Chapter nine
A tense-yet-not-quite-intense stare down was now occurring in the attic of the Membrane household: Two vastly different life forms holding a battle of wits in the most childish way possible.
"Zim had his reasonz, Zim must tell the Dibz what's important. Zim is-"
"Zim, quit it and just answer my questions. You can explain after."
"But Z-"
"The longer you don't answer, the longer I won't listen."
"Grrr, stoopid filthy pig! Can't yoo see Zim's urgency? Yoo-"
"Not listening!"
"Bu-!"
"Still not listening, La la la!"
'Stupid human is playing hard sphere, that fool!
I don't know how long those disgusting urges have been staved off for, but I'm running out of time and this pathetic human can't shut up long enough for me to explain!
Can't he sense the imminent danger he has foolishly placed us both in!?
No, humans are far too stupid for that.
Oh, how I loath the Dib and that large head of his!
I'll just have to get this over with as fast as possible and dish out his punishment when I have regained control.
Such punishment he will receive when this is over!'
Sighing deeply, Zim forced his antennae to relax. All this thinking was hurting his head and he'd get nowhere if he got too angry. Pinching between his eyes, Zim continued.
"Okay, okay! Zim shall tell the Dibz all about his leavings but the Dibz must listen to Zim after, deal? Quickly!"
"Deal, so start talking, alien."
"Whadya wanna know, skink-bug?"
"Why you left in the first place."
"Zim left because Zim had to leave. Next question!"
"I want more information than that, Zim. You're going to have to tell me why you left."
Urgh, why did the worm-baby have to be so freaking difficult?
"Zim had to leave because… if Zim had not left, Zim (and all his minionz) would have perished."
"Why? What would have killed you if you'd stayed? Was it the same thing that wiped out any trace of your base?"
"What? No, no, nooo. That was Zim doing all the wiping, pretty good job, eh? No, Zim was under threat from a far more threatening threat. There was no other option for Zim but to go far, far away. Happy now?"
"Not quite. So, when you did leave town, where'd you go to? You couldn't have been living in that hideaway up a tree, where'd you put your base?"
"Zim does not need to relay that information to you, filthy earth monkey!"
"If Zim wants me to listen, he does."
"For Irk'z zake… Fine, Zim livez in the centre of the forest in a human base."
"…"
"You live in a forest?"
"Yes."
"The same forest I found your hideaway in?"
"Yes."
"And in a human house? Like a normal house other people could live in?"
"Yes?"
"All to escape this threat that would have killed you if you'd remained in your base."
"Yes, but also to stay away from disgusting humans."
"O-kay… Does, uh, your robot-dog-thingy still live with you?"
"Yes."
"Anyone else?"
"…Yes."
"Who?"
"Who lives with you Zim?"
"Zim does not wish to-"
"Zim."
"…Skoodge, Nar, Mimi, Minimoose and Tak."
"Tak!? You hate Tak! And she hates you! Why the hell would Tak choose to live under the same roof as you? And Skoodge is still with you? I thought he'd have gotten enough of your shit and left by now... Who's Nar anyway? Why are you living with all of them?"
"Enough with the questions! Zim is tired and still Zim must explain the real important issue!"
"Fine, but I'll find out some day. What's so important, Zim? Is it gonna explain why you were up a tree in the middle of nowhere?"
"Yes, if you shut your biscuit hole!"
"It's 'cake hole', Zim."
"Silence, and listen to Zim!"
"Fine, go ahead."
"Zim is currently… going through a cycle. Zim will not be his amazing self during this cycle and will need your pathetic human services for the most of it. Now, you can serve Zi-"
"Ha! I knew there was something up! Is that why you look like shit? And you still haven't explained why you were thirty-freakin-feet up a tree! What's a 'cycle'? Is it like the equinox? Cause I am sooo not helping you if your gonna explode and shit."
"Zim will not explode! Zim does not look like faeces! A cycle is not the same as the equinox! Zim was thirty three feet up an oak tree, not thirty! And Zim was in the separation chamber to escape from every other Irkenoid life form while going through the cycle."
"'Irkenoid'? You were hiding from Skoodge and Tak?"
"No! They are back at the base. Zim was escaping from other Irkenoid creatures…"
"There are other aliens on Earth!?"
"No, you foolish human! 'Irkenoid', not other Irkens."
"Irkenoid… You mean, like, humanoid? You were hiding from humanity? Because you're going through a cycle?"
"Yes."
"What the hell is a cycle then?"
"A cycle is, well, it's… uh. You humans don't have a set period for reproducing, do you?"
"No, Zim. You should know that, we went to the same health class."
"Zim was only interested in physical human weaknesses at the time; your mating rituals were none of my concern."
"So why are you asking now then?"
"Well, a cycle is like an intense period of seeking out and finding a… compatible mate."
"Like heat?"
"Heat?"
"Cats go through it and stuff. They go all crazy and have sex everywhere."
"Well then, it is similar, Zim guesses."
"So you're in heat? Like, right now?"
"Yes, and Zim requires your assistance."
Dib's face dropped as the waves of information crashed over him, glasses slipping down the bridge of his nose, his top lip curling upwards in his failed attempt of even remotely understanding what was being said to him.
Stumbling backwards, he flung his arms backwards to catch him as he landed on his rear. This was, after all, a lot to take in at once.
'Zim… is in heat?
No-
How the hell!?
How could Zim be in heat?
He just can't-!
Zim was supposed to be like a lizard, lizards don't go into heat!
…Do they?
He's never shown any signs of being in season before! Not for the three years we've been adversaries anyway, why now!?
Why?
Just when I found him too…
Was it a really rare thing?
I mean, finding an alien on Earth is a rare thing itself but to find one in this state is…
Finally, Zim's last sentence hit him.
And it hit him hard.
"NUH UH! I am not going to 'assist' you, Zim! Not now, not ever! It's a big no no!"
Dib cried loudly, his voice slightly breaking at points.
Flailing backwards even further, his head almost shaking itself off of his shoulders and feet frantically scrambling against the worn wood flooring, he looked like a child desperately trying to escape the dentist with no plan of action.
Simply put: stupid looking.
"Why not? Zim is not asking willingly but there is no other option. You must-"
"NO! NO! NO! NO! NO! I'm not gonna do anything! I refuse! That's just a line I can't cross!"
'No matter how curious…'
"Dib-beast, there have been multiple occurrences that we have worked together. Remember that horrid baloney incident? What has changed since then that prevents you helping Zim?"
"This goes far beyond 'helping', Zim, and you know it! I can't even believe you'd even consider-! It would be… disgusting! Vile, horrid, whatever you wanna call it, it's just ew! There are all kinds of things wrong with what you are asking me to do!"
"What is Zim asking the stink-beast to do that is so disgusting? It's just-"
"Nope! Do NOT want to hear it Zim!"
"Then put Zim back."
Snapping out of his childish attitude, Dib quickly turned to face Zim.
Face contorting in confusion, Dib didn't know what to say.
Put him back? Like, back in the tree?
With the low lighting, pet enclosure-like environment and those chains?
Why the hell would anyone want to go back there?
Could being in heat really be that bad?
That, if sex isn't an option, it be less straining to isolate himself?
Just when they'd finally reunited too?
For Zim to want to go back to restraints and restrictions… It must be really terrible.
'Aren't I being cruel then?
I mean, I know I used to love making him suffer… and to see him suffer was an added bonus but-
Look at him, he looks tired and pitiful, he even asked me! Not even demanded, but asked!
Like a normal person!
It's like bullying a weak animal right now…
It's not like I would lose anything in this situation either, I've probably got the upper hand here.
I'm not the desperate one and I am just the tiniest bit curious about alien matings…
Why should I withhold my services when I'm the one coming out on top?
You know how the saying goes; Curiosity killed the cat, satisfaction brought it back.'
Dib pondered internally (a rare occurrence itself, but a necessity this situation). A crooked smile crossed his lips, eyes deviously narrowing. The more he thought of the current predicament, the more it pleased him.
A Zim forced into submission, made to follow his rules out of sheer desperation!
Pleasant actions, satisfied curiosity, dominance and control all in one. What more could a sex-starved, alien obsessed, stressed, suddenly horny doctor wish for?
Lowering his head, his glasses flashed in an almost villainous way before sweetly speaking.
"Fine Zim, you win. I give. What do you desire from me?"
Hello there again! I am so so so sooo sorry for the age's long gap between this chapter and the last! I didn't have access to my computer or internet for the longest time so I couldn't even type up a new chapter while waiting; I just got internet and my wonderful oldie of a computer at 2AM last night.
So this chapter is mainly dialog which I enjoyed writing but I think I prefer describing actions, what'd you guys think I'm better at? I love indecisive Dib who changes his mind from one moment to the other, he's just so changeable.
I have the day off tomorrow so I'm going to try and write as much as I can then since it'll be my only break for the next two weeks. I'm so tired…
Thank you to everyone for the follows, I feel so honoured! And thank you very much to glowzilla48 & Madarao The Authoress for the absolutely lovely reviews. They made my week! Reviews are the reason I type away at all hours in the morning to finish a chapter, they drive me forward, so thank you lovely dearies!
Please Review and feel free to point out any mistakes I make, helpful criticism with be welcomed with open arms. Any ideas would also be appreciated (Anything you'd like to see happen, see more/less of: just tell me and I'll try to slip it in. It'll be a story we write together!).
See you in chapter ten!