Hey so this was really good. I got to this fic through a recommendation post on Tumblr and I'm glad I clicked the link. It's an excellent story and I love how much the characters developed. Anyway thank you for the story!

This was such a nice read! I think you captured the cruelty of the Irken empire really well, as well as Zim’s mindset. Thanks for sharing!

They deserve to be happy

I'm about to cry and it's all your fault

Neat SU reference

I dunno if you did it purposefully, but the little GF ref made me automatically clench my jaw a bit more

Ok, I literally winced so hard my stomach hurts

So the really cool thing about this story is it feels like Dib lost, like he came to the moment where he could have done the right thing so many times and didn’t, but he’s still there, still facing the consequences of his actions, and it turns out ok in the end anyway. It was fun to read

I was positively over the moon to finally have the chance to read the finale of this lovely story! I know this little fic was many years in the making, and I’m so proud of you for finally finishing it! You really stuck with it all throughout high school, and that alone shows amazing dedication. How does it feel to finally mark it complete after so long? :)

The finale itself was positively lovely! I don’t think it was sappy in the least! Quite the contrary, I thought it was beautifully written, poignant, and touching. The subtle building of Dib and Zim’s alliance/friendship/whateveryouwannacallit is so very delicate. Your portrayal keeps them in character and the shift in their relationship is depicted in a very believable way (which is easier said than done with these fellows!)

The story finished on a very endearing, somewhat bittersweet note, and left me thinking about it for hours afterwards. The ending you wrote for this fic is my favorite type of ending—it’s a fitting conclusion to an angsty story. It doesn’t sugarcoat things. All it can promise is hope for a newer, brighter future. Zim WILL be okay. He and Dib have formed a civil relationship. And with a bit of work and soul searching, perhaps the little Irken will continue to come to terms with the aspects of his life he so vehemently tried to repress.

This entire story packs a punch when I think of it. It was one of the first fics I sought out on this site, and I loved every minute of the this dramatic, angsty, action-packed story. Even more than that, though, I also got to see you grow as a writer with every chapter I read. Once again, congratulations on finishing it!

Good luck to you in your application process for college! I, personally, have enjoyed college far more than high school. I think you’ll like it, too!

So I had been waiting for updates on this fic since early 2017. I am incredibly happy that it got a conclusion that was far more hopeful than the horribly tragic end I expected and dreaded to some extent. I would wonder and dread if Zim would take his life because Dib is not exactly experienced with comforting others since Membrane is his dad. SO yes, this fic has been in my thoughts an incredibly long time. It's very well-written and has haunted my ending feels natural and I am glad it didn't end in tragedy.

Wait, 618 as in THAT 618?

Yay! Sassy greenies

I was so happy to see the update appear out of the blue in my inbox! This story, to this very day has remained one of my absolute favourites and I knew you'd never give up on it even though a part of me was starting to worry - I’ve longed to see the continuation of Counting Day and its conclusion but, like us all, we get busy, and time goes on, and sometimes we have to put things on hold . And yes, this story had been haunting me for a long time, since you'd gone quiet in fact. And I never forget a good fic.

I hope you are well, and that you’ll continue to write another Invader Zim story one day! I cannot wait for your adventures with them to continue!

I just love this story, and I love your true-to-form characterizations of them! Zim in particular. Coming back to this story reminded me of why I love it so much, and it felt nostalgic too. Your story was the first one I really got into since coming back to the fandom. Yes, the ending was bittersweet, but I quite liked how ambiguous it was, leaving us to interpret what might happen between them, and I see only good things. Zim needs time. He will adjust. He will warm to Dib’s friendship. But he must deal with his hurt first. The broken down part of him that refuses to acknowledge what has happened – at least – not all at once. A day at a time. It is the best way to heal, and I really liked how Dib handled it. He overcame his own hate of Zim, and his own predestined judgement, realizing how very much alike they are, and that Zim is and can be very human. Dib grew up a lot in this story.

I will always have a great fondness for this story. I will come back and read it all again before the year is out I think. Thank you for returning and finishing it for us. It means a lot.

You're still in high school? Oh my goodness, you are so young! Well, you are a very talented writer for your age. I wish you the best of luck on your applications. I remember how time-consuming and nail-bitingly stressful it was to hit those submit buttons and play the waiting game for those university letters. Just keep organized. Keep in contact with those admissions offices. Don't be afraid to ask questions and reach out for help. I'm sure you'll do great!

Now onto the story review. The last one! Thank you for finishing up this wonderful fic. This is probably one of my favorite IZ fics of all time. The first time I discovered it, I stayed up all night just engrossed in each chapter. I was impressed with how well you characterized both Zim and Dib. There are other of fanfics with their own takes on "Zim discovers he's an outcast/exiled" that are fantastic, but this one was especially unique in how you both did the reveal and how you wrote Zim coming to terms with it. You really delved into his psyche, and the heart of what makes Zim such an egotistic, yet stubborn character, and you put him in situations that really tested him and what he believes in, and I really enjoyed the way you wrote it all.

And Dib, the poor baby. He wanted to see space, and he got more than he bargained for. Again, love the way you wrote him. I could sense all the frustration, fear, anger, he felt with each story turn, as well as the internal conflict in having to work together with his mortal enemy in order to survive. I'm glad that at the end of it all, he's able to create the early foundation of a friendship with Zim, so neither he or Zim will be lonely. It was a good way to cap off the story. I don't think it was sappy at all, I really liked it. I think I would have been heartbroken if it had ended sadly, somehow. Sometimes happy feelings are the best kind of feelings, and I think Dib and Zim really needed to feel those things after that crazy adventure.

All in all, fantastic fic. 10/10. I'm glad you were able to practice your writing skills through this story, and I wish you (and your friend Amanda!) well in the future. Take care, and good luck in college! Happy Holidays!

This has been one of the best IZ fics I've ever read, you managed to develop the characters without making them feel OOC. Great work!