spanglespants

[spanglespants]

Jhonen: Vasquez Me: a pleasure to meet you Mr. Vasquez. I am such a fan of your work. I am not a little weirdo freak like all of those other fans. No, I’m norma- Jhonen: wraps his hand around my neck choking me to death

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"Insane In The Membrane"

Here is another gift for @iodotsys & @banana-zim 's really cool horror AU "Insane In The Membrane"! Super tragic and unsettling!! I am excited to see more to come for this story! (人´∀`)♪

Take a look at their blog @insane-in-the-membrane-au to see more!

- D.

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brand new pikmin character his name is newport and he loves cigarettes look for him in pikmin 5 and 6

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The fringe Parasitic Encephalization Theory claims our nervous system is a parasite that took over the body of the earliest vertebrate ancestor. It captures 20% of the body's resources, while staying separate from the blood and being considered unique by the immune system.

While very few defend this theory, one fact supports it: If the body dies while the skull is open, the brain and spinal cord sometimes detach and briefly flail outside, in what could perhaps be an ancient host-seeking reflex.

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zim is kind of annoying but he just doesn't understand romance yet

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dib is tall for a human, zim is small for an irken. shenanigans ensue

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nothing but respect for my kings!!

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So- we’ve started.. something. Small pieces of art of some of the most prominent alters in our system of absolute.. just chaos

Stinky, crusty.. traumatized bastard man 😮‍💨🫵

I have too many stories about this bastard, that I might tell one day, who knows

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zim ena... zena....

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He scream

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y,eah

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Like the idea of the tallests being on earth because it unlocks a whole new world of psychological torment for Dib

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A shift.

Dib wiped down the counter with the enthusiasm of someone who had long since accepted his fate but refused to go down gracefully. The scent of stale fries and industrial-grade mop water clung to everything, the register humming faintly, and the distant beeping of the kitchen monitors blended into the static of his slowly decaying will to live.

He didn’t even look up when the door jingled.

His body stiffened just a bit too fast at the familiar tone.

“Ah, Dib-worm!” Zim announced, striding inside like this was his domain and Dib was the one out of place. “Still groveling before your corporate overlords, I see. Pathetic. Truly, truly pathetic.”

“Zim” Dib said, in recognition. Voice so devoid of enthusiasm it practically absorbed all light.

His hand twitched instantly, shaky in his thin greasy fingers, grip tightening around the rag.

Zim leaned against the counter, watching Dib with that unreadable expression that somehow managed to be smug and utterly out of place all at once. As if he knew what he was doing.

“When will you finally cease this nonsense and return to—”

“Nine, Zim,” Dib interrupted without looking up, voice carrying a hint of something more than the lifeless mundanity of these shifts could allow him. “Same as always.”

Zim, clearly displeased with this answer, stopped at the counter, tilting his head in an overly dramatic gesture. “Nine?”

“Nine.”

“As in… the ninth hour past noon?”

“Yes.”

Zim frowned. “Nine?” Almost to make sure.

“…”

“As in—”

Dib exhaled through his nose. “Nine, like always, Zim. NINE!”

Dib paused. Even though his voice had spiked, his resignation shone through more than his annoyance ever could. His gaze, though, was now as intensely focused on Zim as it always was. The moment stretched on just a little too long, a little too intense. Now bordering on the sharpness that was usually reserved for Zim.

Dib sighed and reminded himself to turn away, grabbing a refill stack of napkins for the dispenser to have something to do with his hands. Not to fuel this more than he should right now.

“Yes, Zim. Like every time. Like every other time you’ve asked. I’m off at nine.”

Zim’s expression twisted in a way that suggested he was experiencing the vague irritation of being ignored, even while being answered. He was not unaware of Dib’s refusal. Having felt the shift in the human’s demeanor as soon as his body had recognized Zim’s arrival. All those familiar neurotransmitters polluting the air, sticky like drying honey.

He leaned an elbow on the counter, watching Dib with the casual boredom of someone who had absolutely nothing better to do. There was never anything better to do.

After a moment, Zim made a thoughtful noise, dropping his gaze, tapping a claw against the countertop. As if he was actually considering what Dib just told him—the literal information this time—but they both knew that whatever ran through his dense head, it wasn’t going to be anything even remotely resembling considerateness.

His gaze soon met Dib’s again. Dib’s eyes had never shifted. Like always.

Zim wasn’t going down, though. Without breaking eye contact, he reached over and slowly shoved a handful of the register candy into his pocket. Like this being the expected thing to do in such moments.

Dib was clearly annoyed already, but he was not at all experiencing anything he wasn’t used to or hadn’t expected. His demeanor didn’t change one bit, full attention already on Zim. He could not refuse anyway. He wasn’t surprised at Zim’s action, and he was fully aware of what was to come. Only annoying him even further.

His voice carried a familiar tone. Finally something. “Zim—”

A warning.

Another handful.

Dib’s hand twitched toward the counter. “Zim—”

More candy disappeared. The challenge clearly mirrored in his unyielding purple gaze.

These interactions were all well-practiced at this point. Both refused to stop.

“ZIM—”

Zim, casual and unbothered in his open display of disrespect toward Dib, took more candy. Like this was the most interesting part of his day.

Dib gestured aggressively at the candy, refusing to put a real stop to this. “You know exactly that you can’t just take those!”

Zim blinked at him, then—slowly, deliberately—grabbed another handful and pocketed it.

Dib groaned, pressing his fingers to his temples. “You KNOW you’re not supposed to steal, this will be taken from my check again—.”

Zim made an unimpressed noise. Clearly enjoying this. “Ohhh, Dib-thing, how very quaint.” He grabbed another piece.

This was an invitation, after all.

Dib slammed his hand on the counter. “ZIM.”

Zim tilted his head. “Dib.”

Deliberate in the lack of a suffix.

Another candy disappeared.

Dib’s eye twitched. Words gritty through his teeth. “You know this. Stop it.”

“Ah, yes,” Zim agreed, stuffing more into his too-small pockets. Dib wanted nothing more than to slap the smugness off of his face. To pretend the flaming redness on his face was anything other than absolute annoyance. “And yet, observe!” Zim grabbed yet another one, holding it up proudly like he found a rare treasure, and dropped it into his pocket while maintaining direct eye contact.

Nothing less than daring in his mockery.

Dib dragged a hand down his face. “For the love of…”

Dib was tired, though, and he had a shift to complete.

And still, he continued in his useless effort to lecture Zim about things he clearly didn’t care about. Filling the void of mundanity just a bit longer. Just as everything else he had to do that wasn’t interrupted by Zim’s way too annoying voice and his ugly little face. His words were just unimportant filler, a means to an end after all. Maybe also for him to gloat his morals a little, at the very least.

“I know you can afford to pay for this, Zim. Stealing is not okay and you don’t even like those—”

“And yet, for ZIM, the candy COSTS NOTHING!” Zim grinned, triumphant. Just a bit more. “Truly, I am an economical genius.”

Zim played along, mocking the morals of a system he found ridiculous and hypocritical.

Dib let out a long, exhausted sigh.

Deciding to cut this short after all. He wouldn’t skip on work again. Not today anyway. He was tired, and he needed to complete this shift. This place sucked too much out of his life as it was already. And as much as he wanted to, the timing wasn’t right. He had to cut this down. Turning away, eyes back on the rag again.

“Nine, like always, Zim.”

A shrill groan rang in his ears. The frustration was evident and thick. Zim made a dramatic show of rolling his eyes, but it was almost too slow, like he’d been considering something else first. Zim had clearly hoped for a different outcome. But he understood. If he pushed now, Dib would cut this off indefinitely. He couldn’t have that.

“FINE,” he declared, turning sharply on his heel and striding toward the door, not without dropping most of the candy over the whole countertop. One final display of defiance. Not caring for the candy one bit anyway. “Have it YOUR way, you– puny HUMAN.”

A jingle indicating his departure.

Dib closed his eyes, exhaled slowly. Hands still shaking. Trying to enjoy the peace and quiet he didn’t want.

He thunked his forehead against the counter. The dull ache and cold provided just a small relief.

Then, as he peeled his face away from the counter, his tired eyes caught something on the floor.

A single piece of candy.

Then another.

And another.

A trail of brightly wrapped pieces, leading straight to the door where Zim had exited.

Dib stared at them for a long moment. Eyes dull.

Then, without a word, he went back to wiping the counter.

Grip even tighter than before.

He was looking forward to nine.

✦✦ ✦✦

[spanglespants]

so close! the correct answer was "I love you most".

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Objection Funk but Invader Zim I’m sooo smart I’m sooooo smart