#getting plagued by a disembodied announcer voice as one does!!!!

[heffrondriving]

Big Time Rush is back!️ 🖤❤️🖤❤️

[persefone88]

10 + 1 Wangxian Recs - Theme Gods and Demons

I am currently mostly in MDZS (Mo Dao Zu Shi/Grandmaster of Demonic Cultivation) fandom. And fully and wholeheartily shipping Lan Wangji/Wei Wuxian. And since I have collected 2000+ Wangxian bookmarks on AO3 I thought it was high time to pick out some of my favourite fics to Recommend. But since it is hard to pic just a few I decided to separate them into themes.

This theme is fics where either/both of Wei Wuxian and Lan Wangji are some kind of God or Demon or Eldritch Creature.

Demonic Cultivator's Blessing, or: Curse of the Bunny Gods by FayJay

https://archiveofourown.org/works/21806698

Summary:Written for the Reverse Big Bang Challenge, to illustrate the beautiful art work below, by Saph0000 (qr-sa on tumblr).Her prompt was to write something about WWX and LWJ ascending to become deities; I took the liberty of slightly crossing over MDZS with Heaven Official's Blessing for the worldbuilding, and set myself the goal of bringing a smile to the faces of Jiang Cheng and Lan Xichen.So: a story in which the newly-ascended bunny gods set out to give Jiang Cheng's love life a boost, and find a way of cheering up Lan Xichen along the way.

don't wanna go to heaven if they don't want meby butchgoth (GremlinGirl)

https://archiveofourown.org/works/23173873

Summary:Rolling thunder shook the Heavenly Realm, tremors nearly toppled whole palaces, and a bright shot of light illuminated the Martial Square. A new ascension had taken place, and amid the chaos stood a new God donned in black robes with a red ribbon fluttering in his hair.Wei Wuxian, a villain who murdered three thousand cultivators at Nightless City, shocks the world when he ascends to Godhood. With him, he brings a lowly doctor and a fierce corpse, and he meets no rule that he won't break. The Heavens are shocked and offended by his very presence, and talk about him is endless. The noble, graceful Martial God Lan Wangji, one of the Twin Jades from the Palace of Lan, becomes entangled with him, and a plague brought on by wicked cultivation strikes the populace. One of them the pride of Heaven, the other its shame, two Gods work together to unravel who is responsible and how they can stop the plague from claiming the lives of the ones Wei Wuxian loves.

We'll Build This House on Stone (Altars) by FluffyHippogriff

https://archiveofourown.org/works/24690373/chapters/59670793

Summary:Maybe, just maybe, Wei Wuxian shouldn't have looked for an abandoned temple in the dead of night.Maybe, just maybe, he shouldn't have broken in and invoked the name of the ancient god supposedly residing in said temple.And maybe, just maybe, he shouldn't have kept coming back to socialize.

Ashes and Moonlight by Anonymous

https://archiveofourown.org/works/20335783

Summary:For a long time, what separated gods and demons was defined only by where they went: up or down.

寒光殿: The Palace of Winter's Light by crimsonghost

https://archiveofourown.org/works/25170688

Summary:The day Lan Ya jiangjun lost his godhood, a faint snowfall fell over the Heavenly Court.The day Lan Wangji was born, a once-in-a-century blizzard battered the mountains of Gusu.Lan Wangji is a pseudo-reincarnation of a martial god from the previous heavenly "dynasty". There's something going on with the new Heavenly Court, and the Qishan Wen Sect is up to something. If only he remembered who he was, maybe he'd be able to solve both problems.

Mirage by mondengel

https://archiveofourown.org/works/27593869

Summary:The thing sprawled across the Jingshi was massive and amorphous

Now I'm slipping through the cracks by MirageBeaumort

https://archiveofourown.org/works/23884108

Summary:His baby born die... or so Wei Ying had announced, holding a small body between blankets.Eldritch AU

baby, take a chance on me by Anonymous

https://archiveofourown.org/works/29603424

Wei Wuxian has been carefully avoiding the darker edge of his occupation for hundreds of years, content to keep his head down. When that becomes an impossibility, he decides that it's high time he takes a shot at getting what he wants.Summary:He’s not even that destructive, all things considered. He prefers his little tricks to outright decimation and sometimes all he has to do is bat his eyes and the humans just take it from there. They really are a rowdy, horny bunch, very easy to rile up. He’s glad he was never like that, which is kind of funny considering his exact job description.Wei Wuxian, Class A Succubus.

a sword for a tongue by martyrsdaughter

https://archiveofourown.org/works/26690338

Summary:Esteemed cultivation professor Lan Wangji demonstrates how to deal with demons.He does not recommend marrying them as a general rule, but it's worked out well for him so far.

Ambrosia by misbehavingvigilante

https://archiveofourown.org/works/28394556

Summary:The God of Wine is dead. His sister’s grief shrinks each harvest more and more and his almost lover threatens to coat the world in an endless winter now that his Sun is gone.There is also a new God of Death.These two events may not be as unconnected as they seem.

Remnants of a Past Here Pass Like Light Through Dust by MavisMelisande

https://archiveofourown.org/works/28585359

Summary:"Please, you have to help him." Wèi Wúxiàn whispered into the dark, fingers scrabbling against the stone altar. His face was wet with tears, and he felt desperate, empty, cavernous in his despair. In all the times he had been here before, he had received no response to his offerings, no sign of the god that was once worshiped on this lost island. But he knew, he could feel the presence here. "And what do you give in return?" The voice was a deep rumble, disembodied, a part of the temple and the water, the fish and the lotus, and nothing at all. "Anything," he sobs, and he finds he means it. It was his duty to protect his brother, and he failed. Whatever Hánguāng-jūn asks, Wèi Wúxiàn will pay. "You will remain," the voice echoes, and Wèi Wúxiàn chokes. But yes, of course he will. If Jiāng Chéng is restored, it doesn't matter if he spends the rest of his years living in a koi pond. He laughs brokenly, stung by the inappropriate insanity. But then the voice continues: "for one year." One year. Yeah... Wèi Wúxiàn can do that. One year. "Yes."Wèi Wúxiàn begs an unknown god to restore Jiāng Chéng's core after Wēn Níng is caught trying to sneak them out of Wēn occupated Lotus Pier.

[youngster-monster]

I’ll take it all

After Anasterian Sunstrider is dealt a mortal wound in battle, he calls for his son from his deathbed.

“You must rule,” he says, voice rasping with pain, “With kindness, with honor, and with fairness. Only then will you be worthy of this crown.”

But Prince Kael’thas is young, with a heart set on magic and learning. He does not wish to rule. His sense duty bars him from giving up the crown; so he chooses another way out.

The healers said the king could not be healed by any mortal means. He goes to seek elsewhere.

Deep within the darkest forest of the land, where the moon never sets, there lives a demon. One must be brave, to make the trip, or very foolish, for the forest holds many dangers besides. But with courage and strength, one may find their way to the heart of this forest, and ask the demon for a service; and if one is very lucky, the demon may agree to it.

Kael’thas is young enough to believe himself invincible. But he is also one of the most brilliant mages in the kingdom, and a powerful warrior, enough that his bravery is set in more than youthful naivety.

He sets off at midnight with nothing more than the fastest horse of the royal stables and a sword. He rides without pause for a full day and night, through hills and forests, and knows himself to have reached his goal when hours pass and the moon never lowers in the sky. The darkness has a weight, here; a deep magic that stretches like spiderwebs between the trees and glints silver under the everlasting stars.

Following the trail of this magic, the prince comes to find a clearing, at the center of which stands a house of black stones and dark wood. A single lit lantern announces that it is inhabited; but the stillness inside tells that the occupant must be very lonely indeed.

Kael’thas composes himself, breathing in deep. Don’t forget to be polite, the voice of his best friend warns in his mind. You cannot be rude to a wish-granting demon.

As if he would ever do such a thing.

Walking directly to the unguarded house, Kael’thas slams the heavy knocker upon the door thrice, and waits.

And waits.

Just as he is about to knock again — perhaps call out loud, since this demon must be hard of hearing — the door creaks open, with a sound like a wail.

“Who comes to disturb my rest?”

The sickly green light of the lantern does not reach inside the house, so that the disembodied voice seems to come from the darkness itself.

“My name is Kael’thas Sunstrider,” he says, “And I come seeking help from one we call a demon.”

Slowly, footsteps echo across the stillness — oddly sharp, like cloven hooves upon a stone floor. A faint glow the same hue as the magical light comes to breach the darkness, in odd twisted shapes like thorn vines and, higher still, like two eyes.

“Have you not been warned, Kael’thas Sunstrider, to never give your name to creatures you so readily insult by calling them demons?”

“It’s a risk I am willing to take for the sake of a proper introduction, and as long as I stand here alive I will consider it a risk worth taking.”

The darkness rumbles with something akin to a laugh, getting nearer, until Kael’thas can start to make out a shape. First he sees the horns, tall and curved and glinting like metal; then teeth, bared by speech; a chest carved with glowing markings; and wings, shifting like living shadows behind the creature; until finally all of him is visible.

He looks the part for a demon, Kael’thas muses; but he looks rather like a man, too.

“What is it that you seek, to come so far from the light?”

“A miracle cure for my father, who was wounded in the war.”

The demon tilts his head, considering. Then he says, “Come, then.”

And he walks right past Kael’thas, past the cover of trees and deep within the forest. The prince hurries to follow after him.

They walk, the demons with confidence and Kael’thas with confusion, until they reach a tree. It is old, Kael’thas can tell, large enough that it might take him many minutes to walk around its trunks and nearly humming with the force of its innate magic. The demon strides up to it and gouges into the bark with a swipe of his claws. The tree bleeds red; and it shines like blood under the moonlight.

“Pour this over his wounds,” he says, gesturing to the sap, “And he will heal.”

Kael’thas looks at the dark liquid, then at the demon, and says, “I have no vessel to carry it in.” Only his water skin, which he could empty easily enough; but it seems unwise to take from a demon and offer nothing in return. One never knows when the demon will want to call on this debt.

“Then you will work for me for three night and three days, and I shall give you one,” says the demon, and nothing more.

It’s only after Kael’thas agrees that he realizes there are no days here, and the moon never shifts or changes; and he thinks himself very foolish indeed for agreeing to a contract that has no end, when his father is lying in agony and might pass the veil at any moment.

But there is no going back.

For hours the demon has him do menial tasks. Fetch water; gather firewood; weed the garden into which nothing else grows. He never lets Kael’thas inside of the house, not once in the many hours of labor. And Kael’thas doesn’t complain, not once; not even as he rages against his own stupidity, and schemes his escape. But as much as the demon seems absent more often than not; but whenever Kael’thas comes closer to the house, he appears as if from nowhere, and sends him to another task.

For three days and three nights he neither sleeps nor eats nor has the need to do either. For three days and three nights he hopes, desperately, to find a way out.

But at the hour at which the fourth dawn should have broken, and despite the full moon remaining unchanged above their heads, the demon comes to Kael’thas and offers him a glass vial filled with the blood-dark sap.

“Be on your way,” the demon says, “And never comes back.”

Kael’thas rides hard and fast through the trees until he finds dawn; then through the forests and the hills, all the way back home again. Not once does he look back.

-

And he would have stayed away, too, if months later sickness had not swept through his kingdom. Their healers work tirelessly; but dead bodies litter the streets, and the sky is choked with smoke from the pyres, and Kael’thas knows if they ever find a cure, it will be too late.

He remembers the path to the forest, through the trees, under the moon and all the way to the clearing with the black stone house. He knocks; he waits.

And waits.

The door creaks open, and the same low voice asks, “Who comes to disturb my rest?”

“It is Kael’thas Sunstrider,” he says, “Who seeks a cure for the plague.”

There is a beat of silence, then, “Follow me.”

They walk through the forest until they reach a pond, by which grows a bush of white flowers that shine like diamonds.

“Crush these,” the demon says, “And give the sick water infused with the powder. They will heal.”

But Kael’thas is no more likely to accept a one-sided deal now than he was last time, and he says, “I have no box in which to store them safely during my travels.”

“Then you will work for me for three night and three days, and I shall give you one,” says the demon, and nothing more.

Once hardly makes a pattern, but Kael’thas still trusts that the demon will release him after the allotted time. So he works, without complaints and without fear, as the demon has him sweep the path leading to the house and pick the rocks from the garden where nothing grows, not even weeds.

Still he doesn’t come too close to the house; still the demon does not speak to him beyond handing him tasks; and still, at the dawn of the fourth day, the demon comes to him with a tin box filled with flowers, and sends him on his way.

-

The third time is what makes it a habit.

Jaina has refused his proposal; she loves another, she said, and it broke Kael’thas’ heart.

For weeks he is inconsolable. Elves live long lives, and are slow to change; he would have mourned this love for many weeks more if, one night, he had not woken up from a nightmare to find the full moon staring down on him.

Another man would have gone back to sleep, or perhaps waxed poetics about the unfeeling face of the moon. But Kael’thas is a man who rode twice to the heart of the night and came back with a boon each time; he sees the moon, and thinks of a black house among trees.

What is a heartbreak but a wound? What is heartsickness but a plague of the soul?

This time, the door opens before he even reaches it. The demon looks at him in silence; Kael’thas swallows past the pain in his throat, and whispers:

“Once again I come to your front step, asking for a cure for love unrequited.”

Something flashes across the demon’s face, impossible to read in the gloom. He gestures at Kael’thas to follow and leads him around the house, to the small garden where nothing grows. He has him dig in the soft dirt and scatter seeds in the holes; then he makes him carry star-strewn water from the stream, through the tangled roots of the forest.

After three days, the demon empties what little of the water is left after taking care of the garden into a gold-rimmed cup, and offers it to Kael’thas.

“Drink this,” he says. “Your heart will mend, and grow stronger for the breaking.”

Kael’thas drinks. The water tastes cool and sweet.

When he leaves the forest of never ending night, the dawn that breaks seems to him to be the first in years rather than days; and it is all the more beautiful for it.

-

After this Kael’thas starts to find excuses to travel to the moonlit forest. He comes asking for a book that does not exist, and the demon finds it; he comes asking for a sword of sunlight, and the demon gives it to him; he comes asking for anything that comes to mind, pays the toll of labor and leaves, up until the demon opens the door and says,

“Oh, it’s you again.”

And Kael’thas replies, “Who else could it be? It’s not like you have many visitors.”

“Maybe I like it that way. What is it that you want, now?”

Kael’thas thinks for a long time, staring at the demon, and then says, “I seek a name that belongs to a demon in a black house in the forest of night.”

The demon looks slightly distressed at that.

“Is there nothing else you want?”

“Only this knowledge.”

The demon makes him weed the garden again, urging him to be careful of the new growth there, before he tells him his name.

“I was once known as Illidan,” he says begrudgingly.

“Once?”

“What good is a name when there is no one to know it?”

“There is me, now.” Kael’thas grins then, looking up at him, and says, “I have your name and you have mine. Won’t you invite me in, as the rules of hospitality demand?”

Illidan looks, for a second, like he might kick him out of the clearing for good. But in the end he only heaves a sigh, and waves him inside.

The house is dark inside — what use has a blind demon for light, after all? But after Kael’thas has bumped into one piece of furniture too many, he waves his fingers and flames flares to life in the fireplace.

“What do you want, then?”

“Must I always want something?” Kael’thas asks absently, looking around himself. There are books everywhere: piled on the floor, the seats, the table, overflowing from the shelves. He supposes there’s little else to do with one’s time, when one is a demon living alone in a black house in a forest of eternal night. Though he does wonder how a blind demon reads.

“You generally do.”

“That is fair.” Considering the question for a moment, he finally says, “A conversation.”

“Make yourself useful, then, and boil water for the tea.”

-

Kael’thas comes to ask for many more conversations after that first one — and though Illidan never offers them freely, the price is always easy to pay.

All Illidan ever asks for is for him to boil water, or clear some space to sit, or grab a book for him. Eventually he brings himself to ask Kael’thas to read for him; some he knows by heart, and will mouth the words as they are said, but most he listens to in silence. It’s Kael’thas who stops, usually, to ask a question or start a debate over what he’s reading.

Illidan is brilliant, he finds — with a mind like a steel trap, and a sharp tongue that he seems reluctant to use.

“Words have power,” he says when Kael’thas mentions this. “And power should not be wielded carelessly.”

Kael’thas, who’s notorious for speaking before he thinks of the full implications of what he’s saying, nods and continues the paragraph he stopped in the middle of.

Illidan is brilliant, a scholar, and old enough to speak of history as if he has lived it personally. Kael’thas learns all of this and then more, and each new information feels like a theft — as if, by not paying the meagre price Illidan insists on making him pay for everything else, he has taken something from him.

So he tries to offer payment instead, though he does not voice it as such. One of the ways he does this is by cooking. Kael’thas is not a good cook by any measure; but one of the things he’s discovered about Illidan during their many conversations is that the man is terrible at it. He eats mostly meat, raw or charred over the fire, that he has hunted himself in the depths of the woods.

“Is that why your garden was barren when I first came?” He asks idly over the root vegetables he’s currently peeling. They have odd shapes and colors, but they taste remarkably the same as the carrots he eats back home, so he decided that’s what they must be.

Illidan stares through the window as he answers.

“No. I tried once, and nothing grew. I did not believe it worth it to try again.”

“What changed?”

A pause. “I found that I… enjoy repetition, in the right context.”

Kael’thas says nothing for a long time. When he speaks again, it’s to change the subject — it’s easier on the both of them.

“For as long as I’ve stayed here,” he says, “I’ve never needed to eat.”

“But you stay for very little time, when compared to me, and all that lives must eventually eat.”

Was Illidan changed, he wonders, by this strange halfway land he resides in? Or what he already like this when he came, and it is the land that changed around him? Surely there wasn’t always a forest of night in the heart of their kingdom; surely it was not always inhabited by a demon. One or the other must have come first.

-

The next time Kael’thas comes, he brings something in anticipation of the payment he must make. Pastries from the capital: sweet and buttery, something he’s sure Illidan has not tasted in a long time.

He has an important question to ask — or rather, something that will lead to an important question, later.

“What do you seek here?” Illidan asks, as he always does when he opens the door.

“An answer.” Kael’thas thrusts the box of pastries at Illidan. “And before you ask, I brought payment already. Let’s get inside: your garden will survive not being weeded for a day.”

They sit, and after allowing the demon a few moments to taste the pastries and looking away so as to not witness the emotions warring across his face, Kael’thas asks:

“Why must I pay, every time I come?”

He keeps his tone neutral, because in truth he is more curious than insulted by the practice. Demons must have their quirks, and he cannot entirely shake off his initial fear of a bargain struck but left open-ended.

Illidan tilts his head so that his long hair covers his face slightly, and his voice sounds rough when he replies.

“It can never be a gift. Only a trade or a theft.”

“Why?”

“Gifts are like curses — easy to give, hard to get rid of, impossible to change. Powerful. They’re dangerous.”

“And me bringing you food in exchange for conversation makes them… less so?”

Illidan looks away then, fully hiding his expression behind the curtain of his hair. “I do not like to owe people — or to have others owe me. It is easier, that way, to have every payment upfront.”

“What a terribly mercenary way to look at things.”

“Perhaps, but it has served me well.” When he faces Kael’thas again, he is smirking. “But this offering of yours has paid for more than a single question, I would say. What would you like to talk about?”

There are many things Kael’thas would like to ask about. Who took too much from you? What more can I offer you? Where do you come from, what are you doing here?

But he will not ask; this, he thinks, must be offered freely.

“That first time — would you have let me leave with the sap, just like that?”

Illidan shrugs, still smiling. “You feared me then. You would have thought keeping your life a sufficient payment in exchange for it, and it certainly would have made you leave quicker.”

How glad he is to have been too stupid to be truly afraid, now.

-

Kael’thas makes the trip to the moonlit forest one last time. He glances at the flourishing garden; he knocks on the black wood door.

When Illidan opens it, his usual greeting on his lips already, Kael’thas takes a step back and digs his hand under his cloak.

He doesn’t know what is on his face; only that Illidan’s face falls at the sight of it. But this must be done. Kael’thas will not be trapped into a life of bargaining, but he cannot keep on taking without ever giving something back.

“What do you bear?” Illidan asks blandly, in the way one would ask about a particularly cumbersome burden.

Kael’thas offers his hands, and bows over it. Between his fingers he holds a single flower, the petals pale pink with veins of gold. Beloved’s blossom; a flower often exchanged between lovers, as a proposal. He held a similar one out for Jaina, an eternity ago.

“A heart,” he says softly, though he does not allow himself to be quiet. This is not a vow to be whispered and lost in the wind. “Freely given, for you to keep or to let go as you please.”

“What do you ask in return?”

“Nothing.”

Glancing up through his lashes, he sees a small, bitter smile on Illidan’s face. “You bring me a gift,” he says, like it’s poison on his tongue.

“I am a selfish man, Illidan. I wished my father saved, my people cured, my heart mended, my days filled with your company; all this you have given me. Now I want to tell you I love you; I will have this too.” His uncomfortable bow makes talking awkward, but he refuses to straighten up until Illidan has either accepted his gift or closed his door to him forever.

Slowly, so slow it’s torture, a hand comes to cover his. Clawtips prickle the soft skin of the inside of his wrist. “Have you not been warned, Kael’thas Sunstrider, to never give your heart to creatures who could so easily break it?”

“It will only be stronger for the breaking.”

“Do you seek to see it broken again, then?”

“No. But it’s a risk worth taking, for the chance to see what you would do with it if given the chance.” He hopes for care; but it is only a hope, and he would not dare to make a request of it.

Illidan’s hand closes over his, and he can feel it shake slightly as the demon sighs deeply.

“Come inside, Kael,” he says softly. “The night is cold, and your heart is dear to me. I would not like to see it freeze.”

Smiling triumphantly, Kael’thas follows him in.

[tomeandflickcorner]

Episode Review- The Real Ghostbusters: No One Comes to Lupisville

Well, this isn’t officially meant to be a Halloween episode, but given what goes on in this one, I say it’s fitting.

It’s late at night at the Firehouse, and the Ghostbusters are all sound asleep. (And Ray is even shown holding a stuffed Mr. Stay Puft, which may be the same plushie we saw in Look Homeward, Ray).  Downstairs, we see poor Janine is once again being forced to stay up because they apparently can’t be bothered to hire a different secretary for the night shift.  To pass the time, Janine is playing poker with Slimer, who we see has a really great hand.  But then it’s revealed Slimer is a big fat cheater who is hiding cards up his sleeve, so to speak.  When Janine catches him in the act, she is rightfully ticked and starts chasing after him. She quickly loses sight of him, but then notices the front door opening.  Thinking Slimer snuck outside, Janine steps out to locate him, only to see he’s nowhere in sight.  When she turns back to go inside, she sees a rather tall man standing there.  The man tells Janine that he came looking for the Ghostbusters.  Janine tells him that they’re asleep at the moment, but he’s welcome to come back in the morning.  However, the man states he’s not willing to do that and simply gives Janine an address, requesting that the Ghostbusters head there tomorrow after dusk.  To compensate Janine for the trouble, the man gives her a small bag filled with gold coins.  When Janine looks back up, she sees the man has vanished.  She calls out to him, stating she needs a name to place on the invoice.  In response, the man’s disembodied voice announces his name is Gregor.

The next evening, the Ghostbusters head off to the address Gregor gave them.  They discuss how the place they’re going is a town called Lupisville, which is some sort of private community located well off the beaten trail.  They eventually locate the town on the other side of a bridge that spans over a dried-up river.  Upon arriving in Lupisville, they find the town seems to be deserted.  But then people begin emerging from the houses. It’s immediately clear that something is unusual about these people.  Not only are they wearing clothing from a different time period, but some of them are simply gigantic.  As Ray attempts to greet the townsfolk, a rather creepy looking little girl called Lyta appears on the roof of the Ecto-1, and she seems to take an instant shine to Egon.  Peter then asks the townsfolk where Gregor is.  The moment Gregor’s name is uttered, a bolt of lightning appeared in the sky, accompanied by a thunderclap.  Instantly, Gregor appears in the doorway of a nearby house.  He welcomes the Ghostbusters to the town and invites them to come inside.  The Ghostbusters accept the invite, with Lyta sneaking inside with them.  Although, Peter pauses at the door to say Gregor’s name, and another lighting and thunder strike occurs.  (Was that an intentional Young Frankenstein reference?)

Inside Gregor’s house, he reveals the reason why he called the Ghostbusters out there.  Gregor states that Lupisville is being plagued by vampires, and he hopes the Ghostbusters can deal with it.  (Here, we see Lyta is eavesdropping on the conversation from behind a chair.  And she seems to be visibly scared when Gregor mentions the vampire problem.)  Peter, probably thinking this is a huge joke, announces that this isn’t their department and he gets up to leave.  Gregor, however, is offended by this and accuses Peter of being afraid.  Ray, trying to diffuse the situation, steps in and explains that they’ve just never dealt with vampires before.  Egon points out this could be a prime opportunity to test how their equipment could work on the undead.  Winston, on the other hand, seems to be on board with Peter and states it’s probably not a smart move to mess around with something they’re not experienced to deal with.  But he quickly changes his tune when Gregor reveals a large chest of gold, which he intends to offer them as payment for their services.  So the Ghostbusters ultimately agree to take on Lupisville’s vampire problem. Gregor informs the Ghostbusters that the vampires always came through the forest each night at midnight.  Upon looking at the clock on Gregor’s mantle, the Ghostbusters see it was 11:40, so they don’t have much time.

The Ghostbusters head off into the woods.  Unbeknownst to them, Lyta is following them in secret. As they walk, Ray suddenly announces that he heard something.  He asks Egon to check his PKE Meter, in case vampires give off psychokinetic energy. It turns out they do, as Egon quickly determines they’re surrounded.  Upon looking around them, though, they only see a large group of bats.  At first, the Ghostbusters breathe sighs of relief, until they add 2 and 2 together.  Sure enough, the bats transform into vampires.  The vampires proceed to attack the Ghostbusters, who quickly find out the Proton Packs have no effect on them.  Lyta, upon seeing one of the vampires going for Egon, tries to come to his defense.  Of course, she’s only a little girl, so all she can really do is jump on the vampire’s back and hit him with her tiny fists.  Naturally, this doesn’t accomplish anything, and the vampire is able to reach Egon.  In the process, however, the vampire inadvertently hits a switch on Egon’s Proton Pack. Egon identifies it as the self-destruct switch.  Acting quickly, Egon tosses his Proton Pack away.  In the process, he actually manages to flip the vampire over his shoulder. (Wow, Egon is stronger than he looks!) However, he’s not able to get everyone clear in time before the Proton Pack explodes.  When the smoke clears, Lyta sees Egon and Winston lying unconscious nearby.  Peter and Ray, however, are nowhere to be seen.

A little while later, we see Peter and Ray waking up in the middle of a graveyard. As they come around, they see the obvious leader of the vampires sitting atop a nearby gravestone.  The vampire leader introduces himself as Orwell.  Cutting to the chase, Peter and Ray demanded that Orwell reveal what they did to Egon and Winston, who they noticed weren’t with them. Orwell explains that many of his vampires were injured when the Proton Pack exploded.  As such, they could only afford to carry Peter and Ray to safety. Egon and Winston, however, were now in the custody of the other vampires.  Ray voices his confusion as to what Orwell meant by ‘other vampires,’ so Orwell fills in the blanks by explaining that all the vampires in the area were once united under his leadership.  But one day, a faction of them decided they were tired of the old ways, in which they lived underground and kept their existence a secret from the outside world.  The rebellious vampires ended up breaking off from the rest of the group and invaded Lupisville, where they now live under Gregor’s leadership.  Yep, that’s right- Gregor and the rest of the townsfolk are vampires as well. Surprised?  

So basically, this story is about warring clans of vampires, with Orwell’s coven trying to subdue Gregor’s coven and vice versa.  Of course, it’s not entirely clear what exactly they’re fighting about.  Sure, it’s stated that Gregor’s coven has decided to reject the old ways, but what does that entail?  Granted they’re now living in an actual town instead of living underground, but is that it? I suppose it’s possible that Gregor’s coven plan on openly revealing the existence of vampires to the outside world, and Orwell’s coven was working to keep them from doing so, but if that’s the case, it wasn’t made very clear in the actual episode.  In any event, Orwell suggests forming a temporary alliance with Peter and Ray in order to take out Gregor’s coven and save Egon and Winston.

Meanwhile, Winston and Egon wake up inside a dungeon-like basement beneath Gregor’s house.  Gregor comes in to talk with them about how Peter and Ray were captured by the vampires, stating that he and the rest of the townsfolk will be willing to help them wipe the vampires out and save their friends.  But as he’s talking, Egon happens to glance at a nearby mirror and notices Gregor doesn’t have a reflection.  Immediately, he figures it all out, but unfortunately, he failed to be discrete as Gregor noticed his eyes kept darting to the mirror.  Gregor responds by grabbing Egon, though Egon isn’t intimidated.  Instead, he points out that Gregor also refused to come to the Firehouse during the day.  Realizing that the jig is up, Gregor drops the charade and reveals his true nature by sprouting bat-like wings.  He informs Egon and Winston that if they don’t agree to help them wipe out Orwelle’s coven, then they will never leave the town alive.  Gregor and his followers then exit the dungeon, leaving Winston and Egon imprisoned.  However, Lyta had been listening through a barred window nearby.  Once Gregor left, she offered to help Egon and Winston. Egon asks her to bring them one of their remaining Proton Packs, and Lyta obediently hurries off to fetch it. She soon returns with the Proton Pack and passes it over to Winston.  She urges them to get out of there quickly, before Gregor’s coven can do to them what they did to ‘the others.’  Winston proceeds to use the Proton Pack to escape from their cell, but when they exit the basement, Egon sees Lyta is still lurking nearby.  So he asks her what she meant by ‘the others.’ He surmises that Lyta meant the people who lived in the town before Gregor’s coven took over.  Egon urges her to lead him and Winston to them.  At first, Lyta says she can’t as she’s Gregor’s servant and he will do something to her if she helps them.  But she then spontaneously changes her tune without any provocation, leaving me to wonder if they skipped a line or two.  Still, Lyta asks Egon to promise to take her with them when they leave. Egon tells her she has his word that they’ll do so.

Back in the woods, Peter and Ray are accompanying Orwell’s coven towards Lupisville for the final showdown.  As they walk, Peter points out an unsettling observation to Ray.  If Orwell wants to make sure nobody in the outside world finds out about the existence of vampires, what guarantee do they have that they’ll let the Ghostbusters leave?  Still, Ray comes up with the idea of reprograming his Proton Pack so it would stimulate the spectrum of sunlight, suggesting that would help them fight against the vampires of Gregor’s coven.  Orwell seems pleased by this plan, but threatens to kill Peter if Ray double crossed him by attacking one of his vampires.

We then return to Egon, Winston and Lyta.  Lyta has led Egon and Winston to a deeper part of the dungeon-like basement, where they find a large group of people behind bars.  One of the prisoners, whose name is Clintock according the Ghostbusters wiki, instructs Egon and Winston to get them out of there.  Egon agrees to free them, stating that they have to get out of town as soon as the cage doors are opened.  However, Clintock stops Egon, asking if it’s nighttime, and if so, if there’s a full moon outside.  Winston, upon hearing this question, is instantly frustrated.  He complains that they have vampires everywhere, but this man wants a weather report.  Still, he informs Clintock that there is indeed a full moon outside, and asks why that matters.  In response, Clintock simply tells Egon and Winston to get them out of their cells and to where they can see the sky.  They’ll take care of themselves after that.  After sharing a bemused look, Egon and Winston comply, opening up the cage doors with a blast from Winston’s Proton Pack.

Outside, the battle between Orwell and Gregor’s covens has already begun.  And thanks to Ray’s reprogramed Proton Pack, it seems Orwell’s coven has the upper hand, as Ray can effectively vaporize Gregor’s vampires.  Although, Gregor’s vampires quickly get the jump on them, preventing Ray from wiping out any more of them.  However, the fighting is interrupted when the escaped villagers arrive on the scene.  Clintock confronts Gregor, declaring that he kept them prisoners in their own town and denied them the moon.  Now it’s time for him to pay the price.

As Clintock speaks, the camera pans up to the full moon.  And the sound of a wolf howl can be heard. Upon hearing the wolf howl, Ray is shocked by the revelation of what this means, and he verbally berates himself for not realizing it sooner.  He reminds Peter that the name of the town is Lupisville.  And Lupis is Latin for wolf.  Meaning the town was a town full of werewolves.

As Ray makes this conclusion, Clintock and the other villagers begin transforming into wolves.  Upon transforming, the werewolves begin attacking the vampires.  As the fighting continues, Egon and Winston reunite with Peter and Ray, with Egon declaring they have to get out of there before things get worse.  The others ask what he means by that, but Egon refuses to explain until they’re actually driving away.  Once they’re doing so, Egon explains the obvious paradox.  When a vampire bites someone, that person becomes a vampire. The same holds true for werewolves. So, what happens when a vampire bites a werewolf and vice versa?  As this conundrum sinks in, we see one of the vampires transform into a werewolf as another werewolf sprouts wings.  Still, the Ghostbusters continue to drive off, refusing to stick around to see who wins the fight.  And when they come to the bridge they crossed earlier, they briefly stop the Ecto-1 in order to destroy the dam that’s holding back the water so the dried-up river fills up again.  After all, vampires, according to the traditional lore, cannot cross running water. So, with the river flowing once again, the vampires are effectively trapped within the town.

Once that’s out of the way, the Ghostbusters continue to drive back to the city.  As they leave Lupisville behind, Peter announces that, even though they didn’t get paid, they can consider it a job well-done.  Egon, however, states they didn’t leave completely empty-handed.  As he says this, it’s revealed that Lyta hitched a ride on the back of the Ecto-1.

Well, that was an interesting episode!  Vampires and werewolves?  Whodathunk we’d see that in a show about ghosts?  Though I am wondering what happened after the Ghostbusters drove off.  Did Clintock’s werewolves team up with Orwell’s coven, on account of how they were both opposed to Gregor’s coven, or were the werewolves unable to tell the two factions apart?  And with vampires turning into werewolves and werewolves turning into vampires, would this result in each group unknowingly turning on each other? I guess we’ll never really know. Although that’s not the only question without an answer.  What exactly was Lyta?  I know the episode said she was Gregor’s servant, but was she an ordinary human, one of Orwell’s vampires taken prisoner or one of the werewolves?  I guess the third option the most logical answer.  After all, there was a brief moment when the werewolves were transforming when we saw an adult werewolf that seemed to resemble Lyta. Meaning that might have been Lyta’s mother.  But if Lyta’s parents were alive, why would Lyta want to leave?  And if she was a werewolf, wouldn’t she have transformed into a wolf alongside the other werewolves?  (Unless young werewolves can’t transform until they’re older.  I guess that’s possible.)  Of course, that also leaves the question of what became of her when the Ghostbusters got back to the Firehouse.  Did she wind up in an orphanage somewhere?  Considering we never see this little girl again, it’s never addressed.

(Click here for more Ghostbusters reviews)

[drowzydruzy]

heart breakers chapter one

Hi! I finally want to post this here. very long chapter. slow burn. enemies to lovers. angsty.

Dib Membrane has a bright future ahead of him, but a red string of fate always tugs him back to the alien a block over. If only he hadn’t blown it.

The final summer had arrived.

Dib had counted the seconds until he could finally say goodbye to high skool and the horrible place it was. The future was coming, and Dib Membrane was out, that’s right, come fall the local paranormal investigator is going to the next city over to attend college and stay at the dorms. 

The letter had arrived last week, congratulating Professor Membrane for his son’s entry which wasn’t a shock since all the colleges only accepted him due to his father’s celebrity. It wasn’t like Dib had bad grades or anything, in fact, he had put extra effort into his final years grades because the last thing he wanted was to be riding off his dad’s coattails but like everything in Dib’s life; his father got a pat on the back even for Dibs own effort.

He would have cared more but he was going to be a freshman in a place where people didn’t think he was crazy, which was enough to distract the 19-year-old with thoughts of friends and possible relationships? although he did wish his major would be paranormal studies, but since that didn’t exist Dib stuck with space studies. He might not get to report on the paranormal right away, but he could try working it into his papers.

Dib knew when he told his father he’d be disappointed, it wasn’t what Membrane wanted him to do, which was taking over the company but to Dib’s surprise, his father was almost as excited as he was to hear about his choice and acceptance into the college. It made the 19-year-old smile proudly, his dad had really gotten better at the whole ‘being a dad not a scientist 24/7 thing’ since the whole florpus debacle.

Everything seemed to be falling into place, Dib had gotten the placement he wanted, his dad was happy, Gaz was part of a gaming club at high skool and was gaining attention on twitch for her almost completely silent game plays not to mention guys seemed weirdly drawn into how much Gaz seemed to regard everything with disdain. 

Admittedly the male attention had worried Dib a bit at first since he knew what the internet was like and he wasn’t sure he could cope with seeing random people being gross about his sister, but Gaz could handle herself and it was a fact. 

Dib had also managed to finally find a style he liked that didn’t get him patted down before he entered any public building, by the luck of some random god, ripped jeans and darker clothing had come back into style. He found it a lot easier to blend in these days than when he was a kid, Dib still loved his long jackets even though they looked a little sketchy sometimes.

New style, new start, new life, and Dib was more excited than ever, or he should have been. 

That’s right, he should have been over the moon right now since he was finally getting what he wants but that would be too easy for Dib Membrane. He can’t just live a normal life for two seconds. 

Instead of celebrating Dib only could think of one thing.

What about Zim? 

Who will be here to protect the earth?

What if Zim finally tries to kill us all and manages it?

The thoughts plagued his mind to the point where he almost ripped up his acceptance letter, Dib had announced to Gaz that he was convinced he wouldn’t go, that was until she yelled at him for being an idiot. Gaz had asked him when was the last time he even spoke to Zim? Let alone fight him over the safety of the human race? His younger sister had made a very good point. He barely spoke to Zim, not since prom anyway. 

Dib had felt embarrassed to have been so worried, but then every night came the same; Dib staring at the ceiling forcing himself to think of anything or anyone but the alien.

He couldn’t contain the loneliness that rattled in his heart, it was a hollow feeling laying at night listening to the silence of 4am wondering if Zim would miss him, which always made the human cringe with embarrassment at his own pining. Dib would always end up trying to force himself asleep clenching his eyes shut until his stubbornness won and he drifted off.

“You are lying too Zim” 

The voice was distant but happy, swirling in the darkness of the thick fog that stretched out in front of Dib. The human smiled but before he could speak, he heard his own voice disembodied in the distance talking for him.

“I promise I’m not, please trust me” 

The fog was thick, it smelled like candy raspberry pop rocks and something chemical but not unpleasant, Dib could write pages and pages about that smell. 

“I will try” Dib spent a moment lingering on the sound of the voice, the slightly bitter tone made him smile.

Suddenly the human could feel the ground shaking underneath him as the fog cleared, the owner of the voice was nowhere to be seen. The sudden rush of boiling heat made Dib scream, everything was on fire, the scorched earth cracked under Dib’s feet as he tried to outrun death. He managed to get far enough away where he could see standing on top a horrible machine; roaring with evil laughter was Zim. Dib choked on the smoke unable to stop himself shaking in terror.

“YOU DID THIS” Zim’s voice was like an earthquake.

The human jolted up in bed, the morning light was almost blinding through Dib’s shutters. There was a long moment of silence as he tried to regain his breath, these nightmares made no sense sometimes. Dib figured it must be all the pent of emotion. He glanced at the clock on the wall, seeing it was only 8am. Dib laid back down pulling his covers around himself, hiding away from the rays enjoying the darkness in his blankets. 

The 19-year-old’s mind wondered back to the dream, Dib thought of the alien for a long moment as he lay in his blanket cocoon, hidden from the world and from judgement as his mind swirled round images of the invader from treasured memories. The human frowned as he remembered how little they speak now, how when they pass in the halls Zim can’t even meet his eyes.

Dib wondered if Zim ever missed him, missed the fighting and the flying. The human’s ears turned red in the darkness of his blankets as he pictured it, the stubborn and angry alien thinking about him as much as he did. Dib felt the bone weighing loneliness slowly spreading through him as he thought more on his memories with the alien. He wondered if Zim ever did the same.

Dib peaked his head out of his blankets, realising he could already feel that the heat outside was trying to leak through his windows, the small room which Dib had covered in tech and alien-hunting gear was soon to be completely gutted and cleared for his departure. The boxes lay waiting, almost staring at Dib sometimes when he thought of packing, but he always put it off.

He shut his dark eyes, enjoying the quiet sound of his dad and Gaz talking downstairs, as the birds chirped outside. The mornings were always quiet, he’ll miss that the most since college were supposed to be a noisy, mess of filthy students all trying to pretend that they understand what they are doing but at least he won’t be the only one.

Eventually, Dib rose from his bed, loose pyjamas covered in various monsters from classic literature were shucked and thrown into the laundry as he got ready for the day. Dressed, fed and not sure if he’s ready for life yet, Dib left the house. The air felt dry and hot as he soaked in some of the sunlight, it was a strange feeling knowing that this would be the last summer he spent living here.

He was too busy fidgeting with his old blue ghost top, noticing the holes forming at the edge of the fabric that he didn’t mean to start walking to Zim’s home, but he did. They hadn’t spoken much over the last year or so, surprisingly the alien wasn’t as constant in his attempts to take over earth anymore.

After florpus the attempts at ‘taking over the earth’ became more like irritating pranks that didn’t make any sense. Dib had tried to talk to Zim like he was a person, but that was a mistake. He had said things he didn’t mean and it had become a huge mess that leads to tantrums when Dib even tried to speak to him, he always screamed about being able to do it ‘all on his own’ and that he ‘doesn’t need anyone to be Zim’.

The human never understood what was going on with him but after a while, he stopped trying to find out and from then on, their fights had gotten less intense. Zim wouldn’t fight like how he used too, something just wasn’t right. The thought of their old battled made Dib feel almost sad, deep down he missed flying after Zim into space, not a single care in the world.

Dib couldn’t remember the last time he went out of his way to go to Zim’s home, spying on the alien wasn’t a priority when he was having to work 20 hours a week during high skool to save up for the stuff for his dorm not to mention his books. The drift between them wasn’t deliberate but it was inevitable, Zim just wasn’t as big a threat as he was when they were kids.

The human stopped outside the small house that had wired itself into the neighbours surrounding it oh so long ago, the gnomes that stood guard as always were weather-beaten and didn’t pack the punch they used too. Dib paused in his thoughts, why was he sad about that too? That’s a good thing! The 19-year-old side heavily unable to ignore the gathering tightness in his throat. He watched the house for a long moment before something compelled him to move forward, to just go and knock the door. Dib felt his fingers twitch but something in his gut caught him; like crossing a road just as you see the car coming, he jerked back and turned towards home.

 The emotions that came with what could happen if he passed that fresh hold of that house were too confusing and way too deep for what this was, he was always going to leave, and Dib shouldn’t care as much as he does. Zim most likely would celebrate him leaving, laugh in his face and announce victory before running off to destroy the world at last without Dib’s interference. 

Not that Dib gave a shit how the little creature felt, not that he looked so much like a creature these days. The rise in area 51 memes meant everyone started making alien jokes at skool, Zim didn’t seem to care until someone made a joke about his green skin and that was all it took for him to freak out. It was too close of a call; he couldn’t have people comparing him to aliens. 

Dib could only watch with utter glee when someone made the comparison but Zim had rushed out the second the kid spoke, Dib had tried quickly to get everyone thinking about what it means that Zim ran out after being called an alien but like always he was ignored. 

Zim had spent a week out of Skool, refusing to come in even when Dib was banging at his door. It wasn’t until 8:54 am on Tuesday, not that Dib kept this date in his head or anything that Zim finally showed. 

It took the human longer than it should have to notice it was the alien, his green skin had been swapped for a tan complexion, his black hair remained the same, but the eyes didn’t look like fake doll eyes anymore they were realistic although still violet. It was shocking, but so fascinating at the same time to Dib. He couldn’t stop himself that day on complementing Zim on his work, one of Dib’s first mistake.

Dib quickly stopped thinking about that day, that day was just too weird, and it made him uncomfortable. He inwardly wished Zim would have gone back to his old look, but he never did. He hated how much he forgot Zim wasn’t human when he looked like that.

“MARY!” A loud, high pitched voice squealed making Dib jump.  

It to Dib’s surprise was Zim’s robot, something he had barely seen for the last couple of years. The human grimaced down at Gir who was eating what looked like a taco that had been stuffed with octopus. Revolting. Dib not to gag at the smell coming from the dirty dog costume. 

He wondered why he smelled like a burning car as he carefully stepped back trying not to get within grabbing distance to the robot, he tended to leave stains that don’t wash out.

“Get away from me” Dib hissed walking quicker away from the house. “Why are you HERE? YOU WANNA PLAY WITH MASTER”

 The shrieking that came from the robot made the 19-year-old’s teeth stand on edge. Did Gir always sound like that? He halted looking down at the unusually still green dog.

“No, I’m just…walking and enjoying the nice day” Clearing his throat Dib glanced back at Zim’s home, watching it for a second wondering about Zim “Why? Where is the reptile?” 

“I dunno where he is! I puts him in a box but he always escaping, BUT I LOVES HIM!” 

“Urgh no! not your dead iguana” Dib groaned, pulling a hand down his face. “I MEANT WHERE IS ZIM?” He didn’t mean to shout, but he wasn’t feeling up for Gir’s usual behaviours. 

“Oh!” The little robot stared at him for so long Dib felt his anxiety double, he gritted his teeth kneeling and giving it a poke, which resulted in a string of an unknown goo connecting his finger to the robot’s chest.

“Are you finally shutting down?” He asked grimacing as he wiped his finger on the pavement. “Hello? anyone in that hellscape of a motherboard you call a brain?” Dib waited in silence for a moment before Gir’s mouth fell open and four lizards crawled out. 

“I see you in my nightmares sometimes Gir”

The robot only laughed.

Dib sighed getting to his feet, noticing that Gir’s dog suit was smoking slightly. The human turned the small robot around quick which he regretted as soon as he did. Gir was boiling hot under his suit, the robot was usually warm but never like this. Dib blew on his hand feeling a sudden worry grip him, he guessed with the heat and the suit the metal wasn’t really dealing well. It would also explain why Gir wasn’t really moving. The heat must be frying his circuits. 

“Of course, and Zim is nowhere around” Dib was so sick of having to deal with Zim’s messes. “Gir? Are you overheating?” Dib kneeled again, watching the robot as it blinked up at him.

Suddenly the eyes of the dog suit glowed red, a trait Dib often forgot Gir had which made the experience terrifying every single time. The robot saluted Dib, its arm making a horrible crunching sound.

“Status report! MAIN CORE, overheating 81%, 84%, 87%-” Dib watched mouth agape as the eyes changed back “I GONNA EXPLODED”

Dib who had fallen back onto the hot pavement gawked at the robot for a long moment, suddenly scrambling to his feet Dib grabbed up Gir. The heat radiating off it was unbelievable; almost like when you put a bowl in the microwave too long. It was burning his hands in seconds; the human removed his thin black hoodie placing it over his hands as he scooped up the dog and bolted towards the house.

“ZIM! YOUR DOG IS GONNA EXPLODE” He shouted praying that wherever in the house that irritating monster was, he’d hear him and come take the robot away and let him burn his hoodie in peace.

Dib had kicked open the door, the gnomes behind him missing and sparking as he skidded into the base. The door slammed shut behind him, and Dib caught the eyes of Zim who was stood in the kitchen not wearing his disguise with a spoon hanging from his mouth and an ice cream tub in his hand. The irken looked shocked, completely stiff as Dib stood there.

“DROP THE BENNY AND JEFF’S” Dib rushed forward, pushing the robot to Zim who was still staring at him. “IT’S URGENT”

The tub splatted to the floor as the human dropped his burning hoodie down beside it. Zim looked down at Gir with confusion before seeing his condition, he snapped out of it.

“Give me that!” Zim’s voice boomed, Gir was swiftly carried to the fridge and stuffed into the freezer. “He will be fine, he literally bathes in boiling poop cola” Zim’s hands didn’t even burn when holding the robot, it was such a weird sight.

There was a pause as Zim didn’t speak, standing in the kitchen watching Dib who didn’t know what he was waiting, maybe a thank you?  Dib felt his face reddening. The human couldn’t move from the spot, he knew he’d never get an apology, but he still felt owed one.

Dib watched as the alien sneer at him and couldn’t stop himself, feeling a sudden wave of self-righteous rage rise within him, he was so sick of Zim never taking responsibility for anything. What if Gir hadn’t been found in time? He didn’t even want to think about it.

“Don’t tell me what to do alien!” Dib spat back at him once the shock had worn off “I’m not the one letting my robot run around overheating, we both know he could easily blow up half of the city if he did!” 

“Don’t try and lecture me HUMAN, he is fine! Like Zim said Gir has handled worse” It was a matter of fact the way Zim spoke, always implying Dib’s an idiot, it made him grit his teeth in frustration. “Go pack for your stupid baby ghost cult or whatever”

Dib was about to dish out another insult before he paused, raising an eyebrow at the alien who was sneering at him and knawing at the popsicle.

“Are you talking about scary camp? I only did that one year…” Dib forgot about that, the summer he and Zim spent at camp together.  “I’m not 12, I’m getting my stuff for college later today”

The invader almost dropped his popsicle.

“College?”

Dib watched as Zim’s eye’s scrutinised him with the same fire he’d seen a long time ago, he felt excitement and fear like he had lit a fuse.

“Yeah…I was gonna mention it eventually since we have um history and stuff” Dib felt sweat beading at his temple, that was a very weird choice of words Membrane. 

The silence wasn’t what Dib had expected, Zim who had been in the process of devouring the popsicle by biting off pieces with his teeth and chewing like the horrible little creature he was, hadn’t moved a muscle. Zim blinked at him almost like how Gir had until it suddenly warped into a look of mild amusement.  

“There’s no college in our town stupid pig stink” Zim snickered and spat his stripy thin tongue at him “Zim doesn’t fall for your little dumb lies”

“Not lies, I’m not going to college in this town…” Dib spoke slowly, an uncomfortable feeling in him began gnawing at his stomach. “It’s a college that’s only three hours away, so it’s not a big deal”

The smug smirk was slipping off Zim’s face, Dib felt something tugging inside in chest, something that was telling him to comfort the alien but as soon as the human got close Zim almost fell trying to back away. Dib felt his throat tighten but he ignored it. The invader suddenly burst into a strained laughter, shaking his head at Dib who just looked as bewildered as he felt.

“WAIT! It’s one of those human, lie, joke, thingies I hate” Zim laughed but it didn’t sound right, Dib felt himself squirm slightly with guilt, he didn’t understand why. 

“It really…not” 

“It is”

“Zim, I’m sorry I didn’t know how to tell yo-”

“Why would you need to tell Zim?” 

The alien looked frantic but in his own unbelievable ‘I’m not frantic at all’ way, Dib couldn’t hold back the panic in his chest as the unwelcome feelings towards what this could mean for them devoured his mind in ways he only let happen at night when he could let himself think about it, but this was all too overwhelming.

“I should go, I haven’t even started packing yet-” Dib’s voice was weak before Zim suddenly lashed out at him, aggressively moving toward him.

“I’m going to blow up the whole of this neighbourhood with splodie gel pizza” He was lying and they both knew it, Zim was now clawing the air with rage, his antennas pulled back 

“Did you know that Dib? DID YOU? NO! Because you don’t speak to Zim, you spend all day at that filthy jurb.”

“Job,” Dib interjected meekly.

“ZIM DOESN’T CARE” The alien looked like he was hyperventilating, the feeling of dread was rising in the human. He shouldn’t have come here; he could have waited longer. “ARE YOU THE DECAF? CAN YOU NOT HEAR ZIM, I’M GOING TO KILL EVERYONE DIB”

“Okay but you haven’t hurt anyone but me in years…”

“I’M GOING TO KILL-”

They spoke almost in unison, but Zim cut off and suddenly Dib realized that was the wrong thing to say as soon as the words left his mouth. Zim’s murderous expression slowly slipped off his face, it was replaced by something that looked like a betrayal as his shout died in his throat.

“Zim isn’t a threat anymore hm?” The words clawed at Dib’s insides; he really thought the alien would have laughed but this was worse, so much worse. “Is that why you ignore me now? Is that why you stopped fighting Zim? You ABANDONED me and now you are running off further away” 

“I did NOT abandon you” The 19-year-old was baffled by him, his hands shooting out at his sides as he gestured wildly. “I haven’t done ANYTHING wrong; you are always so manipulative! you NEED to be the one wronged, but I didn’t stop fighting either, you where the one who backed off”

“That’s hilarious, Zim backing off? What on irk would make ME do that? That is utter lies, stupid lies” Dib curled his hands into fists getting into his face.

“It’s lies huh? Then where did the plans go? HUH? Where did all the organ harvesting plants, zombie virus outbreaks, people devouring monsters, mass-murdering plots go HUH? HUH?”

“I used to fly into SPACE after you, run after you as far as you’d go to stop your stupid schemes that always, ALWAYS lead to me getting hurt or worse! But I still chased you, so what happened?” Dib’s chest ached painfully at the memories; space was all he ever thought about. 

“BUT WAIT I KNOW!” He continued, eyes burning hot with tears as he desperately tried to hold himself together. Dib knew he couldn’t get deeper into this or he might end up regretting it, but he couldn’t shut up. “Your leaders vanished, you lost your mind, I didn’t want to be involved and then I got a job and you lost your edge”

Dib was panting, breathing faster than he ever had as the shout left burning heat in his throat, he had gotten into Zim’s face as quickly as his anger had risen, the rage he had bottled away had festered into something ugly and painful. He hated that it always seemed to be only Zim who could get him to open, but like an infected wound inside Dib was just poison.

The irken was watching him with his narrowed fuchsia eyes, his sneer showing his teeth. Dib tried to keep getting angry but something in him faltered for a second as he realised Zim was shaking.

“Zim I-”

“Why did the evil Zim do any of that to this innocent human? Hm? Why would I try and kill you when I hadn’t tried anything that serious in a while, oh! what happened to Zim’s plots? Hmm?” 

The alien acted like he was genuinely thinking about it, like it was some sort of game show and not a conversation about feelings and events buried so deeply in Dib’s stomach that he thinks he might’s vomit.

“Please don’t do this”

“No Dib thing, shut your mouth! you asked Zim what happened to all of my amazing plans and plots? But you were there!” The irkens pak leg extended from his back, Dib didn’t even notice until he was pinned against the wall painfully. “You seem to forget something, Dib! You stopped fighting first, so you tried talking to Zim remember? so we talked, then we made a plan…”

“Let go!”

“I should really say you made a plan, Dib.”

The hurt in Zim’s voice was something that threw Dib off completely, they shared a long stare. Dib’s mind screamed for Zim not to mention what he could see was burning behind his eyes, he didn’t want Zim to talk about it. Dib felt heat seeping through his skin, agonizing shame.

“Zim waited for you in the woods for so long” Zim spoke slowly, painfully. 

“STOP IT”

“Does the Dib not remember what was said? what YOU promised?” Zim began, the human grabbed at the pak legs desperately trying to pry them away from himself but as soon as he touched them Zim moved a spare under others chin threateningly.

Dib didn’t want to think about it, he was stupid and made a terrible choice all because he thought earth didn’t deserve protection anymore. He was so beaten down, so tired of begging for everyone to open their eyes and look at the truth, the world didn’t want the truth. He knew that now of course, but back then it had taken its toll on him and he made a deal he shouldn’t have.

“I told you it was a mistak-”

Dib’s words died in his throat when he felt Zim’s pak legs let go of him, the invader watched him for a long second before shaking his head.

“A mistake was ever letting you near Zim” His voice was heavily laced with malice as he walked towards the fridge to get transported to the base. “Get out before I put a blaster hole in that massive head of yours”

Dib didn’t need to be told twice; he was gone before his mouth could say something else stupid. Zim had been bottled up in the human’s mind for a while since prom he couldn’t let himself get to close again. Dib had hoped to avoid the memory, but it was haunting him.