#you made this passion project feel mandatory and daunting

[queer-crusader]

listening to The Amazing Devil to reduce my anxiety

[as-the-doctor-ordered]

{ @as-the-doctor-ordered @pragmatic-purple @wrathful-red @the-great-and-powerful-zim @waking-nightmares @Prisoner 777 }

Mika paced outside the door to the bridge wringing his hands together. He had asked to set up a meeting with the Tallests and they were expecting him to arrive any moment. He didn’t want to be late, but he certainly couldn’t quell his nerves. Although they were family now, this was a professional request. He was not approaching them as their mate and ‘in-law’ as the humans would call it. He had asked Pur personally not to speak to him as his mate, but as an employee, as he was hired.

Honestly, the thought was intimidating, but he knew he had a good defense for his request, one that made sense for the betterment of Irk’s youth as they begin to change the way things are run, particularly with the absence of the control brains. Not only that, but even at Mika’s young age, only in his 60s, he was more than qualified to take on the task. Taking a deep breath, Mika stepped forward, tapped on the door with his knuckles, and pushed it open, not surprised that Pur and Red were ready and waiting for him, an extra seat set up just below as they might from any request from a Taller (that they actually decided to entertain).

“Good afternoon, my Tallests. Thank you for seeing me,” Mika said, giving them a slight bow and a submissive droop of his antennae as he shuffled to the chair and sat down, hands in his lap and sitting up tall and straight.

The Tallests were sitting side by side in the room, a plate of doughnuts between them. They had talked for awhile about how to separate the fact that Mika was Purple's mate from the request he had- it was not something that they had to deal with since they had taken on mates and the concept seemed rather strange, but they figured that since it was Mika's direct request that they would try their best to not allow the Irk's title to sway their decision in what had been a rather vague and ominous request to speak to them. 

When Mika entered in Pur flashed him a bright and toothy smile, lifting one hand in a wave before looking to Red. 

Tallest Red cleared his throat softly, leaning forward on the table and asked with a raised brow, "Now that you have our attention- what is it that you would like to speak about, Mika?"

Mika fidgeted a bit in his seat, but tried his best to keep himself looking tall and professional. "I have a proposal for you. The reason for this meeting, rather than simply approaching you about it, is because it will change many things about how one of our current academic systems are run. And I felt that would be an important decision that should be unbiased by our relationships," the doctor began, clearing his throat into a gloved hand before continuing, "I wish to propose we move medical academy in its entirety to the Massive and adapt the curriculum to better represent Irk's political changes." 

At the request both of the Tallests looked toward one another with raised brows. Red looked back to the little Irk and asked, "What is it about the current medical academy structure that you do not find satisfactory?"

"First, it separates the brightest of our youth, the smeets made here on the Massive, from the Academy itself," Mika replied slowly, taking a deep breath. He'd practiced this. He knew what he was doing. "I have noticed since my departure from medical academy, and even during my tenure, numbers are dwindling. Those of age are opting to attend other institutions. But I do not believe distance is the sole issue," he continued cautiously, "The second issue lies in the curriculum itself and thus my second proposed change. Currently, students are required to complete at least two years of on-site training. Historically, this has been posed in active battlefield. I was posed myself in the line of active duty. While I feel this training to be important, it is currently mandatory and extremely traumatic. We lose more medics to death during this time than we gain into the academy as a whole as they are not trained in war but in healing. I would like to propose that this route be optional with a choice between either active duty or during peacekeeping missions, to be arranged with Taller Dib once he is well. I also propose those that do choose either route should take additional time to prepare them for emergency and trauma care."

Red listened carefully and looked to his brother with a shrug. Tallest Purple then shifted forward and said, "The logic is sound, Mika. I trust that your facts are straight and I believe that they would all be confirmed if I dug into them myself. I do trust that you know that the remodeling of an entire educational structure that has been in place for many centuries will be a daunting task and an expensive one. We would have to find where on the Massive the new school would be housed and we would likely need to purge the current educators who are set in very traditional ways, bringing on a new and likely diverse staff. You understand that this will cause backlash. Then there is the question of where the funds for it are coming from. Do you have a proposal for that - or is this something that you are asking the Tallests to foot the bill for?" 

The tall purple-eyed Irk gave a half smile, knowing that he would gladly front the bill for any of his mate's passion projects- but Mika had asked for him to be seen as an employee in this meeting and he did not want to adopt the totally whipped mate role too soon and make the young Irk feel like he was being merely placated.

"I understand such a large change will come at great cost, both financially and by way of staffing - including room and board for other instructors. However, I did some research and I happen to know that there is a great deal of space in the lower starboard wing. Currently, medbay also has many unused operating rooms that can be converted to hands-on teaching rooms with minimal expense," Mika replied, tugging his tablet out of his PAK and bringing up a holographic screen, resizing for the Tallest's to see blueprints of the Massive. "Just here - this area is relatively unused aside from a bit of storage. Also, if we open admissions to other races, within only a few years any incurred expenses should be returned. The rest will be profit. So, in short - yes. I am asking you, my Tallests, to 'foot the bill' as it were. But it will be a worthwhile investment."

Tallest Red looked over to his brother and asked, "How many are in the Academy now? Will shifting them back to the Massive be feasible with our current population?" 

Pur shrugged, pulling up his own computer to check the numbers as he replied, "It looks like we have about thirty thousand Irks currently enrolled… ah. I mean I guess we could repurpose sections Alpha-327 through Beta-Five for dorm ideas and to house the actual Academy. Most of those areas are just training rooms for Invaders and barracks. We could have students intern under the Irks on the Massive in their respective fields and utilize many of the areas on board for on site training and such… we could bring in our Engineers to try to redesign those areas to be more useful for education stuff." He then raised a brow and said, "Opening up diversity would probably be good for PR too."

Red nodded softly and looked back to Mika to ask, "When are you proposing to implement this?"

Mika leaned back in his seat, twisting his hands together in his lap as he replied, "As soon as possible, my Tallest. Without institutional change to our core systems, the majority of Irk is still being led by old and out of date laws. It is essential we begin enacting these systems within our main organizations if we wish to truly change mindset, perspective, and public opinion. Beginning with how we heal our own kind and others.""

Tallest Red let out a soft sigh at the answer. It was absolutely the one that he expected but it was the least convenient planning wise. They had a lot of work ahead of them if they were going to implement a new structure for education and rewrite the laws around it. At the moment all he wanted to do was to be home with his mates, but the work was never ending. 

He looked up at the little orange eyed Irk and said, "We have heard your requests. Please forward everything you have put together on it to your Tallest. We will look into it and see what is feasible."

Pur leaned forward and gave a smile as he said in a voice that was very much one mate to another rather than maintaining his station above the other, "I think it is a great idea, Starshine. We will see what we can do to make it work."

"Thank you, Tallest Red. I will forward everything I have," Mika nodded, standing from his seat and giving them a low, proper bow. He couldn't restrain the affectionate chirp, however, in response to his mate's words, nor the tilt in his antennae toward the Tallest. When he straightened up, his eyes were bright. "Thank you, Tallest. I will see you this evening," he chittered, taking his leave. 

"See you, Starlight." Pur replied softly as his mate took his leave, unabashedly watching his figure as he walked away. When he had gone he turned to Red and mused, "I think it is honestly a great idea. I might be slightly biased, but he made some good points."

"I agree," Red mused as he pulled up his computer display to write out a summons. "But we are definitely going to need our Engineer back. And honestly, it is probably big-time that he is pardoned anyway. I cannot even recall why we put him in jail."

"I don't know that there was any legitimate reason," Pur replied almost uncomfortably.  It was always a bit unpleasant when they were faced with their own bad decisions from the past as they attempted to move toward a better future. 

Red sighed and said, "I think it is time we probably look at the prisoner roster for Moo-Ping 10 and reevaluate who should actually be there. My guess is that it is not many."

"I think that is fair," Pur said as he stood from his seat. "Let's sync this evening with a list. We can put together restitutions and an apology speech."

"I think I need to get a speech writer, honestly. I am running out of ways to say I am sorry," Red replied wearily. 

"I am sure you will come up with something," Pur replied as he placed one hand on his brother's shoulder, "I'd offer my assistance in making these speeches. But, you know. Stage fright."

"I know, brother-mine. It is fine," Red assured as he sent off his message. He looked up to the other and said, "I imagine that the Vortian will arrive within the next few days. Let's try to put together the basics of what we want before he gets here. Now, if you do not mind. I am going to go barricade myself in my quarters with my family. Unless the ship is going to explode, I would like to not do a single thing as Tallest for the remainder of the evening."

Pur laughed softly and said, "Go on, then. I will keep an eye on things. Have a lovely evening, Tallest Red."

Red stood and flashed his brother a smile, "You as well, Tallest Purple."

-0-0-0-

Far from the Massive on the Prison Planet of Moo-Ping 10 a Gellaxis guard sat at a desk, moving the perfectly square coffee cup and his rectangle lunch box so that one corner of each was touching, creating several perfect and visually appealing right angles. Around the room, everything appeared to be set up to create as many right angles as possible. It extended even further- the entire prison seemed to follow in suit- an obvious design of the Gellaxis, who were as a whole race, obsessed with the precision and balance that right angles created. 

It had been quite some time since he had anything to actually do as the secretary of the prison, so when a message came through he emitted a shriek of surprise at the loud notification sound. Recovering from this he opened it and read through the message, noting the attached payment for the release of a prisoner. 

Because that is how things worked on Moo-Ping 10. It did not matter what a person's crimes were- or if there had even been a crime committed.  The Gellaxis were happy to imprison anyone- for a monthly price. To release someone, however, the balance of their entire 'sentence' had to be paid in full. 

The Gellaxis printed out the release papers to be reviewed, signed in triplicate, subjected to council inquiry and then filed away. Typical turnaround was between two to three business days, but seeing as this request came from the Tallests of Irk, he grabbed one of his square stamps and lined it up precisely with the corner of the paper, leaving a box that said 'Urgent' in red ink before he sent it off to the warden. 

With that task done, it was time to inform the prisoner that his release was pending and so, the Gellaxis straightened the squared badges on his chest and stomped his way through the halls to where the prisoner's lodgings were. He raised a hand to knock on the glass of the cell and demanded, "Prisoner 777, report."

The requested Vortian’s eyes opened, staring up at the ceiling above him. He hadn’t been sleeping, but the knock on the glass alerted his attention. With an exhausted sigh, Seven shifted to stand, for a moment glancing about the perfectly square room, back at his bed tucked perfectly in the corner, and scowling at the hard and straight frame he had raked his knee off of on multiple occasions. If it were up to him, the entire prison would be designed very differently.

Sighing again, Seven walked up to the glass wall and stood across from the Gellaxis, raising one brow. “What?”

The guard looked over the Vortian as he approached the thick glass and said, "I am here to report to you that a petition has been submitted for your release from Moo-Ping 10. The request is currently under review but from a glance I can tell you that your fees have been paid in full and I cannot foresee a reason that you would be further detained at this point. It is recommended that you prepare yourself to be released- any loose ends should be wrapped up in the next day cycle. You are meant to report directly to The Massive."

“The Massive?” Seven asked, looking a bit surprised. He was, albeit vaguely, aware of the plentitude of changes encompassing the Irken Armada’s rule, including the destruction of the Control Brains. They’d all seen the news, had heard the speeches from Tallest Red himself. After a moment’s thought, the Vortian figured it made a bit of sense that he would be reporting back to The Massive after all this time, having been the lead designer and mechanic for the ship. In any case, he had a few choice words to deliver to the Tallests, if he had the chance. “That’s great news. I’ll get all my belongings together,” he scoffed, glancing over his shoulder at the practically empty cell, save for photographs of his children. “Might need some time to get all of this together.”

"You will be provided a box for your belongings," the guard commented, obviously not licking up on the sarcasm in Seven's voice before stepping back. "I will have your container delivered and as you are being checked out you will receive your personal affects which were confiscated from you upon your arrival. Which, if my records are correct, is a pen-knife and a bag of groceries.  These will have been kept in storage for you."

“I don’t know how I lived without them,” Seven replied with a roll of his eyes, giving the guard a bit of a shrug before stepping a bit back from the glass. “I’ll be ready to go,” he added, finally turning his back on the Gallaxis, walking to the wall to take down his few photos of his children and prepare for his departure.

Due to the Urgent status of the request it was completed before the evening was out and a transport had been arranged to bring the Vortian from Moo-Ping 10 to The Massive- a transport which arrived first thing the next morning. The new model of the Minnow docked in the main hangar of the prison and when the door opened, it was a human with bright red hair that stepped out, dressed in  lack armour made from some kind of leather, but he wore a blue jacket over it with painted yellow flowers decorating it. 

Keef approached the warden as well as Prisoner 777 with a bright smile, though he looked exhausted as always if the dark circles under his eyes were anything to judge by. When he spoke it was in Irken, somewhat clumsy Irken, "Thanking you for quickly processing the Tallest's requests." He looked to the Vortian and added, "It is a pleasure."

Seven was surprised when he saw Keef step off the ship. The redhead hadn’t been present in any of the broadcasts, though he was vaguely aware of Tallest Red’s human mates. It was strange to think of the Tallests taking mates at all, that they desired these humans so much they were willing to change the entirety of how their systems were run.

Now that he was no longer cuffed or behind the walls of a cell, he stepped slightly toward Keef and gave him a low bow as a sign of respect to the Taller. “Thank you for coming to receive me so promptly,” the Vortian replied, straightening back up and smoothing out the front of his prisoner’s uniform. “Though admittedly I expected more pomp and circumstance from the Tallests. I suppose they’d prefer to handle this matter quietly.”

The Taller watched the Vortian bow with an incredibly uncomfortable look on his face. He was still definitely not used to that. As the alien stood, genuinely towering over him Keef lifted one hand to run it through his mop of hair and replied, "You do not have to bow. It is weird. I don't super like it. And ah. Yeah. Sorry. To be honest I requested the assignment to get out of the Massive.  I'm sure I've got some glitter in the ship I could toss in the air as you get on board if you want something fancier."

Seven couldn’t help the chuckle that left his lips and he replied, “As you don’t care for bowing, I don’t care for glitter. I think avoiding fancy is probably the best bet for both of our comfort level.” Tucking his hands into his pockets, he gave Keef a wide and sharp-toothed grin, taking in the appearance of the human. His experience with humans was limited, first to that tall dark-haired one that occasionally appeared on screen with Zim many years ago, and now the redhead standing before him. He was much paler than the other human, too, freckled a bit like Zim with strangely bright red eyes. He was really quite fascinating. “Shall we go, then?”

Keef nodded and gestured toward the ship before signing what was more or less a receipt that the warden extended to him. He then turned and walked alongside the much larger alien toward the ship and asked, "I don't have to be worried about you losing your shit and trying to take out the crew or anything, right? Like, I'm prepared for it, but I'd rather not."

“I’ve never committed a crime in my life, if you don’t include supplying Zim with Vortian mech while he was on Earth,” Seven replied as they walked, keeping his eyes forward and trained on the doorway of the ship. “I’m not about to start when I’ve finally been released.”

"Fair enough," Keef replied as they stepped on board and he began to close the door to seal them inside. He then nodded down the hall for Seven to follow him and continued, "I know that the Empire has been a bunch of bullshit. The Tallests were terrible as were most Irks. They are working towards being better every day and I think you will find yourself pleasantly surprised with the changes. Most people are."

The redhead stopped outside one of the many doors and opened it, "We will not be on this ship long, probably about six hours. But this is your temporary room. You can shower there are clean clothes and there is some food. You are a free Vortian at this point, you are welcome essentially anywhere here. When we arrive at the Massive you will be on boarded, the Tallests will propose their new project to you and, should you accept, you will be assigned housing and yadda yadda yadda. If you want to tell the Tallests to piss off and do your own thing- then you will be given the opportunity to leave the Massive. And that's not a threat, they don't toss people out the airlock anymore. But there are severance packages for people that leave. A voot, some cash and a good luck, ya know?"

“That doesn’t sound like the Tallests at all,” Seven chuckled, stepping into the room and looking around. He could feel his shoulders relax at the sight of it, a weight seeming to lift visibly from him. Even on the Minnow, he had a room, a proper bed, a change of clothes that wasn’t a restrictive prison uniform. Stepping up to the bed, he dragged his fingers along the fabric of the folded shirt, feeling the softness and quality of it. He turned to face the human again, a bit of a distracted but curious look in his eyes. “What’s your name?”

"The Tallests have worked very hard to change things. I think that you'll find that all of this is very much in line with who they are striving to be," Keef replied as he stepped into the room as well to tap a display by the door to make the system aware that the guest was here. He looked toward the Vortian with an incredibly bright smile and said, "I'm Keef. You got a name?"

The Vortian tilted his head slightly as he watched Keef move, each action seeming more fluid than he would expect from one of his stature and species, finding himself a bit caught off guard by the dazzling smile tossed his way. After a moment of silence he replied simply, “Seven.”

"Fair enough," the human replied before stepping away from the display. Around them they could feel the ship pulling away from the hangar, the engines whirring subtly around them. He gestured toward a fridge and said, "We packed some Vortian snacks. There's some sweets and stuff and a couple sammich kind of things. But we will have like actually dinner for you at the Massive. I'll let you, ya know… do your thing but if ya need me I'll either be on the bridge or in the training room. There's a mappy thing on the wall just down the hall.” He took a few steps back and added, "See ya around, Sev."

“Thank you,” Seven replied, picking up the folded pile of clothes from the bed as he watched Keef begin awkwardly excusing himself. Once the door closed behind him, the Vortian let out a breath he didn’t realize he was holding and shuffled off into the attached bathroom to shower and get changed out of his uniform.

The Tallests had a job for him. Although Keef reaffirmed the changes that the Tallests were making, there was still the thought in the back of his mind that his release would be temporary, and likely dependent on the work that he would be agreeing to when he returned. Seven let the thought roll through his mind, trying and failing to convince himself otherwise until he was showered and dressed. Stepping back into the main room and realizing he didn’t really have much of an appetite, he exited the room instead and made his way through the hall, only glancing at the map before his feet brought him just outside the training room the redheaded human had mentioned earlier.

Inside the training room, Keef had decided to blow off some steam. It was nice to have this time that he did not have to worry about being interrupted by his family. He grimaced at the thought- it was not that he did not love his family- he did, with everything within him. But he was hard pressed to find a time of not being interrupted in his self care by a mate who was tiptoeing around, trying to stop him from being mad at them. That or by his children, which he truly did not mind. But having a few hours that he could work himself to exhaustion without having any of them sneaking up on him was something he truly needed. It was most of why he took this job. 

He had set the training simulator to an expert level and began running through the insanely difficult and stacked battle simulations without even knowing that he was being watched. 

Seven remained quiet as he watched, quickly becoming immersed in Keef’s smooth movements and his dance-like fighting style. It seemed to come easily to him; it was clear that the human was well-trained and it was fascinating to watch. The Vortian himself was not much of a fighter - certainly not trained in that sort of thing - though he could hold his own simply due to his race and stature. He preferred to use his hands for building than for breaking.

He watched Keef go through the entire simulation and stop to catch his breath before bringing attention to himself, coughing softly as he stepped into the room. “Well, it’s a good thing I didn’t lose my shit and try to take out the crew.”

Keef spun around at the sound, one sword still in his hand and his eyes narrowed, but as he realized who it was he dropped the tip of the blade down and replied, "Hiya, Sev. Ah. Yeah. At risk of sounding totally full of myself- I wouldn't recommend it." The redhead sheathed his swords and gestured vaguely toward the Vortian, "The new threads look nice. The jumpsuit clashed with your skintone and dignity."

The Vortian chuckled, walking a bit further into the room as Keef spoke. “Definitely not in the plan now that I’ve seen you training,” he replied, then looked down at his change in clothes. They were simple, certainly - mainly slate grey but with detailing in the classic Irken reddish purple - and a bit more flowy than he was used to, but way more comfortable. Blushing slightly, he shrugged as he lifted his eyes back up to Keef’s. “Thank you. It’s nice to be out of the uniform.”

"When we get back to the Massive there's a few folks that do clothes that can help ta get you a set of new stuff that isn't ya know, this stuff. There's even a few Vortians, so they should be able to get em to fit right and all. I am terrible at the whole fashion thing. So I just kinda stick to the armour and whatever Zim decides I'm wearing for the most part."

“That would be very nice,” Seven agreed. “And the armour seems to suit you, so I don’t think you have anything to worry about. And how is… Zim?” he asked, a bit of a scowl crossing his features as he tucked his hands once more into his pockets.

"Zim is good," Keef replied- certainly not missing the scowl, but understanding that Zim was not very good at making friends in his past. "Parenthood is treating him well. He has mellowed out a lot. I mean, he is still heckin crazy. But more mellow. He has been through a lot. So, I don't know what he did to you. I am sure it deserves some anger. But know that Zim has been through enough trauma in the last decade that he isn't the Irk he was before. If you need to talk to him to clear the air, he'd probably be up for it. But go into that knowing that he is a bit broken now."

The Vortian opened his mouth to reply, but closed it again as he processed the information Keef presented him with. Zim was a parent now. How could he forget? Tallest Red’s smeet had certainly been big news once it was made public. However, it didn’t stop the bitter jealousy that built up in Seven’s chest that, despite what Zim had gone through, the Irk got to be a father while Seven wasted away in jail, wondering what that very Irk had done with his own children. “There will be words, certainly,” he replied flatly.

Keef furrowed his brow and nodded, knowing that it was not his place to undo the wrongs of his mates but he could not help but feel protective. He let out a sigh and said, "I hope that you can understand that I will be there and will not hesitate to put a stop to any aggression towards Zim. Physical aggression, at least. I am contracted as his personal guard and I do take my job quite seriously. So, keep that in mind and try to keep it to words or seeking legal counsel."

“I have no intentions to threaten Zim,” Seven replied. “But I do hope that now, as a father, he can empathize with the fact that I would like to know what happened to my girls. Considering he held them hostage.” Turning, the Vortian began to make his way back out of the training room and continued, “Perhaps I’ll be pleasantly surprised. But do forgive my concern.”

"Are you fucking kidding?" Keef replied with genuine disgust in his voice. He had assumed that Zim had fucked Seven over on a deal or something. Even for as bad as Zim had been- he could not imagine him holding children hostage. He stepped forward, placing a hand on the Vortian's arm and said, "I'm sorry. I didn't know."

Seven stopped when he felt Keef’s hand on his arm, looking down at the contact for a moment before glancing over his shoulder at the redhead. “I’m not kidding. If Zim has changed as much as you say, then I doubt it is something he’s in any way proud of. I’m not surprised it hasn’t been mentioned. That, or he doesn’t remember. Who knows.”

"I am sure he remembers…" Keef replied with a hint of worry in his voice. He released his grip on the other and stepped past him muttering, "Excusing me. I need to make a call."

Seven watched as the human walked away, his own brow furrowed in response to the uncomfortable reaction. It certainly wasn’t an easy topic to bring up. His wife had been gone now for some time, nearly four years, but with hope Zim would be able to return his children. That they would be safe. 

-0-0-0-

"They is dead," Zim replied flatly as Seven stood in front of him in the reception hall of the Tallests. The Vortian had demanded an audience with him before considering the offer of a job and so, Zim had readily agreed to it. He let out a sigh and continued, "They was never hurt while I had them, Seven. Really theys even had fun a lot of the time. But when Zim was captured they was too."

All of the air seemed to be torn from the Vortian’s lungs as Zim spoke. Everything seemed to fade out of focus except for Zim in front of him. He wasn’t sure if he wanted to leap forward and take it out on Zim or if he wanted to throw himself out of the airlock. In a slow and shaky voice, Seven asked, almost as if he didn’t hear the Irk at all, “What happened to my girls?”

"Zim does not know for certains," the little Irk replied sadly. "Zim was captured as well, you see. To be tortured and experimented on. I did not see what's happened to them. But Zim does know that they is gone." Zim let out a soft sigh and took a step towards Seven and said, "Sevens, Zim needs you to know that Zim never hurt them. Zim never would have hurt them. Zim only took them because Seven was on Moo-Ping. I said they were hostages, but Zim was going to gives them back to Seven when he was out of Moo-Ping. Saying they was hostages just made paperwork easier and Zim thoughts it was funny to mess with Seven. But I was caring for them."

Seven had begun to hyperventilate as the little Irk continued to explain. It was true - no matter what, they were likely safer with Zim than they would have been anywhere near Moo-Ping or anywhere else that was under the Armada’s jurisdiction. In any case, his girls were dead just like their mother. The Vortian dropped down to his knees, eyes wide and out of focus as he tried to remember how to breathe.

Zim stepped forward, his heeled boots slapping against the polished floor as he walked. He dropped down directly in front of the Vortian, well aware that even though Seven was peaceful by nature, he could definitely squash him if he wanted to. But even so, he looked up at the other, reaching his hands out to take Seven's hands in his as he said, "Zim meant to care for them. I know that sorrys do not fix it. That they cannot. But Zim is really and truly sorry, Sevens. Sevens has always been Zim's friend. I did not mean for them to be hurts."

At this point, while Seven heard all of Zim's words, he wasn't exactly processing anything that was said to him. He let the Irk take his hands, making no move to attack or threaten him. Instead, the Vortian simply bowed his head, horns coming close to Zim as he did so, and began to cry, his shoulders shaking. 

Zim quickly shifted his weight to allow him to wrap his arms around Seven's shoulders, pulling him into a tight hug as the little Irk buried his face in the crook of the Vortian's shoulder. "Zim is so sorry, Sevens."

Seven wrapped his arms around Zim in response, clinging tightly to the little Irk as he continued to sob, completely lost to everything else outside of the death of his children, suddenly aware of how small his world had become. The only one he really had any relationship to was Zim, who sat here with him apologizing for what happened. 

Truthfully, he was aware it wasn't Zim's fault. That his girls had been safer with Zim than they ever would have been otherwise. That it was a crazy happenstance that they were taken when Zim was. But all he could think was how he would never hold his daughters again, that they didn't live to see his freedom or to be reunited. Seven cried until he couldn't anymore, and slowly ebbed into still silence. 

Zim remained almost uncharacteristically quiet as Seven cried, allowing the Vortian to cling to him the whole time. He could not imagine going through what he was going through at the moment- if all of his children were suddenly gone. But Zim understood pain and knew that sometimes a person did not need the situation to be fixed, but simply needed someone to sit inside that pain of grief with them and so, he stayed. 

Seven had truly been one of Zim's dearest friends through his youth and even after. They had gotten into worlds of trouble together- or more accurately, Zim had caused worlds of trouble with Seven at his side. It made his spooch ache to see him like this. 

When Seven had quieted Zim asked quietly against the skin of his shoulder, "Would Seven likes to have many fruity alcohol drinks for this? That is how Zim's mates deal with sad things."

Seven raised his head slowly, gently detangling himself from Zim as he considered the proposal, freeing one hand to rub at his eyes. "I don't think getting drunk will make this feeling go away. I'll probably just end up too drunk to speak to the Tallests. Tell me… How long were they with you? When did - how long have they been gone?" 

Zim settled himself into the Vortian's lap and said, "They was with Zim for two years before we was all taken…" The little Irk let out a sad sigh and said, "They was gone within the first year we was taken. Zim was there for many years. They woulds be gone for five-ish years now, Zim thinks..  it may not help, but it is better to have been gone than to have been in that place, Seven. They did… many cruel things there." 

The Irk reached his hand up to unfasten his collar, letting his shirt slip off one shoulder to expose a small section of the vibrantly pink scars that coated his body as he added, "They went before the experiments went this cruel."

Seven raised a hand, gently grazing his fingertips along the lines of scars to Zim's shoulder, a sad rumble leaving his own lips. "I'm sorry about what's happened to you, too, Zim. I can't imagine it. If it got this bad, then I'm glad they were spared any worse suffering. But it doesn't make the loss of my baby girls any easier. I hope you can understand that." 

"Zim knows this," he said as he leaned back against his friend's chest and tilted his head back to look up at him. "Zim wishes that he had different words to give Seven. But I do not. If Seven cannot be Zim's friend because if this, Zim will understands."

Seven sighed softly, looping his arms around Zim's waist and shaking his head. "If this ends our friendship then I will really be fully and completely alone. I know you would never hurt my children on purpose. I had a lot of resentment toward you for a long time - but it was never really at you. It was the fear of never seeing my girls again, and after my wife died, there was nothing else."

Zim let out a soft sigh and let his arms rest on Seven's as he said, "Seven had made Zim the… the back up parent. You had a name for it but Zim forgets. I tried to be that for thems, but I was never any good at it. They gots too many sweets and never went to bed on time. They played with lasers and things. But Zim did try. I know how smeets mean to parents now and Zim is sorry for the ache that Seven must feel… like his insides are broken. And I am sorry Zim could not keep them safe for you."

"If I know you at all, I know you did your best. When they were with you and to protect them after," Seven murmured. "It's good they had too many sweets and that they got to do silly things like play with lasers before… and I am sure that with you, they had a great deal of fun. Though I did come in here thinking I would be punching your teeth in," he chuckled. 

"Zim is rather glad you did not punch the teeth in," Zim chuckled back. He looked up at the other and said, "If Seven needs days before talking to the Tallest, Zim will talk to them. Their plans can be waiting a few days."

Frowning, Seven considered the offer for a moment before he shook his head. "No, I think I'd rather go now. I'd like to spend as little time thinking of the death of my girls as possible."

Zim nodded softly and stood, reaching a hand out to help up the Vortian, though with how little he was, he was probably not much help at all. He gave a smile and said, "Let us be seeing Tallest Red then. We can get Seven some works to do and places to stay. Work helps Zim to not be thinking of thinks he wants to not think."

Seven took the Irk's hand, but mostly lifted himself to stand and gave Zim a thankful smile, weak as it was. "It helps me, too. Let's see what the Tallest has in store for me," he agreed, wiping his face free of the drying tears and rubbing some life back into his eyes. At the least he could be composed. 

-0-0-0- 

Tallest Red handed over the plans he had managed to write out for the planning of the Academy. Mostly it was scribbles in red marker all over a blueprint that vaguely gave an idea of what he had in mind, but it was so disorganized that it also could have very easily have been the work of Miguel getting into his father's work. 

"We want to make these changes to host the Academy on the Massive instead of off-world. We would like it done sooner rather than later," he said as he sat back in his chair. He picked up a cup of hot cocoa that was on his desk, passing it to Zim who currently sat in his lap as he added, "But through this we have actually stumbled upon several large opportunities on board- particularly in the lower levels. As such, we wanted to offer you a long term position here, working on upgrades throughout the entirety of the ship. As it turns out, the Control Brains did not care in the slightest as to the living conditions of those in the lower levels and we'd like to remedy that."

Seven was humming thoughtfully as he looked over Tallest Red's vague and messy schematics, listening to his instructions. "As far as the Academy goes, that shouldn't take too much work. I remember this area - we just need to knock down some walls and make sure the area is wired for the right tech. From there it's just design work. As for the living quarters, that's going to take a lot more time to bring up to snuff, whatever that is for you," he said, straightening up to look at Red. "Redesigning the living quarters does mean that many will be displaced if we don't time it properly. We'll have to reno the new spaces first and make sure they're complete and can move before we redo current rooms."

"We have plenty of rooms which people can be relocated to during renovations, plus there are many ships in the Armada that can serve as temporary housing," Red replied softly as he pointed to another section of the map, "Those who are required to stay on board the Massive can be moved to these areas. They are typically kept empty except for diplomats, but upwards of twenty thousand could be housed here. Then, between the Armada, we can find places for them to stay and simply keep the lower levels empty while you- and your team who we will move forward to hire, should you take the position, redesign these areas." 

The Tallest began to idly pet Zim's head as the little Irk drank his hot chocolate and added, "We would like for all the housing aboard the Massive to be of the quality of the diplomatic suites and we want the Academy area to be able to accommodate not only the teachings of Irk, but we want to bring on teachers of other races as well, so we will have to accommodate their technology as well."

Seven listened carefully, nodding along as he made notes on his own datapad, provided to him by Red at the start of their meeting. He glanced up from his notes with a smirk at the Tallest's latest comment, replying, "I was wondering when there would be some kind of challenge. But making all of the Armada tech universally compatible is exactly why you hire me for a job like this."

Straightening up, the Vortian gave a slight bow of his head to the Tallest and added, "You have your engineer, then, my Tallest."

"Yes, we had figured that you would likely be the best for the non- seeing as all the framework was your design to begin with and also because you have experience working with many kinds of technology." Tallest Red replied with a smile- a smile which grew wider as Seven had agreed to the job. He picked Zim up, placing the Irk on his desk before standing and walking around the desk, extending a gloved hand to the Vortian and saying, "Then it is a pleasure to have you aboard. I am forwarding you your contract, feel free to adjust your prices as you see fit if my estimates do not look fair. You are also free to meet with our Alien Resources manager, Taller Dib to discuss negotiations in your contract before you sign. He is currently still technically on bedrest, but he is desperate for something to do and will likely start pulling out his hair if he does not have someone to advocate for soon."

Seven chuckled, reaching forward and taking Red's hand in the handshake and gave a nod. "That sounds… Shockingly reasonable, my Tallest. I will be sure to check over my contract with Taller Dib and I will have everything signed and sent back to you as soon as possible. Thank you for this opportunity - as well as freedom." 

"It was long past time for you to be free, old friend. We were-- I was wrong for it in the first place," Tallest Red admitted with a guilty look in his eyes. "I will have you know that we are now reviewing the imprisonment of every prisoner of Moo-Ping 10 and reevaluating those sentences and giving pardons where needed." 

The Tallest then dropped the Vortian's hand and moved to open a drawer in his desk, pulling out a package which he handed over to the engineer, "Inside is your access badge for your quarters and for the ship, a communicator, identification for you and a Monies Chit which will have your pay. There is universal conversion- and instructions which will be sent to your systems, which will be in your room. You will find that there is restitution and back pay already on your Chit- at the rate currently listed in your contract, not what we were paying you before, which was basically criminal. Your room is fully furnished, but feel free to make any changes you see fit and anything structurally you can simply invoice for the cost. We will also have some of our tailors come by to get your measurements for work uniforms and things." Red then shrugged and said, "Anyway, welcome back."

"It appears there have been many changes since I completed my work on the Massive," Seven replied thoughtfully, adding, "That's all very gracious of you, Tallest Red. Thank you. I should be set to begin within the next couple of days." Turning to Zim, he gave the littler Irk a bit of a nod and said, "It's good to see you again, Zim. You're welcome to visit with me any time."

"Zim will come to see Seven all the times," the little Irk replied after wiping whippy cream from his face onto a handkerchief that Red had absently handed over to him. He then set down his cup and climbed up onto the Tallest's back saying, "Is Tallest done with working now?"

"Yes, Smeetling. I am finished," the Tallest replied as he walked the Vortian over to the door of his office, opening it for the other where a SIR unit was waiting outside. "They will show you to your room, Seven. You may simply send me a message when you have finished looking over your contract and I will schedule an appointment for you to meet with Taller Dib in the morning." 

The Tallest walked out of the office behind the engineer and turned to begin walking down the hall with his mate still clinging to his shoulders.