Jacklynn swallowed the sudden lump in her throat as not only did the strange boy catch her staring...but he was now headed right for her.
His gait was a little odd, he walked almost as if he were marching. He had shortish pitch black hair, cut in a fade that was fairly stylish. He seemed to be a hair shorter than herself...which was saying something seeing as she was quite short at 5 ft even. He wore strange clothes, a red, tunic like long sleeved top that almost resembled armor in fabric form. Black fitted pants with knee high leather boots and matching elbow length gloves.
Most noticable of all as he got nearer, was the strange palor of his skin...it was just off enough to be noticable, but this dude had green skin...what in the world? As he came closer, he reached out his hand, perhaps a bit too early before reaching her, for a handshake.
Timidly, Jacklynn reached out to return the greeting. She glanced down as his hand engulfed hers...she went to shake on reflex, but he did not return the act. Just stood there a few seconds without moving his arm. She quirked a brow in confusion, as he glanced at their interlocked hands seeming just as confused. After a moment, his warm, strong grip retracted and he let her hand go.
Jacklynn noticed that he wiped his hand against his pants. Feeling slightly put off by that, she looked back up and offered an unsure smile.
"Hello, I'm Jacklynn." She said nervously. He cocked his head slightly and gave a nod.
" Many Greeting Jack Lynn. I am called Zim." He had an odd sounding voice, high pitched and gravelly. His English was also a bit...odd. Maybe it wasn't his first language?
"Um, nice to meet you Zim. I uh...I guess we're neighbors now? Is that your house?" She gestured to the green slanty house. Zim looked over his shoulder, and heaved a sigh.
"Yes, that...house...is of Zim. I eh...have relocated to here recently."
Yeah, definitely not his first language. Jacklynn tried not to laugh in exhasperation.
"Recently is an understatement don't you think?" She said, adjusting her backpack onto both of her shoulders. "Your house literally just popped up overnight...Is your family here? I have some concerns about the metal tubes that crashed into my apartment."
She gestured to her building and Zims eyes followed. She watched as he visibly winced. He groaned and put a hand to his forehead.
"Eh...many apologies Jack Lynn...Yes, Fam il ee...and I have relocated to here night last. Just me here now. Fam il ly has gone to do duties."
Jacklynn sighed and nodded. "So they're at work? Ok" she checked her phone and sighed. " Well I'm sure we'll talk again soon but I have to go. I'm going to be late for-"
"School?" Zim interrupted, seeming greatful to get off the subject of his house and family.
"Uh...yeah. I have to go to school, so-"
" Let me accompany you Jack Lynn? I also have school. Know not where go."
Jacklynn gave a fake smile while cringing internally. He seemed nice enough, but something made her uneasy. She felt a little bad, she wasn't sure if it was his odd color, or the situation with the apartment...but surely that wasn't exactly his fault right?
""Uh...sure, Zim. Did you already get registered?"
"Many thank Jack Lynn. Yes, many document of Zim have been processed."
Zim smirked and gave a small nod in thanks before adjusting to walk beside her, easily falling in sync with her steps. He watched her through the corner of his eye she noticed...and would adjust his gait or manerisms in general as he ...studied her? He couldn't be...
They walked for a while in silence, Jacklynn watching Zim and Zim watching Jacklynn...and also everything else. He seemed calm enough, but something about how he constantly looked around told her that everything was foriegn to him. Sure, he obviously came from a different country, but surely not everything was so unfamiliar, right?
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Zim
This Jack Lynn...she seemed pleasent enough for an alien. If she was a good example of these humans, then maybe this new mission wouldn't be so terrible. Splicing their genes should go easily enough.
Zim adjusted his gait to match hers. She was much nore casual in her stride than his muscle-memory march. He made an effort to relax a bit, and ease his breathing...he realized that he had slowed it in an effort not to smell.... There were so many stenches about the environment...some of them vaugly reminicent of scents he already knew...machine exhaust, smoke, flora...but for the mostpart they were fairly unpleasant.
He and Jack Lynn walked in silence a bit. He prefered this, having her as an escourt helped him blend in he hoped. He soon realized that the silence was making her uncomfortable. He pondered his next step as he dodged a random bit of garbage on the walk path.
Jack Lynn noticed this and made a tut noise as she picked it up and dropoed it into a bearby container.
"Sorry about that...this area isn't the greatest. People just throw their shit everywhere...pardon ny language."
That was curious...she had good manners. But why...?
"Question, You say apology for language Jack Lynn?"
She stipped a moment and he could tell from the look on her face that she was processing his words...She did not seem unintelligent, did that nean his english was so poor? He really needed to work on this.
She bit her lip and looked at him carefully. She spoke a little nore slowly, which he was greatful for, he beeded to pay more attention to this English grammar.
"Um...do you mean "why did I apologize for the word I used"?"
He nodded.
"Yes Jack Lynn."
She smiled lightly and gave a weird chuffing sound...did humans laugh? was that a chuckle?
"Oh, well I used a curse word...like bad slang. "Shit". Some people see it as rude. That's why I apologized."
Zim nodded in understanding.
"Ah, yes! I now see...shit...What mean shit?"
She chuffed again...yes, that seemed like a laugh.
"Well, it means poop, fecal matter...bodily waste?"
Zim nodded his understanding. She sighed in relief. "It can also mean like ...things, stuff... like that trash. Or the things in my bag." she shook her bookbag by the strap for emphasis. " I could say "I have all of my shit in my bag" or someone that has to go to the bathroom could say "I have to shit." it can be a verb or a noun...or even an adjective. If something is bad it could be called "shitty" or just "shit"... Like this sidewalk for instance, its all crumbled and cracked...its shitty...see?"
Zim stopped dead, his eyes wide. This Jacklynn...she will be useful.
"Jack Lynn...You will teach Zim english?"
the fur above her eyes raised and she shrugged.
" Sure Zim. Tell you what, you get your family to get that tube out if my apartment and fix the damage, and I'll teach you English for free...I work a lot though, so you may just have to hang out with ne while I work."
Zim was impressed, she was trying to make a trade? Repair her domicile and he'll recieve language education. The repairs were next to nothing, it seemed he was getting the better end of the deal. Fix her base, and accompany her in her duties...
"Zim accepts this deal of Jack Lynn. After school, I will repair the base if Jack Lynn."
~~~~~~Jacklynn
Zim nodded matter of factly, and seened quite pleased. She had no clue how he figured he would fix the issue, but he'd probably get more done than Leslie. She couldn't have been the only one to complain about the damn tubes.
They rounded a corner and Jacklynn sighed...this was the Membraine's street. The daughter, Gaz, was basically her only friend. Gaz's older brother Dib however made it nearly impossible to ever hang out with her. Jacklynn gave Zim a sidelong glance and groaned...she couldn't do this to the poor guy.
If Dib saw his green skin abd heard his bad English he'd bust a gasket. She reached out and held an arm in front of Zim to stop his advance. He abruptly stopped and looked alarmed, she couldn't blame him, shed invaded his personal space.
"Sorry Zim, we need to go this way." She looked and saw that Dib was coming out if the front door. She cursed and grabbed Zim by the hand, leading him quickly down the alley to go down the next street.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Zim
Zim was distracted by one of those squirrel things that Gir had been on about when suddenly, there was something pressed into his chest. With a jolt, he jumped back to see that it was Jack Lynn. Her eyes were trained on a human building ahead and her arm was stuck out to stop him. She apologized and said their route needed altered...ok, but why the panic?
Suddenly she cursed again..."Shit", then ran with him down an alley. He was confused. What on Irk was going on? He yanked his hand from her and reached into his pak and grabbed a phaser.
She had veen calm this whole time, why the sudden alertness? She seemed intelligent enough, surely they were in some sort of danger.
He peered around the corner and saw two more humans on the walk path. They must be what the issue was. Zim holstered the phaser and turned back to Jack Lynn.
He was slightly impressed...in his panic, he had diverted to pulling a weapon in front of her... something he really should not have done. He wasn't sure if he could trust her yet. But she seemed unphased. She wasn't screaming ir alerting her authorities...that was good.
Zim was beginning to be more and more greatful that his first subject was good.
~~~~~~~~~Jacklynn
She watched as Zim took a defensive stance, pulled a stun gun...or at least thats what it looked like...and held her back, searching the street for the threat. He must have realized that it was Dib, and he hadn't noticed them. He smoothly put the stun gun away and turned to her.
from the look on his face, she could see that he was relieved he hadn't spooked her. She wondered what training he had...had to be something with how smoothly he moved. She was intrigued. Heck, he was weird, but he might be a potential friend...that might be nice. Especially if she'd be teaching him English.
"That was impressive. Don't worry, we should be good. I just wanted to keep you away from that guy Dib. He's...Not quite right. I didn't want him to pester you."
Zim relaxed a bit more...but looked...shocked?
"Jack Lynn protected Zim?"
"Well...kind of I suppose. Dib is mostly harmless, he's just... annoying."
Zim looked at her a little more seriously.
"Why you protect?"
Jack Lynn sighed and looked apologetic.
~~~~~~~~Zim
He looked at the change in her expression and suddenly became nervous...what was wtong?
"I don't mean to be rude Zim... But I couldn't help but to notice your skin is a little ...well, green." she cringed as if she expected to get hit. " And, well, with your english not being so great...you see, Dib is obsessed with aliens, and he doesn't have a lick of sense in his big head. I didn't want him going after you"
His squeedely spooch clenched and his blood rushed in his veins...his disguise needed massive work.
"Zim is human. I am normal. I have skin condition. Hypochromic anemia. Jack Lynn...tell me of this Dib."
" Im sorry to hear that Zim...sorry if i sounded insensitive. Dib is...ugh, he's the son of this famous scientist. He's nuts and has all of this money to spend on weird gadgets to try and catch cryptids and aliens and ither creatures. Hes loud, rude, annoying, and dumb. Also obsessive. He's stalked me before even, when i told him i wouldn't go out with him."
"Go out with him? what meaning?"
Jack Lynn groaned and shook her head.
"It means to go on a date with someone...to court."
Zim got a little more serious at this. He was worried now, was she already mated?
" like a mating ritual?"
She shrugged and nodded.
"yeah, pretty much. He wouldn't take no for an answer so I try to avoid him. Pretty sure he wont ever stop until I have a boyfriend."
"When you are mated Dib will let you be?"
She shrugged. "Who knows, but it would be a good reason for him to."
He made a mental note of this...if there were males vying for Jack Lynn's attention that may be a hinderance to his mission. He needed to be sure that he would even use her in the first place though ... further studies were needed.