I don't know who came up with this idea, but I like it. So, I'm going to try for 365 or Bust, too. Let's all hope I can do it, because I've got work, moving and college all ahead of me. There are also conventions that I'm going to want to go to. I'm starting out late in the year, so I'm going to have a few I'll have to make up if I want to get 365 dabbles by the end of the year.
My reasons for doing it – to improve my writing. I hope to improve grammar, creativity, detail, word usage, spelling, and whatever else you can think of. If there's anything you see that I could improve on and would like to let me know, do so. I'd like that.
Also, I reserve the right to switch fandoms with this challenge any time.
Disclaimer: I do not own Invader Zim.
Today's word is... Desert.
Zim walked into the living room. In one hand was an opened package of sugar candy and the other, a sugar stick. He dipped the stick into the sugar and stuck it in his mouth. "Mmm!" He loved sugar; it's what carried Irkens through their day.
It was also a human dessert. He especially liked eating it front of the Dib, because Zim could eat as much as he wanted without getting fat, yet Dib couldn't. Dib would blow up like a human balloon. Dib's favorite kind though, was the kind with chocolate in it. That was another one of those stupid Earth plants that Zim hadn't tried yet because it contained a small amount of water when processed.
He walked up to the couch and picked himself with his pak legs, then plopped down on the edge of it, his feet kicking out energetically. "What'cha watching?"
Gir, who was already sitting on the couch, reached over and grabbed the second stick from the package, licked it and then stuck it into the sugar. He loved sugar, simply because it was sugar. What other reasons did he need? "Angry Monkey Show." Honestly, how could his master not see that's what was on the screen? It was a big angry monkey face... He loved that almost as much as he loved sugar! Gir grinned at the thought of loving sugar.
"Mmm. I hate that... Monkey!" Zim said. He clenched his empty fist and shook it at the screen.
On the screen the monkey just continued to growl. It's ears were slowly turning red and it's mouth was starting to foam.
Suddenly, Gir jumped up and ran to the shelf next to the TV and grabbed something. Turning around, he stopped for a moment, shoved the sugar stick in his head and then ran over to Zim. "Hey! You wanna go for a walk!?" He said, a little louder than necessary.
Zim, having having spent time with Gir already, decided – he was bored enough as it was. "Sure." He slipped off the edge of the couch, grabbed the leash and walked over to the door. When he turned around Gir was standing there waiting for the leash. Zim blinked for a moment. Wait... How did Gir get his disguise on so quickly? Shrugging gently, he clipped the leash around Gir's neck. They stepped out the door.
When the two got to the park Gir decided it was time to pull on the leash. So, they did a few laps around the playground, Gir leading at a faster pace than Zim would have liked. Zim had to hold his wig down so it wouldn't fly off. Eventually Gir stopped, Zim tripped over the top of him when he did, and then ran over to a ice cream man – who was singing about ice cream!
"Gir! Stop! Listen to your master!" Zim shouted at the green dog. He jerked the leash back.
On lookers raised an eyebrow, but kept playing or walking by. At the playground there were now three children playing tag – inspired by Gir's 'playful' antics.
"Gimme one strawberry ice cream, please!" Gir spoke up to the man. His motions stuttered as Zim pulled the leash back repeatedly. He jumped up and made grabby motions. His tongue stuck out and flapped around a little.
"Gir! Listen to Zim! Listen to your master!" He jerked on the leash some more.
"Whoa! You're one smart dog." The man said, smiling down at Gir. He prepared one strawberry ice cream for the dog. "You've got one smart dog, Sir." He told Zim, who was ignoring him until then. "Real smart! My dog won't even go poop in a litter box."
Somewhere off in the distance, a cat feels like someone was talking about it. "Meow?" It scratches it's ear.
"What! No. Don't give that to Gir." Zim stared with wide eyes as the ice cream was handed to Gir. Gir was just about to get even more hyper now! "No. Gir's a bad dog! Bad dog." He shook his finger at Gir in a scolding manner and glared.
"Aww..." Gir looked up at Zim and grinned. His tongue stuck out and had pink residue on it. "Masta' hap-py!" He said, still holding his ice cream and grinning like a mad dog.
Zim rolled his eyes and turned away from the glitched information retrieval unit. He huffed. There was no fighting with Gir over this now. He was over the edge. Absentmindedly, he adjusted the hold the leash had on his wrist, loosening it and letting it fall to his fingers. "Come on, Gir. Let's go home." It was his last hope. For what, he wasn't sure, but maybe a chance that Gir would settle down, or stay in the base's upper level as he ran circles on the ceiling.
Gir pulled on the leash. "Unhuh! No!" And pulled in the opposite direction.
The leash slipped from Zim's fingers and went with Gir.
Glaring after Gir, Zim knew better than to chase after him. They'd be running all night, through the city and residential district, and Gir would think it was a game. It was best to just let him burn the fact energy off. Gir'd come home on his own.
Zim turned back to the ice cream man to see if he was watching. He was. "Hey, little man. It's okay. Here's a free ice cream for your loss." He handed over a brown colored ice cream.
Zim took it without really thinking about it and marched off back to the base. He just got a free ice cream, because someone witnessed Gir running away. Deciding to risk it, he took a lick from the creamy substance, like he'd seen Gir do so many times before. He turned it over in his mouth a little and decided he actually liked the taste and the feeling. It was cold, but hot as the same time and really, very sweet! Like it was packed with simple, processed sugars.
To be continued...
A big thanks to my beta read and editor! Thank you.