#re:mhny1

[amyisherenowitsokay]

Here's an interesting one. How do you balance and deal with the deus ex machina situation of Irken technology? Even in the show, said technology is ridiculous. Seems like it'd be far too easy to shoot plot in the foot if there's absurdly simple (even if they're ''but wait, what if'' or something) solutions.

Both how do you muse, plan and construct it in your writing but also how did you figure it out for re:mhny 1? Additionally, any personal headcannons you brewed up? Favourite canon or personal technologies?

I enjoy answering these, tysm for sending them in.

(Long answer under the cut)

My general attitude towards Irken technology is to make sure everything either has a purpose or a punchline.

For example, in re:mhny1 I totally could have had Zim be able to whip out some magic space-crowbar that's regularly used to pop off malfunctioning PAKs, or have it exist but have him have trouble trying to get his hands on it, etc.

The easiest route I take and/or my headcannon is that Irken technology is by and for IRKENS, not people, and therefore cannot be used for people. Irken technology is much more advanced in the IZ universe, even with Membrane's contributions to humanity. They're extremely adept at war, fighting, infiltration, and anything that could cause general harm (such as giant water balloons to throw at your enemies' heads from space). But re:mhny1 didn't need weapons of war, it needed medical aid. And not just any medical aid, but medical aid to a human. It's the reason Zim struggled to monitor Gaz's vitals, but was able to tear through Valkian security.

The only things Irkens build for other species is shock collars, chains, etc. Everything else is for them and them only. In the same way some of our medicine is lethal to animals, so is Irken medicine, but unlike people, Irkens would never see a point to trying to make accommodations or equivalently-effective technology or medicine. If Zim had been faced with let's say Skoodge with a broken PAK, even excluding the expertise I gave Skoodge in this fic, Zim probably would've been able to pop it off in a couple hours. Maybe a day, max.

I sort of touched on this explicit theme in re:mhny1, but essentially the way I handle it is keeping that theme of compatibility and usefulness in mind. Zim had plenty of ways to monitor and x-ray Gaz, but sometimes they were finicky and insufficient, such as in chapter 6. Chapter 6 was basically me wanting to sip on that good fanservice juice, but it's also got a perfect example of justifiable technological limitations when utilized for cross-species application.

"Her monitoring bracelet was sending only the bare minimum signals. It was a wonder he hadn't noticed sooner how insufficient the data was. The device was calibrated to the much more simplistic, refined information of an Irken. Humans, unfortunately, had so many squishy bits and thumping bobs that it was impossible to evaluate their well-being. Not with this little data, anyways.

So that really covers the 'purpose' section of 'purpose and punchline.' For punchline, chapter 4 has a good example and also has one of my favorite pointless gags with Zim's weird chair:

". . . Do you mean a seesaw?"

Basically I'm much more free with technology if I think it'd make a good running joke, but otherwise I utilize Zim's tech as tools to aid or progress the storyline. I knew I wanted Gaz to get stuck with a PAK for a prolonged period of time, and I also knew I wanted Larb's memories to trickle into Gaz's consciousness. I wanted her to have understandings of Irken culture without Zim uncharacteristically revealing everything and anything, and also to late create the conflict between them in Chapter 11, when Gaz is privy to Zim's most closely guarded secret about his Defectiveness. To achieve that, I broke the PAK, and also made it possible to delete the consciousness and create an empty shell. Additionally, this further aids the story since the lack of a host personality leads to the discovery that Gaz has more control of it in emergency situations, and let's her go full fight mode in the finale chapters.

Basically, if it's not going to contribute, then I don't even bother bringing it up or mentioning its existence to keep readers from pondering "why don't they just use xyz?"

If I had to explicitly pick a favorite piece of technology, I think it'd have to be the PAK legs and/or PAktcles, when they're more flexible and prehensile. The PAK itself is cool, but the spider-crawly-laser-stabby-grabby-grip qualities of them are unparalleled in their coolness. They're so fun to work with from a narrative perspective. Those aren't really my headcannon since they ARE just cannon qualities, but I guess it could be argued that my utilizations for them are sometimes unique? Ish? Lmao.

If Irken technology can do ANYTHING, then it can also bend to my will. Hehehehe.

[amyisherenowitsokay]

which songs would u say encompass the plot of each re:mhny (or multiple) 2. which songs would u say would be their opening/closing themes if they where animes (heh, any mid-season change of songs like what idk deathnote did?)

I want you to know I opened this, gasped, and audibly whispered "OH this is a good question" lmao

I will (potentially) elaborate, if asked, but most of these are pretty big hints in themselves about what I've got schemed up. But the "questions for "plot-encompassing songs" for re:2 and 3 are really good hints ehehehehehe.

Honestly though there were like 3 answers I wanted to give per each of these but after much debate, these are my final choices. Some songs have been timestamped on purpose, others have not.

|| QUESTION 1 ||

Re:MHNY1 - Sing to Me by Missio

Re:MHNY2 - OWN MY MIND by Maneskin

Re:MHNY3 - What Have You Done? by Within Temptation

|| QUESTION 2 ||

ANIME OPENINGS? I AM SPOILED FOR CHOICE. But here's my answers for themes, if I got to pick.

[Re:MHNY1] Opening Theme - Infected by Sidekick Closing Theme - High Hopes by Yours Truly

[Re:MHNY2] Opening Theme - Young and a Menace by Fall Out Boy Closing Theme - Ignorance by Paramore

[Re:MHNY3] Opening Theme - Obey by Bring Me the Horizon Closing Theme - Love From the Other Side - Fall Out Boy

If I need to justify any of these LET ME KNOW because I have justifications I promise.

[amyisherenowitsokay]

Sent the last one before I listened to anything lmao, so while I'm going thru at the same time - Curious if there's a reference/POV for the title of Sing To Me itself, or it's just the lyrics that matter. like, who's asking for/singing? What's ON MY MIND for re:2 in reference to, I assume from the POV of Zims thoughts? Nothing to say about re:3 except "oh. i'm excited. i can feel the plot and vibes already." esp with Obey lol. and going over the anime ones, is there a particular genre/feel/tone you see for each pick? what are they? right off the top of your head, how do you think the openings would 'look'? odd thought, cos i forgot the first Q was for broad encompassing and was like, "the tonal dissonance wtf" BUT. would you say there's any relation between both sets of answers, if you imagined Q1's placed between the Q2's openings/endings? or rather would you pick different answers in that situation? (and ofc, what would they be? why?) ..and yeah the tone of slotting re:3's Q1 in with re:3's Q2 slides together so well.. (well, the opening & encompassing answers. ending's just vibey. curious if the ending song would still stay, since the tone throws it? something i'm missing? lyrics i figure.) ..gotta ask for some hints/spoiler crumbs for what's coming for re:3. can't just ignore the dramatic music bomb.

Sing to Me is one of my favorite songs, both for lyrics, tone, and narrative (also, it was made for the Death Stranding sound track, a favorite game of mine, and gets more love for that reason as well.)

To me, the song is attributed to both Zim and Gaz. It reads to me as very desperate, seeking help, but also seeking distraction. It's about not really recognizing oneself anymore, for the worse, and panicking. It's also reads as incredibly lonely. I think at the beginning of Re:MHNY1, both Zim and Gaz are pretty miserable in their personal lives. No friends, no social lives. Gaz is simmering in her own familial estrangement and Zim is rolling in his own self-loathing about his Defectiveness and banishment. I think it's a really good song that evokes a lot of feelings of anger and pleading and hopeless optimism, which I think really lends to some of the darker themes in Re:MHNY1.

OWN MY MIND, in it's most basic sense, could totally be about Zim. He was not the primary individual I had in mind for this song, and I will leave it at that.

Infected I picture being very Cyberpunk 2077 . A lot of slow motion shots with flickers to the beat in the background. Hints of things to come.

Young and a Menace and Obey I'm picturing a lot of Shakugan no Shana III energy. A lot more sharp, punchy, foreboding and foreshadowing. There's a LOT of anger. conflict, and tension in the sequels, and it'd be super cool to see that reflected. Especially with the same wind-down energy of a more peppy rock-song, the same way the first "series" ending did.

Regarding synergy/vibes in my song choices, I chose them mostly on vibes. I like anime openers that really have a lot of darkness and action that look really cool, with closers that have really upbeat 90's anime energy. Think Black Butler's (CW), Attack on Titan (CW) and Tokyo Ghoul's (another CW) style of openers/closers - gritty intros, visually impactful, . Then Black Butler's S1 closure is jamming out to BECCA with chibis doing everyday things. Evangelion's crazy ass is just peaceful "Fly Me to The Moon." I love a closure with some dissonance. Really makes the anime feel more dimensional to me.

I would not change any songs as the "series" went on, because I feel like the more you understand the fics, the more the songs feel MORE appropriate, not less, and that'd be a cool thing to do. Like Gravity Falls's constant hints since the beginning of the series that look like fun gibberish, but actually were just laying out the whole plot of the series the whole time.

In terms of the relationship between my choices, I'd say the openers/closers are what they are, while my encompassing/main songs would be on the soundtrack. Kind of in the same way New Divide by Linkin Park became both meme and THE song for The Transformers movies (rip Chester). Like, Perfect Day was Legally Blonde's opener, but Watch Me Shine was the main song that really emphasized a climax/turning point in the movie. The same role I Wanna Be Bad played in What A Girl Wants. I probably just dated the fuck out of myself, but that's the vibe I was mentally picturing.