Zim yawned, stretching the ache from his limbs and knocking Gir to the floor. The robot stood and screamed, running in circles then out of the house. Zim removed the blanket, making a mental memo to buy a taco for Gir as a thank you. He slipped his contacts in and straightened his wig. He still needed to get some new clothes to replace his uniform. He wasn't part of the Empire now and he didn't want to be constantly reminded of it. Zim groaned at the thought of shopping again. He wasn't doing that until he really had to.
"Computer?" He asked, still slightly groggy from sleep.
*Yes?*
"Can you make me some clothes which aren't the Irken uniform?"
*I could try.*
*For males and not pink..." He had to fit in at Skool, not get bullied for eternity.
*Give me a minute.* The computer whined and Zim slouched back against the couch. He briefly wondered if he should do something about his Pak before a pile of clothes were dumped on his head. *You seem to be sleeping more than usual. Should I alter the house to make it more human? Make a second floor with a bathroom and bedrooms?* Zim nodded as he moved to the lift.
"Just don't change the outside too much since it'd only confuse Gir." He made his way down to change clothes. At least now he'd be mostly free of the Empire and would be able to forget how much it'd hurt to find out he'd been lied to for so long. He slipped into his changing room, swapping his familiar uniform for unfamiliar clothes. He kept his gloves and boots but shortened them to fit better with his new black jeans and thin grey t-shirt. His gloves now only reached past his wrists by a little bit. Zim shivered, the air in the lab level cool against his bare skin. He tugged on the last piece of clothing he'd been supplied. A thick and soft fleece like hoodie. Zim grinned, it was a darker shade of magenta and despite his order of no pink, Zim really did like this colour. The hoodie was a touch too big and the sleeves covered his hands so only the tips of his fingers could be seen. Zim rubbed the fabric in thought.
*It's waterproof.* The computer provided and Zim nodded absentmindedly. He looked at his Pak which he'd set aside to change. It'd be a shame to cut a hole in the hoodie just for his Pak... it was only a tool after all and if Zim took it off himself, it was safe for him to live longer than ten minutes without it. It's self-destruct sequence only activated if his Pak was removed by someone else. He just had to decide if he could survive a day without his Pak-legs... Zim sighed, rummaging around for a bag, he'd need one to store his books in. Zim grinned as he found a backpack. It was probably Gir's since Zim had tried to avoid almost all human stuff since he arrived on Erth. He turned it in his hands finding it to be a variety of plain blacks and blues in colour. It would do. With a small smile, Zim hid his Pak in a safe place that he knew the human hadn't found yet. He hummed contently, shoving his stuff into the bag and taking the lift up to house level. Zim adjusted his wig again before setting off.
"Don't forget about the house!" He called to the computer beginning to close the door.
*Yes, yes.* Zim shut the door and shrugged on the backpack, looking up at the grey sky in despair. He'd forgot his paste and he didn't have time to apply it without being late. Zim pulled his hood up, shoving his hands into his pockets, hopefully the hoodie would protect him. With himself as covered as possible, Zim set off for Skool.
Zim sidled into the Skoolyard with his head down, avoiding puddles as he watched water droplets bounce off the tarmac. It was only a light rain and Zim wasn't too soaked thanks to the computer's quick thinking. The burn of the water minimal. He climbed up the Skool steps and slipped inside, dawdling over to the abandoned library to get away from the rain and humans. Zim sighed, pulling down his hood and dropping into a seat. The library was lovely and quiet, the smell of books better than the stench of teens and perfumes.
He pulled out his sketchbook, adding detail to one of his spur of the moment sketches. This one was of Gir in his robot form with a pig plush in the crook of one arm and a cupcake in the other. Gir was grinning madly. Zim shaded in some more of Gir's metal. He'd half-considered colouring it but he couldn't be bothered yet. He felt it would ruin it anyway. Zim ran a hand through his wig pushing the wet strands from his face. The library was a good place for solitude and Zim hardly met any students there, making it a great place to hide. He sighed again, continuing his sketch and drying in silence.
