Deformity is an Understatement
Written by Cartman's Girl and Invader Poe

~*~

Chapter Three

Poe watched him leave and turned, setting out of the house to wander. He hugged his coat around him as he started down the street, paper blowing by his feet, skittering from one end of the dirty street to the other.

"Just like home," he muttered, but eventually he found his way back to the park, which was an improvement to say the least. He leaned back on an unoccupied bench and stared up at the sky, unaware the other two Irkens were wandering nearby.

"...that's it?" Cten had heard all of Zim's planning, and was just staring at him blankly. Then, decided to use her usual mode when dealing with him. "Oh Zim that's... just so amazing you know? And you know what? On the way here, I don't think you saw it, but there's this HUGE discount sale thing going on for all-beef patties. If you buy them, then sell them to the humans they'd think they're getting home style and you know how much humans love home style food. Stuff." t'was a situation Cten was very used to by now, how to treat Zim when he had these 'amazing ideas'.

"What?! I must be there!" Zim started off at once, probably setting a new land-speed record for shopping. Poe didn't notice them, though, having a distant look in his eyes that indicated he was probably lost in thought. Cten rolled her eyes to herself, turned and started walking along before stopping in mid-stride. She spotted Poe sat on the bench,

"Hrmm." she murmered. She glanced back at where Zim had been, traces of paper lofting in the wind now. The innocent-looking child shrugged and headed over to him, sitting down besides him on the bench. Poe seemed dead to the world, and he leaned his head forward, when he suddenly looked over and spotted her. He yelped, jumping in his seat and nearly toppling off the bench, sitting up and holding onto his wig,

"Oh, um, hi, I uh, didn't see you there…"

"I know." she grinned, leaning back on the bench hanging her arms over the back of it. "It's a nice day, ain't it?" Poe seemed dead to the world, and he leaned his head forward, when he suddenly looked over and spotted her. He yelped, jumping in his seat and nearly toppling off the bench, sitting up and holding onto his wig,

"Oh, um, hi, I uh, didn't see you there.."

"I know." she grinned, leaning back on the bench hanging her arms over the back of it. "It's a nice day, ain't it?"

"Oh, yeah, I think at least, it's my first day here." He fumbled over his words a bit, setting his hands in his lap and glancing skywards. Cten glanced at him, smiling warmly. She then blew some hair from her eyes.

"I thought so." she said, "You seem new." He scratched the side of his head.

"Is it really that obvious? Truth be told I only landed here a few hours ago…"

"Well, not knowing what rain was, that was a give away." Cten smirked, "Rain is the compound of Oxygen and Hydrogen, it falls from the sky when clouds turn grey." she explained simply, then laughed. "Tallest knows why I must know all that stuff."

"Well… um… I'm sure it must come in handy." He was silent for a while, then looked at her, "Aren't you worried that I'll attack you or give you some kind of disease like Zim said?"

"Nah." she replied simply, watching a bird fly over head. Poe turned, staring at her in slack-jaw amazement.

"Y… you're… not?" Cten shook her head, bringing her face to his.

"Hey, life's a big journey Poe. Look at me, I used to live happily near Irk, next thing I'm on a totally different planet... it's all leading up to something. So, might as well live as much as I can." Poe sank back into his previous position, still in shock,

"No… no normal Irken's really… you know… been anything but like Zim, except, well, my mom."

"Yeah well…" she shrugged slightly, "I don't really care what Zim thinks, to be honest."

"I thought you were his assistant?" He looked slightly confused.

"I'm supposed to be." Cten said, then leant in close to him and whispered quietly. "But to be brutally honest, I'm just here to make him think his mission is real." Poe blinked when she leaned in,

"He… he isn't an Invader?"

"Not really." she glanced around, as if Zim would appear as she said this. "See, he's technically exhiled. I was sent by the Tallest to make him think he's still an Invader." Cten leant back, blinked and leaned in. "Don't breath a word to anyone tho."

"I won't. I'm good at keeping secrets." He grinned slightly, displaying his fangs. Cten stared at his fangs for a while, narrowing an eye.

"Gee, your teeth are neat too."

"Huh? Oh, sorry," He slouched and quickly closed his mouth, "I, erm, forget they're not normal."

"Oh pft to normal stuff." she pointed to her hair, "My antennae aren't exactly classified as normal, and besides… it's neat seeing an Irken that doesn't look like every other Irken in existance."

"It… is? I… thought you were being…" He scrunched his face up, searching for the word, "…sarcastic." He shook his head, "Actually, it's nice to see someone normal after you live where I use to for long enough…"

"Course I wasn't. I'm only sarcastic to those who need it." Cten looked at him with a sligh forlorn look. "You didn't live somewhere good I take?"

"No… I live… where the Rejects live. Outside the city boundaries."

"Never heard or seen it."

"It's, um…" He pointed to the area of the city he lived in now, "It's like that, but… worse."

"Yuck." Cten poked her tongue out, "Doesn't sound good at all."

"Yeah, it wasn't too pleasent." He said softly, sagging somewhat. "I was hoping life here would be better…"

"Well maybe it will get better." she reached over and stroked his cheek gently, "Life's like that." He froze when she touched him and started to flinch away as though he expected to be hit,

"Well… I didn't think I'd have to listen to any more normal Irkens rant at me for being a Reject…"

"Well Zim's… accentric." Cten pulled her hand back when she sensed him tense up, and put it into her lap. "He gets carried away very easily."

"Heh… guess so." He looked a bit disappointed when she pulled her hand away, "Sorry, I just… well… not use to touch." He glanced back towards his 'home', "The nice variety I mean…"

"I'm not either." she looked at her hands, "A Maid is rarely touched anyway." He looked over at her,

"I guess we're kind of alike then." He looked around, then reached over and tentatively stroked her cheek with the back of his somewhat large hand, "And now we're even." Cten smiled slightly, blushing very very slightly.

"Guess so." she murmered. He smiled as well, then quickly withdrew his hand, remembering something.

"So, um, what do you and Zim do here, anyway?"

"Do? Zim comes up with plans, I assist, plan fails, Zim wails, I calm him down. Happens about every day." Cten scratched her forehead, the wig being itchy. "Gets tedious."

"I can imagine how that is.. Zim.. well.. I don't know him so I'm trying not to jump to conclusions.. but he seems kinda bossy to me."

"Very bossy. Things have to be his way, or no way. Or I face the tantrum of doom." Cten smirked, since Zim did act like a little kid now and again.

"Reminds me of Gor," he muttered under his breath, rubbing his cheek unconsciously.

"Heh… more alike then we thought." she said quietly.

"Yeah." He leaned back against the seat, "So, um, where do you and Zim live?"

"…I don't live with Zim." Cten smirked, "After one week, that was enough. I live on the out skirts of town." she pointed in one direction, "It's all right."

"Oh, I can't say I blame you." He leaned forward, shielding his eyes and peering in the direction she pointed out, "…with all that… green stuff?"

"Trees?" she looked slightly confused.

"Trees? I guess… if that's what they're called.. to be honest I've never seen this much green stuff before." He looked around at the park, "Everything was dirty metal, wood and concrete back home.."

"Well yeah… Irk is pretty much metal all over." Cten glanced at the trees, "They make air, thus rain, so… eh. Earth needs em so I won't bother em." She then turned her head to him, getting off the bench. "Come on though, I wanna show you something." Poe blinked,

"Well, alright then…" He stood up, stretching out his back and demonstrating his true height, then looked down at her. She stared at him blankly for a while, before blinking and heading into some bushes across from them.

"This way." Poe arched his eyeridges and followed her, sinking back into his normal slump and stuffing his hands in his pockets.

"What exactly were you going to show me…?" He wondered, following her into the bushes.

"Something neat trees are good for." he found her half way up one particular tree, pretty tall too. Just besides another path in the park too, and it had a lot of sterdy branches. Poe looked slightly surprised, then examined the bark slightly, digging his claws into it and starting up the tree without too much trouble. Heck, he made it look easy, his condition still giving him some of that primeval grace though Gor had 'tamed' most of it out of him, and was soon level with her on the tree. "And then.. we use one of those.. sticky.. out thingees for a seat?"

"Well not yet." she said, then leapt up, her pod legs carrying her further up. "This is really neat though, and if I've got the time right we'll have a good view." Poe followed her, arching his eyeridges in surprise as his position gave him a rather, er, clear view up her skirt, he blinked and politely looked elsewhere. He dug his claws into the bark and kept pulling himself up manually. Eventually she came to a stop, and seated herself on a branch. She looked down at him, smiling slightly.

"You can look up now, you know."

"I-huh?" He blinked and looked up at her, his cheeks tinting, "Oh, um, sorry." He tensed and leapt from his current position, grabbing onto the branch and scrambling up onto it beside her quickly - bit of a show-off wasn't he?

"Show off." she smirked, then pointed. "There, take a look at that." what laid out before them was quite breath-taking, if they had lungs. There, spread out before them was the park, then the large city. The sun was partly showing from behind a huge building, making the sky a hue of purple and red. Shadows cast, and the sounds of the city were still clear, just seemed to be more muffled from this height. He was about to defend himself when he turned and saw the sight, blinking in awe.

"Wow… that's really… That looks beautiful." He managed in a quiet tone, then glanced over at her, "Um… thanks… you know… for telling me… about trees." He grinned somewhat sheepishly, knowing how silly he probably sounded.

"Glad to be of assistance Poe." Cten grinned, "Plus, from this height no one can see us so I can free my antennae from my musty wig." she yanked at her blonde wig, yanking it off. The two long steams sprang up, a black ball at the joint of each of them. Then, a long coiled end fell down, longer then any 'normal' Irken joint anyway. "Wuagh, finally…" she shook her antennae. Poe stared at her just a bit,

"Oh, good idea." He lifted his wig off of his head, shaking his extremely long antennae free with a few jangles of his piercings. He thought for a moment, before reaching up and taking out his contacts carefully, blinking his watery eyes repeatedly, rubbing at them with his sleeve before he opened them fully and revealed their totally black colouration. While he had been doing that, Cten had pulled out her contacts. She rubbed her eyes, squinting them as she did.

"I hate contacts." she said, before removing her hand to reveal her crisp blue coloured eyes. Cten turned her head to see him, and blinked a few times. Her eyes stuck to his long antennae, she blinked again. "Wow… they're so… big and… thick and long!" she claimed, knowing how dumb she sounded. Heck, she never seen antennae like that.

"Yeah, I know," he folded them back self-consciously, "They're part of the reason I was Rejected." He looked up over at her, noticing her eyes and being caught somewhat and staring again. She stared at his black eyes, never seeing eyes as black as his was new and they say when you look into a persons eyes you're like, seeing their soul. At least, that's what she'd read. He blinked slightly,

"Oh, um, sorry, your eyes just… well they're a few shades off but they kind of remind me of my Mom's." He set his hands in his lap and glanced down at them.

"Oh." Cten blinked out of it, looking across at the city again.

"They're, uh… really… pretty." He tilted his head to face her again and flashed another one of his goofy, sheepish, but toothy smiles. She looked back at him and smiled gently,

"I like your eyes too."

"Really? They kinda disturb some people like my teeth do." As he slowly became relaxed his antennae started to unfold out of the tight bundle had them in against his head, uncurling and going out to the sides somewhat.

"Yeah they're… unique. I don't see black eyed Irkens a lot…" Cten smiled slightly, "They're very nice." her own antennae blew in the wind, since they were shoe-string thin; well the curling part was anyway.

"I haven't seen that many with blue eyes either." He smiled widely, a few teeth sliding into view, a way that was sort of infectious despite outward appearance. He wasn't aware of how the wind was bringing her antennae dangerously close to his own, too busy grinning at her.

"Yeah… most Irkens have purple, red or green… anyone with other colours is considered weird anyway." Cten sighed and leant back on the branch, her hands digging into the bark so she wouldn't fall. Her antennae being so light weight they were easily manipulated in the wind, and even she didn't even notice how they were blowing closer and closer to his antennae. He watched her, tilting back as well just in case that was proper; however, this action brought the two sets direcrly in contact with each other, the wind tengling them together in a soft gust.

"What the--" His eyes widened and he tried to jerk away in reflex, but this only succeeded in making things more tangled.  Cten glanced up at her antennae, the rough wind causing hers to tangle into his piercings, and along with his. She blushed brightly and reached up to try and weave her antenane out of his,

"I-I'm so sorry!" she murmered, her fingers fumbling with the antennae.

"I-It's al-alright," He winced slightly, the area around his piercings was quite sensitive afterall, but he reached back and pulled his antennae forward to make it easier to reach, a somewhat odd, tense look on his face. Cten bit her lower lip, managing to untangle one of her antennae. Now, you're probably wondering why these two are so tense? Well, in the Irken way of life, entwining antennae were their way of stimulating their mates, thus resulting in the mating habit. Or in other words, kissing. As her antennae freed itself she started untangling her others, being careful not to touch Poe's antennae since fondling or even touching another Irkens antennae is considered down right dirty. He squeezed his eyes shut as she did so, shifting his weight around - heck, he'd been tense to begin with. Once they were finally free he let out the breath he'd been holding with a woosh, sagging forward. Cten scooted slightly to the side, blushing furiously still. She held onto the tips of her antennae, glancing to the side.

"I'm… I'm sorry."

"It's… okay." He took another deep breath and blinked his eyes open, a blush creeping over his cheek as well, and he held his antennae to his sides to prevent them from taking on minds of their own, "These, these things are ungainly, they get tangled up in stuff all the time…"

"Has… this happened before?" she asked, putting her wig back on securely.

"Well… not… that… I mean… I never… um… did that with anyone else.. intentionally or not." He coughed, "I use to trip over them when I was younger though.."

"I never did it intentionally either." Cten mumbled, putting her contacts back in. He put his own wig back on, looking over at her,

"You didn't?" He found his contacts in his coat and put them back in, "Seems like a waste on your part…" he murmured to himself, sticking one in with some complication.

"Why's that?" she turned to him, the blush fading from her cheeks finally.

"Well… I mean… first antennae twining… by accident… with a Reject of all things," He snorted, holding his eyelids open to stick the other one in, squinting to get use to them. Cten shrugged slightly, glancing away.

"It was nice, I guess… for an accident."

"Yeah." He pulled his wig into place more firmly, "…not bad at all."

"Hmm." she straighted her skirt, then cleared her throat. "…so now what?"

"I… I dunno." He looked up at the darkening sky, "I guess we could just sit here and watch the sunset…"

"That'd be nice." Cten murmered. So they sat and they watched in relatives silence. As night slowly overtook the park, Poe found himself staring at his new companion out of the corner of his eye. The Earth sky was pretty and all, but, well - to him, she was prettier.

[To be continued!]