A/N:

Hello. It has been nine months now since I last updated, I know. I feel absolutely terrible about it, but boy it's been a crazy year. I had some things happen and developed almost a fear of writing, and it's been so difficult to get over. I know this chapter isn't the best, but I'm so pleased to get back into the swing of things I'm starting on the next one right away!

I'm so sorry for being so absent as well, late on replying to comments, etc. I went back to school, I've been working more, I literally just got covid, again! Just crazy times.

But anyway, I'm so happy to be back, and I'm so thankful of all the continued support!


"Elizabeth Asden."

Dib's eyes shot open from dozing off, and he quickly sat up straight in the flimsy white plastic chair. His sudden movements almost knocked the stupid cap off his head, but he was able to slam his hand to his head, keeping it in place before the overpriced thing could clock one of his classmates in the shoulder.

"Watch it!" Suzanne Meltzer hissed at him from his right side and Dib realized with shame that his elbow probably got a little too close to her face.

"Marcus Atkerson."

"Sorry," Dib mumbled as he looked back up at the stage to watch the slow procession of students. Still only in the A's. This ceremony was going to take forever, he thought.

"Phillip Atlas," the announcer droned. Dib looked to his left, and narrowed his eyes in confusion seeing the student next to him had covered his gown in… feathers?

"Weirdo…" he muttered under his breath. He looked back at the stage, and his eyes widened as a dark mass vaguely resembling a headless man shambled across the stage.

"Oh my god, oh my god," Dib muttered in horror and glanced at the other students. Is no one seeing this?

The thing steadily got closer to the microphone, and Dib was beginning to make out features. What at first he assumed to be part of the shapelessness of the creature turned out to be wings, and it had long sharp talons instead of fingers. Its dark, foreboding red eyes scanned over the audience, before ending on Dib in a piercing glare. He felt frozen in his seat, compelled to watch as it reached out to the microphone. Slowly, as if it was confused with what a microphone was.

"Mothman…" Dib gasped. How did he not realize immediately! All this devotion to his degree and he forgot the basics! He had to- he had to do something!

"Good evening, my fellow students."

Dib's jaw dropped in shock at the sound that came out of the mothman's mouth. He sounded distinguished, calm, and in his mid thirties.

He blinked. He recognized the voice.

"...and when I started here five years ago…"

This didn't make sense. Phil looked like a 60 year old screenwriter's idea of an elderly college professor. Covered in feathers, of course.

"...so pleased to announce my plans for evil-doing…"

"What!?"

Dib's eyes snapped open… Only to squint in confusion at some strange glowing orb above him, in the middle of a sea of white. He blinked in a vain attempt to clear his vision, but it wasn't working. Odd, he thought, and Dib reflexively moved to push his glasses up, only to almost poke himself in the eye, because his glasses weren't there.

"Wait…" Oh his voice sounded dry. Which made sense as he realized that he had been sleeping, that it had only been a dream.

"Ugh." What a silly dream. Phil wasn't like that at all- that he could tell, anyway. What if he was some sort of- No! Dib scolded himself for even entertaining that line of thought. He needed to stay calm, level headed. If the dream was true, which it isn't, he needed to approach these things cautiously. Scientifically. Because this is real science, no matter what anyone says!

Dib smiled and shot up where he was sitting, feeling quite rejuvenated already with his determination to prove everyone wrong. He intended on standing up then and there, but… First things first was to fumble around on the coffee table for his glasses.

"-figured that you would enjoy these…."

As he slid the cold metal frames onto his face, he could hear the quiet sound of Phil's voice mixed in with the sound of cutlery drifting in from the kitchen.

"Ugh," Dib grumbled. Of course they started breakfast without him!

Nope. Don't think like that.

He shook his head as he stood up. He was determined to make this a good day, not let that nasty nightmare get the best of him. Yes… He will finish the 20 questions with Phil today!

He grinned just thinking about it, and strode to the kitchen with his head held high.

"Ah! Dib, good morning!" Phil's voice was warm and kind, lacking any and all of the malice from his dream.

"Morning…" Dib quickly sat down at the table, eyeing the sausage and eggs.

"Morning, sleeping beauty," Gaz said. Dib raised a brow at the tone, it was flat, and lacking her trademark anger. In fact, now that he was looking at her, the dark circles under her eyes were more pronounced than usual. Not that he would mention such a thing to her, he liked being alive.

"Gooood morning!" Gir's screeching metallic voice sounded out, and he waved with such vigor, almost hitting Zim in the shoulder in the process.

"Aha," Dib mumbled. He glanced at Zim, but since he wasn't even looking up from his plate, Dib turned his attention back to his sister.

"Did you sleep alright?"

"I don't sleep at all!" Gir said, but Gaz just ignored him.

"Just fine," her tone was flat, emotionless. Clearly she was tired, but Dib just shrugged that off as it being early morning.

"Sure… What about you, Zim?"

"Fine."

Dib's eyebrows raised. Now his tone.

"Jeez, I'm just asking if you slept well. Don't have to get like that on me."

Zim looked at him with such a singing deep glare that Dib almost shivered.

"What's gotten into him?" he muttered more to his sister as he finally started serving himself some breakfast.

"None of your business," she ground out.

"Okay," Phil's smooth, calm voice broke through the tension. "Why don't we all just enjoy breakfast, yes?"

"Yeah, yeah of course," Dib sighed. It wasn't his fault Zim was such a sourpuss. He was just trying to make polite conversation! Well, as polite a conversation as he could have with a green alien that was currently pushing his eggs around his plate… counterclockwise. Dib shook his head, determined to ignore Zim's weird mood. There were better things to focus on! Like… 20 questions! He still had eleven left, after all.

"So, um, Phil."

"Yes?" He paused eating his breakfast to look at Dib.

"What color were your eyes before?" Dib cringed as the words just blurted out of his mouth. He had meant to ease into the topic of 20 questions- but oh well.

"Excuse me?" Luckily, Phil just sounded confused, not angry.

"I mean, for our 20 questions, remember? Uh, were they always red? Well, wait, no. They couldn't have been red if you were human before… Unless you were an albino. Were you-"

"My eyes were brown." Phil gently interrupted him with a small chuckle.

"Oh! Oh okay. Not albino then?"

"No." Phil found Dib's thought processes to be quite amusing sometimes. For the few moments of uncomfort these questions could bring him, the fun of the interactions made it worth the while.

"Uh… Did that follow up count as a question?"

"Just to be nice, no."

Dib sighed in relief. He didn't want to waste any, he only had ten left now!

"Can I ask a question?" The lights in Gir's eyes made the appearance of smiling, and the little robot bounced up and down in excitement.

"Eíd, Gir," Zim mumbled.

"Awwww…"

"Gir, just…" Gaz spoke softly to the robot. "Just color, ok?"

"Okayyyyy."

Dib looked down at his plate and cleared his throat. He was just going to ignore them, and enjoy his day.

"Follow up question, uhh… where'd you get those suits?"

Before Phil could answer, Zim sighed loudly. Annoyingly.

"Can I help you?" Dib snapped. Maybe a bit too loudly? But he was pissed with his constant moping about. He just wanted one normal day! Was that so much to ask for? But instead of Zim just going back to his moping and leaving Dib alone like he had hoped, the little green prick glared at him.

"Why will I want your help?"

"It's 'why would I', first of all. And second of all, it's metaphorical!"

"That's not a metaphor." Gaz grumbled.

"Not that he would know anyway…"

"Ao!" Zim yelled, "I am no idiot! How much language you speak!"

"I speak two, actually! And a little bit of latin-"

"Ok!" Gaz stood up, extending her hands out to get everyone to be silent. "That's enough! Dib, if you want to be a jerk, be a jerk somewhere else!"


"Be a jerk somewhere else" He mockingly said as he drove towards downtown Point Pleasant. "Well I will! Well. Not being a jerk- I'm not a jerk. More… That I'm going somewhere else! I'm just not a jerk. I'm not, right?"

He frowned, sitting in the silence of the old car. He wasn't… Right?

"Whatever. I'm not going to let it affect me. I'm going to have a good day downtown, and- and Autumn is going to be there, and I don't have to think about them at all! If Zim wants to be like that, well… Well then that's his problem!" Dib smiled smugly as he drove, pleased with his problem solving and resolve.

"I don't have to worry at all," he paused, "and I should probably stop talking to myself out loud. It's not exactly a trait of the sane…"

He gripped the steering wheel tighter, turning into a small parking lot as his voice trailed off. He knew better by now! For fuck's sake, he has now met an alien. He won't have to pay any attention or mind to anyone calling him crazy ever again!

Dib pulled the parking brake up harshly with that thought. Only problem was… he didn't want Autumn to think he was crazy either. He didn't enjoy that feeling.

"Uggggghhhhh…" He wanted to slam his head against the steering wheel. Why was he even getting worked up about this? She thought he was cool the other day. Didn't she?

He ran his fingers through his hair and took deep breaths. It was going to be fine.

All going to be fine.

And with that, he turned off the car and went to go find that cafe he met her in. Hopefully she didn't forget to come back. Or purposefully stand him up…

"Breathe, breathe… breathe," he muttered as he hurried towards the cafe.

The air was calm and cool, fall was setting in soon. Dib wrapped his arms around himself as he made his way across town, pausing only to look at that mothman statue. What he once dreamed of, and expected to find, turned out to be so different it was hard to wrap his head around it. Just like the alien too, he supposed. It was all he ever wanted and yet not at all…

"Ugh," he groaned, pushing the thought from his mind. He was here. He didn't need to think of stuff like that.

Bell ringing sounded in the air when Dib opened the cafe door, and he didn't waste time scanning the place for Autumn's red hair. He took quick and awkward steps inside the place, shuffling towards the bar slowly in an attempt to buy him more time. Just where was she? She didn't stand him up, ri-

"You're late."

"Ah!" Dib squeaked in surprise, spinning on his heel to see just who he was looking for. He was relieved to see her, but her raised eyebrow and downturned mouth told him a different story.

"I… I am?" Shit shit shit.

"Twenty- uh, ten minutes late."

"Oh," he perked up a bit. "That's not so bad."

"Not so bad?" She narrowed her eyes. "It's ten minutes late."

Dib chuckled nervously.

"Look, I- I'm sorry… Can I buy you a coffee to make up for it?" He clasped his hands together, squeezing his fingers as he waited for an answer.

"You can," she said, raising her chin in apprehension.

"Great…" he cleared his throat, then pointed towards the cafe register with a tentative smile. "What would you like? I can put in the order if you want to grab us a table? I mean- a table you and I can sit at- uh, together. But n-not together! Just at the same-"

"Yes," she said sternly. "That's fine. One black coffee for me."

"Uh, milk and sugar?"

"No sugar. Milk is fine, though… Thanks." She smiled slightly, before she walked off towards the back of the cafe, a dark and secluded area. Perfect for a nice chat… Dib forced himself to look away from her and focus ahead at the register.

"No milk- No! No sugar, but some milk. No sugar, yes milk. No sugar…" he muttered the order all the way up to the register, only stopping when he realized the barista was staring at him with a raised brow.

"So…" She started awkwardly. "What would you like today?"

"Yeah, um. A latte, please, and a regular coffee? With no sugar, just milk."

"Milk is over on the bar there, we don't add that in." Her tone was monotonous, like a pre-recorded message.

"Oh, right, sorry."

"It's fine," she muttered as she entered the order into the register. "People ask all the time."

"Ah…" That didn't exactly make him feel better, but at least he didn't have to feel a disapproving stare.

"Seven dollars and fifty-nine cents."

"Oh, oh right, I have to pay, haha…" He cracked an awkward smile, but she did not smile back at him. "Um… Here!" He pulled out the credit card Phil had loaned him, almost dropping it in the process, and held it out for the barista to take.

"Sir, you swipe it yourself."

"Right, right." How did he miss that? He felt like slamming his head into a wall. Only been here for five minutes and he couldn't handle a simple interaction!

"Have a nice day, sir. Coffee will be out over there."

"Great, thank you," he muttered, and awkwardly waved as he walked towards the pick up area. He looked briefly towards where Autumn had walked to, and spotted her sitting at the corner table, her back against the wall while she read from one of the books stocked in the cafe. Good… A small part of his nerves and anxiety was quelled seeing that she hadn't run out or something. Yet.

What was he even worried about? She was here, she came to meet him here, clearly she liked him!

He paused his mental pacing. Not- not like that, like a friend! She liked him… Like a friend.

"Ugh!" Oh why did he even care? Who knows how long they would even be here in this weird little town with its incorrect mothman and oddly sexualized mothman statue! He could leave tomorrow and never see her again and that would be that…

"Drip coffee and a latte."

Dib snapped out of his thoughts and looked towards the pick up spot. There was that barista, staring at him with that disapproving look.

"Ah. Thanks…"

She walked away before he could even finish saying it, making Dib cringe at the interaction. But it was okay! He wasn't here to make friends with the barista or anything anyhow.

"Okay. Right. Milk, but no sugar." Quickly but carefully, he got their coffees and made sure to add a good amount of milk, but not too much, to Autumn's coffee before making his way to their table.

"One la- I mean, drip coffee, for you." He slowly placed the hot mug down on the table in front of her. "Careful, it's hot."

"Thanks," she muttered, and pulled the coffee towards herself as Dib sat down.

"Yeah, no problem- uh, you're welcome." Dib tapped his fingers against his mug as he tried to think of what to say going forward. He could feel himself begin to sweat as the silence prolonged, but he didn't know what to do! Why was this so difficult in the first place! He talked to her fine the other day!

He took a sip of his latte and tried to soothe his mental nerves. She was just so… intimidating? She had a sharp face, a straight posture. She oozed professionalism and confidence, and it honestly made him feel a little self conscious in comparison. Why didn't he have his life together the same way she did?

"You were on time."

Dib snapped out of his thoughts immediately when Autumn spoke up.

"What?"

"You were on time," she repeated again, a slight smile on her face. "I'll be honest, I wasn't expecting you to be. Everyone here seems to be so chronically late."

"Oh, w-well, not me! Well, sometimes- but not today! I really didn't want to be late today…"

"I can tell."

There was another bout of silence, but this time, it was a calm one. A familiar one. They sat and enjoyed their coffees in the comfort of the cafe corner. It smelled of coffee, caramel, and a hint of cinnamon. He thought to himself that the only thing this place really needed was a fireplace.

"So… What were you reading there?" He gestured at the book that she had placed face down on the table.

"Oh, just some history book of the town." She shrugged as she flipped the book over for Dib to see.

"Point Pleasant: A History…. Huh. Seems like a good read? F-for being here, of course."

"It's alright, I suppose."

"Ah… Well, you must read a lot of books like this, right? You travel a lot, so it's probably useful?"

Autumn looked like she winced slightly, but she shook her head no and the expression disappeared.

"Oh no. I travel a lot, that's true, but I don't often get time or- or stumble upon books like this to read. Regardless of whether or not I have time to."

"Really? I would have thought, with photography- actually no. You don't need to know history just for a good photo, do you…" He mentally slapped himself for that small blunder, but luckily, she chuckled at the faux pas.

"No, I don't need to know the history of a place for a good picture."

"Right, of c-course not."

"But, it is nice every so often to learn a bit about it." Her voice got softer, and she looked down at her coffee. "I like to tell my parents about where I've been when I see them next."

Dib couldn't help but smile at that. She was so… thoughtful!

"That's so nice… I wish my dad was that interested in what I do."

She raised an eyebrow and leaned back a bit in her chair.

"He isn't? That's odd, seems to me what you do is fairly interesting."

"Thanks," he muttered, "but he doesn't think so. Says it's not real science and all that. So I-I don't talk to him all that much about it anymore. Sometimes I try to talk to my sister, but… Even considering what's goi- erm, her personal beliefs, she doesn't like to listen to me much either."

"You have a sister?" Her voice was so soft now, almost sad? Dib was a little taken aback by it.

"Oh yeah, I do. A younger sister. But we've never gotten along well." He cleared his throat awkwardly. "Um, do you have any siblings?"

She looked shocked at the question, and for a moment Dib got the sense he had made a big mistake, but then she smiled.

"Yes… I do. Also a younger sister, actually. She's… She's amazing. So smart, so funny. I don't tell her much about what I do, just because I- well I d-don't see her much, but she's the best."

"Wow… You sound like an amazing big sister!"

She chuckled sadly, and took another sip of her coffee.

"Well, I try, but thank you."