Iwanako: Mean Time to Breakdown {updated 2015-4-1}

[Panthour]

Regarding music, I listen to far, far too many orchestral and acoustic tracks not to recognize the power of a good soundtrack. Touhou will do that to a person.

Touhou BGM is the soundtrack to my life it goes with pretty much anything. ZUN is a genius when it comes to music, not so much with art though

[Leaty]

I've been trying to place why Bad Apple makes me think of KS (then again, a lot of things make me think of KS), and I just realized why it did.

Báthory in Her Castle.

Hee, the lyrics really do remind me of Iwanako after that scene, actually.

There's some Touhou music that inspires me to write, but not a whole lot, strictly speaking, because most Touhou music is fast-paced while Iwanako is not what I'd call a woman of action. There's one song on one of my CDs (still in transit with the rest of my stuff somewhere in the universe) that reminded me a lot of her (not that I have any idea what the lyrics say,) but I couldn't name it if I were pressed to.

One song that really inspires me to write (and which I'd almost certainly put on the MTB playlist) is actually Painful History. Not the finished version, though, but the earlier arrangement that never made it into the game. In my eyes, that's the closest the literal VN soundtrack gets to an actual Iwanako theme.

Edit: And something I just thought of re: Iwanako being unable to take hormonal birth control, copper IUDs would still be an option, yes? In any case, that doesn't do anything about the whole "fucking a china doll" problem that forgetmenot brought up, but it does help with the whole pregnancy risk with PIV sex, especially when used in combination with condoms.

Yeah, an IUD would probably work, assuming that Iwanako is even in a position to get one right now (and assuming that her periods aren't already so rough that she'd be willing to exacerbate them with an IUD, because that's very much A Thing) but that doesn't really change the fact that the experiences she's had have caused her to emotionally associate the act of having sex with the risk of dying. In her mind there's not really any safety measure that puts more than a few degrees of separation between safe lovemaking and certain death, and that's kind of soured her to the idea of sex in general.

Plus Iwanako, at least at this point in the story, is a character with more than a bit of internalized misogyny (as the author, I will admit that much,) and believes that her health problems, reduced lifespan and particularly her inability to reproduce (there's an outside chance she could have one healthy child, but it'd be a kamikaze pregnancy) make her totally undesirable as a girlfriend anyway.

[dewelar]

Hmmm...dipping into my own collection, I could maybe see your Iwanako associating with some of the 90s-era female singer-songwriters -- Tori Amos, Suzanne Vega, L7, Poe, early Liz Phair, maybe even the Indigo Girls or Melissa Etheridge in the right mood.

That or some nice, broody synth-pop like Joy Division or The Smiths.

[Blank Mage]

There's some Touhou music that inspires me to write, but not a whole lot, strictly speaking, because most Touhou music is fast-paced while Iwanako is not what I'd call a woman of action.

I wasn't referring to strait touhou themes, rather the remixes. I like the idea that you can take a song, and turn it into jazz piano, tragic vocal, slow orchestral, epic orchestral, metal, folk, rock ballads... well, you get the idea. It's not unlike fan-fiction, each group adding their own unique flavor to an established concept. You can browse youtube for weeks and still not get through a fraction of the arranges.

(I admit, I'm a sucker for background themes, and I love setting up my dungeons and dragons group with music for every ghoul-ridden cave and city they visit.)

Okay, I'm sorry, I'll stop now, before a mod warns me for blatantly plugging things I like.

[emmjay]

(there's an outside chance she could have one healthy child, but it'd be a kamikaze pregnancy)

I just have to point out that "Kamikaze Pregnancy" would make a great name for a band.

[Erthos]

I'm really hoping Leaty puts some more effort into this. I was honestly really enjoying it, even if Iwanako made some rash or stupid decisions are times. I'd really like to see who (if any) Iwanako would end up with.
Keep up (resume?) the good work.

Alright, maybe that wasn't the best way to say that. What I'm trying to say is that I'm really enjoying your work and am patiently awaiting the next chapter.
"put some more effort into this" is my tired way of saying I hope you can continue writing, because it's quality writing.
I really shouldn't post things when I haven't gotten any sleep. Things tend to come out worse when I do.
i swear i didn't try to sound offensive ;_;

[Rhodri]

I'm really hoping Leaty puts some more effort into this.

Dick move man. Dick move. There's a little thing called life that slows down all writers. Have a little patience and it will be worth the wait.

[Helbereth]

I'd really like to see who (if any) Iwanako would end up with.

I'd just like to see how her story plays out; I don't think romance is a requirement.

[Leaty]

I'm really hoping Leaty puts some more effort into this.

Hey, just FYI, these sorts of comments have a reductive effect on my productivity.

I've already finished the rough drafts of the next four chapters. They'll be published as soon as I am convinced they Are Not Shit.

[Reese8]

I for one support judicious thought and editing over an author trying to see if Rapid Fire Typing works for stories.

[hyroglyphixs]

I'm really hoping Leaty puts some more effort into this.

Hey, just FYI, these sorts of comments have a reductive effect on my productivity.

I've already finished the rough drafts of the next four chapters. They'll be published as soon as I am convinced they Are Not Shit.

Eh, don't worry about him.. work at your own pace and I'm sure whatever you write is not gonna be shit

[Zarys]

Really one of my favorite, a big plus is that the Iwanako-Hanako friendship seems very interesting to me. (And Hanako screentime improves everything)
I was a bit puzzled at the idea of ​​a yuri fanfic, but I think you are able a to make an interesting and convincing yuri romance.

If Hanako is her love-interest, I'm curious to see her character development (I've always been surprised that someone so lacking in social relations has such strict sexual norms or have never confused at any time sincere friendship with love, and imagine that she can falling in love with a girl who get a connexion with her in the manner of Hisao don't seems too OOC for me; whatever that might give her the impression of being even more different from the others, although the social conformism is not the deep justification of her asociality*) ; if she isn't, the fact to be so close to a homosexual girl could be also interesting. (I don't think she is homophobic, but it would probably not be trivial)


*It's why I think it's the more probable : she is the closest girl to her (with lots of potential relationships in their way of being, they are very different in their own way but you know what I want say) and the only main girl except Rin (But I don't think she will be very different with a girl, thus it don't seems the more interresting for me but maybe I'm wrong) which may be bisexual without being OOC. (Still an audacious character development but could be credible)
I really don't see an another option besides an OC but who knows ?


Take your time (Your commitment is already very impressive as you apparently had several problems.), the important thing is to be good ! (but I know you'll be good)

[Leaty]

Really one of my favorite, a big plus is that the Iwanako-Hanako friendship seems very interesting to me. (And Hanako screentime improves everything)
I was a bit puzzled at the idea of ​​a yuri fanfic, but I think you are able a to make an interesting and convincing yuri romance. )

I no longer consider my story a yuri fanfic—I've come to understand that term as having considerably more specific connotations than simply a story about a romance between females—but this is a story with F/F romance.

All I can say is, for this fic, don't get especially hung up on rigid definitions for sexuality. Things are a lot more fluid than that.

Anyway, I wasn't going to say anything yet, but since my thread got bumped yet again, I just want to announce that this story now has a mirror at Archive of Our Own. There's a feature on the website that allows you to get the entire story on a single page, which I think is more than a little neat.

(Plus, if you click on my other works, you'll see my one-shot fanfic for The Royal Trap, which is a game I keep telling y'all you should play...)

[Zarys]

Yuri means female-female love-story in japanase, fan service is largely dominant but they are some serious lesbian-themed products in Japan and they are still called Yuri.
But I see what you wants means.


I have already heard of Royal Trap, you participated in a any way or you just love this game ?

All I can say is, for this fic, don't get especially hung up on rigid definitions for sexuality. Things are a lot more fluid than that.

It is a good thing, such shadings can be interesting. (and I understand that you can't say much without spoilers )

In any case, good luck Leaty!

[bhtooefr]

If Hanako is her love-interest, I'm curious to see her character development (I've always been surprised that someone so lacking in social relations has such strict sexual norms or have never confused at any time sincere friendship with love, and imagine that she can falling in love with a girl who get a connexion with her in the manner of Hisao don't seems too OOC for me; whatever that might give her the impression of being even more different from the others, although the social conformism is not the deep justification of her asociality*) ; if she isn't, the fact to be so close to a homosexual girl could be also interesting. (I don't think she is homophobic, but it would probably not be trivial)

Mind you, it's my headcanon that Hanako actually is pansexual - there's some signs that I choose to interpret as her being sexually attracted to women (specifically, a certain older Satou, although I actually think she ISN'T attracted to Lilly) as well as men, and she's demonstrated in the ending of her canon route that if she loves someone, she gives zero fucks about cultural norms (kissing in public being a huge taboo in Japan).

Hanako might have trouble at first with the implications of having a girlfriend, but eventually she'd get over it, I think.