Zim-suit and plopped into his throne, “Surprised?”

“Of course not! I totally saw this coming!” Your Zim lied.

“Not as soon as I saw it coming!” 2k squeaked.

“Well, um I can’t say I was expecting this…” You spluttered as your mind struggled to process what was happening.

“Oh, Lookit! It’s some kinda Zib man!” GIR chirped as he pointed to Zib.

“No, no, stupid robot. I’m just a regular old Dib!” Zib chuckled as he shoved GIR aside.

“I…I don’t understand. What happened to you?” Dib gasped.

“Yeah, how did you end up like….that?” You asked as you gestured to Zib.

“Everything we ever wanted, Dib! Everything we ever dreamed! In my timeline, I defeated my Zim! I saved the Earth! But that was just a start!” Zib grinned as he turned around to reveal the PAK fused to his head.

You let out a horrified gasp when you saw the PAK digging into the back of Zib’s sickly green head. It practically throbbed like a parasite feeding off of its host.

You suppressed the urge to vomit as Zib continued.

“By reverse engineering the weapons in Zim’s lab, I mastered Irken tech…And learned how to create powerful electromagnetic pulse weapons that could disable and destroy it!” Zib explained as he gestured to his throbbing PAK.

“Impossible! No half-brained human meat monkey could ever figure out how to build something like that!” Your Zim snapped.

“Electromagnetic pulse weapons? You mean like that giant zapper thing that brought us all here?!” Dib’s eyes lit up as he spoke.

“Exactly! And with it, I was able to wipe out the entire Irken Empire, liberating millions from their tyranny! Now we’re revered across the galaxy, earning the love and respect of people everywhere!” Zig boasted as a few more flecks of drool his the ground.

“…Even Y/N?” Dib whimpered as a small blush spread across his face.

Zib’s face fell as a sigh escaped his throat.

“Well, I don’t know how to tell you this but…Y/N..they,” A few fake tears trickled down his cheeks as he spoke.

“They what?”

“They….died…” Zib choked out as more tears begun to fall.

“What?! Y/N is dead in your timeline?!” Dib yelped as he grabbed the sides of his head.

“It’s sadly true. My Y/N was everything to me. They actually listened to me and loved me. But my rotten Zim…He didn’t like seeing me so happy. So he brainwashed my Y/N and…He killed them in cold blood!” Zib lied as a storm of fake tears and real drool soaked the ground.

“Wait! That’s not what you told me-” You began but Zib cut you off.

“Y/N was the one thing missing from my otherwise perfect timeline for years! But now…Now I can finally have them back! Sure they’re not my Y/N but they’ll make a good replacement!” Zib giggled as he pinched your cheek.

“Wait! That’s why you want to marry my sweet Y/N?!” Your Zim snapped.

“Your Y/N? Oh no. This Y/N is mine now! In fact, I think I’ll marry every Y/N in the multiverse! Yes! Every Y/N in every timeline will belong to me! And there’ll be nothing any of you Zims could do about it!” Zib cackled as he threw his arms up into the air.

“You wish to marry my Y/N too?! I’ll never let that happen!” Palindrome seethed.

“Yeah! Don’t even think about going anywhere near my Y/N either!” 2k added.

“Wait! What about me?! This Y/N is from my timeline! Why I can’t I have them?!” Dib whined as he gestured to you.

“Oh, well…Don’t take this the wrong way but you’re a little too soft to handle any Y/N let alone one this beautiful!” Zib chuckled as he threw an arm around Dib.

“I’m not soft-”

“Anyway, once I discovered this Dimensional Nexus while exploring Pandora’s Quadrangle, I realized my work wasn’t done yet! My world was safe…. but there were still countless alternate timelines where the Irkens remained undefeated! So I began my master plan to save all Earths everywhere!” Zib interjected as he pointed to the ceiling.

“By doing what? By enslaving Zims and marrying every Y/N you meet?!” You snapped as you shot Zib a glare.

“Oh ho! No, no, no! That’s only part of my plan, my sweet!” Zib chuckled as he pulled you close.

“Get your moldy paws off of me, you creep!” You seethed as you pushed Zib off of you.

Zib blinked in surprise for a moment as your harsh words begun to echo within his deranged mind.

“You creep! You creep! You creep!” Was all Zib could hear.

Zib’s left eye twitched as a low growl escaped his throat.

“I. AM. NOT. A. CREEP!” Zib roared as he launched himself into his throne.

BEEP!

Zib slammed down on one of his throne’s many buttons.

FWOOSH! FWHIP! SWAP!

Several mechanical tentacles fired out from the back of the throne and engulfed all of the Zims and even Dib!

You let out a yelp as one last tentacle wrapped around your waist and forced you to face Zib.

“Why is nothing I do good enough for you, Y/N?! HUH?! I’ve made countless sacrifices! I’ve endured countless trials and for what?! Just for you to call me a…creep?!” Zib snarled, firing more drool in your direction.

All you could do was turn your face away from the drool droplets as Zib continued his rant.

“It’s always the same with you! ‘Dib stop trying to expose Zim!’ ‘Dib stop stealing my underwear!’ and ‘Dib stop going through my garbage cans!’ I’ll have you know that I got bitten by several raccoons just to get near your garbage cans!” Zib whined as he snapped a green finger in your face.

“You stole your Y/N’s underwear-” Dib began as the tentacles squeezed him tighter.

“I dedicated my whole life to pleasing you! Well that and protecting the Earth from the paranormal of course!” Zib continued as real tears streamed down his cheeks.

“If you truly wanted to please me then you wouldn’t have done any of this crazy stuff! Look at you! Do you have any idea what you’ve become?!” You grimaced as you continued to shield your face from the storm of drool firing out of Zib’s mouth.

“I know exactly what I’ve become! I’ve became the guardian of multiverse! I won’t rest until I’ve saved everyone from the evil of the Irken Empire! Especially you! I won’t let that alien monster trick you this time, Y/N!” Zib seethed as he turned your face to look at him.

#Invader zim #Invader zim x reader #Invader Zim comics #Invader Zim dib #Invader Zim spoilers #spoilers #invader zim into the zimvoid

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syrupwit · 4 years

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Letter for Multifandom Horror Exchange

Hello there, and welcome to my letter for Multifandom Horror Exchange 2020! I appreciate that you’ve taken the time to read this letter. I hope that it will provide you with clarification, inspiration, or at the very least a bit of entertainment. Although I’ve written more for some sections and less for others, rest assured that I would be super excited to receive a gift for any of my requested fandoms, characters, pairings, or horror types.

Please see the table of contents below:

Likes

DNWs

Fandom: House (1977)

Fandom: Invader Zim

Fandom: The Magnus Archives

Fandom: Too Many Cooks (2014 Short)

Likes

A long list of my general likes can be found here.

When it comes to horror, I tend to prefer psychological explorations, suspense, and disturbing implications to explicit gore and violence, although I’m definitely not opposed to more graphic content. I love ominous atmospheres; building, lingering senses of dread; and landscapes and environments that interact with and express the characters’ fears, anxieties, and griefs. I especially love horror with supernatural elements -- ghosts and hauntings, monsters and cryptids, eldritch deities and their cultists, magic and magic users. I’m also a big fan of cosmic horror, and the sense that characters are pitted against amoral, indifferent forces that might not even recognize them as significant enough to be hostile towards but that are nonetheless damaging to human life. Additionally, I really like dark comedy, gallows humor, and horror with a more comedic / parodic / satirical slant.

While I typically prefer hopeful or bittersweet endings for my requested characters and pairings, please go for it if you have a great idea with a darker ending.

Some horror media I have really enjoyed but am not requesting for this exchange include the short stories of M. R. James and JS Le Fanu; William Hope Hodgson’s Carnacki, the Ghost-Finder stories; Clark Ashton Smith’s Averoigne stories; “The Night Ocean” by R. H. Barlow and H. P. Lovecraft; the connected-ish novels The Red Tree and The Drowning Girl by Caitlin R. Kiernan; the parody / pastiche novels of A. Lee Martinez; My Best Friend’s Exorcism by Grady Hendrix; and the movies Suspiria (1977 version -- haven’t seen the new one yet), The Others (2001), and Kwaidan (1965). Also I really love Garth Marenghi’s Darkplace. I don’t know if listing all that helps, but there it is.

Do Not Want (DNW)

Underage sex

Character or ship bashing

Hate speech or in-depth onscreen depictions / discussions of bigotry

Harm to pet animals, or any graphic animal harm (fighting a giant evil wolf or something is fine)

Characters having consensual sex when they are not attracted to each other

Noncon that goes against a character’s in-fic orientation

Bestiality

Scat

Necrophilia

Sexual activity involving worms / spiders / insects

FANDOM: HOUSE (1977)

Requested Fanwork Types: Fic -- Not Emphasizing Sexual Content

Requested Horror Types: Dark Fantasy, Folk Horror, Gothic Horror, Psychological Horror

Requested Characters/Pairings: Auntie & Gorgeous, Auntie/Fantasy, Kung Fu/Sweet

If you are not yet familiar with House or are looking for a refresher, this fanvid by AbsoluteDestiny hits most of the high points: Rock Lobster [YouTube link]. The basic plot is that seven girls visit their classmate’s aunt in the countryside for summer vacation. While initially charmed by the aunt’s quaint manners and old-fashioned home, they soon discover that something is very wrong. Things get weirder and weirder as more of the girls disappear and the aunt’s past is revealed. Innovative art design, a bangin soundtrack, and a kaleidoscopic array of surreal, absurd events and images make this film a memorable, exuberantly strange experience. Also, the aunt is hot, and you can quote me on that.

*** PLEASE NOTE THAT THE FOLLOWING RELATIONSHIP SECTIONS INCLUDE MINOR SPOILERS ***

Relationship: Auntie & Gorgeous

I’d love to learn more about the dynamic between Gorgeous and her aunt. How long had Auntie planned to prey on / possess her? Did they truly have any interactions while Auntie was alive? After the film’s ending, is there anything next for them? I’m a big fan of Subtle Menace and Vague Yet Troubling Implications, so scenes of Gorgeous going about her daily life while receiving odd letters from her aunt absolutely would not go amiss. And what’s up with the cat?

Relationship: Auntie/Fantasy

The postwar generation gap and feelings of alienation between younger/older people are major themes in House. I think this finds a lot of expression in the relationship between Auntie and Fantasy, Gorgeous’s best friend who is prone to daydreaming and ill-equipped to grasp the full tragedy of Auntie’s life. One of the concluding scenes of the film involves a possessed-by-Auntie Gorgeous holding Fantasy’s head to her breast and petting her hair while she cries; I guess that’s just very interesting to me. I love UST and ominousness and weirdness, so please go for it if you have an idea that involves any of those things for this pairing.

Relationship: Kung Fu/Sweet

These two are just cute, and a little sad. Kung Fu is the action girl of the friend group, and Sweet is a gentle, polite girl who Kung Fu feels she has to protect. Unfortunately Sweet gets attacked by futons and trapped in a clock, and then Kung Fu is eaten by a lamp. What might happen in an AU where they survive, or where the house consumes the courses of its meal in a different order? Is there a “wandering through dreamland” element to the nightmare dimension where they’re trapped at the end? Perhaps the body horror from the movie is played straight, and Kung Fu’s head and legs continue to move independently of each other though they share the same mind (agh). Who knows?

FANDOM: INVADER ZIM

Requested Fanwork Types: Fic -- Not Emphasizing Sexual Content, Fic -- Emphasizing Sexual Content

Requested Horror Types: Institutional Horror, Paranormal Horror, Science-Fiction Horror, Survival Horror

Requested Characters/Pairings: Dib/Zim

Like a good chunk of people in the fandom right now, I had my teenage love for this show revived by last summer’s movie. There’s something irresistible to me about the blend of snappy comedy, unapologetic pessimism, and hints of a more complicated universe that we just barely get to see. For this exchange, I’d be thrilled with a story that retains the lighter elements of canon, as well as something that explores a darker take on things. I haven’t read any of the comics yet, but feel free to include stuff from them if you like.

Relationship: Dib/Zim

Apparently this is my OTP. Yeah, I don’t know either. The enemies to frenemies or lovers dynamic is one of my favorites. I particularly enjoy these two as outcasts who fruitlessly seek validation from indifferent or hostile societies via their rivalry when they’re the ones who really understand each other best. I prefer their relationship to end up a positive thing for both of them, if with some rough territory along the way. Like a good chunk of ZADR fandom, I prefer this ship aged up to late teens or young adults, but feel free to write them canon age as well -- just no underage sex, please.

For each type of horror I’ve requested, here are some ideas I have:

Institutional Horror: The world of Invader Zim is full of unpleasant and draconian institutions -- for example, the Crazy House for Boys, or Dib’s school with its underground classrooms. Irken society itself is one big dystopian horror-fest on pretty much all levels.

Paranormal Horror: The supernatural is another canonical feature of this universe. <3 Does Dib get in over his head investigating strange phenomena? Does he raise the walking dead again, get grounded for it, and have no choice but to stand by helplessly while his zombies overtake the city? Does Zim acquire an unwanted tenant in the form of a ghost, or a mysterious artifact that promises to grant all his wishes? There are so many options.

Science-Fiction Horror: Haunted ships and abandoned research stations, the yawning emptiness of deep space, eldritch monsters beyond the stars... Dib and Zim can encounter all of these and pretend not to be scared out of their wits by them. Also! Killer robots, sentient computer viruses, experiments gone wrong? Anything you like.

Survival Horror: These two would make great survival horror protagonists on their own, but I also really like the idea of them being thrown in a situation where they have to work together to make it out. I really like the idea of Zim and Dib being pitted against a more serious antagonist or challenge than those they encounter in canon, and of them realizing that, despite the many canonical instances of mutual attempted murder, neither actually wants the other to die. (And then getting out with a new understanding of their importance to each other! Or ending miserably. Either way.)

FANDOM: THE MAGNUS ARCHIVES

Requested Fanwork Types: Fic -- Not Emphasizing Sexual Content, Fic -- Emphasizing Sexual Content

Requested Horror Types: Cosmic/Lovecraftian Horror, Folk Horror, Institutional Horror, Paranormal Horror, Religious Horror

Requested Characters/Pairings: Gerard Keay, Mary Keay & Gertrude Robinson, Mary Keay/Gertrude Robinson, Trevor Herbert & Julia Montauk, Sasha James/Michael, Martin Blackwood/Peter Lukas

As a rule, I’m not into podcasts. I sat down with the first episode of this series about a month ago and became obsessed within two days. (I am now caught up through Season 5.) I love the unique worldbuilding, and the way the horror feels really genuinely horrifying and modern and immediate even when it’s one of those rad historical episodes, and all the characters, and the plot, and aaaahhhhhhh I love it. I’d just really like to hear more about this universe (and characters), and all the terrible things that can happen in it (and to them).

Character: Gerard Keay

Poor, doomed Gerry Keay. I want to know more about his adventures! Canon divergence, pre-canon, something set nebulously present or post-canon -- I’m here for all of it. I ship him romantically with pretty much every character except his parents, and platonically with every character including his parents; in particular, I like him with Gertrude and Jon. If you’d like some slightly more specific prompts, here are a few:

Trevor and Julia using Gerard as a monster manual, pre-Season 3. Did they ever run into something he couldn’t identify?

AU where Jon keeps his page instead of destroying it.

Working or traveling with Gertrude, trying to relax after a taxing case but getting pulled into another one.

Teenage Gerard chasing Leitners and getting in over his head.

Relationship: Mary Keay & Gertrude Robinson | Mary Keay/Gertrude Robinson

Grouping the platonic and romantic ships together because I like both and am mostly just interested in seeing these two interact more. “Dubiously (a)moral older women on orthogonal sides of a conflict, also one of them semi-kills the other” is, like, a dynamic that could have been tailor-made for me.

Mary Keay is so deeply creepy -- her statement in “First Edition” gave me legitimate shivers. Her quest for power and attempts to control the Entities are really interesting to me, and I enjoy how they contrast with Gertrude’s more utilitarian, less openly self-serving approach. Gertrude, on the other hand… I just fuckin love Gertrude. The frail old lady exterior hiding a ruthless will and a spine of magically reinforced steel -- I swoon. (I should note that I really like stuff that explores the more vulnerable and messy sides of badass / competent characters, especially female characters. If Gertrude locks up her heart and throws away the key, etc., what could make it strain its chains...? Or, uh, something like that.)

Relationship: Trevor Herbert & Julia Montauk

Yes! Obnoxious monster hunters!! I’m intrigued by their intuitive understanding of each other and strong bond despite the age gap and different life experiences. Do the demands of the Hunt ever interfere with their partnership? What sorts of gnarly, gross, twisted, chilling, or darkly funny situations have they gotten into over the course of their travels? I love them as happy monsters in comic, if gruesome, circumstances, but I’d also be down for something exploring the darker or softer sides of their work and relationship.

Relationship: Sasha James/Michael

I was mad interested by Michael’s introduction in “A Distortion,” and Sasha was so brave with him. I’m a huge sucker for the trope where a supernatural creature protects or helps a weak ordinary human, even if it’s for a price, and for any monster romance along those lines. Perhaps these two have other encounters between their first meeting and Sasha’s murder, or an alternate first meeting? Perhaps Michael rescues her from the Not!Them? Or perhaps, in an AU, Archivist!Sasha has a very different sort of relationship with the Distortion? Or something else...?!

Relationship: Martin Blackwood/Peter Lukas

A later addition, but I couldn’t help myself. I love how amiable and sensible Peter acts even as he’s carrying out dread errands, and I felt for poor Martin dealing with Peter’s weird corporate speak and technology issues. There’s so much potential for comedy, angst, and multi-layered horror with this pairing -- the Lonely is such a strangely seductive concept even as it’s terrifying, and Peter’s relationship to it is very interesting. Peter, himself, is very interesting. Martin, I’m just very fond of, all his courage and scheming and petulance (and codependent tendencies). I’m down for pretty much anything about this pairing.

FANDOM: TOO MANY COOKS (2014 SHORT)

Requested Fanwork Types: Fic -- Not Emphasizing Sexual Content

Requested Horror Types: Cosmic/Lovecraftian Horror, Killer Horror, Psychological Horror, Survival Horror

Requested Characters/Pairings: Character of Author’s Choice

The “Too Many Cooks” short can be watched for free on YouTube.

I remember watching this when it came out. I watched it again when I saw it in the nominations for this exchange, and yep, STILL CREEPY AS FUCK. ❤︎❤︎❤︎ I love the genre parodies in this short almost as much as the gradually eroding realities / intensifying horror and strangeness. I would love to hear more about this nightmare world and how an individual character might experience it. Really, I’m up for almost anything here. :D

#optional detailed letters for exchanges tag

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krizaland · 5 years

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Do you think in your Zimvoid story that our zim has a random picture of his s/o in his pak and is looking at it a lot. Like he is under the impression he might not ever see his s/o again. (the sad talk from all the other zims arent helping either.)

How delightfully angsty Anon! You just made me cry gave me inspiration for a chapter 2!

Bring some tissues and strap in! We’re going on another feels trip! I apologize for any sadness this chapter may bring you!

Be warned: There’s spoilers for the Invader Zim comics ahead!

First Chapter

Protip: If you listen to a funny song (like a meme song such as: All Star or even circus music) while reading angst then it helps halt the tears.

Meanwhile, your Zim had just climbed the ranks in the arena.

“Congratulations, 2170, you’re the new 2165. You can look forward to your new assignment, Mold Scraper” 500 sighed as he changed the number on your Zim’s collar.

“What?! No! Is that better than sewage unclogger?” Your Zim huffed.

“Very slightly”

“Unacceptable! I demand something better!” You Zim snapped as he pointed to the sky.

“Well if you really want to participate in more fights..” 500 pulled out his book of Zim opponents and flipped through the pages.

“As many as it takes! It’ll be a cakewalk! No Zim walks cakes better than I! You hear?!” You Zim declared as he shook his fist at the sky.

“Just point me in the way of the mes I need to destroy!” Your Zim’s voice dripped with venom as a sinister grin spread across his face.

“Alright, let me chose your next opponent. Just wait here for a bit.” 500 groaned as he gestured to an empty seat in the waiting area.

Your Zim promptly took his seat and let out a sigh. While he would never admit it, he was starting to get tired.

“Why am I even doing this? Everyone knows that I’m the superior Zim! And what’s with all of this talk of ‘things’. This Zim needs no pathetic ‘thing’! These battles are a waste of my time!” Your Zim thought to himself.

Suddenly his mind reminded him of something you once said to him when he was feeling down:

“Sometimes, we have to do things we don’t want to do. Does it suck? Yeah. But can you do it? Absolutely. Zim, you’re the best at everything you do! Go out there and show them who’s boss!”

Your Zim chuckled as he straightened up a bit. He opened his PAK and a small gadget popped out and displayed a hologram of you.

It wasn’t just any hologram of you. It was his personal favorite hologram of you.

In the hologram, you were wearing your fanciest formal attire for the Skool dance. You looked so lovely that evening. Your Zim let out a dreamy sigh as he remembered that night:

“Thanks for coming with me, Zim.” You smiled as you held Zim’s hand.

“It’s of no trouble, Sweet Y/N! I’d like learn more about these human ‘dances’” Your Zim explained as he followed you inside the Skool.

You gently lead your Zim to the lunchroom. The lunchroom was poorly decorated in half assed streamers and poorly edited posters that read: “Danse”. The smell of mold and expired milk still lingered in the air but your Zim didn’t care.

All he could focus on was the feeling of your hand intertwined with his.

“Seriously, Y/N?! I can’t believe you brought that alien monster to the dance! He probably wants to plant a bomb or something!”

Dib’s whining woke your Zim from his thoughts.

“Dib, he’s not a monster. Zim and I are just here to dance and have a good time.” You huffed as you shot Dib a glare.

“Yeah! So go wallow in your lonely existence somewhere else, Dib-Stink!” Your Zim added.

“Zim! Don’t stoop to his level!” You scolded as you shot your Zim a glare.

“I don’t get it! What do you even see in him?! He’s an alien! An evil monster that wants to destroy mankind! How can you stand there and call him your boyfriend?!” Dib ranted as he gestured to Zim.

“Dib, there’s more to Zim than you think. He’s not evil and has given up on destroying the Earth like a year ago.” You huffed.

“Do you honestly believe he’s changed?! How gullible can you be?! Why don’t you -”

“I’m not going to argue with you, Dib! Leave us alone!” You interjected.

“Gah! Why do you love him?! There’s so many better people out there! You could do so much better!” Dib insisted.

“C’mon, Zim let’s go find somewhere else to dance.” You growled as you gently lead your Zim away from Dib.

Your Zim let you lead him away from Dib but stuck his worm like tongue at him while you weren’t looking.

“You should be dancing with me…” Dib trailed off as he hung his head in defeat.

“You’d think after you apologized said you’ve changed that Dib would leave you be.” You grumbled as you sat down at one of the open lunch tables.

“Oh let’s not let the Dib monkey rain all over our perfect dance!” Zim mused as he sat beside you.

“Heh. I guess you’re right, about that.” You giggled.

“Attention, students! It’s time for the obligatory slow dance! Find yourself a partner or suffer in your bone crushing loneliness!” The DJ announced.

“Slow Dance? Are they going to bring out a time warper and slow down the flow of time?!” Your Zim squealed as his eyes lit up.

“I wish! But no. A slow dance is where they play a really mushy love song and you’re supposed to dance all slow to it.” You chuckled.

“Oh. I liked the time warp idea better.” Your Zim pouted.

“Yeah, me too. Wanna slow dance anyway?” You offered as you got up.

“Sure, why not?” Your Zim chirped as he joined you.

You gently took your Zim’s hand and lead him to the dance floor.

Upon observing how the other students were dancing, Your Zim activated his spider legs and gently put his hands around your waist.

You giggled as put your hands on his shoulders.

Your Zim was very nervous but the soft look in your eyes put him at ease.

Soon the music began and all your Zim could focus on was you.

Your Zim followed your gentle movements. His hips swayed with yours and let the music take the reigns.

“Wise men say, Only fools rush in.

But I can’t help falling in love with you.”

You mouthed the words as you gazed into Zim’s eyes.

“Shall I stay? Would it be a sin? Oh if I can’t help

Falling in love with you.”

There may have not been a time warper nearby but time still felt like it was slowing down none the less.

“Like a river flows, slowly to the sea. Darling so it goes

Some things are meant to be”

Suddenly the other students seemed to melt away. It soon it felt as if you and your Zim were the only ones in the room.

“Take my hand, take my whole life too. Oh for I can’t help,

Falling in love with you”

Your Zim gazed deeply into your E/C eyes. They looked as if they twinkled with stardust.

“Like a river flows, slowly to the sea, darling so it goes,

Somethings are meant to be”

Your Zim never thought he’d ever feel anything like affection in his life. He used to think affection was for the weak but all of that changed once he met you.

“Oh take my hand, take my whole life too. Oh for I can’t help

Falling in love with you”

Your Zim never expected a human to be on his list of the most beautiful things he’d ever seen but there you were.

Your Zim had travelled throughout the universe and had seen his fair share of beautiful things but you? You surpassed every single one of those things. It so was more than just your physical appearance as well.

You were strong, intelligent, and most importantly,

You were open minded.

You never judged nor made fun of him. You always gave him the respect he so rightfully deserved! You were the only one who understood his incredible genius! You were perfect in every way.

“Oh for I can’t help

Falling in love with you” You and your Zim’s voices melted together as you gently pressed you’re foreheads together.

The moment the song ended, your Zim’s instincts kicked in.

Without a second thought, he removed his hands from around your waist.

He cupped your face and pulled you into a passionate kiss.

It wasn’t just any kiss, however. It was a first kiss. For the both of you.

Your eyes were wide for a moment before slowly closing as you let your Zim explore every inch of your mouth.

Your tongue playfully wrestled with his as he let out a few muffled chirps and purrs.

“Hey! Excuse me!”

The sound 500’s tired voice brought your Zim back to reality.

“Huh? Gah!” Your Zim yelped as he realized he was kissing your hologram.

“You should probably put that away. You’re never gonna see them again.” 500 sighed as he gestured to your hologram.

“Nonsense! Of course I’ll see my sweet Y/N again!” Your Zim insisted as he shut off the hologram.

“That’s what every Zim says” 500 groaned as a few tears begun to trickle down his cheeks.

“And your point is?”

“My point is that you’re stuck here forever. No Zim has ever successfully left the Zimvoid. You might as well forget that your Y/N, heck, any Y/N even existed. Trust me, keeping those memories around just makes things worse than they already are.” 500 explained as a few more tears streamed down his face.

“No! You lie! YOU LIE!” Your Zim screeched as a few tears of his own begun to form in his eyes.

“That’s what every Zim says.” 500 shook his head as he dried his tears.

“I will leave this filthy planet! I will leave this planet and see my sweet Y/N again IF ITS THE LAST THING I DO!!” Your Zim roared as a few tears dripped down his cheeks.

“Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. I’ve heard it all before. Here. I’ve found your next opponent. Come with me please.” 500 groaned as he lead your Zim back to the arena.

“Very well! GIVE ME YOUR WORST!”

#Anonymous #invader zim #invader zim into the zimvoid #Invader zim x reader #Invader Zim comics #Invader Zim dib #Invader Zim spoilers #spoilers

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