#zim and dib relationship

[izzydrawsforfun]

Joined the trend lmao

I really missed these dorks

[idakoneko3]

This is an invader zim comic I made for comic class in school lol, its all hand drawn and really dumb and (dark) but the teacher liked it🙂 yk...zim's just hanging around y knoww....

[frosting-surfeit]

On second thought im embarrassed of this shit but ppl reblogged it so its too late anyway

And thEN DIB ACTUALLY SAYS THANKS

Y'all my zadr would be so predictable and ive known for years but like

I cant figure out exactly in what way my zadr is predictable... so sorry these are rough but it was A LOT. I was trying to mindlessly draw a stream of consciousness to see SOMETHING on paper for once about how these two would get to the point of my silly doodles, headcanons n such

No shut up dont judge me

Ik ik

This kind of whump is something youve seen before ID BE VERY UNORIGINAL LIKE THAT

I just love love love this kind of zadr cause it feels very realistic for me ♡ but its probably not ♡♡♡ anyway!! Thx for reading!!!!! I loved making this finally

[coycowboykoi]

"I've been thinking good-good things about you, cool and warm good-good things about you." - Descendents

Other versions below :p

[chellodello]

I tried to make a comic about how even after getting together Zim will sometimes get so overwhelmed with paranoia that he’ll be betrayed that he destroys as much evidence of his existence in Dib’s life as possible. He doesn’t want to do this, but he can’t help it, it’s how he’s encoded. Irken’s aren’t designed for love, aren’t programed to accept peace. Sharks have to keep moving, to keep consuming, or they’ll die. Zim’s sort of like that.

Anyway here’s the only panels from that that I liked before I scrapped it.

[anodyne-violence]

Been thinking about (dubiously) domestic ZaDr scenarios lately and noticed something small. Now in my own headcanons, Zim and Dib are oft attracted to eachother in a variety of states, but like, the PEAK for them is different.

Dib loves to fight with/against Zim. Zim getting scary can be a thrill. Their clashes of strength, grit and (dubious) wit keep him engaged. But what really shoots his heartrate from 0 to 100 are those brief little moments Zim's ego... cracks. Maybe he's completely exhausted and can only respond in little sounds. Maybe it's a situation so strange his arrogance doesn't set in immediately. Maybe Zim is curled up on his lap just soaking his bodyheat. Maybe he's a bit shy trying to start a kiss. These moments are rare but Dib feels he's sole audience for a completely different side of Zim, one that has nothing to do with performance. No butting heads, no annoying spiels. Just them breathing together. Just Zim trusting Dib enough to exist without a mask. (You could say he finally gets to see his insides.)

Meanwhile with Zim, he also likes those moments where Dib is soft or vulnerable in turn. What gets him REAL excited is seeing Dib at his most dangerous, though. They're fighting and Dib's covered in blood, letting the animal out? Pummeling a foe to shit? His eyes wild and feral? Ohh, there goes his sort of nemesis, yes, YES, what an incredible beast. He's defying death, wielding his inner demons to his advantage. Nothing can take down Dib! What a marvel. Their warrior's bond will never die and it will make the whole universe weep.

(Tl:dr Both of them are like "yessss I've tamed the beast!" but for Dib it looks like classic domestication by a fireplace whereas for Zim it's like "MY DOG WILL NOW TEAR YOU TO PIECES BECAUSE HE LOVES ME AND ONLY ME!" ig.)

[hermajestytak]

People love drawing Gaz and Tak as allies, but HONESTLY I'd love to see them have a rivalry akin to Zim and Dib. They're two girls whose defining character traits are "spiteful hater," they too deserve a chance to hold a grudge and throw things at each other

[nichiperi]

I would love to see your take on "Understand My Ship In Five Minutes" with ZADR ^_^

As you wish, my friend~! I am more than happy to share! (⁠◕⁠ᴗ⁠◕⁠✿⁠)

I'll include an extensive breakdown of my reasoning for some of my choices under the cut just for kicks and giggles. :3

ALRIGHT LET'S TALK ABOUT THE STINK BEAST FIRST CAUSE I'M WRITING A FIC IN HIS POV AND HE IS FRESH ON MY MIND. XD

I see Dib as someone who isn't attracted to other people often because he requires a certain level of trust and comfort in another person that he doesn't typically find and has long since stopped looking for.

People, in general, are something he struggles with. Love and attraction are just added complications to his extremely goal-oriented mind.

Zim is really only able to weasel his way into Dib's life by virtue of not only being inherently tied to Dib's goals, but by having been an extremely important consistent presence in Dib's life for several years. Even though they've been enemies the whole time, Zim has become something comfortable for Dib, and as the years pass, Dib finds himself seeking that comfort. This is where the attraction comes from on his end.

Now as for the roach...

Well, uh...I'm sure my choice to label him as gray ace while giving him that horniness level is gonna be a head-scratcher to some people. (⁠•⁠ ⁠▽⁠ ⁠•⁠;⁠) But as someone who IDs as gray ace myself, my attraction or lack thereof to other people has nothing to do with my general level of horny cretin energy.

I see it as being the same with Zim, only in his case, he has no consciousness of anything regarding his sexuality or romantic leanings. Generally, his attraction is a fickle thing, but it's there - under the right circumstances. Zim is at least aware that he's fixated on Dib, but he's generally not interested in digging any deeper into the 'how' or 'why' of it - despite the sheer vastness of the depths of that fixation. So, while I've given him this label to describe how he works, he would not ascribe this label to himself.

I think Zim sees Dib as being an unquestionably quintessential part of his life. This comes at his own detriment, because he places Dib at such a high level of importance that he almost doesn't see the point in functioning without him. Much like Dib, Zim also finds his """greatest enemy""" to be his greatest comfort. But while Dib could move on in a potential life without Zim (though with great difficulty), Zim is not currently emotionally capable of doing the same. Dib is his 'light at the end of the tunnel'. If he were to disappear, Zim would crumble.

Gonna call it here because I could literally go on FOREVER. But thank you for the ask!! I had fun with this! (⁠ㆁ⁠ω⁠ㆁ⁠)

[madelee]

How I like to imagine the ZaDr dynamic. How they sift from enemies to something more. And what I fucking love about ZaDr.

Some thoughts.

Zim and Dib, two emotionally neglected kids. Having little to no friends or any emotional support system… They became the primary attachment figures for each other: Based on them being enemies this relationship/development… it’s bound to be very complicated and messy.

There are various emotions mixed up in their dynamic. The initial hatred, frustration, and antagonism because they literally are enemies… but also the feelings of bonding, caring, appreciation, respect, and understanding. Then when getting older, also attraction, passion, and all those fuzzy feelings get mixed in.

But essentially, all the positive emotions that one develops and gets to experience with a close person like love, adoration, connection, tenderness, compassion, or simply joy… all those also get mixed up with the ‘negative’ ones.

The brain quite literally connects feelings of affection and connection with violence, aggression, cruelty, abuse, and brutality. This is trauma bonding, reward-based learning, and positive conditioning.

Them being obsessive and excessive as a fundamental part of their core personality only adds as a multiplier.

When this happens in a critical life phase (being young and in adolescence), having nearly no other positive influences in life and being neglected (emotionally especially), this connection the brain made will get so deeply internalized and won’t ever truly go away.

It could also connect to your sexuality and all that.

(There are real-life equivalencies)

What I’m getting at is, all this makes just so much sense!

This dynamic and their relationship is super complex and nuanced because of this.

Their relationship is incredibly intense and yes totally toxic but also compassionate.

Them fluctuating between high psychological distress/tension (hating, fighting, obsessing, loving, being in denial about your existence, generally trauma responses e.g., through neglect, loneliness, abandonment) and then them experiencing the sweet release through the aspects of their dynamic (connection, closeness, intimacy) as mentioned.

This stuff becomes quite simply addictive to someone.

This is why they can get crazy shit feral/hardcore with each other and also feel pleasure while doing so.

Like cutting each other up (or open), taunting, fighting, beating each other...

But because I’m a sucker for ambivalence and stark contrast, I like to imagine them being very, very cute with each other as well (occasionally even without showing the bad stuff while being cute), still toxic, still abusing and batshit crazy but absolutely meaning everything to each other and deeply caring.

Fluffy but in an obsessive and excessive way.

They will always somewhat be mean to each other and never shy to argue, even if just in a teasing and more lighthearted manner.

This is their love language after all.

This is how they show they care, and it’s what they know.

Also, this is just how they are personality-wise: thick-headed, intense people with strong opinions and even stronger egos.

And let’s not forget about stupidness, dorkyness, and comedy sprinkled in.

ZaDr is a fantastic way to deep dive into complex inner psychological human workings and I love exploring this.

(I love love love intense emotions.)

It’s even comforting in a way, if you ask me.

Hate and love are so close for a reason.

It’s the most intense we can feel.

And I mean, I guess we all (or many of us) can somehow relate to not liking or even hating a close one (even if only sometimes). But when a real deep bond is established with someone and when affection is also part of your connection (even if only sometimes), this stuff just doesn’t go away. Toxic relationships are messy and certainly not easy nor black and white. You just understand this emotion… of how complicated you can feel about someone, and what complexity this can bring with it.

Note that, this is how I like to imagine it. One can have a totally different perspective on it and this is valid as well!

Also this is romanticized, fiction and reality operate differently. Cognitive dissonance baby.

[izzydrawsforfun]

When you hear about some Mothman sightings but your alien boyfriend thinks he's the only creature you should take photos of

And he promisses he's not jealous

I missed making some ZaDr with my boys lol

💕Ko-Fi

💕 Commissions: OPEN! Check my pinned post~

[jude-harley]

here's my thing. i can't stop you from shipping dib and zim together but i can forcibly remind you that dib openly fantasizes about dissecting zim (and that's not even getting into zim!)

like whatever's going on between those two is so far fucking removed from your standard seme/uke shit that it might not even count as "toxic yaoi"

[hey-haven]

Reposting the first one with this new one cause I like seeing the contrast between the two groups

[frosting-surfeit]

Something so visceral about zadr/f because like

Theyre such good equals and what they crave is respect they literally could not be more potentially perfect for each other for me

Those two need an equal that respects them

I fall so heavily on the "it would fix them" side of the argument you dont even understand

[treel]

“Understand my ship” but with the hypothethical selpapi ship 😈

Complete with SEVERAL asterisks!

*Formerly genderless entity that has adopted a male-presenting hermaphroditic body - uses he/him pronouns because he transitioned for the sake of violence! BASED, as the kids would say

*Uses exactly ONE pet name in regards to Dib - calls him "Doctor" but in an exceedingly derisive way. Refuses to call him by his name.

*What even is food? Selpa certainly doesn't know. He hates food and he hates eating. Doesn't know what salt is and will not find out.

*Is more than willing to see Dib get his ass handed to him...can't help but tag along to make sure it's not handed to him too hard

This crackship has layers, not unlike an onion.

[zimanddibromance]

I try not to post animatic WIPs anymore bc I tend to drop them entirely afterward but I got a bit of love for this and I think I might actually finish it at some point so..

It’s an animatic based off of Chapter 2 of my ongoing long term fic/AU, Dearly Departed (AKA Dead Dib AU).

Chapter 2 is still a WIP a which means this animatic contains SPOILERS for Dead Dib AU.

With that being said enjoy me trying to convey what I write through art, it doesn’t go well

[lincolnlogsnfrogs]

i literally love dark harvest so much i love that fucked up chase scene i love that damn pigeon and i especially love how fast dib goes from "omg i wanna move in with zim and wear his clothes ;3 (no homo tho lol)" to "oH dEAR gOD hE'S iN tHE vENTS" i will cherish this beautiful nightmare forever