everyone's a little bit alien

Zim is sci-fi, alien, and cosmic/Lovecraftian horror — the unsettling vastness of the universe, the idea that you are an insect in the eyes of something incomprehensibly bigger, older, and stranger. The feeling of looking into a black hole and knowing there is no escape.

Dib is monsters/ghosts and gothic horror — the creeping dread that something is off, but being unable to indentify what it is. The shadows are too long and the house is breathing with you. The monsters you've always been afraid were lurking in your closet or under your bed are real.

This is based around the concept of the simulations in general. Infinite situations to be placed in, with infinite choices provided to the subject. One could live hundreds of rich, detailed lives in the span of hours.

One could have their habits, preferences, and DNA assessed and utilized to create the perfect situation in which the subject would defect, or perhaps become defected. They could live hundreds of different lives where it would make perfect sense for them to stray from the empire.

This is why those who pass and go on to become Invaders are batshit stubborn with a denial streak a mile long. Only those who turn away every tangible piece of evidence of their doom caused by Irk herself, rubbed in their faces-- those who still choose the empire every fucking time-- could be trusted enough to assimilate into other species' cultures and ideals.

Could Tak be wiggling her Irken Toes into the sands of the Marina Trench of denial right next to Zim? Yeah, pretty likely tbh. However, the source of Tak's denial comes from her desperately clinging to the notion that she deserves better than Zim specifically. She still is very much so loyal to the Tallests, and she holds their word in high regard.

I do not think she is incapable of going behind their backs in order to one-up Zim, should she deem the situation dire enough. There would be guilt, certainly, but not enough to deter her completely and forever.

That is the difference between Zim and Tak-- Tak is capable, clever, and above all, loyal. But! If something as important to her as her pride is pulled through enough muck and then battered like batter by an emotionally repressed baker--

If Tak becomes desperate enough, she could and would knowingly act against her empire --even through neglect of duties-- to further her goals elswhere.

Redraw from a piece from 2019

Redraw of below

"Mrehkka actually fought in the last battle totally shirtless!"

(transcribing because my handwriting is messy)

The sketches with Dib and Zim are just because I love them. Yes, I will talk about it in every post. The text was written with an interpreter because my English is not very good)

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