September questions answered!

But first, an update!

Working on the first demo for Revelations, it will follow the path of the Guilty revealed Sidestep stuck in the hospital, since that is one of the more complex paths. The plan is to get it up this month!

This month's lore post will be Danny POV, and we will be delving into some West Coast Mysteries stuff in honor of the season.

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Do dampeners/meds that suppress telepathy work as a figurative "splint" during recovery from telepathic damage to a telepath or do they make recovery worse and slower?

Good question! We will actually get into that. They can work very well as a splint, sometimes you need that support until things can be rebuilt.

In routes where the rat king hasnt needed to rescue step, will we still be able to later have them pilot the suit for us? And can there be more rat king interactions in the future PLEASE I LOVE THEM.

Yes, regardless of path, the Rat-King can explore suit shenanigans. It will just come up sooner in some paths than others.

You're probably gonna be vague but i have to try: is the threat that hero hunter (prepare them) steps worried about anything to do with the treaty coming to an end soonish? Also do the other paths know about this threat? Could like, mob boss/activist know about it and help depending on their leadership/politics stat?

You're on the right path here, and all paths are aware in varying degrees (thief least of all). Prepare them Hero Hunter and Anarchist are the most in the know, but have chosen different tactics to deal.

If we didn't choose to in revelations, will we be able to make chen suspicious that we're not a villain later?

Yes.

Does sidestep know that ortega's father was abusive?

No idea.

And finally, if we can make someone forget to breath/trick subconscious bodily functions, can we give someone the feeling of holding their hand/hugging them? 🥺

Using telepathy for good and wholesome purposes? That sounds fake. (Yes, you can!)

You said Chen's goal for retirement was to replace his prosthetics with cloned flesh. He's probably too close to retirement for it to be worth it now, but did he ever consider augmenting his remaining arm to make himself more powerful? Like, he's going to get all his flesh limbs back eventually anyway, what's one more? 

No, not even once. Mods are handy but they are still not the same as your own body, with all the added pain and stress.

If Nocturne or Jake (or a hypothetical younger sibling) were to be harmed would HG immediately demand vengeance, or is there a "just doing business" threshold that needs to be crossed? 

There is a threshold, but not sure where it is.

Can Nocturne recognize when she's been threaded? Does she know enough about what it feels like and how it works to think/act around the commands if she wanted or needed to? 

She likes to think so! It is unclear whether it's true, but she is certainly the expert.

Nonbinary Sidesteps have the option to be trans but can choose whether or not they're on hormones, but that option isn't available for transwoman and transman Sidesteps. Why do they have to be on hormones, why isn't that option available for them too? 

Honestly? It was never something that was brought up by the playtesters. The lines between trans and nonbinary are very blurry at times, and there were a lot of wishes about option variations within the nonbinary option, but I never heard any comment about not wanting hormones for the "full trans" experience if I can call it that. Might be that I had more non-binary testers than trans testers! It's not a hard thing to add, and since there's not a save system added yet, I can add variables. I'll add it to my pile of stuff for the eventual update if that's something people want!

Theoretically Argent doesn't need to be in the symbiotic state she's in to use her nanovores, has she ever thought about what she'd do with them, how she'd be a hero, if she was able to heal herself? 

Weekly. It is her dream.

Is Ortega only okay with their demotion because it's Steel? Would they be more bitter about it if they were replaced by someone brand new? 

Oh that helped a LOT. If it had been an outsider, Ortega would never have returned to the Rangers.

What do you think came first for Sidestep, the human name or the vigilante name?

That is up to the Sidestep! No canon answer.

So you said Argent is afraid of horses is that because she's a horse girl(ya know a girl or woman who has an almost unreasonable love of horses, and I'm being very nice with my description there are a lot of them in the States)? If so has she ever had an accident with a horse after the nanos? Or is she almost as paranoid about physical contact as sidestep? I've never met a reasonable horse girl personally, so it would certainly explain a lot of her pent up aggression. The ones I've known tend to lose they shit if they can't go riding on a regular basis. 

Sadly, Ortega is the horse girl (gender neutral) here, not Argent. Argent legitimately think they are big and unpredictable, she's a city girl and didn't have many interactions with them. 

Is there any way to do a reverse Damocles? Like create a hidden defensive layer in a mind that appears too open (I’m worried for Daniel)? 

Oh yeah. You can do that.

If so would he be open to letting Step meddle around in his head?

If Sidestep explained it, probably.

In the event that Sidestep ends up threaded by Hollow Ground, will they always find out some point, or is it possible that Step can remain under their influence for the rest of the series without realizing?

You can go through the entire series and never notice. You just have a staunch ally you trust!

In pasts where Chargestep was 'a thing', Sidestep was nervous of the media catching on and the attention it might bring to them. Is this something that maybe Step should still be worried about? Like for example, if Sidestep and Ortega are bit too open with each other at the upcoming birthday party, might there be future headlines about "Charge's mysterious new paramour" or some such?

I mean the risk is still there, but Sidestep is SO MUCH more powerful now, they would pick up photographers fast, and most people never even remember who Ortega is with.

With the imposters that are about to spring up, can all of them be reasoned with, or become allies? Or will one or more of them always be hostile to Sidestep no matter what?

Some are deeply hostile, but not all.

Somewhat self-indulgent question here, but what are the Rangers' general thoughts or immediate reactions to suddenly seeing a Sidestep go from plain nondescript clothing to an edgy punk/goth fashion style? :D

Someone's finally coming out of their depression!

Serious question. Do the laser dolphins emit lasers from their eyes superman style? Or do they open their mouths and fire their lazor. Oooh ooh or out of their blow hole? Or is it some magical girl shenanigans with magical lazer firing circles just appearing in the air? Do they have a secret base somewhere? These are the questions that keep me up at night. 

I can't believe you are having me type this out, but it is indeed more like magical girl shenanigans. The beam forms a few inches in front of their foreheads. And they do have a secret base! Details are spoilers.

Hello! I have a question about The Big One and the following destructionn it caused. How did you come to choose the San Andreas Fault rupturing as the catalyst for the separation of the west coast? As in out of all the major disasters that could have happened, is there any importance to the fault itself or is it just a famous fault line that worked as a good catalyst? The theme of earthquakes and destruction has come up a few times in the game so I'm curious if its just tying in the lore or if there is any foreshadowing there. Thank you :> 

Honestly, the main catalyst was the Cascadia fault! The San Andreas, as well as other volcanic interactions was triggered from that. It's partly based on real events that almost happened, just dialed up to 11 and changed for me to have a good story hook. It's partly because I am very fascinated with natural disasters and geology, and because my partner is from Washington State, so I've spent a lot of time up there. 

What made Ortega, HG, Pelayo, possibly Chen and this mysterious benefactor hire specifically VERA to rescue sidestep? Why Vera and not another person? 

Because I wanted Vera in the book. A version of her was in the original novel, but I cut her for space in Retribution. The answer to most questions like this is because the author wanted it, and then we make up reasons afterwards if needed.

I'm not sure if this has been asked before, and I apologize if it has. But will there generally be a noticeable difference in the Rangers' reaction to a villain reveal in Book 3 as opposed to Book 2?

I don't know! I have to write that to find out. Circumstances matter.

Specifically speaking, will a romanced Danny have a worse reaction if Sidestep's guilty reveal occurs after staying at his place post-crash? 

Probably. The more that is invested in a romantic relationship, the more it's going to hurt. But Danny is weird at times, so who knows?

Hello! This is my first time interacting with this community at all, I've mostly just lurked and browsed the code but I really like this story. I don't personally relate to many of the themes but they still get me to feel things which is more than any other books I read and for me that's a vast improvement. Also I've seen reference to a discord server but haven't found a working invite. I'd just like to know where to find one so I could potentially be more involved in the community. Anyway question time!

Welcome aboard! I will post an updated link right after I finish this, thank you for reminding me!

Will Sidestep ever try to inspire or lead the regenes to revolt? I like thinking about skittish anti social Step having a moment where they're a full on general and more importantly realizing they aren't all that bad at it. (Or maybe they are who knows)

Might be an option, yeah.

Will we get more explanations on the planes? (such as Void's, Jake's, or I'm assuming the gates) or will that just be supplementary information?

Unsure if I can fit it into the books. There is so much background stuff that's only tangential at best. It might happen, but who knows?

In the Ranger's group chat, how serious would you say it is? Like actual contacting for emergency or Ortega trying to make a pun using emojis?

The latter. It devolved pretty fast.

You mentioned we would have plenty of heart wrenching arguments in Revelations,  especially the one where we blame Ortega for "abandoning" us. Would we have to be revealed as a regene for that? Or could we run with their tinfoil theory and get upset at supposedly being stuck with HG?

I don't think you have to have revealed, it can work either way. Just a different flavor.

You've talked about the cuddle onsie with Argent, but how would the other RO's react to a onsie donning Sidestep? And how many pictures would Ortega take?

Ortega wouldn't be rude enough to take pictures. Puns however... But honestly, at this point I think that might make sense for most of them.

In the moment where Ace supposedly sees Shroud's end, what does Ace know of it exactly? Do they know they're being possesed at this point?

Oh I am NOT going to spoil that.

If yes, how do they feel that they aren't getting the payback themselves? Are they grateful to Sidestep?

Not gonna spoil that either.

If a threaded Steel saw something along the lines of "Hollow Ground Arrested!" in the news or the actual Hollow Ground being captured by the Rangers. How would that conflict with the threads? Would the threads immediately fail or would Steel try to find some way to deny it?

The latter, it's obviously a fake. But it might lead to eventual breaking of the threads.

If the puppet takes themselves hostage against Steel, would Ortega know they were willing to threaten themselves to get Sidestep?

At least not at this point in time.

Is Sidestep's fate motivation a delusion or is their ramblings something to actually be wary of?

Does it matter?

Would a Hungry Sidestep relate to either the Nanovores or the Catastrofiend?

Hmmmmm I don't think so.

Will we get chances to have a good hug and cry like the Ortega sui reveal? I think all the Sidesteps deserve a good sob session considering what they've gone through.

Yes!

You mentioned the original book had the suit's Nanovores replace with an artifact of some kind (Alien if I remember correctly?) Could you tell us a little more about that? Or was it not expanded on before you switched to the Nanovores?

It wasn't really expanded on much, just another semi-weird high superhero doodah. 

Would it be too spoilery to tell us the extremes of each scar? Like an Outsider!Step lacking the ability to feel physically, a Friendless!Step struggling to understand empathy, or a Puppetmaster!Step starting to devalue life in general? 

It wouldn't be spoilery, but the truth is that I don't know yet! These kind of things I explore in writing, it's not a goal I set beforehand and writes towards.

And if the Rangers were forced to get Sidestep a christmas present. (Probably from Ortega annoying them) What would they get them? 

Once again with the present issues. I truly have no idea!

I'm curious are there any Boosts or Mods that could be considered Demigods? Because Sentinel and Anathema come pretty close if you charitably interpret what their capable of.

I mean it all depends on the definition, but in general alpha level boosts are pretty damn out there.

Could we ever settle Ortega's grudge with Hollow Ground? Or is it just one of those things you ignore at Thanksgiving dinner? And more importantly could we actually drag Hollow Ground & Ortega to thanksgiving dinner or maybe Christmas dinner? The very thought of doing so makes me laugh.

I don't think it will ever be entirely settled, Ortega is way too filled with spite for that. It would just be something you ignore at thanksgiving. And I think any holiday like that would be headcanon.

How far could you push Argent on the horse issue(E.G. taunting, practical jokes, and general ribbing) before she loses it & what would her reaction actually be? People tend to deal with irrational fears in unpredictable ways for my experience.

I think she would lose it fast. She doesn't like being made fun of.

In the good for you snippet, Tia Elena already knows step is a Re-Gene. How did that revelation go? Did Ortega told her alone or it both Step and Ortega explained it to her? Did she know what Re-Genes were before Step? What did she think about them?

It will vary, and you might find out soon.

Did the SD know that Sidestep stopped the nanovores and if they did, was there any experimentation/interest in that after they were recaptured?

Spoilers.

Would knowing that HG has the threading ability make you more resistant to their threads?

No. But more paranoid.

Probably major spoilers but I'm going for it anyways. Are we absolutely certain that HG's sibling is dead? 

Yes, 100%.

Whether it's a smart idea or not, will we get a chance to fight one/all of the Rangers with the puppet?

I know there was an Ortega fight in the og book, so yes!

Did HG's sibling have many/any friends? They come off as kind of solitary to me.

Yeah, the kind that hangs with and idolizes their older siblings.

If HG's sibling had never died, what would Jake and Nocturne have thought of them?

No idea!

Is Step's mind still "toxic" to other telepaths while in the puppet or is it more the telepathy that makes them feel that way?

Oh Sidestep is still toxic as hell.

How customizable are Step's handler's going to be in terms of appearance and gender?

Dunno yet. Probably not super much.

Also, how is Step's first handler still alive considering Step escaped while in their care? I feel like that would be a punishable mistake (unless I'm misremembering and the person on the phone in Rebirth was the second handler). But then again, the second escape might have been even more of an offense, so how are either of them alive? Basically, the question is what is the Farm's policy on handler screw ups?

You don't just kill off perfectly good handlers for making mistakes, you dock their pay and make sure they learn so it won't happen again.

Going along with one of my questions from last month, if this isn't a spoiler; without saying names, just because someone is possessing Step's body doesn't mean they will be good in hand-to-hand combat I believe, so rank the imposters on their physical fighting skills.

Oh hell... I... really need to think about that now. I have not ranked them yet.

Will the Farm employees who were in the ambulance that picked Step up after HB ever make a comeback in the story?

Probably not.

Also, will there be other ways for Step to lose their eye or will Argent taking it be the only way?

I don't know yet!

HWill we ever be able to date Ace in book 3 or 4? When I first played FH, I thought it was leading towards a poly relationship between the mc/ace/ro as an option to resolve the love triangle, but after getting the puppetstuck ending it seems like that won't be possible.

No plans to be able to date the imposter sadly.

Will we have the chance to put the old sidestep costume back on in book 3, or fight with the rangers out of the armor? For example, if we offered to help with the Catastrofiend?

Yes!

How likely would Armadillo be to jump up and down on a trampoline? Would they enjoy it?

Everyone enjoys a good trampoline!

Will we be be able to hug Vera/Dove? If so, how big a hug can it be?

I think it can be a big hug.

I assume it's somewhat up to headcanon, but how do you think Sidestep could have chosen their civilian name? Would it be more random like looking up names in a phonebook, a nametag on some service worker that was kind to them or more meaningful, like an amalgamation taken from actual people they knew?

That is entirely up to headcanon, I have seen may variants!

I also enjoy the idea of Sidestep watching tv for the first time and yoinking a characters name, not knowing it's a wildly popular soap opera and all the rangers just nod along and pretend it's not suspicious.

Sometimes people just have the same names of famous people, and that sucks!

I remember something about updating Rebirth, not sure how/when but do you think you'll be adding reloadable checkpoints to it? that was SUCH a good addition in Retribution and made reading a lot less stressful knowing I won't have to do eeeverything all over if I change my mind with a dialogue option! 

I will add checkpoints, that is one reason why it is taking this long.

I'm dying to know, how old was Spoon when Chen adopted him from the shelter and what year was it? I know Chen said Spoon was a former racing dog (and ergo, not a puppy) but I don't think our best boy's elderly yet. i want him to have a long and happy life 🥺

I will plead the fifth here and not say anything other than that Spoon is currently in his prime, and I don't want to put a possible death date out there. He exist in the immortal now of fiction.

I'm curious at what point would the American government in universe simply be forced to submit to some hostile force, I mean man power, resources, or public opinion at what point would it just be better to completely surrender to an enemy?

That is really hard to answer, politics are complicated, and rarely relies on logic. Feelings are more important.

Does Argent feel indebted to Sidestep for saving her life in the nanosurge incident?

She doesn't think they did, but they are grateful that they stopped more people dying.

Is there any way to work with Hollow Ground in retribution and get the aquarium scene in one run? A yes or no is fine it'll give me 

I am honestly not sure here. 

What might have happened if Herald had succeeded in stopping his brother from taking the boost drug? 

They would have grown up into two unhappy but wealthy young men.

I understand from one of the previous Q&A HG would like to have a kid (or has thought about it), but how would Nocturne and Jake feel about being parents?

Boosts really can't rely on that, it would have to be adoption. I think Jake would like that in a couple of years, Nocturne is more hesitant.

What made Iris a fan of Sidestep's villain persona? Does it vary depending on the kind of villain Sidestep is? Or is this headcanon area?

Headcanon area.

What might HG's life had turned out like if the Big One had never happened?

Probably a somewhat successful criminal.

What did HG and Nocturne potentially think if Jake lost against the new villain?

That he got sloppy.

How often does Nocturne's red-threads need to be reinforced?

She likes it done daily, but a few times a week at least.

Do Vera and Sky-Raider know of each other? What would their professional opinions be on each other?

Yes they do. They like each other. They hang out occasionally.

You mentioned before that Argent is the highest paid Ranger out of the four… how exactly did she manage that? Where did her negotiating skills come from? 

She knows her worth, and was more than ready to just say no. Danny is not a good negotiator/cares that much about money, and they got Ortega and Chen by the balls.

Does the Farm have spies in hospitals/therapist circles? 

Not really.

Would HG feel the ominous pull of the Heartbreak site if they were there in person? 

Hmmmmm a VERY good question. I need to think about that. Probably not.

How would Ortega take a Step that chooses to erase their own memories of them out of sheer hatred/hurt for/from their former partner, barely tolerating to even hear their name? Would they try to find ways to restore their memories? Respect Step’s wishes to finally cut them off for their own happiness? I remember the answer for Step’s feelings of betrayal/hate over the Farm’s lies of Ortega thriving without them, and it made me wonder.

Oh that is a downright traumatic scenario! I... oh wow. This is bad. Would Ortega do the smart thing? I... I... think so. I think Ortega would leave them alone, somewhat content that at least they might have a chance to be happy.

Being very bird-like, can... can Vera see windows? or are they Invisible Forces to her without the aid of special goggles?

Vera does have issues with windows in her bird form, but the difference is that she can see the contextual clues for where windows SHOULD be, so she can avoid them. She's more likely to avoid things like open windows, because if they are the sliding variant it's really hard to be sure when you're flying at speed. Accidents have happened...

Which villain armor styles would each of the defected Rangers pick? 

Ortega: Mysterious. Chen: What do you mean I need to pick ONE? The perks of having armor is variability. But ugh, fine, Imposing I suppose. Argent: Terrifying. Herald: Utilitarian.

On the subject of Rangers' hypothetical villain armor styles: Would each of them drop the blue from their color scheme? Would any of them keep it (whether to make some kind of point or just because they liked it and didn't want to change)? Would they change their look up much in general, or stick with what they have?

I think they would drop the blue, too much of a reminder. And they can finally go wild with what they want, though damn, that is hard to decide!

if you used the (liquid form) of the boost drug as mouthwash would that trigger the boost event or no?

Not unless you swallowed a lot of it.

You said book 3 will have money sinks, but what about opprotunities for step to get even richer?

That too probably. Still unsure, been focusing on the start.

Do the other cult members feel the same way towards Charge as Nazar does?

It varies.

Can we punch Nazar on Ortega's behalf?  Honestly at this point it would be mandatory

I mean it's Sidestep, punching is always an option. But I think that bad beef was resolved after the Void incident there might have been punching).

Did Ortega figure out the Void thought they were hot? Did Sidestep?

I think Sidestep assumes everyone thinks Ortega is hot (except possibly them) but I honestly don't know. Haven't thought about it.

About Nazar resenting Ortega for Void's death: Are his feelings rooted in jealousy re: Void's fixation on Ortega?

No, about taking away the only answer he found.

Was Argent aware of Sidestep at all before her accident? What about after? What would past Argent think about dating Sidestep?

I think Argent was slightly aware, but not really. Like... oh,yeah, another vigilante. Past Argent would be like "Sure? If you say so..."

I live and die for delulu sidestep moments, what's your fav delulu moment or the funniest to write?

Fun fact: I had to google delulu (I assume it is delusional). Other fub fact: When I am writing Sidestep, they are not delusions, they are reality, so it is really hard for me to pick out what's not the truth. But I am having an absolute blast writing Sidestep constantly misunderstanding/underestimating Ortega AND the other way around. Their dynamic is so funny in my head.

How annoyed will Ortega be if Step admits to being a ReGene then acts like HG’s sibling anyways

Oh it is not that high on the list of all the things Ortega would be annoyed at in that scenarion, but they would make it all about them.

Is Catastrofiend the original "Terror Beast"? 

An interesting thought, and one might argue that, but not in the way the question was intended I think. Yes, I am being vague.

On the outside they seemed unperturbed but was Armadillo secretely as surprised as Vera when they found out the identity of their "cargo"?

Yes, you just never show when you're surprised. That's weakness that can be taken advantage of.

How was HG's love life in the past? Did they have any other long-time couples? Did they like to sleep around?

Honestly, perfunctory. More having partners because it was expected, not because of anything deeper or more intense. They don't need people like that, but they realize that their role does.

From my understanding the regenerator can regrow skin and flesh. If Argent were to use the regenerator would she still need her nanovores to act as some of her missing organs? Would she preffer to store her nanovores underneath her skin, or wear them like a second skin if she decides to keep them?

See, this is spoilers. I know what is most likely to happen, not telling that yet.

The bit about interviewers anglicizing Julia's name got me wondering: How common is it for news outlets and other media to use the civilian names of heroes who don't officially publicize them? Is it standard practice or a question of individual company policy? Do the Rangers try to stop people from doing it?

Civilian names are banned unless people are somewhat open with them, there is severe censorship in case of slips. Ortega's name went from "unofficially aware but still secret" to "open knowledge" when they quit the Rangers and had their breakdown post Heartbreak. Lost their Rangers protections. And then there was no putting that cat back in the bag.

Will the Soviet Union still existing or other global althist come into play during the course of the games, or is it simply background fodder?

Background fodder for now.

How common are "Fallen Heroes" like Cavalier or Sidestep? How are they seen by the villain community? Are they excluded/Are people suspicious of them because of their hero past? Do they end up blending in?

It happens. I wouldn't exactly call it common, and most happens to vigilantes who are already straddling the line, like Sidestep or Logarithm. Cavalier and Five Pennies are rare outliers. Whatever happens to them and how they are seen by villans varies a lot. There is no clear stance there.

What's Spoon's opinion on the people in Chen's life? How does Spoon (not) greet them when he comes across them?

Spoon can be shy around new people, but he loves Ortega and Daniel. Argent is scary and she stays at arm's length.

Given that boosts with dangerous/destructive powers essentially need corresponding defensive powers (like Blaze's heat resistance) to survive boosting... How common is it for such boosts to have "general" defensive powers vs. defenses that only protect them from themselves? For instance, would an experienced hero think "if they can breathe fire, they're probably fireproof" or "if they can breathe fire, it might be hard to hurt them"?

More general protective powers are more common. Temperature based powers is one exception to this, as it is quite common to be protected against that without too much general durability. It is unsure why that is the case.

Does Chen know about that big bad upcoming thing Sidestep is not telling us? 

All signs points to probably.

We know that Chen backs off from romantically pursuing Step if he knows that Daniel and Step have feelings / are attracted to each other. But how would Daniel react if the situation was reversed? i.e. He has feelings for Step but Step and Chen have expressed interest in each other. 

He would do the same, that's his boss... 

Piggybacking off the above question: Does Chen back off solely to avoid interfering, or does he also tend to see any MC who's interested in Daniel as too young for him? Would he respond similarly to Argentmancers?

Good spot! The age thing is a lot of the reason. Going for Angie or Daniel drives home that yeah, Chen is geting old. He feels it. Also, specifically in Daniel's case, he thinks they would be good for each other.

What kind of villain was Cavalier? Why didn't he share that "big secret/truth" with the rest of the world? Was he more like an enigma sharing witty remarks like Anarchist sidestep? Did he rarely show up just to blow up things?

Cavalier was not much for witty remarks, and he did occasionally show up just to blow things up. As to why he didn't share what he knew/thought with the world, who knows? He probably had his reasons.

Besides sex, did Chen and Vincent have anything else they liked to do together? Dates? Hobbies?

I think they both worked too much for a healthy life as a couple. If they have had that, they probably would have lasted longer.

Does Vitruvian know exactly how the Void died? And that Step caused it? How did he find out?

Nobody knows exactly how the Void died other than Ortega and Sidestep. That's between them. Everyone else just knows the official story that Ortega did it.

Do Chen and Blaze ever regret sleeping with each other? 

No, they had fun while it lasted.

Did either of them catch feelings/were starting to develop them during the time they were a thing? What about after? 

I mean there were feelings involved, I doubt either of them would do it just to get their rocks off. Those feelings were just not as strong as everything else that went on in the world around them, and thus they could be pushed to the side quite easily when the friction became too much. They never stopped liking each other.

Will we get the chance to let Blaze know that Sidestep was the one to stop the Nanosurge? 👀 Or possibly discuss their turn to villainy if we haven’t been forthcoming with the Rangers? 

That's a good idea! We'll see. It's always hard to predict what Sidestep will be willing to share.

Between missing his LBH days, his idealistic side, Sidestep potentially sowing doubts in his mind, and his serving the Guardians… is Blaze proud to be the person he currently is?

Hmmmmm. I would say... probably not.

Since Blaze and Zephyr lived first-hand the nanosurge, what do they think of Step? Do they know Sidestep was the hero of the nanosurge?

I'm gonna say spoilers on that. It will come up.

What's Ljungstrand's opinion(s) on Regenes? What would he make of Sidestep were he to know them beyond Step's farm dossier on file?

An artificial mind is an intriguing prospect, and Sidestep would be fascinating.

Inspired by chat: If each RO had to pick a fursona, what animal would they choose?

I truly don't know how that is decided! So I am afraid I can't answer that.

In Ortega's b3 rangerstuck bit they don't visit Step if they still believe they're a fake or if they've called them a monster. Now the first I understand but why does the monster comment make Ortega keep their distance considering they weren't the one at the receiving end of it? Or do they regret having said it to the point they don't feel like showing their face around?

Ahahaha yeeeeeah the last bit there is part of it. But I think mostly it is that something has broken between Ortega and Sidestep, and they are not sure how to feel about that yet. That variable might change eventually, I'm not sure yet.

if Ortega had seen HG during the years of Sidesteps presumed death, would they have tried to speak to HG about Sidestep, or solely focused on trying to take them down?

I think they would have tried to talk.

What cheese(s) does our dear Doctor Mortum enjoy slapping on the microwave pizza?

Pepperjack!

Can we get the Rat King drunk/high by slipping some sort of substance into the nutrient juice? Or would that be bad for them. I wanna know if we can party with the girlies after a big fight.

Get drunk yourself and have the girls piggy-back your buzz!

Is there a reason why Argent joined the LD Rangers rather than the SF Rangers? Does she have beef with SF?

I wouldn't call it beef, but there are people there she's not too fond of. Also, she was homesick.

Does Snowball like the dog trio? And has being boosted changed Snowball's intelligence beyond that of a normal goat?

Snowball is more intelligent than your normal goat. Not full human cognition, but definitely on the level of a really smart and attentive dog. She likes the dog trio, they make her feel safe and protected.

Would Snowball eat Doctor Mortum's microwave freestyle cheese pizzas?

Of course.

This mysterious benefactor who paid Vera... Are they more friend or foe to sidestep?

There are booth good and bad variables there.

Is the mystery benefactor who paid Vera in the case of Steps who didn’t get freed by someone else someone who’s show up in the books yet? If not, someone who showed up in the patreon lore?

You'll get to see the variable names in the demo soon so... spoilers. 

Vera couldn't hardly believe her ears when the mystery benefactor reached out to pay her to get Step out. Is it because news about this person hasn't been heard in a long time? Is it because they're very much not a villain or not related to the villain side?

Once again, you'll see! Not gonna spoiler book three before the demo is even out!

i got a question  that has prob been asked a billion times already ^_-   has work on bk 3 started and is there a demo out yet

I have posted writing excerpts on Patreon, and is working on the first full demo. Around 65 000 words now, and I want it up as soon as possible. Definitely during October.

For trans MCs who have had gender affirming surgeries, would the regenerator reverse them if used?

No. But the scars might be removed/minimized.

Would it be possible to weaponize the regenerator, and if so could we add that power to our villainous arsenal?

Hmmmm this is a trick question. I can't answer it without revealing stuff.

Can we know/will we find out exactly how the regenerator ended up at the Auction? Who got it there and how/why?

Honestly I have no idea. That's not important.

Is the mystery benefactor who paid Vera related to the crash?

In some cases, yes.

What color is Vera's plumage when she transforms? If she died in pigeon mode, would her corpse stay a pigeon or would she turn back into a human with injuries translating as close as possible, anatomically speaking?

She would turn back into a human, unharmed.

Can Vera sleep in pigeon mode? Is there a time limit? Is the limit more forcing her back into human or getting forever stuck as a bird?

Vera can sleep in pigeon form, but there is a time limit. It's not good on her body to stay a pigeon for too long.

Does Blaze (image of pinched fingers)?

Yes, he talks with his hands at times. His family is italian.

What exactly is Blaze’s fan club score? 👀 Didn’t notice one in the previous QnA’s…! Who’s the president of said club? ✍️ 

I dunno. I would say it is okay? I have no idea who is the president! Probably some fan from the Long Beach Heroes days.

Piggybacking on that, is it common for people to target fan clubs for information/resources on certain heroes/villains? We know there’s fan threads and forums of them, but is there any law prohibiting people from making websites? What they can put on it?

People can have websites, but hosting can be perilous if you post illegal stuff. In general, fan stuff for villains is not forbidden, and some villains are quite fond of their fanbase. However, very few take anything said on them seriously.

How much equipment can Vera transform with?

Surprisingly much!

We know the Rangers are given a lot of leeway to do their jobs, so I'm wondering: Has a Ranger ever been prosecuted for crimes they committed while on the job? More specifically, were any ever tried, found guilty, and sentenced? If so, how many times has this happened? What crime(s) were they guilty of? What was the sentence? And how did the public react?

Here is the thing, no Ranger has ever been publicly prosecuted. That would be a MASSIVE blow towards the system, on the level of Cavalier defecting. However, there have been rangers forcibly 'retired' for criminal behavior. But that was solved out of sight of the public. Funnily enough, there's no official sentences, most people just... disappear.

Would Ortega's father have been proud of them for becoming marshal or disappointed in his child's not entirely respectable public image? 

Both. 

What is higher priority/more likely to get completed first: the book 1 update or book 3?

Book three demo first. I want one out. Then I will finish book 1 update.

Can step turn a ranger away from the side of law then refuse to let said ranger join their own villainous activities? 

Not sure how much variability I can handle there yet.

Will Sidestep be able to weigh in on costume/armor themes for defected Rangers?

Probably.

Thinking about Los Diablos itself now, with all of its rebuilt ruins, heroes and villains. What are the highlights on Los Diablos, the "must see" for a visitor? And are there famous annual events that people come to see from other cities or follow on TV?

Oh boy. I really should do a Los Diablos deep dive lore post, shouldn't I? I will leave that to that day.

Does Armadillo miss their teammates/batchmates (if they have any)?

Yes. Terribly.

In this QnA I asked a few months back: Is Ortega's Sidestep Scar reflective of which HB scar Sidestep gets? Or is it independent? Are there variations at all? Or just one big Sidestep shaped hole in their psyche? The answer was: It is mostly independent, for Ortega there are three main variables. 1) Did Ortega see Sidestep putting the gun in their mouth? 2) Did Ortega see Sidestep [spoiler] 3) Did Ortega [spoiler]. Do the [spoiler] tags in parts 2 and 3 refer to the same event, perhaps the same event enacted by either Ortega or Sidestep? Or are they different events? And how many variations of Sidestep scar are there? 

The spoiler bit is about the same event. There are three variants of Sidestep Scar. 

When it comes to Ortega's sidestep scar, it's been mentioned some factors change the 'shape' of the scar (for lack of better wording) like if they saw step tw sui  with the gun in their mouth. Do the factors that affect the scar overlap? If yes, does the scar change into a whole new monster entirely or does it just change slightly for Ortega? Or do the different factors that influence Ortega's sidestep scar not overlap at all and having more than 1 doesn't change how it affects Ortega other than small nuances? Sorry if this is hell to read I'll revise as I figure out a way to word it better 

I would say that there is some overlap between some of them, and if so the one being picked goes in this order: 1 - 2 - 3.

Does snowball understand the concept of death? Did she understand that the funny human who brought her to the ranch wasn't coming back anymore?

Snowball understands the concept of loss. I am not so sure about death. 

when the nanosurge happened, would the machines built (that get referenced in the lore, but not actually used bc sidestep saves the day) have actually done anything?

I dunno actually. Luckily we never had to find out.

Argent uses her technopathy to show her skin as impenetrable to x-ray machines, but what about boosts with enhanced eye sight? Can a boost with x-ray vision see her presumably messed up skeleton?

Yeah, they would be able to.

Since Vera is working for HG, does she think that what they do is good for her community/the city?

So far, so good.

Malin could we please maybe get some more spooky lore for October? 

We'll see! I've got an idea...

Has any boost been able to interact with deceased in any way? Be it seeing “ghosts” or necromancy or whatever.

Some say they have. Is it the truth? Hard to tell, it's not like you can ask the dead if they're being misrepresented. Psychometry might give similar answers after all...

Could you use the regenerator to make a really unethical infinite burger machine?

No.

What would happen if the Catfiend got dunked in the regenerator?

Better skincare regimen.

Is Step's exact goal to which us readers have yet to be clued in gonna be revealed in b3? And if so, will there be the option to tell anyone else, like a ranger or Mortum or would that be last book material?

This is book three material. Would have happened earlier, but Sidestep is not very trusting.

if herald and argent had both received scars in heartbreak, what would they have been?

They both have their own scars, no need to come up with hypothetical Heartbreak ones.

What would a 90+ Force/Subtle telepath be able to accomplish? Would any dampeners even be a hindrance anymore?

Dampeners will always be a hindrance. They will just not be a hard block. And they will be able to accomplish anything I find cool in the story.

With guilty end livestock dreams, did step outwardly react to it in any way like if they were having a nightmare? If so, was there anyone watching and what was their thought process, especially if a particularly telepathically powerful step lashed out a bit with their powers in their sleep and caused a disturbance with the dampeners? 

Sidestep was watched. Not saying more.

How dangerous are the malfunctions in Ortega's mods? Are they potentially life-threatening or just at risk of shutting down, perhaps permanently with the way they've been battering their mods?

Potentially life-threatening.

Has Ortega ever tried frying an egg with the output of their mods? If yes, what were the results?

Egg in microwave explosion and resulting burns.

Did Dr Mortum and a romanced puppet have other dates outside of Joes and hanging out in the lab? If so what did they like to do?

Yeah, they did. Might have been some dinners, movies, other things like that. It varied depending on what they have in common.

Without being too spoilery will  the livestock variable affect mostly flavor text or will it have a greater impact on the story/certain interactions?

I mean flavor text has impact on how things are seen in the story...

How are Re-Genes transported to and from action locations? How are they "stored" when they're not yet needed? How did they get Sidestep from Nevada to Boston, for instance?

They are treated a bit like soldiers. Long distances, it's by air, short distances by military transport. Sidestep is a special case, but even they did not go on commercial aircraft. It was a military plane, then directly into a car to be driven to location and briefed. They usually stayed in safe houses.

Did Argent's traumatic boost to technopathy stop the nanovores from eating her? Or was it telepathic feedback from when Sidestep TBR'd and stopped the entire swarm? 

Yes, Argent stopped hers before Sidestep stopped the rest. She was one of the first attacked.

How long did the nanosurge last between making landfall and it’s being stopped?

Maybe four or five hours? Not sure.

I was excited to see that the game tracks whether Ortega suspected the MC before the potential reveal. Did you plan to do something similar for the other Rangers? I always thought that was a really interesting facet of the Steel/MC dynamic and Rangers team dynamics in particular (whether Steel had suspected the MC all along, whether one of the Rangers had suspected but never told the others...), so I was curious if it would come up in-game.

Might go on and add variables there if needed. 

Approximately how far inland from the coast did the Nanosurge manage to infect before Sidestep stopped it?

Not sure. It varied a little in depth, it wasn't a straight line, more like a growing blob. Maybe a km tops, but remember that the shoreline is not as heavily built up as it is today.

A lot of Sidestep's belongings ended up with Ortega, but what about their apartment's fate? Is there a canonical state for it? Or up to head canon?

Up to headcanons.

is there something physically about danny that makes the nanovores gravitate toward him (like idk. o negative blood), or do they just like his vibes ? 

Argent likes his vibes.

Do any of the rangers know about talodine and it's effects on telepaths?

No.

Follow-up on that— if yes, step can mention that they feel drugged if they've been in the crash. If step really has been drugged and it's not their paranoia, was it talodine that the rangers used?

I mean they are drugged as hell due to injuries, but not talodine.

self indulgent please forgive me but in regards to a positive/sibling relationship with HG, is it possible to have a positive relationship with Nocturne and/or Jake assuming no nefarious intentions? Or one but not the other? Would they reach out or would step be the one initiating friendly contact? 

You can have positive relationships with both of them.

For the siblings steps, is there a possibility that we are gonna get a family dinner/hangout with HG at some point?

Too awkward not to.

You've talked about different types of minds. For example, Argent's is like a hot iron ball, hard to read but you can pick it up and/or possess it (my explanation sucks sorry) and minds like Danny's, butterflies that are easy to read/feel but hard to grab/possess them. When it comes to threading, does HG find it easier to thread a more consistent mind, like Argent's type, rather than someone with a non-consistent mind like Daniel's? Does it make any difference to them? Are they able to tell the consistency/shape/landscape of the minds they come in contact with?

Oh yes, different minds are easier to thread for HG, but for them it tends to be how long they last. And the painful truth is that they can't tell beforehand, or know anything about the minds they snare. So it is all observing the results. Consistent minds are easier to thread and keep threaded, uness the thread goes against base convictions.

When Ortega and Step meet in Rebirth, you get the option of saying that you didn't contact Ortega after escaping in order to keep them safe. Was there some truth to that or were we supposed to see it as just another lie to avoid talking about what really went down and Step's future plans? 

There was some truth to that. Some Sidesteps might still feel that Ortega might have wanted to help them, and they would probably led to them both being discovered and killed. Sidestep did not appreciate Ortega's sneaky parts enough.

In terms of heat production, who's higher? Blaze or Pyroclast?

Pyroclast.

Bouncing off of that, does Blaze have immunity/resistance to his own heat? Or could he hurt himself by cranking it up too high? Does this affect his perception of ambient temperature? Like he never feels hot on summer and doesn't need to wear heavier clothing in winter?

He has immunity to a point. He could reach a point where he could hurt himself, just like we can hurt ourselves with our own strength. We just have subconscious limits that stops us before that happens. And yes, he's not bothered by normal temperature variations at all. 

how’s ortegas sidestep scar doing post mc-crash/broken out by someone who isn’t them?

Ehehehehe heh ouch. Not good.

What would the youngest HG sibling have gotten from boosting?

If Sidestep never existed and the sibling never died, what are the odds they would've met and started dating Ortega? What would HG's reaction have been?

They probably would have died! I really have no idea. And the odds of them meeting and dating Ortega are as high as for every other person in a semi-appropriate age group.

When was the last HG sibling born approximately? 

Oh no, time, my mortal enemy. I'm not sure.

What ended up happening to the metro network of LD after the big one? Do any villains use closed down metro tunnel ruins as their base?

Oh it went defunct immediately. Some parts collapsed, other parts were just twisted, some were flooded. The remaining tunnel ruins are popular with both squatters and villains who likes to live cheap.

In honor of spooky month, do any of the rangers believe in ghosts? How about the HG trio or Vera/Arde and mortum? Do they believe in some superstitions or in the spooky spiritual side of the world?

Definitely believes in ghosts and spooky shit: Jake, Daniel.

Kinda believes or wants to believe: Ortega.

Doesn't believe but you never know so some rituals are good and useful actually: Chen. Mortum.

Really? Ghosts? Come on...: Argent, HG, Nocturne, Arde, Vera.

Do Danny/Argent notice Ortega acting differently around sidestep then they normally do? Does Chen see a difference from before? What do they think of that?

Different compared to what? At what point in time? Ortega has always been kinda high strung, it's hard to understand what goes on in their head even for their teammates.

If Sidestep had brought a cake to the meeting to be a good guest, would the HG trio have eaten it?

At the first meeting? Hell no.

Does HG appreciate people who push back/aren’t overawed by the image created of them, or do they just like people who are assholes?

Bit of both. Being surrounded by yes-sayers can be tiring.

Who would be more of an asshole to each other in a reunion, HG or Ortega (and what kind of assholing)

It would depend entirely on the circumstances, they are both assholes.

Can Argent's nanovores be reprogrammed/reset so that they revert back to their wild, less 'evolved' state? Or is the change permanent?

It would take a massive effort. The changes are very deep.

If such a change occurred, how well would Argent deal with it? Does she have the skill necessary to change them back to their complex state?

Yes she has. It would just take a bit of time.

Chen met Cavalier briefly right? How did Chen react to his attack on the Pentagon and 'death'? Was he curious about Cavalier's motivations? Did he ever look into the attacks?

Angry. Upset. Betrayed. And then he started wondering. He did look into things very loosely, but it was hard to get anything, even for him.

Is Cavalier ever coming back?

No dead rising from the grave despite this being the spooky season.

rangers gotta do fuck marry kill with the other three as options. what are their choices?

I can't do that. This is one of those games where my asd brain takes everything too literally and I can't have fun with it. Sorry.

How would the Rangers have reacted if Sidestep had turned up in HG's company (partaking in criminal shenanigans or not)? Would Ortega have reached out to Sidestep too? Would Chen?

Ortega would have. Most likely Chen too eventually.

Has HG ever threaded out of spite? Say if someone else managed to poach a potential recruit first, and they thread said recruit to join them? (or the poacher themself to hand them over?)

Oh yes. HG is quite a spiteful person.

Does Ortega have modded vision to not blind themselves with their own powers, or do they look away/close their eyes for a brief second?

They have modded vision to help with that. Just reactive protection against sudden bursts of light. Otherwise it would be debilitating.

Not sure if it's been asked but do Nazar or Themmy have any vices? Does Vera or Arde?

Pyroclast works too much. That's the vice, he uses it as a weapon against himself. Themmy had the sweets vice. I think Vera might smoke, and Arde would have a carbs vice.

Out of every Ranger in the FWT, who would you say is the most popular?

You might as well ask which US sports star is the most popular. That would vary by demographics, location and taste.

How common is snow and rain in LD?

Rain is common but seasonal, coming in December to March. It tends to arrive in big deluges rather than a daily drizzle. Snow is less common than it was, the world is warming up again, not to the standards of today but warm enough that there's no snow unless something seriously weird is going on. For snow, you need to go into the mountains.

What are the favorite holidays of the Rangers, good doctor and HG trio?

Thanksgiving: Ortega, HG.

New Years: Nocturne, Chen, Jake.

Halloween: Argent, Mortum.

Christmas: Daniel

What gifts would be appreciated by the Rangers, Dr. Mortum, and the HG trio?

I have no idea. I have never really understood gifts in real life, so that's really hard to make up!

Do all the Rangers have a set path they will go down if you turn them or will there be some room to mold them?

I don't see set paths, everything is mutable.

Which love interests would be best/worst at pulling off a kabe-don? Which would be most/least appreciative of the MC doing the same to them?

Another thing I need to google. Oh. That is a thing I suppose?  Huh. I... can only see Ortega interacting that way? Argent would have, but she's so short it would only be funny because she'd have to like climb a chair or something first.