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Question time! (Patreon)

Published:
2026-08-22 08:28:09
Imported:
2026-11

Content

Time for your questions of the month! I've written almost 50 000 words so far this August on the next demo, so things are coming together!

Comments

Max 23

Was wondering if we will be able to either recruit or turn Jake Manalo against Hollow Ground in Revelations as either a Mob Boss or a thief if we cut the red thread and read Hollow Ground's mind. Kinda also wanted to know if we could romance him as the puppet.

Angel

Would the handlers at the Farm, generally, encourage abuse/bullying between the cuckoos? If yes, would they facilitate it, or just ignore it when it happened?

mona isa

Really fascinated by how most of FHR's telepath characters are associated with some shade of red or orange when telepathic abilities or characters in most other medias are usually represented by cool-toned colors like purple, green, and blue. But FHR has Locus's warm/"salmon" pink, Heartbreak's deep red, Hollow Ground's deep rust suit & red "threads", the bright red-orange of Sidestep's tattoos... Is that color range a deliberate choice/distinction on your end? I'm curious as to what it is about those colors that you associate with your version of telepathy!

K. Sanders

Because of the electricity running through his body, would Ortega be more or less likely to be struck by lightning than the average person? If he was struck by lightning what would happen? 🤔

Pazzum

We’ve seen Sidestep break through dampeners a few times already, but they seem to balk at the idea of a telepath bypassing Numbers. Is getting through Numbers significantly more difficult? When Sidestep bypasses dampeners, does the amount of force needed to do so end up traumatizing the other person’s brain more than normal?

Michael

Not sure if you’ve answered a question like this, but I think it’s a fun hypothetical. DC created the Absolute Universe, which is a universe in which a core part/parts of a character’s backstory is removed, e.i Wonder Woman not being raised of Themyscira, Superman being raised on Krypton and coming to Earth later, Batman being born working class and only losing one of his parents. What do you think would be aspects that would be removed from Sidestep or the Rangers in a universe like that?

minjostens

I saw how in the Revelations demo you emphasize the villain's base is not in the sewers LOL, and I wanted to ask... When and how did you realize a large part of the fanbase was picturing the tunnels base as the sewers? What tipped you off to that fact and what did you think in that moment when you realized there was a misunderstanding there

minjostens

Is this book the one where there is gonna be the most emphasis on the Guardians, or is most of the Guardians content planned for Book 4?

minjostens

Are we gonna get to know any other superhero team closely like the Rangers and the Guardians or are those two the main ones we will get acquainted with and the others are more secondary/less important?

minjostens

What's your favorite game that you've played in 2026 so far?

Wolfy

Not much a question than I'd love to read a random comment about Dr Mortum ~.

Gorogs

Can technopaths in FH universe get information from machines about, if not feelings, at least impressions/evaluations of a situation or a person? For example, if Argent were to ask a communal workplace computer if it has a favorite user, would the computer distinguish between the IT guy who always comes to fix up all of its problems vs someone who might use percussive maintenance when it's being slow? Or would it be unable to assign a value judgement such as "favorite" in that way? If yes, do different machines have different preferences (ex. some computers don't care about coffee spilled on their keyboard while others really dislike it) or are all of them more or less the same? If Vera got modded as a pigeon, would the mods (such as eyesight or strength enhancement) affect her human form as well? If not, would the mods remain on the pigeon permanently or would they only last for the specific transformation and disappear when she turned human and then pigeon again? Will we learn more about Sunstream in the subsequent books, or is she not part of the story in that way? Will we find out where she is currently/what happened to her?

athanasynt

Hi Malin! hope this doesn’t come off as reductive or comparative but have you heard of the webcomic Strong Female Protagonist by Brennan Lee Mulligan and Lee Knox Ostertag? One of the main characters, Menace, is really similar to Sidestep in terms of the whole ‘traumatized telepath that works against the law to reveal a government conspiracy that fucked up their life while having all their personal relationships pushed far away due to the nature of what they are’ thing. (I might have a type for characters that I emotionally resonate with the most haha) My additional question then is have you had any new inspirations for writing the series lately? I also thought the antagonist in Spiderman Brand New Day was giving Sidestep…in fact that was the only thing I could think about while watching it lol

Max 23

Near the end of the Therapy scene, if you keep Sidestep's scar value close to zero it says that they hear somebody whispering on their ear and screaming into the wind that it stops because they say so and that they need to rebuild their walls. I was wondering if that is Sidestep's subconscious speaking to them or possibly a remnant of Heartbreak lingering in their mind.

asdf asdf

Was Lady Argent always something of a battle maniac (with her powers just enabling her to express it more extremely) or is that a trait she only developed/discovered about herself after she got her powers? What does Argent's family think of her hero persona? If they knew who she was, how would they have reacted upon finding out she publicly kissed villain!Step? Conversely, how would they feel about her dating Sidestep-the-former-hero/vigilante? Iirc, you once said that Argent and Herald probably would've become close if they hadn't been forced together for PR purposes. In that vein, would their relationship have likely turned romantic if it had been allowed to form naturally, or would it have been solely platonic closeness? If Sidestep convinces Argent to work with Dr. Mortum on the regenerator, but also took some of her hair in Rebirth, will she find out at some point and make fun of Sidestep for it? I know it's niche but I just love it when Argent gives my Step a well-deserved hard time

AahznSkeeve

How does joining the US military work as a boost? Is there discrimination against being a boost in the military, either by people inside or by people outside the military? Do people hide being a boost while in the military? Are boosts concentrated into specific roles, or are their boosts just treated as force multipliers in regular combat, i.e. being a telepath boost, would that telepath be treated as just another service member, or would they be put into a role for interrogation, scouting, and/or undetectable communication? Are arrested boosts given the chance to join the military in lieu of prison time? Is that weighted against the notoriety of the crimes committed versus how strong that person's boost is (i.e. an Alpha level durability and super-strength boost who terrorized an entire town for a week and made it on national news versus a gamma boost who has 'perfect balance', who did a string of non-violent thefts and robberies that didn't even get any press; Which would be more likely to get that offer if it exists)? Finally, what does retirement/discharge look like for those boosts: Are they discriminated less on the east coast for being veterans? Do they get pressured/asked into joining the Ranger program?

minjostens

Is Sidestep's mindscape gonna change depending on choices or is it the same for all Sidesteps?

All Blue

Given their conflict over keeping secrets from Jake, wouldn’t HG have just threaded either/both them or Nocturne into having the courage to confess the truth? What’re Blaze’s and Zephyr’s stance on kids? How would Bumblebee react to a certain villain stealing her hat? What if they made a regular game of it?

Max 23

How would captain Blaze react to learning about Steel and Sidestep being in a relationship?

Aurriearts

Is Mortum the kind of person that would wear silly science pun/themed t-shirts? Would they accept them as gifts from Sidestep/the Puppet?

Angel

this one's a silly question, but if Sidestep were to carry around a taser for self defense back in their hero days, and they called the taser "Charge Jr." how would Ortega react to that if they found out? i imagine the jokes and teasing would be endless

Max 23

Will Sidestep meet the Guardians newest recruit in Revelations? Also any details worth revealing

Tides

Sorry if this one has been asked before! Since some Sidesteps can be really loaded, how would Ortega feel about getting a really expensive birthday gift? Say, a sports car/motorcycle, for example? Is it something they'd like, or would that make them feel uncomfortable? Similarly, and for no reason at all, how would they feel about being gifted some... dubiously acquired artwork/tech?

Warpotato

This might be a silly question, but reading all the stuff about the Big One and the hero Ashfall makes me curious. Did you ever read the Ashfall Trilogy? (Ashfall, Ashen Winter, and Sunrise) It’s a series of books going over a volcanic winter after the Yellowstone super volcano decides to get a bit quirky. It was of my favorite series in high school and there are a lot of similarities between it and the aftermath of The Big One. Honestly my headcanon might just be that the two take place in the same universe, although it makes no sense whatsoever lmao!

Halfbad

Considering the limitations of their telekinesis, how long did it take Mortum to find a practical application for it like how they worked on the nanos? Previously it was asked how Ben reacted if he was asked to rescue the puppet from hospital; and it made me wonder how did the request to rescue Sidestep go? Did Mortum give an explanation of who/what Step is or why they wanted to rescue them? And what was Ben’s reaction to this request? You’ve said in the past characters notice if Step’s scar value goes down as them getting better; but some of the end states for Retribution could be quite triggering for certain scar Step’s, like friendless being arrested by Ortega or revenge being betrayed by Mortum. Could a Step that had previously reduced their scar level and started healing, but started getting worse again be something the other characters notice? Or would this be outside the scope of coding

Pato

Is dificult start your own business in LD? What are the jobs civilian can have easy?is expensive to live there without health insurance? Is dificult being disable? What about the chronic pain or mentally disabled?

Kop

The powers of some boosts like the Void seem very explicitly connected to other dimensions while others have abilities much less flagrantly dimensional in nature such as Sidestep's telepathy (specifically with the void between bodies). Are the Void and Sidestep's dimensions connected in the setting's metaphysics? If they knew how, could the Void theoretically find Sidestep in the void between bodies? I guess I'm ultimately interested in whether you envisioned a common foundation underlying the dimensional aspects or whether you approached them more like the Marvel universe where heroes have very disparate power mechanics that simply coexist within the same setting. Certain boosts also have different levels of access to these other dimensions with varying degrees of awareness about such so this leads me to ask: Is that what the boost drug truly does, let the body access dimensions? Is that where the abilities of boosts come from? Slightly related to the previous question, do all of Sidestep's powers come from the void between bodies or another dimension? It seems to be the case for puppetry but does simply reading or influencing minds require that dimensional access? I haven't read all of your Patreon lore pieces yet but it looks to me as if the Nanosurge forced Sidestep to learn how to influence minds while the potential for dimensional shenanigans came from the Tesseract assault. And I think Heartbreak bridged the gap by making Step experience possession themselves. Could their abilities have developed without these events? I played good Sidesteps on my first playthroughs but I gotta admit there's something intoxicating to letting the Rangers and Los Diablos know that you're now (almost) all-powerful. That the tables have turned and the dishes are already on the floor. Is there anything you can tell us as to how powerful Step will become in Revelations and then Revolutions? Will we see new abilities emerge, will the existing ones continue to develop or has Sidestep reached the limits of what their powers can do? If so, you can't have it all I imagine (or can you?), so will that power come at a cost? What determines what powers emerge in boosts? Is it simply the individual difference in how the body/mind reacts to whatever lies beyond? I'm guessing you won't spoil us here but have you yourself written about this subject or have you preferred leaving it up to mystery? Does the body actually matter or is it just a lock for the key that's the boost drug? Does it matter less for those like Sidestep that can leave it? Could Step eventually become able to use telepathy while in someone else's body? Or in no one's body at all? I'm again guessing you might keep the exact content to yourself but have you figured out or written material on what would happen should Sidestep's body die while their consciousness was away? Thank you very much and sorry for eventual spoilers and repeat questions.

Kop

You mentioned that there will be options in the next book for Sidestep to join forces with the Rangers and even reclaim their former vigilante identity. Will we get to see Step actually be a hero again either as their old self or while still wearing their new vilain identity, rather than stick to their mission from the other side? Will Sidestep for example be able to lend a hand to the Rangers to deal with a villain who has nothing to do with their own plans or will they largely remain a person on a mission? I'm asking because while Step has always had options in the books to do good as a vilain, I've been wondering whether being a hero is about more than just doing good. Can someone really be a hero if nobody sees them as one? Is just putting the suit and name back on enough to become one again? Forgot to add that one in my main message, my bad.

Barbie

What are the vibes in the lab like if certain unrevealed!rescued!sidesteps are giving Mortum love looks/goo goo eyes whenever their back is turned? asking for normal reasons If you had to add one sound effect to a scene in each book (magically it plays as the scene is read, and you don't have to actually code it or nothing), what would it be and where would you put it? It can be any sound effect, realistic/suspenseful/comedic/whatever, doesn't have to fit the scene at all, and up to you whether the sound is inexplicably diegetic or not.

Thomas Moffitt

I'm sorry if this has been asked before, but how would Five Pennies react to Sidestep stealing his name for their villain persona?

jlillian1123

You mentioned that Sidestep cloned the Puppet's phone onto their phone (which they presumably brought to Parkfield, given that it's given back to them in the Innocent demo). Does that mean that Ortega still has guilty!Step's phone, and therefore, access to the Puppet's phone? If so, would that make the Puppet compromised & revealed? Has Ortega (or anyone else besides Owl) ever been jumpscared by Sidestep? If Sidestep was vegan/vegetarian, did the Farm forcefeed them meat (as punishment, experimentation, etc.)?

All Blue

Would Bumblebee agree to surrendering every and all hats she wears/will ever wear to Sidestep for the rest of her life, as their only condition to letting the Guardians arrest them?

All Blue

What would a romanced, sus!Chen think about Sidestep making him (and only him) suspicious of them on purpose?

minjostens

Will both Argent and Sidestep be able to use the Regenerator in Revelations regardless of who you picked to keep the Regenerator? Or does Sidestep not get to use it yet in Book 3 if you let Argent keep it and give it to you once she's done

Max 23

Will Sidestep be able to help the puppet imposter get revenge against Shroud and potentially befriend or at least make them an ally in their mission against the Special Directive?

minjostens

At the end of the therapy session in Retribution, Sidestep reads the shrink's thoughts and she's wondering whether therapy can help them/whether Sidestep is a danger to society even though the conversation they had didn't seem to hint at anything dangerous. But then Sidestep narrates "It might be your own telepathic powers playing havoc with her mind. It wouldn't be the first time. It's never good for you to get upset." So I wanted to know if those were the shrink's genuine doubts or if Sidestep's own self-doubt and distress was influencing her thoughts

Porkchop

Have you heard of Hatoful Boyfriend? The parody dating sim that is also pretty serious and earnest about its themes of tragedy/grief/love with a new game+ murder mystery? Ignoring how a Japanese parody VN would get imported to US. What would Vera and Argent think of it? Like it for the birds? the insane but compelling plot? I think Herald would be touch by the earnest parts of it, but you know best.

jlillian1123

Silly question: Does civet coffee (where the coffee cherries are harvested from civet poop) exist in FHR? Since HG is The Art of Coffee(tm), what does/would the Polycruel (and whoever else you feel like answering for) think of it?

minjostens

Which team has a better rep/higher popularity in universe, the Rangers or the Guardians?

Cross

*squinting at the various burger-related questions you've gotten over time* is the Catfiend still human enough that you'd consider it cannibalism to eat it if someone did? Also, would the people of Los Diablos consider it cannibalism?

Ella Jean

I might be too late but who is out here thinking sidesteps tattoos are a satisfying texture? An awful texture? Who is constantly rubbing the tattoos with their fingers?

Max 23

Any reason why Argent refuses to kill Shroud when Sidestep tells her to at the casino? Is it just that Argent doesn't know enough about Shroud to consider her worthy of her wrath and would she change her mind if she learned more about Shroud?

Max 23

I doubt a happy ending exists for Chargestep where they are married and have kids together, mainly because they are both sterile and a marriage to a re-gene wouldn't be legally recognized. I'm pretty Sidestep would be able to forge a human identity for himself and he and Julia could just adopt if they wanted to, or just be dog parents. I just want them to see them be happy and live normal peaceful lives together. But could Julia be able to carry a pregnancy to term if she had her generator removed, and are there any workarounds to Re-Gene's being unable to reproduce?

All Blue

What languages do Temerain, Bumblebee, and Porthole speak? What’s Umbral’s sexuality? Did Danny know about Marek’s connection to Ortega before contacting him? If not, what about now? Did he ever ask about how Ortega feels about him now?

minjostens

Are the people/individual who tried to shoot Ortega before the crash the same people/individual that shot Chen?

minjostens

And to follow up on this, are the same people or individual behind sending a sniper after Ortega the same people or individual that blew up Ortega's apartment?

All Blue

You answered before for Blaze and Zephyr: what do the rest of the Guardians’ find attractive in a prospective partner? How did Blaze get into a fight with the Slasher? Was he ordered to try and do some damage against Lord Ember’s empire? How did he get away from that same fight? Why is Blqze so insecure/sensitive about himself? You’d think a man like him (often a leader, good powers and status, good connections) might have more self confidence? What was Blaze’s childhood like?

minjostens

In a previous Q&A you said you weren't sure yet if Sidestep would grow comfortable enough to hug Arde... So I got curious, how long did it take for Sidestep to grow used/comfortable with Ortega hugging them? Since they seem to expect/predict Ortega's hugs in Rebirth/Retribution like they're used to it.

jlillian1123

If the SD hadn't had gotten Sidestep (for whatever reason), and had gotten a random Heartbreak survivor, would that rando have fared better or worse than Sidestep? Or would they have just been Heartbreak 2.0? And speaking of Heartbreak, if Anathema hadn't had died, would Argent and Herald have still become Rangers?

All Blue

For pastflirting Chargestep… how would Ortega have felt about Step being in love with them, but gave up on a relationship because they thought Ortega will never be serious about them? That playboy (gn) persona doesn’t inspire much confidence.

minjostens

Would you say the 9th gate is the door to "Omega" classification or can Omega level be reached before the 9th gate? (Idk if that was clear I was basically just asking if 9 gates need to be open or Sidestep could be Omega classification even with less than 9 gates depending on stats)

Max 23

Not sure how much further a puppet stuck sidestep who wasn't in the crash and is romancing Ortega will be to go with them, but I do wonder if there is a potential plot point with a female puppet who is dating a male ortega potentially becoming pregnant, even though they are mods and boosts respectively which are generally sterile.

All Blue

Would you say Argent is more tech savvy or streetwise? Or both?

Gorogs

This is an awesome question, but iirc wasn't Locus's color described as magenta/bright purple? It's still on the warm side of purple so it doesn't really change your point though

All Blue

Referencing a previous ask about poly Rangers’ relationship being revealed and the media reaction to it- would there be a similar uproar if it was the Guardians instead? How would the Guardians have reacted if they were in the RO’s shoes?