Questions from February

Hi, first of all, sorry, the revamp is not done yet. Also working on a website, so there is some overlap. Some goodish news, my mother has her surgery scheduled finally at the beginning of April. A 10 hour operation, so it's a huge thing. Here's to hoping it goes well, but at least we'll know more then. Right now I'm in a holding pattern trying not to spiral, because let's face it, I'm doing well compared to everyone around me. Seems like 2025 will be a year we all need to survive, rather than thrive in. My absolute gratitude to everyone, this too will pass, and I will be back to writing long and interesting updates and demos again. I'm still writing, it's just sticking things together in a coherent form that's tough, it's beginning to turn into the world's biggest pile of pages that just needs all the filler material in there.

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What is the difference between a psychic and a telepath aside from what we know in game? I remember Heartbreak causing mental/physical pressure from vast distances so it esoteric like telepathy or are the lines blurred for the farm?

It is a bit of taxonomy where the lines blur. Technically, a psychic is a collective term for everyone who has some form of psychic abilities such as telepathy, empathy, clairvoyance, psychometry and so on. However, in practice, the term is used for people with low-grade and less specific abilities. If we use boost terms, they would be gamma and delta level boosts. If someone can read thoughts clearly enough, they would be called a telepath instead, while the person relying on hunches would be a psychic even if they would come to the same conclusion on, let's say the classical "what card am I looking at" test. Some dislike the term, as it says more about the appearance of function rather than the facts behind it. A bit like the "bird of prey" category makes it seem like falcons are related to hawks while in reality they are more related to parrots.

First off I hope everything is going well, life's been kicking the shit out of me for weeks now. You said that HG is a coward before, what would their reaction & opinion be of someone demonstrating how wildly outclassed they are in comparison mentally? For instance someone forcing them to kneel with a absent minded thought because they are annoyed.

Yeah, I feel like the world is out to kick the shit out of everyone this year. I hope things will ease up for you, I'm currently in a holding pattern, which is positive I suppose as there's nothing new. And hmmmm interesting question about HG. How would they behave? I think above all they are a realist. If they are outnumbered/overpowered that's something they need to adapt to and plot revenge later. HG's powers are subtle, and I suppose one could say the same for their personality.

In a previous QnA, you implied that Sidestep was resistant/immune to having their mind scrubbed by the SD. Which sparked a few questions from me with followups of their own. So apologies in advance since this is probably going to be very long winded. 

No worries! I like answering questions... as long as they aren't too spoilery.

Argent's nanovores are described to be biting and nipping at sidestep in respond to certain intrusion attempts. Is that something all nanovores do in response, or is that unique to Argent's? 

I would say that is unique to Argent's. Sidestep didn't recognize that mental presence as nanovores, it felt quite different from the swarm they stopped.

If it's not unique, were the bots during the nanosurge eating and tearing away at Sidestep's mind, as well? Perhaps similar to what happened to Sidestep's mind when the farm left it in a worse state than their body? 

No, the swarm felt more like an avalanche. That might in part be due to the sheer size of the swarm of course, but it was more unending pressure and Sidestep doing their best to hold it steady. Like stopping something heavy from sliding down a slope. In comparison, Argent's nanovores felt more like bees or nippy little chihuahuas. It is quite different from what happened at the swarm, at least in the way a turn off limb is different from a cut off one.

You also mentioned before that Steel noticed Sidestep was still off even months after the nanosurge. Would that be because Sidestep's mind was in the process of repairing itself from such an attack by the bots? Like the way it was able to repair itself after the farm destroyed their mind. Did Sidestep have such a protected mind before the nanosurge, or was that a result from the TBR? 

Chen noticed the difference due to several things. The first was that Sidestep's mind was still healing, overly sensitive to stimulation, migraines, a bit like recovering after a bad concussion. I would say that this was the first time Sidestep's mind had been subjected to that particular pressure/damage/strain, and a lot of the techniques learned during that rehabilitation would come in useful later. That being said, Sidestep had an unusually "aware" mind from the moment the first memories were implanted, possibly because of telepathic connections during pre-decanting meaning that the mind was not empty but already jumpstarted. So that awareness of a "mind" as an entity in itself helped developing strategies to protect against things like this. The Traumatic Boost Response from the nanosurge heightened the power and reach of Sidestep, it didn't fundamentally alter their powers or resilience of their mind. The main reason Chen thought Sidestep felt "off" though was that their telepathic powers were more powerful now, and they hadn't got the shields up yet. So they were avoiding people even more than usual, answering to unsaid questions, and generally being strange and skittish.

When Sidestep is talking with Mortum about Shroud and what she can do to people's minds, a Ruthless Sidestep may believe they can do the same or something similar. However, so far, they haven't needed to go all out and attack a person telepathically at such a level. If a Ruthless Sidestep, at the end of Retribution, were to unleash their full telepathic power on someone's mind without holding back, solely aiming to cause maximum damage, how severe would the mental destruction be? Additionally, how would this compare to the level of damage Sidestep could inflict at the end of Rebirth?

If Sidestep tried to, they could wipe most people's minds to the point of causing amnesia and a coma, even death. They already use a variant of this if they try to "eat" Carter's memories during the opening chapters. All that's missing is practice, and the fact that Sidestep really doesn't want more memories that's not their own in there. A Sidestep at the end of Retribution could inflict more damage than at the end of Rebirth, but the difference wouldn't be huge. The "growth" of power in Rebirth is an artificial game-related thing to judge how Sidestep use their powers. Subtle? Forceful? Often? Rarely? So technically Sidestep has similar values at the start of Rebirth as they do at the end, it just doesn't show in the stats yet, hence the difficulty levels are also lower. I think the greatest change to the end of Retribution is scope. Number and distance.

One very important aspect of the romance with Argent is how much she enjoys fighting and the fun she has when facing Sidestep. This is evident in the lore post Bad Day. Good Day, which is from Argent's perspective. While fighting Sidestep, she admits to herself that she hasn't had this much fun in a long time and that she wants to continue that fight and experience those feelings again. Given how much she enjoys fighting with Sidestep, if a Soft Argent is allied with them, would they continue fighting each other for fun, such as through sparring and training together? Would Argent be the first to suggest it, or would Sidestep have to take the initiative?

Oh Argent would suggest it! It's really awkward to keep explaining how she is so bad at fighting the villain that she's not been able to capture them after this many fights. She doesn't want to come off as a chump. Besides, they'd both be better off for it.

I know we get to decide how was/is our relationship with tía Elena but can we pretty please have as an option "basically adopted child" ? I love the idea of mama Ortega being a enormous soft spot for Step since it's the closest they got to having a loving mother. 

Oh yeah, in some paths that's essentially it.

About the motivations/endings, are there some routes where Steps accepted their death as part of their end goal or is this headcannon? Asking because it kinda makes sense for some Steps to have that "it would only end if I erase everything Farm related.. including me" mentality but I'm unsure if I'm leaping too far away with this. In the case I'm not, is it possible to change opinions midway? Like actually wanting to live at the end of book 3 or 4 ?

I don't think you're leaping too far ahead in this. I am sure there's not an insubstantial amount of Sidesteps that are convinced they won't come back for it. Maybe even don't want to. And one of the things I wanted with this book is to leave room for growth and change, and for spiraling and descent. You start out in Rebirth not even knowing what you are planning and why, because I wanted people to identify with the emotions, not whether they were justified or not. Sidestep can change. Sidestep can double down. There will be a lot of places to adjust and change in all directions. It won't be until the end where you really need to make the call. I don't lock people into fates, just like I don't lock them into or out of romances.

Lastly, which has my favorite angsty flavour, if Step one day in a nostalgic mood told the RO's with the calmest tone "you know.. In another life. Where I were human and not this broken, I would had loved to raise some children with you. Live a normal exciting life and grow old together. Unfortunately is not this one." what would their reaction be? A short answer is valid. Is just.. Papa I crave pain. ((Male Chargestep has a double angst flavour on this one))

Oh boy. Normally I don't answer questions like this because of the scope, but some character reactions just immediately jumped out to me. Ortega: "Okay. What are you planning now. You're not doing it without me, you know that. No going out in a blaze of glory on my watch. At least not alone." Daniel: "You say that with such determination. I know things are... complicated now, but they got to calm down eventually. That's what we're fighting for, right? To even get to have that option?" Chen: -a thoughtful nod as he pets Spoon- "Doesn't mean this life can't be pretty good." Argent: "Stop. No use rubbing my face into what we can't have. We're not normal. We can't ever be. Wistful dreams doesn't change that." (cue her bawling her eyes out to a romantic movie later, though she can't really cry...) Dove: "In another life we wouldn't live in this shithole, but we do the best with what we have." Sky-Raider: "I'd make a terrible father, I hope you realize that. Dunno if an alternate timeline would change that any." Dr. Mortum: "I don't plan to die just yet, and I hope neither do you." -the longest pause- "Children, though? Really? I never actually considered..." -drifts off in thought-

In Argent’s POV, how do the machines around Ortega feel? On edge that they might short circuit in their presence? 

Running hot. Not exactly on the verge of breaking down, but a well-tuned machine just barely in control.

In a previous QnA, Chen can keep a secret relationship with Sidestep for roughly five years before someone finds out: but is there a turning point for him to want to tell others he’s in a relationship? 👀 If he got engaged, would he tell others? If so, who? His family? 

At this point, Chen is very distant to his family. Perfunctory phonecalls on holidays, and the occasional letter. He hasn't forgiven. He would inform them if he got engaged though, for spite if nothing else. I think he'd tell his friends a lot sooner, as long as Sidestep also agreed to do so.

If, within the context of Sidestep's metaphorical narrative, Ortega is choosing to hold onto the past and Mortum is choosing to embrace the future, what thematic allegory do the other ROs bring to Sidestep's overall character arc?

I would say that Herald is the path not taken, what life might have been like if Sidestep was human, handsome and popular. While Argent is a mirror, the monster remaining a hero, saving people, while also risking their lives every day just by being close.

Is Vitruvian meant to be a meta critique of eugenicist ideology and, if so, do you ever find that his powers (having an intelligence boost) are at odds with that critique or make it difficult to more effectively make the critique? 

I don't really do meta commentary but I can see how Vitruvian could be seen as a comment about those things, I feel like it's impossible to talk about superheroes without thinking about how eugenist thoughts about the übermensch factor into it. I did pick the name connecting back to the Vitruvian man illustration and the allusions of perfection. Hmmm. Maybe eugenicist is not exactly the right term I am interacting with here, because for me that is more connected with breeding the perfect, pure race and all that bullshit. This is more connected to the whole "self improvement" deal so prevalent in the tech sphere and certain parts of the health movement. The whole using blood from the young to rejuvenate yourself, wanting to live forever, perfect diet, sleep x number of hours to be the most effective, thinking you are the smartest and most perfect being just because you have money. Human augmentation. A bit of the "chosen one" syndrome that Void also has, that if you survived the boost drug you are one of the 1%, the chosen, the powerful, the future. One of the big conflicts we will learn more off from Mortum in this book is that Vitruvian was devastated when he learned that Mortum wasn't boosted, they were just smart. It shook all of Vitruvian's convictions.

Has Mortum fallen out of the category of Main Cast due to the complications that arose from bisecting Retribution, or is it because their narrative is less involved in the story you'd currently like to tell vs the one you wanted to when you first started?

I blame the added ROs and the growth of Retribution and splitting it in two. With the adding of 3 Ranger RO's, much more of Retribution was taken up by interactions with them than I had originally planned. It was a scope creep I had not foreseen due to inexperience and hubris. I felt that the added RO's could be used to showcase parts of Sidestep I hadn't had opportunity to touch on otherwise, and thus added more than just the ability to tick off a notch. However, this also put the crash at the end of the book instead of in the middle, like it was planned. And, since a lot of the Mortum content was post crash, that means much of the content was pushed to the next book. Adding to this, there was a lot of discussions during the demo/writing stage that many didn't play Mortum's romance because it was through the puppet. Understandable, but it also meant there wasn't as much pressure from playtesters to add more content leading it to be easier to overlook in an already sprawling book. If I had been going back and done things differently I would have moved the possible puppet reveal earlier, but it wasn't in Sidestep's character to do it without cause, and the cause was tied to the Auction, which was middle-late in the book. Hindsight is 2020, I did not forsee the effects enough. Mortum was always as important to the narrative for me as Ortega, in the original book the "Ortega equivalent (Rick)" went out of the narrative around halfway as the reveal had happened and he turned antagonist for real, and Mortum was the main other character after that. I hope this book will make up for lost time for Mortum lovers.

I dont know if this has been asked before but previously you mentioned that the Rangers become at some point aware that Step was muzzled in the farm and how none of them like that but... How exactly do they know that? Will the ROs find some videotapes of the farm or do they become aware of that through Step?

I... can't remember that. Sorry. I'm not saying I haven't said it, just that I don't remember it or the context. Right now the Rangers are not aware of more about the Farm than has been shown in game. Chen has a smidgeon more information, but not much.

Also, without much spoilers... Will at some point some ROs be in the same room as Regina? 👀 Will we get to see the ROs reaction to Regina's obsesión? because I would do anything just to be a fly in those walls..

RO's will be able to meet Regina in some paths. I want to write those scenes so badly!

Less spoilery but how is Regina's relationship with Step's previous handlers?

Cold. She feels they were bad at their job.

First, we currently have a major outbreak of H5N1 (bird flu) in the United States and my epidemiology brain was wondering how that would work for Dove? Given that bird flu could pass from bird to human, could she get infected in bird form and remain infected in human form? Also how would she feel about a deadly virus infecting her birds? 

Oh I am going to have to say semi-spoilers there even though I would love to talk about H5N1 at length. I will say this. If she gets infected in bird form it won't pass to her human form. She would be devastated if it infected her birds. Absolutely gutted.

Second, I’ve been on a A24 movie kick, how much would Argent like A24 movies such as Midsommar, Hereditary, the Witch, and others??  

I mean she'd say they're fine, but would secretly judge them against the seventies and early eighties stuff. She just likes the cinematography and lightning better.

Along that vein how would Argent feel about the Oscars? Or even any of the best picture nominated movies from this year?  

Ahaha the Oscars are a joke. She despises them.

Def some tonal whiplash with these questions sorry! 

This game is about tonal whiplash!

Will there be an option in Book 3 and 4 to take a more active role in kill decisions?

Not exactly sure what you mean here. Is it decisions where the text states "I intend to kill this person" rather than only implying it from what is done, such as throwing someone out a window? If so, yes.

In Book 1 and Book 2, your decisions to kill have largely been indirect. Book 1 requires you to explicitly set the charges to hurt people and Book 2 has you set a "nokill/kill" variable. My Sidestep doesn't see the point in killing random people, so I've ended up as nokill not because my Step is unwilling to take lives but because the nokill variable kicks in (for example, my Sidestep does not care about who someone is if they are trying to kill me, I would have 100% had Sidestep kill Larry but the nokill kicks in and just leaves him severely injured). Similarly, they don't get the option to kill Blaze as a "prepare them" hero hunter. My Step considers "culling the herd" a possible solution to shaping up the heroes.

Hmmm. Good points. That is a weakness of my more "step back" approach when it comes to choices, and use stats to try to predict what text will show, and whether people will live or die by carelessness, which is part of what I use the nokill variable for now. There really is no way of separating Sidesteps such as yours from the conscientious nokill variants right now. You're right. Perhaps when I bugfix retribution I should add conscious choices there. It is an oversight on my part, not a conscious choice.

I know there's a chance it may take people out of the flow to specify constantly, but I wanted to bring it up to see if there might be a way to integrate it!

That was one of the reasons I didn't add all choices, because I felt like some things might feel like nudging and handholding. You know like "are you sure you want to kill this guy? Really?" or "Do you want to kill this guy?" I think I could work it in of I think about it a bit. At least at certain points.

Do you have an easy way for us to do code reporting and would you be okay with us doing that for already published books or limiting to the books that aren't out yet? One thing I noticed while code diving is that the fight against Ortega in Book 1 raises "ortega_clue" instead of "oc" like it should when you monologue, but I know it's been out so long it may not be worth fixing 😅

I have a massive backlog of bugs, yes! A lot of them have been reported, it is just up to me to finish the update, but as you will see later in the QnA, the Rebirth update has been delayed for reasons. I have bug reporting in the patreon discord, but if you find any in already published books, feel free to DM me and I will add them to my bug list! No need for the demos yet, that will be caught in playtesting.

Back in Book 1, I would originally always do Ortega content with the puppet, but after doing a playthrough with Mortum, I've realized that the 2nd book gives a lot more payoff to that choice. Even if dating, we really only get the 1 diner scene. Do you anything set up in Book 3 that may push us towards that choice again? It feels like the only way it'll have payoff is in some instances of the puppetstuck path.

One of my weaknesses as a game designer is that my paths are written on vibes, not pre-planned equal content. Some paths have been added later, and not all have equal payoffs. The book has also grown in scope, and much content has been added, and things I wrote for other purposes early on have become useful as payoffs later even though it wasn't planned when I wrote them. The Original book path was with Mortum, and I agree, it is better integrated in the plot. However, not all Sidesteps wants to go with Mortum, and some wants to go with Ortega, thus that path exists. I don't know if there are going to be any callbacks, but you're not wrong in pointing out that it only have some lasting consequences for the puppetstuck path.

What do each of the 4 Hero ROs dislike the most about Sidestep being a villain (if you ignore the kill variable, I mean)? We know that Argent doesn't really have an issue with it, only hates that Sidestep's villainy resulted in them possessing her, but what about the others?

For Chen it is that Sidestep adds more chaos to an already volatile situation. This city needs more law and order, not less. For Daniel it is that Sidestep is hurting people. Even nokill Sidestep does that. For Ortega it is the breach of trust, and at least half of it is that they feel it's somehow directed at them.

Can you explain the Sidestep crashed puppetstuck path to me regarding Ortega? From my understanding, all the rangers know that Sidestep is a Regene because the operating room people do the surgery. Why does Ortega still think that Sidestep is Hollow Ground's sibling (considering the scene in which puppet and Ortega meet after kidnapping we kidnap our body?) Its also implied in Daniel's ending romanced scene where he panics and mentions that "no one else knows". I guess I'm just confused how our secret of being a regene is still in the box when all the doctors in the surgery room saw our tattoos.

Well, it will come out soon enough so. Not all the Rangers knows Sidestep is a Regene in the puppetstuck path if you got your body out fast enough. Ortega was on the operating table as well (though for less serious injuries), so they didn't catch up for a while. There is, in fact, a coverup going on. Chen, who already knew/suspected went in with full Ranger authority and basically told the staff involved that this was top secret, and if they talk to anybody, they're prosecuted. It wasn't as many people who were witnesses, and those who saw the tattoos most had no idea what it was. Ortega got a glimpse of the tattoos as they were giving Sidestep CPR (basically), but just a bit, and at the time they did not add things up at all. Ortega doesn't know Cuckoos exist. If Argent is romanced, this is even more tightly locked down as she will make sure any security footage Chen has missed will be deleted, hence the lowering of the SD clue. So, in a way, Chen is trying to make up for the guilt he feels about not acting on the photographs. He wanted to think about things before talking to the others. In the puppetstuck path, he never got the chance to approach the subject gently. In the one where you end up in the hospital as Sidestep, it's already been a few days and he has briefed everyone in good time.

In a similar vein, you've mentioned that all the puppetstuck paths result in having villain!Sidestep be a knowntelepath. How/why is villain!Sidestep revealed as a telepath in both puppetstuck paths? I understand why the puppetcrash puppetstuck path results in villain!Sidestep being known as a telepath (all the petty crime) but in the the ending where Mortum agrees to pick up your body at the hospital, villain!Sidestep has just gone missing. Does this mean that all paths in which the imposter is in Sidestep's body will all have the ending pathway line up with an escape and recovery to pettycrime pipeline/pathway?

I don't think this will be in all paths, and all the paths are not yet written. Like you say, in some, Sidesteps body won't have had a chance to be revealed as a telepath yet. I might have expressed myself too vaguely, as often happens when answering a million questions in a row.

Can you explain Ortega's thought processes in Book 1 regarding the puppet and Sidestep since we now have Book 2 context? I never bought into the idea that Ortega was stupid ( I was actually one of the ones who 100% thought that Ortega was lying about the extent in which they cared about us), and it wasn't until I read Book 2 AND a lot of the Patreon content that it really made me realize how low-key/high-key fucked up Ortega is over Sidestep. Despite this (or maybe even because of this), a bunch of their behavior in Book 1 with flirting/dating puppet and hadathing!Sidestep comes off as utterly bizzare to me (with Book 2 and Patreon context). I need to like, explain this, to really get to the heart of my confusion:

Ortega decided to use the puppet, who they believe to be involved in organized crime, to get over their ex. Their ex that they were so fucked up over that they had hallucinations about them for 7 years, all the way up to the point until they saw them in the diner. A meeting that they 100% thought they were hallucinating for 80% of the conversation. And then, they decide that now that Sidestep is back after 7 years, NOW is the time to get over their ex??? NOW? Even though even Ortega doesn't plan on having the puppet relationship lasting and is manipulating them? What in the 4D chess is going on with this idiot's head?? Like what 😭 

I know you love keeping us in the dark about Ortega's head, but can we have like... anything??? This is why people think Ortega has rocks for brains, their entire Book 1 behavior is absolutely crazy. I think it's also super jarring for me because Ortega seems to 100% be over that whole weird 4D chess plan to get over Sidestep at the start of Book 2 where they ask to kiss you if you've had any sort of past relationship or complicated status. Can we have something, any sort of explanation? Obviously not asking for spoilers if some of the reason why they're acting nuts in Book 1 is spoilers, but anything? Is it trauma Malin? Inability to separate the 7 year hallucination of Sidestep from actual Sidestep? Them not realizing they're not over Sidestep?

Ahaha I love seeing it described as that. No, Ortega is not using the puppet as a main mean to get over their ex. This was 100% a spying mission from the start. The fact that in some paths Ortega falls for the puppet could be seen several ways. For example, for some Ortegas, meeting Sidestep again might have shocked them out of their self-destructive loop. Maybe they realized that the person they had idealized wasn't exactly who they remembered. Maybe that was the push needed to try to move on. For other Ortegas maybe meeting Sidestep again would be a wonderful and terrifying thing. Spiraling further. Maybe even becoming afraid of the intensity of their own emotions. Shit. Not good. Maybe have an affair with someone else? That will surely fix everything.

For other Ortega's it's a desperation to try to reconnect and have something they've been missing. And yet Sidestep isn't the same. And neither are they. And they have replayed these scenes again and again but now it is real and how do you even act around someone you care about? Maybe flirting with the puppet is an act of self-sabotage to make things blow up? Maybe Ortega isn't even sure what they want? Maybe all the instincts that scream that this is so deeply suspicious and wrong and something is going on is warring with feelings that just wants everything like it used to be. But without talking about it. How do you second-guess trauma? How do you tell someone you think they're a criminal? Or from a criminal family? How, without sounding horribly invasive and like if you've been spying on them? Especially if you have? Are you the bad guy here? Ortega is deeply fucked up on so many levels, wrapped in a smile and a quip and some increasingly madcap plans. Ortega needs therapy. Ortega runs from their problems by causing more problems. On purpose. Some Sidesteps are probably better adjusted than Ortega. Yeah. Ortega's behavior seems increasingly unhinged for any unbiased observer, tough luck that Sidestep is biased, Chen is loyal, and Argent is her own variant of fucked up. Poor Herald is just shaking his head. This won't end well.

How would each of the rangers deal with a supervillain that’s never brought to justice because they are simply too powerful?, like in an all powerful dark lord kind of way. 

Oh there are some like that. It's something they have to accept. Pick the fights you can win. Sometimes damage mitigation is the only option.

Would they keep trying to defeat them even if it kills them?, decide to try to save as many innocents as possible and contain the damage the villain deals?, desperately decide to try talking them down cause clearly force isn’t working ?, eventually have a heroic breakdown and give up trying? 

Spoilers. Some Sidesteps might go down that dark lord path.

We know that Ortega's had multiple Sidestep hallucinations but did they ever truly stopped or it was only after finding Step again that they poof out of existence? 

Ahaha see now THAT is the REALLY interesting question. One I will not answer. Yet.

Did they ever happen like in those dramatic movies where the character sees them more clearly after sleeping around with other / doing dangerous almos suicidal things? Pretty sure the second might be a yes but did Ortega had them also after sleeping around?

Yeah, the Sidestep hallucination picked dramatically appropriate moments.

Previously you mentioned that only Sidestep has seen Ortega afraid (outside of their family ofc) could we know the reason why Ortega was afraid? 

Catastrofiend. Post-Void flashbacks.

Also what exactly goes through Ortega's mind if a normally ruthless/ironic Sidestep becomes soft whenever Ortega has a crisis, specially considering how unstable they became after all those years grieving. Like for example, Step holding their face or caressing their hand to grab their attention whenever Ortega goes into a bad state of mind which I know is most likely the other way around but hush.

Look. Ortega's got a soft and goey center. And they like being made to feel special in that way.

Would Chen ever be petty enough to threaten us with no more spoon time? Asking because that would be hilarious and... want to know how suicidal he is.

Spoon likes Sidestep. That would be a punishment to Spoon just as much, and Chen is not that cruel.

Would a Mob-boss Sidestep that doesn't kill civilians or innocents but everyone else is fair game, be able to become Herald's mentor again? If yes, then what kind of Villain wouldn't Herald accept back as his mentor?

I can't say for sure, it would depend on the circumstances and choices. It's not impossible, I'll say that.

I might be misreading this but do Argent's nanobots (forgot the name srry) are more lets say "empathetic" than Sidesteps because of her power to directly talk to them? Idk why but it just feels like Step's are more hungry/desperate 🤔

You have the right feeling, Sidesteps are a lot more hungry and desperate.

How are you holding up? I hope you're getting good rest in the crazy new year.

I am in a holding pattern, hard to focus on anything complicated until my mom's operation in a few weeks. Trying to stay off social media since I am bad at regulating right now, but trying to do a lot of the stuff that doesn't require deep intense creativity, like proofreading and such. Spring is here now, so some garden time will help my brain a lot, I need to get offline more. 2025 is just... ugh. And I don't even live in the US, I just have family there. And close friends in the UK. Not a great year for the queer/trans community so far.

Which of the villain RO have the most arrest warrants? Been known to have committed the most crimes by the authorities?

Oh Sky-Raider! Too flashy and brags about it.

Argent and Chen are aware of Ortega’s Sidestep hallucinations but how many other people knew?

Nobody. Especially not Ortega's therapist.

How many variables are going to affect which imposter we get? (you don’t need to say which ones if that’s too much spoiler but just a number would be nice)

It is not finalized, but I would say I have 6 so far, and will add a few more. Some are more important than others.

There’s a few instances where you can establish the puppet has a attraction or lack of attraction that differs to Sidestep; is this a case of giving players more opportunities to define the dynamics between characters or something we should be worried about with the imposters?

It is more for the players to define differences and having the body be its own thing. I'm not going to have the puppet/impostor steal your RO or initiate romances.

If the HB incident had gone differently and one of the others, Chen, Themmy or Ortega had been injured and picked up by the SD; would any of them gone the route Sidestep has, come back and become a villain (factoring in the broad spectrum of different kinds of villainy)?

I would say that Ortega might have. Not the others.

How would Steel feel if a previously heinous/villainous Step admitted to changing their ways because of Spoon?

"You're joking, right?" And then he'd consider that a therapy dog worked on him, so who is he to judge?

Of the villains, the HG trio and the ROs who would Spoon like the most? And who would he like the least?

Spoon would like them all.

If the imposter is in Sidestep’s body are they looking after the Ratking? I need to know the girls are ok.

The girls are okay!

In the past you’ve said Ortega would be more interested and amused if Step introduced them to the Rat King and said they were their best friends. But how would the other Rangers and Mortum, who have strong friendly relationships with Step, feel if they were told 5 rat brains in a jar ranked higher than them in terms of Step’s friendship?

Honestly? Hmmm. I don't know. But I don't think any of them would judge. Sidestep needs friends.

If we do get the option to give the girls their own body will we be given the option to arm them? Even if it’s as simple as taping a knife a la stabby the roomba, the idea of Step giving the girls a knife and saying “go, do crime” lives rent free in my head

Stabby is a legend. Of course this will happen.

TW: why is it that so far only Ortega can have the ‘know suicidal’ tag; because it seems like there are a few instances where the other Rangers might have picked up on this, like Argent and Chen but there is no flag for it. Have they not figured it out yet or is it that it’s more a revelation to Ortega because of their perspeption of Step doesn’t always match up with reality?

I think because at this point Ortega is the only one that actually believes it. While both Argent and Chen has caught glimpses of self destructive behavior and made some deductions, Ortega is the one who understands that this is something real. Not just talk.

Are regenes more closer to cyborg or human? For instance, dead human basically brought to life or actually artificial (made and grown)

Made and grown flesh from genetic samples taken and remixed from humans. So yeah, they would be closer to humans. Genetically there is no difference between an unboosted regene and a human.

I know Ortega said they don’t find sidestep disgusting but is that just a sidestep exception? What are their true opinions on other regenes or regenes in general? Out of all the ros he seemed to be the most creeped out and wary of regenes based on my impression 

We are seeing this through Sidestep's eyes, and Sidestep expects Ortega to be the most disgusted since their comment was one of the reasons they never even thought about revealing. I will say that Ortega (and Chen) is also one of the few Rangers that has met Re-Genes deployed in the field.

Know this is spoilers but for book 4, will sidestep and other characters actually go to the farm? (Since you mentioned it was farm focused)

Yes, it's back to the Farm!

I know regenes usually worked in groups. Is it possible for sidestep to have had close friends back in the past? Or were they usually more isolated?

They were more isolated, but that doesn't mean they didn't have a friend or two.

Sidestep keeps mentioning there is something big coming (and also those abnormal things shown in their dreams with the gates). If sidestep possibly dies (through suicide or accidentally) will this “something big coming” still occur? (Basically is it something happening in the FH world in general or is it directly related to sidestep)

It is something happening in the FH world in general. Not directly related to Sidestep.

Kind of related to my first question but since regenes are copies and made through references of people, are the actual person that was referenced turned into a regene (and mind wiped) or are regenes made from something else and people are only used for organ donations and other things? 

Regenes are made from a mix of gene and memories. I am sure there exist regenes that are from single donors for classified purposes, but even then it's just from genetic paterial taken. The original person remains alive and well.

What was sidesteps reason for becoming a vigilante? Does it depend on the sidestep or was it sidestep just wanting to make a difference? 

It depends on the SIdestep. We will get into that in game, and there will be choices.

Is it possible for Ortega to still retire at the end of the series? Live a peaceful life? 

I would say yes. As peaceful as Ortega can ever live.

Will we still continue with our villain persona even if we are exposed? 

Yeah, at least for the present.

Just kind of confused on lore here. Is project stars about creating superhumans and project stripes more about regenes?  

You are right about project stars, but wrong about project stripes. I don't think I have told in the open exactly what that purpose is yet, so you are right to be confused.

For touch averse steps (and if this was a recent development) what does Ortega think of this? How did they think it happened? Also why are most touch averse scenes with Ortega and not the other ros? Is it because sidestep can’t read Ortega’s mind? 

It is because Sidestep can't read Ortega's mind. With everyone else, it comes as no surprise. Danny broadcasts his intent and emotions strongly, and Chen actually goes through the trouble of moving slow enough and think about things to give Sidestep the time to react. Argent is not that touchy herself due to her friends. Ortega is the surprise, and the one that provokes the stronger reaction. Ortega has ideas of why and how this happened, but hasn't dared to ask.

Will it somehow be possible in the future for Ortega or sidestep to read each others minds somehow 

There is one book four path that is dependent on that at least.

If Regina ordered the Farm to treat Sidestep like a person how much resistance would there be to that? 

A lot. You can't just tell people to do something like that and expect them to overcome years of training and prejudice.

If Sidestep told her a scientist treated them badly would Regina punish that person? 

No. That would show she valued a re-gene over a human. She might have a talk with the scientist without Sidestep knowing though.

Does Chen have any feelings about unintentionally usurping the "Sidestep's protector" role from Ortega? Ortega doesn't even know what they need to be protected from. 

Chen has too many complicated feelings about that. They need to talk. All three of them.

Even if HG thinks their older brother's power was more powerful than theirs, at least they can console themselves with the fact their powers are very different. Is HG the type of person who might get a complex that their little sibling's power is basically 'anything you can do I can do better'?

Hmmm. Hmmm. Actually you know what? I don't think so. I think HG would be proud. Nocturne however....

If Hood had died in a way that couldn't have been connected to Hollow Ground, would Ortega have still become obsessed with them post-Heartbreak? Would they still have been obsessed with Sidestep? On that note, have they ever wished they weren't so obsessed (with either HG or Sidestep)? How would they feel about someone (both in general and Regina specifically) being as obsessed with Sidestep as they are?

No, Hood's death is the reason why Ortega became so obsessed with HG, other than that they're just another villain. As for how that would have affected their feelings about Sidestep... I honestly don't know. I really don't. I can see it going both ways. Ortega and Regina are spoilers.

You mentioned that the Rangers (except Daniel) would have a good first impression of Regina if they didn't know anything about the Farm. How much knowledge would be needed to sour their impression of her? Would simply knowing that Sidestep is a Re-Gene be enough for any of them? If so, would how they found out (voluntary reveal vs. Stepcrash) factor in?

Not sure yet.

How would the past Psychopathor fight have gone if he had had current Rat King? How would Psychopathor fight round 2(3?) go if he somehow reobtained the Rat King (i.e., would the girls hesitate at all, or still see it as tag)?

Oh that is an interesting possibility, but Psychopathor couldn't connect to them in the same way. Psychially sensetive, not a true telepath.

What does it look like to the outside observer when Sidestep opens a gate? What would Ortega see, if anything?

No specific effect, it varies depending the occasion.

What do villain/henchman contracts entail? Are they legally recognized? Are they enforcable? If so, how are they enforced? What happens if one party breaks the contract?

That is a good question. Are there henchman advocates and unions? You know what, I need to think about this. This is good stuff.

Did Sidestep work with any other vigilantes before they met Ortega and the Rangers?

Not closely.

And the most important question, did Herald ever dress up as Sidestep for Halloween or a costume party?

I can imagine once. Probably was made fun of too.

Are steel's non-civilian hands capable of checking for a pulse?

Yes. But it's most likely more of a function than a feeling if that makes sense. Registering a beat but not sensing a beat.

Were there any villains who considered themselves Sidestep's nemesis back when they were active?

No. Sadly SIdestep got the Ortega bleedover. Lord Ember was the closest, but he wouldn't stoop so low to such a sucky nemesis.

Is there some kind of story behind Sidestep's aversion to seagulls?

Just my own vibes from growing up near harbors and interacting with them in larger numbers. I don't fear swans or canada geese. Seagulls though... they know no fear.

Has Sidestep ever connected to cats? What would that be like, even if they haven't?

Yeah. Cats are nice and relaxed. Really hard to make them do anything though, and if they don't like you they don't like you. However, Sidestep's naturally aloof behavior is something cats get.

Does the Farm have any type of protocol in place for if a cuckoo & the handler die while on a mission? And if so does it vary a lot based on the location & the status of possible witnesses?

There is a recovery regiment in place, which basically focuses on retrieving the cuckoo body (the handler is secondary) and making sure to deal with possible witnesses. Note that this doesn't mean killing them, most of the time it is enough to wave the "military secrets, nothing to see here" in the face of people. Local law enforcement is usually all too eager to lean on any curious locals, and most people wouldn't know what they are looking at. The important thing is to make sure any physical proof is removed, if there's no recordings or a body, the witness testimonies aren't worth much, and if someone starts digging they can be easily dealt with. Last year I would have said to remember that the US is still not back to full democracy and the government is quicker to do skeevy shit, but honestly, I think at this point everyone knows what's going on. Not to make a current politics post, but this is what a ruthless government can do without invoking a state of emergency, and the FH world US was living under that for two decades. The new normal is... ruthless in the name of stability.

Could Jake make himself dense enough such that the nanovores couldn't eat him? Could the nanovores sense him if he was phased in various materials? 

I would say that Jake probably could make himself dense enough that he'd be immune. But that's a terrible risk to take, and not one he would want to do unless it was an emergency. The nanovores would have a harder time to sense him phased, but like with all things, it's a question of scale. If he was the ONLY thing available to eat they would work harder.

Is there anything physically unique about Argent's nanovore swarm? Like do they have any adaptations that "wild" ones don't? Or is the distinction purely behavioral / "mental"?

They have mutated slightly, yes. They are not the same as the "wild ones" but what the difference is I will keep as spoilers for now. What I can say is that they are a lot more attuned to her and her physical needs, and several strains have evolved to perform more specialized functions. Like, the support structures/skeleton/skin layers are distinctively different, as are the ways the different strains work together.

Is the Seattle Greater Polycule still a thing / growing in this timeline?

Ahahaha you know what? Why not.

What kind of clothing does hollow ground wear around the house?

Light. Loose. Soft. Luxurious fabrics. Silk. Linen. High threadcount cotton. Bare feet or sandals. Informal. Still lots of jewelry. Open shirts. Layers. Looks like they're on vacation.

Did Mortum pick the University of Florida because of the large Haitian diaspora in Florida?

Yes. It was through them that they got the contacts to go there in the first place.

You've said in the past Nocturne's mother was busy working two jobs to keep food on the table for the three kids; what happened to Nocturne's dad? 

Her parents divorced when young, he was never a part of her life.

Does Mortum have a sport they're interested in (that isn't cars)? If they do, it is serious or casual? Or it is just for fun? What's their exercise routine for keeping in shape, if at all? 

Mortum has the saddest looking peleton and some weights in their lab complex. They do their best to keep somewhat in shape, but really doesn't do enough. They were a lot more in shape when they were still active, but a lot of the time they just forget. When they remember, they like to go to their favorite gym, and do a lot of swimming. It's just not a regular occurrence, hence the lab equipment because sometimes you have an hour before you need to check your readings and you might as well work out a bit. They are not a good runner.

Would Mortum like if a Sidestep they were dating lifted/carried them? Especially in the suit, with the strength mod? 🥺

You know what? I think yes. Mortum approves.

Did Sidestep have a seizure during the second/final encounter with the Void, right before they're stuck in the ground? 

At least close enough to one it might as well be the same thing. No that is not cryptic at all, nothing to see here.

Given Mortum's interest in telepathic communication, how would they respond to a Sidestep that's willing to help them study this as a telepathic subject (after Mortum's gotten over their issues with telepathic intrusion and mental privacy of course)? 

Love love LOVE that. Mortum would be so appreciative about a volunteer guinea pig.

Would Mortum give up information about the puppet/Sidestep to HG if asked?

Depend on the relationships involved.

Was there a limit to how much of a volume of acid Anathema could produce? Did the volume scale inversely with potency of acidity?

Yes, there was a limit. Anathema could run dry, it was never vast quantities that could be produced. They didn't spray acid or anything like that, it was secreted from their skin. I think a few liters wouldn't be an issue, but then it would be effort. Remember to hydrate! The potency would remain about the same, no major difference. Anathema had never been able to control the strength of the acid, though they tried.

So, since only Merle/Julia and Mirlene/Ricardo combinations have Ortega flirt with Mortum, do only those two versions have Sky-Raider drop the Lamborghini in the ocean, or is the watery fate of the Lambo Ricardo/Mirlene-continuity specific? 

Lambo takes a swim no matter what. Flirting is not necessary for Sky-Raider to want to mess with Ortega.

A little meta; what kind of questions about the games/books do you enjoy answering the most/find the most interesting? 

It is hard to say, since in part it depends on mood. I like questions that are about one thing, let's say "did X ever..." and not sprawling like "how does all the ro's/major characters feel about x." I also like questions that are grounded in the story/world, or is asking about it. Something that gives my brain a starting point, and makes me go "huh, yeah, how does that work?" I don't have a big data sheet with all the facts about the characters and the world just ready to pick from, I only have what is needed for the story. So, a lot of time when a question is asked, it is things I might never even have considered before. At those times I will only have an answer if my brain decides to manufacture a new fact. And that depends on the day. I also like questions about why I made certain writing/story/coding choices, or things about the history and science of the world.

How do you determine what counts as streetwise step knowledge? Tech-savvy's more clear cut on what it covers, but streetwise seems to have a pretty broad array of things they know about by the recent puppetstuck demo path and the past two books 

I go by what I feel is right at the moment. I don't have a strict list of things, it is mostly like "would a streetwise Sidestep have more info here than a more insular one?" None of the skills here are separate and straight, every Sidestep is somewhat good at tech and somewhat Streetwise, and somewhat of a fighter and somewhat of a tactician. It's not either/or. It's a game-specific thing to make different Sidesteps feel different when you play them.

does us citizenship still apply retroactively even after the FEZ was formed (ie if you were born a year before the Big One in LA, do you still have US citizenship)? And did argent have to be given citizenship to operate as a ranger, considering she seems the only one who wouldn't have citizenship by default?

The biggest issue would be to prove your citizenship. Remember, most paperwork is gone. People normally don't have birth certificates or passports. What are they going to do, take your word for it? Rangers don't have to have citizenship to serve, just like people in the US army doesn't need to.

What would happen if someone got Boosted at the exact moment a mosquito was sucking their blood?

Itching? The drug doesn't work on insects, but it is possible that it might trigger some sort of skin-protective boost, but that's theory only.

If Argent “talked” to Sidesteps cellphone what kind of information could she get from it? (Ex. Villainy? Regene? Favorite pizza topping?) 

Nothing. Sidestep is too paranoid to use one consistently and for long. The exception would be the phone they use for Ortega, which would pretty much only contain info for the contacts with Ortega and the other Rangers if Sidestep had any. No notes. No pizza orders. No saved numbers. No downloaded ring tones. Nothing.

Is Sidestep powerful enough to make Telepathic Suggestions to micro organisms similarly to Nanovores?

No. And not fish or insects. Mammals and birds (somewhat) so far.

Like could Sidestep "suggest" to diseases not to make them sick?

Oh they wish!

Did Nocturne and HG meet in person before Nocturne moved to Los Diablos? Has HG been to Chicago?

Hollow Ground has been to Chicago for tax reasons when Nocturne's investigation was going. That's when they met for the first time.

What was the Kinetik before Herald like? What about the Kinetik that came after him?

The first Kinetic was handsome, brash, loud and charismatic. Also prone to getting drunk and descending into a barely hidden drug habit. Hence the replacement. The one after him was more experienced, slicker, and more of a trained actor but not as powerful a boost at all. Just enough to fake it for the cameras.

For mortum. do they have a particular book they like (and if it is hard, what books would they read based on your book knowledge/preference!) 

Mortum reads non-fiction. There is an ever growing pile of books, research papers, science magazines and related news that they try to keep up with. There is no time for anything else really. For relaxation, it's science books in unrelated fields like history or archaeology.

How ruthless are the Boss Crew as individuals? And just for fun what about Marcia (Base Co-Worker), Savannah (Base Receptionist), & Clair (Ranger Receptionist)?

Most ruthless to least: ZaZa, Pelayo, Marcia, Ward, Nehal, Clair, Savannah.

Are there any security contingencies for known technopaths or technopathy in general, or is there none because it being a rare power/generally difficult to counter? 

It is a VERY rare power compared to telepathy. In fact, there is no recorded instance of it to the level that Argent has it. The heroes/villains who have had similar powers have needed direct interfacing with cables or the like, or have had limited powers like being able to shut things off or cause blackouts. So what defenses there are (not unlike what you would use for electronic/hacking attacks) doesn't really work against Argent.

Would the Rangers have assessed Argent differently if they knew of her technopathy?

Oh absolutely! It is unlikely she would have become a Ranger, they would have tried to recruit her to far more important and secretive things.

What does Chen mean by "not [being] sure if [Vincent Marino] was his real name" when telling Sidestep Blaze's civilian identity? 

A lot of people have remade themselves and got new identities on the coast. The reason why Chen is hesitant is that he always got the feeling that Vincent was afraid of being perceived as anything but straight and normal. It made Chen wonder if maybe he had a strict upbringing and now went by a different name not to be recognized.

Is it intentional that Sidestep killing the Re-Gene at the warehouse has a separate variable and doesn't set the kill variable to true which toggles dialogue relating to Sidestep killing people? If so, is this because they consider killing Re-Genes different to killing non Re-Genes?

Exactly. This is a tag which will come into it in the future, where Sidestep might have to confront how much they have internalized the Farm's teachings in everything from insults and thoughts, to feeling that Re-Genes/themself is not human and doesn't really matter in the same ways.

Also, if Sidestep ignored the Re-Gene entirely to focus on their mission/get the hench, since Halabi says one operative died (if Sidestep didn't save them), was it Psychopathor who killed them, or did the Wolfpack get a few lucky hits in? 

Psychopathor. The Wolfpack would have fled by then, and the operative tasked with keeping them busy would have moved in to help with Psychopathor. It did not end well.

are there any traits of sidestep (arrogance/anonymity, empathy/ruthless, cautious/daring) that the rangers particularly notice? in the vein of how ortega references sidesteps’ daring in the dinner date.

It varies. Ortega notices the daring/cautious most, Chen and Daniel the empathy/ruthless, and Argent the arrogance/anonymity since she is the one privy to both sides.

How does Mortum find out about selfcrash and revealed to the Rangers/guilty Sidestep? Via Halabi?

Yes.

What kind of confidentiality agreements is Halabi under as someone who works with the Rangers, and how does that conflict with her feeding intel to Mortum? Does she feel conflicted about this? 

Oh she is conflicted, but have above all decided to act according to her own conscience and what she feels is best for her patients. It's not always an easy choice.

Does sidestep seize during the livestock dream (expansion) or the car crash dream? When they're seeing Anathema? 

No, they are unconscious or close enough.

Furthermore, if sidestep does seize during the livestock dream, you've stated before that someone witnessed it. Is the seizure recorded in some way?

Spoilers.

How does Herald feel if a villain named Sidestep amasses a larger fan club following than the original?

Angry.

What was the fan following like for Anathema & does “Heartbreak” (as in the terrorist coverup story) have one or even just people that are weird about them like copy cats/cults/etc.?

Hmmm I think Anathema was moderatly popular. Not one of the big followings, but the people who had them as a favorite weren't exactly normal about it. Probably arguing the limits of invulnerability and such, very active in the "who would win" debates. Heartbreak is the subject of a lot of conspiracy theories, and I think there probably was a copycat group or two early on who got taken down fast.

Is Daniel aware of his influence on a sidestep with "oh no, he's hot" relationship?

Oh absolutely.

bundling in all the operating costs associated with the heartbreak experiment and whatever the hell they did to the core, is sidestep finally more expensive then ortega? 

Oh Sidestep is just a side effect there. They're not the expensive one.

Is it possible at all for telepathy to affect things like radio or light waves? Seeing as dampeners are able to turn energy into a telepathic jumble and can affect other radio-based things, I was curious if anything could happen other way around.

So far, no.

How do the distinctions between being seen as Charge's sidekick vs a vigilante and independent hero work (not mechanically, in setting) and were there any differences in how much they each achieved or was it mostly a matter of perception? If so, is this more to do with how the media perceived them, how publically their heroic acts were attributed to them vs other people taking credit/being more lowkey about it or something else?

It was a sliding scale, I just condensed it to three simple settings in game for some text variables. Basically, at the lower end (sidekick) Sidestep is seen as an appendix to Charge. That's only where they get mentioned. At the upper end (hero), it is acknowledged that Sidestep was an unregistered hero who often worked with Charge, and many felt like they might get offered Ranger membership in the future if a spot opened up. It is more about public perception, how forward/driving Sidestep was in taking the initiative, and being seen taking it. Spotlight, not anybody taking more credit.

What’s Nazars & Luis’ style presentations like in Sidestep Presentability terms? Have they changed since Naz became a Ranger & Luis retired?

Hmmm I think they both started in the lower middle, neither of them being too into clothes. Functional stuff. Nazar has stepped up his game since joining the Rangers, he's got a personal shopper now and is going for authority and style. Luis has gone full casual lumberjack.

Is Regina fashionable?

I would say somewhat, she takes care of her presentation.

Would Armadillo's use of ASL be typical for most combat Re-Genes if they were in situations where they could communicate normally? Can they not use audible language because of physiological reasons (damaged throats/tongue/etc) or is it more of a mental block or comfort level issue?

Most Re-Genes are able to speak, but the training to speak only when spoken to makes words a function of orders and missions. Speaking with your hands is private and personal, and the preferable thing.

Are you going to standardize the capitalisation of mods, boosts, norms and the Wolfpack in the Rebirth update to match how they are in Retribution? Any other minor continuity details/scene expansions or is this a "if i keep editing I'll never get this done" situation? 

I do plan to standarize it. It's not a big thing, basically a search and replace. The big reason why I have not gotten the Rebirth update done yet is due to life issues, and the step of learning how to implement the save system there feels like an insurmountable step right now. It is mental, nothing else. I am also hit by the wish to rewrite/expand every time I look too closely at it, since it was my first IF book, and I could do it a lot better now. That urge is dangerous, but there. I don't know what about it, thus it is sitting half-finished for the moment.

Are there any known boosts that resulted in the subject becoming/fusing with the environment? Like that scene in Annihilation for example or even maintaining some type of sapience like Danny the Street? Would HGs powers be able to work on them? 

I think there are many examples of boosts becoming/fusing the environment, but almost none of them surviving it. There are some really gruesome things I might get into one day, since I love that kind of horror.

It delights me endlessly how many of the cast are aspec (Chen, Argent, HG, Regina, Mortum). Speaking of which, did you intend for Ortega to be read as potentially arospec what with their interest in intimacy more than romance, lack of jealousy or issues with polyamory, and their commitment issues with long term-relationships aside from with Sidestep? 

I didn't intend for Ortega to be read that way, but I can absolutely see it. So many labels are just that, labels. How people see themselves. Some people puts names on it, some people put other names.

There's a lot of questions directred towards the Rangers or the new RO's, I hope you don't mind if ask again but directed towards our dearly beloved scientist: How would Mortum react to Sidestep's true age? 

Mortum would be more interested if Sidestep could pinpoint which memories/training comes from the implants and which ones was acquired later, and if there is a different feeling depending on who donated the memory. The physical age would be far less important than the implications on brain development.

Is Dr Mortum a good dancer? Would they teach a Sidestep with two left feet? Are they open to lazy dancing in the middle of the night? 

I would say Mortum is a good, but not excellent dancer. Got good rhythm, knows some moves, but is not exactly a professional. They would love to teach Sidestep, whatever else are late nights in the lab for? That sounds romantic as hell.

Is Dr Mortum obsessive about the puppet/Sidestep? It feels really different when reading from how they treat Sky Raider and the puppet (but it could be lack of info on my side + Sidestep's skewed pov)

I don't see Mortum as obsessive. More fascinated with the concept and/or disturbed by what they went through. However, that could easily be taken the wrong way by a Sidestep used to scientists. Sidesteps views are very colored by the Farm.

Would Mortum pick up on how Sidestep being emotionally distant during intimacy? Would they bring it up? 

I dunno yet. We'll see.

Do they bring up/notice Sidestep avoiding touch/intimacy vs as their puppet being able to accept affection? 

That one will probably be brought up.

What is Dr Mortum's reaction to learning about low presentation, tunnel base Sidestep having a ton of funds? Especially if they steal tech for Mortum?

"Why do you live like that?" Thus opening themselves up to being teased for microwaving pizza in the lab.

Does Dr Mortum have a greatest fear?

Yes. Not gonna tell you.

In the kidnapped ending in Retri, will Sidestep instantly run away, will we stay to talk? Would Dr Mortum give Sidestep space if they end up freaking out and running away, of would they look for Sidestep?

That is something you will have to find out!

If Mortum had a thought they need to right down immediately, but Sidestep fell asleep on them, would they endure or immediately shove Sidestep off to go write it down?

"Siri, take this down." I think Dr. Mortum probably has a voice activated dictaphone or something, because sometimes you have thoughts while your hands are busy.

Does Dr Mortum think anything on Sidestep's medical skills on themselves? 

That takes a lot of self-discipline. Gruesome.

Would Dr Mortum be open about their feelings to a previously friendly Puppet to a revealed Sidestep further down the line? 

I don't know yet, it's one of the things I will only know when I write it.

Will Doctor Mortum ever call Sidestep by their Puppet's name by accident or on purpose? Would they be immune to the kicked puppy eyes Sidestep would give them?

Most likely. And Mortum is very much not immune to emotional fallout/blackmail. They want to be, they really do, but they are soft.

Does Dr Mortum have a comfort food? 

Chocolate pralines. The good kind.

Would Mortum consider projecting/using their own thoughts to (playfully) mess with Sidestep? Perhaps NSFW-related or ... telepathic sex?

Maybe along the line? They are protective of their thoughts.

What would be Mortum's personal nightmare loop if they were caught in one by a telepath?

The Vitruvian confrontation.

What's Mortum's wealth like (comfortable, wealthy, rich)? How much of this is cash vs accounts vs Dark Script and assets?

I would say rich in assets, poor in cash. Lots of expensive machines and systems, but most of the cash is used to keep them running. Free wealth would be comfortable.

Is Halabi the friend of theirs Mortum mentions during the auction that would love to take a look at the regenerator? 

Oh yes.

Does Mortum have music playing in the background while they're working? 

Yeah, a lot of the time.

Between Mortum and Ortega, who is/would be the most interested in Sidestep's tattoos?

Mortum.

Does Mortum have a memory they consider that happiest? 

First day at university.

Is there anything physical they appreciate about someone? 

Hmmm. I would say more about the mental bits. I think they probably have a physical type, but I haven't decided on it. I never specify it for the ro's, because it inevitably shuts out some of the Sidesteps.

How would Mortum deal with a drunk Sidestep confessing feelings about them and their relationship? 

"Fine, fine, mon cour, let's do this again when you're sober."

How does Mortum feel about kids in general? Not around their lab work of course.

They don't. It's one of the parts of their life that's very distant. They rarely interact, and I think they wouldn't know what to do with one. Teach them welding?

We know Mortum doesn't shirk their health, but what kind of patient are they? 

Backseat driver. Trying to teach the doctor to do their job. Which doesn't work, because it's most often Halabi and they know each other.

Was Mortum in any sort of school group? Clubs?

I can see drama.

If Mortum was forced to watch a marathon of all the LOTR films, how would they react?

"That's a surprising amount of background detail on the sets, good job."

If they were given the choice, with no health consequences, would Mortum prefer to never need to sleep again, or never need to eat again?

Oh boy. Wow. That is hard. Never eat I think. Sleep gives rise to good ideas.

Is the Alvarez in Chapter 2 of Bones of the Land Teresa Alvarez' father, or related to her in some way? 

You might be on to something there...

What do The Villains (Dove, Mortum, & Sky) miss the most about their pre-villainy lives? Also it is reasonable to refer to them as The Villains for shorthand like we do for The Rangers?

It's as reasonable as anything I think. Hmmm. I think Mortum miss academic conferences, Dove misses trusting others to take care of her and not having to look over her shoulder, and Sky-Raider misses planning for retirement.

Doctor to Not Doctor, what does Mortum think of Viktor Frankenstein & Frankenstein Jr.?

You can't let your own shortcomings get in the way of your work, otherwise things will get out of hand fast.

Is the San Francisco mayor Landis part of the delegation at the Westin that Blaze is being a bodyguard at?

No. But people connected to him are.

Ortega can be told sidestep has enemies (HG in their mind) and was under their “care” for a period of time. How long does Ortega assume that was? Do they have any sense at all of sidesteps captivity lasting as long as it did?

Ortega has like five different timelines and possibilities, all they need are a few more answers.

Was Shroud’s choice of the “undead bride” aesthetic inspired by The Bride of Frankenstein or did she just like it? 

Partly that and the Mummy yes, but it is mostly because she likes the drama.

Was the person who distributed the Boost drug to Sentinel a member of the Green Sky Cult?

Nope.

For the original form of the diet pill that would become the boost drug—how the fuck did that get out of the testing stage without anyone noticing that it killed people instantly? was there a bad batch that triggered the first Boosts. simultaneously, amongst that first set of people to have taken the drug, was there any similarity of power set studied amongst them? considering they were perhaps the closest thing to a “control” group, having all taken the drug for the purpose of dieting/health?

The first thing to realize is that at the start, the active ingredient of the boost drug was present only in trace amounts. Only a fraction of a fraction of people were affected. Also, when it comes to "nutritional supplements" and "herbal remedies" and the like, the testing regiment is really thin even today, even more back in the day. The original idea is based on the Thalidomid scandal, where a tranquilizer used for anxiety, trouble sleeping, tension, and morning sickness led to 10 000+ babies born with severe birth defects. Took 8 years before it was recalled. It had never been tested on pregnant women. Even today, if you look at possible side effects of many common medications, many of them can lead to death. And that is for medicine... a diet drug? Nowhere near that kind of testing.

As it was a diet drug, and the active compound technically was as much an impurity as anything else, the concentration varied per batch. Some were stronger. Some weaker. There were mysterious deaths, but many people using it were already in poor health, on other drugs, or on severe dieting regiments so it didn't raise too many eyebrows. Especially as some deaths were more like accidents (the house burned down) or murders (did they blow up?). In fact, many people were open with their new, strange powers before anybody connected it to the diet drug. Only then did real research start to try to isolate what compound caused the change, and it was during this work that the increased efficiency also increased lethality. There was no similarity in power sets at the time, but the level of the powers were a lot lower and more limited.

Is dairy more expensive in the FWT the same way beef is? If so, are there more milk and dairy alternatives to compensate? 

Dairy is more expensive, but not as much. It is easier and more efficient to have milk cows indoors and then slaughter them when they get too old. For cheep beef you need large grazing lands. Most beef in LD is from ex-milk cows, and young bulls. Not the highest quality. Powdered milk and milk fats is one of the big imports from Canada.

Where does Temerain’s name come from?

Liked the sound of it.

At the Farm, are Regenes allowed to operate heavy machinery? Does the Farm train them how to drive? 

Hmmm. I would say operate heavy machinery, there might be some Farm-locked Re-Genes where that might be useful. But I don't think most Re-Genes are not taught how to drive, that would give them more possible avenues of escape. Some do though, and honestly, I think a lot more of them 'know' it by instinct even if they never practiced it and might not be good. Just a residual bleedover from the memory seeds, as most of the people harvested for memories knows how to drive.

Are cuckoos a relatively newer subcategory of Re-Genes compared to the standard blue ones?

Yes, they are. Not super new, but it is a very specialized subcategory. Controversial too, I think there was a lot of internal resistance against starting that program.

How did Argent make her way to San Francisco after the Nanosurge? (Also I'd love to see a story about her time post-Nanosurge/pre Rangers if that's something you'd ever be interested in writing. And also Hollow Ground and Nocturne's mail correspondence stuff when she was an IRS tax agent following HG's work in Chicago!) 

She hid at the back of a truck. She just wanted to get as far away as she could, that she ended up in San Francisco was a coincidence. And thank you for the ideas!

As employees of the US gov, do the rangers have to pay taxes? do they have a Guy for that, or do they have to do it themselves? which of them, if they had to do their own taxes, would do the best and the worst?

Oh yes they pay taxes. They have accountants that handles all that though, someone employed by the Rangers to handle all that stuff. Perks of the team.

What would a telepathically-unaffected onlooker have seen during the gate opening choice outside of Rangers HQ?

Most likely think someone was having a bad trip.

How long had Sentinel and Hood known each other by the first chapter of Bones of the Land set in 1992?

A couple of months, haven't decided exactly.

What’s it like to live in an independent community? Are there any shared experiences that are common no matter where or is it too varied?

I would say it is quite varied. Some are very patriotic, seeing themselves as a separate entity in Los Diablos, others only see it as an administrative union for garbage, schools and so on, while others never notice. It's a bit like in the US today, cities and townships bleed into each other, like New Jersey is not a part of New York, but most people see it that way.

Do people call Los Diablos “Hell-A”? Especially when The Cat & Mr. Raptor are on their newest rampage

Technically the Los Diablos name drawing on the same inspiration as Hell-A, but since most of the people living there doesn't call their city LA, I doubt that Hell-A is a thing these days.

Has Ben ever dyed his hair fun colors?

Not voluntarily.

Does Lord Ember think A Lot about the time he first-degree burned sidesteps and they simply clocked him in his jaw about it? did he rationalize it by assuming sidestep wore something flame-resistant, or is he one of those villains who has more of an inkling of sidestep's capabilities?

He would have assumed fire resistant clothes, or some sort of heat resistant boost.

If the Void had survived their encounter with Sidestep, what would've been their next move? 

I genuinely have no idea! Void is out of the story so...

Also, what would the Void's reaction have been upon learning Sidestep and Ortega were a thing (for instances where that applies)?

Void did assume that might have been the thing even back then, hence using Sidestep as a catalyst.

does the US flag still have fifty stars on it?

Oh yes.

Was there ever a significant point in Blaze & Zephyr lives where they considered themselves/would be considered punks, hippies, or some other counter culture associated with surfing? How would their past selves feel about who they are now?

Hmmm I would say the closest things would be hippies/beach bums. A distinct countercultural feel, trying to reclaim that lost part of past whimsy. I think Blaze feels it is embarrassing, while Zephyr wants it back in a way.

What do Nocturne’s instincts tell her about Danny? Similarly: what does Daniel perceive about her? 

Spoilers.

How are Hollow Ground's table manners in a formal setting? Can they pass in a fine dining environment, or will they need to work overtime making people forget whatever etiquette crimes they'll commit?

I think they can pass alright. At least in west coast fine dining, not a super formal setting like east coast old money or similar things.

If a villain turned the rangers into animals what kind of animals would they be?

The kind of animal least likely to ruin the villain's plot. Of course, that would only mean that they'd ruin it either way in hilarious ways. For some reason the team setup that jumped into my brain was: Charge cattle, Argent otter, Steel rooster and Herald snake.

Have any of the characters considered having a service animal?

Chen has one, Spoon. Other than that, no.

What are hollow ground and crews thoughts on regenes? Will we be able to tell HG our secret?

Well, that is spoilers! Try and find out.

did nocturne bring HG any malört from chicago? Does she offer it to people she doesn’t like because malört fucking sucks?

Of course she does.

Are Re-Genes taught to swim and if so, do they have a swimming pool at the Farm?

Yes, that is seen as an essential skill. And yes they do.

Are cuckoos given weapons training like how to use firearms? What weapons in particular are they trained to use? 

Yes they are. Even the ones with boosts of similar function gets basic training. I would say it is similar to the military, you learn rifles and pistols, and if your position needs it, you learn heavier weapons.

What does the physical media situation currently look like since the internet is more like the 90s? 

Thumb drives and memory sticks.

Has Ortega witnessed Sidestep having seizures (aside from if they had one during the Void raid)? Have the other Rangers and associated (Chen, Sentinel, Anathema, Pyroclast)?

You know what, I am going to plead the fifth on that one.

Is Sidestep's 'don't notice me' field an offshoot of their thought-void (mentioned during the auction chapter). Also, how is a Re-Gene's thought-void made/achieved? Is it through the AI chip, modding, training/conditioning, drugs, something else? 

I would say it is related in a way? But not the same. Sidestep's don't notice me thingy is an ACTIVE thing, they are using their telepathy to turn people's attention elsewhere. At this point it is nearly subconscious, a bit like you don't have to think about driving, but it is still an active thing. A thought-void is a PASSIVE thing. It is a way to silence your inner thoughts and give telepathy or empathy less things to pick up on. A bit like meditation. Empty your mind. Feel no fear or elation. Be in the moment, don't think too hard about things. React. A bit like sneaking but for the mind. Be quiet. This is helped by drugs, similar to the ones Dr. Mortum takes but in a lighter dose to lessen the side-effects.

Does Chen have any hearing loss?

Yeah. The explosion that list him his hands affected his hearing badly as well. He's been wearing a cochlear implant for decades, with increasingly good results and upgrades. He doesn't even think about it anymore, it's just another part of his body that needs special aid.

I’m sure theres a lot of fun planned in regards to ortega’s rose-colored glasses coming off in regard to sidestep and their flaws, and obviously reckoning with the fact they’re a villain and has done terrible things. I’m just curious if you have other things planned in the opposite direction—aka sidestep able to acknowledge that ortega’s view of them is not entirely artificial/sentimental, and that they could have been/are still in some ways the kind of person ortega thinks they were?

Oh yeah. One of the reasons why I am writing this is to be able to explore change, not just in people around you, but also inside you. So absolutely!

Was Sunstream recruited before or after Hood's death? What did she think of Hood? 

She was recruited just before Hood's death, I think she might have been with the team for a couple of months. I think she saw Hood as a respectable hero and good team leader, but they hadn't got close personally before he was killed.

Do you have any details about the other founding Los Diablos Rangers (aside from Connors) who worked with Hood and Sentinel? Did Chen and Ortega work with them?

 I haven't detailed the first Los Diablos Ranger team yet, there's a story in there somewhere, but I don't have the cast yet.

Back in April 2021 you said Argent's favourite enemy to fight was the Crack, and that it was a 'big fight' and 'a massive brawl', is that still true? Does the Crack have hand to hand fighting capabilities? 

One of the things Argent liked about the Crack was that they were hard to pin down. Most of the time they were what she would consider "a runner" and the whole thing was a chase more than anything. She always loved chases, the whole cat and mouse deal. But the times when she managed to corner them, the fight was always unpredictable. The Crack had very varied tactics, fast, but occasionally hard hitting. A fight or two escalated quite badly, mostly because the Crack had brought allies, which made everything even more chaotic. Argent likes being surprised.

Going off of that if it’s still true. What does/did The Crack think about that fight?

Argent is TERRIFYING to fight! Keep her off them!

Was Psychopathor active as a villain before the Big One, or only after? (if it's the former, his dob in his Mitchell entry for 1971 seems way too early!)

He wasn't active before the Big One.

Would spoon sit still for his nails being painted? If Chen came home to find Step painted Spoon's nails is he exasperated, amused, or sappy? Would Chen let step paint his nails, and if yes, what color would he want or is it not his thing? 

I mean if you catch Spoon when he's sleepy, no issue. Could paint his claws alright. Chen would think that Sidestep was going stir crazy, and as weird stuff to do while trapped inside he suppose it could be worse. He'd let Sidestep paint his nails too. He would NOT pick a color.

Since there's a Re-Gene with orange and white tattoos in the warehouse fight in Rebirth (he has green fire), how typical is it for Re-Genes to have tattoos of multiple colours? 

I would say that about 25% of Re-Genes have dual colors. No three colors yet.

Have there been any instances of cuckoos being re-assigned to regular blugene teams (and given the appropriate colloidal silver additive)? Have any staff at the Farm fucked up and accidentally given a cuckoo colloidal silver? Or they realize that a blugene might've had powers better suited to be a cuckoo? 

Cuckoos have been reassigned, but it is a rare thing, and most often done early in their career and combined with some sort of reset/mindwipe. The Farm is aware that there is a real danger of letting cuckoos who has experienced the world interact with normal re-genes.

What is going on in Chen's head during the reunion in rebirth?

"I don't even know half the pieces on this chessboard anymore. The only thing I do know is that everything has changed, and most likely not for the better."

What's some of Mortum's other food crimes aside from microwaving frozen pizzas, or slapping extra cheese on them, or the waffles with extra cheese and butter (from the old mortumstep story on tumblr)? Have they ever eaten icing/frosting directly from a tub? 

Mortum is less of a sweet stuff food crimes person, and more of a fried/grease/cheese food crimes person. However I would say that they are very likely to be "Huh. Not much left in the freezer, how can I combine these things to get some food without having to go shopping because I've got work to do." So lots of odd combinations.

The relationship the Rangers & HG trio have with violence has been spoken about some but what’s it like for Dove, Mortum, & Raider?

Dove is not a violent person. She can throw down, but rarely do. It's not in her interest. She's got a soft spot that she tries to hide. Mortum thinks violence is barbaric. They are not very good at it, though when they do they are quite ruthless. Sky-Raider is very used to violence, being ex-military. Sees it as a means to an end, not something he does for the fun of it. Though sometimes it is rather fun....

Did Owl ever have any other names in her vigilante career or was she always Owl?

She was always Owl.

Does Mortum ever visit their apartment or are they basically living full time in their lab since they fired their assistant?

I would say that it varies. 50% in their lab, they have an experiment now that demands quite a bit of attention.

If sidestep had not been a regene but the telepathy/heartbreak/capture scenario as in canon had still happened, would the farm have had to fight for "custody" of sidestep/had to contend with other institutions who might have wanted a look into heartbreak? Or did the farm have sole jurisdiction/awareness?

If the Farm had got there first, which they did, they wouldn't have told anybody. There are a lot of secrets at the Farm.

When Argent’s nanovores intentionally kill someone does she try & make sure they’re unconscious first or does she not care?

If she lets her nanovores intentionally kill someone, they are a bad enough person that they deserve to be awake for the experience. Argent has a quite ruthless streak.

Since we already have Jake’s & Mortum’s, what are the rest of The HG Trios+Villains birthdates/ages?

I don't know yet, I will finalize it when they get their Mitchell files.

Was it a deliberate choice for all 3 of the named regenes so far to have similarities with common horror villains (The Bodysnatcher, The Pallid Vampire, & The Bug Person) or is it just a coincidence?

That's just coincidence, I didn't even know that was a thing. I love horror, but I have never seen it systematized as that before. But then again I am pretty ignorant about tropes and stuff.

Would ortega’s feelings be more hurt that Sidestep became a villain in part due to them, or the idea that when Sidestep became a villain they didn’t think of Ortega at all? 

The latter. Gotta remember Ortega's ego here.

So since argent bakes, does she use kitchen utensils or does she just turn her hands into a spoon/dough hook/whatever she needs at the time?

Gross! She uses utensils. She doesn't mix with her hands...

A kinda sport-y but very mundane question as someone who had been biking lately... Do any of the RO can bike? ...Exception is obviously Ortega who, we knew, had biked and had a motorcycle.

Ortega, Sky-Raider and Owl can and enjoys biking. (Owl and Ortega also likes actual bikes, the pedal kind). Dr. Mortum and Chen could drive a motorcycle, but it's not something they do often or by choice. Daniel and Argent has no idea. Argent kinda wants to learn though.

So the Special Directive was (officially) formed in 2005; up to then, were Re-Genes just deployed with handlers alongside the military before then? What's the purpose of having the Special Directive as opposed to the setup before - is it a response to the Panama human rights abuses scandal, or making 'official', so to speak, having entirely Re-Gene teams/cells? More black-ops leaning than outright warfare? 

The Special Directive was indeed an attempt to create more organization, and better oversight. It was partly a response to Panama, though work had already begun before that. There had been several events of Re-Genes escaping/going out of control when deployed under ad hoc circumstances working with the military, and the current army leadership didn't like the idea of officially bringing them into their organization instead of as plausible deniability conflict firms. So the Special Directive was a compromise. Black ops, connected to the military, but not a part of it and under as much official oversight.

Does Sidestep’s telepathy help with learning things (like languages, being tech-savvy, etc.)? & if so how does it compare to the normal people methods of learning?

It can.It speeds things up slightly since you don't have to ask questions and try to interpret answers. You can look under the hood, so to speak. Get a feel for things by observing and reading minds.

Is Sky-Raider's last name a reference to the default male Hawke's name from Dragon Age II?

Yep. My favorite DA protagonist.

Was Sky-Raider part of Chen's Trident team, or Task Force Arc?

Arc.

What did Sentinel get Chen tickets for in the Truths story?

Oh I don't remember, sorry to say. Most likely I never decided.

Considering underground structures tend to fare better against earthquakes & probably supervillain rampages too are earthscrapers an actual thing, at least on the west coast? A conceptual example of one: http://www.bunkerarquitectura.com/the-earthscraper

Oh I looove that idea. There is more underground structures in Los Diablos than LA, including the former subway. However, I think so far the underground structures are mostly by companies. Headquarters, laboratories and the like. As you say, good for security and stability.

Also, are arcologies an actual thing? 

I think there are several projects like that dotted around the west coast, especially up in Washington state and Oregon, as part of trying to rebuild in a more ecological manner. Though the west coast prides itself on the lack of regulation, it also draws a lot of people and organizations who wants to build back better and work with nature and not against it.

Would HG's obsession with their dead youngest sibling be more heavily fixated or less if their youngest sibling died younger? What about if they died older?

I literally have no idea.

Is there any particular reason why Mortum uses Jay as their cover name? I noticed while logging the forums that there used to be a distinction of Jaylen for Merle and Jayla for Mirlene

I liked the name, and I realized that the base stem of Jay would work for both male and female Mortum, no need to do two variants.

Additionally, how did Merle and Mirlene settle on their respective names? Did they go through a few first before deciding they liked Merle/Mirlene best? And when deciding on Dr. Mortum as their villain name, was that also to match their name? (more directly for authorial intent: did you pick M names for them to match Mortum?) 

I did not intentionally pick M names. Mortum is one of the character who has been going through the most name changes, in the end I literally was sitting with a list of regional names scrolling down until I found something that felt right. I rarely have a plan with my names, it's just vibes.

How about for Sentinel with his name? How did he end up deciding on Luis?

His grandfather's name. He felt that was fitting.

Mortum's lab is pretty advanced and sprawling - can I ask, did they, or Vitruvian, take it over from a company? Perhaps one that came in the 90s when the FEZ was established? Seems unlikely that it was built relatively recently, especially since it's underground - I'd assume it's reinforced like a bunker for earthquakes too? 

Oh yeah, the lab is not bespoke. The core is from the late nineties, and the majority of the space it has sprawled into now was originally underground storage space. Mortum wasn't even the first "private" owner, there was another villain who had it as a base before. Haven't detailed them, but Mortum worked with them on occasion, and when they were killed Mortum decided to take over the base while it was free.

Was Dr. Mortum's gender (not about them being trans, but in general) known when they were active as a villain? And since female villains are less common, did this affect things for Mirlene compared to Merle?

Mortum's gender was known, though not exactly something they drew attention to. I think Mirlene did feel more exposed, and was often typecast as Vitruvian's girlfriend to her chagrin.

What determines a thought's telepathic volume? Can you concentrate harder to make a thought louder?

You can absolutely focus on making them louder. Generally, the intensity of focus, and emotional level makes it louder. Earworms, intrusive thoughts, internal monologues, people who talk to themselves in their head are louder than others. But just like voice volume, it is rather personal.

If herald had to sit on someone to keep them down, would it be more or less effective then average due to his powers?

Less efficient. Would be smarter to lift them instead.

Has Halabi met Vitruvian? Has she worked with him? 

She did meet him, but they never worked together.

Was Halabi and Mortum's falling out that they mention in the selfcrash puppetstuck route over Re-Genes specifically, or more generally over morals and the Re-Genes coming up in the middle of it?

Nope. Over a different thing you might find out.

What led Halabi to working on the wrong side of the law before going legit as a regular doctor for enhanced at the Memorial Hospital? 

Money. She started at the legit side, and moonlighted for the wrong side of the law for quite some time. She tried not to do too nasty things, but at heart the money was too good to ignore. That and the option to work with things she wouldn't have encountered otherwise. In the end, that expertise led her to getting a better position at the memorial hospital.

Aside from their pain gates do Armadillo & Shroud have any mods? & would it be too much of a spoiler to know what they are?

Not really.

Do you have an approximate map of the various locations in Los Diablos are/what parts were changed like the coastline shape to keep track of where things are?

Nothing I am sharing yet, but there is a really fun thing I am working on that will get into that.

Whereabouts in the California countryside is the ranch if it's south east, in the desert and a few hours drive after getting clear of the LD traffic? There was also the mention of distant brown hills in the 1.1.4 preview 

I have not specified a spot. I try not to do that, because then I can get people to tell me that things I write are wrong ;).

Does Ortega effectively have their own permanent room at the Memorial Hospital with how often they get injured and their mods being complicated/requiring regular specialist upkeep? 

Not permanent, but there has been joke that they should get some sort of frequent visitor card.

If the Rangers turned villain who is most likely to change their suit/armor vs least likely from their Rangers gear?

They would all change!

Will we be able to completely cut off the rangers?

Not sure. It is a question of content, cutting out that completely would either mean writing the same amount of content for other things, or accept that the path is way shorter. I aim to try as much as possible, but I hope you realize that I need to pull the paths together a bit now.

How exactly does the boost drug work and what is the fluid it’s made out of?

Look. It is science fiction drugs, I have no idea. It works because it needs to work for the story. The laws of physics and nature are not the same in that world as they are in ours.

Do Argent, Blaze, Zephyr, or any other characters that surf wear those stereotypical surfer necklaces? (Shark teeth, shells, etc.)

Zephyr. Absolutely.

Is downtown Los Diablos about the same area/location as it was/is for Los Angeles? 

Not exactly, I am working on a proper map.

Was there a particular reason you chose to cut nuclear power from the FHR universe? Was it because the real world nuclear reactor sites on the West Coast and possible interactions with the Mammoth Lake supervolcanic explosion from the Big One possibly causing a nuclear winter if nuclear power was widespread like it is in our world?

It was mostly a consequence of deciding not to have any nuclear weapons, and essentially exchanging flight/missile/space/nuclear for mods/robots/humanoid armors/boosts. Since civilian nuclear power was so closely tied to the atomic weapons, I removed that as well. I'd love to add some nuclear disasters as well, but so far there is one single user of "atomic powers," and that's a boost.