Augusts questions answered! (Patreon)

Not spending much time on social media lately due to brain issues, but here are questions answered! Hopefully the Lore post will come tomorrow, and then I'm back on working on the demo. Only one final big scene left before I need to tie everything together and make the character creator.

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So IRL the Russians invented bionics to compete with early cybernetics research in the late 60s but eventually gave up on the field of study altogether in the late 80s when cybernetics R&D made so many breakthroughs it was clear they could never reasonably compete with bionics. In a lot of ways bionics were far better than even current day publicly available cybernetics or prosthetics. Some current prosthetics are actually based on bionics research. Did bionics ever become popular or keep developing in the Fallen Hero world? Look into some of the old bionics research projects it's incredibly interesting might even give you some good ideas.

Honestly, in the FH world I think the concept of "mods" includes both cybernetics and bionics. At the core you modify the human body in some way, this can be done with metals and wires, electronic systems, with vat-grown biological tissue, or with combinations of all of the above. It can be done to enhance the body, but it can also expand and change it into new configurations, and add functionalities that was never there before. These can be inspired by nature, or coming from people's imagination.

Did argent ever have doubts about whether her stealing the nanovores was due to her own connection to them or outside forces?

No, she was sure it was an outside influence (the alternative was too terrible to even consider).

In the code Dr. Mortum uses ${mhe} etc., M for Mortum, which makes sense, but Charge/Ortega uses ${he} instead of ${che} which Sidestep and Themmy use instead, why is that?

Ortega used the most amount of variable pronouns in Rebirth, so I wanted them to have the base one since that makes writing easier. Both Themmy and Sidestep has their pronouns used very rarely (and it is the same), so I decided on ${che}. The C stands for Character, since Sidestep is the main character. I never considered until now that might be seen as standing for Charge...

There's code in rebirth for a variable called puppetargent_friendship which was never used and it doesn't appear at all in Retribution; was Argent supposed to have met the puppet in Rebirth before you changed your mind on this?

Yeah. Originally I had planned to have puppet/argent interactions to build for a thing that happened near the end in the original book, but as I wrote I realized there was no natural way for this to happen in the story without adding an entirely new branch, and at the time I was already wanting to finish the (as I thought at the time) massive project. I forgot to remove the variable afterwards, there are a few other orphan variables in there I think.

Is there an incredibly autistic super genius solving random mysteries in the Fallen Hero world?, like a slightly lazier L from death note because I think it'd be pretty funny if there was some random who could solve pretty much everyone's problems but is just to lazy or disinterested to bother.

Look, nobody will ever know. As you say, there might be some very intelligent super genius out there who os currently putting their mind to use by studying the migratory patterns of birds post-eruption, or the changing ant population in the cascade mountains. You will never know.

How does Arde feel about cuckoos? Do they feel cheated out of their unique experiences or something else?

Spoilers. We will explore that in game!

What’s going thru Chen’s head when a “villain?” Step admits to going to therapy? How come he gets more sus?

I would say that his line of reasoning would be something like "Things have to be REALLY bad if Sidestep of all people are going to therapy. Huh. I wonder what brought that on."

Does Spoon have a favorite spot to nap?

The couch.

How did Locus get access to the boost drug at only 13?

She and some older kinds stole the wrong (right) bag.

Danny seems to still be learning the extent of his powers. How often does he push the limits?

Not as often as he could, he tries to find other ways to solve things than through extravagant displays of power.

Step’s second escape was a mess for the farm. How long did it take to get things back to normal/functioning?

Several months, though some might argue that it's not back to normal even now...

Could an empathetic step with a good relationship with HG play a softening role to their methods?

I can imagine that.

Has HG ever had a point in their career where they regret what they’ve done or think they’ve gone too far?

Most people have, yeah. HG has done things they have regretted after the fact.

Has Argent avoided her family for reasons other than the nanovores?

It is mostly the nanovores, but there is also some fear of revealing that they are related to a hero. That's always a risk.

Did Elena notice Step’s secret crush back in the day? How about now if they’re healing at the ranch?

I would say that Elena at least suspected strongly, even if she never knew for sure.

If there was a way to keep their abilities intact while removing their mods/healing their bodies would Ortega, Chen, Argent jump at the opportunity? If so what would be the limit of their willingness to take a hypothetical deal? Say if a known & proven miracle worker(for lack of a better term) was offering. I know I basically asked this question a long time ago so no hard feelings if it's ignored.

I mean their abilities wouldn't be intact of their mods were removed, or if Argent's body was healed. But for the sake of argument, Chen would take it immediately. He would be all too happy to just put in a new armor-interface port and have all his biological bits back. No hesitation. Argent would take it, she wants her body to be whole. Her technopathy would be intact, but it is doubtful she would risk using the nanovores even if she technically could on the outside of her skin. They would go into storage, even if she would feel bad for her friends. Ortega... oh boy, that is a pickle. That would depend on if they feel they had finished up their business or not. Most likely not.

I would love to be able to reveal to argent that step was the one who put them up for the women's university award. Will we be able to tell her this and get her reaction? I think it would be delightful to see how annoyed she gets with this.  

I'm going to try to remember that, because that would be fun!

Also would like to know if HG would feel as though step is their long lost sibling and if so is there a possibility of becoming attached to them as if they are a sibling?

All signs points to yes.

Im at home with COVID (just sniffles and isolation not major) and was wondering how would the ROs treat a sick sidestep? Do they get pampered or is it a 'oof hmu if you need something?'

Well, we will certainly get to explore that with broken bones Sidesteps. I know Herald pampers, but some of the others I am more unsure of. It will be interesting for me to write out!

Does Ortega have any major regrets with their epilepsy? I can see them going crazy at a rave/clubbing. 

Raves and flashing lights is a regret yeah. They loved that pre-accident, but not something they can enjoy after it. Also, the medication isn't always fun, though the dosage is adjusted to have a minimum of side effects by now, they are still there.

In Retribution, at Ortega's apartment, when Step is reflecting on how the Farm tried to convince them that their friends never really cared about them, there's a line "Was it an accident that they left that paper in the office, the front page showing everything you feared?" -- what was on the front page? (or is that headcanon/spoilers territory?)

I think I have vaguely detailed it in discussions earlier, not sure if it was on tumblr or on one of the discords. The details might vary depending on the Sidestep (especially romanced or not), but essentially it showed Ortega being out and having fun, moving on. Some comments to the press that mentioned Anathema would have wanted them to move on in response to a question, but no mention at all of Sidestep. If Sidestep was romanced, they are in a new and happy relationship.

When Sidestep talks about the Farm raiding their mind until it was in worse shape than their body, what does the Farm use to do that? Do they have like, telepathic imaging tech? Or would they use another telepath to extract the information/memories they wanted?

It was done with the help of the Core, which is the machinery used to implant/extract memories from the AI chips of Re-Genes among other things. It is telepathic in nature.

Since DARPA have been testing thought imaging tech for over forty years in black sites IRL, I would really hope that the directive has invested in that same tech. Otherwise they'd basically be at the mercy of a cooperative telepath which I can't see as acceptable to any group of maniacs playing god on the same scale they are whether or not they see it as playing god.

Oh there is a lot of government testing going on, and things like telepathy, remove viewing, psychometry and mind control are at the top of that list. Incidentally, that's how drugs affecting telepathy like Thalomide and Numbers were developed, as well as dampeners. You can bet that the cutting edge technology has not trickled down to civilian use yet.

A lot of characters can make comments about an alcohol steps habits, coming in book 3 (depending on ending ofc) would any of them try to stage an intervention of sorts? Or if step is staying and healing with a Ranger/RO would any potentially try and cut them off?

Some of them would absolutely have a talk with Sidestep about it, most likely Herald or Steel.

Given that there will possibly be HB talks coming up, will Steps have a chance to define their feelings/relationship with Anathema pre HB?

Yeah, we will get more into that.

So I'm curious, is Argent actually a naive idealist like she occasionally comes off as or this that just more acting? 

I would say it is more acting, but it is also an aspiration. She really want to be, because it would be so much easier to be a monster.

Could we get up to some truly unethical anarchy & chaos generation in the book 3 like say hitting large scale food production facilities, taking out water treatment or power plants? Don't forget changing out medicine for either placebos or other substances? I mean proper anarchy is remarkably unfortunate for most people & if the people of the nation are busy fighting for their survival than technically that only benefits a Sidestep dedicated to self preservation, as the government would by default be close to or already in shambles at best.

Hmmm. I am not sure if it will be in book three or four, but doing things like attacking food or water supplies to bring Los Diablos to its knees will certainly be possible and not necessarily tied just to the Anarchist path. I can see Boss Sidesteps finding that useful as well. The scale of "acts committed" will escalate as the story progresses, so you will get there eventually. Chaos and desperation can be important tools.

You mentioned that Psychopather and HG worked together at one point or at the very least agreed not to mess with each other, how did they both feel about that agreement?

Neither of them were too happy about it, they are different people and really don't go well together. Psychopathor feels HG is weak, HG thinks Psychopator is a showy brute.

Given that HG’s empire takes advantage of and preys on communities that need help the most… how does Jake feel about it, given he had no real choice but to resort to crime to provide for his family? Especially the families/people that suffer for it? 

Jake does have the occasional qualms, but it is easier to overlook since it's not HIS community.

Is a blue Re-Gene’s hair affected by the blue tint as well? Or does it look like normal hair? 

Normal hair.

Does Jake’s family know what exactly he does as a job nowadays? Being a hitman is rather different to being a drug runner. How do they feel about it? Do his nieces/nephews know? His siblings/parents?

They don't know more details than that he has a cushy job in the US that lets him send back a lot of money. They knew he was involved in illegal shit back home (and didn't approve) but this looks to be a lot more legitimate. His grandmother still suspects this is not entirely legal, but at least it pays well, and people with money are rarely affected by the laws.

Will it be up to player choice whether or not Sidestep killed people during their second escape from the Farm?

Yes.

Also, a bit of a delicate topic, but for Sidesteps that were sexually abused by the Farm, will they ever come face to face with their abuser(s)? In a manner where Sidestep has their autonomy still, just to be clear. Or will it just be a "in the past" thing that's more about the effects and repercussions.

I don't know. I really don't. It depends on how I feel when writing it. It is a scene that requires a lot to work. If I don't feel I can do it right, I won't do it. But that is book four.

Is Arde's plan something that only affects them or is others too? 

Others too.

What was Armadillo's name before they escaped? And why did they chose their current name? 

Not going into detail about their previous name, but they chose their current name after the animal. They felt a kinship. Also they are cute.

How many people can actually withold HG threading? 

There are certain conditions apart from telepathy that makes it harder, but won't go into that because of spoilers. Also, willpower helps.

If it's not too spoilerish, what was Sidestep life like in the farm? I have gotten a picture they were kept pretty isolated but at the same time they are familiar with re-gene language and are aware how 'lucky' they were, compared to some of their siblings. 

I will probably do another, longer, lore post about it in the future. They were pretty isolated, sure, but they also did some socializing with other Re-Genes. They (and other cuckoos) were seen as teacher's pets. They looked differently, got to do weird individual training, and were treated like individuals, at least to the Re-Genes eyes. Sidestep picks up on things faster than most thanks to their telepathy, Re-Genes were often used as test subjects for Sidestep to train on. That's where they picked up an understanding of the language, that's not something cuckoos normally are a part of.

Who are the most protective RO's ranked in order? 

Huh. You know what? I don't know, and I feel that would depend on the Sidestep. Apart from Ortega, who we all know would be at the top.

How many people has Argent killed? Have her nanovores killed someone that she absolutely did not want to kill?

I'm not sure exactly, but I would say a few dozen. Her nanovores did kill people she didn't want to kill at the start, that was deeply traumatizing and one reason why she managed to bring them under control.

What's the most embarrassing thing Ortega has done that Sidestep has witnessed? Were they able to bully Ortega about it afterwards or does Ortega have no shame?

Being tipsy and silly at a party, and accidentally messing up while showing off and basically ripping their pants or dress to the point where their entire ass was hanging out. Ortega has no shame about things like that, the things that gets to them are other things. Not being the occasional fool.

Was Argent correct that Sidestep was very lucky to have survived invading her mind, or is she underestimating the strength of Sidestep's mental powers?

She is underestimating them.

Would Chen and a lesbian Sidestep feel a special kinship once they've become friendly enough for Chen to come out to her?

Oh I can absolutely see that.

Since the rat king's brains were removed at birth, was some kind of growth induced so they'd reach full size and maturation, or are they all still infant rat brains?

You said the rat king had their brains harvested as newborns. Does this mean the brains are still the same size or have the brains matured and grown? 

Well, not directly at birth, but before their eyes opened. And yes, they were growing normally up to adult size, then they stopped. No growth inducing, but their final housing and storage wasn't completed until after they reached "adulthood." Until then they were kept in more temporary tanks for experiments. There were more brains from the batch originally, these five are the only survivors. They don't remember the others.

What did Owl say to provoke a punch from Ortega?

Probably bad Mouthing Sidestep.

Are there any traditions or holidays in LD that are considered sacrosanct by both heroes and villains? For instance, even the worst villains don't cause trouble on, say, a memorial day for the Big One (is there a memorial day for that?)

There is absolutely a memorial day for the Big One! But I am not sure there is one where nobody makes trouble. Even though most wouldn't do anything on days like that, there's always the outlier who takes advantage of it.

Will we be able to choose our Step's past relationship to the Farm? Whether they were fully subordinate or always had intentions to run?

Yes, that is my intention. Especially the first time, it might have even been half accident for some Sidesteps.

Will we be able to be more evil and antagonistic in books 3 and 4? 

I don't like the term evil, but definitely more antagonistic. The less things there are to hide, the less you need to pretend to be civil. But remember, I also need to keep a lot of characters alive to book four, and also able to interact.

For Chen and Ortega who are almost certain they know Sidestep is the villain, is the almost part intentional? They're both savvy and capable enough that if they really wanted to they could prove their suspicions. So why haven't they? 

I would say that both of them ARE working on it in some scenarios. You just need proof. Especially if Sidestep is romancing someone else. In other scenarios they might actively NOT be looking into it. They might not want to know the truth, especially if in a relationship.

Do either of them suspect that the other has also figured it out? 

Nope. They both think the other is more ignorant than they really are.

Does Psychopathor have a civilian life? Could he go out into society and no one would think he's anything special? 

At this point, not really. He's very distinct physically, and while he certainly is not above dressing up in a suit and go to dinner, it's not like people wouldn't recognize him. The question is whether anybody would dare to do anything about it.

How big a deal is Psychopathor? Is he a top tier villain, the best in his niche, or just one of many modded criminals?

I would say that he is an A-list villain, but he has been slipping lately. Now he has a certain air of the has-been, still dangerous, but not as cool as he once was.

Did Psychopathor's natural psi abilities have any effect on being threaded? 

Yes, they break faster than they should, which is annoying for HG. But Psychopathor doesn't know he was threaded.

Are people with natural psi abilities more likely to develop telepathy from boosting? 

Yes. A lot. Or related mental powers.

Could they develop true telepathy from a TBR without being boosted first?

Hmmm. I would say technically yes, but it would have to be very specific circumstances.

If Sidestep possessed another telepath would they be able to intuitively use and understand their telepathy? 

Depends on how close it is in style. It can be as simple as driving a tractor when you're used to a sports car, or as hard as trying to navigate a sub, or a mountainbike.

If Sidestep really tried could they learn to understand their nanovores as well as Argent, or is their mind too tech for Sidestep to be able to make sense of? 

Too alien and techy. Sidestep only has on-off and directional buttons, while Argent has an entire keyboard.

Is Argent willing to pursue a real relationship with Sidestep because she knows they can actually protect themself from her if she loses control? 

Yes, that is one part of it. If she did't trust that, it wouldn't matter how much they liked them.

Was there a time after Argent got a lock on her nanovores symbiosis that she reveled in being a brand new, very powerful person. Is there any of that still left or has the novelty worn off? 

Once she had gained enough control to make her new face and venture out of the sewers, she absolutely went on a total powertrip. She felt reborn, powerful, dangerous and hot. She still get those feelings when she's completely in sync with her nanovores and everything just flows. The best feeling.

Is Catfiend maxed out? Is his regeneration so powerful that he can't undergo TBR, be boosted, or be modded anymore? 

Yeah, it has reached peak Fiend.

If there is still a person deep down inside Catfiend, could Sidestep find them? 

Yes, if they would dare to go deep enough into that mind.

Can HG unthread themself? If they said "I won't leave this room until I finish my work" and then something urgently required their attention can they say something like "I can leave now" and undo it? 

Yes, HG can always undo their own threads.

Has HG ever accidentally threaded themself in such a way that was dangerous and/or disadvantagous to themself and they just had to wait it out and hope nothing bad happened? 

I think at the start there might have been misjudgements like "I'm not sleepy" and then being awake for three days straight working until they collapsed. But not these days.

Does HG consider their power weaker than their older brother's? 

If you ask them, NO. If you read their mind, oh yes.

HG only cares about a few people, some Sidesteps only care about a few people, how much of a problem can it be if the only people they both care about is each other? 

I mean... that depends on how bad they are for each other.

Jake is proud of his position in HG's organization and insecure about how he got there. Would he be angrier if Sidestep treated him like HG treated the puppet or if they treated him as HG's sidepiece? 

Oh they would both be equally bad, but the latter one would also insult his manhood. So, probably the latter now that I think of it.

How much work does Nocturne do independently of HG, does she meet with people on her own or only with HG? 

I would say that about 60% of her work is without HG. She's independent, and HG is slightly lazy.

Does Nocturne hate her power? There is no proactive use for it, it's mostly useless to her if everything is already going her way. Does it reminds her of how passive and incapable she used to be?  

I wouldn't say she hates it, but she certainly does think it is fairly useless. It is good defensively, which is nice, but she has been pondering trying a second boosting experience. Hollow Ground is absolutely against that, they're not sure she would survive a second time.

Did you expect fans to latch onto and be so interested in the HG trio even though they've only really had one appearance so far?

No. I did not. Not at all. I thought that would be a book three thing.

In rebirth step was really scared about the void cage breaching during the fight. does that mean that even if neutered, the nanovores are capable of doing another (inorganic) Nanosurge? 

I mean Sidestep is sitting inside a very inorganic, massively expensive armor that would most likely be the nanovores first dinner...

Are you planning to push out the b1 update before the demo or is it a case of "whichever one will be ready first"?

I want the demo first.

Sorry if this falls under "elaborate what-ifs" but I'm curious: if Ortega knew about the puppet body, and step was in it, would they still want to have sex? (If you're romancing them obv)

I mean it would be a bit skeevy but... Ortega is a bit of a bastard, and if they truly believed the body was just an empty husk there's no harm in it, right?

I imagine we'd get to bring Ortega a gift for their birthday. Will one of these gifts be a new mug? (To replace the broken one and come full circle.)

I plan to have some options, but a bug would certainly be poetic and affordable for broke Sidesteps.

Did the farm force sidestep to sleep with their targets? for information gathering or whatever else? Because the Ortega apartment dialogue makes it seem like step does have a sexual history they just don't consider it "real" because it wasn't with someone they cared about.

No. The tattoos were there. What Sidestep can be thinking about is having a sexual history in their puppet body. There it is up to headcanon whether they explored those parts or not.

Do we continue to train herald in b3? If we do, are we going to get dedicated scenes like b2 or is it more summarized flavor text of how he's doing?

You can, and there might be a small scenes. Especially for things like if Herald knows you are the villain, but you are still doing this. We'll see. Otherwise it will be more general text and references to offstage events.

Was the Regene Sidestep saved/killed/didn't meet apart of Ardie's batch/team?

Nope.

HYPOTHETICALLY the Castrofiend's (the Kitty Cat as I call it) can heal and regenerate itself forever. But it seems that not the mind can, or not well. Could Sidestep rip out Kitty's mind or turn it to mush to kill it? Or take control of its body if you void the mind entirely like the puppet?

Ehehehe Sidestep absolutely could... with some help. The Catastrofiend have an ace up its non-existent sleeve, even if Sidestep dares to engage with that toxic, corrosive mind.

Does Argent know that her powers come from Project Stripes?

No. And... well... okay. You know how sometimes things that are meant to be secret sort of slips out of containment, mostly by me not remembering what is secret or not. Project Stripes is one of those things. It was meant to be revealed in book three, there have been birthday questions about it, and I have answered some non-descriptive questions here, which has led to even more confusion for people who has not been around long enough to pick up the nuggets I can sometimes drop when I've had a beer or two too much. So, for everyone curious, this month's lore post will be all about Project Stripes.

I hope this never happens because I love the girls, but what would happen if one of the rat brains that makes up the Rat King dies? How would it affect the surviving girlies? What would happen to the effectiveness of the Rat King? Would a telepath on the lower power end notice?

At this point, they are so integrated with each other that I don't think they can survive a loss of one. Mentally, yes, physically? No. I suppose there might be the possibility to save the others through emergency surgery, but the result would be like suffering a major stroke.

Could Jake phase through Anathema?

Yes, no issues there.

Per the timeline:

1997: Mount Hood is one of the founding members of the Los Diablos Rangers, as is Sentinel.

1999: Mount Hood becomes Marshal Hood of the Rangers.

Who was the original Marshal? Or did they just take some time to officially declare one?

The first Marshal of the Los Diablos Rangers was not a boost, or a very powerful mod. Her name was Captain Katherine "Kat" Connors, and she was an active military officer in the US army. While well-trained in tactics and leadership, she only mad minor mods, only rarely joining the team in the field preferring to rely on directing the action from afar. Her main role was to be a liaison with the US Government, most of the starting teams had a similar command structure. She died in action in 1999 during an attack on the Rangers' HQ, and there was a big discussion about the safety of essentially non-powered active members. Hood had been working as her field commander, and he was put into the Marshal position in her place. It was decided that it was too much of a risk to have normal humans be involved. Let the boosts sort things out. Few people remember these first human Marshals, they didn't have flashy codenames, and many fan-sites and history books leave them out, or only have entries about them as a precursor to the real thing. Many would claim that Marshal Hood was indeed the first Marshal, and say he was acting as one in anything but name.

What changes to her apartment would Argent make once she's healed? 

Depends on how things works out, but she's always wanted big windows and a balcony or patio.

How small can Snowball make her explosions? Is she smart and accurate enough to make small, innocuous looking sabotages?

Hm. I would say it's less about smarts and more about the wonderful thrill of large booms. She can make smaller explosions, but I would say the minimum is about a hand-grenade or so.

Has Anish Kapoor, creator of the Chicago Bean and all around prick, attempted to sue Argent for stealing his style?

Going to clarify, do you think that the fictional version of Anish Kapoor who exists within the FHR-verse(because the Bean also exists) would sue Lady Argent for the similarities in her appearance relative to the aforementioned Bean? 

You know what? This world's variant probably did. However, the Rangers have good lawyers, so that didn't go far. Normally I don't drag real world people, but I'll make an exception in his case.

Are nanovores specialized within the swarm? Like how ants have foragers, scouts, soldiers and queens? Or is any single nanovore capable of everything that any other nanovore is capable of?

They are all capable of evolving into any role as needed, but there are variants within the swarm, yes. I haven't detailed it, but I always saw it that, for example, when the nanovores swarm and breed, some of them change into the procreating versions, putting out tons of 'drones,' so the center of the swarm seethes and grows as the edges expands.

Can Ace's precognition be used to guarantee successful Boosts? Like they watch a patient, see the future, then give the go ahead to Boost or postpone for tomorrow? 

I mean technically yes... but so far Ace's precognition has mostly been focused on themself, not on others.

What would happen if Shroud tried to drain the Void?

On nom nom.

How many times has the Catfiend been TBR'd? Did its time in the void gun count as one prolonged TBR?

Oh I have no idea, at this point there's really no point in keeping count, it has reached the maximum extent on where its boost can go.

Did any of the mechanics who've helped repair the Catfiend's mechanical parts survive the encounter afterwards?

Yes, especially at the start. Lately accidents have happened...

Does the Catfiend prefer its hero drug in the powdered or liquid form?

Liquid! A quicker fix.

How does Argent dispose of acculumated dead nanovores? How does she hide the nature of the disposed garbage? 

There's not a lot of it, well cared-for nanovores last a long time. Some inert ones gets repurposed as hair, but most gets filtered out by the pool cleaning systems. She makes sure those filters are destroyed regularly, the Rangers have access to facilities for destroying toxic and dangerous waste. She makes sure the log-in system and cameras never records her going there and dumping things.

Does Jake making himself more solid also affect his actual density? Would he sink faster in water when "solidified"?

Yes, it does, and yes, he would.

Did HG and all their siblings share the same mother?

Yes.

Without Nocturne in HG's corner, how much damage would Ortega have been able to do to their organization?

Probably more than they have done now, Nocturne is good at her job.

Who has more assets(people, tech, money) to call upon in a punch, the Farm or HG?

I am going to leave that unsaid.

So how are lost and broken teeth fixed in the Fallen Hero universe? Is there better tech/more options for repair and replacement than what exists currently in real life?

Yeah, they have the teeth-regrowing tech already (google it, it is approved and going to trial). Gold teeth are still used, but mostly for show, and teeth modifications (like small fangs or pointed teeth) are not unheard of. Some prefer fully artificial teeth due to durability and the ability for even weirder modifications.

Has any particularly adventurous nanovore escaped Argent's apartment yet?

No. She keeps tight control over them.

Does the Catastrofiend feel pain?

Yes. And it has mixed feelings about that.

You mentioned in the last QnA that tallstep putting things on the top shelf would only annoy Argent, but wouldn't she be able to tentacle arm and just grab it that way without much issue? She's used that move in front of camera crews so it's not exactly a secret anymore that she can do that.

Argent doesn't like doing things which breaks her "ideal body" integrity. She does in a fight, sure, but a lot of that is instinct and adrenaline. It takes a lot of effort to keep her form constant and perfect, she can't just go and change things up willy-nilly. The pattern in her mind needs to be strong enough that she can exert as little effort as possible over the nanovores, the more she adjusts and change the body, the harder that becomes. If she was stretching on a regular basis, she would have a harder time being herself. So she would most likely clamber onto the counter like a disgruntled raccoon.

Can telepaths merge their brain vibes to strengthen their overall output?

Some can, others can't. It's all about trust.

Has there been any attempts to make a targeted anti-Boost agent? Like a pathogen or chemical weapon that only effects Boosts?

Of course it has! There's always human-first supremacists, and some boosts are dangerous enough that the army has been deeply invested in trying to find something. In a way, boosts level the violence playing field where only nations and the rich had been playing in so far. So, they are dangerous to the status quo. So far, nothing has been successful. The changes the drug makes on the body is far too variable to have a common cause.

Are Dr Mortum's Halloween parties invite only, or if you make a big enough name for yourself in the villain world you can attend? Is there anyone we know on the Do Not Invite list? 

Have any of Dr Mortum's Halloween parties been disrupted by meddling heroes?

Invite only! But Mortum invites a lot of people. The Catastrofiend is on the DO NOT, UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES, list. I don't think any parties have been attacked, but there have been the occasional hero infiltrating by posing as a villain. Mortum doesn't mind as long as they don't make a mess and has a good time.

If a cuckoo got the power of superintelligence (like Sister Sage in The Boys season 4), how would the Farm react, given that while such a re-gene would be able to plan and plot in ways that would out-think a city's worth of people, they would also be far too smart to believe in any of the Farm's propaganda about them not being human?

That kind of Regene would not be made into a cuckoo. Indeed, they would most likely be integrated into the Farm proper, as mart of the machinery, if normal control measures failed.

What does the Hollow Ground organization like, actually do? What are their principle rackets? Drugs? Guns? Sex? Most of that isn’t even illegal in the FEZ, so I’m not quite sure what there is for a criminal syndicate to do in Los Diablos beyond robbing banks and picking fights with heroes for fun.

Ah, yes, you are right! Crime is a little bit different in Los Diablos. But one important thing to remember is that the council that runs Los Diablos is interested in lax regulation for THEIR sake, not for that of the citizens. Thus, anything that threatens the orderly progression of capitalist dystopia is illegal as hell. This is just like saying "oh there is no taxes on the west coast!" but in reality, the number of fees and insurances needed fills a similar role if you want to be part of civilized society.

Some examples: Lighter drugs like marijuana, nicotine, alcohol and the like are legal and easy to buy. Others, like amphetamine and cocaine are legal if bought from a licensed dispenser, but those prices are high enough that only people with money can imbibe without issue, others settle for cheaper street-side substitutes. More destructive drugs, like heroin, crack and the like are illegal since they destroy the obedient workforce. In In Los Diablos, this includes the boost drug, the companies wants control over that. You can sign up to be a test subject, though. Sex work is legal, guns can be easily obtained, BUT the kind of guns that can take down boosts or heavy mods are not. Military weaponry, armor, and more exotic tech is all illegal and highly lucrative. See the auction for example. In short, if you are wondering if something would be illegal, try to imagine if it would threaten or harm a powerful company's bottom line. If it would, then it is most likely illegal. If not? Probably not, unless someone on the council has a deep personal issue with it. For example, being a member of a union is illegal, but you can pick up a bag of amphetamines at the dispensary to be able to manage long working days.

As for where HG's focus is, I would say that at the moment it lies within the spheres of weapons smuggling, illegal tech, industrial espionage, and boost-related products. Also tons of money laundering, extortion, embezzlement and other white-collar crimes. The big money comes from playing cat-and also cat with the companies. That's not to say there's not also some drug dealing, and things like underground boost fighting rings and the like.

Other things about the law: There are traffic rules, but things like driving under the influence only matters if you crash/cause a disturbance. Then the penalties are much higher. No law needing seatbelts or helmet. No environmental protections. Quite heavy media censorship and privacy laws to protect the wealthy and famous. Murder is seen differently if the victim is an upstanding citizen or an undesirable. Police and licensed heroes have the power to kill and destroy a lot before it becomes an issue. Handle it nicely and nobody will care. Technically the Rangers are only subject to US law, and can't be touched by local Los Diablos laws. That also means they should follow US law, but in practice nobody checks or cares unless they want to get rid of a Ranger.

We've been told about the minds of dogs, and a few zoo animals, but how does Sidestep perceive the minds of cats?

Mutual quiet respect, occasional mirroring. Cats' minds are quiet and pleasant to be around, but they can sneak up on you.

On a similar note, would cats make reliable telepathic security cameras given their propensity to loaf and watch the goings on around them for hours on end?

That is now the cutest image in my head, so I would say yes.

If The Void or Heartbreak trauma boosts never happened but they still managed to meet would Sidestep's presence still have the same effect on Lady Argent’s nanovores as they do now?

Yes.

Can Ortega be swayed to the villain's side without knowing that they're sidestep? If the MC wants to convince Ortega purely through their arguments and not through their bond.

Yes.

Would Nocturne's power work on Argent?

Hmmmm. I will say that is spoilers since it might be important in the story.

Does plating or other material padding interfere with Argent's technopathy?

No.

Due to volcanic ash over the FEZ, does this complicate agriculture? Do they have to import from the US?

The central valley is nearly back to normal, but it took a lot of time and work. The winds were favorable at the time, mostly blowing the ashes east. But starvation was rife in the nineties, and food is still somewhat of an issue now that the population is beginning to rise. Importing food from the US is very hard, they have even more of an issue with this due to larger population and the devastation of the midwest. The FEZ imports mostly from Canada and Mexico, the biggest food import by far is grains, mainly maize, wheat and soy-beans. The biggest change to the standard US diet would be that red meat is expensive and rare now, most things that would have been beef is now chicken, pork, or vegetable meat-replacements. Both chickens and pigs can be raised in a factory-farm setting and are not as reliant on grazing lands. Fish is generally ground to protein pellets to feed the chickens and the pigs, there is still a superstition about eating fish due to the many dead washed into the sea after the Big One. Not that there is fishing going on near Los Diablos, but there is elsewhere along the western shores.

Does the US participate in the Olympics, what about the FEZ? Did Los Diablos win the bid for the 2028 Olympics just like LA did?

There are no Olympics in this world!

Would a romanced Argent ever confess to Sidestep about her dislike for her birthday and maybe even its real date?

Possibly, this is another thing they share.

Now that she's made a name for herself, if Argent saw a woman who she thought was beautiful, with some features that she thinks are better than her own, would she be inclined to adjust her appearance?

No. She doesn't dare. This is her "ideal form," she needs to keep it in order not to confuse the nanovores, or risk the equilibrium.

How does Sidestep handle the minds of children? Kids are weird, their brains are still developing, and Sidestep believe themselves to have never truly been a child. Is the mind of kiddos something alien? Overwhelming? Is there a greater risk of their telepathy damaging a child's mind?

Yes, Sidestep avoids children if at all possible, apart from the more general things like the "don't notice me" field. They are mutable, unpredictable, and not yet socialized enough to be easy to understand. Also, they make Sidestep feel weird.

If they were to play a D&D campaign, which classes/races would each of the ROs be drawn to playing?

Doing a reprise of an earlier answer: Ortega would play evocation wizard, but forget to max out their con so would be very brittle and swear a lot. Argent would be the bard that seduces everything, because this is just make-believe so of course she can. Daniel would play warlock, maybe with a faerie patron. Would be fun to play around. Chen would play a battlemaster fighter because all of the others are brittle as fuck and someone needs to pick up the slack. He would grow bored early on, and multiclass with rogue to get some versatility. If Dr. Mortum was the DM, then nobody would ever figure out the plots, and the good doctor would soon realize that whatever was planned would devolve into craziness.

Do you think there's any boosts that would make the rangers villainous? We know telepathy wouldn't be good for Ortega's mental health, but what about the other rangers?

I don't think so on top of my head, but anything that requires hurting other people to live (Like Shroud's boost) would be very much in danger of a slippery slope.

How common would you say is it for non-Regene Farm personnel to be Boosted?

Very rare.

Do the Environmental Modification Convention & Geneva/Hague Conventions exist in FH & if so has the presence of boosts, mods, & power armor changed it significantly? Also do heroes like Blaze/Hood/Sentinel ever cause outrage just by virtue of their powers or “if it’s illegal to use in war why is it perfectly fine for law enforcement?” questions similar to the use of tear gas? 

No, neither of these exist in the FH world. The thing that keeps things in check here is the balance of power between the various blocks, not any international treaties.

Back in their villain days, what was Dr. Mortum's reputation in the villain community? Did they always try to thread the needle of "well-connected but uncontroversial", or did that only come later?

They didn't have that much of a reputation. Mortum was always more focused on the goals than the rep, and I think most would have seen them as Vitruvuan's junior partner.

Has Sidestep run into anyone else with epilepsy? A quick Google search shows that 1 in 26 people develop epilepsy in their lifetime. With that in mind, it seems likely they've run into other people with naturally static minds. In those cases, does Sidestep's 'don't notice me' trick even work?

Oh yes, Sidestep has run into quite a few. Most of the time they never really notice unless they try to read that specific mind. The "don't notice me" trick is still useful anyway because people are pack animals. If all your friends don't pay attention to someone, chances are you won't either. If you are the only one to point and stare you start feeling silly pretty quickly.

And as an aside, major props to this concept as a whole! I love the idea of epilepsy being a natural counter to psychics.

Thank you!

How does Sidestep, or any telepath for that matter, know with full confidence that their thoughts and feelings are their own when they socialize? We've seen the dangers of mob mentality for Sidestep but what about one on one, regular interaction? I'm curious if a telepath can be unintentionally (or possibly intentionally) manipulated by the thoughts and feelings of those they regularly hang out with. We see how impressionable regular people are. Is that more extreme for telepaths? 

The honest, and frightening, answer is that they don't. This is why Sidestep often avoids crowds and keeps their shields up as tightly as they can. It is more extreme for a telepath, and some telepaths move into seclusion in order to get away from things. A weak-willed telepath is even at risk of being puppeted by their surroundings.

And if that IS the case, how do non Ortega romances deal with that? I can't imagine any of the romances liking the possibility that their thoughts and feelings have the potential to influence their telepathic partner in such a direct way. 

Oh they wouldn't. I think the romance that will deal with that the most is Heralds. Argent keeps herself so very tightly in check due to her nanovores that she barely makes a psychic ripple, while Chen is very deliberate and careful in his own emotions in a way that wouldn't affect much. Herald on the other hand is open, and in fact, almost actively willing Sidestep to see themselves and the world in a better light. Sidestep's will and shields are strong enough to keep that out, but it can be an effort for some, and Herald would be horrified to learn that fact.

Argent was an alien in the original book, right? Any fun facts or interesting tidbits you can share about that version of her?

Honestly I never got into her backstory in that book, and I have forgotten any ideas I had.

I have to ask. Is Sticky Sticky Bang Bang a reference/nod to a similarly nicknamed (Sparky Sparky Boom Man) character of Avatar the last airbender?

Nope, the old Chitty Chitty Bang Bang movie.

Have Anathema or Argent ever used or would be open to using the fastball special? It’s a combination move where a strong & usually bigger character uses a close range oriented & usually durable character as a javelin, the iconic combo being Colossus & Wolverine. Could Ortega also do it or are they too squishy & would they feel left out if so?

Anathema was usually the projectile of choice for Sentinel, they had some very good teamwork going there. I don't think Argent has ever been a part of that, and she might be a bit insulted at the thought. As if it was a dig at her being tiny. You might think that Ortega would have been very into that kind of thing, especially with Sentinel, but nope. Too many memories of their first accident. They like to remain in control, and in the air, they are not. Ortega doesn't even like going flying with Herald, though they will never admit it.

If Ortega returns to the hospital to find sidestep missing, do they assume the special directive has kidnapped them?

That is at least one dark thought at the back of their head.

In the past someone asked if Hollow Ground could use their powers to improve someone's chances at survival; could they use their powers to make someone die faster?

Yes.

What does Arde think of Sidestep in the demo where they help save them?

Not telling you that, that's spoilers.

When he gets sick, can Blaze raise his internal temperature to speed up the recovery process by killing viruses/bacteria? Or does it not help much?

You know what? That probably helps a lot! Thank you, I hadn't thought about that.

Would Arde accept bonuses from a rich Sidestep after saving them?

Why, though? They already have all they need.

Does Arde like physical affection, or do they prefer not to be touched much? Have they made any friends beyond Vera?

Physical affection is for family. There are some acquaintances apart from Vera, but they don't get out much.

What sorts of presents/gifts would Arde accept and like? 

Food!

Wait, does Snowball have the same Boost as Cavalier? Limited enhanced durability, improved longevity and telekinetic explosions? hates the government 

That sure does sound strangely similar yeah.

What kind of explosions do Snowball and Cavalier make? Like combustion? Or just an invisible force splitting things apart?

I see it as not tied to oxygen or fire. Just a sudden splitting apart of molecular bonds leading to an explosion. Haven't gotten into details in my head more than things go boom.

This is going to be grim and the answer is most likely going to be spoilers on all fronts. Was there anyone in the military who proposed to add a remote switch to Ortega's Reactor that would make it explode? Was that proposal accepted? Could Argent detect and disable that switch?

I don't think that was suggested, the goal was to make it NOT explode as thoroughly as possibly.

Does the Eternal Monarch of the UK still have their corgi collection?

Yes.

If so, do the corgis share in that eternity, or are they as temporary as any other corgi?

The corgis have normal lifespans.

How strong was Sidestep's telepathy at the time relative to Heartbreak's on the day of the event?

I would say around 30% of Heartbreak's strength.

Did HG ever have the ghost situation Ortega had, where they thought they had spotted their sibling just passing by on occasion?

No.

How secure would the rangers + mortum + hollow ground's passwords be? lets say for non-critical access, personal use. Who does super complicated generated ones and who does password123?

The Rangers are mandated to use a governmental password generator (except Chen because he doesn't trust like that, and Ortega doesn't for his personal files). Dr. Mortum has complicated passwords based on obscure facts and puns, which can occasionally lead them into trouble. Hollow Ground tends to be stuff that's easy to remember but switches often, like SeasonMonthYear. This frustrates Nocturne so much.

Do Argent's nanovores, when they are about to reach the end of their life, go to her scalp like some kind of elephant graveyard deal, or do they die wherever they have been "stationed" as part of Argent and then it's up to the surrounding nanovores to carry them up to her scalp?

The first, most of them go there to settle in and become part of her hair. The ones that fail gets washed out in the pool.

Has Sidestep been muzzled before? How would the ros take learning that if yes? 

Yes, and they'd all hate that.

Is Mortum boosted? 

As can be learned from last month's lore post, yes they are.

Does Ben have an opinion on how Sidestep presents themselves? Such as high presentability vs kinning with a rat who got dipped in fryer grease.

Hmmm. I'm not sure I know Ben enough yet, though a rat dipped in fryer grease sadly does sound like his style...

Does Hollow Ground? 

If you want to be a part of the family you could at least make an effort.

Would Ardie wear bad t-shirts with Sidestep? Properly adjusted to fit them, of course. Would Vera join?

I think Arde would be fascinated to learn about the cultural significance of bad t-shirts. Vera would laugh her ass off.

Does Spoon have a favorite toy?

The one in front of him!

Is Arde's genetic donor anyone important? 

No.

If the regenerator hadn't been stolen by anyone or sold to anyone, would HG let a sibling-coded Sidestep have/make use of it?

Of course.

Actually come to think of it, besides Argent, Shroud and Sidestep, were there any other parties interested in buying or stealing the regenerator? 

OH yes.

With all the mods available on the market, are there any to suppress / rewire neurological issues? Like correcting brain damage or dampening the effects of sensory processing disorders, etc?

Yeah, there are some, but it's always iffy with neural mods. They are not as easy and cheap as some others.

can the Core run Doom?

Maybe the Core IS Doom.

How rare is it in LD to come across someone like Argent with obviously non human features besides regular mods like a tail or wings or horns or something?

I would say about as rare as running into someone extremely tall. It does happen, and the chances increase if you hang around certain places like basketball courts, but it is rare enough that it will be remembered and noted.

Given Step's propensity for biting people, was asking Mortum to fit a mechanical jaw on Step's armor ever a consideration? 

It compromises the integrity of the helmet, but I am sure some Sidesteps did suggest it.

Are the boosting clinics monitored by the SD or does the risk involved with kidnapping Canadian citizens outweigh the reward? And on a related note do prisoners of war disappear often

I think the risk of foreign citizens outweigh the reward. Prisoners of war are always at the risk of disappearing.

If Sidestep had failed to recover the Rat King, were there any backups planned for the nanovores cage?

Yeah, Sidestep can technically handle it themselves, but it would require a lot more active concentration and consideration of the risk.

Are assets like Chen's robot suit still housed under the 5 traditional branches of the US military(Army, Navy, Marines, Air Force and Coast Guard) or has there been a new branch added for Enhanced warfare?

No, the enhanced are in all four branches.

Does Ortega own any picture of Sidestep (without mask)? Or would Sidestep have avoided having their picture, even a personal one, taken out of fear of the Special Directive? (assuming this doesn't depend on personal headcanon) 

I will leave that to headcanon. Ortega has at least one picture, but whether that is full face or with the mask half on is up to you.

If Argent was a telepath instead, would she survive the Nanosurge?

Impossible to say.

Can Argent mess with devices that are powered down, but attached to a working power source? If yes, what shenanigans has she pulled with this for shits and giggles

She can power them up and turn them on, yes. She doesn't use this for shits and giggles, that's how you get caught! (She has sabotaged the occasional printer when she's mad at Chen though, because that's just how printers are so it wouldn't be weird)

What is the most powerful boost that anyone has gotten? (If it's spoilers, what's the most powerful one that we're allowed to know about?)

Recycling an old answer: It's always up for debate, but there are three people generally considered the strongest boosts in the US (the placing varies depending on who does the ranking.)

One of them is, as you might have guessed, the Catastrofiend. Active villain. Still… alive? The one everyone likes to pit imaginary heroes against. Powerful, but limited. Usually seen as number 3, unless you've seen footage of it in action.

Another one is actually stationed in Washington, and works directly for the White House. Her codename is Skybright, and she's a powerful telekinetic. Flight. Shields. Tossing tanks like toy cars. The works. Her names come from the glittering halo effect when she uses her shields. Usually seen as nr 2, though people point out that she's never really got to cut loose.

The top one, Cavalier, is believed dead, but rumors of his return are common. He was a military boost, one of the early ones. He served a lot overseas, and unlike many boosts, were involved in actual combat. There has been footage released of him in action, and if it hasn't been doctored, it points to massive destructive potential. It is rumored that Cavalier was a double boost. One part is classic boost powers, very strong, very durable, and very, very fast. Not flight capable. The other part was explosive. It seemed that he had the ability to induce explosions in objects (or people) at moderate range. A famous video shows him blowing up a tank by gesturing at it. He returned home a war hero, but turned villain almost immediately. He is believed to have been killed as he tried to blow up the pentagon twenty years ago. He only partly succeeded, but his actions led to boosted registration and banning on the east coast and the midwest.

What would the Rangers think of precognition? Is someone with that ability worth recruiting in some capacity?

Oh that might be useful, though the Rangers central organization would love someone like that more. Too useful for a field agent.

What are gun laws like in Los Diablos? Does the average citizen adhere to them, if there are any? Curious because I can see some types of people arming themselves to the teeth in a world of boosts and mods while others would just be like, 'a gun is just going to make me a target to these weirdos. ' 

Normal guns and rifles are accessible and not licensed. You can conceal carry. Military equipment is outlawed, they don't want people to be better armed than the cops. However, it's not that hard to get hold of illegally.

Is Nocturne’s skill at ‘seeing people for who they truly are’ spawn from her history of being severely bullied?

I think it at least ties strongly into it.

Can Sidestep’s telepathy (permanently) boost someone’s neural load capacity? What about HG’s? 

Not permanent, but it could help train it. HG's could, as long as the threads remain.

So Ortega thinks the whole villain thing is hot... who else among the ROs are of the same opinion? 👀

Look, they are all freaks, we know this already.

What does over-threading feel like for HG? 

A combination of hangover and a bad case of the flu. Whole body and head hurting.

Expanding on to this, do you have plans for a pupstuck step to be able to “defect”/enlist the aid of the Rangers in wrangling their original body (and maybe engaging in some heroics of their own)? 

Not telling.

Outside of Hollow Ground's inner circle, who does Nocturne see/interact with most?

Her personal shopper.

if ortega had managed to get into the same room as HG (post-Heartbreak) and started talking about their sibling who had been Sidestep, would HG actually have believed it? Or would they have assumed it was some ortega bullshit? 

The latter.

If Ortega got boosted and got something like regeneration, would they be able to retire/quit since they wouldn't need their mods to walk anymore, or would they continue to still work as a Ranger?

Ortega does like the danger, and it sounds like regeneration might mean they'd be able to get into even more danger.

Has HG ever accidentally killed anyone before realising that they need to pace themselves with their threading?

No.

Have the Rangers ever done one of those sexy pose calendars for charity?

Oh yes, of course.

Would other telepaths like Locus and Thunderhead, who would have had a defined before and after date at which they developed powers, be interested in Step's worldview in relation to telepathy since Step had it from the tank onwards? 

I think many telepaths are interested in other perspectives. Locus definitely would be.

Would the Argent or Herald have any questions for someone who lived their whole life with powers?

I can't think of any right now.

In universe, who among Chen, Ortega and Sidestep had the account of HB that most closely aligned with "reality"?

Ortega. Though it depends on the definition of reality.

Can Sidestep just... chill for a minute in that place between mind jumps? Have they tried exploring it? Does the amount of people or objects between them and the person they are trying to possess influence anything? 

They haven't so far. And other objects between then doesn't matter.

how aware is Chen of his own 'i can fix them' brainworms?

Sadly he is. Not enough to stop.

Is HG's sibling's name something that will be settable in game or preset based on other factors?

Set in name, just like HG's name. This is to account for variable ethnicities.

Is Project Stripes and the thing Step is preparing for related in any way?

Tangentially.

Would Chen think Merle is cute 👀

I mean... yeah.

And vice versa does Merle think the Marshal is kinda cute? 

I think Mortum has so far only seen the Marshal on the job. So, not cute.

How does Mortum interact with dogs? Would they get along with Spoon, and love him very much?

Hmmm. I honestly don't know. Mortum and pets have not come up in my brain yet, I need to wait until I write it and see.

IRT mods and gender affirming treatments: What kind of options are available in FHR that aren't (yet 🤞) in the real world? Are top and bottom surgeries done differently in any way, or are they mostly still the work of plastic surgeons? Any newfangled fancy ways of getting hormones?

Hormones would be pretty similar to our world, but I do think the most common way if you have the money would be an implant that releases a constant dose (refill once every few months), so you don't have to keep up with cremes and shots (which are cheaper and available over the counter). As for surgery, they are similar, but with more reliable results, faster healing, and less scarring. The biggest difference would be for male bottom surgery, where there are several methods to achieve realistic looks and full erection capacity, all depending on how much money you have to spend and whether you wish to go the mod-route or the transplant route. As erectile dysfunction was always something men of wealth were prepared to pay for to fix, you can bet that those methods were quickly co-opted into gender affirming surgery.

You said the US has plans to disavow the Farm in the worst case, does the Farm have plans for its staff to go to ground, or defect to other countries?

Spoilers, but so far the Farm acts like the US wouldn't dare to do that. For reasons.

How far into the future was Ace seeing when they were dying?

Either book three or book four.

Did HG ever try or consider trying to thread Sidestep like they did to Chen to throw Ortega even further off? 

Sidestep sure was a fan of wearing as much clothes as they possibly can, maximum skin coverage and not showing their face made that a moot point. HG never even saw their face.

if HG found out that a threaded Sidestep was dating Ortega or Chen would they decide for Step that such a relationship is too risky and use the threading to try to force them to break it off with the ranger?

Spoilers.

Does HG also pick up information from their target when they thread? Or is their version of telepathy only capable of "sending" information?

Only sending.

During the most recent snippet (shopping therapy) the puppet in Sidestep's body robs a pharmacy. Are they looking for anything specific?

Spoilers.

Do the ROs have any (non-work-related— No HG for Ortega and no villainy tech for Mortum!) pet research or special interest-adjacent subjects that they spend a lot of time getting into or keeping up with?

I honestly have no idea! If it comes up in game it will come up in game, otherwise this is headcanon.

Will sidestep have a choice to be repentkill at some point in book 3?

Yes.

I can't remember if this was answered before, but in a Retribution auction scene where Sidestep pulls Argent into their mind, if they are not able to maintain their form very well in there and Argent gains clue, what is she actually seeing that makes her suspicious?

Ehehehe spoilers.

Was Hollow Ground a character in the original novel?

OH yes. The main non-hero antagonist.

Is the farm aware of mortums boost?

No.

What would Vitruvian have thought of Mortum's Boost, if he had been able to learn what it was? Would he be disappointed, or happy with any result beyond failure?

Both.

What was Vitruvian's power? 

Super intelligence and some perception boosts.

What were Void and Green Sky's feelings towards Regenes (or what WOULD they had been if they hadn't known of their existence)? Would they have any strong feelings on Step being one?

Hmm. Honestly I am not sure.

Who among the cast is very flexible? Are any of them on contortionist or advanced levels of flexibility? 👀

No literally contortionist level of flexibility, but the most flexible one is Vera. She's pretty close to that. Both Argent and Ortega are also very flexible, but Ortega less so than when they were younger (more muscle mass now).

Since Anathema's invulnerability boost protected them from damage did it protect them from physical pain? Do they still feel impact? Thinking about the scene in Rebirth where Anathema can take the gun from the cop but they still get shot in the face. They flinch but was that from discomfort or the sound?

They still feel some manner of pain, a gunshot would be like having a stone thrown hard at you.

How common are boosts with meta powers? As in, boosts whose powers are to do with other powers, like supressing the powers of others, boosting the powers of others, innately knowing what powers every other boost nearby has, that kind of thing?

Extremely rare.

Does Argent ever wear natural fibers? Do they make her nanovores act up?

She does, it is a good way to keep discipline up.

Does Spoon like to eat fruits and vegetables? If so, what are his preferences?

On occasion, his favorites are watermelon on hot days, and apples that Chen throws that he can chase (decored of course).

Since the nanovores are her eyes what's Argents view of the world like? Step could see wiring through walls when they possessed her & she can see a temperature change on Ortegas face & recognize it as blushing, is this something she can turn off or does she just not have normal vision?

She doesn't have normal vision, or eyes. However she has worked very hard on trying to approximate it.

If you just had to put out a number what would you say is the average Ruthlessness within the hero, villain, & vigilante community in LD respectively? Alternatively what’s the general vibe on a scale of (Extremely/Very/Fairly/Slightly + Ruthless/Empathetic/Neutral)

Impossible to say, and I prefer to only present Sidestep's view in game on this.

Was Nehal ever a fan of sidestep growing up?

Who? No, she didn't really pay attention to them.

Could Psychopathor sense the rat king in our armor since he was psi-sensetive enough to use them in the first place? 

Oh yes.

How did Angie pick up on everyone's crushs on Sidestep? Does Herald pick up on it as well but just choose to be quiet? Do they think it's funny how obvious Sidestep could/can/is be to it?

Herald picks up on it as well (with the exception of Chen mostly), and they both think it is funny/sad that Sidestep does not.

How would Chen take it if Sidestep just points out how bad his "i can fix him" complex is? He, Ortega and Herald should start a construction crew for Sidestep at this point.

He would just sigh "I know."

If Chen had a crush on Sidestep as, well, Sidestep, did he realize before HB? What if it was after? Was the initial reaction to blame Sidestep in their telepathy screwing with him? 

I'll leave some to headcanon, but in general Chen didn't get interested in Sidestep before Rebirth. If you want there to have been a vibe before, I won't contradict you though.

Does Ortega suspect Sidestep is dissociating a lot (from the dock scene talking about the nanosurge?) Did they notice if they dissociated pre-hb? Did Themmy or Steel?

Ortega noticed. Steel did not. Themmy was probably dissociating with them.

IIRC Sidestep mentions chapped lips after kissing her so is Argent worried that getting close to Sidestep will make the nanovores less scared of them & go back to acting normally?

Yeah, she is.

Would Ardie like it if Sidestep called/thought of them as a sibling? Would they let Sidestep sleepover with them if they have a good relationship?

If they get to that point, yes.

What does Ardie think of Sidestep's ROs? Any option they would like best? Who would they get along with the best?

I have no idea yet, I need to write them interact first. Except Vera of course, who is the best.

Is information gathered through boosts like retrocognition admissible in court?

Psychometry and similar can be used to FIND evidence, but it would be considered heresay to just say that something happened.

Since the ocean is apparently crazy now, is seafood some sort of hot commodity? Are reality shows like the Deadliest Catch a lot more intense now with crab fishers fending off laser dolphins?

The ocean around Los Diablos is, but there's still a thriving fishing industry elsewhere. But as I said about food above, many have a suspicious relationship to seafood after the number of dead ending up in the ocean after the Big One.

How did Sidestep just grab the nanovores even while possessing Argent? Unless they somehow accessed her technopathy abilities without realizing, I'm really surprised Argent alone can just grab the nanovore case and walk out with them. You'd think a weapon that could theoretically cause an extinction event would be under the kind of security that requires multiple key holders to access. Especially considering Ranger's HQ is in the middle of a metropolitan area with a bunch of villains and mad scientists. 

Sidestep accessed her technopathy powers without realizing it, the way they experienced it was that Argent had access and knew it. They didn't delve too deeply into HOW she had access, and wrongly assumed that all the Rangers did. It was indeed VERY securely held, together with several other dangerous items.

What are Ben and Vera’s biggest personal flaws? Do they think of them as flaws/acknowledge that they have them?

I don't know yet!

are all the noticeable physical differences between Regenes and your average human — like extremely tall ones or those with extra limbs — a result of mods or boosts? Or has the Farm actually gotten far enough with the biotech involved to have added to/ otherwise altered the genetic code to where this stuff is congenital? Any noteworthy or interesting variants we haven't heard about yet?

It's all mods or boosts. The Farm can genetically code things like tails, or webbing between fingers, but there's really no advantage to doing so.

What buys the loyalty of the mob boss crew? Money? Respect? Blood?

Depends.

What’s Vera thoughts on cats since ya know bird?

Cats are cool. Just dangerous.

If Ben and Vera are romancable for all MCs, how long have they been aware of their bisexuality and come to terms with it? 

I think for Ben it came after he had left the army. It was too complicated during those years, easier to go with the flow rather than deal with the fact that some guys in his unit were hot. Vera has known since her teens.

And for my own personal amusement: would any of the ROs take a somewhat well put together MC or a particularly pathetic wet cat of an MC? 

That is up to your particular headcanon.

When Ortega first saw Steps face and assumed their relation to HG did that hurt their relationship at all? Did Ortega ever think Step was a spy or did they always assume they broke all ties with HG?

Oh Ortega got mad suspicious at first. But Sidestep had been so utterly against integrating themselves in the team at the start, and fought Ortega tooth and nail to try to stay away that the suspicion faded almost instantly. Nothing in their behavior made sense as a spy.

If not for their accident would Ortega ever have considered getting modded for any reason?

Probably minor ones, yeah.

Over the course of the rest of the story, do you think there's potential for missions, story arcs, or trips outside the FEZ? Outside the US?

Not in the scope of the planned games. Or. Well. There are some planned in book four, but not outside the FEZ.

Will Sidestep have an option to train their crew against telepathy?

Don't think so, that would make them less useful.

Do you think evil Sidesteps or good Sidesteps are more interesting?

Both evil and good (I hate those definitions) Sidesteps can be interesting trainwrecks.

Does telekinesis fall under psi-sensitivity? Particularly re: Mortum's? 

No.

And, was the regimen they offered the puppet about improving the puppet's precognition abilities after the Ace revelations derived from trying to figure out their own powers?

Their own, and others. This is an issue many new boosts have.

During steelsnap, is Steel more worried about high strength or high subtlety?

Not saying.

In the good day, bad day snippet a wall falls on Argent without issue. Is it at all possible to hurt her with blunt kinetic impact while she is static? Or is the only way to mess up her insides to suddenly decelerate her from speed? 

Argent's outer shell, if we call it that, is very good at protecting her from impact as long as she can brace herself. But yes, sudden deceleration can hurt her soft insides, which ironically means that if she, for example, is falling from a height, it would be in her interest to become a narrow point and try to penetrate things like rooftops and the like for a more gradual slowing down. The nanovores have penetrated deeper into her form as well, so they can help brace things somewhat, just not as efficient as the shell.

In the opening of the art gallery scene the puppet can get a weird feeling while getting ready in the bathroom, the type of weird feeling that usually precedes a vision or something bad happening, but the actual stakes during this whole scene are pretty low for Sidestep. Since nothing bad happens what triggered this feeling for the puppet? Was something supposed to happen and didn't?

The weird feeling is that Herald is there. But the threat didn't resolve into anything, thus it went away.

HG always asks someone to forget their face but would someone particularly clever be able to remember their suit or the rings they wore if they met HG again in the same outfit?

Yes.

if the moment wasn't as tense as it was, would Ortega have cheered when Sidestep confessed their love in the apartment scene while revealing they're a re-gene? Especially if Ortega has a crush?

If if if. I don't know, because I didn't write that scene.

If Villainstep had managed to start controlling groups of Argent's nanovores at the gala, would that have scared her off of the idea of following them into the sewers for round 2?

Yes. But I a not sure Sidestep could have at that point.

what's Chen's opinion on a steelcrush->steelsnap->steelrival pipeline?

Sure fucked this one up.

you've said before what Chen thinks of each of the armor combinations, how would he react to all four at once?

I don't know, probably upgrade the threat cathegory.

Do you ever plan to allow Argent/Steel to get an "Afraid" relationship with Villain!Step

Yes.

Is there some unspoken rule between heroes & villains about things like ripping off masks, low blows, etc.? Ortega strikes me as the type of person that would do the Johnny Cage split punch so I got curious

I mean there are unspoken rules like that, and ripping the mask off is one of them. Not all follow them, but those that don't are usually seen with suspicion as loose cannons.

Can Arde feel through their scutes (pereon?) ? Can I scratch them with a big brush like they're a turtle and they feel it?

Yes, absolutely! They probably have those big, rough brushes like you use for horses and the like for grooming.

Does shifting heal Arde or are injuries consistent between forms?

The injuries are constant, so Arde doesn't shift out of their armore form until the injuries have healed (heals faster there) unless they need surgery or have something removed, then the other form is better.

Does Argent finding out the villain she loves fighting is a Regene complicate things for her? (Without taking the helmet off)

No, it doesn't complicate things for her, but it does make her curious.

In a 1v1 arena match with no outside support, who would win in a fight between Armadillo and Charge? Asking for science.

Armadillo can take a lot of electricity, but I would hand it to Charge due to experience. Close, though.

If a cat decided that the Rangers' HQ is a fine place for it to move in, how would the Rangers/staff respond? Would they adopt an office kitty, or would they try to find some way to get rid of it?

They already have an office dog (Spoon). They might accept an office cat.

Does the farm use any sort of lab grown/synthetic proteins to supplement regene diets? Is the technology to grow edible meat in labs viable in fhr?

It is viable to grow synthetic meat, but not economic really. Easier with chickens or pigs, as long as you have the room. Which you do at the Farm.

If a decent percentage of Boosting fatalities are from the body destroying itself, are immunocompromised patients more likely to survive Boosting?

Huh. You know what? I think they are.

What does Chen think if you tip an imaginary hat to him during the mansion fight?

Smug bastard.

Would Argent want to take on the role of a housewife if the regenerator worked?

No, she just likes the aesthetic.

What does Argent actually plan to do with her nanovore colony if the Regenerator works? She certainly can’t just let them go unless she suddenly got ok with a lot of dead people.

Spoilers.

Will Daniel ever understand Step's humour? Or be forever lost to ignorance?

I don't know yet, we will see!

If a new villain showed up who was able to effortlessly floor her, would Argent keep trying to fight them or would she swallow her pride and avoid them?

Oh she would ABSOLUTELY work out how to take them down. Are you kidding me?

what do the regene uniforms look like? how do they function when a regene needs to go to the bathroom? is there a zipper or flaps?

I would say general coveralls during daily life. There are zippers. And yeah, this is more annoying for women.

Does Regina ever think that her position might cost her her safety one day?

No risk, no gain.

Could Sidestep feasibly use the grappling gun they occasionally mention to slingshot themselves at/drag people to them or is it limited to real world movement uses?

I expect they can, depends on what I write.

How does Vera feel about the history of pigeons being domesticated then abandoned by humans?

A little bit sad, they are such wonderful little beasts, and they still like humans.

How much control does Ortega have over their mods when they're taken off guard? For example, If someone were to come up behind them and pat their shoulder when they weren't expecting it, is that person at risk of getting zapped? 

When Ortega is on edge there might be static electricity, yes.

Do Regenes sweat in the areas where they've been tattooed ? Or is it like grafted skin where the loss of sweat glands prevents this? I've read that it can make the rest of the skin sweat more to compensate as well as make people with extensive skin grafts more sensitive to warmer temperatures. Is that something the Farm has to consider for Cuckoos when they have to hide their tattoos in hot weather? 

The tattoos have sweat glands! They function like normal skin.

How would you rank the rangers in terms of 'keeping it together,' mentally speaking? As in, who is the closest to having a break down? Or is that too dependent on Sidestep's choices to really answer?

It would depend on Sidestep's choices, but let's say this is pre-Rebirth with Sidestep not in the picture. Closest to breakdown to most stable is: Ortega, Argent, Herald, Steel.

Is money within a bank being insured against things like robbery still the uniform practice? Is it different in the FEZ than in the mainland US?

It is different in the FEZ, it is not a uniform practice, but all major banks has it. That's one of the risks with using minor banks. Easier to get loans and bigger interest rates, but also less protections. Insurance costs money.

It seems like Sidestep's internal monologue uses Ortega as a measurement against a lot of other people, does Ortega have the same inclination of using Sidestep as a measure?

Nope.

Does Sky Raider ever miss anything about being a soldier?

The companionship. It's a strange thing, both good and bad.

What does Chen think if you skip going to visit him in the park after steelsnap/running away from him?

Spoilers.

In Book 2, when Chen finds Sidestep at the dog park, was that the first time he had seen them there? Or was it more like, he had see them there on prior occasions, but didn't realize or think the familiar stranger was Sidestep and approach them until after Ortega "found" them? 

I think this was the first time it clicked. There might have been earlier sightings in the distance, but nothing close enough that either of them would pick up on each other.

Is there protocol specifically meant to aid the occasional cuckoo in their re-acclimation to being dehumanized as a Regene after long undercover missions? Or are regular debriefs with their handler prioritized even if it places their cover at risk? 

Yes, there are protocols for that. The Core used to be vital to ensure that went smoothly.

Will we get to see any of the ROs’ reactions to learning Step doesn’t like to see themselves in mirrors? Would any of them have stronger reactions than the others?

We all know Herald will have the strongest reaction... other than that we will see in game, some have thoughts. Especially Argent.

Given their own electric abilities, does Ortega prefer traditional combustion engines for their cars or do they like EVs? 

Oh old fashioned combustion every day!

Have there ever been Green Sky enthusiasts employed at the Farm?

No. That would be a security risk.

Does Steel get a reinforced foldable chair at public events? Is it provided by the event or do the Rangers have one in the back of a van? Have any incidents prompted this?

Chen often prefers to stand. But, it does depend a LOT on what kind of mods or armor he has. The event at the Mayor's which was referred in game was when he was prepared for duty. Not in the fully loaded power armor kind of way, but in more discretely augmented ways. He has access to very unobtrusive armors which can be worn underneath roomier clothes like a loose uniform. A bit like a better flak jacket but for the whole body. He often uses this when he needs to look civilian, but have some protection. He uses it less these days since his legs are mechanical, now he mostly need protection for the body. Without added armor, he is heavier than he looks, but much depends on which legs. Both his work legs, and the ones that imitate fully human legs are quite heavy. Combine that with the shoulder, and the internal structures needed to support the prosthetic, he weights a bit. No plastic chairs, but he doesn't need massive concrete chairs or anything either.

Did 9/11 happen in Fallen Hero? Do the twin towers stand? Were they ever built at all?

The twin towers were built, but 9/11 never happened. They still stand.

How would Hollow Ground feel if Sidestep put 200 mini ducks around their home?

No. NO. Absolutely not!

If Heartbreak wasn't killed would they ascend to a mad psychic entity or would the place be even more scared at a psychic level?

SPoilers.

Was Ortega ever smug at the thought that they were/are dating Hollow Ground’s sibling?

You know they were.

What's the state of the La Brea tar pits?

The museum is opened again, and excavations continue.

If the Farm team at HB hadn't found Sidestep conveniently laid out on the sidewalk, would they have settled for a civilian corpse? Or was anything short of a living sample exposed to the HB influence considered a failure?

If Heartbreak could not be procured they preferred a living specimen, but a body with a well-preserved head would have been better than nothing. Strange that so few of them had...

Was the US government or the equivalent authority for the LD FEZ aware that the Farm had sent agents to HB?

Spoilers.

Were Regene team deployments considered as a response to HB?

Yes. They were being prepared if the Rangers failed.

Considering his desire to be a hero: Does Vincent feel guilty over neglecting people who need help in favour of following Alvarez’s orders/waiting until threats become big enough to cash in on bigger bounties? 

His life is a constant source of guilt one way or the other.

How would each of the Rangers handle complete immortality (stop aging, unable to get harmed or die at all)?

I have no idea!

Does merle wear cute bunny slippers too or does he have other fun novelty slippers like mirlene?

I would say that Merle is not above a pair of bunny slippers.