The Irken and the Pendulum Ch 17A deep frown had embedded itself on the Irken's face, and he reached up a hand once more to rub at his forehead. He stared down at the faded carpet, and the loose thread he'd been picking relentlessly at for at least the last four-and-a-half minutes. The ugly, frayed little head of the synthetic worm leered up at him, and to this point had not yielded to his plucking. It was reflective of his own mind, he'd decided. Zim had been puzzling quietly over the omniscient headache, shared for some reason between he and the human who had just recently withdrawn his companionship to go and feast his weak eyes on the primitive writings of his ancestors or whatever. Zim had learned to manipulate human languages - most of them - to his own advantage, but he wasn't a big stickler for layers and layers of tiny, flat, printed text. The few books in the library he'd managed to read properly held only mild fascination, if any. Sometimes it brought entertainment to read about the man
The Irken and the Pendulum Ch 16A companionable quiet hung over the gloomy building's two occupants. Now both much calmer and with full bellies, Zim and Dib had been content to simply lean back against the wall of a convenient nook Dib had found during a small expedition of his own, fairly clean (by the library's standards) and with a couple of chairs and a desk sitting around, tarnished with age and forgotten by time, along with the last people to make use of them. They'd dragged some cushions in, and Dib, having fussed for a brief time over the sores he'd received from the talons of his roommate, was still tired enough to do little else than procrastinate.The teen turne
The Irken and the Pendulum Ch 15Dib stared at the hand waved in front of him, still at a loss to understand the majority of Zim’s actions nowadays, before turning his attention to more important matters. “I guess we’d better check your injuries, since you kicked up such a fuss last night and this morning.” He muttered. Cautiously reaching to take the hand and check the burns on it, Dib pulled up quickly as he noticed a slight hint of teeth behind a curled-back lip. Zim was wide awake now, and certainly not feeling cuddly. Dib realised he’d have to tread carefully.Now was the time to be a polite houseguest. With the Irken sending him a look of
The Irken and the Pendulum Ch 14There were far better ways to wake up than this.Even the Irken, who didn’t have many pleasant memories of waking up himself, had to admit that.He lay numbly on the hard floor, blood and spent fear hormones swirling in his head.It took him a few seconds to recall the muscle sequence for thinking.It took him half a second longer to realise that the act of thinking generally wasn’t perceived to have a muscle sequence.Now testing his other muscles, the alien jolted himself painfully upright, hoping to shake off what seemed to be a temporary stupor. This didn’t go down so well after all, as a rush of sensations almost in
The Irken and the Pendulum Ch 13The massive globe of white-hot plasma known as Sol lit the dozing teen's face with soft rays of sunlight, far too early for his taste. He hissed at the mild assault to his state of peace, wanting to lift his arms to cover his face – only to find that they had prior occupations. Something warm and slightly soft was against his chest, and his lanky arms were encircling it. What… was that? Wasn't blankets, hopefully wasn't a giant rat (thankfully didn't smell like one). The reason he wasn't jumping to his feet like a poorly trained stuntman was… hmm. He felt sort of sleepy and content. Normally he'd be up and running by now if i
IZ - Spontaneous Complications (SC fail)World So Cold – 12 StonesHe’d spent his entire life trying to please them. Giving them his all. But did they look down? Never. Upward was the only way they ever looked, and they trod themselves into the ground trying to get there. Beat their world down, and Dib along with it. Here he was on his knees, trying to pick up the mess. The boy lifted his head wearily, staring out at his world, the sky blood-red and streaked dirty with smoke; the skyline a crowd of jostling buildings – each one representing humanity’s desperate efforts to become bigger than it was. He sighed, for the trillionth time in his life, wondering if
UntitledThe gathering appears suddenly Beckoning for endless years-The flow of life envelops this partyYet the hosts never move.Twisted bodies smile emptilyLimbs splayed rigid and deadFaces sickly greenWhile frozen lungs hold them inendless, suspended animationA gathering of proportions untoldWhich never wakes up.Outsiders stand alone, faces twisted in ponderOthers come to explore and prodThe necklace, is it to adornOr to choke?Party or burial,Alive or dead?
Impressions [ZADF randomness]"Zim does not wish to endure this senseless exercise any longer, Dib-beast." The Irken frowned at his rival's contrasting grin, unable to see the appeal in this confusing and dull new activity."Oh, come on. This one's easy, Zim." For emphasis, Dib twitched the two fingers atop his head again. His grin was supposed to be one of encouragement, though it looked more provocative than anything else.Zim's own appendages wriggled in consternation, clearly as perplexed as their owner was by the challenge presented to his (unquestionable?) knowledge. He felt it had gone on long enough and gritted his teeth, almost giving in to defeat. But the huma
Surfacing [GNG oneshot]It was by no means a cold night. Early June, in fact.The Leader, however, shivered very slightly as he lay stretched out on his stone ledge. Sleeping, though not restfully.Riki's eyes snapped open in his sleep, searching, searching for a pair of brown eyes that weren't there.He wriggled, seeking the soft musky scent that had just appeared to him, opening his mouth to inhale it. However there was only the gentle summer breeze to greet him.Riki gave a slight growl. The scent was there, in his mind, but not there at the same time. He did not recognise it yet it was so close to his own.He delved further into his subconscious, gripping t
tCoD: The Silver Fang Ch 24Xavier briefly saw the flash of blue, with sharp-fanged, slavering jaws and eyes hot with blinding rage, and his heart brimmed with joy.Blaze cannoned into the flank of Xavier's enemy with terrifying force, bowling Tawny over, as he emitted a shriek of surprise. The two dragons tussled, rolling over and over in the dust as each fought for a grip on their foe. Despite Tawny's small size, he was still a match for Blaze. After a short scuffle, he managed to shove his hindpaws into the she-dragon's stomach and they broke apart, panting. Tawny heaved himself to his feet, shaking dust and drops of blood from his snout. Blaze stood her ground be
tCoD: The Silver Fang Ch 23Tawny's eyes widened slightly in disbelief as he heard Xavier's answer. For a fleeting moment, the dragon felt a tiny flicker of doubt prick at his stomach. Almost as suddenly, he pushed it away angrily.Xavier caught a glimpse of Tawny's paw flashing out, swinging round in a backhanded blow. It made a full connection with his left temple. Xavier's vision flashed white for a microsecond, then a jarring thud racked him as he went sprawling in the dust. Xavier gasped for air and lifted his head to see Tawny striding toward him. Although he was small for a dragon, he was still a good deal bigger than Xavier and the raptor had to crane his neck
tCoD: The Silver Fang Ch 22The whispering started when Xavier was about two kilometres from the hut. It was soft at first, and mingled with the sounds of leaves rustling and the foraging noises of forest life. Xavier did his best to pretend it wasn't there. He gritted his teeth and tried to shut out the piercing noise, which seemed to be coming from inside his head. Xavier felt a strange, pricking sensation at the back of his skull that ebbed and flowed with the sound. It was faint, barely noticeable, but it was definitely real. Xavier shook his head angrily, trying to force all the worrying thoughts out of his head. He concentrated on scouting the dense woodland, keep
tCoD: The Silver Fang Ch 21The elder of the village and Siriu's main advisor, Rohtku, gently rolled over Sol's small body with a stiff foreleg. The dragon's eyes were screwed tight in his final agony, and his jaws were open in a strangled cry, just as they'd been when he was alive. Except now he was ominously silent. Blaze heard many of the villagers stifle a cry when they saw why he was lying in such pain. "Oh, god." she heard Ethan whisper, and unconsciously she lay the tip of her tail on his shoulder, as much for her own comfort as his.Sol's pale underbelly was stained crimson. A deep, long gash knifed through his hide, from neck to girth. It was pouring out b
Not GoneYou sat there so long. So still. I watched you, your frame so small, innocent, yet hard and rigid in the face of fate. Did your eyes dance with the flames, the way her eyes danced happily over you, with their warm light? I saw them glistening, child. The little dragon curled beside you, that ragdoll she made just for you. Does it still smell of her scent?Look deeper into the fire, child. Do not watch her sleep; watch the coals that cradle her. Do you see how they move? How the patterns flicker inside them, as though they hold life? There is life within everything. Only those with open minds can see. You have that power, just as she did. The
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