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deercountry2021-12-11 10:12 pm
zib) wrote in deercountry2021-12-11 10:12 pm
Entry tags:
I used to look up at space with hope and wonder in my eyes
Who: Zib, and possibly you? (Some threads closed, some open)
What: Event shenanigans in the form of paranoia and memories about aliens trying to kill you
When: Throughout the month of December
Where: Around Disaster House, or walking around on his own about the city and beaches
Content Warnings: paranoia, obsession, descriptions of cartoon violence, descriptions of more horrifying alien body horror violence, mention of parental neglect, mention of murder, identity issues, insults involving one's sanity, etc. will add more if they come up in a thread.
also, hit me up with pm or plurk if you want a starter of your own rather than one of the open prompts
Winter Mourning / outside Disaster House
Zib is not quite an official resident of the Disaster House, but his ship is currently here on their property while he figures out how to try to fix it and get it running properly again. And his friends had been nice enough to let him sleep on a couch instead of sleeping outside upon discovering that he... did not have a house he had any plans of staying at until this issue was resolved.
So not quite going full-hobo like he was since arriving, he's been in a rather good mood despite the ship crash. For the first time he can ever remember in his life, there are actually people he can think of as his friends that are willing to have his back, and it's gotten him thinking that maybe there are more things to find about this place to appreciate. Instead of, you know, attempting to run away and off this planet as soon as possible.
So once he hears about a Trench tradition to gather some bones together to create a decoration, he does just that, setting it against the outside of his ship in the driveway of the Disaster House for the time being. Maybe it will be a good luck charm--something to keep him going and hope that his ship will be repaired again soon.
Except... it glows, and touching it suddenly brings Zib and anyone else who may have come upon it into his memories. And there are two things that will become very quickly apparent to anyone upon finding themselves in this memory, regardless of which one it is.
The first thing is, Dib is very much human. Far more human looking in his past memories than he has ever looked since arriving in Trench despite attempts to disguise otherwise. The Dib of the past has normal skin complexion, proper ears and nose, and isn't wearing a ratty hood to hide the back of their head. Their glasses don't have a chip in them, and for all intents and purposes, they look like a normal child.
The second thing is that all of his memories seem to revolve around a central target: a small green alien named Zim. Even in memories where Zim is wearing a disguise, it's easy to tell that it's still the same person due to how tacky and lame the disguise is. No matter what form he's in, he is present in every memory of Dib's that can be brought forth when touching the antler decoration he made. Sometimes, it even feels like there's a sudden moment where you are seeing things from Zim's perspective rather than Dib's, before cutting back to seeing it from Dib's if you are unfortunate enough to get one of those type of memory journeys here rather than experiencing it as a third party.
Which begs the question of whose memories you are actually seeing in some regard, doesn't it?
As a result, you may end up finding yourself in one of the following:
A. The day these two first met and their rivalry began, from the look of things. It's... it sure is a lot! It seems like while Dib has been a nice enough guy here in Trench, he holds no such kindness toward Zim from the second they met.
B. One of, if not many, numerous ridiculous fights that these two have had since then. Dib finds out that Zim has an allergy to meat and throws baloney at him in the school cafeteria, Zim retaliates via injecting Dib with a method to turn him into baloney. Dib points out that a nurse might find it odd that Zim doesn't have human organs, Zim retaliates via stealing everyone's organs, including Dib's lungs. They chase, shoot, throw things at each other, yell about how they are going to defeat the other, and so on in a constant cycle of battles and escalating over the most riduculous shit, even if, arguably, Dib does have a point that letting Zim win could hurt the Earth even with the stupidest of schemes. Either way, Dib sure does get hurt a lot in his pursuit of saving the Earth.
Which one of these dumb fights did you get suckered into having to bear witness to? Will there ever be a day where this ongoing cycle ends?
C. The answer to that, dear friends, is yes. And unlike the downright ridiculous fights and sometimes laws of physics and logic getting thrown out the nearest window, the rivalry ends rather simple and brutal. There's no lead up to what caused this particular fight, as if Dib himself no longer remembers what was so different this time. It just starts with Dib, standing over Zim's body, the other bleeding out a bright pink fluid onto the floor of his lab. The little backpack thing that Zim wears has been torn from his back, lying in a mess of broken wires a few feet away.
And Dib stands there with pink blood on his hands, and for a moment, he actually looks confused by this outcome. He attempts to prod Zim's body, call his name... but Zim doesn't answer, and continues to remain lifeless on the floor. Dib looks down at his hands covered in thick pink alien blood, and just... stares, begins talking to himself.
"I... I did it? I actually did it... I actually beat him this time? That's... that's a good thing, so..."
But is it, though? What exactly happens after you've finally defeated your rival anyway?
He glances at the PAK on the floor nearby... and begins to reach out toward it...
Run Rabbit, Run / around the neighborhood and woods
[Once he realizes what the purpose of the Winter Mournings are, and as the month continues, he starts feeling sicker with paranoia. Not just towards others--did they see those memories? Are they afraid of him? Will they hurt him even if they don't know?--but also toward himself. Is he still Dib? Is he now Zim? Is he just a Zib after all, just as his alternate self had called him in that awful void?
So he distances himself. He goes back to staying outside working on his ship, exploring, and gathering supplies for his own needs rather than allowing himself to be in the physical presence of people. But that doesn't curb his paranoia--what if someone tries to attack him while he sleeps? So he builds traps all around his ship in case someone tries to touch or break into it. He keeps his hood up at all times, but prepared to lash out with a PAK leg the second he notices sudden movement. He even steals a couple of knives to keep in his closes just on the off chance someone gets past his PAK's defenses.
He isn't going to let himself be attacked. He refuses to die. He refuses to have things stolen from him.
Not again.]
What: Event shenanigans in the form of paranoia and memories about aliens trying to kill you
When: Throughout the month of December
Where: Around Disaster House, or walking around on his own about the city and beaches
Content Warnings: paranoia, obsession, descriptions of cartoon violence, descriptions of more horrifying alien body horror violence, mention of parental neglect, mention of murder, identity issues, insults involving one's sanity, etc. will add more if they come up in a thread.
also, hit me up with pm or plurk if you want a starter of your own rather than one of the open prompts
Winter Mourning / outside Disaster House
Zib is not quite an official resident of the Disaster House, but his ship is currently here on their property while he figures out how to try to fix it and get it running properly again. And his friends had been nice enough to let him sleep on a couch instead of sleeping outside upon discovering that he... did not have a house he had any plans of staying at until this issue was resolved.
So not quite going full-hobo like he was since arriving, he's been in a rather good mood despite the ship crash. For the first time he can ever remember in his life, there are actually people he can think of as his friends that are willing to have his back, and it's gotten him thinking that maybe there are more things to find about this place to appreciate. Instead of, you know, attempting to run away and off this planet as soon as possible.
So once he hears about a Trench tradition to gather some bones together to create a decoration, he does just that, setting it against the outside of his ship in the driveway of the Disaster House for the time being. Maybe it will be a good luck charm--something to keep him going and hope that his ship will be repaired again soon.
Except... it glows, and touching it suddenly brings Zib and anyone else who may have come upon it into his memories. And there are two things that will become very quickly apparent to anyone upon finding themselves in this memory, regardless of which one it is.
The first thing is, Dib is very much human. Far more human looking in his past memories than he has ever looked since arriving in Trench despite attempts to disguise otherwise. The Dib of the past has normal skin complexion, proper ears and nose, and isn't wearing a ratty hood to hide the back of their head. Their glasses don't have a chip in them, and for all intents and purposes, they look like a normal child.
The second thing is that all of his memories seem to revolve around a central target: a small green alien named Zim. Even in memories where Zim is wearing a disguise, it's easy to tell that it's still the same person due to how tacky and lame the disguise is. No matter what form he's in, he is present in every memory of Dib's that can be brought forth when touching the antler decoration he made. Sometimes, it even feels like there's a sudden moment where you are seeing things from Zim's perspective rather than Dib's, before cutting back to seeing it from Dib's if you are unfortunate enough to get one of those type of memory journeys here rather than experiencing it as a third party.
Which begs the question of whose memories you are actually seeing in some regard, doesn't it?
As a result, you may end up finding yourself in one of the following:
A. The day these two first met and their rivalry began, from the look of things. It's... it sure is a lot! It seems like while Dib has been a nice enough guy here in Trench, he holds no such kindness toward Zim from the second they met.
B. One of, if not many, numerous ridiculous fights that these two have had since then. Dib finds out that Zim has an allergy to meat and throws baloney at him in the school cafeteria, Zim retaliates via injecting Dib with a method to turn him into baloney. Dib points out that a nurse might find it odd that Zim doesn't have human organs, Zim retaliates via stealing everyone's organs, including Dib's lungs. They chase, shoot, throw things at each other, yell about how they are going to defeat the other, and so on in a constant cycle of battles and escalating over the most riduculous shit, even if, arguably, Dib does have a point that letting Zim win could hurt the Earth even with the stupidest of schemes. Either way, Dib sure does get hurt a lot in his pursuit of saving the Earth.
Which one of these dumb fights did you get suckered into having to bear witness to? Will there ever be a day where this ongoing cycle ends?
C. The answer to that, dear friends, is yes. And unlike the downright ridiculous fights and sometimes laws of physics and logic getting thrown out the nearest window, the rivalry ends rather simple and brutal. There's no lead up to what caused this particular fight, as if Dib himself no longer remembers what was so different this time. It just starts with Dib, standing over Zim's body, the other bleeding out a bright pink fluid onto the floor of his lab. The little backpack thing that Zim wears has been torn from his back, lying in a mess of broken wires a few feet away.
And Dib stands there with pink blood on his hands, and for a moment, he actually looks confused by this outcome. He attempts to prod Zim's body, call his name... but Zim doesn't answer, and continues to remain lifeless on the floor. Dib looks down at his hands covered in thick pink alien blood, and just... stares, begins talking to himself.
"I... I did it? I actually did it... I actually beat him this time? That's... that's a good thing, so..."
But is it, though? What exactly happens after you've finally defeated your rival anyway?
He glances at the PAK on the floor nearby... and begins to reach out toward it...
Run Rabbit, Run / around the neighborhood and woods
[Once he realizes what the purpose of the Winter Mournings are, and as the month continues, he starts feeling sicker with paranoia. Not just towards others--did they see those memories? Are they afraid of him? Will they hurt him even if they don't know?--but also toward himself. Is he still Dib? Is he now Zim? Is he just a Zib after all, just as his alternate self had called him in that awful void?
So he distances himself. He goes back to staying outside working on his ship, exploring, and gathering supplies for his own needs rather than allowing himself to be in the physical presence of people. But that doesn't curb his paranoia--what if someone tries to attack him while he sleeps? So he builds traps all around his ship in case someone tries to touch or break into it. He keeps his hood up at all times, but prepared to lash out with a PAK leg the second he notices sudden movement. He even steals a couple of knives to keep in his closes just on the off chance someone gets past his PAK's defenses.
He isn't going to let himself be attacked. He refuses to die. He refuses to have things stolen from him.
Not again.]
no subject
He forms a sword, the weight a comfort in his hand.]
Okay. Okay, this is fine, that's just one Zim that we gotta kill. One Zim with a gun.
no subject
[Zib holds up a hand, the antenna on his head flicking back and forth momentarily.]
It sounds like... several footsteps are making their way toward here.
[Sure enough, there's suddenly a very loud argument that comes closer to be heard clearly.]
"100? What happened? How did the Resistance get in here? Why do you have weapons from the Armory?"
"Well, isn't it obvious? I just defeated this entire resistance all by myself! Pretty impressive, since I didn't even know there was a resistance."
"We've been trying to catch them for months..."
"What can I say, I'm just that good. Now, take me to see Number 1!"
[Zib, who has been listening in to this conversation, seems to look between Fern and the door for a second, before coming to a decision.]
Come here for a minute.
[He gestures for Fern to walk with him over to that throne chair set up in the room. Zib snaps his fingers, and suddenly the Zim costume he showed off earlier springs to life to quickly wrap itself around Zib here as he continues.]
Hide behind the chair with your sword. I'm going to open the door, and if it looks like they're about to attack me instead of just talk, then we can drop the act and fight them. Are you on board for that?
no subject
He steps closer, a little reluctant but willing to listen to a plan that isn't just "attack with a sword and hope for the best." Stiffening at the Zim robot costume moving, he really isn't encouraged, but he keeps on going along with this. It's better than nothing, right?]
Okay, yeah. Sure. [He looks over at the chair, then the doorway, and nods before moving to hide.] We got this.
no subject
A small group proceeds to step into the room: at the front is Zim who gleefully runs up to approach where Zib is sitting. Behind him are what appear to be several other... alternate versions of the same person, albeit with minor differences such as one being shorter, one having their head inside of a fishbowl, and so on that are being marched along at gunpoint by a Zim wearing a purple cloak.
... And at the back, one lone human. A very familiar looking human, as Fern will realize that they look exactly like Zib, albeit with a more normal skin color and a very nervous disposition as Dib is awkwardly look around the room from where they are hiding behind the Zims, trying not to be noticed.
The Zim at the front is excitedly speaking now.]
"Number 1! I have done what no other Zim could do! Apparently, I have captured the leaders of the Resistance! I demand to be acknowledged for the superior Zim I am!"
Yes, excellent work, Number 100. You will be rewarded... uh.
[And then he stops, Zib trailing off as he seems to finally notice Dib in the group. Zib silently glances over at Fern hiding right by him as if to confirm that Fern is in fact seeing the same thing he is here.]
no subject
His eyes are scanning over the Zims, but they freeze when he reaches Dib. One very normal Dib.
Oh. Geez. So that's what Zib normally looks like. So if this Dib is like, the normal Dib... does that make him like Finn and Zib like himself? That thought occurs to him before he can stop it, and a sense of worry takes over. This isn't good. This really, really isn't good.
He eventually catches Zib's gaze, his brows knitted together with concern. Yeah, that isn't some kind of weird hologram. That's a Dib.]
no subject
But with Fern here, he forces himself to stay calm and approach the situation a little more rationally this time. Albeit, he has been quiet for too long and the Zims are already starting to be suspicious.]
"Uh, hello? You were saying about a reward?"
Ah... yes, yes, we should discuss it. For now though, you should take the Resistance to the holding cells--except for that one. I want an explanation for what he's doing here.
"Which one? The baby one of me, or--"
No, the Dib obviously.
[He points to Dib, who flinches and leans away awkwardly even as the other Zims very quickly push him forward to take the heat, clearly assuming that he's the one who may face the bigger punishment for being here.]
"You know, I was really asking myself that same question. So how about I see myself out and--"
No. You're staying here. Two and 100, escort the other prisoners to the cells and then return here, would you? We need to discuss what to do with this one in comparison to the others.
[The Zim in the purple cloak nods, before shooing the other Zims away by threatening them with their gun and out of the room. The Zim called 100, however, lingers, refusing to leave.]
"What are you planning on doing with him? He is MY Dib after all, so I think I should see fit to what happens to the one that showed up here with me, you know."
Is he more important than your reward?
"No, but I refuse to just leave my rival with some other Zim. No offense, oh so grand leader."
... Fine. If you insist.
[Because Zib is pressing a button to lock down the room again. Now there will be only one Zim to deal with, as Zib whispers to Fern.]
Hey... can you promise me something? Whatever happens next... you'll still be on my side. No matter what the other me decides to say or do in comparison to me here.
[Well, that's... quite the request he's suddenly making.]
no subject
Things seem uneasy with all the Zims, too. He isn't sure what to expect from them, but he's prepared for the worst from what little he knows. It's almost a relief when they're actually willing to leave.
He doesn't even realize how tense he's gotten until Zib starts whispering. He starts, then glances up at Zib, and nods firmly.]
'Course I will be. It doesn't matter what that other Dib does or says, you're the one I'm friends with.
[And for him friendship is loyalty.]
no subject
[Zib actually sounds mildly shocked at that. Then again, it's fair to say that Zib has probably never had anyone acknowledge being friends with him before like this or stand up for him in any way. Either way, it gets a small smile out of him, happy to hear that, before he finally turns his attention proper to Dib and Zim, the latter of whom is tapping their foot in irritation.]
"Are you done mumbling to yourself over there? It's giving me the creeps."
"I loathe to agree with Zim, of all people, but yeah, what's your deal? Why did you want me here for this? I'm not one of you guys."
I wouldn't be too sure of that if I were you, Dib.
[And thus, Zib drops his disguise, allowing the robotic Zim costume to clatter to the floor. Zim immediately recoils back with a loud screech of disgust, while Dib is just sort of looking between Zim, and then Zib.]
"You're... you're a Dib? But you look like Zim..."
"As if! He's an even grosser looking you, and I didn't even think that was possible."
[Zim is looking very stabby, clearly unhappy about being tricked, but Dib actually suddenly runs up real close to Zib to get a very close look at him.]
"I don't understand... what HAPPENED to you?"
[Zib, mindful of the fact that Fern is right behind him listening, realizes he is probably going to have to be a little more honest than he has been if he wants to get Dib to not potentially attack him here... well. Only a smidge more honest. He doesn't want Fern to think too badly of him here, after all.
So he starts telling his other self here about how he had defeated the Zim in his universe, and then found out how to reverse engineer Zim's weapons to wipe out Zim's species from his own timeline, via equipping that PAK on the back of his head. And so on explaining his goal to save other timelines of Earth that still have to deal with Zim, which explains why all these Zims are here and why Zib had seemed rather confident earlier that he was going to be fine, especially if he is apparently capable of using his PAK to reprogram some of the Zims like Two to obey him. (Albeit, without having Two in the room this time to demonstrate like he had last time, since Two has left the room already.)
He does end up accidentally insulting his other half though by pointing out that this Dib is rather soft by comparison, the same words he had said the first time they met, and mentally he curses himself for the slip-up. But so far it seems that he's managing to convince the other Dib to get on his side here rather than running off or attacking him... the same of which can't be said for Zim, who is looking more and more disgusted by the minute, which finally explodes after a certain point--]
"Excuse me!? How dare you mock the greatness of Zim!? Stealing our technology, talking as if you can destroy my entire species--I won't allow you to say another word you imposter, you--you disgusting ZIB!"
[It's here that Zib realizes he made a slight miscalculation--because he had sent Two out of the room along with the Resistance ahead of time, that means Two is not here like he was last time where he could have held this Zim at gunpoint to keep him from attacking.
But because Two isn't here, Zim has a PAK cable suddenly shooting out of his back to try to grab Zib by the throat to get him to stop talking. Possibly even choke him out if he squeezes it hard enough, so that's... not good.]
no subject
It goes without saying he's absolutely prepared to jump out and start stabbing (or punching, because he probably shouldn't murder Dib) if this goes south. He does feel slightly stabbier when he hears Zim's insult, but he holds himself back. Don't jump straight into using his swords, they've got a plan (sort of), he shouldn't ruin it just because he's getting more than a little bloodthirsty....
(The head thing is weird. Now that it's been said out loud he does kind of quietly think Dib and Zib have... slightly normal-than-large heads? For humans, that is. Not that he'll ever say that out loud, since it seems to be a sore spot for him. Them.)
It all seems to be going pretty good, at any rate, insults notwithstanding. Fern actually thinks they might have this in the bag, right up until Zim's anger gets pushed over the edge. He recognizes that kind of anger, so it isn't surprising to see the alien attack, and when he does Fern moves to whip an arm out as a vine to intercept the PAK cable.
But he hesitates for a split second, unsure if these memory-versions seeing him might break something in Zib. That's the last thing he wants, though he quickly realizes he has a way of mitigating this, and another second later another metallic PAK cable is whipping out to intercept Zim's cable.
Then another Zim, specifically one that resembles Two, jumps out from his hiding space.
Oh Glob what would a weird virused alien say???]
No one shall touch Dib!
no subject
But, he can work with this if it keeps Zim over there from killing him in front of his other half. He's good at pretending that things are going according to plan.]
Ha ha, see? I told you that I had things under control here.
[He then gestures to Fern here, as if Fern is truly an example that his brainwashing PAK technology works. And that seems to sell the human Dib that he indeed is telling the truth about everything he's said so far.]
"That's amazing! Do you think... do you think maybe you could do something like that for my universe?"
Of course I can! I wouldn't just leave a fellow Dib to suffer because of this stupid Zim over here.
[Zim bristles, teeth gnashing, but doesn't try to attack again as he warily eyes "Two" over here.]
"If you think I'm going to just let this happen to me, think again! I'll find a way to take you down and return to my own universe to take over, for I am ZIM! The greatest Zim of them all, in fact!"
[Zib mutters something under his breath that sounds like "Says the Zim whose only universal difference is thinking it's okay to eat packing peanuts", but then, to Zib's surprise, Zim suddenly turns towards the balcony area and makes a break for it, escaping via throwing himself outside and over the side of the building. There's a noise of pain indicating that it likely wasn't a soft landing, but Dib still runs over to glance out and see if his Zim is dead or has run away, while Zib turns his attention to Fern.]
Well... that's one way to take care of the problem, I suppose. Thank you for stepping in like that.
no subject
And it seems like he does! Fern tries to not look relieved, he's pretty sure that isn't an emotion a Zim would be feeling right now. Instead he tries to look blank and brainwashed. Yep, just a totally normal brainwashed Zim over here, nothing strange going on.
He's a little concerned about what that other Zim is saying, because a bad guy is gonna bad guy, but he's been pretty powerless here so far, so... maybe it's fine? When that weirdo launches himself out the window he just stares, before glancing over at Zib.]
No problem. [He gives a thumbs up, which probably looks weird since he's still shapeshifted.] I didn't wanna mess up your memory more than I already have.
no subject
[Zib had not even thought about that, but Fern has a point. He has no idea if something bad is going to happen here if they deviate too far off course from the original events of this memory. But now that the thought is there, he worries that this means risking Fern seeing a lot more than he actually would want to share of this particular memory if they stay on track with letting certain events play out...
But, then he is interrupted from debating on how to tackle that issue as Dib approaches them both now.]
"It looks like he's gone. He must have run away, but... I don't know where he would have gone, since there's not a lot of places to hide in this weird void space. No offense."
None taken. But, um, enough about him...
[For now, Zib seems to go through the motions, telling Dib the plan to send Two to Dib's timeline to infect the armada with the virus in the PAK. Unlike last time, he momentarily hesitates when Dib asks what he can do during this, but after glancing at Fern, he ends up giving the same task as before, shoving a mop into his other self's hands and lying about needing to have him go do some cleaning in this other room over here for a moment. One of the rooms without any computers for Dib to access this time, he hopes, before he turns his attention back to Fern once they are alone, trying not to sound too hasty or like he's clearly trying to hide something here...]
Okay, so--this has all been a fun trip down memory lane and all, but I think we need to figure out what to do to... not be here anymore, you know what I mean?
[IE, return to Trench rather than keep reliving Zib's memory of this place.]
no subject
He goes quiet when Dib approaches again, letting Zib take over and resume running through the memory. He does have to fight the urge to raise an eyebrow at the cleaning thing, because even if he gets wanting an alternate universe version of yourself out of the way, Dib seems really... disheartened. He's watching Dib leave with the mop, frowning a tiny bit, before his attention snaps back to Zib.]
Oh. Uh, in Deerington these kinds of memories usually just ended on their own. I can't remember any of 'em that ended when I wanted them to end. So we might just be stuck here, dude.
no subject
That's... not really what I wanted to hear. [He runs a hand through his hair, clutching at one of his antenna for a moment before sighing.] Okay, well, for now it should be fine to go ahead and do what I said I was going to do, about sending Two through one of the holes outside to Dib's universe--that way we can also make sure Two doesn't run into you while you're looking like that.
[So he walks over to the computer nearby and begins typing in several commands, namely a message to Two to have them report in for the important mission in mind. The response is quick, a very eager message on screen that Two is "ready to prove themselves to Number One for this task" as well as a confirmation that they are going to go to one of the hidden spacecrafts and leave as commanded.]
That should eliminate that potential occurrence, I hope. If I recall correctly, Two did go and make it through to the designated location last time, so there shouldn't be any reason why it'll go any different this time either...
[But, Zib's hands pause on the keyboard for a beat, face unreadable as he looks at the screen, before he suddenly turns around quickly.]
We should probably go to the lab--we'll be able to watch what happens with Two better from all the screens I've got stored in there. Plus, it is a pretty cool room I've made here, if I do say so myself.
no subject
Either way, the important thing here is the memory ending. Fern has no clue how to force it to end (if he did, he would've done so for a bunch in the past), but the longer they're here the more dangerous things get. He frowns, concerned, which probably looks weird and unsettling when he's still shapeshifted as Zim.]
Okay, dude. [The 'dude' coming from a Zim is probably weird, too. He follows Zib over to the computer, watching curiously. At least the actual Zim #2 seems pumped for this.] Sounds like a plan.
[He pulls his eyes away from the screen and nods at that. Seems like a good idea to him!]
Cool, do I gotta stay looking like this?
no subject
[Or at least that's the hope, anyway. Provided that his other self doesn't abandon the room he told them to stay in, and, hopefully, Dib shouldn't have a reason to like last time. Zib is pretty sure there weren't any computers in that storage room he sent his other self to look at, after all.
For a brief moment, he entertains the thought of doing the same to Fern--see if there is a closet that he can lock Fern in just in case what he remembers of this place decides to expose too much of himself here. But unlike his other self, he's pretty sure Fern isn't stupid, nor incapable of breaking down a door if he was locked into a room somewhere. And... well, Fern said that he would be on Zib's side no matter what, right?
So, he points to the door that leads to the lab, and gestures.]
After you! Take a look for yourself.
[Inside, there's another fancy chair in the middle of the room, similar to the one he has modeled like a throne. Except, this one has several cables attached to the back of the chair that wind upward into the ceiling and appear to connect to several of the monitors set up in the room. There's also some tables with different tools and chemicals labeled and set out where it looks like he may have been experimenting with different objects during his time here.]
no subject
[And uncomfortable. He's still got some complicated feelings about his shapeshifting, though he's at least glad it was able to be helpful in this situation.
He shifts back down to his normal appearance, shaking off the excess Zim-coloured grass. It feels much better to looking like Finn again, and he nods before trotting off on over to the lab, entirely clueless as to Zib's actual thoughts. As far as he knows this is all going very smoothly!
Heading into the lab, he looks around. He'll raise an eyebrow at the chair (he knows a throne when he sees one), walking around it to poke at the cables with his foot before moving onto the tools and chemicals. He's picking anything up that looks like a weapon.]
Dang, I don't understand anything in here. It's cool!
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Thanks, I worked really hard to get this room to my liking. It involved a lot of scrounging around for parts and things that fall into this place sometimes from the reality tears, along with all the Zims that keep showing up.
[He addresses his Computer, asking it to pull up the feed for the tracker he has on Two so that it'll show how the brainwashed Zim's mission is going as they pass through the tear into Dib's universe. So far, so good, it looks like he made it through safely and is on his way to Irk where the Empire is located.]
When Two gets there, the plan is to have him get into the room where his leaders are, and insert a cable that will transmit the virus to all of the Irkens present, including their Tallest who command over all the others of their species. And with the Tallest brainwashed, they'll be able to spread the virus to the rest of their army by commanding any of the soldiers not presented to come in contact with a means to upload the virus into them as well.
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He tries his best to keep up with Zib's explanation. Fortunately, it's pretty dumbed down, and he's at least got a basic understanding of how computers and viruses work and whatnot.]
Cool, so you've got a lock on all of this. [He glances around, to see if any edges of the memory have started fading or flickering.]
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Zib, however, has not noticed this at all. Or maybe he can't see it himself? It's probably the former, given that his attention isn't on anything now other than the biggest monitor in the room and watching what Two is doing, who appears to have reached the planet Irk and is making their way to the mainframe where their leaders are. It looks like the plan is still going well...
... Well, except for a small window that has popped up in the corner of the screen that displays a potentially concerning detail: There's a percentage labeled "timeline stability" that's begun rapidly flickering in an unstable manner as Zib suddenly turns his attention to Fern.]
Hey, I just realized, there's something I forgot to ask you.
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He pokes around a little bit more, keeping an eye on the memory itself along with the entrances to the lab (just in case), and looks over when Zib speaks up.]
What is it, dude?
[Feeling a bit more secure in this ending well, he wanders on over to Zib. The timeline window on the screen catches his attention temporarily - it doesn't look good, but they've almost made it out.]
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Can you... not tell anyone about anything you saw here? I mean...
[He reaches a hand up to his PAK, touching it lightly for a moment.]
I plan on eventually telling more people about the PAK, at least to those I trust like you, but... I don't think I'm ready to do that just yet. Nor really talk about what it was like in this place more than I've already said about it before. Does that make sense?
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'Course it does. I promise I won't tell anyone about any of this stuff.
[And because he can, he goes to (carefully, because of the PAK) ruffle Zib's hair.]
You can count on me.
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... Probably not since his dad was still alive, and even then, it didn't happen all that often. His family was not a very affectionate one, unfortunately.
Zib looks down--not because he wants Fern to stop, but because he's afraid that he might do something lame like start crying from a mere head pat, so he quickly rubs his face and forces himself to calm again before he speaks again.]
Thank you... I really appreciate that.
[The screen suddenly flashes behind him, that odd fluctuating percentage finally settling on a number: a mere 40% stability for the Irken systems affected by the virus in the timeline that they had been observing. Which, is probably a sign that things are not going to go well, that whatever is meant to happen next is probably not a good memory for Zib.
But, at the same time the memory they're in seems to have begun closing in on them, the flickering and fading around the edges getting closer to where Zib and Fern are standing. Trench is coming back into view in the space that has disappeared so far.
It looks like the memory is finally ending here.]