fir-fireweed

[fir-fireweed]

[fir-fireweed]

Sometimes writing feels like you're following up one scene with the next and the story is just flying onto the page. Sometimes, though, it feels like you're following up one sentence with the next and you have to take 3-5 business days to reflect on each sentence before typing it out.

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Y’all, I’m sitting here in my home office listening to the “Cantata Soundtrack” while I work. I may be a tad obsessed. 😅

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Related to future problems or lack thereof when it comes to Vicente's romance + the fact he's not a Resistenza member.

You know what's funny? I didn't even think about that. Instead, I was thinking about how I was wondering if there will be problems with our MCs Resistenza allegiance because of the Vicente romance, so literally the other way around haha. I mean, my MC already "started" by not telling them about Vicente.

Lol, I love that you started on his side. Priorities! ✊😂

To be clear, there may be problems, but they will be solvable ones, not romance-route-ending ones.

And you know what usually follows a good conflict scene? The make up scene! 😏

That choice doesn’t make any difference on Vicente’s route, btw. It doesn’t matter to him if you tell the Resistenza or not. What it DOES impact is your relationship with Corinne. So in that you are correct—the other way around may be more of a concern!

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fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck

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Hey Fir just opened Cantata and noticed one thing that may be a bug? (nothing that would hold me from reading but it does grit in my nerves lol)

When I click to close the menu, the text maintains it's form and there's a blank space where the menu was before, is it right? Or maybe there's a way for me to change screen orientation? It's just preference and there's nothing wrong if that's the way you programmed to happen! It's just because I like to have all my screen space to read

Oop. That is a feature of the template I’m using and never really paid attention to, lol.

I’ll play around with it and see if I can fix that in the next update!

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Hello Fir! I will eventually come back and leave a proper comment about how much I love Viatica and now Canatata.....but first I need you to know I straight-up cried when I saw Coda in the update.

Like, I had been spoiled about his reveal since I wasn't able to play the updates right away, but that moment still hit like a bag of bricks. Just. The relief. The shock. The longing for a friend I thought was long-gone; just another casualty; just another person ripped away too early, too soon.

Idk i just wanted to tell you that your writing is very impactful. Okay bye have a nice day 💖

Thank you!! You have a nice day, too! 💕

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Hello!! I just want to say as a trans ace (and just in general queer person) I super duper appreciate you reading and learning more about lgbtq+ labels/sublabels it makes, me at least, feel seen and very much safe in this environment :) have a wonderful day ^_^

You are most welcome! Thank you for being patient with me and my writing as I learn! 💕

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I don't know if you've answered this yet but will there be problems romancing Vicente, considering he's the only RO who is not a member of the Resistenza? He doesn't seem entirely against the organization, but he still acts like an enemy (I think). So, is it okay to ask if there will be problems in the future?

Good question! 😅🤷🏻‍♀️

Sooo this is something I go back and forth on. There is a problematic scenario I’ve been contemplating, which I won’t expand on because it’s too spoilery, but I haven’t decided whether I want to include it or not. One, the branching it involves terrifies me, lol. But two, and this is a big one, I’m not sure I want to. Y’all know I like my fluff. 😅 There will definitely be an element of conflict that MC and Vicente will have to resolve, but ultimately I do want them to resolve it.

Vicente has their own agenda. You can trust they hate their father as much as you do, but their goals don’t always align with the Resistenza. Plus, in their mind, the Resistenza bungled the job of rescuing Aestus so he’s already doubting their usefulness. Luckily, MC was there. 😉

So as a very vague answer: there will be problems, but more than likely nothing that can’t be resolved.

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May I humbly request cuddling hcs for the Cantata ROs? 🥺🥺🥺🥺🙏🙏🙏 (don't sweat it if ur busy tho! Love ur writing!)

Hello anon(s)! So, I’m not actually going to answer these scenarios. Basically, if it is likely to occur in story, I will not answer it in a tumblr ask. I do appreciate the curiosity, but I’d rather you see these reactions play out organically through the course of the story. 😁

Also, a bit of a PSA: The RO scenario asks take a lot of time and creativity for me, and I need to buckle down and write the actual story. Feel free to still submit them, I don’t delete them. But just know that it may be a month or longer to receive an answer, so please don’t think I’m ignoring you. 🫶🏻

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THE CRUEL PALACE (Court Intrigue IF)

Being born into a noble family is a blessing to most. For you, it became a sentence.

When false accusations threaten to destroy your family, you're forced into a dangerous decision: enter the royal palace as a concubine to prove your family's loyalty and protect their name. But life behind palace walls is nothing like the noble life you knew. It’s a world ruled by secrets, schemes, and power plays—where trust is rare, and betrayal is everywhere.

As the child of a respected civil official, your fate was supposed to be different. Now, you're caught in the middle of court politics, royal jealousy, and the lingering scandal left behind by your mother. The only way to survive is to play the game and win.

Will you rise through the ranks and gain the Emperor’s favour? Or will you lose yourself in the cruelty of palace life?

Your choices will decide your future, your family's honour, and the legacy you leave behind.

Key Features:

Play as male or female, and shape how the world sees you—from your looks to your personality.

Make choices that matter—every decision affects your future and your family’s fate.

Explore life in the royal palace, filled with secrets, lies, and unexpected allies.

Build or break relationships with other concubines, servants, nobles, and even the Emperor.

Choose who you trust—and who you love—romance the Emperor, a fellow concubine, a sharp maidservant, or a rising military officer.

Balance duty and desire—stay loyal to your family, or chase your own path to power.

Uncover the truth behind your family's downfall and your mother's scandal.

DEMO Approx 11k words

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If it's okay to ask, how did you learn to code your IFs? They really spark out of motivation from me!^^

Blood, sweat, tears, a couple of sacrificial goats and my first born. He doesn’t yet know his soul is no longer his own, so nobody tell him! 🤫

Lol, no but really, a lot of YouTube videos and online resources. I used Twine Chapbook for my first IF, Viatica, which I highly recommend for beginners. It’s an out-of-the-box solution, and requires no previous html or css knowledge. You literally do not have to even touch java script or the style sheet; it’s all there by default. Really, the only thing you need is to understand the way to code variables and conditional statements for the text itself, and there is a handy guide that spells all that out.

But Chapbook does have some limitations; for example, it doesn’t offer a way to make a codex or multiple save slots. But after using Chapbook, I better understand the nature of coding IFs. My new IF is built in Twine Sugarcube, which is a lot more complex. The good side is that Sugarcube is older and much more common, and there’s a plethora of resources and templates out there for it. I find it easier to start with a template and dig into the code from there—breaking it and studying it, as opposed to building from scratch.

The author of the Arcadie IFs, @sofia-d-asb has this master post if you’re looking for a place to start. This was a great help to me!

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Okay okay okay so myself and @existentialcrisisvoid were talking this weekend about the way Irredici voices sound and then my inner music/vocalist nerd took over and now I have some Questions.

I have no idea how familiar you are with musical terms so if this isn’t something you’re familiar with,,, I’m sorry lmao

The original concept album for the musical Hadestown has Orpheus having multiple voices - as in the same actor’s voice layered multiple times with numerous harmonies.

The other musical example I want to bring up is Old Churchyard by The Wailin’ Jennys. The first few lines are complete unison sang by three female voices, and then it expands into harmonies. Complete unison of the same voice over and over often adds depth and fullness to a sound.

My main question, I guess, is whether the Irredicis voices are the same voice layered in harmony, the same voice layered in unison, or multiple people’s voices?

I also was wondering if that changes when/if they sing.

Maybe it’s unison when they talk, but harmony when they sing, for example

Anyway, yeah, just singer nerd stuff I guess 😭

Hi rhiannon! I’ll be honest, the Iredicci voices were originally inspired by turian voices in Mass Effect. 😆

BUT! In doing more research, I discovered something called polyphonic overtone singing. Full disclosure, I am by no means a musical expert, and certainly not a singer. I played the oboe and was part of a handbell choir for years, but when it comes to singing I know zip. But I was mesmerized by polyphonic overtone singing, and that’s how I imagine Iredicci voices. It’s different pitches, not different voices.

Also, check this gal out. I stumbled upon her when doing research and the way she works her voice is insane! Truly phenomenal!

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Just caught up on this over the weekend and all the hype is so well-earned. 😍 Obviously, all the characters are amazing and interesting and I'm very curious about the emotional arcs they have (although I am getting some dread feelings about Jonah not surviving... 👀) but what I think makes Cantata so unique and memorable is how cool the setting is. It's such a beautiful, well-realized world, it feels both big and intimate, and the way you write the politics in it is lovely (sad, but lovely). Also the pacing is great and the plot immediately engaging. It's just such a well-constructed story!

Thank you for your kind words! 🥹❤️

I do enjoy delving into the emotional side of the characters, whether romantically or platonically. And I’m glad the setting and world feels immersive to you. While the second half of this IF is still vague, I do plan to explore more of the politics there. The first half is largely reactionary, but the second half you have much more influence. 💪🏻

You don’t have to worry about any of the ROs or the Sideris family! They’re all wearing author bias armor. It’s like plot armor but fuzzier. 😆

As for all other characters, godspeed. 🫡

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Hello Fir , I hope you're doing well.

I absolutely loved your IF of Viatica, must say my clear favorite is the little bird, Robin. (>ᴗ•) ! .

So then I decided to check your other projects. The April fools one was absolutely hilarious, Keiko learning brain rot , Heron banging his head on the door, the MC's dad being a menace.

And then I eventually tried your newest IF, the one that everyone has been talking about recently, Cantata. It's so GOOD! I loved the story and the thing about the cordis, I picked the Air attribute, and receiving a fan as a weapon is SICK! Like how elegant can your combat get? All the characters are unique and interesting in their own ways, especially Calliope, Vicente and Tellus.

Ah yes Tellus... we have a dilemma here, I feel so bad for the MC- (ㅠ﹏ㅠ).

My boy is probably breaking down and the water works are gonna release any time soon, poor Evelyn is in panic and is stiff as a statue, and if I were in that situation, I would probably freeze and mentally break down inside and overthink- or if I was crazy enough run to a window and hop out because this is a tense situation brother. Can't wait for chapter 4, your work is truly inspiring!

Thank you :3

Thank you so much! ❤️

I have to reread the April Fools stories. I haven’t looked at them since dropping them but I made myself laugh while writing them! 😂

Thank you for reading those, and for giving Cantata a try! I can’t wait for you to see how it all plays out in Chapter 4. Though, that does mean I need to go and actually write it, lol. 😅

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I'm beyond happy that the whole virginity debacle opened the door to a bigger discussion about sexual orientation and how it relates to the characters. When I mentioned my own demi/ace experience and how the way you talked about Tellus' thoughts toward sex mirrored my own, I didn't think that it would become a whole thing😅 (because as others have mentioned there isn't a lot of acespec representation in media, so for an author to go "🤔 wait a minute, maybe that does describe my character(s)" is cool), it was just a "this is amusing to me because people are asking the same questions that I've been asked (as someone who is demi/ace) before in real life"

I’m so happy you opened that door! Thank you! 🤗❤️

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Did any of the other characters notice Tellus’s crush on MC when they were kids? Like MC’s mama, Eva, elder Fulmen, Thaleia, Jonah, Tellus’s parents, etc.?

Unda definitely did. I suppose Tellus’s parents would have, too. 🤔 While the Sideris family were regular visitors, they weren’t around often enough to notice.