Catching Flies (Revised) Ch.11
Eh? Eh??? She's back?
Yep. I am.
If you're unfamilliar with the story: It's an Invader Zim fanfic with a Found Family trope, a slow burn romance with Professor Membrane, and a afab non-binary teacher!Reader (that's really more of an OC than anything at this point.)
Anyways Here's the link to the first chapter. And a link to the master post. And the previous chapter in case you wanna see if that sparks your memory.
Chapter 11: House of Chaos
Overall rating: Teen
Summary: You catch more flies with honey than vinegar. That’s what they say anyway.
Teacher!Reader makes the mistake of trying to help the two most troubled kids in your class. This leads to forming a science club, learning some childhood psychology, adopting an alien older than you, and somehow catching Professor Membrane’s interest.
Afab Non-binary Reader;
The reader does have a last name: Nemo– which means no-name.
The Membrane house was a bit different than you expected. You had thought it would be something grand-- a high-tech and sleek home that was the height of both technology and modern architecture. Instead, while it did stand out, it was also more...common. Like an ordinary two story house that was slightly modified but not much. And the inside, while eccentric, was normal.
Absolutely normal.
It was so extremely weird.
"So this is your teacher?" A small girl appeared next to Dib, who had answered the door along with Zim. She peered at you through thick eyelashes, a dark look in her golden eyes. "They don't look special."
"Gaz, be nice," Dib warned, shooting his sister a look. "Please?"
You offered a faint smile, a little disturbed by the odd feeling climbing up your spine. You weren't exactly one to believe in auras and energies, yet something about Gaz was decidedly ...different. You vaguely recall Meyer’s words, and could almost believe them. Almost.
"You must be Gaz,” you greeted after a moment. “Your reputation precedes you."
She briefly looked at your offered hand and decided to glare at you instead. "And?"
Was this really an elementary student? She seemed far more than just a child. You could almost see why Meyers seemed so terrified of her. "...I try not to let my first impressions be tainted by other people's opinions," you said after a moment, gaining a faint smile. More of a smirk, really.
"Wise idea." She dismissed you as she pulled a GameSlave2 from her pocket, already absorbed in it by the time she settled on the couch.
"Gaz is a terrifying creature," Zim whispered as the boys led you away from the living room and into the kitchen. "I have yet to see another human as formidable as her. Thankfully, as long as you don’t interrupt her video games or get between her and pizza, she will leave you alone.”
“Uh huh,” you said doubtfully, though you couldn’t help but notice the slight awe in his voice.
“Master Dib! Oh and guests!” A robot rolled into view as you entered the kitchen, and as odd as it was, it made absolute sense for the Membrane home. It wasn’t anything like Zim’s parent-drones, but a blocky kind of robot, a chef’s hat on its head and an oven inside its body. “May Foodio 3000 interest you in an afternoon snack? Pizza rolls? Fruit? Smoothie? A nine-course banquet?”
“Uh, pizza rolls I guess,” Dib answered distractedly as he set his computer up on the table.
“Perfect! And for you?” The robot turned towards Zim expectantly, a smile on its simulated face, which Zim glowered at.
“I don’t want any of your disgusting food,” he waved him off, settling into the chair across from Dib, while you reluctantly took the last seat.
“Disgusting?” The robot… gasped. Somehow. “Au contraire! I am the latest Foodio model, able to cook any desired course in a matter of minutes! From delicate baklava to something like a simple corn dog, nothing is too complicated for me! Please, I must insist! What is your favorite dish?”
“Just order something,” Dib said before Zim could open his mouth. “It’s a fault in his programming, but he won’t give up until he gives you something.”
“Fine,” Zim sighed. “How about, I don’t know, a taco. Meatless!” he quickly added, “And plenty of that one sauce, what does Gir call it again? Flaming poo of death?”
“Ah! Taco palace’s infamous deathly poo sauce!” Foodio’s eyes lit up as he clapped its hands together before turning to you. “And for you?"
“Uh,” you paused, racking your brain before asking about your favorite snack.
“Perfect! I will be right back with your food!”
“Whatever happened to Clembrane?” Zim asked as you watched in fascination as Foodio buzzed about the kitchen, his two hands moving faster than your eyes could keep up.
“He just disappeared one night,” Dib answered, apparently knowing who (or maybe what?) Zim was referring to. “Which is kinda disappointing, I was starting to like the pudding too. Dad was happy though, he thought it meant he was completely healed from his hallucination.”
“What?” You turned back, brows knitted in confusion at the last piece of the conversation. Both boys paused, as if caught red handed.
“Nothing!” Both boys denied instantly, making you even more suspicious. You readied yourself to pry more when you heard a door open. The door just off the kitchen had opened, and you presumed it was to a basement of some sort as Professor Membrane stepped out, wiping some kind of dust off his white lab coat.
"I figured you boys were ready to start on the blueprints today." Membrane stated as he entered, making you pause. You knew he had expressly invited you, but you were still expecting some kind of negative reaction. Instead, he seemed more preoccupied with a small device in his hands. "I borrowed this prototype from the R and D department. I think it will be quite helpful, and there is only a moderate risk of it self-destructing…"
Professor Membrane trailed off, and it took a second to realize his attention was on you. You blushed and gave a small wave shyly, which seemed to spur him to action.
"R-right, Mx Nemo. Sorry, I was, ehem, joking about the risk of this exploding. It's quite minimal, I assure you."
Did he...stutter? The realization caught you off guard as he settled in between the boys, directly across the table from you. Yet there were no other oddities in his behavior; in fact as soon as the small device turned on, creating a holographic model of the boys' device, it was pure professionalism.
Well, not pure professionalism. You were delightfully surprised to watch the three discuss the schematics, even if it was completely impossible for you to try to follow along. The discussion of hydraulics, power sources and outputs were far out of your level comprehension, but obviously not theirs. And watching the boys engage positively with someone other than you, someone who completely understood them, was amazing. Professor Membrane was patient to listen to them, and then either agree or explain the flaws or alternatives that would be better.
After a while, however, you started to wonder what exactly you were doing here. The three were obviously off in their own little world, the two boys actually behaving and arguing productively without fighting or name calling.
Maybe you should just leave? You glanced up at the clock; it was approaching supper time. You could use that as an excuse, even if Foodio's snack had quelled any hunger.
"Are you sure we can't add a laser?" Membrane asked almost petulantly, drawing your attention from your thoughts. "It's the most practical means for guidance and targeting."
"You read the requirements," Dib sighed, scratching his head. "No lasers. Plus it would be too much for the battery. We're already pushing it."
"Well if you let me put a fission fuel cell there, we would have enough power for a million lasers to destroy our enemies with!" Zim snarled, frustration evident in his voice as well as the snarling expression on his face.
Dib sighed and rubbed his nose. "For the last time, Zim. We're not using a nuclear power cell and it isn't a weapon. It's supposed to be for exploration only."
"We would explore our enemy's world first and then destroy them!"
Zim started with the maniacal laughter until Gaz (who must have entered during the discussion without you noticing) decided it was too much and threw a cookie at him. "It's too early for that, Zim. Shut up."
"Now daughter, throwing food at our guests isn't nice."
"But his voice is so annoying." Gaz made her way from the counter to your side, and you tried not to act unsettled as she glared up at you with squinted amber eyes. "Are you smart enough to be more than cannon folder?"
"Uh…" What?
"We've talked about recruiting others for your schemes, Gaz," Professor Membrane said without missing a beat, his attention not even drifting from the holographic model he was tinkering with. "Besides, Mx. Nemo is hardly cannon fodder."
You swore he glanced at you from behind his goggles, yet you could see nothing but the light reflecting off them. Either way, you were highly curious, and rather disturbed, by what they meant by ‘cannon fodder.’ And the fact they were discussing it as if talking about meaningless death was normal…
"It's Vampire Piggy Deus Ex Machina 3,” Gaz explained to her father, as if that made perfect sense. Which, it did actually. You were well aware of the Vampire Piggy series. “I need a second player and no one online is volunteering. Their day will soon come where they will regret not offering their sacrifice to me, but first I have to beat this boss."
"While video games have their benefits, I am sure Mx Nemo likely has more important things to do," Professor MEmbrane sighed before you could say anything. “I can assist you later tonight or tomorrow.”
“But I need it now,” Gaz growled, clenching her small fists. “I have the other side quests completed. This is the only one left! If I don’t get it done now, I will die.”
"Actually, I enjoy the Vampire Piggy saga,” you boldly interrupted as Professor Membrane sighed at the child’s dramatics. “I haven't played the Deus Ex Machina spin offs yet, but I'd be willing to give it a shot. I haven't been much help to you boys anyways."
--+--
Was it slightly immature and improper of you to slip away from where your students were working to play videogames with their younger sibling? Probably. Would you have a massive anxiety attack about it later? Undeniably.
Were you enjoying yourself as you and Gaz cleared out a den of vampiric swine together? Absolutely.
The girl played far better than you expected someone of her age group with her quick reflexes and keen mind. There was no looking up walk throughs or anything as you put your minds together to figure out the puzzles, or strategize to defeat the Boar of all Vampires.
It was like a throwback to your college days, making you almost giddy. When was the last time you were able to play a video game? Usually you were so overwhelmed with papers to grade and plans to revise that you never had time to even think about it.
Granted, you still had those left to do, and would regret this come morning. But right now you were enjoying the fleeting happiness and serotonin.
"Gazleen, Mx. Nemo, Dinner will be ready in exactly ten minutes and thirty seconds," Foodio called, and you glanced over, seeing the oven (?) that comprised his middle section glow warmly, though you couldn't see what was inside. "Please find an acceptable place to end the game and join us in the dining room."
"Ugh," Gaz sighed, already opening the menu to save while your gaze shot to the clock. It was a quarter past seven, which was far longer than what you intended.
You swore under your breath, then winced as you noticed Gaz's cheshire smile, confirming she heard you. "I really should head home. It's far too late and I…"
"No no no! Dinner is nearly complete! I have calculated everything perfectly for everyones over all nutrition and dietary needs!" If it was possible for a robot to look distressed, Foodio looked absolutely panicked as it interlaced its fingers. "Having guests over has been an exciting new experience! Please stay!"
"Don't reject his food," Gaz muttered from your side. "He tends to malfunction when you do and can get a little murdery."
You quickly looked between the robot and the small girl, trying hard to decide if she was kidding or not. Surely Professor Membrane wouldn't allow a defect like that to be around his children. After all, children could be notoriously picky eaters.
Or maybe that was the way he got his children not to complain about their food. You couldn't tell if that was insane or brilliant.
"Mx. Nemo, I insist you stay. It's the least I could do to repay you." Professor Membrane spoke as he exited the kitchen, no doubtedly hearing your protest.
"Y-you don't need to repay me…" you protested, wringing your hands together nervously. It was one thing to visit a student’s house to help with an after-school project…. Then end up playing video games for over an hour. But then to stay for dinner? As Repayment? For what? "Honestly, I've been unprofessional enough today."
His head tilted slightly while he crossed his arms. "I'm puzzled, I haven't seen any kind of unprofessional behavior from you, today or any time before."
You opened your mouth, already partially gesturing to the large tv where the game system's home screen was still visible, before Gaz grabbed your hand and pulled hard.
"Just give up now and accept your fate."
--+--
Surprisingly, dinner was going much better than you expected. It was more like a family affair despite you and Zim's presence, with all three children bickering between mouthfuls of food; something about bigfoot versus yeti which went over your head. Not that you were paying much attention.
You had taken the seat next to the professor, and subsequently was pulled into an...interesting conversation.
"Dib had explained how there was a reassignment for the science club," He started, eyebrows knitted in a frown. "I have to admit, that is quite disappointing."
"I know, I was so pi--frustrated," you quickly corrected as three pairs of relatively innocent eyes focused on you, as if they had specialized hearing for forbidden words, "when I was told. Mr. Boltzmann and Meyers made their mind up and I didn't even get a chance to throw my two cents in. I mean, I know I'm not exactly an expert in the scientific field, but no one else was trying. No one seemed to give a damn, and I bet that they still don't. Boltzmann only cares because he has new equipment to play with, and Meyer's a sexist pig who seems to thrive on causing misery." You stabbed the carrot with a little more force than needed, the metal of your fork scratching against the plate. The jarring sound broke through your dark thoughts and reminded you of your surroundings.
Gaz didn't seem to be paying any attention as she devoured the pizza slice in front of her, while the boys on either side of her were either snarling with rage (Zim) or at least upset on your behalf (Dib.)
But you were more worried with the Professor's reaction to your impromptu rant. While he may somehow find your somewhat unprofessional behavior acceptable to this point, there was no way he wouldn't frown upon such behavior (or language) in front of the children.
Of course, there was no possible way to study his facial expression; the goggles reflected the light that hung over the table, and the collar of his lab coat still covered everything below the bridge of his nose (though you had sworn you had caught a glimpse of his unshaven jaw while he had been eating. Just a split second of a dark five-o'clock shadow and pale skin. But it was more than anything you had seen on the web.)
"Those insignificant pigs will cower before us!" Zim suddenly shouted, jumping up onto his chair and holding his spoon as if it were a weapon. "They shall rue the day-"
"Sit down," Gaz snapped, tugging harshly on his oversized shirt to set him off balance. "Be quiet. I'm eating."
"But revenge-!"
"No," you and Professor Membrane echoed one another, causing you to glance briefly at him and then blush. You didn't fail to notice he cleared his throat and adjusted his goggles almost nervously.
"I'm touched that you feel that way," you started after a moment. "But it would be wrong of you to get involved. You could get in serious trouble, and that is the last thing you guys need."
"Mx. Nemo is right. We'll settle this, and in the meantime we want you to focus on your project."
It was awkward yet inspiring to have Professor Membrane agreeing with you. Yet, you wondered if there really was anything anyone could do. "Besides, Meyers is sort of right," you admitted with a sigh. "Science and literature are two vastly different subjects. Boltzmann is far more qualified on paper for running a science club."
The outrage for Dib and Zime was instantaneous. "No!" Dib shouted while Zim scoffed.
"Hah! As if!"
"I have found that just because someone has the right degrees and diplomas hardly means they are qualified for the job," Professor Membrane agreed. "While I have yet to meet this Bolt-man, I am inclined to disagree he is more qualified."
"Can't a girl just eat her pizza? In peace?"
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hell yea talk abt yr characters. 27, 42, 69 (nice)
ty king i owe u my life!!!
numbhmer 27 issss... grapa!!! he was on the actual show once, he took the credit for blorch's conquest? but in the comics it was larb who was blorch's supposed conqueror? well... in anarchisma, grapa suffered a seriously bad mental break during an interview, and went into a self-imposed exile and moved in with his buddy sneakyonfoota on his assigned planet, and the pair are eventually joined by a heretirken named minie. the trio of the are the center of an arc, and while the more well-adjusted sneakyonfoota is a good influence on grapa, trying his hardest to get him to settle down and talk about what caused his mental break and what's going on with him emotionally, grapa gravitates to the more "do drugs to forget" style of minie, the two of them eventually going on a huge drug bender
i genuinely really like the interactions of the trio as a whole and how each personality compliments and contrasts the others- i find it really interesting how these three play off each other, especially with grapa and sneakyonfoota's contrasting reactions to minie, the outsider- grapa and minie have similar mental problems but he refuses to connect with her due to her status as a defect, meanwhile sneakyonfoota has none of the problems but tries his best to understand and help both grapa and minie. i just think their dynamic as a triad is really neat!
next up, number 42 is....
oh.
my god.
number 42 is lefy himself.
what can i say about him that hasnt already been said? he's lefy! he's a keetish guy whos done a lot of things, most of them i cant talk about here for spoiler reasons! but uhhh... he's a singer/songwriter? i got that for ya! yeah its hard to talk in-depth about lefy because a lot of stuff about him is spoiler-heavy but yeah! oh another thing!! lefy is blatantly blatantly 100% without a shadow of a doubt in multiple ways De Fect Ive but is extremely in denial of his own defectiveness- he's not herephobic, though, not at all! he insists that he's not defective but that he "just thinks they're neat," and lives in denial about his own status. in a way hes a foil to zim himself; they're linked in a few ways in The Narrative and have a lot of the same mannerisms, down to both of them telling people to shut the fuck up when they're backed into a Denial Corner lmfao! but yeah lefy's denial of certain situations and his contrarian, oftentimes hypocritical view of certain things are the crux of his character, at least early on before he gets some character development and all that! he's a really interesting character that i could talk for HOURS about, but i also can't because, y'know, spoilers
number 69.... okay the funny thing is that i swore i could remember doing number 69 way back when i did this for the first time
and i did! its just that.... since then, more characters have been added to the sheet, so now number 69 is a completely different character!
her name is plum, and shes a hybrid scientist! she studies specifically hybrids, irken hybrids in particular, and is a medic for them as well due to her specialized knowledge! she's a very tall woman, but she's naturally average-height... she's addicted to getting height extensions- every time, she's told they can only increase her height a little due to her various physical ailments, and she agrees- only to go to a new person the next time and lie saying she's never gotten one before! it's uh, slowly degrading her mobility and quality of life. she has a lot of depressive episodes just as a side effect of Hereditary Mental Problems and being in pain all the time doesnt help. she was drawn to hybrid sciences due to herself being a hybrid, and her later romance with another hybrid!
and this will be a minor spoiler for h-word that relates to her, so if you just wanna wait till it comes out, feel free to! but if you dont really care, it's under the cut for ya
truth be told is, youve already met her if youve been keeping up with the story! but id understand if you havent recognized her.... because she's red's egg! yep!! plum is red's as-of-now unhatched smeet! isnt she.... uh.... interesting?? lmfao. she's a real cutie pie when she's hatched, though!!
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Hello Tumblr!
I thought I'd make a proper introductory post since I want to start actively using my blogs more, rather than just being a lurker. Despite being on this site for YEARS I've never really interacted with other users. I wanna change that!
So, hi! My name is Lillian, but you can call me that or Lian. I'm a queer writer who likes to write queer stories (of course). At the time of writing this, I'm currently 21. I identify as genderqueer and use they/he/she pronouns. I'm a bi grayromantic graysexual, but LOVE fictional romance and sex (when it's done well). Just don't touch me IRL for the love of the gods.
My art blog @lillianrs-art
My photography blog: @lillianrs-pics
My book series / writing blog: @multimagical
My whump blog: @whumping-valentine
This blog is my main blog, so I'll have a bunch of miscellaneous stuff on here. If you wanna hear about writing and my book series specifically, check out my Multimagical blog! If you wanna see some personal photography and all of my character art, you know which ones to follow. Below the cut are some facts about me (which may be edited in the future) 👇🏻
Name: Lillian (Lian) // Pronouns: They/He/She
Age: 21 // Birthday: November 7th
Height: 4'11
INFP-T // Scorpio
Genderqueer Bi Greyromantic Greysexual
Mildly disabled though still very much disabled
Likes
Writing, The ocean, Pirates, Clowns and Jesters, Circus vibes, Theater Vibes, Rain and wild weather, Language learning, Daydreaming, Music, Collecting sea shells, Traveling, Digital art, Watercolor, Cloudy days, Autumn and Halloween, Cats, Butterflies and Moths, The moon, Enemies to Lovers, Lovers TO Enemies! W H U M P !! Tortured characters (see above), Short, frail characters with scars, glasses, freckles, red hair, dark circles, and buck teeth >>>> All of those are technically considered imperfections but God damn it I fucking LOVE imperfections then!! I'm a slut for anyone who has all of those features. Or any of them
Dislikes
Writing, Direct sunlight, Hot sunny days, My damn anxiety, My height (shortness is only good on OTHER people!!), Stink bugs, Cynical people, Cynical discourse, Drama, Cringe culture, Man I hate stink bugs
Media I enjoy
My Little Pony, Coraline, Gravity Falls, Star vs. TFOE, Invader Zim, Helluva boss, Hazbin Hotel, The Amazing Digital Circus, Nimona, Tangled (+The Series!!!), The Owl House, Amphibia, She-ra, Wolfwalkers, Little Nightmares, Fran Bow, Little Misfortune, Avatar the last airbender, Dan and Phil, Markiplier, Twenty one pilots, My Chemical Romance, and idk things I forgot or will enjoy in the future!
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