Dlbn: Hello, everyone. I'm ashamed I've been going do long without updating, but work takes a lot out of me. Plus, doctor appointment after doctor appointment and planning a wedding. And a dinner party in like three hours.
Nbld: But we're going to try and get back on track best we can. Considering Kingdom Hearts 3 is coming out on Tuesday, that's going to take up a LOT of our time (we've been waiting a damn decade!) so we're going to post now and hope we get another one out next week. I'll make sure sleep-deprived gets enough time to do so. Review Corner! Thank you to Invader Johnny, Zim'sMostLoyalServant, and Vampire Tails for reviewing! Cupcakes for you all!
Invader Johnny: He may not be a screamer anymore, but he's a schemer and he's not going down without a fight.
Zim'sMostLoyalServant: The response for that is a spoiler but for now it's a "it's what you think it is" kind of thing.
Vampire Tails: I was bullied a lot in school too, but it died off more towards high school. I have a friend whose little brother was bullied but school hid behind the "it happened off school grounds so not our problem". So frustrating. He refused to go to school and they called CPS on the mom. Was a horrible mess. Zayena's an interesting, complicated kind of person. At least she thinks. She's easy to read, really. I have friends from when I was a kid that I'm still friends with (like preschool-kindergarten and onward) but never a will-they-won't-they relationship like Zim and Sila have right now. I couldn't resist the part about the ants with the legs.
Disclaimer: I own my OCs that you recognize, but nothing and no one canon to Invader Zim. Everything canon belongs to Jhonen C Vasquez, creator of all that is good and demented. I make NO money off writing this.
Translations
Mio dia: My dear
000
Open mouth, insert foot Zim said to himself as his art teacher introduced yet another group of new kids. The girls claimed the three of them were cousins, but Zim wasn't so sure. The girls he could see being related, but not the guy. There was something awfully familiar with how the two girls were giggling back and forth and looking at Zim off and on. The guy seemed to recognize him and twisted his hand in a little wave. Zim returned the gesture, noticing a couple other people do the same. Maybe he knew them instead and Zim was just an ass. Their teacher waved them to Zim's table, which consisted of himself, Keef, Todd, Gretchen, and Melvin. Dib sat with Torque, Brian, Zayena, and Caleb on the other side of the room. He could feel their eyes boring holes into the new kids' backs. He felt something possessive stir up inside of him, but he fought it back. He didn't know these kids, and their teacher had chosen where they were going to sit. It wasn't like they'd all become friends or anything.
"Sup, Junior?" The male asked, sitting in the open seat at his side. The girls sat next to him.
"Uh…I know you?" Zim wondered.
"You don't recognize me, man? Damn, that hurts. That really hurts." The boy stated.
"No, it don't, Gabe." One of the girls giggled.
"Well shit." Zim laughed. "What the hell are you doing here?"
They exchanged their gang's normal handshake.
"Military gave us the shaft, what else?" Gabe rolled his eyes. "Guessing you got the same, eh?"
"You guys are from where Zim's from, too?" Keef asked. "I'm Keef! This is Todd, Gretchen, and Melvin."
"Yeah, we are."
"Hey." One of the girls greeted. "I'm Daila, this is Aila."
"I should have guessed." Zim leaned forward to see her better and winked, making her flush and her cousin giggle.
"Caught us." She informed.
"They're friends." Zim nodded at the humans. "Play nice."
"We're always nice." Daila stated.
"Sure, you are. Where's Corbin? He's almost always with you guys."
"Wasn't with us when we got taken in." Aila stated. "I don't know if he's coming or not."
"Any word on Shira?"
"None whatsoever." Aila shrugged. "She kind of up and left like two years ago. We have no idea where she is."
Zim nodded. "Then I guess Corbin is the last one we need."
"He is? Oh shit, Sila's here, too?" Gabe wondered.
"Yeah. Been here a few weeks."
"Sweet."
"Yeah." Zim shrugged. "So's Lahna."
"Well, hell." Gabe leaned back in his chair. "And I recognize Caleb's smug look anywhere, so I'm guessing he and his partner in crime are here, too?"
"Bingo."
"Anyone else?" Aila played with her hair.
"Just them." Zim stated.
He'd tell them about his brother and cousin when the others weren't in earshot.
"So, what's to do around here for fun?" Daila asked.
"We never got to throw a party for Sila, and since you guys are here, we might as well throw one for all of you, too." Keef giggled.
"Party?" Daila cocked an eyebrow.
"Yeah, we have them for every new kid that joins our group. Zim got one, too." Gretchen stated.
"How nice." Gabe commented.
"Not a home style party, if you get what I mean." Zim informed.
"Loud and clear, boss." Gabe flicked his fingers off his own forehead in a mock salute.
Zim chuckled.
"And I think it's only fair to warn you." Melvin stated. "The kids Caleb's sitting with?"
"Yeah?" Gabe gave them a side eye.
"They're on us like white on rice." Todd butt in. "They hate Zim, so they try and make us all miserable."
"Dib used to be our friend. The one with glasses? Got a broad and ditched us for the creeps she hangs with." Zim explained.
"Zim's best friend here." Gretchen added.
"Bummer."
"Yeah. Little shit…"
"Zim." Their teacher scolded. "You kids are coming just on time for the end of the current project, so if you get homework from your other classes, you're welcome to do that here. Otherwise, bring something to read or draw on some paper. I can't let you just sit here and chat it up all period. We start our next project Monday, so you can begin then."
"Yes, sir." The three gangsters stated.
He smiled before walking away.
Zim handed them a pile of paper on the table next to him. "Have at it."
The three shrugged and got to doodling. Zim could practically feel his old self bubbling to the surface as they joked around all period. All they needed was Corbin, and Shira if she was alive, then Riot would be together again.
000
Having Gabe and the girls around meant two things. One, more chaos. And two, less room at the lunch table. Iggins was out to help his sick mother and Screamy was out for a doctor's appointment, so they had two temporarily open chairs. The girls shared a chair like Sila and Zim did, but Gabe had his own. As with the others, they'd assimilated rather well into the group. Zim had more classes with the girls than with Gabe, so without the other Riot male there, he was the protective one they practically clung to. Zim didn't mind, but he knew Zayena wasn't approving when they ran into one another in the hallway and she made a show of turning away from him. He'd deal with her later. He was more concerned with keeping the new kids safe from Torque's wrath and Jessica's attempts to drag them away like they'd done with Dib. Keef spent most of the lunch period informing the new comers of everything that had happened, from Dib leaving to the most recent event with Zim's desk. Gabe had to admit the idea was there, but execution was where they had failed.
"And none of you think to strike back?" Gabe asked, giving Zim and Sila a look.
"I'm not that kind of douchebag anymore." Zim offered, hands up.
"First, you're not that kind of asshole, now you're not that kind of douchebag. Figure one out and stick with it, dude." Sila ordered.
"Zip it." Zim snapped back.
"Glad to see part of the old you is still there, though." Daila stated. "Honestly, I'd be disappointed if he was gone entirely."
"Me, too." Aila stated.
"Daila, you know better." Sila scolded. "Aila, you're just an idiot."
"Hey!"
Her cousin laughed at her.
"Not funny!"
"You know it was." Daila giggled.
Zim rolled his eyes. After all these years, they still acted like children. They were both about fourteen when they joined up with Riot. He dated Daila for a little while until either he got bored or she moved on; he couldn't remember which. But Aila was one of the few women in Seoul he hadn't been with. They'd made out a bit on the dance floor at a party once, but that was about as far as that ever went. She was a little off put by the idea of being with someone her cousin had been with.
"What's this old you that you keep referencing, Zim?" Keef asked. "I mean, I get if you don't want to tell!"
"Everyone has a history, Keef. Some just don't spread it around like the Daily News." Zim informed. "I was an asshole as a kid. That's all. Don't worry about the details. You three, don't give him any."
They nodded and gave a trio of responses indicating they'd heard him.
"You shut them up quick." Gaz told him, cocking an eyebrow at him and looking away from her game for a moment.
"He's the boss." Gabe stated. "Well, after Sila."
"Damn straight." She nodded, taking a sip of her milk.
"I'm not sure I want to know." Todd muttered.
"You don't." Sila warned him. "Nothing bad though, a'right?"
"Uh…yeah…?"
"Accent coming through, sorry."
"Greetings, losers." Jessica greeted.
"What do you want Jess?" Zim groaned.
Despite Sila being the leader of Riot, when it came to his friends, it was obvious Zim was the ringleader. After all, Sila arrived after he did.
"Just wanted to greet your new friends and give them a proper welcome to the school." Jessica smiled, voice dripping with false sugar.
"So, say hello and get lost."
"That's not a nice way to talk to a lady, Zim." She complained.
"Forgive him, he doesn't know how to handle a beautiful woman with elegance." Gabe winked.
She giggled behind her hand, flushing. "You flatter."
"Beauty on the outside is fleeting, though, my dear. You might want to make certain the inside matches."
"Huh?"
"He called you a bitch." Aila informed. "And since you greeted them with 'hey losers' before acting all sweet and directing your attention towards people you're attempting to impress, I'd have to say he's in the right department with that assumption."
Jessica flushed. "I was trying to be nice…"
"You could start be being nicer to them." Daila nodded at the rest of the table. "You'd be surprised what difference a little grace can make."
Jessica glared before stalking back towards her table, muttering something about disrespectful brats on her way over.
"That was awesome!" Gretchen grinned. "That's the first time anyone's really called her out on her garbage."
"For real?" Gabe looked sideways at Zim. "You let her talk to you like that?"
"What do you expect me to do? Hit her? She's a woman."
"I'll hit her." Aila offered.
"Damn, when did you grow balls?" Sila laughed, making the younger girl flush.
"S-Shut up, Sila."
"Damn, they got bigger." Daila giggled.
Aila kicked her under the table.
"Ow!"
"Ladies, ladies; play nice." Gabe wagged a finger at them. "I expect better out of you, mio dia."
Aila flushed. "Sorry…"
"Uh, since when?" Zim asked.
"That explains the balls." Sila snorted.
"Someone got la-aid~" Daila sang.
"Shut up." Aila smacked her with a fork. "Come on, we just met these guys, and you've gone and made me sound like a hoe…"
"Oh, honey, no one thinks you're a hoe." Lahna waved her hand. "You're a Seuolian."
"Believe it or not, that's pretty much the same thing, Lahn." Zim pointed out.
"Gee, thanks."
"Yeah, I'm right here." Sila snorted, nudging him.
"What gives?" Daila pouted.
That got them laughing.
"She's a what now?"
"A term from back home. Don't ask." Zim stated.
"Oh, gotcha." Keef winked.
"I think we just pissed them off more." Gretchen whispered. "Dib and Dee are staring at us."
"It's because we're laughing so loudly." Sila stated.
"Laugh louder." Offered Aila.
"It's best to just not egg them on. That's Caleb's crew."
"Figures. He's the ringleader, isn't he?"
"No, Torque is. The big, shaved guy in the jersey?"
"Caleb answers to him?" Gabe wondered, whistling shortly after. "Oh, how the mighty have fallen."
"If my mind knows Caleb's as well as my fist knows the weak points of his face, he's probably calling the shots without calling um." Zim shook his head. "He's got Torque thinking he's in charge because it keeps him quiet and tormenting me instead of annoying Caleb. Caleb is nothing more than a puppet master. Always has been. He's never started his own shit or followed through on his own schemes. He uses other unsuspecting people to do so instead."
"If I know Torque like I know the inside of that dumpster out back," Keef giggled, "then he knows what Caleb is doing and is letting him think he's secretly pulling the strings just to keep him around."
"One idiot using the other idiot and not realizing he's an idiot." Sila rolled her eyes.
"Idiot-ception." Todd muttered.
Snickers came from Gabe and the girls, but Zim wasn't certain they understood the joke or the reference.
"And they think we're the pathetic ones." Gaz snorted, returning to her game.
Zim couldn't agree more.